#stan the maine or PERISH

[alexxgaskarth]

[thicctails]

@thundersteel this one's for you~ Thanks for giving me an excuse to blabber 'bout this au! This post really got away from me lol, kinda becoming a mini fic for a while there.

So, the catalyst for I Grow Maddened (with grief) happens between The Last Mabelcorn and Dipper and Mabel vs The Future, with the twins dying before the Rift gets broken by Bill. Ford captures the creature (not sure what exactly it will be yet, but something with large claws for sure) likely while they're gone on the road trip, and it escapes and attacks Stan, Dipper, Mabel and Soos while he is down in his lab trying to figure out what to do about the Rift.

He only realizes something is wrong when Stan barges in, holding his bleeding stomach and screaming for Ford to come and help. Any anger at being disturbed by his brother is immediately drowned out when Stan collapses, clearly very hurt. His multiverse survival skills get him upstairs in record time, but he's too late: the damage has already been done. Soos is knocked unconscious and the twins are sprawled unmoving on the blood-soaked floor. The creature takes advantage of his shock and manages to catch his right eye with two of its claws before Ford recovers and manages to kill it. He tries everything to save Dipper and Mabel, but their injuries are too severe.

Ford panics when he realizes what's happened, knowing that losing the twins will kill Stan. They are his brother's closest family members, and Ford has just allowed his work to kill them. When Stan finds out, Ford knows that whatever fractured bond they have now will shatter irreparably.

Which is why Stan can not find out.

That absolute truth kickstarts Ford to action, running on autopilot while his mind tries to force what he has just seen into a little box to unpack later. He rushed back down to his lab and finds Stan slumped over, bloodied almost as much as the kids were, yet still breathing. Stan rolled the dice and landed a saving throw, it seems.

Years of living in monster-filled Gravity Falls and even more years spent being a multidimension-hopping criminal has left Ford with incredible first aid skills, and he manages to get Stan to a state where he wont, you know, die when Ford moves him to his bunker. Its a struggle; his twin has quite a bit of pudge and even more muscle, but Ford manages to drag him up to the main floor and out to good ol' El Diablo without injuring him further. The dark night sky masks his shameful, selfish act well, and he freezes Stan without issue, if you don't count his minor breakdown and bout of vomiting that occurs when he catches sight of the form a frozen Shifty has taken.

Soos is awake when he returns. Ford knows because he can hear the young man sobbing and screaming hysterically from well outside the Shack. He's almost mirroring Ford's earlier actions, frantically trying to stop any more blood from escaping the now cooling, tiny bodies. He catches Ford's gaze, and instantly begs for the elder Pines twin to help him.

Coward that he is, Ford can only give the handyman a deeply remorseful look as he slowly shakes his head.

It takes nearly an hour to convince Soos to let him get near the bodies once he realizes that it was Ford's captured creature that stole the life from his grand niblings. The man was closer to them than Ford had realized, and it only makes the gaping wound in his heart deepen as he watches him hold Dipper and Mabel close to him, uncaring that his shirt is now more red than green. He only allows Ford to take them when he points out that they will begin to rot if they stay where they are. As Ford leaves, he fishes one of those cellular mobile phones out of his pocket and shakily begins to dial someone's number.

It's not the police, not with the way Soos hesitates for so long before pressing the call button.

There is a large freezer within his lab, used for storing perishable specimens and the occasional popsicle. He lays Dipper and Mabel there for now; he will scour the valley for the perfect resting place when he has the mental capacity to grasp that they are truly gone.

When he returns, Soos is leaning against a doorframe, one hand holding his bleeding cheek as the other holds his device. Ford can faintly hear a feminine voice shouting on the other end, and he faintly recognizes it as the red headed cashier girl, Boyish Dan's daughter, if he remembers correctly.

In what seems to be his next breath, pain erupts across his jaw as someone delivers a powerful left hook directly into his face. There is screaming, the same as before but much louder now. He must have disassociated, because the girl is standing over him now, tears streaming down her face. Soos is beside her in a moment, pulling her into a hug as they both cry into each other's shoulder.

Ford cries as well, but the other two could care less. It is only what he deserves.

Yeesh, sad yet? I was originally just going to focus on Ford (and he's still my main focus) but then i realized that pretty much no one includes Wendy and Soos in AU's like these (heavy emphasis on Soos, my mans is done dirty) so i workshopped them in.

Soos is Ford's companion in the multiverse, coming along mostly to be a familiar face to whatever Dipper/Mabel they decide to 'adopt/rescue', but also to make sure Ford doesn't kill himself through neglect. He knows what happened was an accident, and he knows how badly Ford has been affected by everything, but a small part of him remains angry at the scientist. Dipper and Mabel were like younger siblings to him after the whole Globnar situation, and Stan is like a father to him. He leaves his handyman hat behind "until he can fix this" and instead sports a protective bandana and Dipper's Pterodactyl tooth.

Wendy absolutely blames Ford for what happened, and only doesn't enact lumber-justice because she also wants Dipper and Mabel back. She has taken up the role of Waddle's caretaker and occasional helper to McGucket, who is monitoring both the portal and Stan. The man feels he owes it to Dipper and Mabel to help, since they helped him get his memory back. She can usually be seen sporting the Huggy Wuvvy Tummy Bundle for Waddles and one of Mabel's sweaters wrapped around her waist. She and her friends also help keep the Shack functional, though she can't bring herself to go into the "incident room."

[petertoddgrayson]

These incels love to scorn Babs because her alternate version from another universe slept with an alternate version of Bruce but conveniently forget that Main Continuity Dick Grayson fucked her bestfriend. What a bunch of asshat misogynists.

I love DickBabs because they compliment each other well not because Dick is some prize to get. I am a staunch fan of their pairing, hence I created this sub, but I will not turn a blind eye to Dick's imperfections. AntiDickBabs stans will complain about Barbara's bitchy attitude but what did Dick do?

- Slept with Helena, Babs' bestfriend, and then called Babs the moment the deed was over. He is very much aware of the romantic tension between them and still proceeded to slap Babs with his sexcapade.

-Slept with Helena right after he broke up with Shawn. Poor Shawn had a relapse after seeing her boyfriend (who claimed to want a life with her) immediately went to town with another woman.

-Flirted with Vicki Vale then went on a monologue how Babs feels like home.

-Slept with Alia while claiming to be in love with Babs, then had a thing with Helena but had the audacity to be upset when Babs dates Luke.

-Made a very insensible remark about Babs' disability. "Don't make me regret putting an elevator here".

*And for the record, y'all can't say Babs slutshamed Dick because she never knew that Tarantula raped him. That feat belongs to Kory ALONE.*

-Attempted to pull a Paul move by trying to kiss Babs despite being aware that she is currently dating Luke.

-Had the audacity to propose to Babs after he slept with Kory in Outsiders run. Dick knew that chances of him dying in Infinite Crisis is high, so he proposed all the while turning a blind eye to how grave it's implications to Babs would be should he really perish from the whole ordeal. Babs would've been scarred for life.

**Ship stans like to paint Barbara as a bitchy whore when she's the only one in this whole mess who hasn't boned anyone's bestfriend, sibling, or some bestfriend's ex** *eyes Helena, Dick and Kory.*

Huntwing stans who pin DCAU Babs' affair with Bruce to degrade DickBabs in Main Continuity are one of the biggest imbeciles I've seen because Helena openly flirted and groped Bruce in the same franchise. Both are alternate universe events and shouldn't be used to detract the ships' merit in the Main Universe, but I guess, in their judgement it only applies with Helena.

I am not a hater of DickBabs, **I'm fucking fanatic of it**. My huge ass pile of DickBabs post in my profile will be the proof of that. I am just tired how unfairly Babs is being treated in the fandom with all these double standards **"It's a mischaracterization if it's Kory or Dick but with Babs it's not**". Stop with all the double standards. Babs is not lucky to have Dick; they're equally lucky to have each other and I dare say the same applies for other dickships. Dick is very far from perfect; so is Babs and everyone else. Stop putting characters in a fucking podium.

We have a DickBabs community on Reddit. You can use the link to join:

https://www.reddit.com/r/NightwingxOracle/s/OufZFNNzrM

Or simply search NightwingxOracle

[usagirln120]

Ben Hanscom: Hogwarts AU

Ben Hanscom is a Half-Blood (believed Muggleborn) wizard that was born on the 2nd of June 1980 and started attending Hogwarts on the 1st of September 1991, being sorted into Hufflepuff House.

His father was a wizard who had attended Illvermony and participated in the First Wizarding War where he unfortunately perished before letting his wife know that he was a wizard and she had let him know that she was pregnant, with her believing that he had somehow found out about it and ran off.

He had just moved to the United Kingdom from America when he got his letter and was hopeful that he would escape bullying at his new school but he was wrong which he realized pretty quickly when many Slytherins made him a target because he was Muggleborn.

The only friend he had before becoming a member of Makarov's Army was Beverly Marsh with the two of them often studying together in the library or playing gobstones in the courtyard.

He was one of the many victims of the Bowers' Gang which is the main reason why he befriended the rest of the Losers' Club in the first place since he met them officially for the first time while they defended him from bullies.

He eventually went on the run with the rest of the Losers' Club except for Stan (who was still underage) to find Pennywise's horcruxes which was actually a benefit to him since it helped him to lose a few pounds.

He eventually participated in the Battle of Hogwarts which he survived and even managed to save the life of Beverly in the process.

He eventually started working at the Ministry in the Magical Disaster Department and got married to Beverly who he ended up having twin girls together with.

He has a Redwood wand with a Unicorn Hair core.

His Patronus is a Brown Bear.

His favorite subjects are Transfiguration and Herbology.

His least favorite subjects are Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions.

[phoenixtakaramono]

The Boys - 2 or 9

From the 🔥Choose Violence Ask Game🔥

Hullo, hullo, Anon! Apologies for taking so long. I don’t mind answering both. (*´∇｀*)

9) Worst part of The Boys canon

CW warning in this paragraph, but I despise The Deep for SA-ing Starlight (Annie January) and I despise *Homelander (John Gillman) for SA-ing William “Billy” Butcher’s wife, Rebecca Saunders. I have to put an asterisk next to HL though because it depends if Kripke decides to make TV canon follow comic canon where it turns out the “Homelander” who had SA-ed Butcher’s wife was actually Black Noir aka Homelander’s clone. I mean, I get why they went with the women getting s*xually assaulted (shock value, and to show that even superheroes in high positions can abuse their power) and they were able to make me discomforted which means they were successful at getting me to feel sympathetic for the victims and dislike Deep and HL (I’m neutral to Deep tbh but because of S1E1 I can never stan Deep on principle…but I get why there are people who thirst after his character; he’s the comic relief side character who’s amusingly pathetic and the actor who plays him is conventionally attractive).

Ironically though Homelander is a fun character to write as a milk-obsessed psychotic narcissistic sl*tty manchild who needs to be spanked (*coughs delicately* bullied *coughs*). So knowing comic canon, coupled with a writer and reader bias, has softened my stance on HL. He’s not quite my homicidal babygirl that I will defend to the grave, but I do have a soft spot for fictional crazy yanderes.

Another part of canon I’d say I don’t like is…we all know the pain that is awaiting us at the finale. It ain’t a happy story. It’s a Shakespearean tragedy—with the anti-capitalist commentary on the establishment/ system in place being the true enemy. It’s gonna be the whole Plato’s Cave Allegory.

And only Hughie (and Annie?) is going to be the survivors in the end. Yaadaa yaadaa about how power corrupts. How Hughie was the only one who broke from the cycle of revenge (notice how his fiery motivation to avenge Robin seems to be dwindling with each episode?), and how he’s going to use this as a learning experience to not follow in Butcher’s footsteps.

Watch. It’s my show prediction. But you can’t tell me it isn’t very likely the show won’t go in this direction. I’m anticipating a bittersweet show finale (personally I’d make Ryan perish towards the end so it can serve as the straw that broke the camel’s back and make Homelander go off the deep end):

But it’s very possible Kripke chickens out from the absolutely devastating annihilation of all The Boys main cast (save H+A) and preserves Ryan’s life in the end as an emotional send-off for Hughie and Annie to raise (because it also presents an opportunity for the writers to tug at our emotional heartstrings by making a S2 callback to Billy’s promise to Becca to protect her son; he protects Becca’s son from Homelander and from himself, leaving Ryan in the hands of the people who Billy can trust to take care of him in his stead and to give the boy the life that he deserves which Billy cannot provide for him). It all very much depends on the writer’s intent—and which option that the showrunners will think can make the largest impact.

2) A compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

Ah, see, this is a wee complicated because if I’m being honest, my fave is, unsurprisingly, Kimiko. (*coughs* Asian solidarity *coughs* if you do Asian representation right and I like the character, I will automatically like the Japanese or Chinese character in your show.) And between her and Frenchie…let’s just say Kimiko is the one who pegs in the bedroom.

(You cannot tell me, looking at this photo of her, that you cannot see her Top energy. She might be a total sweetheart, cute and petite and lovable, but she can benchpress Frenchie to kingdom come and back—and he’d love it.)

But I know that’s not what you come here for. You’re here for:

Homelander (my favorite psychopath to write about—and why I think he’s a pretty Bottom Pillow Princess):

…Do I even need a compelling argument? Mind you, I can see him topping (it’s instinctual)—but this be a man who we saw bossed around by Madelyn and Stormfront during their “bedroom activities.” Indulge him, stroke his ego, coddle him, treat him like a precious precious handsome boy, give him the unconditional love and human connection that he so desires—and he’s putty in your hands. Face it; he’s got the Bottom energy. Tired of the constant missionary s*x and want to spice things up in the bedroom? Curious about, I’dunno, BDSM? Homelander might hesitate at first, worrying about his super strength and the possibility of breaking you, but he’ll pretty soon be all for it once you get him hot and bothered. Want to be adventurous and suggest he take a d*ildo or strap-on or finger up to the prostate while you suck him off? *claps hands* It’s electric boogaloo time. This is the type of guy who probably destresses from his daily hero work and the pressure of being the face of Vought (and all the expectations that come with) by wanting to be pampered, petted, kissed, etc on his down time—and he’ll go down on his knees to eat you out or suck you off. It’s safer, you see, with your hands tangled in his hair, guiding his every move and being vocal with your wants and taking the control out of his hands—and he takes pleasure retreating into his little headspace with the knowledge that he’s making you feel good. He feels good. And you’ll reward him later for that, even if it’s a crazy idea like f*cking in the sky floating above the Empire State Building when it’s lights out or getting him off hidden out of view while he’s having a Zoom call with Ashley and Vought’s board of directors.

He’s the type of guy I can see, after a mindblowing org*sm, enjoying the aftercare that comes after.

Butcher (my favorite kind of Male Lead to write—and why I think he’s an absolute Top):

…You’re telling me, this 6'1" muscular guy who has SAS and Royal Marines and CIA field operative experience and duked it out with Homelander whilst on Temp-V, does not top? Excuse me, have you seen this GIF? Have you seen this episode? (Have you ever heard of a honeypot or honey trap operation? I bring it into my fics; it’s a genuine seduction tactic that a CIA officer may employ.)

Nuff said.

Plus, he’s the defacto leader of his ragtag motley crew of crooks, terrorists, Supes, and Hughie. He bosses them around—and they listen. You cannot tell me that bossiness doesn’t translate into the bedroom. For him to bottom, he’d lift his brows at you, smirk a little over the rim of the glass in his hand, and say he’ll think about it—provided you give him a little striptease show, darling. And maybe, just maybe, he might just give it a shot. And you’re flustered, face red and heart pounding, because he’s f*cked you within an inch of your life and your panties are hanging off your ankle, clothes disheveled, with his calloused fingers pressing deliciously against your thighs.

I can see him bottoming as a Special Occasion (anything for his babygirl who’s been good), but he’s Daddy. He’s Service Top vibes.

[thiswasinevitableid]

Day to Day (Indruck)

Runner Up in the "Location" mermay prompt was: A ship trapped in ice at the North Pole

No stranger, I, to the touch of steel

Or the honest fear any man can feel

But I long for dust under my heels

And a pocket full of pay

So I’ll take it from day to day

-Stan Rogers, “Take it Day to Day”

There were seventy-five of them at the start. Two fell ill and died before they became trapped. And when the captain and the officers decided there was no escaping the ice locking the Beacon in her tomb, they gave the men a choice: they could follow the captain and officers in search of land, of help, of another ship, of something. Or they could stay aboard and pray the ice released the ship before they all perished.

Forty left. Duck was one of the thirty-three to stay; they have no idea where the nearest help might be. Spring, however, will come like it always does. And with fewer men aboard they could better ration what food was left behind. 

Then the sirens came. 

Now Duck is the only man left. 

Four nights after he made the choice to stay, the song began. It promised him warmth, promised him shelter and a soft bed. There was shifting in corridors, footsteps on the deck as the other men followed the voice. 

Duck’s friend, Minerva, once told him he could be as stubborn as twenty mules. Maybe that was what stopped his feet, halfway from their hammock to the floor, and reminded him that there’s no way a shelter was waiting for him because he’s on a ship, hundreds of miles from civilization, that is currently stuck in the fucking ice. 

He counted seven splashes and a lot of screaming, but by the time he reached the main deck there was nothing he or any of the others could do but watch red bloom in the stray patches of water. 

He’d been able to convince the remaining men to plug their ears with rags or cotton from the infirmary, since the shimmering tails flashing through cracks in the ice left no doubt as to what was after them. Duck never believed in mermaids and such, not even as a kid. This is a hell of a time to find out he was wrong. 

The earplugs protected them for a few days, but some of the men got careless once they stopped seeing the sirens and removed them. That took five more in one swoop. Even when they didn’t take the cotton out at all and resorted to writing or mouthing their words to each other, it wasn’t enough; several of the sirens can sing in a way that allows either a very high or very low, thrumming melody to reach him, even through the cotton. 

Five days ago, he was too slow to grab the last of the other sailors and watched him fall to the ice. A blonde, male siren kept wordlessly singing until he could grab the man’s coat and pull him under. 

Worst of all, the entire time, his eyes and smile were on Duck, even as he dragged the poor guy down.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

There’s a reason Indrid rarely visits his kin. Their pod has only grown more ruthless since his brother took over, and were it not for the terms of his bargain, he wouldn’t come back at all. 

His comments that there are plenty of fish and other food for them beneath the ice have been brushed off in favor of going on a hunting spree of the humans above them. Half of them haven’t even been eaten; his brother or one of the others just killed them because they found it amusing.

Unfortunately his brother, Apollo, has picked up on his disdain for hunting humans and is going out of his way to chase off or otherwise interfere with Indrid’s ability to catch other food. So now he’s starving, horrified, and seriously considering risking breaking his promise in order to get out of here. 

He’s not quite ready for that risk, and so this afternoon he’s hauled himself up onto the ice to think. The ship towers above him, giving him an idea, and he checks the futures to see if there’s any chance of it working.  Then, with a great deal of concentration, he opens his mouth and begins to sing.

—---------------------------------------------

Duck’s gotten pretty good at telling which siren is trying to lure him out. There were seven, distinct songs to start, but lately there’s only one or two. The one starting up now is new. It feels sadder and eerier than the others, but he pulls the cotton from his pockets all the same. 

The first image of the song reaches him; a tin can. Some honey. A fork?

The only possible conclusion is that they’re fucking with him. And he’s had enough of being toyed with like a cornered mouse. 

He grabs a harpoon and carries it over to the source of the song. The siren is fully on the ice, eyes closed, and his silver and black tail is muted compared to the shine of the others Duck’s seen. 

Before he can say anything, the siren opens his eyes. They’re ember red, burning in a striking face. A face he knows. 

“Please, put down your weapon. I am not who you assume.”

“Oh yeah? How the hell can I be sure? For all I know y’all can shape shift!”

Red eyes blink, “Your accent is very charming.”

He raises the harpoon, “That ain’t an answer.”

The siren holds up his hands defensively, “It is not a power we possess. And even if it was, I am too weak to do much enchantment. That was why I was asking for food. I was trying to envision what might be on a ship such as this that you could share with me.”

“Why the fuck would I share? Ain’t you had enough to eat tearing apart a bunch of fellas who never did you any goddamn harm?” Were he not shaking from the cold, he’s positive he’d crack the handle.

“I have done no such thing! I do not kill humans.”

“Why the fuck should I believe you?”

“Did you recognize my song? You have heard them all by now.”

He shakes his head, “No, but that don’t prove much. Maybe you let someone else hunt for you.”

A sharp laugh, “Even of I pleaded, none of those here would. Do I look well fed to you?” He gestures to his tail and his arms.

“Okay, so you’re a little skinny.” He shivers; he needs to get back below and warm up, “fine. If I give you food will you fuck off?”

“Yes. Was that not clear?”

“No it wasn–fuck it, stay right there and don’t make a goddamn sound.” He stomps down into the galley, finds a tin of meat, and brings it back up, throwing it to the siren with more force than necessary. 

“Thank you.” A crunch as he bites through the lid, “ooh, very salty. I do wish they would put more sweet things in cans. I like them.” He looks up at Duck, silver hair catching in the breeze, “in an hour another siren will come to try and sing you down. You will resist him, as you have before, and he will not try again for two days.”

“How do you know that?”

“I can see the future.” He slides towards an opening in the ice, ��farewell.”

Duck watches him disappear, then goes below to huddle under as many blankets as he can find. 

—------------

“Hello? Duck Newton? I have something you need to hear.”

“What?” Duck sticks his head from the window, “and how do you-”

“-Know your name? Future-sight, remember?” The siren taps his head, “and what it has seen is of use to you. A great deal of your food is about to make you very ill.”

“Fuck. Which stuff?” He knows it’s ridiculous to trust him, but the last prediction was dead on and the last thing he needs is to get dysentery or some other shit.

“Primarily that in cans. And yes, I am aware that is a lot of it. If you bring me aboard, it will be easier for us to sort it.”

“....I’m keepin my rifle on me if you do.” 

“I foresaw as much. I do not begrudge you your precautions. If you want my help, please lower a boat. “

It takes some doing for him to get the boat down and back up on his own. The siren flops out of it, situates himself against the hull as Duck brings up a crate of food. They spend the next hour–minus a brief trip back to the water for the siren–separating good from bad. The siren, Indrid, looks ahead to see if opening a given can leads to Duck getting sick. By the end, his food supply is badly dented. 

“What the fuck?” He whispers at the too-small pile.

“Perhaps those who funded your voyage employed rather suspect canners for the sake of cutting cost?”

“Probably.” He glances at Indrid, “they got that kinda shady dealin’ in the sea?”

“Not as such. But I spend a great deal of time around humans; they interest me and sometimes one will actually listen if I warn of a shipwreck or flood. After a while you pick things up. There is a very nice cannery far, far down on the California coast.”

“You really get that far?”

“Indeed. I prefer warmer waters, but I…I am honor-bound to return to my home once every two years.” He gestures out to the ice, then looks at Duck, “what is your home like?”

“It’s…green. There’s pine trees everywhere, and in the summer cicadas scream so loud it’s hard to sleep. A big ol’ river runs through town. My sister and I would swim in it when we were kids, I even built myself a raft outta branches to use on the slow parts. First ship I ever got on.” He sighs, “shoulda made it the last”

“You could not have known.” A cold hand settles on his knee, “and you are not to blame. Goodness knows yours is not the first ship to be taken by the sea and the ice.”

“That’s just it! I knew this was dangerous and I signed up anyway because the captain was told I was a damn good sailor, the kind meant for this sorta job. And I said yes because the money meant I’d have enough saved up to move somewhere and train as an arborist. I just…I gotta make it to the spring. They’ll send someone to look for us if they don’t hear we made the Yukon like we planned. Right?”

Indrid stares into space, then nods, “Yes, it seems they will send a ship in search of you.”

Hope kindles in him, but he shivers all the same. 

The siren smiles gently at him, “You should seek shelter below. The wind will be bad tonight.”

“Thank you. For helpin me. Especially after I threatened you.”

“Bygones.” He drums his nails on the deck, “do you wish for me to return tomorrow to keep you company.”

Duck thinks of the endless hours listening to the groaning ice and his own thoughts. 

“Hell yeah.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And the whole damn thing blew up in our faces” Duck chuckles, “moral of the story is don’t try’n sneak beer out for a party by rollin’ the keg all the way home.”

Indrid, on his belly on deck, rests his chin in his hands, “I will keep that in mind. I do not much care for human alcohol, though there’s a bar on the coast of Mexico that mixes melon juice into a lighter beer, which is not bad.”

Duck makes a disgusted face, “Think eatin’ raw fish has ruined your tastebuds.”

There is no malice in the words. Indeed, in the week they’ve been talking, he finds Duck strikingly handsome and gentle. Indrid tells him this, and he blushes. That Duck is also Indrid’s preferred shape for a partner–sturdy and soft, but strong enough for a life at sea–is something Indrid will keeping to himself. 

“I will have you know some fish is delicious raw. Other kinds not so much. I regret eating raw catfish.”

“Ugh.” Duck pulls more blankets around himself, “Christ I’m cold. Your honor must be a hell of a thing if you came all the way up here for its sake instead of staying where it’s warm.”

“It is complicated. When I was younger, my father made a mark on me and my brother. As long as it was in place, I could not stray too far from here.” He sweeps his arm towards the bleak ice, “when he fell ill, he was weak enough that I was able to bargain for some freedom; he’d remove the mark, on the condition I return home once every two years and remain for two weeks. As he was constantly telling us we would not be welcome in other waters, as Colds are too formidable and skilled and it makes others jealous. I think he assumed I would find this true and slink Northward to stay. But a somewhat nomadic life suits me, as does aiding other merfolk. And humans.”

Duck looks wistfully into the distance, “I have places I wanna travel, too. Not that my folks were bad or kept me trapped. But we ain’t wealthy and the kind of work I wanna do needs training and supplies and I just couldn’t bring myself to leave until I was sure they wouldn’t miss the money from my sailing.”

“Where will you go?” Indrid scoots closer, careful not to let the damp of his tail seep into the nearby blankets. 

“California, for one. They got redwoods there taller than any building. And there are deserts with cactus big enough for owls to live in. I heard there’s patches of the Northwest where it’s thick with berries and there’s flowers that only grow in one valley and are completely different from another. I figured somewhere in all that I’d find work, I’d help things grow. Gonna have a garden all my own, too, and not just for food. Gonna plant things just to see what happens.”

“That sounds lovely.” He looks to the futures, “you should retire for the day. A snowstorm is coming.”

“Fun.”

Wanting to comfort him, Indrid leans forward and rubs his cheek against Ducks own, scarf-covered and worryingly chilly. 

When he sits back, the human blinks and then huffs, amused, “Thought you were gonna kiss me there.”

“Nothing of the kind. If a siren is not careful they can turn a man into a mer with a kiss. What I did was to say thank you for braving the cold to speak with me.”

A gloved hand hovers above his own, then squeezes it, “Any time.”

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week later, Indrid hauls himself on the ice to hear cursing from inside the vessel. Alarmed, he calls to see if Duck needs his help.

“I do, but I ain’t gonna get it. Unless you can turn back time.” Duck appears at one of the windows, “I was trying to work out my rations for the next few months and I, ‘Drid someone fucking slashed a bunch of bags and drilled holes in barrels. I didn’t spot it until now because they’d turned them, fuck, a bunch of it is rancid or otherwise fucked. I got no idea what happened!”

Indrid recalls watching an awl sink into the abyss as he was minding his own business. He’d looked up to see Apollo, dragging a sailor the other way. It is not beyond him to have ordered the man to doom his companions before drowning him. 

“Is there still enough for one man?” 

“Maybe? I can’t tell right now” Duck keeps looking behind himself, panic rising in his voice, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do if there ain’t. I, I can’t talk anymore. I gotta figure this out.”

Indrid says he understands and slips into the depths. Then he dives, deciding it’s time for a real hunt.

—-----------------------------------------

Duck is counting and recounting, checking his notes of days he’s been here against his best guess as to when others will realize the Beacon isn’t at her intended destination when she should be and how long it will take any kind of rescue party to reach him. 

It’s not looking good.

As he’s trying not to lose his meager lunch to panic, Indrid calls to him from the ice. When he reaches the window, the siren sits with a slightly bloody smile with a massive fish dead on the ice before him. 

“Is that a fuckin shark?”

“Indeed. Consider it a thank you for initially sharing your food with me. If it comes to it, I will bring you more. Well, not more sharks, this was a lucky find, but food nonetheless.”

Duck’s so relieved he could cry. Instead he asks Indrid to help him get the catch aboard, then butchers it on deck. It’s an unusual taste when he cooks it, but it’s food that didn’t come from a can or force him to burn precious energy finding it. 

Still, even with his belly full, he’s finding the chill won’t leave him no matter what he does. When he hears Indrid re-emerge from the sea (he knows the sound of him coming and going these days) he asks if he has any ideas. The siren thinks a moment, then tells him to tie his ankle to something solid. 

Duck calls out when that’s done and huddles down in the nest he’s made of bedding. Indrid’s song drifts through the window, telling Duck to close his eyes. For the first time, he lets himself obey the siren’s call. 

The song swirls around him, singing to him of a sunny beach, of hot sand beneath his back and warmth on his face. There are palm trees to his right and someone he can’t quite make out to his left. Whoever they are, they’re running their fingers through his hair. And as Indrid paints the picture, he can hear the rustle of wind in the fronds and the gentle waves on the shore. His shivering subsides as the sun beats down as strongly as the real thing. 

He stays on the beach so long it goes from midday to evening, the sky rosy gold as the air stays warm. 

When the image begins fading, he nearly begs Indrid to just leave him there. Then he registers the wind whipping outside and the exhaustion in the siren’s voice. He’s been singing to him for hours. 

As he fully returns to reality, he blinks at the calendar he’s tacked near his nest to track the days. The days bleed together that he’s sort of lost sight of how long it’s been since they met. 

“‘Drid? How long were you here before we got stuck?”

From the ice, a slightly hoarser lilt than normal replies, “five days.”

“And you’ve stayed…two fuckin months.” He whispers, then crawls to the window, “Fuck, I’m so sorry, you should have headed south.”

Indrid looks up at him, “You are my friend. I am not abandoning you. I will stay until rescue comes. Even if I have to sing them over here myself.”

—---------------------------------------------------

He knows what’s waiting for him on the ice, but he’s alarmed all the same to emerge to Duck on the ground rather than aboard his ship. 

“What’s wrong?” He can see the answer, and hopes against hope it won’t come.

“I…I think I’m dyin’ ‘Drid.”

“No, nono, I know you haven’t been feeling well these last few days but you must just be tired. If I bring more fish, and you maybe make a fire-”

“It won’t work.” Duck tries to walk to him but stumbles and falls to the ice, continues at a crawl to where Indrid is still half-submerged “I tried everything. I’m so tired ‘Drid. I tried to hold on, but we’re months from anyone comin’ and I, I’m so cold and tired and I just, I want, I want to sleep. I want it to be over.” 

“No you don’t. You have so many things you wish to see! So many plans! The, the redwoods, the desert, your sister when she marries. Remember?”

“I do.” His voice is so weak, “I gave me somethin to hold onto, tellin you about all that. You been a godsend, ‘Drid.” The light behind his eyes is going, “sing to me? Please? It’ll be like fallin’ asleep that way. And the last thing I’ll ever know will be you.”

Indrid doesn’t look to the future. Instead he grabs Duck and pulls him under, the human falling without a fight. When the cold engulfs them, there’s a spark of panic in his green eyes as he looks at Indrid. 

It dies when Indrid kisses him. 

There’s a rush and hum of water, a whirlpool so intense it rips them apart as silver-black light spins before him. 

Then Duck is floating and gasping as his body discovers he can breathe beneath the waves, and his mottled green and brown tail whips to life. 

“Holy shit” Duck looks down at himself.

“I am sorry, I ought to have asked but I, I could not lose you. You did not deserve to end your time in such a lonely place with so much left you wished to do. If you are angry at me for transforming you, I understand.”

“Are you fuckin kidding?” Duck swims a bit awkwardly to him, “‘Drid, you saved my life. I’m still hungry as fuck but I ain’t freezin to death any time soon.” He loops his arms around Indrid’s shoulders, “besides, I got to kiss you. Been wanting to do that for awhile.”

“Really?” Indrid trills as Duck holds him closer.

“Yep.” Duck kisses him again, slow and curious, “mmm, even better the second time.”

“I concur. Shall we begin our journey south? They are not redwoods, but I know of a kelp forest where the plants extend for over a mile towards the surface.”

Another kiss and a playful bump of their cheeks, “Lead the way, darlin.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------

I’m going South where it stays warm

And there’ll be someone on my arm

To help me spend my pay

So I’ll take it from day to day

[the-firebird69]

These do things finally. The clones at Bay shortly. Will push for forte Meyers. Probably lose. Payday Friday a.m. the 1st of the month same day. Horrid now. Stan got it deposited it. Yup. They say no huge fight ok. Tons at it with these losers. Flatten them shortly. Canal opens mid week after this week. Fully by the weekend. Charlotte will drop another 3' so 9'-0 below the high water mark. Crabs recede are mostly 800 miles out. The cloud approaches will be at them faster huge. In a day. Some spots tonight they will retreat push towards the yukatan. The Eastern path way pass fully engulfed in the cloud connected. Huge piles of algae now a swath 300 miles wide by 3000 miles long from tx to the top of Florida another East Brazil to the yukatan. Crabs don't like it can't breathe too much O2 no carbon dioxide to break dn. Suffocate. Move now. Oxygen levels up. Here ok 20 at night soon 25. Next week. Most air from Milton still churns. A few more days out. Then algae blooms grow faster. Double in a week. So still up to 20 at night higher in some places. The drop is huge the water way lower most of the time. Odd faces no but drops more soon after. Three more weeks rads at 20-35 ten times in 24 hours for three weeks after Guatemala. Tommy f out tries his ships pushed off. The boys then perish. Are blamed. No. It's to grab our son by Tommy f. And yes by that time our son will be bigger. End of November or mid December more likely. 285lbs 17.5" arms at rest chest bigger shoulders fuller in shape back in. First Maine. Goes well Tommy f pleased tries again. Ships in that area and Florida. We move fast too. Cocaine bear soon in days or less

Thor Freya

Olympus

Goid

Hera

[bluwwo]

... I'm sorry but I think my point got over your head...

The introduction of my post was just to point out the fandom's hypocrisy, how side A attacks side B, bc they're "lacking the will to understand, enjoy and interpret a character outside the romance side" (their words) when they're also doing the same.

The main point was how some self called "Yor stans" and fervent Twiyor shippers whished, wanted and begged that the only >real< family that Yor has, perished in the mole arc

Because wanting it or not, the forger family is still fake, and doomed to end someday, either when the mission is complete or when the shit hits the fan, they're still not real.

Yor's family is her little brother, is Yuri, the first person she saw when she was almost dying in cruise ship arc... This person was the one her stans wanted dead, because they can only see her relationship with loid and ignore everything else.

That was my point

Edit: just trying to make myself clearer as I'm already trying to be, the thing isn't "oh you need to like X character to be a real Y Stan"

There's a problem when someone enjoys a character/show bc of a ship when they simply cannot see or perceive the character's relations and relationships with other people outside their lover/partner/romantic interest. It makes their opinion and interpretation biased, ignoring family relationships, friendships and other aspects of the said character and putting the romantic one the most important.

Being blind to everything else regarding them outside the ship, and this huge misinterpretation can become a problem.

There's something odd Abt how some Twiyor stans were bashing on Twitter Abt how sum damianya shippers were only into the story bc of the shipp (I agreed to some of those Twiyor stans in few takes) but seriously, a several of y'all are the same, specially regarding Yor

Yor had a life before forger family, and she still has a life outside forger family, it's simply so weird, strange and even cold if I can say so, how a number of you self called "Yor stans" desire so intensively that the only non forged bond she has comes to an end.

But anyway, that's just my opinion don't take me seriously 🥴

It really seems y'all only enjoy her for the sake of the ship-

[neptunevasilias]

Hey @ all the racist, sexist, homophobic men in the RWBY fandom: me and my mom laugh at u on regular basis

[nirvanaida]

not to voltron on main but

One last kick for the road boys 😫👊💪👋🙏

[cerulean-shark]

also if someone tries to talk about how they've been given shit for liking a character or interpretation, don't fucking talk over them with "well actually you haven't, I get more shit than you for liking *something completely different*"??? Like its not that hard? Just because you don't experience something doesn't mean it doesn't exist?

[rikihasthebestsmile]

Bang Agency

Synopsis: Chris Bang, the young CEO of a famous photography agency. Lee Yn, a simple girl with a passion for the photography, her main models are her brother and her best friends. What will happen when she decide to go with them to a party hosted by the Bang Agency?

Genre: romance, fluff, strangers to friends to lovers, crack.

Pairing: CEO!BangChan x photographer!f!reader, LeeMinho x HanJisung, LeeFelix x HwangHyunjin.

Warnings: mentions of cheating (not Chan or the reader), mentions of SA, swear words, explicit language (sex related, but not smut, just some references).

Status: completed

Publication of the first chapter: 11 June 2022

Sign up for the taglist (CLOSED)

Permanent taglist (OPEN)

Profiles — Private profiles

1. Hotties

2. You’re adopted

3. Bang party

4. You’re my favorite

5. Jesus Chris 

6. Being your neighbor is going to be hell 

7. They finally recognized my power

8. Bro is already thinking about his marriage

9. Living the Yn life

10. All the single ladies 

11. I’ll be your witness

12. I’ll kill you — Minho 

13. ✨recommendation ✨

14. Sebastian fucking Stan

15. There’s a child here please

16. [Thinks about sugar daddy]

17. NO WAY REALLY?

18. You dare use my own spells against me?

19. Yes ma’am

20. Please respect for the singles here

SPECIAL CHAPTER:

01.PERISH IN HELL MIHAHAHHAHA

Go and see my other works!

Let’s play a game!

[maxbytes]

I refuse to accept the canon "character arch" that Jasper had. They just used her to push Steven's plotline & it felt like the show was sloppy & lazy with her character, unlike how they treaded Lapis and Peridot and their redemptions. As a treat I tell myself that she learned to get along with (or at the very least tolerate) others & afterwards becomes a more frequent addition to the Gems' & Steven's lives & dynamics.

I want my beefy milf Jasper and gdi I will have her!

1000% agree, anon! not gonna lie, it felt as if she had no arc at all. for the very limited time she was on-screen she would just get knocked down, and harder each time! did she get to have any character development, besides becoming unhealthily attached to lapis, because she's so powerful that jasper would tolerate being trapped in a fusion again if only she also got to wield that power, or becoming steven's servant/body guard that just follows him around and would do whatever he asks? where was the growth? she was just there to get beaten down and there wasn't any compensation at the end. though i think lapis and peridot's redemptions were just circumstantial (the story pushed them toward becoming a crystal gem, not necessarily out of their own free will) and there's no reason why they would've switched over to steven's side without being in those circumstances. and before anyone says it makes sense that jasper went through all that she did and not lapis or peridot is because "she refused steven's help!" remember eyeball ruby and aquamarine straight up attacked steven in Future and they came out of it without consequence. but jasper decides "yeah i'll train you, as long as you fight me" (a consensual fight! she never came out of nowhere to attack him) and she's killed over it and after being brought back, she's back to being dependent on the one who overpowered her.

so yeah, the thought of jasper becoming a part of the main family after Future is a huge comfort, though i and seemingly every jasper stan will always be bitter as hell about her treatment. if i don't think about her finally getting the healing and love she deserves i'll simply perish. we WILL have our beefy milf jasper, anon, we WILL!

[gummyshoe]

hey hey!

hello everyone! feel free to call me Gummy ‘round these parts; i’m the Ace Attorney sideblog for @honeybeesiness ! thanks for dropping by.

i am FINISHED with the trilogy! you know what that means, right? 😏 THE GREAT ACE ATTORNEY CHRONICLES TIME!! oh boy this bouta be great

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

➤ about me!

ꕥ┊ name :: feel free to just call me Gummy! Bee is also fine.

ꕥ┊ age :: 18.

ꕥ┊ birthday :: May 2nd.

ꕥ┊ pronouns :: any!

ꕥ┊ favorite AA characters :: Gumshoe is my #1 but i’m a diehard Maya, Edgeworth, and Franziska fan 😤. oh and stan Adrian Andrews or perish 🔫

ꕥ┊ main account :: @honeybeesiness

ꕥ┊ art account :: @honeybyes

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

now, let’s move onto the rules, shall we?

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

rules.

this blog is specifically for x readers only, so i will not be writing canon x canon pairings. ‎‎‎‎‎

like i mentioned above, i will only be writing for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Justice For All. this will change when i continue on with the trilogy :>. ‎‎‎‎

i do NOT write nsfw content. makes me uncomfy :(((. ‎‎‎‎‎‎

additionally, i will NOT be writing for p*dophilic or incestual relationships, nor will i write about abuse, s*icide, or the reader committing self-harm (the only exception to the self-harm rule is the reader recovering from it, because i feel as though that specific topic of writing can be comforting for some people. i will just not be including the reader actually harming themselves). ‎‎‎‎‎‎

the reader will be portrayed as gender-neutral unless the request specifies a certain gender identity. ‎‎‎‎‎

to add onto the rule above, i am 100% open to writing for the LGBTQIA+ community. i want to include all sorts of people, ya hear?! ‎‎‎‎‎‎

i will only be writing headcanons, mini headcanons, and short scenarios. full-on fanfics take too long for me to do 😔👊. ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

i have every right to refuse an ask if i don’t feel comfortable with writing it. i’m open to write for most things, though, so don’t be shy!! (i will be adding trigger warnings for sensitive content, though) ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

this blog isn’t just for romantic content, you know! i’ll write for platonic or familial relationships as well. ‎‎‎‎‎‎

feel free to request multiple characters at the same time! my limit is 4 per post. ‎‎‎‎‎‎

i will not be writing crossovers. sorry, folks. ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

and lastly, PLEASE don’t be afraid to interact with me!! i’m always open to chat, so don’t hesitate to drop in and say hello! it helps a lot when you guys talk to me because i usually worry about whether or not people actually want to see my content (whether it just be conversations or writing), so talking with me helps a big deal. thank you!

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

‎‎‎‎‎‎

characters i will write for!

✿ = platonic only! ✽ = strictly based on the case “Rise from the Ashes”. ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

Phoenix Wright.

Maya Fey.

Mia Fey.

✿ Pearl Fey.

Miles Edgeworth.

Dick Gumshoe.

Franziska von Karma.

Will Powers.

Lotta Hart.

✽ Lana Skye.

✽✿ Ema Skye.

✽ Jake Marshall.

✽ Angel Starr.

Richard Wellington.

Maximillion Galactica.

Acro / Ken Dingling.

✿ Regina Berry.

Adrian Andrews.

Ron DeLite.*

Desirée DeLite.*

Lisa Basil.

Maggey Byrd.

Viola Cadaverini.

Iris.

Larry Butz (he’s infiltrated this list, only god can save me now)

Diego Armando/Godot.

* I KNOW RON AND DESIRÉE ARE MARRIED BUT C’MON, RON’S ADORABLE AND DESIRÉE IS HOT. YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND WHERE I’M COMING FROM HERE

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

once again, THANK YOU for stopping by and reading this entire post! i really appreciate it, homies uwu.

[cruelfeline]

Anyone who hangs about Twitter potentially saw an unfortunate Hordak take cross their timelines today. 

As is custom on this blog, I’ll be taking it apart for my own personal amusement (and for the amusement of any of y’all who like to watch me do so). I doubt the poster will see this, as they’re on Twitter and not apparently on here, but in case they do: this is for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of followers; it absolutely does not need to be responded to if that’s not your cup of tea. 

So, that little disclaimer in place, let’s see what we can make of this! Because this is on Medium, I’ll be using screenshots as quotes; just a heads-up.

So... this first bit isn’t really anything Hordak-related. It’s more... fandom drama, I suppose? Not really something I can pick apart. I can, however, give my own personal opinion on this sort of thing, for what it’s worth.

It’s true that people can and should be able to feel whichever way they wish about a character. And to talk about that character. 

However: it is also true that people who dislike Hordak can be very unpleasant in making that known to those of us who enjoy him. Including descending into personal insults for no discernible reason. Add to that the fact that his character means a great deal to some fans for intensely personal reasons, and it is not difficult to see why some fans aren’t keen to see anti-Hordak content on their timelines, in their mentions, etc.

Censoring character hate isn’t a requirement, but in some circumstances, it can simply be a polite thing to do. It doesn’t take great effort, and it prevents people from experiencing just another bit of unpleasantness on their social media. And if you don’t want to do it? Well, that’s your right; but don’t be shocked when people voice their displeasure by replying to your words. Because that is their right.

And that’s all I really have to say about that. 

Odd way to phrase things, really. These aren’t “reasons to forgive.” The first two scenes involve Catra’s asphyxiations and are things that would need to be forgiven, not things to forgive.

Though, y’know, I really only apply that to the first scene, where he assaults her without her necessarily doing anything wrong. Mind you, I believe he does it out of a combination of needing to maintain a hierarchy for safety purposes (this is a man who needs people to be afraid of him to maintain his own safety) and poor leadership skills mimicked from a narcissist, but it’s still a terrible thing.

However! The second time? After he asks her about Shadow Weaver? This isn’t torture-fun-times. This is Hordak neutralizing a threat to the entire Horde. Because that is what Catra is in this moment: a threat to the security and wellbeing of him and the entirety of the Fright Zone. She lies about a critical mistake. She proves herself to not only have poor judgment in serious matters, but to be very willing to lie about it in order to guard her own selfish motives. While I can’t condone the method Hordak uses, I do wish people would stop using this second instance of punishment as some sort of proof-of-torture. He does not do this for no reason. He does it because Catra released a dangerous prisoner into the wild and lied about it. And his concerns over it ultimately prove correct.

This entire qualification doesn’t have much to do with whether he deserves forgiveness or not, but it’s a point I want to make because it combats this idea that Hordak did this to an innocent girl “for no reason” or “just to be cruel.” That’s simply not the case; no matter how unpleasant the method, Hordak is a military leader punishing a subordinate for seriously endangering him and everyone else in the organization. Badly. I don’t know what the equivalent would be in modern military, but Catra’s error is massive. It doesn’t make what Hordak does right, but it does give a reason other than a simple “he’s a bad, bad man.” So.

Adding this scene is... actually kind of odd because he doesn’t really do anything to Adora here. And also: this scene is... what’s the word... meaningful-in-hindsight, so to speak. Essentially: in this scene, Adora is claiming that Hordak is responsible for stealing her, for robbing her of a peaceful life with her family. And Hordak is claiming that he neither knows nor cares who she is, and that she does not matter to him. 

The interesting aspect of this scene, and something that OP fails to acknowledge at all, is that both Adora and Hordak are wrong.

let’s see if I can talk about this without crying... nope, already starting to tear up

Hordak never stole Adora; Light Hope did. Hordak did not orchestrate this unfortunate life for her. Rather, Hordak, a lost clone dealing with his own insecurities and fears and problems, found an equally lost infant in a field and gave her the only home he really knew how to create (and one that, for its flaws, was still better than the absolute nightmare he was ���raised” in). In all likelihood, given Light Hope’s lack of understanding of infants, he probably saved Adora’s life by doing this: without him, she may well have perished alone in that field.

Hordak likewise does remember her, eventually. And she is not inconsequential to him: by saving her, he ends up saving himself, and all of his brothers. By forging this near-unknown bond with her all those years ago, by choosing to take in an infant rather than letting her die, he plays a key role in deciding the fate of the universe. 

This scene that OP sarcastically claims is a reason Hordak shouldn’t be forgiven has a sibling:

The fact that OP apparently fails to recognize this and realize that these are the only two moments in the series during which Adora and Hordak directly interact, that they’re a pair, means that OP misses the connection between the two and the significance of how they misjudge one another initially. It indicates a lack of understanding of the themes of the show: themes centered around connections with other people, love, and forgiveness. Which, given the contents of this essay, is unsurprising.

Moving on!

Y’know, whether or not one believes, in terms of definition, that Hordak is a colonizer (I personally don’t for pedantic and clone-cult reasons, but that’s not really relevant to this post), it’s interesting that OP notes how Stevenson confirms that he is... but conveniently leaves out the part where she confirms that he did it because he was brainwashed.

That’s... an important piece of information to leave out when discussing whether Hordak should be forgiven or not. A very important piece.

And it doesn’t really matter whether he’s a colonizer or a conqueror; the reason it comes up is because people seem very stuck in the mindset of “if it’s a colonizer, it must die” without acknowledging any sort of nuance. There’s also the question of whether what Hordak did actually caused the same sort of upheaval and lasting damage we see resulting from legitimate colonization, and all of the implications of that, but this isn’t really the place to go into that. Honestly, I don’t really think SPoP as a whole is the place to go into that.

No. Hordak is not the person who taught her all of these things. 

Shadow Weaver is.

Hordak did not personally teach her that Princesses are evil. He did not teach her that wanton cruelty is fine in getting one’s own way. He did not feed her propaganda. 

Actually, as an aside: can we even confirm that Catra ever thought that Princesses where evil? I mean... she works with Scorpia, and she has no apparent morals to speak of. She does as she wishes for her own personal gain, not because she displays any sense of “fighting the evil Princesses.” And in terms of disposing of Entrapta because she was “manipulated” into viewing Princesses as evil: Catra disposes of everyone. She manipulates and uses everyone. That is one of the key aspects of her arc: she uses and abuses people for personal gain. She does this whether they are Princesses or not: just see Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle. Add to this the fact that Catra, from the first season, knows that she and Adora have been lied to, manipulated, and that the Horde is in fact evil, and... this entire line of reasoning falls apart. 

None of this is an attempt to “absolve Hordak of blame.” Hordak just... legitimately had no hand in raising any of the children. That was not his role (and while I know that this was confirmed by Stevenson at some point, I don’t have memory of where; potentially the last podcast?). And Catra did not operate on any sort of propaganda that she actually believed in: she simply used and disposed of people as she saw fit because she cared more about her own rise to power than she did about those around her. This was one of her major character flaws, and really? Trying to pin this on Hordak, or even fully pin it on Shadow Weaver? It absolves Catra of the blame, of the intentional bad choices she made (as emphasized by Adora) and thus weakens her entire arc.

All in all: Hordak may have created a poor environment for the raising of children, but of note is the fact that only Catra turns out this way. The other kids, whatever their problems, are not in the habit of manipulating friends, lying to them, using them, and then tossing them aside. That is a Catra Problem. Part of this can be attributed to Shadow Weaver (who only treated Catra in the poorest way), and part of it is just... Catra being not-the-best.

All right. Now we get to the really disingenuous portion of the essay.

First, as just stated: Hordak is not Catra’s abuser. Shadow Weaver is. Hordak had no hand in raising her. Hordak did not direct Shadow Weaver to abuse her. Hordak did not personally feed Catra anti-Princess propaganda, and even if he had, we know by the first season that Catra sees through whatever propaganda she was exposed to and has no actual moral objections to Princesses. But that’s not the main aspect of this portion that irks me. 

The main aspect that irks me is that this is not the scene Hordak stans mark as abusive. And I cannot imagine that OP does not know this.

But let’s talk about this scene, for a moment, before getting to the actual, legitimate abuse.

OP talks about his scene almost flippantly: “Hordak finds out Catra lied about Entrapta, he becomes angry and attacks her with a clear plan to kill her.”

Yes. Yes, he "becomes angry.” He becomes angry and attacks because as far as he knows, Catra killed Entrapta. This isn’t some annoyed “you lied to me!” moment. He legitimately thinks Entrapta is dead because Catra sent her to Beast Island. OP just blissfully glosses over the fact that Hordak is attacking Catra in rage and grief because Catra, as far as either of them know, killed his only friend and then lied about it for approximately a year. Like... how do you gloss over that in discussing this scene? How do you gloss over the enormity of what Catra did, and the unimaginable pain Hordak experiences when finding out?

So. The writeup of this scene is poor. It misses all of the emotion, all of the reality of what Catra did and what Hordak felt. But! That’s not even the unfortunate part of this portion. Let’s get to the real disingenuity.

This is the abusive scene. This is that stomach-turning moment when Catra removes a disabled man’s ability to move with dignity and without pain solely to force him to escalate a war for her own personal benefit.

Hordak is not a danger to her here. Hordak has not been a danger to her for a while because he has been holed up in his private quarters, trying to deal with the emotional fallout of Entrapta supposedly betraying him. He wants nothing to do with Catra. He wants to lick his wounds and gather himself and somehow heal from this deep personal pain that’s been inflicted upon him.

And that’s a problem for Catra because it stands in the way of her using the war as a way to best Adora.

So Catra identifies Hordak’s physical weakness and exploits it for the purpose of spiting her ex.

The fact that OP completely fails to acknowledge any of this is... well. Disingenuous. Absolutely so.

The next portion of the essay talks about people feeling that Catra was too easily forgiven and isn’t really Hordak-centric; I won’t really go into it here. Moving forward:

Ah, one of the most annoying questions I see asked. Let’s, again, acknowledge and move past the fact that Hordak was not actually Catra’s abuser...

When, pray tell, was Hordak supposed to show this remorse? When? While he was serving on Prime’s ship, trying to forget the pain of losing Entrapta, of failing to prove himself, of losing everything? Should he have done it while screaming in agony in the purification pool? Should he have done so while alone on Prime’s ship, trying to serve quietly while piecing together his memories?

Not only was Hordak simply not in a position, narratively, to go into a whole remorse bit, but he had other problems. Like, life-endangering problems. 

The appropriate time to go into his feelings on Etheria and the Princesses and All of That would have been after Prime’s defeat, upon Hordak’s re-introduction to Etheria... but then the show ended. So.

Agh, vulgar. Taking a brainwashed, conditioned slave and bastardizing his triumph at finally seeing himself as a real person, instead claiming that his intent was to glorify his own misdeeds. No. Just... no.

Again: this is not the time for guilt. And it is a demonstration of why guilt and remorse were not front-and-center in Hordak’s arc during season five: his arc was about finally realizing that he was his own person, a person worthy of identity and love and care and freedom. And this arc culminated in him separating himself from his abuser and declaring his personhood. 

That is what this scene is: not Hordak reveling in his makeshift empire, or in the terrible deeds he’d committed, but in declaring himself his own person. 

I should hope that he is proud of doing that. I’m proud of him for doing that daunting feat, of defeating his abuser and defying his god and recognizing that he is worthy of more than what Prime thought of him. And I recognize Entrapta’s role in it: not as the sole inspiration for his change, but as someone who showed him a foundation of love and acceptance, someone who introduced him to the idea that he was worthy of care and happiness and affection simply because he was a living being, no strings attached.

Trying to shoehorn in some sort of claim that this is about pride in his misdeeds, rather than joy at finally accepting his own sense of self is a massive misinterpretation of this scene, a misunderstanding of Entrapta’s role in Hordak’s arc, and... can I say it’s disingenuous again? Because I’m going to: it’s disingenuous.

All right; we’re at the end. And while the first sentence here is something I absolutely agree with - the decision to forgive Hordak is personal and subjective both for viewers and for in-show characters - the whole conclusion falls apart from there.

It highlights another glaring omission from OP’s arguments: the fact that Hordak is a brainwashed clone slave.

Hordak did not choose to “spend his life trying to prove his worth to Horde Prime.” He did not choose the method of said proving: that Prime would look kindly upon conquering rather than some other task. And he did not choose to have certain concepts and ideas (all beings must suffer to become pure; all creatures, no matter how small, have a place in service of Horde Prime; failure is when something ceases to serve a purpose) conditioned into him.

Hordak was manufactured as a cultist slave. He was “born” with hardware implanted into his body against his will to better control him. He was indoctrinated and brainwashed to the point that he believed that Horde Prime was his literal god - and in a way, Prime was, because he could mentally invade and possess and physically control the clones whenever he wished. 

Hordak was not allowed to have a sense of self. He was not allowed to have a name. He was not allowed to express emotions. He was not allowed to live without that life serving to glorify Horde Prime. Hordak was so absolutely sick with this mentality that he saw himself as a failure due to physical disability and assumed it was his responsibility to fix that. 

The idea that Hordak simply chose to do what he did, that he had the same foundational morality and mindset as any “normal” person might, shows a glaring lack of understanding even the basics of his narrative. 

Yes: Hordak did bad things. But he did them for legitimately tragic, nigh-horrifying reasons that this essay just ignores for the sake of... I don’t know? Trying to justify OP’s distaste for the character? I am uncertain. But it’s a mark of a poor essay, of a poor understanding of the character, and is honestly just disappointing to read when the show itself tries so hard to drive home its wonderful, hopeful themes through Hordak’s story.

Whether one forgives Hordak or not is one’s personal choice, but I certainly hope one makes said choice with better insight into his character than this essay provides.

[ladyloptr]

•Part-Time•

Request: twt@LUSTFORLOKI. To sum up this one, Reader is a college student who took a part-time job in the Avengers tower as a sort of housekeeper/maid/butler. Steve, for all of his self-righteousness, doesn’t know how to treat a housekeeper/maid properly in the 21st century. Thankfully, Loki shows up, and as usual, has a plan for everything. (I’m such a Steve-anti. Poor Steve.)Lots of angst, some fluff.

Fandom: MCU AU

Pairing: Loki x College!Reader.

Warnings: Angst, Abuse, Violence. OOC Steve, Major Steve bashing, so any Steve-stans, please look away.

{————}

You need this job.

That’s the only reason why you’re here, and why you tolerate some of the insanity that you’re forced to endure.

You saw the advertisement on the internet, it was hard to miss. Big, bright and attention grabbing, just like your employer, Tony Stark. He was looking for a butler basically, but also sort of a housekeeper. Someone to help keep the tower in order, but also to help the Avengers if they ever needed anything.

Surprisingly, for all of his melodrama, egotism and childishness, Tony Stark is a great boss, and his wife, Pepper, is an even better boss. They’re both always pleasant to you, they pay you well, they pay you on time, they’re never rude (despite Tony’s jokes sometimes being a little-uncalled for), and they never really ask much from you.

Sure, your job is to help keep the 90-something tower “in order”, but you, interestingly enough, don’t do much cleaning. As Tony once said “I have people I pay to do all of that.” Your job is mostly centered on making sure that Tony’s physical files are organized, that the training room has all of the practice weapons properly locked up, and to make sure that the kitchen and main lounge/living room isn’t a hot-mess-express.

So, the only thing you really ever have to clean up is the kitchen, and on occasion, the living room. The Avengers don’t typically leave behind much of a mess.

Really, the insanity isn’t Tony, or Pepper, or cleaning, or the pay, it’s helping the Avengers when they “need something”.

Oh-correction. The insanity is helping Steve Rogers when he “needs something”.

The Avengers are all grown ass adult superheroes (minus Peter), and you’re a college student taking a part-time job so that you can take care of yourself. Most of them find it uncomfortable to ask you to do meager things for them, so they mostly ignore you, and do things for themselves like functional members of society.

Except for Steve Rogers.

You are unsure of what you did, but the moment you started working here, he’s been nothing but cold and mean to you. He asks you to bring him a drink, to bring him a snack, to bring him a napkin, to bring him his breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s gotten ridiculous. He’ll even ask you to make sure his bedroom is neat after he wakes up, and to make sure his bathroom is cleaned every few days.

This is behavior you expected from the Asgardian princes, Thor and Loki, but definitely not from Captain fucking America.

Then again, as Captain America, perhaps his behavior rightfully represents what a lot of Americans are; entitled.

(I’m American also, lol, no hate plz.)

He’s nothing like what he was supposed to be. On camera he was gentlemanly, kindhearted and appreciative. It was a shock to you when you found that Loki, of all the people in the tower, acts more like Captain America, than Captain America.

Which was truly bewildering to you at first. Just think about it for a moment...

The guy who tried to take over the whole world and enslave mankind is the one who greets you with a smile everyday, and offers to make you tea on Saturday and Sunday mornings (which are the only mornings you can work-you got those 7am college classes, RIP). He even helps you with your studies, homework and college essays if you find yourself falling behind. It took some time to get used to his kind gestures, which sometimes bewildered even Thor at times.

While Loki got familiar with you, your relationship with Steve Rogers, on the other hand, ended up only getting worse.

It turned abusive, sometimes violent, and the only reason you never went to Tony is because you know that the two are close friends and coworkers. You could go to the other Avengers, but you’re sure that their relationship to Steve is similar, as well.

Bucky Barnes is another person you know is close with Steve. Those two go way back-before you were even born.

One day, you were careless in leaving your house. It was a Saturday morning, you were tired and you hadn’t noticed that both of your arms had begun to bruise from Steve’s super soldier strength.

He had hit you a few times in anger yesterday. You can’t really recall why.

“What are those on your arms?” Loki asks, within seconds of seeing you. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing.” You say.

“I’m The God of Lies, my dear, you’ll have to do better than that.” Loki says, looking over your arms, carefully. “Is someone harming you?”

“No. I fell.”

“Try again.” Loki challenges, looking up at you sternly.

“I’m fine.”

“Who is harming you?” He asks, narrowing his eyes. “Is it someone in here?”

“Loki...”

“Is it an Avenger?”

Loki catches the subtle change in your eyes, the spark of fear that lit up when he asked whether or not it was an Avenger.

He growls. “Who is it?”

“Loki, please, I don’t want to talk about it.” You plead, getting rather uncomfortable now. “Can we just... play chess or something?”

Loki frowns at you for a while, before sighing in defeat. “Fine, alright.”

He doesn’t bring it up for the rest of the day.

You make sure to wear long sleeves to cover the bruises on your arms for the next couple of days, at least until the bruising goes down.

“What did I tell you about leaving my bedroom a mess?” Steve demands. “It’s a simple request. I’m not asking you to teach a dog to sing.”

Steve has decided to now confront you in an empty hallway about not tidying up his room yesterday.

“I’m sorry...” You mutter. “...Tony wanted me with him all day yesterday.”

“You couldn’t have come do it before you left? You just went home knowing my bedroom is a mess?” Steve asks, quickly getting upset.

“Tony clocked me out himself, so I was already off shift. Besides, it’s not like you can’t clean your bedroom yourself.” You answer.

Wrong answer, apparently.

He grabbed your arm and held it in a bruising grip, once again reminding you that he’s no ordinary human.

You let out a whimper and try to pull away, which proves no use. You’re not surprised when he slaps you. You’re surprised by how a super soldier serum can make a simple slap so painful. You’re even more surprised when your nose starts bleeding.

He must’ve inadvertently popped a blood vessel or something.

He raises his hand again, and you close your eyes, prepared for a punch or something worse, but it never comes. You open your eyes and see Steve looking at something behind you. You turn around and see Loki standing at the other end of the hall, his hands behind his back, an indifferent look on his face, but his eyes tell a different story.

You’ve known Loki long enough to realize that if you want to know his true emotions, you read his eyes, not his face. He’s a master at using his face to guard his true feelings.

And his eyes currently hold a barely contained storm of rage inside of them.

“I apologize for... interrupting...” Loki barely managed to keep his voice steady. “But dinner is ready, and I was wondering if (Y/N) would be joining us tonight.”

You nod, frantically. Steve releases your arm, and you rush over to Loki’s side.

“Loki Laufeyson, master of perfect timing, always ready to save the day.”

“Actually.” Loki corrects. “It’s Loki Odinson, master of sorcery, always ready to put ignorant Midgardians in their place.” He smiles a very unpleasant smile. “But yes... I suppose you’re also somewhat correct.”

“No one will believe you.” Steve says.

“Perhaps you’re correct.” Loki drones. “I am not here to hold a conversation with you, however, I am here to take (Y/N) to dinner.”

Steve snorts derisively, and walks by Loki, intentionally bumping shoulders with him.

Well, Steve was bumped, Loki didn’t move even a centimeter.

“Might want to clean her up first.” Steve says, as he retreats. “Wouldn’t want everyone to think you were beating up on her before dinner.”

Loki clenches his jaw. You look away, nervous about what he’s going to say.

You’re startled when he tilts your face up by your chin, and then slowly uses his seidr to heal any damage Steve has dealt you, including the bruises on your arms. He checks you over multiple times, making sure you aren’t still hurt.

Once he’s finished, he takes both of your hands and makes eye contact with you. He’s still upset, but the anger has tapered down to a manageable level.

“How did you know he was hurting me just now?” You ask, in a hushed tone.

“The same day I inquired about your bruises, I forged a... connection of sorts.” Loki explains. “Today, I felt that you were in danger, so I went looking for you. I have a similar connection with Thor, otherwise that oaf would’ve perished long ago.”

You nod, it makes sense, somewhat. You blush as he kisses your cheek and then your forehead.

“I am sorry.” Loki squeezes your hands, gently. “I wish I had noticed earlier. I would’ve killed him in that moment, would it not result in me being casted back to Asgard. The last thing I want, is for you to be left here to deal with all of this on your own.”

“Well... there’s nothing we can do about it now...” You murmur.

“I believe that to be untrue...” Loki’s eyes slowly shift up to the security cameras. “...Rogers appears to have forgotten about the many eyes this tower has.”

Your eyes widen. “The security cameras...!”

Loki smirks. “Stark will review the footage if you ask him to. I could accompany you to his lab tonight after dinner, if you so wish.”

“Yes, I’d love that.” You wrap your arms around Loki as tight as you possibly can. “Thank you!”

“You’re most certainly welcome.” Loki chuckles. “Time to cook up a scandal...”

A/N: SORRY STEVE STANS, I TAKE ALL REQUESTS, NO REQUESTS LEFT BEHIND.

Also, I wrote this while struggling with depression (it’s been two weeks, and it seems to not be improving, and this crap can last as long as a couple of months, so I wrote it anyway. Better than waiting a few months to finally get on this), and I’m not sure if y’all have noticed, but my storytelling feels weird in this one. My ability to produce a thorough, flowing storyline appears to be sort of hindered right now. I’ll try to update it if I can.