#second-impact syndrome is a BITCH

[kitticula]

healing from brain damage is definitely the worst injury ive ever had to heal from so far 😞 this shit is so difficult yall

[arttrampbelle]

Srry for the very heated. Very real. Very raw. And cery fucking angry vent below. Im sick of this shit in the mortal kombat "fandom" on here.

Cw: vent. Im Really fucking angry.

gonna ignore the trash heap dumpster fire that is the mortal kombat fandom and write my own mk stuff.

Thats the only mk that exists. The mk in my brain n heart.

Sorry not sorry but mk sucks now. Ed boon legitimately doesn't know or care to listen to the real fans. (He had the audacity to basically say street fighter was outdated when he hadn't done anything worth a lick of fucking damn in 30yrs that was decent and didn't backtrack on. Gameplay and story. Fuck off ed boon you boomer pathetic ass peice of trash. Go suck a fat dick n die. Fr.)

Oh yeah and called street fighter anime like when wtf is he doing making all the characters look so damn young like that sus af boon. Real sus.

Nrs has their egos so far up their asses. And so do these new "fans" who don't bother to care because they wanna just fuck a fictional character. (Dont get me wrong. I self ship,i love the characters too. But i actually have a working brain to know. There is more going on then whatever the fuck im oogling at you twats! Like fucking stop looking at your pathetic blorbos for five fucking seconds and look at the bigger picture here! Thirsty ass bitches. God damn. )

So yeah. Any mk stuff from mortal kombat is gonna be my own writing. So nrs can suck it. New fans can suck it and fucking die in a dumpster fire. They can kiss my whole asscheek.

Fucking ruined scorpion. They will fucking pay for that. Fucked over everything and everyone.

Kung lao. Got fucking nerfed....AGAIN!

Raiden reduced to bitch boi.

Liu kang need a say more?!

Shang tsung. A pathetic welp. Wtaf?! Also why tf is kronika back?! That absolutely makes no sense. Period. Yup. As i suspected. They lokified him. The fans are not villain fans unless they look "pretty" enough for them. Grossly making him like a teeny bopper. Like wtaf is wrong with y'all?! Shang tsung isn't supposed to be a fucking babyface. You weirdos!

Shao kahn. A diablo genshin impact villain rip off.

All the women have same face syndrome. Looking like kim k Instagram models. Gross. Like im sorry. They all look gross and dehydrated to me. All the same body types. All "conveniently attractive". Yeah. 30yrs and they still have yet to make a character look "average" or a character with a larger body type,fat character that wasn't a joke character or thrown to the side. Cant ever make the women normal looking. Nope gotta appease the loser men with porn models. And anyone who is a woman who falls for that shit. Thinking its hashtag girlboss doesn't help this. No. What would be. Is actually hiring and PAYING actual real woc models and voice actors to be in your games. But nope.

Nrs is lazy pathetic pos guys. Who just want money.

All the asian guy characters look like they took Lewis tans face and copy cut pasted it. Fr. They dont look good. At all. They do not look like they have any personality. Period.

Johnny is the only one that is different. Ofc the only white guy is done decent. Because they cant of course fuck up their precious little white dude to project their insecurities on. (Course they did fuck him up because everything thqt made johnny special is now gone. He just some douche who looks like jc)

The shokan are tiny af. Pathetic. Weak. Ugh.

And they wanna disguise this horseshit as something groundbreaking when it's not really. Most fans are not gonna pay and arm n a leg for a shitty game that you guys legit fucking ruined integral lore to.

All hiding it behind "oh but its a new world" no honey its a entirely new game Franchise only using mortal kombat in name brand alone.

Its not even mortal kombat anymore.

ITS SOME PATHETIC ASS DUDES FANFIC FROM A DC FANS BASEMENT ON WATTPAD.

So yeah im pissed.

So anything from me. Mortal kombat related.

Will be from my own writing.

Until nrs can actually pull their heads out their ass and clean house.

I wont be buying anything official from them. Like merch n games. They can suck it. All movies will be pirated. Etc.

I will play the shit i have,and watch and stick to the 95 movie n be done with it.

Fucking hell. They ruined scorpion!

Im just pissed.

[greyves-under-fire]

My whole problem is i was BOTH

The thing about gifted kid syndrome is it can still severely impact you and leave you broken long before you're out of the school system

I was "gifted" until sixth grade when i then had to spend almost every recess inside in study hall "finishing" papers that i could never finish.

I had it all, the undiagnosed adhd, and autism, and dyscalculia, had undiagnosed mood and personality disorder, and was starting to develop arthritis and fibromyalgia on top of developmental depression and anxiety.

I started barely making my grades, being lucky to make it above a c, forgetting what it was like to see an a

But my reputation was there. It had been thoroughly developed as "the smart kid" and the one who had the answers to everything. If we're splitting into groups for a class activity, nobody liked me- but everybody wanted me.

But then, every other answer became "i don't know" or followed by "i'm probably wrong" and often was.

I still remember what it felt like to be looked at with such confused disappointment from people i didn't know very well, who treated me like i owed them my knowledge.

Like i had betrayed them and their image of me.

I just got worse, i was put into so many credit recovery classes, i couldn't *do* anything at all, and i was tortured for it by teachers who knew of my "potential" and were disappointed in me when i'd only had them that year.

When gifted kid burnout happens before you're out of high school, it's a level of shitty that is built upon this expectation that people you don't even know are placing on you.

It's having current teachers brag to the next one you'll have about how talented you are, how amazing you'll do next year. It's walking into that new classroom and watching every day as you disappoint this teacher a little more every day bc "you're wasting your potential. I know you can do better than this."

there's no breaking it to them at the start that you're gonna be no good in their class and not getting their hopes up. It's watching their hopes be taken down, brick by brick, every day, just by existing the way that you are right now.

It's your parents hearing how amazing you're doing, how brilliant you are, then watching you to pick up on every single moment that you aren't "trying" hard enough when being alive is so hard, you barely are. You never stop hearing, "what happened? What changed?" and even if you can put it into words, it's knowing they aren't listening.

It's constant reminders of how disappointing you are as a person, to those around you, in the state you are in right now.

And all the while, while the adults in my life are all being little bitches about a kid they're projecting all their failed dreams on, i am in miserable, godforsaken PAIN every single day. I woke up every morning feeling like i'd been hit by a truck, and by the time i got home, had to actually crawl to a chair before i fell down from the exhaustion and pain i was in. I was cracking my wrists every hour to stop the fluid from building up in them, and couldn't keep my mind off of how brutally it feels like my lower spine was being crushed in someone's large fist.

While all the adults around me were saying, "if you just *applied* yourself", I was experiencing manic rage and my fourth sobbing panic attack in the bathroom over the terrifying h*micidal images swirling in my head bc i was MANIC and under so much fucking pressure, now terrified of myself.

While i was getting the "look" again of, "oh what happened to this pathetic kid"- I was IN THE MIDDLE OF RECOVERING FROM HOW INTENSELY PAINFUL IT WAS TO STRETCH MY ARMS A SECOND BEFORE, AND HOW I FELT LIKE IF I CARRIED THAT BACKPACK FOR FIVE MORE SECONDS, I WAS GOING TO BREAK DOWN AND START MANICALLY SOBBING WHILE PUNCHING A TREE BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS SO SORE AND SO PAINFUL AND MY BODY WAS SO UNBELIEVABLY TIRED, AND AT 15, THE JOINTS IN MY HANDS WERE DEFORMING BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN FINISHED FORMING- (op i want to clarify that this is rage directed at the adults in my life at that time and not you, lol)

And then after all the (take a shot for every time i use the word "disappointment") that you've already caused, asking for accomodation when you desperately need it is a complete joke.

You get treated not only as an inconvenience, to put it lightly, but like you've somehow slighted your teachers and the adults around you by letting them down and giving them the experience of watching you fall so far *ACADEMICALLY*, that they act like going any farther for you is so incredibly unjust.

They act as if you have asked so much of them by failing already, that they treat you as absolutely selfish and unaware for requiring more, like a break from typing to sit in the hallway bc the joints in my hands are so stiff/painful/swollen that i'm starting to cry from overwhelm.

I then did have to drop out. Idk. I just wanted to make the point that everything you mentioned AND gifted kid burnout syndrome don't have to be, and often aren't mutually exclusive. I still fully get the point, but i wanted to offer that perspective, too, because when you are already dealing with all the other details you mentioned ON TOP of a bunch of adults being absolutely PATHETIC about how "sad" you make them bc of some stupid expectation they put on some kid they hardly know, it is just supremely shitty bc it tells you where your values lie to the adults around you.

I spent my entire teen years coming to wonder why it even mattered so much that i couldn't get my papers finished but that no one cared when i told them that i felt like i was actually dying every day.

Maybe i just wanted this post to exist for the kids who experienced both sides of the spectrum of people mentioned in your post, or maybe i just wanted to talk about mine, but idk

Kinda fucked up that we all coo and sympathize with "former gifted kids" but never talk about the students who had to stay late after school or over the summer for remedial classes/clubs, who struggled to get above a C, who were given up on or punished. Who tried so hard to understand or just couldn't. Who were grouped with the "stupid kids" (a classmate called us that in remedial math btw)

Autistic kids and adhders who can't relate to their gifted peers and are constantly alienated by them. Kids who struggled in school due to dealing with a chronic or mental illness or physical/learning/developmental disability. Those of us who have had to drop out of highschool or college. Kids who worked so hard and wanted to be seen as smart, but never were. Who watched as their peers seem to fly by them in school, while they were left behind. Who were bullied and put down by those in the gifted and honors classes. Whose confidence was absolutely destroyed by education.

I love you all and I'm so sorry the school system failed you. I'm sorry you weren't properly accommodated and given the education you deserved. I'm sorry people put you down for something that they never had to fight for.

[kryptoniancape]

So the Leah storyline finally comes to an end—not with a bang, but with a whimper.

What was the point of making this bitch Daryl’s girlfriend if that literally does nothing to service the story? The way he iced her so quickly just proved it meant nothing. I distinctly remember Kang telling Carylers to give this storyline a chance. What it actually amounted to was manufactured ship wars for clout. We knew this chick was never a threat to Caryl. We were asking for the bare minimum of literary payoff for the sake of Daryl’s story. That little showdown really could have been something, if you just imagine for one second Carol in Maggie’s place for that scene. Sigh.

*Can’t do a read more because I’m on mobile here but just bare with me.

This show is suffering from what I’ll henceforth call the 100 syndrome—They’re more concerned with making sure their final season sets up the future of the franchise than they are with giving cohesive payoff. I mean, not that it wasn’t cool, mind you, but if you have to insert a random plague of locusts to force subtext onto your storytelling, how impactful really is the story you’re telling?

What actually happened in these first two blocks? If this was the reason 100% of Caryl development had to be relegated to block C, why does it feel like almost nothing of real significance happened to justify that? lmao. So many storylines are still feeling like they only had their surface scratched. They have too many characters to service and they keep adding more, so obviously we were never getting CRM/the cure storyline in the main show, but the ante could seriously be upped by this point. With the exception of some key episodes, 11A and B have been slow as shit. It shouldn’t be feeling like the first two blocks were just one long trailer for part 3. I desperately want to be more emotionally invested by now, in all of the main characters’ stories, not just Caryl’s. Again, just imagine if the big gotcha was that CW were secretly rounding up sick and delinquent lower class citizens as test subjects for CRM. I guess that could still be the case, but with 8 episodes left, I highly doubt it.

Since 10C aired, my mind has been on meta brain to justify its existence, and the multitude of ways in which 11 could have gone down. Leah’s death is where I tap out of this game. I genuinely have no idea what the vehicle will be for Caryl’s story moving forward, which is kind of tantalizing. I prefer to be pleasantly surprised anyway, but when canon so far has ended up severely underwhelming in comparison to anything I’ve seen Carylers come up with, it’s hard not to seek out meaning in the shit they won’t address.

I’m still reserving final judgement until the series finale, and despite all this foolery am still largely excited for and confident 11C is going to be a critical jump in pacing and quality. I don’t see how it can’t be at this point.

[willwriteforhugs]

it’s not okay- hwang hyunjin

boyfriend! hyunjin x reader- one shot !

word count: 1.8k

genre: angst, a little fluffy, full of hyunjin-is-overprotective-syndrome

synopsis: when a stranger on the street makes you uncomfortable with his romantic advances, it takes everything hyunjin has not to kill him right then and there.

warnings: instance of harassment, a *brief* physical altercation, arguing, some cursing

a/n: this fic was requested by a lovely anon! sorry about the wait- i hope you and everyone else enjoy this one. i definitely got carried away with this, but hopefully it’s still what was requested lol. also, if you all have any other requests, feel free to send them in. i like to know i’m writing what you all want to see.

one last thing: a quick disclaimer- all of the events in this story are fictional, and should be taken with a grain of salt. everything that happens here is just my own interpretation of the situation i was presented with. anyways, thank you sm for reading! 

- - - 

the streets around you bustle with noise. mothers calling for their wandering children, street vendors shouting out prices... the sheer volume of it almost overwhelms you. at your side, your right hand tightens around your boyfriend’s. the last thing you want is to lose him in the crowd... he gives you a gentle squeeze back. words weren’t exchanged, but you understand what he meant: it’s okay, i’m right here.

you really are not a fan of crowds- you never have been, but hyunnie loves the market- and you do too, when it isn’t this packed. but he’s been so busy lately,  and the two of you hardly get to go on dates anymore... so when he’d proposed this as how he wanted to spend the afternoon, you couldn’t help but agree to it.

you glance up at him, thankful for the opportunity of distraction. you and hyunjin have been together for more than six months now- and god, you have never been more in love. you’d been in love before- or at least, you think you had. but being with hyunjin... it’s just not the same. the feelings you have for him are ten times the feelings you’d had for anyone back in high school. of course, maybe it’s just because he’s so damn beautiful...

today, for a simple market day, your counterpart is dressed casually. he’s in a plain hoodie and jeans, with his shoulder length hair tucked into a beanie. his face is bare, and you can’t help but smile just by looking at him. 

your boyfriend smiles back, looking slightly baffled. “is there something on my face?”

you snort and shake your head. “i can’t just look at you?”

he narrows his eyes playfully. “absolutely not. it makes me suspicious.”

you roll your eyes. “you spend too much time with the boys. i’m not gonna flick you, you know.” you pause. “or shove tissues in your mouth.”

at this, hyunjin huffs a laugh. “alright, that one’s true.”

hyunjin then leads you into a left turn, heading towards a vendor selling fresh hotteok. you follow willingly, realizing that you are indeed a bit hungry. as always, he knew exactly what you needed before even you did.

as your boyfriend places an order, you wander a few feet, wanting to glance into the stall next to you. in order to do so, you have to slip behind the first stall, into a small alleyway that borders the back part of the vendor lines. you peer over into the stall you were looking for. they’re selling handmade dishes- and from what you can see as you strain you neck over the stall, they’re absolutely gorgeous. dainty tea sets made of impossibly thin porcelain line the tables. the intricate floral designs catch your eye, and you know hyunjin would love to look at them. you turn quickly, mouth already forming his name.

“hyunjin-ah, i- oh!” you interrupt yourself with your surprise. in your rush, you’d turned around and run right into another person. your face floods with heat, and if you could, you would have shriveled up and died right there.

“i’m so sorry,” you mumble, bowing frantically. you eyes burn holes into the ground. “i wasn’t paying attention.”

“it’s fine, really.” a masculine voice replies. 

you look up, shocked to see that the person you’d run into is a man, and he looks to be around your age. “oh. okay.”

the man is tall- taller than hyunjin, even. he’s got an angry look to him, and you take a step back. but he just smirks. “i didn’t mean to scare you.”

he leans against the wall, crossing his arms together. you watch as his eyes rake over you and your body, and you shrink away.

you press your lips together, and the anxiety from before begins to claw it’s way back into your mind. “it’s fine, seriously.” your breathing is uneven, and you desperately want to get back to hyunjin. “but i kinda have to go...”

the man, who is blocking your way, doesn’t budge. “so soon? why don’t you stay and talk with me? you’re so cute, i just gotta get your number, babe.”

your body jerks in reaction to the pet name. who the hell is he calling baby?

you inhale sharply. “please- can i just get by? i’m really alright.”

the stranger takes a step towards you. “come on, why are you so shy? it’s harmless flirting, love...” he reaches out and takes a hold of your wrist. your facade crumbles, and your vision begins to close. you become hyper-aware of how alone you are back in this alleyway. you quickly jerk your hand back, and he relents, freeing your hand. “so jumpy! why? how about we go get a coffee? i know a place, it’s just ten booths-”

“who the hell are you?”

the voice is sharp and temperamental, and beautifully familiar. you hear yourself breathe a sigh of relief. hyunjin's here. thank god.

your boyfriend is now standing a few feet away, sporting an expression of anger and wariness. his eyes flit to the man, then to you. though he doesn’t say it, you can practically hear his voice, asking if you’re okay.

the strange man- who is still standing far too close- speaks up, voice brimming with cockiness. “why do you care?”

you physically cringe at those words. good luck with that one, dude. you just threw gasoline on an open flame.

“get the fuck away from my girlfriend.” hyunjn’s voice is low, but the impact of the words is louder than bombs. his face has gone from wary to furious. “don’t make me say it again.”

the creep takes a step away from you, moving towards hyunjin. “why are you so pissy, pretty boy? got that much to lose?”

you can see the clockwork in your boyfriend’s mind turning. calculating the outcomes. 

before anyone can move to stop you, you dart across the apparent no-man’s-land, coming to a stop at hyunjin’s left shoulder. you reach out and rest a hand on it, hoping the action conveys your feelings. when he doesn’t respond, you lean forward and hurriedly whisper in his ear; “please, hyunjin-ah. i’m alright. let’s just go.”

the boy brushes your hand away, and maintains his silence.

“hyunjin.” you say, louder this time. “it’s okay.”

this time, his narrowed eyes flash. “what-no! it’s not okay!” he swivels to face you. “what about that was okay?!”

your chest clenches, and your hand slips forward to clutch at his shirt. your voice comes out cracked. “please, let’s just go.”

the stranger watches the whole interaction with an amused smile on his lips, and the looks sends chills up your spine.

after a moment, hyunjin takes a deep breath and raises his chin. “you’re right, y/n-ah, i’m sorry. let’s just go, my love.”

as the two of you turn to go, the stranger shouts at hyunjin’s retreating back. “where are you going? i didn’t even get your bitch’s number!”

your skin goes cold, and you can feel your boyfriend turn to stone next to you. you inhale, reaching out to stop what you know is inevitable. 

hyunjin makes a slow turn on his heel. his gaze is icy, and his tone is even colder. “what the hell did you just say?”

the other man scoffs, and it randomly occurs to you that he might be drunk. or, you think; maybe he’s just a pervert, y/n. 

“i said, i didn’t get your bitch’s phone number.”

hyunjin is silent and frozen for a moment. then, with no preamble, he lunges forward. 

“hyunjin!” you yelp. but you know- you know there’s no stopping what’s next.

his punch hits the man square in the jaw, and his opponent goes stumbling. you lurch forward, terrified of this escalating. 

without looking, hyunjin catches you with his arm and gently shoves you back. 

he refocuses on the man on the ground, who is struggling to get up. when he gets close, hyunjin pushes him back down. you watch as he comes to a crouch in front of the fallen man. he hisses his words through his teeth: “don’t you ever say that shit. calling my girlfriend a bitch... unless you want to get your poor fucking ass handed to you, you never say shit like that again.”

your mouth hangs open in shock, and you stumble forward again, pulling your boyfriend away before he does something he regrets. you drag him back through the booths, and you emerge back at the front of the hotteok stand.

as soon as the connection breaks, hyunjin’s anger disappears, and he looks almost surprised. he reaches over and grasps your hand. “y/n- are you alright?”

you sigh, and even as your eyes sting slightly, you nod your head. the creepy man hadn’t followed the two of you, but you still feel the need to run. you release a shaky breath. 

hyunjin leans down and plants a light but lingering kiss of your forehead. when he pulls away, he sighs against your hair. “i’m sorry,” he whispers.

“for what?” you prompt, whispering back.

“for getting carried away. i...i didn’t mean to.”

“it’s okay. i know.” you lean away to meet his eyes. “besides, he was scaring me. so... thank you.”

he offers a bittersweet smile. “okay, baby...” he pauses for a second. “let’s go home?”

you allow a real smile and nod. “yeah. i’d like that.” you pause, deciding to tease him a little. “will you promise to stay and cuddle?”

at this, your lover’s moment of melancholy breaks too. “yes..” he fakes a groan. “if i have to...”

you reach down to hold his hand as the two of you begin walking, initial plans long forgotten. you begin to bicker back. “oh, please. you really act like you don’t enjoy skinship with me.”

he pauses. “how do you know it’s not just to get in your pants?”

you gasp and smack his arm. “don’t say that! i’ll never sleep with you again if you say shit like that!” 

hyunjin laughs, and his real, genuine smile warms your heart. “well then i guess i’ll stop. but only because of that threat.”

“oh, really?” you raise your eyebrows.

he gives up immediately, his forehead crinkling slightly. “no. i love you, y/n. i really do. and i promise i will give you all the snuggles when we get back.”

you nod, then lean your head on his arm, inhaling his scent. you’ve never been more grateful for him. 

the two of you continue walking, hand in hand. it isn’t for another few minutes that he finally breaks the silence. “so- what do you want for dinner?”

the two of you burst into laughter when you realize you’d never even gotten your hotteok.

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS Para-Selene Vol.5 Sakamaki Laito [Track 5]

Original title: 蜜月の日々

Source: Diabolik Lovers Para-Selene Vol. 5 Sakamaki Laito [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here (53:32~1:00:33)

Seiyuu: Hirakawa Daisuke

Translator’s note: Of course, it has to end on a positive note with a sweet happy ending for our MC and her DL boy of choice. The premise of this CD is definitely something which is a little tricky for someone like Laito who has a hard time being open/genuine about his own feelings because he suppressed them for so  long, but I think his development was handled quite nicely. Perhaps not as emotionally impactful as his Zero or Bloody Bouquet CDs, but still definitely worth the listen if you’re a Laito stan or enjoy character development from these boys!

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 5: Days of Intimacy (1)

*Creaaak*

“Nn...We’ve been teleported to your room next...? Geez...Just how long will this continue on for...?”

You get up.

*Rustle*

“...Uwah!? B-Bitch-chan...!? Don’t just jump up like that!”

You explain.

“Eh...? You remembered...? You mean everything? You recalled all of it?”

You nod.

“For real...!? ...!!”

Laito suddenly embraces you.

“Thank god...! Then this is no longer an illusion, right!? We finally made it back...! I wonder if that last time I sucked your blood triggered something? However, I didn’t do anything special, so why?”

You come up with a possible explanation.

“Hah...I see...Because my feelings got through to you...I suppose I should feel flattered that this - more than anything - counted as an impactful memory to you, huh? Either way, I’m glad. I am more than done with the Paraselene. I didn’t think I would experience such strong feelings of sorrow...Oh! Right! I doubt I’ll be able to get a good night’s rest with this frustration still lingering inside of me...”

*Rustle*

“Say, I’m still not quite convinced you’re truly back...~? Will you let me confirm it real quick? Question time! Which place has become my recent go-to when sucking your blood?”

You frown.

“Nfu~ The real Bitch-chan should know! Five seconds left to answer! Think hard!”

You answer.

“Bzzzt! Wrong! ...That’s where you like it, no? The correct answer was...from head・to・toe...~! ...Aaah~ What a shame, Bitch-chan. You were actually a naughty girl who lied about regaining her memories, huh? I should punish you...~ Mmh...”

Laito kisses you deeply.

“Mmh...Nn...”

*Smooch*

“...Nfu~ Look at you being all baffled. Was a kiss not enough to satisfy you? You’re really living up to your name, wishing for something even more...’intense’~”

You flail your arms. 

“...Oh? ...Ah-aah~ Someone’s mad. However, you like this side of me too, right?”

You reluctantly nod.

“Nfu~ ...See? However, right now I can trust those words.”

You promise that you will never forget about him again. 

“Fufufu~ Is that supposed to be a vow? In that case, you better stick to it for the rest of your life, okay? I don’t ever want to be forgotten again either. If you insist on messing with my feelings, you’re free to do so some other way, okay~? Mmh...”

*Smooch*

“Ahn...Mm...”

*Smooch*

*TIMESKIP*

Laito enters the living room.

“...Oh! Found you, Bitch-chan~! I was curious as to why you weren’t in your room, but you were in the living room, huh? What are you up to?”

You explain.

“Eh!? Is that so!? You’re not resting because you’re feeling under the weather, right? Don’t tell me you got infected with the Paraselene Syndrome agaiーー”

You quickly reassure him.

“Oh...Don’t scare me like that! ...Could it be anemia, then? I sucked a little too much yesterday~? I mean, you kept on really tempting me, so I couldn’t help myself~”

You get flustered.

“Nfu~ ...Now this is the Bitch-chan I know and love~ (2) Your face is red, you know?”

You pout.

“Say, Bitch-chan? ...I wonder if you will be able to remember again...The next time you forget about me?”

You tell him that day will never come.

“Hah...Nfufu~ You’re quite confident, aren’t you? I’m so loved~  I suppose I have to return those feelings, don’t I? ーー That being said.”

*Rustle*

“You won’t complain if we make out on the couch for the first time in a long time, right? Ah, wait, wait! You don’t need to answer my question! ...Fufu~ I can just ask your body directly after all. ...Say? How should we spice things up today? I’ll show pleasure so amazing, it’ll blow・your・mind...~”

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) The term 蜜月 or ‘mitsugetsu’ is most commonly used to refer to someone’s honeymoon. However, since Laito & the MC don’t actually get married in this CD, it didn’t seem quite accurate. However, I found it can also be used to describe a very intimate relationship (as if you were married), hence why I translated it as ‘intimacy’. 

(2) Literally he says ‘This is how Bitch-chan should be’.

[emetkoto]

What was k'oto and g'raha's relationship like during the crystal tower questline? also how did he feel watching those doors close on g'raha knowing they were unlikely to meet again?

i did that thing where i accidentally write too much again. sorry </3

k'oto has chronic "must protect soft kind boys" syndrome so right off the bat he was more friendly and receptive to g'raha than normal..its hard to explain its just like. he sees a nice looking man. he is more willing to trust them right off the bat :) less 'guilty until proven innocent' like usual and more 'innocent until proven guilty' ! its kind of a problem of his, judging people like that as soon as he meets them but this isnt a character study of k'oto its about him and his bf so lets move on

ANYWAY so yeah k'oto thought g'raha was pretty chill and funny and kinda cool like the man was an archon and had allagan blood and was a badass archer and his enthusiasm was contagious <3 it really helped k'oto get through the crystal tower stuff which he originally saw as kind of an annoying drag of a task he didn't want to do, he wasnt particularly interested in allagan history and didnt think or care much about the tower....he was in the middle of a 'why do i have to be the one to do this' phase, back then he didnt fully grasp why or how he was so important so being made to do stuff like this annoyed the hell out of him but g'raha came along and was so excited about it he was like 'ok....maybe i can do this if it means this guy will smile more and his eyes will sparkle and he'll infodump on me a little more'....he was just glad to have another chill friend yknow thats why he liked cid so much bc he was just Chill <3 it was basically puppydog (kittycat?) love, k'oto never in his life could have guessed how little time theyd have together so he didnt think much of that lil crush and was like 'ill think about that later'.....oops! later is a lot later than he thought </3

g'raha was ofc very excited to meet k'oto, he'd heard all about the cool stuff he had been upto and was a bit jealous of how many grand adventures he'd been on and how much impact he'd had on the world in such a short amount of time, the normal g'raha idolizing wol thing yknow? he wanted to be a lot closer with him but found himself hesitating a lot because. inferiority complex and imposter syndrome is a bitch, trust me buddy i get it </3 even if he could see k'oto was kinda crushing he was just like 'nah...no way the warrior of light likes me' so they just kinda both. didnt do much about it at all! they had a little moment there on top of the tower before the end of the questline and both of them were like 'oh man maybe theres a chance for something here' and then...........................g'raha realized his destiny and sealed himself in the tower :,)

k'oto was like. devastated when he realized what was going on, it was the first time that someone other than him was the 'chosen one' and even though he always asked for it to be someone else he didnt mean it like this cmon hydealyn he likes this guy,,,,,but yknow g'raha was like 'this is my destiny ive got to do it' and it kinda helped k'oto realize his own importance bc sometimes...you really ARE just the only person who can take on a responsibility no matter how much it sucks and can hurt, so he and g'raha were able to part with a (pained) smile in the hopes they'd be able to meet again someday....but k'oto really didnt get his hopes up too much, everyone had made such a big deal about how hard it is to open the tower that he really just thought it was the end, even if it got opened it wouldn't be in his lifetime so he kinda. blew that real bad </3

needless to say they were both. SO happy to get a second chance

[denqis]

friends with benefits x bakubros

this is x fem! reader

warnings: smut, 18+, choking, unprotected sex

kaminari denki

- you and denki have known each other since kindergarten

- you never thought of him as anything but a good childhood friend

- you used to hang out a lot together, getting drunk

- you usually talked a lot about sex, sexual preferences, your kinks etc.

- you get very horny when you're drunk

- every time the topic would come up, he'd just listen and watch with risen brows and a little smirk

- you were so kinky, he liked it

- then, at kirishima's birthday party the two of you constantly stole glances

- you didn't know what was going on, you suddenly felt butterflies everywhere when you looked at him

- as the night progressed you sat closer and closer to him

- all of the sudden you felt his hand on your thigh, butterflies literally exploding in your stomach

- he was very careful at first, unsure of what to do

- but then you put your hand on top of his and he knew

- one hand was intertwined with yours while the other crept closer and closer to your core, drawing circles on your inner thigh

- you felt kiri's stare on you and felt really embarrassed, this was a guy you had known since you can remember

- the night neared it's end and you were one of the last two leaving

- your dad picked both of you up, you getting in in front, him right behind you

- it was awkward, until you suddenly felt his hand reaching through the small opening between door and seat

- you held hands the whole ride home until he got dropped off

- you lived two blocks from each other

- you were super tired and got ready for bed, when he called

- the call was very very awkward because you didn't know what to do

- in the end you climbed through a window and ran to his place

- he greeted you with a hungry kiss

- as soon as you were in his room he continued kissing you, y'all made out for a solid five minutes

- suddenly he lifted you up, making you squeal

- he dropped you onto his bed where he continued kissing you

- "shit, you kiss so good?"

- he was breathless and you just continued kissing him, a sly smile on your face

- he knew you were a virgin and he knew you didn't feel confident in your body from all the drunk deep talk

- he explored your body and praised it

- "you're so hot."

- dry humps you and you FEEL it

- he then continues exploring your body, massaging your tits and choking you

- you lean into his touch, "more"

- he tightens his grip, a smirk on his face

- "more.."

- he fucked you, hard

- it was amazing, he knew what you wanted and how you liked it

- he wanted you to sleep over at his but since you climbed through the damn window you had to return home

- y'all meet up frequently to fuck

- exchanging knowing glances at school, during class

- sneaky touches in gym class

- this is basically my personal experience but pssh

kirishima eijirou

- you and eiji hit it off almost immediately after getting into ua

- you once accidentally stepped into the boy's bathroom

- ok fine it was a dare from the other girls and they guaranteed you that no one would be in there

- well, they were wrong

- you went in there in just an oversized shirt and panties, your basic sleeping attire

- that's just how the girls hung out

- the shirt was white and had your favorite pokemon printed on it

- just your luck, kirishima was in there too

- the boy takes steaming hot baths

- the steam immediately making your shirt cling to your body

- "y/n?!"

- oh my god this was so embarrassing, he had free vision on your nipples

- but he's a gentleman so he just stared at the floor, asking you why in the world you were there in the first place

- "i got lost.."

- you bit your lip, kirishima's muscles were deliciously defined and bulky

- you took a few steps towards him, admiring his build

- he visibly shivered and stared right into your eyes

- "what are you doing?"

- he was whispering and it was so god damn hot

- "enjoying the view?"

- you were unusually bold but if you were being honest, he had caught your eyes long before

- you'd be lying if you hadn't fantasized about him dominating you

- "we shouldn't be doing this, what if someone walks in?"

- he was panicking, but once his eyes caught your hard nipples his primal instincts took over

- "we're not doing anything though?"

- you played innocent and he was loving it

- "not yet anyways."

- he had you against a wall and started kissing down your neck, his huge hands playing with your boobs and flicking your nipples

- you were about to moan when his lips latched onto yours

- "you brought this upon yourself."

- you completely forgot about the girls waiting for you to return and just melted into his touch

- i don't think kiri could hide the fact that you've had sex

- so yeah the whole squad knows by the end of the week

- you text him a lot, wanting more and he always gets this smile and blush that gives it away

- bakugou is so annoyed by it

- "i bet that she'd be all over me too."

- but you aren't

- you love kirishima's body and god his stroke game and oral skills are to die for

- you're awfully obvious that something's going on

- you almost meet daily at this point

- i feel like he's quick to harbor feelings tho

- so unless you want your fuck-buddy to turn into your boyfriend i don't think he'd stick around for long

- it'd hurt him too much

sero hanta

- bitch

- this boy is so touch-deprived

- you knew, the whole class knew

- but he never dared to come onto anyone, let alone you

- you were best friends and he trusted you with everything

- one night you showed up at his room, sobbing

- he knew why, you had planned on confessing to your crush that day

- apparently he had rejected you

- he opened his door and you jumped into his arms, his face buried between your boobs

- "hanta.."

- you were miserable, sobbing but somehow the scent of his hair and his incredibly strong grip around your thighs calmed you down

- you leaned back a bit, sniffling and looking down on his blushed cheeks

- "y/n, i'll always be here for you."

- he tried to remain calm but deep down he just tried to prevent a boner from popping at such a inconvenient time

- you wanted to sleep over, he was okay with it

- you had slept over a countless amount of times already

- "you want the hammock or my bed?"

- "can we sleep together?"

- he almost choked, you didn't mean it like that, surely

- "sure!"

- he laid down, breathing calmly

- until you crawled on top of his chest, blushed a deep red

- "i.. haven't touched myself in weeks."

- ok???? his heart almost dropped out of his ass

- "could you?"

- you took his hand and guided it down your pants

- "we really shouldn't y/n."

- "are you going to reject me too? am i that disgusting?"

- holy fuck that broke his heart

- he sits up and pulls you in for the most loving kiss ever

- "you're great."

- he flips you over and finally lets loose

- he fingered you for HOURS, he had you screaming his name

- if it wasn't for his tape across your mouth the whole dorm would've known

- hammers into you relentlessly

- after that night he's scared that you won't be able to return to how you were before

- but both of you handled it surprisingly well

- "thanks for the other day."

- both of you are too shy to directly ask for a second time but if there's enough tension and maybe weed/alcohol i'm sure something is to happen again

bakugou katsuki

- you had been clashing with him for a long time

- every time he'd insult you or your friends you'd talk back at him

- he had threatened to beat you up so many times but never actually went through with it

- today was just like the other days, shoto said something and bakugou just had to comment on it

- "oh someone suffers from small dick syndrome? how unfortunate."

- "shut the fuck up before-"

- "before what? you bash my face in?"

- you rolled your eyes and focused on the work in front of you

- you were about to leave when bakugou jumped up and slammed you against a wall

- your lungs almost collapsed from the impact as you gasped for air

- "what the fuck is wrong with you?!"

- he stared at you, not saying anything

- his fiery stare made you blush, up close he was really really good looking

- "fucking bitch."

- he sneered and let you go

- usually you'd fire back an insult at him but his caramel scent and face still clouded your mind

- that night you couldn't fall asleep for various reasons and decided to take a stroll around campus

- "what are you doing here?"

- his deep, raspy voice came from the kitchen and your core clenched at the sound

- you shouldn't be like that, you couldn't just let him win you over like that

- "i asked you something didn't i?!"

- his voice suddenly was right at your ear, sending shivers down your entire body

- he took your hair into his hand and pulled your head back

- the strain on your neck made you hiss

- "not so tough now, huh?"

- his free hand wrapped around your throat as his body pressed you against the nearest wall

- you gasped when you felt his erection press against your ass

- "bakugou, stop it. i'll kill you."

- your voice was squeaky and strained

- he chuckled and roamed his hands down your backside, toying with the hem of your joggers

- "go on, try and kill me."

- two of his fingers rubbed over your clothed slit roughly, elicting a low moan

- "fuck bakugou."

- "that's more like it, no, brat?"

- he roughly turned you around and ripped your joggers down your legs in another swift movement

- heat shot to your cheeks, you weren't wearing any panties and your light grey pants already showed your wetness

- "so you're enjoying this?"

- he just took your left leg and wrapped it around his waist, plunging two fingers at once in

- you cried out and threw your head back

- "shut the fuck up, we don't want to wake anyone up."

- he scissored his fingers a few times and curled them up against your g-spot

- you came all over his fingers

- "holy shit, bakugou more."

- he's wearing the cockiest smile ever

- and when he gets out his hard cock you just can't help but moan out loudly

- "what was that again about my cock being small?"

- he didn't hesitate and pushed into you, burying himself to the hilt

- you were trying your best to stay quiet but as soon as he started moving you lost it

- you were a moaning, whimpering mess

- "i told you to shut up."

- your eyes are glassy and your mouth hangs wide open and he suddenly feels so drawn to kissing you, so he just does

- you were surprised but hungrily kissed back

- he came inside and you wanted to kill him, but once he pulled out and took a step back you fell to the floor

- "if you're always this wrecked after one round i don't think we can carry on doing this, princess."

- he carries you to your room aw

- after sex bakugou is surprisingly soft

- both of you got addicted to each other after this ngl

- you loved having no strings attached

[tillman]

idk whot his aggravain bitch is but tell me abt him!!!!

YESSSSSS Ok thank you so much i would literally die for you.

aggravain is the second oldest orkney brother (it goes gawain, aggravain, gaheris, mordred, and then gareth and i hate that i know that off the top of my head but by god i do) but anwyays he has the VERY SPECIFIC middle child syndrome of “i dont get any attention or praise. im both outshined by my older brother yet too old to have the potential of my younger brothers so im going to do everything in my power to get any attention.” and it leads to a lot of problems.

he does a lot of bad things. he doesnt care for honor, he barely cares for doing the right thing, but i think a lot of it is how he specfically internalized growing up with gawain. oh dear holy gawain, the kngiht of the sun, the one destined to do great things. gaheris took this in a different way and i would love to talk about him too but this is aggravain hours so he can wait his turn. 

anyways hes a problem causer, but at the heart of most of his actual evils is a bit of good. i think in a lot of cases hes honestly trying to do the right thing, the thingn to help his brothers, the thing to save camelot, he just doesnt know how to actually do it in a way that doesnt cause a huge stir. he kills dinadan and lies about it for the sheer thrill of being able to tear lancelot down. he helps his brothers kill lamorak for him causing such a stir in their family. how dare he try and replace lot. he says truly awful things just to get a rise out of gawain and gaheris because he just feels so empty. morgause, their mother would never have praised him, gawain was too busy with gaheris to sit and try and help aggravain with his specific problems, and he felt too protective of mordred to try and dump any of it on him.

his relationship with mordred is also super interesting since theyre so alike. mordred takes a differetn route, with the whole destiny plot butthyey both truly love each other and aggravain is VERY protective of him, willing to lie and kill people to protect him. granted all his brothers are like this but aggravain and mordred have such a special kinship you cant really have one without the other.

anyways moving towards the major thing he does, you HAVE to know aggravain is a coward. he doesnt do anything if he doesnt have mordred or one of his other brothers beside him. he refuses to do any misdeeds on his own, and i think thats because he truly doesnt want to be just . killing people. but when he goes to confront lancelot and guenevere, its less out of hatred towards lancelot, and more genuinely wanting to do the right thing for camelot. he goes with a Lot Of Knights. including mordred. and ends up paying his life for it. 

but like, if he knew what would have happened by calling out their relationship, i dont actually think he would have done it. he just wanted to make an impact. he wanted to have someone say “you did the right thing” he wanted to be seen. he wanted to surpass gawain and actually step out of his shadow and be seen as someone who DID something. he didnt see the death behind it. i think if he knew what would haev happened to mordred after he absolutely wouldnt have even thought about it.

basically tldr. aggravain is a bad person, yes. he does awful things, hes a coward who refuses to stand up for his own believes, but hes interesting. hes a devoted brother who genuinely would do anything for his siblings even if he tends to get into scrabbles with gaheris and gawain. he genuinely wants to do good but its so blindsided with the need for attention. for anyone to look at him and say what hes doing is right and just that hes willing to throw it all away for any attention at all. 

[time-to-write-and-suffer]

bunfriended replied to your post: okay wig but I'm the 'bitch' anon. you can hit me...

*peace signs* i messaged you but i just want to say I didn’t say your art sucks, just pointing out the similarity of saying ‘sameface!’ when you continually do similar things in your art. i am going to apologise though bc i shouldn’t have worded it like that but genuinely didn’t mean for it to be hate

Hi, I read the messages you sent me and I will reply publicly for the sake of transparency (and you said it’s ok so I’m assuming it is).

First off, I really appreciate you coming forward and apologizing. It was the last thing I expected and it’s very brave and I applaud that. Second, I’m sorry for calling you things. I snapped at that point and I should’ve been less aggressive. 

Anyway, you messaged me implying that you imagine yourself in CB’s shoes someday in the future and how seeing criticism would make you feel, and I get that. Criticism always hurts and the negative voices are the loudest. But since you judged my actions based on your own perception of how they would impact you, let me explain why I made the post in the first place and why I, while I understand your POV, disagree and operate based on my perception of how they would impact me in return.

See, if I ever have the level of recognition and influence of CB, I won’t give two fucks about what some internet jackass says about me or my art. That’s the logic I personally operate on, that CB and other popular artists have better things to do than looking up their names in search of hate. It’s also why I censored her name in the post, so that if she did in fact do that, she would be less likely to find it. Also, if you’re an adult and you make things for the consumption of other people, you cannot afford to blow up at every random idiot who thinks your art could improve. You’d have no time to actually do your job if you kept doing that.

You said your message was “less so about being mean and just giving back some of what [I’m] putting out”, which I is probably the strangest logic I’ve stumbled upon. Honestly I would’ve appreciated it if you opened with all of this instead of trying to “give back” what I’m putting out, because again, making a small, censored post about a big and successful artist isn’t the same as insulting some dipshit online for having an opinion and not being The Best at Art. 

You also said you want me to recognize what I’m sounding like, but I’m fully aware of what I’m sounding like. I wouldn’t “attack” people who I felt were beneath me somehow. I only punch up, at those who won’t feel it, and even then it’s not a punch but a slight tap at the air around them.

So yeah. Tbh I’m not expecting you to answer to this or anything, I’m just sort of explaining my own line of thought in the hopes of maybe reaching an understanding. 

I really do appreciate you coming forward and apologizing though, so thank you for that. 

The pity-follow/peace offering on my art blog is appreciated as well but not necessary, so don’t feel obligated to follow it. Also no, I checked your blog and your art is gorgeous and miles ahead of mine. So don’t worry about any Sameface syndrome in your future. 

Cheers! 

[essayofthoughts]

Y’know, I’d hoped I’d never see this in the Wanda Maximoff Defense Squad tag, but hey look at the world.

This ^^ is gatekeeping. No, I’m not telling you who posted it - the tag knows and the tag has manners, and the person who posted it knows, and thats enough; lets not send bitchy anon hate - just know that it has been posted and that its gatekeeping.

Thing is, I do understand the position the OP probably made it from. After years of the fandom ragging on Wanda, shitting on Wanda and generally being awful to our fave the sudden fandom turn around as of AIW is not just galling but insulting. We, the fans of Wanda, have known all this time that she is worthy of love and a worthy character to love, and yet it is only now, after everyone has spent years bitching about her, dissing her, being massive hateful antis and Marvel’s killed her off within the MCU... that they suddenly turn around and change their minds. Its really hard not to be bitter about that. I get it. There’s something else in the MCU fandom right now that I’m incredibly fucking bitter about.

But you’re not going to see me going into the character’s tags in order to bitch.

Because that is what we in the fandom know like to call a dick move.

There’s three parts to why this post is bullshit, and I’m going to break it down for you.

1. “Appreciate Wanda in the movies before [etc.etc.]”

This is gatekeeping right off the bat. The rest has gatekeeping aspects and are bullshit on multiple levels but this is just straight up gatekeeping. “You aren’t a proper fan unless you liked her before AIW”.

My dudes, I’m gonna tell you a secret.

I’m a fake Wanda fan! I know, I know, I love her and I’ve loved her a while, but I only started to love the character after AOU! I know! Shocking! When she’s existing in comics for decades and been a part of multiple versions and storylines and separate universes! I only became a fan a few years ago! Aren’t a silly faker.

Except... I’m not. Just because I came to like Wanda later on in no way invalidates my like of the character. My love of the character. That I only really paid attention to Wanda after AOU is a credit to AOU because it made me see something in the character that I hadn’t before. Something that made me go back over the cartoons and buy several of the comics and see those things in those versions of Wanda as well. I started liking Wanda because of the whitewashed traumatised experimented-on mutate version before I ever took a proper look at the Jewish Rroma witch of the comics.

But you know what? I love those versions of her as well. I’ve increasingly incorporated those aspects of her in my fanfiction of MCU Wanda. Why? Because AOU made me love one version of Wanda, and I went looking for more.

I’m no more a fake fan that anyone who started loving Wanda thanks to AIW is a fake fan. My love for her is no more or less valid than someone who started to love her because of AIW.

We are all consumers of this fandom and this character. We’ve all spent that money and that time watching that media. And sure, maybe these new fans only like her because of AIW, but that doesn’t mean thats the be-all and end-all forever. That doesn’t mean that those new fans might not, as I did, go back over other older media featuring Wanda, and find the traits they find compelling there as well. It doesn’t mean that those fans might not find more things to love about Wanda than just those things.

Doing this ^^ however? Dismissing and gatekeeping? Is only going to send them away. Make them feel dismissed and unwelcome and hated. 

And given how few fans of Wanda there are, we really don’t need our own side helping the antis.

2. Ship dismissal!

Much as I hate to say it there is no wrong or right way to ship. I personally tend not to ship at all, because I have issues with it, but nonetheless: everyone is entitled to ship what they want, even if you don’t like it. I reserve the right to hate one (1) ship, and thats not even in this fandom and even then I’m not going to go into the tags for one of those characters and express my unabashed hate for a ship including them! That is, to use the same technical term as above a dick fucking move.

Thing is, while I don’t tend to ship, I find WandaVision pretty compelling. I think its interesting to take the girl who’s increasingly moved away from humanity, and the synthezoid slowly moving towards humanity and bounce them off each other. I think their perspectives are interesting and their attitudes mesh well. I think they can work as a ship.

And here’s something else that the OP of that post doesn’t - and of a number of other OPs of various anti-WandaVision posts in the tag don’t - know. Lots of fans of Wanda are actually ok with WandaVision. This isn’t a case of dismissing a secondary minor ship that only has about five fans, this is a relatively big ship with a large number of fans, and this person has gone into multiple tags for one of the characters just in order to dismiss it! This is baiting. This is ship policing.

This is bullshit.

As I said above, I reserve the right to hate one (1) ship, but I’m not going to pull this^^ over it, because it is a dick move. It is rude! It violates fandom etiquette. Because there is no right or wrong way to ship.

Even when you dislike a ship you do not get to tell people that they are wrong to ship what they ship. I don’t get WandaSteve or WandaNatasha but I’m not going to tell people that they’re wrong to ship it, indeed, I’d rather actually discuss with them what it is they find compelling about it and see if I can get behind it as well. I’m not going to go into a tag and bitch about a ship because I don’t like it!

And, even if I were I would not describe it as OP has here, which is a blatant misrepresentation at best and pure lies at worst. Lets look at how they described it, hm?

a Stockholm-d Stepford Wife to the creation of the man who killed her family/the creation that held her hostage & made her hate herself & creeped on her

Part the first: Stockholm Syndrome. I do not. Even know. How this conclusion was reached. While, yes, Vision did hold Wanda prisoner in the Avengers Base she did not sit passively by and just let it happen. She asked him. She made it relatively clear that she was not pleased about this. And when she was offered a chance to get out she took it. And, when Vision tried to stop her, tried to convince her to stay by appealing to her worries that people would fear her, she countered with both words and power to make clear why she was leaving, why her perspective differed from his, and that he would be unable to stop her.

That’s not Stockholm Syndrome. That’s kind of it’s fucking opposite.

Part the second: “the creation of the man who killed her family”. Way to dismiss Vision as a person! Way to dismiss the way in which multiple other people  played a part in Vision’s creation! Ultron is a more direct creation of Tony Stark than Vision is. And, yes, Ultron went on to make Vision, but you know who also worked on both? Bruce! Who is a pretty lovely and all-around decent person. Who else had an impact on both, hmm, I wonder... Oh yes! JARVIS, the natural language UI. Again, yes, made by Tony, but also an entity which has expressed concern and counterpoints to Tony. An entity far more agreeable to many than Tony reliably is. What else had an impact on both hmm I know there’s another, its a pretty big one, really significant...

Oh yes, the fucking MIND STONE. Which was used to help make a basis for Ultron’s consciousness, yes, but was also literally embedded into Vision’s head and is an active part of his mind.

As for others who played a part in Vision’s creation, let us not also forget that it was Wanda herself who set the whole series of events into progress, nor forget Helen Cho, who made Vision’s body and shut off Ultron’s download into it, and Thor, who brought the lightning which woke Vision as his own separate entity.

Made by Tony Stark Vision may be, in part, but we do not see him acting as Tony Stark’s son. Ally, yes, but no more or less than Natasha or Rhodey.

Part the third: “the creation that held her hostage & made her hate herself & creeped on her”

Hoo boy.

a) He didn’t hold her hostage. He kept her from leaving the base at Tony’s suggestion under the belief that her out and about might spark attacks on her person or make her lash out against others. It was wrong, yes, but it wasn’t a hostage situation, besides which, Wanda got herself out of the situation and made it pretty fucking clear to Vision what would happen if he ever tried to do so again.

b) He didn’t make her hate herself. Wanda was doing that pretty effectively on her own:

If you fuckin’ remember. As for creeped on her... what? He walked into her room without knocking and through a wall, but he also makes it clear he thought it was ok because the door was open and Steve was there. Yes its not the greatest behaviour but its not creeping any more than your flatmate wandering into your room when you left the door open is!

I get being unhappy that some people may only like Wanda because now she’s part of a heterosexual ship, sure. I get why after CACW where she ended up locked up in a straitjacket the idea of her dating someone who helped put her there - no matter how apologetic he was - might be galling.

But you don’t get to tell people that they’re wrong to enjoy the ship, or that they’re fake fans because of it.

3. “Challenge”

This is honestly the bit which most pisses me off because its the most subtly gatekeepy of the lot imo. The suggestion that this is a challenge, for people to be fans of Wanda prior to AIW and without liking WandaVision...

Except lots of fans prior to AIW and even prior to the films liked WandaVision. Except that just because someone ships something you don’t or started liking a character after you did in no way invalidates their love of a character.

There’s lots of reasons to love Wanda in AIW! 

What about this?

Or, hmmm, this?

Wanda is strong as all hell. She’s willing to fight for what she believes in. She steps in when she has to - even if that means breaking orders - because she won’t stand by and let people get hurt. She held off a five-stone Thanos with one hand while destroying the other set in the head of one of her only close friends with nothing but her sheer strength and force of will, even when she’d lost so much already.

There’s plenty to find admirable about Wanda in AIW, OP.

Conclusion

The thing is, I get the specific kind of bitterness that likely fuelled OP’s decision to make this post. I do, I really do. But the thing is, this kind of gatekeeping and fandom policing only makes fandom smaller and more insular - it doesn’t welcome in new people or spark open and positive discussion. It makes people feel unwelcome and as though they’re outliers. As though no one wants them there and if no one wants them there, whats the point?

What’s worse is that the Wanda fandom has already experienced this! Pretty strongly! After AOU and especially after CACW fandom hated us, but that never stopped us! We didn’t let that make us this level of bitter! This kind of policing and gatekeepy! So why should we now?

And also... this kind of post - and those which have come before - show a bad trend. Its the same way that the Tony Stark Defense Squad tag has gone - yes the tag that I have to plug my nose and put my diving goggles on before I go anywhere near - because people decide that fandom should be more about hating characters rather than loving them. Because people decide that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to be fans. Because people decide that they’re better than others and everyone else should know this.

I’m not a perfect fan. I can be bitter as fuck and fighty as hell, but I hope that I’m at least willing to listen to other people and that I won’t force people to alter which characters they love and how they love them just because I say so.

Be a fan how you like, but please by all the gods, don’t try to force other people to be fans how you think they should be.

XKCD once made an excellent comic that I think is relevant here. 

If you mock people for not knowing something, or not loving something, then thats not going to make them want to learn about it or love it. Its going to make them feel ashamed and small and turn away from you.

But if you treat it as a chance to learn? You open up a whole new dialogue, and get to help fans learn what it is they love and why it is they love and maybe find more likeminded individuals.

Don’t bitch or shame or hate. Welcome and love.

And if you really really need to vent, do as I do and privately bitch to a friend. Do as a friend of mine does and vagueblog about it. Do as another person does and post it untagged or with / tags so it can’t be found.

Don’t go dumping it into the character tags. That’s just a dick move.

[uncannygears-archived]

Dead girl walking: the battle of Citadel and Megan’s death.

I finally came up with the nitty gritty details of Tech’s death, so I’ll have a very short summary here and a longer more detailed sum up under the cut.  All of this plotted with and thanks to my mate @classical-crowbar so if you want some quality Classic Scout roleplayer you should go check out their blog right now!

Long story short, while tinkering with a teleporter, Megan accidentally teleported herself back in time, to the 1930s and the Classic mercenaries era, where she met the Classic Scout. After finding her way back to the present, she improved her system and made more trips to the past over the years, unknowingly prompting him to develop romantic feelings for her. Unfortunately, Megan and feelings don’t mix well and she handled it very poorly (some could say in a cruel and manipulative way, but more below the cut) which resulted in him deeply resenting her after she finally rejected him when he was in his 40s in his timeline. Fastforward to 1972 and the Classics storming Citadel: a somewhat deranged Classic Scout decides to hunt down an already injured Megan, and finally kills her by strangling her as she bleeds out. 

More detailed breakdown below. (warning: manipulation && nice guy syndrom && toxic behaviours below)

- Due to a ‘failed’ experiment with a teleporter, Megan was sent back to 1930 where she ran into Classic Scout. With his help, she manages to get back to her time period, unaware that she had left a strong impression on the then young and eager boy. Because she is a curious person by nature and she had just invented time travel for God’s sake, she decided to travel back some more, not really caring about the consequences of her actions. 

- She always put a few years between her visits in his timeline, so while she barely aged and visited every few months, he experienced it as a visit of a few hours every few years. Very quickly she became the mysterious time traveller who always came back for seemingly no other reason than wanting to see him. Boy fell hard on his head and never got back up.

- Somewhat unconsciously, Megan was aware of this boyish crush, but failed to realise the extent of it or the impact it was having on him. She deliberately decided to ignore it, somewhat returning the infatuation (though to a much lesser degree) as he got older, but knowing nothing could ever happen for the sake of her present  - and of the work she still had to do there. She never had any intention on acting on her beginnings of affection and fully expected him to follow the same reasoning, because, y’know. Long-distance is tough enough, long-time-distance is even more of a bitch. But, part of her, selfishly, did want him to like her, and she never tried to make sure he didn’t nurture illusions regarding to the future of their ‘relationship’.

- Unfortunately, Classic Scout didn’t see it that way, and although his feelings for her faltered when she was away, they came back full force whenever she would pop back up on the radar. Eventually, he confessed to her after 20 years of this little game (for him) and asked her to stay in his timeline so they could start a life together.

- Naturally, Megan absolutely did not want this and told him so (arguably a little late, after 20 years of playing the ambiguity card), coming up with every excuse she could think of as ‘no’ wasn’t enough: the risks of tempering with time travel (which she had no qualms doing until then), her life in her present which she could not just abandon, etc. Most notably, she told him she was already engaged to someone back in Wales: her biggest lie, as she hasn’t lived in Wales for over 10 years, and she and her ex-fiancé haven’t seen each other much since and have agreed to call off the marriage long ago. But, in order to deter him, she is more than willing to use her ex as an excuse and a shield against this situation, instead of insisting on a firm “no”. 

- What she didn’t know was that Rory (C!Scout) had been dumped a few days earlier by a woman... who was off to marry someone else. This second rejection due to yet another man in the picture was enough to set him off, and she’s not quite sure what would have happened to her had she not left to go back to her time period in a hurry.

- Fastforward to 1972 and the attack on Citadel. The base is under assault, and Megan winds up with several bullets wounds in her chest after an encounter with the Classic Heavy, and a severe concussion after a run-in with the Demoman and his explosives. She’s trying to make a run for in and get to her teleporters to get out, but Rory has been following her, deliberately looking for her and hunting her down, knowing she was around, and has no trouble catching up. 

- She puts up one hell of a fight but the pain, blood loss, and concussion have weakened her too much and she can barely stand at that point. Her negociations attempts with the Heavy have failed, most if not all of her teammates are either dead or dying, she doesn’t stand a chance of surviving at this point. 

- He pins her to the ground and strangles her, making it very clear by his final words to her that this is personal and entirely due to the way she had deceived him all those years ago. Her last action is to spit in his face (something she’s pretty proud of, go try and spit in someone’s face when you have a concussion, your brain is not getting anymore oxygen, and you’re bleeding out >:( ) before he, in a furious reaction, knocks her head to the ground, effectively knocking her out moments before she actually dies. 

- So, all in all, Megan was bound to die because she was tagged as enemy by the Classics, like the rest of her team, but the way she died became personal when she lied to reject someone, and when that someone took it way too personally and out of proportions.

[calliopechild]

Ranting is imminent

Okay, I have some Thoughts that I need to get off my chest regarding Scrotum Chin Thanos. If you don’t want to read a couple hundred thousand words of me being salty thinly disguised as film analysis, just keep scrolling. (Obviously, this is chock full o’ spoilers, so if you haven’t seen IW yet, you’ll want to bypass this.)

Can someone explain to me how exactly Thanos is supposed to be a sympathetic villain? I found the scene where he murders Gamora so damn frustrating, because we have this frigging closeup on his boulder-with-road-rash face and the Cinematically Perfect Single Tear(TM) like, what, we should care about his suffering? This shitbiscuit just grabbed the woman he raised by the arm like a disobedient child and threw her off a cliff. For a rock. Because he ‘had to.’ And you expect the audience to believe that’s love? Throwing someone into freefall to die painfully--because given that Gamora’s enhancements let her survive being electrocuted and blown into space, I honestly believe that she could have survived impact, if only for a minute or so--is love? If he loved her so much, why exactly couldn’t he have at least knocked her out before throwing her? Sure, he’s crying, but his grief rings hollow when it comes on the heels of torturing one adopted daughter with absolutely no feeling on his face and then murdering the other. He claims he cares about all of his ‘children,’ but Thanos clearly gives zero shits about them. He kept Nebula alive only as collateral against Gamora. When he heard that Squidward had died (I know this guy has a name, but he was such a sanctimonious little bitch the whole movie that I’m not going to spend the time Googling it. He gets nothing more than Squidward from me), he basically just sighed and went “this day has had a heavy cost. *half a second of silence* oH WELL, WHAT CAN YA DO.” He tells the vision of bby!Gamora that his success cost “everything,” but the sum total of his personal sacrifices was Gamora.

Does it mean more when you’re willing to sacrifice the only person you love and actually care about? I don’t know. I will admit it does speak to a hell of a lot of determination to follow his chosen path, but it also pretty much erases all aspects of humanity (so to speak) from him; Red Skull basically said as much when he talked about the price of getting the Soul Stone. Love, actual real love, is selfless. It’s about putting your loved one’s needs before your own. Toxic love is seeing your loved one as a means to fulfilling your own needs. Do I believe Thanos loved Gamora in some way, as much as he was able? Yes. But he absolutely, 10000% did not love her the way a real parent should have, the way she deserved. No one decent fakes their death in front of someone they profess to love just to see how they react. No one decent murders their loved ones. Thanos tortured and emotionally abused Gamora for years, then has the audacity to try and tell her that the best parts of her came from him. Listen, Grape Nuts, the best parts of Gamora are there in spite of you. The only influence you had is this: she made herself what she was so that she’d be as little like you as possible.

And beyond that, trying to make his character sympathetic given the atrocities he’s committed is asking us to completely ignore the habitually sadistic and needlessly petty things he’s done. Let’s look at this logically: he’s doing this because he’s trying to ~save the universe~, right? It’s all for the “””greater good””” (if I airquote any harder I will break my fingers). So explain to me how, exactly, child abuse fits into that plan? What was the point to mutilating Gamora and Nebula? Okay, he needed soldiers to help him search--because he’s too lazy to get off his ass and go find the damn Stones himself--but clearly he’s distressingly skilled at emotional abuse and brainwashing, so why not just treat Gamora and Nebula well and raise them a la the Mother Gothel Stockholm Syndrome parenting style? Or look at the dwarves--he held the dwarves hostage for the sake of his shiny codpiece gauntlet, then murdered all but one of them, then cut off Eitri’s hands, destroying his ability to make things, which is probably largely what Eitri defined himself by. Where exactly is Thanos’ ‘half the planet’ balance bullshit there? That’s nothing but pure cruelty. If he’s doing this for the sake of the universe, not to get his prunes rocks off, why does he say (and I’m paraphrasing here) “I will look out on a new dawn and a grateful universe.” So now he expects praise for genocide? What happened to doing it solely for the continuation of life? 

Look at how he goes about getting the Stones. He already had one when he went after the Asgardian survivors, plus his own natural strength; he wasn’t exactly going to come up against any real resistance. But instead of going after Loki, he tortures Thor until Loki gives up the Tessaract. Ditto with getting the Soul Stone’s location from Gamora--instead of torturing her, he literally rips Nebula apart. He forces the people who can lead him to Stones to choose between a person they love and the universe, rather than just going after the people in question personally. It’s not faster, it’s not any more efficient, it’s just sadism.

And his whole comment about saying the purge will be done at random, just a roll of the dice--you expect us to believe that it’s pure coincidence that of all the people he disintegrated on Earth, most of the Avengers/Guardians got toasted? That him taking out everyone who faced him personally on Titan--except Nebula, who gets to live knowing Gamora is dead because she couldn’t stand seeing her tortured, and Tony, who had to watch a child he felt responsible for get vaporized--was just coincidence? I’m no expert on probability, but I call the shittiest of bullshit on that being ‘random.’

A L S O, Peter (Parker) disintegrated a lot more slowly than all the other deaths; I mean, he had time for several last words when pretty much all the other characters were gone before the people around them could react. And you expect me to believe that was just happenstance? That Thanos didn’t do that right in front of Tony on purpose? And we’re still supposed to believe that Thanos is on some righteous mission guided only by logic and wanting what’s best for the universe? We’re still supposed to view him as a sympathetic villain?

HELL NO. He is a hypocrite and a sadist and a maniac, and the fact that he is trying to address a genuine problem (in the bloodiest way possible) does not excuse him. His whole schtick throughout the movie is that he is suffering too, that he is sacrificing, that he’s taking the hard road because he is the only one with the will to do it. Protip: murdering people to “solve” a problem is not the hard road, especially not when you can do it by snapping your fingers. Erasing their lives clearly has no emotional toll on him whatsoever, so how exactly is it the hard road?

Because really, the guy can turn people into noodles, but he couldn't terraform some asteroids or vacant moons into fertile farming ground? Couldn’t mass produce Wakandan technology? Couldn’t use the Reality Stone to jump into the Star Trek universe and figure out how to create food replicators? Couldn’t visit planets one by one and use the Stones to erase pollution, balance out weather patterns, restore forests? It’s not like he doesn’t have the free time; from what we’ve seen of him in the other movies, Grape Nuts has been doing little more than sitting in a variety of ostentatious chairs in space doing shit-all besides wasting oxygen. What if some of the people he erases from each planet are the Shuris or Tonys of those planets? What if they were the minds who were going to come up with the answers to solving food shortages, eliminating pollution? What if they would have found the solutions to saving their respective planets in just a few more years?

And what is he gonna do when people reproduce? Because 'murder half of everyone’ is not a long-term solution. Look at Earth, for example. At present, according to Google, there are 7.442 billion people on the planet. Dusting half of the Earth’s population would mean 3.721 billion deaths. Current estimates are that 131.4 million people are born on Earth each day. At that rate, you know how long it would take for our population to return to 7.442 billion? 28 years. That’s it. It’d take just 28 years for those 3.721 billion lives to be replaced (so to speak). That’s nothing in the scope of the life of a planet. It’d probably take that long just for the lessened burden on the planet to start having some physical effects, vis-à-vis strengthened atmosphere from decreased pollution, replenished plant and animal life, etc. Now, granted, you can assume that birth rates would also drop about 50% due to little things like, you know, people’s spouses being slaughtered and near-crippling shock and emotional trauma. On the other hand, some people are going to look at how there’s now so much less competition for resources and figure they can have more kids than they planned to because they can actually afford to do so now. So maybe birth rates only drop by 25%. That reduces things to about 98.55 million births per day. At that rate, it’d take about 38 years to return to our current population, rounding up. Assuming that other alien species have roughly the same birth rates, and the same instinctual biological urge to reproduce like crazy when their species’ survival is at risk, that means that universal population numbers will be right back where they were pre-universal genocide in about 40 years. What is Thanos going to do about that? Crawl out from under his rock and murder a new batch of people every half-century or so?

Now, that being said, I can admit that yes, the IW approach to Thanos is an interesting and nuanced tack to take with a villain. It is admittedly more merciful to just dust people in a couple of heartbeats rather than lining them up and slaughtering them, if only in the sense that there’s less fear and suffering. It is interesting to contrast Thanos’ view--that he can, will, and must sacrifice the one person he loves for the sake of the universe--with that of the Avengers/Guardians, who want to save their loved ones and the universe, who want victory without sacrificing anyone but themselves. It’s chilling to see where supposedly good intentions can lead, to see the kind of damage madmen can cause when they’re mad, but still sane and logical. It makes the audience uncomfortable when presented with a villain who is capable of love, capable of gently hypocritically comforting Wanda, an enemy right before he immediately invalidates her sacrifice by bringing Vision back, makes her watch Vision die a second time, and then backhands her like he’s swatting a fly. Thanos is very good at being a very bad guy, and if he wasn’t the arbiter of so much pointed cruelty that did nothing to advance his plans, I’d even believe he really was just on a ‘righteous’ but misguided crusade, that he didn’t enjoy what he was doing on some level.

Tl;dr: Is Thanos a compelling villain? Absolutely. But you cannot convince me that he is a sympathetic one.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi! Do you like Gone with the Wind and what do you think about Scarlett O'Hara?

So.  Gone with the Wind and I have a complicated relationship.

I.  I’m a young child.  Maybe seven or eight.  My mom’s playing Gone with the Wind, which she would because my mom loves it.  It’s pretty boring, though I distinctly remember bits like Scarlett getting drunk after her second husband’s death and Scarlett and Rhett dancing while she’s in her widow’s weeds.  But there’s a scene I find particularly disgusting--when some guy’s leg gets amputated.  It’s gross and gory (to little me) so I’m like fuck this shit.

II.  I’m thirteen, in the eighth grade.  Gone with the Wind is a classic, and I was on a classic kick at the time because I’d just read Wuthering Heights and decided that it was one of my favorite books ever (it still is).  I check GWTW out from the library, and UGH, a fire is lit.  I devour that long-ass book.  I read it again.  I go on various websites dissecting it, read articles and analyses of what it all meant.  I watch the movie, buy the DVD, buy an ancient copy of the book because it’s beautiful and a paperback because I need more than one copy.  I read my mom’s book about the making of the movie, watch other movies Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh did.  I make the book the centerpiece of my final project/paper for 11th grade high school English, basically about how Rhett symbolized reconstruction south and Ashley symbolized the antebellum.  (I get an A.)  

III.  Some time passes.  I read more about how Butterfly McQueen felt about her role as Prissy--and I’m increasingly made more uncomfortable with her scenes.  I read about the paradox roles like Prissy and Mammy present, because while they’re not good representation for black women, it’s not like we can dismiss the importance of Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win or the quality of those performances.  I think about what it means, exactly, that the movie cut the KKK plot from the book (and how did Margaret Mitchell feel about that plot--does the fact that Rhett, a character who symbolizes inevitable and necessary progressive change, think it’s bullshit mean something?).  And what about that marital rape scene?

Basically, I think that a lot of what you’ll see old white male film critics (who never consider the book, which admittedly aside from a few changes like aforementioned KKK plot and Scarlett’s first two children) critique about GWTW is bullshit.  The story itself, from a story perspective, is epic and complex.  It’s both entertaining and deep--there is intentional symbolism, there are incredibly deep characters.  I think it’s so important that the book was written by a woman and is about a woman--and a woman who isn’t good at all, but is selfish and sexually voracious and not a good mother or friend.  But who does love people truly and deeply, and doesn’t do what she does solely for personal gain (though that’s often her motivation).  Scarlett’s a real human being.  So is Rhett.  Many of the other characters are plot device-y, but those two felt and still feel wholly real to me.  (And though Melanie isn’t super real I love her anyway.)  

The issues with Gone with the Wind have nothing to do with things like character and story and everything to do with the fact it’s dated and inherently problematic.  Though I should note that Margaret Mitchell apparently disliked that the movie turned the story into a romantic ode to the bygone era of the south, when Mitchell herself evidently saw it as a story about how the south of Scarlett’s childhood had to die.  It was weak and unsustainable, like Ashley.  Does this mean she was progressive?  No.  There’s something wrong with Mammy’s undying loyalty to Scarlett, despite her critiques of the woman.  The slaves are treated as simpletons, more in the movie than in the book.  In the book you see Scarlett think stupid shit like “well the slaves wouldn’t get on without us” but you’re also like mmmm Scarlett is a dumbass a lot of the time and couldn’t do a lot of what she does without Mammy, SOOOO what’s really going on here.  I don’t know if that was intentional on Mitchell’s part, so I can’t critique it.

It’s impossible for the material to not be dated and problematic and I think that it’s important to consume it with a critical eye.  But yes, I absolutely love Gone with the Wind.  It’s one of my favorite books and favorite movies and Scarlett O’Hara is one of my favorite characters.

(I didn’t address the marital rape scene because... it’s another thing I have very mixed feelings about.  And I basically have to measure the scene by the way that Scarlett feels about it--which is also mixed.  Do I think it’s problematic that her reaction to that scene is basically “best sex of my life”?  Yes.  Do I think it’s out of character that Scarlett, a malicious person who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on others, who has enjoyed fighting with Rhett most of their relationship even before they married, and loves getting a rise out of him to find that experience thrilling?  Not really.  Does that absolve Rhett?  Nope.  But there’s also an element of “they deserve each other” to Scarlett and Rhett’s relationship tbh because while he’s hideous to her at points, she’s also incredibly emotional manipulative and abusive to him at times.  I’ll also say that the scene is waaaay more interesting in the book, for obvious reasons because the movie at the time couldn’t show what happened AFTER they went into the bedroom.  And even in the book it’s vague, but it’s debated for a reason.)

I love Scarlett so much and I measure a good character by Scarlett sometimes.  She’s just such a hateful person, and yet so many of us love her?  She’s an antihero, a borderline villain to be honest.  When you really look at GWTW, it’s this 12-year saga of a woman-child who wraps people around her little finger romantically and platonically, is incredibly jealous and vindictive and basically sets out to ruin another woman’s life because of events entirely out of her control.  She’s a horrible wife, basically not giving a fuck about her first husband, only marrying the second because she needs cash (and ruining her own sister’s prospects in the process) and ignoring the fact that she loves Rhett and absolutely destroying him emotionally in part because... he genuinely loves her?  She genuinely loves him?  It’s complicated.  Also she’s like the worst mom and it’s kind of HILARIOUS in a dark way.  Scarlett being like “BE A LITTLE MAN WADE” to her sobbing toddler in wartorn Georgia as they struggle to escape Atlanta is... terrible but iconic.  It’s implied that her second child suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome and Scarlett just dislikes her because she’s ugly.  Rhett is literally a better parent to his two stepchildren than their own mother, which isn’t saying shit because Rhett is a human disaster whose indulgence of his child indirectly leads to her death.

But the thing is that I admire so much Scarlett’s ability to survive.  Her sheer determination and resilience.  I think the book is kind of about the fact that in order to survive certain things, you have to let your inner rabid animal out.  You can’t necessarily be a good person and live through certain traumas, and that’s... okay.  Maybe you can recover your goodness, but if letting go of it means that you’ll keep your life and your sanity intact--that shit happens.  And it’s also about growing up and shedding the dreams of what you thought life would be, accepting the reality that the world has given you.  That’s what Scarlett as a character is about, really.  

And just as landmarks of fiction, the book and the movie are hugely impactful.  The book contributed heavily to the idea of the flawed female protagonist, sometimes the antagonist of her own story.  It’s an erotic read, and the movie for the day was an erotic movie--and that eroticism is targeted towards WOMEN, the female audience.  Scarlett is allowed to be a sexual being--in fact, it’s a big part of the Ashley vs. Rhett conflict.  Sure, Ashley is her romantic dream, but what if a woman doesn’t just want romance?  What about the sexual side of her that isn’t necessarily about love--it’s about getting fucked and well?  (Say what you will about That Scene, but the image of Vivien Leigh SINGING in bed after implied sex was a pretty big deal for the 1930s, esp. when it came to mainstream blockbusters.)  God, what about the fact that though Rhett leaves her at the end, Scarlett isn’t necessarily “punished” in one big sweeping way.  Her life is a nightmare, sure--she loses her parents, her favorite child, her unborn baby, the husband she loves ditches her after she finally realizes that she loves him.  But she’s alive.  She’s got her ancestral home.  She lives to fight another day and ends the story with hope.  After all she’s done, the story STILL lets her have another shot at life.  Hell, she’s still only in her late twenties.  Few male protagonists got away with that kind of shit, let alone females.  I love it.

Also, she definitely gets Rhett back after the book is done, I’m not saying it’s right or fair, I’m saying that Rhett Butler is her emotional bitch and there’s no way he didn’t take her back eventually, the end.  

[vincent-marie]

An Impromptu Look Back on “The Incredibles”

So, in light of the recent release of "The Incredibles 2" trailer, I decided to rewatch the original. (Like I hadn't already watched it a thousand times in high school.) And I have to say it holds up really well, for the most part. It was Pixar's first successful attempt to portray human characters, taking on a more cartoony, stylized look for its character design, with a bit of a 1960s visual aesthetic in its color and set designs.

The film is flawed, as the lesson/character arc of the movie is a bit hard to read, what with so much action going on with so many characters. But for the most part a lot of us can agree that Bob goes through an arc realizing that trying to relive the past as a superhero has only caused damage to his family. One could argue he should have realized this much earlier in his life considering he has gotten in trouble before and uprooted the family on more than one occasion. (And frankly I'd have to agree with that argument; how many times is he going to screw up before Helen has had enough?)

But also since there's such an array of characters in the film, a lot of them feel a bit short-changed in terms of development. I always felt the kids didn't get enough setup before the rising action really kicked in, Violet especially. Dash got to have that scene of him getting in trouble during class, but with Violet she has to fall back on the archetype of the mopey teen who's unsure of herself. Having BEEN a mopey teen unsure of themselves, Violet was easily the character I identified with the most, and I was disappointed she didn't get a lot of development in the final cut of the film.

Admittedly I can kind of forgive that as we're only now trying to get our act together when it comes to female representation. But also the movie is nearly two hours long, and since Pixar was looking to make their usual family fare and not something on par with "X-Men" or "The Dark Knight", I can understand their need to trim for time.

The only thing that really made me cringe a little was Frozone's wife Honey's offscreen voice. Sassy black woman stereotype. Yikes.

Although, speaking of Frozone, it is pretty funny to watch this movie now, seeing Samuel L. Jackson loan his voice to an Iceman parallel before he was the iconic Nick Fury in the MCU.

Now I'm going to address the self-important elephant in the room. As of recently, if not for a while, critics and conservatives have read this movie, and, by extension, the entire Brad Bird filmography, as pro-objectivism or in favor of Ayn Rand's philosophies.

I might be able to see that a little bit, but only on the most superficial of surface levels. Something about how Bob is bitching about "celebrating mediocrity" and then later Syndrome saying how he plans to make everyone super, thereby no one will be super, and that apparently parallels with objectivism's idea of inflated sense of self-importance.

Look, I don't have the patience or the stomach to do any real research on objectivism beyond the basic core of it. Objectivist ideas make my head spin and the people who live by this "philosophy" are some of the worst, morally bankrupt human beings on the planet. My fellow Americans need look no further than our current Tumor in Chief and his corporate cronies.

The bottom line of objectivism is that one should only look out for their own self-interest, no one else’s. And as you can imagine, that literally makes me sick.

With all that in mind, that is why I think objectivist readings of "The Incredibles" fall flat on their asses. There is only one, maybe two characters who live under that kind of mindset. First you have Bob's boss at the insurance company, who has no sympathy for their clients who have suffered losses and need help, and he only cares about the company's benefit.

Then, of course, you have Syndrome, the villain of the movie. The one that we’re NOT supposed to root for. He doesn't care that he murdered several super-powered beings so he can steal the spotlight from them and LOOK like a hero, without actually carrying the noble goals and values that should propel such actions in the first place. Nor does he care about murdering innocents in the crossfire or his second-in-command being in danger when her life is threatened.

If anything, the day was saved due to Mirage, aforementioned second-in-command, performing selfless actions that could very well get her terminated in more ways than one. She freed Mr. Incredible to let him know his family survived, and she helped them access the rocket that got them back to the mainland so they could save the day. She had absolutely nothing to gain in helping them; if anything she has everything to lose if she got caught. But she still helped them.

Because, in her words, “Valuing life is not weakness... And disregarding it is not strength.”

(That line of dialogue actually made a bit of an impact on me as a kid, and Mirage doesn't get nearly enough credit for the awesome character she is.)

My point is the folks who read objectivism in this movie are REALLY grasping at straws to try to find something more mainstream with objectivist elements. (These days they don't need to look that hard; they can just watch a Zack Snyder movie for that pseudo-philosophical backwash.) It's like when people accused Rainbow Dash of being an angry lesbian stereotype; too caught up in the small, superficial elements to see the big picture.

But even with the flaws and popular conspiracy theories in mind, I still love the film. Honestly, it's my personal favorite Pixar movie to this day. The design work is excellent, the characters are likable and fun, and even now with the current superhero boom the idea of superhero-meets-family-comedy is surprisingly creative and very novel.

And with the superhero popularity in mind, I am quite looking forward to what direction they'll take in the long-awaited sequel. (I know with some folks the worst they could do would be to make it bland, but I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that they don't screw it up like "X-Men 3".)

[willreadforbooze]

Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

It’s Magical Readathon!! Working hard to be a Metal Charmer. It’s also Tome Topple, so I’ve started my Tomes as well =). It was an ok week, that ended with the premiere of GoT so color me happy.

What Sam finished this week:

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen: This is the story of Shalia, a desert woman who enters into an arranged marriage with a king to save her people. The king is a raging abusive asshole, but she’s trying her best. She’s also figured out that she’s got #forbiddenpowers so. I wanted to like this so much more. Maybe it was the audio narrator but damn that girl sounded so naive. She was also real dumb. The only reason this pushed up a star for me was because of the brilliant consent scene.

Transfiguration: Mirage by Somaiya Daud: I’m about half way through this book. It’s a eastern inspired sci-fi with our main lady Amani, taken from her home to serve as a body double for the crown princess, who is literally the worst. I super enjoyed this. It had the tropes that I wanted, it had good themes, and it had a decent character arc. However, not much actually happened in this book. More a set up for book 2, which i will absolutely be reading.

Divination: Space Opera by Cathrynne M. Valente: This was the book I didn’t know I needed. A hysterical story about the impending annihilation of earth/humanity by blue flamingo aliense unless two has been rock stars, Decibal and Oort, can win a singing competition. I gobbled up this book and my only disappointment was there wasn’t more. I think Linz did a review.

What Sam’s reading now:

It’s O.W.L.s Magical Readathon and Tome Topple bitches!!

History of Magic: Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay: This is the story of a conquered land, including the province of Tigana, who’s name cannot be remembered unless you were born there. (Very Weep from Strange the Dreamer). I’m audio and physically reading this book. Liking it so far, but I’m struggling with keeping names in place. What I liked in A Brightness Long Ago (my first novel by Kay), was he had a character list at the beginning. This could benefit from that. Otherwise, enjoying the hell out of political machinations.

Ginny’s Update:

Sam and I both missed Dewey’s readathon last weekend so we did a mini-readathon for ourselves this Saturday.  I may have been massively hungover (I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to hangovers), but I still managed to fit some books in.  

Currently Reading:

Say Yes To The Marquess by Tessa Dare: I almost returned this earl considering how similar it is to a book I read like a week ago, I’m only a few pages in so not sure I have much to say yet. This is the second in a series, and I have very little memory of the first book and I still haven’t seen the connecting thread but I still have 90% or more to go so that’s fair. Whatshername is engage to marry a dude who then left the country for 8 years. She no longer wants to marry him because that’s kind of a dick decision, but she needs his brother’s help to break the marriage.  And surprise surprise, he’s supes in love with her.  I wonder what will happen (I’m pretty sure the romance kick I’m on will tone down a little at some point – but I really do love walking into a book knowing there’s going to be a little bit of angst before a happily ever after).

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant:  Yeah, I know I finished a bunch of other books this week.  I usually keep up two to three at a time (kindle, phone, and physical)physical books take me the longest to read and I have 9 ebooks from the library (down from 11 on Friday) that I need to get through. I’m not far into this yet but I love the way Mira/Seanan writes these stories.  They build up so beautifully and I can’t wait for the catastrophe.

Completed this week:

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole: Man, Alyssa Cole is absolutely amazing.  I found myself a little frustrated with the hero, I felt he could be incredibly stupid by not understanding the level of danger he was putting the heroine in just by being interested in her. But this book dealt with a lot of consent issues really well.  Elle, the heroine, was a complete badass with an eidetic memory, and she goes undercover well, pretending to be a mute slave in a Southern plantation.  Malcolm comes and accidentally causes a number of problems. From the beginning their immediately all about each other.  I thought that came on a little bit too quickly, mostly because of societal expectations, but at the same point god they’re so charming.  Elle tries so hard not to like him, but couldn’t help herself. 4/5

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal: This book was a delight. Nikki signs up to teach an English class at the Sikh Temple that she had attended for years. It’s a not-so-pleasant surprise that instead of teaching creative writing, she’s supposed to teach the women how to read and write. It quickly devolves into the widows talking about what would normally be taboo – the fantasies that the widows had been thinking of. I’m hoping I can get a review out of this so I’m not going to say more, but very enjoyable.

The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry: Natalie Cleary is having trouble staying in place, meaning that for whatever reason she has these slips where the world is subtly wrong; there’s a wing on the church that hadn’t existed before, a family friend’s business has suddenly disappeared, and more.  This is another one I’m planning on reviewing mostly because I’m a little bit conflicted and I feel like getting drunk and writing about it will make things more clear, because obviously that’s the way the world works.

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome by John Scalzi: This is a quasi-prequel to the Locked In series that John Scalzi has (which Sam, Parker, and I all LOVE). This goes back to the beginning of Haden’s syndrome, and honestly the formatting for this was great, it was done in an interview style which helped tell the story from multiple perspectives. It was still laugh out loud funny (I feel like all of Scalzi’s stories probably fit that, but it should still be mentioned). This helped me understand the full impact that Haden’s syndrome had on the world.  Frankly, it was a little bit terrifying to read at times. Still, it’s a very solid novella-length read.

Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh: The beautiful thing about my tbr is I honestly forget the back-cover summaries of books that have been there for a while and get to go into the book with no expectations. It’s YA where a matched set of spheres gives you a particular extra ability, some small, some  big. Shit goes down and teenagers are saving the world.  Planning on writing a review on this too.

  Minda’s Update:

O.W.Ls Magical Readathon week 3! Completed my Ancient Ruins and Defense Against the Dark Arts exams. Now pivoting to a Tome Topple book that also counts for the Arithmancy exam as well.

What Minda finished this week:

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Ancient Ruins) – I’m so happy I read this! A great retelling of a conglomerate of fairytales without relying on major tropes. Can’t wait to review! Ancient Ruins ✅

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (Defense Against the Darks Arts) – This was such a slog. And such a bummer because the premise was killer! But, still finished it. Drunk reviewrant to come. Defense Against the Darks Arts ✅

What Minda is reading this week:

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (Arithmancy) – I was going to read a different book to achieve the OWLs/Tome Topple challenge, but Sam and Ginny recommended this one while we did wine night on Friday. Looking forward to starting!

Linz’s Update:

You guys last week was so brutal. And then I got drunk all weekend. BUT the DragonCon costume lineup is in place and Game of Thrones starts back up tonight!!!

What Linz read:

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay: I’M DONE. BOOM. Everyone on here’s reading it for book club, so I’m pretty sure someone’s mentioned already what it’s about. It’s pretty damn epic for a standalone, and it was not burdensome to read. Liked, not loved.

Family Trust by Kathy Wang: The patriarch of a Chinese American family finds out he has cancer, and his family finds out he might not be the millionaire he’s always claimed to be. I love a diversity read, and I didn’t not enjoy reading this, but I feel like there’s a lot of books about a dying rich father that explores how people deal with grief and life, and this didn’t excel at it.

Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small: We were lucky enough to get an advanced copy for the blog tour, so look out for our review May 14! All I will say is if you’re into a darker look at the world of ballet, you’re going to really like this.

What Liz is currently reading:

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto: This is one of my OWLs readathon picks, It’s kind of complicated – two royal sisters waged a war against each other that, among other things, led to the end of the elite Phoenix Rider fighters. Years later, two sisters are trying to find the underground remnants of the group, There’s also two other storylines with dudes that I CANNOT predict the direction of, and also some magic and also phoenixes. Very into it.

Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken: This book dropped, like, last month. A woman mysteriously appears in a New England town, with no memory of who she was and how she got there. Years later, after she dies, a man shows up claiming to be her son and heir to the fortune she built. It’s more lighthearted than creepy or weird, kind of like Big Fish? So far I’m into it.

 Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

 Weekly Wrap-up: Apr 8-14, 2019 Hello fellow boozie readers! Sam's Update: It's Magical Readathon!! Working hard to be a Metal Charmer.