#not to say thats bad writing

[rafesweetie]

need a jealous bsf!rafe x reader where he is possessive and doesn’t want other guys touching her even though he touches other girls, so she is basically over it and at a party, she dances on another guy and he gets mad

౨ৎ in which bsf!rafe just can’t help wanting to protect you.

you were done with rafe cameron. you’ve decided it. he was your best friend, sure, but he was controlling, mean, overly protective, and he acted like he owned you or something. so you were completely done with him, forever.

this is the third time you’ve promised yourself that, and news flash — you never dropped him.

it wasn’t your fault, you try to tell yourself every time. he just wouldn’t let you leave him, shutting you up whenever you’d even try and be reasonable with him, yelling louder than you or slamming his palm over your mouth. but a little part of you knows that you like the attention. you like that rafe cares so much about you, even if it does ruin your chances of getting a boyfriend. today is the day that you break the pattern though, and rebel against his constant authority.

parties are where rafe thrives. he’s like a celebrity, it always wonders you how much people love him. during parties, he keeps less of an eye on you, assuming you’re just busy gossiping with your friends. but little does he know, you’ve found a boy — it wasn’t often you’d get the opportunity to chat with a boy that wasn’t rafe, and you were loving every second of it. you felt so free from your friend’s gaze, listening to the boy talk, his deep voice vibrating your brain.

but the issue was, the boy was boring. he didn’t talk about cool things, like dirtbikes or his life or death adventures or money. you hated to say it, but he just wasn’t rafe. your mind kept flashing back to him, how much more you smile and enjoy his company. maybe rafe was right. you just didn’t need boys when you have him.

you’re so close to excusing yourself from the boy, going back to rafe’s arm and giggling with him and talking with your faces really close together. you glance back to where he is, ready to retreat, until you see it. you see her.

you’re not sure who she is, but she bothers you. her hair is so gorgeous and healthy, and you can’t see her face from behind but she must be gorgeous. her arm is on rafe’s bicep — your bicep, the one you always hang onto while you’re walking with rafe. you hate that you’re jealous. rafe’s your friend, not your boyfriend, you have no reason to be. but it’s like you can’t control it, your rage, and before you know it, you’re blinking back any potential tears and touching on this boy — this stranger — like there’s no tomorrow. tyla is blasting through the speakers, and yours and these boy’s hands are all over each other’s bodies. you really hope rafe sees you like this, drunk off the smirnoff pink lemonades and enjoying another mans company.

it really doesn’t take long for him to notice. he’s so predictable. shrugging the girls hand off of him, rushing over to his dear friend to get her away from this lowlife.

usually he’d reason with you. coax you away from the boy nicely and lecture you. but he’d had a few beers and a line of coke and he was in no mood for politeness. a rough hand pushes the boy away by the chest, and rafe isn’t muttering a word to anyone, grabbing your wrist and stomping away with you stumbling behind.

he pushes you into a spare bedroom, the first private place he could find. sitting you on the edge of the bed, he starts pacing in front of you and rubbing his face as if this was hurting his head. it’s like your brain flicks a switch, back to “rafe rafe rafe” as you’re sat there with tears brimming your eyes, fiddling with your manicure as you bat your eyelashes up at him, remembering the girl flirting with him, and now you making him mad, and now he’s got you in a puddle of guilt.

“shit— it’s like, you never do what i say, huh?” he mutters, still pacing. “you know i do everything to protect you, kid. you even know who that fuckin’ guy was? no, m’sure you don’t, cause you don’t think. thought by now my voice would be in your pretty head, there to help you make some smart decisions every once in a while. but nah, nah, you see one other boy and it’s back to square one with you,”

you go to speak, glossy lips parting, but he shuts you up with a quick “no”, and stopping pacing to go kneel in front of you.

“everything i do — for you, okay? for you. my girl,” he often calls you that, it makes you weak every time. he grabs your hands. “stop fiddling, paid for this polish.” you stop instantly. “i know— i know you think that my protectiveness is, uh, stupid, but i need to be like this, or you’re gonna get hurt. i know you, baby. i need to be all over you for you to even have a slight awareness to not do stupid things. so i do take some ownership over you in that sense—“

you cut him off, muttering a, “don’t want you to take ownership.”

he huffs. “yeah, but i do, so…” he shrugs. “you’re mine. my friend, my girl. so i don’t like it when someone else touches my girl, or when you’re the one intiating it. makes me so fuckin’ angry, kid, makes me wanna, like—“ he cuts himself off. “so i need you to knock it off.”

you wanna argue so badly, but your brain turns to mush around him. so you sniffle and nod hesitantly.

“no, i want a ‘yes rafe.’ need your words.”

“i just think that—“ you try.

he cuts you off. “yes rafe. say it with me.”

“..yes, rafe.” you both say.

he squeezes your hands and gets up. “yeah, there you go, good girl. now do you, uh, need a minute, fix your makeup, or d’you wanna go back down there and hang out with me?”

your hand goes to his bicep as you stand up with him, and a ghost of a smile appears on his lips. “wanna go with you,” you say softly, leaning into him a bit.

“yeah, that’s what i thought.”

[idiotsonlyevent]

i wonder where the idea of chilchuck being a deadbeat came from when theres like. no textual evidence for it ?

he knows what all of them are up to; he still writes to flertom and she sent him his neckwarmer, so that to me implies that they at least have a somewhat positive relationship?

its more ambiguous with meijack and puckpatti, but since meijack is also a picklock, i wouldn't be surprised if he taught her himself, considering how trades are often passed down through families, and because he talks about sending people to her if he dies.

also the way he talks about puckpatti is very like... it's obvious he wants her to take things more seriously, but he's accepting, and his tone here reads more fond to me than anything else.

like, he keeps his daughters' old toys under his desk? that doesn't scream 'deadbeat' at all, it screams 'empty nester' who doesn't know how to reach out or is scared to do so

EDIT: i know a lot of the 'deadbeat dad' stuff is jokes, but some people are Not joking and genuinely think chilchuck is a bad dad. this post is not saying that you cant joke about it; it is just outlining what canon shows regarding his (clearly positive) relationship with his kids.

[sugarcoatednightshade]

thinking about how Humans Are Space Orcs stories always talk about how indestructible humans are, our endurance, our ability to withstand common poisons, etc. and thats all well and good, its really fun to read, but it gets repetitive after a while because we aren't all like that.

And that got me thinking about why this trope is so common in the first place, and the conclusion I came to is actually kind of obvious if you think about it. Not everyone is allowed to go into space. This is true now, with the number of physical restrictions placed on astronauts (including height limits), but I imagine it's just as strict in some imaginary future where humans are first coming into contact with alien species. Because in that case there will definitely be military personnel alongside any possible diplomatic parties.

And I imagine that all interactions aliens have ever had up until this point have been with trained personnel. Even basic military troops conform to this standard, to some degree. So aliens meet us and they're shocked and horrified to discover that we have no obvious weaknesses, we're all either crazy smart or crazy strong (still always a little crazy, academia and war will do that to you), and not only that but we like, literally all the same height so there's no way to tell any of us apart.

And Humans Are Death Worlders stories spread throughout the galaxy. Years or decades or centuries of interspecies suspicion and hostilities preventing any alien from setting foot/claw/limb/appendage/etc. on Earth until slowly more beings are allowed to come through. And not just diplomats who keep to government buildings, but tourists. Exchange students. Temporary visitors granted permission to go wherever they please, so they go out in search of 'real terran culture' and what do they find?

Humans with innate heart defects that prevent them from drinking caffeine. Humans with chronic pain and chronic fatigue who lack the boundless endurance humans are supposedly famous for. Humans too tall or too short or too fat to be allowed into space. Humans who are so scared of the world they need to take pills just to function. Humans with IBS who can't stand spicy foods, capsaicin really is poison to them. Lactose intolerance and celiac disease, my god all the autoimmune disorders out there, humans who struggle to function because their own bodies fight them. Humans who bruise easily and take too long to heal. Humans who sustained one too many concussions and now struggle to talk and read and write. Humans who've had strokes. Humans who were born unable to talk or hear or speak, and humans who through some accident lost that ability later.

Aliens visit Earth, and do you know what they find? Humanity, in all its wholeness.

[kaocat-tatatat]

The real reason is that the Joker is DC's cash cow, so he must have the most plot armour possible.

In canon however, things are different. I dont care too much for super realism in comics, the nature of comic books means that a lot if disbelief has to suspended for stories to work. But honestly, as much as I love Batman, it makes no sense how he hasn't died yet, even without Jason, Bruce, on any of the other batfamily members killing him.

The GCPD is supposed to be corrupt as hell, right? So why hasn't a corrupt GCPD officer not decided to shoot him in custody, or for there to be an 'unfortunate accident' or 'unforseen medical emergency' in Arkham Asylum? How come he hasn't killed himself via government agency issued sniper rifle? Im pretty sure in one comic Deadshot got a contract to assassinate his ass, and over the past few decades of his existence, you're telling me he has avoided all of them??? Don't get me wrong, if you one day just shot the Joker in the head there'd probably be a few problems, crime empires don't just fall after one (bad) day after all, and the Joker can be extremely scary and ruthless to those who try and stop him (obviously). Therefore, most people would be afraid of the consequences of killing him, even those who aren't that smart about it or know the Joker that we'll could price together that if you fail, you would be in for a bad time.

However:

realistically, with all the shit he has done, I have a feeling that some people really, really don't give a shit about that, like theyd rathter die trying to kill him for the greater good, or revenge, or something....so am I supposed to believe that out of a population of billions, nobody has tried at all? or am I supposed to believe that no one has ever been successful (once again, over how many years??) yeah, he uses fear to get what he wants and for people to stay out his way, corruption, coercion, bribery, etc. but that can only go so far, especially for some people who are solely focused on killing him, which, would probably be a lot of people.

Of course, instead of being led to believe that the majority populous are incompetent, not driven at all by blind emotion and short sightedness when it comes to killing the Joker, or/and every single one deeply affected by the Joker's intimidation techniques; you could argue instead the Joker is just incredibly competent at avoiding being killed by people. This has its own problems though. Like as I previously said, with the amount of people that presumably would want him dead, over years and years of his life of crime, no one has managed to successfully murder him?? the universe where magic is real, where a man can fall from the moon in nothing but kevlar and leather and survive, and a super-powered kid from the 60's can punch so hard he breaks time and can bring people back to life - but suddenly assassinating one of most well known criminals of all time is too much of a challenge? like even if we take the Batman side of things as more grounded than other DC properties, the Joker could not be that lucky, that skilled, and have that many reasources to have managed to avade being killed for so long (I know he robs banks like every other week, but tax avasion is how they got Al Capone, and all that money probably wouldnt stop the multidue of shadowy cabals pulling the strings of society in the DC universe from trying to get him out of the way). Like, even in the own rules of the DC universe does it not make that much sense. Too many people (people which statistically, more than one person would probably be skilled and have enough resources) want him dead, and so much could be made from his death that its not like even those with no care for the greater good wouldnt rather have him die and take the spoils for themselves.

Gotham is in New Jersey, which doesn't have the death penalty, but the Joker has committed crimes in other states and countries which absolutely do, where he would most likely be tried, and it is extremely unlikely he could get off on an Insanity plea every single time (once again, about corruption, in some places it would more likely get him the death penalty than anything else).

It doesn't even have to be on purpose. The Joker lives a very dangerous life, and a lot of people seem to forget that the Joker is only human. His body, although fucked up in some ways via chemicals, does still have some human limits? Your telling me with all the running around Gotham at night, with no formal training like Batman, that he hasn't managed to accidently slip and fall the wrong way in the city where it always rains??? That he hasn't hit his head to hard after fighting batman or anyone else (even fighting civilians)??? All of the chemicals and shit he messes around with for his crimes in his many makeshift labs hasn't poisoned him yet??? And that's just in gotham, not mentioning all of the constant Justice League threats around and about which Joker, still majority human, could fall prey to (I don't think genocidal aliens care if a man looks like a clown)

Taking all of this into account, the only reason the Joker could have survived this long in canon is that the only people who most likely to try to kill him are the same people who are not afraid enough of him, his wrath, or any fallout of his death, blinded by emotion, and therefore not skilled enough and too stupid/hubristic/too naive to kill him: and everyone else either thinks he is useful to them and their own plans, to scared to even touch a hair on his head, or just unlucky to have their plans not work due to circumstances (which includes batman saving his life, as he has done multiple times).

This reason is fine, it can be really interesting but also makes the Joker more like some sort of annoying, murderous cockroach that just. won't. die. even after he is caught in an exploding helicopter crash, or stabbed and shot a million times, he inexplicably survives because... he's just that good! It makes no sense if you think about it critically for more than 5 seconds, and personally, it really cheapens alot of batman stories by having him always come back in one way or another, completely fine. (Where's the comic where the Joker's stuck in ICU for a year and loses his criminal fortune to the American health care system?) It's plot armour so obvious it's even worse than Batman's, and it kinda sucks.

In conclusion: the plot contrivances do be contrived, so the clown lives

How is it that Bruce Wayne can come up with 100+ plans to handle Superman but he can't keep the Joker locked up in Arkam?

Why can't someone just shoot the Joker's brains out yet? How is this clown still alive?

[super-nova5045]

sylvia plath, todd anderson and virginia woolf (aka ACTUAL tortured poets) watching taylor “im breaking up with my boyfriend for his intense depression and blaming it on him, im dating a racist who enjoys watching woc being brutalized and harasses young woc artists, i sent my fans out on a hate train to attack a young woc actress for a line she had to say as part of her job to show how mentally ill her character was, im dating a maga supporter, i refuse to say anything about a current genocide despite being the most influential person in the world right now, i am a billionaire, i fly 13 minute flights and have the highest carbon emission of any celebrity, i am a known white feminist who only speaks about issues when it affects me and has constantly let my fans get away with extreme racism and even encouraged it by associating myself with known racists” swift call herself a tortured poet (her writing sounds like a bunch of thesaurus words slapped over gabba hanna and rupi kaur-esque poetry that was created purely as a trinket for an edgy pinterest board)

[courfee]

look at that!! i've talked about it so much and now chapter 1 actually exists in real life!!

[lemongogo]

they should get to kill each other at least twice .i think

[hudson-fabulous-hornet]

> Old men who can't go three seconds without being snarky to anyone four feet from them...

> I have no idea if cars have some grey base coat that's temporary like the human equivalent to casting but if so thats so epicsauce. Comics are not for the weak (Me I am the weak).

[xulips]

aktyweek, day 2; gaming

in which akito finds out about bad make up game ads

[spookygibberish]

Dogstock are typical of what are often deemed the ‘evil’ races in many other fantasy works. They were created by some higher force to be slaves, they are carnivorous by nature, they resemble animals other than human in dentition and build. They growl and bite and walk behind.

The Uhasr (a dogstock culture) are descendants of such slave-infantry that was abandoned when the empire that used them to capture the steppes decided the land wasn’t so profitable after all, and more pressing matters drew their attention elsewhere. Like tools left spent on the ground, the unneeded, excess dogstock were left to survive on their own in Hochkiskuph. The native peoples, of course, did not welcome them any more, or see them any less as oppressors when the hand released the lead. To the Hochkiskuph peoples, the Uhasr are a predatory ghost, an echo that consumes them even in absentia. To the Uhasr, one human is much like another, differing in number and equipment, but never in essence. Uhasr are a species of wild animal with a human face. Humans are prey on two legs. Humans smoke and poison uncovered dens on principle, Uhasr abduct and consume men and women and children all the same.

A common trend I have noticed in media which aims to humanize monsters, is that it often relies on passivity. Humanity is contingent upon kindness. The monster that is A Person only so long as they are a harmless thing at heart, something which can be understood and befriended. Their violence is reluctant, their hearts noble. Grace is a concession to the dominated. Only the toothless beast, declawed and pinioned and caged, is one which has earned its personhood. The ontological enemy supersedes the ontological man.

[spitblaze]

Listen. Listen to me. Having privilege in one form or another, even situational and conditional privilege, doesn't de facto make you a bad person. A transmasc that applies to a job with their chosen name, whether or not that transmasc passes otherwise, will have privilege over a transfem applying to that same job, because of societal sexism. That doesn't suddenly mean that transmasc is a violent asshole putting transfems at risk, it just means that as a transmasc you gotta be more cognizant of how you navigate the world. It doesn't mean you don't experience oppression. It doesn't even mean you don't experience oppression unique to being transmasc! What it DOES mean is that whether you like it or not, your relationship to women and non-men are inherently different than they would be if you were a woman. And you're gonna have to reckon with that. You can't stop women you don't know from viewing you as a potential threat, but you can use what privilege you may have if you're stealth or pass to advocate for women, and trans women, and other trans men, and to. Y'know. Check yourself once in a while and make sure you're not falling into the toxic masculinity and patriarchal mindset so many of us have already suffered at the hands of.

[carehounds]

Its not that the batteries are meant to represent yellows intelligence In any way to be honest i think its more akin to constant fatigue and having a disability that hinders how well your thoughts and words come out more than anything. Hes always been a smart boy. having trouble with words or expressing his thoughts doesn't make him any less smarter than he is!!!

[medicalunprofessional]

fascinated with this creature (though i don’t think he wants me to be)

[aroaceleovaldez]

i would like to say my ideal PJO adaptation (if i was being physically forced against my will to have to pick a live action adaptation over an animated one for some reason) would be a combo like writing of the musical + casting of the show + visuals of the movies

BUT the show actually does have the playwright for the musical as one of the major writers for like three episodes and that did nothing for it. so...

[dukeofthomas]

I need people to realize how horrible 'stalking/constant surveillance/breaking into each other's homes is how the Batfamily show love' is. Like i really need someone to just acknowledge how horrific saying this bullshit is.

Like even fics where they're shown as happy and healthy and with good ties, you've always got this thing where none of them have privacy or any boundaries with each other. Which is directly antithetical to actually having good relationships. And this invasion via hacking and stalking and breaking into homes is portrayed as a positive, good thing; it's just how they show love and care to each other, after all. But for some reason I just personally don't find stalking, lack of privacy or boundaries, and emotional manipulation funny, endearing, or healthy, and just end up disgusted at the attempt to sweep it all under the rug.

[pockethep]

Now that JJK 271 is out and had...an ending...I have one issue and question.

Why are people trying to force a narrative that most Shonen endings are bad?

Haikyu!!, Slam Dunk, Assassination Classroom, Mob Psycho 100, Dororo, Gurren Lagann, Zatch Bell, the ending of Chainsaw Man part 1, Trigun, Ashita no Joe, Gintama, the JJBA endings (especially Steel Ball Run and Stone Ocean), Golden Kamuy, Azumanga Daioh, Beck, Pandora Hearts, Great Teacher Onizuka, and way more than I can list all had great endings.

Heck, Full Metal Alchemist, a manga that many hold in especially high regard, is widely regarded to have a perfect or near perfect ending.

I have my own issues with the jjk ending, but some of them stem from issues I've had with the manga for a while so it wasn't surprising for the issues I've been having to crop up at the finale, especially given the rush to get there. But there are so many people quick to bash the entire category of manga. The examples of bad, mediocre, and/or controversial shonen endings are often just very well-known series so of course when they end people are loud about it.

As unsatisfied as I, and many people are, with this ending I feel like it was almost inevitable. Gege's health took a steep drop towards the latter half of the series and even more during this final arc. (I still swear by the fact that most manga, especially jjk, should be on a monthly format instead of weekly).

At the end of the day, endings are hard. You have to wrap up multiple threads in a succinct and satisfying way, and this is even harder when its a long running series or a series with a LOT of expectations. Coupled with the deadlines, restraints, and meddling most mangaka face when writing its a difficult task to wrap up hundreds of chapters in just a few.

Anyway it really has been our Potential Kaisen.