#this fandom has been really meaningful
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kâŚsoâŚhmm i donât know if iâll leave this up. im truly in a moment where i just wanna be lowkey. i donât exactly want to be perceived too much rn. but this pride is really important to me. and i donât really even know if this is worth anyoneâs time, but i feel like i should say something...if only just to be able to look back and see that i did celebrate in my own way.
i donât think iâve had a pride where iâve experienced it the way i would have liked, tho this is the year where i really feel whats at the heart of it the most. im queer and genderfluid/nonbinary. not just in how i love, but also how i live. iâve had some recent revelations about all that thatâs been really exciting, but a lot of figuring myself out happened in the midst of a great deal of crisis so there hasnât been very much, joy or celebration these past few years. last year in particular was so hard i experience such a severe period of anhedonia and apathy i didnât think iâd see the other side of it. iwtv was the first thing i was able to fully enjoy, and feel the enjoyment, and then coming on here and meeting so many amazing lgbtq+ people (espc. my black mutuals) has been mind altering. not even an exaggeration! talking and sharing ideas and laughing and just enjoying you guys has shifted my life experience in ways i wish you knew. i wish words could express it, but i don't think they really can. so i guess this is a thank you to my gay vampire show family as it is a very real celebration that i chose to watch it and that i'm still here.
there used to be a goal post for not being here. and wanting to see S2 shifted that. and then immersing myself within this fandom experience gave me reasons to push it further. and then suddenly i was being inspired to do things for me that i had given up on just bc connections i've made. and now i dont even know where that goal post is. it used to be so clear and in sight. i was almost a statistic in the worst way. one of the most effective way to erase us is by making us take ourselves out of life so they can say it was us all along. something was wrong within is. but nothing is wrong with all the beautifully complex and chaotic ways i exist. something is wrong with a society that doesn't want me in it when the world clearly does. when it keeps giving me reasons to keep going and keep fighting despite the opposition. even if i took myself out, i couldn't be erased anyways bc iâm so loved. as i am. im loved. and i love and thatâs really untouchable. on the other side of not being able to feel, and not being able to care. im reminded im loved. and i feel it now. and i care so much about it that its given me fight. its given me the stubbornness and spite required to live in all this.
i think a lot about this.
[image description: a poem by Lucille Clifton titled - wonât you celebrate with me.
wonât you celebrate with me
what i have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.
end image description]
i know theres a lot of pain. and grief and uncertainty that exists throughout this fandom. i know thereâs a lot people are experiencing that they aren't sharing or getting into. if my life is anything to go by i know that suffering in this life can sometimes be so egregious you question what itâs all for. i question that a lot. even now. and i don't have an answer really. I don't think itâs my place to answer that for others anyways. but iâm celebrating you guys bc youâve helped me feel. and care. and i attribute so much of the joys iâve had these past several months to getting to experience you all. you were here when i came searching for something to connect to. even if i didnât realize thatâs what i was doing at the time. weâre here together now. and you may not know it or feel it. but just you being here ripples and reaches. so i really hope youâll celebrate with me. they didn't kill us. and the ones that have passed live on in the ways we still love them. still grieve them. and honor them in everything we do. our lives are written in pen and permanent marker all over the world. theyâll tear off the flesh of their fingers, raw and bloody, before they ever succeed in wiping us away. weâre rooted in the core. the earth remembers us and keeps bringing us back. bc we belong here. happy pride.
#a little pride message to my fellow children of gay vampire divorce#this fandom has been really meaningful#also a personal message to myself about what it is to survive#i used to hate when people called me a survivor. it still kinda irks me#but i do like being something that canât be killed#queer really and truly as in fuck you#but also queer as in i love you sm#đđâ¨đŤśđž#mw posts
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i really donât think itâs âtypical dragon age fandom nonsenseâ for people to be genuinely upset about the world state choices. combat, level design, art direction, gameplay gimmicks, those have all varied across each dragon age game. the one thing thatâs remained constant are nods to our previous choices.
i wasnât expecting my HoF to come riding in on a griffon, but i canât find a monument dedicated to warden tabris somewhere around the anderfels? lucanis couldnât have some lines about the time that one arainai boy was stirring up trouble in antiva city? youâre gonna tell me that making a mage the new divine wouldnât have some impact on nevarra and antiva? on the anderfels, the supposed most devout militant andrastian nation in thedas? youâre saying nobody in the north is paying attention to who rules orlais or ferelden? come on.
#dragon age#yes iâve seen john eplerâs explanation on only wanting to carry forward choices that they could âreally do something with.â#and i understand what heâs saying and iâm curious to see how those 3 choices they brought forward will impact the story!!#but iâm still disappointed. and i think telling people why they shouldnât be disappointed is just gonna make them More disappointed.#also donât really appreciate dev comments like âcareful what you wish for with cameos. it just gives us an excuse to find new and horrific#ways to kill your faves teehee đ¤đ¤â like okay???????? what???#alistair came back twice & could be fine both times. loghainâs inquisition cameo was so meaningful because who the hell expected to see him#again? leliana can straight up die in origins and yall brought her back anyways. like what are we doing out here.#also when i think of âtypicalâ nonsense for this fandom itâs people doxxing each other over fictional character opinions. or what#fictional side your fictional inquistor took in the fictional mage-templar war. or just plain old racism.#NOT âdamn itâs fucking upsetting that this excited replay iâve been doing of the previous games and all the recommending iâve been doing#for new fans to play the other games before veilguard has turned out to be pretty fucking pointless.â#might as well tell someone to watch a letâs play of trespasser and thatâs it.#11/26 in a hater mood so iâm turning rbs back on lol. go forth & be petty
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You don't have to respond to this if you don't want to, I know it will start unneeded drama but I just found it soooo interesting that, since the transphobic blog lets you see their likes, most of their likes are TWC related. And it's not like that fandom is notorious for being a toxic hellspace, no sir.
to be frank it's not just twc, the IF space as a whole is pretty notorious for being toxic at this point. whether you're on tumblr or reddit or the forums, you're going to find these kinds of people lurking around.
that was why i did post that person's username because i could see them interacting with various other authors, and it's best to just block them before they send you something stupid, too.
just like any large online community there are going to be a lot of trolls trying to get attention by sending inflammatory messages or leaving cruel comments wherever they can; i've been getting that kind of stuff sent to me or left in reviews or comments for years now. and currently losers online are having a fucking field day with everything that's going on right now - racism, islamophobia, antisemitism, transphobia, even gore, i've gotten it all in my inbox over the last few months and i've seen others get even worse. these people are pathetic and not worth your time. i've gotten better at not responding to stuff like that, but it is hard to resist that instinctive anger, and that's exactly why they do it & exactly why you see it in every single fandom/online space.
all of that to say, just ignore and block them and you'll have a far better time online than if you constantly try to argue or reason with them because they don't care, their only goal is to make you miserable. even if you think you have some epic clapback, it's not worth it, you're still giving them the attention they clearly desperately want and potentially exposing others to harmful rhetoric. just block 'em, babey!
#it's also why i didn't bother actually responding to that person's message cus there was no reason to share it#just for them to get some weirdo satisfaction from it#i really try to only respond if i feel like it's something i can properly address in a meaningful way#but you can tell when asks are just meant to upset you and you should just block and delete those#and i dont care about twc but i dont think its helpful to blame one single group here#when overall the fandom space within IF and elsewhere is always kinda rancid#i cannot stress enough to just block people. i've gotten way more liberal about it over the years#there's no reason for you to have to interact with every single person just cus you're in the same space#even as an author#extracting myself from certain circles has helped me way more than trying to appease an audience that hates me#anyways it's been upsetting this past few months to see the depravity of some people that are just reveling in all of this#that's why i kinda wanted to respond to this. it's bleak out here but you'll always have the block button and the knowledge#that despite it all you aren't someone who wasted their time harassing random strangers on the internet!#ask#anonymous
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thinking about that ashswag testrun ep......
#listen 2 me. as someone who has a passive interest in the youtube algorithm#and likes to hear people talk about 'optimizing' it sometimes#and Also as someone whos very involved in fandom culture#its so!! fascinating to listen someone who has a fandom talk about the meta of their work!#like#when i think of 'ashswag' i automatically think of the fandom. i think about the thousands of words and dozens of art about spite and rage#but. ashswag (the guy) refering to 'ashswag' as a brand that can be optimized#its. a Really jarring disconnect as someone who thinks of the fandom First#esp when parrot and ash talking about the longevity of their channels#and talking about other creators and eventually going#'yeah i wish my content will grow with me as a person so i wont beat youtube like a dead horse and not enjoy it :/'#is. so interesting.#esp bc later they talk about off sourcing their editing to dedicated editors so they can be consistent#and trying to find the motivation to keep on going for like#5 years#and about how their goals are numbers based but also 'i wanna make meaningful content'#like. bud. yall already are#as someone whos talked with lots of members of the lifesteal fandom: yall are making art that inspires you!#it isn't just content that can be optimized. your videos inspire other people to create and connect#and be. human with each other.#and i Do think thats where fandom shines best#artists celebrating other artists#and ive been trying to go into this mindset myself: but youtubers are artists man!#theyre just using a new medium!!#and it sucks that youtube sees them as profit machines!! and punishes you for taking breaks bc youre human!!!!#but. listen man. when i think of ls s3#yes i do think of the traps and pvps#but i also think about something else#i think about the trust. i think about how in a server that punishes you for being bad at the game
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me when i create copious amounts of jimmy/dutch content that will never gain any attention let alone have the opportunity to gain attention due to the fact that it will stay locked up in the dark depths of my iphone notes app to forever rot and be forgotten
#almost two years in tkk fandom#and i have yet to genuinely interact with the fandom#or create meaningful content#i am my own fandom!!!!#i am number one jimmydutch stan!!!!!!!#my latest endeavor has been taking the all valley one hundred promos#and writing jimmtdutch ideas for each one#little scenarios and sometimes even entire plots#i really want to turn a few into real things#but i also write fics to like find community and create content and get noticed#so it really sucks when there isnât⌠well that yknow#itâs such a small fandom lol#and becomes even smaller when you focus in on the og cobras#and then even smaller when you start shipping the cobras#plus most of the fans are older#which isnât a bad thing but itâs just scary when im so young#i just love jimmydutch!#they are boyfriends#husbands even#mine#jimmy/dutch#dutch/jimmy
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And that's where both readers and authors should be looking: towards mending those community ties, however we can. Maybe that means giving up useless number-chasing if communities can't survive past a certain scale. We could choose to focus on the slow work of developing relationships and trust, creating smaller but more sustainable groups of people who can support one another. Even now, within the hostile infrastructure of the modern internet, I think these things are still just barely possible.
Alright, so: I want to explain a little more about this connection between the Twilight fandom, Fifty Shades of Grey, and seemingly, the self-publishing industry as a whole. It's a lot, so I'm going to have to chip away at it a bit at a time, and I think the best place to start is by describing the scene in late 2000s Twilight fandom.
In 2009, Twilight was one of the biggest fandoms in the world, although it was nearly invisible to outsiders because it
Was about a straight couple, while most other fandoms were predominantly gay, and
Was conducted almost entirely on fanfiction.net among a group of people who had little other background in fandom. (x)
That meant for many Twilight fans, Twilight was fandom. It was all they knew, and many had no path out. That also made it a corked champagne bottle with the pressure building.
Because of these community dynamics and the declining quality of the Twilight books themselves, Twilight fanfiction evolved to be mostly AUs so alternate they were more-or-less original romance novels that used Bella and Edward as broad character templates. (x)
Seriously, Twilight fandom got really crazy big for a few years there. It was not totally uncommon to get multi-million clicks on a semi-popular story. It's weird looking back on it and calling it "Twilight fandom" because it was really more like "Romance Novel fandom". For real, for a period there, calling a Twilight fanfic author a 'Twilight fan' would be the ultimate insult. But they never stopped writing about Edward and Bella! It's so weird. (x)
If you were in 2000s era fandom, you're probably aware of the phenomenon of Big Name Fans and the various social-climbing dynamics that happened around them. The Twilight fandom took this social power game another level:
This wasn't even just an author thing. There were Big Name Authors (BNAs) but there were also Big Name Readers. These were basically like... full-time rabid fans of a BNA. They devoted so much of their time to helping out the BNAs, reviewing their chapters, making them fanart, promoting their fics, kissing their asses with cringe-worthy intensity, you name it. Which is why you saw what looked like BNAs having 'employees', such as Moi, tby789's Director of Marketing. (x)
It became apparent that these power games weren't just for fandom clout. The fandom was proving that that social power could be translated into real-world dollars. You see, the Twilight fandom used to organize charity auctions where big name authors would auction off custom fanfiction, and the money generated was substantial:
Mostly authors would auction off stories. So if you donated in my name, I'd write you 10,000 words of porn in my Tattward universe, or something new, etc. That's how it worked. The 2009 auction raised $80,000. The 2010 auction raised $140,000. The 2011 auction raised $20,00. [NOTE: this is likely a typo] (x)
A lot of these dynamics were not unique to the Twilight fandom, but it was the combination that created a perfect storm of opportunism. This would end up changing not just fandom dynamics but the publishing industry as a whole.
#super interesting read and love the closing point#i am delirious with fever rn so apologies for the rambling#but i love how neatly this conjoins my dismay with comparative metrics in fandom to the fast fiction culture just outside of it lol#as well as lifts up the purposefully anti-networking pro-friendship mindset i so annoyingly and constantly espouse lol#i hate how ai entering the equation makes this disconnect between author and the craft even more pronounced#i think we are at a crossroads as implied for that very reason#i will always love a trend because they are fun to explore and discuss with other people#but i think the point that we should intentionally cultivate our craft and focus on slow fiction#as well as develop friendships and meaningful connections over the idea of âfansâ and ânotesâ is so essential#i have more thoughts on this that i will try to put into words sometime#but the main point i want to make is that fandom has been for many decades a distinctly anticapitalist and somewhat countercultural space#and to survive i think we need to as a collective actively resist the shift towards capitalist mindsets!!#specifically i want to combat âquantity over qualityâ perspectives and the pressure to constantly churn out content#as well as networking & transactionalism and the need to sanitize fan content to align with industry ideas of acceptability#i am not making any sense i can tell so i will circle back to this when my brain is not scrampled egg#really liked this read though and love the conversation it is starting
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I am just *deep sighs* about most things now.
Look - I do believe I am on the right side of history for what I am doing. I have zero ill intent, but I have been put in an impossible situation, and I am surviving on sheer intrinsic mental fortitude at this point. I have managed to "stay in" the Roosmav fandom - barely - when anyone else who this has happened to has been long gone.
It's probably not going to happen, but I wish the Roosmav fandom could be like any other fandom that I have ever been in - open and welcoming to all who want to participate in it. It disturbs me that just because I and others are not privvy to a certain gated space, that we are not able to engage meaningfully with it. I do make the posts I make on tumblr because I do hope against all hope for some sort of honest interaction one day. I know it's not going to come from anyone who knew me last year because...I don't know...I don't know why people who happily treated me as a friend treat me like a ghost now, but it's their prerogative to do so. It makes me sad, but I am used to it; I have been used to it for a very long time now.
I will speak on this more another day, but I do find it concerning that more fandoms are becoming gated spaces it seems, nowadays - not just Roosmav. We all just want to enjoy something together...I don't know why it should have to be such a struggle for some of us.
#R00smav#fandom#social commentary#the only good thing is that not looking at what other people say has allowed me to genuinely become an individual#so I'm kind of glad in that aspect#I think if I had been left to my own devices I would have ended up being a Rooster bias lol#but since I was around Tom Cruise fans (most Roosmavs like Tom Cruise better) I think I fell into that same mentality#which was not a bad mentality to have - I really did grow to appreciate Tom Cruise a lot through it#and he has BOMB PUSSY for sure#but I don't think I ever bothered trying to develop a lot of my own feelings until this year#one day I hope I can share these feelings with others in an engaging way - if even to a much smaller group#but at this point I think any sort of meaningful engagement will be well appreciated by me
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OK here it is, a ton of 'production' stuff for the Hot Guy Comic Zine! I've never been part of a project like this. Even though I was working on my comic mostly solo (shout-out to my editor Violet!), the world-building and story arc planning was completely collaborative. For example:
We started out on the world-building by voting on character's superpowers! Plenty of powers were almost unanimously agreed on, but Cuteguy was a HUGE campaign. We were pretty much 50/50 split between can fly/can't fly. Propaganda was exchanged LOL, like this piece where I campaigned for limited flying capabilities đ And thats what we ended up settling on!
From there we worked on a ton of brainstorming/world-building that I mostly spectated with an occasional doodle like these haha. I'm new to such elaborate AUs!
Pitch time!! I had pitches for each era and they were all pretty light and banter-y, so my year 1 pitch ended up fitting the vibe the best. My original pitch was 'HG + CG learn some key things about each other and plan to set up a base they can use together.' But when I started my script, I got really caught up in how they were navigating a partnership without knowing each others identities. The more I wrote through that, the more I wanted my story to be ABOUT that! So thats where my script started coming together.
Designs! I'm definitely not a confident costume designer. I was trying to go for low-tech + practical since it was early in their careers, and of course, easy to draw đ
Process went more or less like this! Full color comics take a LONG TIME but it was a total labor of love. I had the graffiti bgs in mind from the very start since I knew it was dialogue heavy, I wanted to make sure the art was interesting and worth spending time looking at. Oh lord did I get carried away. I'm OBSESSED with the symbolism the fandom has put to the life series and so I tried to sneak in as much meaningful symbolism as possible. AND THE RESULT:
Guess I did pretty well! đđđ
Anyway, I can't overstate how proud I feel to have gotten to work on this project. My whole goal as a hobbyist is to get to work with other artists I look up to and respect so this was a dream come true! Thank you everyone for reading, for 15k downloads (!!!), and for just being an awesomely creative fandom space to make art in! I hope to do more stuff like this again some day đ
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for the ask game: legendborn!
Favorite male: Nick! I feel that he had the best character arc in the second book, verses Bree and Sel who I was starting to feel fairly irritated towards with the overall lack of progress either of them made with their relationship, as well as with their actual roles as King and soulbonded bodyguard.
Favorite female: As much as I dislike the lack of development Bree got in the second book, I still think she's a fairly good character in book one. She's angry, and terribly determined to get what she wonts, and will shed blood sweat and tears to get there!
Favorite pairing: Nick x peace and happiness.
Least favorite character: As of book two probably Sel. I went in expecting for him to be staunchly loyal, do-or-die for Bree and Nick, and instead got all the worst traits of the dark brooding antihero love interest, who is also failing at his job I hate to say it but the haters might have a point.
Who's most like me: Probably Nick!
Most attractive: Objectively Nick, but I want to say Will (he is in my heart).
Three more characters that I like: Sarah, and I'm forgetting both of their names but Sel's old mentor, and old scion that helps train Bree. These books have a lot of side characters, and doesn't give most of them nearly enough to do in order to be compelling beyond a general surface level of 'I like them' or 'I don't like them'. Old mentor and old scion at least had a moment each where they were active in the plot that helped develop them beyond a static list of traits that most of the other side characters are reduced to. And Sarah is genuinely a interesting character with her own arc and conflict.
Thank you for the ask!
#bl00dmarked was so hard to get through#I honestly think it just needed more time in the oven bc the first third was excellent#but nothing meaningful really happens after that until the end we just sort of go from location to location and don't develop most of the#characters#Bree and Sel were incredibly incompetent and had the most ridiculous bulls*** drama going on between them#I'm sorry this is turning into a downer response but the second half was so bad :(#I don't even think I want to tag this bc the fandom for these books is the most vile one I've been in#at least in the reading sphere#which is a shame bc Tracy has some great things going on here. I stand by my stance that her themes and magic system#complement and build upon each other amazingly well and are one of the best examples of both that I've read#I think she just needed more time and a few more drafts#Fizzy talks
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I cannot believe how this hasn't been addressed in the PJO Fandom yet but does no one notice that the books, Rick himself glosses over or downplays the fact that PERCY FUCKING JACKSON GAVE UP IMMORTALITY!!!
And in reason as to why Percy gave up immortality?
The Percabeth stans are only too happy to make "Oh Percy gave up immortality for Annabeth." The hell he did. Have we read the same books? Are you really demeaning the importance of what Percy did. Cause here's what happened, and here's why it's so important:
PERCY GAVE UP IMMORTALITY SO THAT GODS COULD CLAIM DEMIGOD CHILDREN EARLY SO THAT THEY DO NOT REMAIN DEFENSELESS.
Furthermore, he did it so CHILDREN OF MINOR GODS COULD HAVE A PLACE TO BELONG TO, TO HAVE IDENTITY OF THEIR OWN, SO MINOR GODS THEMSELVES CAN BE PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED.
Similarly, he further added that CHILDREN OF HADES SHOULD NOT BE OSTRACIZED, THEY AS WELL AS HADES DESERVE TO BE WELCOME INTO OLYMPUS AND INTO CAMP , DESERVE PROPER RESPECT.
What ticks me off the most is how such an important sacrifice such an important change is never addressed again to the extent it deserves.
Cause this is not a surface level thing. This is going to change and better the lives of all demigods that come after or even demigods who were wrongly forced to remain in Hermes Cabin. A safe, more respectful, more meaningful environment for all demigods no matter who their godly parent is.
Are you telling that children of minor gods don't literally worship Percy for doing all this? Don't wholly completely feel grateful at least that he voiced out for them over his own difficulties? That he made a safe place for them happen?
Are you telling me that Minor Gods themselves don't feel at least a little grateful and respect Percy who did this of his own volition without having even met many Minor Gods. That he voiced out for their own children when they couldn't?
Are you telling me that Travis and Connor or any other demigods and cabin counselors don't automatically rave on about the greatness of Percy Jackson to any new arrivals in Camp Half-Blood?
Cause we were robbed of this of a proper homage to the sacrifice other demigods, Luke himself and Percy himself made to make it happen.
Piper, Leo , and Jason all seem so ignorant to it. Even newer demigods in Chalice of Gods or other books seem ignorant to this, and that's so against the usual canon representation of Camp Half-Blood as a community.
We should have seen it in Lost Hero, should have seen it in Chalice of Gods, should have seen it acknowledge repeatedly. You know why?
Yes, Percy didn't want immortality, but don't you know that deep down Percy knew exactly what immortality meant? Eternal protection from his father in his realm. No Gods bothering him, no more sacrifices or death quests. Freedom to do what he wants. To be able to spend time with his family as long as he wants without the worry of risking their safety. And he gave it all up
NOT EVEN IMMORTALITY. GODS WOULD HAVE GRANTED ANY WISH. HE COULD HAVE WISHED ANYTHING. FOR HIM TO BE PROTECTED? NO MORE QUESTS? FOR GODS TO LEAVE HIM ALONE? HE GAVE IT ALL UP, ALL OF IT.
Perseus bloody Jackson made happen what no one in the History of Camp Half-Blood has ever done. He managed to make Gods change their ignorant ways. He dismantled a culture of neglect and abuse.
And the fact Rick himself let this happen, let all this gloss over, and the fact that Percabeth stans have the AUDACITY to insinuate that he did for Annabeth and demean Luke's sacrifice, Percy's sacrifice is beyond me.
#percy jackson#Percy Jackon literally changed the way of the demigod world#percy jackson supremacy#pjo headcanons#anti percabeth#smart percy jackson#how are we not all obsessing over it's implications#camp half blood#pjo gods#percy and luke
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connect (with you)
synopsis â kurooâs walls come down after the game with karasuno.
content info â some hurt/comfort with our beloved nekoma captain because he deserves all the love in the world đ SPOILERS for the dumpster battle movie so beware. reader is mentioned to be kenmaâs sister a few times.
authorâs note â just wanna say hi to the haikyuu fandom :) hope u enjoy this short drabble i wrote, iâll probably make it look pretty later. lmk if you wanna see more kuroo x kozume!reader in the future.
your lips are on kurooâs before the locker room door even has a chance to close. his skin is soft and familiar, his kiss eager yet vulnerable. something compels you to reach up, circling your arms around his neck as you pull him closer, tighter, until youâre sure that his warmth has become your own. the sound of his breathing is the only thing keeping you tethered to the ground as your mouths meet again and again. no words need to be spoken.
after years of being together, and even more years of being friends, you know tetsurou like the back of your hand. as if heâs perpetually been woven into your spirit, etched into your heart since the day he moved into the house next to you and your brotherâs.
you know that the cheery grin he shot his teammates, the reverent bow he gave to the crowd, and the meaningful hug he shared with daichi at the end of the match were all borne out of three thingsâhis sworn responsibilities as the captain, his earnest respect for karasuno, and the addictive rush of adrenaline.
the moment he left behind the arenaâs blinding lights, though, the high seemed to wear off.
yet an aching feeling stayed with him.
when you pour your heart out on the court and play until your muscles feel like theyâre on fire, when you devote hours of your precious time towards practicingâtowards smoothening out every crack within your blocks, every blemish within your serves, every falter within your receivesâand when you imagine the game countless numbers of times in your head until it feels like a memory, thereâs a certain type of pain you feel when itâs all over. itâs a sadness thatâs inevitable, and yet one that stings so profoundly and uniquely that it becomes a bittersweet moment youâre bound to remember for the rest of your life.
just one more second, one more chanceâ you think to yourself in a flurry of desperation. because as foolishly selfish as it sounds, nobody ever truly wants the game to end.
that feeling of wanting to remain frozen in the experience is something you yourself are all too familiar with. volleyball, after all, was what gave birth to the connection you now so deeply share with tetsurou.
you suppose thatâs why youâre able to pinpoint the exact moment his shoulders start to shake.
pulling away from the kiss, you feel your heart plummet into your stomach before you can even see the tears trickling down his face. something youâve come to learn about tetsurou is that he rarely ever cries, so when he does, it only makes the sight that much more impactful. wordlessly, you pull him into you once more.
the way your arms firmly, comfortingly wrap around his tall figure conveys a simple but invaluable message that resonates throughout the empty roomâ âiâm not letting you go.â
quietly, he sobs. you let him.
you barely notice your nekoma jacket becoming damp with his tears. when his crying slowly starts to recede, you break the silence, voice soft and tender. âyou were amazing out there, tetsurou,â you whisper. âand thereâs three things i want to thank you for.â
withdrawing by the tiniest sliver, just enough so he can meet your patient gaze, your boyfriend tilts his head slightly in the way he always does. his fingers subconsciously trace patterns across the small of your back. âwhat are they, baby?â his voice is quiet and a little hoarse. really, itâs a miracle that you manage to block out your own shadows of sadness.
âone,â you whisper, fingers reaching out to gently wipe away his tears, âthank you for being the best captain this team could ever ask for.â
âtwo,â you continue, leaning in to kiss away the tears that remain, before a small smile pulls at the corners of your lips, âthank you for helping my brother fall in love with volleyball.â
âand three,â you breathe out, your vulnerable gaze meeting his own, lips inching towards his once more, âthank you for being as strong as youâve been, and for carrying the worldâs burden on your shoulders when none of us could.â
when you finish your heartfelt confession, tetsurouâs hazel eyes glaze over with a fresh wave of tearsâthis time, however, itâs for an entirely different reason.
and this time, heâs the one that kisses you first.
#haikyuu!!#haikyuu the dumpster battle#haikyuu movie#haikyuu kuroo#kuroo tetsurou#kuroo x reader#haikyuu fanfiction#haikyuu#hq kuroo#kuroo tetsuro x reader#kuroo x you#kuroo angst#kuroo fluff#kuroo tetsurĹ#kozume kenma#haikyu x reader#haikyu angst#haikyu fluff#hurt/comfort#he has my heart#ââ âdevon writesâ#haikyuu.writing đ
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Man. It really bites seeing Maximus (from the Fallout series) be so heavily overlooked by the fandom, when he is such a well-written character. Bar none, he's one of the best fictional examples I have ever seen of someone raised in a high-control group.
The Brotherhood of Steel, in their entirety, are given all the classic traits of a cult or HCG. They boast about having these grandiose ideals, all of which revolve around controlling other people's behavior. They use those same ideals to justify abusing lower-ranking members, implying all the while that it serves some greater good. And despite their supposedly rigorous beliefs, they're happy to turn a blind eye to unsanctioned abuse - because it serves the same purpose of keeping people "in their place".
Then we're introduced to Maximus - a young man who has made the mistake of taking those ideals seriously, but due to the environment he's been trapped in, was never taught how to act on them in a real and meaningful way. And in the process of figuring that out, he fucks up. (He fucks up a lot, because the Brotherhood wouldn't dare teach him anything that might help him function without their support.) But he genuinely wants to do the right thing, and we see that come through time and again as he slowly learns how to be his own person.
And yet, even with all that growth under his belt, getting away from the group isn't that simple. Because, like any high control group worth its salt, the Brotherhood doesn't want you to leave. Sure, they'll threaten to kick you out (or in this case, kill you) - because it keeps you in line. But they'd much rather have you under their thumb, so he still has to deal with the threat of getting sucked back in.
As a cult survivor, I rarely see people like me depicted accurately in the media. We're almost always either scheming sadists or helpless barefoot victims - you rarely see a nuanced depiction of how a regular person, with both good intentions and the skills needed to get away, can still end up trapped in that kind of group. Maximus is an incredible example of how that can play out, and I hope more people come to appreciate both him as a character and how well that dynamic was handled.
#fallout#fallout tv series#maximus fallout#fallout tv spoilers#also don't think I didn't notice people ignoring the main Black character
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Fandom is so nice to Jiang Cheng's inferiority complex because in reality every single thing he gets accused of is something Wei Wuxian is better at than him.
Jiang Cheng killed Wei Wuxian? Nope. Didn't even get close. Wei Wuxian's own spirits tore him apart before jc could even get there. wwx:1 jc:0
Jiang Cheng tortures people? We get two and a half rumours and a mention from jin ling that jc has 'captured' demonic cultivators before, but who is also apparently confident that just letting wwx run off will kill the issue even though those earlier rumours said ~no one who sandu shengshou captured was ever seen again~
The word jiang cheng uses when he tries to talk big game about 'beating the truth' out of Wei Wuxian's is a word that carries the context of pestering someone to do their homework. Doesn't exactly strike fear into my heart.
Wei Wuxian? Excellent at torture. A prodigy. Did you fucking see what he did to Wen Chao? Dude didn't have fingers anymore because wei wuxian made him eat them. He ripped out his hair, burned his skin off, and then stalked him for several days just to prolong the pain. He forced Wang Lingjiao to bite Wen Chao's dick off and then made her shove a stool leg down her own throat! 10/10, no notes. Absolutely horrifying.
Meanwhile Jiang Cheng's idea of torture is getting a dog to bark at Wei Wuxian for a few seconds. Weak, unoriginal, I bet fairy was literally wagging her tail the whole time. 2-0
Jiang Cheng made the entire cultivation world believe Wei Wuxian was up to no good on the burial mounds and ultimately orchestrated his downfall? lol. lmao, even
It's a big thing in certain corners of the fandom to really zoom in one one particular phrase at the end of chapter 73, where after wwx and jc have their staged duel to make the world believe they hate each other jiang cheng tells everyone wwx has defected and become "a public enemy'' or "an enemy to the cultivation world" or whatever the translation you're familiar with decided upon.
(As an aside, something I really like about this line is that the last half of it is almost exactly the same, like verbatim, as what wwx told him to say. like, the chapter is really hammering home just how much jc is speaking from a script here. wwx tells jc to say "äťĺéć 瞥ć 莺ĺĺşäťäšäşďźé˝ä¸äşć˘Śćąć°ć ĺ
ł." and jc says "äťĺć 莺ć¤äşşćä˝ĺ¨ä˝ďźä¸ćŚä¸äşć˘Śćąć°ć ĺ
ł" the only meaningful difference is that he says 'this person' instead of wwx's name)
I've seen it said that this bit, the use of 'enemy' was said without wei wuxian's approval, that jc deviated from the script just to hurt his ex-shixiong for leaving him. And that this is what caused all the other clans to turn against wei wuxian. Regardless of if this is what jc and wwx discussed, or if jc had malicious motivations for it (considering my conclusions above, you can guess where i fall) it doesn't really matter, because the novel tells us when the clans completely freak out and become convinced wei wuxian is out to get them (though of course they've been wringing their hands about it since the literal day wwx ran off with the wen, months before jiang cheng visited) very neatly in chapter 75!
It's when they find out about Wen Ning.
And how do they find out about Wen Ning?
Because Wei Wuxian took him on nighthunts! And they kicked ass!
...Wei Wuxian, my man, why are you on nighthunts??? Why are you showing off your incredibly cool sentient fierce corpse buddy, who is way better and stronger than all the other fierce corpses, in front of the whole cultivation world??
Whatever his motivations (extra money, maybe?? they were strapped for crash) I can only draw the conclusion wwx had already given up on appearing calm or non-threatening and didn't care if the clans thought he was a threat, because they'd believe whatever they wanted anyway. Which he seems to clearly be aware of the whole time.
Regardless, we know that this is what created the myth of the Yiling patriarch. It's literally when the title first shows up!
Even if you really believe jc was secretly plotting against wwx in chapter 73, he's clearly doing a shit job of it because nothing he said made anywhere near as big an impact as this. Flopped!
The other point people use to argue Jiang Cheng caused wei wuxian's downfall is Jin Guangyao's speech in Guanyin temple about how jiang cheng could have saved wei wuxian if only he stood by him. Setting aside that jin guangyao is trying to get into jiang cheng's head here, and isn't necessarily saying what he really believes (though it very well might be! who knows with a character like jgy. assuming he's always lying is just as misleading as assuming he's always saying the truth) the fact is, if you read the speech closely, what he's talking about is not the 'public enemy' line, he's talking about the bond between them. The fact that people wanted wei wuxian out of yunmeng jiang, because the two were too powerful together.
He's talking about that one time Jiang Cheng very publically kicked wei wuxian out of the sect!
Which, unbeknownst to Jin Guangyao, was in fact Wei Wuxian's idea the whole time.
final score: 3 for you wei wuxian, you go wei wuxian! And nothing for Jiang Cheng bye.
#mdzs#wei wuxian#jiang cheng#yunmeng shuangjie#i have never been more tempted to tag something as 'canon jiang cheng'#i don't really believe in the whole 'reclaiming the tag' thing i kinda roll my eyes at it and stay out of there#but I AM explicitly talking about fanon misconceptions about jiang cheng... and is that not what that tag was for?? oh well#let's not antagonize people#i am giggling at the realization that jgs must have thought all his pointed comments about wwx's 'disrespect' hit their mark#when wwx defected#only for jc to sneak his future daughter in law to yiling and letting wwx name his grandson a few months later#LMAOOO GET REKT OLD MAN
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THEREâS SOMETHING
ABOUT YOU.
CHAPTER 1
pairing: smallville!clark kent x blackfem!oc
fandom: smallville (2001-2011)
guest starring: aaliyah haughton as lyric james
summary: ever since lana lang has moved in with the sullivanâs, clark kentâs nightly telescopic views of the galaxy and daily glimpse of the sunrise tend to get lonelier. that is until a moving truck, a wandering amicable feline, and her frustrated owner, lyric james, makes her debut in his life as her family are the new owners of the old potter house next door. things between the new neighbors start to shift as clark is tasked as her personal tour guide at her new school. one little slip is all it takes for her to learn heâs more than meets the eye in this small town.
contains: lots of words,neighbors to friends, slow burn, martha lowkey being the hookup, snarky teens, some swearing, fluff, friendly banter, a bit of angst. lyricâs thoughts. clarkâs thoughts.
taglist: @afrowrites @afrogirl3005 @rosiestalez @sabrinasopposite @tryingtograspctrl @ellethespaceunicorn @jkr820 @simply-the-best23 @zombiehe4rt
next: CHAPTER 2
it was around 8:30 PM on a friday night as clark kent gazed at the stars through his telescope in his âfortress of solitudeâ. it was just his loft in the barn, but he never forgot how lana lang coined that term for this sacred space of his. lana was known as the typical girl-next-door and the cheerleader dating the captain of smallville highâs football team, whitney fordman, and clarkâs first love. wellâitâs crazy how things can change so rapidly. lana quit cheerleading to own the talon, whitney was killed while following in his late fatherâs footsteps to serve this country, and she wasnât the girl-next-door anymore. she had to move in with one of clarkâs best friends, chloe sullivan and her father, gabe because her aunt nellâs new husband wanted to move the family out of smallville, but lana refused to leave it all behind. one thing that didnât change was clarkâs love and admiration towards the girl.
the loft wasnât just his space where heâd go to think or look into space. he also shared it with her. whether itâd be using the telescope to admire her from afar, having late night talks, or watching the sunrise together. youâd think with this much time spent with someone, clark would finally have the gusto to officially ask lana out. he has tried, but between the obstacles of figuring out his heritage, keeping his abilities a secret, not wanting to hurt others feelings, and his cowardice of opening up to his loved ones, his chances with her all went to hell.
lanaâs tasks at the talon were getting busier by the day and she still had her load of class work to tend to, so her visits to the loft for sunrises or meaningful conversations werenât as frequent. itâs been getting quite lonely here. a deep sigh escapes from clarkâs chest as he takes a step back from the telescope, both hands tucked within his pockets. his blue eyes peer at the dark sky that was softly lit with luminous stars that goes beyond this planet heâs come to know and love. his longing for the answers concerning his heritage grow stronger and impatient as his thoughts trail back to the aircraft thatâs hiding in the cellar. he wished that this burden wouldnât have to be so much. he understood that his parents, jonathan and martha, didnât want to lose their miracle child if he found out where he came from or if the world knew of his powers, they would experiment, exploit, or worse, treat him like an outcast. itâs already hard enough on clark that his best friend, pete ross, knew. theyâve worked it out once heâs sworn his secrecy to the kents and their friendship seemed to be stable, but deep down he knew that pete would never really get used to that. clark just wanted someoneâno, anyone to understand his intentions. whether theyâre a human or not. why did i have to come down to this planet? what happened on my planet that was so bad that i literally crashed into the quiet lives of this town? whyâ
clarkâs train of thoughts came to a halt and his heightened sense of hearing caught the sound of revving engines and purring wheels coming into the direction of the neighborhood, but not directly to his home. both of the vehicles make a stop and park at their destination. one of the vehicles is a u-haul moving truck the other, resembling what might be a white honda civic. this stop wasnât an ordinary stop either. it seemed that the destination wasâthe old potter house. was it possible that nell had changed her mind? did lana know about this? could things go back to the way they were? clark had to pause for a second because he didnât recognize the car at first, so he looks back into the telescope to investigate further.
it was pitch dark outside to see who exactly were operating the vehicles, so clark knew what he had to do to find out. his eyes focused on the closely on the u-haul, he could clearly see the boxes and luggage near the rear end before his x-ray vision travels towards the front. in the driverâs seat, he could see the outline of a human skeletal figure, stretching their arm muscles and reaching for the seatbelt. his pupils shifted to the car parked behind the truck. there were three figures this time. one sitting in the drivers side, the other in the passenger with their head leaning against the window, and third that seemed to be curling up on the passengers lap which clark assumed to be a pet. the driver taps the passengerâs shoulder to signal them to wake up before they open the doors.
with the low quantity of streetlights near kent farm, it was still difficult to see clearly, but clark was positive he saw three different silhouettes with three different voices as he watched them exit the vehicles. the tallest silhouette was definitely an older male with a deep voice muttering as he made his way to the front door before fishing the key out of his pocket to gain access to the house.
âcome on now, girls! this house wonât be moved in by itself. letâs at least get what we need for the night and start fresh in the morning, alright?â he commands before stepping into the house. the next silhouette was slightly shorter than the first and the soft, alto voice was of an older female followed by the final silhouette who had a similar voice to hers, but it definitely sounds like a person of around clarkâs age. she appears to be holding a bundle tucked securely in her arms. her own sigh resonates in the night air, her posture deflating with exhaustion.
âman, if i have to move another muscle, i swear iâma fall apart.â the youngest of the three groggily protested as she dragged her feet forward.
âyour fatherâs right! the faster we get things done, the faster we can go to bed, get some rest and greet our new neighbors in the morning. iâd suggest you put that cat down somewhere and pick up those feet, young lady. we donât have time for all that whining, now.â the older female firmly responds as she beckons the younger to follow her into the house.
âyes, mama. justâlet me put the princess in my room and iâll be right down with yaâll. god knows iâm beat.â all three figures trudge their way into the now lit house and close the door.
clark lets the conversation cut there before he takes some paces away from telescope.
it looks like weâre getting new neighbors. iâll make sure to tell mom and dad in the morning.
he turned off the light switch before descending down the stairs to retire for the night.
lyric james huffs out in relief as her spine finally makes contact with her lavender comforter set delicately draped over the air soft mattress of her new bed, in her new room, of her new house, and in a new town. the bare walls were illuminated with the amber glow of the ivory bedside lamp she recently installed. her closet was about a quarter full and the drawers had the essentials like undergarments and socks, but there were two things she couldnât live without for one night: grandadâs record player and noir. speaking of noir, lyric could hear the soft patter of paws treading on the hardwood floors and an audible mew of the feline. she got the strength to lift herself upright to look down and find noir staring back at the girl with those large round, yellow-green eyes and her fuzzy,black tail swaying across the floor as if she were waiting for her owner to carry her as she did before they stepped into the new house.
lyric chuckled at her cat, shaking her head. although it was a tired smile, her dimples made a prominent appearance within her toffee skin. âgirl, i know i got you spoiled rottenâcanât even get up on the bed without needing an escort.â she reached her arms below to scoop noir up into her bed before laying vertically with her head against her plush pillows and a fair number of stuffed animals. lyric adjusted, so that one hand was underneath the white, paisley bandana wrapped to protect her hair and the other, tenderly stroking noirâs dark coat of fur as the cat nuzzled on her torso. her brown eyes shifted to see the red glowing digits of the time set on her alarm clock. 10:30. i really need to sleep, so i can move all of that junk tomorrow. thank god itâll be a saturday. her chest raised slowly to deflate as she sat alone with her thoughts. i miss new york already. whatâs so interesting about this itty, bitty hill billy town anyway? what does a place like smallville have to offer?
letâs rewind that real quick. lyric james was a born and (formerly) raised native from new york. sheâs currently a sophomore with a love for old vinyl records, talking junk, eating sweets, going out with friends (well the ones she had back home), impulsive shopping, and documenting core memories with her digital camera.
her voice was soft as rain and calm as her motherâs, one might say a sound like a voice of reason, but one shouldnât get that confused with her being a pushover. when it comes to meeting new people, sheâs not shy per say, but before opening up she needs to observe certain people. observe of how they speak, their body language, and just how they are as a person in general. if the vibeâs good, thatâs whatâs up! sheâll crack jokes, speak in fluent sarcasm, and maybe a bit of flirting when she gets the balls. if not, sheâll be cordial and respectfully keep her distance. sheâs had moments of naivety in the past when it came to friendships causing her to get burned, but heyâ she lived and she learned. that was her just her outlook on life: to live until you die. she was only a teenager, so sheâs expected to screw up every once in a while, but when it came to having that common sense her parents instilled in her during childhood, she knows where the line should never be crossed.
her parents, crystal and joseph james, were suitable guardians and they supported lyric as well as nurtured her to be a well mannered young woman, but one thing that got her tight was their demanding work schedules. joseph worked as a firefighter and crystal, an er nurse. donât get her wrong, she loved that her parents saved lives for the love of it and kept their lives afloat financially, but it also made lyric anxious. as an only child, sheâs been with her parents for so long and she couldnât imagine if something happened to one or both of them. hence why she had a curfew, even back in her hometown to make sure sheâs home and near the phone just in case. the main reason why her parents decided to move to smallville was that it was safe. it wasnât like smallville didnât have crime going on, but it wasnât as bad as new york. crystal and joseph knew that their daughter was left alone most of the time and theyâd allowed for her to go out with friends and come back at a certain time, but the risk was too high for them to stay ever sinceâomar. fortunately, they had some colleagues recommend that smallville had some opening positions for their professions and thatâs how they got here to get away from their past.
lyric felt her eyelids drooping lower as a yawn escaped from her mouth and reached over to the lamp switch to cease the glow in her room. careful not to wake noir, she shifted her body as carefully as she could to conceal herself under the sheets. she turned on her side, her knees curling up slightly in a fetal position as her bare feet rubbed against each other. her arms wrapped loosely around noir. the sounds of the felineâs low snores were enough to send lyric into a peaceful, calm slumber.
the rising sun of saturday crept in at around 7:15 AM. clark was used to being up this early. thatâs farm life, but this was part of his daily routine to wake up, get dressed, and head to the loft to watch nature simply take its course. as he leaned his elbows against the window sill, his eyes of blue soaked up the harmonious mixture of the skyâs color palette of lavender, pink, tangerine, and gold. the clouds resembled the fluffiness of the cotton candy that was served at the fall festival every year. it was silent, but the wind hummed as it lightly tickled clarkâs face and fanned his raven tresses with a breeze so gentle at just the right the temperature that he couldnât help, but to close his eyes and inhale the morning within his lungs. he was sure this weekend was going to be the same: do some chores, hang out with his friends at the talon, run into lex luthor, or maybe fight off people whoâve been poisoned by those cursed green rocks like heâs some sort of superboy. you know, the usual. clark then had that sinking feeling within his stomach and that tiny weight of heaviness in his chest with visions of her.
i really wish lana was here. maybe sheâd find some time to at least catch the end of this.
his eyes then traveled back to the house next door. the two vehicles and the âSOLDâ sign out in the front yard confirmed to clark that the kents having new neighbors wasnât a fever dream like heâd hoped. he didnât really get to see the family clearly, but he remembered a father, a mother, and perhaps a daughter with a pet of some kind. he pondered on the details of where they came from, what they looked like, what were their personalities, and most importantly, were they prepared for what kind of town theyâve moved to given its bizarre history? wellâclark, felt he was to blame for the bizarre part, but his parents reassured there was nothing no one could do to prevent it.
after the sun took its rightful place in the heavens, clark decided it was time to get a head start on his chores for the day. that was until he felt something nuzzle itself against his ankle and his ears picking up on the soft mewling sound that filled the silence of the loft. wellâthatâs new⌠he thought knowing that it was the norm for animals to be on the farm, but not this one. clark peered down to find two wide eyes of yellow-green that reminded him of the glow of a firefly in the darkness of july. they were attached to a tiny, furry head with a pink button nose, whiskers, and pointed ears all surrounded by onyx fur. one of clarkâs brows raised and a grin curved on his lips as the feline continued to wrap around his or her tail around his leg some more. with blended knees, he squatted down low enough to meet the catâs level to slowly, but gently reach his hand towards the nose first, so the cat could detect clarkâs scent properly before giving him the green light to go any further. a dark paw stretches to lightly touch his hand before leaning a fluffy cheek in forward to nuzzle clarkâs knuckles, indicating that he can proceed with his touch. clark couldnât help, but to smile before taking both hands to enthusiastically pet this friendly little, black catâs face.
ânow, i wonder how you got yourself in here, huh? your owner must be pretty worriedââ he paused to check to see if the cat had a collar of any kind in which he came up short. geez, he at least wanted to know the felineâs gender without catching them off guard by picking them up. as if the cat read his mind, they rolled over on the hardwood floor to reveal the underside of their body. after a quick observation, clark figured out this feline was a female before she rolled over again to her original position on her belly.
âdonât worry, girl. you can stay up here until your owner comes back. for now, iâll take care of you.â he simpered as his palm soothingly descended down the catâs spine. noir couldnât help, but to respond to this boyâs touch by filling the room with a satisfied purr as if she were in paradise. clark sighed with content before he realized that he now has to let his folks know about the new visitor. he ceases his petting and his tenor voice softly urges, âiâll be right back, girl. you stay right here, okay? if youâre good, iâll come back with a little treat for you. how does that sound?â he coaxed. she responds by mewling and laying on her stomach, tail swaying back and forth across the floor as she watches clark walk away and descend down the stairs of the barn and out to his home to find his parents conversing at the breakfast table in their kitchen. his father was sitting at the table reading the newspaper while his mother was preparing breakfast.
âmorning dad! morning mom!â he hurriedly greeted his parents, jogging to the cabinet to retrieve a plastic bowl and the refrigerator, for some fresh milk.
âmorninâ, son!â jonathan responds, his eyes still skimming the headlines. martha repeats the phrase back to her son, her eyes glancing up to see to him getting the items needed for cereal, but no spoon nor cereal. martha squints in curiosity as her motherâs intuition urges her to ask clark what heâs up to.
âhey, clark, if you want breakfast, iâm putting something together. are sure you just want cereal, dear?â she questions.
ânah, mom. iâm good justâŚuh, getting started with my chores. hey, did you know that a new family moved into nell and lanaâs old house? i saw the truck come in late last night while i was in the loft. you guys were sleeping by then, but i didnât want to wake you.â clark spoke, pouring the right amount of milk in the bowl and putting the carton back in the fridge. he didnât instantly want to stall on the fact of the feline, but he definitely wanted keep his parents in the loop of their new neighbors first.
marthaâs face responds in awe, her head nodding with a smile on her lips as she resumes to cooking and jonathan lowers the paper to get a better insight on the topic of the discussion.
âah, right! i noticed the truck still parked when i looked out the window this morning. at first i thought nell had changed her mind for lanaâs sake, but i saw a different man walk to his car. either way, itâs exciting to see some fresh, new faces around smallville, right jonathan?â martha inquired to include her husband. jonathan nodded in agreement,
âoh, yeah. theyâre likely a friendly, hardworking family with good old fashioned values that happen to live right next to another average family: a farmer, his wife, and their herculean son with the strength of 2,000 men!â jonathan wise cracked, earning some laughter from his family.
clarkâs infectious smile crept on his lips before he takes the bowl off the counter, careful not to spill it.
âvery funny, dad! in the case of meeting fresh faces, the new ones iâve met so far are covered in fur and whiskers. i was out at the loft just now and this black cat just snuck in.â
âoh, a cat? so that explains the bowl with no cereal. well, do you think itâs just a stray?â martha questioned, wiping her hands clean with a plaid, hand towel.
âwhereâs the cat now?â jonathan chimed in.
âahânot really, sheâs actually very friendly. iâve tried to look for a collar, but she didnât have one. look, iâm not saying iâm keeping her, but i think someone would be coming for her soon. she should still be waiting in the loft. until then, i want her to be taken care of before they come.â clark utters, gesturing to the bowl in his hand.
âthatâs sweet of you, clark! iâm sure they would appreciate that. oh! just milk wonât do, sweetie. let me see if we have a can of tuna in here somewhere.â martha inwardly beamed as she turned to rummage through the pantry to retrieve a can of tuna. as she fetched a can opener, spoon, and a bowl, her heart couldnât help to swell at her sonâs benevolence. his desire to care for all species on a foreign planet made her feel more content of what happened in the fall of â89. sure there was some destruction, trauma, and long lasting negative outcomes, but clark would never fit in those categories. out of the can she scooped the meat into a bowl and handed it to clark.
âthanks, mom! iâve learned from the best, you know.â he leant down to tenderly kiss the auburn head of his mother and made his journey outside to fulfill his promise to the amicable fur ball that was still waiting on her treat. once inside, he places the two bowls in front of her and it wasnât a second later before she indulged in the food and drink.
little does this sneaky kitty know that her owner is about to cross paths with smallvilleâs main attraction.
lyricâs grogginess was short lived after waking up to find noir missing. she quickly sat up to look underneath the comforter to see if the onyx feline was at the foot of the bed. lyric knew that noir liked to sneak away and hide in other places of their old house, so what makes her think noir wouldnât give this house a test drive for that same purpose? lyric moved the comforter to free herself and swung her feet to the side of the bed. she rubbed the sleep from eyes to get a clearer vision in order to see the red digits on her clock. it was approximately 8:00 am. as soon as the bare soles of her feet touched the floor, her knees followed suit to search under the bed.
ânoir?â she called as her brown eyes searched and her head moved from left to right and vice versa, but noir was nowhere in sight. feeling a tad irked with her petâs usual shenanigans, a huff erupted from her chest and her brows furrowed. lyric stood up to her feet and made her way to the closet only to find just her clothes on the hangers, no noir. lyric checked all the usual places upstairs where she would hide. bathroom? no. linen closet? nah. the den? negative. not even her own parents room provided lyric with the answer she desired.
ânow, where the hell could she be?â she muttered lowly to herself under her breath. lyric knew better for her parents not to hear any type of profanity slip from her mouth. her ass would be grass, but so would noirâs if she didnât pop her fuzzy head out in the next few minutes.
she was such in a tizzy trying to find her cat that she didnât notice her mother, crystal, calling out for her from downstairs. lyric brought herself back to earth before she made her way down the steps and into the kitchen where she found crystal to be unpacking an open cardboard box and placing dishes, bowls, and cups in their respective cabinets. each item making a clanging sound as they were maneuvered out of the box.
âgood morning, mama! whereâs dad?â lyric hastily greeted and questioned as she also noticed the absence of her father. her doe eyes perused areas such as the floor, near the refrigerator, and under the tables. damnit, no such luck.
âgood morning, honey! your fatherâs out at the station to settle some final paperwork before monday and running some errands for the house, but he should be back in time soon. we still have so much unpacking to do and meet our new neighbors, so get a move on to get dressed!
âhold up, donât the ones living here already usually come to meet the new ones?â lyricâs nails reached to scratch her scalp as she raised her arched brow, piqued by the statement.
âyes, usually, but the unusual doesnât always do harm.â crystal responded to her daughter before she turned around to see her still clad in her nightly attire. lyric hastily nods, her thoughts still running laps around her head.
âyou sound like youâre in a rush. whatâs wrong, baby?â she placed the items she was unpacking on the counter before she approached lyric.
âma, have you seen noir? iâve checked her usual spots and i canât find her nowhere. i know she likes to sneak out my room every once and a while, but she stays in the house hiding and i keep coming up shortâ youâve been down here for a minute, so maybe youâve seen her tryinâ to get somethinâ to eat?â
âmmmâno. iâm sorry, i havenât. it donât help that we barely got any food to start with, my guess is noir went to search somewhere else for that. one thing about her, if she canât get food here, sheâll get it somewhere else and you know how greedy she is the way you got her spoiled.â crystal chuckled as she heard lyric sigh out a defeated âif that ainât the truth.â even though noir can be a handful, she adored her due to antics like this because letâs be real, a girlâs gotta eat!
âi just hope you remembered to put that collar back on her neck when we got here.â
lyric froze. her lips tighten as her eyes shut, inhaling and huffing out a breath of deeper frustration with herself before she realized that she didnât put noirâs collar on when they settled in last night. she was so worn out from going back and forth to move in her essentials to her room, that it slipped her mind completely. now, she knows noir likes to wander a bit, but damn it! she never expected that cat to venture out in a whole new area. crystal took lyricâs silence and that pout on her face as a signal of negligence to complete the task, but she understood that it was late and the whole james family were even dead tired to get the rest of what they needed. a sympathetic smile rose on her full lips and her palms find their way to reassuringly massage the tensed muscles of her daughterâs shoulders.
âdonât worry. you know noir always finds her way back home, she wouldnât dream of getting into some trouble without you, especially not too far away, so she may be closer than you think. now, i bet youâll do the right thing and put that collar on as soon as you get her back?â crystal inquired with a playful tone, so lyricâs pout transformed to a lopsided grin, the dimples she inherited from her mother protruding as she giggled. in return for her motherâs wisdom, lyric pulled her into a bear hug and rested her chin on shoulder. this reminded her of the moments in her childhood when crystal would console lyric, whether she was taking her accountable or not.
âyes, maâamâand iâm sorry for not handling my business. it wonât happen again, i swear.â she murmured near crystalâs ear and pulled back to face her again.
âyou live and you learn. iâll tell you this, instead of looking around in the house, how about going outside? you might find what youâre looking for. you can worry about unpacking the rest of your things later.â after giving lyric her cue to get started, crystalâs kissed her daughterâs cheek and ceased the embrace before finally disposing of the box that was emptied of its contents.
departing with a smile and nod, lyric rushed upstairs to her bedroom and opened the closet door to locate a presentable outfit that was not too laid back nor over the top, but something that was comfortable and fashionable enough to locate the missing noir. no matter what the occasion may be, lyric wasnât gonna be too flashy nor look like she just rolled out of bed! she settled for an aqua blue top that was slightly cropped at the bottom to expose a bit of her abdomen with a mural of a geisha patterned with black, white, gold, and salmon. she paired this one pop of color with black cargo pants, black bomber jacket, and a classic pair of black chuck taylorâs. she placed the ensemble on the bed and left her bedroom to perform her hygienic ritual in the bathroom before returning to don her outfit for the day. lyric removed her scarf and adjusted her dark, long, natural hair to her liking with the heat of her straightening iron, the stroke her detangling brush, and the spritz of the heat protection spray to ease the guilt of damage. there was no harm in the addition of her signature eyeliner, mascara, and lastlyâthe brown lip liner and gloss combo painted on her full lips that were the icing on the cake of her everyday look. as for accessories, her ears were adorned with the cherished pair of golden hoops she was gifted for her 13th birthday, and the simple, black crossbody satchel that was her go to for whatever she needed for any journey.
âalright, ma. iâm going out to get your fast tail granddaughter back home!â lyricâs voice echoed out after jogging downstairs to wait by the front door to her crystal respond, âokay, honey! be safe and i love you. donât stay out too long, now.â lyric reciprocates the farewell before bolting out of the door and into the front yard. it was a sunny day with a moderate fall-like temperature, not too hot nor too cold. her legs moved like clockwork as the falling leaves made a crunching sound beneath her sneakers. lyric squints and furrows her brows as she starts to look around the perimeter of the house, her mind started to go into overdrive mode, thinking of what that sneaky ass cat is up to. god, i just pray sheâs not lost in a cornfield or behind a barn getting knocked up by some stray. now, i know i raised her betterâbut then again, i ainât get her fixed.
after frantically searching all around the front and backyards, lyric made one more final decision before she could take her search further out into town: the next door neighbors. the chances were low, but never zero. besides, she was going to have to cross paths with them anyway. she took another deep breath and placed her hands in her jacket pockets as the autumn breeze picked up with her feet leading her to the home. it was a brisk 2 minute walk. she stopped and her head leaned up to read the hung up wooden sign that read, KENT FARMâ and she wasted no time to walk on the property. to say it was just big was an understatement. as lyric ventured down the dirt path of the driveway, her eyes perused the land that possessed animals such as horses, cows, and pigs. she attempted to not contort her face at the new, pungent smells that filled her nose.
i donât wanna be rude to these people, but ugh! this is nothing short of a farm. iâd better get used to this though.
the abode itself resembled the classic farmhouse with the white picket fence aesthetic. it was a vibrant, lemon yellow two story house with white trimming on the windows and a welcoming porch with white, wooden steps that creaked as lyricâs feet gingerly ascended before approaching the door and checking to see if any cars were parked that indicated the presence of her new neighbors. once she spotted the parked red pickup truck, she took that as her cue to knock on the front door. in the brief time she waited for someone to come to the door, her head turned to the left to find a colossal, vibrant red barn. it seemed to have an open window and what looked like to be a telescope protruding. lyricâs mind began to wander again, but instead of panic, it was serenity.
that looks like a dope spot to stargaze and listen to some stevie. ainât nothing like your own personal quiet place.
her thoughts were halted at the sound of the front door hinges creaking opening to reveal a couple around her parents age, they both greeted lyric with a âgood morningâ and benevolent grins which gave her a warm feeling. the wife was a few inches shorter than lyric with auburn hair, blue eyes, and rosy lips. as for the husband, he was towering over both of the females with sandy, blonde curls, sculpted jawline, and blue eyes as well. lyric regained her focus and introduced herself.
âheyâgood morninâ! my nameâs lyric james. my family and i just moved in last night in the house next door. itâs very nice to meet you mr. and mrs.ââ she paused to lead them to their names to politely address them like how she was raised. with a smile, she held out her hand to give each adult a handshake before the husband reciprocated the salutation on their behalf,
âwell, lyric, it is certainly a pleasure to meet you and welcome to the neighborhood! mr. and mrs. kent will do, but when you feel comfortable, my name is jonathan and this is my wife, martha.â
âlyricâwhat a lovely name. we definitely look forward to meeting the rest of your family very soon and welcome to smallville. is there anything we can help you with, honey?â martha enthusiastically chimed, that sunshine smile reappearing that compelled lyric to return a dimpled simile of her own as a result of that welcoming compliment.
âah, thank you both so much! first, i just wanna let yaâll know you have a lovely home. second, if it isnât such a botherâ did yaâll happen to see a black cat with these big, yellow eyes, no collar, and sneaky? i meanâshe has a collar, but because i was so tired, i forgot to put it on her last night. her name is noir. she likes to wander off sometimes and i was wondering if yaâll seen her around here? i understand if you havenât, i was making sure before i start putting her face everywhere in town.â lyricâs face heated with embarrassment as she dumped her predicament on these lovely folks, she takes her hands that were previously tucked in her pockets and fidgeted with them. who knew that one kitty could cause this teenager this much stress and chaos? lyric knew, but in this circumstance? give a girl a break.
after lyric drops the catâs exact description, realization set in marthaâs mind and the gears started turning in her brain.
lyric. what a friendly and polite girl! she must be the catâs owner. the same cat that snuck into the barn and the same cat that clark was currently caring for. not to mention that sheâs a sight for sore eyes! this girl could use a trusting and kind first friend in a new place. who better than clark? maybe this was the fresh face that could bring him out of this lana funk.
an invisible light bulb popped out of marthaâs head, her smile never ceasing at her clever thinking. it was now marthaâs turn to respond to lyric.
âoh, no! thatâs unfortunate. we have a son whoâs heâs about your age. his name is clark and he would definitely be of service to help find what youâre looking for. heâs actually in that barn right over there.â her auburn bob sways as her head tilts in the direction of the barn, a nonverbal signal for lyric to take a look.
âare you sure about that, mrs. kent? i donât wanna bother nobody with my problem.â lyric questioned, using one of her hands to brush a piece of hair out of her face.
âiâm positive, lyric! one thing about clark kent, when thereâs a call for help, heâll answer. iâm sure heâd be happy to assist you!â martha said with a reassuring grin.
lyric reciprocated with a grin and nodded her head in approval.
âby the way youâre hyping him up, he sounds pretty cool. alright, mrs. kent, you got a deal. iâll take you up on that! again, i really appreciate your help! you said that barn over there, right?â lyric pointed to the left.
lyric took the kentâs nods as approval to give them a wave, walk down to the porch steps, and make her brief trip to the red barn with the telescope in the window. the entrance was already opened, giving her easy access. she looked around to see the piles of hay and various farming tools and machinery. her head turned to one side, then the other to see if she could spot the mysterious clark. her gaze then shifted to the beige, wooden staircase that led to the next level.
âhere goes something.â she mutters under breath, her legs carrying her to the staircase to get the next lead in finding the missing noir.
âhello! is anybody up there?!â she called out as she ascended.
clark was still in the loft. he was lounging on the sofa with noir comfortably laying across his lap, softly purring and snoozing the day away after a snack and some playtime with a laser pen that clark found. he was now waiting for lyricâs arrival to retrieve her furry companion. his heightened sense of hearing and open window worked in his favor when he heard the recent conversation between the girl and his parents in the distance. that soft voice he heard last night confirmed the match for the voice of the new girl next door. last night, her tone conveyed raspiness and exhaustion, but while conversing with his parents, it was soothing and pleasant to the ear, sensitive or not. he was content in knowing that the feline, noir (now that he finally knew her name) had a caring owner and home. he also couldnât help, but simper bashfully at hearing his motherâs compliment about his willingness to help others. his cheeks glowing red when lyric enthusiastically agreed and the two were only seconds from meeting. she already thinks iâm cool even though we havenât met. thatâsâinteresting.
clarkâs thoughts came to a halt when he hears footsteps and that same voice calling out for another humanâ well, being in his case. him and noir perked up and glanced in the direction of the footsteps that were approaching closer to his exact location. noir let out a mewl that louder than normal.
ânoir? noir! is thatââ lyric gains speed at the sound of a âmeowâ that belonged to the onyx kitty sheâs missed so dearly. once she made it to the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, her movements ceased to find a boy sitting on the couch. clark turned his head in her direction. a kind smile that revealed his pearly canines appeared as he gingerly scooped noir in his arms and approached lyric. silence filled the room as they inspected each otherâs features for a moment before speaking.
as clark was standing, lyric could tell he was in the 6â0+ range of height. his hair was dark like hers, but he had ivory skin, benevolent aqua blue eyes, sculpted jawline, and rosy lips. he resembled the prince in that little mermaid movie that lyric always enjoyed as a childâafter some years, sheâs realized it wasnât just the songs that drawn her in.
clark curiously gazed at the girl before him. she was at average height. he noticed her medium earthy skin tone complimented her deep brown eyes, long, natural dark hair, and shimmery, full lips. he knew that it didnât take a rocket scientist to see that she was pleasant to the eyes. the teenâs consciousâ brought them down to earth before they awkwardly stammered their introductions in sync,
âhey! iâmââ
âhi! my nameâsââ
âsorryââ
âmy badââ
they both respond with a brief chortle before clark chimes in,
âladies first.â
âoh, right! um, my nameâs lyric james aka, your new neighbor and owner of that fast tail cat you got.â
lyric gives the boy an amicable grin and playfully glares at noir. she holds out her arms towards clarkâs and he instantly takes the cue to hand noir back in lyricâs awaiting arms. he beams as she embraces the feline, her knuckles nuzzling between the ears and pecking her head.
âgod, donât you ever do that to me again. iâm too young to have a heart attack, but iâve missed you, girl!â she affectionately murmured.
âiâm clark kent by the way! itâs really nice to meet you, lyric.â he holds out his hand and patiently waits as she shifts noir into one arm, popping her on her torso like an infant and reaching her hand to grasp his in the friendly exchange.
ânice to meet you! your mom talked a good game about you helping those who need it. it looks like you really came through and i appreciate that, clark. this is noir and iâm sorry that she snuck over here disturbing your peace, but i forgot to put her tag on, so thatâs on me.â lyric confessed, looking at her cat with the expression of a disappointed mother before gleaming in gratitude towards the farm boy.
âhey, itâs no problem, really. this sounds a bit embarrassing, but iâm relieved she snuck in. i was feeling kinda lonely up here and she cheered me up. plus, i got the chance to meet you and get out of doing my chores for a while.â
they briefly laugh before lyric chimes in,
âhey, thereâs nothing embarrassing about that! trust, when iâm feeling down, i can count on this gremlin to bring some excitement to my day. even if she get on my everlasting nerves with her shenanigans, wandering off being the biggest issueânow, that you said it, she got me out of doing my chores too!â they laugh again as she playfully rolled her eyes before quickly spotting two empty bowls on the ground. she snickered to herself at her what her mother referred to this morning and it didnât go unnoticed by clark.
âcare to let me in on the joke?â clark wittingly quizzed.
âi think itâs funny how when i was looking for noir this morning and told my mom about it, she said it was because noir was just looking for a snack and that i got her spoiled. it looks like you gave my baby the royal treatment, huh?â lyric chuckled and gestured to the empty bowls.
clark reciprocated his own laughter before he replied,
âi just wanted to make sure she was taken care of before her owner came back. itâs the least i could do for her after she cheered me up! iâm just glad that she has a good home. even though it hasnât been very long, i think iâll miss noir when she goes.â
âwell, clark, if you want to see noir again, you can! thatâs ifâyou let me kick it with yaâll. i wonât lie, itâd be nice to know someone when i start at smallville high on monday. you cool with that?â lyric proposes, raising an arched brow and a smirk playing on her lips. inwardly, she didnât want to put the pressure on by dropping the âfâ bomb on him just yet. not until they get to know each other better. lyric wasnât opposed to it and she got the vibe from clark that he felt the same, especially with the way they hit it off.
the infectiousness of the action caused clark to smile and nod in agreement.
âiâm cool with that. ah! iâm such an idiot.â he jokingly pinches the bridge of his nose while shaking his head. âiâve probably kept you waiting here all day when youâve got stuff to do at your place. iâll walk you home?â that was always the gentlemanly thing to do and clark wanted to make a good impression on his new neighbor who would hopefully want to join him and his small circle of friends starting monday. as they walked down the stairs and out of the barn towards her home, they continued to their small talk for the brief duration of the stroll. he asked the basics of where she was from before moving to smallville, what her life was like there, her family, school, and how sheâs adjusting to the new house so far. clark felt a sense of nostalgia. he hasnât walked down this path towards that house in months, it was refreshing.
they stopped and reached their final destination. clark took it upon himself to walk lyric up to the door while still keeping a safe distance behind her. her father had yet to get extra keys made, so she had to knock on the door. as they waited, lyric turned her body to face his with an appreciative expression and broke the ice,
âheyâall jokes aside, it was really nice of you for taking care of noir until i got her. thanks again! i get a good vibe from you, clark kent. thereâs just somethinâ about you. one day, the whole world will see it and theyâll appreciate it like i do.â
clark couldnât count on his fingers how many times this girl has made him laugh or smile within these several minutes.
âitâs no problem, lyric. it doesnât hurt to give back to others, whether theyâre covered in fur or not. iâm just happy that i can do some good in this world.â
clark reaches over to pet noir on her head one last time before the door swings open to reveal an older african-american woman that looked to be about the same age as his mother. it didnât take clarkâs x-ray vision to see where lyric got her looks from. her motherâs skin tone and eyes matched with lyricâs, her straightened shoulder length hair was dark and shiny. she smiled and greeted the teens with full red lips and the familiar dimples that clark once saw on her daughterâs face. lyric introduces her mother, crystal, to clark and vice versa. crystal was immensely impressed with the farm boyâs manners, politeness, and small town charm. in smallville, chivalry would never die.
after they both make their acquaintance, crystal leaves the two alone to finish unpacking. lyric urges clark to stay put for a second before heading upstairs to her bedroom to put noirâs collar on and places the cat on her bed. she digs into one of those household junk drawers where one could find the items needed at the right time. she retrieved a pack of her motherâs post-it notes and a pen before she power walked to still find clark waiting patiently on the porch, standing with his hands in his jean pockets.
âlike i said, if you want to see noir, donât be a stranger, alright?â she handed him the packet of notes and the pen, âyou know what to do, clark.â
âyou got it, lyric!â he took the pen and wrote down the digits of the kentâs landline before giving the items back to her.
âwhen we get our phone in order, iâll hit you up, so you can save mine. until then, if iâm not doing anything moving-wise, would you like for noir and i to swing by the barn tomorrow? i mean, thatâs if youâre good withââ
âiâd love to see you both.â he interrupted her with the same enthusiastic tone. both teens nod with a smile on their faces to confirm their meeting the next day. clark watched and waited until lyric was safely in the house before he traveled back to his own.
maybe this fresh new start wasnât so bad for the both of them. life will always come with change whether we want to or not, itâs all about what one is to do with that change. how could they adjust? for clark and lyric, they adjusted by the absence of a sneaky, onyx feline. this could be the beginning of a refreshing new era of friendship between the farm boy and the new girl next door.
#black reader#smallville#clark kent#black girl#dc comics#superman#tom welling#smallville x reader#smallville 2001#smallville clark#smallville clark kent x reader#aaliyah haughton#aaliyah#2000s#smallville fanfiction#smallville fanfic#slow burn#clark kent x reader#clark kent imagine#clark kent smallville x reader#clark kent x black oc#clark kent x black reader#smallville x black reader
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It feels like there's this narrative that fandom keeps wanting to explore, with Steve Harrington, about this very specific type of martyrdom where self-sacrifice is an expression of a lack of self-worth. And, like, yes, write the narrative that's meaningful to you, and yes ok Steve does admittedly get beaten up a lot, but -- legitimately I do not think this narrative is actually Steve's story.
Like, without gendering things too much, there is something in the Steve fanon that I keep seeing that's so reflective of the specific kind of sacrifice and societal pressures exerted on girls, specifically -- this story of 'you make yourself worthy and worthwhile by carving pieces out of yourself', of believing that you must always give and never receive to justify the space you take up in the world. Yes, boys can experience this same pressure (and obviously trans and nb people of all genders run into it as well! sometimes a lot!), but especially in the mid-1980s cultural context where Stranger Things takes place, it's just...really not likely to be a dominant narrative for Steve to be operating under? It doesn't even really match the Steve we see on screen -- who is happy to make sacrifices for the sake of others, yeah, when needed, but who's not particularly kind or giving unless somebody asks first.
And Steve does get hurt a lot on other people's behalf! And this is a problem! It's just a completely different problem than the one fandom keeps writing.
Steve, and I'm going to say this forever, is a story about toxic masculinity, which the show may or may not even know it's writing. The archetypes influencing Steve's character as it shows up on the screen (and the stories and messages that Steve would actually be surrounded by in his actual life) are not deconstructions of suffering heroes who never should have had to fight in the first place and were destroyed by it. That's the Buffy the Vampire Slayer story. Steve's not Buffy. Steve's cultural context is Indiana Jones.
Steve is The Guy! And part of being The Guy is that you're expected to take the hits -- not because Steve is less important than the women-and-children he's supposed to protect, but because, the story says, he will get less hurt. Why should Steve get in between Billy and Lucas? Because Steve is an eighteen-year-old athlete and Lucas is in middle school, and of the two of them, Steve actually stands a chance. (And yes, Steve got badly hurt there, and Max had to save him -- but if Lucas, if Max had taken that beating they would not have been running through those tunnels later.) Was somebody else better-qualified to dive down to the uncertain bottom of a cold lake in the middle of the night? Steve doesn't list his credentials there as a way of justifying some ideal of martyrdom; he is literally the most likely person on the boat not to drown.
And make no mistake: when Steve's pulled into the Upside-Down, he survives the bats long enough for backup to get there. Realistic or not, he's apparently tough enough that he's physically capable of hiking barefoot through hell without much slowing down. Steve is the tank for the same reason as any tank: because he literally has been shown to have the most hit points in the group. You cannot honestly engage with Steve in this context without dealing with the fact that he's right.
AND THIS IS A PROBLEM! This is still a problem! But it's not the same problem that fandom seems to expect. It's not an expression of caretaking or the need for self-sacrifice; it's not an issue with Steve valuing himself less. It's an issue of toxic masculinity so ingrained that Steve doesn't even recognize he's suffering from it, because one of the tenets of toxic masculinity is that Big Strong Guys don't suffer. It's just a concussion, it's fine, he'll walk it off. It's not that Steve thinks he deserves to get hurt, or even that he's less deserving of safety than the others. It's that absolutely nothing in his cultural context allows him to admit that he can be hurt in a significant way.
There's still so much tension that can be gotten out of this situation, I swear. There's so much that can be explored in writing! Hell, the show itself is deconstructing some of this trope, believe it or not, by giving us a Steve who absolutely can take all the hits thrown his direction but still doesn't know what the fuck he's doing with his life. It turns out that doing his job as The Guy is only mildly helpful in horror movie situations (mostly by buying time for smarter, squishier people to do the damage from behind him), and somewhere a little worse than useless in everyday life.
But Steve does not go out of his way to self-sacrifice, he really doesn't. He just does his job. He's The Guy. Of course he's not going to let a kid or a girl or some scared skinny nerd who just learned about monsters yesterday take the hits. Of course Steve's got this.
#Stranger Things#do I dare character-tag this#does this count as an Unpopular Opinion if I'm calling out fanon#eh let's be bold#Steve Harrington#and#toxic masculinity#which is apparently just A Thing I Post About Now
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I wish asoiaf fandom could tell the difference between subverting a trope and subverting expectations because it is not the same thing. While subverting a trope is a valid and very interesting approach, subverting expectations most of the time results in bad, incoherent and actually pretty conventional storytelling because it primarily aims at eliciting emotions of shock/horror/pain instead of constructing a meaningful, original narrative with solid and thought provoking themes. You don't actually need to subvert the readers' expectations in order to subvert a trope. You don't even need plot twists to subvert a trope. These are really not the same thing at all.
Example: Dany being TPTWP instead of Rhaegar is a subverted trope. The fact that the knights actually suck and the only one who actually thinks and behaves like an ideal knight cannot be one and will never be accepted as one is also a subverted trope. fAegon, the Prince Who Surived, being a scam is also a subverted trope. The element of subverting expectations is weak in most of these, nonexistent in some of these.
Dany becoming mad, Rhaegar being revealed as a machiavellian pedophile, Jon becoming one of the Others and being killed by Arya, the prophecy being just a scam of the universe and/or Rhaegar's wet dream instead of, ahm, the only solution in the war for the dawn, all these are not subversions of any trope. These are plot twists. These subvert the reader's very valid expectations and not in a good way. They go directly against themes, characterization and narrative that has been established for the past 30 years.
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