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eeveebitches · 1 year ago

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phone. || Roman Roy || smut

Pairing: Sub!Roman Roy x F!Dom!Reader Summary: You and roman talk over the phone, stuff happens along the way

Word count: 2.115

18+ only! More under the cut,

Warning(s): SMUT, aka 18+ only! Sub Roman, degradation, pillow humping, phone sex, implications of jealous/possesive roman

A/n: as DJ Khaled said, "another one."

_______________________

It's unusually dark in Roman's apartment.

You squint your eyes, looking around for any sign of him, hand busying itself to locate the light switch. "Romes?" There's no reply, and as you finally manage to switch the lights on you realize he isn't here. The shoes he usually keeps sprawled by the door are missing, as well as the scarf you had given him for his last birthday.

You shrug off your jacket and hang it, noticing how Roman's lighter jacket seems to be missing as well. Cautiously, you walk around the empty space. You take note of the way he left his cologne on the coffee table without its cover, and as you go to his bathroom you see his aftershave is uncrewed, too. He was clearly in a rush.

His bed is messy, as it always is when he's left to deal with tidying the sheets himself. You chuckle at the shirt of yours peaking out from under his pillow. It takes a lot of mental strength for you to not snap a picture for future teasing material, and instead kick your shoes off.

His scent surrounds you as you nuzzle into his goose feather sheets. The scent is sharp, and woody, and clearly trying too hard to be noteworthy. But deep in those harsh, overpowering scents of desperation, you smell the chamomile from the 'calming room sprays' he always claims to be buying ironically. You also smell your own perfume, and with enough focus you can even smell hints of the vanilla of the soaps you use.

The sudden ringing of your phone startles you. You fumble a bit trying to remove your phone from your pocket, smiling as you realize it's the tiny devil himself calling.

"Romes?"

"Don't 'Romes' me, where in shit's name are you?" he immediately grumbles out, not giving you a second to trade simple formalities.

You can't help but laugh at him. "And hello to you, too. What do you mean, 'where am I'? Where are you?"

He groans, then mumbles something far too incoherent for you to pick up over the phone. "Uh, at your fucking apartment? Did you seriously forget about me that fast? I'm seriously regretting hooking you up with that new job, since you're now apparently too cool for little ol' Romes." After a few seconds of processing his words, you frown. "Wait, what? You're at my apartment?"

"Okay, yeah, you totally forgot, and I just embarrassed the fuck out of myself for breaking and entering. Nice knowing ya, I'm gonna go jump into a river or some shit," he mumbles underneath his breath. Even through the phone you can tell he's pacing around. "Can you even swim?"

He scoffs at that. "The fuck kinda question is that? You don't ask a guy about to take a cyanide pill if he's well versed in medicine, do you? Twisted bitch." Your frown deepens the more you listen to him. "Roman, we were supposed to meet at your apartment, you do remember that, right?"

It's completely silent on the other end of the line for a few seconds. Then, "Oh fuck off, you are not at my apartment right now. Just admit you forgot and let me go cry-jerk myself to sleep in your bed," he huffs out, trying to fight back the strain in his voice.

"Romes, I'm laying in your bed right now." He laughs at you, clearly doubtful, but as he quiets down you get the feeling he's starting to believe you.

With his phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear, Roman looks down at the pillow of yours he's holding. It's a long one, for your neck or something, and he relishes in how much it smells like you. "So what, we're at each other's apartments, laying in each other's beds, like total fucking idiots?"

You can't help but snort at that. "You're the idiot, since I'm at the right apartment. Also, way to go snitching on yourself. You better have removed your shoes before getting in my bed," you say, tugging at a bit of string connected to one of Roman's pillows.

"Yeah yeah, my shoes are off. I am gonna piss on all your furniture, just so you know. I need to mark my territory as the alpha and all that," he jokes, swiftly unzipping and shuffling out of his pants. "Oh, I'm also gonna sleep here because I can't be fucked to call someone to drive me back. Your bed is comfy as shit, anyway."

You let out a humored chuckle, quickly putting the phone down and removing the top layers of your work clothes to leave yourself comfortable. The sound of his voice is small, so after getting settled back in you grab the phone and place it right next to your head.

"Sorry, was getting comfy, what's up?"

Roman lets out a low whistle. "So basically stripping naked? That's hot. You should take pictures of your boobs or something and send them to me," he says, his clutch on your pillow growing tighter as he continues, "we could have hot and heavy sex over the phone, like they did in the 60s when FaceTime and pocket pussies weren't a thing."

"I'm down if you are," you reply as casually as you can, despite the fact that the idea of it excites you. Roman seemingly chokes on his own spit at that, coughing for a few seconds. Ad he clears his throat, he awkwardly unbuttons his blouse as he keeps the phone flush against his ear.

"Oh yeah? What're you wearing, then?" he asks in a try-hard sultry voice. It's hard not to laugh at that, but you manage. "A 17-inch strap on with LED lights, what about you?" Roman lets out a forced moan in reply. "God, that's fuckin' hot. I'd see my insides glow all kinds of pretty colors and shit," he forcibly continues moaning out.

With his blouse fully unbuttoned he shuffles it off, ignoring the fact that he somehow is already getting riled up. Maybe it's the fact that he's surrounded by your presence, or maybe it's the fact that your voice is dangerously near your ear.

Whatever it may be, it makes him move a shaky hand down to his length, applying a singular squeeze to himself and fighting back the hiss he wants to let out. "Seriously though, can you at least try to hide the fact you smell my shirts while you sleep? They're just sticking out," you chuckle out, tugging at the shirt you had previously spotted.

The silence on his end is oddly tense as you fully pull the shirt out, and you quickly realize why.

"Roman... do you actually cum on my clothes?"

He lets out a quiet 'fuck', keeping a solid hold of his cock through his underwear as he realizes he's been caught. "Shit, I-- yeah, I do, sometimes," he weakly stutters out. You tut at that, heat pooling in the bottom of your panties. "So, what, you jerk off sniffing it and thinking of me, or...?"

Roman's breathing slows, turning into weak pants that you can pick up on your end. "I, uh, yeah." A devious grin tugs at your lips as you shimmy yourself to a more comfortable laying position.

"What do you think about?" It's a simple question, really, but the way Roman gasps through the phone makes it worthwhile. "I dunno, just-- fuck, things," he struggles to groan out as he rolls to lay on his side, the pillow he was clutching automatically slotting between his legs.

His cock throbs with need, but something about using your pillow seems too much, even for him. Your shirts, and the occasional pair of underwear were one thing, but your bed felt so clean. Roman didn't want to be the one to make it-- make you dirty.

"Do you think about me touching you?" You hear him mumble out a small 'yeah' in response. You respond back with silence, quietly urging him to keep talking.

His clutch on your pillow tightens, knuckles turning white. "I think about you hugging me, 'cuz you always do when you see me," he whines out, as he continues fondling himself with his one hand while the other keeps its hold on the pillow. "You always, uh, squeeze? And you just smell really good, which is nice, I guess."

"Is that all?" You smile at the whine Roman lets out. "Whatever, I like other shit, too," he mumbles out, trying his hardest to practice restraint.

"What's 'other shit'? Like last week at that fundraiser in the closet, did you like that?" you coyly ask him. The drawn out moan he lets out at the memories is like musicto your ears. "Uh-huh," he weakly moans out, the muffled sound of fabric shuffling causing your mind to race with thoughts of what he's doing.

Roman's hips start a hiccup-y rhythm, attempting to grind into his own touch as he thinks of that night. You had toyed with him all night, dishing out casual yet flirty touches to whoever was there, shooting him a wicked grin any time he caught sight of it. When he had dragged you into a closet to try and stop your little show, you had demanded he went on his knees and apologized for his behavior.

By the end of it, Roman was a sweaty mess as he ground against your leg, trying desperately to keep quiet as you taunted him. Just thinking of how nasty you were to him that night, despite you gracefully letting him use you to get off, sends his head reeling as he gasps at his own touch.

You snicker at the desperate noises he's making. "Are you touching yourself Roman? In my bed of all places? You have no shame, do you?"

"None," he whimpers out, pulling down his drawls to let his reddened and leaking cock spring out, smacking against his stomach. "Are you using your hand to get off? You sick, fucking puppy?" Roman groans out a quiet 'yes' as he carefully strokes himself at an unsteady rhythm. "I w'na use your pillow, can I-- fuck, can I please use y'r pillow?" He gasps out deliriously.

The shocked laughter you let out through the phone is genuine as you realize he's really into this. "Seriously? How fucking disgusting can you be, asking for my pillow? Was using my clothes to jerk off not enough for you, creep? Go ahead and use it if you're really that much of a degenerate."

He immediately places the pillow on the bed and goes to lay on his stomach, moaning as his dick makes contact with your pillow. He doesn't waste any time, immediately picking up in thrusting speed as he revels in the friction the pillow gives against his cock.

"Oh my god, you're actually doing it. Rutting into my pillow like a dog in heat, absolutely fucking revolting," you hiss against your phone, "y'know I have cameras in my room? I could easily send everyone you know the footage of you fucking my pillow like a flithy pervert. You'd like that, anyway, freak."

Roman's moans grow louder by the minute, every one of your poisonous words shooting straight to his cock. "Fuck, 'm close," he groans out, sweat rolling down his forehead as he desperately chases his release. "Are you seriously going to cum on my pillow, Roman? You're a genuine embarrasment, god."

His breath stutters before he lets out a gutteral moan, ropes of cum shooting onto your pillow and most definitely permanently staining it. "Jesus fuck, Roman, you're a legitimate freak," you giggle out through the phone as he slowly comes to, pants coming out muffled as he buries his head into the unused pillows.

"What the fuck, man," he groans out, phone still held against his ear. You let out a chuckle, glancing at the time on your phone and realizing it's gotten quite late. "You doing okay, Romes?"

He lets out muffled noises of confirmation. "Yeah, just fuckin' tired now. Thanks for the, uh, phone sex. It was great."

"Go clean yourself up, Romes. And just put the pillow somewhere in my bathroom, I'll take care of it." He lets out a small whine, awkwardly tucking himself back into his underwear before shuffling to your bathroom. "You're legit going to be the reason I die an early death. I'm gonna fucking, cum my brains out or some shit," he mumbles out as he drops the used pillow on the ground, grabs some wipes and cleans himself up a bit.

"Sounds like a great way to go out," you hum out in reply.

"Of course you'd think that."

#female reader #roman #roman roy #roman roy smut #roman roy x reader #roman roy x reader smut #roman roy x you #romulus roy #succession #succession hbo

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funkycatbruh · 1 year ago

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jungkook recs 2

one shots y series sin terminar

INCOMPLETAS

SERIES

Dilf Iinstalments - @mercurygguk

SYNOPSIS. this series follows jungkook’s life as a divorced father. but wait, how exactly does one balance being a father, a boyfriend, a friend, and a respectable boss at the same time? read the installments below to find out!

GENRE. established relationship, smut/angst/fluff

♡ an ode to a broken heart - @smoochkooks

pairing ↠ jeon jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. you’ve watched jeon jungkook slip out of your reach your entire life. now it’s time for you to finally move on, bury the past and open a new chapter. however, you’re doing it in your own, unconventional way - by publishing anonymously a novel about your miserable relationship.

GENRE. unrequited love, best friends to (?), heavy angst, future smut

Colour Me In - @taegularities

pairing ↠ artist/fuckboy!Jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. Jungkook's door only opens for you when there's a barter: a trade of lust and haze. But today you knock for something more, as intriguing as it is frightening – and you hope it doesn't close his door forever.

GENRE. fwb, fake dating, college!au; fluff, angst, smut

Our Beloved Summer - @jeonqkooks

pairing ↠ producer!jungkook x songwriter!reader

SYNOPSIS. You made a vow to hate Jeon Jungkook ever since he packed up and left you without a single explanation, but when he shows up at your door after years of radio silence, it turns out that maybe your resolve isn’t as strong as you thought.

GENRE. exes to lovers, slow burn, fluff, angst, eventual smut; individual warnings for each part

Gold Is Dull - @kookluvre

pairing ↠ jeon jungkook x female reader

SYNOPSIS. your once-love abandoned you to chase his dreams as a boxer, leaving you and unknowingly, at the time, his son. as much as you want to forget him, you can't. you see him on the billboard, tv commercials, and in your son's room, reminding you of everything you once were.

GENRE. boxer!jk, dilf!jk, single mom! oc, heavy angst, ex-boyfriend, eventual smut, fluff

Bloodline - @jjkeverlast

pairing ↠ fuckboy!jk x fuckgirl!f.reader

SYNOPSIS. a relationship was the last thing you wanted, but having wild and experimenting sex? now that was something, and jeon jungkook is there to give you simply that. as long as either catch feelings... but that won't be hard for you knowing you'd never go for a guy like jungkook, although jungkook might have another opinion about you. let the (fun) begin!

GENRE. slow burn, smut , humor, angst and college au.

All I Want - @sxtaep

pairing ↠ fuckboy!jk x textbooknerd!reader

SYNOPSIS. you fall into the temptation of fucking your best friend, aka the biggest fuckboy on campus.

GENRE. bf2l, smut, angst, fluff, dom!jk, sub!reader, annoying jk, awkwardness, tension, some pining, teasing, making out

Tears Dry - @codebts

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader, ft. eunwoo

SYNOPSIS. he walks away, the sun goes down. he takes the day, but i’m grown. and in your grey, in this cool shade, my tears dry on their own.

GENRE. smut, angst; hybrid au, university au; one-sided love

♡ Hustlers - @jinconda

pairing ↠ Jungkook x Reader

SYNOPSIS. When Jeongguk’s girlfriend, Jihyo is taken by the Daechwita gang, everyone’s friendships are tested as Jeongguk does anything in pursuit of getting her back.

GENRE. : violence, killing , graphic themes, dark themes, swearing, angst.

Dilf jk series - @venusiangguk

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader / dilf jk x grocery store clerk oc

SYNOPSIS. you find a baby in your store and in turn, a dilf finds you

GENRE. strangers to lovers, friends with benefits, smut, fluff

♡ For What Its Worth - @citrustan

pairing ↠ student!reader x crush!jungkook

SYNOPSIS. you make an awful revelation about your crush of two years.

GENRE. angst, fluff (this comes in a bit later), light smut, college

♡ Love Lies - @kooktrash

HIATUS

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. an arrogant womanizer who’s spent his life numb to love. an unlovable romantic who’s been hurt one too many times. he’s your friend’s ex boyfriend but he tells you he wants you. he’s obsessive and you’re not as much of a victim as you make yourself out to be. you’ll both do whatever it takes to get what you want.

GENRE. angst. smut. future yandere jungkook. college student au. rich kid jungkook. f!reader. unhealthy attachment.. slutshaming. toxic friendships. implied emotional trauma from both ends

Paired and Pierced - @yoon-kooks

pairing ↠ hotnerd!jungkook x popular!reader(

SYNOPSIS. When your professor assigns a collaborative midterm project, you’re paired up with Jeon Jungkook, the quiet grumpy smartass who keeps to himself and doesn’t fuck with popular kids like you. If you can win him over, he might give you a taste of the tatted and pierced body he’s carefully tucked away beneath those

GENRE. smut, fluff, college!au

The Hit List - @whoretan

pairing ↠ Fuckboy!JK, introvert!Reader

SYNOPSIS. The Bangtan Frat is known for its prestige reputation of top GPAs, hosting the hottest most qualified students in the country, and above all: their undefeated list of heartbreaks. What happens when one of the seven ends up drunkenly at your doorstep?

GENRE. Smut (Future), emphasize on the Angst, and Romance

♡ Polarity - @darkestcorners

pairing ↠ yandere!jungkook x (f) reader

SYNOPSIS. Your best friend’s new boyfriend becomes infatuated with you…

GENRE. toxic relationships, unhealthy and obsessive behavior , mentions of mental health, manipulation, blackmail, cheating,

This Is Us - @btsgotjams27

pairing ↠ jungkook x f!reader

SYNOPSIS. after fighting to be in a relationship with jungkook, you begin to wonder if it's all worth it.

GENRE. drama, romance, angst, fluff, smut | est!relationship, age gap. cheating

If you love someone, say it - @letsstargaze

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. jungkook and you made a promise to each other five years ago, one you feared he would keep. now that the promise was close to being broken, shouldn't you feel relieved? why is it he's the happiest he's ever been, and you're wishing you were anywhere but here?

GENRE. angst, implied s*x, mentions of alcohol use.

♡ Ecstasy - @gdjyho

pairing ↠ jungkook x female reader

SYNOPSIS. jungkook fucks the reader completely dumb. you need him so bad. you can’t help it

GENRE. cheating, side chick au

»»————-　♡　————-««

UPCOMING

Wrong Time - @spideyjimin

SYNOPSIS. meeting ten years later the girl he deeply fell in love with is something Jungkook never thought would happen. but here you are, standing before his eyes with a bright smile on your face as you walk through the massive lobby of his company. at that exact moment, he realizes that the two of you fell in love at the wrong time but is now the right time?

GENRE. parent au, exes to lovers, ceo au, angst, fluff, and smut

Over Wine - @koocycle

pairing ↠ husband! jungkook x ex-model! fem reader

SYNOPSIS. designer dresses, spa weekends and rare wines are no longer enough to keep your marriage afloat. with your husband gone from home and a marriage standing on shaky grounds, you stumble back to your neglected career in the hopes it’ll fulfill the void in your life. you’re ready to take the risk this time, whether that is with the emerald cut diamond around your ring finger, or without.

GENRE. rich couple! au, established relationship! au, married couple! au, semi sugar daddy! au, suburban couple! au, angst, fluff and smut.

TO BE READ

ONE SHOT

The Lines Between Us - @chateautae

pairing ↠ detective!jungkook x detective!reader

SYNOPSIS. you’re detective partners who hate each other’s guts and everyone knows it. what they don’t know however, is that there’s so much more between the lines, and he knows damn well how to rearrange your guts too.

GENRE. detective!au, partner!jungkook, e2l!au, fwb!au, slight fantasy!au, one-shot, smut, angst

SERIES

The Rule Book - @another-army-spot

pairing ↠ Jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. Despite being the notorious fuck girl on campus, you have morals and values that you stick to with a solid set of rules. One of your rules excludes Golden Boy, Jungkook, from ever getting a chance with you, much to both of your dismay. And he intends to change that, with one really irresistible bet.

GENRE. friends-to-lovers, college!au, softfuckboy!jk, fuckgirl!oc, fraternity!au, eventual smut

INCOMPLETA

Chasing Pavements

hiatus

pairing ↠ dad!jk/married!jk/bff!jk x reader (ft. taehyung)

SYNOPSIS. But tonight, Jungkook is taking a different route. One that does not lead to his home, but to your apartment building instead. He never takes it unless it’s Friday, the day he drops Sunhi off in your care for a few hours while he pretends he wants to fix whatever marital issues he has.

GENRE. f2l, angst, unrequited feelings au, sad stuff, future smut, cheating

Hate At First Weeb

pairing ↠ weeb!jungkook x weeb!reader

SYNOPSIS. You just want to weeb in peace but your annoying downstairs neighbour just won’t let you bREATHE.

GENRE. college au, e2l, weeb!reader, weeb!jungkook, weeb!jimin, jimin is lgbt, taehyung is lgbt

You Belong With Me - @joonscroll

pairing ↠ jungkook x reader

SYNOPSIS. you’ve been in love with jungkook since the moment you first saw him. he's always seen you as a friend. watching him date other girls and having to pretend you’re not in love with him is killing you.

GENRE. : angst, fluff

#jungkook #bts recs #jungkook recs #jeon jungkook

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yoonkinii · 7 months ago

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We Were Human

Pairing(s): Ascended!AstarionxReader

Part:6

Synopsis: Astarion died as soon as he became something the world has never seen before. No one noticed the damage before it was too late and the Astarion everyone loved was lost to the new one. No one could notice when the turn was slow and silent. He slowly lost the playful glint in his eyes. Lost the love he gaze upon me with. Lost everything that made him the man I loved. Oh, how I would give anything to get him back. I would gladly give up my damned soul for him.

Aka you are transported back to the past in order to prevent ascended Astarion from losing himself the only problem? You don’t have a lot of time.

Masterlist

Warnings: Gore, blood, cruelty, cursing, death/murder, mentions of using oneself unwillingly, abuse, depiction of abuse and violence. Its ascended astarion, prepare for the worse.

Note(s): For the sake of the plot- Astarion will not automatically be damned from the start. In this world, Astarion becomes lost to the ascension overtime until he becomes the ascended vampire we know him to be in the game. Another note that should be highlighted is that this story will be told from the first person perspective since it benefits the story more than any other perspective.

You will also notice various things being different from the game. For example, Karlach will be able to stay in the ‘human’ world and she fixed her heart. (I love my girl, I’m not sending her back), Szaars palace has a different layout cause the one in the game was stupid. There will be more that you will notice in the future so beware.

Thank You.

For days now, the relentless drumming of rain against Karlach’s window had provided a steady backdrop to my thoughts. I found myself alone in her modest abode, a place she had grown accustomed to and seemed content with. The room held little beyond the essentials - a simple bed pressed against the wall, positioned beside the only window in the home. Atop the bed frame lay a quilt, carefully stitched by hand, a gift from myself to congratulate her about getting her internal engine fixed.

Opposite the bed, the fireplace stood as a focal point, its rough stonework casting a rustic charm. Despite its offer for year round warmth, Karlach rarely ever kindled a fire, claiming she had grown tired of feeling heat and would be like that for a long time. Only upon my arrival did she light it, deeming my chilled body was unacceptable. Even now, the faint scent of burning wood lingered, mingling with the fragrance of rain.

The small kitchen area is equipped just enough to feel like home. A wooden dining table accompanied by two sturdy chairs, sits under a single swaying light bulb. The shelves contained only the most essential cookware, reflecting Karlach’s preference for practicality. She never carried around much and never cared for fine dining. She was content with her stomach being full and nothing more.

Nestled in the corner, the bathing area boasted simplicity, making up a basic washing basin adorned with a small mirror suspended above. A neatly folded towel and a solitary bar of soap adorned the basin’s side, offering only the essential. Despite its humble appearance, the corner still did its job of allowing people to wash themselves as needed.

As the front door swung open, inviting in the chill of the wind and the mist of rain, Karlach stepped in, her hair drenched and a carefree smile adorning her lips. Settling beside me on the floor, she leaned back against her bed, seemingly unfazed by her wet state as she nudged me playfully.

“Feeling hungry?” She inquired, gesturing towards the kitchen where food awaited.

I offered a small smile in response. “You know I have no need for food like that,” I replied. Karlach’s brows furrowed momentarily before she let out a soft snort. “I meant in general. Have you felt hungry since you’ve been here? Any urge to bite into my neck?” she joked, tilting her head to expose her pulse point. “Not that I think my blood would taste very good…maybe just a little hot.”

Deep in thought, I gnawed on the inside of my cheek, pondering. SInce my arrival at Karlach’s place, I hadn’t ventured outside, fearing that Astarion’s threat still loomed, ready to scorch my skin at the slightest touch of sunlight. Fortunately, the rain had persisted for days, grinding me the relief from that particular dread.

Shaking my head in response to Karlach’s question, I replied, “No, I haven’t felt the urge to sink my teeth into anything.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it, I supposed,” she teased lightly. But then her tone shifted, growing serious and somber. “But seriously,” she continued, “how long are you going to run?”

Taken aback, my brows shoot up in surprise. “Run? I’m not running.”

“Not literally,” she clarified, “but you are. You’re scared. I can see it when you wake up and instantly try to dodge out of the window’s reach. How you flinch at every creak and groan of the wood as if you’re anticipating something to leap out and get you. I see it in your eyes as you spend hours staring into nothingness, lost in a place I can’t reach. You won’t even tell me what happened or what’s wrong, and you don’t have to , but it’s plain to see that you’re scared and you are running from confronting that fear,”

I remained silent for a while, grappling with how to explain myself to her. Even though she didn’t know the exact details of what happened between Astarion and me, her observation was astute. I was running but how could I not? Faced Astarion once more, the events that unfolded had changed him, and all I had done was stand there, paralyzed by fear. How could I ever face the love of my life after such a failure?

Karlach sighed, drawing my attention away from the window. She shook her head softly as she rose from her seat. “It doesn’t matter,” she said reassuringly. “ You can stay as long as you need to.” Moving to the front door, she grasped the handle. I instinctively shuffled away from the door’s impending opening, noticing the flicker of sadness in Karlach’s gaze as she observed my reaction.

“I’ll be back late again,” She continued, choosing to ignore my wariness, hopefully for my own sake. “This weather is slowing down the rebuilding process.” With that, she opened the door, allowing the chilly wind to rush into the warm room. “Soldier?” she called out, glancing back at me.

“Yes?” I responded, my hair tousled by the gust of wind sneaking past Karlach’s figure.

“Think about what I said, okay?”

My mouth opened and closed, a retort forming in my throat, but I couldn't conjure up a believable excuse. “Fine,” I relented, rising from my spot on the floor and making my way to the corner with the washing basin. “I’m going to clean up.”

Without another word, the door clicked shut behind her, shutting out the rain and wind. Reflecting on my behavior, I realized it had been rude to turn her away like that. Karlach had shown me nothing but kindness since my arrival. Despite bombarding me with questions upon my initial arrival, she had relented when she saw I wasn’t ready to answer. Even without an explanation from me, she had allowed me to stay, going as far as picking up extra clothes for me from stores, deeming my ‘fancy’ attire too uncomfortable. Those same clothes now hung in her closet, as she had generously made space for them among her own belongings.

Selecting a nightgown, I slipped it on, shedding the clothes I had worn previously. The fabric felt more suitable for sleeping, its loose fit offering comfort as it draped over my frame, its hem skimming just above my ankles.

With a sigh, I retrieved my bedroll from beneath Karlach’s bed, unfurling it before settling into it. Sleep seemed to be my only respite lately. Sleep and avoidance of the issues I should be confronting. But facing them was easier said than done, especially when my own mind tormented me with memories. How was I supposed to confront something when my memories of it were so painful? How could I forget the suffering I endured simply because I was in love?

A scream of unparalleled agony echoed through the desolate halls, jolting me from my trance. I blinked, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. The walls, constructed of cold gray bricks, seamlessly melded into the floor, sending shivers up my spine as the chills seeped into the soles of my feet. The hallway stretched endlessly before me, devoid of any discernible beginning or end. Regardless of which direction I faced, the scene remained unchanged. Mantels, adorned with flickering torches, line the walls at regular intervals, yet their feeble light failed to penetrate the infinite darkness that loomed beyond. I blinked again, and suddenly found myself standing before a weathered wooden door.

Another anguished cry pierced the air, coming from the chamber beyond the door. .

Without hesitation, my hand moved of its own accord, grasping the doorknob and pushing the door open. What lay before me turned my stomach: the room was awash with blood, the crimson fluid pooling on the floor in a sickening display. It coated every inch of the chamber, making it hard to navigate without stepping into it. Strangely, aside from the eerie glow of the torches, the walls were bare, mirroring the emptiness of the hallway. I blinked once more, and in the periphery of my vision, I noticed it: a door partially ajar, nestled in the far corner of the room.

Once more, my body moved of its own accord, propelled forward by an unseen force. Each step I took was accompanied by the sickening sensation of slick blood coating the soles of my feets, staining them with a stranger’s life. With trembling hands, I pushed the door ajar, allowing the flickering light of the torches to cast eerie shadows in the dimly lit room.

I stood frozen in place, my heart pounding against my ribs like a frantic bird trapped in a cage. My breaths came sharp and ragged, as if struggling against an invisible weight pressing down on my chest. Every fiber of my being crackled with fear at the sight that unfolded before me.

“Astarion?”

I whispered, the sound barely audible in the oppressive silence. But there was no response, only the echo of my own voice reverberating off the walls. Frantically, I repeated his name, each syllable clawing its way out of my throat in a desperate plea for acknowledgement. But my efforts were futile, as if my voice had been stolen away, leaving me with nothing but mute desperation.

Clawing at my throat in a futile attempt to force sound from my lips, I felt my eyes widen in horror as they flickered between Astarion’s battered form and the blood-splattered walls surrounding us. The mere sight of him threatened to overwhelm me with a nauseating sickness, forcing me to avert my gaze.

There he was, laid bare in his vulnerability. Curled into a pitiful heap in the corner of the room, he trembled uncontrollably, his arms protectively around his head as if seeking refuge from some unseen torment. His once flawless skin was now marred by a tapestry of wounds, some still seeping crimson rivulets. With each flinch, a new mark appeared, adding to the mosaic of his suffering.

Suddenly, he was jerked from her fetal position by an invisible force, his body rendered limp as his hair was yanked back mercilessly. A sob tore free from his lips, mingling with the whispered please that spelled forth in a desperate cascade.

Driven by instinct, I sank to my knees before him, cradling his battered face in trembling hands. Bruised and swollen beyond recognition, his eyes were nearly swollen shut, while blood trickled from his broken nose, staining his lips crimson. Tears mingled with the blood, their salty tails tracing paths down his bruised cheeks, a testament to the agony he had endured.

Even as I knelt before him, my tear-filled eyes pleading with his vacant gaze, it seemed as though I was but a ghost in his eyes. His stare was distant, unfocused, as if he looked through me rather than at me. A shiver of unease ran down my spine, my confusion deepening as I followed the line of his sight, searching for whatever phantom held his attention.

There, looming over us with a malevolent grin etched on his face, stood Cazador - the tormentor of my beloved, the architect of his suffering. His presence was suffocating, dripping with disdain as he regarded us with contempt. With a deliberate, calculated motion, he raised his arm, his lips moving soundlessly as if uttering a silent incantation. In the blink of an eye, his blade descended, its deadly edge slicking through the air with horrifying finality. A scream tore from my throat, mingling with Astarion’s own anguished cry.

Gasping for breath, I bolted upright, the echoes of terror still ringing in my ears. My eyes darted around the room, seeking solace in the familiar sights that surrounded me. The flickering flames of the fireplace cast dancing shadows across the wooden floor, the rhythmic pattern of rain against the windows providing a soothing backdrop to my thundering thoughts.

With a shaky exhale, I realized it had all been a dream - a nightmare that had gripped me in its icy grasp. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to confront the anxiety that still pulsed beneath my skin, gnawing at my resolve. Rising unsteadily to my feet, I disentangled myself from my bedroll and made my way to the front door, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I stepped outside, the chill of the rain-soaked air enveloped me, drenching my hair and clothes in its icy embrace. Ignoring the curious glances and calls of concern that greeted me, I sprinted through the cobbled streets with single-minded determination. Only when I reached the imposing gates of the palace - my - did I allow myself to pause, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Pushing open the door, I was met with an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air. The dim glow of the palace offered little solace, casting long shadows that seemed to dance in the flickering light.

“My Lady?” came a tentative voice, breaking the silence like a fragile whisper in the darkness.

Raising my gaze, I spotted Lucinda’s familiar brunette head as she approached, her arms laden with pristine white sheets. She regarded me with a tilt of her head, her expression inscrutable.

“Lucinda,” I greeted her with a smile that I hoped masked the tension I felt. “Do you know where Astarion is?”

“Lord Ancunin is bathing,” she responded matter-of-factly, her gaze unwavering.

“Thank you,” I murmured, offering a brief nod before ascending the stairs, my footsteps quickening with purpose as I made my way to the bathing chamber. As I pushed open the door, a rush of warm, moist air greeted me, enveloping me in its comforting embrace.

Inside, I found him reclining in the large porcelain tub, his back resting against the smooth surface. His expression shifted from annoyance to surprise as he caught sight of me.

“Lover?”

I made no reply, closing the distance between us with determined steps. Without hesitation, I climbed into the tub, fully clothed, and nestled myself against his bare chest.

His initial tension melted away as he relaxed into my embrace, his arms encircling me protectively. I breathed in his familiar scent, nuzzling my nose against his pulse point as we savored the simple intimacy of our closeness.

But as I made to move away, his grip tightened, holding me in place.

“I didn’t think you were going to come back,” he confessed, his fingertips trailing lightly across my arm, sending shivers down my spine and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“I was terrified, Astari,” I admitted, no longer willing to suppress my fears. “What you did was…it was horrible.”

“I know, and I am sorry,” he whispered, his voice heavy with regret. “Truly sorry. I don’t know what came over me…it was like…” He trailed off, his words lost in the depths of his turmoil.

Pulling back from him, I held his gaze with unwavering determination. “No, you don’t get to do that,” I asserted, jabbing a finger towards his chest. “You do not get to shut me out like that. Keeping things bottled up is selfish, Astarion. It was selfish of you to push me away when I tried to help you with that dream. I won’t allow you to do the same now, especially after you threatened my life as it if meant nothing.”

His jaw tensed, the muscles grinding as if engaged in a silent struggle. I knew I was pressing his buttons, but I was beyond caring. He needed to confront this, just like how I was. His lips formed a thin line. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Really? Because it certainly didn’t seem that way to me,” I retorted, narrowing my eyes. His hands, resting against my waist, tightened slightly, betraying his inner turmoil. “Astarion, I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

His gaze bore into mine, the deep ruby of his eyes contrasting sharply with his pale lashes. “I’m locked in a constant battle with myself. I’m changing, I can feel it, but I don’t know if I can control it. I never wanted to hurt you, and seeing the fear in your eyes when I threatened you snapped me out of it,” he explained, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “But by then, it was too late. You were already gone.”

“Is it still you when you lash out like that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sighed heavily. “Yes,” he admitted, his expression pained. “It’s my emotions, but sometimes they overwhelm me, and I become the one person I wanted to escape from.”

“Astarion, don’t say that,” I pleaded, taking one of his hands in mine and guiding it to my cheek. “You are not him. The fact that you’re talking to me about it sets you realms apart from him.” Tilting my head slightly, I pressed a gentle kiss to his palm. “When this change happens, what seems to help you come out of it?”

“You,” he replied simply, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Me?” I echoed, surprised.

“Yes, my Darling. Even in my darkest moments, I would never hurt you”

“But-”

“I never stopped protecting you from the sun,” he interjected, cutting off my protest. “You never lost it.”

Studying him closely, I noticed the weariness etched into his features, the grief and darkness that had descended upon him since his ascension. Furrowing my brow I pressed him further. “Describe this feelings to me, in detail.”

He hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “It;s like a constant whisper in my mind, manipulating my emotions to its advantage,” he explained slowly. “I try to resist it, but sometimes I lose control, and my actions become erratic. Each time I regain my sense, it becomes harder to ignore these impulses. It pains me to admit it, but while it’s still me acting, the emotions driving those actions are not my own.”

I swallow deeply. This was unfamiliar information I didn’t know in my past life, one I never encountered even during the darkest times. Yet, it all makes sense now - how Astarion gradually succumbs to this unseen force, losing more of himself with each passing moment. I lift my gaze to him, offering a faint smile.

“Use me.” I suggest catching him off guard.

“What?” His brows knit together in confusion, his expression reflecting his puzzled state.

“You mentioned that somehow I have the ability to pull you back from this haze,” I explained. “So use me. Utilize me in any way necessary to retain yourself. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

Worry creases his face, his fangs lightly grazing his bottom lip in contemplation. “Are you sure? I could put you in danger”

“Absolutely,” I affirm, leaning in to place a reassuring kiss on the crown of his head. “You’re talking to the girl that destroyed an Elder Brain.”

His arms encircle my waist, tightly as he buries his head against my chest. My fingers weave into his hair, tangling in the soft white curls. He murmurs a grateful ‘thank you’ against my chest, his thumbs stroking the fabric of my damp nightwear soothingly. We lingered in that embrace for a while until Astarion insisted that I had to bathe properly. He peeled off my nightwear, letting it fall to the tiled floor with a wet ‘plop’. As he runs his fingers through my hair, my mind swims with thoughts. The vivid dream, coupled with the newfound knowledge of Astarion’s condition, fills my thoughts. It’s not much, but it’s a starting point- a beginning that I desperately needed.

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velvet-vox · 4 months ago

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A needlessly over-complicated analysis on Doll's bathroom line.

<<<<Previous part (unnecessary)

I thought that, since I brought it up, I might as well analyze the one line from Doll that I tend to overlook the most, so that I can move on from it and forget about his existence again, since, quite frankly, I doubt that I'm going to bring it up again in the future, as I don't see any use for it outside of its context: it's just a silly, comedic line whose only other purpose is hide a minor incongruence in the story.

Final note: this is a serious analysis, but this line isn't meant to be taken seriously, so while I will try to look at it with analytical lenses and insert it into the slightly more serious larger picture of the show, I'm not going to pretend like that's something Liam Vickers ever expected anyone to do.

Once again, the lines in question are these:

...... It's a joke.

1: How did it slip under my radar for so long?

The first and major problem that I have with this line, and the reason why I ended up overlooking it for so long, is that it comes right after what is my favourite line of dialogue from Lizzy:

"Dude, no one will notice SHE is missing. Just do your thing, and I'll let in V. We'll see you there!"

As a Doll analyst, this line gives me A LOT to think about, it not only provides a lot of implied characterisation for both Doll and Lizzy alike, but it may also be the closest we get at understanding how deep their partnership truly went.

In fact, let's actually take a break from the Doll line and let's talk about this Lizzy one instead.

Why is Lizzy saying this line to Doll? The most obvious conclusion one may arrive at is that this line is a response that Lizzy is making to something Doll has said to her off screen. So, what did Doll say to get Lizzy to respond like that?

At first glance, it would seem that Doll was showing Lizzy concern for being caught by killing Uzi, after all, both Khan and the Teacher know that Uzi went at Doll's place to prepare for Prom, it would basically be impossible for the two of them to pass off as unaware. It would also perfectly line up with the picture of Doll that was built up to this point in the episode. But then... The rest of the episode actually happened.

So, Doll CLEARLY always intended to blow off her cover at the Prom, when she would finally kill V. Furthermore, Doll doesn't seem particularly concerned with chasing down Uzi, as her reaction to as they say in Russian whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of the ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs would entail.

So, why does Doll feel any form of concern over killing Uzi when she's yet unaware of the fact that Uzi is a Solver host? Could Doll have possibly... cared about Uzi before even knowing that she also shared her sickness? These are questions for another time.

Going back to the titular line of dialogue that started all of this, let's actually try to dissect the individual components of this pun to see if there's any new or weird information (aka implications, because that's all you ever get out of Doll) that we can extrapolate from it.

2: Over analysing the nothing.

(If you wish to know what rules for this analysis are... I don't really have any. Once again, I don't think anyone on the production team of this show was expecting people to take this line seriously, once again, this is a comedic line, and while I am going to sound serious in the following segment, most of the stuff I'm going to say can be chalked up to mere, yet fun, speculation.)

The scene starts with Uzi panicking at the mere sight of Doll's broken furniture, and then hearing footsteps coming closer to the bathroom's door. Having terrible feelings about what's about to happen, Uzi quickly pulls a Dream clutch and uses the mirrors inside the bathtub to reach the ventilation shaft above her head and escape from Doll's apartment.

After setting foot inside the bathroom and seeing what Uzi has been up to, Doll reacts by putting her mechanical hands on her sides and finally proclaiming the iconic line:

As they say in Russian...

"Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs."

Doll keeps staring at the moved out vent in the ceiling for a couple of seconds, with a dumbfounded yet pensive expression, then the scene ends.

Fun fact: this is the longest uninterrupted string of words that we ever see Doll formulate, as she's quite the quiet type.

Let's start our analysis by taking a look at the first phrase:

As they say in Russian...

Already, there's a question we could ask: who or what does "they" refer to?

It could probably be another "sentient" being by Worker Drones standards, as it's highly unlikely for there to exist a not-sentient object/machine that said the hyper specific line of "Whoops, I should've...." enough times or in such a memorable way for Doll to have it internalised as something "they" say.

Though remember, the Murder Drones universe is also extremely unserious by nature, so it's entirely possible for there to exist a preprogrammed machine that says this very specific lines in Russian.

I can totally imagine a shop alarm in the Murder Drones universe going like: "Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs." in Russian when someone steals something from the store. It's reasonable to assume that Doll inherited some money from her parents when they died, hence how she manages to pay taxes without getting a job (if Workers need to pay taxes at all), but I doubt she actually uses them to buy groceries and other stuff. I wouldn't put stealing past her.

Where was I? Oh right.

It can't be something. It has to be somebody.

But who?

The second part of the phrase that we have yet to discuss clues us in that whoever this somebody must be is capable of speaking "in Russian".

The word "Russian" actually makes a universe of difference, because if the actual sentence was "As they say in Russia..." like how I remembered it to be, the answer to the question "Who?" would be much more simple: Doll has never been to Earth, where Russia is, therefore, with this phrase she was actually referring to the Humans/Drones that inhabited Russia on that planet, and unless Doll has secretly had contact with a human/drone coming from that country in the past, she either must have gotten this information from another source, or she's making it up on the spot basing it on her preconceived assumptions.

But no, the line of dialogue is "As they say in Russian...", which is ten times more vague.

Keeping in mind that the aforementioned theory of the russian humans/drones being the answer to the "who does they refer to" question is still a valid conclusion, other candidates could be Doll's classmates, teachers, neighbours, unknown russian drones and parents.

While we can't defy one, singular, correct answer to the question, let's review our options either way:

- Classmates - I'm going to divide Doll's classmates into two possible camps (fever): those who speak Russian as their default language, and those who don't speak Russian as their default language.

As far as we are aware, none of the students in Uzi's class aside from Doll speak Russian by default, which means that the default Russian speaking classmates in question must be students of other classes. We see Doll hunt down and kill some kids of other classes right at the start of the episode, implying that both Doll and Lizzy know various other students in their school, and probably spend time with them.

In case the students in question are the classmates that we have seen in the episodes from 1 to 4, whom we know for a fact that they don't speak Russian, then let's ask us another question to divide them into two more groups: can Drones change their language setting, or are they stuck with their default one?

If Drones can change their language setting to Russian from English, then a reasonable conclusion as to why Doll's classmates said "Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs." in Russian was to mock Doll for messing up something in her language, and it remained impressed inside Doll's mind exactly due to the circumstances and people it was used (It's not really probable).

If Drones cannot change their default language setting, then this implies that Doll's classmates and at least all of Gen 2 Worker Drones kind can speak languages not adhering to their default one, which, while a fun and interesting theory, doesn't lead us anywhere.

- Teachers - it's definitely possible, we don't know if Liam is the only teacher at their school, for what we know, the class or the school could have multiple teachers, and some of them could be Russian speaking ones; probably, since Russian speaking Worker Drones were likely built to serve humans who could only speak or primarily spoke russian, the russian speaking teachers could've taught Doll what they perceived as some way of saying the Russians taught them.

The line "Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs." would then make far more sense than you think: we know that the humans used Copper-9 as a base for their experiments, therefore, it's possible for one of these experiments to have escaped through a ventilation shaft using, and the Russian speaking human in service could have said the iconic line in front of one of his pet drones, to which he interpreted it as something Russian people say in general.

I'm attributing this theory to the teachers, but this also applies to Doll's parents, just like the default language question applies to both students and all of Worker Drone kind alike.

- Neighbours - we're never given any reason to believe that Doll has neighbours, much less that she interacts/has interacted with them and they spoke to her in her language setting; they are a perfectly valid answer, but they are also an incredibly bland and uninteresting one.

- Unknown Russian speaking Worker Drones - pretty much in the same camp as Doll's neighbours; they are perfectly valid, but they are a blank slate type of answer. Also, one thing against both this and the neighbours theory being plausible is that these made up characters should be memorable enough in order for Doll to pick up their lines as something she would quote in this situation.

Memorability isn't a necessary qualification for the classmates and the teachers, as Doll is forced to see them every single day of her life, meaning that even if she finds them boring, she has to put up with them enough times for her to memorise some of their characteristics.

- Parents - Lastly, we arrive at Doll's parents, characters that have massive importance to Doll's personal life story.

It's heavily theorised by the community that Doll's parents probably spoke russian a lot, and may have even been their default language; this theory is so popular that the majority of the fanbase views it as canon, and can you blame them? The evidence is there:

Yeva is the russian version of the name Eve, wife of Adam, first sinner, giving Doll's mother (and maybe her father too, if we ever end up learning his name is not Mitchell 👀) possible ties to the Bible. Also, if Doll's parents spoke Russian, it would explain why Doll speaks that language as well: she probably inherited that default language setting from them, or at the very least she favours it over other options because that's how her parents preferred to speak, in case she's able to change her own language settings.

That being said... What reason would Doll's parents have to say the following line of "Whoops, I should've..." at all? Much less in front of Doll?

Yeva had the patch, therefore she probably didn't need to kill and consume other Worker Drones for their oil, and it seems that Doll only awakened her Solver powers when her parents died, so again, if the implication is that someone tried to escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs (mirrors that, may I remind you, probably weren't there when Doll's parents were alive, and were put there by Doll after she was orphaned) and Doll's parents were commenting on that in Russian, what would have been the necessary situation for this to happen?

Furthermore, Doll uses the word "say", not "said", and if Doll's parents are truly dead like we think, it would be illogical of Doll to quote their words with the present form of the verb, unless she's delusional and still believes they are alive, which is something plausible if their position at the dinner table is anything to go by.

But now, I want to zoom out those analytical lenses and take a second look at the phrase in its entirety:

As they say in Russian...

If the "they" that I've been talking about this whole time actually refers to all Russians, as a community, and in the most generalized meaning of the word, then, we might consider the idea that Doll, despite speaking their same language, may not view herself as a Russian, or it's trying to put some distance between herself and that group of people.

And if these are the cases, we could ask ourselves this:

Does Doll like the fact that other people think she's Russian? Or does she like speaking Russian at all, if Worker Drones are only capable of speaking one language only?

Maybe Doll doesn't like her own russian speaking voice, as it alienates her from the rest of her class, maybe all of her school, and, since we never see any other Russian speaking Worker Drones, maybe the entire colony (Khan's multiple languages manual is not a piece of counter evidence, because as far as the series shows us, all of the Russian speaking Worker Drones in that colony with the exception of Doll might have died before the pilot).

This little idea would also tie back to Uzi's own feelings of social alienation, helping Doll to better serve her purpose of dark mirror/foil to the protagonist.

Finally, let's look at the second line of Doll in this scene.

"Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs."

Despite this line being way longer than the last one, this portion of the segment is going to be far shorter, as there are far less things that I want to discuss.

"a ventilation shaft" is interesting, as it implies that Doll has multiple ventilation shafts inside her house, unless, of course, this is a phrase she took from someone else.

From what we know of the Patch, it seems capable of shielding the wearer from possession, but there's no evidence that it also stops the overheating problem, therefore, it's possible that Yeva installed multiple ventilation shafts inside her house to avoid this precise problem, or she might have done it as reference to how human trauma victims have respiration problems. (Shout-out to @dreamii-krybaby for reminding me of the overheating issue).

"discarded" is also a very interesting word, as it's pretty much in the same vein as "Russian": surprisingly vague when you inspect it further.

I looked up the meaning of its present form online, and its etymology is: get rid of (someone or something) as no longer useful or desirable/a thing rejected as no longer useful or desirable, which... it's a surprisingly in character word for Doll to say.

This is actually a VERY huge thing to me, as it makes me think that the writers could have putted a minimal amount of effort to make this line sound like something Doll would actually say, which runs counter to what my original assumptions when starting this analysis were.

Keep in mind: this word didn't have to be discarded, it could have easily been broken, or bloody, which still fit, but no, it's discarded. Where did Doll get all of those mirrors from? I don't know. Ultimately though, I don't think any of this leads to any interesting theory or idea.

Finally, let's repeat what we did with the "As they say in Russian..." phrase and let's take another zoomed out look at this entire line:

"Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using discarded mirrors as stairs."

Now it may be a good time to ask the question Why is Doll saying both this and the previous line, as it doesn't seem to fit the context of "my next victim has just escaped from my grasp and this could lead to problems for me later on". This could just be Doll's way of expressing stress, but her facial expression is so hard to read, that I have absolutely no idea of what she could be thinking in this moment.

Now that I'm finally done squeezing the "reading between the lines" metaphor to it's absolute limit with this scene (I could have gone on for much longer, I could have talked about the possible meaning of the tent showing a toaster inside a bathtub or other things), it's finally time to go back to another question that has been going on in my mind lately:

Are this lines something that Doll would actually say?

Is this joke in character for Doll?

3: It's Doll... Right?

Do you remember how I previously implied that this joke line was out of character for Doll? Well, the truth is... that it really isn't.

I actually believe that this line makes perfect sense for the character that Doll has been built up to be... up to this point.

One of the things that analysing these lines made me notice is that every time Doll changes design she also feels like a completely different character then the one we were introduced with; I can definitely see the classic, cheerleader Doll that we saw in episode 2 and in the earlier parts of episode 3 saying these lines, but not Prom dress nor button eyed Doll.

All the times we saw the classic, quiet girl Doll she was presented as calm, unbothered, and collected, even if she was secretly a serial killer; that's the Doll I can envision saying this joke in such a situation.

Prom dress Doll by contrast is completely different, she's extremely emotional, very spiteful, deadly serious and has lost all of her cool.

Button eyed Doll is straight up the bottom of the barrel, she's completely lost it: she lacks both the coolness factor of classic Doll and the threat level of Prom dress Doll, she's so emotionally unstable and irrational that it's a miracle that she's to formulate any plans at all, then she dies once she's no longer needed for the story.

Keep in mind: all of these different characterizations make sense and are supposed to be different stages of a much more nuanced antagonist, it's just that... not all of the puzzle pieces are there. Everything adds up to one unique identity eventually, it's just that some of the steps are way too up to interpretation or are just omitted entirely.

4: is this joke actually funny?

You might think that this is an unnecessary talking point, and it is, but since we are already overanalyzing a joke line, we might as well see if the general public finds this to be an actually funny bit of comedy or if it had any lasting impact in the fanbase.

Since comedy is subjective and I'm a machine, I thought about doing a Google search to see what are the most common ingredients that make comedy hit, but then I remembered that the main reason why I went so unnecessarily in depth when breaking down the dialogue of this scene was because these lines, despite how unimportant and uninteresting they might be to me, are still undisputable pieces of Doll content present the show; looking up the comedy aspect of this dialogue and attempting to objectify it, something that would get me to be clowned on a lot by basically everyone despite how happy I would feel to show other people my mental instability, doesn't really give me any new informations about Doll's character aside from maybe seeing if she has some hidden comedic potential.

So instead, let's just see how other people view this line.

Fun fact: I started writing this post 6 days ago, and I was going to use only the comments under episode 3 of Murder Drones as evidence for the public opinions, but then Yagster, the poll guy on YouTube, made a poll to see what was the best line of episode 3 according to people, and as you can imagine, this joke was amongst the four options, and it's what was picked up as the best.

Anyway, here's some screenshotted comments:

(Got these from various sources)

Here's the positive ones.

And here's the negative one. (I was sure there were more of these, but this is the only one I ended up finding)

From what I've seen, the fanbase has a mostly positive opinion of this dialogue, there was a sizable chunk of individuals quoting it in the comment section of episode 3, though it doesn't pop out as often as other great lines from the show, probably because of how long and overly specific it is.

I would have said that they have forgotten about it, but if you bring it back up to their faces they remember it immediately.

So there we go.

Closing thoughts.

I think this is it.

I didn't have to do this, nobody wanted me to do this, but now that I've done it, I feel an immense sense of closure, something that I've been needing for a while.

I feel like one of the major problems that I need to work on a lot is my priority list.

Originally, I started writing this post as a side project, something to push out to compensate for the amount of time I needed to complete other works of mine, but due to my maniacal need for perfectionism and short attention span, this "side project" ended up taking much more time than I wanted to, I feel like my ideal model for fast produced, high quality content just isn't viable for me, and I should really learn to focus on one task at a time.

Once again, this line is just a comedy bit, I doubt anybody ever expected it to be put through as much scrutiny as I've put it to, but if any of the ideas I came up with while writing this stimulated your creativity in any capacity, I'll be glad to have inspired you.

Good morning, afternoon, evening, night and day everyone.

#murder drones #murder drones uzi #murder drones doll #md lizzy #khan doorman #murder drones teacher #analysis #funny #russian #Да #yeva murder drones

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noenvyy · 3 years ago

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HOW did vicious baby, (aka Meng Yao), and Tall Daddy, (aka Lan Xichen), actually meet??

Okay I’m really curious to hear everyone’s take on this because I just watched the donghua and listened to the audio drama and each way is a little different!

And BECAUSE each way is a little different each way could have many different interpretations and implications for the way I see Meng Yao and Xichen’s relationship.

Exhibit A: The Live Action Version aka Love at First Pinky Stroke OR Is it Actually Just More of Meng Yao’s Conniving Ways?

So in the live action Vicious Baby and Tall Daddy meet after Tall Daddy very ala Jane Austin rescues Meng Yao from the nasty social comments of some random hoes.

Meng Yao seems both genuinely grateful and genuinely smitten at Xichen’s chivalry...

Whereas soon as Xichen sees him smile he literally makes this face.

Poor Daddy Lan Legs is literally struck dumb by the sight of Meng Yao peering up at him all doe-eyed from beneath his dark lashes. But alas Meng Yao puts the kabash on any possible romantic entanglements much to the audience’s disappointment. Meng Yao is after all, at this point in the show, a taken bottom and his loyalty to Nie Mengjue seems sincere.

At the very least the face he makes when looking at him in this scene shows that he and Nie Boss Daddy are definitely fucking and Meng Yao is definitely into it.

Too bad for ol’ Xichen who immediately compensates by trying to vicariously live a romantic life by becoming way too invested in his younger brother’s.

Then Meng Yao fucks up in front of Mingjue, compensates by getting stabbed for him...

---- BUT knows he’s still on the hook when he hears this.

So here’s my thinking: if this is the real way they met it seems obvious there was some sort of attraction. Therefore, when Meng Yao hears about the burning of Cloud Recesses, he must be genuinely concerned and wanting to help Xichen.

That’s what I WANT to believe. OR is Meng Yao just already doing the math in his head and figures he might be banished and thinks that if he’s gonna have a rebound it might as well be a rich, powerful, hot and kind one. What is it they say about sociopaths again? How they’re always able to single out the kind people?

I don’t know. Thoughts anyone?

Exhibit B: The Audio Drama aka Xichen is Adorable Helpless Rich Boy and Meng Yao is the Girl Next Door

In a cute extra in the audio drama we see an overly eager Xichen trying hard to pull his weight at the (inn? whorehouse? Meng Yao’s house?) by doing a set of laundry which he proceeds to accidentally tear to shreds. Meng Yao shoes Xichen away from the clothes before Xichen can create more sewing work for him. Xichn laments being a helpless, rich boy who doesn’t know his own strength, expressing regret that now Meng Yao has twice the work on his hands having to care for the both of them.

Meng Yao however tuts this away, saying he’s used to doing chores. He finds Xichen’s fumbling endearing. However, as he leans over to scrub Xichen’s robes he notices the distinct pattern of the Gusu Lan clan.

First off, WHAT THE HELL XICHEN?? You’d think the leader of the Lan clan would be a little brighter than this and think to hide his clan robes when he’s on the FREAKING run from the Wen clan.

Meng Yao however, doesn’t call him out but does gently hints that he should keep the robes out of sight.

Meng Yao: These patterns...

Xichen: Hm?

Meng Yao: Nothing! I just think they’re pretty...um young master, these robes are important aren’t they?

Xichen: Yeah I suppose so! ^__^

Meng Yao: Then it would probably be a good idea to keep them stored safe somewhere right?

Xichen: ^___^

Meng Yao: Like out of sight....

Xichen: ^___^

Meng Yao: Away from prying eyes....?

Xichen: ^____^

Meng Yao: Hide your f**king robes you beautiful simple man!

The whole scene ends with an adorable exchange as Xichen stubbornly gives laundry one last try and fail and Meng Yao gently and playfully teases him for it.

Okay so if this is the true way they met then once more there is evidence that there was a genuine attraction between them at first and one without any of Meng Yao’s schemes! He truly hadn’t known who Xichen was before deciding to help him.

This is another version I want to believe.

Exhibit C: The Manghua Version aka Xichen: Meng Yao Would Take a Bullet For Me I Swea---no, no, stop shaking your head Wangji

So this version is the most questionable because its told from Xichen’s POV and he’s biased because he really BELIEVES in Meng Yao.

We know Meng Yao rescued Xichen, that much is true.

But Xichen claims Meng Yao rescued him only out of the goodness of his heart without knowing who he was. That he did it because he despised the tyranny of the Wen clan.

Okay so does that sound a little hollow to anyone else’s ears or is it just me? First off, when has Meng Yao ever just done something out of “the goodness of his heart?” That boy is a calculating bitch!

Second off, Meng Yao is clever enough to most likely at least know the way Gusu Lan cultivators dressed. Even if he didn’t recognize Xichen as the clan leader he’d still be smart enough to know that having a connection with any member of the Lan clan might benefit him in the future. Also when do we EVER hear Meng Yao criticize the Wens?? Not once!

I feel like this version makes Meng Yao out to be more sus especially since we see Xichen talking him up later on to Nie Mingjue. This makes Xichen and Meng Yao’s relationship out to be a lot faker than the others as its not a far leap to think that Meng Yao decides to rescue Xichen to gain his favor, only pretending to not know who he was.

It would fall in line with other bit of the show such as when Meng Yao COMPLETELY manipulates Xichen’s emotions by giving him back the Lan Jade talisman.

I actually don’t hate this because I think that the donghua is definitely making Meng Yao out to be a lot scarier and evil and I kind of still dig that.

Exhibit D: The Novel aka I actually don’t really remember this one...

I don’t remember this one guys. I don’t think we ever actually see it do we? Like don’t we just hear Xichen say that Meng Yao helped hide him when the Wen’s were after him? But we don’t know exactly how they ran into each other or wether they had known each other before or anything?

Again. IDK.

Anywho, I’d love to hear people’s take. I do confess I was not in my right mind while writing this post and I apologize for my midnight ramblings. Peace Amigos.

#meng yao #Jingungyao #lan xichen #xichen #3zun #nie mingjue #zewu jun #er ge-ge #sworn brothers #the untamed #mdzs #cql #untamed theories

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aspoonofsugar · 4 years ago

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Wizards: “I can fix It”

Douxie’s catchphrase is “I can fix it” and I think it conveys an important theme (if not the main theme) of the spinoff series.

This is because this same concept appears over and over throughout the series, even if sometimes the words used are different:

These are just some of the occurrences where the motif of fixing/breaking appears. Let’s see what it means and how it is linked to what is probably the main theme of the whole franchise:

DOUXIE AND MERLIN: REDEMPTION FROM A SCORNED MENTOR

Douxie’s obsession with making things right has to do with his wish to win Merlin’s approval. He feels he has been failing for 900 years and he wants to finally prove to his mentor and father figure that he has grown. He can make things right now.

This is why the plot literally starts with Douxie failing to bring everyone to safety and ending up lost in time with the others. Since then, he has been trying to fix things. This idea evolves in not only going back to the future he left, but also into making a better future:

Douxie and the others try to fix the relationship between Morgana and Arthur, but this ends badly since not only Morgana dies, but also Excalibur is broken.

Douxie tries to fix things, to make them better, but the result is that Excalibur (aka the only weapon which can be used against Gunmar) is broken.

Here, we are introduced to a statement, which is the opposite of Douxie’s motto:

It is not by chance that Merlin is the one stating this because throughout the series he comes to embody this line of thought. Merlin never tries to fix what is broken if it means other things might get lost. He never risks anything to make things truly better, but fights to keep things from degenerating. For example, he loses Morgana, but does not try to save her. What he does is to try not to lose Douxie as well. In the time travel section, Merlin’s objective is not to make history better, but to make sure things go as they should. This means some things are lost, but also others are gained and safe.

This kind of behaviour works to keep the world balanced, but it does not solve the main conflict to the point that 900 years later things are still like they used to be in the past. The Order is still trying to destroy humanity. Morgana and Arthur are still not at peace. The world still needs a trollhunter and so on.

This is why it is symbolic that Merlin does not fix Excalibur, but Douxie does:

And he does so by doing things his way and not Merlin’s.

The time travel arc is solved because Douxie and Merlin work together. Merlin’s struggle to preserve history and Douxie’s one to make it better balance each other out and in the end they succeed in saving the future they all know.

That said, the difference in POVs between Merlin and Douxie is still there and it manifests when discussing Jim’s fate.

Merlin wants to sacrifice Jim for the greater good, but Douxie refuses and comes up with a plan to win everything. He wants to fix things completely and not to lose anything. The result is that he loses everything:

Merlin dies and Douxie is once again confronted with what his mentor told him in Camelot:

Some things just can’t be fixed and the fact that loss is gonna happen must be accepted. It is something at the root of life itself. Who refuses this truth is bound to stay a prisoner of the past.

ARTHUR AND THE ORDER: “OUR REDEMPTION”

Arthur talks about redemption twice, but the meaning behind the word changes each time. The first time, Arthur wants to find redemption by reconciling with his sister. The second time, he wants to destroy the world to make things right.

This is important for two reasons.

a) “Redemption” is just another word for “fixing it”. A redemption happens when a person makes a mistake and then fixes his mistake. This is why Douxie himself wants a “redemption from a scorned mentor”.

Douxie and Arthur even have an important scene where they discuss this topic:

In there Douxie inspires Arthur not to give up just because he made mistakes. He should instead try to make things right.

b) The different kinds of “redemption” the king mentions show the danger of embracing the mentality of “making things right” to an unhealthy degree:

After all, the Order and Arthur’s objective is “to fix the world”, but in order to do so they are ready to destroy humanity.

Why is their mentality wrong? Shouldn’t the idea of “fixing things” be a noble one? Sure, it might be difficult to succeed, but generally the attempt of mending a mistake is considered as positive, isn’t it?

The antagonists show that this is not always the case. As a matter of fact the will “to fix all mistakes” can lead to extreme standpoints and to a refusal to embrace change.

This is made clear by both Arthur and the Order.

When it comes to the Order, they are trying to bring the world back to how it used to be. Still, they refuse that things have changed and that they can’t go back. This is why they are symbolically trapped in a time loop first:

And then in an infinite series of doors:

It is because they refuse to go on.

The same can be said about Arthur:

He could never overcome the loss of his beloved and ended up stuck in the past and unable to accept the future with its contradictions. This is why it is meaningful that he is killed by the remnants of Camelot (something broken, which can’t be fixed) and that he is told by Morgana that times have changed:

Let’s once again highlight here his foiling with Douxie. As a matter of fact Douxie too must accept the death of a loved one:

He is even symbolically asked to “break Merlin’s staff” to progress in his mission. Here, breaking the staff is functional to the plot, but it is also symbolic of Douxie’s grief and of him breaking free of his idea that he has to fix everything. Like Merlin said, not everything can be fixed.

Interestingly, Arthur’s grief is commented by the breaking/fixing motif as well. As a matter of fact Excalibur breaks when Morgana dies. In that situation, the sword breaking is symbolic of Arthur’s own heart and character breaking. He is supposed to be the chosen one, but he gave himself up to hate and lost everything:

Merlin: “I will repair Excalibur and perhaps mend out shattered hearts.”

In the past, Arthur is given a chance to fix his mistakes. Excalibur is fixed and he bonds with the trolls he had persecuted. However, in the end he becomes too broken to be fixed once again and he dies as a prisoner of his own shadows. All because he can’t accept his losses and his mistakes.

WIZARDS MAKE NO MISTAKES, HE MAKES UNEXPECTED POSSIBILITIES

So, not everything can be fixed, but at the same time it is necessary to try to make things better. How can one do so? The answer is given to us by Merlin.

Mistakes must be seen as new possibilities. Sometimes bad things happen, but they can still change a person’s life for the better, if the person is able to keep an open mind.

If the person keeps going, if they keep becoming they can embrace possibilities, which just were not there.

This is why it is not necessary to fix everything in the sense of bringing everything as it was. It is impossible and it is wrong. What a person can do is to make things better in a new way.

This is how Douxie tricks the Order:

The Heart of Avalon is not there anymore, which means they can’t go back in time to fix it. However, fragments of it are still there and they can be used to make something new:

I personally loved how the time-loop trick worked because it builds on what happened in D’Aja vu, when magic and technology were combined. It was a nice idea and very symbolic of what these two worlds (which are clearly linked) can obtain when they integrate.

In the end, Douxie does not fix everything. He gives the Seals away to save Nari and the others. The Order is still around waiting for their chance to strike. However, he still saved his friends.

The same can be said about the major subplots of the season. In the end Morgana and Arthur’s relationship was impossible to mendle. However, she still mendles her relationship with Merlin:

Moreover, Claire manages to save Jim. Not only that, but Jim comes back as a human. Even in that case, though, the trollhunter amulet is broken.

Still, this does not mean that everything is lost, but that there is room for new possibilities:

Being it Jim or someone else, a new hero will probably answer Excalibur’s call and end the conflict. Another person will keep on becoming.

MAGIC IS THE ART OF LIVING

This brings us to how the spinoff explores the idea of becoming, like the rest of the franchise does.

This idea is presented at the very beginning of the series, when Douxie is told by Merlin this:

Magic is the art of living and living is different than simply existing. Living means existing in an active way.

It means to make good use of the chances you are given:

It means not to run away from who you are:

You can and must do it both if you are “remarkable”:

And if you are “nobody”:

This is because it does not matter who you are in present, but who you can become:

Once again the foiling between Douxie and Arthur brings the point home.

Arthur is the chosen one, while Douxie is nobody:

Still, Arthur is the series main antagonist, while Douxie is the main hero. This is because they have decided to become different people:

This is also why “every life is precious”. It is because every individual can become something amazing:

Still, to do so, they must accept change, face fear and find a place of belonging:

#wizards #tales of arcadia #toa #tales of arcadia meta #toa meta #douxie #arthur pendragon #wizards meta #my meta

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possiamo-andare · 5 years ago

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Midsummer: JJ Maybank

JJ x Reader

word count: around 6k

MASTERLIST

a/n: took a long time writing this and I've never done anything like this (where its y/n) so any feedback would be greatly appreciated <3

You had never technically been to the Midsummer festival. Of course, since you were a Kook, your parents were invited and tried to make you go but every year came a new excuse. First, you had the "stomach flu." Then, there was that time you said you had "strep throat." Another time, you had a "fever." You had so many excuses for not going to Midsummer every year, you had become a pro at lying.

Only this time, you had an actual reason not to go and, out of all the times, your parents didn't believe you.

You had told them the truth. You and Rafe had just gotten into a huge argument and had technically broken up. It wasn't official or anything but you both knew it was the end. You wanted to stay home and binge watch 'New Girl' from the beginning and maybe order some food. You just wanted to indulge yourself for a moment. You had lost 170 pounds (aka Rafe) and you kinda wanted to celebrate.

Rafe loved keeping up appearances and you were just another way to do that. You were the "perfect" girl next door. You surfed, played soccer during the school year, and it helped that your parents were loaded. You and Rafe looked like a great couple on the outside, but the reality was you were both broken in one way or another. You were struggling with your mundane life, finding every day one endless loop. You were desperate to break free but didn't know how. Rafe was struggling with addiction and wouldn't admit to you that he had a problem.

Finally, you were at your breaking point. This morning, while you still had the courage, you started to talk to Rafe about getting help. You had kept this secret for him for too long and keeping it any longer wouldn't help anyone. Rafe, as you expected, flew off the handle and said the most horrible stuff. He called you a bitch, a slut, and basically every thing that could hurt a person. And you took it because that's what you always did. Then he said something that you couldn't forgive.

You're gonna die alone.

All of those words before never hurt as much as this one. You think it hurts the most because there's a possibility that it's true. You have never had an honest conversation with anyone in your life, including Rafe. You let people in, but not all the way. You were scared to get hurt, but even more scared to die alone. Rafe knew that.

So, you told him you're done and then left. No, you're here, talking to your parents and telling them you couldn't go because you had broken up with Rafe.

"I just don't understand what happened. Rafe is such a nice young man." Your mother said, going through her jewelry box to find the right earrings to match the dress that was laying across her bed.

The Midsummer party was not to start until the sun set in about three hours but your mom loved getting ready early and this party was no exception.

"I just don't want to go. Rafe is escorting me and I don't wanna put on a smile and pretend like everything's okay when it's not."

You didn't understand your mother sometimes. She was fine with letting you stay home from the party for years now as long as there was a physical reason like a cold. Now that you're telling her it's a mental reason, she could care less. You watched her by the frame of her bedroom door. She continued to look in her jewelry box and not for one second check on you.

"It's just for tonight sweetie." She smiled, but not at you.

At first you thought it was directed at you even though she wasn't looking at you. Then you realized she had found the matching earrings and that's why she was smiling. She held them up to her ears and looked in the mirror for a second.

You wondered if she remembered she had a daughter. It felt like she didn't remember sometimes.

You couldn't change her mind. You knew this now. She was picking out her jewelry and accessories now and the room for anything other than the talk of jewelry and makeup was not interesting to her. You decided to cave, not wanting to plead your case again.

So, you returned to your room and called the only person that ever listened to you. Your best friend, Sarah Cameron. She had recently met a Pogue named John B. and also didn't want to go to the Midsummer party where Topper, her soon-to-be ex boyfriend, was escorting her. She had planned to break up with Topper to be with John B. but hadn't gotten the chance yet. Although she wanted to end things with Topper, she didn't want to cause any drama and breaking up with him at the Midsummer party was definitely not a good way to avoid drama.

Sarah understood. She always did.

"Hey girlie." Sarah chimed as she answered the phone.

You instantly smiled, sitting down on your bed. "Hey."

You could basically hear the frown in Sarah's voice as she spoke. "What's wrong? Did Rafe text you?"

You hummed a no. Just hearing Sarah's voice made you feel better. "I tried to tell my mom I don't feel like going but she refuses to listen."

Sarah sighed. "I'm sorry Y/N. I'll look after you tonight. Make sure Rafe doesn't talk to you. He'll escort you to the party and then that's all you'll see from him. I promise."

You chuckled. "And who is gonna make sure Topper stays away from you as you go meet up with your new boyfriend?"

"Ah, my friend," Sarah chides. "That's where you come in. We'll help each other out tonight."

You laugh, the plan sounding ridiculous but it made enough sense to actually work. "Okay, I'll see you then."

"See you there sister." sang Sarah, hanging up the phone soon after.

After you put your phone down to charge, you decided to take a shower and start getting ready for the Midsummer party. You showered quickly, scrubbing your hair so that it wouldn't smell, as your mother says, "like the sea."

After you got out, you washed you face with a cleanser and towel dried your hair. You then brushed your teeth for the second time today and popped in a mint. You put your hair up in a bun while it was still wet so it could dry on it's own. That's when you picked out your dress. Your mom had bought it for you a week ago and it had been collecting dust in your closet ever since. You laid it out on your bed and finally got a proper look at it.

It was a yellow, spaghetti strap dress that fell to your ankles. It was made out of silk and shined even with your bedroom light. When you had tried it on, your remembered how tight it was on the bodice and how it dainty it looked on you. You did like it and it made you feel like a princess, you just wished you didn't have to wear it for the Midsummer party.

You started your makeup first. You applied a tinted moisturizer to give yourself a natural glow and then applied some concealer to lighten your under eyes. Once ever was evenly applied, you filled in your brows and brushed them back and applied some mascara. You added blush and some highlighter to give you a brighter glow. You finally finished off the look with a nude lip.

You let your hair down and it was stil damp. In an attempt to get your hair to dry faster, you got a blow dryer and dried the rest of your hair. Once it was all dry, you brushed it through once and let it stay down. It had turned out nice, the natural curls in your hair giving you the volume you needed. Why change something that already looked so good.

With your makeup and hair done, you finally got changed into your dress. Once it was own, you gave yourself a proper look in the mirror.

You did look beautiful. You had to admit, when you put effort in, you cleaned up well. Although you liked how you turned out, your heart still hurt. Not because of Rafe, but because you can't imagine doing this every year for the rest of your life. Your parents were always okay with doing the same things everyday. You weren't. You wanted to go out on adventures and experience all life had to offer. You wanted to travel by yourself. You wanted to have something different to do everyday. This mundane life you saw your parents do was not for you but you were scared if you lived any more days like this, it was going to be your future. That's what scared you the most. Not being able to get out of the bubble your parents and your life as a Kook put you in. It's one of the reasons you envied the Pogues. Sure they might not have as much money but they had adventures and didn't lead a mundane life. Everyday was different. You sometimes wished you were a Pogue.

You slipped on your heels and looked into the mirror one last time. You looked good but still couldn't smile fully. You didn't hate how you looked, you hated the person looking back.

You didn't know if that ever would change.

Sarah always looked beautiful and you hated it. Even on days when she woke up, hung over with bed head, she just had to smile and she'd look beautiful.

When you entered Sarah's house, she was waiting for you in her bedroom. Her dad, Ward, told you where she was and you basically rushed upstairs. You hadn't seen her in two days since before she went on an adventure with John B. and you needed to know all the juicy details.

Now, as you looked at her in that perfect white dress, you didn't feel self conscious, but you certainly felt like you had to change.

"Holy hell." Sarah said as she stood up from her bed. "You look so sexy."

You rushed to her and hugged her for a moment before saying anything. "I look sexy? Look at you. You look like an angel."

Sarah laughed, grabbing your hand and squeezing it. "How are you doing?"

You shrugged. There wasn't much to say. You weren't really torn up over the situation. "I'm fine. We both knew it was coming."

Sarah laughed. "You should've seen my brother. He was totally freaking out when he called Topper."

You frowned. "Sorry. I know he's your brother."

Sarah waved her hands in the hair. "Are you kidding me? Someone needed to knock Rafe down a few pegs. I'm glad you guys are done. He doesn't deserve you."

You hugged Sarah again. She really was the most important person in your life right now. You didn't know how you got so lucky.

"Speaking of which, are Topper and Rafe here?"

Sarah sighed and nodded. "Waiting for us downstairs to escort us to the Midsummer party."

You rolled my eyes, grabbing onto Sarah's hand again. "Ugh. We can't just keep them waiting."

Sarah smirked, playing along with your sarcasm. "God forbid."

As you guys made your way downstairs, you talked. You knew you couldn't ask her all the details right now but you made sure to let her know that once you were alone, you'd pressure her to tell you all the information. You had seen John B. and his friends around OBX but had rarely talked. The only time you ever encountered each other was when you and Sarah slept on the boat overnight and John B. had come in the early morning to drop off the scuba gear. They seemed to not get along at all so you still wonder what changed.

"Just one question?" You pleaded as you and Sarah made your way to the sliding glass doors, leading you to the backyard where the party was taking place. The sun was setting now and the party would be starting any minute.

"Fine, shoot." Sarah nodded, whispering to you now since Topper and Rafe could see you and Sarah now.

"Is he a good kisser or not?" You leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"What are you beautiful ladies whispering about?" Topper asks as he approaches you and Sarah. You instantly pull away, acting very suspicious.

"How to please a woman. Not that you would know." You smirk at Topper, being very mean. For good reason though. He had made Sarah feel very bad about not sleeping with him and you were glad she had moved on. Now, hopefully Topper would too.

Topper rolled his eyes. "Hello Y/N. How are you?" You know he's only being so nice to try and impress Sarah and show her he's changed. Of course Sarah doesn't buy it.

"I'm spectacular." You gave Topper a wide smile. Maybe if you stared at him long enough, his head would explode.

"Good." Topper grumbled, looking at Sarah. "You look amazing."

Sarah frowned. "Yeah, thanks." She seemed so unenthusiastic it was almost funny.

Topper extended out his hand, ready for Sarah to take it. Sarah looked at you and tried to smile but you could see her discontent. Sarah unwilllingly reached for it and smiled again at Topper.

Here's the thing; if you have to smile so much at everyone all the time, you're probably not happy.

Just as Sarah and Topper move away, Sarah stops, tells Topper to wait one moment and turns around to you. She smiles, for real this time, and says, "To answer your question; yeah, really well."

You giggle, trying to make sure Topper does not ask too many questions. That smile that you had, though, is now replaced with a frown.

You can see him lurking near the door, finding the courage to come up to me.

God, I wished he would just leave me alone, you thought.

You decide against confronting him and instead walk to Sarah's kitchen to grab some water. The doors to Sarah's backyard can be seen if you stood in Sarah's kitchen so you can see Sarah walk out with Topper, smiling and waving. People who don't know Sarah well won't know the difference but you do. Her shoulders are slightly droopy and her smile is not as wide as it usually is.

You watch her quickly depart from Topper soon after he's escorted her around and you can see Topper stay behind, a little shocked she's gone. You don't know why he is, but that's the thing with guys like him. They never think they're the problem.

Speaking of problems, Rafe has followed you into the kitchen and is just standing there. You pretend not to see him. Maybe if you ignore him, you thought, he'll take the hint and walk away.

Of course, he doesn't and as you try to walk past him, he stops you from leaving the kitchen. He's standing in front of you. So, you move to the right and he follows, blocking you again.

"Can we talk?" He asks, reaching out for your hand.

You move my hand out of the way. "Don't touch me."

"Y/N..." He's looking at you with those puppy dog eyes and granted it would've worked at one point but not anymore.

"No." You say sternly. "This is what's gonna hapen: you're gonna escort me out and after that we'll never talk again."

Rafe frowns even harder. "I don't want that. I said things I shouldn't have but -"

"No." You cut him off. "There's no more excuses. We're done."

Rafe's brows crease together. You can tell he's pissed now. "No. You're not giving up on us."

You scoffed, his confidence misplaced. "Trust me, you gave up a long time ago." You then grab onto his elbow, surprising him a little. You could tell he was confused and so you rolled your eyes and then spoke again, "you're escorting me."

Rafe's eyes widened and quickly nodded, guiding you to the glass doors. As you walked, you felt a weight lifted. It had been a long time for you to admit this but you wer glad you guys were over. Your relationship was not aware near perfect and very toxic. The weight lifting, you realized, was definitely Rafe's link to your life.

As the doors opened, you put on a smile and stared waving. You looked around and smiled at your family and friends but you were looking for Sarah. You saw your mother, who was clapping and had a proud smile on her lips. She gave you a thumbs up but you looked away. Could she seriously be any more annoying?

Finally, you spotted Sarah near table. She was looking at you and clapping. You could tell from her facial features that she was being sarcastic. You stuck your tongue out quickly as you walked and waved and she quickly flipped you off.

Once you were done, Rafe let go of you. You turned to him and gave him a half smile.

He did not smile back. "I'm sorry."

Your smile dropped. "Are you?"

And with that, you walked away. Once you got to Sarah's table, she was already standing you give you a hug. You hugged her tightly, sighing as you did. It was finally over. You never had to speak to him again.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asks, the boh of you sitting down at the table beside each other.

You shrugged. "Surprisingly, I'm good."

Sarah smiled. "It's cause you know it's for the best."

You nodded. You hoped so. "You want a drink?"

Sarah nodded. "Thanks so much."

You got up and went to find a waiter. There were so many around you but each one was speaking to someone and you didn't want to bother them. It took a little of a walk but you finally saw a blond boy in a waiter's suit, standing there. He seemed to be doing nothing so you approached him.

"Excuse me." You said politely, causing the blond boy to turn around. You knew who it was.

JJ Maybank. A Pogue. Specifically, one of John B.'s friends. More specifically, the guy who pulled a gun out on Topper. You were there and saw it all. He had never liked him. Although you hated Topper as much as the next sane person, he didn't deserve that.

JJ looked at you, up and down. He then smirked and crossed his arms over his shoulders. "Yes princess?"

You scoffed. "Not happening. I need a ginger ale and Sprite."

JJ scoffed back, imitating you. "A 'please sir' would help. Or do you Kooks not know how to say please?"

You glared at him. "I know how to say please to people who deserve it."

"And I don't?" JJ asked, bemused.

"No." You said coldly.

"You don't even know me."

"I know the type." You retorted.

JJ grabbed ahold of his chest, faking being wounded. "Wow, that stings Y/N."

You rolled your eyes, ignoring the fact he knew your name. "You don't need me to explain it to you?"

JJ nodded, a smirk adorning his lips. "I really do, miss."

So you did. "I've heard stories about you JJ. You pulled a gun out on Topper, use girls left and right, and get into trouble with the law for fun. Trust me, I don't wanna get to know you."

JJ frowned, maybe for real this time. "Ever heard of don't judge a book by the Kook's stories?"

You tried to suppress a laugh. "Just get me those drinks."

JJ nodded at you and then you turned away and made your way back to Sarah. To be honest, he wasn't anything like Rafe had said. Yes, you had been there the night he pulled the gun but he was completely different now. He had a personality. He was more than a meathead Pogue like Rafe had said. Maybe you should stop listening to what Rafe and try to decide for yourself who JJ was.

When you returned to you table beside Sarah, the drinks where already there. You were confused. How did he get there before you?

"Took you long enough." Sarah joked as she sipped on her drink.

"Sorry." You sat down, confused. You looked at your drink, then at Sarah. "Who brought them here?"

She shrugged. "Some girl. She said that you had told her to hurry up. What did you say?"

You looked around for JJ. Finally, when your eyes found him, he was already looking at you. He smiled and gave you a small wave before walking away.

You smiled. You wanted to tell Sarah what happened and why JJ had made such an impression on you but you didn't get a chance.

Suddenly music came from the dance floor that had been decorated for this party. You looked to the dance floor were people had stared dancing and then you looked back to Sarah.

"Can for a dance?" You extended you hand out to her.

Sarah smirked. "Of course."

And so, as the sky turned to dark, you two danced.

You had been consecutively dancing for about an hour and your feet ached. You were wearing heels and although you were skilled in the art of wearing heels, you were completely overwhelmed by the aching. You had to stop.

You looked to Sarah, who was holding onto both of your hands as she swayed to the music. You smirked at her. She was a terrible dancer but her confidence made her seem like the best dancer ever.

Once you stopped moving in the middle of the song, Sarah noticed almost instantly and stopped along with you. She looked at you face and instantly knew.

She frowned. "Just until the end of this song."

You sighed, easily swayed when the music was so good. You nodded, swaying to the music again. Sarah picked up where she left off and you both smiled again. The song seemed to be in the middle so you only had to wait a few minutes. You trudged along, the soles of your feet aching so badly you chewed on the inside of your cheek to distract yourself.

"Hey, if you need to stop me can -" Sarah was about to stop but she was cut off by a tap on her shoulder.

A blond boy you now knew as JJ, danced beside Sarah. "Val?"

You frowned. Maybe he thought she was someone else and you thought that was true when you saw Sarah's face, who was confused for a moment.

"JJ?" She questioned and your eyes widened.

"What do you want?" You ask defensively. You wanted to keep up the impression you were still cautious around him.

JJ looks to you and perks up a little. You do the opposite. The other side of his face is badly bruised. You hadn't seen it before because of the darkness before, but now it was all you could see. It looks like he got punched over and over again. You suspected he probably got into another stupid fight. You almost felt sorry for him. The only way to boost his ego was for him to punch someone.

"Well, hello m'lady." He said, bowing.

You took a step back, bemused. As he bowed, he extended his hand for you to take. To indulge him, you grabbed it and he then stood up straight and pulled you close. One had rested, surprisingly, respectfully on your back and the other intertwined with your hand. You looked to Sarah, who was laughing. Your hand rested on his shoulder as you tried to contain your laughter.

"Madam, who you be so kind to get a note for Sarah out of my pocket for me?" JJ asked, swaying with you to the music.

You pulled away only enough to look at him the eyes. "Can't you do that yourself?"

He smirked. "Yes but I'd have to take my hand off your back and I don't wanna do that."

You rolled your eyes, swaying with him. Although he was a tad annoying, it was a comforting type of annoying. Your past presumptions of him yelled to you in your head about the gun and the fights but you quieted them. For this moment, he was being nice and you would look the other way. Maybe you had been wrong.

You nodded to him and reached to the back pocket on his pants and pulled out a note, handing it to Sarah.

Your hand soon returned to his shoulder as he smiled. "Thanks."

"Were you flexing your ass?" You laughed, shaking your head. You were embarrassed. Never had you done that but you couldn't help but laugh. JJ was one weird guy.

"Trying to impress you." He smirked, making you laugh. He then looked to Sarah and nodded at her. She was blushing so hard, and you were about to ask her what happened but she was already running off.

You looked to JJ. "What's going on?"

JJ leaned towards your ear as you swayed. You felt his lips touch your ear and you shivered. "She's meeting JB."

You smiled at JJ as he looked back at you. "I see. Star crossed lovers."

JJ shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't see the appeal of macking with a Kook but now," JJ says, looking you up and down. "I see the appeal."

You gasped and laughed, embarrassed again. "I'll slap you, I swear."

JJ smirked. "Please do."

You rolled you eyes. The next song had already started but you continued to dance. Your feet hurt no longer. "And why shouldn't I just smack you right now?"

JJ smirked. "Because I'm about to dip you and if you slapped me, I would drop you."

You shrugged. "Good enough."

And with that, he dipped you. You leaned your head back as he did and you felt the pressure of his hands on your back. You felt so secure. You knew he'd never drop you.

Once you came back up and looked at him again, you spoke. "I'm sorry for earlier."

JJ smiled. "Are you kidding? Probably the sexiest thing that's ever happened to me."

You rolled your eyes. "Really?"

JJ shrugged, continuing to sway. You had never felt like this. It felt as if you and JJ were the only two people on his dance floor. Not even with Rafe. This feeling was new and you didn't think you'd feel it with JJ. Someone who, before today, you never would've wanted to spend time with.

"So," he started as you continued to dance. "Have I impressed you?"

Before you could answer, you were pulled apart by two hands you recognized immediately. It was Rafe. Topper was right behind him, ready to fight. But this fight wasn't fair. It was two against one. How would JJ ever stand a chance?

"Rafe -" You started but Rafe silenced you by speaking over you to JJ.

"What're you doing dancing with my girlfriend?"

"Actually ex girlfriend." You corrected, standing between Rafe and JJ. "You have no right -"

"No right?" Rafe scoffed, his glance shifting to me now. "Until three hours ago I was your boyfriend and now you're grinding against this Pogue?"

You glare at Rafe. "Get away from me."

"Oh, I will." Rafe gritted through his teeth. As he spoke, his arm went around you and he tried to grab onto JJ's collar. JJ was quicker though and dodged his grasp.

"Run!" You yelled, turning around and pushing JJ our of the way.

JJ was fast. You were in heels so you weren't exactly the fastest person at this party but even as you ran, JJ was miles ahead of you. He looked back for a second, to see where you were and stopped to wait. You were surprised.

"C'mon." He said, grabbing onto your hand as you both ran into a closet and hid.

You heard Rafe and his goons tun down the same hallway you had just run down and they missed you completely. They were such idiots that they didn't even check the closet.

As you both caught your breath in the closet, you couldn't help but smile like an idiot. You had never felt so alive and you still couldn't believe you felt like this with JJ. He was the last person you ever thought could make you feel like this.

Soon, your dumb smile made JJ smile like an idiot and soon you both were smiling at each other. No longer did you guys have to catch your breath but you both still were breathing heavily. You were chest to chest and you were sure JJ could feel your heartbeat pick up.

He looked to your lips. "Why're you smiling?"

You shrugged. "Never done this."

JJ raised his brows. "What? You never ran from your ex with a boy you just met and ended up in a closet?"

You covered your mouth as you laughed. "You have?"

JJ shrugged, obviously joking. "Yeah, like five times."

You nodded, suppressing your smile. You were afraid if you smiled too much, your happiness would be taken away too quickly. You didn't want this to end. "With your rap sheet, I believe you."

JJ gasped, grabbing his chest again and falling an injury. "Another shot. I'm starting to think you're jealous."

You scoffed. "Jealous? No."

JJ raised his brows. "No?" His hand reached up from his sides and came to the hair in front of your face. He brushed it to the side and tucked it behind your ear. "Never thought about kissing me?"

Your smile was gone and replaced with butterflies. "Nope."

"I'm hurt." JJ confessed, fake frowning.

You smirked. "Why?"

"Because," JJ whispered, leaning forward. "I've thought about kissing you ever since you spoke to me for the first time."

Your breath hitched in your throat. His face was so close, his lips even closer. All you would have to do was lean forward and your lips would definitely meet. So, with a deep breath, you leaned forward to meet JJ's lips.

The second you kissed, you felt heat move through your entire body. JJ's hands came up to cup your face as your hands rested on his chest.

Your lips were on fire. For about the millionth time since you met him, he had proved you wrong. You were so glad he did. This kiss was like your favourite song. It was a beautiful sunset on a summer night. It was everything. You never kissed anyone like this. Whether it was adrenaline or the fact that he was someone you barely knew, this kiss was passionate. Your heart felt like his hands were around it. You didn't know how to act when this kiss would come to an end.

You angled you head so that your kiss would deepen. He tasted like mints and liquor and it tasted divine. You seriously couldn't get enough.

But sadly, you had to part. You needed to take a deep breath and you couldn't when his lips were on yours. You were the first to pull away and take a breath.

Once you did, JJ was the first to speak. "Um, wow."

You nodded, wiping your mouth. Your lipstick was definitely smudged. JJ saw your struggle and moved your hand to help. Except he didn't. Once he touched your lips again, your stomach dropped and you leaned to kiss him again. He instantly closed the space and kissed you again.

God, he was addictive. You definitely got it now. Sarah was right. The way Pogue boys kissed was so different from any Kook boy. Kook boys were careful and soft but JJ was the exact opposite. He was passionate but slow and everytime your tongues touched, you felt your stomach flip.

Finally, you both pulled away again. This time he actually helped you rub away your lipstick without kissing you.

"Wow." You said this time.

JJ nodded, catching his breath. He held onto his chest dramatically once more, making you giggle. "Who the fuck are you Y/N?"

You shrugged. Then, you remembered something. "You wanted to kiss me even when I was ripping your head off?"

JJ chuckled, shaking his head. "The first time I met you was when you smiled at me at the station."

You tried to remember that. Finally, you did. You were interviewing Sheriff Peterkin for the school newspaper and that's when JJ walked into her office. He plopped himself down as you said your goodbyes to Peterkin and you hadn't spoken to him at all. He had sarcastically waved goodbye to you and you genuinely smiled. You remember feel bad for him. You barely remembered his name but you saw him around school, always pissing someone off. You wondered why he wanted to kiss you then.

So, you asked. "Why'd you want to kiss me then?"

JJ rubbed his good eye and smiled at you. There was no arrogance under this smile, it was just pure happiness. "You smiled at me like I wasn't a delinquent like everyone else. You just saw me, a regular person."

You were so surprised. You hadn't thought anything of it and never thought of that day again. Until right now. How could JJ remember that?

"I'm surprised you remembered that." You confessed, grabbing ahold of JJ's hand.

JJ smirked. "If you ever tell anyone that, I'll embarrass you."

You giggled. "How?"

"I'll tell everyone you kissed me." JJ joked, squeezing my hand.

"That's not embarrassing." You gave JJ a fake frown, suppressing a smile. "Tell them I once peed my pants in ninth grade."

JJ cackled as you said this. Scared we'd be found, you covered his mouth. "Don't."

It was too late. Someone had heard you and JJ.

Only seconds later, someone opened the closet door. You squeezed JJ's hand to brace yourselves for Rafe but instead it was another waiter. He looked disappointed but not surprised.

"You gotta get out of there." He deadpanned, making way for you to leave.

JJ exited first, you following him shortly after. After you exited, he let go of your hand and looked to you. You were standing in a hallway now and you were too busy looking out to see if Rafe and his goons were around, you didn't realize he was trying to get your attention.

"Y/N." He said, finally getting your attention. Once you looked to him, he spoke. "You wanna pretend like this never happened?"

Your heart sank. Maybe you were wrong in giving him the benefit of the doubt. You sure decided to be honest. You never wanted to go back to never knowing JJ Maybank.

You shook your head. "Do you?"

JJ smiled. "No."

You both just stood there and smiled at each other for a moment. You were just content in being together. You wondered that maybe this is how relationships were supposed to be; easy. It seemed so easy with JJ.

After a long period of silence, JJ leaned forward and kissed you once more. As you pulled away, he spoke."I should go. Don't wanna get my ass handed to me by those goons."

You laughed, shaking your head at him. "I'll see you around then?"

JJ shrugged. "Let's just say, I forgot my keys in Sarah's closet and I'll come by tomorrow at three to get them. If you're there, then I'll see you then."

You shook your head, smiling so wide. "I'll see if I can make it."

JJ nodded and then let you go, making his way farther and farther away from you. At first, you watched you as he walked but when he got to the door, leading him in the opposite direction of the party, he turned around and opened the front door of Sarah's home. Then, JJ was gone. He was gone before you could even say goodbye.

But you knew its wasn't goodbye. This was just the beginning.

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crystalnet · 4 years ago

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Current X-book Mood-Ring Guide

There are an awful lot of X-books on the shelves right now. They are most of my monthly haul. No joke it is at least 12 books at this point. So, in order to cope with that, I’ve organized all the books into one of four different categories, aka “booster-pack” themes. Click through if you want to jump aboard the best X-men run since Morrison before the boat pushes off for the Hellfire Gala this summer! These are the 4 categories:

-Mainline Blue/Gold-style

-Jr. Mutants Academy

-2nd-Wave Krakoa Niche (aka “the good stuff”)

-Cetera

#1. Mainline Blue/Gold-style

Mood-color/vibe: Actually 90s-style Blue/Gold and like bright primary colors (but also muddy-ass colors from X-factor).

Books included: X-men, Excalibur, Marauders, X-force

Typical Pokemon: Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Betsy Braddock, Kate Pride, Beast, Black Tom, Storm, Bishop, Emma Frost, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Kid Omega, Domino, a Pyro, Iceman, Avalanche. Rare drops: Apocalypse, X-23, Synch, Darwin, Kid Cable, Fantomex (in that Giant-Sized!)

These be the books for someone who wants those direct, mainline, core-members-style lineups. On the main book (adjective/word-play-less X-men) Hickman/Yu have worked wonders with their run, but it hasn’t been a stable team, instead focusing on Scott and his adventures dealing with some of the more prominent threats to Krakoa.

So it’s essentially been a revolving door of a book with Cyclops sometimes leading assaults against major problems and sometimes just being a dad to teenagers from the future, and it’s been generally great.

Meanwhile, the teams we find on the other 3 books could basically be a main X-men team if you just throw Jean/Scott/Logan onto them (except for X-force because Logan is usually on that one, actually, and Jean sort of is..)

X-force: Wolverine usually, Kid Omega, Beast, Jean (quitting?/back-up), Domino sorta, Sage, Black Tom Cassidy, Colossus once? Forge sorta. [Lot’s of backup or sometimes-members on this team but kinda centers on Beast, Omega, Wolverine and Jean or Domino]

Excalibur: Betsy Braddock, Rogue, Jubilee, Gambit, Avalanche, baby/dragon Shogo, Apocalypse (honorary, mia)

Marauders: Kate Pride, Storm, Emma Frost, a Pyro, Iceman, Bishop

On X-force, you get a little Morrison-homage energy going on what with Beast being sus, Quentin Quire having a character arc and dating a cuckoo and then all the body-horror. This one hasn’t been amazing and the art sometimes has issues for me but it’s been a solid expansion on Krakoa-Era lore.

On Marauders, you get a book centered on Kate Pride and the Hellfire Club. It’s been aight but I’m not the biggest Kate fan. Definitely has heart and the art has been beautiful.

Excalibur started a little weird for me... I lack the references or attachment to Otherworld or Davis/Moore-era Excalibur so I don’t think I’m even really the target demo, but I will say it recently, post-X of Swords-- which it set up single-handedly basically [along w/ one ish of X-men]-- has gotten more interesting in recent months. The Betsy + Kwannon stuff was great! And Howard did great with Apocalypse before he went off to another dimension. (points off for iffy color-palettes sometimes).

#2. Jr. Mutants Academy

Mood-color/vibe: Pastel

Books: New Mutants, X-factor, Children of the Atom, Cable

Common Pokemon: Magik, Cable, Rachel Summers, Doug, Warlock, Armor, Boom Boom, Scout, Dani, Warpath, Karma, Glob, Beak, Daken, Eye-boy, North Star, Rachael, Prodigy those Children of the Atom kids, Magma, Rahne, and a lot of lil kid mutants runnin’ around in Akademos/the Wild Hunt area of Krakoa whose names I don’t know yet.

This is the junior-crew club. New Mutants would be in the Blue/Gold books practically due to being part of the first wave of post-HoX/DoX books, but its basically been 3 different books/teams over its run and along w/ Children/Cable/X-Factor, it feels like there a whole handful of books offering up junior-crew shenanigans specifically.

So New Mutants has been all over the place, starting with a lineup of OG Claremont era New Muties, then focusing on a team consisting of Glob, Armor and Boom Boom (perpetual...”young adult” I guess?), now settling on a new team under Vita Ayala with Magik and Warpath heading up a squad of young ‘uns (beautiful art on the recent stretch). Hopefully it’s settling into its self now, because I can see longevity for this new squad... maybe.

I still have to read the 2nd issue of Children of the Atom, but am intrigued by it. X-factor meanwhile seems to be focusing on queer representation with people like Prodigy, Daken, North Star and Rachel on the same group together. Polaris started out the lead of that title only to be plucked out by Duggan (or the fanbase) for the main X-team coming up. This honestly makes sense, because even though she isn’t drawn this way, shouldn’t Polaris be considerably older than someone like Rachel? Eh.

Also, in issue #4 of X-factor we had a beautiful homage to the Academy X mutants, with several cameos, so it seems like Marvel is intentionally using these junior-crew books to acknowledge all the various junior-crews, whether it be OG Claremont kids, Generation X people, the kids intro’d under Morrison and Whedon, or even the dang ‘ol Academy X ones, they seem to all be getting at least some representation in some book.

Also Cable owns. Didn’t know I’d like the Kid-Cable guy until this book and his appearances in the main title, but now it’s confirmed. Him dating Esme, Kid Omega dating Phoebe? These crazy telepaths! Anyway, I hope Duggan’s main-team book is more like Cable than Marauders, in terms of pacing and characterization, but they both have beautiful art!

New mutants: Karma, Magik, Mirage, Scout, Warlock, Warpath and Wolfsbane

X-factor: Daken, Eye-boy, Polaris (quit?), North Star, Rachael, Prodigy

#3. 2nd-gen Krakoa Niche aka “the good stuff”

mood-color/vibe: purples, metaphysical/cosmic pallets, tertiary colors

books included: Hellions, S.W.O.R.D., Way of X

common Pokemon: I mean they’re basically all rare drops

This is the good stuff! Who would have thought. And when I think about it, Way of X and S.W.O.R.D., as part of the second wave of Krakoa-era books that started with Cable, both address some of the core issues and ideas that the whole HoX/DoX mini kicked off better than-- or at least more directly-- the other books. So I guess the non X-men, first-wave Krakoa books feel “mainline” in terms of their team lineups, but in terms of content, these newer ones almost feel more relevant by design. S.W.O.R.D. focuses on the cosmic context of the mutants post-Krakoa and Way is Kurt’s first spot-light moment in the era and is expressly concerned with Kurt’s addressing of the deeper moral quandaries that a people who have conquered death will be faced with. I mean, it's expressly about religion and like, spirituality-- a very tall order, but first issue pulled it off super deftly.

Also Hellions is better than it has any business being! Read this if you want savagely dark humor and some very obscure mutants + Havok/Psylocke/Sinister. But if I had to reccomend one, it’d be a tie b/w S.W.O.R.D and Way. First issue of Way was exceptional and got right into things and Kurt’s very well-written and will surely prove a meditative lead for a book like this, whereas S.W.O.R.D is epic in scale while still have sick character moments/dialogue. Manifold had a great issue or two and is now my favorite new mutant, even in the context of a somehow-actually-good King in Black tie-in. Damn! And everything going on b/w Magneto and Fabian Cortez (who was made to argue for why mutants should be allowed to murder “flatscans”/humans to the whole Krakoan council this week whilst naked. It’s fantastic. Hell, even the Snark-War sounds...interesting? What’s happening to me.

S.W.O.R.D.: Fabian Cortez, Magneto, Abigail Brand, Peeper, Manifold, Wiz-Kid, Mentallo, Fenzy

Children of the Atom: Cherub, Marvel Guy, Cyclops-Lass (?), Gimmick, Daycrawler

Hellions: Havok, Psylocke, Empath, Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Wild Child, Sinister, Greycrow

#4. Cetera

Mood-color/vibe: colorless, “normal” element

Books included: Fallen Angels (complete 6-ish mini), All the damn Wolverine books, the uh Sword of X “guidebook” and the new Peach Momoko Demon Days books and whatever X-men Legends is.

These are titles which are either complete or don’t fit in with other things or in Demon Days or the X-men Legends’ books’ case, I think don’t even occur in-universe. And per usual of course there are multiple Wolverine books... the main one seems fine.

Anyway all-in-all, these books are doing weirdly well. Mutants as a concept shouldn't be able to be spread this thin story-telling wise, but the books don’t really feel redundant and most are filling a specific niche or purpose. I may be dropping some of the first-wave Blue/Gold style books (Marauders and X-force I'll probably just check in on from time-to-time), but S.W.O.R.D., Way, the main book under Hickman or Duggan and Hellions all have me verrrrrry satisfied. Even standard stories in the Krakoa era feel special, and that speaks to the power of Hickman’s vision. Hellfire Gala, here we come.

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lollybliz · 5 years ago

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bout to make a Monster of a fic rec post here we go

heyo @jinx108! We’ll start with the complete ones because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to wait for the last chapter, you know? I don't remember details of all of these so i’m just going to copy the author’s summary rather than write my own. I am literally just going through my bookmarks, I got 400 of these to sort through. if ive talked to or am familiar with the author im gonna mention them, but if I mention you and you don't want me to have Please tell me and i’ll remove it.

If you’re not into spoilers Please Tread Carefully, I don't watch out for that stuff so I wont know to label it

1>Crushing Truth by Bunzuku: Tododeku. “Romance is hard enough for a teenager to understand when they have a good relationship role model. For Shoto, it takes two excited meddlers for him to even realize what his feelings really are.“

2>Disowned by b00mgh: tododeku + others. Unrated, some traumatic elements. “Shouto freaks out under a bridge and I use the word "grass" a lot more than I really should. Izuku does his stupid martyr thing and everyone makes continuous references to his propensity to break his bones. Aizawa goes "oh FUCK my kids are dying again" and his students use him as emotional (and physical) support. A friend requests angst, I say what kind, she say idk make someone get disowned and i say oh this I can absolutely provide my good buddy.”

3>cotton candy hands by @chonideno: Kiribaku. I will take Any excuse to rec this fic, its the most fluffy pile of feels Good Lord. also the first fic I ever bound into a physical book. “Studying to become a hero requires knowing how to take care of yourself. Sometimes you might need help on the way so if your crush offers to do your hair for you or to give you a well-deserved back rub, it'd be stupid to say no. A series of soft vignettes in which a love-struck Kirishima and a touch-starved Bakugou care for each other and it's definitely not making their hearts jump through hoops, they’re never this close to kissing, no, they're totally best friends bro“

4>Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v: Kiribaku, tododeku. A considerable amount of Whump and related angst, and kinda sad tbh. “Blind. Quirkless. Useless.The first two things were stated clearly by the doctor that sat about five feet in front of Izuku. The third was a word that Kacchan called him everytime he failed to make the jump on whatever forest excursion they were on or when he ran into a tree because he hadn’t seen it. “I’m so, so sorry, Izuku.” Was his mom giving up on him already? But he could still be a hero if he tried hard enough, right? Quirkless or not. Blind or not. Just because Izuku was useless now didn’t mean he would stay that way forever, right? *** A Blind!Izuku AU”

5>Yell Heah by fakecharliebrown: Chatfic. M a n y pairings. technically complete, but part of an ongoing series. “Iida creates a group-chat for Class 1-A. It doesn't go as planned.“

6>Sunshine by Rosey_Note: BIG SAD. tw- failed suicide attempt. KiriKamiBaku. “They didn't deserve to put up with his crappy mood. Because Denki Kaminari did not feel like Sunshine right now. And they deserved sunshine. In fact, Denki didn't feel much of anything right now.“

7>Electric Connection by Onlymostydead: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk has always had... Weird side affects. Like his ADHD. And his constant energy. And his insomnia, which wouldn't leave him be right now, when he really needed to just get some sleep. But, thankfully, he has good friends.“

8>The Best (The Worst) by Onlymostydead: no romantic pairing. tw- rampant transphobia, both outside and internalized. “Bakugou Katsuki has known who he was since he was four years old. He was a boy, it was as simple as that. Around his friends, at school... But things couldn't just be that simple, could they?“

9>Lichtenberg Figures by Q_loves_you: no definite romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki has a very powerful force of nature running through his body. Kaminari Denki doesn't want to hurt anybody. He doesn't always get what he wants, and "anybody" does generally include himself.“

10>Eventuality by KikaTouka: ill be honest I don't remember this one at all, I maaaay not have read it yet :/. anyway. ShinKami. “Shinsou learns more than just hero lessons after being transferred to 1-A.“

11>Pickup Lines for the Soul by MustardSoup: ShinKami. “Denki is twelve when he is flicking through the TV channels and lands on an old RomCom movie about soulmate marks – specifically the same type that he has. “I can’t believe I’ve had to walk around with a cheap pickup line written on my ankle my entire life because of you!” The leading lady yells at the leading man as he stares at her in awe. Denki laughs. “Oh no.” His mother says, watching him. “Oh no, indeed.” His sister repeats quietly.“

12>caught in my own web by @anxioussailorsoldier: ShinKami. “Shinsou needs some help after getting caught up in his capture weapon. Kaminari enters from stage left.“

13>not so summer love by nataliya: ShinKami. “Class 2-B’s common room, although typically quiet, was currently filled with five students—three slowly giving up on homework, one bitching about noise and another that rushes through the front door. “We’ve been waiting for you—” Mina starts, but Kaminari’s vaulting over the back of the couch, eyes wide as he practically buzzes out of his skin, emitting light like crazy as currents dazzle across strands of hair. “I have a big ugly crush,” He steps off the couch and onto the coffee table, much to Bakugou’s chagrin, “On big ugly Shinsou.””

14>Blamed by coldandhotsoba: ShinKami. Tw- they fuckin kill a guy and its a lil nasty. “This was not how the day was supposed to end. They were supposed to end the day like they do most nights. Kaminari clutching onto him like a koala as he slept, wrapped in the millions of tacky blankets Kaminari had bought. Warm and safe in their bed. It was not supposed to end with both of them tied up in some cold metal room.“

15>Lightning Scars by Present-Mics-Scream (write_your_way_out): Shinkami. “It's hard to be confident in your abilities when you're surrounded by people with incredible quirks. Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than anyone. Sure, he was admitted to the hero course in his second year, but being admitted to the hero course, and keeping up with the rest of the class are two different things. Lucky for him, Kaminari is there to prove that the flashiest quirks come with the largest drawbacks.“

16>See No Evil, Hear No Evil by randomfan188: no romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki is legally blind. When he forgets to wear his contacts and breaks down during math class, comfort appears in the strangest of ways.“

17>how not to enjoy the weather, an article by kaminari denki by dreamtowns: no defined romantic pairing. “If there was one thing Kaminari hated the most in a world wth villains, it would have to be thunderstorms.“

18>”Studying” by emmyrox22: ShinKami, EraserMic. “Shinsou and Kaminari have been “studying” together for a while (but not for school). Shinsou gets stopped by his dads on the way to another “study” session and mistakes are made“

19>Weaknesses by sunflowerstorm: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk and storms compliment each other in the worst way, but he's convinced he can deal with it on his own... until he really can't any longer. When Shinsou accidentally overhears Aizawa confronting Kaminari about recent changes in behaviour and hears about the hell his quirks been putting him through, he can't just pretend he never heard. He wants to help.“

20>it’s hurt denki hours by memeingfultrash: ShinKami + others. ““Certain members of our class are...under the impression that...you’re the traitor.” Denki’s body went cold and felt like he was going to short circuit. ~some of class 1a believes that denki is the traitor and avoid him”

21>Petition to replace Mineta with Shinsou- (signed by Kaminari Denki) by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami + others. This is one of my favorites, I go back to reread it from time to time. It SAYS 41/42, but that's just a glitch cus chapter 36 doesn't exist for some reason, I talked to the author about it and its fine. “Mineta brings shame to the color purple. You know who does not bring shame to the rich color, but pride and sexual tension to one infatuated Kaminari Denki instead? Shinsou Hitoshi, aka sexy zombie man, aka the most perfect hunk of a man to walk planet earth, aka future husband. Shinsou has finally gotten his chance to prove himself to the hero course, and he did more than prove himself. The only question left unanswered is whether he will start in A or B, and how Kaminari can manipulate the end result.“

22>How to Get a Boyfriend (in Four Easy Steps!) by e1ana: ShinKami, EraserMic, + others. “Step 1: Get kicked out of the house by your homophobic parents. Step 2: Run headfirst into your brooding, mysterious crush. Step 3: Sleep in his dad’s (see: your homeroom teacher) house Step 4: Watch everything you thought you knew go to shit. This isn’t exactly the sweet, romantic plan that Kaminari Denki longed for. Will everything be ok, or will step 5 be to crash and burn?“

23>Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru by Anubis_2701: Kiribaku, TodoDeku, + others. This is another one of my favorites, and the one I am currently folding and sewing into a physical book. you learn how to do funny things when bored and quarantined ig. “It was a simple enough idea; screw around with the resident bastard of Class 1-A to let him know that his medieval ways and perverted behaviour weren't going to be tolerated by even the most career-focused of UA's students. To say that things had snowballed was an understatement. Todoroki had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Bakugou's floor at 1 am, holding a dossier of incriminating material that would make the FBI slobber, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The long and short of it was, fuck Mineta.”

24>Colour Theory by chancellorxofxtrash: TodoBakuDeku. this one’s a series. “Midoriya/Bakugo/Todoroki slow burn soulmate AU. All three of them are nerds with their own emotional issues, trying to navigate their way through becoming heroes, and their own relationship with each other.“

25>Summer Sunshine by Mara97: TodoDeku. Ever want a Barbie in a mermaid tale/Bnha crossover? No? well here you go anyway! “Instead of worrying about college, Izuku spends his summer vacation finding out his father is, supposedly, a dead merman king and going on a quest to dethrone the current king, Endeavor. Along the way, Izuku becomes close to the three journeying with him, makes friends with strangers, starts crushing on an unattainable prince, and, in the end, learns to love himself. Oh, and he saves a kingdom, too.“

26>The snowflakes on our skin and the flames in our soul are one (and the same), my love by missunderstuffyou: TodoDeku, Kiribaku. this is one of the ones I keep a running reread comment going on. its at,,, 6, atm. “Before your quirk begins to present itself, the soulmate link comes through, and suddenly whatever you write upon your own skin appears on the body of your soulmate. As your soulmate writes to you, the emotions they feel follow through the ink.Izuku Midoriya is four years and a few months old when he first feels the slight ebbing in his arms. It doesn’t hurt… he can just feel something, and it’s enough to make him sprint into his mother’s arms screaming that his quirk is coming. She had been washing in the kitchen, and the sudden screech as her son rockets into her side is enough to make her jump with panic, immediately grabbing at him and looking for cuts and bumps before she understands his words and the stupidly bright, alight smile on his face with large, watery, hopeful eyes. Shoto Todoroki doesn’t feel his soulmate connection open up. It is drowned in the aches of a small body worked far too hard.“

27>It was dark inside the closet by Chad_Champion69420: Pre-ShinDeku? maybe? its tagged shindeku but like. it’ll make sense if you read it. “Midoriya is invited to a party. He and Shinsou decide to play a little trick on the rest of the party during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

28>how to woo your local trash gremlin: a comprehensive guide by Todoroki shouto by wonhaebunny: TodoBaku. this is the fic that dragged me into todobaku, fun fact. “five times shouto tries to confess to bakugou, and one time he doesn't bother tryingaka: wikihow is a scam and bakugou is a terrible, terrible boy“

29>top ten photos taken right before disaster by Shookspeare: ShinDeku. “Izuku participates in a harmless prank, only to end up ruining it and running for dear life.“

30>Secrets to Share by pechebaie: no definite romantic pairing. “Kirishima comes out first, and nothing changes. Kirishima and Kaminari still hang out to complain about class and talk about boys - and sometimes girls, too, in Kaminari’s case; he still plans stupid pranks with Sero that get them sent to the principal’s or nurse’s office every time; Ashido still kicks his ass at Mario Kart without hesitation; and Bakugou doesn’t get angry at him any more than he usually does.“

31>What One Hides by Pinalinet: TodoDeku. “All Might gives class 1-A an unusual assignment that results in Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto attending a weekly acting class. But with a mysterious villain targeting individuals without Quirks, and a developing issue of Todoroki's own, an after-school assignment is the least of their worries.“

32>whether or not we’re fated, we’re meant to be by juurensha: KINDA SPOILERY. TodoDeku + others. “Todoroki didn’t have a soulmark for most of his life.His siblings all did, but up until the day of the U.A. entrance exam, he had shoved the idea aside. It’s not like they could help him anyway. And then a 9 appears on his chest, and a green-haired boy barrels into his life with a fire and ice soulmark on his arms, and suddenly Todoroki cares very much about all this could mean.”

33>The Midnight Shift by meiishu @meiishu @totallytodoroki (idk which you’d rather I attach so I went with both): ShinKami. ““Hey Toshi,” Denki says, and he laughs, clearly embarrassed. He’s got on a jean jacket that did him absolutely no help and a white tee shirt that is currently stuck to his torso. It’s got a pikachu design in the center. “By any chance, do you sell umbrellas?” “You really went out in this weather.” Hitoshi deadpans, instead of dignifying that with an answer. or hitoshi works the midnight shift at the gas station, which also doubles as a pokestop for pokemon go. of course, denki is a regular.”

34>Rock the House by AkabaneKayo: ShinKami. “It wasn’t just his bed. It was his entire fucking room shaking. Only one thought crossed his mind at that moment: “Holy shit. My room is haunted.”“

35>Technically, they’re morning kisses by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami. “Most nights, Shinsou cannot fall sleep. Neither can Kaminari. It seems counterproductive to have a sleepover then, but they try to make it work. And they fail, but that is okay.“

36>someone to call mine by nearly_theyre: ShinKami, EraserMic “From: Me wish you were here, denks From: kitten 💛💘💛 what if i was tho? OR Four times Denki snuck into Hitoshi's room and one time he walked through the front door.“

37>Pretty by Onlymostydead (noticing some repeat authors? me too): no definite romantic pairing. “(Or, Kaminari still can't figure out bra clasps.) Kaminari has never really felt good about himself. Herself? Whichever way, not knowing doesn't make anything easier. Especially when he (she?) and Mina have their bodies swapped during training, and everything seems too right.“

38>If I offer you my hand, will you take it? by bleukitsune: Kiribaku. SPOILERY. ““Why?” Kirishima leaned back on his hands, trying to create some space between them. Too close. The ash-blond looked really nervous, his usually arrogant and cunning demeanor gone. “What do you see when you look at me? Kirishima is worried. Bakugou is hurting. After his confrontation with Midoriya, he finally reaches out to him. “

Theres way more but I haven't tagged them properly yet so that m a y come later if I can ever finish going through and adding my sorting tags.

and then a last few that Are Not Complete but im really very fond of them. not as many as id like to add, but my hands are getting tired tbh.

39>State of Mind by GuardianOfTheLoaf: no relationship YET but its looking like it’ll be either tododeku or shindeku, probably the former. EraserMic. tw- childhood neglect and severe depression. Izuku’s not a happy kid. “Izuku was a late bloomer, his quirk lying dormant until his tenth birthday when in a fit of emotion he grabs his mother and she disappears. With All Might slowly restoring his confidence Izuku begins the difficult journey into becoming a hero.“ 18/? chapters.

40>Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce: ShinDeku. Izuku’s a flerkin, what more could you want? “His whole life, Izuku Midoriya was taught to keep his powers, his Quirk, hidden from the world. His kind were feared, hunted to near extinction because of it. He just wants to show people he’s different. That he can be a HERO. And nothing is going to stop him. Even if his Quirk IS like an eldritch abomination.“ 43/? chapters

and then probably my current favorite bnha fic- although it fights with Apertum Mortem for that spot but that ones d a r k and not here-

41>family of the year by periiwren: EraserMic. “Hitoshi is done. Done with moving around every few months to a couple that will scrutinize him and eventually dump him right back where he started. Good thing he’s well past his strike limit now- at least he can stay in one place, be content to age out of the system and finish out his training with Aizawa. Maybe transfer into the hero course, maybe be a hero- but none of that was guaranteed. The only thing for sure was that he was going to stay in that center for the rest of his childhood. Or so he thought- because Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi have other plans.“ 24/? chapters. we’ve been informed that this one’s gonne be l o n g and im Very Grateful.

42>Here There Be Dragons by here_and_there: pre-ShinDeku. “Izuku looked at the small circle Aizawa had motioned to in front of them. "I won't fit," he whispered, thinking. He raised his hand, tentatively. Sighing, Aizawa grumbled, "What?" "I-I have a question. Actually, two." His teacher just stared at him, unimpressed. Izuku continued. "Can we activate our quirks before we step into the ring?" Aizawa looked up into the sky, muttering something Izuku didn't hear. "If you must." "O-Okay. Uh, second question. You said we have to stay inside the circle, right?" "Yes." The man looked disappointed, not only in Izuku but in himself for letting the kid speak. "Great. Uh... does that include tails?"“ 6/? chapters.

43>Another Option by sandersonsister: TodoBakuDeku, Touya/Hawks, Dabi/Hawks. Potentially Spoilery, depends on whether horikoshi has the guts to confirm Touya. this one is waiting around the corner with a baseball bat, its really cute, and then r e a l l y painful. it might be getting better though. maybe. it might be getting worse. “When Touya stops his mother from hurting Shouto, he decides enough is enough. He needs to get out of this house and he's taking his baby brother with him.“ 33/? chapters.

That's it i’m done for now, oof. maybe ill edit more onto this post later, maybe i’ll just make another one. hope some of these work!

#fic rec #bnha #mha #tododeku #todobakudeku #kiribaku #shinkami #shindeku #erasermic #To Be Continued

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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years ago

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LUCY SHUNS AUDITIONS

July 21, 1950

[In the below article, reprinted verbatim, Johnson writes using a lot of imagery and insider jargon. This sort of article was common in trade papers like Variety, but seems odd in a daily newspaper.]

Hollywood—(NEA) Lucille Ball slipped me the lowdown on her failure to pin to the canvas the dumb chick role in “Born Yesterday” and make it holler uncle. (1)

She’s got a touch of Francis the mule in her when it comes to auditions. (2)

Instead of scrimmaging for the role with Evelyn Keyes, Judy Holliday, Marie Wilson, Shelly Winters and Jan Sterling, (3) Lucille went bolting the other way.

The “let’s-see-if-you’re-it” boys pleaded and cajoled.

But Miss Anti-Auditions wasn’t having any of the competition, thank you.

“I figure if they want you, they want you,” Lucille plainspoke it. If you’ve got to read and test for it, to heck with it.’

She isn’t chronicled in Hollywood history, but once, badgered by her RKO bosses, Lucille went tripping over to David O. Selznick’s office for a whack at the Scarlett O’Hara role in “Gone With the Wind.”

That’s what curdled her in the first place.

“It was awful,’’ Lucille shudders. I was shaking all over when I hit Selznick’s office. My knees gave way. I did the whole audition in scrubwoman position. Selznick laughs and says thanks a lot. (4)

Judy Holliday landed the junkman’s doll role and Lucille grabbed a railroad ticket for a personal appearance tour with hubby Desi Arnaz. She strutted to Latin rhythms, swung a glittering purse in a manner dear to runaway girls and wisecracked for the customers. (5)

MIMICS OSCAR WINNER

At the last moment she nixed a dancing and singing routine. The star with the forest-fire hair shrugged:

“I decided it would be silly to compete with Grable.” (6)

A lot of movie queens laid in fresh supplies of smelling salts, ice beanies and copies of “Release From Nervous Tension” when word got around that Lucille was about to whoop it up on the six-a-day circuit. (7)

She’s a blister-raiser from way back and the air was shrill with ouches about a year ago when she whipped up an impression of an Academy Award winner.

But the girls can go back to worrying about other things—like shrinking from larger-than-life to television screen size.

Lucille didn’t let any “furriners” see the routine.

“It's for Hollywood only," she said. “I should take radio-active material on the road?”

Her Oscar-grabber routine is strictly for unreal anyhow, she says. and no blood relation to Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman or any other Screen Duse. (8) She insisted:

“She's any movie star, even me. This character has to go up on that stage and act surprised. She’s only been rehearsing what she's going say flor eight weeks. So she says, ‘Ye gads, me? But I’m so unprepared. Really, I didn’t dream...” Lucille is generally is as unflinching about the movie queen business as Pearl White was about onrushing trains. (9)

But her knees executed some wobbles that aren’t in Arthur Murray’s rhumba dance book when she checked into her first vaudeville dressing room. (10)

“Those stages—they’re so big.” she gasped. “Hey, I’d hate to get caught in the middle of one of those stages without bread and water.”

Lucille didn’t take any chances with out-of-town press interviews, either. “I once did a personal appearance tour with Maureen O'Hara and had to show up at a press party,” she grinned. (11)

My sinus - I just die from it - was acting up. The reporter next to me didn’t understand my puffed eyes and cold sores. He called Maureen a lady in his story. But he referred to me as a whisky tenor with red-runny eyes.”

Lucille’s brain cells work on direct current and she’s not one to make with the figure eights when a straight glide to home base would get her there quicker.

They still laugh about her exit line to Louis B. Mayer. (12) Mayer always referred to her as a thoroughbred and sometimes compared her to his famous horses. "Yes, and like your other nags, I'm leaving your stable," Lucille said when she decided to bow out of her contract.

She has high hopes for her new picture “The Fuller Brush Man.” Not that she enjoyed it: (13)

“Honey, this ones that I don t enjoy turn out be the best ones. This one put me in the hospital. My feet are still bandaged up. I’m a mess. No more physical-type pictures for me.”

# # # FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) The 1946 Broadway hit comedy Born Yesterday by Garsin Kanin was bought by Columbia Pictures. Things got complicated when its stage star, Judy Holliday, swore she would not do the film version. Columbia used this as fuel for publicity about who would win the role. Naturally, Lucille Ball was considered a top contender. As the article states, she was not eager, however, to prove her worth to the ‘let’s-see-if-you’re-it’ boys (aka producers). There was talk of Lucille performing the play in London, or summer stock, but her film contracts would not allow her time off for a stage run.

(2) Mules are supposedly notoriously stubborn animals - just like Lucy. Francis the Talking Mule was the star of seven popular Universal-International film comedies. The character originated in the 1946 novel Francis by David Stern III, adapting his own script for the first entry, simply titled Francis. On “I Love Lucy” Fred Mertz sometimes called Ethel “Francis” to indicate she was being stubborn about something.

(3) These were some of the Hollywood stars looking to play the part of Billie Dawn in the film Born Yesterday. Evelyn Keyes (1916 – 2008) was best known for playing Sue Ellen, Scarlett O’Hara’s kid sister, in Gone With The Wind (1939). Judy Holliday (1921-65), changed her mind about playing the role she originated on Broadway, but by then the casting net was cast, and she was just another performer on the short list. She eventually got the role, which defined her career. Marie Wilson (1916-72) was a zany comedic actress in the style of Gracie Burns. She was widely known as the star of radio and TV’s “My Friend Irma”. Shelley Winters (1920-2006) would be nominated for an Oscar the year after this article. She was adept at playing drama and comedy, and had a long-lasting career in Hollywood. She appeared on “Here’s Lucy” in 1968; Critics raved about her Jan Sterling’s portrayal of Billie Dawn in the Chicago touring company of Born Yesterday and Columbia brought her out to the West Coast to test for the film. At one point, she was actually announced to play the part but the role ultimately went to Holliday.

(4) Lucille Ball did indeed read (not screen test) for the role of Scarlet O’Hara, just like nearly all of the women in Hollywood in 1938. Ball told the story several times on television, each time with varying details, but probably most completely on “Bob Hope’s Unrehearsed Antics of The Stars” (1984).

(5) This is a vivid description of the “Cuban Pete / Sally Sweet” portion of Lucy and Desi’s nightclub act to convince sponsors to buy them as a couple.

(6) Betty Grable (1916-73) was considered one of the most famous pin-up girls in history. In addition to her million dollar gams (legs), she could sing, dance, and act, too. She guest starred with her then-husband Harry James on “Lucy Wins A Racehorse”, an installment of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” aired on February 3, 1958.

(7) “Release from Nervous Tension” was an actual best-selling book by Dr. David Harold Fink, published in 1950. Vaudeville and Burlesque shows were often known as the ‘six-a-day circuit’ because sometimes there would be as many as six performances of the same act in a day. Naturally, this did not apply to Lucy and Desi, who were big film and radio stars at the time.

(8) These were some of Hollywood’s top-line dramatic actors. Bette Davis (1908-89) had won two Oscars, and was nominated for several others during her long career. She was supposed to guest-star on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in “The Celebrity Next Door” in 1957 but dropped out after a horse-riding accident, leaving the role to Tallulah Bankhead; Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020) had also won two Oscars, the second the year this article was published. She was best remembered for playing Melanie Wilkes in Gone With The Wind (1939); Ingrid Bergman (1915-82) was a Swedish-born actress, who, by career’s end, had scored three Academy Awards. When Johnson talks about “any other screen Duse” he is referring to Eleonor Duse (1858-1924), an Italian-born stage actress known for her grand, dramatic style.

(9) Pearl White (1889-1938) was best known as the silent film actress who was tied to the railroad tracks in “The Perils of Pauline” (1914).

(10) Arthur Murray (1895-1991) was a ballroom dancer and businessman best known for the chain of dancing schools that bear his name. Murray was often a punchline on “I Love Lucy,” especially when the subject of dancing came up. The Rhumba was a Latin dance that took America by storm in the late 1940s and 1950. Desi Arnaz often called his orchestra a ‘rhumba band.’

(11) Maureen O’Hara (1920-2015) and Lucille Ball had starred in Dance, Girl, Dance in 1940. As a result, the two went on a promotional tour that took them to several US cities, including the nation’s capitol.

(12) Louis B. Meyer (1884-1957), along with Samuel Goldwyn and Marcus Loew of Metro Pictures, had formed a new motion picture company called Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1918. Over the next 25 years, MGM was "the Tiffany of the studios," producing more films and movie stars than any other studio in the world. Mayer became the highest-paid man in America, and one of the country's most successful horse breeders. Both he and MGM reached their peaks at the end of World War II, and Mayer was forced out in 1951, just a year after this article was written.

(13) Erskine Johnson gets the title wrong. Lucille had madeThe Fuller Brush Girl, a sequel to The Fuller Brush Man (1948). The film was released in mid-September 1950.

#Lucille Ball #Erskine Johnson #Newspaper #Fuller Brush Girl #Born Yesterday #Judy Holliday #MGM #Louis B. Mayer #Pearl White #Olivia DeHavilland #Bette Davis #Ingrid Bergman #Release from Nervous Tension #Eleonor Duse #Betty Grable #Desi Arnaz #Gone With The Wind

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tisthenightofthewitch · 4 years ago

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THE 20 GREATEST GHOST SONGS – RANKED - KERRANG!

From Opus Eponymous to Prequelle, we rank the greatest compositions from Ghost

Words: Sam Law

Photo: Tom Barnes

Undoubtedly the breakout band in heavy music over the past decade, it’s been a wild ride for Swedish creeps Ghost. Melding elements of hard rock, doom, classic metal, psychedelia and outright guitar-pop – then daubing on the corpsepaint – their combination of deceptively digestible sound, occultist ethos and anti-ecumenical aesthetic has captured the imagination of music fans and sling-shotted their live ‘rituals’ into arenas on both sides of the Atlantic.

Of course, mysterious mainman Tobias Forge (aka Papa Emeritus I-IV, aka Cardinal Copia) has had his struggles. In 2013, the band was forced to temporarily rebrand as Ghost B.C. for legal reasons in the U.S. The initially intriguing, fluid anonymity of his bandmates’ Nameless Ghoul personas (even Dave Grohl apparently once donned the cowl) became a sticking point, too, as the collective sued Tobias in 2017, failing in their suit but also dispelling some of the precious mystique.

That Tobias has endured – not just surviving, but flamboyantly thriving in the heightened spotlight – feels like proof his band are here to stay. New music is eagerly anticipated in the not-so-distant future but, for now, we rank the 20 tracks on which Ghost have built their unholy empire thus far…

20. MUMMY DUST (MELIORA, 2015)

‘I was carried on a wolf’s back, to corrupt humanity / I will pummel it with opulence, with corpulence and greed!’ Arriving on a wave of staccato percussion, spiked with gnarls of riffage and flashes of synth, this pounding cut from 2015’s Meliora – named after the insubstantial detritus of years past – plays out as one of Ghost’s most compelling indictments of the avarice of mankind. Although its creeping instrumentation, growled baritone and choral climax don’t exactly show the Swedes at their most inventive, Mummy Dust has been elevated massively in the live arena, with Papa leaning into the lurching malevolence before showering the audience with ‘money’. In Ghost we trust.

19. WITCH IMAGE (PREQUELLE, 2018)

Ghost might have traversed a full spectrum from gouging metal via classic rock to shimmering guitar-pop thus far, but the further their sound has strayed into the light, the harder the lyrics have drilled down into darkness. It’s never been truer than on this underrated ditty from Prequelle. A textbook three-and-a-half-minutes built of sweet acoustic and rich electric guitars surging towards its massive chorus, you can practically taste the relish as Tobias ladles the syrup onto some of his darkest words. ‘While you sleep in earthly delight, someone’s flesh is rotting tonight / Like no other to you, what you’ve done you can not undo…’

18. CON CLAVI CON DIO (OPUS EPONYMOUS, 2010)

After the baroque organ intro of Deus Culpa, it’s the throbbing bassline of Con Clavi Con Dio that truly pulls back the sacristy drapes on Ghost’s compelling debut. Translating crudely as ‘With Nails, With God’, the title Con Clavi Con Dio is actually an attempt at clever wordplay, drawing comparisons with the nails of crucifixion and the conclave of bishops at the head of the church as Tobias sings, ‘Our conjuration sings infernal psalms and smear the smudge in bleeding palms.’ Theological musing aside, it’s the dark swirl of sound here that truly draws the listener in, with gauzy layers of guitar, synth and vocals – not to mention the devilish tritone interval – building into a towering cathedral of subversion.

17. FAITH (PREQUELLE, 2018)

No relation to the oft-covered George Michael classic, the fourth single from 2018’s Prequelle feels like a defiant statement of the band’s arena-straddling prowess twelve years in. Powered by snarling six-strings and pounding drums – custom engineered to get tens of thousands of fists pumping – it’s seething proof that this band’s heaviest sounds are still among their best. At the same time, we get a furious flash of the man behind the mask as Tobias takes aim at his ex-Nameless Ghouls with some serious lyrical barbs: ‘The Luddites shun the diabolical, a fecal trail across the land / Although it stinks, feels and looks identical / And a pack of fools can take the stand.’ Oooft.

16. PER ASPERA AD INFERNI (INFESTISSUMAM, 2013)

Riffing on the popular Latin phrase ‘Per aspera ad astra’ (‘Through hardship to the stars’), Per Aspera Ad Infini literally translates as ‘Through Hardships To Hell.’ Its churning sound diabolically matches up. Layering on riffage that calls to mind the epic doom of heroes like Candlemass, marching-beat percussion and a lyrical treatment revolving around that title chanted as a mantra, there is sinisterness throughout. Its defining quality, however, is the fragility and despair Tobias manages to summon as he begs with ecstatic fervour, ‘Oh Satan, devour us all / Hear our desperate call.’

15. SECULAR HAZE (INFESTISSUMAM, 2013)

The lead single from 2013’s sophomore LP Infestissumam immediately built on the spooky foundations laid by Opus Eponymous with broader pantomime atmospherics and – on its live premiere in Link��ping, Sweden, where Papa Emeritus II was unveiled – the first branches of their expanded mythos. A carnivalesque organ sets the tone of mischievous eeriness before the pendulous musicality hits full swing with Papa inviting us in: ‘You know that the fog is here omnipresent when the disease sees no cure / You know that the fog is here omnipresent when the intents remain obscure – forevermore!’ As if their mainstream-invading intent wasn’t clear enough, its single release even came with a B-side cover of ABBA’s I’m A Marionette featuring Dave Grohl on drums!

14. SEE THE LIGHT (PREQUELLE, 2018)

Another barely-veiled reference to Tobias’ struggles with ex-bandmates, See The Light is also one of his band’s most shamelessly uplifting compositions. Feeling like a positivist ’80s anthem – shot through with a little venom – its tinkling keys, soaring synths and understated, rumbling riffage propel an effortlessly memorable message about transcending the ill-will of one’s antagonists. Sing it together: ‘Every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger!’

13. DEUS IN ABSENTIA (MELIORA, 2015)

Riding on the metronomic beat of their Monstrance Clock, the closer on Ghost’s third album (translated from Latin as ‘In The Absence Of God’) is an extravagant exercise in arch theatrics. Benefiting from Klas Åhlund’s grandiose production, Tobias comes across as both demon and angel, extending his dark invitation: ‘The world is on fire, and you are here to stay and burn with me / A funeral pyre, and we are here to revel forever.’ Concluding with a hymn-like Latin chorus, it feels like the ultimate corruptive culmination: a musical sacrament truly touching only to those in the know.

12. STAND BY HIM (OPUS EPONYMOUS, 2010)

The track that started it all. Inspired by that irresistible lead riff – stumbled upon while practising for another band – Tobias foresaw a deep, dark well of potential waiting to be tapped and threw himself in headlong. Although Stand By Him’s schlocky lyrics feel gleefully on-the-chin nowadays (‘The Devil’s power is the greatest one / When His’ and Hers’ holiest shuns the sun / A temptress smitten by the blackest force / A vicar bitten blind in intercourse’), they paved the way for everything that followed. On top of that, its soaring ‘It is the night of the witch…’ chorus line even rivals that of Donovan’s Season Of The Witch (an obvious influence) for sheer spellbinding catchiness.

11. GHULEH/ZOMBIE QUEEN (INFESTISSUMAM, 2013)

One of the less immediate tracks on Ghost’s second album was also its most important. A staggering, seven-and-a-half minute opus that unfolds from its sorrowing piano line and Papa’s desiccated hiss through a swaggering midsection to a conclusion full of proggy bombast; this was proof of the untold breadth and depth of their vision and sound. Pushing from their basis in ’80s classic rock through the looser sounds of the ’70s and right into ’60s psychedelia, this ode to the titular zombie queen (‘Up from the stinking dirt she rises, ghastly pale / Shape-shifting soon but now she’s rigid, stiff and stale’) feels like Tobias’ first real attempt to stretch his (cursed black) wings and remains amongst their most rewarding compositions.

10. RITUAL (OPUS EPONYMOUS, 2010)

Anyone who remembers Ghost’s ethereal emergence from the shadows likely does so with this earworm writhing in the back of their mind. Combining the slick melodies and wry fatalism of prime Blue Öyster Cult with the crunchiness of Pentagram and Saint Vitus – soothing organs and a driving bassline pulling away – they had the musical formula nailed. It was the imagery contained therein, however (all ‘bedouins and nomads’, fallen angels and ‘smells of dead human sacrifices from the altar bed’) that captured the imaginations of a congregation ravenous for a fresh take on ancient evil. Here, the doors to the sanctum were truly open.

9. YEAR ZERO (INFESTISSUMAM, 2013)

Tying into the Ghost B.C. renaming necessitated by their Stateside legal wranglings (the year zero being the pivotal point between the B.C. and A.D. timelines), Infestissumam’s sixth track developed into one of the greatest showcases of their dark majesty. Opening with a powerful Gregorian chant (‘Belial, Behemoth, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Satanas, Lucifer’) calling to mind Jerry Goldsmith’s legendary soundtrack to The Omen, Ave Satana, the direct riffage and bludgeoning choruses that follow hammer home a sense of sheer monstrosity. Typically, the Year Zero concept is subverted, with Forge (and, reportedly, guitarist Martin Persner) picturing an ancient antagonist far predating biblical times: ‘Since dawn of time the fate of man is that of lice, equal as parasites and moving without eyes / A day of reckoning when penance is to burn, count down together now and say the words that you will learn.’

8. MIASMA (PREQUELLE, 2018)

Just when you think you’ve got Ghost figured out, they pull something like this. The first of Prequelle’s two extended instrumentals feels like showboating from an outfit whose legitimacy some fans had dared question following the acrimonious departure of so many players. Rearing into view as an expansively primitive space-rock soundscape, layering up into an ’80s prog epic, then exploding in a kaleidoscopic whirlwind of synths, Michael Jackson riffs and the best metal saxophone this side of Norway’s Shining, it was proof that Tobias’ vision would not be dictated solely by his own crooning King Diamond fixation and that it, frankly, knew no bounds.

7. ELIZABETH (OPUS EPONYMOUS, 2010)

Four years since their formation, Elizabeth felt like the break Ghost had been waiting for. Released on 7” vinyl (with the less-ear-catching Death Knell on B-side), the Mercyful Fate comparisons were immediate, with many seeing the sense of eerie grandeur and kitsch luridity at play as directly descended from the great Danes’ 1987 classic Devil Eyes. An ode to infamous Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory – alleged serial killer and bloodbather – sees Papa getting his teeth sunk in lyrically: ‘Her pact with Satan, her disposal of mankind / Her acts of cruelty and her lust for blood makes her one of us!’ The fine balance between sensuality and sin has yet to be bettered.

6. RATS (PREQUELLE, 2018)

The lead single from 2018’s Prequelle feels like a bridge between the (relative) heaviness of the band’s past and the unfettered theatricality of the album that was about to follow. Powered by a straightforward riff and piercing organs, dazzling solos and a rogue harpsichord, its introduction of the Black Death concept in which the album would wallow (refracting contemporary grievances through the filthy lens of the 14th century bubonic plague) felt both atmospherically appropriate and deliciously alive. The Scandi-pop ‘oooh-aahs’ in the chorus remain one of the band’s most gleefully irreverent touches, too. And the question of whether ‘them filthy rodents still coming for your souls’ is reference to Tobias’ old bandmates has provided rich fuel to keep the metal gossip mill turning.

5. MONSTRANCE CLOCK (INFESTISSUMAM, 2013)

In the Roman Catholic church, the monstrance is an (often ornate) receptacle in which the consecrated communion host is displayed for veneration. A monstrance clock was an aesthetically-similar Renaissance-era timekeeping device capable of displaying date, time and a wealth of other celestial information, often used in church rituals. We suspect that Ghost just liked the faintly cheeky sound of the phrase when quickly spoken. Still, the song they wrought from that initial giggle is utterly unforgettable. Deliberately paced and overflowing with evangelical zeal, a slow build flourishes into a splendiferous closing chorus that’s turned many an arena into a church of the Dark Lord: ‘Come together, together as one / Come together for Lucifer’s son!’

4. DANCE MACABRE (PREQUELLE, 2018)

If Rats was pandering somewhat to the existing fanbase, Dance Macabre was the other side of the coin. A shamelessly retro ’80s-style power ballad that’s as light on overt Satanic references as it is heavy on the cheese, some fans saw it as a form of selling-out: a dilution of devilish imagery in service of greater American radio-rock appeal. Perhaps they had a point. From its fist-pumping percussion and effervescent guitar solo to that ‘wanna, be wit chu’ chorus hook, however, it’s executed with enough committed precision and knowing panache to stand on its own terms, and a whole legion of new fans couldn’t help be swept along through the gateway and on to far darker delights. Tobias’ explanation that this is a soundtrack for people living like there’s no tomorrow – as many literally did during the plague – adds an extra dimension. Best experienced with the gleefuly vampiric music video.

3. CIRICE (MELIORA, 2015)

It’s strange how things work out sometimes. Originally conceived with producer Klas Åhlund as a nine-minute instrumental deep cut, Cirice was chopped down and reworked into Meliora’s irresistible lead single – becoming the song that really kickstarted Ghost’s stratospheric ascent. An insidious opening combusts into an infernal crescendo before lurching into the band’s most bludgeoning riff to date. All the while, Papa’s beguiling vocals reach out, full of dark romance, for new converts to their corrupted congregation. 2016’s GRAMMY for Best Metal Performance felt like just reward for such inspired work. The Roboshobo-directed music video – featuring a school talent show that’s almost as horrific as the ones we remember – is another stone cold standout.

2. SQUARE HAMMER (POPESTAR, 2016)

Following the unprecedented success of Meliora, Ghost found themselves suddenly commanding crowds far larger – and more diverse – than they’d seen before. Most of the ingredients for these grander live rituals were already in place, but they lacked the barn-burner early in their set to get these massive rooms onside. Dropped as the standalone original track on the Popestar covers EP, Square Hammer gave them just that. Abstractly melding the cultist themes of Satanism and Freemasonry, the concept of selling one’s soul – ‘ready to swear right here, right now, before the devil’ – was hardly new, but the outright pop energy of those surging synths and that exuberant chorus clearly signalled that the game had changed.

1. HE IS (MELIORA, 2015)

If Ghost’s diabolical mission statement is to make the Luciferian ideals more palatable to the masses, then He Is must be their masterpiece. So perfectly camouflaged – with twanging acoustic guitars and reverberating vocals that could’ve been nicked from the golden age of AOR – is their message, that they could drop this at any Christian rock festival and only the most switched-on devotees would know the difference. Openly indebted to giants like Kansas and Journey (and less openly to more recent occult acoustic acts like Ancient VVisdom), there’s a burning light to the sound. The use of divine-sounding Latin (‘Nostro Dispater, nostr’alma mater’) to identify the titular ‘He’ as the dark lord of the underworld is just another characteristically twisted masterstroke. Kneel at their altar.

All rights owned by Kerrang!

What do you guys think?

Personally there’s a few I’d replace and Ritual is always my NO.1.

#The Band Ghost #Ghost Band #Cardinal Copia #Tobias Forge

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cruddyborderlandstheories · 4 years ago

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so why did the destroyer eat civilizations?

tl;dr: protein powder

um. spoilers and stuff for directors cut lmao

so im like here and i was thinking (rare)

here’s something from the new dlc

so basically um

+ succ = stronger boy

other pokemon version (red):

also

human

+ the theory from long ago that made guardians want the vaults open to possess the vault monsters for [Vergil voice] POWER

destroyer also had a guardian-type thing going on and was compelled to absorb more souls in order to get stronk (like the rampager) and thats why the guardians are big mad at lilybean for keeping pandora from fully opening

bonus points if theyre powering up the vault monsters so they can rip a hole to (the door off the hinges of) where the eridians are currently hiding and beat the shit out of them for being shitty parents

historical footage of the guardians coming to beat the shit out of the eridians after possessing and powering up all the vault monsters

(so let us work together bc im still not unconvinced that humanity was another version of guardians created by the eridians)

bonus bonus points if the eridians locked the destroyer/rampager away because they were originally like/supposed to be the guardians but they had too much free will and strength so they had to make the guardians we know now as biomechanical so they’d follow commands

but plot twist now the guardians are getting smarter

oh hey look its the other theory. hey other theory welcome back i know you werent dead but its good to see you again

t-poses ominously

ocourse she also says when the key vanished so too did the future so maybe they are just trying to close the vault of the destroyer (aka the destroyer slipping out would “end the future”) and that’s how they gotta do it

however... BORING if true

lily fast traveling with the big key meant pandora stopped opening meaning she stopped the destroyer from fully getting out which they SHOULD be happy about IF they are trying to keep the vault of the destroyer from opening (horrid job if so everybody, bravo)

and pandora opening in the first place was 100% done by the twins, so if they didn’t want that happening, they wouldn't have let it happen given they apparently controlled everything

and if someone threw a wrench in their plans like lilith apparently did by removing the thing OPENING PANDORA, she’d be mentioning troy absorbing maya which let him phaselock elpis to open Pandora OF ALL THE THINGS- you get the idea... like sure lilith removing elpis is kinda shit if they’re looking to close it, but instead of putting the blame on her for doing what she could, they should be pointing fingers at the people who actually opened the vault and in fact they should have put more effort into STOPPING THEM instead of manipulating BOTH SIDES

also you’d think the unforeseen circumstance of siren powers being split between two people would probably be the thing ruining their plans and being worth mentioning right?? NOPE IT WAS LILITH PREVENTING PANDORA FROM BEING OPENED ALL ALONG

and personally i think they were manipulating both the raiders and the cov get to the vault because they:

a) didnt want the vault to not be opened by the raiders (possibly bc guardians are not capable of opening vaults themselves due to programming- they are biomechanical so it is reasonable to assume they literally might not be capable of doing so)

b) didn’t want the twins fully absorbing the destroyer bc its for THEIR PLANS not YOURS

also this would explain why there is an “Advanced Guardian Mind Core” in the vault of the destroyer... why else would it be there, there were no guardians anywhere near this place

big boy got too swole and was like “gonna eat to get stronger”

and their future is breaking free of the eridians to do their own thing

i do however find this quote fucking hysterical if what i think theyre doing is true:

bitch you are literally possessing people and vault monsters for Power and probably Free Will

anyway

im tired

a kissaroo from me to you

now the real question is:

is the idea of the eridians watching this happening and going “ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck” funnier, or is the idea of the eridians watching all this and going:

funnier

i can’t tell someone help me

#im literally taing a class right now #and by TAing i mean im literally jus t sititng her re bro #but yeah umn #i did the rampager fight for the dailies and i went `wait arent those wisps confirmed to be guardi- ohhhhhhhh i get it`#spoilers #borderlands 3 spoilers #directors cut spoilers #borderlands

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yicruz48 · 5 years ago

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My Review on the Teen Titans(2016) So Far

Date Written: March/14/2020-March/18/2020

Updated: May/10/2020

[Overall review of Special 1, Annual 1 and Issue #20-40]

My Opinion So Far [Issue #20-40 written by Adam Glass]:

-> In comparison to the first 19 issues of the Teen Titans, issue 20 and on have been bearable.

-> I will reiterate this over and over again; I will never understand why create new characters (Djinn, Roundhouse and Crush) when DC has a perfect stash of characters that Damian is already acquainted with (Colin, Maya, Surren, Maps and Jon). Although, having characters like Red Arrow (Emiko Queen) and Kid Flash (Wallace West) apart of the Teen Titans is understandable.

-> But again, in comparison to last group of Teen Titans [issue #1-19], I favor this group more. The first 19 issues are just literally Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven parenting Damian in Bruce's absence.

-> In my opinion this group is much more balance in terms of heroing experience:

A) Literally new to being a superhero and working in a group: Djinn, Roundhouse and Crush.

B) Still figuring out their place in superhero world: Robin, Red Robin and Kid Flash.

-> I am totally in favor in Kid Flash being considered the “moral compass” of the group. But so far in the Glass’s run haven’t really seen Wallace really prove this.

->It really shows that Glass had no idea or didn’t bother to do research on Emiko. Glass wrote Emiko as a sort-of Damian clone (And we all know Glass doesn’t write Damian well, so a badly-written-Damian-clone). Emiko is much more sarcastic and upbeat type of individual and wasn’t written that way.

->You can also tell Glass didn’t do research on Wallace. Wallace has a love for comics, is actually quite intelligent and is a prodigy engineer, but none of that was really expressed in the 20 issues.

->Crush, AKA Xiomara Rojas is a character besides the core three that I’ve grown to like. She is an empowered latinx Lesbian feminist who could care less what you think of her. But her backstory is rooted in stereotypical and racist beliefs. Her adoptive parents were druggies who were constantly running away from legal issues...ring a bell? Yea, its the common stereotype that latinos are all drug dealers, a stain on society and always run away from the legal ramifications of their actions. As as a latina myself, this was was extremely disappointing to see.

-> I have a lot of issues with the hyper-focus on Robin, as much as I love Robin content, I feel like like every-other mission the Teen Titan’s have revolves around Robin. I would like to explore Red Arrow, Kid Flash and Roundhouse’s character development more. And I believe writer’s are totally capable of advancing Robin’s character development without the mission being tied to him anyways.

-> I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Robin’s ongoing goal to create a criminal system better than their superhero processors (mainly Batman and Superman) who only arrest criminals in a prison with “a revolving door” which criminals always escape from. Although, I ABSOLUTELY hate how Adam Glass has handled how Robin has gone upon learning the best system.

-> I have to admit, I like how most of the members are comprised of teens that...

A) Been raised/used to kill; Robin, Red Arrow and Djinn.

B) Are related to villainous characters; Robin, Red Arrow, Kid Flash, Djinn and Crush.

In the words of Kid Flash, the Teen Titans are just, “a bunch of screwed up kids,”

-> I strongly dislike the love triangle that Adam Glass (the previous writer) was creating between Robin, Crush and Djinn. I felt like Djinn was just created to mimic the popularity of Damian x Raven and it just lessens the value of characters like Crush and Djinn. (Plus I am on the side that believes that Robin should developing his friendships before developing a romantic interest). Hopefully, Robbie Thompson (New and current writer), will throw that idea in the trash. Although I wouldn't mind Djinn × Crush though😶.

-> Also I hate the connection Adam Glass created between Robin and Roundhouse (Billy Wu). It was soo unnecessary, and he could've found another creative way to get Djinn a trapped in her ring🙄.

-> Love the growing friendship between..

1. Robin and Red Arrow

2. Red Arrow and Crush

3. Kid Flash and Roundhouse

4. Crush and Djinn

5. (Would like to see Robin and Kid Flash’s friendship grow)

-> The build up to "The Other" for over 18 issues [Issue #20-38] was disappointing. I am still trying to understand the villain motivations because it made no sense whatsoever besides the obvious fact that Adam Glass was attempting to give Robin yet another useless redemption arc he didn't need.

-> Excited at the connection between “The Book of the Damned” and Batman #666 ( I will most likely make a post expanding on this). This offers an explanation as to why Damian was suddenly using magic in that one Batman issue and claiming he could take down Superman with magic in another issue.

-> Robin's "Prison", AKA torture chamber. Although it's not out of Damian's character to believe that his father's way of imprisoning villains in Gotham is GREATLY lacking better security, I DO NOT THINK DAMIAN WOULD CREATE A PRISON, much less a torture chamber. Damian does research on ALL the batfamily including his own father, he would know that Bruce attempted something similar and failed which would make Damian hesitant about creating his own. Instead of developing his character this whole fiasco with the prison just ruined it and gave Damian haters another tool in their arsenal to “prove” Damian is evil (which no, its just bad writing).

-> Yes, I will acknowledge that Robin is not the kindest of the batch. But Blackmailing Black Mask with threatening to put his son's life endanger-even if he was bluffing-would not be something Robin would do. Robin is known to have compassion for children (*cough cough* Batman: Streets of Gotham) and wouldn't use a child as leverage to get his way EVEN if he was desperate.

-> Robin basking in the pain of his prisoners. LIKE EXCUSE ME, WTF. Like Robin does enjoy beating up criminals who deserve it but the way Adam Glass wrote it made it seem like Robin was a sadist and a psychopath.

-> Pissed off they killed Emiko’s development by killing Deathstroke. There really wasn’t any real reason given as to why Emiko “killed” Deathstroke.

-> Don't get me started on the fight between Red Hood and Robin. JUST DON’T.

But I have hope:

Teen Titans issue #39 and #40 written by Adam Glass and Robbie Thompson.

As you may or may not know, Robbie Thompson has now replaced Adam Glass as a writer. And his first issue he worked on was released February [issue #39] and I've already been seeing some improvements. Robbie will be fully taking over after issue #41.

-> Robin has stepped down as leader. Leadership in the Teen Titans will now be a collaborative approach.

-> The Teen Titans struggling and learning on working as a group instead of working under one leader. They've already failed their first mission as a team without Robin as leader. Which I'll give them a break for, they've recognized how poorly their plan was executed themselves. But this just shows that the writer is demonstrating that the Teen Titan's is still learning how to best work together without a leader.

-> Robbie Thompson is now writing Damian more in character. Instead of writing him off as an asshole for no reason like previous writers.

-> Confirmed Damian went to hell after being killed by Heretic. With an added plus of the Teen Titan’s finally learning a bit more about Robin’s past.

-> Brought up Damian’s ongoing internal struggle of finding his own path that isn’t influenced by his father or his grandfather.

-> I’ve gotta admit, issue #40 has exceeded my low expectations I have set for the past 19 issues.

What I am Actually Looking Forward to [Upcoming Issues]:

Teen Titans #41 / Teen Titans Annual #2

Written by Adam Glass and Robbie Thompson

-> Finally, we get Batman's involvement in all this. I just hope he doesn't beat up Damian like he did Jason 😒. I’d like to add there was actually foreshadowing for this encounter in Teen Titans #26 (I believe).

-> But the only reason I am looking forward to this because it seems like Robin has been keeping this new group of Teen Titan’s secret (including their base), or at least heavily restricting Batman’s involvement.

-> And even though I think I know why Damian has been trying to keep this new Teen Titans a secret from Batman (if my theory is correct), I'm curious to hear it myself from him (if the reason is written well).

-> Don't get me wrong, I am pissed that the writers decided Batman is going to fire Robin. Although, I am not against Damian being his own superhero (I actually don’t want Robin to take up the Batman mantle), but I can see DC writers abusing this. Killing his character development and making him evil like they've been foreshadowing in some comics 😒.

-> Although, I am not sure if it's really gonna happen, or Damian got the memo, because Damian appears to wear the Robin outfit in future covers of the Teen Titans.

-> I am excited the current Teen titans getting a glimpse of Batman's and Robin's current strained relationship(maybe even learning more about Robin’s upbringing). The Teen Titans (except Red Arrow) are always criticizing Robin for his way of thinking without questioning the influence to his thinking.

Teen Titans #42

Written by Robbie Thompson

->Batman kicking them out of Mercy Hall? I am actually kinda of excited for a Teen Titans without a base.

-> But I wanna know what this means; less oversight by Batman or more?

-> I wonder what will motivate the team to retrieve Robin back into their team? The only one's who actually seem to have some sort of relationship with Robin is Red Arrow and Djinn, besides them, everyone seems to despise Robin

Teen Titans #43

Written by Robbie Thompson

-> We are FINALLY getting a proper reaction from Robin to Nightwing's near death. What we got from Nightwing Annual was definitely not enough.

-> Apparently, Damian goes on a hunt for KGBeast (who shot Dick). Which I don't see as out of character because we all know how much Damian cares for Dick, who is a brother and father figure to Damian (more than Bruce).

-> Hopefully, the Teen Titans don't let him kill or have lethal vengeance against KGBeast because that would just kill his character development 😡.

->I wonder if this issue will tie in with the Joker War where apparently Dick is suppose to get his memories back. I doubt it, but thought I’d mentioned it.

I've been reading Teen Titans because I've been desperate for new Damian content. But it seems like the comic is finally starting to get interesting with Robbie on board.

I wanted to give you an honest review on what I've thought of the Teen Titans so far just in case you've been on the fence about reading it or not. I've tried not to hold back on my criticism so my review is as honest as it can be.

So I'll leave it to you guys to decide whether you will read it or not.

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newtafterdark · 4 years ago

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Taste of Metal - Chapter 2: Safe Inside Familiar Walls AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26157634/chapters/63644236

Summary: What if the overwhelming VR experience Gordon went through, had a deeper purpose than just being a simple simulation & a freelance debug job for him? But most importantly- what if Gordon Freeman listens to Metal & used to be in a band? aka. the "Metalhead Gordon AU"

- - -

Gordon couldn’t sleep, as much as his body wanted him to.

The pain was one thing, but the number of unanswered questions was the overwhelming main reason he had curled up in a blanket, staring at nothing with wide eyes like a startled cat.

Tommy had not moved much after he had teleported them both into Gordon’s apartment, aside from grabbing a water bottle and some painkillers from the kitchen for the shaken scientist.

“D-Do we just wait? I don’t… I don’t know what to do a-about any of this. What even is “this”? What happened? H-How are you even REAL?”, Gordon stammered.

Tommy gave him an apologetic smile from his spot at the end of the bed.

“I just am, Mr Freeman. We all were- uhm- we all are real! I… wanted to tell you during everything. We all did! B-But the code didn’t let us.”

“But you can talk about it now! What changed it?”

Tommy appeared a chunk more nervous at this question but continued anyway-

“You.”

“M-Me??”, Gordon stuttered as he found himself in the focus of Tommy’s vibrant glowing eyes once again.

“We didn’t think someone could alter the code of the simulation like you did, Mr. Freeman... Y-You freed us.”, Tommy said with a warm smile- “I… all of us will do our best to explain everything to you once everyone is here.”

“In my apartment?” Tommy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “We thought bringing you here would be the safest option for you. It’s a place you know and would feel comfortable in. I-In general but also to talk about everything that happened?”

Gordon nodded slowly.

“I… yeah, I guess that makes sense. And when you say “we”... are you sure everyone will make it out alive without our help?”

“Absolutely!”, Tommy's laugh lines deepened at the edge of his eyes- “I think they are just wrecking the place now for fun now! :)”

That left Gordon silent for a few seconds.

“Oh. W-Well… I…”, Gordon let out a short shaky laugh- “Sorry that I keep you from joining the fun... and that I can’t add support myself-”

Suddenly, Gordon found himself being held once more. Tommy hugged him gently, his chin resting on Gordon’s head.

“A-All of us want you to be safe first, Mr… … Gordon. Fun mayhem comes second! And… a-and I am rather here with you than g-getting overwhelmed with the noise… as fun as destroying a facility might be.”

Gordon chuckled, brushing away a tear he hadn’t noticed falling. “Oh… uhm, thanks. For being here and… the foresight and all that. I don’t think we’ll be safe here in the long run though…”

The taller scientist tilted his head at that. “Why would you leave your home behind? You don’t have to when anyone who could tell on us has other problems to deal with. Much... much bigger problems at that!”

“What… okay, you actually need to sit my ass down and explain what the fuck is happening. Because... this vague shit? Not helping with my still high-stress levels, my man.”

“Resonance cascade………....2”, was suddenly muttered too closely into Gordon’s left ear, almost making the man yeet himself off the bed-

“OH SHI-”

Gordon stared, almost frozen in place.

“B-BENREY?”

The guard (or former guard now? had he even ever been one, to begin with?) was propping himself up on the bed beside Gordon, his lower body no-clipping through it. Seeing this happen in real life turned out to be way trippier than Gordon could have ever imagined.

Yet aside from that… and the very much scary boss encounter they had had with him in the simulation, Benrey looked relaxed. Comfortable even.

“Yo, Feetm-”

Instantly, Benrey got tackled by Gordon. Aggressively, yes - but not with ill intent. Benrey let out a startled wheeze but soon stared in shock as he was tightly hugged against Gordon’s chest.

“I still have no idea how any of this is happening, but I am so fucking happy to see your annoying ass alive, holy SHIT!”, Gordon laughed, ignoring the pain in his stump as good as he could.

Tommy let out a snort as a few pink sweet voice orbs escaped Benrey.

“uhhhhhhhhhhhh… You too, man? Wasn’t sure if you’d make it on your own… decided that Tommy was the best. He always is, but… ya know. For getting you out. Smarter than all of us combined, ya know?”

Tommy waved Benrey off with a blush but smiled.

“Y-Yeah but all that matters is that everyone’s okay. Do you think the rest of the team will be here soon? I w-want us to tell Gordon what happened. He… he really needs to know. There were enough secrets in Black Mesa. :(”

Gordon slowly let go of Benrey and sat up, returning to cradling his arm. He let out a sigh.

“You can say that again. I… I don’t know how much you all know about my side of things, but the bastards never really told me the most important details on any of the projects they assigned me to. I always had to peace everything together myself… which was frustrating as all hell...”

Now it was Benrey’s turn to let out a huff as he pulled himself on top of the bed and got comfortable laying down with his hands behind his head. Gordon decided to look past the fact that the man was still in full guard get-up, including his helmet and boots. At least he looked surprisingly clean...

“Yeah, that was, uh… their whole schtick. Always has been.”, Benrey said, scratching his cheek with- … that was an entire third arm he just grew and Gordon decided to look past that even quicker than the full guard-getup.

Suddenly the door to Gordon’s bedroom opened, making Gordon jump and hold tighter onto his aching arm- until he recognized the friendly face of Darnold…and the very large golden retriever that pushed the door further open to let herself in.

Gordon’s tense shoulders relaxed a bit at the sight of both of them.

“H-Hey...”, stuttered Darnold, giving Gordon a nervous smile and wave- “I just wanted to let you guys know that Sunkist and I checked the area and the apartment. Everything’s clean.”

Sunkist let out a soft woof at the sound of her name and then opted to rest her head on the bed near Gordon. Man, she really was huge. And very much 3D now. Another thing to add to Gordon’s “oh damn I’m starting to feel real overwhelmed by this entire situation”-list.

Tommy pet Sunkist’s head gently and nodded. “Thanks, Darnold! And that’s good! We are several miles away from the facility... but it’s better to be extra safe and see if anything is weird here!”

Darnold sat down on the floor beside Tommy.

“I’ll go check again in a few minutes… I don’t trust this supposed freedom just yet.”

Gordon opted to just nod at that. Speech was slowly failing him as his senses dulled slightly from exhaustion. He leaned back against his bed frame.

He was about to close his eyes as the sound of space being wrapped and time getting bent to his left pulled him right back into high alert-

Dr Coomer and Bubby stepped out through the portal that had formed way too close to the boxes with Gordon’s vinyl record collection, followed by G-Man who closed the portal with a wave of his hand.

“Hello, Gordon!”, Dr Coomer exclaimed, eyes bright and happy as he spotted the man currently half bundled up in his blanket- “Looks like you made it here with good Tommy’s help without... ehm… further harm.”

Bubby scanned Gordon’s form with his eyes and frowned.

“They actually did it, the bastards. Shouldn’t surprise me, but...”, he motioned at the air without aim, seemingly not being able to put his frustration into words.

Gordon just smiled softly at them, exhausted to all hell and back but so relieved and happy that the entire Science Team had made it.

He also noted that Dr Coomer’s limb enhancements were far more visible in real life than in the low-poly form he had been used to. It was interesting to see and the tech guy in him really wanted to ask the man about the intricacies of how they worked. But… later. That could wait.

Bubby on the other hand… there was something off about how Bubby looked. Gordon couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but he supposed that Bubby’s lore of having been created artificially must have carried over into his real-life form as well.

But once again, this was something for Future Gordon to ponder about.

Present Gordon wanted to know about the general “ok, what the fuck just happened???”, before diving into information that he wasn’t even sure he had the right to know about.

He noticed G-Man giving his stump a glance as well before the suited man materialized a simple wooden chair for himself and sat down on it.

Bubby and Coomer opted to join Darnold and Tommy on the floor.

With everyone finally seated, G-Man opened his briefcase and pulled a very heavy-looking folder out of it. Its casing reminded Gordon of the pattern and colour of a missing texture error.

“I am… certain you have a lot of questions, Mr Freeman.”

Gordon closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes again, looking at everyone in the room over once more before nodding.

#hlvrai #metalhead gordon au #gordon freeman #hlvrai gordon #benrey #tommy coolatta #hlvrai darnold #hlvrai bubby #hlvrai coomer #hlvrai g-man #hlvrai sunkist #fanfic #fanfics #metalhead gordon #gordon is overwhelmed AS FUCK but he's trying his best

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