#i love his dynamic with so many of the characters in the show

[will80sbyers]

Obviously, part of his story is that Will needs to accept himself and be proud of being different, but the thing they focus on the most in his story is how deep, selfless, and beautiful his love for Mike is, and how sad he feels when he thinks he's losing Mike. The idea of losing Mike hurts him too much, and even the thought of just having to let go is painful. He says that if that had to happen, he wanted it to be like ripping off a bandaid, but the monologue was supposed to be that bandaid being ripped off, and it simply didn't work. He's still in love with him, and this will be addressed next season with the painting situation ✨

One of the things that makes me sure of Byler is that it's already clear to all of the viewers that absolutely no one in his family or friend group will hate Will for being gay. There's no doubt that Mike would accept him platonically because we have S1 where Mike beats up that kid for being homophobic to Will, and just knowing Mike's character he wouldn't be the type to be homophobic to his best friend, he would not give a fuck about that, ESPECIALLY if he was meant to be straight... so basically there is not really a decent story to tell there and Mike loving him too is the best story they can tell, the most surprising and happy and the most satisfying writing-wise

A story where Will confesses and is proud of himself but then gets immediately rejected by Mike is just such an ugly and underwhelming story to write, and it wouldn't make much sense to make so many explicit parallels to other love stories for byler and then focus this much on how beautiful Will's love for Mike is too if that didn't pay off at the end

This storyline would also help Mike's character arc, separating it from his fears around losing El to focus on a self discovery journey in general, we would see Mike gain more confidence in himself as a leader because of the type of love that Will has for him where he explicitly calls him the heart and inspiration of all of them!!!

Will's love for Mike gave him confidence VS. what we have seen happens to Mike when he's in a relationship with El... Eleven having superpowers and constantly choosing to leave him behind makes him feel like he's useless, he feels like he's not even Lois Lane in their dynamic now and her gaining independence growing up and not really needing him to be okay emotionally makes him feel insecure in himself... to the point he has resorted to pretending to be someone cooler than who he really is ( in s3 dismissing his love for D&D/games that are considered childish and in S4 arriving dressed as a "cool" surfer guy ) for the fear of her not wanting him anymore in her life in any way, clearly there's something not working out between them, love is not supposed to make you feel like that about yourself and it should be a natural and automatic thing that's coming directly from El resolving this problem, certainly not a 3rd person using his own feelings to fix their relationship.

This storyline would also tell a story of growth for both El and Mike at the same time, one where they let go of their first relationship that was based more on circumstance and fear of losing the other as a familiar person than actual intentional choices, and then they can show how you can still stay friends after.

I know this is the arc Melvins want for Will, but I believe it will be the other way around instead because... again, they focused too much on his love, making it too strong in the story to dismiss, and instead they showed how El was happy even without a relationship with Mike multiple times during the past seasons - they focused a lot on the relationships with her family and friends for her, it has always been what she needed the most and what she truly wanted 🌈

[draw-n-vent-with-imani]

Dammit, this resurfaced again and I wanted to hold off on mentioning something before I write my essay on peatb but to hell with it-

Part 1: A Positive Feedback Loop

PEatB set itself up to fail the second Elmyra was made to be their human companion. I'm not saying this because I dislike her character (I didn't watch Tiny Toons); I'm saying this because I would have killed for a show that threw a y/n character and just went all the way with it.

Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtually effectively does the same thing, having you inserted into the dynamic of 2 already established characters, and I have a soft spot for the game because it at least tried to make some kind of chemistry between the three of them.

What I believe a lot of people have a problem with is character interactions in peatb. A positive feedback loop forms whenever a third character is introduced into the scene and I'm gonna dig into it here:

Brain is unhappy with their situation,

Pinky doesn't mind it all too much because he gets to play and this annoys Brain,

Elmyra comes in and plays with them and this infuriated Brain, therefor leading him to hate his situation even more.

Most people are not happy when they watch a character get punched down for not real reason other than "that's the show".

Here is what could have happened to prevent this:

Brain is unhappy with his situation

Pinky/Elmyra try to cheer him up by showing how he can improve his situation

Brain gets inspired to make a plan

The plan fails but Brain gains a new experience, so the whole ordeal wasn't a total loss (Think of "Yule Be Sorry" as a slightly passable example of this)

I understand the reason for reverting back to a status quo but there is no reason a main character can't still learn something and apply it in future episodes.

Part 2: Insert Character Name Here!

This realistically should have been my dream series. Do you know how many times I've inserted myself into world domination schemes?

Fans would have eaten this up if the human character being inserted was someone relatable. Have the girl still be a kid. She can even still be an animal lover. But make her vulnerable in a way that Pinky and Brain can see and help with. They can occasionally help with homework. They can use her in plans that require the height or an extra hand. I know some of y'all liked Brain having softy moments in the og, spin-off, AND the reboot; there could have been some in here where he helps teach a life lesson (He's pretended to be a teacher so many times and loves explaining shit, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HIS ELEMENT!)

And like @xalodaxa mentioned, it could be a season long arc. They stay with girl, improve both of each other's lives to a certain extent, and then depart having changed over the course of the season. For Brain, it could be as simple as having more plans to revamp the educational system when he takes control. I suppose Pinky doesn't usually have to change much, maybe just opening up more about how he feels or something. And the girl is overflowing with confidence in herself.

Conclusion

Executives dropped the ball with this one and it left the writers unable to put much into salvaging the concept. It didn't have to be this way.

So in the end, we're left with this sad, annoying show that could have taken the mice in an experimental direction.

I am planning on writing a essay on the entirety of the series and will hopefully make it into a video essay in the future

hmm oh

[aluraveil]

Revelation

Pairing: Yandere Fyodor x Reader

Sypnosis: Your boyfriend, the one who's loved and cared for you a lot turns out to be a dangerous criminal. You were unaware of this, but once the truth comes out, what will you do now?

TW: Massive plot spoilers for BSD manga, yandere content, manipulation, character death (NOT reader or any MAJOR chars), unhealthy relationship dynamics, swearing, Fyodor himself. Extremely rushed because I want to fantasize about Fyodor and the latest chapters with him in it. Sorry for horrible writing and quality.

Word Count: 1.8k

The low clanking of dishes and the busy atmosphere was all that filled your ears.

You were currently sitting in a cafe, all by yourself waiting for your lover to arrive. You began to feel sadness creeping into your heart because you’ve been waiting here for over an hour now. Many thoughts were beginning to rush into your head and you couldn’t help but be lost within them.

“Are you still waiting for your date?” That voice suddenly caught you off guard. You turned your head over a little and you noticed that she was carrying a mountain of dishes. The waitress peaked her head over a bit to the side. After recovering from the initial shock, you mustered up a reply, with a sad expression on your face. “Yeah.. he’s still not here.” Had Fyodor just decided to stand you up? You physically frowned at the thought.

“Aw I’m so sorry about that,” The waitress offered you a sad smile. “If you need anything, you can call me over.” You nodded your head and the waitress began walking back with the faint clanking of the dishes being stacked on top of each other.

Work had made it so that you and your lover wouldn't spend time during the day together very much. 

“Oh? My job..?” Fyodor hummed as he lifted his cup of tea. “I work for the… military.” 

“Oh how wonderful.” You took a bite out of your biscuit, “Pretty nice how we both help the general public right?” You shot him a smile. “I work for the Armed Detective Agency.”

You didn’t fail to notice the way Fyodor’s eyes immediately darkened for a split second and he immediately choked on his tea and started coughing rapidly. Confused, you were immediately concerned. You immediately stood up with the intention of helping him before Fyodor raised his hand signaling you to sit back down.

“Pardon me Y/N,” Fyodor said as he raised a glass of water to his throat. “It seems that I was drinking the tea too quickly.” He sat the glass down as soon as it was empty. “You were quite worried for me right there, weren’t you Y/N?” Fyodor shot a grin at you.

“W-Well.. I- uh..” You stuttered, “Hey that’s not fair!” Your face flushed red in embarrassment. “I wouldn’t want you to choke okay?” You crossed your arms and pouted.

Fyodor smirked as he noticed how flustered you look. How cute, he thought.

“Stop giving me that look,” You sulked. “You’re making me feel embarrassed!”

You remember that was your first date with Fyodor. How long ago that was, and look at how close the two of you got. That memory warmed your heart a little just by thinking of it.

Ring! Ring!

The ringing of the entrance bell took you back to reality. Curious, you looked over to see the source of the sound. Your lover finally showed up.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Fyodor shot you an apologetic smile. “Work kept me… preoccupied.” He walked over and pulled out the chair on the other end of the table before he sat down.

“Well what even happened?” You asked with a gloomy expression. You looked up and noticed a splotch of red on his white hat. It caught your eye due to the contrast in color. “Fedya? Is that..” blood? 

Fyodor’s expression went from confused. He pondered in thought for a minute before he realized what you were trying to say. “No dear… it’s just wine.”

“An arrogant prick..” Fyodor trailed off before changing the subject, “I think it’s best if we don’t… discuss matters related to work. Afterall, we don’t always get the opportunity to go on dates.”

He reached over the table and put his hands on top of yours, “I apologize again for making you wait this much.” He leaned in closer and stared lovingly into your eyes. “I love you. You’re the most important thing in my life.” He squeezed your hands tighter and your heart fluttered, “Please let me make it up to you. I’ll do anything.”

Fyodor knew just the right words to make you feel better. Your heart was brimming with many different emotions. You loved him so much, and even though he made you wait this long, you couldn’t help but believe it was worth it in the end. 

You could hear a tiny voice in the back of your head telling you that there was something terribly wrong. From the way he was so late, his demeanor, and that strange spot on his hat. Your head was screaming at all of the red flags. All your senses were telling you to run. To run and to never look back. But your boyfriend would never lie to you. You shook your head and pushed those unwanted thoughts out of your mind. There was nothing wrong. It’s not his fault that he was held up at work because he’s dedicated to serving the military and he wants to help the common people. He’s a good person. Plus he wants to make it up to you and he apologized immensely.

You’re overthinking things.

Right?

Going against the tiny voice in the back of your mind, you hushed it out with the next words that you said.

“I forgive you. I love you too much to stay mad at you forever.”

“But I want to know though!” You said, brimming with curiosity. “What’s your job in the military like?”

“I work in the strategic department..” Fyodor replied, “Essentially, all that I do is that I design plans that allow us to gain the upper hand over our enemies.” Fyodor’s eyes darkened a bit with a suspicious glint and he looked up from his teacup and landed onto your form. “Why do you want to know?”

“Oh well you know!” You nervously scratched the back of your head feeling nervous from his intense gaze, “Just plain curiosity is all!”

“The way that you keep inquiring about my… occupation, you seem as if you are gathering intel from me to report back to an enemy organization.”

-

Work at the detective agency has been busy ever since the Decay of Angels has come along. Your mission today was to be at the airport to stop Fukuchi from getting his hands on the One Order. However, things took a huge turn when Fukuchi’s plan was revealed and he ended up dying.

You were informed of this by your partner Atsushi as the both of you are running to the roof of the airport to stop a mysterious person from escaping with the One Order.

“He’s an extremely dangerous man named Fyodor.” Atsushi explains.

What? Fyodor? Like your boyfriend Fyodor?

Your confused expression is evident and Atsushi makes a comment about you somehow knowing this Fyodor person. You obviously deny because there’s no way your boyfriend Fyodor was involved in this.

You both reach the roof of the airport as the mysterious man turns around wearing a long black suit and you’re shocked when you realize it’s Fyodor. 

“Fyodor, how could you?” You cried out. “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe you’re the enemy!”

“The enemy?” Fyodor gasped as he put his hand over his mouth to hide his faux shock. “I am not the enemy my dear. I plan to cleanse this world of all ability users, I am merely doing a noble thing.”

“Did you ever love me?” You yelled as you started to feel tears forming in your eyes.

Fyodor’s expression softens. “Of course I did. I’ve always loved you myshka. I care a lot about you, I am merely doing my duty in cleansing this world full of sin.” He extends his hand out to you, “would you care to join me in my mission as my lover? If so, I’ll spare the tiger boy.”

“He’s lying, don't listen to him Y/N!” Atsushi screamed. “He’s a selfish, twisted and evil man!”

As if you were in a trance, your hand began to reach forward on its own, a symbol of your blind trust in Fyodor no matter the circumstance. Just as you were about an inch from taking his hand, you paused and slapped his hand away.

“I will never join you in your twisted schemes Fyodor!” You spat with a fierce look on your face.

“Oh how rude. And here I was giving you the opportunity so I wouldn’t have to force you.” Fyodor’s face wrinkled in disgust. “Amenogozen, kill the tiger boy!”

Just like that, Atsushi’s body was slashed over and over again until he became nothing but bubbles.

“No Atsushi!” You cried out running over to his body. “Please don’t leave me!”

Atsushi’s eyes began to close as he was nearing his own death. The attack was so sudden that he didn’t even have time to react.

“Whatever you do Y/N,” Atsushi said with his dying last words. “Don’t join him!”

You got there too late as the only thing you did was manage to hug a bunch of bubbles.

“What did that monster do to Atsushi?” You yelled out in anger as your knees gave in and you were on your knees now on the floor. “Bring him back now!”

“I’m afraid the tiger boy is gone my dear.” Fyodor smirked as he began to walk towards you. “I’m gonna give you one last chance now love. You can join me willingly or you can make me get my hands dirty and have me force you to join me.”

“Think hard now.” Fyodor taunts, “Which one should you pick?”

You felt the gravity of the situation truly weigh down upon you. You had nobody left. There was no way the agency or anyone in the world could defeat Amenogozen nor Fyodor. He’s just too powerful. You couldn’t escape him either because he would always find you. Why? Why did it have to be Atsushi? Why couldn’t it have been you?

You took a minute to weigh your options before finally deciding to go with Fyodor. You took his hand and he caged you in an embracing hug similar to how a husband would show affection to his wife.

“I’m glad you didn’t make this difficult for me.” Fyodor says. “Now come on, we have work to do.”

Fyodor holds your hand as his other hand wields divine order. He leads you and Amenogozen onto a plane where he plans to execute the final part of his plan when he lands. 

Somehow, someway, you found yourself seeking Fyodor’s love and affection. You began to crave his touch once more as you place your head and lay it down on his shoulder.

For a minute, you’re hesitant about what you just did before Fyodor wraps his arms around you. The two of you stay like this for the rest of the plane ride and for a moment, you wished that it could stay like this forever, you wished that you could forget about the tiger boy and just join Fyodor. 

In the end, your love for Fyodor was what reeled you back to him. Not even his crimes could deter you from him.

[mamawasatesttube]

Are you still accepting asks for the ship ask game? Bc if so what are your thoughts on TimSteph?

oh sure, i'll take it!!

Don’t Ship It (gently)

1. Why don’t you ship it?

so when i say i don't ship it i mean like... i like what they had in canon vis a vis "childhood sweethearts driven apart by The Horrors and they can never go back". i love divorce.

but also if i'm being honest, a lot of chuck dixon's writing of steph was really grating to me - the way he bashed ari and later zoanne to prop up steph as the Correct/Better tim love interest (she's Quirky and Fun and #NotLikeOtherGirls!!!) left a kinda bitter taste in my mouth, and made it a lot harder for me to actually like steph or tim/steph as a ship, tbh. and it's really not steph's fault she got juggled from misogynistic shithead writer to misogynistic shithead writer, but it did mean that plotlines like "steph becomes robin in order to spite tim because she saw darla kiss him against his will and didn't stop to ask any questions. this is how teen girls behave right?" made me so tired in robin '93. i honestly enjoyed the times she got to appear without tim more than their relationship, for the most part, but ... oof.

2. What would have made you like it?

lewis getting to write more than like 20 issues of the run before fucking willingham showed up lmao. lewis run was the first time in robin '93 that i actually liked seeing tim and steph together or felt like steph even had much of a character. which is wild because dixon is the one who created her! it's just that dixon only knows how to write two kinds of women: "the old ball and chain" and "quirky whitegirl who throws herself at robin do you like her do you like her do you like her you have to like her!!!!"

as opposed to lewis, who actually gave her depth, like... explained some of how her dad made her childhood shit, went into her complex feelings on him and her relationship with her mom, and made it actually read like she and tim enjoyed spending time with each other, not just "he was a boy. she was a girl. can i make it any more obvious." if he'd stuck on the book i probably would like tim/steph way more than i do.

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

oh sure! i think tim and steph have a fascinating dynamic. when you pick through all the issues with dixon and with willingham and with war games and all the writers that could not stop hating steph for the crime of being a girl (which... is a pretty tall order because jesus christ so many of them wrote her so shittily), you can kinda piece together a narrative that is really juicy.

my possibly unpopular steph take is that while i know her post war games and resurrection writing was not very good, i do actually find it compelling that she set assassins on tim at bruce's orders. i think having such a demonstrable and visible example of bruce being the driving force behind every single nail in the coffin of their relationship is fun. like, to me, timsteph is a formative relationship, but never an endgame one. there's a lot of fun stuff to say about them! i just unfortunately struggle to really enjoy picking through the mess of how steph has been written, so they don't compel me all that much.

[ruleroftheimps]

Things that genuinely bugs me about some fics with the Vees that I need to get off my chest. No hate, just a bit of incoherent venting.

As a preface, I'm not necessarily saying any fic that uses any of the following stuff is inherently bad, I've seen a LOT of good fics that use these, but it just drives me crazy when it's all I see and it's very surface level.

For starters, Velvette.

Almost ANY time I see a fic with an abusive staticmoth relationship dynamic (The ones that are playing off of the Voxtagram posts- I have something to say about them too honestly), it's always something along the lines of 'Oh, Valentino's so cruel to poor Voxy, and Velvette's his only true friend, ahhh, they're so close'. Istg this drives me insane. I don't know if it's just the type of fics I read or what, but what about Velvette do you all think shows she's a nice person?? (I mean, the same can be said for Vox, but we're focused on the doll rn) I've seen people say they think she's the most likely to be redeemed of the Vees, and why?? What makes you say that?!?

Literally- If you want to be nitpicky, the only Vee we've seen that hasn't mistreated his employees is in fact Vox, which, his woobifiecation has a part later. But why does everybody make Velvette the nice one!?! I don't know, just, if you want to make Val abusive to Vox, make Velvette the same?? It makes more logical sense too, since Valentino and Vox have known each other for years, and they're close, but Val's still a piece of shit. So why is Velvette nice!? She actually, in canon, treats Vox... worse than Valentino does!? So why is she always portrayed as the 'nice one' in abusive Staticmoth fics?

Also, anybody who says they think she's the brains/backbone of the Vees!? No??We see her do one (1) smart thing, which is identify Carmilla Carmine's reaction, but like. Do we really think the Vees, who were very open about being a team, didn't talk about it beforehand like they did with Pentious?? And she clearly can't be bothered to deal with Valentino, so why do you believe her when she says she's the backbone?!

And Valentino, omg. Like, yes, his character is objectively shitty. Yes, he's Not a Good Person.

But why do so many fans (I'm big on Radiostatic, so I'm mostly talking about those fics) make Val the Big Bad in other Vox ships?!? Like, toxic Staticmoth is amazing, yes. But, outside of the now retconned Voxtagram posts, Val is never too horribly bad to Vox. In fact, they're really close. So WHY is it this hard to find a Vox x literally anybody else (platonic or romantic) where Val isn't a piece of shit to him. (And no, I'm not saying every fic is like that, just that a significant portion is.)

Vox. I swear.

Honestly, I can understand the woobiefication for him more than I can understand Velvette's or Valentino's... just, people removing all his good traits. He's portrayed as pathetic the most, he's the one with the most focus, he's actually, from what we've seen, the most decent of the Vees beyond his comment to Pentious. (Velvette makes love potion and verbally abuses her employees, while also not caring about them at all, Valentino's... Val, Vox does manipulate the masses and all that, but like, not in a way that's extremely bad compared to his business partners? Really, his worst crime atm is being an enabler and being horrible to Pentious.)

But why. Why must he be portrayed as so overtly pathetic? Like, I get it to some extent, and it's hilarious in fandom, but when people start thinking that he's that pathetic in canon, it rubs me the wrong way. Yes, he's my favorite and I'm biased, but like. He's not that pathetic people.

Tl;dr, Velvette being protrayed as a super nice person (to Vox, in fics where Valentino is portrayed as abusive) and the most decent/smartest Vee, Valentino having all his good traits removed, and Vox being treated as overtly pathetic drives me crazy. It's still fun to read sometimes, but when people say they think it's canon, I actually can't believe it.

[hungermakesmonsters]

Just want to take a moment to congratulate you on 500 followers! You absolutely deserve it and more! I love your ideas and your writing. Can I request a blurb with a headstrong reader who is always used to fixing things herself but Billy just wants to take care of her? I like the idea of PA reader, kinda like Donna & Harvey in Suits! Maybe something like reader gets “stood up” by an Anvil client whose interest in you got Billy clear on how he feels and jealous on someone else seeing your worth?

I used to love Suits... but I never finished watching it so I don't know what happened with the whole Darvey situation but I LOVED their dynamic in the first few seasons of the show (and also just how weird and awkward it was when Max Beesley's character was going out for Donna for a while). So, yeah, this was definitely fun to write and I hope I've managed to catch enough of the awesome Donna energy in the reader character here! (Also now I'm going to have to start watching Suits again)

Don't Have to Say You Love Me

Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader

Story Rating : M 

Warnings : [This is 18+ only, minors DNI] Smutty behaviour.  

You placed his coffee and lunch down in front of him, immediately drawing his attention upwards.

"Is that —"

"A large flat white and a toasted BLT with extra sauce," you said, knowing full well how he liked to take his lunch on a Friday. By this point you were almost offended that he dared to ask.

"And have you got —"

"The research on the Collins account and the two government contracts Senator Williams wants to discuss," you interrupted as you pulled three files from beneath your arm and placed them down.

His eyes narrowed on you, mind obvious racing, trying to find something you hadn't thought of.

"What about —"

"Yes, I've had someone from maintenance fix the AC in the meeting room because I know you don't like having the Senator in your office around the good scotch."

Everything was sorted. Everything he could possibly ask of you, and he knew why — he was just waiting for you to say it. You didn't want to have to say it, because you knew exactly what his reaction would be.

But you knew Billy Russo. You knew how fucking stubborn he could be.

It'd probably amuse him to keep you standing there all day like a lemon.

After a few seconds you let out a huff.

"You do remember that I'm leaving early today, right?" You asked, drawing attention to the elephant in the room.

You weren't even sure why Billy was so annoyed that you'd gone and gotten yourself a date — he was stringing along half the women in New York, so why did it matter that you'd finally found someone who was interested in you?

"Right, how could I forget?" He said and you could hear the disdain in his voice. "I still can't believe you're going out with Thompson."

"Why not?" You asked, really not in the mood for his snarky behaviour. You both knew each other better than that.

"He just so —"

"Rich?" You offered. "Handsome? British?"

"Boring. He's not right for you, he doesn't deserve you."

You rolled your eyes. "And what would you know about what's right for me, Billy?"

The question was met with the expected silence. You'd long since given up on any fancy notion of him actually seeing you or admitting to the undeniable tension that had permeated your relationship since you first started working for him years ago.

What had once been a will they, would they, could they, had be stamped with a big red absolutely not by him and his inaction.

"Enjoy your date," he said, like he was driving the final nail into the coffin.

You couldn't remember exactly what you told him as you left his office, but it didn't matter. The pair of you argued, you always had. You'd made it clear from the start that, just because you were his PA, you weren't there to take any of his shit. You did your job and you were damned good at it — he was lucky to have you, lucky that you still wanted to work for him when there were so many other firms that would love to have you.

But you were loyal if you had one fault. Endlessly loyal when it came to Anvil and when it came to Billy Russo.

The one thing you weren't, however, was an idiot. Davis Thompson was funny, charming and rich, and sure, you might have met him through work, but you at least owed it to yourself to see where it would go.

And, where it went, as it turned out, was absolutely nowhere.

You'd been stood up before — you were a big girl, getting snubbed by a man who couldn't even bother to text was not going to end your world. (Though it might give you the urge to key his car the next time he had a meeting at Anvil.)

You got to the bar early, and you waited.

And waited.

You ordered yourself a drink, and you waited.

You gave up on him showing, but you decided to have another glass of wine because, why not? And, while you were making bad decisions, you decided to add another to the list and text Billy.

Don't go getting smug, but you were right.

It took less than a minute for his reply to come through.

He bored you that much already?

You found yourself smiling, even as you rolled your eyes.

Didn't even show up.

Despite feeling somewhat embarrassed, you knew that Billy wasn't on the other end of the phone laughing at you. He wasn't like that. Not when it came to you. (He was probably planning on keying Thompson's car too now.)

You put your phone down on the bar and ordered another drink, only half-surprised when it didn't buzz with another message from Billy. It was fine. It was Friday, he was probably busy on a date of his own. You had your wine, you were happy, you'd maybe have one more, then —

"Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?"

In any other circumstances the bad pick-up line would have had you seriously considering throwing your drink, but you recognised the voice immediately and before you could even turn your head, Billy Russo was sitting at the bar beside you.

"Please tell me you've never used that line on a woman you actually wanted to sleep with," you said, barely biting back a laugh.

"I have," he answered, waving down the bar tender and ordering a glass of what you were drinking.

"And did it work?"

"I'll let you know at the end of the night."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." You rolled your eyes. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Thought you might want some company since Thompson was a no-show."

For a few seconds you were willing to accept his answer, but it didn't exactly hold up under scrutiny.

"I text you literally five minutes ago; how did you get here so quick?" You asked, eyes narrowing.

"I was in the neighbourhood?"

He almost looked sheepish, embarrassed even, and you had no idea why. A dusting of pink spread across his cheeks and, for a second, he could barely even look at you.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" And, then when he looked at you, you felt an unsettling feeling in you gut. "What did you do?"

You'd always been good at reading him, at seeing right through him. And, right then, he had the look of a guilty man struggling to explain himself.

"Don't get angry —"

"Don't ask me not to get angry if you're going to say something that makes me angry, Billy," you warned.

He took a drink. "I might have cancelled your date —"

"You did what?"

Un-fucking-believable.

Actually, no. It was entirely fucking-believable. And that was what pissed you off the most. He'd ruined your date because of — what? Some selfish sense of jealousy and entitlement, because if he didn't want you, no one else should.

You start to move, standing only to find his fingers on your wrist.

"Wait —" he started, almost sounding panicked.

"I did wait, Billy," you said, admitting far more than you ever wanted to. "I waited for years. For you. And what were you doing? Fucking half of New York."

It was the first time you'd dared utter anything of the sort aloud, the first time either of you had openly admitted to the unspoken, unacted-upon feelings between you.

You tugged against his grip on you, but Billy held tight as you struggled against him.

"Let me go," you said.

"No," Billy answered, getting to his feet, standing in front of you. "I'm not letting you go again."

Before you could even think to question what the fuck he meant, his lips were on yours and your whole world seemed to come to a screeching halt. For a few sweet seconds, you were frozen, indulging in something you'd barely allowed yourself to dream about, but how could you trust it? How could you trust him when he was only kissing you because he'd been jealous, because he'd thought you were finally going to find happiness with someone else.

You pulled back from the kiss, enough to see the flicker of hurt in his eyes and the worry on his face.

"This better not be a game, Billy," you warned him. "I'm not one of your girls that you can pick up and drop whenever you —"

He cut you off with another kiss, his arm winding around you waist and pulling you against him. And you let him. You allowed yourself to melt into the warmth of his body, you fingers gripping his shirt at his waist, just beneath his jacket.

"No more games," he muttered against your lips. "I can't lose you. I won't. I'm sick of pretending that I don't want you — that I don't love you."

Your heart stuttered, knowing the weight that that word bore for Billy. He'd never used it when talking about any of the other women, and you knew it wasn't the sort of thing he'd say without meaning it.

Still, you couldn't bring yourself to say it back. Not yet, not when some part of you still ached over his treatment of you.

"Take me home," you said, daring to hope that this wasn't just some pipe dream that would vanish the moment he'd had you in his bed.

Not that you made it as far as his bed.

He'd taken you by the hand a pulled you out of the bar, into the cold New York air — his car was park a block over, it should have been a quick, short walk if it hadn't been for you pulling him back for another kiss. Then, before either of you could think, you found yourself in an alleyway, pressed back against a wall as Billy kissed you.

Years of tension quickly came to the fore, your fingers gripping his jacket, his shirt, his hair — anything you could get hold of, anything you could use to keep him close. And all the while, he kissed you. You couldn't get enough of him.

Things quickly reached boiling point, your fingers tugging at the fastenings of his pants while he lifted your dress. There was no slow build, no teasing foreplay, once you'd freed his cock, you found yourself lifted and —

"Fuck," you moaned against his lips, "fuck, fuck, fuck — Billy."

He buried himself inside you in a single fluid movement, stopping when every inch of him was hilted.

His forehead pressed against yours as you both stilled, already breathless, and both entirely overwhelmed.

"Billy," you said in a low whine, your fingers gripping his hair.

His eyes opened and he looked at you through the gloom of the alley.

"I love you," he said softly, like he'd finally realised the gravity of the situation.

He started to move with slow but deep thrusts, not quite making love to you, but doing all he could to show you that this meant something. He alternated between kissing your lips and your neck, and you found yourself leaning into his every touch as pleasure started to coil inside you.

Your legs tightened around his waist, keeping him close, never wanting to let him go. And when you came it was with four little words.

"I love you too."

[marzipanilla]

Sometimes you just have to be a lil shit about a piece of media you enjoy in a loving way lol dumpster fire (affectionate)

Been watching OSP stuff again 'cause I was talking about one of their Superman vids and how they mention Invincible in it, and just that some of the ideas of the Superman concept really should come back around for the Mark narrative but they are def going farther and farther as things progress from what could have been an interesting Superman-esque origin in Mark. And like, do your thing, but it was clearly a reference at the start, so... why NOT lean more into it?

I know I've seen chunks of BTAS and Batman Beyond, but it's all so blurry in my brain from so long ago. I remember enjoying the shit out of them! It's why I'm having a treat with Justice Leauge rn. Bc it's like, have I see this before? maybe? at some point? Like I have the vaguest recollection of the opening credits. Zero memory of Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onnz ?? the fuck ?? lol) having so many abilities. like damn bro. you cool asf! The very simple visual worldbuilding of all Martians being nakey bc THEY'RE SHAPESHIFTERS WHY WOULDN'T THEY BE loved it

Lazy shipping. And like.. just horny shipping. Like okay, I can be down for a UST narrative, but if you want me to buy these people have more than a case of the Horny for each other, they need to be able to describe something about each other they actually like. (I also have a whole ass rant about the Gift Of Jewelry in media -eyetwtich-) And Mark and Eve are constantly in interesting situations actually dealing with ethical shit and they could have spent so much time talking about Chicago and what cleaning up there would have meant to them, and how they operate as heroes sort of outside the establish groups for whatever reason, and they could have very naturally gravitated to each other! It really is a HS crush in this iteration !! bc the moment Mark looked at her he was just like ! oh ! hero is cute girl ! and then.. had a very intense relationship with someone else and then immediately turned around and was presented with this one. It has technically been months in the time span of the narrative, but the fact it was all shoved in and carried off RIGHT ON THE BACK of his very intense break up with Amber just feels awful. Let the boy breathe jfc.

So many people are talking about Mark supposedly improving but still not improving and it HURTS bc yeah. The narrative is really just like ACTUALLY- and it's so frustrating bc, your character can improve and the situation can still be deadly! Doc Seismic doesn't need some stupid line about things changing! They DIDN'T he's still an old man with bracelets. They just STAYED FLOATING IN THE AIR and waited for his back up to arrive and then pointlessly got into fist fights with the monsters instead of immediately going to rescue the other heroes. I can get Mark sort of zeroing in on the fighting bc he doesn't really work with other people that much, but Eve ??? why the hell isn't saving the others your priority?? The fight could still have played out badly without them needing to be stupid! Mark having to protect Eve while she works ! Them having to be on the back foot so that the people in the sack things don't get squished while they work ! You don't have to be dumb to fail. And so far it really feels like everyone is acting SO STUPID and they HAVE To fail bc it's so hard when it's like ?? the same ppl you've been fighting ?? since day one ?? Is Killcannon gunna show up and shoot you through a building now ?? I'm sorry??

We really need a Debbie/Nolan flashback that's about their dynamic and NOT their dynamic as parents. Like what was your vibe as a couple!! Love that you're horny for each other, but why did you fall in love??? Of course I am also just like CAN I PLEASE GET ONE DEBBIE FACT THAT ISN'T ABOUT THE MEN IN HER LIFE. Also, pretty sure anytime she has been around Paul the convo is in some way, actually still about Nolan and it's WILD bc damn is it really moving on if he's present in Every conversation??

Invincible (derogatory) Invincible (affectionate) depends on the time of day.

Like there's no way Cecil ISN'T using it to his benefit! But him actually caring somewhat, even knowing he would STILL betray and sacrifice the kid in a heartbeat. just. yeah. Mentor Cecil/quasi father Cecil. might happen.

The several convos we've had about trusting Cecil are SO WEIRD bc literally anytime Debbie has talked to him she has been like I DO NOT TRUST YOU and then five seconds later she's all That Bitch Lied : / and it's like ??? yes ?? you said he would ?? five seconds ago ??? why are you surprised ???

FR you don't get history classes about colonialism and police states but WE WILL make you watch teletubbies and learn about the magic of friendship! Killing is BAD kids ! Don't do it ! (unless the GDA tells you to)

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[gigi-does-art]

Jayce Talis, the love of my life and light to my soul <33333 Nobody in the fandom understands you like I do 😔 I’m back with another Arcane design, and had to do Jayce to match with Viktor. Even though I love Viktor a lot, Jayce is also a favorite that I love so much. I have no shame in admitting this, im a die hard Jayce fan. I adore that smart silly science man so much, he’s so intriguing and I find him so relatable and human. Wish the fandom wasn’t mean to him and actually understood his character and motives :(((((( Be nice to my little guy please 🥺 But yeah I love and adore Jayce 🥹🥹🥹

Design fact under the cut! It somewhat contains a spoiler but I still don’t want to spoil anyone in case they plan to watch season 2/haven’t finished it:

Design fact: He and Viktor share a butterfly motif on their cheeks (I’m going to update Viktor’s design in a bit) It represents the butterfly that appears for them constantly throughout the show and just demonstrates their connection between each other!

[anetherealpoetess]

if either louis or daniel had a single friend between them they would have figured out about armand's duplicitous manipulation of their memories years ago. it's called a girl's night and the pair just shared one together with their bare tootsies steeped in a sophisticated little indoor pebble garden

[cowchickenbeefpork]

okay but can we talk about how ???? Lucius is with Edward? Like this man is a freak I can’t hold it in anymore. How did one episode make a man get revealed as a fucking freak in a way.

Ed has both gassed up a entire group of cops which made them fear about a poison threat he made up, held Lucius’s coworker hostage dangling over a flight of stairs, admitted to having something to do with their missing mayor via omission (not responding at all when Lucius asked him about it) broke into Lucius’s car and pointed a gun at him once Lucius got in ALL IN THE SAME DAY AND HE DOESN'T FREAK OUT ONCE???? He doesn’t freak out at all with Edward. Never once does he freak out. He stays level headed, empathetic and genuinely caring about Edward’s mental state while talking to him???? The way he’s so level headed here feels like he has a fucking screw loose in his cranium. Literally how.

Mind you Ed is a man who his first interaction with was ED ADMITTING HE HAD A MISSING COP IN HIS HOME VIA A RIDDLE. HIS SECOND INTERACTION WITH THIS MAN IS HIM MAKING HIM ANSWER FUCKING RIDDLES IN ARKHAM OR ELSE HE WILL KILL THEM BOTH WITH POISON. I KNOW HE WAS BLUFFING ABOUT THE POISON HERE AGAIN BUT GENUINELY HOW IS HE ALWAYS LEVEL HEADED WITH THIS MAN. FREAK BEHAVIOR!!!!

Also him acting like this strengthens the fact the only riddle he got right was reflection. He understands at least some part of Ed. Even though that part is small and fuzzy in his understanding, it’s still something. It’s still something that he can empathize with. Something that is worth trying to understand more of even despite their brief encounters. God do I love his weird push over ways with Ed it’s so fucking fun I wish they interacted more. This is horrific for me

[lostsyren]

The first point I think I should make is most the characters in obx don’t have a particularly distinct characterisation, that’s why ig there’s so many different interpretations– especially side characters like Barry and topper. And even s1 rafe, who didn’t have a lot of screentime. But that’s where headcanons and fanfic come in. To completely hold Sofia in contempt based on purely canon is unfair, and a lot of her character is implied– they’re not going to fully flesh her out in an ensemble cast. And a lot of what you said is not necessarily true– it’s assuming Rafe’s intentions and internal state which we can’t be sure about. And that’s fine since it’s your opinion, but it doesn’t make it fact or canon, even if fact and canon is used to substantiate the points.

And your counter arguments which revolve around the deal make sense, but imo, when I think about the reason I like Sofia/rafesofia, the deal/why rafe agreed to the deal is not really in my mind. I agree with you that Rafe’s primary motivation is greed but I also think classifying their relationship as Sofia existing as material for him to show off is reductive. Like why wouldn’t he choose a kook girl then? And I don’t think his “disrespect” towards her is this intentional, cruel thing. Oftentimes when he’s being a dick, it’s usually a joke, or something he doesn’t even clock. In their private moments, I think the softness and respect he has for her is evident. (Like it’s undeniable he treats her differently/more nicely than he does with others).

And no one is really looking at Sofia as the main reason for Rafe’s change. I think we can all agree as a fandom that the Cameron family dynamic/Ward & Rafe relationship and rafe & sarah relationship is probably the most salient/engrossing aspects of the show. But Sofia does slot into Rafe’s character arc in a cogent way.

Like in s3 when he saved ward after soliciting Sofia for advice on the balcony or in s4 with the whole Sarah thing, Sofia nudged him, but she didn’t necessarily change his psyche to that much of a degree. You used the word “catalyst”, which I do think she is. She’s not the main reason for Rafe’s changes of heart, but she nudges him in the right direction, catalysing the process. That’s the point of her character imo– her kindness towards rafe encourages him to do the right thing. She offers an alternative path for Rafe and she’s the first person who offers him grace and pure love which thusly paints him in a different light. And that’s the alluring bit of their relationship (to me)– the potential of a future they have together which is ultimately hindered by the narrative (Rafe’s dark past and many issues).

And I honestly don’t understand the forgettable/unremarkable comments– she’s objectively likeable. But ofc people can think whatever, I just don’t see how the love towards her can be construed as confusing. I made a post about this here if you wanna check it out!

Using riara as an example, I personally don’t ship it and can’t see it happening, but I understand where riara shippers are coming from with their interpretations of the scenes (which I don’t necessarily agree with). With rafe and Sofia’s scenes, the same thing can be said. If you project an interpretation on to them, it can hold true (whether that interpretation be they’re in love or if it’s just rafe fulfilling a role and using Sofia to do that).

Another point– I think when rafe is disrespecting someone purposefully or when he’s using someone for his own gain, his insouciance is stark (like with limbery, topper, kiara, sarah, barry…I can’t think of anymore but there’s probably more). With Sofia, he’s never clearly contemptuous of her– you can presume his disrespect/dismissal because of the situation, but it’s never purposeful, which I think is significant.

Ig how you see her is dependent on how you see rafe and there’s sm wildly different interpretations of him in this fandom. But at the end of the day I think she’s just a character in an ensemble cast that people enjoy, and develop her further, which isn’t unheard of. Like when people do it with male characters it’s the norm. And it’s not like she’s this complete blank slate– Fiona Palomo does a lot with what she was given (which admittedly was scarce) and ig that charm is what makes sm people enjoy her character.

(Also regarding what the original ask said which I just noticed– the point of her character isn’t to help rafe reconcile with Sarah, idk where that came from. And she wasn’t doing nothing with the Hollis side plot– her morals and loyalty to rafe were tested and she was allowed to exist outsdie the confines of Rafe’s character)

Omg hi! I feel like I’m the only sofia hater out there bc all i see are people loving her character is so boring to me and her and rafe relationship seems so forced to me like she is supposed to help him reconcile with his sister but instead, she spent all season doing nothing apart from the hollis plot

being called a sofia hater cracks me up because i feel like i never talk about her, in fact i usually forget she exists 😭 but i’ll accept it, because i really do hate the way her character (which had a great premise) was totally wasted

a youtuber i really love once described pansy parkinson from harry potter as “an original character wearing the skin of a minor character” and i think that perfectly encapsulates sofia. they make these moodboards, these stories, these elaborate headcanons about a character we know little to nothing about. do i respect it? hell yes. it takes a lot of work. but to have these intense convictions and arguments about a 0.5-dimensional character… WHY?

i went and rewatched every scene in s4 where she even just appears and wrote down my thoughts on them (despite how tedious this was… the action really does rely on the pogues) and like… wow. where do i start

her s4 introduction is the scene where rafe scatters ward’s ashes on the boat, and it’s awkward but in a fair way. i wouldn’t really know what to do either. in the same episode, she’s at the enduro cheering for rafe, but she is inexplicably standing TOTALLY by herself. i still have no idea if this was just filmed oddly or if it was deliberate but this photo kills me… girl why are you alone? at no other point is she physically excluded from the kooks like this. wtf

and after that? nearly every single moment she and rafe share the screen? he’s awful to her. he verbally mocks her in the bar when she tries to calm him down. he flirts with hollis right in sofia’s face and abases her for feeling hurt. he dismisses her every time she tries to express her opinion. rafe does not respect his girlfriend, nor does he care about her thoughts and values. how do i know?

because she knows. how exactly did she convince him to take the deal, again? well, first she says she thinks it’s a good idea, which merely amuses him. then, she makes up a lie about other club members denigrating rafe and how this deal could improve his social status—i believe this to be a fabrication because it easily could’ve and should’ve been explicit on screen if true— and this causes him make up his mind. she knows rafe’s insecurities. she knows what does and doesn’t entice him. and yeah, i’ll be honest, sometimes it makes me sick to think about how deeply she knows this man, and how little he knows/cares about her

rafe brings up marriage, living together, a future with sofia. but do you notice anything about his big grand speeches? ever notice how, when he’s describing his fantasy, it revolves around material things he can own and show off— and sofia has always been one of them? rafe never has anything to say about what she specifically does for him, what he likes about her. bc… what does he like about her? rafe is unfortunately, at the end of the day, selfish. he focuses on what he’ll be able to give her, and what having a pretty wife says about him. the occupant of that role is, well, interchangeable

when rafe “proposed” to her and she did not confess the scam, i knew it was over. this is rafe cameron we’re talking about, a man who values loyalty more than anything in the world, and that was her last shot at coming clean before it was too late. committing a betrayal (well…in the eyes of the narrative…more on that in a sec) and hiding it from him? guys there was zero chance of him learning the truth and forgiving her. i watched the premier with my mother and i even turned to her and said we just watched the final nail go into the coffin. and it did!

(also, not to beat a dead horse, but even after he gives her the ring and he leaves to morocco, he dismissively excludes her again! “i have to go” “what are you doing?” “don’t worry about it, bye!” and she just takes it?! STAND UP!)

fundamentally, sofia’s “betrayal” plotline was weak or, at the very least, not very well thought-out. it’s like the idea of sofia going behind rafe’s back was pitched, but they were unsure how to integrate that into the season. the explosive reaction that rafe had when groff revealed the plot seemed contrived, like the show wanted to put more of the blame on sofia than was warranted. rafe had all but made up his mind by the time sofia had been paid off; to claim that she was the big catalyst in his decision is unfair and literally just wrong. sure, he liked her giving her blessing (because he already wanted to say yes), but i have a really, really genuine question for all of you.

if she had said no, would he have called off the deal?

(spoiler, no. because when she changed her mind after learning of the scam, he dismissed her yet again. the show has countless opportunities for rafe to just care about his girlfriend, and he never takes them!)

while i’m nitpicking, she also never learns any information via her own efforts. every single time she uncovers a new detail, it’s because she’s working around a loud-mouth kook who coincidentally says the right thing at the right moment as she refills their ewers. fuck, can we give her a CRUMB of agency? please?

and yeah, i don’t even engage in any theory that sofia helped rafe reunite with his family. did she ever give any meaningful advice to him? she didn’t even have context—was he ever planning on telling her exactly what he’d done to sarah and her friends? could sarah even pick this girl out of a lineup?! ya, she really is the glue in the cameron dynamic. lol

counter arguments i’m ready to address:

“he takes the deal for her!” funny because,,, he really doesn’t. we even watch the reason he takes the deal— his family. rafe likes the opportunity from the jump but is hesitant because of the investment, and a dreamy montage of him, ward, and sarah is what cements his decision. sofia canonically had nothing to do with it

“but he says he’s taking the deal for him and sofia when he’s alone with hollis!” correct! but you’ll notice he literally only brings her up when hollis starts hitting on him. he’s not attracted to hollis, and her advances make him visibly uncomfortable. bringing up sofia was a way to shut down hollis without explicitly telling a business partner to get off his ass

“rafe brings up sofia’s opinion of the deal with groff!” true, but i actually see this as a display of rafe’s tact and emotional intelligence. rafe is suspicious that he’s been scammed, but it’s genuinely not wise to barge into the office of the man who has $400k of your money and your testicles in his fist to start threatening him— even when he’s not a murderer. “hey… so my gf thinks you’re scamming me… thoughts?” he’s being coy. he’s being smart. he’s not bringing up sofia in a loverboy context. cmon

***

deep inhale. okay, i’m done. i’m sorry i always forget about her. but it’s so much better than the alternative

[borgialucrezia]

maybe one day i'll elaborate further and even write a thesis but arthur shelby imo comes off as the most sinister shelby brother (it's not necessarily his deeds on screen but the subtleties that hint at his darkness of his true nature) and just because he is vulnerable, puts on a sad puppy face, clings to his brother and tries to prove himself to him doesn't mean his often resentful and shady behavior towards tommy is canceled out. neither does his love for linda cancel out how he abuses her and maritally rapes her btw

[otaku553]

The eventual kazuha and sanemi dynamic

[macchiatosdumptruck]

hehehe I love seeing your essays in the tags

Ahhdhhd thank you

If feels strange, having been semi out of fandom for so long. I used to be a noisy bitch. I can become one one day again. (Probably after the final season and we've had time to grieve )

[spicyicymeloncat]

Idk if this is a hot take but why is it always “Kai slaved away and worked his ass off to raise his sister” and never the other way round or them working hard together?

Like, I know he’s older but in the show, does he really… act older? Like if you think about Kai and Nya’s dynamic yknow? Because from my understanding:

When Kai and Nya are introduced we see Kai fail at making a sword and Nya being the one to chide him for it. Kai makes an overconfident statement about wanting to be a better blacksmith than his father. This suggests that one, Kai is rather rash as well as inexperienced (something that lines up with the rest of his character arc in the pots and also generally), with Nya being the more mature figure in contrast

Also just a note but in the shorts: “I can handle it!” “No you can’t, stupid”

Kai frequently being very good at neglecting people or things: leaving Lloyd at an arcade whilst being focused on finding samurai x, not even knowing samurai x was Nya or that she only did it because she felt left out by him, completely abandoning both Nya and Lloyd in s3 (and Ik he was going through it at the time, but in line with the fandom’s characterisation of him)

Kai in season 5: “After I lost my dad, I lost my way. But I was lucky to have my sister watch over me”

Generally, their dynamic isn’t one where Kai really provides for Nya at all. In fact, judging by the fact that Nya can make entire mechs and Kai struggled to make a sword, Nya was probably busting her ass to provide for Kai. And judging by the s5 quote, that’s probably true. I’m not saying Nya raised Kai, it just rubs me the wrong way when she’s treated like a decorative flourish to a narrative that paints Kai as a burnt out child who was forced to grow up too soon especially since that is such a mischaracterisation of him in the first place.

[caterpillarinacave]

Lemme tell y’all natm was a franchise tailor made for my dramatic poetic tragedy obsessed, chewing on symbolism and theatrics, unyielding autistic self