#but if you FAILED the vice that acted a guardian to you then it could possess you and make you its host and you'd become a monster embodying

[buttercupart]

introducing: freak of the earth

[cyanide-latte]

I'm gonna throw you a bit of a hard one:

Wingman, Guardian, and Alone - any of yours with any of mine (at your disgression)

The prompt list in question if anyone wants it

Oooh... This one definitely made me think a bit.

Q:🌹 Wingman — how do each character react to finding out the other(s) has a crush on someone outside their friend group? do they have different approaches to acting as a "wingman" for their buddy, or do they worry about becoming a third wheel?

A: So I'm mixing it up a little bit, because in this case the friend IS outside the friend group, in the case of Copper's friendship with René. We haven't discussed it much, but it feels to me when I comb over our past discussions that Copper is more likely to interact with René about Rook's feelings for them and (once he clocks that René cannot fully hide their feelings for Rook) vice-versa. I think the one or two times Copper prods at Rook about that mutual attraction, Rook goes quiet and/or deliberately avoids the subject, so Copper is more likely to coax René in small ways if he can. He thinks that there's something there, something really good that could come of the two of them getting together once they get past their individual challenges and worries. He's not even slightly worried about being a third wheel (both Rook and René are a little too private as individuals for him to worry about that,) but he would be concerned he's being an overly pushy nag. Up to you what you think though, because I can definitely also see René avoiding the subject if Copper brings it up!

Q: 🛡️ Guardian — does someone specific take the role of "guardian", or do they protect each other equally? if one character is more protective of the other(s), is their protective nature appreciated or suffocating?

A: This was the hardest one to answer because I wanted to not have overlapping characters in these answers, so I really struggled with this for a hot minute. And then I recalled our discussions about my nextgens in relation to Oisín! You can feel free to correct me if I'm misreading anything, but from the few things we've mentioned, I could see Oisín definitely being protective of Kit, especially when Kit is very, very little. In the same way that I think a lot of the extended found family unit is probably protective of that kiddo! Plus there is probably something special for Oisín as a dullahan there, because they're friends with Grandpa Ilias, and with Chrys, and now Oisín undoubtedly holds a very special place in Kit's life because, as Chrys's son, Kit is the third generation of this family that Oisín has been able to bond with, even if those bonds of friendship are slightly different between them. As for how Kit feels about it, it's hard to say. When he's younger, he undoubtedly takes that for granted in the way that children do. Oisín has always had a presence in his life and been seen by him as a guardian figure, why would that ever change? As Kit hits his teen years, I expect at some point he stops taking that for granted and recognizes how important that is, though it's up in the air how and when he would express his thanks to Oisín for their presence in his life.

Q: 🐺 Alone — what's something they each know no one else will understand -- no one else, aside from each other?

A: All things considered, this was probably the easiest one to answer, because I don't think that anyone has quite the same overlap in their struggles and feelings as Wei Renqiao and Emil. Relating on the point of Overblot is one thing, but tack on the mutual understanding and frustration and grief of feeling like you've failed to save a loved one from something, the struggle with an expectation they have to get married because of Reasons, the strong sense of community and the reflexive instinct to help others even to the cost of themselves, and you've got two boys who can open up about a great deal of things and feel understood and resonate with one another that they won't totally get with other friendships.

[laurenwritesfics]

The Pieces We Leave Behind

CHAPTER ONE: FRANK

Mary had buried herself in books again. She was a curious and intelligent young girl, but her love of reading was turning into obsession. So much so that Frank was beginning to worry about Vitamin D deficiency. She looked a little too pale. He usually hauled her out of her chair – met with screams and slaps of protestation – and took her to the beach or the park for ice cream, but today, he was piling her into the car to meet with the school principal. Mary had been accused of bullying, and Frank wasn’t going to let it stand.

“This is so stupid.” Mary huffed and crossed her arms. “I didn’t do anything.”

“I know, just get in the car.”

She rolled her eyes, slipping her backpack off her shoulder, throwing it onto the seat beside her. The engine of Frank’s 1974 sedan sputtered to life. Frank’s mother Evelyn called it a rickety rust-bucket, but it was his pride and joy – second only to his sweet, silly niece, who was currently sulking in the back seat.

That was the thing about Frank Adler. He didn’t fix broken things, he just knew when something was worth saving. He saw potential that nobody else could.

He was the first to break away from the family. He was tired, he said, of living a Stepford lie.

This was how he came to be Mary’s guardian. After the death of his sister Diane, the Adler family was irreparably splintered. In the midst of Evelyn’s grief, she had swept Mary up into a life she would never become accustomed to - piano lessons, private school, badminton, early bedtime and absolutely no television.

At just seven years old, Mary was wide-eyed and wise. A headstrong child who sometimes alarmed Evelyn with her ability to face the world fearlessly. Her teachers referred to her as ‘gifted’, which made Evelyn’s eyes light up. She was just like Diane. That was the beginning of the end of Mary’s childhood. Night after night, she would be tucked into bed with a book. As the months went by, childhood favorites were replaced with educational textbooks. Mornings started with a pop quiz. Her social circle grew smaller. She eventually found herself so frustrated by her restrictive life with Evelyn that she once threatened to run away, as children often do. But Evelyn knew that Mary meant it. So when it did finally happen, the thing that shocked her the most was not the act itself, but the fact that, of all people, Mary ran to Frank for help.

At ten years old, Diane scored her first grade A in mathematics. From that moment on, Evelyn decided to live vicariously through her daughter. She had devoted her youth to solving the Navier–Stokes problem (one of the unsolved Millennium Prize Problems), but had never been successful. Frank was the only one who saw her slowly disappear. Forced into a mold that didn’t fit her. He watched Diane suffer through countless socialite soirées, nodding politely, eyes glazed. He was the last person to call her. He found her. He blamed Evelyn.

She would never believe that the cause of death was suicide. Diane was so happy, she said. So intelligent. So perfect. Of course, perfection didn’t exist. She learned this a mere month later when her marriage fell apart.

Mary was the only piece of Diane that was left.

Frank knew that if Mary stayed in Boston with his mother, history would repeat itself. So he intervened. He sent care packages all the way from Florida. They called each other weekly. Six months into what Frank referred to as her kidnapping, he received a phone call in the middle of the night. She was uncharacteristically subdued. Whispering. Her voice trembled. She was trapped. Four hours later he was bundling her into a taxi. It wasn’t going to happen again. Not on his watch.

Evelyn would never forgive him, but he didn’t care. Frank loved his mother – he always would – he just didn’t like her.

The more time Mary spent in Florida, the more she began to dislike Evelyn, too.

It was an unspoken rule that Evelyn was informed of Mary’s achievements. She didn’t much care for the other things – the friendships, the slumber parties, the times she cried herself to sleep from stress and in fear of bullies – those were Frank’s problems. The only problems she cared about were mathematical. She didn’t visit on Mary’s seventh birthday, but she did attend the parent-teacher conference that came after it. Frank was sure that if Evelyn set foot in the principal’s office she would have a heart attack on the spot. So, here he was, driving Mary to school to correct the misinformed adults who believed that his niece was capable of hurting another child.

“Slow down!” Mary caught Frank’s eye in the rear-view mirror. “Mom said never go to bed or drive angry.”

“I’m not angry.” He said, almost flatly enough to mask his frustration.

“Yes you are.”

Frank tapped his index finger on the steering wheel. He counted to ten in his head, exhaling slowly.

“Fine, I’m angry.” He admitted. “These stuck-up bastards don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Don’t swear.” Mary chided.

“Sorry.”

A short woman with a thin, pinched face emerged from the principal’s office.

Mary was leaning against the window, chin in her palm, counting the trees that passed by, partly to keep herself occupied, partly to quell the anxiety that was swirling inside her. She was always quiet, focussed, and polite. She went out of her way to make friends with the other children. This was entirely unfair. Back in Boston, she had spent time in almost every school in the city – co-ed, prep school, all-girls, but she never stayed too long. She was either too inquisitive, too restless, or – ironically – too smart. Sometimes it felt as though she didn’t belong anywhere at all.

Weaving through the long line of cars in the school parking lot, Frank stopped awkwardly and swung himself out of the car, keeping tight hold of Mary’s hand as they made their way inside. The occasional echo of chatter and footsteps cut through the otherwise silent hallway. The closer they got to the office, the easier it was for Mary to breathe. It was going to work out. Frank would take care of it. He had a talent for charming people into submission.

“Who’s that?” Frank straightened his shirt, still stained with oil and sweat from an afternoon spent fixing up a boat for a local fisherman.

“Mrs Weston.” Mary half-whispered, shrinking in her chair a little. “We hate her.”

Frank huffed, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yes we do.”

Then, an interruption from a harsh, husky voice.

“Mary Adler?”

Frank turned to Mary, slapping the arm of the chair. “Looks like we’re up, kiddo. You okay?” He tilted his head in concern.

“I guess.” Mary shrugged, her shoulders sinking for a moment before she pushed herself forward and took hold of Frank’s hand again.

The woman’s eyes narrowed and roamed over the two of them. She pursed her lips, paused, and finally spoke.

“Principal Mitchell is unavailable this morning.” She said curtly. “Vice-Principal Madeline Weston. Come in.”

Rustling papers. The pronounced tick-tick-tock of the clock on the wall. An awkward cough. Frank shifted in his seat, a creak eliciting from beneath the adult weight it clearly wasn’t made to support. Leaning out of a slouch, elbows resting on his knees, he tented his fingers and waited for the inevitable stretching of the truth. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, locking eyes with the woman who clearly didn’t know Mary at all.

“Do your worst.” Frank muttered not quite far enough under his breath.

“I take it you’ve done this before, Mr Adler?”

“Once or twice.”

A judgemental hum. “Then I’m sure you know why you’re here today. Mr Adler, your daughter-“

“She’s my niece.”

Madeline crossed her legs and adjusted her lapels. “Your niece is disruptive. She is preventing the other students from learning.”

“How, exactly?”

“Interruptions. Selfishness. Questions in math class are answered almost exclusively by Miss Adler.”

“Yeah, probably because she’s the only one who knows the answer.” Frank scoffed.

“Do not insult the quality of education provided at this school, Mr Adler.”

“I’m insulting the students. Mary can do so much better than here. She’s so smart – too smart.” His voice deepened, even and impassioned. “If you just took the time to get to know her-“

Madeline cut him off. “We don’t get to know the children here, Mr Adler. We encourage their talents.”

Frank tried and failed to fight the push in his calves compelling him to stand up. He tapped Mary’s shoulder and made his way to the door. Whether she liked it or not, Evelyn was going to hear about this.

“This is bullshit. Mary, we’re done here.”

Launching herself out of her chair with a scowl, Mary followed Frank back into the hallway.

“So that’s the Wicked Witch of the West, huh?”

Mary exploded into laughter.

The sun beat down on the asphalt as they re-entered the parking lot, hands pressing against searing metal, the air thick and musty inside the car. Frank adjusted the rear-view mirror, turned the key and hooked his arm around the passenger seat as he pulled away.

“Buckle up, genius. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

Read chapter one HERE. Read the full series on AO3.

Permanent taglist: @hiddelstannerbarnes  @redlipstickandblacktea @just-one-ordinary-fangirl​ @optimistic-dinosaur-nacho​ @djeniiscorner​ @its-tortle​ @k347​ @ixalit​ @iguessweallcrazyithinktho​ @cevansfics​ @capchrisevaans​ @hawkeyeandthewintersoldier​ @musette22​ @mcubabydotcom​ @worksby-d​ @chuckbass-love​ @bluemusickid​ @fallinforevans​ @hellobeautworld​ @katiew1973​ @just-dreaming-marvel​ @disaster-dean​ @rebthom89​ @navybrat817​ @just-dreaming-marvel-2​

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[ask-risorgimento-italy]

Main Story Masterpost

I decided to make a masterpost for everything one might need to know in order to understand this blog and its story - historical background, characters and crucial plot points. I also added information that was not yet included on this blog but has been discussed on Discord.

Important terminology:

“Risorgimento”

(1) the 19th century movement for Italian political unity

(2) a time of renewal or renaissance, revival

“National representative”/”Representative” - the officially approved personification of a region

“Personification” - a semi-immortal being who embodies a region/culture akin to the idea of a “Leviathan” (Hobbes). Their origins are unknown. They might lead a very public life or prefer to stay anonymous. Usually they're somewhat obscure - most people wouldn't recognize them on the street. Some might believe them to be guardian spirits, pagan Gods, angels sent from Heaven or the spawn of Satan ...depending on who you ask.

“Fusion” - A personification gives up their immortality and allows another representative to “take over” their region. 

“Brother”/”Sibling”/”Partner” - personifications usually have multiple overlapping relationship dynamics. None of them are truly related by blood, but some will consider each other to be siblings. Some might consider each other related in the first half of a century and denounce it in the latter or vice versa.

What happened so far...

1798 - The Fall of the Republic

The story of this blog begins after the fall of the Serenissima. The maritime republic has been independent for centuries and is now in the hands of Napoleon. Even though Venice has been struggling to maintain power before, this is considered its death blow. Art is looted or burned and symbols of power destroyed. It is in the very moment Feliciano’s house is vandalized by French troops where he realizes that his life would never be as it was before.

1815 - The Kingdom of Venetia-Lombardo is founded at the Congress of Vienna 

Napoleon’s reign is over and Europe is drawing new borders at the famous Congress in the capital of the Habsburg empire. The Veneto is paired with its neighbor Lombardy to form a kingdom that now belongs to the Austrians. Feliciano and Benigno (the representative of Lombardy) have to agree to something akin to an arranged marriage.

1845-47 - The Prelude and the Financial Crisis

Famine, fiscal troubles and the demand for reforms all over Europe turn the continent into a powder keg. Feliciano and Benigno are no longer in a forced partnership. Instead, they are both angry soon-to-be revolutionaries, supporting each other in their struggles.

1848 - The Revolution

Revolutions erupt all over Europe. New governments are formed. Venice becomes the Republic of St. Mark. Lombardy goes through the Five Days of Milan. Feliciano and Benigno often fight in separate places, but are united in spirit. 

This is the first time in centuries where Feliciano personally gets his hands dirty in a conflict - he is angry and full of spite. Death to The Austrians is written on the walls with red paint.

1849 - The Fall of the Republic, Act II

After a long siege, starvation and sickness ultimately beat the city of Venice into submission. Feliciano’s fighting spirit is broken and his mental and physical health is at an all-time low. He is forcibly separated from Benigno and does not see him again until 1866.

1848-61 - The Predecessor State

After the failed revolution, the unification takes a much different form. 

Tactical warfare and treaties soon replace guerilla warfare. The driving force of this process is the Kingdom of Piedmont. It is sometimes called the predecessor state of Italy. Its personification is a woman called Cassandra. Her goal - to be the sole representative of the peninsula - is considered madness by some and visionary by others.

1861 - The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed

After almost half a century of political struggles the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy marks the beginning of a new era. Cassandra, now referred to as Italia by most, offers great benefits to the remaining region's representatives if they “fuse” with her - fusion being an euphemism for a personification giving up their immortality and status as a representative and transferring it to Italia instead.

While many have agreed to the deal, others stay hesitant - namely Benigno (Lombardy), Romano (Naples) and Chiara (Sicily). And then there’s Feliciano, who is still under Austrian occupation...

1866 - The Veneto becomes part of Italy

Venice had somewhat of a special role in the Risorgimento. In 1861, it was not yet part of the Kingdom of Italy. The Habsburg empire has the city and the surrounding region in an iron grip for five more years.

Due to shared goals in their unification process, Italy and Prussia form an alliance against Austria, and the Prusso-German war finally decides over the fate of the Veneto. With Austria losing, Venice becomes Italian territory.

Feliciano as this point is all too happy to hear Cassandra’s offer about “fusion”. He feels tired and weak. Being able to shift the responsibility of nationhood on someone else’s shoulder sounds promising. It would not take long for him to finalize his decision.

1868 - And then things go wrong

Feliciano has decided: he would no longer be the personification of Venice. He says Goodbye to his family and friends, as he would forget his old life and start a new one as an ordinary citizen. Some don’t take these news well. Benigno especially reacts with anger, as he has believed that Feliciano would not agree to Cassandra’s offer. At some point they have a fight that causes Benigno to storm off teary-eyed. 

From this point onwards we witness the story from Benigno’s and Romano’s  POV.

Benigno is the one to discover Feliciano’s and Cassandra’s corpses. They lie on the floor of Feliciano’s villa in Venice. There is dried blood and flies. No one knows what has happened. The government is shocked to find out about this and tries everything to cover it up. Cassandra’s death could be a fatal blow to the new nation’s political landscape. Her body is preserved with formaldehyde and other heavy chemicals and hidden away in a house somewhere in Turin. Feli is buried in Venice. Benigno is the only one to visit his grave regularly. 

He is the sole north Italian representative to survive, and soon takes over Cassandra’s duties. This is where he also clashes with Romano, who is pissed off for not being considered a fitting substitute for the role (the anger is very much justified).

For a whole year, it seems like everything has gone to shit.

1869 - A mali estremi, estremi rimedi

Benigno and Romano are guided to Venice by a mysterious call for help. Neither the caller nor the call is ordinary in nature - it is their (presumably) dead sibling Feliciano somehow infiltrating their thoughts with garbled nonsense. When they finally open the mausoleum, Feliciano is in a bad state. Skin thin as paper, eyes sunken in and comatose - and yet, somehow, with a beating heart. They bring him to his old house where they try to nurse him back to health while they struggle to figure out what this means for Cassandra, themselves, and wherever...or whoever Italy is.

1870 - The Trespasser 

Some weeks after the gruesome discovery of Feliciano’s body, Romano and Benigno have yet to figure out how to make Feliciano wake up from his “slumber”. At the same time, a stranger is rummaging through the streets of Venice. The representative of Prussia, Gilbert, is onto something. After some digging (and bribing two police officers) he finally finds what he was searching for - the address to the old abandoned villa where Feliciano has once lived. 

When Gilbert decides to break into the place, assuming no one is home, he kicks the door open with a loud bang. Feliciano unexpectedly wakes up in a panicked rush. The situation quickly escalates. There is a bloody fight on a stairwell between Feliciano (who is extremly confused and attacks everyone in sight) and basically everyone else. 

Gilbert manages to subdue him, but not before Feliciano has managed to knock out Benigno. As only Romano and Gilbert are left to clean up this mess, they agree to work together and for now ignore the fact that Gilbert tried to break into the house. They would deal with this later. For now, caring for Feliciano and Benigno was their top priority.

And this is where we catch up with the current chapter of the story, where Benigno wakes up and wants to know what the hell Gilbert is doing here in the first place. We will soon find out!

[thejustmaiden]

Jaken = Rin's Dad?

Okay, is this how a daughter treats their so-called father?

Most definitely not.

Rin and Jaken's relationship clearly screams of your typical sibling rivalry punctuated with cute and silly moments of playful bickering.

Yes, Jaken may technically be her main provider, but that doesn't necessarily equate to him being more of a father than Sesshomaru. If anything, he demonstrates more of a brotherly love towards her. As we all know, parents (which Sesshomaru embodies more based on real life patterns and parallels) will leave their older more capable children in charge of looking after their younger brothers and sisters. In this case, that would mean making Jaken responsible for watching over Rin and protecting her if need be. Ah-Un offers protection, too. Think of it as Jaken as the big brother and Ah-Un as the family dog who are babysitting while Sesshomaru as the parent of the household is away at work or taking care of business. I mean, they literally fit that description to a tee and I'm dying at the accuracy of it all! 🤣👌

[Quick! Someone write up a modern au where Sesshomaru finally gets out to have a nice date night but everything goes wrong in the most spectacular way. Like maybe Rin and Jaken catch a ride on Ah-Un to go spy!]

I recently revisited some episodes from The Final Act, and I couldn't believe how many moments like this there were where Rin got after Jaken or when she would "put him in his place" so to speak. Obviously, all of it is mostly harmless. I was only surprised by how often it occurred, not to mention how Jaken would just stand there and take it. Towards a supposed father figure, Rin's behavior is downright unacceptable. There's a certain level of respect a child is expected to show their parents/guardians, and that's just not what I'm witnessing here between them. Like at all.

Rather their dynamic has the nature of some sibling relationships like I mentioned above. So I really wish fans would stop pretending otherwise, because based on what we know of father-daughter relationships- healthy ones at least- they don't appear anything like what Jaken and Rin have. If you could please provide me other examples of where we've seen similar portrayals in fiction or in real life, then perhaps I can get on board.

Look, that doesn't have to mean that because Jaken isn't her father then Sesshomaru must be. They can both be her caretakers without necessarily filling that traditional father role. I'm just saying that if we're going to start assigning titles to characters, let's make sure we are accurate and truthful in our assessments. If you're going to label anyone Rin's dad, then it needs to be Sesshomaru. Jaken doesn't have precedence over him in terms of fatherly attributes, that just wouldn't make sense.

After all, this isn't about what you want to see, this is about what Rin very likely sees. It's safe to assume that she views Sesshomaru more like a father than she does Jaken. She knows she's safe with him (broadly speaking lol) and that he'll come for her no matter what. That sense of security and comfort is what a child seeks and what they should always feel in a parent's presence. She trusts and even idolizes him, just as a young and innocent child tends to do with their parents. At that age, parents are perfect and could do no wrong in their child's eyes. Idk about you, but this describes perfectly how Rin is around Sesshomaru.

Rin adores him and will follow him anywhere- yes, even into danger! That's what the innocence and unconditional love of a child will bring them to do if necessary. Fortunately, at the end of The Final Act we learn Sesshomaru takes Kaede's advice when he realizes that leaving Rin with her in the village is in her best interests. That way she'd be able to lead a more normal and safer life alongside other humans. Remember, Sessrin shippers, that doesn't mean he wasn't still a part of her life and didn't witness her become a young woman over the years right before his very eyes. Therefore, if they eventually do become romantically involved, then most if not all of those gifts had intimate and seductive intentions and it essentially constitutes as child grooming.

I understand from a Sessrin shipper's point of view why it'd be so much easier to claim Jaken as the father. In doing so, they diminish Sesshomaru's role in her upbringing. By refusing to acknowledge the real role he had in helping raise Rin (short periods can be crucial and impressionable too esp. in a child's early years so yes they did assist in raising her not only Kaede), these shippers are better able to justify how their filial-like relationship evolved into a romantic one. So yeah, I get it, if I were a Sessrin shipper I'd probably do the same. It's one of the more plausible arguments available to them, after all. "Let's pin Jaken as the father to fend off antis!" is the best chance they've got, but even so, it's still not good enough. But if you insist Jaken is indeed like a father to Rin, then Sesshomaru is most certainly one too. Who says she can't have two fathers anyway?

The thing is however much you want to deny or downplay what Sesshomaru truly means to Rin and vice versa, nothing will ever change or hide the truth of the matter. Please, stop acting like they're only traveling companions and nothing more. Some of y'all even go so far as to say that they're like strangers. Knowing potentially little about a person is not equal to a lack of love and affection. Making big assumptions such as this to defend your ship is actually doing you more harm than good. Let me elaborate.

According to your reasoning, if that's all Rin ever was to him was a companion and Sesshomaru had no real attachment to her, then what precisely is the basis of your ship? Recall that Adult!Rin doesn't exist yet, thus we have no real idea what she will be like or if she's even alive. So how can you make comments like that but then go on later to say "they have such a unique and unbreakable bond" or "only Rin can be the mother because she's the only human he ever cared for" if all that time spent traveling together didn't amount to much in the first place like you claimed to believe beforehand? Do you see how your rationalizing is confusing?

Contrary to what some of you may think, I'm not just saying all this because I'm an anti and I'm obligated to disagree with you, or whatever other excuse you want to tell yourself. Believe it or not, I'm attempting to give as unbiased and objective of an analysis I can based on widely accepted interpretations of family dynamics, development, and any history we know of.

Of course I respect that at times fans will perceive things differently since that's bound to happen. What's hard for me to wrap my head around however is the unwillingness of some fans- not exclusively Sessrin shippers- to apply basic common sense and sound judgment to their observations and deductions.

Looking at all our facts, then taking the small handful of scenes Sesshomaru and Rin do share together into account, one can logically conclude that their dynamic is akin to one found in a typical parent-child relationship. If you still fail to recognize Sesshomaru as a parent to Rin, then that's fine too. In the end, that won't really change the fact that he'd still take on a role resembling an adult figure overseeing a young child's care and protection. Be it as a vassal, guardian, what have you. Plus, nobody is saying here that Sesshomaru doesn't make mistakes regarding Rin's general well-being, but so do all parents. Overall, I think the majority of us agree that Rin is in good hands. Whether it's in his direct company or in his occasional supervision from his frequent visits to the village.

In other words, it doesn't really matter what exact title you assign him in relation to Rin, as the distribution of power is all inherently the same with any and all adult-child relationships. That bond never changes once you've established it either, seeing as it's a special kind of connection one can only form with a child and a child alone.

I was a teacher for a few years, and speaking from personal experience, you don't need to be a parent, per se, to take on a role of authority in a child's life. I know without a doubt that I could never and will never view any of those kids I taught in a sexual/romantic light later down the road; yes, not even once they become grown-ups who are independent and more than capable of making their own decisions. Those of you who disagree are usually missing the whole point though, because we're not trying to dictate what Adult!Rin can and cannot do like many tend to accuse of us doing. This isn't a question of taking away from her autonomy nor does it fall under "purity culture," which is why people shouldn't continue jumping to these outrageous conclusions and really listen for a change. You're deflecting from the real issue here when you choose to misinterpret what we're saying by ignoring the problem we're actually referring to. You cannot present a valid counter-argument if you persist in twisting our words.

Bottom line: once these kids become old enough to pursue a sexual/romantic relationship, of course they have that right if they're ready. All we're trying to say is you guys ought to stop pushing forward this it's-completely-normal-to-want-to-bang-your-adoptive-dad-since-you're-an-adult-and-can-do-as-you-please agenda and not expect backlash. Ship it if you want, but please stop acting like their romance would be the epitome of a pure and healthy relationship.

Sesshomaru may not wear his heart on his sleeve, but it's foolish to presume he didn't actually care about Rin during their whole time together just because he didn't openly express his feelings until the very end. Surely everybody can comprehend that people handle and process their emotions differently. The way Sesshomaru chooses to is completely valid for the most part, so let's cut him some slack regarding this already.

What I'm trying to get at is that any child whose life you played an influential role in will always be a kid in a lot ways to you even when they're old and wrinkly. Just as they will always picture you as the loved one who guided and protected them when they were most vulnerable and couldn't always fend for themselves. Can't we relate this to children we know personally and apply it accordingly?

Finally, I want to end on this note. Could you kindly take a look at these two images below for a second?

The reason I ask is because of something I recently read that's relevant to the topic. There was this pro-sessrin tweet I saw that stated Rin trying to take care of Sesshomaru when they first met is what a mom would do for a child, which in their opinion, translates to Rin being more like a mother than a daughter if anything.

First off: are you freaking kidding me????

Seriously, so now children aren't allowed to tend to their sick or injured parents?! Parents are apparently superhuman and shouldn't be offered a helping hand from a child, even if they mean well and want to help their parent who's in pain?? Now this Twitter user was mostly being a smartass, but at the same time, it was evident they genuinely thought they offered a valid enough point that warranted no further explanation or clarification.

Secondly, by saying this Sessrin fans don't seem to realize that in actuality they're contradicting themselves and proving the point we've been trying to make all along. Glancing at the first picture and moving down to the second, the role of the one being cared for and the caretaker is reversed. So then by their own logic, Sesshomaru IS in fact like a father to Rin.

What it comes down to is the names you give to the roles these characters play aren't as crucial as the dynamic they share. The specific characteristics of that dynamic are what define the importance of said role, not so much the name in the role itself. So real father or not, Sesshomaru and Rin clearly mean a lot to each other. Close relationships are defined and solidified by the devotion and belonging they have to one another, not solely by the duration of time spent together and their proximity.

Well, that's a wrap! I hope you guys got something outta this blog, and that you enjoyed or found some portions of it interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject from this fandom, but only engage in conversation if you plan to be respectful. Thank you!

[blubberingmess]

[Little guy: Peach] *Bucky's view part 2/2*

Pairing: Bucky/chibi!Bucky x male!reader

3rd and last part of Little guy

Warning: there's a bit of NSFW. And it's short.

Bucky's elbow was propped on the wooden counter, chin resting on his palm as he watched Peach rummaging inside the small basket.

After slightly somewhat recovered from what happened two years ago with the help of his chibi, bits from the past are slowly catching up to him; Steve, Brooklyn, the war, and also his longing for a chibi. He remembered how he waited for years, daydreaming and wishing for the day to come where a chibi of his own would appear out of thin air.

He also remembered what he said to Steve that night on the rooftop, a blurry but yet startlingly audible memory.

"Yeah she will," Bucky puts on a boyish grin as he spoke. "And when she does, she'd the most prettiest chibi in the whole world."

Bucky glanced up at Peach, a soft smile on his face. 'And that he is'

Since he never seen a chibi with the same gender as their guardian, he's expecting his chibi to be a female-- his soulmate to be a female. Because that's how it works, well, that's what they made them believe how it works. It's always a male human and female chibi or vice versa, that your soulmate is going be the opposite gender as you.

"Females are for males only, same goes for the males; for females only. Never with the same. Never will be." They stated so the people believed - he believed.

He still have yet to remember (find out) what's his sexuality was back in the past and his current one, but one thing he knows for sure is that he'll love you with all his heart no matter who you are and what you look like.

He just hopes you'll feel the same once you saw him in real life; how much of a monster he really is, a person far more different than the small, harmless being on your side at this moment.

-

Peaches glanced over his shoulder before standing back up and hopped out of the basket, dragging his small feet towards him with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong peach?" The chibi lifts his arm up to show him an empty plastic bag.

Bucky frowns in confusion. "I just bought them two days ago," he said, referring to the peaches and plums he bought from the market a few blocks away, but the look in his chibi's eyes just can't make him say the word 'no'.

He give in with a defeated sigh and stands up, gathering his things on the counter as Peach jumps in happiness. A knife and a gun, he tucks them both beneath his thick jacket behind him while let Peach crawls up to his metal arms and sits himself down on his shoulder.

Unbeknownst to him that the fruits are actually inside the basket that Peach was in a few moments ago, hiding them from Bucky's view who was too caught up in his head that time to notice.

--

"Stop it, Peach," Bucky growl, wincing one more time as his chibi once again gave a few strands of his hair a firm tug. The former winter soldier exhaled loudly, forcing himself to stay calm and not-- tugs.

"Okay that's enough!" He ignores the looks from the people around him, grabbing the chibi from his shpulder with a gentle yet firm flesh hand and lifts him up by the back of his shirt so he's now eye to eye with Bucky.

Peach whimpers before he started to squirm and struggle, jumping down on the pavement with such ease.

"Peach?--"

"Bubba! Where are-- you." A masculine voice exclaimed coming towards his direction, breathing out the last word. Looking up he felt his whole body freezes up, mouth agape and eyes almost bulging out from its sockets.

He wants to rub his eyes, pinch his skin, bite his tongue just to see if this is all just a dream. Bucky noticed you taking a small step forward and on instinct, his left hand grabs the gun that was tucked behind his back but not pulling it out.

He glared at you and growled as a warning. It's not he doesn't want to just step up and pull the man in front of him into a tight hug, he do, he really fucking do.

But he also don't want you to be in danger because of him--

"I thought soulmates were supposed to be soft and loving? I didn't know they would also want to stab you in the freaking face!"

Your voice and language made most of the people around to turn their head and look at the both of you with confusion, even the two burly man in suits and sunglasses.

--Too late.

You watched him dropped his hand on his side and cursed under his breath in Russian before pulling you to his side. You were about too protest when you suddenly heard him talk, sending a wave of shiver down your spine at his voice.

"Come with me if you want to live," he whispered, giving your shoulder a squeeze. "And act natural. Peach."

The said chibi looks up to his guardian, nodding his head before pulling Bubba with him. Bucky crouched down to gently lift up the two chibis and placed them on his broad shoulder, before once again, pulling you to his side and began walking away from the bustling market.

"Fuck," Bucky breathes as he lays back down on his back, breathing heavily.

"You could say that again."

"Fuck."

You chuckled, wincing a bit as you snuggle closer to Bucky who immediately noticed you discomfort. "You okay, baby? I didn't hurt you did I?"

You shake your head. "No, no. I'm fine, just a bit sore. It's been two weeks since I last jump your bones-- fucking mission-- so my ass isn't that... prepared."

Bucky felt himself flushed at how nonchalant you sounded, covering his eyes with his flesh arm. "Do you really have to say it like that?"

You snort, rolling your eyes at him. "Seriously, Buck? We've known each other for like seven? Eight? years now; married for two and you're still embarrass of me talking about my ass."

Bucky peeked from his arm and watched your playful smirk turns darker-- sexier, a look that never failed to make him feel all tingly and warm.

Then you add, "I mean, you're not even an inch embarrass a few moments ago; talking dirty shits abo--"

"(Y/n)!" Bucky laughed, pulling his arm away from his face. You grinned at the lovely sound, resting your chin on his chest.

"I love you."

Bucky's laughter ceased to a stop, blue eyes finding yours. His wide smile turns into a soft one, eyes filled with love as it stares back at yours and whispers just as tenderly, "I love you too."

Eight years of hearing those three words left your mouth almost everyday, he still can't get enough of it, like the way he can't get enough of you.

---

"I still can't believe you actually followed me that day."

"More like dragged! You fucking threatened me. Also, how could I not after finding out you're my soulmate? I'll follow you wherever, baby."

"I did not threatened you! I was telling the truth."

"Ben and Walter aren't bad guys."

"How the hell would I supposed know that? For all I know they could be Hydra or something."

"Are we seriously arguing about this again?"

"Yes."

"...You look hot when you're angry."

"..."

"Round four?"

"Hell yes."

I thought I already posted this 😭 I apologize for the long wait.

@fafulous @putinovertime @daybreakmistakes

[jjongleurs]

That scene in 10x9—when Sam, Dean, and Cas are at the bar talking about their dads because Cas is trying to do right by Clair but is having a hard time doing so—is just... I don’t know. The fact that they’re just hanging out, talking, reminiscing, opening up. It’s sweet, and I wish we had more moments like that. 

While I love the fact that they’re just talking, the fact that Sam and Dean are talking about John freaking Winchester positively when it comes to his parenting? NO. I could rant about how the writers just... heavily missed the mark with this scene, but I’m just gonna roll with it and try to fit it into the good version of Supernatural that only exists in my head. 

This scene just shows me just how badly John treated them, honestly. They just don’t realize what a good parent is. Dean says he loved his dad more than anything, but that love really is just attachment and dependency. There was never any sense of stability in their lives other than it was just the three of them in the impala. No home, no friends, no other figures or role models (other than Bobby, who was more of a father than John ever was, but that’s a different post to be written). Dean says he loved his dad, but he feared him, emulated him, and idolized him because of the circumstances of his life.

He thinks back fondly on the time John managed to find him at CBGBs, but what he fails to realize is that John was the one to put him in that position anyway. Dean sought out that experience out of rebellion. John said what he could and couldn’t do from the time he was 4 years old onwards. From assigning him weapons training at Bobby’s (which Bobby thankfully said fuck that and just played ball with him, giving him a rare opportunity to just be a kid), to assigning him the duty of being Sam’s caretaker and guardian. Dean always had instructions, a role, a duty. He never got to be his own person. He was exactly who his dad wanted him to be. And he ultimately just wanted to please his dad. He took up the same vices, same interests, same demeanor, same wardrobe, etc. He rebelled in the only way he could, and John still found him. 

Then dean talks about people at CBGBs fearing John and laughs about the really intimidating guy with piercings and tattoos saying, “Sorry, sir.” to John. If a grown ass man responded with fear to John, how the hell did Dean feel? He was still a child when this happened, and he’s remembering it now as an adult. He’s remembering it with a nostalgia, a distance, probably some distortion from time. I can guarantee Dean was scared out of his mind, drunk as he was, especially to be as drunk as he was and still remember it all. 

Then Cas says, “He saved you.” And yes, Dean was in a very dangerous situation, and yes, John did technically save him. Who knows what could have happened to Dean that night. But Cas is an angel, and he doesn’t know what it’s like to be a father (yet) or what it’s like to be a child. John did save Dean, but he put him in that situation. John didn’t give Sam or Dean a normal life or any normal ways to rebel or to even just have fun. Had John just... done right by his sons and continued giving them the typical, boring life most people have (NOT the one that involves hunting dangerous things and putting his own life and that of his sons on the line every single day), Dean rebelling would have looked like.. sneaking out of his window to see a boy or a girl he liked or drinking his vodka with friends and replacing it with water or taking the Impala for a random joyride or dying his hair, getting a piercing, getting a stick and poke or just any other typical teenage act of rebellion. The more healthy kind of rebellion. 

John told him, in response to Dean saying he hated him, “It’s not my job to be liked. It’s my job to raise you right.” Well, John failed at both spectacularly. He raised traumatized, repressed, dysfunctional, depressed, anxious, self-loathing, co-dependent sons with no sense of their emotions or healthy coping mechanisms that find no value in their life other than hunting and looking out for each other. And Dean knows this. He doesn’t believe a word he or Sam are saying. Maybe Sam believes it, because Dean shielded him his whole life and was a far better father than John ever could be, but Dean only pretends he does. You can see it written all over his face, the distant look in his eyes, the way he sips at the glass of whiskey distractedly. John was never a father to them and he never made the effort. He never made them feel loved or supported. He never taught them to just... be people. 

John didn’t raise his sons, he trained hunters, soldiers. There was no love there, only duty and dependency on family. Their love was inherently dysfunctional because of John’s selfish need for revenge. Instead of loving his sons twice as much and committing to give them a good life after their mom died, he went on a lifelong revenge trip to kill the demon responsible. He was an awful, selfish, abusive father and Sam and Dean are his victims. Maybe John wasn’t an absent father in the same way God/Chuck was to Castiel—physically absent, but he was emotionally absent. He never behaved like a father, and Sam and Dean don’t hardly know any better.

[yourwannabekpopidol]

Project 15

Apprenticeship Program Name: Radio Campbuzz Project Name: RJ for Rangdhonu and script writer for shows Program Date: Fall 2017 – Fall 2018 Program Description: I joined this program when Kashfia Ma’am was the advisor for the program. She assigned me to a RJ position for a weekly show called, “Rangdhonu”. And I had to write the script for the show as well. What I had to do was be a host for the show and the show is about pop culture and entertainment. So we had to talk about any new update on Hollywood and Bollywood. Program Justification: What the show provided was to let the students know about any pop culture and to let them enjoy some entertainment before going back to class. There were other shows but this show made me realize how fun it is to be a RJ. Due to this show, I was even awarded the best RJ in Radio Campbuzz of Spring 2018. Program Name: Rangdhonu. Program Time: Every Wednesday from 12 pm to 1 pm.

Picture 1: This is me before the show of Rangdhonu at the station.

Picture 2: This is the poster that declared that Nabeela apu and I were the host of the show, Rangdhonu, on social media.

Picture 3: This was the award and the certificate of me winning the best RJ.

Script for the 5th Rangdhonu show: Written by: Wangkhem Thonglen

Link 1

Sonam Kapoor ties the knot! Celebrity marriages are always the talk of the town, especially when it is the much-awaited wedding of one of Bollywood's most beloved stars, Sonam Kapoor. In an event of grand celebrations, Sonam Kapoor has finally tied the knot last Tuesday, May 8, with her long-time boyfriend Anand Ahuja. For those who don't know, Anand Ahuja is a businessman who has founded his own fashion brand named Bhane. His Delhi-based business has made him quite successful despite his young age, and fans know him well for always being addressed fondly in Sonam's online posts. The couple is active on social media, and has never failed to win hearts through their messages of adoration and love. Radio Cambuzz wishes the couple a happy conjugal life!

SaRa May 12 marked the grand opening of SaRa's first showroom in Mirpur. The fashion house made a huge statement with endorsements from stars like Sara Zaker, Oyshee, Shahtaj, Pritom, Xefer, Azim, Doyel and many others. They were present during the opening, along with the owner S.M Khaled.

RABINDRA FESTIVALS AROUND THE COUNTRY The celebration of 157th birth anniversary of Tagore in Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka. Artistes performed in a programme by Jayita Rabindra Sangeet Shomillon Porishod in Mymensingh. Artistes did a cultural show in Rabindra Mela, Channel i premises, Dhaka. Artistes from Bangladesh and India performed in Rabindra Festival in Shelaidah Kuthibari, Kushtia. Also Sirajganj.

30 years of BAMBA - More than just bands After a break of almost four years, Bangladesh Musical Bands Association, better known as BAMBA, recently arranged a mega concert, 'BAMBA Live Chapter 1', in Dhaka. The turnout was huge, with the spacious hall room of the International Convention Centre, Bashundhara, filled to the brim with fans eager to get a glimpse of their favorite bands and listen to their all-time hits. 11 of the 27 bands under the umbrella of BAMBA, including Warfaze, Miles, Shunno, Aurthohin, Nemesis, Vikings, Feedback, Dalchhut, Maq O' Dhaka, Pentagon and Arbovirus performed at the concert. Star Showbiz recently invited BAMBA to participate at a roundtable discussion at The Daily Star Centre. Hamin Ahmed, President of BAMBA; Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu, General Secretary; Fuad Naser Babu, Vice President; Maqsoodul Haque (Mac), Executive Committee Member; Mohammad Ali Shumon, Treasurer; and Doza Alan, CEO, SkyTracker Limited, took part in the roundtable discussion. It was facilitated by Star Showbiz Editor Rafi Hossain. The discussion focused on BAMBA's current activities and the way forward in the face of the challenges confronting our music industry.

Link 2

Zoe Saldana on the Hollywood Walk of Fame After smashing success as the alien warrior Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and more recently, Avengers: Infinity War, Zoe Saldana is on a path to eternal stardom, literally. She joins the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and her co-actor Chris Pratt, by receiving her very own star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Zoe Saldana took to Instagram to express her gratitude, saying she is blessed and honored to be a part of the history of Hollywood. “May this open more doors for Latinx and all other under-represented community!” she further stated. Zoe Saldana has also appeared in James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar and the recent Star Trek trilogy. Being a constant presence in blockbuster sci-fi and fantasy films, Zoe Saldana is expected to become a top name in this specific genre quite soon. 2018 71st Cannes Film Festival From Tuesday May 8th til Saturday May 19th. Australian actress Cate Blanchett has been named as the President of the Jury. Asghar Farhadi's psychological thriller Everybody Knows, starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Ricardo Darín, opened the festival and competes in the Main Competition section The Han Solo spinoff Solo: A Star Wars Story touched down Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival, bringing its cast and a full-sized Chewbacca to the French Riviera extravaganza. Director Ron Howard, wearing a hat that read “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” introduced his cast before the film’s international premiere at Cannes. Sonam Kapoor wows at the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival 2018. Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan once again stole the show as she walked the prestigious red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, this time in a stunning ultra-violet, blue and red gown that reflected the metamorphosis of a butterfly. History was made at this year's 71st  Cannes Film Festival on Saturday as 82 women, representing the limited number of women filmmakers selected over its more than seven-decade history, made a symbolic walk up the red carpet. The stars, filmmakers and other professionals ascended the steps of the Palais des Festivals at the Cannes Film Festival, protesting for the solidarity of the women in the industry who are struggling for a voice, equal pay, as well as a safer work place. The five female members of this year's Cannes jury-- Cate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Ava DuVernay, Lea Seydoux and Burundian singer Khadja Nin, along with Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek and Marion Cotillard were among the group of women.

Link 3 Mim Mantasha Superstar in the making Winning the country's biggest pageant is not an ordinary feat. Mim Mantasha has won not just a crown, but also the hearts of millions. Awaiting a new journey, the Lux Channel i Superstar 2018 winner shares her story with The Daily Star. A final year student of Fine Arts at Jahangirnagar University, Mim has always been a creative and curious soul. She was an avid follower of the contest for a long time. This year, she finally took the decision to compete. Taking part in the competition was certainly not a cakewalk. “We went through vigorous training sessions. We did yoga in the mornings,” explains Mim.  Before the task rounds, the contestants went through fifteen days of training for ramp walk, acting, dancing, and many other skills. The photo shoots, acting, and improvisation rounds were Mim's favourite tasks in the competition. “I was nervous but in a scene, I got to convince people through my acting that my child was lost. I enjoyed it,” Mim smiles, adding that the competition was an overall memorable experience. Although she is highly enthusiastic about working in the media, she wants to take more preparations before doing so. She is now Lux Bangladesh's brand ambassador and has also won the opportunity to work on television and feature film projects of Impress Telefilm. Before hitting the silver screen, Mim wants to explore the world of television. Being a painter at heart, Mim also wants to continue painting and have her own exhibition in the future. Further to this, she intends to work for children who need special care. “I am in a fortunate position and it is our duty to take care of those in need.” says Mim. With great intentions, we hope Mim Mantasha excels at every step of her future endevours.

Link 4

Avengers Infinity War Review The plot itself is pretty simple. There are six stones that possess mystic powers and he/she who possesses all the stones is by default the most powerful being in the universe. Our Marvel superheroes must forget their own conflicts and join forces against Thanos to restore the fate of the universe and its inhabitants. Of course, watch the movie to know how things pan out. Avengers: Infinity War is the movie of movies, and let me tell you why. Most, if not all, the characters of the MCU are present in this film and bring their own flavour into the mix. Thor is mourning the loss of his home and hammer, Stark feels he needs to take a break from saving the world, Captain America is still out to bring justice the right way, and Hulk has no control over himself. I don't know what formula the Russo brothers have applied in their direction but I watched in awe how all the characters blended to deliver multiple storylines within a movie. Yes, I have also compared this movie to a mega three-hour episode of your daily soap opera. Avengers: Infinity War is the comprehensive Marvel movie; it is the beginning of an end. It lifts you, it hits you, and leaves you with a cliffhanger extraordinaire. See it to believe it and it'll still be unbelievable. By next weekend, Infinity War will top $1.78 billion and could sit around $1.8 billion, ensuring Marvel's year-to-date tally exceeds $3.1 billion by next Sunday.

Deadpool 2 Marketing Right off the bat, you see how Deadpool has scratched out the 20th Century Fox logo and put “TBD,” which is a sly allusion to the ongoing Disney/Fox (and Comcast?) merger drama. The content of the letter is exactly what you might expect from the Merc with a Mouth. Pop culture references, silly puns, bad language, and Ryan Reynolds bashing. Then, at the bottom, instead of the #ThanosDemandsYourSilence, we get #WadeWilsonDemandsYourSisterSorryStupidAutoCorrectSilence. See, you guys, it’s funny! And not at all trying too hard. Kidding aside, the marketing for “Deadpool 2” has been pretty top notch, but perhaps not as great as the first film. Recently, the film premiered a music video for the soundtrack featuring Celine Dion singing an over-the-top ballad while a high-heel-wearing Deadpool does an interpretive dance around the diva. It’s ridiculous and fun. And also, the most recent trailer seems to have struck a chord with fans, who are coming down off their ‘Infinity War’ high.

Link 5

Top 10 Hollywood Box Office Weekend 1. Avengers: Infinity War - $62,078,047 (Total Grossing – $548,090,150) 2. Life of the Party - $17,886,075 (New) 3. Breaking In - $17,630,285 (New) 4. Overboard - $9,864,415 5. A Quiet Place - $6,455,396 (Total Grossing - $169,608,030) 6. I Feel Pretty - $3,805,437 7. Rampage - $3,462,442 (Total Grossing - $89,827,105) 8. Tully - $2,248,945 9. Black Panther -  $2,077,207 (Total Grossing - $696,331,818) 10. RBG - $1,188,186

Billboard’s top 10 Hits 1. This Is America – Childish Gambino (New) 2. Nice For What – Drake (Last Week: 1) 3. God’s Plan – Drake 4. Psycho – Post Malone Featuring Ty Dolla $ign (Last Week: 2) 5. Meant To Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line 6. The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey 7. Look Alive – BlocBoy JB Featuring Drake 8. Never Be The Same – Camila Cabello 9. Perfect – Ed Sheeran (Last Week: 12) 10. No Tears Left To Cry – Ariana Grande Learning and reflections: This program made me realize the inner potential I had to be so extrovert and be a good host. I learned what to do or say after getting stuck during a live session. I have improved my speaking skills and the flow of a RJ host on how to talk and say because they have a different tone when it comes to a live session. I have taken all these skills from this program and I even got selected and did a short commercial video for Spice FM Radio. I also learned how to write a script for a radio show.

[brazenautomaton]

Fixing Afterlives: Bastion, Pt. 1

As it is, Bastion doesn’t work. The Forsworn don’t just have a point, they are obviously, objectively correct. Kyrian discard all their memories and attachments in a way that is horrifying, in order to perform a job that a robot could do, in order to aspire to be something lame and boring. There is nothing cool about what they do and nothing good either; every single time they tell you about what they do it’s supposed to make you sad, not proud. A little of that is fine, it’s Death. But come on. The anima diverter daily for Bastion is a test where you judge if souls should pass on or not, and on WoWHead, the adequate summary of the right answers is “If one of the answers seems more evil or horrible, that’s the one you pick.”

In fact, Bastion can’t work as it is right now, because of Maldraxxus. The Maldraxxi are the defenders of the Shadowlands, right? So all the courage and martial prowess and avenging angel-ness Bastion wants to have cannot be what they are About, the presentation wants them to be glorious and valorous warriors but they don’t have to fight anyone. And the presentation wants them to be wise and impartial but their job requires no discretion, they’re ghost UPS. They can’t be About anything cool, and to be wise and impartial, they can’t be DOING anything at all!

So here’s the fix to their concept: Maldraxxus is the afterlife of warriors, the endless skeleton war, the unending conflict where there are always an infinite supply of fighters willing to leap to the defense of the Shadowlands. Maldraxxus is the Shadowlands’ defensive team. Bastion is the offense.

Bastion does not engage in army-against-army conflict, they have individual heroes. And they are out there in the mortal world, invisibly, serving as guardian angels, inspiring as muses, fighting invisible forces, tipping the scales of Fate to have the right outcomes. Fighting extra-dimensional beasts who prey on the mortal realm to invisibly protect them, fighting down incarnate ideas of malice and ruin, but also influencing things directly or by subconscious example. Every Spirit Healer is from Bastion and they are the ones who decided “your time is not yet up”. When we get really lucky to allow ourselves to triumph over the Legion or the Scourge, it’s because Bastion was ensuring it happened, fighting for us. Bastion is supposed to be affecting things out there, making things turn out Right, instead of being powerless observers. They are the muses of artists and the muses of battle. They inspire. They lead, invisibly.

That’s why they need to be wise and free of bias -- you cannot favor one side of mortals over the other. Mortal beings need to beat the Scourge, but the Horde does not need to triumph over the Alliance and vice versa. Your job is not to punish mortals for being bad, you damn well need to be boosting both sides when there are champions and the valorous in both. You cannot go out there and say “these Orcs up here in Redridge are all evil and shit and the Alliance deserves the win so I’m just gonna go all in on defending them,” that’s not how it works, you reward individual valorous efforts on both sides. How Fate Should Go does not include taking sides in purely mortal conflicts.

So obviously you cannot be biased. You are something Beyond the mortal realm which means you can’t take sides. You actually do have to discard these attachments, and while we’re here, we need to actually make that process empowering. Right now all it does is show you “hey, happy memories, well, fuck you, gotta get rid of them.” Make more than zero effort to make this make sense. Show the aspirant in pain and yearning because of those memories and the fact they can’t come back. Don’t make them forget who they were, make them become at peace and move on.

Now obviously that won’t be convincing to everyone. And that’s fine. It just means there’s some ambiguity instead of the Forsworn being obviously right about everything.

There are four races/types in Bastion: Kyrian, Forsworn Kyrian, Stewards, and Constructs. Only two are represented in Soulbinds: you have two Kyrian and a Steward. 

Kyrian are the expression of what Bastion IS, so we already covered their changes.

Constructs are anima robots. Why are there anima robots here? It’s really bad in the current version because the Kyrian job can be done by a robot so why not just make them do it? Instead, we take that idea and we make it About something: these machines aren’t Constructs, they are Principles. A Principle is a robot made of rules and ideals, the things that are thought by mortals but bigger than any mortal. Codes of honor and ideas that work beyond any of us as individuals. There, that’s it, that change of presentation is all you need to do to justify why robots are there. The changes to Bastion’s fundamentals are what makes them fit in.

Stewards are creepy. Really creepy. They serve the same role as dredgers, but the fact that dredgers bitch and moan and complain all the time lets us see them as individuals with goals and not creepy brainwashed victims. A dredger isn’t a slave, they are a worker; but work sucks and they wanna be at the pub. A steward, with one exception (Forgelite Prime Mikanikos who is busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest and also by far the best Bastion character) appears to have no personality and is a brainwashed slave. 

So, first off, make it clearer that they are helpful because they are The Desire To Aid, that’s the thing they’re About. With the way they speak and act, I think what they are supposed to be in story terms is lightly comic relief, also similar in role to Dredgers but with opposite implementation. The creepiness and one-dimensionality make this fail, all their hoots and hoos and silly talk isn’t funny. They need to be cheesier. They need to be 90’s Saturday morning cartoon sidekicks. They need to be a (much) less obnoxious version of Snarf.

They need to tell awful, awful dad jokes. Just the worst. The kind that are so bad they loop back around to funny again but you’re still groaning and they’re just there like “Eh? Eh? Geddit? Geddit?” By doing something that is helpful, that we recognize as an attempt to help and that some Steward characters can explicate to us really does help (it dampens anger and fear because all of your negative emotions are refocused to that HORRIBLE pun), but that clearly NOBODY would brainwash them into doing, now we can trust their helpful efforts are borne of sincere desire and carried out to the best of their ability by their own personal interpretation.

Forsworn Kyrian, right now, are only antagonists. The ideological change of giving up on the law of Bastion makes you turn a darker indigo color scheme (which is actually really good because these are creatures of Beyond, creatures who are on a fundamental physical level About something, their beliefs changing their physical makeup makes sense!) and then become a bad guy. Forsworn are all only antagonists. We’re going to change that. Kleia is going to become Forsworn. And still be a heroic character and your Soulbind, even though this isn’t a game balance thing and so Pelagos will still probably outclass her in every way seriously that Mastery buff is fucking bananas for anyone who cares about Mastery.

Not when you meet her, though. The existing storyline of Bastion is you go there because “hey what the fuck are these Kyrian doing in the Maw serving the Jailer” but in Bastion itself nothing much is happening other than kicking pebbles down the street. You get the intro from Kleia, you go see some very low-importance things, then the Forsworn attack for the first time, and you spend the rest of the zone quest on hold with the Archon’s hotline to tell her “hey there are Forsworn this is a problem”.

Now, when you get there to ask “hey what the fuck”, Kleia is still not doing much more than kicking pebbles down the street, bored off her ass, extremely enthusiastic about someone new so she can DO something. But the Forsworn conflict already exists: it’s just not relevant to her because she stays out of it, figures that it’s above her pay grade, and she hangs out at the Welcome Center which nobody gives a shit about because there’s nobody to get welcomed so it isn’t relevant. She just knows there’s been some discussions. 

We get the anima drought reinforced the first time we enter Bastion because we have to power down the other cores to get enough juice for the greeting machine, but then it isn’t really a good way to sell it because that’s the kind of thing we do all the time even when there’s no shortages of anything, that’s how WoW PCs interact with machines. So we have the player scrounge up anima from the other Principles to power up the greeting machine, and it’s not enough, it runs out of juice halfway through, and Kleia gets embarrassed and tries to finish the rest of the process by reciting it from memory (and not getting it all quite right, which is another chance to show us things about her).

Kleia is excited to have someone to run through the orientation process, and she explains that FIRST there was an anima drought, and then as if that wasn’t bad enough, THEN the Arbiter got conked out and the flow of souls to Bastion stopped. This is important, because in the story as is, the anima drought appears to be completely explained by the flow of souls all going to the Maw, since they are presented at the same time and the flow of souls is the flow of anima. When you find out the drought is because of ol’ Denny hoarding it, you go “wait how does he have any to hoard when it all goes to the Maw?”

So for right now you need to walk the Aspirant’s path to get an audience with the Archon because right now things don’t seem desperate and urgent. You go to Aspirant’s Rest and get the flight point, and you go to meet Kleia’s soulbind, Pelagos. Two things need to change right here.

One: something more needs to be happening here than “Pelagos was a dipshit and tried ascending alone despite that being not how it works at all, go in there and fight the monsters,” so do something instead of almost-nothing.

Two: Loath as I am to say something actually needs less representation compared to its original, Pelagos can’t be transgender. You find out later on, in the Kyrian covenant quest line maybe? That Pelagos’s mortal body was a woman, but his true spirit is a man. That’s great, that’s something that should come up. The problem is, Pelagos is also the fuck-up, the one we see fail all the time so he can (ostensibly) show resolve and get back up again. But Blizz didn’t show barely any details about Pelagos’s life for fear of backlash -- we don’t even know who played him -- and whether or not it is valid or invalid or that was a cover to avoid admitting this was to not offend China, Blizzard still won’t DO it. So we have this character who is battling this doubt and failure in his past but we’re not allowed to know what they are. Pelagos is cisgender so we can go into detail about what he fucked up. Kleia might be trans instead (why she is so gung-ho about Ascension), or we can have Kleia sell the Ascension process as good by mentioning that the Paragon of Wisdom, Thenios, was born a woman in life but Ascension made him into a true ideal. This can also justify a bit more screen time for Thenios and then something for Tim Russ to do. He was already Tuvok, he doesn’t need more humiliation. But whoever it is, their gender only comes up once and never again because now they’re the right way around and the former body doesn’t matter.

So what’s happening at Aspirant’s Rest? It’s a holding pen for souls. See, as it is now, you find out about the flow of souls into the Maw right away, but then all the way through the main quest and into the Kyrian campaign quest they apparently don’t know, and you don’t tell them, and then it’s a surprise when you finish the quest where you follow the guy in Redridge and have to take him to the Maw, and that’s dumb, they should know, you should have told them.

So now the Kyrian know that everyone is default-judged to the Maw. And they know this is what has to happen, this is the machinery of fate that drives the universe, but they are compassionate and know these souls do not deserve it. So they’re scamming as much as they can. Whenever possible (which they lament is not often enough, not nearly often enough), they find some loophole or corner case to count someone as not ready to be judged, and stick them somewhere in Bastion so they can wait until the Arbiter’s awake again to judge them. They can’t do much, but they can do a little, so they do that.

This guy, okay, you died, BUT, there’s a necromancer just two zones over, and your body is still intact since I dragged it to safety, and, I mean, he’s PROBABLY going to call back your soul and bind it to your body in service, so there’s no point in having you judged, you’re just coming back, right? And you, Night Elf! Okay, you got your head blown off, but, remember that angelic voice shouting “NIGHTELVESEVOLVEDFROMTROLLS!” a moment before your demise? And you know, Trolls who worship Bwonsamdi go straight to De Otha Side without being judged. Maybe you would have wanted to pledge yourself to older gods, but you never got the chance to make that decision, so, hey, you know, it would only be right to let you make that choice before you are given your judgment! And you, guy, did you know that all those patrons from the Slaughtered Lamb across the street who came into your business were warlocks? Yup, all of them, and they didn’t wash their hands either. Fel contamination. Can’t, ooh, you know, hey, might be a demonic stain on your soul, demons don’t have an afterlife like us, gotta be reborn in the Twisting Nether! Going to have to consult some demons to figure out where you go. Better wait here.

Aspirant’s Rest and the temple beneath are a soul refugee camp, and the souls within are scared and angry and don’t know what is going on and the Kyrian can’t explain it or they will all completely flip out. The Kyrian are trying as hard as they can in the limitations they have and this sells it. 

Pelagos is down there. The risk is not that he will be killed -- he is not mortal, he does not die -- the risk is that his well-meaning attempts to keep things calm might ignite the powder keg down there. And those souls can’t die but they WILL go directly to the Maw if fatally injured, which is why they have to be kept penned where Larion won’t eat them and Principles won’t drag them off. Pelagos fucks up here and you have to fix it but it’s not a suicidally stupid error while doing something that has no relevance to the player, it’s an understandable mistake biting off more than he can chew while doing something the player understands. Player, Kleia, and Pelagos go down to Aspirant’s Crucible to get certified as an Aspirant and get in line to talk to the Archon. 

In the existing story, you go and peer into a memory flame thing and have echoes of your heroic battles drawn forth, and you fight them while a character narrates your heroic deeds. They might be based on what expansions you played in, or might be random? Anyway, in this case, you gaze into the flame of memory, she starts to narrate your heroism, and… nothing. “Ah, there are supposed to be visions conjured here, so you can display your valor against them once again. It… it doesn’t… hang on, I might know what the problem is…”

A voice comes. “Then how about you display your valor against me, champion? A little sparring wouldn’t hurt, and I’m eager to see what you can do.”

It’s Uther, hell yes it’s Uther.

[heartless-error]

Broken, not perfect, but together. - Chapter 12

Fandom: DC comics, Batman

Pairings: Jonathan Kent x Damian Wayne (JonDami) & Jason Todd x Timothy Drake (JayTim)

Rating/Tags: Family feels, hurt/comfort, mental health issues, running away, childhood crushes, brotherly love

Other(s) links: AO3

Broken.

The Batfamily was broken.

It was six years ago, and they had barely stood together since then, trying to stand up despite guilt and regret.

Damian  was sure there was nothing to save, not after losing something that he didn’t know he cared about. But when a new opportunity to get back what they had lost appeared, he cannot help to doubt as his past decisions haunt him again.

If you love somebody, set them free. But you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Chapter Summary: Gotham people were rough and rude, but also kind and patient. Just like the city, they were shaped by darkness and courage. They protected what they loved and who they loved with ferocity and strength, without restraints. Damian wasn’t purely from Gotham, but was protected in its way, and Jason Todd not only made him see that, but made sure Jon would love his little brother the same way. The Gotham way.

Chapter 12

 Seven years ago

 Gotham had a certain… charm.

 A unique and special one that characterized it and it was quite difficult to discern, much more openly recognize it. However, once you looked beyond the high crime and corruption rates, the alarming number of villains or rogues in disguises that continually threaten people's lives, and that unstable climate that sometimes gave rise to clouds and fog that gave the city a gloomy and macabre appearance, you could realize the hidden beauty that the site harbored.

It wasn’t found in dirty alleyways that smelled bad and were home to stray cats or rats, nor in parks conveniently unguarded by nights, or in the ports where the toxic waste was dumped, not even in the gargoyles located on the heights that seemed to act as unbreakable guardians of the city.

 No. It was in the people.

 Gotham’s people were tough, sullen, and tenacious, just like the city itself. They had been born into it, and the place had forcefully taught them to be resistant and obstinate to live under its darkness and harshness. The insight and perseverance they possessed was proof of their determination and effort, one that could only be obtained when you lived and loved a place like this.

Still, despite such rudeness on their part, the vast majority possessed within themselves a kindness and a kind heart that not only survived in the darkness of the city but adapted to it with everything it could. Many sought to do good in their own way regardless of what it involved, see vigilantes or others in the simplest and most imperceptible way, some kept smiling despite everything, and all of them stayed on their feet despite the fact that the place was cruel to its own people. It was difficult to explain, sometimes even to see, but it was as if the city itself was aware of its own danger and forced its citizens to adapt to it for their own good. In this way, the love-hate that characterized the place was beautiful in its own way, although somewhat twisted.

 Gotham could be dark and cruel, but also kind and patient. The insane madness of some contrasted with the strong will of others, and much as everything fell apart, they always did their best to get up and move on. Dark, yes, but also strong, determined, and unwavering.

 After living in Metropolis for a few years, Jonathan was very used to hearing not very pleasant things from the rival city. However, Superboy had patrolled among it enough not only to appreciate the strength it possessed, but to realize that antipathy that the people of Metropolis criticized, was nothing more than a stealth and kindness covered of prudence and a very usual aversion on the part of the gothamites. Maybe if he thought about it, there might have been real antipathy of many after the Gotham Knights lost to the Metropolis Meteors in the final game, but that was far from the principal issue.

 Now, despite Jon still having a hard time making out the difference between that inherent caution they had acquired after living on the same streets as the Joker or plain antipathy, he was quietly observing the city while he waited for his patrol partner to arrive.

 The lights that lit up Gotham that night was pretty decent, it didn't look as dark as usual and the humid and worrying smell of the place was not so intense this time. Jonathan was on the lookout for any alarming or troubling sounds reaching his ears as he swung his legs in the void, sitting on the edge of one of the rooftops that had become a meeting point when patrolling with Robin.

He might as well have gone straight to find him at the cave, or at the manor, but Damian had been involved in another case and asked him to wait for him.

 So there he was, sitting there, waiting, trying not to break Batman rules too much by being there unsupervised, and still pondering on that admirable need so fierce and innate that the pure gothamites felt to protect their city, when they heard him arrive.

 Damian was not purely from Gotham; it was a fact. Jon had realized that his attitude and personality were quite similar to the city itself, since his friend was tough, direct, but kind too, cautious in his progress, but patient in his own way. However, he had not been born there, had been raised in a more hostile and crueler environment, and no matter how long he had been living there and learning from his family. Although his effort, will, and affinity had brought him closer to being a gothamite, he was not completely one. That was not bad, far from it, Jon didn’t consider himself from Metropolis entirely, would be too much. But if he had to put some perfect example on who belonged to Gotham to the core and it showed, it was definitely Jason Todd, Red Hood.

 Who had gone straight to the roof he was on and, after landing behind him, was approaching him at a safe pace, without hesitation.

 Jon liked Damian. How could he not? He was cool, amazing in many ways, he was even proud to call him friend. Really, he liked him, he even dared to say that he loved him, in that special, sincere, and vehement way that only a best friend could do… Supposedly.

The thing is, sometimes his family, the bats, were too indecipherable even for him.

 Red Hood was a complicated case, sure not just for himself. And not precisely because the elder would have done something to him or behaved badly with him, well, quite the contrary. He liked him, maybe too much, or more than he seemed allowed.

 Red Hood and the Outlaws always seemed to be a separate case for many in the hero community, mostly because of the uncomfortable tensions or conflicts that old family or friendship relationships had supposed about their members. But Jon didn’t know much either, he didn’t have to do it because it wasn’t his business, and most of the conflicts that took place, he didn’t witness, since he was neither old enough to do it nor he wasn’t even born, therefore, it was not his problem or the place to get into. Also, he was twelve years old, neither could comment on anything. All he knew about Jason before met him or talked to him was that he died, he came back, he wasn’t on good terms with much of the batfamily, and for some reason Kon had a very strong resentment towards him.

But for his part, he couldn’t dislike him. Most of the time he ran into Red Hood it was on a mission, when a disaster was too big to deny the Outlaws’ help, or when he appeared during his patrol with Robin to bother for a while and then leave, sometimes even accompanied by Red Robin. The man always exuded that same dangerous but controlled aura that shouted “Gotham” everywhere and had always felt when he stepped on the place the first few times he showed up there on patrol with Robin. But in turn, he had never been a danger or a threat, and beyond treating him with playful irony, he hadn’t done nothing.

 At the same time, Damian trusted him, Tim too. With the passing years, he had noticed how everyone had gotten closer and how their interactions were less scathing and softer, though he couldn’t say the same for the other bats. But from what he had seen and understood, Tim worked more with Jason than anyone currently in Gotham, and if there was one thing that had been made clear to him from all the stories he had heard, it was that Tim’s judgment -as unique and strange as it seemed- it was always pretty right. As for Damian, he trusted him more than anyone in the world, and he knew he saw the red team frequently. He almost always ended up in quite a good mood and Jon understood what it was like to get along with an older brother, also how much it had cost his friend to get to that point with them, so he was very proud and happy for the three of them, although he didn’t understand how fighting with his fists over the last slice of pizza could be described as brotherly affection, but who was he to question how bats showed love?

 The case is that as a result of everything else, he decided to ignore his father’s anxiety (again), Batman’s paranoia, and Kon’s jealousy (Yes Conner, I know you’re jealous even if you don’t want to admit it), to trust that Red Hood was not as bad as they had made him think.

 Indeed, he wasn’t, he isn’t, he hadn’t failed him so far, and he doubted he would. Like a good gothamite and Damian’s older brother, at first glance Jason was harsh, ironic and somewhat dangerous, but he had a soft spot for children that made him treat them better than to humanity in general, and Jon was the best friend of his little brother, whom he protected when there was some imminent danger. He also worked with Tim and was sure that the third Robin had told him about his tutoring for school, so he supposed there was no way the man had anything against him to start and vice versa.

So, Jonathan didn’t care much about the concern of others about his short encounters with the guy in the red helmet or the strange friendship he had with him, except when they pointed it out as an act motivated by his “innocence”. He was twelve years old, yes, but he believed that he had lived through enough things not to be so naive as everyone wanted to assume.

 Also, how could he say no to free food?

 “Hey. Superbrat.” Jason snapped as he reached him, swinging the bag of Chinese food in the process. They both knew he had heard him come from far away.

 “Hi Jason.” He greeted back and turning to give him a slight smile.

 “Tsk. Names in the field.” He replied with exasperation, although he didn’t even seem really upset, his tone lacked angry and seemed more affectionate than anything else.

 “Sorry.” He answered with fun, all bats always responded the same. “Hi Hood.”

 The other seemed more satisfied with his other attempt, bet he might been smiling, but there wasn’t a way to be sure. Instead of questioning it, he simply looked as the older got closer to him, put the bag of takeaway between them and sat on the roof ledge as well.

 “Hi kid.” He greeted him again. “What are you doing here alone? Does the Big-Bat let you wander around the city as freely as you want now?”

 Jon almost rolled his eyes wearily. Batman was still somewhat strict about his “no metas in my city” rule despite how effective his association with Damian had proven to be. He had permission to be there, as long as he was accompanied by Robin or another bat. It was ridiculous.

 “No.” He denied it. “I’m waiting for Robin.”

 “That already makes more sense.” Hood nodded settling where he had sat and taking out a pack of cigarettes. “Where’s he doing?”

 “He’s on other business, he told me to meet him here.”

 “And he leaves you here alone and waiting?" He exclaimed wryly as he also took a lighter. “What a bad way to treat a date.”

 Jon could have answered or continued with what he knew it was a joke, but his brain didn’t seem to register it on time and finished choking on a babble nervous as he felt his face begin to burn with embarrassment.

He knew Jason was joking, of course he was, most of what that man was saying out of his mouth were taunts, sarcasm and inappropriate jokes that shouldn’t be taken seriously most of the time, more about them, who were younger than him. Hood really liked to tease Dami and him, bite and bother them in that unbearable way that only an older brother or a cool uncle could do. But hearing him hint that he could be Damian’s date, that he and Damian could have a date, that Damian could ask him for a date... imagining it made his heart jump and his breathing inevitably catch.

 It was weird, he didn’t get it -or didn’t want to- and Jay was joking, of course he didn’t think he and Damian could be... like that. They were just best friends. Yes. Best friends didn’t have dates, nor did imagine or expect a future with each other. No. That was weird. And they didn’t give that image to others, did they?

 He wanted to think no, but Jon was flushed to the ears by his best friend and now Red Hood was looking directly at him without saying a word at his reaction. Which was quite disconcerting, because the helmet made it impossible to discern any emotion or expression that the man might be doing, and for a moment Superboy felt what some villains or rogues in Gotham might feel before being crushed by Red Hood’s fury: an uncertainty fear by not being able to know what the hell he might be thinking.

 “I-I don’t think it will take him long.” He finished babbling nervously to try to hide his nervous. “He could arrive at any time…”

 Jon cleared his throat and looked up at the city lights again as he bit his lower lip, he didn’t want to have to face Red Hood and he still felt the shame bubbling up inside him, threatening to blush his face again. It was too late to pretend how weird his reaction had been, but he hoped Jason wanted to let that moment pass as well as he did. Because he didn’t know what he would do if he started joking about it now.

Fortunately, the eldest didn’t seem to want to comment on it, and he did him a huge favor by remaining silent. What’s more, he heard clearly how he took off his helmet to put it aside and lit a cigarette to start smoking silently.

 They remained silent for a good time, listening to the movement and the nightlife of the city below them and with the wind lightly caressing them from time to time. Jon gradually calmed down with the vision of the lights, and Jason finished a cigarette and then lit another. Once he looked calmer and able to pretend he hadn’t been exposed in front of his best friend’s older brother, Jon realized how he should be surprised by the way in which precisely of all people, he seemed able to relax and fall into comfortable silence with the Red Hood, realizing that it hadn’t been difficult at first, either.

Jason treated him like a kid, yeah, but he never assumed he was dumb, innocent, or inexperienced like others did. He respected what he said sometimes and kept patient if he failed. He joked with him and bothered him, but always with a certain respect and knowing the limits, like at that moment, for example. And most importantly, he never demanded anything or showed unrealistic expectations of him, which many did without realizing. With Jason he wasn’t the “son of Superman”, or “the talented Super", or “a super”, he was just... A brat, a child, a kid who he ruffled his hair, could make blush with a joke, bring Chinese food or give a book for Christmas. That’s it. And was fine, because he didn’t feel like he had to explain anything or do something heroic to please him, not even pretend that he didn’t feel anything, or that he was more mature than he needed in pursuit of being the indestructible Superboy.

 He inspired him a sense of normality, security. More or less the same as Conner. He liked that.

 “So…”

 The older one caught his attention and interrupted his thoughts, making him look at him and realize that he had half a cigarette left, as well as he wore the red mask under his helmet. The bat was looking straight ahead, but hadn’t continued speaking, he seemed to be measuring his words or thinking what to say, something weird about him that made Jonathan bow his head curiously and nervousness.

 “The gremlin likes you.” Jason finished affirming with a serious tone and concise. “So much as someone can like to him, of course.”

 Jon felt his heart jump again, but this time he controlled it, being aware that he didn’t have to say it that way, so he looked at him, urging him to continue. Although an unusual unease began to flood him, one he had never felt around him.

 “And you like him.” The older man said again, still in that tone of strict yet inquisitive. “Right?”

 For some reason, danger alarms started ringing in his head. Which made no sense, because as he had thought before, Jason had never been aggressive or dangerous towards him, he had no reason to be. So, what was wrong?

 “…Yes?” Jon didn’t know how to respond, nor where that conversation went, but because of how the atmosphere was tense he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

 “Is that a question?” Said then Red Hood, this time turning to look at him fixedly and the angry flooding his voice.

 “No! I like him! I do.” This time he answered hurriedly and with more security, not wanting to anger him with vague answers. “He’s my best friend, of course I like him.”

 Jason frowned and for a moment he looked like he had had a drink that had made him sick, looking at him in silence for a few seconds as if he had just said something that didn’t fit. Jon didn’t know what to think, the alarms kept ringing, and he shifted in his uncomfortable seat, he had never been so uncertain with him and his conversations had never had that tone, he didn’t even know what he could have done to anger him, if he was angry.

After a moment, Jason nodded slowly, thoughtfully, as if he had come to an agreement with himself. Again, he didn’t know what was going through his mind, he couldn’t know it either from what little he could see of his face, but he was still somewhat curious.

 “I have kryptonite.” Hood announced suddenly.

 Ok, that didn’t help him at all.

 “Eh?” He asked, confused, still not knowing what he had done or how to fix it.

 “And I know when to use it.”

 “O-Okay?”

 “Remember that when you grow up.” He sentenced then, throwing away the nearly finished cigarette and pointing a finger at him, like an offended middle-aged mother.

 Jon, as confused as he was, would have liked to say that he was never going to forget it, because being aware of whom he shouldn’t annoy for having Kryptonite on him was basic survival for a Kryptonian. However, before he could say anything else or ask what was going on, a voice coming from the Red Hood helmet interrupted and made Jason part from him to let him breathe.

 Jon instantly recognized the voice of the one who was trying to contact Red Hood, despite everything indicating that it was Tim, because Red Robin was already his partner in Gotham par excellence. Because of the way the other answered the call and smiled widely while putting the helmet back on to speak, Jonathan tried not to listen too much so as not to invade the privacy of the lovebirds (See, Superman? He isn’t that innocent. He knows things, even if he doesn’t want to tell you.) Although he wouldn’t have gotten listen a lot, because he was too distracted trying to assimilate the conversation he had just had and the possible implications.

 Before reaching a conclusion, the hand calloused and larger from Jason fell on his head and stirred hair doing him squirming in his seat annoyed, huffing. He should have seen that coming.

 “Sorry kid, duty calls me. Babybird says hello to you.” Jason said, this time in a tone much livelier and rising off the ledge. “It was a good talk; you are my favorite Superboy so far.”

 This time he did roll his eyes, of course he was his favorite Superboy, if he couldn’t stand Kon and vice versa.

He wanted to ask what all the above had come from, the threat of kryptonite and all that, but instead he gave up and sighed as he looked how Jason stretched and then leaned to give him one last pat on the head, to bother, more than anything else.

 Then, it was when he took his grapple gun to leave that he dispelled his doubts.

 “Make the demon spawn happy, okay? No one can do it like you.” Said getting off from the ledge and pointing out the bag of food he had left as he walked away. “And enjoy your date!”

 Jonathan couldn’t say goodbye because he was trying to control not only the strong blush that adorned his face, but the happy smile too, and the warmth that flooded his chest.

 Gotham people were rough and rude, but also kind and patient. They protected what they loved and who they loved with ferocity and strength, as they watched how its happiness was prospering slowly. Jason Todd was from Gotham head to toe, that’s why only he was able to accept him, approve him for Damian, and threaten him with the typical shovel talk at the same time and in the same night so easily. It was natural for him.

 Jon sighed happily and for a moment he wondered if the smile Jason had done when he heard Tim’s voice in comms was the same that he did when he spoke with Damian.

 He knew the answer.

[thorodinson]

my thoughts on thor in endgame [SPOILERS]

i went into endgame knowing that thor would take somewhat of a backseat since he was such an integral part of iw and russos said that characters who didn’t get much screentime in iw will have more in endgame and vice versa. i fully expected endgame to be more about steve and tony but since thor is one of the og6 he would also get an important role, especially since defeating thanos and reversing the snap had become so personal for him.

i understood his arc after the 5-year time jump because he killed thanos but that didn’t change anything, he didn’t save anyone. his quest from iw was for nothing and he practically carried the weight of the snap on his shoulders for 5 years. that’s a lot of guilt to have and combined with the fact he had lost everything and everyone he loved in the span of mere days it took a huge toll on him. he just gave up and let himself go.

that was understandable but i absolutely hated how the film made him a joke for it on multiple occasions. the nature of mcu films and thor’s new direction did allow for some comedy but i think it was taken too far at some points, like the cringey jokes they made about him for comedic effect and it seemed like rocket and hulk were the only ones who really cared about his well-being throughout the film. i’m thankful for chris hemsworth’s acting because he was honestly really good and even in scenes that were supposed to be played for laughs you could see thor’s pain and how damaged he was. chris’s acting is what made his “funny” scenes more than just a punchline.

his scene with his mom and when he summons mjolnir in old asgard were some of the best moments in the film for me. he finally got to say goodbye to his mother which he didn’t get the chance to do in tdw and speaking with her and realising he’s still worthy is what brought him back from his previous state.

but the payoff from this scene was underwhelming. he hardly got anything to do in the final battle and didn’t play an integral part in defeating thanos. i realise he’d been in a weakened state emotionally and physically and not on par with his infinity war level but he was still an asgardian god who survived a flipping neutron star, wielding 2 of the most powerful weapons in the universe and was still unable to do much against thanos. that’s some bullshit!! the only explanation i have is that had they given thor his full powers back he would’ve eclipsed other heroes in the battle and they wouldn’t get their big action moments. also marvel blew their shot by not having thor be the one to wear the gauntlet to reverse the snap like he wanted to because he was the one who felt the most responsible for it. plus if it had damaged his arm like hulk's he could’ve had it replaced with a badass uru metal arm like the one he has in the comics.

in the end thor’s journey did not feel as complete as steve’s and tony’s did, because i assume his role in the mcu isn’t over and while i’m really glad about that and the hope this provides for a thor 4 film, i still hoped that he would get a more considerate treatment in the culmination film of the mcu.

flying off with the guardians and leaving his people behind was anticlimactic but it made sense i suppose. he thought he failed at who he was supposed to be but frigga told him he could choose his own path. he never wanted to be king and thinks he would be better at protecting his people and the rest of the universe by being out there and helping fight for those who can’t defend themselves. this is actually why i think he liked carol - she was also out in the cosmos helping other planets even though her loved ones were on earth. i don’t think he will stop caring about his people though and if there’s thor 4 it will course correct thor’s story. i honestly think if this was the end of thor’s story it would’ve ended with him becoming king, but there’s more to it.

but overall i expected more from this film and i think most thor fans will be disappointed with how he was treated here. of course there’s infinity war where he was the mvp, so i guess paying him dust in endgame was the price for that.

[ratchetsboyfriend]

Mobile Masterlist

Desktop version

Tfp Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee meeting government agent S/O for the first time

Tfp Ratchet, Optimus, Rid15 Slipstream, and Jetstorm human’s first words are about how attractive the ‘Bot is 

Tfp Ratchet, Wheeljack, Knockout, Predaking, and Rid15 Fixit take care of S/O for the day

Tfp Soundwave “Do you think we’re bad people?” prompt 

Tfp Shockwave with shy, smart, awkward, Autobot human love interest

Tfp Optimus, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and Tfa Blitzwing sweet affection with S/O

Tfp Arcee “I tried my best to not feel anything for you. Guess what? I failed.” + “You don’t get to pick and choose. You’re stuck with me.” prompt

Tfp Ratchet “You may be an idiot, but you’re my idiot.” prompt

Tfa Jazz, Prowl, and Tfp Wheeljack sleeping with human S/O

Tfa Optimus “Keep your eyes on me.” prompt

Tfp Ratchet “That’s not what I meant and you know it!” prompt

Tfp Orion Pax “If you don’t like this world then change it.” prompt

Tfp Ratchet, Ultra Magnus, and Soundwave “If you had asked me to stay, I would’ve.” prompt

Tfp Ratchet, Wheeljack, Tfa Jazz, and Rid15 Grimlock reacting to S/O’s weird human things

Tfa Bumblebee, Blitzwing, Prowl, Jazz, and Jettwins with S/O who’s insecure about their freckles

Rb Heatwave “Angry kiss” prompt+superhero S/O

Rb Chase “Caught off guard kiss” prompt+superhero S/O

Rb Blades “Top of head kiss”+superhero S/O

Rb Boulder “Height difference kiss” prompt+superhero S/O

Tfa Bumblebee “I’m sorry kiss” prompt

Tfp Ratchet with S/O who’s interested in Cybertronian biology/culture

Tfp Optimus  “You may be an idiot, but you’re my idiot.” prompt

Tfp Arcee “I almost lost you kiss” prompt

Tfp Megatron, Starscream, Knockout, Breakdown, Soundwave falling for the leader of MECH’s rival organization

Tfa Bumblebee “Giggly kiss” prompt

Tfp Ratchet being guardian to a shy, calm, older charge

Tfp Arcee “I’ve missed you kiss” prompt

Rb Blades and Boulder dating headcanons

Rid15 Bumblebee relaxing with S/O

Tfp Optimus “Needing to kiss to hide from the bad guys” prompt

Poly KOBD with the leader of MECH’s rival organization

Tfa Jazz, Prowl, and Rb Heatwave hearing S/O sing for the first time

Rid15 Soundwave “Returned from the dead kiss” prompt

Tfp Ratchet, Breakdown, and Knockout sleeping with human S/O

Rb Boulder, Heatwave, and Tfp Wheeljack reacting to S/O being pregnant

Tfp Wheeljack “Needing to kiss to hide from the bad guys” prompt

Poly Tfp Optimus/Ratchet “When one stops the kiss to whisper ‘I’m sorry, are you sure you-’ and they answer by kissing them more” prompt

Rb Chase, Heatwave, Boulder, and Blades seeing crush dressed up for the first time

Tfa Optimus, Bumblebee, Wreck-Gar, Blurr, and Blitzwing reacting to a S/O whose nose always bleeds

Rb Heatwave “I’ve missed you kiss” prompt

Tfa Blitzwing cuddling with a stressed out S/O

Tfp Breakdown POV for poly KOBD with rival MECH leader

Tfp Starscream meeting and falling for a Cybertronian who wasn’t involved with the war

Tfp Knockout, Breakdown, and Soundwave having a S/O who goes rock climbing, spelunking, and skydiving

Tfa Swindle with a love interest who can steal anything but only does it to take care of their siblings

Tfa Prowl, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Optimus meeting and falling for a photographer

Tfa Prowl “True love’s kiss” prompt  

Tfp Knockout having a secret relationship with a thrill seeking autobot human

Tfa Waspinator pining for a human who is nice to him

Tfp Breakdown is rescued by rival MECH leader

Tfp Ratchet being assigned to a charge who acts like him

Tfa Jetfire “Kiss on a dare” prompt

Tfp Optimus, Smokescreen, and Ratchet with a S/O who’s afraid to express affection at first

Tfa Ratchet “Shy kiss” prompt

Tfp Optimus, Ratchet, Knockout, and Megatron falling for a human who wants to combine human and Cybertronian medical science

Tfa Jetstorm “Spin the bottle kiss” prompt

MtMtE Whirl headcanons for having a human S/O

Tfp Megatron, Starscream, Predaking, Optimus, and Ratchet reacting to a human charge finally snapping

MtMtE Trailcutter headcanons for having a crush on a human

Tfp Ratchet, Wheeljack, and  Soundwave reassuring a S/O who misunderstood a conversation

MtMtE Riptide at the beach with S/O

MtMtE Rung realizing he’s fallen for a human

Tfp Optimus’ S/O falling asleep on his shoulder

MtMtE Riptide and Fort Max dating headcanons

Tfp Knockout, Breakdown, and Soundwave taking care of a drunk S/O

Tfp Ratchet “One small kiss, pulling away for an instant, then devouring each other” + “Staring at the other’s lips, trying not to kiss them, before giving in” prompts

Tfp Arcee “You’re essentially immortal until you meet your soulmate” prompt

MtMtE Overlord “You can see the red string of fate that connects you to your soulmate but only when you close your eyes” prompt

MtMtE Fulcrum “Your soulmates first impression/thought about you is written on your body” prompt

Tfa Megatron “You have a name on each wrist, your soulmate’s name and your enemy’s name and you don’t know which is which” prompt with enemy Lugnut

MtMtE Tarn “When your soulmate listens to music you can hear it too” prompt

Rb Blades “You only see in black and white until you touch your soulmate for the first time” prompt

Bw Dinobot “Only certain people can see the red string of fate that connects soulmates and you’re one of them” prompt

Rid15  Sideswipe “Surprised kiss” prompt

MtMtE Rung being in love with a human

MtMtE Rung “Only certain people can see the red string of fate that connects soulmates and you’re one of them” prompt

Tfa Ratchet “Instead of their first words to you, you have a random phrase that your soulmate will say one day so you could know them for years before realizing that they’re your soulmate” prompt

Tfp Ratchet getting his S/O out of a sticky situation

Tfa Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Blurr, Tfp Ratchet, and Bumblebee reacting to finding S/O with sparklings

Tfa Blitzwing “Kiss at dawn” + “Quick kiss” prompts

Mtmte Ratchet taking care of and reassuring a human who fainted after overworking themself

Tfa Prowl “Kiss under a full moon” prompt

Tfp Shockwave and Soundwave reacting to a S/O who has insomnia/sleep related anxiety

Tfp Optimus “You may be an idiot, but you’re my idiot.” prompt with S/O calling Optimus an idiot

Rid15 Fixit “Surprised kiss” prompt

Mtmte Swerve, Rodimus, and Megatron reacting to receiving art from S/O

Mtmte Fulcrum, Krok, and Grimlock  cuddling headcanons

Tfp Ratchet “The day when you’re supposed to meet your soulmate will continually loop for the both of you until you finally find each other” prompt

Mtmte Bluestreak falling for a human and pining for them before finally asking them out

Tfa Blitzwing “Your soulmate’s name is somewhere on your body” prompt

Mtmte Poly Dratchet “Anything you draw or write on yourself shows up on your soulmate and vice versa” prompt

The sequel to the poly Dratchet soulmate prompt

Mtmte Whirl, Tfp Ratchet, and Bulkhead “Anything you draw or write on yourself shows up on your soulmate and vice versa” prompt

Mtmte Rung feeling overwhelmed by how much his S/O loves him

Tfp Soundwave reacting to the human bringing a cat on board

Mtmte Megatron “Your soulmate’s name is somewhere on your body” prompt

Tfp Ratchet, Soundwave, and Bumblebee bonding with a human S/O over something silly

Tfa Waspinator "Routine kisses where the other person presents their cheek/forehead for the hello/goodbye kiss without even looking up from what they’re doing” prompt

Rb Heatwave comforting the human after the loss of a loved one

Mtmte Megatron and Ultra Magnus reacting to being called dad

Mtmte Ultra Magnus reacting to the human calling the baby ‘our kid’ (Ultra Dad au)

Rb Chase affection headcanons

Tfp Smokescreen, Arcee, and Wheeljack with a S/O who lost their memory

Mtmte Rung sequel to him being in love with a human

Mtmte Rodimus, Megatron, and Dratchet being cheered up by their human S/O

Mtmte Cygate “Only certain people can see the red string of fate that connects soulmates and you’re one of them” prompt

Wreckers Springer affection headcanons 

Bw Inferno relationship headcanons 

Wreckers Springer relationship headcanons

Tfp Starscream, Knockout, and Soundwave dealing with a human who screams every time they try to talk

Mtmte Whirl reacting to a heartfelt confession from a human

Rid15 Steeljaw, Thunderhoof, Fracture, and Saberhorn realizing that they’ve fallen for their human ally

Tfa Prowl “The day when you’re supposed to meet your soulmate will continually loop for the both of you until you finally find each other” prompt

Mtmte Fulcrum realizing he has feelings for a human after Misfire gets close with them

Mtmte Atomizer relationship headcanons

Tfa Blitzwing cuddling headcanons 

Bw Rattrap “Somewhere on your body is the first words your soulmate will ever say to you” prompt

Tfp Ratchet being forced to take breaks and recharge by a bigger bot S/O

Tfp Smokescreen and Mtmtme Swerve confessing to someone who shares their feelings

Mtmte Rodimus, Trailcutter, and Bluestreak at the beach with a human S/O

Tfa Optimus "Once a year, you and your soulmate swap bodies until you find each other." prompt

Mtmte First Aid trying to figure out who his friend's crush is and it's Ratchet

Mtmte Ultra Magnus how he and the human found their adopted child (Ultra Dad au)

Tfa Jet twins, Prowl, Ratchet, and Blitzwing with a S/O who chews on things to cope

Mtmte Rodimus cuddling with S/O after they both have a bad day

Ratchet, Optimus, Bulkhead, and Knockout whose charge is graduating from college

Rb Blades movie marathon date

Rb Heatwave, Tfa Prowl, Tfp Optimus, and Rid15 Steeljaw with a druid companion

Tfp Arachnid “You and your soulmate can feel each other’s pain” prompt

Mtmte Trailcutter trying to flirt

Bw Terrorsaur, Rattrap, and Waspinator’s S/O makes them flower crowns

Wreckers Springer cuddling headcanons

Mtmte Whirl napping headcanons

Mtmte Whirl “Somewhere on your body is the first words your soulmate will ever say to you” prompt

Rid15 Fracture dating an Autobot human

Tfp Arcee, Wheeljack, Arachnid, and Dreadwing’s S/O serenading them

Tfp KOBD/Mech leader reunion

Tfp Ratchet’s bot S/O hiding their injuries

Tfa Longarm, Sentinel, Megatron, and Jet twins reacting to a S/O whose nose always bleeds

Tfp Ratchet with a minibot S/O

Bw Waspinator “Anything you draw or write on yourself shows up on your soulmate and vice versa” prompt

Mtmte Scavengers with a minicon S/O

Mtmte Drift and Rodimus couples’ costume for Halloween

Mtmte Roddratchet ghosthunting with S/O

Mtmte Scavengers celebrating Halloween

Tfp Ratchet S/O dressing up as a doctor to get a rise out of him

Tfp Megatron “Your soulmates first impression/thought about you is written on your body” prompt

Tfp Starscream, Megatron, Knockout, Ratchet, and Optimus reacting to being turned temporarily human and being taken care of by their S/O

Tfp Ratchet and Wheeljack pining for a human

Tfa Ratchet, Tfp Ratchet, Mtmte Ratchet, and CDRW reacting to reserved S/O going all out in a fight

Tfa Prowl, Optimus, and Bulkhead helping a S/O afraid of storms

[thetakenpokemon]

Act 2 - Contest Winner (or Loser?)

[PoV: Jezebel]

After downing my next shot of rum, I set the small glass back down onto the bar counter - right next to ten other glasses.

Even though that’s a LOT of extremely potent alcohol I’ve consumed within such a short amount of time, the most that I’m feeling is a strong burning in my stomach - as well as a similar feeling on my face. I’m probably blushing really hard from the rum. Thankfully, my fur is there to conceal it.

Elizabeth on the other hand? She’s barely able to sit straight in her seat, she’s currently wobbling all over the place. The only thing keeping her upright is her free hand having a vice-grip on the counter, her other hand holding her eleventh shot glass of rum - said liquid spilling from the uncoordinated movements of her arm.

Honestly? I’m actually very impressed that Elizabeth managed to last this long. Part of the reason why I’m very good at holding my own alcohol is because I’m a Fire-type, so the heat within me helps burn some of the alcohol before it enters my system. That and paired up with a liver of pure steel? I can keep drinking this stuff all throughout the night.

Elizabeth? She’s smaller than I am, so I guess the only thing that’s keeping her going is the fact that she’s used to drinking this much.

“I cannnn keep doooooing tees all...n...” The Lopunny slurs, her expression being that of a goofy smile. She didn’t finish the sentence though, since she practically chucks the rum into her mouth. She smacks her mouth, her tongue lolling out. “Seeeeee...? Steell...going....!”

The bartender gives her a concerned look before looking back at me, obviously rather hesitant on giving us another round of shots.

I roll my eyes before looking at him with a smirk. “Just one more shot for the both of us.” I tell him.

I have a feeling that this’ll be the straw that breaks the Camprupt’s back, since Elizabeth is barely holding on as it is.

He slowly nods his head and grabs two more shot glasses and fills them with the crystal clear yet extremely strong alcohol. He sets them down in front of me and the Lopunny before taking a step back and watching us at our ‘game’.

I grab my glass and look at Elizabeth, raising an eyebrow at her. “Number twelve.” I say before immediately downing it, the burning sensation being the same as the previous eleven.

Elizabeth immediately goes to grab her drink, but in her attempt to do so she immediately starts falling off her stool. I quickly extend an arm and catch her, preventing her from having a rather rough embrace with the wooden floor.

“Noooooo...” She whines. “I can...do eeeeeeeet!” She tries to sit up, yet even with my assistance she can’t get herself fully back onto her stool.

“I’d say that it’s over, Elizabeth.” I say to her,. my smirk widening.

Honestly? Even though I’ve won, it didn’t really feel as satisfying because of how effortless it was. Yeah I get to have her ‘do anything I want’ for an hour since that was the wager that was made, but if anything I don’t have much interest in that.

If anything? Teaching Elizabeth a lesson was the biggest motivator for me since she really needed to not go off the deep end. Right now? Obviously she’s way too drunk to realize her mistake, but at least I get to feel rather smug.

“Nononooooo!” She continues to complain. “I...ammmm...not dooone. Tere ees...steell...” At this point she’s really falling over, in which I now have to use both hands to keep her from stumbling off her stool like a ragdoll.

“It’s over, Elizabeth.” I repeat, trying contain a chuckle. When she doesn’t respond to this I instead give her a stern look, in which she somehow manages to meet with her own gaze before slumping.

“Fiiiine...” She sighs, her cheeks a deep shade of purple from the booze.

With a bit of effort I manage to pull her off her feet and get her to lean against the counter, in which I turn back to face the bartender.

Said individual is looking at the massive spread of empty shot-glasses with a look of immense respect. “Sheesh, ladies.” He exclaims with a shake of his head, chuckling. “You two hold your liquor far better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

I couldn’t help but give my own chuckle, smiling to myself. “We’re not any simple ladies, after all.”

He whistles. “No kidding. If you members of the Guardians of Twilight all have similar alcohol tolerance, this place will be out of drinks in a night if at least twenty of you were to visit at once.”

I fumble with my dress before pulling out my wallet, and after sifting through it I pull out a sizable amount of money that should pay for all of the alcohol - and provide an impressive tip. I set it down on the counter before giving him a nod of thanks.

The bartender grins and takes the money. “Much obliged.” He says before looking at Elizabeth. “Need help, or-?”

I shake my head, still chuckling. “No need, I will take her back.”

I stand up from my stool - the action causes my body to lose its balance slightly.

Hmm, perhaps the alcohol has more of an effect on me than I thought. That’d also explain why I’m also more loose with my emotions. Guess it really has been a while since I last drank...

Grabbing my staff that’s leaning against the counter, I clasp Elizabeth’s arm and pull her to my form.

“Lean on me.” I tell her. “I’ll support you as we head back to the guild HQ.”

She doesn’t respond - verbally at least, and together we slowly begin to make our way out of the club.

The moment we step outside I immediately feel myself get blasted with fresh air, the strong scent of sweat disappearing with the midnight breeze. The city itself is also relatively quieter compared to the club, so my ears feel very thankful as well.

As the two of us slowly make our way back, Elizabeth starts talking again.

“Nooo...” She whines once more. “I...do not waaant...to beee....your slaaaaave!”

The last word causes my body to freeze, the action making Elizabeth stumble forward before falling - and with her grip on her body, she ends up taking her with me.

The two of us fall flat onto the sidewalk, my staff releasing from my grip and clattering the ground. At this point my face is so flushed that people would probably actually see a noticeable shade of pink on my cheeks - despite the dark fur covering them.

“E-Elizabeth!” I shout indignantly. “Not in public!” I blink before immediately following up with: “And forget about the wager, I have no interest in-”

“Buuut eet was a beeeet!” The Lopunny retorts in her drunken stupor. “I ‘ave to do eeeeeeet!”

I grit my teeth. “Elizabeth-” I start to say, but she cuts me off again.

“What weell you ‘ave me...doooo?” She continues her drunken tirade. “Weell you ‘ave me...streep een publeec? Weell you ‘ave meeeee....chained to a bed so youuuu-”

I don’t even let her finish that sentence. “NONE OF THAT!” I shout frantically, my face full on burning now.

At this point we definitely have a lot of onlookers now. Gritting my teeth harder I get back to my feet and grab my staff, and once I have my balance I pull Elizabeth back to her feet.

“Not another word!” I hiss at her. “Let us get back, no more of this nonsense!!”

She looks at me with confusion. “Buuut thee wag-”

“No!” I growl at her. “No no no! No wager! Just stop talking!”

And so we continued the long trek back to the GoT HQ.

...

Where did she get THAT assumption?! 

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

Much to my chagrin, the journey back did not go smoothly at all. Elizabeth continued to go on and on about the ‘wager’, shouting and whining about all sorts of obscenities she thinks I will do to her. Even with my best attempts I just...could not...get her...to shut up.

I have half the mind to burn her on the spot and be done with it. And the worst part is that if I drank any more alcohol? I probably would’ve actually done it due to the sheer embarrassment I’m feeling.

I swear, who the FUCK does she think I am? With all of the shit she’s saying, people would think I’m some extremely kinky freak!

At this point we’re navigating the hallways of the HQ, and thank Arceus because there’s barely any people walking around this time of night. The few who do walk by us have expressions of confusion - or worse, smirks.

As we’re navigating, a thought suddenly strikes me.

I have...no idea on where Elizabeth stays. Obviously asking her is out of the question, because of the fact she failed to listen to a SINGLE word I said ever since we left the club.

“Shit.” I say aloud, the uncharacteristic word causing a nearby passerby to flinch. I turn and glare at them, my green eyes blazing. “What are you fucking looking at? Keep moving!” I half-shout at them, causing them to start sprinting off - and nearly tripping while doing so.

“-aaand once you are done weet te strap-on...” Elizabeth continues with her tirade, in which I start cringing even harder.

“BY THE GODS AND GODDESSES ABOVE, ELIZABETH!” I shout at her in anger. “I AM NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING SEXUAL TO YOU! STOP TALKING LIKE I’M ABOUT TO FUCK YOU!”

Okay, normally I would be complimented on having insane composure. How I am the pinnacle of professionalism.

Me right now? A combination of alcohol as well as massive doses of irritation and embarrassment is apparently enough to take said reputation and shatter it completely and utterly.

“Buuut te wag-” Elizabeth starts for the umpteenth time.

“Fuck the wager!” I growl at her, my teeth flaring.

Her eyes widen as her flushed face grows even more red.

It took me a moment to realize my poor choice of words. With an even louder growl I start dragging her stumbling form with me.

You know what? Fuck it. I am not navigating these hallways to find her room, especially since there are many potential witnesses. I’m taking her to my room so she can sleep this whole shit off, and MAYBE I still have a chance to salvage what little I have left of my dignity.

Of course Elizabeth continues to babble as we make our way as quickly as physically possible to my room. My ears are definitely flat against my head now, my jaw clenching so hard that it’s actually hurting.

As we finally take the last turn, I feel relief fill my body as the door to my room comes into view.

FINALLY! My salvation!

As I approach the room with Elizabeth in tow, I rest my staff against the wall as I start fumbling my dress for my room-key.

Elizabeth starts mumbling in a confused tone, her words lost to me. As she watches me pull out my key and put it into the slot in the door, her eyes widen to the point where I swear they’re going to pop up.

Oh no, you little shit. This is NOT what you’re thinking of.

“You are sleeping in my room till you’re back to your normal self.” I growl, doing my best to prevent her from saying a SINGLE word. “Nothing is happening in here except you getting rest. Got it?”

I don’t let her respond. As soon as the door opens, I stash my key, grab my staff, and drag her into the room.

Ignoring the scattered papers around my ‘humble abode’ from my duty as temporary Night Hunter Leader, I pull Elizabeth towards my bed and practically throw her at it. Her body stumbles before falling on top of it, her voice becoming muffled as her face is against the sheets.

With a sigh of relief I walk over to my study and sit down at the chair next to my desk. I rest my elbows onto the paper-covered wooden surface, using my hands to cradle my head.

It’s over, Jezebel. It’s over, no one will hear that dirty rabbit anymore. You’re safe.

You have a plan of action. You can tell everyone who overheard Elizabeth that she was in a drunken stupor, and that you were helping her to her room. If they ask about your outbursts, you can claim that they must be mistaking and it was Elizabeth who was acting in such a way. That or they misheard due to lack of sleep, since it was late at night after all.

I feel myself smile.

Yeah, it’ll all work out. Everything is good, your reputation is-

“I...am ready.” I hear Elizabeth meekly say from the direction of my bed.

My body tenses, my eyes widening.

I don’t dare look behind me to see what the hell she means exactly by that. Ohhhh no. No no no.

Hell. Fucking. No.

I cross my arms onto my desk and let my head flop onto them, and thus I begin to scream in exasperation.

[nezzyk]

Fiduciary Duties

A Fiduciary as the definition describes it seems like quite a simple concept, however as you begin to look at all the fiduciary duties that are owed to the principle and vice versa it seemingly is far more complex. As described in Sukys (2020), “A fiduciary relationship is a relationship based on trust. Such relationships exist—for example, between attorneys and clients, guardians and wards, trustees and beneficiaries, and board of directors and corporations” (p. 255). For this blog, the focus will be slightly more on principal—agent relationships. Also further described in Sukys (2020), “Agency is a legal relationship in which one party, the agent, transacts business for and under the control of the second, the principal…The principal must indicate in some manner that the agent is to act for and under the control of the principal” (pp. 609-610). Important to note is that all agency relationships are considered fiduciary relationships and that agency relationships are always consensual (Sukys, 2020, p.610).

           All that being said, there are some clearly defined fiduciary duties that an agent is said to owe his/her principal whether they are mentioned in the agreement or merely implied to include: obedience, loyalty, judgment, prudence, and skill, account for all property, and to perform work personally and communicate fully with the principle.

Fiduciary Duties an Agent Owes the Principal

Obedience

           As far as obedience, the agent must comply with any instructions given by the principal so long as they are reasonable and legal instructions and they relate to the agency agreement. That said, there is established boundaries in the relationship that the agent must act within referred to as the scope of authority. There are many examples in which if the agent acted outside those boundaries, they would be liable to the principal for any damages or injury suffered by the principal.

Loyalty

           The agent must always act in the best interest of the principal by maintaining loyalty and avoiding any conflict of interest. Further, ensuring that any confidential information acquired through the relationship be kept as such and not used to the benefit of the agent. You would think that the concept of acting in the best interest of the principal would be common sense but, agents might attempt to convince themselves that they are acting in the best interest of the principal when perhaps they are not. As mentioned in Samet (2008), “To minimize the risk of self-deception is to eliminate the process of deliberation that is most prone to be infected by it; that is, to prevent fiduciaries from asking themselves whether a transaction that serves their own interest is also good for their principals. When the law makes it clear that any (unapproved) conflict is illegitimate, the process of reflection which is so prone to being subverted by self-deception is stopped before it can even start its destructive course” (p. 765).

Judgment, Prudence and Skill

           This set of duties would seemingly be self-explanatory however, there are some differentiators from an agent who possesses the skills and knowledge required to carry out their obligations to the principle and someone who claims to be an expert. If someone is an expert for example a doctor or an attorney, they would be required to carry out their duties by using expert judgment, prudence, and skills such as those that would be possessed by others that previously had been admitted into those professions. The important thing to note is whether the agent is considered an expert or not, they still may be held liable for losses or injuries caused to the principle due to negligence or incompetence (Sukys, 2020, p. 626).

Account for All Property

           The agent must keep the principal’s funds separate from his/her own funds. This also seems like it would be a regular business practice however, because it is specifically written within agent requirements it must be something that has been breached often in agreements in the past. Additionally, any funds or property that the agent receives or disperses on the principal’s behalf through the agency relationship must be held in trust and an accounting must be given to the principal within an adequate amount of time. Commingling is the term used to describe when an agent fails to keep funds separate (Sukys, 2020, p. 626).  

Personal Service and Communication

           Since often agency relationships are agreements for personal services, the agent may not delegate certain duties to someone unless those duties do not require the knowledge, skills, and abilities the agent was hired for in the first place. Therefore, simple tasks or duties are OK. However, the agent is obligated to notify the principal of all facts that would materially affect the subject matter of the relationship due to the assumption by the law that if an agent receives information or attention to, it will also be communicated to the principal. Important to note that due to this fact, the principals rights and liabilities to a third party also known as an individual with whom the agent deals for the principal would be the same had the principal been notified personally so long as the agent is acting within the scope of authority (Sukys, 2020, p. 626).  

           There are many examples of fiduciary relationships that occur in our every day lives. The fiduciary/agency relationship that I personally can think of that I have had is hiring an attorney to get custody of my nephew when my sister passed away. As I was reading through the duties owed to the principal by the agent, there certainly was no breach that took place in my agency relationship. Her services were worth every penny and she always acted in my best interest while carrying out many of the duties described above. One way I can think a breach could have occurred is if she had not been competent enough to understand the case as she had implied and not been prepared in court to ensure that I received custody. In my case, my nephews’ father was unfit to care for his son, my nephew, as he was incarcerated. Because she was so well prepared and knew the law and my circumstances, she quickly requested to vacate my order for guardianship which I had filed prior to hiring her and immediately filed for emergency custody.

           Fiduciary duties are so important, especially when hiring a professional because it is so important that the principal is confident in hiring them and can trust that the agent will carry out the services for which you hired them. Further, equally important is that if the agent breaches their duties, they may be held liable for any loss or injury by the principal. It does not matter what the justification for the breach may be only that a breach occurred. As mentioned in Rotman (2017), “A breach of fiduciary duty is a breach of fiduciary duty, regardless of why it occurred or whether there are subjective reasons for this breach that are alleged to justify it or mitigate its severity. Breaching a fiduciary duty is not a question of degree: it is a binary definition either a breach has occurred or it has not" (Linking Traditional section, para. 25).

  Rotman, L. I. (2017, June). Understanding Fiduciary Duties and Relationship Fiduciarity. McGill Law Journal, 62(4), 975+. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.proxy.davenport.edu/apps/doc/A529222978/AONE?u=lom_davenportc&sid=AONE&xid=56e690c2

Samet, I. (2008). Guarding the fiduciary's conscience: A justification of a stringent profit-stripping rule. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 28(4), 763-781. doi:10.1093/ojls/gqn029

Sukys, P. (2020). Business law with ucc applications (15th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

[scotianostra]

On July 29th 1567 King James VI was crowned at Stirling.

Picking up from last wednesday's post when Mary was forced to abdicate, the powers that be wasted no time in getting the formalities over and crowning the 13 month old son of Lord Darnley.  The last time James saw his mother, Mary was in 1567, when he was barely a year old.

Because of his young age a regent was appointed to act as head of state.  In fact, during his minority a succession of regents were chosen to rule in his stead.  

The first regent was Mary’s half brother, James Stuart, Earl of Moray,  Upon the Earl’s death in  1570, Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, who was James grandfather, became the second regent.  His regency didn’t last very long, as he died in 1571.  The third regent was James’s guardian, John Erskine, the first Earl of Mar whose regency also didn’t last long, he died in 1572.  The fourth and last of the regents was the very powerful James Douglas, Earl of Morton.

In spite of his mother’s Catholic faith, James was brought up in the Protestant religion. He was educated by men who had empathy for the Presbyterian church. His marriage to Anne of Denmark (a protestant country) no doubt pleased his Protestant subjects.

James VI is said to have had a terrible childhood, much like his forebears, including his great-grandfather. He had been used and abused by his tutors who were just looking to someone to manipulate and to mold into their little puppet. He was then told that his mother was the most horrible person in the world to the point that he did not know what the truth was anymore. When he was a teenager he became very independent and learned to hide his feelings very well but he also started working for his mother’s release, although some historians dispute this.

He was vocal in his opposition for his mother's trial and subsequent execution and I even read that James was "Desperate for his mother's life". He even destroyed the casket letters in 1584, which although may confirm that they may have had actual proof against Mary, was definitely a move so that his mother can rest in peace after her death and that her memory and legacy will stop being trashed and disgraced because of the letters.

Who knows what really went through his mind. Did he really care about her? Or was he was just looking to release her because he was worried that her execution and her bad reputation would also affect him and his chances to get the throne? There is some reason to believe this last one because Fontenay, the French Ambassador, noted that whenever James talked about his mother, he never “inquired anything of the queen or of her health, or her treatment, her servants, her living, and eating, her recreation, or anything similar.” And how could he when he never knew her and the people who raised him kept telling him ugly stuff about her? To those that were closest to the young King, his mother was the devil incarnate. 

Whichever was, Elizabeth I was never going to release Mary Queen of Scots anytime soon and she must have made this very clear because the following year in 1585, when James was 19, he agreed with her decision to keep his mother in prison and even called Elizabeth “Madame Mother”. Imagine how this  made Mary feel,her only son, the only hope she had to get free, calling her jailer ‘mother’. It was at this point that she started looking for other means to be released. Ultimately we know they all failed.

I didn't really want this to turn into another post about Mary, but she is so involved in the history of it all she will inevitably turn up time and time again. Anyway more on Young james.......

King James was tutored by George Buchanan and Peter Young.  He was a dedicated student and by the age of 8 he was fluent in French, Latin, Greek, and English. This stern upbringing would inspire him to appreciate the arts and sciences and encourage the learning of them all throughout his reign, the King once remarked, that he could speak Latin before he could speak his native Scots. Because of his linguistic capabilities, King James typically did not need a translator when conducting business with other heads of state. King James grew into a powerful king with a powerful pen--he had peace at home and abroad, something few of his ancestors could dream of. His motto was His motto was "Beati Pacifici,"--Blessed are the peacemakers, not to mixed up with -Blessed are the cheesemakers, which of course came from The Life of Brian! ;)

King James' great aspiration to be the first King of both Scotland and England was realized in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. When he ascended to the English throne that year he had already been king of Scotland for 36 years. He was now known as King James VI of Scotland & I of England. This came with its own dangers, and of course one of the most famous plots in history, still remembered every November in is known as Guy Fawkes Night.

As a Scotsman ruling over the English, the King endured much racism and slander--especially from the once powerful English Lords and Ladies who he replaced with his Scottish countrymen. Unfortunately, many of today's historians look to the writings of hostile sources such as Sir Anthony Weldon and Francis Osborne as accurate descriptions of the king, nowadays we would say, Haters gonna hate! 

The king wrote of his enemies: "They quarrel me (not for any evil or vice in me) but because I was a king, which they thought the highest evil, and because they were ashamed to profess this quarrel they were busy to look narrowly in all my actions, and I warrant you a moat in my eye, yes a false report was matter enough for them to work upon."

The thing with King James is he believed in the doctrine of the divine right of kings and the monarch's duty to reign according to God's law and the public good. This would be handed down to his son Charles I and then to Charles II leading to the loss of many lives during their reigns in The English Civil War,The Bishops Wars and of course The Killing Time.

As a lover of the theatre, King James became patron to the troop of one of his most famous subjects--William Shakespeare, the playwright. Shakespeare's troop came to be known as the King's Men. Shakespeare and the King held a special relationship as they both loved literature. It is said Shakespeare wrote his famous play, "Macbeth" specifically for King James.  The "Scottish Play" as it is known in theatrical circles may well be one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, but when you look at the real history of Macbeth, the play was basically The Braveheart of it's day!

Afew other facts surrounding James and his legacy, the US  Jamestowne is home to the ruins of the first permanent English speaking settlement in the country, and named in his honour. 

To this day the translation of the bible he ordered is known as the Authorized King James Bible. He appointed 54 men to the committee who were not only the best linguists and scholars in the kingdom, but in the world. Much of their work on the King James Bible formed the basis for our linguistic studies of today.

King James had a life filled with accomplishments but  he was a man acquainted with grief. He was a sickly man who had physical handicaps in his legs and allegedly a tongue that was too large for his mouth! As a result of his unsteady gait, the king had numerous falls, accidents and injuries. He suffered from crippling arthritis, abdominal colic, gout, inability to sleep, weak/spasmic limbs, nausea, frequent diarrhea, and kidney pain. Some believe that he may have had congenital diseases of the nervous system. Sometimes the pain was so great that the king became delirious.

To add to his ill-health, the James it is thought  suffered from depression from the death by his eldest son, Prince Henry in 1612 and his Queen in 1619. James VI was no stranger to pain and sorrow.

I didn't set out to put a long post like this together sometimes they just happen, King James VI & I died on March 27th , 1625 at Theobalds Park in Herts, England. He was 58 years old when he died and had been King of Scotland for most of those years, as well monarch of England for 22, he was buried at Westminster Abbey. 

Unlike many Scottish monarchs, King James died in his bed at peace with his subjects and foreign countries. He also passed royal power on, intact, to an adult son which was also quite unusual.

[beingallelite]

"They need to stop this match. Seriously. Or someone's going to die."

The fans sitting directly behind me at All Elite Wrestling's All Out last month in Chicago were worried about Nick Jackson. The younger of the two Jackson brothers who make up the iconic Young Bucks tag team, Nick is the daredevil of the team: a high-flying wild man who seemingly knows no fear.

But everyone in the audience felt it for him during the "Escalera De La Muerte" match with the Lucha Bros—especially as he tumbled from atop a ladder all the way to the floor where he missed all but a piece of the two tables that were supposed to break his fall. It was the highlight-reel spot in a spectacle that was immediately ensconced in wrestling legend, one of the most incredible stunt shows the sport has seen.

"We probably almost went too far," Nick admits in an exclusive interview. "There was a point where I almost died when the ladder was tossed and I clipped the top rope with my feet and went through the table. And one minute later, Matt landed awkwardly on his side when Penta pushed the ladder. Those two things weren't supposed to go down that way, but when they did go completely wrong, that's when I was thinking 'I hope fans are not thinking this is too much.'

"...I think it was my idea to end the feud with a ladder match. We just didn't know what we were going to name it at the time. (AEW owner) Tony (Khan) loved the idea to do a ladder match at the end. We knew if we had a ladder match with these guys it would be nuts because we've had ladder matches before but we'd never had a ladder match with two of the craziest wrestlers in the business today.

"We knew if we got them in a ladder match, it would probably make history. And here we are now."

Before Nick even began his frantic, foolish and utterly spectacular fall, his brother Matt knew something had gone horribly wrong.

"Immediately, I knew that there was going to be an issue," Matt says. "Nick was supposed to be climbing a 10-foot ladder, but the Luchas had by mistake taken out the 8-foot ladder. From the rehearsal we knew it was gonna take a 10-foot. When I saw Nick climbing the 8-footer, I thought 'He's not gonna make it. I don't even know why he's trying, he's not gonna make it.'

"I'm on the floor panicked but what do you do? I figured he's gonna have to climb to the very, very top rung, which he pretty much did. He was on the second to last. I was concerned, but I thought to myself as long as he can make one of the tables he'll be OK and it can help break his fall.

"I saw him up there, and as he was falling, my heart almost stopped. I was watching my little brother just almost die right there in the match."

It was a frightening moment. But despite the pleas of some in our section, the match continued. Matt still had some high-risk, high-impact spots of his own to close the bout and knew his brother, despite being banged up, was going to be OK.

"We always give each other a look to kind of talk to each other," Matt says. "We've been doing this long enough now we can talk to each other without actually speaking to each other. I can just look at his eyes. I saw his eyes and he gave me the look like 'I'm OK.'

"We have such good referees at AEW who we trust with our lives. Rick Knox has been reffing our matches our entire career, so he's been with us throughout these types of matches. He communicated with Nick right away and then he came and told me that he was OK. It is like a game of Telephone. We're all talking without talking. There's this secret society stuff going on and nobody realizes it."

While the fan-favorite Young Bucks lost the match, no one in the audience could be too upset. They were, it seemed, just happy that everyone survived the carnage.

Because of their popular YouTube series, Being The Elite, the Bucks seem less like distant and unapproachable celebrity athletes and more like close friends you simply haven't met yet. It's a unique relationship that gives fans a cheering interest in the match that feels different to anything else in wrestling.

"I feel like when we get hurt, or almost get hurt, they are so emotionally invested it's like watching their friend almost die," Matt says. "The crowd would go to a hushed silence after some of those bad falls because they really care about us.

"This is one of the few matches of my career, that I can remember, where fans were literally begging me to never do one again. When the fans are saying that, it really hits home for me. Maybe we have pushed the boundaries a little too far. We had guardian angels watching over us that night."

Tag team action, though perhaps action not quite this risky, will be a staple of AEW programming. The division has been dormant in the American mainstream for decades, with even title matches serving as little more than pre-show fodder on WWE's top shows.

The Bucks, executives as well as wrestlers for the new promotion, are uniquely situated to serve as their own proof of concept, demonstrating to any skeptics that tag team wrestling can mean money in contemporary wrestling.

"For some reason, whatever it is, Vince McMahon just doesn't like tag team wrestling," Nick says. "And for 20 years now, he's controlled the mainstream market in wrestling. It's become a lost art form because of that. I think we're gonna change that come October 2 because we have the best tag teams in wrestling. We're gonna focus on it more so than anything you've seen in 20 years. Don't be surprised if a tag team match is the main event on TV multiple times a year."

Wearing the dual hat as executive and wrestler hasn't always been easy for others who have attempted to pull it off over the years. In the case of AEW, all four executive vice presidents (the Bucks, Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega) are among the most popular acts in the company. That means they'll be putting themselves into prominent positions on the card, something that might not sit well with other wrestlers and a subsection of hypercritical fans.

"There's a fine line, but when it's all said and done, Tony is the last call to order," Nick says. "He has final say on everything. There have been two times now where Matt and I have actually said 'OK, we want to lose tonight' and it gets to Tony and he goes, 'Nope, you guys are winning.' We tried to dispute and we've failed both times. Of course, fans aren't going to see that and will probably think I'm even lying by saying it, but it's the truth."

While Matt agrees it's a tricky situation, he believes it's manageable if they keep the same ethos and philosophies that have guided them to this point.

"I never even wanted to tell people I was an EVP and it just kind of got out," he says. "There are other EVPs who love that. They want to talk about it. That's fine, but Nick and I have always been the type of people who say, 'No, I'm always a wrestler first and I want people to think of me as a wrestler.'

"We always just want to be one of the boys. It's tricky territory. They are going to say, 'Well, they're booking it. Of course, they're gonna go over.' Then there's the argument they are the popular act everyone wants to see so, of course, they should win.

"I don't think we should overthink it. A big reason we did this was to shine a spotlight on talent that isn't as well-known, and Nick and I are very unselfish in that way. We really want to get other people over.

"We don't have to win every match. We've been losing most of our career, people don't realize. We probably don't have a winning record if you looked at it. It's not that important to us, but we should keep ourselves to a point where we don't look overly weak. It's very, very tricky, and you know what? We are never going to be able to keep everybody happy."

By next week at this time, the inaugural episode of AEW Dynamite will be done. What the promotion is, and what it should be, will be widely debated for weeks and probably years to come. But the Jacksons know from experience what they don't want it to be if they want to see success.

"You have to be different," Nick says. "You can't try to be them. The one thing TNA did wrong was try to be a lesser version of them. We can't be them because we're not competing with them. We have to be different and we have to listen to the fans."

For Matt, it's all about serving the audience that helped get them here. AEW talks about fans as family and intends to build a show wrestling fans can love, not one they watch begrudgingly hoping this is the week when things turn around.

"They feel like they're so neglected," Matt says. "The things that they want, they just don't get. What we learned early on when we did our first show, All In, was we built this entire show and gave the fans the finishes they wanted, and they came out of that show feeling so good.

"Some of the things they expected, but we learned that it's OK sometimes if they expect something and they want something, you just give it to them. It's what a really good television show is. You build to this climax and you're thinking in the back of your head, 'Man, when they get to the season finale, they have to do it this way,' and then just imagine actually doing that.

"Aesthetically, we have to look, we have to smell, we have to sound different. If you're flipping through the channels on Wednesday night, you have to know within one second from looking at one frame of our show, 'Oh, that's AEW.'"

While no one can say for sure yet what AEW Dynamite will look like, The Young Bucks are willing to share what it won't be. As much of their success as they owe to Being The Elite, they have no intention of trying to duplicate their YouTube phenomenon on mainstream television. Instead, it will morph into a companion piece for the actual show, continuing to develop characters and bringing the audience closer to the performers as people.

"We're going to keep those things separate, and I kind of like that," Matt says. "I think BTE should live on YouTube. It can be the TV-MA version of our show. You can watch SCU do a PG-13 rant on the Turner program, and you can watch Frankie (Kazarian) drop 12 f-bombs on Being The Elite.

"As for the Road To program, I would love it if we kept a lot of that stuff and put it on the television show because that's a great way to develop characters and tell their stories. I think our television show will look like a lot of the stuff on Road To."

By Wednesday, the guessing games can finally come to an end. After months of buildup, AEW will finally have arrived on national television. Stay tuned to this space for weekly coverage and more exclusive interviews and content.

Hard Times Promo of the Week

The wrestlers of WWE and AEW spent months building a bridge of good will, agreeing almost to a person that a second major wrestling promotion could only benefit the talent.

The rise of AEW and NXT gives prospective wrestlers two more places to ply their trade and creates dozens of full-time jobs in a business that had been shrinking for decades.

Well, Kenny Omega took a flamethrower to that bridge last week, dismissing NXT wrestlers as little more than preliminary fodder still in the developmental stage of their careers. This week, just in case, he firebombed what was left of the relationship between the two groups in an incredible promo on Being The Elite.

Omega, sitting in front of a giant blowup poster of his Pro Wrestling Illustrated cover, ostensibly apologized for his previous comments. But then, thinking the camera was off in an ode to The Simpsons' "Gabbo" episode, proceeded to give "those SOBs" the business. In particular, he targeted NXT preliminary wrestler Dominik Dijakovic in an in-character rant.

Here's the money segment:

"He's not even used. OK? But I can see him. Donovon D--khead. Right? Sitting there, 'Now Triple H will push me. I'm gonna get the TV time now! I'm gonna stand up for the team.'

"I speak a promo in character, OK? Is he mad that I said bad things about Jon Moxley? No. How many fans do you think came to me and said, 'Kenny, not cool, bro! You really want to hurt Jon Moxley? You're not sympathetic to his injury?' How many people do you think f--king said that?

"No, its these children. It's these people that barely have a grasp on the English language and they're tweeting at me saying, ‘How dare you say that these guys are developmental talent! They're not developmental and they're better than you actually. They did more for the business than you!'

"OK. You want f--king reality? You know how many match-of-the-year awards I have? You know how many records I f--king broke? I shattered. And no one is ever gonna rebreak them.

"People in Japan are still trying on a daily basis to be the next Kenny Omega. They're trying so hard."

Three-Count: Looking Ahead

AEW Dynamite (October 2, TNT)

Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara: Cody is one of the biggest stars in wrestling. If he doesn't beat Guevara, an athletic high-spot artist with a relatively low national profile, I'll be shocked.

The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho and two mystery partners: The Elite had an excellent six-man tag match at Fyter Fest against the Lucha Brothers and Laredo Kid. While the match itself will no doubt be fantastic, the air of mystery here recalls the spirit of the Monday Night Wars. Who will be in Jericho's corner? We'll have to wait and see.

Nyla Rose vs. Riho (AEW Women's Championship): The AEW executive team has high hopes for the women's division. While there has been some solid action so far, nothing has truly stood out—in part because the AEW cards have been filled with incredible matches and spectacles. Perhaps this will be the bout that makes the world take note?