#i feel like im writing a soap opera

[letters-unsending]

No. 25

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Superhero tries to stop Supervillain from sacrificing himself to save the city/world.

It’s all very melodramatic and kind of similar to Prompt 22, sorry.

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“No, no, no. You weren’t supposed to come!” Supervillain shoved Superhero, pushing him away from the sealed door of the reactor room. “I have it handled,” he spat, “and you—you should be away from here. You should be safe.”

Superhero stayed fast to the ground, unwavering as stone as Supervillain seethed and slapped at his collarbones. He reached out and squeezed Supervillain’s shoulder.

“I can cut off the explosion with my shield. We can both make it out,” Superhero urged. The slight weight of his palm, feathery over Supervillain’s rage, seemed to stop the crazed light in Supervillain’s eyes. Sighing, Supervillain stepped back.

“No, you can’t. I know what this thing does and neither you nor me can stop it and leave breathing. I understand your need to fix everything,” Villain turned toward the glass screen and stared at the pulsing, spitting reactor core beyond, “but this, this is my fault, not yours, so leave. Leave while there’s still time left.”

Superhero sucked in a breath. The sound was harsh and scraping against the silence, the dread that hung like a mourning veil across the deserted laboratory halls.

“Supervillain-“

“-just let me have this,” Supervillain cried, “let me make the one good decision I’ll ever make in my goddamned life. Why are you stopping me from doing the right thing?”

Superhero strode forward and Supervillain recoiled, staggering closer to the glass and the molten heat it perfused. It seemed that they would waltz as they always had. Superhero would chase, Supervillain would flee, but as the reactor’s warmth stoked Supervillain’s spine, he stood straight, facing Superhero head on.

Around them, the metal walls creaked, aching against the pressure of the unstable core. Supervillain’s blood boiled in his ears. Superhero paused in front of him.

“Why now?” Superhero asked.

“Now? What do you mean by now?”

“You always wavered, always questioned the [Villain Organization] you fought for.” Superhero’s speech was so impassioned, so mesmerizing, that Supervillain hardly flinched as Superhero reeled him in by the back of his head and forced his cheek against his shoulder. “Why have you defected now, after all this time? Why do you have to go and die to finally do what you think is right?”

Superhero swayed back with Supervillain, leading him away from the fiery glass and stinging heat. The cool air breezed along Supervillain’s hair and the sweaty seams of his suit; the relief was so potent he almost sagged down against Superhero. Superhero caught the stutter in his step with a supportive hand to his back.

“You said you saw the good in me,” Supervillain whispered, “it’s not a surprise.”

“No, it wasn’t a surprise.”

Tension, all welled and coiled in Supervillain’s chest, unstrung with a crack of air, with a cry that Supervillain smothered into Superhero’s skin.

“You sanctimonious shit,” he cursed, bringing an arm around Superhero’s shoulders and holding him fierce. “Don’t take my fucking credit. I always, always envied you. I envied how people revered you, how they loved you. I wanted that—I wanted to be a hero so much.”

“And you can be. We can do this, save the city. You are good, so good.”

“I’m not risking you.”

“Helping you is my choice,” Superhero passed his hand through Supervillain’s hair, a cruel kindness.

“The choice is mine too and I want to do this alone,” Supervillain insisted, not knowing whether to weep or to yell. He kept his body away from Superhero now, holding only his forehead and the tips of his fingers still against him. Behind him was a growing hell. Heat licked at his heels and brought salt down his temples.

“Please, go.”

[guinevereslancelot]

imagine a supergirl story but good and original....dc get on this

[yellowocaballero]

Putting @loneswaggingranger because they said it a lot better and more succinctly than I did!

A good character is one with a consistent internal logic - whose actions make sense no matter what because they are the type of person to do so. An antagonist can still have the internal logic of a hero, even if that logic is out of touch with reality or empathy. ATSV is well-done in every way, and it's too good a movie to have a character suck just because he sucks. That's not a story ATSV is interested in telling. It loves people too much for that.

Miguel is Fine, Actually (Being Spider-Man's Just Toxic As Hell)

Before I watched ATSV I said that I would defend my man Miguel O'Hara's actions no matter what, because he's always valid and I support women's wrongs. I was joking, and I did not actually expect to start defending him on Tumblr.edu. But I'm seeing a lot of commentary that's super reductive, so I do want to bring up another perspective on his character.

Miguel wasn't acting against the spirit of Spider-Man, or what being Spider-Man means. Miguel isn't meant to represent the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miles is the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miguel represents Spider-Man taken to its extreme.

Think about Miguel's actions from his perspective. If you were a hero who genuinely, legitimately, 100%, no doubt about it, believed that somebody is going to make a selfish decision that will destroy an entire universe and put the entire multiverse at severe risk - if you had an over-burdened sense of responsibility and believed in doing the right thing no matter what - you would also chase down the kid and put him in baby jail to try and prevent it. He believed that he was saving the multiverse, and that Miles was putting it in danger for selfish reasons. Which is completely unforgivable to him, because selfishness is what he hates the most. And then he goes completely out of pocket and starts beefing with a 15yo lmfaooo he's such a dick.

But why did Miguel believe that? Why did he believe that Miles choosing himself and his own happiness over the well-being of others was the worst possible thing? Why did he believe that tragedy was inevitable in their lives, and that without tragedy Spider-Man can't exist?

Because he's Spider-Man.

Peter Parker was once a fifteen year old who chose his own happiness over protecting others. It was the greatest regret of his life and he never forgave himself. Peter's ethos means that he will put himself last every time, and that he will sacrifice anything and everything in his life - his relationships, his health, his future - to protecting and helping others. Peter dropped out of college because it interfered with Spider-Man. He destroyed his own future for Spider-Man. He ruins friendships and romantic relationships because Spider-Man was more important. If Peter ever tries to protect himself and his own happiness, then he's a bad person.

That is intrinsic to Peter. Peter would not be Peter without it. A story that is not defined by Peter's unhappiness is not a Spider-Man story. If Peter doesn't make himself miserable, then he's just not Peter.

That is a Spider-Man story: that not only is tragedy inevitable, that if you don't allow yourself to be defined by your tragedy then you're a bad person. If you don't suffer, then you're a bad person. If you ever put anything above Spider-Man, then you're killing Uncle Ben all over again. Miguel isn't the only one that believes this - as we saw, every Spider-Man buys into what he's saying. There's no Spider-Man without these beliefs.

Miguel attempted to find his own happiness, and he was punished in the most extreme way. He got Uncle Ben'd x10000. He tried to be happy, and it literally destroyed his entire universe. It's the Spider-narrative taken to the extreme. Of course Miguel believes all of this. Of course he believes this so firmly. He's Spider-Man. That's his story. And the one time Miguel tried to fight against that story, he was punished. And like any Spider-Man, he'll slavishly obey that narrative no matter the evil it creates and perpetuates. Because if he doesn't, the narrative will punish him. The narrative will always punish him. It's a Spider-Man story.

I don't think the universal constant between Spider-Mans, the thing that makes them Spider-Man, is tragedy. I think it's the fact that they never forgive themselves. And Miguel is what that viewpoint creates. He doesn't believe this things because he's an awful, mean person. He believes them because he's a hero. He's a good person who hates himself.

Across the Spider-verse isn't really a Spider-Man story. It's a story about Spider-Man stories. Miguel's right: if this was a Spider-Man story, then Miles acting selfishly really would destroy the universe. But Miles' story isn't interested in punishing him. It pushes back against Peter's narrative that unhappiness is inevitable and that you have to suffer to be a good person. It says that sometimes we do the right thing from love and not fear, and that Peter's way of thinking is ultimately super toxic and unhappy. ITSV was about Miles deciding that he didn't need to be Peter Parker, that all he needed to be was Miles, and ATSV is about how being Peter Parker isn't such a good thing. Miguel shows that. Whatever toxic and unhealthy beliefs he holds - they're the exact same beliefs that any Spider-Man holds. He's a dick, but I don't think he's any more awful a person than Peter is.

TL;DR: Miguel isn't a bad person, he just has Spider-Man brainrot.

[madame-fear]

I always stare at the dialogues I make and I can’t help but sliiiiightly cringe... Also,, one of the hardest parts of making fics are the banners. God help.

[vivitalks]

i am honestly desperate for anyyy jane the Virgin fic at all lol if it's something you're interested in! not a very active fandom unfortunately

well if there's one thing about me it's that i love to write for small audiences in already-inactive fandoms! your interest has been logged anon

[loving-family-poll]

2nd Ultimate Incest Tournament- Round 1

Propaganda under the cut:

Liam/Noel:

The Gallagher brothers have a very intense relationship that doesn't make any sense to the outside viewer unless one considers the possibility of incest. For 30 years now they have been utterly unhinged about one another in the public eye. Noel has often made incest jokes; Liam once said on-stage once "we had sex last night" referring to him and Noel. Even people writing in actual books and magazines have picked up on the vibes (some stuff that has been printed about them fully feels like it was written by tumblr incestinas except it's like. actual fucking journalists). Also there was this one time in 1996 where they kissed each other with tongue in front of 40 thousand people.

They have been described as “in love with each other” by both themselves and third parties. the lyrics “you’re my lover, i’m your brother.” they kissed with tongue at loch lomond in 1996 and have also been photographed/videoed kissing on the mouth other times. liam regularly groped noel onstage. liam’s entire twitter is just propaganda too. liam talked about impregnating noel once. noel frequently talks about how physically attractive liam is. liam claims that he’s noel’s muse

their song guess god thinks im abel has the lyrics "i could be your lover" while comparing themselves to you guessed it abel and cain. and like. a thousand more instances of them being weird about each other. also noel REALLY wanted a sister and he mentioned it quite a few times and said well liam IS basically a sister or something like that. normal behaviour

Liam literally called himself Noel's good boy on twitter, and called him god a few times after reunion. Noel said he loves make women cry and the only thing that's better is make Liam cry so he can laugh and call him a woman. They literally kissed with tongue and loch lomand is not their only kiss they have two more photos of different kissing to, they literally used the japan kiss video for reunion video. YES THEY DID THAT TF. Noel said they are head over heels in love and said it's illegal in many countries. Also Noel said Liam is like his ex-wife a few times or shit like those cunts are fucking crazy

Other people have described them as more like boyfriend/girlfriend than brothers and said they’re in love. someone on twitter asked liam “if you’re john lennon, who is noel?” and liam said “yoko ono.” another time someone said on twitter “you defo rimmed noel when you were younger” and liam replied “you jealous?"

Deeply weird about each other getting married (them not attending each other's wedding which occurred month apart and then getting divorce around the same time and they stayed at the same hotel for months), intense infamously love-hate relationship and is everyone's favorite soap opera, noel saying "on stage i just wanted him..there's only two of us that will ever get this", prominent theme of shame and crime and impossible dream in noel gallagher works, the elusive meaning of wonderwall which noel insisted is not about anyone but there's good amount of evidence that it referenced back to their childhood and their shared bedroom, liam having mental breakdown several times on twitter about noel, liam's my brother is getting a divorce playlist to which he shared with his 3 millions twitter followers, incest-baiting on main ever since the reunion, brother and lover being interchangeable for noel when writing lyrics, noel (allegedly) lying to liam that his girlfriend cheated on him in order to sabotage their relationship before oasis took off, liam hating noel's latest (ex) wife (sarah), noel writing "the owner of the star on stage" after liam's autograph and so many more insane shit

"[Liam] thinks all the songs are about him. He even thinks Wonderwall is about him." –Noel Gallagher (1997)

"It's all about me it always was and is" –Liam Gallagher (2023)

Japan kiss (kiss is at the end) loch lomand kiss

PLUS they’re back together after 14 years of estrangement! The narrative!

Edward/Alphonse:

Two brothers try to resurrect their dead mother as children and in the attempt become alchemically bonded together. Sacrificing life and limb for one another, professing to be “practically the same person,” having their bond blessed by the canonical god itself, and in one dimension sacrifice everything they’ve ever known to spend the rest of their lives together.

Canonically have their souls tied, go everywhere with each other, travel through dimensions and give up everything just to be together

Ed would kill for alphonse and alphonse would die for ed but they are so soulmate coded that they would go against their own principals too: ed would die for alphonse and alphonse would kill for ed IM OBSESSED also they keep talking about how much they need each other and wanting to touch each other constantly they gay as fuck

They need to kiss sloppy and FUCK! They are literally so canon in the 2003 anime… Al says “Brother, I want to touch you” or something like that in an episode. Ed would literally sell his soul for his brother.

[deansapplepie]

You couldn’t lose each other

Summary: You were pregnant, then you weren’t.

Warnings: ANGST, pregnancy, miscarriage, mention of character death, mention of “putting someone down”, soft Merle, on purpose asshole Daryl, blood, hurt, mental instability, hurt, stubborn main characters, loss, grief, and maybe more. 18+, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

A/N: I never experienced miscarriage and am writing everything based on my knowledge through series, movies, soap operas and books, so it may have inaccuracies. If you are sensible to any of those topics please don’t read, your mental health is more important!

It had started about a week ago, heavy dizziness and morning sickness (which didn’t happen exactly only in the morning). On top of that your period was late, which you tried to atribute to the sub nutrition all of you went through while on the road, but as soon as other symptoms started… you knew it was probably other thing.

You went on a run with Daryl to get more baby formula for Jude and just discreetly added a pregnancy test on your backpack, in a part you hoped Daryl wouldn’t look because he never did. As soon as you got to the prison and had some alone time you risked yourself going somewhere, no one would see you or find you, to pee on the damn thing and find the truth. The truth was… you knew it, you didn’t need a test, you were undoubtedly and very much pregnant.

One end of afternoon, Merle sat by your side and didn’t bother to tip toe around you. “When are ya gonna tell ‘im?”

“What?” He took you back with his question.

“When are ya telling my brother ya’re with his baby?” Your eyes widened at his question. “Daryl ain’t the only one with observation skills. Who ya think taught him everything? I saw the symptoms and the pregnancy test you hid on your pocket the other day.”

“Fuck you Dixons.”

“Ya already do it to one of us.” He sassy replied, you rolled your eyes as usually happened during your banters.

“Soon. I’m just waiting the whole governor thing end. He already has too much to worry about, he’ll freak out if I tell him now. He’ll probably put me on bubble of safety and not let me do anything.” You stated, Daryl could have the rough exterior but both of you knew how he was, how he cared about people. Also he had changed so much the last months, and it was for the better. “Don’t tell him, let me do it.”

“Al’ight.” He surprised you, you had learned how to deal with Merle, but he wasn’t the same asshole as before. Still an asshole though. “It’ll be good have a mini Dixon around. I’ll help to keep ya’ll safe.”

“I know, you can be a jerk sometimes but I know you care about your family.” You gave the older Dixon a small smile and squeezed his hand to reassure him. That had been one of the nicest things he ever told you and coming from Merle, that was a lot.

The governor had asked for Michonne to leave your group alone, you didn’t believe a word of it it, but Merle did or at least he had to try. That morning he disappeared with her and all of you knew what he was up to. Daryl went after them, you wanted to go too but of course he wouldn’t “allow” you.

Some time after, Michonne arrived, alone. You asked about Merle and Daryl, and she told everything that happened with Merle. He had set her free and went by himself. It wouldn’t end up well, you could feel it in your guts, and your feeling just confirmed to be true when Daryl arrived alone.

Everyone gathered around him to know what happened and he told you with teary eyes. The others left to give both of you some time.

“Daryl, I’m sorry.” You said, both of your hands cupping his face, he averted your eyes. “Hey, look at me.”

“Leave me alone…” he grumply answered trying to get out of your grasp.

“We’re together in this, huh? I’m here for you, we both cared about Merle.” He snorted.

“Ya cared about Merle? Ya never liked him!”

That wasn’t true, he knew it wasn’t. He was hurt, he had to put his brother down, there wasn’t anyone else that could do it for him, even if there was… it had to be him. Somehow, in his abused mind, he thought it was all his fault. Merle died because he wanted to be a better person, he wanted to protect his little brother as much as he could in this fucked up world, and that was the way he found to do it. It was just a matter of time for you to do the same and it would be entirely his fault if you ended like Merle. You were the last thing he had from the old world. You were the only good thing he had, and if he had to push you away to keep you alive, that was what he was going to do, because he couldn’t afford living in a world without you.

“This isn’t true, Daryl. You’re hurting, I get it…” he cut your speaking before you could finish.

“Ya don’t. Ya never will!” He distanced himself when you tried to touch his arm. “We should break up.”

“What?!”

“Ya heard it.” He confirmed.

“Ok, when you’re not speaking no sense we can talk, I know you’re not ok, but there’s a limit of shit I can take.” You wouldn’t continue to insist on it if he was going to continue acting like that. You knew he was suffering, but so were you and he was being a prick.

“There ain’t gonna be another talk. I said what I said.” Those words left his mouth as if they were nothing, but each of them felt like a knife in his throat.

“Is it really the moment for you to dump me?” You knew he was emotionally unstable, no one make good decisions like this.

“Did I stutter?” The moment he threw the harsh words, he knew he had got what he wanted, the hurt in your eyes pained in his chest and this time he was sure he had lost you for good.

Since that day, you didn’t talk to him and he also ignored you. You asked Rick to not put you both working together anymore. You moved your things to Carol’s cell, now also your cell. Woodbury had fallen, now the survivors of the town had joined you at the prison.

Your little secret was still yours, or sort of… Carol was a mother. She went through all the shit you were going through, all of you saw Lori going through it. She knew it already, but didn’t tell you anything until one week after everything that happened.

She asked you, “aren’t you telling him?”

This time you didn’t even got surprised and already knew what she was talking about. “No.”

“And when it starts to show?”

“I’ll tell I just fucked someone and was too drunk to remember.” You stubbornly replied.

“You’re being childish, he deserves to know.” She was right, but you were tired and emotionally damaged already.

“ ‘cause he’s being a fucking kid too. I get it, he’s suffering, but he needs to stop hurting people every time he’s hurt. It’s time he grows up and man up.” You said arms crossed.

“You know his past better than I, I thought you from all the people would understand.” The older woman wisely said.

“Carol, I appreciate your concern, he’s your friend too, but you don’t understand.” You said, was it you? Was it the hormones? You couldn’t know. “Please, don’t tell him. It’s not your place to do it.”

“I won’t. You’re the one that should do it.” As soon as she answered, she left you alone.

One week later, or a little more, it seemed like Rick had forgotten his promise that he wouldn’t put you ti work with Daryl as he put both of you on fence duty to kill the walkers. Ok, there were more people with you, but you couldn’t help but feel yourself being watched and you knew the weight of his stare. You could feel it in your soul. Also, you couldn’t help yourself and from time to time look at him, because you would be a liar if you said you didn’t love him anymore or that you didn’t find him handsome and attractive, and what’s beautiful was made to look at.

It was middle of the morning, even though it was starting to get cold the sun was strong for whoever was working under it. You had sweat and few stains of blood from the walkers you had killed through the fence. You were feeling extra tired, you thought it was because pregnant women got more sleepy, so you didn’t think about it so much.

Some minutes after you felt a sharp pain on your lower stomach. Weird. ‘Please let it just be a stomachache or gases’, you thought.

You continued working then you felt the pain in the same place but sharper. ‘Please, don’t let it be anything with my baby’, you thought again.

You kept doing your job, this time more slowly as you felt the pain irradiating through your body, until you felt a stabbing pain in the same place and something hot going down your legs. You looked down and saw blood. “NO!”

You shouted and that called people’s attention Daryl’s specially. He looked at you and all he could see was blood. Did you hurt yourself with the weapon? Did the governor came back and wounded you? Did somehow a walker managed to bite you?

“Nooo-hooo-ooo.” You shouted cried throwing yourself to the ground.

In seconds he was kneeling by your side. “Hey, hey, look at me. What is it? What happened, doll?”

“I lost it.” You said, crying more at your realization. “I lost it.”

“What did ya lose, babe?” He asked, he thought you were delirious due to the blood loss. His hands around your face trying to make you look at him, trying to ground you. He was panicking, where were you hurt? Was he going to loose you anyway and he had spent the last weeks loosing his time with you?

You cried. “Our baby, I lost our baby.” You said between sobs.

It hit him like a punch on his stomach. You said your baby, a baby from both of you, a baby he didn’t know existed, a baby that… his abused mind played with him again. A baby that could be possibly gone because of him. “Stay with me, love. I’m taking care of you.” Who were you? Just you? You and the baby? Was there any chance this was a weird bleeding but the baby would still be ok? He didn’t know. He knew nothing about it.

He didn’t think twice, he took you in his arms and started running. “HERSHEL!” He yelled the doctor’s name again and again, until he found him and had you in the infirmary.

Before getting to the infirmary you had passed out, maybe it was the shock or it could also be the blood loss, you’d never know.

Hershel examined you. Daryl stayed all the time by your side, making questions to the doctor. Teary eyes while he explained everything. You were indeed pregnant, and yes, you had lost the baby. Daryl’s hopes were shattered at pieces, he cried. He the big rough man that didn’t like to show his emotions cried, it was Hershel. He was a friend. He was family after all.

After making sure nothing had stayed in your uterus, the old man had a talk with the younger one. Hershel made sure Daryl knew it wasn’t his fault, at this point he already knew the archer well and knew he was guilting himself for it. He ensured it was something that could happen at this early stage, you were at the maximum 2 months pregnant according to the tissue your body expelled from you. That small tissue was what would be your baby. The feeding poor in nutrients could have harmed your body, it was pretty much a disorder in your uterus so that happened. There was no one to blame, besides the end of the world.

Some time had passed when you woke up, you were as much as clean as they could got you and you had warm feeling on your right hand. You looked to your side and you saw Daryl worried and guilty eyes.

“It’s not your fault.” You said. You remembered everything.

“Maybe.” He said, even if Hershel had already reassured him. “But it doesn’t make it less worse. I could have lived it with ya for the little time we had.”

“I was the one that didn’t tell you.” You turned to your side and extended your left arm till you were touching his face. “I’m sorry.”

“I AM sorry.” He said giving emphasis to that. “I… I dun know what I was thinking.”

“I know.” You knew he was lost at that moment, but it didn’t hurt you less when he pushed you away and both of you needed each other. “Merle wasn’t your fault. The baby neither.”

At the mention of Merle’s name and the baby, your voice quivered and the tears threatened to leave your eyes, and they did. They fell from your eyes and you couldn’t do anything about it. “I ain’t pushing ya away anymore. I… I was so afraid of losing ya too.” Tears also slipped on his face.

“Merle was happy, he knew he was going to be an uncle.” You remembered the conversation you had with him the day before he sacrificed himself. “He noticed it and asked me about it. I was going to tell you when the governor shit was over.”

You also felt guilty about Merle’s death. You knew sometimes he didn’t take some smart decisions, but did he tried to face it all alone because he also wanted to be a better person to his nephew or niece? He had told you he would protect all of you.

You sobbed. You both cried together, now your arms thrown around his neck and your face hiding in it. You both had lost too much already, you couldn’t afford losing anything else. You couldn’t lose each other.

Wanna be added to my tag list? Let me know. (Please tell me if you want to be tagged on everything or just specific series) Everything Taglist: @lilyevanstan1325 @hayley1998 @shadowcitrine @vaniniweenie @cupidelocke

[j0kers-light]

how would j react if reader was in a coma.... i read "just one check" (i think that was the name of the one about the bank robbery and reader getting shot?)

and i kinda want to see him feel sad and guilty. maybe readers in a coma for a week or two. i feel like j would be upset seeing her laying in a hospital bed with tons of iv's coming out of her. or and im not sure how he'd react to her being weak and confused when she wakes up. and you don’t have to write it if it’s too sad/dark 🫶 i just kinda love hospital soap operas so i thought of this 😂

His Lighthouse: Say Something (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

Say Something - Oneshot

Hey hi anon!!! 🖤✨

Phew this was an old request! I'm slowly getting back on schedule! Its never too dark of a request for me to write anon! I looooooooove dark content lol 🤭That being said, let's get into it! You requested sad and guilty Joker visiting bedside, you got it! It’s giving soap ops, like One Life to Live, vibes! I penned this on high off of period hormones and during the Super Bowl so buckle up and grab a tissue box! Joker is gonna be in his feels!! (and so was I)

Love you anon! Also, here’s the song inspo! 🖤✨

taglist:

@blackreaderatrisk @twinkledinkle @clemdango04 @l3ejm @tears-of-amber @what-an-angel @darthjokerisyourfather @thatsnoteii @dollster @cheetahspy @kaidennnnn @urdariingdoll @motivation-idontknowher @ins0mniac-whack @spaghettificationandpretzels @reneisance @alittlesmartcookie @ninacutebee16 @carydorse @jaysmentalspace

Let me know if you wish to be added to the official His Lighthouse taglist! Be alerted with any oneshots and the main story updates! 🖤✨

This was his fault. He deserved to be the one suffering not you.

You did nothing in this life to warrant such a fate. Joker felt sick to his stomach being in your presence but at the same time, staying by your side was his penance.

Even in a coma, Joker could argue that your beauty remained. Your colored skin, normally so rich and smooth, now gave off a mythical aura against the white hospital sheets. Your countenance was like an elfin or fae. All in all, you gave sleeping beauty a run for her title.

Nurses and doctors bustled in one after the other to check your vitals as you slept on. Joker paid no mind. He was far too distracted by the constant beeping in your room. Everything was so loud; it quickly became a sensory overload. He flagged down a terrified nurse and demanded that she turn them off.

"I... I can't sir. Y/n needs them to survive." That's when Joker realized just how grave your injuries were.

She took the time to point out each machine you were hooked up to and its function. Joker lost count after ten.

He felt so small surrounded by all this tech. He knew nothing at all. For once, Joker had to trust someone to help him. He'd do anything to keep you alive and well. He already failed half of that promise, there was no more room for error.

He wanted to grab ahold of your hand, but it looked so fragile lying on the hospital bed. Your nails were still manicured in your f/c and shape however your skin was pulled taunt so that three different IV lines could puncture your arm. The doctors had turned you into a pin cushion and Joker could only hope that you recovered from this.

He had nothing but time to guilt trip himself into a downward spiral. He didn't rescue you fast enough and this was the consequence.

His enemies knew killing you would destroy the Prince of Crime once and for all and they nearly succeeded. Joker almost didn't recognize you when he found you.

Frost and the others assumed the worst, but they miraculously found a pulse and that was their cue to rush you to the nearest hospital. Joker didn't care about the fallout— he walked straight through the front door with you in his arms, clown makeup and all.

His sudden appearance caused panic, and no one dared to help until Dr. Sarai and her personal team arrived and wheeled you into an OR. Joker was then ushered into a safe room. He expected the staff to call Batman or the police, but they never did.

He never understood why.

Sarai broke it down plainly. "We don't judge here. You didn't see the desperation on yo' face when ya brought Y/n in. How could we rip you away when it's obvious ya need to be 'ere with her?"

She guided Joker to a VIP room where he and his goons could visit freely without raising any suspicions. It was then Joker saw you for the first time all patched up. It was a shock to see how badly he failed at keeping you safe. Why did you of all people have to suffer like this?

If he could transfer your pain to him, he'd do it in a heartbeat to rid you of this misery. For now, all he could do was watch over you helplessly.

He grew to appreciate the steady beeps and hisses that filled your room. Each sound reported in real time that you were still alive. You were fighting to stay with him and he hoped you were giving it your all.

Joker was still learning to love. If he lost you then he would never try again, for no one deserved to have his heart after you cherished it so. It belonged to you and you alone. You were the best warden in this prison called love and he never wanted to escape. He was just too addicted.

An unexpected shrill noise brought him out of his thoughts. A crash team rushed through the sliding doors and carefully pushed him back.

He didn't have the time to be offended, "What's going on?!" What were they doing to you?

No one answered him as they talked amongst themselves; he didn't understand a single word of their medical jargon, but he did catch, "Call a code!"

He had seen enough tv dramas to know what that meant. A doctor voiced the trademark "clear!", and everyone threw up their hands as he shocked you with paddles. The obnoxious beeping continued and then it hit Joker.

The most important machine of them all. Your heart monitor. Joker memorized the rhythmic rises and falls as you breathed in your sleep. He could listen to your heart for the rest of his life. You were unable to talk but your heart spoke volumes.

And now it was screaming out for help.

"We're losing her. We gotta get her into an OR."

It all happened so fast. One minute you were comatose in your room, the next they were pushing your bed down the hall into surgery. All that was left was the snake-like cords from the many machines you were previously hooked to. Joker was left in your room at a loss.

It was far too quiet with you and your life's music gone.

Sarai found Joker still sitting in the bedside chair hours later. It didn't appear that he moved an inch. The clown was mute, staring at the mess of cords on the floor. Sarai glanced at them briefly before clearing her throat.

"Her lung collapsed again. We've managed to stabilize her but I gotta stress. It's lookin' like a temporary fix." She flinched at the haunting green eyes staring at her.

"WhaT. Does. That. Mean?"

Great, he was already going through the stages of denial. How could she put this mildly? "It means... Y/n might not survive this."

He flung a rolling cart that was left behind into the wall. Its loud crash made Sarai jump. Somehow she remained composed. Joker wasn't mad at her but at the situation. She had to keep that in mind with what would come next.

He stormed over to her and growled, "Do not ever imply my Light might..." Joker's throat closed up mid-sentence. He refused to say it aloud. "Y/n will be fine. She's stronger than you think." He noted.

"I get that but let's face the facts. They moved her to the ICU so she could be on a ventilator."

"Great another machine." Joker sighed.

"That machine is breathing for her, Joker. If she loses any more oxygen to her brain, she'll be a vegetable. No shocks or surgeries can fix dat." Sarai waited until Joker locked eyes with her to drop the bomb. "She'll be brain dead."

All was quiet as her words sank in. Joker didn't expect forever with you, although he originally hoped for a few years at best. Time was never a given when this relationship first began.

Joker was a wanted criminal and you, a famous citizen. It wasn't destined to work out but the two of you made time. Living in the moment on borrowed time was enough, you were happy with J but now that happiness was being ripped away.

He couldn't think straight. The possibility of you dying hadn't registered before but it became clear now. If only he been with you—kept you safe, then you would have never been abducted.

This was all his fault.

"I wanna see her." He mumbled. Maybe seeing you again would help him make the right choice. At the most it would curb his sense of helplessness. Sitting around was doing nothing for his nerves.

Sarai nodded and handed Joker a nurse uniform. "Y/n is on a different floor. Change into this 'n follow me."

He worn a similar outfit like this long ago so the disguise wasn't an issue. It gave Joker access to walk alongside Dr. Sarai onto the ICU floor. There was a completely different atmosphere coming off the elevators. The dread was palpable and clung to his clothes.

Joker could smell death that lingered in the air. He knew the smell all too well given his profession and it made his heart drop to his stomach, catching a whiff of it when he opened your door.

You were knocking on death's door and the cruel man was inviting you in.

Joker pulled down his hospital mask and slowly crept towards your side. In the few hours he'd seen you last; you took a turn for the worse.

It was going on two weeks that you been in the hospital, all of which you spent in a coma. There were countless surgeries and consultations and yet your health seemed to decline not improve. Maybe Sarai was right. He should probably entertain reality as painful as it will be.

Joker came to a stop near your bedside to stare at your frail form. He knew from just one glance that you couldn't survive for much longer. This wasn't his Bunny anymore. All the light was sucked out of you and made you so small.

"I'll give ya some privacy." Sarai said as she stepped out. She knew Joker needed to be alone with his grief.

There couldn't be any witnesses to what he was about to say.

Pleading for someone to stay alive was such a foreign concept to him. Usually for him, it was the other way around, however Joker always found himself doing the unthinkable whenever it pertained to you.

J cleared his throat before he began his dire plea.

"Hey uh it's meeee, Y/n. I dunno if you can hear me but I uhh.. Geez, I don't know what to do without ya here. What I'd kill to have those pretty eyes of yours lookin' my way. To hear your laugh. T-To feel your warm touch on mine.." Joker exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

He refused to cry. He did not cry yet a drop or two fell anyhow. If you were awake. the scene unfolding would be jaw dropping.

Joker was a ruthless man with a matching reputation. None of that mattered as he spoke from the heart.

"Uh, if you're tired, t-that's okay, Y/n. Say the word and... d__n it, I'll let ya go, okay?! I'll swallow my pride. I can.. I can say goodbye when its time, but you gotta work with me doll. Give me a sign you're ready and I'll listen. But until then please... Fight. Stay alive.. stay w-with me, Y/n."

Joker choked up and backed away, suddenly unable to breathe.

His hands were shaking and there was a ringing in his ears. J thought he was hearing one of your machines going off but your vitals were the same, sluggish but constant.

It was just a panic attack that had him all discombobulated. You were okay (for now), but he was far from it.

Why did he think you would hear him at his most vulnerable moment?

This was nothing like the numerous tv show dramas where a heartfelt speech would instantly make the sick patient wake up. He was stupid for getting his hopes up and beyond weak for shedding tears for this. He got himself back under control and made himself comfortable on the room's guest bed.

He had to just hope that you would be okay. That's all he could do.

Funny how a week ago he couldn't stand the noise your monitors made. But now? The slow beeps of your heart were his lullaby.

The staccato pitfalls of your imminent demise roused him awake. Another team of personnel burst through the door, each one working on autopilot to get you back stable.

You were crashing again. Another code. A shame that this became your version of normal.

Could it be your lungs failing again or did Joker's nightmare finally come true? Was this the sign he asked for last night? Was this your way of saying you were giving up? He honestly didn't know.

"No pulse! Charging to one hundred sixty joules!"

Joker sat in the corner, resigning himself to this fate. That familiar bitter smell cloaked your room. You weren't coming back after this.

More beeping, more calls for procedures and useless equipment. There was so much commotion, he was forced to drown it all out in order to think straight.

By no means was Joker a religious man yet in that moment, he closed his eyes and prayed to any high power who would listen.

'Please don't take her from me. I thought I could let her go. I can't. I just can’t.'

Their attempts at keeping you alive went on and on for what seemed like forever until someone brave enough walked over to Joker's hunched form to deliver the news.

He appeared to be mumbling to himself, but she couldn't be for certain. It made for a weird sight.

"Um sir? We need your permission to.."

So it was happening whether he was ready or not. So much for prayers. Joker wondered why he even bothered.

He knew what they were asking for, yet he couldn't help being bitter in his reply. "To whaT?" He snapped.

The female nurse jumped at the frosty tone, "T-To pull the... um. We'll give you some time alone."

She nodded at the others and in seconds the room was empty, save for you and Joker.

Joker went to sleep fearing this moment would come. He thought he would have more time to prepare. He wasn't ready to say goodbye, yet Fate was oh so cruel.

The brief time that J spent with you skirted across his memory. He would never forget your eyes the first time he saw you. So bright and expressive. Your bravery and wit blew him away and your deep scars from your past humbled him. Joker had never met someone so resilient. You lived up to your nickname.

You were his Light; always and forever.

He would never forget your voice; how it felt in the hushed early mornings and intimate late nights, or your whimsical mind inspiring him to greatness. You changed him for the better in a fraction of a year.

There were just too many memories to recap as he shuffled over to your body.

Only a few vital machines were keeping you between life and death and they strained to complete their assigned workload. Even to the end, you were stubbornly fighting but it wasn't enough to sustain you.

Joker gently smoothed your hair back from your face. "M'sorry Y/n. I gotta let you go." He rested his forehead against yours.

You managed the unthinkable. You made The Joker cry.

There was no time for theatrics, Joker spoke boldly and true.

"You're the only woman I'll love. I will never choose another, I swear. I am so sorry that I couldn't get to you. Please, Y/n. I'll do anything just please.. don't go."

For so many years Joker refused to be weak— he had a reputation to uphold, a symbol to represent; all of that meant nothing if you were gone. He would be nothing but a broken shell of a man.

Joker cried as if his tears could bring you back.

At first, he almost missed it. Maybe he was hallucinating in his time of grief— but then it happened again.

A slight twitch. Coma patients didn't move unless...

J was pretty insane (he had papers to prove it) so he questioned if this was all a trick of his mind. Before he got his hopes up, he needed to be sure this was actually happening.

And so, you have him a sign.

The back of your eyelids moved. The heart monitor picked up a sudden spike in activity.

He felt your hand jerk. He saw your chest rise and fall. Joker felt as if he could breathe air again. He wasn't crazy! This was actually happening! His life regained its purpose as more and more signs were recorded on your systems.

And finally, the cusp of the performance; An explosion of alerts. Your heart was now beating too fast, the ventilator automatically turning off to let your lung take over.

Joker couldn't scream loud enough. "NURSE!" He mashed the call button as you struggled to wake fully. "C'mon Bunny, that's it! Look. At. Me!"

Two weeks he went without gazing into your gorgeous eyes. He could happily drown in them if only you would grace him with the sight. He didn't have to wait much longer.

Your colored eyes immediately met Joker's expectant gaze. "Welcome back, my Light."

[moose-muffin]

Lee Vox enthusiast? Aight bet.

The brain rot I have for this man is not even funny, he's so lee-coded I swear to god-

Probably the kind of lee that provokes their lers into wrecking them (both intentionally and unintentionally.) I.E refusing to let Velvette watch TV on him despite knowing full well she's feeling playful, or getting so worked up about Alastor people will do anything to make him shut up about it.

Height does not matter because he's way to easy to fluster, you could be twice as big or twice as small but the fact remains that he will crumble when his hips are targeted.

Definitely glitches out when he's being got good, might even get to see him flash through random channels if you can really get him going. Just be careful that he isn't too close to any electronics because he might fry them by mistake.

Accidentally caused a black out throughout half the Vee's building one time, it took a week to be fully repaired and Velvette still hasn't stopped making fun of him for it.

Spends 90% percent of his energy covering his face/stifling his laugh (and failing horribly)

I'd throw in some Radiostatic for flavor but I'm not sure how you feel about that pairing so I'll leave it at this for now lol-

Thanks for the excuse to ramble about the TV guy - 📽

ME CURRENTLY: 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

THESE HEADCANONS ARE MAKING MY BRAIN DO LIKE CARTWHEELS AND BACKFLIPS I AM SO GRATEFUL RIGHT NOW!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THESE WITH THE CLASS <3

YOU ARE RIGHT THAT HE’S LEE-CODED!!!!! He is so Lee it’s actually crazy! We saw him at the end of Stayed Gone. That man was stomping his feet.. you KNOW he does that when he gets tickled too LIKEEEE IMAGINE OH MY GOD

THIS PART SPECIFICALLY WAS SO ACCURATE AND I AM OBSESSED. THE FACT IT CAN BE UNINTENTIONAL AND ALSO VERY MUCH INTENTIONAL LIKE WITH VELVETTE WANTING TO WATCH TV ON HIMMMM AND THEN TICKLING HIM TO GET HER WAY!!!!!! THIS IS WHY SHES AN ICON AND ALSO WHY VOX IS LEE MOVING ON

THIS PART IS ADORABLE. BIG SCARY ALASTOR DEMON VERSION OR LIKE VELVETTE BEING A LITTLE SHIT BECAUSE ITS SO FUN FOR HER <3 DONT THINK I MISSED THE TICKLISH HIPS COMMENT. UR SPITTING BARS CURRENTLY

GIGGLING AT THIS ONE!!! THE Flipping THRU CHANNELS!!!!!! IMAGINE HE JUST GOES FROM LIKE SOME COOKING SHOW TO A SOAP OPERA TO LIKE IDK MTV TO LIKE IDK IF HELL HAS IMPRACTICAL JOKERS BUT I HOPE THEY DO OR AT LEAST SOMETHING ADJACENT, REGARDLESS ABSOLUTE TOTAL SILLINESS (please tease him about it oh my GOD he would get so flustered)

THIS IS FUCKINF CRAZY AND I LOVE IT ITS SO CANON. VELVETTE LOVES BRINGING IT UP OR TRYING TO GET HIM TO EXPLAIN IT TO PEOPLE. HE DOESNT TELL THEM AND SHE HAS TO OF COURSE TICKLE HIM TO PROVE JUST HOW TICKLISH HE IS AND THEN TELLS THE STORY. He’s MORTIFIED but also a little flustered and blushy <3 god he’s so gorgeous

oh my god please PLEASE IF YOU HAVE RADIOSTATIC HEADCANONS I WOULD LOVEEEEE TO HEAR THEM!!!! IM SLOWLY BECOMING A FAN OF THEM (not that I wasn’t before, I was just kinda like “haha that’s a funny concept” and now the vision is clearer and im feeling feelings)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK <3 GENUINELY SO KIND AND SWEET AND I ABSOLUTELY ADORED EVERY SECOND!!! YOU HAVE A GREAT STYLE OF WRITING ITS SO FUN AND JUST WORKSSSS

[misscammiedawn]

okay i need to ask cause im curious, what are your top 5 bruce banner/hulk stories? i have such a hole in my marvel knowledge about them aside from like. cartoons or w/e of him

Oh, this is a pleasant surprise. Thank you for asking.

We'll be quite happy to hear your favorite DC comics in return sometime, so do hit us up.

So, to answer the question. It's on a sliding scale. Hulk is an interesting character because he's the ultimate incarnation of a typical miscommunication fight-to-friends superhero scuffle. His one against Wolverine was the introduction of that character and both Avengers AND Defenders had elements of that in their origins.

Hulk makes for a glue to the Marvel universe because he is always a hero and yet he can always be fighting against other heroes. More often than not he is.

Assume you've checked out our Essay Posts but for us we want to see a story about Hulk explore different aspects of the character. Our favorite authors for him are Peter David, Greg Pak and Al Ewing. We also prefer stories that deal with Bruce's DID.

#1 is and always will be Immortal Hulk. This 50 issue run is so good it briefly outsold Batman. It's horror themed, references the entire lore of the character and is an anti-capitalism anthem. I once saw a shitpost that said that Immortal Hulk is what Mr. Robot would be if the Alderson System decided to just punch capitalism until it stopped. But sincerely it's introspective, it's respectful of DID in a way I've not really seen many other comics get right and Joe says "Trans Rights" (there's also a prominent trans character who resists propaganda/nostalgia based mind control because she's fucking sick of the world telling her what she is supposed to be and she does not look at her childhood as a safe place to retreat to).

#2 Ground Zero by Peter David. This was about the time that PAD was gearing Hulk from the Mantlo era into his soap opera era and in this era he's writing a Gray Hulk who speaks more than the green guy and isn't the hero that everyone would associate with the character. The best part of this arc by far is the depiction of Sam Sterns, The Leader, and why he is a fun and perfect foil for Hulk/Banner. Just a damn good comic. As its its spiritual follow-up a few years later, Countdown.

#3 Joe Fixit/Vegas Arc by Peter David. Right after Ground Zero. Pretty much anything between Joe's introduction in Vegas as an enforcer up until Samson forces the system to merge into a new alter called The Professor. It's soap opera action but it's fun seeing the Hulk/Banner divide from the perspective of Hulk. Usually Banner is the one trying to prevent the transformations and feeling Hulk is ruining his stability and life but here you have Joe living a happy life and Banner being the thing ruining it for him. Made for some interesting stories for a few years. The scene with Betty and Joe laughing together is one of my favorite moments in comic history.

#4 Planet Hulk. Honestly anything in Pak's run is good (I especially liked the Amadeus Cho stuff with Hercules) but Planet Hulk is rightfully held up as the best of the era and gets consistent adaptations (Thor Ragnarok is pretty much Planet Hulk). Hulk being imprisoned by a barbarian race is actually a fairly common story. I can think of 3 times it has happened off the top of my head. He even gets a love interest in 2 of them. But this one is the perfection of that oddly specific formula.

#5 Crossroads. The Bill Mantlo series which pretty much all modern Hulk takes inspiration from knowingly or otherwise. 80s Hulk was a weird time because of the TV show bringing a lot of interest to the character which couldn't translate into the Marvel universe as it stood at the time and that series was able to isolate him out into his little adventures which were fairly isolated and got to be experimental. Also includes the Banner family backstory as well as a symbiotic alien parasite a short while before Spidey had his black suit stuff happen. It's a classic.

Thank you for asking and sincerely ignore everything and just read Immortal Hulk because it's the correct answer.

[maggins]

As someone who is not too familiar with IDW Transformers could you please give us a TLDR why the heck Thundercracker has a dog and a human girlfriend?

oh bOY OH BOY WHERE TO BEGIN.....

well, if you want a SUPER quick rundown of his IDW version, this video gives a very neat summary at the 7:45 mark! and his tfwiki entry has a much lengthier but more detailed description of his story in the comics

.... however, i kinda wanna brainrot about TC's arc from memory so hERE I GO I GUESS

from what i remember he started out pretty much as p much another goon in the decepticon army and part of the elite trine with starscream and skywarp; but his devotion to the cause started to waver when the cons launched a full scale invasion of earth; he didn't feel like humans were worthy adversaries and that what they were doing was just a senseless slaughter. it came to a breaking point when he found himself saving the autobots and new york city from a nuclear strike orchestrated by megatron. skywarp blasted him in the face (ouch) for his betrayal and left him for dead in the rubble of the city as the decepticons retreated and the autobots went into hiding/running from humans.

however, he survived this barely, and spent the next three years hiding in the rubble of the city and waiting for aid from a distress signal he managed to send out to any other comrades who may not have heard of his betrayal.

and it was HERE during this period that he pretty much had nothing else to do but kill time, and how did he do it? by watching human television. he watched pretty much anything, from news channels to history and nature documentaries, and more importantly, cheesy soap operas. and it was here that his perception of earth and its people, culture and nature completely shifted; his kind had been stagnant war for millions of years, and during that time on this lil blue orb entire civilisations had risen and fallen and risen again, nature continued to shift the face of the planet on a daily basis, and he found that beautiful. he gained a newfound respect and admiration for earth and its ability to, ironically, transform itself every day 🥹

oh gosh im getting carried away, bUT THAT ��ˆˆ is what drew me to his character in the first place, i thought it was so cool to see a cybertronian, a decepticon, gain that level of respect for humans and nature and culture 🥰

AFTER THAAAAT well there's a lot of shit that went down bUT BASICALLY. humans eventually recognized him as a neutral cybertronian and granted him refuge, fuel and A DOG. i don't know the details of what led him to getting buster but honestly that doesn't matter; she's his everything and he would do anything for her 🥹 he doesn't go unchecked tho, he has a human liaison and that is where marissa comes in: she's his contact with the government to make sure he has everything he needs, and in return the organization she works for, the earth defense command, may call in some favors from him when wanting to deal with extraterrestrial threats

his love of television also inspired him to want to become a scriptwriter himself!! he's kinda terrible at it at first bc he's writing human characters from the perspective of an alien, which leads to some very interesting pieces of literature 😂 but honestly, he's so earnest and enthusiastic about it, you can't help but root for the guy!! he's just living his absolute BEST life on earth, creating art, getting loved by a doggie and hopelessly crushing on his girlboss human friend!! HOW COULD I NOT LOVE HIM HE'S SO ADASFAFFSDA

[obxfiles]

season 4 jj spoilers

there are moments where jj has mentioned an almost "normal" childhood; sunday school and all that. and that hug when luke tells him he loves him and jj hugs him back to me that showed that once upon a time things weren't so bad. but what they're doing still manages to feel forced. we needed more of that side of luke throughout the show, more of jj saying things like "it wasn't always like this" or thinking back on some decent times with his dad

because doing it this way feels like they're trying to pull a redemption arch for luke outta nowhere.

and yes i still stand by my belief that from a writing standpoint, i hate the idea of luke NOT being his father and love how these two are so entangled together. i hate what luke does but narratively he and jj are so powerful together on screen with their dynamic.

this just feels so cheap and WEIRD. like can we please just be normal for a second. i don't want soap opera plots. i don't want surprise "im not your real dad" and teen pregnancy scares

legit i wouldn't be surprised if barry is gonna pop up like "barry died im his evil twin harry!"

i stg my silly boat show has me stressin

[creedslove]

I've never even seen the source material for Joel but I saw the headcanon for his ex wife wanting him back and I CRIED im definitely going to follow you for more and hope there's a resolution to the pain reader goes through ♡

Also! your writing is wonderful! That anon clearly isn't an author or a fan but I am ♡

Haha I get it! When I had the idea and later when I was developing it, I simply knew this headcanon would mess with people's feelings because everyone's used to Joel being the prince charming, the lovely boyfriend who spoils and does everything he can to please reader but when he acts like an asshole, people get mad 😡 lol, and the funny part is: I had the idea while I was watching this soap opera in which the guy is a widower but his former sister in law is obsessed with him, so she keeps going to his home to make him meals and desserts and the main character who's in a relationship with him gets so angry they argue every time!

I'll probably work on the second part though, but I still haven't had a good idea to do so, so I'll wait a little ��️

And thank you for your kind words! That anon is just full of crap, but idgaf about it, because you and other lovely people make me feel always so happy with everything ❤️

[bitchhiker]

i said i would post more chapters of my fic 500 years ago and that what i wrote was basically finished but it's like...Eroded Away and Gone because i scrap things when they feel redundant or contradict whatever i wrote like 3 years ago which has characterization i dont 100% agree with. i dont write outlines ever and i have no clue what im writing about until it's done lmao. i want to write more about meat and people being murdered on top of their childish soap opera. i want to write about sally...anyway this one chapter ive been picking at when i'm bored is about whatever kind of repressed, deranged sexuality is going on there between the two and like. Should that be known to us. Should i elaborate. how far does it go...

[what-thisiscrazzzy]

Okay I just wrote and essay on soap operas and while doing this is read Glen Creeber’s ‘serial television’ where he discussed the hybridisation of the soap opera and its characteristic of the ‘flexi- narrative’ and I want to talk about how this applies to 911 on ABC especially with the season 6 ending and the season 8 renewal 3 episodes into its new season.

Disclaimer: I don’t want to write a whole essay on this and i dont fully have an idea where im going with this. this is just me rambling.

Firstly Creeber defines the soap opera as: A continuous, never-ending drama series usually set around the domestic and intimate lives of a small community that explicitly resists narrative closure.

The 'flexi-narrative' is the characteristic of soap operas where there are multiple narratives running separately and with different tones. not all of these narratives will reach a complete conclusion, some trailing off and some left open for further exploration. This creates a sense of realism as real life continues on and doesnt have a conclusion.

Additionally, Christine Geraghty explains that realism in soaps is also built by the way that the narrative continues without the viewer creating the sense that they live a day to day life beyon what the viewer can observe.

A quick explanation of hybridisation is that elements such as the flexinarrative and the focus on close interpersonal relationships rather than larger overarching plotlines and politics. Within the text that I'm referring to there is a discussion of how shows based on work places become less about the jobs and more about these relationships.

John Wilsher (who is quoted in this book) states that essentially all drama is becoming a soap opera with these more personal stories, this is stated like a negative by him but I personally find these narrative more interesting as they become more psychological and allow for a discussion of more personal topics and political implications.

But basically what is being said is the drama now is a sort of hybrid with soap operas and has adapted to include the flexi-narrative and a focus on more personal narrastives.

This is where my thoughts come to 911 and its move to ABC. The previous season of 911's ending was created with the knowledge that the show would most likely be cancelled (i don't know at what point the writers where aware of this but i think it can be assumed that the season didn't start with this confirmed and/or known) this meant that everything had to be wrapped up, every story line must come to a form of conclusion. I think it can be easily said that most viewers and fans found the conclusion as unsatisfying due to the choices made by writers. However, I think to an extent no conclusion would be satisfying as 911 is a show that benefits and thrives on the flexi-narrative. In a sense it is a hybrid of the soap opera similar to most modern procedurals and within this is the expectation that it will feature continuous plot lines and refer back to its past stories. This can be seen in the various 'Buck' iterations, the acknowledgement of Buck's character progression. A large part of 911 is the personal development of characters like Buck but also Bobby and his alcoholism, Hen's family and its occasional issues and celebrations, Chim and his journey with relationships and Maddie with overcoming abuse and developing a healthy family. Any final conclusion to 911 will feel unsatisfying as the show has built on the sense of realism, these characters have been shown to experience life beyond the plot and to write it to a close feels unnatural.

I also believe the way they chose to conclude specifically Bucks story did feel rush, if anything if they didn't have time to give him a fully developed love interest then they should have returned to a previous iteration of the couch metaphor and had him happy single or continue looking for love with a healthier mind set. To give him a concrete close without the time to set up a fulfilling future feels odd even if you have no investment in Buddie or if you did have investment in his relationship with Natalia. The narrative structure of 911 creates the pattern that there is no happy ending, they just continued development. The ending of season 6 didn't create a sense that Buck will develop more, his new relationship felt almost closed. I think a comparison to this is Eddie's ending which did feel like a closing but instead like a slightly new beginning (I don't personally like Marisol but this isnt about opinions of the love interest but instead how she is introduced) as it was an opening to Eddie developing past... well his past.

Anyway this is all to say that the renewal of 911 after 3 episodes of season 7 does sit well with this comparison to soap operas in terms of its benefits. 911 works better when the writers can write these flexi-narratives that are continuous and could last not just for a season but beyond that. I think that's sort of where 911 has suffered as it sometimes tries to close narratives that don't require closure or are ended too early. Such as the Buckley parents, that's a narrative that could have been taken through multiple seasons and even with forgiveness it could be something that could be further discussed. But season 8 being renewed allows the writers the safety to write continuous stories that don't need to be concluded by the end of the season. I think in general 911 thrives when it doesn't try to close things and instead continues on. A wedding isn't the ending of the dating era but a new beginning, a death isn't the end but a way to explore its ramifications, etc.

This was all just me rambling bc i had to read a bunch of stuff for uni and 911 was on my brain but ultimately what i want to get at is procedural shows such as 911 benefit more from being treated as soap operas or at least using the characteristics they have inherited to its advantage and if they are given the freedom to create long running and never ending personal narratives they can develop a more satisfying story.

This all made more sense in my head sorry

[spector]

sad to announce that i am feeling better and that i fully finished my the boys (2019-) binge, complete with gen v s1 and its suuuuch a mid show but like damn i liked it a lot lmfao. and i cant even use the excuse of having a fever to soften the blow to my pretentiousness. fuck im sorry everyone im coming out as an enjoyer of a tv show made by the supernatural guys.... granted its literally the power of one blorbo fueling my interest atm but i rly do like the show in general, i like a lot of the other characters, not just homelander.

not butcher tho like jesus christ hes SHOOO boring. i love karl urban and i guess i cant say that he's doing something Wrong (other than his accent. they shouldve adapted the guy to a kiwi instead of a boring brit) but butcher is just soooosososos repetitive to me. every single fucking season is like "oi cunt i dont care about my friends i will do anything to kill homelander" and the friends are like "please care about us" "ahhhh hehe okay :)" ITS SO BORING!!!! ITS SO BORING!!!!! THIS GUY IS SO BORING!!! the worst episode of the whole show to me was that one ep in s3 when he was having flashbacks to his shitty childhood and not a single actor on screen could do a normal british accent like are you fucking kidding me LMFAO . its like revenge on british actors coming over and stealing american roles

also goooood im not a fan of the whole ryan storyline. i understand the whole show hinges on it but that was a wrong call bc a). they cant write for kids b). they got a kid actor whos . not giving that much . also ryan plotline goes in circles as well. just like homelanders.

i was watching this show and thinking this is just a soap opera for men bc theres like zero concrete plot progression and zero character development but theyre not ready for this conversation

anyways theres this blond bitch im thinking about now.