#plus they also have a 'i want to be the comic relief and not take any responsibility' coping mechanism

[nyankoizumi]

victim fans stay away I’ve done ATROCITIES to their character /j

[kbspangler]

This is the public statement from @alepresser and myself which went up at Webtoons tonight.

Now for some ranting. Just from me, not from Ale—she's innocent of the art crimes I've committed in the past, and boy howdy have I committed art crimes.

This is the first page of my first webcomic, A Girl and Her Fed. I started this thing back in 2006. (I don't actually need a head count of those reading this who weren't yet born in 2006. I'm sure you're delightful and I wish you well in college.)

And this is the last page I drew in early 2020 before I turned art duties over to Dr. Beer. It's better, right?

Well, these days, A Girl and Her Fed has pages like this:

I drew this comic for fourteen fucking years because it's a story I wanted to tell, and I thought webcomics were the perfect format for it. I didn't know how to draw. I got better through sheer obstinate perseverance and sticking to deadlines as best I could for, again, fourteen fucking years. I sought out a replacement artist when I ran into time constraints and couldn't do art plus writing anymore; I'm a much better writer than an artist, so I had no problems whatsoever kicking art to the curb.

The first time Ale sent me art that would go up on the website—art I hadn't needed to draw myself—I literally cried in relief because I had been grinding myself down for, yet again, fourteen fucking years.

So when I read comments from people who say they want to make a webcomic but can't draw themselves and therefore need to resort to AI, that little line between my eyes gets dangerously deep.

This isn't like I'm some old dude who's bitching over student loans getting cancelled after making regular payments. This is me, someone who threw raw art onto the internet like a monkey hurling fresh poo, because I wanted to make a webcomic and the art is part of the process of storytelling via webcomics! I could've (arguably should've) hired an artist right out of the gate, and that would've been part of the process of making comics, too: a partnership between an artist and a writer is also something which grows and develops over time.

For example, after Dr. Beer and I spent two years working on AGAHF, we decided we enjoyed our partnership so much that we set out to make another webcomic! It's great! It's got wonderful art and consistent storytelling! You should read it!

But turning art duties over to unaltered images generated by AI because you want to make a webcomic but "just can't draw" is, frankly, a bullshit excuse. I'm not talking about persons who are physically unable to draw due to disability—I'm talking about people who say they want to make webcomics but simply don't wanna do the art part.

Friends, if you don't want to show your entire ass in front of God and country, you don't actually want to make a webcomic.

Do the thing yourself.

If you're scared, don't be. Take the plunge. Set a goal of twenty strips and do the thing yourself. If you can already draw but can't write? Great! Write twenty strips, write forty panels, etc. You might surprise yourself. If you can write but can't draw? Great! Draw twenty panels and see what happens.

Whatever comes out of it, it's a thing you've done yourself. It's something new you've given to the world, no matter how big or small. Be proud of that. And if you need to partner with someone else to make your comic dreams work? You can do that, too! It's still a thing you've done yourself, and many projects are stronger when done together.

...but maaaaaaaaaybe hire that partner before you've busted your own ass for fourteen fucking years. That one's on me.

[slut4thebroken]

Opposites Attract

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Pairing | Jason Todd x reader

Summary | Jason in your hyperfeminine pink bedroom (and house lol)

Warnings | Reader isn’t infantalized she just likes feminine things lol, fluff, kissing, Jay being a big fat softie.

Words | 1.2 k

Notes | Honestly idk. I’m going through an aesthetic change rn and was struck with a vision one day lol. (Also this pic set is a direct result of there being literally no pictures or gifs of Jason 😭 I had to take matters into my own hands smh.)

Ao3 link | <3

Masterlist

You always loved when Jason came over. You loved his company of course, but mostly you just loved seeing him in your house, especially your room. 

There’s something almost comical about a six foot tall, burly, vigilante, who’s covered in scars and only wears dark clothes, standing amongst all of the baby pink and white, and the delicate silk and lace in your bedroom. He sticks out terribly, even in the rest of your house, and you can’t help but be amused by it everytime. 

You were sitting in bed with a book tonight, wearing a white babydoll nightie and hugging your teddy bear to your chest. When you heard a noise from outside your bedroom, you stiffened, your heart beating faster and harder in your chest. You strained your ears to listen and for a few seconds it was completely silent until you heard quiet footsteps. Before you could react your door was opening and you almost breathed a sigh of relief when you saw who it was. All of the anxiety quickly melted into happiness. 

“Jay!” You said excitedly, setting your book on the nightstand. 

“Hi, princess.” His hair was still a little damp and he was in casual clothes so he must’ve done some vigilante stuff tonight— a while ago you scolded him for tracking mud on your rug and getting blood on your sheets, and ever since then, you’ve demanded that he comes here completely clean. 

You set down the teddy bear and got up to greet him properly, with a hug and a kiss. His hands settled on your waist over the soft material of your dress and you placed your arms on his shoulders, standing up on your toes so he didn’t have to bend down so much. When he pulled back from the kiss, you whined quietly, making him chuckle. 

“You scared me.” You frowned. Even thought you gave him a key, you wished he’d knock because of how naturally quiet he always is. 

“I’m sorry, baby.” He murmured, giving you another quick kiss, making you forget all about that. “Should I be jealous?” He asked and you furrowed your brows, not understanding because you were still dazed from both kisses. But he explained once he saw your expression. “That you’re cuddling with another man in your bed.” You couldn’t keep the little giggle in, especially when he started smiling. 

“No.. It’s just Teddy.” You said through a quiet laugh. “Plus now that you’re here, I can cuddle with you instead.” You gave him a bright smile and he chuckled under his breath, bringing a hand up to brush your hair back, then cup your cheek. 

“I’m not intruding?” 

“Nope. I was just reading.”  

“Good cause I thought we could bake some cookies and have a movie night.” You were nodding eagerly before he could even finish. 

It was mostly him putting everything together and you following his every move with heart eyes. You wanted to help, but each time you tried, he sat you back down. He gave you the spoon for you to lick the extra batter from while he finished everything up. When the utensil was clean, he grabbed it and put it in the sink, then walked over to you and picked you up, taking you to the couch. You giggled as you clung to him— you didn’t think he’d drop you, it was just a habit that eased your nerves. When you were both on the couch with your legs over his, his hand on your thigh, and his arm around your shoulders, he leaned down and gave you a quick kiss. 

“I missed you, baby.” He rasped, making your cheeks heat up. 

“I saw you three days ago.” You chuckled breathlessly, even though you probably missed him more than he did. 

“And that was three days too long. What have you been up to, pretty girl?” He leaned down even farther and pressed soft kisses to your neck. You let out a shaky breath and gripped his shirt. 

“N-nothing… Just working on some hobbies.” You shrugged, getting a little sad. You wished you lived with him. You wished you could make dinner every night for both of you, clean up around the house, help him out of his clothes when he got home on days that he was particularly battered, give him a massage— and… anything else he might need— whenever he’s feeling stressed… You wanted it all. But you couldn’t have it, not yet at least. 

“Yeah?” He lightly nipped at your neck, making you let out a startled whimper. 

“Mhm.” You hummed, letting your eyes flutter shut. He kissed down your neck to your shoulder and slowly moved the fabric down to expose more skin. “Jay…” You said through a breath, trying not to get overwhelmed with the feeling of his lips on you. 

“Hm?” He moved to your collarbone now, slowly kissing across it to the center of your chest. 

“Need you.” You whined, starting to squirm. His hand started rubbing up and down your thigh, probably to soothe you, but it only got you more worked up. “Please?” You used the voice that always gets you what you want and he pulled back to look at you, letting out a heavy sigh as his lips curled into a small smile. 

“I can’t say no to you, princess.” You all but beamed in response, excited to get what you wanted. His hand started sliding up your leg until he gripped your hip, under the nightie, making your breath hitch. Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to your lips and smiled when you started squirming again. He never broke the kiss as he lifted your body and set you in his lap, straddling his legs. Both of his hands squeezed your hips, teasing the waistband of your panties, and yours moved to his hair, tugging lightly. 

Faintly, you heard a noise from the kitchen, but you couldn’t focus on it. When he pulled back, you whined and tried to kiss him again, but he placed a gentle hand on your neck as a warning. 

“I have to get the cookies, baby.”

“Let them burn, I don't care.” You were still squirming, trying to get friction and pleasure that he wouldn’t allow. 

“You say that now, but in half an hour you’ll be pouting about how you don’t have any cookies.” He chuckled, making you frown. He didn’t give you another chance to protest before he was lifting you off his lap and placing you back on the couch. You grabbed his hand when he started walking past you, looking up at him with pleading eyes and a pout. 

“You’re my good girl… you can wait just a little longer, can’t you?” You frowned and averted your gaze for a moment, then nodded. He gave you a soft smile as he cupped your cheek, running his thumb over your bottom lip. “Thank you, baby.” He said proudly, making you blush, then continued on toward the kitchen. You turned around and leaned your chin on the back of the couch to watch him. 

He looked so silly in your kitchen full of pink colors, towels with lace trim, and flower themed decor. But he looked even sillier wearing your pink oven mitts as he took the tray out of the oven. You bit back a smile as you watched him reach for a heart shaped spatula to put the cookies on a plate. 

Despite the incongruity in the delicate setting, he managed to blend in seamlessly, almost making the contrast appear natural. It was giving you even more proof that he belonged here— belonged with you. 

Taglist (join here)

@pedrisgatorade @lunyyx @faebirdie @idkdudsworld @nashja @rentaldarling @whydoyoucare866 @zurakoisanhornysimp @brooklynscherry-z @wartofart @deimks @n1ghtw1ngslvr @harleycao @baebeepeach @jayroytodd @zurakoisanhornysimp

[mercedesvince]

Can you do Scott pilgrim x male reader that mainly uses ASL to communicate <33

Scott Pilgrim x M. Deaf Reader

“Please”

The italicized text is ASL

You felt your pen glide across the texture of the paper. Looking back up at your computer screen you continued copying down your notes. Laying your pen back down, you returned your hands to your key board and continued typing on the google doc.

Even though growing up you had a tough time in school with your condition, you still wanted to peruse a degree in [subject of your choice]. Your relationship with the public school system was never the best. Having to learn to translate ASL to written english never proved easy, on top of that your school required you to take a foreign language class. It was a lot, but you managed, and now you’re set on earning your degree.

Lost in your thoughts as you worked on your notes, you missed the door to your shared apartment opening. You also happened to miss your boyfriend slowly creeping up behind you. Sitting at your desk, your back completely turned to entrance, you were scared out of your mind when you felt a sudden grab on your shoulders. Your body jolted up, turning around in an instant only to come face to face with Scott. You let out a sigh of relief, before slightly slapping his shoulder. “You scared me”, you signed to him. Scott looked at you for a moment, before slowly raising his hand, “Please”. You looked at him confused for a second, then you realized he meant to say ‘i’m sorry’. You reached out and grabbed his hand, a gesture that had becomes common, and showed him the correct movement. “Ohhh” he said. “That one was please wasn’t it?” you nodded at Scott smiling. You weren’t the best at reading lips, but you were probably better than the average person.

Still, it’s like people expect you to be some type of god skilled level lip reader, but fortunately for you, you never had that problem with Scott. That was one of the main reasons you fell for the guy in the first place, as much of a himbo as he can be, he took time to learn some ASL for you, he didn’t expect you to immediately be able to understand everything he said by reading his lips, and he treated you like just as much of a person as everyone else.

Scott looked over at the laptop, “What are you working on?”. You glanced back at your screen letting out a tired sigh, “Just a paper that’s due at the end of the week”. Scott nodded, a few seconds passed before Scott grabbed your hands, pulling you up from your chair. He pulled you towards the door, grabbing your coat off the small hangers you guys had and passing it to you. You raised an eyebrow at him, he turned to face you. “You said your papers due at the end of the week,” he smiled at you before continuing. “I have show tonight, but maybe we could hang out and spend time together before it,” he signed. “Plus, you need a break”.

Shaking your head at Scott, you put on your coat “Alright Scott, let’s go”. He seemed to gleam with joy at your agreement. Basically hauling you out of the apartment.

——————————————————————

You both looked at the comic variety in front of you. Scott had a few CDs in his hand, as he had taken you to your local record and comic store. You had been looking at the comic section for a while now, trying to make a decision on what would be your next read. Scott had appeared by your side, joining you in your search for a good comic. He raised his hand and pointed at one, “This one’s really good, when I lived with Wallace, I stole from his collection”. Letting out a light laugh, you looked back up in the shelf, he was pointing to a ‘Doom Patrol’ one. You reached out and picked it off the shelf, tuning it around to read the summary. You turned your gaze at Scoot once again, you nodded and saw his face light up in a smile.

You could never get enough of this man, his contagious smile, his cute eyes, his hair, everything. You grabbed his hand and the both of you made your way up to the cash register to check out. “That will be $55.76,” the guy at the register said, he looked like some edgy teen who didn’t wanna be there. He was probably your least favourite employee, he wasn’t mean or anything, but the girl who always smiled at you guys that also worked there was just better. You had pulled out your wallet, about to pay, but you missed the number the guy had said. He looked at you expectantly. Hoping he would get the hint to repeat himself, you stared at at him. In a few seconds, he gave you weird look.

Before you could even do anything else, Scott smacked the money on the counter. The kid looked taken aback a bit, before picking it up. Handing him his change and the bag with your things in it, you guys made your way to the exit. Outside the shop you stopped walking. “You didn’t have to do that”. Scott looked at you, his eyes slightly widening before his expression fell back into a smile. “I know, but I was planning on paying anyway”. Again with that contagious smile, you couldn’t help as one slowly grew on your face. “Thanks” you told him. “No problem [nick name]”. You both turned and began walking back toward your home, in hopes of burning some time while you waited for Scott’s showtime to pull around. Hand in hand, you leaned your head against Scott. He took a glance at you, before letting out a quiet “I love you [name],” under his breath.

[bitterchocoo]

Ok so, I saw the Welt oneshot you did and like

Pls

I need a continuation, it's a necessity at this point aismsodmdjd, I love it so much, the pain, the anguish everything was so good buaaaaaaaaaa

The Other "You"

Part One | Part two (You're here)

----------

Welt Yang | M. Reader

----------

"I feel like... I'm seeing a ghost.."

----------

[Name] only sigh as he sees the stacks of paperwork on his desk, he needs to finish them and fast if he wants to take his naps. Poor guy has been doing all-nighters for how many weeks now? He can't remember. The arrival of the Nameless didn't made it easier either as his necessary work just doubles the amount from what it originally was! He needs his sleep for Aeon's sake!

And that one guy, Welt Yang was it? He seems to have make it his personal mission to bug him acting like a child who wants his attention. What's his deal? Aren't they here for Her Excellency?

Either way he'll just ignore him if it get's too much.

But given the man's gentle, kind, and intellectual aura and mannerisms... [Name] can't exactly ignore him for too long.. there's just something about him that pulls him towards the seemingly old man. He even somehow knew what tea he usually drinks as he gave him some when he once said that he ran out of them in his office, [Name] didn't even think for a second that Welt would remember something as trivial as 'running out of tea.'

[Name] brush it off as a coincidence after all it's just tea, there's no harm in it. Plus it's quite endearing to have someone remember your preferences. But as time passes [Name] began to see a pattern. How the hell does this man knew so much about him!? Heck! He even brought [Name] his favorite dessert to enjoy for during his afternoon tea! How does he do that?! It's almost like he knew him for years, despite the fact they just met a few days ago.

.

.

Even though this is the other "him." Welt felt relief at the sight of [Name] being healthy and well. Still as blunt and stubborn as always, and he's Her Excellency's right hand? It's good to know he's been doing well in this universe.

Welt's heart skips a beat every time he notices that [Name] has the same habits of the one he knew and loved.

Like how he visibly shows disgust when he has to repeat himself yet again, how he would rather read novels than reading his own paperwork, how he won't hesitate to call someone out and calling them "dumb" or "stupid."

Aeons! It's like he's back with him again!

Then there's one that he noticed that made his heart nearly burst from his chest, this [Name] also collects things from trinkets to ball-jointed dolls.

This gave him an idea.

.

.

"Huh?" [Name] blinked twice, looking at Welt's gift in disbelief. Wha... What..? And most importantly how?

Welt had given him an awfully specific gift.

A ball-jointed doll of a little boy with indigo hair and blue eyes.

Who is he? He doesn't seem like a character from a comic or anything that he knew of. So who is he? Welt had told him that his name is Joyce. But who in Aeons name is Joyce?

But even so... Joyce ended up being his favorite as he took care of it as best as he could given his tight schedule. He's treating the doll as if he's his own flesh and blood. [Name] can't help it. It's almost like an instinct for him, a gravitational pull.

Why? Why is he acting like this? Sure yes he took care of his dolls, but he does so because he doesn't want them to be broken or messed up.

But why does he care for Joyce so much?

The question itself drove him mad which led to [Name] just stopped thinking about it any longer to avoid headaches and a potential identity crisis. The Stellaron crisis is already enough of a headache [Name] doesn't need anything else to worry about.

He goes to place the doll on his shelf before a raging headache consumes him like a strong wave in the ocean.

"Ack!" [Name] puts a hand on his forehead and the other on the shelf for support.

"Don't you want to?"

"No."

"Come on~ we can give you everything~"

"Trust us."

"Let us in."

"We can give you the power to protect her."

"We can tell you the truth."

"Just let us in."

"SHUT UP!!"

[Name] yelled at the top of his lungs as his grip on the shelf tightens ever so slightly. He took a few steps back and placed both of his hands on his face, stumbling with his steps. Shaken by the voices in his head. The voices of them. The voices of the—

He was cut off by the sound of knocking from his door. Taking deep breaths he straightened himself and made sure he was presentable before clearing his throat and saying. "Come in."

A guard entered his office, closing the door behind him he stood there and gave a bow as a sign of respect to his superior before delivering a message. "Sir, Her Excellency had requested your presence in her chamber."

[Name]'s eyes widened by a split-second before going back to a neutral one. "I see. Thank you, you may leave." The moment the guard left [Name] let out a sigh he tries to calm himself down from his previous outburst, having Her Excellency witness him in such a state is unforgivable after all. She deserve nothing less than the best.

.

.

Her chamber is quite spacious, one that could be mistaken as a drawing room. But even so, Her Excellency have kept it practical only having the necessities and refusing to fill it with anything else other than that.

Entering the room, he was greeted by a young lady sitting on her chair as she looked outside of her window with a somber look, leaving her now cold tea on the table to her right. Seeing the look on her face, the tall man approach the other before kneeling in front of her, he said. "Your Excellency, you have requested my presence. Is there something of your concerns?"

The woman turns her head towards the voice, she lets out a sigh and shook her head, this did not manage to convince him. After all, he is her right hand, he knows his Lady like an open book. "Your Excellency... if something is bothering you, please I beg you to tell me."

She stayed silent for a moment before speaking in a soft and gentle voice that's only above a whisper. "It's nothing, [Name], and haven't I told you countless of times? Please.. call me Christine, you don't have to address me in such a formal way.." [Name] doesn't like that. He doesn't like having Her Exce—Christine—leaving him in the dark like that. Can't she see he cares for her deeply? Can't she see how softer he is when he's with her and only her? Can't she see how willingly he sacrifice everything for her?

"Christine.." He began in a somber tone, his expression softens ever so slightly.

'I know it hurts.. watching your people suffer like that.. but you don't have to suffer anymore... for I won't allow it.' He thought to himself as he gently hold her hand. 'I'll do anything to ensure that tears won't fall from those eyes.' He takes her hand and bring it close to his lips and kiss the back of her hand. 'I promise you that... My Christine..'

'Even if it means accepting their proposal. I'll do it.' His eyes darken at the thought. 'The Stellaron's proposal.'

.

.

.

.

.

----------

Shame.. It seems this "[Name]" has other plans in mind. Interesting is it not? The previously cold man is now someone that's obsessed with another in this world.

If only it's with him. Then he might get his happy ending.

What do you say?

Should he have his happy ending? Or should he "lose" his love once more? Be it by death.. Or by his heart that belongs to someone else..

----------

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Hey Kym, have you talked about how you think this season is going to pan out? Nothing too involved,just bare bones what you think these 18 episodes will deliver

Hey Nonnie

I both have and havent - in that I’ve just talked about it quite a lot in my last post about Tim’s interview, (so go check that out if you want more!) but I haven’t written a dedicated post about what I’m thinking for how season 8 is going to pan out.

I’m very much of the opinion we’re getting a s3 redux if you will. Season 7 was basically a speed run of s2 and all the s3 elements are being nicely set up - we’ve been given hints of how several storylines are going to parallel arcs from s3 - the bee-nado is sounding more and more like the tsunami - in that the bees are the same as the wave - they set off the destruction, but themselves aren’t the actual emergency - the wave created all the various issues we saw the firefam battle through in their various locations in the aftermath and the bees seem to be doing the same thing - causing the issues in e1 and will then more or less be gone and it’s the trail of destruction they’ve left behind that is the actual disaster.

Bobbys arc seems to be the comic relief arc (which he deserves tbh after s7!) with some serious notes in that parallels his s3 arc - s3 bobby was not in the firehouse at the start of s3 (suspended) and he planning his wedding to Athena and supporting the firefam from a distance - we seem to be getting a similar vibe going on here - with him not at the 118, and instead of a wedding he’s looking for a new home!

Athena’s arc is seemingly going to play on her Emmet storyline from Athena begins - which was in s3. I think the plane may well be carrying Dennis Jackson - the guy who killed emmet - so I’m expecting something copaganda heavy but hoping for the opposite (especially as we’ve got Ortiz in play this season and the idea of corruption in politics and how that trickles down into public service roles like policing etc would be so interesting to see!) where we explore how Athena’s choice to pursue and have DJ prosecuted has impacted everyone involved.

Buck and Eddie’s arcs seem to be paralleling s3 as well - we ended s7 with them closer than ever and Chris’s leaving has a similar vibe to Eddie leaving Chris with buck to it - in that buck and Eddie were the closest we’d ever seen them in that moment, and in the initial aftermath of the tsunami, only to then have them pulled apart - and separated before coming back into each others orbits andbring closer than ever - leading into Eddie begins and him changing his will.

S3 for buck was about figuring himself out a lot more - establishing the importance of family to him and about learning who he wants to be and who he doesn’t want to become. The Gerrard storyline seems to be setting up something similar as i think it’s going to parallel the lawsuit arc - and will be about Buck and Bobbys relationship. Tommy also plus into that arc as he is seemingly set up to be the thing that creates distance between buck and Eddie like the lawsuit and the fight club did (the idea that Tim and the writers honed in on the fighting aspect of his similarities with Eddie in s7 so they could use it as an allegory for the fight club is chefs kiss good) so I expect him to be around for a bit (I’m going to take a stab at e7 marking his departure but it could be e8) but he’ll be fine before mid season hiatus!

The entirety of Eddie’s arc seems to be set up for a Christopher return around Christmas (the title puns they could play on with that would be so fun!) on the back of an Eddie religion leading to gay Eddie arc for 8a and then 8b is primed for buddie canon (imo I think we’re looking at 8x11 or 12 for them confirmed and 8x11 would make me super happy as it would be 118 backwards and I love a ply on things like that!)

The Ortiz v Hen storyline has already mentioned the ambulance crash from malfunction which was s3 so I’m seeing plenty of parallels for hens arc with her s3 one but im expecting it to be more front and centre for more episodes than hens s3 arc was - which is as it should be - hens arcs have been more low-key since s5 so she’s due to be brought back to the fore!

Chim and Maddie are the main unknown for me - the Mara arc is clearly important but is very much tied into hens arc. We’ve had hints that Mara will be a springboard for them expanding their family and that in and of itself ties into the s3 arc which was all about madney tentatively exploring the idea of parenthood and it ended with Maddie pregnant - so I’m thinking we might see something similar for them this season. I would also like a dispatch centric episode this season - we had taking of dispatch in s3 and while I don’t know how it would look, we’re due a dispatch heavy episode (which are always great ones).

That’s my super bare bones theory on roughly how s8 is going to pan out - I don’t expect it to completely follow the s3 arc, but I do expect it to hit many of the key markers s3 has!

I hope this is what you were hoping for in your ask Nonnie - I love speculating on 911 it’s so much fun

[trashnotfound]

Time for my usual run down of the season , didn’t do it how I usually do because honestly I had not very nice things to say about the first 5 episodes 💀

Dr s2 pt2 spoielrs ahead

- jay? Jay!?! JAY!? Hello what was THAT- IT Was a COP out honestly, all the hype and build up for a shit ass reveal and a boring fight between him and nya, only for him to LEAVE 5 minutes later. I wanted more of him being evil, it was so rushed and just usless. Like they could have just made nya find him or something, he didn’t have to be evil, Because they did literally NOTHING with it. I know they probably realise they need a whole season to build up to jay but maybe if they didn’t focus on Lloyd all the time they could??

-It was nice to see some old characters again, like tox and Mr pale! Finally some old rep 😭 I just wish they we’re actually utilised properly. I didn’t want just cameos I wanted actual character arcs or something. I know I’m asking for a lot and “should be greatful to even get to see them” but s4 showed all the old elemental master so well, and they all at least got a little moment to shine even if just for one fight, then they added to that with season 9. It just felt like a *here’s your old characters now shut up*

-People may think I’m being too picky with this, but the random panning to Geo and other characters with jayas fight TOOK ME OUT!? Like we just had this super emotional revels and now jay and nya gotta fight, oh okay we’re just gonna show a purple goblin mid scene ?? Like it just took me out the moment and was also so random. Like he doesn’t even know nya that well, why are we seeing his reaction more then the ninjas. Same for the audience. Like they don’t know these people WHY ARE THEY HERE

- wyldfyre and Roby! What can’t I say about them. Saved the season for me honestly. I like how wyldfyre actually got a break this season and got to be goofy and silly. We really saw more of her personality shine! Her being the comic relief was really refreshing to see. Plus her and Roby instantly hitting it off, just like Kailor did was such a cute nod to them. The fact that their just so sweet and full of puppy love, they couldn’t be more different then eachother but that isn’t mentioned ONCE (I like that) wyldfyre takes on all of Roby words, and him roaring for her to show he loves her too. I just adore how they take on eachother characteristics and embrace how their different. Plus the blatant flirting 😭🤚🏻 made giggle

- ERIN LOW KEY TURNING EVIL HELLO!? I was kinda expecting someone to turn on the ninja, honestly shocked it was Erin. Him and sora fighting broke my heart :( I can 100% understand his point of view, it’s been over a year since he met Lloyd and he’s still no closer to his parents. It does suck and I wish it was prioritised too, but Lloyd can’t help that all the danger they have been facing is world ending. Someone just needs to give him and hug. But I also think he needs to learn he can’t have everything in life. He wanted to be a ninja and he got that! I know he lots his parents but so did sora. I just think he needs a good hug and some support

- cole and zane we so pushed aside this season. I know they aren’t the main focus anymore, but for cole especially just doesn’t feel like a character anymore? He hasn’t since 13 honestly. I don’t think it helps that I’m still getting used to Andrew voicing him ( no fault of his own the writers won’t give him enough material to work with) so it genuinely feels like a new character to me. Plus his lack of interest in the ninja. Zane could have been used so much this season to analyse their opponents and help train sora, but they just cast him aside. Like hello he had an entire episode DEDICATED TO HIM BEING A DETECTIVE? Why didn’t they let him help Erin figure out the murders ( yes it was to do those flashbacks of his parents but that didn’t really add much)

- Kai coming back was so underwhelming, I honestly would have liked if they waited till next season to do that. We didn’t get a proper reunion of him and wyldfyre or nya :(

- ep 11-20 did not feel like a part 2, they felt like an entire different season. The separate parts really don’t merge well on my opinion. We’re following 2 completely different story lines and fighting 2 different villains. Their isn’t really an over arching storyline aside from Ras and his gang. Who don’t even turn out to be the main villains 💀 this part just felt like a re do of seaosn 4 but a lot more boring. I really couldn’t get into the story until at least episode 5. It was just way to repetitive with no real danger being shown.

I think that’s everything I wanna talk about for now, there’s others but they more small critiques or details I liked. Not my favourite season ( you can probably tell lol) definitely the worst of all 4 parts so far in my opinion. But I’m hoping season 3 is better since we hopefully have an actual evil ninja ( Erin) and jaya to look forward too

[grandeoatmilklatte]

HL Characters and their Horror Movie Tropes

+ a Horror movie character I think they're most similar to and their likelihood of survival!

I randomly got hit with this idea in my sleep, so now it's on my blog! Hopefully this hasn't been done before! Of course these are my opinions based on my stupid little brain, but feel free to nicely let me know your thoughts. Also, because this has to do with horror movies, there will of course be mentions of D34th, so please keep that in mind. And if I gave your favorite character a low chance of survival, know that I am truly sorry, but someone's gotta go in a Horror film!

Some spoilers will be present for some movies, so please be advised.

Ominis Gaunt:

Trope: Ominis is the resourceful friend. The one who's instantly trying to find a reasonable escape route. He's the one you want when you're trapped in an escape room. Ominis is determined to figure out who the killer is and TAKE THEM DOWN. Final Girl energy to the max. Not even his disability is stopping him.

Character: Erin - You're Next (2011) - Such an under rated Final Girl. Erin is resourceful, knows how to put up a fight, and she's got a rough background that helps her survive. No doubt that Ominis's ruthless upbringing as a Gaunt would come in handy when it comes to survival. He likely knows how to fight, and would get brutal if it came to saving himself and his friends. Erin uses her environment to her advantage, which I know Omi would. (i know there's debate as to whether or not Erin does live, but I'd like to believe she does!)

Likelihood of survival: 96%

Garreth Weasley:

Trope: Garreth is the comic relief friend. May or may not be helpful in terms of escaping, but at least he's good at keeping the group entertained while they're trying to escape the haunted house. He's eager to help and subdue the killer, although he may screw up sometimes. It’s really up to chance whether he’d live or not, which breaks my heart to say cause I love my baby boy Garreth, but I'm trying to be realistic. If he did die, his death would be the most devastating for the group and the audience because of how much of a loved character he was.

Character: I have two that fit Garreth fairly well! Dewey - Scream (1996) and Marty - Cabin in the Woods (2011). Dewey because like Garreth, Dewey is a lovable goofball, but can put up a fight when needed. He cares about his friends, is brave, and still survives despite taking some nasty hits, and I feel like Garreth could take a few hits without being fatally hurt. And then Marty because Marty is hilarious, like Garreth. We all know Garreth would be a stoner a modern day setting, like Marty, and despite Garreth's goofy nature, he isn't dumb by any means, like Marty (Marty is the one to first notice something is up). Plus, like Marty, Garreth is the secret hottie. Movie fun fact - in the scene where they all swim in the lake, Marty is the only one that doesn't take his shirt off and jump in because the actor was actually MORE RIPPED than Chris Hemsworth, and it would have ruined the illusion of Marty being the lanky stoner and Chris being the hot jock.

Likelihood of survival: 75%

Sebastian Sallow:

Trope: Sebastian would try to be the hero for sure (if he isn't the killer). He's eager to find the killer, especially if his lover is in danger. He'll protect them and the rest of the friend group as much as he can. He definitely has Final Girl energy as well, but is at super high risk of dying if he's not careful due to his eagerness to fight the killer off. If he's the killer, he would be the jealous, jilted, boyfriend type, the hot jock guy that you wouldn't suspect (or maybe you would). He's doing this because he was hurt and is getting revenge. His Final Girl will have a lot on her plate.

Character: For the hero role: Ash - The Evil Dead (1981) - Boys can be Final Girls too!! Ash kicks ass and looks hot doing it. He's determined to survive and stops at nothing to do so. For the killer role: Billy - (Scream 1996) - Hot jilted boyfriend. Billy is ruthless in his killing, but thankfully he has an awesome Final Girl to put him in his place.

Likelihood of survival: as a hero - 85%, as the killer - 40%

Imelda Reyes:

Trope: Imelda is the bitchy popular girl that you grow to love as the movie progresses. Sadly she will not survive, and she'd be another sad fan favorite death. She deserved to be a Final Girl with her confidence and attitude, but sadly survival was not in the cards. She did put up one hell of a fight though!

Character: Tatum - Scream (1996). Tatum is confident and tough, and absolutely deserved to be a Final Girl. Tatum even taunts Ghostface before he attacks her, which is totally something Imelda would do. She puts up one hell of a fight, but loses the fight eventually, we know Imelda is fiesty and would fight the killer to the bitter end. 

Likelihood of survival: 10%

Leander Prewitt:

Trope: Leander seems like the type to trust very easily, which means he would put way too much trust in the killer, and it might be his demise. As much as I love Leander, he would be easy to lure in. He would put up a fight, but it would be futile. He would at least have the opportunity to warn the others that there's a killer in their midst, giving the group a fighting chance. There's also a chance he could just get knocked out by the killer, the killer thinks he's dead, but he's not! (It hurts my heart to potentially kill him but not everyone can live in a Horror movie!) If you have a better trope idea please let me know cause I felt bad for him!

Character: Aaron - Creep (2014) - (Major spoilers incoming for this one and the sequel) Aaron should have left at the first sign of Joseph being weird, but he didn't. He stayed for far longer than he should have, and even when he DID ESCAPE, he still agreed to meet with him later, which led to his end. My hope is that Leander would be more like Sara - Creep 2 (2017). She also makes the mistake of trusting Joseph far too much, but she at least escapes and survives the film (although Joseph is definitely still looking for her. )

Likelihood of survival: 30%

Amit Thakkar:

Trope: The smart one!! The one who told the group not to touch the cursed object/not to go in the haunted house. Although he'd definitely be a scaredy cat, he'd be eager to find them a way out. Will likely not try to fight the killer though, and will just be focused on escaping. That is of course, if he even ends up in that situation in the first place. He’d be the type to not even follow the group to begin with, thus escaping the entire movie.

Character: Gavin - The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) - As soon as Gavin realizes something's not right, HE LEAVES. He doesn't wait around for shit to hit the fan. He quits the documentary while everyone else fucks around and finds out. Thus, surviving the movie.

Likelihood of survival: 90%

Poppy Sweeting:

Trope: Poppy is a sweetheart! She’s friendly and cares about animals (beasts). She wouldn’t hurt a fly. Right? You ever meet someone that’s just too nice and you can tell there’s probably a darkness to her, waiting to be unleashed? Poppy seems like the perfect killer because of how unexpected it would be. Her bubbly personality is a perfect way to lure someone in before she attacks. We all know she doesn’t bat an eye to the use of unforgiveables on poachers. On the brightside, she isn’t that difficult to take down once you outsmart her. 

Character: (This is going to be an obscure one. If you know what movie this is, please let me know cause I want to be friends!!) Rebecca - Superhost (2021) - Superhost is an indie horror movie about a vlogging couple who vlog from Airbnbs. They stay at this one Airbnb owned by a Superhost named Rebecca. Rebecca is bubbly and sweet, but there’s just something off about her, and she gets progressively scarier as the movie progresses. Her character is adorable, sweet, but totally unhinged. If Poppy was into vacation homes instead of beasts, this would be her. 

Likelihood of survival: 50%

Natty Onai: 

Trope: Natty is a true Gryffindor. She’s brave and protective of her loved ones. She has the makings of a Final Girl, but her eagerness to fight back puts her in danger frequently, and she could possibly go as a result. She would need to scale back and not act on impulse if she wants to survive the film. 

Character: Helen - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) - I know I just said Natty has Final Girl vibes, but there’s too many Final Girls on this list already, so for her I’m picking a girl who SHOULD have been a Final Girl, and definitely had the makings of one. Helen is badass, popular, and puts up a fight to stay alive. She would have been a much better Final Girl than Julie (Julie sucks!!). Helen’s death was lame, but heartbreaking. Another fan favorite unfairly taken away. Also, Helen’s actress is also miss Buffy FREAKING Summers, another badass lady who I feel like Natty would vibe well with.

Likelihood of survival: 40%

MC:

Character: MC is another character that could be either the hero or the killer. As the hero, they are determined to protect those they love, and fight the killer to the bitter end. They obviously have major plot armor. They might discover they have superpowers just when they're about to die, and they use the superpowers to fight off the killer, thus surviving the movie. As the killer, they would definitely be the type of killer who didn’t start off that way, and turned evil due to the things that were done to them.

Trope: As a hero - Sienna Shaw - Terrifier 2 (2022) - Why does she have super powers? Who knows? But she's cool and just when hope is lost, she's able to use her powers to protect her loved ones and defeat Art the Clown. As a killer - Jane Doe in The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2014) (major spoiler for the movie incoming!!!) she wasn’t inherently evil, but after being tortured and being accused of witchcraft, her corpse became evil, cursing anyone who dares touch her. She’s also super powerful considering she doesn’t move for most of the movie. This level of overpowered-ness is also a trait of our MC. 

Likelihood of survival: as a hero: 98%, as the killer: 98%

Bonus! Duncan Hobhouse LOL

Trope: Duncan would bring about the horror to begin with. He's the one accidentally reading from cursed books out loud, the one who's accidentally watching a cursed tape, and the one using the ouija board. He's not surviving. BYE. He'll be screaming the whole time, giving up the group's location to the killer constantly. The other characters will spend the rest of the movie hating him because he got them in this mess to begin with.

Character: Every person in the Evil Dead franchise that plays the recording that raises the deadites. You should never play mysterious records, especially ones you find in a creepy cabin or in a hole in the ground. 

Likelihood of survival: 2%

[alleyskywalker]

I finally got to writing down my thoughts/feelings/notes/reactions on S2E1 of HOTD. Under cut because spoilers.

Thie episode – but really just this show – had pacing issues, which was one of its biggest problems, very reminiscent of what entirely killed of the seeds of good or at least decent plot points in GoT S8. IDK what genius decided to cut the number of eps to 8 – or why, given that this show is very popular – but then they had this issue somewhat last season too. We are also starting to see how recklessly cutting characters comes back to bite you in the ass, at it’s just the start here.

With the episode/season paced as it is, there was no time to spend on Jace’s diplomatic endeavors. Were they strictly necessary? No, I guess, but they could have been…interesting? And helped him grow/develop/showcase to the audience as a character. Like, I actually want Jace to be a character this season, yk?

So given that, as much as I am sad that they cut my girl Sara Snow, I can’t be too mad about it because they just kinda…cut all of it for the most part.

The North intro was kinda funny tho. For a second I was so confused because I was like “is the KIT narrating this?” Cregan is very Northy-North lol. Is that sword Ice? “You, at least, have the mercy not to threaten me with your dragon.” – lol, I’m glad Cregan got this little snipe in at Jace for his Targ revisionism. Like, yea, sure “treated” aha. Also, I liked the little Decimation reference, complete with the white/black stones.

The Daemon and Rhaenys scene was good. I like that she takes no shit from his ass. Also liked her little monologue about how hearing of Laena’s death made her go into denial and she couldn’t start grieving until she actually saw her body. It feels very realistic.

This is not what I ever envisioned Alyn to look like lmao. He feels kinda too old? But on the other hand, I guess it maybe makes sense if he’s meant to be Corly’s son. Another question though: why are we getting introduced to him and not Addam first, given who the dragonrider will be? Are they…for some reason…merging the two brothers but keeping Alyn of the two???

AEGON this ep/season! Wow, this show is truly bipolar. First, they character assassinate him in S1 and now he’s so…idk, likeable isn’t really the word. But, compounded by TGC’s charm, he really, really has the potential to be a kind of sympathetic or at least fascinating character here. Excited to see this develop.

Loved seeing him as a father. Really, we needed more interaction between Aegon, Heleana and the twins, but you know. Pacing issues. The council scene with  Jaehaerys was adorable – that Aegon cares to bring his son into council, even if he’s a bit young for it now, but you can really see him trying to be the father he never got to have in Viserys. And you can see how much he adores this kid.

Really, Aegon, for all his impatience and lack of true competence is so clearly trying. He’s impatient to go to war, but brashness of youth of course, plus it’s not like Aemond is not chomping at the bit as well. But Aegon can be restrained (for now) and does listen to his councilors. You can say that’s a sign of his weak will, and yea in part it probably is, but it’s not a terrible trait really? For a young, inexperienced king to listen to more seasoned counsel.

AND THE PETITIONS SCENE. He genuinely wants to be a good king to the smallfolk, acknowledges them as a necessary backbone. No, he has no idea what he’s doing, but really who’s fault was that? (Looking at you, Vizzy.) It was a great bit of comic relief, especially with TGC’s acting, but also just a great portrayal of what an idealistic but really inexperienced, naïve, and not naturally-suited young king might be like. “He came all this way.” Awww. He tried lol.

Aegon and his buddies! I love seeing him have friends. Will be interested if they play any more significant roles (like during the war) than just background chatter. The banter was cute. Very dumbass teenage boys vibes.

Dalton Greyjoy mention!

Fuck Larys. That’s all I’m gonna say on that.

Aegon and Helaena’s conversation njglgjls. He really has not way how to communicate with her and she doesn’t really know how to convey her thoughts/feelings in general. But of course she’s afraid, poor girl :( But as estranged/kinda awkward their relationship is it doesn’t seem…terrible, yk?

The Alicent and Otta scene was nice. It felt like they found some understanding and a way to work together. But I do get the sense that yea, Otto is not completely satisfied with it (maybe Alicent’s definition of “victory” seemed lacking to him, which he’s not…entirely wrong there).

Luke’s funeral montage was very touching – the music was gorgeous. (I can only hope they allow Jae the same respect next ep…) Speaking of that montage, ahhhh Alicent in the sept praying for the dead… The fact this girl prays for Vizzy ffs. And also Luke. She recognizes that he was just a teenager and even though it pains her, she affords him his respect. As Criston says, “she has a gentle heart.”

Criston and Aemond’s conversation was so great on several levels!

First, of course, Aemond and his father-that-stepped-up making battle plans was great! They really do just have such a great camaraderie and dynamic of trust. Aemond believes in Criston’s excellence; they trust each other with secretive plans and vulnerable conversation. Loved the bit of Criston putting his hand on Aemond’s shoulder briefly before leaving the room.

The “that makes her a fool” line actually comes across better in context than it did in the tailer. (Although, still, who calls their mother by her name??) For one, Aemond’s frustration is understandable, he feels misunderstood and unfairly so (given that Alicent and the small council did start this whole thing, as he points out) but also he’s probably hurt, given his history with Luke. Remember how he had wanted to make a present of Luke’s eye to Alicent? He thought she was on the same page with him on this and she’s…not. Second, Aemond actually doesn’t realize this is what might be going on with Alicent – he seems kind of surprised after Criston’s explanation, the way that line is delivered. He’s having his realization out loud but he’s also not had time to digest it yet.

Ok SO I am in no way one of those weirdos who thinks that Alicent and Criston’s relationship is all about Rhaenyra (lol). BUT she is a point of common trauma for them. What Criston describes – Rhaenyra being a “cunning spider” and having an emotional influence over Alicent and Alicent capitulating to her because of her “gentle heart” is, yes, a description of Alicent, but it’s also a description of his own relationship with Rhaenyra, at least how it had felt from his POV. He understands Alicent’s feelings here so well and can empathize with her and defend her to Aemond because he loves her, yes, but also because he’s been there too.

OK, now ALICOLE.

I mean…Am I glad it’s canon? Well, yea, I’ve been shipping it super hard. Do they deserve to have consensual sex that brings them joy? Yes! Do I think it’s “hypocrisy”? Nope, lol, not matter now much TB screech that it is, it just isn’t. I’m pretty sure I’ve rebloged posts explaining why not.

That all said…man did they not handle this well, or at least certainly not in the best, most compelling way they could have. Now, I understand that my love for asexual/courtly love romance is not something most people share, so this relationship was going get physical if it was to be canon at all. Also, this show isn’t really the right genre for a drawn out slow burn romance, necessarily. But. It IS quite a big leap to suddenly go from “implied” and “romantic tension” to…fucking on a regular basis, just because Vizzy has finally kicked the bucket. Especially with these two characters.

Now, Alicent, I can get. She’s a widow, her marital vows no longer bind her. She has also completed her duty as a wife, mother and queen (re: providing heirs). Social interest in her private life is as low as it could ever be for a woman in that society. (So, not low enough really lol but historically, widows had a lot of freedom, compared to unmarried girls and wives.) But Criston? How does this work for him? His vows are still in place and he had been so heartbroken about having broken them the first time. I mean, yes, this is a very different situation and relationship. He’s older, he’s already broken those vows once so it’s like…how much he got to lose there? He can’t go back ever to NOT being an oathbreaker. But I really would have wanted to see some more set up. We should have seen them fight their irresistible pull toward each other, until they finally broke.

I did love her putting the cloak back on him afterward. A nice little anti-parallel to how he takes it off during the sex scene with Rhaenyra.

There really, really was no need to have Helaena walk in on them having sex after B&C. There had to be better ways to establish that this was a regular thing for them now and that the whole “we can’t do this again” is just Alicent/them being in denial. A way that didn’t take away from a moment that is/was supposed to be so horrific and impactful.

I do love the contrast of Alicent and Viserys always doing it missionary style and now with Criston she’s on top!

Blood & Cheese. Oh god. I have spent the last few days so angry about this. I’ve rebloged do many posts about this that I’m not sure I want to spend to much time on it. It’s just depressing at this point. But I will say a couple of things:

Helaena’s reaction does make sense to me. I’ve seen a lot of people, including TG people, saying that it was bad, and she should have been more frantic. But, frankly, she did seem pretty panicked and frantic to me. It’s just this Helaena does not emote/externalize much. At some point it seems like she almost dissociates from the situation. It’s understandable that she picks up her daughter and runs – she can’t save her son but while the assassins are distracted, of course she takes the chance to try to save her daughter. Even the necklace thing kind of makes sense. In the books, she asks them to kill her in part because she can’t stand to make the awful choice between her two boys – she’s rather die than choose. But here she hears them talk about her being a son; when they reject her necklace they also repeat how “that’s not a son.” Only a son will do, so offering her life is pointless, but trying to outbid the person who hired them might not be.

 The people (TB, lbr) shrieking about how this was Alicent and Criston’s fault are just willfully dense. If Alicent wasn’t having sex, she might have been sleeping or reading in her room or preying. There is literally nothing that implies that she would have been with Helaena if she wasn’t having sex, ffs. Also, Criston is not the only fucking kingsguard or guard. Wtf were there like no other guards idk. That’s just a plot hole/devise that looks ridiculous. But nonetheless, he 1) isn’t on duty 24/7, that’s unrealistic, and 2) is Alicent’s sworn shield, so he wouldn’t have been guarding Helaena or the kids anyway.

This is where we see that cutting Maelor was a BAD IDEA. It’s going to potentially create even more problems down the line. Who would have thought that cutting characters left and right might be an issue? /s It really diminishes the horror of Helaen’s situation and sets up this kind of unrealistic replacement choice which makes no sense because like…why would they even need her to tell them which one is the boy? It’s not that hard to feel the kids up and see which one has the right genitals, yk? I’ve seen people try to do some interesting analysis for how this scene is Thematically Relevant but nah. That’s just cope the way I used to cope with things in GoT that went wrong in the last seasons by doing metal gymnastics to try to spin them in a more palatable way for me.

But even if they fucked up on the foresight and found themselves with a situation where they needed to play this without Maelor…They could have still tried harder. For example: framing it less from the assassins’ POV and more from Helena’s, having the scene be longer, maybe in these circumstances have her try to offer her life/emote more like in the book, have Alicent actually be present too, have the rape threat against Jaehaera, have Daemon actually order Jae’s murder or at fucking least have him say “a son for a son” on screen because you KNOW the rabid part of this fanbase will act willfully blind and dumb to pretend he’s not at fault. I really think it’s that last one that makes me the most angry in the end, as the murder of a toddler is awful and horrific even without the Sophie’s choice.

And to piggy-back off that last, it’s the diminishing of the horror for TG and the whitewashing of TB as much as possible that gets to me the most, I think. They made this horrific, impactful event almost a par for the course (for the GoT/ASOIAF universe) sort of thing and with as little responsibility and plausible deniability given to TB as they could. The blatant bias (that they then have the audacity to pretend isn’t there) is infuriating.

In conclusion: there were plenty of nice things, but the disappointments really overshadowed them.

[blueikeproductions]

On the topic of EarthSpark factions, let’s also consider the Autobots.

Hasbro, understandably, wants to mostly use characters who sell so Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee & Grimlock tend to be the Autobots primarily used the most in things. Lately Wheeljack and Elita-1 have become more common fixtures, and while it’s preferable to have Elita get a chance in the spotlight again over the somewhat forced Windblade and Pyra Magna back in the IDW days, it’s still a big symptom of modern storytelling. The insistence to use the same five or so Autobots over and over again is proving to be stale. It wasn’t THAT long ago we had a more varied cast but there’s only so much you can do with the same five guys and gals over and over again without completely rewriting them (Arcee being a particular stand out due to Prime and IDW).

Like the Decepticons, it feels like the Autobot cast in EarthSpark is miscast.

For instance, if GHOST is meant to be part of human relations anyway, shouldn’t some of the Autobots be public service vehicles? This show is Rescue Bots for Teens, own up to it, man!

Like where’s Inferno & Red Alert?

While never really depicted as a gay couple before, if you want an organic relationship, these two are it. It wouldn’t take much to pivot these two into being husbands. Plus, Red Alert’s paranoia could easily (and rightfully in some cases) played off against Megatron and other GHOST aligned Decepticons.

Human/TF romance is also something that could be played up with Powerglide and Sea Spray.

Powerglide for the aerial recon and support (it’s not like they do anything with Wheeljack’s drones in show anyway) with Astoria being his semi eccentric co-pilot and one of the rich sponsors that helps fund GHOST.

Alanna and Sea Spray I had it were part of GHOST, who research aquatic areas of interest related to the Decepticons.

Tow-Line! A personal fav of the RiD01 Autobots. Still following his No Parking! mantra, he’s mostly comic relief towing away Decepticons, Terrans and fellow GHOST operatives who park irregularly.

Quickshadow! Pretty much a straight transplant of her Rescue Bots self, and the straight woman to a lot of the antics of the Terrans and her teammates. Notably she’s the only Rescue Bots Autobot to make the leap to the big kids table in this scenario.

Smokescreen! I see him as a hybrid of his Prime and G1 self. Young and impulsive, but having a bit of a smoking problem which is useful for confusing Decepticons. Hes largely kept in check by Quickshadow and his human partner Jack Darby.

Strongarm! Transplant of her RiD15 self, slightly less rigid but no less by the books. She’s in on the Terrans, and drops by the Maltos to teach them what she knows of what it means to be an upstanding Robot in Disguise. The bit with her and the Terrans is a toned down version of IDW Tailgate being taught by the fastidious IDW Ultra Magnus about the Autobot code.

(Frankly I’m terrified Prowl’s upcoming role as of typing will make him an ACAB type due to IDW and current events, so Strongarm is my choice of having a competent cop that’s doing what’s she’s supposed to be doing.)

And to round us out: Grapple. The artsy fartsy type of the GHOST Autobots who leads reconstruction efforts with a squad of other construction themed Transformers like Bulkhead, Quickmix & the Constructicons. Very detail oriented and a perfectionist, buildings MUST be up to his standards to the letter. Grapple, Jawbreaker & Thrash tend to be played off in work/play scenarios where they learn from each other.

I do understand that the Terrans are meant o be the standouts and the Decepticons, due to favoritism, are getting the oddballs, but it bothers me that the GHOST aligned Autobots especially feels like an afterthought (because in a fashion they kinda were…).

[nickeverdeen]

If it's ok, I'd like to make a request for Ellie Williams from TLOU 1 with an adventurous, dreamy and creative fem!reader who's kind of air-headed and socially awkward? Maybe have Reader accompany Joel and Ellie on their journey because she's also immune or smth?

Plus Reader is a theatre kid and loves musicals + voice acting

Thank you in advance!

-🦝

Hey 🦝, thanks for the request and I’m sorry that it’s not longer and it took me so long. I hope it’s okay, love you 💚

————————————————————

Ellie Williams x platonic!immune!fem!reader

You and Ellie hit it off instantly, bonding over your shared sense of adventure and love for creative pursuits

Despite your differences, Ellie finds your dreamy and creative nature refreshing, and you like Ellie’s bravery and resilience

Your occasional air-headed moments lead to lighthearted and funny situations, which Ellie finds like an opportunity to tease you

You two are definetly socially awkward buddies yet you have a dynamic that balances it like: “you’re talking and I’m paying”

Ellie loses it when you mimic someone else’s voice and make fun of them even though it’s behind their back

She loves it

You guys often go out exploring abandoned buildings, sneaking into restricted areas, running around an empty mall at night

Ellie mostly drags you into this, though and you always get something out of it

The most used excuse you’ll ever hear from her when asking/saying that there can be some Clickers or Stalkers is:

“Why’re you scared? We’re immune”

She uses this 24/7

But when you ain’t messing around you’re also sometimes - mostly at night - having a deep conversations in general knowing you can trust each other

When things get bad you’re there for each other, through it all

Always

Your optimistic outlook on life kidna makes Ellie to see the brighter side of things, even in the midst of chaos

You stay up late into the night, swapping stories and dreams under the starlit sky, glad to have each other

Through thick and thin, you and Ellie stand by each other’s side, no matter what

When your immunity is discovered, Joel reluctantly agree to let you join their journey, knowing that your immunity could be crucial to finding a cure

At first, Joel is skeptical about having you tagging along, but Ellie convinces him that he can trust you

And she kidna scolds him for talking bad about you

Your presence adds a new dynamic to the group like more fun and creativity

You and Ellie often sneak snacks from Joel’s backpack, giggling like stupid kids during it

Your playful banter help lighten the mood during tense moments, providing much-needed comic relief for the group

Mimicing Joel’s voice and making fun of him is pretty much one of the things you do almost every day

While Joel might not be the biggest fan of it from the start Ellie loves it

Your talents go beyond voice acting, showcasing your skills in singing, storytelling, and even puppetry, are often appreciated

You become Joel’s new teasing target, with Joel often poking fun at your air-headed moments, albeit in a lighthearted manner

You have this thing going on between Ellie and Joel where Joel is your main target anf Ellie’s and you both are his

While you guys travel together there are sometimes during the day conversations about personal things

You wanted to make fun of Joel for wanting to live on a farm and be a singer - but you just couldn’t

Despite your air-headed tendencies, Joel and Ellie develop a protective instinct towards you, ensuring your safety and well-being all the time

Although unlike Ellie Joel has it balanced where he’s protective of both you and Ellie

Later when it came to the hospital wanting to make a cure Marlene decided to make a deal with Joel to choose which one of you he’ll be taking home alive

Let’s just say that he didn’t like that and just when they were about to open you this man turned into John Wick

Dad protective instincts kicked in

There’s no way in hell he’s gonna lose both of his “kids”, he can’t let that happen

Taking you and Ellie into Jackson obviously worried Joel, but when it came to lying he was glad that you believed him very easily unlike Ellie who was a bit sceptical

He feels guilty, but he’s glad that he has his “kids” safe abd Ellie is happy to know that her best friend is okay

[lady-margaret]

bridgerton season 3 part 1 opinion (as someone who has read all the books + is kathony biased so be warned)

after sitting and stewing on what i just watched for a few hours

i’d like to start this off by saying that due to my disappointment of the writing from the last season, i was way more gracious with this one. kate and anthony were great because of simone and jonathan; i’m not sure the writers had much to do with that.

anyway, what i’m saying is that i already knew not to expect the writers to be faithful to the source material (romancing mr. bridgerton), so i was able to enjoy myself more. additionally, polin’s book isn’t exactly a favorite of mine anyway, so there wasn’t a lot to be too disappointed with in my case.

what i liked:

penelope’s wardrobe; they hyped up the “transformation” so much and i’m glad it did not disappoint.

colin’s hot 😌

eloise’ wardrobe; someone pointed out that it had a lot of philip references, so yay 😀 (it has me worried that it’ll be her story next though, we need ben first)

eloise interacting with the other ladies of the ton was really cute and refreshing; she’s learning that despite them having different interests than her, they are still people of great value. the difference is eloise was raised in a loving and supportive family, unlike most of the others.

sibling’s g&h’s personalities coming through more (they are anthony’s children, truly).

featherington sisters as comic relief.

MARRIED KATHONY CRUMBS 💕💕💕 they carried episode 1 for me.

FRANCESCA 💕💕💕 gorgeous introvert representation.

FRANNY AND JOHN 💕💕💕 (i am both ready and NOT ready to get hurt 🥹)

book references (yay! the bare minimum!)

lord debling’s dope.

i actually do like that they gave cressida a legitimate reason to want to win the competition money to unmask LW in the second part.

the music choices haven’t disappointed yet!!!!!

colin’s line for the season is def the “well are you gonna marry me or not?” line HEHEHEHEHE i ALMOST screamed as loud as i did when john entered when he said that line to pen.

as an army, plus points for dynamite 🤭 i didn’t expect to like the orchestral version and didn’t see the vision of where they would even insert it, but i actually liveddd for it.

what i don’t really have strong feelings about:

mondrich plot; alice is beautiful but the addition of their family storyline didn’t make much of a lasting impact.

the queen; she was very meh so far.

the featherington storyline: the sisters are funny, but their whole situation mixed with the humor leads me not to take it very seriously.

violet x lady danbury’s brother: 🤷‍♀️ i don’t see it.

the “lady danbury’s brother” storyline in general is very forgettable.

what i disliked:

i think nicola and luke could use more chemistry; they fall short compared to daphne&simon and kathony (HEAVY ON KATHONY THIS IS WHY THEY REMOVED THEM FROM THE REST OF THE EPISODES SIGH)

they kinda mischaracterized colin (he spent the last two seasons being selfish and putting himself above everyone else violet, what the hell are you talking about “you never place yourself over others” 🤨)

the lack of ben time?? did he go back to the academy after taking over for anthony briefly??? what did he do besides dodging debutantes all season????

they glossed over benedict running the estate so quickly; this could have been an opportunity to draw out his storyline, especially since he mentioned that he liked having a purpose: WRITERS???? DO SOMETHING WITH THAT!

i also didn’t really care for the ben x tilly arnold plot; unless sophie’s actually a maid of her’s or something, i don’t see her point in the show besides just be another one of ben’s ever changing girl of the season.

im sorry but eloise would never SHOULD NEVER have befriended her (ex?) best friend’s bully, no matter what the circumstances. that is NOT eloise.

honestly, them revealing whistledown in the first season is really screwing with the writing; in this regard, i wish they stayed more faithful to the book and how colin finds out about LW. it all just seems so messy at this point.

so s3 starts when kathony end their honeymoon… how long was this honeymoon? math isn’t mathing cuz it couldn’t have been more than a week given that kate isn’t obviously pregnant yet in the first ep.

i know that colin and pen are longtime friends, but from how they’ve interacted with each other in the past seasons, it’s a bit harder to believe that they were close CLOSE friends; close friends to the extent of helping the other find a spouse through “lessons”? i don’t see it. that’s why i was a bit ??? when i first found out about the plot they were going with for the season (in the book, colin really just starts following her around cuz she was being sus)

i hate that they had to come up with an excuse to get rid of kathony for the rest of the episodes; i get that they’ve been running their separate households alone for most of their lives and want a break but… i don’t think they would abandon their responsibilities for an “extended honeymoon”. knowing them, running the estate isn’t gonna stop them from being wh0res!! they help each other out with the estate and are still sickeningly in love and have time for each other (in the books). i was also really hoping to see kate taking over the viscountess role. i swore they would have done something like that after that cute/awkward moment when they both respond to “lady bridgerton” in episode 1.

i get that it’s established that penelope’s one goal for the season is to get a husband, but as i know her character, she would NEVER get into races (?) or run just so she can talk to a suitor before anyone else does 😭 okay but it was funny.

i am kinda sad that they couldn’t have just let a mean character or a villain character be the villain character; yea sure, i did say that i liked that cressida had a legitimate and well thought out motive for wanting the LW reward money but, idk i could’ve lived without her storyline.

one of the BIGGEST THINGS for me is that i do not think they should have released so many clips/snippets of the show days or weeks before it came out. i understand like 1 clip, but i skipped SO MANY SCENES because i have watched them at least 5 times already on tiktok or twitter.

the two part season idea is dumb.

i’m scared for how messy part 2 will be (in terms of both writing and just how stressed i will be with the revealing of LW plot HUHU poor pen) but i’m still looking forward to it 😇😇😇 and despite all the things i didn’t like, i did still enjoy it. if i do rewatch it or not is still to be decided; s1 & s2 have such high rewatch value.

franny and john were TRULY a standout though. i cannot even begin to describe how loud i screamed when he finally said his name out loud 😭💕

verdict: the writing is getting messier, get jonathan bailey in that writer’s room ASAP

[roboticnebula]

trick or treat!

I give thee a treat!

A Wally and Hal snippet with background domestic Halbarry.

--

Hal sprinted up the stairs and to Wally’s room faster than he ever had in his life. The fourteen-year-old sat cross legged on his bed, flicking through a comic book, and looked up completely unperturbed when he barged in, closed the door behind him – careful not to slam it – and leaned against it, as if to make sure it stayed closed.

“I’ll give you ten dollars if you take the fall for me,” said Hal.

Barry would discover the crime scene any second now, Hal had to negotiate quickly. Wally raised an eyebrow at him, very reminiscent of the adult speedster in question.

“What did you do?” he asked. 

“Nuh huh,” said Hal, “can’t tell you.” 

“Am I going to get grounded for it? I’m supposed to hang out with Roy tonight.”

“Me, I would definitely end up on the couch, yes, but you might have a chance.”

Wally crossed his arms over his chest.

“Forty,” he sniffed. 

“Forty,” hissed Hal, “you did it for twenty last time!”

“Inflation,” shrugged Wally, and how did he even know what that was, Hal wanted to know, “plus I’m saving for some new sneakers.”

Just then, Barry’s voice travelled all the way up from downstairs. “Oh my God! What happened here!” and that didn’t sound good at all. Hal was running out of time before Barry connected the dots and identified Hal as the culprit. He needed to act now.

“Fine, forty,” he agreed.

Wally grinned, jumped off the bed and lifted a hand towards Hal. 

“Twenty upfront, please!” 

Hal didn’t bother to protest, he fumbled with his wallet and by some miracle found enough crumpled bills for the payment. Wally tucked the money in his jeans pocket and nodded.

“OK, let’s go.”

Relief flooded Hal, and before he opened the door again to head back downstairs and hand Wally over to his fate, he squeezed Wally’s shoulders gratefully.

“Thanks,” he said intently, “you’re a good son.”

Wally rolled his eyes at him but he was still grinning widely, clearly amused by the whole debacle.

“Pops, you’re being dramatic,” he said. 

“Whatever, kid, now act contrite,” he ordered.

He whipped the door open, shouting for Barry that Wally had something to confess, and they headed downstairs to face the music.

—

What did Hal do? Well, feel free to insert whatever mundane domestic mistake you want. I had in mind that he ruined an entire load of whites because he didn’t think it would hurt to throw in one of Wally’s red T-shirts in it. Barry has told him several times not to do this and yet… Wally gets away with it with a tutorial on how to do laundry, Hal would have been banished to the couch for the night.

Also, this is inspired by a video I remember seeing but cannot for the life of me find again: a dad barges into a room and asks his two sons which one is willing to take the fall for him. Is it from a show? A movie? An ad?? A tiktok?? I can’t remember so if anyone knows what I’m talking about, please link it below.

Thanks for the ask! Hope you enjoyed and have a great Halloweeeeen.

[lottieurl]

you can literally always hate jeff in the tags of my misty posts btw im reading those tags the way one reads a morning newspaper. the fanon version of jeff seems so different to canon jeff like he’s not really the dedicated malewife people make him out to be shsjsks. he didn’t want to even try strawberry lube like c’mon now. he freaked out when she saved their asses and grabbed the gun. perhaps this is an unfair assumption for me to have of the writers but ive seen it happen in other shows and i fear they might’ve seen how the general audience liked there’s no book club!jeff and added more of him and that general vibe bc of it. but to me s1 jeff worked bc you spend most of it distrusting or disliking him and then he has a shining moment at the taylors and thennn he goes back to being Like That when you find out he’s the blackmailer. and it’s like this really sad, terrible marriage two people are stuck in for various reason so idk where the couple goals even in a fun failmarriage way comes from. he’s not even the most interesting non shauna member of the sadecki family!!! callie is right there esp if they’re focusing on her motherhood!!! ANYWAYS. jeff & walter’s downfall 2k23 im with you

okay thank you for giving me the excuse to talk about it actually cause i was thinking this since the season started. people's ENTIRE interpretation of jeff as a character hinges and is almost exclusively based on THERE WAS NO BOOK CLUB? literally everything else he does gets twisted so he can stay this fanon dream himbo wifeguy. and that's the show's fault to an extent for sure cause there is a framing there due to how much they want jeff in the comic relief role. but the show does make a point of showing that jeff is deeply disturbed by shauna, that he's been a shit husband actually and he's kind of an awful person tbh. like! thats not a character flaw per se, we are all here for awful characters. but people don't want an interesting dynamic between those two or for jeff to be more than a one dimensional goofy idiot. and they also want shaunajeff to be like. santa clarita diet marriage or whatever which. loved santa clarita diet but that's AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING. and an entirely different type of show and we do all get that this would strip shauna of all her amazing nuances right? right? anyways back to jeff. people will see how he reacts to shauna pulling that gun or how he's entirely against everything shauna does regarding callie and go omg wifeguy always supportive. he is not? and for good reasons lmao? people will see teen jeff cheating and be like ye shauna was awful for doing this to jackie but jeff is just a poor little idiot plus (did see a take like this which. hello) jackie wouldn't have sex with him so he's without fault. like. what. anyways he's a cheater who found out SOME of what his wife experiened in the wilderness (not everything for sure cause that man is way waaay WAY too freaked out by shauna's behaviors to know it all lets be real) and decided to profit off the victims he knew as a teen dgsbjfjdjdsb like he offered to go to jail for adam murder in part cause his own blackmailing scheme is what pushed shauna to kill adam? just cause he's kind of funny every once in a while doesn't mean he's A Loving Himbo Wifeguy. all jeff related posts are that and its why i started having an allergic reaction to jeff

[their-destinys-writer]

Caged Chapter 17

Rated: Teen

Chapters: 17/?

Word count: 4,915

Ao3 / FFnet (unable to post) / Wattpad / Patreon

For additional content and behind the scenes, support me on Patreon. I also take Ko-fi.

A/N: I wanted to give a HUGE thanks to @emari-13 for creating the amazing art accompanying this chapter. It’s been such a long time, I needed a ‘Previously On,’ because I’m pretty sure 70% or people who read this story already forgot where it left off lol. Please check out her comics! They’re amazing and there’s so much Marichat! Also, DO NOT REPOST. It has been posted with permission.

Caged Chapter 17 - Ladybug

Chat Noir was staring. Staring at the smirk Ladybug was giving him. And Ladybug couldn’t help but feel a twinge of retribution, as his face turned redder than her suit. He inhaled.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!” he yelled, just as Ladybug managed to attach her yoyo to a chimney and safely take them into an alley.

As they landed, Ladybug tucked her yoyo in its place and peeked around the corner.

“I don’t think anyone noticed,” she assured him, as she looked at many citizens either fighting off magician objects or running from circus animals. “Plus, I guess the fact that we were so high helped, too. Anyway, we need to—”

Ladybug frowned when she turned to her partner. Char Noir’s jaw and arms were hanging, his eyes the size of saucers as they stared at her.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug called, in concern. “Chat Noir, are you with me? Please say something. Anything.”

Only a cracking noise whizzed out of his mouth, lips remaining parted.

Ladybug placed her hands on his cheeks. “Chat?” she called. Still no response. “Chat Noir, listen to me: I know you’re in shock. It’s the exact same way I felt yesterday when I found out about you. And you have every right to feel like this.

“But like me, you’re gonna have to freak out after we’re done, because right now I need you. I need my partner to defeat this akuma. Can I count on my partner, please?”

Slowly, his jaw closed, and clenched. Along with that move, he nodded.

“Okay,” Ladybug breathed. “Good, okay. I promise we can talk more after. But right now, let’s kick some akuma butt.”

She proceeded to grab his wrist and drag him towards the exit of the alley. Chat Noir, much like she had already suspected would happen, was staring blankly. Merely letting himself be dragged. Ladybug squeezed his hand, in hopes to bring him back to reality. Yet the only response she got was several blinks.

I can’t tell whether this is better or worse than my freak out, she thought. How did I manage to get through Birdcage? She started to go through the events of that day, attempting to find the moment it clicked for her.

“THERE YOU ARE!” Ladybug looked right on time to pull Chat Noir and throw him the other way, as another giant pie swept past behind her, where he used to be. As the akuma sent another yellow beam from his wand, she blocked it with the spinning of her yoyo.

“I think the akuma is in the wand!” she yelled at her partner, blocking two more light beams. “We need to get that!”

Ladybug waited. And waited, blocking beam after beam. Chat Noir should’ve moved by now to distract the villain. She gambled a glance his way, only to find him standing still, hands by his chest like he was holding a tablet, staring into space.

“CHAT NOIR!” she called.

“I-I—” he said at last. “I’M FREAKING OUT!”

“I KNOW!” she yelled back. Definitely worse than me. “But I need you to focus! We can’t talk about it unless we beat this guy!”

“That’s—” Chat Noir started, but seemed to have changed his mind about what he was going to say. “That’s good incentive.”

The next second, the cat hero had jumped away attracting the attention of the akuma. Finally. Ladybug let out a breath of relief as she caught a break from the blocking, instead attempting to wrap her weapon around the wand. But the villain was quicker than she anticipated. After several failed attempts, she called on a change of technique.

“You have us running circles around you, and we don’t even know what to call you,” she said, hoping to slow him down with the art of stalling.

“Need a few ideas?” Chat Noir chimed in. “Is it The Magician? No, wait, already taken. Maybe The Trickster? Joker? Harlequin?”

“Call me Clownface!” the man yelled, swishing his purple cape.

Ladybug stopped whatever retort she was going to say, her face contorting instead.

“Did you just say that your name is Clownface?” Chat Noir asked as he landed next to her.

“Indeed!” the akuma confirmed proudly.

“Clownface?” Ladybug parroted, turning to her partner. The second their eyes met, there were simultaneous snorts, right as they started laughing. Hard.

“Clownface!” Chat Noir wheezed.

“That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard!” Ladybug barked, followed by more laughs.

“Just when you think Hawkmoth can’t get any dumber!” Chat Noir cackled.

“Stop laughing!” Clownface yelled. But it only made Ladybug grab her sides, letting out another shriek of laughter.

“I-HA-I can’t!” Chat Noir held on to his knees. “I’m-I’m dying!”

Clownface growled. “FINE! See if you laugh now!” He pressed his red nose, causing it to shine yellow for two seconds. A portal appeared behind him out of thin air and several small elephants came through it.

Ladybug yelped and jumped out of the way. Before she could fall over, though, Chat Noir instantly grabbed her, accidentally carrying her bridal style. The girl looked at him, shocked for a second. Her cheeks instantly warmed, as so did Chat Noir’s, followed by a shared embarrassed smile.

However, the moment lasted only a second, interrupted by the sound of a roaring lion coming out of the portal. They both screamed and Chat Noir started running the opposite direction. Still carrying Ladybug.

“Chat, hold on!” she commanded, proceeded by sending her yoyo to the nearest chimney. Chat Noir instantly grabbed on to her waist and they both were sent in the air, landing on top of an apartment rooftop.

“Nothing’s working!” Ladybug screeched. “And now I’m not so sure the akuma is in the wand. Did you see what he did with the nose?”

“You’re Marinette!” Chat Noir yelled.

“Say it louder, I don’t think Hawkmoth heard you!”

“How did you do this when you found out about me?!”

“I barely did!” Ladybug retorted. “I don’t know, I just suddenly realized that it was more important to save Paris than to freak out over a boy. N-Not that you’re just any boy! You’re the boy I love! I didn’t mean it that way, I meant—Gah! Now I’m freaking out!”

BANG

The building they were on suddenly trembled, and Chat Noir had to steady her. They both peeked over the edge to see the animals from the portal slamming against the wall. It took a proper look to notice the animals weren’t exactly real. They acted like real animals, but their colors were off. And it wasn’t just the bright costumes they were wearing.

“He’s like a Jack of all trades,” Ladybug muttered, rubbing her chin. “Where is he getting all this stuff from?”

She looked at Chat Noir, hoping to get an idea. But he was once again staring off into space.

“Chat Noir?”

“Ladybug, I’m in love with you,” he said, still slightly unfocused.

Yet, it didn’t stop Ladybug from blushing. “If you keep saying things like that, I’m going to lose focus.”

The attempt at the feeble joke did nothing to wake him out of his stupor. Letting out a loud huff, she smacked his arm, finally causing a flinch from him.

“Snap out of it!” she scolded.

“I’m sorry!” he apologized as he rubbed his arm. “But none of this feels real!”

“I know, but it is, and there’s many civilians that are depending on us!”

“I’m useless without my sanity!”

Ladybug groaned while she facepalmed. This was way worse than when she found out. So, a change of strategy was probably necessary.

“Come on!” She grabbed his wrist and led him across rooftops. Some of them with parts melted by the giant toxic pies. They were finally near Clownface again back on the streets, but they hid behind a column of a nearby building.

“Chat, listen to me,” Ladybug said, grabbing his shoulders. “I know how you’re feeling. We are going to talk about this. But right now, I need you to distract that clown, so we can beat him, and get back to our civilian lives. Do this for me, please.”

“I-I—” Chat Noir stammered. Before he could get a word out, Ladybug jumped into the fray, hoping that endangering her life might at least break him into survival mode.

And it worked.

As a giant pie nearly missed Ladybug, Chat Noir let out a battle cry and was waving his staff against Clownface. Not as graceful as he usually did, but it would have to do for the moment. With the akuma distracted, Ladybug studied his wardrobe, hoping to find whatever they had missed. So far, he could shoot beams from his wand and create portals with his nose. The pies, however, seemed to appear out of thin air. One second he had nothing, and the next he was throwing one across the street.

With that clue, she blocked and dodged several beams to get to her partner.

“I need you to keep an eye out for the pies,” she said.

“They’re hard to miss,” he retorted with wide eyes.

“No, I mean I need you to see where they’re coming from.”

“He usually brings them from behind his back,” Chat Noir responded.

“What?!” They both blocked several beams. “When did you notice that?”

“Right before he almost hit you.”

“Great job, chaton!” Ladybug used her free hand to give him a quick scratch under his chin, which sent his cheeks ablaze. “We need to find a way to get that cape out of the way, then.”

“Easier said than done,” Chat Noir said in a dreamy state, his movements slowing down. Enough that Ladybug had to tackle him so he wouldn’t get hit. In the process, Chat Noir accidentally dropped his baton, which rolled on the ground near Clownface, causing him to trip and fall face-flat on the pavement. The drop caused the cape to fall over his head, revealing his back.

“Oh my gosh, Chat, Chat!” Ladybug rapidly tapped her partner’s shoulder before pointing. “The box! The akuma is in the box!”

“How did we miss that?” Chat Noir gaped.

As if to answer his question, Clownface finally got the cape off his head, and it covered the box. Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged looks and nodded.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called as Chat Noir shot off to distract the villain and, hopefully, get rid of that cape. On her hands landed a spotted mixer, and her eyes immediately started scanning the vicinity, until landing on a construction site with fresh cement on the sidewalk, plus wire fence and traffic cones.

She knew exactly what to do.

Ladybug placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled to catch the attention of both Chat Noir and Clownface. As soon as they turned to her, she ran the opposite direction, directly into the construction site. Right before stepping on the cement, she jumped to the car on the other side, taking the barbed wire along.

Unfortunately for Clownface, he saw the cement too late, stepping deep into it. As he started struggling, Ladybug wrapped a piece of the wire to the mixer and called on Chat Noir. He didn’t need to be told twice, immediately taking the other end of the wire and using his staff to slide down behind the akuma to hook the wire to the cape.

“Ready!” he hollered. Ladybug turned on the mixer and the wire started wrapping around it until it couldn’t pull anymore. A Cataclysm later, the box disintegrated and an akuma was purified. Before she could call on Miraculous Ladybug, Chat Noir pulled out the civilian to firm ground.

A flutter of Ladybugs traveled the city, repairing every inch melted by giant pies and making the animals disappear. As everything became right, she made sure the civilian was okay.

* * *

The whole fight had been a blur to Chat Noir. He was aware they fought. He knew they won. He also knew he had been lucid for only ten percent of it. With the ladybugs finishing their last sweep through the city, clarity finally arrived to him.

The clarity that the girl smiling next to him was no longer a stranger.

“Bien joué?” Ladybug asked. He didn’t even notice when she had finished taking care of the civilian. Chat Noir only stared at her fist.

She was Marinette. Ladybug, the Ladybug, was Marinette. And she revealed herself in the most dramatic way imaginable. Far more dramatic than him. Something he never thought she was capable of.

He needed to process. Properly.

“No,” he said, taking Ladybug aback. “We’re not done. Just, akuma, yes. Us, no.”

“Chat—”

“Nope. I need to properly freak out now.”

Chat Noir turned on his heels and vaulted over the buildings. Behind him, he could hear the zipping sound of Ladybug’s yoyo, followed by her light footsteps. At last, they landed on a flat rooftop, perfect for pacing around. Which he did like a big cat in a small cage.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug asked tentatively the second she arrived. “Are you okay?”

“Nu-uh.” He shook his head, continuing his pacing. “You’re Marinette. Ladybug, my partner, and the first girl I fell in love with, is Marinette. Oh gosh, I kissed Ladybug. I kissed Ladybug! When I was kissing Marinette, I was kissing Ladybug. Wait, so, did I never get over Ladybug?”

“I guess, technically, no?” Ladybug said with a wince. “But you didn’t know that.”

“R-Right.” Chat Noir lowered his hands from his hair, finally slowing down his steps and turning his gaze to Ladybug. To Marinette.

“The same thing happened to me,” she said suddenly. “I thought I had moved on, but I was just falling deeper in love with you.”

There was a last beep and a pink light washed over Ladybug, and there she stood. Marinette. The girl he was in love with. For the second time, it seemed. Or perhaps fell deeper for.

“Sooo,” she drawled, looking away, “this is what I’ve been trying to tell you. Actually, I was planning on telling you the next time you would’ve visited me at home. But then Birdcage happened, and I found out about you. And then the paparazzi, and the video, and Clownface. So… yeeeah.”

“You’re Ladybug,” Chat Noir repeated for what seemed like the twentieth time in the last hour. His eyes moved back and forth between Marinette and a small creature that dove into her purse to take out a cookie. A red kwami, he immediately realized. “You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are Ladybug.”

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I myself almost had a total meltdown after I found out about you.”

“Birdcage!” he blurted out. “That’s why you were so off your game! You had just found out my identity and you were freaking out. Of course! No wonder…”

“Yeah…” Marinette pressed her lips together. “Are you feeling better?”

“Me?!” Chat Noir’s voice cracked. There was a moment of silence as he asked himself that very question. Am I okay about all this? Did we just go in circles around each other? And then he started chuckling. “You were right. This is hilarious!”

He then started wholeheartedly laughing. This was insane! What were the chances that, of all the girls in the city, he would end up falling for the very girl he had already loved? It was like the universe decided to play a game with them and torture them for mere amusement. Even worse, they could’ve been together long before if they had known each other’s identities shortly after getting their miraculouses.

“Adrien?” Marinette called, seeming slightly worried. And he couldn’t blame her. He must look like a maniac, laughing for no real reason. He then remembered the suit he was wearing, staring at his gloved hands. Yet, his real name was what he was being called. He had almost forgotten she knew.

“Ladybug,” he whispered again, finally with a heart willing to slow down. “This whole time.”

“Y-Yeah,” Marinette stammered, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. He could feel warmth fill up his chest with the gesture. Something so subtle, so soft, so beautiful.

Both so Ladybug, and so Marinette.

“You’re the girl I’m in love with,” he said. The words set Marinette’s cheeks ablaze, and he hoped to the gods that it was a good thing.

“Yeah,” she chuckled. Yet, her hands fiddled with each other, as if debating on her next words. Until, at last, she decided to say: “You’re also the boy I’m in love with.”

The ramming of Chat Noir’s heart against his chest returned, but this time, it was full of elation. Gone was the panic, replaced instead with pure, unabashed joy. And as his lips stretched into a toothy smile, the ring gave its last warnings before washing him in green sparkles. Leaving him in his civilian clothes.

He didn’t care, though. She knew. He knew.

Marinette squeaked, as Adrien had lifted her off the ground in a hug and twirled her around, letting out another laugh. He was sure she had been about to say something else before he grabbed her, but he didn’t care. He heard what he needed.

“You love me!” he whooped. “You actually love me!”

“Oh my gosh, Adrien, put me down!” Marinette giggled.

“Never!” Adrien proclaimed. Yet, still placed her on the ground, arms still around her. “Ladybug, Marinette, is in love with me. And they’re the same person.”

“We are,” she breathed. “And you’re both Adrien and Chat Noir.”

“I am.” Adrien pulled away to look at her beautiful bluebell eyes. “I guess the cat’s out of—”

“I swear that if you finish that sentence, I will punch you,” Marinette threatened.

Adrien chuckled some more. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t want to offend my Princess. Or,” he leaned closer to her, “should I call you My Lady, instead.”

The girl bit her lip, having a hard time hiding a giddy smile and a clear blush.

“Whichever is fine, as long as you let me kiss you properly this time.”

“Whenever you’d li—”

He didn’t finish his sentence, for Marinette had grabbed his face and pulled it onto her lips. This kiss was nothing like the others they experienced before. There was no hesitation, no awkwardness, no desperation. They were pressed as close as they should be. They moved at the right, synchronized pace. It was perfect. Everything Adrien had wanted it to be, and more. As they softly broke apart, Adrien traced his thumb on her cheek, letting out a light laugh.

“This is such a relief!” Adrien sighed. “We don’t have to hide! We can go on dates, have picnics, visit each other whenever we want—”

“Wait, Adrien, we can’t,” Marinette interrupted.

“But we know—”

“The city doesn’t know, remember?”

Adrien opened his mouth, but left it hanging, remembering every single event from the past few weeks.

“Crap.”

“What is it with you cursing lat—oh right, you’re Chat Noir,” Marinette slid a hand down her face.

“No, you’re right,” Adrien responded. “I messed up. Everyone thinks you’re cheating on me with, well, me.”

“To be fair, our privacy has been invaded to illegal levels,” she said.

“Then what now?” Adrien asked, sliding his hands down her arms to hold her hands.

“I think we’ll have to wait until the story dies and after Annabelle’s lawsuit is resolved,” Marinette responded.

“After the lawsuit resolution?!” Adrien screeched. “That could take months! You have any idea how long a legal process is?”

“It is?” Marinette squeaked. “I don’t know, I’ve never experienced one!”

“There’s no way I’m waiting months to take you out on a—”

“MARINETTE!!!”

The ground shook, and both teens had to cover their ears from the booming voice. The shaking stopped. Marinette and Adrien exchanged looks right before running to the edge of the building, towards the direction the voice came from.

“Another one?” Marinette questioned under her breath.

“We just beat one,” Adrien said. “And why are they calling your name?”

“MARINETTE!!!”

Afar into the city, they could see a glimpse of what looked like soundwaves, followed by crashing sounds and car alarms.

“No,” Marinette breathed, hands slowly going up to her head. “This is bad. Worse than bad. It’s a total disaster! The akumas are looking for me. Hawkmoth knows he can use me against you. My life is over. I’ll have to move outta Paris, change my name and give up being Ladybug. It’s over. It’s all o—”

“Hey, hey,” Adrien softly interrupted. It wasn’t until she saw him kneeling in front of her that she realized she was sitting against the wall. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll figure this out. And if my father decided to have your mother on his side, he’ll make sure your reputation gets scrubbed clean. And I know there’s more we can do as Ladybug and Chat Noir to help clean this mess. You’re not alone. I’m here for you. I’m always here for you, Marinette.”

Her breaths started becoming steadier. Adrien took a moment to look at the red kwami, looking for some validation. The being simply nodded, as if approving of his handling of the situation. Next to her, Plagg was already halfway through his emergency cheese. Like they were gearing up for battle.

“Okay,” Marinette whispered, catching his attention. “Okay, um, how upset do you think people are over everything that happened?”

“Honestly, I don’t think they have to be upset about your alleged cheating to be looking for you,” Adrien reasoned, sitting on his knees and placing a hand on his chin. “Clownface didn’t seem to care about our situation at all. He was just looking for you. For us.”

“So,” Marinette continued his train of thought, “it means they’re getting direct instructions from Hawkmoth to search for me. And considering how public my image has become these last few days, I’m easy to identify.”

“And if Hawkmoth is certain he can get at least one miraculous by using you, when you’re in a vulnerable position right now, that means…”

“He’ll stop at nothing,” both Adrien and Marinette said in unison.

“We have to show him that his plan is flawed,” Marinette determined, that commanding look that made Adrien putty back in her eyes.

“It’s a good thing Hawkmoth can’t find Marinette if Ladybug’s around,” he smiled, a gesture that Marinette immediately returned.

With renewed confidence, Marinette stood up, Tikki already at her side after finishing the cookie. She called on her transformation and Adrien marveled at the light show before him. Seeing the girl he fell in love with become the girl he had always been in love with, it was surreal.

“Gosh, I love you,” he said with a wistful sigh.

“You think you can handle it, chaton?” she asked with a smirk.

This time, he was ready. He had his freak out. He saw who she was. He was more than ready to fight alongside the love of his life.

“Absolutely.” With that, he called on his own transformation, glad Plagg didn’t need to be told to eat, having already gobbled the emergency cheese he kept with him at all times.

Ladybug and Chat Noir watched towards the horizon, from where the sounds waves were coming from. With one last nod to each other, they jumped back into the fray.

* * *

They had beaten the akuma fairly quickly. But shortly after it, another one came. And then another one, once the previous one was beaten. It was an unprecedented event. Akumas were showing up with only few breaks between, and they were all calling out one name: Marinette.

It seemed she had been right. Hawkmoth saw the news and was taking full advantage of the knowledge that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was important to Chat Noir. And clearly, he felt that information was ripe to exploit. Even worse, there were also a lot of fans upset by the implication that some girl was cheating on their beloved cat superhero or their favorite model. Making half of the akumas fans.

The trickiest part had been getting what they needed to recharge their kwamis. After the second akuma, they ran out food to give them. Even worse, Ladybug was getting the short end of the stick, considering that Chat Noir didn’t always need to use his own power. They managed to restock that time, but by the sixth akuma, Ladybug needed a second helping.

“I’m exhausted,” Marinette wheezed, her hands on her knees as the suit melted off her. “Oh, Tikki, are you alright?”

The kwami let out what sounded like a chirp. Probably too tired to even speak.

“Come on, there’s a bakery around the corner,” Chat Noir said as he led her outside the alley they were standing in. Arriving at the bakery, there was a short line in front of the counter. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to notice their presence, too engrossed watching the television behind the cashier.

Marinette took a moment to look at the faces of the customers, most watching with a concern she hadn’t seen since Stoneheart. The images on the screen, while they may seem like any other day, it had the distinctive factor that every single battle shown happened on the same day. Even the reporter recounting the events seemed tired, with the words ‘HAWKMOTH ON A RAMPAGE’ sliding at the bottom of the screen.

“You think he’ll akumatize any more people today?” Marinette asked her partner, as she tightened the hold on her purse.

“I really hope not,” Chat Noir sighed. “I’m so tired, I think my paws might fall off.”

“Doesn’t Hawkmoth get tired?”

“He’s not the one doing the work,” he grunted.

“What can I get you?” the girl behind the cash register asked. Marinette ordered a generous amount of sweets, even though she hoped she wouldn’t have to use them for what was left of the afternoon. As they waited for their order, she returned to watching the television, showing the numerous attacks of the day.

She could feel something on the back of her mind. A concern, a pattern. Something was very peculiar about Hawkmoth’s tactics.

“What are you thinking?” Chat Noir asked suddenly.

Marinette gave him a quick glance. “Is it just me, or were the akumas kinda easy to beat?”

“I was able to avoid using my power on most of them,” he responded, looking at the hand that could use said power. “You think Hawkmoth is getting sloppy?”

“The opposite,” she said with a hum. “I can’t shake off the feeling that he’s getting ready for something. Tiring us out on purpose, so we’re not ready for something bigger. Maybe he knows something we don’t. Or senses something we can’t.”

The cashier handed them a bag of sweets, which Marinette immediately stuffed as best as she could in her purse. But her eyes continued trained on the television.

“Well, whatever he’s planning, we’ll be ready for it,” Chat Noir assured.

Just as he said that, the image changed to a live broadcast in front of a mansion. Wait, that mansion looked familiar…

“Father?” Chat Noir uttered. Indeed, Gabriel Agreste entered the screen, standing in front of a group of journalists holding microphones and cellphones to him. Why was he giving a press conference?

“Good afternoon,” Gabriel said. “As you all know, the reputation of my son and his classmate has been put into question these last few weeks due to unfortunate comments from superhero Chat Noir. In light of such comments, the privacy of two teenaged children has been violated several times already, and it has recently reached new heights of social media bullying and harassment. Due to these careless actions and preposterous allegations against two children, my legal team has decided to take legal action against the reporter Annabelle Billard, on slander and defamation charges.

This decision was taken after filling a formal complaint for lack of ethics against the production company behind the Margot and Dorian Show. After speaking with the producer, I was assured Ms. Billard will be relieved of her job effective immediately for breaking ethical guides and broadcasting laws. This is merely the first of several actions that my legal team will be taking against her.

Because this is now an ongoing case, I will not be taking any questions at this time. Thank you.”

The people around them proceeded jumpstart conversations, some commenting on Mr. Agreste’s excessiveness while others went along the lines of ‘good riddance.’ As for Marinette and Chat Noir, they exchanged looks of concern.

“That’s not good, is it?” Chat Noir commented.

“Annabelle’s life has just been ruined,” Marinette responded, feeling a tightness in her throat. “I think he just angered the worst person that can be akumatized right now.”

“You really think that’s all it will take to get her akumatized?”

As if to respond his question, the image on the television flickered, and whatever was playing after the press conference was replaced by a shadowy image. The heroes’ eyes widened, watching as their worst fears unfolded.

“Good evening, citizens of Paris,” the image said in a distorted voice. “We interrupt the scheduled programing to bring you breaking news: Hawkmoth wants the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses, and he wants all of you to help me find them. But first,” the shadowy figure stepped closer the camera, revealing the face of Annabelle pasted in grey skin and dark hair, “bring me Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

[thisnightissparkling089]

There are now 10 main characters on The Rookie — rank them! 😈

Ma'am. Is this because you can no longer Evil Boop me anymore? Is that what this is??

Okay, fine. *Rolls up sleeves and gets to work*

1.) Lucy, my absolute badass superhero! She is kind, caring, loving, and funny. She is someone with a pure heart who wants to see and do good in the world❤️

2.) Tim, he has a strong sense of justice and moral code and a desire to do things right. I admire his strength and perseverance and his ability to continue to give and receive love after being hurt so many times🥹

3.) Lopez, because she takes no shit, but does no harm. Unless, of course, you cross her. She loves fiercely and is a shining example of a woman who can hold her own in a male dominated field.

4.) Harper, my unbothered queen, for many of the same reasons as Lopez. I wasn't so sure how I felt about her at first, but she quickly won me over and has become one of my favorite characters! Plus, her sense of humor and sarcasm is top tier.

5.) Tamara, because I see so much of myself in her. Growing up without anyone in your corner, fighting like hell to change your trajectory and make something of yourself, and not wanting to feel like a burden to those around you. Plus, I think she's good for Lucy. I love their sisterly relationship so much.

6.) Aaron, because he always manages to provide the best comic relief right when it's needed!

7.) Grey, aka Mr. I am so over everybody's bullshit😂. Anytime something goes wrong, I just imagine this man telling himself, "I could be sipping a Mai Tai on a beach somewhere, enjoying my retirement, and yet I'm here."

8.) Luna, she's just the sweetest! You can tell she really loves the officers/detectives and cares for them every just as much as Wade does.

9.) Celina, my girl is growing on me! Now that we've toned down the superstitions, healing crystals, tarot cards, etc. I'm beginning to enjoy her more and more. Especially as she interacts more with the other characters.

10.) Wesley, we haven't seen him much this season, and I hope that changes because he's a solid dude for the most part and also someone who wants to do good in the world and see justice prevail. He's also constantly trying to fight for those who are underserved in his community, and I appreciate that.

Once again, I thank you, Sarah, for the distraction. Another round of tough decisions here!

Edited to add: As Sarah pointed out that *technically* Luna and Tamara are recurring characters, if I had to revise the list, I would move Wesley to the number 5 spot, have Bailey take 10, and Nolan replace Luna at 8. Clearly, I'm not interested in either of their storylines because they both weren't even on my radar when making this list🙈