#honestly the best part of writing vale is writing that mask. WHAT is going on inside that head lol

[moonshynecybin]

I remember many years ago, someone (and for the life of me I cannot remember who, but I think it was a commentator) called Vale "the man with the golden mask", basically saying that the Vale we see on TV and in interviews is only the person he wants us to see and that only a few people know the real Vale, and for me this has always explained why he is the way he is with Marc and why it went way from the ranch.

Unlike with people like Biaggi, Stoner, Jlo etc, he clearly genuinely liked Marc (I think possibly because Marc reminded him of himself lol but that's a whole different topic) and I always got the impression he let Marc see a bit of the real Vale behind the mask bc he trusted him, then when Marc rocked up at his ranch with his whole team, he saw it as Marc trying to outdo him and broke that trust. Vale then sees trusting Marc as a mistake, overanalyses everything Marc does on and off track from that point on (rightly or wrongly), sees a lot of it as Marc deliberately sabotaging him, even though it's just his usual demon behaviour, and then 2015 cements his view that he's made a huge mistake in ever trusting Marc with the real Vale. And that's why still now, even though he's had fights and crashes with a lot of other riders, he can't let 2015 go, not just because of the 10th, but because the others were just battles on track; Marc hurt him on a personal level and he blames Marc as much as himself for allowing that to happen. I think the "the mask" went back into place the day Marc left that ranch and has stayed very firmly there ever since, and had it not, maybe things would be different today. Or at least, that is how I've always seen it (sorry for the essay!)

i COMPLETELY agree.... ive already talked like. truly so much about how i think that marc bringing his mechanics to the ranch was seen as the first shot in their little war by vale... like marc transgressing on vale's territory and bringing the smoke to a fun friendly ranch day was spun in vale's brain as MARC being the one to throw the first stone here... like yeah vale has a pattern of icing people out once they become real rivals but i actually think he came into being competitive with marc still open to being friends (or at least thinking that lol) !! and then marc shows up at his house like remember i want to destroy you on track! :3 which for marc's insane brain (mechanics are my familyyy and what happens on track stays there) is fine ! but not for vale lol. and then there's insecurity and ego and marc being an annoying crazy person et cetera blah blah blah so it goes = divorce

i also think ummmm. literally every day about when marc had to introduce valentino to the audience in his documentary, and the first thing he said was "to me, valentino is SHOW." and then also literally immediately identified ranch day as definitively when vale started icing him out... like even if he was in denial during the 2015 season, i think in hindsight he is PAINFULLYYYY aware of exactly when that mask went back up AND when he was unceremoniously removed from the small circle of people who ever get to see vale without it. like there was a shift. and it hurts his feelings lol.

and youre so right! marc IS different than those other guys bc they had a really good relationship before... vale's ability to show the press only what he wants them to see is one of his most effective mechanisms of self protection. (SO effective that he apparently does it in his real life relationships, like with his dad)... if no one sees the real you, then you never have to be vulnerable. if youre never vulnerable, its a lot harder to get hurt. unfortunately for vale it also makes it a lot harder to build meaningful connections ! so i think when he let marc in and then was "betrayed" by him, it was a) a rare occurrence for him to get that close with another racer (academy boys are a lil different obvs. like he thought marc was his equal, which i think compelled him AND freaked him out) and b) deeply effecting when he felt like that trust got betrayed... so even though hes the aggressor in the sepang drama i think he felt pretty victimized at that point. which like yeah is delusional ! but is also just sometimes how emotions work. especially when you have trust ego and vulnerability issues lol

[bleached-d-soul]

Capes and Cowls and Romances

Commission for @bunnykingrules!

Jaune was never an adventurous person. Sure, he could easily spend days dreaming of living through some amazing adventure but, at the end of the day, he fully realized that those were just hypothetical situations that he would never take part in. He wasn't a knight who would slay the dragon or the tough-as-nails badass who would put an end to some crazy tytant's rule.

He was just Jaune Arc, a mild-mannered reporter from a small farm town trying to make it in the world of the big city. He expected it to be hard. Everything was way more expensive than back home. The air was heavy and smelled wrong. And he still had yet to go a day without getting called a "fucking idiot" by someone on his way to work or back home. But that was nothing that he wasn't prepared for.

Catching the eye of the country's most infamous supervillain though? How was he supposed to prepare for that?

Cinder Ashen AKA Miss Fall was not your everyday supervillain. She didn't go around yelling out her evil plans and schemes. Neither did she dress up in tight spandex or a mask. No, instead she was the face of one of the city's most influential and powerful companies, the QueenCorp. From food to weapons, her company had a finger in each and every pie. Even when that involved cutting other people's fingers off.

When Jaune first arrived in Vale, he wanted to keep his head low and just live his own little life. But as time passed, he grew tired of writing the same meaningless articles on romances on set or horoscope tips. He wanted make a difference. Why become a reporter if you are not going to change something in the world, right? Expose a dirty politician. Reveal the conspiracy behind the city's damaged infrastructure. Or, in case of Miss Ashen, reveal her as the mysterious mastermind that supplied gangs all over the city with bleeding edge tech to fight heroes.

It was all by pure chance. A small tip from an anonymous source led him to the warehouse full of high-end tech. Some more digging landed him the hard witness evidence of Cinder being behind numerous villain attacks on her competitors, actual or potential. Jaune finally felt alive. He finally felt he was making the difference.

When Mr. Port canned his story, Jaune ignored the warning of a man about how guys like him tended to disappear. He continued to ignore hushed whispers and warnings from every publisher that rejected him. Finally, he was done with it. Tired and annoyed at how everyone seemed so eager to ignore the woman's double life, Jaune did what he thought the best option and published it on his own blog.

By the morning, the story had spread throughout the city and then the state. As people talked more and more about her, Jaune couldn't help but feel the sense of accomplishment.

He expected a lot of things. PR team of QueenCorp. coming after him. Being silenced by some of Cinder's gangsters.

He never expected an invitation to have a dinner.

"You are not eating," she stated in amusement. Jaune had yet to touch his utensils. "Afraid I ordered your meal poisoned?"

"Maybe I am just not hungry," he smirked, trying to play it off cool. Too bad that he hadn't eaten anything the entire day. His stomach growled before he could even finish the sentence. The fact that the steak before him looked and smelled absolutely delicious didn't make it better. "Look, is this the part where your men give me cement shoes and drop into the river?"

Cinder genuinely laughed at that. It was quiet and small, barely above the whisper. But it was there. And it was frightening. Them being alone in quite the spacious room of the restaurant only added to the dreadful feeling in his gut.

"Cement shoes? Sure, after all it is such a practical way to kill somebody," she took another sip of her wine. "I believe you will starve way before I could do anything to you. Trust me, Jaune, if I wished you dead, I wouldn't waste money on the restaurant. A simple bullet and a fake suicide note would be much more efficient."

The way she delivered that line - as if she was explaining the simplest most common stuff - made Jaune feel both worried and relaxed. He could tell she didn't poison his food. But he could also tell she woulkd get rif of him as easily as one would be disposing of trash. With that in mind, he took the first bite of juicy and tender steak.

If she planned to kill him, that was one hell of a last meal.

And yet the death had yet to come. Their conversation stayed far away from him exposing her. No veiled or direct threats to his life or family. No attempts to bribe or coerce him into calling his story fake. They talked about their own pasts and experiences. How he grew up in a small town in the family of eight. How she grew up alone in the giant mansion with only servants and tutors for company. How he paid his way through college. How she had been left to save a multibillion dollar company after her father ran it into the ground.

Was she trying to make him sympathize with her? Why was he sharing his past with the woman who could kill him that very night? As their desserts arrived, Jaune had enough and asked her straight-away:

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing."

There was no lie in her words. But why?

"Why though?" Jaune's eyes narrowed. "I have literally exposed your shady arms dealing operation for the world to see. Your company's stock has been dropping like crazy for a whole week and-"

"- none of that will affect me as bad as you think," Cinder smiled. Not a fake smile she put on every time she opened a new hospital or school. But the real one that reminded Jaune of the cat that caught a mouse. "So my company sells weapons to the criminals and? If you honestly believe that will stop people from buying my products or services, you clearly overestimate the general public."

She took another sip of her wine and continued with the same serene expression, "Trust me, Jaune, the whole thing will be forgotten the moment some celebrity couple break up or my company announces a new phone. What you did was no more impactful than throwing a glass of water into the burning house."

"Then why am I here? If it is so small and insignificant, why did you invite me?"

She put down her glass and smiled. Before Jaune knew, the woman grasped him by his chin and looked him dead in the eyes. Two golden spheres stared straight into his soul, something wicked and powerful brewing in them.

"Because you interest me, Jaune."

He tried to back away only to find himself completely paralyzed. Was she one of the Auraborne - the people with special abilities? Or was it just the power a woman of her status had?

"That anonymous source that gave you a lead... You never tried to find from whom it came, did you?" She saw the shock in his eyes as the realization came down on him like a hammer. She was the anonymous benefactor. But why? What could she possibly gain from all of this? "I see you are confused. Allow me ask you a simple question then, Jaune: Why did you publish the story?"

Her eyes bore further into his soul.

"Honestly, why would you do this? Not only you risked your career and lifelihood, but your very life as well. When your employers refused to publish, you must have realized just how far my reach went. So why?"

He could feel the power in her gaze. The power to crush him if she wanted to. To crush him and everything he cared about and walk away without any punishment or even reprimend. And yet, he couldn't help but glare back as he snarled in defiance, "Because it was the right thing to do. I don't care how rich or powerful you are, I am not letting you hurt others."

He could have sworn something changed in her eyes. A small current of the power too outside of his world to comprehend. He expected to be burnt into ashes or have his skull crushed. And yet, once again, Cinder surprised by planting a hot wet kiss on his lips. Her tongue invaded his mouth, forcing him into submission as she desperately searched for something in the gesture of intimacy.

His mind was on fire, neurons all at work to try and understand what the hell was happening. Cinder deepened the kiss and all the brain activity died as he melted into it. Just what the hell did this woman do to him just now?

Finally, she let him go, looking no worse for the wear whereas he was out of breath.

"Not quite as innocent as I expected from a farm boy," Cinder chuckled. "I can tell we are going to have some truly fun times."

"I answered your question..." Jaune groaned after he finally gathered his thoughts. "So why not answer mine in return? Why did you send me all that info? Is that some sort of game? Or a way for you to prove just how untouchable you are?"

Cinder smiled - that damned cocky half-grin half-smirk.

"Because I wanted to find someone like you, Jaune," she said sincerely. "I have sent the same lead to several new reporters. But none of them proved themselves worthy of my interest. Some were too lazy to follow up on the lead. Some were to afraid to investigate any further once my name popped up. Some were too arrogant or greedy, barging into my office to try and blackmail me. But you? You actually managed to pull it off. I am impressed. I really am."

"And why do any of this? Why risk it all for a thrill?"

Cinder smiled.

"Because I wanted to."

She delivered the line with the same sincerity he delivered his, mocking how simplistic he must have sounded to her.

"Once you reach the top of the world, few things can excite you. I have no equals or rivals. I have no one to challenge me," her gaze fell on him. "Not until now, at least. I hope you will find this new relationship just as enjoyable as I do."

Relationship?

"When did I agree to become yours?"

Cinder smiled. Her eyes were like two burning suns as she bared her teeth.

"And when did I leave any room for discussion?"

S

Two years had passed since that fateful dinner and Cinder's declaration. Two long years of trying to stay sane in the world that no longer made sense.

Despite what many might have thought, Jaune wasn''t one to roll over with whatever came his way. He would fight, weakly and unsuccessfully. But he would fight. With every door to the news publishing cosed out of fear of QueenCorp. retribution, Jaune had little holding him back from his next step. He joined the Atlas - the world's elite taskforce. Quite the jump from a mild-mannered reporter.

Training was harsh and brutal. The lack of trust from his superior officers didn't make it easier. But Jaune refused to quit. And now here he was, the field agent of Atlas, armed and ready to take on anyone.

Anyone but her.

"You have strayed away from the herd, my little knight," the woman purred, fire dancing in her palm. "Came here to put an end to our game of cat and mouse?"

Jaune raised his taser gun only for it to burst into flames. Before he could pull out a stun baton, the woman was onto him. her lips burned against his neck as she hungrily ripped off his suit. It wasn't new or even rare. At this point, it was just the way things happened whenever the two ended up on the same battlefield. When he joined Atlas, the new villain appeared on the scene.

Fall Flame as the media christened her. She acted different from both Cinder Ashen and Miss Fall. More proactive on the field. More talkative and flirt with her enemies - especially him. He doubted anyone but him realized it was the cold and ruthless CEO and weapons dealer. The woman that traded weapons to every thug without powers. And now she had the powers of her own.

Good thing he picked up a few tricks as well.

"Ugh!" Cinder groaned as Jaune pushed her against the wall. Using the momentary surprise, he attempted to put handcuffs on her. "Kinky today, aren't we? But sadly, Jaune, I prefer to be the one in charge!"

He jumped away just as Cinder burst into flames. He tried to contact the rest of the team but without any success. He was all alone against the Auraborne. And he didn't like his chances. They continued on with the dance, trading blows and kicks. But it was only him who was losing energy as Cinder dodged and blocked all his attacks without any trouble.

Eventually, he found himself out of breath.

"You have improved since our last time. You definitely lasted longer," Cinder purred as she carddled his face. "But you still lost and your companions are now my captives. You do understand where I am going with this, don't you, Jaune?"

Jaune didn't even bother with resisting. Sometimes he wondered if Cinder created this persona solely to play with him. In an hour, his team would be released back and he would be locked up in one of Cinder's safe houses, which one he would eventually escape only to start the same game all over again in a month or two.

"You know," Cinder said as she led him towards the transportation cell. "Things would be much easier if you just joined me and my group. I assure you, our benefits package is quite favorable."

Jaune sighed at yet another attempt by Cinder to recruit him, "Let's just go to your safe house."

He didn't miss the way her lips curved into a smile at his rejection. What was it she said she enjoyed, someone challenging her? One might wonder why he even bothered to resist her if it only made it more fun for her. Jaune wondered about it as well whenever he was fighting her.

Guess he just loved the challenge too.

It was complicated, confusing and twisted. But in a way, he enjoyed refusing Cinder's advances just as much as he enjoyed doing anything against her. Refuse to join her. Always do the right thing when she offered him an easy way out through doing the wrong thing.

Maybe he and Cinder weren't so different after all.

S

The trip back to her safe house was surprisingly trivial. If one were to see the Atlas agent and the infamous criminal chatting about movies, work and food, that person would think they went crazy. But for Jaune and Cinder? It was just the way things worked between the two.

Cinder wouldn't tell Jaune anything that could compromise her plans. He stopped trying to get the information out of her a long time ago.

But neither did Jaune reveal anything about his side and their plans. Cinder had yet to give up on her pursuit of making him into her mole.

"I am going to have a shower. Wanna join me?"

Cinder smiled teasingly as Jaune took too long to refuse. "No thanks, I think I might need get some ice for my leg. No thanks to you."

She doesn't apologize or feign sympathy. Of course, she doesn't. Cinder never apologizes. Because in her own mind, she is never wrong.

The safe house is a lot more of a private house in the woods than one would imagine. No camouflage tech involved. No killer robots on the watch. Just a small piece of property away from the city and wandering eyes.

At this point, he spent more time here than he did in his actual apartment. This fact didn't bother him as much as it used to though, something that he would think on during more relaxed times. He still hadn't come up with an answer to that. He would, in due time.

For now though?

He had dinner to cook.

Cinder had many flaws. She was a sociopath, for starters, with very twisted outlook on the world and life in general. All people either had some use to her or could be discarded without a second thought. And when she was bored, she would stop at nothing to feel excitement. She was also quite stubborn and while always willing to improve, rarely acknowledged some of her more moral failings.

Despite those flaws, Jaune didn't find her company as unpleasant as he should have. Otherwise, he wouldn't be making dinner right now, now would he?

"So what are we having tonight?" Cinder asked as she wrapped her still wet arms around his waist from behind. "One of your classics? Or something new?"

He didn't bother to try and remove her arms despite the water seeping into his shirt.

"I was thinking of some stew and miso soup. I tried it a few weeks ago at the new place near my apartment. The chef was rude as hell but the taste I got out of it was worth it."

Cinder smiles before leaving to change. Jaune leaves the food to cook for a few minutes and changes into something more domestic as well. He had yet to get used to having his own room in here.

By the time he changed, Cinder was already at the table waiting for him to serve the food and drinks to her. It wasn't the same as when she waited for her minions to present the results of their work. Or when she awaited the CEO of some other company to surrender the controls over to her.

Instead, it was a more expectant but warm atmosphere that greeted him. It reminded him of the all the times he came back home from college to be greeted by one of his sisters. It felt comforting and peaceful. Not something you'd expect from the current public enemy number one.

They enjoyed their dinner, trading quips and jabs at each other. She commented on how the Atlas needed to better train its agents. Jaune pointed out that she was slipping up with her guys - after all, Roman sang like a bird once they got him.

There was no heat in their words, however. Not even the slightest bit of animosity that was present whenever they fought. As if the two of them were actors and their roles - a Hero and a Villain respectively - were taken off the moment they were here.

Jaune didn't hate the idea as much as he should have.

"You ever get tired of this?"

He breaks the question when they are done washing the dishes. It is something that has been on his mind for a while. And he no longer wanted to wonder on that.

"Whatever do you mean, Jaune?"

"I mean... This whole supervillain thing you got going on," he gestured vaguely around the place. "Building weapons, fighting heroes and et cetera... Since when was this a thing for you?"

Cinder reached for his face and smiled.

"Since I decided to have you for myself. The bond between lovers is strong... But the bond between the opposites? It is eternal, Jaune. Light and Dark. Life and Death. Good and Evil. One cannot exist without the other. And so cannot we."

Her eyes burned as he felt himself entranced.

"Which is why..."

They left the table.

"I am never..."

They were in the bed. Their bed.

"Letting you go."

The Light and Dark.

Good and Evil.

Agent of Order and Mistress of Chaos.

In that night - and many nights after - they were together as one. 

[rue-by-another-name]

10 Reasons to read Marlie B’s ‘Novelty’

Okay, so I’m sure you’ve all already seen me posting about my good, cute, adorable, passionate, smart, sassy friend Marlie ( @hey-marlie ) and her novel - ‘Novelty.’ But I figured I’d just clue you in to some of the things you’re missing and why it’s such an important piece of literature that you should definitely at least sneak a peek at. Marlie is a really talented writer, whether she believes it or not, and I’d love to share this story with the entire world. 

So, that being said, let me just Buzzfeed this bitch and tell you the Top 10 Reasons why YOU should be reading ‘Novelty’ :

1. Fallon Ford - The main character is an aspiring writer working on her senior capstone project. She’s spunky, short, affectionately called a ‘Tiny Demon’ by her ex-best friend (and total hottie). Fallon Ford is a strong and confident woman, and she may be a hot mess in her brain about her writing, but she’s got some serious power moves out there with the way she handles her work life, academic course load, friendships, and free time. Her fashion is kind of basically the cutest mix of vintage boss-ass bitch, and she’s a literal fucking ray of sunshine. We need more more strong female protagonists in our lives, and Fallon’s main goal in this novel isn’t to find a man and be happy - I mean, sure, she’s Out There and Getting It with some total hotties that I will mention later, but her main goal and aspiration is to become the best writer she can be and do her best. And that, my friends, I think is super awesome. 

2. Diversity - The cast of ‘Novelty’ is super diverse and it’s not the kind of diverse that is trying to make a statement, but the kind of subtle diversity that is a part of all our lives and should be talked about more. When asked about her diverse cast of lovely characters, Marlie responded by saying: “initially i don’t really think i noticed that my ‘cast’ per say was quite diverse. my college campus is 50% international students - on a campus of less than 1,000 students - and so having extremely diverse classes, or diverse ‘friend groups’ and all that is super normal. we have a really active lgbtq community, and so that’s a huge norm in my life and so i really wasn’t questioning it until i was pinteresting and realizing that i’ve got a really good group of kiddos that i’m molding to perfection and helping them be the best versions of themselves. so i think it’s obviously important to have representation, and i think it should be second nature that we don’t have to think ‘oh i have to have a character to fill out ____ quota’ because then what’s the real reason you’re doing it, ya feel ? so yeah … definitely a diverse squad, but that’s how it should be. and i’m really happy with the characters i have so far and i’m looking forward to what’s to come ! thanks for the shout out ! it means a lot and it’s good to reflect on these things.” Her characters represent multiple members of the LGBTQ+ community, multiple POC - African American, mixed-race, Vietnamese, Bangladeshi, and Puerto Rican. Marlie also tackles body image and represents all her characters in all shapes and sizes. 

3. Friendship - The friendships in ‘Novelty’ are the kind of healthy relationships with a bit of banter and tough-love that I think we can all learn lessons from. The relationship between best friends and roomies Fallon Ford and February Vale is one for the books. They are supportive of one another, basically co-habitating grannies, who help each other dress, motivate the other in their fields of study, and also find the time to hold each other accountable for their actions and emotions. There’s no judgment, no secrets, and while their friendship is a central part of the novel, it’s not something that Marlie overdoes or feels the need to include in every chapter. It’s authentic and organic, and it’s a great lesson in how a friend can be supportive in multiple situations. Honestly, they’re just super cute, and it’s nice to see how they interact with one another both in private, in public, and respect the other with utmost love and adoration. 

4. The Enemy - The main plot and conflict of the novel comes in the form of a tall drink of water known as Dane Jacobs. He’s a year older than Fallon, a post-graduate teaching assistant at their university, and he and Fallon share quite the history. They’re the best friends to enemies trope wrapped up in an angst blanket that makes your heart throb whenever they’re alone together. But what sets Dane “The Enemy” Jacobs apart from other enemies to potential-lovers trope is that he’s not diminished to an abusive or degrading male who sees the female as inferior to himself. Yeah, the fall out he and Fallon had was not quite the separation many of us would ever want to feel in our lives. But Dane doesn’t put Fallon down in any way when he’s assigned to be her advisor for her project. If anything, their banter and quippy remarks to one another show the deep rooted friendship they once shared, and how their separation from one another since the breaking off of their friendship has impacted them in a more emotional way then they’d care to admit. He still supports her writing and is honest with her - sometimes a bit too honest - and only wants her to do best. He masks it by saying he wants her to do well so he can be graded fairly on his work ethic as a teaching assistant, but I think we can all agree he’s doing it because deep down, he still loves Fallon and wants to see her succeed. Plus, he has an adorable puppy named Watson who makes an appearance whenever we need him most. 

5. Breaking Masculine Norms - Where the obvious pairing a lot of us are hoping for is the reunion of Fallon and Dane, there is one character that has waltzed into Fallon’s life in a big way - Lawyer Tom, the ultimate hottie. Marlie writes Tom in a very specific way - he’s not buff, or strong. He’s a freckly, unruly red-haired, tall and lanky man with bony shoulders and a nose that wrinkles when he laughs. He’s not your typical heartthrob, but he’s mouthwateringly perfect in every single way. He comes into Fallon’s life at a time where her love life is in a bit of disarray, and in the past couple chapters we’ve come to learn that Tom is the gentlemen-status all men should aspire to be. He lets Fallon stay overnight after a night out clubbing and doesn’t expect anything from her but her company over dumplings. He visits her at work when she tells him she’s nervous about getting back to her normal shift. He even finds time to make morning runs with Fallon fun by going out for breakfast quiches at a little cafe every morning. He’s quarting her platonically and it’s so goddamn adorable and quirky. Yeah, they kissed once and it was hot hot hot, but he hasn’t kissed her since and he’s letting her take the relationship at the pace she wants. She’s the one who has to ask him on dates, and he’s the one who’s always justifying her emotions and actions whenever she’s feeling down or insecure. He’s a great support system and is open about his emotions and the fact that his home life hasn’t been the absolute best in the past. He’s confident in his work, is constantly calm and at peace with his surroundings, and enters every situation with grace and poise. Not to mention he has the most amazing relationship with his younger brother Cody, and honestly, is my new ultimate hero. He’s the role model all men should be aspiring to be, and the fact that he’s being so patient and kind and wonderful with Fallon is a huge turn on. 

6. Success in Art - The legendary roommate February Vale is a goddess not only casually in life, but also in the art department. I know this is only a little tiny thing, but February is also in her senior year of university and she’s already had great success in her art career. It’s not often we see characters studying art portrayed as successful, or as having a grip on their education. The concept of the “struggling artist” is romanticized and oftentimes degraded to nothing more than just a hobby. But February expresses everything that’s wonderful about art - immersing yourself in your project, applying to galleries and exhibits, and being raw with your art in a way you sometimes can’t express yourself in words. When February came out as bisexual to her parents, it wasn’t received well and she took those feelings to the canvas, winning her awards and slots in galleries all through London (the characters’ home base). Marlie also never explicitly mentions what kind of art February is most interested in or establishes as her signature, and so I think that is truly important for us as readers to depict what we consider to be successful art and know that it can not only come from a student, but a woman, and a damn wonderful and courageous one at that. 

7. The Banter - One of Marlie’s greatest triumphs in writing is her dialogue. She’s taught me so much about how to find multiple voices in your characters and to embody those personalities within their conversations. The banter between all the characters - primarily the snippy and sometimes crass comments rapidly fired back and forth between Fallon and Dane - is exceptional. The characters come to life through their words and expressions, and it’s a great way to not only connect to the characters yourself, but to really feel as if you’re standing there watching these characters interact. The office scenes between Dane and Fallon are truly amazing, and the flat scenes Fallon and February bring to life are hilarious. You can tell that these characters are can portray different versions of themselves depending on whether they’re in public or in private, and I believe that’s a great attribute to the great writer behind the words. 

8. Pinterest - Per a request from an anon, Marlie has constructed an entire Pinterest account dedicated to storyboarding the personas of her characters. Every outfit mentioned, every studio described, and every action played out by each individual can be found within the boards of the Novelty Pinterest, and is a great outside resource to gaining a better understanding of who these characters are and how Marlie is envisioning them. They’re super fun to scroll through, and I oftentimes find myself going back to the characters mentioned in each chapter and attempting to find the outfits they were wearing, or the coffee shop they were sitting in. Seriously, it’s the absolute most unique thing I’ve ever seen a writer do and I’m fascinated by it. 

9. Updates - Marlie is extremely good at making sure the updates are on time every single week. She updates every Saturday mid-morning and provides her own thoughts on the chapter as well as some insights to her writing mind. If Marlie has received any donations to her ko-fi page that week, she works hard to make sure the updates go up faster. She’s even posted on a Wednesday before. So really, you’re always getting new content and always learning more about the characters and the story, which is really truly wonderful. 

10. Marlie - Obviously I’m going to talk about my girl. Marlie has been writing for ages, but has never really shared anything with anyone in public like this before. She’s taken what little concepts I had about these characters and this world and she’s run with it. I get the most random texts from her at 3am saying she has this great idea for how to develop a specific relationship, or introduce a certain character. She thinks everything through and edits the shit out of whatever she’s written so that it’s pristine by the time it’s published. She works so hard, and she lives with these characters in her mind 24/7. The thought and care that goes into her writing after each chapter and how she interacts with her readers is so important, because she will write paragraphs depicting specific, seemingly minute moments from the previous chapter, only for your mind to be blown as you learn something that you may have missed. She’s a lovely human and cares so deeply for her writing. She’s been helping me for years, YEARS, with my own writing and the fact that she’s out here creating this whole world and community of her own now is fascinating to me. There is nothing this girl can’t do, and I am constantly in awe of each chapter and the emotions I feel even if it’s what she considers a ‘filler’ chapter. She’s a keeper, that’s for sure.

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SO, those are the top ten reasons why you should be out there reading ‘Novelty’ and supporting our girl Marlie B. There are so many other reasons why the novel is as amazing as it is, but I think what it all comes down to is having a writer who cares about her readers, cares about her writing, and cares enough to want everything to just make sense. I’ll put all her links below so you can explore it all you want, but let’s support some new writers on here and make sure you’re reblogging what you like. Circulating what you’re reading is so important! And this girl deserves our love for sure. 

Thanks for everyone who is already out here representing our girl and for all the questions and donations you’ve provided for her! She loves it! And she’s going to kill me for posting this! But I love her so freaking much! If anyone ever wants to freak out about each chapter with me, I’m always here to fangirl. No doubt about it. Thanks for your support, everyone! Have a great weekend. 

Read ‘Novelty’ HERE Support Marlie B HERE Find the Pinterest Boards HERE Ask Marlie B a Question HERE

[sugarsculls]

why do you think sun and adam should fight? shouldn't blake and yang be the ones to fight him?

Ok I’m actually writing a long post about this because I genuinely do not understand why me saying “I want Sun to fight Adam” all of a sudden translates into “This means I want Sun to win the fight and Blake and Yang do not fight him at all.”

I want Sun to fight Adam, but I don’t think he would win, especially by himself. Realistically I think Sun could stand his ground for a while and serve as a great distraction while Yang and Blake get the better hits, but Blake and Yang are not going to defeat Adam on their own. I don’t care how strong and skilled they have gotten, the enemy grew powerful as well. And the set up for Sun vs Adam is too obvious and too good of one to pass up.

Blake vs Adam is a given. We know it’s gonna happen and we know it should happen and we know Blake is going to win. Yang vs Adam is gonna happen. Girl needs to get revenge on this guy for what he did to her, to Blake, to everyone at Beacon. Those are givens. Those are obvious. 

Sun vs Adam does not defeat any of those purposes. It adds character development for Sun outside of Blake. It adds symbolism and depth to the series. It can honestly be a starting point to help fix what they fucked up with the White Fang in the first place.

I’ve talked about this a lot but there’s no secret that Sun and Adam are paralleling each other in opposite ways. 

Sun and Adam are similar in concept; both are faunus, both are male, both are powerful, both are Blake’s love interests. But…that’s where the similarities end. And yet…they still end up paralleling each other.

Adam represents a very dark thing for Blake. Her fear, her sorrow, her guilt and regret, the shadows inside of her that hold her back. The blood she’s spilled. The blood she’s let Adam spill. He’s a huge factor for why Blake hates herself and constantly condemns herself. He’s unhealthy. He’s toxic. He abused her. He put himself and his ambitions above her, above his own sanity and morals. The Adam Blake once knew is gone. I know we wanna call him the beast but honestly? I think he’s more Gaston than anything lmfao. “My darling” like come on. That’s totally a Gaston line. But, allusions aside. Look at this.

A pretty bland and boring color scheme. Except the color scheme is…literally the same color of the White Fang’s current flag. The WF that crwby wanted to paint as terrorists. The WF that resorted to violence and crimes. 

And then pan to the next shot. Look at Blake’s face.

We know what that flag stands for. We know what she’s thinking of when she’s looking at that flag. We know who she is thinking of. She is thinking of Adam. She’s thinking of who she was. What she’s done. What he’s done. She’s pissed. She’s angry and scared and tired.

Adam holds Blake back. And it’s no secret. He abused her. He was someone she loved. He probably genuinely loved her too. But we know how that turned out. But that Adam is gone. She’s known it for a while. That doesn’t mean it won’t haunt her.

He haunts her. He’s a venom, a poison that still runs through her veins. He represents what the White Fang is.

Sun is the complete opposite.

Sun is a faunus who didn’t really understand why the White Fang did what they did. He doesn’t get it. And coming from Vacuo, where people are treated the same so long as they can survive, it’s no wonder. The discrimination of faunus probably doesn’t exist in the same way in Vacuo as it does in Atlas, Vale, and Mistral. If it does, it’s not in the same violent, hateful method as it was in other parts of the world. Sun legitimately did not understand why the White Fang did what they did. Sun didn’t know his people’s history. He was never taught this. And if my theory about Sun being orphaned at a young age and having to raise a group of orphans by himself until an interracial human-faunus couple took them in is true or at least somewhat true then it makes sense. 

He comes from a place where who the person is and what the person can do means more than what the person is and what the person has done.

Sun genuinely cares. He’s also quick to pick up on things and see past disguises (which is why I’m a little sad crwby didn’t use him being able to see past bullshit when Yang was accused of breaking Mercury’s leg unjustifiably). He instantly recognized that Blake was a faunus. That’s why he winked at her. Like “hey, I’m just like you.”

Sun represents Blake’s love and hope for the future, a guiding light leading out of the shadows. He’s light. He’s the morning to her night, the light to her shadows, the sun to her moon. He’s an opposite of Blake, yeah, but unlike Adam, he compliments Blake and brings out the good in her. The best of her. The most of everything. Every relationship and person has their flaws and that was exemplified in volume four, but that did not make their relationship abusive or unhealthy like how people tried to claim. (like…come on try harder lmfao tauradon’t is literally RIGHT there and you choose…to demonize….blacksun…ok bye).

Sun brings out a lot of emotion from Blake. Hate me all you want, but Blake wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for Sun. Now I’m not touching how Yang impacted her because she impacted Blake just as much as anyone else, but think about it.

When Blake accidentally revealed that she was a part of the White Fang her first reaction was to run away. And who found her? Sun. Not her teammates. Not the Fang. Sun. It was by chance obviously, but he knew from the second he laid eyes on her that she was a faunus. He could easily see past that facade. If he hadn’t found her, we know Blake would have run away again. No ifs, ands, or buts, she’s a master at running away, and Sun’s a master at finding her when she’s in a low point.

He was the first person she opened up to. He was the first person she told about her past. Why? He’s a faunus.

People honestly have such a skewed perception of Sun and Blake as a couple because they’re of the same race. That shit ain’t racist they’re not being pushed together because they’re both faunus. They’ve grown closer and have a deeper bond than most people want to acknowledge because they’re both faunus. It’s no secret people feel more comfortable with people of their same race than their oppressors. Ask me if I’d (Blake) feel more comfortable being the only Mexican (cat faunus) in a group of white people (humans) discussing problems that I face that they couldn’t even begin to empathize with, than in the company of one or two other non-latinx poc (a monkey faunus, a bunny faunus, etc.) I think the answer is obvious lol. 

Sun is such an important person to Blake and such an important aspect of her life. This is not me saying all her other friends aren’t important, of course they are, but Sun is the only other faunus friend Blake has. I don’t really consider Velvet a close friend of Blake’s, but I do think they would be friends. Especially since the first and only person Blake approached when CFVY came back from their mission was Velvet, another faunus.

Sun being a faunus is important. Sun brought such a bright light into her life. He’s such a polar opposite than Adam was, but he was someone Blake could see herself getting along with.

Adam puts himself and his ambitions above Blake, but Sun has always acted putting others before him. Everything he’s done has been for Blake. It’s not because “he wants that pussy” like nasties were saying when he found Blake on the boat. It’s because he genuinely cares for her. When has Sun ever put himself above others except for leaving his team behind? Even then, it was for someone else. Sun spent an entire weekend with Blake without even knowing her and she let him. He went up against a criminal syndicate he was viciously against by her side for her. He donned the mask of that organization he despises to help her gather information. Sun asked her to the dance hoping to relieve her of the stress she’s been forcing on herself and have a little fun for once. Be a kid. When she rejected him, he respected that. He took a step back, and left her alone. He didn’t approach her after that. He asked her team how she’s been doing. He was planning to go to the dance regardless (as seen at the end of Burning the Candle). He wasn’t waiting for anyone. He wasn’t expecting Blake to be there. But she found him. They spent the whole night together dancing and laughing! Sun is also the only person to ever make Blake blush and laugh when it’s just the two of them. Sun playfully flirts with Blake, and she reciprocates it. When Blake ran off after the fall of Beacon, you know what happened? Sun saw her run off. Sun saw her run away. Sun saw her do the same damn thing she always did, but you know what? He didn’t blame her. He gave her the benefit of the doubt. He took the time to say goodbye to his team, and tell Yang when she woke up that Blake had left. 

When Blake said she wouldn’t run, Adam immediately said “you will.” He knew she would run. He knew she would resort to that.

But Sun…he gave her the benefit of the doubt. He didn’t think she was running away because she was scared and guilty. He thought they were past all of that. He thought she ran off after the Fang! A hilarious misunderstanding on a surface level to children, maybe, but he thought she was going after the people who had hurt her so much and destroyed her school, her new life, killed people, and mutilated her best friend and partner. He didn’t think she was running away from the problem, Sun thought she was running towards the problem. He searched for her and followed her because he was worried about her. He played it off lightheartedly, but he honestly thought she was about to try and take down a criminal organization by herself. I don’t care how strong someone is, you can’t do that alone. Especially someone was haunted as Blake. So he looked for her, found her, followed her, and looked after her. Sun has always put her before himself. When he found out, oh that’s not what she’s doing, he instantly recognized what was going on, and internally was probably like “ah fuck I can’t let her do this again.” So? He decided to stay with her. She needed someone by her side. And Sun provided that comfort and company she needed. 

Sun…literally almost died for her. And you know what his response to that was? “I’d do it all again if it meant protecting you.” This boy genuinely cares about her. He really loves her. Whether you want to see it as platonic or romantic, Sun Wukong unconditionally, irrevocably loves Blake Belladonna.

And Blake…doesn’t know what that feels like. She’s afraid of seeing what happened with Adam happen again. She’s afraid of seeing what happened to Yang happen again. And you know damn well she never had the dedication and love that Sun gives her when she was with Adam in the White Fang.

Sun also learned a lot about his heritage this volume. He didn’t know much but he learned from Blake and he listened and was becoming more knowledgeable about how his people were oppressed. He didn’t get it before, but he’s beginning to get it now. He first reaction to finding out about the splinter group attempting a coup is to destroy the Fang, but Blake stands up and says “No, we’re taking it back.” And Sun…he’s gonna stay by her side for this. He’s going to understand why the White Fang needs to be reformed. He’s going to understand why the Fang is needed. But he’s not going to let their violence and hatred go on. He’s going to help Blake change the Fang.

He’s the hope and light that Blake has in the White Fang.

Also, take a look at his color scheme.

White and blue. Not only the opposite colors of Adam’s color scheme, but look familiar?

Yeah. The old White Fang’s flag.

Sun represents the light and hope Blake has for the White Fang. He represents such a bright future for Blake, for the White Fang, for Faunus, for himself.

When Blake is looking at the current Fang’s flag, the camera immediately pans to Blake’s face. She’s angry and pissed but this time she really won’t be running. It’s obvious we know who she was thinking of then. But when Blake is holding the old flag, the flag of hope and light, who do they pan to?

Sun.

And then they immediately pan to Blake. Her face melts into this smile.

That smile says that she’s ready to move on to a new chapter in her life, a chapter with Sun by her side, a chapter where she lets her friends in, where she doesn’t run away, where she vows to take back the Fang and turn it back into the civil rights group is always was.

And Sun was a catalyst for that! Notice at how different Sun and Adam are! Adam represents darkness and despair, Sun represents light and hope.

Their fight would literally symbolize despair vs hope. Regardless if Adam stabs Sun or Sun shoots off his mask, the end result is so symbolic and powerful. I don’t want Sun vs Adam because I want them to fight over Blake no fucking way. I want Sun vs Adam because of all of this. All of what I’ve written. Sun and Adam are polar opposites of each other and the fact that in Journey to the West, the monkey king (Sun) fights a demon bull king (Adam) is not just a coincidence lol. I don’t give crwby credit for much but I’d like to think that they’re not that bad of writers to have taken notice of this and not do anything with it.

And in the original story, Wukong doesn’t defeat the demon bull king by himself. Which is why I think the way this final battle is going to go is Sun and Adam are going to meet up, and they’re going to fight. But that’s not the end of the fight because Blake and Yang are going to join in. Essentially, Sunnybees vs Adam makes the most sense. 

I honestly think Sun will fight Adam, Blake will join in, Adam overpowers Blake and an already injured Sun will jump in front of Adam’s sword for her and at that point while the sword is lodged in Sun’s gut Yang would show up, see the image in front of her, charge at Adam crying and instead of being the victim she would punch through Adam’s sword or catch it in her joints and deliver nasty blows to him. Blake holds on to Sun and then Yang comes back and looks after him while Blake goes and delivers the finishing blows on Adam, at which point she will either kill Adam or Adam will have a melt down and a Disney Villain death. Point is, the beast is gonna kill Gaston and then the beast is gonna return to beauty’s limp body. I wouldn’t write Sun off as dead here, I’d honestly just have it allude to when beauty was crying over the beast’s body except the roles are reversed. He’d wake up, he’d get healed, happy ending yada yada yada.

But this is…how I would write it and I’ve learned that crwby and I have very different writing methods lmfao so I would love for this to happen and it would make sense but I can’t say I’d necessarily trust them to do something like this.

Anyway that’s my two cents. Take it how you will idc but this is why I desperately want Sun vs Adam.