#especially princes and shit like that's typical behavior

[so-long-soldier28]

do y'all remember when mon-el mentioned that on daxam marriages are arranged at birth, and do you also remember that when daxam exploded, he was in bed with some woman? do you think that was his arranged wife (doubtful) or do you think his actual arranged wife was ever like, hey, could you like not... sleep around??

[hekateinhell]

As someone who is interested and knowledgeable in psychology, can you comment on how you think vampire psyche is different from human psyche? I’m always curious like... could you pavlov condition a vampire? Would therapy work on them, since their brain is kinda frozen in time? Just anything you find interesting regarding this topic, please share!!

Disclaimer time: I don't practice as a psychologist or psychiatrist (lol that's more years of a Ph.D. or med school than I'm willing/able to do anytime soon). Whatever I say is just based on what I know from my psychotherapy courses and what I've learned over the years in relation to treatment models, behavior patterns, and mental health conditions (basically, whatever would bring someone to a clinical counselor's office). Also, these are fictional vampires, and Anne didn't really get into their psychology much, so take this with a grain of salt - it's just for fun!

I do think the vampire psyche would be extremely different from a human’s! Fanon aside, there’s no real way to quantify hundreds and thousands of years of experience (suffering, loving, so on) into one human lifetime. Attributing the labels we use for ourselves in terms of diagnoses, sexuality, monogamy, etc., doesn’t make sense to me from that standpoint. I feel like when a vampire starts noticeably exceeding the range of the average human lifespan (let’s say 150 years, for argument’s sake) - their view of themselves and others would evolve beyond what we can condense into our nice, neat little boxes.

That said, we know in real-life that trauma has a measurable impact on our brains, even more so in childhood, which can affect what would be deemed "typical" brain development. I'll use Armand and Lestat as examples because I think this can be applied to both their human experiences. (And Armand is my favorite fictional brain in formaldehyde). They both had abusive/traumatic upbringings (in different ways), which would have affected the natural course of their psychological development throughout their childhood and teen years.

Then, to top it off, they both got turned at an age before their minds fully finished developing (this happens around 25 years). We know their minds are never going to finish growing. It’s evident in some of the characteristic behaviors they exhibit throughout (i.e., their needy, obsessive tendencies read as a very young, trauma-related response), especially when contrasted against a vampire like Louis (who was exactly 25 when he was brought into the Blood).

Would therapy work on them? (Paging Dr. Fareed, vampire psychiatrist). I don't know about therapy, but I like the visual of Marius reading books on child development and cult deprogramming and going WHOOPS FUCKED THAT UP (not right away because this is Marius, after all, but the thoughts would nag eventually). As far as conditioning goes, they all definitely have reinforced patterns established in their relationships, just like we do.

But to answer the broader question (in a more serious way), yes, vampires do have the capacity to change, and we can see this with Lestat, Louis, and Armand especially in their respective arcs throughout the series!

Armand, by his own account, was prone to cycling in and out of what he described as, “an acceptable madness to a state of which I alone knew the dangers,” during his centuries with the cult; Allesandra tells him that he dreams, “the sad dreams, the dreams that precede madness,” (no shit, I wonder why?).

So for Armand to go from the broken cemetery waif Lestat met in the 1700s to being a settled family guy in NYC by the end of the series is an exceptional demonstration of the mental adaptabilities of a vampire. From Prince Lestat:

“Not so savage really,” said Gregory. ‘There is not a single one of us, no matter how old, that does not have a moral heart, an educated heart, a heart that learned to love while human, and a heart that should have learned ever more deeply to love as preternatural.’ Armand looked sad suddenly. ‘Why has it taken me so long?’”

Last, but I'm sure not least, to try to answer Armand’s question - why does it seem to take so long for these vampires to get from Point A to Point B? Aside from the apparent lack of support systems for most of their lives, and really, anything at all that would be helpful, Marius gave us a clue in B&G when he described how vampires process their memories:

“No matter how long we exist, we have our memories. Points in time which time itself cannot erase. Suffering may distort my backward glances, but even to suffering, some memories will yield nothing of their beauty or their splendor. Rather they remain as hard as gems.”

They don’t have the luxury of having their worst memories fuzzy out and become less painful over time, the worst days of their lives will always be as sharp and fresh as when they first happened.

Ow.

Bummer note to end on, but hey... they all lived happily ever after?

[lesbian-kyoru]

lesbian kyoru thoughts

because i’ve gotta start living up to my url sometime. so consider:

kyo. yes, my lesbian fave. and it’s just so easy to read kyo as a lesbian while changing very little about the story. have we considered how inherently queer the “monster inside you trope” is? and especially because kyo’s arc in canon is largely about learning self-acceptance, forgiveness, and self-love through falling in love with tohru, i think the true form arc serves as an excellent allegory for kyo coming to terms with her sexuality, since in both cases it’s all about tohru staying by kyo’s side unconditionally, in spite of things that kyo views as “monstrous” about herself. it’s the monster lesbian story i want please give it to me!!!!!

for this AU, i’d have kyo already out as a lesbian at the beginning of the story, in sort of an open secret way. the sohmas definitely know that kyo is a lesbian, and it’s looked down upon by the sohma clan. the notable exception would be tohru, who doesn’t know that kyo is a lesbian—and same with true form, kyo does not want tohru to find out that she’s a lesbian because she thinks that, if tohru sees this part of her that she has no control over, it will ruin everything and completely disgust tohru

along with just fitting kyo’s overwhelming lesbian vibes, i think this creates a really good dichotomy between yuki, who is the golden boy of the family and deeply closeted, and kyo, very aggressively not in the closet and the black sheep/outcast of the family. wlw mlm hostility at its finest

and now we have tohru. while kyo is already out as a lesbian, tohru is deeply closeted, deeply unaware that she’s closeted, and also just. deeply repressing that she is a lesbian djjdjdjdjdkdj. i really like having this contrast in tohru and kyo’s experiences with coming out and realizing their sexualities because i think it fits their different personalities + upbringings, and also it just would be nice to have more than one Coming Out Narrative in a single piece of media. tohru is that girl in high school who absolutely knows what being gay means, grew up around queer people (kyoko’s girl gang hello…..), her entire friend group is made up of queer people—but she’s still like no i’m just the token straight friend in the group :) until…..lmfao

this mirrors tohru’s canon arc really well because she struggles so much with repression, particularly with repressing what she considers as “ugly” parts of herself, as well as her true feelings for kyo a lot. you can also draw a really neat parallel in the way that tohru accepts kyo’s true form in a very loving, non-judgemental manner, but it’s a lot harder to accept her own “ugly” qualities. i think that makes such a perfect connection to like, she’s obviously not homophobic and accepts that kyo is a lesbian no problem! but then when she falls in love with kyo, it’s a lot harder for tohru to accept that she is also gay because of intense internalized homophobia that she’s directing at herself

also bringing up our favorite gay yuki again, something that would be super fascinating in this is AU would be how yuki still envies how kyo embodies a lot of hyper-masculine, boyish traits, which yuki feels he can’t present in the same way. in this AU, there’s another layer to yuki’s jealousy though because kyo is a girl doing that. so yuki almost resents that kyo can pull that off and innately have those qualities come so easily to her (like being more brash and confident, getting along with groups, being more typically aggressive and “boyish”), when yuki is the one who is male and feels like those traditional masculine behavior expectations should come more easily to him

this would also tie really nicely into how yuki loves tohru like a mother, where it adds another layer to kyo seeing tohru in a way that yuki can't. not only does yuki agonize over how he doesn’t love tohru romantically when heteronormativity makes him feel like he should—now, you also have kyo being able to see tohru “the way a man sees a woman” when kyo is a woman but yuki is a man, adding even more to yuki’s big bad comphet struggle

this just adds so much to yuki and kyo’s already very complicated dynamic, because now you have yuki’s internalized homophobia making him hate himself and directing that at kyo, scapegoating her as causing all of their problems with akito and the sohma clan by being out herself. meanwhile, kyo would struggle even more with eventually acknowledging that yuki isn’t the perfect, straight sohma prince that she views him as, and that hating yuki won’t fix her internalized self-hatred. all of this makes even more prominent that underlying theme of “you have everything i have ever wanted when you don’t deserve it, and i hate you but why can i not be more like you.” again, mlm wlw hostility at its finest

yes, yuki and kyo did hate-makeout once. yes, it did confirm for both of them that they are in fact homosexuals

one last thought: i know a huge facet of canon is that people of the opposite sex hugging triggers the zodiacs’ animal transformations, which is heteronormative lol. but honestly, i would keep the curse being activated by opposite sex hugs even in this AU—because i think it would be super interesting to explore how girls touching each other is a lot more socially accepted as “platonic” even when it is definitely not platonic lmao. but on the flip side of that, you can also then explore the Lesbian Experience of feeling like you’re evil and weird for thinking a girl is pretty and wanting to hold her hand, and therefore never so much as looking at a girl no matter what Ever

it’s already iconic how takaya accidentally Invoked Gay in canon by making kakeru the only friend of yuki’s that he can experience touch and physical affection from because they’re both male.....that’s gay shit.....but there are SO MANY LAYERS when you add lesbian kyoru to the mix. miss deeply closeted tohru is falling hard for kyo and slowly testing the waters with touch—brushing up against kyo, tapping on her shoulder, holding her hand….because they’re both girls and just friends right? it doesn’t mean anything because tohru is straight right? LMFAO meanwhile kyo is convinced that her crush on tohru is absolutely evil, and even though touching her wouldn’t trigger kyo’s transformation, it still terrifies her way more than touching a guy ever will

it just would be such a power move, in a story where opposite sex hugs are a magical taboo, to have your main lesbian couple not dealing with any problems because of the magical taboo that doesn’t apply to them—but because of the much more understated taboo of their queerness, coming from internalized homophobia and fears of “transforming” into something inhuman and monstrous if they ever gave into their true feelings!!!! i just!!!!! ahhhhhh LESBIANS!!!!!!

[mydogisveryadorbs]

perfect | jj maybank x oc

summary: She’s the kook princess. He’s the pogue prince. They weren’t meant to end up together, but unexpected things can sometimes turn out perfect.

warnings: underage drinking, mentions of drugs and drug addictions, mentions of sex and nudity, angst, fluff, not completed

(gif credit to the owner)

intro prologue part one part two

✰⋆✰⋆✰⋆✰

Gracie can already hear the music playing from the beach, despite being a good distance away. She can also feel her stomach doing flip flops as her anxiety consumes her, her mind instantly going to her messy nails she was desperately trying to hide.

Sasha and Emily are on either side of her, obliviously talking about a new show they are both watching. Gracie bites her lip as she nervously pulls down the short, pastel skirt she had on. Her mother had criticized her outfit before she left her house, telling her that people would think she is a slut if she continues to dress the way she does.

Gracie lets out a breath, gently shaking her head, burying her anxiety deep inside as she and her posse arrive at the party.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone waving at her.

“Hey, Gracie.” She recognized the boy from her math class last year. He was a sweet kid named Vincent, who had tremendously helped her with algebra.

Her hand itched to wave back, but instead, Gracie rolled her eyes, continuing forward.

“Do you know that weirdo,” Emily asked incredulously.

Gracie scoffed. “As if I would be hanging out with someone like that.”

Her heart fell, knowing that Vincent could hear their conversation, but she covered it with a smirk, letting her green eyes filter over the crowd. She noticed a group of people standing around the keg and she began to walk over there. Normally, Gracie wouldn't drink, especially not the cheap beer the pogues supply, but she was in desperate need of something to distract her.

As she approached the keg, Gracie noticed it was manned by none other than Pope Hayward and JJ Maybank.

Gracie had never really spoken to Pope, but his father had catered for several of her father's events. She knew that he was a smart kid and he wasn't bad on the eyes. As far as she knew, he wasn't bad.

If there was anyone on this island who had a bigger reputation than her, it would be JJ Maybank. He was gorgeous, attracting every girl who was blessed enough to see him, including Gracie. The girl couldn't deny her attraction to the blond-haired surfer.

He's wearing his typical wife-beater tank top paired with black cargo shorts. It's the opposite of something any kook would wear and Gracie is loving it.

“Kook Princess,” JJ addressed with a smirk as they stepped up the keg. Noticing her friends he added, “And company.”

Yet again, Gracie had to force herself not to roll her eyes at his flirtatious behavior.

“Can I interest you in a taste of Milwaukee beverage?” the blonde asked sarcastically, his outstretched hand holding the filled red solo cup.

“Yes,” Gracie responded confidently, lifting her chin slightly while still maintaining eye contact with the blue-eyed boy.

Even JJ’s eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't too often people saw the queen kook drinking. Gracie reached out to grab the cup, dying to drown away her worries in shitty beer, but before she could grab it, JJ reacted, pulling the cup further away.

“Ah, ah, ah,” JJ said sneakily, lightly lifting his pointer finger off the cup to shake it, “What's the magic word, Princess?”

Gracie opens her mouth, already ready with a witty response, only to be cut off by a voice she has come to hate.

“Watch who you're talking to, dirty pogue,” Rafe says to JJ, slinging an arm over Gracie’s shoulders.

He wreaked of cologne and this time Gracie couldn't help but give an eye roll. Realizing what she did, the girl bit her lip, hoping that no one saw her slip up. But someone did, the blue-eyed boy who hasn't taken his eyes off the brunette girl since she got here. 

“Here you go milady,” JJ says, handing her the red solo cup with a slight bow, completely ignoring Rafe’s presence.

“Thanks,” Gracie said, giving JJ an unreadable look.

Before either of them could get another word in, Rafe practically dragged the girl away, leading her to a group of kooks she was all too familiar with. Gracie spots her older brother amongst the crowd, mentally groaning at the sight. She should have guessed it. Wherever Rafe is, Gavin isn't too far behind. The two of them have been best buds since high school and now they are in business school together. 

Assholes. Gracie thought with a giggle. 

Throughout the night, she stayed in the group. Never leaving to dance or get a new drink, however, her cup was never empty for too long. Rafe seemed to be taking advantage of the fact that the girl was drinking and he was constantly bringing her more.

“Hey, wanna get out of here,” Gracie heard his sluggish voice in her ear. Turning to face Rafe, she notices that his eyes are bloodshot and her jaw clenches realizing that he is probably coked out.

Gracie shakes her head, taking another sip out of her cup. “Not tonight, Rafe.” She did not want to put up with his bullshit right now.

Rafe quickly unwraps his arm from her shoulder, pushing her away. “Bitch,” he says, walking away and quickly taking interest in a tall blonde touron.

Gracie stands up as her eyes fill with tears, deciding to go home. She stumbles through the blurry crowd like a newborn deer.

Fuck. she thought. I'm shitfaced.

As she walks away from the crowd the music becomes quieter and quieter. Gracie has no clue where she is. Somewhere on the cut?

Before she knows it she's stumbling up to a house she doesn't recognize, the red solo cup still in hand. She spots a figure emerge out of the doorway and onto

the porch. 

Great. This is how I die.

“Gracie?” the voice questions, but it all sounds hazy to her. 

Well, that's fantastic. The murderer knows my name.

The person walks down the porch steps and towards her body. JJ. Her shoulders sag in relief at the sight of the blonde-haired boy. When he gets to her, Gracie immediately falls into his arms, JJ barely catching her before she falls to the ground.

“Gracie,” he says again, his tone clearly confused, “Are you drunk?”

Gracie pulls away from his strong arms with a sniffle to look into the blue eyes she suddenly craves so much.

“Shit. Are you crying?”

The green-eyed girl doesn't respond, too lost in his ocean eyes.

“Okay,” JJ says, holding her shoulders and clearly nervous, “I'm gonna get you home, m’kay.”

Gracie quickly shakes her head at the words.

“Okay,” he says thoughtfully, “You can't go home. Where should I take you?”

Without responding, Gracie leans up on her tippy toes, pressing her lips sloppily to JJ’s. The kiss is messy and rushed, but it's the best one she's ever had. Her hands reach up to tangle in his hair, deepening the kiss. She can taste the alcohol and weed on his lips, so she knows he's not sober either.

JJ suddenly pulls away, leaning his forehead on hers as her hands fall to his neck, playing with the hem of his top, both of them breathing heavily.

“Gracie, you're drunk.”

Gracie hums. “No,” she presses another kiss to his lips, mumbling into them, “I've wanted this for a long time.”

It's not exactly a lie. Any girl on this island would be lying if they haven't thought about sleeping with the hot blonde. 

It's JJ this time who deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his hands on the small of her back. Gracie gasps when she feels him grab her ass, allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth.

She's feeling euphoric as JJ leads her up the stairs and into the house. 

The place is trashed. Takeout boxes and beer bottles litter the floor and tables as the smell of weed fills all of her senses. But for some reason, she wouldn't have it any different.

Gracie is pulled back into reality when she feels herself being pushed back onto a bed, JJ’s amazing lips working wonders against hers. Her mind fills with questions of what the hell she is doing, but she pushes them aside when JJ starts kissing down her jaw and neck, definitely leaving a few marks.

“Are you sure,” he asks, stopping above the waist of her skirt, his eyes lifting to meet hers. 

Gracie nods with a smirk, pulling his lips back down to meet hers.

[diyunho]

The Joker X Reader - “Ghost Driver”

When The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations. Turbo is The King’s Ghost Driver and although she’s a legend, her life is far from perfect.

Part 2

“Where’s all your stuff?!” Frost asks since the apartment is pretty much empty.

“Gave it to Adam,” you sulk. “He wouldn’t sign the divorce papers so I gave in; I don’t even care… I’m glad he’s out of here.”

Jonny gazes at you in silence, a million words rushing through his mind and The Joker’s henchman can’t articulate anything close to what he would like to vociferate besides foolish small talk:

“How are you holding up?”

“Not sure… I don’t even know what the hell happened to us…It used to be so great and then he started making comments about my weight, gossiping with his friends behind my back, then cheated… I couldn’t handle it,” Y/N confesses although Frost is already acquainted with the dreadful story of her crumbled marriage.

“Not what the hell happened to us,” he decides to underline his personal opinion. “I think the question should be what the hell happened to him: you didn’t do anything wrong. And I believe you look perfect,” he mumbles the last sentence.

“What was that?” you search the fridge for his favorite soda.

“Nothing... nothing…”

“Here you go,” you offer the cold Fanta to a distraught companion.

“Thanks, Y/N. Here’s the money for tonight,” he gives you the envelope. “As usually, half now , half after the job is done.”

“OK,” you accept the terms without issues because it’s how The Clown Prince of Crime pays for your services. “Jonny, why is there an extra thousand dollars in here?!”

“Ummm…” the man tries to find a reasonable explanation yet Y/N can’t accept his strategy.

“Should I text Mister Joker and thank him for the bonus?”

“Nope,” he bites on his lip.

“I appreciate it,” you return the extra cash to Frost. ”I’m fine. Really.”

“Well…” he takes the bills and stashes them in his wallet, “… let me know if you need anything, alright?”

“I promise I will, “ you smile. “I swear on my Turbo honor,” the joke makes him smile also.

“Hey Y/N… I was thinking… maybe one of these days, if you feel like it, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to… ”

Frost’s phone keeps ringing and he retrieves from his suit’s pocket, annoyed about the interruption.

“It’s Audra,” he huffs while declining the call.

“Might be important,” you sort of urge him to answer.

“Meh, I doubt it. She will chew my ears off regarding our relationship that ended 3 months ago. I’m not interested,” he strolls towards the exit due to another pressing matter he has to attend. “I have to go, Mister Joker has a meeting soon; I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

“See you,” you wave and lock the door when your cell alerts of an incoming text from The Joker.

Downloading two pictures… Pictures?!

“Oh…my… God…!” you hold your breath when the first image depicts a totally naked King of Gotham reflected in the mirror at his gym and squeal when the second one shows a close up of his mid-section.

“Oh my God!” you burst out laughing as you admire the unexpected missive. “Heeeelllo Mister Joker,” you mutter and actual phrases pop up on your screen.

“I sent these to the wrong number, Y/N. Ignore and erase them!”

“Of course, sir!” you immediately reply with no intention of doing it for the moment.

Why?

The hilarious error shook you up from apathy and it’s worth saving those pics for a bit longer since you can’t remember the last time something got your attention after the messy divorce.

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

11:49 PM

The Joker is the first one to get in the car next to you, firmly clutching to his suitcase full of diamonds freshly stolen from “Diamond Emporium” store on Glissan Avenue. You notice the other goons sneaking to the cars deliberately positioned around nearby streets for tonight’s robbery. How come J doesn’t go with them?

The dilemma is simple:

The green haired menace typically arrives with his regular crew when he plans heists but has Y/N pick him up after the job is done.

“Hi Mister Joker,” you greet your employer.

“Hey,” he acknowledges your presence. “Did you delete the pictures?” The Joker gets straight to the point.

“Yes,” you lie and tell the truth in the same time: you erased the whole body image but kept the close up one for future reference.

“Good. What did you think?” the hasty interrogation prompts a careful chosen response.

“You look very…,” and you pause in order to find the correct term since a tiny mistake could set him off. “… Healthy, Mister Joker.”

“I do,” he huffs quite pleased with your statement.

You wish to add more but Frost and the new hire squeeze in the back seat awaiting orders.

“You’re in luck kid,” Jonny places a box filled with precious gems at his feet. “Your first assignment and you get to meet Turbo.”

The young man opens his mouth in amazement as you move the fingers from your right hand in the air instead of a proper introduction.

“You’re Turbo?! I thought you’re a guy!” Nick blurs out and Frost punches him in the head, displeased with the observation.

“Sounds empty,” you growl while The Clown snorts.

“My Ghost Driver A GUY??!! Ha-ha-ha-ha!” the unnerving, screechy noises make the newbie shrivel up. “Turbo, A GUY!” he continues to amuse himself before giving Nick a psychotic glare.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, I meant no disrespect,” he nervously stutters especially since J called you “his”.

The poor bastard’s oblivious about what the label implies in The Clown’s universe: when The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations.

“Where the fuck did you find this buffoon?” you chew on your gum, irritated.

“He’s Richard’s nephew,” Jonny sucks on his teeth.

“Uncle Panda is infinitely smarter,” Y/N barks at the revelation.

“I’m truly sorry,” Nick apologizes again and you cut him off.

“Save it!... … I hear sirens,” you slowly inhale and The King calmly articulates:

“I forgot to mention I accidentally triggered the silent alarm.”

Translation: he did it on purpose.

You snicker at the first lights blinking in the distance, excited to have some fun after stressing so much in the past weeks. The vehicles belonging to the gang scatter in different directions as you step on the gas pedal, accelerating towards the numerous police cars answering to the 10-64 code.

“That’s my girl!” J cracks his neck, already hyped at the adrenaline rush burning his veins: The Ghost Driver is perfect to offer him what he craves and she always delivers.

That’s why Turbo is his.

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

4:37 AM

“Hi…Mister…Mister Joker…” you attempt to talk without slurring.

“It’s Ella,” his girlfriend snarls.

“Why…where is he?” you guzzle down half of glass of wine, adamant in having a chat with your boss.

“Well, after you two had a merry time being chased by cops all over town, he came home and now he’s sorting out the diamonds,” the woman bitterly reports.

“I wanna talk to him,” you sniffle and drink some more alcohol.

“You just saw him. I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it can’t!” you shout. “I just received important information he’d be i…interested in,” you finally make it through the whole sentence.

Ella stomps in the living room, vexed at your behavior.

“It’s Turbo,” she shoves the phone in his fingers. “The bitch is wasted!”

“What did you call me?!” the appalled Y/N is about to burst when The Joker’s deep voice resonates I her ear.  

“Yeah?”

“Sir,” you correct your bitter tone. “I h-have very important news!”

“I’m listening,” J ignores his woman as she cusses you out.

“I have to tell you in person, sir. Let’s go on a date and I’ll reveal the entire shocking...”

“Huh?!”

“I have crucial information…”

“Quit repeating yourself!” The Joker interrupts. “You’re not making any sense. Go to sleep and we’ll catch up after you sober up.”

“But I wanna go on date Mister Joker,” you gulp the rest of the wine and prepare for a fourth round.

“Why, because I look healthy?” J mocks and Ella sighs, not understanding the odd conversation she’s witnessing. “… …. … Hello?”

A loud thud, then dialing tone at the other end of the line.

“I think she passed out,” The King of Gotham concludes, not particularly worried at the sudden halt of your monologue.

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

3 Days Later

The late meeting is almost done: the buyers already purchased the diamonds J had for sale, among them your ex-husband Adam that has a small crowd gathered next to him; he’s supposedly famous for his crappy attitude enjoyed by jerks sharing the same ludicrous humor.

“You know I’m sensible when it comes to challenges and I couldn’t grasp why she doesn’t want my help in shedding a few pounds. What’s the harm in that?! I love curves but sometimes I don’t, ya’ know?” he winks and the group laughs.

The Joker is arranging money in duffle bags, his concentration diverted by the impromptu comedic performance. What the heck are they yapping about?

Frost is certainly in a foul mood: J can guess his trusted henchman is worked up since the usual chilled Jonny can’t control his anger.

“What’s wrong with being voluptuous, hm?” he addresses Adam and it clicks for The Joker: this is about Y/N.

“Nothing at all,” he smirks and the laughter around the room dies out because not too many dare screwing with Jonny Frost. “I was merely emphasizing that if a woman can’t lose weight, she’s doomed. Y/N lost me, how is she going to get another stud if she…”

“Perhaps she’s not interested in pieces of shit; definitely had her share!” Frost grumbles at the absurd remarks.

The Joker has no clue about what’s going on, yet he won’t deny today’s entertainment is far from boring.

“Give me a break!” Adam scoffs. “Who’d sniff her tail if she refuses to get skinnier? Ooohhh, wait a minute, we might have an admirer,” he arrogantly slides your cell out of his coat. “I was browsing her pictures and what do you know? A gentleman sent Y/N a picture of his junk three days ago. I am deeply sorry, my bad. She does have somebody sniffing her tail. What kind of loser sends images of his dangling goodies to another dude’s wife?!” 

“Ex-wife!” Jonny sneers whilst J’s calculation leads to an easy verdict: you kept one pic.

“Whose junk is this?! Is it yours?” your estranged spouse accuses Frost without any evidence.

“It’s my junk,” The Joker’s serene revelation makes everyone freeze: they have no idea how to react at the puzzling escalation of events.

Is he bluffing?!

“I wasn’t aware I require permission in order to text whatever I desire to whomever I want.”

Awkward silence and Frost approaches Adam, boiling with indignation.

“Why do you have Y/N’s phone?”

Your husband doesn’t have a chance to justify his action: Jonny’s punch throws him to the ground, immediately followed by his unsettling ultimatum.  

“You son of a bitch, what did you do to her?”

Your former husband gets on his elbow ready to attack when The King’s stern inquiry stops his motion:

“WHERE.IS.MY.TURBO?”

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

After 1 hour

Frost lifts you higher in his arms while you keep wheezing, trying to regain control.

“I’m sorry…I attacked you,” the weakened Y/N whispers. “I thought you were Adam...”

After being abducted and left to starve for the last 3 days, you had one clear purpose: to kill the guy that did it. Adam surely crossed the line with his despicable plan of making you lose weight: he creeped in your apartment, kidnapped you and took you to his home where you were chained in the cellar until Jonny found you. The basement was dark and you couldn’t see, that’s why you used whatever strength you had left in order to attack the individual responsible for your misfortune.

Turned out it was actually a rescue party although Frost is now the proud owner of a beautiful bump courtesy of Y/N.

“No problem,” Jonny takes you to his SUV, carefully laying you down in the passenger’s seat. “How’s your head?” he wipes the dried blood on your cheeks since Adam knocked you out unconscious while you were talking to The Joker after the heist.

“I’m OK,” you start crying, mostly mad at yourself for being such an easy prey, yet you didn’t see it coming.

“You know… It’s OK not to be OK,” Frost opens a bottle of water and gives it to you. “I’ll take you home, you can take a shower and I’ll have the doctor come for an emergency evaluation. Are you hungry?”

“I’m so hungry,” tears stream down your face and Jonny has a great proposal.

“I’ll order some food and if you want me to I can stay with you. After you feel better, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to…”

The Joker rolls his eyes, deciding to emerge from the shadows.

“Wow, this is painful to watch. Frost believes he’s still in high school: basically he’s asking you on a date. There, done. No need to beat around the bush. Jesus!” J scolds about a subject he shouldn’t mess with. “I have a heist next week, you better be good to go by then!” he gestures at the confused duo. “If you’ll excuse me, I have my own date to honor. We’re done here, yes?”

“Yes sir,” Jonny replies for both, unwilling to split hairs with The Joker and his obnoxious aberrations. “Here’s your cell,” he returns the item to you and you snatch it, relieved. You seem to have an outburst of energy as you unlock the secured folder.

“Where’s Adam?”

“I don’t know, we had an altercation at the warehouse then he scrammed,” Frost reports, ogling a strange looking Y/N typing on her phone.

“He won’t be able to hide,” you grin and send the attachment to The Joker.

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

“We’ll be late for dinner,” Ella kisses The Clown. “I’m not a 100% positive why we had to waste precious time and come for her,” she pouts and drags him after her towards their vehicle.

J’s phone chimes and he stops in his tracks, not expecting a message from you seconds after the encounter.

“Mister Joker, you were very generous to share pictures with me.

Allow me to do the same.

Your Turbo.”

Imagines downloading and he’s not sure what to do when pics appear one by one: frames taken by the private investigator you hired to follow Adam when you suspected he was cheating. The bastard was diligent, but he was eventually caught in the act three days ago.

Who’s the woman he’s with?

The Joker’s Queen.

“What’s wrong?” she frowns at the visible switch in his temper.

The Clown ruthlessly slams Ella against the hood while her cell also receives a text from Y/N:

“Who’s the bitch now?”

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can also follow me on Wattpad and Ao3 under the same blog name: DiYunho.

[allthislove]

Can we talk about good allyship for a moment?

This is a whole story, so bear with me. I mean, it’s not THAT long, but still.

There was this girl on TikTok who made a video about the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview. She was talking about how it was evident that Harry is a good, supportive partner and you could see it in Meghan’s face and how relieved she looked beside him.

Well, in her comments, there was this woman who was ranting about Meghan being a liar, and basically saying her claims of racism were ridiculous. I tried to calmly explain to her that Black people don’t lie about racism, and that there’s racism everywhere. Honestly, I was giving her the benefit of the doubt, because I feel like some of these people haven’t thought of it that way. Well, this woman, started in on that conservative shit where they go “Oh, here you go with those talking points” and “Did you even have to finish typing that or did it automatically fill in for your”, basically saying that... I guess Black people are stupid and have been told we’re being discriminated against, so instead of having thoughts and experiences, we just regurgitate what someone told us. (What really happens is we all experience racism from the time we’re small children, sometimes even babies, and as we get older, we acquire the terminology necessary to communicate what the experiences are like to people who don’t live in our skin/identify as Black.) So, naturally, I was gearing up to go in. This woman was basically replying all this Right wing rhetoric and doing all of the typical “I’m not racist, I just happen to say things that invalidate the experiences of Black people while simultaneously applying stereotypical traits to a Black person (the Sapphire and the Jezebel, in Meghan’s case, also the Tragic Mulatto. Read about them to see how much of the Meghan Markle hate comes directly from these caricatures of Black women.)

I started to actually get shocked, because I naively thought this woman didn’t realize the racist undertones she gave off in her initial comment, and she just started to dig deeper into the racist language after that.

The OP, the white woman who posted the video blocked the lady. Then, she replied to my comment, apologized for the woman’s behavior, explained that she wouldn’t tolerate racism on her page, and asked me if I was alright. Y’all. I was SHOCKED. Not that I’ve never seen a good ally in action, before, but how swiftly this young woman neutralized the situation and made sure I was alright actually touched me. Black women are so used to doing emotional labor, trying to fight racism on our own and stand up for ourselves. Having a white ally step in to protect me in that way felt so good, and is so necessary. 

White allies, these are the types of things you can do to support people of color. Sometimes, that means engaging with the racist so that people of color don’t have to. Sometimes, it means blocking the racist so that they can’t bother the people of color who interact with your content. And checking on your BIPOC friends and followers afterwards is always, always welcome. We need to feel that you have our backs, and we need to feel that you realize that fighting racism isn’t solely our job.

Good allyship isn’t performative or loudly declaring that you’re not racist. It’s amplifying Black voices. It’s protecting BIPOC when you can. It’s checking in to make sure they’re okay. We are very often tired, and very often feel alone in this stuff. We will most of the time let you know when, where, and how you’re needed, but yes, stepping in when a Black person is suddenly being attacked/dogpiled by a racist, especially if it’s on your account, on your post, on your page/something you moderated, is definitely welcome.

[bangtancentricsblog]

the hunger for love and life

❒ pairing: jeon jungkook x demon!reader

❒ genre: fluff and angst

❒ alternative universe: supernatural, college

❒ rating: NC - 17

❒ word count: 1.1k

warnings/disclosures: implied sex at the beginning but no smut, demons Yoongi and Yoonji, half angel Hoseok, talks of hell, madness, starving demons 

a/n: this was supposed to be a typical good boy bad girl fic but somehow my brain was like ‘oh shit lets throw some demons in that bitch’ and now here we are lmao i might still do the the other fic haha so if the other one seems similar then thats why. also my brother helped me name this hehe

my AO3 | main masterlist

 “He’s here!” The girls chatter excitedly as the sleek black Ducati pulls into the parking space right beside last year's model of Nissan. The engine cuts off as the kick stand comes down the driver moves to stand hands reaching up to undo the clip of his helmet. The air is thick with anticipation as the growing crowds of eager college girls set aside their differences to watch the man before them. The helmet comes off before any of them can even blink, cheers pouring from ever which direction as Jungkook shakes out his hair. The long curls stiff from being confined beneath his helmet. 

He’s used to this type of behavior especially from girls on campus but he just wishes they didn’t make such a huge spectacle of it every time. To be honest he’s not quite sure where this idea of ‘big bad boy Jungkook’ came from; he's never done anything remotely bad in his life. At least none that any other normal consenting adult had, he doesn’t smoke unless it’s with his friends at a party, he drinks on occasion and he’s not a one night stand kinda guy, so he wonders where this idea came from. He can feel the beginning of a blush creep along his cheeks the longer he stands in the open with what feels like a million sets of eyes watching. 

“Kook!” You squeal rushing up to him, easily settling his nerves and throwing your arms around his neck. He smirks down at your hands finding their way to your hips as you lean up to kiss him. He sighs against your lips a nervous tick he’s developed throughout the years you’d been dating, but even now you still smile into the kiss. It’s easy to forget about the crowd when you’re around and maybe that’s because he’s only ever had eyes for you or it’s the hand that’s cupping his dick through his jeans. 

“Not here.” He almost whines because as much as he enjoys the feeling of your hand on his growing problem he’s not okay with an audience though he knows you are. 

“Okay.” You mumble, quick to pull away and take his hand instead. He likes the way your hand fits in his, always has probably always will. And much like a man in love he’s busy thinking about all the little things to notice the empty classroom he’s been pulled into. You're quick to shove him against the wall unbuttoning his pants and slipping your finger beneath the waistband of his boxers. Jungkook isn’t new to this in fact despite your angel-like features it’s you who’s prone to breaking rules and doing reckless things. But he supposed that's what he liked about you in the first place.

“Is this okay?” you ask wrapping your fingers around his dick making him gasp at how warm your hand is. 

“Y-yes.” he hisses as your teeth sink into the skin of his neck the pain is minimal, but one he likes a little too much. He can’t relish the feel of your lips for long as you drop to your knees in front of him with a grin that is a little too sweet compared to the dark look clouding your eyes. ‘*

“You’re starving yourself.” Yoonji says through gritted teeth. 

“Where’s Yoongi?” you ask pointedly ignoring the girl as she trails behind you. 

“___, please feed properly if you’re going to play with the human.” 

“I’m not playing, and I’m fine. Stop worrying so much.” you scoff eyes narrowing when you catch sight of Yoongi. Your nose burns at the stench that comes from the group of boys you’ve come to know as Jungkook’s friends. They’re nice enough you guess but boring nonetheless as far as humans go, super attractive but still boring. You wished humans nowadays were more interesting. Yoongi meets your stare before you can approach the group, slipping away from them and meeting you halfway. 

“What?” he drawls scowling at his twin sister who hisses at him. 

“I see you’re still hanging around angle half breeds.” you snicker. 

“Not this again princess.” he sighs.

“Don’t call me that.” 

“And I wouldn’t have to if you didn't act like a prissy princess of hell.”

“I’ll tell Belphie.” you threaten eyes ablaze. 

“The seventh prince has better things to do, are you feeling okay?” he asks, finally taking note of the way you’ve lost weight. 

“I’m fine.” 

“She’s starving herself because of that human.” Yoonji supplies. 

“You’re not feeding off Jungkook?” the confusion in his tone is evident. 

“It’s none of your business, besides we have more pressing matters. There are more demon half breeds starving on campus than I thought. The population is growing unsteadily and more demons are attacking humans from hunger at this rate there’ll be a war.” you say. 

“What do we do?” Yoongi asks, glancing over Yoonji’s shoulder. 

“I don’t know, I’ll have to go to hell if the situation worsens and I hate hell.” you mutter crossing your arms at your chest. 

“This is because you’re slacking off.” Yoonji scoffs as you and Yoongi turn your gaze to her. 

“What are you implying?” your ask through clenched teeth. 

“You’ve just come back from hell, and you’re no stronger than you were because you refuse to feed properly. Face it, war is inevitable.” She spits, and of the two Yoongi was the more outspoken one but she refused to keep her mouth shut. 

“And what would you have me do?” you whisper in a voice that shocks both of them. Truly of the eight royal children of hell you seemed to be the only one most if not all the demons wanted to become the next king. Yet here you stood starving and sounding like a scolded child who’s lost all fight. Nothing like the sole princess of hell and the raging bitch they knew you could be.

“What do you mean?” Yoongi asks. 

“I can’t feed properly because I’ll kill him. You know what falling in love with a human does to demons. Eternal starvation or going feral at the loss of their mate.” Yoonji’s eyes widened significantly at your confession, because this entire time she thought this was just a fling. Just a passing fancy after all these years by your side she’d never expected you to fall in love with a human. Her fingers curl into her palms nails breaking the skin in an attempt to reign in her anger. She almost wants to laugh, oh the irony that you should fall into the same fate as your father. Falling in love with a human, except you’d apparently rather starve than go mad. She’d lose the only sister she’d ever had, and she wonders how your human would feel knowing that he would be your end. 

let me know what you think! like are appreciated but comments are a writers lifeblood thank you for reading as always I hope you all have an amazing morning/afternoon/night!

[calamity-bean]

the angry prince of goofs

I’ve been thinking about Ziggy Sobotka, which was probably my first mistake, and especially about one little detail that’s demonstrated repeatedly but not really explored in depth: Ziggy is good with technology. 

Better than most of the characters in his orbit, at any rate; he understands computers, understands the internet, has to explain digital cameras and search engines to Nick, who still seems confused. And while, even for 2003, I wouldn’t claim he’s a technical genius, this detail stands out to me partly because it’s one area in which he’s expressly shown to be more capable than his cousin — typically the far more competent of the pair — and partly because he tends to get written off, both in-universe and out, as, well... an idiot. A stupid guy who does stupid things simply because he’s stupid, with no greater character depth or complexity than that.

And that... kinda irks me! Look, I get why Ziggy’s not exactly a fan favorite. He’s not cool. He’s not a badass. He’s immature and abrasive and makes a lot of frustrating decisions, and I get why so many viewers find that annoying, I really do. But although he can certainly be a dumbass, I’m honestly not convinced that he’s dumb, and I think it does a disservice to the writing of the season and to James Ransone’s performance (easily among his best work, imo, out of the roles I’ve seen him in) to boil Zig down to just a clueless annoyance with no regard for why he acts the way he does or his value to the overall narrative.

So I’ve been thinking about Ziggy Sobotka, and types of intelligence, and finding one’s place in the world, and how Ziggy’s character arc relates to The Wire’s overarching theme of a changing city at the dawn of the new millennium.

Twice, over the course of the season, Ziggy’s mentioned in connection with college.

The first time is in 2.06, as Frank chews him out about literally burning money at the bar — definitely one of those moments that baffles and enrages viewers, cause oh my GOD, Zig, Nick goes to all that trouble for you, and then you burn a hundred dollar bill? What the heck, man. But I love this scene with Frank. It’s Ziggy at his most subdued and collected; it’s one of maybe two substantial conversations between father and son all season; and it reveals that Ziggy is capable of being far more observant than he often seems. Frank, frustrated with the lack of employment available for Ziggy, vents, “Maybe if I’d have listened to your mother, cause she’s the one always talking about you should do the community college, like your brother.” Why would Frank let one son continue his education, but not the other? Well, I have to read between the lines here, but I don’t think it’s outlandish to guess that it’s because Ziggy is — or was supposed to be — Frank’s heir. We know he’s Frank’s firstborn, and we know that for Frank, working on the docks is more than an occupation; it’s a cherished family legacy going back generations and a huge point of pride. Ziggy was probably always earmarked to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he probably always knew it. “You wanna know what I remember?” he says, and describes the education he did receive: a life spent paying careful attention to his father’s world. “Everything. Everything.” College just was not a necessary part of the life planned for him.

But there’s absolutely no future on the docks for Ziggy, and by this point, father and son both know it. It’s a rapidly dying profession with scarce shifts available for L-series juniors, so maybe it’s no surprise Zig puts a lot more effort into being a thief and drug dealer than he does into being a checker. Unfortunately, despite seeming fairly adept in logical-mathematical intelligence (technical knowledge, facts/figures, coming up with plans), Ziggy fumbles in all these pursuits because of one type of intelligence that he definitely does lack: interpersonal/social skills — i.e., the ability to read a room and to play well with others. He constantly annoys people, never realizes he’s being tricked until it’s too late, and lets emotion get the better of him, leading him to be irresponsible and impulsive and seek instant gratification. This is, again, in contrast to Nick, who is much less tech savvy than Zig but far more personable and reliable. People like Nick. They trust Nick. Even Frank seems to have a closer relationship with his nephew than with his own son.

And this feeds into a critical difference between Nick and Ziggy. Nick, with Aimee and Ashley to support, is primarily motivated by a need for money; Ziggy, on the other hand, cares less and less about money as the season progresses and is primarily motivated by a desire for something Nick already has: respect. More broadly, Zig craves the validation of others, whether that validation comes to him as respect or approval or even just attention. This, more than immaturity and definitely more than a simple lack of intelligence, is what drives his behavior, including his most reckless or seemingly inexplicable acts. In some circumstances, it inspires him to act like a tough guy; in others, it manifests in childish clownery like whipping out Pretty Boy or waltzing around with a seeing-eye duck, as though he were a comedian playing to a crowd. It’s why he wastes his money on showy status symbols, like Princess and a $2,000 coat, or on buying rounds for the bar. And of course, it manifests in trying to show up his father, who seems to have plenty of time and money for all the other stevedores and yet, by his own admission, pays scant attention to his own son except when Zig screws up... which, needless to say, Zig has a bit of a chip on his shoulder about.

The irony, of course, is that the harder Ziggy tries to impress people, the less it works. His attempts to act tough get him trounced. The other stevedores are happy to let him buy drinks and play class clown, but they are very much laughing at him rather than with him, and the same guys who egg him on and flatter him always turn right around and scoff at what a fool he is after it blows up in his face. His biggest attempt to prove himself is the car heist... which actually goes off without a hitch! Like I said, Zig’s not bad at logistical planning; he comes up with a clever scheme and carries it out successfully. It should’ve been a triumph for him — proving that he could handle himself, that he didn’t need Nick or Frank looking out for him and deserved to be treated like a valid player in the game. But Glekas, like everyone else, saw Ziggy as easy to take advantage of and too weak to effectively retaliate. If it were earlier in the season, he’d have been right, just like every other time Zig wound up tricked and humiliated. Unfortunately for everyone involved, though, by that point, Ziggy — impulsive, hotblooded Ziggy — was “tired of being the punchline to every joke.”

The Wire: Truth Be Told (which I haven’t gotten to read beyond previews) calls Ziggy the “angry prince of goofs.” I think that, more than anything, Ziggy is someone who keeps trying on different costumes and never finds one that fits. He was supposed to carry on the Sobotka stevedore legacy, but the profession is dying, and even if it weren’t, Nick is far more an heir apparent to Frank than Ziggy is. So he tries to be a tough guy, but isn’t; tries to be the sort of cool, funny guy people like and admire, but can’t; tries to prove himself as a player, but makes mistake after mistake until he screws up so horribly that there’s no coming back from it. When Frank tells him that what he did to Glekas and the store clerk isn’t him, Ziggy replies incredulously, “It ain’t?” — because it is him, he did that! But he’s not suited to being a killer, either; he immediately falls apart with horror and remorse. So what is he? Who is he? Was there anything he could have succeeded at, any way he could’ve made better choices than he did?

In 2.10, shortly after Ziggy’s arrest, we meet Priscilla Katlow — the same girl listed on the fake paternity papers Zig gets pranked with in 2.07. In the earlier episode, Nick implies that Prissy is, to be crass, kind of the neighborhood bicycle, making it sound like she was nothing more to Zig than a one-night stand. I have a lot of feelings about the fact that it turns out she’s actually a childhood friend who’s visibly in tears over Ziggy’s situation when she finds Nick grieving on the playground of their old school. They’re maybe the only two characters we see who seem to not only care about Ziggy but genuinely like him, and they reminisce about a time, years ago, when he was supposed to buy them all some SoCo and Pikesville Rye. Instead, he bought Boone’s Farm — because, he claimed, “that’s what the college kids drank.” Then, while drinking it on that same playground, he shouted, “College kids ain’t shit!” And I know I’m really galaxy-braining here, really reading a lot into just a few lines, but I can’t help but wonder, like… This seems to have taken place toward the end of high school, since Prissy was driving her mom’s car and Ziggy could pull off a fake ID. Ziggy probably already knew that he was bound for the docks right after graduation, if he wasn’t working there already; Frank wasn’t even entertaining Zig’s mother’s wish that they send him to college instead. And I wonder if, to some extent, Zig resented that? Or resented not having a choice? Because this anecdote implies a mixture of wanting to emulate those college kids (drinking what he thinks they drink) while simultaneously deriding them — perhaps because he knew that he couldn’t be one, no matter whether or not he wanted to, and therefore had to act like the entire concept was beneath him.

I don’t know whether Zig would’ve done better in college anyway. I think that, contrary to popular opinion, he did have his own areas of intelligence and competence, but despite being in some ways the more “book smart” of the Sobotka cousins (Ziggy’s technical knowledge vs. Nick’s common sense), maybe he’d have been too immature to put in the work for school, too lazy or too proud to try. But I just wonder if he might’ve had a better chance at life that way, both in terms of staying out of trouble and of possibly finding a field that would’ve better rewarded his skill-set. Insofar as The Wire in general is about the changing face of Baltimore and how the shifting infrastructure of the city impacts the individuals within it (particularly the economically marginalized), and insofar as season 2 specifically is about the death of American industry and of the traditional blue-collar working class, Ziggy is an exploration of someone who fell through the cracks of that shift and, in that respect, was sort of doomed to failure from the beginning. James Ransone has described him as “very castrated” in terms of his power and potential for social mobility, the game being rigged against working-class people like him even with the advantages of being a white male. Ziggy’s brother, armed with a college education, might fare better in the 21st-century workforce... But even if Zig hadn’t ended up in prison, he probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer in the family business anyway. Johnny Fifty, a more senior checker, is homeless by season 5, and unemployment is the implied fate of nearly all longshoremen in the near future.

And honestly? Although I really like Ziggy, I appreciate that he’s a failure. I think one of the reasons I do feel so deeply for him is that the narrative never rewards his errors or glorifies his misdeeds. If it did, he’d risk coming off as one of those edgy, disenfranchised white guy antihero types, and I doubt I’d have found that nearly as sympathetic or interesting. By the standards of The Wire, Zig’s relatively small-time in terms of how much damage he causes and pretty notable for how extremely he regrets what harm he does do, but that still doesn’t excuse his actions, and the narrative doesn’t pretend that it should. Nor does it pretend that he’s not also worthy of our interest and pathos anyway.

Ziggy Sobotka is not cool. He’s not a badass. He’s not any of the things he tried to be during the season, and he’ll probably never get a chance, now, to be anything other than a murderer locked up for life. And I know he wasn’t entitled to any fate other than the one he earned for himself, but I wish he’d been able to find a better path.

[praphit]

SM3: Nice Jerks are the Worst

I don't know about y'all, but I had big plans for 2020. Now, maybe those big plans will still happen, Idk. But, this was supposed to be our year! - that's what people say, right?? This was the year that you were going to go on that vacation. You were going to drop that dead beat spouse, leave that spouse with the kids, and run off to Mexico, right??!. You were going to start that business. Gain that weight. Come out of the closet. Finally tat that left butt cheek. You were going to stop doing hardcore drugs. Maybe this was going to be your year to start doing hardcore drugs. I'm not here to judge, only to ramble. 

But, 2020 quickly turned to shit. Now, we're all looking for someone to blame. Someone has to pay for our horrible haircuts or hairiness, our newfound hatred for our families, and for plenty of much more serious stuff.

I, personally, like to turn to movies for lessons about life. And I think I have the perfect movie to help us figure out who to blame - you guessed it "Spider-Man 3"

This first attempt at a motion picture SM was doing so well. We loved Spidey (though some didn't care for Tobey Maguire, playing him). 

Spidey and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) are adorable. Then, this thing showed up and everything turned to shit (not unlike Covid-19).

Let's look into what went wrong, and who is to blame.

First, let me say that I really liked the action in this movie. There are three villains in this movie: Venom (played by Topher Grace), that thing you see above. 

Green Goblin (played by James Franco), who is... a green goblin. 

And Sandman (played by Tommy Church), who has a body  that is now kinda made of sand - which seems silly if you pick it a part... though so does a man with the powers of a spider.

There was lots of action, and it was all shot well. There is one action scene where there is NO ONE around... I mean NO ONE. It's frickin NY. Peter Parker (not dressed as Spider-Man) and Green Goblin are causing all kinds of damage and making a lot of noise, and not ONE new yorker has anything to say about it? Unless you're a healthcare worker, I bet new yorkers are still cursing at each other from their homes. This was glaring, but Imma let it slide, cuz the action was good.

That's about all of the good I have to report:)

Quick plot recap:

1) MJ and Petey are on the rocks 2) James Franco is an asshole, trying to destroy Peter for killing his father (which he didn't) 3) Venom is trying to kill Spidey (what else is new??) 4) Venom, at one point, infects Peter Parker, to become "Black Spidey" - this, of course, is also when the people of the city started to hate him.

5) Oh, and Peter, mm! He's the worst. I've got something for him later.

There are two major reasons why people talk shit about this movie.

1st - Casting/Characters

Nobody is likeable in this movie

From the very first scene, MJ is singing to us, annnnd it's sooooo boring. I don't think it was supposed to be. Someone in the audience should have been booing. We can’t just allow entertainers to get comfortable, thinking that they can do whatever the hell that they want! - that’s how you end up with stuff like this 

 It was like, if Snow White were to perform a number for a large crowd.

Just Snow White - I ain't talking about no cute animals around or the suspense of menacing dwarves that might turn on Snow White at any moment. Not even a prince who might be gay (that’s the word on the streets). Just a long movie filled with songs from Snow White; that's what we're talking about. First, MJ bores me, then she's pathetically whining throughout the whole movie.

Sandman is cool (despite his love for striped shirts), but we don't really get to know him. 

Side note: He gets his powers by accidentally getting trapped in a science experiment. The scientists, btw, ( And Lord knows what they were up to) knew that something could have been trapped in there, assumed it was a bird, and kept on going. See, this is why certain people don't trust y'all.

James Franco is James Franco (an asshole). Not worth a pic.

Venom doesn't really have a personality (and his host... well, he ain't no Tom Hardy)

PLUS, Peter Parker is a dick (again, we'll get to that later).

The most likeable person in this film is JJ Jameson, and we're not really supposed to like him.

A person with that look shouldn’t be your most likeable character.

Look at this stage - 

Who is likeable up here? Fauci, maybe? But, betting by the amount of times that he puts his hands to his face, 

- there are things he's not allowing himself to say, so though perhaps likeable, if we can fully trust him. And as far as Trump...  Even Trump supporters can't HONESTLY say that they LIKE the man (I mean, if he weren't the prez, would you honestly want him around? - your family?). They certainly can't say that they trust him - though I guess the amount of people looking into ingesting cleaning products after Trump mentioned something along those lines, would beg to differ.

This is the group we're looking to for direction?!

And this is also a problem in the movie. I have to be able to like SOMEBODY! 

I need to be able to trust someone to stop the cheesy-written shit storm that is this movie.

"Cheesy Shit Storm" - how bout that for a visual? :)

2nd - dance numbers!

I actually didn't mind the first one, when Peter is dancing through the streets.

Ha! Wow, he is going for it. Come get it while it’ s hot, ladies!

It's odd, but it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be funny, and it kinda is. You ever dance a lil bit while you're out at a store? I know I do; especially now that we're wearing pandemic masks - no one knows who I am. NBD to dance a bit in public, but if you keep going passed a certain point, it just becomes annoying.

That's why the second dance number is bad. Plus, it doesn't make any sense.

At this point MJ and Peter have broken up. She's singing in a bar, and Peter interrupts her song with a dance number (while using his new girlfriend to poke at MJ). Now, While MJ’s songs of boredom deserve interruption, she didn’t deserve that.

Venom is like a drug. Venom brings out the worst in a person. You're telling me that Peter Parker, with all of the rage built up from Uncle Ben and villains and his life not being all that great; the best or I should say "the worst" that he can do is Jazz hands? With all of his superpowers, he should be out there slaughtering everyone in sight. I mean, he did slap the shit out of MJ though (by "accident"). That's when he snapped out of the evil dance number. I don't know what kind of message that sends. 

"MJ, it wasn't until I slapped the holy hell out of you that I realized the error of my ways, so... thank you? I'm just going to go on about my day now."

I see this misguided scene as a metaphor. Peter Parker is dancing around his issues:

His relationship with MJ has been bad. He's on that stuff (Venom). And honestly, MJ knows that he's Spider-Man. Why couldn't he have just explained to her what was happening? 

"Sorry, baby. I got possessed by an alien again, you know how it is."

And he was dealing with the fact that the person who killed his uncle is on the loose. Another side note: MJ, even though they had just broken up, still cares for Peter while he's dealing with the news about Uncle Ben's killer. That's a damned good friend right there! - especially the way Peter had been acting towards her.

We've got to deal with stuff, people! We can't just get bad haircuts, wear weird clothes, and do drugs! Eventually, that will lead us to slapping the shit out of someone that we love. There are a lot of realities that we're prob not facing at the moment (and some we prob have no intentions of ever facing). A lot of things that we could have done to prevent certain things from escalating, but... we were busy doing our typical dance.

Peter was warned about Venom and did nothing about it. He told himself, "I got this", and clearly he didn't. Honestly, the whole city was screwing up by not helping Spider-Man at all. At the end, when the big fight is happening, and MJ is near death, everybody is just watching all of this go down. Where were the cops?! The S.W.A.T?! Other superheroes? New Yorkers themselves! - they're bold! But, to be fair, Venom came from outer space, so... it was a bit unprecedented; people were prob scared. I'll cut them and Spidey some slack.

You know who I won't cut any slack - Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker!

Peter Parker is a jerk. I'm thinking that Tobey's Peter Parker has always been a jerk; a nice jerk, but a jerk. Have you ever met a nice jerk? They do all of the things that a regualr jerk does, but they'll rationalize their behavior, and look puzzled when you react to their awfulness. I didn't notice this in the 1st movie, cuz I was just happy to get Spider-Man. I didn't notice in the 2nd movie, cuz those kids were just too darn cute. But, his niceness was so annoying in this movie. And he treated MJ horribly : He never listens to her, he’s always late, he only talks about himself, he’s too damned nice, he never knows when they’re in a fight, he kisses other women right in front of her and then is like “What did I do?”

I kept wanting her to punch Peter out; he would have deserved it.

The foundation of the character of the 1st Spider-Man was a problem from the start! If the foundation is shaky, then - whew! I'm glad that we finally fixed it:)

Plus, he never said he was sorry. He did one of those "Well, I'm not perfect." things. She ain't asking for perfection, just quit being a jerk!

A better movie would have been if MJ had been infected by Venom. For starters, she would have given a better performance, in the beginning. Something more like this - 

She would have banged Peter's friends. She would have destroyed her critics. And most importantly, she wouldn't have taken any shit from Peter. That could have been the main plot. Instead of a convultued blend of three villains around the nice jerkiness of Peter, it would have been Spider-Man vs MJ - beatening each other up all throughout the city; though I guess that would be considered domestic violence. But, why dance around real issues out there! 

It could have been a family-friendly movie about drug abuse (Venom) and domestic violence... and possibly some make-up sex in the middle of the city. But, after that, one of them, if not both, are going to jail! We gotta deal with the problems, people!

Grade: an entertaining D+ 

I did enjoy it. It wasn't as bad as I remember it, and I'd prob watch it again. But, I can't deny that on a technical level, it's crap.

"Who’s to blame?" isn't really the question. It's more "Who deserves what percentage of the blame?" There's a lot of blame to go around here... even to us who enabled Peter's jerkiness in the first two movies.

I like the direction that we're going in now. 

A better Spidey A better MJ Better villains

And even a better Aunt May 

- looking all good with Tony Stark.

- imagine Tony aggressively flirting with the older one

[kitten1618x]

GoT Afterthoughts ep. 08x01 ‘Winterfell’(Part 3)

Annnnd I’m back again! So where were we? Oh yes, back in Cersei’s boudoir...

~

The first thing I noticed is Cersei is drinking wine again. I’m still not 100% sure she was pregnant to begin with, guys. They were very secretive and ambiguous about the whole thing if you think back on it — and those leaks about her miscarrying turned out to be a wash.

~

Cersei is still salty about those damn elephants.

Same girl, saaaaame.

~

Euron wants to know how he compares to her past lovers. She strokes his massive ego a bit until he brings up Jaime—still a tender wound, she warns him to tread lightly, then simultaneously insults and compliments him as he lays a possessive hand on her stomach and declares he’s going to put a prince in her belly. She promptly dismisses him.

~

What’s striking here is that Cersei appears to be fighting off tears. Clearly, she didn’t want to sleep with Euron, but did so to keep him loyal to her. Love her or hate her, it’s sad to see her at such a desperate and low point where she’s basically whoring herself to keep an ally. Especially when Euron is such a wildcard, and now that he basically got exactly what he wanted—who’s to say he’ll stick around?

~

But, if you believe in political!jon, this is quite the parallel to Jon essentially doing the same to hold onto a wildcard ally in Dany.

~

I’m still not sold on a Cersei pregnancy/miscarriage guys...

~

While Euron is distracted, Theon and what remains of the Iron Born loyal to them, free Yara. She promptly headbutts him for leaving her ass, then helps him up. Now they’re even. 10/10 realistic sibling behavior. lol

~

Yara wants to head back to the Iron Islands, but senses Theon’s need to make amends to the Starks. She sends him to Winterfell with her blessing. I truly love these two as a strong family unit!! Gahhhhhh

~

We drop back into Winterfell where Lord Royce greets Alys Karstark and her people. And why this is necessary got me like 👀. Almost as much as why Alys was cast as a tall, red-headed girl... perhaps to fake a death scene of another important tall red-headed girl with the battle of Winterfell right around the corner?

~

Davos schools Tyrion and Varys on Northern stubbornness and loyalty. Then he proposes a marriage alliance between Jon and Dany if the world should survive. And fucken gag me, Dadvos... I expected better of you! lol I believe the words he uses are “a just woman and an honorable man.” And I’m sorry, it’s just hard for me to reconcile this statement with the same Davos who was extremely skeptical of the things Missandei was saying about Dany last season. Or the same Davos who looked extremely uncomfortable with Dany’s tantrum on the beach when she accused her hand Tyrion, of not wanting to murder his family... but, I digress.

~

We end this scene on Varys’ ominous words, sure to leave a bitter taste in your mouth: NOTHING LASTS. Drop those truth bombs, Varys.

~

A marriage alliance between a truly just woman and an honorable man is probably still in the cards... just sayin’.

~

We drop down from the battlements where Dany and Jon are strolling amongst the battle preparations. Of all the things they could be talking about: the wall falling, the issue of food shortages, etc. Dany brings up Sansa, of course. (no love triangle brewing here folks, none at all).

~

Dany licks her lips and looks around coyly, as if annoyed. “Your sister doesn’t like me.” — well neither did Bran really, or any of the northern lords, but it’s only Sansa’s name on Dany’s tongue—how curious. (Not really).

~

Jon’s eyes shift nervously before he turns to face her and sighs (because I’m telling you, he knew this was coming and it’s no coincidence that he’s kept his mouth shut and stayed out of the conflict). “She doesn’t know you.” Truth. He attempts a joke at how Sansa didn’t like him much either when they were growing up, but Dany isn’t amused.

~

“She doesn’t have to be my friend, but I am her queen. If she can’t respect me…” Dany leaves the threat and it’s implications hang in the air between them, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

~

Dark!dany is here, y’all.

~

I’m sure Dany stans and the jonerii are twisting themselves into pretzels to explain this away.

I mean, it’s not like Emilia herself didn’t warn us all that her character would be doing some ‘weird shit’ and we’d know when we saw it...

~

But Jon’s face here is strikingly similar to these various scenes...

And...

And...

Same. Ass. Energy. You do the math friends, but he’s certainly not looking upon her lovingly.

~

Luckily for Sansa and Jon, the Dothraki steal Dany’s attention to inform her of the livestock count of the dragons’ current dinner menu: 18 goats and 11 sheep. Dany looks alarmed—the dragons are barely eating. Barely. Do you have any idea how many people that amount of livestock could feed?

~

That’s why it’s really hard for me to not be critical of Dany’s character here. I realize she loves her dragons and they are her ‘children’, but in this moment she shows more empathy for the dragons lack of food (who truly can fly off and hunt) than that of the actual people who quite possibly could starve—and was irritated with Sansa for bringing it up.

~

And I will show this fucken gif as many times as I want because it’s so important!!

Food is so important. Don’t let the antis try and tell you otherwise.

~

Jon and Dany go to check on the dragons, and we have the scene we were treated to from the early released stills.

Jon asks what’s wrong with the dragons and Dany replies “they don’t like the North.” — and there is definitely a double meaning behind her words, as I don’t think Dany much likes the North, either. She climbs atop Drogon while Rhaegal expresses a curious interest in Jon.

~

“Go on.” Dany encourages Jon. Not the brightest move to give your bf of 10 minutes the keys to one of your WMD’s, and especially since there are surely much more important things to be done since being made aware that the wall is down and your other child is now a flying ice demon, but hey, joy ride time you crazy Targ kids!

~

So this must be the comedic scene the D’s talked about. I know everyone had mixed feelings about Jon riding a dragon, but I must say, I rather enjoyed this scene—except for the music, which for awhile seemed like a very jarring variation of the Truth theme. The music is very important in this show, so I’ll be curious to know when this pops up again, and where. Perhaps a dragon face off in another dance of dragons? Hmmm?

~

Drogon takes the lead, and Dany seems rather amused at scaring the pants off of Jon when she nose dives Drogon into a ravine and Rhaegal follows. Oh, but what’s this? Jon has realized he can control Rhaegal on his own, and brings the dragon in for a landing. Dany—a bit surprised at this—follows suit. Girl, you should be worried.

~

But she’s not, of course—at least not for long, because she’s busy being ‘twitterpated’ a’la a typical Disney flick, at the impressive place Jon chose to land���right beside an amazing waterfall. Props to loverboy, this is 10/10 primo scenery on the romance scale.

~

I would like to take a moment here to be petty af and point out that it is Daenerys that says the “we could stay here a thousand years” line—not Jon. And who could forget his super-romantic and witty come-back; complete in his Northern drawl: “we’d be pretty old.”

and Dany’s expression says everything! lol This from Mr. ‘I’d like to see you in a silk dress so I can tear it off you’. Pretty weak, Jon. You’re losing romance points for that!

~

Okay, but all joking aside, because I know a lot of my fellow Jonsas were probably a little put off by this scene; let’s break it down. After Jon’s crappy comeback, Dany moves closer to him, and he says something kind of flirtatious and sweet: “It’s cold up here for a southern girl.”

~

This is actually a very Jon-like thing to say, and I could even see this kind of banter between him and Ygritte. It’s also a very ‘equal’ thing to say—here, where no one is around, and formalities aren’t necessary. After all, had he said, “it’s cold up here for a southern queen,” it wouldn’t have had the same punch, now would it?

~

However, Dany has no interest in being Jon’s equal — even here, alone, her first instinct is to remind Jon she’s the queen: “then keep your queen warm” — not, “then this northern boy better keep her warm”, or “then keep your southern girl warm.” Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but that’s what hopped out at me.

~

Now the kiss. Sigh. Yes, I’m not gonna lie, it definitely looks like Jon’s into it. But my darling Jonsas, before you’re ready to throw Jon under the bus (as I imagine quite a few of you did while I took an entire week to write up my recap) the parent reveal hasn’t happened yet! Simmer down and find your zen, Jon is not a northern fool!

~

And for you antis lurking around: NO. This doesn’t negate political!jon. Not even a little bit. If political!jon is true, then he’s doing exactly what he committed to do—keeping Dany happy and keeping her North. The unfortunate trade-off is, she’s now their queen.

~

But what do we have here? Drogon seems a little restless, and Jon immediately breaks the kiss, and casts nervous eyes in the dragons direction. (Gods yes, this is so romantic). Dany laughs it off and tells Jon not to be afraid, pulling him back into the kiss. But while she’s all oblivious and lost in the kiss, Jon leans her body sideways and opens his eyes to eyeball Drogon, who’s giving him a look like ‘bitch, I know who you are, and I know what you’re doing. Watch your back.’

~

Is it a wonder why every single Jonerys love scene has been interrupted by weirdness? Bloody birth flashbacks, creepy brother voice-overs, no first kiss, growling stink-eyed Drogon... it’s almost like they’re trying to tell us that this isn’t really a romance.

~

And this is where I leave you, for now. The last part will follow shortly, and NO, I won’t break my future recaps into parts. I only did it this way because myself and half my house are sick.

[lamptracker]

Can you do royal!tom where he's like a really disorganised prince and everyone loves him but he's always late for everything and not doing things right and so his parents hire you as a kind of "babysitter" to get him in check?

- King Dominic and Queen Nikki had four boys

- All four were adored by the public

- Especially their oldest, Prince Tom

- But Tom wanted nothing more than to be a “normal” kid

- So he started acting like one

- He would sneak out of the palace without his bodyguards

- And drink underage

- AND show up late to important events

- “We need to hire him a handler,” Queen Nikki said after Tom arrived two hours late to an important luncheon, the day after he was caught out after royal curfew 

- (He might have been drunk in a McDonald’s and asking to meet Mayor McCheese; the palace refused to confirm)

- King Dominic just nodded sadly

- After about a week of searching, you got the job

- At first, Prince Tom was dead-set on making your job difficult

- He refused to listen to you, openly mocked you

- Typical entitled rich-kid behavior

- He did not expect you to stand up to him

- But you did

- “Alright, listen up, you little shit. Your parents hired me to keep an eye on you and I’ve already been fired from three different jobs this year and I am not going to get fired again. So you either listen to me or I will make your life miserable, you hear me?”

- Oh, did he ever hear you

- He was a model royal after that

- Mostly because nobody had dared stand up to him before, and the way you did it was kinda hot

- About three months in, he had a confession

- “I acted like that because I felt like my parents weren’t giving me enough attention. With your help, I realized what an ass I was. They have enough to worry about, running the country and making sure my brothers aren’t total let-downs like me”

- “You’re not a total let-down, Tom. You were just bored and lonely. I get it”

- “Thank you for not thinking I’m a loser”

- Six months later, Queen Nikki and King Dominic decided your services were no longer needed as Tom had turned himself around

- He was on time, he was polite, he was even doing charity work without being asked

- He begged them to keep you on staff

- “I need her, she’s too important to me”

- So they relented

- “Darling, guess what! You get to keep your job!”

- You were so excited you kissed him

- (Yes, on the lips)

- It was over almost as soon as it had started

- But boy, did both of you feel something

- “I’m sorry, Tom, I shouldn’t have-”

- “No, love, it’s okay. I…I’d like to do it again, if that’s alright with you”

- You just nodded

- He tipped your chin up so your eyes met his and he closed the gap between your mouths

- That kiss was the best kiss you’d ever had

- “Darling, I…I think I’m in love with you”

- “Me too”

- You had to quit your job in order to be able to date him

- But you were more than happy to do that

- Even though you technically didn’t work for him anymore, Prince Tom was still well-behaved after that

- “She makes me want to be a better person”

- A year to the day after your first kiss, he proposed

- You were married in a widely-televised ceremony three months after that

- Wow this got really long

-OKAY THEN

[extrology]

Get to Know Yixing (Lay)

(7 October 1991, Changsha (Hunan))

Our precious Libra prince♕

I’ve never seen a more libra person, almost all of the sign’s qualities apply to him. And if you ever have to give a Libra example just say Yixing without a doubt.

Okay, he might not express all these amazing libra qualities on screen as he (the same as Jongdae) doesn’t have too good television placements but trust me, irl he’s the most lovable person.

A few key libra qualities:

beautiful communication

real charmer with words

the sign of fairness and justice

Now let’s get into more details with Libra Sun, Moon, Mercury & Mars (Ego, Feelings, Brain, Communication and Energy/Aggression ) Everything mixed and matched for a more organized read

libra gives him an expensive taste be it art, food, clothing or about anything literally

a very diplomatic nature, a natural conflict solver and strives to maintain peace in his daily life

all aspects in life must be in harmony

gets along with absolutely everyone

that usually compromises his personality as he tries too hard to keep the peace and everybody happy

tries to understand other person’s point of view, often compromising, at his cost, to keep relationship happy

quite ambitious (but doesn’t like to show it)

a real charmer when he wants to be

libras are the funniest and most likeable people and he’s straight up a libra prince

usually well-liked by friends, loves to socialize

loyal and truly interested in your life~

does well in situations where surrounded by admirers

may be passive-aggressive, instead of being openly upset or mean

you usually don’t even realize when he’s mad at you, but his anger is terrifying so watch your back

gets stressed out by the tinniest little shits... like ugh

if he messes up, pls don’t point it out, he’s already beating himself over it

needs motivation, does best when paired w/ someone they admire

even though he may act spontaneous, he spends a great deal of time formulating his thoughts and opinions

also tends to keep his thoughts and worries to himself and not to tell others

which often results into increased anxiety and being misunderstood

happiest when in relationship and is especially sensitive to his lover’s needs

rudeness, violence and conflict drives this man crazy

will most likely get triggered by injustice and unfair behavior

likes arts, enjoys literature

culture and intelligent people are very important to him

he really likes women and is so romantic that often comes off as sentimental

probably has a great network of people as he’s talented at bringing people together

detail oriented and a dedicated planner

works hard but dislikes dirty work, prefers giving out orders

procrastinator

likes to have his way and will accomplish his goals with the support of others

can change his personality to fit who he’s spending time with, this makes others feel comfortable around him

will never try to force it and try to prove something

despite a lot of positive traits libra people tend to be quite flighty, shallow and flirtatious

rather indecisive and change their opinions every other day

lacks spine, is timid and too easy going to stand up for himself

often anxious, very high expectations on himself, critical thinking

this guy must work on his self-worth, he just puts too much focus on others and is too picky and hard on himself ;-; pls love him 

often uncertain, doesn’t adapt very fast

must weight each side of the decision over and over even if he’s just trying to decide what to have for breakfast

this lack of decisiveness makes him miss some opportunities

moods change constantly yet manages to stay even-tempered throughout all that (usually cheerful and positive)

you’re basically his decision-maker

but if he feels like he doesn’t like your opinion will try to manipulate you into changing it (ofc you won’t notice with his libra sweet-talking and tact)

and after he’s FINALLY made up his mind becomes extremely single-minded

just don’t point out his physical flaws pls

really dislikes being alone

hates being alone SO much that would take somebody with him even for the little trip to the shop around the corner

he kind of expects his partner to read his mind about what he likes/needs

will hold a grudge if the need won’t be met

can be a bit forgetful

Now about his tiny virgo moon part, as his moon is on a cusp between virgo and libra

it would make it kind of hard for him to receive love as he feels like he doesn’t deserve it

even less likely to show his feelings (he already has such a hard time with them)

it also makes him a bit more down-to-earth

appears more logical/mental than emotional

even bigger perfection seeker and never-good-enough-for-himself

Bonus:

People with a lot of earth placements (including Yixing) tend to be great dancers

Mars in 2nd house usually makes one protective of his possessions. May come across as selfish or stingy. (I doubt he ever shares his clothes or any of his belongings, well at least he doesn’t want to)

as he has very strong air placements that’s a red flag that the person wears masks in public

Venus conjunction with Jupiter blesses with great beauty and wealth

now one of the biggest problems I see is lack of water in his chart

so even though he’s sociable and is all about others as a libra dominant

he doesn’t seem to have satisfying relationships with others and doesn’t really understand why

he just doesn’t know how to convey his emotions and finds it extremely difficult to feel genuine sympathy for others

that’s why he might come off as fake but trust me, he just isn’t very in touch with his feelings and prefers to listen to his justice seeking libra brain

lacks “tv star” placements (just like Jongdae) so is not as noticeable and attention seeking on screen

he actually is extremely creative!

the softest and most talkative member in exo FOR SURE

he could literally talk for days

This guy is your typical social butterfly

[Masterlist]

[faierius]

In His Shoes (14. The Choice is Yours)

Chapter One (Can’t We All Just Get Along?)

Chapter Two (Out Of Body Experience)

Chapter Three (We Don’t Talk About That)

Chapter Four (My Body Won’t Change My Heart)

Chapter Five (Myth and Mystery)

Chapter Six (Baby Steps)

Chapter Seven (Sleep on it)

Chapter Eight (Seeds)

Chapter Nine (All About Perspective)

Chapter Ten (Sweet Dreams are Made of These)

Chapter Eleven (This is Not Our Name)

Chapter Twelve (The More You Know)

Chapter Thirteen (Lie to Me)

               Ignis scowled deeply at the book in his lap. While he was learning much about the mismatched twins, he didn’t feel any of it could be applied in a practical sense. Unless their vastly different upbringings had some bearing on their falling out later in life.

               Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ignis glanced at his companion. Gladio had fallen asleep in the chair twenty minutes ago and showed no signs of stirring anytime soon. It wasn’t typical behavior, but he couldn’t blame him. They were all exhausted. Even he was struggling to pay attention to his work.

               He realized he didn’t give Noctis enough credit for the energy he expelled during the day. In just two days, Ignis noticed how much faster he tired in Noctis’ body. He spent much of the day feeling lethargic, yet it had nothing to do with the amount of sleep he had or the food he ate. It seemed Noctis’ body simply burned off energy much faster than others.

               His fluctuating mood was another matter entirely. It was no wonder the man kept conversation to a minimum. There were a few times Ignis had to calculate his words carefully before speaking. He wasn’t used to feeling so melancholy and found himself struggling to behave normally. Noctis probably saw through him, but he didn’t want Prompto and Gladio knowing. Especially not Gladio.

               Ignis knew, likely to Gladio’s chagrin, he would cater to the prince even more than he already did.

               You know full well that won’t achieve anything.

               Thinking Gladio was awake, Ignis looked up to reply. Only Gladio was still sleeping, and Ignis hadn’t spoken aloud.

               I know exactly what it is you wish of the young Prince, but you will never have it. Be cold or coddling, the choice is yours, but he will never be.

               Ignis’ stomach did a backflip at the words. Swallowing hard, he swiped at the sudden prickle of sweat on his forehead.

               You know it’s rude to ignore someone when they speak to you, Mr. Scientia. Nothing good will come of this.

               Clenching his jaw, Ignis stubbornly stared at the book in his lap. He refused to acknowledge this ethereal voice, knowing it for what it was.

               Well, if you won’t have a civil conversation with me, perhaps I’ll take a stroll in the dreams of Mr. Amicitia. Perhaps I’ll influence those dreams. Show him your true desires.

               “No!”

               Ignis’ exclamation broke the odd atmosphere of the room and quieted his tormentor. At least for the moment. Gladio sat up with a snort, blinking bleary eyes as the door to the room crashed open. Jerking his head toward the door, his eyes flew wide when he saw Prompto carrying Noctis into the room.

               “What on Eos happened?” he demanded, voice sounding oddly panicked to his ears.

               Gladio was already up and alert, helping Prompto get Noctis onto a bed. “A fight?” he asked, brow furrowed as he grabbed Noctis’ chin and turned his face to get a better look at the man’s injury.

               Shaking himself out of his stupor, Ignis got up to close the door.

               “I happened,” Prompto mumbled, moving away from the bed to let Ignis and Gladio fuss over Noctis.

               “The hell’s that mean?” Gladio asked, flicking a glance at Prompto.

               Prompto bit his lip, watching Ignis get a potion from their bag. “I punched him,” he admitted, wrapping his arms around himself.

               “What?” snapped Gladio, glaring at Prompto as Ignis broke the potion over Noctis.

               Prompto flinched, sitting heavily on the opposite bed. “I wasn’t trying to hit him,” he answered, eyes downcast. “Your stupid body reacted to a threat without my input. Remember how I said she was in my head?”

               “Yes?”

               “She…was Noctis. I was seeing her, speaking to her, instead of Noct…This is getting bad, guys.”

               Ignis licked his lips. He couldn’t tell Prompto how right he was.

               On the bed, Noctis groaned. “Prompto…”

               “’M here,” he muttered.

               Rubbing his cheek, though there was no evidence of the massive bruise and cut left, Noctis sat up. His brow twitched as he opened his eyes. “You okay?” he asked, turning toward his boyfriend.

               Prompto’s head snapped up and his thick brows came together with a heavy crease. “Why’re you asking me that?”

               Noctis frowned, ignoring Gladio and Ignis. “What d’ya mean why? I’m worried about you. You were terrified, having half of a conversation on your own.”

               “Eyoralin seems to be rather attached to him,” said Ignis.

               She always did like an underdog. Probably because she was one.

               “How is she doing this?” Noctis turned to Ignis now, seeking answers.

               Sighing, Ignis got to his feet and crossed his arms. “All I have are theories and guesses, Highness.”

               “Then what’s your best guess?”

               “It’s a variation on the Confusion affliction,” he answered, moving back to his chair.

               If that’s how your minds process this, then it is an acceptable conclusion. Though our abilities are much more complicated than anything you’re capable of comprehending.

               Turning his back on the others, Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose.

               “Oh yeah, that’d make sense. Seeing and hearing shit is common with Confusion,” Gladio answered with a nod. “If Eyoralin is getting in your head like this, you gotta learn the signs and be more careful. Can’t go around decking royalty,” he teased Prompto. “And stop making my face all blushy. It’s weird.”

               “I think your body is getting used to Prompto’s emotional scale,” Noctis scoffed, smirking.

               “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you, Noct.”

               Sighing, Noctis’ smirk softened, and he held his hand out to Prompto. “It wasn’t your fault.”

               Keeping his eyes down, Prompto didn’t budge.

               Noctis dropped his hand and took a deep breath. Licking his lips, he glanced at Ignis.

               “Gladio, shall we go find ingredients for dinner?” Ignis asked, heading for the door.

               Rolling his eyes, Gladio followed suit. “Yeah, sure.”

               You’re only leaving because you don’t like seeing him show affection to others. It used to be all about you. Isn’t that right, Mr. Scientia? Even when you helped them realize their affections, it killed you inside. Your sense of duty will only take you so far.

               Huffing a breath through his nose, Ignis all but dragged Gladio from the room.

               “Hey! What the hell’s gotten into you?” the man demanded, hopping on one foot as he pulled his boot on.

               Stopping, Ignis waited for Gladio to fix his footwear. “What do you mean?

               “You’re coddling them again. They coulda talked with us in the room. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before.”

               He’s right, you know. Mr. Amicitia is a smart man.

               “I’m doing no such thing! What’s wrong with giving them privacy? Or would you prefer to sit there awkwardly while they discuss intimate details of their relationship?”

               Standing up straight, Gladio raised his brows at Ignis. “Why’re you so mad?”

               Ignis’ nostrils flared as he turned away from Gladio. “Maybe if you didn’t ask such idiotic questions, I wouldn’t be.”

               Gladio grabbed Ignis’ sleeve and yanked him around. He pushed the man against the wall and stepped up close. “Now I know something’s up. Talk to me, Iggy.”

               “I have nothing to say,” he replied, staring directly into Gladio’s eyes.

               “Bullshit!” Gladio smacked his palm against the wall next to Ignis’ head. “Don’t lie to me, man. I don’t even know why you think it’s necessary.”

               Listen to the substitute. Tell him you have a daemon in your head, just like Mr. Argentum. Yes, I am aware of my sister’s influence.

               Ignis clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Swallowing hard, he puffed out a breath and forced his body to relax. “Gladio.”

               “We can’t let things get at us like this,” Gladio said, standing up straight and dropping his hand to Ignis’ shoulder. “I don’t like seeing you this emotional.”

               “Gladio,” Ignis repeated, lifting his hands to slid across the man’s chest. The narrow, slim chest belonging to Prompto, he reminded himself. “I love you.”

               Gladio’s jaw dropped, a half syllable stuck in his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I love you, too,” he replied, brow twitching into a confused frown.

               Guilt clutched Ignis’ heart as he licked his lips and glanced up and down the hallway. He snuck his hands around Gladio’s torso and tugged him flush against his body. Dipping his head forward, he kissed Gladio’s jaw. “Remind me,” he whispered, drawing his earlobe between his teeth.

               “Remind you of what?” Gladio breathed, his own hands clutching Ignis’ hips.

               Ignis didn’t answer. He slipped his leg between Gladio’s as he scraped his teeth across the side of the man’s neck. He pressed his thigh against Gladio’s crotch and listened to the needy moan that escaped his lips.

               Breaking your own rules won’t help you forget about him. All you’ll achieve here is his anger, touching his property.

               “You know we shouldn’t do this,” Gladio told him his hands sneaking beneath Ignis’ shirt.

               “Since when do you care about my rules?” Ignis grumbled, threading his fingers into soft blond hair.

               “Just reminding you in case you lost your damn mind,” replied Gladio, rolling his hips against Ignis’ leg.

               “I’m perfectly cognisant.”

               “Then I’ve got no problem continuing.”

               The voice in Ignis’ head sighed. Very well. If you feel the need to put on this display to prove you have power over me, then by all means, continue. At least make it a good show.

               Ignis clenched his teeth. If you want a performance, I shall give you one.

               Whatever you need to do to keep your conscience intact, Mr. Scientia.

[catinthesewing-blog]

Stop romanticizing Erik please

Trigger warning, in this rant I mention abuse, abuse by a parental figure, including physical threats, death threats, manipulation/gaslighting, and through that (briefly) connect to abuse, violence, rape, and death.  I don’t go into a lot of detail, but if any of these are a problem for you TL/DR: The Opera ghost is a sociapathic monster, not a romantic hero, stop writing him as a good guy, it’s harmful to women.

Just the title’s already pissed a lot of people off.  I know, ‘cause I’ve had this converstation with people before.  If you can’t read a critique of something you like, leave now.  But I’m having an allergic reaction to.....something.....and even with the Benedryl I want to scratch my skin off so sleep is a no-go, so instead I’m reading.

And oh, what new font of trash have I found.  It’s called RoseBlood by A.G. Howard, and it’s one of the Phantom fanfics that’s actually made it to publication.  It’s fascinatingly awful, and I can’t stop reading for the same reason people watch trainwrecks or Nascar crashes.  It’s not any better nor worse than the dime-a-dozen angsty teen supernatural romances out there (Twilight being one of hundreds).  If you’re amused by terrible fiction and can turn your brain off enough to not be incensed and cringy at all the typical problems with romance, especially angsty teen romance, then by all means try it yourself.

If you’re one of those younguns (or olduns) who can’t recognize all the seriously problematic issues in romances, especially angsty teen romances, please don’t read it.  We have enough women getting in terrible situations because fiction told them creepy awful abusive behavior was romantic as it is.

That being said, there’s one truly horrifying bit getting to me, that when I put into words what it was compelled me to write this up: the relationship between Erik and the protagonist’s love interest.  Spoilers ahead.

So, the boy, Thorn, goes through some typical traumatic backstory and then is ‘adopted’ by Erik, Leroux’s Phantom.  There’s a typical sinister plot against the female protagonist, Rune, but she and Thorn fall in love so now he’s conflicted over it.  Erik is the mastermind behind the whole plot, Thorn is supposed to be helping, and is feeling conflicted over the choice between doing what he knows is an awful thing for his father, or saving the life of his soulmate.

This I don’t have a problem with.  In fact, it’s one of the most accurate portrayals of the thought processes of a person who has suffered a life of mental manipulation and abuse from a parental figure that I’ve read in fiction.  Good enough that that accuracy is scary and makes me feel for Thorn.

Problem is, it’s clear from the way these scenes and the rest of the novel is written that, once again, Erik is being portrayed as a poor, sad individual, who’s doing terrible things because of his great LOVE for Christine.

Guys, the Phantom is not romantic.  He is not a tragic hero.  He is a sociapath.  And Leroux very clearly wrote him that way.  Leroux’s intent in Erik’s character, in the whole novel, was to show :

Monsters can be made.  They aren’t always born, they can be created from the terrible events and actions of others.  And while it is imperative that we sorrow over the actions that created this monster, and mourn over the person that small suffering being might have become, we should not, must not, cannot pretend that what stands before us now is a monster.  A terrible, murderous, raging monster in a thin disguise of human skin.  Anyone who pretends the monster is still a human, with motives of care or compassion for any being besides themselves, is not only doomed to die, but condemning others to die as well.  That’s the reason the Persian is so prominent a character, and is the one to see Erik right before his death.  The Persian is the living example of murder by inaction--there were multiple times he could have stopped Erik.  By not killing Erik, every victim of the Phantom’s since is partially on the Persian’s conscience.*

Thorn’s responses are accurate for a young man who has been regularly told by his father figure, from day one, that Erik only keeps Thorn alive because he is useful to him, and that as soon as Thorn stops being useful (or at any signal Erik might take as defiance) Erik will kill Thorn.  Like he has killed everyone else.  Thorn explicitly knows he is under constant surveillance, manipulation, and threat of death.  He knows that killing Rune is wrong, even if he didn’t have feelings for her.  But he still feels huge confliction because Erik is his parent and Thorn loves him.  That is awful!  But accurate.

What is not accurate is the idea (clearly intended) that Erik is a sad, tragic fallen hero who deserves sympathy.  Never have I encountered such staggeringly, horrifyingly accurate portrayal of an abusive manipulative relationship that is clearly intended to seem sad and romantic since reading the Fifty Shades series.

But no one seems to get that Erik is not a good guy.  He’s not a grey redeemable villain, not a romantic figure.

He is a monster.

If you want to write stories with a Beast-archetype hero, a redeemable romantic villain, I’m all for it.  We can talk about my deep hole in Solvallen hell filled with unease, self-disdain, and regret.

But stop writing monsters and telling young women that they’re princes.  Please.  Just stop.  Please.  Women literally die because we teach them shit like this.

*My words, not a quote, but Leroux did in fact state explicitly when talking about the novel that this was his intent.  I spent some teenage years in deep nerdy Phan research, myself