#i could do an entire side series about the mature cast

[ophernelia]

kinda obsessed with rhiannon currently but can you blame me fr??? i wanna ramble about her so i will!

In an ideal world Rhiannon would be living in Connecticut. She’d own a grand estate, with two large spiral staircases, rooms with lots of natural light, and real hardwood floors. She’d have a small ranch where she kept a few horses. She’d still work as an attorney. She likes working as an attorney. She likes being Kaila’s manager. She says it’s really fulfilling. She’d love to do the same for Koa.. once he figures out what he plans to do with his life. She’d have another baby too. She loves being a mom. And she had both of her other children so young, so she didn’t really get to enjoy their earlier stages. And maybe she’d like to get married- of course they’d need a strong prenuptial agreement, but she could see herself being a wife. She always wanted to know what that was like. Kaila and Koa’s dad left before Koa was even born and she hadn’t dated since what happened to Kaila. And all three of her sisters were married. They all seemed really happy. She’d like to experience that. She hadn’t been with anyone since the incident with Kaila. She swore off men completely and devoted herself only to her children and her career. But ideally, she’d want the full package all her sisters seemed to have gotten. Maybe minus Dallas and the weirdness she got herself into marrying Cale. Or being the wife of the police chief like Koi. Too dangerous for her blood. Val seemed to have the most normal life, but Scott was far too boring for her. It was a bit too mundane. But at 41, she had none of that. I mean she has her kids and her career. A great relationship with her family. A very very nice penthouse with marble flooring. She’s even got a long list of successful men who’d drop to their knees and give her the world if she gave them a chance. It’s nice and she’s grateful for it. It’s just… not exactly what she wanted. And she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get it.

[restinpanic]

HEYYYYY!!! Got another request for ya! Can we get the main 3 with an s/o that is an actor (and- if you can include it-) they’re mostly in musicals? Not like kids musicals but more like, 13 and up kind of things? Aka like Mean girls or heathers!

HELLO, GIGI!!! I apologize for all the delay. Creative block has been killing me, but I'll try to post other requests this week.

Have a good read!❤️

-

🎩Black Hat:🎩

In a romantic setting, Black Hat would certainly feel at least a shred of pride in your work, however, how you act about it would influence how he shows his 'appreciation'. If you are too cocky about your profession, he would definitely find a way to break your pride, so maybe you should behave in front of him. Don't expect compliments that resemble genuine admiration, but he would use your work as a kind of flirtation. (Alan has already confirmed that he's a sly dog, what did you expect?/j).

He would make a few faces at the language, depending on which musicals you participated in (he's a classical man, so he prefers things with less 'vulgar' language). In general, he would take some time to watch some of your movies with a glass of wine in hand. It's your choice to decide whether you want to stay by his side while this happens. (Friendly advice: don't do that.)

✈️Dr Flug✈️:

It's difficult to tell how Flug would react to that, keeping in mind that he doesn't like music. Well, that's because he still hasn't found any melody that makes him feel. In a positive scenario, we could say that he would learn to like any song that features your vocals, but realistically, that would hardly happen. Please, don't misunderstand him! He wouldn't be rude about it. Knowing the doctor, he would try to pretend to like it in front of you. It's not like he hates it. Your action and voice are impeccable, maybe it's just not his thing...?

Nevertheless, he would definitely enjoy watching your movies when there isn't incessant singing! If you recommend a movie to him, firmly assuring him that he would like it, he’d save up his monthly five seconds of free time to watch your entire movie! (You would have to wait 5 years for him to manage to watch the entire movie, so patience would be required for that🤷).

🦎Demencia🦎:

Keeping in mind that Demencia would be equally crazy if she was in love with anyone other than Black Hat, she would watch ALL of your movies. Literally all of them. Even the ones you no longer remember acting in. The lizard girl would ask (or force) you to do personal shows for her, where she would be rocking the guitar and you would be performing vocals.

Any time movies are involved, she would be the first to suggest that everyone watch a movie in which you were cast. You'd have a little trouble telling whether she likes these movies/series so much just because you're involved in the acting or if it's simply because the more “maturely fun” genres are her thing. Probably both. You'd catch her humming the song from a movie you starred in, or even imitating the lines and movements of her favorite character (we already know the kind of character she'd like, right?)

Overall, our girl would be your number one fan!

Bonus: 5.0.5 would be curious to watch a movie you were in, but Flug would hide all the tapes to prevent him from coming across something not appropriate for his age.

Thanks for reading!

[theresoneicouldcallking]

ok my thoughts on GMMTV2025, somewhat chaotic but i tried;

we're getting a firstkhaotung cat café series?! this is way too adorable and they deserve every bit of this! finally a lighthearted, fluffy romcom for them. i mean there's gonna be some drama and angst cause we all saw khao's lip quiver doing the works, but still! firstkhaotung and cats. it's perfect!

only friends season 2 YAAAASSSS gotta be honest; i blacked out after i saw boston cause he is my favorite dysfunctional child so i had no idea what happened in the trailer after i saw him. had to rewatch it a few times on the tube lol. but earthmix?? jossgawin?? ohmleng?? count me in please! also i need cameos from the OG cast, and especially mark cause i need my bostonnick happy ending (again people; i will die on this hill!)

forcebook mystery series!! gmmtv saw the response to their PP episode and listened!! man force and book are gonna nail their roles. i have zero clues as to what this series is about but it looks hella interesting and it's forcebook so let's go!

joongdunk crime series THANK YOUUUU another cp graduating from university bl and diving straight into a much more mature one. this one looks really intriguing and i can't wait to see what joong and dunk will bring to this.

period drama for greatinn and aouboom 🙌🏼 greatinn are perfect for this, epsecially inn just has that perfect look for a series like this. gmmtv also hasn't done enough period dramas so i am really looking forward to this, despite all the hurt it's gonna bring us. now about aouboom, i'm not gonna lie; i am really disappointed gmmtv decided to shove them in the side couple role AGAIN, especially after seeing two other (newer) cp's getting multiple series next year. aouboom have proven themselves more than enough and they deserve their own series. BUT if they have to be the side couple again, i'm happy they're doing this period drama because they fit in so well! and i've wanted them in a show like this for ages so i'm looking forward to seeing them in this!

jimmysea in a fantasy series was not on my bingocard!! in fact; a jimmysea series in general wasn't on the table for me, so i was really pleasantly surprised to see them get another series. and man this one looks to be just as beautiful as last twilight. they are such an underrated cp and incredible actors. i'm sure i'm gonna cry again.

a goofy yet heartbreaking perthsanta series! i'm so happy to see perth getting a role like this! he's always cast and pictured as the brooding bad boy type, and i get it. but did people forget he started out in love by chance?? he can do roles like this, too, and i'm so happy he gets to play in a series like this one with santa. it's a very interesting and peculiar story, but i think they can pull it off, if handled with care by gmmtv.

nanisky series that maybe most likely isn't another bromance?! and it's about fate and destiny?! oof YES PLEASE. obviously there isn't much to go on yet because it was essentially just one long scene, but it looks really intriguing and this trope always piques my interest.

serious drama-heavy offgun series directed by nuchy anucha?? oh we're back!! i really enjoyed cooking crush and thought it was incredibly cute, and offgun probably wanted something lighthearted. but we're going back to the not me-era and i'm here for it! this is their strength and speciality and it's going to be fantastic. gun can really do anything, that man is a chameleon.

winnysatang as a prince and outcast? this looks adorable and right up winnysatang's alley! so happy they're getting their own series now, they've earned it. and of course satang plays a prince, he's perfect for the role! and the beach scenes gave me the eclipse vibes so that's definitely off to a good start!

i know there are a few more series but currently, these are the ones i'm looking forward to the most. could change entirely when the real trailers get released tho. i'm also really happy to see neo and jj getting so many projects like YES they are so talented!!

[nighttimeebony]

By the way, has anyone else noticed the similarities between these three ships?

BECAUSE I HAVE AND I CANNOT PRETEND TO BE NORMAL ABOUT IT ANYMORE

(unhinged gay screaming and rambling below the cut)

You know, "serious, deadpan gay has their heart melted by a nerdy, chaotic disaster bisexual with childhood trauma." Alternatively, "not enemies but initially on opposing sides before sun-coded breaks down moon-coded's walls and then subsequently become best friends that are closer to each other than most other people."

To start, the similarities between Lan Zhan, Cas, and Shouto:

Deadpan, cold, aloof, serious, intimidating, takes things literally 

Initially driven by rigidly-defined principles/goals before having their world view altered by the other half of their ship, which in turn causes them to become more uncertain of themselves and what they want, but recognizes that they are happier and better-off for it now than they were before

They were raised in an unforgivingly strict environment where there was no margin for error, causing them to become cold and jaded in a way that covers up the fact that, at their core, they are fundamentally kind and good in a way that they don't even realize but desperately want to be

Socially awkward introverts that hate everyone but This One Person

Come across as very intimidating but are actually very soft 

Surprisingly good with kids

Familial issues/trauma

They can also be identified as the "fell first" half of the relationship, and most likely fell within one of their first few interactions with their love interest 

Youngest siblings

Has an obsession with a specific animal (Cas likes bees, Lan Zhan likes rabbits, Shouto likes cats)

The undisputed powerhouse of their respective series that everyone recognizes as one of, if not the strongest members of the cast

Everyone thinks they're super wise and mature, but they are actually the pettiest bitches you will ever meet

Gay and entirely obsessed with This One Person

They all have small, private conflicts about allowing themselves to Feel. They were raised to compartmentalize, repress, and conceal-don't-feel; push everything down until you are perfect and untouchable. Then their love interest comes along and upends everything and finally allows them to Feel, but because they were taught to repress everything, they don't entirely know how to do that yet, so, with the help of their love interest, they slowly heal and learn how to be more human and less like the image of untouchable, god-like perfection they were raised to be (metaphorically for lwj and Shouto, but literally in Cas's case)

(I was gonna say, "they all belong to the mile-high tall club", but then I realized that only applies to lwj and Shouto because Cas is technically shorter than Dean, lol. Though, I guess you could argue that his true form (without his vessel) is taller, but, like, c'mon)

Incredibly dry, niche sense of humor that's only really funny to This One Person

Lan Zhan and Shouto both have mothers that they love, but who were forced into an unwanted, loveless marriage by their father that led them to be increasingly isolated from their children until resulting in a psychotic break that ultimately destroyed them and drove their husbands to imprison them (Rei in the mental hospital and Lan Zhan's mother in the Jingshi)

Unrepentantly earnest and blunt with their thoughts

Completely whipped for their partner

Now! To the disasters! Wei Ying, Dean, and Izuku:

Friendly, excitable, extroverted, sunshine-y/always smiling

Near-unparalleled geniuses in their fields of interest that like to experiment and test things

Childhood trauma

The powers that be have decided that they are undesirable in some way or another, that they are a waste, disposable, an acceptable sacrifice to make in the grand scheme of things. They have all struggled with feelings of worthlessness, and have all arguably struggled with self-hatred at least once in their lives, and even if they don't actively hate themselves anymore, by and large, they do not recognize that they have value just as they are, that the only value they have lies in what they can do (or sacrifice) for others. None of them have much in the way of self-esteem or any sense of self-worth.

At their core, they want to save people.

They all have themes of being different from the negative characatures that society tried to make them into.

Extremely talkative and come across as annoying to most people

Likes kids

Reckless and jump head-first into danger at the drop of a hat

Carry feelings of guilt, have a tendency to cast blame onto themselves, takes responsibility for things that aren't their fault

They want so badly to do good, and they choose to be kind in a world that deemed them unworthy of it

Good relationships with their respective maternal figures/caretakers (Dean and Izuku with their actual mothers, and Wei Ying with Yanli)

Wise-cracking smartasses that give off dumbass energy

Bisexual

Inadvertently ends up adopting a small army of children

Deflects their traumatic experiences with jokes

Has that one female best friend that is definitely a lesbian (wwx and Wen Qing, Izuku and Ochako, and Dean and Charlie)

"Oh my God, (Cas, Lan Zhan, Shouto)! You can't just say things like that!"

They are the caretakers, the protectors, but they so rarely let themselves be cared for by others. Their respective love interests are some of the few people they feel comfortable being truly vulnerable with and will let take care of them

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms™

In particular, I noticed a lot of uncanny similarities between Wangxian and Destiel specifically, especially in the themes and arcs that exist in both the couples and the individuals

[absolutebl]

This Week In BL - Strongberry Kisses!

Dec 2022 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) 4 of 10 - Gun gets flustered and then Gun gets flirty and comes over all spoiled prince, and poor Tinn loves it suffers. Thiw is the greatest wingman and it was the cutest date inspection: Tinn (confusedly carrying 2 ice creams ) just trailing behind a sunny excitable Gun. Yes, Gun is very extra. Yes, I skipped the singing. But oh my goodness do I love how much this is a traditional Thai high school BL. Thank you so much GMMTV. I missed this style of BL. 

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 2 of 12 - I have to say that I’m not entirely sure about Chimon’s casting in this role (he is one of my all time favorite GMMTV actors), but I love Perth. Perth has the hardest role, and he’s such a great nuanced actor with such an expressive face, only he could really pull it off and still feel sympathetic. Meanwhile ironically named Pond = yet another Thai actor made to swim who can’t. That said, PondPhuwin and the attack of the subtle flirtation = wonderful. Honestly? This is a much better role for Pond than FUTS. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 7 of 12 - It’s still good, the leads are great, everything else is meh but at least I’m not bored? WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 5 of 11 - So P’Mum is starting to figure out the science (do we call it science?) whatever. In other news, 3 years later, OhmFluke still give the softest sweetest most romantic kisses evah. P’Vee and Game are breaking my heart, honor the sides indeed. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 6 of 12 - Noey has a very baby Dom thing to his bully behavior which is oddly cute. Or is that just me being warped? 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 11 of 14 - (it’s been extended 2 more episodes and into 2023, what joy is ours) We have switched to mostly focusing on Name and Em. I actually like the 2 actors, it’s just they keep getting stories I don’t enjoy. The JaFirst characters break up is not unexpected, presumably, they had to do some thing to honor the episode 11. After my bd reaction to The Yearbook I’m beginning to lose all faith in this production team. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Choco Milk Shake (Korea Strongberry Tues YT) 11fin - I have to say it felt a little manipulating and there was a lot of dwelling in sad and then a time jump, and then resolution, which is very classic for a Korean drama, but Strongberry usually bucks trends. Still, all the kisses are really good and I do love how the animals w kept their personalities. I’m going with 8/10 RECOMMENDED more below 

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Viki) 12fin - The parental abuse, and horseback riding thing was weird. ending with a marriage equality muscle flex and some domesticity was classic Taiwanese BL. I do love that and they were so cute! But ultimately this was oddly disappointing at the end, I think partly because as good as the leads were the crumbs were both excellent too and I wish they had more screen time. 8.5/10

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) AKA The New Recruit AKA Shinib Sawo - From WATCHA (Semantic Error) virginal Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams but on his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved boss. As you do. Stars Moon Ji Yong (Once Again). Based on Moscareto's web novel of the same name, directed by openly gay & queer activist Kim Jho Gwang Soo (Just Friends?). Grumpy/sunshine, boss/emp, age gap. WAIT, he lives in the same neighborhood as the To My Star boys! And this show reminds me a little bit of that one, same kind of energy. Frankly this is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Fantastic. At last! 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 2 of 8 - I’m not sure about this one, I am liking it OK but it is oddly mature while also being kookie, and also immature. Maybe it’s just Japan being its usual complex self. 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 3-4 of 10 - The premise of the show is so weird. But once the pink smoke appeared, and I decided we’re actually in a paranormal drama and not an office romance, I’m better about it. Also it’s really nice to see the lead pair start to actually like each other. 

Oh! My Assistant (Korea Thurs Viki) 7-8fin - There was a lot of me going awwww in ep 7. But in the finale, the triangle and jealousy seemed shoehorned in so that in the end, I was kind of torn. 7/10 More below. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - it seems to be good but I don’t know about the ending, so I’m waiting. 

Ended This Week

Choco Milk Shake (Korea YouTube) Stongberry gave us a full length BL on YouTube! It’s a BL miracle and an endless delight. It was wonderfully cute, unexpectedly hilarious but expectedly silly, a little too poignant, occasionally gut wrenching and with a somewhat expected weird (but happy-ish) ending. The actors playing the two pets must have had the best time. As, indeed, did I watching it. Jealous Milk made me cackle so hard it scared the actual cat on my lap, Choco was perfectly cast, and the chemistry was ultimately decent. In Strongberry I still trust. Thank you thank you, may we have another, sirs? 8/10 RECOMMENDED

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Viki) While, I really loved this show, it had a fun premise, and a solid lead pair with charming chemistry and delightful, domesticity, not to mention great communication, I wasn’t wild about some of the darker themes it explored, even though it did a good job with them. But while the crumbs and sides were v adorable they were chronically underused. If I gave half points this is a solid 8.5 but since I don't it’s gonna be an 8/10 MUCHLY RECOMMENDED 

Oh! My Assistant (Korea Viki) This is a very silly show that acts like it comes from a very silly yaoi. Reserved out gay younger assistant (we stan) pretending to be tsundere but is actually just v shy and smitten by his cheerful (seemingly straight) chaos bi himbo artist boss. I think the cross cutting in of old footage with the replacement actor after the re-cast did affect the chemistry with this pair. There was no way around it. Even KBL isn't usually this awkward and repressed. Although this show had the best bisexual awakening sequence ever put in a BL, and I really wanted to love it, I just didn't. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

2 Moons 3 (Thai) finished it’s run this week. Rumor is it’s banal. I’m waiting to collect all the eps and then I will try to binge before I finish my 2022 wrap ups.

Why You... Y Me? (Thai YT) It's not primarily a BL, but another meta show about BL shipping, with side BLs. I await @heretherebedork ‘s report on whether to watch or not.

Gossip

Nutt Witsarut (Daisy in Secret Crush On You!) will play the role of Gyogung in 9Cats Studio's upcoming series Hot Bamee and Yummy Gyogung (y-novel adaptation).

PitchBank from Golden Blood (AKA Segus & Tenon) will be the side couple in new medical Thai BL Mystique in the Mirror. 

TutorYim (Cutie Pie) have a busy 2023, they’re starring in upcoming micro project Our Winter, possibly for Tik Tok distribution. They also took on JimmyTommy’s lead for Middleman’s Love and will have a cameo in KBL Jun & Jun (filming now). TutorYim will ALSO star in 2023 KBL (yes Korean) First Love's User Manual under A-Plan International’s Silkwood (Peach Of Time). 

In Case You Missed It

Check Out is being made into a movie that nobody asked for. Then again if they cut it down to 2 hours maybe it'll be tolerable? 

Singapore dropped short Summerdaze Christmas Together on YouTube. It’s ADORABLE and prompted me to talk about BL in Singapore and more. Def gave me Ingredients vibes. I really hope their series happens. 

Coffee Melody also gave us the Christmas special no one asked for. It’s basically a reunion romance, but mostly just domesticity. It cute, but dull. 

My Beautiful Man stars Yusei Yagi and Riku Hagiwara won several awards as a pair and individually at WEIBO Festival 2022.

Short Story Project's Coffee Shop (microfilm Youtube series in the same cafe setting with the same main character) ep 3 installment "ESPRESSO" is a BL. It stars BoyTod from Ghost Host, Ghost House and is a reunion romance. It’s quite cute. 

Moments Of Love (SmartJames AKA LeonPhob from Don't Say No) from Foremorfilm Production supposed to air Dec 24 directed by Golf Tanwarin (609 Bedtime Story and The Eclipse). 

I’ve started my end of year wrap ups, trends lists, and BL stats reported. Let me know in a comment if there is any specifically you want to know of have deep feels about.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Still coming:

Dec 28 - H5: Love in the Future from Taiwan (prob Gaga or Viki) - A cheerful and energetic student from 2000 travels to the future (2022), works as a deliveryman, and meets his first customer, an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy).

Dec 28 - Midnight series starts on GMMTV’s TY,, one of which is Moonlight Chicken (EarthMix). Trailer. Maybe not really BL, adult issues, messy gays, cheating, soulmates? Mix plays an openly gay character in a relationship with First’s character. Earth portrays a chef who runs a restaurant while taking care of his nephew.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Honestly what a great cast and thank you Strongberry for not betraying our trust. It was a predictably weird, but not traumatic ending. 

No shit. 

Tinn caught himself a live one. 

At least he knows it. (My School President) 

(last week)

[ramblesbiab]

I feel like if there's one thing I could probably make a video essay about today if I had the energy to is how utterly terrible seasons three and four of the Harley Quinn animated series were at understanding everything the first two seasons set up.

Season one establishes the status quo, it shows us who Harley Quinn is as a character in this iteration, along with building her relationships and motivations. Season two builds on this further while having great set pieces and concepts which further challenge and showcase the characters.

Both those seasons deal with the budding romance of Harley and Ivy, but they understand that you can't have an entire show based entirely on one couple. The other characters exist for a reason. They diversify the show while also just... being good characters. King Shark, Dr. Psycho, and Clayface are all amazing, and those are just a few of a large and well-balanced cast.

Along with this, Harley Quinn herself is such a good character. She's funny and chaotic without being too much, and when she goes too far, she's called out on it and it's addressed in a mature way. I genuinely, and I'm not sorry for this take, believe that the first two seasons of Harley Quinn is one of the best animated shows out there. It's so unapologetic in it's style, so understanding of what it is and what it can get away with.

And then, there's seasons three and four.

In stark contrast to the complexity of seasons one and two, seasons three and four each choose a singular angle to focus on: "What if Harley Quinn is actually morally good?" in season three, and "What if Harley Quinn isn't actually morally good?" in season four. They create a season-wide problem only to use the entire next season to disprove themselves. It's such poor time management, especially for this show!

One of the biggest reasons I say that is because of Season 1, Episode 7 - "The Line". This episode addresses how Harley Quinn... isn't all the way morally evil, but rather is a complex character. They address the debate of Harley Quinn's morals in one season one episode better then the entirety of seasons three and four! I know the writing team had some changes after the season two finale, but did you not watch the show before writing for it???

Now, I have to admit that I'm being a bit harsh on season three here. It has some interesting concepts that the show runs with, and a few of them work. My biggest problem with it is honestly the fact that it's so clearly the buildup to season four, which is genuinely awful in itself. Harley's team starts to be featured less, they start to push towards the "Maybe she's good?" of Harley, the issues between Harley and Ivy start to drift from a cross episode - or even season - narrative where they both grow and learn more about each other, to a weirdly episode-by-episode affair where they fight, feel a bit upset, then magically make up at the end while we all go aww yay!

The heart of the show has been removed. I wish it hadn't, because I was excited to have a chance to see more cute Harlivy moments, but somehow the show became too engulfed in Harlivy. This was never really the Harley and Ivy show - they were always the main characters, sure, but as I said before, the show understood you can't have a show about exactly one couple. The problem is that their new attempts at focused side characters fail.

Bane, Nora Freeze, and the Bat family are all good characters, but they're at their best when used sparingly. I genuinely don't understand the choice to step away from King Shark and Clayface as main characters, because season four shows how awful they function when they're used sparingly.

I'm mostly disappointed that when I want to recommend one of my favorite shows of all time to someone else, I have to do it with the condition that it falls off significantly as soon as season two's wonderful finale comes to a close. Maybe it should have be Fin, after all.

[liaswritesrobots]

I can't find that one post that was going around about making a tf series without Bumblebee, Optimus, or Megatron but I think it could be an easy thing to do. Maybe it's cause the niche tf continuities have such a grip on me that I often forget Bee has a main character problem to begin with but there's so many characters that are considered "Japan only" or comic only that we have an entire cast and then some of characters that a lot of people have never heard about.

Anyway, my idea for a show without using those three involves also getting rid of a lot of the "main" characters too like Soundwave, Prowl, Arcee, Grimlock, pretty much anyone easily recognizable to people who only watch American tf shows/movies.

Cast: Autobots

Yellow Splendid Convoy (or just Yellow Convoy, Splendid Convoy, Splendid, or SC) is fresh out of training and ready to make her mark on Autobot history by protecting peace throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately her crew's ship crashes and they get stranded on Earth, a planet of many autobots learn about from history of the war. She is very kind and courageous and tries to live up to the legend of the Primes before her time, which can be pretty stressful at times.

Nautica is the ship's tech specialist and scientist. She's often working on a new invention or found doing maintenance on the ship. She has a natural curiosity for everything around her and can often help brighten her teammate's day by trying to help them look on the bright side. She does struggle a bit with self confidence in areas that do not pertain to science though, and has trouble reading social cues.

Ambulon is the ship's old and somewhat grumpy medic. He used to be a Decepticon but defected mid war after watching the atrocious his fellow cons were ok with committing on civilians. He and Nautica have what Earthlings would call a sibling like relationship as the two are close, but she often teases him to his dismay. Being a veteran medic from the war his teammates hold a lot of respect for him and Splendid likes to hear him talk about the days of old.

Lander is the ship's sharp shooter and self identified "ladies man and mans man". He often flirts with people of all genders no matter where they go. He even flirts with sapient organic races, which some older set-in-their-ways bots might consider scandalous. Despite his carefree attitude and jokes he's quite the warrior! He's got amazing blaster skills and can hit a mosquitobot from a mile away! Ambulon finds him obnoxious most of the time. He is third in command.

Holi is the ships scout. Cute, tiny, and fast, he can quickly find places that are good for hiding or good vantage points. He tries to come off as serious and more mature so his teammates will take him seriously, but it rarely works. He has a girlfriend back on Cybertron, which Lander often teases him about. He has a bad habit of letting Lander talk him into doing stupid things with him.

Roadmaster is the teams powerhouse. When they need something big and heavy moved then she's the girl! She's a bit quiet at times as she's unsure if her input would be appreciated, but if asked she's more than happy to give advice. She's a gentle soul that enjoys long drives through nature, and most people find her easy to get along with, but if you make her mad (like hurting her friends) then she very well could rip you in half. She seems to want to get closer to Nautica but is a bit timid around her.

Delta Magnus is an intelligence officer that volunteered to come along on Splendid's journey to record data. He may be a talkative nerd at heart that's a stickler for the rules but rest assured, he can hold his own in battle. With a might that could rival some legends of old, he's a fierce opponent for any Decepticon. He's often found taking notes and overusing the word "glorious". He is second in command

Cast: Decepticons

Despite being a Decepticon, Esmeral is fair and willing to negotiate with anyone that isn't an Autobot. The Empress of Destruction holds a deep grudge against all Autobots for taking her husband from her, and has vowed to wipe them from face of the galaxy. Still, even with a rage burning brighter than the sun she treats her subordinate fairly, especially Lyzack, her second in command. She is also very doting mother! She is currently in ruthless pursuit of Yellow Splendid Convoy's ship.

Lyzack lost her twin brother Leozack thanks to Autobots. Lost as in she literally has no idea where he is. She isn't even sure if he's alive or dead, so she's searching far and wide for any sign of him. She acts mostly as a scout and medic for the Decepticons but she secretly yearns to be able to hold her own on the battlefield by herself like her idol and leader Esmeral, so she's secretly training to fight all by herself.

Solon is Esmeral's adopted human son. Before he was taken out by Autobots, Deathsaurus brought home a human baby and he and Esmeral officially adopted the boy. Solon is now 14 and he holds the same kind of grudge his mother does against the Autobots for taking his father away from him. He is often looked after by Lyzack when Esmeral can't tend to him and he trusts her and considers her to be like a big sister to him. He's never actually been to Earth so he's excited to finally visit the planet he came from and meet more humans.

Overlord isn't the most welcome guy amongst even the most ruthless of Decepticons, but Esmeral knows he's good at exterminating Autobots beyond repair, so she grits her teeth and deals with him. She at least knows her position as leader is safe from him since he "has no interest in leading, only destruction". He's also a warrior from later on in the war so she values that kind of experience. He absolutely loathes Delta Magnus, finding him annoying, and often targets him in fights. Shockingly enough, he actually likes Esmeral's son Solon, and often tries to mentor the boy in the ways of the Decepticons.

Sixshot. Sharp shooter. Intelligence agent. Mercenary. Bot of few words (unless he likes you). Sixshot is a mystery to even most of his comrades, but he gets the job done. He always gets the job done. His temper is something most Decepticons fear and they have nightmares of finding themselves staring down the end of his blaster. He seems to have a soft side though, one that's usually only seen towards Lyzack, Solon, and surprisingly enough, Nautica! He also seems to have a deep warriors respect for Roadmaster.

Double-Dealer is such a good spy, that you have to wonder whose side he's really on. He's cunning, intelligent, and a smooth talker. He can easily manipulate people around him into trusting him. He's currently eyeing Esmeral's position as leader, but he tries to make sure she's none the wiser of his schemes. He's also rumored to be older than he looks, and is said to have not only fought in the war, but to even fallen in love with an Autobot during that time! He considers Lander to be his greatest enemy.

Road Pig is kind of dumb, which makes him easy to manipulate and push around. He's usually going along with whatever scheme Double-Dealer has hatched. Lyzack takes pity on the guy a lot, knowing it's not easy being a Con of such standing. He enjoys taking Solon on joy rides for the two to cause trouble on.

Cast: Predacons

Magmatron is a multi-beast-changer that leads the Predacons in their quest to conquer the galaxy. He is well versed in the ways of the Decepticons but also notes their failures. This led him to make his team of Predacons "follow in the footsteps of the Decepticons. But Better." And better he can be. He's a power house that isn't injured easily, and being able to split into 3 different dinosaurs helps him have an evasiveness advantage. He's surprisingly rather relaxed about his ship rules, allowing the Predacons to do whatever they want most of the time. Though any that try to rise against him are quickly struck down. It's rumored that he had another team of Predacons once, but they all left him for a currently unknown reason.

Budora is second in command in Megmatron's team. He is a stern, serious soldier trained in many fighting styles. He's also easily envious, and longs for power and leadership over all Predacons. Despite this he works under a code of honor and never uses underhanded tricks in a fight. In dragon mode he breaths fire.

Judora is often underestimated by his opponents because of his prim and proper attitude, but make no mistake, he is still a very dangerous Predacon. While he prefers not to escalate things to brutish force he can still be a fierce opponent in a fight. He's as quick on his feet as he is with his wit. He prefers more intellectual and sophisticated things in life. In dragon mode he breaths a poison mist. He is very close to Gaidora.

Gaidora has tremendous physical strength. He may not be smartest Predacon in the group but he's still able to catch onto things going on behind the scenes rather quickly. He's rather quiet and reserved most of the time, and is often going along with whatever Judora is doing. He is fascinated by Earth ants. In dragon mode he breaths lightening. He and Judora are very close.

Bakudora is the youngest of the dragons. He's fast but he's also arrogant and brash, which is often his undoing. He gets easily excited for a fight and goads his opponents on. Upon meeting the Decepticons he and Solon become become friends despite the Predacon-Decepticon rivalry. In dragon mode he breaths ice.

Cast: Others

Anode is an explorer and treasure hunter that came to Earth a couple years ago to explore it with her wife. The two are traveling the planet in search of treasure and having a lot of fun meeting the locals. She's also a bit of a prankster, and upon meeting Splendid's group the first thing she does is play a joke on Ambulon, much to his dismay.

Lug is Anode's wife and travel companion. She's also adventurous at heart but takes more care on the paths they tread. She really has a thing for rocks, being a geologist, and is excited to make an expansive list of all the rocks and gems she finds on Earth. She's actually made it her mission to find and observe every type of rock on Earth. She turns into a backpack so she's often hanging onto her wife's back with whatever loot they've found.

Sky-Byte is an ex-merc for hire that used to run with both Predacons and Decepticons. Now he's a defector for both, wanting nothing to do with either faction. He's instead found his true callings in life, poetry and sea conservation. He works with some local human scientists to preserve the ocean and the wildlife within it. He also utilizes his shark altmode to scare away poachers that try to fish for endangered species. He's often wary of Autobots and Maximals and tries to avoid Decepticons and Predacons completely.

Lio Jr. is a young Maximal that ran off on his own after his father refused to bare responsibility for him. With Lio Convy often denying he was his son, Lio Jr. had enough and decided to head out on his own quest to help as many people as possible to become a great leader. His travels led him to Earth a couple of years ago, where he's been helping humans ever since. He won't talk about his father often, but he secretly yearns for his praise and wants to prove to his father that he can be a good leader like him someday. Once Splendid's crew arrives on Earth Lio Jr. becomes fast friends with Holi and Nautica. Lio Jr. and Sky-Byte are also good friends, with the shark often looking after and mentoring the young maximal.

[russenoire]

we like to talk about the kind heart beating at the center of mob psycho 100...

its eminently huggable and relatable main characters...

the surprising maturity and accessibility of its psychological themes, the tightrope it walks between pathos and absurd humor, the abundance of sensitive neurodivergent representation within, and—for a story with a predominantly male cast—its largely unsexualized and refreshingly real girls and women.

i could keep listing more aspects of this story that i adore, honestly. but for me, it was one specific aspect of the writing that struck me the hardest.

as a person who used to inhale film and TV criticism like folks in the US devour breakfast cereal, i live for subversions of tired, well-worn storytelling patterns (call them tropes if you must). MP100 is full to leaking with subverted expectations. but only rarely do i ever see a writer subvert a done-to-death pattern and then subvert the subversion.

studio bones and ONE's writing work together to pull this off in the fifth episode of MP100's first season. on my first watch, i had to pick my jaw up off the floor at what i was seeing.

this got... long... more below the cut.

first, a little bit of framework.

the concept of single combat drives much of the action (and comedy) in shōnen fighting series.

it simplifies the conflict between cultures, between ways of life, between ideals, to a question of who is stronger in a no-holds-barred match between two people. the answer decides the fates of whole nations, hopefully but not always spares both sides from further bloodshed, and it's older than dirt.

the cathartic appeal of such distillation is not entirely lost on me, but i also crave novelty and nuance? and seem to be aging out of the shōnen demographic as a result. 'my kung-fu is stronger than yours!' 'yeah? well, i'm fucking bored with attempts to settle this question with fists or magic and no longer care.'

i do not count MP100 as a fighting series; the story doesn't conflate personal growth with increasing skill at punching shit and would hold up as a coming-of-age story quite well without battles. while MP100 flirts shamelessly with many fighting series clichés, it actively refuses to commit to those it engages. it rejects this one entirely by story's end.

when teruki hanazawa first becomes aware that shigeo kageyama exists and shares his easy facility with ESP, he and the audience are led to believe that the two boys will enter into a showdown like those we've seen so many times before. they'll fight it out like the real men they'll be soon, and a clear victor will emerge from the wreckage in their wake.

shigeo, of course, is flatly uninterested and baffled at this stranger fighting him unprovoked. teru figures he can preserve his view of the world by simply bringing the boy to heel, just as he has with everyone else around him. even after the little blond chuunibyou twists him until his bones crack... waterboards him in the depths of black vinegar middle school's swimming pool...

[image ID: a teenaged boy in his physical education uniform of white tee shirt and red shorts is shown from the back and below him... at the very bottom of a swimming pool. he has been plunged in against his will; a barrier of sorts can be seen around his body -- his own defense against the middle schooler attacking him.]

demolishes much of the school grounds, wielding his spindly body as a wrecking-ball...

shigeo will not yield. nor does he indulge teru in his pointless lust for battle.

he doesn't see him as an enemy and, more importantly, doesn't want to hurt him. the child is painfully aware of how easily he could kill this boy, so he endures the abuse, though not without protest. i'd never seen a shōnen anime series that even presented refusing to fight as an option.

[image ID: a bowl-cut-sporting teenage boy in a white tee shirt with a red collar stands hunched over and facing his antagonist offscreen to the viewer's right, in anticipation of another attack. he is saying 'i told you to stop that.' in the background is a statue of a human figure with arms raised above its head in victory. it will soon be made to topple onto him.]

though shigeo refuses to play this game at all, the lack of damage teru is able to inflict on him with ESP and his concise verbal summation of the profound insecurity driving teru's behavior already prove shigeo's superiority. teru needs to feel supported and justified in this unwarranted attack on another boy just like him, and so he demands, over and over, that shigeo fight back... that he show his powers. but it never sinks in for him that he's seeing them in action.

in the end, teru gives up on forcing shigeo's submission with ESP and uses his raw physical strength to strangle the young kageyama... who then plays this trope straight and utterly traumatizes teru into adopting a different outlook on life. after he passes the fuck out.

with teru's one-sided, tragic attempt at a brawl between himself and another esper child, ONE sends up the entire concept of magical single combat so hard it hits low earth orbit.

to make abundantly clear just how ridiculous this shit actually is? shigeo strips teru naked, then drains him dry of psychic energy by way of his fucking groin (in the anime) for even forcing him into this. you know, just for the extra humiliation. the boy's already been shaven like a fallen samurai at this point.

and teru's need to resist the challenge shigeo's existence presents to his way of life? we are made to see just how much harm that resistance to reality actually causes.

shattered glass, crushed concrete, wrecked doors, busted faucets spewing everywhere and wasting water—the camera lingers on these in-story, real-world consequences. actual shōnen fighting series rarely address such collateral damage outside of personal vendettas or playing it for comedy. (the comic bits here are almost necessary to leaven the pathos we're seeing, and are inseparable from that sadness.)

teru nearly commits first-degree murder twice and causes major property damage i doubt he had the power to fix. don't you dare look away, MP100's creators say. we need you, gentle watcher, to bear witness. teru is wrong. THIS WHOLE APPROACH to conflict is wrong. look again. does this remind you of anything?

and shigeo doesn't get off the hook either, though i'm inclined to give him a pass because reasons. he summarily flattens the rest of teru's school, finishing the job, and launches it (and him) above the clouds, but at least murder isn't on the table? the child suffers greatly for this unconscious act of retribution and continues to punish himself for this madness for some time... even after cleaning up the mess they both made when he returns to his senses.

no one wins here. what is 'winning'? what is 'losing'? are we even asking the right questions?

this arc—but especially this 'fight'—is darkly, absurdly funny, thought-provoking, and one of the most heartbreaking and moving things i'd seen in a long time. it sold me on this story and keeps me coming back in astonishment and gratitude.

(this is an expansion of part of a recap i wrote for this episode. you can read it here.)

[abbinurmel]

I spent the past couple hours tailoring this aimless rant on YT, in response to a person merely saying how much they'd love for a reboot of 'Cow & Chicken' on adult swim, cos they could say whatever they like on there. I posted it here, cos YT doesn't wanna allow me to post anything right now, which is probably for the best.

This is gonna be a dumb rant. I got sucked down a rabbit hole, cos this is a favorite topic of mine to talk about and I'm procrastinating horribly on purpose on a lot of dull paperwork. So strap in before reading my garbage. You're warned now, don't hafta TLDR or whatever, thanks, I already know. …Anyways. For those who care about irrelevant, shitty opinions:…I love Cow & Chicken. A lot. On paper I know exactly why it seems like a great idea to reboot on 'adultswim', purely on the merit they do things more outrageously. I'm certain many would watch this. It's actually kinda weird there hasn't been one yet, when you think about it, given this age of rehashes. It already has the raunchy humor and gross art down, seems like a match made in heaven, right?- It'd be easy too, "Cow & Chicken" wasn't exactly lavishly drawn or had a big cast. Well… Much as I think there could be a slim possibility of it happening, for it to be good, and IF they do good, to be wildly entertaining…I don't think "Cow & Chicken" is going to ever get actually rebooted. And I don't think it benefits from being rebooted, either, which is really the only reason you should try to reboot things ever in the first place. The lore of an IP needs to benefit in being revisited, somehow, and ESPECIALLY, SPECIFICALLY, if brought back for adults. It is very unlikely gonna be executed right, ironically BECAUSE of this show's already semi-adult nature. And the reasons why, is endemic to why a whole lot of current modern shows, and movie/live action series remakes, are suffering too. -And no, it is NOT due to the reasons some of you're likely thinking of. It is NOT cos of any tired old: "things are just too safe and WOKE /PC culture now!" theories. (That sort of affair is highly subjective/means basically nothing or very different things to different people. Pretty impossible to gauge due to how all over the place/ludicrously out of touch with general fans censors and networks can be, no matter what their political leanings or personality is. Which can and do range all over the place. So I won't go into that topic as it's an entirely different problem to what I am talking about. Plus I was there for the 80s and 90s, its pretty silly to say we can not get away with any wild things these days, cos let me assure you, by comparison, there is a LOT technically more we CAN do and say now, in both kid's and adult shows, that would never get by in a million years 30 years ago. You couldn't even just say the word 'kill', 'poop' or 'die' then, most the time. Let that sink in.)

…See to me, if it ironically hadn't ever been restrained by censors/made for kids, C&C might've been NOWHERE as good. Like. At all. It might've actually been one of the worst CN shows aired. Just 100% annoying gross-out show laziness, like a lot of shows of its era. The main reason it didn't flop was cuz 1) duh, Charles Adler, the main voice, and 2) it did its 'thing' the way original 'Ren & Stimpy' did. It didn't beat for beat copy them. Their writing/visuals just simply knew how to cross the line JUST enough, keeping the raunchy humor tucked in JUST as far as they could push it, but knew also on the whole how to always stay utterly light hearted, simple and goofy. That's where its core identity is. It's the dumb blithe enthusiastic Innocence of pretty much the entire cast, and the goofy simplicity of the plots/gags, while they get to say out the side of the mouth much more 'mature' sinister things….It works purely b/c of that contrast; sometimes with innuendo being camoflauged extremely subtly, sometimes NOT subtly at all. -But it would always go ping-ponging gracefully between the two. Never too much Idiotically Innocent, or too Smugly Adult and Crass. It would do this, with actual wit. It didn't JUST have gross visuals or say dirty jokes. It did all this with a theatrical, self-known flair. Shows like C&C and its fellow Golden Age shows basically are very good at doing what franchises like Monty Python were known for, and what Regular Show and Gravity Falls and similar would do later on, just with more visual ugliness.

…Meanwhile, a lot of other 1990's/current shows DO NOT have this memo. They do not have that balance, they lack the awareness of what is the difference between 'sneaking in occasional very dirty jokes with wit' and "throwing every and any kinda joke at a wall and not even bothering to look at what sticks." A LOT of 'gritty comedy parody reboot' things are doing this, and also doing this same idea just with the "dramatic tropes" instead of comedic tropes too. ….Including Ren & Stimpy itself. -Once 'The Ren & Stimpy Show' moved to SpikeTV, they went fully 'adult', and by direct result went 1000% downhill. I don't ascribe that to just poor writing(the original has flat stupid writing too), or ugly looking animation (so is the original). Not even John K.'s…ahem, history. If you fixed his behavior, and abusive attitude; made all his notoriously horrible bad jokes tamer, I still think 'Adult Party' would've tanked, because doing this concept in of itself is a fool's errand. It's not just rebooting nostalgic childhood IPs that's the problem, but specifically attempting to repackage something that was already a mild bit 'tawdry', so now that it is INTENTIONALLY for adults only. Whenever the entertainment industry does that 'gritty effect', be it games or movies or Netflix or comic books, it's 8/10 doomed, because you essentially neutered the core joke or appeal. You've taken away the cool 'taboo' point of saying hidden naughty/clever things, in a story you're not SUPPOSED to. You're able to state and do whatever you want, and so there's not only no leash to hold down any of the weaker ideas, there's almost no "rebellious challenge" to its bite whatsoever, even when those jokes/story ideas succeed. Noone is gonna be shocked or laugh nearly as much when a Red Guy says "KISS MY ASS!" unironically in an adultswim show, as they would if he says "KISS MY ASS!!!!!!….-Her name is GERTRUDE! :D" -and then happily pulls onstage a donkey wearing a big bowtie in on a rope, because this renders it now a pun and technically 'child safe' to flaunt now. (This isn't a real joke from the show btw, I'm only making this up for convenience. But you get the idea. It's the precise sort of silly thing you know he'll do. :P )

Neither the audience nor execs are 'prey' anymore for the writers to be creatively poking the boundaries with, when you remove that expectation. It's different if your IP started with an already adult geared story to begin with, but, when it's a full on polar opposite shift in tone and/or age demographics like that, it's almost always pulled off in a confused messy way, because even the original work's creators themselves, (IF they're even kept around, or are familiar with the source material if they are new), are trapped now in completely unfamiliar territory. Without a deeply wild reinventing of the show's lore or main tenets(a thing which nobody has ever been upset by on the internet!), it usually doesn't have anything else to stand on, especially with a purely episodic comedy show, like Cow and Chicken is. Once you take out this 'vulnerability' in our dynamic, between child/censor guardians, and writers, this main core joke of not knowing what the writers are and are NOT actually going to get away with is gone, and so much of the stakes now is irreversibly lost. Sometimes being hidden from the details is what makes a gag all the more funnier, or a scary scene all the scarier, or a cringe scene all the cringier. If we take away this, things lack a lot more of the colorful shock & ridiculousness. The main DNA in these classic "deranged shows", like Ed, Edd n Eddy, Ren&Stimpy, Rocko and C&C, that a lot of nostalgic fans, and current show-runners often alike forget; is the simple fact that such shows had to weigh the balance of: 'being a sincere kid show' and 'trying to get away with something they're not supposed to'. …With very deep emphasis on the words: "GET AWAY WITH". To me, a show is not getting "away" with something good, be it a message, a joke, a deeper sense of drama, if you constantly always spell it out for us, and we know you lose nothing and have to take no creative risk by displaying it for the audience. You're not really earning a prize, if someone just right at the start, hands you a medal. In other words….Every good memorable/subversive classic cartoon show, is not beloved just because they got to have crazy visuals, or say and do unhinged jokes. …You needed to be MEMORABLY STRANGER for having those qualities, in the first place. If you do something unhinged and bizarre, but coming in I expect to see it, is it really an unhinged show?

See, there's a reason why most of the frequent reboots of Scooby Doo like 'Velma' atrociously fail. And it's not because they changed someone that was formerly white, or made someone like Shaggy have a different name, or backstory. Or even because they overhauled an old wholesome character into a rude, toxically mean, judgemental unpleasant character. Yes this does affect some tastes, but on the whole, that wasn't the core problem for most watchers. LOADS of shows have a morally awful, pompous, or an incompetent, chaotic mess for a central protagonist, or reinvent them in some way if they come from an old property. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast did more or less exactly what "Velma" does, where they took an old IP and completely transformed their roles/upgraded their style of humor for a more adult audience. Rick & Morty has a toxic main protagonist. South Park has four of them. Family Guy and American Dad has them, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, the list goes on. Even kid shows do this, and sometimes get away with it well too: Dan Versus did it well so did Ren and Stimpy, again, back when it understood how it worked. Having a mean protag or changed fundamentals, isn't why so many reboots don't work. …What happens with bad modern remakes of Scooby Doo, (and not just in shows like Velma), is often that they forget how to make things have that beautiful sense of contrast, that Cow and Chicken does, in its writing. They do not know how to both show this is a show rooted in something sincere, WHILE ALSO saying outrageously dirty/surreal/mean/pompous or dark things inside that vessel. The appreciation for the context of its background, is what makes shows like 'Mystery Inc.' and 'Zombie Island' work, while Velma and other SBs, do not. If we took Cow & Chicken, stripped it of it's irony, what else do we have except yet another dime a dozen weaker show, constantly going 'haha, me say the rude words!/do the gross bad thing again!' adult oriented show, with no fangs? Another exhausting reboot, which takes yet another unoriginal idea, robs its reputation, and wastes our time? …There's a way to do this kind of thing right. I just do not think most people, not even some of the most talented in the business, have the freedom or ability to do so. Not even Samurai Jack, a legend of an animated program, escaped this 'update it for adults!' treatment unscathed. If you're gonna update something for adults, you really have to think about WHY it was good in the first place. Not take just what you had, and stamp lots of expletetives or flashes of red to indicate actual blood on there. You need either to actually SAY something, completely useful and different, or, just stick to your guns with the old formula, and do it so well it exceeds the hype for the original. Which is also near being impossible to do. Hence, it begs the question, why do it at all?

…Sorry for this TEDTalk, I just love being an absurd mess at 2AM when I have better more boring adult things to do.

[angelasscribbles]

The Dark Kingdom Chapter 4: Home

Series: The Dark Kingdom

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake, Riley x ?

Word Count: 1,556

Rating: MA

Warnings for this series: mature themes

A/N: Originally posted from @trrpoly but since I have my main blog back, I wanted to post from here to keep it consistent.

My other stuff: Master List.

“This way,” Drake held the door open for her with a good bit more deference than he had previously shown her.

The moment the door closed behind them, and she found herself back in the gloomy medieval-looking hallway, she remembered the way Leo had looked at her and her head spun around searching the hallway as she instinctively moved closer to Drake.

His hand went protectively to the small of her back, “It’s okay, he’s not here, he left. Besides, you’re under Liam’s protection now. There’s not a creature in the entirety of the dark kingdom that would dare touch you.”

“Under his protection? No,” she shook her head, “I don’t think so. He just hasn’t decided what to do with me yet.”

For the first time since she met him, Drake smiled, “Trust me, Riley. You’re under his protection. You’re safe here.”

That smile transformed his entire demeanor, nearly stopping her heart in the process. He was breathtaking when he smiled. She quickly overcame her shock at his complete about-face as confusion pulled through her, “How do you know my name?”

“Liam told me,” He guided her through the hallway and up a set of stairs.

“When? I never heard-“

“You wouldn’t have,” was the only answer she got.

“I’m not complaining,” she said as she followed him down yet another hallway, “But why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?”

“Oh! Do you want me to be…not nice?”

“No! I…I’m glad you’re being nice….I just want to know why! You told me earlier that you weren’t my friend.”

“Oh, that,” he stopped at the end of the corridor and pushed open the last door on the right. He stood aside and gestured for her to enter, “You were a stranger and a potential threat then.”

Her eyes traced across his face as she turned sidewise to slip past him into the room, “What am I now?”

“Now you’re a guest in my home, under Liam’s protection and therefore mine as well.”

“Just like that?”

He shrugged expansively, “Just like that.”

“Because Liam told you to be nice to me?”

“He didn’t tell me anything…’

“Then how-“

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Explain it to me.”

He did the thing again where he paused and cocked his head to one side as if listening to something only he could hear. “Maybe later. Right now, I believe you were promised new clothes and a hot bath, so I’ll get out of your way. Dinner will be up shortly.”

“But-“ She blinked and he was gone. “Damn how does he keep doing that?”

“Doing what?” A new voice asked so close to her that she jumped.

“Shit! You scared me! I didn’t hear you coming!” Riley exclaimed as she turned to take in the owner of the voice.

A beautiful young woman with caramel-colored hair bathed in an ethereal glow stood in the doorway of her room holding a bucket. “Sorry,” she giggled.

“It’s okay…I guess. Who are you?”

“My name is Hana. You must be the human girl Leo and Drake found on their rounds tonight.”

“Yes. My name is Riley. But how do you-“

“News travels fast around here. We don’t get a lot of visitors. Not from the human world anyway. Come on, I have your water,” she held the bucket up. Steam wafted from the top.

Riley eyed the bucket skeptically, “That’s a very small bucket.”

“It’s bigger than it looks,” Hana assured her as she made her way across the room and opened a door on the other side.

Riley followed her into a large bathroom with dark grey marble tile on the floor and walls. In the center of the room on a raised dais was a huge cast iron claw-foot tub. She watched in awe as Hana tipped the bucket over the tub and a stream of water flowed out and just kept flowing until the tub was full. “Hana! How?”

Hana’s eyes sparkled as she took in Riley’s shock, “I’m a nereid. I can control water.”

“A nereid?” Riley’s eyes widened as she breathed out, “Mermaids are real?”

Hana’s laugh tinkled across the room, “Real enough.”

“Where’s your tail?”

“I can shift between human and nereid form.”

“But…what are you doing here? So far from the ocean?”

A shadow crossed the young woman’s face, “I was trying to save a drowning sailor but when the other men on the boat saw me, they tried to capture me…They didn’t even care about their friend. He drowned while I was caught in a net and….they…my tailfin was damaged so I had to shift and then they tried to…”

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me-“

“No, it’s okay,” Hana wiped away a tear, “The point is, a dragon spotted the struggle and came to my aid. Liam allowed me to recuperate here then I chose to stay. I still can’t swim like I used to, and I like it here.”

“Oh, Hana. I’m so sorry!”

She shook her head, “No, no. It’s fine. The dragon…she and I-“

“Wait…a dragon saved you out in the ocean? But the treaty-“

“Dragons go where they want,” Hana answered sharply, “Not even the dark lord can control that! Besides, there were no witnesses left to tell the tale.”

Riley took in Hana’s ire and reached out, placing a hand on her arm, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curious how it happened without violating the treaty. Obviously, those men got what they deserved!”

Hana visibly relaxed, “They did. Thank you. What about you? Why did you break the treaty and risk war, and your life, coming here?”

Riley looked away as she answered, “Let’s just say that I know a thing or two about the cruelty of men myself.”

“Fair enough,” Hana turned as if to go then paused and faced her again, “Whatever happened to you, you should tell Liam. He’s far more compassionate than his reputation would suggest.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“Besides,” Hana’s face lit up, “It would be really nice to have someone pleasant around here to talk to!”

Riley grabbed her and pulled her into an impulsive hug, “I hope you and I can be friends!”

Hana returned the hug, “Me too!”

“Well, isn’t this just all cozy and sweet as sugar?” A disdainful voice interrupted.

Hana sighed as she released Riley and stepped back, “Madeleine.”

“Hana.” The petite blond newcomer sniffed as her eyes took in Riley, “Well. Stand up straight, I need good measurements.”

“Uh…for…what?” Riley looked back and forth between the other two women.

“You want new clothes, I need to know what size,” she spoke as she ran her eyes up and down Riley’s body then walked around to view her from behind, “Do you prefer cotton? Linen? Silk?”

“I’m not picky but I don’t know if I’ll be here long for enough for clothes to be made.”

Madeleine snorted, “I’ll be back before you’re done with your bath with a whole new wardrobe. Just check the closet and dresser drawers when you’re done.”

“How-“

Hana leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “She’s a witch!”

“I can hear you!” The blond snapped.

“I’ve never met a witch before!” Riley regarded her with interest.

“I have what I need. Your clothes will be waiting when you’re done with the bath,” Madeleine clipped out before spinning on her heel and disappearing back the way she had come.

“Well, she was delightful,” Riley quipped.

Hana giggled at the sarcasm, “Yeah. She’s always like that. Well, I’ll get out of your way so you can take your bath. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After Hana left, Riley stripped her clothes off and discarded them into a pile in the corner. She never wanted to wear them again. They were the last and only material things she had from her previous life. She wanted nothing from that existence.

Well, maybe one thing. Cobalt blue eyes swam through her mind’s eye as she slipped into the warmth of the tub. A lone tear trickled down her cheek.

Pushing thoughts of the past aside, she picked up the bar of soap and began to scrub the dirt and the pain of the night and her past from her skin.

Thirty minutes later she stepped out of the somehow still hot water and wrapped herself in a plush white towel, her skin and hair clean, free from even the dirt of the lands below.

With her head held high, she exited the bathroom. Detouring from her trek to the closet, she pulled open a set of French doors and stepped onto an expansive balcony. She stared at the scenery, looking out across the mountain range. She was so high up, there were clouds obscuring her view of the lands below. A distant roar drew her eyes to the sky. Far in the distance, dragons soared through the night. A sense of peace and contentment stole over her.

The dark kingdom was her home now, for better or worse. She would live here, or she would die here but she wasn’t leaving. Something about this place, dark and foreboding as it was, called to something deep within her. She belonged here, she couldn’t explain it, but she felt it in her very bones.

She was finally home.

[doctorprofessorsong]

I posted 8,782 times in 2022

104 posts created (1%)

8,678 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@wigglebox

@valleydean

@unlimiteddream90

@fellshish

@you-cant-spell-subtext-without

I tagged 2,128 of my posts in 2022

#destiel - 550 posts

#deancas - 447 posts

#the winchesters - 200 posts

#spnwin - 187 posts

#suptober22 - 175 posts

#castiel - 129 posts

#supernatural - 108 posts

#spn - 103 posts

#cas - 100 posts

#spnwin spoilers - 100 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and your art is so unbelievably gorgeous it makes me want to scream into a pillow there aren’t enough laurels on earth to throw at your fee

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Destiel fic recs

Well, it looks like the brainrot is permanent and there is no cure. I can't seem to get enough of these dudes. Please enjoy the fruits of my unending obsession with another rec list.

Love Bites by @malmuses (Explicit, 34k)

I don't know why I love a tiny creature Dean, but this fic had my entire heart from the first chapter. Not since OctopusDean said bloop has a Dean been this adorable. 

Dean, a vampire in bat form, gets injured by Cas' menace of a cat (affectionate). Cas nurses him back to health and, as Dean heals, he finds himself more and more enamored with his savior. 

Cas is delightfully awkward and Dean is entirely smitten and it makes for an adorably soft dynamic. Plus I want to put bat!Dean in my pocket. He’s so cute.

Boyfriend of Thursday by mnwood @deancasheadcanons (Explicit, 40k)

Look all I'm saying is Dean deserved to be a little slutty (affectionate). This one is a romp and a delight. Dean Winchester doesn't do monogamy or commitment. Instead he has a regular hook-up every day of the week.

But when he and his Thursday call it quits, he's looking to fill the open position. It feels like he's in luck when he runs into a hot dude at Chipotle. But Dean discovers that maybe his Boyfriend of Thursday is worth breaking the rules for.

I love an openly bi, confident Dean and this Dean definitely fits the bill. This Dean is really fun and in some ways very vulnerable and he is deeply respectful of his hookups which makes it a great read. This one could have gone the other way, making him shallow and capricious, but despite his rules and his rigid system, Dean deeply cares and that makes it really fun to read.

The side characters are fantastic, plus there is positive representation of polyamory and some really interesting casting that makes this one super entertaining.

Passing Ships by quiettewandering (Mature, 78k)

Something about Dean and Cas going against fate to be with one another has always made me a little feral, so it's no surprise that a fic based on the concept that Cas, a cupid assigned to get Dean together with his soulmate Lisa, fails spectacularly when he falls in love with Dean himself would immediately draw me in.

The Cas in this fic wants so badly to do what's right, but he can't help but care about the humans. He hits all the right notes for me and i had at least ten breakdowns over him. And Dean is also just so enamored and such a disaster and you just wanna smoosh their faces.

I Can See Your Halo by redamber79 @imbiowaresbitch (series, 2 works, Explicit, 9.8k words)

This one is s-p-i-c-y and just a bit sacrilegious in the best way. Um, let's just say the author explores some novel uses for the angel blade and Cas' halo that will live inside my brain rent free for a very long time. Ahem

It also serves as a fairly delightful fix-it with a really fun resolution that will also have a condo in my mind. 

It's scorching hot and a really fun read.

In It For The Long Haul by @ltleflrt (Explicit 25k) 

This is the fluffiest, softest fic to soothe what ails you. Dean, a long-haul trucker, meets an intriguing waiter at a truck stop and starts reordering his life to find ways to see him again.

This fic is just pure sunshine. Cas keeps choosing meals to make Dean happy. Dean keeps blushing and flirting. The angst is low. It's really just a good time for everyone. A soft story about liminal spaces and finding someone to share your life with. 

Racing Stripes by tiamatv (Mature, 37k)

I'm admittedly a sucker for a sci fi AU, but even if I wasn't I would still love this absolute gem of a story. Dean is one of the top racers in the world, finally about to live out his dream of racing in the difficult and high stakes Chicago Race. Unfortunately for him, revisiting Chicago also sets him on a crash course with the love of his life, Cas, who left him years ago for the promise of an education and a future, and even worse, Cas' dad who is dangling the same for Sammy in front of Dean’s nose. 

The worldbuilding in this fic is immaculate. An abandoned and rotting Chicago is almost it's own character, and there is a quiet desperation in the story of people who have become beholden to corporations to survive. The action sequences are also gorgeous with the pivotal race being so cinematic I felt like I could see every twist and turn. And don't get me started on the gorgeous weaving of canon into the fic. It was so clever. 

But the standout for me is the gentleness in Dean’s characterization. The way he wants so badly to do what's best. The way he longs for Cas. There is just something gorgeous about Racing Stripes Dean that made me want everything good for him.

Listen, I tell you a mystery by bathilda bagshot (wellthengameover) @the-lions-mouth (Teen, 25k)

Thee Dean and Mary parallel dissertation, this character study has everything. Mary trying to conform to cisheteronormative ideals while feeling the pull of hunting and a particular redheaded angel. Teenage and Stanford Era Dean to tear your heart out. Dean and Mary finding something of each other. And a happy ending for Dean and Cas.

It's told in snippets. Vignettes that delve into trauma and hope. They build an absolutely beautiful parallel story, gorgeous for their intersections and the places they diverge.

And there is a gentleness to it all. We see Mary and Dean in various states of distress and desperation. We see the effects of the cupids bow and poverty and loneliness and completely fuckery. But there is never any judgment, just kindness in the way they are written.

This one made me cry real human tears and it's definitely one that will haunt me.

See the full post

435 notes - Posted September 11, 2022

#4

Destiel Fic Recs!

Congratulations or sorry, but here are some more Destiel fic recs to take over your life.

Penny & Pound by thalius @seasontwelvedean (Explicit, 67k WIP)

OK, I know some of you don't read works in progress, but this one is worth breaking that rule for, because it caused me approximately 25 internal breakdowns. Go read it yesterday. 

Dean's in love with Cas. That's a given. And lately he's been thinking about doing something about it. Especially now that Eileen is becoming a fixture in their lives and Dean finds himself more achingly alone with Cas right beside him. All he has to do is work up the nerve to ask his best friend out. What's the worst that could happen? He says no? Leaves and never returns? They start dating and Cas realizes Dean is the worst and they break up and everything is terrible forever? He's fine. This is fine.

This canon/canon adjacent fic is a master class in the disaster4disaater, Dean and Cas are the last to know it's requited dynamic. It's amazing and sweet and I found myself unable to sleep until I read one more chapter. If that's not enough, there's also some incredible stuff about Dean and Mary trying to work on their relationship and Cas trying to figure out where he fits into Claire's life. This fic is everything.

Strandlines by aeli_kindara (Explicit, 40k) @gravelghosts

Speaking of fics that make me feral, Strandlines is one of those stories where you have to stop reading and think "holy shit this is so incredible" and then stare at the wall for a good 10 minutes.

Cas finds himself back in the year 2003 with his memory scrambled. All he knows for certain is that he has one directive: save Dean Winchester. It's Stanford Era Dean with all of his brash, charming bravado and his aching loneliness. And Cas at his BAMF angeliest but free from the interference of Heaven.

The fic will make you ache. It's gorgeous. It absolutely dismantled me. The way Cas sees the man who wants so desperately to know he can be loved. The way Dean wants Cas to stay and how he wants to share everything with him. It's breathtaking.

 Plus there is a healthy dose of Fuck John Winchester as a treat. 

the home we make together by vaudelin (Explicit, 48k) @vaudelin

A post-canon fix-it that is so soft and sweet. After losing Cas, Dean has exhausted almost all his options to try and bring him home. One more shot. And if it doesn't work, he'll have to stop. He needs to focus on Jack, now a toddler. Dean has built a life for them. A good one. But he has to try it one more time.

What follows is a sweet, consensual possession domestic Dad!Dean and Dadstiel fic that will heal your soul. Toddler Jack is adorable and Dean and Cas finally have time without the world ending to try and figure out what they want their life to look like. It's the soft epilogue they deserve.

Falling Inn Love by MalMuses (Explicit, 58k) @malmuses

Sometimes you need some hilarious, tropey rom-com goodness in your life, and this fic goes above and beyond. It had me laughing so hard I had tears rolling down my face as I tried not to wake my family (because I wouldn't put it down and go to bed). It also has a lot of heart. 

Cas' comfortable if unsatisfying life gets turned upside down when he breaks up with his suffocatingly controlling boyfriend and then finds that the company he's devoted years to has gone belly up the next day . 

Single and with no real plan, Cas is wallowing with his bestie (Meg, my beloved) when he gets an unexpected opportunity. His co-worker is willing to sell him a quaint little Inn in Kansas at a bargain price. Cas can finally pursue a dream he's had since college. 

So off Cas goes, sight unseen, to start a new life. But he manages to make a complete fool of himself in front of the town's most eligible bachelor within minutes of arriving and the dream home he purchased turns out to be a bit of a nightmare. Cas may be a bit Inn (sorry, but you know I'm not) over his head.

More below the cut

The Closest Thing We Have To Magic by EllenOfOz and TrenchcoatBaby (Explicit, 221k) @ellen-of-oz

As I have said, I'm very picky about AU fics because I need Dean and Cas to feel like them. This one manages to hit all the Destiel feels for me and it is so so good.

Set in a world where magic exists but is regulated by elite learning institutions, Dean is a graduate student working on his thesis. This is made more difficult when he's assigned Dr. Novak, a drop dead gorgeous new professor as his advisor. An advisor he can’t stop thinking about. 

Dean and Cas are absolutely messy disasters in the best way in this fic. Seriously, they are amazing. I'm a sucker for smart, competent Dean. And Cas is trying so hard to do the right thing. 

But I can't rec this without also mentioning the absolutely stellar world building. The authors have created such great mythology. From the way magic works to the use of the profound bond to the societal inequities created by the regulation of magic. Seriously, you won't want it to end.

See the full post

626 notes - Posted February 10, 2022

#3

I'm gonna say something that is exceptionally hard to share because apparently some people need to hear it. The lgbtqia+ community is there to create a safe place for people who don't fit within cisheteronormative societal expectations, regardless of labels.

There have been a few hot takes about "pantomiming" or "performing" queerness and I want to say this is deeply hurtful to me personally.

I don't know where I fit when it comes to the gender fuckery that lives inside my brain. Straight spaces full of cis women often make me feel uncomfortable. Like I have to pretend I am someone I'm not. But I still (at this time) consider myself a cis woman. I enjoy and I am affirmed by my femme gender expression but hate being forced into feminine things. My brain often feels more like what society feels a guy should be like.

Nothing I have tried on feels quite right. Am I nonbinary? Gender nonconforming? Genderqueer? Mostly I describe myself as "a woman but in a way that makes most people distinctly uncomfortable." That makes me happy. That sentence feels right.

Talking about queerness as if it is one monolithic thing you can perform or pantomime makes me ache. Are my efforts for trans and GNC folks less meaningful if I am or am not part of the community? Can I joke about things being gender?

For me, queerness has always been looking at what society has to offer and saying: nope. I don't fit there. Queer spaces make me feel so much less alone.

And my openly bi status gives me a nice, clean place in those spaces, but it's my gender fuckery that makes me need them more.

The feeling that I could say: I'm not like other girls because I literally feel like I have to pretend around them, can I please come find shelter here? And that I might be told: nope, you are just performing queerness for clout. Or nope, you have to subscribe to certain external expressions to be considered queer. The idea that anyone could "perform" queerness because they acted outside of societal norms and that is somehow a violation? The idea that I might be expected to go from performing cis woman to performing queer woman where if I fail I am somehow not enough? Makes me feel invalid. It is physically affecting me.

So, I don’t know? Maybe think about that?

2,640 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#2

Which character from OFMD are you and who do you stan?

Let me tell you who you kin and who you stan in OFMD (or in SPNblr speak, what x coded, y girl (gn) alignment you have).

4,073 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I'm gonna say it here too. Allow me to be crystal fucking clear.

It is not cowardly to stay in the closet. Full stop. You do not owe anyone any part of yourself you aren't ready to share

If you unable to come out because you fear for your safety or well-being or because you know it will cause you substantial discomfort, that is not a defect in you. It's a failure of the society in which you live and the community surrounding you.

If you just don't want to share that part of yourself, that is valid and I support you

47,179 notes - Posted April 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ohraicodoll]

Figment | Chapter 6

(Gif credit to thisgameisonnintendo) Chapters:  6/7 Fandom:  The Sandman (Comics & TV 2022) Rating:  Mature Relationships:  Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Original Female Character, Dream/Reader Characters:  Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Original Female Character, Matthew the Raven, Lucienne Additional Tags: Mix of TV Dream and Comic Dream, Spice a little later, kinda enemies to lovers, Cause Dream likes when people backtalk to him, lots and lots of tension Summary: She had only been able to enter other’s dreams two years ago, but she knew the rules. Don’t interfere with the dream. Don’t create anything in another’s dream. Don’t destroy anything in another’s dream. But then she stupidly broke one of those rules and the Lord of Dreams does not take kindly to others messing with his domain. Chapter Summary:   Luck, the knife's edge, and the closing of the chase. Chapter Warning: (18+, minors DNI, Contains sexual content) Read Here on AO3 Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 7 (Also reminder that the entire series and sequels are all on AO3 if you prefer there)

CHAPTER 6

Anissa had been right in one fashion. I was going to have all weekend to think about Morpheus. And it was torture. In the waking world, there was little magic and nothing could keep my focus. The amount of cold showers I took was ungodly and I put the blame solely on the Dream King for my hike in water bill. I tried to read but couldn’t stop imagining candle lit ballrooms and his lips on my skin. When I tried to clean and sweep my apartment, the echoes of a waltz were in my steps. If I was jittery before about going to sleep, I was an absolute bundle of nerves now. So I got dressed and went on a walk, figuring it was better than pacing at home. I didn’t know what I was doing, what this game between us meant. And the anxiety I was feeling was so close to early dating jitters that I wanted to smack myself because this was probably nothing, an itch for us both that needed a release. We were two adults that, at least on my side, were very attracted to the other. That’s all. It didn’t have to mean anything. Anissa had said there was nothing wrong with some fun after a breakup and that’s all this was. Fun. A curiosity. Because who wouldn’t want to when an anthropomorphic being seemed to like to flirt with you. Life was already weird once I started dream walking, now it had taken such a deep turn. The wind was cool against my skin, the turning of the seasons coming at last, and I shoved my hands in the pockets of the light jacket I wore. For the first time in a while, I realized any tendrils of emotion about Thomas and the breakup had worn away to only faint wisps. The entire month or so since had been a whirlwind of emotions but not about him, but about Morpheus. I shivered, almost as if I could feel those twin stars on me then. I slowed, brow furrowing, and looked behind me. Nothing. The sun was high with hardly any shadows, nowhere he would be hiding and watching. It was merely an echo. Swallowing, I turned back around, wondering if the chill of the air was going to be enough to cool the heat rising in me. Everything was a confusing mess but I knew one thing. When I went back to the Dreaming, I wasn’t going to wait for Morpheus to come for me. I was going to find him myself or try all night. There was no way we were done and I felt like we had finally hit a turning point from light flirting. We’d gone far past that the night before. There was no hiding mine or his interest. All I could do was wait for now until night fell and I could go back and finish this game. ___________

Apparently, Dream was not going to make this easy and was no doubt aware I was looking for him. He’d thrown down the gauntlet and had decided I needed a challenge. Immediately upon entering the Dreaming, I was in my office at work, the fluorescent lights casting the empty cubicles in bright light. I was still wearing the camisole sleep shirt I had gone to bed in along with the very small shorts. No outfit change this time. I huffed and turned, trying to imagine the library or Lucienne or Morpheus himself, hoping that a door would appear and take me straight to them. I’d never had proper control over the ability, usually going along with wherever they wanted to lead me. With a few people, it had gone to their dreams if I was highly emotional or thinking about them too much. But that was for humans who had their own dreams and I didn’t think that would work for the Lord of Dreams himself. Two doors and two different random dreamers later, I had finally found myself somewhere vaguely recognizable and was annoyed. It was a grove alongside a small pond, fish jumping and flying on tiny little wings and the grass so tall it reached my hip. I skimmed my fingers through it and it coiled into me like an eager pet. On a ladder propped up against a huge tree was a…man, of sorts, with a pumpkin for a head. He wore overalls and chewed on a cigar, large tree clippers in hand as he snipped away some of the lower branches. I think I had met him previously, before Morpheus, before the chaos, but I hadn’t gotten his name. No other person was in sight, which was a good hint that this was in fact the actual heart of the Dreaming and not a personalized dream of someone else. I pursed my lips and walked over, grass almost purring against me as I moved through it. “Excuse me,” I called out, hearing him grumble under his breath. He paused and half turned on the ladder to look down at me. “Yo, it’s you,” he chuckled, “You’re the dream walker kid, right?” I raised a brow and shrugged, “Yeah, I guess.” Taking a few steps down, he braced a thin wooden elbow on the ledge, “I’m Merv, we met kinda. I think ya handed me some tools while I was installing that dumb fountain near Cain and Abel’s place. What’s up?” I smiled, remembering the encounter hazily, and tried not to wonder at the way the carved facial expressions were so emotive on this gruff pumpkin, “Um, I was wondering if you could tell me where Morpheus is?” Merv pondered and scratched his pumpkin chin, the ash from his cigar raining to the ground, “Er’ the boss should be up in the palace or like his throne room. But you’re kinda shit outta luck, you’re on the opposite side of the Dreaming if you’re wanting to walk there.” Of course the first door to this place would be on the opposite side. I let out a frustrated groan and gave Merv a tight smile, “Thanks, I’ll probably just try and test my luck instead.” He shrugged, tree trimmer dangling from his gloved hands, “Sorry, kid. I’d say you could call out for him, but the big boss is in a mood so who knows what he’d do.” Oh I’m sure he was. Nodding, I turned and found a door already waiting for me. Merv mumbled about it being a cool trick, but I only waved goodbye and went through it, deciding I better get to it if I was going to find Dream. I found both a bog and a desert before finally ending up in the library. Fingers trailing along the shelves, I walked around for a while before coming across Lucienne sitting at her desk. A cart was next to her, piled with books along with stacks all around her on the wood top. As I approached, she raised her head, pushing round spectacles up her nose, and smiled kindly, “Oh you’re back.” I smiled and nodded, “Hi, Lucienne, um, I’m looking for Morpheus. Could you perhaps help?”

There was a small wince and she lowered her pen to the desk before clasping her hands before her, “Lord Morpheus is in his throne room, but unfortunately is not taking visitors and asked not to be disturbed. Is there something I can help with in his stead?” That jerk really was making me jump through hoops to chase after him. I suppose when you control the playing field you can do what you like. Grinding my teeth together, I smiled tightly, “No, no, you’re fine. I was needing to speak with him, but I guess I’ll wander around for a bit then and catch him another time.” She nodded, oblivious to the simmering frustration and annoyance at his royal highness that was mounting in me, “Well, if you need anything I would be happy to assist.” I thanked the librarian and slowly walked off, chewing on my lower lip. I was so close, the library being within the palace itself which meant his throne room couldn’t have been far. But this was the Dreaming and nothing was obvious, able to shift and morph at his whim. If there was a clear way to him, he’d have wiped it clean. Finding a small alcove on the lower levels, I leaned against a wall with a stained glass window. My luck wasn’t that high, apparently, and I knew there had to be a trick to this dream walking thing. If my thoughts could bring me to certain people, it had to be able to take me where I wanted. The downside being that I didn’t know what his throne room looked like. Closing my eyes, I rolled my head back until it rested on the window behind me. And I imagined Morpheus, the way his skin glowed in the darkness and shadows hugged his body like he was made of them. The sharp blue of his eyes in the waking world and the endless void of black and stars in the realm of dreams. The velvet soft feeling of his cloak wrapping around me like it was an extension of him. I pictured all of him, remembered the thrill of his fingers gripping my thighs and the hard press of him against my wanting body, the raven locks under my nails. His voice could set me on fire alone, deep and low and intoxicating. He was the very embodiment of dreams, alluring and fearsome. A soft snick sounded close and I opened my eyes. There was a door in front of me, made of stained glass and pointed like a cathedral window. The colors were bright and vibrant, depicting a night sky and green fields, bright red poppies dotting it. The details were gorgeous, intricate, and my heart raised because I knew. This was his door, either conjured by my mind or an invitation. I wasn’t sure which, if he had simply gotten tired of waiting on me or what. But I didn’t care. Pushing off the wall, I walked slowly, the wooden floor creaking against my bare feet. I trailed my finger over the glass image and watched in slight fascination as the scene shifted and moved. The clouds drifted and the stars twinkled, flowers swaying softly in an invisible breeze. I swallowed thickly, trepidation coursing through my veins. If this was the way to him, there wasn’t really any backing down to what it would lead to. Him, the Lord of Dreams, a monarch of this realm. I’d always known what he was but the magnitude of him hadn’t hit me since that night trapped in the nightmare.

That same man that had me chased by a monster had also danced with me at a ball despite proclaiming he didn’t dance. Smiling faintly at that thought, I grasped the small doorknob and pushed the stain glass door open before my confidence could falter. The throne room was before me, stunning in its magnitude. Everything was made from a dark gray marble in what would have been bleak if it weren’t for its surroundings. The universe was its backdrop, stars and auroras swirling in place of a ceiling and high cathedral arches rising to the sky. A series of pillars lined the walls, various statues emerging from them depicting what I could only assume were various gods. Three gorgeous stained glass murals colored the room in a kaleidoscope of colors, fighting against the harshness of the gray stone. And in the far back stood a staircase that almost looked like it was floating, no railings to hold onto, curving towards a dais that held a throne. But even in all that magnificence, my eyes instantly found Dream, a ripple of black at the bottom of that staircase, and my heart jumped into my throat.

It was possibly the most relaxed I’d ever seen him, sitting on the lower section of the steps, cloak draped behind him like a spilled pool of ink. His legs were slightly stretched out before him and he was leaning back on one elbow, an open red hardbound book in his hands. His head was still lowered, reading whatever was before him, but I knew better now. Lord Morpheus knew I was there, had known I was looking for him, and had deigned to wait. The door snicked shut behind me and dissolved as I started crossing the large throne room, bare feet padding softly against the floor. I expected the room to feel cold with all its stone and only the lights of the stars and stained glass illuminating it. But instead it was pleasantly warm and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was his doing. The walk was ungodly long to reach him, most likely on purpose, and the dreamlord still didn’t seem fit to lift his head from his book until I stood at the base of those steps a couple feet again from him. I stared at him, the sharp angle of his nose and jaw and the way his messy black hair wisped around him. The edges of his cloak were less defined, more a blanket of shadows, and the flames subdued. Finally, he dragged his eyes away from his book and looked up from beneath his brow, those pinpoints of light latching onto me and a barely contained amused smirk on his lips. He was enjoying this, enjoyed having the upper hand and making me come chase him down. “Apologies, your highness, if I’m interrupting your important book reading,” I bit out, lifting my chin, “Lucienne said you weren’t taking visitors but I figured you’d make an exception for a formal complaint.” Morpheus’ brows raised at that, something close to surprise lighting those black eyes, “A formal complaint? Of course, that is a rather serious matter.” He closed the book with a snap, eyes roaming over my form and taking in the thin top and small sleeping shorts and bare feet. I must have stood out against the grandeur of the room but I didn’t care. I was jumping off a cliff already so nothing mattered. A playful smirk tilted the corner of his lips in amusement, voice low and melodious, “And who is your complaint against? We shall get this matter settled at once.” My skin flushed under his gaze and I took my first step onto the staircase, the act intimidating in itself, before I could talk myself out of it, “My complaint is against the King of Dreams, Lord of the Dreaming and the Nightmare realms.” Dream slowly set the book down on the steps beside him, drawing himself to sit up with an elbow braced on his raised knee. Still the picture of nonchalance but I definitely had his full attention now. “Are you positive?” he asked, slowly, drawing the words out as staring down from his seat above me, “An accusation of that nature would demand my full attention.” My body trembled at his words and the way his gaze burned into me. There was a double meaning there. We both knew where this game we were playing was leading us, knew the edge we were teetering on, and he wanted to know if I was sure this was the path I wanted to go down. But I was sure, was eager , and had resigned myself to not backing down the moment I decided to chase through the doors to him. I took another step and another, body humming with nerves, “I’m positive.” His eyes darkened and he tilted his head, “Then what is your grievance against the accused?” Oh I could give him a list of grievances at this point, but I swallowed them, going up two more steps, “Well, there’s a few but first off he’s an ass.” Morpheus paused, brow furrowing as I’m sure that wasn’t what he was expecting me to say because who in their right mind would insult the King of Dreams to his face, “Is this how you attempt to win people over?” I climbed another step and put my hands on my hips, “Secondly, he likes to interrupt me.” If he was one to roll his eyes, he most likely would have. Dream instead narrowed them at me, amused and incredulous at the same time, but thankfully not furious, “Apologies, little dreamer, would you care to elaborate on your first charge?” Smirking, I waved behind me, “Do you know how it took me to not only find this place but then cross your ridiculously large throne room? It is unnecessarily large.” He raised a brow, “I shall take that into consideration next time I rebuild this room or when I wish to be barged in on.” “You should,” I agreed and struggled to keep a grin off my face as I climbed higher on the staircase and worked to cut the distance from between us, “Honestly, I only have eight hours max in the Dreaming and a whole hour is going to go towards crossing this room.” Dream sighed, “Your other complaint or should I attend to more pressing matters?” I was only a few steps away from him now, eyes level as he remained lounging before me, the picture of utter casualness. It was startling to me that it was getting easier to read the small hints of emotion playing on that usually stoic face. His lips were pursed in a smirk, curious at where this game was going and my brashness. The twin stars in the dark blanket of his eyes twinkled and roamed over me. I had been terrified of this man once, this being. Now I smiled, chin raised, “My other complaint is that he’s rude.” “Little dreamer,” the King of Dreams started, that smirk growing into an amused smile, “I believe this is less a complaint and more an attack on my character.” But I shook my head,  “You see, it’s incredibly rude to up and leave abruptly in the middle of things.” And with one final step, I was standing higher than him, forcing Morpheus to look up at me, “I didn’t know the Lord of Dreams was in the business of leaving things unsatisfied.” The word was thrown between us, a challenge if nothing else. Because though he was a king and immortal, he was still a man for the most part. Stubborn, egotistical at times, and prideful. And with mauve stars in his hooded eyes, Dream of the Endless looked up at me and smiled beguilingly. “Now that is a most grievous error.” I swallowed, shivering at the heat in those words and the way his stare completely seemed to strip me down to my base essence. But I’d come here with a purpose, brazen abandon leading me here to these steps, leading me to stand before him. It was time for me to jump off the knife’s edge. So I scrounged up the last of the bravery I had and let it carry me down river. Slowly, I lowered myself and straddled him, closing the distance between us completely and putting a knee on either side of him on the hard stairs. Dream’s hands instinctively grabbed my waist and slid up, receiving me, bracing my body and bunching up the fabric of my nightshirt as I seated myself on him with my own arms resting on his shoulders. My heart was pounding and I was on fire already, his hands burning through the thin fabric and grazing the skin underneath. My whole being throbbed, a sharp heat shooting down to my core, so sensitive already at being pressed against the rigid length of him. His face was close, tilted and staring up into mine with hunger and pleasant surprise at the boldness of my action. I felt out of body, heart in my throat and hammering through me. But Dream sat up fully, wrapping an arm fully around my waist to support me and the other going to caress my cheek. The power in that gaze, like I was a goddess to be worshiped and revered, was breathtaking. “So what now, Lord Morpheus?” I whispered huskily, “How will you address my complaint? Will you finish what you started?” A low, dark laugh left his lips and his hand slipped down to grip the back of my neck, his nose teasing along my jaw and up, a trail of fire in its wake. He pulled my head down so his forehead could meet mine, grip possessive but still gentle. Our gazes held each other, my breath shuddering against his skin and the way his scent completely engulfed me. He smelled of dewy morning and campfire smoke and the fresh night air after you’ve left the bar. I could drown in the dark abyss of him, in that gaze, burn under the heat of the stars in his eyes. I’d let him devour me whole and thank him for it. Lips grazed mine in the barest hint of a touch and I whimpered, a low keening noise that slipped out despite my bravado.

There was only a blink of a second before he pulled me roughly forward, sealing his mouth hungrily against mine. I moaned deeply, feeling myself come apart in that very instant. Gripping him tightly, chest pressed fully against his, I ground down into him while one hand dove into that ink black hair. All that tension, that delicious string that had been pulled and pulled and teased between us snapped and I was carried away in the flood that it was holding back. His tongue teases at the seam of my mouth and I opened for him, the hand at the back of my neck pulling me deeper into the kiss. Everything about this was brutal, teeth clashing and mouth bruising, his fingers digging into my skin and nails scraping his scalp. That wonderful, deliciously deep moan left him and echoed into my mouth and I grinned in triumphant against him. Wrapping fingers in my own hair, he tugged my head back and ripped his lips from mine to move to my neck. I was panting as he licked and sucked at the skin there, making his way down. His teeth clamped onto the hard pulse of my heart and I gasped, sudden and sharp, at the pain and absolute pleasure that rocked through me. I arch against him, drowning in the delightful heat of him underneath me and gripping the sharp angle of his shoulder under his cloak. His tongue lapped at the tender flesh, soothing it, “Is this what you wished for, little dreamer?” “God yes,” I breathed out in desperation. Lowering my head to look at him under my lashes, I growled, “And I swear I will tear this room apart with my bare hands if you try and wake me up again.” I kissed him, swallowing his chuckle and smiling against his lips as it turned into a moan as I rocked against him. He was hard, the length of him pressing against me through our clothes, the apex of my thighs perfectly aligned to rub against him.

“Wicked creature,” he growled and control of the kiss shifted, him doing what I wanted and devouring my mouth, tongue exploring every hidden part of me. None of it was enough. I wanted to feel him, touch him, feel the press of skin against skin. He’d tortured me long enough, drawing me tight like a bow until there was no room for gentleness or patience or tenderness. My hands were clawing in the night rich fabric of his robe, pulling it from his shoulders as his hands slipped under my shirt and found the naked skin of my waist, relishing in the soft flesh there. His arms were lean and pale, all angles, and there was something fascinating that under the ethereal cloak and power, he wore just a simple dark gray shirt underneath. I almost laughed at how he looked so human without the cloak but he was there, sucking my lower lip into his mouth and clamping down gently with his teeth. His hands slipped lower, kneading the skin of my bare thighs and gripping them tightly against him. The thumbs of his hands traced slow, languishing circles on the skin of my inner thigh and I could have cried at how close he was to where I wanted him. My inhibitions were out the window, completely taken over by the fact that I was wrapped up in this godlike figure. I kissed him deeper, heady and breathless, tongues exploring. Pulling back just a little to meet his gaze, I nearly came apart completely at the sight of his pink swollen lips and blazing eyes. The longing dragged a deep growl from my mouth, “Dreamlord, I’m going to need you to get on with it and fuck me already before I lose my goddamn mind.” And Morpheus grinned and it was a thing of wonder and terror, dark and predatorial, star points in his eyes red novas, “As my lady commands.” Then his mouth was crashing into mine and we were falling backwards. A flare of panic briefly shot through me, remembering those dreams of falling and jolting awake right before you hit the ground, but in the next second my back met cool sheets and Dream was above me. We were being swallowed by a luxurious black cloud of silken sheet. His weight on top of me, the full length of his slender, hard body against mine and resting between my thighs. Power hummed along every inch of my skin and I closed my eyes, relishing all the sensations as he laid kiss after kiss along my neck, licking and tasting. Hooking a finger under my shirt strap, he slid my top down by the strings until my breasts were exposed. And those eyes flickered up to mine right as he pulled a hard nipple into his mouth. I cried out, loudly, hand diving into his raven black hair and dying as he sucked and nipped, the long fingers of his other hand gripping my thigh and hoisting my leg around his waist. He was straining against the fabric of his pants, the rough feeling of them against me startling another moan. I was so sensitive. I was burning, completely boneless and pliant in his hands, eager for him to do anything and everything to me. He let go of the tender bud of my nipple with a wet pop and kissed a line down to the space between my breasts, tongue licking the spot. My eyes opened and suddenly, our clothes were gone and my mouth went dry at the sight of him, sinewy muscle lining a slender body, pale ethereal skin glowing in the blackness of the void we were in. He lay between my thighs, over my own naked body and I knew this could only be a dream, because no creature as beautiful and dangerous as him could ever be human and exist in the waking world. I reached for him, pulling him to me, and moaning as he slid that hard, silk-like body along mine to kiss my lips with equal hunger. My hands couldn’t stay still and I touched every part of him, tracing the carved lines of his ribs and the ripples in his back and watching him twitch as I drew swirl after swirl into the sharp hollow of hip bones. He was so hard, teasingly grazing at my wet entrance and I tried desperately to lift my hips and get him exactly where I wanted, to sate that inferno that was swallowing me whole. But his hand dug into hips, fingers bruising and able to keep me still with one hand alone. “Do we need a lesson in patience, little dreamer?” he hissed into my mouth. As if we were still playing the game, chasing, clashing, trying to get the upper hand. I bared my teeth, growling a warning viciously like a trapped animal, “Morpheus.” And then he was pushing into me and I shattered completely. He was large and filled me up to the brink, sending me tumbling with a cry. Dear god, he was perfect. He was everything. My head fell back as he pushed in, inch by inch until he was fully seated inside me. I was so wet and aching for him that there was nothing but glorious friction as he moved. He kissed me deeply as he began moving, pushing and pulling in smooth, slow motions, almost fully drawing himself out before sinking deep back into me. I was suffering, dying, wanting him to slam into me over and over again, sink his teeth and leave marks all over my skin, completely lose himself in me. My legs wrapped around his waist and tightened, pushing him deeper and he moaned, the dark head of hair falling to my chest as his breath hitched. He felt so impossibly good and I wanted more and more. His face was half hidden in shadows but I could feel his eyes on me, dark and aroused. Before I could catch the movement, his hand rose and roughly grabbed both my wrists, bracing them above my head in the soft blanket there. My upper body was spread for him and completely bared, restrained and at his command. And his pace sped up then, a shift as if he knew what I craved, going harder and faster. His groans filled my ears and I moaned in unison, wave building and building. Each motion was primal and deep, a welcome abandon after all the delicious tension between us. My body coiled around him, skin hot and sensitive and vibrating in complete pleasure. I could feel us pushing close to the edge and didn’t want it to stop, wanted to cling to him, stay in the crashing waves of arousal. Dream shifted and I cried out as he angled perfectly to hit that deep, sensitive spot inside me. We were sweat coated, grabbing and tasting each other. My hands clasped in his, we crashed and crashed into the rhythm of our bodies. He was buried so deep in me and both of us moaning between frantic breaths, lips bruising in their haste. And then I was falling, moaning his name loudly as my release crashed into me with a fury, ecstasy coursing through my nerves, my blood, every inch of my being. I was being ripped apart and put back together over and over again. I clenched with my orgasm around him and he followed the drop, nails digging into my thigh as he ground hard into me at last, moaning into the skin of my neck as his own release came. I was floating, body lost in the black silk of the sheets and his hot, sweat slicked skin. I could feel my breath coming out in fast ragged pants, chest rising and falling under the surprisingly comforting weight of him. His hand released my wrists, gently massaging the tender skin and I wrapped them around his back. I was a boneless mess, fingers reflexively running through his pitch black hair and face tucked into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, leaving soft languid kisses against his skin. He groaned, both of us utterly spent, and raised himself up to look me in the eye. For the first time since that café, Morpheus looked relaxed, color in his skin and tension gone from his face. I smiled at that, slightly proud that it had been me, a nobody human, that had done that to him before stretching up to kiss him. It was soft and tender, the blazing reckless heat from earlier satiated and gone. But his lips tasted like the night sky and rain and I would never get enough. Dream pulled away and laid a kiss on my bare shoulder, “Are there any other formal complaints you would like addressed?” The man had jokes and I decided I liked playful, relaxed Morpheus. I grinned, tongue between my teeth, keeping in a moan as he shifted inside of me, “I believe they’ve all been taken care of. Thank you, your highness. Your customer service is excellent.” He smirked at that, shaking his head, and nipped the skin under my ear, an involuntary giggle leaving my lips. We laid there together, limbs tangled, pressing languid kisses against each other’s cooling skin. He told me stories of the Dreaming, of the world before me, and about the denizens of his realm. I took in every second of it, enjoying his skin under my hands, the hypnotic deep hum of his voice, and the way he skimmed his nose along the sensitive points of my body.

Because my life had been a blank book to him before he was freed, I told him of my childhood and family and wanting to be a writer. He never trivialized my experiences or feelings despite being as old as the stars. He held me and listened, soaking in my humanity and short life. Hours later, I could feel my body grow heavy, a feeling almost like a tug at the base of my stomach. And I knew time was up. I clung to him, kissing him hard and rough, desperate to stay. But the King of Dreams sorrowfully laid a final kiss on my forehead and everything melted away. I woke up in my bed, an ache between my thighs and body thrumming with longing. I was alone.

[wiypt-writes]

Murder, He Wrote

Epilogue

Summary: You and Ransom attend the launch of his book and the cover closes on your story.

Warnings: Bad language, Mature (NSFW, 18+) NON-CON situations, kidnap, violence. Blood. DO NOT READ IF ANY OF THOSE TRIGGER…READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED…YOU HAVE BEENWARNED.

Pairing: DARK! Ransom Drysdale x Reader

A/N: The end! I can’t believe all this span from @jtargaryen18​’s Halloween Challenge last year. I hope you have enjoyed his as much as I have.

Word Count: 3.6k

READ THE WARNINGS!!!! This is a DARK series so don’t @me if you can’t follow simple instructions and end up with butt-hurt. And if you’re under 18 get off my blog!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and by writing it does NOT mean I agree with or condone the acts contained within. This fiction is classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar reader and any other OCs that may or may not be mentioned. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Murder, He Wrote Masterlist // Main Masterlist.

Part 7

 The town car and it's driver took you to whatever swanky hotel Ransom and his publishers had decided upon, you not caring the slightest inwardly, outwardly only half paying attention. You glanced out the window watching the lights of downtown pass by as your husband of merely three weeks held your hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. 

It was a warm July evening, the two of you dressed to the nines in formal attire. Ransom had insisted the launch be an invite only, formal event. Therefore, he was dressed in a two-piece suit, black of course, with a crisp white button down, silken black tie, and you, you looked like an ice queen's slutty sister. The powder blue silk dress you wore tied together with thin straps on each shoulder, your feet already hurting in your nude six inch sandals. Your free hand tapped a neatly manicured finger over your clutch that matched your shoes. A delicate white gold and diamond tennis bracelet adorned your wrist whilst the necklace you'd been gifted at Christmas hung around your neck. You wore your hair the way he said he loved it, in a ponytail full of waves and wisps framing your face.

After the incident on Valentine’s Day, you’d spent another two weeks in the confines of the basement. All luxuries removed and you were used and abused in exactly the way you had been when Ransom had first taken you, until he’d once more sucked the fight out of you. Only this time you didn’t have the strength to find it again. 

You played the part you’d been cast in his sick little fantasy and became totally passive to his whims. You let him fuck you which, in all honesty, wasn’t an entirely unpleasant situation as he knew his way around your body and it felt good. You had given up denying it, and for the moments he was teasing those carnal reactions out of you, you escaped, let yourself imagine you were with someone who you wanted. And by keeping him sweet, you fooled him into thinking you were content. And things settled down, you had that halfway to normal life that you’d achieved before you discovered his manuscript.

But it was bullshit. A means to an end. And you deserved a fucking Oscar.

He’d had the audacity to propose to you, too. In a restaurant. Surrounded by people. He asked you the question, like you had a fucking choice.

Angry, desperate tears had filled your eyes as you’d simply gaped at him, tears the deluded cunt took for you being overwhelmed with happiness. With a smile he slipped the gaudily large diamond on your finger, sealing your fate.

It weighed as heavy on your hand as the grief for your lost life, and the despair at your situation did in your heart.

You’d had a small wedding. Attended simply by your parents and sister. He sent an invite to his mother and father but they didn’t show up. Your dad walked you down the aisle and as you walked towards the man you hated with every breath in your body, your father kissed your cheek and asked you if you were sure you wanted to do this. And no, of course you didn’t, but what could you do?

There was no way out. 

“You look as gorgeous tonight as you did on our wedding day.” Ransom’s voice slightly startled you and you turned to face him. 

You smiled at him, the smile you knew he wanted to see, as he placed a soft kiss to your cheek before doing the same to your hand, his lips ghosted over the top of the obscene rock and matching band on your finger which caught the lights of the city, sparkling with all the ferocity of a supernova.

Before you needed to reply with some half assed compliment back, the town car stopped as the driver got out and opened Ransom's door.

"Wait here," he instructed and walked around with the driver on the other side, escorting you out the minute your own door opened.

Flashbulbs fired off in your eyes, no doubt the press there for some absolutely ridiculous notion that this book was anything but its true nature of terror and disgust.

Ransom’s hand pressed into the base of your back as he guided you along in front of him, various members of the press calling his name, and you heard the excited shouts from some as they spotted the bands on both yours and Ransom’s hands, positively shrieking as they asked when you’d gotten married. 

The headlines flashed in your mind now, 'Grandson of the Great Harlan Thrombey Releases First Suspense Novel'. 'One of Boston's Most Notorious and Eligible Bachelors is Strictly Off The Market' . 'Trust Fund Playboy Sinks His Bunny'. 

It made you want to puke. 

In fact, as the press line faded and you stepped foot into the lobby, you swallowed back the bile forcing its way up. A tray with champagne flutes passed you by and you immediately snagged one.

When Ransom had been distracted for a brief moment, you quickly glanced around and swallowed back the entire flute of the bubbly drink. Delightfully enjoying the brief taste and quick head rush it gave you.

The further you walked into the event, his hand still against your bare back, the louder it grew and the more trays of champagne and appetizers were floating by.

As typical, the two of you were fashionably late so, you had little chance to take part in any nibble or further, a drink, because the supposed "man of the hour", more like terror of life, was due to give a speech.

His agent pulled the two of you aside and made mention that it was time for Ransom to greet his guests. He pressed a sickening sweet kiss to your lips and confidently took to the small podium atop a small stage nearby.

“First and foremost, thank you to everyone who came out tonight. But more importantly, thank you to my beautiful wife, without you Sweetheart, this wouldn't be possible.”

The smile he flashed you was loaded with meaning as the pair of you looked at one another, his eyes shining with the depraved private understanding you shared. 

And you hated him then just about as much as you ever had.

Excited muttering spread around the room as he had knowingly referred to you as his wife. It was the first time he’d announced your marriage to the world but, as he smiled and held his hands up, nodding smugly and confirming whatever people were asking him, you felt nothing but an overwhelming sense of nausea. To everyone else it was a sweet dedication, to you it was a sickening truth. This book was based on what he’d done to you. What he was saying was literal truth. 

And the fact that the people currently applauding whatever he had said would never realise the true nature of those words on the pages of his book made you want to vomit in your handbag.

Applause rang around the room and you realised everyone was turned in your direction. Drawing your shoulders back you stood tall and once more fixed that fake smile on your face before Ransom cleared his throat and began to speak again.

But you didn't listen, you drowned him out, the sound of his voice distant and murky like Charlie Brown's teacher. You allowed you mind to think of anything but the present, other than the fact that these people were in unknowing full support of the hell you'd been through the last nine months.

Eventually a loud, rapturous applause signalled the end of his speech and he stepped back, smiling and then turned to the man from his publishers who shook his hand furiously, before the pair of them posed for photos.

That was when he beckoned you to him, looking at you in such a way that made your skin crawl and your teeth seethe with each breath. This bastard expected a photo op from you above all this, commemorating this disaster.

On autopilot you headed towards him, indifference obedience now your specialty and his arm curled possessively round your waist, fingers splaying on your hip. You posed and smiled as the flashes went off, but as you stole a glance at the large, ornate clock on the wall, you suddenly felt your head beginning to swim.

Seeing a convenient way out of this bullshit, you made sure to falter just a little, placing your hand to your chest. It caused Ransom's attention to turn to you.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?"

“I’m feeling a little light headed and warm.” You looked up at him. “Could we maybe get some air?”

"Sure, yeah," he looked to his agent and they nodded towards a side door in the room.

His arm still round you, playing the doting husband, he led you towards it and opened it with a flourish, allowing you to step out in front of him. 

You emerged into the alley at the side of the building and took a huge gulp of air, steadying yourself.

"Y/N, what's wrong?"

You were warm, flushed, your skin tingling as the now cooling air hit your slightly damp skin, your nipples perking at the temperature change were visible through the silk dress, and you didn’t miss the heated glance he gave them as you spoke. "I, I don't know. I think it's all the commotion."

“You do look a little flushed.” His eyes moved back to yours and he studied you for a moment, his large hands gently cupping your face as he kissed your forehead before his lips pressed to yours. “Wanna take a walk?”

Despite the fact you really couldn’t walk far in the ridiculous shoes you were in, you nodded. Anything to avoid going back in there and listening to all those sycophants kissing his ass.

He took your hand and started walking slowly down the alley. You were mid-way down when a man jumped out from behind the dumpster. You screamed and instinctively Ransom jumped to the side, pulling you slightly behind him.

“Give me the money and the jewellery, no one gets hurt.” The man spoke gruffly and you felt Ransom draw himself up to his full height as he glared at the dirty, dishevelled man, disdain on his face.

“Eat shit.”

“Ransom, just... please give him what he wants.” Your voice trembled as your body shook, your right hand already removing the rings on your left.

“I’d listen to your pretty wife, if I were you.” The man spoke as he reached into his pocket and when he withdrew his hand you swallowed at the unmistakable flash of metal.

“Fuck, Ransom, he’s got a knife!” You clutched his arm. “Please just give it to him!”

"Fuck, no," he started reaching for his phone but the man lunged toward him.

In the melee that followed, you were thrown to the side, your rings clanging to the floor somewhere along with your clutch, your palms and knees scraping painfully on the floor. By the time you’d pushed yourself up, you saw the man scrambling to his feet, Ransom’s watch and wallet in his hand. He turned to look at you and you backed away, stumbling once more to the ground letting out a blood curdling scream as he advanced. He stopped, picked up your rings and your bag, before he turned, bolting up the alley and rounding the corner, disappearing from sight.

"Y/N," the croaking voice came from your husband as he staggered towards you, a deep red seeping through his white dress shirt, his one hand attempting to stave off the bleeding. The other, cradling his phone. But he didn't get more than a few steps as he collapsed nearby. 

"Ransom!" You shrieked and heels be damned, you ran to him, looking around, "help!" 

"Call 9-1-1, Baby," he begged, trying to thrust the phone into your hand and you leaned over him. 

With a jittery hand you swiped over to the emergency call option and hit the first two digits before you glanced around again and hesitated, rising slowly to your feet.

“What...” Ransom’s chest heaved as he looked up at you, his face white with shock as you turned the phone in your hand and shrugged.

“Yeah, you see, I could call for help but...” with that you tossed his phone to the hard ground and crunched it with your stupidly high heel, rotating your foot to make double sure, the glass and metal grinding between the stiletto and the tarmac. “Whoops, looks like it got smashed in the fight.” You gave a little chuckle. “And of course, mine was in my bag which he took. Isn’t that ironic? I mean the first time you permit me to use it for something other than to contact you or my mom, I can’t.” You made a little tutting noise. “Guess I’ll just have to keep yelling and hope someone hears.”

With that you turned and screamed, a frantic yell. “Please, someone help us! Please, he’s been stabbed, call 9-1-1.” You slowly dropped back to a kneel, ignoring the sting of your grazed knees and smirked. “Dammed, I really am good at this acting shit, don’t you think, handsome?”

Ransom coughed a harsh and wet cough. His chest heaving raggedly as he struggled between catching a breath and bleeding out. 

“Y/N...” he spluttered, “you...please...”

"So many criminal junkies in Boston, Sweetheart. Plenty who will take the fall for a little hit,” you emphasised the 't' of the last word as you spoke the very same line that he had delivered to you months ago, the threat he had held over you and used to keep you in check whenever you stepped over that line. 

His eyes widened further as the realisation set in, you could see his brain working and it gave you a buzz, a sense of satisfaction to know that he understood this was your doing.

You wanted the last thing this bastard thought about to be how you were responsible for his death. But more so, his narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies be damned, you wanted him to completely understand exactly how it was his fault. 

And given the way he was bleeding and struggling for breath, you didn’t have long.

Another scream for help flew from your mouth as you pressed one hand on top of his which were now both clutched to the wound in his stomach, the other brushing his hair back slightly as you smiled down at him. 

“I told you when you threw me back in the basement that the way you treat people would come back to haunt you.” You gave a little shrug. “And, when you told the homeless guy looking in the bins on collection day a few months back to eat shit and get a job, well, he took it kinda personally. He didn’t even blink when I asked how much it would take to knock you off.”

"You..." choking on blood, "vicious..." choke,

At that you gave another loud hysteric yell for help before you turned your head back to look at him.

“See, once upon a time I thought you’d changed. But here’s the thing, a person like you doesn’t change, Hugh. You’re incapable of love. You take what you want when you want for no reason other than it pleases you.”

Another scream for help, and this time you could hear someone answering and a lot of yells as people started running towards you.

“Well, now I’ve taken your life like you took mine.” You bent down, your forehead pressing to his as you smirked. His arm reached up to grab you, his blood soaked hand curling over your cheek and side of your neck. "And you know what? It feels good."

His palm was warm and slick against your skin and his eyes blazed with anger as his fingers squeezed. You knew he was desperately trying to hurt you but you felt nothing. You smiled, as you placed a soft kiss to his lips, your words whispered as you pulled back ever so slightly. “Karma’s a bitch, and so am I. See you in hell.”

As the fake tears started to pool in your eyes once more, you allowed your lip to tremble for distraught emphasis. Blood was now trickling out of Ransom's mouth, along down his ear and to the tarmac. You pulled back just a little so as to see his eyes. You wanted to watch him choke on his own blood as he took that final breath. You started sputtering words incoherently as you amped up the hysteria, hearing the footfalls now just behind you. 

He didn’t even make it to the hospital. 

Hugh Ransom Drysdale was pronounced dead at 21:05 hours on Friday 17th July where he lay in a pool of his own blood, in that dark alleyway down the side of the hotel.

Leaving you a widow.

And free. 

***10 months later***

It was as simple as it sounded, closing your eyes and pointing to a spot on a map. Your finger ended up on Boulder. 

Colorado was far enough from the last year or so of your life that you could feel comfortable. You'd researched it, finding it to be something worth interest. Affordable. Breath-taking scenery. Incredible life altering activities and quaint little towns. The summers were supposedly warm but rarely did the temperature rise above ninety-five, the winters were supposedly very cold, dry and windy; rarely dropping below six degrees with partly cloudy skies year round.

The months following Ransom’s death had been as draining as humanly possible. The investigation had involved countless interviews before the police and authorities settled for it being a mugging gone wrong. But then there had been the months of wrangling and private law cases his parents had attempted to bring against you to prevent you getting his money, despite the probate law being fairly simple. You were married. He left no will. It was yours by default. 

Eventually, when the Drysdales had exhausted every last option, they were forced to concede and that was when you made the decision to leave, a decision of which your parents were highly encouraging. They practically talked you into this whole thing to begin with. Helping you leave your nightmares behind. Despite them not suspecting anything at first, you weren't blind to the fact that things still had not sat right with them. You knew they had suspected a level coercion, that maybe you'd had a manic episode of mental illness, but you never had divulged the full details and by the time he was gone, they hadn't cared. Your relationship with them had strengthened and healed and that was what you cared about.

Now, you were newly nestled in Boulder with a great condo downtown, a stone’s throw from the historic district that was filled with cliché shops and bars.  Whilst you didn’t need the money, you’d taken a job working in the media department of a private law firm. It was a far cry from your journalist days, but it suited you just fine.

The more distance you put between who you were now and who you had been, the better. 

You were at peace.

The May evening air was temperate as you crossed the street and opened the door to the designated bar in which you were meeting your new group of friends, mostly gathered from work, for a girl's night out. You’d been held up a little in the office so they were already waiting at a table. You waved and gestured to the bar, indicating you were going to get a drink. 

As you sidled up to the wooden counter, you were jolted a little into a man to your right. You turned to apologise and gave a little double take. You recognised him instantly. But you didn’t want to make that obvious and cause him to feel uncomfortable. You knew how it felt, to have everyone looking at you, hushed whispered comments as you went about your business, people trying to figure out if you were who they thought you were.

That was part of the reason you had moved, and you sure as hell weren’t about to subject the man next to you to the same, uncomfortable experiences. 

Recovering quickly, you hastily apologised and he smiled.

“Don’t worry about it.” His Boston accent was evident and you smiled.

“I miss that accent.” 

The man chuckled, his warm blue eyes creasing slightly as he looked at you. “You from Boston, too?”

“Concord.”

“Newton.” He replied, “well, I lived there anyway, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

You wrinkled your nose. “Should I? Know that, I mean?”

He studied you for a moment, and you kept your face as passive as possible. You could tell he knew that you knew, but you gave a shrug none-the-less and he smiled, a gorgeous smile that lit up his entire face, perfect white teeth flashing from beneath an immaculately groomed beard, as he extended his arm towards you.

“Andy Barber.” His fingers gently brushed the back of your knuckles, as you shook his hand, his grip warm and gentle.

“Oh, of course.” You smiled back. “One of our attorneys.”

“Our?”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m Y/N. I work in the media department. I mean I only started a few weeks ago but...”

“Well, in that case, I’m pleased to meet you, Y/N, and welcome aboard.” His smile didn’t falter as he let go of your hand and gestured to the bar. “Can I get you a drink?”

You paused for a moment before you took a deep breath.

And nodded.

“Sure, that’d be great.”

******

Sequel: Follow Andy and reader’s story in Consciousness Of Guilt. 

[i-make-fun-of-spn-characters]

I feel like you've given most spn related things some lil spice but I always love the spice on this : hot spicy take on the "Dean is the most horrible character and ruins everyone's life and Sam and Cas are poor little meow meows who only do bad things sometimes because tyran Dean farted in their direction" takes that are not really only said by anti-Dean peeps ? Obsessed with that incredible thesis and would love the added spice ❤

SPICY HOT HOT GHOST PEPPERS CAROLINA REAPERS HELP I'M BURNING

I really try to respect other people’s opinions, and I believe there are a wealth of ways to interpret a story, and I think that’s a deeply beautiful thing. This applies to interpretations I don't agree with and outright dislike as well. That said, some opinions are simply and objectively bad, dishonest, and/or demonstrably false, and I truly do not believe you can sit down and honestly watch through the show with an open mind about all the characters, truly pay attention to what they do, say, and believe, and come to the conclusion that this show is about an evil manipulative abusive man terrorizing his pure and sinless brother and friend. It is an interpretation built from cherry picking facts to suit an ugly, miserable theory, making Mount Everest out of a bunch of the tiny mole hills, making the worst possible presumptions of feelings and intentions, and holding characters to completely different standards in order to neatly divide them into "abused" and "abuser" in a way that, frankly, fetishizes the abused person. I despise this interpretation of the story with every fiber of my being, and I have absolutely no respect for the opinion of anyone who peddles it, regardless of who they cast as villain/victim (because people have also done this with the others—it’s just more “popular” to do it with Dean... I mean... does anyone else remember how people were shitting on Sam after his emotional reaction in 14.12? Calling him an evil abuser? Because I do).

The thing that always gets me about this take isn't just how dishonest, unfair, mean-spirited, and compassionless it is in its treatment of Dean’s feelings, circumstances, and intentions... but how deeply reductive and offensive it is toward Sam and Castiel, sucking away their identities to turn them into effigies to mourn for their sad, Stockholm syndrome-esque attachment to their "abuser". Further, it grips the heart of the show—the relationship between Sam and Dean, and then the relationship among TFW as a whole—in a tight, uncompromising fist and pulverizes it. It literally rips out the heart of the show (the RELATIONSHIPS) and replaces it with something unprepossessing of any merit: A miserable, 15 years long story about a malicious abuser getting away with terrorizing those closest to him for his entire life, while his poor abuse victims suffer through until they die for him/happy to be reunited with him because they “don’t know any better” and never ever learned better, I guess. What a stupid, sad sack of a story.

Castiel is a thousands of years old celestial being who has literally beaten Dean into the pavement under no form of mind control, and has shown over and over again that he will do whatever the hell he wants, regardless of whatever Dean thinks about being sidelined. If he thinks whatever he is doing is in Dean's best interest, he literally does not care how Dean feels about it. He will nod and smile and then fly off and swallow thousands of souls with Dean begging him not to, shove Dean out of the way to attack the big bad, leave Dean alone in Purgatory, refuse to come out of Purgatory so he can self-flagellate, fly off with the angel tablet, help Sam with the Book of the Damned, let Lucifer possess him without anyone's knowledge or agreement, come into Dean's room under the guise of apologizing for ghosting him so that he can steal The Colt out from under his pillow and murder someone, decide not to murder that person and still prevent Sam and Dean from helping by knocking them both unconscious, get himself killed, make a deal to trade his life for Jack's and never tell anyone, hide information and worries and ignore phone calls, ghost Sam and Dean, and bicker and fight with Dean as if they are a married couple. Love sickness and feelings of worthlessness (which Cas has a wealth of reasons to feel—many of which aren’t even related to Dean but to his heavenly family) are reinterpreted as the result of some sort of constant, terrorizing emotional abuse. Power and authority that Dean does not actually have is forced into his hands by these fans. Maybe listen when Cas says, “Hey—not everything is your fault.” Maybe listen when he says “I loved the whole world because of you”, calls Dean a role model, says he enjoys their conversations, offers to die with him and dies for him multiple times. Maybe treat these feelings as genuine and valid and HIS and not as the delusions of some poor manipulated baby. 

Sam is framed this way even more often than Cas, and it's a damn shame, because what I typically see is this: Sam’s development into a mediator and peacemaker is twisted and reinterpreted as coming from a place of weakness and/or fear. Rationality, maturity, wisdom, and compassion are not the traits of a scared, powerless child. They are the traits of a mature adult, who has been beaten down by life, and fought and raged against his circumstances, and somehow come out of it with more kindness and understanding and strength instead of less. He has made his own decisions whenever it was possible, within the set of circumstances doled out to him. From telling his dad to go fuck himself and going to college, to getting back into hunting to avenge Jess (NOT because of Dean—Dean took him home without complaint at the end of the woman in white case), to continuing to hunt after their father died because he wanted to feel close to him (Dean was actually weirded out and sort of disgusted by this), raging and fighting to save Dean from his deal against Dean’s wishes, continuing to hunt and working with Ruby (directly against Dean’s dying wish), drinking demon blood, jumping in the cage, leaving hunting to go be with Amelia, coming back to hunting to save Kevin, fighting with Dean over what he had with Amelia and threatening to leave if Dean didn't shut his mouth, leaving Amelia to go back to hunting (Dean ultimately suggests he go back to her—Sam chooses to stay), trying to kill Benny, demanding to be the one to do The Trials and saying he is going to SURVIVE them—that being the ENTIRE POINT, losing that resolve in a fit of depression but choosing to drop the knife, demanding space from Dean (and being given it), fighting to save Demon Dean who didn’t want to be found or saved, using the Book of the Damned against Dean’s wishes, telling Charlie that this is what he wants—that he used to want normal but now all he wants is to hunt with Dean and that he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he can’t have that, unleashing the Darkness in his desperation to keep Dean with him and even saying, “I would do it again” in the aftermath, saving the town being destroyed by Amara, getting into The Cage with Lucifer, leading a team against the British Men of Letters, nurturing Jack, punching Dean in the face when he was going to sacrifice himself, leading more hunters, wielding a gun against Chuck... and that’s just some highlights. Sam Fucking Winchester does not need your bullshit about him being some sad, scared, helpless baby lorded over by mean old Dean who has never let him do anything he wants. 

Yes, in the text itself, there is jealousy and resentment at times, and there is legitimate and righteous anger on Sam’s part on a few occasions. There is blame cast on Dean by Sam for some of these choices/circumstances. Some of those moments where Dean is blamed are legitimate, and some of them... frankly, are not. Within the framework of the fucked up dynamics of the way they were raised, Sam and some fans bristle when they feel Dean is casting himself as the parent he is not, but Sam also has been guilty in the past of trying to reframe himself as Dean’s child when things got tough. Neither of them is responsible for the origin of that dynamic, but they BOTH have responsibility to change it, and they both, ultimately, succeed in doing so. For Sam, his part comes in recognizing and learning to fully own his own choices. Recognizing that he is not a child, and he is certainly not Dean’s child, and it isn’t just “Mummy—loosen the grip”, but Sam has to too—not claim independence only to blame Dean for his choices when his own decisions have an ultimate outcome he is unhappy with. That is a legitimate arc that Sam goes through imo, but he comes out the other side of it, and he and Dean relate to each other much better as peers from then on—and I’d like to note that throughout the entire series, when they don’t relate as perfect peers and teammates, it isn’t always Dean “bossing Sam around”, but Sam also trying to sideline Dean and yes—boss him around. And when they lied and hurt each other and yes, even manipulated each other, Dean most certainly wasn't always the one doing the lying and hurting and manipulating. Always, always, ALWAYS, they both had an understandable point of view, and it was complex, and you could understand why they made the choices they did, even if you thought of those choices as being wrong ones. 

I also would like to point out (because this is basically what I see all of the time) that Dean being hurt by someone or simply voicing his feelings or opinion is in no way abusive or manipulative. Dean is certainly charismatic and loved and his returning love and respect is often deeply desired, but he is not an actual siren, who bends people to his will simply by speaking or being. People are, in fact, able to tell him “no”, and frequently FREQUENTLY do. Further more, no one is owed his affection, his unwavering loyalty, or his trust. He has a right to his boundaries, regardless of if it makes some poor sad sap feel deprived of the “wellspring of coveted love” while he works through things. He can be hurt and angry, and he can wear his heart on his sleeve at times, and he can be flawed, and broken. [Insert Castiel's speech from 15.18 here]. So can Sam. So can Cas. None of them are manipulating each other by virtue of getting angry, feeling hurt, being traumatized, needing space, or having differing opinions or feelings. Sam didn’t punch Dean in the face in 14.12 because he's a cruel, manipulative abuser trying to force Dean under his thumb. He didn’t work behind Dean’s back with Ruby, insist on doing The Trials, beg Dean to use Doc Benton’s alchemy, use the Book of the Damned to cure Dean, pump him full of blood to cure him of being a demon despite the fact that it might kill him, or scream at him and fight him for wanting to get in the Ma’lak box because he “doesn’t respect his autonomy” and “wants to control him” and “doesn’t respect his right to his own body”. He did it because he loves him desperately, and Dean could stand to fucking hate himself less, and he fiercely wanted Dean to live even when Dean didn’t want to or couldn’t picture what that could be like. He didn’t force Dean to do anything simply by opening his mouth to voice disagreement and swaying Dean when he did so. Now reverse that. 

Cas didn't beat Dean into the ground in season 5 because he wanted to terrorize him into never going against Castiel ever again. He didn’t go behind his back dozens of times, sideline him, go MIA, all because he wanted to manipulate and control Dean and punish him. He didn’t throw sassy remarks at him to shatter his self-esteem. Now reverse that. 

*Breathes*

Anyway, fuck "X is abusive” interpretations. 

[bluebeetle]

Since Slayer is basically anything but confirmed thanks to the data mined dialogue he has with Nagoriyuki... damn, guess we just have to pray for Venom

Like, as I have said, if there is something that I will always praise of Guilty Gear is that when it comes to the more character driven storylines the games tend to be more mature, which I still consider Millia's to be one of the best narratives with how... real it is her outgrowing Zato altogether.

I truly wish we get to see Venom doing the same, him finally outgrowing his feelings for Zato and fully denouncing and moving behind the life of an assassin... because we do know that it all went against his nature, it was about the devotion of the man he loved... I truly wish we get to see Venom stray away from the forever loyal gay in love with the straight man (as in the type of trope, never implying that someone in GG is cishet except for Zato) as I posted about how Testament and Bridget's stories in Strive are about redeeming the antiquated and offensive storylines they had previously.

YEAH based off of the results of the popularity poll they did for new characters for strive:

It's not a surprise lol. He is VERY popular. (Note Venom barely making it in to the NA list and no where else. Ouch.)

So yeah, I had Slayer already cemented in my mind for the next DLC character. (I feel like Asuka is also likely, as he's one of the few not to be playable yet in the mainline games on there--and last season had 2 new characters who werent playable before so I assume they'll have at least one new one to balance out the returning characters).

He's really fun though don't get me wrong! His animations and his nonchalance are always hilarious.. but yeah I don't think Venom is likely unless they go outside of the survey results (which is totally plausible!!)--or sneak him in to something with Slayer somehow, or an extra side story with Season 2 lol. I pray, I pray...

But yeah to the rest of that: I agree whole heartedly! I wish I had more to say but Ive said so much in the other post already lol...so theres not much for me to add, because you said it so well.

but yeah I want Venom moving out and slipping out of the gay man in love with a straight guy thing (i love zato and in my heart i wish he was bi/trans but hes sooooooooo Cishet sometimes it hurts. but hes my lil cishet misogynist who i want the entire female cast + venom to kick into the dirt)

so yeah I just hope we get that last little end to Venom; which I think the series really could do because it's shown such a mature growth and understanding in this stuff from the writers end of things! I think part of it helps is that Guilty Gear is clearly such a passion project for Daisuke Ishiwatari, and he's willing to grow and change things as he grows himself over nearly 25 years.

[firelxdykatara]

Katara x Aang :3c

are you trying to get me in trouble

-cough-

no but in all honesty, my genuine feelings about kataang boil down to three major points: 1. it's boring, and does not jive thematically with either of their character arcs, to the point of, 2. actively hampering character development on both sides, and 3. katara deserved better.

points expanded under the cut. (please, if you're a kataang shipper and you see this, just keep scrolling. i've tagged it appropriately and put the bulk under a cut and at this point that's literally all i can do lmfao.)

send me a ship and get my (brutally) honest opinion!

1. It's Boring: This is the most subjective point on the list (I mean, in fairness, it's all subjective, but I have evidence from the show and post-canonical materials to support my other points; this one is just preference), but there's just... nothing to kataang. It's cute (when it's not actively aggravating), and... that's about it. It's not even that I dislike friends-to-lovers as a shipping trope (though it's not my overall preference), because there are a lot of friends-to-lovers couples that I do ship (kanej comes to mind, also will/elizabeth from potc, karolsen from supergirl, romione and hinny from hp, among others), but one thing that I think all of those couples have that kataang doesn't is that both sides of the pairing are teens or adults when they get together, with teen/adult dynamics and issues and stories to deal with, rather than one half being a teenager and the other being literally prepubescent.

And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with age gap ships in general. And as far as atla goes, Katara, at 14, has the same age difference from Zuko (16) as Aang has from her, and it's never stopped me--because both Katara and Zuko are well into puberty when they meet and I have no problem picturing them being into one another and growing together as they enter adulthood. Aang, on the other hand, is a child. And he acts like it. Which wouldn't be a problem, if the show weren't expecting me to believe he is a) ready for a romantic relationship, and b) ready for one specifically with Katara, who is not only older and far more mature but is specifically cast as his caretaker in a very maternal role for the entire show's run.

This show asks me to believe that a teenage girl well into adolescence is going to be attracted to and develop romantic feelings for a pre-adolescent child--and it asks me to believe this while showing us otherwise that Katara's type is actually older boys with fabulous hair and angsty pasts in all of her other potential romantic dalliances--and then enter into a relationship with him, all while ignoring the elephant in the room that is the fact that she was basically acting like his mother for the entire series to that point. (Something that is heavily lampshaded earlier in the very same season.) That just stretches the bounds of credulity way too far for me, especially when there's no evidence that Katara herself would get anything out of their romantic relationship.

There's nothing there for me to sink my teeth into. No delicious development, no parallels where they help each other grow, no internal conflicts that they have to work through together, nothing. Certainly no reason for me to actually believe Katara feels (or would grow to feel) anything for him other than the platonic affection of a caretaker. I can easily believe she loves him dearly, as a friend and quasi-little-brother, but I just can't see that developing naturally into romantic love--not the way it's presented in the show.

And even if they did manage to at least make the development of Katara's feelings believable, unless they changed something fundamental about the nature of their relationship, it'd still be boring, so.

2. It Actively Hampers Their Character Development--On Both Sides: I've written before (extensively lol im so sorry) about how kataang is actively detrimental to Katara and to Aang. In short (because ye gods this post is already getting long enough), Katara is narratively harmed by being shoved into a relationship that completely ignores her stated feelings--a relationship that had been presented as a one-sided puppylove crush for the vast majority of the series--and it inhibits her growth as a character in ways that become far more obvious in the comics and lok, where the very same creative forces that lead to her beginning a relationship with Aang in the first place reduce her to 'the Avatar's girl' and very little else, all the way through to the end of LoK (where she is a Healer and the Avatar's wife and, again, very little else).

As for Aang:

As to how this relationship is detrimental to Aang (other than the comics and LoK nonsense)? Just take a look at book 2, when he’s trying to learn Earthbending from Toph. Katara constantly coddles him. Much of the time, she’s afraid to be anything other than gentle and understanding with Aang--partly because of her fear that if she pushes him too far, he’ll run away. (Which he does, several times.) But sometimes, what Aang needs to grow is a sharp kick in the slats, which Toph was more than willing to provide--and which worked. Katara was great for teaching Aang to waterbend, but he needed more than that to grow as a person. And he can’t get that while he’s in a relationship with someone who will apologize for getting upset when he was very explicitly neglecting her.

In addition, it is pointed out by Guru Pathik at the end of Book 2 that one of Aang's chakras is blocked by his attachment to Katara. Aang takes this to mean (incorrectly) that he has to stop loving her in order to become fully realized as an Avatar, but this is actually part of the problem--because the issue isn't that he is in love with Katara, it's that he's possessively attached to her. He believes himself entitled to her love in return, rather than selflessly loving someone regardless of whether or not they return that affection. (This is obvious come the EIP episode, where Aang demands to know why he and Katara aren't in a relationship already--because he kissed her without asking [or even checking to see if she'd be ok with kissing him], which he phrases as mutual even though it very much was not, and he gets angry and violates her boundaries when she says that she is confused and doesn't want to think about it right then.)

It is his attachment to Katara--the need for her to return his love, the belief that she will and it is only a matter of time before he gets what he wants--that he was supposed to let go of, not his feelings for her in general. Unfortunately, while he pays lipservice to doing this (far too late for it to be useful--if he'd stayed with the Guru for five more minutes and unlocked his chakra there, that battle would've gone very differently), he almost immediately backtracks on that development come book 3, and there isn't another single whisper of Aang maybe growing up and moving past his one-sided and possessive crush and realizing that even if Katara doesn't feel the same way, it doesn't mean she loves him less or that their friendship is less important.

What really needed to happen, for Aang to grow as a person and become fully realized as an Avatar, was for him to grow up. To realize that his feelings were not of paramount importance, and that even if he was in love with Katara, he was not entitled to her love in return. He should have been able to move past his need for her to love him back, in order to get past that stumbling block, unlock his chakras, and regain the Avatar State in time to face the Firelord. But he didn't. As a result, they had to find some other way to just give him the Avatar State (a well-placed rock) and the means to defeat Ozai without killing him (the deus ex lionturtle) and his entire character arc just fell apart in the third act rather than reaching a satisfying conclusion.

3. Katara Deserved Better: This really ties into how her romantic relationship with Aang hampered her own development, but I'm still bitter enough about it that it gets its own bullet-point. And the biggest single reason I could never ship kataang--the thing that would've turned me off even if there were substance and a halfway decent storyline for them--is the fact that Aang kisses her without her consent (for the second time) in Ember Island Players, Katara gets angry at him and storms off, and then..... she walks out onto the balcony to make out with him.

With nothing to bridge that gap.

It's bad enough that a show aimed at children had a scene where the child protagonist kissed the object of his affections without her consent when she didn't want him to (made explicit by her angry reaction)--and this is absolutely an issue when the show is aimed at children and it may well be the first experience they've had with consent issues portrayed in media--but this moment is never addressed again. Katara just decides--completely off-screen--that she does love him Really and walks out to make out with him in the epilogue. There's no conversation, no apology for violating her boundaries, no discussion of why that was wrong or any indication that Aang understands what he did and why it upset her. They don't have a single one-on-one interaction between that kiss and the epilogue, and the only other time they are on screen together, Aang yells at her and storms off.

So, even leaving the comics and lok aside, Katara deserved much better from her own romantic plotline. In fact, she deserved to have one, rather than simply being the oblivious object of Aang's affections, given a couple moments where she blushes but otherwise remains completely ignorant of his feelings (she looks shocked and upset when he kisses her prior to the invasion, and then she completely forgets that even happened because she's confused as to what Aang is even talking about during EIP until he brings it up; that's not the behavior of a fourteen-year-old girl who was kissed by someone she was developing romantic feelings for), before the epilogue where it becomes clear that she figured all of that out off-screen and had feelings for him after all.

She's a main character, not a side-character written in solely to give one of the mains a love interest. She deserved a romantic plotline of her own. (She could have had one with someone else, with very few changes made to what was actually on-screen prior to the epilogue, but that's another conversation entirely.) She deserved to have her feelings considered at all important by the person she was going to be paired with in the end, rather than having him just assume she felt the same way and then get mad at her for never giving any indication of it when he'd never asked about her feelings to begin with. She deseserved agency in her own romantic narrative, and she just didn't get that with Aang.

So yeah, at the end of the day, my biggest issue with kataang is that it involved doing Katara dirty, and she's my favorite character and she deserved so much better damnit.