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renegadewangs · 3 years ago

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Van Zieks - the Examination, Part 1

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I'm outlining stems from my own views and experiences. I am a 30-something European woman, and therefore may not view the matter from certain angles. That said, I'm always open to more input from others. If you believe that I've missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. If we can make this a team effort, I would love that.

The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. I am of the firm belief that characters are no more than a tool created to serve a narrative purpose, therefore the question I'm posing is whether or not Barok van Zieks serves this purpose. That's all I'm doing here.

I'm using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what's said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent.

It doesn't matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. He's not real anyway, so he can't suffer from it. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people. If you know you're morally in the right, there should be no need for insults to begin with. Let's keep this conversation civil and constructive! As the first post in a series, let’s first start by examining the expectations we would have for a character like this. The purpose he was meant to serve.

1: Expectations

As I said in a different Barok-related essay, the main prosecutor of any Ace Attorney game has been, and always will be, an antagonistic force. Not a villain, not even necessarily someone who exhibits immoral traits. (Hi Klavier!) Just someone who impedes the protag’s goal of getting a not-guilty verdict. In order to have an effective antagonist, they need to mirror the protag's weaknesses back at them. Ace Attorney does this quite well, as the prosecutors represent the obstacle/turmoil that the defense needs to overcome. Often times, the prosecutor is also tied to a pivotal moment in the attorney's past, making sure the strife is quite personal.

Considering the game's plot and settings, it would've been difficult for Barok to be tied to Ryunosuke's past. (He is tied to Asogi's past, funnily enough, but that's a matter I also addressed in that other Barok essay.) So instead, Barok represents Ryunosuke's struggle in more of a figurehead capacity. I've seen people dub him the 'CEO of Racism', and I'm not gonna lie, in a way that's correct. Barok was designed to be the mouthpiece of the harmful sentiments Japanese exchange students would have encountered in the 1900s. By extension, since Ryunosuke is an exchange student unfamiliar with the British courts (or even courts in general), the prosecutor would target the fact that Ryunosuke 'does not understand how things are done here'. Which he does- a lot. This makes it all the more satisfying when Ryunosuke proves him wrong by outsmarting him and using Britain's own laws (such as the closing argument) against him. So yes, you may hate Barok for uttering racist sentiments and dismissing Ryunosuke's abilities, but the ultimate goal here is that Barok's defeat is made sweeter as a result. The narrative end-game is Ryunosuke's triumph and validation in the courtroom.

Was there a different personal struggle Barok could have represented? Yes, but also no. Sure, his vendetta could have been strictly with the Asogi family and Ryunosuke could have admitted to carrying Asogi's resolve, not knowing what it meant. Though that would’ve implied very early that Asogi had a history of sorts in Britain and would’ve destroyed some of the surprise we experience in game 2. Alternatively, there was also the 'parallel' antagonist angle. The sort of villain who says the line “we're not so different, you and I.” The antagonist who shows what happens when someone with the same skills or motivations follows the wrong path, which emphasizes the right path for the protagonist. However, I can't see that working in the plot of this game.

A purposeful decision was made by the writers to have prejudice be a central theme of the plot. This is the matter that hits the hardest in an emotional sense. Therefore, having Barok be the centerpiece of this prejudice ensures he leaves the biggest narrative impact.

---

However, another long-running aspect of the AA prosecutor is the redemption arc, so let's turn our attention to that!

I'm not going to put too much effort into explaining this, I just want to talk about the requirements of a redemption arc. We all know these types of arcs, a lot of Ace Attorney prosecutors have them. We see them in fiction all over. Noteworthy examples of redemption arcs done well include Zuko from The Last Airbender, Michael from The Good Place... For argument's sake, let's toss Edgeworth in there too. I'm not saying Edgeworth's arc is done well, but at the very least it is accepted by most as something that served its intended purpose. I've never seen anyone question Edgeworth's transformation.

See, what we have here is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to what people expect to get out of these types of arcs. Redemption in itself is only 'deliverance from sin' or 'being saved from evil'. It's the thought that a horrible person can still see the error of their ways before it's 'too late'. However, when it comes to absorbing media, often a character gaining knowledge that they were in the wrong isn't enough to satisfy the audience. Would Edgeworth have had a satisfying redemption arc if he'd acknowledged his arrogance and dirty tactics, only to retire as a prosecutor? No way. We needed him to return in the following games to give us an update on his status. Standing in court as a defense attorney, at the risk of damaging his reputation, was the moment we knew he'd grown for the better.

What we require for the arc to come to a good conclusion is atonement. The character in question must not only apologize for their actions, but repent in a more active manner to show that they've changed their ways. Following that, the atonement must be acknowledged by others. So for example, Zuko joins the ATLA gang to help them in any way that he can until even the most skeptical of the group, Katara, acknowledges his transformation into a better person. Now add to this the notion that the character's atonement must be virtuous and sincere. The Good Place is a fascinating look into the debate of 'is it ever too late for a person to change?' and the moral complications of changing in the first place. If you're only doing good things because you want to be saved from damnation, are you being a good person or are you being selfish? There's such a thing as corrupt motivation; only doing good because it is expected. For example, does sponsoring a library make Magnus McGilded a good person? It does not, since he's only doing it to boost his own reputation and have people believe he's selfless.

As a final note, I want to ask: Does a redemption arc require a backstory to justify the character's immoral ways? Personally, I don't think that it does. It's good to have, since it allows an audience to empathize with the character and give them more of a reason to root for them. It turns the redemption arc into a tale about overcoming past trauma. However, it can backfire when done badly and lead to frustration. (I'm looking at you, live action Disney movies!) Some characters are evil just for the sake of being evil and even then, they can turn over a new leaf because they realize it is just so much more rewarding to be good. Just look at Michael from The Good Place.

What's more effective than a backstory, in my opinion, is smaller details to humanize a character. Humanization can also lead to empathy, perhaps even relatability, and helps us believe that they're capable of change. We need to be told that a character has their own fears, their own flaws, their own odd little habits which deviate from the norm... Again, I'll point to Michael from The Good Place for this. Another humanization tactic, which we see employed often in Ace Attorney, is to display a prosecutor's likes and hobbies outside the courtroom. Edgeworth's fanboying over the Steel Samurai, Blackquill's love for birds, Nahyuta's willingness to stand in line for hours to get his hands on a delicious burger... I've feel ya, Nahyuta. This tactic is more readily employed in Ace Attorney because it's difficult to place a prosecutor in a position of weakness before the final showdown. You can show them tending to hobbies during Investigation segments, but you can't show them waking up from a nightmare or wondering whether their father loves them. Well, not until case 5 of that game, anyway. By then, it's too late to serve as the sole humanization factor. Did Van Zieks need to be redeemed at all? The way I see it, the only correct answer is yes. What do we want to see in our world? Do we want people who hold racist prejudice to acknowledge their faults and become better, or do we want them to die clinging to their shitty moral compass? Do we want a world where everyone learns to get along, or do we want a world where people continue to be in the wrong and act like assholes until they inevitably get punished by law for something or another? Van Zieks needed to be redeemed in order to teach that valuable lesson that it’s never too late to be a good person and that it pays to be a good person.

So to summarize, what we needed from Barok van Zieks was the following:

1) Present an antagonistic (possibly immoral) force who personifies Ryunosuke's biggest personal obstacle/weakness, in this case racial prejudice. 2) Humanizing traits begin to show. OPTIONAL: A backstory to justify any immorality he has. 3) Over time, Barok has his realization and sees the error of his ways. 4) Barok atones for his immorality, not simply through apology but by taking decisive steps. 5) The cast around him acknowledges his efforts and forgives him.

This leaves us with the question: Does the game deliver on these points? Well, let's boot it up and find out! Stay tuned for The Adventure of the Runaway Room! (as a warning, it’s gonna be LONG)

#dgs #dgs spoilers #tgaa #tgaa spoilers #barok van zieks #oh god here we go #i actually already finished Runaway Room but I need to let it sink in #it was a doozy

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alwaysanotherrainbow · 5 years ago

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my boyfriend never texts first

Remus just wants to not be the first one to send a message every once in a while. That’s not too much to ask, right?

relationship: romantic remrom, background remy and emile (also romantic)

warnings: major character death, extended mourning (secondary warnings- brief discussion of religious holidays, brief underage drinking mention, a lot of all-caps) notes: unrelated, human, hs/college au. virgil, emile, and remy are here too. If you need anything in the secondary warnings (or one of those latter three characters) edited out, please let me know and I can put that up for you!

____________________________________________________

Remus always texted him first. Always. It didn’t matter the situation, didn’t matter the time date place name face. Who what when where why. It first started when he texted hi roman :) when they first got phones; for whatever reason, Roman just never texted first. Either he’d call or they’d talk in person.

No matter. Remus could cope.

May 1:

8:37 PM tody i saw you by my locker 8:39 PM *today 8:42 PM why didnt you say hi?

May 2:

9:30 PM a teacher talked to me today 9:30 PM wanted to talk about how i’m doing after 9:52 PM well you know. he’s a sick bastard

Really, it wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? He just wanted to see him text first once in a while! May 7:

3:32 PM: by the way idk if you got this last time 3:36 PM: my class ring size is the medium 3:44 PM: hopefully you order it by the deadline :P 4:03 PM: no idea when the deadline is 4:20 PM: bLAZE IT 4:24 PM: sorry i have like 0 money so i got it from the consignment shop 4:31 PM: i hope you like synthetic rubies!! leaving them with ur dad 10:40 PM: update. i cried for four hours with your dad.

June 2:

7:30 AM: gRaDuAtIoN dAy!!! 7:32 AM: there’s cookies in the reception menu 7:35 AM: snickerdoodles your favorite [eyes] 10:02 AM: i’m getting some for u 10:05 AM: [kissy face] 7:40 PM: the announcement was Weird 7:43 PM: anyways i have the snickerdoodles (Remus couldn’t go over to where Roman was staying, so he left them in the living room. He knew Roman would appreciate them. Hopefully he’d come over (wait, probably not, given...))

Well, actually, he could understand why he never texted first. June 11:

12:14 PM: roMAN 12:16 PM: [Attachment: Remus_Picani-Kleitman_Acceptance_Letter.pdf] 12:18 PM: YEAHHHH 12:24 PM: I’m sure you got in too SEND ME YOURS WHEN YOU GET IT 12:32 PM: WE MIGHT SHARE A ROOM YEA 12:35 PM: [Attachment: celebration.jpg]

Everyone was probably saying that he ought to just move on, but to be honest, he couldn’t... Actually, to be honest, no-one had told him to move on to his face yet. In fact, everyone was surprised he was doing so well, given how bad the circumstances were! The situation was stressing him out so much, even his dads were gently advising him to rethink things. (Well, that was part of the territory with one of them being a therapist and the other being a barista.)

“I got y’all some kouign-amann from the cafe,” said Dad, putting it down on the counter. His shirt had SLEEP scrawled on it with a Sharpie; it was the one that Remus had made for him as a joke. He still wore it. Huh.

“Sweetie, what’s a queen amahn?” asked Papa.

“It’s a... er, it’s like a... this is kinda like a croissant that had dreams of a muffin tin and salted caramel. One for you, babe.... then one for Doodlebug-”

“Can I leave some for Roman?” asked Remus.

They exchanged a glance.

“Of course you can,” said Papa with a smile. “Your candle’s on the table. Also, I got the news about being accepted into university? Good job, kiddo. You know, that was your father’s alma mater.”

“Are you sure you want to go to school right away after...? No problem taking a gap year.”

Papa glared at Dad. “Be nice.”

“I’m sorry, Remus, it’s just...” Dad put down his coffee. “If you’re not ready, if you need more time-”

"I’m sure,” said Remus with a grin, trying to get rid of what he just remembered. “Trust me.”

“Please find a good way to put away the snickerdoodles, they’ve been there since last week!” shouted Papa.

June 12:

12:12 AM: its twelve twelve make a wish 12:15 AM: hey when does your phone bill go out? 12:20 AM: im just saying that would Explain some things 12:22 AM: i know your dad pays Everything like a year in advance 12:34 AM: tell him i say hi 12:34 AM: 12:34 MAKE A WISH

July 12:

3:30 PM: guess who’s a double major in bio and theatre!! 3:32 PM: marine biology babey 3:53 PM: it’s good for the SOUL 4:04 PM: this cute octopus reminded me of you by the way 4:10 PM: [Attachment: for_roman]

August 14:

6:24 PM: moving in is the Worst 6:32 PM: by the way i got a single 6:35 PM: no roommates 6:41 PM: still have the bunk tho 6:44 PM: also got ur favorite pillo

August 30:

2:12 AM: roman it is like two o’clock in the morning what the Heck are you doing here, 2:15 AM: if u see me wave Hi 2:32 AM: ok >:c 2:42 AM: dont mind Me just studyin on top of the planetarium 3:15 AM: tbh i didn’t even know we go to the same campus? haven’t seen you around or anything 3:17 AM: shit phones gonna di

September 28:

2:20 PM: i failed my test 2:22 PM: idk what to d 2:24 PM: *do

September 29: 7:30 PM: remember that octopus you gave me that eats negative emotions? 7:32 PM: it works!!

October 3:

1:10 PM: You’d like the theatre program, really 1:15 PM: just so u know they’ve listed your name as an ‘honorary member of the class of’ 1:19 PM: that’s really nice of them. idk if your dad knows

October 23:

9:45 AM: i had to explain one of our inside jokes 8( 9:52 AM: i can’t Explain the deodorant thing that was One Time 9:55 AM: also why i’m called The Duke 9:56 AM: its bc you said it. not my fault 9:58 AM: its still cute pls call me that still 9:59 AM: pancake brunch pancake brunch pancake brunch October 31: 6:12 PM: sun’s down! joyous samhain 6:15 PM: i remember when you sewed me that octopus btw, the one that eats ucky feelings 6:19 PM: how long did it take you to get the laurel sachet into it?? 6:34 PM: also thank you thank you thank you for helping me find a friendly church to celebrate all saints day 6:47 PM: that year was a NIGHTMARE because you forgot to get your white candles and carnelian, and i forgot my holy water, so we were driving around town like Madmen 6:59 PM: it was worth it though 7:03 PM: i left you a script, i think you’ll like it.

November 9:

11:19 PM: i miss you so so much.

November 10:

12:20 AM: ignor this i drank like 12:24 AM: a lot 1:15 AM: i’m sorry i should’ve been with you 1:22 AM: i shouldve been there With You. 1:45 AM: but i wasn’t 2:20 AM: i didn’t know thered be a 4:11 PM: shit i just saw these. Sorry to bother you December 2:

10:10 AM: hey roman, been a bit. yea sorry about last time. too much of the Alcohol 10:13 AM: gonna go over to my parents’ house 1:00 PM: if you wanna come over, you can. dad’s making snickerdoodles and papa’s gonna watch atla (yes i still have that dvd you got me do not @ me it’s with your candles on your table just like everything else) 1:03 PM: that was on the dot, i’m happy.

December 21

8:34 AM: hey, it’s snowing 9:13 AM: couldn’t help leaving you some hot cocoa. and snickerdoodles of course 10:12 AM: i love you Remus went to go help his dads with making breakfast, but by the time everyone was done cleaning and they had finished watching some shitty Hallmark movie, he remembered that he had left his phone upstairs. Going upstairs and looking at it, he felt something in him break.

[2 Unread: Roman <3, bf’s dad]

10:22 AM, Roman <3: Why are you texting this number? 11:15 AM, bf’s dad: Remus, disregard that last, I’m so sorry. I just found his phone and I saw only the recent message first

The phone started ringing. Remus answered it as quickly as he could.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Sanders I didn’t know that someone was actually getting these messages I thought the line was out,” he said within a few seconds before the person on the other side sighed.

“No, it’s quite all right. And Virgil’s all right, by the way, if you prefer. I... I was just looking through his things for the first time. You know, it being a holiday and all... Memories, things like that.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

“I just turned the phone back on, I’m getting a lot of messages.”

“Oh.” Remus stared at the wall, trying to come to terms with everything. “Well, I--”

“I’m not going to stop paying for his phone. I’m sorry, I just... I still have his voicemails on it, and I can’t stand the thought of it going offline either.”

“Right, I... I listen to it too.”

“I happened upon the last one he sent to you.”

“You looked at the messages?”

“I only looked over when I stopped getting new ones, but I saw the last question he sent you. For your ring size.”

“Yeah? He asked my ring size so that he could--”

“There’s no easy way to say this, but.. I found something of his. Can you come over?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t, but can you please tell me what it was? Please?”

“I really think I should tell you this in person.”

“Please, Mr. Sanders. Please, I... I can’t manage that.”

He sighed. “All right, Remus. I found an early acceptance letter to SJAU, and... and a ringbox.”

Remus felt his grasp on the phone grow weak. It fell onto the bed, Mr. Sanders’ voice still clear.

“I think he was going to ask for you to....”

“No, we... We were just out of high school, I-- that doesn’t make sense.”

“He always was one for those romantic gestures. There’s some poems here, too. A life-plan. I’m not sure exactly what malacology is, but--”

“Mollusks. Like octopi and squids.. Sorry for cutting you off, what was that?”

“Some of it’s in your handwriting, but one of the entries is ‘ask him’, for the day after... you know.”

God, he could hear his sad smile through the phone. He knew exactly how Mr. Sanders looked right now just talking to him, probably wearing that hoodie that was too big on him, in a dusty room full of things that used to belong to the most vibrant person that Remus had ever met.

But then Roman had died.

He was the most wonderful person, and he had just died.

“I’ll come over to deliver the ring to you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s... that’s fine. Uh, call my dads first, though. They’re still not convinced I’m doing okay.”

“I understand. I’ll talk to you later, Remus.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sanders.”

The line went dead in his hands.

Remus held himself and wept.

December 28:

12:30 PM, Remus Picani-Kleitman: Mr. Sanders, would you like to come over for our New Year’s party? 12:34 PM, Remus Picani-Kleitman: It’s a tradition we had. You don’t have to if you’d rather not. 12:45 PM, Virgil Sanders: I’d love to go.

January 1:

12:00 AM: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 12:05 AM: [Attachment: :)] 12:07 AM: we are all smiling in this photo and for that i think we deserve a hug. 12:10 AM: this rings the most beuatifl thing i’ve ever fuckign seen. thank you,, 12:14 AM: never gonna get rid of it <3 12:16 AM: it looks Good on my finger 12:30 AM: jsyk your dad’s asking my dads for the kouign amann recipe 12:32 AM: thats a pastry, i left those for u a while back 12:39 AM: okay i’m crying a bit but honestly, i love u 12:44 AM: I love you so so so much, Roman

Somewhere out there, whether it was from some wonderful paradise or beyond the veil or even only in wishful thoughts, Remus knew that someone was saying I love you too.

#remrom #remrom writing #my fics

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ryostrenchcoat · 7 years ago

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devilman: the classic collection, vol. 1 review

aka “WHY DID YOU CUT THAT SCENE??? the musical”

i’m only going to review the new translation of the original manga and leave the shin devilman portion of the classic collection out since i’m not as familiar with shin devilman

review including some screenshots and “scans” under cut (i’m far too lazy to actually scan manga pages so please accept my shitty phone pics)

the devilman classic collection, vol, 1 is available on amazon and at barnes and noble for approximately $25-30 depending on the retailer and contains volumes 1-3 of the original manga as well as parts of shin devilman, as shown below.

not including a “bilingual” japanese-english edition from 2002 that seems to only exist in some japanese library catalogues, the devilman classic collection is the first official english translation of the original devilman manga. all online versions available on sites like mangarock are fan translations and while these are INCREDIBLY appreciated, they don’t always make the most sense in terms of either content or tone. for the most part, the classic collection translation clarifies scenes such as ryo’s explanations at the sabbath and akira and ryo’s conversation at the diner about humanity’s predators. however, the tradeoff for better dialogue in the wordier sections of the manga is that lines from the fan translations that have since become Iconic(tm) in the english fandom are not always present in the classic collection. for instance, take “miki the hands” in the fan translation:

vs. “slapping miki” in the classic collection

this happens a lot in volume 1 especially since so many of its individual lines were memorably funny in the fan translation. don’t worry, though, “laced with drugs” was kept intact.

the improvements to the translation don’t really change the content very much, but they do come across as more natural and flow a bit better, as shown by this snippet of ryo and akira’s conversation in the diner:

but now it’s time for the fatal flaw of the classic collection: incredibly important scenes have been cut, especially those centered on ryo and his characterization. the most glaring examples of cut scenes are akira’s visit to ryo in the hospital (aka haha they gay) and ryo’s solo fight against eader/maegawa (aka murder umbrella scene). the hospital visit, which takes place before the sirene fight in volume 2, is cut and akira and miki’s first interaction post-amon goes straight into the sirene battle. this cut removes vital characterization for post-amon akira (”i enjoy being violent! it excites me!”), context for ryo being in the hospital during the sirene fight, and further development of ryo and akira’s dynamic with each other. this cut is very jarring to those who have read the manga before and could be confusing to those who haven’t.

the eader fight happens after the diner scene in the fan translation, but the diner scene in the classic collection cuts straight to tare and susumu. the eader fight’s removal from the classic collection is as baffling to me as it is crippling to the story. this fight is CRUCIAL to ryo’s characterization and reveals the extent to which he is losing his marbles from fear, which is the whole diddly-dang point of his character in the manga. this is also critically important to the story because it is the first real foreshadowing of ryo’s true identity as satan, as shown below.

this foreshadowing is not present at all in the classic collection and ryo’s mental decline will feel much more sudden to those who only read the classic collection vs. the fan translation.

SO WHAT’S THE TAKEAWAY HERE?

is the classic collection good? depends what you’re looking for. having better dialogue in the scenes that are present is very nice, though it is disappointing when iconic lines from the fanslation have been changed. there is also some very neat art in the collection and even the regular black and white art within the manga is crisper on paper. however, massive cuts have been made to the story, so i would not advise first-time readers to read the classic collection. i would direct them to the online fanslation that tells the entire story. i would only recommend the classic collection to experienced fans who want a collector’s item/physical copy of (most of) the story. it’s up to you if that is worth $30ish. i personally am glad that i have a physical copy and will preorder volume 2, but i now expect massive cuts.

#devilman #devilmanga #classic collection #devilman meta

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wordsinwinters · 7 years ago

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Then Again: P1 Peter Parker x Reader

Author’s Note: This is the first fanfiction piece I’ve ever posted, so I’m learning how this all works as I go. I’ll probably post this on AO3 sometime soon, but because I’ll need to make an account, etc, it might be a little while before it’s available there.

Additionally, please review!

I’m excited (and extremely nervous) to put my writing out there for the first time, so any comments, questions, or advice are absolutely welcome!

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Then Again, Part 1:

(Word count: 1,358)

Living in New York City rarely feels as glamorous as the movies and aesthetic blogs make it seem. Most days, that lively hustle and bustle of our beautiful, always dreaming city reminds me of a horde of flies conducting emergency drills underwater. Especially on foggy days. And muggy days. And Mondays, Tuesdays, occasionally Wednesdays. However, the almost-weekend to weekend days that sprinkle in refreshing breezes alongside bright sunshine - those days pull you up by the back of your collar and shove optimism down your shirt like it’s a cool, wet towel. The city tingles from the ground up.

Today is one of those good days.

Ironically, I woke up exhausted. I nearly spilled my breakfast in my lap (but didn’t, thanks to Peter) and I walked with my three best friends to school through fields of exhaust fumes half-awake. Once there, however, it all seemed to turn around. The classes I attended went wonderfully and the classes I didn’t attend, I’ll assume went just as well. I skipped half of them for the first time in my life.

Besides occasional “homework sharing,” I rarely break rules, it’s just that Ned and Michelle can be extremely persuasive… not that I needed much persuasion today. The suggestion was enough. I’ve been so giddy this week that I embraced the tiny taste of teenage rebellion with open arms. (“Tiny” seems like an appropriate description: all we did was hide out in random parts of the school watching Vines, playing minor pranks in the hallways during breaks, and stealing food from Peter’s stash of locker snacks as payback for his refusal to join us.)

Today has been a great day, and outside of Peter acting a bit strange, it’s been a good week overall. It’s just so easy to be happy with everything going on. Tonight: special dinner with our friends. Tomorrow: Midtown’s academic decathlon team heads to Washington, D.C. Shortly after, my friends and I will attend Prom, go on summer break, and enter our senior year of high school. My anticipation for this trip, the dance, the summer, and our eventual graduation bubbles up inside my stomach anytime the conversation between me and two of my best friends takes a short dip as we walk back from school.

Despite all of the upcoming things I have to think about, this walk is making my thoughts drift back to the one topic I’ve been trying most to avoid. Why wouldn’t Peter sneak out of class? He isn’t always such a rule follower anymore. And then why leave seventh hour when we all have class together? Is it just a today thing? He’s seemed… off all week.

I need to stop thinking about him. Wondering why he’s been strangely reserved or else imagining the previous seven hours with him more present in their events is not going to help me keep our friendship normal. Just think about something else. Anything else. Even someone else.

“Should we invite Flash?” I ask. I ask this partly because it’s a question nobody has brought up yet, and partly because the conversation has certainly dipped and my brain wants to sprint away from my control. I even thought I saw Spidey a minute ago. By now he’s on the other side of Queens. Think of something else.

We stop on the sidewalk, traffic rushing in front of us, countless buzzing people behind everywhere else.

Ned and Michelle turn to me with matching expressions.

“And why would we do that?” Ned asks.

“Because every-”

“Oh, shit.” Michelle groans. “Because everyone else, bar Mr. Harrington, is going. The entire team except Flash. For being so smart, we’re all a bunch of fucking idiots.”

“Technically we don’t have to do anything,” Ned says, obviously resistant to the idea. “It isn’t an official team dinner or whatever. We can’t get in trouble for it.”

“Still, as captain, I can’t organize a social gathering with everyone but Flash and pretend it isn’t a shitty thing to do. God damn it.”

The walk signal turns white as Michelle starts a text to Flash. Peter’s apartment is only a few blocks away.

Once we reach the door, Ned knocks. We all know Peter and May won’t be in, but Ned has a habit of politeness that even that can’t shake. After a couple seconds, he unlocks it himself with one of the five total keys to the apartment. (Strictly speaking, May isn’t supposed to have had three extra copies made, but she wouldn’t be May if she paid mind to that rule.)

“So,” Michelle says, heaving her bookbag onto a chair. “Music and clean, then Netflix and chill?”

The three of us look around at the destruction our last night of studying brought the apartment. Snacks and dishes are strewn in odd places and our fallen pillow fort is a ruin. A sticky 5 Hour Energy must have splashed on the carpet at some point, given the pink stain to the right of the couch. Coating most of the colossal mess are countless pieces of scribbled-on paper.

Ned and I nod in agreement.

Michelle’s speaker beeps awake and we set to work.

As I gather garbage, I let the music fill up my skull. I imagine confetti raining down inside of it, each piece sparkling with tiny letters that read: It’s just one of those good days.

The only thing that could make this day better would be the presence of Peter and May Parker. But then again, Peter ducked out of last hour, I suppose to get a head start on his “internship” (he’s never done that before though, so the irony of his skipping part of Psych and not any other classes did not slide by unnoticed by Michelle or Ned either) and May has… a job, a hobby? I really don’t know. Wherever they are and whatever they’re doing, I can’t help wishing they were home.

May returns around 5 p.m. As usual, she is unsurprised to find us watching Netflix. Over the last couple weeks, we took study breaks by picking out a lighthearted show and making questions from an episode. Today is an exclusively no-studying day, but we can’t help continuing the mini-tradition while we marathon Friends.

“Ah, the Studying-Not-Studying game.”

May walks over smiling, her arms crossed.

“It’s a vital healing process for our near-fatally strained brains,” I joke.

A phone buzzes.

“Wait, Miss MJ! You can’t answer that text until you answer my question for this episode. Were they,” May says, “or were they not,” she pauses, “on a break?”

“Oh god, no,” I plead. “Please, please, don’t start this again! Ned and MJ argued about this for twenty minutes before you got here!”

“Okay, but Rachel did say-” Ned begins.

“Oh my god, Ned! We talked about this!”

Michelle begins explaining with her hands and May grins, walking into the kitchen. Feinting defeat, I put my head in my hands and sink into the couch cushion. Slumped, I take out my own phone. Nothing.

I text Peter.

“Still good for 7:30?”

Whoosh. And now the waiting game begins. Actually, it began at 3:00 p.m. when I sent the first of a dozen messages. But none of them were questions, so an answer wasn’t necessary.

“Hey MJ,” I say. “What was that text you got?”

Michelle and Ned halt, hands frozen in expressionistic flight.

“Let’s see.” She flips her phone over. “It’s from Flash.”

Ned clasps his hands together.

“Dear merciful God,” he prays. “Please, please, let MJ read us a rejection text from Eugene ‘Flash’ Ass-Hat Rich-Boy Bitch-Boy.”

We made up that nickname today while cutting fourth hour. Not quite eloquent, but to the point. Plus, it’s almost impossible to say seven times fast. (We made a game of trying.)

Michelle types a quick response and takes a breath, placing her hand on Ned’s shoulder.

“Prepare yourself for something dreadful, Ned.” She hangs her head. “Eugene ‘Flash’ Ass-Hat Rich-Boy Bitch-Boy is… ‘super doped out’ to accept our invitation.”

“God damn it.”

“Kids!” May calls from the kitchen. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you to watch your language?”

Part 2

A/N: The content above is only 3 pages of a current 44 pages. If there are any mistakes in it, I apologize. Tonight was my self-set deadline and I didn’t edit it as thoroughly as I would have preferred. (Betas welcome!)

I’m hoping to update again around Saturday,

but because my weekend is so busy, I’m can’t promise anything. Still, I am planning to update weekly!

Again, please let me know what you think – I’d love to hear from you!

P.S. I love writing stories that have background plots spinning behind closed doors, so if you have any questions about little nods/hints you might find in this, I wouldn’t mind writing some “note” posts to explain details that may not be explicitly explained throughout this story.

#peter parker x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #spider-man x reader #spider-man fanfiction #spiderman x reader #spider-man fanfic #tom holland x reader #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland imagine #tom holland #peter parker #spider-man #spiderman #tom holland x you #spider-man homecoming #spider-man homecoming fanfic #marvel #part 1

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perksofbeingamaineiac · 6 years ago

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January 21, 2019

I feel like I didn’t have a weekend. I worked until 9:30 on Friday, came home and edited. In total I worked 14 hours. Craziness. On Friday one of my bosses told me that if I need a break to let him know. I asked if one day I could work from home, that way I have a break, but I will still be able to get stuff done. He said yes. Then his wife (my other boss) sent me 5 emails on Sunday morning asking me for things and she booked me for a bunch of days, including the potential ones I asked to work from home and I texted her asking if she could please give me one of the days and she said it is out of budget as well as they need me. Her husband clearly told me that they would be at the studio those days so they didn’t need me. Today, he came up to me and told me the days both got booked and asked if the 25th was okay for me. I told him he needed to talk to his wife because she said no. He told her that he made the decision that I will be off that day and she said “I don’t understand this, you get weekends off, you asked for a lot of hours.” I honestly don’t remember asking for a lot of hours. I said I would work. I repeatedly said that I wanted enough hours to cover what I was losing from Journey’s. I am glad I am making a lot more. I just need a break, especially because I feel unappreciated. I feel used. I don’t like it, nor do I deserve it.

Saturday, G texted me asking if I wanted to go over. I went over for 1 and we spent all day together. We went to go get dinner and he asked if I wanted to spend the night. The weather was really bad and he wanted to have some wine. I said okay, but I didn’t prepare for that. Saturday I really didn’t get anything done. I didn’t go to the gym either day, and now I feel super guilty and kind of shitty. I need to text Slavik and tell him I need to get back on track.

I did have a really nice two days with G. I stayed there until 6:30 Sunday. We watched TV and talked all day. We learned a lot about one another. Which I will get to in a second. I slept really well Saturday night, he didn’t and I feel really bad for that. I slept on his side of the bed, because last time he switched with me. but I think I will just get used to it. He also cuddled me throughout the night, which I liked. I knew he did it because he was uncomfortable and just needed to hold something because he is so used to holding his pillows at night. We also had really great sex and my mind shut off and I just wanted to lay there when we were done. I had 0 energy, my mind was blank. It was so weird, but kinda great.

When we were watching TV bunch of topics came up. I found out he usually doesn’t like white girls. Which made me self conscious as fuck. He said that I “somehow slipped through the cracks”. He doesn’t believe in the zodiac which is fine, but he looked at me like I was crazy when I said I believe in it, I am not crazy about it, but there are aspects that I find true. I found out the first time he had sex was in second year if university. Which I found kinda admirable. He didn’t care. He wanted to do it on his own time. He said he doesn’t know how many people he has slept with, but less than 10. He found it weird that I have kept track. Most of mine were in the span of 6 months, so thats no bueno and why its been easy to keep track, plus I am stupid and feel bad about it. He told me I shouldn’t care and I agree. He talked to me more about his family, it really makes me understand who he is and why he is the way he is. His parents did a great job of raising him and I think I need someone with his parenting mentality to co parent with. Something I would love to learn. Probably not with him, but someone similar, I really admire his qualities and values. I found out that he is judgy...which I kind of like because so am I. I asked him how he reacts when he is mad at someone and he said that he is honest with them, tells them he doesn’t want to talk and that he needs to calm down, and then he deals with the issue when both parties are ready to talk. It made me feel better that he isn’t ignoring me because I did something wrong. He just lives his own life. I guess I just guess I was apart of it. He didn’t talk to any of his friends while I was there though, and he was really happy that he didn’t use his phone all day while I was there. Makes me see that he doesn’t care for communication always. When I was leaving he was getting ready to play games with his friends because he said he misses them. Which was nice.

I guess when I go home and feel like shit its because 1. I have feelings and I want his attention 2. I spent so much time with him and enjoyed it so much, felt so relaxed that it is hard to part with him and that feeling. 3. He does inspire me and I feel like I need more if that. 4. I really enjoy getting to know him and talking with him. We have great conversations and I don’t really have those with anyone. 5. I want him to message me, to know he wants to continue things, to know that maybe he is thinking of me, even if its just knowing I got home safe pr that maybe he misses my company.

He did mention that he checks my bdsmlr and he says he thinks about things related to me, he just doesn’t message me, I wish he did. I really don’t want to message him first this week. I messaged him last night. I really needed to talk to him. He told me he felt great and that he had an amazing Sunday. That confirmation made me feel a lot better, I thought I was being a burden to him.

I do want to do something for him. He feeds me and takes care of me. I just want to show him I appreciate it. I will think of something. Make him something for his house, take him out for dinner, something.

Now for the bad part of the evening. We tried anal. He told me to wear my plug while I drove there. Turns out my drive was longer than we expected and it started to hurt. I got into his door and ripped off my pants and he had to take it out. It was kind of dirty so it made me self conscious and I didn’t really want to do it, but I know he really wanted to even if it was a little dirty. He wore a condom and I wasn’t against it, I just couldn’t calm down from the plug being dirty. I called “yellow” I thought he would stop for longer, but he stopped for a little and help my hand and continued. I started crying and then shut off. I didn’t want to call “red”. I don’t blame him at all. It was me. When I talked to him about it after he was really disappointed in me and I could see he felt bad. I need to clean before better.

I really need to figure out how he can make me cum. I feel so bad. I am going to continue feeling bad, until it happens. With anyone. He brought up the couch sex from last week and said how again it was vanilla, but felt good. I said “it was different and have him a look to see if he would catch on” I don’t know if he knows what that feeling was, maybe he didn’t feel it. It wasn’t just sex. I don’t know I guess maybe one day he will get it.

Saturday we sat and listened to music again, talked, put on a movie. It was a really nice time. I spent my weekend being relaxed and having a good time, but for some reason I am stressed after I leave and feel like I wasted it, when I didn’t. I need to accept it for what it was.

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15001700tt · 6 years ago

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Mix And Match

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6.

Part 6

“I just got stabbed!” Baekhyun dramatically said as his mate refused to baby him.

“Walk it off.” she stated, as she continued to read her book.

“You don’t “walk off” a stab wound.”

“ You do if it’s not in your leg, crybaby.” she playfully huffed at his pouting face.

“Is this payback for not taking you with me?” he wondered out loud, a little huff of air was his answer. It has been a few days since they got back, so far Jong In and Junmyeon have been trying to contact the Coven King to inform him of the situation at hand. The only thing they got out of him was questions on how his daughter is feeling. Today they are supposed to get his answer on whether hes going to sign the treaty between the two kinds or not. Yong Sang and Rae Jae could feel their mates tension. Also they could feel the discomfort between Je Ki and Minseok like a thick wall in the middle of the castle.

“She driving me insane!” Minseok let out after he tried multiple times to get Je Ki to eat breakfast.

“Maybe the way you are approaching her is intimidating.” Yong Sang tried to comfort him. The look he gave her, told her that he thinks that was a stupid statement.

“Maybe i could talk to her, convince that you're not that bad. Maybe tell her that you would treat her right if you got married…” she trailed off when he whipped his head in her direction with wide eyes.

“I cant marry her. She’d kill me within a week!”he screeched pulling at his hair.

“You’re being ridiculous! Both of you are being insufferable and are not putting effort in this relationship.” she said with a serious tone.

“I hate that i am the only one that is affected by this stupid bond!” he growled.

“She probably is too! But shes not acting like a child, she’s being stubborn” she countered. “Ill talk to her but do something nice.” she paused and he looked at her confused.

“Ask her on a date and get her flowers” she suggested. His groan was all she heard as she exited his room to talk to Je Ki and see what is up with the injured vampire.

“Can i come in?” she knocked on the door, she opened it when she got the okay sign, she found Je Ki sitting on her bed, a soft smile on her face.

“How are you feeling?” she asked her as she made her way to sit on the corner of the bed.

“Getting better.”

“Uh, i heard that you punched Minseok in the nose” she started, a smile smile appeared on Je Ki’s face at the memory.

“I heard it was a clean one, but can you still give him a chance to ask you out on a date?”she rushed out so that she would chicken out.

“He wouldn't ask” she replied.

“But if he did?” she countered, she saw the hesitation in her face.

“Do you know how i married my husband?” she asked. Her shake of the head was her sign to keep going, “it was arranged marriage from our parents, when we met he found out that i was his mate.”

“How does that relate to my situation?” she asked curiously.

“I was planning on making is life living hell because i didn't want to get married.” she admitted. Je Ki’s mouth was open in shock, it was funny to the other girl.

“I didn't- wasnt going to give him a chance, but then my cousins, told me to give him a chance” she added.

“They said to give him the benefit of the doubt.” JeKi looked like she was deep in thought.

“So when he asks you on a date, please give it a try, he wants to make it work as much as you try to hide it.” Je Ki’s nod of acceptance made Yong Sang to smile so widely.

“Hes a perfect gentleman and he is very sweet, give him time to show you that side”

“I’ll...give him a chance” she whispered finally.

This jump started the many dates that they would go to,but it took Minseok around three days to master the courage to ask her out. Although the first date didn't go as smoothly as they hoped, they did finally understand each other’s side of things on a rough note of his awkward question of ‘how is your leg?’ and her sarcastic comment.

“If you didn’t want a sarcastic answer, why’d you ask me?” she rolled her eyes.

“Nevermind” he muttered before turning around and giving her a flower, which was sweet of him. Her blush finally made him smile a little.

“Has anyone told my father about our bond?” she asked on their walk.

“Not yet” he responded

“Tell him, he'll respond quicker.” he noticed what she was doing, this was her way of telling him that she wants to try in this relationship. He revealed his gummy smile that surprised her with its cuteness when he thanked and they went to dinner.

Three weeks have passed and Je Ki was acquainted with everybody in the castle, she got really close to Sang Hee and Yong Sang. it is also after three weeks that they got the Coven King’s response on the treaty they sent.

“Its here!” Jong In said excitedly. As he held the letter in his hand and stood at the head of the breakfast table.

“Well?” Minseok urged. Jong In teared open the side and got the letter out and started reading it out loud.

“I, hereby leader of the Coven, the Kim family dynasty, accept the proposal of the mate safety treaty…” he trailed off as the table erupted in cheers. Everyone was hugging and kissing in victory. No one could believe that the war was finally over after so many years.

“Does that mean i could go home?” Je Ki asked, the table was filled with silence. Minseok gazed in her eyes before responding.

“Only if i can come with you, as your mate and as a representative of my race” he couldn't contain his smile as she lunged to hug him once again. Junmyeon announced that the celebration will take place that night.

Although it cannot be said that they lived happily ever after because of this imperfect world, they did live fully and were proud of who they are as pupils and feel like they could face anything as long as they are together as a family.

A/N: shitty ending I know but I felt good today I uploaded the last two parts. It will be a while until I figure out what my next story/one shot will be as I have not yet decided which direction it will take yet. So hopefully my 30 followers stay tuned for the next project that might be edited better than this.

-Halie-

#exo #exo ot9 #ot9 #exo fanfiction #baekhyun #chanyeol #lotto exo #chen #exo fanfic #kai

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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3 Terrifying Pieces Of Anti-Woman Legislation You Need To Know About Right Now

When I mention your body’s biggest enemy, you probably have something that came immediately to mind: your thighs, your arms, the pimple you got from dropping kettle corn into your mouth/all over your face so you could eat without sitting up for normal adult reasons. Or maybe you thought of the parade of fuckboys last few bros you banged who confirmed for you that some people just weren’t built to interact with the female body. This second guess is closer to what I’m actually talking about, because it similarly concerns a group of largely white men (if you’d like to fight me on your sexual history, feel free, I’m just taking a guess) who have no business with women’s bodies, and yet can’t leave them the fuck alone. Those people are called YOUR GOVERNMENT. (Mic drop, I am political.)

In all honesty, I probably don’t have a single friend who would describe me as political; I don’t even feel like I ignore the news on purpose, it just kind of floats past me, like everything that was ever said in a high school history class. But because I’m a selfish bitch I care about my readers very much, when I hear about bullshit new measures that will negatively affect my body both on a daily basis and in times of need, I am going to listen the fuck up and urge you all to do the same. Here’s a rundown of the three scariest pieces of legislation aimed to limit women’s choices right now—and for those of you with any remaining doubts that I really do not usually care/write about politics, please know that I literally just Googled the word “legislation” to make sure I was using it correctly. Feels good.

1. Remember When Obama Made Your Boss Pay for Your Birth Control? Yeah, That’s Over.

In a continued bid to out-evil Satan, Trump made a fun little announcement last Friday: He’s shut down the Obama-era law requiring most employers to cover co-pay-free birth control, an amazing measure we definitely all took completely for granted. Now, in the nation of Gilead Trump’s America, employers will be able to cite “religious or moral objection” to covering birth control, and BAM: You can no longer afford brunch, because that budget has been re-allocated to your “not getting pregnant” fund. Oh, and regardless of your birth control type, this shit is not cheap: My employer insurance had a fun two-week blackout last month and I was charged $200 for a 30-day supply of my GENERIC birth control pill. So don’t even try to come at me with that “just pay out of pocket, mer mer mer, women want everything for free” shit, TYLER.

Proposed Solution: If there is a guy you are regularly having sex with, and your birth control coverage is affected, ask him to pay for half. I know this doesn’t effect change on a policy level, but as a group, can women please stop accepting sole financial responsibility for preventing pregnancy? If the guy you’re fucking starts whining about the cost, just tell him there’s a 100% free alternative: You can stop having sex with him, forever.

2. 20 Weeks Pregnant? Cool, You’re Having a Baby Now.

Though this isn’t yet in immediate effect like the above measure, a bill recently passed through the House of Representatives criminalizing abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Never mind the fact that if our government hates abortions so much, they probably shouldn’t have repealed the access to free birth control, which conveniently yielded lower abortion rates than we had in 1973, when abortion was made legal nation-wide. Never mind the disgustingly insulting title for this bill of “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” which would perhaps have been more aptly titled “Pain-Capable and Very Much Born Adult Woman Punishment Act.” In this case, let’s focus on the fact that one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, was literally texting his mistress to GET AN ABORTION while passing this bill through the House. Everything about this bill (and its relation to less-available birth control) is so alarmingly nonsensical that I’m almost ready to start buying into lizard-person theories. Given the one season I watched of , I feel like “handling” a mistress’ pregnancy is basically a rite of passage for most politicians—so why are they so fucking intent on making sure those abortions need to be illegal and unsafe? It’s definitely not a conspiracy to have more women die during the procedure, rendering them unable to talk about the affair, right? Wait…right?

3. A Special-Edition Coverage Slash For Pre-Pregnant, Pregnant, And Post-Pregnant Women

This bad boy, otherwise known as the Graham-Cassidy bill, is luckily having a lot of trouble getting passed, so there’s chance you won’t actually have to deal with this specifically. Which is good because I JUST spent two hours of my Monday at a Planned Parenthood phone bank defeating this nightmare of a bill that keeps popping back up like a zombie Whack-A-Mole, can I live for one week?? But honestly, every proposed healthcare reform bill this garbage-monster administration has spewed out has been pretty similarly shitty, so expect comparable measures if they manage to get anything through. This particular bill has gone ahead and banned women on Medicaid from visiting Planned Parenthood (straight up, I do not know what Medicaid is, but oh my god just allow women access to appropriate healthcare, our bodies are more complicated than yours and we fucking need it). Also, it’s restricted abortion coverage and maternity care in the same bill, so really (unless you’re a politician’s mistress!), these people would like to ensure that you get pregnant, stay pregnant, and bear the emotional, physical, and financial burden of that pregnancy all on your own. Just like how you got pregnant all on your own, without the help of any second party. Right.

Basically, the only common thread of these new measures is that our government doesn’t give a shit about you or your body. There’s no ideological or economic background that makes any sense, much like when Dean started motorboating D-Lo in the pool, thus jeopardizing his supposed “deep emotional connection” with Kristina, and the lucrative fandom love that could have launched a thousand Instagram sponsorships. So, I encourage you to start thinking about our government the way you think about the fuckboys we deal with on a daily basis: Until they shape the fuck up, we’ll be heavily looking into alternative options. You don’t let fuckboys tell you what to do with your body, so let’s get them out of these government positions where they can literally charge you for going against their dumbass ideas on what your body has access to.