#it would have valued both of his parents it would have made an interesting contrast to wesley

[joshuaalbert]

i regret to inform you i am once again thinking about bev's weird changeling kid jack who stays in the medical field both bc his mom's legacy is worth something and because he has a genuine interest in solid physiology rather than being a professional nepotism baby. i do not give a fuck about canon jack ii but the version that lives in my head and uses the newfound stability at the end of the series to go to medical school and both his mother and his adopted father are very proud of him and there's a joke about "doctor crusher" and they both turn around....he compels me a little.

[sillyyuserr]

A deep dive on the contrasting themes of tbhk (misogyny/breaking gender stereotypes) 🖊️

Tbhk or better know as Toilet-bound hanako kun is a manga both written and illustrated by two woman, that is semi-nonfiction-fiction. It uses themes and/or topics of the supernatural, yet taking place in an accurate highschool setting. The creators of Tbhk, AidaIro, are both presumably in their late 20s, as a past work of theirs, was made in 2011, when they were still students. if we estimate they were both 15 in 2011, they would be 28-29 years old respectively. Despite being on the younger side, and despite both being girls, AidaIro seems very traditional in the sense of norms and values. Yet, they seem open to breaking those same values.

for example, many gender norms are broken. Those being:

Akane/Aoi. This relationship trope has been set up to be the very one sided obsessed type. And it’s not very common to see the guy, be the hopelessly obsessed one. Akane, in a primarily female dominated field.

Kou. A key trait of his is that he’s always cooking or cleaning. He’s the housekeeper, he’s an incredible cook, and he takes care of his little sister. That being a primarily female dominated field.

the contrast to those being: sexism. Examples:

The woman in this manga, do practically nothing. Despite the main character being female, trust me when i say Nene did more heavy lifting in the PILOT CHAPTER.

we don’t see much individuality from any of the woman. Yes aoi’s getting some from akane but at the end of the day you can clearly see no doubt they’re still getting together. Despite all her character growth she’s still just a soon to be wife. And i hate that. I hate that so bad. She had a whole arc where she separated herself from Akane, only spoke to Nene, really stood her ground with boys, only for her to end up right back with him cut it OUTT.

And don’t even get me started on the infantilization of every single woman. I love akane but COME ON. I don’t remember exactly where it is but he’s said things like oh i’d never lay a FINGER on a girl implying he’d never hit a girl which like ok polite thank you but i feel like that shows that he don’t see woman/girls as other people, he views them as more fragile, and that its such a sin to throw a punch at a GIRL. But for guys? nahh nahh he’ll fuck up teru anyday.

Get your twig ass arm away he’s on the other side of the damn QUARRY as you guys smh..

The literal SECOND aoi picks up a sword he takes it from her fucking hands LORD

akane, my guy, that look was so warranted you lucky she’s polite i woulda beat you ass

she even said she knew how to use it he’s just so self righteous FUCK ALL OF YOU

Her ass was NOT playin!!!

Another aspect could be every female character (excluding Tiara) (duh) having a love interest.

EX. Aoi, akane

Nene, hanako/kou

fucking no.2, misaki

every mother in the story ( - Aoi’s), her husband no willing single mothers, just depressed divorced ones. No #feminism#singlemom at all. Aoi’s moms whole character is being divorced, Mitsuba’s moms whole character is being a widow, yet Minamoto’s father (despite being entirely absent) is not known for also being widowed? His wife is dead and he’s not seen as a struggling parent. The single father gets sm grace but he’s clearly having a hard time parenting his own children. Kou doesn’t even set up a spot at their table for him. He’s literally just not there.

Theres a lot more that could be said, but i’m going to just leave it here i’m tired 😭

ALSO I WAS SUPPOSED TO POST THIS WAYY EARILER ABOUT 2 WEEKS EARLIER BUT IM PREPPING FOR EXAMS and i got jumped twice

[darkpoisonouslove]

Hi Maria! One of Us is Lying + 9, Ruby Lucas + 7, Regina Mills +7, and Agatha All Along + 11 for the ask game? :D

Hiiii! And thank you so much!

9. ...which characters I think should have interacted more in canon.

This is SOOOOOO perfect! I was just watching it (yet again) and thinking how we needed more Addy and Nate scenes! I mean, for one-on-one scenes of them I can only remember the one in the abandoned cinema right after their secrets were leaked on About That and then in 2x07 when Nate confessed to Addy about kissing Fiona. They both know what it's like when people have a very narrow view of you and downright expect you to be a failure. It's something that Bronwyn and Cooper can't really understand.

I think it would have been interesting if they had contrasted Addy's capitulation of all of her agency to Jake with Nate's lack of any parental guidance. She let someone else make all the decisions for her because it was easier while Nate literally had no one to help him with his very survival. They are polar opposites in that but that's exactly why we could have gotten something great out of addressing that.

Addy could have talked to Nate when he was distraught about Bronwyn "throwing her life away for him", helped him become more open to the idea that he can allow someone else to take care of him for once and it won't lead to ruin for them or end up in disappointment for him. Maybe even made him realize that even if there's risk of that happening, he can't allow himself to make the decision instead of Bronwyn because it's her call and he shouldn't take away her agency and her right to love him and want to help him.

On the other hand, Nate absolutely should have talked to Addy about her shooting Jake! He knows what it's like to make immoral choices in order to survive which would make him the most likely person to get through to Addy. They could have even flashed back to him selling Janae the drugs that almost killed her, which would hit different for both him and Addy now that they're both friends with Janae and could have been an excellent way to showcase the developing relationships between all the characters. Maybe Addy could have even confided in Nate about her taking Xanax again because she knows he won't judge her. OH! Addy and Nate watching horror movies together to distract themselves! I just want them to be besties and have more time together! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I need to write fanfiction now. That can go on the to do list for next year.

I also wish that we got more Evanessa. I know that technically we saw the turning points and got enough to convey the point of this ship but I still want more! We could have seen a conversation about their relationship after high school. We didn't get anything to indicate that Evan didn't get into Yale and Vanessa was implied to set her sights on California, on the other end of the country from where he'd be. I think it would have been cool if they'd let Evan admit that he's actually thinking of maybe not going to Yale so he can go somewhere closer to Vanessa, which would make her freak out because no one has ever valued her so highly as to change the course of their entire life for her. And what if things don't work out between them and he ends up hating her because he didn't go to his dream school thanks to her? Cue an intervention from Addy, similar to what she did for Nate in 2x07 to get them back on track but maybe Vanessa would encourage him to still go to Yale and not give up on his dream for her. They can have a long-distance relationship instead. I can dream about it!

7. ...the scene that I think adds depth to their character or the relationship this character has with someone.

I was trying to come up with scenes that I haven't already talked about or have planned to talk about, which is why it took forever.

For Ruby I'd say that her scene with Whale in 2x12 (?) adds to her relationship with herself. The fact that despite how much the Curse took from everyone and how miserable it made them, she still saw at least a part of it as a blessing in disguise speaks to the depth of her trauma over killing Peter. And yet, we've already seen her learning to love her wolf after that and then going through the whole process a second time in Storybrooke. She was happy to find her wolf again and in other flashbacks we've seen her use her power to do good, to protect her friends from Regina. The way that these two things are true about Ruby simultaneously - that she loves who she is and she still deeply regrets what she did and is weighed down by it - only adds more depth and meaning to both. It makes Ruby a fascinating character that feels so real and strong.

This actually came to me in relation to the scene above. The scene in 3x09 where Regina takes a forgetting potion so that she'd stop worrying about Emma and be able to enjoy her life with Henry. The fact is that Regina also had so much horrible memories that she would have certainly wanted to forget. And she could have when she cast the Curse. She could have made herself forget the bad, designed her memories in a way that lets her enjoy Snow's misery and basically have it all. And yet she didn't. Sure, she could have wanted to remember for safety reasons, in order to be able to act if anything is threatening her or the Curse. But that can also be said about the moment when she decided to take the forgetting potion. In fact, back when she was casting the Curse, she was assured that it is the most powerful curse ever and it would ensure her victory. In 3x09 she's already aware of a very real, tangible potential danger. She proceeds to erase her memories regardless because of Henry. Because she is actually happy with him. The Curse was supposed to give her her happy ending but it wasn't guaranteed to her and she chose to have some sense of control by keeping her memories instead of grabbing at the chance to get rid of everything that's making her miserable. But once she had Henry, the happiness she could have with him was more important than her insecurities and her potential defeat. It demonstrates how important Henry is to Regina and how much of a failure the Curse by itself was at fulfilling her. The one opportunity that was worth all the trouble of casting it, all the pain that she'd already been through was getting to adopt Henry and Regina recognized that so she decided to risk everything else just for him.

11. ...what I think of the central character(s).

I... hadn't watched AAA when you sent this in. But since then I've watched it, like, 4 times so let's do this!

Jen is such a vibe! "Aren't you furious?" "I mean, always but collectively we've moved on." XDDD I love the fact that she first got to see how powerful she is even without her magic but then also got that back! It really put in perspective how important and valuable the work she has done on perfecting her craft is but also didn't punish her for being good at analog magic by leaving her bound. Getting her power back won't undo her trauma but it ended it. The progression of her friendship with Lilia was also amazing! I love the way that Jen understands what it's like when people have a very narrow idea of you just based on their own prejudice and don't bother looking deeper and she took the time to understand Lilia.

I wish I had words to describe how much I adore Lilia. Unfortunately, I really don't have much that I can say. I think her episode said everything perfectly. I love how in the beginning she looks scared and lost when she's falling because this is probably how she saw her life (and her end) when she was young. She didn't know what to do with her powers, didn't understand them and what they showed her scared her immensely. But then at the end of the episode she's content because she knows who she is and she saved her coven this time, she found herself. I just relate so much to what she's going through. "I'm a forgotten woman." "Then remember yourself." will always be one of the most powerful moments in television and so will be the moment when she flipped The Tower card and the whole building turned upside down. The fact that they don't show her death but instead cut to her young self just starting out on her journey of magic is so perfect! We know the flow of time is an illusion and we see Lilia fall to her death but in a sense that's just the vision that young Lilia had and she's still at the very beginning of her path. It is so poignant and powerful I'm in tears!

I ranted a lot about Alice here and here and I don't think I will be able to put this more concisely or eloquently so I'm just linking them.

I also talked about Agatha here and here (and in that first link about Alice also). I think she's great! She's become one of my most favorite characters ever! There is so much nuance because she is objectively a bad person but she is also very vulnerable despite that and you understand her even when you don't agree with her. Watching her kill Alice is so hard for me but at the same time I can see how scared she was of the coven leaving her with her mother that when she saw a chance to get power for herself and not have to beg them and depend on their decision, she grabbed it. Even if it meant sacrificing the person that was actively trying to save her from her mother. I feel like this might relate to her rage at Rio as well. If Rio, who loves her more than anyone else alive, hurt her the worst she's been hurt when she took Nicky, how is she supposed to trust that these people, who have heard so much awful things about her and, rightfully, hate her, will choose to help her rather than abandon her? Her own mother wanted her dead, even before she'd done anything wrong at all. There is so much going there, I couldn't talk about it all if I tried!

I don't really have much to say about Billy outside his dynamic with Agatha. I do think his story (most of episode 6) was the slowest, most boring part of the show. Sorry! That doesn't mean I don't like him. I think his unadulterated enthusiasm and his wide-eyed belief in good is great considering all of the trauma that he's been through. He absolutely is the counter Agatha needs to her bitterness and cynicism. But he's not lacking complexity. It took me a lot of time to wrap my head around the fact that it has been three years since he got his new body and so the Kaplans have been his parents for much, much longer than Wanda and Vision. His anger at Wanda makes sense no matter how much it hurts me. He doesn't know the lengths to which Wanda went to have her children again. I do hope he learns, however, because then he will absolutely face the same thing he said Nicky will be able to forgive Agatha for. I want to see him put his money where his mouth is.

I don't really have much to say about Sharon but I can't not mention her. She deserves to be remembered. She just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time and unlike the others, she didn't get anything positive from The Road. She deserved better! RIP, Sharon, you were a queen!

I almost forgot Rio... Oops! Tbh seeing so many posts about Agathario on tumblr left me with a very wrong idea about how much Rio would be in the show and I was kinda disappointed. I had also already seen pretty much all of the scenes with her and had read analyses about them so there wasn't really anything left for me to unravel with that character, which means that she couldn't really hold my attention. I do like the moment at the end of episode 4 where she listens to the others tell stories about their scars and she decides to join in. It feels very human of her to want to unburden herself now that she can, especially since she's probably alone the whole time and the one person who she wants to tell about her pain does not want to hear from her at all. That death can love and hurt and feel lonely is certainly an idea!

I love this show so much! It's Marvel's best!

[thedemonofcat]

First time trying to come up with an idea in the Omegaverse.

Jaskier is considered rare among Omega for several reasons, which sets him apart from the norm. Firstly, he is a male Omega, a rarity in itself, as male Omegas are not very common. Due to their scarcity, male Omegas have often been treated as precious gems, valued for their uniqueness. Jaskier's gender alone makes him stand out among his peers.

Moreover, Jaskier possesses qualities that deviate from the stereotypical traits associated with Omega individuals. He is known for being headstrong and exceptionally talkative, which contrasts with the expected demeanor of a docile and reserved Omega

Interestingly, all the qualities that make Jaskier different from other Omegas are the very reasons why Geralt is deeply enamored with him. As an alpha, Geralt is often seen as the epitome of Alpha characteristics, except for the fact that he is a Witcher. The Witcher mutations have bestowed upon Geralt the genetic traits of an alpha, making him a unique blend of both human and monster.

Despite their individual oddities, Geralt and Jaskier have formed a remarkable bond as mates

One day, Jaskier woke up feeling unwell, experiencing bouts of morning sickness. Concerned for his mate's well-being, Geralt decided to take Jaskier to see Yennefer. Little did they know, Yennefer had a surprising revelation waiting for them—by some miraculous twist of fate, Jaskier was pregnant.

Given that witchers were believed to be sterile, Geralt never anticipated the possibility of Jaskier becoming pregnant. Nevertheless, Jaskier was content with the idea, considering his life as a traveling bard made it challenging to raise a child. However, Yennefer believed that destiny had played a hand in this situation, decreeing that Geralt and Jaskier should embrace their roles as parents.

Geralt and Jaskier experienced a mixture of nerves and excitement at the prospect of becoming parents. However, their joy was short-lived as they soon discovered the alarming truth—numerous individuals were relentlessly pursuing their unborn baby

In this unprecedented occurrence of a witcher baby, the belief spread that the child would possess unparalleled power, surpassing any known beings. A group with nefarious intentions devised a plan to kidnap Jaskier, intending to hold him captive until the baby was born and subsequently raise the child as their new leader. They were even prepared to eliminate Jaskier if he refused to comply with their demands after the baby's birth.

Before assuming the name Jaskier, he was known as Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove. Jaskier had fled his home to escape the clutches of his controlling parents, who, despite hearing about Jaskier's pregnancy, adamantly refused to recognize Geralt as his mate. Jaskier's parents harbored intentions of arranging a marriage between him and a wealthy Alpha Lord, solely for the sake of social status and riches.

Moreover, the kingdom of Nilfgaard, in their ongoing efforts to coerce Ciri, Geralt's child surprise , into their grasp, recognized Jaskier as a potential bargaining chip. Consequently, their interest in capturing Jaskier intensified, surpassing their previous pursuits.

Now on the run, desperate to ensure the safety of their unborn child, Geralt is willing to go to any lengths to protect his beloved Jaskier. Together, they make their way towards Kaer Morhen, seeking refuge and the support of the other witchers.

However, the magical nature of the baby begins to pose problems. Jaskier's pregnancy progresses at an astonishing rate, with his belly growing larger by the day, making their arduous journey even more challenging. Walking becomes a struggle with Jaskier's prominent pregnant belly, and the fact that he is a male omega further complicates their ability to hide and remain inconspicuous.

To add to their concerns, it is discovered that the baby carries witcher mutations in its genes. As Jaskier's health deteriorates, Geralt's fears intensify, dreading the possibility that Jaskier may not survive the process of giving birth to a witcher child

[workingforitallthetime]

have you read the new luca + adam article!!! so many things to take note off 😵‍💫 the fact that they’re Very Good Students, Actually. also the unspoken comparison of adam to connor bedard wrt to attention/pressure/habits/emotional maturity. the hobey baker comment at the end. luca leader and adam devoted follower

anon i have so many thoughts about this article. i am no longer a human girl, i am just a collection of thoughts about this article, loosely wrapped in girl-shaped skin.

first of all the poignancy of some of the quotes is absolutely killing me. “it was fourteen years, and then he left”??????? adam sitting quietly on his side of the car on the long lonely drive home to ontario, luca’s seat empty next to him, and saying “i think i made a mistake.”?????? also, luca framing it as “we just got to go down there and just play for our school and for each other”????? also coach talking about how it was good for luca to be able to establish himself at KUA first and that made him feel like a big brother to be able to show adam the ropes? i’m a puddle of ash on the floor.

the overt and unspoken contrasts with connor bedard are so fascinating too. naur’s comment about “online school and practicing hockey six hours a day”… that’s connor bedard, that is his life exactly. i’m interested in the parallels that can be drawn between this article and naur’s comment on the nhl podcast earlier this week that adam’s going 100mph at all times and sometimes you have to slow him down. it seems like adam’s just as driven as connor (e.g. luca’s mention of how much adam was on the ice between classes) and the difference is that adam has people around him who do make him slow down — take vacations, get mullets with his teammates, explore alternatives to the canadian hockey prospect mill — and connor does not.

i like to imagine julia fantilli listening to melanie bedard talk about how connor was only willing to go to hawaii if he could take his hockey gear and spend the whole time rollerblading, and thinking “you let the little brat get away with that?” and i seriously doubt that giuliano’s reaction to adam breaking his mother’s vase would be “it’s fine, you can break the next one too.”

in addition to the internal family values, the fantillis also seem to be very intentional about surrounding themselves with people who will reinforce the message that it’s good for adam to go on vacation sometimes and how he develops as a person is more important than hockey. this post, and the comments from both parents, are very interesting to me in that regard.

the story also reminded me of this old quote from adam:

it’s such a contrast to the bedard family dynamic as portrayed in connor’s tsn feature, which very much makes it look like connor is driving the bus and the rest of the family is there to support him. adam is not driving the bus. he’s one part of a very tight four-person decisionmaking unit (right down to the other three getting on the phone with luca to talk about the possibility of adam going to KUA.) and that unit’s philosophy is oriented toward adam as a person, not a hockey player. it just seems like such a good way to raise your kids.

[perilegs]

6 & 9 for Rook and Wyll !!

4,11 and 20 for Ati and Zevran !!!

KUUTTI IM SORRY I FORGOT YOU IN MY DRAFTS

thank you!!!! :3cc questions from this post

Rook/Wyll: Do they have any shared interests/hobbies? Do they ever do these hobbies together?

Hmm, Wyll's love for dancing rubs off on Rook and he'll teach them to dance too. :') Otherwise their hobbies tend to be different, but still something they can do in a shared space. Wyll and Rook could spend time enjoying each others presence, Wyll reading and Rook tinkering on something. (Wyll does pick up on some mechanical skills).

I think they like to play different board/card games together too. I have no basis for this it's just what I feel in my heart.

As for interests I can't think of too many that they both would have as they're more bound together by their ideals and values, and their love for adventure and eradicating what they deem evil. But I KNOW both of them are more than interested in hearing the other talk about their interests and get a bit into them too. Rook is such an elevator nerd, and I can see Wyll starting to appreciate their intricacies as time goes on too.

Oh, also! Wyll's tent has a telescope so I like to think he likes stargazing. Rook has spent most his live deep underground so he's never done that before, but it's definitely something they would enjoy too, so I think that's a hobby they'd also do together!

Their hobbies and interests also shift with time as, they're going to the Hells after the events of the game, but they might eventually settle down to live a quieter life.

Rook/Wyll: What is one quality they have in common?

They want to do what is just in quite a, hm, I guess ruthless way? That sounds bad but I mean things like how Wyll is one of the only companions who suggests killing Kagha. Both Wyll and Rook have a strong moral compass and aim to punish those who do wrong.

Ati/Zevran: How would they describe each other if asked? Physically? In personality?

Answered here

Ati/Zevran: Does one act as a narrative foil to the other? How so?

Not sure if this is a Foil Foil but it's definitely a contrast, but. Zevran and Ati are both dead but living.

As in, how Zevran trying to assassinate her was a suicide mission, and he is now living despite never planning on doing so.

And how grey wardes start dying the moment they become wardens, a fate which Ati ended up in only because the other option would have been death, but faster. And after that, she has avoided death many times. Being saved by Flemeth, doing Morrigan's ritual.

Zevran is supposed to be a dead man, living a life he did not intend to see, and Ati got a second chance at life at the expense of a timer looming over.

I'm also using this question as an excuse to compare their mothers as what is a foil but contrast to heighten certain qualities.

Ati and Zevran were both born with no parents, their mothers dying in or shortly after childbirth. They were both raised communally, but in highly different circumstances. Zevran with the women in the brothel and Ati with her clan. They both had a similar circumstance of birth but the people and place they were born to made all the difference. Ati was allowed to grow up, whereas Zevran was forced to.

I find it heartbreaking how Zevran's only memory of her mother is a pair of gloves, and how he refers to her as his first victim. Ati didn't even learn the truth about her mother before she was an adult. Zevran's mother's death was held against him, while Ati's was kept from her.

I wish I could be more eloquent and go in depth about this but I will start crying if I do ha

Ati/Zevran: What is their best memory together?

It's hard for me to answer this question as I can't even imagine having just one memory that shines above the rest with someone I love. Ati and Zevran have a ton of good memories they look fondly upon.

But one I've been thinking about a lot recently is, well, not just a singular memory but a collection of memories from their nights in camp during the blight.

Wynne has dialog where she complains about noise coming from the two, which, is supposed to be understood as Zevran and Ati having loud sex but some years ago I saw a post here that referred to it that boiled down to "what if it was laughter?" And I think Ati and Zevran have had a lot of fun together.

They share stories, both those they've heard and of what they've seen. Zevran teaches Ati how to better use daggers. They share their notes on traps and poisons. The list goes on. Though the Blight is looming over them, a lot of their nights are filled with joy and laughter.

[sugutoad]

matchup trade for @archive-of-the-lost  !

PERCY JACKSON MATCHUP

Significant Other

"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." — Wuthering Heights

I ship you with… Jason Grace. Truth be told, this pairing had come to me before I even read what you were looking for. I had intended to give you a character opposite of you to sort of balance it out, but the further I read, I had come to a conclusion that you would be perfect for someone more similar to you. Someone logical and quiet. Someone who wants the best for every one and reaches past their limits. And that someone was the Son of Jupiter. 

 RUNNER UPS: LEO VALDEZ

HEADCANONS

Jason does not care for how long you ramble on about your interest and info dumping him. The boy has the patience of a saint and he will sit there beside you, nodding every so often and asking you questions to show that he cares that you are speaking. Not to mention, you look adorable to him while you speak so passionately and so quickly about all that you love — brown eyes twinkling and a smile plastered across your face. Whenever you are in larger groups and you do not wish to speak to so many, he will pull you to the corner, his palm brushing against your knuckles, as you whisper to one another. Also the high difference when the two of you are together is so cute! He is 6 inches taller than you and you always have to crane your neck up to meet his eyes. And his gaze always meets back to you no matter what. 

He is you and you are him. Seriously! There are so many similarities between the two of you that fit so well with one another like a puzzle piece. From you more Earthy vibes in terms of appearance, he is the stark contrast and is the sky. You choose with your brain at all times and Jason does so too. This easily prevents arguments from arising as you look more logically into things rather than be controlled by your emotions which is extremely essential for a demigod. And also purple being your colour? That’s literally perfect. You are purple and he is blue — two colours that are similar and found closely on the colour wheel. 

The both of you greatly value acts of service. Jason is a firm believer that to show your love for others, you need to prove it by doing things for them. I think his other love language is words of affirmation since he always had this ability to convert what he feels through the perfect selection of words. He will you gently in his arms (he loves receiving physical touch due to the fact as a boy he was mainly seen as an object rather than a person), his lips brushing against your ear as he lets your body fall into his — and he will always catch you — arms wrapped around your chest as he whispers little things whenever you are upset. 10/10 boyfriend material.

CABIN

Welcome to Camp Jupiter Aurora — child of Minerva! Ok you must be wondering, a child of Minerva?  ‘I thought she never had children’. Well, listen up. Come close… ok. You see, Minerva is a Goddess who is rarely swayed by any men or women. But that does not mean she is always immune to the charm of a mortal. Once every century, a child of Minerva makes their way into the world of demigods and monsters, but rarely do they survive. While most think that children of Athena are geniuses, the children of Minerva are on an entirely different level. I had been struggling with you godly parents, but you are this overachiever who is just naturally smart no matter how little you try and if that does not scream Minerva to you, I don't know what does. Camp Half-blood has more of this chaotic energy that does not ease with you and I think you will appreciate the rules and serenity of Camp Jupiter. 

POWERS

Similar to the children of Athena, you are a great battle strategist due to your Mother being the Goddess of not only Wisdom, but also War. As I mentioned before, your knowledge surpasses those of any Athena kid. It is not known why, but some theorise that this must be because of how scarce the children of Minerva are. They are amazing with their words, being able to persuade almost anyone. But do not think that they are only book smart, they are also incredibly crafty. Depending on the type of person you are, some children are street smart, while others are book smart. You are also incredibly good with any weapon even with minimum training. They have this ability to conjure any weapons similar to the children of Ares. They are excellent at weaving any threads. And for absolutely fun, children of Minerva have the ability to Mindread so they can know anyone’s thoughts, thus gaining more knowledge.

FATAL FLAW

Most children of Athena/Minerva fall under the curse of Hubris, I think your fatal flaw is your isolation. Most kids would bond with one another during Camp, yet you would stay back and minding your own business, only having one or two close friends. Your dad’s overprotective nature as a child made you this person who never had anything to relate with most people and this alone person who was never allowed out. This made you alienated from everyone. You never knew how to interact with them. And while your introverted heart did not seem to mind this isolation, this affects you horribly. 

BACKSTORY

Born to the Goddess Minerva and your father, you almost never knew your parents. Your father had shortly passed away after your first birthday, leaving you in a foster home. Every single time you were sent to a new home, something always happened and left you alone again and again. On your 7th birthday, a man with dark curls took you in and he cherished you like his own daughter. After losing his own daughter to ‘mysterious’ circumstances, he saw bits of her in you. It would take a few more years to learn that his daughter was also a demigod who had lost her life during a quest. Your new father became paranoid as you grew older and older. He almost never let you outside and never gave you any phone, forbidding you to even watch tv. This left you to only find comfort in books, but even that you couldn’t read. Your father bought you books written in Latin and Greek instead. Every single time you would see something odd, you would tell him immediately and he would move to another town with you. This left you with very little friends. But after moving to a new place, you met people who understood you and made great friends. But you saw the monsters again. You didn’t want to leave, not like last time. So you never told your father. Oh how you regretted that so much. A few weeks later, there was an attack on your house. The monster, if that is what it was, was terrifying for a girl only 13. The creature took his life in seconds, not before he told you to run and run until you felt safe. And that is what you did. You refused to look back, your own house wrapped in tendrils of fire and tears stinging your eyes. At last, your body gave in and you fell after crossing a river. Opening your eyes hours later, a boy with the sky in his eyes, smiled at you and said “Welcome to Camp Jupiter”. 

RELATIONSHIPS 

PERCY JACKSON was immediately drawn to you. When the Son of Poseidon arrived at the Roman Camp, he took an interest in you. He wasn’t necessarily into you, but you reminded him so much of someone he knew from almost a past life. You bantered with him yet you welcomed him. From your quiet nature to your logical thinking, there was just something so similar that he couldn’t get a hold on. 

ANNABETH CHASE is your sister from your Mother’s Greek side. While the two of you aren’t the closest, there is this unspoken bond between the two sisters. Being the only child of Minerva, you never had a sister at Camp until you met Annabeth. And the two of you would kill anyone for one another. I also think there is this academic rivalry between the two of you with who is smarter. 

FRANK ZHANG isn’t someone who you talk with much. You know from Hazel who often speaks about her ‘friend’, but the two of you have only ever crossed paths once or twice. This is largely because he is so intimidated by you — the leader of the first cohort! And he was… well just Frank, a boy who wasn’t even claimed yet. And your soul just never really reached out to him either. There is a mutual respect between the two of you though. 

HAZEL LEVESQUE is your little follower. Ever since she came to Camp, you were her older sister figure. You were always so perfect, smart and composed, but you were so in touch with your feelings (yet you always made sure you did the right logical things). You always tried to maintain a mask around her, hiding inner feelings to not disappoint the little girl. 

RACHEL ELIZABETH DARE is someone who I don’t think you ever met. While the two of you have certainly heard stories about one another, your paths never met. She was an oracle in Camp Half-Blood and you were a warrior in Camp Jupiter. The closest you have ever been is during the battle with Gaea when both Camps worked side by side. 

NICO DI ANGELO found someone who understood him. He has always felt in isolation and is out of touch with the world. Sounds similar? Well, when he met you at Camp, you sort of took him under your wing after Reyna instructed you to. And he was an amazing boy. The two of you would talk about Magical Card Games and other interests yet you knew when to not speak when the other person did not want to be with anyone. 

CHIRON thinks highly of you. You are a person who is a realist like him and an amazing leader. You were the person who led your cohort into battle and Chiron was incredibly proud of a child he barely knew. During the peace era between both Camps, he often came to you and Reyna for advice because even though he knew his own camp, he didn’t truly know yours. The three of you became leaders of sort for both Camps.

[seriouslysam8]

My roommate and I were discussing your fic, and she asked me an interesting question, and I was wondering what your take was: do you think Harry’s ability to love is hindered since he is an orphan? Or do you think he loves more intensely than others?

I don't think Harry's ability to love is hindered at all because he's an orphan. I think if anything hindered him, it was growing up in an abusive household. If Harry had grown up with Sirius, he would have had a good childhood filled with love and laughter. Except, he got his aunt and uncle who treated him like he was no better than gum on the bottom of their shoes.

But, honestly, even then, I don't think it necessarily hinders anyone and depends on the individual person. Someone who grew up like Harry did could be more standoffish and suspicious of others' motives. Someone else could crave affection and love more intensely than others. I think there's both nurture and nature at play here.

One of the best things about Harry is his ability to love so fiercely. Once he opens himself to someone, he's all in. In Brumous, I gave that to be a Potter family trait, or 'gift' so to say. Harry was born with a ginormous heart. He would love just as fiercely if he was in a loving household or in an abusive. He places a high value on love and friendship and family. In contrast, Sirius doesn't have that ginormous heart like Harry. Sirius loves a select few and would burn down the fucking village for those he loved, but he's not going out of his way to help anyone he doesn't care about. In DH, Harry saved Draco's life in the Room of Requirement. Sirius would haven't risked his neck to save Snape in the same way. Harry's childhood made him love more fiercely and have that giant heart. Sirius' childhood made him a moody and closed-off adult.

Look, I know some of you are annoyed with the way I portray Harry. I've gotten comments that he's annoying in Brumous. One thing I think is rarely portrayed correctly in fanfiction is Harry's trauma and his trauma responses. I, personally, think Harry's character arc from going to abused orphan to being adopted by Sirius and suddenly having a family is satisfying to read. He has something he always wanted growing up. A parent, a father, someone who gives a shit about him. While the Weasleys are wonderful and embraced Harry, their sole focus wasn't Harry. With Sirius, Harry is his sole focus. Harry is Sirius' entire world. Finally having that, Harry is a tad bit clingy and he wants to know what's going on. He wants to be included. He wants to be a family. But Harry doesn't really know what a normal-functioning family looks like. While Harry knows Sirius isn't his friend, he doesn't know how a parent-child relationship really works either. To add to that, Sirius is constantly trying to set healthy boundaries between them. Sirius understands that Harry is trying to figure out how this new dynamic works just as much as Sirius is.

[missingn000]

Writing down my thoughts as I go:

What the heck is Sukuna's deal? With Geto there were clearly two layers to his thoughts, one hidden under the other, but with Sukuna it's like it all got blended into toxic soup.

And also, why do I get the impression he likes most of the cast? It reminds me of ender's game, which states you can't truly understand someone unless you love them. Sukuna and Yuuji both give me that vibe, that they see so deeply because they love so hard.

Someone please give Sukuna and Yuuji a hug. They are both spilling grief and pain off the page like they are made of it.

Hey, what the fuck is this?: "But Sukuna always lies, except to Yuuji, and Yuuji sometimes lies, but not to Sukuna. "

"I can't be selfish" The use of can't specifically suggests trauma related to it.

I don't remember what size you said Sukuna is in the mindspace, but the image of him being able to pick up Yuuji like a child is weirdly poignant.

It's nice to see how blisteringly smart Sukuna is. The anime made it clear that he was, but they never properly explored it.

Toge saying that Sukuna wants Yuuji dead more than anyone is such a painful contrast. Like everyone else thinks it's a straight forward evil demon possession situation while Yuuji and Sukuna are having a goddamn Shakespearean tragedy inside their souls.

I what. Sukuna is cursed? I mean obviously, but like Rika is?

Glad the kids have finally met their other parent.

OMFG i cackled right off the bat with “what the heck is sukuna’s deal”? GOOD QUESTION. it’s truly a mystery. his thoughts are a swirling pot of mental illness potion, it’s like the man took the DSM-5 and decided to eat it for breakfast. i have no choice but to stan

also, WHY WOULD YOU HURT ME LIKE THAT WITH THE ENDERS GAME REFERENCE (/pos) oh my god i love that interpretation SO much. they’re both such intense people in different ways, and are deeply affected by everyone around them, whether they want to be or not (especially in sukuna’s case.) these two both need a hug so badly, especially from each other, but damn it ain’t happening anytime soon. “spilling grief and pain off the page like they are made of it” you really said that in the most painful but accurate way possible

sukuna is the same size as yuuji in his mindspace, but it would be interesting if he looked a little older! also i agree that i wish we could’ve seen how smart sukuna actually is, but gege decided to make his plans with megumi as straightforward and uninteresting as possible. WELL. we dont do that around here

auughh yeah it’s such a gutting contrast. everyone for the most part takes sukuna at face-value, but there’s so much hurt and grief between him and yuuji beneath the surface that neither will let anyone else see. they hide so much from each other, but due to their ability to read emotions, it just ends up widening the rift between them.

yup, sukuna’s cursed! remember what kenjaku said in ch40 when kashimo asked if sukuna was cursed? he quotes:

“I always thought it amusing they bothered with an execution and an exorcism,” Kenjaku finally answers, delicate fingers unwinding the braid from his hair. “Nothing can undo what those two words did to him.”

thanks for reading!! <333

[loveisharderthanitlooks]

911 Lone Star rewatch - S02E04

The show sort of acknowledging the pandemic sometimes and not at other times is hilarious because it makes out that the 126 are anti-mask, non social distancing assholes.

Yeah, there's a reason arranged marriages are less likely to end in divorce and it's not because 'growing into love' works better.

It's very clear from this episode that even though Carlos and TK initially struggle with communication in this episode, that they have a healthy relationship and it's built to last. In contrast to Owen and Gwyn whose relationship starts out like they're in a mind-meld but it quickly becomes clear that their relationship is never going to work.

TK gets back to the firehouse where Gwyn is waiting and neither of them acknowledge the other. It's like the writers only thought of Gwyn as Owen's love interest and not TK's mother.

Something, something Marjan and Carlos both come from families with traditional values and worry about disappointing their parents by not fitting their traditional roles.

Can you imagine Grace having to explain her search history to her supervisor.

I just remembered when this episode first aired, I said that I was looking forward to watching how Marjan would navigate dating after this episode because she was always so good at everything else and it would be fun to see her in a arena where she's inexperienced and out of her depth, and that resulted in me getting anon messages calling me a transphobe. Anyway, I love Marjan and Paul's friendship and how it's really spotlighted in this episode.

The really infuriating thing about this episode now, is that this was the first episode where we learned anything about Carlos. This is where we actually get any understanding of his character, see things from his perspective, learn about who he is, what he struggles with. I've loved this episode for so long because of it. Then they went and made him secretly married to Iris and it changes everything about this episode because now when you're watching it, you're supposed to believe that he's outright lying to TK by keeping a massive secret about it and that he's been ignoring Iris all this time, even though she was just found after he thought she was dead for years and she's still living in a tent under a bridge during a pandemic.

New thing I want to keep count of: All the times that Carlos wasn't supposed to an asshole when they wrote this scene but now he is because they later decided that Carlos was secretly married all this time.

The Iris Plothole: AKA I count all the times Carlos definitely wasn't married to Iris when they wrote this scene.

Carlos opening up to TK about his relationship with his parents and how their refusal to acknowledge he was gay drove him to marry a woman is a big one.

Running total (25)

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

I have accidently made myself emotional by thinking about Gyogi and what the word sensei means to Splinter.

This ended up being half about Gyogi and half about Yuuta. Under a readmore cause it got long.

There's some stuff that remains the same across all my au's, and Gyogi is one of them. He was Splinter's sensei and beloved uncle, as well as Yuuta's younger brother and opposite in several key ways.

The shortest explaination of the difference between Gyogi and Yuuta is that Yuuta was a good ninja but a lousy father, whereas Gyogi was a good man and a bad ninja.

The long explantion is this:

Yuuta valued the clan above all else, and was willing to go to any lengths to preserve the clan. This meant that even if he knew something was morally wrong, if he believed it was best for the clan, he would do it e.g. killing all the Oroku family and then kidnapping their son. Honour meant very little to him.

His family also always came second to the clan - whilst he did love his children, he was much more focused on the clan than on them, and it also influenced his decision to name Yoshi his heir rather than Saki. In my aus, Splinter was the younger son but was Yuuta's heir because, even though he did see Saki as his son and loved him as such, Yuuta saw Saki as Oroku Keiji's child and doubted that the rest of the clan's leadership would accept an Oroku over his biological son as the next clan head.

This had the knock on effects of him a) not caring about Yoshi's interest or dreams, because you're going to be the leader one day, put that paint brush down and practice your ninjutsu; b) fostering a rivalry between his sons and c) giving his sons an extremely warped view of what parental love should be like.

Point a resulted in Splinter dropping all his non-ninja related interests, because he was taught none of them matter.

B ended up destroying Splinter and Saki's relationship, because even before Shen they were essentially competing for any scrap of love and attention they could get. Also meant that they stopped relying on each other for help and resentment just grew and grew until one day it exploded.

C also gave both men trauma that massively effected how they raised their own kids. My au Shredders who are more similar to 12 Shredder (so, without spoilers: Stolen Child, Step dad Splinter au Shredder, GS2, Timeskip), all believed they were good fathers to Karai. Yes he hurt and threatened her, but as far as he was concerned you're supposed to fear your father's wrath. You're supposed to be terrified of disappointing him. Praise and affection are things that kids have to earn, not something you just give because that's your baby and all children deserve to know they are loved.

Meanwhile for my more canon compliant Splinters, he jumps between being over protective and not spending enough time with his kids, because he's trying to find a happy medium between stern authoritarian and letting his kids have space to be themselves and explore their interests, and isn't quite managing it. He's trying to be a better father than Yuuta because he recognises that Yuuta's parenting wasn't great, but Splinter hasn't realised that he didn't deserve to be treated that way, which complicates his attempts to be better.

The above just made the Tang Shen situation worse, because even though they properly didn't realise it, Shen was one of the few people that made those two feel safe and loved, which meant neither was going to back down. Also in a lot of ways, Shen chosing Yoshi was the straw that broke the camel's back, rather than being the sole reason Shredder went off the deep end. It's also why Shredder is still obsessed with her 15+ years post death - he sees her as the only person who ever truely loved him, and blames Splinter for taking that away from him.

So, er, Splinter has some very mixed and complicated feelings about his father.

Gyogi, by contrast, was a very honourable and compassionate individual. He had a strict moral code that he stuck to. He saw the value of all life, and regarded life itself as something precious and deserving of both protection and respect ("There is no monster greater than a lack of compassion."). Murder, to Gyogi, was also a last resort - he very much believed that you don't kill if you can main, don't main if you can disarm, don't disarm until you've tried to de-escalate, and don't de-escalate until you've offered your hand.

Perhaps because he was the second son, he was also able to put his family above the clan - if Yoshi was sick, Yuuta would tell him to push through, because one day he'd be sick during a mission and needed to learn how to handle that situation, whereas Gyogi would be like "Take the day off, and we will see how you're feeling tomorrow."

He was still a strict teacher and had high expectations for Splinter, mind, but he was the type of teacher where you know his standards are like that because he genuinely believes you're capable of achieving greatness and wants to help you get there. And if he pushed too hard, he was humble enough to admit to that.

This all means that Gyogi was kind of a terrible fit for being a ninja. He was ninjutsu Master from a long line of Ninjutsu masters, part of the last Ninja Clan, and he valued life and compassion whilst detesting murder.

Which does raise of question of why Yuuta let Gyogi train his heir. The answer to that is Yuuta wanted to keep an eye on Saki, and Gyogi was extremely talented in ninjutsu and also an excellent teacher. Yuuta saw his youngest son's horrible temper, and realised that Gyogi was their best bet on helping Yoshi get a handle of it (in ageswap, this also means that Raph trained under Gygoi, whilst Leo and Karai were trained under Yuuta).

So, when Splinter thinks of his father, he remembers a strict disciplinarian. He remembers a man who put the clan first, and his children third (maybe fourth, depends on how many problems the clan was having). Someone who pit him and his older brother against each other. Who loved them, he really did, but didn't know what to do with Splinter, and didn't really try because what was the point of encouraging Yoshi's dreams when his future was already planned out? Splinter remembers a man who did try, but fell short. He thinks of discipline and putting others before your family.

But when Splinter thinks of sensei, he remembers an achingly kind man who loved the world around him. Who put others before himself, and loved his nephews. He gave Splinter the space to be himself, and whilst his standards were high, they weren't impossible to reach.

So Splinter ends up with a complicated and somwhat reversed idea of what it means to be a father and what it means to be a sensei, which ends up clashing with his sons' understanding of those terms. (Generational trauma! Woo!) Part of GS2 will be about unpacking that, though this is something that will appear in my other aus too.

(Also, someone please get this man a therapist)

[spookberry]

thoughts on that Wednesday Addams show

-the writing is incredibly juvenile in a way only an adult man who is not actually nor ever has been an "outcast" could accomplish

-that being said all the actors were really amazing! Especially Jenna Ortega!!!

-One thing I liked but felt was more by accident than by design was the way that this school of "outcasts" were like, really normal?? Like theyre just teenagers who happen to not be human. Which makes the fact that Wednesday is a human who's Not Normal kind of compelling. Wish this was an intentional idea though, it could've been played with a whole lot more.... also i just kinda wish they'd picked a word other than "outcasts" to call them. like oh my god i could absolutely see some line during the climax where theres all this petty teen drama where someones like "i might not be human, but at least im not a Monster like you Wednesday" woulda been AWESOME

-Wednesday's love triangle was lame and if she had to get with a guy I'd've preferred Eugene. I love his sibling relationship with wednesday sooo much. One of my favorite dynamics. However if she HAD to get with a guy. Id pick him. He reminds me of Joel from Addams Family Values.

-the fact that two guys fell wildly in love with Wednesday without her doing absolutely anything and also very clearly not returning the sentiment whatsoever and instead just using them whenever she needs them was really funny and on brand, wished the show had been self aware about it

-I really wish the other female characters played bigger roles? Like Enid was Great and I loved the glimpses of her friendship with Wednesday and Thing and their HUG omg,,, I wish the romance plots had been axed in favor of giving Wednesday's friendships more time to shine.

-I also wish Enid and Wednesday had danced together at the Rave'N. Enid goes and dances with all her friends but she never goes over to have fun with Wednesday :( it just felt wrong like, narratively, we saw how excited Enid was about Wednesday going to the dance and then the camera seems to cut to show Enid get excited from watching Wednesday dance and then they dont even Talk?? I hated that.

-also, Bianca. I really loved the way she was basically friends with Wednesday by the end of the show. Wish the show had done a better job at the Enemies to Friendly Rivals to Friends dynamic. Bianca in general is a REALLY cool character that I want more time with.

-Both Enid and Bianca would've made better love interests than the guys imo

-I did like the mysteries, though I'm not sure how well it actually works with the Addams. Because they wound up adding this plot line, no spoilers, about Gomez being accused of murder and Morticia gets super touchy about it. But like?? theyre the ADDAMS why would they be behaving like this about a death???? Makes no sense to me. Needed to be reworked, cuz there definitely are Ways to have made it work imo.

-I really loved all of the costuming for Wednesday though the color correction done on the uniforms makes me kinda sad. i think it would've been fun if the school had been more vibrant and full of life to better contrast who Wednesday is and how she stands out.

-Wednesday's relationship with Morticia is really weird, but in general I get the feeling that certain people involved didn't actually know what Morticia's character was like... at all? And a lot of the problems with the family dynamics stems from this mischaracterization of Morticia in particular. I know some people didn't like Wednesday going through a rebellious phase, but I actually think that fit her character just fine, it's how her parents react to this rebellion that feels out of character to me.

-the fact that they had a romance arc about a werewolf who struggled to be a werewolf and an awkward gorgon..... Very Monster High 2022 to me ngl

-Wednesday is Autistic and you can't convince me otherwise. Everything from the way all of her social interactions are written to the way she literally diverts eye contact whenever theres a closeup shot while she talks to people. shes just like me fr.

overall i give it a 6 out of 10. I wouldn't go around recommending it to people, it's kinda bad, but I got some enjoyment out of it,, so not fully the worst.

But Also if you haven't seen it I WOULD recommend you go watch the fanmade Adult Wednesday Addams series on youtube. It's a classic!

[thevindicativevordan]

What are your thoughts on Joker and Lex Luthor's relationship (also the Batman/Superman Friendship)?

Joker taking an interest in Lex makes all the sense in the world. When it comes down to it Lex is Joker’s “type”: parental issues, extraordinary intelligence, peak physical fitness, and a self-righteous streak a mile wide.

Fucking with Lex brings all the same kind of contesting of wills and minds that messing with Batman brings, and Joker does seem to derive a similar measure of delight in undermining Lex's inflated ego. Other than screwing with Lex, when he does decide to "help" Lex in whatever new goal Lex is pursuing, Joker also gets access to Lex's resources, and gets to be part of major villainous team ups that allow him to cause chaos on a global scale. There's plausible justification for me to buy that Joker sees enough value in Lex to help him out every so often, and to keep doing so despite both of them occasionally trying to kill the other.

But what does Lex get out of the relationship?

Smart as Lex is, he sees himself as a temporarily embarrassed "hero". He truly believes that from his atrocities will come a better world which will accept Lex's justification of everything he's done having been for the greater good. So from Lex's perspective it's useful to have an unrepentant "villain" for when he needs someone to dirty their hands for him in a way he can't do himself. Joker's mind is also depraved in a way that a normal human mind, even one as intelligent as Lex, is not, and Lex can't rule out that Joker may offer a solution to a problem that Lex can't solve himself. I can buy that Lex is willing to forgive the Joker's betrayals and team up with him yet again, as long as it's made clear that Lex is always planning on killing the Joker himself once he deems Joker's usefulness at an end. He holds no hard feelings because he would, and will, do unto Joker as Joker has done unto him at the earliest opportunity.

My favorite feature of the Lex/Joker relationship is how it contrasts with the Superman/Batman one. Unlike Superman and Batman, who are very similar despite their seemingly insurmountable differences at first glance, Lex and the Joker have incompatible worldviews. The central difference between Lex and the Joker is that while both of them agree that the universe is without meaning and human life is worthless in the grand scheme of things, they differ in their response to that belief. Lex believes it's possible to force the universe to acknowledge humanity, or at least himself, as an exception to the norm of insignificance in the grand scheme of things. Joker believes that's impossible and so takes the universe's nihilism as a license to do whatever he wants without restraining himself.

In short Lex believes it's possible to overcome the cruelty of the cosmos, to force the world to make sense, and uses that as a justification to do what he wants. Joker meanwhile has succumbed to what he sees as the inherent evil of life, and justifies himself by claiming that his acts of depravity are in line with the way reality operates when stripped of the illusion of order. Lex wants to be more than he is while Joker accepts his role in life. They both may be selfish pieces of shit, but the engines driving them are on different tracks, which makes for entertaining interactions between the two, but prevents them from forming a genuine understanding between or friendship with each other.

Fitting then that their heroic counterparts have a much different relationship.

For all the superficial differences that have been thoroughly examined, Superman and Batman are more alike than they are different. Both are products of tragedy, Superman the death of Krypton, Batman the death of his parents. Both hold to personal codes of conduct that guide their actions, and will choose to follow their personal codes over the law or authority figures when those conflict with their ethics. Both have mothers named Martha and each's closest friend is a red-head named Jim. Both maintain two separate identities that exhibit different sides of themselves, both often struggle with which identity is the "real" one, and both arguably possess a third "identity" which is their true self that only their family and closest friends get to see. Finally and fundamentally both are motivated by the desire to preserve life above all else. Superman may make a big deal about inspiring others to do good, and Batman may trumpet how he's about terrifying others away from doing evil, but both are symbols of hope to those in need of justice.

It's why the two make for the best duo in superhero comics. No one else plays off each other as well as they do, because no one else was specifically built to contrast with each other. That they would team up is believable enough given they tend to be the first of their generation of heroes, regardless of whether or not any heroes came before them, and each one quickly validates his reputation to the other as being skilled and competent. They also complement each other well - Superman brings the powers, the humor, and the science fiction elements, Batman brings the detective skills, grit, and the crime elements - which is why everyone wants to see them together. You know shit is either about to get weird or serious if the situation calls for the World's Finest to team up once more.

Now when it comes to the Superman/Batman friendship one thing that always bothered me about the relationship is that each tends to have the other as an aberration in their worldview. Normally Superman sees the good in everyone, but when it comes to Bruce he tends to view everything Bruce does in a very negative light, always making grim assessments about Bruce's mental state. Meanwhile Batman is known for always being able to get into peoples heads and see how they think except with Clark. Instead he routinely underestimates Clark's intelligence, viewing him as thankfully too stupid to comprehend that many of his displays of power can come across as godlike, and at heart just a simple farmboy/Boy Scout who doesn't grasp the complexity of reality.

It didn't bother me that their relationship produced these breaks from the norm, but the why this was so always bothered me. Eventually I had two major flashes of insight: One is that Superman tends to think the worst of Batman because he sees in Bruce a second Lex. Obviously this only really makes sense for origins like Birthright where Superman knew Lex before Lex became a total asshole, but it justifies why Clark puts up with all the bullshit Bruce pulls. Clark failed Lex at a crucial moment that dissolved their friendship and put Lex on the road to becoming the supervillain he is, rather than the hero he could have been. Batman has a lot of the same paranoia, arrogance, and entitlement as Lex does, and Superman recognizes that. So even though he's never going to break completely with Batman, out of fear of creating another Lex, he can't help but see the similarities between his former friend and his current one.

Second is that Batman needs to believe Superman is an idiot because the alternative terrifies him. As long as he convinces himself that Clark is simply too dumb to ever consider that many view him as a god, and let that view affect him, then Bruce can rest easy at night. He can afford to trust Superman as a friend and a comrade if he lies to himself that Clark can't go bad because he's too simple to do evil. It's a willful ignorance on his part, one he stubbornly clings to because it's easier than trusting Clark to stay on the straight and narrow no matter the hurdles thrown up against him.

Oddly enough that each is the other's blind spot only enhances the relationship to me, because it means they bring out a different side of each other when they're together that we don't get to see when they're solo, and isn't that exactly what a team-up should aim to do?

[isolatedbubble]

Romance in MXTX, Priest, and SHL

MXTX: Flower, Wine and Dreamworld

The romance in MXTX's works is like flower that grows in ice and snow; colorful, bright and hopelessly romantic, blossoms in misery and hardships.

It features a distinct "us against the world" mindset, depicting love as the only constant in the world. It's an eternal "dreamworld" detached from worldly matters, the perfect escapism as well as a source of strengths in the face of cruel reality.

Both MDZS and TGCF are a critique of mob mentality.

The contrast between CQL and MDZS is very interesting. While the former ends with LWJ taking charge, and therefore changing the world for the better, the novel ends with wangxian isolating themselves from grand politics and focusing more on helping individuals as recluse. It has an essentially pessimistic attitude towards the morality & intelligence of the collective. 

TGCF takes a slightly more optimistic approach, featuring the crowd being courageous under the right circumstances. However, both works share a similar undertone: putting one’s absolute faith in the collective is dangerous, whereas unconditional trust and devotion can be only found in one-to-one connection

MXTX herself compares MDZS and TGCF to 花间一壶酒 (A cup of wine among flowers), MDZS being the wine and TGCF being flower. She also compares MDZS to 风雪夜归人, the person returning home from snow and wind, and TGCF to 红泥小火炉, a small red furnace.

Priest: Breezing Wind and Burning Iron

The romance in priest's works is more complicated. It's the most gentle in its normal state, when it is rational and collected, in which case it's like the breezing wind, soothing, sweet and light-hearted. It gives the individuals more incentive to achieve their individual and/or societal vision, as well as more reason to value their own lives & well-being.

In Faraway Wanderers, the most distinct feature of WenZhou relationship is how in naturally sync they are, and how comfortable & smooth their dynamic is. They both have past burden, but it doesn’t matter, because they bring simple joy, understanding and happiness in each other’s lives.

In Sha Po Lang and The Guardian, the ML’s lingering love for the MC motivates them to become better version of themselves, to care about others, and to form a holistic vision about bettering society. 

In The Defective, Lin Jingheng(MC) explicitly said that Lu Bixing(ML) is the only meaning in his life. He had little incentive to care about his own life after his revenge plan fell apart. LBX helped him reconnect with his inner idealism, and gave him a reason value his life.

When the passion and fiery energy manifests itself, however, the romance is like burning iron, blood and fire. It isn’t actually toxic or unhealthy, but it's not pure and innocent either; in this case, it strives for something deeper and more intense, never content with the past or the present. The sheer intensity of relationship is like a double-edged sword, walking the fine line between unconditional devotion and dangerous obsession. 

SHL: Spring Water and Healing Open Wounds

The romance in SHL is like "spring water"; it's warm, gentle, nurturing. It breaks through the boundary between individuals to bring the couple closer to each other, taking them back to a utopia of their childhood dream, away from social pressure and responsibility. The theme central to their relationship is “salvation”: how love is able to bring people back to integrity.

Both drama wkx and drama zzs have lots of regret about their past sins and wrongdoings. Four Seasons Manor is essentially a metaphor for purity, acceptance and the safety of childhood home. How to make drama wkx open up and accept this safe harbor as his home is one of the most significant plot-lines of the show.

SHL couple is way more emotionally vulnerable and expressive. A significant part of SHL arc is healing the wounds in an open and honest way. They cuddle and confide in each other way more often, talk about their shameful past and even cry about their regrets in front of one another, which is very rare among MXTX/Priest works.

The heat of the relationship sometimes gets too hot and even burns; in other words, there are constant miscommunications, conflicts and misunderstandings in the relationship. However, they can never let each other go, because it's the only source of warmth left for them in their hopeless lives filled with regrets and guilt.

Similarities and Differences

*Note that this is not a SHL/TYK comparison. TYK is kind of an “unorthodox” priest novel; you will know what I mean if you have read 3+ of her works. 

Relationship Dynamic & Narrative:  

In MXTX’s works, the concept of “romance” itself is divined; and the characters are illustration of the ideal of “undying love”. People are made for one another, to complete one another. Her works use colorful symbolism (silver butterflies, the emperor’s smile, the 3 thousand lanterns, etc.) to depict this romanticized ideal of love. 

For MXTX, the romanticization of “destined love” is one of the most recurring themes of her novels. Therefore, the readers look at their relationship through rose-color glasses. Obsession is usually framed in a jolly & romantic light, and doesn’t feature much tension or stress, and has less negative or unhealthy undertone. 

In most of priest’s works and SHL, soulmates are not born but made, so they have to figure out how their relationship works step by step. Therefore the narrative is less of a “rosy picture”. 

Priest has a habit of using derogatory terms to describe relationships that are mostly healthy, but somewhat “bloody” and edgy, full of excessive passion and obsession. The most common phrase is “爱生忧怖”, a Buddhist term meaning “love results in worry and fear”. 

SHL obviously has to be more subtle in expressing love. That said, drama WenZhou are way more emotionally vulnerable and expressive than their novel counterparts, as well as most Priest & MXTX characters. They have a dramatic falling out once in a while, even towards the end. They barely fit the Chinese definition of Zhiji (to know me/to understand one another), but are “lovers” who are buried deep in their passion instead. 

Past, Future and Evolvement: 

In SHL, characters are encouraged to treasure past impressions that are thrown in figurative “wrappings”, whose luster is derived from age-old experiences (Psychological Types, Carl Jung). In other words, they are encouraged to root their love in a shared past, a Utopia of innocence. 

The contrast between The Defective and Word of Honor is very interesting to observe. Both involve long separation, and the suffering and personality changes hat comes from it.   SHL narrative frames their innocent childhood as something to cling to and return to. Drama WKX is encouraged to accept his identity as Four Seasons Manor disciple because it was part of his childhood past. This is a significant part of drama WenZhou relationship.

In The Defective, the narrative doesn't encourage the couple to dwell on the past that much. On the contrary, the all-knowing AI explicitly discouraged the MC from “comparing past to present”. They are advised to accept changes, however painful it might be, and build a better, more equal dynamic out of it, evolving from one-sided pandering to fighting side-by-side.  

In Priest’s novels, the characters rarely return to something in the past, but look into the future. Change is usually framed as inherently beneficial, albeit usually painful and rocky, the implication being that you need to constantly strive for something better.  

Sha Po Lang is a good example of this, with Gu Yun’s changing attitude towards Chang Geng after he as he matures, gradually showing his intelligence in politics. CG starts referring to GY as Zixi instead of YiFu is also a sign of this change---to see him as equal rather than a parental figure & protector.

The Defective is even more obvious in this regard, with both parties uncomfortable with the change initially, but gradually adjusting to the changes during their 16-year separation. The ML also stops calling MC by his surname “Lin”, as a sign of viewing him as equal. 

In MXTX’s works, change in personality or relationship dynamic is neither framed as painful or good. It just happens. It’s a natural flow that take place when it does. Their relationships are rarely challenged by change. They are objectively at a better place compared to their past, but it’s merely the result of a series of events rather than a deliberate choice or struggle.  

WangXian’s relationship naturally changes over time after WWX’s rebirth, but neither of them really struggles with the change. 

Xie Lian doesn’t even recognize Hua Cheng as the someone from his past, so they start out as friends getting to know each other. 

Salvation and Changing one another: 

Priest herself stated in an interview that she doesn’t believe in the concept of salvation, since people have the inner capacity to be their own savior. Therefore, priest characters usually don’t actively try to change their partner’s morals or personality. Some might be willingly influenced by their partner, but there’s rarely an element of moral condemnation. Even when there is a conflict between different values, the options are 1) to reconcile them by choosing the middle ground 2) to maintain their independence and tackle it with nuance 3) to break up.

On surface level, Mo Du/Silent Reading is about Luo Wenzhou being Fei Du’s salvation. However, as LWZ pointed out himself, Fei Du would’ve been a good person at heart with or without his influence. 

In The Defective, when Lu Bixing mistakenly thought Lin Jingheng stayed in the Eighth Galaxy against his own wishes because of their relationship, and that their priorities are irreconcilable, he even thought about breaking up. Of course he was not serious about it, but this showcased that he would never try to change LJH’s convictions. 

In SHL, however, the concept of salvation is central to the theme. Some find it strange that SHL make drama zzs the more “moral” one of the two, despite his action being more objectively questionable. In fact, the only reason he get framed as more “moral” is that he admitted his fault sooner, and therefore could guide drama wkx’s path back to salvation: to recognize the goodness in people, make peace with external world, to clear his name in Jianghu, and to follow due process with his revenge plan to avoid collateral damages. 

“I tried to change you, but you end up changing me”, said drama ZZS. This relationship dynamic is never present in any of priest’s works I’ve read. Priest characters don’t *try* to change one another. 

Does MXTX believe in salvation? Hard to tell. One could argue that Hua Cheng would have be way more amoral and even immoral if it hadn’t been for XL. This is complicated and is a topic for another time.

However, it is certain that MXTX MCs don’t condemn each other morally. “The orthodox one defending their unorthodox partner in front of the world” is a common wuxia trope, but the way MXTX novels approach it is very different from SHL. 

HuaLian never had a serious falling out about being on different sides. Even when they disagree, they respect each other and love each other exactly the way they are. Hua Cheng didn’t approve of Xie Lian saving Mu Qing, but he didn’t interfere with Xie Lian’s decision. Xie Lian feels responsible for helping Shi Qingxuan in Blackwater arc, but he is perfectly fine with HC helping He Xuan keep secrets. In several cases where they have different values, they are able to make it work with ease.

LWJ never *morally* condemned WWX for his action, and never once objected to WWX practicing demonic cultivation after his rebirth. In fact, LWJ never objected to WWX’s morals; in their previous life he was worried about his safety, and struggled with what to do about certain situations due to his family background, but difference in morality is not an issue for them. 

The “righteous” one does not feel the need to guide their unorthodox partner or to be their salvation with regards to integrity. 

*The similarity & differences part is a bit messy and some points are not fleshed-out. Sorry about that. 

**I don’t claim to have the right interpretation. The lens by which we see different styles of romance is ultimately subjective. 

[josiecarioca]

So my question is basically how do you think Evelyn will take Severus's role in the wizarding war? I mean, as far as I have seen her as a character and read your main story about the two I can categorise Evelyn into someone who might have very strong ideals and a nearly unshakable morality. She doesn't seem the type that can understand the grey area between good and bad, right and wrong. She looks like someone who would very easily divide people into either black or white (at least that's how I have understood her, till now that is).

Do you think she will be able to forgive Snape's transgressions? Understand the place where he came from, the things he had to do. His nightmares, his problems, his faults, his reasoning, justifications anything?

It is after all very messy, complicated and incredibly difficult to attune a person like Evelyn whom you have described as a very real flesh and blood boisterous lively woman to a person who is basically all smoke and mirrors. The contrast between them though symbolically and aesthetically delectable does look increasingly jarring when thought about deeply.

Do you believe that Evelyn can make peace with the fact that the man she loves can very easily be stacked into the dark side on account of him actually perpetually hanging at the brink of white and black?

It took me ages to answer this ask because I didn't really know where to start, since this question has oh-so-many layers to it. Needless too say this answer contains major spoilers for all published chapters so far.

So, @pixiesandstarlight, to give your question a short answer: Yes, Evelyn will eventually come to terms with Severus true self. But it will be a rocky road.

Now, on to the needlessly long answer...

You're right when you say Evelyn is a very moral person with nearly unshakable principles, but the truth of the matter is, it's been quite easy for her to be like this. Evelyn is at her core a compassionate and accepting person, but she's also very sheltered, specially when compared to Severus. Evelyn comes from a loving, stable family who provided her with all the tools necessary for personal success and stability: care, affection, an excellent education, a comfortable home, emotional support, intellectual encouragement, sound moral and ethical guidance...Her dad was an educator and a free thinker, who went out of his way nurture and encourage his children and her mother's parenting style, while leaning towards the more strict side, put great value in compassion and love as core spiritual values (Sophia is a pious catholic who immediately took Fin in her home when he was kicked out of the house for being gay, so it's clear her idea of faith has more to do with love than dogma).

Evelyn was also blessed with personal charisma that made it very easy for her to make friends and connections. In short, Evelyn never faced true hardship like Severus did, and she was never put in a position where she had to make difficult choices from a moral standpoint. It's rather easy to hold on to a strong set of values when they never been challenged. At points, she even comes across as almost naïve or high and mighty in the way she deals with things.

Now there's one important thing to consider: the one, real tragedy in Evelyn's life, which is Paul's death.

There's an interesting aspect to appreciate here, in that everything about her brother's death is borne out of (well intentioned) deception. Paul only had his accident because he was never instructed on basic magic safety, and that happened because Evelyn's grandfather, Marius, never disclosed the fact that he was a Black, and there was a real possibility any of his descendants would be magical. That deception was rooted both in his own personal trauma and inability to discuss it as well as his need to protect his family from further trauma. It's possible that until Paul started to manifest signs of magic, the thought of revealing his secret never occurred to him (what would be the point?), and by the time he realized he'd have to say something, Paul's tragic passing merely dissuaded him, and he felt like saying something would be pouring salt on the wound (also who would believe him?). There's also the fact that (as some readers may have realized already) Dumbledore himself convinced him not to say anything (again, because it would be pointless AND it might draw attention to the muggle branch of the black family. It was 1971...the first wizarding war was on)

The problem with this is, Evelyn was an eyewitness. She saw Paul performing magic, she saw him die from a spell gone wrong, she saw magical creatures, and she saw Dumbledore talking to Marius. And she told the adults, because that was the right thing to do, as she was taught: you tell the adults when something is wrong. Her grief-striken parents simply thought she was making up stories to cope with the loss (an opinion that was echoed by the therapist that treated Evelyn, because, again, her parents were trying to do what was best for her, and taking your traumatised child to a therapist IS the responsible thing to do...not their fault this plan couldn't account for the literal existence of magic), and her grandfather thought it would be best for her if she also believed she was just imagining things. Again, because he was desperate to keep the family's stability, and also to keep them off the radar. So, Evelyn, who was raised to value truth, honesty and morality, really did convince herself she was imagining things. Because the only alternative would be that she was lying, because magic isn't real. And lying is wrong, so she couldn't be lying...therefore she was imagining, so she needed help and therapy...she was mentally unsound because her brother died. That became her truth.

So Evelyn did grow up with that * one* issue: the vague feeling that there was a lie, something that didn't quite add up at the core of all she believed to be true and where her entire moral compass comes from. Her aversion to deception and stubborn hold on the very idea of truth as an absolute has a lot to do with that. That's also at the root of her insecurity about her mental stability. Because if the truth is absolute, any deviation from it must be in her head, she's imagining things, she's “crazy”.

Now enter Severus. Who is...well, Severus, as we all know. He grew up without any of the advantages Evelyn enjoyed, had none of of the care, affection and guidance she got from her family and has made morally questionable decisions time and time again, either because he had to or because he didn't know better. And now he has to live with all of that. Yes, Severus is the kind of man Evelyn would avoid like the plague if she had known the truth about him right off the bat. But she didn't. All she knows at first is that he's a reserved, grouchy but extremely intelligent and intriguing man. She doesn't know Severus like we (the readers) do, she knows this persona he created for himself to live as a muggle. And it's not exactly a deception: Severus really is this quiet, socially awkward intellectual she falls for. But that's only a part of who he is. And he knows that if she discovers everything else, she won't react well.

So he simply doesn't tell her.

But here's the thing, Evelyn does love him. She loves him to the point she's willing to work things out even when she finds out he'd been lying to her. She's willing to forgive the lies because 1- she loves him this much (time and time again she even berates herself for letting her emotions get the best of her, and even wonders why she's so madly in love with this man that she's willing to put up with all this) and 2-, at this point she has been put in the position of contemplating her grandfather's story, and how wizarding society pushed him away, and why he felt he had to conceal things from those he loved the most. She knows her grandfather was a good man, who loved his family and would do anything to protect them. So she understands him. Consequentially he's perfectly willing to accept Severus deception (much like her grandfather's) came from a place of emotional fragility and fear of rejection. And she forgives, because she was raised to forgive. It's part of her mother's set of spiritual teachings, it's part of her identity, having been raised by a spiritual mother and a humanist father: to try and understand human fragility, to accept imperfection, to forgive when true repentance is shown (which would be living up to the catholic ideals she was raised with, tbh).

HOWEVER, even then, Severus doesn't tell her everything. At first he gives her a vague narrative of his life. He leaves out the most unsavory parts. And there's simply a lot for her to take in all at once. She holds on desperately to her love for him to make peace with the fact that there's so much to him she doesn't know. And as she keeps finding out more, that love is tested time and time again, and she's put in a position, for the first time in her life, to contemplate the gray areas of morality on which he navigates and why he does it. Interestingly, her delving into the gray areas of his life also give him a chance to move more towards the “lighter” side she inhabits, since her insistence on honesty and truthfulness also pushes him to face his own demons head on, and learn how to operate on an “open field” abd be vulnerable (at least when it comes to her). Because as Evelyn proves herself willing to accept him with all his idiosyncrasies, he finds that there's no more real need for “smoke and mirrors”.

To be frank Evelyn also has plenty of help through this process. Through her interactions with other people (mostly Minerva, Harry and Draco) she gets to see multiple sides to Severus, and understand him and his motivations, and find empathy beyond the fact that she loves him. Find empathy for him as a person, and not just accept him because she's in love with him. And she also discovers new things about herself, about the limits of her own acceptance and what she's really like when confronted with dilemmas she never had to even think about before.

After all, you never really know how you'll react to a moral dilemma until you're confronted with it, and even the most self-assured among us may end up surprising themselves with what they find after a little soul searching.

[starshipsofstarlord]

A Stark Contrast | Bucky Barnes

Summary; living in the shadow of Tony, your brother, always was the way, and you accepted it. That was until he expected you to sign the accords, that was one thing that you couldn’t do.

Warnings; Angst, mentions of death, mentions of being controlled, funeral, mourning, anger

The form, bound in a weighty book laid on the table, making the room fill with utmost tension. Tony was hellbent on signing the thing, and handing away any freedom that all of you had.

No matter how long you had supported him, this was not one subject that you could agree with him on. Whilst you understood his perspective, it would only end up with you in a hamster wheel, running around and following the orders of executives.

They wanted less destruction. To put boundaries around their country’s heroes, and limit them to the lengths they could go to in order to save lives.

That was also wrong, the entire ordeal had you bent backwards with a conflict of interests. On one hand, it would be ordinary to sign for such a cause, whether you trusted their backgrounds or not, simply because your elder sibling had.

There was nobody that you trusted more than Tony, he had half raised you after your parents were killed, you felt indebted to him. But being an avenger, on a team where your personal opinion had been valued, it opened your eyes to a whole range of possibilities.

Whilst you were loyal to Tony, you had also became in tune with your own gut. It grumbled at the prospect of giving in to a contract, which decided what you were permitted to do. It was like a child’s parent permission slip, but on a much grander scale.

“People died!” He reminded the lot of you again, which inclined you to look down. There was blood on all of your hands, and he was making it as red as it could possibly be seen. “At least y/n agrees with me.” He reprimanded Steve, whom was still far on the fence regarding the entire ordeal.

Once he said that, all eyes had shifted towards you. Nat had already basically given in to your brother’s convictions, and Steve suspected that you would do the same. You were always one step behind Tony, you were far too loyal to your sibling for your own good.

“I have yet to make up my mind.” You spoke, standing, no longer wishing to be in the room where there was far too much tension. How you wished Banner and Thor were here, they would make an equal divide. The God of Thunder would not scribble his signature upon the paper, you thought to yourself, if he knew their reasons and affects.

However, your words were taken as an assumption that you would join your sibling in providing a peaceful surrender. It is what he and the public would assume of you, and to be truthful, you were tired of sticking to the stereotypes that were made of you.

“I’m surprised that you came.” Steve spoke, as you opened the boot of your car, and revealed the shield that he was so often adorned with, as well as Sam’s wings. He, like most others, had suspected that you would join your brother in his guilt ridden cause, however, thinking for yourself gave you a sense of freedom.

“Don’t be so quick to prevail into what everyone else thinks of me.” You smirked at the captain, your eyes drifting over to the other super soldier, whom had temporarily been imprisoned by the government.

But he had escaped, and if luck was not often a Stark trait, Tony would have died. You had watched from the cameras, but you could boil no bad blood in between the pair of you, Barnes was not in his right mind. He was controlled, and put into a incomprehensible mode of himself. That was, unless, he had managed to kill Tony.

Then you would have changed your own deciding mind, and stuck to what the eldest Stark believed in. “I won’t, ever again.” Sam smiled, picking up redwing from the composed pile, and kissing the machine.

“Bucky.” You reiterated his name, the one that he had chosen to correct the unknown and deceiving man on. The nod you earnt was brief, but it gave you a sense of hope that whirled in your middle. 

It was clear that he was an attractive man, and alike his righteous friend, he was frozen through time to be in this current moment. As Sam and Steve began to get their things together, you walked over to the historical stranger, a smile upon your face. “I’m y/n Stark, I don’t believe we have had the fortune of meeting before.”

“You sure do speak like a Stark.” He softly spoke, a matching smile on his brawn face. “And you seem to have other things in common, like that necklace.” At his words, you looked down at it, a hint of anguish within your gaze.

“It belonged to my mother.” It was nice to reminisce about her for a moment, you knew that she would have made her own decisions too. In some retrospect, you were following in her footsteps.

A feeling grew in the back of Bucky’s throat, but he said nothing. If he were to spill, or reveal his dark secret, it would mean nothing more than the loss of a powerful asset, they could not afford that right now.

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if you got to return home?” It had been a stressful day, fighting your friends, and your last living family member. Bucky turned at your words, you had saved him from being killed, he felt indebted.

“Probably do what every other soldier did; find a woman to marry and have kids. But that’s far out of the picture in this modern age.” Steve was flying the aircraft as you and Bucky spoke in the back. It gave the two of you a moment alone, and you were truly knowing as though you knew the soldier.

He was a good man, misinterpreted by the deeds that he was controlled to do. No one chose to have pity on Barnes, they instead viewed him as a country danger, and wanted to lock him up in a cage, which was how he had come so far in the first place.

“I wouldn’t say that.” For a moment, you looked into his deep blue eyes, feeling as though he were freezing you with them. He didn’t want to look away, but you were inclined to, for you could feel the contrasts of hot and cold heat working its way up your neck, and onto your face. “There’s definitely a woman that would want all that and more with you.”

If things were simpler, you would be convinced that you could share such an intimate bond with him, but alas, everything had to be complicated. And if things could work out, they surely couldn’t last.

“We’re here.” Steve informed the both of you, as he slid out of his front seat, and you prepared to finish this for once and for all.

“How could you?!” You couldn’t defend him as Tony blasted him away, Bucky had played you, and done so well. He and Steve knew of the blood on his hands, and yet they hadn’t thought once to inform you of the one true treachery regrading you.

Bucky had killed your mother, from the intake of information alone, you felt sick. Physically sick. But you choked it down, and as Steve unsurely came towards you, you ran at him, angered by his lies.

From the start, the patriot of America, someone you had considered a friend had deceived you. You had helped him, stood with him, fought your friends for him, and not to mention Tony, and he had known all along.

“Y/n-”

“Save your apologies Rogers.” You stared him down, as he had Bucky held up by one arm, seeing as Barnes had lost one of his own again. “And you, you’re right, there’s no perfect picture, you’re nothing but a monster.”

“Listen.” Steve commanded, but you couldn’t. He was no longer considered your captain, he was a sick liar who had helped to break you. This was the last time that you made your own decisions. Tony was always right.

“You don’t deserve that shield, my father made that. It’s government property-” swiftly he dropped said item, an exhausted and tiresome expression upon Steve’s helmet wearing face.

As soon as they trudged by, you instantly went to Tony, checking his wounds. “You were right brother, I should have listened to you.”

“Your dad loved cheeseburgers too.” You laughed lightly to Morgan, blinking back the tears. It was Tony’s funeral, there were so many people here, even Fury, but there was someone else, who was walking towards you. “Why don’t you go and ask Happy, I have some business that I have to tend to quickly.”

“Okay auntie y/n.” She ran off. She was so innocent, she didn’t deserve to be going to her father’s funeral at five years old, it was truly cruel. But that was just the way the world worked, and Tony was a hero.

“Hi.” Bucky spoke, adorned in all black, same as you. It had been a long time since you had seen him, not since he was being carried away by Steve. You hadn’t fought in Wakanda, instead you had ended up on Titan with your brother, and you would have surely died without him.

“Hey Barnes.” You greeted him with a forced smile, but nevertheless allowed him to step closer.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He said, the guilt still burning behind his eyes. It seemed that his time in Wakanda had changed him, for the better.

“Which one?” You quipped back, instantaneously. 

“All of them.” He gulped, he was going to give you one truth before you found out after. It was his attempt at redemption, and a sorrowful one at that. “Steve’s returning the stones later.”

“I know.” You responded, the captain had already informed you about that part of his plan.

“And he’s not coming back.”

“Anthony Howard and Steven Nathan Barnes, the two of you better get back here this instant!” Your voice hollered through the house, as well as the duo’s endless giggles.

The front door opened, no other than Bucky walking through. He was quick to recognise the flash of motherly anger upon your face, and quickly dropped his serene smile.

“What have they done?” Bucky asked, watching as you crossed your arms in an unimpressed manner.

“Why don’t you ask your sons?” Your husband sighed, but despite that, he was a happy man. He had returned from a war, and found a lovely wife, of which he had two troublesome boys with. For the first time in a long time, y/n Stark and Bucky Barnes were happy.