#first time with this type of plot was robin in one piece

[quaggyday]

One piece female characters are so weird honestly

Their designs are either the same over sexualized body type with the same face or a caricature. Their clothing always follows the same weird style and most of the time teams only have one of them. And sometimes they just get the shit end of the stick (Tashigi is my best example)

But like

I adore these girls. They’re always so different and varied in personality and motivations. They always have a point in the plot only they could solve and are doing everything they can for what they care about. Hell, Vivi fighting tooth and nail and clenching on for her country is what hooked me on One piece in the first place

All of these female characters are different and surprise me from what I expected. The abuse Chiffon and Pudding went through from their mother, Rebecca and Violas attempts to get back their country, Otohime’s exhaustion from trying to make things better, the implied horrors Boa and her sisters have gone through.

And of course, Nami and Robin. Two women who are the cornerstones of One pieces best arcs because they were given the moment to shine

[chaos0pikachu]

hi! it's the one piece anon, this time off anon, lmao, thanks for the answer!

watching one piece for the first time as a adult with no prior attachment to it is wild, btw—and makes you want to take sanji and throw him into an active volcano about 100 times per episode, akbsjdjdj

i actually have no idea what my favourite arc would be so far, tbh, i enjoyed alabasta solely because of crocodile—i love me a horrible man who has a plan and executes it :)—and thriller bark was a good time, and now impel down is fun because stakes! i love stakes! i keep complaining to my friend that no 'death' ever really sticks, lmao, and now having accidentally spoiled myself i know that at least one will, akhsjdjdj

also, i have So Many opinions, it's insane, so glad that my friend knows i'm a yapper and analyser at heart and wanted to watch (in her case rewatch) the show with me because of that, lmao, and i am looking forward to when we are in a place where it's safe to engage with fandom stuff because man, i wanna yap so bad about this show

(and we are watching Everything which means no skipping the bad parts—we have seen sanji be on the second maiden isle react like the biggest douche and yeah.....that was fun :) truly)

(also, zoro is just. great, i love that man <3 especially because my sense of direction is just slightly better than his)

(this got very long, oops)

please don't apologize I fucking love talking about one piece lmao I literally bard the series to a friend b/c they don't wanna watch 1000+ episodes and they don't read manga but they really like the series (and loved OPLA)

Sanji is....sigh. Like the Whole Cake arc with him is great, like it's really strong and Sanji at his peak. There's times when I really like Sanji - one of my favorite small moments is when he gives Ussop his goggles back in Alabasta sanji/ussop gets no love b/c ussop is ugly even tho they're a great ship rip. Another great moment is when he gives Nami his jacket in Little Garden, and when he helps Violet in Dressrosa, like, when Sanji's compassion is front and center he's GREAT.

The problem is Sanji is a product of a very old shounen trope - the perverted man gag - quoting myself here but it's an age old gag - DBZ has Oolong, and Master Roshi, Inu-yasha has Miroku, Naruto has Jiraiya, Ranma 1/2 has Master Happosai - just to list some off the top of my head. Sanji's gag isn't new and it's not even unique. If there's any difference its that Sanji is just better developed than most - not all, but most - of these types of chars. Which creates a big dissonance with how western fans deal with and discuss Sanji.

I hate the gag but like, it's canon, Oda isn't writing for me he's writing for teenage (Japanese) boys first and foremost. It is what it is and I just take Sanji as is and am glad OPLA toned him the fuck down.

Crocodile is a fandom fave for a reason, he's such a deliciously fun antagonist and I'm glad he came back in Impel Down and is still around even after that.

Ngl I almost dropped the series b/c of Alabasta LOL sorry guys! It's one of my least favorite arcs of the series I felt like it dragged so damn hard. It introduced so many important characters - Vivi, Ace, Crocodile, Robin - and plots - the weapons - but omggggg I was bored at times.

Water 7 is probably my favorite arc, maybe followed by Wano? Idk I'm apparently one of the weird fans who likes a lot of the post-timeskip arcs. I think Dressrosa is a great arc and also up there for me. I liked Skypiea well enough - and it becomes stronger with time - but I'm meh on Little Garden, East Blue Saga doesn't get good until Sanji imo when we get into the Nami stuff which IS one of my fave arcs of the series, I like Thriller Bark than most the halloween stuff is great, but my favorite arcs are all post-timeskip except Water 7 Saga.

The death stuff is something a lot of fans talk about and I've learned that Oda has addressed this. Basically he said he doesn't like drawing characters who die - ironic considering other things that happen in the story lmao - he wants to keep the story a kid friendly adventure and doesn't wanna draw char deaths. So you get Pell and that dude in Skypiea lol Oda

Zoro is great, I hope he never gets a "new" backstory b/c I like his normal ass backstory not all the straw hats need to have secret tragic backstories! Let my man be moderately normal, have bad direction and wanna dedicate his entire self to his Captain :3

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1134 review

Elbaf is getting in gear and starting to hint toward its real themes and storylines. The prelude, reunion and environmental art dumps seem to be wrapping up, but even with the big cliffhanger this one ends on there's likely to be a crossfade between the opening worldbuilding and the serious story over the coming chapters.

The colour spread makes a very nice tribute to Franky's voice actor, but the passing of the speedos onstage at Jump Festa was even more fun. Still, it's a great piece of art even without that context.

Despite the yakaza speak gag not being something that translates culturally (and me not knowing much at all about yakuza traditions) the opening scene does its job. I think it helps that Jinbe employed a pretty similar tradition with his formal self-introduction at the start of the Onigashima raid, so even though the crew is confused about where Luffy picked this stuff up, it's obvious who he's copying. Which is actually pretty sweet, that he used Jinbe as his model for how to make a first impression on someone you respect. Saul's kindness and the crew's support of Robin keep the warm and fuzzy mood going.

And then on the flip side, we have a fully functioning Vegapunk Stella clone. Come on, Oda. You pushed the limits with all the Satellites living on in a single body, but there was still the loss of the original there to make the arc feel impactful. This walks back even that consequence. But credit where it's due, Vegapunk's ability to make all these trips to Ohara and Elbaf and have meetings with Clover while working for the World Government is easier to swallow if he has a secret extra clone going in and out for him. I can buy that. And at least Lilith makes it clear it'll take some time and tech to get him up and running. So this isn't a character coming back right away, it's setup for a Vegapunk faction to show up unexpectedly in the final battle with a bunch of new weapons invented.

I wonder if the promise to heal Kuma is going to be conditional on this new lab, essentially giving him and Bonney a temporary jumping off point for the story, or if there's plan to make them part of the Elbaph plot as well.

Most of what's left in the chapter after this toys with our expectations for Elbaph and its culture. Over a couple of generations, there's been a shift from a fearsome viking warrior tribe to one that seeks trade and peace, to the shock and disappointment of Usopp. While this explains the lack of giants terrorising the seas in the present relative to their reputation, I'm definitely feeling wary about this turning into the 'kids these days are too soft' narrative I've already seen some people online taking it as. I don't think Oda is the type to make that point without at least a level of nuance, but you never know. Come on, Vinland Saga has proved that vikings and peace aren't incompatible concepts, and that a pacifist might even be the most badass thing a viking could be. I wonder if the setup here is for Usopp not to be rebuilt from the ground up as a 'brave warrior of the sea' by the giants, but helping a new generation of them redefine the term for themselves.

But this, along with the scene from the end of the chapter, gives us some pertinent questions to ask about King Harald motives and allies and how they play into Loki's accused act of fratricide. In Big Mom's flashback, Jarul attributes the idea of trade over plunder to Carmel, who we know was in touch with Cipher Pol about getting giant soldiers for the Marines. But does the timeline work for her to be the root of it? The heyday of the Giant Warrior Pirates was a hundred years ago, so assuming the raiding stopped soon after there's a gap of decades before Carmel began wielding influence. And, of course, Harald continued pushing these ideas of his own accord for decades after Carmel's departure and death. And the fact that two apparent Holy Knights would have the ability to portal directly into what I assume to be Harald's castle implies an even higher up connection than what Carmel was working with (assuming fairly confidently that the summoning circles have some restrictions about distance unless someone connected to them has gone to a place physically already). And if Harald was colluding secretly with the upper tiers of the WG to disarm Elbaph's society, why - to get Elbaph recognised as a member state? To weaken the nation to the WG's benefit in exchange for… something? Or is it some deeper negotiation to do with the ancient past and the Sun God, disconnected from Harald's pacifist politics. And we can't discount the possibility that the WG assassinated Harald (as they are very much known to do) and framed Loki to sow discord, whether in connection to the giants' cultural shift or not.

But that's jumping ahead. First we have the absolutely gorgeous backgrounds of the Walrus School and the Owl Library. Wonder if we'll circle back to how the books were made giant. Just beautiful.

Loki's scene this week leans in the direction of him maybe being a good guy, but he's gone back and forth on that point for me already, so his role is far from confirmed. Whatever way he ends up going though, he's going to be an fun character to have onscreen. My first thought for his shaggy friend was Jarul - he has the beard that goes with the snail's appearance and Big Mom's rampage makes for a pretty strong traumatic experience that definitely would have someone like Loki saying her and Carmel 'should have been put down for good.' But then, I don't think the timing and social elements work for Loki saying he never saw or met Shaggy in person - his dad apparently clashed with village chiefs like Jorul and Jarul over culture, and their village is seemingly right under his castle. In fact, it seems almost impossible that Loki never met Jarul. Perhaps the as-of-yet unnamed giant warrior who witnessed Big Mom eating Carmel and the other orphans then?

And finally, circling back to the ending scene, we have the near-confirmation of Shanks's evil twin. Not fully, given that we still don't get to see his arm or the left side of his face, but given that we've been shown the real Shanks should be elsewhere and with his crew right now, it's getting hard to deny. Some people aren't thrilled by this, but honestly I like it. I've been onboard since Film Red revealed that he had Figarland blood, and I like how the framing of his scene at the Reverie provides clues in hindsight. I'm a big fan of a reread bonus.

2025 is going to be a good year for One Piece, provided it can be even mildly lighter on breaks than this year. The setup for a great new arc is all here, now all it needs is the chance to pick up some momentum.

[deadite-central]

Okay so when I was almost done with it something bugged with tumblr and this post didn’t save, which is why it took me so long to get back to it. But since I left off the last Dressrosa post saying I can’t wait to talk about the things that are coming, let’s get to it

Usopp has been lying his way through most of the arc, generally not believing that he’s able to do anything significant to help. It’s a struggle he’s been having within himself from way back in pre timeskip obviously, but I love how he’s the one to finally stand up when Robin has been turned into a toy and the tontattas need help. He’s still terrified, and he still doesn’t quite believe he can do this, but he will try his best, and because of that, all the toys will finally be freed

Before they get their freedom, we get the Toy Soldier’s story on why he’s so adamant about defeating Doflamingo and protecting Rebecca. As it turns out, he’s Kyros, Rebecca’s father, and his story is incredibly tragic, where despite the toy’s face not moving an inch, you can feel the emotions he’s feeling, and the rain falling down his toy face is a wonderful although sad visual for crying when you physically can’t cry

And then finally, the moment everyone was waiting for, the aftermath of Usopp defeating Sugar (in a hilarious manner). From Doflamingo completely losing his cool when he realizes his entire plan has went to hell, to Kyros turning back into a human and decapitating his clone, to finally, one of my favorite moments in this entire arc: God Usopp. Things getting from ridiculous to more ridiculous here is just amazing, and I like how it keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially first time around, to also give you a few funny moments along the way

Proper introduction of the Revolutionary Army members here! Love their place in the story and I think considering the situation in Dressrosa now was better time than ever to have them really come into play for the story. Love their designs and the reasonings each of them you can figure out to have to be Revs, and of course I’m so happy to see more of Sabo. He’s an incredibly cool character to me and I’m so happy Luffy gets to have at least one older brother out there to look out for him

Back to the main plot, the birdcage is a genius idea. Oda often (if not always) introduces some type of timer for our crew that they can’t pass, and I think the birdcage has been the best idea he had so far. Using Doflamingo’s power to create something that not only locks everybody who knows of his true nature in Dressrosa, but also forces a deadline for everybody because otherwise, the birdcage will kill everyone. It’s also a good metaphor for Doflamingo’s character itself, as he doesn’t care about his subjects, he only wants power and destruction, even if that means killing an entire nation

With all the pieces in place , Luffy (and Law who gets carried around) can finally go after Doflamingo. We get one more moment of interaction between Luffy and Rebecca, with him finally revealing his actual name to her, and making it clear to her that things will work out. I love their friendship, as despite the fact it happened in about a day, they both clearly care so much about each other

One last thing I want to talk about before we get to the main battle of the arc, is Usopp awakening his observation haki. It’s funny that he doesn’t even realise it, but it shows how much he has grown and how much stronger despite his fears he’s gotten, which is such a nice touch in an arc filled with great Usopp moments, I love it

And finally, we get to the top floor starting what has been built up since the beginning of this saga. Everybody (except for Trebol fuck that guy) looks so cool here (and also Bellamy rip man) and it just hypes you up so much for the fight to come. The framing here is great and I love the expressions Oda draws for everyone involved. I’m incredibly excited for the upcoming fight

[theoutcastrogue]

Tom of Bedlam

[by Daniel P. Mason, M.D. | American Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 171, Number 12, December 2014]

Illustration of a 17th-century broadside, featuring a malingering beggar, set “to the tune of Tom of Bedlam” (from Euing Ballad number 55)

In Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, the King—betrayed by his daughters, bereft of his kingdom—sets off across the heath in a fit of rage. In a forlorn hovel, he encounters a curious character. Half-naked, his face “grimed with filth,” the man introduces himself as

Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, and stock-punished, and imprisoned….

Lear cannot know that Tom, with his wild appetites, hallucinations, and tales of persecution is, in fact, Edgar, son of the Earl of Gloucester. Falsely accused of plotting against his father, Edgar has also fled to the heath, disguised as a “Bedlam beggar.” The conversation that ensues between the two madmen—one feigned, one real— is one of the most dizzying and psychiatrically rich in a play famously brimming with madness in its many forms.

Who then was this “Tom of Bedlam,” featured so prominently on the title page of the first quarto edition of the play? To begin, while Shakespeare may have been Tom’s most famous champion, Tom was not the Bard’s invention. Less a man, than many, Tom was a familiar folkloric “type” well known to 17th-century audiences: a “lunatick” vagabond who claimed to have been released from the notorious London asylum of St. Mary of Bethlehem (Bedlam).

“Claimed,” here, is key. For the earliest references to the figure of Tom are not as madmen but as malingering beggars. In other words, Edgar, rather than just playing a madman, was playing a man playing a madman. First appearing in the printer John Awdeley’s 1561 Fraternitye of Vacabondes, a compendium of Elizabethan beggar types, “poor Tom” was described as one who “walketh bare armed, and bare legged, and faineth him selfe mad”. Later “rogue encyclopedias” listed him among such deceptive vagabonds as “whipjackes” (fake shipwrecked sailors) and “priggers of prauncers” (horse thieves). By the 17th century Tom was familiar enough as to be recognizable by his “long staff, and a cow or ox-horn by his side; his cloathing fantastic and ridiculous... decked and dressed all over with robins [ribbons], feathers, cuttings of cloth”.

No one knows how many flesh-and-blood Toms were wandering the countryside by the time Shakespeare cast him as Edgar’s disguise. But few could have come from the institution itself: Saint Mary of Bethlehem in those decades housed fewer than 30 patients at a time. And yet so many beggars claimed to have been released from Bedlam that in 1675 the overseers of the hospital placed an advertisement in the London Gazette disclaiming the hoaxes.

With the end of the Civil Wars, Tom of Bedlam was said to have disappeared from English highways. By then, however, he had been immortalized, not only by Shakespeare, but in a proliferation of popular songs. There was “Loving Mad Tom” and “The Vagabond” and “To find my Tom of Bedlam.” Some became so famous that other songs could be published with the simple direction “to be sung to the tune of Tom of Bedlam”.

Of all the Mad Tom songs, one in particular stands out: “From the Hagg and Hungry Goblin,” an anonymous piece transcribed around 1615, now surviving in a single manuscript in the British Museum. In it we find Tom, recently released from Bedlam (or claiming so), begging for alms as he travels alone:

With a host of furious fancies Whereof I am commander, With a burning spear and a horse of air, To the wilderness I wander.

The song, quoted by Poe, Kipling, and Scott, was praised by the critic Harold Bloom for a “visionary perspective only rarely achieved in poetic history”. The poet Sir Robert Graves even suggested it was written by Shakespeare himself.

Or perhaps Tom never really vanished, but instead lives in those who have inherited his itinerancy. For, with this remarkable character, Shakespeare also created a mirror for today’s troubled wanderers, pursued by their own “foul fiends.” In them we find Tom’s many-layered complexity: at times seeking pity, at times refusing it, at times threatening, at times forlorn, at times arresting with their colorful clothes and speech. At times mad, at times playing madder: “knights,” as one Mad Tom put it, “of ghosts and shadows.”

[source]

[alsunday]

shipping guide ...

the following is a list of my muses + their shipping statuses and additional notes to help guide with shipping. this list is solely based on romantic shipping as platonic / antagonistic and other types of dynamics will never have a limit. the status of each could change in the future. the 'will never consider' list are very hard no's. these are absolute. i have other characters i don't ship with muses but i'd rather not make a bigger list than this already is. for now, please respect the choices made and at the end of the day, just ask! this is NOT a list of my established ships or biases. i likely won’t be listing those. if you ever want to check on a status of a ship or want to know whether i ship something, just reach out!

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ...

clover d. iselda ... closed in canon verses [main & shipwright], tentatively open in au's and crossovers, ocs welcome. - characters i would never consider: trafalgar law, donquixote doflamingo [including other doffy family crew members] and cipher pol members. kazumi haru … open; ocs preferred + closed to crossovers and aus at the moment as i build his canon. nina liu [referring only to her op verse; her main verse exists on another blog and is single shipped there] … tentatively open and requires heavier plotting whether for canon, ocs and crossovers. nina is NOT nice nor will she be watered down, just a general warning if you’re interested in shipping with her. quetzal d. luna … closed. focusing on building her lore and voice at the moment.

ONE PIECE CANONS ...

black leg sanji … tentatively open; ocs and crossovers welcome. closed to shipping with any other versions of nami. nico robin … open; ocs and crossovers/aus welcome. perona … closed, currently single shipped with foolisheart’s trafalgar law. (this refers solely to my end, and not enforced upon my writing partner). portgas d. ace … tentatively open; ocs and crossovers welcome. willing to consider, but focused on building other types of dynamics for him. charlotte amande … closed. focused on building her voice first. red leg zeff … closed, currently single-shipped with foolisheart’s sora. (this refers solely to my end, and not enforced upon my writing partner). riku viola … tentatively open, requires heavier plotting; ocs and crossovers preferred. closed to any other sanji ships besides the ones already plotted. - characters i would never consider: donquixote doflamingo [including any other members of his canon crew]. usopp ... tentatively open; ocs and crossovers welcome. willing to consider, but focused on building other types of dynamics for him.

BLEACH ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ...

hayato tendou … tentatively open, requires heavier plotting; ocs preferred, crossovers currently not open since i want to focus on building his canon. ootori seto ... closed, disinterested in romance and sex.

BLEACH CANONS ...

hirako shinji … closed, focused on building his voice. ichimaru gin … open, but only really ship him with matsumoto rangiku, requires heavier plotting regardless. closed otherwise. only because i don’t see him as being shippable outside of rangiku. inoue orihime … open, post time skip only. any other depiction of romance within current or past arcs will be light. - characters i would never consider: kurosaki ichigo. ise nanao ... closed, focused on building her voice. shiba kaien ... open; ocs and crossovers welcome. - characters i would never consider: ukitake jushiro. urahara kisuke ... closed, currently single-shipped with foolisheart’s shihouin yoruichi. (this refers solely to my end, and not enforced upon my writing partner).

JJK CANONS ...

ieiri shoko ... tentatively open; ocs + crossovers welcome. willing to consider, but focused on building the current ships i have right now.

OTHER ANIMANGA ...

osaki nana ... open, requires heavier plotting. ocs + crossovers welcome. kozume kenma ... closed. very much not focused on shipping any kind of romance. haven't gotten to timeskip but i'm not interested in shipping with kenma.

OTHER FANDOMS ...

alice liddel ... closed, disinterested in romance and sex. gerry keay ... tentatively open, ocs + crossovers preferred. willing to consider, but focused on building other dynamics. preston james ... closed. jessica jones ... tentatively open; canon, ocs, and crossovers alike will require heavier plotting. - characters i would never consider: trish walker, zebediah kilgrave, or any character who has mind altering/control abilities.

[auxiliarydetective]

OHC Day Fourteen: Musical AU

Some Unconventional Musicals

For this day, I once again had a lot of options. And I couldn't choose because I honestly thought multiple of these were too cool not to share, so you're getting multiple again.

Featuring: Ezori, Shimotsuki Kaede, Lindewen, Ofelia Marenzi

Your Inner Song, starring Ezori

In this sci-fi musical, Ezori is the protagonist. But, hear me out, she doesn't sing. Other characters very much do – hell, even T'Pol might be heard singing at least once – but Ezori herself stays quiet. After all, she doesn't talk either, so she also will not sign. The most you'll hear over her throughout the musical would be humming, whistling, but never actual words.

This musical would definitely have to be a musical film instead of a stage production because the ENT jumpsuits don't really make for good stage costumes. Characters would be very hard to differentiate.

As for the plot, I don't really have much of a concept for it, but I'm very sure that the finale would take place inside some sort of mindspace. This is the first and only time where we hear Ezori sign, after not even hearing her voice for the entire runtime. Her singing appears as this seemingly disembodied voice, with nobody knowing who it belongs to. But then it's her. Chills~

The Squirrel-Tailed Thief, starring Shimotsuki Kaede

The plot is fairly simple. It's Kaede's youth before the events of the Wano Arc, living as a poor kimono dyer and woodworker by day and the eponymous thief by night. Expect some shenanigans, blatant lying, Robin Hood vibes...

But here's the twist.

This musical has heavy kabuki elements. Kabuki pieces often comment on political events, so it's the perfect genre for Kaede's story, and Wano is based on Edo-period Japan, so that's perfect too! The costumes would feature heavy makeup, there would be stagehands dressed in all black doing the practical effects (maybe even with the classic twist of Kaede hiding among them and then shrouding her disguise and appearing onstage like a true hidden thief), the movements and acting would be noticeably inspired by kabuki... And yes, of course the music is dominated by traditional Japanese instruments like the shamisen, koto, shakuhachi, tsuzumi etc. Hyoshigi are used to indicate beats of the story, the changing of scenes and the like. Kaede's leitmotif is played with the koto.

The Tales of Linda Seasong, starring Lindewen

This is a story where the characters themselves don't really sing. Instead, the focus is on Lindewen, under her alias of Linda Seasong, who acts as the narrator of this collection of many tales. She travels from town to town as a bard, telling these stories, which is the frame in which the musical takes place. Tonight, she's performing in the venue that the musical is being performed in that night, the next she'll be in the next, she says.

Lindewen sits on a pedestal at the back of the stage, illuminated by dim lights as a thin fog covers the stage. In front of her, the stories she narrates take place. In every story, there's one character who looks like her, but she never confirms nor denies that it is in fact her. Still, the costumes seem to suggest it, as the characters in question share her color scheme. Also, unlike other characters from her stories, these doppelgängers are never named.

The music is in tune with the plot of her being a travelling bard. I can't really describe it, I think it's been described as pagan folk, but I mean a very specific type of song, so I'll just show you:

This is Lindewen's character playlist, and it's full of songs like these. (This playlist might change over time, but the songs by Faun are the ones I mean.)

Flying 40s, starring Ofelia Marenzi

Listen, I haven't watched Masters of the Air yet, so I can't tell you a specific plot, but I shall give you vibes:

Imagine with me a war movie. But the protagonist who you're following isn't actively participating in the fighting. You know that it's happening, but you're not there yourself. Ofelia is our protagonist and we know that she's a flight nurse and that her male friends are mostly pilots and crew of bombers, fighters and the like, but we never see either of them on a plane. We just see the consequences. The cast dwindling in numbers, new people arriving, others disappearing.

Instead, the focus is on Ofelia's other job as a singer. As such, the music is jazzy, with lots of songs also sounding straight from an Andrews Sisters album. As the musical goes on and the songs become a little distorted, with the lyrics and music starting to reflect the darkness behind the scenes. The final number has none of that darkness though, it's about celebrating the end of the war, the euphoria of it. But then, after the number is over, everyone clears off the stage except for Ofelia... And the final final number is something like this:

This is actually Ofelia's faceclaim, by the way

There is no encore.

General Taglist: @starcrossedjedis @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @bravelittleflower @box-of-bats

@eddysocs

Star Trek Taglist: @enterprise-come-in

One Piece Taglist: @supermarine-silvally

Let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!

[the-kr8tor]

KATY- imagine this. Two idea✌️

Tasm Peter Parker bc it occurs to me New Yorkers either love or hate spiderman. Aside from the Bugle who else wants to take pictures of spiderman, fans. So I give you Peter sneaking up on r in costume after seeing them with their camera out.

He swung by pretty quickly but they managed a decent photo and thus slow burn ✨️friendship✨️ They both geek out over photography and Peter is lowkey their model (Imagine how estatic you would be to know spiderman of all people loves something just as much as you do). He shows them secluded spots knowing they would never exploit them for money or fame or whatever else.

R actually keeps all of their adventures with Pete a secret. A box of poloroids, prints, and so forth under their bed or smth cliche like that. A bonus to me is if they were in a bet to see who could capture spidey on camera and that's why they were out stalking following him around in the first place.

Prowler Hobie from another dimension. Hear me out, with a spiderperson r who's with our Hobie. Now it's not a love triangle type thing, it's just important to the plot.

R is sent to P Hobie's dimension on a mission from Miguel. Anomaly is captured, it's just another tuesday when out pops P Hobie who is not pleased to see another masked amateur trying to fight crime under the guise as "spiderman". He basically thinks they're a doppleganger until r stupidly says "Hobie?" mid battle.

R's confusion because 'huh it's my dork but emo' and P Hobie is 'my dead lover but not really?' He's quick to catch on to the dimesion hopping bc r does what his r did but in reverse?? He's also smart, that's our pookie.

They talk after calling a truce. R is stupid again bc she doesn't think sharing certain information is bad bc 'my pookie, what could he do wrong' He can do wrong, very wrong. I also excuse it with our Hobie's been off on missions for awhile so she misses him and P Hobie fills the void (NOT HEALTHY BEHAVIOR I CONDONE BUT PEOPLE HAVE FLAWS OK!?).

P Hobie has been working some time travel tech and r was the missing piece to completing it. So imagine r's surprise when on another mission they see him. R then realises what he's trying to do thus we have a spot 2.0 (Aka, trying to stop his r from dying).

They brawl literally in every other dimension but they can never best one another. When r finally gets a handle on the situation their watch breaks and P Hobie's device is dead too so now they both have to beat each other to the necesary tech to get back to where they need to be (...in my version they land in Gotham- the spiderman-dc crossovers have gotten to me).

All thoughts I had today :) anyway- how are you my lovely scrumdiddluptious pookie dookie bear?? 🤗

The first one is so soft aisnkwsjjqisjns I could just imagine peter photo bombing R with a lil ✌️ lol

Ahhhhh R is actually friends with Peter?!!! That's so cute! I bet Peter's having the time of his life hearing how R gushes about spider man lol

THE SECOND ONE 😲😲😲 Noooo friends to enemies! 😭 Our Hobie would go berserk when he finds out his R is missing in an unspecified dimension (cue batman and his robins helping out R mayhaps?) here's to p hobie redeeming himself 🥂 please?

I'm good, my sweet angel muah muah 😘 how are you?

[flyrobinflyy]

A Hundred Days to Become a Wayne by @maccreadysbaby (Dick's Version)

OR: Dick's perspective of 'enlisted'/chapter four

---

2.5k words // warnings for gotham typical events // notes at the end

disclaimer: bentley, the main plot line, and majority of the dialogue all belong to the original author! <3

Dick wasn’t even supposed to be in Gotham.

Not really, anyway.

He’d come home to help with a ‘bigger issue’ (in Bruce’s words), which typically meant anything from alien invasions to a few Rogues loose. After everything was dealt with, he thought he might as well stick around for the weekend rather than drive all the way back to Blud. His apartment back there didn't come with three square meals a day, that was for sure.

“N, you’re clogging the line,” came through his earpiece, Barbara’s no-nonsense tone drawing a snort out of him. 

He knew he was clogging the line with his never ending chatter, but he was bored out of his mind. The day after bigger disturbances in Gotham always tended to be quieter, and with Batman, Robin, and Spoiler out as well, there was hardly anything to do. 

“Yeah, what she said. Shut up,” Jason muttered, background noise revealing that his territory was having a much busier night than Gotham was. “Don’t even think about asking to come over here – stop that – either.” 

Dick grumbled, pressing down on his comm to let out one more dramatic ‘Whatever!’ before growing quiet again. It was starting to rain, so he stood from his spot on a chimney and headed for somewhere more covered. 

Everything got slippery once it started to rain, so he skipped over different vantage spots in hopes of finding one that would give the lowest likelihood of tumbling down onto the street. Not that his suit didn’t provide any grip, it did, but the combination of rust, mud, grime, and water would catch anyone off balance. 

Once he situated himself beneath pieces of long-forgotten scaffolding, he tugged off a glove to check his watch. 

It slowly flashed 12:40am back up at him, meaning he had about two more hours before he’d typically head back for the night. Surely he would be able to find something to do for two hours. 

Twenty more minutes passed before Robin and Spoiler signed off, the latters goodbye a lot more enthusiastic than the former's.

By 1:15am, Dick was growing incessantly restless. The wood above him was rotted to the point that water began leaking through, and his back was cramping from being folded up so tightly. Sure, he could move, but that would require finding another spot – one that wasn’t already occupied by other people or animals. (He’d already run into some type of animal that was very much not native to Gotham in the process of finding this spot)

Only five more minutes passed before he gave up on not looking for somewhere else, jumping from his current rooftop onto the next. He’d pause every few steps, listening for anything on the streets down below, but it seemed like most people were keeping themselves covered from the rain. 

Then, just barely, he heard the scream of a child. It was muffled, but he could still make out enough of ‘leave me alone!’ and ‘get off of me!’ to start rushing towards the noise. 

There was no lack of it either, the sound of bottles being crushed, cans being kicked, and, most hauntingly, flesh against flesh filling the air. 

Dick peaked over the ledge just in time to see someone thrown into a wall. Someone small. He leapt down without hesitation, hands moving to grab onto the men that were swarming the red-head before his feet even grew close to the ground. 

There were three of them, one standing over the kid, hand still wrapped around his neck, while the other two hung a few feet behind him. He went for those two first, both of them being in just the right spot to nearly land on top of. 

With a few well timed maneuvers, he was able to get both of them into zip-tie cuffs and tied to a pipe without too much of a fight. 

The last of them was still standing over the kid, having only just turned to face Dick at the sound of his companions protests.

Baldy, Dick decided to dub him, looked between the crowbar on the ground and Dick’s face several times before attempting to reach for the piece of metal. Which was a big mistake on his end, because it allowed Dick to rush in and slam his knee into the man's head. 

A short scuffle later, Baldy joined his friends on the pipe. 

“Oracle, I need a perp pick up at…” He squinted in an attempt to see the street signs, but the rain was making it too difficult to see even twenty feet in front of him. “Wherever my tracker has me, but call when I leave. There’s a civilian here.” 

Barbara responded quickly, the sound of her keyboard slipping through. “Don’t want the cops to talk to them?” 

A sequence of quiet sobs filled his ears. Dick’s voice came out more clipped than intended when he replied. “Nope.” 

The kid squirmed in front of him before curling himself into a ball, visibly shaking from feet away. A crack of lightning rang as Dick stepped closer, both of them flinching at the sound. 

Carefully, he crouched down two or three feet away. He didn’t want to scare the child more than they already were by overcrowding, but also knew he’d need to be close to be heard over the storm.

“Hey – hey there, kiddo. Can you open your eyes for me?” He moved only a touch closer, holding his hands out. There was blood pouring down the redhead's forehead, and there had to be other wounds lying beneath, too. 

Dick had to work to hold back at flinch when the kids face tilted up at him. He looked like Wally. The red hair, the messy splatter of freckles, everything.

Staying as still as possible, Dick let himself be studied. He probably looked ridiculous, sopping wet with hair that was just a bit too long; it was needing to be shoved out of his face more often than he preferred. 

Neither of them moved for a moment. Narrowed brown eyes traveled from Dick’s shoulders to his outstretched hands, growing wide when he twitched his fingers. 

Abruptly, the kid lurched up into a sitting position, scooting impossibly closer to the brick wall and tucking his knees up to his chest. He looked a little green for a moment, the injury to his head definitely being more than just a small cut. 

After a few more beats of quiet, a small voice weakly broke the silence between them. “Nightwing?” 

Dick let out a short breath of relief. Sometimes, in very unlucky situations, out of towners would get caught up with something in Gotham and not recognize Nightwing, or any of the bats, which turned into a whole additional issue. It’s not very easy to explain you're the good guy to a terrified toddler when half of your face is covered and they just watched you electrocute someone. 

“Yeah, it’s me,” He smiled softly, watching the kid wipe at his face with his hoodie sleeves a few times. It wasn’t doing much, seeing as it was still pouring. “You took a hard hit, kiddo. Can you tell me your name?”

“Bentley,” the kid whispered slowly, like he was unsure about it.

Dick mentally jotted that detail down for later, noting it as another sign of the very likely concussion. “And how old are you, Bentley?”

Bentley shifted a bit to rest his head on his knees, wincing while he did so. He stared at the ground while he answered, “Jus’ turned ten.” 

Basically Damian’s age, Dick winced. “Let me get you home so you can get your noggin’ checked out, okay?” 

“No!” Bentley yelped immediately, tilting himself in the other direction. “No. I mean, I…” 

Dick frowned at the new wave of tears running down the child's reddened cheeks, mentally adding another tally to the symptom list. He didn’t doubt that the poor kid was crying purely because he was terrified and in pain, but it was still something for him to note. 

“My parents are dead, I don’t…I live out here,” Bentley added quietly, now turned completely away. 

“Oh,” Dick murmured. That definitely lowered the possible options he had. He was really hoping to avoid going through other measures, for the kids sake. He glanced up at the sky, as if that would tell him what time it was. All he got was a face full of water, but it was still super dark out, so Leslies clinic should still be open. She tended to keep…non-conventional hours. “Alright. Why don’t I get you to a doctor, then?”

“No!” Bentley repeated, pushing a hand out in Dick’s direction as if trying to prevent him from growing closer. A few hiccuping sobs spilled out before he spoke again. “If you take me there, they’ll just call the cops and-and send me off to live with someone else. Someone pretending to be my mom and dad. Please- I don’t…please don’t make me. I don’t want to…”

That was…understandable. Gotham didn’t have the greatest foster care system in the world, not to mention the greatest track record with said foster care. In some situations, it would be safer for the kid to be out here then in there. 

He knew first hand about fearing someone would just pretend to be his parents, too. He’d gotten lucky with his own case, Bruce seemed just as baffled at the prospect of parenting a child as Dick was at being parented by him.

Leslie wouldn’t push the idea of foster care, she’d probably push the card that he was leaving tucked away for now instead, but he wasn’t going to force the kid into anything he didn’t want to do. 

“Okay, alright,” Dick moved his hand closer, pulling it away when Bentley nearly jumped out of his skin. He grit his teeth for a moment, trying to magically come up with some other safer option than what he had in mind. He had no doubts he could help the kid out himself, but there was the lingering concern that things were worse off than they looked to be. “Okay, I won’t take you there. Promise.” 

Bentley’s eyes flicked to him for a split second, returning back to the spot he’d been watching on the ground. Beneath his wet clothes he was practically vibrating, the nightly New Jersey chill making matters worse.

“Can I sit with you?” Dick asked. His calves were starting to cramp up in his position, and he hoped that not being perched in front of the kid would help them both out a bit more. His eyes caught Bentley tense just slightly, so he quickly added on, “If not, that’s okay. Whatever you’d prefer.” 

Bentley sniffled, wincing and bringing a hand up to his head after he did so. It didn’t seem like he would be saying anything else, and Dick couldn’t blame the kid. 

It’s never a good thing when you end up blacked out in an alleyway in the first place, but especially not when you’re a homeless ten year old. 

Dick stayed where he was, subtly moving a hand back to rub at the knot on his calf. “How long have you lived out here?” 

He gained another wet sniff in response, followed by a new wave of shivers.

“You must be really cold, kiddo,” He added. Even in his Nightwing suit, which was made for pretty much all types of weather, he was feeling the combination of the rain and cold. 

Bentley curled up a little tighter in response. 

“Tell you what,” Dick began, unintentionally dropping a bit closer when he lost his balance. “Your head probably hurts pretty bad, and I’m sure you’re tired and hungry. I’ll take you somewhere where we can get you patched up, fed, and out of the storm.”

“Just me and you, no one else,” He promised. 

The words hung in the air for a beat before Bentley began to unravel his arms from his knees and straightened himself out a little more. He seemed to mull over what Dick said for a few more seconds before shakily responding, “Okay.” 

A flash of relief flew through Dick. One of the safehouses was fairly closeby, and it was the same one he’d stopped by only days before – meaning it should be particularly habitable. Not naming names, but some people were less capable of leaving their places better than they found them than others.

Bentley lurched forward, pulling his feet beneath him and doing his best to stand up before careening into the wall behind him. He was crouched now, hands coming up to his head with a small whine. 

“Okay. Alright,” Dick cautioned. He shifted his weight, preparing to pick the child up if need be. The last thing he wanted to do was make Bentley uncomfortable, but he knew this whole idea of walking wasn’t going to play out very well. “Want me to carry you?” 

He’d carried plenty of children in his time, still scooping up his siblings like they were toddlers (and typically facing the consequences through knees to the stomach or fists against his back). Bentley seemed to be a very small kid, so he had no doubts it would be an easy walk to the safehouse from where they were. 

The question was very quickly shot down with something that sounded like the mix of ‘No.’ and a yelp. Bentley started to his feet again, this time getting all the way up. He still was relying on the wall behind him to hold himself on his feet, though.

Dick took a breath, keeping his hands at the ready incase the kid started to sway. “Hey, I know you’re scared, kiddo. It’s okay to be scared. But I…don’t think you need to be walking.”

He closed the gap between the two of them save for a foot and a half, hands outstretched. Bentley eyed them suspiciously, but didn’t flinch or try to move away. Dick took that as a good sign, lowering himself to one knee so he wasn’t towering over him anymore. 

“I’ll carry you exactly where I said, just me. I promise. And I won’t touch you until you’re ready,” He stuck his left hand out flat, offering it to Bentley. “Whenever you’re comfortable.” 

After several moments of a very heated glare being shot at Dick’s hand, Bentley took it.

Bentley was far easier to scoop up than he should've been, the difference in expected weight versus the present situation jarring Dick's grip just slightly. He pulled the kid up so he was pressed against his chest, wrapping his hands around his legs to support the weight. “Take a breath, kiddo. No one’s going to hurt you anymore.” 

There was no response apart from a shuddered breath, but after a few steps Bentley tucked his face into Dick’s shoulder. It was probably in an attempt to ease the nausea, but he was going to take it as a sign of trust, returning the act by rubbing a hand across the redhead's back.

He really hoped Bruce was still awake.

----

i've never really written anything like this before and this is pretty loosely edited (seeing as i usually only write after 1am, my confidence in catching grammar/spelling errors is not very high </3) but! alas!

i also have 'a little tlc'/chapter five somewhere in my drive... i think.

this isn't something i normally do (aka have never done), but the storyline consumes my thoughts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner often enough to warrant it lol <3

anywho, thank you @maccreadysbaby for giving permission to do this! and for writing the original story, of course!!

[writingquestionsanswered]

How do I plot out an arc that connects two major ones together?

To clarify, there are two major arcs I planned out for my story, but I realised that the arcs don't work consecutively.

My characters need time to deal with the events of the first major arc, and they need time to see the signs of the next major conflict.

How do I plot out the arc to bridge the two big ones together?

Connecting Two Major Arcs

It depends on the type of story you're writing... but if you're writing a novel, novels don't have two major arcs. Novels are structured like this:

If you have more than one story arc in a novel, you probably have more than one novel on your hands.

If you really feel it needs to be one novel, rather than connecting the two different arcs, you would want to find a way to combine them into a single arc. Or, you could tone down one of the arcs and make it a subplot. See: Story Arc (Main Plot) vs Subplot

If you're writing long fiction that's not a novel, such as fan-fiction, a round-robin with friends, or something experimental, I would think you'd really not want a whole arc connecting the two bigger arcs, but rather a smaller section mimicking a denouement that ramps up into the setup of the next arc. So, in other words, a scene or a few where the characters deal with the aftermath of the first arc (as they would in any denouement) and then a scene or a few where they see the signs of the next conflict and the pieces are moved into place for that inciting incident.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[deliahscrush2003]

beta reader here!

beta & alpha readers wanted for fic projects will beta in exchange!

Hey everyone!

For those that don't know me, my name's Lou (she/her) and I have recently gotten back into revamping the numerous fic projects I had in my vaults and trying to get back into my writing again.

I have put out this post to say that if anyone is also in a similar situation with their own fics, I am offering my fellow fic writers to beta & alpha read fics in exchange for coming on as an alpha or beta reader for my own projects.

As a beta & alpha reader, I am willing to not only check for grammar, punctuation, spelling and formatting but also:

identify weaknesses in the plot.

identify pieces in the story where engagement was high or lacking.

identify points in the story where clarity is needed.

help develop characters (both oc & canon)

canon check pieces of information (for canonverse/compliant fics)

|| if you have specific needs, feel free to check with me ! ||

As a writer, I am looking for someone to help with:

identifying inconsistent tense.

identifying where engagement was high or lacking.

identifying points in the story where clarity is needed.

writing relationship development (platonic/romantic)

editing plot structure and fluidity.

writing descriptive settings.

identifying monotone or repetitive parts of the story.

Most importantly, I am looking for people who can approach my story as both a reader passionate about the fic and a writer/editor passionate about helping improve the story.

My projects are also multi-chapter (150,000) and usually part of a wider series (minimum of 3 parts) ; therefore, I am open to working on fic projects that are of equal length!

The fandoms that I write and will read for are:

Fairy Tail, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones/House of Dragons (TV), X-Men (movies), Teen Wolf, The Last Kingdom, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Harry Potter (fuck JKR tho), The DC Animated Films/Young Justice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Walking Dead (universe), Scream (movies), The Vampire Diaries/The Originals, The 100, Glee, Pretty Little Liars, Percy Jackson, Criminal Minds, Wolfblood, The Chronicles of Narnia, Outerbanks, The Maze Runner, Grey's Anatomy, Tower Prep, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, FATE: The Winx Saga, Stranger Things, Star Wars, Resident Evil (Gameverse), Power Rangers (the movie), The Hunger Games, Five Night's At Freddy's, Pacific Rim.

The fandoms that I have as WIP right now are:

Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Chronicles of Narnia, The 100, Game of Thrones.

The rest of the fandoms listed are in the worldbuilding process, which I also welcome help with if anyone is interested in bouncing ideas back and forth and fleshing out each other's fics!

This is the link to my Ao3 if you want to understand my writing style.

if you're interested in one of the projects I have for these fandoms (as a beta or just as a potential reader), send me a DM or a ask!

The type of fics that I enjoy writing/reading are (with consideration that Ao3 is my primary writing platform):

M-E Rated (For that reason, I prefer to work with 18+ betas)

Plot-heavy but with a well-written romantic subplot (requirement)

Specific tags/plot I enjoy/write: Time-travel, Fix-It, Canon-Divergence, What-Ifs.

Canonverse fics.

Both OC (has to have the potential of good development, though) and Canon Character-centric fics.

Found family, healing from trauma, redemption arcs.

Crossover/fusion fics (where the original fandom is set in the universe of another fandom)

Zombie-Apocolypse fics.

Dark twists on characters, plots, and the wider canonverse.

-

The type of fics that I steer clear from or don't enjoy reading/writing:

G-T Rated.

No romantic subplot at all (I am a romantic girly, sorry to say)

A Mary Sue OC/Reader-Insert or Mary Sue plot.

Reader-inserts.

Established Relationships (unless I can read the build up first)

Specific tags/plot: P*dophilia, Incest (outside of canon-typical), Mpreg, Omegaverse (only under special circumstances).

Modern AUs, Human AUs, No Power AUs.

No Comfort, No Happy Ending, Major Character (Permanent) Death.

Character bashing (I do read fics that bash, but I find it hard to beta for them only because I like to discuss characters objectively - but there are exceptions, so feel free to check)

Anything that attempts to glorify or justify racism, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, xenophobia, ableism, sexism, bigotry, abuse, r*pe or anything even remotely similar.

(feel free to check with me tho, I am open to discussion of everything except the bottom dot point)

Because I believe beta reading to be an experience that should be enjoyable and insightful for both the reader and writer, I am open to :

Discussing any ships, character arcs, or plot points that my betas personally wanted to see in the show or are very passionate about (read: this does not mean I will change my entire story but that I am open to possibilities)

Analysing and critiquing any of the above media (read: NOT BASHING, but genuine analysis of how different media were handled to apply to our own form of writing)

Giving out and receiving fic, tv, movie and book recs to aid in inspiring each other during the course of our writing, but also to support our fellow writing community!

Even if you're not interested, please repost so it can reach those who are!

[365days365movies]

Action January II: Captain Blood (1935)

Part One: By the Sword

Fun fact about me: I am a non-classically trained fencer.

By which I mean I went through formal training as a child (starting at 6 or 7), then continued it sporadically through my youth and college. Kept up with it a little after college, but I'm no longer a fencer. Still, it was a pretty prominent part of my life, and one of the more bougie facts about me (of which there are admittedly many; I am, for example, struggling to not type bourgeoisie). I look back on it fondly, but it's not for modern-day me.

Still, I've always had a soft spot for swashbucklers, especially in film. Sure, traditional épée fencing doesn't resemble your typical swashbuckling film fight, even a little bit. Usually, épée with the fencing gear is put in a movie or TV show to demonstrate that the character or establishment practicing it is high-class or rich. Instead, I suppose cinematic swashbuckling is more similar to sabre fencing, which has a larger target zone than épée fencing, and usually involves grander movements...but even then, I've never seen any sabre fencer swing from ropes and rafters like, well...

Zorro is a character that I've talked about before on this blog. I've also covered the swashbuckler briefly in that post, but let's get a little more comprehensive this time, shall we? Zorro is maybe the prototypical swashbuckler character, starting with Douglas Fairbanks' epic film The Mark of Zorro in 1920! Yeah, old as hell. He was daring, dashing, and debonair; dressed in black and fighting for justice to get the girl and save the day, armed with only a sword and his wit! The prototypical action hero! Throw in some great choreography and epic music, and voila! A swashbuckler! To put one together properly, we need:

A dashing hero, with devil-may-care attitude that fights for the moral right. If we're talking in DnD terms, you can call this person chaotic good alignment, usually. Swinging from the rafters, a sword in hand and often a smile on their face. And, of course, a romantic aim and goal.

Swordfighting. Kind of critical to the genre. Swashbucklers are films that use swordfights as the driver for the plot. While not every action sequence may involve a sword fight, the main hero is always either armed with their sword or looking for it. And then it's time for the climax, you better believe we've got a big-ass swordfight on our hands. The villain of the piece, at least one of them, should also have a sword in hand.

A sweeping score is a very typical piece of these films. Whether in the past or present, swashbuckling can't be done without an iconic leitmotif for the hero, and battle music times to the clashes of steel. Usually throw some brass or strings in there, and you have a swashbuckling score.

Now, of course, there are a lot of swashbucklers out there based on those definitions, and...yeah, there are a lot of swashbuckler films! While The Mark of Zorro is typically called the first swashbuckler, it's not the first film to involve narrative swordplay by any means. The Count of Monte Cristo (1908) is probably the first of those, but there are others like The Prisoner of Zenda or Kidnapped. You may also notice that some of the classic swashbucklers are based on classic literature, like those above, and like Cyrano de Bergerac, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Man in the Iron Mask, and the most prominent of these...

It's funny, for a character best known for his archery skills, Robin Hood gets into a lot of swordfights. Some of the most iconic filmed swordfights come from the emerald archer from Sherwood, and for good reason! There have been countless adaptations of the original stories, which are crazy cinematic, and they all take place in medieval England, during a time period where swords were predominant weaponry. Combine that with the fact that Robin Hood is, in many retellings, a nobleman who would've been trained in fencing, and you have a natural swashbuckler setup!

And honestly, Robin Hood is sort of the perfect swashbuckler. A morally good hero fighting against the evil establishment, for his friends, contrymen, and the woman he loves. Epic music, daring setpieces, classic fights, a lot of swingin' rafters...yeah, it's perfect. And again, one day, I'll talk about The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938; one of my favorite action films, and my favorite adaptation of Robin Hood for sure.

But there's another type of swashbuckler that's just as iconic as those listed above, also involving a setting conducive to sword-based action, but often with heroes that are...a little more morally grey.

Pirate films are essentially a subgenre of the swashbuckler (yes, a subgenre of a subgenre of a subgenre), focusing on high-seas action rather than fighting in a hall or castle. The pirate film is a curious beast, appearing in film history in sporadic bursts, with no real period to call its own. They were popular from the '30s through the mid-'60s, had a tiny boom in the '80s, got badly nuked in the '90s, and then had another tiny boom in the '00s with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. They're always around, but never the first genre you'd think of when you think of action films.

Still, pirate films have an iconic feel to them all their own. The wind in your hair, the daring sword fights against a surly knave or an overzealous government stooge, depending on the nature of your morally dubious hero. Hell, maybe the hero has resorted to piracy after being wronged or lost at sea, and we're rooting for him and his lost honor. Either way, he's got an open shirt and a sword in his hand, and his crew are there to back him up (or betray him; again, depends on the narrative). You know a pirate film when you see one. And that's where I'm headed today: to the open seas with Captain Blood, starring an iconic action star of the 1930s and '40s. In fact, he's so iconic, almost every one of the above GIFs includes him.

Errol Flynn is undoubtedly a major film figure of his day. He's also got a fascinating and...sometimes troubling personal history, putting him up there with some of the great Australian film actors in cinema. But as much as I'd like to talk about Errol Flynn (and I probably will later), I'd like to finally jump into the film that made him famous: Captain Blood, a 1935 film directed by Michael Curtiz, another interesting figure with some...interesting history with Flynn. Again, more later.

Flynn was an unknown before this role, and immediately became an audience and studio favorite, essentially succeeding Douglas Fairbanks as a films and action star. Only 26 at time this film came out, Captain Blood was the beginning of an often turbulent career for Flynn, who would die at only 50 years old. Again, more on him later. And so, without further ado...SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

It's 1685 in England, and there's a rebellion happening! Known as the Monmouth Rebellion, it involved the deposition of James II, after succeeding his brother as king of England, which was contested by Parliament and Protestants, as James II was a Catholic king. Anyway, during the rebellion, Doctor Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) is summoned to aid a friend injured in a skirmish. A retired adventurer and swashbuckler in his own right, Blood is determined not to re-enter the...fight...

Is this Commando? Like, where a retired hero is forced to come back to fight for his country, and won't come back until a personal tragedy or offense is done to him? You know, like Commando? Just calling it now, before it happens.

As Blood is helping his friend, he's taken away and sentenced by Judge George Jeffreys (Leonard Mudie), who accuses him of being a liar and traitor to the crown, despite his complete innocence. Imprisoned and set amongst a group of similar prisoners for months, he attempts to defend himself on the stand, only to condemn himself even further beneath a biased kangaroo court. And for the record, Flynn immediately proves why he's so beloved at this time. He's an excellent actor in this scene, and I immediately sympathize with Peter Blood.

Meanwhile, King James II (Vernon Steele) is convinced by his advisor to send the convicts to the West Indies as slaves, as actual slaves are too expensive, and these guys are free of cost. So, yeah, British monarchy not looking too great. In any case, we set to sea for the first time, in the belly of an unrealistically humane slave ship. In Blood's words, the King was "granted their lives in exchange of an uncertain death". And with that, Blood and the convicts are sent o Port Royal, in Jamaica.

The convicts are set for sale (hate it), and most of them are sold to Colonel Bishop (Lionel Atwill) and his niece, Arabella (Olivia de Havilland). When she observes Blood's rebellious nature at being inspected like cattle, she decides to keep him from working in the mines on her own spoiled whims. Blood's not a fan, and the two immediately clash. Which, obviously, means they're gonna fall in love by the end. Come on, we know how this goes.

Blood's sent to work on the plantation with Bishop's other slaves, on a grinding mill that loves like it's ripped out of Conan the Barbarian. We see the indignity of slavery through...white slaves. Yeah, trying not to think about it, since this is a thing that happened, but it's tough. Anyway, our traitors are taught a lesson about treason, as an escapee is branded on his fucking face, and the prisoners all say how much they hate the fucking King. Great job, James, really fanning the flames of patriotism there.

Meanwhile, the uncaring and selfish governor, Steed (George Hassell) is complaining of gout, and is in need of a physician. Knowing of Blood's former profession, Arabella recommends him as Steed's physician, and is mostly elevated from the role of slavery, which seems...insanely easy. Irritatingly easy, even. But whatever; at least he hasn't forgotten his friends, his actual station, or the fact that Arabella bought him for 10 goddamn shillings! He's still understandably bitter about that.

However, he's in very good favor with the governor for relieving his gout, unlike the previous doctors Bronson (Hobart Cavanaugh) and Whacker (Donald Meek), who attempt to plot to get rid of the much more competent Blood. He puts them in their place, but begins a plot of his own. With the other slaves arrested for treason, he plans an escape attempt from Port Royal, with the help of friend (and the guy who got him in this mess to begin with, Jeremy Pitt (Ross Alexander). However, in the process, Colonel Bishop suspects some kind of plan, which is only circumvented with the help of Arabella. In the process, however, Pitt is captured and flogged for questioning.

While his friend is getting horribly whipped by the Colonel on the stockades, Blood and Arabella flirt (as expected), although a kiss from Blood is received poorly due to his status, leaving the encounter on a sour note. Peter goes back to care for the Governor before their escape that night, then finds Jeremy at the stockades and cares for him as well. He's caught by the Colonel showing mercy, and is about to share Jeremy's fate when a ship attacks the port.

This ship belongs to the Spanish, and the sailors aboard lay waste to the port. It's at this point that the slaves see an opportunity, and make their way to the ships. They take over the Spaniard's ship, and wait until the morning to take out the returning Spaniard captain and soldiers. With navigator Pitt and new gunner Henry Hagthorpe (Guy Kibbee), the new crew sets sale and escapes, under the purview of the new Captain Blood.

Colonel Bishop, like...like a fucking idiot, sails out on a rowboat to thank the men, not realizing it's his own slaves. And then, when he finds out, he still intends to keep them as slaves. THEY HAVE A SHIP, DUDE! You're fucked. Instead of killing him, which they consider, they toss him overboard, and Blood's crew sets sail for the Caribbean Sea, leaving Arabella behind. They abandon their citizenship, and officially become pirates.

The crew of Blood becomes famed and infamous across the seas, to the irritation of King James II himself. With Governor Steed having lost both money from the Spaniard assault, and being unable to reign in Blood in the first place, his appointment as Governor is given to Colonel Bishop, who swears to take care of Blood once and for all. Arabella is conflicted about this, but she's shipped off to England along with Governor Steed.

On Tortuga, Blood signs a deal with another captain, the French Levasseur (Basil Rathbone), and the two become partner pirates. Later on, Arabella finishes her extended holiday in England, traveling alongside Lord Willoughby (Henry Stephenson), who has been tasked to take out Captain Blood. On their journey, they see Levasseur's ship, which attacks them and takes the passengers hostage on a nearby island. They are soon joined by a surprised Peter Blood and his crew, who pretends not to know her.

Blood and Levasseur engage in an argument, as one of the articles of their contract was that no female prisoners would be taken. As a compromise, Blood pays for her ransom, both to save her and as payback for his purchase of her many years ago. This still enrages Levasseur, who wanted Arabella for himself, and he forgoes his honor to challenge Blood to a fencing duel. Fun fact, by the way: Basil Rathbone was an actual fencer, classically trained, and far better than anyone he ever fenced with on-screen, Flynn included. But, since he always played the role of a villain and cad, he was always forced to lose. And this fight is no exception.

Levasseur is killed by Blood...which is crazy, since he's Basil fucking Rathbone, and he was in this movie for maybe 5 minutes altogether as essentially a cameo, but...c'est la vie, et la mort. Arabella and Willoughby are brought on board, only for Arabella to angrily reject him. And yes, she's absolutely a goddamn hypocrite, but she's not fully unjustified. She puts Blood down as a beast like any other pirate (unfairly, of course), and Blood angrily rebukes her in turn. Even then, he plans to bring the two hostages back to Port Royal, where they are certain to die.

Willoughby and Arabella speak, where he convinces her that Blood's genuinely not a dick, and tells her that they're headed to Port Royal. At the same time, Blood's crew refuses to sail to Port Royal, officially acting in mutiny against Blood. And Blood...gracefully surrenders his command of the ship, admitting his affections for Arabella to be driving him against logic. And that ironically turns the crew back to Blood's command. I can't tell if that was a sign of their actual bond, or some straight gatekeeping-girlbossing-gaslighting from Blood, but...yeah, they're still going to Jamaica.

As they approach Port Royal, though, they find it being attacked by two French ships. Willoughby, finally being able to speak with Blood, informs him that France and England are at war. To their surprise, though, Governor Bishop isn't present, nor is the English fleet, since they're out chasing pirates. And so, the only ship to defend Port Royal against the French, is...well, Blood's.

It's then that Willoughby finally reveals his purpose for seeking Blood and his crew: the King has pardoned him. Obviously, they're not a fan of King James II given what he'd done to them, and refuse the offer. But then, Willoughby reveals the other political change: James II is out as King. With that knowledge, Blood and his men decide to fight for the English Navy, and for the new King William III.

Arabella is shuttled ashore, while the ship sails under a French flag to disguise themselves. They easily ambush the French ships attacking the Port, wrecking one and causing it to fucking explode. Honestly, it's pretty sick. The other ship mounts a harsher assault, and Blood's crew is forced to abandon ship. Instead, they simply take the French ship for themselves. And as the Captain swings over, you realize something: this is the prototypical pirate movie.

Yeah, OK, earlier films like The Black Pirate, as well as later ones like The Sea Hawk and Treasure Island, would be a major framework for pirate films in the future. But good goddamn, if this doesn't feel like a pirate movie, I don't know what does. The score is sweeping, the action is epic, and it's honestly just fun. And the most ironic thing is, this is happening at the point in the film when they aren't technically pirates anymore! Hilarious.

Anyway, Blood's crew wins the day for England, only for the Governor to finally return from his futile journey. Arabella, seeing Blood return and knowing her uncle's hatred of him, tries to warn him away while admitting her love to him. But to the surprise of her and her uncle, Bishop is officially deposed as Governor for abandoning his post in times of war to pursue his vendetta, even though he knew Willoughby was coming. He's at the mercy of the new Governor: Doctor Peter Blood. Honestly, it's funny as fuck. Blood bids him "Good morning, Uncle.", and the film comes to a close.

That's it for Captain Blood! Gonna do an old-fashioned review set-up and have a separate post for the Review! And that's because, while the review won't be terribly long...I would really like to talk about the man, the myth, the alcoholic legend himself, Errol Flynn.

See you in the Review!

[jasntodds]

I'm new to your blog hiii 😊 This is cuz of your music fic post, this is not me requesting I just simply must gush about this because I love music and there are some musicians imo that just hit so right with Jason (*cough* Matt Maeson)

Anyways here's some songs that I think have serious tremors of Jason Todd running through them 🎵 ❤

🎵Halestorm: Back from the Dead (this one is self explanatory lol)

🎵The Pretty Reckless: Got so High/ Standing at the Wall (side note~their latest album Death By Rock N Roll is so good and so sad)

🎵Eminem: Drug Ballad/ Never Love Again (don't worry these are milder Em lyrics cuz we all know some of his word choices are vomit inducing but these are basically simultaneously love songs to the drugs but also a cautionary tale against them)

🎵Avril Lavigne: Fall to Pieces/ Nobody's Home (I just think they fit for Jason esp nobody's home)

🎵 Matt Maeson: Dancing After Death/ The Hearse/ Tread on Me/ Go Easy/ Cringe/ Me and My Friends Are Lonely/ Mr. Rattlebone/ Grave Digger

(I motherfucking love this man's music 😢💘 lyrically mostly everything describes Jason. I LOVE the line in Me and My Friends Are Lonely "The city breathes when I do not" > that is so Gotham and Jason and Gotham and Robin and Gotham and Redhood. In Mr. Rattlebone the lyrics "I am the driver. I am the shadow. I am the hearse" welp 😢🙃 The opening of Grave Digger oh my days "I can't run to you Father, I need love". Anyway I'm gonna shush now because I am getting carried away lol but hope you don't me spaming you with all this

Hey!! Uh, I love this???? lmao I love hearing songs that relate to my favorite characters!! I definitely made a playlist here with all of these songs and I'm gonna add to it for songs that just scream Jason dkfhgdf I will be 100% listening to all of these and I actually really enjoy Matt Maeson's voice so that's so perfect??????

I'm so sorry but this is me reading "The city breathes when I do not."

Look, ANYTHING relating to daddy issues screams Jason to me and I nearly lose my fucking mind every single time. It reminds me of that one quote that's like "Growing up and seeing your parents' flaws is like losing your religion. I don't believe in God. I don't believe in my father either." This will be the first song I listen to omg

You can always come and ramble to me about music and/or Jason I love all types of music and I love Jason so I am always here lmao

And since you gave me some awesome recs, I'm gonna give you a few fkghfd:

Left Behind by The Plot In You. Look, it is one of my FAVORITE songs (is it my most played of the year?? Probably lmao it's in my top most played of all time and it came out in Feb lmao and I know I clocked over 60k minutes of music this year). But, when I listen to it, I relate it to Jason and Bruce's dynamic with lines like "Just know, all the sacrifice had robbed me of my time" and "I left behind, everything you killed inside" Landon screaming the lyrics makes me wanna CRY you can hear the pain in his voice and that's just very Jason Todd to me lmao

Deep End by I Prevail. It's such a good song?????? (I used in a fanedit and they liked it on TikTok) but my mom knows every word because she has to deal with me and brother playing it lmao but the WHOLE chorus is super Jason coded "So I made friends with all my demons. Let 'em sink their teeth in. Got used to the feeling of letting it go. So give me something to believe in or throw me in the deep end. It all feels the same with your eyes closed. So you can throw me in the deep end."

And Hollow - Lo's Version by Lo Spirit. I found him on TikTok (I swear I am not on that often??) and he's an INCREDIBLE vocalist. But this song is his best imo (followed by Good Enough and Wild Things (my beloved)) but this song is perfect for Jason. I mean, in Titans, he literally says there's a poison in him. It's perfect!! "Maybe somethings wrong with me. Maybe I was meant to sit and wait." and "Why do I, why do I feel so hollow? Hollow, hollow. Try to hide from my mind, but it follows."

[sunday-arch]

a11sunday … a one piece multimuse roleplay blog as narrated and interpreted by chai, and operating as sporadic activity and mutuals only. rules + roster found under the cut. memes. open starters.

an exploration in … found family, second chances and forgiveness, survivor's guilt, rescue from loneliness and an unloved existence, liberation from the burden of guilt, oppression, and the things that shackle us, and a captain and crew's unconditional love.

affiliations … weatherw1tch , danversiism , buraiikan / ryusokcn / shipwrght , lovehungered , foremyth , pareidolah , voidcenturyseashanties.

now watching … egghead island arc.

rules + general information.

no explicit sexual material, infidelity threads, or holiday-centric threads will be written here.

suggestive content will ultimately fade to black.

force shipping ≠ asking if i ship our muses / wanting to discuss the potential for a ship. feel free to be forthright with your intentions since i generally prefer to have some discussion and chemistry testing before jumping into romantic shipping. as for all other types of dynamics, i'm always down and encourage it!

trigger warnings will be tagged " trigger // ". please tag your usfw, jumpscares, and any media or material involving infidelity.

plots preferred , but will use memes as ice breakers and will continue them whenever possible. i try to send memes to new mutuals to get interactions going, but please don't feel pressured to respond right away.

i get duplicate anxiety from time to time, and while that doesn't mean that i won't interact with duplicates at all, that means i might limit how many of the same muse i follow that are duplicates of someone i write. it's no remark on you or your muse, it's for my own comfort.

* as noted in some of my ocs’ lore / blurbs, i’ve written them with connections to canon characters. so, i will be referencing them as people they know in interactions unless you write said characters themselves. if you write any of these characters themselves and you are uncomfortable with pre establishing connections, then we can plot around it / discuss it further. i’ll approach you about it before i write anything that would assume they know one another.

roster. --- click on link attached to muse name to find any canon divergences, information on interpretation, and / or various verses.

canons ;

makino, pub owner in windmill village.

monkey d. luffy, captain of the strawhat pirates, the future pirate king.

nico robin, archaeologist and crew member of the strawhat pirates, “demon child of ohara”.

perona, crewmember of the thriller bark pirates, “the ghost princess”.

portgas d. ace, former captain of the spade pirates, second commander of whitebeard pirates, “fire fist ace”.

red leg zeff, head chef of baratie, former captain of cook pirates.

sanji, cook and crewmember of the strawhat pirates, “black leg sanji”.

silvers rayleigh, former first mate of the roger pirates, "the dark king".

tony-tony chopper, doctor and crewmember of the strawhat pirates.

usopp, sharpshooter / sniper and crewmember of the strawhat pirates, “god usopp”.

viola, princess of dressrosa, formerly of the donquixote family.

ocs ;

clover d. iselda, naval captain under the command of monkey d. garp. / faceclaim : may calamawy ( live action ).

kazumi haru, samurai in the land of wano, ally of the returned akazaya nine. / faceclaim : suguru geto (jjk).

nina liu, operates in the criminal underworld, creating clothing, armor and weaponry infused with sea stone and haki, “the tigress”. / faceclaim : fan bing bing ( live action ).

otorobashi akai, captain of the crimson dragon pirates, “the bloodletter”.

quetzal d. luna, third princess of the sky system, helio, "the sky warrior princess". / faceclaim : taylor russell ( live action ).

zephyr, operative in the revolutionary army, older brother of nami. / faceclaim : aleksander (veil manga). ( REQUEST MUSE ).

zhi hua, cook, secondary weapons expert, and first mate of the crimson dragon pirates, “the mad queen”. / faceclaim : faye wong ( live action ).

testing muses ; ( available upon request )

monkey d. garp.

[pollenallergie]

eeeek oh my gosh i love this questionnnn

okay okay so…

Billy loves Studio Ghibli films because of their art style and the amazing storytelling.

He loves stop-motion/claymation movies for much the same reason (all the hard work that goes into them, the artistry, their art styles, the storytelling, etc.).

Billy loves horror movies and thrillers, but only the ones that are visually stunning/aesthetically pleasing, have plots with a deeper meaning to them, and that use a lot of symbolism, such as Get Out, Midsommar, Videodrome, X, Pearl, The Crow, Donnie Darko, Nosferatu, A Simple Favor, Hereditary, A Quiet Place, Shutter Island, etc.

Billy likes Wes Anderson films because of the ✨aesthetic✨ (and also because many of them are just genuinely good??)

Billy loves period pieces like Russian Ark, Anna Karenina, The Color Purple, The Theory of Everything, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 1917, Emma (2020), etc.

He also likes the classics, but only certain ones and he’s not pretentious about the fact that he enjoys old movies. Many of the classics he likes are musicals, but not all of them. Some of his favorites in this category include: Singing in the Rain, A Clockwork Orange, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, The Rocky Picture Horror Show, The Graduate, Help!, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the early Star Wars films, etc.

Billy loves most, if not all, of the films that come out of A24 (Room, X, Pearl, Midsommar, Moonlight, Waves, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Green Knight, Hereditary, etc.)

He likes many of Sofia Coppola’s films.

Billy generally enjoys films with really really beautiful/really artsy/just really fucking good cinematography, like Her, Life of Pi, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Pan’s Labyrinth, Black Swan, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (one of the only, if not the only, Quentin Tarantino movies he likes), Romeo & Juliet (1996), etc.

He loves films with amazing scores/soundtracks, such as Fantasia, Guardians of the Galaxy, Forrest Gump, Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Avatar, Don’t Look Up, Soul, E.T., etc.

Billy love love lovesss Disney movies, mostly because he had a horrible childhood and Disney movies let him feel like a kid again without also having to relive the horrors and suffering of his past, but also just because many of them are just really fucking good!!!

Billy also loves coming-of-age/childhood movies, such as Stand By Me, Mean Creek, My Girl, The Lovely Bones, Moonlight, Super 8, Boyhood, Booksmart, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Mermaids, Bridge to Terabithia, Juno, Where the Wild Things Are, Dead Poets Society, etc. There’s probably some psychological reason why he flocks to this type of film (much like there is for his enjoyment of Disney films), given that he had a horrible childhood, but… we’re not gonna look into that rn, okay?

Lastly, Billy loveesss fantasy films. Really, he loves fantasy in general; fantasy novels, fantasy films. He grew up loving them for the element of escapism they offered. And now, as an adult, he loves them for their nostalgia and whimsy and, even though he’s very happy with his life the way it is now, Billy certainly still loves that sense of escapism… especially when he gets to enjoy it with you.

I think he loves romance films, but only the ones that are warm and cozy, and he dislikes cheesy ones… except for the ones that are cheesy in a good way and still have really good writing even though their kinda cliché.

I also think Billy likes some comedies, but mostly just ones that double as another genre as well (think dramadies and dark comedies), the ones that are classics (old and modern) because of their good writing and/or cinematography, as well as almost any comedy with Jack Black or Robin Williams in it.

Billy also probably likes some superhero movies, emphasis on some. He loves the funny ones like Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy (both the first film & Vol. 2), and Deadpool 1 & 2. He also likes the X-Men films because he’s always really liked the X-Men, it was one of the only mainstream superhero comics he read as a kid (of course he liked the more niche superhero graphic novels and stuff like that, but he didn’t ready many of the mainstream superhero comics because 1) they were expensive and 2) he usually found the storytelling in those to be kind of meh). Maybe that’s because he sees himself as a mutant/saw himself as mutant as a kid and/or just generally relates to being an outcast. Or maybe it’s just because Jean Grey and Professor X and Mystique and Storm are all cool as hell. He also really enjoyed Black Panther (and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) because of the beautiful visuals and the storytelling (like the part with the ancestors?? amazing. the fight b/w T’Challa and M’Baku, but also like the way they later band together, despite their differences, for the good of Wakanda as a whole??? just truly incredible. plus the general theme of like family/community??? he loves that!!!). He also likes the first Captain America movie because he relates to pre-serum!Steve (being an outcast, being deemed “undesirable” by most of his peers, being excluded, etc.) and because the themes of that movie are *chefs kiss* (camaraderie/community, determination in spite of all odds, the underdog trope, etc.).

This certainly does not encompass all the film genres and subgenres he loves and why, but like… this post is already v long, so I’m gonna go ahead and stop myself here. Besides, this is like all I’ve got rn. 😅😂

every friday night, you and billy knight spend the night in. you make homemade pizzas, cuddle on the sofa, and watch movies together.

[daily-hayley568]

Knight In Leather Jacket|Billy Hargrove

Pairings: billy Hargrove x fem!reader, brother!Steve Harrington x sister!reader

Summary: billy hargrove is your knight in leather jacket

Warnings: smut!!, p in v, unprotected sex, car sex, riding, fingering, degrading, use of pet names, swearing, smoking, plot not just smut, jason carver, oral sex (both)

A/N: hands and knees for dacre.

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Let’s be honest. You were always into Billy Hargrove. The first time you noticed him was when you were babysitting for Max Mayfield.

Your friends always ran around with his friends and your friends were always fanning themselves when he walked past in the hallway. He was an asshole, but his ass was nice when he walked away. You didn’t embarrass yourself like your friends did.

It was a fact he was hot. You thought Eddie Munson was too. It didn’t mean anything, it’s just you thought he was.

The first time you actually talked to him was in the kitchen of their house, you swallowed, “So, sorry, excuse me.” You went to move past him.

“Y/N Harrington?” He chuckled, turning on his heel following you.

You hummed gently, “Hi.”

“Looking for me?” He grinned tilting his head, a cigarette between his lips.

“You wish, Hargrove.” You rolled your eyes, “I’m not one of your fangirls.”

He rose his eyebrows in interest, your moment was interrupted by a redhead walking in, “Ready, Y/N/N?” She looked at you with wide eyes before she turned to her step-brother, “oh, hey, Billy.”

“Hey, Max.” You walked towards the front door. Max said bye to Billy. Once Max exited, he winked at you. You have a gentle smile before closing the door behind you.

Billy was planning on ruining you.

You planned on taking Max to the arcade, you liked her younger group of friends anyway. Sad, you were hanging out with middle schoolers. Not like you cared, they were more real then your friend group between the walls of Hawkins High. A wretched place.

Max smirked at you, which you saw out of the corner of your eye, “Billy has never been that nice to anyone.”

“Really? I’m not surprised.” Your eyebrows rose, never taking your eyes off the road.

“It was like something kicked into him or something, just by the way he looked at you?”

“Like what? A piece of meat to a hungry dog? It’s how teenage boys like Billy Hargrove look at girls. They can’t control their dick in their pants.”

You glanced at her before looking back to the road.

“It was different then the usual ‘one night stand’ look. It was more of something I want a guy to look at me that one day.”

“Look, I’ve been in high school the last three years and I’ve never had a boyfriend. It’s ok, no matter the wait.”

You parked the car and hopped out, walking towards the front door. “No way! There’s no way you haven’t had a boyfriend? I mean.. I mean look at you.”

“Thank you, Max. I’ve been on dates, none of them were my type. Too preppy, too much like me. I need some kind of danger to my set-out life.”

Max nodded and you two didn’t speak of the subject much more when she saw her friends at the arcade. Dustin Henderson showed you how to destroy at Pac-Man.

The next time was when you went out with your brother’s friends. It was a loud party, that’s for sure. You always attended these things because your brother loved them.

Steve was off with his girlfriend, Nancy Wheeler. You felt bad, noticing Nancy was acting odder and odder. You conversed with Robin Buckley, a peer who you partnered with projects a lot.

After she went off to her friends, you stayed in the corner playing with an alcoholic drink. You caught Jason Carver’s eye standing there, just apparently looking so desperate for a man.

“Hi there, Doll.” He smirked, leaning against the wall adjacent to you.

“Hi, Jason.” You nodded, curtly. Your mother taught you well about manners, a pretty girl with a pretty attitude. Your brother taught you to fight fierce, with claws.

“You looked lonely.”

“Did I? That’s unpleasant.” You frowned. He was thicker than your brothers hair, you realized, when he didn’t get your sarcastic comment.

“Maybe, we could head back up to my room? Ditch the party…” he was in front of you now. His fingers trailing down your jawline down to the spaghetti strap of your top. “..ditch the clothes.” He pulled the strap letting it pop against your skin. You tried leaning away from his touch, but it didn’t work.

You prayed Steve would notice this. If he was even around. You didn’t know Nancy was telling him their relationship was bullshit.

You were a big girl, you could get out of this situation politely. You put your hands on his chest, pushing his back. “Sorry, Jason. I don’t want my brother skin you.”

Yes you do. Anyway.

“Come on, Darling. You know I’ve been crushing on you for awhile.”

“How sweet, tell me when you’re sober, Jason.” You tried walking away, he latched his hand around your wrist.

“Just one night?”

“Look, Jason, I said-“

“She said no, now get your hands off you before I rip them off you.” Billy Hargrove, knight in leather jacket to your rescue.

Jason, who practically kneeled before Billy let go of you. “Sorry, Y/N.”

You frowned. Jason would only apologize because you had a man behind you. Jason stalked off and you turned to Billy.

You let out a breath of air, “Thank you.”

“Course, Y/N. You were minding your own business and he had the nerve. I’m just glad, Harrington didn’t see this scene. As much as I would love for your brother to lose another fight, you are worth winning.”

You giggled and he grinned. Your laugh was so pretty.

“Do you want to leave this place? Not quite my scene? We can grab a bottle of tequila here and then find a secluded spot?”

“Are you trying to get in my pants, Hargrove?” You rose a brow, and he gave a cheeky grin.

“If you want me to be.” You rolled your eyes shoving him in the chest.

“Come on, Lover Boy.” You were walking towards his car.

As Billy drove, you leaned back in the seat, enjoying the wind from the open window. Billy had a cigarette hanging from his lips, speeding through the back roads. You leaned forward, grabbing his cigarette, putting it between your lips taking a long drag.

His jaw clenched and his pants tightened. You were so hot.

He chuckled pulling over to a grassy hill, putting the car in park. “I didn’t know the Harrington sister would smoke?”

“I do a lot of things that’d disgrace the Harrington name.”

He smirked to himself taking the cigarette back.

That night you really got to know Billy. You two were talking until sunrise and you turned out to really like who he was. He dropped you off at your house and you pecked his cheek before walking inside to the Harrington residence.

You might be the death of him.

Billy Hargrove found you in crowds easier. He’d wink and you’d roll your eyes when your friends fought over who he winked at.

Max wanted to have a movie night when you were babysitting her and her friends came over. They didn’t even think of you as a babysitter but more of a friend.

Billy walked in asking if he could join. Max said sure and shot you a look when he sat next to you on the couch.

Billy whispered dirty jokes, you swatted him in the chest. “There’s kids!” Even through your scolding you couldn’t find the blush in your cheeks.

He shrugged with a knowing grin.

Billy even asked Tommy and Carol about you. They were surprised in his interest about you. That’s when those two started showing up at your locker, sweet-talking you.

Your friends had wanted to go to the theaters and you agreed. Billy was there, when you got bored. You and him left the showing room hiding in the bathroom, giggling like school girls.

“Oh billy! You’re so strong, carrying that popcorn.” You mimicked one your friends which had said that.

Billy chuckled, “Jealous?”

You paused.

His smirk grew wider. He asked if you wanted to go on one of your drives where you guys would share a cigarette. Tonight, in that grassy lot, Billy and you were in the backseat making out. He hands were exploring your body. Your tongues fighting in the kiss.

You pulled back, you two sharing idiotic smiles. Billy had his mouth open, his tongue out. You flicked your gaze from his to the tongue back to his. You took your chance and licked up his tongue.

That’s about how far you went that night. Though there were more nights that led to more.

After a party, Billy was trying to keep his eyes on the road, but he couldn’t for the whole time. Not with you leaning your head out the window, your hair catching the wind.

Giggling you pulled back in, his cigarette in your lips. You took a drag settling back in.

“How far is our spot?”

“Ten minutes, why?” You smirked leaning back of the console to Billy to let him take a drag. While you were close enough, you whispered.

“I’m not wearing panties under this dress, y’know? Maybe I can get started.” His hands tightened thinking about how your dress hardly fell over the curve of your ass and you had no panties.

Trying to recover, he smirked, “Naughty girl, Harrington.”

“Very.” You agreed leaning back against the headrest. Your hand traveling down to your cunt, swiping up your arousal. You showed him your sticky fingers. “Look, Billy,” you cooed. “Already. Just for you.”

“Fuck, Y/N.”

You smiled, placing your fingers in your mouth, moaning at the taste. “If only if you could taste it right now.”

You took your fingers toying with your clit, you put two fingers into you, thrusting them in and out. Your moans causing Billy to press the gas pedal harder. “Oh, Billy!” You cried, imagining it was his dick thrusting into you.

Your fingers sped up, Billy groaned at you moaning for him. “Do not cum yet, Y/N.”

You pulled your fingers out, sticking them in his mouth to let him suck on your taste. “Sir, yes sir.”

Billy pulled into your spot unbuckling you both pulling you out of the vehicle. Setting you on his hood , hiking your dress up.

“Fuck, you’re so pretty, baby.” He murmured kissing down your sternum. “But such a slut for fingering yourself in front of me. Did you wish it was my dick in that cunt? Do you want my fingers in you?” You whined.

“Words.”

“Yes, dammit, Billy. Fuck me or I’ll fuck myself.” He chuckled, squatting down, eye level with your cunt. He pulled your legs forward closer. You laid out on the hood of his blue car. He swirled his tongue in your cunt lapping like a hungry man.

You screamed in the hills, crying his name out. “Billy, billy, fuck, billy.” You cried, grabbing his hair trying to get as much friction as possible.

“I’m almost there, shit.” He added two fingers.

“Come on baby, cum in my mouth.” His words sent you over the edge into your high, his tongue fucking you. You were exhausted coming off of it, but you wanted more.

You unzipped him, palming him in his boxers, he groaned. “Fuck, sweetheart.” You pulled down the boxers. You hopped off the car, getting on your knees.

You licked the pre-cum, “Oh, baby.”

You took him in his mouth, moving up and down bobbing. He groaned feral-like, tossing his head back.

His fingers grabbed your hair making you take him whole, you gagged but then you were able to bob on him again.

“Almost there. I want you to swallow it.” You licked up the shaft before taking him in your mouth again. You hollowed your cheeks moving faster. He came with a loud moan, you swallowed his cum.

The next time you were at the grassy hill. You didn’t leave the car, back in the backseat. Billy was sitting up and you were riding him.

You bounced up and down, panting and sweating. You thrusting him into you, continually hitting your sweet spot. “So good, taking all of me. Aren’t you?”

You were cockdrunk, dumbly nodding trying you best to please him.”

You rolled your hips before back to bouncing. Billy took a drag in your face and you whimpered.

“Want a drag? Here, baby.” He held the cigarette to your lips and you took a drag. You leaned down making marks on him.

“Everyone better fucking know that you belong to me. Even my fucking friends.” He grinned beginning to make marks on your neck.

“I am yours and you are mine.”

“Always.”

You came and he released shortly after. You fell asleep in his arms that night.

You and Billy weren’t official but you didn’t know what you were. Max smirked at the love bites on your neck. “Billy has matching ones?”

You blushed avoiding the questions.

Billy rang your doorbell with flowers, but you didn’t answer. Steve did.

“Steve Harrington, hey.”

Steve was confused, “You need something?”

“I’m here to ask your sister to be my girlfriend. These are for your mom, but do I have your blessing? I’m still going to ask her if you give it or not.”

“I figured, but I don’t care. Y/n!”

“What the fuck do you want Steve?”

“Your man is here.” They both heard running down the stairs,

“Hi.” You whispered breathlessly.” Billy handed the brother the flowers and Steve sighed getting a vase with water putting the bouquet in the vase.

Billy kissed you, “I figured I needed to do this right? Want to be mine, officially?” You giggled kissing him.

“Yes, my knight in a leather jacket.”

———