#the book follows her pov and how she views things is a result of how she's experienced the world and the people in it

[slugsketches]

wish people didn't equate protagonist to hero/good guy 90% of the time. not every leading character is going to be a good person but you're following them because they're interesting and seeing their story unfold and how they affect people is interesting. this doesn't exclude characters who have "good intentions" or do good things either

[bonefall]

So, I'm writing an essay on the whole STATE of misogyny in WC for one of my university classes, and I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of things! No pressure of course, please feel free to say no!

A) Could I reference your good takes with appropriate harvard referencing and links back to your blog?

B) Are there any specific moments from the books that you think should be covered the most?

C) The end result will be a visual essay, so it's like those fun infographics people on Tumblr make on like ADHD and stuff, so when it's done, would you like to be tagged to read it?

(Sorry for anon, I'm nervous lmao, but if you'd be more comfortable I'll resend this off anon)

AAY good topic! You've got a lot to work with. Absolutely feel free to reference anything I've written, and tag me when you're done.

While you're here and about to write something so legitimate, I'm also going to recommend you check out Sunnyfall's video on gender in Warrior Cats. She breaks down the arcs into numbers, directly comparing the amount of lines mollies have to toms, and examining the archetypes women are usually allowed to be.

I think it's a must-have citation in a paper about WC misogyny.

...and, I think it's insightful to look at the WCRP Forum thread about the video. Note how the respondents immediately come into the thread to complain about how the video is too long so they didn't watch it, dismissing Sunnyfall as not being entertaining enough to hold their attention, even whining that she starts with statistics to prove her point, which I'm convinced she did exactly because they would have cried that she "had no evidence" if she didn't.

I am not a scholar, so I don't know how to document or prove that the books have an impact on the audience outside of anecdotes. But I think if you do write a section about fandom, it would be worth mentioning the in-universe and metatextual apologia for Ashfur and its reflection in the real world discourse, the authorial killing of Ferncloud because of fan complains, and the utter defensiveness against the discussion of misogyny you see outside of Tumblr.

You may also want to check out Cheek by Jowl, a collection of 8 essays about sexism in xenofiction by Ursula K. Le Guin. There's a very unique manifestation of authorial bias in animal fiction, having a lot to do with how the author views "the natural world," and it's worth understanding even though Warrior Cats are so heavily anthropomorphized.

So... Warrior Cats Misogyny

I think discussing individual instances can be helpful, but I'd implore you to keep in mind what's REALLY bad about WC's misogyny is framing and the bigger picture.

Bumble's death is shocking and insulting, but it's not just that she died. It's that the POV Gray Wing sees her as a fat, useless bitch who took his mate so she deserves to be dragged back to a domestic abuser, and he's right because the writers love him so much. It's that Bumble's torture and killing only factors into how it's going to hurt a man's reputation.

It's how Clear Sky hitting, emotionally manipulating, or killing the following women,

Bright Stream (pressured into leaving her home and family)

Storm (controlled her movements and yelled at her in public)

Misty (killed for land, children stolen)

Bumble (beaten unconscious, blamed nonsensically on a fox)

Alder (child abuse, hit when she refused to attack her brother)

Falling Feather (scratched on the face, subjected to public abuse and humiliation)

Tall Shadow (thrown into murderous crowd, attacked on-sight in heaven)

Rainswept Flower ("blacked out" in anger and murdered in cold blood)

Moth Flight (scratched on the face for saying denying medical treatment is mean, taken hostage in retaliation against mother for the death of his own child, which he caused)

Willow Tail (eyes gouged out for "stirring up trouble")

Is seen as totally understandable, forgivable, or not even questioned at all, when killing Gray Wing in an act of rage would have been "one step too far" with the ridiculous Star Line.

"Kill me and live with the memory, and then let the stars know it would only matter if a single one of your murder victims was a man."

It's the way that fathers who physically abuse their kids out of their ego (Clear Sky, Sandgorse, Crowfeather) aren't treated anywhere near the same level of narrative disgust and revulsion the series has for "bad moms", even if they're displaying symptoms of a post-partum mood disorder (depression, anxiety, and rage), an umbrella of mental illnesses 20% of all new mothers experience but are heavily stigmatized with (Sparkpelt, Palebird, Lizardstripe).

It's Crookedstar's Promise giving him two evil maternal figures in a single book, while bending over backwards to make every man in a position of power still look likeable in spite of the fact they're enabling Rainflower's abuse. Leader Hailstar is soso sorry that he has to change Stormkit's name for some reason, in spite of leaders being unaccountable dictators the other 99% of the time, and Deputy Shellheart functionally does nothing to stop his own son from being abused or even do much parenting before or after the fact.

It's the way men's parental struggles are seen sympathetically, and they don't have to "pay for it" like their female counterparts (Crookedstar's PPD vs Sparkpelt's PPD, how Daisy and Cinders are held responsible for Smoky and Whisper being deadbeats, Yellowfang's endless guilt for killing her son vs Onestar's purpose in life to kill his own), even to the point where a father doesn't have to have raised their kids at all to have a magical innate emotional connection to them (Tree's father Root, Tom the Wifebeater, Tigerstar and Hawkfrost).

It's less speaking lines and agency for female characters, being reduced to accessories in the lives of their mates and babies, women getting less diversity in their personalities, with even major ex-POV characters eventually becoming "sweet mom" tropes.

You could zoom in on any one of these examples and have an amoeba try to argue with you that "Oh THIS makes sense because X" or "Ah well my headcanon perfectly explains this thing" or "MY mother/girlfriend was abusive/toxic/neglectful and I've decided that you are personally attacking ME by having issues with how a character was written or utilized," but the beleaguered point,

That I keep trying to hammer in, over and over, across books worth of posts,

Is that these are trends. More than just a couple one-off examples. It's the fabric that has been woven over years, showing a lack of interest in, or even active prejudice of, women on behalf of the writers.

LONG STANDING trends, which have only gotten worse as the series progressed. From Yellowfang being harshly punished with a born evil son who ruins her life in TPB and the mistreatment of Squirrelpaw that begins in TNP, all the way up to the 7 Fridgenings of DOTC and Sparkpelt's PPD being a major character motivator for her son Nightheart.

So, I would stress that in your paper, and structure it less as "the Sparkpelt slide" and "the Yellowfang slide," and more as "The paternal vs maternal abuse" slide, and "the violence against women" slide. They're really big issues, there's tons of examples for each individual thing.

Anyway to leave off on a funny, look at this scene in Darkest Hour that I find unreasonably hilarious,

"Everyone who matters to me; my truest friend, my sensible and loyal warrior, the wisest deputy I've ever known, and 2 women." -Firestar, glorious idiot

He can't even think of a single trait for either of them what the hell does "formidable pair" mean lmaooo, when I finished a reread about a year ago this line killed me on impact.

[jasontoddenthusiastt]

I think fans want Jason to be a good person or be becoming one. To have a character that is well meaning and compassionate but decided murder is ok and to stand against main heroes who’s beliefs and actions go against the people he cares about and wants in his life. It’s confusing for people. People want their fav characters to be happy. But Jason can’t have his family’s support and follow his moral code. He’s cares about people and Gotham, and he’s an asshole who kills. It’s messy. It’s not black and white. I don’t even think Jason cares about being a good person or in the right anymore. I think he cares about what will save the most people instead.

Oh my goodness gracious I’ve been bamboozled

Batman’s definition of Good is not synonymous with absolute good/right no matter how much dc insists it is. Torture, battery/assault, surveillance, those are all condemnable actions too. I won’t get into the exhausting and frankly dumb debate of comic book morality wrt killing because I’ve already reblogged plenty of posts from other people who explained my thoughts on the matter far better than I ever have the patience to sit down and articulate. I also just think the notion that there’s something to be done about fictional characters who kill nazis and senseless murderers is stupid. Jason’s point is that the “main” heroes’ sanitized definition of right has its unaddressed holes and flaws which ultimately result in more preventable fatalities, and that he’ll work to correct those missing spots.

He doesn’t not care about doing what’s right. What he doesn’t care about (at least during his Winick characterization) is whether Batman thinks he’s right or wrong, because he sees the flaws in Batman’s methodology (and since he has a mind of his own). Batman’s methods alone cannot address Arkham’s revolving door and the rogues that come and go through those doors who have no intention (or capability from the doylist pov) of ever changing or undergoing redemption. Jason knows that he’s minimizing the number of preventable deaths by killing his targets, typically Characters Who Simply Do Fucked Up Shit Just Because, Why The Fuck Not?

Secondly, Jason is compassionate … to a fault. That was his fatal flaw. If he wasn’t so hell-bent on saving his potential birth mother he just met from that bomb despite everything she did to him prior, he could have protected himself instead, however slim his odds of survival were. What about his relationship with his other parents? He was a caregiver during his early childhood years for Catherine, until her death. Even mature adults who are financially stable find being a caregiver to a dying parent to be extremely burdensome on their bodies and minds, but he never complained about it or resented Catherine for being unable to care for him. Despite how none of his parents have really been what he needed them to be, he doesn’t blame them for their failings, and even continues to think highly of them (Bruce included).

And post-death? Enter Lost Days. Despite being dead set on plotting his revenge on Bruce, he constantly sidelines this in order to save other victims who are helpless like he once was. His own anger, trauma, and mission don’t remain his priority. (Sound familiar? Something something my own trauma above my son’s, mission above all else, etc.). Why would he waste precious time and risk his own life to do this if he wasn’t empathetic towards these victims or didn’t care about doing the right thing. He is simultaneously horribly traumatized and full of rage, and also incapable of ignoring what’s happening to victims around him (even as he claims that it’s indeed not his priority). And in that same vein, the entire premise of his rebirth outlaws run was that he doesn’t care if the public views him as a villain, an outlaw, so long as he can protect Gotham. And anyway where is this portrayal of him not caring about being in the right anymore. Almost every modern Jason story is about him grappling with where he stands with Bruce/Batman. During the early 2000s was probably the last time he did not care (hello, tentatodd??).

Jason has very evidently been portrayed as a kind and compassionate character. He is also simultaneously a calculated killer who doesn’t hesitate to kill when he deems necessary, and does so without remorse. It’s called being a Complex Character With An Edge™ that as you said, people so often claim to love. However when he fulfills that latter part, that seems to upset people because “killing bad”, and they then try to shave off and round out all his edges and claim he shouldn’t be that angry. In that case I guess you should just stick to liking traditional one-dimensional characters instead of claiming to like Jason but then encouraging his character assassination attempt by dc. Lol.

Lastly, who said anything about the batfam making Jason happy? Just because he’s written nowadays to want acceptance from Bruce (a shoddy attempt at forcing a non-existent nuclear batfamily), doesn’t mean that it’s a sound decision or that it does his character justice. I certainly don’t empathize with the idea that Jason needs the family’s approval or acceptance to be happy. (And anyway he has enough outlets for angst and pain aside from the batfam hello explore his other sources of trauma and do more deep dives into how he thinks when he’s alone). I don’t want them to magically make up and become one big happy family. This is not disney Lol. Besides, there are plenty of stories from dc that have that type of “wholesome” (hate that word utilization) characterization for Jason (Li’l Gotham, Tiny Titans, wfa, and even new stuff like the brave and the bold mini) and that is sufficient imo. Jason fans who are invested in the character deserve accurate, nuanced characterization and well-written stories, whether they be from his robin days (e.g., Batman: The Cult) or as red hood.

[lovebillyhargrove]

Wake me up when July is around

Chapter 4 Chapter 5/?

Steve's POV followed by Billy's.

Billy's POV in the car scene is canonically accompanied by Ted Nugent's screaming "Wango Tango"

***

"Who THE FUCK put a fucking dildo in my locker ??"

Hargrove's voice is booming in the school hallway. It's between angry and .. what is it, amused? Why is it fucking amused ?

Billy's turning away from the locker to scan the faces of those who happen to be around. People have heard the question. There are faint gasps and surprised giggles spreading across the hallway.

Harrington pretends to be digging in his own locker looking for a book, although he's dying to see Billy's face right now. How pissed is he exactly? Or better yet, how embarrassed ? He can't look now though, not that fast at least, or he'll betray himself right away.

Some guys are gathering around Hargrove to take a look, and Tommy is of course the first one to put his nose inside Billy's locker.

He's whistling

"Looks like you got yourself a secret admirer, man."

Carol is snickering and all the guys start laughing and whooping loudly, girls just hiding shocked giggles in their palms.

Steve thinks it's safe to watch the show unfold now. However, he quickly becomes disappointed.

Because that's definitely not the result he wished for.

Hargrove doesn't look embarrassed at all, what the hell. The motherfucker is grinning, like life has just become much more interesting. He takes out a box with an average-size skin coloured dildo and raises it above his head for everyone to get a better view.

"Oh look, there's a bow wrapped around it!" Carol, Tina, Vicky and other girls are close to being hysterical now

"Didn't know this school had welcome gifts for newcomers. Not bad, Hawkins High, not bad at all."

"Why would anyone .. how would you even use it ..?" Carol's curious, for fuck's sake, Carol is blushing but Hargrove just looks entertained

"You're asking very good questions. Let me just .." Billy bends and whispers something in Carol's ear while she covers her mouth in utter delight, eyes getting bigger and more illuminated

"Easy, bro!" Tommy is playfully shoving him away

"That's my girlfriend. Hands off." Carol looks intrigued and excited and not like she minds Billy whispering obscenities to her

"Sorry, man. My bad." Hargrove raises his hands in the air as if apologizing. He's still holding the box in one hand and throwing the other one around Tommy's shoulder, talking low so that only he and his significant other can hear him

"Maybe you and Carol can have some fun with that thing? I bet you can't get something like that around Hawkins. Someone must've put real effort into it."

Carol scrunches her nose in eager disgust, and Tommy looks interested but shakes his head, laughing.

Billy looks around until his eyes lock with Steve's.

"Yo Harrington! Any idea how it got into my locker, man?"

Steve is shrugging his shoulders, lips curved in a mocking smile

"Nah."

Harrington can see that Billy wants to say some more but restrains himself

"I'll just keep it here in case anyone needs it .. for some fun and games."

There's a teacher turning the corner and walking towards the loud gathering of teens

The crowd disperses, Hargrove bangs his locker closed, people still laughing and joking about the whole thing

Nancy comes back from the bathroom

"What happened here?" She takes Steve by the hand.

"Ugh, nothing. That new guy just wants attention, as always."

"Let's get to class?"

"Sure." Steve kisses his girlfriend's cheek.

"You seen it, man? The fucking sex toy??" Tommy is going to talk about it for a week.

Nancy speeds up and Steve has to follow.

Damn it. Fucking damn it! That is not the outcome Steve was hoping to achieve. He wanted to see Hargrove's face turn red, wanted others to make a couple of nasty jokes. It seems he can't really make people dislike Hargrove cause they already love him so much. It's like no-one is immune to Hargrove's charm.

The way Billy was easy about the whole thing, the way he's easy about a lot of things? Breezy and carefree, the way he can laugh anything off, and people will laugh with him. And still there's like an iron wall inside him, that hidden strength, the backbone.

Why is he not ashamed? Why is he not afraid?

What the fuck is his secret? And what the fuck is his problem ??

Steve is not listening to Nancy. He's not listening to the teacher during the class. His mind is busy with more important stuff.

So yeah, it was Harrington. He put a sex toy in Billy's locker. The whole affair needed some preparation, of course. Effort was definitely applied. When Steve was visiting Indianapolis with his parents at the weekend and shopping for new clothes, he had already been cradling the idea for a while. So he found a sex shop, put his sunglasses on, got inside, grabbed the first dildo he saw, paid for it in cash and left the store with a wildly beating heart. Then on Monday he stayed late after classes and picked Hargrove's locker. Looked around inside it. Nothing that stood out, just books. A picture of the ocean waves rolling on the vast sandy beach, stuck to the door. Must be California or wherever this asshole is from.

He stuffed the dildo in Hargrove's locker with a bright red bow wrapped around the box. Valentine's Day is too far away. Surprise, bitch, October Valentine's.

No, but seriously the motherfucking ass bitch. Why is he so fucking annoying, so annoyingly calm?

So the plan didn't work. Okay. Maybe it was stupid from the beginning. But .. take Steve, for instance? Steve would totally be pissed if he found a gift like that. Tommy would launch a whole investigation, sniff out and crucify the joker. All guys would be furious, like .. whatever would they need a dildo for? Is there an implication hidden in there?

But that jackass Hargrove didn't bat an eye. Cool as a cucumber. In fact, it all started with the giant cucumber he had given Harrington during that memorable Health class when Billy was teaching the class how to use condoms, ironically probably making half the girls present pregnant just from the sheer sexual energy of it. It was when Steve felt the underlying agenda, a probable insult like Hargrove was fucking with him, choosing the biggest of all the vegetables specifically for him.

Hence the dildo. Maybe Billy can stick it up his ass and unwind a bit. Leave Harrington alone. Become less exasperating.

Shit. It all played out not like Steve wanted it to. So much effort gone to waste.

Well, no, wait, wait. Not really. Every failed attempt is an experience, right? Now Steve knows that if he wants to bring that arrogant dick down a notch, he has to strike on a different level. Deeper.

Steve's gonna make him embarrassed. He's gonna make him fucking humble. He might just have come up with another way to do it.

Another little scheme.

Harrington's sixth sense is telling him there's something wrong with Hargrove.

Something .. something Steve has never come across face to face before, it's in the way he taunts Steve, in the way he looks, no, stares at him. There's a secret, there's a problem, and Steve's gonna take advantage of that.

Why does he want to do it? Steve just hates the used to be the most popular guy badge. Yeah, he's got a girlfriend now, a serious one. Relationship material. Well, maybe too serious, really like .. he likes her, even loves her, but he's been trying to make her loosen up a bit, you know? Try something different other than sweet and romantic and missionary. Shake her down for some fun. All in vain. Also, that troubling conversation they had when he was bringing her home last Friday? When Nancy suggested he should get Byers a camera to replace the one that he'd broken. What the fuck was that ?? Anyways, that's not the point here. So yeah, Steve's in a relationship, and Tommy has told him a couple of times already that he's walking a slippery slope of becoming pussy-whipped, but he's still fucking King of Hawkins High and he doesn't want some Californian self-entitled hotshot, the fucking pleb coming to his town and all of a sudden stealing the crown? All girls' eyes are on that ass, all of them are drooling to get a ride in the flashy blue car. All guys want to be Hargrove's friend. Tommy has been following him around like a bitch on a leash. He's doing good at school, he's superb at basketball.

Stupid fuck.

Harrington is not ready to let go of his title that easily. He still wants to be crowned prom king at the end of school year. He doesn't want to lose to that piece of trash who thinks he's the hottest shit.

Also, you know what, Steve would actually be absolutely fine with this new pain in the ass called Hargrove, if he quietly minded his own business. The thing is, he doesn't. He comes at Steve, he thinks he can take the fucking liberty of making obnoxious remarks, stick his nose into Steve's life, fucking push him around during practice like Harrington's a little snotty loser? Hargrove's been doing it since day fucking one, who the hell does he think he is?

Steve's not mean. Well, he's not the meanest, really. He never bites first. The photo freak? He deserved his camera to be broken. The creep was taking pictures of them, of his girl, in the middle of the night, hiding, like a stalker. What should Steve have done? Should he have patted him on the shoulder, great photos, man, real artistic shit, wow, do you mind taking a couple while we are actually making love?

Steve only bites when he gets bitten.

There is something else, too.

On top of everything, deep down, he hates the fact that Hargrove has somehow managed to sneak his way into the back of Steve's mind. Fuck knows how and why he got there. But he's there. Just yesterday morning, in the shower Steve was washing off the memories of a very vague but intense wet dream featuring Billy.

So he sets the new plan in motion.

It's really simple.

Next time they are in the showers, Harrington throws a glance at Billy. Doesn't say anything, throws another one. When Hargrove looks back, Steve averts his eyes. It's a matter of milliseconds.

Next day when they have basketball practice and Hargrove starts his usual dance, Steve pushes him back like he usually does, only gentler. Just a tiny bit, a whiff of less force, but Hargrove notices. It throws him off his game, like an unexpected stumble, and Steve is sensing it, like a hound.

In the showers he looks at him again, a second longer than the previous time.

Slight confusion is written all over Hargrove's face under his usual asshole expression.

Steve can feel it in his gut that Hargrove, despite being smart, has taken the bait, hook line and sinker.

Maybe, just maybe Steve has an idea what Hargrove's secret is, and he can make it work in his, King Steve's, favour.

Now all he has to do is wait for the right moment, keeping the interest up in the meantime. The moment when Billy slips, gets too greedy, and takes a big bite, Steve will hook him fast and reel him in.

Watch him choke on it.

Not for everyone's amusement, but exclusively for his own.

He will make this asshole humbled.

***

***

Billy knows it was Harrington. He's not dumb. It's the spoiled brat's way of saying "stick it up your ass and shut up already." It has a hidden message, a private message

It's payback for the biggest cucumber during health class, and a smirk that was painted all over Billy's face.

Jesus Christ, Harrington couldn't have ignored it, could he?

He wanted Billy all flustered and shocked and flailing his hands around like oh my god who could've done it, what should I do with it, why would anyone put something like that in my locker?

Or he wanted Billy shutting his locker quickly bursting into a bashful blush and looking around like someone's has found out his most shameful secret?

You picked the wrong guy, amigo.

I'm not one of you hick town prudes. A fucking sex toy could never make me embarrassed.

Weak, doll face, so weak. Is that all you got?

One thing is clear for Billy after this small episode.

Harrington really might be fun.

Too bad he's in a relationship that seems to suck all the spark out of him.

Although lately Billy has noticed something weird. Like something really.. impalpable has changed. The electricity current has become slightly different. It's dislike, it's jealousy, but with a sparkly tingle to it all now. Billy can't put his finger on it.

***

It's Friday, and Max is fucking late, again, like when is she gonna learn ?? Billy has been waiting for twenty minutes already, and his blood has been boiling for the same amount of time.

He finally spots her coming out of the middle school building talking to a couple of boys. One that looks like the nerdiest nerd ever, and the other boy's black.

If Max is gonna hang out with a black kid, Neil's gonna flip.

Guess who he's gonna flip at? Billy thinks in this case both he and his stepsister are gonna be caught in the same raging shitstorm.

Max, Max, Max, you seem clever, have you not figured out who your mom married yet?

It can become a really big problem.

Max gets closer to the camaro

Billy takes a drag. For the hundredth time, dear stepsister

"You're late again."

"But Mr. Clark was explaining the project assignment.."

"Jesus, I don't care. You're late again, and you're skating home again, nevermind what Neil says."

The red-haired leprechaun pouts and looks at Billy like she hates him.

She does, and Billy's fine with it. The second he's out of this town and heading west, he'll forget he even had a sibling.

When Max is sitting in the car, Billy notices a little smile on her lips like she's thinking about something funny. Stepsister seems to be in good mood?

Let's foul it up, out of spite.

Life is not a bowl of cherries, Maxine.

"God, this place is such a shithole."

"It's not that bad."

"No?"

Billy's sliding the windows down. It's farmland air, with all the smells that it implies

"Mmm .. you smell that, Max? It's actually shit. Cow shit."

Max doesn't seem to understand what's gotten into her asshole of a big brother.

"I don't see any cows."

"Clearly, you haven't met the high-school girls."

Why the hell did he say that, they are okay. Well .. Cali girls are way better, but like .. who cares. He's getting meaner by the second.

Max clearly does not want to keep this conversation going, but Billy's not done talking

"So what, you like it here now?"

"No."

"Then why are you defending it?"

"I'm not".

Why are you lying??

"Sure sounds like it."

"It's just we're stuck here, so .."

"Hmm. You're right. We're stuck here."

That's true. Maybe, just maybe if Susan was from another state, -- Florida? Oregon? Massachusetts? .. still closer to the water, could be breathing that ocean air that Billy misses so much, -- they would've moved there instead of the fucking middle of nowhere.

"And whose fault is that?"

There's a barely heard whisper

"Yours."

The fuck you mean? Your fucking mother was yapping about all the relatives out here, "Could be nice to be closer to the family, honey .." Could also be awesome to tear all what's left of the connections to Max's dad

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Did you say it's my fault?"

"No."

Why are you lying ??

And why the hell is it my fault?

Max is looking at him with a scared expression on her face. It must've become clear to her that she blurted something really stupid that she shouldn't have

"I don't know."

"If you don't know, then shut up."

Max might be afraid of him but she's also stubborn as fuck

Just like Billy.

"It's just that .. you know it's about your mom."

These words are said in the direction of the car window, but Billy hears them nonetheless

"What did you just say?"

"Oh my god, nothing!"

Nooo, you didn't say fucking nothing.

My mom, Maxine .. My mother. Do not ever talk about my mother.

My mother is probably happily married and having a kid or two who she loves and cares about, and I'm stuck here where I don't wanna be, and dad's an asshole, and like .. the kind that wants to break you and turn your whole soul into a fucking desert, and I have this gaping hole in my chest, which nothing can cure, and you're a little piece of shit having your fucking theories which have no ground whatsoever, and you have always had your mom by your side, and now you have friends here, and you like it here already, and dad never fucking ever blames you for anything, cause I'm his scapegoat the whole fucking time, I never wanted a fucking sister!

Billy feels an upsetting sting in his eyes.

Two things in this world can bring him to tears.

Two people.

Mom, who he doesn't have, and dad.

Billy's not gonna cry in front of his stepsister. Instead, the mood swing has been set in motion, and he's close to rotating the full circle.

Fuck, Maxine, why did you have to bring up mom? Two people can make him cry, but mom is literally the only person, the mention of whom can make him unpredictable and completely off the hinges.

At least Neil is a constant. Billy knows what to expect. The old man doesn't hold any surprises anymore.

With his mother? He expected her to come back for him. She told him she would come back.

When he was little, right after his mom had left, and after the last phonecall when she still promised to come back for him

Soon, baby

It had already passed five or six months, then a year, and his hope was vanishing but somehow still there

And he cried more and more seldom

Cause there was no point

She didn't hear him

He used to stay on the playground and swing on the swing set till his head got dizzy, he wanted to fly so high, do the entire circle, denying all laws of physics

He imagined he would fall down and break a leg or something or worse and he'd be taken to hospital and his mom would somehow find out and run to him and take care of him and .. she would love him

He's swinging so high now, he wants to go all the 360 degrees

Billy changes gears and the car is gaining speed. He's turning up the volume of the music. Let's fucking tango, the upcoming song is a perfect match for his mood. Blood's pumping in his veins faster.

He's already spiralling and he doesn't give a fuck. Let the concrete wall stand in front of him now, he still won’t slow down

Max is sinking into the seat and clutching onto her seatbelt like she usually does when he's speeding dangerously

The fact is, Billy has done something stupid. He wanted to find his mom, okay? And what is more stupid, he tried fishing for some information about her from Neil. He tried asking him cautiously, heart almost jumping out of his ribcage, if his mom was still living in California. It was stupid and reckless, but he's done it out of hopelessness, because where else was he supposed to get anything on his mother?

No grandparents left, no relatives on mom's side.

Naturally, the only information that Billy got out of Neil was a hard grab of his hair, like his dad wanted to scalp him, red face distorted with anger and spit flying

"If you ask one more question about this whore .."

"She's not a whore!" Billy never learns.

Neil just shoved him against the wall with all his force and said, voice cutting what was left of Billy's heart in two

"One more question, and you don't have a car anymore, you don't have a home anymore, you're out in the street."

Anyways, it wasn't the reason for their move, but Max overhead their conversation with Neil that night, Billy saw that her door was cracked open and he could swear he saw her shadow standing by the door eavesdropping. She must've gotten ideas.

He spots a bunch of kids riding their bikes on the road

Could make use of that.

All right! One two three four

Come on boys

Time to wango!

"Billy, slow down."

"Oh, these your new hick friends?"

Max looks terrified. Bingo.

He's in luck.

"No, I don't know them."

Why is she always fucking lying?? Just say fucking yes, for once!

"I guess you won't care if I hit 'em then?"

My baby got no control

"I get bonus points, I get 'em all in one go?"

She do the wango tango

The kids are pedaling faster. Just turn off the damn road, you idiots.

"No, Billy, stop. It's not funny."

Being late is not funny. Lying is not funny. Bringing up my mom is not fucking funny!

"Billy, come on, stop it. It's not funny. Stop!"

My baby she can scream and shout

"Billy, stop it!"

My baby she can take a chance

Max grabs the steering wheel, the fucking kids finally turning right and falling off their stupid bikes, and Billy and Max, too almost end up on the side of the road

Thank fuck Billy might not be in full control of his rage, but he's always, always in control of his car.

"Yeah! That was a close one, huh?" He sounds like a madman.

Why like? He's mad, at everything and only getting madder

Wango tango

Wango tango

It's a wango tango

Oh yeah!

[awlimagines]

Unnamed Daryl POV Snippet

They had agreed to work together after the fiasco during Rock’s test of courage on the mountain. Daryl couldn’t help but grumble as he cleared a seat. The farmer had been nothing but presumptuous until now. She challenged him constantly about how any true scientist wouldn’t take stock of ghost stories and fairy tales correlated with strange readings in the valley. How was she always in the middle of spikes? No doubt Pony thought she had been successful in steering him away.

“Foolish farmer,” Daryl muttered. He had known something was off with this farmer for months. Daryl wouldn’t care anything about Pony if it wasn’t for her mystical entrance into a tree in the woods back in Spring. She had enthusiastically had a conversation with something he couldn’t see within the layers of bark. The bits he could catch through the tree’s small cavities confirmed there was more to the myths Pony publicly dismissed. They had a basis in reality. Their population most likely diminished from humans and industry (however limited such advancements were in Forget-Me-Not Valley) but warranted some concern. 

“Aww, you erased your little picture of Flora?” the sound of Pony’s voice suddenly in the lab caused Daryl to jolt forward. He whirled around to focus on the woman. He had just changed the codes yet again; how was she getting in? She infuriated him, Daryl decided as his heart pounded when Pony smirked,” It was so cute. You should have left it.” 

“Sit here,” Daryl roughly pointed to the empty stool. “You mentioned briefly your predisposition to seeing these creatures is genetic. From the few records I read, your father lived here unbothered for years without any paranormal events. I’m presuming your particular abilities are from your mother’s lineage. Have you always resided in the city?” 

“Are you going to draw a cute little doodle of me in there too?” she asked, leaning towards him to glance at the journal he used to take precise notes. Daryl snapped the book closed. Perhaps she came from a family of imps. 

“No, we moved around a lot. Just my mom and me, though we’ve met others like us. She kept an address in the city so Dad wouldn’t worry, but we were hardly ever there. The things living in the city tend to congregate and are more of a nightmare than just moving around.” 

“Would you mind if I check a few things?” 

“You’re going to dissect me, aren’t you?” Pony feigned shock, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

“If you’re incapable of taking this seriously-” 

“No, sorry! I was told experiments followed by dissection would be my life if someone found out. It just helps to joke about it,” Pony mumbled. “What do you want to check?”

“Primarily an eye exam. It would be the least invasive and rule out any physical abnormalities that alter your vision from what others see.” 

“Oh, yeah. That’s fine.” 

She agreed, so why was Pony not cooperating? Each time Daryl tried to view her eyes with the ophthalmoscope, she turned her head. It didn’t seem intentional on her part, but his patience was beginning to run thin. Daryl leaned back, waiting for Pony to shift to face him. His hand shot forward. Daryl’s thumb and fingers pressed firmly enough into the corners of her jaw to immobilize her from turning again. The shock provided an added benefit of her eyes opening wider from the action. He was dimly aware of Pony swallowing against his hand. Daryl pushed the sensation to the back of his mind to focus instead on his examination.

Nothing. Daryl wasn’t an expert with a medical degree, but there wasn’t anything outside the typical eye’s anatomy. He doubted Dr. Baddoch would obtain different results. Daryl was intrigued by the hint of another color lurking beneath her green eyes. He paused a moment longer intently staring into her eyes. Daryl couldn’t deduce if it was a hint of blue or grey before his hand fell away, and he sat upright. Daryl saw a faint blush spread across Pony. The realization chased his next question from his mind.

“W-well, I’ve got to go. Something just came up at the farm that needs my attention,” Pony recovered first. She hastened to her feet and towards the door. “Just, uh, let me know the results later. Okay, bye!” 

Daryl blinked in shock as the door clipped shut behind her. What just happened? He quickly recovered, scoffing at the flustered farmer. She obviously didn’t know how to behave in a professional examination. It was apparent to him from her inability to sit still and the pathetic excuse. Pony would have no method of knowing something was wrong with her farm from his lab. He’d be embarrassed by such behavior too. 

He wiped his sweaty palms on his frayed pants, dismissing how warm they suddenly felt. It was excitement from finally beginning work on unraveling the farmer’s mystery. It had nothing whatsoever to do with her flushed face.

[smolalienbee]

Just found your page and its amazing, especially your Geraskier content.

Could you maybe do Geraskier short fic with prompt 10 or 39 from the kissing prompt list. (I'm on mobile and cant figure out how to copy/paste the prompts)

hi!!! thank you, glad you've been enjoying your stay!!! went with prompt 10 for this one - "a hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it"

geraskier // Yennefer POV // modern AU; crack-ish fluff or fluff-ish crack

(send me a character/pairing and a prompt and i’ll write you a ficlet!)

Yennefer sits calmly on the couch when it all happens.

Geralt is meditating on the living room floor, cross-legged and with his eyes tightly shut. While she doesn’t quite get the concept of meditation in general, finds it too frustrating and with too little practical result, she doesn’t dare bother him. It’s what he does and she’s plenty occupied reading anyway.

And so their shared flat is completely silent, peacefully so. Or, at least, it is until Jaskier, who is without a doubt the nosiest housemate in existence, barges inside.

“I’m home,” he loudly sing-songs all the way from the front door. It’s an unnecessary announcement and so both Yennefer and Geralt react appropriately - she with a roll of her eyes while he grunts under his breath. Neither of them pauses their respective tasks, though, far too used to Jaskier’s rambunctiousness to let it get to them.

Jaskier, either oblivious or deliberately ignoring their annoyance, saunters into the living room with a bright grin on his face.

“Witch,” he greets Yennefer with a mock little bow and then he moves onto Geralt. And this - this is where things start to get interesting, enough so that Yennefer lowers her book to watch the scene unfold.

Jaskier steps close to Geralt, close enough that Geralt clearly picks up on his presence and grumbles something yet again. Jaskier, entirely undeterred, coos at him in response and then he... leans in. He leans in and kisses Geralt, straight on the lips.

Yennefer is sure that, last she checked, the two of them have still been dancing around each other without any definitive resolutions as to the state of their relationship. She is also fairly sure that they have never kissed.

(She would know if they did - Jaskier would certainly never shut up about it.)

And yet, Jaskier had just kissed him and Geralt, for his part, hadn’t even flinched. In fact... he’d leaned into it. Curious, indeed.

The kiss doesn’t last long, more of a gentle peck than anything else. Jaskier pulls away, pats Geralt’s shoulder casually as he does.

“Well, don’t let me interrupt you any longer,” he chirps happily and then has the gall to hum to himself as he walks away, as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened.

Yennefer stares at him as he goes, though he doesn’t seem to notice. She waits until he’s out of view before she gets up and follows him.

(She doesn’t bother checking on Geralt. The more the kiss surprised him, the less likely it was that he’d tell her anything.)

She finds Jaskier in the kitchen, cheerfully unpacking his groceries with some melody still on his lips. She pointedly taps her heels against the floor to get his attention and waits until he looks up before she speaks.

“So I see you two have figured things out, then?” she asks, leaning her hip against one of the counters. Her eyes remain on him.

“Hmm? Whatever would you mean, my dear?”

She raises her eyebrows pointedly, but Jaskier just stares at her blankly, as though not grasping what she means. Silence stretches on until she grows frustrated with his clear lack of comprehension.

“The kiss, Jaskier,” she tells him on an exhale. “You just kissed him.”

“The... oh,” he gasps softly. “Oh. I did. Oh fuck. Oh fucky fuck, I kissed him. I just - AND HE KISSED BACK?”

And just as Jaskier raises his voice, there’s a thud in another room, presumably of Geralt fully dropping onto the floor. Yennefer sighs heavily.

[vivacissimx]

general asoiaf thoughts: the crux of unreliable narration is that the reality is different than what is being presented. The trick, however, is in how the narrator's actions and the results thereof are not in line with the logical consequences of what they've presented as fact. For it to work, this must be true. There has to be a disconnect between what we are told and what we come to know.

AFFC!Cersei is a true unreliable narrator because her perceptions are wildly divergent from the reality of King's Landing. She believes herself to be creating a cohesive, sustainable political arena wherein Tommen's rule is safe. The reality is she's surrounded by sycophants, Tommen is estranged from potential allies, and the entreaties she dismisses as cowardly or misogynistic are often sound ones.

She also does a classic lil unreliable narrator number by slowly leaking us information about Maggy the Frog's prophecy, leaving the reader with incomplete information while providing alternative reasons for her actions (Margaery is insolent, responsible for Joffrey's death, plotting against her VS Margaery is one of the heralds of Cersei's doom).

Sansa has also been named an unreliable narrator in the case of misremembering a kiss from the Hound. Is she an unreliable narrator generally? In AGOT absolutely, but it's done so over the top + contrasted with POVs like Ned and Arya's such that nobody is convinced besides herself. The reader doesn't rely on her POV in ACOK/most of ASOS, however in AFFC she's the only POV in a espionage-heavy Vale (this is also where Sandor's kiss comes up) so if there's a twist, it's forthcoming.

There are other characters who I don't think deserve the title of unreliable narrator despite this disconnect existing. ACOK!Theon POVs are generally convoluted and littered with half-truths that bleed into full ones. But his thought process isn't concealing; it's convincing. He's compartmentalizing in real time - there's a fever dream quality to him, as though even Theon isn't sure what's real and what's not, which lines up well. Everything haunts him and everything is happening simultaneously as a result. Theon is unreliable, untrustworthy to the people around him more than he is to the reader.

Strangely enough I at times see arguments that Daenerys is an unreliable narrator. Perhaps that is a result of the show adaptation, but to apply in the the book context is an egregious reading, because actually she is committing the opposite sin: that of intense self-doubt. Her chapters are full of her weighing options and lingering on past choices. There are of course things she doesn't know (ex. the identity of the Harpy in specific) but that's not a token of unreliability. The easiest way to ascertain unreliability is to focus on the reactions of those around her, who are generally loyal to her cause after spending time with her. This holds from two so different knights in Jorah and Barristan, to the Dothraki characters, to those formerly enslaved such as Missandei that she has met along her journey. If Dany's not who she thinks she is, then that should show in the reactions of other's to her. Her abrupt departure from Meereen on Drogon's back should result in second-guessing from those left behind (Quentyn & Barristan have POVs following), yet that isn't the case.

The culmination of all this is in Arianne's leaked TWOW chapters. There's so much misinformation and so many convoluted chains of gossip that there had to be a character, largely uninvolved prior, who could slice through all that bulk and methodically tell us what's true and what's not. I don't think Arianne is a camera character (anymore than ADWD!Jaime is) but she definitely provides a clean slate in terms of the macro view, resetting our understanding of the machinations of Westeros + intro'ing a new set of players.

[thefanficmonster]

Love For The Faceless

Corpse Husband x Youtuber!Reader(Female)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Fluff 

Summary: Y/N is a YouTube gamer who has recently gained a much larger following thanks to the streams she does with her friends. Naturally, considering her faceless and bodiless nature, people are starting to get curious about her. When she finally follows her friend Corpse’s example, a lot more than her hands is revealed.

Requested by anon, you know who you are 😉 Thank you so much for placing a request and hope this fic fulfills the expectations you have for it.

“Hey!“ I greet the lobby as I finally hop into the Discord call after quickly saying ‘hi‘ to my audience.

I’ve been a YouTuber for four years now and I’ve only recently started streaming, encouraged to do so by my best friend Rae. She’s the one who got me in multiplayer games such as Among Us and Phasmophobia which led me to meet her amazing gaming squad that consists of some of the most famous names on the platform. They are all wonderful people and I will forever be in Rae’s debt for introducing me to them. However, becoming friends with Felix, Sean and the rest of the team brought not only a more fulfilled life, but also a small boost in following. Who am I kidding, it wasn’t small. It was overwhelming, terrifying even.

My YouTube channel had a little over a million subscribers at the start of quarantine and now....now it’s closer to three million. Speaking of three million, I’m about to reach it any day now and it’s really hard to believe. I’m a gaming youtuber and I’ve never considered changing my genre despite expecting to not get any attention whatsoever, with all the big names on the platform. I was convinced not even as many as a hundred people would stumble across my videos and now here we are.

My OG subscribers are very supportive of my sudden growth and are defending me when my newer fans ask for a face reveal or whatnot. While we’re on that topic I might have to mention that not even my YouTube friends, and that includes Rae have seen my face. I’ve been faceless and bodiless for the entirety of my time on social media. Some claim I do it to grab more attention or for dramatic effect, but the reason is beyond that. I’m not shallow. Actually, shallow people are the reason I don’t show my face. I’ve never been the prettiest, but my middle school bully thought that I wasn’t lacking self confidence enough. As a result, I ended up with a not so handsome scar on my right cheek that starts from the corner of my mouth and nearly misses my eye. Yeah, it’s a long and pretty noticeable scar that has thankfully become less and less obvious as the years have progressed. Still, it’s not something I’d like to show to my viewers.

Eight ‘hi’s greet me back, each making my smile grow wider. “Sorry I’m late guys. Technical difficulties.” 

“Don’t worry.“ Rae’s voice dominates over the rest, “Corpse still isn’t here so we’re waiting for him.“

I mute myself on the Discord call and take a look at my comments. I’m most flattered by the comments about my voice. Seeing as how they don’t have much to compliment about me other than my content, they make the nicest comments about my voice, personality and humor. Those comments are the ones who warm my heart most. Even when people in my day to day life compliment my appearance I can’t find it in me to believe they are being genuine. I’d like to believe these amazing people are being one hundred percent honest when they tell me they like me for who I am and not for what I might look like.

“Sorry I’m late guys.“ A deep voice causes me to even physically jolt, switching my focus from the comments to the Among Us lobby where my eyes land on the newly materialized black avatar.

“Hi Corpse.“ Rae greets him.

“Hello mister who broke Twitter!“ Sean laughs, provoking the laughter of the rest of the players.

“Yeah, congratulations man. That’s a big deal.“ Felix chimes in.

“Thanks guys, but I think you’re forgetting we’re talking about a picture of my hand.“ Corpse chuckles timidly. I have noticed how shy he gets when someone gives him a compliment - like a snail slowly withdrawing in its shell. I find it adorable.

“That’s what makes it even better!“ I unmute my mic, sending my own congratulations.

“While we’re on that topic...“ Rae begins, waiting for the rest of us to shut our traps, suggesting she has something important to say. “Y/N, do you ever plan on doing a reveal like that? Not a face reveal. Just a body part reveal.“

I have no problem talking about the subject with friends but I get nervous when I’m supposed to discuss it with my fans. Seeing as how everyone, including myself, is streaming right now, I get a bit of a stutter in my speech. “Haven’t thought about it yet. But I guess a body part reveal is harmless.” I cringe immediately after letting the words leave my mouth, “That sounds so weird.”

Rae knows that I’m not too fond of my face, but I haven’t told her about my scar yet. I let almost all people I’ve met online think I’m using my lack of appearance for effect. For the mystery of it all. Mysteries attract people which equals attention. Attention equals views and the domino effect continues.

“Just a suggestion. No pressure.“ Rae adds quickly, knowing full well I get anxious when the subject is brought up in front of cameras. “Let’s get this game started, shall we.”

                                                          * * *

The idea dwells in my mind, sitting on the back burner even after I disconnect from the Discord call. I’m sitting in my gaming chair, which was a gift for my two million milestone, and weighing out the pros and cons of the action Rae suggested I take.

“It’s a picture of your fucking hand, dummy. How bad can it turn out?“ I say out loud, shaking my head at my indecisiveness. “You’ll be fine.”

In a blur, two pictures are already posted on my Instagram. The first one captioned ‘Took a leaf from my friend’s book. Did I do it right @ corpsehusband?’ and the second ‘Thanks, Rae. These are on you.’

Rae’s POV

As I’m watching a movie in my living room, I get a notification from Instagram, informing me that Y/N has posted for the first time in a while.

I scoff, “More like the first time in forever.”

The first thing that comes to my mind is the possibility of her reaching that three million milestone that’s been long time coming. I bring the glass of water that’s sitting on my coffee table to my lips, taking a sip as I tap the notification. The picture I see makes me hurry to put the glass back down so I don’t drop it. Y/N’s hand. Her fingers are covered with several thin rings each. And here I thought Corpse had too many rings, this girl has at least two on every finger! 

Then my eyes land on the second picture she has posted only minutes after the first and my heart drops. I struggle to get the water that’s been sitting in my moth down my esophagus while my mind is struggling with the task to comprehend the picture I’m looking at. 

Another hand is resting on top of Y/N’s. A hand also covered in rings but fewer and larger. The nails are painted black. 

I think I know who it belongs to.

Before I can even finish the thought, I’m dialing Y/N. She picks up after the second ring, sound cheery as ever as she greets me. “Hey Rae!”

“Don’t you ‘Hey Rae’ me!” I practically scream. I hate being kept in the dark about anything ever so this is just driving me mad. On top of all, she’s my best friend, for fuck’s sake. “Is that Corpse in the photo with you?!”

“Ugh....“ the cheeriness to her voice is all but gone now.

I go on with my rant, not giving her the time to reply. Not that she would reply. I bet she doesn’t know what to say. “So he knows where you live?! Or was the picture taken at his place?! He knows what you look like?! You have seen him! He has seen you in real life but me, your best friend, haven’t!!! You are breaking Covid 19 protection laws to take pictures?! Are you fucking serious, Y/N?!”

There’s a long moment of silence which frustrates me even more but I literally have run out of things to yell and the power to be angry. I mean, I still am, I just can’t express it.

“Rae, sweetheart, please calm down. You’re scary when you’re mad.“ This girl has some fucking nerve! She’s on the verge of laughing!

“Listen here you...“ 

“Rae, please stop scaring my girlfriend.“ That oh so distinguishable, oh so familiar voice interrupts me.

I am flabbergasted, for a lack of a better term.

“Now that we’ve got you quiet, I can explain.“ Y/N pics up the conversation, “Corpse and I have been dating for six, almost seven months now. We started dating around Easter after talking for quite some time. We moved in together at the end of September. All thanks to you, Rae. You’re the best.” She pauses to breathe in real quick, “There, all caught up?“

I’m in no less shock than I was before she explained. Actually, I think I might be even more confused now. It all just feels like a fever dream. “Yes...no. I don’t fucking know! I need details, Y/N!”

“Details later.“ Corpse makes his presence known once again, “We’re watching Family Guy right now. Talk to you later.“

“Love you, Rae!“ Y/N calls out before the line goes dead.

My arm goes limp, dropping my phone on the couch next to me. 

“Motherfuckers” I mumble under my breath.

Y/N’s POV

It’s been a week since Rae has stopped talking to both Corpse and me. I know she just needs some time to cool off. In the meantime, the rest of our friends were informed and, as oppose to Rae, were nothing but supportive and overjoyed. I bet Rae feels the same way though. Sean, Dave and the rest of the gang have confirmed that she’s incredibly happy for us and says she noticed a spark between me and him since day one, but she can’t help but be mad at us, and especially me, for not telling her sooner.

“Any regrets?“ I remember Corpse asking me when we hung up on her after dropping the bomb.

“Not being able to see her face when she saw the picture.“ I beam at him, feeling as content as ever.

He laughs, agreeing with me before leaning down to kiss me.

@susceptible-but-siriusexual  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @hacker-ghost  @itsminniekat  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios

[axwalker]

Jealousy--One Shot

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2. Engagement Tour. 

Pairing: Drake Walker x Alexis O’Brien (MC) 

WORDS: I’m using my WD golden ticket so 3,000 words. 

POV: Dual 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: SMUT!! 🍋🍋🍋 A very frustrating Drake and Alexis.  

ALL MY FICS ARE +18 !!!! 

I’m participating in the  @wackydrabbles​   prompts. This week’s prompt is “I can’t do this anymore.” 

I apologize for any grammatical errors.   

Tags in the comments ;) 

DRAKE

Standing next to my window, I admire the Roman ruins of the Palatine hills as the royal train rolls into Rome. I’ve always loved Italy, but something about this trip is getting to me. It might be the woman occupying the cabin next to mine. It might be the fact that my best friend is almost as crazy about her as I am. Almost. He can’t possibly care for her the way I do. I down the rest of my glass and pick up a simple shirt and a pair of pants for tonight’s banquet. Fuck the black tie.

Since O’Brien came back to court, I tried to avoid her as much as I could. As a result, I’d cut off a leg tonight just to lay eyes on her again. I crave her like a drug. I spent the last few days debating with myself, and each day I grow a little more desperate, my arguments growing wilder and less probable by the minute. “Maybe” is how every single thought began, each one borne of desperation. Maybe I can make Liam understand that I’m crazy about the woman he loves. Maybe he’ll understand that I’ve been lying for months. Maybe Alexis will realize that she wants a quiet life with me. It’s a weakness on my part; I just need to get through this banquet without giving into it.

Thank God there’s a bar. I’m going to need something to make this experience tolerable. I grab a whiskey and drink half of it before I even head to my table. I’m halfway there when my eyes meet Kiara’s. She’s been leaving me flirty messages since we built the barn to celebrate Liam’s engagement. She’s a beautiful and smart woman but I couldn’t be less interested. 

“Come with me,” she says, pulling at my elbow. “I saved you a seat.” 

At that very moment, Lexie walks in. She’s wearing a red silk dress that matches her lips, pours over her curves, and reveals only a hint of cleavage while allowing you to imagine what you can’t see too fucking easily. Her hair falls over her shoulders and down her back, highlighting her long neck and her gorgeous face. As always, I seem to settle on her mouth. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen her wear red lipstick before, and, for some reason, this opens an entire box of fantasies. I want to see it soiled. To kiss her so hard that neither of us can breathe. To pull back and find that mouth ajar, panting, the lipstick a red blur around the edges., I want it so badly I’m not sure how I’ll get through the goddamn night without having it. My hands sliding that silk dress over her head, learning every inch of her the way I’ve dreamed about for months. Except right now, Lexie’s eyes are fixed on the point where Kiara’s arm is linked with mine, and her expression—sad and wounded—is like a knife to my chest. I step away from Kiara, grabbing my drink and draining it. “I’m sitting with Maxwell and Olivia,” I tell her firmly. 

 “Doesn’t Lexie look gorgeous?” Max asks. My eyes move across the room again. Her red dress shimmers, sticks on her curves. `

“She looks like she needs more clothes,” I complain. 

“Olivia helped her choose that dress,” Max says with a brow arched. “It fits her like a glove.” 

“Yeah,” I reply. “That’s sort of the problem.” 

My gaze is still on her, though. Moving up from her hips to her waist to her breasts, back up to that mouth of hers. I picture it again; the lipstick smeared, her breathless under me. And then a single hand cups her hip bone, visible through the thin silk, and I’m ejected from my fantasy at high speed. My lust transforms into rage in a single breath. Fucking Signore Francesco Lombardi. When everyone finally takes their seats, I discover that she and Francesco are at the table on the other side of mine, giving me a painfully direct view of the two of them. Whenever she stands, his eyes are on her, devouring her. He paws at her when she returns, jumping to pull out her chair but managing to get his fucking hands over approximately sixty percent of her body when he does it. And if he tries to look down her dress one more time, I’m definitely taking him out. I don’t give a fuck about our diplomatic relationships with Italy. I go to the bar again and ask for another glass of Macallan. Tonight it’s either get drunk or completely lose my shit in front of hundreds of witnesses. Pretentious food and great speeches are given out that I don’t notice. She is more real to me than anything in this room or out of it, the only thing I can see. No one knows her fears like I do. No one knows how fragile she really is, how deeply sweet. How funny and smart and kind. But I know. And for all the fighting we’ve done, there aren’t two people in this room as made for each other as the two of us. My world is constructed entirely of rules about what I owe Liam –my education, my career, and so many other things. But somehow, it excludes the only thing that matters to me. Her. If it weren’t for how Liam feels about her, she’d be here with me tonight. I watch her say something to Liam, and he nods, his eyes telling her how he feels. Jealousy runs through my veins. 

 “Enough,” I say quietly as I stand. I don’t know what possesses me to follow her. I know, with every bone in my body, that I have no claim on her. But I saw that look in Liam’s eyes, the one that says he’ll do anything for her, and I found myself on my feet. She’s halfway down the hall by the time I reach her. She looks over her shoulder warily when she hears me, but she is too late. I’m already there. I grab her elbow before she has time to react and pull her into an empty office. She stiffens and pulls back, ready as always to fight. Eyes flashing and hands on her hips. Seething before I’ve even said a word. “You have no right to—” That’s when I cup her jaw and capture that mouth I’ve longed for the whole goddamn night.

ALEXIS 

 His mouth comes down on mine, demolishing my pathetic attempt to object. He seizes it thoroughly, with such certainty, as if he’s spent his entire life practicing for this precise moment. His hands raking back through my hair, his tongue finding mine as he presses against me. His mouth moves over my neck, and he groans, a noise of both despair and satisfaction. 

“You didn’t want me a week ago, but now you do?” I start to push back, but he holds me tight against him. 

“I just don’t want you stuck in a shitty ranch with a poor veterinarian when it all ends. It was never about not wanting you.” I know there are other reasons why I’m supposed to object, but they escape me. I’ve wanted this too long, his hands on my body, my skin pressed against his, and his mouth creating a trail of kisses down my neck. It’s right. I’ve known nothing in my life with such certainty as the fact that nothing in the world matters more to me. His hands move from my hips to my breasts, and then he pulls one strap of my dress down, trailing slow, open-mouthed kisses over my shoulder and collarbone, almost reverently. Nipping with his teeth and soothing it with his tongue. He pulls the dress down to my waist, unclasps my bra with a single hand. He cups my breasts, bringing his mouth to them in the same way, sharp and sweet at once and creating a need in me so intense that it borders on pain. I gasp and arch toward him, submitting entirely as my head falls backward against the wall. He pulls back just enough to see my face. His chocolate eyes are dark now as he searches mine, looking there for something he desperately needs. Permission. He wants permission. As if I’d ever tell him no. 

“Yes,” I whisper. “Please.” 

“You’re sure?” His voice is gruff with desire. And when I nod, he pushes the dress over my hips and allows it to slide to the floor. His hands follow, skating over my hips, down my thighs, and I stand before him now in nothing but panties and heels. “That fucking dress nearly killed me,” he says, smoothing my skin as he kisses me again. He pushes against me, his shirt against my bare skin, his erection pressed hard to my stomach, a quick pulse there as if he is desperate for friction. He slides his index finger under the elastic of my panties. The moment he touches me, my whole body jolts. 

“Fuck,” he hisses, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. “You’re already soaked.” His finger slips back and forth, lightly, in torturous circles before it pushes inside me. 

“Oh God,” I whisper, my body bowing toward him. He adds a second finger, and this time his groan is louder than mine. 

“Jesus, Lex,” he growls. “You’re going to be the end of me.” 

I unclasp his belt and unzip his pants reaching down to pull him from the confines of his boxers. He is thick and heavy in my hands, hissing as my fingers wrap around him, tugging gently. 

“Stop,” he exhales after a minute. “I’m not gonna last if you do that, and there are so many things I want to do to you first.” 

He pushes my panties down and lifts me up almost simultaneously, turning to deposit me on the table behind us. He kisses me once, hard. “Lie back,” he commands. He drops to his knees, spreading my legs so I’m displayed before him. Suddenly, his fingers are joined by quick swipes of his tongue. 

“Oh my God,” I gasp. “Drake … just—”

 His mouth and tongue lick and brush and pull, creating flames that begin there and spread all the way to my toes. I try to move, but his free hand clamps down on my thigh, holding me in place. 

“I’ve dreamed about doing this every goddamn night for months, Alexis. So let me.” 

I can’t even nod in agreement because suddenly, everything inside me is building so quickly that I can’t tell where I am or where I’m going. 

“Oh,” I gasp. And then his fingers push inside me and I explode with a cry of ecstasy and surprise, arching against his mouth. He doesn’t pull back, but instead slides his hands beneath my legs and tugs me closer, buries his face to create wave after wave of something I never thought would happen in the first place. 

“Holy shit,” I breathe. He leans over to kiss me and when he does, I wrap my legs around his waist, bringing him against me so suddenly that he gasps in my mouth. 

“Lexie,” he groans. 

“Please,” I whisper. It seems impossible for anyone to be more satisfied than I am now, yet I still need the very thing Drake wants most, the thing he is so sure he shouldn’t give. He looks tortured and pulls back, but I tighten around him, pressing him against me. “Don’t even think about stopping right now.” He shifts his hips just enough that he is pressing right there, not inside me but mere seconds away from it. In a single pulse, he could be buried deep inside me. 

“Is this okay?” he asks, his voice tight. “Do we need …” 

“No,” I beg. “Just do it. I’m on the pill.”

He pushes in, barely. He’s so thick that already I’m stretched to the point of pain. 

“Oh fuck, Lexie,” he whispers. “God, that’s so good. Just give me a minute, or this is going to be over before it starts.” 

Finally, he moves once more, going slowly, a low noise deep in his chest as he finally shoves all the way in. 

“Are you okay?” he asks between clenched teeth. I nod as I adjust to the size of him, pain still outweighing the pleasure. It’s when he starts to withdraw that the pain recedes as a burst of pleasure sucks the air from my lungs. It feels too good, something so vast and all-consuming it can’t possibly end well. I never finish this way but oh my God… If it were ever going to happen, it would be now. His next thrust is faster, more certain, but he stops entirely at my sharp inhale. “Did I hurt you, baby?” he asks. 

“No.” He didn’t hurt me. He stunned me. His strokes come slow and rhythmic then, as he leans over, finding my mouth with the table bracing his weight, his arms taut. “I’ve wanted this for so fucking long,” he says, holding still inside me. 

“Keep going,” I beg. “Don’t stop.” 

“Patience,” he grins. “You have no idea how hard it is not to come right now.” 

I grab his ass and push upward, ignoring his warning, thrilling at the low grunt he makes. “Alexis,” he growls, “goddammit.” 

His hips jerk back and then forward, almost involuntarily. It’s all I need. I cry out as it happens again, everything inside me bursting. He thrusts quick and hard, desperate now, and then stiffens with a single guttural noise as he pushes in one final time. He falls against me, his mouth against my neck, his breath warm on my skin. It’s closer than I’ve ever been to another person, and I would like to stay here, just like this, forever. But after a moment, I open my eyes when I realize what we’ve done. 

It’s a little like waking from a dream. What the fuck have I done? The best sex I’ve ever had and the biggest mistake I’ve ever made just occurred simultaneously. The guilt and astonishment collide with each other. It was wrong. No matter what other considerations there are, I just slept with Liam’s best friend.

I know I don’t owe Liam anything. I came to Cordonia to see if there was something between us beyond that kiss in New York, and there wasn’t. He’s engaged to Madeleine and I’m hopelessly in love with his best friend. Bu this isn’t about me. This is about Drake. 

I just became that woman. The kind of woman that would stand between two brothers. The type of woman capable of breaking a lifelong friendship in a moment of lust. 

I know that sooner or later, Drake will resent me, us, if he loses Liam. Somewhere inside, I knew that, but because I wanted him and was jealous of Kiara, I chose to ignore it. He looks up at me, and his smile fades. 

“What are you thinking?” he asks. There’s dread in his voice. His jaw hardens. “You regret it.” 

“Drake,” I sigh, nestling in his chest. “It’s not that. It was…amazing. I just need to figure this out.” 

“Figure what out?” 

I bury my face in his neck. I don’t want to be having this conversation with him. I wish there was a way he could just hold me and take me to his cabin and work this all out on my own later. But there’s not. “What happens next. I mean, it shouldn’t have happened. We both know that. Liam… “

“No,” he snaps, pulling away. “Do not bring him up. Are you really going to let the way it might look to everyone outside this room dictate whether or not it’s okay? This is about us, Lexie. No one else.” 

Except it’s not everyone outside this room. It’s him. Until a week ago, Drake was determined to push me away. He didn’t want to betray his best friend. He told me over and over again that he wasn’t that kind of man. That he would never forgive himself. 

I let my need obliterate every reasonable thought, as usual. And in doing so, I’ve let myself down and—far worse—I may have put Drake’s friendship with Liam at risk. I pull away and grab my dress and bra off the floor. 

“We have to get back out there before someone notices we’re gone.” 

He buttons his shirt. “So you want to go back and continue flirting with Liam like this didn’t just happen?” he asks.

.

It’s right then, at that precise moment, that I realize that no matter what happens, Drake and I will never be together. Liam will always be there, between us. Right now, in our post-orgasmic bliss, Drake is not thinking straight, but I know what he will be telling me tomorrow morning. Or at least how he will be feeling. Guilty. 

“I can’t do this anymore.” I take a deep breath to calm myself. “So what matters most is that we both get through the banquet like nothing happened.” 

“And then what?” He growls.

His anger doesn’t scare me. “Can we please just get through the next hour?” I ask. “Liam is out there. Olivia, Max, Kiara are out there. The most important thing either of us can do right now is to act like nothing’s wrong.” 

He fastens his belt and moves to the door, his jaw rigid. He’s doing what I asked, but I hate that he’s leaving mad. I’m doing this for him. I don’t want him to lose the only relationship in his life that matters to him. “Drake, wait—” 

 “For what?” he demands. “I just fucked you on a table, and now you’re sending me on my way. What more could you possibly need to add to that?” With those parting words, he crosses the door and walks out, leaving me heartbroken. 

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine Huan Beifong standing up to Bataar jnr for you

Your POV

You’d worked for the Beifongs for 3 years now. You’d become a fighter like your idol Su as soon as you were old enough but had been Opal’s best friend for far longer than that. As a result you were viewed as less of an employee but more of an extended family member. Well at least by most of the Beifongs...Opal, Huan, Wei and Wing never treated you like their staff but the same couldn’t be said for the eldest Beifong. Bataar junior’s demeanour had never been warm to you but the second you became a soldier his attitude to you took a turn for the worse. He definitely stopped seeing you as a family friend and instead viewed you as someone with a duty to his family. You found it ironic considering he was dating Kuvira, the head of his mother’s guards, but Opal claimed her brother’s stupidity had no bounds. It didn’t bother you that Bataar clearly had a problem with you but it did make it awkward sometimes. Like when you were technically off duty but Bataar still wanted you to use your guard perks to reactivate the domes. You were relaxing in the living room with Opal and her siblings when Bataar had burst in demanding you go and give the orders for the domes to be activated without his mother’s return. Su had been away in republic city and was due back tonight but she hadn’t returned. Bataar was concerned at the city’s defence but rather than going to find a guard on duty he found you and gave you the demand. It would be easiest and quickest he claimed. You looked at the rain pouring down outside and frowned. You’d just worked a 10 hour shift and were looking forward to a games night followed by a very long sleep but Bataar wanted you to traipse across to the guards tower to activate something you probably didn’t need. “Ah come on Bataar leave it” Wing called and Wei nodded “yeah y/n doesn’t need to do that”. “Yes she does, have you forgotten she works for us?”. “Not for us”  Huan said sharply and you all jumped forgetting the second eldest Beifong was sat in the corner reading. 

Huan was never someone to shy away from an argument partly due to his short temper but when he did it was usually always in relation to him. Someone would question his art or hair and he’d snap back in the name of self-preservation. He never bothered with other people or their arguments which is why when he spoke up you all stared at him in shock.

"Y/n is a part of mother’s guard not yours" Huan said. He spoke softly but with a distinct and clear tone, it was impressive how he didn’t even have to raise his voice to be imposing. "Don't order her around like that" Huan finished glaring at his brother. All his siblings froze as did you and Bataar. Bataar immediately blushed as all his siblings looked at him and he coughed coming closer to Huan "i am the eldest and so in mother’s absence i can give orders to the staff". "No you can’t, you're not y/n’s boss so stop pretending you are just so you can feel important, y/n doesn't have to do anything you say". "When mother isn’t here her responsibilities....". "Are hers" Huan said standing up "you do not pay y/n’s salary, mother does. So you don’t get to tell her what to do, you want the domes putting? Do it yourself". Huan and Bataar shared at each other before finally Bataar admitted defeat to his younger brother. "Fine" he snapped "if she refuses then i will" and he grabbed his coat before slamming the door loudly. You all stared at Huan expecting him to comment or say something but he just went back to his seat in the corner. Wei, Wing and Opal all exchanged looks with you but Huan sat back down and picked up his book again as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

As soon as you retired to Opal’s bedroom to go to sleep she pounced. "Sooooo" Opal sang "now we can finally talk about what just happened?”. You’d been dreading this. Opal was your best friend and so could always tell when you were lying or embarrassed. "Huan?" you asked figuring there was no getting out of it and Opal nodded "it was insane right? I have never heard him stand up for someone like that!". You nodded your head "Bataar must really be pissing him off lately". "Yeah that could be part of it" Opal smirked and you sighed "Opal no!". Opal had this theory Huan had a soft spot for you and it had made you develop a crush on the metal bender over the years. He was so dignified and impressive the idea of him even paying attention to you...well lets just say it was a miracle Opal hadn’t realised. "Yes" Opal grinned "come on y/n that was a pretty open display of affection". "Or an open display of contempt for his brother?". "No he’s had plenty of opportunities to attack Bataar but he chose the one involving you, that’s important". You rolled your eyes "well i don’t think it does". "Well i think it does and so does Wei and Wing". "You spoke to them about it?". "Duh! As soon as you went to the bathroom". "But Opal your brothers are the biggest blabbermouths in all of Zafou! They’ll tell Huan and then it'll make things awkward and Huan will never speak to me again!". “Calm down I swore them to secrecy, they promised me they wouldn’t say anything”. You raised an eyebrow and Opal smirked “well they’ll try not to....either way it’s out of your control so shut up and go to sleep”. You sighed angrily but were indeed tired so you buried your head in the pillow “if they do i’ll blame you”. “Yeah yeah whatever go to sleep”. 

Huan’s POV

The following morning Huan found himself doing something he never did, leaving the sanctity of his workspace and going for a walk. Huan needed some inspiration and thought a trip around the grounds might help so he took a stroll around. Huan hated the outdoors and soon remembered why...other humans were there. 

"Sooo that thing last night" Wing appeared from nowhere smirking. Huan jumped as his twin brothers descended on either side of him and he frowned "what? A lot of things happened last night". "You and y/n of course" Wei grinned "so how long have you two been an item". Huan jumped "what? Me and y/n aren’t anything! What are you talking about?". "Well you defended her honour so valiantly we figured you were either dating or crushing on her". Huan glared "it’s neither, Bataar was being rude to her so i put him in his place, that was all". "See but that’s the thing" Wing said grabbing him to stop him leaving "you never do that, Opal and Kuvira bicker all the time and you never step in when both of them could do with a putting down from time to time". "Or mum, or dad or even us" Wei nodded "you always stay out of it because you’re the unbothered child who doesn’t care about anything but y/n...something about her made you speak up". Huan groaned rolling his eyes "you are reading way too much into this, why wouldn’t someone speak up for y/n, she’s been Opal’s best friend for so long she’s basically family". "But you never speak up for Opal or us come to think of it" Wing said getting angry. "So" Wei said taking over "you didn’t stand up for her because she’s Opal best friend but because you likeeee her" he grinned and Huan sighed. "Whatever" and he pushed his brothers off him "you’re crazy" but they both saw the red of his cheeks.

Your POV

"Y/n!" you heard someone scream and jumped to see Wei and Wing running up to you at the guard post where you stood. "Opal told us you’d be here" they said out of breath "we have to tell you something!". "Okay go on". "No in private" they said eyeing your co-guard with suspicion. You frowned "erm can you please scan the perimeter?". Your fellow guard nodded and Wei and Wing grabbed you "y/n you’ll never guess what....Huan likes you!". You blushed immediately "what...no he doesn’t, what are you talking about!". "We spoke to him about you and he blushed just as adorably as you" Wei teased and you glared raising a fist. "He did" Wing said intervening "albeit less tomato like but he blushed none the less". You paused "really? Well i mean he could just be embarrassed...". "Nope and we have proof" Wei smirked and you crossed your arms "ow yeah? What?". "He’s over there watching us right now" and you turned to see a figure looking out from a window.

Huan’s POV

Huan jumped from the window like he’d been scalded. His cursed brothers! Why were they determined to ruin his life. They planted the seed in his head then created a trap for him. He’d been watching you because he’d heard people yelling your name and grew worried when he realised it was his brothers. True he did carry on watching, curious at your reaction to what he knew his brothers were telling you. He was amused when your first instinct was to hit his brothers and he realised you had that in common. Huan did find you...amicable as humans went. Well more than amicable, you were one of the few people he didn’t mind being in a room with. You weren’t loud or obnoxious, you were dedicated and hard working but he’d also heard you with Opal and knew you were excitable and kind. You hadn’t even minded when Opal’s sky bison had licked you which Huan figured made you a very tolerable person. Huan had a slight smile on his face when his brothers said something and you all turned to look at him. Huan darted away from the window and flattened himself against the wall. His heart was racing and he could tell his face was bright red. Huan figured this was Wei and Wing’s (no doubt Opal was also involved) meddling way to get the two of you to interact and Huan hated how well it had worked. 

He expected you’d get curious now Wei and Wing had exposed him and he waited for you to appear for the awkward conversation but you never approached him. When by the end of the week you still hadn’t mentioned it Huan was confused. He figured you’d have believed his brothers and come to see for yourself the truth. Instead you carried on as normal and your behaviour towards him didn’t change in the slightest. Even tonight during your weekly sleepover with Opal, Huan bumped into you in the kitchen and still you said nothing. The two of you were alone, it would've been easy for you to comment on it but you didn’t. You’d just explained you were getting a snack for opal and yourself, apologised for disturbing him and left. Huan was utterly confused and also disappointed. Weren't you curious about what his brothers had said? He knew if the roles were reversed...he’d definitely be curious and even a little hopeful? 

Huan hated not knowing things so he decided to find out what was going on. You were over at their house again and were with Opal in her room. Huan waited for you to go to the bathroom before he began his interrogation of Opal. He opened her door sharply and stepped inside. "Okay we don’t have a lot of time but quickly, has y/n said anything about what Wei and Wing did earlier this week?". Opal jumped but responded quickly "no and that surprised me, she was worried Wei and Wing would harass you but when I asked her about what they said to her on guard duty she said it was fine". "Fine?" Huan asked "but they....they schemed to make me look suspicious, y/n didn’t comment on that?". Opal shook her head "no, she must’ve not bought it". "Ow" Huan frowned and Opal smiled "ow?". "I just thought....after all that trouble i’d have to talk to her about it but i guess y/n’s smart enough to not read into it". Opal’s smile grew "you could still talk to her about it, i’m sure she’d want to talk to you". Huan froze "she would, why?". "Well communication is always nice plus and she’d kill me for telling you this but she likes you". Huan frowned "she does? Why? How do you know?". "Why? I honestly don’t know" Opal smirked "but how do I know? Well i’m her best friend and for about 2 years now anytime i bring you up she pauses and goes all weird...kind of like you right now...she thinks she has me fooled but I can see right through her and she has a thing for you". "Wow...i guess you’d know being her best friend but are you 100% sure?". Opal nodded "i’m certain". Huan paused wondering how to proceed when suddenly the door opened. "Sorry i was a while, Wei was in there before me and it wasn’t pretty" before you spotted Huan and jumped "ow! Huan! Hi" you smiled politely and Huan replied just as polite and formally making Opal grin. "Huan was here for you actually, he just wanted a word about Wing and Wei so i’ll go get us some drinks and be back in like 10 minutes, okay?". But Opal didn’t give you time to reply before she was gone leaving the two of you alone.

Your POV

You and Huan stood across from each other awkwardly and you smiled “so what did you want to tell me about Wing and Wei?” "Well I just wanted to...to ask you...you’ve probably noticed they’ve been pretty excitable lately". You smiled "that’s one way to put it, downright nuisances is another". Huan smiled and nodded "i agree totally i just wanted to make sure they’re not...annoying you too much? I saw them disturb you at work earlier in the week". You laughed "they’re annoying but harmless really, rather like large puppies i just let whatever they say go in one ear and out the other, don’t worry they don’t bother me". Huan nodded unsure what else to say when you spoke again "do they bother you? I've heard they've been stalking you". Huan sighed "yes they've been my shadow for a while, nothing i can say will make them go away". You frowned in thought "i don’t know what to suggest". "I’m not asking you for a solution" Huan rushed to assure you "i was just making sure you’re okay...with them". "That’s kind of you thank you" you replied and saw Huan look down sharply. You watched him and carried on "i should probably say thank you for the other night too, for standing up to Bataar for me". Huan nodded his head but could barely met your eyes "it was nothing". "No it was really nice and kind! Coming from you as well it meant a lot". "Coming from me?" Huan asked unsure if that was a compliment and you hurried to explain "i just meant because you never really get involved in things so for you to be the one to speak up...." now you were the one struggling to meet his eyes "it meant a lot". Huan paused utterly confused how to proceed. He liked that you seemed to really like his standing up for you but had no idea how to lead that into something more. "Well i...you're a good person and my sisters best friend i...of course i’d help you". You smiled "well it was very kind thank you Huan" and rested a hand on his shoulder. Huan glanced at your hand and you removed it rapidly "sorry i forgot you don’t like touching!". "No it’s alright" Huan went to explain when there was a knock and Opal appeared "hey do you need me to come back in a bit?" she asked but Huan straightened and stepped away from you "no everything is sorted thank you. So i’ll be leaving good night" he nodded to both of you and left. You nodded to him managing not to blush and relaxed as the door closed. "Soooooo" Opal started and you sighed "don’t".

You had no idea what to make out of Huan actually seeking you out for a conversation and wondered if Opal had been right this whole time. You wished Huan would just tell you or ask you out but knew there was no way he’d do something so open or reckless. You could ask him out but you worried that you’d misinterpreted his actions and would make it awkward. Not to mention you literally worked for his family. So you decided to leave it and try not to think about it but another Beifong wasn’t thinking that way.

Huan’s POV

Even since that night Huan challenged him Bataar had been short tempered and extra rude to everyone but to Huan especially. Huan didn’t really care, he never listened to Bataar anyway but he did notice how Bataar would go out of his way to annoy his siblings in front of Huan and it was getting on his nerves. The worst times were when you were there too. Bataar seemed determined to remind everyone he was the eldest, the one with the most trust and responsibility, and did that by snapping or undermining you. It was usually just petty childish quips so Huan left it, until one night Bataar went too far. 

It was a Friday and so you were off duty and with the Beifongs like all Friday nights. Everyone was getting ready for something Varick invented called a mover that Wei and Wing managed to steal from his room. You were five minutes into said mover when the door opened flooding the room with light and ruining the projection. Everyone called out protests but Bataar just hushed them “y/n Kuvira needs you to help her with some paperwork”. “She’s off duty” Huan said automatically and you looked at him before looking back at Bataar. “I know that but this is urgent avatar business, now do you want to be a soldier or do you want to act like a child your whole life?” Bataar asked. You sighed looking at the stack of papers but stood up “you guys carry on i’ll be back as soon as I can”. Wei paused the film and Opal switched on the light “it’s okay we can wait” Wing told you and you smiled gratefully. “I'll be as quick as I can” you told them and settled at the table as Bataar threw the paperwork down pointedly. “Kuvira wants you to find a missing report from last week, it’s somewhere in all here”. “How is that crucial?” Huan asked and Bataar rolled his eyes “because that is when the red lotus broke in to Zafou and they either had help or someone dropped the ball, the report will tell us that”. “How about we all help?” Wei called and Wing nodded “yeah then we’ll find it quicker”. “Nope none of you are cleared for this only y/n” Bataar said smugly and you sighed but turned to the stacks of paper. 

An hour later you were three quarters of the way through the stack and still no report was in sight. “If it’s not in there then Kuvira has more paperwork you can look through” Bataar told you “but this was the small pile” and you could’ve sworn he smiled as he said that. “You have to be kidding?” Huan cried and Bataar turned around “why would I be kidding? Unlike all you children I actually care about Zafou. You tried to shoot Huan an *this is okay* look but weren’t sure if it correlated. “We all care about Zafou Bataar but if she hasn’t found it by now do you really think she will? The person who allowed the red lotus to break in probably disposed of it immediately or maybe it was just lost" Huan shrugged and Bataar glared. "I’m sorry brother but did i ask for your opinion?". "No hence why you’re acting so stupidly, you tend to do that unsupervised" Huan rolled his eyes. Wei laughed and Bataar glared. "Kuvira is on duty tonight and this is what she wants y/n to do urgently". "But y/n isn’t on duty so she doesn’t have to do it!" Huan said and you saw him getting angry. "Huan it’s okay" you said softly but he shook his head coming to stand next to you "no Bataar’s taking his anger with me out on you and that’s not fair". "I wonder why?" Bataar commented and Huan raised an eyebrow "what was that?". "Well you call me stupid but it’s a good tactic, messing with y/n certainly gets you riled". Wei, Wing and Opal all stared eyes wide as you and Huan turned red. Suddenly the close proximity to you didn’t seem like such a great idea anymore. Bataar laughed "pft you act like you’re so moral when you're only doing it because you clearly like her". "I...that is irrelevant" Huan muttered "you're being cruel that’s that". "No i’m not and if you were objective about her you’d realise that". "I’d do it even if i didn’t like her" Huan said flustered and Bataar grinned "even if you didn’t like her? Is that a confession?". Silence settled and Huan tensed. Bataar’s grin grew "you said you’d do it even if you didn’t like her so that means...". "Shut up Bataar" Huan glared and Bataar laughed "i mean i get it i’d be annoyed too, it must be embarrassing knowing she doesn’t like you back...rather humiliating I suppose". Bataar went to speak again but you cut him off "who says i don’t like him back?". Bataar froze "what?". You were usually so quiet he didn’t think even if you did like Huan you’d admit it in a room full of people but Bataar had underestimated you. "You said it’s embarrassing because i don’t return Huan’s feelings but you're wrong i do like him, a lot...you're the only embarrassing person here”. Wing and Wei laughed and Bataar paled "I...you're both welcome to each other” and he stormed away. "Y/n that was great!" Opal called and Wei, Wing and Opal all flocked around you before you caught sight of Huan. He was staring at you but looked away when you looked at him. "We should...." Wei started and Wing and Opal nodded "yeah we'll be going...".

The door shut loudly and you and Huan looked at one another. "So..." you started as Huan also went to speak. You both apologised and told the other to go first. When that happened a second time you sighed "okay i’ll go first! So what you said to Bataar did you....did you mean that?". Huan nodded "did you? Or were you just saying it to shut him up?". "No i meant it" you smiled and Huan blushed "ow that’s...unexpected". "I don’t think it is considering Opal told you I liked you". Huan jumped "how do you know?". "Ow come on, as soon as i walked into the room to find you both whispering together i knew she'd sold me out". "Why didn’t you say anything if you knew?" Huan asked and you shrugged "i could ask you the same thing". Huan smiled softly "that’s fair I....I guess I was worried...Opal said she was sure but i...i didn’t want to ruin anything if you didn’t like me". You smiled as Huan’s reasons mirrored your own and you stepped forward "well i do like you so there's no worry there". Huan nodded his head, his eyes darted around the room nervously before they settled on you “well in that case...would you like to date me?” Huan cringed as he said it “god I sound pathetic”. You laughed “trust me you don’t, i’d very much like to date you”. Huan grinned brightly in response and you laughed at the reaction “that’s...” Huan reached for you when suddenly the door was pushed open. “Look we know we should give you more time but it’s getting late and we really want to see the mover” Wei pouted and you laughed as Huan blushed “fine come in” he called rolling his eyes but he smiled when you looked at him. Opal, Wei and Wing took the sofa nearest the door leaving the other one for you and Huan. You sat down together and Huan laced his hand through yours. You ignored the stifled laughter coming from the other sofa and sighed in relief when the lights switched off and the movie began. 

The sofa you and Huan were on was smaller and so you were forced to sit pretty close together but you didn’t mind. You were surprised though when Huan shifted his arm around you. Huan never initiated contact with anyone and so this was a pretty huge deal for him. “You looked cold” he said when you glanced at him but you saw by the blush on his cheek that was just an excuse. You smiled and leant into him “that was a poor excuse Beifong”. Huan chuckled softly and you smiled up at him. “Hey keep it PG over there guys, some of us over here are still innocent little angels” Wei called and Huan rolled his eyes throwing a cushion at his face. “I’m really sorry about them” Huan whispered to you when their laughter died down and you smirked “it’s fine, just ignore them and focus on me”. Huan nodded his head “well that won’t be hard...” and you blushed at Huan’s tone. You and Huan stayed wrapped together for the duration of the mover and when it finished Huan led you to Opal’s room. “So I was thinking we could go on a date tomorrow if it’s not too soon?” Huan asked and you grinned “Not at all! What did you have in mind?”. “Well I know you always wake up early due to working shifts and they’ve just started planting in the gardens with summer on the way, so I thought we could walk around the grounds before anyone is awake and watch the sunrise?....or something”. You grinned “you can tell you’re an artist”. “Why is it a stupid idea?”. “No it’s lovely,” you said quickly “you’ve just planned a very beautiful date, it sounds lovely”. Huan blushed looking down before glancing up at you “glad you like it, so I’ll meet you here tomorrow morning?”. “It’s a date” you agreed and smiled as Huan blushed. “See you tomorrow then” you smiled and kissed Huan softly on the cheek. Huan froze as you touched him and turned an even deeper shade of red. “Kiss you...I mean see you tomorrow” Huan babbled before walking away and you smiled at how dazed he seemed from something as simple as a kiss. He bumped into Opal as he passed her and Opal frowned as she came to stand infront of you “do I even want to know what you did to give my brother that goofy look?”. “Probably not” you agreed and Opal sighed “this is going to be odd but a good odd, you and Huan are perfect for each other”. “I hope so” you sighed following Opal into her room “I really like him”. “Well as tonight proved he really likes you too....our sleepover days are numbered” Opal cried dramatically “soon you’ll be having sleepovers with Huan” and you threw a pillow at her. “Stop that”. “What it’s true!” Opal grinned “the only upside is we’ll be sisters officially soon”. “Me and Huan literally haven’t been on a date yet!” you cried and Opal shook her head laughing. “It’s sweet you think that y/n but you’ve basically been pre-dating for years, you and Huan care a lot more about each than first date level”. You blushed at the truth of Opal’s words and looked down “can we just go to sleep?”. Opal took pity on you and nodded. You both got ready for bed and finally you closed your eyes ready to go to sleep. “Don’t hit me but I just wanted to say, joking aside I’m really happy for you and Huan, I love you both and can’t think of anyone better for either of you”. You blushed and squeeed Opal’s hand “thanks Opal that’s really sweet”. Opal grinned at you before smiling “okay now I promise I’ll shut up” and with a fond smile you turned away and closed your eyes again ready to try and sleep. With your date with Huan on the horizon, Opal’s sweet words and the day's events in your mind, you fell asleep with a large smile on your face. 

___

I can not shake these Huan feels!!! I think it’s the long hair but either way Huan Beifong is the shit!

[torchwood-99]

Who would fight slavery like Dany did, who would do better?

So, I’m actually going to look at some pov characters, and try to judge who would choose to fight against slavery like Daenerys did if they were in her shoes (had the dragons, were in Astapor that day), and who would be more successful. Of course, they couldn’t do it exactly as Dany did, as she made use of her youth and beauty and femininity to cultivate the Mhysa image, and played at being the innocent young girl. But they all have their own personal resources to use, as well as the dragons.

Jon. I think Jon probably would try. As for success, I think the fact that his ADWD arc was so similar to Dany’s that it makes me feel like he would have similar results. Like Dany he has a lot of potential as a leader and a strategist, and I think with experience both of them would improve.

Arya. 100% would try to fight against slavery. Seeing as she is younger, she would probably not do as well as Daenerys did, but she also shows a lot of potential as a leader, and she is clever and already to manipulate people and has taken part in a military coup to take Harrenhal. She can also warg, and is bloody good at it. If she harnessed that power, it would help her spy out the disloyal, and find out their plans.

Bran. Same deal as Arya. The boy is too kind hearted and good not to try. Did a fairly good job as acting Lord of Winterfell. Of course, we don’t know how powerful he will become, but combine his warging and sight with the might of the dragons, he could potentially be incredibly strong and a force to be reckoned with. He would have access to both knowledge and power that would help him a lot. Out of all the characters, these powers combined would probably give Bran the best chance of eradicating slavery.

Tyrion. I don’t think he would try, as he is now. I think he has a very cynical view of the world, which would stop him from trying. If he did give it a go, he would certainly have a lot to offer such a cause, in terms of his wit and experience. He has got a streak of kindness in him, evidenced most of all by how he took care of Penny, and he has experienced the slave trade in itself. But I think to go against something as giant and powerful as the slave trade, you need optimism, a hope that the world can be better, which Tyrion lacks throughout the books. Never say never though. He could have it in him, if he chooses it.

Jaime. I think teenage Jaime would try, and maybe do about as well as Dany or Jon, maybe not, depending on how strong his military skills were in his youth. Although at that point he didn’t have Jon and Dany’s life experience, having been Tywin’s heir and very privileged which might make him cocky, short sighted etc...

He has always been naturally charismatic so he would be a good figure head, and this is the boy who dreamed of knightly valour and chivalry. He wanted to defend Rhaella. Jaime as we meet him in the books? Same problem as Tyrion, cynical and pessimistic. By this point, we know Jaime dissociates. His time serving Aerys got him into the habit of ‘going away inside’ when faced with brutality, and he would need to unlearn that. During that time he also gained a lot of experience as a courtier and military leader which would be useful, but he would lack the inspiration a teenage Jaime would have. Still, he would have that in him, deep down, and like Tyrion I think he has the potential.

Brienne. Yes. She would try. That’s the thing about Brienne, she would try and try, despite the odds, because that is what you need to do when faced with injustice and cruelty. How well would she do? That’s tricky. Throughout the book so far, Brienne has followed, not led. She has brains, which she shows when she took down Loras in the melee, when she discussed Tywin’s military tactics with Catelyn, when she saw through the trap the innkeeper was laying for her, and when she enabled their getaway with the boulder. But I think she would struggle leading, and encouraging others to lead her when she doesn’t believe in it herself. Again, the capacity is there.

(So looking over it, Jaime and Brienne would do better partnered together. Surprise surprise.)

Samwell. He would want to. And he would support Jon or Dany etc.. in their battle. But Sam thinks so poorly of himself, and is so caught up in his fears and conviction that he is a terrible coward that it would inhibit his abilities. Like Brienne he doesn’t believe in himself as a leader. But he was the one to protect Gilly, essentially saving her from slavery, so he has more to contribute than he would think.

Davos. Yes. And I think he could do a fairly good job. His lack of education could hurt, but he now has battle experience and he has good brains, and as a former smuggler he doesn’t shy away from breaking the rules. He might struggle being ruthless enough, and he might be weighed down by the burden of it, but he has been into battle and is willing to kill. And when he supports a cause, he supports it passionately.

Cersei. Actually, if Cersei were to consider the freedmen her children like Dany did, and seeing as she is such a devoted mother I am totally kidding of course Cersei probably thinks that slavery is an excellent idea and would support it whole heartedly. Probably thinks it is a whole lot more sensible and useful than having serfdom, and servants you have to pay.

Sansa. Lol nope. On both counts.

So to conclude, I think a fair few characters would give it a go, in certain circumstances but I don’t imagine any would do significantly better than Daenerys did. They all have their weaknesses and limitations. Many of which could be addressed with experience, but then, the same goes for Dany.

And most importantly, out of all the characters in the books, Dany is the only one who has tried to end slavery. She is the only one who has looked at the injustice in her world, and decided something needed to be done on a mass scale. I can be generous and venture guesses as to how other characters would act, but at the end of the day, Dany is the only one we’re certain of.

(OK, except maybe Cersei and Sansa, and that’s only because it is certain that they wouldn’t.)

[elkonigin]

Hey Ms. Bookworm, a couple questions for you: 1) What's your favorite book in the whole world--I know, I know, it's an evil question--and 2) what's a book you love that you feel is underrated or that more people need to read?

But why would you ask such a hard question? That’s like saying, which one of your fingers do you want me to cut off?

1. What’s your favorite book?

This is so hard, and I know that I’m going to give an answer, and immediately disagree with myself over it. I’ve already changed my answer at least five seven times in my head.

One book that has really stuck with me for years and years has been The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle, and I think a lot of that has to do with how the characters have resonated with me at different points in my life.

For instance, Prince Lir is a prince who is the prince of a dead and dying kingdom, and who wants so badly to be someone admirable and tries so hard to do the right thing, but in the end, he doesn’t get the one thing he really wants. Even though he’s done all the things he’s supposed to, played by all the rules and followed them to a T, and all he gets is disappointment.

Schmendrick has the capacity for greatness if given the chance, but gets relegated to being used for little more than a carnival sideshow, and realizes that sometimes we just have to let things be and let them happen, even if the results are ultimately out of our control.

Molly Grue’s character is someone that resonated with me later in life. She’s spent her life working and settling for what’s come her way. She had dreams for her future, but life simply got in the way. When she meets the unicorn, she weeps, “And where were you twenty years ago? Ten years ago? Where were you when I was new? When I was one of those innocent young maidens you always come to? How dare you! How dare you come to me now, when I am this! . . . It would be the last unicorn that came to Molly Grue. It's all right, I forgive you.” And I think that’s probably one of the most poignant ideas presented in the novel: of viewing ourselves as something less because time and circumstances have made us settle for what is presented to us in life.

The Unicorn is also one of those characters that I really felt at home with, and I still do, because she becomes something else, and even when she’s returned to her normal state, she remains changed by it. One of my favorite passages ever written is this: “I have been mortal, and some part of me is mortal yet. I am full of tears and hunger and the fear of death, although I cannot weep, and I want nothing, and I cannot die. I am not like the others now, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but I do. I regret.” And I remember really connecting with this after my brother died, because I felt utterly transformed by grief. Like I had become something else in my grief and loss, and now that everything was ‘back to normal,’ I wasn’t. I wasn’t the same person that I was before his death, and now, I have to figure out how to be something different in a sea of people who were all the same. It felt very much like I was the only one like me in a vast expanse of people who expected me to be just like them.

So, yeah, I’d have to say that would be my favorite book.

2. What’s a book you love that you feel is underrated or that more people need to read?

Hmmm, the one’s that’s really sticking out to me at the moment is Paradise Lost, which isn’t really underrated, but a lot don’t read it because it’s really hard. But when you consider that it’s the Garden of Eden story told from the POV of Satan, it’s really interesting. I like looking at this poem through a psychoanalytical viewpoint, because when you consider it, Satan had the opportunity to come back into the fold, and God offered him complete forgiveness for all his transgressions, but he opts instead to keep his anger and destroy what he thought God loved more than him. In the same view, it’s also indicative of the concept of free will and choice in Christianity, which a lot of people really struggle with or don’t really understand fully. At the very base of it, Christianity is based on choice. People have to choose to be obedient, which is what God ultimately wants. He doesn’t want to strip us of free will, our choice to be obedient makes it more valuable. My focus wasn’t teaching the religion aspect of it, but focusing more on the story and it’s base elements.

I taught this in high school, and I remember one of my kids showing me a tweet from a previous student that said, “Unpopular opinion, but Paradise Lost is the greatest story written” and I felt like I’d finally done my job well.

However, a more recent novel that I push for everyone to read is The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. There’s a lot of magical realism here, and there’s so much to talk about like the idea of what does it mean to be an adult? What happens if we’re not ready to let go of the past? How to we say we’re sorry when the person is gone and is merely saying sorry enough? The idea of things existing long after we’re gone, and how relationships change and affect us years and years later.

TLDR: The Last Unicorn and The Ocean at the End of the Lane / Paradise Lost.

[gotham]

Give us your review of The Batman please 🙏

spoilers under cut:

i really loved this movie. i was that loser grinning at the screen simply bc i was having such a good time. for a film that leaned so heavily into the grimness of gotham and the darkness of these characters, it didn't feel pessimistic or bleak in fact it was funny as hell at times. i'm so glad reeves was given the time and freedom to really perfect what he wanted bc you can see the time and care put into this film on every level and the results speak for themselves. gotham as a place seemed so present and fully formed, and reeves rly used it to its full advantage. god, that first "batman" scene of the criminals seeing the shadows and alleys where batman might be THAT'S GOTHAM BABY!!

what struck me most was how unashamed of the source material it was; this was a noir detective comic book film and it loved that it was. bruce's narration was both right out of a panel and from those old hollywood and 70's detective stories. it could so easily have felt like a parody but it did it so /well/ that it never did. having it almost completely be from bruce's perspective was great too, bc it not only added to that comic book feel, but you had this voyeuristic view point of the whole thing, which fitted in with the batman/riddler character parallels (LOVED that you initially didn't know whose POV the first shot was bc it could so easily be batman or riddler, as batman has a similar shot later on).

speaking of detective stories; FINALLY WE HAVE A BATMAN BEING A DETECTIVE!! i said in my wants for this film post that this was rly important to me and they nailed it NAILED IT! i was so invested in the riddler's case and the riddles he was leaving, i tell u i wanted to know who the rat was more than i wanted my next breath i love that shit. we really saw him using the full range of his detective skills, seeing and picking up on things that others wouldn't, and i loved how he worked w/ gordon. and it wasn't just a case, it was deeply tied to bruce as a character and his personal journey of realising actually my parents were just people and holding them on this pedestal that paralyses me is probably not a good thing.

riddler was everything, paul dano can do no wrong in my eyes and his "pathetic little slim boy wanting treats but instead gets beat" deal is my jam and worked so well here. when there's a character who is straight up bonkers, it's hard to find proper grounding without just seeming cringe/ tryhard but he really made this character seem like someone who could exist but you really hope doesn't (omg his "thanks to all my followers like and subscribe for more riddle content" bit at the end had me in stitches). you know i'm always down for a deluded villain who thinks he and the hero are bffs and has a full meltdown when proven otherwise. again, i'm just really pleased with how he was used to tie in w/ bruce's character, acting as a mirror to show bruce what he doesn't want to be (but so easily could be).

catwoman was great zoe killed it she really knew when to camp up the sexy and when to play it straight. i was pleasantly surprised that her "i'm playing her bi" comment wasn't just hollow bait but was literally in the film. idk how else you could take her calling her ""roomate"" baby all the time. her and bruce's little romance was cute and though it's not really what i'm interested it, i did like both of them letting the other in just a little (bruce leaning into her at the end 🥺)

ok this is getting long so some little things:

- my sweet cockney alfred 💗 i'm sorry u got letter bombed and when u woke up ur boss son was immediately berating u but at least you got him to hold ur hand, that was a big step for him.

-my sweet baby bruce, my awful socially incompetent boy. he was all i wanted him to be. what else can i do but sigh dreamily at his greasy too long hair, bloodshot eyes and hunched shoulders?

- penguin was so funny farrell was insanely good i was not expecting to i enjoy him this much. crazy how one film had two actors schooling jared leto how it's done for two different roles of his, but this is how u use prosthetics to aid a character. the interrogation scene with batman and gordon? him mocking their spanish then waddling like a penguin bc they left his feet tie? magic

- the only thing i aggressively DISLIKED in this film was that god damn wretched joker, i'm sorry, Unseen Arkham Inmate, scene. it was embarrassing, completely took me out the film, and i hope we never see him again. yes, i'm judging the performance on that small snippet but it was bad; the performance was bad, the lines were bad, his hair was bad, and i dont like that creepy kid playing him. riddler's already done the best "cat and mouse, look how we compliment each other we're the same u and i" plot in this verse, you can't do better than that. batman's only got the most iconic rogues gallery of all time, pick literally anyone else.

- the camera contact lenses were cool

[writing-with-olive]

Hello Olive! 👋🏼

I don't know if you're still taking requests but I would love your help ! 🙃

So in multiple POV books, sometimes two scenes from two different POVs happen simultaneously. Usually, it’s much easier to portray this in movies and tv shows by cross-cutting scenes and interspersing them using the ocean's novel formula I think, to create suspens and tension in fight scenes or backstories parallelism.

In a book, my wip for example, I find it much difficult to convey the same feelings and tension in words.

Any tips and/or guidelines plz?

Could you plz add an example of your own creation just to see the result something like a cheat sheet /not that I'm using it, just to understand how I can go through it/?

Thanks in advance!!!

💕

Hey anon!

Quick disclaimer - I write in single pov, so the advice below is based off of what I've seen, and how I would tackle it theoretically if it was something I was thinking of writing something like this. Similarly, because multi-pov is not something I particularly enjoy writing in (personal preference, nothing inherantly wrong with it), and it would probably take me several hours to produce a new work that was of much quality, I'm not going to include my own final example, though there are little tidbits below, as they became relevant. Also, this got long, hence the read more.

Alrighty into the good stuff!

So the first thing to consider is why it seems easier to pull off more rapid pov switches in movies. The main thing is grounding. Oftentimes, movies will put characters in situations where their background is at least somewhat different, and sometimes they'll mess with the music a bit (though not always). This makes it really easy for the audience to place where the characters are in a split second, which in turn means producers don't have to spend a ton of time re-establishing where each person is. This helps to keep tension up.

The thing with books is that we only have words to work off of - no visuals to provide readers with instant grounding. That means if you want to pull it off well, quickly grounding readers every shift is essential.

Parallel backstories are probably going to be a lot trickier to pull off in writing than they are in movies. The reason they work in cinima is that a) like we mentioned before it takes a lot less time to do the whole grounding thing, b) parallels are a lot more aesthetically pleasing when you can see them, but they can come across as repetitive when read, and c) dramatic time shifts like flashbacks are easier to pull off in movies where you can see that characters are visibly younger, but they tend to be disliked by readers, as it tends to disrupt forward momentum.

Intercutting stories with regards to backstory pretty much means you need to be right there with your character to see the backstory unfold. Which means flashbacks.

In some books, flashbacks are a key part of the narrative, especially if it's in a story where time is more fluid. However, if you only have one or two cases where you need to jump back, it has a much greater potential to look lazy. More often than not, it's generally considered a stronger story if you can find a way to intersperse backstory throughout the story.

It also means it's often more interesting to show their backstories, but let the audience come to the conclusion on their own that they're actually kinda parallel, and see how that affects how the characters turn out.

The next thing to consider when maintaining tension is pacing - the pull and push of scenes or even smaller beats that keeps a story dynamic. Even within faster scenes, you have places where you still make your audience wait, or else it'll be over too quick. Slower scenes still need to have some faster bits to maintain forward movement.

Each time you switch povs, you are creating a little bit of waiting time for the "non-active" pov. This is not a guarantee to establish tension, but it does help. To balance it out, make sure what's happening on the page keeps moving. Give your characters time on page to rest sometimes, but largely keep moving forward.

Another thing with pacing for multi-pov is that the longer you bench a certain pov, the longer it takes to get back in their head. So make sure to give all of your pov characters similar page time. They don't have to go in a specific rotation, but they should be balanced.

Some thoughts about making pov shifts that don't disrupt the forward momentum as much:

1 - Establish location before it becomes vital. This is actually something that is key to a lot of action scenes, because nothing breaks tension and immersion like the author saying "oh wait here's this detail that i forgot to tell you until now." Basically, set up the general layout and other necessary details when things are calmer, so the reader has a chance to set up a mental map of the place, and when things are more tense, keep readers spacially grounded by referencing what you've already established.

2 - To make it clear that things are happening at the same time, use references that can pop up in both povs. For example, maybe all the lights go out, or maybe in one scene, a character shoots a gun, and in the next (because pov switch), a character hears a gunshot going off. You're going to want a time, place, and pov reference right away to ground your readers (if you're doing third person, the pov reference could just be saying that person's name), and you're going to want to have a few space and time references as you go through the scene, so that when you do your next pov shift, readers can slot it into the correct chronological spot.

3 - Similarly, make sure that timing matches up. Your audience will notice these things. If two reference points in one pov happen three minutes apart in world, the same reference points have to take three minutes in the other pov too. Something that I HIGHLY suggest is before splitting up your povs, create an outline of what happens from an omnicient point of view, so you can make sure to get characters to the right place in the right amount of time

4 - You don't have to make each character's scene start and stop at the same in world time. This is what makes the aforementioned time references so important. However, if you're going to skip something like a character going from the kitchens to the dungeons because nothing really happens, you have to show that intention before you cut away, or else it's going to take a lot longer to re-establish where a character is.

5 - To keep tension up, mini cliffhangers can work in your favor. Maybe a character gets captured and they're about to discover who his captor is, but then you cut to the other character in a cell, trying to pick the lock before anyone notices.

6 - Remember that in situations like these, your readers will often have a better idea of the overall picture than your characters. If you reveal something in one pov, remember that you don't have to reveal it again in the other, unless it's a means to reveal more necessary information. Going to the example from point 5, maybe in the next scene, the captured character figures out that it's a trap, and that if anyone else walks through the door it will blow up. But the lockpicking one doesn't know that. So she's trying to get there and rescue him. Tension is created both because she has to do it without getting caught, but we as readers would know that if she manages to follow through, it will be devastating. The trick is that the thought shouldn't really cross her mind, because she has no way of knowing it.

7 - Choose your povs with purpose. Does the reader need to know something for the chain of events to keep making sense? Which pov will be privvy to the most knowelege? Does there need to be something ominous (like maybe a body falls past a window), but revealing why that happened would kill some of the suspense? Which pov would reasonably be near the window, but wouldn't be able to see or hear what was happening above? Also consider where it makes sense to bring in povs that haven't been in the spotlight for a little while.

8 - Remember that you can't cut as fast between povs at the same speed you can in movies because of that whole grounding issue. Give each pov at least a full scene to themselves, and sometimes a few so that we can actually see things unfolding, and then switch. If you create things that other povs can reference, even if only in passing, it will still maintain the experience of things happening at the same time.

Hopefully all of this made sense and gives you a better jumping-off point. Happy writing!

[thetypedwriter]

All the Young Dudes Fanfiction Review

All the Young Dudes Fanfiction Review by MsKingBean89

So. 

This is a first. 

If you’ve been following this blog for some time, then you know I generally read young adult books and write far too lengthy reviews on them with the occasional outlier of adult fiction, mystery, sci-fi, etc. 

At any given time, I usually have both a physical book that I’ve bought from somewhere that I’m working on (right now it’s Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley) as well as a fanfiction that I reserve until before I go to bed (my treat for a day well lived). 

Fanfiction is something that I’ve mentioned copious amounts of times on this blog in varying degrees, but this is the first time I’ll be writing an actual review for one of them on this platform. 

The reason for this is myriad. 

One, this fanfiction called All the Young Dudes is a far-cry from your normal standardized fanfiction of 5-50,000 words-something I can easily consume in a few minutes to a few hours. 

Nope, this behemoth ends on a staggering 526,969 words and 188 chapters, not including bonus chapters and extra in-universe canonical content the author has also written and published. Roughly speaking, if this was actually published onto paper it would be well over 2,000 pages. 

2,000 pages. 

Yeah. And I enjoyed every single moment of it. 

Two, while I read a lot of fanfiction I generally don’t put any of it on this blog because while I’ve dedicated it to published novels, I also usually have very simple feelings about fanfiction. My thoughts run the gambit of: It was good, it was fluffy, it was a train-wreck, so on and so forth. 

Normally my reviews are so long and wordy because I have too many thoughts about the published books that I read and I need an outlet to let them loose. 

Whether because of its longevity or because of its content, All the Young Dudes is a story I find myself having a profusion of thoughts for. Hence, the birth of this review. 

If fanfiction isn’t your thing, feel free to skip this particular review of mine (although fanfiction is a gift to this world and you should really rethink your stance on it if you don’t like it, just saying). 

Third, All the Young Dudes is well written and rivals any actual published content. 

Fourth, because of how extensive this fanfiction is, it took me over a month to read it-time I generally would have been reading something else. Instead of leaving you all hanging for a few more weeks until I finish Firekeeper's Daughter (don’t hold your breath-the book is sort of a slog for me personally right now), I decided to just take the jump and write my first-ever typedwriter review for a fanfiction. 

Fanfiction has been a part of my life for the better part of almost two decades now. It was truly something I found by accident and in retrospect, it’s insane to me that it’s still something that brings me continuous joy and happiness. 

I discovered fanfiction when I was 11-years-old and deeply obsessed with the Harry Potter fandom. 

Now, as an overall disclaimer I completely disagree with J.K. Rowling’s stances of gender and biology and differ wholeheartedly with her views of trans and non-binary individuals. With that said, I still love Harry Potter as a story and while I no longer buy anything that profits J.K. Rowling directly, I still love the fandom and the people in it, including fanworks like All the Young Dudes. 

When I was 11, the seventh Harry Potter book had yet to come out and like many other people in this time period of agony while waiting for 2007 to roll around so that I could find out what happened, I discovered fanfiction as a way to fill in that ache I was so keenly feeling. 

I found myself suddenly immersed in this world of online fiction-both good and bad-but completely entrancing all the same. 

I never left. 

That is to say, I did eventually move onto other fandoms with their own fanfiction cultures, but Harry Potter was still my first in terms of fanfiction and introducing me to the concept as a whole. 

Specifically and maybe oddly, I never found myself curious for actual fanfiction about Harry or Hermione or Ron. In my mind, I already knew what had happened to them and reading about them in fanfiction was redundant. 

In addition, the first fanfiction I just happened to come across was a Lily/James marauder era fanfiction on mugglenet.com

This idea immediately intrigued me as fans as a whole knew next to nothing about the infamous Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs and while I knew everything I needed to about Harry Potter it was intoxicating to think that I could learn about a time before the series had existed and about characters who were important, but off screen. 

I was hooked and devoured as much as I could for most of middle school about the marauders and Lily and James’ romance in particular (I even wrote and published some of my own that will go unmentioned as they are truly really terrible). 

That being said, I haven’t read a Harry Potter fanfiction in years. I grew up and out of the fandom eventually thanks to Twilight and from there I’ve bounced from fandom to fandom as I’ve aged and consumed different things and fallen in love with different characters and different worlds. 

That isn’t to say I’ve forgotten though. 

I still remember my favorite marauder stories, my favorite Sirius Black/OFC (original female character), and my favorite baby Harry drabbles. They made such a huge impression on me and even though it’s been sixteen years, I still recall those stories with fond nostalgia and jubilation. 

Which is why it’s almost ironic that I would return to this particular time period of the marauders with All the Young Dudes. 

In a fashion that’s almost scarily full circle, I happened to be on Youtube one day and saw a recommendation video about this girl reviewing a fanfiction called All the Young Dudes. Now, youtube book reviews aren’t uncommon, but a thirty minute video for a fanfiction? Not your typical sighting. 

So out of pure curiosity, I searched All the Young Dudes fanfiction on Google and low and behold the overwhelming and top results were all for a marauder-era fanfiction by MsKingBean89. Piqued, I clicked on the link in ao3 and thought why not? 

While I’ve mainly been reading in other fandoms recently (BTS, some anime and manga, All for the Game) I had been in a little bit of a slump for finding a really good, really alluring story for some time and really didn’t think I had anything to lose by reading All the Young Dudes, especially as the more research I did, the more I found how popular it was-a plethora of videos on youtube, tiktok compilations, and dozens of fanart posts. 

Plus, it had been so long since I had read anything from my progenitor fandom and the thought of going back was strangely comforting.

Hence the journey of reading All the Young Dudes began and oh what a journey it was. 

Now, that this review is already five pages in, I should probably tell you what on earth All the Young Dudes is actually about. 

The whole story is a marauder-era fanfiction told from Remus Lupin’s POV from the summer of 1971 when Remus is 11-years-old to the summer of 1995 when he is 35-five-years-old. It is an in-depth portrayal of Remus’ time at Hogwarts from year one to year seven and then going all the way up to the start of the second wizarding world, ending around the time Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix begins. 

While already the scope makes this a massive undertaking, the author also includes all canonical content from the original series involving Remus, the Marauders, and the time period and incorporates it into her fanfiction-making it canon compliant from start to finish. 

While a very large portion of this story is not romantic, there is eventual WolfStar (Remus Lupin/Sirius Black) and if you have read the original Harry Potter series...well. You know things don't end up super dandy for these two characters in particular so you know how the story will end before it begins. 

This fanfiction left me speechless for so many reasons. 

The scope and length is frankly unbelievable. This fanfiction was published on March 2, 2017 and it was completed on November 12, 2018.

….how?

How did she manage that? I frankly have no idea, but I am in complete and utter awe at her ability to write content with such a magnitude and actually complete it. She gets an award just for that honestly. 

Not only that, but the fanfiction is actually superbly well-written. I won’t lie and say it’s the most poignant and beautiful piece of literature I’ve ever consumed, but it was consistent in its pacing, characterization, themes, motifs, and structure, which, for 2,000 pages, is an incredible achievement when you think about it. 

Speaking of characterization, everyone was So. Well. Done. 

Remus was such an interesting POV to read from and while he was compliant in every sense of the word-werewolf, prefect, bookish-MsKingBean89 added so much more to his character and fleshed him out so incredibly that it’s truly tragic that he’s not a real person. 

And to that extent, she does this with all of the characters. You see James’ optimism and leadership, Sirius’ arrogance and loyalty, Peter’s jealousy and chess skills. 

Every character was so well-rounded and real. She did an incredible job of taking the bits and pieces from the canon series and using that to build up her own flesh and blood people with motivations, likes, dislikes, dreams, and desires. 

That being said, she also had 2,000 pages to do it sooooooo it would be bad if the characters weren’t fleshed out by the end honestly. 

In addition, I really appreciated that she didn’t just focus on Remus, Sirius, James and Peter. Lily Evans played a critical role in Remus’ school life and after and so did the other Gryffindor girls like Marlene and Mary. 

Too often, the focus is on the boys and their close friendship and while that was a huge focus, we also get to see Remus develop friendships with the girls in his own right and other friends as well that were often OC’s of the author’s. 

Now. OC’s are generally something I dislike. I’m reading fanfiction to read about particular characters that I’ve sought after, not to read about some imaginary cast. However, just like any of the canon characters, all of the OC characters were well-developed and played crucial roles in Remus’ development-while either at Hogwarts or after-and I found myself not minding them in the least. In a few cases (Grant) I actually really loved them. 

The biggest draw for this fanfiction for me was Remus’ time at Hogwarts. It was so well-written and incredibly descriptive and I found myself thrust back into the world of magic so suddenly and seamlessly that it was like I never left. 

MsKingBean89 includes so many intricate details and builds up the world so beautifully that I’d recommend any Harry Potter fan to consume it, just to get some good Hogwarts material out of it. 

Another thing I greatly appreciate about this fanfiction was the slow burn. I’ve read slow burn before (All for the Game trilogy anybody?), but this truly took the cake. Sirius and Remus don’t properly get together until the end of year six going into year seven. That’s over 100 chapters in. 

100 chapters out of 188. 

Meaning that over half of this beast doesn’t have the main pairing even together. For some people, this could be a drawback. You might think to yourself: It takes how long for them to confess their feelings and stop being prats?

A very, very long time. 

However...it didn’t bug me. I like slow burn to begin with, but being along for the ride as Remus goes from being a child to an adolescent with unrequited feelings to being in a relationship with someone he loves is so rewarding and fulfilling that the 100 previous chapters are completely and utterly worth it. 

MsKingBean89 develops them so well and so carefully that the payoff is so sweet and satisfactory that it's enough to bring the tears right then and there. 

The last huge feat of this fanfiction for me was the author’s dedication to canon not just confined to Hogwarts and the Harry Potter books, but also to the time period. Either she lived through the 70’s and 80’s herself or she had done her due diligence when it comes to research because anything from London anti-gay laws to British slang was commonplace in her fic. 

I found it completely amazing how she was able to tie in real-time historical and cultural moments like famous singers and movies playing at the time alongside convoluted muggle politics warring with the wizarding ones. 

I was so blown away by the accuracy and genuine love behind this fic that it often brought me out of my own mind to simply ponder once again how much work this was and how well she was delivering it. 

Even unpleasant things, like homophobia and bigotry, are dealt with in a very carefully constructed way that is aligned with the time period in which the story takes place. 

Unfortunately, everything beautiful is not without flaws and All the Young Dudes is not the exception, although it’s flaws are nary compared to its achievements. 

The few complaints I have with this fic are honestly quite negligible. 

First, there are a few grammatical and punctuation errors. Very few, but I did notice some. 

Next, and again, this complaint is really just me whining, but...the end of the fic was really fucking sad. The end of this whole story took me so much time to complete simply because I didn’t want to read it. 

I know what happened during the first wizarding war and I also know what ended it (James and Lily Potter dying, Harry being shipped off to the Dursley’s, Sirius imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit, Peter presumed dead) and in one fell swoop Remus lost everything and everyone he ever loved. 

After spending over 1,500 pages of Remus growing to love these people it is absolutely devastating and heart-breaking to see him lose it all. 

The last handful of chapters are just really, really sad and it makes me wonder why MsKingBean89 decided to write it in the first place. Frankly, I don't know why she didn't write about Remus’ time at Hogwarts and stop after graduation because we all know what happens after that and none of it is good. 

Looking back, I wish I could time travel and tell myself to stop at chapter 150. I truly didn’t need to read about the tragedies that happened after that and the hell that all of the characters go through. 

And while it does end on a….sort of kind of maybe positive (?) note with Sirius and Remus reuniting briefly once the events of Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban take place, it was really tainted and bittersweet for me knowing that in a year Sirius would die and Remus would marry his fucking cousin and have a child. 

Urgh. 

I just can’t. 

That being said, I understand it’s not the author’s fault and I’m not saying it is. She wrote a canon compliant fic to the end and it was my choice to continue reading. That being said, she said she ended it before the events of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix because Sirius and Remus are happy and back together and she didn’t want to write what was coming next if she continued. 

I truly, truly get that. 

But in the same vein, why even write the events of the first wizarding world to begin with then? I’m confused with that response as it doesn’t make much sense to me. I felt like ending it right then and there was not a happy ending. They’re together, yes, but at this point they are both shells of who they used to be. Both have severe trauma and PTSD and frankly I don’t even know if I agree with them being together just because they’ve put each other through so much. 

It’s just an interesting choice at the end of the day in terms of the author. 

Once again, however, I truly understand that she can do whatever she wants and that she doesn’t owe anyone anything, especially as she’s writing this for free and just because. So please keep in mind that although I’m complaining, I truly understand how fortunate we are to even have this fic in the first place. 

Okay. 

Secondly, my only other huge complaint is that MsKingBean89 made Remus gay. Not bi, not pan. Gay. 

You could argue that Remus just calls himself gay in the fanficiton as he didn’t know about other kinds of sexuality. You could argue that Remus’ sexuality changes and develops as he ages and experiences trials and tribulations. You could argue that it was a sign of times like so much else in this fic. 

I frankly just found it to be a frustrating choice as the fic is canon compliant and even though it ends before the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows we know that Remus eventually marries Tonks and has a baby son named Teddy Lupin. 

How does that make sense?

I tried very, very hard to come up with some sort of feasible explanation for how a gay man would have ended up with the love of his life’s female cousin and truly could not think of one that was not fucked up to some degree. 

Again. I know I’m being nit-picky, but it irked me that she made this choice regarding Remus’ sexuality and essentially ended her fic with Remus stuck in a corner regarding how the series actually ends. 

At the end of the day, all of the negatives are truly, truly not important. I’m just whinging to whine and to express my thoughts, but I do once again understand that MsKingBean89 isn’t profiting from this fic and that she can do what she wants as is her prerogative. 

I hope I was able to express that while I understand that, I can still be frustrated with some of the choices she made. 

To wrap this all up, All the Young Dudes is a masterpiece and is a must-read for anyone who loves Harry Potter, the Marauders, or Wolfstar. I was blown away by the sheer magnitude, the love and care she put into her craft, the slow and deliberate development of all the characters, the beautifully constructed love between Sirius and Remus, and the intricate world-both muggle and magic-that surrounded the story like a cocoon. 

I am so happy I found this fic and I truthfully am floundering at what to do with myself next. If you have any more current Marauder era fics that I’ve missed out in the past eleven years, please don’t hesitate to let me know. 

Recommendation: Go read All the Young Dudes. For weeks, you will cry, you will laugh, you will despair, and you will smile. This fanfiction will make you wish this was canon and in my mind, it now is. 

Score: 8/10

Links:

1. All the Young Dudes on ao3 

2. The Youtube Video about All the Young Dudes that made me aware of its existence 

[athousandtales]

I watched The Last Duel yesterday and I really enjoy it.

I saw some bad reviews about the movie, but for me, it was a great work. I don't know if the laurels of the good historical research was of the production or the book's author [I dont read it], but with comparision of all I've read about the real case, they follow the narrative very well.

Spoilers

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Its a long movie, but for me wasnt boring or tedious as I feared. Indeed, the plot was well done. The two firsts povs era almost ridiculous in the way how the two man saw themselfs as heroes, we could felt how they are trying made the storie looks about them. Being a movie, the thing about a unreliable narrator was good pointed with the exaggerations in their story.

But the the real pov from Marguerite was the masterpiece. Jodie Comer was amazing as always, but in here, she did three versions of the same character in a just and respectfull way no matter what story they was telling. I hope she gain a nomine for Oscar, and if she did, I will cheering for her.

Now, I know some peoples thought the two rape scenes was too much, but I think it was well done too. I know, no one wanted to saw  a rapist point of view of, but in this case - a real case, one when the word of the woman who suffered the attack was unbelieved for centuries even after the final result of case - the scene was well played, specially when Le Gris justfy himself. For >>> him <<< isnt rape because he was obssessed with her and just chose ignore her beggins for him stop like just a "play", but even looking by his pov, we saw as a rape. So, were no doubt about whats happens. The two point of viwes make clear it was rape, even if Le Gris try made himself the victm. I admit, I feared they will do the scene like a consensual intercourse in his words, but not happens. And of course, Marguerite's pov its much more painfull to watch, specially with the state of mind after. I need say again, Jodie do a great job and we really felt the sadness and thruth in her words. The scene when she tell her husband what happend and he just acuse her is heartbreaking. We could felt how alone she is in this matter. Her husband only saw his own pride and this is a constant until the end scene.

The battle scenes are good too, even if I always will complain the foolish of the lack of helmets. I kown, it was for the visual, but still being a dumb one. The female - Jodie's specially - hair its was a problem too, even if they used more headdresses than the majority of period productions. The historical aspects was good too. As I said, they did a good ressearch. The manners, the coulture, the beliefs about female sexuality, pregnancies, it all was well done. The judgment its a good scene too. And the duel itself was much like the reports about the real one. So, again, I liked.

In the end, I think it was a good production, a ambicious and good movie about a delicate theme, but delivered what promisse.