#just some guy and I think that's awesome. girls that kind of suck (honorable) are so awesome and important

[spheciform]

Most sonic characters are heroes for the everyday person by letting them imagine they can save the world and do good, but lanolin is a hero for the everyday person because she has the ability to tell people to stop fucking around on the job

[redhatmeg]

Judge to Luffy: What's so good about him [Sanji]?! Straw Hat Luffy! This is Emperor of the Sea Big Mom's territory... Once you enter, you'll never be able to get out! You risked your life just to get him back?! Sanji is Germa's failure! His skin doesn't work as a shield! He works as a cook because he has no pride in his royal blood! He's easily moved like an idiot and his soft mind makes him put his life on the line for the weak! A failed soldier who is far from perfect... That's all he is!

Luffy to Sanji: I'm surprised. Why did he suddenly start listing all the good things about you?

You know, ever since I've seen a gifset with this scene, I was planning to do a classic joke with Luffy saying: "Yes, but unfortunately, Sanji also have flaws." However, now when I've got to Judge's tirade in the anime, I have something different to say.

Because watching this scene, I suddenly remembered something that was popping up whenever Luffy was going to recruit a new crewmember. Namely - Luffy was seeing some small acts of kindness in his future nakama, and it was one of the main reasons he wanted them in his crew. He even told Coby that, depending on what kind of guy Zoro will turn out to be, he will recruit him or not.

Zoro defended little girl from Helmeppo's dog and was taking the punishment for it like a man. Usopp was telling stories to bedridden Kaya to lift her spirits. Nami seemed to often betray Luffy and co., only to in the end help them in some way. Chopper was against closing the door to Wapol's castle because a bird was nesting above them with its young etc. etc.

And what was the moment when Luffy decided to make Sanji his cook? It was when he witnessed Sanji giving food to starving Gin.

It's a really simple scene: a hero feeding the hungry who otherwise would go without a meal, but it suits Sanji perfectly, both because he is a cook, and because it's a moment when that perverted, brush guy who fought Fullbody over a soup and wine, just prepares a dish, puts it before Gin and sits next to him, smoking a cigarette. Even when Gin protests because he has no money and doesn't want charity, Sanji encourages him to eat, and what happens next? Gin starts to cry because the food is amazing. Later this act of kindness will result in Gin being conflicted about taking Baratie from Zeff.

I've talked a bit about the kind of men Luffy hates the most, but with his reaction to Judge's long rant about how Sanji is worthless, we see what kind of men Luffy likes and what he looks for in his potential crewmates. Of course, the first thing his childlish brain focuses on are some weird (talking skeleton), funny (a woman making horns for Luffy with her ability) or awesome traits (a talking raindeer's many transformations), but that's not all there is to it. Luffy wants to be surrounded with people who have some goodness in them, and he can even find this goodness with people he originally didn't like (which this whole subplot with Bege proves).

So Judge says: "Sanji is Germa's failure! His skin doesn't work as a shield!"

And Luffy thinks: "Yes, but he's still a skillful fighter and his kicks are awesome!"

Judge says: "He works as a cook because he has no pride in his royal blood!"

And Luffy thinks: "Yes, and his cooking is amazing! And arrogant royals suck either way."

Judge says: "He's easily moved like an idiot and his soft mind makes him put his life on the line for the weak!"

And Luffy thinks: "Yes, we are all such idiots in this crew. What's your point, man?"

This whole tirade showcases that neither Luffy understands Judge, nor Judge understands Luffy. Luffy's childlike way of thinking, his love for the crew and his honor are in stark contrast for everything Germa 66 stands for. Judge wants to rule the world, he's a conqueror and social darwinist to the point when he genetically engineered his children to be perfect soldiers. These two men have completely different mindsets and probably even if Luffy said out loud why he values Sanji so much, Judge still wouldn't understand.

[scuttling]

Happy Accidents

Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairings: Aaron Hotchner/Female Reader Word Count: 6,300 Tags: 18+, NSFW, Art, Neighbor Hotch, Shy and Oblivious Hotch, Flirting, It's soo sappy I'm sorry, Oral sex, Unprotected sex Summary: Aaron's new neighbor is out of his league for so many reasons: she's young, beautiful, artistic, unique, free-spirited, the kind of person who turns heads when she walks down the street. It's no wonder he ends up falling in love with her. *Requested by anon Link to A03 or read below! Against all of his better judgement, Aaron is kind of creeping on his new next door neighbor.

He is absolutely the type of man, any other time, to approach a woman he’s interested in and introduce himself, look for a way to connect, some common ground, but this is no ordinary woman.

She is out of his league in so many ways: young, beautiful, unique, free-spirited, the type of person who turns heads when she walks down the street. There’s not a chance in hell she would look twice at an old, stuffy, monotone suit with a seven year old son and perpetual bags under his eyes. That’s not him feeling bad about himself, it’s just the way the world works.

The first time he saw her, she was getting on the elevator while he was getting off of it, and they’d bumped into each other; she was wearing a short, flowy dress, and she’d smiled at him, apologized, eyes sparkling, smelling like she’d spent all day in the sunshine. It was the only time since Haley he’d ever entertained the idea of love at first sight.

She keeps to herself most of the time, gives off the air of being really cool and mysterious; their paths have crossed a few times since then—at the bank of mailboxes downstairs, in the hallway they share, once during a false alarm fire alarm—but he enjoys watching her paint more than anything.

They have balconies next to each other, and one night when he was tending to his herb garden—Jack enjoys watching the plants grow, and picking the herbs, Aaron likes to eat them—he spotted her standing on hers, facing away from him, in cut off jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt, barefoot. She’d been painting the city, the sky, with the sunset glowing behind her like she was the work of art, and he actually felt an ache in his chest, the feeling of missing someone he’s never really met.

Since that night, he’s started taking his work outside in the evenings after Jack goes to bed, and sitting in near silence while she paints, hums—sometimes songs he knows, sometimes songs he doesn’t. The first time he goes out before she does, she says hello when she drags her easel out, so he starts to say hello to her when she beats him there, too, but that’s pretty much the extent of their interaction. One evening when Aaron and Jack are getting home from dinner, she is lugging a canvas bigger than she is through the hallway and Jack almost runs headfirst into it; when he looks up, he exclaims about how big it is, and pretty—it’s covered with colors, something abstract and cheerful, and even if he’d seen it on the side of the road, he would have just known that she painted it. (That may be a good indicator that he’s getting in a little too deep.)

“Wow, that’s the biggest painting I’ve ever seen! And so many colors,” Jack says, awed. Aaron puts his hands on his shoulders to keep him out of her way; they’re already bothering her enough, when she’s clearly trying to get that giant thing home.

“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? I carry bigger pieces around at my studio, believe it or not,” she says to him, poking her head around the side to look at him.

“You have a studio?” His eyes are wide with interest; his favorite subject has always been art, as evidenced by their refrigerator, which is covered in drawings. She offers him an even brighter smile.

“I do! It’s not far from here; it’s called Live in Color. There’s a big rainbow painted on the side.”

“That’s so cool; it must be awesome to have your own studio.” Aaron loves that Jack seems to be so passionate about this, but the way they are obviously holding her up has him feeling awkward; he tugs gently on Jack’s backpack.

“That is really cool, bud, but we should let her go. I’m sure that’s heavy.” She smiles, shrugs.

“It’s no trouble. Hey, actually, we have some children’s art classes at the studio, and you look like you’d fit right in with the Green group—ages 7-9?” She looks up at Aaron, who nods. “Maybe we can talk dad into bringing you down sometime. We do painting, drawing, and crafts, it’s really fun.” She’s still looking right at Aaron, gives him a little wink, and he swears to god he gets butterflies in his stomach.

He’s a grown man. A federal agent. With butterflies. It’s insane.

“Oh man, dad, please? Can I take classes at her studio pleeease?” Jack tugs on the sleeve of his suit, and he nods, smiles down at him.

“Yeah, absolutely, Jack. We’ll go down and get more information tomorrow?” he offers, to both placate him and finally free the poor girl from the conversation; he nods excitedly, and she smiles, looks sweet, genuinely happy Jack is so excited to take the class.

“Cool, I look forward to seeing you guys there. Actually, if you give me one sec, I can grab my card for you.” She passes them, carrying the canvas and looking effortless while she does it; she props it up against the wall to get her keys out, unlocks her door and heads in, pops back out with a business card in a vivid watercolor yellow. “It has the address and phone number for the studio on the front, and I put my cell on the back; I figured it couldn’t hurt, considering we live next door to each other. Now you know who to call if you ever have an art emergency.”

He takes the card from her fingers, flips it over just to see the handwritten name and number; he knew her script would be lovely, and it is, easy and flowing and natural. It suits her. He tries not to grin, or flush, or otherwise be awkward about the fact that she just gave him her phone number, however innocently.

“Thank you. We’ll see you tomorrow.” They turn to head for their apartment, and she clears her throat; he smiles a little, turns back, and she’s leaning casually up against the canvas with her arms crossed.

“You know my name now. What’s yours?” She’s just being polite, but he gets the goddamn butterflies again.

“Aaron.” She smiles, something beautiful and a little wild.

“Okay, Aaron. See you outside.” From then on, most of their free time, be it evenings or weekends, is spent at the studio. Aaron isn’t the only parent who sticks around—it’s an art class, not a daycare, he doesn’t feel right just dropping Jack off and leaving him there—and he’s also not the only parent, it seems, who is aware of his beautiful young neighbor.

“She’s incredible, right?” another dad says to him one evening, over by the coffee. Aaron looks him over briefly—it’s a job hazard, he sizes up everyone, but he already has a weird feeling about this guy. “I’ve been bringing my kid here for a month just to look at that little ass running around. My wife just thinks our daughter is just really into art.” He says it with a laugh, like that’s a ridiculous concept. Aaron feels himself start to boil.

“You shouldn’t be disrespectful. She’s doing a great thing here, for the children; she’s not doing it for you to ogle her.” He feels a little hypocritical, because he is also looking, but not like this guy. He knows guys like this. He puts away guys like this.

He glances over at Aaron, looking a little taken aback that someone actually commented on his behavior, then rolls his eyes.

“She doesn’t need you to defend her honor, buddy. She wouldn’t run around here in those overalls if she didn’t want us looking. It’s job security.” She’s wearing the overalls tonight, denim shorts with one of the straps unhooked, a t-shirt underneath, but it’s not as if she’s performing a striptease. She just looks like an artist, covered in drips of paint, smiling as she looks at the kids’ pictures over their shoulders. Aaron really, really hates this guy.

“In my experience, women usually dress for themselves; they probably have pockets, easier to keep things at hand that she may need, and it’s warm in here, so she’s likely dressing for comfort. She’s certainly not dressing for you.”

As if she can sense the tension, she looks over at them, flicks her eyes over Aaron, then the other guy, and walks over with a soft smile on her face.

“Hey, Aaron, Jack really wanted you to see what he’s working on.” She reaches out a hand, wraps it around his wrist and guides him over to Jack’s table. “I figured I’d save you,” she says when they’re out of earshot. “That guy sucks. He’s always saying creepy things to me and Alaina.”

“You should ask him to leave if he makes you uncomfortable,” he says, looking down at her with worry. “I can do it.” She shrugs.

“I would, but his daughter really does enjoy the class, and it’s not fair to her that her dad’s disgusting. It’s nothing we can’t handle.” She squeezes his wrist lightly. “Thanks, though. Hey Jack, show dad your project.” He peers over his shoulder, and it’s a pink and orange skyline, much like the one he saw her painting that first time on the balcony. “I asked the kids to paint my favorite thing today, and that’s sunset.”

“I saw you painting this one night,” he says, and then he feels abruptly like an idiot. She just smiles at him though, nods.

“Yeah, I’m a sucker for a beautiful sunset. It makes you feel like, just because the day ends, it doesn’t have to mean things are over; it’s just one of life’s beautiful natural transitions. And the colors are to die for: peach, coral, jasmine, rose, tiger’s eye.” He finds himself unexpectedly touched by her description, smiles softly to shake himself of the emotions.

“The way you see the world is extraordinary. To me it’s just kind of… orange.” She returns his expression, but softer, and squeezes his wrist again; he didn’t even realize she was still holding it.

“Sounds like you need some art in your heart. I give lessons for adults, too; you could even come over and paint with me on my balcony, some time. Special neighbor privileges.”

The thought of being with her on her balcony while she paints is almost overwhelming, which he finds funny, considering he currently sits no more than twenty feet away. There is an intimacy about it, while they both do their work in the cool, quiet breeze, but standing like this, close enough to touch, with the late day sun on her face while she talks about colors… he’s not sure he could handle it without falling in love.

She pats him on the back, moves on to another child, and he tells Jack what a great job he’s doing; his face is lit up, so happy, and regardless of the neighbor, he’s glad they stumbled upon this hobby.

When they pack up to leave, the jerk from earlier comes up to him, leans in to speak in a hushed voice. “You should have just told me you were fucking her. I would have backed off.” He blinks, but the guy and his daughter are walking out the door before he finds himself able to do more than that. About a week later, he goes over for that lesson almost by accident. Jack is at Jessica’s for the night at his request, and Aaron was planning to order takeout and have a paperwork cramming session, but when goes out onto the balcony, phone in hand to place an order, his neighbor is standing on hers like she’s waiting for him.

“Hey. I saw you don’t have Jack; I made some pasta with vodka sauce, if you’re hungry. I always prepare too much.” He sets his phone on the table, walks over to the railing to get a little closer.

“Uh. Sure. I have fresh basil growing here; trade?” She smiles, nods.

“Yeah, sounds delicious. I’ll be right back.” She ducks inside, returns a few moments later with two dishes of steaming, saucy pasta, sets one down on her table and gets right up against her railing, hands the other over to him across his. “That one’s for you,” she says, handing him an orange plate, and he sets it down, picks a few good looking leaves from his basil plant and tears them up, drops them on top. “And this one’s for me.” She reaches, holds a green plate over the gap between their porches, and he adds some basil to it before she pulls it back, takes a deep sniff. “God, it smells so good and fresh. Thank you, Aaron.”

“Thank you, it looks great.” He goes to sit at his table with it, but she scoots her chair closer to the railing, closer to his balcony, so he does the same. They make easy small talk while they eat, mostly about Jack, a little about her studio and his work.

“FBI, huh? I can definitely see that, with your suits, and your… neutrals.” She cringes when she says it, and it makes him laugh.

“I’m sorry I can’t wear paint covered overalls to the office,” he teases, and she shoots him a playfully affronted look, grins.

“You love my paint covered overalls—and for the record, you’d look great in them. You should find a pair. Preferably not black.” He flushes a little at that, but she doesn’t notice, just finishes up her pasta with a sigh of contentment. “That was so good, thanks again for the basil.”

“You’re welcome; thanks for feeding me something other than the takeout I planned to have.” He stands up, gestures to his apartment. “I’ll wash the plate and then hand it back over.”

“Why don’t you just bring it over and come paint with me for a little while? If you want,” she tacks on, and for the first time she seems a little nervous. “I’m not trying to be pushy, I just think it would be fun.”

It’s not that he doesn’t want to; it would be amazing to watch her paint up close and personal. He’s just also afraid he’ll pass the point of no return if he does it, and he can’t handle any more heartache. He only very recently got to a place where just waking up in the morning no longer causes him agony.

It’s the look on her face, though, soft and sweet and open, that makes his decision for him.

“Yeah, okay. I’d like that.” She grins.

“I’ll unlock the door.”

She’s dragging out her easel when he walks through the door; her apartment is stark white walls with vibrant furniture, artwork, canvases propped up against every bare spot along the wall, paints and brushes and charcoal and pencils on every surface. It’s exactly what he would have expected, warm and lived-in and comforting, very unlike the mostly black and gray interior of his own apartment. She smiles when she sees him.

“Hey! Can you grab that tray of paint on your way out?” she asks, and he picks up what looks kind of like an ice cube tray filled with many different colors, carries it out to the balcony with him. She has a canvas propped up, a little larger than a computer monitor, and she’s gotten started, but he can’t tell what it’s going to be just yet. When he hands her the paint she looks down at it, peers around the edge of the canvas like she’s comparing something. He’s so intrigued, curious about the way her mind works, what she’s thinking.

“What are you painting?” he asks when she picks up a brush, sets it down, picks up another. She smiles at him.

“Well, we’re painting that.” She points to the street, where there’s a rusty, pale blue antique car parked—he says that loosely, because it looks broken down—in the alley. Aaron chuckles softly.

“We’re going to paint that? It’s a little… grim.”

“Yes. It’s part of a series I just decided to create: ‘Beauty in the Ordinary.’” She sighs, and he’s surprised to see that her eyes are a little wet. She wipes the back of her hand over her eyes. “You know Bob Ross, right? Everyone knows Bob Ross.” He nods.

“Yes; the guy who paints the happy trees on PBS.”

“Right. I used to watch him growing up, and I vividly remember something he said once, about needing both darkness and light in life and in painting. ‘You have to have a little sadness once in a while to know when the good times come. I’m waiting on the good times now.’” She sniffles, exhales softly. “I’m waiting on the good times too. Sometimes looking at things like this car, and forcing myself to find something beautiful in it, is the easiest way to get through the day. Does that make sense?” He swallows hard when she looks up at him, because aside from Jack, she has been the lightest part of his life since the first time they passed each other on the elevator.

“Yeah, it really does.” She shoots him a soft, slightly sadder smile, and then explains about the paints a little, shows him the difference in the brushes, lets him feel the weight of them, the textures of the bristles.

She starts painting the car—the background is mostly finished—and he’s more than happy to watch, to hear her talk about her process. She asks if she can use his forearm to mix paints, and he turns it over, wrist up, tries not to smile too hard when she puts some dark blue on him, then white, mixing them and then comparing them to the car on the street. He looks down at her, the concentration on her face, the softness in her eyes, and is met with the sudden desire to brush a line of paint over her nose and make her laugh and kiss her breathless.

“Okay, your turn,” she says when she’s about halfway done with the car. She puts her hands on the backs of his arms, pulls him in front of the canvas so she’s between him and the railing. “You’ve been watching me, so you know what to do.” He has been watching her, but not necessarily for her technique, so he’s a little nervous; he dips the brush in the blue paint but hesitates to make a stroke. “I have faith in you, Aaron. Here.”

She wraps her fingers around his hand, guides him toward the canvas, and together they make a wide, curved line, rounding out the bumper. It doesn’t look half bad.

“It gets easier once you understand the relationship between specific paint, specific brushes, and your hands,” she says softly, and she helps him paint another line. “Are you having fun? You look stressed,” she teases, and he makes it a point to relax his face.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” he says, looking down at her; they make eye contact for a long moment, and she leans a little closer, and he leans a little closer, and then he accidentally dabs a blob of blue onto the canvas. He pulls back, grimaces, deflates. “I made a mistake. You can’t erase paint, right?” She laughs softly, takes the brush from his hand.

“No, you can’t erase paint, but as Mr. Ross would say, ‘There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.’” She gets her fingers close to the tip of the brush, makes a few quick movements, then grabs another brush, dips it in green. When she pulls back, there is a little blue flower growing out of a patch of grass where his blob used to be. He exhales, a little amazed.

“If only the mistakes we make in life were that easy to fix,” he says, and she nods.

“Yeah, that would be nice, but a lot of the time we find a way to turn them into beautiful things eventually. Are you willing to give it another shot?” He says yes, and she guides his hand for a while, then just hovers near it, then just instructs him on what to do. It’s dark before their painting is finished, and she carries it inside to dry, then takes him to the kitchen sink to scrub the paint off of his arm.

“Thanks for having me over; I had a really good time,” he murmurs as she dries his clean skin. She looks up, smiles softly, nods her head.

“I had a really good time too. I’m glad you came over; you’re welcome to join me any time.”

He says goodbye, heads home, looks at his stack of work with a groan, and brews a pot of coffee. He’s in for a long night, but he wouldn’t change his evening for anything. Life is much the same for the next few weeks: school and work, Jack’s art class at the studio a couple times a week, painting on the balcony on the weekend, with and without Jack. When Jack joins them for the first time, she pulls out a big box of markers and thick sheets of paper and he draws elaborate scenes while they talk and paint together. When Aaron makes mistakes, she’s never upset, just turns them into perfect little details that end up being his favorite parts of the paintings.

“What ever happened with your ‘Beauty in the Ordinary’ series?” he asks one evening while they’re painting some ocean waves. “Did I cause you enough trouble with the car to give up?” She looks down at the ground, looks a little shy, then shakes her head and smiles.

“No, you didn’t make me want to give up. I’ve been working on it at the studio. You’ll see it when it’s all done, I plan to hang them there.”

“Looking forward to it,” he tells her, and then Jack tugs on her shorts, shows them the picture he drew of the ocean, too.

Later that week, the team takes a case, and on the day he’s set to come home, Jessica drops Jack off at the studio with the plan that Aaron will pick him up when his flight lands. Due to some weather between where the team is and home, they get a little delayed; he doesn’t want to make Jessica head back out that way almost immediately after dropping him off, but he’s not sure who else he could ask to pick Jack up. It’s almost a stupid length of time before it dawns on him to call the studio.

“Life in Color, this is Alaina.”

“Alaina, hi, this is Jack’s dad—” He has his whole spiel prepared, but she cuts him off.

“Oh, sure, hang on a sec, she’s right here. It’s Jack’s dad,” she says, but it sounds further away, like she’s trying to cover the receiver. After a moment, his neighbor picks up.

“Aaron, hi. Jack said you were working.”

“Yeah, I was, and I’m supposed to pick him up after class, but our flight was delayed.” He doesn’t know how to ask for help with Jack; even with all the time they’ve been spending together, she still makes him a little nervous. Luckily, he doesn’t have to figure that part out on his own.

“Hey, that’s no problem. If it’s okay with you, I’ll just take him home with me. I’ll order pizza, we’ll draw, and you can just stop by when you’re home and pick him up.” He breathes a sigh of relief, runs a hand over the back of his head.

“That would be perfect. Thank you—I’ll owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything. Hanging out with your mini me is reward enough; he’s painting something special for you today, won’t let me see it.” That makes him smile, and he feels so warm at the prospect of picking him up from her bright apartment, seeing his artwork, her smile. After a long, draining day like this one, it’s exactly what he needs.

“I’ll have to remain in suspense until tonight, I guess. Can you let him know I said hi? And thank you, I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Of course. We’ll see you then.”

It’s late, after nine, by the time he makes it home. He doesn’t even take his bags inside, just drops them outside his door and knocks softly on hers. She answers with a smile, ushers him in, asks him if he’d like a drink and gets them each a beer.

Jack is in her room, asleep, so they have a little time to chat; she asks about his flight, his case, and he asks about the studio, and she gets a little shy when it comes to that topic, clears her throat.

“Um. I have Jack’s secret project, if you want to see it. He said I could show you.” He’s not sure why that would make her nervous—at least, until he sees it.

The background is all watercolors, a gradient of rainbow colors starting with pink at the top and ending with a soft purple at the bottom. Over that, in black marker, he’s drawn the three of them, with a big heart around them.

“Tonight’s theme was the thing that makes you the happiest, and he said he’s the happiest when the three of us are on the balcony together. It was… really, really sweet.” She looks up at him, brushes a hand over the crown of her head. “If I’m being honest, that’s when I’m the happiest, too.” He takes the picture from her hands, runs his fingers over it, and smiles, feeling a warm ache in his chest—not like before, not like losing someone he’s never really met, but like finding something he never really planned on.

“That’s when I’m the happiest, too,” he agrees, and when he looks up, she looks determined, like she does when trying to find just the right shade of paint. She takes Jack’s picture out of his hand, sets it on the counter, and then pulls him down by the lapels of his suit, kisses him long and slow. His hands move to her waist, keeping her close, and eventually she pauses for breath, looks at him again, and then wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him some more.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the first time I saw you—tall and dark and serious, striding out of the elevator. So intriguing, mysterious,” she breathes when they separate again. “I wanted to know everything about you.”

“Are you kidding?” he asks, huffing a laugh. “I’m boring, but you are so vibrant, so full of life; I felt like you were everything I wasn’t, and I wanted to know you so badly.”

“You know me now; would you like to keep getting to know me?” It’s one of the easiest questions he’s ever been asked; he nods, and she beams, and he lifts her into his arms and carries her to the couch, drapes himself over her while she leans back against the cushions, pulling him closer.

They make out like neither of them have a care in the world—god, how long has it been since he’s made out with someone?—her fingers scraping through his hair, his hands on her bare waist when her shirt rides up, and she’s in the process of pushing his jacket off his shoulders when they hear a sound from the other room that startles them apart. Jack.

“I’ll go check on him,” Aaron says, and when he goes into her room Jack is still snuggled up on her bed sound asleep. It looks like some canvases fell over, though, and he stoops to pick them up, then spots the car they painted together. He turns and she’s right behind him, skids to a stop. “I thought you said these were at the studio?”

“They were,” she says, and she looks nervous again. “But I changed my mind about hanging them there. They felt too personal.” He runs his hand over the car and sees where she’s coming from; this one feels personal to him, too.

“Can I see the rest?” he asks. “Only if you want to show me them.”

“You’re the only one I want to show them to,” she says with a soft smile, and she grabs a few more canvases, carries them into the light of the living room. “Beauty in the ordinary, remember.” He remembers, could never forget.

She turns one over, and it’s a kitchen sink, and in the kitchen sink is an orange plate with a fork resting on it—like the plate she’d given him with the pasta on it. She turns one over and it’s a man’s hand, holding a paintbrush, with pale blue paint on his forearm. The next one is a little herb garden on a balcony; the next one is a view from above, of a sandy haired boy with markers all around him. The last one is an open elevator—ripe with possibilities.

When he looks up at her, she’s got tears in her eyes, and one slips down her cheek.

“So, I think I’ve found my good times.” She smiles through her tears, and he takes her face in his hands and kisses the salt from her lips. “I love you,” she says when he pulls back to wipe her face with his sleeve, and he kisses her softly, again and again, and tells her he loves her, too. The next weekend, Jack is at Jessica’s for a sleepover, and Aaron has been enlisted to help with an art project. He walks next door, knocks lightly, and enters the living room; he is met with a very deep, passionate kiss and a smile, and instructions to help move the furniture out of the way.

“I’m really curious what kind of art requires this much floor space,” he says, shoving her couch back against the wall, and she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, a move he has been unable to resist since she did it the first time they had sex. She knows it’s a weakness, exploits it, and he loves every minute of it.

“You’ll see, but I promise you’re going to like it.” When they clear the floor, she grabs a large, rolled-up fabric canvas and lays it out in the middle of the room, then drops three bottles of paint—one is yellow (jasmine), one is orange (peach), and one is kind of pink (coral? He’s still not sure.)—onto it. “You can obviously say no if you want, but I wanted something over my bed with the sunset colors, and I found this…” She steps closer to him, runs her hands down his chest, guides him down for a kiss so delicious he loses his train of thought. “It’s sex art; we put the paint on the canvas, and on ourselves, and… you know, go at it. What do you think?”

He thinks he really, really loves art now, even more than he thought possible.

“So we have paint-covered sex and then you just hang it on the wall? Like regular art?”

“Yep, I got the supplies I’ll need to hang it; letting it dry will probably take the longest. I figured we could shower while it’s drying, maybe go for round two, if you’re up for it.” She moves her hand to his waist, slips it inside his shorts, and he pulls her closer to his body. “Are you up for it, Aaron?”

That is an understatement.

Undressing happens extremely fast, because this is really sexy and they’re kind of in a phase where they can’t keep their hands off of each other anyway. She pulls her hair up onto the top of her head to try to minimize the amount of paint in it, and then she pours paint on the canvas, turns around and drizzles some on his back and tells him to lay down.

“I think we should probably change positions often so we get a lot of motion on the canvas; I apologize to your old knees in advance,” she teases, but she soothes the sting of her words by pouring paint on herself and then laying between his legs and licking at his dick. “Do some stuff with your hands; I want to see those big handprints on my wall,” she murmurs, and he groans, puts his palms down in the paint and drags them through it.

She leans up a little, sliding her knees through some yellow paint, sucks him fully, deeply into her mouth for couple of minutes, and then stretches forward and puts an orange hand right in the middle of his chest; the look in her eyes is playful, and he reaches out with one finger, hooks it under her chin, and guides her off and up so they can kiss.

“Your turn,” he says with a smirk, and then he gets her onto her back and ducks between her legs, hopes she doesn’t grab for his hair like she usually does. He rubs his pointed tongue over her clit, waits for the mmm it always elicits, and looks up at her, covers each of her breasts with a paint-covered palm and squeezes. “Leave handprints for me,” he leans up and reminds her, kissing her stomach, and she plants her hands, then presses up and grabs his shoulder, smearing pink down his back. “Oh, you wanted more of that?”

“Don’t tease me, the paint will dry,” she whines, and he spreads her thighs wider with his elbows and licks her pussy quickly, until she’s squirming against the canvas and panting for more. “Come here, come here.”

He’s not ready for that, though, paint or not, wants her to come from this; he takes his hands off of her, dips them in the paint again and presses down, then puts his hands under her ass and brings her closer so he can fuck her with his tongue, quick and deep and slick.

“Aaron, Aaron, god.” She slides her hands down his arms, over his neck, digs her nails in when she comes moaning like music.

While she catches her breath, so gorgeous, she sticks her arms out like she’s making a snow angel, and he catches her while she’s off guard and turns her onto her stomach, puts his hands on the smears of paint he’s already left on her ass, and slides inside.

“Oh my god; I was trying to impress you with this sexy art project, but you’re rocking my world.” She’s breathless, pressing back into his thrusts and painting with her entire body. God, he loves her mind.

“You know I always take your projects very seriously,” he says, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, and she groans, laughs.

“Yes you do. From the side? Let’s lay diagonally.” They shift, and he hooks his chin over her shoulder, kisses her neck and huffs hot against her hair. “Hmm, love it like this,” she sighs, and she reaches back to press her hand to his hip, holding him while he moves inside her. “I love you.”

“Love you. I want you to finish on top of me,” he instructs with a wet kiss to her throat, and she nods against his lips.

“Yeah, next; I’m getting close.” A few more strokes and she gets up onto her knees, lets him lay back, propped up on his arms, and climbs on top of him; she kisses him slow and dirty and then runs her hands over him, sits back on his dick and glides up and down. “You wanna come like this too? I owe you a little world rocking,” she says with a flick of her tongue over his bottom lip, and he nods, squeezes her thigh.

“It’s the least you can do after making me move all the heavy furniture.” She rolls her eyes but kisses his chin, down his throat, and bounces harder on him, all delicious eye contact and moans. “Mmm. Just like that, baby, come for me.”

“Fuck. I will, I will.” She wraps a hand around the back of his neck, kisses him kind of rough and with lots of tongue, and then tips her head back and climaxes, clenches, wrings his orgasm out of him so quickly it’s almost jarring. “Oh, yes Aaron. So good,” she mumbles, and then he lays back, out of breath, and she slides out of his lap and lays beside him, out of breath too.

After a moment, she looks over at him, smiles, and swipes a pink fingertip over his cheek.

“This is the hottest thing I’ve ever done with anyone. I’m glad I got to do it with you.” He rolls on top of her, presses a kiss to her nose, and nods.

“Me too. You know,” he adds after a moment, “my bedroom could use some artwork, too.” She grins, wraps her arms around him and squeezes tight.

“You’re right; I think we should do yours in blue: liberty, that’s dark blue; periwinkle, that’s light blue; maybe steel gray, too.”

“You’re the expert. I’m just your paintbrush.” Her hands smooth up his back, and contentment washes over him like a warm breeze.

“Hmm. I like the sound of that. Want to get cleaned up?”

Cleaning up is almost as fun as making the mess, because they’re well and truly covered, and when the canvas dries, the sunset colors are almost as beautiful as the ones she used the first time he ever saw her paint. Taglist ❤️: @arsonhotchner @mrsh0tchner @ssahotchie @sleepyreaderreads @mintphoenix @meghannnnnn @disgruntledchowchow @azenpal @g-l-pierce @my-rosegold-soul @ssamorganhotchner @heliotropehotch @angelhotchner @qtip-blog @gspenc

[actuallysaiyan]

Could you do gohan and future trunks sfw alphabet and separate plz cause I don't want to bother ya

We’ll start with Gohan! He’s one of my favorites <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Gohan is insanely affectionate. He’s always going to dote on you and show you all the ways that he appreciates you. Whether it be him doing you little favors without you asking, or he’s giving you a back rub, or even sending you flowers, you can be assured that Gohan will not leave you guessing.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Gohan would absolutely be the best! He’s smart, funny, sweet and really cares about people...especially you. He would do anything to make sure you’re happy and healthy and safe...but also he would help tutor you if you needed it or he would even bake you cookies if you were feeling down.

The friendship would either start when he’s in high school and you’re there with him, or if you ever ended up going to one of the fighting tournaments.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Gohan adores cuddling. There’s nothing better than to curl up with you and read a good book or watch a great movie. He wraps his arms around you, pulling you in close and lets you lean your head on his shoulder. He’ll probably even play with your hair or give you a little back rub.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Gohan adores the idea of being able to settle down with you. He’s awesome with cooking and cleaning and doesn’t mind doing his fair share of it. He’ll make sure you’re both feeling needed and loved and that things are split down the middle.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

I think this is something that Gohan would struggle with a lot. He hates the idea of hurting someone unnecessarily, so it would really hurt him as well if he had to end a relationship. He would try to do it as gently as he could, but he would be so heartbroken seeing you either go off angry and cold or very sad. It’s not easy on the poor boy.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He loves the idea of commitment. He saw how weird the relationship between his mother and father was, and he’d absolutely want to settle down and be with you forever if he was in love with you. It wouldn’t be super quick, but it wouldn’t take him too long if he realized that you are the one for him.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Gohan is the king of being gentle. If he hugs you or touches you in anyway, he’s very receptive and knows exactly how much pressure to put. If you need a shoulder to cry on, he’s very gentle emotionally as well. He knows exactly what to say to make you feel better.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Gohan loves hugs! They are some of his favorite things in the whole world. He’ll hug you whenever he gets the chance. His hugs are like sunny days, warm and bright. He brings you into his arms and squeezes you tightly, rubbing your back and telling you how much he appreciates you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

I think it would take a normal amount of time for him to say that. He’d have to get to know you well first, but once he realized you were the one, he would have no problem confessing. He might be a little flustered about it, but he’s not going to hide it for too long.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

I’d love to say that he isn’t the kind of man that doesn’t get jealous, but sometimes that Saiyan pride gets in the way of things and he doesn’t like the way that guy/girl is looking at you or how that person is just a little too close for comfort. If he’s jealous, he won’t lash out. He’ll come wrap his arm around you and pull you in for a passionate kiss.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are so sexy. They are slow and passionate and he knows exactly what to do to make you melt. He loves kissing you on the lips or maybe even on the neck...if he’s feeling frisky, he loves to kiss in naughty places. Gohan enjoys being kissed on the lips and forehead. If he’s feeling frisky, he definitely enjoys being kissed on the chest or even in the erogenous zones.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Gohan is amazing around children. He’s patient, understanding and a very good role model. He’ll be a wonderful father to your children and will spoil them with lots of love.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He’ll let you sleep in while he gets up to make coffee and breakfast. When you awake, he’ll serve you breakfast and coffee while you both enjoy each other’s company. Then he’ll suggest a shower before you go off and run any errands you need to.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

After a good dinner, he’ll want to curl up on the couch with you and read a book or watch a tv show you both enjoy. If Gohan is feeling a little naughty, maybe he’ll want to have a little wild fun with you. When it’s time for bed, he’ll tuck you in and lie next to you, giving you a sweet kiss goodnight.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It would take a little time for him to open up a lot. He’s going to want to know you well before he tells you everything. It’ll start with little anecdotes and stories, then it’ll move to big secrets or revelations once he feels comfortable around you and trusts you a lot.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He’s definitely got the patience of the saint. He won’t anger very easily, but if something does rub him the wrong way or he sees injustices, he won’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right...even if that does mean beating up a criminal or two.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Gohan would remember everything about you, right down to how many moles you have on your body and your second favorite pizza place. You don’t have to worry with Gohan as your lover, he knows what you like and you don’t have to second guess whether or not he knows what to get you for your birthday or anniversary.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite moment is definitely your first kiss. He was a little hesitant and flustered, so you approached him and leaned in. The moment your lips touched, it was like this electric shock hit you both at the same time. It was a very pleasant electric shock, and he kept feeling his lips tingle for hours later.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Gohan is very protective, but he knows you can handle your own. He would protect you either by defending your honor or maybe even beating someone up if they were hurting you physically. Gohan wouldn’t mind if you tried to protect him, but he doesn’t want you to get hurt at all.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He’s definitely going to go all out for those kinds of things, but he doesn’t mind it if you’d like to plan some of the dates as well. The way he sees it, he just wants the both of you to have a good time having fun together and enjoying each other’s company.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Gohan sometimes gets really sucked into his work. He may be a little bit of a workaholic and forget to relax and rest sometimes.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He knows he looks pretty good, but he doesn’t concern himself too much with his looks. He’ll make sure he’s clean and smells good before coming to see you.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Gohan would definitely feel incomplete without you. You are the person who always cheers him on and makes him feel good about himself. People always tried to dictate his life, but you just want him to feel happy and fulfilled. You love him for who he is.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Gohan absolutely loves getting cute things as gifts. He doesn’t care if it’s food, plushies or flowers, he’s very into receiving cute gifts.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Gohan isn’t a fan of someone who wants to hurt others for their own personal gain. It’s just not something that interests him. He wants people to treat each other equally.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He loves to cling onto you, warming you up and making you feel safe. He might mumble a bit in his sleep, and he may have nightmares from time to time where you’ll have to comfort him.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom 8-13 thoughts! again, under the cut bc I blew through 6 episodes in one go...

-LOVE THE WAY THE GHOST ZONE LOOKS. but theres fucking ghost cops??? ghost jail??? that SUCKS imagine dying and going to jail in your AFTERLIFE. danny going to JAIL WAS NOT something I expected. but seeing all the enemies together and work with danny to bust out. SO ICONIC I love that actually. and the thing about real world stuff acting as ghosts in the ghost zone is very cool.

-'there are some things more important that hunting ghosts!' mrs fenton says, about her husband forgetting their anaversary (FOR THE 18TH YEAR IN A ROW?? CHRIST) and not about, idk, their son clearly freaked out. she didnt even notice he was gone into the ghost zone!!! he might be a bad husband BUT shes not the best mom. they suck and I don't care about their relationship problems I care about these kids. danny doing his best to clean the house to keep his mom from getting mad at his dad?? hes such a good boy I want to cry, this is not his place, his dad should be cleaning his own shit up!!!

-maddie's butch lesbian sister is living my best life in her lil cabin. also being a snarky bitch to jack. queen. and her getting a 10th anniversary of her divorce. LOVE IT.

-mr. lancer being a cheerleader in his younger years makes perfect sense to me. king shit.

-dr. spectra's cat ears/mullet hairstyle?? sooo cute. I also just love the concept of a ghost just. sucking out people's positivity and feeding on emotions. a great villain. she put danny in a fucking diaper what the FUCK. and keeping it cold so no one would suspect shes a ghost??? INCREDIBLE. and her gay little blob sidekick. wlw mlm evil solidarity.

-JAZZ FOCUSED EP. YEAAAH!!! her first thought when she saw the ghosts was like 'omg i gotta tell danny :)' and her going to the teacher and also councilor trying to get help for him...shes just 16 but shes trying so hard to help him out :( watching this when youre younger I can imagine ppl are like omg annoying!! but watching this when im older im just like :( jazz baby im SO sorry </3 SHE BODIED THAT GHOST THOUGH. and the fact she didnt tell danny she knew surprised me. like, shes patient and waiting on him to tell her when hes ready!! thats so so sweet.

-christ the parents talking about 'PEELING IT LIKE AN ONION. AND EXAMINING REMAINS' of ghosts RIGHT INFRONT OF DANNY.

-'why am i so depressed and angry all the time!!' DANNY YOURE 14. i mean it IS a ghost this time, but...

-579$ top?? VALERIE NO ITS NOT EVEN CUTE IT DOESNT EVEN GO WITH THAT OUTFIT AAAA. tho this ep is called shades of gray..VALERIE FOCUSED EP FINALLY????! *THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE* I already knew about red huntress from my redesigns, but I didn't exactly know what that entails or how/why, so, it's fun to see the Origins.

-ghost pubby! ghost pubby!!!!! why is the dog a ghost?? the implication that the company had guard dogs and got rid of them...what did they DO. is it just the unfinished business?? of not having that toy it was looking for?? god I hope so.

I feel SOOO bad for valerie tho, my god. her friends are shunning her for what, because her dad lost her job and she had to move??? horrible. (and the fact the dog wrecked the moving van too...) I also love how 'from wisconsin' on the package was an IMMEDIATE RED FLAG FOR ME. WISCONSIN=EVIL NOW. vlads so petty.

-it took valerie like 5 mins to get the hang of hunting ghosts and shes already a much bigger threat than his parents tbh. who've been trying and studying this for years. and a more valid reason <3 love her shes so cute and cool. new daughter alert.

-'i should do SOMETHING to help valerie' no shit danny???

-'who is that, awesome outfit!' -top gay sam moments. i was going to say. before it immediately cuts to sam kissing danny LMFAOOO. don't think I like that, it puts tucker in a weird third wheel position... the next ep involves them holding hands and blushing when danny's cold...URGH No. not a fan ngl. the trope of 'if theres a girl in a trio she has to end up with one of the two guys!!'

-right as I say that they take it to extremes!! and ember shoots him with a love ray gun that makes him OBSESSIVE OVER SAM. AND SHE TAKES HIS HANDS AND SAYS 'YOU DONT FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT ME, I DONT FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU' and her saying she doesnt want to be together like this. and tucker saying 'i always knew you two would get together!!' dont manifest it tucker please. the show pushing for it so hard makes me not want it KSHKJKJD I KNOW its probably canon. it sucks though. im a hater.

-vlad just LURKING AROUND THE SCHOOL GIVING VALERIE GIFTS ASJKDHKJ YOU WEIRD PETTY OLD MAN GO HOME!!!

-EMBERRRRR YOU WILL REMEMBERRRRRR . this is the one thing I kinda remember from when I was a kid EMBERRRRR ilu. top 10 cartoon bops. sams being a hater. popular things are popular for a reason. mr. lancer also being a hater. also everyone wearing her color scheme ..its a really good look, the purple, black, and minty color...

-penguins exist in the ghost zone. confirmed.

-EMBER JUST SHOWING UP AT A RANDOM HIGHSCHOOL TO PLAY?? UNANNOUNCED, MID DAY??? girl get a tour schedule. make some money or smth damn. I know shes probably doing it for the power boost but. lord. anyway if your show doesnt have a concert scene/ep, is it even valid.

-fellas is this gay. (she uses a GRAPPLING HOOK TO SHOOT OUT THE WINDOW AFTER SEEING AN EMBER VAN GO BY RIGHT AFTER THIS SHOT)

-hey, she had an undercut at some point!! my redesign!!! was accurate!! in..a way

-I feel like danny has a lot of pent up aggression ngl, him being heartbroken about sam and immediately going IM GONNA GO TAKE IT OUT ON EMBER. I mean she needs to be stopped I guess But. jazz has the right idea he needs therapy and a HEALTHY outlet.

-tucker singing > my singing

-girls cant be gamers -tucker and danny sexist moments. her being chaos in the game OWNED.

-TUCKERS HAT IS A BERET??? I THOUGHT IT WAS A BEANIE. SAM CALLED IT A BERET. WH.

-it was actually nice of lancer to let danny retake the test, and he go to play games again. smh. epic cringe gamer moments compilation. and driving him home!!! I actually like him as a character. anyway teachers like lancer are SO appreciated. I was failing middle school because of mental problems, and felt so dumb and got embarrassed by teachers who would just get onto me instead of bothering to ask what the real problem was, but when I was taking my ged classes I had a wonderful teacher who kept reassuring me that I was smart, and I got honors!! danny is SUCH a little shit to him (understandable, 14, but) but seeing them getting along better and danny putting in effort. SO CUTE. THATS MY SON, STUDYING HARD!!!! and being so PROUD OF HIMSELF!!! 91!!! BITCH!!! A- is STILL AN A!!!

-'why dont they ever realize thats me in a dress' mr lancer i am CRYING. i realized.

-technus being my ghost grandpa who cant game asking tucker for help. bless his heart. his out of date old ppl lingo circles back to being endearing <3 tucker not recognizing him despite the like, lack of any kind of serious disguise...I do love their lil in-game outfits....sam being the tank rules. I like technus' spider design also. more characters need to be giant freaky spiders, imo.

-finding your gf a new host because she cant maintain her ghost body outside the zone? amazing. using jazz as the host? ILL KILL YOU. jazz immediately accepting a ride home from a guy she just met and letting him know where she lives. letting him IN THE HOUSE??? nooo girl no lets use common sense </3

-sooo cringe the parents were like 'good job for spying on your sister' tho wtffff. doesnt matter if hes a bad guy, thats fucked. everytime these parents BREATHE im like. these are MY kids now <3

-BAD LUCK BEING A THEME OF THE 13TH EPISODE. thats super fun. johnny 13 being his name is so. iconic. your last name is a NUMBER? also goth tucker. I actually love the look. everyone looks good goth. 'the ladies love the eyeliner and onyx nail polish' sam you are sooo right every man needs to at least try those two things. im a lesbian and I agree. same, danny, your bff is gnc af

-LOVE kitty's design. and just, the concept of a ghost with a bike. couple goals, except yes stay away from jazz.

[popculturebuffet]

The Legion of Super Heroes Reviews: The Legion of Substitute Heroes or Unsung Heroes

Happy 29th Birthday to Me! Yes it’s my birthday which means it’s time for reflection, griping about getting older and cake. And after an exausting weekend of grappling with a growth, i’m not going to go into anymore detail, I can finally, relax celebrate and get back to reviewing. And since i’ts my big day, that means I decided to dedicate today’s reviews to things that mean a hell of a lot to me and in one way or another shaped me as a person. A self indulgant way to reflect on my past, look to the future and show y’all some stuff I really like. So with that out of the way let’s talk about the Legion of Super Heroes.. and their oddball sub team I love dearly. 

This is also my first chance to talk about DC Comics on my blog. I’m honestly shocked that in the year i’ve been reviewing stuff regularly, the other half of the big two superhero comic publishers hasn’t come up. While I do tend to lean towards marvel, in part because Marvel is simply better at collecting their stuff and putting it on sale more often, it’s still the home of some of my faviorite properties: Justice League International, The Green Lanterns (Minus Hal), Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, Oracle, Batgirl (All of them, particularly Steph and Cass), Young Justice, Supergirl, my personal boy The Martian Manhunter.. the list dosen’t go on by much but it indeed goes on. I”ve been reading dc comics since I was in middle school, and I haven’t stopped since and don’t intend to stop now and maybe in the next year I can get around to tackling some of their awesome cartoons and comics more eh? But yeah among these titans, including the actual titans, are the Legion, one of the most unique and awesome super team concepts in my humble opinon and , even for DC, one of the teams with the most tangled up histories. 

First created in the Silver Age by writer Otto Binder and Artist Al Plastino, The Legion of Superheroes is DC”s first successful teen superhero team, predating the titans by a few years, though I dearly love both wildly diffrent teams. The Legion is defined by their high concept: A thousand years into the future, three super teens from diffrent worlds who happened to be on the same ship with billionare RJ Brande, saved Brande from some goons hired by his crooked buisness partner. 

And exposed him. Inspirired by their courage, heart and skill, Brande latter called the three together to form them into a super team, one inspiried by the legends of teen hero Superboy. 

No not Conner though it was nice to get to show off my poster of him. While he was part of the second continuities legion, we’ll get to that, he’s not the superboy we’re looking for. He is damn great though and it’s good to have you back bud. 

Not Jon either, though I do miss this kid’s pre-bendis version and he was the inspiration.. for another version of the legion. (SIGH). Try. AGAIN IMAGE SEARCH. 

...... 

No not the cool bad boy turned troubled good boy, not the child who was inexpciably aged up by that bald smeghead, and not the great idea turned into a editiorial mouthpiece. I”m talking about THIS superboy. 

This is where the name came from: From the silver age till crisis on infinite earths, Clark Kent was active as a kid in smallville, and thus was Superboy, superman when he was a boy. He dealt with similar stories just with Lana replacing Lois, and Luthor as a ginger teenager. And it was these deeds as a teen hero on his own, one of the first honestly, that inspiried the legion and brande and forged the team. 

And it was naturally a super boy story where they were first introduced as the legion’s founders went back to recruit Superboy after putting him through some trials, and were intended as just one of many silver age one off concepts.. but caught on with the readers so much they were brought back, and had their ranks expanded and eventually not only added supergirl, yes the one your thinking of this time, to their ranks, and yes sometimes she and superboy were in the same place at the same time, Clark willingly had founding member and telepath Saturn Girl put a mental block in his head for any info he’s not supposed to know yet so it’s cool . But yeah not only that but they eventually became their own feature in Adventure Comics, where Superboy’s stories were published, but overtook him in popularity with time.  Over time a number of distinct aspects were established: The roster eventually got as large as 20 plus legionarres, almost all from diffrent worlds, and they eventually set up bilaws. Some are silly and dated such as “Legionarres marrying means they retire” which was eventually done away with in the 70′s, but others were simple logic: each member must have a unique power, no using weapons and such which rather than be super power snobbery is so said tech dosen’t fail and the legion later fully allowed Karate Kid, a martial artist, to join, no killing.. just common sense stuff that adds to it. And one of those is the centerpiece to today’s story, which we’ll get to in a moment.  Obviously given they’ve been around since 1958, there is a LOT more to the Legion’s history I will dig into at a later date: The short version is that Crisis on Infinite Earths, Dc’s first big reboot, fucked the team up badly by retconning superboy out of existance and dc editorial made it worse by shooting down EVERY solution the team came up with to fix the issue. So eventually things got so messy they nuked the whole thing during the event Zero Hour and rebooted fresh with Mark Waid taking the helm and updating the concept for the 90′s and being a more lighthearted, if still not without weight, comic in the sea of 90′s edge. Waid would reboot the team again due to sagging sales, a far weaker reason this time, with a more rebllion slant, the original team would be reinstated, and then ended for a while before recently being rebooted by Brian Micheal Bendis... who sadly is long past his creative prime from books like Ultimate Spider-man and alias and is instead stewing in his own toilet dinner these days and thus it’s not pretty.. well okay art wise i’ts VERY pretty, it’s just story wise it sucks dirty ass in thunder storms. There was also an awesome cartoon that sadly lasted only two seasons that I will DEFINTELY be digging into, especially since unlike x-men evolution, it’s not you know 50 some episodes and me biting off way more than I can chew but a slim 26 that still has fans to this day. I”ll get into ALL OF THIS, some ohter time hopefullly and I mostly outlined it since some of you might be familiar with another version or “Sigh” the reboot and this helps clear things up.  So yeah with all that out of the way we’re going back to the silver age and the first story I ever read of hte team, how I met them with “The Legion of Substitute Heroes” and a later subs story I genuinely love. I first read this story in one dc’s old expensive archives collections I got from the library. Oh how I miss the library. Your probably wondering who the legion of susbstite heroes are.. but since the first story covers that we can jump right in after the break!

So we open with a teen in a parka uniform disembarking from a spaceship from another planet, which a passerby notes is just like the airplanes people used to ride from country to country. 

But we meet our hero, Polar Boy, whose in a winter themed outfit and has come to try out. This is the tradition I was saving for now: The Legion Tryouts. Like a club or sports team would, but I like it because it makes sense: The Legion NEEDS to be as big as it is because while their headquartered on earth, their mission scope is anywhere in the united planets which spans GALAXIES. They could be called on any time and need their full force or need to have severa l members on a smaller mission and frequently having members away on a mission was cleverly used to reduce the cast to whoever was needed for the story. 

So it only makes sense to frequently look for new membbers to help strengthen their ranks... but given their teens and are recurting teens they need to be careful and need a logical way to reduce crowd flow. I mean you saw how many people used to line up for american idol before that died a justified death, people will do anything to be famous and they need to weed out those whose powers and skill just aren’t up to snuff yet, or those who are just dicks as, unsuprisingly, several stories have been built on assholes who applied and were rejected turning evil and attacking.. even though the Legion wasn’t even paticuarlly harsh. They also are more than fair as applicants CAN try again or if they prove themselves in other ways can be let in, as Bouncing Boy, my favoirite legionarre, was intially rejected for his power of .. well...

Yeah.. on paper inflating like a ball and bouncing around is kind of silly. In practice he can ricochet off enemies, walls, and obstacles and is fairly durable in that state. It’s why I don’t really brook mocking the guys power: yes it’s goofy.. but say that again when he hands you his ass. It’s the same with matter eater lad who yes is an actual character: While being able to eat anything is gloriously goofy.. it means he can chew through ANY substance and digest ANYTHING. Hell in the cartoon episode intorducing the subs they used both of these guys to great efffect: Bouncing Boy, who in the cartoon had to try out multiple times in his backstory, encouraged the future subs while Matter Eater Lad got in by EATING A FUCKING BOMB. He also had shades which I dind’t know he was missing but now I do. My point is the process is fair and well thought out and leads to some really fun scenes. 

But yeah joining the legion is naturally Polar Boy’s dream, as he walks down the avenue of heroes, basically a series of statues honoring the legion and hopes all his hard work paid off. We then cut to the auditions, where he apparently waited all night. What I like about this story is that unusually for the silver age legion where it was mostly a sea of powers attached to a bunch of cardboard, really the dc silver age in a nutshell and why marvel broke out so much for having more dynamic and realistic characters, Polar Boy has more of a personality. It’s not MUCH but he’s a dedicated, hard working kid who just wants to join his heroes and seems really in awe of htem, a feeling we can all relate to. We’ve all had people we’ve looked up to, admired, and we’ve all had groups we wanted to join as kids, teens or what have you. And of course.. we all know what it’s like to be rejected by someone or something you badly wanted to be a part of.  And that’s what happens to poor polar boy, who comes from a world with an intense sun thus his people developed super cold powers.. but he can’t control them well so while their impressive, they also freeze the legion. HIs powers are good... but due to their strength and radius he’s also a liablility. They give him an consolation anti-gravity belt.. they had these before eventually compressing them into the much cooler flight rings.. which I still desperatly want one of. I have the flash’s costume ring and a green lantern corps ring, but still no legion ring. 

Naturally this devistates the poor boy and he wonders around dispondent till nightfall, convinced he’ll never be one of them. He soon meets Night Girl, a fellow reject with super strength given to her by her dad’s formula.. but only in darkness as she’s from a world without sunlight. She also faces a “hopeless future” but it’s then Polar Boy’s true strength reveals itself: he decides screw giving up on their dream and if they can’t be in the legion they’ll start their own Legion. 

Though not to compete but to serve as a subtistute, in case the legion is ever incapacitated. So Night Girl gathers the other rejects the next morning. Cleverly one of them, Chlorophyll Kid was seen with Night Girl herslef at the tryouts behind Polar Boy. We soon learn about them and each of their origins: Stone Boy can turn himself into an immobile stone statue, as his world has half a year long nights and thus his people hybernate, Fire Lad who can spit hot fire literally and set anything combustable on fire and Chlorphyll Kid who can make plants grow rapidly. Each were rejected for resonable powers: Stone Boys powers too static, Fire Lad’s is too dangerous and Chorlpyl Kids toos pecific. But upon seeing all of this Polar Boy says they STILL have fantastic powers and still can help people and the legion. 

Thus the Legion of Substittue Heroes is born. And I love them as much as the originals. As a bit of a misfit myself I relate to these guys: They have strange specific powers, got rejected by the big team.. while that trope is nothing new at the time it was unique and even now it’s a nice and inspiring message. Instead of giving up they form their OWN team to do what htey can anyway. They might not be the best like the legion but they can still help and still do what’s right even if not on their scale. It’s a great concept and really makes them endearing. Again I have a thing for the underdogs but I still really like these guys. It’s why it annoys me they got kind of spat on with time: While I love Keith Giffen and Paul Levitz run on the legion, and feel it’s the best of that contnuinty it’s not without fault and the two basically spent a full issue mocking the team and split polar boy off from them before making their own subs with only ONE of the originals. It just felt.. disrspectful. And so far no continuity has used them again until the recent bendis run, which has them announced for the Future Slate special. It took BENDIS, who dosen’t get how to use the team properly and is up his own ass, to bring them back in a new continuity and I find that obnoxious. The subs are a great concept and deserve to be honored as such and as such are one of my favorite superhero teams. 

But their careers don’t start well as they doubt themslves, except for Polar Boy who boisters them along, and constnatly just end up going to missions the legion already has covered and when the legion go to fight some robot ships, they refuse the subs help.. which is fair though, as Brainy puts it they can’t risk putting untrained volunteers in harms way. Their about to just quit, in a really sad moment.. when CK, because I can’t spell cholophill and hate having to use spell check notices some odd seeds spread about.. and when he grows one a horrifying tree man shows up. They struggle with it till the setting son finishes it’s job, meaning Night Girl is at full power and whollops it and the subs spend the night destroying the seeds.  They  find out the next day the seeds came from the same planet as the robot ships, meaning the ships are a distraction for whoevers doing this and since they can’t just call earth, as the full force of the legion is needed with the robots and all it’d do is cause a panic, it’s down to them. Night Girl however is scared.. and I like that. It shows that while their regaining their confidence.. it’s sitll risky. Their a bunch of barely trained fanboys, and girl, going up against an alien invasion, with it down to them. They CAN save the world but it’s alright to be entirely terrified when your thrust into it this fast. 

They make their way to the planet, having built a ship earlier and lie low, finding out what’s going on: The plant men are fully intellegent, and grow themselves..though how they know to attack and go to the bathrom and what not out of the seed I don’t know but I assume it’s a genetic thing or they might be some form of hive mind. point is the seed plan is to grow troops all over the world via rockets for an invasion, and it’s a brilliant concept for one too. Aliens who simply GROW the troops right into battle, born with the knowledge to do so, and right where they can ambush them. It’s down to our heroes and Stone Boy, whose been the most pesemistic, valiantly dives in to provide a distraction so they can destroy the factory and the seeds. Turns out he is useful as the most the treeple have is a space lead pipe.. yes really. I love the silver age. But they’ll bring ray guns soon, so Stone BOy knows it’s a suicide mission and now our heroes have a timer. But luckily.. our heroes are stronger than they think. Night Girl punches a way in till Night passes, while Polar Boy and Flame Lad use their powers in concert to make an opneing.. but with time running out Polar Boy finishes things by having CK grow all the seeds now they have acess.. thus exploding the planets population, destroying several cities from the number of bodies, and thu discourguing the treeple from trying again. Stone boy is able to flee with the rest of our heroes and the day is saved. 

The heroes opt not to tell the public, as to take away glory for the Legion. It’s a noble gesture.. they do DESERVE credit, but they choose not to take it, preferring to let the legion get theres for stil lsaving the world from the robots. They stand firm, now confident they may someday make it to the big leagues.And it’s this that really makes me love them: Thier not the strongest or best, but they try anyway for the reasons a hero should: to help people, and not for the glory. THey remain unsung heroes and are fine with that.  Eventually the Legion WOULD find out about them, but naturally instead of being dickheads about it, fully accepted them, even offering them some contests for membership, but that’s a story for another day. THey’d remain stalwart allies and valuable backup in crisis situations for years to come until the bollocks outlined above. But they’d never leave my heart and thanks to them.. the legion never left either. 

Final Thoughts:  While I do love the story for it’s personal signifigance to me, It’s stilll a really good story for the time. A bit stilted as was the style, but still good, well paced and with an endaring cast of underdogs who prove themselves in the end. It’s something diffrent from the usual clean cut ahead in life wasps these stories usually followed at the time. While the team’s still all white and all that, their outcasts and misfits who just want to help and have trouble beliving in themselves. Their a good standard to live up to.. and a good inspiration for me and my constnatly self hating self doutbing self. And I hope you enjoyed htem too.  If you’d like to comission your own review, just dm me. It’s 5 bucks for individual issues. Later days. 

[tvwriteups]

ESC 2021 GF

Opening was okay. Think that's the largest the stage has looked.

Watching on PeacockTV. No commentary. This time I'm watching through my speakers and not through headphones. Not gonna do a rundown since a lot of the songs are familiar.

I did not watch any of the big 5 or the Dutch rehearsal/jury videos so I'll be watching those whole for the first time. (I probably should have watched them. Oops. Too late now!)

I really have no idea who will win. Kind of makes it exciting!

What's a little weird with my setup is how much "sharper" the music sounds on my speakers.

Let the Grand Final of the ESC begin!

1. Cyprus

2. Albania

3. Israel

4. Belgium

What's funny for me here is that the Belgian song is growing on me on this third listen. I like it more each time. (This might actually make my Eurovision AND Hooverphonic playlist!) With the other songs I was... like I didn't feel the level of "excitement" I felt when I watched them earlier this week.

5. Russia

Oh yeah! This is another one I'm liking more on a second viewing. I like her expressiveness. This is never not interesting. And an enthusiastic response there.

6. Malta

Maltese Lizzo. I know this is very popular with the ESC crowd and I get it but it doesn't personally register with me. I think it's the speed. It's like the same fast speed and mostly same level of "noise." Crowd really loooooves it though. Might just be my own autistic sound processing issues.

7. Portugal

I still am impressed with how well-structured this is. I'll probably forget the song next week but when it was being performed I never lost interest.

8. Serbia

They seem so wholesome in their postcard. Hmm, singing doesn't sound as good on my speakers. This is like the first 3 songs for me.

And now a break.

Kind of sucks performing early because it hurts you with the vote but at least you get to sit back easy and watch the rest of the show.

I still feel very conflicted about how to feel about Junior ESC. Lots of pressure to put on children.

Jamala, Emmelie de Forest, Duncan Laurence on where they keep their awards... nope, Nikkie, I'm not gonna check out the live blog. I like the ESC but even I have to draw a line somewhere.

9. United Kingdom

First time watching. I don't understand these British songwriters who perform their own songs and yet... like, it doesn't sound ideally suited to their own voices. It was okay but it's another one I'll forget in a week.

10. Greece

Well, I didn't get to watch this properly the first time so here goes: I don't like the huge reliance on effects but it's BEHIND her so it's completely acceptable to me. I think this would've worked better for me if the dancing was "more [active?]" since it's a fast song about dancing.

The hosts briefly have to tell us something for some reason.

Hmm, apparently a lot of my sound issue is that the rear speakers are coming through louder.

11. Switzerland

This is playing much better for me today than it did the other day. The overall performance is better. I don't like the epilepsy-inducing light though. That's my only complaint. Well done!

12. Iceland

Well, literally the same exact performance we watched the other day but it was fun so... and my viewing experience is slightly different so... Hmm.. what I'm really feeling right now is a song placement thing. We went from intense to chill and that energy change is a bit much for me.

13. Spain

This song does not have a strong hook. I ... can't remember the song and it only just finished.

14. Moldova

I honestly don't think this song would've made it through the first SF. I just don't care for it. I think I spent most of the performance looking at the dancers when that was an option.

15. Germany

This feels like a cross between a Moldovan and a San Marino entry. I dunno, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't watch it again though.

I do also understand that part of watching this as an American is that I don't ever have to feel embarrassment that I'm being represented through any of these performances.

16. Finland

Now that I know that this is like this I'm totally not interested. I'd probably feel very differently if I was in the same space as these guys because it's a SHOW!

And another break. Oh, the broadcaster boxes. I always assume that they're going to harass Graham Norton but they're actually visiting the Danes right now. And the Russians.

Hosts talking about orchestras now.

17. Bulgaria

I remember this postcard from the other day because of the menagerie this girl has. This song is also growing on me. I was confused about the lyrics the other day but now am experiencing them as playful. Feeling the "production" of this one.

18. Lithuania

It's hard for me because I really liked "On Fire." I'm really enjoying this the second time and a really great, entertaining performance. And maybe it's in a better place during the night.

Hosts talking about the app. They're really hammering this whole "clap along" thing (which I haven't found on the app because I'm probably too old to care).

19. Ukraine

This song is a trip. Bangy-est banger of the night. You just never know.

20. France

You know, this comes off as something the juries would love to award. Damn, girl! You know, I wasn't impressed when they showed the short clip at the end of the SF. You really have to watch the whole thing.

21. Azerbaijan

Seems more appropriate to sing about Mata Hari than Cleopatra in the Netherlands when you think about it. It could be because I've already seen this before but I'm still processing France. There's also something about this staging that makes them look small on the stage to me.

22. Norway

I don't know why I find him adorable but I do. This song feels like a hug. (Or it's the "feathers." LOL)

Mini-break about what's upcoming.

23. The Netherlands

I was into it until the last 30 when it got really repetitive but that's still an overall like.

24. Italy

I really can't predict anything. I dig this but we've sort of filled a quota for intensity for the night.

25. Sweden

I'm just kind of like....of course Sweden has the Rijksmuseum postcard. It's like the most recognizable place in all of these postcards. And be near the end of the show. I'll be honest: I'm just predisposed to be against Sweden. Ugh, epilepsy light. I can't even look at the screen. Also, I liked Russia's "A Million Voices" in 2015. I'm guessing this song did not look like this at Melodifestivalen because it's really looking terrible on my tv. This is the worst visual presentation of the night.

26. San Marino

Honestly wondering how well San Marino is gonna finish this year. This felt more awesome the first time. Well, also Flo Rida delightfully surprised me the first time.

And how our hosts telling us about the importance of voting. I have no idea how these are going to pan out. I just know that if I was voting I think I'd throw my votes at Ukraine and France...while feeling bad that I'm not throwing some at Bulgaria, Iceland, Lithuania or Switzerland. (I also liked Russia but I wouldn't vote for them.) I mean, I liked Italy but... I don't know. I think I ran out of energy by then.

Really think it's that Ukraine and France just zapped my energy for energetic songs. The only one I felt after those was the hug of Norway. Or maybe Norway lulled me. LOL.

Would be interested in the televotes for some of these countries.

Recap. Ooof. France doesn't work in short recap clip.

"Music Binds Us"....because we've heard of Afrojack here. I swear every other major city has one of those bridges. I'd otherwise dig this but we've had so much intense music tonight.

I'm guessing we're listening to "Titanium" because Afrojack wrote and produced it.

I'm sitting here wondering if ANYONE is going to vote for the UK at all. Or, really, how many of the Big 5 are going to be in the Bottom 5.

Another recap.

Another Nikkie ESC Tutorial segment. This is actually kind of annoying.

And now a behind-the-scenes montage while the voting numbers are displayed at the bottom.

Catching up with past winners now.

ESC honoring itself again. Enjoying how much they're not overemphasizing the whole "in front of a live audience" stuff like they were doing the other nights.

Another recap.

Oddly, I think Moldova annoys me the most. It feels like the emptiest song in the final.

How quickly are they going to burn through the votes. It's already feeling like this show is long.

65th anniversary stuff. Rock the Roof. Måns again. I don't like this song. I think 2015 was a great overall year (even if I was able to predict the top 10 (except for Latvia) but I still listen to a lot of songs from that year... just not "Heroes." I resent that I have to hear it every year now.

Teach-In....because Dutch and because we need a song with 'Ding" and "Dong" in it.

SANDRA KIM!!!!!!!! Forever the youngest winner of this contest.

Lenny Kuhr.

Helena Paparizou. LOL, totally sticking to the choreo.

Lordi. Probably had to choose their roof first to get the permission to shoot the pyro off it.

So are they saving Duncan Laurence for when they calculate the votes? It feels like the voting window has been open forever now. I keep looking for a countdown clock.

This sounds like a way of saying Duncan Laurence has tested positive for COVID without saying that he tested positive for COVID.

Are they emphasizing that the Netherlands is below sea level?

New song... I'll take anything as long as it's not "Nana Banana."

The voting still isn't closed!

Oh, they have a special countdown dance is why. How very Paparizou of them.

Oh, that weird part where they banter with the delegations.

Malta. Just Malta?

Martin Österdahl. Because Swedes. Jury time. I forgot that revealing votes this way eliminates the performances during the vote calculation. They calculate the televote during the jury stuff.

Jury Votes

Israel, the least popular child in the room right now gives their 12 points to Switzerland.

Poland goes to San Marino.

San Marino goes to France.

Albania to Switzerland.

Malta to Albania.

These are going all over the place. But then it's juries.

Estonia's 12 to Switzerland.

Switzerland and France popular with juries so far.

North Macedonia to Serbia.

Recap. Switzerland, France and Italy in the Top 3.

Els and Nikki or however you spell their names. Azerbaijan throws their points at Russia of course.

Norway to....Malta.

Spain to France.

Austria to Iceland.

Ooof, UK, Spain and Norway totally blanked right now.

The UK....with Amanda Holden...and 12 points for France.

Italy gives its 12 points to Lithuania. No points for Switzerland from them!

Now it's just the UK blank.

Slovenia to Italy.

Juries don't like Ukraine. :-(

Greece...making us try not to boo by having a child tell us that the points are going to Cyprus.

Latvia with Aminata of course. 12 points go to Switzerland.

Ireland to France.

Moldova epic saxing us. Epic saxing Bulgaria too.

Serbia to France.

Bulgaria to Moldova. Ugh.

Cyprus ...should've used a child. Even the crowd is all "Greece, duh."

Belgium to Switzerland. It's almost like they have something against France, LOL.

Banter with Switzerland. Banter with France. No cringe. Practically no cringe in these interviews. They're adorable.

On a side note, my HVAC is dying on a 90 degree day.

Germany to France.

UK still sitting on a jury egg.

Australia to Malta.

Finland to Switzerland.

Portugal to Bulgaria.

Ukraine to Italy. Love the 0 points to Russia there.

Iceland. LOL. LOL. LOL. Of course a "Jaja Ding Dong" reference. Switzerland for them.

Romania to Malta.

Without televotes this stuff is almost meaningless. I can't imagine France getting the televotes.

Croatia to Italy.

Czech Republic to...like who would they.. oh Portugal. Of course. LOL.

Georgia to Italy.

Lithuania to Ukraine.

Denmark to Switzerland.

Top 5: Switzerland, France, Malta, Italy and Iceland.

"A Million Voices" Polina telling us Russia is giving their points to Moldova. Lots of side-eye from me.

France can't give points to themself so.... Greece. I... I... don't know.

Sweden with Carola. OMG Carola....why so much talking? Did she take something? Or drink something? She's on something. Gives their points to Malta.

Switzerland gives point to France. Most anticlimatic points reveal.

The Netherlands gives its points to France.

UK with ZERO points from juries.

Switzerland, France, Malta, Italy, Iceland.

We don't see the jury performances so...like... I dunno.

Gonna waste time in the Green Room again before the televote reveal. Talking with Switzerland... meaning that Gjon gets to replace John Lundvik as the face of losing if they don't get enough votes.

TELEVOTE TIME!

I hope this goes fast. And they're revealing these in the order of jury votes, least to most. So maybe a different face of losing.

UK with 0 points. OUCH! And they didn't genocide anyone this year! James Newman being a sport.

Germany with 0 points.

Spain with 0 points.

Netherlands with 0 points.

LMAO. I don't think I've ever seen this.

Norway with 60 points.

Serbia with 82 points.

Albania with 35 points.

Azerbaijan with 33 points.

San Marino with 13 points...even with Flo Rida!!!

Sweden with 63 points?

Cyprus with 44 points.

Moldova with 62 points.

Lithuania with 165 points!!!

Belgium with 3 points. Hooverphonic with only 3 points. Better than zero. But totally a jury thing their SF result was.

20 points to Israel.

Finland with 218. Shocker that. For me. Not the public, of course. Now in first.

Greece with 79 points.

Ukraine with 267. Into the lead.

Russia with 100 points.

Portugal with 27.

Bulgaria with 30 points.

Iceland with 180 points...and in 1st.

Italy with 318 points.

Malta with 47 points.

France with 251 points. Into 2nd.

Switzerland with 160 points.

Winner is Italy. So Switzerland is the new face of losing.

Televote alone it's Italy, Ukraine, France, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Switzerland, and Russia with 100 or more points. Serbia and Greece rounding out the top 10 in televote.

Surprised and delighted that the public gave all those votes to France. I was not expecting that at all.

In the breakdowns I really would like to see if their are any public correlations between folks who votes Italy/Finland or France/Switzerland.

[fruggin-bitch]

How to be Bean (inspo: Charlie😘)

-overalls. Love overalls no matter what people say. You look great in them

-never be afraid to love your friends

-love yourself too, probably

-just chill, freaking out over every little thing takes away from enjoying life

-be absolute shit at math but for some godforsaken reason you keep taking honors math courses what is wrong with you you're in honors algebra 2 and you're dying but somehow have a b

-say ‘ope’ ‘welp’ and ‘yeet’ constantly

-talk like a frat boy 80%of the time

-this started out as self love but now its past 11 pm and im dead inside so it’s just how to be me for real

-become unreasonably in love with cartoons

-sing all the fruggin time

-refuse to believe in yourself right before a big performance then kill it onstage which kinda rocks honestly

-be completely unable to keep long term friends that are girls

-my longest close girl friend has been only like 2 or 3 years

-meanwhile my guy best friend ive known since preschool

-aNyWaY-

-watch phineas and ferb

-ship buford and baljeet like nothing else is worth it. except for ferb’s one liners

-edits page on instagram that is quickly dying because you spend time on tumblr and have no creativity left to edit

-listen to music from shows you don’t watch

-and belt the songs when nobody else is home

-pop every joint in your body every 5 minutes

-legit how am i not like broken by now i pop so much im such an old lady

-sweaters

-they’re so comfy how can you not

-hugs all the time

-pretty much any type of physical contact is awesome (corona sucks)

-romantic stuff is all either really uncomfy or weird or gross

-range from a soprano one to a tenor 1

-its weird thats the highest girl to the highest guy

-john mulaney

-have a list of shows you want to watch but never watch them so you can watch your comfort shows/movies again

-braces while eating just about everything you shouldn't while having braces

-being really comfortable in your own skin, which is awesome

-while at the same time being insecure about your style and clothes

-love all kinds of tea, especially herbal or green, unless it’s made by your sister don’t trust that tea

-i think thats it for tonight

-haha it went from overalls to an ominous warning about tea

-i hope this was good

-love you guys, night❤

[ciestessde]

NOT My Hero Academia: Part 1 – Ch.9

"WE'LL PROCEED TO THE AFTERNOON PORTION AFTER A ONE-HOUR LUNCH BREAK! SEE YOU THEN!!" We could still hear both announcers as their voices faded out: "HEY, ERASERHEAD. WANNA GRAB SOME FOOD?" "I'm taking a nap." "WHA-?"

.

As we walked off the field, everyone drifted from our cavalry teams and back into our friend groups.

"This sucks," said Tsuyu, "But congrats all the same Mina." "Bakugo only picked me as a counter-strategy against Todoroki's ice," Mina replied, rubbing the back of her neck, "This win doesn't really say anything about my strength."

"Iida, you were so awesome, keeping us away from the other teams like that!" Uraraka praised, miming Iida's running. "Oh, no," Iida waved away her praise, "With your zero gravity and Tokoyami's dark shadow, it was a simple matter of paying attention to the different teams' locations relative to our own." "Geeez!!" Kirishima groaned, punching Iida in the arm, "And I wanted to win so badly!!" "Hey, at least we're moving on, right?" Mina cheered him up.

Todoroki cut-in, "It's Midoriya who deserves the praise, for getting such a high score in the first place," he turned to me, "And I imagine it was you who came up with that strategy as well." I rubbed the back of my head, blushing, "It was nothing, really. I mean…"

I started murmuring, "yeah, getting first place in the race was kinda tough, but the cavalry battle wasn't actually so difficult, since I had the ideal team and all, and-" Kirishima smacked me on the shoulder, a wide grin on his face. "You gotta stop it with all that! You did awesome, man! Own it! All that murmuring isn't manly!" "Yeah!" agreed Mina, pretending to be a photographer, "A hero's gotta show their stuff! Smile and wave for the camera!"

"Yeah, Deku!" Uraraka beamed at me, "We wouldn't have gotten first place if it wasn't for you!" I blushed even more deeply. "Hey, you wanna eat lunch together Iida?" She asked, turning her attention to him.

'I think…' I reflected, as I went to eat with my friends, 'this might be the best day of my life, so far.'

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the students filed back into the stadium after lunch, Present Mic announced that those not continuing in the competition could still participate in a different activity. "HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS LITTLE RECREATIONAL COMPETITION!" He said to the audience, "ONCE THAT'S OVER, WE'RE ON TO THE FINAL EVENT. BETWEEN THE 15 MEMBERS OF THE FOUR WINNING TEAMS… WE'LL HAVE A FORMAL TOURNAMENT!! A SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE BATTLES!!"

"A tournament huh?" said Kirishima, "So we'll be up in that ring I see on TV every year!" "Was it a tournament last year too?" Mina asked. Sero replied, "The format's always different, but most years involve some kind of head-to-head competition. Last year, it was foam sword fighting."

From the small stage in front of the remaining competitors, Midnight explained this year's competition, "The matchups will be decided by drawing lots." She held up a box labeled "Lots." "Once that's settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself! It's up to each of you 15 finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength.

"Now, let's start with the first-place team…" Midnight moved, about to step down from the stage so the students could pick from the box- When she was interrupted. "Um… Excuse me," Ojiro raised his hand, "I'd.. like to drop out."

There was chatter from all over the stadium, everyone wondering why he'd give up an opportunity to be noticed by the pro heroes. "The Cavalry Battle…" Ojiro lowered his arm slightly, not looking anyone in the eye, "I have no memories of anything that happened up until the tail end. It's probably his quirk that did it…"

Izuku looked around for -- who he assumed to be -- Shinso, the guy he remembered seeing Ojiro team up with and the one their team was named after. He spotted him standing alone, hands in his pockets and also not looking anyone in the eye. He wasn't even looking at Ojiro.

"I know this is a great opportunity. And I know how stupid it must seem to throw it away… But this final tournament…" He looked at his fist, his face tense, "Everyone else made it here by their own strength. Yet I'm standing here, and I don't even know how or why. I just can't take it."

"You're thinking about it too hard!" Toru tried to cheer him up, waving her gloves placatingly, "Just show what you're made of in the tournament!" "By that logic, I shouldn't really be here either!!" added Mina.

Ojiro lowered his head into his hand, shaking. "No… I'm talking about my pride, here… I don't think it's right."

.

After a few moments' pause and muttering from the crowd, Present Mic said, "WE HAVE A STRANGE TURN OF EVENTS…" "What will the coordinator, Midnight, decide?" Aizawa prompted.

"How naive and green… I… Like it!!" Midnight cracked her whip, grinning, "Ojiro has officially withdrawn! That brings us to an even 14 competitors!!" The screen lit up, a bracket with names displayed on it. "Here are the new matchups!"

The first bracket consisted of Izuku vs Shinso, Todoroki vs Sero, and Iida vs Hatsume; the second bracket was Kirishima vs Kaminari, Mina vs Aoyama, Tokoyami vs Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka vs Bakugo. 'If I win my first match… My second's against Todoroki!' Izuku thought.

'But before that…' "Shinso…" "Izuku Midoriya," came a voice from behind him, "That's you, yeah?"

Before Izuku could respond, there was a hand covering his mouth. It was Ojiro. "Midoriya!! That guy… Don't answer him." "?!"

.

"NOW LET'S SET ASIDE THE TOURNAMENT FOR THE TIME BEING… AND GET ON WITH THE THRILL-A-MINUTE FESTIVITIES!"

.

Once Shinso had walked away, Ojiro asked to talk with Izuku alone, leading him to one of the competitor prep rooms.

And explained his theory.

"A mind-control quirk?" Izuku gaped, "How can I hope to win against that?!" "My loss might be your gain. My memories cut out from the instant I replied to him," he said, tapping his head with his finger, "That's the trick, I think." "So…" Izuku murmured, "It's all over if I slip up and say anything to him…"

Izuku gave a small shiver. If that was the case, he was impressed. That was a powerful tool Shinso had, alright! "Not necessarily," Ojiro said, "It doesn't seem like such an almighty ability.

"Remember how I said I didn't remember anything up until the end?" Izuku nodded. He'd thought that was odd. "When Shinso had us run past to nab Tetsutetsu's headband… I think I must've bumped into Tetsutetsu's formation… 'Cause that's when I snapped out of it. I was suddenly aware of what was happening!" "So it was undone by physical contact?" Izuku put a hand to his chin, his mind already comparing and weighing strategies. "That seems very likely," Ojiro nodded, his chair creaking as he leaned back, "That said, I have no idea how strong the contact needs to be. And in a one-on-one match, of course you can't expect any outside help.

"Anyway, that's all I can tell you." Ojiro got up to leave, and Izuku rose to meet him. "No, that's awesome! Thanks!" "No problem! Uh-… Forgive me if I'm out of line, but…" Ojiro held out his fist, "Win this one for me."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before I knew it, the recreational activities were over. It was my turn; time to face my first serious opponent outside of a classroom.

"HEY, GUYS. ARE YOU READY?! YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH HELL TO GET HERE!! BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE ONE-ON-ONE TOURNAMENT!!" My heart was racing. But… I felt oddly calm, too. … Prepared. "YOU'VE ONLY GOT YOURSELF TO RELY ON!! EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A HERO, THIS SAYING HOLDS TRUE! YOU KNOW IT!! SPIRIT, TECHNIQUE, STRENGTH, WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!! USE 'EM ALL AND SHOW US YOUR BEST!!"

Shinso, the audience, and I, all had to wait a few more tense seconds as Cementoss put the finishing touches on the arena. Then… we walked out.

"THE FIRST MATCH!! MAKING A SCARY FACE, AND WITH THE EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE TO BACK IT UP, IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA, FROM THE HERO COURSE!! VERSUS… SORRY, BUT THIS GUY HASN'T REALLY DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT YET! IT'S HITOSHI SHINSO, FROM GENERAL STUDIES!!" My ears were ringing from the sheer volume of the crowd's cheering. Evidently, they were looking forward to this event. … I supposed I couldn't blame them. "THE RULES ARE SIMPLE! WIN BY KNOCKING YOUR OPPONENT OUT OF THE RING, IMMOBILIZING THEM OR GETTING THEM TO SAY 'I GIVE UP'!

"BRING THE PAIN!! WE'VE GOT OUR GOOD OLD RECOVERY GIRL ON STANDBY!! AND FIGHT DIRTY IF YOU MUST! 'ETHICS' HAVE NO MEANING HERE!!" Cementoss made himself a throne of stone where he could watch the entire arena. '"Ethics have no meaning"...? Isn't this a "hero" fight…?'

I didn't have time to follow that train of thought. "WELL, OF COURSE, GOING FOR THE KILL IS A NO-NO!! YOU'LL BE DISQUALIFIED! BECAUSE A TRUE HERO'S FISTS FLY ONLY WHEN IN THE PURSUIT OF VILLAINS!"

"'I give up,' huh?" Shinso said, "Get it, Izuku Midoriya? This battle's going to test your strength of will." The look in Shinso's eyes… It looked familiar to me, somehow… "If you've got any kind of vision for your future, there's no sense in worrying about how you get there."

"NOW LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED!!" Shinso's voice overlapped with Present Mic's: "Like that monkey, babbling about his stupid pride."

"READYYYYYYYYY!! START!!"

"What kind of dumbass throws away a chance like this?"

Not responding was turning out to be more difficult than I imagined. 'Save it for later! I MUSTN'T -' I kept reminding myself, '- I can't. Say. ANYTHING right now!' I told myself the best way to protect my friend's honor… 'I can't lose this!! What I need to think about now…'

.

While the two of us were just standing there, the audience unable to hear Shinso's taunting, some unexpected commentary came from above us. "I mentioned that that entrance exam was completely irrational," Aizawa explained to the crowd and Present Mic, "This kid is a perfect example of why." "Hmm? What's that?" Present Mic responded to Aizawa at a lower volume than his usual commentary. "Here are the simple specs on these two. I've got them here because we knew this would be a quirk versus quirk battle. In theory, anyway."

The sound of paper shuffling could be heard. "Shinso failed the practical part of the exam, so he lost a spot in the hero course. He got into general studies, though, and that's all he could have hoped for. His quirk is extraordinarily powerful, but… Given the format of the practical exam… his ability didn't help him out. "And yet, someone with no quirk at all managed to get past it!"

"That's right," Shinso was talking again, "Thanks to my quirks nature, I couldn't enter the golden gates!" That familiar look in Shinso's eyes intensified.

And suddenly… I realized what it was.

"But you get it. You're not naturally blessed, either. So I don't really have anything against you… That said, I'm not giving up." I swallowed nervously. 'I do get it. That's how I used to think too. But…' I realized… that I should really… just get this over with.

'… right. I… I am blessed. Even if it's NOT "natural."'

"Those people…" Shinso's expression turned furious -- hateful even. And suddenly… It stopped looking familiar. "Born with their awesome quirks… Getting to follow all their dreams!!"

'I'm blessed… by the people in my life! By Master… And by my friends! And that's… exactly why… ' Shinso took a step toward me, "Say something already!" 'That's why I'm… not gonna lose!!'

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Abruptly, Izuku charged at Shinso. 'Sorry. I really wish I didn't have to do this.' It wasn't a surprise. It couldn't be. Of course Shinso tried to run, to fight… Nonetheless, with the large gap in their training, experience, and strength…

It was a simple matter for Izuku to overpower Shinso… 'I don't… have anything against you either!' … and throw him out of the ring.

After a brief pause out of shock at the sudden… anticlimactic victory, Midnight announced, "Shinso is out of the ring!! Midoriya… moves on to the second round!!" "IZUKU MIDORIYA MOVES ON TO THE SECOND ROUND!!" Present Mic repeated, his tone of voice just a tad surprised. "GOODNESS GRACIOUS! WE'RE OFF TO AN EVENTFUL START! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR OUR FIERCE COMPETITORS!"

.

As Shinso got up -- before he could walk away -- Izuku asked the question that had been burning in his mind, "Shinso… Why do you wanna be a hero so badly?" Without even pausing to think, Shinso responded, "We don't get to choose the things we naturally admire."

"...!" Izuku froze. Surprised, and… confused. 'His feelings… They're the same as…' Izuku looked up into the stands… but couldn't spot him. 'I still admire All Might…

'… Or…' Confused because, at the lack of feeling in his chest, he had to wonder, 'Do I…?'

Izuku was broken from his internal debate, "You were awesome out there, Shinso!" Shinso's classmates were cheering him from the stands. "You had us on the edge of our seats!" "You're the shining star of us general studies guys!" "You did just as well as the guy who got third in the obstacle course!"

Izuku smiled; it was right that they cheer Shinso. He'd done wel- "Why is that quirkless kid in the Hero Course and not Shinso? He has such a strong quirk." '...!'

.

Far away, All For One smirked. 'That's it. Listen to what the crowd is saying…'

.

"That quirk would be great against villains. I wish I had it…" "What the hell's U.A. thinking? Putting him in general studies…" "Well, they can only admit so many. That's just how it is." "There's only so much you can do… when there's such a large gap in their battle experiences. What a shame… A big loss to the Hero Course, not having a quirk like that."

Shinso's classmates heard it too, "You're awesome!" "Hear that, Shinso?" '… Right.' Izuku thought, 'Of course that's how they-'

"They'll consider transfers to the hero course depending on the results here." Izuku was interrupted again. Snapped out of his thoughts this time by the sound of Shinso's voice. "Remember that. Maybe I failed this time, but… I'm not giving up." His voice was filled with determination, although the hatred wasn't completely gone. "I'll show them I've got what it takes to make the hero course, and I'll become a greater hero than all of them."

Without thinking, Izuku responded, "Hang on. I-" 'Oh! He got me… But why? The match is already over…' "People who respond to me tend to stiffen up like that…" Shinso looked over his shoulder at Izuku, grinning. "It'd be easy to mess everything up for you now… So just promise me…"

He released him. "… you won't lose in a sorry way out there." This time, Izuku responded with just a smile and a nod.

That hatred… 'He… probably has his reasons…'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Beginning]

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Read my original book, Crossroad of Infinity for free right here on Tumblr, on my website, or on AO3!

[1000roughdrafts]

Reverse Supernatural Part I

A/N: written for @pitterpatter-letsgitatter​ for the request: “Hi!! I have been tossing an idea around for a bit... What if... Now hear me out... What if the Reader was the experienced hunter and she/he has to save Dean and/or Sam who have never known the supernatural existed...?” again, sorry it took so long, tumblr ate the first one :/ 

Characters: Y/N Y/L/N, Dean, Sam, Mary and John Winchester, Jess, Jo Harvelle, Ellen(mentioned)  [[ I also want you guys to remember that if the Winchester boys didn’t get dragged into hunting, a lot of things have changed that are pertinent to this fiction; their mother never dies, so John never needed to destroy his sanity in search for her killer, which mean’s Ellen’s husband is still alive. With the boys never taking the lead into hunting, Azazel never needed to destroy the Roadhouse, they never met Charlie or Lisa, they never met Castiel, and Ellen and Jo are still alive and they’re still hunters. ]]

Warnings: spn style monster violence, maybe OOC Dean/Sam, language, description of a bloody monster 

Word Count: 5000 (sorry, it was just flowing) & this is unbeta’d so all mistakes are my own (hope their aren’t any) 

Your mother only had two rules: never fall in love and don’t follow your father’s footsteps into hunting. You suppose she was coming from a place of wisdom, maybe even heartbreak, when giving these to you. Though, you had failed to grasp the concept and never honored the latter. 

After your mother’s passing, you felt a calling, a summons if you will, towards the mysterious, and dangerous world of hunting. Despite the job taking the life of your father, you couldn’t help but to search for answers, to continue what he started and save as many people as you could... or die trying. 

Your faithful mission takes you to a bar in a quaint town in Kansas, where you believe vampires lurk in the outskirts. You despise the repulsive creatures, and long to dispose of every last one. 

There’s a part of you, a part that you detest, that has an incandescent passion for this life, bordering on a lust for blood. The electricity that rattles your body after gutting whatever monster it is that week is like standing on top of the tallest building in the world, arms stretched out with the wind beating against against your chest. The guilt that follows that feeling, though, pushes you off of the ledge for a nose dive straight to the ground. 

Sitting in a booth, one hand wrapped around your glass and a pen in the other, you tap the pages of your notebook as you review your plan for the week. Today was the morgue, and tomorrow will start your search for the blood sucking bastards. 

Bringing your drink to your lips, you close your eyes as the beer cools your throat. When you bring it back down, your eyes open on a hand that rests on the edge of the table. Your eyes follow it up a flannel clothed arm and drop onto the simper, yet strikingly attractive face of a man. 

“Hey there, gorgeous,” he says with a smile. “You new to town?” 

“Just visiting,” you say, folding your notebook shut and slipping the pen through the rings. Scooting over to step out of the booth, you hold it close to your chest and smile up at him before standing, “excuse,” you say, intending to leave. 

When you get to your feet, he holds his hands up, palms facing you, “woah, hey, wait a minute,” he chuckles, “sorry, I’m Dean,” he says, hand stretched out between you, a smile still stuck on his face. 

“Y/N,” you offer, eyeing him curiously as you shake his hand. 

“Can I, uh, buy you a drink?” he asks, gesturing over to the bar. 

“I’m sure your intention are,” you tilt your head with a smug smile, “affable, however, I should probably be leaving.” 

“All right,” he shrugs. “Your loss,” he quips with a wink. 

With your back turned to him now, you stop walking. A strange feeling rustles inside of you at his words, and your head tilts just barely at the thought of it. There’s something about his arrogant manner that brings out your combative side, a competitive urge for social dominance. 

Flipping around, you squint your eyes in a smile, “know what? Sure, one drink won’t kill me,” you say. 

His eyes light up in a smile, “really?” he says, and you nod before following him over to the bar. 

He leans slightly to speak to the bartender, “I’ll take another beer, please,” he says, throwing a hand onto your back, “and whatever this little lady would like,” he smiles. 

Shimmying yourself from under his hand your eyes meet with the woman behind the bar as you lean in, “whiskey please, on the rocks,” you smile and hear Dean scoff in a chuckle. 

His eyes are wide and frisky when you look over at him. He holds up two fingers, keeping his eyes on you but speaking to the bartender, “actually, make that two,” he says, lips touching before he looks back over to the woman, “two whiskeys, please.” 

When his eyes meet back with yours, despite your urge to look away, you don’t. A smile creeps on his face and you only look away when the drinks are slid in front of you. He rests his elbows against the bar, using it to hold up his weight. 

“Didn’t take you for a whiskey kind of girl,” he says softly. 

“Why’s that?” you lightly scorn.

His lips turn down as he gives his head a single shake, “just didn’t.” Scooting the bar stool back, he pats on the pad of it for you to sit, and then plops onto the next one over. “So, where ya from?” he says. 

You scan your mind for an answer. The way you live your life, always on the road, leaves you pondering if you really are from anywhere at all. It’s a dreaded question that you have yet to answer, even for yourself. Lying, you decide to say, “California,” and bring the drink to your lips to hide your tells. 

“California, huh?” he says, shifting his weight in the seat. “So tell me, Y/N. What’s a Cali girl doing in little old Lawrence, Kansas?” he laughs. 

“I’m here for work,” you say flatly. 

“Oh, what do you do?” 

Naturally, you can’t tell him why you’re really here, because ‘tracking vampires so I can kill them before they kill anyone else and then skip town’ doesn’t exactly have a people friendly ring to it. You ponder which profession to impersonate tonight, and settle on the safest option, “I work for the FBI, here on a case.” 

“No shit,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “Awesome,” he says. “So, uh, you must be here about the Blood Sucker, then, huh?” 

Upon hearing the words, you accidentally inhale your drink. Setting the cup down amidst a coughing fit, you look over at him through squinted eyes, “what?” you say, words coming out hot. You feel like you’re breathing fire. 

“Yeah,” he says with a single syllable chuckle, “it is pretty silly, isn’t it?” he says, taking a sip of his drink. 

You clear your throat, taking another gulp of the whiskey in hopes to clear your airway, “what is?” you ask, voice thick. 

“The name they came up with,” he says. When he sees your furrowed brows and tilted head, he adds, “the serial killer. It’s all over the news, posters all over the town, everyone’s freakin’ out,” he chuckles, “but me?” he shakes his head, “eh, I’m not too worried about it,” he says bringing the cup to his lips. 

“Why’s that?” you ask. 

“My family,” he starts, shifting his body to face you. Holding out his hand, he says, “okay, this is probably gonna sound real weird to a city girl,” he jests, nudging you, “but my family, we have this nice, big plot of land, miles out of town,” he says, hands gesticulating as he speaks. “My mom and dad, they got a little cabin at the front of the property. My brother and his wife, Jess, got their own space and I got mine,” he says, smiling at you before gripping onto his glass, “I come from a long line of hunters,” he says, pausing to take a drink. Your heart thumps in your chest at the word ‘hunter’, of fear or excitement you can’t quite tell, but you hold your breath in anticipation. 

“Deer, rabbits, beer, hell, even a couple mountain lions, whatever comes our way, we got it. So we got loads of rifles, ammunition, you name it,” clearing his throat, his lips form a straight line, and in an earnest tone, he says, “and we, uh, we protect each other, you know?” he says, nodding his head. 

Your smile transforms into an unidentifiable frown for a short moment before you move your eyes to your drink. Swirling it around, you can’t help but to think how unprepared they really are for what’s actually lurking in the dark. It reminds you of how fragile non-hunters are. 

Pushing down the knot in your throat, you look up at him and force a smile, “that’s very sweet, Dean,” you nod. Scooting your empty cup towards the other side of the bar, you rotate to face him, clutching your notebook in your hand, “thank you for the drink, and the talk, but I should really get going now,” you say, “early morning, long day, and all that,” you say with a grin. 

His eyes vacillate between yours, the smile lingering briefly before eyes eyebrows pushed together, and he purses his lips. Glancing down into his drink and then back up at you, he waves his hand before dropping it onto his knee, “yeah, no, of course,” he smiles, “it was really nice talking to you, too, Y/N.” 

Standing up, you place your hand on his forearm, “have a good night, Dean,” you say before taking a few steps away. 

“Wait,” he says. You breathe out a sigh and turn to face him. Smoothing out his shirt, he drops a few bills on the counter and stands, taking his time to walk the short distance over to you. “Any chance I could get your number?” 

“Dean, I-” you begin to decline, searching for a reason to tell him no, but he interrupts, hands held up at you. 

“I’m not looking for a long term thing,” he waves a hand, “believe me, had my fair share of those, it’s not for me,” he chuckles before dropping his arms and letting out a thick sigh through his nose, “I just figure, while you’re in town, if you want to let off some steam...” he clips the sentence short and trails off. 

“I’m flattered, really,” you confess, “but I-” 

“Tell you what,” he says, cutting you off again. He pulls your pen from the notebook’s rings and reaches onto the bar for a napkin. “I’ll just give you mine,” he says leisurely, focused on writing the numbers down onto the napkin, “and you can just call me when you make up your mind,” he grins, clicking the pen closed and putting it back between the rings. Holding the napkin out to you, his eyebrows waggle, urging you to take it. 

You sigh, “okay,” you say, before smiling and turning away to leave. 

****

Groaning loudly at the sound of your alarm, you throw the blankets off of your body and spring forward. Bringing a hand to your forehead, you wait until your head isn’t spinning before getting out of the bed. 

While a pot of coffee brews, you dress yourself, pulling on the pants you had the night before. Reaching into the pockets, you pull out your car keys and a napkin. Inspecting the napkin, you see Dean’s number scribbled neatly in the corner and with a sigh, you decide to place it in your notebook. 

Coffee in hand, you rush out of the door, heading for the trunk of your car to prepare for the day. You’re not sure how many of these damn creatures you’re going to walk in on, so you want to be prepared. 

As you dig through your arsenal of a trunk, Dean’s words fall into your thoughts: You must be here about the Blood Sucker then, huh? 

How eerily accurate humans can be without even realizing the actual meaning of their words prompts you to feel a bit worried for the ones who don’t know about the creatures that stalk this god-forsaken planet. 

You shake away the distracting thoughts by slamming your trunk shut, moving your keys in your hand as you walk to the driver’s seat. Your phone pings with a notification from your best friend, Jo, who you met while visiting the Roadhouse.

 The two of you bonded when discussing the abhorrent rules your mother had given you. She’d said that her mother had a similar jurisdiction, and the rest was history. After warming up to you, Ellen is more forgiving these days, but still only really allowing Jo to go out when she’s with you. 

With fingers too cold to tap on the screen of your phone in response, you call her. It rings a few times before she picks up. 

“Y/N!” she squeals. “Did you get my text?” 

Smiling, you say, “yes, that’s why I’m calling you,” you chuckle. 

“Where are you?” 

You look out your window at the sign of the motel you’d been staying at, “Red Rock Motel,” focusing back on the steering wheel, you bring the phone to your other ear, “but I’m leaving right now. Meet me at that diner on the corner of tenth and main, yeah?” 

***

Pulling into the parking lot of the diner, you see Jo leaning up against the hood of her car. She smiles brightly, waving at you, and skipping over to your car. When you step out, you pull her into a tight hug. It’d been a few months since you’d last seen her, and can’t hide your enthusiasm for seeing her now. 

“I missed you,” she says in a pout, yanking you in for another hug. 

“I missed you, too,” you say, chuckling a bit before you pull away and reach into your car for your notebook. 

Heading inside, your taken to a booth, where you order food and plan the day out with Jo. 

“I’m happy that you’re doing this with me, Jo,” you confess. “I’m kind of going into this one blind, so it’s nice to have backup.” 

“Absolutely,” she says, crunching down on a piece of bacon and reaching across the table for your notebook. She opens the book and flips to where you have the date highlighted at top of the page, the napkin falling out. Her eyebrows raise when she sees it, holding it between her fingers and looking up at you with a shit eating grin. Tilting her head, she asks, “who’s Dean, Y/N?” 

Heat filling your cheeks, your eyebrows furrow and you take a monstrous bite of your breakfast sandwich as an excuse to stay silent. When she asks again, you swallow the bite, letting saliva fill your mouth before swallowing again. “Met him at the bar last night.”

“Yeah?” she giggles. 

“No, come on, it wasn’t like that,” you laugh, playfully tapping her arm. “He just gave it to me after talking for a bit,” you shrug. Your eyes widen as you smile with the thought, “you take it.”

“What? No,” she says, squinting her eyes at you. “He gave it to you, not me.” After a pause, she takes a sip of her water, “are you gonna call him?” 

You scoff, “hell no.” She raises her eyebrows, looking down at you, “Jo, no. Depending on how this goes, I’m leaving town today. There’s no point.” 

“Whatever,” she says, slipping it into her pocket with a wink. 

***

Jo packs up her weapons and drops them into your trunk. Skipping over to the passenger side of the car, she slips into the seat, offering you a smile. You nod as you peel out of the parking lot and drive down the highway. 

“At the bar last night-” 

“Where you met Dean,” Jo interrupts, giving you a sly smile. 

You glare over at her, “yes, but before I met him, though, I overheard some locals talking about a camping trip they went on. Well, tried to go on, they said there was this cabin out there that gave them creepy vibes. I thought that that’s probably the best place to start, and if they aren’t out there, then we’ll have to track them down from there.” 

She nods, giving you a thumbs up and continuing to scroll through her phone. 

****

At the campsite, you stand at your trunk and slide your machete onto your shoulder. Collecting a few more weapons while Jo does the same, you look at each other. “Ready?” you smile. 

“Ready.” 

Hiking up the hill, much to your dismay, the leaves crunch under your feet. The air is cold and visibly leaves your mouth as you breathe, but you push on until you see the cabin. The roof appears to be caving in, with a tarp draped over one side of it. The windows look to be single paneled and broken in different spots. Motioning to Jo that you’re walking around to the back, she nods and skips up to the front of the cabin. 

She creeps along the side, waiting for your signal. Hearing your caw, the both of you burst open the door, guns drawn but pointing them at each other. 

After sweeping the small building, you meet up in the middle. You let out an exasperated sigh, looking around you at the scattered newspapers made into bedding, and the putrid smell of death. 

“Well, they were here at one point,” you say, kicking a few of the newspapers, “can tell by the stench. God, do they stink,” you say, crinkling your nose. 

“It’s only eleven in the morning,” she spits out, “they should be here, sleeping, right now,” she whispers, as if not to wake them. 

“Guess times are changing,” you shrug. “Come on, let’s go look around the woods.” 

Following your lead, she places the gun in her waistband and creeps out of the door behind you. 

After walking around the forest for a few hours, you are frustrated, hungry and extremely dehydrated. Deciding on taking a food break, you head back to your car. 

“Why do you think they weren’t at the nest?” she asks. 

“I don’t know, but it looks like there’s only a couple of them, judging by the layout. Maybe they’ve adapted to hunting in the day, sleeping at night.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense, though,” Jo says, “why would they just randomly change patterns like that.” 

You shrug, “maybe they just abandoned that nest.” 

“Yeah,” she says, “it is pretty close to the campground. There’s silence for a moment before she lets out a long breath, walking around to the front of the car and reaching for her phone. She taps the screen a few times before you hear static. 

“You have a police scanner on your phone?” you ask, eyes wide. 

“Yeah,” she smiles. “Pretty cool, isn’t it?” You nod, staying silent to listen in. 

Through the static, you hear a female voice dripping with fear, “code eight, code eight, anyone copy?” 

A male voice hits the wave, “Officer Barry here, what’s your twenty?” When he hears nothing, he speaks again, “go ahead,” he offers, but is only met with silence, “officer?” he shouts, alarmed at her silence. “Dispatch, I’m gonna need a twenty on Officer Lynn with backup,” he pauses, “requesting for code three.” 

“Copy that,” another voice speaks through, “last location on Lynn is the Manor, sending an officer your way.” 

Jo shuts off the radio as you slam the trunk shut and in sync you sprint to the front of the car, jumping in and peeling out of the parking lot. 

When you arrive at the manor, bright red and blue lights fill your eyes. Three police vehicles sit lined up on the side of the street, and behind them is an ambulance. 

Reaching into your glove box, you pull out your badge, turning to Jo, “you got yours, yes?” 

She nods, pulling it out of her pocket to flash it at you. 

Stepping out of your vehicle, you run towards the paramedic and a few police officers. “Hi,” you say when the three look your way, “I’m Agent Adams, and this is my partner,” you say, gesturing to Jo. 

“Agent O’Malley,” she grins. “Can you bring us up to speed?” 

The officer with his eyes wide stutters out the words, “we got an officer down, that’s what’s going on,” he says. Another officer places a hand on his shoulder, presumably trying to calm him. He shouts, “the fucking Blood Sucker got her.” 

You and Jo share a wide eyed glance, “do you mind if we take a look around?” you say in unison. 

The officers shake their heads, gesturing to the house, “have at it, but we’re getting the fuck out of here.”

Following Jo up the steps, you bend to walk underneath the caution tape and head inside. Officer Lynn, you assume, lays sprawled out on the floor. Bowing down next to her, you flick her hair to the side and see two puncture wounds on her neck. Jo leans down, resting her arms on her knees. 

Looking up at her, you tilt your head and narrow your eyes, “I don’t know where this is coming from, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is a reborn,” you say in a low whisper. “The abandoned nest, all the killings in one spot,” you say, eyes working their way around the room as you speak, “it’s almost like that case we had in Newport, where... where that freshly turned vamp just went on a massive killing spree. The nest turned him and let him loose,” your eyes widen at the thought of it, “maybe it’s the same nest, moving from town to town, turning people and letting them wreak havoc.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” she shrugs. “Where do we go from here?” 

As if it were an answer to your question, you hear a jarring, but muffled scream in the background. Running out of the back door, you see a long trail leading up to a lot of three or four little cabins. You can see the silhouette of a woman standing by the fence, and  next to her is a dark shadow. 

You rush back to your car and high tail it for the top of the driveway. The woman lays on the ground, and when the dark shadow sees your headlights, it whips around. Seeing the fangs emerge from the shadow, and the woman out of the way, you mutter, “hang on,” to Jo and slam against your pedal to hit the vampire with your car. 

It screams out as it flies onto the ground. With it immobilized for a short period, you turn to Jo, “get the jar and syringe,” you impatiently spit out. When she nods, you run to the trunk and pull out your machete. 

The vampire growls at it brings itself to its feet, head dipped down, and eyes narrowed at you. 

“Come at me, you son of a bitch,” you scream, and as it runs over to you, you switch the machete to your other hand and wind it up to slice through the vampires neck. 

Jo at your side, you drop to your knees, “is she bitten?” 

“Yes,” she says handing you the syringe. 

You insert the needle into the bit of neck that’s left of the creature, and draw enough blood to fill it. When you pull the needle from its neck, you toss your machete at Jo, who catches it with ease. 

“Go look around, make sure he was alone,” you shout, breathing heavily as you bring yourself to your feet.

Running over to the woman, you pull her up by her shoulders so that she’s sitting. Her eyes are droopy and weak, but narrow at you. Her instincts tell her to swat at you, but she feels too drowsy. 

“Here,” you say, putting the blood into the jar. “Drink this,” you hiss, handing her the jar. Her eyes clenched shut in disgust as she shakes her head. “Come on,” you say impatiently, “your life literally depends on this,” you say, and with that, her eyes widen. 

With a shaky hand, she takes the jar, looking up at you before bringing it to her lips. After a small sip of the blood, she gags, trying to hand it back to you. 

You shove her hand back to her, “no, all of it, please.” 

In the near distance, you hear the bustling of feet as they run towards you. As you urge the woman to drink the liquid, you turn your head in the direction of the sound. Three tall men and a petite, blond woman, sprint at you, and you can almost recognize one of them. 

You bring your attention back to the woman, watching her struggle to get the liquid down. “Good,” you breathe in relief, “good job,” you say, letting out another breath and leaning back slightly. 

“What the fuck are you doing to my wife?” an older man shouts as he approaches you, shoving you back onto the ground. 

At this point, Jo has returned, and grabs the man by the arm before he can land his punch, “wait!” she screams, holding up her hands defensively as he squares his shoulders to her. “We can explain!” she squeals. 

Getting back to your feet, you meet eyes with none other than the man you met at the bar last night. 

“Y/N?” he says, in utter disbelief, his eyebrows pushed down into his eyes as he drops the gun to his side. “Sam, hold your fire,” he says slowly and quietly. 

“Dean,” you exhale, almost relieved to see a familiar face, “please, get this woman inside, put her in bed and make sure she’s comfortable and I promise I’ll explain everything.”   

Something about the crazed look in your eye tells him to believe you. He nods, to you and then to the other men. The man that had attacked you lifts the small woman in his arms, and she whines with the movements. He lovingly shushes her as he carries her up the rest of the driveway and into the cabin, the younger woman at his side. You, Jo, and the men following closely behind him. 

When inside, the man gently settles her onto the couch, pulling a crocheted blanket on top of her. He kisses her cheeks before turning to face you, a scowl on his face. 

“What did you do to her?” he accuses.

“Okay, look,” you say, taking your time to examine each other their hurt and confused faces. “That was,” you pause, glancing up at Dean, whose face is softer than the rest, “that was a vampire,” you say, looking down at your boots before continuing. 

“Vampire,” the three men dubiously say in unison. The young woman crosses her arms with a scoff.  

Jo, almost as if she’s offended, points a finger at them, “she’s telling the truth, and if it weren’t for her, your woman would be one right now, too!” 

Placing a hand on Jo’s arm, you speak softly, “it’s okay, Jo.” Turning back to the men, you say, “it’s true, though. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, shit, even demons are real,” you say somberly. If it were up to you, they wouldn’t exist, and every time you have this conversation with someone, your heart breaks a little more. 

“Seriously?” Dean asks, taking a careful step towards you. “You’re... serious?” He says, hands padding the air. 

“Dead serious,” you say, eyebrows raised. “Shit, I’ll show you the fangs on that thing if you don’t believe me.” 

Saying nothing, the two younger men stepped towards the door, looking back at you to indicate you should follow them. 

“Stay here with them,” you whisper to Jo, “make sure that cure takes?”

She nods, and you lead the men down the hill and back to where your car sits. You whip out your phone for a flashlight, shining it on the face of the vampire. The two twist their face in disgust as blood drips from the severed head. Dropping to your knees, you lift the top lip up just enough to expose two fangs.

 Looking back up at the men, they lean down to your side, “holy shit,” they say. 

“Yeah, it’s no joke out there,” you say quietly. 

The three of you bring yourselves to your feet, and the two men stare at you in shock. 

Dean clears his throat, rubbing his thighs anxiously before speaking, “so you, uh, you,” he says, wagging a finger between you and the dead vampire. 

“I hunt them, yes,” you nod. “I hunt vampires, werewolves, whatever needs to be killed, I kill it,” you say. 

*** 

Back at the cabin, you sit at a table, drink in hand.Jo stands with who you learned to be Jess and John, as they nurture Mary. After a lengthy conversation between the two of them, Sam and Dean storm inside and plop down at the table across from you, their own drinks in tow. Sam sits silent, staring at his hand as he twists his wedding ring around his finger. Dean keeps his eyes on you. 

“So, everything you told me last night,” Dean says, “was all just lies?” 

“I’m sorry,” you say earnestly, “I couldn’t just up and tell you this then.” His lips fold down as he shrugs, and you take that as an acknowledgment. You lean forward against the table, “but you have to understand that I have to lie, I can’t just go around telling people that monsters exist, do you know what that would cause? Half of ‘em wouldn’t believe me and the other half would probably panic.” You pause, letting your voice drop in volume, “so those of us who do know fight it together,” your eyes flash up at Jo. 

“How many of you are there?” Sam asks, finally looking up to meet your eyes. 

You shrug, “hundreds, probably thousands,” you say, watching their eyes go wide. “In comparison to what’s out there, it’s not enough,” you say, shaking your head. 

Sam and Dean look up at you, eyes wide, “where do we sign up?” Dean asks, his voice deep and thick. 

You shake your head, a finger held up at him, “no. Dean, no, seriously, I can’t drag you into this.” 

He leans back a bit, “you’re not dragging me into anything,” he shrugs. “If there are monsters out there killing people, I want in,” he says sternly. 

After a small moment of thought, Sam drops his hand against the table, “yeah, me too,” he says, looking over at his brother. “I want to help, too.. Would you, uh,” he says, focusing on you, “would you show us the ropes, maybe?” he asks, and eye squinting.

“I guess so,” you say apprehensively, “but I think you should think on it for a while.” 

Dean shakes his head, “no. We’re doing this,” he says. “Right, Sam?” 

“Right,” he agrees, eyes still on you. 

Dean shoves his chair back and stands.. After taking a few steps he turns to face you, “so you gonna help me get rid of that body, or what?” 

You smile, using the table to push yourself to your feet, “got a shovel?” you ask.

 “Of course I do,” he says. You follow him into a shed for two shovels, wasting no time to dig a big enough grave to drop the body into. He’s a hard worker, you’ll give him that, but hunting? You’re not quite sure it’s for them.

He glances over the hole at you, wiping the sweat from his brow with a smile. Smiling back at him, you can’t help but to think about your mother’s rules. You’d followed the first one, and never found yourself falling in love, but now, with his eagerness to help you, you predict you’ll be breaking both very soon. 

“Sorry mama,” you whisper under your breath. 

“Huh?” Dean throatily says, and you smile at him. 

“Nothing. Keep digging,” you instruct.. 

****

PermaTags<3: @waywardblueshun​ @81mysteriouslyme​ @drakelover78​ @soab1967​

A/N2: I’m kindddd of thinking about making this a series, let me know if you’d be interested in something like that :) 

[sparklyaxolotlstudent]

In honor of watching Z-o-m-b-i-e-s 2, I’m giving a bit of review of my favorite and not so favorite Disney Channel Musicals, because why not.

Please do note that these are sarcastic as heck and that I do actually enjoy these movies. For the most part, they’re popcorn movies and fun to watch.

High School Musical

With Four movies (and a sort of tv series), I think this is the most profitable saga in the whole channel.

The first one: Fun music, cliché as heck, and really dark when you start to think about it too much. I like the fact that Sharpay is not your typical villain, and Ashely Tisdale portrayal actually makes her more sympathetic than some of the “heroes”… yeah, I’m talking about Chad, who is a total douchebag, and Taylor, who is a complete tool.  

Sharpay (And Ryan’s) crimes? Talking with Mrs. Darbus about changing the date of the callbacks. They didn’t even lie to do this, they just outright said it was highly suspicious that someone who had never shown any interest was now all over it. Mrs. Darbus agreed.  She also “introduced” Gabriella to Taylor. Her only real dick move was talking down Kelsi.

Chad and Taylor? They lie and manipulate their supposed friends. Taylor even only became friends with Gabriella when she thought she could get something out of her.

Then the Decathlon team and the basketball team proceed to cheat on their respective competitions so Troy and Gabriella can show up to callbacks!

ANYWAY. I still know the songs by heart (And Sharpay’s and Ryan repertoire are the most awesome of them all)

The second one:  I loved it, but it really has a weird message… the first one is all “BE YOURSELF”, while this one is all “SUCCUMB TO PEER PRESSURE”. To recap: Troy is sure his parents can’t afford to get him into a good college, so he agrees to suck up to Sharpay and get a job at a resort where her parents are really powerful.  He even manages to get ALL of his friends jobs! (Except Kelsi and Gabriella, who already had jobs there. Sharpay even was the one who told Kelsi about the opening at the club). The first thing they do, literally not even five minutes into the job is to bitch and moan and complain about how hard it is.  Sharpay uses her influences to promote Troy and introduce him to a professional team who are sincerely impressed with this boy. How do his “friends” react? Of course they support him and are happy he will have this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Ha! Nope. They are jealous of him, especially Chad, and bitch and moan and guilt trip him until he falls to peer pressure and ditches every single advantage he got after Gabriella also dumps him for being sexually harassed by Sharpay.  (I’m exaggerating a bit, but seriously, poor Troy)

I also want to point out that for some reason people like to ship Ryan with Chad due to them sharing a song here and switching their hats shirt/jersey, despite Ryan being visibly scared of Chad on the first one, and they don’t even interacting once in the following.

Also I find it hilarious when Troy is jealous of Gabriella talking with Ryan.  

 The music is on par of the first one, and I know most of them by heart too! Again, Sharpay and Ryan’s numbers kick ass, even the weird HumuhumunukukuA’pua’a

The third one: Honestly my least favorite of the saga.  Gabriella dumps Troy for the third time, ghost him and decides that her future is more important (Y’know… the things she dumped Troy for in the second movie) and once again Troy has to fight tooth and nail to get together with her again. I bet Gabriella is dumping him again as you read this.

Some songs are good, but they’re honestly confusing, “I want it all” is a fantasy sequence the first time, but the second time is Ryan’s number in the Musical. “Who’s that girl” was about Kelsi in the rehearsals, but about Sharpay in the actual musical.

The movie do have it’s sweet moments, like Ryan and Kelsi bonding (Who totally are each other’s beards), Sharpay being outsmarted and then deciding to be the baddest bitch.  Chad and Taylor being practically background characters in this one…

Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure: Awesome and well deserved spin off. Ashely Tisdaly performance as Sharpay is one of the things that really made High School Musical stand out. The music is good, the plot is okay-ish. I don’t remember much of the new characters, but Peyton was good for Sharpay’s character development, even if he is sort of a satellite character.

 Camp Rock

The music of both movies is very good, and the first one is okay, but coming right after High School Musical, it felt like a rip off. The music in both is awesome tho.

I barely remember the names of the characters, and the Alpha Bitch character is very… poorly thought off? She’s a mean bitch with some talent, but, like, everyone in that Camp is talented, and is pretty obvious that her mom doesn’t care about her that much, so why bother trying to suck up to her?

The Camp guide… counselor guy is also clearly biased favoring her, yet he knows what kind of a bitch she is, which makes absolute zero sense. Sure, she could complain to her mom about it, but Camp Rock is supposedly super exclusive and famous already. Her blaming the food fight on the protagonist and the other girl was somewhat believable due to how the question of who started it was asked, but her accusing protagonist girl of stealing a bracelet and then hiding it in an extremely obvious open to everyone place. It feels like he actually hates the protagonist.

The second one is even weirder. Camp Rock as THE most famous camp ever in the story of anything, and now we are supposed to believe is an underdog camp who struggles to get by. The antagonist of the previous movie, who was supposed to have learned her lesson switches to the new Camp Star, who is now the most awesome camp in the story of ever, despite being literally new and unknown. Also the protagonist somehow manages to bet the camp away, despite being in no way associated with the owner. And they don’t mentioning it in the original bet… And then they win not through talent and hard work, but for a technicality.

Yay?

 Teen Beach Movie

The first one is awesome and fun to watch. The fish out of water, and the culture whiplash is educative, progressive, and presented in a fun and relatable way (“Like Me”, about the different expectations boys and girls have in both eras) and “Can’t stop singing” is just hilarious. Garret Clayton is just hilarious as Tanner.

The second one has fun moments (“Twist your frown upside down”) but… well, I like it a lot less than the first one. They retcon and change lots of things established, or at least hinted in the first movie. The first one establishes the rules of the musical, and the characters go along with those, while the second one throws those rules and makes it a traditional musical, which makes no sense. The first movie heavily hints that Brady and Mack has been together for some time, and that they meet due to Brady working with Mack’s grandpa… in the second one the grandpa is nowhere to be seen, and now they meet on their own, they had been dating only for that summer and “Wet Side Story” is both their favorite movie, when in the first movie it was said to be Brady’s and Mack’s Grandpa’s favorite movie, and Mack barely knew about it. The first one also threats the main characters equally, while here, Tanner could disappear from the main plot and it would not make a difference.. The second movie is very feminist, which is not bad in itself, but also is very anti-male in the process, which… well, nope.  In the first movie they were both Tanner and Lela were portrayed as slightly ditzy, brainless beauties, but in this one,  Tanner is an outright dumbass, and Lela a freaking genius (Even understanding calculus on her first try).Brady also takes a level on jerkass and is dumber, while in the first one he was more capable and reliable.  And then the ends happens and the movie in universe goes from “Wet Side Story” to “Lela Queen of the Beach”, which sounds incredibly narcissistic and self-centered on Lela’s part… not to mention in the video we are shown Tanner is, again, portrayed as an idiot instead of Lela’s love interest.

Descendants

Do I think the premise is a cash grab? Abso-fucking-lutely? Do I still enjoy every bit of them? HELL YES.

They’re popcorn movies, the First one even has Kristin Chenoweth, which is always a good thing. There are horrifying implications like in Ever After High (Which I have no idea which was “first”, since EAH came first, but there were plans for this long before EAH came into being)

ANYWAY, the plot of the first one is solid, although I honestly think making them animated would have made them a lot more enjoyable. The characters are relatable and sympathetic, even if they’re trying to prove they’re “bad”, it all comes to them being super afraid of their parents. Audrey is a major asshole tho, I have no idea why many people “stan” her, when she’s a horrible person. Chad is also bad, but to be fair, his speech at Family day was only truths, he didn’t even had anything to say against Carlos. “You can do different than your parents” is always a good lesson. Even if that technically applies to Audrey being an evil bitch by choice too.

The second is a bit iffier, with Mal essentially succumbing to the pressure of essentially being seen as the Future Queen, when she has had barely any time to process being good. Also they gave Lonnie a huge role and that also was cool as hell (Even if stupid Hasbro didn’t make a doll of her). Her ship teasing with Jay I could do without. Jane/Carlos was adorable though.  I also hate Uma and how people compare her to Mal, especially Ben. Mal was afraid of Maleficent and wanted to prove herself worthy. Uma did all what she did for herself and herself alone. (This does change in the third movie, but still)

Third one felt rushed as hell. I liked the big reveal of Mal being Hades’ daughter, and I liked Hades. I didn’t liked how they replaced Freddie from the Wicked World shorts for Celia (They could have used the same character FFS!) I really liked Freddie character. She blended well with the other VKs, and somehow managed to become close (And I would dare to say BFF) with Jane… anyway, onto the movie. Audrey is a bitch, she’s completely evil and unrepentant, and the final solution is to break the barrier? … what… I would argue that getting the children should have been a priority and then slowly get the adults out. And the main 4 never encountered their parents again…

I dislike that Lonnie was not there in the third movie, but they compensated that with the bromance between Jay and Gil… like, if Lonnie needed to be out for that bromance to bloom, I’m ok with that. (Seriously, Ben and Mal end up practically engaged, Evie got proof that her thing with Doug was True Love, and Carlos has a budding romance with Jane, Uma/Harry is pretty much also a couple… Jay essentially ends up with Gil as his “pair the spares” partner. )  

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S

It was a good movie, even if the message is a little awkward if you try to apply to the real world. Not that “don’t be racist douchebag” is wrong, but when you portray your minority as a literal race of monsters that eat brains and need the other race to be able to function (The Z bands) yeah…

Anyway, the music is very cool (BAMM is totally my jam) and the Addison / Zed is not as jarring as other examples (They are a lot more healthy than Troy/Gabriela, for example)

I might be gay-biased, but while it is obvious that Bucky is jealous of Zed getting attention, at times he seems jealous of Addison being with Zed.

The make up and characterization of the zombies is also… well, bad. They look like discount Jokers. They could have done something really fun and give each character a different hair color, or at least different shades of green.

In the second… well, they handled “political issues” WAY better than Teen Beach Movie. They didn’t sacrifice characters for this, their attitudes do fit with what they did in the first one. It is a bit annoying that they undo the happy ending of the first one and that Bucky and the ‘Aceys are still racist assholes… actually, the aceys seem to be even MORE assholish than they were in the first movie. And that’s without saying they replaced one of them. Bree is has less screen time than in the first movie, but at least her shiptease with Bonzo did result in them being together (They’re cute!)  

I will also admit I kinda disliked this because the Toy Fair showed the toys and the main werewolf girl was basically a human Clawdeen Wolf (Literally… you can see some comparisons) but the actual character doesn’t look that much like Clawdeen, so no idea why they went that route for the doll.

Addison’s hair looks platinum blonde instead of the white it looked in the first movie. The make up of the zombies is just as bad as the first one. There are scenes in which Zed doesn’t look to have make up.

Addison is not a werewolf, but the prophecy about the “Great Alpha” only shows someone with long white hair… I don’t think it’s mentioned she is a werewolf… and Addison does fulfill said prophecy

There is a scene were Addison is interacting with the only important of the guy Werewolves, Wyatt, and Zed is watching them and gets very jealous… and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the HSM2 scene with Troy being jealous of Ryan… and then at the end Wyatt compliments Bonzo… so yeah.

I liked the werewolves more than the cheerleaders. Wyatt is totally my favorite, and I actually laughed when Zoey gave scritches to the other girl and she ended up enjoying it haha.

Also, Addison is totally and alien.

Or a fairy.

Honorably Mentions:

Lemonade Mouth. This is one of the most boring movies I have seen. I didn’t remember this one until I did a search for the DCOM movies in case I missed one and here it is.

Lizzie Maguire: Not a musical per se, but it did have music in it. Other than the male friend falling hard for the female friend, this is very enjoyable.

The Cheetah Girls. A shame that internal fighting left this saga kind of incomplete. They’re fun movies. Raven-Symone is an awesome singer and actress.

 -

In order of my enjoyment, I would say they are

1. High School Musical

2. Descendants

3. Teen Beach Movie

4. High School Musical 2

5. Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure

6. Descendants 2

7. Z-O-M-B-I-E-S

8. High School Musical 3

9. Descendants 3

10. Camp Rock

11. Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2

12.  Teen Beach Movie 2

13. Camp Rock 2

Like I said, they all have mostly awesome songs, and are good popcorn movies, so don’t try to look too deep into them.

[prettyyoungandbored]

You and I {DouglasBooth!Nikki Sixx} Chapter Three

Pairing: Douglas Booth!Nikki Sixx x Reader

Summary: There was a time when all Y/N and Nikki had were themselves and Nikki’s dreams of creating the next great band. What happens when the dream comes alive?

Taglist: @fandomshit6000 @cosmicsskies @tashy-bear @versaceismehoe @thissongitsaboutyou @prettysureimgayxo

A/N: Two chapters in one day means I had the day off from work and a shit ton of coffee lol. Thank you for the reblogs and likes and follows! You guys are awesome and I really appreciate it! Also if you want to be tagged let me know!

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Mötley Crüe was the name they’d settled on. According to Nikki, it was Mick’s idea and that he had been waiting a long time to use it. Y/N found it fitting.

They would practice everyday and night in the living room. On her days or nights off, Y/N would sit and watch them. In the strangest way, it felt like an honor to watch them all by herself (that is, of course, when blondie wasn’t around).. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it, but something in the back of her mind made her believe she would one day understand why.

Then something happened. The more she listened to the song’s lyrics, the more she found herself nitpicking them and coming up with different lyrics instead. She kept quiet about it, afraid of how she would be perceived by the boys. She didn’t want to interfere or make it seem like she knew better than they did when it came to song lyrics. 

And then she stopped giving a shit. 

One night the boys finished practicing “Take Me to the Top” when Y/N finally spoke up. “Can I make a suggestion?” 

The boy’s eyes turned to her, taken aback by her question. Normally she didn’t say anything other than “I like it”. 

“Go for it,” Nikki encouraged. 

Y/N stood up from the couch. “Vince, can I see the piece of paper and babe, can you grab me that pencil over there?” 

Vince handed the sheet over to her as Nikki handed her the pencil. Y/N then sat back down and eyed the lyrics. The boys watched her with intense curiosity. 

“Ok, so instead of ‘fighting with temptation’ try ‘fighting all temptation’,” she said, making the correction on the paper. Her eyes scanned it. “Also, instead of ‘it’s an accusation’ try ‘victim accusation’. That should be enough.” 

Her eyes stayed on the paper. Mick looked at the guys before saying, “Are you actually going to give us back the paper or do you want to make corrections?” 

Y/N snapped her head up. “Give me a few minutes.” 

With that, she got up from the couch and headed into the bedroom. Tommy looked at Nikki. “Why didn’t you tell us she writes songs?” 

“I had no fucking idea,” Nikki said defensively. “I mean, she told me she used to write poetry or something.” 

“If you put music to it and add a chorus, poems can be songs,” Mick stated. 

“Was her stuff any good?” Vince asked. 

Nikki shrugged. “Don’t know. Never read them.” He paused. “You think you can sing the corrections?” 

“Yeah but I don’t know how I feel about a chick writing our songs.” 

“But you don’t have an issue when your girl buts in with her useless two cents,” Nikki retorted. 

Vince turned his head. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?” 

“It means that unlike your girl Y/N’s suggestions are useful,” Mick clarified.

“You know what-.” 

“Ok I’m finished!” 

Y/N closed the door behind her and handed the paper back to Vince. Nikki and Mick looked at it from over Vince’s shoulder. 

“So much for a couple changes,” Vince commented. 

Y/N crossed her hands in front of her chest. “No I didn’t. I kept a good amount of it.”

Nikki gave her a look. “Babe-.” 

“Just try it,” Y/N pleaded. “If it doesn’t work, then I’ll keep my mouth shut from here on out.” 

Nikki looked at the guys. Mick shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” 

They got into positions with Tommy starting them off. Y/N took a seat on the couch, bopping her head along. 

Don't you know, know, know It's a violation I still hear you saying Such a perfect, perfect night No, no, no, fight all temptation Well, in a black-hearted alley fight I'm screaming. "Take me to the heights tonight"

Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top

Too many times Victim accusation No, you don't have to take it like that A sheer, sheer heart attack No, no, no, no realization Well, I never had a way with you But I still hear you saying

Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top Take me to the top

Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top (To the top and throw me off) Take me to the top

At the end of the song, Y/N stood up from the couch. While part of her felt confident in her changes, a large part of her was anxious. The boys gave no indication of satisfaction throughout their performance.

“Well?” she asked, crossing her arms. 

“Honestly that was pretty fucking good,” Mick said. 

“Yeah, I gotta hand it to you, you know how to write,” Vince agreed. 

Y/N’s eyes turned to Nikki, who’s eyes were on the ground. Her heart sunk. She knew he wrote it and he fucking hated it. She exhaled. “Nikki, I didn’t mean-.” 

“I’m actually pissed you never corrected any of my songs before,” Nikki told her with a little laugh. “All those times you watched me write you never said one word.” 

She shrugged. “I didn’t think to say anything.” 

Nikki grabbed a couple papers containing handwritten lyrics. He handed them to her. “Now’s the time to start.” 

He grinned at her as she took them from his hands. “That’s not a problem, is it?” he asked the boys. 

They all shook their heads. Y/N gave Vince a look. 

“Oh so now you feel comfortable with a chick writing rock songs?” she questioned, tilting her head. 

He glared. “Don’t push it.” 

She grabbed the pencil from her back pocket and sat down on the couch, making corrections to the lyrics. 

It was the night before Mötley Crüe’s first show and the band was practicing as Y/N and Blondie were sitting on the couch. Y/N was finishing the final touches on one of the songs while Blondie watched them play. 

“They’re going to have so many girls begging to suck their dick,” Blondie commented. 

“I’m sure Vince can handle it,” Y/N remarked without bothering to look up. 

“Yea but what about you?”

Now she had Y/N’s attention. Blondie shot a smug smile. “I’m just saying, you know, Nikki’s not bad looking and a man with a guitar can really get a woman going.” 

“He’s a bassist.” 

“Bassist, guitarist - it doesn’t matter. Any good looking guy in a rock band is bound to have a flock of women wanting to sleep with him.” She turned her body toward Y/N. “I’m sure you’re used to it though.” 

Y/n pursed her lips back. She knew what Blondie was trying to and it was a game she refused to play. 

“I am,” Y/N said. “Thing is, I’m ok with it because I know they’re not going home with him. Good effort though.” 

Blondie folded her arms across her chest. “You’re not much of a competition though, are you?” 

Y/N blinked. Her silence spoke volumes to Blondie. “I’m just saying. This band is going to go far and if you don’t do something now, you might lose him to some girl in the front row.” 

Y/N set down the paper and pencil on the ground. “You would think with all the money your daddy sends you you could afford to buy yourself a personality and  a filter.” 

She got up from the couch and grabbed Nikki’s beer from off the amplifier before walking out the door. Leaning on the railing, she took a swig of beer and let the cool Los Angeles breeze eased her tension and her rage. Letting out a weak sigh, she closed her eyes. A couple tears found their way down her cheek.

“You ok?”

Tommy stood beside her. She wiped her eyes and before she could answer, he said, “Yeah, what’s-her-face is a bitch.” 

She chuckled. “That’s putting it lightly.” 

“She giving you shit?” 

“What do you think?” 

“I think she’s a bitch who’s only good at spending money and sucking off Vince.” He turned to Y/N. “I also think you’re cool and awesome and Nikki’s lucky to have you. You guys are like my parents.” 

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. “Your parents? Is that your way of calling me old?”

He shook his head. “No! Like, so my parents have this amazing relationship and they get each other and like, some odd years later they still love each other and shit. Like what they have and what you and Nikki have, that’s what I want, man. I want that kind of relationship.”

Y/N smiled, elbowing him. “You’re such a sweetie, you know that?” 

Tommy laughed. “I know, I know. But I rock too.” 

“Honestly, if you could just talk about how much you love your parents relationship before the beginning of your guys’ show, you would be doing me and yourself a huge favor.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Why would I be doing you a favor?”

“Because then they’d all flock to you and not Nikki.” 

“Even if they did, Nikki wouldn’t give them the time of day. Not when he has you.”

Y/N looked down, biting her lips. “Hopefully.”

“What’s going on out here?” 

Nikki closed the door behind him and stepped in between Tommy and Y/N, putting an arm around Y/N. 

“Tommy was just telling me how he admires his parent’s relationship and wants something like that for himself,” Y/N said. “I think he’ll find it some day.” 

“Dude, there will be a ton of chicks tomorrow night so there’s hope,” Nikki told him. 

Tommy lit up. “Fuck yeah there will be!” 

Once Tommy left, Nikki turned to Y/N. “Yeah, there’s no hope for him. All these chicks at these gigs don’t give a shit about a love story.” 

“Don’t tell him that.” 

Nikki kissed her temple. “You’re gonna be there tomorrow night, right?” 

“Of course. You know I wouldn’t miss it.” 

“I know. You know I hate playing when you’re not there.”

“You’ve done it before.”

“And it’ll never happen again.” 

He kissed her one last time before going back inside.

A few hours before showtime, Y/N stood in her bedroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles under her eyes, her hair greasy and unkempt, she noted what needed to be fixed. 

She knew what she was about to do and in a twist that even surprised herself, she wasn’t doing this solely for Nikki - she was doing it for herself.

Her eyes shifted to the outfit she laid out on the bed and grinned. No one was going to see what she had coming.

***************************************************************************************************

Minutes before show time, Nikki, Mick, and Tommy were getting ready backstage at Starwood. Tommy was twirling his drumsticks as Mick played his guitar and Nikki put paint on his cheeks. 

“Yeah, that’s gnarly dude,” Tommy remarked, watching Nikki. 

Nikki grinned when Vince entered, wearing a black and white striped tank, fitting white leather pants, and a red bandana on his neck.

“Man, my girlfriend spent, like 800 bucks on these leather pants.” He crouched down in them. “You like ‘em?” 

“They’re cool bro,” Tommy said. 

“You say everything’s cool, drummer,” Mick remarked. 

Nikki handed Vince his bottle of Jack Daniels before returning to the mirror to tease his hair. Vince took a swig and sat down on the vanity. 

“So you think there’s gonna be anybody out there tonight?” Vince asked. 

“We put up enough fliers. I hope so.” Nikki sighed. “Where’s Y/N?” 

“You tell us,” Mick said. 

Just then, the door opened and Y/N entered, the boys all standing up to stare at her. She wore high waisted denim shorts, rolled up way past her upper thigh and belt to cinch her waist. Her shorts were paired with an black blazer with the sleeves pushed up. Underneath the blazer was a white crop top with a lace in the neckline. On her feet were black ankle booties. Her hair was blown out in waves. Her makeup was simple except for the red lips. 

“Damn Y/N,” Vince cooed. “Look at you. You clean up real nice.” 

She shrugged. “I do ok.” 

She turned to Nikki to find him staring at her in disbelief. Her smile fell, wondering if maybe he hated it.  She swallowed hard as Nikki put his hands on her face, gently caressing her cheeks.

“You hate it, don’t you,” she whispered. 

He then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He closed the door behind them and brought her out to the hallway.

When they were far enough away, he set her down and pushed her against the wall. Their lips meshed together, hungry and frantic. After a few seconds, Nikki pulled back. “You did this for me?” he whispered, his lips now inching towards her neck. 

“No for-.” She let out a sharp breath as he started sucking on her neck. 

He pulled back a bit. “For who?” 

“For me.” 

He continued sucking her neck as she let out soft moan. His hands stayed on her waist as he pulled himself closer to her. She could feel his teeth press gently press into her neck. Her heart raced wildly, almost losing her breath. 

When Nikki let go after a few minutes of sucking, he stepped back. “Now when everyone sees your neck, they’ll know you’re mine.” 

He took her hand and just as he goes to leave, she pulls him back and kisses his neck.  

“And now they’ll know you’re mine,” she purred. 

Nikki smirked and took her hand in his. He knocked on the dressing door. “Let’s go guys, c’mon!” 

*****************************************************************************************************

As the boys got on stage, Y/N took her place beside the stage closest. She pressed her back against the wall and looked out onto the small crowd that stared at the boys confused. 

Vince hopped on stage, energy radiating. “Alright!” he yelled into the mic. 

Tommy tapped on the cymbals as Vince went on. “We’re Mötley Crüe!” 

Tommy then banged on the one cymbal, causing it to fall over. Y/N bit her lips and shook her head. 

That’s fucking embarrassing, she thought.

The audience laughed as Nikki turned to Tommy, who was trying to pick it up. “C’mon man.” 

And that was when the audience began the heckling. 

“Get off the stage!”

“You guys suck!”

Nikki turned to Y/N. “You got this,” she mouthed to him, smiling. 

He smiled back at her, regaining some of his confidence back. 

 As Tommy sat back down at his set, Vince exclaimed, “C’mon boys! Let’s rock this hole!”

The band began playing the beginning to “Take Me to the Top”. Despite Vince’s and the song’s energy, the crowd stood there, barely moving. A couple “boo”s were yelled out. 

A large man with long hair and a beard standing in the front joked, “Who’s the chick singer?” 

Vince stopped dancing, eyes darting to the man. “Fuck you asshole.” 

The man flipped Vince the bird and spit Vince’s pants. Vince then charged at the man, the man decking Vince in the face. Nikki then swung his bass his bass at the guy’s head and jumped onto the man’s friend. 

“Nikki don’t!” Y/N yelled. 

But it was too late. She watched as Tommy jumped in to join the fight. Y/N stole  a beer from onlookers. She then got on stage and ran toward the man who had Nikki in a chokehold and his buddy who was punching Nikki in the face She bashed the bottle on the man’s head. The man let go of Nikki who elbowed him in the face. Mick turned to her, impressed. 

“Nice shot.” 

The man’s buddy went to charge at her when Mick kicked him in the face. Y/N pat Mick’s shoulders. 

“Thanks buddy.” 

“Not a problem.” 

Y/N grabbed Nikki’s hand and brought him onstage. She grabbed his face, looking for any cuts. “You ok?” 

Nikki nodded.Mick began playing the guitar as the couple watched the bouncers pull off Tommy from some guy. The bouncers separated the two, yelling at them to “chill the fuck out”. Tommy and Vince were thrown back on stage as the hecklers were escorted out of the building. 

As the boys caught their breath, Y/N noted, “Solid start I would say.” 

The silence among the audience was deafening, as they tried to process what the fuck just happened. 

“FUCK YEAH!” one guy in the back screamed. “MÖTLEY CRÜE! WHOOO!”

He started clapping, which set off a reaction in the crowd. The clapping then turned into cheers as the audience raced toward the stage. 

As the boys assumed positions, Y/N went to leave the stage when Nikki pulled her back to him and kissed her. The audience’s cheers got louder. Y/N pulled away and made her way back to where she had been standing earlier. She watched as they started playing “Take Me to the Top”, the audience banging their heads banging. 

It wasn’t too long until she realized what was unraveling before her. She was witnessing Nikki’s dream come true and the beginning of Mötley Crüe.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

hi, sorry to bother you, i love your blog and your fics, i have read them more than once, my favorite one is the one in which elena calls schneider dad, i have fic prompt i don't know how you fell about this but my friend and i were talking about alex coming out as bi and we said that the first person, he would come out to would be scheneider, if you want to write it, it would be great but if you don't that's fine too, i hope you have a nice day and i can see more of your fics.

Hi anon!! you’re not bothering me AT ALL, this was the sweetest ask! I can’t say I ever planned to write a bi!Alex coming out fic, but as soon as you asked I really had a ton of fun with it. 

Here’s where I’m coming from, personally, just fyi: I totally think that Alex would make sense coming out as bi, but I suspect the show loves having positive examples of straight-male-ally characters too much to ever take his character there, the same way that platonic Penelope and Schneider mean a lot to them on principle. 

That being said, though, bisexual!Schneider is very important to me, so that’s in this fic too even though you didn’t ask for it. Hopefully you don’t mind :)

Alex & Schneider & Penelope, One Day At A Time. Also on AO3.

“Hey, Schneider?”

Schneider looked up from the model train he was laying out in his parlor, and over to where Alex was playing video games on the couch. He had come upstairs an hour ago complaining that Elena was hogging the TV at home.

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“I need some advice.”

Alex’s game was silent now, on pause. Schneider was pretty sure Lydia was his go-to for important discussions, followed by Alex’s friends and then maybe Elena, so he wasn’t sure what advice Alex would come to him for–but he knew it must be important.

Schneider got up off the floor and joined him on the couch. “I’m totally here for you, man,” he assured Alex, aiming for cool and landing somewhere in the realm of awkward stepdad.

“Thanks. The thing is…” Alex bit his lip, thinking it over before he continued. “I got asked out by somebody I really like.”

“That’s great! Is there a problem?”

“Kind of. You know how my mom is, she’s super strict about me and Elena dating. Even now that Elena’s been with Syd for like, forever, I practically had to give Mom an itemized list of every date thing I might do with Chloe before she would let me go.”

“Chloe was your first girlfriend, though,” Schneider pointed out. “And you were only fifteen.”

“I don’t think my mom is going to see sixteen as being all that different from fifteen.”

“So, are you looking for a way to get her to loosen up? Because I hate to let you down, dude, but your Mom is who she is. I don’t see that changing. And I definitely don’t think she’s going to take advice about her dating rules from me. She’s pretty comfortable being in charge of you solo at this point.”

“No, I know. I don’t need you to talk to my mom. I just need help figuring out how to tell her.”

“You told her about Chloe. I’m not seeing the hard part.”

Alex took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. “Okay. The thing is, I got asked to the movies by Spencer.”

“I thought Spencer was…oh.”

Alex watched Schneider catch up, trying to figure out what he was thinking from his expression. His face was usually pretty easy to read, but Alex couldn’t get more than mild surprise from it.

“Spencer’s your friend, right? The new kid?”

“Yeah. My friend, who’s not a girl.”

“Well, you have mentioned him a lot,” Schneider thought out loud.

“I really like him.”

“And he asked you out! So he likes you back. Way to go, man.” Schneider fist-bumped him with a grin, and Alex relaxed a little. He knew coming to Schneider was the right idea.

“Yeah. Yeah, he does. Which is awesome. But if I want to actually go out with him, I have to tell my mom. And then Elena and my Abuelita will know, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”

“So–wait. Nobody knows?”

Alex shook his head. “My friends do. But nobody in the family, until now.”

Referring to Schneider as family was always guaranteed to distract him from the actual conversation, but he only got that goofy happy look in his eyes for a few seconds before he focused back in. “You know, your mom and Lydia are totally cool with Elena being gay.”

“I know they are. But gay isn’t bi. Abuelita would support me if I came out as gay…I’m not sure she knows what bisexuality is. And my mom, she’s great about Elena, but girls liking girls isn’t the same as guys with guys. People don’t treat it the same. Plus, just because I like Spencer doesn’t mean I’ll end up with a guy, but if I date a girl, that doesn’t mean I’m straight…it’s just so much more complicated.”

“Alex, your mom is good at complicated. I promise you. And I’ve never seen anyone love another person as much as your Abuelita loves you. But I get it–coming out is tricky. You’re the only one who knows if you’re ready.”

Schneider tapped his fingers against his knee. “Since you asked for my advice, I think you should be honest with your mom. Give her a chance. It’s the quickest way to a date with Spencer,” he added encouragingly.

“Yeah.” Alex sighed. “I knew you would say that.”

“That’s because it’s excellent advice,” Schneider joked. “Seriously, though, I’m honored that you felt like you could confide in me.”

“You were so cool about Elena,” Alex said. “You didn’t make it weird, and you treated her the same…and you didn’t tell my mom. You waited and let Elena do it.”

He heard the unspoken question and smiled. “Of course I did. Just like I will for you. I told you, I get it. Nobody should be able to choose for you. Your whole family is gonna be there for you, when it’s time, I’m telling you. But until then, you can come to me if you need to. If you have questions.”

“If I have questions about what?”

Schneider scoffed. “About guys, obviously. About being a bi guy.”

“No offense, Schneider, I know you’re ‘super woke’ and all, but I think that’s a little outside your area.”

“Think again, Alejandro.”

Alex rolled his eyes at the way Schneider liked to use–and slightly mispronounce–his full name. Then it hit him, mostly because of the unusually serious look on Schneider’s face.

“Wait. What? Are you saying that you…”

“Tried to start a band in college called The Bi Guys, of which I was the lead singer and the in-hindsight-objectively-terrible songwriter? Yes.”

“I don’t get it. Why didn’t you lead with that? Also–it’s been four years! Why didn’t I already know that?”

“An excellent question. Maybe you should spend a little less time focused on this,” Schneider said, pointing at Alex’s face, “and a little more focused on this.” He spread his hands to indicate the world around them, which just made it seem like he was trying to tell Alex to pay more attention to his enormous apartment.

“Don’t get me wrong, I really like women. I always have. Compared to that, I’ve only been into a few guys, my whole life. And my first relationship with another guy, I was at Pepperdine and it was before I got sober….I was kind of a dick. So, you know, I try to be more respectful now, more on-the-down-low. But it’s never been something I hide or anything. I guess it just doesn’t come up that much in regular conversation.”

“It’s never come up at all.”

“Maybe not. Then again, why would it? I don’t go around talking to you or your sister about my sex life.”

“Does my mom know?”

“She’s never asked me about it, but I think so. Yeah.”

“And she’s…cool?”

“The coolest. Alex, she may be old-school, not nearly as with it as I am–hey, stop laughing!”

Despite his protest, Schneider elbowed Alex lightly, taking the teasing in the easygoing way he usually did.

“Your mom always comes through. You’re lucky that way.”

“Yeah.” Alex smiled, a little bit sheepish. “She can be really a lot sometimes, but I am lucky.”

“She can be a lot? Have you seen your Insta feed?”

“Whatever, dude. Have you seen yours?”

Alex’s smile faded. “I do want to tell her. It sucks keeping it a secret. But when the whole family knows, it’s just going to be…”

“Intense. You don’t have to tell me that, I’ve seen them jump on your Homecoming pictures like sharks scenting blood. It’ll be a relief, though, too. Being honest usually is, even when it’s hard. So when it comes down to it…what are you really worried about?”

He frowned, hesitating long enough that Schneider thought he might not answer at all.

“Elena,” Alex admitted finally, and Schneider leaned back, surprised.

“Elena? She’s out and proud! Like, way, way out. No way is she going to have a problem with you being bi.”

“Oh, I know. She’s not going to have a problem with it. But I spent so much time, after she came out, telling her how straight I was–I don’t think I can take the I told you sos and the aggressively supportive vibe. I can already picture it: she’s going to sneak into my room during an away game and redecorate the whole thing in bi pride colors or something.’

“Bi pride colors kick ass, but go on.”

“I’m not like her. I don’t want my whole life to be about me liking guys, when I like girls too. I just want to be able to like Spencer. Without her turning it into a huge deal. She has no chill.”

“Chill is overrated, you know.” But Schneider nodded, thinking it over. “I can’t help you with the whole ‘my sister is too supportive’ thing. That’s kind of the best problem to have, when it comes to coming out. As for the ‘I told you so’s? Look at it this way. Why did you feel like you had to deny it so much? Was it because Elena kept asking?”

Alex thought about it, and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe. She can be so pushy, you know? It just got on my nerves.”

“That’s the joy of siblings,” Schneider agreed. Alex was pretty sure he’d never heard him talk about any sisters or brothers before; he thought Schneider was an only child. He tucked that curiosity away for another time.

“So maybe,” Schneider continued, “Elena had her reasons.”

“Besides being her usual level of annoying?”

“Besides that.” Schneider shook his head, amused. “She’s your big sister, Alex. And she’s gay. You might consider the possibility that she kept asking because she was expecting a different answer. And if she was, then you telling her now won’t be a surprise. It could even be…welcome.”

“Huh.”

“I didn’t have a big sister like Elena,” Schneider explained, “when I was figuring out who I was. There’s such a difference, being alone with it.”

He paused and let that sink in.

“And Elena never had an Elena either.”

Alex’s worry transformed into understanding. “She was hoping I was like her.”

“Maybe. It was rough for her, especially with your dad. I’m sure it occurred to her over the years that being different together would’ve been less lonely.”

“I never thought about it like that before,” Alex admitted. “I know it was hard, but she’s so loud and proud now…you really think it might make her feel better?”

“There’s only one way to know for sure.”

Alex nodded, his mouth firming into a resolved line. “Can I finish my game later?”

“Sure. I’ll hit save for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Schneider asked as Alex got up, no longer looking weighed down by worry.

“It’s really more of a one-on-one conversation–no offense, but that would be weird. Thanks for everything, though, Schneider. I think I can handle it now.”

“Okay. Cool.” Schneider was already turning off the video game and settling in to watch a Netflix documentary about Austrian yodelers. “Just remember, I’m right upstairs if you need anything. Door’s always open.”

“Literally. I know.” Alex stopped in the doorway to grin back at him. “You know you’re awesome, right?”

“The awesomest,” Schneider agreed, smiling back.

“I’ll have to ask my mom,” Alex added, “but if she’s cool with it, you and Elena and me, we should go to Pride this summer.”

“I can show you my favorite booths!” Schneider almost bounced out of his seat, instantly excited. “Deal. And your mom will say yes, if I have to talk her into it myself. I bet I can get her to come with us.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “I seriously doubt it. Between the crowds and the noise, there’s no way. If you weren’t in GA, I’d put money on that.”

“You have so little faith in me,” Schneider lamented. “You’ll see. I’ll buy her a flag to wave and everything. We’ll make it a family affair.”

“Abuelita will end up on a float!” Alex ducked his head, still laughing when he left.

Schneider missed the first three yodelers’ segments entirely, waiting for the text from Penelope he knew would arrive soon. He estimated ten minutes for the talk, ten minutes for her to get the sentimental crying out of her system, and five more for her to lay down the rules for Alex’s next date. A half hour, tops.

It only took fifteen minutes.

But she didn’t text.

Penelope let herself into his apartment without even knocking first, just opened the door and headed straight for Schneider–a petite, Cuban, him-seeking missile.

She was in his arms before Schneider had the chance to draw a breath, getting a tiny ‘oof’ out of him when she squeezed.

“I have the best kids,” Penelope half-sobbed into his chest, and he rested his cheek on top of her head, squeezing back.

“You really do,” he agreed. He listened to her sniffle for a moment, waiting while her breathing settled down.

“So, Pen…wanna go to Pride with us?”

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 168

The announcement of the Cell Games has sent the entire world into a panic.    Even these giant dinosaurs are fleeing in terror.    What I don’t understand is where everyone thinks they can run to.   Cell said he was going to kill them all.

Oolong proposes they use the spaceship at Bulma’s house to flee into outer space.   Fuck you, Oolong. 

Downstairs, Krillin flips out and tries to rush out to fight Cell right now, because he feels so guilty about allowing Cell to become perfect.    Yeah!  We don’t need to wait nine days!   Let’s have the Cell Games TONIGHT.    

But Master Roshi forbids him to throw his life away on a battle he can’t win.  Instead, he tells him to wait for the Cell Games if he intends to fight at all.   I like the way this scene is written.   We all know Krillin doesn’t have a chance, because he already fought Perfect Cell and couldn’t do anything to him.    But Krilin feels like he has to die trying because this is the only way for him to atone for his mistake.      And Roshi gets that, even if he doesn’t agree, so his compromise is to ask Krillin to wait ten days before restoring his honor, when he’ll have the best possible chance of surviving the effort.

By contrast, I think Yamcha’s already accepted that he just can’t participate in this battle.  He’s gonna go, and maybe help if he can, but after he saw Cell blow up that town after his announcement, Yamcha knows he’s out of his league.    Krilln knows it too, but for him, not fighting Cell isn’t an option.    He can’t live in this world knowing he has to share it with the monster who swallowed 18.  

Up on Kami’s Lookout, everyone is waiting in line for the next turn in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.   Well, not Tien, since he doesn’t think a year in the chamber will do him enough good to beat Cell.  I think he just hasn’t left this place since Goku brought him here the day before.    But Piccolo plans to use the HTC, and Vegeta and Trunks plan to go in again.  

Vegeta agrees to let Piccolo have the next turn, but then he wants the remaining eight days for himself.   That sounds like a pretty good idea.    One day in the chamber was enough for Vegeta to leapfrog the androids and Semiperfect Cell, so imagine how much stronger he’d be if he trained for eight more years.    The problem is that you can’t spend that much time in the chamber.    After 48 hours, the door vanishes, and you can never return to Earth.   

So let’s talk about that for a minute, because Dragon Ball Super really ignored that rule.  I think Goku and Vegeta used the HTC on at least three separate occasions in that show, even though Vegeta used up all of his 48 hours in this arc.    To be fair, the Fusion Saga demonstrated that it was possible to escape the HTC dimension without a door, so maybe that was how Vegeta got around it.   Still, I think it kind of sucks a lot of value out of the concept when you can just re-use it as often as you please.   As much as Vegeta used the chamber in DBS, he never seemed to get that much stronger.  Also, it’s just kind of shitty to have the main characters cheat an extra year of training in whenever they get in over their heads.      I’m pretty sure that’s why Toriyama invented this 48 hour limit in the first place.

So why did he introduce the chamber at all then?    I feel like it works in the Cell Sagas because it serves as a secret weapon the Z-Fighters can use to counter all of Cell’s secret advantages.   This whole conflict has been about superior intel.   Gero spied on Goku for years, hoping to collect enough data to design a superior warrior.    To that end, his plan depended upon his ability to project how strong Goku would be at a certain point in the future.  But Goku turned Super Saiyan on Namek, and Gero had no idea.    Goku also got a warning from Future Trunks, so Gero’s projections were further thrown out of whack.    But Gero had reinforcements, and that surprised Goku’s team.   So Goku busts out the Time Chamber as a way to close the gap.    By training in there, where time moves at a different pace, they could power up beyond what Dr. Gero could have anticipated.    That’s why it works in this story.    It levels the playing field.  

In the Buu Sagas, they only reintroduce the Time Chamber to illustrate that it won’t be very helpful this time around.  But Dragon Ball Super never worried about whether a gimmick actually helps a story.    They just used the Time Chamber so they could reference the DBZ episodes that used the Time Chamber.    It was never about telling a story there, it was about reminding fans of something they already knew about.  

The bigger question I have is how the 48-hour rule works.    Let’s say Piccolo and Vegeta go in the Time Chamber together.    Vegeta’s already used it for 25 hours, while I assume Piccolo has never been in there before.   So after 23 hours, are they both trapped inside?    Is there some magic where Piccolo can use the door but Vegeta can’t?   And how is that reflected in the outside world?   Could Goku not enter the chamber after Vegeta maxed out his alotted time?   

Anyway, Goku and Gohan finally come out, and they’re actually a few hours early.    They sense Cell, Vegeta, and Trunks are all still alive, so they wonder what’s been going on.    But before they get a recap, Goku needs to take care of something important first............................................

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Goku really needs to eat something first, you guys!    BWAH?   The whole world’s in danger and all he can think about is foooooood?    What’s with this guy?    What a hilarious and unexpected thing for a hero to say, it’s very clever.   No, this gag hasn’t been run into the ground.   

It’s not that I have a problem with Goku eating a bunch.   It’s actually very relaxing to watch him eat.   The sound effects are just very, very soothing.    All the dishes clinking, the piles of rice, the stacks of bowls.   I just don’t like how they keep making a joke of this.    As Goku explains, they had food in the chamber, but Mr. Popo’s a better cook than either of them, so this is a better experience.    Is that so wrong?  

Oh, incidentally, they’ve been in Super Saiyan mode the entire time, and Vegeta wonders how and why they managed to do this.    Up to now, it would be very taxing for a Super Saiyan to just hold the form for long periods of time, and they’d be too restless to sit down for a leisurely meal. 

Meanwhile, more panicky Earthlings are trying to flee the cities.    The one little girl is on a train, and she starts getting excited about something she sees out the window.   Her mom wonders what it is...

It’s Cell.

Yeah, me too, kid.   Cell’s awesome.

Fortunately for the train passengers, Cell doesn’t bother with them, but the line of cars waiting at the railroad crossing.    He chucks a car into the traffic just to be a dick.  

And it explodes, because anime.   This episode actually has two exploding cars in it, which is kind of nuts when you think about it.   

This is from earlier in the episode, but this guy just drove into an alley and hit another driver who had the same idea.     I guess they both had a crate of dynamite in their back seats?

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma’s taking a look at Android 16′s programming, and the code documentation has an awesome picture of Super Saiyan Goku punching Frieza.    Pretty sure that shouldn’t be in 16′s memory banks, seeing as how Gero never had any spy robots on Namek to record that moment.

The big irony is that 16 has no human parts at all, so he was created with nothing else but a program that boils down to “10 Kill Son Goku, 20 Goto 10″, and yet somehow he made the leap to defending the other androids from Cell, and befriending small animals like birds and Krillin.    The best thing is that DBZ still has a long way to go, so we’ll have plenty of episodes to explore the emergence of 16′s soul, and what that says about the nature of artificial intelligence.    Right?   You’re shaking your head, why are you doing that?

Back at the Lookout, Goku seems interested in the Cell Games idea.   I mean, he was expecting to fight Cell anyway, or possibly Vegeta if he ended up winning, so all Cell has really done is set a date for the battle.   

  Popo gives Goku his classic outfit, and Trunks is all “You don’t have to wear that.” and Goku’s like “I get to wear this, Trunks.”

As for Gohan, he asks Piccolo to give him new clothes resembling Piccolo’s outfit, since he first trained under him.    One Clothes Beam later...

Fuck yeah.    It’s time for the Cell Games Saga, dammit.   No more of this bowl cut Gohan.   No more cosplaying as Vegeta.    It’s time to rock and roll.

Vegeta ask Goku if he thinks he can beat Cell, but Goku hasn’t seen him in Perfect Form yet, so he decides to check him out.   So he just teleports straight to him and they have a talk.  

Goku’s not too impressed with the ring, or maybe it’s more accurate to say that he doesn’t find it all that impressive that Cell believes it will decide the fate of the world.   For as much as Goku enjoys battle, he doesn’t see it as something more than what it is.   He just wants to mix it up with Cell.   If that’s a friendly match or a fight to the death, or the lynchpin to the safety of the cosmos, that’s beside the point.  

Goku asks him about his perfect form, and there’s this cool black and white montage of Cell’s life story.    It’s pretty sweet. 

Anyway, Goku tells him not to kill anyone until the fight.   Cell doesn’t actually agree to that, but what’s Goku going to do about it?  

So Goku teleports back, and he freely admits that Cell’s a lot stronger than he expected, and that Celll would probably win if they fought.    Well, that’s no big deal, because they still have several days to prepare, so Goku can just go back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for another year.

But Goku declines.    As far as he’s concerned, he and Gohan are all finished training in the chamber.   I guess that figures, since they came out early.   

And that sets up the big question for this arc.    If Goku believes Cell is stronger than himself, why is he so relaxed about this upcoming battle?   Why won’t he train to close the gap?   What does he know that no one else does?  

[writing-frenzy]

Wuxia/Xianxia/Xuanhuan BL story ideas for anyone who wants them.

This is basically a dumping place for the said genres, because after reading so many, I just couldn’t help but think them up, even if I will never write them. But others might like them, so I thought why not? (though if anyone ever does write something, or has seen anything similar elsewhere, please tell me so I can read them.)

Warning: ideas got long, and some themes maybe sensitive: ie: Violence, Murder, Child abandonment, fighting, torture all that good stuff you find in these genres 

First Idea: the things a Good Teacher can alter

So, basically, MC was a guy from our world, who ended up dying and being reborn into another one... centuries before a certain book he read even takes place. Needless to say, he doesn’t remember it. (after all, one can only read about so many stallion protags and their harem fun times before they all kind of bleed together into one mash up.)  

But on the other hand, being able to literally do magic and all is still very much a thing he would like, so why the hell not become a cultivator? So he joins a sect, manages to pass it’s entrance trial by the grit of his teeth and becomes an outer disciple of one of the Peak Lords, learning all he needs to from his senior brothers and sisters. Everything should be great, right? 

Well, here is the thing: it is hard as heck; Turns out, he has a constitution that makes cultivating near impossible for him. Getting out of the first stages of Qi Refining and forming his Golden Core took forever it seems, and when he finally made it to the Immortal stage, he feels as if he had been run over by a bus after he was rung out of all his energy. it’s like whatever a normal person has to do to make it, it takes him not two, not even three, but a hundred times more to accomplish. But hey, he has a thirty-ish young body for all the years he’s really been alive and he still has magic, so it could have been worst.

(though if one wants to give him a golden finger of sorts; he has an absolutely insane pain tolerance :D things that would cause even the most mighty of Martial Heros to fall would be like, ‘huh, is something poking me?’. or chronic pain is also a thing if you want to be mean :) )

Only... Now that he has time for the actual world, he notices how his Sect’s state of affairs seem to be on the decline, with less and less people there now, most of them moving on to bigger and better things, bigger and better Sects and Clans. How the politics in his own Sect seem to be going to bigger and higher stakes, and how disagreements and feuds even end up almost destroying everything, a few Peak lords even dying from it.

These reasons all combined end up making MC one of the very few Immortals Golden Core Cultivators in the sect. It is because of this, that he ends up becoming a Peak Lord.

And Irony of Ironies, he is actually pretty damn good at it. (My idea is that in a previous life, MC was a Teacher or an Office worker, or maybe even both.)

Now, MC does not have want one would usually consider a golden finger, he is not the one who gets good things in life; in fact, he usually suffers and gets little to no reward from it... The same, on the other hand, can not be said for his disciples.

Disciple 1: ends up being the long lost son of an extremely wealthy family, who dies in the original novel for tragic backstory/emotional motive/character development for a novel character, only for MC to have saved them, then kept them because oh, high constitution for cultivation + bad idea for a grieving child this pretty to go to an orphanage. (glaring at them slavers out of the corners of his eye)

MC: Hey, I know it sucks what just happened, take as long as you need to recover. and hey, if you feel up to it, after you decide what to do, you can even join my sect and learn cool things.

D1: *sees things he can learn* ... I will never be so helpless again.

*Years later*

Wandering Clan: Young Master! You are well and alive! and they have been treating you well, even letting you learn Cultivation? Truly a noble sect, worthy of our loyalty!

MC’s Sect: + 1 business division, + a bunch to treasury

Disciple 2: Sibling to one of the Harem members, had thought she had been left for dead/slavers in the original novel by their sister and had been a tough, regularly appearing villain for a while until the protag has her see the error of her ways and became a harem member as well. Only once more, does MC save her from her situation, ending up getting him her gratitude and has her actually look really close at her situation and helps her look into the mystery of it all even as he takes her as his student.

MC: yeah, I’m only hearing about this second hand, and even I can see the holes in the story couldn’t even cover a hobo’s modesty. There is obviously more to this tale then meets the eye.

D2: ... *sparkles as she learns more on how to be a detective, Cultivation style*

*Years later*

Big Name Clan head: Ah, once again you have solved such a terrible crime and even this time shown how I have been framed! Truly a noble lady such as yourself have wishes? Please let me reward you!

MC’s Sect: + 1 Big Backer, + 1 to fame + a bunch more disciples for other Peaks

Disciple 3: the actual main villain of the series, he joins his sect when, during a night hunt, one of the Sect’s Elders watches him actually manage to kill the monster due to luck and a bit of skill; unfortunately he has some sort of dark inheritance + abusive teachers and fellow students in his sect who made him disillusioned with the lighter path and chased him into darkness... only here, MC strikes again, with him finding this poor abandoned child first, saving them from getting injured and taking them home to be well cared for and properly coached through the troubles of life.

MC: Crap, damn it, oh fuck that is more blood spilling then I am comfortable with, hang on little guy I will have this treated soon.

D3:... No one has ever cared for me so much. *Childish hero worship + instant loyalty.*

*Years Later*

Fangirls and boys: AHHHH D3 is just so cool, he is so awesome, so handsome!

MC’s Sect: +1 for fame, plus a bunch of more disciples for the sect.

Disciple 4: Female Canon Fodder, originally in the novel to act parallel to the Female Lead and make her look one hundred times better in comparison in looks, personality and even morals. But here is still insecure teenage girl who, before she could be blacken and disillusioned, wants more in her life then to be an ornamental vase for a future wealthy husband, finds out that MC’s Sect not only takes women, but also actually trains them in ways of Martial arts/Cultivation/Pill Refining/Whatever? (Sign her the fuck up.)

MC: oh, you want to learn? Sure, let’s start. *is a great teacher who actually teaches equally*

D4: *is a wide-eyed sponge* I will follow.

*Years Later*

D4′s Clan: Ah, yes, that great girl is indeed a daughter of our clan, bringing glory and honor to our names, with men lining up only in hopes she will but glance at them. 

MC’s Sect: + a Big Backer, + Fame, + more followers

Disciple 5: The Hidden Boss; the illegitimate son of a family (from wife or husband, whichever you desire), was outcast from them all without ever knowing why, not even allowed to learn his family’s martial arts and abilities even though he was incredibly talented and skilled at everything else he learned. In the original novel, he at first seemed like a helpful NPC family member of Protag/Harem member who would explain or even help the Protag and his harem, them all unknowing that he was in fact causing 30% of their problems. But here, MC notices Hidden Boss’s potential, sees how these people just seem to be wasting talent and goes;

MC: Hey, I can take him in!

Those who actually care about the kid: *sees all his other ducklings and the good rumors of his teachings.* sure, better with you then here.

Those who don’t care about the kid. *Sees the funny, ‘weak’ Peak Lord of a dying sect who is pretty far away from them* sure, as long as he’s not here.

*Year’s Later:

D5: *very successful, powerful, strong, and wealthy* Hello.

D5′s Clan: *sweats*

MC’s Sect: + 1 Fame, + Money, + Honor, + a whole bunch more.

 Disciple 6: Female character who was basically created solely for the need to give the Protag character, emotional, and background development in the story, and then die in the most fan pissing off way imaginable. yeah, you know what I’m talking about, a girl giving only one dimension to her structure, who has a profound effect on the main character for how little time they were together, and then just killed off before we even get the chance to even learn more! Only here, instead of staying wherever she was before, she either gets picked up by MC early on on one of his recruitment drives or hears of the sect’s growing fame and awesome female disciples and decides she wants more (like she deserves)

MC: oh, you’re pretty good at that! I can see real talent for you here; would you like to learn more?

D6: Yes please! ^_^

*Years Later*

D6: *A Noble Empress, eyes cutting just like her sword arts, her elemental affinity working in twine with it as she delivers a finishing blow to her monsterous foe* Huh, I’m pretty sure these are some prime ingredients for Cultivation, I must be careful to preserve and dismantle effectively!

MC’s Sect: + Fame, + Fortune, + a crap ton of good things. 

Whatever order you want them to come in, it’s up to you, just have fun with it.

But yeah, these are not the only changes from the original novel; for example, MC’s sect should have been destroyed/abandoned/deserted, only a footnote because of some obscure fact that needed to be know. (example: This monster is so terrible, it destroyed three sects! or MC’s Sect is the only one who knew of a technique to cure this poison; either find a survivor/search the ruins) Only for luck, the MC, and his lucky students to have saved it all in the end.

Note: To makes things more interesting, I think it would be funny if there were more Reincarnations/Transmigrators closer to the story line, but in shock of the differences to add to the comedy value.  

Idea Two: The System messed up, like a boss!

Now, how this idea starts out is a bit different: it’s just a bit before the MC dies, showing that they have been a normal guy before they had found themselves held captive by some obsessed stalker/killer for a long time, who has made it to where if they MC ever tried to harm them in any way or form, it would just end up guaranteeing his own death.

And after enduring this literal hell for what feels like years now, here are MC’s thoughts on the matter.

MC: Okay then. *proceeds to rip his tormentor's own throat out with his teeth*

(Now, it is up to the writer if they want to hide this dark history or not, maybe hinting here and there about it.)

Cue them suddenly being connected to the system!

MC: ... what?

System: Hiiii~ I’m-

ERROR!

*Suddenly cut off, MC goes through one hell of a disorienting experience, only to wake up in some child’s body.

MC: What

Child’s Soul that still barely remains in the body: Please, I just want to see what’s beyond these walls, just once. 

*sudden mindwammy of memories of the slavery this child has gone through, the torture from their masters, the cruelty of bystanders that just stand by.*

What the child’s words in a way mean: (I want to see one good thing, just one about this world, before I die.)

MC:... Okay then. *proceeds to rip out their current body’s Master’s throat, due to surprise, his soul not be the one that is enslaved, and a strange sort of energy*

(And maybe here it could be hinted about what happened if one wants to hide the MC’s past, about how this wasn’t the first time he’s tasted blood on his teeth or ripped out a person’s throat.)

This in the end erases the remaining slave binds on him, and makes it easy to escape the mansion he is being held in. Even better, it seems the place is also being raided by some group, so it’s even easier for MC to be lost in the confusion. When he is finally far enough away, when the distance finally feels just enough, the MC lets himself fall to the ground, right next to a shrub of some sorts before he finally takes a breath and fully taking in his surroundings.

Only to lose it as he finally takes in the scenery: a pretty jade like valley of some sorts, soft hills of green turned darker and yet still shining in the moonlight from a full moon and the stars all around them. You know those pictures of places with no light pollution on islands and such? This is what he see in this moment.

And both souls are in complete awe of it.

Child Soul: so beautiful... I never knew it (the world) could be so beautiful.

MC: I forgot it could be.

Child Soul: ... Thank you! Thank you so much! *smiles and passes on to bigger and better things.

It is after this bit of peace and quiet, that finally the system comes back.

System: Ah, sorry, technical difficulties, did not expect that; Anyways, I am the System, to help you in your role for your next life!

MC: ...Role?

System: Yes! You are the “Villainous Boss’ of -insert story name here-! I am the ‘Like a Boss’ System, ensuring one will act as a truly terrifying villain!

MC: *thinking* You said the VB of that story, aren’t they -insert villian’s name-?

System: Yes!

MC: The young Master who fell from the mountains and ended up following dark paths and murky unknowns?

System: Yes.

MC: the Villain who was dark haired and eyed, who’s skin was pale as jade was said to be, and could make man and woman go mad over his charm?

System:... Yes?

MC:... I think there has been a mistake. 

1:Considering that this was a child who was sold into slavery very young, to a point they don’t even know about parents, has dealt with the hell that is slavery to cruel masters, and would have in fact died just now if MC didn’t make a way through. {2} actually does have a name, and isn’t the same at all as the Villain. {3} the Body does not in anyway have dark hair or eyes, and the skin is not pale as jade (not to mention charm, unless someone is weak for poor orphaned waifs).

Yeah, a mistake has been made.

System: ah.... oh dear; maybe you do a switch a roo?

only, turns out that they find that would be impossible as well, because not only are they way before the story line even starts, MC’s constitution is very... Strange. (Basically, because MC could be classified as a Vengeful spirit, if only for the way he died, but due to him already getting said revenge, and even helping another soul pass on to the pure lands, he has a very high, very good constitution for Cultivation... both righteous and demonic. and his body needs to maintain an about equal level between the both of them, otherwise it gets out of wack and could cause most painful death.)

So, MC has to maintain tasks from the system, acting like a boss, and do certain things (like joining certain sects, to betraying a comrade, to even slaughtering a group of people sadistically ); luckily, he doesn’t actually have to be a villain, but he does have to act like it, which gives ideas.

MC: Okay, I will be the red herring Villain! The, it’s so obvious it just can’t be them kind of guy! 

System: DX ... why not, it might work.

And hilariously enough, it does :D I imagine MC would act like a combination between Ichimaru Gin from Bleach and Murkuro from KHR, clever, twisting, manipulative, and yet surprisingly playful and cruel when one least expects it. (that he has loyal fanatical followers with yandere tendencies goes without saying, though he has no idea; He has high intelligence, can understand emotions and motives, but does at times not realize just how much people have actually bonded with him himself.)

Examples of his relationships.

Twins he found: the famous mirrored twins, one going down the path of darkness and cruelty, even as one heads for the path of good and light; maybe in the original story they had been separated, or a distance was placed between them due to misunderstandings and jealousy. MC had gotten a get one and get the other free tag a longs, finding them when they were young and hadn’t yet joined a sect, only ending up bonding with them. Though he is admittedly worried about betrayal and being put down from them in the future, he still bonds and helps them as much as he can.

Though-

Twin 1: MC! MC! I’ve gotten even better in my Demonic cultivation!

Twin 2: shhhh, not so loud! But anyways, I have gone even farther levels in my out Righteous Cultivation.

MC: ... That’s nice?

They are like his most trusted advisors/Inner circle members (of course he would have one, any good villian would :D ) completely willing to do what must be done for their brother in arms and most trusted friend. (the one who had been there for them at their lowest, the one who was able to keep them all together, sacrificing what he needed, adding so many scars to his one body just to spare them. They are the ones who best know about the man he is, for they were the ones who saw how he was forged, turning his words, his looks, and even his smiles into the terrifying weapons they are today. He is the one who showed them you can be bathed in darkness and still be ever so good, something they will help with as much as they can.   

His First Disciple: Now, MC does take his teaching duties seriously, whether he is an elder in the sect or even a peak lord (though I would think it would be awesome if he was a Librarian), so he would be very attentive with his pupil, even if he teases and gently picks on them, messing with them as they grow older. MC originally took this kid because he remembers them from the novel as the one who helps the protagonist, who was thought to be an enemy only to be the secret ally. So he is pretty sure the kid will betray him eventually, especially since he let’s them in on all his shady practices and dealings with demonic cultivatior and/or actually demon folk. And with them being a complete Kuudere, it seems that way..

Only...

1st D: I will follow my Master to the end of my days. and if my death could be of service to him, I will have died with a light heart.

MC: wtf no! No dying for me!

The kid turns completely and utterly into his proud minion, happily doing what ever his dear Master asks of him. (after all, who was it that pulled him from the darkness, who showed him such care and attention, always there with a kind word and a joke whenever he was troubled? There was no one but him who wanted him, not during these long years, only for him to be pick specifically? ha, he will follow all his days, just as long as he can remain at his side.)

Very powerful Demon Lord (not king): Someone MC met while still young and unattached to a sect thought; hey, let’s get my consorting with darkness task down! After all, this guy was a well known villain in the series, a troublemaker through and through, who betrayed and sacrificed his minions and others like pawns. Once again, MC thinks he’s going to get betrayed eventually, but hey, the guy ain’t all bad and he’s pretty friendly even! though... 

Demon Lord that is in fact in control of a very terrifying and large territory: Sir, would you like me to take your coat? maybe even a drink? *orders a very expensive and luxury wine.*

MC: *eyes him suspiciously, but nods* I am willing. 

why they insist on waiting hand and foot on him always weirds them out. (For the Half-demon, half-human, it only makes sense; this person is their benefactor, so overwhelmingly powerful, just being near them strengths them, who he has picked him up even while he was a weakling and saw promise, made a gamble on that promise and even to this day still profits. Who is honestly even more terrifying then the demon King in DL’s eyes, and desires to please him all the more, so that he too can always serve this higher life form in his eyes.)

And these are just some examples, mostly all of them would probably be the inner circle I said he had XD

But wait, you might ask; what about those tasks you mentioned, how could betraying a comrade or slaughtering a group of people sadistically be good? here we go :D

betraying a comrade:

MC: okay, so, this guy is embezzling funds, this asshole is abusing his students, and this.. one...

System: ...?

MC:... “This one is raping their own Disciples, huh?” is said ever so softly, their eyes half-lidded even as they stare at the profile picture of the filth. “When they go on their next mission, make sure I am one of their backups, hmmm? I haven’t had the chance to push anyone off a cliff yet, have I?”  

Answer: In a big sect, everyone should be your comrade; that you are betraying their expectations, their values, or even ratting them out all make it up. (and cold-hearted murder always works for the scum of the earth too!)

slaughtering a group of people sadistically: 

System: so, we have a group of Demonic cultivators consorting with slave dealers, we have some criminals over here doing despicable things there, and we have traitors over here, what do you want to do?

MC: how about all of them?

Answer: what about those no one would miss :D

Notes: I would find it so funny if the MC was actually an animal magnet; like, birds will happily eat from his hand, deer will sleep right next to him, guardian beasts will want to protect him and keep him safe because god damn it, hasn’t this poor soul been through enough?! (be cool if this was one of the reasons why the sect leader actually trusts him; he has a bond with a guardian beast that can maybe read the soul or something, which MC has no clue about, so thinks nothing about how this beast keeps wanting to cuddle him.

but you want to know what? Out of everything, with all the the MC is doing? All they truly want in life is peace and rest, maybe even a shoulder to rest his weary head upon when life gets to much. (but thanks to the system and it’s tasks, he will never be able to truly have it.)

huh, this got pretty long.... eh, I had more ideas, but I think I’ll leave it here for now. If anyone wants more Wuxia/Xianxia/Xuanhuan , I might make a part two!

[the--blackdahlia]

This Life Chapter 3

Title: This Life Chapter 3

Summary:  Dean Winchester is the Vice President of the motorcycle club The Hunters. After almost 7 years in prison, he's free. But things have changed and Dean has to figure out how to put things back together. Kind of a Sons of Anarchy AU. 

Warnings: Language, violence

AN: Shout out to my awesome beta @callme-kaz2y5-baby !

Chapter Song: Sabotage by Beastie Boys

Dean had never really been a morning person before. Prison had changed that some though, and Dean was up with the birds. He worked out then, push ups, sit ups, everything. He used to make use of the fitness room while he was on the inside. He always felt better in the mornings when he worked out. Especially because he wasn’t sure what kind of food they were serving sometimes.

After a workout, Dean searched for some food, but realized that everything had been tossed out while he was gone. Instead of eating, he headed straight back to the garage. He wasn’t surprised to see some of the guy’s already there, screwing around like guys do. Bobby wasn’t there yet, and the other guys sure did have fun messing with the prospect.

“What the hell are you fuckheads doing?” Dean asked, parking his bike and walking up to them.

“Just having some fun is all.” Cas said innocently. “Caleb and Jim are inside. We’re just waiting on Bobby.” Dean nodded and made his way inside. Cas and Benny followed. Garth was drinking some milk, talking to Ellen. Dean got a water and took a big drink of it as Bobby walked in.

“Good morning.” Bobby grumbled. He nodded at Ellen, who left to go man the office. The guys all went to the meeting room to start the day before working on cars. Ellen sent Jo off on errands so she wouldn’t be tempted to bother the boys while they were busy. They all set down to go over the daily fun stuff.

After going over deals and other things, just when everyone thought they were done, Caleb had something to say.

“Dean, is there any chance that Sam got mixed up with SAMCRO?” Caleb asked. Everyone turned to look at Dean then. Sometimes Dean wished that Caleb wasn’t the Sgt. at Arms so he could kick his ass.

“Sam is not that stupid. He knows better than to do anything with those assholes.” Dean told Caleb. “Sam wouldn’t go near them.”

“Sorry kiddo. I’m just trying to explore all the options.” Caleb said. “We’ve been looking into this for months.”

“And why didn’t you guys tell me while I was locked up?” Dean asked.

“Because we knew if we did, you’d be angry and get into a fight or something and you’d be in longer.” Jim explained. “And don’t you try to argue with me boy. We all know it’s the truth.”

“I took anger management. I think I can handle myself.” Dean said.

“You sure about that brother?” Benny said, peeking out the one window with the heavy curtains.

“Yes I’m sure.” Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, I see one angry little bitch that’s gonna say different.” Benny explained. “Lydia’s here.”

“Lydia? Shit!” Dean growled. “What does that girl not understand about ‘it’s over’?” He stood up. “I’ll be right back.” Dean marched out the meeting room and headed out to the front of the auto shop, where Lydia was lounging around.

“She won’t leave.” Jo said as Dean passed by.

“I’ll take care of it.” Dean said. “She giving your mom a hard time?”

“A bit, but mom’s tough.” Jo told him. Dean nodded and headed out to where Lydia was leaning against a car, sucking on a Tootsie Pop. She smiled as Dean came up and pulled down the top of her shirt to show off her cleavage.

“What are you doing here Lydia?” Dean asked. Lydia walked to him, running her hands down his vest, over the new Vice President patch.

“I heard you just got out and I thought you might need a little female comfort.” Dean gently pushed her away, but she was right back for more. “Come on Dean. We were so good together.”

“You’re insane Lydia. Go home.” Dean said. “I’m sure Emma misses her mom.”

“She’s your daughter too, you know!” Lydia said. Dean shook his head.

“I highly doubt that since you were fucking three other guys at the same time. Now. Go. Home.” Dean growled. Lydia stomped her feet.

“You’re a piece of shit Dean Winchester!” Lydia screamed. “I hope you rot in hell!”

“You first sweetheart!” Dean said, walking into the garage where some of the other guys were waiting. Lydia sped out then, honking her horn loudly and flipping him off as she drove away.

“Damn.” Cas said.

“That girl is crazy.” Garth added. Dean shrugged off his vest and tossed it into the locker where he kept his work shirts.

“Can we just get to work guys?” He asked. He put on the oil stained shirt and adjusted it so it fit just right. The guys looked at each other and followed suit. “And somebody get the goddamn honor student to start cleaning out those trashed out cars so we can send them off for scrap.” Dean said, motioning over two the couple clunkers they had got for next to nothing.

“On it.” Garth said, going to find Kevin. Dean started in on the brakes of a Honda that had been brought in the day before.

About twenty minutes later, between Cas and Garth’s karaoke and hearing Kevin complaining about all the condoms and trash in the cars, another bike pulled up into the lot. Dean looked up at the guy that sat there as Caleb went out to talk to him.

“Hey man, who’s that?” Dean asked, motioning to the guy. Benny looked over.

“That Gordon.” Benny said. “Freelancer. Cut isn’t as good as the rest of ours, but we were running short and John and Bobby thought it was a good idea.”

“Dad let a freelancer in?” Dean asked.

“Well, his top gun was in prison.” Benny pointed out. “And Sam wanted nothing to do with it, as you knew.” Dean nodded and watched Gordon. Caleb and him talked for a minute before Caleb walked off. Gordon looked over, making eye contact with Dean, before he put his helmet back on and drove off.

“What was all that about?” Dean asked as Caleb walked by.

“He just wanted to know if we had anything for him to do.” Caleb said. “Don’t worry. It’s taken care of.” Dean looked over at Benny, who just shrugged and went back to the car he was working on with Cas.

Time seemed to go by slow. Dean took a break to light up a smoke and loiter around the office while the others passed around a bottle.

“So, when you guys...you know...do you wear the vest?” Kevin asked. Caleb choked on his whiskey.

“Is this kid seriously asking is we fuck with the vests on?” He asked. Cas laughed.

“Kinda sounds that way man.” The sound of revving engines drew the attention of the guys standing around. They looked up as about eight bikes rode by. The guys all looked up as about eight bikes rode by. And soon, the sounds of gunshots rang out, bullets flying.

“Get down!” Dean yelled. Ellen and Jo dove under the heavy desk. Dean grabbed the gun that Ellen always kept under the counter, and started to give chase. But his bike wouldn’t be going anywhere. He fired a couple shots but the bikers were already out of range and the guys were gone as quick as they had arrived. “Son of a bitch!” Dean said, looking at his bike. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Garth groaned. “Who the fuck was that?” Benny was on the ground and pushed himself up.

“Were you hit?” Dean asked, noticing some blood on him.

“Nah brother. Something hit me though.” He looked down to see a smaller body laying there in a puddle of blood. “Oh shit!”

“What?” Cas asked.

“They got the prospect.”

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