#it's so silly and poorly done but i had so much fun doing it

[universalcas]

sinners

[nnight-dances]

LOVE 119

PAIRING: park wonbin x fem!reader

GENRE: FLUFF (!!!) with a hint of angst

TROPES: established relationship with age gap, just silly boyfriend girlfriend things because i was in a silly mood, cooking slander, cute lovesick shit.

NOTE: my debut riize fic!!! i know i said i wasn't going to write anything before the vernon fic but guys you have to believe me when i say this fic basically wrote itself. enjoy my wonbin brainrot that was born because i'm scared of getting older but it is what is is, and the way i cope is to write it <3 let me know what you think, ily!

It was never not going to feel weird to you, to have a boyfriend who was younger than you. Forget that Wonbin was only born a year after you, you couldn't shake the weirdness off because you'd never done it before. All of your relationships had been with men older than you, sometimes by outrageous numbers but never so much that they would find a way to abuse their age with you. So why was it that when you'd lay eyes on your current boyfriend and feel a rush of excitement, it made you coil up… like you were doing something wrong?

"You wanna get Wendy's for dinner?" Wonbin asks you, lying upside down on your bed, your white sheets enveloping him and emphasizing his soft edges all over. You blink at him, not meaning to ignore him but ending up leaving his question unanswered when your thoughts pull you back into your head–

It wasn't even like he acted younger. If anything, he was adamant to keep up his tough exterior in front of you most days, only breaking down into the soft romantic he was when you'd show him your own vulnerable sides. In fact, people who knew you were often shocked to find that you were the older one in the equation, eyeing both Wonbin's height advantage and your knack for acting the tantrum-thrower. So, why did you feel this storm brewing in your gut anyway?

"Babe?" Wonbin sits up when you keep staring into space, brows rising in concern, "You good, darling?" The worried tone your boyfriend's questions carry do right to bring you back to earth and you cough in embarassment. Way to start acting your age, you scold yourself, standing up all too quickly. 

But brave the iron-deficient darkness that spots your vision for a moment to declare, "No, no more Wendy's. It's too…" you pause, giving yourself a chance to think over your words, "unhealthy. We should look at what we eat."

Really? You were gonna go for the stubborn mom approach? 

If there was ever a window for you to take back your words, it was definitely closed now because Wonbin's grinning mischeviously, not quite sure what you were acting out about but enjoying the consequences nonetheless. He rolls over, not a minute's thought to the way his hair was sticking every which way. 

"So, what? You're gonna cook us dinner or something?" Wonbin's classic indifference lilts his words but his eyes are sparkling with the possibility of seeing a new side of you.

You cross your arms, a poorly-masked sigh leaving you, "I… will."

With that, you swerve out of your bedroom and pace toward the kitchen, appalled at the situation you were getting yourself into. It was no secret that while you were self-sufficient in most aspects of your life, cooking was far from one of your most-accomplished skills. But that didn't mean you were a complete disaster. 

You take a deep breath as you survey the ingredients in your fridge, brain working over-time to come up with a recipe that could be your dinner for the day. 

"I'd love some rice and vegetable stir-fry–" Wonbin's cheeky comment stops halfway when he sees your glare but the boy is having too much fun because he continues with a wink, "Please?"

"As funny as you are," you turn back around to the fridge, a plan forming in your mind, "I'm not taking orders today, sorry. And thanks to my limited inventory, tonight's dish is–" You set a carton of eggs on the counter with a sweet smile, "Omurice."

Wonbin's grin falls, right from his eyes when he looks at the counter as you start preparing rice and warm up the pan for the dish. "What? It's dinner time, Y/N!" he complains, "and plus, even if omurice was considered dinner in another world, it'd be for kids."

You gasp dramatically at this words but don't pay his words any attention. You hadn't planned to bring out the pouty boy leaning over the counter, frowning at your every unbothered move, but you can't say you're not enjoying it. And what's better is that you know for a fact that your omurice is your best chance at impressing your boyfriend with your cooking skills.

"Wonbin, trust me, you're not gonna regret sticking around for this omurice," you tell him over your shoulder, expertly sliding the eggs around on the pan, "I made this all the time back in my study abroad days in Japan. I learnt from the best."

This meets Wonbin by surprise, "You studied abroad in Japan? What the hell?"

You laugh, "It was a long time ago and only for a year. Not the most interesting thing about me either."

"That's crazy," Wonbin thinks out loud, "I wish I'd studied abroad."

"Why didn't you?"

"I hate travelling, especially for that short of a time. And I hate making new friends so I decided against wasting my energy."

You nod, "Fair enough. Plus," you spin around to grab two plates from the counter, "If you'd gone, I would've never met you when I did."

Wonbin watches you hard at word, chin on his palm, "I guess you're right. I would've been off-campus for junior year and by the time I'd get back, you would've graduated."

"Scary thought," you muse as you get started on the fried rice beside the omelette that you let cook for just a little.

"Not really, I'm sure we would've met either way," Wonbin says with a conviction that has you turning around with an inquistive look. He shrugs at your teasing look, "What? I think it's lame to think we met just by chance."

"Of course it was," you laugh, "I ran into you and spilled my coffee all over you. Babe, that's literally the definition of a chance encounter. I could've ran into anyone else, or maybe you could've never been there waiting for Sungchan."

You're staring on the ketchup decoration when Wonbin responds, "But you didn't. That's exactly it. There was a chance for all of those other things happening, all at random, but you ran into me. I think that has to mean something."

You can't conceal the goofy grin that spills across your lips when you meet Wonbin's expression of absolute gravity. He's so serious about insisting that you were meant to be and it has your heart melting. "You're cute," you sigh, presenting him with your finished products. He's distracted from the conversation when he catches the sight before him.

"Woah," he lets out, looking at you in shock, "Y/N, this looks amazing."

"Wait till you taste it," you pat his cheek, pulling him along to the makeshift dining table you'd set up recently, with a good view of both the huge window across the room and the television in your living room. 

"That's so good," Wonbin groans, speaking with his mouth full, "I'm sorry I doubted your skills, this is the best thing I've tasted."

You laugh, ears redenning at his flattery but relishing the way he can't seem to stop eating the warm dish. "I'm glad you like it," you take a bite yourself, satisfied that you hadn't lost your touch along the years. 

"Insane. I didn't know my girlfriend was hiding her inner cook all this time," he comments, smiling when he's done eating, "What else am I going to find out about you? You weren't in a gang or something before I met you, right?"

"Hold your horses, boy," you shush him, taking his plate to the sink, "You'll find out all my secrets with time."

You're running the plates under water to let them soak up some moisture when you feel your boyfriend's arms around your waist. "Wonbin?" you echo.

The boy's nose settles in the crook of your neck, stealing some of the warmth that rushes there at the contact. "Thank you," he mumbles into your back, "You're so cool. I want to be with you forever."

You choke over your own hitched breath, "You can't just say that!" 

"Sorry," his tone tells you he's not a bit sorry, "I'm just so happy whenever I'm with you. That's why I can't imagine a world where I'm not with you. Right here, holding you while you take care of me."

"If you're trying to kill me, it's really working," you sigh out with hot cheeks, barely managing to finish washing the dishes with all the sickly sweet confessions that are basically oozing out of Wonbin. He laughs a low laugh, kissing your ear as he pulls away. 

Your head feels light, heartbeat irregular because somehow, like always, Wonbin knows exactly what to say. Even if you hadn't voiced your worries out loud, his words were the perfect antidote to the baseless worries you were entertaining earlier. He was so gentle, the way he was reassuring that you weren't the only baby in this relationship, after all, you did your part in looking after him. 

"Tell me," you walk up to him, wrapping yourself around his torso this time, face propped up against his chest to look up at him, "It's your turn to share a secret with me."

"Hmm," Wonbin hums thoughtfully, slowly steering both of your bodies toward the bedroom, closing the door behind him, "I don't know… How about the fact that I was in squash club?"

"You were?" 

"Yeah, I loved it. I went to every single practice when I was a freshamn, even in the middle of the week, because it got my mind off everything," he says quietly, "It was the only place where I could forget trying to be likeable. I didn't have to make friends, just had to be good at the game."

"And were you?" you ask, knowing the answer to the question. 

"Yeah, I think so. That's probably why they wanted to make me captain of the club in sophomore year."

"Oooh, that's amazing. Now it makes sense why your quads are so built," you grin into his skin when he plops both of you onto the bed, "But wait, I don't remember you being captain when I met you?"

"That's because I didn't take the offer. I knew I would have my hands full in junior year and I hate doing things half-heartedly," Wonbin's eyes take on a distant look, but you can tell he doesn't regret his choice a bit. It was his choice, after all. 

"Ah, that's a good policy to have," you kiss his cheek, "Thank you for telling me."

Wonbin's lips lift up in a small smile at your comment, nodding in acknowledgment. "Now… are you gonna tell me what was on your mind earlier today?"

You freeze at his keen observation, averting your gaze in an attempt to skirt it, "I– It was nothing. Just stupid stuff. I'm over it though, so don't worry about it."

"I wouldn't worry about it if you looked in my eye while you said that," your boyfriend catches you again, firm arm bringing you closer to him, "Come on, sweet, let me in. What's wrong?"

You sigh in defeat. "You're too smart. And if you must know, I was just overthinking our age gap."

"Age gap? You mean that I was born 9 months after you?"

You glare at him, "Okay, I don't appreciate your fact-based attacks on my weaknesses. And an age gap is an age gap. It's my first time being with someone younger."

"So it's natural to feel weird," he completes your thought for you, "But you've always been so chill about it, what made this come up?"

"Not sure," you wonder yourself, "I've been feeling older recently. Even though my birthday was a month ago. I don't know, I feel like I'm not responsible enough sometimes, especially with you– I don't want to make you do everything."

"You don't," Wonbin brushes a thumb against your cheek. "You're always checking up on me, Y/N. And you're the one who made sure we were always communicating with each other, even about the small things. I think you'd pass the old soul check any day."

You chuckle softly at your boyfriend's reassurance, "You're not wrong. But you're sure I'm… enough?"

Wonbin frowns at your concern, "Hey, now that's a bigger issue than our age gap. Of course– You're more than enough, Y/N. Did you not hear me earlier? I can't imagine not being with you. That means, I can't imagine living without you. I'm like the luckiest guy to have managed to get you in bed with me. I'm serious, you turned my life around when you ruined my favorite shirt that day–"

"And I've apologized endlessly about it–"

"You're the reason I'm not a loner, following Sungchan around all the time because he's the only one who doesn't think of me as a stuck-up idiot. I love you so much."

"Okay, okay, I think I get it," you stop him, hand on your chest when he keeps snuggling closer, lips a breath away from your skin. "I'm not thinking those thoughts anymore, babe. I know you love me. I love you, too."

"Good," he pecks your nose, "But I have to say, you're hot when your older side comes out. Watching you cook me dinner was an experience I'm not forgetting anytime soon."

"I guess I better do it more then," you tease him, fingers running through his soft hair, "I'll go on a grocery run later this week. Cook you that stir-fry you wanted, huh?"

"If you're trying to get into my pants right now, congrats, you've made it," Wonbin laughs, cheeks warm at your bold promise. "But yes please, and can I come grocery shopping with you?"

"Sure you won't get bored? Grocery shopping is a boring adult chore, you know–"

"Okay, I don't think you're allowed to use your age to belittle me–"

"Or what? You're gonna get mad at me?"

"I hate you– I'm gonna go home if you're gonna–"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, babe, come back!" 

[temmtamm]

couldddd you POSSIBLY!.!!.!!! do a gravity falls yandere platonic ford which any age with a son!reader? Maybe around the age of 14 or younger. IF NOT THATS COMPLETELY FINE!

or if not that maybe a platonic yandere teen ford and stan with a younger brother?

Hii pookie!!

Friendly reminder once again, I do not do gender specific asks/headcanons!! Check my Gravity Falls ‘Asks Open’ post if anyone has any confusion on what I will/wont do!

As for a parental Ford…let’s see..

Well, at least in my opinion, Ford probably wouldn’t take that care of a child. He can barely take care of himself, let alone a kid.

But, if we are talking after the portal and everything, then I think that might be different.

Once again, Ford doesn’t have much of any parental bones in his body, but he does display more care and affection for the twins than I think he would’ve before the portal. I feel like he had matured and grown a lot through all the dimensions he had been in, and was able to recognize how poorly he was raised.

So, let’s say your home life wasn’t as great either, whether it be something as simple as your father being emotionally constipated, or your family just fights more than ‘normal’ ones, Ford WILL draw parallels to your home and his.

And Ford, after all he has learned, doesn’t want another person to wind up like him; craving validation and praise from others, to the point where he—I mean, you, seek it out from dangerous sources.

So…Ford starts hanging around you more.

He’s very…subtle with it. He knows kids, especially teenagers don’t care for adults getting all up in their business, so he tried to take it slow.

He didn’t expect how closed off you were, however. Your walls were completely up…So, he had to take some extra measures to get some details out of you.

Y’know the fun fact about all the weirdness in Grvaity Falls?? It means that there’s a lot of bugs that can repeat what it hears—So, it wasn’t that hard to sneak one of these copyroaches into your home and listen in on it repeating all that was heard in the home.

All the nasty fights, all the lonesome crying, all the times you’d gush to yourself or your friends on call about your special interests.

Don’t worry, he’s a good dad, he’ll let you keep SOME privacy…Just, a very, very, VERRYY small portion of it.

Slowly, you two start to bond more and more with him becoming more of a father figure to you with how he seems to always know what’s troubling you and the answers you need to hear in that moment…Not to mention, with him not being great with emotions, he tried to win your love with acts of service, such as making you dinner, saving the shoes you like on his DVR, and letting you spend the night at the shack when your parents fight.

Soon, he started to notice you staying at the shack more and more.

And more and more…He couldn’t help but grow discontent with the way your family treats you.

As said before, it doesn’t matter how small the issue is, if Ford had it his way, not a foul word should be spoken in your vicinity. Haven’t they already done enough damage to this child?? Do they want you to grow up in a broken home?!

In fact…He doesn’t think they’re fit to be parents. Not even in the slightest!!

He would be so much better…He’d actually take care of you, and he is smarter than any school they have been putting you in for that matter—All those kids are just so cruel to you, even if you don’t know it yet.

That…actually gives him an idea.

“So…anything happen at school today, champ?” Ford mumbled in his usual low, raspy voice as he scrubbed at the dishes in the sink, his apron still tied around his waist from cooking.

“Uh…Ford?” He didn’t even bat an eye or look up at you as you started to feel queasy, pushing the bowl of soup away from you at the dinner table. “I think the vegetables in this went bad…I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Ford just let out a good, hearty laugh. “Don’t be silly, I made it with all fresh ingredients. Have a look for yourself. Only the best for you.”

You could feel your stomach start to churn and growl, with the sight that greeted you when you looked down at your bowl not making you feel any better.

Was that an…eye?!

…

It’s the same shade as your mother’s.

“O-Oh god..” You bit down on your lip, bile starting to creep up in the back of your throat at the sight…and that’s when the melatonin had started to kick in, making your vision grow spotty. It was hard for Ford to find a dosage of that where it was not only over the required limit for a young teen, but also able to be hidden in food. He did it though. Better that than rat poison for his little baby.

“Aww, oh no? Are you having a stomach bug?? Don’t worry, I’ll make it all better.”

That’s the sick part. He genuinely believes it’s better locked in the shack for you. Why wouldn’t it be?? He’ll spoil you with all the care and love a child deserves, not to mention he will be sure to intellectually stimulate your brain as well.

You’ll see. He’ll be the perfect father for you.

[bibibbon]

Characters with wasted potential: takami kegio

Oh hawks and the debates I have seen circulating around his character. He could of been a well written and thoroughly interesting and complex character but we know where that went.

I have got my own problems with hawks in canon. This is gonna be more of a ramble than anything else so enjoy.

His interactions with characters. A lot of the interactions that hawks has with different characters could of been so complex and intriguing if done right sadly MHA fails at that. Hawks views Enji todoroki the number two hero as his saviour from his abusive father so obviously hawks is a huge Endeavour fan who puts him on a pedestal. So we expect him to face an internal conflict when he finds out that his own saviour is an abuser to his own family but NOPE WE GET NOTHING. Hawks is physically not allowed to change or think about this and stays as a static character. Hawks and lady nagant have a lot of parallels and I found it Hella confusing when I learnt that lady nagant WASN'T hawk's former mentor and if she was that would of added a lot more depth to them in the vigilante arc. Hawks and tokoyami, look I love their mentor and mentoee relationship and how hawks actively encourages tokoyami to do things also it's Hella implied that the two are close and end up doing silly things on internships which I think is really fun. However I think the bit in the vigilante arc when hawks isn't answering tokoyamis calls and tokoyami is worried about him was handled poorly. I also think tokoyamis reaction to hawks being a killer is handled poorly. Hawk's actions during the first war arc and him killing twice could of been complex to him if handled well but we are led to believe that he was in the right in killing twice when hawks had the power to easily knock out twice, transport him to a jail cell and destroy all the clones before anything bad happens considering that hawks is known for his fastness, strength and agility .

Wasted potential in introduced plot aspects about him. Hawks is introduced as the 3rd top hero and compared to those before him he is young. He has a very charismatic and two faced nature that he has sharpened and learnt to use with the training the HPSC gave him. Hawks is a spy assassin that is supposed to act as a charismatic hero celebrity. In a way after all mights retirement hawks and enji became the most popular faces in Japan. Hawks was bred for this position yet that isn't expanded on neither is it developed well on. Hawk's actions during MVA and the first war arc are complex as they're coming from both genuine truth and lie. Hawks feels trapped literally and metaphorically having to live a life that isn't his and entertain people, always being watched from a cage. That's the story he tells the league and some of it to tokoyami and this is the truth to him. Hawks also killed twice BECAUSE HE BELIEVED it was the only option he had when in fact IT WASNT THE ONLY OPTION and by hawks trying to escape the cage and differentiate himself from the HPSC he ends up following and obeying them all along.

Lack of agency. As a character hawks lacks agency to do things or act. There are things that hawks isn't allowed to do even though it fits his narrative clearly. Hawks isnt allowed to have any negative feelings towards enji todoroki and what he did, heck he isn't even allowed to INTROPSECT on such a thing. Hawks isn't allowed to fully be developed or have any source of introspection, it would of been great if we saw more of what hawks thought about what he did to twice and what toga is trying to do. Hawks also doesn't say much when it comes to the HPSC and how they treated him the closest thing we get to intropsection in that case is him telling lady nagant that he is an extremely optimistic guy.

These are my main problems with hawks, Iam aware that there may be more.

I actually enjoyed hawk's introduction in the manga which was chapter 185 during the changing of the hero popularity polls. Hawks was presented as this complex character who isn't what he seems from the beginning. The first few panels we see him and he is comedically exaggerating his actions aka zipping his mouth and not talking or being overall very expressive however, when he does start to talk he is shown to cleary express his views and has stated that he hates the general bs thay heroes sprout about them wanting to uphold the law more than enjoying the luxuries that hero work gives them. He then takes the mic and proceeds to 'spice things up' by calling out enji on how disliked he is by the civilians. He claims this is something he did to help enji when in fact it didn't help him at all. To me this first interaction already establishes him as a walking contradiction.

His relationship with tokoyami. Their relationship first started in a way for hawks to gain information about 1A and he definitely wasn't being sneaky about it considering that tokoyami could see right through him. Tokoyami at the time only wanted to learn from hawks and was heavily upset and confused as to why hawks taught him nothing and was only using him. However, as time passed by they actually started to form a proper mentor and student relationship which I really enjoyed. When hawks was asked why he chose tokoyami he said that they are from the same feather, basically insinuating that he felt like it was somewhat his duty since he and tokoyami are both bird mutants to a certain extent. As a mentor hawks taught his student to have fun and chill out as tokoyami is a very grounded person (literally and metaphorically). Hawks inspired tokoyami to fly and majority of tokoyamis moves are some stuff that he either learnt or was inspired from with hawks. There's also the fact that it's heavily implied that a lot of the time hawks and tokoyami did goof out a bit considering that tokoyami has 'scandalous pictures' of hawks. However, I wish we actually got more of this relationship especially after tokoyami finds out that hawks killed twice. In the manga when tokoyami finds out of such a thing he automatically protects hawks and thinks he is in the right. I disagree with that and I think it would of been better to have it so that tokoyami protects hawks from Dabi not because he is a hero who done no wrong but because he is his mentor who he deeply cares for. I would also have it so that tokoyami starts to question who hawks really is?, is he a good person?, did tokoyami do the right thing helping hawks? Etc etc. in the vigilante arc, it's stated that tokoyami tried to contact hawks multiple times to no avail however this isn't expanded on. I would have it so that hawks is avoiding tokoyami on purpose because he is ashamed and scared of what his student will think of him. At the end they have a conversation and talk it out with tokoyami understanding that what hawks did was wrong but he deeply cares for him whereas hawks understands just how valuable his relationship with tokoyami really is. In the end, I ended up liking what happend with hawks and tokoyami both protecting eachother in the final arc and growing stronger as a mentor and student. Hawks learns to protect the youth and break the cycle that he was trapped in while learning what a hero means to others from tokoyamis perspective.

Hawks and twice . Hawks managed to build a good relationship with twice as the dumb and overly optimistic MVA member. Twice had potential to be saved but hawks ended up killing him. I have reread this part of the manga and I have my mixed opinions on this however, there are two ways I would change this 1) have hawks kill toga instead and have twice and toga switch places as it makes way more sense or 2) have hawks try to quickly take down twice by knocking him out and trying to transport him somewhere get before he can achieve that Dabi comes in and intervenes finally making hawks too slow to do anything and having him end up killing twice. Option 2 is what happend in the manga with hawks being too slow (ironic considering that hawks is praised on speed) to truly save twice and ends up taking his life so twice doesn't escape and doom them all. The problem is that hawks starts on the offensive (something I like), hawks thinks that killing twice is the only way to avoid everything or at least massively injuring him would stop it. Sadly, hawks could of easily convinced twice to back down considering how easily swayed twice is and that he only did the things he did because he thought there was no way out or wanted to help his friends. Before their fight begins however, hawks talks about not being swayed by nice words and connections he built with twice which makes me think that he didn't want to kill him but due to his mindset and pov he ended up killing him because HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION HE HAD (It wasn't)

His involvement in the MVA. Hawks first starts as a double spy for the HPSC. Through the MVA arc we see him do questionable things in the name of other people safety however, we see his actions backfire badly. Hawks tries to quickly and swiftly gain the leagues trust yet he isn't fast enough, he tries to quickly inform the heroes and the HPSC of how dangerous and out of hand this situation yet he fails and many things are caused by him (the fastest hero alive) not being quick enough to do anything. He 'kills' beat jeanist in the name of gaining the trust of the MVA yet that does nothing to get him up the system and just makes it that best jeanists help is out of the table for the majority of the arc. Hawks joining the MVA was useful for the league as they were going to parade him around so people can join him yet I still wonder how the mainstream media didnt catch a whiff of what hawks was up to or how he simply abandoned hero society (even though he was a double spy). Hawks also talks to the league why he joined the MVA and uses his own story (somewhat of the truth of his life) how he feels like a bird trapped in a cage one that can't fly freely this can be interpreted in many ways. 1) he doesn't have the right to freely use his quirk to any extent he wants which is something that MVA stands for or 2) he feels trapped by his own life choices, him becoming a hero especially the number 2 and has a lot of eyes on him watching him like a circus animal with every move he makes so he puts on an act and never drops the mask.

Hawks and toga himiko . Toga himiko should of either been killed by hawks in place of twice which would of made him get more backlash by the public and make tokoyami question him even more considering that hawks somewhat mercilessly killed a 16 year old (the same age as tokoyami) in cold blood for justice so he could also do it to him. Or we should of gotten a hawks Vs toga battle in the final arc instead of a afo Vs hawks one. It would of made way more sense. Considering that hawks killed twice who is very dear to toga she should of had her eyes set on hawks death the minute she chose to join the lov and the final war. We should of gotten an intense and emotional battle between them were hawks has to come to terms that he didn't need to kill twice but he thought that it was the only option he had and he watches as toga uses twices quirk knowing that twices death was meaningless as toga is using his quirk in the way he feared it would be used. Hawks would be almost killed until ochako intervenes and has her battle with toga while hawks goes and fights alongside tokoyami.

Hawk's views on lady nagant. Lady nagant should of been hawk's mentor and he should of been her replacement. In canon hawks is only her replacement and I think it would of added more nuance and overall better writing if she was his mentor. I absolutely loved the parallels that those two shared and how they came out on different side of things however, I do think that we should of seen more of hawks getting the backhand treatment from the public considering that him killing twice was on live television. Honestly it surprised me that hawks killing twice isn't what the public was most upset with him about but they were upset with him having an abusive and villain father which honestly says a lot. I also think that they should of had more screentime to talk, hawks helped save lady nagant and she ended up asking him how he still has hope while he says that he is "optimistic". Iam not a huge fan of this moment and I think it could of been written better. Hawks and lady nagant are two sides of the same coin but dam did I hate hawks holding her burnt body and telling her that he was her replacement, it could of been handled better with hawks and her actually having somewhat of a fight and then some of the conversation happening after the explosion.

Hawks and the todoroki family . Oh boy I can feel that this is gonna be a long one. I found it interesting that hawks actually looked up and admired endeavour and I loved the parallels it gave both hawks and Dabi. However, I hated that hawks wasn't allowed to think or have any intropsection after hearing about what enji did or that he didn't go through a bit of a crisis over it. The fact that hawk's character has simply been reduced to enji Todorokis biggest supporter is my biggest problem with hawks. Dabi and hawks were very interesting to me (no I don't ship them) they're simply two sides of the same coin especially in the ways they act. Dabi is consistent on revenge whereas hawks is the opposite, Dabi hates enji whereas hawks admires enji and so on and so on. I do think that it would of been way more interesting if touya and kegio had actual history behind everything going on so I have always liked the HC that they met in the HPSC training scheme and became friends. It's plausible and makes Dabi saying hawk's real name way more meaningful than Dabi finding it out by threatening hawk's mother. I also think that both of them sharing a form of history yet not trusting eachother is hella interesting. Dabi was probably one of the only characters (aside from Izuku and tokoyami) that could see through some of hawks actions. Dabi knew what hawks will do yet never tried to intervene until it benefited him of course in true icon fashion that is. I also find hawk's relationship with the youngest todoroki interesting but I think it was done horribly. I would of liked to see more scenes with hawks and shoto talking about enji and touya or just scene of them that draw the similarities they have.

I would also have hawks be semi involved in the whole mutant racism plot because we need that to be fleshed out. Does hawks help donate to charities that help mutants? Is he against such people? Or doe hawks himself face such discrimination? To be honest I doubt it considering that his mutation is on the "prettier side" of the mutations and wouldn't face discrimination like shoji did

Hawks also had potential to interact with other characters like todoroki which would of highlighted his thoughts and development on the families matter. There is also Izuku midoriya who in a way is in somewhat of a similar circumstance to hawks and they could of had that whole is there another way to save villains like twice and shigaraki without killing them or is death the only way or just general conversation between the two considering that tokoyami was stated to praise izuku so much that hawks considered taking him as an intern. In one of the side comics you also had Izuku be somewhat suspicious of hawks and his abilities and it's also somewhat hinted in the main manga so it's interesting to have them have a conversation about that.

I personally think that hawks should of received concequences for his actions and one of them being hindered quirk use aka his wings don't grow back properly or everytime he uses them he can't use them to their fullest potential due to how injured he was by Dabis fire. Also, I hate how hawks being used by the commission is almost brought as a second thought, like when the HPSC fell we really didn't get much of hawk's personal reaction or thoughts or anything on the matter it seems like a quite empty point even though it had its potential to Futher develop hawks

In conclusion, hawks character introduction was pretty solid and I really liked some of the aspects that the series gave him like making him a walking contradiction to a certain extent but I do think that horikoshi development of hawks character was horrible and the fact that hawks lacks agency to do many things or reflect on things irritates me very much.

[deadbydangit]

Hiiiiii. So I had a silly thought.i thought would maybe make you laugh? How would huntress, Knight, and trickster react to an S/o who likes to bite on their shoulder? Like, reader will show up at random points and just chew for a few seconds before *poof* disappearing. I really love your works, and I'm really hoping things look up for you soon. 🧡🧡

Hmm, I think I can do that. I'm sorry if this one is a little shorter. To make up for that I added Mastermind. Please enjoy.

With a Reader who likes to bite playfully.

Huntress, Mastermind, Knight, Trickster

Huntress

Hmm?

Why are you biting her?

Anna is able to tell the difference between a playful bite and an aggressive one.

So as long as you don't bite down too hard, she won't take it as a threat.

But she will be very confused.

She might even bite herself to check.

Is she edible?

Has she been edible all this time and not even know it?

You're going to have to explain to her.

But before that, patch up the spot where she bit herself.

She will be bleeding.

Gentle is not a word in her vocabulary.

She was actually trying to eat herself.

After lots of explaining, she'll finally start to understand.

And she might even try and bite you herself.

Which will probably end poorly on your part.

Again, gentle is not a word in her vocabulary.

So you're either going to have to teach her how to bite gently, or stop biting altogether.

Sure, Anna is a little rough around the edges.

But her clueless naive nature is just so cute.

Mastermind

He doesn't have time for this nonsense.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Are you trying to make me angry?"

He has lots of questions.

He's not expecting an answer, he's just really confused.

"Why are you biting me?"

He won't take it as a threat.

Not because he doesn't whether or not to take it as a threat.

It's because he knows he's much stronger than you.

Besides, a little bite isn't going to stop the great Albert Wesker.

Once you explain, he'll start to chuckle.

He's amused at your antics.

"Well, I suppose if there is no ill intent."

He might even bite you back.

Problem is that he's amazing at sneaking up at you.

He'll bite you on the side of the neck, the ear, or the hand.

He just wants to see you jump and panic.

And after you do, he'll chuckle and whisper in your ear.

"I'm sorry dear heart. Did I frighten you?"

He's having fun.

Hey, you started this. He's not going to stop.

Knight

First off: oww.

Where are you going to bite him?

Like, he never takes off his armor.

Ever.

You're going to be biting into rusty, bloodsoaked metal.

You have fun with that.

If you do manage to catch him without his armor on, you'll have to be quick.

He's got very sharp reflexes and will use them.

Even if he doesn't mean to, he could still hurt you.

It's a force of habit for him.

If you do manage to bite him, he'll be shocked.

Possibly angry.

"What is this? You attack me? After all the trust I've placed in you?"

Tarhos we'll take this as a threat to a safety.

So you'll have to explain really fast.

Or, you know, risk getting your head chopped off or something by an angry knight.

He's skeptical about it.

He knows you aren't lying, but he still didn't like it.

"I see. Please refrain from doing that again."

He'll look angry.

But he'll probably ruffle your hair or something.

"If you wish to give me attention, just ask."

"There are better ways to gain affection without biting like an animal."

Trickster

Ji-Woon actually doesn't mind.

Like, at all.

He finds it really attractive.

It's a real turn-on for him.

So long as you don't mark up his beautiful skin.

If you do, then he'll be upset.

"Careful, you don't want to cut my beautiful skin, do you?"

He's really self-conscious about his appearance.

But he doesn't really have any room to talk considering what he's done to you.

He'll bite you back, but he'll bite hard.

He has a thing for seeing others in pain.

He loves looking at all the marks he leaves on your body.

If it's too much, you'll have to tell him.

Otherwise he'll keep doing it.

And he doesn't care if he cuts your skin and makes you bleed.

In fact, that really gets him going.

His favorite place to bite you is the side of your neck.

His favorite place to be bitten is his shoulder and his earlobe.

Whenever you do, he'll chuckle lowly.

"Did you want my attention my dear? Well you've got it."

"Now, entertain me."

So don't bite him unless you're ready to spend a lot of time with him.

[crowleywowley]

BACK ON IT WIT DA HEADCANONS 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

Y’all already know what tf is going on. Modern AU, silly headcanons, everyone is alive and well, blah blah blah.

Previous sillies: 1 2 3 4 5

Aight see u unda da cut 😼

-John definitely cried at the dinner table trying to do his math homework with Dutch

Dutch is absolutely like ‘WHY WOULD THEY CHANGE THE WAY THEY DO MATH!!!!!’ While John is like “I😭don’t😭know😭😭”

-John joined the middle school track team but ate shit on the hurdles so he quit

-John was absolutely the kid who always leaned back in his chair

He fell once and hit his head and to this day that teacher uses him as an example

-John was a pain in Arthur’s ass but when Arthur was a senior and John was a freshman Arthur beat up some kids for being mean to his baby brother :((((

-Jack is a Roblox kid for SUREEEE

John used to play it with him but the obbys pissed him off so much he had to take a walk

-Jack was also a Percy Jackson kid. Argue with the wall!!!!

-during Jack’s wannabe emo phase he got a fake earring and it gave him an allergic reaction

He cried :(

John and Abi, being reformed emo kids, held in their laughter until that night after Jack went to sleep

-speaking of emo. John definitely had shaggy long hair that he parted so it was across his forehead, and Abigail had cool bangs with like blue tips or something

She definitely put eyeliner on him at some point

They both had MySpace usernames like Xx._Fallen.Angel._xX

-Abigail has more than one stupid stick and poke tattoo that John gave her when they were like 19

They are CORNY and POORLY DONE but she secretly loves them :’)

-Despite being the younger of the two Dutch is much less tech-literate than Hosea

He understands Facebook. It’s one of like… 3 apps on his phone

His camera roll is filled with accidental photos

-these two have SO MANY DECORATIVE PILLOWS

-Hosea is such a Frank Sinatra lover!!!!!!!

They danced to Strangers in the Night at their wedding :’)

-Hosea was absolutely the parent that’s sitting in the dark when their kid tries to sneak out and they’re like “going somewhere?”

-shoutout to this person because YEAH

-a crazy night in the Morgan-Smith household means staying up until 10:00 PM watching a documentary about whales

-both of these men are the biggest babies when they’re sick. Common cold = death

-if Jack was a Percy Jackson kid then Isaac was probably into Ancient Egypt or dinosaurs

Charles and Arthur are good dads so they listen to him spew facts and they’re like “wow! Cool, buddy!!!!!”

Even now that he’s a teenager they still remember random facts :)

-Arthur LIVES for unbuckling his belt and settling into a recliner after a big meal

-These fools are so in love and constantly bring each other trinkets :’)

“Saw this and thought of you” and it’s like a mystery Lego pack

I think we’ll stop there for tonight but hehehehe I love these soooo much. Does anyone want me to start bringing OTHER characters into this universe😲??? or do we wanna just keep it to the VanDerMatthews/Marston family/Charthur cinematic universe. Y’all know I can get silly and funky with anyone.

ALSO!!!!!! If anyone has an idea for a name of this universe plzzzzz let me know bc I think that would be fun :D okay bye!!!!!!

[yanderecandystore]

Angst ᐛ. So imagine y/n is fully aware of what the beldam is about. I'm talking from the very begining but kept coming back since they felt so alone. And at some point y/n just walks in, plots their head in the beldam's chest, tearing up after a particularly bad day and is just like. "You know, I know what youre gonna ask... About the buttons. I know its just a way to eat me. But to be honest just hearing yoinsay 'i care about you' is making me consider the offer. Pathetic right?" Would the beldam make it a quick kill or would he not want to eat them anymore? Of course if you dont feel comfortable writing this thats fine too.

The reason why I always take too long to write anything about Male Beldam/Belsire, is because I always fear making something that people won't like especially since it's my most liked story-

But after rereading the story I realized it really isn't all that good X'D I feel like it could have been a lot better if I had put more time into it.

I'm sorry for taking so long to write this, but I really don't want to leave you guys hanging especially since I do really like the idea of a "twisted" ending sort of thing. Thank you for requesting this!

It's very short, but I hope I can talk more about it because I do wonder how Y/n will deal with this new life.

TW/Tags: Mentions of: Gore; death // Arachnophobia Warning // Scotomaphobia Warning (Reader is now blind) // Manipulation // Human flesh consumption (not from the Reader) // this is very short sorry // not proofread lmao (headaches) // Reader is very unresponsive to the things that happen around them.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮���⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

A peek at the keyhole [Yandere!Belsire x GN!Reader - A short Oneshot]

It was during dinner that you decided to seal the deal, he was acting strange… He was starving and you were sure of it. Which was funny because you never saw him eat, now that you think about it.

He doesn't understand where you got that knowledge of how he behaves or of what he consumes- Maybe it was just a lucky guess based on his desperate need to keep you "unaware", always giving a poorly disguised lie about himself.

Who was he? What was he? What did he want? He was your best friend, silly. He was your other friend, and all he wanted was to be with you.

Lies, lies, half truths. He was simply too shady for his own benefit, too obvious for his own good.

Or perhaps he really liked this back and forth between you two, after all- What proof did you have of anything? You couldn't trust his words, yes, but what else did you have to go with?

Just that sinking feeling in your stomach whenever he was near you, whenever he tapped his fingers impatiently because you were just oh so curious about him!

It was adorable, really. Infuriatingly adorable.

Because it didn't matter how much you knew about him, or his "real intentions" with you- You always came back for more. His words of reassurance coated with thick honey and distributed with a soft, calm tone of voice that was just as patronizing as it was endearing.

Treating you like royalty every time you came around and yet always keeping you at arm's length when it came to learning more about him, but did any of that even matter?

You were being taken care of, wasn't that enough? You had friends with you, an adoring handsome fella that wasn't shy at all about treating you more than a friend, if you wanted him to. There was clear favoritism and although common sense would have told you it was a massive red flag, you couldn't deny it was quite refreshing to be regarded with so much love.

The fun will never end, he said. It could go for as long as you wanted, forever even if you agreed to stay with just a little, tiny condition.

He didn't have to explain it in detail for you to instantly agree with him, you cling to him already aware of what your fate would be. A bad day was all he needed for you to accept it in a heartbeat? He could have done this a lot sooner than.

It was just you and him, standing in the kitchen as you hugged him, burying yourself in both a need for contact but also out of embarrassment- Shame of throwing yourself away to the unknown without second thought.

It took him by surprise at first, although not ideal he still met his goal sooner than he expected- Only a couple of nights spent with him and his creations, with only a few fabulous events in between.

Of course he couldn't go TOO wild with his attractions, after all you didn't need a spectacular show to be lured in, you just wanted to be heard and included.

" … Oh dear… Pathetic? Why? There's no reason to feel this way, you made the right choice… "

He wanted to still reassure you of your actions, but it was hard hiding the eagerness in his voice.

He held you tightly, cooing you gently despite your unisseanes and uncertainty.

It was mostly so you wouldn't see the illusion breaking, so you wouldn't hear the sounds of your other friends turning into dust… He simply couldn't keep them for much longer, and now he didn't need to.

It's a shame they couldn't warn you of your mistake sooner, it's a shame that everything he creates reflects his adoration to the people he lures in. If only they could warn you to not let him do this, that it wasn't really worth it.

" Come… It'll be quick, don't worry. " He led you with his hands, which were feeling colder by the minute, sharper than before. Thinner than before.

The lights of the house were starting to lower if not fully turn off behind you as you only focused on following him to his little workshop. You felt the stairs lose their solidity after lifting your feet, each step turning from wood to web quickly.

You were actively following him to your doom, you knew that, and as much as you wanted to you couldn't run away now.

He opened the door to the attic, the only thing that seemed intact in this empty and dark place- It was as if the house was starting to disappear the higher he went, and as you followed him there was no need to keep the rest of the house.

He was trying to be economical here, too many things to keep magically attached and realistic all the time- With no break for lunch.

The attic was the only thing that seemed actually real for you, stepping inside you felt the old floor creek. It was old, moldy, but somehow always well kept, as it was one of the only real things in this void he took care of.

It was his favorite place in the house.

" You can go sit on that chair over there, but if you would like to choose I have a great variety of colors and types for you to pick. " The voice that held warmth and youth to it was also disappearing and being replaced with a dry throat, a rougher tone and a lack of discernible emotion behind it.

You could only tell there was impatience by the constant tapping of his fingernails on his board as he showed you all the possible options.

Classic black like his? Baby blue? Chartreuse?? His constant tapping made you feel like a ticking clock taunting you to pick a color already-

You just pointed to the one color you liked most, hey, who wouldn't want to have their favorite color as their eye color? Although, it wasn't really eyes. Just buttons.

He hummed while giving you a soft smile.

" I'm glad you made a choice for me, I would have been too indecisive. Ah, but they're perfect for you..! You're going to make me so jealous, doll.." It was a joke, or maybe a compliment. It was hard to tell if his monotonous voice was out due to boredom, anger or was his voice like this in general.

Well, he didn't seem mad?? It was hard to understand him and to be honest you were getting very nervous. You sat down in the tall chair, its pastel colors did little to nothing to calm you down. Was this really a good idea?

" Are you ready?... It'll be quick I promise… Although… "

He grabbed your face, trying to be gentle as he inspected your panicking eyes.

You didn't understand what was going inside his head, you couldn't tell what he was planning to do and you weren't sure if his touch was starting to freak you out or sooth you.

" … It'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." He sighed before kissing your forehead, so you wouldn't forget he cared about you.

It was agonizing.

You don't know for how long you stayed out, but you remember your brain blacking out after he sewed the first one in.

You're not sure how you even survived through him stabbing your eyes with a needle- Hell, were you even alive at all?! You couldn't see anything, so either he successfully closed your eyes or you were dead.

No, you probably weren't dead yet, your headache just as bad as your entire face- Raising your hand slowly to touch your face you could feel your eyes covered by thick cloth, it was slightly wet.

Slightly touching and pushing like that caused you to feel immense pain, you immediately stopped- It was still fresh so of course it would hurt like hell.

You were sure that you felt the shape of the buttons underneath the cloth, however.

Your ears buzzed as you tried to regain some of your strength, as you tried to get out from your torture chair you forgot how tall it was- Missing a step and crashing down to the old attic floor with no one to help you.

Falling sure felt like falling! The floor sure felt like a crusty old floor! Yep, you weren't dead.

Your head was aching so badly you weren't sure if what you heard was real or not, but you were sure you heard some commotion coming from downstairs.

It was loud enough to muffle your little accident.

The voices below were followed by painful screaming that lasted for a few minutes after complete silence. A chilling sensation settled in as you started to wonder if the screams you heard felt familiar to you in any way.

You carefully started to get up, slowly you started to consider if you should go back to the tall chair or just make a run for it- But to where? You couldn't see anything!!

You considered taking the cloth off- But you didn't want to feel the pain that came from it. You needed to let it heal after all. Though, you doubted that you would be able to see anything with freaking BUTTONS in your eyes!!

Was it too late to regret your decision? It seemed like it.

You walked around trying to feel your way, where was the door again? You were sure you were on the right track… Your hand went from old wood to a nice clean carpet- Wait- Wasn't the house entirely destroyed? Shouldn't it be a spider web here?

Or, well, everywhere?

The fur of the carpet fooled you as you felt your hand squeeze something very soft that squeaked and scurried away from you. A rat.

" I'm sorry!- " You whispered to him, but he didn't appreciate your attempt at escaping, he squealed as he ran down stairs alerting his owner that you were awake.

Well, shit.

You would have screamed if you were able to see the heavy thing that came up the stairs in such a hurry, it didn't help that although you couldn't see him, the sound of metal hitting the walls and the floor made you highly concerned.

What the fuck was that-

" You shouldn't have left the room without telling me. " The same monotonous voice, although he didn't sound so exhausted like he did before- Not as hungry, you assumed.

" Come, let me help you. " You could hear him approach, as if he was wearing high heels it was hard to not hear him coming closer.

And you couldn't help but feel like distancing yourself further, his boney fingers didn't help you feel any more relaxed- They were sharp and cold, it felt like pure needles taking your hand and pulling you up.

" You need to rest for a little longer, doll. But you can't heal with an empty stomach right? " He guided you with his hand, you felt sick at the mention of food.

He helped you get down the stairs by holding you bride style, and you almost cried at the sensation of his hard and cold skin, you trembled at how those same needles would gently squeeze your skin-

One wrong move and they would tear your skin apart.

He helped you sit in a chair, you assumed you were at the kitchen's table by now.

Was this your end…? Was he really going to do this now??

…. No. He was just cooking something, presumably for you. It smelled of omelets and orange juice, it was simple but it was a very nice scent.

This kitchen reeked of blood, however. Instinctively you took your hands to cover your nose, and probably your mouth as well since you weren't sure if shouting would be a good idea right now. He hates loud noises.

" Don't worry about it, it was just a pesky guest who didn't take no for an answer! I'm sorry for the mess. I'll clean it up after you eat. " A more upbeat and sweet voice, the same one you were more accustomed with. Reassurance and comfort all tied with a smile you were more familiar with.

Approaching you with a plate in hand, and a juice glass in the other.

" Don't worry, I didn't put any of the nasty stuff for you. Just eggs and lots of love. The spoiled food is for me. " He kissed you on the cheek, it felt like being touched by porcelain.

He handed you the fork, but you weren't sure if you wanted to find out if he kept his word or not.

He killed someone here, didn't he? Those noises you heard when you were up in the attic plus the smell of iron coating every inch of this kitchen sure weren't just coincidence. He… He wouldn't force you to eat someone, would he?

Who was it?... Who was it..?!

Was he referring to the person as "spoiled food"?

" Doll. I told you to not worry. There's no meat on your plate, I'm a bit selfish when it comes to sharing food. I'm sorry but there's nothing left of them for you, if I knew you wanted to try I wouldn't have been so careless- "

" N-No, it's… It's fine! I'm just… I can't really see anything…" You tried to not sound as terrified of him as you were, heaven knows you shouldn't feed any monster your own fear, it's what they live on.

" …. Aw… You're blind, I'm so sorry! I forgot about that. " He started to laugh as he slapped his forehead about forgetting something so crucial, silly him!

You weren't sure if he was being honest about forgetting that, but you sure as hell knew by the way he snatched the fork from your hand and how he seemed to drag his chair closer to you that he was probably very excited to do this.

" Say, ah~! " You knew he was having fun when he pinched your cheek to make you open your mouth.

Well, yep, those were just eggs. I mean it was a very tasty omelet but that was it, the orange juice didn't taste any different. Probably a little too sweet, but that's it.

It was probably due to the pain you were feeling in the front of your entire face that made you very much NOT interested in eating, or maybe it was the dripping sound and the smell of blood. The thought that somehow you were sitting possibly next to a murder scene, and/or a body, and the murderer was feeding you, made you very unease.

" Try to not think too much about it, it's just the way things will be for now… Isn't it so much better this way too? We will be able to spend so much time together and I just need you to stay in the attic whenever we have "guests" over. Do you understand me? "

" With just a little bit of magic I'm about to make the house more comfortable for you, to cook you meals endlessly and I can even make you a few more outfits. I'll be sure to make the house more appropriate for a human like you. "

He petted your head after you finished the plate, kissing your forehead and letting the dishes in the sink.

" Now, let me help you get up, we'll need to give you a bath and put you in more comfortable clothes, and then we can lay down. I'm sure you're still very tired after our little surgery. "

He helped you get up and walked you towards the bathroom… You couldn't help but feel worried about what you were doing.

Wasn't this all you ever wanted? To be adored by someone who treats you so well? Didn't you feel glad you accepted his offer?

Were you a bad person for wanting this?

Well, you didn't want THIS as in- Him eating people- All you wanted was to be with him for longer…

Why did you feel really scared whenever he touched with the same gentleness but none of the softness his skin used to have? You knew running wouldn't be a good idea since you couldn't see anything, and you didn't know the layout of the house well enough to memorize where the little door was...

Right?

" You're so stiff, my love! Are you scared of walking around your own house? I promise I kept everything intact, it's my house as well you know… And besides I'll always be here to guide you while you still recover. " You felt him nuzzle his hand against your neck, cold, hard. You wondered how much he changed now that he didn't need to pretend to look a certain way for you.

Maybe it was best to not know.

" … You're so silent right now, it almost feels like I have been running my mouth for hours! I didn't know you were such a silent type. " He teased, while kissing the back of your neck gently.

It was probably your lack of spatial awareness, but he somehow seemed a lot taller- As if it took some effort to lower himself down just to kiss you.

" My head… it hurts so much.."

" Aw, I know, love, I know. It'll take a while for you to feel better but it'll be so worth it… I'll help you learn new things, like how to feel the vibrations in my web, it'll help you "see" better. Or how to read braille, or how to walk around the house carefully, or how to tell someone is planning on running away during a conversation. "

He poked the sides of your stomach, an action that was supposed to be just couple's teasing but was actually quite terrifying and painful considering how sharp his fingers were.

" You couldn't be any less obvious love. I'm sorry if I scared you, I couldn't resist. " And yet he didn't sound irritated or annoyed, it could be that he was just pretending to not care… But he sounded more amused than anything.

" I'm just teasing you, doll! Come on, don't look like that, I'm just in a good mood! You know I can't stay annoyed at you. Let's hurry up and get you cleaned, alright? "

As he carefully started to shove you inside the bathroom you wondered if he didn't mess with something in your head alongside your eyes.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[melodymay-k1tty]

MONKEY D. LUFFY BF HEADCANONS

What would dating Luffy be like?

A/N: I thought writing a Luffy's bf headcanon would be fun, so here comes!!🍖🏴‍☠️

I hope it's cool, it was so much fun to write!😎💕🫣

🍖 Luffy-kun! First, that you would be the only person Luffy would trust with his straw hat. Which, of course, makes you a very honorable person and automatically someone of extreme importance in his life.

🍖 Luffy-kun! Your love language would be something like Physical Touch or Words of Affirmation. He would give you hugs often, jump on your back/put you on his back, pick you up out of the blue, bite you sometimes, and of course, say anything that comes to mind, including how much he likes you.

🍖 Luffy-kun! He would play with your hair like a kid, and would probably say things like "hmm, your hair looks like ramen noodles, yummy yummy!" (if it's curly)/"hmm, your hair looks like spaghetti and the barrettes are like vegetables, yummy yummy!" (if it's straight), while smiling and looking thirstily at your locks. Which of course makes you a little scared.

🍖 Luffy-kun! If you fought with him, he would respect your decision and leave you alone. However, he would not eat until you spoke to him again. And of course, he would see it through to the end.

🍖 Luffy-kun! He would make silly bets with you, like "who eats first washes the dishes" (and of course that's backwards, but he didn't even realize it).

🍖 Luffy-kun! He would try to cook for you, and the food would be incredibly bad (he would probably mix the good foods with bits of bones, rotten fish, some crazy concoctions, and the like). Seeing your disgusted face he wouldn't be sad, but happy "Hmm, great, that leaves more for me!" and then, he would eat it all without hesitation. But he would soon see how bad it was, however, it was too late.

🍖 Luffy-kun! When you ate together, he would finish his meal in a split second. Afterwards, he would stare at you food, waiting for you to give it to him or for him to take it from you himself.

🍖 Luffy-kun! He would make handmade gifts for you. They would probably look awful and pretty poorly done, but he would do it with so much love and enthusiasm. You would love it just the same.

🍖 Luffy-kun! If someone messes with you, he doesn't think twice before going after that person and finishing them off.

A/N: I'll probably edit this later, but I'm dying sleepy and just decided to post before I went to sleep. It's still around 01:03am.

Att: I ended up leaving it to post this just today, but I had written it dawn, so it continues in the notes.

I hope you guys liked it!💗🫣

[daftpatience]

Dm tips! I'm quite passionate about ttrpgs so I've been having a think about things that might help, I really hope this comes across more as helpful and fun rather than overwhelming!! tldr Have fun with creating a story together and don't put too much pressure on yourself to do everything

- Don't be afraid to ask for help from the table when keeping track of things! Sometimes it can be hard to keep everything in your head as one person, and there's nothing wrong with asking others to help keep track of initiative, jot down notes, look up how magic items and spells work, exc.

- If you haven't heard of them yet/used them before, I would recommend looking into 'lines and veils' and other safety tools for playing ttrpgs; even if you think your game won't get too dark, in a game where people can get deeply emotionally invested in the world and their characters, its good to set clear boundaries and safety nets for what people are comfortable exploring + to what depth.

- Have plans that allow the world to bring the story to the players; players can do the darnedest stuff sometimes, and if you have a set module or story in mind, it can be easy to start feeling out of depth as the players take actions that lead them further and further away from what you had in mind/planned. There are a few things that can help with this, some examples being:

a) be loosey goosey about where things are until the players travel there: if your players need to find a specific ancient sword in an abandoned, cursed town, but they travel in the opposite direction of where you had planned the town to be, just move it so it crosses their path. If you want them to be able to choose between a few different paths but still want them to find this sword no matter what, you can also change the aesthetic of the town but keep the quest details the same: for example, if they choose to go to bright Bloomshearth rather than Wroughtfield, the town they find mysteriously abandoned might be overgrown with mysterious, colourful flowers, the sky always lit in a golden afternoon glow, rather than deep, dark vines and howling winds... that way there's still an element of choice without putting in too much extra work.

b) Ask yourself 'if the players don't accomplish xyz, what are the in-world consequences?' If they fail a quest to defeat all of the slimes in a tavern cellar, does the tavern keeper throw them out? Does the building later become overwhelmed with the infestation and cause an even larger fight than before? Do the party gain a negative reputation in the area for a job poorly done? On a larger scale, if they fail to prevent a villain from collecting all the artefacts they need to start an apocalypse, do they kidnap a player/beloved NPC to complete the ritual? Do local kingdoms start preparing for war, with soldiers marching the streets? Are villages the players visit become empty as people flee, or destroyed by enemy forces? You don't need to have absolutely specific answers, but asking yourself these kinds of questions beforehand gives you more control over where the story goes and means you don't have to rely on players successfully completing tasks in order to keep the ball rolling: the players don't always need to succeed, and failure can actually lead to some fascinating paths! It also gives you a chance to set stakes and get the players more invested in their world by giving their actions tangible weight and consequence. Said consequences don't have to been super serious in order to be engaging either, especially if you're playing something lighter or more silly: fit the consequences to the type of story you want to tell.

c) If the players don't do xyz, are there any NPCs that might instead? Or any NPCs that might be competing to complete a task/grab an item before the players can? This can invite a sense or urgency and challenge that some players enjoy, or if the NPC is on the players' side it can allow certain necessary/fun story points to continue on even if the party don't quite make it. This can be combined with the previous point too: if the party do not accomplish an important task, does the NPC have to make any sacrifices to complete it on their behalf? And if they're challenging the players and win against them, what will they do with that accomplishment/item?

- Invite the players to describe things and help paint the world: things like 'how does your character feel about this?', 'What memory or emotion does this scent/sound/place/exc. bring your character?', and 'what is your character hoping to find/get out of this situation?' can be great ways to gain insight into what's important to that character (great to note for any future shenanigans) and also invites people to openly collaborate on storytelling. If a character rolls incredibly well (or sometimes if they fail spectacularly too) on a skill check or attack roll, it can be fun to hand over the reigns and ask them to describe how they succeed at the task at hand, you might be surprised + inspired by what they come up with.

- if you're confused by a player's actions, it's okay to ask them what they are hoping to accomplish with their actions: sometimes it's not always clear and people are often eager to clarify when given the chance to do so, you don't have to try and guess! This also helps avoid situations of disappointment when a player rolls well and the results in-world aren't what they wanted to happen

- Have fun! Don't be afraid to improvise things in the moment, have a laugh with friends, and try to remember how awesome it is you're putting in so much thought and effort into making a story together: it can be really easy to fall into the trap of not feeling good enough as a dm, especially if a session doesn't go as you expect, and if that's the case don't be afraid to reach out and ask for some positive vibes/feedback on the game. Even the best dms can feel low after a sesh sometimes, so don't feel bad if it happens, especially in the first few sessions whilst getting the hang of it! Giving each other small compliments on player actions and dm storytelling immediately after a session has ended is a great way to check in with everyone and leave the session on a positive note too, in my experience!

Hope this is okay to send, I hope you have a blast!! :D

thank you so much, this is all WONDERFUL advice!!!!! ♥♥♥ im noting it all down in my little dm bible ✍

[djarinslover]

Missed You

The ask for this fic

Pairing; Nami x Fem!Reader (no y/n)

Warnings; canon violence, swearing

Word Count; 2.3k

Author’s Note: I’m sorry for getting this out so late ☹️ inspiration was sucked from my soul for a while bc of course it was. I hope you like this, my Nami anon!

A loud laugh emerges from your throat as Sanji spins you around, showing you how he'd win a woman over just through dance. The fire is burning brightly, the drinks flowing and the laughter infectious. You all had stopped to visit this island that Luffy knew of from Shanks; it was considered a "party" island due to the constant drinking, dancing and just vibe of fun that everyone felt when staying. No one objected when Luffy suggested taking a break there for a few days.

Aside from Nami and Zoro, you all were getting rowdy. Yelling, singing way too loudly and poorly, dancing all over the place with strangers and drinking too much. It felt nice to let go for just a night. Until Nami had said, "I thought having another girl around would calm things down but you're just as bad as the boys."

You didn't see anything wrong with blowing off some steam but the comment was a dagger to the heart. You tried to shake it off as you dance with Usopp, your best friend, but it lingers in the back of your mind for days afterward. You thought maybe you'd forget about since you were very drunk when she said that but it made quite an impact on your behavior around Nami.

You and Usopp came as a packaged deal, which Luffy had no problem with when you all met. He allowed you to join his crew, which was nice since you knew a thing or two about fixing up wounds and they definitely needed a doctor onboard. Never knew who they'd get into a fight with these days. It was a bonus you got to spend the days with the redheaded navigator, Nami. Being the only other girl onboard, the two of you bonded. Well, bonded as much as Nami would. She let you sit with her while she charted out paths, figuring out the best direction to go in. She said it was nice to have another woman around, that the energy was too "masculine" until you came along.

A crush started developing on Nami, to your slight terror. Nami could be cold at times, which left you questioning if she actually liked having you around or not. She was sarcastic, quick witted with a sharp tongue, and she wasn't afraid to tell someone the truth. You felt like you never knew where you stood with her. So when she had said you were as bad as the boys, you thought she couldn't stand you. It hurt but it gave you the push to get rid of the silly little crush you had.

After that night, you began avoiding Nami on the ship, turning down any moment to hang out with her. You were still polite, making small talk when you had to and relaying information when needed but you didn't spend any unnecessary time with her. She eventually stopped telling you that you could stay by her side as she navigated; she began only speaking to you when it was needed. You thought maybe this would help buy any feelings you had for her but it seemed to only amplify whatever you felt.

You were longing to make her laugh, to have her flash that little smile at you, to have those small lingering touches on your skin. You wanted to go back to the way the two of you had been. But it felt like maybe the damage was done. The two of you would exchange nods with awkward slight smiles, avoiding touching each other when in a small space. The boys finally seemed to notice the tension, Sanji being the one to point it out. Usopp felt hurt that you didn't come to him with what was bothering you. You were practically his sister; he wanted you to tell him everything.

"What's going on with you and Nami?" Usopp corners you in your room, demanding answers.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Everything is fine." You flash a tense smile, forcing yourself to look happy.

"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you two giggle and talk like you do. What happened?"

You sigh, caving rather quickly. Usopp could always read you and there was no sense in trying to keep up appearances in front of him. "Nami said something a few days ago that hurt me. I figured she didn't like me so I've been avoiding her."

"That's crazy! Of course she likes you!" You shoot him a frown. "Captain Usopp never lies!"

Rolling your eyes, you brush past Usopp to head out onto the new island Luffy had landed on. You needed more medical supplies and didn't want to talk about this situation anymore with him. "I'm heading out. I'll see you later."

Usopp wilts as you go, upset and not knowing what to do.

You're strolling around the island humming to yourself, admiring the people as they went about their day. Too occupied with watching other people, you're not paying attention to where you were walking, ending up bumping into a rather large woman. She was tall, muscular, and her eyes were flaming with rage.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

The woman gets in your face, steam practically coming out of her ears as she stares down at you. "How could you not see me standing here?!"

"I wasn't paying attention, I'm sorry."

"You're about to be sorry!"

She swings at you, a hefty fist meeting your cheek with a heavy thwack. It makes you dizzy, sends you stumbling backwards. You hear your name being called by someone from the crew, though you were too disoriented to figure out who it was. You shake your head to try to clear your vision, seeing double of the woman who hit you. You could see she was winding up to hit you again. Your vision stops spinning, and you manage to duck the next hit, throwing your own punch into the woman's face.

Your punch doesn't land as hard as you had hoped; it seemed to only make the woman angrier. She lands hit after hit on you, and all you could think was that this happened all because you accidentally bumped into her. You're unable to defend yourself, too disoriented to make your own punches. Eventually you feel her get pulled off of you, Zoro's voice loud while Luffy's was soft and gentle. You could see Sanji and Usopp leaning over you, faces pinched tight with worry. They were the last faces you saw before passing out.

Nami was startled by the boys bustling to the ship, voices raised and frantic. She looked down to see you limp in Zoro's arms. Confused, she met them at the deck to see what was going on and why they were running around like chickens without heads.

"What's the problem? She drink too much?" Nami asks.

"She got into a fight," Zoro says with a clipped tone.

"What?!" Nami says, alarmed. "With who?"

"Some woman. She just started hitting her for no reason," Usopp says as he stares down at you.

Everyone crowds into your room, watching as Zoro gently lays you down on your bed. Sanji comes in with a cool cloth to lay on your forehead, dabbing it softly to see if you would respond to the stimulation. You just lay there, still and too quiet for everyone's liking, your face purpling with bruises.

"What are we going to do?" Luffy asks, frown deep on his face. "She's our doctor, she'd know what to do."

"Yeah, well she's not here to tell us how to help," Zoro grunts. "We'll just have keep eyes on her until she wakes up. Hopefully it won't be long."

Nami bites her lip, watching your sleeping face. "I'll take first watch."

The boys nod, leaving her alone to watch over you. She took the cool cloth from Sanji, pressing it against your forehead and neck at times to keep sweat from sticking to you. She sighs, slumping down to be beside you. "This is going to be a long night, huh?"

The hours you spent unconscious turned into days. The crew began to get extremely worried and scared. They didn't know what to do, how to wake you up or if they should wake you up. Throughout the days they took turns on sitting with you, pouring water down your throat and keeping you cool so as to not catch a fever. Your face wasn't as badly bruised anymore, so they had hope that you were recovering and would wake up at any moment. They decided if for one more day you stayed unconscious, they would seek help from someone else. Nami thinks they should've done that from day one but the boys thought you were fine for the night.

Nami was sitting with you again, holding your hand. She traced patterns on your palm, sighing softly. "You know, it's been awfully lonely without you here. The boys are great, sure, but they've got nothing on your jokes." Nami stares at your face, a small smile on her lips. "I miss hearing you laugh at Luffy and Usopp. I miss that cocky smile you give me when you make me laugh. I miss hearing your voice . . . Wake up soon, okay?"

She stands to get you some water before freezing as your eyelids open slowly. "What else do you miss about me, Red?" you croak, voice hoarse from days of not using it, lips curling into the smile she was talking about.

"Oh my god, you're awake!"

Nami doesn't know what to do; she wants to hug you, she wants to get the boys, she wants to cry with relief. Instead she grabs your hand again, sitting down on the bed next to you. You try to sit up, grunting with effort as you push up. Nami helps until you're comfortable.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Eh, I heard something about my smile and then you said you missed my voice. Figured I should let you hear it."

Nami tries her best to not roll her eyes even as a smile cracks her face. "I was telling the truth. I missed you a lot these past few days."

"Days?!" you gasp.

"Yeah. That woman really kicked your ass."

You groan, rubbing your face. "Oh my god, no wonder I sound like I smoked all of Sanji's cigarettes. And why my head is pounding."

"Let me go get one of the guys, they can get you something."

"No. I just want to be with you a little longer," you plead. "Please."

Nami nods, squeezing your hand gently. You two sit in silence for a bit before you turn to look at her, a question on the tip of your tongue.

"Did you really miss me?"

Nami seems shocked. "Of course I did."

"I just thought . . . I annoyed you, like the boys annoy you."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you said I'm just as bad as them."

Nami's face turns a slight shade of red, embarrassment making her body run hot. She remembered saying that when you were all drinking but she didn't think you remembered or even heard her. Her head jerks up. "Wait, is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"Well, yeah. I figured I would give you some space. You just seemed so annoyed with me that night."

"Oh, I . . . I was joking. I didn't truly mean it. I like that you're like them, that you can be carefree. I like that you aren't afraid to put them in their place and I like that you're funny and passionate and incredibly smart. I like everything about you. I . . . like you."

It was your turn to feel your face flush. Whether it was excitement or embarrassment, you couldn't tell. Your hand feels sweaty in Nami's grip but you don't want to let go. Not after what she just told you.

"I like you, too, Nami."

You both look at each other, gazes hot and full of excitement. Nami brushes hair off of your forehead, leaning in closer. She bites her lip, hesitant to say whatever she was going to say. You figured you knew what she was going to ask, so you asked first. "Will you kiss me?"

She surges toward you, lips meeting yours with fireworks exploding behind your eyes. It felt like all your puzzle pieces had finally fallen into place. Nami pulls back, resting her forehead against yours as you both breathe heavily, lips tingling with the pressure of having hers on yours. Her hand squeezed, like she was communicating with you. You both had silly smiles on your lips, giddy from the high of finally confessing to one another.

"I'm glad you're awake."

"I'm glad I am, too."

"Hey, Nami. I'm here to-" Usopp stopped short, pausing in the doorway of your room as he looked at you two.

Nami pulls away, her face bright red as she avoided his gaze. "Uhh . . . I was going to come get someone. She's awake."

"Yeahh, I can see that. Luffy owes me ten Berry."

You look at him in alarm, his signature smirk on his face. "Yeah, we bet whether one of you would confess or not when you woke up." He turns to walk away, yelling out, "Hey, Luffy! Pay up, man! The Great Captain Usopp never loses!"

You can't help the giggles escaping you, because you knew your best friend meant well and he just wanted you to be happy. Looking down at your hand, which was still intertwined with Nami's, you knew you were happy. And all it took was a stupid fight.

"Let's go get you some dinner, yeah?" Nami says, standing up to help you stand.

Nami helps you to the galley, where everyone is gathered for whatever delicious smelling food Sanji had cooked up. They all had big smiles on as you walked in, happy to see you well. And doubly happy to see you holding hands with Nami.

Usopp turns to Luffy. "Told you."

Luffy grumbles as he pays up, making you and Nami laugh. It was good to be awake, you thought, bringing Nami's hand to your lips to press a kiss to the back. She beams at you, smile bright enough to outshine the sun. You wouldn't change a thing about your crew.

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Ok a rant about Cerri bomb and how much I HATE her

In the addict music video she was a very supportive friend of Angel and I loved her in the pilot! I wish we got that supportive best friend to Angel in the final product, but unfortunately she is a woman in a vivziepop show.

She’s AWFUL now I can’t stand her, the way she tried to make Angel relapse was so weird like pilot cherri wouldn’t do that! I also really dislike her design it has to be one of my personal least favourites (not the bottom though nothing is worse than alastors design to me) she isn’t enjoyable to watch anymore she had potential if she’d only been introduced earlier! Imagine if she was introduced in episode 4 and played the supportive friend she was originally supposed to be!

And GOD I hate her ship with pentious, it was SO RUSHED, so poorly done and the ship isn’t very “so cute and in love!!” When you remember she showed literally NO interest in him until Angel brought up that he has 2 dicks, and this is supposed to be a romantic relationship we CARE about.

Cherri didn’t need a romantic relationship she needed CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT we needed to get to know her! If you’ve only seen the show and no other Hazbin media at all (which shouldn’t be required you should be able to get all your info FROM THE SHOW) you’d barely know anything about her character or who she is. I wish we got pilot cherri bomb, and that she got a design update, and that her and pent’s relationship was either taken slower or didn’t happen at all

You silly little creature you, you have me writing in my notes app instead of Tumblr because I’m about to go crazy!

Cherri Bomb. More like Cherri what the hell happened

Anyway I’m gonna tackle this one thing at a time, and also forgive me if I word something weird I just woke up an hour ago at the time of writing this.

First thing, design: I personally quite like her design since it very loosely reminds me of Iris from Ruby Gloom with ofc the one eye, the very rowdy personality and kind of the hair, but those are very broad design choices and its just me remembering some random girl I thought was silly but like Iris did it better.

Okay now second thing and then we go into literally everything else: My blog has been an angry pit of despair for everything in Episode 6 as of recent so let’s tap into that again 🤏 just a little. I am going to give my classic centrist opinion and say I don’t mind Cherri Bomb all that much but I absolutely get why people dislike her, and I mean this in the kinda way as people who dislike… Idk Fukuchi from BSD. WILD jump in fandoms but gimme a second. I can’t 100% say that Cherri Bomb in the pilot was better than the series since we have no idea if maybe for some reason she was intended to be like that offscreen, but judging by the pilot and “Addict” alone, it’s very unlikely. I could see her maybe being a bad influence at times and being like “Loosen up dude we’re in hell and its Friday” or something (idk if they have Friday in hell but everyday is probably Monday 🥁) but overall I feel like she’d end up apologising for it. However on the other side of things, I can understand why Cherri did that in Episode 6. Of course not to say this is okay, but Cherri is still very clearly not in the “redemption” mindset. She’s happy the way she is and is really only focused on certain aspects of issues. We see her comfort Angel in “Addict” but thats basically the extent of it. Cherri’s definition of “self-care” seems to be less of actually taking care of yourself and more like just letting go and having fun instead which really only gives a momentary fix to the issue, much like how substances can be abused. Do you kinda see what im getting at? Cherri offering Angel drugs while he’s trying not to relapse is not okay, full stop. But her reasoning as to why makes a bit of sense for her purpose in the show which is honestly not much, since, as you said, she is a woman in a Vivziepop show.

To my knowledge Cherri is like 30-ish years younger than Angel Dust in Hell experience so she’s likely not reached a point where she’s gotten tired of how things work, as well as the fact we don’t really have much of an idea on her backstory aside from that random shot in “Addict” of that guy in a puddle??? But generally she seems to be in a better position than Angel is, so there isn’t really any reason for her to want to change, yknow? I will say I do like exploring characters that are good friends while still being bad influences at times, but I’m going to be honest I feel like thats really not what Angel needs right now. I wouldn’t be as pissy about it if she did end up apologising afterwards (I’m just gonna headcanon she did for my sanity) but even then as Angel’s friend we don’t know like… anything about her. I would’ve really liked to get some kind of callback to the pilot where Cherri mentions she thought Angel was dead until the random Sir Pentious turf war, and maybe we could see her actually being worried about Angel again instead of those 3 frames in “Addict”, but Hazbin is rushed and I guess we don’t have time for that. And also YES it would’ve been great to see her in Episode 4 and actually doing something but again, Vivziepop is boring.

Going forward I would really like to see Cherri, if not become a patron, at least try to be a better friend and sure if she wants to keep doing stuff she can keep doing it, but just don’t encourage other people to relapse. It is very simple.

SIR PENTIOUS! About Sir Pentious, this is going to be incredibly short. I don’t hate the ship but also I’m not really crazy about any of the Hazbin Hotel ships? I also don’t really hate any except for the genuinely horrid ones but thats basic sense. I absolutely agree with you, Cherri does not need a romantic interest. Romance doesn’t always = growth and growth should not always = romance. She needs some genuine character TLC and I hope to god she gets some in season 2. We’ve only seen a few minutes of her so I have yet to give a firm opinion, but as of now I’m just hoping they do something actually interesting with her instead of just alluding to Sir Pentious ship. Also the penis thing. 1. What was that, and 2. It made me and my friends briefly pause to sex Sir Pentious and come to the conclusion he is likely transgender/hj

TLDR; Please give us a fun Cherri Bomb again. ☹️

[thatbigbisexual29]

It’s Only Funny When I Do It (ATSV)

Hello friends! I have written again! This one was surprisingly hard for some reason?? I had a certain line I wanted to use (credit to @giggly-squiggily​ thanks bestie!) but I had no idea how to write to that point. I think I erased and rewrote... 12 times?? But, I finally figured it out! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as the last! Also I know it isn’t a lot compared to other fics, BUT ITS OVER 100 NOTES NOW THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! I can’t believe so many people liked my silly fic, it makes me feel so nice and accomplished. Anyways, hope you guys have fun with this one! :)

Miles was in trouble. Why did he start a truth or dare game with Gwen? Why did he say dare? Why did he commit to this stupid prank?!? He was dead. Even as he swung frantically through Brooklyn, New York to escape the madman chasing him, he knew deep in his heart that he was dead.

“MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILES!” Hobie bellowed after him, swinging towards him with a fiery anger in his chest.

“I’m sorry!! I thought it would be harmless! Gwen dared me to do it, go after her!” Miles shouted back. He desperately swooped through alleyways and cars, hopping over buses and roofs, doing everything in his power to escape the punk spider. But he just couldn’t shake the furious man.

“I’ll get ‘er AFTER I’M DONE KILLIN’ YOU!” Hobie barked. The older male swung up, twirling in a backflip, then shot a line of webbing towards Miles. It caught his back and Hobie yanked, causing Miles to lose his momentum and fall. Hobie was quick though, pulling the webbing closer so the younger man didn’t plummet to his death. He swung up to a nearby building and tossed Miles onto the concrete roof, watching him tumble onto his back.

“Ow! Ey, ey, EY! Chill! Let’s talk about this! Don’t you love talking??” Miles rambled in a panic, quickly backing away from the rapidly approaching Punk. Hobie wasted no time with thwipping Miles’ legs to the ground, then his web slingers so he couldn’t try to run away. Miles struggled to free himself with no luck. Finally, Hobie towered over him. It was hard to discern his facial features with his mask on, but his presence emitted rage.

“Miles. You’ve got free seconds to explain why I found DIS in mah flat today.” Hobie kneeled over Miles and held up his guitar. Although, it wasn’t his normal guitar. The strings were instead very poorly taped on pasta noodles. Some of the noodles were boiled, some weren’t, but after their little chase a lot of the noodles didn’t stay on the guitar. It really was a dumb prank and in retrospect, not even that funny.

“Ok, I know that you’re mad…” Miles began.

“Mad? Mad? I’m bloody fumin’, mate! Do ya know how much guitar strings cost?” Hobie growled, angrily slinking his guitar off his back but gently placing it on the floor beside them. 

“No…?”

“Nearly £120! Look me in me eyes and tell me you fink I can afford £120 of strings!” Hobie grabbed both of Miles’ wrists and forced them above his head, thwipping them multiple times to the ground.

“L-Listen! I’m sorry alright?? It was a prank! I didn’t mean to cut your strings I-”

“You cut ‘em?! Those strings were perfect, they were! Ooohoho Miles…” Hobie took a deep breath and sat back on his leg, tightening a fist and trying to calm himself. Miles tugged harder at his restraints but the webbing held true. He knew Hobie would never intentionally hurt him, but he couldn’t deny the nervousness that bubbled in his chest.

“Alright how about this, I’ll buy you new ones! Ok? And even after that I’ll still probably owe you! C’mon man we’re friends! Don’t do whatever violent thing you’re about to do!” the teen bargained, watching the eye lenses on the punk closely. Hobie turned his head back towards his friend and smirked under his mask.

“Me? Doin’ somefin violent? You know me all too well. But I ain’t gon do nofin to ‘urt yous, Miles. But tell me somefin. Your mum’s a nurse, yeah? You know how to stop a bleedin’ wound?” Hobie asked as leaned over the teen, cracking his knuckles and then his neck.  Miles swallowed nervously, attempting to pull his arms down once more before realizing he was screwed.

“You… you put pressure on it…?” he responded with a confused look to the older male. Hobie huffed a small laugh.

“You don’t say. I guess then you know wha’ I’m bouts to do wit these bleedin’ armpits, roight?” And before Miles could think, Hobie tasered his armpits with two fingers in each hollow. Miles barked out an embarrassing high-pitched yelp and fell into a loud cackling fit. He squirmed this way and that but Hobie just stuck to him (hee hee spiderman joke).

“AIIYE!! Gyahahahahaha! Hahahahaha Hobie! Ahahahahahaha whahahahahahat ahahahahahare you dohohohohohoing?!”

“Whas it look like, ya yankee? ‘M gettin’ revenge! As if I’d ‘urt mah protégé, come off it mahn. ‘Old on, dijyou jus snort?” Hobie asked, slightly recoiling at the sound he just heard.

And he was right. Miles had just snorted of all things. This was a big reason the teen avoided tickling or tickle fights because of his laugh. He was just too embarrassed. There were certain spots on his body that would immediately produce snorts, and his armpits were one of them.

“Pfffhehehehehehehahahahahahaha *snort* ahahahahahahaha! Stahahahahahahap ihihihihit! *snort* Nahahahahahahahahaaa! Quihihihihihit! Pleheheheheheheheeeease! *snort snort*” Miles snorted up a storm. He was glad he couldn’t see Hobie’s face because he knew he was smiling ear to ear like the Grinch.

“Ohoho nah mate. This is too good. Ya got a little piggy snort, do ya? Do ya always snort when someone tickles yer pits, eh? That’s hilarious, spidey. Kitchy koo~” Hobie teased as he scribbled all his digits into Miles’ exposed armpits, chuckling as the teen shrieked and snorted again.

“NAHAhahahahahaha! Nohohohoho kihihihihihitchy!” Miles argued, furiously shaking his head back and forth.

“Whas dat? No kitchy koo? Aw Miles, you’re such a lightweight mahn! C’mon mate, jus a few more! Jus a few more an’ I’ll stop wit de teasin’ yeah?” Hobie laughed as Miles shook his head more. He then moved his long fingers to his ribs which earned another yelp from the teen. Hobie couldn’t help but smile wider.

“Too bad! A kitchy kitchy koo~ Kitchy koo Miles!~ Aww, does it tickle? Ah bet it does. You wouldn’t be laughin’ so much overwise. Ain’t you cute? Wit all dese girly giggles an all. Oh mah god, you sound like Mayday! Hah! Tha’s adorable, mate. Does Gwen know about this?” Hobie teased, enjoying how Miles’ squirming turned to thrashing.

“STAHAHAHAHAP! DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHON’T TEHEHEHEHEHEHEHELL! HOHOHOHOHOHOHOBIE PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE! I’M SAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHARRY! LEHEHEHEHEHEHEHET ME UHUHUHUHUHUHUP PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!!” Miles screamed as he arched his back, wildly waving his head around while also trying to hide it behind his restrained arm. 

“‘Old on! You still ‘aven’t learned your lesson!” Hobie chuckled, tasering Miles' side to make him jump. Which he did. While also breaking the sound barrier for a split second with his shrill yelp.

“WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT IHIHIHIHHIHIHIHHIHIS IHIHIHHIHIHIHIHHIHIHIT??” Miles screamed, almost at his limit. Hobie took note of this, knowing he needed to wrap it up.

“Understan’ dis, Miles. Pranks are only funny when I do ‘em. ‘Ear me?” Miles nodded frantically and Hobie finally backed off and let the teen breathe. Then he realized what would actually help and lifted Miles’ mask over his nose, not revealing his whole face. Miles took in greedy breaths of air as Hobie fished out his pocket knife, slicing away the webbing that held him down.

“Oi, you good? Gonna recover or ‘ave I traumatized ya?” the punk teased. Miles let out a tiny cough and a laugh.

“Nah, I’ll need therapy after what just happened. Consider a lawsuit ramming your ass, Brown,” the teen responded cheekily. Hobie barked out a laugh and shoved his shoulder, falling on his butt (although he played it off like it was intentional).

“You’ll ‘ave to catch me first, Morales. Cheeky bastard,” the punk chuckled and looked into the sun which was now setting over the city. They sat for a moment, Miles calming down with Hobie waiting on him.

“Listen man,” Miles started, “I shouldn’t have done that. I know how important your guitar is to you, and I should have backed out of Gwen’s dare. And I'll get you new strings. We’ll stop at a music store, there’s one not too far, I think,” Miles said, sitting up to face the older male. Hobie looked at him and nodded.

“Yeah, sounds cuppa. You good though, honest? Don’ need a Mickey Bliss or nofin’?” the punk asked as he stood, offering a hand to Miles, who gave him a confused look.

“I seriously have no idea how I understand you.” Hobie snickered and pulled Miles to his feet as the teen pulled his mask over his face. Then, the two heard someone shout ‘help!’ from the road below. They shared a look and nodded. Guitar strings could wait. Though Miles learned a very valuable lesson that day.

Don’t ever prank Hobie unless you want to have a death wish.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

I did one of these for fun, and because I thought it would be fun to breakdown the way I like to look at characters! I would love to see everyone else’s thoughts and tier lists! All of my opinions could change with time as the stories progress.

Explanations of the tiers below if ur interested—these are really just personal opinions and have nothing to do with any sort of actual critique. More ranty than usual near the end:

S tier: these are characters that I think have a lot of potential, and could have been a LOT more interesting and engaging to me personally if they were written well and had better characterization + I like their designs more than the rest, or I think they’re actually funny. Most of them are women characters with designs I really like that I think deserve SO much more than what the writings given to them. Plus mammon b/c he’s genuinely funny to me, I like his voice, and i think he’s attractive.

A tier: Same as the above, but I’m just not quite as interested in them and their storylines as S tier. Most of the A tiers are characters that I vibe with but still have problems with their character designs (Ozzie, Fizz, and Bee are the biggest ones). Still made me laugh or are silly, but not quite as much as the S tiers either.

B tier: Characters that I like okay enough, but are really just too bland for me. I don’t think they’re necessarily bad characters, but they’re just very cookie cutter to me. They’d have to have a LOT more personality for me to like them more. I like their designs, but they still have issues—Husk is in here pretty much just b/c I love Keith David, and think he did such a good job with him that it made me like him more.

C tier: These guys are the ones that kind of annoy me. They’re sort of nothing characters that feel more like plot devices, and we dont know enough about them for them to be really interesting, they just sort of exist. Moxxie is there because I’m so tired of him. He hasn’t done anything bad but like. I’m tired of him constantly getting punched down on and being given SO much focus over Millie.

D tier: these guys straight up just annoy the hell out of me. As characters they seem to exist either just to be as annoying and edgy as possible, or they’re so poorly written that probably no amount of potential can make me interested in them. They seem like they’re either around as creator’s pets or excuses to say sexist and fatphobic shit. Loona is there specifically b/c she’s so constantly mean to other characters that it’s frustratingly boring. Beginning to wonder if the writers think that if you have any sort of trauma or difficulties in your past that it means you can just be horrible to everyone around you. People use these characters backstories to explain their inconsistent characterization as if their backstories weren’t also just. Writing decisions. Angel Dust’s series voice direction was terrible he sounds really nasally and whiny to me and I hate that they wrote him to just sexually harass everyone.

F tier: I hate these guys. They are so annoying to me. There is next to nothing charming about them. Two of them are literally rapists that the fandom insists on either weirdly babying or acting like they’re some funny slapstick character. When like. They’re rapists yall. Andraelphus literally just exists to be the replacement male villain to stella, Alastor is one of the absolutely worst character designs and characterizations I’ve ever seen, and crim and Chaz…idk I just don’t like em.

Zestial (Who???) tier: imma be real zestial didn’t do anything wrong. He just. He’s just a cardboard cut out. I know who he is but he literally does nothing and serves no purpose AT ALL other than to give James Monroe Igleheart a role in Hazbin. Which like. Good for James. He’s probably the most talented singer in the whole cast, and he’s a fantastic actor. There’s a reason that his other two characters, Ozzie and Vortex are in A tier. But damn Zestial is just such a nothing boring character that I literally was like “what character is that????” for a sec when making this. Sorry Zestial. You’re not actually below F tier youre just. In the void of TRULY pointless characters. Sorry :(

[blabberoo]

Saw the first ep of Dead Cells Imortalis

Honestly i easily get excited with things. Especially this one. But oh man do i have a lot of things to say and im trying to hold it back 😭

So its blabbin' time.. (spoilers first ep)

Yknow, this feels like those game trailers that does exposition of the introduction of the plot of it... But slightly extended. And it just leaves it underwhelming.

The pace is very quick (possibly budget issue who knows). I dont think i got enough time for Laure's character introduction. She felt like shes just.. there?? (I guess shes literally lore expositor 😭)

I'm kind of ok with Bobby, because they left him as he is, or how i always thought of him. Still an apathetic jerk who has a death wish (WOOO LOVE THAT IN IMMORTAL CHARACTERS MY FAVORITE SOUP ✨✨)

The part where Bobby and Laure started to work as a team only got told through a narration voice over. (Ig with background visuals) So not much back and forth between characters :( Till the end..

Love Bobby's little dialogue at the end (i love how much of a jerk he is screw me), but it felt like its too early for that. Well, knowing how short these series would be i guess they would cut a few things. And i guess that was needed for Laure to strike a deal with him.

And honestly, with how bare and simple the story is so far, it is still possible to have Bobby mute. There are other shows that had already done that. The game itself did. And with the first episode, I could still see it work with him not saying a word.

Laure tells him the deal. Bobby nods and gives a thumbs up.

Laure witnessed him walking away when guard said she'd kill her if he leaves.

Laure calls him out. He turns to her smirking, and continues to walk away. Laure calls him a liar.

YKNOW HOW FUN THAT WOULD BE??!?! JUST HIM MAKING SILLY GUESTURES?!?!??

(i swear i am so tempted to rewrite the whole ep with him mute)

I guess except for that whole Bobby dialogue at the end (and maybe the lead up to the death deal)?? But perhaps the show can express that more in later episodes??

All in all, i guess im a bit frustrated. Because I really do see the potential, and the potential makes me very excited over it. But thats just that: potential. I love Laure's conflict with her own religion and i love how she weighs on what's important to her in the moment. I love how Bobby doesnt care about anything much, because all he sees is that familiar hell and wanting to see a way out. But almost half of it seemed to be resolved in the first ep.

I'd honestly take those short, whimsical silly nature of the game trailers. If they've kept the old artstyle, i woudnt have mind if it was shorter or lesser episodes. But if theyre gonna keep this new style and make a lore heavy story out of it, at least maybe commit to it?

Perhaps im just jumping to conclusions right now since it's just the first episode, and im just fresh out of it. I've only seen it twice. So my only hope was they expand on these characters rather than just plot tools to keep the show going,.. or maybe im asking too much lol.

TL;DR.

First ep impression:

Pace way too quick. Not much character build. Guessing on budget issue. Love the idea, but a bit poorly executed.

Anyways thats probably it... Some thoughts i might keep for later.

And i just wanna say i screamed giddily at this image...

[into-september]

"Destruction" is the worst episode of Miraculous Ladybug

Oh hey guys, remember way back in April or something when I said I was doing this? Well, the one year anniversary of its premiere is a suitable time to post this, particularly since yesterday saw the airing of the last piece of canon to come out in a while, which happened to be set immediately after these events.

With the always obligatory reminder in place that I generally think that “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir” is in fact a good TV show whose appeal potentially reaches beyond its merchandise-mandated target group, it has an unflattering pattern of introducing the juiciest story threads and then just… do nothing about them.

The topic of today’s sermon isn't in isolation the worst offender. But it is thanks to this that the worst offender happens at all, so I'm not gonna be nice about it.

Scroll past to skip the negativity.

So, “Destruction”, possibly the most eagerly awaited episodes of out S5 if you don’t count all the false advertisement that was “Revelation”. I remember finding this episode uncharacteristically charmless for this show when I first watched it. They've been onto heavy topics before, but those episodes still had that je ne sais quoi that gives this show such heart. But re-watching "Destruction" I found it lacking already from the first scene, and felt it only in glimpses. It's just not fun.

The episode is also poorly paced, no way around it. It is inexplicably a flashback to two episodes ago which is not evident from the start. More than half the runtime technically consists of Marinette and Alya having a sleepover. The battle and its game-changing outcome is over at 12 minutes into the episode, which is barely past the halfway point. After that, we spend five minutes - a quarter of the episode's full runtime - on a flashback re-playing the same battle but now with verbal exposition explaining Marinette's clever plan. Mind that the confrontation between Marinette and Gabriel lasts for all of seven minutes, meaning that the flashback is nearing the length of the battle itself.

To top it of, it's bogged down with lengthy exchange between Gabriel and the kwamis just to make clear that the haters on the twitter were totally wrong when they bitched about Orikko being OP because actually its powers were something else than we established last season. Here's a bonus plot hole which has nothing to do with everything else I'm going to nag about: Orikko allegedly can't give out the powers of time-travel because no kwami can replicate another kwami's powers. Except for Nooroo and Duusu, I guess, who have done so on several occasions. One of the more remarkable being the episode which first heralded the event that "Destruction" set in motion: "Timetagger".

And who can forget that this was the second time in three episodes where Ladybug and Cat Noir had Monarch at their mercy but spent so much time giving triumphant speeches that he gets away.

Or that that in fact was the second time on the same night.

But while those things certainly make the episode poor, they are not what makes it the worst.

What makes this episode the worst isn't its technical failures, but about the way it leaves its feces all over the themes and the character arcs it seemed like the show had been building up until this point. Moreover: in the role it plays in S5 and the Agreste storyline, and how the show's refusal to touch it again creates a black hole in the season at large, and arguably in the show as a whole.

I. THE INESCAPABLE CONTEXT OF WHAT CAME BEFORE IT

The art of telling a story is the art of highlighting what matters and leaving out what doesn’t. In a well-crafted story, no matter the medium, no detail is insignificant. Every word is carefully chosen, every line or hue made with intention. The curtains aren’t blue just because, and Miraculous Ladybug has made too many meta jokes to hide behind the claim that it’s just a silly rom-com for kids. It has trained its older audience into looking for context and connections; after “Mr. Pigeon 72”, you can’t insist that nothing that happened earlier in this show matters for what happens later. Titles matter a lot in a show where episodes are titled after the villain-of-the-week who usually is the thematic mirror to what our heroes are going through.

“Destruction” is the fourth episode somehow named after Adrien, and the third somehow named after Plagg. You bet this matters.

As some might know, "Kuro Neko" is not my favourite episode. That's not to say I don't like it! It's cute! It's playing a really interesting scenario! We get Plagg hanging out at chez Marinette! But to enjoy it, I have to willfully ignore the storytelling incompetence it flagrantly displays. Because the moment you peek beneath the surface of the events happening to consider theme, motifs, and narrative parallels, it's just

"Kuro Neko" is the second episode that is named after Cat Noir. The first one was "Cat Blanc". There is a thematic connection between the two; not a very clear one and probably not an intentional one, but all the same: both episodes are about an alternative to Cat Noir. One is the result of his father's violence; the other is Adrien's own attempt to become more like the person he presents around his father. They also both show us Plagg and Adrien negotiation Adrien's relationship to Ladybug, and how Ladybug and Cat Noir negotiate that same thing.

"Cat Blanc", for all its apocalyptic visions, starts and ends with hope. It starts with Marinette’s hope at confessing to Adrien, to Adrien’s hope in finally knowing Ladybug’s identity and knowing her like he’s yearned for for three seasons. Those hopes lead to disaster, but the episode ends with Ladybug finding Cat Noir on the Montparnasse Tower, where he is singing his lullaby about the kitty being "all alone without his Lady". As is fitting, Marinette breaks the pattern: after having just witnessed a world turned to destruction because the two of them loved each other, she leans her head on his shoulder in perhaps the most romantic gesture she's ever given him.

"Kuro Neko", in contrast, starts with Adrien resigning the job when he realises that Ladybug no longer needs him and that makes him feel bad. It ends with him coming back and verbally accepting that Ladybug doesn't owe him any exclusive treatment; he isn't her unique partner, just one of many. Where the final scene of "Cat Blanc" seemed to confirm that Ladybug is indeed the answer to Adrien's solitude, the final scene of "Kuro Neko" and its continuation in the first scene in "Risk" both make clear that the opposite is now status: Adrien has to accept the painful fact that as much as Ladybug might be the most important person in his life, Cat Noir does not hold a similar space in Ladybug's.

(The end of “Strike Back” of course claims to remedy this, but those words don’t ring very true when to Marinette’s knowledge, nothing of what went wrong today had anything to do with her keeping secrets from Cat Noir. More damning: Marinette never follows up on her purported regret. In all of S5, she never once sits down to share all those secrets with Cat Noir. Status from "Kuro Neko" still stands, and Adrien is fine with that now. This has nothing to do with the many problems “Destruction” creates, but talking about “Kuro Neko” by necessity means talking about how it wasn’t fixed even if they put the words in Marinette’s mouth. And now back to our scheduled programming)

"Cat Blanc" and "Kuro Neko" by their very existence bring up a thorny topic: That Adrien being Cat Noir isn't wholly unproblematic, and that both Adrien as an individual and Ladybug as the Guardian might have legitimate reasons to question that choice. This has always been obvious to the viewer who knows Hawkmoth’s identity, but the show itself eventually starts calling attention to that from an entirely different angle - namely that of his powers.

Lest we forget: The first episode of S4 that aired wasn't the first episode chronologically: It was "Furious Fu", wherein we learn that The Order of the Guardians has it out for Plagg specifically, and where Ladybug's status as The Guardian is almost revoked on the grounds that she's letting him run around unsupervised. This question of Plagg's whereabouts comes up again in the only episode that is named after Adrien sans Plagg: "Ephemeral", a re-play of “Cat Blanc” except not good. This whole subplot is quickly forgotten, though it being the only one of Su-Han's complaints that weren't about him being a boomer, it's also worth remember that "Destruction" technically happens a couple of hours after he made his last appearance. One might expect that his one consistent lesson would be important enough to echo a bit in the episode where it’s proven to be justified.

"Destruction", as not only one very early episode of the season promising to finally bring about some significant and not the least permanent changes to their lives, but indeed an episode happening on the same night as Ladybug's declaration of regret and Cat Noir's renewed declaration to be her partner, would by its title and its topic seem like the obvious place to finally resolve what "Cat Blanc" and "Kuro Neko" both asked us to question: The existential terror of Plagg's powers, why it is that Adrien is uniquely chosen to temper them at Ladybug’s side, and how Adrien feels about being the one to carry that responsibility.

Yeah. Well.

II. ADRIEN'S PRESENCE IN "DESTRUCTION"

Where "Kuro Neko" and "Cat Blanc" place significant focus on Adrien Agreste in his civillian life, in "Destruction" he appears on screen for a total of 25 seconds - most of which are another flashback to a previous episode, and whose purpose is to highlight Gabriel's hurt from the cataclysm, not Adrien's thoughts about what is happening.

Cat Noir's presence is also marginal. Three minutes of screentime pass from his first appearance until the battle is over. Said battle is the turning point in the war between the heroes and Monarch, thanks to neither Ladybug's powers nor Monarch and all the kwamis, but Monarch using Cat Noir's powers for an impulsive act of self-mutilation. Cat Noir is distraught over this, turning desperate when Monarch first start toying with the idea and being near tears after he carries it out.

I'll get back to the impact of this event, but for now I'll point out that the aftermath is brief: After Monarch escapes, our heroes have this exchange:

LB: We had him, we almost had him! The kwamis were safe, they were right here! CN: I cataclysmed him! I can't believe this, I just cataclysmed someone! Granted it was Monarch, but - there was a real person behind that mask, and it must have hurt him terribly! Milady, you gotta fix this! LB: Cat Noir, Monarch just ran away with my lucky charm! Without it, I can't fix anything. I can't call on my powers and undo the effect of the cataclysm. There's nothing I can do...

We then cut to the slumber party, where Marinette tells Alya that she and Cat Noir "split up" immediately after, and Alya comforts her. From this point in the episode, Cat Noir and Adrien only appear in flashbacks. First a fifty-second flashback wherein Marinette sets up her convoluted plans, then a few seconds of him moving his statue in the wax museum before Monarch appears.

In the episode that more than anything should thematise Adrien, Plagg's powers, and his relationship to his father, Adrien is on screen for a whooping four minutes and twenty seconds.

And because I am that devoted to proving my point, I went and timed all of Alya's on-and-off appearances, which clocked in at a total of five minutes and six seconds.

Alya is of course core to the slumber party which frames the setting of the entire episodes. Moreover, it is with Alya that the emotional arc of the episode ends: it starts with Marinette tormenting hersef watching a Ladyblog report about Monarch's recent win, for which Alya chastises her. The last scene (before Gabriel pulverises the miraculous) has Alya reassure Marinette that she will get the kwamis back. When she regrets her lack of superpowers, Marinette in turn reassures her that Alyas true superpower is being her friend. The journey of the episode was for Marinette to stop blaming herself for messing up, and learning to rely on Alya's support in the new turn the war has taken.

...

IN THE EPISODE WHERE ADRIEN KILLS HIS FATHER.

III. SIR NOT-APPEARING-IN-THIS-FILM

In the episode where Gabriel commits suicide on his son's miraculous, here are some things that got more screentime than the son forced into using his only source of liberation to kill his father:

Flashbacks to past events (four minutes and fourty-five seconds)

Alya (five minutes six seconds)

The kwamis (six minutes and nine seconds)

Bet you can't guess which one is the only kwami who doesn't appear in this episode!

...okay, and Duusu, but you get the point. In the episode detonating the nuke that is the gruesome potential of Plagg's powers, and the potential damage Adrien might deal with them, Plagg never appears on screen.

In the episode highlighting the presence of the kwamis and their importance to their holders, the kwami whose presence is the most thematically tied to his holder's character arc is completely absent.

In the episode irreparably going into the only kwami whose powers is straight up murder, the kwami who The Guardians have singled out specifically as particularly dangerous, the kwami whose irresponsible nature has previously caused problems both to Adrien privately and Cat Noir professionally, said kwami is never even mentioned.

It's almost as if we're not supposed to remember that it is because of his presence that this whole tragedy was possible.

IV. THE EXISTENCE-DEFINING HORROR OF A CATACLYSM GONE WRONG

And ain’t that a funny one, when the gruesome potential in Plagg’s powers was the driving factor in Adrien’s first true crisis as a hero?

Marinette faced her moment in "Origins", where she gave up on her miraculous after the first disastrous attempt. She knows that she is the only one who can do something about the situation, but refuses out of her own lacking courage. She only becomes Ladybug of her own choice when she realises that she can save Alya's life. After this, Marinette never again questioned her place. She would grieve the burden on occasion, but she never once thought anyone else could do better.

Adrien, as we all know, was the polar opposite: he jumped right into it without reading the manual, had to have Ladybug pick up the pieces after a rash cataclysm, and never doubted his calling again until he realised what Plagg’s powers could do when used on a living being.

The NYC special has Adrien quit for reasons that had nothing to do with being unsatisfied with Ladybug's HR policies. It is in part because he effed up his duty as Paris' substitute guardian, but it's certainly also because of the recent horror he just witnessed: his hand forced by someone else nearly killed Ladybug, and killed Uncanny Valley instead as she stepped between them. Adrien just saw a mother weeping over her daughter's corpse, and how only the lucky presence of Ladybug's powers could undo the damage caused by his, unintentional thought it might have been. Adrien would of course never kill anyone on purpose, but Uncanny Valley’s temporary malfunction was a brutal display of what would happen if he stumbled the wrong direction with the gun loaded. Ladybug might have the duty to protect Paris, but Cat Noir has the duty to not to disintegrate people on touch.

The show never before discussed the weight of this burden in Adrien’s presence. “Cat Blanc” did it from Marinette’s side, but this never was a consistent story thread, only briefly brought up as her remembering why his knowing her identity is a bad idea. The sabbatical in “Kuro Neko” has nothing to do with Plagg or with Adrien’s sense of duty, and where you’d think this would be where Marinette finally brings up the issue bridging the NYC special and “Cat Blanc”, neither of the two are as much as alluded to. That Adrien has the power of murder has yet to be explicitly discussed in the show proper, but in combination with his personal relationship to Hawkmoth being a ticking irony bomb, the question of can he even bear it is inevitable.

That Adrien’s post as Cat Noir wasn’t as given as Marinette’s as Ladybug is echoed in the amount of times that Adrien has either quit or at least contemplated doing so (“Syren”, NYC special, “Wishmaker”, “Kuro Neko”). He likes being Cat Noir more than Marinette likes being Ladybug, but he lacks her iron certainty in the role. It is notable, then, that THE ONE TIME where Marinette questions her part, it is after Cat Noir has quit. She says this, out loud, in words. When Cat Noir’s powers become too heavy for Adrien to carry, then Ladybug, too, disappears.

So surely "Destruction" must be the point where this is finally comes together - where Adrien's history of quitting meets his ultimate crisis, where his powers abused on a human being of flesh and blood forces him into confronting the potential cost of being this particular hero, which will foreshadow the ultimate choice he’ll have to take: between being Cat Noir and being his father’s son. And where his choice, in turn, will define whether Ladybug can exist.

Or not.

Maybe we'll never again have Adrien think about how he probably murdered a man. Maybe we'll just - oh I don't know.

Have him start trying to cataclysm people?

Repeatedly?

While showing none of the horror at himself which he clearly had in the aftermath of accidentally cataclysming the villain responsible for his later victims’ possession?

And in the end, after never calling attention to Adrien’s new and trigger happy ways, we’ll have him give in to his fear, claim that he isn’t strong enough to responsibly use Plagg’s powers, and send his miraculous away for Ladybug to use alone, because it turns out that “Kuro Neko” was right and the NYC special was wrong: she can be Ladybug without him.

Growth, amirite.

V. IN THIS HOUSE WE DON’T TALK ABOUT PATRICIDE

Dramatic irony was the main engine driving "Miraculous Ladybug" from the start, and it was Adrien who bore the brunt of it. Not only did he spend four and a half seasons in unrequited love with a girl who rejected him for himself; he spent five seasons doing weekly battle against his own father.

The superpower war between father and son isn't just a source of story tension, however: it is inextricably mirrored in their relationship as family, where the father is openly abusive and the son is magically incapable of protesting. The show repeatedly makes A Point about how the freedom Adrien so wants, is one that he only gets through being Cat Noir, and the only way Adrien is capable of fighting his father - albeit ignorant of it - is with Plagg's powers.

Cat Noir defeating Hawkmoth was necessary not just for his story as a superhero, but as his character arc as a normal boy.

And in "Destruction", this is exactly what happens. Thanks to Plagg's powers, the path to Adrien's freedom is finally paved, in the most gruesome and unwanted manner possible. Adrien might not get the big cathartic show-down with his evil father, but technically he was the one to bring him down.

But we don't talk about that. Except for his one (1) line after Monarch escapes with Ladybug's lucky charm, Adrien never again brings up the fact that his being careless with a cataclysm certainly maimed a man, by precedent (Aeon) possibly killed him. Rather than a story arc about Adrien being afraid of his own powers, it’s only now that he starts aiming it at people when he’s under emotional duress. This could of course have been one hell of a story point if it was intentional, but by all accounts, it wasn’t. When Adrien never again reflects on his having probably murdered a man, or reasons that Monarch is probably fine since he’s clearly still around so maybe a cataclysm isn’t so bad, and he never dwells on his nearly murdering two of his friends, there can’t have been any connection intended here. Moreover: when Adrien is scared of his miraculous towards the end, it’s not about its capacity for normal murder when he’s having a bad day, but its capacity of ending the world if he happens to be akumatised.

Gabriel is likewise disinterested in the cause of his impending disintegration. You’d think the man would feel some kind of special resentment towards Cat Noir and his powers, you could think this was where he’d get to re-thinking his relationship to the two people who are sitting on the keys to solving all his problems. Maybe he’d start doubting himself now, bearing the ultimate testament to his magical hubris. But no. The cataclysm wound is there and it’s a problem, but the reason it happened is completely irrelevant to the man who did this to himself and unknowingly, to his son.

That is almost as mind-blowing as the fact that they really had a straight up patricide happen on screen. Sure, death was never the intention of either of the two parties, and Adrien certainly holds no blame for what happened. But Gabriel must have at least known what he was risking, and even if the soft-hearted Adrien would somehow reason away the gravity, Plagg would certainly now. By its very nature, this one cataclysm drags out and distils a plethora of questions about both Adrien’s role as Cat Noir, about Gabriel’s vision of himself and his goals, and about their relationship not as father and son, but as villain and hero. The gruesome narrative irony looming over all this is in that regard just the icing on the cake.

There is certainly an Oedipal layer to the drama of Gabriel and Adrien, though the often more scandalous incestuous angle is considerably downplayed here. Even so: By the denouement of S5, Adrien has successfully killed his father and set up a home with his mother. That really happened, but we’re sure not going to investigate how this influenced the relationship between two nemesis, between father and son, between Adrien and his kwami.

The cataclysm in “Destruction” turned Adrien from anguished shoujo love interest to the hero of a greek tragedy, but the show is dead set on pretending that it didn’t.

VI. SO THEN WHAT WAS THE POINT

In isolation, "Destruction" comes across as weird more than anything. It's named after Adrien's kwami, it spends an inordinate amount of screentime on Adrien's father, it reaches back to Adrien's perhaps most defining moment as Cat Noir as it fundamentally changes the game between our heroes and our villains as one of them is finally dealt a damaging blow - which in turn sets Adrien's life down a path towards tragedy that must be interfered with for him to have a happy ending by the end of the season.

And yet, Adrien is a peripheral presence in it. Marinette and Gabriel dominate the screentime, Alya and the kwamis are consistently present as the thematic chorus at their respective sides throughout, the episode plays its events twice in order to make it clear that Ladybug is too clever for Monarch's miraculous, the emotional arcs that are followed are the follow-up on where Marinette and Alya stand after the disaster in "Strike Back" as well as Gabriel's renewed vigour. Adrien's only contribution to the episode is to follow Ladybug's instructions and to make clear that his relationship with his father is still awkward. The episode depicts probably THE most important event of the show, but this event is treated almost as an afterthought, and the horrors of it are confined to one (1) line of dialogue from Cat Noir.

The only thing in “Destruction” that is brought up in later episodes is that Gabriel is now actively dying. If they wanted for Gabriel to live on a countdown for his date with the grim reaper, there were countless other ways about it: Have it be his use of too many miraculous which backfires, have him having used the peacock before it was fixed, have it be too much evil on the hands of Nooroo, have him get a serious call from his doctor, have him screw up Tomoe's machinery, have him develop a drug problem. This is a fictional narrative; its twists and turns are absolutely in the hands of the writers, teenage girls being irredeemable or not. It was never vital that this happened by cataclysm specifically.

So what was the point, then? Did we truly turn our magical girl show into a Greek tragedy for the shocked pikachu faces only?

The one thing I somehow haven't seen people bring up, is that "Destruction" makes it impossible for Adrien to learn Monarch's identity. According to the writers themselves, the reason lies in two of the other episodes named after him: "Cat Blanc" and "Ephemeral", wherein he learns his father's identity and is promptly akumatised. This is of course bullshit: both these cases relied not on Adrien learning his father's identity, but on Gabriel specifically scheming to traumatise Adrien with both the Hawkmoth reveal AND the fact that he's been living in the same house as his mother's dead body for the last year or two (timeline here is spectacularly contradictory). There was anothing inevitable about this. You're the writers. You could've set up a scenario where Adrien didn't learn about his father's crimes as an act of psychological warfare, and where he'd have the time to absorb it, to grieve and to find support by the time he'd confront him with it. Having every person close to Adrien keep life-defining secrets from him “for his own good” is, by god, not a good look on anyone involved here. Still it’s understanable, at least for those who aren't either adults or gods of destruction.

"Destruction", however, serves as an explanation for the gaping plot hole in the epilogue: Marinette tells Alya, she tells Su-Han. The one she doesn't tell, though?

The partner who was at her side before Alya or Su-Han ever appeared, and stood by her in far worse storms. Because telling Cat Noir the truth would mean telling Cat Noir that he dealt Gabriel Agreste the killing blow, and ain't that a nifty way to ensure that Marinette won't. Because if Adrien does learn Monarch's identity and the truth about his fall in future seasons, Emilie better hide those garment pins.

The truly damning part of "Destruction" isn't so much what the episode itself does. It's what it doesn't do. It's the storylines it cuts short and leaves behind, and it is the storyline it by its very existence introduces, but which the show refuses to touch.

Per title and content both, "Destruction" should be the culmination of thematic storylines from "Cat Blanc", the NYC special and "Kuro Neko". It’s not; it’s not even about Adrien, and Plagg isn’t even present in it. Moreover: its lacking presence on future episodes make it painfully evident that ambitions, there were none. Those storylines were either aborted like Adrien picking up Felix's spyglass in the S4 finale, or the show never did mean for there to be such a thing as "layers" to this story about a boy who becomes a hero to unknowingly break free from his superhero father.

The real reason why "Destruction" is the worst episode of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir is that it obliterates the most cohesive character arc this show had going for it, and that this was done on purpose.

[cheesenames]

20 Questions for Writers - I was tagged by @batrachised and then took forever to actually do this, oops.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18, but some of them are anonymous so officially it's 16

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

65,647

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars (a shocking confession to make on my Star Wars sideblog) and Jane Austen

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The one where Anne de Bourgh is the Regency It Girl who everyone's desperate to marry

The one where I lost steam and will never finish it and kind of just ignore that it exists <333

The one where Mary Bennet is a serial killer

The one where a bunch of normal office workers and medical experts exchange increasingly concerned emails about the Vader suit

The one where Bail Organa accidentally starts a rumor he had an affair with Darth Vader

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, and I always overthink it and worry I'm annoying whoever I'm responding to

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't know if this would really be considered angst, but the "Mary Bennet serial killer" fic I wrote ends with the implication that she's going to kill again lol

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This is hard to quantify, but Bail Organa's accidental affair reveal does distract everyone too much to blow up his planet, so I guess that one

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I'm unanimously loved but I sometimes get people telling me I should have done something differently

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No, but I write innuendos if I think they're funny. I've got one fic that's just "how many double entendres can I fit in 850 words?" and it's incredibly immature but I'm told it amused people

10. Do you write crossovers?

Officially no, unofficially I've had a concept marinating in my brain for like three years and simply haven't bothered to do it because I got distracted by Star Wars

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

If I have, I don't know about it yet!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I started translating one of my own fics, and then I never finished it. It's really difficult!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes and it was a DELIGHT. It felt like it transformed the entire process to be only the fun parts (bouncing ideas around) and none of the difficult parts—just like yayyyyyyy I'm having fun and then suddenly you look up and realize you've hit 10,000 words

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Yodpatine

15. What's a WIP that you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have been working for a while on a Padmé + handmaidens fic that's mostly just me projecting about "how do you move on when your lookalike dies?" and I would like it to become a coherent story I can share someday but I am not optimistic about its prospects

16. What are your writing strengths?

Being silly

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Being serious

18. Thoughts on writing in another language in a fic?

Please stop using google translate for this, I find it so jarring when a character starts speaking a comedically poorly translated version of a language I actually know. In my own writing, I would much prefer to use the "'Words words words,' said Character in Language" construction, even if it's a language I speak

19. First fandom you wrote for?

sigh. I think it was Sherlock

20. Favorite fic you've written?

anyway I think the one where Palpatine lost his job and ended up becoming roommates with Anakin and Obi-Wan was fun, so we'll say that one

tagging: @no-where-new-hero @animazi @ozvezdja