#but i think it's scary. i think that's the general opinion most hold. the mr mime defenders have to work hard in this economy

[front-facing-pokemon]

[army-of-mai-lovers]

Jet and Yue’s Deaths: Were They Necessary?

Two of the most common ideas I see for aus in this fandom are the Jet lives au, and the Yue lives au. I’ve written both of these myself, and I’ve seen many others write them. And while yes, fanfiction can be a great way to explore ideas that didn’t necessarily have to be explored in canon (I’m mad at bryke for a lot of things, but not including a Toph and Bumi I friendship is not one of them, even though I wrote a fic about it), it seems to me that people are mad that Yue and Jet are dead, to varying degrees. There’s a lot to talk about regarding their deaths from a sociopolitical perspective (the fact that two of the darker-skinned characters in the show are the ones that died, and all the light-skinned characters lived, is ah... an interesting choice), but I don’t want to look at it that way, at least for right now. I want to look at it as a writer, and discuss whether these deaths were a) necessary for the plot and themes of ATLA in any way whatsoever and b) whether it was necessary for them to unfold in the way that they did, or if they would have been more impactful had they occurred in a different way. 

(meta under the cut, this got really, really, really long)

Death in Children’s Media

When I first started thinking about this meta, I had this idea to compare Jet and Yue’s deaths to deaths in an animated children’s show that I found satisfying. And in theory, that was a great idea. Problem is: there aren’t very many permanent deaths in children’s animation, and the ones that do exist aren’t especially well-written. This may be an odd thing to say in what is ostensibly a piece of atla crit, but Yue’s death is probably the best written death in a piece of children’s animation that I can think of. That’s not a compliment. Rather, it’s a condemnation of the way other pieces of children’s animation featuring permanent character death have handled their storylines. 

I’ve talked about this before, but my favorite show growing up was Young Justice, and my favorite character on that show was far and away Mr. Wally West. So when he died at the end of season 2, it broke me emotionally. Shortly thereafter, Cartoon Network canceled the show, and I started getting on fan forums to mourn. Everybody on these fan forums was convinced that had Cartoon Network not canceled the show, Wally would have been brought back. And that is a narrative that I internalized for years. Eventually, the show was brought back via DC’s new streaming service, and I tuned in, waiting for Wally to also be brought back, only to discover that that wasn’t in the cards. Wally was dead. Permanently. 

So now that I know that, I can talk about why killing him off was fucking stupid. Wally’s death occurs at the end of season 2, after the main s2 conflict, the Reach, has been defeated, save for these pods that they set up all over the world to destroy Earth. Our heroes split up in teams of two to destroy the pods, and they destroy all of them, except for a secret one in Antartica. It can only be neutralized by speedsters, so Wally, Bart, and Barry team up to destroy it. It’s established in canon that Wally is slower than Bart and Barry, and it’s been played for laughs earlier in the season, but for reasons unexplained, the pod is better able to target Wally because he’s slower than Bart and Barry, and it kills him. After the emotional arc of the season has wrapped up, a literal main character dies. There’s some indication at the end of that season that his death is going to cause Artemis to spiral and become a villain, but when season 3 picks up, she’s doing the right thing, with seemingly no qualms about her position in life as a hero. In the comics, something like this happens to Wally, but then he goes into the Speed Force and becomes faster and stronger even than Barry, in which case, yes, this would have advanced the plot, but that’s probably not in the cards either. 

In summary, Wally’s death doesn’t work as a story beat, not because it made me mad, but because it doesn’t advance the plot, nor does it develop character. Only including things that advance plot or develop character is one of the golden rules of writing. Like most golden rules of writing, however, it’s not absolute. There is a lot of fun to be had in jokey little one off adventures (in atla, Sokka’s haiku competition) or in fun worldbuilding threads that add depth to your setting but don’t really come up (in atla, the existence of Whaletail Island, which is described in really juicy ways, even though the characters never go there.) But in general, when it comes to things like character death, events should happen to develop the plot or advance character. Avatar, for all of its flaws, is really well structured, and a lot of its story beats advance plot and develop character at the same time. However, the show also bears the burden of being a show directed at children, and thus needing to be appropriate for children. And as we know, Nickelodeon and bryke butted heads over this: the death scene that we see for Jet is a compromise, one that implicitly confirms his death without explicitly showing it. So bryke tasked themselves with creating a show about imperialism and war that would do those themes justice while also being appropriate for American children and palatable to their parents. 

The Themes of Avatar vs. Its Audience

So, Avatar is a show about a lone survivor of genocide stopping an imperialist patriarchal society from decimating the rest of the world. It’s also a show about found family and staying true to yourself and doing your best to improve the world. These don’t necessarily conflict with each other, and it is possible for children to understand and enjoy shows about complex themes. And in a lot of cases, bryke doesn’t hold back in showing what the costs of war against an imperialist nation are: losing loved ones, losing yourself, prison, etc. But when it comes to death, the show is incredibly hesitant. None of the main characters that we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know die (not even Iroh, even though he was old and it would have made sense and his VA died before the show was over--but that’s a topic for another day.) This makes sense. I can totally imagine a seven year-old watching Avatar as it was coming out and feeling really sad or scared if a major character died. I was six years older than that when Wally died, and it’s still sad and terrifying to me to this day. However, in a show about war, it would be unrealistic to have no one die. Bryke’s stated reason for killing off Jet is to show the costs of war. I’ve seen a lot of posts about Jet’s death that reiterate some version of this same point--that the great tragedy of his character is that he spent his life fighting the Fire Nation, only to die at the hands of his own country. Similarly, I’ve seen people argue in favor of Yue’s death by saying that it was a great tragedy, but it showed the sacrifices that must be made in a war effort. 

Yue

When we first meet Yue, she is a somewhat reserved, kind individual held back by the rigid social structures of the NWT*. She and Sokka have an immediate attraction to one another, but Yue reveals that she is engaged to Hahn. The Fire Nation invasion happens, Zhao kills Tui, and Yue gives up her life to save her people and the world, and to restore balance. Since we didn’t have a lot of time to get to know Yue, this is framed less as Yue’s sacrifice and more as Sokka’s loss. Sokka is the one who cares for Yue, Sokka is the only one of the gaang who really interacts a lot with Yue on screen, and Sokka is the one we’ve spent a whole season getting to know. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call Yue a prop character (i.e. a character who could be replaced by an object with little change to the narrative), she is certainly underdeveloped. She exists to be unambiguously likable and good, so we can root for her and Sokka, and feel Sokka’s pain when she dies. In my opinion, this is probably also why a lot of fic that features Yue depicts her as a Mary Sue--because as she is depicted in the show, she kind of is. We don’t get to see her hidden depths because she is written to die. 

In light of what we’ve established earlier in this meta, this makes sense. Killing off a fully-realized character whom the audience has really gotten to know and care about on their own terms, rather than through the eyes of another character, could be really sad and scary for the kids watching, but not killing anyone off would be an unrealistic depiction of war and imperialism. On the face of it, killing off an underdeveloped, unambiguously likable and good character, whom one of our MCs has a deep but short connection with, is the perfect compromise. 

But let’s go back to the golden rule for a second. Does Yue’s death a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to the first is yes: Yue’s death prompts Aang to use the Avatar State to fight off the Fire navy, which has implications for his ability to control the Avatar State that form one of the major arcs of book 2. The answer to the second? A little more ambiguous. You would think that Yue’s death would have some lasting impact on Sokka that is explored as part of his character arc in book 2, that he may be more afraid to trust, more scared of losing the people he loves, but outside of a few episodes (really, just one I can think of, “The Swamp”) it doesn’t seem to affect him that much. He even asks about Suki in a way that is clearly romantically motivated in “Avatar Day.” I don’t know about you, but if someone I loved sacrificed herself to become the moon, I don’t think I would be seeking out another romantic entanglement a few weeks after her death. Of course, everybody processes grief differently, and one could argue that Sokka has already lost important people in his life, and thus would be accustomed to moving on from that loss and not letting himself dwell on it. But to that, I’d say that moving on by throwing himself into protecting others has already shown itself to be an unhealthy coping mechanism. Remember, Sokka’s misogyny at the beginning of b1 is in part motivated by the fact that his mother died at the hands of the Fire Nation and his father left shortly thereafter to fight the Fire Nation, and he responds to those things by throwing himself into the role of being the “man” of the village and protecting the people he loves who are still with him. Like with Yue, he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on his mother’s death. This could have been the beginning of a really interesting b2 arc for Sokka, in which he throws himself into being the Avatar’s companion to get away from the grief of losing Yue, but this time, through the events of the show, he’s forced to acknowledge that this is an unhealthy coping mechanism. And maybe this is what bryke was going for with “The Swamp”, but this confines his whole process of grief to one episode, where it could have been a season-long arc that really emphasized the effect Yue’s had on his life. 

In the case of Yue, I do lean toward saying that her death was necessary for the story that they wanted to tell (although, I will never turn down a good old-fashioned Yue lives au that really gets into her dynamism as a character, those are awesome.) However, the way they wrote Sokka following Yue’s death reduced her significance. The fact that Yue seemed to have so little impact on Sokka is precisely what makes her death feel unnecessary, even if it isn’t. 

Jet

Okay. Here we go. 

If you know my blog, you know I love Jet. You know I love Jet lives aus. Perhaps you know that I’m in the process of writing a multichapter Jet fic in which he lives after Lake Laogai. So it’s reasonable to assume that, in a discussion of whether or not Jet’s death was necessary, I’m gonna be mega-biased. And yeah, that’s probably true. But up until recently, I wasn’t really all that mad about Jet dying, at least conceptually. As I said earlier, bryke says that in the case of Jet’s death, they wanted to kill a character off that people knew and would care about, so that they could further show the tragedies of war and imperialism. Okay. That is not, in and of itself, a bad idea. 

My issue lies with the execution of said idea. First of all, the framing of Jet’s original episode is so bad. Jet is part of a long line of cartoon villains who resist imperialism and other forms of oppression through violence and are punished for it. This is actually a really common sort of villain for atla/lok, as we see this play out again with Hama, Amon, and the Red Lotus. To paraphrase hbomberguy’s description of this type of villain, basically liberal white creators are saying, “yeah, oppression is bad, but have you tried writing to your Congressman about it?” With Jet, since we have so little information about the village he’s trying to flood, there are a number of different angles that would explain his actions and give them more nuance. My preferred hc is that the citizens of Gaipan are a mix of Earth civilians, Fire citizens, and FN soldiers, and that the Earth citizens refused to feed or house Jet and the other Freedom Fighters because they were orphans and, as we see in the Kyoshi Novels, Earth families stick to their own. Thus, when Jet decides to flood Gaipan, he’s focused on ridding the valley of Fire Nation, but he doesn’t really care about what happens to the Earth citizens of Gaipan because they actively wronged him when he was a kid. That’s just one interpretation, and there have been others: Gaipan was fully Fire Nation, Gaipan was both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation but Jet decided that the benefits of flooding the valley and getting rid of the Fire Nation outweighed the costs of losing the EK families, etc, etc. There are ways to rewrite that scenario so that Jet is not framed as an unambiguously bloodthirsty monster. In the context of Jet’s death, this initial framing reduces the possible impact that his death could have. Where Yue was unambiguously good, Jet is at the very least morally gray when we see him again in the ferry. And where we are connected to Yue through Sokka, the gaang’s active hatred of Jet hinders our ability to connect with him. This isn’t impossible to overcome--the gaang hates Zuko, and yet to an extent the audience roots for him--but Jet’s lack of screentime and nuanced framing (both of which Zuko gets in all three seasons) makes overcoming his initially flawed framing really difficult. 

So how much can it really be said, that by the time we get to Jet’s death, he’s a character that we know and care about? So much about him is still unknown (what happened to the Freedom Fighters? what prompted Jet’s offscreen redemption? who knows, fam, who knows.) Moreover, most of what we see of him in Ba Sing Se is him actively opposing Zuko and Iroh. These are both characters that at the very least the show wants us to care about. At this point, we know almost everything there is to know about them, we’ve been following them and to an extent rooting for them for two seasons, and who have had nuanced and often sympathetic framing a number of times. So much of the argument I’ve seen regarding Jet centers around the fact that he was right to expose Zuko and Iroh as Firebenders, but the reason we have to have that argument in the first place is because it’s not framed in Jet’s favor. In terms of who the audience cares about more, who the audience has more of an emotional attachment towards, Zuko and Iroh win every time. Whether Jet’s actually in the right or not is irrelevant, because emotionally speaking, we’re primed to root for Zuko and Iroh. In terms of who the framing is biased towards, Jet may as well be Zhao. So when he’s taken by the Dai Li and brainwashed, the audience isn’t necessarily going to see this as a bad thing, because it means Zuko and Iroh are safe.

The only real bit of sympathetic framing Jet gets are those initial moments on the ferry, and the moments after he and the gaang meet again. So about five, ten minutes of the show, total. And then, he sacrifices himself for the gaang. And just like Yue, his death has little to no impact on the characters in the episodes following. Katara is shown crying for four frames immediately following his death, and they bring him up once in “The Southern Raiders” to call him a monster, and once in “The Ember Island Players”, a joke episode in which his death is a joke. 

So, let’s ask again. Does this a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to both is no. It shows that the Dai Li is super evil and cruel, which we already knew and which basically becomes irrelevant in book 3, and that is really the only plot-significant thing I can think of. As far as character, well, it could have been a really interesting moment in Katara’s development in forgiving someone who hurt her in the past, which could have foreshadowed her forgiving Zuko in b3, but considering she calls Jet a monster in TSR, that doesn’t track. There could have been something with Sokka realizing that his snap judgment of Jet in b1 was wrong, but considering that he brings up Jet to criticize Katara in TSR, that also does not track. And honestly, neither of these possible character arcs require Jet to die. What requires Jet to die is the ~themes~. 

Let’s look at this theme again, shall we? The cost of war. We already covered it with Yue, but it’s clearly something that bryke wants to return to and shed new light on. The obvious angle they’re going for is that sometimes, you don’t know who your real enemy is. Jet thought that his enemy was the Fire Nation, but in the end, he was taken down by his own countryman. Wow. So deep. Except, while it’s clear that Jet was always fighting against the Fire Nation, I never got the sense that Jet was fighting for the Earth Kingdom. After all, isn’t the whole bad thing about him in the beginning is that he wants to kill civilians, some of whom we assume to be Earth Kingdom? Why would it matter then that he got killed by an EK leader, when he didn’t seem to ever be too hot on those dudes? But okay, maybe the angle is not that he was killed by someone from the Earth Kingdom, but that he wasn’t killed by someone from the Fire Nation. Okay, but we’ve already seen him be diametrically opposed to the only living Air Nomad and people from the Water Tribes. Jet fighting with and losing to people who aren’t Fire Nation is not a new and exciting development for him. Jet has been enemies with non-FN characters for most of the show’s run at this point. There is no thematic level on which the execution of this holds any water. 

The reason I got to thinking about this, really analyzing what Jet’s death means (and doesn’t mean) for the show, was this conversation I was having with @the-hot-zone in discord dms. We were talking about book 2 and ways it could have been better, and Zone said that they thought that Jet would have been a stronger character to parallel with Zuko’s redemption than Iroh and that seeing more of the narrative from Jet’s perspective could have strengthened the show’s themes. And when it came to the question of Jet’s death, they said, “And if we are going with Jet dying, then I want it to hurt. I want it to hurt just as much as if a main character like Sokka had died. I want the viewer to see Jet's struggles, his triumphs, the facets of Jet that make him compelling and important to the show.” And all of that just hit me. Because we don’t get that, do we? Jet’s death barely leaves a mark. Jet himself barely leaves a mark. His death isn’t plot-significant, doesn’t inspire character growth in any of our MCs, and doesn’t even accomplish the thematic relevance that it claims to. So what was the point? 

Conclusion

Much as I dislike it, Yue’s death actually added something to atla. It could have added much, much more, in the hands of writers who gave more of a shit about their Brown female characters and were less intent on seeing them suffer and knocking them down a peg, but, in my opinion, it did work for what it was trying to do. Jet? Jet? Nah, fam. Jet never got the chance to really develop into a likable character because he was always put at odds with characters we already liked, and the framing skewed their way, not his. The dude never really had a chance.        

*multiple people have spoken about how the NWT as depicted in atla is not reminiscent of real life Inuit and Yupik people and culture. I am not the person to go into detail about this, but I encourage you to check out Native-run blogs for more info!

[originalwinnercheesecake]

First Impressions and predictions based on the coven Leaders

After a full first season their fame adorning the banners and walls, who they are being hailed, yet they themselves being kept in the shadows we now get first looks (and throughout 2a will meet) the emperors top dogs: The coven leaders. I will not lie as a group... these guys dissappoint me. Making the majority of them very human in appearance for me is a big no. Compare this group to the many colorful and fantastical creatures that are shown teaching at hexside and the hexside teachers are far more creative, unique, and fun. Maybe the artists decided to make the coven leaders look more like normal people so the audience would have an easier time understanding their expressions and body language. Maybe the more humanoid whitches are a higher class and have a easier time climbing higher than the more beast and demon like residence.? We will have to wait and see. 

Seperate this group into individuals (like how we will hopefully meet them) and most of them become far more interesting, So below lets take a look at each coven leader individually, where the artists may have taken inspriation, and what  What kind of characters they could maybe turn out to be.

The Beast keeping coven Leader: One of the only two that are not humanoids. What type of animal is he? At first I was sure he was a hedgehog, but maybe he could also be like a chipmunk or a squirrel. I get the feeling he might be partially inspired by Sonic from Sega. I was really into Sonic back in middle school. I liked the cartoons and read through the archie’s old comic series. But I kinda out grew him since then. I know from helping to take care of kids though that he is still popular with the younger generation. That’s kinda how I thin the Beast Keeping Coven leader will be: less interesting for older viewers, but a real fun charcter for kids.

The Healing coven leader: Now this guy looks like fun villain all around. Is some kind of witch docotor? a Dark Priest? The size the purple Grin, he looks like the phantom boss from those horror films where you get trapped in nightmares. Tell me he has scary theme song music and talks in a very high pitched voice. I’ve heard some people wonder if he could be Selena (oracle girl from hexside)’s dad. I don’t thinks so, the macaroni crescent shape n his head looks more like a fancy cowl than part of his actual head. Also him having a daughter in Luz’s class could be used as a reason for him to change sides, I want this guy to stay as a villian/antagonist. We all know that with this size group some will stay with the emperor and some will defect to Luz’s side (possibility a couple will die, we haven’t seen yet just how dark Dana is willing to go). Personally my view with redemption arcs and if a character “deserves them” is it depends on what it will do for the story/character afterwards? IF redeeming them opens more doors for the characters and directions the story can take, do it. IF it closes doors leave them as they are. I absolutely hate when clever and well written bad guys get “redeemed” in to boring, plot useless, weebs. The only reason I could see having this guy change sides is for him to “cure” Eda and Lilith’s curse, and I would much rather see the two of them gain control over their forms than be “cured” of them.

The Illusion coven leader: Another fun looking antagonist. My third favorite of these nine. If the healer guy is horror movie based. This guy is Disney based all around. Looks like one of those Vegas suave showmen styled character. Love it. I guarantee you he does not actually look that young or slicked back, but is using illusion magic to make himself more pretty. Not sure if he will stay with the emperor or not. Illusion is Gus’s track and I could see Dana having the leaders of Luz’s friends tracks be the ones to stand by them. If so I am fine with that (in the case of the abomination leader I will beg for it). Gaining the respect of someone as high up as a coven leader could be really great for Gus’s character. Just as long as I get plenty of laughs from Gus and this guy both along the way.

The Potion coven leader: My second favorite and in my opinion the most creative idea of the whole bunch. A mosquito that works in potions! Does he suck them up with his nose and carry them in.. whatever it is mosquitos store blood in. Also he looks angry. Like everyone else is either amused or board. This guy is fed up and ready to do something about it. Not sure if it is the Emperor, the other leaders, or the owl gang he is mad at, but it should be a worthwhile show down.

The Abomination coven leader: Yes this is my favorite design. Yes it is because he is such a beautiful man. Would never have expected someone who creates mucks (the pokemon) with legs would be so fine. Its more than that though. He looks the most kind. Their is no malice or guise in his smile and his green eyes are bright and relaxed. I wondered what the purpose of the Abomination track was and why it had “more opportunity” all last season. Well slight spoilers if you haven’t seen episode 2x02 it is the industrialist field. When you learn about Industrialization usually the idea is that it is done to help the human race reach its full potential, and it is up to each individual to decide what to do with that potential. Whether you call that the passion of a creative mind or the carelessness of a fool would also be up to you. But I really don’t want this guy to be all bad. If for no other reason that more spoilers for episode 2 * with the interest/caution the emperor is showing the blights I expect this guy to show up to their house, probably meet Amity, and we really do not need another not so nice adult in her life. She has had enough.

The Oracle coven leader: What is this? He’s got nails/caws at the ends of dread thingys like Kikimore, so is this her father? Does he have anything to do with her being in the Emporor’s coven? But this is my least favorite. Like what was the inspiration behind this guy? With so many legendary oracles in mythology and we get this guy who mostly looks saggy, washed out, tierd, and just Blah. Hope thier is more to him, but here is one who I am not holding my breath for an episode on.

The Plant coven leader: based on her banner I was expecting something like the Swamp Giant from ALTA. Instead they went in the direction of a very traditional witch desgine: An old women with a wrinkled face and really messy hair, who probably lives alone in the woods, with maybe the exception of a cat, and dances around a fire at night. Okay. She is definitely going to become an ally of the owl gang. This is the only female of the group,and it is neither in Dana’s message nor would it be popular with her target audience to make a villain or even an antagonist out of a women who managed to climb the later into a male dominated success level. I am actually looking forward to seeing her, because it will probably be in a Willow based episode, and after 2x02 (which I personally feel should not have been a luminaty episode but rather a Willow and Amity one finishing up their reconciliation arc), Willow deserves an episode with potential centered around her. An episode where she goes against the Plant track Leader would be that. This witches Grin isn’t exactly friendly, but its more mischievous than wicked. She gives off vibes as one of those people who like to test the mains, and if you pass her tests than you earn her respect. I have no doubt Willow could win at her little games, and doing so would be a huge boost the confidence she has spent the show building.

The Construction coven leader: Oh joy here’s the other one I am unimpressed with. Unlike with the Oracle guy I know where they got his design. To everyone saying that we first saw him at the convention, your not backing far enough up. If you have ever seen any cartoon ever where the main character wanders past or onto a construction sight you have seen this man. Every trio of workers sitting on a iron frame eating from a lunchbox. Every pig that makes a catcall at a disgusted women. Every exhausted worker who watches as your slapstick mains chase each other past at quitting time... they all looked EXACTLY like this guy. This is really the character leading the track Dana herself has said she would pick to join? They could have done a Golem made of brick an stone that resembles a palace. They could have done some kind of humanoid ant with super strength. They could have done a wizard with shapes and mathematics on his robe who carried a scroll everywhere that he compulsively scribbled blueprints onto. But instead we get Mr. Generic here.

The Bard coven Leader: This is R, Eda’s old friend from her hexside days. Did I save R for last because of this connection? Partially. I am also unsure what R’s pronouns are. To me R looks physically male. I have seen other posters use “she” when posting about R. One person posted that Dana had confirmed R uses “they” and if so awesome, I would really like to see that tweet. What ever R’s pronouns though their appearance in the show will be tied with Eda, er past, and what she had to give up in order to live free. I look forward to this new insight onto her character

[rosesgonerogue]

I didn’t so much fall in love- It kicked me in the face Chapter Three

The Wayne Manor was exactly what Marinette had come to expect after years of knowing famous people. It was expertly decorated, but it had an almost somber feel to it - it matched Gotham’s general aesthetic. 

Also meeting expectations was the Wayne family itself. Marinette had done her homework, taking hours to research each member long before setting foot in Gotham. It was clear that they had been warned to behave, but chaos still bubbled beneath their calm facades, she could see it in their eyes. 

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, allow me to introduce you to Masters Bruce, Richard, Jason, Timothy, and Damian.” 

Marinette nodded to each in turn, her hand unconsciously tightening on Leo’s. She took a steadying breath. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and this is my son Leo. If you’re interested, I made some macarons for you, as I do for most meetings with my clients.” She set the box on the coffee table. “I would recommend eating them in the next day or so.” 

Tim looked like he was going to faint, and it was then that Marinette noticed the harsh bruise on his jaw - almost like he’d gotten kicked. Surely it had to be a coincidence, there was no way… 

Damian huffed, and the entire family seemed to stiffen. When he spoke, his words were sharp, acidic. “You’re meant to be a seamstress, not a baker. Besides, what kind of professional brings a child to a business meeting? Is his father too worthless to watch him?” 

Everyone in the room froze, and Marinette could feel the warmth drain out of her. She felt eerily similar to when Tikki used ice powers, in fact. There was no way for her to know, but when she spoke, Marinette’s words carried the weight of an avalanche. 

“You yourself are legally a child sitting in on a business meeting, Monsieur Wayne, and I did not object to it because I trust your father to parent you how he sees fit. I could explain to you that other than myself, my only options for Leo’s care are my parents, who are busy preparing for my mother’s surgery while running the most successful bakery in Paris, or my friends, who are all dealing with professional lives of their own. I could explain that, but I shouldn’t have to, because he is my son, and I will raise him as I see fit. And I’m a fashion designer, not a seamstress. This isn’t the seventeenth century.” She paused, staring the offender down. “Do you have any further objections, Monsieur Wayne?” 

A small part of her glowed in satisfaction when Damian ducked his head. “Do as you must.” She missed the way that Tim blinked owlishly, exchanging surprised looks with Dick.

Instead she straightened her jacket, murmuring a few comforting words to Leo before finally letting his hand go. “I prefer getting to know my clients before I actually begin, it helps me make the perfect piece. Does some-”

“I’ll be first,” Jason said, shoving Dick out of the way.

“Perfect. If you’ll come this way, Monsieur Todd, we can sit…”

*************

The satisfied look on Jason’s face was more than a little disconcerting to Tim. He didn’t really feel like hearing the woman who’d occupied his mind for the past day, so he turned his attention elsewhere. He still needed to come to terms with the fact that she had gone head to head with Damian and come out on top after all.

Leo was scrutinizing one of the paintings on the wall, a tiny version of MDC herself. He had the same dark hair, light freckles on pale skin, and wide blue eyes…

No. Please no. Tim glanced subtly at Bruce. Surely he wouldn’t try to adopt either parts. Marinette was an adult with two living parents, and Leo had Marinette, so they were safe, right? 

Regardless, that would be an issue for another time. Tim found himself crouching next to Leo. “That painting is of Monsieur Bruce’s parents,” he said in French. 

The child switched his soulful eyes to Tim’s face, his expression serious. “You know French.” 

“Yes, I really like languages, so I learned as many as I could,” Tim said, resisting the urge to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Your name is Leo, right?” 

“Yes, Monsieur.” 

“You can call me Tim. Are you enjoying Gotham so far?” 

Leo thought hard for a moment. “Maman and I had a lot of fun today, but yesterday was a little scary, the way it sometimes gets in Paris.” 

He desperately wanted to ask Leo more about the scary things in Paris, but it wasn’t fair to ask a child. Instead, Tim let the boy pull him around the parlor, asking questions about anything he found even remotely interesting. 

“And that is the trophy Dick, my oldest brother, got for gymnastics in seventh grade,” Tim explained, hefting the boy higher up so he could see the object in question more clearly. “That’s the ribbon Jason got for a creative writing contest, and Damian’s martial arts trophy. A couple of these belong to Bruce…” 

Leo stared at the glass case like it would afford him the answers to the universe before looking up to Tim’s face. “Where are your trophies?” 

“What?” 

“Everyone else has trophies. Where are yours?” 

“That’s… I mean, I have some, I just didn’t think they were very important,” Tim said with a shrug. 

“But families should be together,” Leo said with wide, unblinking eyes. “That’s why I wanted to come with Maman, even though it made your brother be mean to her.” 

Tim smiled, pushing down the barrage of emotions fighting within him. “You’re right, you’re absolutely right. Your Maman is a very smart lady.” 

“Maman is the smartest,” Leo said solemnly. 

“You must be right again,” Tim said conspiratorially. “She’s also the best at making clothes.” 

The boy’s face didn’t change in the least, there wasn’t a trace of a smile, but he slowly patted Tim’s cheek. “I like you.” 

“That’s high praise.” 

TIm golted, his cheeks flooding with color when he found himself next to Marinettte. She was smiling kindly when she said, “Thank you for watching Leo, that really wasn’t necessary. But I didn’t know you spoke French. That’s very impressive, Mr. Drake.”

“Call me Tim, please. And you’ve caught me, I have a deep love of languages. It’s helped in this position, though,” he said with a smile. “Business transactions are a lot easier when you don’t need a translator.” 

“I’ve also found that to be true,” Marinette said, lips quirked. “It’s finally your turn for your consultation. We can do it with or without Leo, whatever you would prefer.” 

“Leo and I are friends now, of course I would need his opinion!” Tim said, just barely noticing that he was still holding the child. “After all, I need his help making sure that I have the best suit at the entire Wayne Gala.” 

That actually coaxed a smile out of the boy, and the resemblance between him and his mother had never been stronger. Marinette looked surprised, but her eyes were warm. “A lot of designers despair over men’s fashion, you know. People lash out whenever you stray too far from the traditional designs, and no one can really reinvent the suit. While it doesn’t let us exercise as much creativity and freedom as women’s fashion, I actually love things like this. Men’s suits are all about attention to detail - how I can work to show your personality in an appropriate but memorable manner. Do you have any specific requests?” 

Against his will, Tim felt his face heat up, doubtlessly turning as red as his vigilante suit. “I fully admit that I was the one who originally commissioned you. I even had to fight Damian. And yet, I haven’t thought about the specifics of what I might want until now.” 

Thankfully, Marinette laughed. “You’d be surprised at how often that happens. That’s perfectly fine. I just didn’t want to leave out anything you desperately wanted. Do you have a specific color for your suit in mind?” 

“Black?” Tim asked helplessly. “I’ve followed your career for a long time, Mademoiselle, but that doesn’t mean that I know anything about fashion. I just know that your fashion seems… magical.” 

Marinette’s lips quirked upwards, a knowing sparkle in her eyes. “That’s an interesting comment. I have a proposal for you, Timothy Drake. If you have any pressing requests I will include them, but I want to keep yours a surprise.” 

Tim swallowed, completely unprepared to deal with the sparkle in her eyes. “I trust you.”

“The exterior is going to be a neutral color because you’re a business man who needs to keep up appearances. That means the most fun we’ll get to have is with the lining. Any opinions?” Marinette asked. “I only bring it up because it’s the most flexible part.” 

“I don’t know, I think all of my suit linings are black or gray,” Tim said, slightly distressed. 

Leo stared him down with serious eyes before saying, “Maman, the inside needs to be red. Ladybug red.” 

“Ladybug? You want me to look like a beetle?” Tim asked. 

Marinette smiled slightly at his comment, but her eyes were fixed on her son. “Are you sure, mon cher? Ladybug red?”

“That’s what he needs,” Leo confirmed. 

Thinking about his brothers’ laughter if he showed up in a polka-dot suit, Tim asked again, “Ladybugs? Are you sure, Leo?” 

“Oh, not the bug,” the fashion designer assured him, finally breaking eye contact with her son. “She tries to keep her existence quiet, but Ladybug is one of Paris’s heroes.” 

“She’s the best hero,” Leo said solemnly. “But you’re nice like she is. You need to have red like she does.” 

There was a strange look in Marinette’s eye that Tim couldn’t quite decipher, but she smiled nonetheless. “You should feel honored. Once someone back in Paris asked me to make something in Ladybug red, and Leo hid the fabric so I had to make it in a slightly different shade. He must really like you.” 

He wanted to say something, anything. Tim had never felt so… he didn’t even know how to describe it. He had spent his life building it into what he had wanted it to be, propping himself up with his accomplishments. He stood alone in his skyscraper, trying to catch up to Bruce and his brothers, but Marinette and Leo had violently dragged him down to the ground, standing outside with everyone. Maybe his family had never been as distant as he thought. 

Or maybe the caffeine withdrawal was finally getting to him.

Taglist: 

@ii-fox-demon @queen-in-a-flower-crown @novaloptr @saphiraazure2708 @iamabrownfox @smolplantmum @redhoodedtoad @loysydark @slytheringinger300 @finallyaniguana @brokenwordsarehard2 @abrx2002 @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @moonlightstar64  @marinettepotterandplagg @black-streak @purplesundaze @maribat-is-lifeblood

Note: 

Damian’s going to be a jerk in this. Beware. 

[apriorisea]

Ok I’m seriously convinced you’re secretly one of the members...(Joonie is that u???) loool but for real, you write their personalities so well. So not a request, but a question?? Their “concepts” aside (like, “golden maknae etc”)... key personality traits & flaws for each of the boys? Like “passionate, sensitive, a perfectionist, or overly self-critical, etc” Which member(s) is hardest to write?Hope this made sense, I’m just super interested in your take on this :)

--First off, you’re so nice!!! Thank you so much:) And also, thank you for this question! I love things like this---even though it’s obviously all just my personal speculation 😅I listed my thoughts down below, but I would love to hear any thoughts (whether in agreement or disagreement!) anyone else might have!  As for which member is hardest to write, for me I typically struggle a little more with Taehyung and Hoseok. For Taehyung, I think it’s probably because our personalities are pretty opposite (again, HUGE grain of salt, since I don’t *actually* know any of them in real life, so I’m just going off the little info we have), so it takes me a little longer to write his stuff. For Hoseok, I think it’s because there is so much more to him than meets the eye and his personality is difficult for me to pin down sometimes. 

Again, thanks so much for your sweet words and thought-provoking requestion (it’s a word now)! I hope you find my take interesting! 💕💜

Seokjin: 

Conscientious - I think Kim Seokjin is very, VERY aware of his role in any given setting. He knows what’s expected of him and how to do it without bending any of his personal boundaries/rules.

Private - I firmly believe that we will never know the true personality of our Mr. Worldwide Handsome. I think he decided early on that to survive in this life, he was going to have to separate his stage persona from his personal life---and he guards this separation fiercely. This is also one of the qualities I admire the most about him: his unwavering commitment to keeping pieces of himself just for him. My personal opinion is that he is the member that gave up the most of a “normal” life and, while he did so knowing the consequences of this choice, he’s found ways to “rebel” and keep his own autonomy (think: responding to fans in a very “blunt” manner [Marry me? No.], cutting/coloring his hair against company wishes, refusing to give-in to fan-service he is uncomfortable with  [thinking specifically of that one time the host tried to get him to kiss Taehyung and he just started yelling over them when they tried to insist], his penchant for avoiding overly ~revealing~ outfits, etc etc).

Professional - I mean, just a continuation of both of the points above. He always knows when the cameras are watching and how he should act accordingly. But---and this is important---I am in NO WAY saying he’s being fake or disingenuous. The Jin we see on stage, in MVs, RunBTS, and even Bon Voyage/In The Soop is the real Jin---it’s just not all of him. He chose the Idol Life as his career, as a profession, so he would never be caught violating the terms that he himself has set to fulfill his responsibilities. What little we know of his family leads me to believe that he was groomed from a young age how to navigate high society and the professional world; now it’s just a slightly different world and society he floats through. 

Responsible - He takes the job of eldest brother very seriously. Though the baby in much of his younger life, as soon as he got 6 little brothers he stepped effortlessly into his new role. Making them food, driving them to school, helping them feel at home in a new place, providing silent but tangible support... My personal favorite is the way he willingly makes a fool of himself to relax the others, to help them calm down during stressful situations and break the ice. 

Good memory - I want to be careful how I explain this, because I don’t want it to come out wrong. I think Kim Seokjin has a very good memory. If you were decent to him and his brothers during the hard times, he’ll remember that going forward. If you were cruel to or dismissive of him as a young exchange student abroad, he’ll never forget. However, I also think he’s cunning enough that you would never be able to tell which category you fall under unless he wants you to know. 

Hard-worker - I mean, just the endless amounts of anecdotes we have about him practicing his vocals and choreography all night long should be enough evidence for this point, but I still sometimes feel like he doesn’t get enough credit. We all know the story of how he got placed in BTS, but I don’t think people appreciate how damn hard he has worked to grow into this life. He was a college student, set on a completely different life with completely different expectations, scooped off the street and told to learn to sing and dance and look. at. him. now. Listen to that vocal range, look at the Black Swan choreography or the way he seamlessly joined the dance break of ON---he has worked HARD and I don’t think we should forget about this. Just because something doesn’t come easy to you, if you’re not naturally gifted, it doesn’t mean you can’t work to achieve it. 

Basically I just love Kim Seokjin with my whole heart.

Yoongi:

Empathetic -  This word is the beginning and end of how I would describe his entire being. I think Min Yoongi is a very empathetic person. He sits back and observes, and he’s aware of everything. You know when you first get into BTS, there’s always the stories of him being the “scariest” member or the “toughest” or the quietest (especially in the earlier days of BTS, because can we just talk about how much happier he has been this last year-year.5?? How much more himself he is at all times? How much more comfortable??? We love to see it.) But I think his quiet watchfulness just gets frequently mistaken for scary or tough. In addition, his empathy allows him to connect with others in a special way, to acknowledge them and build them up (thinking of that one V-Live or whatever where Jungkook says something kind of under his breath---something about a past life?---and Yoongi not only hears him but turns to him and explicitly validates his feelings and thoughts, OR the times when he tells Jimin that he really likes his singing voice).  

Protective - He doesn’t like unkindness in any way, shape, or form. He doesn’t tolerate cruelty or bullying. And let’s not forget: he sees everything. Every slight, every intentional dismissal, every dig or jab, every “diss track” lyrics. Every single injustice. Now, he can stand up for himself (when he deems it appropriate, because I also think he’s pretty good at picking battles), but his true force comes out when those he loves are belittled/threatened/disrespected. He is fiercely protective of those he loves. 

Emotionally Intelligent - Obviously, I think he’s also just intelligent-intelligent, but I want to focus on this aspect for a moment, because I think this is a quality that gets overlooked in people in general. He is aware of the importance of emotions, both his own and other people’s. It’s in the way he recognized that he and Taehyung were polar opposites and made a concentrated effort to understand him better. It’s in the way he unabashedly announces that they hold hands when they’re arguing. It’s in the way that he insists that there is more to life than school, grades, others’ expectations. It’s also in the way he knows exactly how to make the others laugh, the way one of his sharp-witted comments or physical-comedy bits can break a tension or diffuse the moment. It’s all over every single one of his songs. It’s in the way he calmly handles challenges and has a unique relationship with each of his brothers according to their needs. He treats his relationships---with the members, the fans, staff, friends, family, whoever---with care and respect and maturity. 

Compassionate (read also: Cinnamon Roll) - Yoongi understands darkness because he has experienced it himself, and he will do whatever he can to make sure no on else suffers in the same way. He takes care of the people in his life, usually by doing little things or quiet things (think: the reason they call him the “dad” of BTS). He’s not afraid to correct people when they’re wrong, but he always manages to do it kindly. He’s also a complete pushover for the ones he loves: think of how he each member of the maknae line has a different but special relationship with him, think of how Jungkook can basically crawl all over him and hit him and annoy him and bother him and he never bats an eye, think of the way he showed up with chicken because he didn’t want Hoseok to be alone, think of the way he goes fishing with Jin because he knows his big bro loves it so much, think of the way he never ever yells at anyone when he’s angry, think of the way he softens his tone when explaining things. Cinnamon. Roll. 

Straight-forward - He’s blessed with the ability to be blunt but not cruel. I actually personally really hate the word “blunt” because, in my experience, it usually comes into play when someone is explaining that their rude, offensive, and ignorant comment *isn’t* rude, offensive, or ignorant---they’re “just a blunt person.” But I think Yoongi is someone who is actually able to be straight-forward (a much better term than the dreaded b-word) without slipping into carelessness. He says things how they are, but, using his emotional awareness and intelligence, he’s able to say it calmly and kindly. If you’ve messed up, he’s going to tell you you messed up---but he’s also going to help you figure out the next steps and volunteer to walk with you while you take them. He’s going to call out bad behavior---but always remind you that he loves you no matter what. He’s going to critique the song you wrote---but it’s going to be 90% positive comments and 10% suggestions of what could be better/smoother/more understandable. I also feel like he is someone who expects the same in return: he hates liars and has a low tolerance for bullshit. 

Basically I just love Min Yoongi with my whole heart.

Hoseok: 

Duality - Now, I don’t mean duality in the way you can compare his precious ray-of-sunshine moments to the times he absolutely blows everyone away on stage (though this is obviously a thing). I’m referring more to the way he can be both ray of sunshine and serious-business all at the same time. Like Jin, I think Hoseok chose an Idol persona (though I think his decision was prompted more by a desire to be uplifting and cheerful and our hope) and exists comfortably within those parameters. However, unlike Jin, I think Hoseok doesn’t mind if people see the other side sometimes, too. He’s not afraid to set down the bubbly-Hobi persona, even if cameras are rolling. He’s not afraid to be emotional,  whether that’s over-the-top happiness, or genuine overwhelmed tears. He can wear a flower around his face and make cute noises and then the next second he can snap at the maknae to not fool around near a pool so he doesn’t get his clothes all wet. It’s not an act either way, he’s just both. 

Good judgment - Obviously, we know that Jung Hoseok is a hard-worker. We know he’s dedicated his life to his craft, first with dancing and then with rapping. He can be an intimidating dance captain, someone who takes it seriously and pushes everyone to be the very best they can be. His work ethic is insane, and he never accepts less than his best---but, in comparison to others on this list, I think he is able to critique himself fairly and kindly. While he demands perfection, he doesn’t tear himself apart to find it. I think he has the ability to assess something or someone and come away with a fairly unbiased opinion. 

Comfortable - This is hard to describe in just a word, but I think he has a way of making people feel at ease in his presence. Even as one of the biggest superstars on the planet right now, you get the sense that he never wants to make people feel uncomfortable or intimidated or uneasy. Something about his mannerisms, his bright smile, his personableness, make him seem approachable. I think it’s also why Namjoon’s been known to say that BTS couldn’t exist without Hoseok, why Yoongi values his friendship so much, why Jungkook is constantly snuggling him. My personal opinion is that he was instrumental in bridging the gap that sometimes might have occurred between Namjoon and Yoongi in the early days; his comfortable presence eased some of the tension that (I’m guessing) may have naturally arisen between two of the greatest young rappers in the game when they were first working together. Hoseok just wants everyone to feel comfortable and at ease around him.

Kind - I think Jung Hoseok is just a genuinely kind human being. I think he is trusting and loyal, but also just the sort of person who will make it his mission to make you smile on a bad day. Just the fact that he chose to make his stage persona someone who is full of hope and happiness speaks volumes. Knowing his own personal struggles, he extrapolates this knowledge to guess how others could feel, and throws himself into the role of positive, happy, sunshiney, hope. It’s his kindness that motivates this behavior. 

High standards - This goes along with his good judgment, but I think Hoseok expects a certain level of competence from everyone around him, in whatever capacity they’re working. Again, this goes along with his desire to have the entire group work on a bit of choreo until it’s right. I think that, because he pushes himself to be the best and fulfill expectations, he looks for this same dedication in others (what comes to mind is that moment in some interview where Namjoon is struggling a little [cos English is the WORST, ugh] so Hoseok looks over at the interpreter like “what exactly are you doing, do your job, help him translate”). 

Basically I just love Jung Hoseok with my whole heart. 

Namjoon: 

Unbelievably intelligent - I know this one isn’t exactly shocking, but I still feel like it needs to be mentioned first and appreciated more. Namjoon is crazy intelligent, academically speaking. He thrives on the pursuit of knowledge, on contemplating and discussing higher concepts, on learning new things that feed his curiosity and his soul. While I also think this crazy-high intellect can sometimes hinder his ability to connect emotionally with people, it’s also this exact quality that makes him so well suited for the role he has been thrust into---not just in the group, but in the world. 

Nerdy - Bicycling, bonsai trees, reading, tiny creatures, art exhibits. He is unabashedly and desperately passionate about the things he likes. He isn’t afraid to love something just because he loves it. He goes all-in on things that he’s interested in, whether they’re “cool” or not. His curiosity pushes him forward, needling him to learn everything he can about things he’s passionate about. He sinks himself into these hobbies wholly (think: carrying a book or two with him everywhere so he can get some reading in, visiting as many art museums and exhibits as possible on days off, making cutesy noises at stingrays and scooping teeny-tiny crabs out of the sand to tell them how beautiful they are).

Macro-focused - He strikes me very much as the sort of person who loves to talk about concepts and ideas and philosophies in great terms. He loves clever wordplay, he likes to reflect on his place in the universe, he wants to discuss the complexities of life and human nature. His quick-mind devours these topics, and I can imagine he could sit for hours with you debating philosophy and discussing art. On the flip side, though, I think he isn’t so good with minutiae---and by “minutiae” I mean everything from being more aware of his physical surroundings to dealing with personal things. For example, I think he’s brilliant when he discusses happiness and hardship and joy and pain and love and humanity in the songs he writes...... but he’s not exactly the first person you would go to if you were having a tough or emotional personal time. Don’t get me wrong: obviously he cares about the people in his life, he cares about people in general---but sometimes all you need is a hug and pat on the back to encourage you and Namjoon would instead launch into the greater implications and consequences of human nature in an attempt to help you feel better.

Logical - I know this seems like a given, but while I think others on this list are more emotionally-intelligent, I think logic is one of Namjoon’s greatest strengths. For example: if another member is crying or upset, Jimin would notice they’re upset and immediately go and hug them and wipe their tears away; Namjoon would notice they’re upset and immediately look for the source of the problem. Once identified, he’d take the next steps to rectifying the problem, because logic dictates that if the problem gets solved, then the other member would be happier. If there was nothing to rectify, he’d attempt to comfort them with cold, hard facts. (I’m thinking about that time when Jungkook got upset because he felt like he messed up his performances, and Jimin immediately hugs him and comforts him and tells him he was great, while Namjoon assesses the situation and starts talking about how he himself actually, objectively messed up, so there’s no logical reason for Jungkook to be upset right now.) He dreams and enjoys literature and the arts---but when it comes to handling practical, inter-personal issues, he’s much more comfortable with logic. 

Vibes - I really didn’t have a good word to describe this thought of mine, so let me just get right into explaining: I think Namjoon is, generally speaking, one of the smartest people---if not the smartest person---in the room. He’s aware of this fact without being arrogant about it, but it is the truth. Because of this, I think he’s frequently called on to explain things, to expound on them, to teach or interpret or decipher. I think he enjoys this role, because he loves talking about things he’s passionate about (see above: nerdy) but sometimes...sometimes I think he just desperately wants someone he can vibe with. Someone who can match his level intellectually. Someone whom he doesn’t have to teach. I think he is over-the-moon ecstatic when he meets someone he can vibe with in any way---whether that’s intelligence-related or passion/hobby-related. I don’t know, I just sometimes feel like he chooses to spend his personal time with people who can match him in some way, whom he can vibe with.

Basically I just love Kim Namjoon with my whole heart.

Jimin:

Caring - For me, Park Jimin starts and ends with this characteristic. He cares. A lot. About a lot of things. He cares about his brothers, he cares about his family, he cares about his friends, he cares about ARMY, he cares about music, he cares about his dancing, he cares about fashion, he cares about how he’s perceived, he cares about doing his very best, he cares about the future generations, he cares about those who are less fortunate than him, he just cares so much. Along with Yoongi, I think he is incredibly empathetic. How many times do we see him basically sprint across a room or a sandy beach or a campsite or a stage to get to an upset member? He reads people’s emotions and has a natural instinct to take care of them. Like anything, though, I think his biggest strength can also be a great weakness: sometimes he cares too much. How many times has he worked until his body is covered with pain patches, until his feet bled, until he almost passed out? All the weight he lost, because he cared about his appearance? How hard he worked at being “hardcore, manly” Jimin, because that’s what he thought people cared about most? All the times he cried after a tiny mistake, because he cared about being perfect, because he cared about others’ perception of him? Park Jimin cares so/too much and it’s one of the most defining things about his personality. 

Social Intelligence/눈치 - One thing I love the most is how he has such a unique relationship with each one of his brothers. Now, obviously, every single combo in Bangtan is different and unique and special. But I love watching Jimin’s relationships with the others so much, because he’s so aware of what they need. Truthfully, I think Jimin is hyper aware of others in general. If you’re trying to sneaky-cry at a crowded party, Jimin is the type of person who would somehow appear at your side, ready to help you feel better. His empathy and sensitivity allow him to assess what each individual needs the most from him and act accordingly. He knows Taehyung should never be left alone when upset, knows that if Jungkook is actually crying then something is very wrong, knows that Leader RM sometimes needs to just be his one-year-older hyung Namjoon, knows exactly how far he can push Yoongi’s buttons, knows to laugh at Jin’s dad-jokes (especially when they’re for the benefit of the group), and knows that Hoseok needs to be reminded how much cohesiveness he provides the group in general. 

Self-Critical - All right, I feel like this one might be a little controversial, so hear me out. Like I mentioned earlier, he cares a lot, and part of that translates into caring about himself---caring about his achievements, his performance, his appearance. It’s partly the classical dancer in him and partly just his personality. He wants to do and be his best always. But.... I do think that he has learned to be much kinder to himself over the years. Gone are the days of starving himself to get rid of his cheeks, the tearful breakdowns after a single missed step in a performance, the acting outside of his true personality because he thinks that’s what he’s supposed to be. I think we now very much see a Jimin who has come into his own, who has accepted himself for who he is (including his flaws), who has embraced every part of him. This doesn’t mean that I think he never has to fight the nagging voice in his head, or struggle with insecurities, or swallow down the urge to berate himself after a less-than-perfect performance---he still expects the best out of himself, still wants to be the best. I just think he’s found a way to critique himself without absolutely tearing himself apart. 

Cunning - Yet another word that looks and sounds derogatory, but isn’t really in this context. Like a lot of other empathetic, sensitive, socially-intelligent people, knowing exactly what people need and are feeling also allows him to know weaknesses. Weaknesses he would never exploit---unless he wanted to. I actually don’t think we see much of him using others’ weaknesses against them, but in my opinion, this quality is linked to two of his other quirks: 1) his talent and complete lack of guilt for cheating at games and 2) his penchant for pettiness. I don’t really know how to explain my thought-process here---not well, anyway. But I feel like Jimin is so tuned into the important things (so concerned about the important things) that little things, like cheating at a game, don’t matter to him much. And, if he can use his usually sweet and helpful and hard-working, honest self to get away with it, even better. On the flip side, I don’t think he enjoys or endures confrontation as much or as well as, say, Yoongi might---so he expresses himself in a quieter, underhanded way. (The moment that’s coming to mind is that one time they were at an American event and he commented, in Korean, about how unorganized things seem to be.) Jimin is the sweetest, most sensitive, empathetic little cinnamon roll---until it’s time to win a game, or until he’s feeling a little prickly and petty. 

Basically I just love Park Jimin with my whole heart.

Taehyung: 

Individualistic - Kim Taehyung knows who he is. He knows what he likes, what he wants, what he thinks. He is going to wear whatever he wants, paint whatever he wants, say whatever he wants, and do whatever he wants. He’s a person who seems to have figured out a long time ago what makes him happy and how to be his true self around others no matter what---and this something I greatly envy. If he wants to learn the violin, he’s gonna buy a violin and play some scratchy Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on a hotel balcony---because that’s what he wants to do. If he wants to write a song, it’s going to be in his style, the way he likes it. If he wants a really cool, avant-garde piece of artsy clothing, he’s going to spray-paint it himself. If he has an opinion on something, it’s highly likely that he’s spent quite a bit of time forming this opinion---but once that’s his opinion, that’s his opinion. That’s what he thinks, there’s no need to listen to others or change. I think this quality, this ability to be himself so  freely and earnestly, is both one of the reasons he’s able to make friends so easily and be beloved so quickly (see: “Bangtan’s True Baby” and “Wooga Squad darling”); and one of the reasons others (including the other members, by their own admission) can’t understand him well at first. I think it has brought many good things to his life, but has also played a significant part in some of the struggles that he has had. He’s precious, but also very easily misunderstood.

Not Very Outward-Sensing - Notice I very purposefully don’t go anywhere near the words “self-absorbed” or “self-centered”---because he’s not. On the contrary, I think Taehyung feels very deeply for the people in his life (see below: Emotional), but his ability to care for them is sometimes inhibited by his lack of outward-sensing. If Jimin is the king of 눈치/social awareness, then Taehyung is the absolute opposite (which is why it is unendingly intriguing to me that two of his closest relationships in BTS---he and Jimin, he and Yoongi---are comprised of one person who lacks this awareness [Tae] and one person who has all the awareness [Jimin, Yoongi]). He would never hurt someone’s feelings on purpose, but quite often he’s just not paying a whole lot of attention to what other people might be feeling or experiencing. He’s not concerned about walking on eggshells, because he feels that as long as his intentions are good, nobody can be too hurt or too uncomfortable with him or his behavior (A great example of this is the infamous Spring Day Dance Debate from “Burn the Stage.” In Taehyung’s mind, he saw something that should be changed and needed to be addressed, so he called it out. It never in a million years would occur to him that the way he phrased it or the way he kept harping on it could be a source of irritation or discomfort to Jin. To him, it was a very black-and-white, clear-cut situation: something was wrong, he had an idea of how it should be fixed, therefore nothing bad could/should come of him speaking his mind in the pursuit of this perfect solution he created). He seems like the sort of person who, after accidentally hurting your feelings, would sympathize with your hurt and want to make it better, but focus more on the fact that he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, so it’s not really his fault. 

Emotional - I think he is very in-touch with his emotions, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. For example, if he’s upset, he wants everyone to know and acknowledge that he’s upset. He doesn’t like feeling ignored or passed over, and where others might let it slide, he’s not afraid to speak up about it (I’m thinking about the time there was a question directed specifically to Yoongi about being from Daegu and Taehyung immediately pointed out that he was also from Daegu, and kind of pouted a little until it was acknowledged). Also, although it’s never been said explicitly, I think he is one of the members who potentially struggles with depression. He can take things very personally and to heart. But this is likely because he has such a big heart. He loves unabashedly and he’s very vocal about who he loves---think of all the times he’s said and posted comments along the lines of “Please love all seven” and “Please love each of us equally.” He also can be very protective (thinking of that one Weverse post where he lowkey chewed somebody out for posting an unflattering photo of one of the others) and blunt when defending those he loves. I mean, he created a whole new word just to express how much he loves ARMY! When he’s sad, he cries. When he’s happy, he giggles. When he’s angry, he expresses it. When he’s disappointed, he doesn’t hide it. To me, he is a near-perfect example of someone who wears their heart on their sleeves. 

Contradictory - One of his most endearing qualities. He is not very outward-focused---but he bought a pair of gloves because he remembered that Jimin offhandedly mentioned that he needed some. He doesn’t read other people easily---but he (so far) is also pretty darn good at completing accurate Vibe-Checks for those who come in contact with BTS. He doesn’t always see as much as the others might---but he also notices certain things they might miss. The beauty of his being is that he can be both things at the same time and not seem out of place.

Basically I just love Kim Taehyung with my whole heart.

Jungkook: 

Confident Yet Perfectionistic - Now listen: when I say confident, I don’t mean that he never struggles with insecurities. I mean confident in the way that his whole life (at least his whole Idol life) he had 6 older brothers who encouraged him to try and do anything he wanted---and then supported him no matter the outcome. Being raised in an environment like that, where you’re encouraged to try things, where you have people who love you constantly praising your efforts and providing a safe space for you to fail, you gain a certain amount of confidence in your abilities, in yourself. I think this is actually a big part of the Golden Maknae moniker: yes, I think he is the type of person to whom things may come quite easily and who is naturally skilled in several areas---but it’s also a little easier to conquer new things when you have years of encouraged-successes under your belt. He has gained a confidence in himself over years of trying and working his tail off and eventually succeeding; he knows he can do anything if he works at it enough because he’s always been able to do everything he works at. Where the perfectionistic aspect kicks in especially is this: there are a lot of people who have a natural affinity for lots of things. There are lots of people who can pick up something new and be decent right away (I honestly think Taehyung is another person like this, someone who can pick new things up pretty easily)---the difference is that Jeon Jungkook is the type of person who takes that natural affinity and runs with it. He’s not satisfied with just being good at something; if it’s something he really wants to do, he throws his whole heart and soul and self into it. In my opinion, this sets him apart from people who could be considered “Jack of All Trades, Master of None.” He trusts his process and uses it to be the very best he can be in whatever he does.

Introverted -  Obviously he’s not the only introverted member of Bangtan, but I do think that his specific life experiences require a little more discussion on this topic than the others. By his own admission, his childhood ended really early. He didn’t focus much on school because he was focused on his career; he never got to have the typical high school experiences most of the others had. At an incredibly young age he was thrust into a totally different life that required being in the spotlight---and while this definitely brought unique challenges, he loves his life as a musician and performer. I think out of all BTS, Jungkook especially lives for performing. He lights up on stage and is at his absolute happiest when performing (and performing well). And yet none of this changes the fact that he is absolutely an introvert, someone who needs to recharge with just a little alone time. Alone time. Not easy to achieve when you live in the same tiny dorm with 6 other boys. Not easy to achieve when you are constantly surrounded by brothers, staff, instructors, producers, cameras, and fans.  

Maknae - I can’t explain this well, I know I can’t, but it just is such a huge part of him that I feel like I need to try. In so many ways, Jungkook is a typical baby of the family. It’s evident in the way that he unabashedly idolizes his Rap-Mon-hyung. In the way he constantly cuddles and sniffs and snuggles Hoseok. In the way he’s not afraid to pester Yoongi or tease Seokjin. He also seems like someone who is much more of a fixer than a listener; meaning, if you go to him with a problem, he’s going to be focused on how he can fix the situation, not on just listening and sympathizing/empathizing with you, a trait that I feel comes easily to babies of families (not that *all* youngest children have this, mind you) because they’re typically not the ones confided in, so if something is brought to them they want to help make it right (massive generalization, I know, don’t kill me). As discussed above, he’s also confident in himself because he’s been raised with older siblings who have always told him “yes, you can.” He’s just Baby in all the ways that stick with a person even as they grow older. 

Trusting - Jungkook strikes me as the sort of person who trusts fairly easily---and, more importantly, unshakably. He has no problem admitting to millions of ARMY that he ripped his pants on stage or V-Living while drunk (I don’t care what he says, babyboy was at least a little buzzed) because he trusts us. He could easily follow Namjoon (or any of his brothers) to the ends of the earth. He takes every opportunity to speak earnestly and wholeheartedly about how much he genuinely loves ARMY, because he trusts that that love will be returned. 

Basically I just love Jeon Jungkook with my whole heart. 

[thefanficmonster]

Kick Some Ghost Ass

”Until Dawn Gang x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Swearing, Sex jokes (excuse my bad humor)

Genre: CRACK, Humor

Summary: It’s one thing when trouble finds this gang, but why don’t we take a look at what happens when they go actively looking for trouble. Needless to say, chaos ensues and no one is spared. Some are more affected than others, and some are dead-ass traumatized, but isn’t that just how life is in general?

Requested by my dearest ever - Until Dawn Anon. Hi lovely! I’ve missed writing your requests and I’m really happy to be back, creating another chaotic fic! I’m sorry it has taken me so long to post it but here it finally is - crazy as ever! I hope you enjoy it! Love you to Blackwood Pines and back baby ❤❤❤

I don’t know how I’ve found myself in this situation but I’m not complaining. If I get to do dumb crazy shenanigans with my crew, I’m ready for just about anything. Not to mention I’m no stranger to ghost hunting. I’m that kid that made DIY Ouija boards and took them to cemeteries with their terrified friends. You should’ve seen us leaving after capturing no ghostly activity - my friends relieved as fuck, and me pissed as fuck.

But today, I’m not expecting nor will I be accepting any disappointment. Especially not with Jess swearing on her Chanel purse that she wasn’t making things up when she said she had a haunted house she wanted us to visit. I must say, I appreciate this group’s enthusiasm when it comes to the paranormal. Never have I had someone who catches my vibe on the subject so well, let alone an entire gang all sharing the same opinion as me - that ghosts, demons and poltergeists are so fucking cool. Sure, Emily took a bit of convincing and Jess is not one to give a shit about the other world creatures invisible to the human eye, but something allegedly happened that changed her mind.

Her a-hundred-and-something-year-old great-grandmother passed away recently and though the death itself didn’t shake Jess up as much as it probably should’ve, the events that followed led to this moment right now - the eleven of us pooling out of two minivans that have pulled up to a terrifying looking house in a wooded are of the suburbs. Jess literally gathered us all on an ‘emergency meeting’ in the courtyard of our college just so she could explain the situation in detail - she doesn’t do well with explaining things in general, let alone when she’s hysterical - so we only understood what she was trying to say when she mentioned the word ‘ghost’. That’s when we all started listening more closely, with the exception of Emily, Beth and Sam but the latter two were intrigued despite trying yo hide it. You can only imagine how excited Josh, Chris and I were, Mike and Matt following a close second behind. Ash was a tiny bit more hesitant but Chris convinced her to give in. And just like that, a week later, here we are.

“I gotta ask, did your great-gran own a VHS player? Or a chest in the attic? Bonus points if there’s a creepy, child-sized doll in there.“ Josh asks as he yanks all the equipment he insisted we bring out of the trunk of the minivan.

“Quit fucking around, Josh! This is serious!“ Jess complains from the spot she’s standing in, shivering in the cold autumn breeze.

“Yeah, Josh! VHS players, creepy dolls, that’s all child’s play.“ I scold him as I pull on my jacket, wrapping it around me more tightly, “Shit gets serious when there’s a secret basement.“

“Y/N!“ Jess shrieks in exasperation. Honesty, how am I supposed to NOT bother her when doing the opposite is so much easier and brings more amusement? “You’re not helping!“

“Wasn’t trying to.“ I wink at her, driving her into a new level of fury that almost leads her to chuck her phone at me. If it weren’t such a prized possession of hers, I’m pretty sure she would’ve chucked it with the intention of knocking me dead. I’m lucky she has the aim of a drunk toddler that spun around fifteen times.

“Hey, quit pissing my girlfriend off, will ya?!“ Mike, who is basically halfway inside the trunk of the other van calls out to us.

I roll my eyes but choose to let it slide. However, someone else doesn’t. Emily does a dramatic turn on her heel, turning to face Mike, or at least the only part of him which is visible. You can imagine how hard it is arguing with an ass like THAT. I don’t know how Emily does it but oh well, I guess I do it too, in a way.

“So it’s girlfriend now, huh? No space between the words?“ Oh that smile she’s flashing him, it could make the Devil himself shiver. I find it kinda hot though - it means shit’s about to go down or hit the fan, either way, the rest of us will be entertained.

Mikey boy straightens up, gracing the rest of us by-standers with his dazzling features. Nah, I’m capping. I honestly think Mike is as attractive as I am patient - very little, almost not at all. It’s surprising how him and Jess are now apparently together since I always pegged her to be the superficial type.

“Got a problem with that, Em?“ He asks, eyebrow raising, head tilting to the side. Oh yeah, it’s on now. But, as someone who’s been quite excited to do some ghost hunting, and also as a representative of the peanut gallery formed of the rest of us who find it amusing and annoying, I feel the need to cut it short before it goes where it shouldn’t. I came to see some exorcist shit, not Keeping Up With The Bitter Exs.

“Jess, I sure hope your grandma is a blood-thirsty ghost cause I can think of at least two people I’d serve to her on a silver platter.“ I snatch the keys the blond has been jingling nervously between her fingers and jog up the stairs to the front door.

Ok I maybe overexaggerated the eeriness of the house. It sure wouldn’t sit right with you if you saw it around sunset or at night, especially not if it’s foggy, but a horror movie house it is most certainly isn’t. It’s pristine and well kept, not a single crack in the walls, the only reason it’s unsettling is because: 1) We’ve all seen a few too many horror movies; 2) There’s been reports of ‘ghostly activity’ - as far as Jess is to be trusted.

While I’m surfing through all the keys, checking each and every single one of them on the door because the real key is unmarked, I can’t help but overhear the conversation going on behind me on the porch.

“Can you believe we got all this in a single day and for a discount on top of all?! Whoever says Craigslist sucks isn’t doing it right.“ Chris’ enthusiasm over the deal him and Josh got on the ghost hunting equipment has been what’s keeping a wide grin on his face this whole time. Though I’m proud of my boys for not getting murdered by the Craigslist seller, I must say I hate that I lost the bet we had - I had to pay them each ten bucks if they didn’t get scammed/kidnapped/murdered and I’m now twenty bucks poorer. I’m not saying I value those twenty bucks more than my friends, though my broke ass needs all the bucks it has and all the dollar bills it could get, but Lord knows I hate losing.

“Yeah, and the guy was only mildly sketchy.“ Josh adds just as excitedly and proudly, “To be honest, Cochise and I were probably the scary looking ones in that parking lot.“

A look over my shoulder shows the twins, Sam, Matt and Ash giving the duo skeptical and somewhat disappointing looks and shakes of their heads. I’ll admit, the equipment is in very good condition and it’s the complete set for ghost-hunting, according to BuzzFeed at least. I’m impressed with the purchase - probably had something to do with how scary Chris and Josh actually look. The all-nighters we’ve all been pulling lately have taken a toll on them worst with the dark circles and bags under their hollow eyes, pale faces and brains turned to mush. I know I’d give them a discount to avoid them pulling out meat cleavers on me.

“That’s all fine and dandy guys, but do you know how to work any of this?“ Sam asks, hesitantly lifting the EMF reader and turning it in her hand, analyzing it with a curious gaze. 

Josh and Chris exchange a look before the former replies, “Just the cameras and voice recorder, the rest falls on them.” He points a finger at me and laughs, “Though they aren’t able to work something as simple as keys, they are more than qualified to be a ghostbuster.”

“You know, Josh, jokes on you, I can work keys! Jess, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be able to work well with organizing things, hence my problem with these keys.“ I hurl the bunch of keys connected my a scarlet keychain at Josh, “Lemme demonstrate my true skills.“ I hop down the flight of stone stairs and approach the pile of equipment the guys have created smack-dab in the middle of the house’s driveway. 

“Oh, I gotta see this!” Mr. Ex-Class-President all but runs over, frowning when we all turn to look at him just as I pick up the spirit box to show off how it works, “Oh that’s what you meant. So you aren’t taking your clothes off?“

Jess and I are alike in one thing - the need we feel to chuck objects at people who piss us off. “You’re girlfriend is, like, right behind you, Munroe. Have some decency!”

“I was gonna enjoy a show as well, but I’m guessing we won’t be getting one.“ The girlfriend in question replies, looking at me quizzically as though that’s gonna convince me into discarding my outfit.

“No, unless you’re a ghost.“ I point the device I’m holding at Mike, “But if your boyfriend here keeps acting up I might turn him into one.“

“That sounds kinda kinky.“ Beth’s comment surprises me. The wink she sends me even more so. “And I kinda like it.“

Ok, ok, ok, hold on. 

Flirting with Munroe is one thing, but Beth is a completely different story. I can be threatening Mike with a knife one moment and cracking sex jokes with him over cold beer the next. While Beth actually has the ability to get me flustered and blushing, and my close relationship with her brother doesn’t help. Mother fucker can just whack me upside the head every time he catches me fussing over my silly crush on his sister.

“Ew, you too! Keep it in your pants or at least get a room.“ Emily doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to being herself. She’s truly a garbage bin full of treasure.

“We’d do the latter if SOMEONE could get the door open.” I glare daggers at Josh who is making hopeless attempts at what I was doing earlier - unlocking that damn door.

“I’d be more than happy to come through for you ladies.“ Mike says, getting in a stance of a runner before a race, his body directly opposite the door.

Oh I can’t wait to see where this is going. I SHOULD RECORD IT.

“Mike, it’s still breaking and entering and it’s still against the law even if the person’s dead.“ Sam points out, entering her mother-like mode, ruining the fun and causing me to pout at her. She gives me a look of disappointment - one worse than I’ve ever seen on my parents - so I just shut my trap before she can also express said disappointment through words and have me feeling guilty for the rest of the day.

A loud crash suddenly echoes causing us to turn our heads to look for the source of the terrifyingly startling sound. One glance is all it takes to put our minds at ease and a second one is enough to provoke different reactions in all of us - the broken window telling the story of where Josh has disappeared.

“What did I just say about breaking and entering?!“ Sam shouts after him while the vast majority of us are cracking up like hyaenas. Jess is just gaping at the broken window next to the front door in disbelief. She obviously can’t decide whether to join in on the fun or serve as back-up to Sam. Josh did technically damage private property that’s partially hers, but if you ask me it serves her right for not marking her keys.

“Sorry, I was too busy breaking the window to hear that part of the conversation!“ Josh’s apologetic smile appears on the other side of glassless frame. I can’t tell if he’s genuinely sorry or holding back laughter but either way, he looks innocent enough for Sam to let him off the hook as long as he doesn’t cause any more trouble - in which case: tough luck. Chris, Josh and I are nothing if not troublemakers, especially when we’re together. Chris tones it down when Ash’s around, and the same goes for Josh with Sam while I’m simply problematic regardless of who’s watching. My chaos is untamable, it’s a blessing and a curse and I love it, even though it’s landed me in hot water more than once. It’s nice to be around people on the same wavelength - chaos resides within this group and not a single one of us can hide it.

“At least we have a way in now.“ Ash offers Josh a helping hand in this argument after she recovers from the overwhelming fit of laughter. “I hope the broken window doesn’t anger your gran, Jess.“

The blond snaps out of her trance briefly, “No, she was a very sweet lady, but damn is Josh creative!” She hurries to correct herself, “Destructively creative.”

I hurry to correct her once again, “Chaotically creative.”

“Guys, do you mind coming in? It’s very creepy standing here alone!“ Josh calls out to us, looking over his shoulder at the interior of the house, “I’m expecting to be snatched and dragged to that secret basement we mentioned.“

“Mention it one more time and I swear to God-!“ Jess screams, fists tightened.

Before her angry wrath could crash atop us, we all make our way into the house through the broken window, carefully avoiding the shards of glass strewn about. One step inside and we’re met with the upmost of horror clichés - a drop in temperature. We’re all wearing thick hoodies because the weather outside is chilly in and of itself, but said hoodies aren’t as efficient at holding the house’s cold at bay and away from out skin.

Chris and Matt make their way in last, carrying the equipment consisting of three cameras, flashlights for everyone, an EMF reader, a spirit voice box, a voice recorder and a motion detector. I help them hand a light to each group member as well as a ghost-hunting device before we venture onward.

“If I were your grandma’s ghost, I’d be ten times more pissed about that window. It looks to me like that lady payed a lot of attention to keeping things in order.“ Matt comments while he examines the expensive looking painting hanging in the hallway.

I hear Emily scoff, “Unlike some.” but the remark is said so quickly and quietly I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who heard it.

Jess laughs, “She did like things in order, but she was never as strict as you might think. As I said, she was very sweet.“

“So do you just not take after her at all or were you adopted?“ Emily’s remarks are no longer a mumbled jumble of words, “No, nevermind, of course you’re not adopted. Your parents are smart people, they wouldn’t have chosen you if they had the chance.“

Jess laughs again, much more menacingly this time, causing me to exchange a look with Hannah who’s walking beside me. “Twenty bucks says one of them isn’t making it out of here.” It’s just a matter of time, to be honest. If not the lodge, or any party we’ve ever attended as a group, this haunted house is the perfect opportunity for a murder. We could even argue it was a ghost.

Luckily, the two cats clawing at each other’s throats don’t overhear, “No, my parents aren’t stupid, but your boyfriend clearly is. He chooses to date you! Or are you holding him captive or something.“

Ok that’s enough. I can tolerate a lot of things, but people calling one of my best friends stupid is not something I’m about to put up with, “How dare you call one of my hoes stupid?” I sneer at Jess, eyes narrowing.

“I thought I was your hoe too!“ She fights back, looking almost offended.

“Even more reason you shouldn’t have called him that! I don’t tolerate my hoes not respecting each other.“ 

I don’t get to see where this argument goes because Ashley’s shriek echoes throughout the hallway, stealing mine as well as the attention of everyone else. 

“There’s a ghost in here!“ Making it to the doorway of the room she’s in first, I peak my head inside and see the EMF reader she’s holding going nuts as if it’s detected something.

“Don’t worry, Ash, there’s a dead cactus here. That’s not the ghost we’re looking for, is it?“ Chris, my amazingly bright friend says, quirking an eyebrow suggesting that remark was nothing short of dead-ass serious.

“Chris, darling, that’s not how it works. Cactuses are plants.“ I point out as sweetly as I can as to mask my laughter.

“Don’t the same ghostly rules apply?“ The genuine look of confusion he gives me almost makes me lose it.

“Ok children, leave the room, we need to set up a motion detector to be sure.“ Beth says with a tone that suggests she’s more than over our insanity. Jeez, count on her and Sam to start parenting us through our chaos. They are of high authority, must admit - one genuinely feels bad if they don’t comply to whatever these two girls demand.

We all pile out in the hallway while the twins set up this interesting motion detector with green dots. I don’t know what Jess’ granny looked like, but I bet that even the most unattractive of people would look hella good with this lighting. Thankfully the room is dark enough with the shutters closed and the curtains drawn, allowing the dots to be perfectly visible.

We stare at the minimalistic room littered with fluorescent green dots on every surface for maybe a minute or two but not much happens to the disappointment to some and relief to others. However, as if not wanting to let us down, the ghost makes a shy appearance if the shift of the green dots is anything to go by.

“Oh shit, is that a ghost?“ Chris whispers, sounding as amazed as I feel in this moment.

“It better be.“ I mutter in response, refusing to blink and risk missing anything important.

The sudden presence of the obnoxious noise of the spirit voice box makes us all jump. As I turn my head to glare at whoever’s using it, Josh speaks up. “Are you an attractive ghost?”

“Josh, that’s my great-grandmother, you ass!“ Jess barks with disgust in her voice.

In the meantime, I catch glimpse of Mike rolling up his sleeves. Oh shit, this ain’t good.

“I’ve been waiting for this!“ He shouts victoriously, cracking his knuckles.

Knowing this won’t end well, the first thing I do is snatch the camera from Chris’ hands and turn it on.

“Um, Mike, what do you mean?“ Sam’s back to being concerned, turning to the rest of us when Mike doesn’t give her a response, “What’s he gonna do?“

“Fight it.“ I answer as though it’s the most normal thing to ever have been done, “Or, ash he calls it - kick some ghost ass.“

“A freaking ghost?! He’s gonna try to tussle with something he can’t see?“ I can’t tell if Matt’s tone is disbelief, amusement or disappointment, but I believe he isn’t about to try and stop or dear ex-president in his pursuit and that’s all that matters. I ain’t about to let someone stop whatever’s about to go down from going down.

“That’s still my great-grandmother, you dumbass!“ Jess shrieks with something alike terror.

“Don’t worry Jess, I’m sure she’ll go easy on him.“ I say in an attempt to reassure her but I can’t even be bothered really, I’m too laser-focused on the circus that’s about to take place in front of me.

Mike, as if encouraged by my words, charges into the room. Much to his dismay, before he could even reach the ghost, he’s met with a much more vigorous enemy - the carpet. The rascal trips him up and Mr. Munroe falls flat on his face.

The group stays silent, looking at the glorious aftermath of the glorious fall. Told ya these lights could make everything fabulous. Must say, it’s truly an honor for me to have been able to catch all that on tape.

“10/10, would ghost-hunt with Mikey Munroe again.“

[oceanera12]

Linked Tri-Force (Part 1)

More Linked Universe because I’m addicted to these boys! Help.

Hyrule knew the others had secrets. That was the one secret no one bothered to hide. It was for that reason no one pressed, thank Hylia. 

Of course, that didn’t stop questions.

“Nope, not telling!” Legend made the motion of sealing his lips shut.

Wind hopped from one foot to another, clearly annoyed, “Come on! No one else has been sailing!”

“Well-” Wild started, but was quickly cut off by Wind.

“A raft plus a korok leaf does not count as sailing,” Wind glared at Wild, who just shrugged in response.

“Worth a shot.”

“It really wasn’t,” Wind shook his head. “But back to Legend--”

“Still not telling Mr. ‘Pirate’.” Legend rolled his eyes. “Honestly, not a lot happened to me at sea. Just water, then land, then water.”

Wind didn’t look like he believed him but also had enough sense to leave it alone. Legend had been in a lot higher spirits since their run in with Marin a few weeks back, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t snappy.

“Alright, alright,” Warriors called, “Other then ‘sailing stories’ what other stories do you have?”

It had been a long day of walking across the current Hyrule (Hyrule’s Hyrule, which wasn’t confusing at all) and if anyone had been disturbed by the absence of people, they hadn’t said anything. The sun had long set and instead of doing the sensible thing and sleeping, someone (Wind) had persuaded Time to allow a ‘story time’ of sorts.

There had been a total of three “scary” stories, four tall-tales, and a few clips from their various adventures (”I’m sorry, your Zelda shoved you off a floating island?” “She thought I was lying about not hearing my loftwing. It wasn’t her fault.” “She shoved you off a floating island???”).

Legend shrugged at the question. “Nothing to brag about.”

Hyrule bit his tongue to prevent the multiple questions about the various stories he had grown up with about the hero of Legend. If even a tenth of them were true, then Legend was either modest or just didn’t want to talk about it. And no way in Hyrule was he going to tattle on the hero of legend.

“I’m sure our pirate has some fun pirate stories though, right?” Legend raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

Wind cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Uh... like what?”

“Ever go pillaging?” Warriors asked.

“What?!” Wind shot to his feet, clearly affronted. “No! Why would you even say that?”

“Clearly the word ‘pirate’ means something different in your world,” Time pressed his hands to his mouth in thought. “Do you look for buried treasure?”

Wind wasn’t as angry at that question. “Well, I got some charts that lead me to rubies, joy pendants and tri-force shards.”

Hyrule had picked that moment to take a sip of soup, which was immediately inhaled and then spat back up in shock. “Tri-force shards?” He managed to gasp between coughs. The back of his hand suddenly felt very warm and Hyrule resisted the urge to run in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, Hyrule wasn’t the only one concerned about the sudden Tri-Force talk. Time had paled, Twilight and Legend were shifting in their seats clearly uncomfortable, Warriors and Four had leaned forward curious, and Wild looked very confused.

Which he decided to voice. “What’s the tri-force?”

Hyrule wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry at that question. Nor was he even sure where to start on that answer.

Twilight let out a heavy sigh, resigned to his role of mentor. His hand dropped onto his gloves and gauntlets, fiddling with the straps. “The tri-force is a gift from the gods. It’s made of three pieces: The tri-force of wisdom, which is usually held by the royal family, the tri-force of power, which in my world was possessed by Ganondorf for a very, very long time,” Twi paused for a moment, closing his eyes. He pulled his glove free and held up his hand to face everyone. After a moment, the very faint, very familiar gold glow appeared.

Hyrule instinctively covered his own hand and prayed it didn’t start glowing in reaction.

You’re a coward.

“And the tri-force of courage, usually held by the hero of the time,” Twilight opened his eyes and lowered his hand, the glow fading. He looked over at Wild, “I’m surprised you don’t know this.”

Wild had his face scrunched up. It was a familiar look for him. “I think... I remember hearing that story as a kid. Maybe.” He shook his head, “I mean, I see that symbol everywhere in ruin architecture and I knew it was on the Master Sword but... I guess I never questioned what it was?” The scrunched look disappeared. “I do remember that’s what Zelda used to seal the Calamity away with so... maybe she has the whole thing?”

Wind let out a low whistle, “Well, in my world, if you bring all three pieces together then the gods will grant you a wish.”

“Well,” Legend sighed, “at least that’s one thing that’s consistent.” He leaned back against the log he was sitting against, “That thing is nothing but trouble.”

“Agreed,” Warriors had this far away look in his eyes. “Wars have been fought for control of the Tri-force. Millions have died in the attempt to wield it.” He pulled off his own gauntlets and gloves to reveal his own tri-force of courage. “All that death... for what?”

“Geez,” Sky said, “I was expecting something like that out of the Old Man, not you.”

“He’s called Warriors for a reason,” Four pointed out.

“That’s fair.”

Time was looking torn, his eyes flicking between Twilight and Wind. He almost looked... confused.

Hyrule filed that back into his mind for a future conversation, but for now... he had to tread carefully. “So... why was your tri-force in pieces?”

Wind shrugged, “Don’t know. Maybe it was a way to see if I was worthy for it? Most were hidden behind trials of courage, like the ghost ship or just mini-dungeons.” He pointed at Warriors and Twilight. “Although, my tri-force is now at the bottom of the Great Sea. How’d you get yours and why do you still have it?”

Warriors smirked, “It just kind of appeared during a particularly nasty fight. General Impa was in trouble so I just... jumped in.” He frowned, “As for the second thing... heck if I know?”

“Similar situation,” Twilight nodded at Warriors, “Some jerks kidnapped some friends of mine and I tried to fight them. Adventure ended and...” he pointed at his hand. “Still here. Ganondorf lost his though so that’s good.”

“Why isn’t it sealed away in the Sacred Realm?” Time suddenly asked.

Legend snorted, “Well, I don’t know about all of your worlds but my Sacred Realm got corrupted by Ganon. It’s called the Dark World now. Not really a good place to keep the Tri-Force.” Legend nodded at Hyrule, “Right, Rule?”

Hyrule forced a smile and kept his hands as still as he could.

You’re a coward.

“I think we can all just agree the Tri-Force is trouble and it would be best if we didn’t have to deal with it on this already weird adventure,” Warriors was pulling his glove and gauntlet back on. A chorus of agreements echoed from all the heroes and the topic was officially dropped in favor the weirdest modes of transportation they had come across on their adventures.

Hyrule only listened half-way, the back of his hand uncomfortably warm. His stomach twisted and turned in knots, the guilt screaming from within. The tri-force was already in their adventure. The others just didn’t know.

And Hyrule really didn’t want to tell them.

You’re a coward.

He had never asked for the Tri-Force, nor had he ever wanted to wield the entire thing. Actually, he had wanted to give part of it to the Royals when his adventure was over or just break it apart and leave the pieces in safe, secret locations but... It had felt wrong. Like, really wrong.

Like Hylia haunting your dreams and practically yelling, “NO!” whenever he started to think about it too much.

At this point, Hyrule had just accepted the fact that he was the guardian of the Tri-Force. He would never say he was at peace with the situation (there was only so much a person could take of monsters screaming for your blood and of people trying to kill you for it... including supposed friends), but he had gotten a hold on his life.

He didn’t hate the Tri-Force like they did (then again, the thing had saved him more times then he could count-- but it was also the reason he was alone all the time). Yes, it was powerful and yes, it was not to be taken lightly. In fact, Hyrule only used it’s magic in emergencies. His own magic was sufficient for most situations.

If anything, the Tri-Force was more like a travel companion. A very silent, strong companion that only jumped in when there was an emergency. Sometimes Hyrule even forgot he had it (only for an hour at the most, but he would take what he could get). But he could see why people wouldn’t want it around. It’s the same reason he avoided everyone in his own world:

Too much power.

Hyrule was snapped out of his thoughts at Time’s call for sleep. Hyrule made his way to his spot, his mind much to far away to acknowledge the calls of “good nights,” and “Wild, if there are frogs in my blankets again then so help me--”

He had fifth watch tonight. His watch would be followed by Time. Maybe he should talk to him about the situation. It would be good for at least one person to know about the power up his sleeve-- just in case. The heroes had been clear that they hadn’t wanted anything to do with the tri-force so Hyrule wasn’t too worried about them “trying to kill him for the golden power”.

Hyrule determined to do just that later in the evening.

Which was why he was very disappointed in himself for waking Time, wishing him a good watch, then climbing back into bed without a word about the tri-force.

You’re a coward.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I don’t think Wild knows what the Tri-Force is. I think he would have known before the Calamity, but I don’t think he remembers the legends and things like that. He knows the symbol and thinks it’s a culture thing.

Also, I don’t think most of the Links would have a positive opinion on the Tri-Force because while we know Time does not like the Master Sword or Hylia, the Tri-Force does not have an actual spirit. It’s an object. Therefore, it’s a lot easier to be annoyed at because everyone is after the “all powerful Tri-Force” and these boys are just DONE.

Poor Hyrule: he thinks he’s inadvertently been told to leave the group, the poor baby. I may make a part two that would be Hyrule “telling” everyone about that little thing on the back of his hand. Aka: ANGST/FLUFF. Let me know if you want to see it.

AND HERE IT IS

[izzyfandoms]

Beach Day

SHIPS: Thvi

CHARACTERS: Virgil Sanders, Thomas Sanders

WARNING: Nothing this is just pure plotless fluff

GENERAL TAGLIST: @quillfics42 @aj-draws @phantomofthesanderssides @phlying-squirrel @sly-is-my-name-loving-is-my-game @because-were-fam-ily @imtryingthisout @a-creepycookie @emo-disaster @littlestr @spooky-scary-virgil @fuyel @mimsidoodles @soupgremlin @aroaceagenderfluid @birdsbookshiddeninrealbirdsskin @quirkalurk @gingers-trashy-stuff @iinyxtello @justaqueercactus @melodiread @mrbubbajones @glassferns @pun-master-logan @gayturtlez @k1ngtok1

Masterpost

“Virgil, you know I love you, right?”

Virgil lifted a hand, creating shade over his eyes to keep the glaring sun from blinding him as he turned to squint suspiciously at his boyfriend.

The couple was sat together on the beach, huddled together on one towel, watching the waves and watching their friends as they splashed around and played in the sea. There were no clouds in the sky, nothing to block the brightness of the sun except Virgil’s hand over his own face.

Beaches weren’t really Virgil’s thing. He preferred being inside, and, in his opinion, storms and rain were much better than the hot, humid heat of the Summer.

“I get the feeling I’m going to regret saying yes,” he told Thomas flatly.

Thomas made a sound that was halfway between exaggerated offense – a habit he seemed to have picked up from his older brother, Roman, which always gave Virgil a feeling of equal exasperation and fondness – and entertained laughter. He leant closer, gently bumping his elbow against Virgil’s side and shifting even closer to him, pressing up against Virgil’s side.

“Come on,” Thomas laughed. “Would I ever do anything to hurt you?”

Virgil continued to squint suspiciously at him. “Hurt? No. But annoy? Yes.”

“Aww, would I do that?”

“Yes,” Virgil said bluntly.

Thomas laughed again, a little louder this time. “Come on, Virge. You know I love you, right?”

There was a beat, where Virgil continued to stare suspiciously at his boyfriend. Thomas reacted by doing his best innocent expression, which, of course, only made Virgil’s suspicion of him grow. But, after only a moment, Virgil sighed.

“Okay, fine,” he said, gesturing vaguely with the hand not shielding him from the sun. “Yeah, yeah, you love me. I love you. What is it?”

“Aww, you love me?”

Virgil gave Thomas a flat look, and didn’t say anything in response to that.

Thomas laughed again. “Okay, okay. The point is that... well, you know I love you, and therefore you know that when I say this, I only mean the best.”

Virgil’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like where this is going.”

Thomas shrugged, and gave Virgil a slightly sheepish, apologetic smile.

“Why are you wearing your hoodie at the beach?”

“Oh,” Virgil said.

He looked down at himself, at his hoodie, which he was wearing over a purple t-shirt and black swimming trunks. He blinked, looking a little startled, though Thomas wasn’t sure whether that was because he hadn’t expected Thomas to point that out, or if he’d just completely forgotten that he was wearing it.

Thomas leant forward, taking Virgil’s free hand in one of his own, and using the other to slowly run his thumb over Virgil’s knuckles.

“It’s, like, a bazillion degrees out, and I feel like I’m going to boil in just this,” Thomas said, looking down at his own outfit – just swimming trunks and flipflops. “I have no idea how you’re still alive in all those clothes, and I’m just a teeny tiny bit concerned you are going to die.”

Virgil huffed. “I’m not going to die.”

“Fine, fine, you’re going to pass out.”

“I’m not going to pass out, either.”

Thomas gave Virgil a flat look of disbelief. “Do you remember what happened the last time you told me that? About, I don’t know, a month ago?”

“No,” Virgil lied immediately.

Thomas’s look of disbelief only strengthened, and he didn’t even need to say anything – just stare at Virgil – for his boyfriend to sigh and give in.

“Fine, I... I passed out.”

“You passed out,” Thomas nodded. “So, forgive me for worrying about you when you already look like you’re overheating and about three seconds from melting on the spot.”

“But I like my hoodie.”

“I like it, too,” Thomas agreed, before grinning. “And I admire your commitment to the aesthetic but please, I’d rather keep my boyfriend un-melted, thank you very much.”

Virgil snorted. “I don’t think that’s a word.”

Thomas laughed again. “Who are you, Logan?” He teased.

“I wish. I’d get so much more done with a brain like his.”

Thomas nodded, humming in agreement. “You’re right, you’re right. It’s a shame he couldn’t make it, but at least Pat stayed behind with him.”

“He’s not exactly the beach type, either,” Virgil added. “I think he’d just sit here and read, and then complain about getting sand everywhere and talk about how he just could have stayed and read at home.”

Thomas chuckled. “Oh, exactly and- hold on, are you trying to distract me?”

This time, it was Virgil’s turn with the shrug and the sheepish expression.

“Sorry.”

“Come on,” Thomas said. “If you take off your hoodie, I’ll give you kisses.”

“You’d kiss me either way.”

“Well, yes, but if you take off the hoodie, you get kisses and life. And if you keep it on, you’d get kisses and death. And I don’t really want to kiss a corpse.”

Virgil’s nose wrinkled. “I’d hope not.”

Thomas squeezed Virgil’s hand. “Hey, I’m pretty sure Logan would agree with me. Want me to call him and ask?”

Virgil huffed. “No, no, I get it.”

He let go of Thomas’s hand for just a moment, shrugging off his hoodie and then holding it carefully in his lap as he returned his hand to Thomas’s without a second thought. He squinted again, glaring at the sun as best he could without blinding himself, as he now didn’t have a hand to protect his eyes from it: one was in Thomas’s, and the other was holding his hoodie.

The beach was loud, which usually Virgil wouldn’t be a fan of, but he had hardly noticed it most of the time since their arrival. He was too distracted by Thomas talking to him or kissing him or holding his hand – or even just existing in his natural oh-so handsome state – and the things that usually would have stressed him out seemed seemed almost smaller in comparison to Thomas.

And, well, Thomas had been right. It had gotten rather hot and stuffy in his hoodie, and now that he’d taken it off, he felt significantly cooler and more comfortable.

He turned back to Thomas, who was smiling at him cheerfully, but with just the hint of teasing in his expression.

“Feel better?” Thomas asked, and it was impossible not to hear the slight smugness in his voice.

Virgil rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the upwards twitching of the corners of his lips, or the fondness that seemed to always creep into his expression when he looked at Thomas.

“Yeah, yeah,” Virgil said, squeezing Thomas’s hand. “No need to be smug Mr. Right-About-Everything.”

Thomas laughed. “Ha-ha, you said it, not me.”

“Aww, you two are adorable.”

Both Thomas and Virgil looked up in unison, their eyes immediately landing on their friend, Emile, who had somehow walked up to them without either of them noticing. He was smiling down at them, stood up whilst the couple were both sitting down, which was the only time he’d ever seemed taller than them, since he was by far the shortest of the friend group.

Virgil could feel his face warm slightly, though it was a little difficult to tell since he was already warm and red from the summer heat.

Thomas laughed. “Thanks. We try.”

Emile smiled, before slowly and carefully sitting down in the sand at Thomas’s other side.

“You two can go swim now, if you want,” Emile said. “I’ll watch our things.”

“Oh, nice!” Thomas said.

He dropped Virgil’s hand, jumping up and then immediately held out his hand for his boyfriend to take again. Virgil hesitated for a moment, before he glanced at Emile.

“Can you take my hoodie?” He asked.

“Yup!” Emile held out his hands, and took Virgil’s hoodie, placing it in his lap. “I’ll take good care of it.”

Virgil was never a fan of leaving his hoodie alone with someone else – it was his favourite possession, after all: the patches having been made by hand – and it meant a lot to him. But, he supposed, Emile was the one friend he trusted most with it, other than Thomas and Patton and Logan. The latter two weren’t there, though, and Thomas was coming with Virgil.

“Thank you,” Virgil nodded.

He then turned back to Thomas, who was still holding his hand out for Virgil to take. Virgil took it without hesitation, and let Thomas help him stand up.

Virgil stood too fast, wobbling and almost tipping over, but Thomas caught him by the waist before he could fall over.

“My hero,” Virgil said flatly.

Thomas laughed. “Don’t let the others hear you calling me that,” he joked. “I don’t think they’ll ever let it go. It took three months for them to forget about the time you accidentally called me ‘baby’ in front of them.”

Virgil’s nose wrinkled. “God, that sucked.”

“My lips are sealed,” Emile piped up, prompting the couple to turn to look at them. He mimed zipping his lips shut, locking it, and then throwing away the key with the hand not holding Virgil’s hoodie in his lap. “But you two are absolutely adorable! A real Ruby and Sapphire.”

“Aww,” Thomas practically cooed, before turning back to Virgil. “I bet if we were gems, we’d have the coolest fusion.”

Virgil snorted. “Or maybe it would just amplify both of our anxieties.”

“Oh, right. You know, I’d almost forgotten about that,” Thomas then nodded his head in the direction of the waves. “So, swimming?”

“Okay, just as long as we don’t go too deep,” Virgil said. “I don’t want you to drown.”

[aelaer]

🍯 and 🍑 please?

🍯 Honey: What is one thing you like about yourself?   I like my ability to be friends with people who have very different beliefs than me and to empathize with almost any individual, no matter their background or foibles. Ramble about the dangers of grouping people and generalizing/stereotyping ahead.

There is a dangerous precedent across social media--tumblr is especially prevalent--that if you don’t support the right causes, or have the wrong opinions regarding specific individuals, that you must be Wrong and Evil. People get like this over *certain comment trends on fanfiction* on this website, never mind more serious issues in politics. This is incredibly dangerous thinking. This generalizes large groups of people and dehumanizes them based off assumptions and group-thinking without bothering to get to know *any* of the individuals. I, for one, want to know *why* they are the way they are. If you never get down to the *whys*, you can never get to addressing those whys and, more importantly, helping educate people to get them out of mindsets for items that most people generally agree are Bad, regardless of their politics.

Also as important is the realization that good people can exist in different political spectrums. The idea that someone having different political beliefs than you makes them morally reprehensible and thus less than considering, less than human, is sooooo very dangerous and has led to cultural and political genocides in history. Agreeing to disagree on the majority of most political issues is not a bad thing. The world is not black and white. *You can be good friends with people who hold different ideologies*. People are not just groups separated by their nationality, race, or political ideologies. They’re individuals that came to their beliefs through a lifetime of experiences, and the only way you’ll come to understand them--and possibly change them--is through open conversation, not casting them as evil. Casting them as evil is *easier*, but that won’t actually change their minds and may help make people more extreme in some cases. And on some issues, it’s a matter of opinion and not right and wrong. And I like that I understand that.

Yes, good and evil exists--but it doesn’t exist in “everyone who disagrees with my politics is evil”. There are people both left and right wing in the US who have that belief and once you think a person is “evil”, that tends to mean they’re beyond redemption. And what do you do with people beyond redemption? I’d advise individuals to be careful on how freely they apply the term and how liberally it’s applied to groups of *millions*. I’m glad I don’t think millions of those who don’t think like me are evil, whether it’s due to politics or religion-- even if they think things that I think are genuinely *not good*. That’s scary thinking to me, applying a dehumanizing label in such a carefree way.

🍑 Peach: What is a color that makes you smile?

Uhh no one color makes me smile all the time. This is a weird question. It’d depend on the application of color, you know? What did I just say about generalization, Mr Quiz???? XD I mean blue’s my favorite color. But it wouldn’t make me smile on a car, because it’s just, you know. A car. While a bright green car might make me laugh, but a lime t-shirt wouldn’t do anything. Yeah, none of this generalization BS ;) I’m overthinking it.

[aobawilliams]

for the ask game - Tsukauchi (i'm still REELING from ur post about him/Compress!! what a GOOD SHIP) and/or Shigaraki!!

Send me a character

Thank you!! And yeah I am now Invested in Tsukauchi/Compress, I think it’s the thief/police dynamic that got me good.

For Tsukauchi:

First impression: I honestly do not remember my first impression of him?? I’m so bad with names and faces and considering it’s been years I probably put him on the “forgettable until proven otherwise” I’m so sorry Tsukauchi you don’t deserve that. I think we first saw him after the USJ arc and it’s been so long;;;

Impression now: He’s cool? He kind of grow on you I guess, we don’t see him often enough. Though I guess I don’t like much how he’s currently doing in Vigilantes :V. He still got huge Dad potential. We haven’t seen him in a while, wonder how he’s doing with the collapse of society.

Favorite moment: If I remember well, when he comfort Izuku after Shigaraki attacked him at the mall? That was great, probably one of the scene I remember the most.

Idea for a story: Well there is the whole Tsukauchi and Mr. Compress having an intense Thief & Detective rivalry over the years that I really like and would love to write one day maybe.

Unpopular opinion: I don’t think I really got one? To be fair I don’t know the popular opinions about him so.

Favorite relationship: Probably Tsukauchi & Gran Torino or Tsukauchi & Aizawa because they are totally the kind to drink tea and roast All Might/Yagi in front of him, in a very “I am telling you you are stupid because you are my friend” kind of way.

Favorite headcanon: His quirk still hasn’t been revealed so there’s no reason he cannot be quirkless and I will stand on that hill as long as I can.

For Shigaraki:

First impression: It’s been years I don’t have that many memories, but I’m browsing through the chapters of his first appearances and, holy shit he’s terrifying. Early Shigaraki really looked unhinged.

Impression now: The fact we got his Tragic Backstory make him more sympathetic, and he’s so clearly a pawn for AfO (especially with the whole taking over his body) that he’s so much less scary than the beginning of the manga even if he’s a lot more stronger? He also got character development with how he cares for the League. I hope Izuku is able to save him in a way that doesn’t negate the fact he’s a villain.

Favorite moment: God maybe not favourite but he was really terrifiying at the mall like, holy shit. I think the scene where he got like, the moth wings or something? Looked really cool?

It’s not a scene where he’s the center but, in chapter 305 where we see smol Izuku holding out his hand to him. This is going to live in my heart.

Idea for a story: More Shigaraki & the League shenanigans, where we see their “human” side without dismissing them being villain I guess.

OR. A role-reversal fic where Izuku got decay as a quirk and Shigaraki is quirkless, just to see how they would grow up in that kind of situation. Like Inko would probably be a victim of Decay’s first activation, Izuku would be bullied for having a villainous quirk instead of because he’s quirkless, would AfO still target Tomura, all of that. (Or maybe, Inko is Nana’s daughter, meaning AfO goes for Izuku in this AU after Inko dies. Kotarou raises Tenko and considering what we know of the first years’ of Tenko’s life this Doesnt Go Well.)

Unpopular opinion: Don’t know how unpopular it is but the fact he deserves to be saved doesn’t mean he’s innocent. He’s still a villain, has still killed people, and forgiveness shouldn’t be a given.

Favorite relationship: Shigaraki & the League, no doubts. If I had to pick someone specific, probably Shigaraki & Twice. I also love the parallels between Shigaraki & Izuku in general.

Favorite headcanon: Not sure if it’s a favourite, but I like the idea of Decay being a quirk that has been given to him by AfO, and that really the whole situation has been orchestrated by him.

[justkpopjokes]

SVT’s Reaction to Being Outed for Dating a Guy

A/N: I’m perfectly fine with it, here you go bub!! And I hope fans of all pronouns/identities feel welcome on my blog, so if y’all want to request more pride stuff or specifically for fanboys, they/them fans, etc, then feel free to! Reaction & drabble requests are still open~

I hope you all enjoy this even if it may not be completely accurate ^^ ♡

S.Coups

Wbk he’s 100% supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, so he’s definitely aware of how Korea thinks of his relationship and doesn’t care about Korea’s opinions of him as an LGBTQ+ person. He still does a good job at hiding his relationship for his boyfriend’s sake, though.

Honestly, being the best leader he is, Cheol is the one with the situation under control... on the outside. He deals with the company and the media really well, but on the inside he’s an emotional mess because he’s worried about how his bf would react to the whole ordeal. Again, it isn’t the pride stuff he’s worried about; he cares for his boyfriend and wants him to feel safe after their relationship is exposed.

...Will smother his bf with love once they're free from the drama tho lol

Jeonghan

Jeonghan’s worried at first but he quickly gains the confidence that everything will be alright as long as he and his boyfriend maintain a healthy relationship. He’s not going to let the company tear them apart, much less “fans” and the public! He meets with the company early on to get everything sorted out and confirms his relationship (if his bf approves) so they don’t need to worry about being too secretive about it.

And after all the professional stuff? He lowkey owns it tbh. His way of dealing with the media is holding his boyfriend’s hand in public to show that “yes, we’re dating; your opinions aren’t going to change anything!” What a king.

Joshua

Because he’s from the USA, Joshua would be the most comfortable in this situation compared to the others. He's definitely worried and shocked, especially when the company says they need to talk to him about dating rumors. But his opinion is swayed by how his boyfriend feels, rather than the opinion of literally everyone else who doesn’t have a say in the relationship 🙃

If his bf doesn’t want to make the relationship super public, he understands completely; Josh will definitely want to show him off though! ;) A v caring man who probably posts the occasional selfie with his boyfriend. His mans should expect some guitar serenades too!

Jun

When the company calls him in to talk about dating rumors, he makes sure his boyfriend is with him, or at least tells his bf about how the company wants to proceed. He gets through everything while trying to be strong and not to show any doubts he has.

But c’mon, he would be the one that’s super giggly and obvious about his relationship after he’s outed. He posts funny pics with his boy on Weibo whenever they’re chilling together! (As Jun’s bf... you’re gonna have to tolerate that lmao.)

Hoshi

Honestly doesn’t really care about the company’s opinion that much. Probably posted pictures of one of the places they went on a date at and then someone got suspicious. He’s more concerned about his group members though, so he asks for their opinions and advice before even asking out his now-boyfriend. (Probably still asks for advice after he starts dating said boyfriend lol)

He’s worried about carats and Korea’s opinions, but he’s also not gonna let that stop him from loving and appreciating his boyfriend! His mindset is that they’ll get through it, and they’ll get through it together.

Wonwoo

His big brain is very aware about how he/his relationship is be viewed by the locals. Writes a statement explaining the situation if it was revealed in a really rude way (*cough* Dispatch). Ultimately he handles the media and rumors really well!

In terms of his members and boyfriend... he needs a lot of validation. He’s worried for sure, so he needs a lot of love and reassurance that he’s doing enough to keep his bf and the group safe. Hides from the media until the rumors die down or gets comfortable enough to show his relationship in public.

Woozi

Jihoon’s pretty responsible, but he knows that if he’s outed, he’s outed. He talks with the members about it since he’s worried how it will affect them and his boyfriend. (If his man is a celebrity like an actor/idol too... hoo boy he's so stressed.😢) He definitely worries that the media will harass his boyfriend or knetizens will ask him to leave the group.

Once the members and boyfriend comfort him and give him a lot of love, he’s calmed and is back to being himself! Keep his relationship mostly private, but probably writes a love song that carats just know was inspired by his boyfriend!

DK

He could care less about the company or the general public; what’s important is his bond with his boyfriend, his members, and carats (in that order). Mr. Sunshine Seokmin is emotional about the drama happening. He loves his boyfriend with all his heart and it shows, so he’s scared his bf will leave him out of fear or stress :(

He understands if his bf wants to break up and talks with him about it, but to his joy that won’t be the case!! After the stress passes, he’s still careful about how much of their relationship is shown to the public. But he’s definitely open to pda if his bf is okay with it! He’s excited to share his life an experiences with his boyfriend and to celebrate theirs too.

Mingyu

The company brought up dating rumors to him pretty quickly because of his previous ‘scandal’ and they want to prioritize his safety and avoid another once. But once he’s outed, he knows there’s no going back, so he goes with the flow and starts posting pictures of him and his boyfriend with no fear!! He either posts on his Instagram account if they ever start using their accounts again, or he lets his bf post pics wherever he wants. He’s cautious, but also, who cares?!

He tries to separate his relationship from Seventeen as much as possible, but doesn’t shy away from the idea of doing a Vlive with just him and his bf. Definitely a couple trying to show Korea that love is love and Mingyu can date whoever tf he wants!!!

The8

Minghao’s super professional about everything and cautious because of Korea’s views. But if there is a slip-up (maybe during or after a date where someone snaps a picture), the moment he sees that someone has found out about his relationship, he talks about it with his bf. The members are told right after and he makes plans to talk to the company.

His priority is his boyfriend’s privacy and safety, especially if his bf isn’t a celebrity; Minghao’s super protective and is more cautious the next time(s) they go out together. If the relationship is eventually confirmed, it’s intentional and to show that he’s living his best life and that carats should too! (Though he probably won’t say anything about his relationship other than that.)

Seungkwan

He’s fine at first since the meeting with the company went well (thanks to Seungcheol's support) and the company suggests they reveal the relationship. But right after, Seungkwan’s an emotional wreck... there are times he feels like crying because of people leaving super inconsiderate comments and other times he feels enraged because of negative comments about his boyfriend. He takes a break from social media because of this.

Once the rumors died down and carats accept his relationship, he’s gushing about his man whenever he gets the chance! Interviewers are always asking him about what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ in a kpop group, but he always redirects the conversation to be about his boyfriend and how happy they both are!! I refuse to believe Seungkwan will be anything less than an amazing, caring boyfriend despite the whole situation.

Vernon

Vernon’s another member that’s more focused on how his boyfriend feels about the situation, rather than the company/Korea/fans’ reaction. It's scary for him to be outed like that, but his family (biological & svt) is very supportive of him and his sexuality! He would ask for a lot of advice from other LGBTQ+ idols (including fellow members, if they happen to be dating a guy at the time) for how they dealt with the initial wave of drama and criticism.

Just another boy that’s chill on the outside but is gonna need a lot of love to get through it all :’) Keeps most of his relationship off of social media, but if his boyfriend wants to post something, he’s okay with that!

Dino

He’s nervous mostly about the company’s reaction and the status of his relationship. He trusts that carats will be supportive, but he’s worried that the company or bf will react badly, so he talks a lot with the group first about his relationship even before he’s outed! He also discusses everyone’s reactions with his boyfriend. He wants to handle it well to show he’s capable, especially to his younger siblings & family, so the only person to know if he’s really feeling stressed is his boyfriend and maybe the members!

After being outed, he still wants to keep his relationship private. He doesn’t stress to much if he’s caught out with his bf once or twice, but he values his privacy and will only show his bf off if they are both in a secure point in their relationship.

[marscats37]

ranking the tma entities.

I wanted to examen the entities on the magnus archives and rank them based on how scary I found them, or how much they “get to me.” 

None of the low rankings are at the fault of the creators, it’s all my personal opinion and obviously what I was scared of or fascinated with before the podcast is what’s impacting my opinion. We’re all gonna have different opinions on this, and if you listen to the magnus archives, I’m so curious on which ones are your favorite.

To keep this fun, I’ll also list my favorite statement related to each entity. Also, I’m sorry, but I won’t include extinction on this ranking. It’s not really touched on until the end and I don’t have a solid enough opinion on that one.

We’re starting at the bottom.

14. The Hunt - I mean, the hunt is cool, but like canon says, it’s hard to relate to this one due to the fear of being hunted not amongst most people. I don’t have a strong enough opinion on this one to really give it any chance to be higher on the list. I’ll give credit to it being the entity for some of the coolest characters (Daisy, Trevor, the Montauks) 

Favorite Episode - 109 / Nightfall. Despite the low ranking of the hunt, I really love the montauk storyline, and it’s exciting to see julia and trevor team up

13. The Desolation - This one only ranks slightly higher because burning is the given for most painful way to go, but this one doesn’t get to me. It’s just, mean. Maybe if I worried about losing the things and people I love, but it’s not something I think about. 

Favorite Episode - 067 / Burning Desire. Not a scary episode, but I have a soft spot for Agnes, she comes across as a tragic character. I’m also biased because I associate this episode with a good atmosphere I was in when listening to it for the first time.

12. The Slaughter - I think I feel similar to the hunt as I do this one. It’s cool, but I don’t have a fear of violence. Plus, the slaughter is often associated with war, and I've never been a fan of war imagery. 

Favorite Episode - 042 / Grifter’s Bone. This is proof that I’m not put off by slaughter - related statements in general, because I freaking love this episode. 

11. The Web - Ranking this one so low may be unpopular since a lot of people seem to love this one, but it doesn’t get to me ! I’m not scared of spiders and to the metaphorical sense, not scared of manipulation or control. I dislike it as much as the next, but doesn’t hold a true space in my nerves. 

Favorite Episode - 081 / A Guest For Mr. Spider. I’m hard on the web, but there actually have been some spooky statements, especially the ones involving cocoons. But this episode is a special kind of creepy, and statement aside, showed us an even more vulnerable jon, which I loved.

10. The End - I think the statements that revolve around not being able to die are actually scarier than the ones about death itself, but I think I just have that natural fear of death, I think this is really just another neutral fear for me. I don’t really have much to add.

Favorite Episode - 121 / Far Away. Not a scary episode, but I really enjoy Oliver Banks, I love his statement, and you know, it was interesting to see him visit Jon. 

9. The Corruption - It doesn’t seem fair to rank this one so low, corruption is so cool and creepy ! But I kind of got over my fear of bugs and gross stuff (with the exception of roaches. I still scream at the sight of roaches.) so these episodes just mostly serve as really good visuals. I will emphasize that I really love the corruption, I just simply love the other ones more. 

Favorite Episode - 032 / Hive. The Flesh hive is my favorite aspect of corruption, and I really loved getting Jane’s side of the situation (sort of.) Plus, trypophobia is actually really unnerving. I just googled the word to make sure I spelt it right and now I have goosebumps. eeeesh... 

8. The Spiral - To be honest, these episodes aren’t super intense, I don’t have a fear of going mad. It’s ranked high enough because of how much I love the distortion. I’m giving the creators’ credit for this one, the distortion is really the only reason the spiral has any impact on me.

Favorite Episode - 101/ Another Twist - see above.

7. The Buried - Now we’re getting to my fears. I got claustrophobia, babey ! Also I have asthma so the feeling of not being able to breath is a familiar one lmao. 

Favorite Episode - 015 / Lost Johns’ Cave - I think this is a popular one amongst the fans. It’s such a good episode and I think about it a lot still. 

6. The Eye - If we’re getting personal, I’m a private and paranoid person. So naturally this one is a bigger fear of mine. If I really think about it, I can scare myself over intense eye contact too. In a visual sense, I have a bias towards eye imagery. 

Favorite Episode - 120 / Eye Contact. this is hard to answer, there aren’t many eye-centric episodes, although technically every episode involved the eye. But I like the references in this episode, and story-wise, the finale of season 3 is my favorite. 

5. The Vast - It’s not fair to rank the vast higher than the buried, since I’m more scared of the latter, but the vast is just so fascinating to me. The only negative part is that I get vertigo, but I find the empty cosmos and the large ocean almost comforting. Idk, I like this one ! 

Favorite Episode - 051 / High Pressure. I just think this a neat statement ! I also like how being underwater does had an element of the buried, so best of both worlds.

4. The Lonely - I feel.. conflicted on ranking this one so high. On one hand, it’s not that scary, it’s just the fear of being alone, but on the other hadn't, when the statements hit me, they hit me the most. I love isolation and being alone, but these episodes make me feel like I’m only conditioned to love those things due to them being my comfort. 

Favorite Episode - 170 / Recollection. This episode made me cry. I know it’s centered around Martin, but I also found myself relating to it too. Also, I love Martin.

3. The Dark - I can stand being in total darkness, unless I think about it long enough. I think that goes for many, but I still think about the dream where I saw a completely black patch growing on my ceiling and I actually screamed myself awake. I don’t recall another time I’ve had a scream-induced nightmare like that. Especially at my old age. I also think the creators do a good job making this one scary. I remember one Q & A where the writer said this was the hardest entity to write for. 

Favorite Episode - 086 / Tucked In. By the way, I had that nightmare months before I heard this episode. This statement naturally stuck with me due to the familiarity.

2. The Stranger - Another popular entity, and rightfully so, the stranger has so many opportunities to be scary !! No wonder two of the season finales involve this one. I don’t think I can add much to it that’s not a given, I love how creative these statements can be. We have the “not them” we have nikola, the angler fish, etc. 

Favorite Episode - 034 / Anatomy Class. I mean, as good as many of the stranger episodes are, this is my all-time favorite statement. The students are like an innocent form of uncanny and the professor’s fear is really felt. 

1. The Flesh - if you follow my twitter, you might have expected this one. The visuals are so gross and interesting, I’m biased towards body horror. I even like the meat statements, I was surprised there were so many of them when I listened to the podcast for the first time (and tbh it’s helping me towards my path of not eating meat lol)  I don’t have deeper reasoning for making this one my favorite, I just think it’s neat (and gross.)

Favorite Episode - 171 / The Gardener. Yes, the newest episode to the date of me making this post. So far season five has been really exciting and I love the format it takes. But oh my god guys, the visuals for this one ?!?! The metaphors of negative body obsessions to something so grotesque yet fascinating to imagine. It’s not an episode I can listen to over and over (remember, this is a horror podcast and my nerves need a break) but it’s one that I’ll remember. It’s right up my alley in terms of horror content. 

ANYWAY. This is not a final list, Most of the episodes I’ve only listened to once so I’m sure if I had a chance to revisit more of them I’ll change my mind on rankings and favorites. I genuinely like how everything is categorized, but these are based on my preexisting fears and fascinations, as mentioned above. The statements in the podcast only amplify them. so yeah, this list is very subject to change. 

[oh-shit-a-baby]

BLACK FRIDAY THOUGHTS PART TWO

A complete compilation of my thoughts throughout the musicals second half,,, this bois going to be real long bc I have a lot of thoughts lol

Now without @drawinglinesinarbitraryplaces :(

Yep dumbledore can still sing

Omg his voice

This song is going to make me cry aaaaa

Becky: you don’t look at all the same as I remember

Me: yeah no shit dumbledore grew a beard

Jesus,,,,, theyre just going to go for it right there,,,,,, ookay

Wtaf is this movie they’re watching

HOLY SHIT HER VOICE IS /PRETTY/ HER RANGE IS HUGE!!!

Idk if this is an unpopular opinion bc no one has an opinion yet but Becky and toms song is the cutest one ever and a bop and I love it

Jesus they payed for a balcony and they’re going to fucking use it aren’t they

WELCOME TO PEIP HQ IM SO DOWN FOR THAT

OH THERE ARE MANY DIMENSIONS????? U GONNA EXPLAIN THAT MR GENERAL MACNAMARA????

The black and white isn’t that what lexs sister was on about

Wiggly is the king u wot m8

President kurt knows nothing about anything and that’s a mood

So if the next movie isn’t about ‘13 years ago’ imma freak

U WANNA SEND ME INTO THE FUCKIN TWILIGHT ZONE AND HAVE DINNER WITH THE DEVIL??????!?!!

NO!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!!

^^^president kurt quotes

In short, mr president, we are trying to stop the birth

*dramatic piano*

Of a god.

*dRAMATIC PIANO*

It’s good score tho 10/10

Sherman young

Nuff said

After today’s great battle???

Faith in the one true god!! All hail wiggly!!!

My new religion lol

LET LAKESIDE MALL BE A NEW JERUSALEM!!!!

*cue joey and Robert just screaming wiggly for like 5 mins straight*

NO THEY FOUND LEX

OH YEAH FUCKIN KILL THEM!!!

Who????????

FUCK YEAH LINDA

CULT??? NO! ITS A NEW EXCITING RELIGION THAT I STARTED!!!!

Yeah Gerald

She pronounces Cinnabon as see-nah-bohn what’s up with that lol

I NEED A WIGGLY DOLL...... IDEALLY FOUR OF THEM!!!

IVE MET GOD. HE HAD NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT YOU.

*cue people dying and their mics stopping working*

Holy fuck they all wanna kill Hannah now (lexs sister gets a name now apparently)

LAUREN I LOVE YOU AS A VILLAIN

I would kneel before villain Lauren any day

I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything and then I will oh shit it’s Gerald.

While I don’t want you to think for yourselves I do want you to understand what I mean when I say my evil shit

I’m sorry that choreo is a yike

ETHAN DARLING COME BACK I MISS YOU <<<333333

IM CRYING NOW

He’s in the black and white now we’ll that sounds like shit

NOT ETHAN

Hannah is the unsung hero of this musical so far

*said in wiggly voice* well, webby (Hannah’s spider imaginary friend who I think is gonna be the deus ex machina of this thing) is a stupid bitch!

Rotten little banana. I’m going to peel you. I’m going to split you in two. I’m going to eat you Hannah. I’m going to eat you right now. *all said in dramatic wiggly voice*

Aaand their mics broke again

We don’t get tricked! We’re grown ups!

And Becky and Tom are immediately evil the second they see the wiggly bc of course they are

Jesus beckys the villain???????

Welcome to the musical where everyone gets a villain song AND a hero song??????

Her voice is still beautiful

*Prancing around* DO YOU WANT SOME CANDYYYYY??????

She’s still wearing ethans hat my heart is going to go oh my god

And he just,,,,, leaves Becky to die?????

President Kurt in a space suit oh my god

And America is great again is playing in the background

MACNAMARA SAID ‘GODSPEED’ AND IS THAT A CATCHPHRASE I SENSE THERE

Yeah no president kurt can’t do foreign policy

His name is like howie or something but imma call him president kurt just like Tom was dumbledore for like the first half of this mess

Oh fuck joeys character is here and he’s gonna FUCK PREZ KURT UP

He’s eating an apple that means he’s a asshole

Holy fuck joeys character is like the ultimate capitalist

And also terrifying holy shit

NO MACNAMARA DONT GO IN THERE

Joeys character: Do you think that in the Netherlands they’d care about some toy??? Nah!!! They’re too busy with their free vacations and FREE healthcare!!

(When I refer to joeys character I mean the evil one he just doesn’t have a name yet so idk what to call him)

And joey can still sing I love him

His voice is so good and this whole villain is giving me spies are forever flashbacks

I have absolutely no fuckin clue what’s going on rn

Holy fuck joeys voice is so beautiful and his range is killing me

I take back what I said earlier this song is the best one bc joey

Holy fuck someone just hit like a high d and I have no clue who it was bc the video quality is not the greatest

JESUS THATS TERRIFYING

THE FUCK YOU MEAN DONT BE FRIGHTENED THATS MY SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON

LOOK AT THIS FUCKER JESUS CHRIST

Wiggly is so scary because he speaks like a child and those are scary

MACNAMARA EX MACHINA

Mac: BEGONE

Prez kurt: SORRY JOHN I FUCKED IT UP

THATS THE HOOK FROM NOT YOUR SEED ISNT IT HOLY SHIT

Joeys voice and acting is gonna kill me

Yeah made in America is the shit

MAC NO U CANT DIE U DIE IN TGWDLM

Also the black and white is a dumb as shit name for an alternate reality

Prez kurt: MERRY CHRISTMAS MOTHERFUCKER!!!!

*wiggly voice* Uh-oh mr prezzy-wez. It seems you’ve misplaced your bomby-womb.

Well shits about to go down

I’m calling it the bomb bombed the White House

Oop no they’ve only gone and lost Moscow

Well fuck here comes ww3 I guess

And prez kurt is definitely insane in the brain

ITS THE HOOK AGAIN THE ‘ALIENS INVADING MINDS’ BIT OH MY GOD I FEEL LIKE A MUSICAL GENIUS

Jesus Sherman is a weird fuck and lex is kinda clever I guess it’s a shame we haven’t seen her for most of the musical

Lex: I THREW EM IN THE FUCKIN TRASH

LEX BABY NO DONT DIE

Lex: Is this what I live for? To be choked in a toy store?

Lexs beautiful song is this musicals version of not your seed but depression

And her voice is /pretty/

MAC?????????????

WHAT??????????????

OH MY GOD HE IS AUTHORISING HER TO USE HIS FIREARM YES QUEEN

I’m sorry lex and Hannah can do what

Jeffs voice kills me him and joey need a duet and that would be the end of me

What did lex just do in so confused

MAC DID THE SALUTE IMMA CRY YALL

And we’re back with Tom

Oh fuck lex is gonna shoot tom

Hold up Tom names his son Tim

Wiggly is playing mind tricks now yikes

Lex: KIDS DONT WANT THAT PEICE OF SHIT!!!

Tom: wat

Lex: THEYRE ALL INTO FORTNITE DUDE!!!!!

So the doll can only fuck with adults not kids???

Jesus Christ this is depressing

U wot lex

Lex: YOURE LIKE 40!!!!! YOU PROBABLY THINK YOURE LIFE IS OVER!!!!

Holy fuck this shit is deep

Wait lex still doesn’t know about Ethan oh my god

And Dylan gets another hero song holy fuck just give Robert a song already everyone else has one

At the same time though this is S a d

I’m not crying you’re crying

YES DUMBLEDORE U HIT THAT HIGH NOTE

Tom: in fact you’re real fuckin ugly

Me: yeah no shit

Lex: FUCK YEAH!!!! Should i move these boxes first?

*cue very clever scene change*

Yeah Gerald no one wants to talk to u

Oh my god Linda leave Hannah and ethans hat alone my heart is breaking for Hannah

Linda: is this some kind of a jooooke?????

They’re gonna set one of their dolls on fire ok ok ok this is fine

More villain songs ookay

If someone could tell me what the fuck is going on in this scene I’d be very impressed

Evil yoga

YES LAUREN U QUEEN

HOLY FUCK IS THAT CHARLOTTE??????

OH MY GOD ITS JAIME IN THE CHARLOTTE COSTUME IT IS CHARLOTTE HOLY SHIT

ITS CHARLOTTE AND THE HOMELESS DUDE HOLY SHIT

The choreo is...... interesting

Cue Robert not-Corey and Lauren being the only good dancers and getting special choreo

FUCK YEAH BECKY WITH THE GUN

LINDA NO

Ookay so everyone’s on fire this is fine

Emma and Paul ex machina

SOMEBODY NUKED MOSCOW!

paul is family third wheeling

YOU KNOW, SHE HAS THIS KOOKY RECLUSIVE BIOLOGY PROFESSOR

*audience fucking looses their shit*

WHO LIVES ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

Paul is having an existential crisi because he sHOULD HAVE WORN A WATCH

Someone’s gonna fall of that staircase by the end of this performance

HOLY FUCK ITS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID

IT IS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID OH NY GODDDDD

LOOK AT HIM

It’s the what if tomorrow comes bit!!!!!!!

Okay again this choreo is interesting but the vocals are all S t u n n i n g

They’re literally counting down until the end of the show imma loose my shit that’s the least subtle they’ve been during the entire show

Hang on hang on hang on hang on haaaaang on right there

Did lex just never find out that her boyfriend died we were deprived of a heart wrenching moment when she found out about Ethan

Like jeez I cried and I barely knew him she was dating the guy and just... didn’t ask about him????

ITS THE HOOK AGAIN

That’s it!!!!! Those were my thoughts the first time I watched this through!!!!!!!

Scream at me in the notes with any questions and I’ll try answer them :)

[danetobelieve]

What’s Fext? || Luce and Winston

Winston had been spending a lot of time working on the problem of Mr Blume. With Ricky in the hospital, the asanbosam dealt with and their former chemistry teacher apparently an anti magic monster who didn’t seem to notice when parts of his face was burned off, Winston was feeling a big manic about the fact that they needed to do something to solve this. They’d only taken a few days to find out that they’d been dealing with a fext, the Scribe’s library helped with that. So they needed a glass weapon to decapitate them, which was a problem, because Winston was sure that a glass sword wouldn’t be structurally sound. But they had a plan for that. “Is there anymore coffee?” they asked as they held a can of some non descript energy drink upside down and watched a single drop plonk into their empty mug that they were now using for everything they drank, “I need caffeine desperately.” 

The last few days had been… weirder than normal, to say the least. Between the weird night shit going away, getting her arms filled with cactus spines, and then the wildly batshit Stripe Club party, Luce was almost glad to go back to the normalcy of plotting to kill her old chemistry teacher. Who was some kind of fucking magical zombie dude who gave zero fucks and wanted to murder both her and Winston on sight. Winston had driven them to Scribe headquarters, filling her in on the details of what the place was to begin with, before they’d really hit the books. Winston had done most of the work, but she was there to help as much as she could. Research just wasn’t generally her thing. “Yeah, I brought a big fucking thermos full. Figured we’d need it.” She said, tipping the coffee into Winston’s mug. Staring at the book that Winston had unearthed, Luce shook her head. “What the fuck kinda glass weapon do we need? And how are we going to get one?”

Raising an eyebrow, Winston tapped on one of the books somewhat manically -- they’d definitely exceeded their caffeine intake today -- “This book says that any glass weapon should do it, the difficulty is that it appears to have to be pure glass so something like polycarbonate wouldn’t work, so we have to find some other way of keeping a glass weapon like stable, which is where this book comes in.” They pulled up some notes on their laptop. “I’ve found some glass panes we can use in one of the stock rooms in the back of the library, looks like we can use this, all we have to do is melt it down and then enchant it so that it won’t break and it will take a shape we want, which in theory shouldn’t be too hard but I don’t know about you, I’m not exactly an expert with working with molten glass.” 

Taking a sip from her own coffee mug, Luce rubbed her forehead. She wasn’t good at this sort of shit. It sounded like they would need to use pure glass and getting it into a shape that would make a decent weapon was getting into alchemy territory… But, as Winston continued talking, mentioning the glass panes, she blinked in sudden understanding. Oh. Duh. Glass was made by heating up like… bits of sand and shit. And fire, heat, that was everything that she knew. “The melting part won’t be the problem. At least, not for me. I’ve never worked with glass but it can’t be that hard.” She said with a nod, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at the piles of books around them. “But, I don’t do enhancement magic, at least nothing substantial. I’ve made wards to protect and basic trigger traps, but enhancement stuff isn’t my focus. Maybe there are some books in here that we could look at?” She said, gesturing to the shelves around them. 

Nodding along with Luce, Winston smiled and scribbled a few notes down. They had guessed that they might well have to do the enchanting and after the last time they’d tried and failed to enchant something they were wary of just how wrong it could go. But no matter, this wasn’t time for hesitation it was time for action and Winston was determined not to put this off for any longer. “I’ve found somewhere that we can do it as well, it’s a basement with a big metal trough thing, we should be able to put the glass in there without it damaging anything and then I should be able to handle the rest.” They had been working on enchanting things for weeks, but theoretically more then practically and this might be the first time they actually got to do it.” They flipped through a few pages, the desk in front of them a mess of books, pages of notes haphazardly scrawled and drawings they’d scribbled onto paper. “I think there is some information about enchanting runes and the process that is required over there. It’s like three shelves along.” 

Luce let out a low whistle, impressed. She hadn’t spent as much time here as Winston had-- she had clients and the shop to look after. And, as much as Fext Mr. Blume freaked her out, she wasn’t going to just put her life on hold. “Damn. This place has it all, doesn’t it? Sounds simple enough. Or, as simple as superheating hot glass, shaping it into a sword, and then enchanting it to not shatter the second we smack it into a bitch is.” She said with a wry grin. Listening to Winston’s instructions, she watched as they looked over their piles of notes and scribbles. “Sounds good, I’ll go grab it.” As she walked down the shelves, she couldn’t help but be amused at how Winston, the kid next door, was out here doing real magic. She hadn’t seen it coming. Grabbing the book from the shelf, she spoke up, “So, how long have you been able to do magic?” 

Frowning once more Winston made nodes and tried to commit things to memory. After all, they would need to do this perfectly or it might not work and the idea of allowing an undead magically evil version of their favourite Chemistry teacher to continue to be around the children who were still at that place was beyond their comprehension. This was something they weren’t going to trust anyone else to deal with either. It had to be done right. “Thanks, I definitely don’t think I could’ve gotten this far without your help, and now we’re actually moving onto the hard stuff,” they let out a semi manic laugh and sighed gently before setting back to work. When Luce returned, they glanced up at her and shrugged. “First time I did magic was the fifth of January of this year, then there was a few weeks of denial, I’ve been trying to work it out since then, sometimes it goes really well, other times not so much.”

“Nah, you probably would have figured something out. You’ve always been smart like that.” Luce said with a shake of her head. If any of the kids she’d grown up were going to start tapping into magic, she was glad that it had been Winston. There were plenty of other people from their high school who would have either been totally fucked or entirely fucked up. Winston had a good head on their shoulders. Waggling the book, she began to flip through the pages of the small volume, eyes scanning for the familiar looking enchanting runes that they would need. Just because she never practiced that sort of magic didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of it. “Huh. Talk about ‘New year, new you.’” She commented blithely. “I’m glad to have you in the know. It wasn’t exactly easy to keep this,” Luce held out a finger, the tip glowing with calm flame, “underwraps growing up. Now that you’re one of us, it changes things. For the better, I’d say.”

“Uh … Thanks, like really.” Winston said genuinely. Luce’s compliment meant a lot and Winston was pleased that she had such a high opinion of their apparent abilities. As they worked, they chuckled at Luce’s joke. “Exactly, my new years resolution wasn’t to learn magic or anything, but if I was going to have something like this pushed on me I’m glad that I found out that I could use magic and I didn’t find out that I was a medium or a hunter or something, of all the random things that life could’ve decided that I was going to become this is definitely one of the cooler options…” despite how terrifying this world was, Winston was slowly falling in love with the marvel of it all. “I’m glad that I know too, I feel like before I had blinders on and now I can see everything that there is to see and it is completely mortifyingly scary, like pants-shittingly-bone-chilling terrifying, but it’s cool as fuck. It’s weird to think you guys could do that when we were kids. Weren’t you ever tempted to show people?” 

“No problem.” Luce said, holding out the book to what she presumed was the correct page. At least, those were what the wards looked like to her. Listening to Winston talk about their own experiences coming to learn about the world around them, she grinned to herself. It was a slightly sardonic expression-- she’d never experienced what they were describing. She’d known about magic, about the creatures that went bump in the dark, since she was a child. It was all she knew. Blinders was a good way of putting it. There was a large part of her that felt a bit bad for all the poor, “normal” people who had no idea how much danger lurked around them at every turn. “Oh yeah. The world is a scary place, but that’s how it’s always been. Nothing really changes just because you figured out that it was real. The only thing that changed is that you’re now better equipped to handle it.” At the mention of showing off, Luce rolled her eyes, “That was our parents thing. Bea’s thing. My magic is mine. It’s for me to use, not to show off. With the exception of a couple bar tricks, I don’t fuck with that.” 

Taking the book from Luce, Winston gazed at them. The geometry that they used in these runes had to have an impact on the way that the magic actually worked, but Winston was still learning about alchemy and enchantment and although they were fascinated by the possibilities, they were also aware that now wasn’t the time for that particular puzzle. “That is perfect, I think I have enough to actually do this now.” They were nervous, they really needed this to work because the glass swords that they’d found online looked highly fragile and much too expensive for Winston’s budget. “I think the world is a lot scarier now that I know about everything, but at least I know what I need to be looking out for, before I kind of feel like I was taking a test that I’d studied really hard for, except I’d only been told about half of what was on the test. Now I at least know to study for everything.” Winston pursed their lips and frowned. “No, that’s not what I meant, I more meant like when you were at school and stuff and someone fucked with you, didn’t you want to curse them or hex them or hit them with a little fireball or something? I don’t think I could’ve managed to avoid cursing some of the bullies I dealt with back in the day.”

“Sounds great.” Luce said, settling down in a nearby chair. Leaning back on two legs, she idly looked around at the Scribe library. It was a run down kinda place, but there wasn’t denying the fact that it was a good resource. Maybe she’d be able to find some books about fire magic… something to aid her own personal ideas. Of course, that wasn’t what mattered right now. Listening to Winston, she grinned. Leave it to them to think of life as some kinda test that they needed to ace. “Never change, Winston.” She said with a nod. But, when they brought up the idea of curses, hexes, Luce slammed her chair back on all four legs, expression serious. “I’d get angry, yeah. But, curses? You don’t mess around with that sort of shit. Magic comes with a cost and you put shit out there like that? Big time cost.” She said before relaxing her posture. “I burned a lot of stuff in our backyard, though. Never at school, but… teenage emotions. They’re a time.”

“I think I’ve pretty much got everything set up if you want to get started on the actual forging of the sword.” Winston didn’t think that forging was really the right word for what they were about to do with molten glass. “I’ll do my best not to Winston,” replied with a shrug and nodded. “Exactly, it is some dangerous shit and honestly I’m surprised that no one in our school fucked around with it more, hell, maybe they did and I didn’t notice but either way.” Winston paused for a moment and gathered the things that they thought they would need in a bag and moved towards the exit. “Come on, its down here.” They led the way through the twisting and turning halls of the Scribe HQ and headed down towards a space that looked more like a workshop then there should’ve been in a giant library, but Winston guessed that the Scribes had maybe once had use for something like that. “The glass is here,” they said pointing towards the panes and moving it towards the large metal trough they’d found and dragged down here too, “I guess we just break them into there?” This was the bit that had been a lot of theory.

“Sounds good to me.” Luce said, dusting off her jeans with a hand before rising from her chair. “And hey. Have more faith in yourself. I’m sure you’ve got this.” She said, giving their shoulder a brief squeeze before following them out of the room full of bookshelves and out to the winding hallways. “Eh. There weren’t too many of us.” Luce said with a teasing wink. There were more people than Winston would know in their coven, but until they were brought into the fold, she wasn’t about to break coven rules and go telling them any more about that. “Hm. Gimme a second.” Pulling out her phone, Luce typed in a couple words and let Google do the rest. Pulling up a website on glass blowing, she resisted the urge to chuckle. “Huh. Well, apparently we would usually need a crucible and a glory hole-- no lie, that’s what it says. But, the big thing it says is we need to heat it up to at least 1000 degrees.” She let out a whistle. “Yeah, let’s break it up into little pieces. Might make it easier.”

Swallowing, Winston flashed Luce what they hoped was their most reassuring smile. “You’re right, I’ve made it this far right.” They chuckled nervously, but somehow the sound was almost hollow to them. Magic was not to be fucked with, they had and were still learning that the hard way. So why did they keep going and fucking with it? Either way, they had to do this. Someone could get hurt if they didn’t. “Are you in the coven too?” Winston asked, suddenly wondering if they had made a mistake saying no to Nell’s offer. It was probably an open offer, maybe it was a one time thing, either way, it wasn’t like Winston was ready for that step yet. They were still figuring out so much and they were very aware of their perspective being shaped by a group of people. “I think we may have to do a bit more work to this then,” Winston nodded towards the trough, “I can enchant it so it won’t melt under the heat but we should probably try not to push my magic to the limits too much.” Winston was suddenly glad that they’d brought a shit tonne of snacks, they were going to need to eat after this was done. “If you break the glass up I can work on the thingy,” they pulled a sharpie from their mouth and got to work drawing runes onto the metal.

A bit surprised that Winston already knew about the coven, the answer came just as quickly. Nell. Made sense, the two had always been close growing up. Luce nodded once. “Yep, I am. Safety in numbers, you know?” She said, though her expression shifted to one of mild concern. Had Winston been told of the witch hunter in White Crest? It was why she was stuck living at Bea’s place, they deserved to know about that kinda shit, now that they were a part of all this. “Sounds like a plan to me.” She said, looking around for something to break up the panes with. The room was pretty dusty, but underneath it all, she was able to find a small hammer, along with some ancient leather gloves. Whoever had last used them must be long gone by now. Shaking them out in case any spiders or bugs decided to use the gloves as a nest, Luce put the gloves on and set to work breaking the glass into more manageable chunks. 

Nodding gently, Winston would’ve been surprised if Luce wasn’t. “What is it like?” they asked curiously as they worked on the last runes. Drawing the last lines as carefully as they could, Winston placed the cap back on the sharpie before looking back to Luce. “Nell made it sound like it was a big happy family, but, and don’t take this the wrong way, I know what your mom can be like and I don’t know if I’m ready to have my perspective so aggressively shaped by someone or many someones when there’s still so much for me to learn…” but then were they wasting valuable resources by refusing to join a coven that could help them? What if they knew about enchanting and could teach Winston more? Maybe they could even help them with their project? Placing a palm on either sides of the trough, they sat cross legged and looked down at their notebook, turning the pages and committing the archaic latin to memory they began to speak, quickly placing a layer of enchantments on the trough to stop it from melting into sludge as soon as they heated it up.  

Still hammering away at the pieces of glass, Luce mulled their question over in her mind. “Family is a good way of putting it. And, like any family, there are quirks. There are rules, too. We do what we’re supposed to, follow the laws of nature, and come together as a community. Magic is a lot of things and one of those big things is freedom. There’s freedom in the flame. But, there are laws that we all have to follow. Because magic comes with a cost, it always does. The bigger the price, the bigger the cost. The coven exists to keep that balance in check.” Dusting her gloved hands together, she watched the shower of glass rain down into the trough. “If it makes you feel better, I’m not exactly a peak coven member. I like practicing back my cabin more than I like hanging around with a bunch of other people telling me that elementalism is for basic bitches.” She said with a scoff. Setting the hammer aside, she glanced at the pile of glass. “Ready for me to kick things off?”

Winston wasn’t sure that they liked the sound of that. An ungoverned unlawful group of magic users deciding what balance was. Were there appropriate checks and balances in place? Were there real contingencies if something went wrong? Was Winston over reacting? The answer to all of these things was a very resounding probably but Winston wasn’t sure that they were necessarily ready to take that chance. “Sounds like it could be a great place,” Winston replied thoughtfully as they wiped sweat from their brow and grabbed a chocolate bar to eat, “maybe one day I’ll join, if you guys will still have me.” They smiled gently, they weren’t ready for any of this yet, but they thought that maybe they were getting there. Just a little slower then they would have liked. “I think that this is as prepared as possible. So whenever you’re ready to start the fire, I’m ready to start the moulding.” 

Tossing the gloves into the corner of the room, Luce rolled her shoulders, wiggling her arms at her side to loosen them up. “Coven life isn’t for everyone. We’ve had plenty of people come and go. I grew up in it, though. It’s all I know.” And, as much as she usually chafed at the idea of conformity, it was a reassurance. To know that there were others who would support her, even if it was on a conditional level, it was something. Closing her eyes, Luce steadied herself. She grounded herself, feet square, shoulders strong, as she reached within to the energy that dwelled inside herself and reached out to the magic that existed in the spaces between. Taking a deep breath in, she drew the energy in. Holding it for a moment, she let the feeling mingle within the burning furnace of her chest before opening her eyes and letting the fire burn. A red ball of flame nestled itself in the glass, the flames burning hotter and brighter as she fed energy into it, palms extended. Red gave way to orange gave way to yellow until a brilliant blinding white mass heated the glass that surrounded the ball of fire.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face and her arms ached from the effort of maintaining the constant output. But, Luce’s breathing remained calm and steady. Fire was her life. It was what she’d dedicated so much of her time and energy to. It would never willingly bend to serve her, but with a forceful hand, she could guide it to do what she wanted. And the flames respected that. Soon, the trough was full of molten, liquid glass. Lowering her hands, the weight of the magic fell upon her and Luce’s knees buckled beneath her, her breath coming out in gasps. She fell to all fours and glanced over at Winston. “Do… do the fuckin… thing.” She panted.

Amazed by the torrent of conflagration that exploded from the glass itself and the red began to become a roiling mass of boiling white. Winston could clearly hear that the trough was struggling, but for the moment their enchantment seemed to be holding fast. The glass didn’t take very long to melt, the tiny pieces shimmering and then losing structure and collapsing into a liquid heap. Riffling through their bag, Winston pulled out a chocolate bar and an energy drink. “Here try and eat or something, I always find it helps to get your energy levels back towards what they were, but that was fucking awesome.” Chucking the snacks towards Luce, Winston cracked their neck and fingers before reaching out with their own power. Grasping the molten glass they raised it from the trough and began to shape the sword. Molten glass sloughed off of the lump and it continued to whittle itself down until there was a clear blade. Winston levitated the blade over to the table and began to carve the runes into the surface of it, it took them a while and the runes were done, finally, they imbued them with power and with sweat glistening on their brow, they sighed and slumped back. “It’s done, we just have to do a handle and it’ll be fine. I just hope it doesn’t break.”

Ripping open the chocolate bar, Luce crammed half of it in her mouth before popping open the energy drink. This wasn’t her preferred method of recovering from magic-- usually it consisted of deep breathing, a sandwich, and a brief nap. But, she would take what she could get. “Fanks.” She said through a mouthful of chocolate. The acidic taste of the energy drink clashed with the candy bar, but after a moment, she was able to slide back onto her haunches and watch Winston do their thing. And, she had to give it to them, they were a natural at this sort of thing. Only a couple of months and they’d figured this much out? Damn. Breaking off the bit with her teeth marks, Luce held out the remaining half of the candy bar to Winston. “Fuck yeah.” She said, offering a tattooed fist for them to bump. “A handle. I can do a handle. I think we should be good, if your runes went to plan.” She nodded. 

Sweat trickling down the side of their face from the exertion of the whole thing, Winston gratefully took the chocolate from their friend and chewed on it. The sugar felt good and they immediately felt a little better, but they knew that their bones would continue to feel as if they had a lead core until they got some sleep. Gingerly Winston reached over and took the sword blade up before handing it over to Luce. “Well, you’re definitely the one who knows more about swords then me, so if one of us is going to be the one to use it then it should probably be you.” The blade was simple, just under a meter in length and it almost glowed in the dim light. Winston almost wished that they had made more then one, it would look really cool on the Vural mantle piece. “The runes look fine to me,” Winston admitted before remembering what had happened the last time they enchanted something. There would only be one way to find out if this worked. “I guess if you’re swinging the sword then that means I’m the bait?” Winston wasn’t sure why they were suggesting that, they didn’t want to be bait. 

Now that some of her energy had returned, Luce was able to take in the fine craftsmanship of the glass sword that rested in her hands. It was a fine blade, more similar to a longsword than anything else. Which worked for her, she’d trained with those at The Excalibur before. Rapier was her preferred weapon, but this would do just fine. Running her hand along the razor sharp edge of the blade, she slid her finger out to find the balance point. It was perfectly balanced, if unsettlingly light. “Sounds good to me. I can get that done sometime later today. But, we’re in no real condition to go fight Mr. Fexting Blume today.” She joked as she sat the sword back down on the ground. “I trust you, Winston. The runes will hold.” Luce nodded. As they offered themselves up as bait, her eyebrows flew up in surprise. “You sure about that? Don’t go biting off more than you can chew.”

Swallowing nervously, Winston forced their head to bob up and down in a nervous nod. “I don’t think that I can do today Luce,” Winston was too tired to realise that she had been joking and they felt like their bones were lead. They needed to go to sleep before they did anything else. They were seriously considering going to the sleeping room and just passing the fuck out. “When I’ve slept and when we’re both ready then yeah,” Winston swallowed nervously, “I am sure, I know I am not biting off more than I can chew because just like you trust my runes, well I trust that you wouldn’t let that thing get me before you cut it’s head off.” Winston was terrified, but they knew that Luce would come through for them. A Vural had never let them down after all. 

[casual-eumetazoa]

mmmmmmmmmmmkay... gotta say Words about the episode, I guess

things I liked:

the show looks good, I’ll give them that - visually/aesthetically very pleasing, the music is amazing (I still miss Gold but I am starting to like this new guy a lot), everything seems modern, expensive, high quality

the theme music is wonderful and the title sequence slaps; love that shit! feels classic and brand new at the same time, and very Doctor Who; probably my favorite title sequence combo of the entire new run

the TARDIS design is gorgeous, like I cannot stress enough how much I love it; again, probably my favorite of the entire new run, and definitely top three of all that were ever made; it feels like a hybrid between Tenth’s TARDIS and Eighth’s TARDIS - bold, creative, beautiful design; on a related note, loved that “fixing the TARDIS” bit; I hope the fam will spend more time inside the TARDIS this season

the actors are giving their best; I feel like C was a huge waste of Stephen Fry, but perhaps it was a deliberate decision (because maybe Mr Fry wanted a cameo but did not have time for more scenes); 

Whittaker is good - idk if that was a move on her part or the writers/directors decision, but her Doctor feels calmer, more natural now; she is still quirky and mysterious and herself, but she feels more like a person, you know, and not a bunch of facial expressions and voice inflections thrown together

the companions are good too - Yaz is finally getting attention, and God, Graham and Ryan are like my favorite thing now! their dynamic is just a pleasure to watch; you can make a ‘comedic duo’ compilation just out of this episode alone

the new monsters are definitely my cup of tea; strange, spooky, not full on horror movie scary but still threatening... *chef’s kiss* I loved the twist of them getting through the TARDIS door - that has never happened before, I like that; I like how the Doctor quietly freaks out about it as well, cause she hates not knowing something and hates not being in charge; that scene where she keeps asking the creature and when it finally replies it is just mocking her? good shit right there; wanna see more of these guys for sure

and after some reflection, if you take it in isolation, I do love the final airplane scene; like if I just look at it as a piece of TV/storytelling, I think it is a really good scene; it’s loud, it’s chaotic, yes it is kind of all over the place but it is engaging, and the reveal was out of nowhere and predictable at the same time but I still enjoyed it; and yes it is a stupid cliffhanger but like... it’s Doctor Who! it has always had stupid cliffhangers and I for one respect that decision

things I didn’t like:

oh God... the writing; like I am sorry, okay, but that writing is bad; and it is so confusing to me cause the story overall was good in my opinion - the pace was okay, the events made sense, it has an actual plot, etc - but the writing is still bad? I think the dialogue is the worst by far, but the way the scenes were stitched together is really awkward as well; it feels like it has been written by a talented but severely inexperienced writer who understands more or less how a story is supposed to work but has no idea how to edit

specifically what annoys me is that the dialogue and, to a lesser degree, the sequence of events feels very superficial and forced; it’s not elegant, and it’s not surprising, and it doesn’t feel natural at all; the actors are giving their best but how the hell can you have a good delivery of those lines??? 

I wanna rewatch it already to give particular examples but the two things that come to mind are C explaining the whole deal with the aliens (telling instead of showing anyone? especially after you’ve already shown it???) and the interview with Lenny Henry’s character (again, telling instead of showing much?); and idk, the dialogue in general is just... eh, it annoys me that I can’t quite put my finger on why it is so bad - but it is so bad, that initially that thing alone made me dislike the episode 

and this is double annoying because I know that Chibnall is a good writer and can write excellent dialogue and put scenes together with no problem, and also because, traditionally, Doctor Who has always had great script editors that should have fixed this; like how do you give a dedication to Terrance Dicks and not fix these awkward fucking lines?? I am confusion

things I am unsure about:

the whole spy thing; initially was very excited about it, because I thought we would get a very Third Doctor era thing, but no, that was just a straight up James Bond knock-off; like, don’t get me wrong, Thirteen in a suit gives me life too - but they could, idk, Doctor-fy the whole thing a little bit? throw in some gaffs and alien words and the Doctor going “oh I was a spy so many times”; instead it felt kinda, idk, not integrated enough; like it made sense for the story, but not for the show overall

also I think that the episode had too much action; that car malfunction at the beginning? entirely unnecessary, could have replaced it with a conversation (Thirteen trying to get info out of the driver for example) and get better results; the motorbike chase? looks very cool, also unnecessary and could have been cut to twenty seconds easily; like, come on, this is Doctor Who! I want good dialogue, not Marvel-level action scenes

and now the most controversial thing... the Master; ufff, I have very complex thoughts about this

I’m not gonna lie, I do like that they are back; I think it was too early to bring them back, and it feels like a solely “for the views” decision with little to no creative thought put into it, but damn I love the character; the actor is great too - that being in disguise with no physical disguise bit? love it! like, in retrospect I can see how much he (the Master) must have enjoyed playing the sweet innocent bloke; and that switch in the final scene... that’s some good acting right there

I am kinda conflicted about his style in general, like I would have preferred for him to lean more on the Delgado side of things - more gravitas, calmness, but still with strong chaotic dumbass energy - but I do understand that the Master has to mirror and contrast the Doctor simultaneously, and this sort of more Simm-like delivery (more in the direction of bananas) works better for Thirteen, especially now that she is less awkward and more calm and collected; I like the homage to classics as well, like that tissue compressor thing, that was really good; and yeah the Master is hot again... nice

also the whole “the Doctor is still being secretive about her past” thing is really working for me - I’d love to see the Master slowly destroying whatever image she has built for herself and thus creating enough conflict between her and the fam to go on for the entire season

but having said all that, if we come back to the decision to bring them back... is Chibnall sure about that? because from what we have seen so far, it feels like we have cancelled out everything that Moffat has done with Missy; we’ve had such an amazing character arc with her in Capaldi’s era and now it’s all gone? now we’re back to blowing up planes and killing the Doctor? why? 

I am still holding on to hope that this is an earlier, pre-War incarnation of the Master that somehow slipped in to this timestream, but that seems unlikely; another way I could digest that was if the Master has lost their memory and doesn’t remember being Missy, which would make for a nice eventual reveal of the memories coming back to them and him being like “oh shit” - but if Missy’s entire character arc has been retconned, I am definitely not a fan

also, overall, I feel like Chibnall retconned one thing about the Capaldi era that I really loved - he brought Doctor Who from a proper serious drama (as one part of the show, obviously) to all cheesy, goofy, silly sci-fi nonsense; and like, has Doctor Who been cheesy in the past? definitely, and for most of its history, and I won’t complain about that; but this? this feels too cheesy, especially in contrast with Capaldi’s era; like please, Chibbers, can we please see some drama? if you’re going for the whole quality TV show feel, can we also get proper good dialogue and heightened emotion and higher stakes? cause I think you can overdose on ridiculous in Doctor Who

summary:

honestly if the writing - especially the dialogue - was actually good, this would have been a very good episode, an 9 out of 10 at least; but as it stands, those lines are spoiling it a bit too much for me, so I’ll give it a solid 6 out of 10

I know it is a part one of a two-parter so I won’t make any solid and final judgments yet, especially about the Master and the feel of the series overall; all I can say is that, again, if you ignore the dialogue (which I hope is a random fluke and will go away), this sets a benchmark for series 12 higher than series 11; so I am cautiously optimistic about it, and actually excited to see the next episode, but God do I have high standards now, having consumed a lot of Doctor Who media...

and now that I’ve said approximately 563 highly controversial things, feel free to rip me to shreds I guess - or agree with me, who knows

[initcne-arch]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO.

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK BUT SHE SHOULD BE.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK BUT SHE SHOULD BE.

Are they underrated?  YES THERE IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH LOVE FOR DARLENE EVER / NO. / IDK.

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO. / SORT OF?? THE FSOCIETY IMAGE IS WELL KNOWN.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK!!

How strictly do you follow canon?  — i follow it pretty closely!! mr. robot is excellent content and i don’t feel the need to deviate too far from canon. a lot of her childhood / history is made up by Moi because they simply do not delve into it on the show.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  what ISN’T spicy about darlene alderson!! she’s a genius hacker out to destroy capitalism and eat rich people!! she literally crashed the country’s economy ( unintentionally, but the Power that statement holds ) and exposed the richest and most powerful people in the world, the people who are influencing the global sociopolitical state, and redistributed all their wealth to the people. she’s loud, she’s fiery, she’s argumentative, she’s stubborn as hell. fiona apple’s fetch the bolt cutters (2020) was written for and about darlene. she’s easy to talk to and she talks to people easily. it doesn’t take a lot of effort to strike up a conversation with darlene. y’all remember that post about the two dudes in ny on a subway and a random bottle of wine rolled down the aisle out of nowhere and one guy popped that bad boy open and made friends with the dude sitting next to him?? that’s darlene. if you stick around long enough, she’ll expose you to a world of cybercrime and the american dream conspiracy like you’ve never known before. while she’s at it, she’ll hack into your exes smart thermostat and crank the temperature up until they are forced to leave.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —   look i think darlene is simply the most interesting person ever but there are absolutely aspects to her that are not...outright abhorrent, but things that certainly make her difficult to be around. she’s not the most emotionally stable person--i think i’ve talked enough about her tendency to push people away when they get too close. it’s not the first interaction that’s difficult for darlene, it’s keeping people around that’s difficult. she doesn’t stay in one place for very long. she is, again, loud, fiery, argumentative, and stubborn as hell. she is, frankly, a bitch at times. not everything needs to be sunshine and rainbows, though. she’s involved with cybercrime and all the rings that circle it.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  — honestly i had a url hoarded for her for a Long Time, the series was about to start it’s final season, and i just kind of went why the fuck not!! she’s been my favorite from the beginning and her personality is a complete 180 of my other active muses. i’ve been writing muses from the same series for about *checks watch* seven years now lmao, it was time for me to branch out.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  music has always been my biggest inspiration for writing in general. darlene has her own playlist that i turn on to get the creativity flowing. i find though that when i force myself to write, i either really hate what i’ve written or i simply cannot write, so holding that boundary with myself and saying it’s okay to write on my own time is pretty critical. calm down greg, it’s just fucking tumblr rp. writing headcanons and bouncing ideas off of people helps as well.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / GOD I REALLY HOPE SO LMAO

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO /

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO, I HATE DRABBLES.

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO / sorta

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO. / depends on the day tbfh!!

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO. / CALM DOWN GREG IT’S JUST FUCKING TUMBLR RP

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  i like to think i handle criticism well but i’ll be upfront and say no one has really criticized my portrayal of darlene?? a lot of the topics in mr. robot are topics i’m very passionate about / am knowledgeable about irl and tbh i do think that gives me a leg up on writing darlene. me like i’m just the Perfect Darlene, thanks.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  absolutely!! i love questions!! i always want to answer questions and talk about darlene!!

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  sure!! just know that you are wrong and i am right!!

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  *leans into the mic* calm down greg, it’s just fucking tumblr rp. also, again, you are wrong and i am right.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  not personally because darlene is...darlene but also like you’re wrong.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  yes, absolutely!! literally i do not proofread anything ever, i simply smash keys and hit post.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   — i know i can sound like a big ol’ bitch who is stingy over darlene but i really don’t think i’m that scary lmao. i don’t take this website too seriously. i’m here for a good time, not a long time. i have the tendency to talk a fucking Lot because sometimes i have a Lot to say and no brain capacity to consolidate it. last night in a groupchat we determined that we are all secretly baby and that’s why we are martinkin.

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by:  goddamn no one lmao Tagging: literally just do it!!