#loyal following that eventually turns on him near the end of their series (and is also a manipulative bastard)

[tylejandro]

I can't be the only person who thinks that Alejandro and Tsurumi are weirdly similar characters, right? When I watched WT last year I was like "Tsurumi, is that you?" lmao.

[azucarmorena97]

Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.11)

Pt.10 || Pt.12

Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...

Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.

You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...

Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3

Recap: Suddenly, it's as though the world was set to slow motion; Frame by frame, you watch as Jungkook lifts your veil, the last barrier between you and destiny.

He wraps his arm around your waist and brings you closer to him until your faces are centimeters apart, "To the ride," He whispers, drawing back to the night where you both shared a toast at the bar. "To the ride."

His lips collide with yours and eventually, you don't know where you end and he begins- as now, and forevermore, you are but one flesh.

When he pulls away, he looks at you under hooded eyes, lashes barely exposing his beautiful brown irises. You'd give anything to stay like this...

But of course, it comes time for the both of you to turn to everyone: friends, family, and receive their love and cheers. He grabs your hand and then the both of you are running out of the ballroom, the crowds muted by the double doors closing behind the both of you.

For a moment, you and him are alone again, as the photographers haven't made their way out to take your photos.

"You look so beautiful..." He says, his own cheeks blushing slightly. "Thanks...They-they found a dress," You say, adjusting your shoulder straps nervously, feeling quite shy yourself under his gaze.

"I can see..." He can't take his eyes off of you, meanwhile, you're looking everywhere else but at him; you might just burst if you do.

Finally, the photographer comes out and leads you both out to the courtyard of the hotel; the perfect spot for photos. There's a tall fence around the perimeter of the courtyard, along with a tall hedge full of beautiful flowers. You do, however, spot a few cameras being held high on the other side of the fence in order to capture a few lucky pictures of your groom. "Are those...paparazzi?" You ask. "Yeah...a lot of people really care about our wedding." "I can see."

It does make you a tad uncomfortable, but you try to shake it off; this is something you'll have to get used to. Back home, no one really recognizes you- although, you do typically keep a pretty low profile. Jungkook, on the other hand, has a slew of loyal followers ranging in the thousands- as confirmed by his social media.

"Okay, Mr.Jeon, can we get one of you hugging her?" The photographer asks. Without hesitation, Jungkook pulls you in from your waist, pressing you close to himself. You blush, not used to such public displays of affection...not used to affection very much at all, considering you've never had a boyfriend. This is gonna take some getting used to.

"Mrs.Jeon, a little more to the left."

That's gonna take some getting used to, too.

"Ah! Mr. and Mrs.Jeon!" B/f/n's voice travels over to the both of you as the bridesmaids and groomsmen all trail behind her into the courtyard.

"Shut up," You laugh. "My man!" One of the groomsmen come up to Jungkook and hugs him, "I'm happy for you- for the both of yo." He turns to you and extends his hand for you to shake.

"Thanks, uhm...?" "I'm sorry, I know we haven't formally met you. I'm Felix," He says with a sweet smile. He's quite handsome, as is typical for Jungkook's friends. "I'm Y/n," You say with a slight bow.

"That's Mrs.Jeon to you," Jungkook cuts back in, wrapping his arm around your bare shoulders, though his smile is playful.

Suddenly, Jungkook is abruptly pulled of of you, "Kookie! I'm so happy for you!" Lisa exclaims, throwing herself on him before he gets a chance to react. He doesn't hug her back, just keeps his arms open, "Lisa- I- uhm, thanks."

She pulls away slightly, though she doesn't let him go, "Look at you all grown up and mature now."

You didn't think she'd stoop so low, but here she is blatantly flirting with him in front of you and everyone else. "Yeah...thanks," Jungkook says, clearly uncomfortable. He gently pulls her off of himself, which is clearly a move she didn't expect from him because she immediately goes into clean-up mode, "And you- you make the most beautiful bride, Y/n!"

"Thanks." You can't even be bothered to say anymore than that because if you do, these cameras are gonna catch you pummeling her into the ground in your wedding dress.

"Anyway!" B/f/n cuts into the conversation, emphasizing how awkward the interaction is, "Time for pictures!"

And, as though someone has flipped a switch, everyone is back to their excitement and merriment.

Except, of course, Lisa.

All things considered, the time spent taking pictures was a breeze. Everyone got their chance to pose with you and Jungkook, and you're sure even the paparazzi must've gotten a few good shots.

Now, you're all standing outside of the dining hall waiting to be announced upon entry. Pair by pair, each bridesmaid and goormsman walks in until it's only you and Jungkook.

"Ready?" He asks, a smile on his face as he takes a deep breath. You nod, "Ready."

"And now, I'd like to present, for the first time ever as man and wife, Mr. and Mrs.Jeon!"

You and Jungkook enter into a room teeming with cheers and shouts, a few tables being banged on in excitement.

Of course, unable to resist the applause, Jungkook take an exaggerated bow and then pulls your hand straight up in the air in triumph before leading you to the table where all your court is already sat, with two large empty seats in the middle, saved for the both of you.

Slowly, guests come up to congratulate you both personally, their smiles genuine and warm. All this time you spent dreading your wedding day; you never thought you'd feel so at peace in your new role- of course, it's only been about an hour and a half.

You spot Namjoon walking around from table to table recording people, "Wanna say a few words to the bride and groom?" He looks quite happy for being "Jungkook's babysitter", as he'd put it that night at Jungkook's birthday party. You chuckle. "Namjoon's funny, isn't he?" Jungkook asks, as though he's able to read your mind. "Yeah...very much so." "You know he's totally in love with B/f/n, right?" "Totally." You watch as B/f/n follows him around with a small ring light.

Soon, people start making their way to the dance floor, having had their fill of food and drinks. "Come dance with us, Mr. and Mrs.Jeon," B/f/n says, pulling on your wrist. You look at Jungkook who is aggressively noding his head, "Oh, absolutely." He puts his drink down and then grabs your other wrist, the both of them leading to the dancefloor with the rest of your court- except Lisa, who you spotted only moments ago, seething, sitting at a table with Rose, arms crossed.

You all dance together in a cluster on the dance floor, Jungkook and Felix are clowns, of course, and soon they're pulling their pant legs up so they can get in a "twerking stance." "They're a little too good at this," B/f/n laughs, "Oh, you should see him twerk on a door," Namjoon cuts in, bringing his drink up to his lips as he sways slightly. Jungkook looks at Namjoon, clearly already a little buzzed and he puts his hands square on Namjoon's shoulders, "You were the best ring bearer that ever...beared rings." "And you were the best groom that ever...Yeah, let me not finish that sentence." "Aaaay! The wedding man!" You all turn to see Jin coming up and throwing his arm on Jungkook's shoulders, "You sly devil, how'd you manage to nab a girl this fine," He says, motioning to you. Jungkook's tone gets immediately more serious, "Yo, that's my wife." "Of course, of course. I'm sorry- you know how I get when I get a few drinks in me. I say whetever comes to mind." "Oh, we know." Namjoon rolls his eyes. Jin says, "I'm so glad there was a wedding after all." "The wedding was never off, dweeb," Namjoon looks annoyed whenever he has to interact with Jin- I wonder if it's because he's almost always intoxicated. Jin furrows his brows, "I know, I meant after the whole dress thing." You all look at each other in confusion, "What about my dress?" You ask, narrowing your eyes at him.

As far as you know, your mom and B/f/n didn't tell anyone about the dress except Jungkook and it was right before the ceremony. The dress you're wearing now is one they'd previously considered at the bridal shop weeks ago that they'd held on to in case you didn't like the first one. How the hell did this bozo know anything about your dress?

Unless...

"Oh- uhm, your dress? I- I didn't mean to say that," Jin's eyes widen and he starts trying to backtrack. Jungkook gets in his face and takes Jin's arm off from his shoulders, "No, too late. Say what you were going to say." "It's nothing, man. Like I said, I say anything when I'm drunk." "Jin." With Namjoon and Jungkook both standing so close to his face, Jin has no choice but to give in to the pressure. "LisatoldRosethatshewasgonnaruinY/n'sdressbforetheceremony!" He blurts. "What?" Jungkook asks. "Ugh...Lisa told Rose that she was gonna ruin Y/n's dress before the ceremony. She's been planning it since Mrs.Jeon asked her to be a bridemsaid..."

Your heart is pounding in your chest. Of course it was her. How could you not have known? The nerves and adrenaline of it all completely clouded your judgment before. You and B/f/n immediately start looking around for Lisa. Wedding or not, you're gonna beat this bitch's ass.

"Do you see her? I don't see her," B/f/n says, still looking around. "She was just there, what the hell?" You groan. When you turn back to say something to Jungkook, you realize he's not there anymore. "What- where'd he go?" You ask Namjoon, who only points in the direction of the dining hall doors.

You see Jungkook walking over to the security guards standing at their posts. You pick up the skirt of your dress and follow after him. Once you get over to where he is, the bodyguards immediately walk in the directions of the tables. "What- what are you doing?" He doesn't answer, just stands there watching. The goofiness from minutes before is gone and he seems completely sobered up. You both watch as the security guards approach a birdesmaid over at the punch bowl- It's Lisa.

They exchange a few words, her face going from confused to irritated, her eyes immediately darting to Jungkook, and then settling on you.

All three of them walk back toward where you are, right in front of the doors, and you see some people who were sitting in that general vicinity are now staring, whispering to each other. Everyone else seems completely oblivious.

"Kookie, what's going on?" She asks, her eyes switching from snake to deer in the headlights, but you know better than to fall into it. Does Jungkook?

"Cut the shit, Lisa. Jin told us everything," Jungkook hisses. "What- what are you talking about?" She starts playing with her fingernails, getting more and more nervous but trying to play it cool. "The dress, Lisa. The fucking dress. How could you do this to me? To Y/n?" "Are you insinuating that I had something to do with her dress?" She narrows her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know, so many people have tried to warn me over the years, but I ignored it all. I ignored the warnings, I ignored the cattiness, I ignored the childish games- this ends here."

Her eyes get wide again, "Kook, come on. It's- it's not that serious. She found another dress- Y/n, come on. Can't fight your own battles so you got my best friend to turn on me?-" "Don't ever talk to my wife again." "Jungkook-" She puts her hand on Jungkook's arm but he swiftly pulls it away, "Get her out of here." He doesn't even stick around to watch her go, just grabs your hand and leads you out of the double doors and back out to the courtyard where you'd previously taken pictures with your court.

Once you're outside, he lets go of your hand and just leans against a pillar, putting his face in his hands, "I'm so sorry, Y/n."

"Jungkook, it's okay. I-" "No, it's not. You tried to tell me again and again and I didn't listen. I couldn't protect you even from something so petty. I'm so sorry-" You step toward him and take his hands off of his face, "Hey..." You say gently, looking up at him. "Hey..." He says, sadness melting into a small smile.

You hadn't noticed it before under the dim lights of the dining hall, but his cheeks are flushed the perfect shade of soft pink, the drinks having caught up to him, despite how soberly he was talking only moments ago. His hair is just messy enough to fall in his eyes, but still neat enough to hold an entire photoshoot for Calvin Klein if he wanted to, especially with his loosened tie and slightly unbuttoned dress shirt.

Again, Michelangelo's David comes to mind.

You stand in silence for a bit, basking in each other's presence; the first time you've been alone as husband and wife. It feels the same...and yet different. Jungkook's called you his wife twice tonight. Both times, it made your heart stir in your chest. You're his wife...

"You're my husband now," You say shyly, putting your hands behind your back and looking down, your smile practically cramping up your cheeks,

"I am," He chuckles, staring at you.

He takes another step closer and lifts your chin, your eyes locking once again, though just as you think he might kiss you, he's pulling your arms onto his shoulders and snaking his around your waist, beginning to sway with you. You only now notice that they've begun to play a slow song inside, the distance making the melody barely audible...but you don't mind.

You're in his arms again.

You lock your hands together behind his neck, letting him lead you, and you just let your head rest on him. After a moment, you realize he's humming. "You know this song?" You ask. "Mhm...She is Love by Parachute." "It's pretty." He doesn't respond, choosing instead to sing the words softly to you.

"It was all the same, all my pride and shame, but she put me on my feet... They call her love, love, love, love. She is love and she is all I need. She is love and she is all I need. She is love, and she is all I need."

His voice so angelic, you wish you could record this moment.

But that's the thing about these beautiful moments; we always wish we could capture them somehow, though if we could, they might not be so special anymore.

Maybe what makes them so, is their inability to be bottled up.

You and Jungkook are back at the dinner table chatting it up with your court, the only empty seat being Lisa's. Funny enough, Rose and Jin seem perfectly settled in and comfortable despite the fact that their bestie has been swiftly kicked out. You're sure Rose's mission is now to relay everything to Lisa.

"Excuse me everyone, may I please have your attention! Before we wrap up the party, the father of the groom would like to say a few words to the Bride and Groom." The DJ says, the lights brightening just a bit as Mr. and Mrs.Jeon Sr. come up to stand by the booth.

"Yes, hello everyone," Mr.Jeon bows, "I'm so happy that everyone came to support our family on this momentous occasion. Truly, an occasion we've looked forward to since the day our son was born," From where you and Jungkook sit, it almost looks like Mr.Jeon's eyes are watering.

"As you all know, this wedding will mark the beginning of the merger of our family companies, with my son and new daughter-in-law being the heirs. We cannot begin to express how incredibly proud we are of them- so, as a gift to express our love, my wife and I, along with Mr.L/n and Mrs.L/n, have gotten the bridge and groom a gift."

He waves you and Jungkook over, to which you both respond by looking at each other confusedly. Jungkook helps you out of your seat and you walk up to them. Mr.Jeon hands an envelope to Jungkook, who quickly opens it and pulls out its contents.

A paper, and two sets of keys.

"Wait-" Jungkook says, brows furrowed. He passes the paper to you and then looks at his dad, an expression of complete disbelief. "Congratulations, son."

A house. They've bought you a house.

Everyone begins cheering at every table, as though they've instantly understood the gift.

Jungkook immediately hugs his dad, and then his shoulders start shaking violently- he's begun to cry, and so has his father. You hug Mrs.Jeon tightly, and then go over to your parents who are sat at a table a few feet away, hugging them with all of your strength, your own tears falling onto their shoulders.

You rejoin Jungkook after he's had his moment, and he takes the mic from his dad, "Wow, I cannot tell you all how shocked we are. This was truly unexpected. I think I can speak for my wife-" He glances over at you, a smile on his face as he says it, "- and myself when I say that we are so grateful for the support our parents have given us, and also for the support you've all shown us. Not just today but every day leading up to this and even before. Friends, family- we love you all so much.

We couldn't have done it without you."

The rest of the party was a blur after that moment; more food, more drinks, more laughter and joy, and before you know it, it's all come to an end. "Okay, let's get you back to the hotel and get you out of this dress so you guys can pack your suitcase for the honeymoon!" B/f/n says, grabbing her purse and walking over to Namjoon really quickly. Jungkook looks at you, his soft eyes taking you in; you'll only be in this dress for a little while longer...he's not so eager to end this night yet. "Wanna go somewhere?" He says quietly. To which you smile and respond, "Sure."

"Ready?" B/f/n says, bright eyed and bushy tailed for someone who had thrown back at least 5 shots in the last hour and a half. "Uhm...I'm actually..." You don't quite know how to say it. "I'm gonna take her to the hotel," Jungkook interjects. "What? But you still have to-" "That sounds just fine," Namjoon says, coming up behind B/f/n and lightly pushing her along, giving the both of you a knowing smile. "Wait-" "Let's go, B/f/n," He coaxes. You and Jungkook share a little laugh and then walk out hand in hand to the car.

This time, rather than having a driver, Jungkook is behind the wheel. His arm is extended past the center console and resting on your knee, his thumb stroking the fabric gently. Your heart skips with every touch, and suddenly you feel like a shy teenager; maybe this is what Madonna was talking about when she sang, 'Like a Virgin'.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks, glancing at you. It's only just dawned on you that you've been quiet the entire car ride, which has been about 20 minutes. "I...I don't know." "Liar," He smiles. "I guess I'm just...taking it all in." "Me too." He pulls into a gas station and turns the car off, "Come on." "What? Where?" "Into the unknoooown," He sings. "Never took you as a Disney Princess guy," You laugh. He doesn't acknowledge what you'd said, just exits the car and walks around and opens your door, "My queen." His exaggerated bow elicits another laugh. You gather your skirt and somehow manage to jump out of the car. One arm hooked around his, you both walk into the gas station store. The few people inside turn to look at you and just continue staring. It was probably a strange scene: a bride and groom strolling in casually, walking over to the chip section. You almost wanna laugh imagining it from their perspective. "Pick anything you want," Jungkook says, excitedly picking up a few bags of chips for himself. You carefully examine the wide selection. He walks away to, you assume, look at more things- but when he comes back, he has a basket full of things. You toss a few bags of chips and a candy bar into the basket, along with two drinks; one for hydration, one for pleasure. "Done." He nods and walks over to the counter. "Will that be all?" The cashier says sarcastically. "Wait, wait..." Jungkook tosses in a small pack of gum, "Done."

You ride in happy silence, windows down, your hair falling out of the once-elegant wedding hair style, though you look just as beautiful- at least, that's what Jungkook thinks. You finally drive into a parking lot set on a hill, overlooking the beautiful cityscape. The businesses that would normally be bustling with clientele are closed for the night, so it's only the two of you there.

"Wow...it's beautiful out here," You say, dazzled by the way the lights twinkle down below, cars going back and forth, weaving in and out of sight between the buildings. "Yeah. I first found this spot a few years ago during one of my...not so bright moments," He chuckles, grabbing the bag with all the snacks and taking out his banana milk, "and I've just been coming ever since." "Hmm," You nod, thinking about what he's just said. Not so bright moments... "What does that mean?" You ask. You would've normally left suuch a vague statement alone, thinking if he wanted to expand then he would, but fuck it. That's your husband now, right? You deserve to know...you want to know. You want to know him so badly, now more than ever.

"What, did Namjoon not do a good enough job telling you all my business?" He smirks, causing you to roll your eyes playfully, "Shut up." His smile fades slightly as he sinks into deep thought; as though he's carefully selecting what words to use. "Well...after I came out of rehab, I kind of didn't know what to do with myself. I knew I couldn't go back to how I was living before, as far as the heavy drinking and the drugs- I had done a lot of damage to my family, you know? I couldn't bear to disappoint them like that again," He sighs, taking a sip of his drink, "So, I would spend hours- some times all night- just driving and driving. I drove everywhere, all alone. I drove angry, I drove sad, I drove numb, I drove happy...not that I had many happy moments at that time." You turn in your seat (as best as you can in this big ass dress) and look at him as he talks.

"Did you...ever ask anyone to drive with you?" He furrows his brows, a confused expression on his face, "No, I...I guess I didn't know that I could." Without another word, you reach over and grab his hand, squeezing it lightly. "You might just be the only person in my world who can relate to this feeling," He says in a low voice, looking down at your hands; you do the same. You know exactly what he means.

When you look back up, he's already looking at you; his eyes are low, dark obsidian pupils flickering back and forth from your eyes, to your lips, "Y/n..." "Yes?" You whisper, heart so loud you hear it in your ears. "Can I kiss you again?"

You nod, chest rising up and down as your breath catches in your throat. Not even at "You may kiss the bride" did your heart beat so fast as it does now.

His lips press firmly against yours and slowly, you feel both yours and his head moving rhythmically together.

When he pulls away breathlessly, you can see a tiny bit of your makeup on his nose and mouth, causing you to let out a little laugh.

"What?" He smiles, "Nothing..." You reach over and grab the side of his face, and this time, its your thumb stroking his cheek.

You could look at him forever...

Thanks for being patient in your wait for the next part! Let me know what more you want to see going forward into their married life! DM me some juicy drama to add in :)

[mwolf0epsilon]

The Umbaran Pathogen - Day 6: Mind Control

Summary: The parasite that had burrowed into Tup's nervous system and altered his brain chemistry had more than taken a hold. It had begun to slowly turn Tup from the sweet caring brother he was, into a mockery of his former self. His mind so out of it that he no longer cared that he had completely overwritten his twin's free will into a vague idea of a happy and relaxed lackey.

Warning: Mentions of blood drinking, egg implantation, parasites, body horror and organic fleshy material used as a construction base (this chapter is a little bit gross but it's nothing too descriptive, just conceptual).

Prev / Next

[In which the events on Umbara are worsened by an unknown pathogen taking hold of both the 501st and 212th. These series of drabbles will follow a non-linear timeline based on the AI-less Whumptober prompt list for 2023.]

THIS STORY IS ALSO ON AO3

---

Tup couldn't help but smile as he felt the cool Umbaran breeze in his hair. His armour and helmet had begun to feel so terribly stuffy as of late, that being able to zip about with his face exposed for just a few minutes felt absolutely heavenly.

Alas it was but a fleeting moment of bliss, since it was not yet time for him to shed this plastoid shell. Not yet at least...

Everything was still (frustratingly) in the initial preparatory stages. Resources needed to be collected, more eggs needed to be planted in the Worker Cast candidates, and the Hive needed to be properly constructed to house all of those who'd be pupating soon. His loyal Drone had been doing a phenomenal job thus far. So eager to please. So happy to do whatever needed to be done to make Tup a happy, healthy and strong Hive Leader. Unshakably loyal.

He couldn't imagine why he'd ever been nervous when he'd first began to size Dogma up for this particular task. This new role of his. Nor could he remember why he'd felt so revolted when he'd first drawn blood from his little brother, to begin the vital egg production phase of their newfound life-cycles.

It was unfathomable to him why he'd found this heinous or disgusting. Especially now that he could see the end results.

Sure there was an absolutely gag-worthy ugly duckling stage. When the implantation spot first flared up in a desperate but futile attempt to fight against the little Larvae that emerged from the egg. The rash wasn't nice to look at, and the way it eventually spread as the body began to fully integrate the new genetic coding was... Well it was a little gross to bare witness to...

Dogma had looked pretty horrific when the changes overtook him. The pus-filled blisters and boils, the crusty eyes and dribbling nose, the pain on his feverish face had all but broken Tup's heart as he kept checking in on his pupating sibling.

He'd been more resistant than Tup had been to the lesser parasite's influence. Had tried to fight it off and even seek outside help from the medics. But then he'd finally succumbed to dronification completely, and his defiance had become open acceptance of his new nature. His mind calm, collected and his to do with as he wished.

And Tup wanted nothing more than to make his little brother happy. Make him feel safe. Which he did whenever he was near Tup. So he was doing a finer job than anyone else on this wretched planet.

The moment his rotting flesh sloughed off from his trembling body was also one to remember. The slick black and blue carapace, the long luminous wings and strong limbs, that powerful stinger, the twitching antennae and sharp mandibles...

He'd made his frightened and gangling little brother into a powerhouse. A warrior of epic proportions. Tup had made him into something infinitely stronger and more beautiful than any mere clone could ever hope to be, and yearned to do the same to all of the remaining vode. To make them better, stronger, less likely to be killed by that... That horrid brute...

The thought of Krell made Tup's blissful expression take on a much more sour note. The delight at feeling the cool wind lost, as he considered how to best deal with the Besalisk bastard that threatened his Hive's safety. That monster needed to be dealt with. Sooner rather than later, otherwise the few he'd already infected might not make it to the Pupa stage. The Nest needed to be finished soon. Which meant they needed more Larvae to begin producing material for construction.

That was exactly what they were doing. Dogma effortlessly carrying Tup between the 501st and 212th basecamps. Giving him ample opportunity to lay more eggs and spirit away those who housed a newly hatched Larvae to their forever home.

All organic matter they shed made fine building materials for a proper cozy nest. Insulating walls, cushioning surfaces, creating the perfect living space for Tup's Hive, and providing a surface for which the fungi and flowering plants they needed to thrive off of to grow on. They'd be self sustaining, seldom needing to go out hunting unless protein provisions ran low. Once Tup could finally pupate and become his bigger stronger more beautiful self, he'd be able to protect and provide for his family. His beloved Hive brothers.

And that was a thought that had him smiling again, pressing his face to the crook of Dogma's neck as he continued to carry him to and fro. Pleased to help in Tup's progress towards power and control. Relishing in his Hive Leader's noticeable satisfaction as he chaperoned him through the air.

Tup loved the new them. He was sure the rest of their brothers would love their new selves just as much. If not, then he'd simply make them. The Hive Leader knew best, after all.

[joanofnavarre]

“The Houses of Plantagenet and Lancaster had not always been united. The Duchy of Lancaster - as it was later called - had emerged in the thirteenth century at the end of the Second Barons' War and death of the rebel Lord Simon de Montfort at Evesham. 

The youngest son of Henry III, Edmund Crouchback, inherited de Montfort Earldom of Leicester and, later, Lancaster. By 1269, Edmund was on track to become an incredibly wealthy territorial magnate, like all who would succeed him.

Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, was a popular prince a capable and pious soldier - nicknamed Crouchback due to the motif of the cross he bore on his shield and wore on his back whilst on crusade.

He was fiercely loyal to his brother King Edward I (Longshanks'), fighting in his various wars across Scotland and France and overseeing extensive Plantagenet castle-building projects in Wales.

Over time Edmund accumulated a series of dignities, land and property. By the end of his life he was extremely powerful, with land dotted throughout the realm. After Edmund's death in Bayonne in 1296, he was interred at Westminster Abbey and his wealth distributed among his children: Thomas, Henry and John. Thomas inherited the title Earl of Lancaster. At the end of the thirteenth century, the relationship between the house of Lancaster and the Plantagenets was positive.

After Edward II ascended the throne, he immediately bestowed a royal title - Earl of Cornwall - on his favourite (and suspected lover) Piers Gaveston. This instantly sparked massive opposition from the nobility, and Thomas of Lancaster became a leading player in an uprising against the King and his favourite. In an unforgiving dispute, Gaveston was eventually caught and executed on Lancaster's lands near Kenilworth, infuriating the King and leading him to call Thomas of Lancaster a rebel and a traitor. 

After Gaveston's death, domestic politics was turned on its head: Thomas of Lancaster exercised his authority and undermined the King. He refused to serve in the war against the Scots, and went so far as to agree to a personal truce with the Scottish lords, working under the pseudonym King Arthur. After years of growing animosity between the cousins, an influential noble family - the Despensers - rose to prominence at court and helped Edward Il seek retribution.

Edward II had never forgiven his cousin for Gaveston's murder and, in 1322, finally took his revenge. Thomas of Lancaster was arrested after the Battle of Boroughbridge and tried for treason - with the Despensers and the King as members of the tribunal. A week after his arrest, Thomas of Lancaster, dressed in an old surcoat, was carried on a donkey a mile from Pontefract Castle, where he was executed. The only mercy extended was that he was at least spared the prescribed fate of a convicted traitor, that of being hung, drawn and quartered.

As he was of royal blood, he was granted death by beheading. After Thomas’s conviction and execution as a traitor, Lancastrian loyalty was called it into question: that historical mistrust would haunt John of Gaunt throughout his political and personal life.

When Gaunt inherited the Lancastrian lands, nearly forty years later, it was claimed that blood trickled from Thomas of Lancaster's tomb - a grim omen of an uncertain dynastic future.

Thomas became a posthumous icon, which perhaps made the Lancastrian position all the more dangerous. Shortly after his death, cult began to emerge around his effigy, said to induce miracles-even his hat was believed to cure headaches. By the time Henry- his younger brother and heir to the Lancastrian lands - installed a memorial cross for the murdered Thomas, the dead Earl had achieved a significant following, with three attempts to have him canonised.

With Edward Il pitted against his Queen, Isabella, and her lover Roger Mortimer, the dynastic future of England was precarious. The Lancastrian administration, however, remained constant. Whilst the royal family were embroiled in a bitter feud, Henry, Earl of Lancaster, invested in Leicester as the heart of Lancastrian affairs. He renovated Leicester Castle but his greatest project was in the south-west of the town, the Newarke - a hospital and church - that employed generations of local labourers.

From 1330, Henry of Lancaster created a home to the Lancastrian dynasty in Leicestershire and brought the previously quiet town of Leicester to the forefront of English consciousness. Henry was popular in Leicester; the citizens of the town respected him and he carefully considered their needs, even endowing funds for a public latrine, for the ease of all the said community. Yet it was his large building projects in Leicester thar benefitted local people most significantly. This positive relationship with the town continued with his son Henry of Grosmont, the future Earl of Derby, Duke of Lancaster and father in law of John of Caunt.

Over the course of his flowering career, and even after being raised to his Dukedom, Henry of Grosmont never shirked his feudal responsibility in Leicester, and the relationship between people and magnate remained steadfast. By the time Gaunt inherited the town, Leicester was unbendingly loyal to Lancaster.”

CARR, Helen. In: The Bleeding Tomb: a Lancastrian Inheritance. The Red Prince John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster. 2021.

Fan casting: Sean Bean as Edmund ‘Crouchback’; Adam Driver as Thomas of Lancaster; Aneurin Barnard as Henry of Lancaster; Nicolaj Coster Waldau as Henry of Grosmont. *

*please notify if these gifs were used inappropriatedly; not mine to claim just to illustrate the characters.

[twobitmulder]

When did Storm Shadow Become a Villain?

There is a scene in GI Joe Resolute where Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are having their obligatory Ninja Battle and (Spoilers I Guess) Storm Shadow reveals that he orchestrated his uncle, The Hard Master’s, death and that he fully meant to kill Snake Eyes as well, out of jealousy and because his uncle would not teach him the final secret to killing a man in seven steps, fearing that young Storm Shadow was too volatile and violent. Towards the end of the battle Storm Shadows wrist bands come off, revealing his Arashikage tattoo on one arm and a Cobra Sigil on the other.

This version of Storm Shadow (Voiced by “every Beagle Boy on Ducktales” Eric Bauza) stands out amongst his post-2000 incarnations as an unrepentant psychopath, but still falls in line with the prominent view of Storm Shadow as a villain--one of the main villains with a special hatred for his GI Joe counterpart.

This is the version I grew up with. GI Joe vs Cobra through Sigma 6 were the prominent Joe adaptations when I was the target demographic and all throughout Storm Shadow was a bad guy to varying degrees. 

I knew in the classic Hama stuff he eventually defected, but I was not prepared for just how much he’s a heroic character from the start. There’s no big sword dual with Snake Eyes, no Anakin and Obi Wan style “friend turned bitter enemy” dynamic. It’s made clear from jump that Tommy is undercover in Cobra and remains an honorable man in search of justice. He leaves Cobra quickly and is branded as a Joe in all his figures until 2000--when they started packing their characters in two-packs with one Joe and one Cobra. In all appearances, Storm Shadow is more a Joe than a Cobra. So what led to the the modern view of Storm Shadow as a bad guy, who, even when he gets his redemption, still has a mean streak and a cruel manner? How did a character in a toy driven franchise who had more toys as a hero than a villain end up as one of the franchise’s most consistent villains?

*(For simplicity’s sake, this is only going to cover film and television portrayals of the character).

*Spoilers for pretty much every GI Joe adaptation to follow.

The first portrayal of Storm Shadow as Cobra Commander’s loyal and competent hatchet man (one of the few) is not too much older than Hama’s original Marvel version. The Sunbow version of Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy you’ve heard in everything” Keone Young) remained a loyal cobra agent--with none of the Hama version’s depth. 

He had what you might call “standard cartoon Ninja honor” where he clearly had some kind of code of ethics, but was primarily an arrogant killer (as much as he could be in a cartoon) who fought primarily with Spirit and Quick Kick (voiced by wonderfully talented “guy you’ve seen in everything” Francois Chau) as Snake Eyes was largely shunted to the side in the cartoon. The echoes of Sunbow Storm Shadow can be seen in pretty much every non-comic adaptation that followed.

Skipping right over the Dic continuation of the Sunbow cartoon because Storm Shadow actually is a Joe in that, as he was in the comics and figures of the time (and because I haven’t seen it) we come to the 2000′s era.

The Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom DTV movies had a Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy who got his blood ripped out by Magneto in X2: X-Men United” Ty Olsson) who was essentially his Sunbow self with one major change. He actually had a history with Snake Eyes, and a bitter rivalry. The details are not gone into in either film (you get a little more in the figure file cards and mini-comics of the era) but Storm Shadow accuses Snake Eyes of betraying the Arashikage. The implication being that either Storm Shadow blames Snake Eyes for some crime or another or that there was a schism in clan. 

The File cards of the time movie go from acknowledging Storm Shadow’s time as a Joe, and claiming he’s working with Cobra again for unknown reasons, to establishing their own canon that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow were once best friends and “Sword Brothers” before Storm Shadow fell to the dark side and joined Cobra. Though Storm Shadow’s file card does end with the ominous implication that he’s got his own agenda in working with Cobra (just like his Hama incarnation) the DTV films imply that he’s a Cobra loyalist in addition to his feud with Snake Eyes.

Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom lead in a semi-canonical way to GI Joe Sigma 6 where Storm Shadow (voiced by “guy whose only other role I recognize is pulling double duty as Zeke Stane and Living Laser in the Iron Man 3 videogame” Tom Wayland) more or less continues the previous two iterations’ version of Storm Shadow. He once again accuses Snake Eyes of some great betrayal that broke their friendship. The GI Joe website at the time includes the detail that Storm Shadow was infiltrating Cobra when he was brainwashed into becoming a loyal Cobra agent. It’s another concession, like his 2001 file card, to Hama’s heroic double agent, while still portraying him in line with Sunbow’s villainous henchman. 

GI Joe Resolute comes next, where we see a departure from any pretense of Storm Shadow being a good guy. Resolute, in many ways, comes off as a gritty direct continuation of the Sunbow series, and it takes Sunbow’s villainous Storm Shadow and strips him of even the token bits of honor and humanity he had. It also, as near as I can tell, begins the trend of Storm Shadow outright resenting Snake Eyes, rather than being his one time friend.

As an irrelevant aside, I have my problems with Resolute but I do love everyone’s character designs and Eric Bauza does a fantastic job as one fourth of the cast. His Sean Connery impression for Destro is particularly inspired.

This brings us to the big ones. GI Joe: RIse of Cobra and GI Joe: Retaliation where Storm Shadow is brought to the big screen by Lee Byung-Hun (who I don’t have a snarky/informative aside for because shamefully despite how prolific he is I’ve only seen him in these movies and The Magnificent 7 remake) and as a child by Brandon Soo Hoo (he’s also been in a lot of stuff, but I particularly liked his turn as Beast Boy in the animated New 52 DC movies).

Lee’s Storm Shadow in the first film falls in line with his portrayals up to this point, probably skewing most closely towards Sunbow. He has a code of ethics (he doesn’t kill women apparently) but he’s still a bad guy and he seems to quite like it. Lee brings a charm to the character that had not really existed up until that point. He also spends a lot of time maskless (and it’s hard to blame the production team for that one, he’s a very handsome dude) which was a shock for anyone who grew up with the 2001 era storm shadow where the thought of him without a mask was so insane that it was relegated to a mail in figure (As a kid I seriously thought he had some Mandalorian style code of not removing it)

His origin in this version takes bits of Hama and bits of Resolute (or Resolute took from this, Resolute came out first but this might have been in development). It is, as far as I can tell, the first version to have Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes train together as children and it portrays Storm Shadow, even as a child, as an arrogant and jealous person.

Now, at least in my opinion, it’s fairly obvious that the first movie fully intended Storm Shadow to be a baddie, full stop. There’s a little wiggle room given that we never see him stab The Hard Master in the flashback (the Hard Master in this version is Storm Shadow’s father rather than his uncle) but the way he taunts Snake Eyes about it during their final confrontation makes a pretty compelling case for his having committed patricide.

The sequel would bring back elements of the Hama backstory. Zartan killed The Hard Master and Storm Shadow had to infiltrate Cobra to discover that. Given Cobra Commander and Storm Shadow are of roughly the same age (Storm Shadow being a bit older I think) and this event occurred when they were both children it’s unclear on who’s orders Zartan did this but we do know it was done to turn the already volatile young man into the perfect angry ninja assassin (given this canon is pretty much over we’ll probably never know for sure, but my guess based on the IDW movie universe comics is that Zartan either did it at the behest of the Red Ninja Clan or just to have a tiny assassin of his own, probably the former since they seem to regard each other as unpleasant colleagues who sometimes work together).

What I particularly like about this version is that, because the first movie portrayed him as this charmingly sadistic Bond Villain henchman, even after he switches sides in the sequel he’s still kind of a belligerent dick. It’s a fun piece of characterization that even once he’s cleared his name, avenged his father, and made his peace with his family, it doesn’t change the fundamental fact that he’s not a very nice person.

This is something that would persist into the next (and for the moment last, but more on that later) onscreen version of Storm Shadow.

GI Joe Renegades (the best GI Joe Cartoon, fight me) saw Storm Shadow (voiced by “holy crap this guy originated the role of Saw Gerrera in Clone Wars” Andrew Kishino) as the leader of the Arashikage Clan (explicitly a crime syndicate, harkening back to implications in Hama’s version) who operates independent of Cobra except very briefly and only to fulfill his own ends (again bringing him closer to Hama’s version than any of his predecessors). Falling in line with the implications of the movie and Resolute, he and Snake Eyes were uneasy classmates more than friends and trained together as teenagers. An attempt to kill Snake Eyes went awry and resulted in the death of the Hard Master (who again, seemed to favor Snake Eyes over his own nephew). Storm Shadow believes Snake Eyes to have killed The Hard Master(somehow failing to connect the dots given his own murder plan failed the same night Snake Eyes allegedly murdered his uncle--or hell he’s probably just in denial until the truth slaps him in the face). 

Also, irrelevant aside number 2, in contrast with Resolute I really don’t like this character design. Renegades had pretty good character design all around, neatly bringing together various versions in a way that felt coherent but I don’t like the little tufts of hair sticking out of the mask or the way it kinda hangs in front of his mouth. Is he hiding his face or not? It seems like he’s not so much wearing a mask as a bandana and an oversized turtleneck.

This version neatly ties together the “Snake Eyes betrayed us” of the early 2000′s, the “arrogant unfavorite” of the mid 2000s and the “out for justice assassin” of Hama’s run. He is, again, an arrogant prick from the start, but his genuine shame and resolve to abandon his quest for vengeance and his extremely short partnership with Cobra make his eventual redemption (or the start of what you assume would have been a longer redemption arc had the series continued) more believable than the live action movies--if a mite less fun.

And that’s where it ends, at least until the much delayed Snake Eyes live action movie is finally released, where Storm Shadow is set to be played by “guy from the best episode of American Gods Season 2″ Andrew Koji. I quite like the look of the cast of this movie, and I’m excited to see what Koji brings to the role. Will Storm Shadow be arrogant, murderous, honorable, charming, brooding, misunderstood, cruel, vengeful...some impossible combination of all of the above? We’ll have to wait and see.

*Including the various alternate comic book versions probably would have painted a more complete picture, but I’ve only read Hama’s run and the IDW reboot (where Storm Shadow is kind of a non-entity), besides this was more about tracing Storm Shadow through the adaptations I watched as a kid.

*None of the adaptations seem to go with Hama’s original detail that Storm Shadow and Jinx were from Northern California. On the one hand I see why you transplant them to Japan with the rest of their family (it’s a globetrotting element and makes the cast more cosmopolitan) but I always liked the idea of that they were children of immigrants.

*Adaptations have been touch and go about casting Japanese actors in the role but I was impressed to find out that Sunbow cast Japanese Americans as both Storm Shadow and Jinx, making them probably the most faithful casting in relation to their original backstories.

*Apologies for my complete inability to get screenshots of roughly the same size or resolution.

[manggaetteokkie]

Why 2HA adaptation might not be as bad as we think...

Okay so BL novel “The Husky and His White Cat Shizun” (chinese title: “二哈和他的白猫师尊”) aka 2HA is getting a live adaption which will be called “Immortality” (“皓衣行”). I know that usually, fans of original works are less than excited about this kinds of news and with good reasons. The issue is that those who buy the IP rights to a novel simply see its popularity and think that they can profit off of it without actually trying to understand the reason behind its popularity. Too often, BL fans see themselves forced to endure any of the following: 1) sex change of one of the male leads, 2) creation of a random female love interest, 3) turning a happy end into a bad end, 4) adding a bunch of scenes unrelated to our main pair that ends up dragging the series, 5) turning romance into brotherly affection... the list goes on and on. Sometimes, companies think that as long as they film any two guys together and sell a bit of physical touching here and there, fans will jump on it like rabid dogs which... is kinda stupid because, y’know, we have eyes (and standards) too.

So obviously, with the unprecedented popularity that came with the release of The Untamed, even more producers are starting to see the potential of danmei (BL) novels and with it came an onslaught of IP rights being bought and adapted. The list is pretty extensive, with some big names that I’m sure anyone who’s even slightly in the Chinese BL novel community has heard of before. Of course, included in that list, with the casting for the leads done and filming underway, is 2HA.

Quick overview of the story for those of you that don’t know: the story is set in the POV of the “gong” (top), a character named Mo Ran (also known as Mo Weiyu) who is the disciple of Chu Wanning, the “shou” (bottom) of our story. In his original life, Mo Ran had become the Emperor of the cultivation world through slaughter and tyranny, with the only one ever coming close to stopping him being his shizun, Chu Wanning, who eventually lost his life trying to stop him. After achieving the top by committing pretty much all crimes and sins known to men, weary and tired, Mo Ran decides to take his own life and ends it all. Unexpectedly, instead of dying and going to Hell, he transmigrated to the first year he became a disciple. As a thirty-something man in the body of a teen, he decides to do things right this time around and save the one he couldn’t save the first time around. As he goes through life a second time, truth after truths reveal themselves, with the biggest surprise being that the Shizun he hated so much in his previous life, and who Mo Ran thought hated/scorned him, actually turned out to be protecting him the entire time. 

Mo Ran, in his past life, was powerful, cruel, merciless and arrogant. There was nothing he could not obtain and he knew it. He was cynical, had a very jaded view of the world and was kind of unstable (lots of mood swings and temper tantrums). After his rebirth, he still maintained some of the arrogance and cynicism, but is more mischievous, confident and cheeky. He is very much like a husky, looks kind of scary and big, but can be extremely loyal to the ones he recognizes and can be a bit dumb sometimes. Chu Wanning on the other hand, is an unflappable person with a frost-like exterior, but a heart of gold. Basically, he cares a lot but it’s easier for him to look like he doesn’t than to voice his feelings. He gets embarrassed easily and covers his embarrassment using anger. He is extremely strong, likes peace and quiet, and always abides by the rules. 

Their relationship is kind of complicated. Initially, Mo Ran was in love with a fellow disciple called Shi Mei (despite the word meaning junior female disciple in Chinese, it’s actually the name of a male character). In the original timeline, Shi Mei died and that was the start of Mo Ran’s decline. After his rebirth, Mo Ran decides that he will do everything in his power to prevent Shi Mei from dying again. Don’t be mistaken though, Shi Mei is NOT the male lead. You’ll see as you read more that despite being in love with Shi Mei, Mo Ran is pretty obsessed with Chu Wanning because their relationship was kind of... complicated in the original timeline.

This is pretty much the premise for the story, but do be warned that it goes much deeper and darker than what you might expect (it’s rated R-18 for a reason). So why exactly am I writing all of this? To put it simply, I just kind of want to hype up the series and its adaptation a little, or at least, pique enough interest to give the live action adaptation a chance. Not gonna lie, when I heard 2HA was getting adapted, I was pretty skeptical because how. Mo Ran and Chu Wanning had a pretty physical relationship in the pre-rebirth timeline and that’s partially where the obsession that Mo Ran feels towards Chu Wanning stems from. There’s just basically a lot of unresolved sexual tension between them throughout the novel that I simply couldn’t see getting adapted. However, after thinking about it and reevaluating things from a low-expectations-standpoint, I think it might actually be possible to film something close enough to the original work. Here are some of the factors that influenced my opinion:

First, the series is set to air for 50 episodes (just like The Untamed). Why is the number of episodes important? Because it will determine how closely the adaptation will follow the original story and how much random stuff they can fit into it. Let’s take a step back and evaluate: 2HA’s novel has 311 chapters + extras while MDZS has 113 + extras. Obviously, people might have an issue with the number of episodes (”How are you going to air the same amount of episodes for a series that’s thrice as long??”) but I think it’s a good amount. Why? Because it pretty much guarantees a solid pacing that’ll keep the story moving forward without stagnating. I don’t think there is too much to worry in terms of too much source material being cut because quite a few chapters are R-18/romantic lining scenes that would not have gotten adapted anyways. Once those get deleted, I think 50 episodes is an acceptable amount.

Second, the entire production seems to be solid. The rights were actually bought by Tencent who, if you forgot, was also responsible for The Untamed. With prior success, I believe that they now have a pretty solid idea of how things should be run. Also, the CGI and world-design team is the same one as for Ashes of Love, which has me pretty stoked because while CG in chinese dramas has always been a hit or miss, Ashes of Love is definitely amongst some of the best I’ve seen (see below for examples). (P.S. there are also rumours that Lin Hai, the one responsible for The Untamed’s OST, might be working on 2HA but this is mere speculation at this point.) Overall, 2HA is looking to be like the most high-profile and expensive BL adaption yet.

Third and finally, the casting.

Holy.

Okay.

This is what has me the most hyped. 

Let’s start with Shi Mei, who will be portrayed by actress Chen Yao (or Sebrina Chen).

I know I’ve said that despite the name, Shi Mei is a male. As it turns out, likely for censorship reasons, “Immortality” could not escape from the clutches of the dreaded sex change so they went ahead and turned him into a girl. While not ideal, in my opinion, it actually works out pretty nicely here. In this case, it means that Mo Ran is in love with a female character which would further draw censorship’s attention away from the fact that Mo Ran really has a thing for his beautiful shizun. While it would have been perfect if everything could go according to source material, the fact that it’s Shi Mei that went through a sex change actually works pretty favourably in the grand scheme of things. Not to mention the actress set to play Shi Mei has some good experience acting similar roles so overall, I say that I trust her.

Next, we have Chu Wanning who will be played by Luo Yunxi (or Leo Luo).

For this character, I have no worries whatsoever. If you’re unfamiliar with this actor, I highly recommend you give Ashes of Love a try. He played the 2nd lead and ugh. He’s so good at playing beautiful and elegant characters that are forced to undergo a ton of suffering and pain. Luo Yunxi used to be a professional ballet dancer so he moves with grace and his fight scenes are amazing to watch. Also, he has great control over his facial expressions. He’s able to act out characters that suffer a lot without making them seem weak or powerless. Even the way he cries can be considered both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Finally, we have Mo Ran who will be portrayed by Chen Feiyu (or Arthur Chen).

Mo Ran is an extremely complex character. From pre-rebirth’s insanity and arrogance, to post-rebirth’s hope and reservation, to post-revelation’s love and devotion, the actor’s going to have a lot on his plate. Originally, when I first googled him, I thought that while he’d manage to pull off post-rebirth teen!Mo Ran fairly well given how clean and refreshing his face looks, he’d have a harder time pulling off pre-rebirth’s arrogance, craziness and general “hardness”. However, after seeing some costume designs and makeup edits, I think that the boy might just pull it off. Also, while the actor is nowhere near as solid as Luo Yunxi is, it seems that he’s willing to put in extra time and effort (as seen by his Weibo post about how he’d been studying the source material) to make up for it. I think that with enough dedication, he might just be able to pull it off.

(Psssst! By the way, keeping this strictly between you and me, another reason why I’m such a fan of this pair is because of the height difference. I mean just look at this?? Their height difference is pretty much bang on with the novel height difference after Mo Ran grew past Chu Wanning’s height. Not to mention, don’t tell me you see this and don’t automatically picture a the big dorky puppy following his reserved and cool master around?)

So yeah, all of this just to say that it might be okay to kind of have some expectations for 2HA. I really want to keep my own expectations down as low as possible given the amount of times we’ve been burned but I want to remain hopeful that, with the success of The Untamed, it can pave the way for better and more faithful danmei adaptations, with 2HA being one of them.

[maddhatterreviews]

Hope punk stories you should check out if you already haven’t

I think after everything 2020 threw at of as a people (And some of the bullshit we’re still dealing with now) we could all use something to lift our spirits a little. And what better that fiction to escape from the horrors of reality for a little bit? 

Just to be clear about this list, this isn’t a top ten or anything. This isn’t me saying these are the best movies/tv shows/ games/ whatever that have that Hope punk feel to it, these are just things that I like and might help you get through shit. 

Effectively the codifier for the term. (Or at least the first piece of fiction the term was applied to) I actually stopped watching She-Ra about halfway through the second season, but I’ve been meaning to get back into it for a while. Although I do know that the series ends with Adora and Catra kissing and that somehow fixes everything. And if saving the universe with the power of love isn’t Hope Punk, I don’t know what the fuck is.

If you follow me, you already know how much I love this show. But If I’m being honest, the Hope Punk feel doesn’t really start until the three season. Until then it a pretty generic action anime. Still good though. The show is in more of a darker, “Oh god, we’re all screwed” phase of the story (Not to mention a mid-season hiatus) but it wouldn’t be Hope Punk if there wasn’t some darkness to fight against, right?

Yea, I think this counts. Parks and Rec is all about a genuinely altruistic politician trying to make the city she loves better despite opposition from seemingly every direction, and backed up by a group of loyal friends. As weird as it might seem to call a government worker punk, that is what Hope Punk is all about. And for all the supernatural evils that appear in these other stories, none of them are as scary as an incompetently run branch of the US government.

The first Kingdom Hearts is my favorite game of all time. And as weird and convoluted as the story gets, I still love these games. Sora is the ultimate Hope Punk hero; an eternal optimist who stares down the most wretched darkness the Worlds have to throw at him with a smile. (And a magical sword shaped like a key) What makes Kingdom Hearts Hope Punk to me, is the fact that the thing that makes Sora so powerful isn’t necessarily the Keyblade, but all of the people he’s connected with over the course of the series. Sora himself says it best “My friends are my power!” Saving the Universe with the power of love and friendship.

Okay I sure this is another one that’s gonna throw some people off. But despite the Crow being a gothic revenge story, it’s also about hope and kindness. Or at least the movie is, I still haven’t read the comic. Sure, Eric Draven kills a bunch of cartoonish psychopaths in the most violent ways possible, but he only kills the people who murdered his girlfriend and himself, he protects a young girl he was friends with when he was alive, helps the girl’s mother get her life back together (by scaring the shit of her, but it worked) and only goes after the big bad to save someone that has nothing to do with his revenge mission. I don’t feel like I’m doing this movie the right justice. So if you’ve never seen the Crow, go check it out. I think it’s on Hulu and HBO max.

Sure this was written long before the concept of punk was even a thing, but it’s the story of quite literally the smallest, least powerful being in the world going up against an all-powerful, damn near godlike overlord to save the world. The extended cast doing what they can to push against an insurmountable force of evil, and everything coming down to two tiny hobbits. This shit is punk.

I’m not the biggest Doctor Who fan in the world. I’ve seen most of the new series, but nothing of the original. And I still haven’t watched anything of the 13th Doctor. But I think there is absolutely an argument that can be made that Doctor Who is Hope Punk. 

No, Not you!

That’s Better.

I don’t know, this one might be a stretch, especially since Hellboy is another government agent. But he does quit eventually. So there’s that. And I think it says something that the thing Hellboy fights against is the concept of Destiny itself. Hellboy doesn’t care where he came from or what everyone whats him to do or be. He just wants to live his life the way he wants to. Even when Hellboy get sent to hell, he still just trying to chill and live...Uh, you know what I mean. 

Spiderman feels like the physical embodiment of Hope Punk. Nothing in his life goes right. His friends and family are constantly either dying or turning into supervillains, half the time New York hates him despite how many times he’s saved, the guys spear heading the Spidy hate is his own boss (Who isn’t a big fan of Peter either) not to mention he’s just continually getting his ass kicked and is perpetually broke. But in the face of all his hardships and heart breaks, Spiderman keeps fighting the good fight. No many how hard he gets knocked down, he always gets back up. There’s a reason the “Shear Strength” shot (As I call it) is such an iconic panel from the Spiderman comics. I mean...just read this fucking panel. Sipderman IS Hope Punk. And there’re plenty of movies, cartoons, games, and of course the comics are always easy to find. The Dan Slott run is one of my personal favorites. 

I���m sure among any one of these there’s something that will get you through these troubling times. 

[wylanvnneck]

“On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?” for Jurdan, please???? 🖤🖤🖤

Humorous Prompt #6: “On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?”

Fandom: TFOTA

Ship: Jurdan

Masterlist | Send me a prompt

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“He’s not really picturing a Pork Cutlet Bowl for inspiration is he?” Cardan’s wry question is more of a rhetorical one, considering the fact that they both knew the answer to it, but Jude still felt the need to reply.

“Nope.”

The two of them were lying across the couch, Jude’s head tucked under Cardan’s chin and his arm loosely slung over her denim-clad hip, both their gazes riveted to the laptop screen on the low table in front of them. Vivienne had browbeat them into promising that they would watch the anime that she’d recommended whilst she and Heather were gone for one of Oak’s school meetings and she’d even gone so far as to threaten them with locking away the mini marshmallows so they’d have to suffer through marshmallow-less hot chocolate if they didn’t comply.

Jude wouldn’t really have minded that, but Cardan had a weakness for them and she had a weakness for the adorable look that would appear on his face whenever she brought him a mug with the confections floating within it, so that’s how they’d found themselves spooning on the couch together, watching an anime about an awkward Japanese Ice Skater Yuri and his delectable Russian coach Viktor.

As much as she hated to admit it, Vivi had good taste. The animation was beautiful, almost as beautiful as Elfhame, and the storyline was adorable and interesting, with a fantastic soundtrack to go along with it. The day was warm and tranquil and it felt good to be snuggled cozily in her husband’s arms, his heartbeat pressed against her spine and their thousands of responsibilities as High King and Queen nowhere near their little bubble.

They watch Yuri skate in comfortable silence, the whole performance captivating, and in between episodes she can feel Cardan making the tiniest of shifts in his position behind her, little movements, lightly stroking her hip over the fabric of her t-shirt, leaning down to smell her hair or to place a gentle kiss on the curve of her ear that marked her mortality and each time there’s a little burst of something inside her.

They’d made it about halfway through the 12 episode long series before Cardan reaches over to pause it, reluctantly detaching his body from hers and sitting up, making her do the same, turning to face him as she sits cross-legged. He stretches his arms up in the air and her eyes follow the movement, admiring him. His dark gaze catches her doing it, his eyes glittering and a grin spreading over his face and she merely raises her eyebrows at him in response, unapologetic.

“On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?” He asks, his voice light in a way that only happened when he was truly content.

She feels an answering smile curve her lips. “Eleven.”

He laughs, his raven locks flopping over his face messily and he leans forward to peck her lips before pushing himself off the couch and heading off to the kitchen. “Got it, two packets of Nachos coming right up.”

“Make sure they’re the spicy kind!” She calls out after him.

“Of course, only the best for My Queen,” comes his reply and it’s stupid, how sweet his words are.

Flopping back down on the sofa she distracts herself by studying the laptop screen, watching the seconds tick by on the clock at the bottom of the screen when silence is broken by an odd jingle, and a little square popping up at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Written on that square is a name that makes Jude sit up straight. Taryn Duarte.

The jingle is still playing in the background but it sounds blurry, as though it was playing from somewhere far far away instead of right in front of her. Taryn. She hadn't spoken to her heavily pregnant twin sister in quite a while, and the last that she’d heard of her was that she had gone to visit Madoc and Oriana in the place where they lived in the mortal world, somewhere quite far away, thankfully. The thought of Taryn makes the subsequent feelings of anger and hurt and betrayal rise up within her, ruthlessly chasing away the contentment that had filled her just minutes ago.

Frantically, she searches for the red decline button with the cursor and attempts to click on it but she can’t quite bring herself to do it. She hates that she can’t, but thoughts of Taryn in distress whilst carrying a child, Taryn in danger and needing help flood her mind and that old protective instinct that had been instilled in her for so long compels her to click on the green accept button instead.

“Jude?” Taryn’s voice sounds the same, mixed in with surprise at seeing her twin answer the call instead of Vivi.

“Taryn.” Her throat is dry.

“I- I called because Madoc and Oriana wanted to speak to Oak, and Vivi has said they could call on this thing” she gestures at the screen, “called Skype when they wished to and they needed help to set it up.” Taryn looks the same as ever, almost a mirror image of Jude herself, except for the huge swell in her belly where Jude’s unborn niece or nephew resided. Locke’s child. That reminds her of the first time Taryn had ever betrayed her, allowing Locke to mess with her, knowing full well that he had been seeing the both of them at the same time, playing them against each other and she had let it happen. The memory makes her shutter, closing her expression and making it cold.

“Oak is at school with Vivi. Tell them to call later.” She moves the cursor and it hovers over the red button to end the call.

“Jude, I-” Her twin starts to speak.

“Don’t, Taryn. Not now. Not yet.”

She catches a glimpse of Taryn pursing her lips together and nodding imperceptibly before the call ends. Jude wasn’t ready to try and mend the bridge between them yet and she wasn’t sure if she would ever be. Her emotions are all over the place, roiling inside of her like the waves of the Undersea during a storm.

She punches the couch beneath her, hard, and the force barely makes an impact and she longs for the adrenaline rush of battle, the feeling of focused control that she gets when holding Nightfell in her hand. But Nightfell wasn’t here to help her distract herself and she was powerless against the pain.

Cardan is inordinately pleased with himself for managing to salvage two packs of spicy Nachos. It had taken quite a while for him to root them out from the back of the cupboard behind jars of condiments and Oak’s Skittles stash but he’d eventually proved victorious. Eager to return to Jude and their Yuri on Ice binge he strides into the room, nachos clutched in hand, expecting his wife to be impatiently awaiting him. Instead, the expression she turns on him when she sees him standing in the doorway is one full of anguish and the sight tears at Cardan’s excuse of a heart.

“Jude? Jude what’s wrong?” He’s by her side and wrapping his arms around her in the next moment and concern tugs at him when she simply rests her head against his neck, her breathing heavy.

“Taryn called.” Her voice is muffled against the fabric of his hoodie.

Cardan’s gaze flicks to the laptop. He’s not entirely sure how mortal devices worked, but he thinks he’s safe in making the assumption that Taryn had somehow attempted to call Vivi on her laptop and Jude had ended up answering instead. He now understands Jude’s behaviour. She and her twin had never been able to mend the differences that had erupted between them in the past few months and he doubts that his wife had been ready to speak to her twin so soon after everything that had happened.

And he definitely couldn’t blame her. Just thinking about the twin that Jude had once fought so hard to protect, from him as well, only to have her loyalty thrown back in her face by her sister’s treachery made him clutch Jude a little tighter to him. If it hadn’t been for Jude’s insistence that her pregnant twin be left alone, she would have faced punishment for her actions long before now.

“She called on behalf of Madoc and Oriana. They wanted to speak to Oak. I should have known she’d go running back to him. After all, she is his most loyal daughter.” Her words are painted with both bitterness and resignation.

He thinks carefully before starting to speak. “I know you and your sister are far from the relationship you once had and I know that it hurts you, Jude. But I also know that you are strong, unbelievably strong, and when the time is right I know you’ll make the right decision. Whether you want to try and mend your bond or move onwards, know that I will support you in whatever you choose.” He moves to press a kiss to her temple.

“How do you always know what to say?” she lets out a slow breath, pulling back to meet his gaze. “Do you think I should try talking to her?”

“I do think that you two will need to talk at some point. However, that day is not today. Come, my love, let’s not let her ruin one of our few days away from the palace. Put her out of your mind for now and have some nachos.”

“Kiss me?” Her request reminds him of a time that seemed to have been eons ago, a moment on her bed, the sheets silky beneath his drunken form looking up at her and wanting distraction, a cure. Kiss me until I am sick of it.

He gives her the distraction she needs.

She meets him halfway when he leans down to connect their lips and he moves his mouth against hers slowly but thoroughly, his heart thumping the way it always did around her. Only ever her.

Everything around them melts and they are oblivious to their surroundings as Jude’s hands card through his hair and he strokes a light path along her waist, which is why they are caught by surprise when they hear Vivi’s grinning voice sounding from the doorway.

“Alright, playtime’s over children, Oak and Heather will be here any second now and we don’t need the poor boy to see that.” She wiggles her tawny eyebrows suggestively and Jude pulls away from him, her face flushing despite her best efforts at hiding it. Ignoring the slight pang of loss at his wife moving out of his arms, he turns to give his favorite sister-in-law a mischievous grin to which she responds by rolling her cat’s eyes.

Sure enough Oak comes charging into the room seconds later and jumps right up onto the couch, wiggling between Jude and Cardan and tucking himself in next to his sister and chatting in her ears about his day at school and how he’d scored a goal at soccer practice and Jude is laughing and ruffling his chocolate hair, her agitation from earlier forgotten for now.

He watches his wife and her brother talking as he reaches for the forgotten packets of nachos from the table knowing that soon the entire family would be squished together on the couch watching movies and making hilarious commentary over snacks, and the whole thing is so domestic and comforting and it feels better than alcohol, better than drugs, better than losing himself in debauchery the way he used to. It feels like family.

--------------------------------------------------------------

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln I hope you like this one, Clueless Penguin™, thanks for sending in a prompt ❤

The fact that Taryn’s crimes seemed to largely go unanswered for and that she and Jude never really got closure has always niggled at me, but I have yet to read HTKOELTHS so maybe there’s something about it in there? Either ways here is some Jurdan fluff with some Jude angst mixed in. Also, the fact that Jude and Cardan watching YOI is canon still makes me squeal and if you wanna fangirl over that anime with me feel free to✨

Okay, on to tagging the lovely people on my taglist: @cupcakesandkittens, @thewickedkings, @kittkatandbooboo, @annabethjackson0001 and @fangirlprincess09

As always, please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my TFOTA taglist.

[kimberly-spirits13]

Right Hand Man (Loyal to the End) Pt. 6

Pairing: Damian Wayne x reader

Synopsis: You were like Talia’s daughter. The only thing was that you weren’t and instead, you had grown up in the foster care system and at a young age were taken by and personally trained by Talia. Along the way, you meet Damian and the two of you start to work side by side and eventually, after some time become closer and closer. However, when disaster in the league strikes, you face balancing an old, forgotten life as a normal child and the burden of right hand to the demon heir.

Note: I know that this is long and that there are a good number of time skips, but I didn’t want to make this into a series and just wanted it as a long fic because .... well because I can lol

Also, I didn’t want to have Damian so young in this so just go with it. I’m thinking maybe early 15 or almost 16 at the most. Idk I just don’t like writing for young Dami.

Warnings: trauma induced habits (it’s really not anything serious), unhealthy sleep habits but I'm pretty sure everyone here has those

Word Count: 1897

Masterlist for Series

It was three days later since you had mistakenly slammed Dick into the mats. You and Damian hadn’t talked about it at all seeing as you were trying to avoid the topic like the plague. Darkness had settled over the manor. Bruce and the rest were just back from their patrols and you were just getting ready for yours. It was unofficial at least. Today would have been your turn for the 2:30 am shift of patrol at the league. You couldn’t sleep at all with the thought of your responsibilities running through your mind. 20 minutes had passed of you battling yourself on the aspect of going out. It would be unnecessary, Mr. Wayne has the best security money could buy or make. You thought it through over and over again. What if an alarm didn’t trip off when an intruder came in? What if the manor was attacked and nothing happened to prevent it. With these thoughts overpowering the logic you tried to introduce, you got up and changed into your suit.

        Exiting from your window, you went on top of the manor. The roof was pretty massive seeing as this was a mansion. You looked up seeing the stars and thinking back to what it looked like at the compound. The biggest difference here was seeing the lights from the city in the distance and pine trees instead of endless mountains. You jumped from different points, quietly landing on others. As you did this, you scanned the area and moved on if you didn’t see anything strange.

In the Manor:

        “It looks like she’s patrolling the area.” Bruce said sitting back in his chair in front of the computers that were installed in the cave, “I don’t like it.”

        “Master Bruce, Miss. Y/N is merely practicing habit. Leave the child be.” Alfred said as he cleaned up his first aid tools from tonight’s patrol.

        “She could be plotting something. Getting intel, either way, she’s triggering my alarms.” Bruce responded.

        “Master Bruce! Enough of that.” Alfred raised his voice in disapproval, “This isn’t a normal household as you might have gathered. Everyone here deals with trauma differently. As a child when you picked up strange habits after ... your own set of traumas, I did nothing to stop you of such actions. I knew you’d grow out of it.”

        “I guess you’re right.” Bruce muttered.

        “Nothing new Master Bruce.” Alfred remarked walking into the other part of the cave.

        Bruce eventually left, turning the system off. He knew Alfred was right and even though he wanted to, he knew that there was no ill intent in your actions.

_______________________________________________________________________

        Back outside, you were still well underway in your patrol. You had only thirty minutes left and then you would be able to return to your bedroom. Everything was silent but for the crickets and occasional fire fly here and there. You marveled at their beauty once you figured out what they were. That was strange to see for the first time. Other than that, the only other sound was a new pair of footsteps coming from behind. You knew who it was without turning around.      

        “I thought I would find you here.” Damian said.

        “Well, I guess you thought right then Damian.” You replied perched on the side of the manor.

        “I assume this patrol is stemming from previous habits of yours?”

        “One might say that.” You gave him a side glance seeing that he was coming to sit by you, “Old habit.”

        “Closer to, a sign that you really aren’t taking this move well and are actually covering it up for the sake of reputation and your own personal expectations you have set for yourself.” Damian commented making you roll your eyes some.

        “Wow, caught red handed.” “In all actuality, you’re correct on many levels.” “I just needed something ... normal for a change.”

        “I understand.” He said shortly, “I heard father talking about a gala. Something to parade us around to the rich snobs and media as an introduction. I do not look forward to it.”

        “That sounds like one of the worst ideas I have heard in quite a long time.” You huffed, “And that’s saying quite a lot.”

        He chuckled but after that, everything fell back into silence. You carefully looked out over the grounds before being startled by the vibration and alarm of your phone.

        “Looks like my patrol has ended.” You said turning off the alarm, “I shall return inside. Care to join me?”

        “I will.”

_______________________________________________________________________

        From there, sleep was impossible to come by. You were plagued by nightmares which you never had before. It was probably since you weren’t constantly focusing on training or a mission you had convinced yourself. What you needed was something to focus on and that was what you got. You didn’t rely on coffee like Drake since you never had it to begin with at the league. For the first few days, no one noticed anything. That was what you had planned, however it was of course Damian who raised the first alarm. You were in the library catching up on some studies for ancient history and astronomy. The sunlight was streaming in golden beams through the windows and you were sitting at one of the tables wrapped up in one of the long jackets that you had gotten. Damian walked in to see you hunched over one of the books with your hair in a messy bun.

        “Y/N?” He asked quietly as to not scare you.

        “Mhmm?” You hummed in response giving him a quick glance of acknowledgement, flipping the page to a star map.

        “With all due respect, you seem tired as of late. When was the last time you slept?” He questioned sitting next to you examining the pile of books you had pulled.

        “Last night?”

        “But did you actually sleep an entire night last night? That is the real question.”

        “Why are you concerned on the hours of sleep I got Wayne?” You asked in return.

        He didn’t answer. The truth was that he was worried more than he’d care to admit. He knew that you had terrible dreams like he did, neither of you cared to talk about them at all. The memories of mornings where you’d come for training with dark circles and eyes flooded his conscious. Those days you were scarier and had less patience, though he’d never blame you for it since he understood the feeling for some part.

        “You never answered my question.” You said pulling him from his thoughts.

        “I-I... no reason, I was just making sure my right hand was in stable mind.”

        “Well, I am fine.” You glared at him for the comment, “I’m perfectly stable demon.”

_______________________________________________________________________

        That was a few days ago. You kept the exhaustion hidden well, especially considering you were in a house full of detectives. That didn’t mean you didn’t feel it though. You were bone tired and almost lagged along. Focus became harder to maintain and you felt yourself drifting on and off into sleep. Now you were in the training room running a simulation. It was an easier one you had to admit, but nothing enough to give anything away. Your moves weren’t sloppy, just not as pristine as typical. You also didn’t notice Damian walk inside of the cave to watch you. Rubbing your temple as you finished, you grabbed your water bottle and splashed some of the cold liquid on your face to wake you up. You turned around and were startled by Damian.

        “My apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said reaching to grab your arms to keep you from hitting him from habit.

        “It’s fine.” You replied, “I just didn’t realize you were there.”

        “You never drop your guard like that. I think it’s time for you to sleep L/N.” He said, “I know you haven’t been getting any.”

        “I insist that I am fine.” You went to grab your duffle bag off of the floor with the intention of showering in the cave showers near the back. Standing up was the issue. With the worst light headed feeling you’d had in years you fell back down.

        “Y/N!” Damian grabbed you before you had totally hit the floor, “That makes it final, I’m making you sleep.”

        You mumbled an argument before totally passing out. There was no way of avoiding the obvious of you being passed out as he took you to your room.

        “Damian, what happened to Y/N?” Bruce asked alarmed standing up to see you completely out. Bruce wasn’t fazed by much, however, he wasn’t ready for that at all.

        “Lack of sleep.” Damian said shortly, “I think I know why.”

        Alfred followed him up the stairs explaining that he’d need to make sure you were okay other than not sleeping. He was sure that after a good night’s rest or so, you’d be fine. Damian knew though, that that was asking a lot from you no matter how simple it might be.

_______________________________________________________________________

        You awoke suddenly in your bedroom only to be surrounded by darkness and the light, delicate streams of moonlight shining dimly across the objects inside. You felt someone taking hold of your hand and immediately looked to see that it was Damian. Next to you, he was sitting in a chair with his head resting on the side of the bed and his hand around yours. With the shift in motion that you had caused, Damian awoke.

        “What are you doing?” You asked, a blush creeping across your face.

        “Oh- I,” He let go of your hand and rubbed the back of his neck, “I knew you needed to sleep and I also knew that you wouldn’t unless there was someone with you.” “I just didn’t think you’d want me to be in the be-“

        “I-I understand.” You replied, “Thank you.”

        “I will leave now.” He got up.

        “Damian I ... you were right about the sleeping bit. I actually wouldn’t mind if you stayed.”

        “I see.” He sat back down in the chair.

        “Damian, I’ve known you since we were three, you can sleep in the bed.” “If you’d prefer, there’s an extra quilt you could use in the closet.”

        “Are you sure?” He asked standing back up.

        “Positive.”

        Damian retrieved the quilt from your closet and returned quietly, getting on the bed. You stayed under the original bedding and he slept on top of it. There was a distance that was kept between you two since it would be strange for you to be any closer. You were just close friends and nothing more. Although, that thought made you a bit upset. When you did finally awaken however, you were startled to see that you were tangled in the covers laying as close as possible to him. Damian’s arms were draped over you holding you tightly and neither of you cared to talk about it.

        That did however start a routine of going into each other’s rooms for sleeping. You didn’t classify it as a romantic or intimate thing. It was saved for whenever either of you had dreams terrible enough that you didn’t want to be alone anymore. At night, you might have been awakened by Damian coming into your room and getting into the bed only for you to keep close to him or it would be the other way around.

Tags-

@idkmanicantenglish​ @queengeorgiaaa​ @lucy-roo​ @reclusive-chicken-nugget​ @random-fandom-girl-24​

[popculturebuffet]

Final Space Season 3 Reviews: The Ventrexian

Hello all you happy people and welcome back to my reviews of Final Space! This week was a damn good one but before I get into that I have a bit to get off my chest first. I’ve been struggling a bit covering the show. I’m not going to stop, I decided against that, but I felt opening up about it might help a bit. 

I chalk it up to a number of things. The first is that the show went back to Season 1′s style of storytelling. To compare season 1 was basically one long, four hour film. There were plots within the episodes but it was one complete story. Season 2 was also one complete story, but had a more relaxed pace to it, with the episodes feeling more like indvidual bits of media and less part of one big operatic season long story. Neither approach is bad but so far the shows i’ve covered, both on a week to week basis and indvidually for varoius reasons, have taken the approach season 2 did, more episodic adventures with the plot still moving right along. And with Season 2 being you know, the second season, I didn’t expect the show to return to Season 1′s storytelling, if with some embeleshments from season 2 like the cold opens that really help it flow better, so I was caught off guard. 

The second is that I hadn’t reviewed a “new” show week to week in some time and thus forgot their was an adjustment period, and combinging that with the fact Sunday used to be a catchup day or a break with reviews before Final Space started, I was caught off guard and thus struggled a bit. I seriously considered ending these reviews.. but eventually realized why I did, that I had more to say and I don’t HAVE to be as in depth with the recap portion of the review every single time. A review should be as long or short as it needs to be. Not TOO short mind, but I don’t have to provide a detailed synopsis when you can usually , by the time I get this show’s ones out anyway, see the episode yourself or go to the wiki. 

TLDR: Reviewing this show has been a bit of a learning experince, and a re-learning experince but I realized I shoudln’t give up because it’s hard, and if I did that EVERY TIME that became a problem, I wouldn’t of lasted a full year of reviews. So join me under the cut as we dive deep into Avacato’s past, Gary and Quinn’s intamcy issues and cosmic god swordfights. 

As it’s been our heroes are mostly seperated into their own plots, same lineups as last time, though this time Bollo and Gary’s plots come together at the very end. And I will say before I get into each one while this isn’t a bad storytelling engine, and Final Space has used it well in the past... I REALLY miss the interaction between the characters. It’s something the show got REALLY good at in season 2. The friction caused by Gary and Clarence jockying for control, Ash’s weird sorta relatoinship with LIttle Cato that I miss as I still lowkey ship those two, Fox and LIttle Cato slowly growing from enimies due to their respective race’s centuries long war to friends, Nightfall having to deal with the fact our Gary isn’t hers, HUE’s relationship with AVA, EVERYONE hating KVN.. there was just a LOT of good stuff int here that I miss. I get why it’s gone, the stakes are really high right now and we still have gotten some of it like the whole Feel Me sequence.. I just hope we get some more back as we go , especially since Ash and Fox, whose unique deisgns got me to catch up with the series for season 2 in the first place and whose personalites made them instantly adopted children of mine, have been pushed to the side during these first three episodes and hopefully we’ll get a bit more soon. It’s just something I hope we get back as we go, especially with two new members joining the Team Squad this week for the old guard to bounce off of. And tha’ts not even getting into the fact there’s a lot to unpack for Gary with his mom trying to be a good mom after decades of bullshit. But we’ll see, I can’t predict the future. I can break down this episode soooo.

Team Avacato: Butcher

This part was easily the highlight of the episode. To start us off the episode begins by flashing us back to when Invictus grabbed a seemingly dead Lord Commander last season. Turns out he wasn’t QUITE as dead as Nightfall thought. We also find out that LC.. has no idea who Invictus is. This tracks when I think about it:  He had, and still has, a worshipful reverence for the titans, wanting to become one and gain the power of a god and clearly thought they were at the top of the food chain. If he knew someone else was behind it.. he would’ve brought them up sooner, especially since he has a love of giving manical speeches where he hot dogs and grandstands for a bit before choking someone to death. He was also suprised the titans just ignored him. 

But now he knows.. but even when confronted with a horrifying demonic entity who just swiped him from near death, he’s still as egosticial and cold as ever. But invictus has a tempting offer: They can give Lord Commander what he wanted: they can MAKE HIM A TITAN. We don’t know if htis is true or not of course, but given the sheer scale of invictus power and the fact they’ve had an army of titans under their thrall for centuries, if anyone can do it they can. 

All invictus wants in return.. is Mooncake. I do love Lord Commander’s “Oh for fuck’s sake’ reaction to finding out he has to seek him out again. His tone just screams...

Invictus needs our little buddy though: Turns out, ironically enough given Bolo’s situation until the end of last season, Invictus is imprisoned and needs Mooncake’s power to break the seal. And given the sheer power this thing has displayed WITHOUT being at full....

Yeah it’s not great. Invictus restores Lord Commander to normal.. and as seen last episode and confirmed here, his powers are no longer destroying his body to use, so the one thing keeping him from killing them all and ending the show in 5 minutes is now off the table. 

So with our heroes all nights of wundagory, Lord Commander zeroes in on the Catos. Which makes a ton of sense: He dosen’t KNOW Ash, Fox or Sheryl. At all. Lord Commander isn’t just a bastard he’s a SADISTIC bastard. While he could work on the rest of them it’s just no fun for him as he can’t add a personal touch. You can see how much he enjoys this, he never avoids this, because buddy he’s a diffrent breed, this is his calling, and though i’ts applaing, he loves making people bleed... emotionally and physically. 

So our own personal antichrist spends the episode forcing Avacato’s backstory out of him. Sure he could just tell it himself but as I said via refrence .. he ENJOYS this.

While we got part of Avacato’s backstory in season 1, he worked for lord comander, did the worst shit imaginable, knows he’ll never be able to ballance those books, and the one line he ended up drawing was his son, who LC decided to use as a barganing chip. that was towards the END of his life as Lord Commander’s right hand monster. This is his origin.  After loosing his first son, Avacato, a loyal solider of the ventrixian army, kept fighting despite having nothing left to fight for. What happened to his first son and all that we don’t know yet.. but he was just left a souless killing machine fighting a war that had been going on so long his people forgot it, the same one brought up last season. Yeah Fox and LIttle Cato’s fued comes off a bit more horrifying in hindsight. 

So one day he was outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered and outplanned... when Lord Commander showed up, murdered EVERYONE in the opossing armor and asked them all to kneel, with Avacato taking his time. Later that day Avacato apporached the Lord Commander... who saw right through him. He was a warrior, but the war he was fighting was hollow.. he was a butcher, a murderer with no real purpose or direction... and Lord Commander was all too happy to offer him one, bettering the universe and all that crap.. though how much he belivies it remains to be scene. I must say David Tennat is at his peak this episode, giving his best performance as the green asshole yet, full of gravitas and cruelty as you’d expect and showing WHY people followed him: He gave the purposeless purpose and easily could talk people into following him. Looking back Superior Stone probably GENUINELY belivied that he was doing something good. Lord Commander’s just that good at his job. 

So he just had one favor to ask, kill the king and queen who Avacato had served loyally and he’ll give him something real to fight for. And he did so. Naturally LIttle Cato is horrified and Ash TRIES to help sooothe his concisne pointing out his mind was twisted up and all that.. but Avacato solemly notes “I’m the one who pulled the trigger”. Ash means well.. but Avacato knows the truth: what he did there was horrid: a horrible betryal of two people just to feel something. No matter how much good he’s done since or how much he’s changed... Avacato knows what he did was horrible and no matter how hard he tries that ledger can’t be ballanced. He does good.. but it’s because it’s the right thing, not because he ever belivies he can be forgiven or work past what he’s done. And the show dosen’t make the case that he should or answer the hard questions.. it just leaves it there and given Olan’s outright said this arc is going to span seasons, if hopefully we get more mind you, I feel it’s going to be a long road to exploring that. 

And.. one other thing about the incident. As it turns out, and as Avacato left out of the story, and Lord Commander likely let him both because he’s out of intergation time and because he can use that later: Avacato was the son of the king and queen. Avacato murdered his parents, and then adopted him, even if Lord COmmander wasn’t happy about it. And now he’s stuck holding onto something THIS bad knowing it’ll destroy his son and their relationship when it comes out.. and that’s the problem. It’s not an if.. it’s a WHEN. Also everyone’s being dragged towards invictus. Uh-oh. 

Team Gary and Bollo: YAY BISKITS BACK... I think Yay still deciding Meanwhile on the DragonHawk 5, i’m going with Gary’s Name because as much as Quinn’s growing on me the galaxy 2 is an objectiely lazy name, but Gary picks out a room for them.. only for Quinn to suggest seperate rooms and Gary to clearly and understandably be bothered by it. This is a mixed bag. On the one hand I feel for him as he spent months trying to save quinn, she’s only doing this because she’s hiding something horrible from him, as we find out the infection we saw in the first episode has spread through her body, and he just wants to be with her. But on the other hand.. they’ve dated what.. a month and a day? It’s a bit much. The only reason this works is that that part isn’t really dwelt o and the actings good.. it just takes me out of it at times when my brain reminds me of this, and it’s something the show REALLY needs to explore at some point instead of just treating Gary and Quinn as JUST some shakesperian romance across all time.. I mean it is, but it’s also an awkard but loveable dork and a stralighaced woman whose been through hell who both really need to know one another bette.r 

So naturally this conflict dangles over them, but they have bigger issues: i.e. a new crew member! As mentioned Biskit is back, having snuck aboard and being entirely deranged. I don’t know what to make of him yet as while he was adorable last time this time his entire attuide is essentally 

No really he asks why they aren’t banging and interupts gary ALMOST getting Quinn to open up. But unlike say Tribore, it’s clear BIskt isn’t all there, and clearly has no frame of refrence for how creepy he’s being, so i’m willing to see how it plays out. 

So our heroes arrive at Bollo. Bollo spent the episode hunting down Orekis.. he’s sitll bitter about the whole stealing his girlfriend and giving her an std thing. Just a tad. So we get a truly EPIC battle including the two throwing each other THROUGH planets and one really cool bit where Bolo slides on the ring of a planet. So fucking awesome. Eventually he wins, though he now has an infection of some sort, that can’t be good, and Mooncake headblasts him.

Things aren’t great though as Gary isn’t happy when he finds out Bolo lied about his and quinn’s deaths to use Mooncake, with Bolo admitting he got clouded by revenge. But it’s clear theirs a divide in goals: Gary just wants to get the hell out and Bolo wants to stop invictus. And.. neither are wrong. Gary is understandable: He didn’t want any part of this shit to begin with, only going with the key quest to save Quinn. All going to final space has done and dealing with it in general has done has cost him people: Avacato (He got better but stillc ounts), Nightfall.. and his dad. It’s understandable that after ALL of this he just wants to find his surrogate family and LEAVE. 

But Bolo.. is right. his methods aren’t great and he needs to be more honest with Gary... but Invictus isn’t going to go away magically if Gary ignores him. He’s not Tucker Carlson. He’s right to go after him and ther’es no easy answer here. As we’ve seen iwth Quinn staying in final space fucks you up.. but if Gary dosen’t all of space my die.. or worse. It’s a decision he’s going to have to face soon: his family.. or everything. 

Final Thoughts: This episode is truly excellent. After a rough start to the season and a decent episode last time this episode is just out and out brilliant, filling in some more blanks with Avacato and progressing things at a nice clip. Really great stuff. Hopefully this pace continues. Until next week join my patreon, follow this space for more and see you at the next rainbow. 

PS: I forgot to mention Cookie Robot.. as ther’es now a cookie robot. 

[cetacian]

The Fall and Rise of Orca: Orca and Killer Croc in Injustice 2 Part 2: Lovers in a Dangerous Time

Warning: blood and gore

                                         Under Cut for Length

After the destruction of the Amazon base, Ra’s moved his operations to another site, Gorilla City, where he began to work with the gorilla leader King Solovar to further his ambitions of culling the human race to save the planet. At a much later date, during mealtime, Orca arrived to tell Croc some surprising news, much to the shock of several Squad members:

As Croc walked away, Deadshot pestered him with questions about the nature of the unborn child until Croc got fed up and lashed out at him:

While Orca probably could’ve picked a better, more private time to tell Croc, it’s very realistic that they would both feel awkward about the unplanned pregnancy. Croc also has every right to desire privacy on the matter.

Soon enough the animosity that had been building between King Solovar and General Grodd, escalated into a full scale war, with the Suicide Squad fighting on behalf of Ra’s and King Solovar:

I like Orca’s power stance silhouette here.

During the battle, a gorilla soldier loyal to Grodd tried a sneak attack on Orca, only to have his head eaten by Croc, who came to her defense:

The censorship of the cussing was stupid because there’s sex and graphic violence all over this series: kids shouldn’t be reading it anyway.

What followed this noble gesture was a tender love scene, much to the chagrin of the other Squad members who witnessed it:

Tom Taylor made a mistake on the wording of Orca’s dialogue as she should’ve said sapient (intelligence/self-awareness) instead of sentient (sensation and consciousness, something all living gorillas who aren’t in comas experience). Still, the scene is very sweet in a cheesy way and shows the affection the two lovers have for each other.

Professor Ivo, working for Ra’s, used Amazo to end the war via placing a dampening device on Grodd’s head, disallowing him the psychic connection with his troops. King Solovar then banished Grodd and his followers from Gorilla City. Eventually, the makings of a truce began to take shape, as Harley Quinn was sent as an emissary from Batman to speak about a meeting between Ra’s, the heroes and world leaders. Harley soon expressed her joy at finding out Orca was pregnant, inadvertently revealing the fact to Ra’s:

The peace talk was held in Atlantis, a neutral meeting place. Tempers flared at first, but Harley was able to make some good suggestions:

It’s a little hard to see, but Croc’s hand on Orca’s shoulder is cute.

Meanwhile, Brainiac arrived on Earth and made a deal with Grodd to help capture Superman and Supergirl in exchange for helping Grodd take over Gorilla City’s throne.  Elsewhere, the Suicide Squad members entered the city’s sewers in order to talk to Croc about an important matter:

While I don’t buy Croc being this dense, the gesture is touching as Orca and Croc’s relationship and future child can be seen as hope in an otherwise bleak world where death can come at any time. It’s nice to see the characters recognize that.

Later, Croc walked with Orca, wanting to ask her something important:

I love how the actual proposal and acceptance scenes are told through body language and expression. It makes the scene more impactful before we get back to the goofier reactions of the other Squad members:

The story soon skipped ahead to the wedding day with Orca preparing and commenting on the unexpected twists and turns in her life:

It’s a shame that we didn’t get to see much of the Squad members having some down time and hanging out. I think this is one of the few instances of Orca talking with other female villains. I’d like to see more of that, irregardless of universe.

Orca and Croc were soon married, with Deadshot ribbing Croc as the couple left the wedding party:

As the newlyweds left the city, they encountered Ra’s al Ghul, who was holding the bomb control:

However, despite their fear, Ra’s explained how he had failed in both his mission to protect the Earth from destruction and in regard to his relationships with his family. He then stated about how he couldn’t ignore the fact that Orca and Croc had created not only a new life, but a new species with regard to their unborn child. This lead to his decision to deactivate the bombs n their heads and release them from his service:

However, Orca and Croc weren’t willing to walk away after all the fear Ra’s had put them through, with Croc biting off his hand off and intending to devour the rest of him:

However, before they could finish off Ra’s, Grodd arrived, taking possession of the bomb control:

Grodd then told Orca and Croc to leave, threatening the lives of the rest of the Suicide Squad:

Croc ws willing to risk his life to help his fellow Squad members before Orca wisely pointed out how they could be useful to Grodd. Grodd saw her point and Croc accepted the compromise:

Orca then got one lst dig in at Ra’s before handing him over to Grodd’s custody:

I don’t blame Orca and Croc for being pissed at Ra’s keeping them enslaved and in fear for their lives. It might be argued that Orca never would’ve eaten anyone had Ra’s not commanded her, though her feelings on that matter aren’t explored. Regardless, it was nice to see some unexpected characters get to have some hope near the end of the series.

Summery Thoughts: Given how Orca and Croc have shown up together in other comics, it makes sense that a romantic relationship might bloom in one universe or another. I do feel like Orca and Croc’s relationship could’ve been built up more throughout the series, maybe in some backup stories or tie-in issues. As it stands, it comes off as very sweet without ever forgetting how dangerous the two can be. While the comic series ends on a hopeful note for the couple, the next time we would see Croc would be in the game Injustice 2 (taking place after the comic series of the same name), where he would serve as a scene transition in the sewerways beneath the Batcave (with his appearance in the Arkham Asylum level taking place years in the past). Croc is shown to be alone down there, with no signs of Orca or their child. I can only hope future Injustice media addresses what happened to them.

[sassy-starker]

Welcome To The Neighborhood

This took me a bit since I was setting up my dorm and starting classes.

This is a mob boss!Tony AU mixed with a coffee shop AU!

TW: guns, blood, violence Tony Stark was a name to be feared.  Everybody knew who he was, for he practically ran the entirety of New York, but nobody knew what he looked like.  It was better for the man if they couldn’t recognize him but still feared him.

Tony Stark was a rich mob boss who could get anything he wanted, so why the hell was he currently living in a shitty, run-down apartment in Queens?  Well, that’s a story and a half.

People were beginning to look for Tony, wanting to find out who he is so they could possibly take him down, which was impossible, but it was still a threat.  So, he consulted the most loyal men and women he had and they came up with a plan.

Tony Stark was currently Will Garner, a writer who was barely scraping by and lived in a run-down apartment in Queens.  It was the perfect disguise.

Tony assumed that nobody in the apartment building would try to greet him and give him a banana bread to welcome him like people did in suburbs and TV shows, and he didn’t mind it in the slightest.  Luckily, he was almost right.

Keyword: almost.

Three days after Tony moved in, there was a soft series of knocks on his door.  It was around five pm, which felt awfully late for someone to come over to his apartment.  He dragged himself off his couch and slugged over to the door, ready to tell someone off.  When he opened the door, though, any thoughts of telling the knocker to fuck off were completely gone.

In front of Tony stood a young man with curly brown hair, glasses, and a bright smile on his face.  He was holding a platter of cookies with plastic wrap over it.

“Hi! I’m Peter Parker! I just wanted to welcome you to the building.”

Peter Parker might have been the most wonderful name that Tony had ever heard.  The boy spoke quickly and quietly, adding more to the attractiveness of him.  Tony didn’t have a chance to say anything before the man spoke up again.

“I meant to come by earlier, but I’ve been taking extra shifts to scrape by,” Peter explained sheepishly. “I was able to get my hands on some ingredients, though, so I made an assortment of cookies because I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

“Thank you, Peter,” Tony said, cutting off his rambling.  Peter gave him a small smile that Tony returned.

“Just thought it would be nice to welcome you, uh . . .” Peter started but trailed off, waiting for Tony’s name.

“Will Garner,” Tony told him smoothly and without missing a beat.

“It’s nice to meet you, Will,” Peter said and handed the platter over.

“Do you want to come in? We could just chat and get to know each other. I haven’t really had a chance to meet anyone since I moved here,” Tony asked while motioning inside.

“I’d love to,” Peter replied with a blush painting his cheeks, “but I have a shift in a few minutes and really have to get going.  We could always meet up later if you’re okay with it.”

“Sounds good.”

Peter smiled again and turned around to head out, but before he reached the staircase, Tony called out, “And, Peter?”

The young man turned around and looked at Tony.

“Thank you for the cookies.”

+++

A week later and Tony still hadn’t had a chance to sit down and talk with Peter.  Every time he saw the man, he was heading out to a shift at wherever he worked or Tony himself was going out to a meeting with the higher-ups in the mob who knew where he was.

Tony was walking back from one of those meetings, tired as hell because it had gone on until it was eleven.  Now it was nearing half-past eleven and he needed to just get back before he collapsed of exhaustion.  His eye was caught, though, by a little coffee shop about two blocks from his apartment.  Making a quick decision, he walked inside.

The coffee shop was small and cozy.  There were couches toward the back of the store and almost all of the seats were armchairs.  Everything was mismatched in a way that made it stand out without feeling out of place.  The shop was warm and smelled of fresh coffee and vanilla.  Nobody was at the counter, but there was a bell with a small sign written in chalk that read ‘ring for service’.

Tony rung the bell as he looked at the menu and the display case of pastries.  When someone walked out and he glanced up, he saw Peter Parker in the flesh.

“Peter,” he said with a smile, surprising the boy, “I didn’t know you worked here!”

“Oh, hey, Will!” Peter greeted cheerily. “Yeah, I’ve been working here for a few years to save up for college.  What are you doing out this late?”

“I was working on my novel and decided I wanted to grab some coffee, so I wandered around a bit before I found this place,” Tony told him, the lie easily rolling off his tongue.

Peter gave a soft laugh and asked him what he wanted to order, to which Tony replied, “What would you suggest?”

“If you’re looking for something strong, then I would suggest the Snapdragon blend, but if you’re looking for something more light and sweet, then I’d say you should go with the Lily Latte.”

“I think I’ll go with the Snapdragon,” Tony decided and reached into his wallet to pay, but was interrupted by Peter.

“It’s on the house,” the boy said, turning around and beginning to make the coffee.

“Are you sure?” Tony asked him.

“Completely.”

Tony leaned against the counter as Peter made his drink, letting silence fall over the cafe.  The smell of the blend wafted through the shop, making the air feel warm and full.

“So, everything here is named after flowers?” Tony questioned, breaking the silence.

“Yep!” Peter answered with a smile, handing over the coffee.  When their hands touched briefly, his face turned red, which made Tony smile a bit.  “My friend’s dad owns the place and started it up when I was fifteen.  My friend, his dad, and I had been brainstorming themes and I came up with the flower idea.  He started it and I got a job.  Been working here ever since.”

“It’s nearly as cute as you,” Tony told him nonchalantly.  It made Peter’s face turn a darker shade of red.  “Do you wanna sit with me and finally get around to talking?  It doesn’t seem like it’s super busy at the moment.”

“Uh, sure,” Peter replied. “I’m just gonna make myself something to drink first.  Make yourself comfortable.  As the boy turned around to start working on his own beverage, Tony began to look around for a good place to sit.  Eventually, he decided on the couch near the back of the store.  He plopped himself down and waited for the boy.  When he finally lifted the mug to his mouth and took a sip of the coffee, he thought he was in heaven.

“Peter, this might be the best coffee I have ever had,” Tony told him seriously when the boy plopped down in the armchair next to the couch Tony was sitting on the corner of.

“You’re just saying that,” Peter replied with a blush before taking a sip from his own mug.

“I am dead serious, Pete.”

The next while was filled with chatter and getting to know each other.  Tony found himself actually telling the truth about himself when it came to things he liked and his inner problems.  Of course, he had to lie when it came to his career and his heritage, but he was as truthful as he could be in the situation.  When the clock on the wall began chiming to announce that it was five am, Peter took his and Tony’s mugs and walked back behind the counter to wash them, the mob boss following him and leaning over the counter to keep him in his line of vision.

“My shift’s over and my replacement for the morning shift will be here any second, so I’ve got to get back home to sleep before my next shift,” Peter told Tony as he dried the mugs with a towel and put them back on a shelf.  Tony couldn’t help but note how all of the mugs were mix-matched just like the rest of the shop.

“We can walk back together,” Tony replied.  Peter smiled at him and the two began to leave.  As they walked out, a woman walked through the door in the same uniform Peter was wearing.  The two baristas greeted each other and that was the end of it.

Peter and Tony walked back to the apartment complex in silence, basking in each other’s company.  When they got into the building, they climbed the stairs until they reached the third floor, which was where Peter’s apartment was.  Peter unlocked the door and opened it, but turned around before he walked through.

“Thanks for stopping by the shop today,” the younger man said before going up on his tiptoes to be able to reach and kissing Tony on the cheek.  Then, with a bright blush and no more words, he walked through the door and closed it behind him.

Tony stood in front of the door, frozen with shock.  Slowly, he lifted a hand to the cheek where Peter had kissed him and smiled.  He turned around and climbed the stairs up to the fourth floor, going into his own apartment and collapsing onto the couch.  He was on cloud nine.  He fell into a dream-filled sleep that he didn’t wake up from until the afternoon.

+++

“Are you even paying attention, Tony?” Natasha asked him with a glare.  She was sitting right next to him at the conference room table that also had all the higher-ups sitting around it.  Tony snapped out of his daydream and turned to her.

“Of course. Why?” he asked, feigning innocence.

Natasha sighed in exasperation and gave a roll of her eyes.  Everybody else watched the interaction go down without a word.

“Seriously,” Steve spoke up with a serious voice, “what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing,” Tony assured him, but it didn’t really convince anybody at the table.

“I know that look,” Rhodey chimed in an annoyed tone. “I know that look and that is a dangerous look.”

“What look?” Sam asked him, confusion laced into his voice.

“The look,” Natasha answered with a tired and annoyed glare at Tony.

“I don’t have the look!” Tony defended.

“You have the look and denying it only makes it worse,” Rhodey told him.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky cut in, “but what’s the look?”

“The look that Steve had when he first started hanging out with you,” Natasha explained, turning to Bucky.

“Wait,” Bucky said, making everybody turn to him. “Are you in love, Tony?”

“I’m not in love!”

“You’re in love,” Rhodey said conclusively.

“Who is it?” Steve questioned with a mischievous smile.

“Nobody!” Tony replied with a glare.

“You’re not leaving until you tell us who it is,” Bucky told him, mimicking Steve’s smile.

“I cannot believe I let all of you be my higher-ups,” Tony groaned, putting his head down on the cold table.

“Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!” Sam began to chant, Bucky and Steve joining in.  The entire group began to chant it, pressuring Tony to speak up.

“His name is Peter, okay!?” Tony finally shouted, lifting his head up from the table and throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. “Are you happy now?!”

“What’s his last name, Tony?” Natasha interrogated.

With a sigh, Tony answered, “Parker. His name is Peter Parker.” 

Natasha pulled her laptop out of her satchel.  It looked inconspicuous enough, but it was equipped with gear and equipment powerful enough to hack the pentagon.  She began to search through files about Peter Parker, wondering if there was any dirt on him.  Tony glared at her all the while.

“Peter Parker, age 21, born in New York.  His parents died in a plane crash and left him to his aunt and uncle.  Uncle died when shot during a robbery.  Aunt died of a heart attack.  He still lives in the apartment that he was raised in,”  she read off to the room.  Rhodey, who was sitting next to her, grabbed the laptop to read for himself.

“He had no affiliations with any gangs or mobs.  No criminal record.  He was top of his class and valedictorian but never went to college.  He currently works at-”

“The Vanilla Orchid,” Tony said, cutting him off. “He’s been working there since he was fifteen to save up for college.  He wants to go into chemical engineering.  He’s a genius in science and in the kitchen.”

Everyone looked up at him in shock, wondering how the man knew all of this information.

“He likes the color yellow,” Tony continued, “but also loves green.  Not lime green, but the kind of green you would find on leaves in a rainforest.  His favorite time of year is early spring because he likes to watch the snow melt away and the flowers start to bloom.  He’s never been out of New York but has always wanted to go to Venice.  He likes wool sweaters, but can’t afford them, and prefers realistic fiction over any other genre.  He uses watercolor paints when he can afford them and always, always, carries a polaroid camera with him.”

“How do you know so much about him?” Steve asked in bewilderment.

“We hang out when he has night shifts and it’s not busy at the cafe,” Tony told him with a shrug.

“You really like this guy, don’t you?” Rhodey asked Tony softly.

“Yeah,” Tony told him with a soft smile. “Yeah, I really do.”

“Go get him, hoe!” Sam told him while pumping a fist in the air.  Everybody laughed and got back to the meeting.

+++

For the next month after Peter kissed Tony on the cheek, the two had been dancing around each other.  They flirted when they hung out at the cafe and dropped slight hints in their text messages.  Tony would constantly compliment him in an effort to see him turn red and stumble over his words.  Peter always seemed embarrassed by how he reacted to the sweet words, but Tony had assured the young man that he found it cute.

It had been a month of staying up all night at the cafe and talking on the phone and good morning and goodnight texts.  It was sweet and Tony was just falling deeper and deeper in love with Peter, which is why he decided to finally invite the younger man to his apartment.

Tony and Peter had arranged for Peter to come around at one pm so they had time to hang out before Peter’s afternoon and night shifts, but enough time for Peter to sleep after his shift that went until five am.  Tony had been rushing around to make sure that any clues of who he truly was were hidden away and kept secret.  Of course, he made sure that he had some weapons hidden around every room in the event that someone found him, but he wanted to be sure that Peter didn’t see them.

At one pm exactly, there was a knock on Tony’s door.  When he opened it up, he saw Peter holding a container of brownies, presumably homemade.  He was wearing a wool, pastel purple sweater and a pair of white jeans along with black ballet flats.  He was smiling that bright smile and had a faint blush painted across his cheeks.

Tony moved aside to let Peter in and shut the door behind the boy.  Peter set the brownies down on the kitchen counter and turned to Tony.

“How’s the novel going?”

Tony laughed and sat down on the couch, motioning for Peter to join him.  The younger man sat as close to him as he could without their bodies touching.

“The novel’s going well,” Tony told him, lying through his teeth. “I’ve been going back and editing some bits to make sure that the chapters I’m writing now are making sense.  I want to make sure there aren’t any plot holes.  How’s the cafe going?”

“Really well, actually,” Peter told him. “We’ve been getting a lot of customers! It’s busy, but that means more money going into the cafe and more tips.”

Tony gave a small laugh at that.

The two began to talk, discussing anything and everything in the world.  Tony asked Peter about colleges he would like to go to and Peter asked Tony about his writing.  The two teased each other about small things, unafraid to joke about each other.

A little over an hour after Peter came over, they started hearing voices outside the door.  The two looked at each other at first but brushed it off as a neighbor having some people over, but when the voices didn’t go away, they became suspicious.  Dread began to build up in Tony’s stomach, having a feeling about what was happening.  He pressed a button on his watch to alert his higher-ups of what was happening and then turned to Peter.

“I need you to hide in the bedroom.”

“Tony, I-” Peter started.

“There’s no time!” Tony cut him off urgently. “You have to hide!”

“Tony, I know what’s-” Peter tried again.

“Please, Peter!” Tony pleaded, motioning him to the bedroom.  Before either could say anything more, the door was kicked in.  Men and women in black suits entered, pointing guns at Tony.  Tony had already grabbed a gun that was secured under the coffee table, though, and was ready for it.

It was a standoff and everyone was silent . . .

Until a gun was fired toward Peter.

The young man moved out of the way in time so only his shoulder was grazed.  Before Tony could even fire, Peter pulled out a gun from the waistband of his jeans and fired at the woman who had tried to shoot him, a bullet going right through her heart.  Everyone stared at him in shock and Peter took the opportunity to fire.  He shot three more people dead, bringing everybody back to reality.

It was Peter and Tony versus the six that were alive.  The two were quick to dive behind the couch.  Tony popped up and surprised the intruders, shooting two of them dead.  The rest tried to fire, moving forward, but Tony ducked and Peter shot up, killing another.  The two crawled across the floor and took cover under the kitchen table.  Tony stopped for a moment, watching Peter, who crawled out under the other side of the table, shooting two more, one in the head and one in the chest.  With only one left, Tony crawled out from the other side and shot him in the leg, bringing him down before shooting him in the head.

The apartment was silent.

“Nice shot, Tony,” Peter laughed as he crawled out from below the table and stood up, blood still running from his shoulder.  He slowly dragged himself to the kitchen, set his gun down on the counter, and grabbed a dishrag, holding it over his shoulder and applying pressure in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Tony crawled out, too, cautiously making his way over to the kitchen, too.  He gave Peter a wary stare, eyes dropping to where he was holding the rag on his shoulder.

“How did you-” he started, but Peter cut him off.

“You’re not as slick as you think you are,” he told Tony with a joking tone. “Think about it.  Tony Stark goes on radio silence the same day that Will Garner moves into the apartment building.  The t-shirts that Will Garner wears are expensive as all hell, and yet he claims he’s an author who is barely scraping by.  Will Garner never talks about his writing unless prompted and then immediately steers the conversation away from it.  Will Garner had never published an article online and, according to government records, does not live in Queens, New York.  And that’s how I knew that you, the so-called ‘Will Garner’, is, in fact, Anthony Edward Stark, famed mob boss that controls the city.”

“You are-” Tony stopped and collapsed in a stool at the breakfast bar with a sigh. “I underestimated your smarts and ability to figure shit out.  Though, I thought you would have been running away by now.”

“I fell in love with Tony Stark,” Peter told him with a soft smile as he looked down at his feet, “but he was just under the name of Will Garner.  Same person, just with a different job.”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a job,” Tony joked, making both of them laugh.  Peter opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted by five people running in, all with guns in their hands and ready to kill.  When they entered and saw all the dead bodies on the floor, they pointed their guns at the one person who they hadn’t seen before: Peter.

Peter put his hands up in the universal ‘I surrender’ position, causing the dishrag he was holding on his shoulder to fall to the floor.

“Guys! Guys!” Tony yelled, turning their attention to him.  “This is Peter Parker!”

“And how do we know he isn’t with them,” Steve growled with suspicion.  Natasha and Rhodey, though, lowered their guns.

“Maybe because I’m not dead and am currently bleeding,” Peter sassed with a roll of his eyes.

“And possibly because he took out seven of the men out,” Tony added on with a glare at Steve.

Bucky, Steve, and Sam lowered their guns, watching as Peter bent down and picked up the dishrag again, placing it back on his shoulder.  Tony turned away from his team to face the injured man.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, scanning his body for other injuries.

“Just a graze on my shoulder,” Peter reassured him, “but it’s kinda bleeding a lot.”

Tony looped Peter’s arm, which was the one without the blood running down it, and put an arm around his waist, helping the stumbling boy out of the apartment and down the stairs, his higher-ups following them.  He thanked whatever deity was out there that none of their neighbors were around.  He helped Peter into the car and everybody else piled in quietly, looking on as Tony laid the boy down on his back and rested his head on his lap, keeping the rag on the boy’s shoulder and gently running his fingers through his hair.

+++

The last thing Peter remembered was Tony helping him into a car and laying him down on the leather seats.  As he groggily woke up, he found himself in the softest bed he had ever been on.  He looked around and realized he was practically drowning in pillows and he was in a canopy bed, the sheen curtains closed around him.  

The next thing he realized was that he was dressed in silk pajamas and his shoulder was patched up.  He slowly sat up, trying not to injure his wound any further.  He blinked to get used to the natural light of the late morning streaming in through the tall and grand windows in the large room with its high ceilings.  He looked over to see Tony dozing on the other side of the large bed.  As Peter sat up completely and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the mob boss began to wake up.  Peter turned around to face him.

“Are you feeling better?” Tony asked him as he sat up and made his way over to sit next to the younger man on the ledge of the bed.

“Well, I’m not bleeding and don’t feel like I’m going to pass out,” Peter replied jokingly, “so I’d say I’m feeling better.”

Tony laughed and stood up, offering his hand to Peter.  He pulled the younger man up and let go of his hand so they could stretch.

“Let’s get you some breakfast,” Tony said and began to walk away, but Peter was frozen.

“Wait, breakfast?” Peter questioned worriedly.  Tony turned around to him.  “I missed my shift at the cafe! I didn’t even call in. Shit.”

“You were just involved in a shoot-off between two mobs and almost got shot but you’re concerned about missing your shift?” Tony questioned with bewilderment in his voice.

“Yes!” Peter exclaimed.

“Don’t worry,” Tony told him, voice returning to soft and comforting. “I called in and told them that something had happened.  It’s fine.”

The tension in Peter’s shoulders was released and his eyes filled up with relief.  He gave Tony a sincere thank you and then let the man lead him down to the kitchen.

Tony couldn’t help but watch Peter’s amazed eyes and excited face as they walked through the halls.  He marveled at the beauty of the mansion with its chandeliers and marble flooring, having never seen somewhere so nice before.

“What would you like?” Tony asked him once they reached the kitchen.  He motioned to a barstool at the breakfast bar, an invitation for Peter to sit down.

“I’m not really sure,” the younger man replied, furrowing his brow and biting on his lip as he tried to think about what he wanted.

“How about pancakes?”

The two men talked and laughed as Tony moved around the kitchen, making chocolate chip pancakes for the two of them.  Any tension in the room that had been caused by the afternoon before disappeared as they made conversation.

Finally, Tony set down a plate of pancakes in front of Peter.  As he turned away to go and grab his plate, Peter spoke up.

“Hey, Tony?” he muttered with shyness laced into his tone.

“Yeah?” the mob boss asked, turning around.

In a bout of courage that Peter had been trying to work up, he leaned forward and placed his lips on Tony’s, giving a short peck before pulling away.

“Thank you,” Peter whispered, his coffee-brown eyes meeting Tony’s whiskey eyes.

Without a word, Tony rushed forward and captured the younger in another kiss, every word they had ever shared melting into each other as they met their lips together like a tulip before it blooms.

And everything was okay at that moment.

[msjr0119]

Why me?

Part 33b - I do 💍💒🥰

Riley is forced out of Cordonia unknowingly to her friends, and moves back to New York.

She is later faced with her past from Cordonia and is hiding a few new secrets. With the help from her New York friends and friends from Cordonia will she escape her current situation and find her happy ever after?

Tags- @annekebbphotography @burnsoslow @drakesensworld @ladyangel70 @kingliam2019 @bbrandy2002 @butindeed @bascmve01 @drakewalker04 @pedudley @captain-kingliamsqueen @duchessemersynwalker @insideamirage @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @texaskitten30 @ibldw-main @kozabaji @kimmiedoo5 @nikkis1983

The last part of the series... thank you everyone for the likes/reblogs... some parts have been crap I’ll admit that- but I’ve really enjoyed doing this as my first series... Team Driley 🥰

*******

It was a summer wedding, in Cordonia- in the early afternoon. Riley Brooks and Drake Walker were finally getting married- the two commoners; who by fate, had fallen in love.

The gateway that was adjacent to Palace door, led into a large courtyard, where the nuptials were due to take place. The courtyard was separated into four uneven sections by flagstoned paths - each section was unique. One section was where the fountain trickled water effortlessly- providing a tranquil atmosphere. Another section held a large tree, it stood dormant- the slight wind blew the pink blossom away gracefully. The last two sections, provided a green lawn with a variety of flowerbeds that were a riot of colour.

******

Myself and my best man walked down the courtyard ‘aisle’ - well, Liam walked with his regal stance, I basically froze forcing my legs to walk. The sun was shining through the courtyard- rose petals delicately placed on the ground, the aroma consisted of them and peonies that were decorated around the area.

Why Drake I never knew you had such flair with peonies...- Never would I have imagined that just shortly after that she would kiss me for the first time in the Beaumont’s study.

I waited at the flower covered temporary alter feeling nervous, anxious, petrified that she may think this is the biggest mistake of her life. This short time that I have known Riley, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I couldn’t still believe that she had chosen me.

“Drake- Liam proposed to me tonight.”

“Oh.. I’m hap-“

“I said no.”

“What?”

“Drake I might’ve come here for Liam, but I want to be with you. You’re the only one I’ve ever cared about.”

I don’t know what the hell I’ve done to deserve this woman. Liam usual gets what he wants with him being royalty. But not this time. For the first time in my life, I was complete- it truly was love at first sight. I was knocked out of my thoughts when my Mom came to speak to me.

“So, I’m going to have a new daughter-in-law and more grandchildren. Our family is expanding. Drake, I’m returning to Cordonia to be with you all. Your Aunt will take over the ranch. Good luck darling. I’m so proud of both you and your sister!”

Shit! I - we are leaving Cordonia. Why would she want to move back, I thought?

******

The sun was shining and the echo of the birds tweets, created a calm atmosphere. Shame I wasn’t this content, this damn morning sickness, or was it just nerves? Myself and my bridal party strolled out of the palace, towards the gateway to the courtyard. My two maid of honours- Hana and Olivia were delicately holding the laced train that trailed behind my dress. It was now or never.

“Riley you need to breathe.”

“I’m trying Gran, I’m really trying. I’m excited but so nervous.”

“Baby, everything is going to be fine. I’m here! Forever.”

“What do you mean forever?”

“I’m staying in Cordonia- spending my last years with my granddaughter.”

My gran is moving here? But I’m- we’re leaving. Shit!

******

I saw the Beaumont’s and Leo leave the courtyard. I’m assuming my fiancée is here- at last. My hands became more clammy every second that went by. Liam must have noticed as he began to crack out shit jokes to me- maybe he should just keep to his King duties, something he’s good at and leave Maxwell to be the fun joker we all love. It seemed like forever, but the three men eventually returned- she looks beautiful,Drake- Maxwell said, now my heart was leaping out of my chest. I was eager to see her.

*****

Patiently having to wait at the entrance, was killing me. I just wanted to leap into Drake’s strong arms. Just then the Beaumont’s and Leo turned up by my side- You look beautiful blossom, are you ready? It’s not too late to back out? I was more than ready, are they stupid? I was ready before he even proposed to me. Deep- down in my gut, I knew I wanted to be with Drake Walker for the rest of my life.

“That leaves one question. Who are you marrying in this scenario? Me?”

“I.... Are you proposing to me Brooks?”

“Trust me, if I were, you’d know.”

And now was the time.....

*****

“Ladies and Gentlemen, if you’d please rise for the bride.”

Leo grinned as everyone stood up gracefully, winking at a nerve wrecking Drake.

I watched as my two maid of honours, gracefully waltz down the aisle, flashing smiles to our guests. They were naturals, must be the noble upbringing they both had, I assumed? I now knew that all eyes were going to be gazing in my direction- even though the spotlight always seemed to enjoy following me like a bad smell- I hated it. I linked my shaking arm through my grans fragile arm - her eyes and smile lit up showing that she was proud. We stood at the top of the aisle, it looked like it was never ending- it was like the yellow brick road. My Gran, was my strength- without her supporting me, I felt like I could possibly faint. I concentrated looking forward as we walked, I attempted to conceal the tears running down my cheek. In the corner of my eyes I could see our guests waving and smiling. Eventually we was about five steps away from the bottom of the aisle- at last. Liam looked regal, he pat Drake on the shoulder- then his baby blues focused on me. I looked down towards the Rose petal covered floor to avoid his gaze. He ambled towards me, bowed and gave me a kiss on the cheek- you look lovely Riley, I’m truly happy for you. I looked into his eyes and mouthed -thank you. My Gran gave me a hug and imitated what Liam had just done- I love you Riley, go get your man. Liam, escorted my Gran safely to her seat- he really was a gentleman. Then my gaze fell on him- my marshmallow. The handsome commoner, standing tall in front of me. My, Drake. My, soon to be husband. My, children’s father.

Hana and Olivia began to walk down the aisle, along to the music. Myself and Liam pecked them both on the cheek as they arrived near us. My focus now was to see my bride- she’s kept me waiting this long. A moment later, she was in my view. She was breathtaking- I’m so lucky I thought, I never believed I would be worthy enough for a woman, such as Riley Brooks. I saw her dress for the first time- my knees went weak. It was a fitted princess style dress at the waist with a long train, crafted in silk and embroidery with beaded sparkles, and a close-fitting bodice with v-neck, and v-back. My eyes were now glistening with emotion- maybe I should have stolen some Kleenex from Maxwell? As they were in touching distance to us, I could see the sparkle in her ocean blue eyes, she too had been crying. She looked just like her Gran, both stunning ladies. My beautiful bride standing next to me. My, Brooks. My, Riley. My, soon to be wife. My, children’s mother.

******

Drake took Riley’s hands into his, both smiling with relief that they were reunited again. They whispered to each other so prying eyes and ears couldn’t hear them.

“Wow! You are so beautiful and look incredible Riley. I love you.”

“I’m just trying to keep up with my handsome fiancé. I love you too.”

“ I’m the one who needs to keep up. I need to tell you something, it’s about my Mom....”

“I need to tell you something too, it’s about my Gran....”

“FUCK!” They both whispered in unison- now realising it was the same thing.

******

“Ahem. If I may have everyone’s attention... I was honoured when I was asked to unite this incredible couple in marriage... So shall we get to the good part? The marrying part? Now, I believe you both have your own vows you’d like to recite?”

Riley and Drake nodded, their eyes still fixated on each other- the longing stares.

“Lady Riley, we will begin with you...”

Drake brushed his thumb over Riley’s knuckles, before holding her hands tighter- giving her an encouraging smile.

“Drake, I’ve now realised that you was always going to be my soulmate. You are loyal, my protector and my best friend. I could have hated you when we first met- you was the biggest jerk I’ve known, but now I realise you’re just a marshmallow. My grumpy marshmallow. I know things haven’t been easy. I always wondered why some people disliked me, so much. Why me? I thought. But, we have got through what most people don’t in a lifetime. You have always been there, having my back. I promise to appreciate every second spent with you and the twins. I will never ask you to change who you are, because I fell in love with who you already are.”

“Drake...now you.” Leo gestured.

“I’m going to keep my vows short and simple... Brooks, Riley... You took me by surprise the moment we met. I knew you was always going to be trouble- ever since you snuck us all out after curfew. You’re a bad influence, you know that? Every moment I spent with you, I always wanted more. I was determined not to fall for you - but I couldn’t help it. I fell in love with you instantly. I never knew what love was until I met you. You are beautiful in every single way possible. I’m going to continue protecting you and the twins and love you all for as long as I live.”

“Beautiful you two. Savannah? Is the ring bearer ready to steal the spotlight?”

Everyone laughed at Leo’s comment. Savannah carried Bartie over to his Uncle and Auntie, helping him hold the small cushion that was weighed down with the wedding bands.

“Do you, Drake Walker take Riley Brooks to be your partner in life and sharing your path; equal in love, a mirror for your true self, promising to honor and cherish, through the good times and the bad, until death do you part?"

“I do.”

"Do you, Riley Brooks take Drake Walker to be your partner in life and sharing your path; equal in love, a mirror for your true self, promising to honor and cherish, through the good times and the bad, until death do you part?"

“I do.”

"By the power vested in me by the Kingdom of Cordonia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

“S ' agapó Ó Morfi gynaíka mou”

Riley didn’t know what Drake had just said to her- she didn’t care, his husky voice sounded sexy. She ran her fingers down his chest, before pulling him closer until there was no gap between them - she could feel the rapid beating of his heart against her chest. That magnet was still there. Drake cupped her cheek, and brushed a lock of stray hair behind her ear. The newlyweds passionately kissed as if the world had fallen away. It was slow and soft to begin with- comforting in ways that words could never describe. His hand sat below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. Drake lifted his new wife up and spun her around, holding her protectively- his gaze not leaving hers. He eventually let her down, and they turned to face their applauding guests.

*******

The reception room echoed with excited chatter- when the Riley and Drake entered, applause spread throughout the room. The sound of scraping chairs resonated as everyone stood up for a standing ovation. The couple made their way over to the head table, smiling and holding hands- both feeling content. There were cheers- Maxwell being the loudest, of course. A while later, Drake kissed his bride on the cheek before taking a deep breath to make a toast. The sound of a teaspoon on the side of the champagne glass was a signal to gain attention and for their guests to become silent.

“On behalf of myself and my new wife, Mrs Riley Walker... we’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate with us today before we start our new adventure.”

That previous excited chatter had now turned melancholy. Their friends and family now knew this was the Walker’s way of saying goodbye.

Riley stood up next to Drake, placing one hand around his back and the other on his chest- her baby blues stared into his deep earthy eyes that contained a mischievous glint.

“Yes. Myself and Drake wouldn’t be here without the support from each and every single one of you. We love you all so much...”

Riley and Drake both smirked at each other after witnessing everyone’s down hearted expressions.

“And because we all love you so much.... myself and Drake... we ... we can’t leave you all here on your own. Unfortunately for you all, we are staying in Cordonia.”

[ambersky0319]

My Babies I love to hurt-

@whatschooldoesntteachyou you wanted info on my OCs so I shall provide! But in exchange of you have any OCs please tell me about them!! I'd really love to hear about them! Also @tacochippy this applies to you as well! And anyone else interested- I just really wanna hear about y'alls characters!

Kay! Onto my kiddos! This is also really unorganized and probably just the tip of the iceberg-

Evanna

She was the first OC I ever made and lemme just say,,,, she's come a long way. I'm really attached to her and I just love my royal gal. She's Aro/Ace and had a pretty shitty mom but she's making due. Her best friend is her guard and she had actually encouraged him to ask out his (not at the time) wife!

Also like, she fights on the front lines bc she knows her abilities are stronger than some of her own soldiers, and ends up reducing the death rate among her people(not by much, but it does slowly go down). Evanna has a problem with her own safety- great for angst with her relationships!!

Nezu

Nezu is a brand new character I made at the last moment, but I absolutely love them. They're pretty young, about 14-15 years old, and identify as agender(it's a miracle they even knew about the term since Dali don't really have vocab for this stuff, they just kinda accept different things). Nezu is a really strong healer despite their age and lack of training, and they really adore history

Oh also Nezu can't fly like most Dali, their wings being too small to support their weight. No one dares mention it though cause you do NOT disrespect a healer in Tongyi, especially if they're a quiet child healer that will ruin your entire reputation cause they just became the queen's favorite being in the entire kingdom

Erin

Evanna's guard and best friend, Erin has known Evanna for y e a r s. He's probably the most loyal Dali in Tongyi and thinks of Evanna as a sister. He loves his wife so much and she's probably the only person he'd prioritize over Evanna. Her name's Azzy and he will bring her up in any conversation that he can

He loves kids and it breaks his heart most of the soldiers are teenagers-young adults cause anyone older has already died. So he fights on the front lines with Evanna, even though he's really only average with his abilities. He does have outstanding strategy though, and sometimes the plans become so complicated that he and a select few can actually follow through

Marie

Onto the humans! Marie has a pretty chill childhood, it's not as dark as some of my other kids. She's a waitress at a restaurant called Silver Dream Café, a restaurant that doubles as a safe place for the employees. And that's no joke. You can be any age above 14 to work there, and they hire those that haven't had the very best life. Something happens to Marie that's really fucked up and so someone suggested she applies there, and Marie's found a new family there pretty much Her brother gets married and has a baby, and then Marie adopts a Nigerian teenage girl.

Marie's pretty stubborn, and very persuasive. If she really wanted to, she could have become a lawyer, but she really distrusts the judicial system and thinks it's unfair, especially after the thing that happens to her. She's compassionate and can oftentimes see through people's lies. The reason? Marie's outstandingly observational, and has an ability to imitate anyone she sees and hears. It's easy for her to pick up on surface-level habits.

Oh yeah and she's really Bi, her brother doesn't approve for awhile but he eventually comes around

Leona

A trained assassin, Leona's very deceiving, having multiple other identities(Abyss - Assassin name, Mariah Peters - news reporter). She does this to protect her actual identity, as well as maybe repress some past events. Her parents are very homophobic and kicked her out around 16 after someone outed Leona as a lesbian.

She turned to a life of crime to sustain herself and somehow got roped into a government organization(experiment) called Tempest. It wasn't long until she was being forced to kill, and she became very apathetic to do her job more efficiently. After all, Tempest payed her well. So she wasn't keen on betraying them anytime soon.

Not until she's given a target by the name Marie Sydney.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah is a ftm assassin, but instead of working on the field like most in Tempest, he was placed in the engineer sector, creating weapons and occasionally leaving the compound to help on missions. He's only known as "Pup" among the other Tempest Members because he's really young and small.

He's very intelligent and cunning, and suffers from constant guilt. He's... Working on it.

Oh and he has part of a soul of another one of my OCs in him(1/3 of the soul)

Taylor

Taylor, often called "Aunty Tay" by her cousin(Neva said it once and it just kinda stuck) and most small children, is the girl that Marie adopted. She's strong and really closed off, often not trusting anyone right away. She really loves her family that Marie brought her into, and will protect them at any cost. Much like Evanna, she's really selfless and is perfectly fine with sacrificing her safety in exchange for the safety of others.

She also has part of the soul within her(2/3) and seems to have the strongest spiritual connection to Cinomeds in general.

Dani

Introduced first as a spoiled and then orphaned prince, he's adopted by Evanna much later in the series once he's older and helps support the Tongyian kingdom. He's adaptable in many situations, but deals with emotion very poorly(especially very strong negative emotions). Despite making a lot of mistakes he eventually learns and tries to fix the mistakes.

He's the third part of the soul.

Oh and did I mention Dani, Taylor, and Jeremiah all start dating? Yeah, they're in a healthy poly relationship and care for one another deeply(after a rough introduction at least)

Aki

CINOMED KIDS! We're nearing the end. Aki is pretty much a mad scientist, with a disregard for the actual life of creatures. He sees a lot of things as test subjects, and loves to play with the biology of said creatures. He's Aro/Ace and the other Cinomeds are like his family. Although he's introduced as a villain he has a sorta redemption arc thing? Idk I know I just love him-

Is the first and only Cinomed to really be redeemed(ish)

Angel

Also a Cinoned, their personality varies greatly because their soul was split into parts(originally two- trio earlier are the first to have Angel's soul split into thirds) and the same goes for their appearance. Before the soul splitting though, Angel was rebellious and often didn't see eye-to-eye with the other Cinomeds

*cough*partofaplottwistihaveinmind*cough*

Serranidae

Goes by Serra by the other Cinomeds, she takes rejection horribly. Her and Angel were a thing at one point, before there was a huge fallout and then Angel was torn apart. Serra was crushed, and vowed to protect Aki at all costs cause she was not gonna lose another part of her family

She fails in the end but it's not really her fault?

Oh Serra is also extremely brutal in fights

Rikki

He's not really that fleshed out... He's the main baddie of my kiddos. Think Aaravos from TDP. Except as a shadow thing. He's the creator of Fahndali and literally every creature there, as well as the other Cinomeds. He split Angel's soul apart before being sucked to the core of the planet where he remained trapped for over a millennia. He's also an asshole, confident in his abilities and not afraid to manipulate those until he feels no need for them.

If people wanna know more just dm me or send an ask and I can probably guarantee more ramblings

[laceybarbedwire]

Okay, so...I saw Joker on the 13th (which was an accident, but a good day to do it) and I have some thoughts. My thoughts on the movie I’ll share later maybe, but for now, I have *fic* ideas, and those are much more interesting (I hope).

Basically, it was spurred on by a fear that the insane success of the film will lead to a sequel, and me trying to determine what I’d consider an ‘acceptable’ sequel. Or, in other words, what would it require for me to be happy with a sequel happening. What story could they tell, to follow up a Joker origin movie set in the 70′s, that would be good? Can’t do the normal Batman vs Joker routine, not when Arthur is in his mid thirties to early forties, meaning that he’ll be nearing sixty by the time Bruce dons the cowl. I mean, you could, but that’d be tricky to do in a non-farcical way.

So, let’s just set aside the issues with how on earth Joker manages to maintain his threat level when he’s literally twice Bruce’s age, and contemplate a different angle. A film set in the present, as Joker lays in Arkham, slowly dying and knowing it. He’s succeeded in many of his goals, but failed to completely destroy Arkham, having been fought not just by the Rich and the Lawful but by the Lawless as well. The Mob doesn’t want his rule anymore than the police do after all. And so while he feels that he’s managed to ensure that his death will make ‘cents’, he feels the need to secure his legacy, and thus manages to get the word out to his loyal followers. 

A series of tests and trials, to determine who will have the right to don the makeup instead of simply a mask, the next Clown Prince of Crime, are to be held. The first of which being to see who can break him out of Arkham *and* capture his psychiatrist and bring her with them, alive and unharmed. And thus the Joker Games begin, but unbeknownst to pretty much everyone, it’s all a sham. Joker already knows who’s going to succeed him, and this is all just a sideshow as he works on breaking down the sanity of his chosen heir, Harleen Quinzel. Story ends with Joker dying laughing, and Harleen falling into the vat of chemicals from Ace. 

But then we get the third one, the final chapter so to speak. In which a series of encounters and struggles slowly result in Harley gaining her conscience back. Fighting Batman and hallucinations of ‘Mistuh J’ the whole time, she begins the process of redemption, eventually turning Gotham on its head when she emerges a hero, the one to finally destroy the legacy of Joker, and end his follower’s anarchic war on the city.

Anyway, that’s all I got figured out for now. What do y’all think? Worth writing, or delete my AO3 account and quit trying to write ever?

[relationshipsandpolitics]

The Hufflepuff Manifesto

While I never took the Harry Potter sorting games seriously, I fully admit to rigging the results to make myself a Gryffindor.  Gryffindor is the house of the heroic and the brave.  Who doesn’t want to be the hero?  We’re all heroes in our own story, after all.  Some people boast of being sorted into Slytherin.  They like to be cunning, powerful, and ambitious.  These certainly are traits valued in society.  Or you can be in Ravenclaw, the house of intelligence and wit.  And why not enjoy being a Ravenclaw?  If you aren’t powerful or heroic, it’s because you’re too smart to seek power, too pragmatic and wise to even believe in heroes.  

And then there are the Hufflepuffs.  At first, no one wanted to be a Hufflepuff.  I denied that I could possibly be so ordinary. Even Hagrid, a lovable moron, called them duffers.  Then Cedric Diggory happened, and we started rooting for them.  We held up their loyalty and overall goodness.  Whereas Gryffindors were reckless and rude, Slytherins cutthroat and discriminatory, and Ravenclaw’s haughty and cold, the Hufflepuffs could be viewed as the soul and conscience of humanity.  They are the pure goodness in us all.  That was what Rowling was going for with the Hufflepuff House, right?

Not quite.  While Rowling may have believed in the innate goodness of us all, ultimately, she made Hufflepuff an arbiter for the common man, flawed as he may be.  Now, it’s clear that Rowling altered her message about Hufflepuff’s as the series went on, perhaps in response to the initial reaction to them.  Fair enough.  But it can be argued that what Rowling was saying when she created the Hufflepuff house was that in life, there are the aristocrats and the plebes, the strivers and the content.  And the Hufflepuff are the plebes and the content.  Remember the first song from the Sorting Hat in Philosopher’s Stone:

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil

 The line ‘unafraid of toil’ shows the Hufflepuffs as the working class, the laborers, the office drones, people who make up most of the population.  Hufflepuffs are just and loyal, meaning they support their families and friends in a way worth mentioning compared to the other houses. It’s not saying that other houses lack loyalty, but rather that it is such an intrinsic quality for a Hufflepuff. In other words, a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw could be unloyal.  A Hufflepuff cannot.  This makes sense when you view House distinctions through the lens of achievement.

See, to achieve greatness often requires an abnormal amount of selfishness, of putting your needs and goals front and center.  It doesn’t mean you can’t love and support family and friends, but the ambitious and talented tend to sacrifice those relationships to achieve greatness.  The working class instead hold firm to those familial ties.  They are more likely to stay in the towns they grew up in, near to family, and take care of that family as they age.   They may never have achieved greatness regardless; perhaps they were not ambitious, brave or intelligent enough to be more than what they are.  But they also sacrifice those lofty dreams out of loyalty to their friends and family.  Perhaps they could risk opening their own business, but they are not willing to risk the security of a stable paycheck which supports their family.

The point of Hufflepuff in this sense is not that they are just as great and awesome as the other houses. Judging by the traditional metrics of success, they simply do not meet the threshold.  But there is value in them as a group.  Essentially, the working class or ‘regular people’ are necessary to exist to balance out the traits of the successful or extraordinary people.  And to be clear, Rowling does view Hufflepuff’s as thoroughly unexceptional as a group.

During the sorting ceremony in The Order of the Phoenix, the Sorting Hat sings the following:

Said Slytherin, “We’ll teach just those Whose ancestry is purest.” Said Ravenclaw, “We’ll teach those whose Intelligence is surest.” Said Gryffindor, “We’ll teach all those With brave deeds to their name,” Said Hufflepuff, “I’ll teach the lot, And treat them just the same.”

Here there are no distinct characteristics given to the Hufflepuffs.  They are quite literally the left overs.  This directly connects with people in general.  There are the select few who will have their names remembered for generations and then there are the billions of the rest of us who ensure society continues to hum along.  They are the ones who work the ten hour shifts to make sure the extraordinary still have food to eat and working plumbing and tech support when their iPhone is on the fritz. In fact, let’s hone in on the Apple example.

Steve Jobs was the visionary.  He was the genius.  He was the one smart enough to lead Apple through a period of enormous success.  He was brave enough to take a chance starting Apple in the first place.  He was also conniving and ambitious enough to destroy his competitors and even some former allies along the way to greatness.  He is a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin and a Gryffindor.   But he is not a Hufflepuff.  He was ultimately loyal to himself above all others.  He was not always just and noble.  No, the Hufflepuffs were those that worked for him and enabled his success. The Hufflepuffs were the engineers working 20-hour days on the lasted OS update.  They were the marketing team burning the midnight oil on how to explain why the iPhone 5 was vastly superior to the iPhone 4 in one thirty second spot. Yet when it was time to debut the next iPhone, it wasn’t the thousands of Apple employees on the stage.  It was Steve Jobs alone.  He got to be the hero who gifted us this lifechanging phone (Gryffindor).  He was the one earning millions and millions and had the CEO title (Slytherin). He was the genius who came up with putting all your music in one small device (Ravenclaw).   The Hufflepuffs were nameless and faceless.  

But less you think the Hufflepuffs are really the unsung heroes of the world, Rowling was quick to disabuse you of that notion.  Recall in Chamber of Secrets when Justin gets petrified.  The Hufflepuffs are quick to turn on Harry.  Despite all the evidence to the contrary, and despite Harry’s objective goodness, the Hufflepuffs scorn him.  They join with the rest of the school.   In Goblet of Fire, when Harry’s name gets picked from the flames, the ire of the Hufflepuffs is even more severe.  But in both cases, once the evidence is impossible to ignore, the Hufflepuffs do an about face.  

Perhaps Rowling was making a connection with how people handle fear or jealousy.  The Hufflepuffs were quick to turn on Harry when one of their own was harmed and when they felt they were not getting their just moment in the sun.  They looked for a villain to blame for their troubles and Harry made the perfect target. But ultimately, they did the right thing when push came to shove.  People are like that.  We allow truly terrible things to occur because we can be swayed by fear.  But at some point, when the line gets crossed and it is time for us to choose between good and evil, we side with good. For the most part.   Maybe that was Rowling’s point.  That sometimes, in our efforts to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we go down the wrong path.  But our innate nature will always allow us to return to where we belong.

Harry Potter was about a Gryffindor going up against a Slytherin.  Two diametrically opposed individuals that shared exceptional traits and both bound for greatness.  But in the end, the war they fought was a war for the souls of the Hufflepuffs.  For the masses who would ultimately pay the ultimate price in the war.   We are the Hufflepuffs, and we allow ourselves to be ruled by the Gryffindors and Slytherins and Ravenclaws in exchange for them allowing us to live the lives we want.  But every year, we lose more ground and the social construct gets chipped away again and again.   But as Rowling shows us when the Hufflepuffs answer the call at the Battle of Hogwarts, you can only strain that contract so much before we push back.  Before we return to the right path.

Look, it’s true that Hufflepuffs might not be overly brave or intelligent or ambitious.  Of course, there are the exceptions like Cedric and Tonks. But I also believe Hufflepuffs make the choice to focus on different values.  Like loyalty to their friends and family.  The Hufflepuff doesn’t need the fame or money.  They just want enough to get by for those closest to them.   The problem for Voldemort, the reason I believe the Hufflepuffs eventually fought against him, was that he took that from them.  He went after their families.  Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff, lost her aunt to Voldemort. She, in turn, fought against him at the Battle of Hogwarts.

The Hufflepuff is represented by the badger, loyal and full of perseverance.  Live and let live could be its motto.  But again, the Hufflepuff is represented by a badger.  And when they feel their family is threatened, when their basic way of life is at risk, the badger becomes ferocious and incredibly dangerous.

We are all Hufflepuffs.  Far more than we are Gryffindors or Ravenclaws or Slytherins.  We are loyal, we love our families, and we work hard to provide for our families.  Right now, it feels like there are too many Slytherins and not enough Gryffindors, while the Ravenclaws look around and shake their heads.  But there will always be Hufflepuffs, thousands of us.  Millions perhaps.  And we are incredibly dangerous.