#like if I was concerned about money in the short term I would not be doing grad school
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I mean grad students are paid like shit so
#like if I was concerned about money in the short term I would not be doing grad school#where I’m going has a low cost of living which is the main reason I can justify accepting such a small stipend#I could get a job and make at least 10 more/year#grad students are criminally underpaid#which adds to making academia only accessible to the wealthy
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How will you meet your next lover?
Group 1
Cards : 2 of pentacles, Knight of pentacles, Temperance, page of cups, ace of swords, 4 of pentacles
This feels like a work setting or at least a work related meeting. You might not necessarily meet them directly at work but your occupation may lead you to meet this person. I feel like either one or both of you are in a transition when you meet. If not, a period of instability. It's like you're not really sure whether you want to keep going in the direction you're headed to. When you meet, I feel like the connection is instantly going really smoothly. You and this person may be chatting right away, exchanging ideas and tips. However, I feel like both of you are on the reserve. I don't see anyone being at the origin of your meeting with them. You will likely be surrounded by people but they will not come into play here. It's just you and your person interacting with each other. I feel like both of you are single when this happens. The transition phase may concern your respective studies or career. There might not be much going on upon first meeting. But you will instantly feel attracted to them, especially to their mind. In terms of timing, I'm picking up on a few years. A little pigy bank was depicted on the 4 of pentacles card. So I'm getting the message that in order to meet this person, you will have to save money. Or you will meet them at a point in your life when you or they need to save money for a project. Maybe you live at a distance from one another and when this person meets you, you or they are only there for a short period of time. Which would explain the transition thing. Think about a tourist visiting a country and making acquaintances with the locals.
Group 2
Cards : 4 of pentacles, 9 of swords, Queen of swords, Magician, 6 of swords, King of pentacles
I am getting a work setting from this group as well. You might have felt drawn to group 1 too. For this group, I'm picking up on a difficult phase in your career. Maybe you've reached a stalemate. You're working really hard to ensure your future and stability but somehow you're not seeing any progress. This may lead to you feeling anxious or even being depressed. I see that during this period of time, you're not entertaining any relationship. You feel very guarded and hurt and the last thing you need is for someone to come into your life and see you stuck in this mess. Yet, that's what happens. This person is also single and very career focused. You may meet them at a time of their life when they're travelling for learning purposes. This person has reached a stale mate in their career as well. And in order to overcome this phase, they have decided to make a move and find an opportunity to learn more and get more resources. This person decided to force their luck so to speak. "If I'm not going to be given the sucess that I seek, I'm going to create it on my own, no matter how hard that may be" was their mindset. Neither of you expected to meet each other. I don't know why I keep talking in past tense. This could be an indication that you may have met this person already. I get a vibe from you that both of you are very witty and cerebral people. This may be what got you to interact with each other in the first place. I'm picking up on different zodiac signs which could give us an indication as to who they are or when you met them. We have Gemini, Libra, Taurus and Scorpio. So that gives us a time frame from mid June to mid November. You may have met them during Summer.
Group 3
Cards : Hierophant, 5 of cups, The World, 10 of pentacles, King of cups, 10 of cups
For this group, the place of the meeting may vary. What triggers this meeting is a loss. It could be the loss of a partnership in any form (person, contract) or of an important belief system. In both cases, this really affected you on a spiritual and emotional level. When you start to overcome this loss and feel a bit more optimistic about life is when this person comes in. You may be travelling abroad or interacting with a lot of foreigners online. Your job or studies are going well. You may be travelling or enhancing your presence online in order to gain knowledge, notoriety or resources. The person you meet is very generous. Right off the bat, you will get a very good impression of this person. They will make you feel safe and cared for like no other. One way that you can recognize this person is by how sweet and kind they are. They will gift you many things out of the blue, for no other reason than to make you smile. They will give you compliments out of the blue, reassure you very frequently, encourage you every step you take. This person is a very good listener and a reliable support system. When you meet and start interacting, you may be living at a distance from each other and thus use social media to stay in touch. I'm picking up on fixed signs very strongly, especially Taurus and Scorpio. When you meet this person, you will notice that a lot of things in your life are improving. It will almost feel surreal. It's like this person has unlocked a cheat code that you weren't aware of and now all you ask for is in your hands. Lucky you!
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To whom it may concern - the mutuals, the fandom-in-laws and the average movie goer. I would like to explain the plight of the Tron fandom.
The sequel announcements Disney pulled this year (2024) are insults to anyone who enjoys movies. There's nothing wrong with sequels, don't get me wrong, but to have a catalogue that has only 1 original movie announced is truly saddening, especially to those who love animation.
Then there's also the fans of Tron.
Tron (1982) was the first major motion picture to use CGI extensively for it's settings, vehicles, and many more things. Many of it's animators would go on to work at Pixar and pioneer CGI there. It was so early that it was rejected at the Oscars for special effects because it was considered "cheating" essentially. This isn't a post about the history though I recommend learning about it if you're interested in the medium of animation.
Tron was an average boxoffice movie. It made back it's money and that was it. However it became a cult classic. It's a strange movie- a bit hard to get into- I only fully understood the plot the second watch, even though it's not that complex.
It would spawn a video game sequel, Tron 2.0 (2003). Years later, in 2010, another sequel would come out, setting the current canon timeline (think of a Star Wars legacy canon and disney canon or Star Trek alpha or beta timelines- that's how the fans treat it) Tron: Legacy.
There were also other supplements, the ever mourned, cancelled after one season cartoon midquel Tron: Uprising- tie in video games and comics and a complete ARG before the release of Legacy. Then there was the planned third movie. It languished in development hell, canceled and uncanceled. (There's more complexity there, involving even, Tommorowland (2015) and of course money.)
Now what we're getting is Tron: Ares. A movie that doesn't even feature the actor for the character Tron, Bruce Boxleitner. There's also the fact that Cindy Morgan who starred in the original movie and original video game sequel was always ready to come back has now passed away. Jeff Bridges is set to return in some capacity, the most well recognized actor from the franchise to the point people assume he is the actor who portrayed Tron.
The first short trailer shown for Tron: Ares shows fundamental flaws in misunderstanding the concepts in the prior works, watering it down to an aesthetic. Most fans I've spoken with have little hope for a good movie at this time. It even stars the controversial actor Jared L*to as it's main character! All of these are red flags.
So, to those who read, please know, after waiting for a decade, Disney has decided to shill out a product with less love than any prior element in the franchise. And I mean even less love than the tie-in movie games for Legacy, of which are of varying quality. This is likely due to the opening of the US version of the Tron rollercoaster. The rollercoaster has more love and attention in it than the trailer shown. And with complete love to it and what I've seen of it- the movie should be a higher quality than a rollercoaster in terms of story and lore.
Our only current hope is for more visual novels after Tron: Identity was released in 2023. And I suppose the NIN fans will get a soundtrack.
Disney does not care about it's audiences. But it especially does not care about Tron fans.
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On this, a totally normal day, please enjoy this short scene featuring demon Steve Harrington:
“They’re con artists,” Steve asserted, rolling his eyes. “They’re nothing I need to worry about.”
It wasn’t that Eddie thought Steve was wrong. He’d read a book about their involvement in that possession and murder case in Connecticut five years back. It had certainly read more like fiction to him.
It was just that demons tended towards overconfidence. Or at least Steve did. Maybe that was more of a jock thing than a demon thing.
“You’re bound to the mortal plain by a two-bit ring from a Crackerjack box,” Robin snarked. “Forgive me if I’m a little concerned.”
There was that, too.
“I’ll have you know that ring cost me fifty cents. It’s solid nickel,” Eddie joked. But he kind of agreed with Robin. The ring was a flimsy object, and entirely incongruous with Steve’s preppy look. Even if the couple weren’t practiced demon killers, the ring would be an obvious target.
“So that’s why my finger keeps turning green,” Steve mused. “Look, I can’t let this stand, but one of you can wear the ring until they’re gone, okay?”
-------
Which was how Edde found himself twisting his old ouroboros ring around his finger, sitting in a diner booth across from Robin. Stealthily watching the demon hunters eat their lunch. Waiting for Steve to arrive. The wait wasn’t long, but it was tense.
Steve ignored them when he walked in, only paying attention to the couple seated behind them. Robin leaned forward and stole some of Eddie’s french fries.
“I think we’re in trouble,” she whispered. She was only half joking. They weren’t supposed to be there; Steve didn’t want either of them associated with a demon. But Robin was not about to let Steve face even fake demon hunters completely alone. And - coward or not - neither was Eddie.
He shushed her, keeping an eye on Steve as he sat down at the hunters’ table.
“I read the contract you signed with Susan Mayfield. Book rights to her daughter's story for a flat fee? Seriously? My deals are more fair.” Steve was facing away from them, so Eddie had to imagine the smug expression on his face. The older couple looked confused.
“Your deals?” The man asked, like maybe he hadn’t put it together yet.
“I’m sitting here right in front of you and you still have no idea.” Steve shook his head. “And you call yourself demon hunters. I knew you were just con artists.”
Understanding dawn on the woman first.
“You’re the demon,” she said, fear in her voice. “The one who killed those kids.”
“I am a demon. But no, I haven’t killed any kids in Hawkins,” Steve corrected. “Those three dead kids, the Mayfield girl’s injuries, that really was a human. People can be evil all on their own, you know.”
“Why should we believe you?” the man asked. He didn’t appear as afraid as his wife, but Eddie was an expert on posturing. The guy was about thirty seconds away from shitting his pants.
“Believe, don’t believe. I don’t give a fuck. I’m not here to keep you from writing your little book and ripping off the American public with your absolutely true demon stories.” Eddie would bet good money Steve was rolling his eyes. “I’m here about this.”
Robin nearly turned around to see what Steve was holding even though she knew what it would be. Eddie kicked her ankle and she turned back.
“You see,” Steve went on, “I made a deal with the Mayfield girl’s brother. It means I owe her a certain amount of protection. So this contract you sweet-talked her mom into signing? We’re going to rework the terms. I’m thinking percent off the gross?”
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Notes:
"that possession and murder case" refers to the Arne Johnson murder trial, where the defense tried to argue the killer had been possessed by a demon. The book was titled The Devil in Connecticut and published in 1983. It's also the inspiration for one of the Conjuring films.
Allegedly (and I'm not doing enough research to confirm it because this six hundred word story has enough notes already) the Warrens paid people flat fees for the rights to their stories and then made bank themselves off of books and films about the 'hauntings' and 'possessions.' Frankly, everything I've read about them makes them sound like unscrupulous con artists.
"two-bit ring from a cracker jack box" is a reference to a Firesign Theatre sketch (The Further Adventures of Nick Danger) released in 1969; Robin knows it from her parents.
Two-bit means cheap in general, but also two-bits refers to a quarter, so when Eddie says he paid fifty cents for the ring he's saying it cost twice as much as Robin implied (still pretty cheap)
I doubt Eddie knows for sure what alloy any of his rings are made of, but cheap jewelry often contains nickel, and nickel can turn your skin green.
"percent off the gross" is revenue percentage rather than a percentage of the profit, so Max can't be cheated out of money via creative accounting.
#stranger things#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#demon steve#my fic#how does something six hundred words long have so many foot notes?
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Weiss: We need to get you something casual to wear. Even I don't just have dresses. I have skirts, and jeans and yoga pants.
Jaune: What's wrong with this shirt? It's cotton. It's comfortable.
Weiss: You don't have any other shoes just those heavy boots.
Jaune: What's wrong with my boots? They're comfortable and I know if I have to I can crush somebody's skull with them.
Weiss: Besides the fact they are on my new coffee table? Get some slippers, sandals, or tennis shoes and I'll let the shirt and pants go.
Jaune: I have jeans...
Weiss: One pair? I've seen your closet. Face it. You've gone all hunter with no relaxation.
Jaune: I sleep shirtless in gym shorts. Are you complaining about that? It's not typically something a loving wife tells their husband. 'Put on more clothes.'
Weiss: You also only have one pair of gym shorts. You're so military it would make a Spartan cringe. It's not like you don't have the money for clothes.
Jaune: I've been busy.
Weiss: But now you're not.
Ruby: Ooh! We should dress him up!
Jaune: What am I? A doll?
Weiss: It's settled then.
Jaune: Settled how? Since when are we putting things to a vote. That's not allowed. Everyone has to be onboard.
Ruby: Get democratized.
Weiss: What happened to your onesie? At least you had that. At least it existed even if I am glad you just sleep in gym shorts.
Ruby: Your chest is nice to sleep on. How is it soft and hard at the same time? But we aren't hoofing it around anima anymore and you're not clawing your way back to Vale. Let us dress you up.
Jaune: Again like a doll?
Ruby: Yeah. But you're our doll. Please? For me?
Jaune: *makes the mistake of looking into her eyes, gets up with a sigh*
Weiss: We don't mean right this minute. Good gods.
Jaune: *sits back down* You know where to find me.
Weiss: You have to teach me how to do that Ruby.
Jaune: You both do that to me. You looked at me, folded your arms, and told me to get a psychiatrist and I did.
Weiss: True. But there’s something special about the way Ruby says ‘please? For me?’ Isn’t there? She does it to me too. She’s like ‘I know you like this color of paint for the bedroom but I like this one. Won’t you agree to it? For me?
Ruby: *has this look of 'who? Me? I'm not familiar*
Jaune: As far as I’m concerned you both cheat hard and ruthlessly. How often do you walk around singing in the kitchen while you’re making coffee? You cheat. You both do. You both do it as much as you can get away with and that’s quite a lot. And what am I supposed to do? I’ve got nothing. I have neither defense or offense.
Weiss: How is doing things you love cheating? I happen to sing while I’m doing chores. That’s for me. If you happen to like it, then that is on you. I am talking about how Ruby actively uses her charms to get us both to do what she wants.
Jaune: And I’m just saying you’re not innocent. As soon as you found out it turns me on when you sing you started singing at me all the time.
Weiss: Okay. I did do that.
Jaune: Bangarang. And everyone in this house knows that Ruby just looks up at you with those big silver eyes and asks nicely and gets her wishes granted. Everyone knows that. Especially Ruby. She knows we can’t help ourselves and she knows that we know that she knows. But there’s nothing to be done. What am I going to do to get what I want?
Weiss: You don’t want anything though. You don’t really care what color the annex office gets painted. You hardly care what you eat for dinner. You could probably eat the same thing every day without complaint.
Jaune: That’s exactly what I used to do at Beacon until you moved in with me. I ate the same thing every single day. And you know what? I liked it.
Weiss: You’re schizophrenic. You have to stop with these mentally unwell behaviors. That’s a part of fighting back against your illness. It’s not enough to just take the meds.
Ruby: Yeah, that’s a sign of mental unwellness… You should eat different things…
Jaune: Exactly how long term am I supposed to be thinking here?
Weiss: *Smacks his chest gently with the back of her hand*
Ruby: *much less flirtatiously and aggressively hits the inside of his thigh*
Jaune: And you both abuse me.
Weiss: Oh shut up.
Ruby: Big baby.
#rwby#rwby incorrect quotes#jaune arc#weiss schnee#whiteknight#white knight#motion sickness#ruby rose#lancaster#war of roses#whiterose#white rose
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Free Tarot Reading: Why did X happen?
Today's free reading is going to look deeper at why something in your life happened. I am answering the following questions:
What is X?
Why did X happen?
How can/did you grow from X?
Choose an X above and find your group below the cut:
What is X? Knight of Swords
You may have started a project and, in the middle of it, it abruptly ended. You thought you had all of the resources you needed – money, people to back the project, a solid plan – so when it ended it was really disappointing. You’re not quite sure what went wrong or why the project couldn’t get off the ground. The main point of concern keeps coming back to the people. Why did people decide to stop investing?
Why did X happen? Seven of Cups rev.
At some point during this project, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Since it was your idea originally, you took the reigns back and decided to make executive decisions. While this isn’t always a bad thing, it feels like people may have stepped back from working with the project because they didn’t feel their voices being heard. Additionally, there were a lot of short term goals as the project was getting starting rather than looking at the bigger picture, so the small things didn’t necessarily add up to reaching the ultimate goal.
How did/can you grown from X? Ace of Swords rev.
This situation is helpful for you as you move forward with other big ideas (or even if you try this one again!). You are excited about ideas so you want to get them off the ground, but this can be a reminder that taking time to plan is just as important as the execution of the plan. Create SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound), allow others to provide feedback, and find a balance between leading and collaborating. Something else that you may have/can learn from this is to wait on announcing ideas until you have a rough draft. It may have been too early in the planning stages of the original project and that made it asier for a lot of opinions to be thrown around. Come in with an outline/structure which allows for some movement, ideas, and opinions, but isn’t a complete blank slate.
What is X? Six of Swords & Page of Cups rev.
There is/was someone in your life who was holding you back. You are inspired, full of ideas and plans for the future, and have always been someone who’s been able to move forward. Someone came into your life and once they did, you felt dragged down. This person has an immature nature about them. They are a bit narcissistic and childish, but think they are mature and know what they are talking about. It has become incredibly frustrating for you. You feel like you have to put your needs on the back burner in order to avoid chaos. For some of you, you may have distanced yourself from this person for a while, but now they are coming back into your life and you don’t know what you are doing to do. You’ve finally gotten back into your groove – will they mess it up again?
Why did X happen? Knight of Wands rev.
Although frustrating, this person came into your life because the delays in your progress were necessary. Whatever you were trying to achieve at the time where they swooped in and paused your work was not going to be successful if you were to have finished it then and there. I feel like my mom when I say that this also happened to “build character”. In a less annoying sense (for me lol), this person was there to teach you patience – not necessarily patience in people, but in not achieving your goals as quickly as you want. Without this person, there would have been risk of impulsiveness and built up energy.
How can/have you grown from X? Three of Pentacles
On a personal level, having this person in your life will ultimately help you appreciate other people who come into your life. Knowing that the person came into your life to help delay progress may help you see people on another level. “There is a reason this person came into my life. Let’s find out why.” It doesn’t mean you have to enjoy spending time with them, lol, but it will help it be less frustrating when the people around you are frustrating.
Regarding the goal(s), it has been aided in growth by the delay. Now that more time as passed, you will be more objective, have a more solid plan, and know where you can get resources to help it flourish.
What is X? Two of Cups
This has “the one who got away” energy for me. Whether it was a romantic partner or a platonic friendship, someone who you loved and had a great partnership with isn’t in your life anymore. You’re wondering what the point was for this person to bring beauty to your life just for it to be ripped away.
Why did X happen? The Lovers & Nine of Swords
They came into your life because you deserved to know that this type of love exists. You deserve to know that, even in your darkest moments, you are loveable and worth the effort. This person was likely the first person in a long time that you were able to be vulnerable with. You learned how to trust again. You learned how to communicate. In terms of why they had to leave, I think it’s as simple as they weren’t meant to be. It’s not an easy answer to accept and it still probably doesn’t make sense. But the time that you had together really shaped you to be successful in new relationship(s) to come.
How can/have you grown from X? Eight of Wands rev. & Ace of Wands
This relationship is bringing you back to the root of YOU. It has probably started already. There are days you doubt your worth because the person did leave, but each day it gets easier to remind yourself that you are worthy. This person has lit a fire under you to live your life for yourself because you finally know that you deserve good things. They showed you the potential that relationships can have and that you have within them. You can move forward from this relationship with optimism for the future.
What is X? The Tower & King of Wands
Your X was a huge tower moment for you. There was sudden change followed by chaos. Everything that you knew was turned upside down. You had a plan for your future. You could visualize opportunities ahead and see the steps to get there. It feels like you’re expected to build the tower back up but there aren’t any directions to tell you how.
Why did X happen? Justice
I’m not being told exactly what happened that caused the tower moment, but it seems like the actions that were being taken were not in your highest good or the highest good of others involved. Unfortunately, the collapse of the tower was the consequences to those actions. Someone did not stand by decisions that they made and left everyone to their own devices. There was a missing level of ethicality and fairness.
How can/did you grown from X? Knight of Pentacles
This knight is the hardest working knight in the deck. They are methodical and driven. They may not be the most creative, but they get the job done. You are being called to be this knight as you rebuild that tower. You don’t have to be the most creative person in the room. You don’t have to be the most inspiring person and come into a planning session with a full list of new ideas. If you focus on getting the job done effectively and consistently, you will be successful. Sit down and write goals. Just like group 1 (which you may have been interested in checking out), create goals that are tangible and attainable. You can also grow by accepting responsibility for anything that might go wrong. The original tower moment may or may not have been consequences of your own actions, but moving forward you need to be aware of your actions so another tower doesn’t fall. Stick to what you know, stick to a routine, and soon you’ll see the tower is standing higher than ever.
#pick a card#tarot#free reading#free tarot reading#tarot reading#pick a group#PAC#why did this happen?#knight of swords#seven of cups reversed#ace of swords reversed#six of swords#page of cups reversed#knight of wands reversed#three of pentacles#two of cups#the lovers tarot#nine of swords#eight of wands reversed#ace of wands#the tower tarot#king of wands#justice tarot#knight of pentacles
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my job is at risk and i’m unsure of when i’ll be able to get a job. i have been applying en mass to try and see if i can get literally anything, but i am currently bricking it because im worried about paying my bills.
a summary of the situation is i have some sort of wrist injury that is impeding on my ability to do my job, as i cut hair. i’ve had an x-ray that showed no fractures, an mri that showed normal wear and tear, so our only thought is that it’s nerve related. i have a history of carpal tunnel (surgery for both my hands happened in 2017) and i have cervical spinal stenosis, which does cause numbness and tingling in my hands and arms. the next course of action is to get an EMG, which is a nerve test to see if there’s something wrong there. that isn’t scheduled until 7/30 and that is their soonest availability. i don’t know what will happen if this doesn’t show anything, because something is wrong. we just don’t know what.
my living situation is not at risk as i live with my mom. she does cover the bills she can as well as trying to help me maintain money in my own account so i can pay for things. my mom will probably be needing surgery in the near future, and she is fortunate enough to work in a place that has short term disability. my main concerns are paying off what credit card debt i have as well as paying my car payment. i am very fortunate that things aren’t worse. i still have things that are mine that need to be paid.
if anyone would like to help im listing my venmo, paypal, and cashapp below. anything helps and please share if you can. thank you for reading and thank you in advance for any help.
cashapp - $localopa
paypal - @/localopa
venmo - @/localopa
#o posts#mutuals please boost if you’re willing#shit sucks and i’m terrified and im trying not to think about what could happen#i feel shitty enough that i am going to see niall tomorrow even though i paid for this ticket well over a year ago#i’m not spending any money at the show unless i absolutely have to especially considering it’s going to be in the 90s here tomorrow#and it’s an outdoor venue#any money is going towards bills and not towards anything else
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Finding "Frankie" AU. Chapter: 1
Warnings: Death, blood, this is a horror game AU ya know so all that.
Words: 4,980. (Check reblogs after for author's notes if interested)
The sound of metal springs rapidly coiling and relaxing reverberated off concrete walls deep in an area hidden from the public's eye. What once was an attraction built to harbor cheer, joy, and entice adults and children to come play now was a demented trap built to trick unsuspecting fools looking for money. Posters and murals depicting what the mascots were supposed to look like were plastered all over, nothing but imagery that would give people a false sense of security before finding out what those mascots really looked like. Originally cartoons, the cast of a once beloved TV show now were twisted beyond recognition. The one the springs belonged to and what lurked through staff only areas was none other than the titular protagonist and namesake of the entire show, Frankie. Of course Frankie was a bit different from his on-screen appearance, in fact he wasn't Frankie at all. Sure his name was effectively the same and he had some semblance to him in terms of appearance, but from the very moment he was created he was told a different story. He was born of the soul and in memoriam of one of the departed showrunner's who died too soon, "Franky"—with a Y. Out of grief the remaining showrunner and the brother to the deceased crafted him to carry on the legacy, for him to help continue the show even in its... New format. He didn't like to think about that though, truth be told he didn't know what he was in his current state. He held no memories of what he was like, what Franky was like, nor did he feel like something that was once a man. All he knew was that he was created to help his brother get their show back and if that meant being a ruthless monster who would rip contestants apart, so be it. He knew his place and that was right alongside his brother–
["FRANKY!"]
Franky's long lop-ears twitched as he heard his name be called out over the facilities' intercom. His body jittered unnaturally, all the springs connected to his limbs froze up and he rotated his head to face a camera on the wall pointed directly at him. On the other side of the screen watching him dwelled his creator and only family, the real Frankie.
["Sorry there Franky, didn't mean to alarm you yet we got SO MUCH to do in such a SHORT amount of time that I thought it was important enough to use the intercom to speak to you!”]
The rabbit’s ears twitched again. With a tilted head he looked at the camera and stood still, not wanting the rustling of his springy joints to drown out whatever was about to be said
["While nobodies watching right now that won't mean they won't be soon! As of this very moment I've been getting everything in order for when they are! Apologies Franky for not telling you sooner but I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we managed to earn enough donations to get this show renewed for ANOTHER SEASON!... Just barely at least..."
Franky's ears raised slightly hearing the last few words muttered quietly. Keeping the show running as well as all the expenses of the parkour palace had eaten up most of the money they were supposed to be saving up to renew the long canceled television show. He usually didn't concern himself with the finances but if it was affecting the chances of them getting what was once theirs it would soon become his issue as well.
["Heh, don't you worry your big ears about it! Just meet me in my office, we have some BIG things to discuss this new season, I'm thinking for a little shake up!"]
With directions being given, Franky scampered towards the other rabbit’s office, scrunching down here and there whenever he needed to go down an elevator or up stairs. He often wondered why he didn't have an office like Frankie did, did he merely not need one? He did run on electricity, at least his body did, so wouldn't it make more sense to give him some sorta special room where he could recharge instead of having to share a room with the other mascots? Was it that he didn't... Deserve one?
With a shake of his head he dismissed such a silly thought and he pressed on into one of the final areas of the little show they had crafted. A momentous attraction dubbed "Frankie's Frozen Peak" that was ripe to face the action of people attempting to reach the top. Sadly no one even made it past the first area, let alone this final one. Despite the rather grim decor he had been commanded to setup, not a single soul was ever able to bear witness to the various platforms, hazards, or the rising pink "slime" that were installed into the mountain. Franky didn't really care about the lack of use the mountain saw though, in fact the less people he had to deal with the better. The only thing he really paid attention to in the immediate area were the various cardboard cutouts placed along where people would line up to participate. The friendly smiling face of what he was modeled after and what a cartoon should look like followed him as he veered to the side and ignored the mountain, instead heading towards a staircase on the side. With a quick stretch of his hand to the very top, Franky let his stressed coil arm relax and skyrocket him upwards. The entire stairway shook once he landed on it, his heavy feet kicking up dust as he tilted his head towards the human sized door with a sign next to it reading "CEO OFFICE". It was a tight fit but he was more than adept at squeezing into tight spaces, with a contract of his springs he waddled over and opened the door to the office.
There awaiting him sat Frankie, his supposed brother and the one destined to eventually take the role as the host once this silly gameshow came to an end. While Franky himself looked rather unruly with rows of horrendous sharp teeth, a maw always partially agape, and accessories that consisted of old scrap metal with a sloppy, almost worn down paint coating them, Frankie had none of that. The once human was what the TV show Frankie was supposed to look like, pristine, cleanly, and friendly looking. The only real difference between the cartoon appearance of the magical rabbit and Frankie’s body was the fact that Frankie had these small beady eyes and while his was smaller than his own prototype body, it was still quite large unlike the tiny toon that was showcased everywhere. Once upon a time when Franky first awoke Frankie himself was human as he once was. His brains and nervous system wasn't exactly attuned to his body like they were now but he could still remember opening his eyes and through faded vision being greeted by a smile of his brother who welcomed him back into the world. His creation was what led to Frankie becoming as he was now, once he was created and subsequently Henry Hotline, Frankie perfected the process and ditched his old human self to become Frankie to take back the old TV show and renew his place as the host. Franky was aware once the TV show was renewed he would not be showcased in it, he wasn't perfect nor anywhere near as appealing looking as his brother, but being the main one who the cameras focused on when slaughtering the contestants was more than enough to satiate his desire for fame. After all he has 57 seasons worth of footage of him doing what he did best, and soon it was to be 58.
"FRANKY!" Frankie greeted as soon as he saw his brother's rustling limbs and head squeeze down the corridor "took ya long enough! Now take a seat because you may wanna sit down for this one"
Franky looked towards the wall and noticed a chair. Considering his torso was twice the size of it he silently rejected and stared back at his brother.
"...Okay that's perfectly okay—now DOWN TO BUSINESS!" Frankie reached down and from his desk he pulled out a file holding a stack of miscellaneous papers "we got a lot of ground to cover... A lot..."
Although Franky didn't know what was in the folder of the papers, the intensity of his brother's stare alerted him to something being off. The air grew thick and he felt unsettled to know that something changed his brother's usually cheery mood. If he was capable of sweating in his metallic body he would at the sudden light switch tone shift and feared the worse about their current show and the future renewal of the original. With a small raise of his hand he reached over, hoping to take a peek at what could possibly be considered "a lot".
FWHIP
Frankie had slammed the folder shut and leaned back "HA! No, no, no, no! You don't need to worry yourself about this!" Frankie opened it once more and sifted through the papers, his head moving with each scan of the contents "I wouldn't want you to get stressed with all this, after all I know how sloppy you can get when you're out of the zone, wouldn't want a repeat of season 26 would we!?"
Franky's hand went back into its resting position and a growl emerged from his mouth. It was his personal way of expressing subtle annoyance although it quickly subsided at the mention of season 26. The cries were something that stuck with the viewers even after all this time.
"That's what I thought, now as for what we gotta discuss–" Frankie picked up a piece of paper displaying a graph, one that had the direction one line steadily set in the red "things haven't been... Great with the gameshow and for the past 3 seasons we've had to dip into the savings just to keep this place up, running, and funded"
Franky let out another growl, this time one of worry. If they weren't profiting or bare minimum breaking even with each season that meant there would be no big Finding Frankie comeback. With how much they desired to get that show back it made him fear their dream would be out of reach.
“What I wanted to go over with you was the ratings regarding the past few seasons and why we are actively losing money, it seems here that nobody getting far becomes boring, honestly the fact that barely now it's starting to become repetitive is a miracle!" Frankie chuckled and waved his hands in the air "now we are running a gameshow here and while we certainly can't let anybody win there's at least gotta be players to play in it"
Franky didn't understand...
The mascot saw his brother's confusion and sighed, with a shake and roll of his head to mimick and eye roll Frankie spoke in a quieter, more serious tone "Listen, while I know you just loooovveee~ ripping the contestants to shreds or squishing them underneath your feet we gotta break even this time or else there may not only be no TV show, but there may be no gameshow or even parkour palace!" Frankie held his head as it spun around on his spring neck before stopping "All you gotta do is simply hold off until I give the signal, heck maybe at least let them meet Henry, I'm sure he's probably dying to chat with somebody that isn't over the phone."
Franky didn't like the sound of that. He didn't like the sound of that one bit.
His entire body vibrated in discomfort. The very idea of anything different being done made him unleash a guttural noise from the depths of his head that was lined with bolts. Springs of his emitted a rattling sound as they stretched out, his hands and feet pushing against the confines of the tiny room. It was his show, not Henry's, why would the audience care if the contestant met Henry or not!? It was bullshit on every degree and account, until they got the money HE should be the one with all the attention on him. This gameshow would be the only time he got the spotlight so why was it being stolen by the person who the show was named after—Oh wait! That's right! IT WASN'T! The shows named Finding Frankie! NOT FINDING HENRY FUCKING HOTLINE!
"FRANKY!"
Franky froze up. The heavy tone carried by the other rabbit made him feel like his entire body had spontaneously rusted. Although incapable of seeing any emotion other than a giant smile, he could feel the rage in those black dots that stared at him.
With Franky slowly retracting back Frankie sighed, releasing his anger at his brother "...listen, I know you love to kill but just this once let at least one live okay? Just long enough to give the audience false hope, donate some more, and then once we reach a goal you can do with him whatever you please" With a wag of his finger Frankie switched back to his energetic persona, speaking hoppy and jolly "we're running a game show here, we gotta at least showcase somebody actually running through a few obstacles right?! This isn't just some snuff livestream!" Frankie suddenly perked up and looked towards a printer that had a stack of cold papers in the output tray "well... At least it wasn't intended to be" Frankie reached over and looked at a few of them, each page lined head to toe with requests of donors. It was times like this the once-human wished he could grimace and not be held back by his wide smile "I'm pretty sure everyone who sends us some of these just wanna watch you kill people in different ways, pretty uhh... pretty disturbing stuff now that I think about it" he scratched his head seeing only a few of the very graphic descriptions "eugh... whatever—THIS IS A GAME SHOW AT THE END OF THE DAY!" Frankie tossed the papers and let them fly about in the air before turning to Franky one last time. With a shoo gesture he gave one last command "go tell Henry he'll be expected to actually chase a contestant this time around, maybe that could liven up that old sourpuss, last I saw he was letting the stress of that talk show of his get to him again”
Franky said nothing and did as he was told, crawling out through the small area he fell all the way to the floor of the mountain parkour area. The springs his legs consisted of broke his fall upon landing down, his torso bobbing for a few seconds absorbing the impact. As he made his way to Henry's local he couldn't help but feel... Robbed? Was robbed the right word? He didn't know, all he knew was that he didn't like this direction the show was going in if it meant he was going to get shelved. The people didn't want to see Henry, and they definitely didn't want to see some loser in a costume run about, they wanted him! They wanted Frankie—or at least who they believed to be Frankie. His name was pronounced the same and even if he wasn't the host Frankie, that title belonged to his brother, he was going to cherish every moment of attention he could get where the audience believed him to be the one and only. Just the thought of having to give up something that belonged to him made his body quake but he tried his hardest to not show any emotion, not wishing to risk having an outburst that could easily be recorded on one of the many CCTV cameras scattered about. He'd just tell the objecthead the plan and get ready for what attention he could garner by only killing 3 of the 4 contestants immediately.
"Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! It's all they FREAKIN' DO!"
Franky came to a halt as he heard the familiar voice of the talkshow host lament his frustrations. He was only at the museum and was surprised to find Henry out of his household, the mascot just trying to exert the pain of his head constantly ringing. The monstrous rabbit couldn't help but watch the sad display before him, smelling the distinct scent of rot that filled the air from a few of the people who he had killed.
Henry stood with his back to him, preoccupied with using some of the blood of the past contestants to create a grim mural as a testament and hopefully message to all those that saw to stop calling in "why does Frankie gotta insist on playing reruns—actually better yet why do the MORONS that watch them call the number—WE AIN'T ON AIR! QUIT CALLING MY GOD DAMN PHONE!" Henry placed his hands on his receiver, repeatedly picking it up and slamming it back on the hook to hang up whoever was calling "AGH! If I could get my hands on that stupid rabbit and his STUPID FREAKIN' SMILE I'D–"
Henry turned around and was met with the sight of two springs extending upwards. The rabbit had approached him as he rambled on and upon looking up and seeing Franky face to face he felt his blood and oil run cold. Henry dropped the receiver he held and let it dangle off to the side by its cord, his pitch black eyes eyes fixated on nothing else other than the rows of large sharp teeth and black spheres with glowing circles on the center that the rabbit had. His limbs felt heavy as he took a step back and tried to speak, his once normal voice now broken revealing a nervous one overlaid with what sounded like dead air or static.
"F-Franky! How nice of you to stop by! What can I uhh... Do for you on this lovely day?"
Franky didn't respond. Instead his eyes "blinked", the blue light turning off and back on. With a slow look past the mascot he stared at the mural behind Henry, one made out of pain from simply serving his role. Henry's "eyes" followed the path Franky's took, landing on the crude drawing he made depicting him with the message "DON'T CALL" next to it.
"Oh that?... Uhh d-don't worry about that, I'll clean it up, I promise! I know Frankie leaves you in charge of decorating after all" Henry clasped his hands together, the blood smearing further over his glove-like hands "I didn't mean to make that mess I just... Just... I can't deal with this GOD FORSAKEN ringing anymore, you understand? Right?"
Henry's voice glitched again, going back to its previous tones as he surveyed Franky's eyes for any sign of sympathy. Instead all he saw were those cold lights staring back at him. With a raise of a giant "gloved" hand Henry soon began taking more steps back, the springy appendage coming near him.
"Woah! Woah! Hold on there Franky!" Henry felt his back touch the smooth surface of the wall, the dark blood smearing all over his suit "Listen I wasn't talking about you! It was your brother who I was mad at!"
Henry winced and shrunk under Franky's gaze. With a past memory playing back in his head where the rabbit had been commanded to hurt him, the telephone head covered his face in order to spare whatever damage would soon come. Franky's big hand approached closer by the moment and Henry could only imagine the worse, what if Frankie had heard him and commanded his monstrous sibling to teach him a lesson. What if the Deputy had put him up to it? That quacking AI was always looking for every excuse to lock him up and maybe this was the opportunity the duck was looking for. His mind raced with ideas of both what Franky would do to him or what set the beast off. The constant flip flop between thoughts made his head rattle and shake as if he was getting a call. The migraine he had a moment ago returned in full force and he fell to his knees, desperately grasping at himself to keep his head still and quiet down.
click
"Huh?"
Henry opened his eyes, the heavy weight of a hand was brought atop him but there was an odd sense of relief brought along with it. Instead of hitting him or using those hands to crush the plastic his face consisted of, Franky had reached down and fixed the receiver back on its hook. The rattling stopped and the talk show host sighed, relief filling him as Franky continued to look down at him. This time with the knowledge that the rabbit had no malicious intent or cause behind his surprise visit.
Truth be told Franky pitied his fellow part machine part man. Henry was the second creation made using the leftovers of another deceased person, another predecessor to what Frankie was and his perfection. The mascot head wasn't as hideous as he was, but he still suffered from the result of imperfection and ultimately being just a prototype. While the idea of a character whose head was a telephone was a good idea on paper and worked well in an animated format, sadly when that fictitious character became a reality he suffered from horrible pain from the nonstop calls he received. Each time anyone would call in on the hotline Henry would be forced to advertise on his show or press a button on the many rotary phones placed about the facility it would go directly to his head. Even if he was nowhere near the museum or household he could hear the ringing every night when he was charging. The ringing and attention had driven Henry mad and Franky wished for nothing more than to relieve him of the horrid sound and pain, to be able to take over his segment just so the object head could catch a break. Sadly he couldn't, instead all he could do was be there and hopefully provide him some solace.
"Franky... You gotta stop, you can't just scare me like that!”
Franky understandably knew where Henry was coming from and gave a small nod in response. Against his will back when Henry lashed out at a caller on his talk show Frankie had sicked him on the telephone and knew where the fear stemmed from. He couldn't fault him for thinking in such a way and recoiled his hand away, letting Henry catch his bearings before giving him the message.
"Err– thanks for hanging up for me" Henry stood up and dusted himself off, although still dirty he tried to maintain what the pristine color of his red suit should look like "Now did ya come all this way to meet with lil' ol' me or did the higher-up boss man send ya?"
Franky raised 2 fingers.
"Of course..." Henry made a sighing sound and pressed his blood stained fingers to the numbers on his head, repeatedly turning the metal dialer around he said "What is it now? I certainly didn't blow up at anyone last night nor do I think I did anything to make the big man mad" he looked back to his drawing and pointed at it "it wasn't for that... Was it?",
Franky shook his head and pointed to one of the turned off TVs. It was at this point Henry got the message, it was an all too familiar gesture signaling what soon would be the airing of a new season of the gameshow they starred in. Well, they all supposedly starred in it but it was only really Franky who did the dirty work of taking out contestants. This season was clearly different though, Franky pointed at him and Henry didn't know what to make of the gesture. The cogs in and wires in his brain started to turn and after staring into those glowing blue eyes of his mascot partner in crime it all clicked.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! No! ya don't mean that I–!?" Henry pointed at himself "But I thought you were the–" he turned his finger to Franky "I know I am using their bodies for paint but I don't–" Henry gestured to the bodies before finally letting his arms rest to his sides. With another sighing noise he looked upwards, hoping he was mistaken "You don't mean to tell me the boss wants me to actually participate in the show right? I thought you were supposed to kill 'em quick!”
Franky continued to point at Henry and gave another subtle nod. He didn't like the idea either but ultimately knew better than to get jealous, besides this would be a temporary break for the object head where he'd be free of the ever present ringing. Franky regretted thinking such harsh things earlier, seeing how Henry reacted it was clear he didn't intend to steal the spotlight in any way shape or form. The rabbit overall did enjoy his phone—associate? Friend? Brethren? Whatever he was—he found Henry not only somewhat humorous but a stark contrast to his brother. While he occasionally worried and was fearful of what Frankie would do, Henry was the complete opposite and actually feared him. Franky didn't exactly like being feared but he understood it, trying his best to appear friendly and to ease any nerves he caused to someone he never wished to harm again.
This friendly and relaxed attitude did help. Henry took a step past Franky and started to head out of the camera’s blindspot, watching closely as the rabbit tailed him "Well I can give it a shot but I wouldn't know what to actually do, it's just chasing them and trying to grab ‘em right?”
Franky stood still. That was essentially it at a first glance but there was a bit more complexity to killing in his book. There was a right and wrong time to do it, like when they are trying to run back out from whence they came and they are only a step away before you quickly grab them, yank them back, and watch as they scream as they watch the exit they were so close to get quickly farther and farther. It was small things like that that made killing a lot more than just “grabbing someone”.
“Honestly if it's as easy as you make it look then I'm sure I can put on a show that'll be close to what you're capable of” Henry stroked his phone as if he were slicking his hair back and nudged Franky’s springy legs “of course no one does it better than you big guy, honestly it may be better if I give them one little scare and BOOM! You can come out and finish ‘em!”
Franky immediately nodded at the suggestion, his head rocking so fast his spring made it bounce up and down a bit.
Henry gave a small chuckle at the rabbit’s enthusiasm and kicked a vent open “alrighty I guess that's settled, be seeing ya once we're on air then Franky”
With one final wave the objecthead departed and Franky finally calmed down, giving a wave as he watched his friend intently.
Was Henry truly his friend? It was very well established the object head did fear him to a certain degree but simultaneously Henry was the only one he felt truly comfortable with. He loved Frankie of course but sometimes he couldn't help but feel like he just wasn't his brother. As horrible as that was to say, certain moments made the rabbit consider he was wrong in one more way than he thought. He held no memories of what Franky was like when he was alive nor did he have any interest to have those memories. Franky, the original, would probably unconditionally do what he was told and not question the commands of someone that was family.
So why was it that he was questioning Frankie?
It didn't make any sense and he felt himself grasping at ideas in his head that would perhaps explain. Instead all that Franky could think of was what happened with Henry and the mural still on the wall. The demented drawing made from the deceased was a straight cry for help made because Henry was created with a massive flaw. Frankie surely didn't intend for Henry to be pained by the very shtick he was known for but why was it that he forced the telephone to do his show every single night? Why did he force Henry to continue pretending to want people to call in? The question that plagued him most of all and was what caused Henry to fear him in the first place was why did Frankie force him to punish Henry for rightfully getting mad once? It wouldn't have affected the show that drastically and it was a small mistake. Was it simply that he was in the wrong here? Were the begging words of Henry truly meant to be ignored and he was supposed to blindly carry out such a task without question? Franky didn't know. He felt like he probably didn't need to know. After all, with a new season coming on the air he should focus on getting things set up for the incoming contestants. Everything had to be perfect, and if it meant blindly following orders then so be it. It wasn't just about the TV show anymore, this was about Frankie and his desire for this entire gameshow to grow into what it originally was. To be so much bigger, better, so much more than they currently had.
#fanfic#fanfiction#finding frankie#finding frankie fanfic#real frankie#monster frankie#henry hotline#oc x canon#tw: death#tw: blood#F“F” AU
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I just found your blog and I love it SO MUCH! And I was wondering if I could PLEASE request Bale?? Bruce wayne and Jason Todd Dating Rich reader hcs??
Bruce Wayne/Jason Todd x Rich!Reader Headcanons
-Credit to the gifs owner - Please be specific about characters wanted in headcanons and read request rules -
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Bruce Wayne
Bruce would probably find it easier to be with someone who grew up in a similar way he did, except from the trauma he faced. He doesn’t mind how much money you have because he’s going to want to spoil you regardless and doesn't see your financial status as a cause for concern unless he suspects any shady business.
If the two of you have a pretty similar lifestyle in terms of finances then he isn't going to need to introduce you to new things life galas or the way he handles business during the day. It may also help you be more understanding of the minimal time he has to spend with you privately due to already having witnessed the amount of time and effort it takes for someone in Bruce's position to keep things running smoothly in their businesses but also while ensuring their own privacy.
Being from a wealthy and well known family, there is definitely going to be a lot of publicity surrounding the two of you so being followed by reporters and anyone working for any tabloid newspapers and magazines will be expected when you're spotted in public. Bruce would greatly appreciate it if you kept things private, if you went and told them a lot about him or actively looked for the publicity then Bruce wouldn't keep the relationship going for any trouble and leaked privacy that might come from it.
Bruce prefers the meaningless but highly meaningful moments he has with you, such as quiet dinners together or getting ready for bed (more like the early hours of the morning once he comes back and is able to rest for a short while). He doesn't find any genuine joy from doing anything flashy or going out of his way to do things that are "impressive" if you aren't going to enjoy the simple and quite tired side of him. Anything he does that is flashy is essentially just for show and to keep up the persona he's built.
Regardless of this, Bruce is still going to spoil you quite a bit, but he would just do it in more subtle ways, or if he does doe something extravagant he would prefer to keep himself humble and quiet (leaving his big public shows just for any publicity he finds to be necessary or expected of him). You'll usually find he'll refuse you from giving any presents back and may even sneak things into your collection of clothes or jewellery rather than presenting to you outright if you start getting sick of his constant apology presents (apologies for being busy and missing dates, or having to cancel plans last minute).
Jason Todd
Jason might be slightly put off at first when he finds out that you're rich. He doesn't want to be responsible for getting someone who may have been sheltered for a lot of your life into danger (if that were the case) and he also hasn't had many good experiences with other people outside of the family who are accustomed to having a lot of money. As long as you're humble about your wealth and don't make it the focus of your life and personality then he should get along fine with it.
In no way would Jason want to become public, or at least known for dating someone who comes from a well known family; he values his privacy more than enough to keep himself distanced from Bruce in public already, he doesn't need things to backfire by being photographed with you. If the two of you are going to date, then he's going to keep it incredibly private and keep things quiet until he's literally unable to continue doing so.
Jason will actively avoid all tabloids and reporters like they were the plague, and in no way can you convince him to behave any differently. No matter how happy he is with you in private, other than the people who know you both extremely well there will be no record of him being near you at all. Not only for privacy reasons, but to also keep his tracks covered and to keep you out of danger in the long run.
He will be more than happy to take you out on dates in places he has fully control over though, and will make sure neither of you are bothered in these places giving you both complete privacy. He just needs to be in control of the situation, if he's able to ensure things go to plan and aren't interrupted by anyone trying to find out who you're with or taking photos of him when they aren't supposed to then all will go smoothly.
Just because Jason doesn't like showing off with money doesn't mean he won't spoil you. He'll literally go out of his way to get you anything you ever want, even if you're left confused where he gets the money from (because it's definitely not happily from Bruce) but he won't let you get concerned about any of that. He'll essentially ensure you keep living the rich life you're used to as he continues to live on cheap take out and hiding his night life from you for as long as possible. He can clearly afford it though, just look at all the gear he constantly has.
#bruce wayne#bruce wayne x reader#bruce wayne x you#bruce wayne x y/n#bruce wayne headcanons#jason todd#jason todd x reader#jason todd x you#jason todd x y/n#jason todd headcanons#dc x reader#dc#dc x you#dc comics headcanons#dc comics#jason todd hc
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Wolfstar Microfic - Knight Bus
Words: 981
@wolfstarmicrofic
🌙✨🌙✨🌙
Sirius had sent his owl, Queenie, to James before he’d left, asking him to get in touch with Remus and telling him that he hoped that the Potters’ offer of a place to stay still stood.
As he slowly dragged his trunk onto the pavement, he looked up at the place he used to consider home. Regulus was watching, expressionless, from Sirius’ bedroom window. He hoped with every fibre of his being that Reg would realise how toxic their family was sooner rather than later. He told him that he could owl him, or if they were at school, talk to him, anytime.
He didn’t want to leave him. Even if he was a massive twat. Most fourteen-year-olds were twats, he reasoned, he definitely was, but he wished Regulus could just overcome the twattishness for an afternoon and come with him. Get away.
He’d be long gone by the time Walburga and Orion noticed he was missing, and although they would know where he’d gone, he knew that once he got to the Potters’, he’d be safe.
He stuck out his wand and a large purple bus popped out of nowhere, making Sirius jump.
“Alright?” The conductor said with a half smile, “Need a hand?”
“Please.” They managed to get his trunk onto the bus and under a bed frame. "Thank you." He said, realising that he'd barely contributed. He felt so shaky.
“No worries, kid. Where you off to?” He looked down at Sirius, now perched on the edge of the bed.
“Uh, Potter Manor, on The Lizard, please.” The man nodded and exchanged a ticket for Sirius’ money. “Been in a fight?”
Sirius had completely forgotten how awful he must look. To start with he hadn’t eaten in almost five days and had only slept in small intervals during that time. The final blow had been Bellatrix announcing that Sirius was gay over lunch (which he wasn’t allowed to eat, but forced to sit through anyway) and Sirius simply not having the energy to deny it anymore.
He’d healed two broken ribs himself but forgot about his face. He pressed a hand to his nose and was alarmed when the blood looked fresh. He hoped it wouldn’t worry James and his parents too much. Honestly, his face didn’t hurt anywhere near as much as his muscles did. It was always the same after she Crucio-ed him, the pain would linger for days. But she'd never get to do it again.
“Something like that,” Sirius said quietly. “You should see the other guy.”
The conductor huffed out a laugh and headed back to the front of the bus.
Sirius pulled a book out of his bag. Remus had lent him The Hobbit last term and he’d picked up a copy of The Lord of the Rings last week and he was hooked.
Before he knew it, the bus swerved into the lane outside Potter Manor. The front door flew open and to his surprise, Remus, not James, was the one rushing toward him. He helped him get his trunk off the bus, then threw his arms around Sirius making him wince slightly, his ribs were still bruised. He clung to Remus, burying his face in the curve of his neck, suddenly concerned that he might cry. A short while after the bus clattered away, Remus stepped back and got a good look at Sirius.
“Holy shit,” he said under his breath. His brows tilted inwards and his mouth dropped open. He looked devastated.
“I’m fine.” Sirius desperately wanted to believe it. “It’s just a few cuts and bruises. I'm mostly ok.”
Remus wiped at Sirius’ still sticky nose with his sleeve, frowning. “You look like shit. You’re not fine.” He placed a hand on either side of Sirius’ face and tilted it gently, assessing the damage. Sirius tried his hardest not to lean into the touch and was fairly unsuccessful. “What did they do to you?”
“Remus, please, don’t.” Sirius shook his head. “Look, I’m out now. For good. I’ll be seventeen in November, so I never have to go back.” He paused, “I’ll tell you and Prongs everything later, I promise. I’m just so fucking exhausted.”
“Sirius.” Remus’ eyes bored into him before softening, He ghosted his thumb across Sirius’ bruised, prominent cheekbone. “Let’s get you inside before he has a coronary. I left them making your bed up.”
He took one end of Sirius’ trunk and between them, mostly thanks to Remus, they carried it to the door. Before they entered, he set it down, looking at Remus.
“I really appreciate you being here.” He pressed his lips together as Remus waited for him to continue. “I know I fucked everything up so badly last term. I’m still more sorry than I can put into words. I just— I didn’t ask James to tell you to manipulate you or anything. I didn't expect you to come, I just thought that a part of you would maybe want to know I was safe.”
Remus' face was unreadable for a moment until he sighed, “What you did was so thoughtless and reckless.” Sirius nodded sadly, “But there was no way that I would ever not be by your side for this.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think it means that I’m ready to forgive you.” He said quietly. “You were so fucking vague in your letter, and I know that was probably self-preservation, but the thought of them hurting you made my blood boil and I had to physically stop myself from showing up there. I came straight here.” His cheeks were pink, “I’m saying… that I think I understand how you snapped and told Snape in a moment of rage, or whatever.”
“Oh.” Was all that Sirius could manage.
“I’m so glad to see you, Padfoot.” Remus’ eyes flicked up and met his. “I’m so glad you’re mostly ok."
#wolfstar#fanfic#ao3#fanfiction#remus lupin#sirius black#remus x sirius#marauders#remus loves sirius#wolfstar microfic
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"Mercy" is her word
Roman Reigns x black!reader
Warnings:
18+
Strong language
Implied violence
Actual violence
Suggestive content
A.N: I was gonna make this one little drabble, but then I decided to make a 2-parter. Also, Haunted by Beyonce kinda gave me the idea to write this and the song is the vibe for the whole thing anyway. Anyway, hope you linke it. Enjoy❤️
In this world, the wicked never rest. Not physically, not mentally, and definitely not emotionally.
One would think that after all the death Roman had seen and caused, he'd be impervious to the stinger of heartbreak. Yet they pinched and poked at his heart as the spotlight hit to reveal her ready form. Her radiance never failed to burn holes into his cold and hardened exterior. Maybe that's why he kept coming back to this God forsaken club.
Perhaps to find himself at the mercy of a less forgiving goddess instead.
The music began and so did her dance. Roman watched intently as she gracefully moved about the stage. Every sway of her hips, stretch of her legs and parting of her plump lips carved remnants of their past escapades into his mind.
Nostalgia truly was a cold hearted bitch.
His neck craned when she moved into an arched position, like a majestic panther on the hunt for her prey, looking for some rich sucker to hypnotize with her being. He wished he'd been close enough to be considered as a tribute but alas, Jimmy and Jey preferred the top VIP booth for a better view and to conduct business without much interruption.
Little did they know that as long as she drew breath, his mind was not his own, but merely an extension of her.
Soon she pounced on her chosen victim, straddling him and dusting the excess lint from his probably cheap suit jacket, and kneading him into a heap of a mindless ball of dough with a just a look into his eyes. A spell he'd likely never break out of, that will drive him to come back here every Tuesday to empty his pockets into her cleavage.
A spell Roman was all too familiar with. Not that it meant anything to her anymore. A fact that haunted his thoughts and dreams.
Having finished the job on the poor loser who left a very generous tip in the front of her corset top, she moved back onto the stage that was now littered in well deserved dollar bills. She gracefully reached the closing of her performance, making brief eye contact with Roman.
What was probably 3 seconds, felt like an eternity to both of them. His longing browns connected with hers that spiraled with different emotions. Sadness, annoyance, nostalgia....you name it. But it was short lived as she refocused her attention to the end of her dance as the music was coming to an end.
Finally the lights went off and the club filled with loud boisterous cheers and hands clapping in appreciation. Without a second thought, Roman stood up from his seat with a mission on his mind. He was gonna make things right by her. At all costs.
He ignored his cousins questions and protests as he left the booth and navigated his way to her dressing room. Having been there so many times, the short journey felt like muscle memory. Finally he arrived at his destination and was met with her door left slightly ajar.
That's new. It's usually locked.
That's when he heard the yelling. Her boss Vince's familiar voice rang through the small space, followed by her yelling right back.
"Vince you don't understand! The hospital bills from Carl's chemo are drowning me...I need this!" she pleaded. The sound of her choked up voice begging Vince tore at Roman's heartstrings.
How he wished they were still on good terms. Maybe then she could've asked him for help. Then again she was always the headstrong type who preferred to work for the money instead of relying on favours.
As much as he admired that about her, he still wanted her to let him take care of her.
"No, Kiara, you don't understand! Your problems are none of my concern and therefore none of my money's concern. Now are you gonna be a good little bitch and hand over my cut-" he heard Vince snarl.
"Fuck you, you sick, greedy, old bastard-" she was interrupted by an ear ringing slap.
He peeked through the space and saw Kiara holding her cheek in disbelief as tears threatened to escape her eyes. The sight sent him into a blind rage that drove him to barge into the room right as Vince had his hand raised to land another slap, and grab his wrist, damn near breaking it.
"Roman? What the fuck!?" he hear Kiara yell, choosing to ignore her for now.
Roman grabbed the older man by his jacket and pinned him against a nearby wall. "R-Roman, what are you doing here?" Vince said chuckling nervously. "It's not what it looks like, I swear."
"Really? Because I could've sworn I saw you not only slap her, but also fix your wrinkly ass hand to do it again! Unless my eyes deceive me...Do they deceive me Vince?" Roman demanded, giving the man the opportunity to tell the truth. Something Vince was known to be allergic to.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Vince lied in true Vince fashion.
Roman clicked his tongue. His jaw clenched and the veins in his neck strained as he fought to simmer his boiling temper.
Thou shalt not kill the man who currently puts food on his goddesses table. No matter how much it pains him. No matter how much more he could give to her. Her grace always comes first.
"See, I'm gonna do something I don't do often Vince. I'm gonna grant you a fucking curtesy. You're gonna let Kiara keep all the money, then you're gonna get the fuck out of here, and in return, I'm gonna let you keep your worthless life," he warned Vince in a dangerously low tone.
Taking Roman's words with gratitude, Vince nodded vigorously, thanking Roman for his kindness. However Roman wasn't done.
"Shh, I'm not finished. If you even think about firing Kiara or finding any other fucked up ways to make her life difficult, it will be the end of yours. Do you understand me?"
Vince had turned beet red in fear, sweating harder than a summer rain. "I understand, my Tribal Chief," he agreed hastily, not forgetting to address Roman correctly. After all, his every breath was at the Tribal Chief's mercy.
Kiara's mercy.
Roman stepped back from Vince, loosening his grip on the older man's jacket before smoothening it out. "Out," he commanded gruffly, tilting his head towards the door, to which Vince obeyed by immediately dashing out of the room.
As soon as the door slammed closed, Roman turned to Kiara, who stood by her vanity fuming. He had expected her to be upset by his meddling, but he knew that this damage was controllable. Well, if he found a way to fix the damage he had done prior 3 weeks ago.
"Kiki-" he began only to be interrupted by her cutting tone.
"Don't. Don't you dare try and pull that sweet shit after the shit you just did," she said coldly. Again, to be expected.
He held his hands up in surrender as he took a cautious step towards her. He hoped she would recognize this as a sign that he meant no harm. Physical or emotional. Her guard, however, showed no signs of relenting. Her trust in him had waned into a piece of thread. So he kneeled before her; a silent appeal to her unforgiving nature, a plea for her mercy.
Oh how the tables turn
Kira's steely glare softened at the familiar gesture. Roman had left his power at the door. He had come to her, not as the untouchable and damn near godly Tribal Chief, but as a mere mortal who bleeds from his skin and his heart.
"Please." A single word that wouldn't have held even a shred of weight coming from any other man. But to Kiara, this wasn't any other man. This was Roman, the man who if she would let him, would burn the world to it's last ash just to keep her warm. The man who she held dear to her heart mind and soul for the short time she had known him. The only man she would shed her iron skin to reveal her soul to.
The only man she had come to love.
"Fine. You have 15 minutes."
#roman reigns#roman reigns fanfiction#roman reigns fic#roman reigns x reader#roman reigns fanfic#wwe#roman reigns x black!oc#roman reigns x black!reader#roman reigns x black reader#roman reigns x oc#roman reigns imagine#roman reigns angst#roman reigns x you#sillyteecup writes#the tribal chief#the head of the table
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The (ephimeral) success of solo projects on Chapter 2
I wanted to write a post about chapter 2 and Jimin, the "sabotages"... but I don't know if I'm able to sort out the facts and my ideas or judgements about them properly. Nothing is clear to me yet.
There are days when a part of me believes that something is going on with Jimin and Hybe (or BH, I don't know which). But there's another part, the rational part, the part that works as an economist for 20 years, that knows that it doesn't make much sense for a for-profit company to boycott one of its most valuable assets.
In the Executive Boards, and in financial planning, decisions are made on the basis of economical evidence, which is always provided by current numbers (or estimates), not by the heart. Maybe even in the case of BTS there is some sense of fairness, I would say, at the outset. And not an asymmetric distribution according to profit projections.
In the trade-off I find myself in, I would like to share the following thoughts:
- I have recently realised that Chapter 2 is not the chapter of their solo career. It is the chapter of their solo work, which is slightly different.
- Most of them has a short time to promote their work. The average has been a "several weeks" window.
- Their success is therefore somewhat short-lived or ephimeral. It appears and within weeks it seems to fade away, eclipsed by the next in line. The nex king of "k-..."
- There is no intention of promoting a structured solo career, because 1) BTS have said (a million times) that they will be back in 2025, and 2) if we are to take them at their word, the boys will all be joining the military before the end of 2023.
- So, there is no long-term vision to support "some" and not "others".
- The support is focused on a specific work. The only exception to a more continuous commitment has been Suga and his tour.
- Everyone has their budget, their schedule, their activities for the year...
- And yes, there can be different intensities of promotional activities, depending on the defined strategy or budget or goal or whatever (we don't know the whole story because the company doesn't explain anything to us). There is a rumour that some have even put their money into some activities. But I don't know how true that is.
- And I think they all have a say in the design of their promotions, even if they don't design them themselves.
So then....I can't take the agency away from any of them.
They are the best advocates or defenders within the company. And if one of them had less influence, which I doubt, the others would not remain silent without solving the problem. Or how do we think a commitment from the 7 of them to the 7 of them is achieved to keep BTS as a unified group? There are no weak links in this group. And if there were, I wouldn't bet my money that Jimin is one of them.
Once again, there are things that I can't explain and I'd like to know what's going on (the lack of restocking, the split of Spotify streaming, the deletion of sales...). But if there really have been damaging mistakes or strategies for any of them, I hope that when the next contract comes up for renewal, they will sort it out very thoroughly. Cause this cant happen anymore.
To tell you the truth, I blame the company for many things, and one of them - as serious as their lack of planning - is their lack of communication with the fans. BeautifulPeach has talked about this in some of her posts.
At some point in its growth, Hybe became too big to fail, or whatever, and forgot about certain corporate social responsibility obligations. One of them is to talk to its most important stakeholders: the customers, i.e. the fans. And addressing some of their concerns.
Investors are important in listed companies, but customers are important too. Always.
And if they don't see it that way and continue to despise the fans (clients) in that way, then at the end “future is not gonna be ok”.
And yes, I know that K-pop is controversial. It's clear that they can't deal with every rumour, every silly trend that comes out every day on twitter, ships, solos demands, etc. But there are things that they can deal with. And some of the Jimin's events when Face happened are one of them.
A bit of transparency would be appreciated. I expect it, actually, at some point (maybe when this chapter ends).
Maybe there will be things that could be explained as commercial strategy (do they want us to buy Face instead of the single LC, for example? And that's why they're not stocking it again?). But they might also be telling us about certain difficulties. Or about certain forecasting mistakes. Or how they learned from some of them. I'm pretty sure they learned a lot from Jimin's Face era.
I don't think I will be able to judge everything that has happened until at least the end of this year, when all the solo works have been completed/released.
And I'll have to keep listening to Bongo to see if he still talks about how they are more interested in being a company that has groups rather than individual singers. Maybe that is why it seems there's a ceiling to individual success. There is nothing better than capping success with time limitation of activities ("Let's see if that makes the fans forget what solo members are capable of")
And even then, there will be differences between all of them. Quite a lot.
But we will also have to consider that they are different artists with different goals, sensibilities, objectives and situations (let's not forget that JK himself, who now seems quite greedy, has admitted that he needed and enjoyed his free time and Seven had to come along to give him a boost). So we should be careful with the comparison too.
Perhaps Jin will end up getting the most promotions when he comes out, considering how little time he has had. Poor Jin…😔 He had to wait until the end of the year to enlist, despite the bad weather, to give us the Busan concert. It was a commitment to BTS, but it was a short of individual sacrifice too… you know..they do these things for BTS.
I would also like to listen to them (yes, it's a bit ambitious on my part, but I would like to listen to Jimin and his feelings, at the end of this year... will he open up to us?)
In conclusion, I would say that if we are BTS fans and want to remain so, and if we believe in the boys' words .... I would advise us to enjoy every moment they give us for their limited time. Every campaign, every song, every vlive... and try to find an atmosphere of caution given the situation we are in.
And by that I mean that we should also be able to read that we are in the age of solos and akages. All the information about grievances or leaks that comes out usuarlly comes from the same places.
And I'm not saying it's FALSE! Nor do I mean to belittle it! Just that sometimes we should take into account the intentions behind. And before we react, let's consider the source and the context. Look at what happened to the RNX journalist we all spent almost a day reporting on for a bad translation. Or look at how, in less than two weeks, two CCTV vids of Jimin shopping with a friend (one of them clearly with Saeon) suddenly appeared just as it became known that he was going to NY with JK.
Anyway, I will be a bit cautious for now. There are still a few months until the end of the year. A lot can still happen.
Jimin could came back again to us with sth as amazing as Like Crazy. Or even better, an album.
I miss Jimin and want to see him shine again and talking to us.
And I miss jikook……arrrggg
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More info about Ludovica's former husband? I want to know the lengths of his douchebaggery.
I am almost a whole year late on this one but here is what I got on the asshole, chief. 🫡
Also, disclaimer: This dude is absolute human garbage, dark subjects such as - (pedophillia, non-con, domestic/verbal abuse, child loss, miscarriage, under age drinking) below!
I don't honestly know if I have ever stated a official name for him anywhere yet. It's for the most part undecided because the greatest thing he ever did was die, giving him a name is so low on my list of priorities, so he will get one whenever he gets one.
He was in his early 40s when he all but purchased Ludovica from her parents in the form of offering a very large dowry for her. He saw her sing at one of her parents parties when she was a young teen (A underage teen I might add, she was close to 18 but not quite there yet), he was attracted to her voice and youthful beauty like an absolute creep.
Made his money by loan sharking lower class farmers and forgiving their debts in exchange for unreasonable amounts of their harvest. Leaving them starving and their daughters traumatized, it was from these encounters he developed his disgusting youthful taste in women. He then later made some pretty powerful connections that allowed him to rise in rank and social status, he hoarded his money and made a lot of smart short term investments.
He was always rather abusive and very neglectful, Ludovica was very lonely but greatly preferred his absence rather than him ever giving her any thought.
He would treat Vica like a literal object, coming and going as he pleased without ever really having a conversation with her. He had no need to ever tell her what he was doing, would only call her when he wanted something from her or when he wanted to show her off. Which he did a lot.
Loved to brag about his young wife; about how pretty she looked and how nice she sang. Would have her entertain his guests, who could be handsy at times. Ludovica would complain but he would tell her to shut up and keep sitting pretty; only intervening if someone was trying to push it too far. Not out of concern for Vica but out of his own pride, he would look weak if another man publicly was getting too cozy with his wife.
Vica would do her best to hide whenever he was throwing a party but he would drag her out of her room with an iron grip on her forearms. Definitely always leaving bruised but smartly only doing so where they couldn't be easily seen.
He found it funny how Ludovica would drink so much, seeing her drunk was the closest thing to him ever seeing her relaxed. He probably did know that she drank so much because of him and from her wanting to disassociate, but he really would care much so long as she didn't act a fool in front of his guests.
He figured Vica would get pregnant eventually and was pleased that he could start working on securing an heir for his legacy. Spoke a lot about how having a daughter would be useless until he got a son, he needs to have his lineage properly set up before he can later plan to wed daughters off to the highest bidders. Hearing him say that made Ludovica genuinely vomit out of pure disgust, lucky she was able to play it off as morning sickness.
When Vica had miscarried the baby he was more annoyed at her than anything, her failure to properly function as a female just set his legacy plans back by months. "Alas it is no great matter, we could just simply have another." were his exact words when he was no longer annoyed about the child's passing. He didn't even mourn the loss of the child's life for a mere second, treating it as if the life that was once growing inside Vica was absolutely worthless.
That is what I got for now, there is probably more but I gotta get to writing Ludovica's story to fully figure out everything this asshole did to her.
My poor baby Vica. 😭
RIP (Rest in Piss), bozo. 💩
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part 4 of spin the bottle
Betrayed by the Buzz
part one | part two | part three | part four | part five
note: again its short but hope you like it, i will post next part soon. quali will begin soon, i have to watch it. fingers crossed leclerc pole.
Summary: In the midst of a mundane moment in the kitchen, the incessant buzzing of Carlos's phone leads to a shocking discovery. Despite warnings in the back of your mind, you're compelled to investigate, only to find messages that shatter your trust and leave you reeling with betrayal.
Warnings: Emotional distress, betrayal, infidelity.
As you went about your business in the kitchen, the sound of Carlos's phone buzzing incessantly caught your attention. At first, you brushed it off, assuming it was just a group chat blowing up as usual. But as the buzzing continued for what felt like an eternity, your curiosity turned to concern.
"Carlos, your phone!" you called out, hoping to get his attention over the noise of the running shower. When he didn't respond, you grew increasingly frustrated, the incessant buzzing grating on your nerves.
Finally unable to ignore it any longer, you made your way over to where Carlos had left his phone on the counter. As you picked it up, you noticed a string of unread messages flooding the screen, each one more alarming than the last.
Your heart sank as you scrolled through the messages, your worst fears confirmed with each passing word. Your hands trembled as tears welled up in your eyes, shock and betrayal coursing through your veins.
In that moment, everything seemed to blur together, the sound of the shower, the buzzing of the phone, the tears streaming down your face. You felt as if the ground had been pulled out from beneath you, leaving you reeling in a maelstrom of emotions.
With trembling hands, you set Carlos's phone back down on the counter, unable to bear the weight of the truth it held. As you stood there, grappling with the enormity of what you had discovered, you couldn't help but wonder how everything had unraveled so quickly.
was it all game for him.....?
But amidst the chaos and confusion, one thing was clear: you couldn't ignore the painful reality staring back at you from Carlos's phone. And as you struggled to come to terms with the betrayal that had shattered your trust, you knew that the road ahead would be fraught with heartache and uncertainty.
Carlos pov:
first date
As I sat with my friends, their jests about my lack of dating life grated on my nerves. I knew they meant well, but their relentless teasing was starting to wear thin.
"Come on, Carlos, when was the last time you went on a date?" Alex, one of my closest friends, prodded with a smirk.
"Yeah, man, you're starting to look like a hermit," Mark chimed in, chuckling.
I rolled my eyes, trying to brush off their comments. "I've just been busy with work, that's all."
But when they proposed the bet, challenging me to deceive her into losing her maidenhood, I was taken aback. It was a twisted game, one that went against everything I believed in.
"Seriously? You guys want me to do what?" I exclaimed, my disbelief evident in my voice.
"Come on, Carlos, it's just a bit of fun," Alex (not albono tho) said, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. "And think of the money! If you pull it off, we'll give you a nice bonus."
I hesitated, torn between my principles and the allure of the challenge. "I don't know, guys. This doesn't feel right."
But when they upped the stakes with the promise of a hefty sum of money, a sense of competitiveness took hold of me. I agreed to their proposal, determined to prove them wrong.
"You're on," I said, a hint of determination in my voice. "But I'm not doing this for the money. I'm doing it to show you guys that I can do anything."
---------
As the days passed, I found myself growing increasingly annoyed with the whole situation. The bet weighed heavily on my mind, a constant reminder of the moral dilemma I found myself in. But despite my reservations, I couldn't shake the feeling of competitiveness that drove me forward. I wanted to win, not for the money, but to prove that I was capable of succeeding where others doubted me.
And so, when the opportunity arose to ask her out on a date, I seized it without hesitation. I acted as if the bet didn't exist, pushing aside the guilt and uncertainty that gnawed at my conscience.
"Hey, are you finally going to ask her out?" Mark asked, a knowing grin spreading across his face.
I nodded, trying to ignore the unease that twisted in my gut. "Yeah, I think it's time."
As I sent the text, inviting her to join me for coffee, a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was betraying her trust, that I was using her as a pawn in a game she didn't even know she was playing.
Despite my misgivings, I pushed aside my doubts and focused on the thrill of the chase. I was determined to win the bet, no matter the cost. Little did I know, the true cost of my actions would be far greater than I could have ever imagined.
----
#f1 imagine#f1 x reader#f1 fanfic#carlos sainz x female reader#carlos sainz x you#carlos sainz x reader#carlos sainz imagine#carlos sainz f1#f1 fic#fanfic
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25 Years Later: "Encounter ✕ Hesitation ✕ Departure"
Like how the first episode was framed from Mito’s perspective, the second is primarily framed through the perspective of the character it introduces- Leorio. He quite literally emerges from the background at the start of the episode and our first view of Gon (following the opening recap) is from Leorio’s perspective, of Gon running around in the background.
This becomes, in effect, an episode setting up the later aspects of Leorio’s character, showing his virtue and alluding to his desire for money, while complicating why he has that desire. It’s a different approach akin to the anime’s ongoing depiction of Gon as someone with vulnerability and very obviously a child, rather than someone who goes at his own pace and can often be described as selfish.
In fact, as if rebuking the more selfish characterization he has in the manga, Gon’s storyline here is one where he helps Leorio and takes pity on animals in captivity, and he is framed as very childlike in this pursuit. Something I only noticed with this rewatch is that Gon never actually introduces himself for one thing, I was trying to examine if he still has the ‘ore’ pronoun so to speak, which he does, but he never introduces himself to Kite or Leorio in these opening two episodes. Rather, his name is learned through other people talking about him.
In this sense, the second episode is delivering more implicit ideas about these characters. Gon is someone who can hyperfixate on one thing, while Leorio will stick his neck out for someone in a bad spot, which is what happens to Gon twice in this episode, it’s very basic character traits delivered in a way I’m only now noticing is a bit interesting.
As for Gon being in a bad spot at multiple points, this is, again, to highlight his vulnerability, something 1999 continually reinforces again and again, and it’s one of the many divisive character alterations the show makes starting from the previous episode. Contrasted to the manga, after the Kite flashback in the first chapter, Gon is never really put in an incredibly vulnerable position again until he is forced to contend with Hisoka in the fourth phase of the Hunter Exam, and it’s a remarkably impactful moment for his character, and it’s a moment that doesn’t truly take effect until the fourth volume. Up until then, Gon is far more of a strong willed and very fixated character, he does not make himself vulnerable and bad situations are only vehicles to further showing his optimism and deeper ambitions, it’s what makes a character like Killua attracted to him beyond Killua’s own lack of friends.
In my research for this blog, I had actually gone through Japanese resources for the original Hunter x Hunter anime, and even learned that they have a specific ‘slang’ term for it, that being ‘Old Hunter’ (旧ハンタ if you want to look for yourself) typically, similar to our own HxH99. But one thing that stuck out to me on a Japanese ‘fanwiki’ (of sorts) was an aside that Gon had been rewritten to be more polite and drive in values that broadcasters and producers would want children to have (this will be explained more at the end of the blogpost). It was of course an uncited claim, but it got me thinking about Gon’s characterization and how this affects his later actions, and of course, how he is to be perceived.
In these opening two episodes of 1999, Gon is curious, he is often brash in not introducing himself but also polite- he uses the affectionate ‘ojii-san’ for Leorio and helps him when he’s down on his luck. Above all else, he is concerned for Leorio and, later on, the animals kept in captivity. While the latter example doesn’t have a direct comparison to the manga, we see that Gon is often content to let people work their own issues out and not involve himself directly, which we will see in the next episode during Leorio and Kurapika’s conflict.
A final note on the ‘vulnerable Gon’ idea as I will refer to it, is a very short but significant moment. Towards the end of the episode, Gon is at a zoo essentially and finds a foxbear mother, and meets the hunter who captured her who has a foxbear cub. This rings familiar of the first episode’s Kite flashback, but for Gon it makes him question himself and pause. He asks “Is he really a Hunter?” and recalls Ging, his whole reason for setting out on this journey. In that moment, we hear a character theme play several episodes in advance, one fitting for a scene where he questions his goals- that is Hisoka’s theme, ‘Waiting For Light, For Some Reason…’, and it gives these early moments a layer of intentionality. 1999 won’t stop changing characters anytime soon and Gon is the biggest victim of this, and we hear an echo of one of the most significant changes to come right here.
Now, away from the topic of Gon is Leorio. Despite myself framing him as a key player and the perspective character for the episode, I really didn’t say much on him and focused more on a character who hasn’t even introduced himself yet. That is because a lot of what Leorio gets up to in this episode is not that noteworthy. It’s character establishment and his character is one I already explained. He comes off as shrewd and snobbish but it is continually made known that he is not affluent despite what his ‘all business’ like clothes would suggest. He’s hungry, he has to participate in gambles to get money, he steals, and he doesn’t want to get close to someone like Gon. At the time, we don’t get the full grasp of that last idea, but most of this establishing stuff is done to contrast his negative traits with his more virtuous ones. How he saves Gon from getting trafficked (yes, really), how he later on saves Gon again after he gets captured by the fake Hunter, and how he does all of this both expecting nothing in return as well as to his own detriment at the end when he misses the boat to the hunter exams.
Leorio’s introduction here is very effective and foretells much of his later characterization, maybe even too much of it, and it creates interesting questions for his character, like why he helps Gon but doesn’t want to tell him about the boat to the Hunter Exams? We understand why he wants money, he has literally none per the episode opener, but why does he dress and act the way he does despite that? It’s setup for further characterization, something for the more attentive viewer to latch onto since we won't be getting that full backstory for a while.
Beyond our two major players, there is a third. A certain blond boy from the OP makes his debut here but without any speaking roles in a handful of scenes that all dabble in their own setup. The most intriguing scene to a new viewer is one I even included in my grid for the episode, that being an early reveal. His crimson eyes and distaste for spiders is something that will come up next episode, but it’s shown here first and partakes in some odd foreshadowing. A venomous spider crawls near him and he dispatches it, but the spider ultimately survives. I’ll leave that thought there and highlight another odd element of his early character, that being the very first shot he appears in, one of him and Gon walking past each other in opposite directions. Maybe it’s foreshadowing (which, honestly would be a bit insane), or maybe it’s all coincidence. Either way, the setup for this character overpowers much of the episode and sticks out as one of the more interesting parts of it, though that is not to say I dislike the rest.
Overall, this first of four completely anime original episodes was one I still kind of enjoy. I gained a bit of deeper appreciation despite my reservations about its lacking visual quality- our precious blond boy often has Last House style Goku-Banana-Hair (Dragon Ball Z animation jokes that nobody will get) instead of detailed locks, characters often go off model, and the poor preservation of the anime does little for its visual quality here, much of episode appearing ‘bleached’ at times. I honestly struggled to choose eight pictures I was satisfied with for my grid this time, but production troubles are the name of the game with longrunning battle anime. We’ll address deeper aspects of those later, a few in particular I’ve never even seen discussed before looking into Japanese communities.
Next time, we’ll finally get a name for our blond boy, a motivation for Leorio, and it seems Gon will finally introduce himself. Maybe he’ll even be the main character.
As a little bonus, this episode was pretty... "derpy". The animators were still coming to grips with the character designs and it causes Gon to have a lot of weird faces. Here's my personal selection of them as a parting gift:
Okay, now about that Japanese wiki stuff I mentioned earlier.
When revising this, I actually couldn't find my source. I went through a lot of the ones I had down but I had failed to label which one had this specific piece of info and there were a lot of Japanese language sources. In exchange, I have a different piece of uncited but probably true information from a different Japanese "wiki". The exact site is weblio, which is kind of a wiki and kind of a resource- the 1999 anime itself is in fact filed under "Dictionary/Encyclopedia > Encyclopedia > Hunter x Hunter (1999 anime)". I don't know Japanese too much, so I'm reliant on machine translations for now, and this is what it says (hyperlink here):
In this anime, there are almost no original stories that deviate greatly from the original work. The only completely original stories are episodes 2 and 18-20, which were added at the request of the original author, who asked that the anime depict parts that could not be depicted in the original work, and Anita , who appears as an additional character in episode 11.
For those familiar with 1999, the only filler arc of the anime should be well known- in my searches it seemed to be a fan favourite in Japan and was, reportedly, when the anime had its highest ratings which is fascinating for me. There is also Anita, but we will talk about those later.
Thanks for reading this post script and sorry I couldn't get all my sources in order. It's very difficult to get production info on the original anime since almost all of it, inevitably, will be in Japanese and not cited most of the time, but thanks for bearing with me.
#hunter x hunter#hunter x hunter 1999#hxh99#hxh 1999#kurapika#kurapika kurta#gon#gon freecss#leorio#leorio paladiknight#anime#anime analysis#hxh
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little off topic for my blog, but i started watching a new show since a friend mentioned it was good and i'd heard positive things about it, so i just wanted to talk about it a little bit (probably never again after this since this isn't a fandom blog, but it's the only one i have rn so idc it's going here)
the show is Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, and just going on looks alone, despite my love for dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise i never would have considered it. it appears to be very much for kids, and as i'm in my late twenties now i'm not particularly interested in especially kiddy media. however a friend my age enjoyed it and mentioned it has a canon lgbtq+ couple in it among the main characters, so of course i just had to watch it. i had already been hearing that despite its initial appearance and premise, it was surprisingly good for a kids' show, so i had already been curious, but i was even more keen after knowing there were queer characters, and not even the adults, the kids themselves (in a kid's show?!! what a time to be alive), so i finally sat down and watched it.
[spoiler warning, both minor and major, for the rest of this post btw, so continue reading at your own risk if you haven't seen it yet/are still watching]
the show overall
okay so firstly, i am coming at all of this from the perspective of a writer, so my observations are from a technical standpoint more so than just as a fan of the show. and honestly, it really is a well-written show as a whole. is it geared towards kids? definitely. there are plenty of jokes/gags in it that just don't appeal to me as an adult, but beyond that, there was plenty to appreciate as an adult.
the writing is actually phenomenal? there were several points in the series where i just sat back and mulled over the way a scene went, what the thought process behind writing it was like, how well it was executed, and how important it was to the characters and overall plot.
the suspense is spot on, nothing gets dragged out too long, and i will admit there have been a few scenes throughout that actually got me; i jumped! it's actually scarier than i expected a kid show to be, but i'm so glad they went where they did because it really elevated the experience.
the pacing overall is very good, adequately engaging for kids' short attention spans (and us adhd adults 🥲) but not too short either to a point where things felt abrupt or unfinished. plot arcs are well developed and tied up nicely. also, as a bit of a dinosaur nerd, the array of dinosaurs in the show is super broad and satisfying! very fun stuff.
character element
imo the real gem of this show is the character development. honestly it's just *chefs kiss*
the characters grow and change so much and so realistically over the course of the show, it's honestly so much better and more satisfying than the character growth in most adult fiction/media recently.
the growth in ben (who btw was def my favorite character by the end of s1) and kenji in particular were my favorites and, in my personal opinion, the most interesting. the way ben started out anxious, cowardly, and rule abiding to a fault, then grew into a brave, confident, adventurous little pyromaniac gremlin, then had that stint later in the series where he regressed a bit-questioning himself-until eventually ultimately striking a great balance and really coming into himself was just... peak character writing.
kenji started out overconfident, lazy, and overly concerned with money/status. but that arrogant overconfidence and laziness slowly turned into responsibility, and a desire to protect his found family, and the realization that it's the people in your life that really matter most.
honestly what i mentioned only scratches the surface in terms of those two characters, there's certainly more that can be said about them (as well as all the others) but i'm not really in the mood for a deep dive character analysis atm. just trust me tho when i say these characters are so well done and each one of them have arcs that are super satisfying to watch play out.
queer representation
and as for the queer couple? yasmina and sammy are PERFECT. it was so beautiful watching their relationship grow from one-sided to mutual friendship, to loyal devotion, then to love. they were set up incredibly well and incredibly naturally. i have like, no complaints when it comes to them. i don't even know if there's anything i can say that would add to things, they were just a really awesome couple to watch become canon, they're the beautiful and painfully needed representation we all beg for in tv and movies.
shipping, chemistry, and intent
but oh goodness... probably my only real complaint about the entire show would be how benji (ben x kenji) and kenji x brooklyn (kenlyn? brookji? idk and idrc) were handled. because for all that this show did SO much beautifully right, they really screwed the pooch here, sadly.
i'm gonna start by saying that the writing in this show, as with most, is deliberate. what i mean by this is that despite having no clue who it would be because my friend thankfully did not even spoil me as far as the genders of the queer couple, i clocked yas and sammy as the would-be queer couple as early as season one (actually it was between them and benji, but more on that later). i could already see the chemistry, because it was deliberately written in.
shipping is subjective. anyone can ship any character, and in most cases it's pretty easy to see how there could be (romantic) chemistry between fan pairings based on their personalities, their arcs, etc. and that's okay! ships don't even have to have any canon support to be valid, because shipping is for the fandom, and it's for fun (i have a few rarepairs and crack ships across different media that i just love).
but onscreen/written romantic chemistry is a lot less subjective (to clarify, it is subjective whether or not the chemistry is good, but it's not subjective about whether or not it exists). there are literally scenes written with the sole purpose of building the romantic tension and/or chemistry between planned couples (some of which even have absolutely zero plot relevance, which usually is not advised tbh, and most of which are the cliches/tropes you see in literally any romance ever written, some are just disguised a little better than others. but make no mistake, it's all the same set of cliches. there is nothing new under the sun), as well as intentional, key moments within scenes that have other purposes. they are essential to establish romantic pairings.
and typically, the foundations for these couples are laid VERY early on. always within the first or second season (well, at least they are when the writer actually knows what they're doing and has at least a rough plan/outline for the entire series & characters. this is usually a large part of what separates the good chemistry from the poor chemistry. an author who knows who the couples are going to be and has a plan from the beginning to build them up is going to be more successful in creating a believable relationship with good chemistry. one who does not plan, or makes last minute plans will almost certainly fail, and the couple is just going to suck). when the set of characters you're working with are going to stay the same for most or all of the story, you start immediately.
i don't mean to toot my own horn, because i think it's because i'm a writer so i just pick up on narrative patterns very easily, and pretty much always clock the planned couples within the first few episodes of any series, and by the end i am right like 9 times out of 10.
that being said, do you know whose deliberately written chemistry i also clocked in jwcc? ben and kenji's.
kenji and... brooklyn?
no offense to people who like/enjoy kenji and brooklyn, you are free to love them, but the way their romance was written is... quite possibly the weakest point of the show. it felt like they were just trying to appease the upsetto heteros in charge, because there was definitely another het pairing that had a lot more potential than kenji and brooklyn (hello darius x brooklyn aka darilyn, you would have actually made sense because your relationship had amazing buildup and multiple standout scenes from s1 on. dgmw, i love that we got a m/f strong, supportive, purely platonic friendship out of them, i live for those and we really need more of them. but we could have had that with kenji and brooklyn, or darius and sammy, or ben and yas, literally any other pair instead).
kenji and brooklyn as a couple came out of absolutely nowhere. i honestly think they decided to shove them together last minute, and had no actual plan for them until they were working on s4. because their development barely started at the VERY end of s3 (the abruptness of him caring about her being held hostage so much more than literally anyone else in their group despite them having like zero buildup to that point gave me whiplash), but honestly didn't really even become "meaningful" development until s4, over halfway through the series. the two spend the first 3 seasons basically not particularly gaf about each other individually, only as part of the whole group and on an equal level with everyone else. they otherwise have no deliberate narrative foundation. it just starts in s4 with no prior hinting. which makes their development rocky and difficult to believe. the funny thing is their characters literally have dialogue (in s4) trying to draw comparisons/parallels between them to say that they especially have a lot in common and like??? no? they really don't? not any more so than any other two kids in the group. their relationship just, really falls flat.
it was disappointing to see it take such a massive spotlight in the series for almost all of seasons 4 and 5, overshadowing the friendships that have been the focus of the show and should have remained so, to the point where at times it just felt like i was watching some stereotypical het highschool romance. genuinely, it made s4 & 5 more of a drag to get through. yasammy and ben and yas' growing bond (which by the way was so sweet, it had the strongest queer solidarity vibes good lord, i sure wonder why yas chose ben out of everyone to come out to first, hmmm) were some of the few things that kept me invested, otherwise i would have dropped it if it had leaned much farther into becoming the kenlyn show than it already was. especially when it was that pair so much of the focus was given to, even though we had so readily and perfectly available, the pair that could have, should have been: benji. which finally brings me to:
ben and kenji
benji's foundation was laid in s1. their interactions, the situations they found themselves in, were deliberate (on the writers' part). i'm even gonna go out on a limb here and say the pairings were fully established in s1e3, even with parallels between yasammy and benji (sammy clinging to yas and ben clinging to kenji throughout the episode), and darilyn gets the beginning of their development too.
even though they bicker a lot in the beginning, they clearly care about each other? kenji protects/helps ben multiple times, and there are definitely some looks ben gives kenji at times. at the end of s1, the one who seems the most deeply effected over ben's "death," other than darius (understandably since he's the one who failed to save him), was kenji! immediately after it happens, we get two close up shots, darius and brooklyn then yasmina and sammy. after which, we go back to the whole group with kenji in center frame, the focus is intentionally on him. it is only kenji who drops to his knees at the loss, and then we get a close up of just kenji. he was saved for last, and he was alone in frame (tbf bumpy was in frame too, but i'm talking humans here), which implies his feelings are especially important in this moment. that is the reason for solo close ups.
after ben's "death," kenji takes to always wearing ben's fanny pack, and up until bumpy--who ben cares VERY much about--got separated from them, kenji was the one who (however briefly) took over her care, ensuring she got off the monorail with them, and he's extremely distraught, more than pretty much all of them, when they can't find her, and he's last to leave when they decide to accept that ben's gone. even when they do leave, he's distant and distracted and his mind is clearly still on ben.
other than darius, kenji is the only one (if i'm remembering correctly) to mention ben/say his name after they lost him, upset because he was actually trying not to think about him. he has clearly thought about ben, probably a lot, because it's hard not to be reminded constantly when you wear something that belonged to a deceased loved one. and frankly, he appears to be the only one who dwells on him that much.
when ben reappears alive (which btw he found the group again because of kenji's butter knife, hello), the frames literally purposely focus on kenji's reaction. he's the one in the foreground every time they show him and brooklyn in that scene. he is the first one to say ben's name, the first one to go to him and hug him, and the scene takes special care to highlight kenji's strong emotions at ben's reappearance, lingering on his teary face as the focus for a bit even after brooklyn enters the frame to hug ben (because she is not at all an important element in the scene at that moment). just like when ben "died," the way this scene is written and shot HEAVILY suggests that ben holds significant importance to kenji, specifically. because again, the focus here is on kenji and ben almost exclusively, with brooklyn as only an afterthought lol. and quite frankly literally everyone else's reaction to him being alive was pretty lackluster compared to the special attention they gave to kenji on this.
and then in s3 we have the infamous hat scene, where darius and ben are in the limo and ben sees and mentions kenji's sailor hat, looking sad and sounding like... longing?? then directly after we switch to kenji realizing he forgot his hat?? the scene has no real significance tbh other than to draw a connection between ben and kenji. like, it acts as a transition to switch to the pov of the group on the boat, but it was entirely unnecessary? why not just have darius say something about the others and then show them on the boat? if there were no special relationship between ben and kenji, it would have made far more sense if they really wanted it to be ben to say something, that he sees the hat, and sadly says something along the lines of "i hope the others are okay/doing better than we are right now/etc" which implies that the hat made him think of everyone, their whole group. rather than what we got... which very much implies that he was mostly just thinking about kenji 💀 and then kenji thinking about the hat at the same time ben's looking at it and thinking of kenji. like, this is.... a very blatant connection being made by the writing/directing here.
all of that. so many deliberate connections made between ben and kenji, they had a very solid foundation laid for a romance to develop, and by all intents and purposes one already WAS developing according to the show's own subtext. which was why up until s4 obliterated the idea, i was positive the queer couple in the show was either going to be yasammy or benji. it was extremely obvious imo. but as soon we started getting the typical, loud, cliche "we are going to pair off these characters" scenes for kenji and brooklyn, i knew we were getting yasammy and not benji (to be clear, i'm not at all upset about yasammy, they're beautiful and i love how their relationship was done, i wouldn't have had it end any other way for them. but i do personally prefer benji, i just like their personalities and dynamic more. and i feel they had so much potential that got wasted to make way for a far less interesting pairing between kenji and brooklyn. why can't we have 2 queer couples, huh? and if we really needed a minimum of one hetero pairing to appease whoever needed appeasing, darilyn was right there).
but then??? their like entire bond just gets dropped (honestly ben himself gets pretty heavily sidelined for almost all of the last two seasons, which is criminal imo). mostly so that a rushed kenji x brooklyn can be established. like there are still a few small moments here and there in early s4, and one episode in s5 (ep 10), but from early s4 till pretty much the end of the series we hardly see them have any meaningful conversations or interactions, meanwhile literally every other combo in the group does.
it's so weird? why build up benji so deliberately over the course of multiple seasons just to like, fully discard it for a pairing with far less chemistry, even after the chemistry-building scenes they shared, some of which literally had no other purpose than to affirm their connection? even though they were very sparse, the moments benji had were just so blatant (kenji leaps into the rock crevice right onto the back of a saber tooth to save ben?!!?? like he literally was just willing to exchange his life for him like that?? he basically says that he wasn't really thinking, he just did it. so he moved out of what, emotional instinct, that's what we're meant to intuit from that series of events? implying that he specifically has strong emotion and doesn't think things through when it comes to ben? because he doesn't do that kinda stuff for any of the others in the group! even better, this parallels when sammy jumped on the nothosaurus to save yasmina. and then the way benji look at each other after it's over??? hello??? and then how kenji pulls both brooklyn and ben in for that hug a couple minutes later... side eyeing the writers for that choice. they knew what they were doing there and they were evil for it). i just can't see any reason to have dropped them like they were, after all the development they shared for 3 seasons. confounding. biggest disappointment of the series.
i know this probably reads to some as just "wahh, my ship didn't become canon" nonsense. but that's not why i'm bugged. this wasn't just a ship i liked and wanted canon despite no actual narrative support, as most ships tend to be. this ship did have narrative support. there was intent behind many of their scenes together, lingering looks and little things that matter narratively and are always used to signify a stronger/special connection. and it led nowhere, for no good reason. that bothers me. writing that implies and promises something, but never delivers on it. like a person who never finishes their sentences (think Dr McPhee from Night at the Museum). ultimately it's not a HUGE deal or anything, at the end of the day it's just a ship and just a kids' show. but as a writer, it's just irritating to see something like that be done. what can i say 🤷
conclusion
even despite the wasted potential between certain pairings, and even though i do think the first three seasons were superior to the last two, overall i really enjoyed the show, and for what it was, it was really well-made. the overarching focus was of course on found family and friendship before anything else, which i absolutely love, and it was masterfully done. out of 6 kids, all of them had at least one or two meaningful bonding moments one-on-one with another in the group, so every possible combination had their moment to build strong, believable friendships with each other. i'm just so surprised by how good it was as a whole honestly, good enough to binge over the course of a week. i will happily recommend jwcc to anyone willing to give it a watch regardless of age, because i definitely think there's no age limit for a good story, no matter the medium it's told in. :)
#jwcc#jurassic world camp cretaceous#benji jwcc#benji#yasammy#yasammy jwcc#i would say that there's prob an age minimum tho... it's a bit scary so depending on the kid i wouldn't rec it to under 10 years#this is a long post#omg so long i'm sorry#i just have a lot to say#gotta shout into the void#it just be like that sometimes#fair warning this post is literally just me praising the show in the first half n then going absolutely off about benji in the second half#review#tv show review#as always with stuff like this that has any mention of ships it is bound to ruffle some feathers#so let me postface this with the reminder that this is all just MY OPINION#you are free to disagree but i'd rather you don't share your disagreements on my post via reblog/notes#feel free to write up your own show/ship review if you feel so strongly#otherwise if you dislike anything i've said you can just scroll past or block me <3
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