#have some Joaquin angst as a treat

[spinachgarden]

WIP Game

Thanks for the tag @sidepartskinnyjeans <333

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote and tag as many people as there are words.

“spinach this is more than just one line” you say

idk man here’s a snippet instead

--

And then Hayes just… disappears. It happens so fast that Joaquín doesn’t quite clock it until Hayes is already gone, crumpled into… into dust on the floor.

“What the hell!” Joaquín shouts. “This is Foxtrot team, Sergeant Hayes is down. Does anyone copy?”

Nothing. “Does anyone copy? Anybody?”

Frantically, Joaquín peeks out the window and stares into the street, only to see hundreds more crumple into dust in front of his own eyes.

“Oh god,” he says, “oh god, oh god, oh god-”

[tom-whore-dleston]

Home is Wherever I'm With You

Pairing ▹ roommate!Joaquin Torres x f. reader

This fic contains ▹ fluff, some angst, implied smut, idiots in love, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, smoking weed, hospitals, mention of gunshots, a lot of pancakes

Word Count ▹ 2k

Summary ▹ Oh, home, let me come home | Home is wherever I'm with you

Notes ▹ Finally got around to completing my submission for @the-slumberparty’s Across the Universe (week 4) challenge. This fic is inspired by this moodboard from an old sleepover. Feel free to listen to the playlist for extra vibes! This is unbeta'ed so I take full responsibility for all the errors. Remember to reblog and comment if you enjoyed! 😊

You didn’t understand the phrase “home is where the heart is'' until you moved in with Joaquin Torres.

This living arrangement happened by chance, a chance that you were grateful to have stumbled upon. After deciding it was time for you to leave the nest, you found a place for rent that also had a few other roommates. One of them being Joaquin.

You met Joaquin and the other roommates before moving in with them. Luckily, you all hit it off right away and settled in fairly quickly. But you found yourself really close to Joaquin. He was the one roommate that had a similar schedule to yours. You both would wake up late in the morning before heading to work, and then come home in the darkest hours of the night. 

The first time you discovered how late Joaquin returned home from work was the night your friendship began. After coming home from a long day, you decided to treat yourself to a batch of pancakes. The rest of your roommates were heavy sleepers so you rarely disturbed them. Since you were occupied with the pancakes, you didn’t hear Joaquin come through the door. He waltzed into the kitchen upon smelling the pancakes and crept up behind you. 

“I bet those would taste amazing with bananas,” Joaquin commented nonchalantly. You whipped your head around, swatting the spatula in his direction and accidentally coating his nose with batter.

“Oh shit! I’m so sorry!” You gasped, attempting to clean the mess from his face. “I thought you were an intruder. I didn’t mean to hurt you��or cover you in pancake batter.”

Joaquin snickered. “Don’t worry, you didn’t hurt me at all. But I admire your self defense skills. I think that will give me motivation to keep the bathroom clean.”

You joined in his laughter. “I think I made enough for you if you’d like some pancakes. You might have to slice your own bananas, though.” 

With that, you and your roommate shared the short stacks while getting to know one another better. This ritual of late night snacks after work persisted until the conversations grew louder to the point of accidentally waking one of your other roommates. Since that incident, you and Joaquin decided it would be best to meet one another at the 24 hour diner down the street. 

Over time, your roommates moved out one by one until you and Joaquin were left to hold down the fort. The two of you living together consisted of movie binges on the weekends, checking out the monthly farmer’s market, dancing while cleaning the perimeter of the house, and taking walks along your street during sunset. Slowly, but surely, you were falling deeply in love with Joaquin. 

You knew you had strong feelings for him when you both decided to buy a bookshelf for your ever growing book collection. While building the bookshelf, you jammed the hammer against your finger, causing you to shriek in pain and the rest of your body to go numb. All you remembered before blacking out was your roommate rushing to your side and carrying you out the house bridal style. A few hours later, you woke up in the hospital with a cast wrapped around your finger and a relieved Joaquin holding a bouquet of roses and baby's breaths. The smell of the flowers and his sweet, handsome face instantly brought you comfort.

“Shouldn’t you be at work right now?” You asked upon noticing the time on your bedside.

“I told Sam what happened and he ordered that I stay here with you.” You gave him a sad look, feeling bad that your clumsiness caused him to miss out at work. Joaquin smiled, patting your hand. “Don’t worry, Sam is understanding.” The softness of his hand against yours sent butterflies to your stomach. Your heart began to swell as if it would explode inside your chest from all the feelings you were experiencing in that moment. His touch, his smile, his affection for you. It was all clear to you then. You were in love with Joaquin Torres. 

After returning home from the hospital, Joaquin spent the entire week by your side, making sure you were taken care of. Sure, you were a grown up and could care for yourself, but you appreciated how your roommate reminded you that you don’t have to be alone in the healing process. He would sing softly while tending to your finger and let you smoke some of his weed to ease the pain. Once you started feeling better, you and Joaquin finished building the bookcase together and he offered to read one of his favorite stories to you.

One day while Joaquin read to you, Sam called him, notifying him of an emergency assignment and was expected to leave right away. The night before he left, you and Joaquin crashed on the couch after getting high and watching an alien documentary on Netflix. You fell asleep before he did, and, naturally, your body curled up next to his as you dozed off. He listened to your snores for a few minutes before planting a tender peck on top of your head. Before he knew it, Joaquin drifted off to sleep.

You woke up alone in the living room, searching for Joaquin. Instead, you were met with a note on the coffee table.

Sorry I couldn’t give a proper goodbye. You looked so peaceful sleeping, I would have been a horrible friend to wake you up. I’ll see you in a month!

-J

While your roommate was away on mission, you spent your days sulking and missing him. You tried to go on with your routine as if he was still there, but things felt empty and meaningless. The pancakes from the diner didn’t taste as fluffy when you ate alone. The music you listened to while cleaning the house didn’t lift your mood the way it did with Joaquin. His favorite stories didn’t sweep you away to another world the way it did when he read them. The flowers around your house died faster, even though you tended to them the same way you always had. You didn’t even bother taking walks or going to the farmer’s market by yourself. It was the longest month you had ever experienced in your life. 

Meanwhile, Joaquin could not wait to fly back home to you. The days were long and draining, and it seemed as if he and Sam were constantly running into dead ends. What kept him motivated during this difficult mission was a photo booth strip he kept of you and him at the summer fair. Even though looking at the pictures made him miss you dearly, he was hopeful of the day he would reunite with him.

“Is that the roommate?” Sam inquired from behind Joaquin’s shoulder. The Falcon’s cheeks warmed up and he began smiling like a smitten school boy. Joaquin didn’t need to say anything for Sam to know what was on his mind.

“So, are you ever going to tell her you love her?” Captain America added with a quirked eyebrow. 

“I’ve been wanting to. I just get nervous.” Joaquin peered down at his combat boots. “She’s my best friend, Sam. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Ouch, and after all we’ve been through, I thought I was your best friend.” Sam’s joke led to Joaquin letting out a small chuckle. “No, but seriously, you will feel much more free once you just tell her.” The younger lad nodded, imagining all the best case scenarios of confessing his love for you. His daydreams of you were cut off by the gunshots that echoed in the distance.

The end of the month finally rolled around, yet there was no sign of Joaquin. Anxiety took over your body as you wondered why he hasn’t come home yet. Part of you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but your sadness made your mind wander to anything and everything that could have gone wrong. You dragged yourself to work as you have been doing for the entirety of Joaquin’s absence. While you worked, you stared at the matching photo booth strip pinned to the wall of your office. A hot tear streamed down your cheek, longing to see Joaquin’s face and hear his voice again.

After work, you came home, ready to settle into your comfy bed. You sighed loudly as you hopped out of your car, slamming the driver’s door shut and locking it behind you. All of a sudden, your eyes landed on a motorcycle that you haven’t seen in over a month. Then, you saw light coming from inside the house. Could it be?

You ripped off your work pumps, bolting into the house barefoot in hopes that your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you. As you entered through the front door, the delicious scent of bananas and vanilla filled your nostrils. Your heart bursted at the seams upon the sight you found in the kitchen. Joaquin was humming along to your favorite song while drizzling a stack of banana pancakes with syrup. As if sensing your presence, he beamed a sparkling smile while turning to face you. 

“I came home an hour ago to an empty home. Figured you were still at work and you’d probably be hungry when you come back.” He paused, glancing at the plate on the counter. “I made sure to add bananas this time.”

Your lips trembled as you fought the urge to cry. You wanted to run and jump into his arms, feel his warmth bring you back to life, kiss the lips you have been aching to taste for an entire year. All you could do was drop your bag and heels by your side as you succumbed to the tears that fell from your face. Joaquin took that as his signal to step closer to you. He caressed your face, wiping the tears from your eyes. 

“I missed you,” you croaked, finally embracing him tightly. Your hearts beat in sync with one another, as if that was the way the universe wanted it.

“I missed you too.” He stroked the back of your head before making space to gaze into your glossy eyes. “It’s hard to be away from the girl I am madly in love with.” You couldn’t help but let out a tearful giggle at the words that left Joaquin’s mouth. It felt as if all of your wildest dreams were coming true. Yet it was only the beginning.

“Being The Falcon requires me to travel the world so often, and to see places I’ve always wanted to visit. But none of that matters to me because despite where I go, I find myself wanting to be wherever you are instead.”

“I love you, Joaquin.” You started to close the space between you and him. The tips of your noses brushed together, the heat from your breaths mingling like your feelings for one another.

“I love you, too, cariño.” With that, he finally pressed his lips against yours. You kissed one another with a passion that no one could snuff out. His lips were sweeter than the pancakes that were long neglected on the counter. Joaquin lifted you up and you immediately wrapped your legs around his waist as he led you to the couch where you both professed your love throughout the rest of the night.

When you both woke up the next morning, bare bodies intertwined under the thin blanket, you felt a sense of belonging. It was unfamiliar to the two of you, but it was a feeling you accepted with open arms. You and Joaquin were both hopeful of the future that you were ready to build together like the bookcase filled with stories you hoped would become your reality. After locking eyes for what seemed like eternity, Joaquin kissed you with fervor, and you picked up where you left off from last night.

He was home, and so were you.

Navigation | Fanfic Masterlist | Joaquin Torres Masterlist

[professor-pants]

You guys! SamBucky AU where Sam is the original Captain America. So instead of Steve proving himself by jumping on a grenade you have Sam: kind, intelligent, strong, driven. Easy choice. Sam and Bucky meet in the army they annoy each other at first but begin to get along. Maybe they bond over having a younger sister. Sam is chosen for the program but instead of getting super strength he gets wings. And maybe some other bird themed super powers like good eyesight or something idk what birds do. It takes him a while to get good with his wings maybe they are weak at first or it takes time for all the feathers to grow in and Sam and Bucky practice together in the evenings. One day Sam takes a dive and gets hurt. Que protective Bucky, hurt/comfort, homoerotic bandaging of injuries, all the good stuff. Eventually Sam gets good at flying and does shows like Steve did. Theres some angst cause Sam feels like hes being treated as a freak show. Sam and Bucky make out a few times or start sleeping together or whatever. Then Bucky gets caught like in canon and Sam looses his mind he absolutely needs to find Bucky cause hes kind of falling in love with him and Bucky doesn't even know. So Sam finds Bucky and the crash into each other and its sweet and angsty and everything! Then theres the fight on the train and things go a little differently because Sam can fly. So i imagine Sam fighting and seeing Bucky fall and hes about to fly after hiym but he gets knocked out before he can so the last thing he sees is the love of his life falling to his death. Sam makes it out of the fight somehow. when he wakes up the first thing he does is try to find Bucky even though he probably has a concussion. So he flies back to where he thinks Bucky fell and he looks for ages and he doesn't find him. Sam is heartbroken and he blames himself. Bucky becomes the winter soldier same as in canon. The serum they give Bucky is the same stuff he gets in canon maybe it was inspired by Sam's super serum instead of a direct copy idk.

So Sam gets frozen and he wakes up in the 21st century and he keeps working for the military or whatever Steve did idk i dont really remember that movie. In this AU Steve lives in the 2020s instead of the 1940s. He and Sam meet where Sam did his counseling they are both there for help with PTSD. Steve wouldnt have had the serum but maybe modern medicine worked well enough for him to enlist idk. Anyway they become besties instead of Steve asking Sam about Riley he asks him about Bucky. Sam wears a lot of loose fitting clothes to cover his wings when he's not on super hero duty.

Ok so now for the fight with the winter soldier! Sam is so relieved to see Bucky: his best friend, the love of his life, the last familiar face in the world. Bucky obviously remembers none of this their fight is super intense and angsty. Instead of ripping Sam's wing off he breaks it so Sam can't fly until it heals. Sam is super confused and sad and hopeful that he can save Bucky. Sam failed Bucky once he wouldnt do it again. Sam tracks Bucky all around the world like in canon. He doesn't give a shit that hes supposed to be Captain America he has a duty to his best friend. He doesn't spend to much time trying to jog Bucky's memory. He does his best to meet Bucky where he is and get to know the person he's become. Sam does his best to answer Bucky's questions as his memories come back. He decides not to tell him they were in love quite yet. Maybe Bucky and Sam fall in love all over again maybe Bucky remembers that they were in love already. If you really want slow burn Bucky remembers but the both decide not to pursue any kind of relationship until Bucky feels more comfortable/has his mind back fully. Then everything with Thanos happens Sam and Bucky fade away together and reappear 5 years later they are both really sick of losing time. Sam never gives up the shield so they go into all the flag smasher stuff as a solid team. Joaquin Torres sees Sam's wings and decides to make wings of his own using his sick engineering skills. Joaquin becomes the first Falcon. Sam and Bucky live in a little house in Louisiana. Sam's family isn't there anymore but it still feels like home. Steve is good with computers so he gets to by the guy in the chair Joaquin, Sam, and Bucky are the Captain America team. They kick ass. Personally im a fan of Sambuckytorres so yeah Sam and Bucky get married and Joaquin is their boyfriend and they all live together in a cute little house with Alpine the cat.

The End

[the-passenger-if]

A prompt for the angst but!! How would the ros deal/treat/react to a newman that had frequent panic attacks? (If your comfortable answering, and no ones asked before) I imagine since the whole reason we're on earth is because we're trying to hide from this eldritch diety who wants to inhale us whole, and to top it all off newman doesnt even have enough energy to leave. That would cause any being an extreme of stress and anxiety. Especially after Tzr'nekre actually finally locates us

combining it with

if its not too spoilery, how would the ROs react to the MC waking up from a nightmare (say, one in which the RO got possessed by tzr'nekre?) and MC just clings to them, crying, after waking up, and refusing to explain but its obvious they had a terrible nightmare?

This isn’t what Fiama imagined when she was awaken by Newman’s warm face pressing against her breasts, ragged breathing and all. She wants to grab a hold of their head, hold them there, but as her hand brushes their cheek, she finds it damp. Maybe with sweat, maybe with tears.

“Baby?” she asks in a hushed whisper. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

The only reply she gets is a stuttering intake of breath. And then her partner’s arms are sneaking around her—one under her neck, the other around her waist—and Newman is squeezing her tight.

Fiama is strong, she has always been. Her mother once told her—not in kind terms—that she truly took after her father’s sisters; their arms, made to keep children from ripping one another’s eyes out, their legs to carry drunken husbands back home. Now, trapped in Newman’s strong embrace, she feels like the type of dainty, unobtrusive creature her mom wished she had grown into.

She takes a deep breath—as deep as she's able to within her lover’s tight grip—and tries again. “Babe… you’re… crushing me.”

The hold eases up an instant later, but Newman doesn’t let go. They bury their wet face in Fiama’s neck, still silent. It’s alarming to say the least, but she keeps her voice calm. “Are you hurting?” Newman shakes their head. “Are you sad?” She hugs them, feels them shaking in her arms—Newman doesn’t shake like this. “Are you scared?” She didn’t want to sound so flabbergasted (so ‘judgy’ her mother would say) but she can’t help it.

Once again, Newman doesn’t answer, but they do bury their face deeper into Fiama. It takes her by surprise; they have always seemed so unaffected by everything…

She hugs them tight and says the only thing she can think of, “I’m here, babe. And I’ll always be. I don’t know what or who is making you feel like this, but you aren’t alone. I’m with you.” She kisses the top of their head, murmuring every promise she knows she can keep.

A few minutes later, Newman is fast asleep again.

---

Sleeping next to another person in a bed that wasn’t made to be shared by two adults is uncomfortable, but it was late and Newman hadn’t brought their bike, ignoring that Joaquin’s car was at the shop, and Lucia had taken hers that night.

It’s ok, Jonny thinks to himself while he stares at the ceiling, we’ll just wait until my folks leave for work tomorrow. It doesn’t have to get awkward for anyone.

When was the last time he’d shared a bed? Probably when he was around twelve and Quino got scared by a storm and woke him up in the middle of the night, cold hands slipping under the sheets and touching the back of his neck. Dumbass always did the same thing, no matter how many times Jonny punched him to dissuade him. Of course Jonny could never stay mad at his twin for long, and they would share the bed in the end—Jonny grousing about Quino’s cold hands and Quino whining about Jonny hogging the covers.

As if invoking his brother, he feels hands around his neck now; cold, sweaty hands. Even though they don't belong to Quino, the way they’re clinging to him is pretty reminiscent of the way his twin used to squeeze him whenever lightning stroke too close.

“Are you ok?” he asks stupidly. Of course they aren’t; Newman is scared. “What is it?” he tries again, but Newman says nothing, they only keep tightening their grasp around Jonny. He takes their hands and tries to free himself. “Newman, you’re going to choke me.”

Slowly, those cold fingers loosen, giving him a chance to sit up.

“Don’t go!”

“Hush,” Jonny hisses. “Damn it, Newman. Remember we aren’t alone.” He takes the hand that is now gripping the front of his shirt and tries to hold it, but Newman doesn’t budge. “Please,” he whispers.

“Don’t go,” it’s the barely audible plea he gets as a reply.

“I won’t,” he assures them. After another second, Newman lets go, and Jonny takes the hand and gently rubs it between his. “Come here,” he whispers, and Newman doesn’t need to be told twice. They get between his legs and rest on their side and against Jonny’s chest. Jonny takes the covers and pulls them over both of them, and there, with an arm around Newman’s shoulder, he can feel their muscles begin to slowly relax.

---

Roach didn’t usually do this; lying down in bed while their conquests sleep. They had realized that there was so much one could do to pass the time, and watching people drooling was amusing just the first dozen times.

They turn another page of the magazine they stole from that gas station three towns over, the one with the old, balding clerk that had given Roach the evil eye from the moment they dared to set a foot in his territory.

The light is off but that’s ok because Roach doesn’t need it to read, the same way they don’t need it to sneak glances at Newman’s sleeping form. It’s something they do, they tell themself, to pass the time, and not because Newman’s face is nice to look at or anything like that. They aren’t expecting to find their companion awake the next time they look their way, least of all with a terrified look set on their face.

Roach opens their mouth to ask what’s going on, but the words die out as they are wrapped in a tight embrace. The fact that they were so distracted by Newman’s expression that their reflexes vanished for a hot minute, says something. Something Roach doesn’t want to acknowledge right now, so they don’t. Instead, they let their body go limp in Newman’s arms, let them squeeze and squash until they seem to come out of their trance.

“R-Roach?”

“Yes?” they ask in return.

“Are you… ok?”

Roach wriggles to put some distance between Newman and them—as much as their companion’s steel grip allows, anyway—and runs a hand over Newman’s face, wiping off the sweat. “Just a couple broken ribs,” they say, “I’ll live. What about you? What had you panicking like this?”

Newman retracts from those words like a shy snail. It really takes Roach by surprise. They can’t think of many things that might scare Newman, which at least makes the list of suspects quite short.

“Hey,” they whisper in a way that they hope sounds both unaffected and reassuring, “I would know, remember? There’s only you and me here, no third roommate. You can relax.”

Their words, true as they are, do very little to calm Newman down, so Roach sighs and nuzzles against their jaw. “Squeeze away then,” they mutter and kiss Newman’s skin. “I’ll be the prettiest stress ball you’ll ever have.”

---

It isn’t a gentle awakening. Horizon’s muddled thoughts crash into one another as the Domini unsuccessfully tries to slip away from the tight embrace they are being subjected to. What’s going on? their mind asks, half asleep, half panicking.

Memories from last night come back to them as if slogging through a swamp; they remember having dinner with Newman, chatting and somehow ending up in bed together. They remember the tenderness of the moment, the way they felt like they could melt as Newman and they cuddled together...

Horizon strains their neck trying to look over their shoulder, but even with the rays of moonlight seeping through the window, the only thing they have an eyeful of it’s their own dark curls. Newman’s chest is pressed against Horizon’s back and now that the Domini is fully awake, they can feel the other’s racing heartbeat. It scares Horizon, it makes them want to ask what’s going on, what happened to Newman, what, what, what…

They fight those urges. They take a deep breath, find one of Newman’s hands and softly cover it with theirs. “You are in my cabin,” they whisper, “you are in ranch 48, in Luna Ridge. We had diner and I asked you to spend the night. Remember that?”

There’s a long pause, then Horizon feels them nodding against their back. A couple seconds later the iron grip eases up. It gives the Domini a chance to turn around, and very gently press their forehead against Newman’s damp one. “Deep breaths,” they whisper and then are doing just that, hoping Newman will follow their example. An instant later, they are.

Feeling Newman’s muscles relax as they get their breathing under control brings a smile to the Domini’s face.

[annathesillyfriend]

Anna's June Fic Recs

Welcome to my June fic recommendations masterpost!! This month has been a little hectic, I didn't have as much time to read so I am doing just one list. I really hope July's gonna be more productive reading wise, now that I am at home with no exams. But still, I've read some pretty amazing stories and I hope you're gonna enjoy them as well 😌 I wish you all a wonderful summer! 🥰

To all the writers - I love you and I appreciate you so much! To all the readers - please, share the fics you read and love. The reblog really makes the change! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude.

Holland & Co.

✨Tom Holland✨

naughty noises by @thegirlintheswivelchair

one-shot, 18+, caution!!! hot!!!

share by @/blindingdutchy

one-shot, 18+, pornstar!tom x pornstar!reader, 🥵🥵

lazy lover by @blindingdutchy

one-shot, 18+, the perfect balance between soft and hot

torn leaves, broken hearts by @t-lostinworlds

one-shot, this is so full of emotion and so beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time

taunt by @duskholland

one-shot, 18+, rich kid!tom, golf, fwb, all that jazz, hannah is feeding us once again

call me when you get this by @multiholland

one-shot, college!tom

this fic by @/multiholland

one-shot, so cute!!!

tension and temptation and sensuality and serenity by @marvelouspeterparker

two-shot, 18+, pornstar!tom x pornstar!reader

peanut butter and extra jelly and more jelly, please! by @starknik22

two-shot, 18+ for a bit in the second one, actress!haz's co-star!reader, jealous!tom, loved every second!

this fic by @blissfulparker

blurb, tom vs. road rage 😂

also this one by @/blissfulparker

blurb, tom wants to propose but it didn't go as planned

putter fantasy by @worldoftom

series, 18+, roommate!actor!golfer!tom, fwb, this is just fucking great

the best birthday by @celestialholland

one-shot, birthday boy!tom

since then by @softholand

one-shot, best friend!tom

✨Harrison Osterfield✨

electric love by @lauras-collection

series, 18+, fwb!roommate!harrison, amazing 👏

bluberry muffins by @peterplanet

one-shot, meeting harrison at a cafe, so sweet 🥺

impromptu hoe for haz blurbs by @greenorangevioletgrass

collection of blurbs, 18+, delicious!!!

MCU

✨Steve Rogers✨

the dumb bet by @bccky

one-shot, fun times at sam's bachelor party! and there's karaoke!

city love by @captain-kelli

one-shot, so beautiful!!

quiet light by @xbuchananbarnes

part of the you are the sun universe, you can't go wrong with Dani's work, just go read it all

library lesson by @jurassicbarnes

one-shot, 18+, modern royal!au

his saviour by @kinanabinks

one-shot, civilian!steve x superhero!reader

✨Sam Wilson✨

eyes wide open by @babycap

one-shot, sam becomes a father 🥺🥺

all i wanna be, all i ever wanna be, is somebody to you by @blackberrybucky

one-shot, 🥰💕

✨Bucky Barnes✨

daisy chain by @belowva

one-shot, avenger!reader, soulmate!au, so nice!

dearly beloved by @indyluckycharlie

one-shot, mafia!bucky x mafia!reader, amazing!!!

the love club by @slyyywriting

series, 18+, mob!reader, so bloody good!!

lamented & assured by @belladonnabarnes

one-shot, just stunning

hide & seek by @angrythingstarlight

one-shot, dad!bucky 🥺🥺

anger that loves by @/babyboibucky

one-shot, so beautiful!!

unfair by @/babyboibucky

one-shot, falling in love with bucky, get your tissues, friends

deserve better, undeserving, deserve the best by @babyboibuckywrites

series, so much angst 😫

trilogy by @buckycuddlebuddy

series, 18+, fuckboy!bucky

the coupon book by @tuiccim

series, 18+, with a guest appearance from another super solider 👀

flight risk and no control by @wkemeup

two-shot, protective!bucky, so sad but so beautiful

suburbia by @/wkemeup

one-shot, fake married!au

dreamland by @blissfullybarnes

series, avenger!reader, hits you right in the feels 🥺

✨SarahBucky✨

forever by @samwilsons-pillowpecs

one-shot, this is just poetry at its finest

✨Joaquin Torres✨

sunrise by @calif0rnia-lovers

one-shot, black!reader, reuniting after the blip

sweeter than honey by @/xbuchananbarnes

one-shot, 18+, Dani's work is always a treat but her Torres fics are just exeptional

whispered words by @moonlight-prose

one-shot, angst & fluff

favourite crime by @mischiefmanaged71

one-shot, angsty

✨Peter Parker✨

girlfriend and piece of you by @spideyspeaches

two-shot, 18+, so good!!

all too well by @/spideyspeaches

one-shot, singer!reader, just what you'd expect from a story titled like a tswift song. especially that song

she doesn't even know by @loveaffaire

one-shot, best friend!peter

just you and me by @vampireoutofbusiness

one-shot, 18+, first time with peter, amazing!

angel eyes by @londonspidey

one-shot, 18+, first time with peter, the softest thing ever

✨Thor✨

lightning in my veins, and thunder in my chest by @blackberrybucky

one-shot, 18+, 🥵🥵

✨Loki✨

beyond bruises by @spilledkauffie

one-shot, jealous!loki

Others

memories and misconceptions by @peeterparkr and @erodasghosts

two stories that go together - Tom's and Harry's, they're just starting but are already so wonderful!

1k follower celebration masterlist by @rodrikstark

collection of fics, mix of characters, each one better than the last

✨Chris Evans✨

munchies by @buckyhoney

one-shot, after party for 2

✨Ransom Drysdale✨

undercover boss by @chase-your-dreams-away

series, in progress, so good!!

✨Johny Storm✨

aftershocks by @mypoisonedvine

one-shot, 18+, enemies and lovers

✨Chris Beck✨

never had it from the start by @tinymalscoffee

one-shot, 18+, breaking up, angst and so much heartbreak

[homunculusalphonse]

okay i rewatched brother bear 2, gonna go through the negatives first then the positives:

negatives

surely their budget is not a theatrical animated feature, so their soundtracks and the main character's VA suffer. phil collins and joaquin phoenix aren't here for this sequel - which are huge things that make brother bear... brother bear

the soundtrack is such a disappointment. i mean even the instrumental OST is bad. the original movie has such a stellar OST that i remember it to this day. bb2's is so forgettable

denahi is not at all mentioned in the sequel. his VA died so i get why he didn't come back, but he could've gotten at least a mention. like maybe kenai and koda just visited him before the events of the movie

i don't think even sitka is mentioned? no one from kenai's home appears again

how does nita hear about kenai becoming a bear? there's not much indication of their villages having contact. they don't show like tanana visiting or the contrary. nita doesn't mention denahi or sitka or everyone else. and kenai doesn't talk about it either

it's kinda clear they planned nita after making brother bear just to force a sequel, because nita and kenai seem to have been pretty close but it doesn't meet up with what the first movie showed. like i said denahi and sitka are not even mentioned or shown in cameos

this movie promotes a lot of... straight romance. it's all about spring. and it's weird the way romance is treated like this big thing here - when the original brother bear was about the love of brothers. i mean, it's there in the title? there's no romance in the original. they suddenly make heteronormative romance a huge thing in this sequel - even the moose dudes have love interests identical to them

"you can't avoid love" uhhhh kenai's totem was all about LOVE? they probably mean romantic love but they don't make it clear

the "cliche disney tone" is kinda worse here. brother bear despite everything was a very complex movie all the way through. the lighter parts are still deep and enjoyable. brother bear 2 though doesn't have many deep topics aside from a few things that will be listed in the positives

positives

nita is an active character in the story. she's not just the love interest, she's a person with clear motivations and trauma

i love how they portray her trauma of drowning. they show the memory and the weight of nita's fear of water. she does reckless things to avoid it. she shows very clear symptoms of trauma.

and she's not shamed for it. kenai listens to her and offers to help her, they'll cross it together. and when nita goes underwater, she sees that it's not as bad and dark and daunting as the first time

the questions raised are interesting. has kenai thought back on his choice? i don't think it's unrealistic at all if he ever missed being human. that's something i can see happening. we know he'd never go back on it... but what if?

koda also has a right to feel upset. i mean imagine losing your mother and suddenly your brother ignores you to be with a girl he hasn't seen in years. imagine hearing that your brother has considered leaving you behind. koda is just a kid and i like that he doesn't change too much from the previous movie

love the scene of koda running away. idk i love drama and brotherly angst. kenai didn't even scream for nita - it was koda the whole time. it's amazing (sorry nita)

once again some things at the beginning hit you later. kenai "i'm the digging master" and then he's digging the snow to get koda and nita. jesus fucking christ

oh the callback to the ice 😭 kenai lost sitka there. imagine if he lost koda in the same way. cruel cruel cruel

nita and kenai's relationship is believable. they've always liked each other. it wasn't forced. nita was clearly hesitant to burn the amulet - she did keep it this whole time, and she's not happy knowing she has to burn it so she can be accepted in her village. kenai also shows a lot of signs even as a kid

at least many of the other voice actors are here. koda's does an amazing job as always

nita's hair. just that. nita's hair is amazing

and hey at least we see nita being a human most of the movie

i think i'm done, will be adding other points in reblogs if i do have more things to say

[vidavalor]

They’re gonna fight whether or not that article is correct and I’m hoping for peak married angst, tbh...

I have thoughts on those rumors from that site that probably isn’t legit anyway but this is basically future SamBucky plot spec so yeah...

There’s no way to make a movie or another series (or both) of TFATWS/Captain America without Sam & Bucky having some conficts. They can still be in love and on the same team and everything but TFATWS essentially sets up at least several more bits of Sam-and-Bucky-centric story. At minimum, there’s a Captain America 4 (and if there’s a 4, there’s probably a 4, a 5 and a 6) and/or another season of TFATWS at some point. Which is why it’s interesting that they end TFATWS S1 in such a place of peak romance because it’s then all about establishing that foundation for the upcoming canon and they have to have more conflict in those stories than just how many stray cats they’re going to adopt. But there’s a *ton* of potential for the growth of their relationships over whatever they end up fighting about because there will be something. 

I don’t know enough about the website that started the fighting rumor thing to have an opinion on whether or not it’s legitimate. Based on what you all who have been around this beat longer are saying, it seems to not be but I’d be willing to bet that if that’s the case, that site’s been sticking around by making logical story predictions for awhile and calling them leaks. Like, I could do a few myself. Here you go lol: 

-Rumor has it that Joaquin Torres will don The Falcon wings in S2 of TFATWS!

-Rumor has it that Sam will struggle with the world being obnoxiously racist to its first public-facing Black Captain America in Captain America 4!

-Rumor has it that Bucky will once again interact with the characters from Wakanda in future bits of Marvel canon! 

To me, saying that Sam & Bucky will fight in the future is as sure bet likely as any of the above and so was a safe rumor to start, whether or not the site is legitimate. 

Since everyone’s talking about what their dream fight scenarios are and if we can’t just have the domestic bliss versions because there needs to be a plot (sadly lol), that would eliminate my dream sequence ‘they’ve taken up boxing in their training because Sam is determined to be able to knock Bucky on his ass without mentioning how fine his ass is as a distraction’ and I give you a whole Plotty McPlot set up in TFATWS for whatever the next story beat is (Cap Amer 4 or S2 of TFATWS)... the ‘Hydra Returns’ plot. 

TFATWS conveniently gave the audience way more info than Sam & Bucky know about the antagonists right now. It’s not just that Karli was working for Sharon-- the audience knows about Madame Hydra and Walker but Sam & Bucky do not. They *couldn’t* know because the story needed them to have their Delacroix romantic happy ending, not just running right out to stop Hydra but Evil Elaine and John Walker are not going anywhere and that means that Hydra is going to be resurfacing in Sam & Bucky’s plot in the future. Now, imagine Bucky’s response to learning that...

Think Bucky is going to stay in line? Think he’s going to treat this like any other mission where he’s normally willing to back up Sam & is fine with that? Oh. Hell. No. 

No Hydra people are getting within ten miles of any of his Wilsons. No way on Earth. 

Bucky’s going to go rogue and the plot will somehow involve him seeming to get back into Hydra-- he’s either going to go undercover against Sam’s orders/will because Sam will be like no, he doesn’t need to do this to any authority asking and tell Bucky he can’t let him do this and Bucky’s going to have to work around Sam-- ironically, the guy who has always been about making sure Bucky has the space to make his own choices after all the free will that was stolen from him. Sam is objecting because he can’t see Bucky be hurt again and this is dangerous-- more so than the Zemo situation in TFATWS, especially since Sam can’t go with him. Bucky’s going to defy Sam to go do it anyway. 

He’ll be undercover with Hydra when Sam comes after Hydra, resulting in Sam & Bucky possibly having to fight one another. (And, see, if they want to add in my boxing bit or another training sequence to the beginning of the movie when they’re in their happy domestic bliss to set up how they’ll fight one another for real later in the movie, NO OBJECTIONS HERE, MARVEL...) 

Alternatively or in addition to that, Hydra could get ahold of Sam and hurt him in some way. (I’m really hoping this doesn’t go the route of them trying to get Bucky to prove that he’s really one of them by trying to force him to hurt Sam so let’s hope that doesn’t happen.) I’m not sure if I buy the rumors that Sam is going to get the serum in Cap Amer 4 or the next beat of his story or whatever. He could but it won’t be willingly if it he does. The only way that could happen is if someone forces it on him or if it’s some kind of accident. It’s made abundantly clear in TFATWS that Sam doesn’t want the serum and wouldn’t take it if he had the choice. He has real empathy as well for the fact that Bucky never had the choice and lives with that everyday. If they’re tussling with Hydra, though, it’s possible that something happens to Sam and he winds up being given the serum against his will and then will need to lean on Bucky in the future for help with figuring out how to deal with that. I would prefer they don’t do this. I love the possibility of it in terms of it being something for Sam to angst over & something for him & Bucky to go through together a bit-- storywise, it has potential-- but I like Human!Sam and I think that’s a better story, ultimately, than making him a literally super superhero.

But forget the serum in question, I could just see Sam & Bucky on opposite sides of the idea of how to handle Hydra and Bucky working undercover making Sam worried but he’s also aware that Bucky is their best in to stopping them. There’s just no way that they didn’t set Walker up with Madame Hydra in TFATWS for that plot to never really again cross paths with the former Hydra assassin and his husband who spent the whole season going up against Walker. It’s going to be all about Hydra & the next beat of SamBucky is totally Hydra-angst fanfic where they go through hell but save the day because their somarried trust in one another, even if they have a moment of doubt or something, will ultimately win out. 

Bonus points if it ends with them sweaty and exhausted and beaten half to death sprawled somewhere after a fight and Bucky’s just like “I’ve been meaning to tell you... I think we should get a cat.” 

[gasp-iwrotesomething]

Prompt List

I feel like my blog needs to be spiced up (and I need to experiment more with my adaptability) so here's a self-curated prompt list by yours truly.

SEND IN A LETTER(S) AND A NUMBER(S) ALONG WITH A CHARACTER(S), THANKS!

Interested? Read more for the deets... 😏

Goofy Fluff - (G)

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're a bit of a moron."

"If that's true then I'm the queen of England."

"It takes serious intellect to be this comedic but you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"I'm not even dead and I’m rolling over in my grave."

"Yeah, people like going to circuses, not LIVING in one!" “Yeah, but you’re a total bozo, so you should be familiar with living in circuses.”

"What can I say? I'm a natural at pissing you off."

"Thanks for your opinion but you're wrong and I'm right, the end."

"What do you want? A trophy?"

"Call me a disaster but watching you lose your mind is my top three kinks."

"That's lame. You're lame. Your style is lame. That shirt? Lame."

"That's not constructive criticism, that's blatant verbal assault!"

"Was that a threat or a request? Cause there's about a hundred reasons to kill you right now."

"Hah, if an employer saw that listed on your resume, they'd kick you to the curb for perjury."

"Artistry can be whatever you want it to be... and I want it to be competitive skee ball."

"Using cheap insults isn't a healthy way to cope, you know."

"You blame me like you didn't cheer me on!"

"I may be small but I can be intimidating. You ever seen a chihuahua? Yeah, same shit. Don't try me."

"Fun fact: I'm not a guest to your little pity party."

"Come on, a little bit of exertion never killed anybody." "Then consider me the first."

"I'm not judging you; I'm viciously questioning your life choices.”

"God, the world can't take a second you. One is already pushing the limit."

"You suck at lying, just for future reference."

"I've never been so proud of someone whose insulted me so hard before in my life."

"Dude, your track record of hypocrisy is not something to flaunt."

"That's not a word. Try again. And this time, think about what you say before you say it. Saves you from crippling humiliation."

"I was on the fence for a while but I've finally come to the conclusion that... you're brutally wrong."

"That's bold coming from someone with a pretty generic fashion sense."

“I’m not surprised.” “What?! Come on, I wanna be unpredictable!”

“Did you not know? I’m the president, vice president, and secretary of the (insert LI’s name) Fan Club.”

“I wish you would pour that on me!” “Consider your wish granted!”

Romantic Fluff - (R)

"I love you, in case you were wondering."

"Don't worry, I got you."

"Not to sound cheesy, but you're a home away from home."

"You can hold my hand, if you'd like."

"It’s not everyday someone manages to make (insert character’s name) swoon.” “What can I say? You’re a rare specimen.”

“You’re safe with me, I promise.”

“Pinky promise?”

“How about a good ol’ game of rock paper scissors to settle things between you and I?”

“Come on, stop making that face, it kills me every time.” “That’s precisely the reason why I’m making this face.”

“For me? Awww, you really don’t have to do this for me!”

“You’re worth running up a flight of stairs for.”

“I love your jokes, even if they’re a bit much at times.”

“Not to be sappy, but you’re my after-work stress reliever.”

“You look so beautiful/handsome, I really mean it.”

“You make me feel so safe and I’m so grateful for you.”

“I might’ve caught baby-fever... and I might be daydreaming about starting a big family with you one day... if you wouldn’t mind that of course...”

“Seriously, you’re the shit. Like you’re the coolest person I know.”

“Kiss me like you mean it and I’ll tell you why.”

“Wanna cuddle? Just you and me?” “Of course, who else is here to cuddle with us?”

“You’re such a goofball and I love you for it, you silly, silly person.”

“Let’s take the day off and spend it together, doing whatever you want to do.”

“Look at you, baby, you’re fucking amazing!”

“What do you mean? You look like the most gorgeous human to ever exist; period.

“I just didn’t think Valentine’s Day was up your alley, that’s all.”

“So... now that we’re married, how many kids do you want?” “We haven’t even been on our honeymoon for a DAY yet and you’re already bringing up the talk?!”

“How about a kiss to make it better, hmm?”

“Give me some platonic love, please. I’m feeling down and in my feelings.”

“See, I knew you could do it!”

“I’m so happy I could kiss you!” “What’s stopping you? Kiss me already!”

“You’re always on my mind, just so you know.”

“I miss you so badly. Can’t you just ditch that gig and come home to me already?”

“Tell me how much you love me.” “I love you so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO-” “Okay, that’s overdoing it!”

“Like it or not, you’re my soulmate and we’re meant to be.” “You make it sound like this is a travesty; hell, I’m grateful that we’re soulmates!”

“You’re the best gift I’ve even been given, you know that, right?”

Angst - (A)

“How could you betray me like this?!”

“I thought you were more than this. But you’re not.”

“Why would you do this?!”

“Please, don’t do this to me. Please, (insert character’s name).”

“Don’t go, I need you.”

“You always said how low they were, how you’d ever be like them, but look at you now! You’re a carbon copy of the exact person you never said you would be!”

“I can’t be with you anymore. We’re done.”

“What did I ever do to you to deserve all of this?!”

“I loved you, (insert character’s name). I adored you so much. Not anymore.”

“I’ve moved on, there will never be an ‘us’ again.”

“Have a nice life, (insert character’s name).”

“I’ll leave and I’ll never come back if that’s what you really want!”

“I can’t trust you anymore.”

“I’m sorry but this is for the best.”

“It’s all my fault, I let this happen to you.”

‘What the hell did they do to you?!”

“Stop making this harder than this needs to be!”

“Forget you ever knew me, it’s for your own sake.”

“I fucked up alright and I’m sorry! What more can I do to convince you that I truly am?! Please, I’m desperate at this point!”

“Don’t give me that smirk, asshole! You almost died! ...I almost lost you!”

“I don’t care if I get my clothes bloody, you’re dying, (insert character’s name)!”

“Just keep your eyes on me, okay? Everything’s fine now.”

“I can’t live without you, you have to understand how important you are to me!”

“You used me. All this time I thought you loved me and cared about me... but you fucking used me!”

“You’re a liar! I know you’re lying to me!”

“What the hell does (she/he/) have that I don’t, huh?! What makes (her/him) worth more of your time?!”

“I knew I should’ve listened to them and not you.”

“I hate you! Do you hear me?! I HATE you!”

“You can’t do this, you can’t just leave me for something so stupid.”

“Just listen to me!”

“...just leave me alone. I’m done talking to you.”

“Stay with me! Please!”

“I feel like I’m losing the only person I love--you.”

“I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

“Oh I’M crazy?! You haven’t seen crazy yet; I’ll show you crazy!”

Smut - (S) 

“I want you on your knees, mouth open.”

“You know what? I’ll just tie you up and teach you a lesson, how about that?”

“I mean, I’ve never been called ‘Daddy’/‘Mommy’ before, but I can’t say I don’t like it when you call me that...”

“You’ll have to beg for it.”

“I want you. Right now.”

“You’re making so little noise. Can’t you be louder for me?”

“How about I give you a reason to stay in bed?”

“Stop fumbling with that button and just touch me already!”

“Take me right here, please.”

“That was a command, not a request.”

“Do it. Now.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

“God, I love it when you touch me like that!”

“Say that again. Louder this time.”

“Stop teasing and just fuck me.”

“I’ll make you regret that.”

“Please, I can’t hold on much longer!”

“How can I make it up to you?” “Well, there is something that I’ve been wanting to try...”

“Spread your legs, don’t be so bashful with me.”

“Keep your voice down. No vocal performances allowed tonight.”

“Strip for me and make sure it’s slow.”

“I love when you’re gentle with me, but right now, all I want is to be treated like your little toy.”

“Make love to me tonight.”

“You deserve a reward for all of your hard work, may I...?”

“Do that again, I love that so much.”

“You’re giving me serious bedroom eyes and I’m so into it.”

“Let’s sneak off and have some fun of our own...”

“I want your taste in my mouth.”

“Come here, come see how good you taste...”

“You cum when I say so, do you understand?”

“Don’t you dare look away from me, I want those eyes trained on me at all times.”

“I think a spanking is in order for your misbehavior...”

“If you expect me to have mercy for you, then you’re mistaken.”

“Fuck this boring shit, pull some kinky shit on me and spice this up.”

“I could always pour this on you and lick it off, if that’s what you prefer...”

“You’re my favorite flavor to have; so versatile all times of the day.”

“Make me.”

“I want to watch you touch yourself.”

“Just like that, you’re being so good for me.”

“You’re gonna make me--ah, fuck!”

A Brief List of Every LI I write for:

Alex Cyprin

Cal North

Cecelia Visconti

Ezra Wolf (NEW)

Hades

Helena Klein

Joaquin Ortega

Julius Harper

Liora Skyheart 

Medusa

Nav Hexan

Neil Dresner

Nikolai Stirling

Renzei Feng

Sevastian of the Winter

TK Yoon

Vince Moretti

Vivienne Tang

Xenia of the Autumn

Whew! Anyway, here’s the prompt list I came up with (all by myself; shocking, I know :P) so if you want to request something based off this list then just send in a letter and a number along with a character. 

Examples: G6, G9, and R2 with Vivienne Tang, or S12 and S17 with Cal North

Thanks and have a nice day! Oh, and if you want to reblog or use my prompt list, that’s all cool with me (just give credit where credit’s due, please and thank you)!

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

What usually helps me with motivation is asking myself "what is making me excited about this chapter." So I'm turning that to you. What is making you excited about the chapter to Wayward Daughter you're working on? -Riley

Thank you so much for this!!!  I have a lot of things that I’m really excited for so I broke it down to a top 10 haha!

1. Kevin and Amy friendship

Kevin and Amy have been friends since the very first chapter, and Amy has always had a soft spot for Kevin for being “Joaquin’s boy”, but a lot of their friendship has been superficial up until now, mostly because of Amy’s reluctance to ever risk being perceived as vulnerable.  In this chapter though, Kevin is the first person to really notice how not okay Amy is and is the one who goes out of his way to help.  It took a long detour from my chapter outline but I think it really developed their friendship, and I finally got to explore some elements that have been building behind the scenes for Amy but that no one has addressed until now!  It also introduces their ship tag, which is “he asked if I was okay”, which comes from the scene I’m currently writing – Amy is bitching a bit about Jughead and Toni and “their northsiders” and when she’s asked why her being friends with Kevin is different she explains that a) she’s not dating him, b) he hasn’t historically treated them like shit, and c) when she was completely falling apart, it wasn’t her partners or even her brother who noticed, but Kevin

2. After several chapters of people letting Amy brush off major trauma, they’re finally acknowledging it!  

This actually ties in the most with her scene with Kevin – Amy says some stuff while having a panic attack and Kevin has a moment of confusion before realizing that “oh hey, she’s actually mentioned this stuff before but she says it so casually that I assumed it wasn’t a big deal but clearly it is”.  The problem with Amy is that she keeps the important stuff to herself and when she’s forced to acknowledge it she’s always extremely dismissive of it, so everyone else assumes that she’s not bothered (hell, she mentions that she was raped and then just goes back to watching Glee, and everyone is like “well I guess she’s moved on let’s not upset her by talking about it”), but really she’s just internalizing it and not coping at all, but since no one ever really pushes her to talk, it also leads her to feeling like it’s not important – but finally we’re starting to lay out the groundwork for when Amy is finally forced to start talking about things and has to acknowledge that she’s not nearly as okay as she pretends to be 

3. After 75k of just not really talking about it, we finally get some actual definition on the Serpents’ relationship!

From the beginning, the narration has always used the term “partner” and the phrase “ride or die” to describe the relationship between the teen serpents, but they’ve never really talked much about what they are!  In this chapter we finally get a bit of that, which starts with Amy finding out that everyone at Riverdale High thinks that she and Sweet Pea are dating.  After that, Amy finally explains (one again in that scene with Kevin, that could really be a chapter in and of itself with how much goes on in it lmao) what exactly their relationship is, what Jughead’s involvement is, and even what Joaquin’s involvement was before he left town (finally going back to chapters 1 & 3 where Amy mentions having had some sort of relationship with him but never explaining what that relationship was).  I’ve wanted to start to explain this for a while, and while I’ve talked about it a bit here on tumblr and in depth with some friends, it’s never really fit into the story

4. Honestly just the actual writing!

It’s been a while since I’ve worked on Wayward and the last couple of chapters felt (to me) very rushed and definitely not my best writing.  The episodes that they followed weren’t ones with a whole lot going on for Amy (I’ve plotted out all of season 2 and basically every scene I could think of adding would have thrown off bigger arcs) so they were just... short and rushed and felt very forced.  This chapter on the other hand has gotten way too long just because there’s so much going on, but it’s given me an opportunity to really delve into things again and I think that the actual writing (technically and in terms of content) is a lot better than what I’ve gotten to do in a while and I’m really excited to share that!  Also, clearly, there are a lot of scenes that I’m really proud of and really excited to share with readers (hopefully they like it as much as I do!) 

5. Just, angst

So I’ve definitely never been nice to Amy, but the angst in this chapter makes me really happy (and very sad).  It’s not all big showy angst, or even as extreme as other parts of the story, but it feels extremely poignant.  There definitely are some bigger pieces of angst in this chapter (Amy falls asleep in tears multiple times, for example), but I think that my absolute favourite angsty pieces are actually two of the most subtle ones.  What I love about them being subtle (aside from just how much I love the scenes) is that Amy is a character who we see repeatedly go headfirst into danger and go through very painful situations, but she always gets through them and maintains her illusion of being completely okay all the time (even though she is so not okay someone please get her a therapist) because she can absolutely handle physical pain and she’s gotten used to psychological trauma, but the one thing that Amy cannot handle which is prominent in both of my favourite scenes is being rejected/feeling unwanted, and while she hasn’t had a lot of that yet, we finally get to see something actually break through her walls 

6. We finally start to actually acknowledge Amy’s unhealthy coping mechanisms

This sort of goes with #2 and #6.  Ever since chapter one, we’ve seen Amy having extremely unhealthy coping mechanisms (namely alcohol and sex and trying to ignore her problems) and in this chapter we see that she actually can’t ignore her problems forever, and we finally see people actually looking at Amy and going “hey this is definitely not a good way to deal with shit” instead of the usual “oh yeah that’s just Amy being Amy”, and it’s very satisfying!  Archie has called her out on it once before, but he’s the only one – her partners are so used to it that most of the time they don’t even realize what she’s doing because to them it’s just part of her personality and Jughead has generally hesitated to comment on it because he worries about pushing her away.  As a writer it’s been a bit frustrating to see how much no one seems to realize how self destructive Amy is, so it’s very satisfying to finally get to address it! 

7. Amy & Fangs relationship

So much of the story so far has been very focused on Amy & Sweet Pea, Amy & Jughead, and the poly squad, with a moderate amount of Amy & Toni, but Amy & Fangs hasn’t gotten a lot of exploration so far.  Amy and Toni also explored a lot in this chapter but it’s very much for the worse as Toni begins to prioritize Cheryl over the other Serpents.  Amy and Fangs, on the other hand, have much more positive development and we really get to see them being best friends in one-on-one situations, as well as Fangs being the one who can actually handle Amy’s extreme emotions.  I’ve always had it in my head that they’re sort of two sides of the same traumatized coin, and that Fangs understands Amy better than the others (in part due to his own trauma and in part because Amy, Toni, and Sweet Pea are all just very strong and very stubborn personalities and it tends to be a bit of a 50/50 on whether they’ll actually help each other or just set each other off) and I’m really glad that I finally get to start putting that into the story

8. Amy & Fred!!

I stan one father-daughter duo and that is it.  Granted, Amy has only called Fred her dad as a political move (usually against Hiram) and once in the immediate aftermath of being arrested and severely injured, and is just emotionally not prepared to call him “dad”, but Fred is absolutely his father and absolutely adores his chaotic mess of a daughter!  They’ve had some good scenes throughout the fic but Amy is reluctant to spend too much time around Fred because she’s terrified that one day he’s going to reach his limit and decide that he doesn’t want her anymore, so I haven’t gotten to write them nearly as often as I’d like.  But finally we get to see them interact again, and Amy finally gets the love and support that she deserves and we get a bit of backstory on Amy’s childhood post adoption!  

9. Malachai is finally back

Look, I know that I say this about every dynamic, but Amy & Malachai is very genuinely my favourite dynamic in the entire Wayward universe!  I’m super proud of my personal Malachai in general (as @lorettastwilight and I like to put it, Wayward daughter has “Mal” and Riverdale has “Malachai”) but his relationship with Amy is my absolute favourite thing.  It’s really hard to work him into the story sometimes, in part because talking to Malachai would solve all of Amy’s problems in like 20 seconds, but now there’s finally a chance to do it!  I haven’t actually written it yet, it comes right after the scene I’m currently working on, but Amy is a lot more open with Malachai than she is with anyone else, and I love it!  It’s also a lot of fun to write because it combines vulnerable!Amy, who looks at Mal and sees safety and sees the man who had a completely blackout drunk teenager proposition him and not only turned her down but protected her from anyone who might have tried to take advantage of her, with Serpent Queen!Amy who is political and cutthroat and sees Malachai as as the Ghoulie King and as possibly the only person in town as calculating as she is, and it creates a dichotomy that I really love to explore!  And even though only one other person actually knows their backstory, I’m extremely proud of it and it’s really fun to explore how to build that into their dynamic without ever actually acknowledging it 

10. FIFI THE GIRAFFE

No offence to literally any other character, but Fifi The Giraffe is the absolute best part of the entire Wayward Universe, and I finally get to introduce her to the story!  Not only does introducing Fifi make me happy because Fifi is just like, the best, but it also gives me a chance to really focus on the fact that Amy is fifteen and still a child even though she never shows it around other people, and to get to explore a bit more of nine year old Amy immediately post adoption, and her relationship with Fred and Archie!  Both of those are things that I’ve wanted to explore for a long time but that have never really worked with individual chapter arcs or with the pacing of the larger season arc, so now that I can finally write that, I’m really excited to share it with everyone!

I know this turned into a really long essay and I’m so sorry about that, but thank you again so much for sending me this ask!!! (and you’re totally right, this got me super hyped to get back into the chapter!!)

PS: please enjoy this gif of Amy, Archie, and Fifi!

[the-perfect-scientist]

Getting to Know You

People I’d like to know better!

Tagged by: @the-fluffy-angst​ (thanks! I actually haven’t done this one!)

Tagging: @canon-anon-roomba​ @sinshine-bastardtrash-doctors​ @hellsrhapsody​ and anyone else!

-

ONE ( ALIAS / NAME ) Sam or H :) Carlos-Mun is also acceptable XD

TWO ( BIRTHDAY ) December 18th

THREE ( ZODIAC SIGN ) Sagittarius, Monkey

FOUR ( HEIGHT )  Less than 5′2″ (about 1.57m)

FIVE ( HOBBIES )   Drawing, writing, collecting plushies, video games (rpg mostly - i like stories), reading. :)

SIX ( FAVOURITE COLOUR(S ) I like cool colors. Like blues and greens and purples. I think my most favorite though is a lavender purple.

SEVEN ( FAVOURITE BOOKS ) I think one of my first favorite series was the Animorphs series (though I never got around to finishing them. I need to, but I don’t have every copy). Another series that was a huge part of my life was the Fruits Basket manga. It really inspired my drawing at the time.

EIGHT ( LAST SONG LISTENED TO ) Happier by Marshmello feat. Bastille

NINE ( LAST FILM WATCHED ) Trick ‘r Treat. That was... a movie. (Rated R for Really Freaking Weird. But I loved the autistic witch kid. She was adorable.)

TEN ( INSPIRATION FOR MUSE ) Carlos is based from Welcome to Night Vale. I identified with him before I even knew he was canonically on the autistic spectrum. I just really liked his hyper-fixation on science and his intelligence and how attractive Cecil made him out to be in the beginning. I also had a love for the Magic School Bus and at the time there was a theory that Carlos Ramon from MSB was Carlos the Scientist, which is why my Carlos has an affinity for puns and mechanical engineering (MSB Carlos had the makings of a young inventor). For a lot of his backstory, motivations, and even family life I did sort of draw from my own life. Mikey is close to Carlos in age, like my brother is. We’re both the oldest sibling. I do have an estranged parent and I did have a good relationship with that parent’s brother - it’s not touched on much, but Carlos’ uncle Joaquin is Julietta’s older brother, and he loves and the supports the boys wholly. In some verses, Joaquin has passed away (as my uncle did just a couple years ago), but he is very much appreciated. (I’d like the chance to develop Joaquin more some time).

ELEVEN ( MEANING BEHIND YOUR URL )  It’s in reference to Cecil Palmer’s favorite adjective for Carlos from the very beginning of the show. Cecil had a huge crush and he just idolized Carlos, calling just about everything he did ‘perfect’. And, obviously, Carlos is a scientist. I have never changed this URL in maybe five years (or however long ago when I started this blog)

[maeve-of-winter]

Instead of tearing down lgbt characters (yes, that includes lesbians) why aren't we focusing on the fact that straight characters are still treated with the most reverence on the show. The "core four" is comprised of four straight characters. It took an episode called Bizzarodale to give Kevin a real storyline. We still don't know anything about Toni's parents. I'm not understanding what Cheryl has to do with the writers unwillingness to pry 5 or 10 minutes of screentime away from the core four

Anon, here’s the thing: commenting on the canon behavior of characters that is demonstrably wrong (such as stalking someone while pretending to be their friend and then framing someone else for it) or remarking that the writers give them great priority than other characters isn’t “tearing them down.” By your logic, you’re “tearing down” the Core Four by commenting that they receive more screentime than Toni and Kevin.

Since you said you don’t understand my points about Cheryl, I will try to outline them the best I can. Your choice if you want to listen or ignore it all.

1. I can be upset about more than one issue at one time regarding Riverdale’s writing.

This one is pretty simple and pretty much exactly as it says, but one that your above attempt to push aside the issues that I outlined earlier and have multiple times seems to brush aside. I can be upset that the Core Four have so much screentime in comparison to characters like Kevin and Toni while also being upset at how the writing treats Toni in comparison to Cheryl and doesn’t give the spotlight to any queer characters beyond Cheryl.

I do not have to trade one for the other. This is not a zero sum game. I have stated multiple times in the past that I’m upset about Kevin not getting focus or development. Seriously, it’s probably 2/3s of my blog’s content. I just did a post talking about how I dislike that he joins the cult mostly so Betty can angst about it.

But I can also dislike how the show’s writing positions Toni in comparison to and in her relationship with Cheryl.

Also, let’s not pretend for a moment here that Cheryl’s character is neglected in the same way that Toni and Kevin’s characters are or that she doesn’t receive just as much attention from the writers as the Core Four. She absolutely does. Yes, there were a few episodes toward the beginning of the season where she wasn’t receiving quite as much focus, but that was far from the status quo. Cheryl has very consistently been featured just as much as the Core Four since then, and was also a major part of Seasons 1 & 2. She’s not desperately in need of screentime or development like others are.

2. My issue with Cheryl as the writers’ LGBT character of choice

This one is fairly standard, and I feel like we might be frustrated by similar things. My issue here is not with Cheryl’s character in itself. My issue here is that the writers seemed to pick her as the one character to represent all queer characters, give her plot focus, development, and attention no queer character had seen before or has seen since, and gave her a girlfriend seemingly not to have an actual relationship of equals between them but so Cheryl could both prove her queerness and have a constant supportive sidekick. 

The writers seem to think she is the only queer character worth developing, and that is extremely frustrating to me, when a character like Kevin, who were always queer since Season One, are still regulated to the background. Or like Joaquin, who was unceremoniously killed off. 

It bothers me because the writers have various queer characters, and instead of taking time to develop them, even the ones who are supposed to be main characters, instead shrug go, “Well, we have Cheryl, and that’s enough.”

If you think I’m exaggerating, let me remind you of something you said:

We still don't know anything about Toni's parents.

You’re right. We don’t. We don’t even know their names.

And yet, we know the names of Cheryl’s brother, mother, father, uncle, grandmother, ones of her ancestors, aunt, and another uncle. And with the exception of the last two, all of them have played a role in the plot.

Which means that the writers think that Cheryl’s family is worth introducing and developing. And yet we still don’t have an explanation of what happened to Toni’s parents. Not even a mention. Which means the writing staff doesn’t think at all about developing Toni’s background or past. Cheryl gets a detailed history of her family and their exploits, but there’s none of that for Toni.

And if you think that it’s just because Toni’s newer to the show and has only been a main character since the beginning of this season, let’s talk about a character who’s been on the show since the very beginning of Season 1 and a main since Season 2: Kevin.

We still don’t know his mom’s name. The show just never gave her one. We know the name of Cheryl’s ancestor, but the writers never bothered to give his mom a name. Which is kind of noticeable when one of Kevin’s only plots last season revolved around him being upset that his dad was cheating on his mom. And also when one of his only plots this season revolved around him getting a new mother in the form of Sierra as his stepmother.

It just goes to show you how shallow and one-note the few plots Kevin gets are: we don’t ever get to see him talking about anyone about the remarriage and how he feels and how it’s affected his relationship with his biological mother. It’s never mentioned, because the writers think Kevin’s feelings are that negligible. 

So my issue here isn’t with Cheryl at all, but the writing staff and their refusal to develop queer characters beyond Cheryl. The discrepancy is both disappointing and frustrating.

3. The Choni relationship is mostly all about Cheryl. Almost always.

What the title says.

The moment that has unfortunately defined the Choni relationship from the very beginning was the circumstances under which they got together. It was in the later half of Season 2, shortly after the Southside merged with Riverdale High. If you recall, Cheryl very purposefully set out to be snide and nasty to the Southside students for no reason whatsoever, leading other students to have them expelled and maliciously taunting them because she was upset herself and wanted to make other people miserable. (Her reasoning is actually discussed in the brief conversation she had with Midge following Mr. Weatherbee’s announcement of the merge.)   

Then, without Cheryl ever apologizing to Toni for mistreating her and preemptively judging her, in the episode where they get together, the writers suddenly have Toni desperately reaching to help Cheryl for whatever reason. Keep in mind that Cheryl has never been nice to her. Ever. And true to form, Cheryl throws a homophobic insult Toni’s way for her trouble. But Toni continues to reach out to her, and, in scene that is all about Cheryl and Cheryl’s great pain and suffering, they get together, Toni lavishing Cheryl with praise and Cheryl most definitely not returning the favor.

And that’s pretty much the dynamic their relationship has stuck with 95% of the time. For the vast majority of the show, the Choni relationship is about Cheryl’s pain, Cheryl’s ideas, Cheryl’s emotions, Cheryl’s wants, Cheryl’s. And that is my prime issue with it. It is all about a Cheryl. In this interracial relationship between a mixed race black-Native woman and a white woman, it is the white woman character who gets all of the writers’ focus and development. It is the white woman whose character is the one treated as relevant.

I could point to numerous examples, but I feel that the moment that best demonstrates how Cheryl’s feelings are prioritized over Toni’s is when Jughead throws them both out of the Serpents.

Toni has been established by the show as Native American. The Serpents are established to be the last remnants of the Uktena tribe, which Toni is descended from, and Toni’s grandfather is a Serpent as well. The Serpents are not only her friends, but her tribe and her family.

So when Jughead, a white man, throws her out of the Serpents, Toni is essentially losing her heritage. She is having her individuality as a Native American stripped away from her, as white people have historically done to Native peoples for centuries. She is losing her people. She is losing her culture. This is probably a devastating event for her.

But who does the writing focus on?

Cheryl. The girl who’s ancestor slaughtered Toni’s ancestors. The white girl who only just became a Serpent a few months ago. The girl who has no cultural ties to the Serpents, no history with them, no family with them, and actually set out once to drive various members of it away from her high school simply because she didn’t want them there.

That moment, for me, is the epitome of the writers being unwilling to pay attention to Toni’s character in her relationship with Cheryl. When she doesn’t even have a voice when her heritage is being removed. Sure, Toni’s in the scene, and she has far more reason to be upset than Cheryl, but Cheryl’s the one in the relationship the writers want to give lines to, so it’s Cheryl who takes the spotlight while Toni is treated just like she’s some tagalong to Cheryl who barely has an opinion. 

Again.  

All said and done, anon, my issue is far less with Cheryl than with the writing. I don’t like that her white woman pain is treated as more worthwhile in comparison to the various POC characters whose lives she actively set out to destroy. I don’t like that the writers have continually kept the spotlight on her in the Choni relationship and refuse to flesh out Toni’s background at all. And I really don’t like that she’s treated by the writers like the only queer character on the show worth developing.

Yes, the writers could take away screentime from the Core Four and give it to the other queer characters, and I wish they would. But they aren’t doing that, and while they continue not to do that, I’m going to continue to talk about the weird racial implications that surround Cheryl, particularly in her relationship with Toni, and why the writers evidently don’t don’t think Toni is worth the same exploration and development that Cheryl gets week after week.

[charminglatina]

Riverdale Couples & Ships as Romantic Tropes (Part I) ❤️

In this list, I’ll be listing the Riverdale ships and couples (both teen and adult) with the romantic tropes that best represent their relationship on the show. In case you’re wondering where I got the tropes from, I got them from TVTropes.org. This list of couples and their romantic tropes is not a rankings list like my previous other lists which were rankings based on percentages. Because there are so many couples, I have decided to split the lists in two parts. Have fun reading!

#25. Archundy (Archie Andrews & Geraldine Grundy; ROMANTIC TROPE: TEACHER/STUDENT ROMANCE)

Teacher/Student Romance

"I've got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, I'm Hot For Teacher."—Van Halen

It is a pretty good bet that just about any show that features adults and teens interacting in an academic environment will eventually explore a romantic relationship between a teacher and a student. The basis for this type of relationship — if it's actually a romance and not just a Sextra Credit arrangement — can either be the adoration and respect toward the teacher and mentor figure or the teacher's protective and caring instincts, or both. The illicit, forbidden, and most often scandalous nature of these relationships can be mined for angst, and generally doesn't cause real life issues because the actors themselves are generally all above the age of consent thanks to Dawson Casting. But even if the student is eighteen or in college, this sort of extracurricular activity would still be a massive breach of professional ethics in most of the world and in some jurisdictions is considered illegal, regardless of age, in some circumstances (some teachers have been charged for relationships with high school students, even if the relationship didn't begin until after the student turned 18 and the teacher her/himself was only a few years older). Even if it was not illegal, the scandal that would erupt from this socially unacceptable affair would be so devastating it would basically cost a teacher or professor his or her job forever. There are usually different levels of moral endorsement of the relationship, depending on the genders of the participants. Relationships between male teachers and male students are condemned the most harshly. When a male teacher and a female student are together it results in the teacher being viewed as a pervert and sometimes the student being slut shamed. When it's the other way around, a female teacher with a male or even a female student is taken far less seriously. An even more outrageous double standard is that emphasis is often placed on how attractive said female teacher is — the more attractive said teacher, the more acceptable the relationship is. That said, the trope in fiction probably will involve a Hot Teacher, if only for fanservice purposes. An author might attempt to make this relationship less squicky by having the student fulfill the Wise Beyond Their Years trope, by keeping things to Courtly Love only, or by making both participants older — a graduate or doctoral student falling in love with their professor is less likely to cause moral outrage than a high school student doing the same thing due to both participants being adults, though the professional ethics of the situation remain pretty much the same. The relationship may be initiated by a Fille Fatale. A subtrope of Unequal Pairing. Compare Mrs. Robinson. See Likes Older Men, Likes Older Women, and Stacy's Mom for young people lusting after older people in general, Precocious Crush for a more innocent variant, Age-Gap Romance for when there's a significant age difference between them, and Mentor Ship. There's a version specific to magic users called Merlin and Nimue, which takes its cue from the Arthurian Mythos where Merlin formed such a pair with several women. Teacher/Parent Romance occurs when a teacher falls for their student's parent. This group of tropes is among The Oldest Ones in the Book. Although generally frowned upon in Real Life today, it's had varying levels of acceptance throughout history. It was most famously acceptable in Ancient Greece, where it took the form of Lover and Beloved.

#24. Jasolly (Jason Blossom & Polly Cooper; ROMANTIC TROPE: KISSING COUSINS)

Kissing Cousins

"If you're tired of beating around the bush, why not shake the family tree? A hot cousin might fall out."—Stephen Colbert

Romantic/sexual relationships between cousins (meaning, generally, first cousins) are a phenomenon that has been more accepted in some cultures and eras than others. A great many cultures today accept it, including a majority of the industrialized world. Marrying one's extended relatives (which is technically known as clan endogamy) seems to have been common in human evolutionary history, since hominids usually lived in small nomadic bands with few available sexual partners. At the other end of the spectrum, much of the modern U.S.A. considers cousin marriage completely taboo, so Hilarity Ensues at the very mention of it. People from backwoods areas (especially the Appalachian Mountains) are often the preferred butt of many bad jokes as well as occasional bits of Self-Deprecation for the alleged prevalence of Kissing Cousins in their culture. Despite the taboo, cousin marriages are legal in about half the states in the U.S.A., though not as much in the backwoods areas and more in the modern industrialized states, the opposite of what one might expect from hearing all those jokes. Legal or not, these marriages are still not very common due to the lingering cultural taboo. All states permit marriages between second and third cousins, but even these are looked at funny. In the UK, first cousin marriage is unusual and would be regarded as rather odd, but not with the same severity as the US. Second cousin marriages and beyond would be seen as unremarkable. Expect some strong Values Dissonance between the media from the US and other countries, and between certain modern works and works from the nineteenth century and earlier, when the taboo was sometimes non-existent or even inverted. Full scholarly debate on why some cultures would forbid cousins, or even specific types of cousins, to marry, while others ignore or even encourage it, rages on, and lies beyond the scope of this wiki. According to both Oxford's and Merriam-Webster's Dictionaries, the original definition of kissing cousins was simply a relative known well enough to be given a kiss in greeting, although this meaning has long since fallen by the wayside. Check out Incest Is Relative for more closely related tropes. NOTE: This trope is for cases of actual relationships between cousins. Cousincestuous subtext goes in Incest Subtext.

#23. Joaqevin (Joaquin DeSantos & Kevin Keller; ROMANTIC TROPE: BURY YOUR GAYS)

Bury Your Gays

"[Television] has yet to recover from the [2015/16 and 16/17] seasons, which included the deaths of an overwhelming number of lesbian and bisexual women characters. These deaths were often in service of another straight, cisgender character's plotline, and sent a toxic message to audiences. This decades-long trend — referred to in popular culture as "Bury Your Gays" — has made countless headlines in the past year, educating both viewers and creators alike on just how ubiquitous this trope has been."— Opening statement to the 2017/18 GLAAD (Where We Are on TV Report)

The Bury Your Gays trope in media, including all its variants, is a homophobic cliché. It is the presentation of deaths of LGBT characters where these characters are nominally able to be viewed as more expendable than their heteronormative counterparts. In this way, the death is treated as exceptional in its circumstances. Thus, it can be fairly said that, in aggregate, queer characters are more likely to die than straight characters. Indeed, it may be because they seem to have less purpose compared to straight characters, or that the supposed natural conclusion of their story is an early death. Also known as Dead Lesbian Syndrome, though that name has largely fallen out of use post-2015 and the media riots about overuse of the trope. And, as this public outcry restated, the problem isn't merely that gay characters are killed off: the problem is the tendency that gay characters are killed off in a story full of mostly straight characters, or when the characters are killed off because they are gay. However, sometimes gay characters die in fiction because, well, sometimes people die. There are many Anyone Can Die stories: barring explicit differences in the treatments of the gay and straight deaths in these, it's not odd that the gay characters are dying. The occasional death of one in a Cast Full of Gay is unlikely to be notable, either. Can be seen as Truth in Television in some cases, as gay and lesbian people are at a substantially higher risk for suicide and assault — see the tropes Gayngst-Induced Suicide and Homophobic Hate Crime. The fact that AIDS hit the gay male community most prominently provided potent fresh fuel for this long running trope (which, like many things about the eighties, still has an effect on more recent works). There may also be a higher prevalence of this trope in Period Fiction because of its supposed realism since historically there was lots of homophobic persecution — though undoubtedly plenty of acceptance, too. The exact opposite is found in Preserve Your Gays, often a reaction to this.

#22. Kevoose (Moose Mason & Kevin Keller; ROMANTIC TROPE: GAY GUY SEEKS POPULAR JOCK)

Gay Guy Seeks Popular Jock

LGBT media and LGBT characters featured in media have grown in prominence the past few decades. As the visibility grew, a common romance trope was employed over and over again enough that it became cliché: A gay teenager (who is the Audience Surrogate) ranging from Camp Gay to Adorkable to Shrinking Violet falls in love with/actively pursues/crushes on/is paired up with a popular, muscular and (usually) closeted jock. So many gay stories use this trope for several reasons, best written by Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club.

The Star-Crossed Lovers trope is Older Than Dirt and used for so many love stories already, so it stands that it can be used for a same-sex tale of romance and woe.

Rule of Drama: The geeky gay and jock not only come from different "classes" (so to speak) but also face different hurdles in a Coming-Out Story: The geeky gay always is less conventionally masculine, so he doesn't have much to lose by being honest and open. The jock character, by contrast is a Straight Gay, and by coming out may lose a lot more, especially dropping down the social ladder which can lead to tons of conflict and obstacles for the pair getting together.

Most of these writers are gay and this trope could be construed as a form of Wish Fulfillment: The shy, awkward boy landing a popular handsome athlete is a pretty common fantasy amongst gay men, so it stands that this convention would be pretty prominent.

While a common fantasy, this trope is also Truth in Television as this kind of pairing does indeed happen in Real Life. See also Sensitive Guy and Manly Man, Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple, and Star-Crossed Lovers. Frequently employs Gayngst and the Armored Closet Gay trope. See also Single Girl Seeks Most Popular Guy and All Guys Want Cheerleaders for the heterosexual versions of this trope.

#21. McKeller (Tom Keller & Sierra McCoy; ROMANTIC TROPE: MALIGNED MIXED MARRIAGE)

Maligned Mixed Marriage

"Who can feel sympathy for Desdemona? A woman who, born and educated to a splendid and lofty station in the community, betrays her race, her sex, her duty and her country, and makes a runaway match with a blackamoor."—John Quincy Adams

A common source of conflict for a set of married protagonists (or a couple of Star-Crossed Lovers) is for the couple to be of different races among very unaccepting folks. They will be pressured to break up/divorce by family and friends and community, ostracized, exiled or forced to flee, maimed, or murdered, etc. Their children will be likewise persecuted, perhaps more so than the parents, for complicating racial relations and being inherently 'untrustworthy' due to not being fully one race or the other. Even if the adults are fine, other Kids Are Cruel after all. Expect the child to eventually pop the question about whether there's something inherently and incurably wrong with them because of their genetic heritage. And of course, sometimes it's a mixed species marriage, or one between a muggle and a mage, complete with attendant prejudice. On the plus side the scifi/fantasy elements mean the kid is likely to be The Chosen One, a Half-Human Hybrid, a Dhampyr, or perhaps even a Hybrid Monster with really cool powers. That makes up for it, right? Some examples of interracial marriages that earn disapproval can be found in Mighty Whitey and Mellow Yellow, Black Gal on White Guy Drama, and Where Da White Women At?. For mixed species marriages, see also Vampire-Werewolf Love Triangle. In Real Life, mixed-race marriages can be everything from completely accepted to something you only do if you've got a death wish. Thankfully, in many places it's skewed towards the "completely accepted" end of the spectrum, and a great way for someone to reveal themselves as a severe jackass is to show bigotry towards mixed couples. Mixed-race marriages seem to be one of the last bastions of racism. Many opponents of interracial marriage claim to oppose all other forms of racism including genocide, different legal rights, and the physical segregation of races to prevent cultural contamination (and some claim to have friends of other races). However, they generally argue that that it's cruel to have mixed-race kids because they see race as the sole/most important element of collective identity. This makes the existence of people who blur the boundaries between races distressing for people of those races, who will see their identity as being under threat and in their illogical rage target the unfortunate mixed-race children in their midst. Of course, race is just one element of collective identity and while it can be very important to some people this is by no means a given. In general, mixed-race children tend to have about the same level of trouble that their parents have — less if they look like one race or the other instead of an obvious mixture, or live in a society that doesn't care about race. In stories that take place in communities where "race" isn't a defining factor in classifying humanity (like ''some'' of the 19th century USA, East Asia, or Russia), a "mixed marriage" could mean many other different things: mixed ethnicity ("ethnicity" here being vaguely synonymous with "nationality"), mixed religion, or mixed class. Due to Values Dissonance, many of these other "mixed" marriages tend to be Dead Horse Tropes in fiction (at least in the Anglosphere), though they do surface occasionally: consider My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which mines humor from the "scandal" of a ('white') Greek-American woman choosing a ('white') Anglo-American man as her husband... a thing no longer scandalous in the late 20th century, but most certainly was just a few decades previously. Truth in Television, of course, as there are still people who feel this way. Although anti-miscegenation attitudes are not only found in the classic cases of dominant, traditional, "purity"-seeking communities. Notably, some minorities also vocalize disdain for "disloyalty", stemming from the considerable culture-driven asymmetry in cross-race relationships — a subtle but persistent visual reminder of imposed inferiority — and frustrations in changing the narrative over discomforting perceptions of hyper-attractiveness or lack thereof. Then there are some who are simply pricks. But any of these justifications can end up invoking the trope. To be clear, this trope can cover any romantic relationship, not only matrimony. We just like alliteration here.

#20. Fredary (Fred Andrews & Mary Andrews; ROMANTIC TROPE: AMICABLE EXES)

Amicable Exes

"It's things like using force together, Shouting till you're hoarse together, Getting a divorce together, That make perfect relationships."—Company ( "The Little Things You Do Together")

So, people who break up must indefinitely hate each other, right? Wrong. Increasingly common in media are situations where a divorced couple still get along for the most part, and in many cases still care about each other even though they're no longer together. In many cases the divorce happened because of distance, circumstance or the simple fact that people change rather than infidelity, betrayal or other serious problems, and the fact that they got divorced is treated as a fact of life rather than due to a flaw in the people. Both parties also generally agree that it was for the best for both of them. It's also pretty common for couples who broke up because of Incompatible Orientation or who were each other's Last Het Romance to end up this way. If there are children from the marriage they are shared without much complaint, and the amicability of the parents can often be interpreted as being partly for their sake. As such, this tends to show up in children's cartoons, perhaps as an attempt to counter the stereotype of the children of divorced parents being largely unhappy. May involve a Visit by Divorced Dad that will usually go well, and for the most part any Divorce Assets Conflicts are avoided or settled reasonably. The increase in this trope can be attributed in the dramatic shift in divorce rates and public perception of those who have gone through with divorces in the last 50 years (i.e. between the 1950s and the start of the 21st century). While divorce used to be scandalous, it's now a fairly common occurrence, and this trope reflects the view that it's just a fact of life that doesn't have to permanently poison a relationship. Sometimes it even results in Divorce Is Temporary, though this is less common in more realistic works and those aimed at children due to being a Family-Unfriendly Aesop ("wish hard enough and your parents will get back together!"). Can apply to non divorced former couples as well, thus the name. If someone's current and former squeeze get along well with each other, it's The Missus and the Ex. Compare Working with the Ex and Sex with the Ex. No, this is not about friendly .exe files.

#19. Clinelope (Clifford Blossom & Penelope Blossom; ROMANTIC TROPE: ARRANGED MARRIAGE)

Arranged Marriage

"We who are of noble blood may not follow the wishes of our hearts."—Jane Olsen (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)

An Arranged Marriage is, quite simply, the idea that someone is going to choose your spouse for you. The way an Arranged Marriage is treated by the plot will be dependent on place and time. For most of human history, arranged marriages were the norm because "marriage" was less about the union of two souls and more about the union of two families. The rise of the "Marry for Love" ideal didn't really start in Western culture until the 16th century, and there are places on Earth where it still hasn't. Additionally, the "Marriage Before Romance" trope often went hand-in-hand with arranged marriages. While the priority is, again, the union of two families, that union is dependent on the stability and comfort of the two people getting married, so the two families would try their best to come up with a Perfectly Arranged Marriage. The couple's happiness just wasn't the main goal the way it is in Western marriages today. However, the one thing that is almost always present in an arranged marriage is tension. Most people don't really want to marry a total stranger (much less have sex with them), and if that total stranger turns out to be a complete rogue and a cad, it may be necessary for the heroes to spring into action and rescue the hapless member of their group who is being forced to walk down the aisle. (Of course, being Big Damn Heroes, they'll have to do so in the most overblown and dramatic way possible.) Sometimes, the person in the arranged marriage takes matters into their own hands and becomes a Runaway Fiancé. The "aggrieved" party may claim Breach of Promise of Marriage in response, as arranged marriages tend to be viewed as legally binding commitments by those who initiate it. Alternately, there's a Love Triangle. The character of the suitor is less likely to be important in those cases, but they generally won't look kindly on the outsider's interference. Conversely, an Arranged Marriage can be used to lock the hero and heroine together so that their disputes can not end with one of them washing their hands of the other. A common tactic is for the daughter of a wealthy but common family to be matched with the Impoverished Patrician, for his title: Nobility Marries Money. Occasionally, it's the other way around, with a titled daughter and a moneyed son. Families may even pledge infant children in marriage pacts that cannot be concluded until many years later. Both in fiction and in Real Life, royal children (sons as well as daughters) were used as pawns in the political game cementing alliances and peace treaties with their marriages. You might say it was their job to take part in such Altar Diplomacy. The Arranged Marriage is not to be confused with: a Childhood Marriage Promise (whereby a prepubescent couple voluntarily pledges their own non-legally-binding, future troth); a marriage which may arise out of convenience; or a marriage that arises from some kind of cultural mistake. For clarity's sake, the Arranged Marriage trope will deal only with more binding, traditional types of unions. See also Parental Marriage Veto, You Have Waited Long Enough, Old Man Marrying a Child, Homosocial Heterosexuality, Royal Inbreeding, and Marriage Before Romance. A Shotgun Wedding is a short-notice forced marriage. If someone agrees to an Arranged Marriage but loves someone else, Courtly Love may be involved. If the people doing the "arranging" in the marriage aren't the parents, that's a Bureaucratically Arranged Marriage. Often involves Prince Charmless and Rebellious Princess. At least recently, one of the potential spouses was as likely as not to try to defy this. When the audience really doesn't want this marriage, expect the Big Damn Heroes to show up right at the Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace line. To see the types of follies and foibles associated with modern dating services, see Dating Service Disaster. Supertrope to Perfectly Arranged Marriage. Subtrope of Marriage of Convenience. Contrast Marry for Love. Compare And Now You Must Marry Me. Compare and contrast Fourth Date Marriage, where the couple likewise barely knows each other but it was Love at First Sight.

#18. Halice (Hal Cooper & Alice Cooper; ROMANTIC TROPE: AWFUL WEDDED LIFE)

Awful Wedded Life

Take it from me Spaghetti Man, better dead than wed."— Richie Tozier, IT

The depiction of monogamous marriage as rather like a long, slow, exquisite torture by a sadistic god from whose malicious clutches escape is impossible. Husbands are child-like buffoons who watch too much football, leave the toilet seat up, ogle hot women, and forget anniversaries. Wives are frigid, nagging, hateful shrews with zero interest in sex. Children destroy your home and what little peace of mind you have left, while waiting their turn to perpetuate the cycle. Obnoxious In-Laws serve to add to the misery. The audience may be left wondering, "Why don't they just get a divorce, if they're so miserable?" Married... with Children was probably the first time this trope was the main focus of an American sitcom, but it's been a mainstay of British shows since The '50s. It is also a staple of Borscht Belthumour, but that may be less to do with venom than with Jews Love to Argue or Jewish Complaining. The name, for those who don't get it, is a reference to the line of the traditional wedding vows, "Lawful wedded wife". Similar to No Accounting for Taste, but you'll rarely (if ever) see the Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other moments occasionally found in that trope. Compare The Masochism Tango, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Like an Old Married Couple, Dead Sparks, and Married Too Young. Contrast Happily Married for the opposite and Happy Marriage Charade for when this trope pretends to be Happily Married. Unfortunately, Truth in Television for many people until quite recently, in eras with some combination of marriages being arranged for family advantage (or some other type of Marriage of Convenience) rather than created by mutual attraction, divorce being impossible or hugely disapproved of, or unintentional pregnancy leading to a choice of marriage or social ostracism.

#17. Fralice (Fred Andrews & Alice Cooper; ROMANTIC TROPE: AW, LOOK! THEY REALLY DO LOVE EACH OTHER)

Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other

When a couple/potential couple — who spend the entirety of the show yelling at each other, insulting one another, stabbing each other in the back, etc. — have a moment when they reveal that, deep down, they really care for one another. Awwww. Often takes place in a humorous rushing-to-your-spouse's-defense manner, where one of them angrily defends the other against the same kind of insults that they themselves like to dish out. The common line is: "Nobody insults/beats up/threatens my wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend but me!" If this relation is between friends then they are Vitriolic Best Buds. If it is between siblings, then it either combines Big Brother Bully and Big Brother Instinct or is Thicker Than Water. If the romance part comes without warning or justification, the trope may fall flat, since it comes out of nowhere when the previous context of the story makes it seem like they have nothing to love about each other. When couples don't even have these moments you get No Accounting for Taste. See also Defrosting Ice Queen, Slap-Slap-Kiss and Belligerent Sexual Tension. A couple version of a Pet the Dog moment.

#16. Halelope (Hal Cooper & Penelope Blossom; ROMANTIC TROPE: YOUR CHEATING HEART)

Your Cheating Heart

"Your cheatin' heart will make you weep, You'll cry and cry and try to sleep. But sleep won't come the whole night through, Your cheatin' heart will tell on you."—Hank Williams ( "Your Cheatin' Heart”)

Two-timing, playing away from home, having a bit on the side, going behind your partner's back, adultery, infidelity... There are a lot of names for cheating on your partner, but most of them have the same outcome: a world of hurt. Most of us recognize this type of plot: Bob is married to Alice. One day, Bob sees Carol at a club and is attracted to her. Perhaps things haven't been going so well with Alice for some time. Maybe they just had a major fight and Bob stormed off. Or maybe his marriage is perfectly healthy, and Bob has no excuse. Whatever the reason, Bob flirts with Carol, which eventually leads to a sexual or romantic relationship and the various things that entails. But here's the thing: Bob doesn't tell Alice about it. He doesn't dump her, he doesn't tell her that he thinks the marriage is on the rocks, he doesn't talk to her about Polyamory or swinging, he doesn't even ask for "more space". He continues to play the part of her husband, and expects her to continue being his wife, hoping that Alice won't notice when he starts coming in late for dinner, or ask him about the mysterious expenditures on their joint account. Sometimes, just to really play Alice for a sucker, their marriage will seemingly improve— he buys Alice gifts, pays attention to her and seems much happier, but all the while he's running off to see Carol. For extra scumbag points, he may be keeping Carol similarly in the dark about Alice. Chances are he'll eventually get caught; if he didn't, the story wouldn't have the same dramatic impact. A lot of angst and tension will ensue. Way back in the day, when marriage was considered permanent and divorce was a word whispered fearfully by gossiping old ladies, The Affair was a shocker of a storyline, and very often an automatic Moral Event Horizon for the cheating partner. However, it's worth noting that even further back in the day, the gods, goddesses and minor side characters of mythology listed "infidelity" under "Hobbies", didn't particularly care if their new "partner" was willing, and got away with it. Only their mortal lovers got the nasty side of the wronged wife's/husband's temper when the affair was discovered. Nowadays, affairs are common in any Soap Opera and turn up an awful lot in other types of story as well. We don't really expect a fictional husband and wife to stay faithful to each other for forty or so years. Supposedly, a solid marriage makes a boring story (though some would disagree). Often, a sequence of "get together → one cheats → they break up → they make up → the other one cheats", and so on) will be followed so often and so tiresomely that it becomes a Yoyo Plot Point. What defines cheating usually depends on the context of the story and the characters involved. Stories aimed at younger audiences, or with a clear emphasis on romantic, monogamous relationships, will probably count kissing and flirting as cheating. Most examples of cheating in shows aimed at adults, however, will involve sex. Occasionally, characters may clash specifically because they have different definitions of cheating: for example, the husband who protests that he was drunk and it was "just a kiss" to his furious wife, or a girlfriend who can't understand why her boyfriend doesn't like her flirting with her male friends. A few rules usually hold true in fiction: If a woman cheats, her paramour just scored a massive victory over her cuckolded husband, who is now permanently dishonored. The (male) big boss of any given workplace is likely to be two-timing his wife. The Protagonist remains sympathetic if they cheat, and becomes an innocent, wronged victim if they are the one being cheated on. Bisexuals are portrayed as incapable of faithfulness or have merely informed sexuality, and men are more prone to having affairs than women (and often portrayed as The Unfair Sex too when it comes to cheating). Unfortunately, adultery is Truth in Television, as many broken hearts and broken families will testify. It is also one of the most common reasons that people murder each other.

#15. Fladys (FP Jones & Gladys Jones; ROMANTIC TROPE: OUTLAW COUPLE)

Outlaw Couple 

Two lovers who team up to commit crime, usually violent crime and especially robbery, and are usually on the run from the law. Such couples are almost always inspired by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, "Bonnie & Clyde." Which one is the brains of the outfit tends to vary from couple to couple. Sometimes one is a calm and collected criminal who charms the other into a life of crime. Other times, one is a loose cannon while the other is a cool-headed professional. Many Bonnie and Clyde stories end in tragedy, as did the original couple. This one is Truth in Television, though it should be noted that most fiction tends to romanticize the life of crime that such characters tend to lead. Compare/contrast Minion Shipping. See Unholy Matrimony for a more over-the-top, super powered version of this team-up. Expect some Back-to-Back Badasses moments, as well as a selfish suicide if one partner dies. May result in sympathetic villains or even Sympathetic Murderers, especially if their affection for each other is given the spotlight.

#14. Hiramione (Hiram Lodge & Hermione Lodge; ROMANTIC TROPE: UNHOLY MATRIMONY)

Unholy Matrimony

Poison Ivy: Once you have frozen mankind, these babies will overrun the globe, and we shall rule them, for we will be the only two people left in the world. Mr. Freeze: Adam and Evil.—Batman & Robin

You know how the story goes, right? Big Bad meets Baroness, Baroness meets Big Bad, their eyes meet, and horribly discordant music that sounds not unlike the screaming of tortured souls arise. It's black magic... a match made in hell! Lord Worldbreaker and Lady Firestorm are, individually, serious threats to the heroes, but what happens if they're suddenly working intimately together? That's when it gets really dangerous. A pair of villains capable of channeling The Power of Love is enough to give even the most hardened group of heroes a serious challenge, and worse yet, seeing the villains in love may make them doubt their own motivations. Should one of the villains fall, the other one grieving over their fallen lover is quite likely to initialize an Alas, Poor Villainscenario, and maybe even a My God, What Have I Done? Should another villain start messing with the happy couple, it's usually played as a Kick the Dog moment. ...of course, these people are villains, so you can never really be sure that one or both of them isn't just playing at being in love, in order to manipulate and use the other. If the love is genuine but unrequited, expect the one who genuinely loves to sacrifice their life to protect the other, only for the other to disdainfully ignore them as they lie dying, proclaiming that they're no longer useful. Usually, this signals a crossing of the Moral Event Horizon. If both were faking it, expect them to show their true colors at the same time. Hilarity Ensues—and it's never mentioned ever again. The most classic version of this trope occurs when two previously established antagonists suddenly take a new-found interest in each other, but it can also involve a newcomer falling for an established villain, or even a pair of villains who were, from the beginning, a "villainous couple". In the first-mentioned scenario, Enemy Mine may occur in order to match the united power of the couple — which can get particularly interesting if the "bedfellow" is another villain, who is driven by jealousy...May form a Big Bad Duumvirate. Compare Villainous Friendship, when the two are truly friends with each other, but not in a romantic way. Contrast Minion Shipping (which involves minions instead of actual villains) and Mad Love (which is one-sided). Outlaw Couple is the petty crime version of this. In the case of fiction with multiple villains where taking two out of the equation would still leave a bunch of bad guys, if it's genuine on both sides this can be used as a prelude to a Heel–Face Turn or at the very least a "Get out of Jail Free" Card. If the couple in question is heterosexual, expect the man to be the more important half of the couple, possibly making her more of a Dark Mistress. Subtrope of Even Evil Has Loved Ones. Not to be confused with Awful Wedded Life, which describes the marriage itself to be terrible, not the people involved.

#13. Formione (FP Jones & Hermione Lodge; ROMANTIC TROPE: WELL, EXCUSE ME, PRINCESS! & FOE ROMANCE SUBTEXT)

Well, Excuse Me, Princess! 

"Why must everything you say to me sound like a criticism?"— Robin Hood to Marian (BBC's Robin Hood)

Snarky loser hero meets snarky haughty heroine. They either fall in love, or they snark. Usually both. This is essentially a satire of the standard Magical Girlfriend, which describes a beautiful, classy, good-mannered, loyal girl—the logical result being she should be somewhat critical of her loser boyfriend. She makes no attempt to ignore the fact that he is the Loser Protagonist, and frequently calls him on it, criticizes him, and rarely if ever fawns over him like some Fangirl. She expects better from him and pushes him to improve, while still expecting to be taken care of. However, the guy usually takes it in stride, mocks her in return, or just says the trope title. Expect a generous helping of Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other moments, to let the audience know why they should be supporting this couple. The idea is that the snarky loser will help the princess loosen up and be friendlier, while the princess constantly holding the loser to a higher standard will eventually make him improve himself. Often appears in Love Comedies, depending on how satirical the story is. See also Tsundere. Related to Belligerent Sexual Tension. Compare/Contrast Screw You, Elves! and Surrounded by Idiots. If it involves an actual Princess Princess, see Royal Brat. The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask can make similar demands.

Foe Romance Subtext

"Thou hast beat me out Twelve several times, and I have nightly since Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me; We have been down together in my sleep, Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat, And waked half dead with nothing."— Aufidius to his blood enemy, Act 4, Scene 5, Coriolanus

The implications of sexual tension between arch-enemies. Just as Ho Yay is about the situation of implying romance where even the characters' canonical sexual orientations make it implausible, this trope intentionally creates an even deeper paradox by subtextually implying love in a relationship that is, textually, the opposite of love. This trope is much more likely to come into play if one is The Rival and The Only One Allowed to Defeat You, or a Rival Turned Evil, and is especially likely if one is an Evil Former Friend. If enemies have to work together, it can give the impression that adversity makes strange bedfellows. Other times, this trope can be invoked by a villain who seems to be too eager and persistent about trying to convince or force the hero to rule the world together, and eventually appear as a one-sided Villainous Crush. Terms of Endangerment often feature, and watch out for the "Take That!" Kiss. Dark Magical Girls are often depicted as understanding their Magical Girl counterpart far more than anyone else, and after inevitable redemption at the very least become Heterosexual Life-Partners, if not more. Since most heroes and their villains tend to be the same gender, this results in most examples of Foe Yay overlapping with Ho Yay, but different gender foes qualify too. When it ultimately goes from subtext to text, and the two admit that they love each other, it is called Dating Catwoman. Contrast with Defecting for Love. For the villain who really is sexually obsessed with The Hero, see Stalker with a Crush, Mind Game Ship, In Love with Your Carnage, and Villainous Crush. See also Destructo-Nookie, when they actually do go the whole nine yards. See also Foe Yay Shipping, for the subjective audience reaction of insisting that after a certain number of such scenes, the two should become a couple (this appeal often lies in the forbidden nature of the relationship, a staple of the shipper diet). Please move non-objective examples to that page. Not to be confused with Faux Yay.

#12. Fredmione (Fred Andrews & Hermione Lodge; ROMANTIC TROPE: RICH SUITOR, POOR SUITOR)

Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor

"One of them is dark and poor One fair with lots of money I don't know which one to choose The flower or the honey"—Celtic Woman ("At the Ceili")

One of the most common complications in the classic Love Triangle scenario. Two men are vying for a women's affection. Who's the right one? It's hard to tell, but there's a good chance that one of them is considerably wealthier than the other, and he can provide security, glamour and the good life, while the other (who has a good chance of being an impoverished artist) can give none of the same. What are you gonna do? Most of the time, it's going to be "go with the poor one," and the story will carry an Aesop that true love is worth more than material wealth. This makes sense if the rich one is a total bore or outright jackass, or the woman is just not in love with him as she is with the broke one. When done poorly, the rich one often ends up as the Designated Villain. This trope overlaps considerably with Wrong Guy First and Disposable Fiancé, but keep in mind that the rich suitor is not necessarily wrong, first or particularly disposable. This trope is most often "two men and one women" because of a sense that woman needs someone to 'provide for her'. This sort of logic ties into Unable to Support a Wife and generates part of this trope's conflict. If the suitors are also a Betty and Veronica pair, the dynamic will typically be either "poor but nice suitor vs. rich but haughty suitor" or "poor but exciting suitor vs. rich but boring suitor", being obviously slanted toward the poor suitor in both cases. In fact, having the rich suitor win or even be a decent, likeable person is a rare variation of this trope.note Perhaps the trope name should have been "Poor Suitor Wins" instead? The odd exception can happen though, with the rich suitor being a nice, decent person and the poor suitor being a male Gold Digger. Compare Gold Digger, Meal Ticket, and Uptown Girl. It can involve Compete for the Maiden's Hand.

End of Part I. Please check out Part II! 

[conscriptur]

“ i had nothing to do with that. ” moose

angst & post-angst sentences.  || accepting

If it hadn’t been for the fact there were countless people sitting in that waiting room worried sick about Fangs Fogarty, including the young Serpent’s mom, Joaquin would have pulled the tough guy act and attempted to lunge at the jock. How could he say that he had nothing to do with it? Moose may have not pulled the trigger that night when the riot broke out but he had everything to do with Fangs getting shot. Petty anger, that’s all this was but it meant a whole hell of a lot more to Joaquin. This was his best friend that was in surgery on the brink of death. This was his best friend that he saw lying in his own blood. So taking his anger out on Moose was the only way for him to cope right then. 

Why had he been so against the Northside teen? Easy. He was the boyfriend of the girl that ended up almost dead--the incident in which Fangs was blamed. Joaquin didn’t actually know the whole story of what all happened but there was a gut instinct that Moose played a role in it somehow. “ You didn’t shoot him, no, but you’re the girl’s boyfriend, right? You’re just as guilty with how you treated him, you and your Northside asshole friends, when my best friend has been nothing but honest about everything. So you didn’t do the deed but you still have everything to do with him in there-- ” Joaquin pointed to the double doors, where behind in some cold, white room, no doubt Fangs was being stitched up like a doll. His emotions were getting the best of him now. He could just hear Fangs give a laugh at how sensitive he always could be. 

“ My best friend might fucking die. All because of you and the other Northside jocks getting a little upset that your girl finally had a realization of what good taste in guys was. ”

@oftroubledsouls ( moose mason )

[maeve-of-winter]

Can you please stop acting like you care about Midge? Honestly she was a swet girl who didn't deserve to die or anything bad yeah but the truth is that she was a tertiary character at most who had like no development at all and no reason for people to actually care whether her boyfriend hoops up with someone or not after her death... If you think it's bad writing and prefers Joaquin with Kevin that's fair, but just say that instead of pushing this "Wow they're doing Midge dirty" narrative.

Anon, you do realize that some of us care about misogyny and how female characters are treated, right? I mean, I realize that Kevin/Moose shippers don’t since Midge being killed means you get your ship of choice with the icky woman out of the way for good, but there are people out there who are concerned with how the female characters in Riverdale are represented.

Here’s the thing: until Midge died, I actually did ship Kevin/Moose (seriously, if you scroll back far enough in the “Kevoose” tag, you’ll see my posts), along with a whole bunch of other Kevin ships. It was not until she died and the show began using her death in a very specific, ugly way to motivate male characters that I turned again Kevin/Moose. I ship Joavin now by default. 

What happened to Midge is a classic example of “women in refrigerators” AKA “fridging.” Fridging is when a female character is killed off, raped, or otherwise injured to provide motivation to a male character, because while women’s suffering is supposed to be tragic, it’s also not intended by these writers to be their own. It’s meant to about how it affects and wounds the men, because women themselves often aren’t viewed as important enough to have storylines of their own, or to even have agency. And it is very, very rarely reversed with men being hurt to motivate women.

My deepest annoyance with Midge’s death is that it is not her own. I understand that she needed to be one of the Black Hood’s victims to drive the plot, but I’m still annoyed that she got used as a shock death. But if her death had people focusing on who she was and how much they will miss her, then fine. Instead, we just get a bunch of people and the show unironically using Midge as a motivating tool. Cheryl seems like she could care less about Midge herself being dead and more that a Vixen is dead, and inexplicably throws in with the Lodges, people whom she previously protested against and people her girlfriend is against for trying to take her home from her. To Reggie and Moose, Midge’s death drive their vendetta against the Southside and then ignite further conflict between the Northside and the Southside. To Fangs and, indirectly, Jughead, Midge’s death is a reason for them to angst, but not because she died and they’ll miss her, but because of the way her death is shaping up to affect them.

It’s not uncommon that a woman’s death is treated as motivation for the characters of a story, but it’s still a lazy, tired trope to use. Especially with how Reggie instantly charges out to fight the Southsiders when he realizes Midge was dating one of them in a scene filled with “How dare you touch one of our women!” vibes, even though they’d only been showing interacting once onscreen before. This is one dude who has no reason to feel motivated by this woman’s death, since he was barely shown to know her. And yet, somehow he’s driven to attempt to murder Fangs because he’s so upset at the idea of Midge’s death? It makes no sense whatsoever and can only be a classic case of “woman dies to motivate man.” (Yes, I know Reggie was in love with Midge in the comics, but the show is not the comics, and if Reggie was in love with Midge, they needed to establish that in the show.)

Also, another aspect I’m annoyed with is how they retconned Midge into cheating on Moose with Fangs. I honestly do believe they did this to make it more acceptable that Moose was cheating on her so that the audience will ignore that he was kind of an ass to her when she was alive and simply feel sorry for the guy with the dead girlfriend. I also think they’re going to try to use it to make it okay for him to date Kevin so soon after Midge died, but it doesn’t take away from how badly Moose has treated Kevin in the past. People can headcanon all they want about Moose and Midge having an open relationship, but from what we saw, Moose lied about Midge knowing about him and Kevin and tried to trick Kevin into thinking it would be okay if they started up another fling together, and Kevin was upset about it.

As a final note, I really do feel like the show did do Midge dirty. In a season where most of our main characters were continually acting like assholes or being astoundingly self-absorbed but the show didn’t realize how bad they were, Midge’s genuine kindness toward Kevin felt wonderfully refreshing. At last, we were onscreen with someone who cared about someone other than themselves! And then she was brutally murdered. I can’t help but think that’s something of a metaphor for Riverdale’s second season: people who act like assholes and do asshole things are rewarded for them and the show doesn’t realize that they are assholes, while characters who do seem genuinely nice are slaughtered offscreen. If only Midge had become a teen mobster and decided to unite with Archie and Veronica in making people homeless--I’m sure the show would have spared her then.

And before you response with “Well, perfect characters are boring! Characters should be allowed to make mistakes!” 1) There is a huge difference between the characters being completely unflawed and constantly being an asshole with no sign of development, and 2) there is a huge difference between a story that realizes its characters are assholes and a story that doesn’t. Riverdale doesn’t. It wants us to accept that the main characters are good and it wants us to root for them simply because these are our main characters. It continually shows our main characters (especially Archie and Veronica) being horrible people, but it does not ever acknowledge when they’re being horrible, or they portray it as understandable or inconsequential.

I can accept a story that’s about flawed characters struggling with what’s right or making bad choices as long as the narrative understands that they are flawed. What I resent is when I’m asked to accept characters as good people when they do bad things over and over and over, with no sign of stopping, no sign of regret, and no sign of development. And that is what Riverdale has been asking me to do this season with various characters. Midge was a character they didn’t do that with--she was just nice, plain and simple. So yeah, I’m going to be upset when one of the few likable characters this season dies. Especially when her death is used to try to make us feel sorry for her jackass boyfriend who cheated on her when she was alive, tried to manipulate a lonely gay kid he knew was interested in him into unknowingly cheating with him, and whose response to her death was to go out and target poor people.

[maeve-of-winter]

Review of "Riverdale" Issue #4

Earlier this year, I had some thoughts (here, here, here, and here) on how the Riverdale TV series, based off of Archie Comics, treated Kevin Keller, who debuted several years ago as the franchise's first gay character. I was not pleased by the show's treatment of him, as the portrayal seemed rooted in dated stereotypes and unwilling to go beyond them, so it was with some trepidation that I picked up Riverdale #4, an issue of the associated comic book which focuses on Kevin. 

Let's get one thing out of the way: if you hoped this story would expand on Kevin's relationship with Joaquin, or showcase his talents and abilities at anything in any way, or at least give him a shred of more personality than "token gay character," you will be sorely disappointed like I was. Because this comic is all about the gay angst in a way that makes Thomas Barrow's arc in Season Six of Downton Abbey look cheerful.

A large part of the story focuses on Kevin's loneliness as the only openly student at Riverdale High School and his inability to get a date. He doesn't even have any luck with online dating, either--when Veronica spices up his online profile by using a picture of Archie, Kevin's date ditches him instantly when he sees what Kevin actually looks like. Even when Betty and Veronica take Kevin to a gay club, he's still all doom and gloom, and it's no surprise, as 75% of this story is a miserable slog of Kevin feeling isolated, unattractive, unwanted, and utterly alone.

Are these realistic feelings for a gay teenager in a small town to have? Absolutely. Does that make reading this comic any more enjoyable? No. If you have consumed any queer media of any kind that involved a gay teenager feeling like an outcast, you have read this comic book, and it absolutely feels like you have read it before. And as you're reading it, you wonder, "Wait, why the hell am I reading this again?" Because this story is everything you've seen before with any type gay protagonist, with next to none of the heart and certainly none of the gravitas or depth. I don't know why every writer seems fascinated with writing stories involving LBGTQ+ being miserable and persecuted when they could just as easily write them as happy and well-adjusted, but it's a trope that I'm thoroughly becoming sick of, none more so with Kevin's various depictions. There are some decent moments in this issue, to be sure. Reggie Mantle gets a well-deserved good showing as a savvy classmate who sympathizes with Kevin and gets him a fake ID on the house (link to panel). Kevin and his father share a nice moment together. And there is a bright spot for Kevin at the end (though if you know how his relationship with a character named Devin ended in the main Archie Comics, perhaps Kevin is just in store for more heartache). And Kevin and his father have a nice moment (Link to panel). But this comic is more misses than hits for me, for several reasons. This comic seems to confirm that while Kevin is friendly with Reggie, he has none of the strong male friendships he did in the original comics--he lists Betty and Veronica as his friends and no one else. (A gay male character who has only female friends? Groundbreaking.) Furthermore, while I understand it was necessary for story purposes of the oh-so-original tale of a gay teen who's sad and alone, the emphasis on just how much more attractive Archie is compared to Kevin seemed unnecessary and bordering on mean-spirited, as if it were trying to point out what a loser Kevin was. Riverdale hasn't let Kevin do much as a character, in either the show or the comic, and now it seems determined to point out in addition to everything Kevin is not, he's also not physically appealing. It's like they're trying to write him as Jerry from Parks and Rec. And the title of this issue--"We Need to Talk About Kevin"--made the most amatuer of mistakes: referencing well-known creative works in your own creative works only invites comparisons, and yours will often be the one compared unfavorably. Not to mention that a previous incident regarding Kevin's gay experiences is mentioned, and it sounds much more interesting and intense than anything that happened here (Link to panel). But where this story ultimately failed, and failed hard, was giving Kevin even a hint of substance to his character. In the show, he's the sassy gay friend to Betty in the early episodes, and then switches to being Veronica's sassy gay friend who hangs with the girls, gossips about hot boys, and of course, is interested in fashion. He has a mostly offscreen relationship with a gang member, Joaquin. In the comics, he's now the forever alone sad gay character. I know nothing about Kevin's character other than that he's gay, which the writers somehow always find the most stereotypical way possible to remind me of. When Kevin is talking to his father, Sheriff Keller assures him, "You'll meet someone--maybe during your Broadway career," and I have no idea what the hell this line is referring to. Is Kevin supposed to want to be a playwright? An actor? Costume designer? Special effects artist? I don't know, because the show hasn't told me, and this comic book hasn't told me, either. (Also, a gay male character interested in theater? Revolutionary.) I know nothing about Kevin other than him being gay, because the writers want to remind me of that through the most done-to-death cliches at every turn. I want various things for Kevin, both in the show and the comics. I want him to be able to be good at something, to have talents and competencies like the other characters. I want him to be able to have an onscreen romance like the other characters and be happy. I want him to have story arcs like the other characters do, in the same ways that other characters do (as in, I don't want a story with Betty, Archie, Jughead, and Veronica solve a mystery while Kevin fights homophobia because the writers can't conceive of a gay character doing anything else.) But most of all? I want him to be an actual character rather than a cipher for nearly every gay stereotype in media to ever exist.