#innocent bystanders who really didn't do the annoying thing

[thelibraryiscool]

maybe i need to turn my monolgues (rants to myself in my room) into dialogues (expressing my annoyance)

[phoenixyfriend]

Me, explaining Chanters of Tremaris to someone on Discord:

[Beware: spoilers ahead, if you intend to read the books]

Fictional planet, people can cause magic by singing, and the type of magic is generally a cultural/bloodline thing (much like AtLA)

Also a Prophesied One with All the Powers, except there's more than one person who can sing multiple magics, and the other guy is Evil

there's a fucked up city that's held up and kept beautiful and Not Falling Apart by enslaving children to sing it. Protagonists free the children and the city falls apart LITERALLY OMELAS I mean not really, because the Function of the enslaved and neglected children is obvious, and it's not everyone that knows But close enough

Haunting imagery of dead women sealed into a wall of ice out of fear of their illness reaching their sisters

Someone has a brother they didn't know about, and meets in the final book

The only girls allowed on boats are the ones that can sing the wind

(This is possibly just the one really misogynistic pirate ship, but still)

(A choice bit of worldbuilding. Girls are bad luck unless they can chant the wind)

Author did not seem to realize there was Lesbian Potential (boat girl and protagonist)

You get through the entire series and learn that the "lost magic" that nobody can rediscover is LITERACY nobody here can WRITE or READ there are no BOOKS

And you don't notice! As a reader! OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND I GUESS

Also it turns out that this is. Not the original planet. They find The Oldest City and the city is actually a giant spaceship That was used to settle the planet centuries ago Possibly millennia, given that an entire portion of the population, geographically separated from the rest, does not have vocal cords

No we do not know how the fuck the entire human population managed to collectively forget how to write

The worldbuilding starts out very standard fantasy and then spirals wildly out of control

@ioudaleks, helping me out: IT’S SUCH BONKERS WORLDBUILDING AND IT WORKS

ALIENS

THE BIRDS

A GENERATION SHIP

FUCKING GLOBAL ILLITERACY

NOT EVEN THE MERCHANT CLASS

ioudaleks: ICE WALL WITH CORPSES

At this point, the person we were goading to read it (whose tumblr I am unsure of), asked "there's a merchant class with no writing?"

And. Yes. There is.

There is a college with no writing

There is aristocracy with no writing

It makes absolutely NO sense AND YET

ioudaleks: Compelling tho

Innocent bystander we are infodumping at: "ig the song magic makes it work somehow. sing your memory good"

Oh, not at all

Not everyone can magic

Fire magic has been almost completely forgotten because it was outlawed

And the country that now has zero magic is the one with a college

One of the college students invents a bicycle and then helps them become fugitives by blowing up his own workshop as a distraction

There's a really annoying romance, but it's Standard for the genre and year of writing (16-17yo girl and a guy in his late 20s/early 30s)

And the impossible city with the enslaved kids has some uh. Very Hapsburg-esque romances.

ANYWAY the people who don't have vocal cords DO have magic dancing

ioudaleks: One whole system is overtone singing and supposedly only men can do it because of something something vocal cords. Only women sing the ice magic.

The magic to charm "beasts" is said to be lost but it turns out that the ice priestesses have kept it up as an oral tradition The songs we sing for the bees aren't magic! They just Like It 😃

I would encourage most people to read it just for that absolute bonkers ramping up into insanity

There is a Magic Trumpet It is very small A clarion You can use it to make fire

The bicycle arsonist found it and gave it to the sailor girl

@ihaveatypeanditstrickstergods: Wait, was the last thing writing in general or just musical notation?

And I'm so sorry to confirm that uh

It was. All writing

You think it's just musical notation but then they Figure Out Syllables

(I reread them a few years ago and have a whole unhinged rant about the trilogy, in that same server, in February 2020)

The series has a very solid, long-term hold on my hindbrain.

Have I ever treated it as a fandom? No. Has it doubtlessly affected me as a person and a writer? Yes

[homicidal-slvt]

"Even When I Doubt You"

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Same universe as Stitched Hearts and Vodka Soaked Memory.

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Leon S. Kennedy x F!Reader

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Important: Kitty is technically my OC however it is written as if you are her so it's still an x reader, her appearance isn't described, Kitty is bisexual and that is sometimes mentioned when I write her.

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Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Gun Mention, Violence, Happy Ending

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You were currently leading civilians to safety, a child clung onto your back while others followed you.

"It'll be okay- I've got ya."

You spoke softly as to comfort them, debris crashing down from nearby buildings and helpless screams piercing the air... It never got easier to see lives destroyed like this, to see the fear in the eyes of innocent bystanders.

You quickened your pace getting them far away from the B.O.W wrecking havoc, ensuring they were all alright and assisting in patching up a few minor wounds.

"Let's not get infected- alright?"

-

You were sat across from Leon who was currently fast asleep on your couch, eyes trained on his resting form- waiting for him to get up.

Finally he stirred and groaned and slowly looked up at you, he clearly had a headache from hell and wasn't exactly expecting to see you just watching him.

"Mornin' sunshine. Got a hangover I see."

You couldn't help but smile a little when he huffed.

"Why were you watching me?"

His groggy blue eyes were locked in on your face, you weren't exactly sure how to answer that- there was just something so peaceful about it... Perhaps it was a little creepy to watch him like that but it wasn't often you saw him so at ease.

"I made coffee and was waiting for you to get up."

That wasn't a complete lie at least, standing up you headed towards the kitchen and Leon was slow to follow due to his pounding headache. You weren't sure if he totally believed you or not- but truthfully he didn't really care as long as he got coffee.

-

Your attention was grabbed by a familiar yell- Leon's voice echoing out making your blood run cold.

He needs help.

Without any further thought process or reasoning you darted towards the sound of his voice, right into harm's way to assist him.

You watched as the humongous motherfucker flung Leon like a ragdoll, your eyes wide seeing him hit the pavement with a harsh thud and you knew there was no way he didn't break at least one rib.

You were just glad he was alive and able to get up, rushing to his side you both stood together- guns aimed at the beast that once was human.

Unloading into it with all you had it finally collapsed, though it took down some support beams to the rickety half destroyed building with it.

Everything began collapsing and you and Leon both whirled around looking for an exit, before you got the chance you you saw a small metal beam careening down towards Leon.

"LEON!!! MOVE!!!"

Zero hesitation you pushed him out of the way catching him off guard, his back hit the ground and he felt something warm splatter against his face.

His heart plummeted and horror infected his veins, scrambling to his feet he saw you laying there with that damn thing pierced straight through your abdomen.

"Kitty- fuck!"

He knelt down and carefully placed his hands on you, watching as your body twitched at the pure agony- being impaled was not on your list of things you wanted to do today.

"Nngh.... Leon you have to get out of here-"

Your last thought was being concerned for him, however then you blacked out from pain and blood loss.

••

You slowly awoke to a bright light in your face, an annoyed grunt escaping your lips... Then you felt a hand gently gripping yours.

"Kitty..."

Your eyes fluttered open to see an exhausted Leon gazing down at you with concerned eyes, he never left your side from the moment he brought you to the hospital. He thought he lost you.

Your small smile made his heart squeeze, relief washing over his features.

"Ya didn't really think I'd be that easy to kill, did ya?"

You joked softly resulting in a small puff of laughter from him, your sense of humor brought warmth to him- assurance you were still the same Kitty. That you were actually here and alive.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

You gripped his hand back and nodded in response...

"I'll try not to."

How could he ever doubt you.

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{Inspired by the song Doubt by Twenty One Pilots.}

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{@sofasoap }

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{More Content}

[marley-manson]

New Doctor Who episode reaction post in a pros and cons list. Overall I really liked it.

Pros:

-- That's my show!!! That's my faves!!!!!! They're right there on the screen!!!

-- Donna Donna Donna Donna Donna Donna Donna Donna <3333333333333333

-- Gorgeous TARDIS interior, I cannot believe it's an actual 100% physical set god damn, I'm in love. I think it's actually better than the old coral

-- Rose was a great character, love her. I think Davies did really well writing her as trans, the scene with her shitty classmates and Donna being protective was a great moment imo that was just the right amount of transphobia to feel grounded without feeling gratuitous, and Sylvia second guessing herself about calling Rose gorgeous was also a nice moment. Felt real but also warm and loving.

-- I liked that Rose feeling like she's from an alien planet isn't a trans thing, it's a secretly has timelord genetics thing lol

-- oh god the Doctor saying he's a friend of Nerys was incredible, amazing writing, so fucking funny, love that continuity

-- Shaun was great too, love his amiability

-- I liked the Meep being the twist villain, you could see it coming a mile away but I'm always a fan of these kinds of twists

-- I also loved that one of the hints was that Shaun's car wasn't affected by the energy weapons because during that scene I was like 'lol wtf why are their weapons so weak come on' and then 2 minutes later I got an explanation. Love when that happens

-- I liked that Sylvia chilled out a lot and is much better but still isn't a perfect parent (taking a moment before reassuring Donna that she does know how Donna feels about Rose eg), and Donna partially overcompensates with Rose because she didn't get enough praise from Sylvia, and Sylvia seemingly trying to make up for her unsupportiveness of Donna by being very supportive of Rose. Man I love how Davies writes people, yk?

-- I got teary when Donna got her memories back <333

-- RTD always showing the big dangerous effects of the aliens through the pov of innocent bystanders <3 Mainly the neighbour kid in this case.

-- UNIT's scientific consultant was great. I forget her name, but again I enjoy how RTD wrote her representation-wise. She does have a disability, she can't take the stairs and that's a plot point at one point, but she also has some awesome ways to help not just in spite of her disability but because of it. Again, a great balance between grounded and uplifting imo

-- Catherine Tate's performance as a half-timelord is just so fun <3

-- I really loved the revelation that Rose inherited some of the timelord stuff and so she helped save the day as well as keeping Donna alive longer, it was a great exciting moment

-- I was spoiled for the Doctor's line where he tells Donna he loves her and then goes 'oh do I say those things now?' and I was prepared to be annoyed at the gender essentialist implication that it's from ~the female doctor~ but in context it did not feel like a reference to Thirteen being more open, it just felt like the Doctor reflecting that this regeneration isn't exactly the same as Ten. I haven't seen Thirteen so I can't say what her personality is like exactly beyond some vague osmosis, but it could be read as a contrast since he just regenerated from her and that's the kind of stuff a new regeneration says in comparision to the last one. Which I dig.

-- I liked the psychic paper giving him a 'mistress' title and the Doctor saying "oh catch up." Actually in general I enjoyed the occasional Thirteen references, the Doctor was a woman, not anymore, cool. Good, light touch. I am primed to be easily annoyed at how sci-fi gender changes are handled, so I was pleasantly surprised.

-- Oh, I like that the 10 clone thing is gonna be an ongoing mystery over these three specials. I didn't like the concept when I'd heard about it (I was like c'mon can't we get Ten II up in here if we're going to bring Tennant back?) but it is the only way to have a Ten+Donna adventure at this point in the story without handwaving the aging and making it a multi-doctor story featuring 3 Doctors idgaf about, and it's def worth it, so I'm glad they're making it a mystery to be solved rather than giving an offhand easy explanation at least.

Cons:

-- This is on me, but having not watched the show aside from like 5 episodes in the last 15 years, I'm not sure which elements are RTD originals and which are from Moffat and/or Chibnall. Like the sonic screwdriver being able to draw in the air and create forcefields? I don't like that.

-- Also on that same note, UNIT's Judge Dredd swat team vibe? What's up with that? Not a fan, not sure who to blame tho.

-- But yeah this lack of knowledge of what came before left me feeling a little lost sometimes, unsure what I'm supposed to roll with and what's supposed to be new and cool. I'm hoping RTD does more of a clean new start overall because I'm not willing to watch previous DW for the sake of this series.

-- RTD's thing with... puns as (usually retrospective lol) foreshadowing? Always one of the sillier things about his writing, eg YANA, the Doctor-Donna being an actual thing rather than an idiosyncratic speech pattern, etc. Anyway he did it again with the binary/non-binary thing and I thought it was silly again.

-- Biggest con probably is that the resolution to the half-timelord thing was underwhelming and I realize this was meant to be a bit of a feminist statement but came across as gender essentialist as hell too. We're women so we understand we can just let the power go??? At LEAST make it crystal clear that this is only an option now that it's dispersed between two people and not something Donna could've done 15 years ago lol.

-- The editing felt a little off? Scenes cut off a hair too quickly, causing the pacing to feel rushed during a lot of it. There were a few good emotional and character scenes that had room to breathe ofc, but the action/plot scenes felt a little too crushed together, yk? Gimme half a second after a line of dialogue before you cut to the next scene pls.

-- Oh I was meh about the opening titles, but honestly that's just because I like how simple the old RTD credits were and these feel overdone in comparison. But that's a super minor complaint lol, I don't really care.

That's about it though honestly, I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. I mean I was vascillating hard between high and low hopes lol, but yk. I try to keep my expectations moderate, and those expectations were exceeded. Before this I wasn't sure if I was going to jump back in at all, but now I'm genuinely looking forward to the next special, and the next Doctor after this anniversary stuff!

[middayblues]

Dummy's primer on Indian Television female leads!

Aka: Why Natasha isn't weak!

For a while now, I have been wondering about this new trend on ITV of the bahu that gives back as good as she gets it. Does she speak to our fantasy of telling off that annoying fufa or mami who has always pestered us and misbehaved with us using their age as a shield? Do we really believe that shouting at people can make them see sense?

The funny thing is that these leads are inadvertently dependent on someone for basic sustenance. They need to be protected, given shelter and food. They need someone to take care of them and yet they are the ones giving people lectures about independence and morality.

All our lives we have learnt however that actions mean more than words, haven't we? So why do we hail these ITV fls who are all bark and no bite?

Perhaps because it's easy and quick. We don't have to put in the grind. We don't have to invest the time in watching someone's journey. In a world where one is given less than a minute to make their point or they’d be swiped off the screen, the slow burn of a romance, the growth of a character in increments make us impatient. We have been trained to form opinions on the basis of a single statement, to jump to conclusions, to pass judgements and put people in neat little categories. We have been trained to ignore nuances, to disregard any contradiction that doesn't sit right with the image we have formed of people in our heads.

What I want to get at by this long winded introduction is that Natasha is neither weak nor a doormat even though the current ITV trend will have you believe otherwise.

Time and again, she has proven that she is a very strong girl and can fight her own battles. She doesn't need a man or anyone else to save her. This Princess can save herself.

She has always stood up for what is right and just. Or have we forgotten her first confrontation with Dhawal and the Makwanas?? I know the next thing people will say is that she wasn't a doormat then, she is one now.

Well, no. The reason that she laid into the Makwanas so hard then was because she was done with Dhawal at that time. She thought he was as bad as the rest of the Makwanas and if she never saw him again in her life, it'd be too soon.

So what's changed now? A simple thing. She knows Dhawal loves her, perhaps more than anyone he has ever loved in his life. She knows he'll stand up to anyone for her. He'll do anything to uphold her honour. And we should remember that until she wasn't sure of this fact, she didn't tell him she loves him too.

The naysayers will say that Dhawal apologised to Amba so his stand in the temple means nothing. But he didn't apologize for whatever he said? The entire apology conveyed that I'm only saying sorry because you're my mother. He doesn't want to lose her, doesn't want to walk out of his family. There could be a million reasons for that but one reason is that Natasha wouldn't want that for him. She did so much to reunite him with his family. Why would he undo all of that work on her part?

Natasha is not a Makwana apologist. She has never denied that they have done her wrong. But the fact of the matter remains that she considers them as her family. She cannot remain a bystander during their time of trouble because it isn't just Amba and Amrish who are suffering, it's the rest of them as well. The Bhabhis who love her and help her by exercising whatever little agency they have available to them. Chirag who treats her like his little sister. Golu, who is innocent in all this. (Bhaven is irrelevant here, as we all know)

It takes immense strength to stand against your own family for someone, especially when that someone has wronged you. But that is Natasha’s core trait. She has never been a ‘tit for tat’ kinda person. She believes in forgiveness. She once told Dhawal, “Pandya hu na maaf karne ka riwaz hai hamare yahan.”

She recognises that Cheeku’s revenge is wrong. He acquired Amrish's property by committing fraud. And it doesn't matter how justified his revenge seems, it is an unlawful thing. She wants him to return whatever he wrongfully acquired to its rightful owners. How is that a weakness on her part? How is having moral clarity, having ethics wrong?

And she has forgiven Cheeku. It's not like she is mad at him. She told Cheeku in a civil manner to return those papers, pleaded with him and even screamed at him but he wouldn’t listen. That’s the whole reason why she has resorted to lying. She is super guilty about it too, because at the end of the day, she loves her brother dearly.

Also she isn’t doing this for Amrish. She is doing it because what Cheeku is doing doesn’t sit in the set of ethics and principles she has grown up with. Another reason she has for doing all this is what she told Shashank. “In hallaton mein meri aur Dhawal ki shaadi hone nahi denge gharwale.”

She loves Dhawal and if inconvenience is caused to him because of some wrongdoing she will take the steering wheel.

Secondly, misbehaving is not the only way to retaliate. In fact the beauty of Natasha's character is that she doesn't waste her energy with people who are beyond saving. She demonstrated this during the clinic opening track. When Amba started her melodrama, she turned to the person who actually has power in Makwana House and who she thinks is capable of change (whether she is right about it or not, remains to be seen). She said to Amrish that whatever he decides shall happen, thereby showing Amba her importance of lack thereof in a very subtle way.

And she did this, when she worships her mother figures. She literally started loving the PS that she had hated all her life after one conversation with Rishita and Dhara’s ghosts where they explained to her how important PS is to them.

Also, when she was character assassinated at the temple by Amba, she tried to explain to her but Amba didn’t let her speak by involving the crowd and then Dhawal spoke up, and I think it is enough for one of them to stand up for what is right. Both of them don't have to say the same things and do unnecessarily tamasha. It just makes the point redundant and eats the screen time.

And after Dhawal calmed down, she did give it back to them by saying, “In logon se, inki wahiyaat soch se mujhe fark nahi padta. Mujhe sirf farak padta hai ki tum mere baare mein kya sochte ho.”

Natasha embodies a modern girl who doesn't care about the society so long as the people she loves aren't on the wrong path. And frankly, that is what it should be like.

Unless of course, you prefer to have the makers gaslight you by having every member of the ML’s family be vile to the FL and then her speaking up, saying things just to give that momentary satisfaction while she still lives on in that house, coz that doesn't diminish her self respect at all, does it?🙄 and finally turning into that breed of FL who finds an achha aadmi and gives lectures to anyone who even sneezes in her direction. If so, kudos to you! Best of luck. But I'd like to break this fact to you, very gently, that this show isn't the one for you then!

Peace ✌🏾✌🏾

[karmas-chameleon]

I've written a bit of Manfred and Damon interacting, but I think this is the first time I've really had just him and my S/I talk

Despite the amount of time that Police Chief Gant and my boyfriend spent together, it wasn't often that I was left alone with the former. Manfred was reluctant to let me. Not out of concern for my safety, or even my comfort; it was an entirely selfish reason. He had warned me that Gant was highly experienced with obtaining information from people, and would use all his tricks to try and probe me for sensitive details.

Embarrassing me wouldn't likely be his intention - on the contrary, I was merely a weak link that enabled him to get more ammo to use on Manfred. I wasn't about to protest that. All Gant had to do was say the right word (or the wrong one), and my face would blush a bright red. If that wasn't enough, my body language would give me away just as well. I was an open book full of top secret information.

But when the two of them were at work on the same crime scene and Manfred walked off in a huff to chastise some poor detective, I was left vulnerable. It was just as well, I had some questions of my own I wanted to ask.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Gant said with an amiable smile as he sidled up to me. “I don't often see you when there's still a body on the ground. What's the occasion?”

“Oh, well, um…” I glanced out the window past the police tape to the other side of the street. We stood in a restaurant I'd never eaten at before (and couldn't anytime soon), but right by the crime scene sat a confectionery. “I haven't really been to this part of town, and Manfred told me we could go buy some candy after he was done. Which…sounds like a pretty morbid date, now that I say it out loud.”

Gant chuckled. “Oh, it sounds quite pleasant to me. Aside from the company, perhaps.”

“What do you mean?”

“It's just that I could never imagine Manny as the type to take someone out for sweets after work. I suppose I still can't.”

“He's nicer than you think, y'know. I mean- to me, anyway. Maybe he'd be nice to you too if you weren't trying to bug him all the time.”

Gant placed a hand on his chest and gasped in mock horror. “Me? Whatever did I do?”

“You keep calling him ‘Manny’, for one thing, and I'm sure he's told you to stop.”

“Ah, that. I give everyone I like a little nickname, you know. Helps build a friendly working relationship.”

“Yeah, I've heard-” I paused, and frowned. “Wait, why don't you have a nickname for me, then?”

Gant shook his head. “Now that's a line I don't dare cross. Annoying Manny is one thing, but his girlfriend? I don't want to know the consequences of that.”

“So you admit you're doing it just to annoy him!”

“Hmm? Guilty as charged, I suppose.”

The conversation seemed to die down after that, and it didn't feel like I'd given away anything particularly valuable about my boyfriend. Maybe the chief of police was just interested in an ordinary chat that day.

“I was wondering something,” I began. “Do you…do you actually like spending time with Manfred? Or do you just like bothering him? Um, sorry if that sounds rude.”

“Oh, you're fine. It's true that he's rather fun to mess around with, but that's not the only reason I like to talk to him. I don't think he'd give me the time of day if that was all I intended.” His jovial expression became a bit more solemn as he twirled a bit of his hair between his fingers. “When I met Manny, he was much the same as he is today. Fewer wrinkles, maybe, and with less of a reputation behind him. But he still did his best to strike fear into anyone who would stand against him, and innocent bystanders as well.”

He looked in the direction Manfred had gone in when he left to give his reprimanding, and I followed his gaze. His description of my boyfriend sounded accurate to me. Everyone was afraid of him, even the ones that stood on his side. Nearly everyone, at least.

“He didn't seem like the type to make friends easily,” Gant went on. “Seemed like a lonely way to live, if you ask me. So I tried to be friendly with him. I don't think he's quite warmed to me yet, but he tolerates my presence like nobody else. Present company excluded, of course."

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “He could use some more friends, I think. And I know Manny wouldn't spend so much time with you if he really hated you. Do you think there's anyone else he could-”

“Hmm? What was that you said?”

“I was just asking if-”

“No, no. You used a certain name.” Gant grinned wide, and I felt my heart sink. “It sounded so natural, too. Has my little nickname caught on?”

“I-I, um-” 

The police chief clapped his hands together excitedly. “Ohoho, I knew it! I've made a pet name for the great Prosecutor von Karma!”

“You did not!” I could feel my face heating up in betrayal of me. “I was just using that because you kept saying it over and over. That's all.”

“A little advice: don't go into professional poker. You just don't have the aptitude for it. I'd tell you not to go into crime either - you wouldn't last a minute under questioning - but I don't think your boyfriend would let that happen in the first place.”

I blinked at him. “...Huh?”

“Well, Manfred, or Manny to you, he's got quite a bit of influence. You'd think being in a relationship with a defense attorney would be more helpful in a tight spot like that, but you'd be wrong.” He chuckled to himself. “They could only keep you out of prison if you're actually innocent. And I'd say Manny's salary is another point in his favor over those attorneys.”

I frowned. “I'm not interested in committing any crimes. Or in his salary.”

“Is that so? Those sweets of yours have to come from somewhere.”

“They don't cost that much! I could buy a few candies with my own money.”

“What is it about him, then? Don't tell me it's his personality.”

“That's part of it, actually. He's very nice to me.” I stared defiantly into Gant's eyes, for at least a solid two seconds before his icy gaze made me look down. “...And he looks good. I think. Very, um, stylish.”

I was only met with more silence. I glanced up to see the police chief still staring me down and quickly averted my eyes.

“I know you probably won't believe me, but I think he's cute. Even with the wrinkles.” I paused for another uncomfortable moment, able to feel the eyes boring into me without even seeing them. “...What more do you want from me?”

“Oh, that's plenty. I was just wondering how much you'd say if I stayed quiet.”

I managed to look back up at him and saw a wide, infuriating grin. Maybe Manfred really had no other friends if he chose to spend time with this man.

“So, I suppose you've already told him all of that?” Gant asked, fiddling with his hair again.

“Sort of. I mean, maybe not in those exact words. I don't know if I have the courage to call Manfred cute to his face.”

“Don't worry about that! I can pass it on for you.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but a loud reprimand came from behind me.

“Damon! Cease bothering my assistant and get back to work this instant!”

I turned around to see my savior stomping over, cane in hand. “Manfred! Are you done yet?”

“I am.” My boyfriend reached my side and glared at Gant, making me grin for the first time in a while. “You, on the other hand, still have business to take care of, and I'm not staying around to watch. When I come into the office tomorrow, I expect to have all I need for a prompt trial.”

The police chief nodded, looking rather unperturbed. “Of course. Have fun on your date, Manny.”

“Hmph.” Manfred beckoned for me to follow him, and led the way outside and past the police tape blocking off the crime scene. We walked a short distance toward the candy shop, but he stopped and turned to me before crossing the street, just out of view of the restaurant’s windows. “...What did he do?”

“Well, he showed me what you have to deal with whenever you work together,” I replied with an awkward laugh, and cut it short when I saw that my boyfriend wasn't laughing with me. “He didn't make me say anything too embarrassing about you. I think.”

It was embarrassing for me, if anything. But maybe I could get ahead of it by saying the words myself rather than leaving them for Gant to share. 

That wasn't entirely true. The fact that I was using the nickname Gant made up was much more information than I wanted to share, though I wasn't sure if he'd use that against Manfred. And telling the chief of police how cute I thought my boyfriend was wouldn't exactly be a loss for him. Surely every girlfriend thought their partner was cute; the only difference was that mine happened to be a sixty-five year old man.

“Uh, c'mon, let's just go get some candy,” I said instead, taking Manfred's hand and hoping the courage would come to me before we got to the store.

“Very well. Just know that all you have to do is say the word, and I can bring up my own dirt on Damon. He's not the only one who can weaponize information.”

“You've got something on him?”

“Plenty. There are a host of incidents that he'd rather be forgotten, some that would simply cause a minor stir in the police department and some that would have him fired. Just mention any of that, and he'll quiet down for you.”

“That does sound pretty convenient. But, um-” I slowed my pace as we neared the confectionery, pausing just before the doors. “...There's something I wanted to say, real quick.”

Manfred looked at me with renewed concern. “What is it?”

“Uh…I just, erm, wanted to say that you look-” I swallowed a lump in my throat and tried my hardest to raise my voice above a whisper, “...cute. Like, um, you look n-nice, I mean.”

My boyfriend stared at me for a second before a smile slowly spread across his face. “Thank you. You're quite cute as well, especially when you turn that particular shade of pink.”

I giggled, all of my nervousness bubbling up and fading away. “I've wanted to tell you that for a while. It just kinda sounded weird to use that word, I guess.”

“Not at all. I always appreciate compliments, and they mean much more coming from you.”

“Maybe I'll tell you how cute you are more often, huh?” I leaned against him and wrapped my arms around one of his, nuzzling him playfully. “My cutie pie. Putting the cute in prosecute. My…prosecutie?”

I fell into a fit of giggles and the occasional snort, somehow overwhelmed by my own terrible pet name.

“Y'know, I think I'll stick with ‘Manny’,” I said when I'd managed to recover. “Mr. Gant did make a good nickname, I'll give him that much.”

Manfred pressed a kiss to my forehead and grinned at me. “Indeed. Just don't tell him that, hmm?”

“Uh…about that. I might have called you Manny in front of him.”

“...Ah. A little blackmail may be in order, then. But first, let's get some sweets."

[mr-tony-stark]

Tony sighs again and pushes himself up, following Clint over to the kitchen. So he's really trying to not let him get to the laptop. He would need to get hacking later and try and get into it. Clint was the kind of guy who used guessable passwords, so it shouldn't be too hard for Tony to do it, even if he didn't have the ability to just muscle his way into the system. If it was online, Tony should be able to get in. He just would have like to have installed the backdoor to make it easier.

This was so frustrating. Clint wasn't dumb. Clint was genuinely one of he smartest guys he knew. He could naturally figure things out that some people were bad at with years of training. With the same education, Tony was sure Clint could give him a run for his money. But he was also the dumbest fucking person Tony had ever met.

"You know what's so fucking annoying, Clint. You aren't dumb. I know you're not. But you seem to think everyone else is. I know it's you. I haven't figured out how you're doing it. But I know it's you. Tracking your name through the mud? Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

Tony wanted to shove him. He wanted to push him up against the wall and start shaking him until the sense fell into place. "You think you're the good guy here? You're going to get someone killed. And I know you're hoping that it's you. But it won't be. It'll be a bunch of goons to start off with. And you'll be upset about it but you'll count it as an acceptable loss. I mean, they did chose to work for Red Hood. So they had to know the risk. Then it might be an innocent bystander or two. That'll hurt more, but you can't make an omelet right? Robbins had it coming and really you'll tell yourself that it was him that killed them. Sure it wouldn't have happened if you weren't there, but him and his goons were the ones pulling the trigger. Then he might do something like attack your building. He'll blow up your apartment and it'll take out a few on either side. Doesn't a teenage girl live next door? Or shit maybe he'll just randomly kill some of them, specifically to bait you. But that won't be your fault either. You'll go in guns blazing, and you'll take that kid with you and guess who's going down in the shoot out. It won't be you. And it won't be Parker. It'll be that kid. And you know I'm right. But you're not even listening are you? All you hear is how I don't understand what you're doing here. So fucking tell me! I want to help you!"

He stormed up to Clint and grabbed the mug, yanking on it, so it spilled hot coffee onto both of them. He somehow managed not to immediately let back go of it - out of sheer righteous anger. "Yes. I keep the mug because it reminds me of Simon. And you, and Bobbi. And Bobbi and Greer and Wanda and Vis. And it reminds me of how you'd always have coffee ready to go all the time. And how we had barbeques on the weekend. And sitting by the pool with you all. Because we were a family and I liked that, you absolute fucking dipshit. Do you seriously think I am bothered that you tease me for wanting people around? I want people around! I want you around!"

He was shouting and his hands were shaking. He hadn't meant to lose it like this, but being gentle hadn't been helping. Maybe raw unrestrained emotion might do it.

FINALLY BRYCE DOES GET THE MESSAGE.

Clint waves him with a tightly pressed smile to Bryce as the kid takes off. Now that he was gone, he kind of wishes he wasn't because now he has to face Tony Stark in his living room looking at it with the state that it was in.

It was bad. Colossal and the things he did say to Tony last night were honest and alarming. A breath in sucked in and it does not get released because he is going to need something stronger than his coffee in his mug to get through talking to Tony.

The issue was that he knew exactly that he would bring that up and it was too blatant. If he made this about the alcoholism than at the very least the other part that Tony hasn't even said the word Ronin could be forgotten about.

❝ You think that you can just waltz in here and bring up Kate? You can't. I will kick you out if you bring her up again. I have right to, it's my building. ❞ He goes over to the couch, keeping himself out of arms reach so that Tony would have to move to grab him. Which he is hoping that he does because than he can flip him flat on his back and get out of this conversation. It's already gone to violence, he may as well go all the way.

❝ Around me; you know that it's not lost on me how he's tracking my name through the mud. ❞ HIMSELF. HE WAS DOING THIS TO HIMSELF.

His hand goes over the laptop and pushes it down, picking it up and taking it to the kitchen with him. He places it down underneath where his landline was. He brew up another pot of coffee while he was at it. Maybe pulling out a bottle of whiskey would push Tony away and send the clear message.

That he doesn't care which was the case. It would prove the very point that Tony was making as well. Not when he's got something bigger to focus on. It's a lose-lose-lose situation here and Clint's just trying to decide how he wants to lose.

BRYCE WAS GOING TO GO DOWN WITH HIM FOR THIS. That was a thought that definitely gets under Clint's skin. The kid was already in deep. In his own shit. ❝ I'm helping him with his troubles. I'm doing the good guy thing here, could anyone cut me some fucking slack? ❞ He snaps back at that because whether he can admit it or not.

And he can't. Wasn't that a good thing that he got a kid off of a supervillain's payroll and onto his own. The kid has a record and it's not entirely deserved. He deserves a better chance.

Why'd you steal my mug?

Clint refills said mug with the coffee maker and wishes to burn his hands with hot coffee, he doesn't because it's a good mug. Warm but not hot to hold. Held up over the years unless Tony's secretly had to replace it with a carbon copy. Maybe he should just add the whiskey and spike his coffee.

IT'S COMPLICATED.

❝ I needed a mug. ❞ No he didn't, he wanted a piece of Tony in some fucked up way or something like that. It was symbolic. An artifact from shared history. ❝ It reminded me of Wonder Man, that's why you kept the mug, isn't it? ❞ That's a genuine poke at the fact that he doesn't know the answer, because it's a long running joke as to why Tony had this mug.

[anthroparis]

btw it’s not weird to be nice. it’s not uncool to be thoughtful. you’re not being sappy or cheesy for doing a kind thing

liberal spotted!

literally no one said that being nice is bad. that was not stated anywhere once. I said that being nice has nothing to do with punk. punk is a political subculture.

"nice" is not an emotion, it's a social norm, and a pretty fucking annoying one at that. I'm not going to lambaste you for something you didn't say because unlike you, I do have reading comprehension skills. but I will say that as a woman, I am extremely fucking tired of hearing people tell me that I need to be nicer.

being "nice" has absolutely nothing to do with actually doing good in the world. you can be an extremely hateful person and still be polite, and courteous, and thoughtful.

or, on the inverse, you can have a lot of love for something and be an abrasive person. I love women. I love my community. I love other people and actually care enough to want them to live easier lives. my love for others is what makes me do and say the things I do, because I'm so fucking tired of this passive activism bullshit. nothing has EVER gotten done just from saying "well, that's mean, someone should do something about it" it takes action. it takes intent. it takes anger.

I honestly find it really disturbing that people don't get mad when they hear about how people are treated. it really shows how people don't actually care about minorities, or abuse victims, or women, or whatever. they post their little fancy infographics on their stories and put a dead link to a donation fund in their bios and film themselves giving money to homeless people, but they don't actually care. it's all performative.

they just want to look nice.

people like to talk big shit about how great they are, how they'd riot if we were stripped of our rights, and then what happens? no one is even talking about roe anymore. everyone is just complacent about the way things are.

being nice hasn't done jack shit for the suffering people in this country. being nice didn't throw bricks at stonewall, it didn't shield innocent protesters from tear gas and police dogs, it didn't give women the right to decide what to do with their own bodies, and being nice is not going to solve any of the major issues we are facing now. there is an actual fucking genocide happening in this country, being pushed by politicians and you think that holding the door open for someone is going to do anything about that?

so yes, be nice. I do nice things every day. wave at children, compliment people, make room for people on the sidewalk. but I don't give myself a gold star and call it a day just because I thanked the bus driver.

keep your niceness out of political movements, because this is a place where if you value being polite more than taking actions and stances that are mean, you are nothing but a bystander who wants a pat on the back.

here's a sacha baron cohen quote that I really love, and that I think speaks volumes about this anti-action mindset

anyway if you could fucking read you'd understand that what I said is "being nice and non-offensive has nothing to do with a political subculture" and not "being mean is so cool omg!!!"

[e1igius]

blood covered boots stained perfectly manicured floors , leaving imprints in steamed carpets and stains in mahogany wood. heavy set steps echo around a bleach white aesthetic , bouncing off perfectly calculated walls , picked out by some overpaid interior designer. the rifle slung across his back is illegal in seven ways in this state , and it's not like it matters. because he isn't going to get caught , he never is. between the incompetence of the police and the aid he's providing to the populous of the united states , the trial by jury had long go decided he was untouchable. no law could harm him. no law attempted to do so...

there was of course , one exception --- the one that had landed him in prison for what should have been the remainder of his life. and yet here he was , standing in the medical building of a corporation that had stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from under the noses of their own patients... all greenlit by one man. one man that was going to die very soon. at least it wasn't in a hospital this time , he had hated having to sneak around and try not to hit innocent bystanders and the men and women working hard to save them. no this building was for show. for research & classes about things that didn't even benefit the hospitals the company ran it really was a gross overstatement to call this place a medical building.

the stride stops mid step at the sound of the voice as he hits the corner , he would have recognized the messy blonde hair anywhere. the woman stood there just as bloody as he , they were mirror images of one another. bright eyes , blonde hair , faces and clothes smothered with the blood of the wicked and yet... they couldn't be more different. the annoyed groan that escapes the thirty two year old is far too familiar. this isn't the first encounter , but it certainly doesn't get easier. running into her is an emotional rollercoaster.

❝ --- jules , i ain't got time for this will you just move aside. some of us have big boy jobs we gotta do. ❞ plus if he was going to get paid he needed something out of the old man before he offed him. like a confession of some sort. not , that he was worried about it , after all if anything... he could always force it out. ❝ and who said i share ? ❞

@feralsmile sent "Nope. I called dibs on this one. You got the last one! Sharing is caring, dick."

[afterglowisbliss]

Cutting away the dread

Levi x Fem!Reader

This story contains: Mentions of death, rapid weight loss, mentions of sexual harassment (it is not over the top, but just in case I will put the warning here)

"Hey" you jump at the stern voice, nearly dropping your tea in the process. "It's been quite some time, Y/n. I almost couldn't recognise you with that long hair" the voice teased while flicking your long locks. That's right, you've been letting yourself go. The unkept hair and dark circles under your eyes were a dead giveaway that you weren't doing so good.

You're usually good at hiding your problems and emotions. It's the scouts way. The longer you practise, the more you master the skill of being numb.

"Hey Levi, it has been quite awhile, huh..." you responded in a soft tone. While the other scouts walked on eggshells around Levi, you were free to talk any way you wanted. He wouldn't even get angry. Annoyed at times if you crossed a line, but never angry. He almost never made any snide remarks towards you either. He had a soft spot for you. You were his weakness. Anyone who dared to hurt or mess with you would feel the wrath of THE Levi Ackerman. An example being when you and Levi were walking together to buy SOME tea when a man put his arm around your waist. "How much will it be, lovely lady" he snickered. You were visibly uncomfortable but before you could react Levi had already taken care of it. Knocked out cold on ground with wide eyes looking our direction from innocent bystanders. "It'll cost your life, you filthy shit" Levi hissed. He grabbed your hand and immediately took you back to HQ in fear someone else might try their luck.

While you weren't too sure why you were 'the chosen one' you never really questioned it. You just went along with his kindness and soft attitude towards you. Perhaps it was because he was aware you could dive deep into his soul and discover everything about him without even trying. Maybe that intimidated him. You were always one to read people like a book. He would often mock you calling you a stalker with how well you knew people without much information about their lives being shared. That's where you and Levi contrast. While he might not show it, he's caring, emotional and protective. However, despite that he is far from a people person. He doesn't read people the way you do.

It had been three months since it happened. The guilt still weighing over you as if a titan was sitting on you. You could still see his face. He was begging for your help and crying for his mom. His final moments being in the disgusting mouth of a titan and all you could do was run away.

Run away... Just like all of your problems...

Levi rests his hand on your shoulder. Despite his cold demeanor he was actually warm. Physically. You knew this due to all the times he's carried you away from danger, or when he would grab your hand when you would freak out. Or even when he would slightly move you out of his way with his hands on your shoulders. His body heat was comforting and you found yourself gravitating towards Levi when you were in a room together. This is also where you and Levi contrast. You are more warm hearted on the outside, yet your body temperature is almost abnormally cold all the time. Yet even with your icy hands on Levi's he never flinched. Almost as if both your temperatures balanced each others.

"Have you... Have you been feeling any better?" he was gentle approaching the subject. He took a seat across from you. This was when he first noticed your unkept appearance. You looked frighteningly skinnier. Cheeks that used to be full and puffy were much more hollow. He knew you were brokent in which return broke him.

You try look into his dark grey eyes attempting to answer his question. As you open your mouth you immediately close it again. Your lips started quivering and your eyes started to tear up. Embarrassed you look away, hair covering your face. Your start to aggressively squeez your left hand with your right as all the emotion starts to build up. You never cried in front of anyone, not even Levi. This time you simply couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Y/n... Look at me" he asserted. When you refused he took your chin between his thumb and index finger and brought your face level to his. He parted your hair out of your face and gently tucked it behind your ear. "Y/n, please look at me" he pleaded. He sounded desperate and wooful. He couldn't bare the sight of the people he cared about in pain. It was one of the only things that could completely soften Levi.

The desperation in his voice convinced you to look up at him. He is met with your beautiful yet sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry, Levi" you sniffed followed by a deep breath in. "No. I haven't. Every attempt I make to be productive... Every attempt I make to go outside I think of him. He was so innocent. I promised. I promised I would keep him safe. I told him... I told him he was safe with me" you grieved. "I made a promise only to watch him die! I'm a shitty person, he begged me, Levi! HE BEGGED ME TO HELP HIM BECAUSE I PROMISED HIM THAT I WOULD, BUT INSTEAD I TURNED MY BACK ON HIM. AN INNOCENT CHILD" you wailed breaking down into tears grabbing onto Levi's shirt. He embraced you, pulling you closer to his chest as you sniffle and cry, wetting his shirt with your tears.

"You're not a shitty person, Y/n. You couldn't save him because if you did hundreds of others would've died in his place. I know it's hard to accept the death of someone you promised to keep safe, we have all been there, but you have to understand that letting someone go is a part of life. It's inevitable. Whether it was in that moment or 20 years from now, you would've had to have said goodbye eventually." he reassures. You stop crying for a moment to think about Levi's words. It's true what he said. We all eventually have to say goodbye to the ones we care about.

"Tell me, Y/n, did you directly promise him you would keep him safe?" he questioned. When you thought about that day, the answer was clear. "I-I told him I would try my best to keep him safe..." you mumbled. "So it's clear now. You did follow through with your promise. You tried your best to keep him safe. Now all that is left for us to do is to make sure he didn't die in vein." Levi added pulling you away from his chest to make eye contact with you once again.

You wipe the tears of your face and mod in agreement. There is no point grieving for the rest of your life over something you couldn't control. All that was left for you now was to make sure his death meant something.

"Levi..." your voice is haorse and strained from all the crying. "Can I ask you a favour?" you request followed by a confused Levi who isn't used to you asking for favours. "Can you please cut my hair?" you innocently ask and your cheeks start to heat up. Its an odd question to ask a Captain. "It's just that... My hair is getting too long for odm gear and I don't like to tie up my hair" you explain further hoping to persuade Levi into cutting your hair for you. "Go wet your hair for me" he commands while getting up from his seat to get the scissors. A slight smile creeps up onto your face. That's the first time that's happened in awhile.

You do as he says wetting your hair with lukewarm water. Once you're all done you look around for a comb to quickly get rid of any knots that might get in the way. "Don't worry I'll comb your hair for you" Levi assures and motions for you to sit down on the chair in from of him.

You sit with your legs crossed, hands fiddling with the gem of your shirt while Levi gently combs through your your hair. It reached just 2 inches away from your shoulder which to you, was quite long considering the length you usually keep it at.

Levi strokes your hair feeling for any missed knots. "How short would you like it?" he asks preparing the scissors in his hand. You take a moment to ponder on the question. How short would you like it?

"a pixie cut" you reply with confidence. It's a bold decision considering you've never tried it before.

"Are you sure? You've never-" "I'm sure" you cut him off. He sighs before commenting on your boldness, "Always one to try new things huh." You chuckle. He wasn't wrong.

Snip, snip, snip

You feel your hair fall first onto you, then onto the ground. You watch as the hair slightly moves with the wind sneaking in from the window that won't close properly. The whole scene feeling very calming and relaxing. The sound of scissors cutting hair was oddly satisfying.

Before you knew it he was done. He sets the pair of scissors down on the table behind him and rests his left hand on your shoulder. "what do you think?" he asks. You open your eyes to look right at a mirror hanging on the wall in front of you. Your eyes widen in shock. It actually looks nice.

"I think it suits you" Levi adds before walking to the other side of the room to get a broom. "Thank you, Levi" you say grabbing his forearm and pulling him into an embrace.

Levi isn't the biggest fan of physical affection but let it slide when it came to you. "Anytime, Y/n."