#the thing is that being a hero and love are both DANGEROUS and sometimes STUPID

[hanzajesthanza]

honestly as much as i dislike triss for her treachery i mostly dislike her because she becomes sympathetic. if i had to choose between fighting in a war or being able to stare at philippa eilhart’s boobs all day i know what i would pick

[inbarfink]

I mean, the thing is that fiction about aliens is almost always going to be about some sort of Other on some level. Whatever it’s about demonizing or fear-mongering about some sort of Outsider Group or trying to get the audience to sympathize with the Other via the metaphor of a lovable alien. 

And Invader Zim is kind of an interesting spot there because, like, it’s not just ��Bad Outsider Out to Destroy Our Beloved In-Group’ or ‘Poor Sympathetic Outsider Being Put-Down by the In-Group’. First thing first because Zim is kinda both. He is both the Outsider secretly hiding inside the in-group plotting their destruction - but the narrative and framing also sympathizes with him and supports his view of the in-group (that humans are stupid and gross).

So he can’t really be A Scary Demonized Outsider when he gets so much narrative sympathy and support, but also… he is a murderous little world-conquering bastard and most of his suffering is generally just him gets exactly what he deserves so he can’t be your classic sort of Sympathetic Outsider either. 

And the other thing is that the in-group is not even really involved in Zim’s conflict. Zim’s biggest challenge in conquering the earth is Dib, another Outsider. Often, despite being a human and thus part of the literal in-group, Dib is an even bigger Outsider to humanity than Zim is.

Zim and Dib are both Outsiders, and Zim isn’t just an Outsider as an Alien on Earth - among his own people he is in the same situation as Dib is, an Outsider in his own in-group. (Not that he can ever admit to himself that is the case). So these two Weirdos are fighting to protect/further the goals of two in-groups that will never actually accept them. 

And so often their main weapon against each other and the primary danger and the source of their suffering for themselves is the same thing; the in-group conformity and enforcement of social norms. 

Dib’s main evidence that Zim is an Alien is, most of the time, just the fact that he looks and acts weird. But also he himself is constantly bullied for looking and acting weird.

And Zim’s most constant source of anxiety while undercover on Earth is the fact that he’s going to get caught being Too Weird and then not just fail his mission, but get brutally dissected and experimented on. But his best defense against being exposed is… basically just to point out just how much Dib also Diverges From the Norm.

It’s the story of two Weirdos trying to get the other punished for being weird in some way, while the Normies just kinda look on and laugh at them both. And the actual thing they want, recognition and acceptance from their in-group is the one thing they are doomed to never actually get. 

And honestly, I think that's actually what makes a lot of real-life Outsiders cling to IZ, especially while we’re teens. I think, in a way, the fact that it’s kind of a messy Outsider narrative makes it more relatable to the messy middle-school/high-school experience than something more neatly crafted to be uplifting to the Weird Kids.

I mean, I certainly see the obvious value in fiction that’s actually trying to create a positive narrative for queer teens or autistic kids or maybe just scene kids or any combination of the following. This sort of media is very good, and can be just as important to some folks.

But... also the truth is that when you’re an edgy teen wrecked with self-loathing for Weirdness you don���t even fully understand “There’s nothing wrong with me and all the people making me feel like they are Bad!” can be a hard message to really believe in. Sometimes it’s easier to start from “Maybe I am all the terrible things people say that I am but.. still deserve love and sympathy, I can still be the hero of the story”. 

And because, sadly, the problem of Weirdos attacking each other for being Weirdos using the same rhetoric that’s used to hurt them, just for the sake of approval and recognition from in-groups that are never going to treat either of them as nothing but a joke - is not a phenomenon exclusive to the Silly Alien Invader Nicktoon.

And Dib and Zim’s rivalry is a great basic framework to explore it both in analysis of the canon and in fanworks.

[angelstate]

(Don't) Say You're Sorry, Please.

Pairing: Peter Parker x fem! reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending!

Warnings: harsh argument, cursing, mention of alcohol and reader getting drunk, explicit emotions, symptoms of mental illness.

Summary: you and peter were no longer happy, it took a big fight, harsh words and some time apart to realize how much love you felt for one another.

Words: 3k!

you didn't know how it got to this point, when the calmness of a silly discussion turned into a heated argument and a silent competition of who could scream harder horrible things to the other.

It got to the point where you had been crying for so long it was hard to breath and your eyes sting every time you blinked, it felt as if your stuck in the middle of a panic attack and couldn't get out of it no matter what you tried to do.

You didn't even remember when everything went wrong and you ended up here, it was like all your memories had been swept away and now there was a recognizable emptiness that the both of you shared.

you knew everything but could remember nothing.

you didn't had what it took to fight like this with Peter. You didn't have the voice, the feelings or the calculated thoughts to defend yourself.

You threw weak attempts of calming the situation but nothing worked so you let the venom that was boiling in your chest spill over and make you say things you would regret.

The love was long forgotten.

"just shut the fuck up, peter! for once in your fucking life shut the fuck up. You aren't the voice of truth all the fucking time, sometimes you are in the wrong, get over it for fucks sake!" You screamed at him and pulled your hair in an attempt to let out some of the anger you felt.

"i should shut up?! You're the one who acts like a fucking bitch all the goddamn time. You are fucking insufferable, i swear to god sometimes i can't fucking understand why i even put up with your shit!" peter screamed back at you, he was pointing at you the entire time. blaming you for this.

"you put up with my shit?! I'm the one who has a fucking super hero for a boyfriend. If anyone is putting up with shit is fucking me!! You always get hurt and put yourself in danger. you run to saves stranger from small fucking crimes, but who takes care of me?! You love playing hero but always end up getting hurt, What is going to take for you to realize that you are not prepared to save anyone!!" You screamed as loud as you could everything that came to your mind.

You were so done with this shit, with the argument, with the super hero bullshit. It was draining, being there to help peter get healthy every time he got hurt stopped being out of love but obligation.

While he took care of the city you were left to take care of him, but who was making the time to take care of you? Nobody. Nobody was taking care of you.

"i'm not prepared?! I have saved the world more than once! I've gone through hell trying to keep everyone save!! Im more than capable of saving people from small shitty crimes!" peter said trough gritted teeth.

"then why, tell why the fuck you can never help me?! Why you can never save me?! Am i not worth your stupid help!!?" you felt tears starting to leave your eyes harder than ever.

You knew that there was no way you could ever recover from this fight and be like you were before; this was a breaking point that was long time coming in the relationship.

"i don't help you?! every second that I'm not being spiderman im by your side fucking teaching you to not fuck up like you always do!" Peter screamed and raised his hand, closed his fist before letting his arm fall back down.

"you are so full of shit" this time you didn't shouted, your voice was trembling and soft, your throat wasn't prepared for any more screaming.

"you are so full of shit, Parker. we are never together, if you're not being spiderman you're busy doing shit to get better at being a super hero. You are never here for me. Im sorry that when i see you after a long time i want to tell you how my life has been. Im so fucking sorry i want you to be here for me." Your eyes filled with tears again your vision was blurry because of it but you didn't let any more tears fall. This wasn't worth the pain.

"im full of shit for being a super hero? Im so sorry if I'm not here because im saving people's life. I have so much shit going on that the last thing i wanna hear is more problems you want me to fix. I am so fucking sorry i can't fix your fucking life, you won't believe how much bigger problems i have to deal with outside of this fucking room" peter spoke his voice was stern.

In that moment, you realized something. You weren't his first priority. You weren't even on the list of things he worried about.

Why were you still here with him? Why haven't you walked away from a place you clearly weren't wanted in?

You loved peter so much to the point you forgot that he should love you too to be together.

"i think we need a break from each other" you whispered and rubbed your eyes to get rid of the tears.

Silence.

Peter didn't said nothing, just stood in the middle of your room looking completely lost. his eyes for the first time tonight filled with tears and his lower lip quivered in what you could only describe as pure sorrow.

"you don't mean that" peter said and tried to get close to you but you took a step back and embraced yourself.

"it's for the best, peter." you reassured him. it was really for the best. This time it had gotten too far to not notice the two of you needed space.

"no no no, I'm sorry, ok? Im really sorry. Please don't break up with me" peter pleaded.

"don't say you're sorry, please. we just need some time alone." you hugged peter one last time.

"we'll fix this, right?" Peter whispered in your ear and tighten his hold on you. It was so hard to let go.

you couldn't respond, no didn't knew if this could be fixed.

peter just took in your silence and kissed you for the last time, just way to promise to not let the relationship die tonight.

___________

Three weeks had passed since the fight.

thinking back to that night felt like a dream, you could feel the guilt of everything you said weight heavier and heavier every day.

You regretted everything you said, every word you let out that night. you may have ruined one of the only good things in your life out of pure selfishness.

peter and you rarely talked, there was nothing to say, no. There was too much to say and that scared the both of you. what if one you had realized the relationship was going to be fixable?

The fear was ingrained in the both of your minds, both of you suffering because of the same fear.

"how is she?" Peter asked mj, who was concentrated eating her lunch.

"your ex girlfriend?" Mj said sarcastically and looked at peter with boredom.

"we didn't broke up" peter said quickly, the title of ex girlfriend made his heart clench in pain.

"she's sad and doesn't look good at all, Parker" she said honestly and looked at her food before continuing.

"if your dumbass checked on her you would know that" she said and took a bite of a mini carrot.

"we are taking some time apart" peter defend himself, it was true but that wasn't the reason he checked up on you. He was scared of seeing what the decision made to you.

He had shattered since that night, crying anytime he was left alone with his thoughts. He feared to see you in a worst condition than he was. Scared to see how his words bruised you.

"yeah? maybe try spend a life time apart because you don't want to see how you left her, Parker." Mj said in bitterness, you were her best friend and seeing you in pain because of him didn't sat right with her. She understood the situation but would always make the people that hurt you hurt too.

Peter just sat there, looking worried and sad.

You were feeling like shit, every inch of your mind was filled with sadness and your body reflected your state of mind so clearly it was embarrassing to go out looking like the human version of sadness.

right now, you were in one of the stalls of the girls bathroom, trying to eat your lunch but you had no appetite, you stopped feeling hungry two weeks ago.

You couldn't eat, so you took supplements like candy, trying to keep your body healthy but it didn't worked. You lost weight and looked pale.

But it didn't really mattered, nothing felt like it mattered. In your mind, you had no reason whatsoever to care about yourself or anything at all.

_____________

It was Friday night and you were drunk as fuck. not in a party, just in the solitude of your living room, lit cigarette in hand and a tall glass filled all the way with pure vodka.

the tv was on, the movie 'The perks of being a Wallflower' playing but the sound acting as a background noise because all your attention was on your phone, waiting for a message from him to pop up.

How much you wished you had the courage to message him first.

You took a big sip from the glass and felt the familiar warm spread in your chest, your empty stomach had been suffering all day and now was experiment the harshest treatment you had ever put it through.

Not even in your high school years you were careless enough to not eat anything before drinking strong alcohol.

"say you're sorry, please?" you whispered to yourself, trying to force yourself to call him, to admit your mistakes and beg for forgiveness.

You spend two hours staring at your phone, all the vodka in you glass had already disappeared and the entire bottle followed soon after; before you even realize it

"I'll say I'm sorry, please forgive me..." you whispered and pressed to call peter. you put the call on speaker and held your phone close to your mouth.

You had your knees to your chest and had wrapped a blanket around yourself, trying to stay calm and collected.

"hello?" Peter answered the call.

"hi...pete" you said, voice dripping evidence of your drunken state.

"how are you, y/n?" he asked and you heard how he sat on his bed from the way the springs made a uncomfortable sound.

"i'm.. I'm drunk" you admitted and laughed a little.

"I, I really wanted to talk to you, pete." you're voice broke, and your eyes glossed over with tears.

"I wanted to talk to you too, flower" the pet name made your heart clench.

"really?" you asked, your tone filled with the warm that the pet name created in your soul.

"yeah, i was thinking about you, i used my telepathic powers and you called" he joked and you giggled.

"thanks for using your powers, pete" you took a deep breath.

"i called because i want to tell you something" you said and heard how peter took a deep breath.

"tell me, flower. Im all ears" he spoke sweetly, so sweetly you felt your heart clench again.

"i just, i wanted to tell you that i'm sorry, i'm really sorry about everything i said when we were fighting." you took a pause and to stop the tears from falling.

"i don't 'up with you', i honestly don't even know why i said that. you are amazing to be around and i was wrong for saying differently. you're a great super hero and the fact that you put yourself in danger and get hurt just to save other people is admirable. You're more than prepared to be the biggest super hero the world has known" you let out a shaky breath, your eyes betrayed you and multiple tears fell from your eyes.

"and you're right, you do help me to not do stupid things. I just...i just feel like i'm not worth it enough of more attention than the one you give me to save me from my stupidity."

"and lastly, you're not full of shit. That's me, not you. I know you have bigger problems than giving me attention just because i feel like im entitled to your time. I feel really guilty for everything i said. Forgive me, please?" You finished speaking.

Peter was speechless, and his heart already broken heart, ended breaking completely when you bed for his forgiveness.

You beg him for forgiveness? how could you feel sorry for saying the things he needed to hear to wake up and realize he wasn't a good boyfriend? You opened his eyes when you spoke up about how abandoned you felt because of him never being there for you.

If anyone should apologize was him.

"flower..." Peter sighed.

"yes?" You responded, voice shaky and anxious.

"I'm sorry for everything i said too. I shouldn't have called you a bitch. You're not insufferable, your the sweetest and loveliest person i have ever met. i'm grateful that i have you in my life."

"and you're right about me never being there to give you anything other than help, i love you and i thought that just because you knew that i didn't have to remind you every day. you have all the right to tell me how you feel or what you're going through and i should always be there to hear you. I know that you don't want me to fix your life or your problems. You only wanted to be heard but i didn't care to listen at the time."

"thanks for believing I'm a great super hero and I'm sorry that I've been saving people without thinking about how me getting hurt so much and running to you to heal me affected you. I've been selfish in our relationship just because i wanted to be selfless and save people. Forgive me, please"

Peter asked and you took a deep breath.

"if i forgive you will you forgive me too?" you asked back, you also wanted to be forgiven.

"of course, flower" peter answered and your heart skipped a beat.

"then, i forgive you, pete." you said and felt a smile forming on your face.

"i forgive you too, flower." Peter smiled too.

All the weight you have been carrying on your shoulders was lifted just like the light on your soul, you could finally live again. No more sorrow and pain.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" You asked with hope.

"yeah, we'll see each other tomorrow" peter made the plan of showing up at your apartment tomorrow, make everything right and give you all the affection and time you deserved.

______________

(a few months later)

you were sleeping peacefully in your bed, wrapped up in blankets and softly breathing. It was spring break and you have spent all day cleaning so you were having your well deserved rest.

that was until you starting hearing something hitting your window, being a light sleeper you woke up almost immediately, you checked the time on you phone '01:23am'

Still being half asleep you didn't even thought about what who hitting against your window because it was obvious, you stood up, walked over to the window, opened it and turned around to lie down again in your bed.

"hi baby" you said when you were back in your bed, this time your back against the wall to give peter space to lay down with you.

"hi flower" peter pressed the spider in the middle of his suit making loose and fall of his body.

He picked up the hoodie that was on your desk and put it on before laying down beside you, almost instantly he hugged you and you wrapped one of your legs around his waist to bring him closer to you while one of your arms wrapped around his next. Your free hand started caressing his hair sofly.

"how was night patrol?" you asked, your eyelids already closing in tiredness.

"it was calm, i just helped a few drunk guys get home" peter said and rubbing your back, drawing random shapes with his fingers.

"that's good" you whispered.

"go to sleep, flower." peter whispered against your ear and tighten his hold on your waist making you be totally pressed against him, your face in the crook of his neck.

"goodnight spidey" was the last thing you said before falling asleep.

"goodnight flower, i love you" peter kissed the top of your head before falling asleep too.

The both of you finally being the happy couple you deserved to be. The love you felt for each other was no longer forgotten in the pain of misunderstood emotions, now it was more alive than ever, burning and keeping you warm and safe from all the sorrow you had to go through to be happy with peter again.

Everything was fixed and was better than the first time you started to love each other.

There was no longer pain, just peace and the comfortable bed of love the both of you slept in for the rest of your life.

How beautiful it was to love Peter, forever save in his arms.

[burningcheese-merchant]

ok, so as someone who also tends to use strength over smarts like Matar Paneer Cookie, I tend to think that maybe it’d be better if I preferred books to fights. When I try to read books for assignments though, I develop a headache that will ruin the rest of my day and sometimes blurs my vision. I don’t expect Matar Paneer to have something like this (cause I cannot torture her like that) but maybe a more watered down version. Yknow, for the mandatory ’my older sibling’s better than me’ thing that every little sibling has at least once.

just a though tho, love your work!

Thank you ❤️ I'm always glad to hear that my nonsense brings some measure of joy to someone haha. Thank you also for sharing your thoughts, I enjoy having discussions like this with people! Understanding and learning from others is a gift we all take for granted (and I always welcome an excuse to vomit word salad lmaooooo)

I think I understand what you mean. Matar Paneer isn't stupid, far from it (same with her father. I always imagined Burning Spice to be quite intelligent, if not outright wise, at least to some degree. He can't NOT be, not when he was the Herald of Change/History, you know? Buff does not automatically mean dumb). It's not even really that she dislikes reading or anything more cerebral like that (she actually really likes being told stories haha. As a child, she often asks Pepper Jack to read her something before bed (and him above either of their parents or anyone else, because she likes the way he reads things the most). Not because she doesn't like to read, but because she likes how others might approach reading/telling her things). She just has her own way of doing things, you know? She's energetic and rather reckless at times. Those often tend to naturally nudge someone away from "calmer" activities, but that doesn't mean they can't do them at all. Strength over smarts is not some great moral failing, nor vice versa. Different people do things differently. The key is learning to find balance when possible. (It's not that Jack shuns strength, either. He is a very tough and capable warrior, even while so young. He carries a dangerous weapon everywhere he goes lol. He'd just rather solve something with his wits if he can. Just how he does things, nothing more nothing less)

As for the "my older sibling is better than me" thing, Paneer actually does wrestle with that to some degree, and it's arguably worse because she adores Jack so much. Jack is her hero. It's not Golden Cheese that she looks up to the most, it's not Burning Spice, it's not Mozzarella or Nutmeg Tiger or Hollyberry or anyone else. It's him. It's her brother. Everyone thinks so highly of the kid, Paneer included (perhaps most of all). Jack is smart, Jack is strong, Jack is disciplined, Jack is this, Jack is that. And Paneer does not begrudge him any of these things; no one cheers for Jack harder than her. It's just... compared to him, who is she? Who is Matar Paneer? What can SHE do? She loves him, but she doesn't love feeling like she's in his shadow all the time. She doesn't resent him at all for this, she doesn't hold anything against him (that's not really how she is tbh), she only holds it against herself. She's mad at herself for feeling inferior. She wants to be cool and strong, too; she wants to be up on that pedestal right next to her brother, not knock him off and take it for herself. She just doesn't know how to do it. Both children hold themselves to very high standards and hurt themselves in similar ways by doing so. They will eventually come into their own and develop the self-confidence they both need, but it will take time and several important life events for them to get there. Paneer will also eventually understand that it's not healthy to put someone on a pedestal like that (it isn't fair to her OR to Jack), and she is just as great as he is and always has been. But again. It will take time and character growth.

She'll get kickstarted on that journey for real after what happens to Jack when they're older. Poor kids, both of them. He loses something important, she watches her hero fall for the first time ever (and when she never imagined it would even be possible. Pepper Jack is great, but he is not a god. She fully realizes and understands this the hard way)...

[lillie98]

I headcannon Mike Wheeler as autistic (because we share the exact same strain) and I have a theory regarding Season 5. Many autistic people, including myself, have a warped sense of inherent danger. We will throw ourselves into dangerous situations not fully understanding the risks involved. It’s a dangerous situation, sure, but not so dangerous we should avoid it. Mike also has this problem, what with him diving head-first into every fight. He wants desperately to be a hero, to prove his worth and might as a person—to be remembered. If that means doing something stupid like getting himself killed, then that’s what it takes. It’s heartbreaking, but that’s the world he lives in. Hopper, Eleven, Will, they’ve all sacrificed their lives in some capacity to save the world, now it’s his turn.

Eddie touched on this concept with his “Don’t try to be heroes, not today. There is no shame in running,” but Mike doesn’t see it that way. In his mind, those who run are cowards, afraid to face their fears and fight for what they believe in. Has Mike been a bit cowardly these past two seasons by avoiding his feelings for Will? Yes, absolutely. But that’s his arc. Mike has to understand his actions, why he’s hiding, and the serious danger everyone is in. He has to face the music. Where does this lack of inherent danger come in? Glad you asked.

We all know Mike wants to be a hero. He wants to go down in history as someone good, someone who put others before themselves and saves the world. The Brave Knight, The Paladin. Paladins swear an oath of bravery and loyalty, vowing to avenge any threat that dares harm their allegiance (Byler anyone?). Something will threaten to harm/kill Will in Season 5, and Mike will have none of it. They’re not doing this again. Thus, Mike will throw himself in front of Vecna/Demogorgon/Brenner, etc. to protect Will, not fully comprehending the danger of the situation. He’ll be a hero. Unfortunately, this risky act will most likely cost him his life (temporarily). He doesn’t have to die. He’s the heart.

Lucas says, in the Season 4 hospital, that Max’s heart stopped for over a minute, but it miraculously started again. She is alive. El’s love for her conquered death itself. If we go on the “Will Has Powers” theory, then his love for Mike will conquer death and revive him. Mike only needs to be presumed dead, to be out long enough for Will and El to feel the effects of his death and consider joining Vecna. Because without their HEART, they’d fall apart. Both of them.

Back to what Eddie said, there really is no shame in running. Will doesn’t need Mike to do some egregious, knightly act of sacrifice to prove his love for him. His love is already enough. Will loves Mike for EXACTLY WHO HE IS. He always has, and THAT is the real heart of this story. Mike is not a hero because of what he does, but because of who he is. The way he loves, the way he stands up for what he believes in, the way he treasures his friends and protects them. The way he makes Will feel safe just by being there. That’s what Will fell in love with, not some fantastical DnD character that never actually existed.

Like Mike said in Season 2, “this isn’t DnD, this is real life.” DnD characters are fun, and it’s exciting to dream about slaying dragons or exploding orcs with your Magic Missiles, but that’s not real. It’s a game and it will end. Hit Points don’t magically restore you after a Long Rest and Healing Potions don’t deal 2d4+2 Healing. Actions have consequences and danger is real, even if your brain tells you it’s not. Paladins, Clerics, Bards, Rangers, they’re not real people. But Mike Wheeler is (in this context) and Mike Wheeler is enough. He is so enough. It’s time he wakes up and realizes he doesn’t have to be the Hero, slay the dragon, and make everything better, because it was NEVER HIS FAULT. Bad things happen and, sometimes, we can’t fix them. All we can do is stand beside our partner, hold their hand, and fight along with them—to remind them they are never alone. That, in and of itself, is truly heroic.

[halfagone]

Is it weird that I’m not a big fan of the whole this hero from this fandom gets adopted by the batfam trope? Like, it’s repetitive, but my main issue is that I feel like it devalues the hero in the process? Like, I’ve read fics about Danny and Spidey being adopted by them , and it’s just weird because they’re both solo heroes who’ve accomplished amazing things by themselves, and I feel them getting adopted and following Batman’s order just makes them another sidekick? Like, Spider man in particular was one of the first teen heroes that wasn’t a sidekick, and Danny falls into that category too. Sorry, does that make sense?

I think I get what you're trying to say here! That part of the reason why teenage heroes like Spider-Man and Danny Phantom are so impressive is because they did the hero thing alone, right? That they were capable of all these feats without a mentor and through their own wits and talents? I believe I'm getting that correctly?

I wouldn't call that weird at all. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and should be respectful enough not to bash anyone else for theirs.

I will say that half the reason why I adore Danny so much is how passionate his character is. We have evidence that Danny isn't the most fond of the hero gig, but the fact that he keeps at it, keeps putting himself in danger to protect people, proves that for all that he's a little shit that gets on people's nerves, he is genuinely a good kid. He didn't have to do the hero thing, but he did, because someone had to, and he decided it had to be him. And he did it alone, or- mostly alone. Sam and Tucker's help should never be underestimated, but it's no secret that they don't have all the firepower he does.

I do understand why people like the trope where Danny or Peter get adopted, and part of it is for the same reasons I like it too.

When you think about it, teen heroes are targeted for teen audiences. They're fictional characters meant to instill confidence in kids, teach them that they can do good too, help them grow and reflect when they see their favorite heroes going through the same things they do. All sorts of things like that. And when you're a kid, you feel like the world is stacked against you. Hopefully you'll have people in your corner, but not every kid out there does. So these kinds of heroes help them build confidence in their independence, that they can stand up for themselves too, even when no one else will.

But then you grow up, and then you realize you shouldn't have had to do that all by yourself. You should have had a trusting adult to look out for you, you should have had someone to watch your back. I was an anxious 14-15 year old, because I was stupid enough to try to finish high school in 3 years instead of the standard 4.

And that's nothing in comparison to these teen heroes who have people's lives in their hands, fighting every day knowing that one day they might not come back home, getting injuries they can't always hide well. On top of all that, they have to make excuses at school, make excuses at home, try to keep up with their grades so that they can have a future, they have to think about college/university plans.

Sometimes they get grounded or punished, because they're lying to their family's faces, but it's all for a good cause. But they can't explain that either, because they want to protect the people they love. Peter Parker is usually very poor, in some cases he works one or multiple jobs to help Aunt May pay the bills.

The teenage experience is overwhelming enough, they shouldn't have to worry about the hero thing. But they want to help people. And they deserve to get some help of their own.

I know there are probably some people out there that give Danny or Peter a loving family because they see a lot of themselves in these two. They couldn't get that supportive family, so they go in and they give these teen heroes the family they never had, because they know how much good it would have done for them too. And sometimes that blood/biological family isn't the answer, might even be the root problem of it all, so they give them an adopted one.

Obviously it's still not for everyone, especially if you do want to keep that independent aspect that kinda makes the whole teenage hero trope. So the concept might not be for you, and that's okay too! Unfortunately sometimes that means you have to ignore a lot of fics, but hopefully there are plenty other fics that are out there for you.

[tomurabunny]

Love sure is strange.

One-shot

read on ao3 Notes: English is not my first language, so there may be some grammar or syntax errors. However, I actually feel more comfortable writing in English than in my native language. Another thing is that it's been a while since I last wrote something. Pairing/Par: Tomura Shigaraki x Fem!Reader

Summary: You, the UA traitor, is feign feelings for Mirio to gather crucial information. Tomura, possessive and jealous, struggles with his attachment to you due to All For One's teachings.

Content warnings: reader being ua traitor, elements of possessiveness, jealousy, and volatile emotions. scenes of verbal confrontation, physical intimidation, and explicit language.

"Shit! It's too late!" you mutter under your breath. Tomura Shigaraki, with his bluish-gray hair, immediately senses your distress as you stand up abruptly, dislodging him from your chest, a wave of unease washes over him, annoying him deeply.

The truth is, the only times he manages to get a decent night's sleep are when you're beside him. However, he would never admit that vulnerability to you. Instead, he grumbles, "What's the problem?"

You scramble to gather your things, your mind racing with the realization that you're going to be late for class. But what's even worse is that Mirio Togata, the guy you agreed to date to infiltrate UA, has promised to accompany you. Shigaraki can't hide his distaste for the blonde hero-in-training.

"I don't like this guy," Shigaraki grumbles, his jealousy evident in his voice. "He's always playing the good boy role"

You pause for a moment, meeting Shigaraki's gaze. "I think it's because he IS A GOOD BOY," you reply with a sigh, trying to downplay your own irritation at the situation.

"I don't care," Shigaraki retorts, his voice filled with a mix of possessiveness and worry. He knows that pretending to be interested in someone else is part of your mission, but it doesn't mean he has to like it.

You give him a weak smile, trying to ease his concerns. "Right... See you later, okay? Don't worry, I won't get caught."

In Tomura's dimly lit room, the glow from the screen illuminates his face as he focuses on the game, doing his best to avoid meeting your gaze.The tension between you both is palpable, and the air hangs heavy with unspoken words.

"You're pathetic... Always searching for others' approval," Tomura's voice dripped with icy disdain. The mere sight of you seeming so comfortable with that insufferable hero grated on his nerves. Weren't you supposed to be his? Weren't you in love with him?

Glancing at him, you noticed his seething anger. "Are you pissed?" you asked softly.

Tomura scowled, his eyes still fixed on the monitor. "You're so dumb," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course, I’m pissed. We haven't even started our relationship, and we're already having problems" he added sarcastically, unwilling to reveal the depth of his internal turmoil to you.

"Just so you know, I'm only fooling Mirio for the mission." you insisted.

"Is that so?" Tomura's voice lowered dangerously. "Tell me, how does it feel? Being in his arms, laughing, looking into his eyes like a helpless fool who has fallen in love... Does it feel better than being with me?"

Frustrated, you snapped back at him, "You're so stupid sometimes..."

"What did you say?" he erupted, his voice filled with venom. He stood up from his gaming chair, finally locking eyes with you as he approached, attempting to intimidate you. Gripping your face, he forced you to look up at him.

Unfazed, you met his gaze head-on. "I said you're stupid... I don't feel anything while I'm with Mirio. I'm just pretending for the mission, for the League, for All For One, and especially for you," you stated resolutely, refusing to back down.

“Ow!” His grip faltered as you bit his finger, forcing him to release your face. "You're fucking annoying!" he seethed. "I can't believe I'm in love with someone so stupid," he grumbled.

You laughed at his reaction, finding it ironic. "How can I be so attracted to you? You’re annoying as hell too" you pondered.

His laughter mingled with yours, tinged with irony. A villain... a killer... and yet somehow you had fallen in love with him. Love sure is strange.

But amidst the irony, he cherished it. Your attention and company had made things less stressful for him. You were there, by his side, and you seemed to actually care about him.

"You can't help it," he retorted sarcastically, a smirk playing on his lips. "I mean, who can resist this undeniable charm? Clearly, I'm just too irresistible."

Just then, your phone buzzed. Snatching it from your hand, he saw that Mirio was calling. Refusing the call, he nearly crushed the phone with anger. "I do NOT give a fuck about that bastard hero!" he shouted, his rage escalating. "I'm telling you... If you like him... I'm gonna destroy him," he declared, his body pressing you against the wall. He didn't want to believe you cared for that hero—it was unacceptable, and he would not tolerate such betrayal.

You smiled, understanding his point. "You're the one that owns my heart." you assured, placing your hand on his cheek as his body pressed against yours, trapping you between him and the wall.

Feeling your touch, warmth bloomed in his chest. You were showing him that you still loved him, that you were true to him. A soft smile graced his lips as he leaned closer, claiming your lips in a kiss. He needed to make things clear.

"Only me," he whispered into your ear.

"Only you," you echoed. "You don't have to worry... I'm just pretending my feelings for him for the mission"

"Good," he responded, leading you to his gaming chair and urging you to sit on his lap. He kissed you softly on the neck as his grip tightened around your waist, drawing you closer. It felt so good being with you... he was addicted to you.

"I love you," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, his words almost drowned out by the kisses. "I have you... Just you," he breathed, his possessiveness shining through. He tried to convince himself that his feelings were solely rooted in ownership rather than genuine affection.

You turned your head to meet his gaze, yours lips meeting in a tender kiss. "I love you too, Tomura," you whispered, a smile lighting up your face.

Your words stirred a warmth within him, a happiness he hadn't experienced before. You loved him, truly. You were his.

Sighing contentedly, he closed his eyes, resting his head against yours, savoring this moment of peace. When you broke the kiss, a soft smile played on his lips.

He could have kissed you for hours.

Having you by his side made all the hardships and suffering fade away. You were the reason he would keep going, keep fighting.

The tender moment was abruptly interrupted when Kurogiri appeared, reminding the two that it was time for you to leave. "I'm sorry, Tomura, but she needs to go. Her classmates will start looking for her soon," Kurogiri softly spoke. Tomura's disappointment was evident as he pleaded, "Just a few more minutes..." He didn't want to let you go. He still craved your presence, but Kurogiri's words rang true. If you didn't return soon, your classmates would begin searching for you. Reluctantly, he released his hold on you, allowing you to stand up. Before parting, you leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, expressing your affection. Walking away towards the portal Kurogiri had opened, leading to your dorm at UA, "Be careful", you whispered your words of caution. "Don't do anything stupid." he whispered back, his worry for your safety evident in his eyes. A small hint of sadness crossed his face as he watched you disappear through the portal. He had a whole organization to run, responsibilities weighing heavily on his shoulders. Now that he had you, though, his mind buzzed with endless possibilities.There were so many plans he wanted to execute with you, so many things he wanted to experience together. As you vanished from his sight, Tomura's determination grew. He would protect you, keep you by his side, and make the most of the bond you shared. With you, his path seemed clearer, his purpose stronger.

[14thcommander]

𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙪𝙥, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚 || ⬧︎ dabi x reader, hawks x reader ⬧︎

cw: inspired by out of the woods - taylor swift, toxic relationship, canon dabi, mentions of injuries, implied stockholm syndrome, implied major characters death, depression and hoplessness.

a/n: i've had this idea a long time ago, but finally got around to finishing it, and it'll possibly become a series. also, shout out to @somelattes for giving me the idea for the last line

Dabi’s love is intense – push and pull, all bite and no bark. He loves you at his ugliest, and you still won’t leave. 

“Are they gone yet?”

Your voice is barely above a whisper, dripping with fear as you tremble by your lover’s side. Dabi is quick to hush you, his index finger against his lips motioning for you to be quiet. 

A few more moments pass – could be a few minutes or a few years, you can never properly feel the passage of time during moments like this. There are sirens going off around you, screams and loud thuds. Everything feels suffocating and you just want to crawl out of your skin, your body no longer feeling like home. 

The dark haired man waits for the last remaining heroes to cross the road, walking towards the end of the street – where there’s a building on fire and, necessarily, people needing help. His scarred fingers interlace with yours, and you cling to his cold touch. Squeezing your hand three times, you understand his sign. 

Run.

And so you do – you can’t tell for how long. You run until your legs feel like they’re melting beneath you, like your toes are about to break inside of your worn out shoes. The backpack you’re carrying thumps against your back, and whatever that’s inside it hurts your bones. The cold air barely enters your lungs and there’s adrenaline pumping through your every vein. 

Moments like this – running away, fighting for your life, you name it – usually end up in the same way: thoughts about your former life blooming on your mind. The memories come in waves, in broken pieces, like a kaleidoscope of someone else’s life. 

You used to be a hero. Your life was filled with saving, and sacrificing. The dark contrast makes you want to puke your guts out, although you find some remains of control deep in your brain.

You used to be someone. 

-

There was something about Dabi that always drew you in – you still can’t picture what specifically put you under his spell. Everything before him feels like a blur. 

His smirk, always taunting and teasing – the way he whispered your name at night, broken vocal cords calling for you as if you were his from the get go. The larger Dabi’s presence became in your life, the deeper you sank into the unknown, until you looked in the mirror and you couldn’t recognize yourself. 

The thing is, Dabi gave you the right amount of attention at the worst time possible. Your success rate at missions was one of the highest ones at Endeavor’s agency, however all it took was one single mission to blow everything up.

It doesn’t matter: the sun is setting, and the sky is being washed in a dark purple color. It’s getting late, which makes your moves even more dangerous. The both of you walk down a dirt road, one you haven’t seen before. There’s a building on the horizon, a large one. Maybe a warehouse?

Again, it doesn’t matter. 

“Are we in the clear yet?” Your voice is small, broken, barely above a whisper. Speaking to him like this, so directly and informally, feels incorrect – forbidden, even. 

He nods, after a few moments, yet he doesn’t dare to look at you. His head is pointed straight ahead, as always. Dabi has a ton of goals, yet you’re still not one of them. 

“Good.” 

He almost laughs at your pathetic attempts to fill the silence. Dabi wants to scream at you sometimes, cry that he doesn’t care. Because he doesn’t. He’s better than this, better than you. Dabi has plans that your mind couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

And your stupid presence is getting in the way of all of them.

-

Despite his lifestyle, things with dabi felt… simpler than the life you had before. 

Society put you on a pedestal, long before you graduated from UA. Flashy cameras and headlines about Japan’s new favorite hero – or toy – for the month. They treated you larger than life, higher than God. Was it too much power? 

There was a mistake at a particular mission: a life you didn’t save. You weren’t able to, weren’t quick or strong enough. And the worst of it, they caught it on tape. One mistake – a huge one – was able to knock you off the pedestal, the same pedestal they built for you. 

Once one of Japan’s mightiest heroes, and now you could be considered an official enemy of the state. If only they knew what happened to the missing hero��

“I think they're gone.” His raspy words break you from the internal war happening in your brain. “Pass me the bag.”

It isn’t a question. It isn’t a favor that he’s asking for. 

And you silently obey.

He opens it, finally revealing what’s inside. You’re not happy with such information, but he’s past the point of caring – or, perhaps, he never did to begin with. 

“Explosives?” Your voice echoes through the empty warehouse – your hiding spot for the moment – and Dabi doesn’t budge. His blue orbs seem colder than before, like a frozen ocean you made the mistake to drown in. 

He doesn’t answer your question, either: ignores your words completely. 

“Dabi…” The way you say his name leaves him hanging, on edge. For a moment, it feels like you’re going to say something more – perhaps scream at him, punch him in the chest. He’s prepared for either scenario.

Your following words caught him off guard, though. 

“Where are we sleeping tonight?”

He frowns, dark eyebrows knitting together. It seems like he didn’t think of it, as if he assumed you wouldn’t get this far. Dabi thinks, considers your options carefully.

“I might have an idea.”

-

You’re laying side by side, shoulder to shoulder in a thick blanket he managed to steal before you skipped town together. You managed to escape, although it seemed like your luck was growing thinner and thinner. 

Before going to bed, you fixed his injuries, cleaning him up and stitching his skin back together. There were a few tears, here and there. You weeped with him, for no particular reason, in between kisses.

Dabi’s kisses were always bittersweet. 

When he’s sleeping next to you, he almost looks human. Average, like a normal person. His dark hair falls just above his eyes, effortlessly stylish. His scars barely appear in the dark, faint in the moonlight. 

He looks so regular, not like a hero or a villain. If you squint hard enough, he looks soft.

At peace. 

Your brain burns in the back of your skull, as you replay your big — or, perhaps, the first – mistake you made, over and over again. You wonder if you got there quick enough, if you could save them, maybe you could have saved yourself

-

You were already aware of Dabi’s existence long before you actually met him. 

In order to save whatever career or mental health you still had after The Incident, you switched the types of missions you would once go on. The stealth ones seemed to be the only option left – if there even was one. 

The League of Villains were becoming bolder, more dangerous and powerful than before – a real threat to society. It’s funny, and you almost laugh to yourself when you attempt to remember the day it happened, the day Dabi decided he would keep you. You can remember the color of your clothes, even that you washed your hair the day before – yet you can’t remember how you ended up with him, laying together. 

“You cold?” He mutters, speaking to you for the first time since you woke up, snapping you out of your own storm of memories. It seemed like the silent treatment was coming to an end. 

“Yeah.” 

Dabi takes his jacket off – not his regular trench coat, but a plain black jacket. Perhaps his villain costume wasn’t stealth enough for a disguise. He hands the clothing item to you, and you take it gladly. A small thanks comes out of your mouth before he turns his back to you again.

“Time to go,” He says, with a wicked look in his eyes. “we have a long day ahead of us.”

Looking at it now, you think, it was all doomed from the start.

After a week of running from town to town and staying in hiding, something happens. Something that was written in the stars, bound to happen from the very beginning. 

You went out of your current safe space of hiding – an abandoned motel – to find food, something for the both of you to eat. With a dead rabbit in hand, you stop in your tracks.

A bright red feather makes your heart drop to your stomach, as you stare at it, lost in the dead-end road you were currently walking down. Your legs freeze in place, but somehow it feels like your muscles are melting onto the ground. Deep down, you’re well aware of what this means. 

You finally ran out of luck.

-

The sunlight is cruel against your skin and eyes, however not as cruel as the scene before you. 

Blue, unforgiving flames start to swallow the building. You’ve seen such a scene many times before, but not this close. Not this personal. You can no longer obey your body, as it remains frozen in space and time. Decades could’ve passed, and you still wouldn’t budge. 

Midfight, Dabi noticed you: his cruel eyes seemed to widen in horror, as if he never saw you before. The wind was soft against your hair, but cold against your skin – his jacket was still wrapped around you. 

His.

“Run!” He cried, a kind of voice you haven’t heard from him ever. “Run, get the fuck away from here.”

It was fear, his voice was shaky – something you haven’t witnessed before. At least, not like this. 

You were still frozen. You still couldn’t move. Yet, this time, tears escaped from your eyes like a waterfall. You felt like a child, lost at the mall and waiting for the return of their mother. 

“God, you’re so stupid! Listen to what I say, for once. Fucking leave.”

Your heart listens to him, even though you didn’t want to.

-

Hawks finds you a few miles away.

There’s shouting, and a few sirens in the back. Paramedics, you think. A few people flocker around you, taking your blood pressure while simultaneously directing a flashlight against your eyes – it all feels too much. “Stable”, one of the paramedics says. “Careful, another one adds, looks like they could go into shock.”

The red winged hero rides the ambulance with you, holding your scarred hand into his larger one.

“Listen,” He starts, wasting no time to wait for you to get better, giving you no chance of even processing the first stage of grief. “I know what happened, and you’re not the first one. You don’t have to punish yourself for it.”

“Hawks, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

They took him, they took Dabi.

“I do. Happened to that girl, the one who came before me.”

You’re silent, not knowing what to say. Technically speaking, you should be considered a criminal now. An enemy of the state. There should be good money as a reward for you – dead or alive –, yet Hawks is still treating you as a normal person. Someone worthy of empathy, even. 

“You’re gonna get better.” He continues, not acknowledging the tears in your eyes. “And in case you remember how your old life used to be like, in case you wanna get back to that… I’m here for you. I’m sure if we play the right cards, the media and the people will forget it. The commission will forgive you, y’know. You’re still their golden hero.”

You smile sadly, thinking about his blue eyes.

“I remember”

[th3houseofleaves]

3, 15, 29 and 30 from the oc asks for kit! :3

3. Ask them to describe their love interest.

kit takes a second to set aside what he'd been working on, shutting the notebook he'd been brainstorming in and setting his favourite pen on top of it. every move is deliberate and careful, done in such an intentional way so as to draw attention away from the way he's gone speechless. the question is a hard one—can he really put into words everything he thinks about dick grayson? or will it fall short, the words clumsy and inadequate and lacking what it takes to describe how intensely he feels about his once rival.

slowly he begins to say, in the practiced monotone way he does when he's feeling less than confident, when he wants something to hide behind, "if i had to describe richard grayson, i'd start by saying that he's one of the most infuriating men i've ever met and–"

this is where the affection bleeds into his voice regardless of the way his words could've – and would've in years past – been an insult. he sighs softly, still as lovesick as he was the day he first understood how he really felt about him, "i love him for that, as weird as that sounds."

"he's such a good hero and leader and i've always respected that about him, even when i thought he was an asshole who thought he was better than everyone," the memory of those days doesn't sting like it used to, when he'd look back and regret the way they were at each other's throats so often because they were both messed up teenagers with displaced anger. "now i know that isn't the case, he's... he's got such a poor opinion of himself sometimes and i know i can't fix him – and i don't want to do that, it's not my place to force him to heal – but i wish there was a way for him to see himself how i do."

"dick is just..." he's looking away, fidgeting with the button on the cuff of his sleeve, a subtle flush high on his cheeks, "...he's a force of nature. something beautiful and dangerous and i can't believe i get to be someone that he loves 'cause he loves with everything he's got, like it's the most important thing in the world sometimes... like if he doesn't hold on, if he doesn't give enough its all gonna fall away."

"he's got so much good inside him, so much love inside him, and i wish he'd extend it to himself more. i wish he could see how he deserves it," he shrugs, tugging at his sleeve now, focusing more on it than whoever he's talking to. "but since he can't, i'll try and love his stubborn ass enough for the both of us. even when it's hard and we're both being headstrong assholes again, i'll still love him. i don't know that i could ever stop."

like an afterthought he adds, "he's also ridiculously pretty, but that's..." he can't help but laugh a little, his voice coming out breathy and soft, somehow more embarrassed to say this than he was when he was being so open. "...that's not the most important thing about him for me, all the other stuff is. the being pretty thing is an added perk though—when he's not weaponising it to distract me."

"so... uh... yeah, that's-," there's an awkward pause and a catch in his throat as he's trying not to laugh more. "that's dick grayson to me. he's... i. i think he's real neat." after everything, this is what really sets his face aflame; he hides it in his hands, almost wishing he could momentarily disappear until the redness faded and he'd found a way to stop talking. "christ, neat? really?"

"i borderline wax poetic about him and then the best i can do is– is... neat oh my god." this is the kind of thing that his friends would give him hell about and kit is aware of that, but it doesn't stop him from sinking down in his chair and mentally telling himself to just. stop. talking. already. "don't tell him i said that, he'll give me so much shit for it and i can't take that 'cause he gets this stupid grin that lights up his whole face and makes it hard for me to think about anything except how bad i've got it for him and how bad i wanna marry his ridiculous ass."

after that final revelation, he does finally stop talking; the shock of admitting that outloud stunning him to silence. he's dreamt of it sure, but he's never really said anything about the future he hopes is in the cards for him and dick.

15. What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

cleaning. 100%. he likes a tidy space but hates to clean. that's why his apartment is kind of a wreckage most of the time until he finally caves and starts cleaning. if he could justify it to himself he'd pay someone to clean his place.

his office however? he straightens up in there and makes sure it's clean but it's such a chaotic mess bc he cannot be bothered. he swears he knows where everything is and it's "not that bad" but it is.

29. What recurring dreams do they have?

he doesn't tend to remember his dreams enough to say one was recurring, but he does have recurring nightmares unfortunately

the worst one he has is like multiple small dreams in one, where he'll start off seeing the flashes of memories he has of the accident he was in with his parents and he's small and alone again, but this time no one comes for him.

then it's stuff from being a hero, like the day he was told that roy was gone. he sees it going differently, he sees himself falling apart (sometimes literally) and he doesn't make it through missing his best friend. it's worse once roy is back because kit starts dreaming about all the ways he could lose him again. he hates this part of the dream so much.

he sees himself losing cole and dick and he sees the one time he came closest to dying himself and that's about the time he wakes up. when he's reliving that like it's happening all over again.

30. What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

im going to start this one out semi lighthearted because i have a silly thought AND a more serious one.

silly: this is a two-fold thought but, if he could do it without repercussions & be forgiven, he'd 100% throw down with oliver queen just because (they're actually super neutral to each other bc oliver is his best friend's sort of dad/mentor but kit acts like he's got beef when he really doesn't & he has 0 reason for a fight other than maybe bragging rights idk. he's an odd, odd creature) AND if he could do this without like Judgement, he'd act on his childhood crush and try to ask dinah out akahsj the only thing stopping him previously was the fact that he was. a Teenager. and the one time he said something about it roy told him to never say that around him again bc it's WEIRD that's his ?? sort of stepmom adjacent person. and now atp he's not even serious about it bc he's with dick but he'd still do it just to annoy roy and potentially oliver depending on how him and dinah are at that point

this one is quite literally just for the sillys /lh

serious: he's smart enough to understand how time travel and messing with the time stream can go so wrong, but if he could and he'd be forgiven after, he'd find some way to go back and see his parents. he'd try to save them. in the moment he wouldn't care about what might happen, how his saving them will change things, he'd only be thinking about how happy he is to see them. how if he called out to them they'd be able answer. he would never be the little kid on his own in a hospital room, waiting and crying for people who couldn't come for him. his parents could be his parents and now vague memories and pictures and the stories cole tells him.

other than his knowledge of the consequences of time travel, i don't think he'd do it because he doesn't want to lose the life he has now?

yes, he misses his parents so much but. if he never lost them he wouldn't have cole in his life in the same way and he loves his sort of dad so much. and he probably wouldn't have become a hero, not in the same way, so he wouldn't meet roy or dick or donna or any of his closest friends and.

he doesn't want that. a life without any of them wouldn't be much of a life at all, not when he knows what having them in his life is like.

[generouskittentidalwave]

SO THERE IS SOMETHING BETWEEN ODYSSEUS AND DIOMEDES THAT IS HARDLY MENTIONED AT ALL AND I GOTTA BRING THIS UP BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT

CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE CLEAR PARALLELS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEIR JOURNEYS?? HOW THEY ARE SO SIMILAR YET SO DIFFERENT AT THE SAME TIME??

Okay so let's break this down

Diomedes had to leave his own kingdom and go on his journey to start a new kingdom of his own because his wife was unfaithful to him. This was punishment of him getting willingly involved with and attacking the gods and this was the later consequences of it. And as a result he was kicked out of his kingdom and had to learn to make peace with his past enemies and start new again because of it.

Then you have Odysseus, who just wanted to be back home with his wife and son, he didn't want to be part of any of this in the first place. And he ended up making a mistake out of his own hubris that although caused the attention and anger of Poseidon (similar to how Diomedes caught the wrath of Aphrodite), wasn't him going after Poseidon on purpose, moreso like an unintentional consequence due to his own foolish actions.

Now you might be thinking, they both angered a god, whether it was intentional or not, and they both had the attention of gods, and both were sent on a journey because of it. So, the real question is why did the gods choose Odysseus as their spotlight hero instead of Diomedes? Why did Odysseus get all the dangerous herioc tasks while Diomedes was more focused on the side in his own journey?

Well, while Diomedes was originally given the attention of the gods during the war, Diomedes willingly interacted with them and even fought with them during the war. Diomedes treated them with the same amount of respect as any greek would and he was given the same respect back (usually atleast), and whether he attacked them or not, it was all fair in the battle fields of war, and Diomedes even got help from Athena. He was one of the staple of a perfect greek soldier who kept away his hubris and respected and worked with the gods in different situations.

Odysseus, on the otherhand, is a pretty different case. Diomedes' view on the gods was the same black and white as all greeks viewed them. However, when it came to Odysseus, he really set in motion the idea of treating gods less as omnipotent figures and following their every word, to treating them more as people. The gods shifted focus away from Diomedes, the ideal greek warrior, and focused their attention on the soon to be greek hero Odysseus, the one who was a true hero despite being rather imperfect in his own ways. I feel that was because, and in my educated guess, he not only was a challenge for them compared to Diomedes, but he also showed a different kind of respect for them. Not your average greeks' undying appreciation and love for them. Rather, Odysseus had to earn their respect, and the gods in turn had to earn his respect as well. When he needed help he prayed for their guidance, but he also wasn't afraid to tell them in no uncertain terms to fuck off when they did something stupid or interfered with his own goal. It felt like all the gods chose Odysseus to focus on, whether it be for revenge, love, or guidance, and never let up afterwards.

While Diomedes was, and is even mentioned by Odysseus himself, to be filled with very little imperfections, Odysseus is the opposite. Diomedes, despite being the youngest of them all, was already well matured than all of them, most things just came to him, including the gods themselves, for a short period of time. Odysseus was none of these things, he had hubris at times, causing him to be selfish and prideful due to his young passion and boldness, however, Odysseus also had a kind and gentle heart along with a smart mind, which is probably a huge reason on why sometimes his emotions would overrule his reasonings. Odysseus was a good guy, probably the most morally good person greek mythology ever had, and he was dealing with real human emotions, mistakes, and actions, in absolutely horrible situations he was thrown into. And, after everything, he was the one person who taught the gods themselves that even they are only human as well. They are all only human. He brought them to that realization, even if they won't admit it.

I think both journeys serve as an important purpose for both characters. Diomedes had everything stripped away from him, having to run away from a fight and not just start new again, but learn to make peace with those who originally he saw as his enemies. Odysseus got the biggest reality check ever as well, as after gaining the attention of the gods he learned and matured and grew to become a true greek hero while also gaining horrible trauma because of it. While Diomedes lost it all and had to create his own place of belonging, Odysseus had to fight for 10 years to regain what he lost because that was his place of belonging.

And these two probably have no idea what eachother went through after all these years, and I swear to god they better have a reunion of some kind.

Anyway these are just my late night thoughts on it though, hope all you greek geeks have a fantastic day and night! ^^

[princess-of-the-corner]

So after a surprize illness, a bit of energy building and realising both that i forgot to justify a kwami swap and that i probably dont need to worry about that in a tumblr ask later, here is the promised ramble/explanation of the Theatre Kids AU, this time fully corporeal!

The basic gist of the AU is that Kagami is the Ladybug holder and Lila is the Black Cat, yet somehow Paris isnt dead.

Yes, this does mean that they have no idea what the deal is with a seasons worth of the akumas since they probably werent there, but i consider that part of the charm ('sides, I think the heroes having to go from thinking of the Akumas as the occasional nuisence to as actual people they know sounds fun)

To be perfectly honest the title of the AU doesnt mean too much for the story, it just happened to be the only common denominator between the two of them. I guess i could stretch it with some " /acting/ properly vs true to yourself" thing but that doesnt feel too good.

Lila mostly gets to be a hero early on because Plagg has domain over bad luck which prevents her from abusing her powers + some public goofs during Stoneheart getting her to decide to play up the whole "Goofy approachable girl" angle.

Kagami's main thing of the AU is just learning to open up and trust others on both sides of her mask because Tikki and Tomoe together arent too good at noticing that kind of problem. She doesnt even really /like/ heroing for the most part, she just genuinely believes there is no better person for the job

I made Lila Aro/Ace here so no love square between the heroes, but Kagami has a crush on Marinette who still has her /thing/ with Adrien to keep the spirit of it alive

And for our last part, some misc stuff!

-I got a bit tired of there being just the one villain so I made Pharaoh, Darkblade and Bugfighter permanent (i might have the guys from the paris special stick around too, depends on how it goes)

-I made Lila's multimom situation a mix of messed up adoption papers and a polycule. Canon gives me stupid plot points, i give them stupid explanations

-I decided to fix the whole incident with the Bee-Bugfighter by just having Chloe speedrun the Queen Wasp incident and is only given the Pig afterwards as a less dangerous/mentally healthier alternative (and Daizzy was told not to reveal the transformation phrase until she thinks the situarion is bad enough. Sometimes a found family is a girl, a mech and the god of joy)

-Zoé is the tiger and is basically she-Rath. I didnt even do that it just appeared in the doc/j

-I didnt know what to do with Felix so I made it a gag that he's basically living out a copyright-evading version of canon. Then i started tweaking the events on his end so now he's basically in Hero Chat. Sorry for the theft there, if its a problem i can just make it straight canon.

Oh fuckin dope!

[seldomscilence16]

Whumptober day 10:

"Can't you see that you're lost without me?" 

Broken phone | stranded | "You said you'd never leave." 

Fandom: My Hero Academia (AU)

Prompts used: All

 Went back and forth with what I wanted this one to be, so here's some more Denki angst in a First responders au! From Military to a fire station, Denki and his friends have been through it all. But his boyfriend may just test it all. Will Denki survive?

I know nothing medical or military so liberties were taken. And the ending is for funsies, I in no way think first responders would do that. But Bakugou would. TW for abusive relationship! (With an OC not a MC)

:)

… 

Denki liked his job. He liked his friends- his coworkers. He liked that it was easier stakes than their last occupation- not that it wasn't still dangerous. They were first responders now after all, just because being in a war is constant danger doesn't mean what they're doing now is a walk in the park. 

Really, it was just certain moments that had him frowning, the moments where his former training was forgotten and he felt small and stupid. He… loved his boyfriend, really he did… once? No he still does! Sometimes… that's wrong, he still loves him, who else would love Denki if his boyfriend wasn't there?

It was just… hard. 

"Denk's, foods on!" Kirishima flops over the back of the couch, wide grin directed at the blond. 

"Ah, sweet, be right up." Denki offers his own smile back, though he curses himself for how weak it is, because Kirishimas smile dims. 

"You okay bro?" 

"Yeah bro! No worries." His eyes drift behind Kirishima, where up on the balcony his boyfriend is serving food. "Lets eat." 

Denki only gets a couple bites into his lunch when their Captain- Aizawa, looking tired as ever- alerts them of a call for air assistance. Denki and Inei- his boyfriend and partner- stand, the two main medics of the team. 

"Check it out, its sounded like a prank call, but better safe than sorry. We'll be ready with back up if needed." 

"Yes sir!" 

Something sinks heavily in his gut as the two head off, pilot already prepped and ready on the roof, he glances at Inei and it only gets worse. He feels like a kid again, in trouble for no reason he can descern, and about to face the wrath of whomever he angered. 

The pilot takes off, stating in their comms that it'd be a minute, Inei gives a thumbs up before switching both their comms to a private channel, Denki forces himself not to squirm. 

"What was that at lunch?" His voice is cold in a way his face doesnt show, ever good at putting on an act.

"What do you mean?" Denki wracks his brain for anything he could have done wrong.

"Why was Kirishima looking at us weird? What did you say to him??" 

"What? Nothing! He wasnt looking at us." Denki thinks of his faulty smile and internally winces, Inei didnt need to know about that. 

"You must have said something. Between him and the others Im getting a hole in my head from how much they stare. They shouldnt be looking at a hero that way."

"I havent said anything Inei, I swear." Inei has been in the papers and on the news since he was a kid, he'd saved his bus driver- and the other passengers- when he'd had a heart attack behind the wheel. From there he just kept doing things until he'd become a paramedic, he had a 'thing' about being seen as a hero. 

"I dont know what I'd do without you Denki, you said you'd never leave. Are you going to leave me Denki?" His eyes are pleading and intense as he stares at Denki through their helmets.

"Of course not Inei… I promised…" the words taste like rotten cheese on his tongue, and Inei looks less than satisified, but something crosses his face and he nods to himself before turning the channels back. Denki still doesnt feel good. 

The call was some type of prank, some toiletpaper wraped up in a tree and a spray painted emoticon on the ground. They get lower, just to be sure, to scan the area in case there are any people actually in need of help. Denki doesnt expect what happens, didnt think Inei would put himself at risk to make a point or whatever this was. But one moment they're flying low, the next, Inei has knocked the pilot unconcious and the helicopter is going down. 

Denki doesnt know which of them truly landed the copter- minimal damage, it will fly but not well- they'd both moved forward but Denki cant remember past that, only waking up outside the copter, body one big ache. His knee is swollen, he can see it straining painfully against his pant leg. His head spins with every blink, one arm is refusing to move without raging agony, the other is warm with blood dripping from who knows where. He's missing a shoe.

"Im going to show you, Denki. That I'm the only one who cares about you, that you need me." Inei laughs, twistedly delighted with the concept, hes hanging out of the helicopter- the pilot strapped to the portable orange gurney inside, "Cant you see that you're lost without me?" He laughs again as he gestures around them, in the middle of nowhere. "No one will come for you Denki, and then you see me as the hero I am." 

"Inei," his throat feels shredded, "please dont do this." He reaches an arm out, begging him to change his mind, but his grin only widens as he returns to the cockpit. 

The dust the propeller kicks up burns his everything, but his heart in his stomach hurts much worse, as he's left, injured and alone. A trembling hand slides into his pocket, the smallest hope pulled taunt as he tugs his phone free. The screen- cracked beyond recongnision- remains black. A sob wreches from his throat, head thumping on the ground as tears blur his vision. He allows himself this moment. 

"What the fuck happened!?"

"Are you guys okay?"

"Where's Denki!?" 

"The pilot was flying low so we could scout the area. I… don't know what happened, one minute we were in the air, the next we're on the ground and Denki… I couldn't find him… the pilot needed help I… I didn't know what else to do, the radios were not working, there was no time…" Inei watches as the pilot is carted away by Momo. 

"Well then we need to go look for him, he's probably injured!" Mina already has her phone out, dialing for another Helicopter most likely. 

"I can show you guys where we were." Inei says quickly, unknowing of the eyes that had watched him moments before. Eyes that saw when his own darkened at the mention of a search. 

"Keep an eye on him." Aizawas voice is quiet, spoken only to the three boys in front of him. Sero, Kirishima, and Bakugou nod, they'd watch him. 

Watch him fall right over a cliff if he had anything to do with this. 

Denki groans, the stick in his mouth creaking as he clenches his jaw in pain. Relocating one's own shoulder is a precision thing, one wrong move and you're screwed. But Denki had done his own plenty, and others often enough- in all of his occupations. With no medical supplies, he's gone survival mode; ripped shirt for bandages and ties for his sling, sticks as splints, anything he can to keep his injuries from getting worse.

Usually the second step would be a water source, but Denki had seen the area from above, there wasn't one for miles, and Denki wouldn't make it that far any time soon in this condition. He wished he'd had more to eat and drink at lunch, but he'll hopefully have the three days… three days for… someone to find him. His team- his friends- would surely come for him… they've had each other's backs for years, they wouldn't abandon him now. 

Unless Inei was right, and they don't care about him. He's always been bothersome, a burden on those around him typically. It's why he worked so hard to be useful, he'd thought he'd done it, but what if he was still too annoying, too dumb? He… couldn't blame them if they did decide he wasnt worth it. What would they say, if Inei brought him back? What if Inei doesn't? Or… what if everyone assumes he's dead, but he's actually in Ineis cellar instead. Inei had locked him down there before, what if he'd finally lost it? He always said he'd die without Denki, what if he takes that ability away from the blond? Would it be better to die out here then??? 

He pinches himself, hard, takes a deep breath. They were his friends, they were first responders, they were a team, they'd come for him. 

"Are you sure this is where you were? There's no sign of a crash anywhere." Mina does her best to sound worried over accusing, eyeing Inei in the copilot seat. 

"I… I thought so but…" he puts a hand to his head like he was wounded, but they'd all seen his minor injuries. 

Seros phone buzzes in his hands, Kirishima leans forward- pretending to get a better look down below- to shield him from Ineis view. His hope of a message from Denki diminishes, instead a message from their captain. 

{Pilot woke up. Not an accident. Last known coordinates:} 

The second text is longitude and latitude, and Sero gives Kirishima a look. What happens next is truly next level acting, all of them working in sync like a team should. Kirishima leans too far and fumbles, wrapping an arm around the pilot's seat for support and knocking his helmet in the process,

"Sorry!" He gives a cheesy grin, before turning back to the window. 

Next is Bakugou, stretching up to adjust a strap on the ceiling, elbowing Seros own helmet so the man has to adjust it, he gets a grunt as an apology. With a new channel open between him and the pilot, Sero turns to look out the window, Kirishima's bulk still semi-blocking him from view, as he gives the pilot the new coordinates. Mina artfully distracts Inei so the pilot can insert them, doing steady turns to throw Inei off. 

Seros sure the only reason it really works is because the brunet was not military. He could fly a chopper, sorta, as was required to go on air rescue missions, but the inner workings of their district? The guy could never understand their inner workings that came with years together. The whole district was practically their squadron, and outsiders either adapted, or transfered. Inei did neither, simply clung to Denki, made everyone else uncomfortable at the least, down right furious at most. They knew something was up, but for Inei to stage a disappearance like this? 

He would not survive this unscathed. 

Denki watches the sky as he limps his way along, a large stick barely helping as a crutch, one leg stuck straight and one arm slung up. He knows walking is not best for him, that his leg should be elevated, but it's already swollen to hell, and just laying there wouldn't have helped much either. He's trying to stay in the open while daylight lasts- the suns barely up any more, has it truly been that long?- but when night falls he'll need shelter. This was nature after all, and it would not be kind to one who smells like blood and can not run. 

He worries about Inei coming back, about no one coming at all, about what Inei might do to the others. He worries that if he stops he may not be able to start again. His back twinges with every step, his vision is dotted, his head pounds. He needs medical attention, but more than that, he just needs to know his friends are okay. The sun is dipping beneath a mountain, the sky is orange and blues and pink with lingering reds over the trees and tears spring to his eyes as he thinks of all the things he could have done to show his friends how much they meant to him. 

He stumbles on a rock just as a noise reaches his ears. A familiar noise. His head lifts slowly as wind whips his hair around, raises a hand to shield his eyes, there, coming right towards him, is a helicopter. 

And hanging from the top of the rescue line is a tied up Inei. 

His smile is wobbly as he waves.

They came.

[ask-the-royal-absol]

📖!

(📖 Fave book

You know, any opportunity I can get to talk about Superpowereds, I will talk about it. Like, you have these 5 18 year olds who went through an experiment to turn them from powered to super. Being powered means you have little control over your abilities and it can have devastating effects. Supers can control their abilities. These 5 then go through super hero College, training to become superheroes. The journey is so damn good.

Main characters involve Vince. Kinda naive because he’s had to be locked away due to his power being incredibly dangerous. He can absorb and release energy, for example fire, electricity, kinetic, etc. He’s very sweet but also very stupid when it comes to knowing how others feel. He will fight to the very end to protect his friends. He hates using his abilities because he’s just so terrified of hurting other people but he eventually comes around.

Nick. The guy who can control luck, both good and bad, which is pretty good when your “family” are criminals who lead operations in Vegas. Joined the college to make connections with other supers so they eventually owe him and his “family” favours. Nick creates characters to help become close to people but he eventually ends up adopting the personality of the persona he’s playing in front of his friends. Nick is definitely dangerous.

Then Alice. Alice comes an incredibly rich family and is honestly a little bit snobby at the start of the books. She has the powers of flight but these develop further as she carries on. Very much your average rich kid but she starts realising that she can actually be nice to other people and she becomes quite nice. Sarcastic at times too.

Then Mary. A powerhouse of a telekinetic. She can hear the thoughts of others and lift people and objects with her powers. She may be the smallest in the group but she’s definitely the mum of the group. Looking out for others. Seeing through people’s BS. She has definitely called out almost every character once. She’s just there for everyone.

And finally Hershel and Roy. Hershel is a sweet guy and a huge nerd. Loves playing board games. His power is the the ability to turn into Roy, the confident, charming and muscular guy who’s got woman and whiskey on the mind. I mean, whiskey is how Hershel transforms into Roy. Even though they share a body, they’re both entirely separate people. They at first really don’t like each other but learn to call each other brothers.

I genuinely could talk about this book all day because I just love it so much. Though the funniest part is the way the author sometimes describes things.

Thank you for the question!)

[bronzepatriarchy]

Luz Noceda’s Comprehensive Guide To Vigilantism

Rating: Teen and Up, Gen

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

In which Luz is a powerless vigilante trying to help people and not die in the process.

Ch 1/?: In Which Luz Is The Best Vigilante Ever

Read On Archive

Sirens wailed through the narrow streets of Southside Latissa, giving both a warning, and a promise, of what one could get into should they stray too long after dark.

Latissa wasn't a bad city in itself, hell, for a city filled with Enhanced Individuals– people with inhuman abilities that could range from changing one's hair color by thought alone to reshaping the world around them– crime rates were considerably lower than most other cities around them. It wasn't hard to find some way someone’s power could be useful to threaten, harm, or steal after all.

But that was exactly why heroes were created, to stop those crimes from happening either before they started or early in the process. Having heroes based solely in Latissa was definitely the reason they didn't have people dying every day. . .

. . .

Except in Southside Latissa at least.

Southside was a special case. Being the poorest of the five city districts, Southside was definitely the largest– and most crime riddled– area of Latissa. It had gotten so bad that one day the heroes decided it was a lost cause, leaving the citizens and overworked policemen to suffer while they focused on the wealthier districts such as Central and Northview Latissa.

That was why no one ever wanted to be out at night in the area as well. Too much crime, all starting as soon as the sun went down. It was a death sentence for any normal citizen unfortunate enough to be out so late.

But young Luz Noceda didn't need to worry about that, surely.

After all, she'd just turned twelve! She wasn't just some kid anymore; she could do things without telling anyone or asking for help. She knew the rules of Southside after dark, so she'd be fine.

Besides, it wasn't like the district was entirely crime ridden. While the heroes had abandoned Southside years ago, vigilantes popped up in their place.

They were the reason little Luz was out here so late, even. Ever since moving to Southside two years ago, she'd been fascinated by them. Normal people with normal powers choosing to wear a mask and go against the law to stop crime? What wasn't there to love?

A crash from a nearby window pulled Luz out of her thoughts, eliciting an excited gasp from the child before she ducked further into the alley she'd been hiding out in.

Okay, maybe what she was doing was dangerous and a little stupid, but that wouldn't stop Luz in the slightest, not with the excitement of seeing a vigilante fight not five feet away from her beating through her chest.

She pulled the hood of her Azura themed jacket over her head quickly to hide her face as best she could. Technically it wasn't anywhere near the real thing– not even the first vigilante could make merch of themselves because of laws and other stupid things– but it felt real. Sporting Azura's signature purple hood and top with white sleeves and accents. She felt just like Azural! Especially being out here!

She hugged the corner of the alley tightly, carefully peering out with one eye to see what was going on. She knew this place was a good place to scout, it was always shady and sometimes when Luz and Camila would pass it on their way home from school Luz would see a weird, red light coming from the windows.

One of those windows was now shattered, actually.

Laying in the middle of the road was Strigiform, a vigilante Luz and most of the public knew because of the massive wings sticking out of her back. One of those wings was dripping some dark substance off its white, dappled feathers, and Strigiform was coughing up a storm, heaving in gasps of air between fits only to begin coughing all over again.

A strange fog blew out through the same window Strigiform had just been thrown out of, though it looked mostly clear or faint misty white in places, Luz could see slight shimmers of something almost golden in the air. It drifted away from the window ominously, surrounding both Strigiform and Luz all the way from the alley in seconds, but while Strigiform kept struggling, Luz felt fine. The air was heavy as she breathed it in, but nothing she couldn't handle.

Glass clinked from the window next, boots crunched over the remaining shards on the ground, belonging to a man that stepped out gingerly while 'tsk'ing at the sight in front of him.

"I really don't appreciate you interfering, you know." He hummed. Luz couldn't pinpoint any one thing about his voice, there was some sort of smoothness to it, and he had a very clear accent Luz couldn't place. It was partially covered up by a voice changer that distorted and echoed his words unnaturally, alongside a threatening, mechanical echo.

Luz suppressed a shiver, inching forward so she could better see.

The man was dressed in a large, blue coat that went down to his waist, the fabric being decorated with golden threads depicting vines traveling up his arms, solidifying into a mask of golden, thorny vines that covered most of his face, only showing a mouth pulled onto a taunting grin. This wasn't the look of just some thief or vandal. No, this was a villain.

Villain wasn't a term used often in this society, only used to talk about the most dangerous of criminals that continuously escaped hero control. As such, Luz shot a worried glance to Strigiform, who hadn't gotten up yet despite how she tried. The vigilante's arms were shaking, hands balled into fists on the ground as she continued to hack her lungs out. Luz could've sworn she saw Strigiform spit out blood.

"Can it, Dionysus." She still managed out. Unlike the Villain, Strigiform rarely wore more than a simple mask that covered the lower half of her face up to her nose, alongside a simple one-piece in the vigilante's usual gray and red color scheme. As far as costume designs went, it was stupid simple. Most of their body was covered by the costume, and it was clearly fireproof and stab proof, so it worked well enough. "I'm not listening to some idiot with a god complex complain about getting caught."

The glittering fog around her finally dissipated, and as she sucked in a final few gasps, she slowly rose with a slight stumble, pulling her hands close to her face as if to block a punch but the slightest twitch of her wings gave away her real intentions.

The villain's grin only widened. "So you've done your research."

Suddenly he was moving, darting forward in a blur of movement. Instead of blocking the attack, Strigiform launched into the sky instead, only for a bright red aura to surround the vigilante, slamming her back into the road with a loud crack that had Luz grimacing.

“Ah bup bup, we’re not done here.” Dionysus chided. "A shame your research wasn't enough.

A low growl emanated from Strigiform’s chest, but Dionysus wasn’t phased in the slightest, only stepping forward with ease while the red aura surrounding Strigiform retreated into the villain's hand instead.

Strigiform didn't respond, in fact she was barely moving and her eyes were almost blank with confusion, leaving her open for an attack any moment. A moment Dionysus didn’t seem keen on wasting by the way he crouched next to her and pressed the same hand holding the red magic to her ear.

One moment, Strigiform was only dazed. The next, her eyes were glowing red, and she went entirely limp. Her eyes slipped closed next, leaving only a sliver of that red light peeking through.

“I will admit, I’ve gotten careless the last few years. The rush of being so close to my goal, and yet so far? You have to understand that excitement, surely. I grew sloppy. You’ve done so wonderfully to remind me of that.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a strange vial of a glowing golden liquid from inside his coat, then fished out a syringe from the same place.

Luz’s breath caught in her chest as she realized what was about to happen. This was probably a death speech, wasn’t it? One last monologue before Strigiform was killed.

The child’s heart hammered away in her chest, she couldn’t just let that happen, could she?

“I would have liked to repay you for that, but thus is the burden of those that dig too deep, isn’t it? Don’t worry,” he chuckled, pressing the syringe to Strigiform’s neck. Luz wanted to scream. “I’ll allow you to be the first to witness this new beginning.”

“Wait, don’t!”

Luz slammed her hands over her mouth in alarm, only releasing a terrified squeak when the injector was removed from Strigiform’s neck in preference of Dionysus looking over his surroundings.

He stood when he caught sight of Luz and hummed as if intrigued.

“I didn’t know you had a sidekick.” He commented to the still unconscious Strigiform, before turning fully to Luz. He took a slow step toward the alley; Luz took a step back. “Don’t be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you.”

Despite those words, Luz backed up further only for Dionysus to have no issue copying to get closer. The air was beginning to feel heavy again, like it did the shimmering fog before it dissipated, and true to Luz’s suspicion she saw a similar glimmer of gold as she took another step. The fog was back, then.

“I’m not letting you hurt Strig–” She yelped in alarm when her back hit a wall, ruining her warning in the process, but bringing up some bigger concerns at the same time.

The alley wall was further back than this.

She turned in alarm, seeing that red aura from earlier now pressed against her back and unmoving, no matter how she pushed against it. It blocked the entire width of the alley, preventing her from backing away any further while Dionysis continued his approach, seeming to become more and more intrigued by the second.

He stopped when he was within arm’s reach from Luz, crouching to one knee once again then reaching forward. Luz flinched, only to go perfectly still when the hood was flipped off her head, revealing her messy, short hair to the villain. “You’re putting your faith in false idols,” Dionysus ‘tsk’ed. “All she is is an imposter flaunting stolen power. Something you should know all about, little Legacy.”

Legacy?

As if reading Luz’s confusion, Dionysus chuckled and asked with all the kindness in the world that he definitely did not have before: “The gas doesn’t hurt you, does it?”

It was supposed to hurt? She hesitated, before slowly shaking her head. The action earned the start of a laugh from the murderous lunatic.

“Nor does it hurt me. Unlike them.” The words were spat towards Strigiform, who had began coughing once again, though not nearly as seriously as before. She hadn’t moved otherwise and showed no signs of waking. Luz really was alone here. “The gas only targets thieves and imposters.”

Bullshit, Strigiform was a little bit of an asshole but she was still a vigilante, she helped people! Luz opened her mouth to protest but was faced with a question instead.

“What’s your enhancement, Legacy?”

Luz’s mouth clacked shut in alarm as she was faced with perhaps one of the only reasons why she shouldn’t be allowed to wander Southside this late at night: She wasn't Enhanced.

In a world full of enhanced individuals, where people every day had awesome powers they could use to make life easier or at least defend themself, Luz was one of the only ones without anything.

Could she tell him that? She could make up an enhancement but what if she had to prove it? Or he could tell she was lying? He’d already done three different things with his power tonight alone, what was one more?

“I–”

“Step. Away.” Luz was saved from saying anything more by the shout to Luz’s left, where Strigiform was still laying.

Except it wasn’t Strigiform. It was another vigilante: The Bard. Dressed in what Luz could only describe as a toned-down band uniform, with a red and black masquerade mask to match.

Their voice shocked Luz fully into silence, doing the same to Dionysus as well. All Luz could describe it as if someone layered one voice over another, but in a way that made it more… voice. Yep, that was the best Luz was going to get.

The command still rang through her ears, and Luz had half a mind to listen despite having nowhere to step nor anything to get away from.

Dionysus, on the other hand, had both. He took a step back in an almost zombie-like manner, yet as soon as the command was fulfilled, the villain straightened up once again.

"A shame." Dionysus sighed, turning toward the new voice. "Just as I was educating the new generation... this is not over.” He warned, before the red aura of his enhancement wrapped around a pipe stuck against the wall of the alley and pulled it apart.

Steam burst from the pipes in a torrent, making Luz squeal in alarm and tumble back, landing in the dirty alley with a splash in some unknown alley liquid. The wall was gone. When did it disappear?

The Bard didn't hesitate to respond, but instead of going after Dionysis when the villain suddenly ran the other direction, they grabbed onto the steaming pipe, and pushed it back into place in an impressive show of strength. It didn't stay well, but it was out of the way.

The Bard offered a hand to Luz, one she took in seconds, but still watched where Dionysis had disappeared from, as if he'd make a return any second. “Are you hurt?” They asked seriously. Gone was the mesmerizing voice from earlier, instead this voice was much softer, a single voice with a slight rasp to it that definitely wasn’t there earlier. It was like a switch had been flipped.

At first Luz only nodded, using the offered hand to pull herself up, but once she was fully steady she offered more. “Yeah, I think so?" Though… eyeing her sleeves, she had a feeling her jacket wasn't… gone was the mostly-pristine white sleeves Azura was known for. Instead, now they were mostly a wet, muddy brown, with patches of white where the mystery liquid hadn't hit.

The Bard, however, didn't seem as worried. Instead turning back to Strigiform, who was slowly starting to stir. “You shouldn’t be out here.” They commented next, leaving Luz confused for a moment on who they were talking to.

Any more scoldings were stopped when Strigiform shot up suddenly, looking around frantically with a rattling growl in their chest, yellow eyes filled with alarm and pure rage. Luz took a startled step away, but the Bard was instantly on it.

"Where is he?" Strigiform demanded.

“He got away.” They responded with a sigh, standing up and offering Strigiform a hand. One that was taken without hesitation.

“Fucker had a memory power or something.”

As if summoned by the talk of enhancements, Luz popped out of the alley excitedly, making Strigiform jump back in alarm. “Not a memory enhancement, actually! He used it more like telekinesis so maybe mind powers in general, but definitely not just memory.”

“Wha- and who are you?” Strigiform questioned flatly, before shooting a look at the Bard. “Who is she?”

Really? Just gonna ignore all that huh?

“‘She’ is the one that saved your life.” Luz shot back defensively.

She got an unimpressed look in return. “Sure.”

For the second time in the last few minutes, the Bard sighed again. “No, I’m pretty sure she did.”

Despite the pride and excitement that swelled in Luz’s chest, she shot Strigiform a smug look.

Only for it to be crushed by the Bard speaking up again. "But nearly got herself killed in the process."

Wow.

"Luckily, by that time I had gotten your message and was on the way. I was able to interfere before any true harm could be done."

"For the record, I don't think he would've killed me." Luz defended, stealing the attention of both vigilantes. While one looked purely annoyed by the child's presence, the Bard looked more tired than anything.

For the third time in the last minute, they sighed once again. "You don't know that. Strigiform and I have been hunting him for months. The main reason we've been unsuccessful as long as we have is because of how unpredictable he is. Even if he wasn't going to kill you, if I hadn't approached as stealthily as I had, he could have used you as a hostage. Which would've made the situation much worse than it was already. So don't prance around acting like some sort of savior."

Ah, there was the scolding. Luz ducked her head further and further with each point, biting her cheek until she tasted blood.

So maybe she'd been in danger, but she kept Strigiform alive long enough for the Bard to step in. She wouldn't feel bad for that. But something about the Bard's words had a sting to it that Luz couldn't fight against. It was more than just a sting actually. More like some pressure against her cheeks, like she was about to cry–

Suddenly, it all drained away, leaving Luz confused as to what happened while the Bard sighed for the fourth time– did they have breathing problems or something? – and ran a hand through their short hair. "Where are your parents?" They asked, the question throwing Luz off just enough to completely blank her.

"Uh–" was all she managed.

Strigiform snorted in amusement. "No one would let their kid out this late. You snuck out, didn't you?" Luz didn't even honor the bird lady with a proper response, but that seemed to be answer enough when she burst out into a cackling laugh that quickly devolved into a coughing fit. Something Luz took immense pleasure in.

Serves her right for laughing.

The Bard simply shook their head, sucking in a slow breath then speaking up. "Right. I'm taking you home." They said to Luz, much to the girl's displeasure, before turning to the other vigilante who was already recovering from her coughing fit. "Can you head to the hideout? Lil–" They freeze, shooting an unreadable look to Luz before correcting to "– Voidwalker should be there already."

Strigiform glared slightly, opening her mouth to complain only to fall into another bout of coughing and only muttering a quick "Fine, I'll go. But not because I want to." Before taking off in a burst of air.

Luz and the Bard both watched her disappear over the crowded buildings of Southside's skyline before the vigilante was looking at Luz once again.

"So where do you live?"

By the time they walked into the apartment building Luz called home, she'd gone quiet. At first, she'd tried asking the Bard a ton of questions, but they only responded to a few of them with one or two word answers and nothing more. Something that seemed entirely off from what Luz had heard from other people who'd met them. But she could practically hear the exhaustion and frustration that rolled off them in waves so maybe now was not the time.

Still, the Bard didn't say anything outright mean, and let Luz hide behind them when they knocked on the door to Luz's apartment with no comment.

It opened immediately, and judging by how Camila looked more relieved than surprised to see a vigilante at the door, Luz knew her goose had been cooked awhile ago.

Not long enough for Camila to get dressed out of her pajamas, but enough to have her glasses on and her hair up.

The Bard offered a gentle smile and a nod. "I'm sorry for bothering you at this hour," They started, before pulling the ultamate betrayal and stepping out of the way to fully reveal Luz in all her glory. Luz gawked at the vigilante but they only continued as if nothing happened. "But your daughter was caught in a fight between another vigilante and a criminal. I've already made sure she's fine but–"

"Again?" Camila asked, shooting a concerned look at Luz, who grimaced in preparation for the grounding and scolding she was about to get.

The Bard only stood frozen in surprise, before looking at Luz with confusion. "Again?" They question. "Has this happened before?"

Luz nodded solemnly, while Camila only offered an embarrassed smile.

"Almost weekly."

"Ah– I see." Despite the troubled look now stirring in the vigilante's eyes, they still managed a polite smile, before asking lightly "Would you mind if I spoke to your daughter for just one more second?" They asked, then pulled Luz to the mouth of the hallway the moment Camila nodded.

Luz couldn't help the excitement eating at her chest, even when challenged by the dead serious look on the Bard's face. "You have a good heart." They started. "But you can't keep doing this. You'll get killed."

Luz snorted, but any retort was silenced by the Bard gripping her shoulders and continuing with an even more firm tone than before.

"I don't care what you think happened tonight, you got too close. Do you want your mother to wake up to her kid being dead in the morning?"

Luz… honestly didn't have anything to say. She hadn't thought of that. She didn't want to think of that–

That pressure from earlier was back, the same one that had almost made Luz cry earlier. She'd never felt it before, either. And she didn't want to cry. "But I still want to help you guys." She reasoned defensively, pushing against that sad pressure.

The Bard's lips formed a fine line, and they eyed her with a new consideration, before pressing her shoulders down more. "If you want to help us, you'll stay out of trouble."

Finally, they let go, and retreated into the stairwell with nothing more to say. Luz watched them go with a frown, but the pressure was gone once again.

Stay out of trouble… she could do that, couldn't she?

Well, that didn't work out too well, did it?

Luz sucked in a sharp breath, trying to will away the stinging in her arm. She eyed the source of that pain wearily, a clean cut right above her wrist, just barely missing that main vein. Blood was already beginning to seep from the thin sliver of skin, but Luz heaved a sigh of relief when nothing more seemed to happen.

You could never be too sure, not last week Luz went up against some poison guy. She nearly died, but those were the risks one took as a vigilante on the streets of Southside Latissa. .

“So you’ve just got knives for arms then?” She asked, looking up from her wrist now to refocus on her opponent: A blonde woman with cold, blue eyes and- as Luz had stated previously- knives for arms. Technically Luz had another opponent, a redheaded man with his hair tied into a low ponytail standing a few steps behind knife-arms. But, Redhead hadn’t attacked yet, and was clutching a suitcase very tightly to his chest so Luz was less worried.

No, she had enough to deal with in knife-arms.

As if hearing Luz’s inner commentary, Knife-arms sprang into action once again, stepping right into Luz’s space with a downward stroke meant to turn Luz into a walking cutting board, except Luz was ready this time. She freed the bat clipped to her belt, lifting it over her head to block the swords, but the power was more than she expected.

She faltered, stumbling back slightly, but Knife-arms was caught in the clash, and for a second Luz could breathe some. Until the blonde retreated one step, pulling her arms away from Luz’s bat, and immediately came back in a frenzy.

Luz barely blocked the flurry of attacks, taking a single slice just between the goggles protecting her eyes, and the gas mask hiding her face. It was pure luck when she flinched and moved in just the right way to lock Knife-arms another bind instead. This time, instead of waiting for her opponent to move first, Luz dropped her arms and released the bind without warning. It was a stupid plan, as any would be if made in a split second, but it was hers and she would defend it.

She braced for the pain of what was to come, while swinging her bat blindly in the general direction of Knife-arm’s head and praying this worked.

Pain lit up Luz’s chest, slicing right through the purple hoodie she wore for these activities. The teen couldn’t help but cry out, but just as her chest screamed in agony, Luz heard a resounding CLANG, and felt the vibration of her bat hitting something buzz through her arm. Knife-arms dropped right in front of her, immediately knocked out by the force. Luz pressed a hand to her chest, wincing when the sting returned full force the moment her hand made contact with the poor skin. How sharp were those swords, damn..

Luckily, Luz’s hoodie and shirt weren’t in tatters, but there was now a very obvious X in the center of Luz’s chest… wonderful.

But she wasn’t done yet.

She yelped as a ball of fire shot past her shoulder, barely jumping out of the way in time to watch it hit the wall at the back of the alley. Instantly, her attention was aimed at the redhead, no longer carrying the suitcase, now both his hands held fire in them, and he looked about ready to shoot.

Oh fuck-

As the fire came toward her, Luz yelped and ducked behind a dumpster sitting innocently to her left, flinching when the fireballs hit the dumpster instead with a thud. Some hard fireballs, weren’t they?

Couldn't even be original with that enhancement, huh? Fire? At least Knife-arms was more complicated than just FLAME ON guy over there–!

Okay, okay what to do? There was a window above the dumpster she could reach if she jumped, it was already open and somewhat safe since she saw Knife-arms and Redhead jump out of it. But if she was too slow– which she would be with how her chest protested doing so much as breathing– she’d just get sniped. Plus what would she even do if she got up there?

Another bang as a fireball hit the dumpster again, already the heat was spreading through the rest of the metal.

She had to get up close to him so she could use her bat, but he was clearly keen on keeping range, so she'd either have to unlock some really cool secret ninja skills from somewhere and dodge, or she'd have to bait him somehow.

Another fireball. This one barely missed the side of the dumpster. Luz heard a scoff, followed by a crunch of gravel.

"Wow, did blondie have all the braincells between you two?" Luz questioned, peeking her head out from behind the dumpster just enough to see him standing a good five feet from her, before narrowly dodging another blast aimed for her face.

She sucked in a sharp breath, hiding back behind her savior of a trash receptical and continuing.

"Must've. That's, what, your fifth fireball? And you still haven't tried a different tactic?"

Redhead growled, launching another volley that hit the dumpster much louder that time, but it seemed the taunting was working when he yelled back a frustrated "Shut up!"

Another couple crunched of gravel. Luz didn't peek out, but readjusted her grip on her bat, and taunted again. "Come and make me!" She then stuck her hand out, flipped him off, then yelped when a fire flew right past her hand, tucking said hand close to her chest once again.

More footsteps. She could practically hear Redhead's huffing and puffing now as he took the bait–

There!

Without warning, Luz popped out from her cover, swinging the bat wildly. Instead of hitting her target, however, it landed right onto her opponent's hand, and Luz was yanked forward harshly.

In a split second, Redhead had grabbed her by the shoulder with his free hand, holding Luz in an unrelenting, burning grip.

Luz struggled to pull away, only to gasp in pain when the hand suddenly lit up with fire.

The flame traveled up her shoulder, to the left side of her neck, just under her jaw. She couldn't help but scream, jolting and jerking harder to get away as it burned even hotter.

Redhead chuckled darkly, leaning forward to say something Luz didn't hear, but it was perfectly timed for one of Luz's thrashes. She slammed her head forward, knocking against his harshly, and making both of them wince. But the damage was done, and Luz pulled her bat free once again.

She swung while he was still recovering, knocking him on the head roughly, but he didn't fall like Knife-arms had. Instead, he took multiple steps back, eyeing her with a newfound wariness, before summoning a big ball of fire between his hands. About the size of Luz's head.

Then Luz panicked and did what was, perhaps, the stupidest thing known to man: She screamed, and threw her bat at him.

Luz held her breath as it spun graciously through the air. Redhead's eyes grew wide in panic, and he moved to dodge–

THUNK

The bat hit its mark, nailing Redhead square in the forehead and knocking him down. The fireball in his hands dissipated immediately, and Luz released a sigh of relief. Thank the stars..

She stepped forward to finish the job since he was still awake somehow, just dazed, but a sudden pain rammed into her side.

Luz winced, turning to search for her new attacker, only to come face-to-face with knife-arms once again. Gone were the knife arms, and instead in two very shaky hands she held a crowbar.

A crowbar .

"SERIOUSLY?!" Luz shouted. Of all the things, a fucking crowbar? Where'd she even get it??

Knife-arms took a step back, but it was too late, Luz reached down and snatched the makeshift weapon out of the blonde's hands and slammed it down on the woman's head once again.

As soon as soon as Knife-arms was down, Luz whipped her attention back to Redhead, throwing the crowbar at him next. It hit with a resounding CLANG, and Redhead fell back down with a groan.

Now, Luz should probably be worried about if either of them have a concussion after all of that, but honestly she didn't. That's what they got for stealing shit. What was so important about some stupid suitcase anyway?

The adrenaline of the fight was already starting to fade, Luz stumbled forward while heaving for breaths that were starting to come a lot harder.

She wasn't done yet, though.

No, because now came the unspoken part of being a vigilante: Making sure these assholes actually got arrested.

Fishing out the zipties from her cargo pants, Luz dragged her feet forward, and grabbed the back of Redhead's collar, grunting when the dead weight resisted her pull strength.

Damn weak nerd arms!

It took too damn long for Luz to drag the two burglars to the nearest lamp post and tie them up there, but once it was done she heaved out a sigh, and went for the suitcase.

Wiuuup

Luz bit back a scream when she heard the single siren, turning slowly to the mouth of the alley once again, only to find a police car slowly pulling up.

Of fucking course. Why would anything be easy for Luz anyway?

The officer didn't leave his vehicle just yet, instead he just looked between the unconscious thieves and Luz, before sighing.

"You know vigilantism is a class B felony, right?" He asked tiredly, which Luz felt on an emotional level, but still Luz couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Yeah, and two class C felonies should count as a class A." She gestured wildly to the pair of assholes tied up, before hooking her bat back to her belt, adjusting her grip on the suitcase, and preparing to run.

Stepping out of his car, the cop snorted in disbelief and reached for his cuffs. "Wish that was how it worked. Sorry ma'am, but you're under arr–"

And just like that, Luz bolted. Back to the alley, she scrambled on top of the dumpster, ignoring the cop's alarmed shout to throw the suitcase up into the open window.

She saw a flash of blue movement to her right, and jumped without thinking. As soon as she got a grip on the window's edge, she pulled herself up and through, landing with a roll on stupid soft carpet.

She was greeted with an office– a fine one at that– with fancy bookshelves and a nice desk a few inches from where she stopped. That would've sucked to run into, huh?

She let herself breathe and catch her breath, setting the suitcase on the desk gingerly while listening for any hints of the cop following. Instead of hearing the bang of something heavy hitting a dumpster lid, she relaxed when a car door slammed, and nearly collapsed in the chair in relief.

Well that was… a lot.

Luz's wounds were starting to become more insistent, much to the vigilante's displeasure. Right, she had to get home. That wouldn't be too hard, right? Just a burn on her neck and shoulder, probably some sort of bruised or cracked rib… and the cuts. She'd be fine.

Probably.

She pushed herself up slowly, whimpering when the hoodie rubbed against her neck, and stumbled forward a few steps just to see what would happen.

Thank the stars her legs weren't hurt at all.

She left the suitcase in the office, slipping through the door and heading down stairs at a snail's pace, both unsure of any security systems and because shit fucking hurt.

This was the DaisyChain building, right? Luz never knew what was in here, but she knew what was behind it…

She probed the halls downstairs, checking every door carefully to confirm her suspicions, then stopping in her tracks upon seeing a large, iron door in the very back.

Called it.

She didn't hesitate to unlock it, throwing it open and stepping out with a big breath of fresh air when it led right into a narrow alley. This one was different than the one Luz had just escaped from though. Really, it was less an alley and more a maze with how the buildings were all strangely laid out around it. There were multiple turns and pockets with only one way back to the main streets, making it perfect for crime.

Luz shut the iron door behind her with a click, stepping further into the alley pocket, only to freeze when she heard a whimper to her right.

Staring at her from the corner closest to her were two people, one girl with her back to a wall and a hand clapped over her mouth, and one guy leaning against the girl, with a gun to her head.

Why couldn't Luz get a break tonight?!

In seconds, the man had turned toward Luz, moving to aim right at her, yelling "Can I fucking help y-"

He was silenced by Luz throwing her bat at him, making him crumple in a useless pile of limbs. The gun dropped to the floor harmlessly right next to him, apparently the damn thing didn't have bullets away.

Huh, two for two on the bat throwing. She should really start doing that moee often.

The woman squeaked in surprise, remaining frozen as Luz picked her bat back up.

"Are you okay?" The vigilante prompted. "He didn't hurt you at all, did he?"

The question seemed to startle the girl out of her stupor enough for her to shake her head. "Uh– no. I-I'm fine. Thank you for the help."

You see, that was much better than whatever the fuck that officer had going on. Despite everything Luz had gone through tonight, she couldn't help the smile that formed as she nodded back. "It's no big deal."

It was. Luz would never get over the little things like getting thanked. Hell, it was part of why she kept coming back. The cops certaintly didn't help her resolve after all.

"Mind if I walked you home?" Luz offered lightly, nudging the guy with her foot to ensure he was really out just in case. Really, she shouldn't even offer considering how bad walking in general felt right now, but she couldn't fight the urge to help others.

The girl hesitated, before shaking her head. "I should be good, thank you." She began walking away, only to stop mid step and look around momentarily. She turned back to Luz with embarrassment, adding "Um– you don't happen to know the way out of here, do you?"

Matter of fact, Luz did!

She took the lead without a word, turning a corner easily while asking "Why were you in the Maze in the first place?" It was mainly a distraction from her pain but whatever.

Luckily, the girl was willing to indulge Luz's curiosity. "It's kind of embarrassing actually… that guy was following me, and I got nervous, so I turned into an alley. And… got lost."

Oh. Wow.

"Oh, shut up. I know it was dumb I just…"

"Panicked?" Luz prompted, getting a nod in response. "Yeah, that'll happen." Luz agreed, turning another corner swiftly.

They were nearly there luckily. The Maze was deep, but the DaisyChain entrance wasn't too far in.

"So why are you out this late?"

For a moment, Luz didn't think the girl would answer, not like Luz could judge. She had every right to be cautious, especially while talking to a masked person carrying a bat. And yet… "I clean offices for a living. One took longer than I thought so I got caught in this mess."

Makes sense.

"You're new, aren't you?" Luz stopped in her tracks, looking at the girl with confusion and a bit of offense at the question. Not that she'd sounded condescending, but Luz was definitely not new.

"I've been in southside for six years. So, no."

Despite the defensiveness in her voice, the girl only spared a laugh. "I meant as a vigilante. Don't get me wrong, the throw earlier was impressive but–" Though Luz’s back was turned to the girl, she could feel those green eyes staring at her neck. The burn wasn't exactly hard to miss with half the hoodie being charred.

"I'm not new."

She received a disbelieving huff in return. "Then how long have you been a vigilante for?"

Luz hesitated to answer.

Okay so maybe she was slightly newer, but a month was still much better than a week. Not that she'd say that. Instead, they turned one last corner and Luz sighed in relief when she caught sight of the road. "Oh, would you look at that we're here." She said instead, breaching the barrier between alley and street whilst thanking the stars for her luck.

Except this was Luz Noceda, who had no luck.

Wup wup

The vigilante shot a hefty glare to the source of the sound, watching as the same police car from earlier pulled up.

"Well, that's my cue to go." She told the girl, taking a step back, and scanning the first fork of the Maze looking for a plan as the car ground to a halt in front of them.

"Don't you dare–" Captain fuckface started, slamming his door open, but Luz was already springing into action.

Instead of dipping into the alley again, she darted towards a metal drain pipe to her right, scurrying up just enough to step onto a cute pink awning sitting innocently over the doors to a bakery Luz quite enjoyed.

Both the cop and the girl rushed forward, though while the cop tried to give chase, the girl only yelled after Luz "Do you even have a name?!"

Luz laughed, climbing onto the top of the quaint bakery. "Nope! I'm just some kid trying to stay out of trouble!"

With that, she gave a mock salute to Officer Dipshit, before jumping into another alley behind the bakery, and disappearing from both witnesses' sights.

[folktotech]

A Case of You by Joni Mitchell is one of the best songs ever written.

It is the best love song ever written. Mitchell perfectly encapsulates what it is like to know that love is fizzling out, taking the rose colored glasses off and putting them back on when it is appropriate. It demonstrates how the concept of "falling" in love can be so dangerous, as stated so eloquently in the book All About Love by the late Bell Hooks. You must have critical thinking skills, which includes knowing when to let go instead of falling into the abyss of love. "A Case of You" is an homage to her hometown, her past lover(s?), and her own strength and power. "If you want me I'll be in the bar." Come on. What a badass thing and a CORRECT thing to say to a man who describes himself as "constant" when you know this relationship is splitting apart at the seams. You can't save this now. I'm going to the bar.

How bittersweet it is to love. "You're in my blood like holy wine, you taste so bitter and so sweet." Has anyone ever demonstrated the Starbucks-coffee-when-they-make-your-drink-wrong feeling that is love so perfectly?

"I could drink a case of you and still be on my feet." Oh how similar love is to drugs. Oh how we love to compare the two. Mitchell could drink a whole case, never get enough, and still take the rose-colored glasses off. That takes a strong, strong person. The self-awareness and relatability that Joni emits through a stripped back accompaniment, speech like and soaring vocals, and lyrics that read like beautiful prose make this the best love song ever written.

The progression of the song through the years and the way Mitchell performs it as she ages adds another layer of beauty to this piece. It gets vocally deeper and more reflective as she ages. It has longevity and the ability for other singers to make it completely their own. (See Prince's sensual and aching rendition and James Blake's reflective, sputtered out, conversational cover.)

I love Joni Mitchell. She is forever an inspiration and a core member of any true folkie's musical treasure trove.

Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift is one of the worst songs ever written.

"It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me." And I honestly agree. Or whoever made her release this silly song.

I am not a big fan of Taylor Swift, but I can appreciate her artistry in a multitude of ways. Objectively, she's pretty good. Subjectively, I hate the quality of her voice and think her lyricism is sub-par and surface level. Her lyrics have matured since the start of her career, but when we start at cheerleading and Romeo and Juliet there is only so far we can go.

The most horrifying lyric is: "Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby and I'm a monster on the hill." How is Taylor Swift going to write the album Folklore, then give her fans THIS. She could have said how huge she feels compared to other people in so many ways that didn't sound stupid. Taylor Swift and I are both 5'11", so I really do understand the struggle of feeling like a monster on the hill while everybody is a... sexy baby... I guess. The difference is, Taylor Swift is a rail thin blonde woman with a model build, weighing 100 pounds less than me. She also steps on a scale that turns to the word "FAT" rather than a number in the music video, at least in the original. She edited that part out after some well-deserved criticism.

I genuinely didn't know if this song was supposed to be deep and personal or comedic or a mix of both before I looked it up. Somehow, the balance is off no matter the answer. I remember laughing in utter shock and confusion when the music video and song were released. I did some research and she describes the song as being pretty candid and personal... so I don't think it's supposed to be funny. Dramatic, maybe, but not funny.

The weird owl-cityesque instrumental break around 2:15 just does not match the mood of the song at all and sticks out like a sore thumb. I also hate the weird percussion/clapping sound that appears several times throughout this song.

"It's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me." is a catchy little pop lyric, but Taylor Swift is not really the problem. Having insecurities and lacking wisdom does not make you the problem, it just means you have a lot of first world problems and normal human emotions. I don't think "everybody agrees" at "tea time" and I don't think anyone really cares, unless they also think that disliking yourself and being kind of annoying and a little bit of a closeted narcissist is some really deep and relatable inner turmoil.

It is really not that deep.

I could probably say a million other negative things about this song, but I feel like you kinda get the point.

[milliedazzledust]

If A Look Could Kill (Bucky Barnes imagine)

Words: 1429 words

A/N: this is literally a blurb from a scene in the 2nd episode of fatws when they're all in the car after they fought the supersoldiers

They had been in the same car for no more than ten minutes and Y/N was already holding herself back from punching the smug smile on the man pretending to be Captain America. Both fake heroes had showed up in the middle of their fight, throwing around Steve’s shield, acting like the world owed them anything.

Earlier that day, inside the comfort of the apartment she shared with Bucky, she had watched the cocky man parading in front of cameras, standing in a stadium. She had heard him talk about Steve like he knew him, like he had fought along side with him. And when he had compared Steve to a brother, when she had seen the look of hurt and betrayal on Bucky’s face, her heart had shattered.

She knew that sometimes grief could come like a runaway truck, that despite seeing it careening down the highway, we might not have enough time to get out of its way. And she had seen it that morning, that grief smashing Bucky right in the face when he had least expected it. She didn’t know the man the government had chosen to replace the Captain, but she already hated him for causing her lover pain.

"If you guys joined us we could …" The man pretending to be in charge started as the military vehicle was moving.

"No." Bucky hostly cut him.

There wasn’t a lot of space between the five of them. She had been forced to sit next to the man with the shield while her friends were in front of her.

The tension was almost palpable. Sam had his arms crossed and his lips pursed and Bucky was visibly clenching his jaw. Their patience was hanging by a thread and only she seemed to have notice.

Ignoring the conversation they were having, she exchanged a knowing look with her boyfriend. He had a short temper and habits he had picked up from his alter-ego that could potentially get him to explode. Judging by the side glances Sam kept giving him, she guessed she wasn’t the only one worried.

"What do you say, Y/N ?" She heard the man sitting next to her talk.

Unwillingly, she turned around to look at him.

"What was that ?" She asked him.

His smirk alone was enough to make her roll her eyes.

"We could use a … woman like you" He told her suggestively. She didn’t miss the way he looked her up and down, neither did Bucky.

"A woman like me ?" She repeated, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, you’ve got potential, babe. So what do you say ?" He said in a seductive voice. "Interested in joining us ?"

A quick glance at her boyfriend was enough for her to tense when she saw him going from annoyed to seriously pissed off. He was scowling at the man with all his old ferocity, looking everything like the assassin he had once been.

"Does he always stare like that ?" Battlestar inquired, nodding toward Bucky.

"You do know your friend is disrespecting Y/N in front of her boyfriend who also happens to be one of the most prolific assassin on this planet, right ?" Sam ironically told him.

The woman narrowed her eyes at the man sitting next to her, irritated by his behavior.

"At what point did you decide we were close enough for you to refer to me as ‘babe’ ? Because I think I missed the memo between the need to punch your face and the craving to shove your ego up your ass"

Bucky’s chest swelled with pride at her comeback and he sniggered. He knew she was a strong woman and had always loved that feisty side of her. She was fire and he was ice, a perfect combinaison yet dangerous association. Even Sam seemed pleased when he noticed Walker growing uncomfortable next to her.

"Look, we know you don’t like us" The other soldier known as Battlestar answered.

"That’s an understatement" Sam muttered under his breath.

"We’re on the same team here" Walker added.

"No, we’re not" Bucky glared at him.

The soldier with the shield sighed. He pursed his lips, thinking for a moment before glancing at the men in front of him.

"I’m not trying to replace anyone" He started to explain.

"You couldn’t if you tried" Y/N mocked him.

"My point is, I know I’m not Steve and I’m not trying to be. But I am Captain America"

"Like hell you are" Bucky scornfully stated.

"It takes a lot more than knowing how to throw a shield to become a superhero" Sam reminded him.

"I am what the world need right now" He insisted.

"What the world want. Big difference" Sam continued.

"You were getting your ass kicked back there" Battlestar told them, helping his friend’s case. "We saved you"

"Should we say thank you ?" Y/N ironically threw at them.

"This isn’t up to you. Why are we even arguing about that ?" Walker was getting annoyed.

"Because you’re not even half the man Steve was yet you keep parading like a clown pretending to be someone you’re not" Bucky aggressively spoke with a cold voice. "You don’t get to mention his name, Walker, not when you’re destroying all he’s ever work for"

"Bucky…" Sam called him with a cautious tone, trying to get him to calm down.

The former assassin shut his mouth, refraining himself from saying anything more.

"Obviously there’s some issues you still need to work on" Walker spoke with a grin on his face. "But my offer still stands. We’d work better together"

"Keep on dreaming" Y/N expressed, rolling her eyes.

"If we’re being honest here, the only thing I dream about is you out of that suit" He forcefully flirted, looking down at her superhero outfit

She cringed at his useless attempt of seduction and missed the way Bucky’s expression turned dark in the split of a second. He clenched his jaw so hard his veins were visibly noticeable and his blue eyes were boring into Walker. If a simple stare could kill, he’d already be dead. He looked as menacing as can be with that hostile glare and his anger was reflecting itself through the way his muscles were bulging, ready to attack.

"Don’t do anything stupid" Sam warned him when he realized the man’s patience was running low.

Bucky growled and before any of them could react, the super soldier watched his newfound nemesis casually placing his hand on his girlfriend’s thigh. His entire body tensed and his blood ran cold.

"If you don’t take your hands off me in the next two seconds, you’re gonna lose both of them, Walker" Y/N threatened him.

"I’d take her word, Captain, ‘cause you’re about to be eaten alive" Sam advised him.

The soldier dismissed him and laughed, which only seemed to anger the woman and her boyfriend.

It all happened too fast for anyone to react. Just as Y/N was about to assault the man, Bucky decided to let his rage speak for himself and reached for Walker’s hand, twisting his fingers. He could almost feel the bones on the verge of breaking and his skin had started to turn red as the former assassin applied more pressure. The soldier grunted loudly in pain, trying to release himself from the tightening grip.

"Stop the car !" Bucky shouted.

The vehicle slowed down and he menacingly leaned toward Walker.

"If you so much as glance at her again, I will rip you to pieces"

Maybe it was the tone in his voice, or the serious promise of death he could see in his eyes, but the soldier bit back the lump in his throat, unable to answer. He looked terrified.

"Told you" Sam shrugged as Bucky released the man.

They both stepped out of the car, waiting for Y/N. The woman, still angry, turned to stare at the soldiers in blue and red.

"One more thing" She tilted her head.

Without notice, her fist collided with John Walker's jaw. The loud impact with his face was enough to almost knock him out and she smiled. Pleased with herself, she got up and followed her friends.

"Was that really necessary ?" Sam joked and they started walking.

"Oh c’mon, you know you’ve been dying to punch the guy" She smirked.

Bucky placed his human arm around her shoulders and a sweet kiss on the side of her forehead, secretly satisfied.