#there is nothing wrong with people that were brought in to be plot devices for a bigger arc

[lemotmo]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Oh my god that's TRUE 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Q. You didn't mention Tommy in your ridiculous plots post. Does that mean you admit his storyline was good?

A. The storyline was Buck coming out as bisexual. That is absolutely a worthy and beautiful storyline. I didn't mention Tommy because he didn't have enough screentime to warrant a mention. That's why he's called a plot point. He is a minor point in a larger story. Norman, Lola and the cartel all had more screentime than he did last season. And I'm pretty sure Doug's screentime matched or surpassed him with just one episode. PLOT POINT. Oh and they all had significantly more dialogue. PLOT POINT.

Thanks Nonny!

Yeah, I don't know why we're still here debating the fact of whether or not Tommy is a plot point, because he so obviously is. I don't understand how people are still questioning this? It's right there for everyone to see!

Tommy doesn't get his own plot. He is merely a part of a greater Buck arc. Buck realising he was bisexual was an important step for him and Tommy helped him in that. But the moment his part in Buck's storyline will end, he will be gone. It's as simple as that.

This doesn't mean that people aren't allowed to like him or ship him with Buck. By all means, ship away if it makes you happy. Lord knows that I've shipped my fair share of minor couples that never turned out to be endgame, so I understand the appeal. But they need to keep in mind that he is only there to play his part in Buck's story and then he will be gone.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

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If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[saijspellhart]

Sokka’s sexism was not an important growing point for his character - an Essay

I’ve seen all the discourse online about people up in arms about the toning back of Sokka’s sexism in the Netflix ATLA. (Almost everyone I have spoken to have brought it up as a reason to hate the Netflix ATLA) I think that anger is knee jerk, and misguided. It never mattered WHAT the Netflix adaptation was changing, people were always going to be angry about it. They could have announced Momo is a girl now, and people would have raged. Momo being a girl would have changed NOTHING about the series, but people would have been outraged.

Just like I believe Sokka being sexist or not being sexist really changes nothing in the scope of the story, themes, and is not the character growth people claim it to be. Hear me out. Let’s break it down and think about it in terms of themes and character development and how it affects the entire plot.

Sokka is introduced as being cartoonishly sexist in the very first episode of ATLA. As a device simply to make Katara rage. He keeps this trait for a grand total of 3 episodes until episode four when a girl whoops his ass and his sexism is cured forever onward. In the span of a 30 minute episode Sokka’s sexism was given a what for and through that he was transformed into a better man?

Imagine if Zuko’s mental and emotional journey had been solved in a 30 min episode, and wasn’t a lessen he had to repeatedly fail and try and fail and try time and time again. Imagine if Katara’s waterbending journey, or obnoxious controlling nature was just solved in a 30 min episode and not something she struggled with and fought for the entire series.

But let’s say his sexism is super important as everyone claims. Let’s explore it.

When is it challenged ever again in the entire series?

When Sokka leads the invasion on the Fire Nation, there aren’t a bunch of women in that army. He leads an army of men.

When Sokka needs to find a sword master to teach him the art of sword play, it’s a man. He never needed to overcome sexism to accept a non-traditional master.

Nearly all women, sans Toph and Katara, that have any long lasting influential moments in Sokka’s character development are women he has a romance with. Woman whose motivations and agency rely on a man.

The Kyoshi warriors that kicked his ass? What of them? Sokka has to rescue Suki from prison. It’s not tackling some gender equality issue. Suki is a woman in distress and Sokka is the man who comes to rescue her. (Cute and romantic, but hardly tackling a gender cliche.)

Do the Kyoshi warriors ever engage in any actual battle that matters to the plot and win? Not really. Instead the important role of the Kyoshi warriors is to be nurturing to Appa while he’s lost. A traditionally female role. And to provide a way for Azula to overtake Bah Sing Sei. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the girls, but the show never again utilized them in a way that challenged sexism.)

Sokka didn’t need to overcome sexism to respect Azula. Azula commanded and earned all the respect she needed. Sokka didn’t need to overcome sexism to respect Toph. Toph earned his respect by kicking the ass of everyone around him.

At no point in the rest of ATLA was Sokka’s sexism ever challenged after episode 4. It never helped him become a better leader because he never had to lead women whose respect he needed to earn. It never helped him develop his warrior skills. It didn’t affect the plot and his growth as a character any farther than getting a hilarious butt whooping in the fourth episode.

Sokka overcoming sexism wasn’t well written, it was a GAG. A goof. Ha ha funny, man got his butt beat by women and was forever cured.

If we really think about it seriously, as character growth, people who have had sexism so rooted into their beliefs don’t just overcome it because one woman broke the status quo and kicked their ass. That’s lazy writing. It was lazy in the cartoon and it would have been extra lazy in a show that had even less time to explore the issue.

Sexism, if they REALLY wanted to tackle it as a serious issue, should have been a problem Sokka had to challenge several times, and have his preconceived notions proven wrong and dismantled. It should have made him a better leader, or a more respectful fighter.

Instead it’s treated like a joke.

The Netflix ATLA decided to tone it back with Sokka, because from a writing standpoint it made more sense thematically for Katara to challenge sexism with the Northernn water tribe. They didn’t have the time or the budget to poorly tackle the issue of sexism twice, so they focused tackling the issue where it mattered to the plot and where it mattered to KATARA’s character journey more.

I’m tired of people screaming how much they loved his sexism and how the Netflix adaptation is rotten without his sexism. It’s not a lack of media literacy that it was cut. It was media literacy that led to it being cut. A writer recognized when the message was important and when it wasn’t.

That’s all I got to say. You don’t have to agree with me. But these were my thoughts on the matter.

[doetic]

There's Doodles of Rams in the Margins - Enemies to lovers!Jschlatt x F!Reader (pt.2)

Masterlist

Plot: Anxiety threatens to ruin Y/n's morning after the disaster of the night she had before. Despite this she pushes on, but her hopes of having a good day is ruined when she finds Schlatt's usual asshole self in her kitchen. Warnings: asshole schlatt, swearing, reader eats eggs. Word Count: 2048

A/n: Shorter than I'd like it to be, but it just felt like a good place to end it. Again, no beta. If there's an error that's just me being all wack in a cool literary way like hemingway

The next morning began significantly better than the night before it. You woke up well rested, your soreness washed away into a dull ache that only made itself known if you stretched your body too hard. For the duration of your morning routine, you didn’t find yourself thinking much about the party at all. In a way, it was as if the sun had washed away what had occurred last night. Every time your brain dredged it up, you reasoned with yourself that it wasn’t as if you’d see much of  Schlatt again anyways, so there wasn’t much point of dwelling on the matter. 

Regardless of your good mood, however, you delayed opening your phone, feeling a pit in your stomach every time you thought of waking up the black sleeping screen to see if anything had gotten out about the incident. Though, from the lack of notifications coming from the device, you felt a little optimistic of Ted’s pull within the group of people that were there to witness it. You distracted yourself from the device by getting dressed, not yet wanting to discard your fairly good mood by giving into the temptation to unlock your phone. Even the sight of it sent a jolt of anxiety through your body. Instead, you opted to occupy your thoughts by getting dressed. You needed to go out and grab toothpaste anyways, and you’ve spent far too much money on clothes – as an immigrant to the U.S, you found yourself falling victim to the enticingly luxurious L.A lifestyle quite often – to go out in just athleisure. 

The smell of eggs wafting from the kitchen had you instantly on guard. Shae made you eggs usually as a way to butter you up before breaking something big. When Shae would serve you a plate, she would often wait for you to get about halfway into the dish before breaking whatever news she had stored in her mouth to you with an apologetic wince, as if each forkful you lifted to  your mouth were seconds counting down on a clock.

You hoped it was nothing too bad, today was the day you were to sift through the new roommates Shae had found to replace her. She was the reason you moved to L.A, to live with your lifelong pen-pal best friend, and thought it unfair that her moving in with Ted would uproot your newly settled life unless she found someone to cover her half of the rent. The Ted part was a surprise to you when she brought up the matter at lunch yesterday – you had thought she was just always over at a hookup’s place rather than a man she was intending to get serious with – but otherwise the day had been both anxiously and excitingly looming over you. You knew Shae wouldn’t do you wrong, certainly you’d become fast friends with the new addition to the apartment, something you looked forward to with your current counter of friends in the area adding up to a whopping one.

You tried not to let the feeling of impending doom that prickled at your every nerve bring you down from the good mood you woke up in – a good mood that seemed increasingly fragile as the day carried on. You intended to move into the open kitchen and living room space with a sense of purpose, though you felt sure your tentative curiosity was evident in your gait. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Your words escaped your mouth faster than your eyes could process the sight before them. Seated at your kitchen island, with a haggard, hungover expression, was Schlatt. Beside him was Ted, who paused his conversation with his friend to look back and forth between you and Shae – her anxious form positioned at the stove with a guilty smile – with worry. 

The sight before you was like ice water being poured upon your warm, happy body. Although you were not physically shaking, the anger that vibrated within your form was akin to violent shivering. 

“Quiet down toots, m’head hurts,” There was the nickname again, emerging from his throat like a groan. If he were less infuriating, perhaps, it would have made your heart skip a beat. However the attractive man’s attitude far outweighed his appearance. 

“I…made eggs?” Shae gave you a nervous grin.

You narrowed your eyes at the group and ignored the only open seat at the island beside Schlatt, opting to walk over and lean against the side of the island countertop. 

“Ted, why do you look like a kid in trouble?” His guilty eyes darted away from your face. From his expression, it seemed as if pressing for an answer from him would be faster than waiting for Shae’s likely roundabout explanation. “What’s going on?”

Ted opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by Schlatt, whose eyes squinted in pain at the sight of the window behind you. “I’m your new roomie, surprise.” His voice was harsh towards you, but turned more polite as he addressed Shae. “Can I have some more eggs, please?”

“Shae don’t you dare give him my apology eggs,” You narrowed your eyes. She instead plated the eggs that were in the pan and slid them, along with a fork, across the counter your way. “Is he being for real?” 

Shae waited in tense silence for half of the egg to be eaten – as was custom, although with the small size of the egg and your morning hunger it took less time than usual – before she replied.

“I planned it before you two met, and it's too late to change it up now. Finding someone decent this late wouldn’t be easy, if possible,” She explained. Although she seemed like she didn’t care too much about the matter, it was apparent to you, having known her for so long, that she wasn’t too enthused about the situation either and was putting on a polite facade around Schlatt. 

“I’m right here,” Schlatt spoke up. “Like I’m currently in the room as you speak about me.”

“Oh don’t worry, Schlatt. I’m all too aware of your presence,”  You verbally jabbed at him in between forkfuls.

He let out a sardonic laugh, “Obsessive much?” 

You conjured up a daydream of diving across the table and shaking Schlatt violently. 

Ted – who had seemed like little more than Shae’s ornamentally passive malewife in every prior interaction involving Schlatt’s douchebaggery – interrupted your thoughts and for once spoke up before a glare from his girlfriend was sent his way. His face was painted with a sense of confusion and annoyance at his friend's behaviour. Was Schlatt not usually this stuck up? You felt even more annoyed at the notion that he was just this prideful around you specifically, you hadn’t done anything to him! 

“Shut up, man. Let’s get a head start on moving Shae’s boxes,” Ted’s words seemed to shock Schlatt a bit, and you had to respect Ted a bit for it – although you believed you’d always dislike and distrust him as the boyfriend of your best friend. With Ted’s words, Schlatt got up and headed to Shae’s room, leaving you and your friend alone. At least he had put his dishes in the sink before leaving.

“What’s his fucking deal?” Once the two were confidently out of earshot, you plopped down in the empty seat you had refused to sit in before with a groan.

“I don’t know,” Shae leaned against the island with her elbows. “He’s always been pretty nice to me and everyone else I’ve seen him with,” A sigh deflated her body slightly. “That’s why I thought he’d be a good roommate… well that and his income. I knew with his wealth he’d easily be able to afford rent. The only reason he doesn’t have a house is because it’s a hassle to go through the process of owning.” 

“Is he some bigshot youtuber like Ted?” You finished the last of your eggs. 

“Bigger, four million.”

You snorted, recalling his attitude and miserable appearance around you. “Those four million people must be fucking miserable.”

“I’m not too happy about this either Y/n. The way he treats you is so fucked, especially last night. Ted took care of that by the way, he’s got a lot of friends. You shouldn’t see it posted.”

“Ted’s still on thin ice,” Shae shot you an incredulous look. “Hey! I care about you, I just met the man! I can’t trust him too quickly. But anyways, thank him for me.”

Shae gave you a satisfied smile before getting back to the topic. “Don’t worry Y/n, it won’t be too long. Just until Schlatt gets his shit together and can get a place to live in Texas again. He’s been going through some housing issues, he needs this place. He shouldn’t be too bothersome.”

You snorted. “I think we’re far past that point.”

“Ted thinks Schlatt’s just embarrassed by how drunk he was. He’s prideful and doesn’t really like being wrong, or in the wrong. Maybe he’s got too much pride to apologise and is just doubling down? That doesn’t make it okay, regardless.”

“That's such a man thing to do. I see this all the time when people write to me. Why are men such…” You searched for the word before crying out in exasperation. “...men!” 

“It all boils down to the patriarchy,” Shae shrugged. “That's why I like my boyfriends like Ted, whipped.”

“Eww! TMI!” You teased, intentionally taking her words in the wrong way to mess with her. 

“Not like that! You know what I meant!” Shae squealed and hit you with the dishtowel light-heartedly. You caught it and stood up laughing, collecting your dishes in your free hand and heading to the sink. She stopped you, taking the items from you. “No, you had a shit morning. I’ll do it. Besides, I saw you talking with some guy last night. Take the time I’m saving you to text him and tell me about it after.” 

You weren’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Okay, thank you Shae.” You relented. “But I’m taking you out for goodbye drinks tonight as a thank you when I do!” You smiled, heading down the hallway, not letting her protest the implications that you'd be paying.

You knew eavesdropping was bad, but with your room right beside Shae’s in the hallway, you preferred the phrase ‘overhearing while loitering’ to describe how you stopped in your tracks in front of your door at the sound of Schlatt and Ted’s voices. “Be nice man, she means a lot to Shae and Shae means a lot to me,” Ted scolded his friend. “But not too nice, like not falling in love nice. That doesn't usually work out with roommates.”

You hated how you were coming to know Schlatt so well that your brain autofilled in the quiet chuckle you were sure he let out at Ted's words. “She’s alright looking, but not hot enough to tempt me.”

You had to hold back the offended gasp that intruded uncomfortably in your throat.

“She was hot enough to attract Hasan–”

“Hasan’s a–!” You didn’t hear the rest of Schlatt’s thoughts, angrily retreating into your room. What an asshole, how much more stuck up could he be! It wasn’t as if you wanted his attention, but the frank way he stated it had you fuming at the impoliteness of it all. You had done nothing to this man, and yet he was rude to you for what? His damn pride? Well he could certainly take his damn pride and shove it–!

You flopped onto your bed and muffled your angry yell with your pillow. It took a few moments for you to calm down your rage filled body before you rolled over onto your back and pulled out your phone that had been confirmed safe, creating a new text to the contact saved under Hasan. The lingering sting of Schlatt’s words was something you wanted to get over, and a meeting with the attractive man who seemed to be into you sounded perfect right now. Your fingers quickly tapped on the phone keyboard, desperate for a distraction.

[Y/n]: Hey Hasan, It’s Y/n from last night!

//

Tags: @ghostyoongs

[mha-grievances]

Alright, I’m bored, so I’m gonna tell you my opinions of the various MHA villains. This isn’t a dee analysis on any of them. Just my vague thoughts on them. I won’t be tackling any of the Nomu (including Kurogiri), spin-off villains, or movie villains:

AFO: He’s just there for me. For a Big Bad he’s kinda lackluster. He lacks the charisma of the archetype that he’s trying to be a part of when compared to other members of his archetype (giant looming threat) such as Darkseid and Thanos.

Tomura: Meh. I know people didn’t like him initially when he showed up cause he was a man-child, but I didn’t mind that. However he’s not really interesting to me. Sure his backstory’s sad, but his grand plan is to just disintegrate everything… just cause? While this is nothing new, it was kinda lackluster seeing as the narrative was putting Tomura down the path of being the next biggest villain. Like I get it, fuck society, but what does destroying everything accomplish? I dunno, his story feels weak to me.

Dabi: He’s definitely overrated by the fandom, but I like his character. He’s also got a kickass design and quirk. Dabi’s motives are a bit more than “fuck the world, let me destroy it” as his beef is with his abusive father. I can buy into this more-so than Tomura’s motives

Himiko: Definitely one of my top villains in the series, but I feel like she wasn’t explored as well as she should’ve been. Himiko’s definition of love is to literally become someone else, which can serve as a metaphor of people who aren’t able to accept who they are and aim to change everything about themselves. You compare this to Ochako’s experience with love which fuels her to be the best possible version of herself. I also would’ve loved to see more of her relationship with her quirk, how it has dominated every portion of her life. Finally, I do agree with those who say she’s often fetishized.

Spinner: I like him, but he’s been severely underutilized. His arc about mutant quirk discrimination was quickly wrapped up in like one issue and that’s it.

Mr. Compress: One of my favorite MHA villains. I love his quirk, his personality, and design. However, he struggles with a clear lack of motives, his only boiling down to the fact his ancestor was one of the greatest villains to ever exist. Why did Mr. Compress choose to follow his footsteps? Was it for fame? Because he agreed with his ancestor? Or maybe for another reason? At most we can say he hates society like the rest of the villains, but that doesn’t really give us much insight to his character.

Twice: My favorite MHA villain. If there’s anything from MHA that can be considered great, it’s the writing of Twice’s character. Twice is someone anyone can relate to, a person cast aside by the world and is willing to do anything to make friends. His quirk has caused him great anguish and he constantly grapples with his self identity. Out of all the LoV members, he has the biggest heart, but easily the most fragile one, and that’s why he’s a villain. It’s why he refused Hawks’s hand when told he could be a good guy. He saw his friends, the people who accepted him for who he was, and chose to fight besides them even if what they were doing was wrong. Twice is without a doubt the best character to come out of MHA and I will die on this hill.

Dr. Garaki: one of my favorite villains concept wise. A man who is canonically smarter than Nezu (who has an intelligence enhancing quirk) who makes Frankenstein like monsters could’ve been a super cool idea for a main antagonist. He could’ve served as a parallel to Izuku as Dr. Garaki’s quirk provides no offense utility. He’s essentially a quirkless person who lives longer. He is kinda a walking plot device though.

Magne: As many people would agree, she was wasted potential. A trans character who could’ve helped with MHA’s world building. I do wanna know why she chose to be a villain, but unfortunately after the Overhaul Arc she’s never brought up again.

Mustard: I like Mustard a lot but he’s yet another character with wasted potential. A kid as young as 1-A who hates heroes, a lot could’ve been done with that.

Moonfish: Unpopular opinion but I really like Moonfish. Why? Cause of his design. It’s very Lovecraftian like and I’m a sucker for those sorta things. Moonfish isn’t a deep character but he doesn’t need to be. He’s just evil and that’s fine. His creepy factor more than makes up for a lack of character.

Muscular: Serves as a physical obstacle Izuku has to overcome. Does his job well in that regard. Unlike Moonfish his appearance or quirk doesn’t make him stand out to me.

The Eight Bullets: Categorizing them all together. I like them. I can empathize with their struggles and how they wish to be needed despite being social outcasts. Obviously I wish more detail was put into them, but that’s pretty much it. I will say Rappa kinda doesn’t belong in there cause unlike the others, his motive is just that he wants to fight Overhaul, but that’s not to say I dislike him. I just feel he should’ve swapped places with one of the other Yakuza who weren’t the Eight Bullets.

Overhaul: In terms of presentation, design, and quirk, he absolutely is one of my favorite characters. His motives suck though. Man is in possession of one of the strongest quirks in the series and his motive is “ew, quirks are cooties”. Wanting to create quirk erasure bullets to cripple heroes so that the Yakuza can rise again is more than a fine motive for him. The “quirks are a disease” thing comes off as dumb. Maybe if he actually had a quirk that affected this behavior, this motive would’ve made a lot more sense.

Re-Destro: Boring. He could’ve been a neat Magneto type character but he’s immediately thrown to the side despite somehow having a city’s worth of members and spies layered throughout Japan.

The rest of the MLA: Couldn’t care for any of them, except for Geten, but that’s only because he has a cool design and quirk. The girl who can place mines had a cool quirk and design, but she got on my nerves.

Giran: Sometimes I forget he exists 😂. He’s basically a walking plot device.

Edit: I forgot someone 😭

Stain: I felt his message was extremely important to the themes of MHA and I like his design. However I feel that they neutered his message by having him target any heroes who weren’t All Might. There are other heroes, like Tensei, who are great heroes, just not at the caliber as All Might in terms of fame. Doesn’t mean they’re any less of a good hero. Imo he should’ve been more selective with his targets.

Edit 2: Forgot about another person 😭

La Brava: I like her. I think she’s cute and her relationship with Gentle is both genuine and well written. Her being a hacker’s really cool.

Edit 3: Forgot yet another person 😭

Gentle: thought he was cool too. A more human villain compared to the others we’ve gotten, and while not evil, is still someone who fits the bill of a villain.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here my dear, celebrating that its (almost) 2 weeks till we're back and feeling the need to cackle with you over today's events. Look you and I are salty benches at heart, so I'm unreasonably gleeful over the fact that not only did Timmy more or less say that TK-2 is a plot device, but he's a plot device specifically for the purpose of keeping Buck and Eddie apart so Eddie can "discover himself". Like he could have made him a plot device for the Gerrard of everything (and yeah, maybe he is aware enough that he realized two white men getting "affected" and needing to deal with the racist, misogynistic captain was too much but I doubt it) since he has some experience there but nope!! He specifically brought Tommy Boy up in the context of Buck and Eddie and you just have to laugh. Tommy is unofficially the new Marisol, no job or last name necessary he just has to be around. Meanwhile Eddie is missing Buck so badly he has to go to church about it, something he didn't even do about the literal nun he was dating, which also makes me giggle. All of this is of course is speculation at this point but fuck it, I'm having fun, family feud is in 5 days, and the best damn firefam crew is soon to be on my screen again, so cheers friend, here's to a new season of nonsense where we can get unhinged about two idiot boys while reserving our hater vibes for their crappy partners 🥂.

OH MY GOD HIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Today has been WILD because on the one hand, my irritated petty bench self is going "I hate being fucking right" about the fact that bees were just a distraction and we're apparently doing season 5 "it's all about Athena's past" opening instead of being focused on the 118 (and Athena) ACTUALLY doing first responding and saving people. I am gnashing my teeth over the knowledge that the show just is not committed to focusing on what truly made those first couple big disasters GOOD and memorable, and ENJOYABLE to watch. Instead we're doing 70s movie remakes for the fun promo material they provide and then turning into a detective show again instead of focusing on first response and disaster rescue. Which, it might all be fine and the plane stuff will also be about disaster rescue (tornado would have been better though as bees can act weird around weather phenomenons so at least they'd tie together sensibly), but I'm still gonna be 😒😒😒 about it until they prove me wrong.

ANYWAY.

On the other hand, my happy petty bench self has been *cackling* about Tim talking in depth about Eddie most of the paragraph after the most generic blanket statement about BT, like. That man has nothing to say about it because there's so little there he probably CAN'T say anything without spoiling the little that's going on.

The cast looks happier on set than they have in a LONG time, the plot devices are plot device-ing, hot priest is back?! as Eddie examines himself and who he is?! We're getting a meaty Henren/Madney storyline it sounds like, Bobby is gonna be a NIGHTMARE as technical advisor and I'm so excited to see that, plus the chance to do fake Buddie on Hotshots is RIGHT THERE and even if the show doesn't do it, I KNOW we are gonna get some super fun fics about it.

I'm feeling super 🙄 about the Gerrard stuff revolving around Buck because they have proven especially recently that they can't handle these storylines well and keep centering the white men instead of COC so like, not holding my breath it's gonna be done well. But also, they didn't have Buck do anything 98% of season 7 so he doesn't have anything else going on. If we're lucky, it gets handled well and will also lead to an examination of T's behavior, BT's relationship, and eventual reason for breaking up. But again, not holding my breath. This show just loooooves to pretend shitty people never did anything wrong so they don't have to spend time on the character, and then expect the audience to be on board with Evan "loyalty streak a mile wide and loves his family more than himself" Buckley to be perfectly fine dating them like they never hurt anyone and the notoriously nosy, bitchy, petty firefam to never ever bring it up or say anything bad about them ever. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

But overall, I'm excited and I know you always have my back when it comes to being an equal opportunity hater for the shitty people they keep sticking our boys with.

ALSO! In news that I've been saying forever but actually kind of mean it this time, I have been working on my Countdowns fic! It's currently over 12k words and I'm still only on part 2 (of like, 7? maybe?) and I need to rewatch 2x01 to clarify some stuff, but I AM writing! I planned to do more this summer, but we had some unexpected out of town trips and a new baby that needed some crochet projects done, and also I need to just get a little bitty tablet and keyboard so I can sneakily write at work now that I'm not so busy. It's not super edited so I haven't been sharing any snippets but maaaaaaybe if everyone asks nicely, I'll share a little something that I know I like and am going to keep.

It was such a delight to see your ask pop up today!! You've given me the serotonin to actually open my inbox and see what's in there, so everyone say "thank you Sleeping at Last Anon!" for any other asks I get around to answering today. And send me good vibes to work on this fic because I think if I can pull it off, it's gonna be something I'm super proud of. But I gotta actually, ya know, write it.

Cheers, bestie! I can't wait to watch this season with you!

[gaeasun]

Ok I have watched both episodes of Ahsoka so gonna make a list of pros and cons. will be much more serious cons than serious pros. Not spoiler free!

pros first:

there is a very cute loth-cat. adorable. stole my heart. best live action tooka creature so far.

All or most of the human casting and portrayal was very spot on. Ryder was great and so nice to hear a familiar voice, Sabine was good, also chopper was spot on in everything.

actually all of the droids carried the humor for the episodes. very funny.

the lightsabers look and sound cool.

the non-lightsaber fight was good (and by that i mean sabine kicking around those droids)

SABINE DOES NOT HAVE THE FORCE THANK GOODNESS WAS REALLY WORRIED THERE

sabines art skills are relevant. love it.

yeah thats it i think. sry if you were here as an optimist.

Cons:

NO REX WHERE IS HE

they've got to stop stabbing people with lightsabers without killing them. star wars medicine was already inconsistent, this is pushing it.

where is jacen syndulla. If ahsoka is going to take an apprentice why not him? WHY SABINE THAT MAKES SO LITTLE SENSE.

yeah going on that again. she was training to be a jedi without force. BUT WHY. Sabine has always been a Mandalorian, shes been so proud and happy to be a Mandalorian. she literally threw that away to be a jedi. she hid her armor and grew out her hair and there was no mention of her Mandalorian family? the one she reconciled with?

the casting for hera and ahsoka is not good, the makeup and prosthetics are worse than that, but worst of all they do not actually sound like the characters at all! going into those in detail:

ahsoka and hera just do not have the face shape of their counterparts. i do get that it can be difficult since no one has anime eyes that big. but the face shapes look wrong and every time i look at them it doesnt look or feel like im watching beloved characters brought to life

the prosthetics and the makeup on hera and ahsoka look like either that department got a pittance or they just didnt care that much. even simple details that wouldn't effect stuntwork. like the circle patterns on Hera's lekku, or like how Hera's lips are much too dark and Ahsoka's are much too light. Ahsoka and heras head-tails are way to short as well. if you want to explain it with stunt reasons, than why are heras so short as well? also somehow there is zero texture on hera's lekku, but Ahsoka's look like an old rubber hose that shriveled up? and her montrals are so short and point backwards. if the people making this show are going to take such beloved characters and put them in irrevocable media, these details should have been figured out! if it wasnt feasible than they should never have made it live action in the first place.

the actors for ahsoka and hera do not sound like them. i dont mean their voices sound the exact same, but i mean the inflection and the wordings sound nothing like the animation. a good actor should try to mimic that but it wasnt done. ahsoka especially had such emphatic and varying tone in clone wars and rebels, while live action ahsoka sounds like shes trying to win the stoic master of the year award.

ahsoka apparently learned an entire new lightsaber style! because she only held her lightsabers in reverse grip one. time. and also when she was a kid she was flipping circles and cartwheeling and handspringing and theres none of that here. if yoda can do it in 2008 they can figure out a way for her to do it too

listen. ahsoka has gone through way too much character development to be constantly looking like she doesnt know what shes doing. shes struggling too much in fights, and she doesnt seem to understand sabine at all. she has been a very strong character in the past, and this is because she has gone through many experiences that gave her incredible development.

the plot does not make sense. how on earth does an ancient device know where thrawn went? why is this connected to the dathomirians? are they going to bother explaining this? probably not.

[deux-jared]

my review (more like ramble) of The Menu

the three aspects: class, capitalism, and cuisine

very much so spoilers

the menu

Class:

I could talk forever on what each characters represented, their own personal sins and how it reflects common behavior in the world. but that’s easy to pick up. so onto bigger ideas. very much so is this movie a rich vs poor. that’s made almost too clear.

best part is when the chef asks felicity what school she went to and if she has student loans. that’s what it feels like. that’s actually literally what it feels like. the song silver platter by john grant. broken pieces of furniture that won’t be replaced. wearing through your shoes. there’s a sort of heaviness that seems to come along with the word college itself. what it means. what it takes. what it gives.

the chef seems to not make a class distinction based purely on wealth, but instead on role. givers and takers. if you find yourself asking which you are, don’t keep yourself up over it. we are all both. the chef is conceited in the idea that his art of cooking is above all. that to serve food is the greatest job. he’s right of course. Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo. “No matter what, we must eat to live. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.” but he is foolish to cast himself into this spotlight role. he is not serving anyone dinner, hasn’t for what seems to be awhile. he is serving art. food is art. but art is not always food. there are other roles it has to fill to be both and these dishes just don’t fill that. it doesn’t make them lesser. it does make him lesser in the social hierarchy.

the movie chooses to , ever so graciously, look at women’s rights. and lately. it feels like that means something more than it should. i don’t want to count the amount of times each day i feel pain from it all. in an unshareable and indescribable way. the parts about disrespect, sex work, infidelity, work status, even money itself. they did not go unnoticed. it was pleasurable. perhaps too much so. to see the look on Kathrine’s face when she stabbed the chef and proceeded to say nothing. she exist under him, under the structure he executes. but she got that moment. and in a way, she owned her death too, which no other character can say.

however i don’t understand the man chase thing though, that had no consequences and was clearly used as a plot device to get the women to bond but then it like didn’t even matter that they did. and margot sharing her true identity was meaningless beyond some feminist idea about identity being regulated by circumstance or men or work and the other women feeling a stronger connection to her.

Capitalism:

what stands out about the chef isn’t that he hates the world he lives in. many, many people do. it’s his high status that contrasts this sentiment. he blames these rich people for ruining his art, but the transaction goes both ways. he himself failed at what he set out to do, and is now unhappy with the results. he took a wrong turn along the way.

the chef is, and bear with me now, capitalism.

we like to think of the men on top as these horrid monsters. it makes things easier to take in. the cloaked figure in a storybook or the black man on the news. but of course that’s not how it is, that’s not really how the human mind works. and i truly believe that those men who decided to make all these choices in global government, those who have altered history for the worse, meant for the best. of course they thought that free market was a good idea, it looks perfect on happy. trickle down economics, eugenics, war itself. we are quick to trick ourselves into thinking we’re making the right choice because that’s the easiest thing for our minds.

none of the guest thought they deserved any punishment. it never occurred to them they were being rude or unkind. and it never occurs to the chef when he is in the wrong. but he made this place. he set these prices. he signed the contracts. and in turn these people show up. it is in this same way capitalism fails.

there’s a moment in a car that’s sliding off the edge of a cliff , and i know this because i was once in a car sliding off the edge of a cliff. where you know that what you once could have done, you no longer can do. you could have made the turn differently, could have loaded the trailer less, could have not made the fucking trip at all. but this doesn’t occur to you until the back wheel is teetering and none of it even matters anymore. it’s not about what happens after, because the after will always come. in death and in life. it’s about knowing that you were not always as helpless as you are in the moment. it’s digging your own hole. pandora opening the box. the first sight of the gun. the last note of the song. how does it feel to know that this is what you had coming. in a way, to me at least. that is what the menu is about. you made the reservation, now dine.

i did not die that night. obviously. nor was that the night that car got totaled. and that slightly convoluted rescue story is one of humanity. doomsday comes when there is no longer another person who cares. no longer humanity.

the chef’s biggest gripe seems to be with the destruction of craft for money. the pressure to succeed (the sous chef’s suicide represented by a pressure good dish), the fear of replacement (elsa’s needless self caused death), selling out (the horrible movie the actor did), empty knowledge over skill / romanticization of a craft rendering it over-commodified to the point of reservation or god forbid obscurity (tyler). these are all very real issues , among many of they other negative undertones of the modern work force. and why do all these issues seem to arise ? capitalism. sell sell sell, and then you end up selling the craft itself. they lost a love a cooking because they were no longer cooking to cook, or ever to serve or please. they were cooking because they were expected to (this statement is debatable, the specific motives for the cooks’ depression is probably even nonexistent. this is a guess based on the ending and the expressed emotions). margo breaks the cycle of what is expected by honestly asking for what she wants. and for what she knows the chef wants to make. she brings humanity back into the transaction, and is thus freed.

but also in careers, sometimes the passion leaves. and that is normal. and healthy. what is wrong is the stagnation. you’re stuck here. now what. no way back no way out it often feels. you spent a life time earning this, and now there is nothing left. single skill workforce layout is killing us as a people god bless that’s just more of a person rant didn’t have to do much with the movie. i want a multifaceted skill set so so so bad.

Cuisine:

i guess this is what the movie is actually about. or what stands out the most. it is also my favorite part. margot seems to take the stance that the chef’s meals are bad. but that’s because she’s judging them wrong. as previously detailed, the food is more art than food. she is disappointed because she expected dinner and was given a show instead.

my favorite part is the (short lived) mentions of biome based cuisine. while it’s only shown at the beginning and never really specifically backed up, the concept of having an island where all your ingredients are naturally sourced is incredible. wonderful set up for a commune. secondly, the role that geography And environment plays in customary cuisine is fun to look at. what things do the people around you usually eat and how does that connect to the natural ingredients in the area. it’s how costal places have sea heavy diets. but on a far more detailed scale. you use a lot of mint in your food because the neighbors grow too much. you have the farmers market walnuts that the orchard in the county happens to grow. it’s even making a lot of dips because down the street the corner shop is known for their homemade tortilla chips. there’s are connections that have mostly been lost due to corporate structure and industrialization. but still thrive in the earthly nature of biome cuisine. it’s something to not only think about, but apply to your own lifestyle.

the class connection to cuisine. not something i’ve heard talked about but something i Very much so think about. especially in relation to health and quality of life. while consuming food is something all humans have in common, the type of food is wildly different. not serving bread is not only to show that the food they’re eating that night can’t be accessed by lower classes. but also giving them a taste of their own medicine. they are denied food that is out of their class, as many of us are every day.

and there’s also the history of bread being told. there’s a sharp contrast between the types of food eaten by different classes. qualities like nutrition and being filling are valued more than taste. my favorite food, my friday night go to, is the $6 wendy’s taco salad. all the food groups in one meal. and for under ten bucks. it’s ground breaking. no working class person is considering some pieces of high quality meat or delicately placed vegetable cubes a good meal for many reasons.

this is in part that margot seems to get right. the importance of food beyond aesthetic and artistic value. there’s a joy that comes from survival, the monkey core of the brain being appeased. and that’s part of what filling food provides. there’s also comfort food. which reminds us of better times, of fond memories, of the family who we have shared table and plate with. by asking for a cheeseburger, margot is not only being honest about her dislike of the menu in a way no other guest is. but she’s also giving the chef the chance to do something he hasn’t done in a long time. bring joy and comfort. help someone. literally serve instead of artistically serve. it’s the feeling of making a pot of soup for your friends or serving lasagna at the homeless shelter. you’re doing this to provide. not to show off. when the class based hierarchy of “fancy” cuisine burns to the ground, we will still have food. the food of our childhood and of our environment.

final thoughts:

if i was to die. i hope it would be this way. given or taking i don’t care. to finale become the art, just like we’re never supposed to, it’s the darkest wish fulfilled. just thinking about it makes me go wild with the pain of want.

[ghostlytalkin]

No, I mean the "super fucked up to play a dead character" part.

Because some anons were saying it was bad to play Gideon because he was a dead character. So they're trying to do whataboutism with Tony.

Sort of, 'See, Tony's dead and people are playing him!'

Get people to agree that it's okay to play Tony even though he died.

And then say it's the same thing with Gideon; so why are people mad about him being rp'd?

Gideon is a character that was never given anything? Personality, history, memories, nothing to go off of that really solidifies him as a character in Saw. Like, I'm not even sure if he would count as a full character tbh because he was used as a kind of plot device to show why John Kramer developed into a horrible person. Which is probably way off but like, I don't think I'd count Gideon as a character.

Isn't like, a good chunk of their taken list currently dead characters? Like just looking at the TVD section majority of those characters are dead.

tbh, I think playing a miscarried baby is fucked up. Gideon not being brought into the world was a stepping stone for Kramer and being the horrible person who became Jigsaw and made these death traps. Literally I think he was just a plot device, much like his wife. Who was offed by Mark Hoffman.

Tony Stark being dead still kinda borders on the whole fucked up thing. But another difference is I don't see Gideon being rped in the Saw fandom compared to the Marvel universe where Tony is still pretty widely played. I think a lot dropped him when he died but he's a developed character with a lot and I don't think he died in the comics but I could be wrong. So they could be using comic!Tony Stark indie wise. But from asks Tony got fucked up in their ideas of him and that's not cool

[nkshroom]

So, I... didn’t love W/ednesday. Yes, I am ranting here instead of twitter yet again. 

[If you are a fan, just skip it. There is no need for you to engage with the post; the fact that I almost dislike the show doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to like it and vice versa. I am not attacking anyone enjoying it /or anyone at all, except for the writers, perhaps/.]

Of course, there are a few things to be said first: 

I grew up with the 90′s movies (and the cartoon at some point, I think). I familiarized myself with the old b/w series too, but due to my young age [at the time] didn’t really watch all of it. That is, I am not fully familiar with the original comics. 

Another thing: I don’t think teen drama is generally my genre. I am likely only 1/2 of the target audience here and a full miss on the other 1/2 part. I can’t remember enjoying any shows in the school setting, spare for Heathers (1988), perhaps (and that could be due to the exposure to the musical before the movie). 

Now, with this out of the way: I don’t think I have even enjoyed the show, but not for the commonly brought-up reasons. I don’t mind the casting; actually, I really liked Jenna Ortega’s performance (and the smallest bits I didn’t were most likely not up to her). I think, as far as the familiar casting goes, meaning having characters look like they are related, the job is very well done. I have some issues with Catherine Zeta-Jones, but I can’t fully divide what was her addition to the character and what wasn’t. Still, probably the only acting [I cared about] I might nitpick on. [I will go into it more later in the post].

The reasons I didn’t like the show are somewhat expected from the semi-disclaimer I have put up in the first paragraph: it was all too average. It’s teen romance etc. etc. all over again, just with some supernatural undertones and a beloved character slapped on top of it.

Let me have a “tumblr moment” [to get it out of the way]: there were some progressive remarks made by characters [oh, so quirky, props to you, writers, for understanding gen Z /s], but then it really felt like just a façade as there was nothing in the plot itself to reiterate these points and make them more valuable. In other words, writers just had characters say a couple of things, such as “is it a boy... or a girl?” and then proceeded to write your most typical thing with multiple hetero romances. 

While I am on it, there was somewhat that rubbed me the wrong way in this context: the whole Enid deal with “wolfing out”. It felt like an allegory at first, which was strengthened by the 5th episode, where the students’ families came to the campus and the whole conversion camp thing was brought up. Even with her dad being supportive of her and approving her rejection of this whole idea, it all felt like the topic of potentially not fitting in the normative society and living with that is to be explored.

...And then she wolfed out [not unexpectedly, but disappointingly]. It’s like the whole set up didn’t matter at all and it got me somewhat frustrated, because it basically pushed the “it’s not the right time, but in the proper circumstances you will become normal” agenda. 

Overall, the supporting characters weren’t super memorable to me, as they were walking clichés/routes of the genre, but I can’t say it surprised me. After finishing the season, I have only some interest towards Bianca and that’s it. I am not saying that I hated everyone, of course not; for example, Enid was somewhat enjoyable at times, but she was a plot instrument, someone to have Wednesday to contrast with, and it was a bit too obvious.

It could be interesting to have her not be an outcast[as the series defines them], meaning having no supernatural powers, but not fitting into the regular schools so badly that the only place left to go is a school full of non-human people. In fact, I do think that visions were another obvious and unnecessary plot device. They also felt a bit lazy, as they gave Wednesday the answers instead of having her actually solve the mystery herself. And the “don’t trust your visions” thing seemingly never made a comeback? That’s one Chekhov's gun that didn’t fire.

Also, off top of my head I can’t think of a single positive “normie” character, as they all turned out to be somewhat evil (or not normie at all) by the end of the season, which, too, is a disappointment. While the whole infiltrating-the-school thing was one of the better plot decisions [within the given mystery], I was genuinely upset at the fact that the co-existence potential between outcasts and normies was barely explored. Of course, there is the mayor’s son, but he was set up to be a [misguided] outcast hater at first and I don’t think there were enough episodes to have the topic properly portrayed with/through him. 

Let’s move on to the Addams family and the plot. Like I said, I do like this series’ Wednesday and I don’t think it’s impossible to have her work out in such a setting, but the whole point of the Addams family [as I feel it] is that they are untypical, non-conventional, etc. etc. It’s not that putting her in a school with outcasts is an issue, absolutely not; it’s rather the writers’ attempt to normalise her is (whether through the plot or through the way they paint the environment around her). There was much potential: one could write a satire on the genre or make a dark comedy with references to the common tropes and give them a proper twist, while having Wednesday be the one through whom we, the viewers, would get this ironic perspective. Not actually include her in these tropes and make her be in a love triangle.

Finally, the family. I don’t have many feeling towards Pugsley and Gomez, as the former didn’t have enough screen time for me to get any and the latter was alright. The fact that series’ Gomez might not fit into the conventional beauty standards is a bs argument for claiming the actor is a miscast. I liked The Thing and the subplot/background developments of his relationships with other characters. I also really liked Uncle Fester! He was quite fun and in line with my expectations [whether it’s a good or a bad thing for any poor soul actually reading this post]. Fun fact: his actor, Fred Armisen, played Geraldo in OFMD, [which I found out because he looked hella familiar and I went to look his whole filmography up. ]

Unfortunately, same cannot be said about Morticia. I really wanted to give her a chance and didn’t jump into conclusions after the first episode; yes, there were minor details that bothered me, mostly about her posture/attitude, but they weren’t so prominent to immediately write her off. And then the aforementioned 5th episode came. 

I believe, it is something many have commented on already, but she is extremely smiley, too emotional at times. She (as a character) lacks a certain elevation some iterations of Morticia had, she is not as distant towards the surrounding around her [not meaning her family, but everything else]. I believe Morticia to have a ghost-like presence and this version didn’t portray it. 

And the more the plot progressed, the worse it got. It was said in the earlier episodes she was exceptional in fencing, meaning she was experienced and such, and yet, when the whole showdown between Gomez and Garret came to be, she would only scream time and time again. She didn’t act until the very end and when she did, for some reason she, Morticia, got horrified because of stabbing a dude? Couldn’t help but roll my eyes. 

All in all, the series left a mixed impression on me and I most likely won’t be watching the second season. 

[aladybetween2majors]

Kinnporsche: A rant.

I am going to say this once, this is my opinion on the show. I understand that to some people Kinnporsche is the best show and my criticism might ruffle feathers, if you are like that please do not let me ruin your enjoyment of the show. I can like the show and still criticize it. Now that's out of the way let's jump in 💃💃

If there is one thing I hate about Kinnporsche, it is their use of comedy. I understand the show is in part a comedy and they have been serious moments that are handled well but the tonal shift from serious to slapstick comedy often gives me whiplash.

I am going to use episode 8 as a case study of sorts to highlight what I find so annoying about this device.

Episode 8 is one of the more divisive episodes in Kinnporsche series, its divisiveness was made apparent in the split that occurred in the fandom after it aired. Some people thought it was amazing others thought it was horrible and a waste of time. I am stuck somewhere in the middle. I think the episode started out great, it brought out the sweet and escapist nature of the Kinnporsche relationship, the dates, sneaking around and Porsche's conversation with Yok and his friends were all 👩‍🍳😘 for me. My problem with the episode only begins with the latter part.

I hated the jokey and senseless way Tawan's character was introduced. It was stupid and achieved next to nothing. Before anyone points out that it made Kinnporsche to have a conversation, that is something that could have been achieved in a different way. But no, for the sake of comedy we must have Porsche being haunted by Zombie Tawan.

The show changed novel canon by making it be that Kinn supposedly shoots Tawan instead of him being in London. And I understand why the story was changed that way, it shows the danger of their world and if Tawan betrayed Kinn just letting him go off to London would seem weird. But the show doesn't make use of this premise, we have Tawan stalking Kinn being made into a ghost joke that while funny simply eats up screen time that could have been used to achieve better things.

A way I would change that entire half and achieve the same plot development is have someone, maybe Pete drop the Tawan bomb to Porsche without knowing its significance to Porsche or have Porsche find Tawan's picture among Kinn's stuff and realizing that he isn't the first person Kinn has been happy with, cue conversation, and then we have Kinn flashback to the day he was supposed to kill Tawan and being unable to do it.

We can even use the whole Tawan haunting Porsche thing but take out the over the top comedy and have Kinn be alerted that something might be wrong because while everyone else thinks Tawan is dead Kinn knows he is alive and Porsche suddenly seeing him means he is back despite Kinn asking him to disappear. But instead we get Kinn who is just super calm and goes off to make merits, like it's just another day on the job when your current bf is seeing your supposed to be dead bf despite never actually meeting him.

Also, why is no one talking about the fact that Tawan is still alive when Kinn was supposed to kill him. A short scene of Papa Korn digging at Kinn for not having the guts to finish the job would have been appreciated but nope, we just get Kinn saying 'so you are still alive' to Tawan and everything is fine and dandy.

I am not even going to go into the absurdity of Kinn believing Tawan (lying, betraying ass.) over Porsche because there is a possibility that there is more to the story and I don't want to be forced to eat my own words. The thing I just want to say is I won't get my hopes up because I don't trust Kinn as a character, I don't trust his perception and intellect because the show doesn't seem to want us to. In a show like The Devil Judge, I learned to trust Kang Yohan, I learned to believe that he would always have a plan because that's the kind of smart character he was.

Too much in this show is been chucked up to plot convenience and it is getting so absurd that my bullshit meter and suspension of disbelief is reaching max point. Tawan is poisoned and no one tries to investigate how it happened. We just sail past that, Vegas is allowed to walk around the main family house like it's his and no one seems to be telling the heads of the family. There are many more that I can't even remember now. I would like to believe that the show will clear up some of these stuff but my expectations are low because I know better than to trust the writers of shows in general, you tell yourself they are too smart to write something so absurd and senseless but they just go forward and prove you wrong.

To put an end to an over long post, I want to say that Kinnporsche is doing its best but as a consumer I have the right to point out this parts I see as flaws. I have come to learn that lowering my expectations and expecting nothing has allowed me to enjoy the show better. In a way, it is pioneering a new type in thai BL world and I hope if season 2 does come some of these things will be rectified. Comedy isn't bad but you have to decide if you want your show to be a complete slapstick show or something to be taken seriously, I don't want it to be all gloom and doom, the jokes are nice but can be too much at times. The plot is also not as realized as I would like it to be but like I said before, my expectations are now lowered because what I wanted is not what I am getting and I am grateful that we are getting anything at all.

[perfectlypanda]

Katara and the “Trophy Wife” Trope as Depicted in Legend of Korra

I’ve seen a few posts where people express that they feel like when Katara is labeled a “trophy wife” or when Legend of Korra is criticized for having Katara be a wife and mother, that the critics are devaluing being a wife and mother or are just attacking how Katara is depicted because of not liking her endgame romantic pairing. These are incorrect understandings of the criticism about how LoK handled Katara’s character.

While there is a lot that could be said on this topic, I’ll be focusing on the points brought about by a specific comment (as this post is largely shaped by the comments I wrote in response to it):

the thing is, katara wasn’t treated as a trophy wife. we don’t know much about what anyone did between the comics and LOK. she helped in founding republic city, she helped take down amon, she trained waterbenders and healers (while also earning herself the title of the best healer in the world) and she raised a family. she also trained korra. z*tara shippers are just mad because they think she had kids with the wrong person.

There isn’t canon confirmation that Katara did the things the commenter listed. LoK says that Aang and Zuko set up Republic City with no mention of Katara, she is briefly cited as having helped ban bloodbending but she isn’t at Amon’s trial nor is Katara mentioned as being involved in helping bring down Amon, and there is no mention of her extensively training anyone except Korra and Kya. The only major confirmed things Katara did between the AtLA comics and LoK are get married and have kids, and then move to the South Pole when Aang died.

“But she is also a healer in LoK!” Katara’s healing skills are only used under the Worf Effect trope - to prove how serious an ailment is, they show Katara unable to heal it. The audience is told that Katara is a powerful healer, but she doesn’t actually heal any major problems during LoK. Katara’s role as a healer is not to add dimension to her character, but to serve as a plot device.

The “trophy wife” criticism is not about Katara being a wife and mother. There is nothing wrong with being either of those things. The criticism lies in how being a wife (now widow) and mother are the only things Katara did in her life that LoK decided were important enough to mention. Compare this to Toph, who is a mother too, but who also gets other accomplishments. She was the founder of the metal bending police, and the longstanding former Chief of Police. LoK decided that Toph did things in her life worth mentioning in addition to being a mom. But because LoK chose not to mention anything for Katara, the implication, whether intentional or not, becomes that she didn’t do anything else important enough to bring up. Katara is a side character in LoK, but how Toph is handled proves LoK could have done better by Katara, but it didn’t.

This is a common and problematic trope - when the female lead becomes romantically involved with the male lead, she is reduced from being an independent character with her own role in the story to only being relevant as the male lead’s wife and mother of his children.That is what is meant when people express frustration at LoK’s depiction of Katara by saying LoK made her into a “trophy wife".

Although it seems pedantic, the frequent “why didn’t Katara get a statue too?” complaint is really a reflection of this larger issue. Aang, Zuko, Sokka, and Toph all have statues featured prominently in Republic City. Cities don’t just put up statues dedicated to any random person, they’re reserved for people worthy of note. So by giving Aang, Zuko, Sokka, and Toph statues, LoK signals that these characters did important things with their lives that had a big, positive impact on people. By omitting a Katara statue, LoK implies, intentionally or unintentionally, that unlike her friends, Katara didn’t do anything important enough in her life to merit a statue commemorating her or her accomplishments.

[cywscross]

So I am slowly making my way through your ssvs fix recs and thanks for dragging me into this fandom I have literally all those fics open now.... but on that note, do you have recs for where SQQ just noped out of the plot? There were a couple in your rec list and they give me such joy I need to read absolutely of them

There aren't that many that I've come across, and I think the ones I have, I've already rec'd, but I can list them here too (only the last one is new). Some of them are obviously SY-SQQ, but there’s also SJ-SQQ that I thought kind of fit? You might've already read them anyway.

-0-

Abyssal Paradise by DevinePhoenix

Shen Yuan gets to start his new life as a happy fox in what is literally Hell. He likes it here, they have so many cute creatures for him to study.

However Shen Yuan is also a millennial and he will have his creature comforts if he has to build them himself. In which the best motivation for a lazy person is to put in a lot of effort at the start so they can laze off in even more comfort later. Also known as, Shen Yuan builds a house in the Abyss.

-0-

Absent Without Leaving by Invidia_Envy

In which, Shen Qingqiu realized what he longed for the most was freedom. Being a peak lord of Qing Jing didn’t let him do that often, he envied Liu Qingge who could ditch his peak’s brats so easily and go outside as he pleased.

Why did Liu Qingge could do as he pleased whilst he had to stay demure in his peak? Spitefully, Shen Qingqiu also began to leave his disciples to their own devices after picking up his last disciple to appease Ning Yingying.

For Luo Binghe, his Shizun was an enigma. A puzzle with many missing details, a sea with immeasurable depth. His Shizun is his hero. Every time his Shizun appeared, it was always in the direst situation which would be quickly resolved. Ming Fan came and bullied him? Snatching off his mother’s jade? His Shizun came and the jade was back in Luo Binghe’s hand.

A demon invasion when no strong people home? His Shizun returned and stopped them.

Pretty sure Shizun pushed him into the abyss for his own sake too. That’s right. Luo Binghe didn’t have any shred of doubt towards his mysterious and wise Shizun.

-0-

When You Have Nothing To Gain (But Everything To Lose) by VermilionRain

After living through the original PIDW, many are brought back to their past selves. With knowledge in hand a number push to keep Shen Jiu away from their lives. When unspoken truths and unwoven lies are known can they make amends?

-0-

As The Wheel Shatters by VermilionRain

Shen Jiu was cursed. No that wasn’t it. He felt cursed. Two lifetimes he’s lived with memories and even when he tries, nothing happens. So there; cursed. He wakes up again and in the end why bother? What was the saying; three times the charm.

-0-

Write it on Your Heart by VermilionRain

Shen Jiu did not pass away immediately. He watched Shen Yuan live his life and it hurt. When he finally passed Fate decided to be cruel even more by dropping his reincarnating spirit into a similar setting. One problem; he wasn’t the only one. Another problem; there are a few trying to make amends that he doesn’t want. The last problem; an unwanted companion. He resolves one problem.

-0-

Spread your Wings by Araceil

When Shen Jiu opened his eyes, once again staring at the detestable ceiling of the woodshed within the Qiu Estate, he decided to live for himself. He got to his feet, shook off his shackles, and walked away from his nightmares, his hatreds, his resentments, and all the people who ever wronged him. He walked away from all of it. From promises broken, from people who betrayed him, from a life he had never wanted, and from a life that had never wanted him.

In one lifetime he had been a lowly, greedy, grasping creature. Consuming everything around him, ugly, small, and pathetic.

In his second lifetime his body had been stolen from him, and he lurked in the back of himself, watching as his body was puppeted, as his life was stolen.

In this life, he vowed not to make the same mistakes. In this life, he would be free. He would throw off the shell of Shen Qingqiu, Shen Jiu, and find freedom.

-0-

Sanye-jun by Mayvn

A very indulgent fic about SY(J) as a demon lord, screwing over the plot and banging LQG on the regular.

-0-

Meet Cute (these dorks) by Mayvn

The instant he turned to dash into the fight, Liu Qingge froze as he saw Not Shen Qingqiu standing coolly over one unconscious thug, guqin in both hands and still in a pose that clearly showed he had, in fact, just bludgeoned someone with the end of his guqin. Not Shen Qingqiu smirked and tilted his head back cockily.

—

LQG finds SY running away from a sticky situation and brings him back to Cang Qiong in hopes that he can keep the man from getting himself mugged. SY is just relieved he doesn’t have to pretend to be a girl anymore.

-0-

I dropped my head it was just around here somewhere, has anyone seen it by Cernunun

Shang Qinghua goes through the pages with renewed vigor, paying special attention to the margins and the details. Now that he’s looking for it, he can see the little transcriptions everywhere, running alongside the lines of an ink drawing or around the perimeter of a talisman, or in the corner under a section on growth rates of chi-stealing willows. The English scripts ruthlessly spoil or mock his book in turn.

Not only is it a cultivator’s field guide, it’s a tourist’s guide. Someone is touring the world he’s made.

--

Shen Yuan leaves his spoilers lying around. This becomes Shang Qinghua's problem, and what kind of bro would he be if he didn't make it Shen Yuan's problem too?

[lovetorn]

in chains for you [dream]

Dream x Fem!Reader Criminals!AU

Summary: The Dream Team is an underground crime group that works for Techno Industries. But what happens when one of their most valuable members is taken for ransom by their enemy, Schlatt?

Warnings: Swearing & mean insults :(, kidnapping, death, violence, uhhh nothing else? message me if you see anything else!

Word Count: 8.1k+

A/N: I’m so sorry for any mistakes/plot holes, my adhd said no❤️ when i was editing :(

Note: Please remember these are all characters! Since I do not know any of these people in real life, I have created all aspects of their lives, personalities etc. and apologise for any OOC moments. I portrayed Schlatt as the villain purely from his role play in the Dream SMP, obviously, I do not believe him to be like this irl in any way. He is also written as much older than the Dream Team to enhance the villain-like characteristics. Remember, this is just fiction! Thanks! 

Night had fallen over California, and the icy breeze from the South blew through the city of Beverly Hills. The lights from several luxury hotels and displays lit up the streets and exposed the city. It was more alive than half the people that resided there. Here, people only cared about their money and their assets; barely any room left for emotions towards others that didn’t benefit them. 

“Hurry the fuck up, Sapnap!” 

The gravelly sound of Dream shouting prompted Y/n to run faster. Tensions were high as three criminals rushed to the dark SUV that sat running outside of the tall building. They clutched black duffle bags in both hands when the sound of familiar sirens cried a few blocks away. 

Unlocking the car, George threw open the back car door and launched his duffle bags onto the car seats before hopping in. Dream rounded the car and opened the door to the driver’s seat, Y/n doing the same for the passenger’s side. And whilst they were shoving the bags in, Sapnap came running out of the building, another duffle bag in his hand and a briefcase in the other. The ends of his white bandana flew around in the wind behind him as he missed a dip in the floor.

“What the fuck has he got now? We’ve gotta go!” George exclaimed, hurrying the boy by waving his hand. Dream put the car in drive as Sapnap slammed the door, “Go, go, go!”

The car squealed while Dream pulled off of the curb, the wheels screeching against the tar as he pressed his foot heavily on the accelerator. 40, 50, 70, 100, 130mph. The speedometer jumped by 10s and then by 40s as the car barrelled down the long strip of road, the wailings of sirens fading behind them. 

George, Y/n and Sapnap were laughing as they took their masks off. The sound pissed Dream off as he gripped the steering wheel harder; why is nobody taking this seriously? 

Ripping his white mask off his face and throwing it into his lap, Dream looked at Sapnap through the rearview mirror, “Why did you take so long? That could’ve fucked our whole plan!” 

“Jeez, chill out.”

Dream shot him a glare through the mirror as Sapnap put his hand up, “Schlatt said he had a briefcase full of Chick-Fil-A gift cards, so I grabbed the first one I saw.” 

George lolled his head to the side, mouth agape as he stared at him in disbelief. “Are you shitting me?” 

Sapnap shook his head, resting the case on his thighs and popping open the clasps. 

“Fuck yeah!” He cheered, turning the case around to show the rest of the car the bundles of hundreds of red and white cards that laid on a sheet of red velvet. Sapnap’s eyes remained as wide as saucers the entire time he tilted the case at different angles to ensure everybody saw. 

Y/n turned around in her seat to face the boys in the back and giggled. 

“Can I have one?” She asked, holding her hands up in a praying gesture. Sapnap laughed and nodded, “I’ve got enough for a whole country! And anything for you, Y/n.” Y/n smiled at him, mouthing a quick ‘thank you’ before turning back around to face the road that was gone as quick as it came. 

The deep sigh that came from Dream in the driver’s seat caught the attention of everybody in the car. Sapnap rolled his eyes and shut the case. “Calm down, green boy. She’s all yours.” 

Arriving at the motel George had found, the four lugged the black duffle bags in the small room. Locking the room door, Dream spun around to see everybody sitting on one of the single beds. 

He eyed the black duffle bags in the corner with a frown, each one full to the brim with thousands of 100 dollar bills that they had to transfer back to base. George cleared his throat when he saw his friend looking at the bags and raised his eyebrows, “Dream?” The man turned at the sound of his name and nodded once. He had an odd feeling in his stomach but decided to ignore it and face the problem at hand first before anything else.

Dream sighed, “We did good tonight,” The three on the bed hollering softly, fist-bumping each other before Dream continued. 

“But...” Y/n, George and Sapnap all groaned, throwing their heads back at the oncoming disappointment that Dream was going to throw on them.

“Sapnap, what the fuck was that? You can’t go off on your own tangents during a plan this big! What would’ve happened if—”

Sapnap’s eyes widened when he realised Dream’s rage was aimed towards him. “Dream! It’s okay, bro. I’m right here, we’re all alive—”

“Don’t talk back to me.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Y/n avoided Dream’s gaze when it landed on her. She didn’t want him asking her to back him up; not tonight. 

“Anyway, I hope you all know what comes next.” The three nodded, heads down and eyes trained on the worn carpet. Sapnap and George stood up and went to different sides of the room, George to the bathroom and Sapnap to the desk where he pulled out his iPod and earphones. 

Dream watched as Y/n lifted her head back up, meeting his gaze. She gave him a soft smile and patted the space on the bed next to her. Dream ran a hand through his tangled blonde hair and walked over to her, sitting where her hand once was. 

“You okay?” She asked softly, placing her hand over his that sat in his lap. Dream nodded before huffing. “I just don’t know how successful this plan actually is. Something’s off.” He whispered, grabbing her hand. Y/n leaned forward to try and meet his green eyes; the ones that made her weak at the knees when he looked at her a certain way. But he didn’t need to know that considering they were just friends.  

“We did good today, look! We’re here, alive and well. And if something’s bothering you, just know that I’ll always be here to help you. Now, I need the bathroom.” She smiled, squeezing his hand before standing up. 

“George? When are you done?” She yelled at the bathroom door. Dream tilted his head to the side as he admired her, what would he do without her?

“Soon! Stop being annoying!” 

It had reached a point in the night where Dream couldn’t sleep. The single bed he laid in was uncomfortable, and the nagging feeling of doubt kept him awake. Something was wrong. 

He looked over a Y/n who laid in the other bed across from him. His top priority was to keep her safe; he had to. His eyes then travelled to his two other best friends—Sapnap in the desk chair and George on the brown couch. 

He smiled softly. Dream rarely got emotional, but seeing his friends and partners in crime—literally—so vulnerable, had his mind plagued with vicious scenarios that brought tears to his alarmingly vacant eyes. 

They weren’t always void, but seeing death as he did, had pushed the soul of nature out of his once striking eyes. He thought they looked dull now, matching the rest of his face, but Y/n always told him they were the prettiest she’d ever seen. He’d always flush when she said that which always elicited a poke in the ribs and a teasing comment from her. 

Dream forgot how long he’d been lying there, his mind drifting in and out of sleeping until a high-pitched squeak came from the main door. He reached for his knife that held a place under the pillow and sat up, holding his knife and facing the door. 

On the floor next to the door, sat an ominous black envelope. Dream chewed the inside of his lip, his heart beating rapidly with panic. How did they find them?

— 

“How the fuck did they find us?” George asked, his palms sweaty as he held the letter in his hands. The gold foiling around the letters was both alluring and terrifying. 

Palm Casino.  Wednesday Night. 12am.  Be there, or face death. 

Dream had rolled his eyes when he read the letter for the first time; Schlatt was so dramatic. And although fear and doubt had set in his stomach, he didn’t let his friends know. 

How did they find them? They had been careful with the robbery, getting everything they needed without leaving a trace, nothing out of place, except for—

Dream shoved his partners out of the way and leaned down to pick up the briefcase with the Chic-Fil-A gift cards. Sapnap went to interject, primarily to save his prized possession when Y/n grabbed his elbow and shook her head when he turned to her. 

Dream opened it then turned it upside down, emptying the cards onto the rotting carpet. 

“Dream—” 

“Shut up.” He then continued to rip the velvet from the inside of the case to reveal a small box with a red flashing light. Sapnap stopped his wriggling and stood staring at the device. 

“This is your fault, you dipshit.” 

Sapnap was silent. Y/n softened her grip to rub his elbow comfortingly instead, the action making Dream narrow his gaze. The girl rolled her eyes and spoke up, “How was he supposed to know it was in there, Dream? You can’t blame him for this at all.” 

Dream shook his head and dropped his gaze to the floor before huffing and scrunching his nose in a disgusted manner.

Midnight had arrived quickly, like a thief in the dark, and the crescent moon hung high in the sky. A light breeze swept into the city, making the palm trees sway in the delicate moonlight as a black SUV pulled up to the Palm Casino. 

“Okay, here we go. I want you all on your best behaviour,” Dream joked. And as his mask only hid half of his face, a lopsided grin graced his face as he popped the door open. Y/n knew that smile; it was one that was begging for chaos, but she knew it was just a deflection from his real emotions. 

Walking to the entrance, Y/n reached up and placed her hand on Dream’s shoulder. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Dream let out a laugh, “Wouldn’t dream of it, baby.”

The boys sported black on black suits with matching Rolex watches, the gold of the timepieces shining in the low light. The only differences between them being Dream’s smiley mask, Sapnap’s white bandana in his hair, and George’s white glasses upon the top of his head. Y/n, on the other hand, wore a fitting dress with gold jewellery. She would’ve worn anything else, but considering the situation, she complied. 

As the waitress walked them over to the poker table, Y/n caught Dream’s hand in her own, squeezing it once before letting go. She knew he was worried and the action in itself was enough to calm Dream’s nerves for the time being, but as soon as he made eye contact with Schlatt, it all went away. 

“Boys! How are we doing?” The man yelled, throwing his arms up with a smile on his face. Dream nodded once and sat down at the table, Sapnap and George following. Y/n went to sit beside Sapnap but was cut off by Schlatt who took it upon himself to police the members at said table. 

“I’m sorry, gorgeous. I’m afraid this game is only for the men.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile and clasped his hands on the table. Y/n narrowed her gaze at him before rolling her eyes and moving to stand behind Dream. 

Schlatt then stood and excused himself from the table, making George throw Dream a confused look before the man spoke up. He walked towards another room, guarded by velvet ropes, but not before shouting, “Let the games begin!” 

—  

Dream sat observing the last man in the game next to himself, ensuring he wouldn’t lose, not that he ever did. He had learnt from his father early on to read the expressions of the players around him and how to benefit from the folds and raises. People were shocked when they found out his age, bewildered that such a young man could earn numbers like that. 

Dream stared narrowly at the man; his eyebrows raised as he wore a sly smirk. The man in front of him was profusely sweating, his hand reaching to grasp a tissue from his pocket as the last community card was placed down. The surrounding men groaned; their expressions irritable as the Dream Team gained another win. Dream threw the cards onto the Poker table and stood up, offering his hand to the gentleman. He reluctantly accepted then hurried out of the room, four of his acquaintances following.  

Y/n watched as Dream swapped seats with Sapnap, allowing him his turn at the game. She then moved and leaned down to Dream’s ear, “This is bullshit, where’s Schlatt gone?”

Dream shook his head and shrugged quickly, “Fuck knows.”

“Let’s go, Sapnap,” A man they recognised as Fletcher spoke, sitting down in front of the young man as his buddies filed around the table to take their seats. Sapnap didn’t talk, he only glanced back at Dream who tilted his head, holding his forefinger up to indicate this would be their last round.  

Once Sapnap had collected his two starting cards, the game began. Dream watched as each of the men were eliminated through folds and how they apologised to Fletcher for letting him down. The man brushed them off, telling them to “watch how it’s done”. Dream, Sapnap and George stifled a laugh as they watched the second last man fold. Behind them, Y/n grew impatient and began mumbling to herself about how ridiculous it was.

“Excuse me? Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a round? Get the fuck outta here.” Fletcher said, his voice harsh as Y/n’s eyebrows flew to her hairline. Dream went to interject before the man spoke again. 

“A scotch on the rocks.” He then said. 

“I’m not a waitress.” Y/n’s voice was monotone while the man waved her away. Y/n scoffed before she moved towards him. Dream’s hand flew out to catch her wrist, and Y/n rolled her eyes. As angry as Dream was, he wasn’t going to start something with Schlatt’s men before the meeting actually started. Sapnap didn’t pay any attention to the conversations around him, focusing only on winning.

Fletcher chuckled, holding his cards close to his chest, “you dumb kid”. Sapnap’s facial expression went from serious to amused, watching as the dealer placed down the final community card. Sapnap’s eyes flickered to Fletcher’s grey ones as he slammed his cards down on the table. Sapnap then reached to gather his winnings in chips, earning pats on the back from George and a gentle laugh and fist-bump from Dream. 

Fletcher sat in disbelief; he was sure he would win this one. Sapnap stood up and embraced George in a hug before moving to Dream as Fletcher circled around the table. 

“You cheating bastard!” Sapnap held his hands up in defence, clueless as to why this man was coming at him. 

“No cheating here, Fletch, just plain luck,” He grinned, clearly not fearful of him. 

“Dude just take the loss and move on, it’s not that deep,” Y/n said, catching the attention of Fletcher again. 

“Not now, you whore. The men are talking,” Fletcher glowered, looking intimidatingly down at the girl. 

Y/n, however, wasn’t fazed by his words, “Look, it’s not his fault that you lost. I guess you just suck at Poker.” Fletcher’s face went bright red, and Y/n swore she saw steam coming out of his ears. Her eyes widened as she took a step back slowly. George pushed her behind him despite her protests of being able to handle herself. 

“Come on Fletch, there’s no need to go after an innocent woman,” Dream asserted, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder. He soon realised that his actions were a mistake as Fletcher spun around and threw his fist towards Dream’s nose. Dream’s mask had cracked slightly on impact, his green eyes widening in panic as he stumbled back slightly. 

Sapnap scanned the other men around them and calculated their next moves before he ducked a punch from a redhead. George’s hands gripped under Dream’s armpits as he pulled him up, dodging fists from the older men. Dream’s eyes were watering from the unexpected hit to the nose, and he could barely see.  

But what he did see was Y/n raising the metal drinks tray she found on the poker table next to them and slamming it down on the back of Fletcher’s bald head. Her eyes were wide as she stood behind his figure that was now on the floor, groaning. Her eyes met his and Dream felt his breath catch in his throat, but he couldn’t acknowledge it at the present time because there were five other guys to deal with. 

Dream regained his posture and cocked his head to the right, stretching his neck before standing off to the others. The men stood with their fists raised in front of their faces and their feet apart, ready to engage. George, Sapnap and Dream were just as confused as Y/n was, who was making sure Fletcher stayed down. 

“I really fucking hate you guys. Let’s get a move on with the meeting, shall we?” Y/n said lazily, she just wanted to get home. 

—

Dream sat in a large black chair, the lower half of his face covered in blood, the top half covered by his stained, cracked mask. Y/n had her legs crossed, with a stern expression, glaring at Schlatt as he rounded the table to sit at his obnoxiously large desk. 

Schlatt had demanded it only be Dream and Y/n in the office with him, making George and Sapnap wait outside. The two boys had angrily complained about it, but Dream assured them it would be fine, leaving them to sulk next to the heavy wooden door that led to Schlatt’s office. 

“You two make a good pair, eh?” Schlatt smirked, bringing his hands to interlock in front of him on the desk. Dream glanced at Y/n, who gave him a bored look. 

He then turned back to the front, “Why are we here, Schlatt?” 

“Oh, not very friendly,” He laughed, earning no responses from anyone in the room except for his assistant, Quackity, who stood in the corner. “That’s Quackity by the way.” 

Dream shrugged, uninterested with the introduction of his assistant and remained still until Schlatt continued.

“Now, tell me where the money is, Dream.” There it was—the literal million-dollar question.

The masked blonde didn’t react. Y/n cast her eyes towards him, seeing nothing but the white mask that covered his face. The smile on the front was a harsh contrast to the anger Dream felt. And when Schlatt huffed and wiggled his fingers at Quackity, then Dream perked up. 

Suddenly, Y/n wrists were being grabbed by Quackity, who had crossed the room in seconds. Dream immediately stood, only to be pushed back by Schlatt who had moved in front of him. 

Y/n opened her mouth object when Quackity whacked his free hand over her mouth. She let out a whimper at the smack, tears welling in her eyes in shock. Nonetheless, she continued to struggle against his harsh grip on her wrists. Y/n’s breathing became heavier, her thoughts clouded with fear of the unknown; what would Schlatt want with her?  

Quackity dragged the girl from the large chair towards the other side of the room, where another door lay, but he didn’t take her in yet. Dream’s gaze was locked on Y/n, everything else slipping away as he watched her thrash against her captor. 

“Let’s call it leverage?” Schlatt’s haunting voice echoed through the room, and he had an evil gleam in his eye. “You tell me where you hid the money, and I’ll let her go.” 

Dream’s head was on a swivel when he turned back to face Schlatt. Panic blossomed in his stomach; if he gave up the money, they’d all be dead. And as hard of a decision as it was, Dream knew what to do—he had his full faith in Y/n. He remembered what she had told him when they first started working together and drew in a breath. He nodded at Y/n once, receiving a pleading look in reply, and sighed.  

“Give ‘em hell, baby.” 

—

“Are you out of your fuckin’ mind?” Sapnap spat as the three men got back into the SUV outside of the casino. George shook his head in the backseat, scoffing as Dream ignored their questions. 

Meanwhile, Dream drove in complete fury. He knew what he did was wrong and stupid, but Y/n once demanded he let her go if she was ever held for ransom. It was an odd request at the time. And this was an irrational move that could get her killed, but he had no choice—it was her or the whole operation, and Dream was loyal. 

“Hello? You fuckin’—” 

“Sapnap.” 

The youngest froze at Dream’s tone and sunk into his seat, choosing to look out of the window than at him. He flexed his hand against the steering wheel, refusing to meet their gazes.

“Y/n asked me before any of this started, that if she were to ever be held hostage, for ransom, whatever, to trust her and let them take her. I don’t know why I never asked her why, but we have to trust her, and you have to trust me for making this decision.”  

“Call Techno and tell him that Schlatt’s taken one of us for ransom.” Dream said to no one in particular. Sapnap scrambled to get his phone from his pocket and dial their boss’ number, but not before turning and facing Dream from the passenger’s seat. 

“I—we trust you, Dream. And we’ll be with you till the end, okay?” Sapnap mumbled, gesturing to George in the backseat.  

“She’ll be fine.” Dream had a hard time believing George, “We know Y/n, she’s a strong girl—a whole lot stronger than us—she’ll get through it.” 

The piercing sound of metal against metal made Y/n cringe, distracting her from the burning of the new rope bound around her wrists. Quackity’s heavy breathing almost made her laugh, they hadn’t even walked for that long.

He didn’t say anything to Y/n when he guided her inside a cell. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around the dirty space, scrunching her nose in disgust as she noticed the damp walls and the stray cockroach that scurried across the floor. 

“I’m sorry about the state of this, we don’t have visitors often,” Quackity said, exhaling a scoff he let go of her arms. Y/n’s face dropped when she felt the rope loosen and fall off her wrists. She remained still as Quackity rummaged around behind her. 

The screech of the cell door closing startled Y/n—she thought she’d have more time to fight back. She heard Quackity shuffle away from the cell, and shortly after, the sound of dress shoes tapping on the concrete floor caught her attention. 

Y/n slowly turned around when someone cleared their throat behind her. She rolled her eyes as she came face to face with Schlatt. He stood with his hands behind his back in his usual arrogant suit and his deep red tie.

“Do you know why my tie is this red?” He asked, his head tilted to the side with a patronising smirk. It was an odd question, but Y/n could already guess the answer, she just didn’t want to hear it when she was this vulnerable. 

Schlatt leaned down and closer to the cell, his face fitting perfectly between the bars as his eyes glared into Y/n’s.  

“It’s so you can’t see the bloodstains.” He winked before sanding to his full height, his mood shifting entirely, “Anyways, I’m gonna keep this short. Get comfortable, Princess, you’ll be here awhile knowing Dream and his goons.” 

With a clap of his hands and a small chuckle, Schlatt left, his shoes clacking down the hallway and into the elevator at the end of the hallway. The machine dinged and then it was gone, leaving Y/n in a deafening silence. 

She sank to her knees, crestfallen, onto the concrete beneath her, still in her tight dress. As strong-minded as Y/n was, she couldn’t bring herself to give a witty remark. She was absolutely defeated. She knew Dream would get her out, eventually, but at what cost? Would Dream let everything the Dream Team has worked for in the past 3 years go to waste? For her? 

She didn’t let herself cry as she picked herself up, and hesitantly sat on the cot in the corner of the cell. Her dress was uncomfortable, and the feeling of satin against her skin irritated her immensely. 

Y/n had no idea how far underground she was; she sat in complete darkness and utter silence, nothing but the ringing of her ears and her screaming thoughts to keep her company. 

—

Dream paced the small space, tearing at his hair roots with his fists, his face red with panic and anger. He was so in his head; he couldn’t hear his two friends calling his name from 3 feet away. The thought of Y/n alone with Schlatt made him so infuriated he could punch a hole through the brick wall next to him. The ringing in his ears was deafening, and the stinging of his nails digging into his palms was numbing. 

Sapnap threw George a concerned glance, his brown eyes pleading George to do something to stop Dream from falling further into an endless loop of guilt and despair. 

“Dream!” The sound of George calling him in that tone caused him to pause his pacing. He turned to look at his English friend with wide eyes, his eyebrows raised in surprise. 

“You need to stop! Y/n wouldn’t want you having an existential crisis over her, she’d want you to hurry up and figure out a plan to get her back.”

Dream stood frozen for a moment; what would Y/n want? It was like a switch flipped inside Dream when he stood up straight, sending him into autopilot. All emotion wiped was from his face, leaving his eyes vacant and face blank. And as much as George hated to admit it, this cold version of his best friend knew what to do and how to do it efficiently. The sudden change shocked Sapnap slightly, leaving him frightened as he grabbed onto George’s sleeve. 

“Ok boys, let’s get to work.”

Emotion is a weakness, and they sure did not need that right now. 

Y/n had been suffering in the same tight dress and uncomfortable heels for a week; Schlatt’s lack of humanity and human decency (as well as kidnapping her in the first place), had put him in Y/n’s bad books.  

The only human interaction she had was Quackity bringing her meals twice a day and the small conversations they would have as she ate. He didn’t talk about his work much, only hinting at his eventual betrayal and escape from Schlatt. Although, he continually spoke of his family to her, telling Y/n that he was there against his will and was threatened with death if he left. She felt sympathy for the boy, he was so young. 

When Alex, as she now calls him, left her, Y/n was back with her mind. She had remained seemingly sane despite being in solitary confinement but was going insane without Dream. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his emerald ones gleaming at her through the darkness, their vibrance giving her shivers. 

She missed his touch: his cold hands in her’s, their knees brushing slightly when sitting on the motel bed, his hand on her thigh in the car, despite complaints from the boys. She cared deeply for him, and she knew he did too, but they were both too scared of rejection to get together. Sapnap always teased them for being ‘pussies’, and George would roll his eyes whenever they would flush at their closeness—god, she missed them too.

Biting her lip, Y/n tried her best to prevent tears from falling down her cheeks. But she hadn’t let them fall since being held ransom, fearing she would be seen as weak by Schlatt, and even Alex. The burning at the back of her throat was fiery as she let them out. She struggled to breathe, clawing at her throat when she felt her lungs tighten. Y/n tried to sit upright to calm herself down, but her pained cries filled the cold, concrete basement and rattled the cell bars. She sobbed for hours, only falling asleep when the last ones dried. 

—

As Dream put the car in park, he turned to face George in the passenger’s seat.

“You ready?” He asked. George exhaled and nodded, “Let’s get her back.” 

Dream smirked. His attitude had flipped entirely from last week, leaving him cocky and ready to fight the world. However, George saw through his best friend’s act. He heard Dream’s choked and ragged cries in the bathroom at 4 am, and noticed his red, puffy eyes at 7 am when they woke up. He saw the way his hands shook every time he drove, and he caught onto Dream’s routine of not eating until Sapnap would force him away from the table with the plans spread across it. 

George was concerned for his best friend, and Dream was oblivious. But despite everything, George knew he was determined to get Y/n back, above all else. Her life came before his own, and that scared George to his core, how far would Dream go to save Y/n?

“Ok, Geor—” The piercing screams of fire alarms made Dream jump as they echoed down the street. The two boys shared a surprised look before they hopped out of the SUV. They jogged down the road towards the Palm Casino with black duffle bags on their shoulders.  

Flames rose as high as the sky and embers rained on Dream and George as they ran through the smoke to the entrance. Employees darted out of the main doors, crashing into the boys as they continued to the central control room of the casino. George heaved the heavy door open before closing it firmly behind them. They dropped the bags and began drinking in the clean air as they set their eyes on Sapnap who sat behind a desk with his feet up on the table. 

“Well, boys, how did I do?” He said, arms out as he cocked his eyebrow up. George laughed in disbelief, “I can’t believe that worked.”  

Sapnap shook his head quickly, “You had no faith in me, did you?” He threw his hand on his chest and stood up from his spot. 

“Sap, you did great!” Dream exclaimed, walking over to slap the boy on the back. Sapnap’s pained expression turned into a smile as he watched George do the same. 

“Ok then, where’s the security office?”

—

“I can’t fit my fat ass through there, Sapnap.” Dream’s jaw dropped as he measured the gap with his hands, “There’s just no way!” 

George rolled his eyes and pushed Dream towards the duct, “Just go! Do you want Y/n back or not?” Dream’s face scrunched up, much like a child when having a tantrum, and whined. 

“Why don’t you just go? I simply just cannot fit! Here, you wanna see?” George and Sapnap nodded, amused looks on their faces as they watched him dive headfirst into the air duct. 

His body slipped in in such an elegant way that it made them burst out laughing. Dream, who couldn’t see his friends, exhaled deeply before he began crawling along. His movements heightened their laughter, seeing him wiggle through, but it only made Dream more determined to pursue the journey. 

“Oh yeah, you have such a fat ass, Dream! Throw it back for me, baddie!” Sapnap yelled after him, his giggles interrupting the sentence a few times. 

George and Sapnap’s antics were long gone, and all Dream could hear was the squeaking of an elevator and the creaking of the metal beneath him. He had memorised the layout of the ducts in his head and decided that this was the spot to drop down into.  

The first basement looked usual,  with a boiler in the corner and some filing cabinets lining the walls. Dream dropped from the ceiling with no sound, moving silently towards the elevator in the opposing corner of the large room. The sound of shoes slapping the hard ground paused Dream’s movements before he moved quickly behind a cabinet. 

“—He said not to go down there, Tubbo. What do you think he’s hiding?” 

Dream furrowed his eyebrows, were those kids? He adjusted his mark slightly before he peeked around the corner of the filing cabinet. Sure enough, Dream saw two teenage boys, one significantly taller than the other. But nonetheless, they were definitely very young. Why did Schlatt hire two British kids to guard his secret underground prison? Dream shook his head, glancing down at the floor as he crept out of his hiding spot. 

“Oi!” He heard. Dream looked up, seeing the taller boy stalk towards him. The blonde boy stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he looked back at the other boy. 

“Tubbo, do you know who this is?” The blonde asked in disbelief. The shorter one nodded, his expression lifting at the sight of Dream. Their jaws dropped as Dream exhaled deeply. 

“Dream? As in the Dream Team? As in Techno Industries?” Dream rolled his eyes behind his mask. He didn’t respond as the two boys inched closer to him. 

“Listen, I’ll give you a few bucks if you don’t mention this to Schlatt, got it?” Dream growled, shoving his hand in his pocket and pulling out a few hundred-dollar bills. The boys’ eyes shone, the shorter one reaching forward to accept the bribe before the blonde pushed him back. 

“That’s all? I was expecting at least a grand each from THE Dream.” He smirked. Dream remained expressionless and went to decline before the blonde continued. “It’s a grand each or I tell Schlatt you were snooping around his casino.” 

Dream shook his head and pulled another $600 from his pocket and shoved it into their hands, “Now shut the fuck up, or I’ll do it myself.” 

The taller one went to reply, but the other one pulled on his sleeve and shook his head. He rolled his eyes and mumbled a string of curse words before turning and stomping away. The other boy muttered a quick ‘thank you’ with a small smile on his face and hurried off in the direction of the staircase that went up to the casino’s main floor. Dream guessed that the fire had been taken care of by the way they fled carelessly up the stairs. 

Dream sighed and trod over to the elevator. He pressed the arrow to go down and groaned when the scanner next to it blinked red. 

He scrunched up his face when he glanced back towards the air duct. The only other option was to try and get down the air duct and into the rafters in the basement below. 

Dream had the urge to throw a temper tantrum at Sapnap’s shitty planning. He pulled himself back up into the duct and crawled towards the wall where the elevator was. Reaching a sharp drop, Dream looked over the edge, his eyes widening at the height. He grunted as he positioned himself above the fall; all he had to do was slide down. 

He could hardly see the bottom, but he knew if he slid down as planned, he would go straight through. So, instead, Dream slowly moved his arms and legs into the small space and gradually let himself down, inching closer to the bottom with every move.  

Sweat dripped down his temple, and his muscles ached as he went, his palms becoming slippery against the smooth and thin metal. He held his breath as he reached the bottom, scared any sound he made would attract unwanted attention from whoever could be in the vicinity.  

He let out a quiet, steady breath, and he returned to his hands and knees in the horizontal air duct. His original plan was irrelevant, so he didn’t know the map of the air ducts in the second basement, leaving him guessing. 

Once he thought the spot was right, he harshly pushed on a panel of the duct below him, hearing it clatter on the concrete as it hit the ground. He cringed at the sound and slowly lowered himself onto the beams that were directly below him. How convenient. 

The sharp sound of the panel dropping had caught the attention of several guards. On this level, there were actual security guards with weapons and not lippy teenagers. Dream made eye contact with one of them, scolding himself when the man scrambled for his walkie talkie as he spotted Dream on the beams above. 

Dream rolled his eyes and dropped from the ceiling, crouching as he landed before standing up. He brought his pointer finger to his lips before bringing his fist to his neck and dragging his thumb across the skin. The action itself made the security guard’s eyes widen and freeze his movements. Dream’s sadistic smile and seemingly wild nature made the guard move backwards into the wall as he passed. 

He went around another corner and was met with an entirely different area he wasn’t expecting. But, Dream was sure he was going to succeed in finding Y/n and escaping as soon as possible. And of course, the echo of a sinister whistle made him freeze. Fuck.

“Dream! Hey, buddy, how’s it going?” As Schlatt rounded the corner, a smirk spread across his smug face, Dream squeezed his eyes shut. 

“A little friend of mine told me you were here! Just thought I’d come and say hi,” He chuckled as Dream cracked his knuckles. Damn kids.

“Schlatt, where’s Y/n?” Dream demanded, cracking his neck when he jerked his head to the side. 

“Now, that’s not a nice way to greet a friend, is it, Dream?” 

Dream’s eyes widened behind his mask. He stood stunned, no words coming from his mouth. 

“Dream, she’s not yours. She never has been. So why do you think you have to save her?” Dream’s expression remained the same as Schlatt continued, “You’re too pussy to even ask her out, let alone be her boyfriend.” It was a ridiculous argument, Schlatt knew that, but he was positive he was going to get a rise out of Dream this way. 

He sneered at Dream’s silence, the deep rumble of his cackle rattling Dream’s bones. Suddenly, a scream added to the ominous atmosphere that Schlatt had created, and Dream jumped into action, launching himself at the older man. 

“Where is she?” His voice became raspy as he threw a punch at Schlatt’s temple. Schlatt growled at the attempt and hurled his arm back at Dream. He dodged it, barely, but stepped back and rushed towards the cell Y/n was in. 

“Y/n?” He shouted, ducking and searching for the girl through the bars of the numerous cells that lined the basement. 

“Here.” 

The sound of her broken voice snapped Dream into action. Sprinting down the hallway, he was met with Y/n’s grubby and exhausted body. His heart broke at the sight of her, and he gripped the bars, pulling and pushing them in an attempt to break them. 

Dream was so caught up in getting Y/n out, he didn’t notice Schlatt coming from his left. 

The impact of a fist colliding with his temple sent Dream stumbling to the right, his mask cracking slightly in the corner at the force. He grunted in pain before spinning to meet Schlatt again, who had his arm raised in its previous position. Dream tried to shake his head from his dazed state, the unexpected hit stunning his consciousness. 

Schlatt aimed once again and swung his fist to hit Dream in the face. But, Dream saw it coming and swivelled to the left to dodge the incoming punch. Schlatt let out a guttural sound, growing frustrated with his miss. The hit to his temple left Dream seeing stars; however, he managed to duck and strike Schlatt in his stomach, earning a deep groan. The older man recovered quickly, picking himself back up to his full height as he mumbled, “bastard.” 

Dream was losing shamefully, lazily avoiding punches and swaying lightly as Schlatt grinned at his anticipated win. 

Whilst Dream stumbled slightly, Schlatt snickered, his fist coming across to hit him again. This time, the punch followed through and cracked his ceramic mask fully, the object dropping to the ground and shattering on impact. Schlatt barked out a laugh as he watched the pieces scatter.  

“And here we have, the real Dream! You know, you’re not what I expected. Definitely uglier.” He cackled, doubling over in laughter as Dream watched. He blinked and was void of any emotion as Schlatt stood back up. 

“What? Can’t take a joke?” Dream clenched his jaw, and he lunged forwards, his hands coming to grip onto Schlatt’s shoulders and bringing his knee up to jab him in his stomach. He groaned out in pain as he doubled over, yet again, but this time not in joy. 

The back of Dream’s belt that held his handgun was screaming at him. So, reaching behind him, Dream revealed his firearm. The weapon had wiped Schlatt’s smug look off of his face, replacing it with one of fear. His expression mocked Dream, although he didn’t catch onto Schlatt’s taunting. 

“Dream, listen, buddy—” 

“Shut the fuck up, Schlatt.”

But, Dream’s face contorted to something of confusion and horror when Schlatt started chuckling. He pulled the side of his suit jacket to the side to reveal a similar Glock, making Dream freeze his once confident motions. 

“You see, I’m always 3 steps ahead of you, Dream,” Schlatt tormented, pulling the gun from its secure place in his jacket.  

“You’re fucked now.” Dream went to lunge at him again, but Schlatt stepped to the side and pushed him down.

Dream’s gun went sliding across the polished concrete and out of his reach. The blonde swore as he saw Schlatt stumbling towards his fallen body. He lifted himself off of the ground, panting heavily as he ducked another punch from the older man. Dream stepped back, balancing his weight on his right foot, and threw his fist out towards Schlatt’s cheek. The punch landed, and Schlatt staggered backwards slightly, blood dripping from his lips as he grinned. 

“I see how it’s gonna be,” He lifted his arm and aimed the gun towards Y/n, who stood in the cell behind him. Dream leaned to the side to catch Y/n’s pained gaze. 

“Please,” Dream’s strained voice was barely audible through Schlatt’s booming psychotic laughter. Clenching his fists, Dream glared at him, “Don’t do this, Schlatt.” 

“Oh, Dream, I could do this all day!—” A flat crack bounced off the concrete room and was soon followed by a heavy thud. Dream swallowed in shock as he watched deep red blood spill across the floor, oozing out of the fresh wound. He was frozen in his spot as he watched the body twitch and then loll, unmoving. 

“Dream?” Dream’s eyes flickered from Schlatt’s body to Y/n, who stood with his gun loosely in her hand. 

“Y/n?” His voice was weak as he struggled to stand. The clatter of the gun dropping on the hard surface didn’t come close to silence the thoughts running through his head.  

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m okay, I’m here. Dream?” Y/n cried, wrapping her arms around Dream’s stiff body. His hand came up to feel the wetness on his cheeks, and he pulled it away, seeing red smeared on his fingers. 

“He’s gone?” He whispered, earning a nod from Y/n, “It’s okay.”

“No, I know. It just shocked me, that’s all. I thought he killed you.” 

Y/n sighed, tightening her grip on him, pressing her face into his shoulder, “I’m right here, see. I’m not hurt, I’m fine, with you.”  

Dream turned his head towards her, an unsure expression on his face as he threw his arms around her. 

“Fuck, I thought—” 

“Dream. Deep breaths.” He nodded, following Y/n’s motions in breathing evenly. 

“Jesus, usually you’re the one helping me calm down from something like this,” Y/n giggled, her hand coming to run her fingers through his hair, not minding the dampness of drying blood. A smile broke out on Dream’s face before he noticed Y/n’s eyes widen and her head fly to the side to search for something. 

“What’s wrong?” Dream asked, seeing Y/n’s eyebrows crease, “Your mask.” She whispered, spotting the shattered ceramic feet away from where they sat. 

Dream breathed out a laugh, bringing her face back towards his, “My mask is the least of my worries right now.” 

“I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow.” 

“Of course, you will.” 

“Y/n!” Sapnap yelled, running towards the girl as she pushed open the security office door. Y/n locked her arms around Sapnap’s shoulders as they embraced, the pair giggling in disbelief. 

“How have you guys not been kicked out yet? The fire’s out.” Dream said, closing the door behind them. George shrugged, “Paid ‘em off.” Dream snorted in response.

When Y/n pulled away from Spanap, she hugged George, who was eagerly waiting behind them. 

“Don’t do that ever again. You left me with two dumbasses for so long,” George mumbled. Y/n felt tears fill her eyes as she squeezed George tighter, “I missed you guys so much.”

And after a teary reunion, the group sat around the desk in the middle of the room. 

“Where’s the big man himself?” Sapnap nervously laughed, dread ate at his conscience at the thought of Schlatt coming after them again. 

“Schlatt’s dead.” The news had George raising his eyebrows and pushing his head forward, “Huh? Sorry? What?” 

“He’s dead, Y/n killed him.” Dream stated, earning a small smile from Sapnap that Y/n laughed at. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. Sapnap’s reaction made me giggle.” 

The group shared a collective rumble of laughter before Dream suggested they went back to the motel. 

“Hey,” Dream whispered at Y/n when she passed him, gently grasping her elbow. “You guys go ahead, I just need to speak with Y/n,” He continued, waving the boys in the direction of the car. George and Sapnap shared a knowing look and tried their best to conceal their cheeky smiles. 

“What’s up with them?” Y/n asked, throwing her thumb over her shoulder at the boys. Dream shook his head slightly, “No clue.” 

“Anyway, I just wanted to ask how you are. You know, after everything.”

Y/n nodded, “I’m okay, I think. I don’t think anything’s really hit me yet.” Dream sighed in response. 

Y/n sucked her lips between her teeth, throwing her arms around Dream’s neck in a hug. He smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“Thank you,” She whispered in his ear, her voice cracking with emotion. Dream’s heart clenched at the sound and tightened his grip around her. 

“You don’t have to thank me, baby. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you, you know that,” He murmured, hiding his reddening face in her neck. He flushed, even more, when he felt her lips against his neck, “I love you, so much, Dream.” 

Dream’s heart skipped a beat before he pulled his head from her neck. His green eyes looked into hers, the closeness of them making Y/n inhale sharply. 

“And I love you. Don’t forget that, okay?” He replied, his voice low. Y/n nodded shortly, inching her lips up to his. 

“Kiss me.” She muttered, nudging his nose with hers. Dream laughed breathy before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers. 

Their bodies had become flushed against one another, her hips against his as they shared a heated kiss. Dream pulled away first, his cheeks pink and his lips plump. Y/n whined silently, bouncing in her heels at the loss of his lips. 

Dream smiled widely at her, “I guess I want you more than I thought I did.” Y/n gasped, taking her hand from his neck to slap his chest, giggling like a schoolgirl at his teasing. 

“Shut up, you’ve wanted me since you met me,” She said to which Dream nodded. 

“You got that right, baby.” 

Feedback is greatly appreciated, always xoxo

[munsons-maiden]

I dont think dear eddie is gonna make it cuz they'll probably wanna kill a character for theatrics and plot and hey eddie is the theatrical one also when they defeat vecna how are they gonna prove to the police and the residents of hawkins that eddie didn't kill Chrissy so it's more convenient for the writers to get rid of him plus everyone loves him so much it feels too good to be true. I so so so hope I am wrong and this is all bullshit but I just don't trust them. I need eddie to live and to be in the next season cuz I want more eddie screen time but : (((

Yup. Never before have I been so terrified for a character like I'm terrified for Eddie because I agree with everything you said.

The whole "there's no shame in running", "I'm not brave" etc. thing Eddie has going on since episode 1 is definitely leading up to him being the brave hero he didn't think he'd be - and I'm scared out of my mind that it'll entail a heroic sacrifice.

There's at least one heroic sacrifice in every season of Stranger Things, but since this season is the penultimate one, it would make sense that nobody dies. Plus, Eddie is not a side character. He's a main character now, and they never killed off a main character before (Hopper doesn't count for obvious reasons). Eddie's death would contribute nothing but pain to the story, and to kill off a character simply for shock and pain sould be bad writing. Look at Billy - even his death wasn't just a plot device to save the party in season 3; it was the foundation for Max's character development and by that even a factor for the development of her romantic relationship with Lucas. And even then, Billy was still not a main character, at least not in the way Eddie is now. I believe pairing Eddie with the party equals the way Robin and Erica were brought into the equation last season - as new lovable main characters.

Regarding the witch hunt for Eddie: as I said, I agree and I'm scared out of my mind that they'll kill him off so it'll be easier, but...apart from that being bad writing - we already know that Hawkins has a storm coming. Eddie is the main suspect, but that's because he's their only suspect. The witch hunt wasn't started by the police, it was started by Jason. At the rate the gates are plopping up all over Hawkins at a faster rate than Starbucks Coffee houses, it's only a matter of time until people realize what's happening isn't Eddie's doing. Dr Owens already told us Hawkins would be in the eye of the storm, and I think that's the exact cliffhanger that'll be waiting for us at the end of Vol. 2.

Shit's about to hit the fan, to an extent where people realize that the things which are going on don't have anything to do with satanism or Eddie.

But still...yes, I'm terrified as well.

[colethewolf]

I am sensing some desperation in the TW camp. The whole Derek is back and the jeep 3 times and trying to get Eli in as many behind the scenes with the jeep and now with Derek? They even had Tyler Twitter post it. And he never posts anything. Not even his own shows

There isn’t much else getting any attention for this crap fest is there ? And even then the replies and comments , it’s all about stiles and sterek that’s being commented on and not that they are going to watch it but can’t wait to canibalize the shit out of it to make it sterek. Did TH return really generate anything? Did it gain anything ? Any Twitter trends? Any real hype? It got some good likes and retweet numbers. Most fans knew he’d filmed scenes so it wasn’t a surprise. If the best they can do is use Derek with his ridiculous plot device son that makes no sense in canon as a character Jeff is in deep trouble trying to find some buzz. Not many sterek fans who were at one point their core fanbase isn’t on board and many general TW fans just aren’t interested in the movie many based on the lost son plot point? I mean the original cast and certainly thier true alpha shit Scott returning isn’t making the buzz. Is this movie going to do anything? Especially isolated on paramount + ? I think it’s already in trouble.

It's ironic that as I type out this response right now, 'Stiles' is literally trending over on Twitter. But yes, they are going to face a major problem trying to entice people to watch this movie. They should've picked up on this when they announced the cast & all anybody could talk about was how Stiles wasn't going to be in the movie/how shitty they treated Arden.

As popular as Derek is in the fandom, he is not enough of a draw to pull back audience members from the past to come watch this show. I'm willing to bet that Jeff thinks fans of Superman & Lois will come check out this movie, but he's dead wrong. There are ex-TW fans who watch S&L, but not the reverse.

The problem is that there are THREE very different eras of Teen Wolf fans.

the fans who watched seasons 1-3B, but dropped off after the anti-Sterek era began

the fans who picked up the show season 4-6

the fans who didn't watch the original run, but picked it up via streaming during the quarantine (the newbies)

I think Jeff is aiming for nostalgia by bringing back Jackson & Allison, but the problem is that the majority of people who liked those characters/knew who those characters were either stopped watching long, long ago and/or hate Jeff Davis & want nothing to do with him because of the way he treated the characters, ships, and fans.

It was probably in Jeff's best interest to cater to the newbie fans who don't yet hate him. But Jeff didn't even call Cody, so he just cut off access to the Thiams that would've promo'd this movie for free. And Jeff only brought back Liam & Mason, instead of all the other newbie characters they tried to spinoff with during the final seasons of the show.

And then, of course, we have the issue of Dylan/Stiles not returning. And honestly, that's the biggest kick to this movie's ability to find success. Dylan/Stiles is the heart of the franchise. Without him, the franchise cannot survive. We saw this during the final season of the show. And without Dylan/Stiles in this movie, Jeff just lost a whole shitload of people that would've watched otherwise.

I think that had Jeff built & maintained a working relationship with fans & not been such a miserable ass, we'd all be here to watch this movie & hype it up. And I'm willing to bet Dylan would've returned, but it seems like Dylan had a bad experience in his final years on this show & wants nothing to do w/ it.

It's Jeff's fault, tbh.

[writing-on-the-wahl]

Writing Snippet #16: Songbird

Part 2

So @im-a-wonderling had a fantastic plot idea... and I added wings.

(Collaborating with her on this one was so fun! I don’t normally write angst so it was new for me and she was an incredible help/inspiration!)

TW: blood, implied violence, general angst

———————————

Villain leaned back against the stark white wall. In fact, aside from his own dark blue attire, everything in the hallway of cells was white: the floors, ceilings, doors, even the metal bars were painted white.

Supervillain had always preferred things nice and clean and white.

Not the best color choice for the dungeon of a brutal supervillain. Villain wondered how they cleaned away the bloodstains.

Supervillain’s minions had been courteous enough when they brought him in, not that he’d been able to put up much of a fight after a sniper shot him with a power suppressor mixed with a sedative. He’d been barely conscious when they dragged him into this cell and left him alone.

That had been hours ago, and he still couldn’t feel his powers. Not the most ideal scenario. Especially considering the reason he was here.

Supervillain’s missing device. Her masterpiece. Prize of her collection. Peak of her creative genius. First of its kind.

And only, Villain thought smugly. He and Hero had stolen the device last week. And Supervillain was notoriously paranoid about her technology being stolen and never wrote anything down. She might be able to recreate the device, but it would take a few years.

He didn’t know how Supervillain knew he’d been involved. She was sure to demand the return of her invention, which was, unfortunately, currently in a thousand pieces at the bottom of the ocean.

Villain had anticipated a double cross from Hero, had thought the Hero Agency would insist on saving and using a machine that could duplicate superpowers and create new heroes, but Hero had been just as determined as he was to see the machine destroyed.

Personally, he knew what would happen if Supervillain managed to duplicate his powers, knew the destruction she would leave in her wake.

He wasn’t exactly sure why Hero had been equally as passionate, but he hadn’t been able to resist grinning at her enthusiastic smashing. He could have destroyed the device with a flick of his fingers, but watching her take a sledgehammer to the metal had stirred something in his chest. Admiration turning towards something warmer.

The door at the far end of the hall banged open, and two guards burst into the room, dragging a limp form between them.

Villain’s heart skidded to a stop.

The figure in the middle was small and slim, with oversized wings that dragged on the ground as the guards carried her forward.

Villain would know those wings anywhere: a blue so light it was nearly white, with feathered tips that looked as though they’d been dipped in the midnight sky.

Hero.

Villain stiffened, hands curling into fists.

They drew closer, and his breath caught.

There was blood dripping from a wound on Hero’s temple; the fair skin of her face and arms was already beginning to bruise.

The guards hauled her past, and his nails bit into the flesh of his palms at the sight of her wings, one wing hanging at a horribly wrong angle as it dragged on the ground behind her, spatters of red dotting the light feathers.

Fury pounded in his chest as his eyes stayed fixed on her mangled wing. If his powers were working, the entire prison would have been obliterated.

Hero didn’t stir as the guards threw her into the cell next to his.

His heart stuttered as logic warred with panic.

They wouldn’t lock her up unless she was alive...

Right?

Villain gripped the edge of the hard metal cot, the sharp corners digging into his palms as the guards strode by.

He offered a sardonic raise of the eyebrow as they glanced his way. One of the henchmen paused.

“The boss will be by soon to release you. She was given new information that revealed the true thief of her device.” His eyes cut to Hero.

Villain hummed disapprovingly as he leaned back, though every muscle was tensed, ready to spring. “I told Supervillain I was innocent of her allegations.”

Henchman blanched at the threat of retribution in his tone. “Yes yes. Hero confessed to everything.”

Villain closed his eyes briefly. Even though he had been the one to approach her. His idea. His plan. His fault.

And now here was his beautiful songbird, bleeding on the cell floor.

Villain studied Hero, taking in every bruise and cut and drop of blood.

His face was an icy mask as he faced the guard. “Yes. I can see that.”

The guard had the audacity to smile. “Oh, no. She told us the moment we brought her in. Yelled about how it had been her and her alone who took the device.”

Had she done it to protect him?

The guard waved a hand carelessly at Hero’s crumpled form. “That’s what happened when she told the boss she’d destroyed it.”

He was laughing as he walked away.

The henchmen were beneath him. At least, that was what Villain told himself as they continued down the hall. It was the only thing that kept him from murdering the two lackeys through the bars of the cell.

He couldn’t afford to reveal his connection to Hero. Couldn’t reveal how much he cared. Not yet.

As soon as their backs were turned, he studied Hero. She was on the ground, injured wing partially beneath her. Her other wing had fallen across her body when they dumped her to the ground, and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing.

He reached for his powers to rip the prison walls apart— to get to her—but that part of him was still numb.

His own breaths came in fast as his mind spiraled. He watched the blood dripping from the cut on her head, dark red spilling on the bright white floor.

Please be alive.

Please.

When the door clicked shut and they were finally alone, Villain dared speak.

“Hero.” He hissed. “Hero!”

She didn’t stir.

Villain thought that he could see the movement of breath, but that could just be the A/C ruffling her soft feathers.

He found himself holding his breath, waiting for hers.

The next moments were agony.

Lightheaded, he closed his eyes and took a large gulp of air.

When he opened them again, Hero was watching him, eyes wide, pupils dilated.

“Hero!”

She dropped her gaze, arms trembling as she struggled to push up out of the tangle of her wings, whimpering as the movement jarred her broken wing.

Villain ached to plug his ears, to block out each tiny heart-wrenching sound of pain, but he had no right.

Every mark on her was his fault.

Had they captured her after they brought him in? If he had confessed…

“Hero, they said you told them...” he trailed off as she deliberately twisted away and flared her wings to block him from view. A cry of pain accompanied this action, and her shoulders curled inward as they began to shake.

Villain slid to his knees, fingers uselessly clutching the bars between them.

“Hero! Are you ok? Please, talk to—”

He cut off abruptly as the far door burst open once more, and he forced his voice to go cold as he rose to his feet, praying Hero would understand.

“...nothing more than you deserve you filthy—”

“Ah Villain!”

The cheerful voice fanned the rage burning in his chest, and he didn’t try to hide it as he stepped towards the front of the cell.

“Supervillain.”

“Now, now, Villain.” She laughed as she straightened the cuffs of her fresh white lab coat, but she still had blood under her fingernails.

White hot fury ripped through him. It took every ounce of self control he possessed to school his features as she continued.

“I know you’re a little upset at my bringing you here.”

He growled.

“But as you can see, I’ve caught the true perpetrator, and I’ve come to offer my sincerest apologies.” She cocked her head and offered a smile filled with false cheer.

“And compensation for the inconvenience, I assume.”

She frowned briefly, then nodded. “Of course, of course. What is it you want?”

He offered her a sharp smile. “Let’s just say I’ll collect what you owe me later.” In blood.

Villain was the one powerless and behind bars, but Supervillain was the one who stepped back.

A guard approached at her signal, a pair of shackles in hand.

“Just a precaution,” Supervillain explained, “until you are off my base.”

Villain kept his protests to himself as he extended his hands through the bars and allowed them to be cuffed together.

He reminded himself that even with his hands unbound, there was no way he would be able to free Hero without his powers, trapped as they were at the center of Supervillain’s base, surrounded by hundreds of her people.

He filled his voice with bored curiosity. “What will you do with the thief?”

Supervillain smiled. “I had a canary once. Made a marvelous little pet.”

The memory of Hero soaring through the clouds, winds extended, glorious and free, flashed through his mind, and his stomach churned at the thought of her in a swinging cage, wings folded in, trapped and alone.

The cell door swung open, and Villain cast one last look at Hero, who now met his gaze with glassy-eyed terror. It was a look that would haunt him all the way back to his lair, where he would immediately send for Sidekick and make plans for a rescue against the most secure base in the country.

“Naughty thing kept trying to escape though.” Supervillain slammed the empty cell door shut for emphasis.

As Villain followed a guard down the hall, Supervillain’s bright voice echoed behind him, words that froze his heart and shattered his careful mask of composure:

“Had to clip its wings.”

——————————

*** full credit to @im-a-wonderling for the line, “And here was his beautiful songbird, bleeding on the cell floor.” The queen of beautiful tragedy, everyone.***