#but ofc the optics would have been bad even at the time

[cto10121]

Carlisle was the 16th century son of a Protestant preacher, Esme was an abused wife from Columbus, Ohio, Alice is from Biloxi, Mississippi, Jasper is from 19th century Houston, Texas, Edward was the son of a lawyer from Chicago in the 1910s, and Emmett is from Tennessee from a large Scotch-Irish family.

The Cullens are white asf and the fact that Hardwicke thought she could get away with telling Stephenie Meyer herself, of all people, that the Cullens should be cast as different ethnicities despite their canon appearance and backstories, speaks volumes as to her understanding of the story. Volumes.

[variousqueerthings]

I think it's also interesting to see how things change depending on the time in which they're being engaged with. so I see things about rose today that point out that she's written to be 19 when she meets the doctor and that's a big age difference (which... I understand the point is it's a big age difference because billie piper was 23 and eccleston was 40, and then dtennant was like 34/35 when he started which isn't so big of a shift but anyway the optics I get what people are getting at, but also I think it does oversimplify a lot of what's actually going on in the written dynamic, anyway-)

and also that the rtd run's Themes start coming together properly around s3 (although they are present from day one), and in some ways at this point, because nu!who has been running for... fuckn. actually quite a few years, which is wild to me as someone who started watching as a kid, and I wonder if classic!who fans felt the same way about their show and anyway -- she shifts from being Literally The First Companion You'd Seen For 17 Years (not counting the movie and fan things and the sketch) Who Was Defining A New Era For A New Generation to... a companion

comparable to other companions, comparable to the rest of the show

we sift through the writing to see what worked and what didn't (in our opinion), and we know how the ten-and-rose storyline Really ends, and how the ten storyline ends (sort, of because now that doctor and donna are Back), and we know what happens afterwards, and we talk about tenrose with a 2020s eye, and rose is "just" one of the people that travels with the doctor, one of several, and notably the one who gets most of the sunshiney doctor that buries a lot of the (wonderfully portrayed) angst of the latter half of the rtd show, and doesn't have as much lore as everything after that, so the story is "just" more simple overall

and to me she's kind of incapable of being just that. doctor who was still a risk that first season, it wasn't a done deal that it would have legs at all, never mind that it would continue for as long as it has. rose was created to be the Face of what nu!who was, moreso than nine/eccleston, because even with the extra angst and the eccleston gravitas, we know the doctor, the doctor is established, it's not actually the doctor that needs to sell what the new show is going to become and what the Feel of that new show is going to be (I mean, partly ofc, but-)

rose was doing so much heavy lifting and she succeeded! she was the face of who before dtennant or any other doctor or companion of his era and subsequent eras. she was created to appeal to a demographic of girls who wanted someone relatable in science fiction, because rtd wanted this to be for the girls, and billie piper came into it off the back of being a popstar and it changed her entire trajectory (for the better I think/hope -- there's a lot of bad shit in billie piper's past and I'm always sending her a fond thought)

nine/ten-and-rose were It! not calling it romantic or platonic or any secret third thing (haunting the narrative), but simply It! that's why it has so much staying power as a ship (which, my opinion on shipping has been somewhat *eh shrug* in later years, but in early-days when that was how you engaged with dynamics that got to you, of course it was going to be massive). it's so hard to properly describe how "for the time in which it was made" that this dynamic was written for, and how successful it was. it was rose that breathed doctor who -- and the doctor's character -- to life, as much as herself

she sets the stage for everything that comes next, both within and without the show proper

and I'm always so pleased that rtd at the time was thinking about what was needed to create this character and he opened with a shot from a girl on the estate with messy hair, clumpy eyeliner, and a minimum wage job, and went "that's the girl who's going to go on the adventure of a lifetime, that's the girl we're seeing the story through and relating to, because that's what girls (and uh... those who were girls at the time - and their parents and the boys) should be seeing."

I know rose isn't the first working class companion including classic!who, but she set the tone for nu!who and her family and background are important to why she is who she is, and is explored

"I've got no A-levels, no job, no future-" said the girl about to see the universe

she was very much for teenagers, and so she reads differently when you're an adult watching it back (much like those "teenager saves the world," novels you loved as a kid), but that's why she's 19 at the beginning. that's why she's billie piper (who does a perfect job). she was there to bring a new generation into this story, and it was perfect. and then she grows up. and we grew up. and she had adventures and it was brilliant and she survived and she made a life for herself. that's her story

[centrally-unplanned]

Somewhat unrelated (so in ask instead of additional reblog but) - have an opinion on the sentiment I see sometimes that the Warren people basically 'won the peace' in terms of getting all the day-to-day influential mid-level appointments post-inauguration?

Yeah, I have heard that, and I don't think it is crazy! Biden's admin is definitely more progressive than any admin so far (as much as one can say such a thing over time), and a lot of that reality is downstream of staffing picks like Lina Khan to the FTC. To get at the "implications" of this I definitely don't think the progressive faction were like suckers or anything, my point was that the parties work differently; this is the way someone like Warren exerted influence, and it was a win for that side.

To dig in more I think this was less political dealmaking than people make it out to be - Biden and his team authentically believed in a more active, aggressive place for the government in economic regulation & industrial policy. So while they were "Warren picks" it is more that Biden and Warren just agreed here, and these topics are low-level enough that Biden didn't have to worry about like optics and stuff, he could do what he wanted (relatively ofc) And hey, the entire electorate is just more "statist" in this regard, left and right, so the optics weren't even much of an issue.

The second point I would make is back to exactly that "squashing" of factions - the Warren Camp "winning the peace" is very explicitly on a relatively narrow range of economic regulatory issues. If you take the "racial justice" angle that Kamala was meant to appease, I think Biden has been perfectly fine on this topic, but a mainstream Dem; all of the causes of that movement have been virtually dropped at the federal level. They lost, and they lost big, as a political faction. Did Warren ever care about these issues? In my opinion, no, not really! She has always been an economic crusader. So while it isn't a ding on her specifically, for the Warren-equivalent on these kinds of issues, I don't think you can say they won the peace.

The third point I want to make is the limits of this kind of win - Lina Khan has not set herself up for a run for the Senate. Pete Buttegieg did, and he has done it being a centrist. Mid-level department appointees don't build political capital, they don't win races. They don't decide the future of the party, not directly at least. JD Vance has very, very good odds of being the President of the United States some day - a role that his own party has engineered to have expanding policy authority and growing immunity from checks and balances. What did Warren get? Policy for this 4 years, sure, that isn't small. But I think the current political climate, where the trendlines are imo starkly pivoting back to centrism, show the limits of that.

I'll also add a bit of a tangent point: has Lina Khan been good? Was student debt relief a good idea? Did Julie Siegel as Treasury Deputy Sec or Anne Reid as Deputy Chief of Staff at HHS really change the game? I don't think they were bad or anything, they have their wins (good action on drug prices for example). But I don't think the past four years have been transformational for anti-trust or financial regulation in the "actually making things better" department. This is more subjective of course, I obviously personally don't think Warren is right in her critique of the US economy. But my point is that if your influence is going to be through explicit policy and not sitting congressmen, then that policy being good and winning converts is crucial for it to have longevity. I don't know if that case has been won for Warren & co.

[just-a-carrot]

okookookkokoko WHERE DO I EVEN START. I LOVE THIS GAME SM SMH BUT I HAVE A HARD TIME EXPLAINING STUFF SO TAKE THIS SHORT PASSAGE. (Most of this will be an unorganized ramble btw)

(SPOILER WARNING FOR MOST ARCS)

I played T2A2G and OC before this so um. Guess which route I did lmao. SPEAKING OF ROUTES, GENZOU GENZOU GEZNOU GEZNOU GEZNOU OMG GENZOU. I RELATE TO THIS MAN IN WAYS I DID NOT KNOW I COULD RELATE TO A CHARACTER. LIKE WTH?? HE HAS SUCH A TRANSPARENT CLOSET LOL. And also speaking of Genzou I do have a few questions related to him

-Is Genzou fully blind? I don't think he is bc of his cane but I heard it's different in some countries so idk

-We learn Genzou is (supposedly) taking antidepressants in Arc 2. Is he clinically depressed? (According to the Visual Noval Database he is anyways but idk)

-HOW TF DOES HE DEAL WITH BEING CANNIBALIZED TWICE LIKE DAMN..I WOULD HAVE A BREAKDOWN NO MATTER WHO I'M WITH??

-Did Genzou's friends ever like assume that he was gay?? Or like did he tell anyone?? Or did he try his best to hide it lmao

-Did anyone think/know that Gen had a crush on Iggy??

-GENZOU WITHOUT HIS HAT <333

I love Genzou sm if you couldn't tell already /p

ARC 3 CONFUSED ME SM LOL. I thought that I had accidently switched routes (even though I hadn't even made my LI choice, I ofc didn't know this atm though) from Genzou to Orlam and I was fr so confused like waht. Also like I feel so bad for Orlam wth </3.

HUMAN JERRY.

OO ALSO SOME MORE THINGS

-During some parts (mostly during arcs 3/4) I HAD TO PLAY A RELAXING PLAYLISTS BECASE I FELT OVERWHELMED/ANXIOUS/IDEK?? AND AT SOME POINT I JS GAVE UP AND STATED PLAYING HYPERCORE LMAO

-I LOV ELOVE LOVE THE WAY THAT THE NEUTRAL ENDING COLLIDES(???) WITH OC LIEK WHATWHDWATDHFWHWFTHAFG. IDK BUT FOR ME IT MAKES ME FEEL LIEK IT'S THE MORE "CANON" ENDING EVEN THOUGH THERE IS (probably) NO CANON ENDING.

-I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE GALLERY LIEK OMG??

-Some of my favorite liens in the game were the homicidal gardener lines (both referring to Iggs and Gen), when Gen was arguing with Jerry, When Genzou was telling iggs during the Arc 5 Kiddie Cruise scene that it shoudn't be a choice like I WAS GONNA CHOOSE DONT JUMP JS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS LOL

-I also relate a lot to Iggy in some forms

-GIDGET.

-I took a total of 260 screenshots of this game (as of now heheh)

UM YH THATS ALL SORRY IF IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND OR TOO ENERGETIC BUT I TRULY LOVE THIS GAME SM. Ima go replay OC again byes <3 :3 BEST REGARDS ILYSM /p

KDFJLADFA this message is so chaotic, i love it

first off, i'm really happy you like the game (and genzou) weep. thank you so much for all the kind words 😭💕 i'm also always super intrigued to see where/how ppl came into the game, so hearing you played T2A2G and OC first is very interesting to me lakdjfkdjfa

regarding your questions:

yes he is; i do think he sees a bit of light/shadow (which is different to an answer i gave some time ago, but i've been thinking about it since) but that's about it; it's a result of traumatic optic neuropathy

yes he is; he's been on meds and seeing a therapist for a while

i cannot answer this question LOL 🤣 i also don't know. i guess the only answer is that he has no choice

mmm... he never outright told anyone in the friend group. tbh he doesn't outright tell many people, mostly as he's just a bit of a private person in that regard and keeps to himself outside of attempting dating apps every now and then. i would not say he actively attempted to hide it though aside from around iggy. as for other people assuming i think it was something many of them did kinda realize but never said anything also

similar here, i think some of them kinda knew. i think gidget knew, even if they kinda ignored it, because it prompted their jealousy on a few occasions. i think orlam had a bit of a guess but it wasn't really confirmed until later

LDKAJFSLDKFA THAT'S NOT A QUESTION

LOL about the routes. indeed, if you don't realize that actually all the "routes" are mandatory parts of the story until the finale then it can be confusing if you thought you were going for a specific char early on or something 🤣 it's not like the games where you can pick your route and then the rest of the game is that route

hahaha yeah i wouldn't say there's a "canon" ending. for one, i feel like that would kinda defeat the point of having different possibilities to begin with. why make other choices if there's only ever one canon ending? i want people to be able to choose however they want the story to end. i mostly connected the neutral ending to OC as a sort of self-indulgent gift to myself, because i thought it would be very sweet if iggy would still have a chance to find companionship with one of his friends later on even if he chose to focus on himself first. like that it just keeps it open. i also just thought it'd be a fun easter egg to give ppl more incentive to at least try the neutral route as i figure most ppl would not choose that route as it's kinda short compared to the others and doesn't give as much closure to the other chars

260 SCREENSHOTS LDKJFASDLFA

sob thank you for this lovely message!! it was really fun answering your questions hahaha and i'm really glad you liked the game so much!! it means a lot!! 💕

[kojoty]

It is funny that everyone can point to the aesthetification of punk or emo and read it as a hollow, capitalized, defanged version of a counter culture alternative grouping of communities that commodifies and takes the power from an actual threat to capital (and, in the truest forms of expression, anti colonial, anti racist, anti bigot etc)-- the commodification of a lifestyle is to inherently eat it and then present an Angler Fish predator of illusionary revolution that nonetheless reproduces the system with which it has been hive minded into-- and yet. And yet, except in very specifically fringe groupings of historians and other, well, hippies, I don't see the same awareness or cohesive 'oh duh' moment to the caricatureization of hippies and freaks.

Ofc, to give nuance, many of the true counter cultural folks just moved on with the times and ended up just in a less defined 'aesthetic' as is the grouping I usually just umbrella default to 'folk' (which yes, has been commodified, but not in the same sense that 'alternative' has been commodified).

But one of the greatest psy-ops of the 20th century Imo was the way in which 'hippies' (by which I really mean the Freaks, a term that was arguably used more but is less commercially friendly to be calling an entire movement when you caricature and debarb it) was so fully caricatured, and a movement was completely erased.

To give the obvious sidebar and second caveat-- yes, I'm aware of the 'problematic' and less than stellar political optics of the 'hippie' movement. But in the same vein that talking about Marxism on this site and rebutting with 'well what about tankies!' is just a praxied conversational stop gap of bad faith interpretations and willful nuance-killing ignorance, this post isn't about interrogating those that even at the time were hopping on the coattails of an incredibly powerful social movement for less political motivations.

And at some point, I would like to pour through soke of the literature I have on the topic and write a fully researched academic deconstruction of the movement, because I really do think the Freaks of the 60s mirror a lot of the political activism occurring now, and lest we learn from the past, I'm afraid of this, too, being caricatured and defanged before it has a chance to win.

('Win.' Also a complex term that would take a paper to define.)

But the salient thesis here being that, at its core, the Freaks and Hippies of the 60s were, by 1969, creating a multicultural, social, and political revolution that was cross-racial, cross-gendered, cross-cultured, cross-sexual etc, intent on tearing down the structures of power in place that operated on capital and subjugation to hold 'peace' as a contractual perk for maintaining injustice. And that, this intercrossing of revolutionary communities and countercultural groupings (much like the end of the 1860s and 1870s post war) was registering as a threat to the establishment, and thus needed to be divided. The Hippie movement didn't commit suicide and poisoned by it's own political messaging; it was, like the CIA and other government institutions have done before, methodically and rititualistically poisoned, and when it was murdered, the gun was planted on the corpse. The caricaturization of the Freaks is money in the pockets of those that killed peace.

[bbq-hawks-wings]

The strangest thing about endeavor and bakugo to an extent is despite how divisive they are they feel like the most human and nuanced out of the cast on the hero’s side for me. They’re not always good people but try to be good. I can relate to them more because of those flaws. And they’re good reminders that just because you’re a hero doesn’t mean you’re always a good person. I think endeavor is treated with such hatred is because ofc he abused his family but because he’s a hero it feels like a betrayal of sorts? Like how it sucks that police have abused their power. These are people we trust are lives to and look up at times and have expectations. But one bad hero doesnt devalue the whole group’s good actions.

oof anon, you remind me of something with that line, its similar to what AFO said. "One murder makes a villain millions a hero." -different anon

I hope you don't mind me combining these two! I feel they're very closely related even if this ended up being geared more towards story speculation.

I think you're both exactly right. This what I think is at least part of what "the worst yet to come" is going to be for the story as well - the court of public opinion. It's all about optics.

For people the public already know about, with Bakugo for example, he isn't personable or friendly. He doesn't inspire comfort which is most people equate with security. There were already people who felt he was just one good shove away from making an about face.

Endeavor had the same kind of image. He was big and intimidating and tough, so you wouldn't expect him to kneel down and pat your head when you fall and scrape your knee the way All Might would have. Nevertheless, he isn't well liked even if people trusted that he'd direct that hotheadedness towards bad guys. Now that they know what's he's done to his family, the people he should have been the most tender and protective over, all of that will go into question.

And we haven't properly address that all this destruction, mayhem, and chaos the heroes did their best to avoid - civilians had absolutely no clue whatsoever. We knew things would come to a head soon, but as far as the average person knew nothing was wrong in the first place. From their perspective, everything was fine until an honest-to-God kaiju came barrelling through the country and a living bomb wiped a city off the map in less than a minute. All that build up of Hawks gathering intel, prepping others, and avoiding the worst case scenario means nothing to them. As far as they're likely to be concerned (at least at first) it was the heroes swatting the hornet's nest that started this whole mess in the first place. Oh, what's that - he's the son of a killer? Makes sense, apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

And the dominos continue to fall.

It's a crying shame because of how many people are ignorant - willfully or otherwise - of how much work and effort the heroes put in to be taken down by the actions of a few or information twisted into a narrative that will force them to fight an uphill battle, and that the battle isn't even for themselves - it's for other people even if they benefit in the end.

[mermaidsirennikita]

I kinda wish they could skipped over Benedict’s story and do Francesca’s story instead lol. Benedict’s story is so meh, like even in TDAI there were some good moments before that rape scene. Benedict had no personality besides being a whiny privileged man with no actual problems besides complaining about being the second son. Like just get a job then lol. This is probably why I liked the later books, cause at least Hyacinth and Gregory don’t have issues just for the sake of it. I also think the show writers don’t do a good job making casual viewers, who aren’t familiar with the regency era, understand why some characters do the things that they do. If they still include Benedict asking Sophie to be her mistress or his mother’s maid instead of just asking her to marry him, then people are going to be very confused. The book’s title should have been “An Order from an Gentleman”, cause Benedict never gave Sophie much of a choice to call that an “offer” lol.

Honestly, I don't mind them adapting Benedict's story, exaaaactly but I do think it's inevitable that a lot will have to be altered to create a plausible story.

A) Benedict pressuring Sophie for sex is not going to play well in 2021

B) Benedict seems pretty different from his book persona--he's basically the stand-in "liberal/ahead of his time" guy to Eloise's "liberal/ahead of her time" girl in the family, which he wasn't in the book

C) His conflict really doesn't make a lot of sense for TV purposes (it's not very dramatic~) and already seems? Resolved? As of s1? Lmao. Like we just watched Benedict learn about how people who aren't upper class and straight and ~typical are actually cool. Is he now going to not be cool with marrying someone who isn't upper class? Despite ostensibly being madly in love with her?

Tbh, you don't see as many historical romances today that have such a simple conflict, in part because I think it's played out and in part because a lot of 21st century readers are kind of... over... rich white men being like OH GOD IF ONLY I COULD MARRY A POOR GIRL. I'm not saying interclass romances are gone, but there are often a LOT of other things going on in them besides class issues, whereas An Offer from A Gentleman doesn't... have a lot happening.... besides that.

And as I've said before, I think it'll be jarring for people to see Benedict go "how could I marry this woman my family wouldn't approve of" after the show features two seasons of his only living parent being like "I mean, I can't have the family's head out with an opera singer but generally speaking marry 4 love" and his brother/keeper of the pursestrings learning about interfering in love affairs and softening significantly after having his own. Like. Why does Benedict caaaaaare. Is Anthony reeeeeally gonna cut his ass off if he marries Sophie (nooooo).

I would agree that JQ struggled with making it clear that these issues... mattered. The family was just so fucking warm and modern as a rule--why would an interclass romance be that much of a problem for them? If the big interclass conflict had been book 1 and they all had to learn a lesson, I think it would've made more sense. If it had been Anthony struggling with it, or any of the daughters for that matter, it would've made more sense.

And finally lol....... dude, everyone wants Sophie to be played by a woman of color. The optics of every season being a white Bridgerton getting their life spiced up~ by a person of color aside (aside from s4 ofc) there are the incredibly bad optics of a white man asking a woman of color to be his mom's maid. So that he can fuck her, ostensibly.

There just have to be alterations made, as is always the case with adaptations.... but especially here. Then again, this is coming from a team that was like "yeah, let's keep the rape" so who knows?

[saiilorstars]

Rise Up

Ch.7: At Odds

Previous Story: It Had To Be You || Current Masterlist

Pairings: Barry Allen x OFC

Chapter Summary: Belén and Barry come to odds with their plans to fight against Zoom for the first time.

Pronunciation of OC: Bell-en. The last syllable has an emphasis so it’s not pronounced like ‘Helen’ would be.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog​ @maaaaarveeeeel​

[If you’d like to be part of this OC’s taglist, let me know!]

"Just let me go. Let me disappear," Dr. Light pleaded from her prison pod. She probably sounded like a broken record but it didn't matter to her. Ever since the team decided to try to reason with her, all she kept saying was to be freed so she could hide from Zoom. Unfortunately for her, they weren't having it.

"You would spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, never knowing when Zoom is coming," Barry meant to serve as a reminder but all Dr. Light did was shrug. "Okay, how were you supposed to contact him after you killed me?"

"I was supposed to get something... something I could only get if you were dead... and then throw it through the breach as proof," Light explained.

"And then what?"

"Then he'd come for me. Confirm the kill and bring me home," Light exasperatedly sighed. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to find him."

"You really don't," Light said with widened, alarmed eyes.

"He's gonna keep coming for me. He's gonna keep kidnapping people like you, forcing them to do what he wants," Barry shook his head. "I have to stop him before more people die."

"You can't stop Zoom. Okay, everyone on my Earth knows that Zoom wants the Flash from another world," Light shook her head fiercely. "You're not getting away. He has plans."

"Among those is the Siphoner?" Belén walked into the pipeline, throwing Barry a look for his secret meeting with the metahuman.

"It's only a matter of time until she comes," Light warned quietly, her voice indicating she was as much afraid of Datura as she was of Zoom.

"Well too late," Belén crossed her arms, "She's already here." Her revelation seemed to freeze Light in her spot. Fear accumulated in her eyes, making the other two metas almost feel sorry for her.

"You have to let me go!" Light pounded a fist against the pod. "If Datura is here it means Zoom knows I failed. She's going to siphon me or kill me!"

"Then help us take them down before they do any more harm," Barry still tried to reason with her, hoping that her fear would somehow help her see they were her only option now.

But Light refused. "Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work. Because if you somehow manage to escape Zoom's speed, you won't escape Datura's touch. A lot of us have tried and they're dead."

"We'll see," Barry meant it as a challenge.

~ 0 ~

"Zoom wants Doctor Light to send him your new emblem…" Caitlin repeated after hearing the story. It actually made sense in the villain's perspective, but since none of them were villains it just sounded plain crazy.

"Yes. We need it for bait," Barry glanced momentarily at his suit sitting on the display. "If we can get Doctor Light to take my emblem, throw it through the breach, then Zoom will come to collect my body, and we can trap him."

Cisco wasn't happy with that idea. "You know it took a lot of work to make that emblem, right?"

"Am I the only one who remembers that she tried to kill Linda just to escape Zoom?" Caitlin decided to input in case they truly had forgotten that crucial detail.

"Linda sure hasn't," Belén snorted.

"Look, I know we can get her to help us," Barry could almost promise it was the case. "She's rational, she'll see it's the only way."

"Before I left Earth-2, I worked on a serum to dampen Zoom's speed. All we would need is for Ramon to develop a weapon to deliver it," Harry shared.

"Oh, great, that could be this year's cold gun," Belén shot Cisco a warning look that he shouldn't even try it. "Maybe another criminal can get it, and then we'd have Sergeant Slow."

"I would never let that happen. Sergeant Slow is a terrible name," Cisco flatly responded with.

"Are we forgetting how much more powerful than Barry Zoom seems to be?" Caitlin looked at them incredulously. "I mean, if Barry can catch bullets, what's to say Zoom can't catch whatever you shoot at him?"

"Surprise... the element of surprise," Harry laid it out for them. "All we would do is rig a projectile to fire as Zoom crosses into the breach. He can't stop what he can't see coming."

"That's great," Barry was relieved to see that someone was at least following through with the idea.

"Thanks."

Caitlin shook her head. "Joe, voice of reason here?"

"We need a plan," Joe agreed on some level. "That's as good as any. As long as he can deliver."

"Don't underestimate me, Detective," Harry pointed and walked out of the cortex to get started on the task ahead.

Barry's phone went off and when he checked it he saw Patty's name on the ID. "Oh, Patty needs us back at the station," he told Joe.

Joe nodded. "I'll meet you there, all right?"

Barry agreed and took a head start with Belén.

~0~

"Hey," Iris stopped by Belén's desk at work. She put down a coffee for Belén and then took a seat at the edge of Belén's desk. "I didn't know you'd be coming in today."

"Yeah well, since my endeavors to get stronger, I've been neglecting my work," Belén reached for the cup of coffee. "I can't afford to get fired."

Linda came by rather nervously, and Belén knew once again what the reason was for her detour. "Hey. Have you had any word from The Flash about the meta-human that attacked us? Or the other one that got to me? Look at me, I have to keep count on who kidnaps me."

"Linda, I promise you that you'll be safe," Belén sighed. She knew it would take Linda a good amount of time before she could feel normal again, what with Dr. Light and Datura kidnapping her...

"Still...I'd just feel better if I could talk to, um...the Azalea? Or the Flash?"

"Linda, I don't think that's a good idea…"

"It's not that I don't believe you!" Linda exclaimed. "I just...I want answers, Belén. Why does that woman look like me? Knowing there's a metahuman with my face on who likes to nearly kill people makes it really hard for me to concentrate on field goals and doping scandals. And then I've got that new plant meta to think about? I don't want to sit around being told not to worry my pretty little head about it."

Belén acknowledged Linda's feelings and sighed. "I get that. Believe me, I do."

"Then tell the Azalea and Flash that I want to talk to them. I bet you can get the message across to the Flash. Please," Linda said, then added, "Iris says he'll listen to you no matter what because of that crush."

Had it not been because they were in public, Belén would have smacked Iris again for that. It definitely didn't help that Iris was smirking.

"I will...try my best," Belén forced herself to say in one go. Soon as Linda was gone though, she hit Iris on the arm. "I'm going to kill you for ever telling that to Linda."

"Sorry," Iris honestly apologized. "When I did that, I didn't know it was Barry. So really, this is your fault."

"Oh, yeah, my bad!" Belén playfully rolled her eyes.

~0~

After getting word of Dr. Light making a run for it, the group gathered at STAR Labs to figure out what exactly enabled her to do it.

"Doctor Light managed to hack into the lights of her cell. The whole building runs on fiber optics that operate on pulses of light, so she turned off the dampeners and used her powers," Cisco reviewed what he learned from the mechanics.

"And made herself invisible?" Belén glanced at the full costume Light had left behind for them. "That's possible?"

"Apparently," Cisco mumbled.

"I told you how dangerous she was," Harry was beyond mad with them. It wasn't like he had warned them about Light - oh wait, he had. "You should have listened to me and sedated her."

"I thought we would be able to convince her that helping us was the only way she'd free herself from Zoom," Barry argued.

"Well, you thought wrong!"

"Yeah. Okay, look, Doctor Light is gone, so instead of assigning blame, let's try to figure out what we're gonna do next," Joe cut in before they went any further.

"Do you think she's gonna try and take Linda again?" Belén worried over her friend who, at the moment, probably didn't know much.

"I had Iris bring Linda to the house, just in case, to keep an eye on her," Barry informed her to ease her concerns. "How are we doing with the speed-dampener?" he asked the others.

"I think we isolated the composite…" Caitlin began, still sounding unsure with this plan.

"And we're modifying the dart the Arrow used to take down Wells," Cisco added.

Harry was growing close to hitting something if they kept using that line. "He's not Wells. I'm Wells!"

"Whatever, Harry," Cisco sarcastically retorted in a louder voice.

"Okay, but we don't even really know if this thing works?" Joe asked just to be sure he was hearing all this craziness.

"Until we try it, no. This will be a field test, so can we end this scintillating staff meeting and get back to work?" Harry motioned he would at least continue with work while everyone else continued to talk.

"Or how about I say what everybody's thinking?" Joe challenged. "Maybe it's a good thing that Doctor Light is gone. Maybe it's the universe stopping us from doing something really stupid."

Caitlin made an agreeing gesture, and honestly Belén was close to doing the same. They had learned the hard way they couldn't just come up with any old, fast plan against Zoom.

"No. No," Barry said loudly. "Keep going. I'm gonna figure out another way to get Zoom."

"A-are you sure?" Belén had to ask, stopping him before he could leave. "Couldn't we come up with something we could all agree with?"

"We don't have the time," Barry sounded rhetorical. Did no one understand they couldn't have the luxury to sit down like a group and discuss their options? Options that were already little to begin with?

When Barry actually left the room, Belén released a sigh. "We can't just go through without calculating. I'm not the cop, I shouldn't have to tell him this."

"I've got you," Joe promised and went after Barry.

~0~

Later that day, Belén stopped by her childhood home to pick up one of the last boxes she meant to take to her new apartment. As she walked in, she found her mother working at the living room, unbeknownst to Belén it was with the papers Veronica had taken from the precinct earlier in the day.

"Mom, hey," Belén greeted and shut the door.

"Hi," Veronica seemed entranced with whatever she was reading at the moment.

"Where's Axel?" Belén searched for her nephew in the quiet room.

"Oh, out in the garden. What did you need?"

"Just coming to make another trip," Belén left her bag at the side table and walked up behind the couch. "What's all that?" she pointed to the mess of papers on the coffee table.

"Information on some old metahuman cases."

Belén raised an eyebrow at her mother, now noticing there were several manila folders spread around the coffee table. "Why are you looking at old meta cases?"

"Because there's some things not adding up, that's why," Veronica said so matter-of-factly one could believe it was just a casual thing she was doing.

"What?" frowned Belén. "What do you mean?"

Veronica sighed as she raised her gaze from her work. "There are several metas that the cops never found but the Flash and the Azalea did yet there are no arrest papers anywhere. Am I to assume the precinct just let it go?"

"Well, what does it matter? The metas were caught-"

"-what matters is that they were not brought to justice in the correct way," Veronica closed the file on her lap. "Does the CCPD let these super heroes take justice into their own hands? We are the cops. These metahumans should be in Iron Heights. And do you know the most significant thing I've discovered in all these cases?"

"Humor me," sighed Belén, figuring she wouldn't win this argument.

"Every single case has been handled by Joe West, with your boyfriend's signature right along the papers."

"Well...I would deem that normal since Barry is the only CSI at that precinct," Belén tried to be casual, and perhaps a tad sarcastic just to make it sound like she wasn't nervous. "I'd be surprised if he hadn't signed anything."

"These cases all have odd details, Belén. If it's not the fact there's no arrests, it's the fact that Joe's overseeing is everywhere on these cases. Does he only do meta cases that involve the Flash and the Azalea?"

"What?" Belén nervously laughed. "I don't know how case selection works. Do you choose your own case or-"

Veronica raised a hand to stop Belén from going further. "I'm beginning to think there's some secrets at this precinct. I'll have to keep digging."

"But Mom-"

Veronica got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. "Are you staying for dinner? I'll get Axel and we cant try this new recipe I found online..."

Belén didn't listen to her mother in the end. She just kept wondering how complicated this would all get if her mother didn't stay away from meta cases. It could land Veronica into dangerous trouble with the newest metas in the city...as well as causing more conflicts between her and Barry and the Wests.

~0~

When Barry returned home the last thing he was expecting was to have the entire house smelling of a mixture of meals. He spotted Iris standing by the dining room that was filled with said mixture of meals.

"Are you guys having a dinner party?" for a moment he thought maybe he'd missed one of Iris' planned sleepovers.

"You would think," Iris crossed her arms and waited for Linda to return from the kitchen. Seconds later, Linda came by holding yet another pot of food.

"I know, I know. It's just, sometimes cooking helps me to relax," she profusely apologized to them both. She knew she was running them dangerously close to nothing in the pantries. "Have you heard anything about Doctor Light? Or that Datura? Am I still in danger?"

"We're not really sure…" Barry felt bad lying to her but they couldn't tell her much.

"Come on. I'm going crazy here, Barry."

"Yeah, she is," Iris nodded to the table full of meals.

Linda gasped when the oven timer went off. "That's the cake! Hope you're hungry."

"She's not kidding," Iris leaned off the table and started making way for the couch. "There's enough food in there to feed an army."

"She must be terrified," Barry misread the situation.

"Uh, more like furious. Someone nearly died because of this metahuman who so happens to look like her. And then she was used as bait in front of the entire city? I mean, trust me. If Linda had Doctor Light's powers right now…"

Barry suddenly raised his head with an incoming idea.

"What?" Iris recognized that as his thinking face.

"I just, uh, Linda and Light...they're identical. So identical that Light even thought she could fool Zoom. Now we have Light's suit." Barry stopped when Iris said nothing. "You don't even have to say anything, I know. It's a terrible idea."

"Well…" Iris tilted her head. "No, not really. We make Zoom think that Linda is Doctor Light and use her to draw him out."

"It's too dangerous, right?"

Iris would have said yes, but this was something neither could decide. "Let Linda decide. I mean, she's desperate to catch the person with her face who's terrorizing people, and she deserves the chance to help us."

"Okay," Barry smiled and started to tell her how it would work for Linda to help them.

~ 0 ~

Deciding to show up to Linda as the Flash, Linda was given the chance to try and help them set a trap for Zoom. Linda didn't think twice before agreeing to help. The idea was for her to pretend to be Dr. Light and have a fake fight with Barry where she would 'win' and hand over his suit's emblem as proof of his defeat.

"Where are they?" Belén walked into the training room where Linda would shortly be out to practice. She wasn't happy and that was evident as soon as someone saw her face. "I cannot believe - oh hell no." She had stopped beside a couple of cardboard cut outs near Cisco who was on top of a small scaffold. "Cisco, why is there a cut out of me?"

Cisco looked over the rail and grinned. "They're practice targets. Don't worry though, yours aren't the target."

"I was a bit more creeped out on the part where my friend keeps cardboard cut outs of me," Belén crossed her arms.

"It's important to have hobbies," Cisco turned over another cut out he was in the process of hanging. It turned out to be himself holding a camera while striking an odd pose of him sticking his tongue out.

Belén blinked emotionlessly for a second. "I fear for your future wife," she shared and walked away. She spotted Barry with Iris from a distance, the former donning his red suit, and so Belén made a direct beeline for them. "What is going on here!?" she asked them soon as they could hear. "Linda is doing what now!?"

"It's okay-" Iris began when Belén cut her off with a sarcastic 'really'.

"Having our friend who has no powers put herself on the line is not okay in my book!" Belén then glanced at Barry. "And was it really smart of you to show up like that?" she gestured to his appearance. "You outed yourself...ish."

"We don't have time to think of something else," he shrugged. "Besides, it can work, Bells."

"That's my friend," Belén said quietly. "I have known her for years. I can't even think about it if something happened to her because she got caught up in this."

"Hey," Barry took her into a hug, "I won't let that happen. I promise." Belén relaxed a bit but she still wasn't entirely on board with this idea. She felt like Barry was rushing into this without all the connections being made.

"This is ridiculous," they heard Linda coming in. Caitlin walked beside her in the costume that gave her the image of Dr. Light.

"Linda," Belén pulled away from Barry, blinking as she studied the new appearance of their friend.

"Belén, hey," Linda was relieved to see she'd been contacted. While she was comfortable with Iris, she had known Belén far longer and truly trusted her.

"You look...just like Doctor Light," Belén looked Linda over.

"I feel ridiculous," Linda admitted and hugged herself.

"You're fine," Caitlin assured and held out a pair of black gloves. Linda took them rather confused and looked at them for some explanation. "And with these gloves that Cisco rigged up, you'll be able to do what Light does."

"Oh...great," Linda said nervously as she began to put the gloves on.

"I'm gonna go make sure everything's been set up," Caitlin said and headed for the elevated platform where they would be monitoring Linda's practice session. Iris followed behind her, and soon enough went Barry as well.

"Linda, I'm sorry," Belén felt the need to apologize to her friend. However, Linda didn't understand only took a double-take at her in response. "I didn't know that...Flash, was going to pull this. Rest assured I would not have let him."

"What? No!" Linda exclaimed. "I'm glad Iris took me to him. Though I'm a bit surprised that Iris knows him too?" Belén's eyes widened for a moment but Linda, thankfully, went ahead and made her own assumption. "I guess that comes as a perk when you're the daughter's cop, hm?"

"Yes!" Belén didn't think twice in confirming. "Exactly."

Linda smiled and started walking with her towards the platform. She fixed the gloves on her hands and thought to ask whether or not these were pretty safe.

"They should be," Belén glanced at Cisco on the platform. "Right?"

"Totally," Cisco said without thinking.

"Ish," Harry said instead, freezing both women below.

"What?" Belén raised both her eyebrows.

"Well, come on, it's gotta be believable," Cisco tried to reason with them, "so they really do fire and explode things."

"Hm…"

"And you-" Cisco then pointed at Barry, "-are going to have to let her hit you with those blasts when she gets the hang of it."

"Please don't kill him," Belén then mumbled to Linda.

"Okay, the suit can absorb the blasts," Cisco said for her comfort, and probably Barry who wasn't looking so excited either.

"For real or 'ish'?" Belén crossed her arms. "Because let me tell you the difference between those two."

"Okay, you know what? I like to think I can see the bright side of things, okay?" Cisco got snappish with her as well. "Positivity, people," he clapped his hands and went back to work.

Barry gestured to Linda to follow him down the room where Cisco and Joe had set up several cardboard cut outs of themselves. "So just hit the ones of me. Okay?"

Linda nodded. "Got it. Great." She took several steps towards the cutouts, mumbling to herself to get prepared. "Doctor Light…" she took a deep breath and thrust a hand forwards to shoot. Soon as she did, however, she felt the gloves sort of take control and shot relentlessly. "Oh! Oh!" she stumbled back on her feet while the gloves continued shooting. Barry caught her from behind and thankfully put an end to the glove fiasco.

"Uh, you know what? I'm just gonna adjust those a little!" Cisco snatched a nearby screwdriver from the platform and rushed towards Linda who more than terrified now.

"Just...okay, so, um, do the opposite of that, and we'll have it," Barry gave a light pat on Linda's arm, figuring she was probably a little discouraged now.

Later, when Cisco promised that the gloves would not malfunction, they gave it another try. Linda led the way slowly searching for the right cut outs to shoot at. She nearly shot a couple of the 'civilians' but she did manage to shoot some of the right ones.

"Yes!" Linda cheered excitedly after shooting the first right cut out of the Flash. "I did it!" she turned back to her friends. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah!" Barry was equally happy to see her beginning to get the hang of it. The two went to do a high-five but Linda's glove accidentally went off and fired straight at the platform. Poor Cisco was blasted backwards to the floor.

"Oh my God!" Linda gasped. Cisco rolled to his side then sat right up, looking pretty annoyed. "Sorry?"

"She's gonna kill you," Belén quietly said to Barry, meaning all kindness for her friend. "And when she does...I'm going to kill you."

"C'mon…" Barry tried to be optimistic, but everyone else seemed to agree with Belén's perspectives.

After dispatching Linda with Iris, the group met back in the cortex to discuss the day.

"Okay, no offense to Linda, but there is no way she can pull this off," Caitlin honestly didn't mean to sound rude.

"Well, maybe if she didn't scream every time she fired," Cisco shook his head.

"Okay, Linda had a rocky start, but she can pull this off," Barry continued firm, apparently, despite everyone going against it. "I know she can. All right, did you find someplace near breach where we don't have to worry about civilians getting in the way?"

Against his better judgement, Cisco answered him. "Yeah, there's a place by the docks that's usually deserted at night."

"Awesome. Cait, how are we doing with the speed-dampener?"

"My tests indicate that it should work," Caitlin answered rather doubtfully as well.

"It will work," Harry was the only one who seemed to share Barry's persistence in the plan. "I'll tune up Ramon's gloves, make sure they work better."

"Okay great," Barry nodded as the other man started to leave.

"Wait, so we're actually going through with this?" Belén's eyes flickered from one person to the next.

"Yeah, we're doing this," Barry said, confused.

"Uuum…" Belén trailed off waiting to see if he would make the connection but apparently she hadn't been too clear. "We can't! Linda is not ready for this - hell, I don't even think we're ready for whatever plan you have in that big head of yours!"

"Bells, we don't have the time-"

"We need to have the time," Belén snapped. "I went up against Datura on a whim and I got my ass handed to me! Now my friend is going to be out there, risking her life to help us. The least you can do is be truly calculating and have a right plan."

Barry was giving her an incredulous stare for her sudden outburst. He couldn't believe she actually was doing that. Yes, she did make some sense but he made sense too. They didn't have the luxury of time. "We have this-"

"No, we don't," Belén shook her head frantically. "And I'm a little worried, honestly, that you're so hellbent on getting Zoom against everything. I...I can't go through with it." She decided that upon seeing that Barry wasn't exactly going to back down anytime soon. Waving her hands, she signaled she was sticking to her decision and leaving the place.

One would think that would be enough to put Barry straight, but he proved to be severely persistent. Now Joe thought enough was enough, and decided to add onto Belén's thoughts. However he would do it privately.

"I can't believe we're still on this, Barry," Joe gave a deep sigh and crossed his arms once Caitlin and Cisco had left them the cortex.

"Belén will get over it, but this is our only chance to get Zoom," Barry said truthfully. He thought that perhaps Belén was a bit too close to Linda and that's why she wasn't seeing what he was: the perfect chance to get Zoom.

"You saw what happened in there. Linda's not ready," Joe hoped to open his eyes.

"She is," Barry argued. "She's ready enough."

"Why are you pushing this!?"

Barry couldn't believe he was actually going to have this conversation. "What... why do you think? I want to get him!"

"Get who, exactly?"

"Is that a real question?"

"You tell me. I'm... I'm not sure this is even about Zoom, honestly," Joe admitted. "I'm starting to feel like you're still chasing the Reverse Flash."

"Reverse Flash is dead," Barry flatly said, finding no relevance in this.

"Yeah, but after all he did to you, you weren't the one that stopped him."

"We all worked together-"

"Yeah, and Eddie got him in the end," Joe reminded. "I mean, did that make you feel cheated, like you didn't get your revenge, and stopping Zoom is the next best thing?" Barry remained silent and for a moment couldn't look Joe in the eyes. "Belén is right. If you're gonna ask people like Linda to risk their lives, you better be sure of exactly why they're doing it. Otherwise, call it off."

With those words, he left Barry to think.

~ 0 ~

Belén thought nothing would help her distract herself than by working. So, she had thought to continue with her unpacking . And she did that...until she felt her arms would fall off for trying to put together a side table. Thanking the heavens that she had brought along one of her couches already, she plopped down and grabbed her laptop to hopefully continue an article she was meant to turn in by the end of the week. Trying to write proved difficult after spending a good thirty minutes coming up with about three sentences. Her attention, however, was drawn to the jiggling of her door's knob.

Thinking it was perhaps a burglar, Belén stopped her writing and began preparing for a fight.

"Auntie Belén!" Axel, instead, came running in after Veronica opened the door.

For a moment, Belén just stared at her incoming mother, ignoring Axel clutching her waist.

"Hey there, sweetie," Veronica closed the door like nothing and walked in.

"H-how did you get in?" Belén gave a pat to Axel's back. Seeing he was acknowledged, the boy rushed to his grandmother to retrieve his tablet so he could watch his shows.

"Oh, yes, well, Mark stopped by to give me his set," Veronica held up a different key in her hand. "I thought I'd bring it back for you."

"Okay…" Belén still wasn't very comfortable with her mother's presence.

"What's wrong?" Veronica noticed her daughter's odd behavior, despite their earlier disagreement she was pretty sure it wasn't related to her this time.

"Nothing…" Belén answered slowly and took the key from Veronica's hand. "Did...did you need anything?" she took a seat on the couch and grabbed her laptop again.

"I thought we should talk...about earlier…" Veronica took a seat across her daughter, setting her purse beside. Axel silently sat across on the same couch, delving into his tablet.

"Oh, you mean where you went ballistic on me?" Belén stared hard at her screen. "Yeah, no, I totally forgot about that."

Veronica may have thought it was sarcasm but in truth Belén had forgotten about it due to Barry and the Dr. Light situation. "Well I haven't, and I really don't want this to cause another problem between us."

"Well it's a little difficult when you're investigating my boyfriend's adoptive father."

"Not going to argue there," Veronica admitted. "But...Belén I'm a cop. I can't let things go where I don't see logic."

"Mom," Belén sighed. She pursed her lips together, struggling to keep it together all of a sudden. "I accept your apology, I do...but can we not do this right now? I just...I had a day...and I don't want to do anything tonight."

"Belén, what's wrong?" Veronica asked again, this time hoping she would get an answer.

Belén closed her laptop once she realized she would not be writing that night. "Barry and I may have had a disagreement."

"About…?"

"Stuff," Belén left it at that.

"Well that 'stuff' seems to be making your eyes, uh…" Veronica gestured to her own, "...kind of reddish…"

"It's normal stuff," Belén shrugged. "I don't like arguing with him but I had to say something."

"Good for you," Veronica said instantly, showing right approval. "Never swallow down your words for a man, sweetie."

There, Belén found amusement. "Yeah," she gave a slight nod of her head. "Well, I spoke my big mouth...and now I'm here."

Veronica took a moment to look at her daughter, and try to feel the pain Belén felt. With a sigh, she got up from her couch and moved to sit with Belén. "I told you my thoughts and on that man-"

"Yeah, believe me, we both got the idea," Belén sniffled a bit.

"But, if there was one thing that was left clear to me, was that this was something mutual. It's not everyday that a mother is shouted at that her daughter is loved by someone-"

Belén chuckled. "Yeah, believe it or not...he's sort of done that before with our old neighbor Mrs. Andrews."

"Really?" Veronica laughed for a moment. "Maybe you two share big mouths after all."

"Mom," Belén playfully rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, I can't seem to understand what you would argue about so suddenly," Veronica admitted. "You don't want to explain?"

It was then that Belén gave her mother a look that Veronica had never seen before. It entailed a mixture of guilt and concern to such a level that for a moment Veronica wondered what this argument was really about.

"It's private," Belén finally said, looking away from her mother.

"Really?" Veronica began to show her doubt and suspicions.

"Yes, um, it's just things between us, you know? Sometimes it's too intimate to tell someone…"

"Mm…" Veronica hummed and raised her head momentarily, apparently thinking, "...so, there isn't anything you want to tell me, then?"

"Mom, I'd really rather not," Belén meant that honestly. She didn't want to think what her mother would say if she discovered that her daughter had been moonlighting as the Azalea, and that her boyfriend was doing the same thing.

"Is 'secrets' something that Barry showed you how to keep?" Veronica got up, confusing Belén as she went on. "Because if he did, then I'm pretty sure he learned that from his pseudo-father Joe West."

"Mom…"

Veronica had crossed to the other couch to retrieve her purse. "If that's the matter then I'll have to take back everything I said about him."

"Mom, what are you-"

"I insist that Joe is covering something up with these meta cases," Veronica said, not raising her voice since Axel was still on the other couch. He was so in-tuned to his tablet he didn't notice their growing disagreements. "No one in this precinct bothered to check where these metahumans were initially being kept in prior to the metahuman compartment being built at Iron Heights. Every metahuman case that was handled was done so by Joe West and Barry Allen and that-"

"Mom-"

"I like knowing where I work, and who I work with. Now you and I can both see that there is something going on in that precinct that no one else has figured out. So I'm going to ask you, Belén, do you know something that I should know? Could this argument you and Barry had possibly be linked to these metahumans?"

Belén looked down for a moment. She knew that lying to her mother about this should have been easy considering this was something important. It was something that could put her mother in danger. But, Belén found it difficult to lie straight to her mother's face. Because right now, all Belén wanted was to tell her mother all her problems she was having. She wanted to tell her mother that someone was targeting her for something dangerous; someone wanted to hurt her. That the same someone had already sent her to get shot, had already fought her and won. Belén wanted to share that her boyfriend was also being targeted for a clear death and she was just scared he might get hurt, or killed.

I need my Mom, she came to the conclusion. That'd been the first time she thought about her mother like that...perhaps because it was the first time Veronica had been available as a mother to Belén...

But Belén couldn't do anything. Because telling Veronica everything would put her in the cross-fires of Zoom and Datura.

"There is nothing I have to say," Belén forced herself to say in one go. She surprisingly held her tears together as she then requested that Veronica leave.

Extremely upset with her daughter lying, Veronica took Axel and hurried out the door. Belén was right behind them and was there to quickly close the door.

"I'm sorry," Belén whispered, closing her eyes as they began to spill tears.

~0~

Heeding some of Joe's words, Barry decided to reveal himself to Linda in order to help both of them out. Linda was already discouraged of her villainous abilities, and seeing the Flash was an actual friend did make her a little more comfortable. It also did help explain some of the oddities surrounding STAR Labs and the Flash. So, she agreed to help him out once more. Dressed as Dr. Light, she took on the role as the Flash's current enemy.

"I'm here to kill you, Flash," she stood tall and mighty across the Flash. "I am loyal to Zoom, so get ready to fry."

Soon as she said those words she knew it was a bad pun.

She shot a ray of light towards Barry but hit a couple of a stockage from the docks instead. Barry whipped a head back and decided to just go with it.

"Ow!" he let himself fall to the ground.

"Gotcha," Linda smirked, although she struggled to stay with a serious face.

"Yeah, you did, real good," Barry pushed himself up.

"Bring it," Linda motioned with a gloved hand.

Barry sped towards her and when Linda shot, she actually managed to get him. Struggling, Barry got past her only to be shot yet again on the back. This time, his fall to the ground was not fake. Linda turned around putting on her best evil smirk.

"Told you, Zoom always wins." She walked towards Barry who had kept himself down. She bent down to take his emblem and found time to whisper to him. "You're okay, right?"

Barry cracked open an eye and whispered back. "Yeah, yeah. I had to make it look good."

Linda straightened up with the emblem in her hand. "Here it is, Zoom, I did what you wanted." She headed to where the open breech was in midair. "Now bring me home." She chucked the emblem into the breech and nervously waited for Zoom to appear.

Wells and Joe waited as well, but hidden in place with weapons hoping to deter Zoom's speed. Barry had to remain 'dead' on the ground but he was more than ready to jump at the chance when Zoom appeared. Everything was in place. Everything.

However, nothing happened. Minutes passed and everything remained silent. It added onto the fear already placed over several of the group.

"Hey, stop fidgeting," Linda hissed when she caught Barry slowly attempting to move his leg.

"Sorry, it's been an hour. I landed in a ridiculous position, and my foot fell asleep," the speedster argued quietly and returned to being 'dead'.

From STAR Labs, Caitlin and Cisco were carefully checking over any security feed from the docks they could find in case Zoom appeared from another unknown breech. "He's probably just waiting to see if you're really dead. Any minute now, he's gonna strike," Cisco said as a means of encouragement.

"No," Barry decided it was just not happening tonight. He sat up with a deep sigh.

"Sorry, I probably screwed up somehow," Linda hung her head, feeling like she had failed them all.

Barry got on his feet and moved over to give her an honest thank you. "No, Linda, you did great. Thank you for helping me."

Linda knew he was disappointed and smiled sadly. She wished there was more that she could do for him. Her thoughts were interrupted by Joe and Harry coming out of hiding and the latter loudly kicking anything in his way.

"So Wells ain't taking this well," Joe sarcastically remarked as he met with Barry.

"Mm-hmm…" Barry watched Harry turn in a different direction of the docks, storming and kicking things still.

"How about you?" Joe noticed how unusually quiet Barry was despite the loss of the night.

"Yeah, it just sucks, you know," Barry shrugged, thinking of the entire day's course. "You were right a little bit about this not being just about Zoom... about it being about the Reverse Flash. But not for the reason that you think, not because I didn't beat him." With a sigh, he explained the bit of an old video Joe had yet to know about, that everyone save Belén knew. "It's... Wells... he said something to me on that video before he confessed to my mom's murder. He said that even if he was dead, that he still won because I wasn't happy, that I'd never really be happy."

Joe frowned. It was truly unbelievable how Wells could still manage to screw with them even from beyond the grave. "How the hell would he know?"

Barry shrugged again, thinking logically. "He knew me. He knows future me."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Fine. But that's future you. This is the you here and now."

"I still think that Wells is right. Ever since I went back to that night and I didn't save her... I didn't save my mom, I just... there's just been this void in me. You know, I just feel like that is always gonna be there. For better or worse, Wells...he knew me."

"Better than I know you?" Joe would have laughed had it not been a serious matter. "He may have stalked you for 15 years, but I raised you. Look, Wells said what he said to you to mess with you... to get in your head one last time. If you listen to him, you let him win."

"I know," Barry sighed. And he thought that Wells was already beginning to win. Because of his rushed persistence with this plan, he had gotten into a big argument with Belén. God knows how he would be paying for that one.

"I don't want that. You're responsible for your own happiness, Barry," Joe sincerely hoped Barry would finally begin to listen again. "Forget about Wells. Think hard about what you want and what makes you happy. Go out and get it. Simple as that. All right?"

Barry smiled a bit, giving a small nod of his head. "Yeah."

~ 0 ~

Belén had just finished setting up a small rectangular pot holder for her new Azaleas up on the kitchen window when someone knocked on her door. She dumped the trash then hurried to go open. Her heart skipped a beat when she found Barry standing on the other side. Her first thought was his lack of knowledge of today's events, and for now it seemed like the best.

"You were right," Barry decided to open with that. Perhaps hearing he was admitting she had had a point would soften her up into talking with him.

"Please tell me Linda is okay?" Belén asked in fear. Her first assumption was that his plan went wrong and it got Linda into some serious pain.

"She's fine," Barry promised her. "Zoom...didn't show."

"Oh…" Belén knew that despite her feelings on the matter she didn't like to see Barry so upset either. It was important to him, for good intentions after all. She opened the door more and gestured for Barry to come in. "I'm sorry about that," she honestly said. A good part of her was happy that Zoom didn't show up to terrorize them all, because she knew they were not prepared to fight him yet.

"Thanks," Barry watched her close the door. Sheepishly, Belén crossed the living room, or at least intended to. Barry reached out for her arm and stopped her. "Bells, I'm really sorry. You were right about it all. I knew you were right from the start but I just...I wanted to catch Zoom already."

"Yeah, I think we all saw that," Belén said, mildly playful. "And I get it, believe me I do. I want nothing more than to get Datura...but I just don't like the fact you were willing to go into it all rushed and...fast. This time, we need to be slow and calculating. If Datura was difficult to manage, just imagine what Zoom is like."

"I know," Barry accepted it. "But I have to admit that...it wasn't entirely all about Zoom."

"Then…?" Belén smiled a little as she tried to understand what he meant. "...what was it about?"

"You remember the video Wells left behind as part of his will? Our Wells, I mean."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He said that I wouldn't ever be happy no matter what. And...and it got to me more than it should have…" Barry ran a hand through his hair, still frustrated it did get to him so much, to this point actually.

"I can't believe you're still giving this dead man the time of the day," Belén said first and sighed. "His words are nothing. They should have gone through one ear-" she pointed to one of his ears, "-and out the other." She then pointed to his other ear. "Ever heard of selective attention? I use it all the time."

Barry smiled knowing this was her playfulness coming out to get them back on track. "Yeah," he nodded.

"You should have said something," Belén touched his arm. "Instead of making a scene in front of our friends, I would have had a very different conversation with you somewhere else."

"Believe me if I'd realized earlier I would have." Barry reached an arm around her waist and brought her closer to him and rested his forehead against hers. "I hate arguing with you, Bells, so much."

"Me too," Belén whispered. "I don't like it. It just feels wrong, you know? If that makes sense?"

"Yeah, it does. I don't like knowing that I upset the person that makes me the happiest." Barry gave her a moment to smile before kissing her. And this time, he meant to kiss her in a way that would show her he was truly happy with her despite everything that surrounded them. He walked her up against the nearest wall and kissed her.

Belén let herself be encased in his arms and kissed back until she had to breath, but even then she barely wanted to let go. Barry dragged his lips from hers and set a one kiss on her cheek, then another lower on her jawline, and last on the side of her neck. Afterwards, he nuzzled his nose against her neck, relishing from their moment. This is what made him happy - she made him happy.

"Can we just rest for a while?" his soft tone made it hard for Belén to understand the first time.

She turned her head to the side and met his eyes. "What?"

"The Zoom problem, the Datura problem...I just need one moment of peace...with you," Barry repeated, hoping he made sense without sounding...weird.

Belén brought a hand to rest on his cheek, and just a few seconds after Barry placed his hand over it. "Okay. Let's do that."

She gently pulled him into the hallway and brought him into her bedroom. She wished she could have finished fixing it earlier, but what was done was done. At least she'd gotten the bed. It was an odd thought to just lay down together without doing anything. Usually, they had some movie times or at the very lest were joking with each other about something. Tonight, there was no television. There was no movie. There were no jokes.

And yet, things seemed more...intimate.

Barry was the one to rest his head next to Belén's neck. He eventually scooted closer to her and nuzzled his nose against her neck. Belén moved her arm so that it would rest over his back and she could run her fingers up and down.

It was peaceful.

"We should do this more often," Belén's voice was soft and quiet, perfect for the moment.

"Mhm," Barry had nestled his head closer to the crook of Belén's neck. He didn't want to move anytime soon.

So they continued to lay together, doing nothing except be together. But, like all good things, it had to come to an end. Half an hour later, both of their phones started vibrating. At first, neither of them wanted to move. Neither wanted to break the nice, peaceful bubble.

But the phones kept vibrating.

"I'm sorry," Belén kissed Barry's hair and sat up so she could answer her phone. Iris was on the other end of the line, and once she was able to speak she said it all in one fast ramble.

Zoom had Linda.

~ 0 ~

STAR Labs' computers were all simultaneously ringing in alarms, indicating there was a new visitor in the area.

"He's on the roof!" Harry shouted soon as he got word from the computer.

"He has Linda," Belén rushed to the desk to see through the security cameras where oh where was Linda. "Is Datura with him!?"

While the question couldn't be answered at once, they had a clear view of Zoom. He had chosen to dangle poor Linda over the roof's edge just as Barry got there. Proving to be the ultimate villain, Zoom dropped Linda like she was a pair of socks. Barry sped down to the ground and, using his whirlwind trick, softened Linda's fall into his arms.

"You need to get out of here, okay?" Barry set her down on her feet.

Linda was beyond terrified. "No, you can't fight that thing. It's a monster! I don't know who's worse, him or that crazy lady!"

"Just go!"

Linda looked up at the roof and thinking that Zoom would come for her again as bait, she ran off as fast as she could.

"What is that thing?" Belén was disgusted by Zoom's appearance despite it being only through a computer screen. She had yet to see the full figure of the speedster but now wished she hadn't. "He cannot be human."

Zoom was pitch black, from head to toe. There was an eerie spark around his figure. One could even say his suit didn't have gloves for hands but instead for claws.

"He is human," Harry was also staring in disgust but in a different tone. "Or was, at least."

"How the hell is Barry supposed to defeat that?" Cisco was thinking of the odds in their favor and they were not looking good.

"Why is he running away?" Harry scowled after they all saw Barry speeding away from Zoom. It looked like even Zoom was a bit confused on it too.

"He's not," Belén shook her head. "He wouldn't. I think we can all agree he's not scared."

A delirious laugh came from Cisco, prompting everyone to look at him. "Ooh, he's gonna thunderbolt him!"

"What?" Harry was left thinking.

"Jay taught him how to throw lightning," Caitlin explained.

Barry returned with a thunder bolt that he threw directly at Zoom. They were all stunned, and horrified, to see Zoom literally grab said thunderbolt and throw it right back at Barry, causing the red speedster to crash against a wall.

"Did he just…?" Belén gaped and glanced at the others just to make sure she hadn't seen things. Even Barry was in disbelief.

"Did you guys see that?" he asked through the comms.

"Uh, see him catch a bolt of lightning with his demonic claws?" Cisco met everyone's looks. "Yeah, saw that."

"Jay was right. He cannot do this alone," Caitlin shook her head.

In their shock, they hadn't even seen Harry go into the side room and come back with his trusty, big gun. "He's not alone," he was busy inputting the syringe into it.

"Barry, maybe this a strategical point where you just run," Belén spoke into the comm. hoping he would listen to her.

"No," Barry, unsurprisingly responded. He had gotten back on his feet and pulled out another syringe carrying the speed-dampener liquid. "I'm gonna see if Wells' speed-dampening serum works."

"Yes, but maybe this is the 'rushed, uncalculating' thing we were talking about earlier?"

Although Barry didn't turn off the communication system, it was almost like he did. He ignored the worries of his girlfriend in an attempt to finally put Zoom down.

"How is Barry gonna match Zoom's speed?" Belén sighed, looking to one of her smarter friends for some reassurance this wouldn't end so bad.

"He's not," Cisco smirked once he had made the realization. "He's gonna take it out of the equation altogether."

Caitlin exchanged a look with Belén, neither one of them in the know. "What are you talking about?" Caitlin then asked.

"Terminal velocity. The highest velocity attainable by a falling object."

"You mean...falling through...the air…?" Belén waved her finger above her head.

"Yeah, freefall fight. Their drag force equals the downward force of gravity, making the net force zero, making…"

"Equal velocities," Caitlin joined Cisco in the end.

"That is genius!" Cisco repeated.

"Is it really?" Belén bit her lip nervously and stared at the computer screen like a hawk.

Following through with Cisco's theory, the two speedsters had made it into the air and as they fell, they tried attacking one another. However, Zoom was the one to put Barry to the ground. Zoom picked him right up and delivered a series of punches that disoriented Barry. The last blow, the strongest of all, was given through the back - through the spine. Barry wasn't sure what he was hearing anymore, nor what he was seeing (it was all mostly blurry) but he was sure he had felt that cracking of bones.

"Never forget, I am the fastest man alive," Zoom declared without a scratch on him to show evidence he'd been in a fight.

"He's killing him!" Belén shouted frantically and turned around, making a run to go and help.

"Woah!" Cisco quickly jumped from his chair to block her way. "You can't go out there! He'll kill you too!"

"Someone has to help him!" Belén tried pushing her way but Cisco kept her there despite her fight. "Cisco!"

"Guys!" Caitlin's loud call made them both stop. They rapidly returned to the desk to see what Caitlin wanted them for. Zoom had injected the speed-dampener into Barry's bloodstream and hadn't stopped there.

"Where did he go!?" Belén slammed a hand on the desk once they lost sight of Zoom and Barry. Even Harry, who'd gone out to help Barry, was struck with confusion.

"I-I don't know," Cisco seemed unable to think of something to help them.

"FIND HIM!" Belén cried. She would've done it herself but she didn't know how the system worked.

Zoom had gone to CC Picture News to make a show of his 'triumph'. In one hand he held an unconscious Barry and addressed the entire staff. "Look at your hero."

Iris nearly had a heart attack. Behind her, cameras started going up and active.

"This man is no god. He is nothing!" Zoom left them with that knowledge and next made a stop at the precinct. "The days of The Flash protecting this city are over."

All of the cops in the area formed a line with aimed guns at the speedster.

"Put him down!" Joe was the one to shout at Zoom.

"Now what will you do without your precious hero?"

"Shoot that thing, now!" Singh gave the order.

All the cops fired until their guns finished their ammo but in the end, Zoom merely dropped all of the bullets to the ground from his palm. "Nice try."

He then sped off again.

~ 0 ~

"I should have gone out there," Belén repeated for the tenth time since Zoom had gone off their radar.

"And then what? Get yourself killed? I don't think so," Cisco remained adamant that he had done the right thing in keeping her inside the place. He was sure that Barry would agree with him.

"But then we wouldn't be in this-" Belén gasped when Zoom sped right into the cortex. "Barry!"

"Harrison Wells, you thought you could defeat me with this?" Zoom lifted Barry's body like it was some rag doll in his possession.

"I made a mistake," Harry admitted truthfully.

"Yes, a costly one."

"Let him go! Let him go right now!" Belén yelled frantically and threw a hand forwards, releasing a vine.

Zoom dropped Barry and sped up to her. Belén gasped with the ugly sight in front of her face, though a good part of it stemmed from fear.

"You are not my fight," he said just a second before Cisco shot a third syringe of the speed-dampener.

Belén stumbled backwards, yelping when Zoom dropped to his knees. Still, he managed to speed out of the place before they could capture him. Soon as he did, Belén ran for Barry's body on the floor.

~ 0 ~

As soon as Joe arrived at STAR Labs after the Zoom fiasco, he went directly for blame. If he thought Harry was suspicious before, now he firmly believed that Harry was at fault for all of it.

"This is all you! If Barry dies, you die!" Joe jabbed a finger on Harry every time he said a word.

"Enough!" Belén walked into the cortex in a hurry with Cisco. Their shouts had carried over down the hallway and, fearing a fight, Belén and Cisco left the workroom to come and stop the two men. "Joe, I get you're angry, believe me I am too, but Harry's got nothing to do with it. Barry wanted to go through with the plan in the end. No one forced him."

Still, Joe cast a menacing glare at Harry who looked more or less unaffected.

Cisco debated whether or not to bring in the mysterious topic he'd learned from Harry, but seeing that Joe was inches away from punching Harry, he decided to go with it. "Who's Jesse?"

It was easy to see that Harry was shocked to know that Cisco had knowledge of the name. "How do... Jesse's my daughter. Zoom has her." Cisco seemed to then be making the connections from his earlier vibe. Harry rushed up to him. "You've...you did vibe me-"

"Yes-"

"What did you see?"

"I saw your daughter. She was with Zoom," as Cisco explained, the others shared mutual surprise - and a bit of understanding - looks.

"But she's alive?" Harry needed to hear proper confirmation that his daughter was still breathing.

"Yes," Cisco said, and he admitted that he did feel a bit of sympathy for Harry. If he was grumpy all the time and had short patience it had to be because he was constantly worrying over his daughter being kidnapped by Zoom.

"Zoom sent you here like the others? You kill The Flash, and you get your daughter back?" demanded Joe, still un-inclined to see Harry in any other light.

"I don't...think he did…" Belén barely got the chance to say when Harry answered and explained his reasons.

"The only way I get my daughter back is I capture Zoom. Do you understand?" Harry tapped the side of his head sarcastically. "You love Barry. I love my daughter. And none of these children are safe as long as Zoom is here. I tried on my Earth to capture him. I failed. I thought I could bring him down here with Barry's help. I was wrong."

"Where are you-" Joe didn't finish on account of Harry storming out of the cortex.

~ 0 ~

When Barry finally came to, he felt his entire body aching in pain. He felt something tight around his neck and took a couple of seconds to realize it was a neckbrace.

"Can you hear me, Barry?" he heard a familiar voice beside him. He found Belén sitting beside his bed, looking so concerned over him. "I've been calling you for a couple of minutes now. Can you hear me?"

"Sorry…" Barry looked around as much as he could and saw it was broad daylight through the windows.

Belén followed his gaze and sighed. "You were out-cold for the entire night. Cait said it was normal, for you anyways…"

"How bad is it?" Barry could see a couple of bruises on his arms and he was sure there were more to discover once he could get rid of the neck brace. But even now, his body still hurt to the point he'd rather not move.

"Well, Caitlin said if you didn't heal fast it would be truly bad," Belén felt relief knowing this situation wouldn't last long for him.

"And...Linda?"

"She's fine. She told Iris and me that she was going to stay with some friends out in Coast City," Belén sighed. "I think after everything that's happened to her it's the best thing she can do."

"...Zoom?"

Belén's eyes lowered. "Um...let's...let's give that some time." When she looked at him again she had plastered a fake, cheery expression for him. "Caitlin says that in a couple of days you'll be able to try and walk and run again." She touched one of his legs with a small smile. "But you're gonna have to be patient. And don't worry, I have a lot of movies we can watch. Maybe we can try to just rest together again?"

Barry smiled, though tired, because the way in which she had asked made her look adorable. He needed that right now. "I'd like that."

Belén's smile widened. She ran her hand up and down his leg. "But you'll be patient, okay?"

Before Barry could answer, he thought of something. He realized that in all this time he hadn't felt her touch. Her fingers running down his leg...he didn't feel it. Thinking perhaps it was just the medication that was affecting his mind, he tried sitting up to check for himself.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-no, you have to stay put!" Belén assumed he would try to get back in the running game before he could.

"No, Bells, I...I didn't feel your hand…"

"What-"

"I can't feel my legs!" Barry frantically yelled, leading Belén to call for their friends.

~ 0 ~

"It's about time you showed up," Wells heard soon as he put one foot into the alleyway he'd been appointed to.

Datura's heels clicked against the cement underneath but she still walked in a graceful manner to meet with Wells. "I was doing my errands." Her sarcasm was met with rolling eyes. "C'mon, you can at least say you like where we're meeting," she gestured to the alley, "It's where I made my first Earth 1 kill a few days ago. What was her name?"

Harry dismissed her smugness and went straight to business. "The hell did you want me for? Can I expect Zoom to make another appearance?"

Datura smirked, almost laughing since she knew exactly what happened. "He really knows how to make an entrance, doesn't he? But that's not why I'm here now. I need you to retrieve something for me," Datura said, losing her sarcasm when it came to her brewing idea.

Of course that idea, whilst unknown to Harry, was one that would require him to further betray the STAR Labs team. "What do you need?" he finally asked.

"It's simple. I need Belén's suit tracker." Datura raised her head the moment Harry's eyes widened. She was already tall, but this was one of her ways to feel in control. And unfortunately for Harry, she was in control.

"Why do you need that!?"

Datura's red lips curled into an evil smirk. "That's for you and the others to find out later - soon, if all my errands go well."

"I...I can't do that-" Harry attempted to argue but Datura raised a finger to stop him.

"Don't say no to me. No one says no to me," she said darkly, bringing one gloved hand to the air. Electricity crackled around it for a few seconds before it was fired at the dumpster just behind Harry. The man jumped to the side to avoid getting hit then wildly blinked at her. She, however, remained completely at ease. "It's not a difficult mission, Wells. All you have to do is take the damn device and bring it to me. I'd let you keep it but I don't trust you not to hand it back to the others."

"What do you need it for!?" Harry still demanded some type of answer from her.

"For an idea, I've said this already," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"I can't take that from her suit!"

"Well, I'd ask you to take it from Barry's suit but he's on another level. I'll take care of him when the time comes." Her resurfaced evil smile gave Harry the chills.

"I thought he was all Zoom's..."

"He is, but it doesn't mean I can't have my own fun. Besides," Datura put her hands behind her back as she took a couple steps forwards, "He's not my target. He's really just a bonus for me - to get to Belén, I need him on the side. And to do that, I need Belén's suit tracker. It's really a whole-" she made hand gestures in the air, "-cycle thing that only I understand, but..." she drew in a deep breath and put on a sweet smile, "...it's all good. I get it. So-" she came to stand right in front of Harry, her sweet smile gone and replaced with seriousness, "-get me the suit tracker by tonight or I'll get it myself and I won't care who gets in my way."

Harry honestly felt like shooting her right there and then...but he was out of weapons...and he was short one daughter. "Fine."

[ryodan]

Sasuke and SASUSAKU.

Okay, I just saw this and I’ll humor you. I’ll even make a whole post for you.

@homez18

1)      Whether  Kishimoto said he was good or bad at writing romance is pretty irrelevant here as sasusaku related material made it into 44 of his 72 volumes. And actually, he never said he is bad at writing romance, he said he felt uncomfortable seeing characters he ‘grew’ kiss (Hinata and Naruto) and that he does not understand the hearts of women so he had to consult his editor and wife to write certain SS scenes, which in itself is effort spent. He never said ‘Idk how they got together’ he said he wrote the story with them in the back of his mind wondering how he would make them end up together and just decided to go with the flow.  This is coming from the man who also said in the second board meeting with the Naruto staff that they were end game since their conception as character #5 and #6 respectively, a rival and a heroine added to the story and he thought of making a love triangle thing happen but was like no I probably could not pull that off. So, there goes that argument.

2)      I will mention part 2 ss if you want me to, friend. But, saying SS does not make sense to the character (who I am assuming is sasuke?) and trying to erase part 1 is pretty???? Because a lot of part 2 was focused on getting the Sasuke they loved in part 1 back..a happier more emotionally stable one though.

3)      Part 1 SS is very important because it is the time during the run of the series that featured the most  positive emotional growth and development for sasuke, and a huge part of it was linked to sakura. We start off with this irritable, socially reclusive boy who’s first thought in the series is ‘more people will just drag me down’, and we later learn the reason of this behavior is trauma and survivors guilt which often leads to isolation, repression and irritability. This is not me trying to add psychology to his character arc, all of this is out right shown multiple times on spaced out occasions which reinforces that these are reoccurring thoughts. His fixation on his ‘revenge plot’ was aided by the fact that he was an introverted shy boy (this does not equal wants to be left alone considering he regularly sought acknowledgment) pre massacre and a full blown out isolated mess afterwards. Being alone only allowed him to obsess over revenge further, which no matter how you look at it is not healthy and it was never shown in the series to be healthy.

But anyways, I digress. A lot of him growing positively linked to Sakura. Some of his biggest part 1 moments include fighting orochimaru, awakening his seal and suppressing it (the cursed seal is arguably one  of  the biggest progressions of his character in part 1 as it leads to him being manipulated into leaving the village) and his fight with gara (again, arguably the moment he showed how much he grew as a character with team 7)

4)      Don’t forget. The Curse of Hatred (憎しみの呪い, Nikushimi no Noroi) was an ideal common to the Uchiha Clan, the Uchiha are people greatly devoted to love and friendship, yet they tend to conceal their more affectionate traits. When the object of their affection is lost, an Uchiha’s love can instantaneously turn into hatred, leaving them more inclined to do anything and everything in their power to achieve their goals and show their own superiority, regardless of the consequences and repercussions of their actions. The despair of these experiences cause a manifestation of unique chakra within an Uchiha’s brain, impacting the optic nerves and creating the sharingan. This also requires extremely painful experiences, which cause the user to delve into darkness that utterly consumes them.

I won’t bring this up

                        Because this also happens

What I am trying to say is early part one gave a very good set up for who sasuke really is as a person, genuinely pretty empathetic and pure hearted which is easily backed up by the fact that when he was a kid (kishi regularly uses childhood to explain a psyche of a character) despite his inferiority complex growing due to his brother, he was still more concerned with the relationship between his dad and his brother going sour than his own feelings of neglect.

Even so, it was still obvious that he needed to go through some positive development.

The first time we are introduced to Sasuke’s stance in the entire series as an avenger is through his first interactions with sakura, which were literally given romantic context from volume 1 and mentioned again over the entire series and highlighted nearing the finale in volume 70, so yeah pretty relevant.

His isolation and irritability generally made him seem off standoffish but even with that, he took his time out to explain his stance in the story which is a pretty fuckin big deal considering this opening up is something suigetsu complains about in part 2 and jugo struggles to understand him because of. Naruto has to physically pull it out of him, kakashi got it when sasuke was in a very emotionally volatile state and sakura got it with a hug.

Cut to the first mission and his ties with naruto and sakura are established , the rival friend and the girl with the crush he feels some sort of protective affection for.

Moments like these (that make grown ass men cry but get antis panties in a knot) are funny bc when you say that he is comfortable with her touch already someone has to say he just woke up, but homeboy had a bunch of senbon sticking into him like a hedgehog and he still took a moment to call naruto a moron and say he did not want to die before accomplishing revenge.

 So, until this day the person he is most physically comfortable with sakura and we all know how he feels about physical touch haha

After said mission, a very sweet and important scene happens and it highlights a shift in character for sasuke. It’s also the scene my avid sasuke hater friend says ‘the only time that dick did anything nice’. Where after he has a lil salty moment with a naruto who was acting particularly bratty that day gives Sakura the ‘instead of minding me why don’t you practice a jutsu? To be frank with you, your abilities are even less than naruto’s.’ which if after the guy readily jumped in front an attack to protect her you think he is going out of his way to be a dick then that is a pretty faulty assumption. He was being frank, it is what it is. Was it needed to make sakura realize her ass needs to grow up? Yes. Could it have been worded better? Also, yes. Which is why the next scene happens where Sasuke grows more in tune with her and is able to tell she is feeling down. Him being aware of and caring about her personal feelings is a huge step forward  for his character and is pretty much the only time this type of behavior exists from him.

He is being nice, says a huge compliment and look at his little smile, he is satisfied that she is happy. A huge step forward from ‘I don’t care for bonds bc I have revenge!!11!!’

The fight vs rock lee happens and sasuke grows a little more and team 7 has a scene furthering their bonds (added romantic context on sakuras part ofc)

During the chuunin exams ofc they face orochimaru and sasuke over comes something shown right in the beginning of the land of the waves arc : an intense paralyzing fear of strong  opponents with an intense blood lust dating back to the day of the massacre.

 He sees Sakura shaking and his sharingan activates, showing he is worried about her and as they are about to get attacked he forces himself to move (ugoke!) and stabs himself to go get her. Cute moment showing he cares. A lot.

And yet again a huge character moment, when she calls him out on being a coward and for his hypocrisy towards naruto, insulting him frequently yet in the same position naruto was once in and in his mind he immediately flashes  back to the reason he always believed he needed to live : his ‘moral burden’ of killing itachi and for the first time refuses to live tied by the ‘rules’ itachi made for him and over comes that fear and fights. She talk no jutsued sasuke lol

And ofc he gets bitten and seeks physical comfort from her. he initiated that contact with her meaning her presence is comforting to him, a big deal in a moment of such intense agony.

And then the iconic hug scene, where his survivor guilt is shown in his nightmares and his intense feelings of hating himself for not being able to protect him family causing his curse mark to act up and when he wakes up to see sakura hurt, the mark and by extension sasuke under it’s influence heating him up go out of control. (but even then when she expresses worry over him he takes time out to explain his major stance in the entire story yet again, even if I abandon myself to evil on my path I must obtain power)

‘Sakura, iie! omae o kizutsuke ta no wa doidsu da?’

‘Sakura, tell me! Which of them hurt you?’ chosen in the databook by kishi and readers as one of the best scenes because it shows ‘she is now a person he wants to protect and how angry he would get at himself if he could not do it’

Again quoting the databook, Sakuras heart thinking of sasuke devours the wicked power.

And even after this is over homeboy watches over her getting her hair cut, is like ?? at Naruto when he asks about her hair instead of her beat up face. After this, they really became much closer and more in sync, even working together and show casing that they can strategize together.

His resolve of avenging his families death doesn’t magically disappear however and he is still focused on getting stronger hence the little conversation they have, where sakura is worried about him in pain and starts crying, sasuke sees this and is disturbed so he yet again explains his stance in the story to her but funnily enough singles her out (ikura omae demo) as a very special person and says he won’t forgive even her if she takes that away from him. Inside the fight he is sustained by his wet dream (joke)  and the cheer he got from the annoying orange and is able to suppress the curse once again thinking about (his crying fetish) her tears.

And then god damn, they are on a roll here bc the fight with gara happens and sakura jumps in to protect him from a lethal blow and if what happened previously wasn’t enough of an emphasized thing, the love in sakuras eyes #triggers  gara.

And Sasuke gives his little speech telling naruto to save her and essentially that he is about to go off on a suicide mission and knows it’ll probably end here but he is ready to do it because he is not willing to see another precious person to him die right in front of him again. Mind you, this is after he shows again the intensity of his survivor guilt straight up saying the only reason he was ‘allowed to live’ was to carry the moral burden of avenging his clan but at this moment in time the pain of losing someone that precious to him is enough to make him consciously decide he is willing to die and leave all of that behind. This is the biggest difference between this and those scenes in the land of waves arc. Back then, it was show casing his empathy and kindness, my body moves on it’s own and even though I could die and not accomplish my goals which I really want to I cant just let a comrade die in front of me, where as now it’s I know I probably won’t come out of this but then pain of dying and not accomplishing my goals seem less than seeing another person I care so much about die right in front me. Seeing this, naruto realizes the importance of caring and fighting for the people you love and fights gara, teaching him the same values. Important scene overall to the story.

After seeing  naruto go up to par with gara and ‘realizing how helpless’ he was in that fight he was pretty jealous due to feelings of inferiority to naruto, and that jealousy was  partly fueled and thrown in our face twice by seeing sakura smile gently at naruto. Romantic or not, he is jealous of her smiling at naruto, that is undeniable.

And then itachi happens, and that reawakens his intense resolve. It doesn’t help the fact that orochimaru sought him out while extremely emotionally vulnerable. Ofc his petty ass attitude in the hospital scenes was fueled by his feelings of inferiority thrown in his face by the one person he really did not want that from, the same person who made him feel inferior as a child. And again to add heat to the burn, he remembers the smile and the plate thing happens.I see a lot of anti sasuke people talking about his scene pretending that when i say inferiority complex while talking about sasuke i mean something stemming from lack of acknowledgment from his dad, from being weaker than itachi and not able to protect his family, for having itachi be like i am here for naruto idc about you after everything. Not, oh man naruto seems better than me :/ gotta start shit :/

Oh right the hug when he wakes up. Again, people claim he was tired and traumatized, which he was, But the look he gave her for caring about him so much was very tender and it did not go unnoticed to nardo.

He ofc gets manipulated by the sound 4 and we are shown how emotionally attached he is to team 7

And the confession scene happens where sakura just desperately gives him promise after promise of making him happy and it isn’t just because she wants him there but also she doesn’t want to see her loved one torment and hurt himself over revenge, but it is more than revenge to sasuke it’s a moral burden, (he has a right to want to avenge his family from their murderer from a moral stand point) and that is what he kept trying to communicate to both her and kakashi. He doesn’t allow her to come because just as we saw with team taka, he isn’t willing to let anyone shoulder what he believes to be his personal pain and burden, specially not someone so special. And when she cries over him leaving and the fact that she believed for a second that he doesn’t care and forgot all of their meaningful interactions he turns around and says annoying, but with a smile this time.

That thank you meant a lot, man. It was not just a thank you for saying I love you.

Sasuke fights naruto to obtain the mangekyo by killing his best friend but then realizes last moment that he being manipulated by his brother and snaps out of it, refusing to kill such a close person.

Sasuke’s encounter with team 7 early part was pretty significant in developing naruto and sakuras friendship as 2 comrades who share the pain of their dear friend gone from their lives, but it also explains sasukes psychological point of view. After having his resolved awakened to a point of obsession again and realizing that there was a time in his life where he cared about other people to the point of giving up that goal, he decides to cut off his bonds with them.

The ‘attack’ on naruto was again for the mangekyo, and sakuras ass would have come out unscathed if she didn’t go all ‘gotta stop this hoe he out here hurting my pals’  but he was hurting her pals and stabbing people ofc she wouldn’t be like yas baby go. He pulls out his sword in defense but yamato ends up getting stabbed, my poor wood boy.

Sasuke takes down orochimaru because in  his constructed moral everything that relates to itachi is bad and senseless killing and torturing( at that time) registered in his head as an itachi thing, which only made his already strong moral code tingle with a strong feeling of ‘im going to take you down you sick son of a bitch, and ill make a bible reference while I am at it’

The lil hawk takes flight and assembles Taka, showing again, a strong moral sense when he says he isn’t going to take anyone by force and he even sets orochimarus captives free. Sasuke is shown to care for Takas safety on multiple occasions but it’s the biggest insult his character receives when people look at him with fan goggles to monopolize him as if he is a cold hearted sadist who only cares for a few people when he is a very selfless, empathetic person. On a personal level though, he did not know their last names, nor did he ask about their history as captives (except for jugo..for obv reasons) so I would not exactly call that emotional investment. But I do think something was there, like they were a hella good team in combat. However,they noticed him going ‘dark’ and never tried to help or stop him so I cant call it a friendship, but I can’t deny it was a team.

After the fight with itachi he is again very emotionally vulnerable and obito hops on his dick to manipulate him, and it works significantly well because sasuke ends up seeing the ENTIRE leaf village as responsible for killing his family after they discriminated against them, and while that might be a wrong train of thought since most people in Konoha are innocent (ten tens worst crime is how little screen time that cutie has), in his now much more jaded, cynical mind it makes a whole lot of sense since it now seems like konoha killed them for their personal benefit and are dancing on their uchiha graves by pretending it never happened and that they never placed the burden of an entire world war on his brothers shoulders.  Everyone is guilty. Everyone is laughing at their deaths. I am a little unstable. I am also a victim. Not to say he isn’t held accountable for his actions because he is a victim but a lot of his character arc and decisions make sense and tie in with his suffering …people going ‘bad’ because of their victimhood is not a new concept you see it with bullies all the time and that is why its important to grasp the situation by the balls and end the circumstance that creates such victims. He also awakens his mangekyo sharingan, meaning he is slowly stepping further into the curse of hatred.

They go to retrieve bee and its shown that he has yet to lose all logical moral reasoning because he still cares for takas safety even though he has declared to crush the leaf, meaning he hates only the leaf atm..all of his concentrated itachi hatred redirected. But he falls a little morally when he captures innocent ass bee and attacks the cloud. That shit was uncalled for, but he was trying to further his plans. I mean suna attacked konoha and its all good in the hood so we could chill. But it wasn’t right.

Ofc however during the bee arc sasuke uses his power that is obtainable through an emotionally driven doujutsu by having an image of team 7 on his mind as he was made to remember when he sees people showing genuine care about him. No matter how far he slipped, seven was always there. Right there, in part 2. The only time sasuke remembers team  7 in a positive light (otherwise he just wants to kill naruto because he stands in the way of his plans) includes sakura and kakashi. You cant argue he doesn’t care cause???

In the 5 kage summit arc a new falling rapidly into the curse of hatred sasuke makes the leap in logic that if his brother who he saw as a good person now, and Konoha which he previously thought to be good could kill on multiple occasions then killing is no longer an off the table option anymore and he warns those samurai before doing the doodly do. He is a bit out of character here, but his change in mind set made him 180. Its an interesting shift in character for a kid whos empathy and moral high ground kept him on the fence of killing in a series where a teacher tells 12 year old kids to come at him with the intent if killing. He seeks out danzo and this is where his motives and pain come into full display  ‘sono migiude teni ireru tameni nanin no uchiha o teni kaketa?’ ‘how many uchihas did you take down in order to get that right arm’

His driving force for his emotions and suffering are lost bonds and a moral burden he still sees himself accountable for.

Ofc this fight features his full descend into the darknes when he stabs Karin and generally looks beyond mentally unstable, this is where his character even though distorted before, goes through a gross distortion where he seems maniacal and just not there. This is bc as an uchiha, the more emotional pain he feels the more hatred he feels ,and the more he uses magic eye level 2.0, the more he loses himself.

Sakura somewhere out there doesn’t know the truth about itachi so sasuke is just acting like a dick wad and attacking innocent villages to her, and to avoid anyone getting hurt, physically or emotionally she burdens herself with killing him in order to save him from going darker. ‘oh but she gave up on him!!111!!!’ like, kakashi did the same thing for obito and at this point her logical order isn’t flawed. Sasuke was by definition an S ranked internationally wanted criminal attacking villages and peace meetings, falling rapidly into a darkness that his past self wouldn’t approve of  and he was getting hunted by every hoe in every country who wanted his ass dead. At least sakura (who again, did not know his reasons and you cant blame her for not knowing) did it to protect the empathetic boy who wouldn’t do something as senseless as attack an innocent man and aid a terrorist organization and to protect naruto emotionally and physically from akatsuki as well as ensure no one gets hurt from him as he is strong. In no way is it her way of being selfish, considering the language she used insinuated she was willing to die right there and then with him. The mission was a complete failure from the start bc hoe can’t kill him and if you truly think she could, I pray for you to find the light.

She shows up ofc and homeboy is suspicious right away, like I know u well enough what u plotting yo?? He knows from the get go shes out here for murder and he goes behind her and almost chidoris her. The factors that go into play here are 1) curse of hatred. 2) she is out for murder, he knows it and turns the table. It’s a low moment for him but that’s the whole purpose behind the scene. The fact that he went behind in the first attack of The Day ™ even though he probably knew he could take her down if he wanted to showed that he still isn’t able to attack face first. That’s not me romanticizing that scene bc ew, but it’s the truth. The look on his face is also not that of the most stable person. Second attack is purely in self defense and he has fallen to the point where he could do it from the front. Naruto shows up and his face shows he knows he done fucked up.

Naruto declares that you are my friend ™ (aaah ano hi no yume..) after sasuke yet again shows how far hes fallen due to the curse, pain and obitos brain washing by some good ol’ evil laughter, shouting he will turn peoples laughter into ‘screams and moans’ (how..awful sounding..to have sasuke make you scream and moan..jokejoke) and sasuke is like fuck u shit how dare u CARE about me ? Stop. And again naruto declares he will stop him and help him to which sasuke pulls an I-listen-to-my chemical romance and bring me the horizon- you don’t understand me!! And although affected by naruto still calling him a friend after all of this, he ends up getting also annoyed by Naruto trying to stop him and leaves thinking give me magic eye level 3.0 I want to kill Missy Elliot in her orange jump suit bc she thinks she will stop me by being my friend. How do I feel about what Naruto said to him that day? Personally, I think he missed the moral perspective of sasuke going crazy (he knew the truth) but he was coming from the right place. They all were. They just wanted him to stop suffering, all of them willed to die with him.

And thus begins their cute chase. Will Naruto fight sasuke first and save him? OR will sasuke kill him first so his ninja jesus light doesn’t stop his plans? Are they going to die together? So much to think about.

Sasuke gets his much deserved confrontation with itachi during the war and this is the healthiest time for them. Itachi no longer sheltered sasuke in a way that was poisonous for the both of them and sasuke asked the questions he deserved answers for. He got them, and an I love you all wrapped with a bow of existential crisis because after the fight with Kabuto, he sees his brother still doing his best for the leaf, still believing kabuto -an evil hoe- could change for the better. And he asks why such a ‘perfect’ person as itachi would still associate with shit like this and itachi is like dude I think you missed the part where I killed your family, tortured and manipulated you. I am not perfect, and neither is the dark world we live in but let me tell you some solid advice  that correlates with the star hax of the arc, the beautiful jutsu that makes no sense : Izanami. The past may be shitty, and we could either run around in an infinite loop suffering because of it, or we could chose to break free, accept what happened and change the future instead of doting on the past. Sasuke is like k cool man I get u but what next? ur jesus talk no jutsu ability is impressive but now I am questioning everything. What do I change? What is right and wrong? What is a village? What is a shinobi? I may not know now, but when I become supreme lord of everything, ill know then haha.

To answer these questions he goes to the One Who Knoweth All, the master of snakes-voldermort with a nose, and revives the kage who basically tell him yeah dude listen our history was fucked, apparently now is fucked, conflict always arises in every age and time its like madara said- you can never look into someones gut.But like maybe the new young generation can deal with it?? deal with ur own fucked up economy, suzan. He also finds out more about why the uchiha were so feared (madara, sharingan, tobirama the little shit, a sticky messy situation kishimoto why are u like this)and Donald trump (tobirama) tells him ur bad bc u love too much tf is wrong with u and sasuke was like fix ur fucking face tattoo u discriminatory bitch. Sasuke comes to the conclusion that he is now a renewed konoha fanboy ‘I wont let this village or my brother go to waste!11!’ because he realizes yeah man history is fucked and I want to change that so no other kid ends up in a situation like mine, full of pain, anger and blind hate.

Shows up on the battlefield, (Sakura, ka? ) and engages in some eye sex with sakura while ignoring others and declares yoyo idc bout what u think of me losers, imma be president. And naruto was like um imma let u finish but im gonna be the greatest hokage of ALL TIME (about that…anyways) . and ensues some team 7 and some naruto and sasuke being the iconic duo they are. It is important remember however, sasuke was at the moment in process of truly cutting all bonds, ensuring he is hated and fully immersing himself into the shadows. Although he is the first to react when sakura is attacked, warns her and kakashi multiple times so they don’t get hurt, saves them from infinite tsukiyomi and double checks on them in the Kaguya dimension, he pretends that like uh idc whatever I don’t care u guys cant even do much, I saved naruto because without him the world would end and u were just there so I saved you

to which naruto calls bullshit and sasuke is like ‘ur ruining my reputation as a heartless bitch’ ah brings back memories..of sasuke pretending to be a heartless bitch.

But like, he could not let her hit the floor so I am sure her hitting lava was a no-no. That moment happens, it was nice. Thank u, for that, kishimoto. And he even says ‘okagede todoita’ ‘thanks to you, I reached’ , nice moment.

After kaguya is over, they even exchange smiles. But nah, sakura, still in tune with sasuke as ever was right not to trust him 100% bc he pulls a IM GOING TO BE SUPREME WORLD LEADER, START A REVOLUTION, KILL THE 5 KAGES AND CAST THE WORLD INTO A NEW FUTURE. I fully support sasuke wanting to change the world that caused people like him, itachi, naruto, nagato, madara, obito, neji etc etc so much pain. I fully support revolution. I don’t want him to kill the 5 kages, but they really aren’t innocent so I understand where he is coming from. Him wanting to put the entire weight of hatred on himself is pretty selfless. It pains me (and naruto) seeing him say he is alone and willing and ready to bear hatred. All of that is valid but see :

dictator

noun

1.    a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force.

Synonyms:

Autocrat, monocrat, absolute ruler

How a dictatorship works : Dictatorship is a form of government  where a country or a group of countries is ruled by one person or political entity, and exercised through various mechanisms to ensure that the entity’s power remains strong

A dictatorship is a type of Authoritarianism, in which politicians regulate nearly every aspect of the public and private behavior of citizens. Dictatorship and totalitarianism societies generally employ political propaganda to decrease the influence of proponents of alternative governing systems.

Examples of dictators :

·         Adolf Hitler ,dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Benito Mussolini ,dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.

·         Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome.

·         Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953.

Sasukes plans :

So, while I do support him wanting change, I don’t think his method was right. Not for the world and not for him and the only person who could communicate that to a boy who is at his core is just lonely, is a boy who was equally lonely but learned the value of comradeship, unity and love. He saw it’s ability to bring about great, good change and he believed he wanted that to continue and not sasukes self destructive autocratic plans.

Anyways, sakura begs him not to slip any further, says that she knows he is in pain but she doesn’t want him suffering any longer but she cant fight him physically like naruto, neither can she convince him to stay even though she loves him so much, however she tries one last time again, hoping maybe his hoe ass will agree that unity is better than separation and sasuke is affected as hell. He shakes, showing once again he is the boy who cares about the people he loves too much.

Gave her a look that would have looked like this without the rinnegan, because he does not want to be alone and anyone who says that is a jackass

She is an annoyance because for a faltering second, she can still after all this time, in part 2 weaken his resolve.

He shows her the genjutsu of him killing her to seal the deal and ensure she hates him, but I doubt he would have ever been able to physically harm her after his head cleared up a bit. A bit.

Kakashi scolds him saying she doesn’t deserve this when all she did was try to help you. literal Japanese translation, Sasuke says ‘ are you suggesting I enjoy ‘renai’’ quite literally ‘romantic love’ in Japanese. He acknowledged the romantic context of their relationship himself. Then he goes on, and I translate literally again ‘I have no reason to love her and she has no reason to love me’, and kakashi calls bullshit by basically stating sasuke, love is not something you have to look for a reason for. The thing you do need excuses and reasons to fill your life with though, is hatred. She is not trying to make you ‘her thing’, she wants to help you no matter how much bad you’ve done her because she loves you so much it makes her suffer. AND IMMEDIATELY he flashes back to the purest love he knows, the love that he never sat down and tried to reason with, the love that caused him suffering. His love for his family. ‘perhaps those are ties to a failed past’..and goes on to kill Naruto bc he is the last friend who will stand in his way.

Hagoromo basically confirms ss will happen when it shots to sakuras face saying ‘love turned to hate’ then kakashi asks ‘so like sasuke is a lost cause?’ hagoromo says ‘not at all I hope naruto and sasuke break the cycle of hate’ then it pans to sasuke saying ‘I hope  hate turns to love’ and since this is a shonen, ofc it did.

Naruto and sasukes fight communicates all of their feelings and experiences and no matter how stubbornly sasuke insists on being alone, naruto is like no bitch I know what that’s like and I refuse to let my brother (from another mother) go through that eternally. And boom bada bim, it took an arm but he got free from the curse of hatred, and they broke the cycle. Sasuke then goes on to say how he always admired naruto to a point where it gave him an inferiority complex, just like itachi. He had a strong will and a power source unknown to sasuke. But one thing he finally fucking learned, is wait yeah man when we were on the same time and you became my comrade I felt your pain too. I saw you guys as my family- fuck right shit the sharing of pain and enduring it together until it comes to pass. That is what I learned from team 7, that is where your source of power comes from and you know what I accept that you learned it a lot earlier than I did. It’s my loss. Naruto is like if ur hoe ass don’t stop with this emo shit ill beat u up again bc YOURE MY FRIEND AAAH and sasuke finally god damn gets what naruto meant by that and the realization that the love he starved for all his life was right there waiting for him to accept it was so earth shattering to him that he cried. Blood connected, pain shared, bond reformed and sasuke wanted to start over. Which is why when he realizes what was meant by sakura loves you so much that seeing you suffer makes her suffer was she loves you unconditionally he fucking asked for that beautiful bond again. After all this mess, there is a reason he apologized only to her. She couldn’t do much for him because she isn’t as strong as he is, but her love was pure and selfless and all she ever wanted for him was happiness and he apologizes for not getting that earlier, for his mistreatment in the war, for the land of iron, for ‘everything up until now’.

We don’t know what happened in the blank period, but all we know is they spent some time together. And he is about to go on a redemption journey, again his own moral

burden but this time it’s to start fresh and check some kaguya traces that worry him. Sakura is all like k but can I come, and he tells her frankly girl no ur too pure for what I did, lemme deal with this first. ‘Mata condo na’ is different from itachis ‘mata condo da’, theyre both delaying something, but the difference with na is that is is definite promise of something inevitable. The forehead poke means the world to sasuke, both the negatives and the positives that came with it and he let it’s legacy carry on but in a positive light. This is a promise of a better tomorrow together, where I am ready and think I am in a position where I completely understand the world without being manipulated or full of hate.(he was so easily manipulated when because he was always kept away from the truth so he had no footing to base thing off) that happens, I’ll be back for you, and that is inevitable. I want this, but on amicable, better terms. And fuck, that happens. Sasuke learned the answer to his question by the end of the series and the final blow of logic was thanks to naruto- a ninja is one who endures until things come to pass. The sharing of pain can be applied to greater things.

He would have to endure a little longer before his redemption comes to pass.By shinden sasuke walks around the best human being, helping people, doing a talk no jutsu, worrying about Konoha but he isn’t sure if he shows up there it would be completely safe from people after him or if everyone is ready to welcome him back and at the end of the novel he receives a letter from naruto that’s like sup yo come back homie I miss ur emo ass also sakura was like ooh hes protecting the village from the outside like a police officer!!11! And sasuke flashes back to his dreams when he was younger and says ‘I guess I should head home’, basically this bitch came back for sakura, and sakuras hiden concludes with him showing up home after he took down the people on the outside of root to come save her (lol but his wife is not a weak woman) and seeing her saying ‘I am home, Sakura.’ ‘Welcome home, Sasuke-kun.’

They travel together probably fucking under stars and shit, got married, had a baby and raised her until Naruto became hokage and sasuke took up a mission only he could do bc he has rinnegan. Obviously this fucking hurt him and he was miserable about it considering he finally gets a family and hes walking his baby girl with his wife one day and the next fate is like ok but if the world ends in 2 minutes and they both like die along with the rest of planet earth haha sasuke I like to shit on ur life. But as he and sakura said it he took up the mission for the future to remain bright and because sakura and sarada are very precious to him. Sakura wasn’t allowed to give out any potentially dangerous information as this mission was top secret so she would avoid questions but still gave her daughter the basic run down ‘vv important he loves u k that’s all I can say’ and she was in general a great mother, shown to be caring, reveal what she could and take care of her sick baby. Sasukes mistake was even though he was doing it for his family, he failed to realize that his daughter still wanted him there. That is why he apologized and told sakura that this mess is not on her.The baby mama drama happens and sakura is like leave it to the child of the man who wanted to be ninja hitler to think she has a different mom bc she wears glasses and jump to 30 conclusions about her dad and I’s relationship, which I’d like to mention gaiden has no ss marriage issues. Sakura and Sasukes bond lives, their feelings are connected, their thoughts and feelings reach each other, they both greatly love and respect each other.. gaiden was about saradas adventure in whys my dad such a jerk and holy shit is this woman my mom land. As it goes on she sees her parents interact, sees the love and respect, the depth of the bond between them and is shown smiling, touched by that. She gets her verification of love and the importance of the mission and why it was done by the end of gaiden, and she even gets a forehead poke (try and make it negative but it gave her tears of joy) and a hug. + a cute ass family photo that she stares at and thinks how her family shares a true link of love. He tries his best to spend time with his family despite such an important mission waiting for him and he promises more if he can. I will defend papa-suke until I fuckin die bc from what we are shown he is a deeply caring dad who actually makes sure his child is happy. And if you are pressed about him leaving without kissing her sakura herself says an expression that means he Is teasing me by making me wait, and like sasuke is a reserved ass boy who grew up very traditionally Japanese, he isn’t about to make out with her on public. He does leave however with a smirk on his face (lil shit is happy he saw his wife and teased her) and a bento (not just a boxed lunch..its made with love by someone very special to you –sarada my bb) in his hand. By boruto he comes in time for the chuunin exams and the light novel literally says sakura has been gleaming and glossing since he came back, a Japanese expression for having lots of sex so the wait was worth it. Boruto defeats Momoshiki in 2 minutes like the op bitch he is and hallelujah sasuke is back with his family and everyone is smiling and happy and loved up. Sasuke looks over his child and student with a gentle smile that he only shows sakura (light novel written by kishi), they stand with each other just watching over their baby girl how cute.

Sasukes character is complex but if you sit down and try to understand him before running your mouth, he is easy to understand. Kishimoto does not owe you shit, he worked hard, he put his work forward and that is it. criticize his work or the dude but don’t pretend to understand a character you misinterpreted better than the author. Sakura was always relevant. This is a little SS input into the character of sasuke. If you need anything else i own most of the series (even tho i got lazy to keep taking pictures lol) and i am pretty fluent in japanese, so come to me if you need anything else. Bye.

[photonconductor]

i dont have an ao3 but shout out to my homeboys

once upon there was a gay on th e moon bc of a really lovng alternate au idea where elc turened BAD and klaus had a 1000 year nap and it'd take too long to fucking explain this so just roll with it ok. this gay--its elcrest btw hes also a Bad Boy now; he rly likes hot topic and thinks those t shirts with sarcastic sayings are actually rly funny but we all know they aren't--was feleing emo bc he couldn't see his bf xen o bc he betrayed him. so he stayed in his room whining abt how fgay he was until eve showed up

"hey whats wrong elc mother is here for u" even tho shes like 5000 years old and looks like shes 2 and also a rock (but im not rockist guys i promise). elc looked at her with his optics shining in the pale argentate light. good thing hes the seme here bc otherwise he'd start crying. in reality he rly wanted to fucking bone xeno bc obviously they had a lot of gay sex b4 they tried to kkill his mom once nad staring at rocks all day kinda sucks.

a;so burnign alive but hes kind of over that phase.

"im sad my bf left me for 1000 years can i pls go back to earth my raging hard on can't be satisfied bc rocks. my dicks not a jack hammer even tho im jacking it all the time (thats what guys do right bitch i dont know)" eve was so offended she put her hands on her giant rock self thats not just herself. its rly fucking complicated shut up u came here for the gay sex not instructibles on how physical forms manifest.

"we dont say ROCKS in this household young man!!!!"

"ＢＵＴ ＭＯＯＯＭＭＭＭＭ sorry i forgot to turn off my seme voice lemme adjust my mic it happens when my dick is hard" elcrest coughed twice "ok sounds good, BUT MOM I RLY NEED TO NUT. YOU KNOW NUT I'M SAYING... ITS ALL OR NUTTING BUT MOSTLY NUTTING IN XENO'S SWEET HOT BUNS"

"stop talking abt nuts u disgusting boy fine, god, if u leave me alone u gaylord"

and then eve punched him so hard in the dick that elcrest landed on earth in a giatn crater. how hes still alive is bc he still had some continues left like in mario even though this is a srpg game. once elc recovered he struck a pose and laughed evilly while twirling his mustache.

"finally...... I have RETURNED for xeno's hot man breasts! the world cannot stop me now!!" he cackly cackkled and quickly ripped off the fake mustache he put on just for this one scene. then elc went on a quest to find where klaus was and bc the author is too lazy to write any tansitional scenes.

elc found him chilling in his bed reading a book that was called Sweets and You: Do sweets make u inherantly Gay? elcrest made the PFFT noise. ofc they make u gay, fuckiing idiot book. he could write better than that author. in fact, elcrest was gonna do that when he got home bc obviously if this trash is published any shit elc wrote would be good.

NO! he had to focus! but he couldnt stop staring at xenos man boobs and felt his dick get hard again. elc got a nose bleed too bc thats what happens in anime right. i played persona 4 i know what im about

"damn u xeno." elc said thru his nosebleed and klaus looked up bc the author cant fucking rmemeber who is klaus and who is xeno and was surprised i remmebred his name but could not remember remember the 5th of novemember

"what"

"XENO IT IS I" since h e was caught red handed he just kickflipped through the window anyway. he did a sick flip then stood in the middle of klauses room. klaus made a gay gaspp

"alto! what are u doing hre!?" klaus said, bc in this AU that was his codename. elc wanted to be currently doing that but eve said no. fuck his mom. except please dont bc i know you sick fucks are thinking abt it.

"I HAVE COME TO BRING YOU BACK TO THE GAY SIDE, XENO WE HAVE COOKIES. bc i really miss that bammin slammin bootilicious sex we used 2 have and you are in fact bammin slammin bootilicious. also have u heard the word and gospel of our savior mother" elc said gayly

"dude no please stop preaching in my house im a changed man now" xeno pirouetted out of bed

"cmon man im ur seme u cant refuse we made like a yaoi blood oath u cant go back on ur word" elc pushed him back on thebed bc he'd have his ass yet anyway so no real use getting up. bc what is consent anyway hes Bad

"o shit really huh" klaus paused in thougt and bad elc laughed evilly. his plan was working!! all he had 2 do was the final touches! i mean besides touching xenos dick or whatever we're not yet. sorry u have to suffer for ten more paragraphs for sweat boy on boy. elc then turned around an produced a kitty keyboard from the recesses of his coat tails. xeno made the :O face and elc sat down bc playing while standing rly fuckin g sucks

"i wrote this for u on the moon so you'll be hypnotized by my sick beats" then he pulled the mic out of the keyboard and made a sick beatbox noise. No i dont know what the fuck it sounds like just google it. klaus blushued and made another gay gasp and elc made the >:3 face

then be started to play the piano keyboard. he was playing cruel angel thesis, their theme song that they had decided at 1am while xeno was drunk af.  it was their theme song despite none of them speaking fucking japanese but they just felt it in their SOULS. it was rly gay. elc was going so fucking hARD that his hard on was getting 40 hard ons. and thats four tens the hard ons. and its rad.

except the ebst part was it was all in meows so it spoke 2 klaus' furry soul.

klaus nyaed softly in surprise and suddenly all his memories of being xneo were restored!!! he gave into the desire that he craved in his soul and opened his big man arms bc for some reaon everyone thinks dudes are thirsty af. dont ask me why

"elc1!1 pls take me!! but be gentle my ass hasnt been ravaged in 1000 years (sick reference to hilda and altos magical wedding night by sorunort like, comment, subscribe for more sick referneces like this one)" xeno mewled like afucking furry and elc nodded once. xeno walked up to elc an touched his man boob sensually even tho xeno is like 60 feet taller than elc just imagine it ok

elc now has sunglasses just bc i think its a funny image

"xeno...... lets do it" elc said softly

"o h elc senpai......." xeno meowed

"and i'll keep my sunglasses on bc i hate the sun #moonlifeforever" and xeno gayzed into his emotion shields sensuallyier. then elc kissed him passionately and their tongues battled for dominance but we all know klaus is a fucking bottom bitch as stated in hilda and altos magical wedding night by sorunort paragraph 17 and 18 bc it was a dialogue.

then elc ripped off his clothes bc hes fucking JACKED and jACKED OFF and xeno gay gasped forlike the third time in this fic. elc was fuckign shredded. legends told of his abs but this time it was real. almost like the fact that shaved ice flavors dont actually exists the syrup is just food coloring.  his dong dangled in the breeze and xeno was turned tf on so he took off his clothes too bc hes not a god damn animal god whats wrong with u elc.

except elc didnt take off the sunglasses like he promised so those were still on dont worry readers i got you covered.

"get on ur knees dude and give me a wet willy but like on my dick" elc demanded

"wtf no"

"dude u cant say no its a smutfic"

"ok yeah i guess i kinda do like sucking dick or somethign"

"PREPARE TO EAT YOUR LAST DICK, XENO" elc cackcled and then xeno succed his dick like no tomorrow. elc practically creamed right there bc he couldnt get his rocks off on the moon for 1000 years (hahaha no im not gonna stop makign rock jokes). also xeno has no gagreflex bc he succed dick like a thousand times. once that was over elc just punched his dick in xenos hot cross buns and xeno meowed again

"why are u still a furry after 1000 years" elc asked but continued to Ravage The Promised Ass

"do u nyat like it erucu-kun???" xeno purred and elc shook his head

"no ur still banging its ok"

NUT THEN (i wanted to write but but i typoed and decided to keep it its funnier this way) xenos ass started 2 glow with a new holy light

"WHAT tHE FUCK" elc yelled

"my ass was actually the only way we could turn u good again! the more u fuck me the gooder u are!" and elc gasped gayily! no! his plan was working against him! he could alredy feel the goodness (haha get it bc fucking is hot i guess) turning him good! he had 2 pull out but found he couldnt. xeno was just too bammin slammin bootlicious

"HOW DARE YOU TRICK, I, ELCREST THE CONDICKTOR" he roared and xeno was tuned on again bc roaring is prolly a furry thign im not a furry im sorry

"it was for ur own good elc bc i love you!" xeno dokied so hard there were shoujo sparkles and even elc got shoujo sparkles. his azure optics glew like stella glow and u could almost see constellations in them. except there were sunglasses so u couldnt actually see it but the reader can. xneo was right. he was his tru  love..... not the Mother..... his mom was lame anyway all she did was talk to rocks

"xeno.............." elc said wiwstfully before bangin xeno harder. their bangin was so intense everyone could hear it in the kngihts barraks. it was so loud that even ana in her coma woke up for like a second to be like The Gays are At It Again. soon enough the banging was sucessful. elc glew in a beautiful magical girl ligtht and he was become good again. xeno shed a single tear but licked it away

"im cured! xeno ur ass did it! plus that was hot" elc smiled and im pretty sure xeno cried bc look at that man. hes so beautiful. please take the $2 from my purse. they embraced in a gay way. it was cute and xeno did a thumbs up and ana's face appeared at 20% opacity in the bg and she was also winking

"elc i am so glad u are back and i love u" then they made out. for a rly long time too bc theyre so fucking GAY good lord how could stella glow keep this under wraps. then they decidd they had to punch eve in the rock bc she was a dickw hile elc was being emo and stuff. BUT FIRST, xeno got porked lke 80 more times b4 then bc 1000 years does a lot do u.

the end remember to like, comment, subscribe for more fics like this one, seeya

[verdigrisprowl]

Apr 11 Blurr’s Horror Stream - Book Of Life

A night early because, randomly, Blurr decided to throw a party for Optimus’s corpse! The movie was oddly thematically appropriate. Starscream hired Blurr for random odd jobs that he doesn’t want tied back to him. For some reason he decided to do this with witnesses. Prowl yelled at him over comms a lot.

Welcome to the 'speedxstealer' room. Whirl: *tilts his head and looks, now, to Rumble* How've you been? Sadie: [[ "she is, isn't she?" la muerte pls ]] B l u r r: Most likely. / wiggles claws/ I like Xibalba. B l u r r: [[ im happy snifit finally gets to see this ;A; ]] Whirl: (ME2)) ItsyBitsySpyers: \\I LIKE HIM TOO. HE PLAYS DIRTY.\\ Whirl: He seems kind of like a chump. Starscream: Does he? Whirl: Yeah. *eyes Starscream sidelong* Scraping around someone in a position he wants. Begging and simpering to get his way. Whirl: Y'know. Chump stuff. B l u r r: Sounds like it ItsyBitsySpyers: //Eh... I been better.// He waves a hand half-aftedly. //Ain't important.// Starscream: *snorts* If he's in charge it doesn't matter how he got there. Whirl: *nods at Rumble; Whirl will leave it at that* ItsyBitsySpyers: *He might talk if Whirl asks in person some time, but not with Blurr and Starscream there.* Whirl: *if Whirl's made aware of that, he might take him up on that offer* B l u r r: / drapes over coffin. He likes his cartoon / ItsyBitsySpyers: *Ravage snorts. Gods are so ridiculous.* Whirl: *gods that aren't Heqet, ofc* FakeProwl: *appears* FakeProwl: How much did I miss? Starscream: Gods playing with mortal lives in exchange for living arrangements. ItsyBitsySpyers: //Yeah. They picked representin' kids 'n whoever the girl human picks for conjunx wins.// B l u r r: Sounds boring. Whirl: That's... not a bad summary. *takes another swig of his canister* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Tired ping hello.* FakeProwl: Who wins if the girl human doesn't want to conjugate with any of the represented kids? Starscream: Which is pretty short sighted. What if the girl doesn't pick either. Starscream: *see Prowl gets it* Starscream: They didn't cover that. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[The girl human.]] B l u r r: / rolls optic/ It's more about which boy is better suited for her. Starscream: ..well. If this one dies I suppose she'll get the other one. FakeProwl: Are there rules against murdering rival gods' representative children? ItsyBitsySpyers: [[No. But one cheated.]] B l u r r: Technically that's cheating, and they can't cheat. FakeProwl: How? Whirl: He gave one of the kids something that made him invincible. Starscream: Hey, he's the one that benefits if he wins. Cheating is the obvious answer. Whirl: To be honest, if a god offered that to me, I'd take it. I wouldn't waste my time courting someone though, I'd go do awesome stuff. Whirl: ((omg tHIS COVER!!!)) Whirl: But... I mean, actually, if you spend all your time doing awesome death-defying stuff with your newfound powers, you're bound to attract some other badass's attention. FakeProwl: So, one of them is a warrior; the other one is a musician who's being pressured into... killing animals? Whirl: So, two birds, one stone. Starscream: Yes. B l u r r: Bull fighting. FakeProwl: The musician is going to win. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[...Why?]] FakeProwl: Because a person doing what he wants to do and what he was made to do is lest interesting than a character whose assigned duty contrasts with his desired duty. Starscream: ((are the swords inside his back because he's a wooden doll)) Starscream: ((Manolo turn around- darn Whirl: *tilts his head and glances briefly to Prowl* ItsyBitsySpyers: \\I WANNA GET AN IMMORTALITY MAGNET. AIN'T FAIR.\\ FakeProwl: More interesting characters are heroes. Heroes win the thing they desire at the end of the story. Starscream: ((i thought they were like IN him B l u r r: I'm sure there's something like that out there somewhere. B l u r r: [[ is it dropping a lot? ]] FakeProwl: ((it's good here)) Starscream: So he should become a musician instead of getting married, since I'm not sure if he even cares. Whirl: On the one hand... it'd be awesome. On the other, it kinda takes half the fun out of it, y'know? FakeProwl: And humans really like characters that fight duty to pursue their desires. Starscream: ((*continues to threeway ship)) FakeProwl: ((far better threeway)) ItsyBitsySpyers: ((creator supports it)) Whirl: ((yep that's best)) B l u r r: [[ stream is about to drop ]] B l u r r: [[ or it's dropping a lot. ]] Whirl: (seems to be going fine for me)) FakeProwl: ((fine here still)) B l u r r: Now THAT looks like fun. Whirl: *perks up a bit at the sight of the bull* Whirl: It's adorable. B l u r r: / leans over coffin/ Isn't that right? K-Kyeheheeh. Like pissing off a Tyran Prime and seeing him come at you! Whirl: Well. *sly look to Blurr* I doubt he feels THAT way about the bull. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[That seems ill-advised.]] B l u r r: K-Kyeheheheh. Maybe not. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Has decided to root for this human, predictable fate or not.* Whirl: Pfft. Whirl: That bull's gonna kill him. You watch. FakeProwl: ... Doesn't disabling the bull require more skill than killing it, anyway? Whirl: Hm, guess not. Whirl: And you'd think so, right? ItsyBitsySpyers: [[We did not have bulls, but the beasts we did have to fight... yes.]] Whirl: Even more impressive? Taming it. Whirl: ((HAHA IM DYING)) Whirl: ((I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS  AJUKEBOX MUSICAL)) Starscream: ((8DDD FakeProwl: ((this one bothers me. it's just... slightly wrong.)) FakeProwl: ((maybe if they'd modified the lyrics a little bit)) Whirl: ((the line "i'm a creep, i'ma  weirdo" is a bit off, ye)) Whirl: You know. FakeProwl: ((and "your skin makes me cry" is... sort of creepy in general, and that's not his character)) Whirl: I think that might be fun. Something like bullfighting--only, obviously, without the bulls. Whirl: ((YEAH....)) B l u r r: It's fun with Empties. Whirl: Empties aren't a real CHALLENGE, though. Something like... big. And capable of devouring you, maybe. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\NEXT TIME WE FIND A RAZOR SNAKE WE'LL BRIDGE YA INTO A HOLE WITH IT.\\ ItsyBitsySpyers: //Dibs on his suite.// B l u r r: ... Grimlock. B l u r r: I punched a Grimlock in the face once. Whirl: *perks up* Do it! Absolutely. Whirl: You can even invite a crowd to admire my martial prowess as I kick its a ss. *preens unabashedly* ItsyBitsySpyers: \\GRIMLOCKS ARE FUN. THEY GET SO MAAAAAD.\\ B l u r r: Yes, they do. B l u r r: But, the one in the junkyard is a bit... BIGGER than I expected. Starscream: ...oh, yes. I'm surrounded by Wrekcers and Wrecker wannabes. B l u r r: /snort/ What? Whirl: There are no Wreckers in this room. B l u r r: / settles back over the coffin/ ItsyBitsySpyers: //Yeah. He's only a Wrecker where we're from.// Whirl: Also, in the event it devours me, I can't promise you my suite, Rumble. But you and your bro gotta take care of Killer. Starscream: ((hang on this is a mun error. Whirl: Okay. All right. Here's my problem with this--they lived their whole lives without her. How'm I supposed to swallow any romance here? I'm not feelin it. B l u r r: / hums and props cheek in his claw/ ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Nostalgia.]] FakeProwl: I wouldn't call somebody who sings "I love you too much to live to live without you loving me back" a catch either. Whirl: ((ur fine dude o7 i sort of thought Starscream was making a dig at whirl's ex-wrecker status)) Starscream: ((oh he was! I meant Blurr and Whirl but now im looking at TFWiki seriously doubting if i have the right universe)) FakeProwl: ((blurr and whirl both were yeah)) B l u r r: [[ Blurr is not a Wrecker >>;;;; yet ]] FakeProwl: ((not THIS blurr. but idw blurr yes)) Whirl: *shakes his head* I can't imagine anyone would be THAT nostalgic. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy looks at Blurr and the coffin and leans over to 'whisper'.* \\I SEEN THIS MOVIE. YA GOTTA KISS HIM. THEN HE COUGHS UP APPLES.\\ B l u r r: ... Excuse me? /looks at Frenzy / Whirl: ((it seems like a mistake that'd be IC for someone who isn't familiar with blurr's world to make, tho!)) B l u r r: [[ this is true!! ]] Whirl: ((FRENZY, GOD)) B l u r r: [[ star doesn't know blurr well! ]] Starscream: ((okay good so NOT an error. I meant it how he said it FakeProwl: ((although idk if idw blurr was officially a wrecker or if he was just rolling with the wreckers for a while)) Starscream: ((No no, he's being insulting and not trying to be accurate, so he doesn't care if this Blurr isn't actually a Wrecker.) ItsyBitsySpyers: \\I'M JUS' SAYIN'.\\ Starscream: ((That whole I know one guy like you who did this so I'll apply it to you anyway)) Whirl: ((aight o7 whirl;'s comment would not have changed)) Starscream: ((I mean the moment has passed but okay at least I know I did have my info correct)) ItsyBitsySpyers: [[He changed his mind. He wishes to root for the Maria human.]] Starscream: ..agreed. FakeProwl: Notice they started fighting without asking her which of them she's interested in. Whirl: *nods* Whirl: And she disarmed the guy very handily. FakeProwl: I'm rooting for her too. I'm rooting for her to remain single. Starscream: They can marry each other. Whirl: She should go find someone she can cour the RIGHT way. By fighting. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[........Why does he keep speaking his designation.]] Starscream: *looks at Whirl* I wonder. FakeProwl: So they remember it. B l u r r: You're just saying that I should kiss him awake? That's ridiculous... that isn't true. Starscream: Why WOULD someone be tempted to use their names as a warcry. FakeProwl: He wants a reputation. B l u r r: Honestly, have them fight. Whirl: I man, if your reputation precedes you, as his clearly DOES... why not? Whirl: Though USUALLY I prefer a blood-curdling unintelligible scream, myself. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Complete silence.]] Whirl: This guy's more in love with himself than he could ever be with anyone else. B l u r r: Seriously. Whirl: *OKAY GHE'S NOT GONNA sya it out loud be he always liked this song* Whirl: *not a bad idea, an acoustic cover* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Rumble mumbles something under his breath and picks at his knee guards* Whirl: *tilts his head at, silently* ItsyBitsySpyers: \\HOW DO YA KNOW IT AIN'T TRUE? YA TRIED?\\ Starscream: ((ruuuude B l u r r: .. No. Starscream: Are you about to kiss a dead body. B l u r r: Tch, no. B l u r r: /pats coffin/ Starscream: ...are you going to kiss it after we leave. FakeProwl: *ah. so it's a zombie movie.* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[...Would he not have seen her after his natural death.]] B l u r r: No, I'm going to put him back. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Humans die quickly. He would not have long to wait.]] FakeProwl: People who say things like "I love you too much to live without you loving me back" tend to be impatient about their reunions. Starscream: He'd seen her for roughly a day and a half. Starscream: Their lives are short, he didn't hve to make it shorter. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Shakes his helm a little.* FakeProwl: Impatient, not sensible. Whirl: *shakes his head* They never sold me on the romance. Whirl: But I'm digging the art direction. B l u r r: Kyeheheh.../rests chin in claw / ItsyBitsySpyers: [[See. The creator is sensible.]] FakeProwl: ... I take it this one isn't La Muerte. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[He is not.]] FakeProwl: *nobody told him the gods' names* FakeProwl: Who is he? B l u r r: He's Xibalba. FakeProwl: *what kind of a name is xibalba* FakeProwl: *she-bulb-a* Starscream: *cackles* B l u r r: / Zi- prowl. Zi-bul-ba / Whirl: Pfft. Prowl's not nearly theatric enough. FakeProwl: *"zi" isn't a word. it's clearly "she."* Whirl: ((wait dorp that wasn't aloud, nvm)) B l u r r: [[ there i am ]] Starscream: ...you know, it's rather dickish to only want to protect your hometown if someone marries you. B l u r r: [[ all about the churros ]] ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Agreed.]] Whirl: *nods* FakeProwl: ... At least the other suitor is decent enough to try to say—multiple times—that this isn't the time to discuss the issue. Starscream: But not decent enough to revoke the terms of his proposal. FakeProwl: He gets a participation ribbon at best. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\IF HE CAN FIND ROOM ON HIS CHEST!\\ ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy snickers* FakeProwl: Pf. ItsyBitsySpyers: *.......Takes a note on what to add to his mindscape* ItsyBitsySpyers: *...Erases the note* FakeProwl: Interesting trap. Totally unnecessary, but interesting. Whirl: All of these people are too damn twitterpated to think straight. THIS is why this sort of thing is so dumb. Whirl: ...*wait, he should try to be at least somewhat sensitive here. DAMMIT HE HECKED UP* Y'know. ...sometimes. Whirl: *well he Tried* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Mumble.* Whirl: *he has the good graces to look at least a little abashed, glancing away with his antenna pinned back* Starscream: ...*did Whirl just act ashamed* Whirl: *don't u DARE TELL ANYONE* ItsyBitsySpyers: {{Looking like home, neheheh.}} Whirl: He's got chutzpah. FakeProwl: More chutzpah than brains. Whirl: *shrugs* B l u r r: Ahh, yes. Use fear... Starscream: And that's why he's dead. FakeProwl: He's just made a bet against a known and repeat cheater. Whirl: Well, wat would have suggested he do to get what he want? ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Kill the god.]] FakeProwl: Find a way to cheat first. Whirl: So, your solution is KILL a god or OUTSMART him. Gotcha. Whirl: A GOD. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[We nearly murdered our own. It can be done.]] Whirl: Anyway, if I had to choose--I'd have to say, I'd cose someone who was brave but not too bright over someone who was a smart coward. B l u r r: Oh, trust me. The bravest of mechs are the dumbest. Starscream: Well, fools flock together, so that's no surprise. Whirl: Explains how YOU got elected. FakeProwl: *snort* Whirl: ...also look how cute it is. Starscream: Too bad, looks like if you had an objection you should have actually been around to participate in the election and not gallavanting in space. Whirl: I'm not even FROM your dimension. Whirl: And, I'm not a citizen, either, so it doesn't even matter. Starscream: ... actually no, it doesn't. Why ARE you complaining about it? FakeProwl: You don't know Whirl very well, do you. B l u r r: You being in charge of anything is a frightening concept. Whirl: I'm not complaining. I'm just speaking the truth. Starscream: I try to forget everything about him as soon as I stop looking at him. Whirl: Oh, that's rich, coming from YOU, prowl. Whirl: None of you know anything about me. *snorts* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Tilts his helm. Nothing at all?* Whirl: *YOU know a little* FakeProwl: *slow blink* B l u r r: / he knows a tiny bit / Whirl: *but it wasn't like he could help it at the time* Starscream: And yet, here I am. In charge, and the planet is still in the same number of pieces. Whirl: Yeah, you're in charge of a bunch of idiotic NAILs. Whirl: What a victory. FakeProwl: *he knows whirl better than starscream.* Whirl: *he does, but that is not saying VERY much* FakeProwl: *and he knows that whirl will never turn down an opportunity to diss people he disrespects.* Whirl: *this is true* FakeProwl: *that's enough to make a snide side comment to starscream about how much starscream doesn't know whirl if he's questioning his complaining* Starscream: *Starscream tries to forget everything about Whirl immediately. He really doesn't care* Whirl: *all that aside, Whirl will also never pass up an opportunity to remind people how little they actually know* FakeProwl: ... That's rubbish. FakeProwl: Manolo was bever afraid of "being himself." FakeProwl: He spent the whole movie struggling to be himself despite his father and grandmother's pushing him to be otherwise. Starscream: Probably why he was so confident about the wager. FakeProwl: His greatest fear was defying his family. FakeProwl: And, likely, disappointing them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to push him into bull fighting for so long. Whirl: *snickers* Whirl: I can respect someone who sings opera while they slaughter folks. Whirl: Nice. B l u r r: Kyeheheh. Yes, it is rather nice. Starscream: His entire family is dead now, aren't they. B l u r r: Seems that way ItsyBitsySpyers: *Nod.* Whirl: *also nods* FakeProwl: Unless he has some distant cousins we've never met. B l u r r: ... That's the best, isn't it? Fighting and dancing. /mumbling / ItsyBitsySpyers: [[It is.]] Whirl: Okay, now. If all THREE of them show up and kick his aft. Whirl: If all three of them take this guy out. Whirl: Obviously they should ALL get together. FakeProwl: Humans are weirdly obsessed with monogamy. Whirl: Maybe it's a biological thing. FakeProwl: Which is unfortunate, because both of the suitor characters are much more tolerable when they aren't battling over her. Whirl: The three of them could make a good team. Lots of killing to be had. *nods* Starscream: Or the narrative isn't telling us they're intolerable FakeProwl: I doubt it. If it were biological, there wouldn't be so many humans lamenting the difficulty of monogamy, cheating on their monogamous partners, et cetera. Starscream: ((mwah Whirl: ((GOD. FOR REAL)) FakeProwl: ((threeway makeouts. now.)) B l u r r: [[ his sequels are about the other two >>;; ]] B l u r r: [[ im excited. ]] Starscream: (( OuO Whirl: No, I mean, it's a biological thing to be obsessed with monogamy. FakeProwl: ... Hm. Whirl: But obviously, conjunx ritual aside, all three of them are a thing. *waves  aclaw* Starscream: This probably could have been avoided if she'd visited him once in a while. B l u r r: She was sent away. Starscream: No, I mean La Murete. B l u r r: They're in charge of two different realms. They probably can't visit. Starscream: At the start, the complaint was that the land of the forgotten sucked and he wanted to trade. B l u r r: The Land of the Forgotten reminds me of what Terminus is said to be like. Starscream: So, what, they can only interact on the Day of the Dead? FakeProwl: Can't they combine their realms and rule jointly? B l u r r: Yes, the Day of the Dead is when the realms are open to one another. Starscream: ..well that's a terrible arrangement. B l u r r: [[ hhhhh his wings ]] Sadie: [[ okay i must sleep ]] B l u r r: In any case... who wants something to eat? B l u r r: [[ ni ni!! ]] Whirl: Bad advice. *snorts* Sadie: [[ good night friends <333333 ilu all ]] ItsyBitsySpyers: ((night fabu!)) Whirl: ((GNIGHT FABU)) ItsyBitsySpyers: #meeeee Whirl: It was all right, I guess. The visuals are what saved it. Whirl: (I LOVED IT THO)) Whirl: ((SOME of the music choices could have been a bit better but it was great)) B l u r r: [[ i love it , tho i agree with the music ]] Whirl: Depends, Teach--whatcha cookin up for us? B l u r r: Well, I made my Master a cake. /pats the coffin/ ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave waves off the food. None for him. Obviously.* B l u r r: And I've got some liquid snacks that are especially made for you. B l u r r: / for whirl / Starscream: ((I had forgotten that i didn't like how the narrative sort of backs Joaquin into a corner FakeProwl: *... blinks at the coffin* FakeProwl: *who's in there. why. why is blurr like this.* Starscream: I'm not in the mood for vaccum-packed Prime. B l u r r: He is not vaccum packed... FakeProwl: ((tbh i'm kind of glad it backed him into a corner--it saved him from having to be a Massive Major Douchebag to try to go through with a wedding right after his buddy died)) B l u r r: / scoffs/ I wasn't going to hang him on the wall like Thundertron. FakeProwl: ((it allowed him to be more sympathetic while still fulfilling the role of The Romantic Rival)) Starscream: ((I would have liked it better if they didn't need him to be in a corner OR a massive major douchebag and just let him be an equal protagonist Whirl: *tilts his head curiously; he's genuinely intrigued if Blurr tried to make something for him* Whirl: *he MIGHT even be able to taste it* FakeProwl: ((also, considering that the situation was kind of engineered by two gods fvckin around with mortal lives, it sorta makes sense to me that he'd be backed into a corner he didn't want to be in.)) B l u r r: / sends a comm link out. Some mechs are gonna push a cart with a huge cake and then one specifically for whirl's liquid snacks/ Whirl: ((yeah like... I would've liked for him to have been cas more sympathetically, but I think it still works--his selfless act at the end feels more like a revelation if he's been a bit selfish the rest Whirl: of the film)) FakeProwl: ((but ye, hopefully in the sequel he can just be an equal protagonist and they can be a vaguely poly trio)) Whirl: ((but 4 real they need to all 3 get together. I know it's too much to ask for but i Want It)) Starscream: ((This is true. and after all, it may very well be that you're not SUPPOSEd to like it as a narrative direction.)) Starscream: ((and yesssss Whirl: *like a wayward snake, Whirl is periscoping to see this liquid snack being brought to him. He's not even trying to be cool about it* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Laserbeak's gonna try to divebomb the cart in a second* FakeProwl: *immediately grimaces at the sight of food* FakeProwl: *which corpse are they celebrating this time. he doesn't want to know.* B l u r r: Let me know if you like them, Whirl. /hums and pats the top of the coffin / ItsyBitsySpyers: *It's probably best if Prowl doesn't ask.* FakeProwl: *he's not going to.* B l u r r: / drapes over it / The fleet has their own share already of snacks. Whirl: *scoops it up, pauses, and then lifts it in toast* To Blurr's old boss. I only kew him as a weird motherfragger, but y'know what? There are worse things to be. B l u r r: / smirks and taps claws on the coffin/ Hear that? Whirl salutes! / salutes claws at Whirl / We thank you. FakeProwl: *"blurr's old boss." that's already more than he wanted to know.* Whirl: *nods and takes a swig. How noxious is this stuff, on a scale of 1-10. And/or spicy or whatever* B l u r r: / it's sweet with some pop of spice / Whirl: *he can probably baaaaarely taste it then* Whirl: Not too shabby, Teach. B l u r r: Aw, thanks /wiggles claws/ We've been celebrating a lot lately. B l u r r: Still trying to come up with a name for the Fleet. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\TH' FLEET'S FUNNY ALL BY ITSELF.\\ ItsyBitsySpyers: \\Y'KNOW. FLEET. FAST.\\ Whirl: PFFT. Whirl: That's damn clever, Frenzy! B l u r r: It is. K-Kyeheheheh. But, we want a specific name for them. B l u r r: And I'm not going to call them what that fool Thundertron called them. ItsyBitsySpyers: \\I GOT MOMENTS. MY BRO DON'T GET 'EM ALL.\\ B l u r r: Kyeheheh. Whirl: Yeah, "Star Seekers?" Lame. B l u r r: Right? Lame. Whirl: *and speaking of the brother... Whirl nudges Rumble in what he things is a subtle way* @R: Hey. Uh, sorry. Y'know. B l u r r: Maybe Roadbuster can help me think of a name... ItsyBitsySpyers: @W: //Yeah, sure. It's whatever, mech. Know ya ain't me.// Starscream: Herald. B l u r r: Pardon? ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave glances at Starscream, still on edge. That better not have two other words behind it.* Starscream: Your fleet. Heralds. It's thematic with the whole Emperor thing. Whirl: @R: Yeah, but still it's not--I don't mean, y'know, YOU. Just running on automatic. Kinda hard to put the brakes on the four-million-year-long bitterness train. Whirl: Herald sounds too stuffy. B l u r r: Hnnh... /drums claws on the coffin lid/ I suppose that makes the most sense, but I don't want people to think I'm fully a King now. That's not what I want. Whirl: I don't have any better suggestions, I'm just saying. Whirl: Except... maybe. *thinks* Starscream: Harbingers, then. That's usually paired up with stuff like 'doom'. Whirl: The Out of School Suspension Squad. ItsyBitsySpyers: //Heh.// B l u r r: ....Harbingers. Hnh. B l u r r: / snort at Whirl/ Now, that sounds likely. Kyeheheheh. Whirl: The Detention Decimators. Starscream: *pained look* That's /awful/. Whirl: *looks damn PROUD of himself at that declaration* Whirl: *it's hard to preen when you're half-buried/half sat upon by a giant scorpion and a minibot but Whirl manages it* B l u r r: / hums/ Good suggestions. ItsyBitsySpyers: //...Teacher's Pets.// Whirl: I just advse not going with something too grandiose. Makes it easier for folks to make fun of--PFFT. Whirl: *LAUGHS* B l u r r: K-KYAHAHAHAA!! Starscream: *MORE PAIN* B l u r r: That's a good one. Whirl: Something Academy. Whirl: Use Academy. B l u r r: ...Hmm. Whirl: That's as good as you're gonna get from me, I'm a fighter, not a naming-things-er. ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Fitting music.]] B l u r r: That's fine. B l u r r: I'll take some of the suggestions and talk them over. ItsyBitsySpyers: @W: Nah, I know. You do you. *Rumble considers saying that Whirl might not have to live on the bitterness train forever if even Frenzy can get a someone, but. He probably don't got that kinda right.* ItsyBitsySpyers: *So he just nods.* Starscream: Hm. Actually, Blurr, there is something I would like to discuss. ItsyBitsySpyers: *And Ravage suddenly pops Soundwave on the leg with claws. No falling asleep in public.* B l u r r: / tilts helm/ Hmmn? Whirl: *nods back, but very slightly, as he's trying not to be obvious* @R:  Careful. Dangerous advice, mech. *in an attempt to inject a bit of levity* But, seriously. Sorry. I *do* mean it. FakeProwl: *... quietly listens in on Starscream's conversation* Whirl: *he feels like there's more to say, but this isn't the right place, and Starscream's words have piqued his interest* ItsyBitsySpyers: @W: ...Thanks. Starscream: You rejected my offer of cooperation before. However, I'm still willing to seek a mutually beneficial relationship. Whirl: *another surreptitious nod* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Soundwave pops back online in time to hear... what is this? What offer of cooperation?* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Sets music internally to keep himself up and focuses* B l u r r: Friends with benefits? Hmmmnh... that requires us to be friends. Whirl: *snickers* Starscream: I'll settle for relaxed aquaintances. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Slow turn to Prowl.* @P: (txt): ...What missed? Starscream, Blurr: interface item? Whirl: ((the hatef uck of the century)) FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Not to my knowledge. I think he's ineptly asking for a /professional/ relationship.» B l u r r: Depends on what I'm getting out of it. B l u r r: It's gonna take a lot for me not to slam your face into the wall and drag it down. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Listens to them again, then a quick glance back to Prowl.* FakeProwl: @Starscream «You're trying to recruit BLURR'S services? Did you miss the fact that he's throwing a party for his last boss's corpse in the coffin next to him?» ItsyBitsySpyers: @P: (txt): 'Ineptly': insufficient. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Settles again. Must hear response.* B l u r r: [[ aw come on Prowl. u were invited ]] FakeProwl: @Soundwave «... Would you like me to use a better synonym, or...?» Starscream: @P ::Have you missed the mechs built into the literal walls around us?:: ItsyBitsySpyers: @P: (txt) Negative. Intention: deal commentary. Words difficult. Apology. Starscream: And that depends on what you want. There are things I cannot offer, and others that I won't. FakeProwl: @Starscream «I assumed you would care less about them than about what he apparently does to the people who hire him. What do you hope to get out of Blurr?» B l u r r: / hums and looks down at the coffin. Drums claws. Looks like he's thinking/ I want access to the entire city. B l u r r: Any time I want it. FakeProwl: @Starscream «No. He can't have unrestricted access to the city.» Starscream: @Prowl:: Enforcement via a method less directly connected to myself.:: FakeProwl: @Starscream «There are more reliable agents we can use.» Whirl: *watches this all with silent, but obviously amused, interest* Starscream: Entire city- and I'm assuming you're including Metroplex in that demand. B l u r r: Is it part of the city? Because then that's an affirmative. Whirl: Teach, you know I like you, but if you go ona  urderspree on my home planet, just remember: I might kick your ***. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Rumble doesn't give a frag what's going on. He's busy sprawled and listening to the music.* B l u r r: I'm not thinking about a murderspree at the moment. Whirl: ((wow my typing is so good tonight)) Whirl: Just so you KNOW. B l u r r: I know. /hums/ Whirl: *this apparently satisfies him* Starscream: Escorted access to an agreed-upon majority of the city, except for Metroplex. That would have to be sorted as a seperate deal. B l u r r: Drop the escort and I'll settle for agreeing on a majority. FakeProwl: @Starscream «We can't afford to leave him escorted. And he has unique mods that would make him incredibly hard to catch if he decided to flee. He might be able to outrun OUR Blurr.» FakeProwl: **unescorted Starscream: *drums fingers on leg* Notice given before any trips into the city, then. And a limit to the number of mechs you can bring with you. Starscream: @Prowl::What mods?:: B l u r r: / hums and looks over at Whirl. Then looks at the coffin. Trying to think like he's supposed to here. Lifts index digit/ A warning before I enter the atmosphere. And only three mechs allowed with me. B l u r r: At a time. FakeProwl: @Starscream «I don't know the details of them. They permit him to move at absurd speeds.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «And I still don't see why you have to use him instead of somebody less likely to betray you and start murdering your citizens.» Starscream: @Prowl ::Because he has the manpower, will most likely refuse to be bought out by a higher offer, and has no interest in taking IAcon for himself.:: Starscream: Notice will be given on who those mechs are at the same time as the general warning. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Oh, his theme song* B l u r r: Hmmm... the mechs are interchangable. FakeProwl: @Starscream «But he may be bought out by a bloodier offer. Or just, casually decide he doesn't feel like working with you anymore.» B l u r r: I can choose to switch out mechs at any time. FakeProwl: "Only three mechs allowed with you." Are you referring to YOUR mechs that you'll bring along, or OUR mechs that will escort you? B l u r r: my own B l u r r: I trust absolutely none of your mechs. FakeProwl: @Starscream «Mandate an escort. He cannot be allowed in Iacon with no restraints.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «... An escort he doesn't know about, if necessary.» Starscream: Agreed, as long as you do not exceed three mechs with you on the ground. The rest have to remain on your ship. Starscream: @Prowl ::Naturally.:: Starscream: Visitations are limited to a day. After that you either have to tell us that you are still in Iacon or leave. Whirl: *raises claw* Whirl: Obviously, I don't count against Teach's limit. B l u r r: They have no problem waiting on the ship as it is right now. /shifts and drums claws/ Depends on what you want me to do. Whirl: So, lemme know when you're in town, mech. B l u r r: Hmm /nods at Whirl / Naturally. B l u r r: Visitations are limited to exactly one day unless The Emperor is in need of repairs. FakeProwl: @Starscream «Permit that, and he'll use false claims of repairs to stay longer.» Starscream: Repairs will have at least one of our mechs assisting, to ensure proper communication on the status of said repairs. B l u r r: Mech can watch but no one touches my ship but me and my crew. FakeProwl: @Starscream «Make it at least two. If there's only one, it's all the easier for that mech to go in and never exit again.» B l u r r: My crew is also allowed to stand guard outside my ship. So that I am not approached by any MORE strangers. B l u r r: Considering how one decided to waltz into my ship last time I was on your planet. Starscream: That sounds like a security issue that should be taken up with your own crew. Any guards you set must remain within twenty meters of your ship. B l u r r: Oh, no worries... he isn't coming back /smirks/ I believe he knows I won't hesitate to shoot him next time. Whirl: *his helm is flicking back and forth like he's watching a tennis match; Whirl is hugely amused* Starscream: Keep your shots to those that get close to the ship, then. B l u r r: / smirks and leans back/ Hmmm... / eyes his claws/ And what are we negotiating for, hn? You and your cabinet want something from us? B l u r r: / glances up and around. Soundwave. Prowl. Starscream. Whirl. Company of Soundwave. / FakeProwl: *shakes his head. nope. he's no part of this.* Starscream: *if Whirl is on the cabinet Starscream wants to know who was drunk enough to approve it* Whirl: Please don't affiliate me with THIS chucklehead, Teach. *gestures to Starscream* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Oh, he'll try to get something out of this, but... not from Blurr. Not this time.* Whirl: *minister of reigious affairs* FakeProwl: I'm his /prisoner./ I wouldn't call myself "cabinet." B l u r r: Oh, I'm not. I'm just assuming he's not the only one. This fool can't lead a city alone. FakeProwl: If I was, this offer would never have been made. B l u r r: Oh, but you have done something once. Whirl: Pribably not, but as I said before--it's a city of idiotic NAILs who thought voting for HIM *gestures to Starscream* was a GOOD idea. Whirl: So I wouldn't be surprised if he WAS running the show alone. B l u r r: /snicker snort. Pats the coffin/ B l u r r: There's always a right hand mech... Starscream: The short answer is that I require /competent/ help. My own options for Enforcers, while useful for general brute tactics, are otherwise lacking. B l u r r: You need an assassin... FakeProwl: @Starscream «Speaking of which, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. They're rubbish at anything resembling police work. Trampling over crime scenes, destroying valuable evidence, et cetera.» Starscream: A secret police isn't very effective if everyone is in on the secret. I require the use of someone that is otherwise seperate from myself. Someone with their own agency. Starscream: And possess more pride than a simple gun for hire. FakeProwl: @Starscream «Either you need to hire a police force independent from your enforcers, or they need training.» Starscream: @P ::I'd rather hire a new force that hasn't yet proven to be completely useless.:: Whirl: *SECRET police? That's interesting* FakeProwl: @Starscream «I'd recommend that as well.» B l u r r: We're not an agency. We're pirates. FakeProwl: ... And, for future reference, the next time you try to form a secret police, maybe don't do it in the presence of one of Rodimus's crewmates and a foreign spymaster.» FakeProwl: ((that was supposed to be @starscream)) Starscream: ...Agency. Capability for independant action. Starscream: @Prowl ::Who said I'm forming a secret police?:: B l u r r: So what you want is someone who will come into your city and kill people you can't kill yourself? FakeProwl: @Starscream «For starters, you did.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «Even if that's not the final term you want to apply to him, the point still stands.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «If you're hiring an independent agent to perform jobs that can't be tied to you, DON'T have witnesses at the job interview that will be able to tie him to you.» Starscream: *Waves a hand dismissively. Whatever, language* More or less. Future tasks may include staged mobs, tactical strikes on key locations, that sort of stuff. Starscream: We can negotiate future jobs as they come up. Starscream: @Prowl ::One witness doesn't live in this plane of existance, and the other is a non-native Soundwave.:: B l u r r: / drums claws on the coffin and looks contemplative / FakeProwl: @Starscream «Yes, Whirl lives here. He's not FROM here but he immigrated to this Lost Light. He's a local.» Whirl: *snickers and nods at Blurr* Already, the job offers are rolling in. Who knew killing one pirate could be so lucrative? B l u r r: Oh, like Starscream would get one over on Thundertron FakeProwl: @Starscream «Everything you and Blurr have said to each other can be reported straight to Rodimus. OUR ROdimus.» Whirl: What? No. I meant, killing Thundertron has been a huge boost to your resume. FakeProwl: @Starscream «If he doesn't, it will only be because he likes Blurr—and someday he might decide he likes Blurr less than he dislikes you.» B l u r r: Oh. K-Kyeheheh. I suppose so. B l u r r: Among other things. Starscream: @Prowl ::Then I leave it up to you to figure out how to prevent Whirl from deciding to tattle.:: Whirl: Boost to morale. Boost to... your wallet. FakeProwl: @Starscream «Figure it out yourself. I spent four million years cleaning up unnecessary messes made by my superior; I didn't throw in my lot with you to do more of the same.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «I would have thought you'd spent enough time cleaning up YOUR superior's messes to know what a waste they are of a second's time.» B l u r r: Hmm... I suppose so. Though, I don't need money Whirl: Pfft. Everyone needs money, Teach. Write that down as lesson number one if you're gonna live here. FakeProwl: @Starscream «So. Excellent work handing damning blackmail material to your chief political rival. "Staged mobs and tactical strikes" indeed.» B l u r r: I'm not gonna LIVE here Starscream: Think it over for a while. I would like your answer within, oh, a week. B l u r r: /sNORT / Whirl: "Here" as in, "the multiverse at large, and not just your corner of it." B l u r r: Restate the terms. Starscream: Restricted access to Iacon with no extra access to Metroplex. Unescorted by Iacon mechs, with a limit of three crew members as company. Crew members can be exchanged. Starscream: Visitations are to be annouced when you break atmosphere, and are not to exceed one day with exceptions if the Emperor needs repairs. At least one Iacon mech will oversee but not interfere with repair FakeProwl: @Starscream «Still should have made it two mechs to oversee.» Starscream: You are permitted to mount a guard around the ship while grounded, as long as the guards do not move more thant twenty meters away. Starscream: @P ::I said at LEAST.:: B l u r r: /shifts and leans over the coffin to look at Starscream/ Targets assigned to me are subject to murder of any degree and the frames belong to me unless needed to evidence. In which case, they will be B l u r r: sent to me. FakeProwl: @Starscream «He's going to fight for it to be one every time. But fine.» B l u r r: / holds up a second digit to add to the first/ Any deaths caused by mass mobs are not my fault, as I cannot control what a mob does with their own rage. B l u r r: / a third digit, and this may surprise you/ I have to know the reason as to why the specific job is given. The /real/ reason. Starscream: Unless the target requires being killed ina specific way, I leave the method up to your descretion. Starscream: *Smirks* Want to make sure you're going after those that deserve it? B l u r r: / hums/ No, I want to know how long the murder needs to be dragged out before they die. Starscream: Very well. Whirl: *tilts his head, but doesn't say anything* B l u r r: / adds a fourth digit. Leans forward more/ And if you ever set me up, rest assured that I will come for you and tear you from your throne and spread your innards along the walls of your city. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Frenzy squints. He's pretty sure Starscream doesn't have that many innards.* Starscream: *he didn't specify how many walls* ItsyBitsySpyers: *Maybe, but two walls isn't that impressive a threat. It's gotta be like... twenty. Starscream's not big enough for twenty.* Whirl: *not with that attitude* FakeProwl: ((cut him up in tiny chunks. just smear a little on each wall.)) B l u r r: [[ yes good ]] ItsyBitsySpyers: ((go big or go home is his style)) ItsyBitsySpyers: ((but yes carry on)) B l u r r: And if you put me in a cage, know that I will get out of it. I /always/ get out of it. Whirl: *for one, you have a willing jailbreaker who can bridge u out* Starscream: *that is the risk when dealing with these types, isn't it* Starscream: Naturally. You won't be very useful in a cage, after all. B l u r r: So they say. FakeProwl: @Starscream «His threats are more boring than Lockdown's.» FakeProwl: *he's not even contributing at this point, he's just griping.* B l u r r: / leans back a little/ Regardless... if anything happens to me, my crew knows who to call and how to get them here. Whirl: *shifts in the hammock pile and manages to get one leg free to streeetch* Well, I'm tired. And my medicine is wearing off. *looks at his empty canister* Whirl: So, I'm out. Whirl: *bobs his head at Zori* Good to see you again, Professor. ItsyBitsySpyers: #goodbye! Starscream: *a wave of the hand* Is that an agreement or are you going to deliberate on it more? Whirl: *bobs his head at Rumble, too* ItsyBitsySpyers: #um #I will be back soon #before the dog dies Starscream: (sORI Starscream: ((*zORI Whirl: Do what you gotta, mech. No pressure. Whirl: ((ZORI....)) B l u r r: / waves at Whirl / Whirl: *salutes Blurr, and does another series of bobs for Soundwave and Frenzy. Just bobbin away* FakeProwl: ((............... what dog. i missed something.)) ItsyBitsySpyers: *Returns it.* ItsyBitsySpyers: ((Whirl said Zori hadn't been around in a dog's age. Zori asked how old the dog was. The dog is apparently very old now.)) FakeProwl: ((oh. pffff.)) Whirl: *and with a bit of creative wriggling, he is free, and off* B l u r r: One more thing, Starscream. I want discounts on supplies. Starscream: Our economy is barely there and you want discounts? B l u r r: /holds out claw. Wiggles digits. Come on, shake hands with the devil and all that / B l u r r: I'll give them enough money. B l u r r: Pit, I can even bring them more business. Starscream: Somehow I have my doubts. Starscream: *but fine. Handshake it is* B l u r r: / shake shake / B l u r r: / snickering. Rattles claws on the top of the coffin/ Starscream: *this was definitely a bad idea but it's also a good idea so YOLO* B l u r r: / Grins. A very sharp toothed grin / FakeProwl: @Starscream «If you're done with this mistake—I have a far more valuable potential recruit for you to interview.» FakeProwl: @Starscream «Although I suggest NOT doing so in public.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «While we have Starscream's attention—would you be ready for a job interview? Or do you need time to prepare?» *i.e., get some damn sleep* Starscream: @Prowl ::Suggestion noted. Especially if you're going to fuss this much.:: FakeProwl: @Starscream «YOU should be fussing. Honestly, you used to work with the Senate. Did you learn nothing about how to hide dirty laundry?» ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Preparation requested. Last recharge date: six Earth days ago. Alertness, patience needed. FakeProwl: @Soundwave «How are you not dead.» FakeProwl: @Soundwave «Rhetorical question. Don't answer that.» ItsyBitsySpyers: @Prowl: (txt): Avoidance request obeyed. Will recharge tonight. Interview possible tomorrow night. Starscream: If we're all finished here, I believe it's time for me to leave. ItsyBitsySpyers: *A farewell ping with just as many formality tags as the greeting one.* FakeProwl: @Starscream «Do you have space in your schedule tomorrow? You can interview him then.» FakeProwl: *has failed to mention who he's offering.* Starscream: *casual wave to Soundwave and Prowl and- yeah nah, not waving a Blurr even if they're now business partners* Starscream: @Prowl:: I have a few free spaces in the evening.:: FakeProwl: @Starscream «Good. Send Soundwave your available times. I'm sure something will overlap.» Starscream: *...points at Soundwave. This one?* ItsyBitsySpyers: ((has prowl considered a career in bomb dropping)) FakeProwl: *affirmative ping* FakeProwl: @Starscream «And for goodness sake, don't point.» Starscream: *A snort. Well, not exactly who he was expecting.* FakeProwl: ((ask carpessa)) ItsyBitsySpyers: ((ouch)) Starscream: @Prowl ::I'm the king. I can point if i want.:: ItsyBitsySpyers: *Primus, he's pointing. This is going to be a lot of work.* ItsyBitsySpyers: *He's not just sleeping tonight, he's sleeping in.* FakeProwl: @Starscream «You can't point if you want to keep potential secret assets secret.» Starscream: @PRowl ::Why, was it a secret that you wanted me to ping him?:: Starscream: *will send Soundwave the information for his free slots, tho* FakeProwl: @Starscream «Did you perhaps not notice that we're communicating over comms.» Starscream: ..Why is that, actually. You no longer have snide commentary to keep private. ItsyBitsySpyers: *Skims them and sends one (as yet undetermined but probably around the usual stream start time) back* FakeProwl: @Starscream «Because we're still on somebody else's ship that might be covered in cameras, and /nobody is supposed to know I'm working for you./» ItsyBitsySpyers: *Even if the ship isn't covered in cameras, they're sitting in the room with one sorta, so.* FakeProwl: @Starscream «Please, PRETEND to have a brain, and if you notice I'm doing something unusual assume it's for a good reason and follow my lead.» ItsyBitsySpyers: *And since Starscream is randomly answering the air....* [[He has no snide commentary because there is nothing to be snide about.]] Starscream: Oh no, not anymore. Starscream: *An affirmative ping to Soundwave. That tme is fine* ItsyBitsySpyers: *At least Starscream had the sense to go along with that. Mostly.* ItsyBitsySpyers: [[Indeed. Please excuse him, Lord. We must return.]] ItsyBitsySpyers: *Rises and summons his crowd. A ping to Prowl (and one to Blurr if he's still around) and they'll all get docked and on their way* Starscream: I was just heading out myself, unless Prowl requires my attention? FakeProwl: No, I'm sure you'd just make my headache worse. Starscream: Then we can agree on something. Goodnight. FakeProwl: *disappears*

[aquarianlights]

A tribute to a hero. You will be missed. 10.6.2017

PLEASE READ: This is a tribute to one of the best therapy dogs that ever lived who passed away today...

One of my all-time favourite dogs was put to sleep today. I was just informed he passed over the rainbow bridge. He was in liver failure, refused to eat anything, wouldn't climb the stairs to go sleep with his mom anymore, and wouldn't go out to play. He was still mobile and active, but........He's not...he's not here anymore....and although I am having a great day. . .I am extremely saddened by this loss. This dog was as much a part of my life as he was of his mothers. Albeit I only got to see him when I visited Virginia, he has been in my life since I was a kid. This dog was the most amazing dog and he contributed so much to this world. He was a therapy dog for patients in hospitals and he really had a wonderful gift. He knew exactly what to do. . .no one would have to tell him. Usually, the owner goes in the room with their therapy dog and tells them what to do or just monitors them while they lay with the patient or let the patient pet them along with a hospital staff member or the training instructor for the dog program there to watch. But not with Sketch. . .Sketch knew what to do without instruction. As soon as he reached a patients room, he could sense what was hurting on them. We don't know how, but he did. 

For instance, one example...a patient was in partial paralysis and could not move his left arm at all. It was dead weight. Sketch jumped up on the bed with permission, walked on the man's stomach and laid down, and began furiously licking at the man's left hand and went up his wrist and then to his forearm and back down. After a good 5-10 minutes of constant licking, no stops, the man slowly raised his left arm just a tiny bit....just enough to start slowly petting Sketch on the head...and scratching his ear a little bit...the surrounding family burst into tears as the man's paralysis was broken by Sketch. He had been partially paralyzed and fully paralyzed in his left arm for weeks. No amount of physical therapy or medication or splints/braces or time had helped. Nothing. But Sketch, knowing exactly what was wrong and what needed to be fixed, worked his magic. And that family has been sending him and his mom letters and treats ever since. 

Another example was a black man was in the hospital with such severe third-degree burns all over his body that he had received from a group of racist fucking white pieces of shit literally tying him up and taking turns spraying him with a make-shift flamethrower (aerosol can + lighter, I'm assuming). The burns had been somewhat treated by the time Sketch visited. And he was getting to a point where he could actually move a little bit. . .but he was in constant pain and would absolutely need reconstructive surgery after they finished with skin grafts. And if you don't know how painful it is to have third degree burns and to have to have the burnt flesh/anything else underneath that got burnt peeled off layer by layer with a tweezer-like metal object little by little each day, multiple times a day. . .I can't even begin to describe what it feels like. I can't even imagine it myself as I have only witnessed it and not gone through it myself. 

To give you an idea...The worst burn I've ever had was a 2nd degree and it was a small burn and that had to be peeled off, but I did not need a skin graft or reconstructive surgery because it was on my arm and it was small enough to heal on its own. I do have a small scar from it, but it's barely noticeable. But they DID have to peel that little bit of burnt flesh off of me like they would any burn victim and they had to do it in two sessions despite it being the size of a quarter, at the largest, with the same tweezer-like metal objects they used for third degree burns. Even with pain killers and numbing cream. . .that was one of the single most agonizing things I have ever been through. The pain killer they had me on was fucking fentanyl, too. A high dose of it. Which. . .is risky, yes, but burn patients definitely need it. Not the highest, but a high dose. I have only been given IV hospital-grade fent twice in my life. . .and the second time was for a severe optical migraine and it was a lower dose than this and it really fucked me up and took all the pain away. But this was a much higher dose and it started to fuck me up and the pain started to go away. . .but then she applied the numbing cream and I suddenly got this feeling of "Oh no. This is going to hurt." and sure enough, she looked at me and said "I'm sorry, but no matter what, this is going to hurt. Ready? On the count of three...I'm going to peel the first layer off." I nodded, thinking I would just bite down on my finger and bear it coz, I mean, I had the strongest pain killer available in the entire world in me at an awfully high dosage...AND there was numbing cream around and directly on the area. It couldn't be that bad, right? The second she dug in and got hold of the first layer, I let out the most blood-curdling scream I have ever screamed (other than my first and only and last ever pap smear, ofc, due to my vaginismus being so severe) and there were literally waves of sharp, electric pain coursing through my body like fucking fire followed by a wave of the coldest ice you can imagine. Ice that can burn your flesh off. That kind of cold. And then she had ripped off the first layer. . .I was in such severe pain that there were tears gushing out of my eyes uncontrollably, I could not make any sounds except gasps for oxygen, and I was shaking violently from head to foot from the adrenaline and shock I was in. I had to wait over an hour before we could do the second and final session. And that was just for a 2nd degree. A quarter-sized second degree. And, mind you, I have been a professional pain slut. I have a VERY high pain tolerance for things like this. Any sort of external pain is something that I have severely high pain tolerance for. Internal pain is what fucks me up. But, I digress. This man was covered from head (including his face...with all his hair burned off into odd, short, stubby patches) to toe. His entire body looked like an overcooked, completely burnt, piece of meat with lots of red, gooey blood-like splotches here and there. (That is what I was told.) I was also told that they had done almost the entire first layer with him over the past...I forget if it was weeks or a month. I wanna say weeks or even just one week. But they still had a LONG way to go with simply getting all of the burnt flesh/under-things off of him...in order to be able to place skin-grafts. And then when the skin-grafts were placed, they'd be able to start on reconstructive surgery. This was a long, long, long project...and he'd have to have tons of reconstructive plastic surgery for years to come to look even semi like himself again.

This man was in pure agony from a fucking brutal as hell hate crime. In Arlington, Virginia...a very diverse area. As a white person with white privelege, you think these kind of extreme versions of racism wouldn't happen in such diverse areas. . .so I was shocked. But in my ignorance, I am beginning to realize this severe of a hate crime can probably happen anywhere and everywhere. . .regardless of the diversity level. Even in a predominantly POC area. . .even if the whites are outnumbered. . .I bet it can STILL happen there, too. How sickening is that...

But Sketch came into this mans room...and could immediately sense how much agony he was in. Not only was this man in physical agony. . .but I'm sure he was suffering from emotional/psychological agony, as well. I'm sure he now has PTSD from this incident and he will live with that memory for the rest of his life and be reminded of it every time he looks in the mirror. Sketch could sense both sides of the pain. He knew somehow that he could not really lay or touch the man with how much physical pain he was in...but he still got on the bed, making sure to be careful where he put his paws, and positioned himself right by the man between his arm and his body, being careful not to touch either part. He tilted his snout towards the man's arm...and licked the air close enough to where he was SO CLOSE to touching the man's arm that he could probably feel the air pressure from the gentle licks. Sketch slowly wagged his tell and constantly stopped the licking for a moment to give the man a look and look into his eyes and just...connect with the man. And this man began to cry...such passion and love from this dog made this man cry...and realize there was still good in this world. Despite all the pain he was in and the contamination he could receive from touching the dog (strongly against medical advice), he hugged Sketch. He full on hugged Sketch. I don't know if it hurt; I'm assuming it did. But he was not crying or making any sounds of pain. He just shook and hugged Sketch and buried his face in his fur and cried. And Sketch just stayed as still as possible and licked the air close to his head so he could feel the air pressure from his licks. He wagged his tail rapidly...and leaned into the man's hug to make him feel more love... This man requested to see Sketch every time he was brought into the hospital...and he was inspired by Sketch to recover. Sketch helped him with physical therapy...Sketch was there for him when he was getting his skin grafting sessions. Sketch was always there for his patients.

And I say man....but this man was really a boy. Just...a boy who was over 18. Therefore...legally a "man" by societal standards, but...if I remember right, this "man" was only about 19 or just barely 20. Only just beginning his life...still a child...and scarred for life. Healed and given hope by this dog.

Sketch also worked for a children's ward for a while...and stayed with kids who had cancer.

And then Sketch went to schools and aided in his mother's educational programs about therapy dogs and hospital dogs. And then would allow the students to get to know him after the presentation/program/speech. Sketch did many other things, as well. He even went into juvenile detention centers to allow kids in juvie to get what they needed from a therapy dog for a while, each pre-allowed individual getting individual time with him.

He also gave his mother, Anne, hope. She is a single woman in her 60's...living alone...and retired. She is an artist. Sketch was her biggest inspiration and her best friend. Sketch allowed her to make new friends by walks and dog parks. Sketch was family. To her and many others, including me. Sketch is the only dog with poodle in him that I will ever love, as poodles are the only breed I cannot stand.

Sketch was a literal hero. He has saved so many lives. . .and given hope to people in their darkest hours. He has even assisted in nursing people who had attempted suicide back to psychological stability. He would be their rock while they were in the ICU before they were sent to the ward. He would give them hope and love and an ability to fight through the pain of whatever they were going through. He would lick them in the places they hurt the most, lick their tears, curl up on top of them and nuzzle them, wag his tail at their presence, "smile" at them, and allow them to do whatever they wanted with him. Lots of pets happened and lots of hugging. Many suicide-attempt patients actually decided they wanted to live specifically because of Sketch...and wrote letters to Anne (his mother) stating so.

He also went to Alzheimer's home and old people's homes in general and gave them love they desperately needed.

Anne received many, many, MANY letters telling her how Sketch had very literally saved someone's life. . .or helped them to see hope when there was none.

Sketch was a hero. Sketch saved so many lives and he was the best goddamn dog I have ever met. Echo and I have a very special bond that cannot even begin to compete with any other dog. . .but I knew Sketch long before Echo. . .and Sketch has actually helped me through some personal crises of my own. I was going through suicidal thoughts and self harming while I was there once. Sketch knew someone. He was downstairs and he knew. He came upstairs and pawed at the guest room door until I opened it. He absolutely refused to leave until I opened it. He jumped on the bed with me and curled up in my lap and licked my wrists where I had cut myself prior. I didn't want to give myself any aftercare. . .I wanted them to get infected so maybe I would lose my arm and that would push me over the edge to really finally do it. . .or maybe it would be such a bad infection that it would spread to my heart or lungs and actually kill me itself. And I had a bottle of pills beside me on the bed...ready to use... Sketch very literally picked up that bottle in his mouth, brought it off the bed, threw it in the small trash can in the room (which..I needed those meds so I fished them out later lol), and jumped back on the bed and continued to lick my wrist. He made me feel "Someone cares. This dog cares about me. This dog wants me to live. This dog loves me. He genuinely loves me and would be saddened if I died. He would be affected by my death. ...he would be sad if I weren't here anymore... And he is sad now because I hurt myself..." So I got up...he followed me to the bathroom...and I washed my cuts with warm soap and water, sterilized them with some antiseptic stuff that stung, put a layer of neosporin on them, and wrapped my forearm in gauze. And I continued to do so until they healed. And every time I have wanted/tried to overdose since that moment. . .the image of Sketch has popped into my head and I think to myself "...Sketch would care if I died. Echo would care if I died. I have to stay alive for them. I have to." But now he's gone.......Sketch is gone..... He was a hero to so many and affected so many lives and saved so many people... He saved /me/. And...he finally had to be put down. At the age of... over 14 years old (hes a labradoodle so this was a pretty good age for him). I'm not sure how far exactly over, but he was over 14. He would have lived longer if it were not for the liver failure. . .I don't know how he got liver failure. . .but the vet said he wasn't in any pain. And, of course, when you put a dog to sleep, you literally put them to sleep before you actually push the fatal drug in. And the fatal drug works so quickly and so gently that they do not feel it and it makes them go peacefully.

Sketch is now crossing the Rainbow Bridge.....and this is a very dark moment. I could not be anymore heartbroken by his passing.

This dog was very, very special to me and so many other people. I know none of you know Sketch. . .but please. . .regardless. . .keep him in your mind today. Or if you pray to any kind of diety/alien/higher power/yourself. . .please pray for him. Please pray and hope that a better place really exists for the pure, wonderful, kind-hearted, gentle, loving souls like Sketch.

You were such a good best friend to so many people, Sketch. Me included. You saved me. You have always been there when I needed you. And you will be missed. . .forever.