#he more so than her i would argue and honestly she'd feel bad for him ig bc they both want change

[chikoyama]

Please, I want to write Chiyori as a higher-up in her mid-twenties (25-26) advocating for change, but it’s really an uphill battle, because the committee makes up a bunch of conservative asshole men and women who keep overruling her in votings. (Spoilers underneath cut).

Possibly before canon where Gojo snaps and decides to execute them all. Maybe he only spares her? 💀

At that point in her timeline, Chiyori has separated from the sorcerer clan she originates from. Though, during her time living with them, she got deep insights into the politics of the Jujutsu Society and how they operate. Living with her clan also granted her immunity in regards to the prosecution she faced after she lost control of her cursed technique and slaughtered her adoptive parents.

However, she'd need someone with power and authority to help and stand behind her to get a spot among the higher-ups (Gojo Satoru). Possibly also a body guard, beause the other higher-ups would probably be so annoyed that there's a woman sitting among them, lol. A young and pretty one too.

[cashmoneyyysstuff]

Crying bc that could never be me bc I never really had close guy friends when I was young please write a one shot or something of childhood friends y/n and Katsuki of Katsuki being immune to cooties and bringing these tendencies to UA together 😭

eeeee i was secretly hoping someone would ask me to talk about this more tehhehehe here you go ! I didn’t rlly get what you meant with him carrying the cootie thing to high school so i wrote this around your ask a lil, hope you don't mind ! i tried honoring your request as best i can, hope you enjoy !

fem reader, polar opposite’s trope except not POLAR opposite’s cus yn is a little shit on the low, mitsuki favoritism lol, mitsuki and katsuki arguing n bein sassy, katsuki gets embarrassed, mitsuki is mischievous, katsuki calling his mother old, yn calls mitsuki ‘miss’, pure fluff honestly, say it with me CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE WOHOOOO, mentions of making out n kissing, established relationship, cooties lol, lemme know if i missed sum else <3 !!

katsuki wants to do one of three things right now : dissapear, sink into the floor or die—and the more he hears his old hag babbling on and on to you with a familiar photo album in her lap, the more he's starting to find the all three options tempting.

" oh look, this was at you guys' kindergarten graduation ! you were both soooo small, do you remember that ?! "

he hears his mom gush from the other bigger living room couch she's sitting on with you. it's been 15 minutes since you had come over to his house and the plan was for you guys to hang out, watch a movie and get a make out session in before you leave or preferably have you sleep over.

that was the plan, until his old hag came and fucked it up.

15 minutes since she'd dragged you over to the couch and talked your ear off about whatever the fuck moms talk about and you, being the sweetheart that you are, listened patiently the whole time, chatting and giggling out jokes easily. katsuki really, really doesn't know how you do it but he sure as hell respects you for it.

you'd always insisted on being polite with his mom, something about staying in her good graces after you guys had started dating. katsuki thinks that's extremely stupid because his mom has loved you since that day in elementary school when he'd dragged you over to her, his little hand gripping yours tightly and proudly exclaiming you were the one he was gonna marry. you were sweeter and calmer than he was by far and she was immediatly enamoured with you. katsuki's damn near sure she loves you more than she loves him. that in itself isn't the problem. the problem was that she's been hogging you ever since you walked in the door.

usually, katsuki's fast enough to drag you up to his room before she can get her claws in you, but he wasn't fast enough today and that's how he ended up in his current predicament.

" and this one when you came over for christmas—oh, katsuki begged me to let you stay over, you know ? you cannot believe how loud he can get when he doesn't get his way, started rolling around on the floor n' everything ! "

katsuki feels his ears redden the more he listens to this conversation and he wishes so bad for you guys to just fucking go. he could go to his room and avoid this entire conversation in theory, but he'd rather avoid his mom telling you some other embarrassing stories that you absolutely do not need to know about, so he concedes and tries his best to drown the conversation out, scrolling on his phone.

"ou, i have an adorable picture of katsuki in the bath let me find—"

" DON'T FUCKIN’ SHOW HER THAT, HAG ?! " katsuki shrieks, startling you, his mom looks surprised for no more than a milisecond before shooting him a nasty glare unphased by her son's outburst. "what's got you pipin' up now, brat ?" she asks unimpressed.

katsuki practically zooms over and snatches the album away from his mother's grip, shooting her a glare identical to her own. " i'm gonna burn this in your sleep one of these days, i swear. " he grumbles, trudging off to put the album back on one of the shelves of his living room and ignoring his mom wishing him good luck with that. katsuki feels like he's lost a battle when he hears you giggle quietly when he turns away, no doubt his mother had said something about how he was embarrassed to have you see his baby pictures. he vows to get revenge and thinks the best way to start is by throwing this cursed collection of pictures on an open fire. he decides to just put it back on the shelf for now.

“ what a spoilsport, am i right ?” mitsuki nudges you with her shoulder and you giggle at what katsuki personally finds a horrible joke. to each their own though, or whatever.

katsuki scoffs to himself. he makes his way back to the couch and stands in front of you both, arms crossed.

“you done hoggin’ my girlfriend now or are you gonna keep yappin’ some more ?” mitsuki scoffs at her son’s words, wrapping her arms around your frame and pulling you against her tightly when she sees katsuki’s hand creeping towards you, assuming he'd try to pull you away.

“ i’m sure you can be patient for a little longer, as hard as i know it is for you.” you hear katsuki scoff out an insult under his breath, mitsuki pays it no mind. “besides, yn has been enjoyin’ our conversation so far, haven’t ya sweetie ?” she asks. you, again, being the sweet thing that you are, happily nod with a smile. mitsuki looks up at her son with a smug look, her expression screams “see ?”.

“ she’s only agreein’ cus yer fuckin’ holdin’ her hostage.” katsuki grumbles. he feels his patience dwindling at a pace that should definitely be alarming. he looks at you and feels his heart flutter when you offer him an apologetic smile. his patience returns the slightest bit.

“hostage ? don’t be ridiculous katsuki—” then it’s as if a lightbulb goes off, katsuki can practically see it gleaming above her head and he really doesn’t like it.

“he’s always been like that y’know ? all clingy—you remember that right ?!”the excitement in her voice becomes more prominent when she sees you nod enthusiastically. katsuki has a strange, foreboding feeling about this.

“ i remember he’d constantly want you around holdin’ his hand everywhere. one time—" she pauses as she bursts into giggles that, to katsuki, sound more like witch cackles than anything.

“one time you refused to hold his hand because you got scared he’d get cooties” she chuckles. katsuki feels his stomach drop.

“but he said that wouldn’t happen because he was too strong to get them !”

fuck patience.

katsuki grabs you and stalks off so fast you feel like you’re floating a little bit. he quickly yells out a “we’re goin’ to my room, don’t fuckin’ bother us !” then he’s quickly running up the stairs with you in tow. it’s only when you get to the hallway that leads to his bedroom that he looks back at you. he rolls his eyes when he sees you clearly fighting back a laugh.

“be quiet.”

“i didn’t even say anything yet !” you defend, giggling at the same time. katsuki fights back a smile at the sound.

“yeah, but you were going to and i don’t wanna hear it.” he bites. he squeezes your hand afterwards, telling you it was a joke in his own way. in actuality, katsuki could listen to you talk for hours and hours, days on end without getting bored. you’re being a brat right now though, so he won’t tell you that.

you smile at his back as katsuki drags you along muttering to himself about how he “never should’ve left you with that old witch for so long.”

“i remember that, y’know ? the cootie thing.” you admit jokingly. walking up a little faster you catch up to him and walk side by side. he glances at you from the corner of his eye then looks away and scoffs “of course you do.” he groans.

“ you’re mom didn’t mean to embarrass you, i’m sure.” you try to console him despite still snickering at the memory of his face going beet red after his mom had ‘exposed’ him. “and it was nice to see those pictures. it felt all...nostalgic.” you reminisce about the summer days you’d spent over the years with your katsuki with a smile. remembering the days of adventures and melting ice cream. of waterparks and bandaged covered knees.

katsuki doesn’t make a sound next to you and you think he’s just ignoring you until he speaks again, the scowl on his face threatens to melt away. “that old bat had it out for me the entire time. she’s fuckin’ evil incarnate, just doesn’t show it to you.” he feels prideful when he hears you laugh “that’s mean !” you scold through giggles, but his smirk says he’s seen through you. he comes to a stop and backs you up until your back is against the wall.

“yer laughin’ though. not as much of an angel as you’re pretending to be, are ya ?” he teases, leaning in closer to you until your noses brush. you try to fight back the smile that pulls at your mouth but it doesn’t work and after a moment you’re giggling again. katsuki swears every time you laugh an angel gets its wings. he steals a sloppy kiss to hear the sound again.

your hands play with the hem of his plain black shirt. he’s handsome, too handsome. his outfit consisted of a plain black t-shirt and some sweatpants yet he still looks like a model and it makes you want to kiss him silly, call it revenge for looking so good.

“ i’m not pretending to be anything, definitely not an angel.” you chuckle “unlike you, i’m just being nice.” you stick your tongue at him and he chuckles. rolling his eyes, he scoffs. his warm hands reflexively start running up and down your waist.

“yeah well, that’s cus unlike me your ass gets to go home. you’d be less nice if you were stuck in here like i am.” you playfully roll your eyes at his dramatics

“i doubt that. besides, miss mitsuki likes me !”

“she’ll get mad at you for callin’ her miss again.” you gasp, quickly clasping your hand over your mouth as if his mom would hear you from here. katsuki’s snort makes you snort as well.

“c’mon” he urges after a minute, grabbing at your hand and tugging at it “we’re goin’ to my room.” he mumbles out a “fuckin’ finally” and you laugh.

then you get an idea.

you suddenly rip your hand from his and katsuki immediately stops dead in his tracks to stare back at you like you had just insulted him. you let out a tiny snort at his expression.

“the hell are you doin’ ?”

you clasp your hands behind your back and sigh, even looking down at the floor sadly for extra dramatic effect “we can’t risk it, suki.”

“hah ?” katsuki fully turns to you, slowly starting to grow worried at your sudden shift in attitude. “what’re you talking about ?”

“i mean..if we hold hands..” you slowly look up at him, revealing your shit eating grin “you might get cooties..”

katsuki looks at you for about 15 seconds with an incredulous look on his face and you burst out laughing. he’s definitely one of the most expressive people you’d ever met, so seeing what kind of faces he’ll makes next is always fun.

he walks over, grabs your hand and squeezes hard, as punishment you assume. you yelp through giggles.

you hear him let out a disappointment sigh when he turns his back to you and drags you to his room again. you happily follow along behind him like you’d done for years now.

"i really shouldn't have left you with that old hag for so long." he mutters bitterly. you let out a snort and smile to yourself, content that your plan to mess with your boyfriend ended up being succesful. you perk up when he suddenly huffs out a laugh.

" and anyways, i won't be gettin' any cooties. m'too cool for 'em." you laugh out loud and the way he grips your hand a little tighter tells you you don't need to see his face to know he's proud of that.

"what if i have them ?" you challenge in between snickers.

katsuki scoffs dissaprovingly, you can basically see him rolling his eyes despite his back being to you.

"you don't. only losers get cooties. and as far as i know, you're not a loser." he's a little embarrassed because this is reminding him too much of when you were kids and it makes him cringe. when he'd come up with excuses like him being 'too strong' or 'too cool' to get cooties because he just couldn't admit he simply wanted you close. "yer anythin' but." you hear him mumble.

you walk up next to him with a somewhat shy smile "i'm flattered you think of me that way." you confess.

"don't let it get to your head." katsuki quips. you respond by sticking your tongue at him again. he tries to ignore the loud thumping of his heart but it's not going too smoothly for him. his cheeks slowly redden and he looks away from you again, not before shooting you an eyeroll.

"hope you know you owe me extra cuddle time for wastin' it talkin' to my ma." katsuki adds, changing the subject. you smile up at him in response and offer him a sweet 'mhm !'

his mom may have embarrassed the shit out of him, but he figures it wasn't all bad. he's still deadset on destroying that photo album before she ends up showing you that picture of him in the bath, though. he'll think about a plan later but right now he plans to enjoy his cuddle time with you, cootie free.

[ncis-nerd]

But Daddy I Love Him

ship: older!natasha romanoff x younger!reader. wanda maximoff x natasha romanoff.

warnings: angst, no happy ending, mentions of cheating, older nat, jerk nat, younger reader, wanda is kinda a dick, age gap, arguing, being ignored.

a/n: happy ttpd day!!

"I'm done with being your second choice Natasha. Just because I am younger than you, it doesn't mean you can just go off with other women because you're scared to admit that they are what you are looking for. Someone older, more mature, someone you can relate to" Y/N exclaimed, her small frame against the older women's.

Her green eyes met y/n's gaze which only confirmed what y/n feared. "That's it? You aren't going to say anything?" Y/N spokes as she grabbed a suitcase from the closet.

"I'm so sick of Wanda! Don't think I didn't see all the ways she touched you. Her hands always on you whenever the two of you were together. I'll tell you this Natasha. I'd rather burn my whole life down, Than listen to one more second of all this bitchin' and moanin'" Y/N threw her arms up in protest and huffed.

"Where are you gonna go." Natasha spoke dismmisingly. She doesn't think you'll actually do it. You have no where to go, no one to go to. Her eyes watering at the slight chance that you may be serious.

✦·┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈·✦

Natasha had an award dinner and she asked you last minute to come. It was odd she didn't ask you earlier in advance because they usually know about these things at least 6 months in advance with scheduling and whatnot. But you didn't think much of it. Because you didn't want to accept the alternative.

You came as her date but it sure didn't feel like it. You were the youngest there, all the avengers were at least 10 years ahead of you. It didn't help that your girlfriend left you to fend for yourself, your eyes stuck on her and Wanda. Natasha threw her head back, laughing. Wanda's hand on her shoulder. Their prolonging eye contact. The way they looked at each other. It gave you a bad feeling in your gut but you pushed it away.

No, I'm not coming to my senses. I know it's crazy. But he's the one I want.

You refused to accept it. She said she'd never let it come between you guys. That your age difference would never break you up. She lied. You rose up from the table but no one even noticed, everyone engrossed in their conversation. A stray tear fell from your glassy eyes.

You made your way to the bathroom. Attempting to keep your composure, they already think you're immature, you don't want them to see you as a baby on top on that.

You looked at yourself in the large glass window. You looked at your reflection. Your dress glistened in the light. The door swings open. It's Wanda. Of course she was the one who noticed you missing. Ironic isn't it.

"Y/N" she spoke, her voice filled with fake concern but a hint of guilt. You refused to meet her eyes, not willing to give her that sense of comfort. "Y/N, I'm not going to lie to you just because you're younger than us. I like Natasha. And honestly it feels like she is into me too. There's nothing I can say to make you feel better but I assure you I would never make a move on her while the two of you are together. I promise." Her eyes met yours in the mirror.

"I have money, I know you don't have anywhere to go but if you and Natasha should split, please call me. I don't want to on your own, fending for yourself. I can help you get an apartment or something." Wanda offered.

I just learned these people try and save you'. Cause they hate you

Of course, of course she wants to "take care of you". Because you're the little fragile thing who can't handle heartbreak. She just wants to make a move on Natasha, this is a ton of bullshit. You press your nails into your hand. You smile politely and say a simple thank you. Not wanting to cause a scene and give Natasha more of a reason to leave you.

✦·┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈·✦

Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me. And counteract the chemistry. And undo the destiny.

Her hand reaches for my shoulder, to stop me from leaving. "That won't work anymore, Natasha. I'm calling Wanda. She offered to help me get an apartment." You spewed out, reaching for the door. It hurt. You no longer called her Natty, the sweet nickname you had gave her when your relationship was in an earlier stage. A simpler stage where you didn't have to question if she wanted to be with you.

You slammed the door behind you, goodbye Natasha.

✦·┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈·✦

[itstheghostofmypast]

13.01

Corporate worker Choi San x (F)Reader

Summary: Even Mr.Choi can be jealous. He is but a man after all, one who loves her just a bit more than his brew.

Genre: Fluff (slight angst)

Word Count: 1.5K

Est. Read Time: 7 min

Warnings: coffee pickup lines (they're cringe as hell)

Rating: PG-13

Networks: @cromernet @k-labels @illusionnet

@san-network

Banner: @cafekitsune

Master List- Corporate Brew

Bidding another customer goodbye, she smiled before placing the money in the cash register and closing the drawer with a sigh.

"Stop that."

"Hmm?" Turning to face the rude man, she raised a brow, "Stop what?" She asked, walking over to the glass cupboard, deciding to rearrange the pastries, knowing Yunho, her new assistant manager, already had a lot on his plate, ever since summer break began. The crowd was good, good traffic with youngsters and college students, it was nice that her overall presence in the market was reputable-

"Stop sighing like a love sick teen and call him."

With a huff she turned around to face him, controlling the urge to toss the brownie in at the man's face, he had no right to be taking sides, especially when he's known her longer then that; rude, arrogant, obnoxious, stupid, good-looking, sweet, caring- no! Moron! HE WAS A MORON!

"You don't know anything." Slamming the cupboard door a bit too hard, she jerked, gripping onto the vibrating glass, praying to God the compressed glassed doesn't shatter because of her temper tantrum.

"No, and I don't want to, but the two of you usually argue about nonsense things all the time, but it doesn't go on for more than an hour- it's been 2 days." Jongho sighed, taking off his apron as he noticed Yunho wiping a table, "Maybe just text him?"

She shook her head in return, though her heart ached at the realisation of Jongho being right, her stupid fiancé would never go to bed upset, he'd make sure she didn't either- but it had been two days. They'd be laying in bed, facing the opposite sides, she'd barely even feel him slip away in the morning, only to jerk awake when she'd feel the faint brush of his lips against her forehead, but by the time she'd open her eyes he'd be gone.

"Why? He can text me if he wants to-"

The chime of the doorbell caused the two to stop their argument. Yunho picked up the tray and turned to the door with a heart stopping smile, only for his smile to falter, the atmosphere turning thicker as the seconds ticked by, he turned to look at Wooyoung, only to find him frozen with a broom in hand, staring at the entrance.

Jongho eyed her, watching her stiffen as the footsteps of the suited man echoed in the almost empty cafe. Deciding to go to the cash counter, so he'd deal with him, in case the two were still too upset to think clearly - honestly, he wasn't even sure what the fight was about.

Adjusting his tie, the feline eyed man walked over to the counter, he could feel various many pairs of eyes on him, some of his friends, some strangers who were gawking at him, but he was too busy looking at the person who was staring elsewhere, trying her best to not even look in his general direction- that stung so bad, he felt his heart clench at the disappointed look on her face.

"Hey," Jongho began, "You want the usua-"

"We're out of everything." She cut him off, her tone sharp, as his eyes flickered from his friend's face to his fiance's face, a snarky reply at the tip of his tongue, ready to pounce at her, though the sombre look that she wore, still not looking at him, stopped him. She really was still mad at him, so upset that she was not even looking at him.

"Okay..." he whispered, turning to leave until he paused, and turned back around, slapping his hand on the counter causing everyone to flinch- Wooyoung almost dropping a mug- she looked up at him, frowning at him, sure he was the "man" of the relationship but he had no right to be rude- hell- this was her cafe, and no matter how much she loved him, she's not going to let him do and say whatever he wants, especially if that meant being an obnoxious prick, forcing her-

"If you were ground coffee, you'd be an Espresso, 'cause you're so fine!"

What?

She blinked at the man, taking in his graceful sharp features, his broad, well-defined shoulders, his stupid Windsor knotted tie-

"No amount of coffee keeps me awake like you!"

"What!?"

Jongho had never felt the urge to smack himself, he turned to look at his bestfriend who looked back at him as bewildered and confused as he did, before turning back to the corporate worker who was practically shivering, twitching as he continued.

"Bean thinking about you latte!"

"I think I like you a latte."

"I love the way you espresso yourself!"

"If you were a coffee bean, I'd grind-" his voice cracked, head dipping down a momenent as he let out a shaky breath, both his palms flat on the counter as he hunched forward, clenching his eyes as he took a deep breath before and looking up at her with a flushed face and teary eyes, "I'd grind for you every-"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP HIM!" Wooyoung screeched, causing everyone to sprint into action, Yunho slapped his hand on Wooyoung's mouth to shut him up, Jongho turning to the woman who was the reason why the poor grown man in a suit was in tears, she ran out from behind the counter, grabbing San's hand in the process as she dragged him out, him stumbling after her, trying to ignore the curious gazes of the few customers that were present.

Letting go of his hand she whipped in his direction, ready to ask him what was that but was cut off when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him, squeezing her as he began to mumble something, which she couldn't make out, considering was she was being smothered in his embrace and while she loves her big boy and his warm embraces- she'd like to live to see tomorrow.

Gently tapping his arm she sighed in relief when he loosed his grip, tilting her head back to look up at him, not surprised when she met his gaze, with him already looking down at her, his signature pout making an appearance.

"I'm sorry...for...feeling jealous" he mumbled, scanning her face for any form of anger or disappointment.

"Jealous- what?" She asked, slowly pulling back, blinking up at him as she tried to think of why and who he could be jealous of, her hands instinctively gripping onto the lapels of his blazer, thumbs stroking the cotton, "I- no, aren't you mad at me because Byeol likes me more?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise, eyes widening for a split second before he sighed, shaking his head, though this time he was too afraid (?) to look at her in the eye, mumbling a, "No...I was...jealous that you like Byeol more than you like me."

"Choi San."

"Yes?"

"Byeol's... a cat."

"I know, okay!"

"You idiot!" Stomping her foot she gently shoved him away causing him to whine and latch onto her again, knowing very well what was about to come next when she slapped his hand away, causing him to whimper and pull his hand back.

With a huff she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring up at the man who looked like a guilty kitten, twiddling his thumbs, rocking back and forth at the ball of his feet, a complete contrast to the usual Mr.Choi. She was more confused if she should be mad at him for being jealous of his own cat, whom he had brought from Namhae so they could become 'friends' or find it cute how he- wait.

"The coffee pick up lines?"

"Yeosang said that'll melt your heart."

"Sannie, they almost gave me a stroke." She sighed, shaking her head in defeat. Sometimes, she really didn't know how she ended up with someone as dumb as her. Moving closer, she cupped his face, "I like Byeol, and I'm glad she liked me because she's an important part of your life."

His heart swooned at the sentiment, nuzzling into her palm before gently gripping her wrist, turning his head to press a small kiss against her palm, then pulling it away from his face, only to lace their fingers together as he smiled down at her like an idiot.

"You're so annoying Mr.Choi."

"What can I say? You're the caffeine to my addi-"

"I'll ban you from the cafe." She cut him off before dragging him back inside, to feed his lover, giving him the proper lunch that he rightfully deserved - that and she wanted to make up for the past two days they had spent giving each other the silent treatment.

He let out a sheepish chuckle, following his little lover back inside. The way his lips stretched into a smile hurt his cheek a bit, but what could he do? He had finally got her to pay attention to him, as much as he loved his feline little princess, he needed his queen to pay attention to him, which was why he had asked his sister to pick up Byeol from their place tonight, so he could help her come with a brew just for- okay San, no more coffee innuendos. Shaking his head in disbelief he watched her come back with a tray of his usual, sitting beside him as she pulled her seat closer to him, smiling up at him as he smiled down at her, ready to take a few shots of her espresso- perhaps for the rest of his life.

Taglist: @edenesth @yessa-vie @mlysalt @the-kpop-simp @spooo00oky

[dessarious]

Old Scars and New Beginnings Pt105

Beginning   Previous  

Selina looked around the room in amusement. The sheer number of people rivaled a meeting with most of the Justice League. This group, however, was far more diverse. And far less likely to back down to Batman.

"I don't see why we can't just stay here. We'll go home, so anyone who's watching will see. Then Mari can transport us back here." Gina was exceptionally unhappy about leaving. Her idea wasn't a bad one either. Mari was frowning in thought, but Bruce just looked annoyed.

"If it were any other threat, I'd agree with you. But Talia, or whoever she sends, is as likely to attack us here as anywhere else. I can't risk you being caught in the crossfire."

"I can handle myself, and honestly, I have a few words to say to that woman myself after the last time we crossed paths." Bruce looked like his head was about to explode.

"You know Talia?"

"I do, and seeing the way she raised her son after what her father did to her, I'm more than happy to make sure she doesn't get near him again." Now Damian was studying the woman. His cheeks were a bit flushed and Selina wasn't certain if it was embarrassment that she thought he couldn't handle himself, or just because someone he didn't know at all was willing to protect him.

"Marinette, what do you think?" She couldn't tell if Bruce was stalling to get his thoughts in order, or if he thought Mari would back him up. She'd been whispering with Tikki and Kaalki since the argument started.

"I don't see why everyone thinks it has to be one or the other. If Kaalki has a constant food supply, they can simply keep a portal open between the two houses so everyone can come and go as they please. It would be a good option as an escape route if it's needed as well." Gina and Bruce both just stared at her and Selina had to fight back a laugh. They'd been arguing for over an hour and Mari made the entire thing defunct. "I would still feel better if Syd and Trixx stayed at the house so they can shield it though." Syd just shrugged her acceptance. Selina wasn't certain what was going on with that girl, but she was even more closed off than usual. But Chloe and Mari didn't seem worried about it, so she was willing to overlook it for the moment.

"In that case, we're going to need to add more security. Especially to the rooms where the portal is. The last thing we need is Talia finding and using it." The fact that Bruce didn't argue, or even resist changing directions, showed just how much of an impact Mari had on him. Before, he would have dug in and insisted that his plan was best. Especially since Damian's safety was involved. Her flexibility was wearing off on him. Bruce started hashing out security plans with the others, but Mari immediately went back to whispering with the Kwami. The grave looks on the Kwami and the worry on Mari's face made Selina edgy.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Selina kept her voice soft so the others wouldn't pay attention. She didn't want to take the focus away from the planning if she could avoid it. Mari startled a bit and hesitated.

"It's just... Whatever is after Damian is getting closer and..."

"And?"

"I think whoever it is spent time in Paris within the last few years." Well, that was oddly specific.

"What makes you say that?" She kept her tone calm and soothing.

"I said before that they hate the Miraculous, and they do, but..." Selina just waited. "Most of that hatred is for Ladybug specifically." Selina blinked at her for a moment before pulling the girl into a hug. Mari burrowed into her.

"It's not your fault, Kitten. You did the best you could with what you had. Whatever their reason, and given they are almost certainly part of the League, you are not to blame."

"Maybe." It was the best she could hope for. Mari still seemed to think that her friends were going to leave once they really thought through what her being Ladybug meant. Nothing they could say would help, and this would be no different. Bruce raised an eyebrow at her, and Selina just shook her head. Mari didn't need them to make a big deal of this right now. The only other one who had noticed the interaction was Luka. While Selina could understand why the boy made Bruce uneasy, it was obvious he was completely devoted to Marinette. And where her other friends would push and prod her to do what they thought she needed, Luka just supported her. Even now, he just made sure no one else caught on to Mari's distress.

"It is a clue, though. Can you think of anyone you ran across as Ladybug that might feel that way?" Mari didn't respond and Selina regretted asking. It was entirely possible it was just someone who had something happen while they were there and blamed the heroes for it. The last thing she wanted was Mari going through the list of people who she thought had a reason to hate her. "We'll figure it out."

"A lot of people blamed us for how long everything went on. For everything they had to go through."

"You know that wasn't your fault, right? Gabriel was the one who caused all that, and if you hadn't been there to stop him, it would have been worse." The girl just shrugged. "You didn't have a choice. You were put in a terrible position and you did the best you could. All of you did. You don't blame the others for what happened, do you?" She shook her head.

"Other than Adrien, I picked them. I was the one who made the plans. I was the one who couldn't catch him." Selina pulled back and lifted Mari's chin to force eye contact.

"You were and still are a child. You were forced into a responsibility that no one should have expected you to take. You and Adrien both were put into an impossible situation with zero knowledge and zero training. The others, you gave a choice. Perhaps it wasn't wise of you or them, but you all did what you had to do. And you did it well enough that the Kwami decided to give you even more responsibility. I'll say it again. Nothing that happened was your fault."

Mari wanted to argue, Selina could see it. She wasn't certain if the fact that Mari couldn't come up with anything was proof that they were getting through to her, or just proof of how exhausted she was. She just pulled the girl back into a tighter hug.

"I just wish it didn't feel like my mistakes were coming back to haunt me." She sounded so tired.

"Whatever this is, isn't your fault. And if you weren't here to warn us that someone was after Damian, who knows what would have happened? At least now we can prepare."

"I'm sure you would have been fine without me." Selina couldn't help the annoyed sigh that left her.

"Given that they funded a cult for this opportunity, whatever they have planned is big. It's entirely likely we would have walked straight into an ambush." They probably wouldn't have found out who the cult's money backers were without the information Mari gave them. She shuddered to think what going into that confrontation would have been like if they weren't prepared for Talia's tricks. "You don't give yourself enough credit."

"I still don't understand why Damian's mother would send someone who hates him to retrieve him." Selina rolled her eyes at the subject change and debated on how honest she should be. In the end, Mari and the others needed to know how this was likely to play out, so they didn't let their guard down.

"While Talia wants Damian back in the fold, he's a liability if he stays outside the league. The person she sent likely has orders to kill him if he refuses to return." Mari gave her a skeptical look.

"She'd really have her own son killed?"

"She'd do it herself if she was here." Selina wasn't certain what to do with the thoughtful frown on Marinette's face. She'd expected horror or disbelief.

"So even if we catch this person, Damian will still be in danger." Selina just nodded. "That's not acceptable." She said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Selina didn't know how to respond. She agreed with Mari, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Mari startled her when she stood abruptly and walked over to Damian. The girl didn't say anything, just held out her hand to him, and when he took it, marched him out of the room. Everyone paused for a moment before resuming planning. All Selina could do was shake her head.

"She's blaming herself for things again." Selina jumped as Luka materialized next to her. She hadn't even seen him move.

"It does seem to be her natural state." The boy's expression settled into the closest thing she'd seen to a scowl on him. "Whatever is coming after Damian hates Ladybug, and she thinks it's her fault."

"If it's a native Parisian, that's a very short list. It shouldn't be too hard to research. It will be harder for anyone who came and went since you'll have to rely on travel records and they can be spotty. It's far more likely to be someone not from Paris originally, in my opinion."

"Really? Marinette seems to think a lot of people were upset with Ladybug for how long things went on."

"She what?" The genuine surprise in his tone was unexpected. Apparently, Marinette still wasn't talking about her fears with her friends. One more thing to worry about. "Yes, right after Hawkmoth was defeated, everyone was letting out all the emotions they'd had to repress, and a lot of that was anger. Some of it was even directed at the Heroes. But in the end, everyone knew who was at fault. Granted, I wasn't in Paris, but I didn't get the impression from anyone I talked to back home that there was real animosity towards the heroes. Adrien and Chloe haven't mentioned it either, and Chloe would have."

"What about the police force? Chloe said they actively worked against them." Luka's expression tightened.

"Maybe while the heroes were active, but I doubt those feelings lasted long without a target. Not to mention, from what I remember, it was resentment more than anything else." Luka hesitated. "Other than Gabriel, I can only think of one person who truly hated Ladybug."

"That's great! It gives us someone to look into."

"You already are." He sounded grim, and Selina just raised an eyebrow at him. "Lila Rossi."

"You're kidding." He shook his head. Selina was getting tired of this girl and they hadn't even met her yet. "I suppose it makes sense with the way she disappeared. We know they want the Miraculous, so taking her for information isn't out of the realm of possibility. At the same time, I don't know that Talia would send someone so knew to the League to take out Damian, of all people. It could be a test, though."

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like something Talia would do. It could be a test of loyalty, or just of training. She wouldn't be counting on Bruce to kill her, so there would be a backup plan. There would be more than just one assassin. Granted, they were already planning on that. But this brought competing factions into play. One more problem to complicate things.

"If it is Lila, and she finds out Mari is here, there's a very good chance she'll come after her. Especially since Mr. Wayne took her in." She didn't like Luka's tone.

"Because he's Damian's father?"

"Because he's famous. Lila always hated that Mari had better connections than her. I can't even image the rage she'll feel at this development."

"Depending on what Talia's done to her, she might not even remember Mari." Luka was shaking his head before she finished.

"If she remembers Ladybug, she remembers Marinette. I met her when I was Viperion with Ladybug and Mari on separate occasions. She hates Mari more."

Beginning   Previous

[paxesoterica]

Started catching up on Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi watching (from just before the fight with the Red Dragon to Laios's party parting ways with Toshiro and Kabru).

>I've seen spoilers before about the party finding Falin and the resurrection ritual, but my goodness I still got chills watching it firsthand.

>I may or may not have been twirling a lock of hair around my finger, kicking my feet, and giggling while watching Marcille, dressed in blood-drenched robes, matter-of-factly explain that she's secretly a specialist in forbidden magic, and that she'd be using it to bring Falin back.

>Chilchuck seems to be a bit of tsun.

>Marcille you fool! Falin is *not* a little kid anymore and does *not* want you to see her as such! sigh I suppose even powerful mages can still be useless lesbians (yes I've heard there's some background trauma there too, but I haven't got that far yet, so shhh).

>I love terrifying and surreal imagery.

>I know for a fact Chilchuck is a dad with adult daughters so I can only imagine the sheer embarrassment as Senshi gave him The Talk.

>Poor Falin. : (

>Of course they used petrified!Marcille to help with food prep.

> Okay, now that I've gotten to know more about Kabru: Kabru × Laios shippers? I see your vision.

> Falin as a spellcasting dragon-griffon hybrid is pretty damn dangerous! No wonder Toshiro and Laios argued about what to do.

>WHOAH, HEY!

>So, I know there's apparently been a lot of Discourse(TM) about the fight between Laios and Toshiro, and honestly, I'm not sure why: one's socially awkward because he has trouble with social cues and understanding people when they're being indirect, the other's socially awkward because he can't speak his mind and bottles his feelings to avoid conflict. The whole thing made me more sad than anything else, but at least there seems to be hope that their friendship is salvageable.

>Kabru you silly goose! If only you hadn't been recovering from, y'know, being dead, you could have overheard Laios and Toshiro hashing things out and realized you don't need to fake it to get on Laios's good side! I hope he doesn't feel too disconcerted when he realizes he could probably have even avoided disclosing whatever background trauma he has and just said eating monsters makes him uncomfortable, and still been accepted by Laios. Hopefully he'll avoid making similar mistakes to Toshiro in his relationship with Laios.

>A couple things I will criticize Toshiro for: I don't think he's suitable for Falin, not because he's a bad guy, but because I think that, either he doesn't really understand her or he's too willing to overlook that she has similar quirks to her brother, and so any marriage would not be as happy as he'd suppose, and he'd just end up bottling up his real feelings about it again. This may not seem too dissimilar to how Marcille also tends to ignore Falin having similar quirks to Laios, and I wouldn't be surprised if the contrast wasn't deliberate, but in Marcille's case, she's shown a willingness to try to work with Laios at his level, and gradually seems to be respecting him more, and hopefully that will lead her to being more honest about how she views Falin, which will ultimately strengthen their bond.

>The other thing is that leaving a party member like Asebi behind is pretty callous (even if I can appreciate that searching for her is dangerous in the group's current circumstances). I haven't seen much, if any, fandom talk about Asebi, so I'm guessing she's not a major character, but I hope that's because Laios's party is somehow able to return her to the surface over the course of a single episode, and not because the party finds her as monster chow.

>My current observations about the show suggest that the cast is a bunch of socially awkward people driven by intense passion for their special interests, so it's small wonder that it's become popular.

[bishicat]

I am curious...👀

What are your Lavellan's views on Solas beginning of their relationship and the final end to the redemption arc in Veil Guard? Love your art btw❤

Hi!!! omg thank you for the question, and people like you make posting art worth it! This is gonna be a long rambling answer so I'll tuck it under the cut. ❤

BEGINNING:

When I think of Emrys and Solas' relationship at the start of Inquisition (like Haven times), her view of him started off pretty neutrally. She saw him as an equal in intellect and magic know-how, and it comforted her to know that she wasn't the only elf in the party. I can imagine her developing a bit of a crush during their discussions about history, magic, or the Fade, but she kept her feelings on a short leash. His opinions about the Dalish made her more reserved about her own feelings, as she wanted someone who would accept all of her, rather than just the parts he liked. I think she saw through his harmless old man persona quite early, even if only in the sense that he was hiding something that he wasn't comfortable sharing. She liked the parts that he thought no one could see, like his quiet kindness. They would clash a few times (both being prideful), and after their intense debates, she would think they were finally going to do something about this weird energy, but he would just walk away. So in short, their dynamic was "nerds arguing but with sexual tension".

SKYHOLD:

This is where whatever icy barriers they had against each other melted and became real love :'). Though aware that he's still holding her at arm's length, she thought their love would get through whatever came their way. I think they have a lot of conversations about this subject, but he always finds some way to steer the conversation elsewhere.

I think she was caught completely unaware when he ended things at Crestwood. She was mad, confused, heartbroken, literally everything and more. The dialogue option "Tell me I was some casual dalliance..." gets me every single time!!!! It's the perfect mix between hurt and anger, and it fits Emrys' character SO well. After the break up, she tries to be professional (AKA too stoic & serious around him) but her inner circle (and Solas) can see how much she's imploding inside. She still works with him as a colleague but she can't stand looking at him without feeling like there's a gaping hole in her chest.

TRESPASSER - VEILGUARD:

After two years, the gaping hole heals into an ugly, knotted scar. When she hears the rumour that Solas is around, it feels bittersweet, cause how can you get over a relationship that ended like that? When she learns he's Fen'harel, it puts a lot of things into perspective. She feels toyed with, she hates him, but she still loves him. Like... two years of "healing" is undone with a short meeting, and a part of her will always wonder what could have been if he just talked to her about it. In the end I chose the "I will redeem you!" ending.

Honestly, I imagine that a lot of solavellan post-romance is just a lot of healing and breaking on both ends (Solas and Emrys). With every new piece of information they learn, their hearts need to learn how to mend all over again. And I'm not saying that Emrys is going to be a husk in all those years between DAI and DATV, but a part of her will feel rubbed raw during that time. It's hard to say right now but I picture her on a relentless search for the Dread Wolf, always inquisitive. As for Veilguard, I can see Emrys as bone-tired when she finally catches up to him. I'd like to imagine a sad embrace between the two, some tears, but a terse meeting is just as likely. Between the two of them, there's gonna be a lot of quiet yearning and sadness, and maybe even a small bit of hope? She'd still love him and we all know/like to think that Solas is still so down bad, but they'd put duty over talking about their feelings for now. I think when they finally have a truly private moment, they make up somehow. I truly hope they have some kind of happy ending, whatever it may be!

[kawaiichibiart]

Matagot AU

In case anyone wants to know where this started:

Not sure how far I'm going to get into this AU, but I figured some of y'all would be interested. So... :)

First thing ya gotta know, I never plan for any ship in the lovesquare to be the end goal. Just not my thing, I don't like it. And in all honesty, whenever I think of the Matagot AU, I don't see any romantic relationships developing. Purely platonic friendship and familial love.

Because he knows he can change the way his costume look, it'd easy for Adrien to change his appearance to ensure no one makes a connection between Chat Noir and Matagot. The only reason Ladybug can is because of the bond they've developed and her knowing his identity.

↑ Unfortunately, despite them having revealed themselves, it wasn't the happy moment they both wished for.

And while some would have argued for Ladybug to take back the cat miraculous, seeing as Monarch was dead, she didn't want to. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to.

There are many ways kwamis bond with their holders. Stories of "true holders" have circled around for centuries, people who had been "destined" to wield a certain miraculous. But the reality is that those so called "true holders" actually formed a sort of soul bond with their kwamis. A special connection between the two that added some additional protection to them and the miraculous. One of which is only they can remove the miraculous.

Plagg formed one with Adrien shortly before Monarch made his first appearance, and Tikki planned on forming one with Marinette but could never find the right time to bring it up.

Of course things aren't easy at first. Trauma aside, Adrien has a lot of trust issues and things he's internalized. As I mentioned in the linked post, people wanted someone to blame because Gabriel was dead. And who better than his son? A lot of blame was shoved on to Adrien to the point where things that were unrelated to Monarch and people being akumatized were also blamed on him: You got fired? It's Adrien's fault. Your significant other left you? It's Adrien's fault. You got expelled? It happened because of Adrien. You were robbed? Failed a test? Broke your grandma's favorite vase? It's all Adrien's fault. It happened enough that he began to internalize it and now feels like he has to apologize for literally everything. Because it's all his fault, right?

*Catwoman entering the Batcave with Matagot, each with a smoothie* Nightwing:...what ya got there, Catwoman? Catwoman: a smoothie

Bruce and Selina definitely get into "minor" arguments about her taking in a boy and teaching him how to break into places and steal.

Honestly, it's kinda fun not having to be hero in Gotham. Chat Noir and Catwalker were both heroes. Matagot isn't. Vigilante, anti-hero, either works. Maybe people back in Paris would question it. But, he can't really find himself caring. He will feel bad if it reflects badly on Ladybug though. He's not gonna stop but he'll feel bad.

Personal therapist Harley Quinn, most of their "therapy" sessions is just breaking shit with bats. Sometimes they're joined by Jason /Red Hood. Don't tell Bruce/Batman.

When Marinette makes her way to Gotham, it's part of a school trip that students had to pay for. The trip was divided so some students went to Gotham and some went to Metropolis. The reason she chose Gotham over Metropolis was because she had been visited by Wonder Woman.

Originally, Diana planned to train Marinette herself, but after learning that the holder of the cat miraculous ran away, she told her she'd help her get in touch with her friend, Batman. If anyone can help her find Adrien, it's him and his team. And, if she's willing, she'll talk him into giving her more training. With that, Marinette decides she's heading to Gotham.

Adrien avoids his old classmates and friends like the plague when they arrive. While they didn't really do anything, some of them did participate in blaming him for everything. If he sees one of the few he fully trusts is alone, he might talk to them. Might.

[pippin-pippout]

My Demon Finale + Final Thoughts

Ok My Demon was cute. I really appreciated that the last episode was mostly all wrapping things up. We got resolution on every character, each completed their arc or did what was natural for them.

We had just the right amount of angst for this story - the villains were scary, but not enough to turn this into more of a thriller than a romance, or to detract too much from the ultimately happy ending. Sure they were nice and twisted and messed up, following the well formulated pattern. I don't need anything more.

And I really did love the 'good guy' characters in this show - I never felt like any side was getting too much attention at the cost of another or of the story.

For like the first half of this show I thought her not-cousin (you know the smart one/second male lead) was gonna turn out to be evil. Like I was convinced that psycho-dad was just a distraction. I'm really happy I was wrong. Also thrilled to see him become absolute besties with Gu-won. In fact I am more thrilled than Gu-won is.

Similarly happy for sword-dance girl, who kept saying she was leaving to the point I was like 'then why haven't you?' and then when she's about to, she finds a reason (a real reason) to stay. I feel like she and psycho-dad's wife will do a lot of good for children in the future.

Seeing the son before his dad could completely destroy him was a somewhat formulaic choice, but it's a formula for a reason, and I did really feel for him. Even before that, I had hoped he would survive. everything and be able to heal. The writing/acting choices for his character were good in that, in most of his interactions with Do Do-He, I felt like something non-villainous was behind the curtain - even before the abuse was revealed. I couldn't tell if he liked her or was trying to warn her or was looking for her to save him, but I appreciated that the reveal that he wasn't the villain actually had some foundation. I'm glad he was posthumously cleared and that his mom will hopefully learn from this shit to help others.

Eunni with her two sons continue to be ridiculous, but harmless as always. A nice bow-tie comedic moment. Sure she was one of the 'bad guys' but they're always there, and considering the rest of her family, she honestly was the most normal. And I think the narrative did try to show that she was at least a good mom.

Ms. Shin and the past lives/aka Fuck You guy! They are so weird for each other and I love that for them. Not me though. Did not need more of their makeouts. I freaking loved Ms. Shin throughout everything though. Such a good balance of no-nonsense with compassion.

Our comedic relief third wheels - the PR trio and the dogs/parsnips - both fun. The ex-mob brows definitely won for me (they did have a dog). Every time Gu-won wouldn't acknowledge them my heart broke a little. Glad the writers understood that and gave us their happy ending.

I liked this portrayal of God. Very 'I don't know what the fuck is going on either but good luck' with a side of compassion rather than just dropping riddles and life lessons (those were learned along the way anyway). Felt more realistic.

And for the main couple, I'm happy we got to see their version of a silly fight, because couples fight, and that makes me believe their happy ending more (also so thankful to have a show with a demon main character have his love interest play hymns and prayers when they're arguing).

I really thought when Gu-won came back, he'd be human, and it'd be all 'perfect.' But I kind of love that he's a demon and the little-shitness of his character as a demon (yet is afraid of pissing off his wife who puts stickers on his demon manual). Also good for Do Do-hee having a demon on speed dial is useful af.

Anyway, they established that she'd continue to age and eventually die, and that it was ok because impermanence is what makes this, and every moment, so not insignificant. I felt like he would happily accompany her beyond when the time comes, but for the time being they're able to live knowing every second matters, the good and the bad, and be happy to have them.

A sweet show with a sweet ending; just what I needed tonight.

[freedomaddict]

my own personal opinion on the rottmnt turtles in hogwarts houses:

Miguel: Ravenclaw. Mikey is SUPER creative, it's kind of his thing. Ravenclaws also value wit, and all of Mikey's jokes are well-timed, he's got a mental sharpness and has an inventive way to make a joke. He's also really smart - the episode with the mystic metal? he says to raph "we're not saying you never have good ideas, we're just saying that sometimes we do to!" he's got street smarts and creative smarts, and strategic smarts. (he could really be any house, i think

Ravenclaw would be the best fit tho) he's the ravenclaw who you think doesn't belong there, but once you get to know the house you'd never be able to imagine him anywhere else.

Big Red: Hufflepuff! Raph is like ... the definition of Hufflepuff. Loyalty, patience, trust, strong sense of justice, hard-working. Literally Raph. I think he could be in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, but Hufflepuff would suit him best (in my opinion.) Plus, he's always trying to better the team by doing team building exercises (at least i think he does that often, seems like something he'd do) and teamwork is a big part of the hufflepuff house. he's the stereotype of the house - looks open and friendly, who's hugs are warm and safe.

Von Ryan: Slytherin. Before anyone yells, I'm both a donnie kinnie and a slytherin. Donnie belongs here lmao. The way he always tries to improve himself and is extremely goal-oriented. Slytherins value resourcefulness, and Donnie has had to learn to be resourceful when living in the sewers. He gets all of his stuff from a junkyard. Plus, dry humor? perfectionist? big on cost/benefit analysis? donnie fr. he seems like the stereotypical slytherin, the one who's quiet and everyone thinks is evil. (he'd also excel at potions.)

Leon: Tbh, he's pretty hard. I think he could either be gryffindor or slytherin, but also ravenclaw and fit almost perfectly in those houses, but I think he belongs in slytherin. im also a leo kinnie (heh) and honestly? Sarcastic humor, confident (or pretends to be,) competitive and charismatic? literally both signs of gryffindor and slytherin? it's so hard but he has a practical eye and the ability to quickly adapt when needed. he also has a lot of common sense, instead of taking on things he knows he can't do he results in something achievable (paper theives) and he's incredibly persuasive, a trait valued by slytherins. he seems like the slytherin who thinks they're better than everyone else, and once you get to know them you realize they actually are.

April: Hard one! She's so spunky and full pf personality (i love her so much) but i think she belongs in gryffindor. The first episode alone shows me that. Gryffindor traits are bravery, honor, loyalty, boldness and have strong moral centers. I think this is mostly shown in her interactions with the boys. (which is like the only interactions she has ok i know) She's willing to dive head-first into a conflict if it meant she could help her family somehow. There's no doubt that she would go to the ends of the earth for them, and if you think she'd turn her back her boys, you're crazy.

Cassandra: Gryffindor. Don't argue. When reading her wiki (it describes the characters way more in depth than i could) it talks about how much she values being loyal to the foot clan and how energetic/enthusiastic she is. She's courageous and stands up for what she believes is right, just like a gryffindor. She's always wanting to better herself and is quite stubborn.

Casey Jr: I know what house he's in, but i almost didn't want to sort him because it meant someone would be alone...he's a hufflepuff, through and through (i feel bad for leaving mikey alone, but he'll make friends soon enough.) Casey is hard-working and loyal, as we can see in the movie - taking on the mission leo told him to, and not once complaining, just worried about how he could complete it. He is honest the whole way through, not sugar coating anything to beating around the bush. and unafraid of being direct. He's also very polite and kind (i love him guys) and listens to other's input and ideas.

[bugeyedfreaks]

Hi, hello! I have something to say.

For the fandom and the rowdyruff boys. I went through your page and found myself agreeing hardcore with a lot of your opinions about the fandom and ppgxrrb.

First of all, I have absolutely no idea of who came up with Butch growing up to be a massive pervert. Going off the show, wouldn't technically all three of the boys be massive perverts? They are all misogynistic slime balls who see girls as inferior.

Some things I think the fandom gets right; the boys are pretty. at least cute. For two reasons, 1; they are splitting images of the girls, so if the boys are ugly then so are the girls. 2, canonically, Bubbles has admitted that she finds Boomer "cute." Also despite the ass kicking handed to the girls in the first appearance of the rrb, Blossom and Bubbles fawn at the prospect of having kissed a boy.

Then again they kissed Harry.

Also, I think a good argument is kid rrb IS cute, but they get that sort of golden child treatment where all 3 of them just eventually end up burning out. They don't care to keep up with themselves and with how gross and mysoginistic they are, they become very unattractive very quickly. They rot, basically. Also if they were discord mods, they'd have kittens they brag their rrb title too.

I will also argue that there is nuance in the boys. Boomer atleast, which is funny because he is the least popular rrb. There are many instances where he is depicted as "naive", "child like" and even "gentle." Like yeah, he was the guy who wrote "Flowers are pretty... dumb" but when he was revived from Him, he was waving at butterflies and being taken advantage of by his brothers. If you wanna go deeper, in the comic the boys actually team up with the girls in one instance.

Still, I see the rowdyruff boys in the same vein as the gang green gang. It's like trying to defend Billy because he has that one episode where he saves the girls after setting them up, but it's like people forget that the girls still had to pummel him because... in the grand scheme of things, the guy is a shitty person! The rrb suffer from major pretty privellege and being the hetero counterparts of the girls, age included. Forget all the other side characters like Elmer, Mitch, Robin even mike! No the gorls grow up to want the boys because, 'they can change them!' Oh my gosh Bubbles suffers drastically from this.

And "the reds" are so toxic it's sad. It's like every fic with them is angsty and incredibly shallow. I never get why Blossom spends so much time running back to Brick. Oh yeah! It's because he's so big and hot now, with fiery red hair and a masculine jaw line, and is cunning and calculative and he suffers from severe mommy issues. He needs a woman like Blossom to show him how much of a prick he is! To put him in his place and tell other women off who have interest in him, because how could a woman lower her standards so much for a punk, Blossom would never (#FEMINISM). Then arranging "private visits" with him so they can make out and talk about how arrogant they both are because "ooh. We're so bad for each other but it feels soooo good. So deep. so bad."

I love how the fandom pretends Blossom is above it all, but still some how succumbs to him. "She can fix him guys! No really! We just have to make Blossom into an absolute self-contradicting prude and have Brick loosen up because... convenience!"

And people seriously bend the hell out of Butch to get him to work with Buttercup, more than 90% of the fics basically make him into a Mitch stand in with powers but this one is hotter2.0. bUTCH LITERALLY HAS NO CHARACTER AND HONESTLY, Buttercup has been repulsed by him many times. She'd yeet that guy so fast, and yet, somehow, the greens are the most popular couple I CAN NOOOOOOOOOT. Like how... really. Why does Butch get so much fanon development? The fandom tries so hard to make him into this character he simply is not! Like even going to the city of clipsville episode, the most salacious thing the fucker has done is "looked at a magazine and whistled!" But like how come Buttercup is so smitten by this that she never, once, snaps out of her "attraction" to the guy? Was this not the same issue Buttercup suffered from ACE.

Wouldn't the idea of being taken advantage of by a villain, turn Buttercup off!?

I just can not imagine Buttercup tolerating Butch- unless he is super hot now and she's internally attracted to him, because nobody gets her like this deprived fuck boy who is misunderstood, and actually a romantic guy who cares about her under it all and blood thirsty- excpet when Buttercup is around, because Buttercup can fix him and "he knows not to mess with her!"

It was so funny seeing the push back for the cw's take, when literally reading that script reminded me of all the fanfics I have had to dig through for YEARS now. I was just thinking "but isn't this what you guys WANT?" And some people were even fretting that it'd attract unwanted parts of society to the fandom. Um. I don't know if the ppg fandom is aware of this, but the fandom is already FLOODED with unwated fans, from fetish artists, to those Pintresest face claim boards that remind me of RIVERDALE, the games have already started!

That one slip of a comic, that was supposed to be a joke, of the boys handing the girls flowers and asking to be their boyfriends is way too meta.

Oh, wow, I didn’t know a lot about how some of the pairings are portrayed (obviously, since I don’t really explore that side of the fandom often) but… well, some of that certainly gave me psychic damage, especially the Blossom stuff. 🤢 I can’t even begin to express the pain I felt from reading all of that but this is the closest I can attempt to describe it with:

I agree that all of the boys would be huge pervs, but I think Butch at least being the perviest would track. If, being Buttercup’s counterpart, he also expresses extremes in his primal emotions, that would just be another primal emotion he’d express to the extreme. Just in super gross ways no girl would ever find appealing.

As for Billy, I will sort of defend him because, out of the entire gang, he has a peanut brain (affectionate), and I think, without the influence of the other guys, he would be a good boy. He still definitely needed to get punished for what he did to the girls though. 🤣 But yeah, I think the main difference between the GGG and the RRB is that, if separated, the GGG could… potentially… be good, and have been shown to have varied nuance, whereas the RRB are Pure Evil and Like That no matter what, and there’s like 100% less nuance to them.

But you’re so right about the CW thing, it really did feel a bit like the kind of stuff people have been writing for years. Also, yeah, wow, despite PPG fandom being rather fractured, it has unfortunately already suffered from a lot of, to put it politely, unpleasantness. If “unwanted” fans flooded in… well, what else is new? 😮‍💨

…man, there was a lot here, and I appreciate it all, and agree with a lot of it. Thank you for the ask! 💖

[n3felibata]

I really appreciate that regardless of what your overall opinion on the Millie issue is, most people seem to agree that the beartrap thing was foul.

It's probably the thing that bothers me the most about the writing of this character. The creators threw her into an inexplicable beartrap to write her out of the climax of an episode that takes place on her own childhood home so Moxxie could get a pep talk.

Why was the beartrap even there? And why was it set? It's like they were so desperate to get her out of the way that they threw away logic.

And I hope people realize that this is fridging (the trope of killing off or injuring women to forward a man's story, usually for his character development). Usually fridged female characters are just straight up killed off, and I'll admit this is not as bad, but while the writers in this case chose not to kill off Millie, they still effectively "removed" her from the story in order to give Moxxie a moment of introspection and character growth, and the effect was essentially the same. She even pulls the "do it for me" card. Ugh.

It's even worse when you take a moment to consider that there's no implication that anyone found Millie, so she was presumably just sitting there alone, bleeding out from the wound in a dark basement as Moxxie and Blitz fought Striker.

Isn't that... really messed up to you guys?

I've seen someone say that the reason the writing team had to do that is probably because she'd beat Striker in the fight too quickly, but I don't think that's the case. Striker beat her pretty easily. A little too easily, actually, which is kind of part of the problem.

Millie went absolutely feral on him, stabbing him in the back several times. And I know that demons are more durable than humans on Earth, but damn... Why does he just tend the rest of the episode as if he doesn't have a bunch of stab wounds in his back? And Millie defeated a kaiju a few episodes back with a knife and an improvised molotov cocktail, and later took down a mafia single-handedly at a wedding... so there's no way that didn't at least do a number on him... right?

Doesn't seem like it. In fact, I don't think he even bandaged himself. He walks off like it's nothing. Once again, defying all logic just to write her out.

But even if that was the reason, I don't think it would be an excuse to be willing to physically injure female characters just to get them out of the way when they're no longer useful in a man's story.

The cherry on top was the reveal that Moxxie had a gun the whole time. He could've shot Striker and we probably wouldn't be here.

It's like they only remember these things when they need to progress the story, but conveniently cast it aside when they need to get Millie out of the way and/or motivate Moxxie. It's ridiculous.

Even Millie herself calls it out

The fact that this whole episode takes place on Millie's old farm and is set up like it's going to be about her, only for her to be done this dirty in it is almost laughable. I feel like the only one that found it weird that Millie never really just stood up to her parents herself and just told them to respect her husband. And then when she does start finally arguing with her mom, Moxxie basically does it for her, and they don't actually listen until he steps up. Apparently he needed a conclusion to his own story so badly that it's more important than Millie having her own moment of character growth. Which is... kind of reminiscent of one of the biggest problems of this character.

I don't think people understand that the whole childhood home thing wouldn't have been as frustrating if it weren't for the fact that this is just one instance in a pattern of Millie getting the short end of the stick for Moxxie's sake.

When Moxxie gets an episode that takes place on his childhood home, it's about Moxxie. But when an episode takes place on Millie's childhood home... it's still about Moxxie.

This is honestly probably the dirtiest they've done Millie, and the Helluva Boss female cast in general.

[woodchipp]

I guess this post's going to be a "sequel" to my post about Sunny and Mari because I have Thoughts about the game's potential again, this time concerning Sunny's other friends because god damn they're so underdeveloped and irrelevant 😭

Aubrey holds the "privilege" of being the game's only main character to have something vaguely resembling a character arc, and yet the execution of said character arc still leaves much to be desired. She has some makings of being a nice foil to Sunny (Sunny dealt with his issues by folding into himself in denial while Aubrey dealt with them by taking out her rage on Basil, Sunny's appearance is as bland and average as it can get while Aubrey's appearance is rather garish and visually striking) and I believe that kind of angle would've been really fascinating to work with. I'd have also preferred Aubrey being upfront about being a jerk - her incessant "noooo i'm not a meanie YOU are meanies >:(" deflections don't make her a Deeper character, they just become annoying after a while.

Maybe the game could've featured a flashback (an actual flashback, because Headspace isn't the most reliable source of information) where Aubrey defends Sunny or Basil from jerks harassing them at school and openly expresses her distaste for assholes who think it's okay to pick on someone who can't fight back... only to become that exact sort of asshole down the road. If Basil is the one she stands up for, this could even be their first meeting for additional irony!

Aubrey's rough home life is another aspect of her character the game should've elaborated on, especially given that its only purpose in the story is to be shorthand for "she's just a poor bbygirl please feel bad for her". What if Aubrey was closer to her father than she was to her mother? What if her dad left her mom precisely because the latter developed alcoholism and eventually became difficult to live with? What if Aubrey herself started using booze (albeit not to the extent her mother does) to cope with Mari's death, hating herself because she knows she's becoming exactly like her mother and turning into a person her beloved father would probably look down on? Honestly, the kids' parental issues would've been way more interesting to learn about than listening to them go "waaaa I miss my wife Tails Mari :'c" for the 1403rd time in a row as if we didn't get the memo already

Last but not least, before I move onto Hero and Kel, I'd like to echo @beevean's opinion about the whole "Aubrey shoves Basil into the lake" plot point - Aubrey absolutely should've been the one to save Basil after realizing what she's done. That'd have been a brilliant way to show that she still genuinely cares about her friends despite her violent exterior. This could've also tied into the reason she isolates herself on the final day - even though she makes no bones about being an asshole, the lake incident rattles her and finally makes her recognize that she crossed a line she never thought she'd be able to cross. She and her friends lost Mari already, and they would've lost Basil too, this time by her hands. The guilt overwhelms her, and she decides to shut herself off from the outside world since she thinks that she's a danger to her friends... sounds rather familiar, doesn't it? :)

IMO, Hero arguing that Aubrey still cares about her friends because she quickly dove into the lake to rescue Basil to break her out of her funk before the group hug would've made for a more solid point than "you care because you restored the photo album!", which completely ignores the fact that she stole it from Basil and bullied him for four years over it.

Speaking of Hero, the first thing I'd like to change is the reason for his nickname because the "he likes hero sandwiches lol" explanation is fucking stupid. It'd have definitely made more sense for it to be an in-joke for Sunny's friend group, since Hero's Just Naturally Good™ at everything he does. Maybe Kel or Aubrey could've created some sort of running gag by jokingly calling him "Hank", the decidedly less cool-sounding diminutive form of his real name, Henry.

I think that Hero apparently yelling "a lot of hurtful stuff" at Kel when the latter tried to help him stop being a recluse could've lent itself to some interesting characterization had the game bothered to explore it. What if Hero used Kel's biggest insecurities against him in his rant? He'd be the one to know his younger brother best, after all :)

Maybe the incident could have been used to establish a contrast of sorts between the brothers, with Kel having blocked out everything Hero said about him for the sake of his own mental health and Hero having the memory burned into his mind because he still feels very guilty about the outburst even four years after the fact. What if Hero spent said four years believing that Kel secretly hates him for what happened and being afraid of talking to him about it? Perhaps that would've explained Kel's remark about Hero being "a little more closed off now than he used to be."

Hero himself could've been an interesting character, mainly because his relationship with Mari isn't really touched on by the game, which is baffling since he was her boyfriend. Maybe the story could've tried to indicate that he still has trouble moving on from her suicide by him trying to abruptly change the subject whenever Mari comes up in a conversation. The story could've also tried to show the ways Mari as a person shaped Hero into the person he is (e.g. Mari is mentioned to have had a mischievous side to her, so Hero could've probably had an affinity for mischief too?) I think that sort of thing would've been nice to see in all of the game's characters, actually - the point is that even though Mari is dead, she "lives" on in a way through her friends and her brother, through the habits they picked up from her. Of course, that would necessitate Mari to have a personality beyond "picnic blanket" lmao

Maybe the game could've had Hero (unconsciously) start doting on Sunny as if he was the latter's older brother because, as part of him blaming himself for his friend group's dissolution, he feels especially guilty for "forgetting" about Sunny in his grief. I like to think that this, coupled with Hero picking up Mari's behaviors, would actually hurt Sunny even more, probably since a) it'd fuel his fears about everyone caring about him only because he's the last reminder of Mari they have left and b) every time Sunny sees Hero trying to be affectionate, he's just reminded of his sister, and it hurts.

You know, maybe the game could've even implied that Sunny harbors a bit of resentment towards Kel for having an older sibling in the first place. Sunny himself is aware that it's completely irrational and beats himself up over it ("oh my god, how could I even think something like that? he's my friend!"), but it's still there.

Kel loves his older brother. Kel has an older sibling to love.

Sunny doesn't. Not anymore, at least.

He had a sister.

She's gone now.

[vampirehizzies]

👻 trick or treat! 👻

hi anonymous friend!

sneak peak of clato post games fake relationship fic:

"You must both understand how bad this is," Enobaria states finally. Business-like, efficient, cool-headed. Far more dangerous than anything else - Clove would honestly have preferred that Enobaria had screamed her head off at them, because now it is clear that the problem is far more serious than she'd previously imagined.

"We can explain," Cato murmurs half-heartedly. They all know he is a liar - even being one of the guilty parties, Clove couldn't justify her behavior to herself, and she had spent the past several sleepless hours trying. When she attempted to work through and rationalize her complete inability to take his life, or understand why her entire body had seemed to rebel against the act of killing him, all she's left with is an unbearable headache instead of acceptable answers. Cato's no better off than her, she can tell that much from the dark circles under his eyes.

Enobaria scoffs, pacing around the small apartment they had been invited to stay in before the upcoming post-Games interview. "I really don't think you can. You idiots didn't even seem to know yourselves what you were doing. But you made your choices, and bridges have been burned. We need to come up with a plan, and fast, because this can and will get ugly."

She ceases berating them and pauses to think. "You could try the bullshit madly in love thing the Twelves wanted to pull," Enobaria finally decides, speaking more to herself than them. Clove bristles with residual hatred at the mention of their old foes, while simultaneously fighting back the horrific memory of the Girl On Fire screaming in pain as those beastly mutts tore her apart.

Her District partner sneers derisively from the couch, eyes narrowing with contempt. "That's out of the question. No one will ever believe that." He briefly glances at Clove, revealing nothing but cool indifference, before returning to focus on a distant spot on the wall.

She remembers what it was like when he wore every emotion he felt in his facial expressions, making himself easily accessible to her. Now, he has placed a cool, stony mask over any feeling he might have, and won't look at her for longer than two seconds. It stings far more than it should.

"Really? Is that why I have two idiot Victors sitting in front of me instead of one?" Enobaria sighs with exhaustion, pinching the bridge of her nose as she gathers her thoughts. "Besides," she mutters, "as we all just saw, these people are a fool for a juicy love story."

"Those kinds of tricks are beneath us!" Cato vehemently argues, voice rising, and finally, there, some emotion flashing across his face as he glares angrily at their Mentor.

"Except it's not a trick, is it?" Enobaria swiftly challenges his reasoning. "No, it's simple truth, really, because I know damn well that any other pair would not have hesitated to fight one another, even those from a non-Career District."

"We're not in love, and we don't need to pretend to be to gain sympathy," Clove cuts in, thankful that her level, unwavering voice gives off a tone of disinterested apathy and doesn't reveal the fact that her heart is pounding with a mix of different emotions. "It's about fairness. Justice. We kept our promise to be faithful and serve our duty to the country. We gave them their damn Victors! They should have kept their promise too and not revoked the rule change, especially when we played fair and square." She raises her chin defiantly, daring the older woman to refute her.

Enobaria stares back at her in silence for a full ten seconds before beginning slowly as if speaking to a toddler, "Clove, I want you to realize right now that there will never be any such thing as fair here. You play by their rules - which you failed to do - or you die - which I know you don't want. So that only leaves one thing left."

Cato doesn't bother to hear the rest, and instead retires to his room with a pointed slam of the door, a clear indicator of his opinion on Enobaria's suggestion that was really more of a command. Despite his rejection of this insane plan, Clove is well aware that they're out of options.

Later that night, her hand is intertwined with her District partner's, the pleasant warmth of the skin-on-skin contact grounding her, a reminder of those cold nights in the Arena when his hand had wandered blindly until it found hers and they laid side by side like that for hours. At the thirty-minute mark of the interview she's practically halfway in his lap. Everything in her body screams at her that this isn't right, that she cannot be this close to Cato - ironically the only boy whom she would even entertain the thought of engaging in this kind of physical contact with, but that's not a thought she'd like to examine further - on live television, the entire fucking country watching them. He's rigid underneath her even as he feigns comfort, placing his hand on her thigh suggestively for the benefit of the ruse. Clove grins devilishly at the camera in response because that is far better than than her sobbing.

[pantherlover]

An Artificial Night Re-Read: Part 3

Hello again! Onto part 3:

Chapter Seven:

'The odds are against me ever having a knowe of my own' I don't know, Toby, I think there's at least a non-zero chance at this point.

Toby's definitely gotten better at eating whenever she can than she is in this book.

I wonder if Fetch's names are always connected to the person they've copied.

Did Sylvester mention Amandine because he thought she wouldn't like Luna sending Toby into danger, or because he thought she'd be able to stop Blind Michael?

Okay, it makes more sense that Toby was so blase about Blind Michael in the first book if most of the time he was 'old man yelling to get off his lawn' levels of nuisance.

I'm honestly super curious about what Luna's relationship with the Luidaeg looks like. Luna's Blind Michael and Acacia's daughter, so does Luidaeg fight with herself about liking a descendant of Titania, or is Luna being a child of her favourite brother enough to make her at least neutral to her? Luna seemed okay enough with her that she wasn't worried about sending Toby to the Luidaeg for help; have they interacted with each other at all? Or do they politely pretend that the other one doesn't exist?

Chapter Eight:

Can we talk about how Toby and Luidaeg have only known each other for, what - two years? A year and a half? - and Luidaeg already feels comfortable enough with Toby that she doesn't assume that Toby's calling because she needs her? I know Luidaeg is terrifying, but her capacity to love is pretty awe-inspiring.

Also Luidaeg has to help kill her brother! Her favourite brother, one of her only siblings left, because she knew her brother would eventually become a monster and she's the only one who can make sure Toby has a chance to do it.

Luidaeg calls Toby a child of Oberon and Toby ignores it. Luidaeg might not have given the most direct hints, but she really did try to tell Toby about her heritage when she could.

"He'll hold them until Halloween night... and then they'll Ride. It's [Blind Michael's] way of remembering our mother. Her Rides were always held on Samhian night." This is kind of surprising to me, given that we just learned in the latest short story that part of the reason he became Blind Michael in the first place is because he went to his mother for vengeance after his children were murdered and she turned him away.

I have to try to pay attention to when a fancy knife is described now, just in case the knife Luidaeg commissioned to kill Eira with shows up.

Chapter Nine:

Raj!!!! I forgot how many characters we were introduced to in this book!

OOF, Raj is having a *bad* day. Have Raj, Dean and Chelsea argued over who was having a worse time when the met Toby?

Chapter Ten:

"The Luidaeg is the only Firstborn I've ever dealt with on a regular basis, and her power is subtle, damped down until she can seem human to the casual observer. [Acacia's] power wasn't hidden at all." Given that Toby's regularly been around *two* other Firstborns at this point, this makes me wonder how Amandine and Evening were able to hide what they were for so long. I could see Amandine being able to hide her power through some type of blood magic, but what about Eira? Part of it could've been explained by Toby just not having a good grasp on what a normal Daoine Sidhe's powers looked like compared to Evening, but Evening hid it from *everyone*. Were her illusions just that good?

"It's Raj. I... the forest is very dark." Oh noooooo Raj would HATE it but I want to bundle him up in a blanket and hug hiiiiiiim

'"My father says Uncle Tybalt's friend October is an adult." He paused. "And a hussy."' I realize there's no way I could've appreciated this enough the first time I read this, given we hadn't met Samson yet, but this is seriously SO funny. I desperately want to know what Tybalt's behaviour looks like from his Court's perspective during this time period.

Chapter Eleven:

"[Blind Michael] hadn't just changed them on the outside. He'd changed them all the way down to the bone." Do we know what Blind Michael's first children were/what they could do? What Toby's doing here sounds like some kind of blood magic, but I don't think Maeve's descendants are really known for that; plus, everything Toby's ever about her powers are that you can take away a bloodline but you can't add one, which is exactly what it sounds like Blind Michael did. Is it just a really extreme form of transformation?

There's something extra brutal about Blind Michael taking one of the few Roane left, possibly during one of his first Rides. I wonder if that's what caused Luidaeg to try to kill him?

"You're Amandine's daughter, aren't you? You are. I can smell it on you. Why are you here? She never came, and once a road is set aside, no other feet should claim it." So THIS implies that Amandine had a road she could've used to save kids before, or at least used to visit Blind Michael's lands. I would've guessed it was the Blood Road, but as far as I remember the only issue was using that road was that Toby ran the risk of bleeding out before she got back, not that it was closed off from anyone to use. So if it wasn't the Blood Road, could it be a road connected to Janet?

That's it for now! Please feel free to come to discuss things with me. See you next time!

[spaceorphan18]

Glee Musical Retrospective: Smile (Mattress)

Sung by: Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson Original Artist(s): Lily Allen

Like how Hairography had a theme (distracted!!) Mattress also has one as well -- 'smile'. I think this episode, however, does a better job of integrating the theme into the story and not hitting you over the head with it. The thing about the whole 'smile' theme, though, is that it's the idea of smiling as a façade over the darker emotions going on.

The thing about this song, though, it's also a façade; albeit possibly unintentionally? On the outside, it's a nice, flirty Finchel duet. But have you guys ever actually listened to the lyrics? It's about reveling in your ex's misery. I'm totally going to try to make the case that this song really should have been a Quinn song...

Story Analysis

So - the whole point of this scene was Rachel trying to teach Finn how to smile better for the yearbook photo. And... you know what? It's kind of a cute scene on its own. Rachel is, somewhat, uncharacteristically happy during it (it feels very Lea-ish, or at least post-Season 4 Rachel) and yes that's part of the schtick, but I think the genuine flirtatiousness of the song kinda makes Finchel sweet. Finn is adorable in his awkwardness, and then he kind of loosens up and goes along with Rachel. It's honestly, kind of sweet, and I feel like showcases their actual chemistry for once. (As I'm of the mind that Finchel is going to feel so forced in the future.)

But the thing about the song is that it's sooooo not about just general happiness and flirtatiousness. This song is about being happy that your ex is a groveling, dribbling mess and really not giving a shit. And -- I just can't make it work for Finchel.

I suppose you can argue that Rachel can be overdramatic - and want to think herself being better than petty relationship drama. But even as Rachel will go on to do some truly batshit crazy things (does it get any worse than Sunshine and the crackhouse?) she doesn't really pull this stuff with Finn. Nor, I'd argue, would she actually be happy to see him sad or upset.

The reason this song is misleading, really, is the fact that the song makes such an emphasis on the word 'smile'. So as Finn and Rachel are dancing around singing about smiling -- you kind of get wrapped up in the fun beat and the cheery melody and the word smile, and can easily miss the fact that this song is really vindictive.

As I was going over this one in preparation, though, it occurred to me that this would be a perfect song for Quinn.

When you first left me I was wanting more You were kissing that girl next door What you do that for? (What you do that for?)

Quinn being pissed off that she was dumped for Rachel -- um, yes, she was upset about that on multiple occasions.

I never been on my (own that way) Just sat by my(self all day)

Who defines herself by the relationships she has with men? Why that's Quinn.

(Oh!) I was so lost back then (Oh!) But with a little help from my friends (Oh!) I found a light in the tunnel at the end (Oh!) (Oh!) Now you're calling me up on the phone (Oh!) So you can have a little whine and a moan (Oh!) And it's only because you're feeling alone (Oh!)

The first time I really listened to the lyrics I was like - whoa, those some dirty lyrics. But, again, Quinn would think this way -- I can totally see her talking like this.

At worst, (I feel bad for awhile) (But then I just smile, I go ahead and smile)

This is the real deal sealer for me, though. Because Quinn is all about the façade - and all about trying to present as this perfect, in control person. She will just smile and cover up any emotions she has to save face. She'd also does not really care about your pain. She's too busy dealing with her own to have pity or sympathy for someone who has screwed her over.

Plus - I feel like this song should be sung with a real sense of sarcasm and edge to give it that ironic sound. This song plays it straight, but I think a Quinn version would have added those darker qualities.

Really -- they should have had Quinn scowling in the background of this number and it would have felt perfect.

Technical Thoughts

First thing to get out of the way is, yes, I know they changed the lyrics. The original lyrics say *fucking* the girl next door instead of kissing. It's a network tv show about high school students, so I'm not surprised - but also, that would have taken you completely out of the Finchel love fest they were going for.

So. Here's my thing - Rachel sounds fine on it. But the song itself was put through some kind of filter. Was it autotune? Was it some other kind of electronic something? I have no idea what exactly -- but the sound feels /off/ -- too mechanical and produced. And this is one of the few times on the show that I can feel that they're lip synching. Especially at the beginning. Glee usually does better at integrating pre-recorded song with the performance, but this isn't one of their better attempts. Ah well.

Meanwhile, Finn sounds alright. At times, it's a little too high - and it feels forced. But, in general, Cory Monteith sounds better overall than he has in previous numbers - and when he and Lea are singing together, I have no complaints. It's a catchy little tune, and the scene is very sweet.

vs. The Studio Version: There's a little more of an introduction and they include the second verse, but that's pretty much it. It's a solid song though.

vs. The Original Version: So. Glee's arrangement is more or less the same as the original song. Lily Allen's voice is a bit grittier and a little less produced (sorry Lea - you're still good on the Glee track.)

The thing though, wow, this video. It really showcases the duality of song -- being a happy, bubbly sound song, but the singer is out for blood and shows no mercy. There's a lot more going on than the music would outwardly suggest. (Secret Quinn Solo)