#same with characters like you will rarely catch me making hate posts for the characters i dislike

[nightwingsgypsyrep]

Ok so I’ve been umming and ahhing about making this post for a while. I’ve always kinda planned on it, but seeing these tags on a previous post of mine (no hate to this user) made me want to post something now. It’s also gone 3am. So it’s not really going to be very clean and tidy, and will probably be a bit rambling, but I can always post a ‘tidy’ version another time.

So! Tackling Dick Grayson’s Romani/GRTSB heritage (warning: it’s a long one)

So, as usual, a few disclaimers: 1) I am not American. 2) I myself fall under the GRTSB umbrella - for clarity, I am from the fairground/circus so a Showman, but my family were simply ‘gypsies’ before getting involved in that in the Victorian period, so I use gypsy/traveller/Showman for myself. I also speak Romani and grew up in the culture and on the grounds. I’m not just talking out of my arse, I promise. 3) I do not pretend to have read every comic. However, this post will be based in things which DC have published (yeah I know it gets retconned every two minutes but hey, I’m working with it), even if some of it is more speculative/Headcanony, it will all be canon-compliant/what makes sense based on my own experiences. 4) That being said, everyone who does in some way fall under the GRTSB acronym will have different experiences and opinions, and all are equally valid and should be respected. 5) I use the term ‘gypsy’ a lot. Where I am from, it is not a slur, but is used almost a catch-all phrase for GRTSB people, by us. We also see Dick use it so I’m going to. I personally don’t mind if people use it (so long as they don’t use it as an insult) but not everyone will feel that way, so it’s always better to ask individuals. 6) this post is intended as a fun exploration of a character whom I relate to based on our shared heritage (when it’s really rare to find characters like that). I’m not trying to dictate to you how you should interpret Dick’s character. You’re welcome to different opinions and interpretations - this is just one of mine! :)

So, first, what is GRTSB? Well, it’s an acronym which covers all aspects of the gypsy/traveller umbrella. It is used in British legislation. It stands for Gypsy Romani Traveller Showman (aka fairground and circus) Boater. Under British legislation, only the first three (Gypsies, Romani, and Travellers) are considered an ethnic identity, whilst Showmen and Boaters are considered a cultural identity.

This is absolutely FULL of problems and has been hotly debated for years, with different people identifying in different ways. People who share the same/very similar ethnic heritage (i.e. siblings, or cousins) can have completely different points of view on what they identify as. As such, don’t take it as gospel - it’s more of a guideline than anything. Especially since a) these groups often intermarry, meaning that someone can be multiple at once; b) if a Showman stops travelling with the fair and settles, they don’t become a non-traveller, because it’s in your blood, not just a job; c) people can trace their heritage back past a particular group - e.g. my own family (circus and fairgrounds aka Showmen) can be traced back to at least the 1600s, before fairs were really a thing - at the time, they simply identified as gypsies. They didn’t stop being gypsies just because they changed their job/founded a circus/fairground. As such, many in my family identify primarily as a gypsy or traveller, and a Showman secondarily, whilst others do the opposite, or identify as just a Showman or just a traveller/gypsy. Like I say, this classification is not perfect, and is hotly debated, especially at the present time.

So, now, onto the subject of Dick Grayson. I included the tags above mostly because of the ‘tell me you don’t know a character without telling me you don’t know a character’, because, firstly, rude. secondly, the poster makes reference to the Golden Age. And yeah, obviously DC aren’t going to make reference to Dick being a gypsy in the Golden Age - do you really expect writers in the 40s to care enough about the nuances of a character’s ethnic heritage, especially a gypsy, at a time when it was still common even in countries like England (where legal segregation wasn’t a thing) to have signs on pubs like ‘no blacks, no Irish, no dogs, no gypsies’ - btw we still get those occasionally? However, if we look at the comics which have been published in the eighty five years since Dick’s debut, we see a lot of references to Dick having Romani/GRTSB heritage. Again, I’m not well read, but in Grayson’s run, at least, we do see Dick speaking Romani and self-identifying as a gypsy (Nightwing #91 btw). So I’m sorry but it is definitely canon that Dick has at least some Romani heritage (since Romani, by culture, is not taught to non-travellers on purpose, and is thus only passed down from parent to child. Hell, even some of my cousins who are half gypsy - Diddakois - don’t know the language!), and the fact that he speaks it and IDs as a gypsy does suggest that this is something important to him and his character. I know that being a gypsy is certainly a big thing to me (with how the world treats us, you have to be proud of it and have it be important to you to make it worth it).

So now we come onto the second part of my rant: wtf is going on with Haly’s Circus.

So, an important bit of context is, what makes a gypsy a gypsy? And the answer to that, in my opinion, is a mix between culture and blood. You can’t be a gypsy (unless in circumstances like adoption) unless you have both. What I mean by that is, if you’ve got one gypsy great great great grandparent, but weren’t bought up with the culture and morals, you have gypsy heritage but are not a gypsy. However, if you are a gypsy and you decide to settle down in a house, work in an office, and never speak Romani again, you are still a gypsy. Similarly, if you suddenly decide to take on the gypsy lifestyle (maybe work on the fairgrounds or in the circus, or go travelling like the New Age lot), you are not a gypsy, because it’s not in your blood - hence why it’s an ethnicity, not a cultural thing really. As such, it is common for there to be a us vs them mentality even with those working on the ground - you have the gypsy/traveller/Showman who tends to own/run things, and then you have hired non-GRTSB staff (traditionally called chaps, but this has fell out of fashion in recent years).

Now, I make this distinction because Haly’s Circus is really odd in that regard.

Most gypsy (or Showmen - like I say, it can be both at the same time) ran circuses and fairs tend to be family affairs. For example, it might be John Doe’s Circus on the tin, but the Smith family (which Mr Doe’s sister married into) will often work with and alongside the Does in the running and operating of the events. Largely, this is on an ownership level, with various relations then owning the surrounding supporting elements (e.g. sideshows, fairground rides and joints, food kiosks). Other family members might then help ‘mind’ the stuff, or you can hire non-GRTSB staff to help.

Now to draw on my own family history: historically, in the Victorian period, etc, it was common for the gypsy family who owned the circus to also perform in it. For example, in my grandfather’s circus, my grandmother was a lion tamer and equestrian performer in parades. They did also hire non-traveller performers, but there wasn’t such a distinct line. However, by the 30s approximately, this had changed to be a more managerial role, with it being more common to have purely hired performers in the main event. The exception here was for sideshows and fairground rides - it is still common today for these to be ran/worked by GRTSB people (e.g. my grandmother did the dookering - fortune telling - and my grandfather did the boxing; today, we still run and operate the rides and kiosks).

However, we know that Haly’s circus was not like that. We honestly don’t know if Haly was a gypsy or not. Also, usually, gypsies have such big families and are surrounded by them, but we know that the Graysons died with no living family (no William Cobb does not count here) and had no relation to anyone at Haly’s. I suppose if you want a canon answer, you could point to how Haly’s was used by the Court of Owls, but it could just be Like That. This is unusual but not unheard of, but still worth pointing out I think. Alternatively, it could originate from one of the non-GRTSB started circuses which were popular around the turn of the 20th century. Since being a gypsy is really tied to your family name and, ethnically, means you have to be born into it - you can’t just start a fair and claim to be one-, even 120 years later, these families are still met with scepticism - they could marry into a 100% gypsy family in 1901, and have all of their descendants do the same, and still the older generation would look at their surname and scoff and say they’re not a real traveller because that one great grandfather 100 years ago was not a born-and-bred traveller. But honestly, I think 100 years is enough to integrate. So, to summarise, Haly’s circus is quite unusual in that it does not appear to be operated by only gypsies/Showmen, even if it still common for circuses not to be performed in by just gypsies.

Now, to answer, how Romani is Dick Grayson?

Like I say, canon does explicitly tell us that he has Romani heritage, placing him firmly within that second category of the GRTSB acronym (and he also identifies with the more general Gypsy identity). However, it’s frankly unlikely that the writers really went in depth with the whole GRTSB thing, so I think we can tentatively suggest that he might have also identified (keyword here being ‘might’ - this is more canon-compliant HC here y’all) as a Showman (called a Carney in the US) because the whole deal with being a Showman is the circus/fairground aspect (but, like I say, it is still a ‘gypsy’ identity as you must be born a Showman, you can’t just sign up, because it is based on a mutual gypsy heritage which predates fairgrounds/circuses, which means it still fits into what we know of Dick in canon. As such, Dick being a Showman is hardly canon, but it is 100% compliant with what we know of Dick in canon). As I’ve said, they are not mutually exclusive. He could ID as both or either, or just prefer the all-encompassing ‘gypsy’.

Now, we also know that Dick is not 100% gypsy (but tbh who is nowadays? I have two non-gypsy great-great grandfathers). Although Dick’s family history is limited, we know that his great grandfather William Cobb was likely not a gypsy (he could be ethnically, it’s not ruled out, he might have just settled, but let’s go for safety’s sake here and just say he’s not). Similarly, his partner was from a wealthy non-gypsy family, meaning that ethnically, their baby (John Grayson’s father) was likely not a gypsy (though could potentially have been a Diddakoi aka a half-gypsy, if we believe William Cobb to be a settled gypsy). However, since this baby still grew up amongst the circus, it is not impossible that he ended up marrying a gypsy, which would make John Grayson half gypsy - aka a Diddakoi. In fact, I would argue that it is even likely, owing to the fact that Dick speaks Romani, and the fact that Romani is only taught to other members of the family, meaning that somewhere in the Grayson family, a Romani speaker had to be introduced. Mary Grayson (formerly Lloyd), on the other hand, probably was Romani/GRTSB herself. I say this, based mostly on her closeness with the OG Richard aka Raptor from Seeley’s run, who was Romani, and the fact that it is really common in gypsy circles to mostly mix with other gypsies, meaning that it would make sense for the pair to meet based on the fact that they were both gypsies/Romani. Therefore, I would argue that even if Dick is not wholly Romani/gypsy ethnically (but, like I say, who is nowadays?), I think there is enough both blood and culturally to make a pretty good case for him IDing as such, and foregoing the need to make any distinction. (Also, especially nowadays when Diddakois are increasingly more common, it’s not even that prejudiced to be a Diddakoi. A lot of my cousins are and you don’t even think to mention it). Aka. He’s a gypsy. Nuff said.

Then, I suppose, the final thing I’ll address is the ‘whitewashing’ issue, or, what I really think is a non-issue.

Sure, a lot of ethnically Romani people are dark skinned. There is a reason why the term gypsy exists. Now, as my grandad will tell you, gypsies originated from Northern India about 2000 years ago, before moving into Europe. However, a lot can happen in 2000 years. There are a lot of people in the UK, at least, who identify as purely Romani who have very pale skin. My family has a real split: my dad’s side of the family is quite dark, and are often mistaken for being South Asian in the summer due to how dark they get when they tan. Meanwhile, he refers to my mother’s side of the family as being ‘poxy and pasty’. My mother is a full-blooded traveller btw, same as my dad (barring their singular non-gypsy great grandad they each had). You just can’t paint everybody with the same brush. Take me for example: I am pale af and take after my mum’s side of the family, but I’ve still got the stereotypical dark curly hair and blue eyes of gypsies (which my boy also shares). Genetics are weird. So whilst I am a big fan of dark skinned Romani Dick Grayson, it’s also still ok and accurate for him to be paler. This does not make him any less Romani. (Like I say, this is all based on my experiences in the UK).

SOOO… TLDR:

Dick definitely has Romani heritage. This has been canon for decades and cannot be taken away from him.

He canonically self-IDs as a ‘gypsy’ (as well as the Romani heritage), and may also be interpreted as being a Showman (even if this is more of a European term) if you want to see him that way, especially since a lot of Showman families (mine included) can trace their families back past the origin of the fairground to when they simply identified as gypsies or Romani (hence why Dick might ID as a gypsy with Romani heritage. Honestly, this is mostly in the realm of canon-compliant Headcanon now)

The GRTSB classification system is a mess y’all and everyone has a different opinion. Just roll with it and don’t get into the debates is my professional opinion.

Being Romani/a gypsy/a traveller/a Showman is something you are born into. You can’t just become one, or stop being one. So, if we presume that William Cobb had no Romani heritage/was not a settled-down Gypsy, even after he joined Haly’s he did not become one. It really is in your blood, and is tied to family.

Haly’s circus is unusual because it’s mostly not a family affair (though points for the Graysons sticking with it and inheriting their roles - that is realistic!). It’s unclear how many of the members of the circus are Romani.

Dick also has non-traveller heritage due to the William Cobb thing. His grandfather, at least, was probably not ethnically Romani (though he might have been half if we want to view William Cobb as having Romani heritage/being a settled gypsy). However, since Dick canonically has Romani heritage, IDs as a gypsy, and speaks Romani (a language which is closely guarded amongst gypsies), it had to come in somewhere. Honestly, I think we can comfortably view him as being at least 3/4 ethnically Romani/a Gypsy, but also since modern Dick Grayson was not born during prohibition, this really isn’t a problem as it’s really common for Diddakois (half gypsies) to be treated as full gypsies nowadays.

As much as I love darker skinned Dick Grayson, it’s not a requirement. A lot of the GRTSB community (especially in Western Europe/Britain/Ireland) are on the pale side. This does not take away from their identity.

So that’s my rant. It’s like 3.30am so it’s probably a complete mess but hopefully it gets down the basics, at least insofar as it relates to my experiences and understanding as a gypsy from the fairground/a circus family. People will probably have different experiences (especially since I’m in the UK). Although I have based all of this on canon, and as such it should all be canon-compliant to my knowledge (I’ve still not read all the comics!), it is also equally based on my experiences, so you may interpret it completely differently. The beauty of Dick’s character is that he has been built up over 85 years, and as such, we have to do our best to interpret what was laid down in the Golden Age by writers with no idea of what Dick’s character would grow to be. As such, canon really is a bit of a sandbox, and this is my own go at it!

If anyone has any questions/wants clarification/notices any obvious contradictions with canon since I’ve not read them all yet, please feel free to point it out! This is not intended to be a lecture/call out post/dictatorship on how you view canon, just a small exploration of my interpretation of a character whom I relate to as a Romani speaking gypsy from the fairground/circus myself.

[musicalmoritz]

It’s totally fine to dislike ships but I will never understand how some ppl make it their entire personality. You can’t ALL be the “#1 skk hater”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Family Matters

Inspired by this post; in the same universe as this

Warnings: non/dubcon, cheating, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Thor Odinson

Summary: your new husband's brother surprises you with a visit.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

The doorbell rings again and you barrel so quickly down the stairs, you nearly topple off the bottom step. You catch your breath and grab the post at the bottom of the banister to steady yourself. It’s a splendid house but you told Loki it’s too big for just the two of you. He didn’t like that so you didn’t mention it again, even though it feels empty with how much he’s not around. 

You let those worries slake off of you and hurry to the door. It could be another surprise! Loki hates leaving you for so long so he tries to fill the void with gifts. Sometimes, they make you feel better, other times, you’re just sad. You’d rather have him there. 

It’s not a courier but a familiar face. Your brother-in-law. It’s official as of one month ago. You’re family. 

“Oh, hi,” you deflate, trying not to show your disappointment. You’re not upset it’s him, you just hate being the one to say, “Loki’s not in.” 

Thor smiles. He’s rarely unhappy. “Ah, that’s unfortunate. Where is off to, then?” 

“Work,” you grumble the repetitive explanation. “Important project or something.” 

“Important enough to leave you alone?” He wonders. 

“I... guess,” you try not to mope. Loki says it make you look childish. 

“Well, I am much in the same boat. Alone,” he laughs hollowly. 

“Oh, yes, I... how are you doing?” You ask. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for coming to the wedding. Really, I know it must’ve been difficult.” 

“I couldn’t miss my brother’s special day,” he shakes his head. “It was a day for love. Wasn’t your fault mine decided to leave...” 

Your heart breaks for him. The day you were married, Frigga told you what happened. A hug fight right after your rehearsal dinner. Jane left before the morning. Despite all that, Thor didn’t show a hint of grief at the wedding. 

“It’s too bad. I liked Jane.” 

“Needless to say, I did too,” he smiles thinly. “Well, I hope I didn’t disturb you very much. I suppose I could come calling tomorrow and hope my brother isn’t too busy for the likes of me.” 

Your heart rents for him. Here you are, a new marriage, a husband to long for, and he lost his girlfriend of five years. You don’t have much else going on, it would be nice to have someone there. 

“Did you wanna hang around for a bit?” You ask. “Not much going on but... this place is eerie when you’re all alone.” 

“Hm, did Loki say when he would return? Wouldn’t mind waiting around a bit,” he suggests. 

“I hope soon but he didn’t say,” you shrug. “Yesterday he wasn’t home until midnight.” 

“Midnight? He would make you wait so long? A lovely young wife like you?” He scoffs. “Well, that is just terrible. I will not commit the same crime as my brother. I’d love to come in.” 

“Alright,” you smile. “I... we could put something on? I was going to watch the new season of the true crime show.” 

“Ha,” he enters as you step back to let you through. “That wouldn’t help being alone, would it?” 

“I guess not,” you giggle. “We could watch something else. A comedy. I’ve been rewatching Friends. For the hundredth time.” 

“Whatever you like,” he slips his shoes off and puts them on the mat. “The only words a woman like you needs to hear, eh?” 

You laugh again, “do you want snacks? I got some caramel corn and gummy bears.” 

“My brother let you bring those in his house?” He wonders. 

“It’s our house,” you face him with a pout as you stand in the broad archway to the front room. 

“Yes, you are correct. My apologies,” he follows. “You know, he only hates those sugary treats because he is weak to them. Be sure to hide them well or you might find some missing.” 

“No, he never wants any,” you continue into the front room. 

“So he wants you to believe,” Thor counters. 

“How about drinks? We got a bunch of wine from the wedding. Some scotch?” 

“I only really indulge in lager and I'm not of the mood for it,” he assures. “I could help with the snacks.” 

“No, no, sit,” you grab the remote and hold it out to him. “Find something to watch. I’m so indecisive I just flick through the menu for an hour.” 

“I will do my best,” he accepts it. His hand dwarfs you own as his fingers brush across yours. Loki’s hands are long, but not as thick. 

You push your shoulders up and spin around to flit off to the kitchen. You scurry away and slide into the kitchen. You go to the cupboard and take down the bag of caramel corn. You pour some in a bowl then grab the package of gummy bears and a box of cream cookies. 

As you come back to the living room, Thor leans forward to set the down the remote. You put the treats on the glass table and sit on the other end of the couch. You only realise then how awkward it is. You’ve never really been alone with him. 

“Thank you. So sweet of you to have me,” he says as he twines his fingers together. “I feel as if everyone has been avoiding me since Jane. I fear I might be a bit... melancholy.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” you glance at the TV as it plays an intro to a show you don’t know, “well, how can anyone blame you? You’re going through so much.” 

“I’m an adult, these things happen,” he says. 

“Sure, they do, but I mean, it still hurts. It’s not easy,” you insist. “I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.” 

“Ugh,” he puts his elbows on his legs and cradles his head. “I don’t mean to bring my dark cloud in here.” He rubs his temple. “Truly, I think I’ve been trying to outrun it but... what else can I think of with only an empty home to go to?” 

“Oh, Thor,” you sidle closer on the cushions. You gently touch his arm. His bicep is a lot bigger against your hand. “It’s okay. You can’t hold it in forever. It's good to feel these things. Once you get through that, you can move on and I’m sure you’ll find the right one.” 

He sniffles and you flinch. He quakes against your touch and your chest knots. You never imagined him crying. Especially not a man his size. You don’t know what else to do but comfort him. You rub his shoulder and he huddles over further and wipes his face. 

His long blond locks conceal his tears as he mops his sadness away with his knuckles. You hum and get even closer, your hand trailing up his back. 

“Thor, I'm sorry. It feels so cruel, I know. Especially the timing of it--” 

He startles you as he leans against you. You let out an ‘oop’ as he turns to embrace you, curling his shoulders and hunching to put his head on your shoulder. You have no choice but to let him. 

“Oh, it’s been awful,” he snivels. “I’ve been so lonely.” 

“Shhh, let it out, that’s okay,” you rub his back and stare at the wall. You certainly didn’t expect the night to go like this. 

He holds you tight as he cries against you, his body heaving. You know Loki isn’t the best for these sorts of things so you’re happy at least he trusts you enough to listen. That’s about as much as you can do. 

“You won’t believe how cruel she was,” Thor rasps. “She just yelled and yelled. She shoved me and—she just kept accusing me.” 

“Accusing you? Of what?” 

He’s quiet for a moment. He lifts his head to look at you, his arm across your back. “Of wanting another.” 

“Oh?” You blink in surprise. 

“I told her no, no, I did not, but she kept saying “I see it! I see it in your face!” And I swore to her, no, no,” He wipes his face with his other hand, “but now I’m afraid she might have been right.” 

“She... who?” You frown. 

His arm wraps around you, his fingers dipping into your side and in a moment, the couch shifts beneath you. You cannot resist as surprise paralyses you. Thor lifts you easily onto his lap, turning you and sliding you to sit on his thighs. 

“Woah, uh, whaat--” You press your hand to his chest. “Please, Thor, you’re emotional--” 

“She was right, kitten, you are so soft, so gentle, and I could not look away. She caught me--” 

“No, no, you can’t-- Loki--” 

“Loki leaves you alone. He would rather work than stay and adore his precious wife,” He cups your chin and forces you to look at him. “He would abandon you...” he leans in as his eyes fall to your lips, “and leave you unkissed.” 

You try to pull back but you’re trapped in his embrace. He squeezes you close and crushes his lips to yours. You squeal and struggle against him, finally turning your head so his mouth smears across your cheek. 

“Untouched,” his hand trails down your neck and you clasp onto two of his fingers, straining to keep him from going lower. “Unloved--” 

“Thor, stop, let me go--” 

He leans over so your back is on the cushion, his arm beneath you as your legs are folded up over his. He is on his side next to you. His large hand comes back to frame your face and he squeezes to keep you from squirming. You tug as his shirt and whine. 

“Thor, please, stop. We can forget--” 

“I can’t forget,” he growls and nuzzles your nose. You whimper and push against his chest again. He is stone, he is unmoving, and you know you cannot stop him. “I will never forget how you feel against me, kitten.” 

[hiraikotsusama]

ATTENTION! THIS IS A RANT POST ABOUT THOR: RAGNAROK

If you are not interested/a Ragnarok fan please skip, or just don't leave negative comments, thank you.

Ok, here we go.

I personally hate how overrated Thor: Ragnarok is.

People only started criticising Waititi's direction after the Love and Thunder flop, and I was honestly flabbergasted, because... They were criticising the exact same things they loved so much in Ragnarok.

For example, they criticised Thor being too stupid and unserious but... He was already an idiot in Ragnarok? Which, by the way, even as a Loki stan, was the thing I hated the most about the movie (I guess the Odinsons just have a tendency of becoming idiotic scapegoats in every modern piece of media that depicts them. Yes, I'm also referencing the Loki series here.)

But moving on.

Another thing that was funny to me was people (rightfully) criticising the lack of seriousness and conflict with such a great villain. And, once again, I was there standing like... It's the SAME THING that happened in Ragnarok?? Like, the movie that's supposed to be about Ragnarok literally only had like 20 minutes of apocalypse/main conflict with Hela/Surtr in it! Most of the goddamn movie takes place on a dumb garbage planet with the Grandmaster (another wasted character) just fucking around. Little side note here, the Grandmaster is supposed to be the Collector's brother (in the comics and cartoon they both collect rare things and people and compete over it, yadda yadda) and yet this isn't referenced in any way? His powers are never shown. Like what? The potential? Wasted like that? UGH.

Also, this movie adds shallow characters. First of all, obviously, the Grandmaster, who I already covered. Then, and here I'm taking a deep breath waiting to get crucified, Valkyrie.

Ok, I'm going to try and explain this one easily. Valkyrie isn't a bad character, ok? I'm already going to say this since I want to clarify it as soon as possible. I don't think she's bad and I don't dislike her. The problem is, she is given a shallow personality and shallow purpose, at least when I look at her. For instance, I appreciated the way her trauma was portrayed, with her drinking and all, but they do joke about it sometimes (too many) and that I do not appreciate. But then. Her personality just... Ends there. And again, this is comprehensible in a way, but what I do not understand is her just switching sides randomly, like she didn't capture and shock Thor just hours before in the movie. That, plus her serving little purpose to the plot is what irks me the most. Like, the main things she does in the movie are:

1. Capturing Thor and bringing him to the GM.

2. Telling them about the only way out of the planet.

3. Being there in the final battle.

And if this was a better written movie, this would make her a necessary character. But in Ragnarok... She isn't.

She catches Thor, then dips. Ok, just have him randomly land in the GM's throne room, or have him getting caught by another rando who then dips.

The escape? Loki has lived with the GM (and his most trusted court members/whatever they are supposed to be) for two weeks. Do you really think that someone like him couldn't gather such a massive piece of info in this time? Or even better, do you think he hasn't noticed the GIANT EINSTEIN-ROSEN BRIDGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SKY? He is intelligent. That's the point of his character. He would- SHOULD- have figured it out in a matter of days, the only thing stopping him was getting to a decent ship to cross said bridge, and that's what he actually needed his brother (and maybe Hulk, even if his presence was pretty random) for.

The final battle was disappointing, so I'm not even going to comment this one.

All of this to say that, with the way the character/movie was written, Valkyrie could have been removed, a few changes could have been made and the movie would have been the same. Yeah, she's friends with Hulk, which, cool, but once again this bond isn't used in any way besides her joking with him and Bruce. Her character was treated way better in the What If episodes she appeared in.

[Edit: someone reblogged and thought I was implying that her character should be thrown away. To be clear, I wasn't, I actually like her and do acknowledge that Jane, too, was shallow as a character, I just didn't mention her because she doesn't appear in this movie. All I was saying is that the writing makes her just be there, which is something that pisses me off, too. This was just to point out that Ragnarok just added so many characters with potential that was never used, and Valkyrie is one of them. Hell, you could take away half of the secondary characters if not all, including the Warrior Three (especially them), and the movie would stay the same.]

Then we have Korg. Yeah, I got nothing to say, he's an idiot that used to be a serious/half-important character in comics/series and got severely distorted in this movie like most other characters starring in it. Funnily enough, just like Valkyrie, his character is treated better and is way more useful in What If, which is honestly ironic.

Then, I could talk about the mistreatment of both Thor and Loki's characters but that would take a post the length of the Divine Comedy, so I'll just cut it short and cover the most important points.

Thor and Loki are obviously not appreciated (Loki is disliked more, of course he is), and therefore are written in a very OOC way. Thor turns into a full blabbering idiot and Loki is interpreted as someone whose only purpose is to betray, stab and rule. And that's all I'm going to say for now, even though I might extend the discourse in a future post.

And now, oooh boy, Hela. I loved Hela, I was excited as soon as she appeared on screen. And what happened next? Her brothers got lost in space and we didn't see them interact with her in any way besides her introduction and the short ahh dialogue with Thor in the final battle. I hate this so much. Once again, the movie that's supposed to talk about Ragnarok only shows the conflict in the last 20 minutes of the movie. And we barely see Hela, or at least we don't get to see her as much as we should, given that she's supposed to be the main antagonist of the damn movie. Her character was great, for all that we could see, but she is a walking definition of wasted potential and I despise it.

Now, there is something I do appreciate about the movie, and it's the characterization of Hulk. He finally isn't reduced to a stupid destroyer or dumb beast, and as a huge Hulk fan and Agents of S.M.A.S.H. watcher I liked this. This, and Heimdall being given some scenes and characterization, too. That's it. That's what I liked about the movie.

Now, short list of things I hated to finish the post: Fandral and Volstagg being killed like flies, Hogun meeting a similar fate right after, Sif not even appearing (so much for Sif and the Three Warriors); the constant jokes that were obviously made for an audience of four years olds; Skurge (or whatever his name was) just... Being there? Another useless/misused/mischaracterised character I didn't mention before, because DAMN is this character STUPID; STRANGE just appearing at some point and dipping (like he couldn't help them?? WHY EVEN MAKE HIM SHOW UP AT ALL UGHHH).

I think that's about it for now, thanks for reading this stupid rant. I'm open for constructive criticism and comments, and also for peaceful discussion, so DM me or leave a comment if you feel like interacting.

[shipmansflannels]

the alchemy | shauna shipman x reader

what if I told you I'm back? see what I did there? :) anyway, I'm back. this week I'll probably update for more days in a row (tonight, maybe tomorrow and sunday too), because tomorrow is a holiday here in brazil and, as I have more time to post than on regular days, I decided to reward you. better prepare, because this is my first oneshot with shauna and I really hope you like it (I put my best effort into it because shauna is my favorite character, so that's it, I hope it turned out good.) obviously the whole thing is a reference to "the alchemy" by taylor swift, so I also hope you managed to convey what I meant by interpreting the song. enjoy!

sorry for any grammatical or coherence errors, english is not my first language and I'm trying to improve!

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

the alchemy | shauna shipman x reader

-> prompt: you and the midfielder are secretly dating. <-

warnings: non cannon, no crash, most fem!reader but it works for gender neutral readers too, some swear words, jock!shauna, sub!reader, soft dom!shauna, jealous!shauna, very subtle smut (because I still don't know how to write one), secret relationship, platonic!jackie x reader.

***

Honestly, you could get used to it.

It wasn't like it was the worst thing in the world to not be able to admit that you and Shauna were properly together to your friends, even your closest ones. In fact, it was even exciting for you to be in a secret relationship. As an extremely private and intense person, you would hate someone noticing while you and your girlfriend were kissing in any corner and feeling entitled to have an opinion about it.

Honestly, it was much better this way. Just the two of you. And your parents. The only ones who knew you were getting to know each other better.

The whole thing started that same year, after the boring science fair proposed by the most boring teacher in the world, in which you had to stand in front of your booth with a failed attempt at a volcano that worked with detergent and bicarbonate. Shauna was at the booth next to you, also with an attempt at a ladybug that worked using a cell phone battery to get around, and she was kind enough to praise your botched project, unlike the other colleagues.

But you didn't really talk until days later. You started to notice her more, of course, more than before - because the idea that the Yellowjackets were extremely popular because of their victories over the other teams at school wasn't enough - but you didn't catch her attention until the day you were walking across the field to deliver a piece of homework to Coach Martinez and one of her kicks accidentally hit you in the face.

When you woke up, in the infirmary with a broken nose and horrible-tasting medicine, Shauna Shipman was next to you, in the worn yellow armchair next to the infirmary bed, and began pouring every apology possible in your direction, while your head was spinning and you were still groggy, looking like you were asleep.

It was the worst night's sleep you had in your life. And honestly, after that, nights of sleep were rare for you, so it didn't matter.

The thing is, Shauna was unintentionally becoming popular, and she couldn't blow the opportunity by publicly dating someone who wasn't even overly well-known - even though the kick and the broken nose had made you pretty famous in the hallways for a few weeks -. Not only because of that, but also because of the gossip and intrusions, which always happened, and which was a little more serious than the growing popularity of your girlfriend.

***

"Excuse me, can I steal Shauna for a few minutes?"

The girls on the team were sitting in the stands, after an electrifying game that brought them closer and closer to entering nationals, and Shauna hadn't come to celebrate with you as usual. Usually, whenever the Yellowjackets won, she would come running into your arms in the stands, and then you would be making out in the locker room, hiding in the small bathroom stalls, trying to escape the concentration of girls in the place.

But this time, probably to keep up appearances and for the sake of euphoria, Shauna hadn't run to you, even though she knew you were there watching her and cheering for every pass. It wasn't taken personally, of course not, because you knew that Shauna and all the students were having chaotic exam weeks and their heads were full of more important things than relationships.

She smiled as soon as she saw you put an arm around her, and, faced with the incredibly provocative looks of the other girls, with expressions of someone who already knows everything, Shauna stood up, following you, her foot limping a little from the wear and tear of running so much around the field for ninety minutes.

You checked out less-observed places and found the closest tree, and then she pressed you against the trunk and, with her hands on your face, kissed you passionately, like she always did. The butterflies in your stomach were having a party, coming and going every time her cold lips touched yours.

"You were great, baby-"

You tried to speak, but she interrupted you by pressing the kiss further.

"Shut up, let me enjoy you for a little while, then you can talk to me all night, okay?", she whispered, kissing you again, before breaking the kiss after a few seconds, to breathe. You were trying to balance yourself and placed your hands on her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you when the game ended, beautiful, my head was… a mess."

"It's okay, love. I'm proud of you for winning."

"The merit is not just mine, but I can live with it." She laughed, hugging you around your waist and resting her head on your shoulder. "So? What do you want for today? Movie night? Bar? Pizza?"

"It's your turn to choose…"

"Ah, right… I guess I have some great plans for us, then."

Her look was suggestive, and you pulled her a little closer just for the grace of kissing her again, amidst your smiles and laughter. This time, however, the kiss didn't last long. They were interrupted by Lottie calling for Shauna.

"See you on the way out, baby…", she murmured, before giving you one last peck and leaving, sweating, panting, leaving you with only the taste of mint, sweat and a silly smile, as you slid your body through the trunk, melted.

Honestly, just the two of you knowing what was going on there was the best thing you could have asked for. Because you were a good match, after all.

***

The topic of "Jeff's party" never became more talked about than weeks after the Yellowjackets won yet another title. You weren't that good friends with Jackie's boyfriend, and if you had to choose, you'd rather stay at home drinking and watching movies with Shauna, but there wasn't much choice. The Yellowjackets were a reserved seat in the venue, and there was no way to deny the invitation after so long.

Also because Shauna and Jackie were best friends, and you couldn't let your girlfriend make the mistake of hurting her best friend over a secret she could "never" tell her about. It wouldn't be that bad, despite the idea of ​​staying away from Shauna so as not to flag you up. It was an easy problem to solve.

The huge balcony of the Sadecki house. The luxurious bathrooms. The bathtub was big enough and the walls were even bigger to muffle the sounds of your laughter and kisses and moans. There would be no problem.

Except it was tempting to formulate an escape plan that actually worked.

And, of course, you couldn't escape the blandishments of Jackie Taylor, who, as Shauna's best friend, demanded to know why the two of you were always together, and why you were reluctant to come - and bringing the brunette along with this idea - and why you didn't know how to dance like her.

Well, you had never been close enough to Jackie to talk about interesting things with her, but now, at the full party and with the bunch of teenagers shouting over the loud music, it was easy to start a conversation. And it's not like she doesn't also have high marks in charisma to bring up the best topics and take you along with her.

But if you could stop to notice the looks on all the teenagers' faces dancing and drinking to Britney Spears, you'd be able to find Shauna's brown eyes fumming as she watched Jackie put her hand on your shoulders and make you sway to her rhythm.

It was as if you were harmless fucking prey living your ordinary life, and she was the hungry, desperate predator imagining imminent scenarios of how to hunt you down and take out all your flesh in one fell swoop.

Her eyes were covered by the red plastic cup that contained the liquid she needed to numb herself so she wouldn't see the rest of that humiliating scene and end up ruining Jeff's party, but things didn't get much better for you and Jackie because, at the very least, as you waited, the room started chanting "Hips Don't Lie", and you had to deal with the most intimidating scene of your entire life.

Jackie started holding onto you in the pre-chorus and, probably without meaning to, began to sway more deeply to the beat of the song, her arms around you, her lips firm on your ear near your neck, her cool breath making you shiver.

Shauna rolled her eyes, biting herself with jealousy and trying to control the urge to take Jackie away from you. Of course, half of all things were caused by drinking, but still, she was sure that you should pay for what it was doing to her.

Without thinking twice, Shauna simply stepped into the middle of the dance floor and wrapped her arms around you, taking Jackie out of the picture by taking you a little further away from her.

"What the fuck, Shauna?"

First name. Calling by nickname even with the sound turned up at the highest volume at a party full of people would not be helpful.

She glanced at you and took another sip, her brown eyes deep into you for a while.

"Shauna, what did I do wrong? We were just dancing!", you defended yourself, when you didn't get a response, and that didn't help either. The silence hovered and continued until it became torturous enough for you to want to leave, taking her by force, in a state that was a bit too worrying for both of you.

***

"I told you we could have stayed home, but you insisted on coming."

"And that doesn't mean I need to drag you everywhere I go, (Y\N)."

"We're going to fight, then, is that it?"

Taking your eyes off the road, crossing the street of her house - which you already knew by heart -, you faced Shauna, who snorted, crossed her arms and stared at the landscape in the passenger seat window, without responding. After seconds of silence and Johnny Cash's low voice filling the room, she whispered, whimpering.

"I'm sorry, baby, I don't know what came over me, it's just…", Shauna sighed, and whimpered again. "Damn, she was practically having sex with you in front of everyone, and I couldn't let my best friend take advantage of the person I'm dating like that!"

You sighed too, realizing that, despite her drunken state, Shauna still had a modicum of sanity to admit that every now and then she went overboard with excessive jealousy. Now, still, you could forgive her, and you did, sliding your free hand up her thigh, your eyes quickly turning to her face.

"I'm sorry, too, I should have watched myself more."

"Okay, anyway", the brunette whispered, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Stop the car."

"What?"

"Do what I'm asking, (Y\N), stop the fucking car."

Her tone. You closed your eyes and felt your legs tremble as you swallowed down all your fear and tension.

Obligingly, you stopped the car on an empty road and, while the other cars and pedestrians did their best to ignore you, Shauna ripped off her seat belt and climbed into your seat, sitting between your legs with a mischievous smile. Her hands snaked around your neck and she pushed herself closer as she felt your hands trail down to her hips.

"Hm, I like that. Now… I'm going to show you how to bounce for someone for real."

Your eyes widened, surprised by Shauna's malicious response, but you didn't reprimand her, much less retort. And when she began to truly bounce on you, even in the awkward seat of the car, her breathing became labored the moment the first movement began. Your nails pressed into her thigh, and Shauna moaned in satisfaction, very softly, leaning down to kiss your neck and nibble a little, because she knew you loved it.

In fact, post-fight sex was a recurring thing between you.

Your nails went down a little, squeezing her ass as she kissed you, and then you repeated the same action, hearing even more of your girlfriend's satisfying moans. Thinking about how good it was to fuck her like this, without anyone knowing, without anyone noticing. It was the best feeling ever. You wouldn't trade it for anything.

And you knew that, deep down, neither did she.

Shauna soon left her fancy clothes thrown in the backseat, and you did the same. Shortly after, you jumped into the backseat and started doing what you regularly did, without shame, without fear. Your hands slid down to take off her bra, and she did the same thing to you with the intention of leaving you completely naked in front of her.

With kisses, nibbles, touches and silly hands, you enjoyed that night like no other, before leaving again and returning to your homes as if nothing had happened.

***

"Are you waiting for someone, baby?"

Shauna whispered, startling you, as you sat waiting for her in the locker room after another of the electrifying games in which the Yellowjackets had come out on top once again. It wasn't even new anymore now.

Her laugh felt good in your ear, but you didn't have time to appreciate what she could give you in return, because you were soon pushed into the bathroom stall again, and Shauna resumed the trail of kisses she was trying yesterday along your face and body, trying to remain as silent as possible so as not to alarm any of the girls.

You responded, but it was impossible to hold back, especially when she lowered her kisses to your neck and made you want to scream by holding back your moan. Shauna was loving it, on the other hand, and just kept pushing more and more, for the grace of being able to play with you and your sanity without fear of what would come.

Or at least, who would come…

"Shauna, would you have a tampon- WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"

Jackie shouted, making you pull away from your girlfriend instantly, eyes rolling back and a sigh of almost relief escaping your lips. Shauna laughed mockingly and scratched her forehead, shaking her head.

"Can one of you explain this to me?", Jackie demanded and, instinctively, you noticed that the other girls were also with their little heads stretched towards the bathroom stall, trying to see something.

Shauna rushed in, pushing you out of the way and going to her best friend, her brown eyes downcast, dilated, the expression of someone who had just been defeated. "I've been fucking (Y\N) for a while now. That's basically it, if you haven't figured it out yet."

"Shauna!", you scolded her, even though you didn't know what to say to fix that mistake. Even more defeated, you nodded, pursing your lips. "Yeah, it is what it is, there's nothing more to say."

"You two better have a good explanation for all this, or I'm going to turn your heads into mobiles for my house one by one, I swear to God."

Jackie shouted, and, realizing that there was no longer any way to hide it from anyone - not even from yourselves -, you nodded, leaving the bathroom and going after the girl captain, trying to correct that mistake.

Well, now it was done. You had been discovered. And honestly, maybe being caught in the act just made this whole secret relationship thing even better.

You didn't even care much, to be honest. If you could still kiss and make out with Shauna as much as you wanted — even with her teammates whispering all over the place —that would be enough.

[tenpintsofsundrop]

What would Dick Grayson be like in bed? (Titans Kink Headcanons)

A/N: So originally I was going to publish all of these for all of the characters in one long post, but I got tired/creatively stalled out about halfway through, and it's just been sitting in my drafts unfinished for weeks now. So I have decided to post them for the characters one at a time so that way I can catch up on them and have the energy to complete them really well. The reader is meant to be completely gender neutral, and I don't really know how to put warnings on this, because there is mentions of kinky topics throughout, but it's basically just a list of kinks? Like, the content itself is like a warnings list for a fic. Main warnings are for kinky topics, Daddy kink, and discussions of BDSM.

DC Titans Masterlist

...

So... one of those things that is totally obvious to me from the source material is that Dick Grayson is Daddy.

Not just when it comes to Daddy kink (although he definitely does enjoy being called Daddy for sexual gratification). He is the living embodiment of the title of Daddy. And tbh, I think he would love being called Daddy in a non-sexual context - which might sound weird if you've never been in that kind of relationship before. But when you try it out with him, you would probably love it.

It's something he would find comforting. You calling him Daddy in completely non-sexual contexts when you have no sexual intent behind it - it would make him feel good because it brings the joy of having a long term partner who feels comfortable calling him that. And he would definitely also love the casual dominance of it. He would love feeling owned by you because he gets to wear that title 24/7.

But he would be likely to say that it's something the two of you can only do in private - like in text messages or when nobody else is around to hear it, because he holds the title very sacred and he doesn't want others to mock him for it, because it is like a safe space for him. Even if he would 'laugh off' any mockery of it, he would feel hurt deep down inside.

But anyway, speaking of casual dominance - it's something he is obsessed with. I think he loves BDSM as a lifestyle, and for him, when he has a partner, it definitely doesn't stop in the bedroom - he loves setting lifestyle rules for you as a way of taking care of you.

He will set rules about when you eat (to make sure you never miss a meal), what you eat - he wouldn't ban you from eating junk food, but he would limit your intake of sugar and make it mandatory for you to eat a certain amount of healthy foods, and if you have a bad habit of consuming too much caffeine or soda, he is sure as hell gonna use sexual punishments to curb it.

His goal with casual dominance and the rules he makes will always be to take care of you and improve your quality of life - including your physical health and your mental health.

Is he always dominant?

I think that he vastly prefers being dominant because he is a control freak who hates giving up any kind of control, and funnelling those feelings into a BDSM relationship can keep him from exerting his intense need for control in other areas of life - like having emotional fits when other people don't do what he wants and violently beating up criminals. And on very rare occasions, when he is with someone he knows very well and trusts, he will play the submissive role. But I don't think he would ever be a submissive in a long term relationship.

If his sub misbehaves, I think he would avoid using pain as a punishment. I genuinely think he wouldn't be into spanking or any other type of painplay, because at the end of the day - even if he's strict about rules, it really makes his soul ache to hurt you.

One of his favourite punishments is overstimulation. He loves giving oral simply for the fact that he loves overstimulating you with his tongue for hours, and he loves vibrators and even fuck machines for the same reason.

He would use attention denial or ignoring you as a punishment - denying you of affection, or going as far as to ignore you completely if you want to talk to him at all (unless it's an emergency, of course).

He would also use this punishment in combination with overstimulation - setting you up with a vibrator pinned between your thighs and leaving you alone until you're whining and desperate, begging for his attention and ready to apologize for whatever rule you have broken.

I can also see him being into semi-public sex. He would be the type of dom to enjoy putting a remote control vibrator in your underwear just to push the button and watch you squirm at the most inconvenient times. He would also love taking you out to dinner somewhere nice and teasing you under the table, living to see you squirm and become desperate for him.

He would love any kind of bondage - tying you up in different complex ways, blindfolds, gags, all of those kinky things. As long as it doesn't hurt you, he would love seeing you vulnerable and wanting - he would love seeing rope against your skin. (And he would absolutely have the patience and intellect to learn complex shibari just to tie you up.)

And lastly (one that is obvious to me from the show) - Dick has a breeding kink.

He wants to be a father so badly, even if it's unconscious for him - it would come out when he feels you squeezing around his cock. And whether you can get pregnant or not (and whether you want kids or not), he would be obsessed with roleplaying the act of knocking you up. He would be obsessed with seeing his cum leak out of you, and telling you how he's gonna knock you up while he's deep inside of you. The first time you tell him to ditch the condom while having sex, it drives him insane, and it's the best sex of both your lives.

(A/N: I think that's a good round-up of all my headcanons for him lmao.)

[nonbinarypirat]

I’m catching up on Bungou Stray Dogs and I got to chapter 39 and wow… what a bad chapter. Or I should say, I VERY purely written, mishandled chapter. So I wanted to talk about why I hate this so much (even though so many people have probably talked about this here and other platforms.) Get ready for a rare known Iruma breakdown. But also I’m so mad about this chapter so this is going to be more of an unhinged rant then a well written post. Warning: child violence, abuse, abusive cycles, and sympathizing an abuser

This chapter is somehow a thousand times worse than what the anime did? I wonder if the people in charge of the anime also didn’t like this part and decided to cut it short and get through it as soon as possible and move on. Though it could also just because of how fucked up it is. No matter the reason, I went into this chapter hoping that maybe there was some context lost from the anime to manga but nope! In fact the manga goes further with trying to make you sympathize with a literal child torturer? It honestly makes me appreciate the episode just a tiny bit more for not including his oh so tragic backstory 🙄. Look, no matter what you have gone through, you don’t get the right to abuse a child. Plain and simple. Just because you were abused doesn’t give you the right to do it to someone. I get that the abuse cycle is not easy to break but once you fall down the same path you are ALSO a fucked up person! And you deserve to suffer for your actions. I wished he got a worse death than a car accident tbh 🤷.

Anyway, I hate how every character in this chapter acted like Atsushi was being irrational about not wanting to know why the headmaster was around? That’s his torturer, the man that literally made his life hell? If he doesn’t want to know, don’t force him. Like, could it give him closure, I guess. But he should be the one seeking that out. Quite frankly, once it was found out the headmaster was involved Atsushi should have been pulled from the case. Give him some distance to process everything rather having to learn about his abuser’s life story or whatever. Like I said, if he wanted to learn that info he should but only if he wanted. Idk why it treated him not wanting to know as acting irrational. I feel like every character treated him like this, from Tanizaki to Akutagawa to Dazai. Instead of comforting him in this difficult time they just… didn’t do anything? Obviously Akutagawa wouldn’t but why didn’t the other two do anything to make him feel better? Only Dazai did really and it was shitty. Full stop bad.

Which leads me into the crutch of it, I hate how they made the headmaster out to be a father figure or mentor. He’s not?? What the fuck are you on about. Like, I could see it if there was fake comfort, subtle or advert manipulation by being nice sometimes. Then it would have been a situation of, he’s the only father figure I ever had but he hurt me in the worst ways. And that’s where the ending could be. Not to say it would still be a well written depiction of abuse, it still tries to get you to empathize with the man, however, I could get where all the complication in Atsushi would lie. But this man was literally the worst human being to walk the face of the Earth the entire time we see him in the manga. So it makes ZERO SENSE. I guess that’s the angle they were going for, he’s the only adult man I know but it does NOT work at all. How is he a “mentor.” Just because he said to hate me not yourself? Fuck that shit, Atsushi does not need to feel bad for that man just because he was trying to make him strong or whatever bs excuse he has. Oh wow, he got him flowers. How ‘bout you pay for his therapy bills?!

If they really wanted to have some nuance, instead I feel like the conflict should have centered around Atsushi still not feeling safe or like he isn’t really dead. Like he can’t allow himself to relax despite the fact that he knows the facts. Especially since the headmaster was a big threat throughout his life, having him suddenly die would be a large shock to the system and go into denial mode. Thus, Dazai or someone else could help him move on and he could finally breath a sigh of relief. Or maybe he’s scared that other workers of the orphanage will try to find him. Maybe he tries to go back to normal, doesn’t give himself time to process, and it all comes crashing down and he has to grapple with the fact that he will never know WHY the headmaster treated him like this. Honestly, not having it answered would have been better because often people don’t get an answer why abusers act the way they do. This idea could add another reason why Atsushi is conflicted between happy and deeply upset because the headmaster is gone but now he’ll never understand why he was treated so horribly. And grappling with the idea that maybe he will never know or understand. Which is tragic but would be a better written and understandable conclusion.

BSD just really dropped the ball with that chapter. It had a great opportunity to bring a nuanced perspective onto why Atsushi may not be elated with his death and get further perspective on him as a character. But instead it focused too much effort on making a child abuser sympathetic because he also faced abuse in an orphanage and some people died and so he tried to make Atsushi strong or whatever. Atsushi deserved a better end in than chapter that Dazai calling that gross piece of shit his father.

Edit: I wanted to add that as much as I hate this chapter I liked the parts where we got to see how bad Atsushi’s life really was at the orphanage. I mean, it hurt for sure but getting to see this put into perspective fully why Atsushi has a hard time pushing through his trauma and past. Like, PTSD is no joke and that was reason enough, but seeing how far it got really showed that. Which makes me mad when people imply he should have gotten over it already or similar statements. Like, dude if that was me I wouldn’t have made it to 18. It’s actually impressive his resolve to live despite everything. Kind of wished we saw that in the anime as dark as it was but once again, I think it was not included specifically because of how poorly it handled this topic. Not gonna lie, it would piss me off enough to not finish the show (not that it’s too much of an improvement but it at least is like, bad writing but a pass).

[the-s1lly-corner]

GENERAL JAX HCS

mix of a bunch of stuff, probably going to be writing random stuff while waiting for requests to come in so i have something to do side note i never actually felt a knot in my neck form, only wake up with them after getting them in my sleep... until today, felt one form right in the back of my neck while i was just. standing and oh my god it sucks so much i hate knots but actually feeling it. develop. right there. sucks more i think anyways this is a mixed bag of just basic jax hcs + stuff that can tie in with other characters or the reader, we'll see since i write these notes before doing anything else

would this really be a jax hc post by the silly corner if i didnt mention the fidget headcannon? literally the hc that i bring up the most in my posts when theres readers who have accessories or tails or what have you?

i think hes going to mess with anything he can get his hands on; usually passing them between his hands or perhaps tossing them around in the air and catching them.. if its something bouncy hes going to be bouncing it along the ground while he's walking.. i think sometimes with other characters, he does try to mess with them out of habit (plus given how he snatches zoobles arm it kind of. shows hes comfortable doing that sort of thing, you know?)

sometimes messes with ragathas bow, or zoobles antennae (though with zooble its more on purpose and to annoy them).. i think you get the idea

speaking of ragatha i think they would be good friends, i mean i personally think if ragatha didnt like jax she would keep her distance from him (though to be fair we still only have the pilot so far + i think ragatha would still be polite if she didnt like him)

as for his dynamic with zooble i think they kind of egg each other on, but on the rare occasion they do agree on something they do so begrudgingly

i think his ears twitch when hes thinking or when hes irritated, not huge movements... mostly little... twiks, you know?

i dont think he really has fur personally, and if he does its really short and smooth... in my opinion he looks like he would be made of the same material as those small squishy animal toys

these ones, i got a handful of them and theyre genuinely so soft and squishy, me thinks jax would feel like these things

on the off chance he needs to cook for whatever reason, hes a terrible cook. like i think he can make one meal but outside of that hes a disaster in the kitchen... also doesnt make a good kitchen partner because hes going to think its funny to hand you the wrong thing when you ask him to pass something

malicious incompetence but hes doing it to annoy you and will probably give you the right thing after a few rounds of messing with you

no one is safe from his antics, assuming he and ragatha are good friends, shes still subject to his jokes at the bare minimum

so.... if youre friends with him youre at least going to go through the same thing

i dont think he would be a good secret keeper most of the time. like yeah sure if its something serious and important i think he would put aside his douchbagie-ness for once and keep it

but if its something outside of that? yeah no you're have more luck confiding in caine, who imo would pounce on the opportunity to gossip

probably shouts random stuff, like "hey caine, (reader) thinks youre (insert outrageous lie)!" just to mess with you. does this to other people, usually ragatha or gangle... sometimes does it to kinger, i think... only reason he doesnt do it to zooble is because they will get his ass, and hes giving pomni a 'grace period' before he decides to drag her into his shit

hes an ass but i dont think he would just jump on someone/j

speaking of, while he can be mean to some people i do think he has his limits, like hes not going to kick you while youre already down or make fun of you for something you cant really control or manipulate you by hanging something over your head (see the secret keeping thing, while he will tease you about more basic stuff if its something serious hes not going to do it imo)

you know?

though i do think hes the type to steal something from someone in order to make them talk to him; especially if he has a crush on someone... hes just a little shit like that

has this LOOK on his face when the person comes to retrieve their thing, and tbh... i can also see him waving it around over their head (hes tall, and if they can still reach it he probably jumps.. gets on his toes.. stumbles away and holds them back ect) just to keep them around for just a little longer

whether this is actually successful in getting with the person romantically depends... personally it wouldnt work for me but hey, some people find that behavior endearing and/or will be able to eventually pick up on what hes doing

does not like being vulnerable, this goes for really anything regarding feelings as he thinks it ties in with weakness (spoiler, it doesnt)... probably has a "eeeewww feelings..." mindset (though might still let you vent to him... will act uninterested but if he really didnt care hed just walk away.. more actions than words, this one is)

rarely talks about how he actually feels about things if the feeling in question is anything less than indifference or amusement... though hes not opposed to expressing anger or annoyance... will let you do what you will with that information...

naturally because of him being weird about his feelings, romantic feelings fall into the "eeeeeewww feelings..." category so hes not going to be blunt, again, actions over words here... and even then the actions here are mostly him messing with the person and trying to get them to spend time with him as a result (even if its not... hanging out..)

[captainremmington-13]

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖋 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

show!Luke Castellan x daughter of thanatos!reader

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the image above or any of Rick Riordan’s characters/world-building.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: swearing, lots of kissing and making out, mentions of insecurities, violence, scars, arguments, petty revenge

A/N: the part that’s all-italics is a flashback. I’m SO SORRY i forgot to post this last night, i fell asleep 😭

“You’re fucking dead to me, Connor.”

Travis Stoll stifled a laugh, but his grin disappeared when you shot him a harrowing look. “You too, Travis. Don’t think you’re gonna get away with the bullshit you’ve pulled today.”

You were in the Hermes Cabin, pointing your weapon at the Stoll brothers. They were truly on your last nerve, and as a result, you were extremely tempted to turn Cabin 11 into a slaughterhouse. 

They had been purposefully pushing your buttons all day. Stealing your eyeliner, taking things off your lunch plate while you weren’t looking, and teasing you whenever you and Luke were together (which was almost constantly). 

The final straw had occurred mere moments ago, when they had decided to take your stuffed animal bat hostage. You’d been able to retrieve it quickly, prying it out of Travis’s hands and giving him a shove for good measure. His brother barely had time to catch him before he hit the ground. 

Now, the two Stolls were practically frozen in place, afraid of what you’d do to get even with them. 

Before you could open your mouth to chew them out further, the door of the cabin swung open. 

“Woah, what’s going on?” 

You suppressed a grin. You didn’t even need to turn around to know who had spoken.

Luke walked over to where you stood, a concerned look on his face. He could read you like a book, always noticing when you were upset or distressed. 

He leaned in to press a greeting kiss to your forehead, eliciting scoffs from both of the Stolls. He turned to look at his brothers, the annoyed glint in his eyes making them look slightly less sure of themselves.

“Explain yourselves,” he said curtly. 

Travis cleared his throat. “We were just…having fun.”

“Maybe you two were,” you muttered, instinctively curling a hand around Luke’s forearm.

Luke glared at the Stolls. “Stop messing with her. It’s clear that she doesn’t like it, and she has important shit to do. She doesn’t have time for you two brats.”

Connor shot Travis a look. The Stolls weren’t stupid, they knew that continuing to defy Luke would probably land them a chore that nobody ever volunteered for.

The two sons of Hermes slunk towards the cabin door, defeated. You assumed they’d decided to go bug someone else. 

Luke’s body relaxed, turning to you and promptly resting his forehead on your shoulder. You ran a hand through his curls soothingly, enjoying the feeling of his arms wrapped around your waist. 

“You alright?” you asked quietly.

“Mhm,” he murmured, his voice muffled by the cloth of your shirt. “Just tired. Don’t want to be around anyone else right now.”

You hummed understandingly. You knew how short Luke’s temper could get, and that he often felt like the other demigods at camp were wasting his time. You felt the same way quite often.

“Did something specific happen that frustrated you?”

Luke sighed. “Little kids wouldn’t stop asking about my scar.”

You held him closer, guiding him to his bed. It was essentially both of yours at this point, however. You rarely slept in your bunk, only using it to hold your prized stuffed animal, pillows and some blankets. 

He sat down, pulling you into his lap so you were facing him. 

“I’m sorry,” you said after a moment. “I hate when they do that to me. They always demand to hear the full story, as if it’s some fairytale instead of the most terrifying experience of my life.”

Luke nodded. “Even worse, it reminds me that my scar is…there, you know? I’m usually able to forget about it during the day, but when someone points it out or mentions the quest, I can almost feel the poison returning to it. Gods, I wish I could back in time to before I got scratched by that fucking dragon.”

You frowned, a small pit forming in your stomach. “Luke, be honest: do you think that your scar makes you less appealing somehow?”

Luke’s eyes bore into yours, his pupils filled with sorrow and frustration. He nodded ever-so slightly, and you felt like your heart was shattering into about a million pieces. 

“Let me ask you this,” you said slowly, reaching up to cup his face. When your fingertips brushed against his scar, he flinched instinctively but didn’t pull away. You were the only person who could touch it without getting their limbs snapped. “Do you think my scar makes me ugly?”

“No, of course not, angel.”

“Then that means yours doesn’t make you any less handsome.” Luke opened his mouth to protest, but you placed a finger over his lips. “You know I’m right, Castellan.”

“But-“

“I completely understand why you’re insecure about it, believe me. Fuck, it took me weeks to get comfortable with looking at my reflection again. But then I realized that it didn’t really change me at all. It’s not pretty to look at, but the rest of me sure is.”

Luke blushed slightly, and you could tell that your confidence had caused it. You smirked, bringing your face closer to his.

“So trust me, Luke,” you said lowly, caressing the back of his neck gently. “You’re still fucking gorgeous. Personally, I think it makes you look even hotter.”

Luke didn’t respond. He just stared at you, unblinking.

Before you could ask what was wrong, Luke’s lips were pressed to yours. 

Your noise of surprise was muffled by the heated kiss he’d pulled you into. All of the anger and bitterness he had been feeling seemed to have morphed into intense romantic passion. Luke’s hold on you tightened possessively, digging his nails into your waist. It was a rough gesture, and you knew it would leave marks on your skin. 

But it only made you feel more euphoric. 

You groaned as Luke’s teeth bit down on your bottom lip slightly, instinctively tightening your hold on his hair.

“Sorry,” Luke murmured. “Didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine,” you replied, giving him a cheeky grin. “It’s nothing compared to how rough you get while we train together.”

Luke rolled his eyes, but when he quickly pulled aside the neckline of your camp shirt to start kissing your collarbone, you knew he wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. 

You were just about to reach down to start tugging his shirt off when you heard a series of loud curses just outside of the cabin.

Luke huffed. “This always fucking happens. Just when things are about to get fun.”

You laughed, pecking him once more on the lips. “Let’s go see what’s happening. Then we can try to sneak away to an empty arena.”

Luke gave you a slight smirk, which you matched immediately. He gathered you in his arms to carry you bridal-style towards the door.

“That sounds lovely.” 

________________________________________________

You let out a long sigh, your eyes half-closed as you reached blindly for the bottle of soda you’d been drinking from. The campfire sing-along’s were never your favorite, as most of the campers were horribly off-key. You preferred to watch from afar, waiting for Luke to finish helping the younger demigods make their s’mores. 

Besides, the cheery vibes really got on your nerves. You knew it was “mood-killing” to not participate, but you didn’t see what there was to be so happy about.

You rested your chin on your fist, watching Luke as he sat by the fire. The flames, which were a golden hue and at least five feet high, gave his skin a beautiful glow. He looked more divine than any immortal you’d ever seen. 

Finally, after two more annoyingly cheesy songs, Luke’s eyes met yours. He picked up a paper plate with a s’more on it and headed your way. Sitting down next to you, he placed the plate in your lap and wrapped his right arm around your waist. 

“Tired?” he asked, taking a sip of your soda.

“Yeah,” you muttered. “After being here for more than ten years, I’m really sick and tired of campfire sing-alongs. I’ve asked Chiron to let me skip them, but he always says no.” Your expression morphed into one of disdain.  “‘They’re good for morale,’ he said. As if they actually really do much to boost our spirits.” 

Luke let out a noise of irritation. “Well, you know that his judgement isn’t always as sound as everyone thinks.”

You nodded, closing your eyes and leaning against his shoulder. 

You knew exactly what moment Luke was thinking about.

.

.

.

“I am glad you have both recovered,” Chiron said, closing his office door behind you and Luke. “However, now that you are up and about, we need to have a serious conversation.”

He gestured for you to sit down, which you did. You took Luke’s hand, giving him a reassuring smile. 

Chiron stood behind his desk, his hooves tapping against the wooden floor. “Because your quest was not given to you by the Oracle, you did not have a third companion. This put the odds against you both, even more so than they were initially. Though you fought bravely, you failed to complete the task given to you by Lord Hermes.”

Luke’s face flushed, and he let go of your hand. “Thanks for the reminder.” 

Chiron sighed, avoiding both of your gazes. “Your lives are more important than achieving glory.” 

“Sure, but being constantly reminded of our defeat ever since we returned a week ago isn’t exactly pleasant,” you said bitterly. 

Chiron elected to ignore your comment, which only put your more on-edge. “The brush with death you both experienced rattled the entire camp. If things had gone just a bit differently, we would have lost you. There are already so few demigods here because so many who are guided by satyrs have been attacked and killed recently. Mr. D and I agree that we cannot have campers going on such dangerous journeys and losing their lives. Therefore, we have concluded that we will not permit anyone to go on a quest, unless it is absolutely necessary or the will of the Olympian Council.” 

Your jaw fell open. “Are you fucking serious?”

Chiron nodded gravely. “I’m afraid so.”

“That’s fucking ridiculous,” Luke spat. “You’re going to rob everyone of their chances to collect glory just because you think it’s too dangerous? Our lives are filled with danger, we’re constantly being hunted! What’s the point in training so hard if we don’t get to actually use our skills?”

“My mind is made up,” Chiron said firmly. “I am sorry that it upsets you, I understand how important glory is to young demigods-“

“No, you don’t understand,” you shouted, standing up. “For millennia, going on quests have been he only way to become a true hero. And now you’re telling us we have to just…stop?” 

Chiron opened his mouth to respond, but three sharp knocks on the door interrupted him.

“It’s me,” Mr. D’s voice declared. “What’s all the loud yelling for? You’re disrupting my peace and quiet!” 

“I am discussing our decision to ban quests until further notice.”

“Ah,” Mr. D said, clearly uninterested. “Tell whoever you’re talking to that we’re not changing our minds.”

And that was that.

When the other campers found out about the new rule, they were furious. The Ares cabin was especially bitter, threatening to hold you hostage until it was revoked. Fortunately, Mr. D (who had an odd soft spot for you) discouraged them from doing so by threatening to turn them into grapevines. 

Still, this didn’t prevent other demigods from giving you and Luke a hard time. They blamed you for ruining their shot to become renown heroes, and made sure you knew how upset they were. Some of them marched right up to you both to shout at you, which usually ended with them getting shoved to the ground by your boyfriend while you told them to fuck off. Others preferred to use slightly more subtle methods of revenge. After a two-hour archery session, you had decided to take a shower to cool off. Had you not been paying close enough attention, you would have rubbed a handful of shampoo that was dyed neon orange into your hair. 

You were utterly shocked someone could do something so immature and petty. But that didn’t stop you from finding out who did it it was Reylynne from the Aphrodite Cabin and getting even during the next Capture the Flag game. When you encountered her on the battlefield, you sliced half of her light brown hair off, giving her an awful, unflattering haircut.

Eventually, the ruckus died down. People stopped harassing you, and you were able to get back to your “normal” camp routine. 

However, the damage had already been done. You had crawled back into your shell.

At least you had Annabeth, who you saw as a little sister. She never judged you, or blamed you for what happened on the quest.

You also stayed close to Chris Rodriguez. After sharing a cabin with him for years, you’d developed a close platonic bond that you knew wouldn’t waver any time soon.  

And of course, you still spent every waking moment with Luke. 

________________________________________________

“You know what I just realized?”

Luke raised an eyebrow, turning his face so that he was looking directly at you. You were laying on Luke’s bed, your limbs intertwined and your bodies pressed together. It had to be close to midnight, as it was pitch black outside.

“What?”

“Turning eighteen tomorrow really isn’t that big of a deal.“

Luke brushed a lock of hair out of your face. “Why do you think that?”

“We’re not normal mortal teens. It’s not like being eighteen gives us any special privileges. In the eyes of the gods and Chiron, we’re still just average campers.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “But isn’t being able to say you’re officially an adult a little exciting?”

“I guess,” you said reluctantly. “I suppose I’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning.” 

Luke hummed in agreement. “Close your eyes, angel. You need the rest.”

You rolled your eyes. “You always say that.” 

Luke didn’t reply, but gave you a smug grin when you yawned. You just glared back.

“Don’t give me that look, Lukey. You don’t have to tell me ‘I told you so’, I’ll go to sleep, alright?”

He snorted quietly, burying his face in the crook of your neck and practically climbing on top of you. “Lukey? That’s a new one. Don’t tell me you’re going soft on me, angel.” 

You barely held back a groan as he placed a tender kiss on your jawline. “You know I’m only like this for you.”

Luke gave you a smile, his eyes sparkling despite the darkness that enveloped the cabin.  “I love when you’re like this. Your vulnerability is priceless to me, and I love seeing a side of you that you rarely show others. Besides, you’re so fucking adorable when you’re sweet to me, and only me.”

You shot him a fake glare. “You’re making it really hard to want to sleep.”

Luke sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop. Sorry for keeping you up.”

You shook your head. “It’s alright, I really don’t mind.” You brought your stuffed animal to your chest, and wrapped an arm around your boyfriend’s torso. “Goodnight, Lukey.”

He leaned towards you, and gave you one last kiss. “Sweet dreams, angel.”

You fell asleep looking forward to your birthday for the first time in your entire life. 

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[1943d]

THERE IS A STRANGER WITHIN ME. HE SPEAKS PEACE AS A PROPHET. A GUN IN MY HAND, I SNIPE THE PRETENDER. HE CAN'T HARM ME, NOT ANYMORE.

independent, selective & low-activity writing blog for JAMES BUCHANAN ‘ BUCKY ’ BARNES. primarily from the marvel cinematic universe with a huge canon divergence post avenger's endgame. mostly headcanon based focusing on themes as : war ptsd, forced patriotism, rejection of society, ticking time-bomb. explored by rosie, twenty7, australian.

001. i'm keeping this blog relatively lowkey, i'm not adhering to a schedule or anything so there might be days where i disappear and days where i'm online 24/7. it really depends on my mood, i'm here primarily to have fun.

002. i haven't really been keeping up with the new mcu content, i think the last show i watched all the way through was moonknight. but that doesn't mean i won't interact with new characters or anything, just note my knowledge is a little funky. i'll catch up eventually.

003. i've never read any marvel comics so i am not 616 compliant, don't hate me for it lmao i'm more of a manga girly. bucky is a mixture of mcu & my own headcanons & interpretations. i'll absolutely still write and interact with 616 blogs but please note bucky will not be comic bucky.

003. standard rules apply here, minors and personal blogs will be blocked on sight. i'm not a stickler for aesthetics but i like it when a blog is somewhat organised and i can understand what i'm reading. i am here to write not grade an essay.

004. i'm going heavy into triggering territory here, bucky's ptsd and trauma are heavily implied but not deeply explored cause, ya know, disney, so i'm taking the time to really flesh out his character and a large part of that is everything that happened to him. so please be aware there will be some heavy topics discussed but i will tag everything accordingly.

005. i'm not pro-callout culture unless the person is genuinely harmful. i will automatically block anyone who engages in petty drama no matter who. anon hate will be framed and put on my wall.

006. shipping is not a priority but if it happens organically with proper chemistry & plotting i'm open to it. i'm one of those rare people who doesn't actively ship st.ucky, but i'm not against exploring it with the right steve. i don't want to be collected for ships so if you already have a ship with another bucky then sorry i'm monogamous babyyyyyyy. also i extend the same courtesy and will only ship with one version of a charcter.

007. as a former sex worker, i have no problem writing smut. but i will only write it with people over the age of 25.

008. thats it for now, these are just basic rules until i get up the energy to actually make a carrd or something.

[toaarcan]

I mentioned in my Bold New Moebius post the other day that Miles is one of my favourite Archie Sonic characters, so I thought I'd elaborate a bit more on that.

Bear in mind that the more I talk here, the more likely I am to go into pure "I made it the fuck up" territory, because he was a very underutilised character in canon, and that means I'm going to be doing some heavy interpreting and stretching. This is how he appears to me, after all.

The obvious first point (one I even made in the previous post) is that he's a Starscream-type, and that's one of my favourite villainous archetypes. Some little shit of a bad guy who sits there going "I could do better" and often has kind of a point, because the main villains they're working for tend to be a bit... dim.

Miles usually working for Scourge is a prime example of this. He's a genius, and Scourge is... not. Remotely. They work in very different ways, Scourge being loud and explosive and prone to self-sabotage, while Miles is more sneaky and subtle.

But what gives Miles so much potential is actually something unexpected: His fear.

Miles is often regarded as a coward, and I used to hate this. After all, being afraid of Super Scourge is a fairly reasonable stance to take. At the same time, framing Miles as someone who talks a big game but is kind of a wimp when cornered does fit as an inversion of Tails' lacking confidence and braver centre.

But the main reason I think this is actually a fairly good trait for a villain is that it compounds with his intellect.

If Miles is a genius who really, really doesn't want to get punched in his smug face, then he should be very cautious in his schemes. He has the intelligence to make his plans in such a way that he's always safe. His plans have contingencies. His contingencies have contingencies. Even if you thwart and foil the first six layers, maybe the seventh will catch you out. Even if you stop him from achieving his objective, he's already escaped.

Miles isn't a villain who can show up every few weeks with another crazy scheme and get foiled. He's the sort of villain that only shows up rarely, but when he does, strap the fuck in, because even getting close to stopping him is going to be a challenge.

And despite the Sonic series' propensity for genius antagonists, none of them have ever really tried the "Master planner" angle. The most genius plan we've seen from other villains in Archie is Mogul going "I'm immortal and you're not, so I'm just gonna wait until you 80 and then win."

Finitevus is a genius, but while his plans are good, they're not hugely intricate. He tends to resolve his problems by way of overwhelming force, and his ultimate goal is worldwide genocide by way of burning the entire planet to the ground.

Eggman... look, as much as I dislike Ian Flynn's version of Eggman, whom I find an incredibly confused character, I do think he's got a good point about Eggman being a fuckup. The SEGA game version of Eggman is the guy who responded to one Gizoid going into murder-mode and nearly killing him by immediately building another one, which then proceeded to go into murder-mode and nearly kill him. He constantly unleashes other threats that he cannot control (Chaos, Shadow, Emerl, Gemerl, Dark Gaia, Zavok) and then acts surprised when it blows up in his face.

The guy is a scientific and mechanical genius with the foresight and planning skill of a cranefly. It's weirder when his plans don't backfire on him.

And that means there's a niche! There's a type of villain that Miles can fill, a character who uses his intelligence not for the creation of doomsday weapons, but to concoct a plan that will take every last scrap of Sonic and co.'s determination to overcome. Additionally, Miles has another trait that works in his favour: Who he's a counterpart to. After all, in Archie, Tails has a grand destiny and unmatched power that is simply... never used. For anything. Gallagher introduced the idea, and Penders waffled on about it and dragged it out and changed his mind about what it was meant to be, and then Flynn ended it in a really weaksauce way.

So basically, Tails had a big role to play, and ended up fulfilling his destiny about three times, and with the final one it was mostly done for him, by a machine, that he was being used to power, but he was mostly unconscious, and he had help from Shadow. And then Flynn said he lost all of his powers except flight off-screen, but it was never shown and that's intensely lame so I ignore that part and so should you.

But... Miles is an evil counterpart to Tails, and the antiverse appears to have just as many Emeralds (or Beryls) as the Prime one has. There's no reason Miles can't also be a Chosen One. In fact, it stands to reason that he is one. And while Tails briefly had all the power of all the Chaos Emeralds in the universe, and gave it up... what would a villain do with that kind of power? Certainly nothing good.

On Moebius, the Great Harmony is a doomsday prophecy, and Miles is at its centre. And that feeds into another one of my favourite villain tropes, "The Chosen One exists and it is explicitly a bad thing."

And we'll round this out with another villain trope example, because Miles is an absolutely amazing candidate for the Villainous Breakdown.

I love it when a bad guy reaches the end of their rope and just fucking loses it. Maybe they start begging for the mercy they never showed others, maybe they lose control and just start viciously attacking everything in sight, determined to take the hero down with them. Whatever form it takes, it can be immensely satisfying.

And Miles, a genius schemer who really, really does not want to get the crap kicked out of him, would play out this trope beautifully.

Now if only they'd actually done something with him in Archie. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise that they didn't, given the standards most Archie villains were at by the end-stages of the preboot.

[13eyond13]

Hi I have a question was there any deathnote ship wars (misalight vs lawlight or something) when the anime came out?

Hmm! I was not in the fandom early enough to see the very earliest stuff going on. I got into it close to 2008, and by then the anime was already out (though the English dub was not available to me to watch yet); the volume 13 behind-the-scenes book was out, the two novels L: Change the WorLd and Death Note: Another Note were out, and the first two Japanese live action movies were also out, too.

HOWEVER from what I recall the same main ships that are popular now were the most popular ones back then (Lawlight and M²/MattxMello), and the "wars" were usually more around whether or not people liked characters or even wanted to see them shipped at all, or even included at all in stuff? Misa was probably the one who got the most hate and most pointed exclusion from fan content, followed shortly by Near. People often said they didn't like Misa or didn't want to see her included in fan content because she was annoying and got in the way of Lawlight. It was almost like you were just asking to be flamed by even daring to put her in a fic – you didn't even have to be shipping her with one of the guys in it. And many didn't like Near because they thought he was a more boring version of L, or not hot enough to ship.

I guess M² was probably at odds with Meronia even more back then than it sometimes is now, too – Meronia content was very rare to find in comparison to M² content back then. And I distinctly remember an email from my first fandom friend in 2008, who had been in the fandom a while longer than me and was explaining some of that drama to me – both of us were mostly into Lawlight and not that interested in the successor arc, but even she told me she secretly found M² and Matt's immense popularity in the fandom a bit stupid, because she thought Matt was too irrelevant of a character for all the fuss he gets, and that Meronia at least seemed more interesting to her based on how the story goes. I would say I see the most "shipping war" type behaviour over whether people like shipping Mello with Matt more or with Near more still even now.

People also liked to argue a lot over whether or not they saw the characters in gay ships as tops or bottoms (though they'd usually say "seme" or "uke" back then instead) - in the 2000s you didn't have catch-all ship nicknames like Lawlight, and you had to tag the top/bottom very carefully in fics by the order you tagged the names in the ship (eg. "LxLight" if L is the top, and "LightxL" if Light is the top - they were treated almost like separate ships, and I don't think there was an easy way to talk about the ship without making a statement about their position preferences when you did). You can probably see what I mean in the older fics in the fandom that are still available on fanfiction.net (as this fandom pre-dates AO3 by quite a bit, so many of the fics from the height of its popularity in the 2000s were posted on fanfiction.net or LiveJournal and other such sites instead).

Overall I'd say though many things now are still vaguely similar in the fandom to how they were back then, people have gotten a little less dramatic and more "to each their own" about not telling other people off for being into DN characters or ships that they personally don't enjoy. And I feel now there's a lot more rare pair appreciation and appreciation of the female characters and more minor characters, and of ships that are interesting to explore more because of the writing possibilities than just because they make for the hottest stereotypical yaoi, if that makes sense. 😆

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/7/2023

soooooo there's another classic Dad Movie character ive adopted bc ive decided he's bisexual

listening

Black Hole Baby by Superorganism. i would put a marker down and say this is the sound of the summer but this came out last summer :/ the very flat (slightly chiptune?) delivery of the lyrics combined with the hyper bouncy...squelchy??? lasers? is extremely fun. this song is neither creepy nor wet but it is viscous bc u are on a spaceship partying as a black hole is Getting You

listen. anything that starts off with subway chimes and the following lyrics is going to be good. these are good song choices in my mind.

I've been eating fruit I've been sleeping well when I can

the bridge in the middle with bits and pieces of radio hosts shouting them out-- i could take it or leave it. i do like how this band namedrops themselves constantly. it's like an oil painting at an estate sale with a huge legible signature at the bottom.

-

reading

i have read about three-quarters of raymond chandler's oeuvre (hardboiled detective/film noir author and screenwriter of note) this week. i cannot in good faith recommend these books because they contain some of the worst excesses of their time, which is good bc this is not a review series.

sometimes, i'm watching or reading something and i decide it would be a good tuesdaypost candidate. i hate the term consume but it's the quickest descriptor here, so bear with me. if i am consuming a work based on the recommendation of a friend, it changes how i consume the work-- i'm on the lookout for the elements they used in their pitch. if i'm consuming a work to write an article or paper (rare these days) i'm stopping halfway through to take notes, i'm rewinding to catch details, i'm delving into interviews, i often fully rewatch or reread. if i'm liveblogging something i am mostly on the lookout for humorous and/or gay bits. if in the middle of something i catch myself thinking "ooh this would be good to talk about for the tuesdaypost" that introduces another like, film or lit crit level to the rest of my time with the work. it's very difficult to turn that part of my brain off.

when i am reading things just for me, none of that is there. i am fully immersed, my disbelief is suspended. i am not thinking about anything else but the story that is being told to me. ive spent a great deal of time with these books this week and it feels weird not to talk about them, but they are something i really enjoyed that was just for me.

i honestly don't know how to unpack my enjoyment of works that (at times) reflect the quite extreme racism of their author-- the one that grabbed me the most, Farewell My Lovely, contained some of the most callous and exceptionally cruel shit i've ever read. it also contained some of the most fascinatingly complex inner workings of an extremely closeted bisexual guy with ptsd i've ever read. i don't know how to talk about these books in an interesting or balanced way.

even if i did know how to unpack these things, the brief and light weekly roundup post on goddamn tumblr dot com (home to no nuance whatsoever) would not be the venue. this is an anti-review, in a way.

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watching

a fuck of a lot actually bc i'm really trying to crank out this baby blanket and podcasts aren't really doing it. same username on letterboxd if u want to see early drafts of this tuesdaypost section.

i watched many films that came on two vhs tapes when i was little, bc charlton heston was one of my mom's favorite actors. i did not see spartacus when i was little but i did see the entirety of ben hur AND the ten commandments before i was eight. i can't make that make sense either.

anyway i have a soft spot for epics but only when i am actively doing things with my hands. this one has a more interesting making-of story than the actual movie, imo. this one also had oddly christian overtones, for being set in a time where christ and christianity did not yet exist. like many critics of the time, i have no strong feelings about mr douglas' acting. i really, really liked the soundtrack-- a delight to hear the love theme in context after hearing it in a thousand different soundtrack theme compilations!

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playing

nothing that wasn't a phone game i've already talked about

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making

five and a half repeats!!! i am aiming for ten repeats plus some sort of i-cord border so this is roughly halfwayish

i took this in broad daylight after a meeting like "if i knit more tonight i'll take another photo" and then i didn't knit any more tonight i read a bad western and halfheartedly liveblogged it

[incendiorum-arch]

io's hard (to say the least) to romantically ship with so I thought I'd make a post talking about it. io has a very specific type. innocence, pacifism, and positivity will never attract them (in fact, it's very likely to do the opposite). io desires confidence and deadliness above all else. someone who can kill, who can hurt, and despite their feelings on the matter, can, would, and most likely will do it again. people who have trauma tend to appeal to them more, too - as often those people understand why io might act the way they do. to sum it up, io is attracted to people who have gray morals. skewed morals. people who can embrace violence, whether they like it or not. although... io does tend to favor those who like it. [don't be terribly discouraged though, as lucius did not like embracing violence but io loved him beyond words.] I would also like to mention really quickly here that io is also attracted to banter/snark/sass, fiery personalities, and powerful (physically/magically) people. strength of character is something that is fantastic at catching their eye.

speaking of trauma - io carries a shitton of it. they were abused mentally, emotionally, and physically by their parents for 23 years. eighteen centuries has done a whole lot in terms of trying to recover, but io still deals with fits of anger, dissociation, and flashbacks. they're also extremely dependent on alcohol (high functioning alcoholic) and despite their desire to quit, will not seek the help needed for it. love and trust do not go hand in hand with io. like I've said I hate to say it but I genuinely think io is incapable of 100% trust. I trust you... is always followed by the ultimatum, as much as I can. io's concept of trust has been irreparably shattered. there is no fitting the pieces back together no matter how badly either party want it. asking io do you trust me? is perhaps the worst question you could ask. you don't want to hear the answer, unless you're willing to accept io's reasoning. io also does not experience romantic attraction immediately, and when they do finally experience it, it's very rare and only in an already established relationship - they're demiromantic. now you might be going, hey adair where's the good stuff? love and trust do not go hand in hand, yes. but io loves hard. they can easily fall into devotion to an unhealthy degree. they want to help their partner, they want to comfort, they want to cook meals and share kisses and embrace every bit of physical affection they can. inter mundos becomes something that io can use to show their partner the world. week-long vacations wherever they want to go. dinner in another country. io embraces violence. io likes it. they'll fight tooth and nail for their partner. io lets their softer, more playful side show around partners. their humor may be deadpan, but there'll certainly be more of it. they embrace their childish side and let it show around loved ones because they know they can expect acceptance. joining them in childish pursuits only makes their love grow. io's own trauma lends them experience and intimate understanding for those who do have it. this doesn't take away the fact that sometimes things hurt and lashing out at them upsets and hurts them but... they get it? they will, most likely, end up doing the same thing at some point or another (when they don't immediately leap to self isolation). io will always come back and apologize, though. in short, io is complicated and hard to be with. they have enough baggage to fill an entire plane's luggage compartment and then some. but god, they love with every ounce of their being.

[hikaririnku-blog]

Tag Game

Rules: tag 9 people (or so) you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below! — I was tagged by @cizzle-freezy !

(Quick disclaimer from me (Hikari), I am a HUGE paragraph writer, so bear with me.)

*~Song~*

A lot of my favorite songs tend to be related to video game soundtracks, and rarely do I expand my horizons. But, when I do, I gravitate towards a variety of genres, specifically ones akin to rock/metal/hard rock, EDM/future bass, and synthwave/vaporwave. Finally, after all these years, I have a favorite song that alligns with a multitude of my tastes.

When my partner introduced me to Devil May Cry series, the music from the games was really amazing to me. But then, they played Devil May Cry 5, got to the part where I see Vergil, and I hear his battle theme... It was over from there. Bury the Light is my Absolute All-Time Favorite™️ in my mind, something that I can repeat without getting tired of it, and, ironically, it gives me motivation, keeps me going without anyone or anything getting in my way, and makes me feel like I have the power to do anything.

*~Ships~*

Ships I typically keep on the down-low, since they're OC-related 90% of the time, and out of that 90%, a good majority are OC x OC ships with a friend's OC or my partner's. I'd get nervous sharing them, and if there is a fandom ship, nine times out of ten they're OC x Fandom, another thing I keep on the down-low. Cringe culture scared me out of sharing any of it for a long time. But I will throw fear out of the window for today, and tell my top Fandom X OC with an explanation as to why.

Dark Link x OC: Link is the main character of The Legend of Zelda game series, and you can portray either yourself or a different personality into him. None are exactly "incorrect", as Link is a very flexible and versatile character, especially with responses you can choose towards NPCs in the modern Zelda games post-SNES era (i.e. Breath of the Wild, Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, etc.). Similarly, Dark Link would be treated with the same flexibility and versatility. This opened a lot of possibilities for me, and I loved both Link and Dark Link for this trait. My personal favorite interpretation is that Dark Link, being around for as long as Link was (more or less), remembers a lot of his hardships throughout the past incarnations, and he can either be just as vengeful as who created him in the first place, or make a change to become his own person, and either hating Link for even being a catalyst for his own existence, or learning to work with Link and help him save the day in his own way. With this kind of interpretation, I have wondered if a special someone in his life will help hit the nail in the coffin for either result, or even create a new problem where he is internally at war with himself to go with his ideal partner or continue on his current path. It is also a good writing practice for a lot of hurt/comfort friendship and/or romance writings, too, so there's a perk in that.

*~Books~*

Not sure if comic books or manga count, but I just got done with Volume 1 of Solo Leveling and I am in LOVE with it. I refuse to go into detailed explanation of the story for this in case someone wants to read it for themselves eventually (if you actually want details, I recommend finding someone that helps explain or reads the story to you, or even get the book yourself and give it a try), but I will say, this book is a visual inspiration. I love the colors, the action details, and everything feels flowy when winds are present, and just... so angle (affectionate). And when things feel dangerous, they feel dangerous. I got severely hooked and I hope to continue reading it.

*~Movies~*

Much like the friend that tagged me, I very rarely watch movies. If I do, I must watch it with friends. The one that very much so lives rent-free in my mind was recently watching Howl's Moving Castle with my college friend. This would be my second Studio Ghibli film (first one being Ponyo) and oh my god.

Oh my god.

Somehow, this gorgeous movie made me cry with the main character Sophie. I felt her emotions, understood her. This film made me feel like I was the character. I want to read the book it was based off of so bad. It really surprised me when I discovered it was a film from 2004. Everything is so clean in animation, the backgrounds, the animation for the moving castle itself, just... everything. Granted, I shouldn't expect anything less from a Studio Ghibli film, but it's still so phenomenal. I felt like this should have been my first film, since I felt so in-tune with it more than I did with Ponyo.

*~Cravings~*

I severely crave a good hurt/comfort RP. Life isn't always chaos and despair, and, inversely, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. It could be lifetime enemies or rivals becoming best friends because they share a tragic past that taunts them and hurts them every single day. It could be complete pessimistic strangers on a long and painful journey that helped them teach them empathy, compassion, and love. It could be anything... so long as it shows one thing.

Healing. I love a theme of healing in my RPs. It's something I connect with as well, having been a person that has been hurt before, alongside with a lot of people. The pain lasts long, but, you heal.

... I also crave a good, fresh, medium rare steak.

*~Tags~*

@jessebizarreart @juan-o-clocks @jorgedrawssomethings @risty90

Get tagged, nerds, lol.

[intothewickedwood]

1, 3, 7, 11, 19, 20, 21, 23 for Kathryn!

Yay, Kathryn! Thank you, Maria! <3

My first impression of them

I can't 100 percent remember. I think I was a little confused about who she was and thought she was David's demanding sister, or something. I thought they kinda looked alike. I don't think I warmed up to her until I saw her as Kathryn. But when she showed up in the hospital scene, I was so touched by how much she cared about David and how kind and sweet she seemed. I think I was questioning whether Henry's book was real but was also kinda wary in case she was a Regina minion. But I didn't wanna believe it because she seemed so nice.

Her bringing a basket of muffins was the cutest gosh darn thing I've ever seen in my entire life and I was fully sold by then. But I also loved that she stood up for herself and knew she deserved to seek and find her heart's desires- all while being incredibly generous and forgiving in Storybrooke and the EF.

3. A song that reminds me of them

I know she doesn't have hazel eyes, haha, but I came across this fan vid. and I just love it so much. It's on my favourite fan vid playlist (which I listen to, like, every other weekend). It's 'Behind These Hazel Eyes'.

7. A quote of them that you remember

"No, you're not. A friend wouldn't do this. A friend wouldn't lie. Everyone is lying to me!" - It just tears my heart out. Poor woman got caught in the middle of a mess that had little to do with her, and it almost ruined what she thought was her whole life. She must have felt so alone and like she could trust no one. My heart really went out to her. She deserved so much better. But the way she chose to look at things from a different perspective for her own sake, and tried to pursue real happiness, was so admirable. It's a shame she got drugged and locked in a basement afterwards! That'd must have been really horrible and terrifying. Poor Kathryn couldn't catch a break!

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

I get the warm fuzzies. Season 1 nostalgia to the max! My favourite season is not my favourite season without Kathryn. It just wouldn't be the same. She has a very special place in my heart and I just want her to have all the happiness and I cry and I am baking her cranberry muffins as we speak, even though I really freaking hate cranberries. That's how awesome I think she is! I am willing to touch dried fruit with my human hands just for her!

19. The most random ship you've seen people have with them

I tried to look for a blog I thought I saw a rare Kathryn pair on a while back that I couldn't remember, but found Kathryn x Ingrid on another blog instead. I feel like I kinda get it, as to me they have similar vibes a.k.a they're both pretty regal. I gotta read it! It's here if anyone's interested!

20. A weird headcanon

One thing I've always thought deep down is that, despite essentially psychologically torturing her, Gold tried to be nice about it, if that makes sense. I think he maybe got her nice food, maybe sat with her, and tried to calm her – not that she knew what was going on. Don't get me wrong, Gold can be very cruel, but that cruelty is usually directed at people who have wronged him or those who made a deal with him without reading their contract properly, like poor Anna. Kathryn was completely innocent and likely made no deals, so I don't think he would hit her with his cane or anything (at least, I hope not!). He could have killed her like Regina wanted him to, but he didn't. Whether that was to ensure things would work in his favor, an act of mercy, or something in between, I suppose is a bit of a mystery. Nevertheless, what he did was still terrible.

21. When do you think they were at their happiest?

I think with Frederick pre or post curse. She seemed to have very fond memories of her time with him before he turned to gold, so probably then. But I like to think she'd find even more happiness after the curse, whether she ended up with him or not. Now I think about it, I wonder if she tried to cross Lake Nostos to save Frederick. I can't remember if she said she did. Did the siren seduce her too?? Where's that scene at?!

23. Future headcanon

I don't mind a happy ending where Regina doesn't end up with a love interest, although goodness knows I would have loved to see her end up with Facilier. But since canon won't let us have him back (not without more time travel, at least!), I think it would be nice if Kathryn and Regina reestablished a relationship and it maybe developed into something more. Maybe things didn't work out with Freddie (sorry, Freddie!) and things end up coming full circle, where they both end up at some sort of celebration party together. Maybe they're both feeling a little lonely, and Kathryn sits next to Regina, and they just talk and reconnect. Oh snap, this was more of a wish than a headcanon before I wrote it out, but I'm totally adopting it as an official headcanon now!

I like to think she is good friends with the Charmings too!