#i need more ships outside of joker x anyone PLEASE

[bigsharkguy]

if not yaoi why autism x adhd???

[poisonousquinzel]

https://lady-ha-ha.tumblr.com/post/160715688748/is-that-comic-before-the-reboot-and-which-one-is

(I have not read this comic) Is this true? (if so, ivy deserves someone better).

Post

Kay, first off both of those people are Jarley shippers so take everything they say with a grain of salt and then some, cause no. that part isn't about how much Harley loves Joker and will always choose him over Ivy. Literally you can tell ops don't know what they're talking about cause her whole thing in those issues is going to kill him for years of graphic abuse but ultimately falls back with him once she’s face to face with him.

Like wow, congrats on missing the fucking point again but not surprised from people who ship her with The Fucking Joker.

also, ffs, can anyone please have basic comprehension skills and realize that Harley and Ivy are both fucked up sometimes because they’ve got issues and that’s not comparable to Joker’s long ass history of graphic and disgusting abuse.

Harley and Ivy are villains, they're not a wholesome cookie cutter, White Picket Fence, super vanilla ship with no bad moments. They're both bad guys with a fuck ton of trauma that they both have to work through, and have done so at this point. 

Gotham City Sirens was published between 2009 - 2011, Harley and Ivy weren't blatantly romantic at this point nor had they had anywhere near the development that they’ve had at this point.

Like don’t go into Harlivy content expecting them to be the perfect wlw rep with no flaws during their arcs from BTAS to current time cause that’s just not realistic. They’re both deeply flawed people who’ve got a fuck ton of trauma that they need to (and have) worked through. 

I have talked about the BTAS issues here and this post is good at explaining them too. 

X

X

Harlivy is not and has never been a purely wholesome, goody-goody ship. They’re messy, they have issues, and they have bad moments sometimes, but they both worked through their seperate trauma and came out stronger and better because at the end of the day, they care about each other. 

Harlivy has messy, toxic moments sometimes, but they’re not, and have never been, abusive. There’s a difference between unhealthy moments and a ship being abusive. 

That’s completely different to how Joker acts Constantly, because he does not care that his actions towards Harley are abusive, because he doesn’t give a shit about her. 

He enjoys hurting her. He enjoys ruining her. 

Jarley has always been intended to be written and shown as a domestically abusive relationship.

This is also the first instance where it's directly referenced that there's something more than platonic between her and Ivy, other than the reference in Batgirl Adventures. 

Gotham City Sirens is also not connected to any verses.

This didn’t happen in the timeline we’re in rn with Harley Quinn (2014)/(2016)/(2021).

Comic timelines and shit are stupid and make everything more confusing and awful and I hate it sdfjdksksdkjsd

-

this is gonna be a long post since ops wanna just cut and paste random bits of the issues like jarley stans always do (cause jarley never has good moments that aren’t entirely surrounded by him abusing her) I’m going to show them in full context. *added a keep reading cause it is a lot

(All panels shown are from #15, #18, #19, #20, #21, #23, #24, #25)

So, Harley's entire thing at this point in the GCS comic in that she's been triggered by flashbacks of Joker's abuse and she breaks into Arkham with the intent to kill him.

The entire thing in these issues is showing her smarts and how she knows people's trump cards to get under their skin so she can break into Arkham. 

She’s trained to identify these things in people and she's fucking good at pushing people's buttons. 

this is also just one of my fav Harley covers so I wanted to show it jsdjksdks

“Trump cards. Everyone has one. Places where the armor we build around ourselves is weakest.” 

She’s right. And it’s now shown that Harley’s willing to use those below the belt trump cards if she has to.  

And frankly, I’d say this is worse than what she says to Ivy. And I’m not surprised she did it. She didn’t want to, she tried to get him to just open the door - 

“Don’t make me do this, Aaron. There are some secrets that should stay hidden. Things you should never learn about your own life.” 

but she’s also entirely fueled by rage and the desire to kill Joker. She came here for a reason and she’s not leaving until she’s done it.

“I’m going to kill you. For everything you’ve done to me. All the times you’ve made me feel useless and small. For all the times I will never forget. For all the things I can never forgive. All the memories -”

“Hello, Harley. I’ve missed you.” 

“Memories. That’s all I have left. The past is gone and all I have is... memories. 

Memories.

Memory. 

Gone.

I guess I too have a trump card.”

“Oh, Ivy. You know exactly what my answer is going to be. But you’re hoping you’re wrong, aren’t you?”

She’s also right about this, they already mentioned this in #18.

“How did I become the bad guy?”

“You’re the one choosing a man over her girls.”

“Are you kidding me? You would never say that to Harley, and we both know she’d dumb us in a flat second if Joker called her.”

“Hey! That’s not fair-- Actually, that’s probably true.”

“The difference is, she can’t help it. You can. And she’s working on it. You’re not working on it.” 

“Too easy, Ivy. Too easy. I know your weak spots. Now I just need to push.”

This is exactly what she’s been doing since the starting point of this post. She’s still in that mindset and she knows she can’t beat her on a regular battle field. Neither of them can. 

“Like I said-- You beat me in any level playing field. But I don’t fight on those fields.” 

Harley’s biggest strength as a villain is her ability to completely mentally stall her opponents and learn their weak spots. She wouldn’t win against the majority of the Big Bads if she didn’t fight on a different field than they are. 

so, like yeah, out of context what she says to Ivy seems awful and completely screwed up, and it is, but it’s also built up really well and it’s completely in character for her at this point in her fall during these issues. 

Is what she did fucked? absolutely. It’s not painted that it’s not. 

Ivy Literally Goes To Kill Her For It.

In the end of this all three of them are recaptured by Catwoman and Batman and that’s where we’re starting off at again. 

“Oh, Harley.

The only human I’ve ever called a friend.

To what lengths will I go? Where are my own limits? She is the Strangler fig. And I am the tree, choking underneath. 

Without me, she could never grow. 

But without her, I would fall if I grew too tall.” 

“Will she ever stand by herself? 

Will she ever be ready? 

She is in throes of madness. She sees him, her brain flooding with adrenaline, it makes her excited, nervous, then the feelings start to fade, and she needs more. And more. 

She sees it as passion. She sees it as love. 

But it’s not. It’s addiction. And she’s relapsing.” 

Ivy is well aware of the nature of their relationship. She’s not stupid and she’s been shown already to know that it’s something that takes time. It’s not a one off break up and it’s over. That’s not how abusve relationships work. 

What do I do?

I could use my pheromones to alter her brain chemistry.

I could leave her behind abandoning her to the wilds of her own mind.

I could kill her right now.

Show her how red Nature can be.

There's one other option.

It would require patience.

Even love.

Maybe I'm more human than I want to admit.

"You have one chance to answer this."

I know, if she agrees, she'll be doing it for revenge. For him.

"She put us behind bars."

But maybe if I get away from this place, if I give her something else to think about. Maybe she can break the cycle. But it has to be her choice.

"I'm going to kill her. Come with me."

So yeah, it’s definitely not a just “Harley hurts her and runs off with Joker and it’s just a plain ol’ her choosing him over everyone and that’s that.” 

Jarley shippers love to just reduce all her scenes and arcs down to their “epic love” and shit, but that’s taking away literally everything about her and reducing it down to the 3 panels that they’re “cute” in. Her arc in this part is fucking heartbreaking to read.

And Ivy damn well knows what’s going on with her. She’s smart and she’s the one that’s been there throughout all of this. She found her in the park after he shot her out of a rocket. 

And she knows it’ll take time for Harley to get over and through his manipulation, that’s just how it works with abusive relationships. 

But she’s also not forgiving at first, she’s mad and rightfully so, until she sees the sate of Harley’s cell and realizes how bad her addiction is at that time.

A lot of the unhealthy moments on Harley’s side when it comes to them are directly caused from the effects of being in an abusive relationship with Joker. Because she’s always in this area of her journey in those moments. She’s never fully over him or emancipated. 

And that’s realistic. It’s hard sometimes to be friends with someone who’s in abusive relationships like theirs, having to watch them return to that person time and time again and it’s frustrating after a while. 

I know from personal experience, it’s really hard to watch someone you care about go back or forgive someone that continues to hurt them. 

But abuse victims desperately need a support system outside of their abuser. It’s a crucial part of being able to escape, because when they do try to get out they need someone there or they’ll literally have no where to go but back into their abuser’s arms.

It’s heartbreaking and it’s really rough for everyone effected, but that’s just how it is most of the time. Especially in their case, as they’re not just regular folk dealing with this. 

If she doesn’t have Ivy, Harley has no one else to go to but Joker, on more than just an emotional level. 

She’s lost her job. Her income. Her home. Her livelihood. Her everything.

Most of the time she has no other choice but to return to a life of crime after she’s released from Arkham because she can’t get a job, she’s a notorious criminal and she’s got a lot of issues that don’t just disappear with a bit of therapy. 

She has no other choice but to return to Joker because the other alternative is the streets. At least she knows what to expect with him. 

And that’s not even getting into the manipulation, gaslighting and degrading abuse that he drills into her constantly. 

He’s made her believe she’s not anything without him. That she’s not smart or useful or anything. 

And that’s why it’s so damn important for her to have a support system and why he’s so damn against Ivy. 

Because Ivy is the good voice on her shoulder telling her he’s wrong and that she doesn’t deserve that. 

-

And on Ivy’s side, she’s aware she gets very near cutting off all parts of her humanity. 

She’s a plant goddess, she’s insanely powerful and she feels everything through the green. Frankly, she’s not even on the same playing field as these villains. She’s significanty more powerful than Harley and Joker. 

Her connection to Harley is what keeps her humanity in tack, because despite everything, she does care about her. She was the first person she let in, the first person Ivy called a friend. 

The person that was able to get through to her in #14/#15 when she was losing herself. The one that was able to get through to her that the dude was manipulating her. 

“Ivy, I know you think you love this guy... but you’re just gonna end up strapped to his rocket!”

She had to knock her out for the dude to trust her / not attack them anymore. But Harley got through to her by mentioning how they first met in the park when she saved her after Joker shot her off in a rocket.

And Ivy is understandable turned off towards humans considering her origin and trauma around that. 

She’s got a lot of trust issues.

But both of them work through their seperate traumas over the years because their affection for each other is stronger than the issues their trauma has given them.

-

and also, sometimes, they just have shit writers. that’s an issue overall in comic fandoms. Some writers just fucking suck at getting any of the characters right, let alone LGBT characters, who’re notoriously treated like garbage by DC. 

[kinsey3furry300]

5 ships I hate, why I hate them, how to (kinda) fix them, the better ships you should be doing in that universe, and why you should ignore me and keep writing them if it makes you happy.

Note: this is done for amusement, please don’t be offended; I’m not attacking your ship, I’m just listing some ships I do not always care for, and how I think they could be improved, and maybe made brilliant, by clever writing.

In no particular order, and focusing on ships that often annoy me, with no attempt by me to say anything meaningful or popular about the current state of any particular fandom. I’m also a firm believer in the idea that there’s no such thing as a bad ship, only a badly executed ship, so my objections to these is less a dislike of shipping, or the paring, and more that they raise writing issues that I think are difficult to fix in a satisfying way. That’s why in a lot of the examples below I prefer AU ships to ones that try to messily work it into the cannon. Anyway, enjoy... I guess?

 Marco x / anyone (Animorphs)

Why I hate it: Animrophs is an intensely character-driven story, where the tension of each book comes from the conflicts, external and internal, that the five Animrophs (and Ax) face during a long, hard, traumatic war.  And while several of the character are paired off romantically, it’s always to emphasise character conflict over their different points of view. Jake and Cassie are a pair because Jake’s struggle with having to make hard, grey, morally ambiguous choices as leader is highlighted by Cassie’s burning need to make the right choice, the lesser evil, the choice that leaves some small shred of humanity and dignity and kindness left in this bleak world. Tobias and Rachel are a pair as their arcs deal with literal and figurative loss of humanity, as the slow accumulation of trauma over time turns these happy(ish), normal kids into psychologically ruined husks of their former selves and destroys them slowly, one fight at a time.

Marco’s arc, isn’t about either of these things: Marco’s arc, is about the bright, clear line between A and B, between problem and solution. Marco is a utilitarian, a pragmatist: his concern isn’t the burden of leadership, or the cost of the decision, but about how to put that all aside and make hard decisions that actually work regardless of cost. It’s not about what to do, the path is obvious: the bright, clear line of ruthless logic, but how to do it. His match, his counterpoint, the other character who’s all about the logic of taking awful decision in a way that actually works for the team, and his foil, his female counterpart in this, is not a romantic partner, but his mother: Visser one, making the exact same hard, difficulty ruthless decisions using logic and maths, but for the other side of this war. A romantic paring gets in the way of this arc because a partner doesn’t help him with that bright, clear line, and worse, any attempt to pair him of with either Rachel or Cassie breaks up not only a cannon paring, but their respective character arc.

How to (kinda) fix this: Marco’s arc is, at the end of the day, a trolly problem. So make sure whoever you ship him with is one of the people tied to the tracks. Introduce a character he crushes on, and then in the second act reveal that they are either a Controller, or in the family of a Controller or the proximity of the target of their next mission in a way that will make them collateral damage ,and let Marco struggle with what happens when that bright, clear logical line from A to B cuts through someone he actually loves; you know, like it did with his mother. See, even trying to fix this ship is weirdly Freudian.

The far better ship you should be doing: Ax x / EVERYONE. Ax in human form is described as a worryingly pretty, worryingly androgynous male of indeterminate race. He is a literally Bishonen alien hedonist with no familiarity with human senses, poor impulse control in human form, and no knowledge or understanding of human courtship rituals, and he can shape-shift, including into other members of the core team if needed to compel a mission, he calls Jake his prince,  and he is incredibly close to Tobias, the lonely outcast woobie that the LGBT fans adopted as their poster boy. Come on, the potential for shipping, both with wacky hijinks and sad, tragic star-crossed lovers’ trope is endless. Every line dedicated to Marco shipping is a line of text that could be dedicated to Ax trying to eat a Cinnabon erotically on his first date as a human and hulking out mid way because he forgot just how good they are. What could be better than him leaning into to erotically kiss a team-mate, and then fucking up due to his failure to understand human mouths, making weird mouth sounds, and then licking crumbs of the table in the middle of the mall, in front of the entire school, while his crush awkwardly tried to pretend this is normal? What’s wrong with you Marco-shipper people, do you hate fun?

 Riz/Tem (beastars) Why I hate this ship: Okay, just to quickly ask a question, to people who un-ironically like this as a serious ship and not a dark joke, just one little question: What’s wrong with you? I mean,are you okay? Keep taking the meds: the show is VERY clear on that point.

It’s like those people who say Joker X Harley Quinn is their ideal dark, edgy relationship: no it’s not, it’s abusive! Morticia x Gomez is dark and cool but CONSENTUAL and HEALTHY. This… this is a deeply imbalanced person murdering someone and telling themselves after that fact it was special and rare and magical. ITS HOMICIDE! And even if you write that out (and you shouldn’t, because that changes the character arc of every other major character) it’s still got more red flags that a soviet military parade. This is the botulinum of a toxic, one-sided teenage infatuation. Riz’s entire arc is about how he projects his thoughts and feelings about himself onto this idealised, made-up version of his and Tem’s relationship which, from Tem’s point of view, never existed. Riz never loved Tem: he loved the idea of Tem, the idea that someone would see the real him, see his inner pain and accept him anyway, but he never once told Tem this. He didn’t warn him “Hey, because of you I don’t feel I need my meds any more, do you mind if I try not taking them and we can meet and talk about this in a safe, well-lit pace?” He’s not honest with Tem, and on top of that It doesn’t make sense from the point of view of either of the characters for them to be actually, romantically in love (although  they were clearly close friends), because it undermines and cheepens Riz desire to just be seen and accepted for his real self, and the cannon Tem X Els ship. It also doesn’t make sense from a story point of view: Riz is a shadow archetype for Legosi. He’s what Legosi would have become if someone hadn’t interrupted his attack on Haru. That’s why Legosi needs to beat Riz with his own hands: because then he’s beating the darker version of himself he’s been carrying with him, and he can finally move on with Haru guilt-free. Having Riz and Tem’s relationship actually be what Riz imagined it to be undoes that. It undoes Riz’s interesting, dark inner struggle between truth and fantasy, it turns Tem’s tragic, unsolved murder that sets the entire story in motion into a just sort of weird Romeo-and Juliet suicide. It’s ruins the character arc not only for Riz, but for Legosi, and also, by extension, Louis and Haru, because Legosi’s internal angst over whether or not herbivores and carnivores can have a relationship as true friends needs this example of a tragic, flawed, toxic, failed friendship to bounce off of.

How it could (sort of) work: an AU where Riz’s attack on Tem is interrupted and Tem lives with a slight arm injury, and doesn’t tell anyone out of his complex feelings for Riz. Meanwhile, that bunny girl from the gardening club had been brutally devoured and Rz and/or Tem are so horrified with how close this was to their own near-miss, they start to investigate the murder, and in doing so get caught up in Louis’ inner struggle. Because that’s how the story needs to work, it’s about duality and struggle: and if Riz takes Legosi’s role, and by dating a herbivore he de facto takes the role, so Legosi must take Riz’s. This could be a great AU!

The better ship you should be doing: Pina/Riz (with a dash of Pina x Els), no, seriously, I’m not shitposting. You want to give Riz a redemption arc with a cute woolly boy? How about a story where Pina, out of a need for closure about at happened to him, starts to visit Riz in jail and they talk, mockingly at first, confrontational at first, but later Pina slowly becoming more fascinated in Riz and Tem’s life and asking Riz for more and more detail until they both bond over their shared traumatic experiences and their sense of loss for Tem’s senseless death, Tem’s unfished life casting a shadow over both off them. Eventually, the two of them find, from Legosi who still has the diary, that Tem had planned out an elaborate and beautiful first date with Els that he never got to take her on, and Riz, guilt ridden and sad than Tem never got this beautiful moment, decides to ask Pina take her on that date for Tem, with Riz coaching him by phone cyano-de-Bergerac style, Riz finally getting some closure that he helped one of Tem’s wishes come true and finally acknowledging to himself that Tem had a life and loves outside of him that were cut of short by his actions, and just crying over his lost friend, as Pina and Els slow-dance in Tem memory. Or if you just want to see Tem awkwardly date a carnivore boy from school, why not something less creepy and more wholesome and ship him with Jack? That would be cute AF, and more importantly, not romanticize brutal murder. Or an AU where everything is happy and nice, I’d argue at that it’s no longer Beastars at that point, but if it makes you happy, go for it. Let’s not shame anyone here.

 Snape X Lilly (Harry Potter)

Why I hate this ship: honestly, it’s not for the reason you think; I just like Snape too much as a tragic character, and making him in any way happy destroys his arc in my opinion.  The objection’s others have raised: that Snape acts in a worryingly possessive stalker-ish way towards Lilly, and that if Voldemort had gone for Nevil rather than Harry as a child Snape would have remained a loyal death eater, are true and I acknowledge them as having some validity, but that’s not why I can’t stand this ship. Snape is supposed to be a morally and emotionally complex, tragic figure. That “After all this time?” line was the best line in the Deathly Hallows.  Snape is supposed to show the equality destructive and redemptive power of  love. It’s sort of trinity: Lilly shows the pure power of true, unconditional love in her sacrifice to save Harry, Voldy shows what self-destruction and cruelty a life without understanding love leads to, and Snape sits somewhere in the middle: his one-sided  un-requited love being both the cause of his darkest, and his greatest actions. His curse, and his redemption, fall and rise. Making him happy messes that up.

How to (kinda) fix this ship: make them miserable. Make them fall for each-other only to be pulled apart by circumstance (you know, like they were in the darn original source material). You’re serious about making this a tragic, dark romance? Don’t ship them when they’re at school: Ship them during Voldemort’s rise to power, in the 80’s, after Lilly is married. Have the original Order of the Phoenix send her to meet with Snape and use their previous relation to try to milk some information out of him. Have her feel conflicted about it, have James furious about it, but have her do it anyway for the greater good. Have her meet up secretly with Snape who is angry and distrustful, knowing his must be a trap, and talk. Have the relationship slowly build over time against the backdrop of a cold-war spy thriller, as Lilly slowly realizes that she has some lingering feelings for Snape, but can’t reconcile them her loyalty to the order and her family. Make this a love story of conflicted feelings, divided loyalties, and spy-work against the background of drawing war-clouds. Have Snape offer to leave Voldemort, if she’ll leave the Order, and run away with him, but by that point she knows she’s pregnant and chooses to stay, out of loyalty even though she’s crushing on Snape. Have him show up at the rendezvous expecting for her to be there only for James to lead an Order Ambush, and a fight to ensure, on top of Tower Bridge in the howling wind and rain, Snape surviving but having his spirit crushed and fleeing before Lilly can tell him her true feelings. Make it big, and melodramatic, but above all, make it tragic.  Because that’s the only way Snape works as a character. Always.

The better ship you should be doing: Ginny X Nevil or Luna x Nevil: You want tragic lovers, at school, with divided loyalties, who never get together in the main cannon because a Potter ruins it and gets the girl? Ginny X Nevil. Write what was happening that final year Harry wasn’t at school when they took Dumbledore’s Army and make it work in earnest. Heck, you could even have Snape, as headmaster, hated by them but secretly trying to protect them as a secondary character to their secret, forbidden love. You don’t want to break up Harry X Ginny? Luna X Nevil is sweet and wholesome, but also tragic as they never get a chance, having their school life taken over by the horror of that final year and the need to fight for their very souls in a school run by Death Eaters and the trauma of the Battle of Hogwarts meaning that in order to put away the past and move on, they need to leave each other behind. Hell, do an AU where they canonically end up together, why not? They deserve happiness.

 Dean / Sam AKA Wincest (Supernatural)

Why I hate this ship: They’re brothers. The show even makes a joke about how squick this is. Several times.

How you could (sort of) fix this ship: You can’t: They’re brothers. The show even makes a joke about how squick this is. I guess a body-swap arc could fix this, as it’s less squicky if its just their bodies with someone else’s minds,  but seriously, the reasons why this shouldn’t exist are extensively covered in the show, and it was hilarious.  To be honest, I don’t hate this ship done as a joke, but I have seen some dark spots on the internet, and I can say with all honesty it’s not always treated as a joke. Some folks are really invested in this, and all I can ask is, is your home life okay?

Now, done as a joke, I’m 110% behind this. This is exactly the sort of insane wacky bullshit that makes for a good crack-fic. For example imagine that the supernatural threat of the week was book that made anything written in it come true, and the brothers are trying to find and destroy it, but they keep getting distracted by their burgeoning romantic feelings for each-other, and suddenly realise that the owner of the book is a fan on the in-universe novels, and writing slash-fic in the book. They need to find the writer before they make them do something they’ll both regret, but it’s just so distracting when Sam’s beautiful eyes are right there and- dammit, Sam, it’s happening again! Make Sam less concerned and even a little amused, with it, but make Dean hate what’s going on. Especially when the writer’s description suddenly makes Sam noticeably better hung that him. Make the villain turn out to be Becky from “Sympathy for the devil” and end with them trying to take the book away as she writes frantically to force them to do her bidding, and you’ve got yourself a good fic.

The better ship you should be doing: Cas/Sam or Cas/Dean or Cas/Sam AND Dean fic. Duh. Once again the show-runners beat the fans to the mark and pointed out that this is the best ship, and then they took it away just to fuck with us.

 Any Katniss ship that ignores her obsession with Emotional Security Logic. (The Hunger Games)

Why I hate these ships: Katniss is, briefly put, a mess before the books ever start, her father’s death and harsh upbringing have arguably given her PTSD before she ever volunteers for the reaping, and it doesn’t get better from there.  In psychology, Emotional Security Theory (EST) is a hypothesis that the heightened emotions surrounding repeated violent exposures leaves children vulnerable to dysregulated distress responses and eventual psychopathology, aka, why Kat be so messed up.  Her internal monologue makes the books completely clear that her choice in partners is not motivated by normal affections, but by deep, deep fear. A fear of loss, abandonment and death that leads her to make every decision about what minimises her, and her sister’s, exposure to potential physical and emotional harm. It’s frantic, fraught, cold survivalist thinking. And the other characters in the book notice and acknowledge it! “Which of us will she pick?” “She’ll pick whoever she can’t survive without.” Kat doesn’t like herself for it, but she does eventually admit to herself that she makes her decisions like this.

How do we fix this ship: Ship Kat with whoever you like, but give her a good reason to pick them: and in Kat’s mind “A good reason” is based on Emotional Security Logic, she needs to have a pressing reason why this ship makes her and her sister safer. Do that, and you’ve got yourself a good Katniss story. Don’t do that, and while you may or may not have a good story, the person staring in it isn’t Katniss Everdeen anymore.

The better ship you should be writing: Finick X Annie. Or, Haymitch prequel ships

FinAnn. This, this ship has some real potential to it, and is criminally underutilized. Finick and Annie’s relationship is one of the most tragic and romantic in the story, and has so much to offer. Or, if you want to have a hard-bitten character from district 12 struggling with trying to find love in the hellish combat of the games, do a prequel in which Haymitch finds love in the capitol during training, but loses then in the area and turns to drink as a result. Heck, you could even have some fun with this and turn it into a dark comedy, or a great tragic love story, whatever you like. It’s got potential, and his backstory is vague enough you could do a lot with it.

So, tell me below why I’m wrong, and have fun with your writing: just because I hate that ship doesn’t mean you should. Enjoy yourselves.

I’m off to write awful Ax/Pina/Luna Polyjuice’d into Nevil/Cas/Finick fiction set at an anime high-school that fights a magical war against other fictional schools, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[addicted-to-dc]

Survivor- Jason Todd/Red Hood X Reader

Hey, guys, I’m really hesitant to post this fic so I might take this down after a couple of days. I try to keep my account free from actual smut, but I wanted to try something. Anyway, please leave feedback if you want me to keep this. 

Warning: Angst, mentions of murder and torture, drug use, swearing, horrible smut. 18+ only!!!

Word Count: 2,733

You didn’t think that your body would shake as much as your hands did, making your heart race and every sense blurred. Even if your body reacted this way, your goal was finally complete. Your life had no meaning after this even if you could live it out if you wanted. He was finally dead, bleeding out on the floor as his laughs and cackles faded away. Joker was finally dead, and you weren’t sure if you could take another breath. The adrenaline you had when you stabbed him was gone, leaving you without any energy to even move away from him. The knife was still in his chest, completely embedded into his torso. You could only stare as the blood seeped through his shirt and onto the floor, spilling onto the concrete floor.

You didn’t know how you survived, or how you were able to do it, but it was finally done. After the countless years of physical and emotional torture, you were finally free from his constant control. Finally collapsing onto the ground, a smile grew on your face. First, you exhaled a chuckle. Soon enough you were laughing loudly, tears falling down your face as everything crumbled down on you: The clown was dead. Your laughs evolved into sobs, pain radiating all over your body. Time continued on as you found the strength to stand up, smearing his and your blood all over the wall beside you. You left the room and instantly got lost in the building, losing your bearings after every turn and corner. By some miracle you were able to finally find stairs leading upward. Your legs and lungs burned as you ascended them, the metal cold on your bare feet. A lone metal door was at the top, the only thing that was separating you from your freedom.

With all of the strength you had you unlatched its lock, pulling it open as the light outside blinded you. Holding out your hand, you pushed forward and finally exited your personal hell. You did not expect your feet to touch grass, but you welcomed the foreign feeling. Taking in a deep breath, you forced yourself to keep moving despite the pain. You didn’t know where you were, but you were damned if you thought you weren’t going to find anyone.

---------------

You hadn’t thought about that day in awhile, not since you left your old life behind for a new one. Your story had been a popular one, but you couldn’t stand the constant questions from the press and everyone around you. It was too much and they knew it, but that didn’t stop them. They had asked about every scar, burn, and bruise that had marred your flesh, bringing back the thought of him. After a few months of freedom you realized that you could never kill him, his voices inside of your head reminded you up until now. You were finally able to move on, but of course it didn’t last long. Someone knocked on your door, the sound was enough to make you freeze. Gulping, you grabbed your bat and slowly approached the door, your tight grip already hurting your skin. Looking through the peephole, you instantly opened the door, but slightly.

“What do you want?” you asked quietly, staring at the man.

“I came to check on you, (Y/N),” Bruce replied, giving you a small smile. “May I come in?”

You nodded, opening the door. As soon as he was in and out of the way you closed the door, locking it before letting out a shaky breath. Your bat was forgotten next to the door as you walked into the living room, taking a seat on your couch as Bruce did the same.

“How’s everyone?” you asked, pulling a pillow into your grasp.

“(Y/N)...”

“What? I can’t ask about my brothers now?” you asked, your hands starting to shake.

“You can, but that’s not why I’m here,” he admitted, reaching into his jacket to grasp a folded photo before handing it to you.

Taking it, you looked at him confusedly before opening the picture. Your heart sank at the sight. It was a picture of the Red Hood, making you instantly realize why he was here. Your stomach dropped, nausea overpowering you as you pushed yourself away from the couch. Stumbling to the kitchen, you opened a cabinet and pulled out a small air mask. Placing it against your face, you greedily sucked in the air, your body instantly calming down as you placed it onto the counter.

“No,” you stated shakily. “I am not going back there, I can’t.”

He sighed behind you, “You’ve been here for two years, (Y/N), everyone misses you.”

“They sure missed me when you had my funeral,” you spat, clutching the counter top. “I can’t, Bruce, I need more time. It’s too much.”

You closed your eyes, letting out a shaky breath as your anger faded away. He placed a hand on your shoulder, making you tense. You removed his hand and turned around, meeting his eyes.

“I need to deal with this my own way,” you said, clenching your jaw. “I know he’s the one who found me after I escaped, and the only other time that I saw him was that day…”

You gulped, remembering how easy it was to just let go, to just fall. It was freeing, but he had found you just like he had before. It was like he was always watching, always waiting for you to do something stupid.

“I haven’t seen him since,” you stated, walking past Bruce. “I don’t know what is happening back in Gotham, but I don’t want any part of it. I have something great here, and I don’t want to give it up that easily.”

“Okay,” he nodded, “but you call me if you need anything.”

You watched as he opened the door, hesitating as he stood over the threshold. He looked back at you, giving you a solemn look.

“Goodbye, (Y/N).”

He stepped out and shut the door, leaving you alone once again. You don’t know how long you stood there, waiting for his car to leave the driveway. Letting out a shaky sigh, you screamed and went to punch the wall, but froze when you heard someone clear their throat.

“I won’t fix that,” he muttered, quickly walking over to you and pulling you against him. “Nice act, you could have fooled me.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t search the place,” you muttered, wrapping your arms around him.

“You know he wouldn’t,” he retorted, his grip on you tightening. “He wouldn’t do that to you, not in what state he thinks you are in.”

You ran your fingers along his bare back, making him shiver. He did the same, but his warmth just made you push yourself against him even more. He groaned at the feeling, making a smile creep onto your face. Dragging your hands down once more, you grasped the band of his sweatpants and pulled it, letting it snap against him. That made him growl, and Gods you’d be lying to yourself if that didn’t spur something in you. Laughing, you resumed tracing your fingers along his back, listening to his heartbeat as your anger dissipated.

“He’s bound to find out, Jay,” you sighed, feeling his hands stop their movements.

“No, he’ll find out when we let him,” he said coolly, his hands moving again. “Not until we finally show him what it takes to protect Gotham.”

His hands trailed down, grasping your ass before gripping your thighs. Lifting you up, you wrapped your arms around his neck as you stared into his eyes. He had a barely healed scar running down his face, you remember when you gave it to him. Removing one of your hands, you traced over the scar, reminding yourself why you were doing this. You were doing this for Jason, for the people of Gotham, for Gotham herself. He nuzzled into your hand, his green eyes piercing yours as his lips finally met yours. Groaning, he carried you to your bedroom and placed you on the bed, his weight remaining on top of you as you pulled him closer. Your body felt like it was on fire, and Jay’s body made it hotter.

Removing his lips, he kissed your cheek before descending to your neck, sucking on your skin, “Tell me you’re with me.”

His hands traveled down, grasping your shirt before ripping it off of you. Gasping, your words were caught in your throat as he buried his face into your chest.

“Tell me,” he mumbled, placing sloppy kisses as he waited for your response.

“I’m with you, Jay,” you sighed, tightly gripping his shirt. “Always.”

You could feel his grin as he resumed his descent, dragging his fingers along his sides as you shivered in anticipation, “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Hooking his fingers around your shorts, he slowly dragged them down, barely touching your skin as he watched your response. You could only watch as he did this, your heart beating out of your chest as he finally tossed the article of clothing somewhere in the room. He kissed your stomach, making sure he left no scar alone until he was where you needed him to be. You could feel his hot breath near your core, teasing you one last time before dragging his tongue from your entrance to your clit. Gasping, your hand reached down to grasp his red locks, trying to pull him closer. He chuckled, the vibrations making you go wild. Releasing the first moan of the night, you ground against his mouth before your movements were halted by his hands on your hips.

“Jay,” you moaned, grasping the bed sheet.

Your moans only fueled his fire, using everything he knew about your body against you. You would never get used to this… having Jason back with you. The way he worshiped your body without saying a word was just how you remembered, but the raw emotion you both felt had changed. You weren’t just teens fooling around in the Manor anymore, that ship had sailed long ago.

“Fuck,” you muttered, your mouth falling open as he slid in a finger.

He added another, licking just the right spot as he dragged his fingers against your g-spot. Screaming, you felt like you couldn’t take anymore. The pleasure was too much, but he kept licking and massaging your nerves. You felt the familiar pressure, practically vibrating as you melted at his touch. Your whole body was on edge, muscles twitching as everything exploded. You couldn’t stop yourself from squeezing his head with your thighs, your toes curling as he continued to guide you through your orgasm. You could only hear your heartbeat and your panting, moaning as he gave you one last lick before removing his fingers. You groaned as he sucked on them, licking his lips before removing himself from you. You nearly whined at the loss, but stopped when he took off his shirt and slid his sweatpants down.

“You like what you see?” he asked, kicking the pants aside as he climbed back on top of you.

Laughing, you moaned as he ground on your sensitive core, “Always, Jason, always.”

Grasping his face, you pulled him in for another kiss, taking your time as the two of you explored each others’ mouths. He flipped the two of you over, allowing you to kneel above his hips. Gripping your waist, he pulled you back until he was flush with the backboard. He captured your lips with his, groaning as you sunk down on him.

“Holy shit,” he moaned, his eyes rolling back as you enveloped him.

You both remained still for a few moments, savoring the feeling of each other. Your hands drifted around his chest, slowly moving upward to grasp his shoulders. You consumed his lips, too addicted his touch to leave them by their lonesome.

“When will we go back?” you asked in between kisses, gasping when he shifted underneath you.

His lips drifted towards your neck, grinning, “At the end of the week.”

You sighed, dragging your nails along his thighs as you heard his answer, “Well, we better make the best of our last free moments.”

He hissed into your neck, dragging his teeth against your skin, “I can’t argue with that, angel.”

You shifted, running your hands into his hair before gripping it. Leaning forward, you slowly started to ride him, relishing in every push and pull you felt inside of you. He grasped your calves, allowing you to have more leverage against him. Soon you fell into your rhythm, your hips moving back and forth as moans escaped from the two of you. Skin slapping against skin, you felt his hands leave your calves only to resurface on your hips. Attaching your lips to his, you groaned as he took control, using your hips against you as he thrust into you. Your slow pace long forgotten, you relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Thrust after thrust, you fell apart as he hit the right spot over and over, making your whole body convulse. He continued his pace, grinding against you as your high brought his own.

“Fuck!” you moaned, riding out your climax. “Jason!”

Sagging against him, you closed your eyes and sighed, burrowing yourself into his chest. Kissing his chest, you wrapped your arms around him, listening to his heartbeat as his breathing slowed. You felt him loosen his grip on your hips, rubbing them before tracing up your spine. Shivering, you let out a laugh and tried to move away from his hand, moaning as you accidentally ground on him. He laughed before wrapping his arms around you, massaging your back as you recovered.

“(Y/N),” he began, hesitating for a moment, “you’re sure you want to do this, especially with me?”

“Without a doubt,” you replied, removing your head from his chest. “I was done, Jason, done with life itself after that day… but our plan for Gotham changed that, you changed that.”

He smiled, letting out the breath he was holding, “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“And I you,” you said, twirling a finger around his white streak. “You gave me purpose, Jay, something I never thought I would have again. We are the cure to Gotham’s disease, she needs us. Together we’re unstoppable.”

“Yes, yes we will,” he agreed, a smirk crawling onto his features.

You pushed yourself off of him, groaning at the loss. Grabbing a robe, you quickly slid it on and stood up, wrapping it around yourself as you stared into the adjacent room. Jason grunted as he removed himself from the bed, quickly moving beside you. Wrapping his hands around your waist, he followed your eyes, smirking at the sight of your suit.

“I can’t wait to see his empire burn,” he muttered, his grip tightening.

“From the ashes a new Gotham will be born,” you said, a smirk growing on your face. “Speaking of… did you get it?”

You watched as he entered the room, noticing that he placed his sweatpants back on. He opened a drawer, pulling out a syringe and small bottle. Your body shivered at the sight. Jay chuckled at your reaction, guiding you back to the bed. You watched as he sucked the green liquid into the needle, pulling one side of your robe down. Closing your eyes, you bite your lip as the needle pierced your upper arm. The dull pain instantly went away, your breathing quickened as you felt your body warm itself. You didn’t notice him removing the needle, only focusing on how good it felt to have it running through your veins. Opening your eyes, you watched as the rest of your remaining scars melted into your skin, disappearing from view. He kissed your shoulder, rubbing where the needle once was.

“Where was it this time?” you asked breathlessly, getting lost in the feeling of the Pit’s effects.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” he answered. “This Pit was undiscovered, only we know about it.”

“Good,” you muttered, sighing when you couldn’t feel it anymore. “Are there anymore scars?”

He glanced at you, “None that I can see.”

His hands drifted to the knot you tied, laughing when you smacked it away.

“Uh uh, we’ve got some things to prepare for,” you scolded, playfully smacking his shoulder. “God, that felt good.”

“Well, you know there’s more where that came from.”

[omgkalyppso]

Tell me about "this nonsense"

this nonsense

It’s an (abandoned?) Mass Effect fic. Shoker: Shepard x Joker. From back when I was on the B*oware Social Network and in the community Snap Crackle Pop (a play on Joker’s brittle bone disease) from before Mass Effect 3 released. I included it because some friends are hype about the mass effect legendary edition. I’m not particularly right now, but I can see their passion MAYBE encouraging me to finish some old projects.

The wip is 5,324 words long. Here’s a more manageable excerpt from after the crew is taken and we’re on our way to the collector base. Please bare in mind this was written before EDI was more established as a person (even though that was mishandled also):

Ashley was off somewhere hating her for getting saddled with Cerberus. She wished she could’ve found the courage to agree with the girl about how the organization might be abusing her or about how she did actually feel as if she owed them something for bringing her back. Shepard couldn’t comprehend why that would be so unforgivable. She paid her debts, so long as she regulated her own integrity. Ashley wasn’t Shepard’s only relationship that had once been which was strained or non-existent … but out of all of them, Joker’s was accessible.

They used to have such serious conversations on the SR-1. He had trusted her then more deeply, it seemed. Since she’d awoken, mostly anything he’d said to her which was not related to duty was small talk about the crew. What she was about to do would not re-establish his faith in her, but Shepard was beyond caring. She wanted to be greedy, she hoped for understanding, she worried about disgusting him, and she needed him to know. The silence dragged as stars whipped by overhead, the view was beautiful, both in and outside the cabin.

“So, what is it, Commander?” asked Joker, all innocence and ignorance.

She couldn’t help it, “Why are you on a first name basis with the ship?”

“Jealo-” Joker began to tease, but Shepard interrupted firmly.

“Well yes!”

She was breathing harder than she should’ve been. Her heart was fluttering like that of a school girl, but the worst was the heat in her face; she must be so red. What she said had been too serious: now Joker was silent too. EDI spoke.

“You needn’t be, Commander. What Jeff and I are exhibiting is more a platonic symbiosis than hormonally-induced courtship behavior.”

Joker cringed at the AI before looking to Shepard. “Okay, that was creepy,” he admonished, before objecting, “but you’re not on a first name basis with anyone.”

That was the wrong thing to say, both on her part and in regards to what she wanted to hear. Shepard nodded and put a hand to the side of her face, wrapping the other around her stomach. “No,” she agreed, “no you’re right, I’m not. I’d just … like to know I’m more than my title, to you.”

A spark of interest flickered deep in the back of Joker’s eyes and he turned to the AI, as he moved to stand, and Shepard held a hand to her mouth, worrying unnecessarily as he took to his feet. “EDI, could you-?”

“I know, Jeff,” she answered before the blue sphere flickered away.

He moved to sit next to her, staring at her knees. “Would you like me to hold you … Amelia?”

[ajokeformur-ray]

Hi, hope you're okay! Can I have a matchup for phoenix's arthur? I'm 5'4 with long blonde wavy hair & green eyes with round glasses. I'm an INFP and love true crime, I want to pursue a career in criminal psychology/profiling. I'm really quiet around new people and may accidentally say something mean (I don't mean to, I'm really trying to work on being nicer, I just panic), but once I get comfortable around people, I'm better. I also have Raynaud's , so it'd be really cool if he can react to that

I get it mostly on my fingers & it makes it difficult to move my hands lol. Thanks for doing this, I really appreciate it x

Brace your eyes, honeybee!!! This is a looooong one ksksskks under a cut!! so sorry that this was late omggg I’ve been dealing with… a lot and I had a bit of anxiety with this piece bc I love you and you’re amazing and I wanted to get this right. I hope that the length makes up for it, darling! I know you asked for just Arthur but I added his Joker by way of apology for this being late!!

WC for all four ships: 2, 977.

Arthur // wc: 730.

With a four inch height difference between the two of you, Arthur does feel a little bit more protective of you; he loves nothing more than wrapping his arms around you and pulling you tight into his body, his chin resting on the curve of your shoulder, his face buried in your warm neck as he hides himself from the world and sometimes, on his darkest days, from you. Arthur takes a great deal of comfort from even your existence, so in love with you is he. Your hair is long and he loves it. He enjoys sitting on the sofa with you sat behind him while he brushes your hair out for you (if you let him), while he washes it for you over the bath… Arthur will do anything for even five minutes more in your presence, he holds you in such a high esteem. And your eyes, oh, but he could get lost in those green oceans which gaze at him with such reverence. Arthur also makes sure that your glasses are always looked after; he makes sure that they’re in their usual place, and he gingerly holds them in between his index finger and his thumb while he wordlessly cleans them for you. You are his entire world and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you. 

You love true crime and Arthur… he doesn’t stay away from it and he does like to curl up on the sofa with you, but he’ll burrow his face in your neck because there’s enough crime just outside the apartment. He doesn’t especially want to be reminded of anything, either, but he uses this time to spend it with you. Sometimes he’ll actually watch it but that’s more because he wants to get closer to you through doing so and not because he’s genuinely enjoying it. He is your biggest supporter and Arthur will help you with anything and everything. Arthur was a tenth grade drop out so he really is very protective not only of your studying time but also of your well being. He knows better than most what can happen when one works themselves to the bone without reprieve and he’s determined that such a thing will not happen to you. He would do and be anything if it meant helping you with your chosen career path in any way. He likes to spend time with you while you’re watching true crime and he’ll ask you what you like about it, why and any and every question that he can think of. Arthur admires the passion in you, your drive and he especially loves the way that your eyes light up when you’re talking about the things you love the most.

You’re both really quiet around new people. Arthur, especially, because he’s always so scared that he’ll have a laughing fit and ruin his chances of friendship before he even knows it’s there, so preemptively does he keep his mouth shut. You sometimes say mean things but it wouldn’t deter Arthur; he’s very emotionally intuitive and I think he’d be able to see those signs of panic in you. “You didn’t mean to say it like that, did you?” You shake your head and Arthur gives you a weary, knowing smile. “Do you - I mean, do you want to - try that again?”it’s a system that stays long after the two of you are dating and it saves more arguments than it starts. You’re better when you’re comfortable around him but the system stays, both because you’re used to it by that point and also because it carries fond memories of shy smiles, half finished sentences and blushes which dust both of your cheeks in rose. 

There is nothing that Arthur can’t adapt to, there is nothing that he can’t understand. He’s eager to please and because of that is he quick to learn and as such, when you have trouble moving your hands, Arthur’s there to take them in between both of his. He’ll cup them tightly, a frown on his face as he desperately tries to warm your hands up with his. Because of his malnutrition and the various effects of all those medications he’s on, Arthur has cold hands, too, but he tries, he tries, and together, with a joint effort, do hands and souls alike warm up under each other’s tender touch. 

Joker // wc: 828.

OMGGGG this man is head over heels for you. You were with him through it all; everything that he went through and experienced, every injustice he suffered, every right and wrong… you were there through it all and you stayed, you stayed after he succumbed to all that was making him numb, after he chose the name (but not the things that came with it, he didn’t want any of those), and for that, you’re together for life. Joker is 1000000% committed to you and without you he just simply isn’t whole. He behaves in all the same ways towards you that he used to, you, his one and only person who understands him, but he’s much more protective of you. Joker is less tolerant of anything which could cause you even the smallest pieces of discomfort or hurt. You are his entire world, his whole life and his whole life and there is nothing he wouldn’t do for you. And I mean nothing. How special a soul you are, to command Arthur’s love for you. What you share is something very special, very raw and real… it’s once in a lifetime and you both know it.

Where before did Arthur hide himself in your neck, now he watches attentively. His knees bounce, his body shakes, he chuckles and laughs if the narrator makes a dark joke (and makes sure to remember it for later on; his material is never fully perfected, try as he might), and he makes sure that he remembers all those hints and tips laced within the narrative of how to get rid of forensic evidence, of how to escape and to look after oneself. You want to pursue a career in criminal psychology and in profiling and Joker is fascinated by all of it. All of it. He’s not afraid to ask you to read to him, his head cushioned on your chest late at night. His green curls fanned out across your body, his hands trailing along the sides of your body, fingers splayed to touch as much of you as he can all at once… it’s sensual, these quiet moments together and neither of you would trade them for the world. He slips off to sleep at the touch of your hand, the sound of your voice, your heartbeat in his ear… Sometimes Joker worries that because of your chosen career, that you’ll turn him in or you’ll be placed in danger because of him. You getting harmed in even the smallest of ways scares Joker like nothing else; without you, he truly has nothing left to lose. He’ll do anything to protect you, anything to keep you safe. Anything.

By this time in your relationship, you’re both more than comfortable with each other and you both know when the other person needs space or some extra love. You and Joker know each other like the backs of your hands and there’s an easy sort of intimacy between the both of you, both of you able to fully relax and to be yourselves around the other. You’re trying to work on being nicer and Joker admires that effort; he knows better than most that it isn’t easy and he would make sure that when you’re feeling like you still need to be more, he’s there to tell you that you’re enough; just because you you’re and who you are is beautiful. You have always been his greatest comfort, his biggest reason, his everything and Joker never lets you doubt it for even a second. There is nothing you could ever say or do which would make him less proud of you. Nothing. Joker loves you for all that you are, all that you have ever been and all that you will ever be and he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with you.  

Joker is often out of the apartment for long stretches of time and he comes and goes at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes you wonder if he wanders the streets at night looking to get jumped. He’s so self-punishing even now, and it’s something that you wouldn’t put past him, though it does break his heart. When he comes home, he is freezing. The sweet, sweet man takes a hot shower and comes to bed, warmed up just so that he can warm you up; especially in winter, it’s so important for you to keep warm and when you can’t move your hands, Joker’s there to wait on you and he adores the way he’s able to take care of you, a natural caregiver is he. When he first found out about it, he asked you any and every question which he could think of, wanting to learn about it but also the ways it affects you and how he can help you. You have always been and will always be Arthur’s number one priority, and that’ll never change, no matter what.

Pepperminnttttt~ // wc: 710.

This one took me longer to write bc I kept blushing omgggg 🥺😍😭🥺

Heath’s six foot but I headcanon Pat to be roughly 5′8, which means that there’s a good four inches in height difference between the two of you. Pat loves to fold you in his arms, the sharp angle of his chin resting on the crown of your head. He likes to approach you from behind, a strong, muscular arm winding around your waist. It makes you jump and he chuckles, his face brushing yours, his lips in the hollow just behind your ear. “Whoa, easy, girlie,” and he glares at anyone who rolls their eyes, looks at you in a way he doesn’t like, and so on. Pat uses the reputation he never really asked for or wanted to protect you. He doesn’t care what others say about him, but about you? He’d go nuts if someone dared to go after you. You have long blonde hair and green eyes and Pat is always unable to say more than, “Wow, you look…. wow.”, a smirk on his face. You truly are beautiful and he adores every single thing about you. You’re the only one to see him for who he really is and he does everything that he can to show you how appreciative he is of you for that.

You love to watch true crime and Pat often camps out with you on the sofa, a blanket over both of your shoulders and a bowl of popcorn or something similar balanced precariously on the spaces between your laps. His fingers brush against yours occasionally when he reaches for some popcorn and he’s either feeding you kernels or chucking them up in the air and catching it effortlessly, a cocky smirk on his face if you act impressed. You want a career in criminal psychology and though Pat doesn’t really care much about his future because he prefers to live in the moment, he is so supportive of you and there’s nothing he won’t do for you. That’s not to say that he’ll even pick up a textbook for you, but he’ll be there to rub your back when you’re stressed, he’ll be there to kiss your anxieties away, and he’s there with silly comments to make you laugh when it truly counts. Love’s about sticking around and Pat proves that to you.

You’re quiet about new people but Pat isn’t deterred; he knows better than most that what you see isn’t always what you get, so he is his usual charming and persistent self. He finds ways to make conversations with you, he finds ways to get you to talk. Pat does everything he can to get to know you and if you ever accidentally say something you don’t mean, Pat gives you one of his concentrated looks. “You didn’t mean that, did you?”  // “No, I’m sorry, I - “ // “You panicked, I know. You’re not afraid of me, are you?” // “No, I - “ and you get talking that way. Pat is emotionally intuitive, very clever and very patient and there’s nothing he won’t do for you. You’re working on being nicer and Pat is so proud of you. Sometimes he’ll tap your bottom lip with a finger and say, “Play nice” if you spoke out of turn, or he’ll just look at you until you come back into yourself. You never doubt yourself around him, he doesn’t allow it, and the aura around him is so calming that you couldn’t even if you wanted to. 

Pat is always, always concerned for your health and for your well being. There’s nothing he won’t do or say for you, nothing at all, and he makes sure that he always has heating pads, gloves, anything that will keep you warm and comfortable. Pat is always holding your hands, always making sure that you’re okay, that you’re being taken care of. He reacted positively to finding out that you have Raynaud’s and when it’s hard to move your hands, he’s there waiting on you. Anything you want, anything you need, and Pat is right there for you. He loves you so so much that it drives him mad, but, well… you love him just as fiercely, and that’s what he clings to even in his darkest of hours.

Pretty panda // wc: 709.

J is a clean six foot so there is a six inch height difference between you and omgggg ~ J’s nicknames for you can be anything from shortstack, sweetcheeks, shortcake, shortie… he means it to be teasing and though he’ll toe the line of your boundaries he won’t ever push them or break them entirely. J respects you, he trusts you, and if you’re not okay with those names then he won’t use them. He loves your long hair; when the sunlight catches it, it looks golden and he appreciates the different tones. It reminds J of you, strangely; of how you have your own multiple layers and complexities. He adores your eyes, too… J doesn’t care at all about appearances but he really does enjoy looking into your eyes and seeing you look back at him. If eyes are the windows to the soul then yours, my dear, are radiant. J can read everything in your eyes - your every mood - and there’s something which doesn’t quite feel right to him unless chocolate meets green often. Sometimes at night, J has a nightmare and he needs to see those green fields to calm the pounding of his heart; he rarely wakes you up, though. He just shrugs it off and tries his best to get back to sleep. He may not be a man with a plan but he does have ideas; and they won’t bring themselves to fruition.

J finds endless amusement in the way that he’s a terrorising murderous clown and you love true crime and want to work in the same fields. He gets a good kick out of it and though he worries that you’ll be in danger or that you won’t be able to keep up with him, once he invited you along with him. “C’mon, s’no good watching it all the time - what’d’ya say - wanna, ah - see it ya’self?” Nothing special happens that night, it’s only a bank heist, but even so the thrill you get is unlike anything else. Oh, but you feel so alive. J is there for you no matter what you decide to do with your future; he can use his many connections to get you a proper foot in the door. He also doesn’t see that you need a career; he can rob a bank any day to provide you with a comfortable life, but he respects and understands and likes that you’re your own person with your own hopes and dreams and he’ll do anything to support you. 

You’re really quiet around new people but J’s not all that fussed by it. He can read body language well enough anyway, so anything that you don’t say he can read in your eyes, see it on your face. He calls you his open book, his, and the inflexion in that phrase makes your stomach swoop each and every time he says it. If you accidentally say something mean, J just exhales amusement through his nose. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t call you out on it, he just stays quiet. In his silence do you hear acceptance, understanding. He knows you didn’t mean it and that’s why he doesn’t say anything about it. When you get comfy around people, you’re better and you don’t panic as often and J appreciates the way that you relax around him. Actions speak louder than words and the way you relax around him tells J  that you trust him. You trust him. There are no words in the world which can express J’s gratitude and the way he’s so deeply touched by it and so he decides to show you every day.

You have Raynaud’s and there’s nothing that J can’t or won’t understand. When you can’t move your hands, J grumbles about it but he helps you in any way that he can. He’s there to warm your hands up, to help you to keep warm too. J runs like a heater, even when it’s ice cold outside, and he’ll help you. He might crack jokes, make comments about how your cold soul is leaking through your skin, but the twinkle of mirth in those beautiful chocolate eyes tells you more than J ever could himself. 

[nexttrickanvils]

P5 Fic: Stolen Away

Because this idea has been bouncing in my head for a while.

Characters: Haru Okumura, Akira Kurusu, (brief appearance by Haru’s asshole fiancé and mentions of her dad)

Ship: Akira x Haru

Notes: AU where Akira is a real thief

Some skeevy dialogue from nameless background characters

---------

As a child, Haru wasn’t fond of her father’s parties, she found them boring and it meant less time for father to be with her. Father always assured her that her dislike was merely due to her childishness and that as she grew older, she would develop an appreciation and see the appeal.

Years later and no she still did not see the appeal.

How could anyone see the appeal of watching various important men giving each other false smiles and compliments to curry favor with each other?

Not only that but Haru would often overhear their conversations, bragging about their cruelties and acts of pettiness. She would never say it in front of her father but it made her skin crawl.

This party in particular has been a difficult one for Haru due to it being a (at least according to father) a celebration of her recent engagement to a politician's son, Takamasa Sugimura. But honestly it felt less like a celebration for her and more like one for her father and Sugimura-san.

All throughout the night, she felt like a porcelain doll being showed off. None of the guests even really talked to her but rather about her.

“Ha, ha congratulations Sugimura-san.”

“Isn’t she a cute little thing? She’ll make a fine little housewife for you!”

“Oh ho ho! Just out of high school huh? I always say it’s best to catch them young!”

The comments kept coming and Haru felt more and more uncomfortable and more and more trapped. She… she needed… she needed to...

SHE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF HERE!

To everyone’s shock, she pushes away Sugimura and rushes to one of the balconies outside. She then immediately slams the doors shut.

Haru takes several deep breaths and looks around. There was no one out here but her. She sighs with relief as she walks towards the railing and leans against it.

She knows that eventually she has to go back inside and apologize to her father and Sugimura for her behavior. Specifically for creating a scene and potentially embarrassing them both. She might not even go back on her own, she half expects a furious Sugimura to burst through the door and drag her back.

But for now, Haru enjoys the quiet and coolness of the night.

She stays this way for an unknown amount of time before she hears the sound of footsteps on the balcony. She sighs and turns around, ready with an apology on her lips.

“I’m truly sorry for my behavior earlier, I don’t know what came over...”

Standing before her isn’t Sugimura but rather a young man she has never seen before, with dark messy hair and grey eyes behind a white and black mask.

‘But the party isn’t a masquerade… why is he…?’ she thinks to herself

“Are you alright, Okumura-san?”

“W-who...?”

The young man smirks and presses his finger against his lips in a shushing motion. He walks towards the balcony doors and places what looks like a cane in the door handles, preventing the doors from opening.

Haru panics briefly, afraid that she was trapped with another monster. But the young man raises his hands and his expression becomes more sincere.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you, I simply don’t want anyone to interrupt us, especially that asshole of a fiancé of yours. I saw you out on this balcony and felt that I just had to help.”

“But who are you?”

“Let’s say I’m a gentleman with a love for treasure and a weakness for damsels in distress. Now let me ask you again, are you alright Okumura-san?”

It’s a simple question and yet Haru finds herself unable to stop crying. He closes the gap between them and wipes away the tears running down her face.

“It’s alright, let it all out. It’s been a rough night for you hasn’t it?”

Haru looks up at him with an apologetic look, “I-I’m sorry. Y-you must think I’m so childish, a-acting like this...”

He shakes his head and she can see the kindness and sympathy in his eyes.

“Not at all. Go ahead and tell me what’s wrong. It isn’t healthy to keep all of that inside.”

Haru nods and rests her head against her mystery gentleman’s chest.

“I… Father says this party is for me but… as it went on, it became obvious that tonight is about him. Celebrating the connections he’s gained and how much closer he is to his plans to enter politics.”

“I see… and your fiancé?”

She thinks of the same polite line that she’s been told over and over to give about Sugimura whenever someone asks about her thoughts on the engagement. About how he’s an intelligent man with a bright future and she grows angry and let’s her true feelings spill out.

“I CAN’T STAND THAT CREEP! He treats me like a plaything for him to show off in public and to throw around in private! And his friends aren’t much better! Making terrible comments about how I’ll make a “fine little housewife” or how lucky he is to “catch” me just after high school!”

After all that Haru stops to catch her breath and looks up at the gentleman. For a brief moment, she can see a righteous fury burning in his eyes but it’s quickly replaced with a warm fondness.

“You’ve been holding all that in for a while, haven't you? Well... don’t worry Okumura-san, I’ll give these pompous assholes something else to talk about very soon.”

Haru stares at him, wondering what he means by those words until she finally recalls something from the morning.

A black and red calling card sent to her father, promising that tonight his most valuable treasure will be stolen.

“Y-you’re Joker aren’t you?”

The young man looks surprised for a moment and then chuckles.

“Well, well, aren’t you clever? Shame our little moment here had to end but now you should be running back inside to tell your father that I’m here.”

She should do that shouldn’t she? Warn her father that the Great Gentleman Thief Joker had arrived.

But that isn’t what she does… instead she steps away from Joker and raises her arms.

“Then… then HERE I AM! STEAL ME AWAY! I AM MY FATHER’S MOST VALUABLE TREASURE!”

She can feel the tears flowing again and she can tell that Joker knows that she’s lying. Maybe once a long time ago, she could say her father treasured her but…

Joker stares at her and Haru starts to feel foolish. She lowers her arms and walks towards the balcony door.

“...I promise I won’t tell my father, you’re here. Thank you for listening to me.”

However just as she pulls the cane out of the door handles, Joker speaks up.

“Wait… you realize it will be a difficult life...”

“Huh?”

“Tagging along with a master thief? Being on the run? You’d have to say good-bye to a lot of comforts, Okumura-san.”

“...Please... call me Haru... and I would give up everything if it meant I could be happier.”

Joker smirked as he took one of Haru’s gloved hands while the other pulled out a device with a hook on the end. He fires the device and the hook catches on one of the higher balconies. With that, he climbs to the top of the railing, pulls Haru up to join him, and moves his hand to wrap around her waist.

“Don’t worry, I’ve used this thing plenty of times. Now hold on tight, cause on the count of three we jump.”

Haru wraps her arms around Joker as he counts down. Then he reaches one and the two jump off the railing but before long they’re swinging down. Once they were low enough, Joker lets go of his grappling hook and the two tumble to the ground, with Joker cushioning the fall for Haru.

“My goodness that was… that was…!”

Joker chuckles as they stand back up.

“There’ll be more of that in the future. But right now I need you to hide, I still have your father’s treasure to steal and all that shouting is likely going to attract somebody.”

He plants a gentle kiss on Haru’s hand as he assures her that he’ll be right back.

Joker grabs the hanging grappling hook, presses a button, and is immediately pulled up to the higher balcony.

Haru watches in admiration until she hears the sound of doors swinging open. She quickly finds a spot to hide as she hears Sugimura’s voice on the balcony.

“Are you ready to apologi… Haru? HARU!? WHERE ARE YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE...”

That is not the tone of a man worried about his fiancé, that is the tone of a spoiled child angry that he lost his plaything.

Before, that tone scared Haru and made her feel weak.

But now as she turns her attention to Joker smoothly sneaking into her father’s office, she feels that she has nothing to fear.

[variabels]

Fictober19 #4 Joker eats too many chips

A/N: For this chapter, you just need to know that Palutena and Bayonetta adopted Joker and Kirby.

Prompt number: 3  “Now? Now you listen to me?”

Fandom (AU if applicable): Super Smash Bros

Rating: T

Warnings/Tags: lots of chips

Words: Idk, I never know.

Ships: not really any ships, some BG Marth x Roy

Joker and Kirby slammed the doors of the shadiest shop in town open and ran to the chips section like two little kids. They were filled with excitement and couldn’t wait to stuff their mouths with way more chips than they needed.

However, Palutena had other plans. She couldn’t let her two sons eat chips from a shady shop she didn’t know. So, she restricted them to one packet each.

As she took a look at the shady shop, Kirby and Joker devised a plan to get as many chips as possible. They would both choose the biggest packets. Their mom couldn’t stop them. When a son wants something from his mom, he gets it. Kirby and Joker were no exceptions.

The biggest packets were about the size of Master Hand. Palutena had no way of arguing with her sons because she had never specified the size of the packets.

The goddess reluctantly paid and dragged her sons out of the store. It was quite difficult to get them out because the packets were way too big that they kept getting stuck in the door.

She took her kids to the park where she told them that if they could not find a way to make the packets enter the mansion, they were not allowed to come back. Naturally, Joker and Kirby weren’t worried at all.

---

Kirby had quickly finished his bag of chips and had fallen fast asleep. Joker, on the other hand, was having a lot of trouble. It was already the evening and he hadn’t even made it to a quarter of the packet.  He was stuffed, he needed to give them away. He couldn’t let his mother’s money go to waste. He had already tricked her into buying him a huge packet of chips, he couldn’t just throw it all away.

Joker looked at his surroundings in the hopes of finding someone he could give the gigantic bag to. He saw Marth and Roy sitting on a bench and decided to try his luck.

“You two look really close,” Joker noted, “Like way closer than usual. Did you two get together?”

“Yeah,” Roy replied, “Is there something you want, Ren?”

“Um… I guess I should congratulate you two. The only thing I have on me is a gigantic bag of chips, please accept it.”

“No, thanks. They’re your chips, we already had a big meal. Your support is really all we need.”

“Oh, fuck it. I need help getting rid of this bag. Do you know anyone outside of the Smash mansion that would accept it?”

“Maybe you should just own up to your mistake?”

Of course, Roy was going to answer something like that. Ironic considering it took Roy forever to own up to his own mistake but that’s life.

It was midnight and Joker still hadn’t found anyone who wanted his bag of chips. He was half-asleep but he really needed to get rid of the bag. So he did what only an absolute mad lad would do.

---

When Joker woke up, he realized he wasn’t outside anymore. He appeared to be in a nurse’s office. Had a cute nurse found him and saved him?

“He’s awake!” Dr. Mario gasped.

“Oh, fuck my life,” Joker sighed as he saw a lack of cute nurses, “I feel like I’m gonna die.”

“Language!” Palutena scolded, “You are in a lot of trouble, young man. You’re going to be stuck here for a week.”

“I should have listened to you when you said chips were bad for you.”

“Now? Now you listen?”

Palutena left full of anger. Kirby, who had witnessed the entire scene, jumped onto Joker’s bed to ask him a very important question.

“Why didn’t you just give me all your chips?”

“Because I’m a dumbass.”

[ramblinganthropologist]

Writober 8 and 9 - Crack Ship and Flower Shop

Summary: “Liara T’soni is a young, bright asari researcher. Alistair Shepard runs a local flower shop near her favorite cafe. When their paths meet, their destinies will intertwine. (don’t like, don’t read, Shepard x Liara, AU)” Some things just shouldn’t be.

---

To say it was a lovely day was an understatement. Outside, a brilliant azure sky glittered above her head as young Liara T'soni picked a brisk path down the street. It was time. She could feel her heart pounding out of her chest as she walked, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Her goal: the small flower shop near the cafe she frequented. It hosted countless species from across the galaxy, all tended by the loving hand of the shopkeeper. She could almost picture him now as she swung the door open, the bell up above jingling merrily as she stepped in.

“Oh, Liara. Welcome back!”

A soft, accented voice rang just as clearly as the bell. He was there, standing by some earth roses and giving them a good water from a dented metal can. Just the sound of his voice made her entire body shiver as she nodded, feeling her face heat.

“Good to see you, Alistair. Have anything new in?”

Alistair was younger than her – practically a baby in asari terms – but an adult by human standards. He had freckles and plenty of them that swirled across his pale skin like galaxies. He stopped his efforts to brush back a shock of violent red hair from his face, and those eyes.

She could get lost in those eyes; brilliant orbs of cerulean that always seemed to sparkle whenever she walked in the small shop. Liara wasn't completely naive to what that meant, but she like any other maiden was shy when it came to romance. One with a human was even more nerve inducing, even if he was handsome and charming.

He must not have noticed her hesitation, because he put his can down and walked over. “We just got in some flowers from Thessia. I think they might be what you're looking for.”

“From Thessia?” Liara gasped softly and held a hand over her bosom. “That must've taken ages, Alistair.”

The man smiled, lighting up his whole face in the process. “Oh, I'd say it was worth it. Come on, they're in the back.”

Together, the pair strolled to the back of the well lit shop, passing flowers from the various council races. Liara admired them all, taking in the sites of strange, cactus like plants from Tuchanka and the metallic sheen of lilies from Palaven. They glowed, dewy in the overhead lights, welcoming patrons in with their sweet aromas. Well, maybe not sweet for the Tuchankan ones – they made her nose wrinkle and she was quick to pass them by.

Leave it to the krogan to think something like that was beautiful.

“You have a way with plants, Alistair.” Liara still hesitated at saying the redhead's name so casually, even though he had said  she could ages ago. Something about it just made her nervous. Luckily, he didn't notice. Maybe humans weren't that perceptive.

“I enjoy it, just like you enjoy your research.”

He stopped in front of a bench, then turned. They were so close, almost in touching range. Liara could practically hear the beating of his odd human heart, and hers soon matched as she gazed past him to the flowers.

“Oh, Alistair!”

The flowers in their pretty cyan vase were a deep shade of indigo, contrasted by a spray of small white blossoms that had been tucked in with an expert hand. Thessian blues, a rare species almost impossible to cultivate anywhere but on her home world, were just sitting there, waiting for her.

“Do you like them?”

She smiled, turning to him. “I love them! But how?”

The human chuckled as he threaded one of his thumbs into the belt loop of his jeans. “Let's just say I know a guy.”

He shifted, picking up the vase and handing it to her. “You said you missed home. I know it's not much, but I hope it helps.”

Liara's eyes widened as she clutched the vase close to her chest. She knew what it must have cost him to get them there, and how hard it was taking care of them. Anyone else would've buried the man in credits and then some. But he was just... giving them away.

“But... why?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Because I wanted to make you happy. Do I need another reason?”

Alistair's face was turning red as he turned away. “And... I'm not really good with talking to beautiful asari who come to my shop every day. Probably need more practice. You wouldn't want to help with that, would you?”

Blue eyes met. He was smiling nervously, cheeks flushed enough that his freckles almost disappeared. Liara would have dropped the vase if she hadn't steadied herself. The flowers found a place to rest on a nearby table as she all but ran at him, wrapping her arms around his strong but slender body. Only thin cotton separated them then.

Their lips met, softly, in the middle of the shop. He tasted like sugar and honey rolled into one. That chaste kiss was followed by another, a hotter one as his tongue asked for entrance into her mouth. She gave it happily, and the kiss deepened. Their tongues battled for dominance as if no one could see them there in the back of the shop.

She backed up – against the wall now. His hand roved lower, towards the zipper of her jumpsuit. It hesitated, though. Blue eyes found her and he broke the kiss. Both panted for air as they tried to form words.

“Maybe that was more practice that I intended.” His hand went to her waist instead. “I mean... yeah.”

Yeah was a good word for it. Yet with her beating heart, Liara found she couldn't complain much as she reached up to kiss Alistair again, her hand making a grab for the hem of his t-shirt so she could pull it over his head.

“I think it's a fine place to start. Now...” she looked around, finally spotting what she needed: a bottle of the gel that he used to keep cut plants alive when he was arranging them. “About that practice?”

---

“And then it fades to black... come on, kid, give us the juicy stuff! Damn it, that was the last update.”

Joker groaned as he tried to resist throwing his datapad – he probably would have broken something. Still, he was laughing as he turned to face the man in front of him. Alistair Shepard, definitely not anywhere near a flower shop, was as red as a tomato and hiding his eyes with his hand in the universal gesture of what the fuck. He looked about ready to disintegrate on the spot.

Excellent.

“Where the unholy hell did you find that?” One of those blue orbs the writer had been so fascinated by peeked out from between his fingers. “Please don't tell me you wrote it.”

The pilot scoffed as he held out the datapad. “Please, I would've included the part where you two had sex in front of a shop window. Found it on the extranet, there's like a whole subsection dedicated to you and Liara doing the nasty.”

Alistair's groan increased as he scrolled. “You have GOT to be kidding me. I don't even like women! Why the hell would anyone want to write me fucking Liara, she's practically like a sister to me!”

“Sex sells, and taboo sex sells more, Commander.” Joker chuckled as he swiveled in his seat to check the readings – all were holding steady at the moment, leaving more time to tease his commander about his literary exploits. “There's a whole week dedicated to your fictional sex life. Nobody ever gets the tattoos right, though.”

That was another blank look as Alistair glanced over the datapad. If looks could kill, they wouldn't have any problems with the Reapers. One dirty look from the savior of the Citadel would have been all it took.

“A whole week?”

There was a note of desperation to his voice, but Joker nodded. “And only one day with Garrus, surprisingly. I saw a lot of Bo, which was frigging weird.”

“Yes, that's the only frigging weird thing here.” He handed back the datapad, face still red. “I'm going to pretend you never showed me this so I don't lose the will to save the universe.”

After all, if he did that, they'd keep writing bad porn about him. And seriously, why the fuck was Liara so big when Garrus was right there and... what was the term, cannon? Fuck if he understood people's minds sometimes.

“Hey, at least they gave you a dick in this one. Though I'm pretty sure an asari wrote it, based on her take on your anatomy.”

Alistair gave his pilot the blankest look possible. “Because I totally want to hear you read about my fictional sex life with Liara T'Soni.”

“Hey, the one with Wrex was pretty fun- ok, ok, I'll stop.” Joker shook his head as he watched the man blush so hard he thought he might disintegrate. “Sorry, Commander. Better you hear it from me than find it on the extranet yourself. Least I can do a funny accent.”

Alistair was already at the door to go probably slam his head against the wall. “Right... thanks. I'm going to go drink so much soda I forget all of this ever happened.”

With a whoosh of the door, he was gone and Joker was alone with his datapad. Whoever ran into him next was going to be lucky he spoke at all. And really... he had showed him the mild stuff. The shit they got down to on the kink thread was … well, it earned the name.

People were weird, but hey – it was free.

[rachello344]

A glossary of fandom terms that have either been taken from literary criticism (incorrectly) or that I use that are either no longer in use or have... different definitions now.

If anyone has any terms they’d like to see added or words you come across that have confused you, please drop me a line.  I’d be happy to add to this whenever.  It’ll all be under a readmore so that I can edit it when needed.  ^^

Discourse--Literally a discussion, like, the act of discussing.  That’s it.  More specifically, people will say, “the novel here participates in one of the many discourses on gender” or something like that.  Essentially linking one occurrence to a wider conversation.  Literature and Media do not exist in a vacuum, but neither can one work make a trend, but I’ll get to that. Just call it wank or meta.  Use the words we have, don’t take words from academia, especially when you don’t understand their context.

Romance--One of many genres of fiction.  This is a story that centers around a romantic relationship between two or more characters.  I could tell you about how all genres are crutches and constructs we assign to make ourselves feel better, but that might be moving too fast.  For now, what’s important is what a romance isn’t.  A romance is NOT some kind of idealist model that must serve as a positive example for the Youth.  That would be Utopian Romance fiction (which is boring because stories need conflict, but that’s my own opinion on the matter).  A romance only needs the major plot conflicts to hinge around the romantic (as in not platonic, this could be love or lust or some combination thereof) relationships between its characters.  Pride and Prejudice is a romance.  Captive Prince is a romance.  The Foxhole Court, while containing a romantic subplot, is not a romance.  Harry Potter is not a romance.  A story can have romance without being a romance.  Compare romantic comedies with action movies, as an example.  But, don’t think that a romance can’t be tense or unhealthy or whatever.  Fifty Shades is also a romance, remember.  If you wrote out the Joker and Harley Quinn’s story, only focusing on them, their story would be a romance.  It’s more complicated than that, obviously, and there’s nuance, but I think you get the picture.  Regardless of your moral views on the love depicted, a romance is nothing more or less than a story about the development of a romantic relationship.

Fetishization--I hate seeing this word thrown around.  This literally means that something has been made into a fetish object on a cultural level.  You can have the fetishization of purity in American culture, for example.  And you can have the fetishization of homosexual relationships in pornography intended for heterosexual audiences.  However.  A single work of fiction is not fetishizing anything.  It may contribute to an overall trend, but this is not a word to use for single entities.  This is a cultural trend word.  Sure, it can be used for subcultures, but whenever I see this word used, it’s used to mean that some work of fiction or other is bad for displaying a queer sexual relationship in any kind of (perceived) perverse way.  Please stop using this word incorrectly.  As a kind of burgeoning critical theorist (i.e. English grad student), it is incredibly frustrating.  You’re using words you don’t understand in ways that undermine the hard work being done by people in my field.  Unless you’re going to read Marx and Lukacs and learn what the word “reification” means, I think you should use another word. In most cases, what is meant is that some group people don’t like are showing an interest in something perceived as not belonging to them, whether that’s true or not.  I think if we unpack that a little, we can all find better ways to phrase things.  Fetishization is an accusation thrown around, not the analysis it’s meant to be.  And, frankly, it needs to stop.

Normalization--This is thrown around so often I hardly know where to begin.  This is not a word that can be used for a single object, again.  This is a word meant for trends.  For example, we could talk about the fact that male violence in our culture is normalized and so no longer taken as seriously as it should be.  A fictional work depicting something you don’t like in a way you perceive as positive and uncritical does not mean that it’s normalizing it.  A single crime procedural does not normalize crime.  You could say that the trend of always showing cops to be in the right, no matter the extreme actions they take, normalizes the liberties they take in the real world, making it difficult to speak out against police brutality and other such abuses.  But again, that’s the genre as a whole--procedural cop dramas could all contribute, but one of them is not going to be normalizing on its own.  That isn’t how that works. Just say that you find whatever it is unpleasant to read because of X or Y trope.  Or talk about how the TROPE is normalizing something.  That’s totally legitimate.  The trope of X normalizes Y behavior in Z culture/situation/etc. and this is harmful because W.

Romanticization--This does not mean that something bad is shown in a romantic light.  This is another big trend word.  Cultural myths about heterosexual marriage and related gender roles contribute to the romanticization of domestic abuse.  A single work of fiction depicting an abusive relationship in any kind of perceive positive light is not romanticizing abuse.  Cultural narratives about women needing to be convinced can romanticize the act of rape, especially from the male perspective.  One work of fiction cannot do this.  It has to be on at least a genre level, if not cultural or societal.  Again, subcultural too, but you have to make the argument apply outward. The BL/Yaoi trope of having a Seme character force an openly reluctant Uke character into sex romanticizes sexual assault.  One BL using the trope can contribute to it, but it isn’t romanticizing anything on its own.  It’s not powerful enough to be capable of that.

Wank--The word once used to describe what is now called “discourse.”  It’s usually a circle jerk of complaints about some fandom or another or the people in it.  Every example of so called discourse I have ever seen was actually just wank wearing a new hat.  Don’t put on airs or borrow credibility.  Call a spade a spade.

Meta--Analysis on a series or character.  Some of these are better reasoned than others, but the only way to truly rate them is in how well they use their evidence (and how much evidence they have) to support whatever claim they make.  These are often essays, but can be a couple paragraphs, sometimes with pictures as evidence along with quotes from the source.  Some “discourse” falls into this, but only very rarely.  Most people call meta either meta or analysis instead.

BNF--Big Name Fan.  This is THE person in your fandom, generally an artist, occasionally a fic writer or other content creator.  You’ll know them when you see them.  This is the person everyone follows.  Their headcanons are so widely accepted that they almost always become fanon (whether you like it or not).  Some of these people are super nice and use their powers for good.  Others can become divas, mad with the power the fandom has given them.  Regardless, there is almost always drama brewing around them (whether they like it or not, unfortunately). I recently saw some commenting on people actually asking other fans for permission to hold certain headcanons.  Someone with that power is a BNF.  That is a TRADEMARK of a BNF.  Their fandom credibility and respect is so high that people see them as some kind of authority figure.  Be wary of people who go along with this.  They’re not to be trifled with, and frankly, it’s safer not to engage.

TPTB--The Powers That Be, otherwise known as the writers/producers/creators of any given series.  These are the people that create Canon and produce Word of God.

Canon--Anything that explicitly happened in the confines of a series.  Basically, the events of any given series in whatever form the standard is.  I.E. episodes of a TV show, books in a book series, etc.

Fringe Canon--Works that are connected to the series in question, but not part of the standard form.  Often includes movies, novelizations, guide books, etc.  Can be considered canon, but isn’t something every fan will see/have access to, so can’t really be considered The Canon.  Can also includes things that are implicit in the text, so something that can be argued in meta but that not everyone will agree on.

Word of God--Something said by TPTB that remains outside of canon.  I.E. interviews, panels, and other things said at conventions or for PR.  Common mantra, “PR is not showrunning” meaning that Word of God often has little to do with what happens within the series. Example:  Some sub-textual evidence of Dumbledore being gay does not make his being gay canon (it makes it fringe canon, imo).  Rowling saying that he was gay in an interview is here considered Word of God.  You can take it or leave it, because no one in the series says the words “Dumbledore was gay” or any other variation that would make it explicit canon.

Headcanon--Something that you decide about a character.  This isn’t canon and often has no strong basis in canon.  It can include sexuality, gender, religion, favorite color, anything not covered by canon.  You can also have headcanons that contradict canon.

Fanon--Headcanons that have become Too Powerful.  These are things, good or bad, that have been accepted by a probably absurd number of people.  Some of these can be great, especially when the series has some seriously bad writing, but if you find yourself disagreeing, this can be the worst thing you ever have to deal with.  Especially when people who subscribe to it insist on its being canon...

Ship--Any feasible romantic relationship, canon or non-canon.  There are of course platonic variants, but those are usually specified (broship, brotp, etc.).  Most often two people, but more recently polyshipping has come into vogue. To Ship (v.)--For me, this does not apply to canon ships no matter if I like them or not.  Shipping is transformative.  To me, more than anything, shipping (as a verb) means you consume or create transformative media centered around that relationship (most often non-canon or not explicit canon, but could include canon, it just needs to be an active not passive interest in the relationship).

Canon Ship--The series endgame, usually (but not always!) straight.  This is an explicit couple.  They are in a relationship.  They kiss (or something) on screen.  You can still take it or leave it, but that doesn’t stop it from being canon.

Rare Pair--This is a ship that has some basis in canon, but is extremely unpopular.  Some people include anything with less than a certain number of fic on Ao3, but it varies by fandom.  I’ve been into rare pairs with less than 10 fic written for them, so anything around 500 still seems like quite a bit in comparison.  Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV), but you’ll know it when you see it.

Crack Ship--These people have probably never spoken.  There is no reason for them to be in a relationship other than the fan’s preference (often aesthetic or story-related).  A crack ship is often random and completely baseless.  A crack ship is not simply a ship that won’t be canon.  Most ships will never be canon.  This goes beyond that into the ridiculous.  As a recent example, Keith x Zarkon would be a crack ship, while Keith x Hunk is perfectly reasonable (if rare).

Multi-shipping--Shipping characters together without a strong preference for one combination over another.  For example, shipping your fave with every possible romantic partner, not just one (or more in a polyship).  This includes Everyone x Character type things, not just “I could ship them with literally anyone.”  Both count.

OTP--One True Pairing.  The ship you love above all others, canon or not.  For me, I have exactly one of these per fandom, but I know other people use it differently now.  This used to mean that you ship the thing exclusively.  You might like art for other ships with the characters in this OTP, but you’re not that into it.  This used to be THE ship.  The characters in this OTP were not shipped with others, and other relationships were used for jealousy or plot reasons, not usually because you enjoy the other ships.  This is the ship you go to war about.

OT#--Same as above, but there are more than two people involved.  So, the one polyship you hold above all other ships (poly or not).

BrOTP--Platonic version of the above.  These are the ride or die friendships of the series.  You don’t see them as in love, but they absolutely love each other.  There’s devotion and loyalty and affection--or you just think their friendship is the best/greatest/funniest and you don’t see them ever ending up together romantically.  You want these characters to be BFFs, not lovers.

[immortal-imagines]

The Lucky Boomerang - Part 15 (The End)

Summary: It was widely known that Captain Boomerang didn’t work well with others; a true statement, until one particular accomplice caught his attention. His decision to spare her caused the pair to become deadly. They were nearly as famous as the Clown couple themselves. Renowned for her easy escapes and incredible stealth, Lady Luck was an appropriate partner for the Aussie bank robber. Their luck changes when a certain metahuman brings them both to Belle Reve Penitentiary and they are forced into joining Task Force X. (Side note: In this imagine, Boomerang is at Belle Reve)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

(Captain Boomerang x Reader)

Warnings: Lots of fluff and feels!

Word Count: 1,419

A/N: The final part! A year ago, I started this fic and now here we are on the last chapter! I know this is a little overdramatic, but hey that’s me. I’ve had so much fun writing this and I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this! Please send me in requests if you have any ideas for other series I could do. I’ve got a few ideas lined up that I hope you’ll like! For now, it’s time to say good bye to The Lucky Boomerang and a fic that has been one hell of a journey! I hope you enjoy this!

Prison was different now. It felt strange. There was something in the air that didn’t sit right with any of them. They had tasted freedom and, to an extent, they’d had it. But, they wanted more.

(Y/N) missed Harley, seeing as they were now on opposite sides of the facility and never saw each other. They only saw Deadshot when he was being escorted back to his cell from his visits with his daughter. The guards wouldn’t let him stop, but he always yelled a greeting as he went past.

(Y/N) counted her blessings that she could sleep in the same bed as Digger every night. They shared a cell, a bed and a life. It wasn’t the house with the white picket fence, but it was enough, for now.

They sat on the bed, cuddled up next to each other. (Y/N) was reading a book, while Digger played with her hair. They were back in the usual prison uniforms, but with a little more character this time. Dig chose to wear a tank top, instead of the beige prison shirt, and (Y/N) had fashioned hers into a crop top. She’d used Digger’s shirt and ripped it into a sort of bandana, to hold her hair out of her eyes while she read.

“I know it’s not what we imagined, but I’m happy,” (Y/N) looked up from her book. She leaned up and kissed Digger gently on the lips. He stopped plaiting her hair and pulled her closer to him.

“We’re together, Lady. That’s what counts.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever get our own house, or a normal job, or even a baby…”

“Hey!” Digger interrupted, “We can have a baby if you want. It’ll be the damn best-looking baby anyone has ever seen.” He winked.

“We can’t bring a baby into this life. We can’t raise it in prison,” (Y/N) sighed and closed the book in her lap. “Plus, I doubt Waller would let us keep it.”

“Screw Waller. No one is taking our kid away from us,” Digger clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. Lady put her hands on his cheeks. “I won’t let them,” he said. He kissed the palms of her hands.

(Y/N)’s eyebrows pulled together. “What is it?” Digger asked, confused.

“Can you hear that?”

They sat for a second, listening. In the distance, there was a faint rumbling, like thunder. Then, an almighty crash shook the room.

“For fucks sake, can’t we have five minutes of peace?” Digger huffed, lifting Lady off his lap. The pair stood facing the door, ready for an attack. They heard footsteps running down the hall and braced themselves. That was when a familiar face appeared in the cell window.

“Hiya, guys! We’ve come to rescue you!” Harley beamed. Both Digger and (Y/N) relaxed and rushed forwards. That was when another face appeared in the window, white as a sheet and with shocking green hair. It was the Joker.

“You’re alive?” (Y/N) asked.

“Looks like it,” Joker growled and Harley squealed. They heard jangling and suddenly the door swung open. Harley jumped on (Y/N).

“It’s so great to see you! We have so much to catch up on!” the blonde spoke so quickly it was a struggle for (Y/N) to understand.

“Nice to meet you, mate,” Digger addressed Joker, nodding warily.

“Let’s go,” Joker muttered, pulling Harley off of (Y/N).

“Well, he seems like fun,” (Y/N) muttered to Digger. He chuckled.

They moved with caution out of the cell, constantly checking for guards. Harley and Joker were up ahead.

“They’re all dead if that’s you’re worried about,” Joker said over his shoulder.

“What about the prisoners, like Deadshot and Croc?” Lady asked.

“They’re waiting for us outside,” Harley turned, giggling.

“And Flag and Waller?” Digger’s question was tainted with a hint of worry.

“Soldier is on his honeymoon and the bitch is in some ‘secret’ facility in France,” Joker responded, using air quotes on the word ‘secret’.

“How do you know all this?” (Y/N) asked, just as cautious of the clown as Digger was.

“Puddin’ has eyes all over the place,” Harley said, proudly. They stopped by a door and Joker made swift work of kicking it down.

“I could’ve done that,” Dig muttered, puffing his chest out a little.

“I know you could,” (Y/N) chuckled, patting his arm.

It was pitch black outside. Being in prison all day meant they lost track of the time. They slept when they felt tired and they ate when the food came through the door. There was no real routine. Deadshot and Croc stood just outside the door. Deadshot looked a little jumpy, but relaxed when he saw who it was. Digger went over to him and patted his back. “Good to see you, mate.” He looked at Croc and nodded a greeting, worried about getting his hand bitten off if he got too close.

Joker wasted no time waiting. “Everyone here is dead. It won’t be long before back-up arrives so we need to leave now.”

Harley was gazing up at him, hanging onto every word he said.

(Y/N)’s stomach did a flip when she realised what was happening. They were going to escape. They were getting out of this hell-hole. There was an actual chance that they could live the life they’d dreamed about.

The small group moved silently out of the facility. It seemed too easy. Once they were out, Croc parted from the group, grunting something about a sewer before disappearing into the night.

“As soon as we get to the city, I’m jumping ship too. I gotta get my daughter before anyone else does,” Deadshot informed them. It made sense. If the cops got word that there had been an escape, they’d search Zoe’s home. It would be the first place they’d think he would be. But if he got there quick enough, he could grab her and run.

That left (Y/N) thinking. Where would she and Boomer go?

As if reading her mind, Digger said, “I have a few of my old hiding spots in mind. I think we should lay low there for a few days before trying to find a more permanent situation.” Lady nodded, relieved that at least he seemed to have a plan.

Joker had an escape vehicle, just a plain white van, parked around the back. One of his accomplices, who introduced himself as Frost, was driving. As soon as the group were in, he sped off, headed straight for the city. The Joker had some mastermind plan for how to remain inconspicuous, but he didn’t let any of the others in on it. (Y/N) didn’t even think Harley knew what he had planned.

It didn’t take long before they were parked up in a back alley in the slightly rougher area of the city.

“This is where we leave you,” the Joker said. “Me and Harls got to get moving.” He didn’t say where they would be. (Y/N) guessed that was part of his effort to remain low-profile. She didn’t think it would last very long. He and Harley were the king and queen of Gotham. It wouldn’t be long before they re-claimed their thrones and were out causing chaos again. (Y/N) just hoped they wouldn’t get caught this time. She worried for Harley’s safety and just wanted to see her friend happy.

Harley leaned over and pulled Lady into a big hug. “Promise we’ll see each other again?”

“Of course!” Lady squeezed her tightly. Joker tapped his foot, impatiently. (Y/N) shot him a look. She wasn’t afraid of him, not any more at least.

“Let’s get moving, Lady,” Digger took (Y/N)’s hand and helped her out of the van. “Catch ya later, craziness,” he nodded to Harley. She gave him a wide, toothy grin.

No sooner had they stepped out of the van, Joker slammed the doors and they disappeared in a cloud of dust and dirt. Lady watched them go, tears threatening to erupt. She coughed a little, composing herself, before looking up at Digger. He brought his thumb up to her cheek and wiped away a tear that had managed to escape. “We’ll see her again, I’m sure,” he comforted. “It’s time to start our own life now.” (Y/N) managed a small smile. Her stomach flipped at the thought that her dream of a life away from crime was actually a possibility. They could have a house and a family.

She reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to George’s.

“Where do we start?”

Tag List:  @a-girl-who-loves-disney @thranduilxlegolasx@squireboredom @tokentransboy @taz-t-mary @bookchic20@sporadichologramblizzard-ed17414 @importanttyrantruler

[vocaotome]

Hi guys! I still have a bunch of stuff I need to sell before I relocate to another country, so revamping the sale post again for the holiday season! I've added some more items while taking out the sold out stuff. Because I want to sell these before I move again next month + I want to give some sort of Christmas/new years gift to y’all, any orders made by December 29, 11:59 PST will get 20% OFF from the prices listed!

See more details about the items under the cut! (I also have a few dramatical murder and Kuroshitsuji merch that I’m not comfortable advertizing, send me a message if you’re interested) Shipping is not included in price, I can use USPS priority mail(~$7 for 1-6 books), media mail (cheap, weight dependent, approx. below $5 for 1-5 books), or first class mail ($1-$3, best for when you only buy a couple of charms and prefer cheapness over insurance) depending on what you prefer! If you are out of US, priority mail and first class mail work outside US but are pricier than US prices on varying levels depending on the country (still cheaper than Fedex/DHL).

Anyone interested please message me here or mail me at aurora6290@gmail.com. I accept payment in paypal.

Reblogs would be highly appreciated! You can also support me by commissioning translations or sending me coffees!

(right click on the pictures to open in HQ)

Manga (English)

Alice in the Country of Joker -Nightmare Trilogy- vol 1~3 ($8 each volume, Job art with Nightmare/Alice), Alice in the Country of Clover -The Lizard Aide- ($8, Job art with complete one volume Gray/Alice story)

Anthologies and Manga (Japanese)

Alice in Junk Box ~Dia~ ($18 -SOLD, Fujimaru art with oneshots involving Blood, Sidney, Jericho, Assassin! Gray, Late Teen! Nightmare, Julius, Late Teen! Ace, Boris), Sayonara no Yukue -Clover no Kuni no Alice- ($16 -SOLD, Job art with complete one volume Gray/Alice story)

Doujinshis

-Row 1: Kuro Yuri no Hana (sfw, $15), Afureru Mizu (sfw, $15), Soba ni ite ne (nsfw R18, $16), Karenai futari (nsfw R15, $15)   -All Gray/Alice

-Row 2: Sandwich (nsfw, R18, $16), Sein: β (nsfw, R18, $17) -All Ren/Aoba

Badges

Alice felt badge ($5), Blood food badge ($5)

Custom printed huge fabric posters

Peter/Alice ($18 -SOLD, 25″ x 37″),  Julius/Alice ($18, 25″ x 37″), Hatter family in suits ($15, 25″ x 37″), Blood/Alice ($7 -SOLD, 19″ x 37″)

*Because these were printed by me for personal enjoyment, the quality varies from poster to poster depending on how suited the pic was for printing and is priced accordingly. The material isn't paper but some heavy fabriclike thing so all of them are pretty durable. Will be shipped in a single shipping tube costing $3.99 regardless of how many posters you get.

*The books in the picture are just serving as paperweights, they aren’t for sale.

[minblush]

andromeda +/-

pls ignore this is a place i’ll put my complaints etc as i play, i need to vent lol don’t read

character creator is so limited :/ i managed to make an ok looking ryder but i was so sad? why won’t they let us cycle between eyes/noses etc from the presets for each head or something? make up options suck again, but i do like some of the hair quite a bit, like the diversity of the creator as well

the beginning of the game was so boring i couldn’t believe it, i only started to have fun like 8 hours in...also the plot hole at the start really bothered me... ryder’s helmet breaks like glass but she manages to fix it with her omni-tool, but then -spoiler- when it happens again a few hours later her dad rather than trying to fix it just gives her his own helmet and sacrifices himself? ?? ?? it makes zero sense. if they ran out of omni-gel or it was too broken they should’ve thrown in a line about it there, it was so jarring like this, instead of being sad or touched i kept screaming like WHY WON’T YOU JUST FIX IT LIKE SHE DID A FEW HOURS AGO

the ship is so empty and quiet it makes me sad going around? there is a whole floor that is empty, the crew quarters are empty, could’ve been easily solved by putting some npcs standing around or working on computers like the previous games, there’s like what... 10 people on the WHOLE ship? 

checkpoint system during main missions SUCKS... i was exploring the remnant vault, scanning stuff, picking up resources, and then when i wanted to move on with the main marker i got killed and i had to... start from the start of the floor, re-doing all of that, i lost almost over an hour of gameplay (maybe more idek) since i like taking my time and taking the environments in etc :/ i was so frustrated i almost cried, i don’t understand why they won’t let us save during main missions

WHY DID THEY MAKE MOST TURIANS SO UGLY? my fav race! why! the weird green textures my heart is bleeding

the writing of the characters is so weird and corny when you get introduced, i didn’t know how exactly to explain it and then i thought of like... imagine if the characters from previous games introduced like this.  "hi, I'm joker, the pilot! i'm cocky but i have a reason to be you won't find a better pilot anywhere. i like to make jokes, so be warned. actually i have a very rare disease so don't ask me to walk around much. to be honest it's why i make so many jokes, it's a self-defense mechanism to hide how broken i am on the inside. anyway, i hope we can work well together" 

i’ve suffered through several cringe attacks because of the writing so far (”it’s killing everything in its way” “yeah! like us!”)

everything is so spelled out, let me think for myself for 5 seconds game please :x 

i don’t need the companions constantly saying something i already know or have seen “wow the door opened” “wow this is so alien” like omg say something interesting or don’t say anything at all, I ALREADY KNEW, i’m still waiting to hear any interesting or fun banter :/ it’s all very expository so far

the space itself is beautiful though, i awed so much when i got to fly the ship ;-; i love planets and the stars ah, and while the transitions from planet to planet are slow and i wish they were skip-able, they are still so beautiful looking so i don’t mind

the animations are bad but i don’t really mind, it’s not what i play the games for, just kinda creepy when their eyes keep flying all over the place? also very little transitory animations, characters disappear and reappear, it’s the worst when you get out of the nomad, it looks exactly like when you were exiting the mako in mass effect 1... AND THAT GAME IS LIKE 10 YEARS OLD, speaking of which though, the nomad is loads of fun, i love driving it

i wonder how can it be though, that mass effect 2 and 3 look better on ps3 than andromeda on ps4? the textures on characters are so low res?

the kett are dumb looking, they look like a more bulky version of batarians, their colour scheme is ugly and clashing; why is there so little creativity in the whole of the galaxy so far anyway? i just saw some floating rocks so far, other than the milky way seemed more interesting (so far)

idk why but -_- frickin liam keeps getting stuck in combat and getting me killed it’s like skyrim and lydia all over again

i love the combat so much though, i love the jet pack and the dashing it’s so much fun to be able to fly around and jump and explore ah! i’m just really disappointed i can’t manage what the companions do like in previous games? i loved combining their attacks and such, like having someone do a concussive shot while someone else would blast with overload or something, it was so cool... 

they promised there wouldn’t be fetch-quests and pointless stuff like in inquisition but it’s full of it

i wanna marry vetra ;-; ♥ 

i really like kesh and also drack, they’re very endearing and their writing is a whole lot better than most of the others, also i like that you can bump into the characters outside of the ship

my biggest complaint so far is the setting in general though, because the arks left before shepard did much, no one really knows anything, race relations between salarians and krogans etc are the same, krogans aren’t cured from the genophage :/, it feels like nothing i did in the previous games matters now? the sense of detachment makes me so sad, the previous games might as well not have happened at all :(

ryder feels like she came from a whole different galaxy other than the milky way tbh, “why would anyone hate artificial intelligence” “why do the turians and krogans hate each other” etc, i get these are expository a questions for new players, but as a writer, isn’t it your job to know how to integrate that without making your character seem like a total idiot? did ryder get zero education or was living in a bunker her whole life?

[nexttrickanvils]

P5 Fic: Status Effects

Inspired by a YuxChie P4 fic I read a long time ago that was brief little snippets of them dealing with the various status effects.

So I decided to do something similar for P5 with my fave P5 ship Akira x Haru. Took some liberties with how the status effects work in the game since it would be boring to write/read “then he used a relax gel” and “then she cast Amrita Drop.” :P

I actually had some fun writing this so I might do this same set-up with other P5 ships if anyone’s interested, maybe I’ll take requests. But anyway, onto the fic.

~~~~~~

DOWN

Her first real mission as a Phantom Thief and she gets knocked down by a shadow that everyone else took down easily. Haru couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Don't worry, it happens to everyone."

She looks up, sees Akira offering his hand to her, and finds herself blushing for a reason other than embarrassment.

BURN

As Haru applied the coolifier pad, Akira let out a low groan. She felt her cheeks heat up and tipped her hat down in an attempt to hide the blush.

"Noir, are you alright? Your face is red. Were you burned as well?"

Haru immediately took off her hat and completely covered her face, much to Yusuke's confusion.

FREEZE

Even after she could move again, Haru still found herself shivering from the shadow's spell.

"Don't worry, it will fade away on its own in a few minutes. Until then, here.."

Akira removes his coat and places it on Haru's shoulders. She pulls it close and sighs happily.

"Th-thank you."

SHOCK

Everyone tries to suppress their laughter as they search for a discharge crystal. But it isn't long before Haru, of all people, gives up and starts laughing harder than the team has ever heard her.

Ryuji grins at his best friend who now had an annoyed pout on his face. 

"Give her a break, dude, your hair does look pretty crazy right now. Like worse than usual."

DIZZY

She tries her hardest to stand still but everything just keeps spinning. Haru briefly starts to panic until a pair of red gloved hands take hold of her and try to keep her steady.

SLEEP

Morgana tried to offer an explanation for why it worked. Something something cognition, Akira wasn't quite paying attention. All he could think of at the moment was waking up to Haru kissing him.

FORGET

"Your name is Haru Okumura... your codename is Noir... your persona is Astarte... we first met in Hawaii... we-we had our first kiss in LeBlanc..."

Akira continues like this, hoping to see a spark of recognition in Haru's eyes.

CONFUSE

He shakes his head trying to clear the haze over his mind. Akira looks ahead and sees... someone. They look injured. Maybe if he helps them, they can help him. He pulls out a life stone and is about to toss it to his potential ally when he hears a familiar voice.

"Joker! Stop!"

He... he can't place the name but something tells him to trust her.

DESPAIR

"I'm useless! I'm-I'm just getting in everyone's way!"

As she shakes and sobs, Akira holds her hands. Both as a comfort and to make sure she isn't able to grab his gun.

FEAR

Haru desperately wants to tear apart the shadow. Make it regret ever doing this to Akira...

Instead she continues to run her fingers through her boyfriend's hair as he continued to shiver in her arms and tighten his grip on her.

"P-Please! Don't leave!"

"It's alright, Joker. You don’t need to run, I'm right here."

RAGE

"You shouldn't annoy a girl with an axe!"

Akira wasn't sure what he should be more unnerved by. An enraged Haru... or the fact that he found that growl in her voice a little more sexy than he probably should have.

HUNGER

Akira clutches his stomach, the hunger pangs making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. He almost doesn't notice Haru walking up to him with something in her hands.

"Joker. Here, you need this more than I do."

With that, she gives him a wrapped up yakisoba pan. Akira smiles and thanks her before unwrapping and taking a large bite.

BRAINWASH

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

The command repeated in her head as she swung her axe at the enemy.

"Noir! Stop! We're not..."

The enemy hisses in pain as she slashes at him. But as she watches the enemy... Akira grasping his wounded arm, Haru feels the shadow's control over her weakening.

RATTLED

After running into yet another "Rat Room," Akira let out a loud squeak of frustration.

Haru, who was standing just outside the room, kneeled down and giggled.

"On the bright side Joker, at least you look cute like this."