#because he committed the crime of moving away as a child and because he refuses to accept anything associated with a part of that child tha

[lilacerull0]

can't stop thinking about lila and nino's time in the shoe shop for no particular reason (lie), but she brought books to that shop... the whole affair started by the sea... the books, the shoes, the sea... all symbols of lila's childhood that have been morphed into something else, something eerie and adult, and she attached their original shape and meaning to nino, just like she has always done with elena, because he was supposed to be her way back to these things, if only indirectly, if only the small way she could possess them again existed in watching him have them. and i've mentioned this to mal the other day, but the heart of this relationship is based on a cruel contradiction: on one hand it is an attempt to reestablish childhood innocence (the books, the shoes, the sea in their original fairytale, dream-like form), but on the other hand it's overwhelmingly defined by adult themes like adultery and sex (melina and donato's relationship) it's a warped perspective on both childhood and adulthood ultimately. it's got the spirit of each right, but the motifs are all wrong, like they've crossed to the wrong side of the timeline. so, in many ways, nino, to lila, exists as both the essence of elena and rino, the gods of her childhood, and as the essence of marcello and stefano, figures tied to her brutal push into adulthood. and lila is already an extreme example of adult motifs crossing into childhood's territory so when nino appears, her understanding of sex and adultery hasn't been sugarcoated, but is rather present in, not the only possible form sex and adultery can exist in, but certainly in one of their truest forms, vulgar and dangerous in their banality. (thanks to stefano and melina and donato respectively) thanks to that, lila's relationship with nino can't be a new beginning because it's only a response to preexisting experiences and everything good about it is only good because it's better than something that happened before, but ultimately it stays within the circle it appears to be rebelling against.

[dolphin-writer]

Story Idea That May Never Be Written

Danny almost 18, decides to leave home, Tucker has a new identity ready for him and everything. With help of Jazz he plans to finish his hs classes online.

Right before he leaves his parents find out/he got sloppy/ his mom freaks but his dad stops her and just hugs danny. He is confused, guilty, and hurt by maddies reaction. Tells danny he’ll handle maddy and to just go as he planed

Danny moves to Gothem, for its high ecto levels and basically chill not give a fuck attatude. And other than the petty crime which he knows he can handle it will be great. He finishes his hs classes and gets a job at a mechanics shop.

Jazz is in college in Metropolis as she thinks the rivalry between the sister cities is interesting to study. And now she can use it as an excuse to visit Gotham and Danny.

Sam and Tucker graduate and move to college. Sam goes to Gotham U where Danny is taking night classes as he is now a full time mechanic at the shop. Tucker is at MIT, working at a tech help store.

A year and a half after he ran Danny gets a message from his dad. Jack is now living in Metropolis near Jazz. Maddy lost it, something about everything hitting her at once, the knowledge that her son died in her machine and that she continued trying to end him for years after, and all the things Phantom had to do hit her at once and shifted something in her mind. She was not sane anymore. She wanted to get Danny legally marked as dead because a part of her knew he died. Jack tried to fight it until Jazz told him that it would be good for Danny to lose that last tie so he finally agreed. Shortly after Jack had her assessed and committed to the hospital and then pleaded to the courts for a divorce so he could focus on his last remaining child Jazz instead of watching Maddy rot away. The courts granted it and Maddy became ward of the state. Jack moved to Metropolis and got a job in helping design security systems. 

By the time Sam and Tucker were graduating Danny had risen to running the shop only below the owner. Sam got a job with a Dr. Pamala Islie working on keeping plants from going extinct and trying to revive ones that were. Tucker was still working part time at that tech repair shop but was really working on getting his own tech/coding business more widespread. 

Danny finished his night classes shortly after them and got a good pay raise with it. Right around this time a big bomb hit Gotham in the form of Gothams Prince Bruce Wayne had returned. No one officially knew where he had gone, lots had begun to doubt he would come back saying he was probably dead. So it was a shock to everyone. And soon gotham gossip came to life with the stories of the himbo playboy. Danny could care less but it was fun getting Sam wound up about him. 

Tuckers business officially took off with big names using it such as (Queen Industries, and other companies associated with future heroes) he moved permanently to Metropolis to be close but refused to move to Gotham saying the lack of sun would kill his complexion, which sam returned with like you spend any time outside anyway?

As a year passed Wayne Enterprise started expanding, small at first building up their departments before adding new ones. Then the Martha Wayne Foundation hit the streets. Founding food kitchens and clinics and pharmacies that were cheap to free for anyone. It made a difference for some. Danny started to question the Bruce Wynes' himbo status as it was clear that this wasn’t just a pr move.

Then two years after the circus that was Bruce Wayne's return as the city quieted back down to its normal levels, the people began to hear about a monster, a demon that had been hunting the criminals of Gotham, a shadow that would leave criminals tied up for the police to find. He was a story that word of, would not spread outside of Gothams borders. Now this was something Danny watched and listened for news of. This creature or man was taking over the city little by little and Danny was protective of the city that had become his home. But he was retired and happy so he waited and observed.

Eventually they got a name, Batman. The cost for them gaming the name was that villains, not just criminals were popping out of the woodwork every other week. It was getting concerning to team Phantom, and all of Gotham in general. The press started to blame Batman for these villains' existence, calling him a menace and demanding his arrest. And Danny was conflicted. This man, for he was just a normal human as far as they could figure, was trying his best to save people, stop a problem that was not his fault but he probably felt responsible for, and now the city was against him for it. Danny did not enjoy the parallels and the reminder of his old life, but he sympathized with Batman and became a very vocal supporter of him. 

Eventually others joined Danny in his support of Batman. Eventually the people calling for his arrest were drowned out by those thanking him for trying to protect them. Eventually the police stopped chasing him and started working with him, even asking for help at times.

Time passed Gotham adjusted, as it always does. Danny was getting bored, he loved the mechanic shop it had become his baby, he trained the new hires and even got a couple to tinker and build things with him. But he got home and was bored, so he started experimenting with baking. He had learned how to cook over his time of living in Gotham and quite enjoyed making food for his family, Sam was always stopping by to raid his fridge since he started experimenting with making vegan food. They even got Tucker to admit to liking it. So the natural next step was trying baking. His first few attempts weren’t a disaster but they weren’t very good either. But as time passed he got better but then he faced a different issue. What to do with all the deserts. Everyone he knew was given some, and then the rest were donated to a food kitchen. At Jazzes' suggestion Danny applied to work part time at a small bakery. It was right on the outskirts of Crime alley run by a couple of older ladies and their son. Danny got to bake and work on improving recipes and they got to sell what he made. Though they did try to set him up with their son several times after finding out Danny was bi. So life settled.

Then Batman got a partner, a child partner, and Danny got upset. He had been a child vigilante, he had barely survived being a chile vigilante. Danny who took in and trained as many street kids as he could at the shop. Danny who proudly watched those kids become adults and make it in Gotham. Danny who kept an eye on all the heroes popping up around the globe, and knew that none of them had brought kids into it. Danny who thought about “his” kids as he dug into Robin and realized that Batman was trying to protect the kid in the ways he knew how, and that Robin probably just like his kids didn’t really listen when you tell them no if they’ve set their mind on it. So Danny was still worried but no longer upset with Batman. 

Then Bruce Wayne started showing up at the bakery.

Bruce is a total dork who struggles with basic human interactions at times. So at a cafe/bakery he tells the 17yo cashier, “Compliments to the chief” like a weirdo. She awkwardly hollers back to Danny, who comes out confused.

Bruce has oh fuck hes hot.

*story happens in between but I don't know what*

Something happens Danny speeds away on his bike. Eventually taking it off a bridge into the water before going invisible and flying to his dads in Metropolis. He goes to the realms to lay low for two weeks after visiting with his dad for a couple days. He has to come back because one of his kids is getting married

Bruce who is crushing on Danny, is worried and talks to people. The ladies at the bakery point him in the direction of the mechanic shop. No one there is worried, they say Danny built that bike from the ground up, he has complete control of it, it couldn’t do something if he didn’t want it to. Plus Jerramy is getting married next month and Danny wouldn’t miss that, he’ll be back.  Bruce thinks these people are delusional and still worries and tries to find anything. He finds nothing but dick and Alfred have figured out that he definitely doesn’t have a crush guys, the mission. 

Danny shows up two and a half weeks later just in time to pick up his suit for the wedding. Bruce is kinda losing it. 

[hoeleeheeseung]

Arrest

genre: smut; dom! heeseung x fem! reader

synopsis: running away from the cops was easy as pie until he came along; is getting a taste of him worth risking getting caught?

warnings: marking, fingering, oral (reader receiving), use of profanity, unprotected sex (stay safe y'all), mentions of murder, smoking, degrading.

trope: cop! heeseung x criminal! fem! reader

a/n: not proofread :(

mdni!!

_________________________________

You heard sirens not too far from where you were currently hiding

'Fuck, I can get caught' you thought to yourself.

You managed to take a shortcut through an alleyway, hoping to devise a plan soon enough to successfully escape from the cops.

__________

Heeseung stared at the page of his notebook, scribbles all around your name on it.

" Hmm, what can you be hiding? Perhaps, a traumatic childhood? Or maybe you're just one who thrives on the thrill of committing heinous crimes?"

Heeseung zoned back in after his co-worker, Jake spoke to him through the handheld transceiver.

" Ivy is on the run, she's fleeing. Her current location cannot be tracked because her cellphone's switched off."

Jake, knowing her, we know that she's probably switched the sim card already. URGHHH! this is so frustrating, how is it possible that the only information that we have about this criminal is that they're a female, approximately 20, and that their height is 5'7?!"

Jake sighed, before answering.

" Her last location that we were able to track was ' Clentwood Street, Block 4'. Our team is currently reporting to that location. I will get back to you after we're done searching the place."

" Alright, Jake. I'll be heading to Brooklyn for some work"

___________

You decided to get on a ship that you hoped would take you farther away from this place, too many soul-crushing memories held you back and prevented you from leaving your hometown up until this very moment.

You hoped that you had enough time to plan your next move.

As you sat on the edge of the ship, you thought about what you had done; was killing your ruthless aunt really the only way out?

You didn't believe in unnecessary violence, nor did you ever plan on doing what you had done. It was all so sudden.

The night from 4 months ago was still fresh in your mind.

Flashback

Tears rolled down your face as you held the folder in your hand that comprised all of the proof of your parents' murder.

You lost your parents when you were 7 years old, the cause of their death was declared to be a conflagration. After that tragic incident, you lived with your aunt. You felt your heart shatter into a million pieces, as you found out that your parents didn't die due to unforeseeable circumstances, instead, they were killed.

What hurt even more was that the culprit was your aunt, the same aunt who had raised you since you were 7.

You weren't supposed to find out, this was supposed to be kept hidden away from you. Even though you did find out, you didn't quite know what to feel. You'd known your aunt for longer than you knew your parents, so you couldn't even dream of taking revenge. Yet again, she was the reason behind why you didn't know your parents as well as every child should.

You found yourself standing in front of your aunt with a knife pointed in your hand. Terror was visible on her face.

" You killed my parents; how the fuck were you able to raise me after committing such a grave crime, let alone living your life as if nothing happened??"

" You don't get it; your parents were planning on taking over the property that your grandparents left for your father and me. They refused to give me my share of the property--

" So, you decided that the best way to resolve the issue was to KILL THEM? You dared to live a normal life after that?"

" Try to understand-

" What?! That even after everything you've done, you shall still be considered a saint?! You're a ruthless monster; a selfish one too."

The argument got heated really quick, she charged at you to grab the knife from you, but you stabbed her in order to save yourself.

End of Flashback

As you thought about the incident, you felt tears threatening to roll down your face. You realized that you didn't have anyone to rely upon anymore.

Your train of thought was interrupted by the voice of a fine, tall male.

" Careful there, you might trip and fall into the water."

You turned around to look at the man, he was pretty.

" Who are you?"

You asked, you should've stayed quiet. This was one of the few times that you had interacted with another person, you usually didn't interact with people much, unless it was deadly necessary; mainly because you didn't want to give away any important information.

" I'm Lee Heeseung, the Head of the Rhode Island Police Department, and you are?"

You panicked the moment you found out that he was a cop. Now, if you were a criminal by profession, you wouldn't even have flinched, but the panic was visible on your face.

Heeseung had definitely sensed that you were uncomfortable, you could tell based on what he said next.

" Calm down, I'm not going to just toss you into jail unless you've done something punishable."

You took a deep breath to calm down, and his phone rang just as you were about to reply.

" Heeseung, we've scanned every single corner of Ivy's last hiding spot, and we didn't find anything apart from a legal document regarding the property of Mrs. Carolyn Wilson."

Heeseung stepped away from you a little to attend to his teammate; however, the dreadful look on your face was not missed by him.

He pretended to walk off and sounded extremely engrossed in the conversation, but he still tried to keep an eye on you.

" Carolyn Wilson? I've heard this name before, look into who this woman is, Jake, and find out how her property is related to Ivy."

You could still hear his conversation with his co-worker, even though it was faint; your face dropped once you heard him mention your fake name 'Ivy'. You panicked, there was obviously no place to escape at this very moment.

You realized that your fate now depended upon how you played your cards, so you decided to do the only thing that you knew a man couldn't resist, seduce him.

You quickly masked your fear and replaced it with a confident look, the one little thing that slipped away from Heeseung's gaze, that too because he was too focused on what Jake was saying to him.

" Don't worry, Heeseung, I've already looked into it; Carolyn Wilson appears to be a victim of a conflagration, in the year 2009."

" So, is it possible that Ivy is Mrs. Wilson's daughter? But if that is the case, then Ivy also happens to be the daughter of..."

" RICHARD WILSON! Heeseung, Ivy is the daughter of Richard Wilson, he was a successful businessman back in his day. Now, I don't expect you to remember or even know who that is since you and I were practically kids back when he also died in the same fire as his wife. "

" Jake, now that I think about it, wasn't the case declared to be an awful accident? If Richard Wilson was that big of a man, practically a business tycoon, why wasn't the case suspected as a murder case?"

" It's because they weren't the only victims of the fire, some other neighbors of theirs also happened to be victims of the fire; no one would kill twelve other people just to sabotage the career of a businessman. Also, after the tragic death of the Wilsons, Ivy was raised by her aunt, Rebecca Wilson for about 15 years."

" So, if Ivy was raised by Rebecca Wilson, then why haven't you and your team looked for pictures of Ivy at Rebecca Wilson's apartment?"

" We did, we weren't able to find anything, which is what's weird, considering how she practically knew her aunt longer than she knew her parents."

" Jake, go to Richard's farmhouse, look for pictures of Ivy over there, you'll find something for sure."

By now, you were seated not too far away from Heeseung, who had made his way to the bar on the ship, as he continued to speak to his colleague.

From the safe distance that you had managed to maintain, you were able to hear his conversation clearly, while still maintaining a low profile; little did you know, he had noticed you, sitting right across from him, pretending to be busy on your phone as you sipped on numerous appletinis, one after the other.

Heeseung had paid close attention to your attire, to him, it didn't look like you were wearing appropriate clothes to sail on a relatively expensive ship. Your outfit consisted of a plain navy-blue top, paired with beige trousers, although it didn't exactly seem to raise suspicion amongst anyone else, it seemed off-putting to him.

He thought it would be important to make sure Jake was aware of his suspicions about you, so he decided to text him.

Jake, there's this woman on the ship who seems suspicious to me, she's been weird ever since I first interacted with her on the ship.

You on the other hand, were careful with how much you drank, you wanted it to be enough to convince him that you were drunk but not enough for you to spill any secrets that you held.

After about half an hour, you finally decided that you should make a move, but since you forgot to keep an eye on him, now you had to look for him on the deck.

Lucky for you, he wasn't too far away, you saw him standing near the edge of the deck, smoking a cigar.

You slowly walked towards him, careful to not raise any suspicion. You pretended to trip onto something before bumping into him, causing the cigar in his hand to fall straight into the water.

He clicked his tongue before turning to look at you, to see who had robbed him of his sole source of pleasure in the moment.

" Oops, sorry- didn't see you there, handsome. I got blinded by your beauty."

He let out a dry chuckle, once he realized that it was you. He deemed this as a great opportunity to get you to spill more secrets about you, since you were already drunk.

" Hi, didn't see you there. I'm sorry our conversation was cut short due to the call that I had to take."

" Make it up to me, a simple sorry won't do"

You frowned, hoping for him to give in gradually.

He simply took his jacket off and placed it around your tiny torso.

" Hmm, what do you want me to do?"

He expected you to say something to him, to ask him to do something stupid like imitate a chicken or give you a piggyback ride, and that would've been fine with him, for it would still allow him to keep his guard up whilst trying to get you to let your guard down.

To his surprise, however, instead of saying anything, you pulled him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he was slowly letting his guard down, and as much as he'd want to be disappointed in himself, all he could think of was just how perfectly you kissed him.

He knew that he should've pushed you away, for multiple reasons. Firstly, because you were drunk, and also because his intention of continuing the conversation with you was completely different. However, it was too late now since you were practically rubbing yourself against his dick, with your hands roaming all over his torso, eventually grabbing his biceps and squeezing them; he was HARD, all he wanted at that moment was to bend you over and fuck your hole till your knees go weak

" You're so pretty, I wouldn't mind the thought of you filling me up."

He smirked against your lips, his grip on your waist being gentle.

" I would love to fill you up, but not for people to see how pretty you are"

You moved back a little, still continuing to grind against his clothed crotch.

" Where do you suggest we should go?"

The answer to your question came rather quickly, he groped onto your ass as he made his way to one of the empty rooms nearby. You giggled in his embrace as you finally found an empty room, which you presumed was a room for the staff only.

He pushed you into the room and followed close after. It was a small room with a dim yellow light, you figured it was a washroom, as you saw the mirror.

Heeseung took out his handcuffs and cuffed you to the tap of the sink, immediately peppering kisses down your soft skin.

You stared at your reflection in the mirror, your body shivering under his touch. His hands roamed all over your body, slight frustration being visible on his face due to the fact that you were still clothed.

He pulled his blazer off you and discarded it next to the door, his hands went under your top, immediately tearing the piece of fabric, leaving your upper body half naked.

He stood behind you, kissing your neck, leaving hickeys, making you let out a loud moan as you leaned more into his touch, slowly grinding yourself against his groin. You could feel your pussy squelching under his touch.

He unbuttoned his shirt before throwing it to the side, his lips never leaving your neck. His hands found their way to the buttons of your trousers, the cold metal of his wristwatch on your bare waist sending shivers down your spine.

Heeseung unbuttoned your trousers, pulling them down to your ankles, his hands finding their way between your things, feeling your wet pussy through your underwear.

He picked you up and placed you on the counter, after freeing your hands from the cold, metallic feeling of the handcuffs.

" Such a pretty pussy, just for me."

He lifted both of your legs and dragged the underwear down, throwing it next to his shirt.

He threw your legs over his shoulders, burying his face in your wet hole, licking all over.

" S-so good--fuck! Ruin me like I'm- ahh"

" Mm-what a good whore you are--fuck, could eat you all day."

His hands groped onto your ass, giving them a light squeeze, slowly moving upwards to unhook your bra, squeezing your boobs, and flicking onto your nipples.

You felt a knot starting to build up, tightening as each second passes. Heeseung continued to massage your tits, while sucking and licking your cunt.

" Gonna--cu-m! fu--ck"

" Hold it in, you slut."

He started licking your wet cunt more vigorously, his nose grinding against your swollen clit from time to time.

His hands gradually started to move from your tits to your thighs, spreading your legs, and flicking your clit with his thumb.

You let out an airy moan, bucking your hips to the best of your abilities to give him more access.

Heeseung caught you off guard by pushing his middle finger into your hole, watching your pussy stretch.

" Ahh-mmph-fuck- just like-that-ahh"

He immediately pushed another digit in, as he watched your hole stretch even more, making his fingers disappear. Heeseung continued to play around with your sensitive cunt, spitting in your hole, ramming his fingers in, and scissoring your hole.

The knot in your stomach started to tighten beyond measure until you couldn't hold it in anymore and came undone all over his fingers.

He moaned at the sound of your orgasm blending with your moans, he felt his cock twitching in his pants.

You moved your hands to grab his trousers, before unbuttoning them and pulling them down, immediately rubbing your hand against the waistband of his boxers, pulling them down swiftly, and watching his erect beauty, it was hard and veiny.

Heeseung moaned into your ear, licking your earlobe slightly.

He pumped himself up a little before spreading your legs apart even more and ramming into your hole, making the both of you fill the room up with the sounds of your moans, both your voices blending together perfectly.

" Ahh-what a good cunt- fuck! You make me want to fill yo-u up"

" Hmm-Ah, what's stopping you--"

This got him going, and the speed of his thrusts increased. He mercilessly thrust in and out of your hole, your throbbing, swollen cunt stretching around his size.

His thrusts kept on getting sloppier and faster, your hands scratching his back, as his mouth sucked on your boobs, leaving hickeys all over, and his hands groping your ass, pulling you closer, as if it was even possible,

" I'm gonna c-um"

" You are such a good slut-cum all over my cock"

You came undone for the second time that night, pushing his face deeper into your tits, squishing his face between them.

You felt his dick twitch, making your eyes roll back, as he filled you up with his thick, white, creamy fluid, making you moan louder than you ever have.

Thick strings of cum slid down your thighs, as you felt your body shiver, the alcohol immediately leaving your system after you felt the best orgasms of your life.

Heeseung smirked, backing off from you and holding his blazer for you to take and wear, he was aware of how mercilessly he tore your top, leaving you with nothing to cover up with.

The both of you cleaned up before wearing your clothes. Just as you were about to leave, you felt a familiar cold metal wrap around your wrists, holding them behind your body

" Ivy Wilson, you are under arrest for committing murder. You are reported to have committed the murder of your late aunt, Rebecca Wilson."

You felt yourself flinch, too scared to do anything; your crime had been discovered and now you've been caught, with no way out.

" Officer, let me explain-

" You may explain yourself at the headquarters, or you may stay silent, you have the right to remain quiet."

" But-

" I have to admit, you did a great job trying to stay undercover, but unfortunately for you, I fuck too well. I made you believe that you're the one seducing me when it was the complete opposite of that."

[yannights]

A Monster from the Depth

Pairing: Yandere Wriothesley x reader

Part 1 Part 2

A/n: this is my first time publishing a story so it may not be as good as future ones, there are many mistakes and problems with the tense. But I am still happy I was able to publish so enjoy!( I am not sure wether to do a part 2 or not)

Warning: Obsessive behaviour, forced imprisonment, intimation, angst, language, panic attack

"You know you can't keep this up forever, right?" he says with a cold expression which was uncharacteristic of him.

You just looked at the floor from the bed and just prayed he would leave you alone. A suffocation silence invaded the room, he was standing in front of you, arms crossed, staring down at your form. You on the other hand, were sitting on the edge of the bed, avoiding his gaze and just stared downward. The darkness contributed to the agonizing atmosphere, however, a small ray of light from outside his bedroom going through the slightly open door that he didn't close properly could be seen. You refused to give him any kind of attention he was longing for, you would not give him what he wanted, since he couldn't care less about what you wanted. Wriothesley was like the devil to you, and definitely had the looks that couldn't convince you otherwise. You were just an angel flying through Fontaine freely until this monster had the audacity to love you and poisoning you in the process. Now you're stuck down below in a place you like to call hell. It was a dark cold place, with you chained to a man you once thought as a gentleman, if only you could have known back then, maybe, just maybe you could have avoided this.

"I've been thinking, your behaviour and attitude have long past their limit. It's been a month and I think it's about time you drop the act. Sulking isn't going to get you anywhere, you are aware of that."

What a joke, is he really that delusional, he can't be serious! Is he really treating you like some kind of child, like this was a sort of tantrum, and an act! As much as you tried to hide your thoughts, your face couldn't stop but slightly change, brows furrowing and biting your lip. He takes notice of this, a small deep sigh escapes his mouth and his arms drop. His hand slowly approaches your face, it takes a moment to realise what he is trying to do, by the time you do notice his index finger already lifts your chin up to get a proper view of your face. This unsurprisingly makes sick, you cringe over the gesture and instantly move backwards and hit the headboard of the bed, quietly hissing at him in the process, like a cat. His eyebrows jolt upwards and his mouth slightly opens, surprised by your action. You could see in that moment his eyes darken

" I have been so nice to you, have I not ?" he says with a deep, cold voice. He starts moving forward around the bed, slowly approaching your cowering form.

"I have endured your little tantrums these past weeks, knowing that it would take time for you to settle in. I have given you what you needed to adapt to this because I am fully aware that this is far from what you want, I am not blind that fact. I have fed you, cleaned, made sure everything was comfortable for you. But you treat me like a monster.."

"That's because you are one!" You shout stepping off of the opposite side of the bed. His movement halts and his face goes back the surprised look he had a few seconds ago, taken aback by the sudden outburst. This was by far the biggest act of defiance yet.

" Do you not realise the torture I have to go through every day when I am with you. You stripped me of everything I possessed. You accused me of a crime I didn't commit, forcing me to go down to the fortress just to be confined in here, i don't even get to go out with the other inmates! What respect do I owe you when the man standing in front of me a selfish pathetic monster ruining my life. How do you expect me to ever love that! I want to go home, I want to be as far away from you you sick freak!"

As you stopped to get a breath, you notice Wriothesley face start to darken, eyebrows frowning and his teeth starting to clench, not to mention that his hands balling into fists. That is when you realised that you had made a big mistake...

"A monster you say? He chuckled with a small smirk appearing. "No, no you haven't seen a monster, sweetheart. But if that is how you perceive me, then I might as well give you a reason to, hm? If that is what you truly desire of course. Is this what you want, a monster?

His movement started slowly moving around the bed. You started to panic, fear englobing you. What was he going to do with you, had you really cross the line with this. You turn your head searching, looking for a way to get aways before he could trap you. That is when you see, the door is still open, if you are quick enough you can go to his office, his office door is usually unlocked when you are in here, maybe you can find someone out there that can help you. You jolt forward to the door, passing him in the process, he doesn't try and stop you but you were to caught up in the moment to care. You opened the bedroom door more and slammed it right behind you. You could feel your heart pounding, your breath turning into loud gasp as you run into his office, forcing your trembling legs to move. You went past his desk full of paperwork, knocking a few in the process. You reached the staircase, moving down and seeing the large door. You jumped three stairs and bolted into the door, taking the handle and forcing it down. But it didn't budge, it was stuck, blocked, as if it were locked.. No, no this can't happen to you. You started banging at the door as a pathetic attempt to have someone hear you from outside. You accumulated enough air to scream until.

"I must say, I am rather disappointed in you sweetheart"

You slowly turned your head, with wide eyes. He was on top of the staircase, one hand on the rail. Your heartbeat was two ounces away from ripping out of your chest, sweat developed and your body shaked against your will. You could here the echo from his steel coated boots hiting the metal stairs as he went down. And that is when you noticed the handcuffs twirling around his fingers. No not that...

" I am going to give you two options here. You either come back with me willingly, and we can discuss this properly. Or you make things difficult, and I force you myself, and I think that is something you would want to avoid since I'm such a scary monster, hm?" He says with a low but mocking tone. He was now standing in front, patiently awaiting your next move. You refused to submit yourself but was it really the smartest option. You could try and fight back or run the other way, but he was a professional boxer, who could easily body you, trap you, slam you against the wall, just the thought of it made you shiver. Wriothesley twirled the the handcuffs even faster, trying to provoque fear to 'help' you decide quicker. You were completely hopeless and weak, but surrendering yourself wasn't going to help you any better, you were still going to be stuck here, no matter what anwer you give, giving up is just going to let him obtain what he wants. You shouldn't let that happen. Your mind started pounding at the thoughts, racing to find a solution to save you.

"Well?" He asks while raising one eyebrow.

" Fuck you"

And that is when you figured it out, the answer he was long waiting for. You took a breath and stared into his eyes and said.

The twirling stopped and the world went silent

...

...

Wrong move...

[bnhaobservation]

What do you think the todofam will be like after the war?

It's something I've been wondering as well.

Let's start with a premise.

This story is aimed mainly to a Japanese audience which sees things according to their culture. Some things that for them are a given aren't for who's not Japanese and vice versa. So, it gets twice as difficult for us to follow the message Horikoshi wants to deliver.

Also... this is going to be long and actually should have been longer. I tried to keep it as short as I could but this might have caused to make it not perfectly clear so I apologize in advance.

Lastly, what follows are just my two cents, feel free to disagree.

Said so let's tackle the matter from a realistic perspective.

If BNHA were not a story but the real world, the Todoroki family is finished. Not because Enji abused his family, but because one of their members (Tōya) is a murderer.

A seinen manga "Theseus no fune" (テセウスの船) digs with what happens to a family of 5 after the father, Sano Bungo, was accused of murder.

The mother, who was at the time pregnant, was denied hospitalization to give birth to her child.

They had to hide their identity because each time it was discovered they were forced to move. People would also refuse to hire them if they were to know of it. The main character, the youngest child of the man, the one that was born AFTER his father was accused of murder, and who should have been named Seigi (justice) is named instead Shin (heart) because "there's no justice for the son of a murderer", has to take his mother's surname (along with the rest of the family), have to wear a mask to hide his face to work, so that he won't be recognized, had to give up on becoming a teacher and, although he managed to marry, his wife's relatives refused to accept the marriage. When the wife dies during childbirth, her parents attend tot he funeral but claim they couldn't tell anyone about it because otherwise people would know she married the son of a criminal. They also demand their grandchild to be handed to them because she can't grow up with the son of a murderer.

Note that said son of a murderer, never had any contact with his father as the man had been arrested before his birth, and therefore Shin clearly couldn't be responsible for his father's crime.

We see something similar happening in BNHA for people who're involved in minor crimes.

Tobita tried to help someone but failed and was accused of preventing a Hero from saving him.

He was expelled from school and his family was implied to be targeted with bullying (see the graffiti with insults on the gate?)

It got so bad even his family chased him away.

Jin goes through something similar. Due to being involved in an incedent he's fired and no one wants to hire him ever again so he ends up homeless.

It's implied the same happened with Himiko, though we don't know if she ended up on the run just after attacking Saito, knowing her parents wouldn't want her back, or after trying to go back home and being rejected.

While Himiko's house might have been further devasted AFTER she joined the league, we can see that the gate was already damaged when her parents still lived there just after she had attacked Saito.

Note that none of the three over mentioned characters had yet committed murder. Tobita wanted to help, and the man who he had been unable to save will recover in 6 months, Jin ended up running over a guy who ran in the street without warning but only broke his arm and, as far as we know, Saito didn't die due to Himiko's attack.

Yet, they're shunned by society and with them their families who turn their back to them.

Now picture how much worse this would be for someone who committed murder.

Tōya/Dabi himself touches upon how bad they should have it now.

'Hitotsu kikitēnda ga Shōto… omae ittai donna tsura shite? Obieru shimin to issho ni U.A. ni komotteiraretanda? ENDEAVOR no musuko Dabi no kyōdai yakusai no nikogori mite~e nate me ~e ga!!'

「一つ聞きてえんだが焦凍…　おまえ一体どんな面して 怯える市民と一緒に雄英に籠っていられたんだ？　エンデヴァーの息子荼毘の兄弟　厄災の煮凝りみてぇなてめェが！！」

``I have to ask you one thing, Shōto... What the hell kind of face were you wearing? Were you able to stay holed up in U.A. with the frightened citizens? Endeavor's son, Dabi's brother, it's like a broth of calamity/disaster/misfortune! !”*

*okay, technically he says 'yakusai no nikogori' (厄災の煮凝り) which litterally is a "jellied broth of disaster/calamity", but the fact he chose the nikogori is also due to how the kanji used to write it are 'ni' (煮 "boil, cook") and 'gori' (凝 "freeze").

The people in U.A. should have wanted Shouto in it as much as they wanted Deku when he first showed up there, not even a bit, even though Deku did nothing wrong...

Something many fans often miss of this scene is that when Deku enters in U.A. all his classmates are there, except for Shōto, and that Heroes supporting Deku like Present Mic and Best Jeanist are there, but not Endeavor and Hawks.

Where are they? Just outside.

It will be Ectoplasm who will call them in when all is finished.

Why Shōto isn't with his classmates supporting Deku? Why Endeavor and Hawks remain outside?

It's not because they don't care but because they would make matters worse.

And Shōto, poor kid, is completely innocent, Enji might have responsibilities for what Tōya did but Shōto? Whatever he did wrong?

Yet, same Tamura Shin from "Theseus no fune", he's likely hold accountable for his brother and father's crimes as well as the rest of his family.

The story glosses it over, we see nothing being done against Shōto or the rest of his family, and his classmates act mostly supportive so he doesn't seem to have it bad, but the story likely doesn't show it because, for Japanese people, it's a given Shōto would have it bad, it's unnecessary to esplicitly show it and it would probably be too dark of a subject so Horikoshi skims on it, as in Japan it's public knowledge.

That's why Natsuo said all that awaits them is pure hell.

It was bad enough Tōya had killed people before but now he had attempted to nuke Japan and the Todorokis don't expect they will be 'forgiven' because they actually stopped him almost getting themselves killed in the process.

In a way Tōya has cornered them, their best option was actually to die with him.

So if we go for a realistic ending Enji will have to drop his job and the same goes for Fuyumi and Natsuo, Shōto should leave school, the family should live in hiding, being bullied and ostracized and this regardless of them having saved the day and of Tōya's fate (if he dies or lives, if he gets jailed, sentenced to death or spared due to his body condition being so disastrous he might end up needing permanently hospitalized... assuming they'll be willing to hospitalize him).

They would probably do better change name and country and attempt to start a new live under another identity and away from Japan... if the likely scarring burns they gained will allow them to live in hiding.

Now... this is a realistic fate for them.

BNHA however is a story, and it's a story which is also making a point of criticizing society. It doesn't hold just the Todorokis but also society as accountable for what Tōya did.

It's a story with a moral and if society doesn't get 'punished' or 'redeemed', or, more specifically 'atones', the moral ends up being that society can do any sort of thing to people and it will never be punished and if you retaliate you'll be squashed down. Not exactly an uplifting moral.

The League of Villains is born by society's sins. Generally for me the most meaningful thing is this scene.

Why? Because in my country if you are and adult and find on the streets an unsupervised kid of 5 and turn your eyes away, it's a crime even if he doesn't look in such a poor shape like Tenko.

All those people pretending not to see him would get in troubles. In Japan they aren't so strict but for me the scene looks particularly strong because it's basically a crime.

So I've really no sympathy for those people and, if the story wants to have an uplifting moral, society has to change, hold itself accountable for how it hurt Tenko and the others and atone toward them.

In the same vein society should reform and not mistreat the Todorokis the way it did with Tobita or Himeko's family but support them.

This however narratively presents some huge problems.

Society is a broad concept and BNHA didn't offer us one or more characters that could work as stand in for it.

The characters we get familiar with, often represent the best part of society.

For example we know there were corrupted Heroes, we know the HPSC had Lady Nagant kill corrupted Heroes but... did we ever met them? Nope.

Stain, who wanted to change society and erase corrupter Heroes who ended up attacking?

Some Hero who abused his power to commit crimes? Some Hero who actually was in league with criminals? Some Hero who actually was negligent in his work? Some Hero who, at least, throwed trash on the streets?

Nope. He attacks Īda's brother and Native... who overall seemed two decent guys.

This creates a clash of our perception in the story, the League attacked society but the characters we were presented with were usually great people.

The League undoubtedly perceives society as evil and worth being wiped out because they met the worse of it but... we didn't.

That's why many readers feel like the League should be jailed for terrorism but no one thinks the "Star Wars" rebels in the first trilogy should met the same fate for... the exact same crime.

In "Star Wars" first trilogy the empire is always represented as evil, all its soldiers are represented as evil and we've zero sympathy for them when they get wiped out.

But in BNHA society is not the empire, society is common people who've families and feel... innocent enough not to deserve what the League unleash on them, especially since BNHA had too few 'bad guys' among the good guys and, conveniently or not so conveniently, wiped out the HPSC before it could take the blame for many problems and we are instead way too often presented with 'good guys' characters.

So Horikoshi has to find a way to deliver the message that if said society ended up under attack, it was actually due to its shortcomings.

Tōya told Enji the past never dies and you reap what you sow...

...but this applied to society too.

In response later on Enji will realize he'll have to atone to him and apologize to him.

In theory society should do the same... so that the story could have an uplifting moral of society learning from its errors and never again repeating them so that people will be better and the League of Villain will never be reborn in the future... however... it's much easier for us to apply all this to Todoroki Enji than to the BNHA society.

It's very fairy tale to assume that society will say "hey but if we didn't mistreat those guys first, they wouldn't have done what they did, shouldn't we also make amends?"

I don't really know if Horikoshi will be able to pull this off in a convincing manner, or if he'll be allowed to do it because one of the problems in his story is he can't allow to come to pass the idea that what the League did was an acceptable response.

We see it in the attack at Central Hospital.

In theory the story should end with a similar situation.

Shōji acknowledged that the Heteromorphs were hurt and persecuted but turning to violence wasn't acceptable

...and then somehow the Heteromorphs changed their mind and stop fighting and the people said they heard their voices today and they're sorry for not realizing it sooner and everyone cries and all's well that ends well and many readers hate this arc (for which SO MUCH could be written) and label it poor writing and it's actually a very minor bit so...

I don't know if Horikoshi now has used the people's response to it to perfect his ending in a way that won't have backlash.

So back to your question, what about the Todorokis?

Hopefully since Horikoshi wants to go to a positive and uplifting ending, the Todorokis will be spared from a fate that will be hell.

After all they made a big deal of how things were being recorded on videos. Society might be impressed by how this family came together to save everyone and might feel bad for them as well as partially responsible.

If society will come together instead than ostracizing and mistreating people, the Todorokis might not be end up driven into a corner.

In the same vein the Todorokis will likely come together as a family.

That is because I'm assuming that the idea Horikoshi wants to come to pass is that you've to PREVENT people from going bad, not punish them once the deed is done and by coming together they prevent the situation from worsening.

So, I'm willing to bet the plan is that Natsuo is wrong and no, it won't be hell for them from now on, though it likely won't be easy.

I don't know if Tōya and the rest of the League will survive, because it would be damn convenient for Horikoshi to have them die, so that he won't have to face the whole punishment thing.

If they're dead they can't be punished nor society can be asked to atone to them for what they did to them, and so Horikoshi can focus on society coming together and supporting the people who're less 'cuplable' and reforming itself easily enough in such a way that would fit the kind of fairy tale nature of BNHA.

At the same time killing the league off is such a goddamn easy solution for the problem I really pray he won't go for it... but I recognize with the League he kept the bar really very high.

So I would love for Tōya to survive and heal and be given another chance and this time, with support from his family and society, become a better person, and the same goes for the rest of the League, but I don't know if Horikoshi can, is willing and will be allowed to pull this off.

We can only wait and see.

For now, I think it'll probably be safe enough to assume that at the end the Todoroki family will come together and they won't be in hell but Fuyumi will be allowed to continue to work as a teacher and Natsuo will be allowed to continue to study and will marry his girlfriend. I aslo think Shōto will be allowed to become a Hero. As for Enji he might retire. I know people would want to see him jailed for his family abuse but since no one in his family is willing to file charges against him I'm pretty sure this won't happen. Likely he also won't divorce from Rei.

Tōya's fate through remains a mystery.

I'd like for him to end up hospitalized and for his family to stay and support him, for Enji to atone to him and finally look at him but well, we can only wait and see for this.

As much as I hate the idea we were told Tōya (who shouldn't have managed to survive away from Garaki's support) survived till now due to his grudge to his family, if he were to let it go he might just die... albeith in that case he would probably die in peace because he would finally feel loved by his family. We'll see.

Thank you for your ask!

[justjesse116]

I've been seeing a lot of "If Dabi dies it'll be a mercy" lately, and I have some Feelings™.

For the record, my blog is essentially Daddy Issues Central, so I feel like I'm uniquely qualified to weigh in on this situation.

But that's neither here or there, so;

On the one hand, I'm sure Dabi DOES in fact want to live, but wants and needs are different, yes? Would death really be a mercy? That depends. He needs help, REAL help. And that road is a long and winding thing. But I believe in my innermost heart that he'd have the support he needs. If I ever thought my sibling was dead, but then they popped up a decade later, even if they had committed horrible crimes I legitimately believe that I'd give them another chance. And the same with my mother. For all the crime shows she watches, she always says that she'd turn me in, but I honestly doubt she would, and even if she did I think she'd stand by me. There's something about being the first child, your mothers 'first baby'. There has only been a couple times my mother has called me her first baby, but it is never a pretty thing. It's heart wrenching, every time she's called me that it's been voice cracking, heart breaking situations. And every time I look at Dabi, I can almost hear Rei's voice, cracking, "my first baby." I refuse to believe his mother and siblings would abandon him, I reject that possibility absolutely.

And that's not even taking The League into account, because whether you like it or not, Dabi cares about all of them in some way. My whole point being; Dabi has a lot more people who care about him than he thinks, which seems to be a common theme with people who have a low self-worth.

So there's that, now on to the less pleasant side of things. So; would death REALLY be a mercy? And that's the million dollar question, isn't it? Unfortunately, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that Dabi couldn't possibly be happier than if he burned himself alive, taking everyone he wanted with him. I think he truly believes death is the only option, because he's been so miserable, so hurt for a full fucking decade at this point, he just wants it to end. When you've been so thoroughly rejected and neglected by someone who is literally 50% of your life, that hurt never goes away. Then factor in that someone believes their entire family is the same, you've got a recipe for disaster. And whether or not that's the 'good' or 'right' decision, it doesn't change the fact that it's a very human response to perceived rejection. Just because it isn't 'actually' real doesn't mean it doesn't feel VERY real to whoever it is happening to.

So I guess at the end of all this, I say what Dabi really wants is a 50 / 50 shot. Unsatisfying, I'm sure. But I really do think he feels both ways.

But I do need to add in that I NEED this God damn singed fucker to live, because if he dies not only is it going to be thematically awful for him and Shouto, but I personally will never recover.

As sad as it is, this ridiculous fictional character was the only thing that made me realize that I was fixating on my own sperm donor (who I haven't spoken to in over a decade) and that I need to GET A GRIP and fucking move on.

That's the main reason I need Todoroki Touya to live, because I'm selfish and sad and I need to see that he can live through this hell. Because if he can do it maybe I can do it too.

[desoax]

Im tired of people indirectly causing harm to me like the cowards that they are. They are so ugly and disgusting, they think they are so fucking sneaky when they are fucking with someone who was the best girl in her private acting classes as a child (btw I was abused for not pursuing it as a career due to my debilitating neurological issues). LMFAO. There is no purpose in talking to these people, they deserve to be imprisoned, like what the FUXK are our prisons for? Imprisoning promising individuals for the crimes they committed in a society that normalizes surrounding ourselves with TOXICITY? Artificial fragrances. Foods from depleted soils. Animal excrement and urine. Pharmaceuticals. Abusive parenting. The police never did anything about my Mother for abusing my brother and I with her toxic habits and constant physical punishment, nor did my Father do anything about it because his own family normalized enabling. To this day, I still cannot pick up the phone to call the police after how my Mother brainwashed me as a child during her Methamphetamine phase.

I am tired of people being fat and stupid, abusing those around them regardless of whether or not they want to. All the hormones, pharmaceuticals, and inflammatory "food" oils storing in the fat, making individuals more volatile. I am not vain enough to believe that I was harmed out of jealousy, rather, I was consistently harmed by individuals who struggled to control their own volatile hormonal reactions.

My Mother has not stopped being volatile. After she essentially caused my anaphylaxis upon my regrettable visit to where they retired in Arkansas, I begged her to be healthy for the first time in her life. She basically refused unless my partner and I helped her! After I nearly died! Next thing I know, I was in South Texas and starting to recover from what happened in Arkansas—Roméos Grandmother passed away and his aunt moved into her Mothers house from up out of her dog shit filled house (which she also inherited) where she abandoned her dogs that are dying surrounded by their own piss and shit. Within hours of her moving in, I have a horrific neurological reaction from what I knew to be methamphetamine fumes, except the type I have not encountered before—P2P. Except maybe I have because I knew a man who would slam washed meth that nearly died from the gaping wounds full of pus on his legs. She denied it. Next day it happened again. She denied it. I could only menace her with my yelling and screaming, because Roméo had to physically hold me back from my uncontrollable desire to beat her to death for exposing me to something damaging my organs. I am experiencing a chronic arrhythmia since exposure, btw. Then there is this nasty case of poor communication that has caused much disruption between my partner and I because he wasted ten years dating some soulless female who is only capable of lying and gratifying herself. He is quick to act because he was treated like a paypig, which frankly, I find hilarious she attempted to claim I would do that to him. I have never treated a man that way and upon accusations of it by them, I offer to pay them back which makes them shut the fuck up.

Anyway, all three of these females have some things in common: they are overweight drug addicts. No offense to those reading, but please get help if you are volatile to yourself and/or others. You are not ugly, you are trapped in a Hell that might not be entirely your own creation. I concretely believe I would have died from MCAS if I was overweight, which I have never been in my life because the extent of my illness has prevented that from being a tangible possibility. I have lost so much weight from this whole debacle and it is devastating to me, because I am worried I have permanent heart damage; that would mean I could be hindered from pursuing the ideal lifestyle that has placed me into remission in the past.

Due to COVID and the toxic impact of industrialization, I speculate most, if not all of the population will get MCAS eventually, if not already is expressing it in some manner. You do not want MCAS. This illness has controlled my entire life since I was a child. It has caused me to be demonized. However, it protects me from psycho bitches in real life. I was also indirectly poisoned by Roméos Step-Mother with Teriyaki sauce cross contamination, who I suspect is using his Father for financial gain. I literally saw her put fake tears in her eyes upon my confrontation of the diet she fed her husband who was about to get a splint in his heart. She is also, an overweight drug addict. She thinks I am… "twiggy", meanwhile… she has the calves of a child… but thankfully for her, I cannot drive, or else I would have driven over to her house to beat her to death for indirectly exposing me to soy VIA splatter onto a ribeye steak. A single one for Roméo and I. She bought 3, one for herself and husband, even though she claims to be "allergic to beef". I would personally never do that to a guest.

tldr I am a human rights activist, not a feminist nor a MRA. I am appalled by the proclivities of countless individuals that I have encountered in real life (how many of you even know what that is!??!) and I plead for humanity to do better. Let me clarify, I have strong urges to beat people to death with my bare hands. Not with a gun or weapon, however I would use a weapon if necessary in the middle of combat. I heavily empathize with violent criminals and the difficulty of controlling the urge to kill, because I have been confronted with it my entire life. I have been wanting to kill myself since the age of 5 due to MCAS, and I hope one day there will be justice for people like me… not for the people who turn us into monsters by causing us to kill ourselves and/or others with their toxicity.

If you think I am a bad person, kindly go fuck yourself! If you want to fight me, then well… I dare you to meet me in person. :)

[beardedmrbean]

Turkey blocked access to the social media platform Discord on Wednesday, according to a statement published on the website of the BTK communications authority. 

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an Ankara court decided to block access to Discord from Turkey because there was sufficient suspicion that crimes of "child sexual abuse and obscenity" had been committed by some using the platform. 

"We are determined to protect our young people and our children ... from harmful and criminal publications on social media and the internet," Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

On Tuesday, Russia's telecom watchdog announced a ban on Discord, saying the move was aimed at "preventing the use of messaging for terrorist and extremist purposes."

"We are aware of reports of Discord being unreachable in Russia and Turkey. Our team is investigating these reports at investigating these reports at this time," the San Francisco-based company said in a status update. 

What led up to the ban?

The block follows public outrage in Turkey over the killing of two women by a 19-year-old man in Istanbul on Friday. According to media reports, some Discord users praised the killing in the aftermath.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the nature of the Discord platform makes it difficult for authorities to monitor and intervene when illegal or criminal content is shared.

"Since Discord refuses to share its own information, including IP addresses and content, with our security units, we were forced to block access," he said.

In August, Turkey banned access to the video game platform Roblox, citing content harmful to children. The country also blocked access to Instagram for several days.

What is Discord?

Discord is a US-based social media platform that is very popular among video game fans. It has approximately 150 million users.

Discord provides a free platform to share text, audio and video. It is also used as an internal messaging system by many companies and has become an alternative for people who have turned away from X and Facebook.

[lee-pines]

Redemption

So, I did not have the energy to work on my fic, but I had the energy to write this up. Enjoy.

...

Rain was on her knees, covering her face with her hands. She shook as she felt the energy leaving her. She was dying. She lost.

“Hey, look at me!” A gruff, angry voice from in front her said. She refused to look, not giving him the satisfaction. “I said, look at me, you little four eyed freak.”

A sharp pain radiated from her cat-like ear. Young was pulling her ear, forcing her to look up. Her purple and blue eyes met his furious green. He was, unfortunately, handsome. It's not a bad last look.

“Young,” Rain said weakly, reaching up to grasp his head. If she was going, he was going to go with him.

“You’re real smart,” he said. It was not a complement. “You fucked over a lot of people, but you should’a stayed away from my family.”

Young did not replay. He pushed her down. Gravel dug into her shoulder. She laid there for a moment. She then stiffly moved her head. She watched Young’s back walk away. The purple ice crawled closer to her.

‘Please,’ Rain preyed. ‘Universe, you have to save me.’

Rain could no longer keep her eyes open no matter how stubborn she was. The burning cold was numb as her world slowly became dark and silent.

...

Rain did not know how long she was floating through the vast nothingness. It could have been a minute or a millennia. She could not feel anything. It's not cold or burning. She could not tell how many limbs she had or tell where they were. She could not think.

Then, she saw a singular star. It seemed impossibly far away, but it was so beautiful. Small and white. Like a diamond on Earth. Rain floated toward it. If her head did not feel like cotton and her bones did not feel like stone, she would have been able to get to the star in a second. She was sure of it.

Nearly halfway to the beautiful star, a blue star appeared in her peripheral vision. She disregarded it, continuing forward. It was not as beautiful.

More stars were ignored as she continued on her mission. Once she was arm’s length away, she forced her arms up and snatched the stars in her claws. It was warm in her cold, grey hands. It was vibrating with life in the way that all stars did. The vibration strengthened, and it grew hotter.

“Ow,” Rain hissed, letting the star go. As soon as Rain broke contact, the star erupted. The bright light from the star forced Rain to close her eyes and raise her arms to protect them. Energy pounded into her, forcing her back. Unbearable heat scorched her before everything stopped. Rain hesitated to open her eyes.

The inky blackness was replaced with stars of various sizes and colors. It was breathtaking, but one star held her attention. The white star should have been destroyed, but it was still there. Still arm’s length away.

“Ramona Grey,” a high-pitched voice surrounded her. The Universe. Rain had not heard from it in so long.

“It’s Rain,” Rain said, her voice strong once again. As it should be. She crossed her arms, hiding them under her red cloak.

“Ramona, you have called for my help.” The Universe’s voice was now deep and masculine. “I know of all the crimes you have committed against several dimensions. Why should I help you?”

Rain tolled her eyes. The Universe was a pretentious motherfucker when they wanted to be.

“Because, as you know, I was in the middle of something.” Rain gestured down even though there were on planets below them. Not even her Earth. “And I would like to get back to it.”

The voice of a child sounded. “Oh, yes, I am very aware of your crime against Earth. Attempted destruction, murder, assault...”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don’t need to read me the riot act. I just need you to send me back.”

“Do you feel any remorse for everything you have done?” the Universe asked. This time, the voice was of a middle-aged woman.

“Yeah, sure,” Rain said. Whatever to get her back. This time, she would not be tricked by that green eyed loser.

The Universe hummed around her. “You want me to send you back so you can resume your torment against that dimension?”

“Yes,” Rain said. At least the Universe decided to grow some brains. It was about time.

“And you feel remorse for what you did?”

“So much.” Rain held her chest where her heart would be if she was a human.

“You are smart enough to understand why I must not.” the Universe said in the voice of a small child once again. “You should be thankful that I do not wipe you from existence.”

“Why don’t you?” Rain asked because she did not know when to shut her stupid mouth.

“I believe that I have a much more suitable situation for you. Perhaps you could earn your redemption.” The Universe sounded thoughtful in a way that screamed danger for her.

“Earn my redemption.” Rain parroted, leaning away from the star for the first time. She would float through this star-filed void for the rest of time before she would accept the Universe’s “situation.” Playing bowling with the stars would be fun. “What do you mean, you Coco Puff?”

A burst of energy caused Rain to fall down through the void.

“I mean,” the Universe began. All of Rain’s muscles spasmed and locked up painfully so she could not move anymore. She opened her mouth to protest the Universe's treatment of her. Her jaw was locked. “I believe that you should live a lifetime or two as the creatures you looked down on.”

“Goodbye, April."

[ranchloved]

He was hurt. In more ways than one. He couldn't move much in his current condition and depended on Silva for pretty much everything, which he hated. In, also, more ways than one. Silva had only come to him for his son, had bedded him for his son. He hated him for it. Silva played with his heart, said Jake had never loved him, and then had even shot him. Silva was right about one thing, no one would believe Silva shot him after he had taken care of Jake. He had to blame it on the son too, which had ran away much to his dismay. Jake wakes up to the smell of dinner. He groans in pain as he shuffles on the bed and opens his eyes. Silva is walking in with a bowl and sits by his side. He glares at him as the man tries to feed him and he just looks away refusing the meal. One, he could feed himself. Two, he would not eat from what he had to offer. Silva leaves after trying a few times and leaves the bowl behind. After a while he gets hungry so, with a sigh and rather reluctantly, he takes the bowl and starts to eat. Its not nearly as good as his own but its edible. After he's done he tries to get up but, instead, hisses in pain and feels like sobbing. Not from the physical pain but the heartache. He sits on the bed with difficulty, hissing and holding his side. He wants to go to the bathroom because he knows he can't leave just yet. He depends on Silva for that. He stands up holding the blanket around his waist and starts walking around. Until he stumbles with Silva. He doesn't say a word, he just growls at him. "Where's the toilet. And don't say you'll help me because I don't want your filthy hands on me."

a parent would do anything for their child, would endure the worst, would give up the one thing they loved the most - if only to know their child was safe. silva was no exception. he loved his son with all his flaws, no matter the crime he committed. had he made mistakes? surely, but he couldn't change it now. joe was who he was & even if silva was angry & disappointed in him, but he still wanted him to be safe. even if that meant giving up the one thing he'd yearned for all his life.

jake.

for the past twenty-five years, silva had fought with himself, trying so hard not to give in to the urge. jake put a desert between them, it was clear he didn't love silva. he never did, no matter how much felt for him. for the longest time he thought jake might, but after they ..reconnected, after jake refused to even look at him now that he was satisfied & sober, silva knew. he thought the sheriff would ... that he would.. help him. that their love was undeniable & wonderful & that their night of passion would make him realize that so he'd show mercy on his son.

for him.

but he was wrong. there was no love in jake's heart. not for him, not for anybody. so .. he'd picked up the pieces of his broken heart & went to salvage the relationship with his son. send him off on his merry way to mexico. after that? he didn't know. he only had the ranch left now. but of course jake didn't give up. he'd never meant for it to go this way. hurting jake was the last thing he wanted to do, but he'd seen no other way. jake was too stubborn for his own good.

he still was, now, fighting his every move. stop it, please let me love you. he set the bowl aside, there was no force-feeding jake, he knew that. soup was left behind in the room while silva went to check on the horse jake brought, making sure it was bound in front of the house, safely. when he came back inside, he almost bumped into the other, too lost in thought until his voice rang in his ears.

"you can't be walking." soft hiss covered in concern, arms shooting out instantly to hold him, but they ..hover when he growled. his words cut deep, his brow twitching. "you'll hurt yourself and stay longer. is that what you want? i don't think so." if jake hated him as much as he said, he'd let silva help him. arms finally closed the distance, pushing his body underneath his arm & against his side, jake's arm over his shoulder to help lift his weight, his own arm around the sheriff's waist as he helped him walk to the bathroom.

jake could fight, he could growl & hate him, but he'd see this through until he was healthy enough to leave. probably forever. "hate me, but i will help you until you are better."

[cameoamalthea]

Bo-Katan Backstory Watch List for fans of The Mandalorian

If you're watching the Mandalorian but haven't watched Clone Wars and Rebels here's a list of episodes, with enough background information that you can jump right in: The Clone Wars

Season 2: Episodes 12, 13, 14 (runtime 66 minutes) Years ago, before The Phantom Menace, when Obiwan was a teen/young adult Mandalore fell into civil war and their leader, the Mandalore, was ultimately killed. His daughter, crown princess Satine, took the throne but not the title of Mandalore, instead calling herself Dutchess and instituting a new way, passifism. She banned wearing armor and carrying weapons. Moved everyone away from the old religion.

Those who wanted to defend the planet, the Protectors, went to Concord Dawn, those who wished to practice the old religion and keep weapons and armor went to the moon of Concordia. But in the old religion strength and glory in battle was everything, passifism and refusing to fight is the antithesis of that, what Mandalorians would consider almost satanic. So a terrorist group of religious zealots is trying to overthrow Satine and restore Mandalore to the old ways.

Season 5: Episodes 14, 15, 16 (runtime 66 minutes)

Darth Maul has survived, replacing the lower half of his body with a machine. Forsaken by Palpatine he seeks power, aided by a brother from his own world, Save Oppress, who was briefly trained by Count Dooku before being taken on by Maul as an apprentice. An alliance with the Mandalorians seeking to overthrow Satine gives Maul the chance to get what he wants most- power and to lore Obi Wan Kenobi into a trap so he may take revenge. 

Season 7: Episodes 9, 10 (runtime 44 minutes)

During the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker took on an apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka left the Jedi order after she was framed for a crime she did not commit and had to prove her innocence on her own, while being hunted by the Jedi and Republic forces. Because the Jedi, aside from Anakin, did not trust her she grew disillusioned with the order and made her own way in the galaxy. The Jedi Order had become pawns in Palpatine’s war instead of keepers of peace, but Ahsoka still fights to help the people.

Now the Clone Wars draws to an end and Ahsoka has joined Bo-Katan to answer her plea for help. (The last three episodes of season 7: 9, 10 and 11 are like a companion peace to revenge of the Sith and worth watching).

Rebels

Season 2: Episodes 13 (Run time: 22 minutes)

Sabine Wren, a runaway from Emperial-controlled Mandalor has joined the rebellion, adopted by rebel star pilot Hera and Jedi Kanan Jarus, who survived order 66 as a child. Along with fellow rebel Zeb, droid Chopper, and Kanan's Padawan Ezra, this found family crew fights for the rebellion. In this episode we see the struggle of a Jedi raising a young Mandalorian. 

Season 3: Episodes 7, (Run time: 22 minutes)

Sabine Wren tries to convince a Mandalorian captive to join the rebellion. 

Season 3: Episodes 15, 16 (Run time: 44 minutes)

Sabine recovered the Dark Saber from Darth Maul. The Dark Saber has the potential to unite Mandalorians, and Jedi Kanan Jarrus sets out to train Sabine to wield it in the hopes that she can lead all Mandalorians into a rebellion against the Empire. But first Sabine will have to face her own past, including the family she fled

Season 4: Episodes 1, 2 (Run time: 44 minutes)

Bo-Katan makes her debut on Rebels and we see the story of how she became the leader of the Mandalorian rebellion. 

[coochiequeens]

I hate Fox News but this guy wasn’t misgendered his sex was accurately referred to.

The attorney who assisted in the prosecution of a transgender child molester has reportedly been suspended from his role by the District Attorney’s office after being accused “misgendering and deadnaming” the predator.

Shea Sanna, who had been the lead prosecuting attorney for part of the case of Hannah Tubbs, has been suspended for 5 days without pay by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. Fox News was first to report the details in an article which used “she/her” pronouns to refer to the offender.

Sanna had previously argued Tubbs was attempting to use his gender identity to receive favorable treatment from the justice system, something Fox sources say made others in Gascon’s office uncomfortable and ultimately led to the suspension. Sanna had based his opinion on comments Tubbs himself had made. 

Tubbs, born James, was sentenced last year in connection to the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in 2014. The predator was only two weeks shy of his 18th birthday when he followed the young girl into the bathroom of a Denny’s in Palmdale, California. He grabbed her by the throat and forced his hand down her pants, only stopping his assault when someone entered the restroom, and then ran away before he could be detained. It was later learned that Tubbs had committed a similar act of sexual violence upon a 4-year-old girl at a California library just one year prior.

Prior to moving to California from Idaho, Tubbs had a lengthy criminal record under his birth name.

In a decision which would spark international backlash, Tubbs was handed what was considered an outrageously short sentence after pleading guilty to the 2014 crime as part of a bargain. 

Tubbs was initially sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility housing female youth because of his gender identity, and the fact he was technically a minor when he committed the crime. He was also told he wouldn’t have to register as a sex offender following the completion of his sentence. 

It was quickly revealed that the short sentence was a result of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon repeatedly refusing to transfer Tubbs’ case to adult court, limiting the scope of possible sentencing options.

In February of last year, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin released exclusive audio from an in-custody phone call between Tubbs and his father in which he laughed and boasted about the lenient sentence he had been offered. The recording appears to have been from just before the final decisions in the case were made.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a strike, but they’re gonna plead, I’m [going to] plead out to them and then plead guilty. They’re going to stick me on probation. And it’s going to be dropped. It’s going to be done, done. I won’t have to register,” Tubbs says in one recording, to which his father responded with confusion, seemingly not understanding how his son’s crime would result in no severe penalty.

“For offender… you won’t have to register?” Tubbs’ father asks, to which Tubbs responds, “I won’t have to do none of that!”

But Tubbs’ light sentence would ultimately be cut short after prosecutors in Kern County issued felony charges against him, including murder and robbery, in connection with the 2019 death of Michael Clark.

According to local KGET coverage, Clark’s decomposed body was discovered in the Kern River in August 2019. Prosecutors brought charges against Tubbs earlier this month after ongoing investigation into the case resulted in enough evidence for a Judge to bind Tubbs for trial. 

Tubbs is currently being held in Kern County awaiting trial on the felony charges. He is listed under his birth name, and is housed at the Lerdo Justice Facility with an anticipated hearing date of March 17.

[deathb1oomsarchive]

LAURIE STRODE

laurie is originally from the halloween franchise

please bear with me , this could get confusing.

laurie is forever and for always the little sister of michael myers. she was born cynthia myers , the third child in her family and five years younger than michael. exactly one week after cynthia had her first birthday , on halloween night , her brother murdered their oldest sister. he didn’t attack cynthia or attempt to hurt her in any way , but he didn’t come to comfort her either. he just shut down and refused to speak.

he was sent to an asylum after being found guilty of his crime , and would live there for the next 16 years until he escaped the day before halloween.

six months after he was sent to smith’s grove , michael and cynthia’s parents were killed in a fatal car accident. cynthia was in the car with them , but she was unharmed. being one of the first on the scene , sheriff lee brackett decided to secretly put the child up for adoption and put in his report that the baby had died. he did this because he wanted her to be able to grow up and have as normal a life as possible. he’d phoned a friend of his that he knew had been having trouble conceiving and arranged for the adoption to be closed and quiet.

cynthia myers was quickly changed to laurie strode and the girl grew up as happy as she could be until the halloween right after she’d turned 17. she was babysitting and a masked man had started attacking her and her friends. she fought alongside his doctor , sam loomis , and managed to wound him enough that she believed that she’d killed him. she didn’t find out until after the ordeal that she’d been adopted and that the man who’d been stalking her and trying to kill her had been her older brother.

after michael myers’ attack , laurie met and began dating brent lloyd. they were together for 18 months before getting married and becoming pregnant with their daughter , jamie. laurie was finally living the life she wanted and was happy , but she knew it wouldn’t last. michael was back at smith’s grove following the fire at the hospital but every year , she would be on edge expecting the worst.

the year that jamie turned seven , laurie and brent were attacked on halloween by michael myers. brent lost his life and laurie came extremely close to losing hers. during this , jamie went to live with family friends while laurie faked her death. she assumed jamie would be safer without her. this devastates her for the rest of her life , but it had to be done.

she left illinois and moved to california. she changed her name and created a new life for herself. she ended up meeting a man named aaron tate and after a whirlwind romance , married him and became pregnant with their son john. she tried to make the relationship with aaron work but wasn’t successful. they had a very messy divorce when john was about ten years old.

more than twenty years after the original attack , michael once again came looking for laurie. he wreaked havoc on the school that she was headmistress of , and killed many of her students while trying to get to her and john. he was unsuccessful in killing his family members , but laurie accidentally killed a police officer , carelessly and recklessly mistaking him for michael. feeling guilty over this , she allowed herself to be committed to an asylum in california. she knew that one day he would come for her , maybe not the next year , maybe not five years from then. but when he came she would be ready.

he did come the next year , and they fought but it was laurie who had ended up so wounded. she was hurt and he was chased away from her , but she didn’t die.

he didn’t come back again for twenty more years. by this time , laurie had moved back to haddonfield. she decided that hiding had done nothing but separate her from her home and her family. she had met her third husband , greg thomas. together they had her youngest child , karen. this would turn out to be her longest relationship , she stayed with him for nearly sixteen years before getting an inevitable divorce.

after michael finally returned ( halloween 2018 ) , his attack nearly broke laurie. she’d been fighting for so long and hiding for so long , she blamed him for everything that had gone wrong in her life. they fought and though neither of them won , michael disappeared again. would it be for another 365 days or would it be longer?

― be advised , the timeline has to remain a little wonky because I do include all three kids. because of this H20 is more like H23 and halloween 2018 which is supposed to be 40 years after is more like 45 years. I’m okay with this discrepancy if it means including all three ―

short and sweet verses :

alternate verse 1 , laurie in the aftermath of what happened on halloween. this verse will take place from the age of 18 to 26. faceclaim for this verse is maya hawke and she is available for shipping and it doesn’t have to include jamie , but will if not specified or not shipping.

alternate verse 2 , laurie has left illinois and is now living in california. she is attending berkeley university and plans to become a teacher just like her foster mother had been when she was young. she has legally changed her name and has blocked out everything about her childhood and michael myers. faceclaim for this verse is maya hawke and jaime lee curtis. she is available for shipping.

main verse , this takes place one year after the events of halloween 2018 and the fire in laurie’s basement. there was obviously no body to find in the ashes. halloween kills and halloween ends has not happened yet , and plotting will need to happen with corey cunninghams because 😬. faceclaim for this verse is jamie lee curtis and she is available for shipping

more to be added as it comes up!

[faeonyx]

To my children

To my son. I apologize, you will never be born. I fear I will not be able to shield you from the toxic and aggressive masculine figures in your life. No matter how hard I try to raise you to be kinda and gentle and respect yourself and others and to never commit a crime I fear It will not be enough and you will fall into the same patterns. I fear you will have a father who will not show up for me and by extension will show you how to not show up for your partner. I fear you may consume too much media and fall into feeling like a victim to women who are not interested in you instead of accepting that it’s not meant for you and move on to find someone else who is, I fear you will consume too much NSFW content and it will dehumanize you to the pain and abuse that media causes women, I fear you will become the monster I wish every day will disappear and I would never want you to have to wish that on you. I will not bring you into a world that deems your emotions as a burden and something to be ashamed of. I will not bring you into a world where you feel as though your purpose is dependent on how well you perform. I will not bring you into a world where you must encase your heart in a layer of steel. I will not bring you into a world where you cannot express your gentle sensitivity. I will not bring you into a world where you are insulted and shamed for engaging in things your sister is expected to engage in. I will not bring you into a world where you are condemned to a life of sports, money, cars and/or emotionless sex. I will never do that to you. I love you, I’m sorry

To my daughter. I apologize, you will never be born. I fear I will not be able to shelter you enough from the cruelty of predatory men who behave like rabid beasts and treat you as an object for their own gain. I will never bring you into a world where your thoughts are valued less then your body, I will never bring you into a world where your rights matter less than something growing inside of you that may or may not have been put there against your will. I will not bring you into a world where you’re worth is based on your “purity” and if you have sex or are raped you are deemed “impure” and any consequences are your own fault, but if your brother has sex or commits rape he is deemed “legendary” and a “king”. I will not bring you into a world of double standards, fear, and violence. I will not bring you into a world where you may just become another statistic to a man’s aggression. I will not bring you into a world that means to control and oppress you rather than uplift you. I will not bring you into a world where you have to work twice as hard as your brother to accomplish anything and keep quiet of your problems in order to reach even half the success he is capable of achieving. I will not bring you into a world where it’s okay for your brother to get away with rape, that inflicts trauma and pain on another in the way you will inevitably experience by the hand of someone else’s son. I will not do that to you. I love you, I’m sorry

To my trans child. I apologize, you will never be born. I will not bring you into a world where you are treated as some anomaly, where you’re true self is rejected and where you are forced to fit into one of two categories that you don’t get to choose, I refuse to bring you into a world where you don’t have a say in the way someone treats you based on what grew between your legs. I refuse to bring you into a world where you may be denied medical care, I refuse to bring you into a world where you may be forced to dress, act, play, eat, and talk in a way that you don’t want to. I refuse to bring you somewhere you may be killed, harassed, abused or raped because someone doesn’t “agree with your beliefs” I will not do that to you. I love you, I’m sorry.

To my autistic child. I apologize, you will never be born. I will not bring you into a world where you are forced to behave a certain way, a way that doesn’t make sense to you. I will not bring you into a world where you are either deemed “too autistic” to have access to certain opportunities or “not autistic enough” to have access to certain resources to help you. I will not bring you into a world where your form of self regulation and communication is deemed unacceptable and shunned. I will not bring you into a world that doesn’t accommodate you or your needs, I refuse to bring you into a world that means to hide you from the eyes of the sensitive neurotypical agenda. I refuse to bring you into a world where you are deemed “too sensitive” or “too emotionless”. I refuse to bring into a world where you are simultaneously not enough and too much.I will not do that to you. I love you, I’m sorry.

I’m sorry to all of you. I love you too much to put you through that. I’ll pack your lunches, plant kisses upon your forehead when you’re sad and rub your back when you’re sick. I’ll be there through your lows, your highs. I’ll support you through your first breakup, I’ll listen to you rant about an interest I don’t understand and respond with enthusiasm and I’ll actively listen. I’ll take accountability for my mistakes and apologize for my actions that hurt you or upset you. I’ll praise you when you do something right, and explain when you do something wrong, I’ll let you cry to me when you’re hurting. I’ll try to understand your feelings and thoughts to the best of my ability and when I fail to do so I will apologize and try harder. I will never make you feel like a burden, or make you feel like a failure, I will never force you to eat something that you don’t want to, and I’ll never with hold food from you. I’ll never trap you somewhere you don’t wanna be, I’ll never send you somewhere you don’t wanna be, I’ll never bring someone who makes you uncomfortable over, I’ll never tell you to “cover up” for someone who’s coming over or for someone you live with, as they will not be allowed over. I’ll never make you feel uncomfortable and if I do any of these I hope you will tell me so I can reconcile and avoid these situations in the future, for your future.

… but only in my dreams.

[beautywithindarkness]

I'm 3 years sober! September 15th 2021. The day I stopped letting the demons win.

Part 3 - home life/toxic family/trying to get help

So I'm back to being isolated and now completely housebound. I developed severe agoraphobia and stopped leaving the house completely. This went on for years. Oh, I missed out a vital part of the story (my lifes kind one big blur at this point.) Rewind a few years back and my abusive brother moved in. THIS was why I started to drink every day. He's 6"6 and huge. He's violent and aggressive. He had never treated me badly when I was a kid, but admittedly I did see a lot of violence from him but not towards me. In fact, he was always the protective older brother. He used to write to me when he was in prison and always make sure I was okay. I loved him. I don't know what changed (drink and drugs, I guess.) He used to smash the house up, I'd see him battered and bloody after coming home from fighting, the police kicking in our door and arresting him, him vomiting everywhere when he was drunk etc, I saw a lot when I was a child but again, he never hurt of treated me badly back then. But when he moved in, after splitting up from his girlfriend at that time, he turned into my next bully. I was already struggling with so much at the time, chronic illnesses, body dysmorphia, insecurities, self-hatred, depression, OCD, anxiety, I was suicidal, loneliness, you name it. Again, I'll try to keep it short, as this went on for years as well. He would be drunk and on drugs and become extremely intimidating towards me. He would threaten me and the entire time I was walking on eggshells and fearing for my life. He'd come into my room and tell me how it was his room etc. I used to sometimes try and barricade myself in, by putting my chair and stuff in front of my door. Now even my home wasn't my safe space, it was a prison. I couldn't leave the house due to my severe anxiety and agoraphobia and I didn't feel safe being in here either. So I started to drink to cope. I had no one. I started to drink daily and my mum would be the one supplying this because she didn't care about being a loving, supportive mother. Never has been. She didn't want to help me in any way. She's always been another big factor of my mental health. She's hell to live with and I'll probably get into that another day. My life went back to being online. My only friends were on a computer and thousands of miles away, in different countries. I had no one. So this is where the addiction started. I would drink a big bottle of Lambrini a night and be up all night talking to people online. I would wake up late evenings because I'd usually sleep through the day and then repeat the cycle. Slowly over the years, my alcohol intake increased. 1 big bottle soon turned into 1 big and 1 small. 1 big and a couple of big Caribbean twists or WKDs. That then turned into 2 big bottles of Lambrini. I drank other stuff in between too. You get the idea. This went on for years and I didn't really get bad hangovers or alcohol withdrawals back then. I started to get more and more depressed and was self-harming regularly and attempted suicide by overdose. I was taken to hospital quite often and one day was escorted by a police officer, in handcuffs because I refused to go willingly. I didn't commit a crime but I was treated like a criminal all because I didn't want to be alive anymore. This was when I realised I had a drink problem...

[samasmith23]

The Ouroboros Cycle of the Punisher, as conveyed by Jason Aaron & Maria Castle

I love how the 10th issue of Jason Aaron’s Punisher maxiseries highlights how even though in the previous issue Frank Castle killed Ares, the literal Greek God of War, said-death does NOT bring Frank’s personal war to an end like this series previously heavily implied it would. Instead Ares’ demise only serves to further escalate Frank’s systematic mass-slaughter of everyone that he deems “deserving of punishment” on a global scale. Aaron expertly portrays the addictive nature of Frank’s absolutist beliefs through not only the killings themselves, but also through his resurrected wife Maria’s increasing frustration with her husband’s obvious inability to actually commit to his empty promises that, “After today, it’ll all be done. My work… after today.”

In large measure, Aaron highlights the inevitable Ouroboros cycle of Frank’s war. Just like the mythological snake that eats its own tail, the fascistic “might-makes-right” ideology of individuals like Frank Castle is inherently self-destructive. In the process of killing everyone that Frank personally perceives as “evil” in order to satisfy their own rage & bloodlust, he ultimately ends up further damaging the already-fragile relationship he has with his wife Maria. Essentially for the Punisher, the war can never truly end because in his own twisted perspective, “There are [always] others,” which in turn pushes Maria farther away from him.

There will always be other names in the eyes of the Punisher. A list of names that will only continue to increase as Frank views all of humanity, “As things of meat, indistinguishable from one another… except when it comes to man’s most important features. His sins. The ones they’ve already committed. And even the blessed ones yet to be.”

And as Rogue from X-Men: Age of Apocalypse once eloquently stated in refutation to the death-cult mentality that ultimately defines fascism:

“How many lives have to be lost… how much blood has to flow, until y’all are satisfied?!”

As much as Maria desperately wants her husband to, “Come home,” she’s gradually beginning to realize just how truly far gone and incapable of returning home Frank Castle is. While there was a small part of Frank that did want to move past both his childhood vigilante murders and service as a marine in order to be with his wife and children, Maria herself questions in the previous issue that, “If the man [she] married… was a man [she] knew at all. If maybe [she] was the mistress. And it was the war he was wedded to. It’d always been the war.”

And how appropriately fitting that Maria’s narration occurs in conjunction to the Punisher’s murder of Ares, the very act which further feeds into the Ouroboros cycle of Frank’s war instead of ending it like he repeatedly falsely promises to his wife.

Furthermore, Aaron illustrates that even when Frank attempts to finally uphold his promises to “come home” to Maria when he refuses to kill a child that was indoctrinated into a hate group, it is already far to late since not only are several of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes currently planning to bring the Punisher to justice once and for all, but Maria herself begins to learn the horrible truth of just how monstrous her husband actually is (Maria still doesn’t know about all the murders Frank committed as the Punisher following his wife and children’s deaths…).

Overall, I’m really enjoying Aaron’s deconstruction of the Punisher and cannot wait to see Frank Castle be held accountable for his crimes in the final two issues of the 12-issue maxiseries!

From Punisher (2022) #10 by Jason Aaron, Jesús Saiz & Paul Acazeta.