#this is their intro and I will be doing more for them

[strnilolover]

Cabin On The Mountain

in which . . . matt and reader decide to go to a cabin for a get away up on the mountains, secluded from everyone and everything else. what happens when they get snowed in their first night and matt decides on how to keep them busy?

content warnings : this is a short little mini series that will explicitly contain smut and mature themes. this whole thing will basically be smut with zero to very little plot whatsoever. this also skips a lot, so they are all different days and things they do each day. length also may very (they will mostly be short, but can be longer).

additional warnings : smut. slight fingering. matt uses the shower head on reader. praising. overstimulating. dirty talk. matt’s a little mean.

intro , one , two , three

SHOWER

day five…

steam curled around you as the hot water hit your back, rolling down in streams against your skin. your head tipped back, running your hands over your hair as you just stood there.

you could feel math behind you, watching as you just stood under the water.

your mind couldn’t help but to still think about his words and what he said, the thought making you wonder if he’d do the same in here—against the wall, pushing your face into the tiles as he fucks you from behind.

the thought had you weak, your thighs clenching without even noticing. but matt noticed with the way he was watching you. he smirked, stepping forward lightly as you were lost in your mind, slipping his arms around your middle, making you jump slightly.

“what’re you thinking about hm?” he whispered against your ear, letting his teeth nip a part of your lobe, making you gasp. you smiled, tilting your head back to rest on his shoulder. “nothing.” you muttered, face reddening at the fact you may have just been caught.

“uh-huh.” he said, letting one hand move down lower as the other moved up toward your tits. “are you sure? y’look like you’re really enjoying your thoughts here.” and you nodded, not bothering to keep hiding it.

“mm thought so.” his hand came down between your legs, tracing soft patterns into the skin of your thigh. the other hand softly squeezing your tit. “wanna tell me what you were thinking about in your pretty head?” he asked, groaning as his fingers slid up to your pussy, his touch light, feeling how wet you already were.

you shook your head, feeling more shy than you normally would. matt hummed, pulling his hands away which made you whine, before slowly turning you around to face him. “no?” he asked, pushing you back against the tiled wall. you nodded, your body shivering as the cold tiles pressed into your back.

matt grinned, leaning close to you as his arm stretched up to grab the shower head. you hadn’t even registered that he had, your eyes laser focused onto him. “maybe i could do something to change that, yeah?” he whispered, bringing the shower head down between your bodies. “please..” you begged, not even sure what for, but whatever he had planned you knew you wanted it.

he chuckled, leaning away from you before getting down into his knees in front of you, his head tilting up to look at you. his free hand came out, wrapping around your right thigh before lifting it and hooking it over his shoulder—opening you wide for him. you squeaked, one hand reaching out to grab at something to keep you stable as the other came down to grab at his hair.

“mm look at you baby.” he groaned, moving his fingers to your folds, spreading you apart. “such a pretty pussy.” his words made you whine, your hips pushing forward for any sort of friction on your aching clit. matt hummed, his tongue poking out to lick his lips. “so impatient.” he teased before bringing the shower head down between your legs, aiming the stream of water to pulse directly onto your aching bud.

your whole body jolted at the pressure—quick and intense. “o-oh fuck!” you moaned, hips bucking as your fingers tugged on his locks. “that’s it baby, c’mon be as loud as you want.” the sight of you in front of him had his cock hard, his tip red and leaking. he watched the way you clenched around nothing, whimpers and moans slipping past your lips as he increased the speed slightly.

“matt—baby—“ you choked on a moan, feeling his fingers prod at your entrance before slipping in, his pace already fast and relentless. between the water and his fingers, you body was shaking, already feeling your stomach tighten with your impending orgasm. matt could feel it, the way you were clenching around his fingers like a vice.

your eyes fluttered closed, but only for a second before they opened again when you felt matt’s fingers retreat—along with the water. leaving you right on the edge, a frustrated whine slipping past your lips. “mhm not yet baby.” he said, trailing the water up and down your thighs. “gotta tell me what you were thinking about if you wanna cum.”

he was being so mean, but your need to cum overpowered your frustration. your breathing increased, feeling how your clit pulsed, your release fading away little by little. you gave in. “was—“ you paused, looking down at him as his blue eyes stared up at you. “was thinking about you fucking me against the wall in here..”

matt smiled, bringing the pressure right back to your clit as his fingers plunged back inside you. you gasped, back arching off the wall. “good girl. wasn’t so hard now was it?” he mocked, and you shook your head, grinding your hips down to chase the feeling of your orgasm that was quickly approaching again.

“look at you—gonna cum baby?” he asked, pressing the stream closer to your sensitive bundle of nerves. you nodded quickly, breathy moans filling the room. “yes, yes, yes—matt, m—“ your voice cracking into a sob as your orgasm crashed over you, so intense your knees wobbled, threatening to give out.

but he didn’t let up. just grinned up at you, shower head still working your clit while you gasped and begged and tried to squirm away. “aw is it too much?” he asked, turning the stream up just a bit.

you screamed—a broken, desperate cry that echoed off the shower walls. matt just smiled, eyes dark and hungry. “that’s my good girl.” he praised, pulling his fingers out as he kept the stream directly on you.

“let’s see how many times I can make you cum before the water runs cold.”

a/n : slowly but surely getting this done…i’m sorry it’s taking me so long haha

[devilmaymetalgear]

That was a long time ago

swap/evil au!Dante x childhood friend!Reader

Cw: a lot of exposition, dmc3 Dante, gn!reader, this is more of an intro post for the au so I could practice writing him, use of baby and sweetheart, next post WILL be smut with an older evil Dante where he actually is horrible, he's just a little mean in this ❤️

(THIS IS ANOTHER AU I DONT ACTUALLY THINK DANTE WOULD DO ANY OF THIS SHIT IN MAINLINE)

A/n: i have not played dmc5 in a while and forget what the fuck the area around their house looks like, so play along if there's not a forest nearby. I also like... i dont know what happened near the end, its not verg good

He remembered that fateful day. He was left alone, sparring outside. Vergil said he wanted to keep reading his dumb poetry. It was quiet, that familiar of bugs was missing. The chirping of birds gone silent. It was as if time went still.

He didn't notice it at first, that buzzing in the back of his mind that made him want to flee. He probably should of. At 8 years old his mother left him to die. Thrown to the wolves. Thrown to the demons, more accurately.

He watched as the house burned down to ash, the smoke high in the sky. Even as he fled, running for his life, he could see that smoke high in the sky.

And he remembered the days before that. Where he played with his brother and his friend. His secret friend. Mother and father were always worried about them, said they couldn't go too far off the property. But Dante never listened.

He saw another kid in the woods next to his house, plucking some of the wild flowers from the ground. Placing them into their little basket. They looked so excited with each little flower they plucked. And Dante never got to hang out with other kids his age. He crept into the forest, dodging every little leaf and twig that if crunched could scare them.

"Hii!" He shouted, watching them look up.

"Hi?" You waved back at him nervously, and he watched as you stood up straight from the ground.

"Who are those flowers for?" He pointed down at the basket, stepping in front of you.

"They're for my mom. She told me not to come over here but they're just so pretty. Look!" You held your hand up to his face, a small, red wildflower limp between your fingers.

"Can I pick some?" Reaching towards the ground, he grasped at the little flowers, squishing them in his hands. The delicate petals fell onto the ground, leaving partial, crumpled stems in his hands. He was about to give up and sulk, stomp off to go bother Vergil and hope that'll make him feel better.

But you reached out, gently picking up another flower of the ground. Setting into his hand as carefully as you can.

"Now you have one to give to your mom."

Thats all he can remember. His head aches if he thinks about it anymore. That's all he needs to remember anyway.

Why would he ever sit and daydream about the eight year old you, when he's got the smoking hot adult you?

"Dante.." You mutter, gazing down at the rubble and gore beneath temen ni gru. Hundreds dead or injured, the squeals of demons feasting ringing out loud enough for the next city over to hear. His hand tightened around your hip, pulling you close.

"Yeah, baby?" He snaps out of whatever place his mind was, a sharp grin on his face. He looked a little too delighted staring at the gore below him. Like a king on his throne. You wouldn't be surprised if he saw himself as one. "You like what you see, right?"

"It's... definitely something!" His hand drifts lower, resting right on your ass. As much as the urge to swat his hand away rises in you, staring at all the viscera makes you rethink that. "A little... excessive, don't you think? Couldn't we have done this somewhere more... rural? Not right in the middle of the busiest part of town?"

He snickered, leaning into you and glancing over. "I forget how stupid you are when it comes to hellgates and stuff. We can't just move a hell gate, baby. That's where it is so that's where it comes up. Not my fault that I killed a few people."

"You're the one who raised the hellgate! If you didn't raise it then those people wouldn't have died!"

He went quiet, snarling a little. He dipped his head a little lower, his nails digging into your skin.

"If you talk back like that again, I'll throw you down there with them since you pity them so much. You humans are so fragile, any time someone dies you just have to whine about it." He rolled his eyes, as if you were complaining about spilt milk.

He adjusted his grip on you, grabbing your wrist and walking away from the edge.

"Enough of this anyways, I've got a reunion party to plan."

Intro to the au next post WILL be sloppy pervert sex leave me recommendations for what he should do pls ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[sukukuna]

スククナ EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SORCERER (UNPAID)

premise; Shoko is done with being the only one who has to constantly handle everyone else's trauma and curse induced breakdowns. So when you casually mention you're pretty good at giving advice, she immediately recommends you to the higher ups as the new, unofficial therapist.

this is just a short intro to a series! if people enjoy this, i might continue it :p will include lots of characters!

You think that you made a mistake labelling yourself as a good listener.

Now you have a desk made of milk crates, a bean bag that you're 90% sure is haunted- a bean bag that occasionally tries to swallow some of your clients (just Gojo). Your office is a repurposed janitors closet, and payment comes in the form of boba tea, strawberry mochi and the occasional cursed trinket.

You're not sure how you ended up here. You're not exactly sure how to leave, either.

If you could go back in time, you'd go back to the moment when Shoko was patching you up after a rough mission, smoking a cigarette wistfully and complaining about how she had no time to herself.

You'd rather slap yourself in the face before uttering out the words "I'm pretty good at giving advice," again.

Because apparently, that's all it took for Shoko to appoint you as the new 'emotional support sorcerer' for Jujutsu High.

"I don't have a degree." you told her. She rolled her eyes as you voiced the obvious, tapping out her cigarette bud.

"Neither did Freud," she replied, tossing you a stress ball shaped oddly like a baby cursed spirit. "Welcome to the job."

And then there's the clients.

"Its pretty simple. You just listen to them and maybe patch up a cut or two, and make sure they don't completely implode. If they start crying, that's on you." Shoko handed you a hastily scribbled schedule of her working times. "I figure if you survive today, you'll be fine.

"Ah," you blinked up at her. "Okay." She smiled, and you were certain she was enjoying your discomfort. "Who's first?"

Her grin widened, and you shuddered. "Gojo."

".....Gojo?"

And Shoko just laughs.

CASE NO.1 SATORU GOJO.

You had only been in the Janitors closet Therapy room for five minutes when the door swung open like a storm hit the place. Satoru Gojo, in all his obnoxious glory comes strolling in with his blindfold and smug grin, looking like the worlds most egotistical superhero sorcerer.

"Y/n! You're the new group therapist, huh?" He slid into the beanbag chair like he owned it. You observed the haunted bean bag, as if making sure Gojo's boisterous energy wouldn't affect it.

"Uh-huh," Suddenly you were regretting every decision that led you to this moment.

Gojo raised an eyebrow. "Well, don't you worry. I'm gonna be the best client you've ever had."

"You're also the only client I've ever had." He ignored you.

Sighing to himself with a wide grin, "You won't be able to handle my perfect emotional depth." He sinks further into the bean bag, and you wince as the air starts feeling thicker, and the bean bag starts to seem more...menacing.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. "Right...So what brings you here?"

He grins, and places his hands behind his head, his blindfold riding up slightly. "Well, I'm perfect, obviously, but... sometimes, I get a little tired of being the brightest star in the sky. It's exhausting being this good looking. And everyone loves me. Its a lot, you know?" No, no I do not.

You just stare at him blankly. "...And that's the reason you're here?"

He sighs dramatically, flopping back into the beanbag. "And also, like, How do you even deal with being this amazing everyday? Its like a curse."

"Gojo," You start, voice thick with sarcasm. "You're going to be fine. I'm sure the emotional toll of being a literal god doesn't keep you up at night."

He blinked. "Wait. It doesn't?"

DIAGNOSIS: CHRONIC GOJO SYNDROME

TREATMENT: COMPLIMENTS. KIKUFUKU.

It had been exactly fifteen minutes since your first 'session' with Gojo. Fifteen minutes since Satoru had stormed out of the makeshift office, having delivered the kind of emotional performance that only someone with his level of ego could pull off.

You rubbed your temples, trying to process the tidal wave that had just crashed into your psyche. You had managed to take a few notes, but they all stated the obvious.

EGO - IMPOSSIBLY LARGE

PROBLEM - ??? TOO PERFECT ???

SOLUTION - ?????? MORE THERAPY ??????

CASE NO2. CHOSO KAMO.

if this gets interactions i will continue <3

[smutcentralx]

HAII ^-^ saw your intro post tagged under invincible!! Do you have anything for the mark variants? Just headcanons or something would do fine.

Specifically viltrumite or lenseless mark but honestly any work! - 🫀

you ask and you shall receive ;)

PRETTY PLEASE | lensless! mark x gn reader

MASTERLIST

warnings: smut, smut, and more smut

a/n: i was so excited when i saw this hehe i chose lensless mark but i will gladly write one for viltrumite mark. this was supposed to be a headcanon but i got carried away :p

You stared at the tv screen in horror as a bunch of marks destroyed several cities and even countries.

You wondered how this would affect you since you knew mark. You and your mark were close friends and neighbors. You two basically grew up together and you knew all his secrets. You knew he always looked at you as a sister.

It always did bug you since your bottled up feelings weren’t really reciprocated. You never know what he’s thinking so it’s hard to tell how he really thinks of you.

All you knew was that you were very important in his life and he cared for you a lot and vice versa. The friend-zone sucks but you’d never want to mess up your friendship over something so silly. It hit you though…

An awful feeling seeped deep into your gut.

Without wasting time you stood up abruptly and shut off the tv. “Fuck fuck fuck what the fuck do i do” you whispered biting your lip as you paced back and forth.

If you were that important to your mark you realized they may know a you from their universe. However the marks you saw on tv were nothing like your mark they were evil. You decided that you had to avoid making contact with any of them.

You decided you should hop in your car and leave. You grabbed your car keys and ran swiftly towards the door trying to stay calm. Your was chest rising up and down at a fast pace as you still had that bad feeling seep even deeper into your bones.

You opened the door but before you could make one more step outside you saw a shadow figure above your head. Alarms went off in your head and you stood frozen in fear not daring to look up.

You knew that silhouette to well it be your mark but at this point better safe than sorry. Your brain immediately went into fight or flight mode.

You won’t get very far but you obviously chose flight.

Without thinking you turned around and attempted to slam the door shut.

A hand stoped you and swung the door wide open with so much force the door should’ve broke off.

“No way you’re really here! I thought i would never see you again!”

There stood a mark that looked just like your mark. However this was not the mark from you universe. The first thing you noticed was that he had no lenses. Your eyes trailed over his body. He looked identical to your mark. Maybe even better lookin- wait no what am i thinking.

He stepped closer with his arms wide open and a smug grin over his face. “Wow this just awesome, in my universe you hated me so much i had to kill you!”

Chills ran through your body and you froze in place.

“Please don’t hurt me” you whispered loud enough for him to hear. You were so scared you didn’t know what do to do. There wasn’t anything you could do.

You knew marks power and he could kill you if he wanted to in an instant.

“Babe I would never kill you?” he frowned closing in the distance as you walked backwards and hit the wall behind you.

“Please mark” you were begging at this point. This mark was oozing a dangerous persona.

He palmed himself when he heard you begging. “Forgot how good it was to hear you beg”.

“I wonder if your mark ever got a taste of you!”

“Tell me, has he? Or is he just to much of a pussy?”

He laughed holding his stomach. You glared at him starting to grow annoyed at his annoying attitude. He knew he was close to hitting a nerve.

“Aw don’t give me that look- wait you got the hots for your mark but..he doesn’t want you back!” He laughs even more falling to the ground and holding his stomach.

He was taunting you. He knew what he was doing even though he seemed like an airhead.

“S-shut up it isn’t like that we’re just friends”.

He stepped closer ignoring you til he was inches away towering over you. He tiled his head in confusion with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You sure about that? I can smell you, your arousal for me, i can hear your heartbeat. I know you want me”.

You cursed at yourself. You felt so defeated you couldn’t form a sentence due to the humiliation. Your face grew red and he saw right through you.

“There we go, this will be fun! I’ll give it to you real good since your mark won’t!”. “Wait, please!” You tried to push him back but it was like pushing a wall.

He grabbed both of your wrists and held them above your head against the wall. “Oh this is gonna be fun relax, I’ll take good care of you!”. He cooed sweetly but his tone still scared you.

He let go of your hands and began to roam your body touching every corner like he memorized it. His hands landed on your ass and he squeezed it.

Your hands flew to his shoulders and a soft moan slipped from your mouth. You bit your lip trying to conceal your soft sweet sounds. “I know you like that, we’re just getting started.” He was dripping with confidence.

He removed his head from your neck and yanked down your shorts and underwear with no warning. You gasped in surprise as he picked you up with ease.

You were now cradling him just inches away from his face. He smirked and crashed his lips into yours and you couldn’t help but kiss him back. You moaned deeply into the kiss.

You didn’t even notice you were moving at all till he threw you harshly onto your bed.

In a flash your top and bra was gone and he was in between your legs naked and my god his dick was huge. Reality and fear hit you as you saw how big he was. You scoot back trying to make a run for it.

He just ranked your legs even closer gripping your thighs hard enough to leave a bruise. “Where are you going? The fun part is about to begin!”

“Mark it’s not going to fit your to big”. He took in the sight of your body and his dick twitched slightly jumping from excitement. “Oh i’ll make it fit, you’ve taken it before and you will again”.

Before you could argue back he sunk in the fingers into your dripping wet core. You moaned at the sudden intrusion. You could hear the arousal and it turned you on way more than it should have.

Marks fingers felt amazing he took note of the way you twitched and shook trying to find that little sweet spot he knows so well.

“Fuck mark right there”. You whimpered when you felt him hitting that spongy soft spot. “Yea you like that? I found it within seconds this is awesome!” he picked up the pace continuously abusing that soft spot.

You felt your orgasm creeping up fast and your eyes rolled back due to the immense pleasure. His fingers were going at a rapid pace that you didn’t even know was possible.

“God fuck mark i’m gonna-“. You gasped and your breath hitched. “Mhm come on give it to me pretty girl”. The way he spoke to you made you snap and u fold instantly.

Your back arched “Fuck” you whimpered softy. Your body froze up and your hole tightened. Your orgasm hitting you in waves, you felt like you could pass out instantly. You never knew you could feel so good cumming off just his fingers.

He watched you unravel and he knew all it took was his fingers to break you. “Fuck those sweet sounds could put me sleep” he laughed while watching the way how you twitched under his touch.

You whined at the removal of his fingers. As you propped yourself up on your elbows. The sight alone could make you cum all over again.

Mark was softly pumping his already hard cock. While looking at your face and body. His eyes met yours. “Go on, say it tell me what you want.” He stroked it slowly with a smirk on his face waiting for you.

You bit your lip and looked away. “Ah ah eyes on me” he gripped your chin harshly and forced you to look at him.

He rubbed soft taunting circles on your clit. You moaned softly but you were also frustrated. He kept changing the pace teasing you until you had enough.

“Fuck, mark please just fuck me.”

He smiled wide in victory. “See that wasn’t so hard you just needed a push!” his eyes darkened as he planted both hands next besides your head.

His tip at your entrance just begging to come in. As you prepared for him to just shove it in. He instead slowly fucked you with the tip. “What are you-“ he finally shoved his dick into your wet hole.

You moaned his name so loud your neighbors could probably hear it. “Fuck you feel soo good i could just cum inside right now”. His brows furrowed since you were so tight for him.

He began thrusting in and out roughly and didn’t even let you adjust to his size. You screamed out in pain and pleasure. The pain of the stretch felt so good, no one could give you this feeling.

His calculated thrusts were ruthlessly pounding into you barely giving you enough time to catch your breath. He leaned down and kissed you roughly but also passionately. You moaned and whimpered into the kiss.

You screamed out when you felt him abusing that spot in your tight little hole. “Right there mark oh god”. Mark took note and moved both of his hand on your thighs and pushed you down into a mating press position.

“Yeah you like it right there don’t you? I can feel you squeezing my dick off.” His thrust were pounding into you at a relentless pace. You felt your second orgasm building up quickly.

He knew you were about to cum and he didn’t plan on stopping. You looked up at him with pleading eyes, the burn of your hips as he held you down. His thrust were getting sloppier and his breath stuttered at the sight.

“Fuck cum for me s’good i’m gonna cum inside you.” He mumbled out while drowning in his own pleasure. That was enough to break you alone.

You screamed his name as your second wave of your orgasm hit or maybe it was your third. You didn’t even know anymore. You brain was foggy and you poor hole was so overwhelmed.

You pushed against his chest as he kept going fucking you through your orgasm. You felt a third one creeping up on you fast. “Mark wait i’m-“. He ignored you and kept pounding into you his hips stuttering as he poured into you. Your orgasm washing over you at the same time.

He released your thighs as you shook and trembled. He licked his lips at the sight of you growing hard again.

In a flash he was sitting against the head board legs straightened out in front of him. You were sitting on top of him with half lidded eyes. You looked him shocked.

“Oh you thought that was it? Babe like i said we’re just getting started!”

[parkitaco]

why don't you like heartstopper?

hi anon my apologies u sent this a while ago but the movie announcement has me Thinking things so here we are ! (adding a read more here so heartstopper enjoyers can feel free to scroll without being bombarded by my Thoughts)

to be honest, i don’t dislike the show *that* much! i thought the first season was super cute, but around s2 i started getting bored with it. it’s nothing against the show itself or people who do like it, and i haven’t read the books so maybe there’s a facet of it that i’m missing out on because of it, but it’s very much a show that’s designed to outline as many different lgbtq and mental health topics as possible and explain why It’s All Okay 👍 😃 which is fine! i understand why for a younger queer person still figuring themself out, it might be really helpful to see those topics actually talked about on tv. however, since i’m not at that stage of life anymore, i start to get annoyed by all of the Perfectionism of it, because what i want out of media i engage in is a story that is Interesting, and heartstopper just isn’t that to me. everyone is too understanding about everything, and can express their feelings in perfect Therapy Words, and like, i don’t know. my favorite book is the goldfinch. i want stories about gay people who suck and are mean to each other and go through decades of homoerotic angst before they even begin to try to unpack it. i want the story to be about something Besides just the fact that the characters are gay and mentally ill.

“but it’s good queer representation!” yeah, it’s representation and it’s important. but i think queer people deserve to see themselves represented in stories that are complex and meaningful and actuallt feel Real, too, and i think that people who act like this show is the end all be all of gay rep need to take a second to think about how maybe it’s Not a good thing for the only media about gay people we have to be About Being Gay. i think heartstopper has a very clear message that many people need to hear, but for me personally? i don’t like when my media tries to teach me something. there’s a difference between having themes and messages that make you Think vs having a Moral Of The Story that is shoved down ur throat from day one.

also, it’s just fun to be a hater.

[buckys-forgotten-plum]

A Lesson in Love

(This is very much a working title)

College!AU

Smarty Pants!Bucky Barnes x Cheerleader!Reader

Synopsis: Being a newly metamorphosed social butterfly certainly has its perks: an amazing friend group, a position on the cheer squad you’ve dreamed about for years, and the ability to make connections everywhere you go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make you any better at Linear Algebra, enter Bucky Barnes.

Warnings: Cursing, awkward reader, flirty Steve Rogers, that’s it i think :)

A/N: Boy howdy has it been a long time since I’ve posted on this hell-site. I only hope that it’s not shit (it’s probably shit)

—---------------

“Let’s run through the routine one more time guys!” Your voice travels throughout the gym as you direct your teammates to their original starting position. 

“Umed, you’re doing great but I just wanna see a little more stability when you’re holding Yelena up! Yelena, I saw you falter a little at the end there, try and stay strong please!” Your co-captain, Raj, enthusiastically instructs from beside you. 

As the team resets into their original postions, you hear a bumble of agreements and acknowledgments, making you smile. Becoming the co-captain of your university’s cheer team while only being a sophomore was no small feat and you were absolutely ecstatic to get the call 4 weeks ago congratulating your achievement. 

You remember sitting with Yelena in the quad, under a large willow tree, when you picked up the phone, it took everything in you not to squeal with excitement. Though you and your best friend definitely had a mini celebration after you hung up and spared no shame when you both began to scream and shout your elation. 

“Oh, holy shit Rabbit you did it!” The blonde woman had tightly gathered you into her arms and spun you around, a wild grin adorning her face. 

You hug her back just as tightly, “I can’t believe it! I for sure thought Hasan was gonna get it! I mean, his form was impeccable, and did you see that round-off back handspring that he did? Jesus I almost swooned!” 

Yelena laughs heartily before agreeing, “It takes more than just pretty tricks to be a captain though Rabbit, you didn’t get a full ride for nothin’. C’mon, I’m buying us lunch to celebrate,”

After a couple of weeks of barely believing you were able to make the cut as co-captain, you honed your excitement into determination. You began to focus on perfecting the routine you and Raj had planned for the first football game of the year. At this point, it was only a week away and your confidence in the team soared. They all worked so incredibly hard, and by watching how well they were performing today, you had all the faith in the world in them. After the team had run through it a couple more times, Raj had decided to call it for today seeing as you and a few others had an evening lecture to get to. 

Once you had taken one of the fastest showers in your life and changed into a fresh set of clothes, the process of haphazardly shoving your things into your bag and calculating how fast you’d have to run to make it to your class on time began. The gym you practiced in was damn near close to being on the other side of campus from the building your 5 pm Computational Physics lecture was held in and you’d be in deep shit for showing up late. You were already having a rough time in that class and you knew missing even a few minutes of the lecture intro would put you even further behind. 

“You better hop to it little rabbit or you’ll be laaate~,” Yelena sings as she walks past you, already on her way out.

“I know, I know, I know!” You hastily shove the rest of your belongings into your bag before giving yourself a quick pat down to ensure nothing was missed

Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you give a quick goodbye to the rest of the women in the locker room before bolting out. The sun was still shining brightly and there was a late afternoon breeze that cooling as you ran across campus. If you asked any of your friends, they’d laugh and admit that this has become a normal Tuesday and Thursday night for you. None of them would bat an eye whenever they would see your blurred figure and hear a breathless greeting as you sprinted past them. They fully supported your wild determination to overachieve in school while also continuing your advancements in the sport that allowed you to attend such a prestigious institution. 

Your lungs burn as you run up to the large brick building that held the lecture hall, giving a kind hello to a couple of people you knew from your previous class that day. The inconsistent squeak of your sneakers on the linoleum floor can be heard echoing throughout the arched hallway as you try and manage a professional-looking speedwalk. A large sigh of relief is released when you see the double doors to the lecture hall are still open, meaning the class hasn’t started yet. Your pace and breath both slow as you enter the quiet space. As soon as you cross the threshold to the large room, there's a quiet call of your name that catches your attention. You grin and turn to your right to see a group of fellow students all giving you hushed greetings and a few congratulations on getting here in time. 

“You made it in time, Honey Bee! M’ proud of you,” Steve, the blond-haired, blue-eyed captain of the football team, greets you from his aisle seat and holds his hand out as he gives you a wide smile. 

“Hi Stevie,” You smile and take his hand, allowing him to tug you closer, “I sprinted all the way here, you’d think I’d be used to the cardio by now but it still kills me,” 

Steve lets out a light chuckle, “if you want I can start trainin’ with you in the mornings. Or tutor you in time management,” 

You jokingly roll your eyes at his comment and give his hand a light squeeze, “My time management skills are primo, Champ. That’s why I’m here on time, thank you very much,”  

He snorts loudly before nodding his head, “yeah okay Honey Bee, if you say so. Unfortunately, even though you’re ‘on time,��� the whole hall is filled except for a seat up front,”

“That’s okay! You know I like making new friends,” You go to pull your hand from his and find your seat but are stopped by another quick tug.

“Hey, you still wanna go to the cafe with all of us after class? I’ll get ya some lemon pound cake for your troubles,”

You pretend to think about the proposition before giving your answer, “I guess if there's gonna be lemon pound cake involved, I could make an appearance,” 

Steve gives you a dazzling smile, his bright blue eyes developing crows feet as he looks up at you from his seat, “Awesome, I’ll see you after class then, honey,” 

Before you pull away, Steve brings your hand up and turns it, giving the inside of your wrist a soft kiss, “Egh Steve, you’re so sappy sometimes,” You mumble and pull your hand away and silently will the heat rising in your neck and cheeks to go away. 

“Only for you Honey Bee!” You hear the smugness in his voice as you turn to walk down the stairs that separate each side of the large auditorium. 

Steve was right when he said there was only one seat left and you feel a small pang of nerves in your chest as you realize you’d be sitting next to someone you hadn’t had the chance to talk to yet. You pride yourself on your social skills, seeing as though in high school and all the years before, you had been a shy, nervous wreck in front of anyone you didn’t know. None of your recent friends knew how closed off you had been since they had only seen you in your ‘flourishing social butterfly’ phase. 

As you approach the last available seat in the lecture hall you take a deep breath, preparing yourself for the stress of class as well as the prospect of any awkward conversations. When you arrive at your destination, a small furrow knits your brows together as you stare down at the chair. 

“Um, excuse me, is it alright if I sit here? There aren’t any other seats left,” Your voice is hushed as you try and get the attention of the person who has their bag sitting in the theater seat. 

He doesn’t seem to hear you, too caught up with the conversation he was having with his friend in the next seat over. The only reaction you get is a disinterested glance from the woman your target was talking to. Your nose scrunches up in displeasure as you first glare at the person who had clearly ignored you, then at the brunette who’s completely unaware of your presence.

You clear your throat a bit and try again, “Excuse me? Sir?” 

The brunette jumps a bit in his seat and you’re quickly met with startlingly blue eyes that are filled with confusion, “Uh, yeah?”

Your lips pull into a soft smile and you glance back down at the chair before focusing back up on the man, “Is it okay if I sit here? There don’t seem to be any free seats left in the hall,” 

The man’s eyes widen and he does a quick glance between you and his bag before yanking it out of the seat and plopping it in between his legs, “I am so sorry, of course you can! I-I didn’t realize anyone else would be coming,”

A light laugh of surprise bursts from your lips at his apologetic reaction, “It’s okay, it’s my fault for getting here so late anyways,” you give him a kind smile before sitting down and taking your laptop out and setting it on the small fold out table.

You lean back down to search your bag for your charger and a few other things. As you're searching through your bag, you hear a quiet chuckle beside you and you can’t help but turn your head back up to look at your neighbor. He notices your confused look and motions towards your laptop that was covered in various stickers. 

“I really like that one,” there’s a wide smile on his face as he points to a sticker depicting a frog inside of a heart that said ‘commit crimes’ in cute bubble letters. 

A grin makes it’s way onto your face and you nod your head in agreement, “it’s one of my favorites too! I really like this one as well,” you point to another sticker that shows a little mushroom person riding atop a black cat. 

Before the brunette can respond, your professor finally begins to start class, startling the both of you into silence as you ready yourself for any note-taking that needs to be done. As the professor started going over this week's subject matter, which happened to be matric eigenvalue problems, your palms already began to sweat in nervousness. You took your hands from atop the keyboard of your laptop and placed them down onto your thighs, lightly balling them in and out of fists to ease your stress. You had been introduced to matrices in your last semester, but to add a new formula to the mix made you nervous enough to forget any prior knowledge you had stored away. 

Throughout the lecture you had to continuously remind yourself that lots of people are probably having issues with the current topic. However, that voice of reassurance had gotten quieter and quieter as you noticed everyone around you quickly typing or scribbling down notes without hesitation. No one had asked a question and with a quick glance at your laptops clock, you find there to be only 10 minutes left of class. You nervously shift around in your seat and focus on typing down the finishing notes when you feel a pair of eyes set on you. 

You nervously glance up and to the side to catch a fleeting glimpse of your neighbor quickly averting his eyes. The heat that flares up in your neck and cheeks is almost unbearable as you realize he knows that you’re struggling, can physically feel how lost and confused you are with the subject. You immediately become tense and your hands once again leave their place on your keyboard before falling back down into your lap, wiping the sweat from your palms onto your thighs before tightly clenching them into fists. The stress of the class mixed with the embarrassment of how obvious your lack of understanding has made your brain shut down, and only after noticing everyone around you packing up their things did you realize you had completely checked out for the last few minutes of class. 

“Aw shoot,” you mumble quietly while softly closing your laptop. The faint beginnings of a conversation come from beside you, but you’re too busy trying not to break down to make sense of any of it. Little crescent moons were being left in the palms of your hands from how hard your nails were digging into them, your mouth was beginning to taste like iron from how hard you were biting the inside of your cheek, and the sting of tears were present in your waterline. 

As you leaned down to shove your laptop and notebook into your bag, you made sure to take a deep breath because you would be damned if you ended up crying like a baby in front of fellow classmates. Especially ones you just met. It didn’t help too much, but after blinking rapidly for a moment you were certain no tears would fall until you were successfully inside your dorm room. Steve would understand and would make up an excuse for your absence at the cafe.

“Hey,” A voice speaks from above and you jump in surprise before sitting back up straight to find your seat neighbour with a soft smile on his face.

“Hello,” you mumble quietly before glancing down at your lap then back up to him, “I’m so sorry-I’m probably in your way aren’t I?” 

His eyes widen and he quickly puts his hand up to halt you in your movements of gathering your things, “No actually I um-I wanted to actually ask you if maybe we could compare notes for this lecture? I feel like I might have missed some stuff and it seemed like you got everything down. I’ve been kinda struggling with this unit so it’d help a lot,” 

You stared at him for a moment, blinking blankly at him almost in disbelief… Was he really asking you of all people for notes?

You fumble with your words for a moment before answering, “Well I’m not-um I actually might not be the best person to ask for notes,” the sheepish admittance does well to bring a new wave of heat crawling up to the tips of your ears and you try not to cringe in embarrassment, “I’m only averaging a 74% in this class right now,” 

The man tilts his head and gives another soft smile in your direction, “Well I’m averaging a 68 so ya still got me beat,” 

The quiet chuckle he lets out makes your lips tug up into your own smile and let out a quick laugh yourself. You quickly turn your head to the back of the lecture hall and see Steve and a few of your friends gathered around the entrance, discussing something unknown while patiently waiting for you.

“Alright that’s a fair point,” you giggle and take your phone out, “If you wanna, I can give you my phone number and email so we can exchange everything we have? I can’t really promise anything groundbreaking but maybe it’ll help?” 

He grins widely and pulls his own phone out of its hiding place, unlocking it and tapping to his contact list, “Yeah that’d be really nice…I’m James by the way,” 

You mentally scold yourself for not asking the man’s name earlier before revealing your own to him. 

“Nice to meet you,” James' voice is gentle and endearing as he holds his phone out to you in a silent request for your contact info. 

You quickly input your number and send yourself an emoji to ensure it was correct, “I um-I have plans to go to a coffee shop with my friends right now, but I promise I’ll send you all the notes I have as soon as I get the chance if you just wanna text me your email address? Maybe we could share a google document and work off of each other? Really whatever works best for you is fine with me!” 

You bite the inside of your lip to stop yourself from word-vomiting anymore and wonder how, after so many years, you are this awkward with someone. It’s been ages since you’ve been this socially inept with a stranger and you wrack your brain for a reason. 

James bends down and grabs his backpack before standing up to his full and very intimidating height. You haphazardly gather your own items and fumble out into the aisle to let James out. 

“No rush! I’m just appreciative of any help I can get really,” he admits, raising his right hand and running it through the dark brunette tresses of his hair. 

“No yeah I totally get that! And I’m actually gonna ask my friend for some help tonight so I’ll even have some extra tips ready!” Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you do another glance back to see Steve giving you the look and you figure you shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer, “okay, sorry I have to go now, but it was really nice to meet you James! And thanks for liking my stickers,” 

Why you brought up the stickers, you’ll never know, but you can fight with yourself about that later. 

James lets out a boisterous laugh before answering, “It was my pleasure, Sugar. I’ll be sure to message you later,” 

You were thankful that James had turned around to talk to his friend as it made it easier for you to hide the shock on your face from the sweet pet name he threw out. Putting your hands up to quell the heat that had risen to your cheeks, you make your way to Steve. 

“You make a new friend?” He asks with a knowing smile. 

“Yeah! He said he needed help with this class so I told him we would exchange notes when I got home. Oh also can you go through the entire lecture with me?” 

Steve stared down at your shorter frame, letting out an amused snort and shaking his head in disbelief, “You’re going to exchange notes with a dude when you don’t even know what went on in the lecture today?” 

“umm…yes, yes I’m going to be doing exactly that unless you be a sweet little lamb and go over the notes with me so i can fix any mistakes!” You respond sweetly and grab onto Steve's hand to pull him closer to the doors, “pretty, pretty, pretty please?” 

He rolled his eyes and pulled his hand from your grasp before wrapping his arm around your shoulder, effectively pulling you into his side, “yeah yeah, ya know I might have to start charging you Honey Bee,” He leads you out of the building and you both begin making your way to the coffee shop on campus. 

[cumulo-ghoulll]

Frater Imperator HC

(he hates Perpetua's album)

Peacefield

"Alright, Aether, I'm going to listen to this hyped up shit!"

"Alrighty, what's this first one? Peacefield? Sounds dreadful already."

*choir starts* "wait, i recognise that voice. IS THAT SALEM JR? WHAT A LITTLE SNAKE! I GAVE HIM RAVIOLI ON HIS 10TH BIRTHDAY AND THIS IS HOW HE REPAYS ME? BY SINGING ON MY BROTHER'S SHITTY ALBUM?"

"It is his job, C. He is the clergy choir's best soprano."

"I DO NOT CARE AETHER! WHY HAS THE WHOLE JUNIOR CHOIR STABBED ME IN THE BACK??"

"It is literally their job. I don't know what to tell you, Papa . . ."

*first verse starts* "'its not over yet'? What a shame, my ears are bleeding already. 'this is what dreams are made of'? more like nightmares! amiright Aeth? Hehehe!

*chorus* "'a black moon over the peacefield'? Aether! He copied my song! This is a blatant forgery of Hunter's Moon! He just changed the type of moon! See, he can't even write an original song!"

"Papa, it's not theft just because he mentioned a moon? Primo sang, 'a moon shone bright above her trial' in Stand By Him, and Secondo sang, 'the moon is full and shines an evil, blinding light' so they could say you copied them!"

"Whose side are you on, Aether?"

"The guitar solo's good, I guess."

"And the keyboard solo."

"Basically, any part where that fucking V isn't singing is good."

"Ah, finally! The outro! Almost done, thank the dark lord!"

"Bit repetitive hey, Aeth?"

"Quite catchy though, Papa?"

"Whose side are you on, Aether? Seriously?"

Lachryma

"Hmmm, the intro is okay. I guess."

"'like a vampire should ' you know he's not a vampire, right? He's just some poser who thinks he's a Dracula! Unbelievable.

"Copia, do you not also remember your vampire phase during Prequelle?"

"Whose side are you on? I was a better vampire anyway."

"'i can never run and i cannot hide' i wish he would run and hide so i didn't have to see his face again. Hmmph."

"'im done crying' what a whiny loser! I can't stand this guy, how do the fans even like him? All he does is complain!"

"'over someone like you' ME? OH HE SO WROTE THIS ABOUT ME! AETHER CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS GUY?? GET OVER YOURSELF."

"I don't think he wrote about you in particular, C . . ."

"He definitely did, who else could it possibly about? It's not like he has any friends or anything."

"'im done!' Thank Satan, it's finally over! 2 down, 8 more to go. Lord give me strength."

Satanized

"' There's something inside me' hehe yea right! That loser's never had anything inside of him! The V in his name stands for virgin!"

"I don't think that's what he means, C"

"Who's side are you on, Aether."

"'I should have known not to give in' he should have known not to release this shitty album!

"'Im satanized!' I'm getting a headache, never mind getting satanized!"

"You have to admit, it's a pretty good song though!"

"It's alright. Obviously, if I sang it, it would sound heaps better but I guess it's fine."

"Wait a minute. IS THAT CORINTHIANS 6:19?? WHY WOULD HE PUT SUCH WORDS INTO A SONG ABOUT OUR DARK MASTER? WHO LET HIM RELEASE THIS SONG? IT HURTS! IT'S BURNING MY EARS!"

"I can't believe this guy! How have the siblings of sin been singing this song all week when it has such heinous lyrics!"

"'I have begged God for the remedy' there's no way this guy is a true Emeritus! Why is he singing about our Dark Lord's enemy?"

"You do realise he's not singing in first person, right? He's singing from the perspective of the monk in the music video? You did know that right?"

"Seriously, whose side are you on Aether?"

Guiding Lights

"Ah, so this is meant to be the one to make me cry, huh? Well, not a single tear shall fall my eye, Aether! Not a single one!"

"Oh yeah, of course, couldn't make me cry either!" *already wiping a tear from his eye*

"Who even likes sad songs away? I never wrote any, and that why people love me! I'm always happy, me!"

"Life Eternal? Darkness At The Heart Of My Love? Some could even argue the end of Respite On The Spitalfields is sad at the end. . ."

"What even are these lyrics? 'the road that leads to nowhere is long'? How creative!"

"The guitar solo is pretty good, I'll give him that. It's only because Dew's playing it. Even if V wrote it, i dont care."

De Profundis Borealis

"Damn this ones good, eh C?"

"It's okay, I guess. Would you stop tapping your foot? You're getting too into it, it's not that good!"

"You have to admit, it is quite catchy!"

"Seriously, Aether? Whose side are you on??"

"'And a glow within you dies' I wish the glow inside him would die so he'd step down and i could be frontman again."

"Is Mountain not exhausted? This sounds really repetitive for him? Someone needs to write my poor ghouls some better parts."

"Mount told me he had a whale of a time recording this one. The whole pack really like this one apparently!"

"Oh great! So they're all turning their back on me, huh?"

"It is quite fun to play."

"You've learned it already? Traitor!"

"Phantom gave me the tabs! I couldn't help but learn it!"

"Ugh, finally, we're at the end. Wait. IS THAT THE SENIOR CHOIR?? WHY HAS HE TAKEN BOTH THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR CHOIR FROM ME?? WHAT'S NEXT?? THE GHOUL CHOIR??"

"You do realise that the choirs are legally obligated to perform on an album if asked, they don't just sing at mass, C"

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!"

Cenotaph

"It's very jovial for a sad song, huh?"

"Just be quiet, Copia."

(*Copia and Aether sit and cry quietly to this, processing their own grief*)

Missilia Amori

"Ooh, this one will cheer you up, C!"

"I wasn't crying! I just had some dust, um hayfever. It's hayfever season isn't it? Some pollen just made my eyes itch, y'know?"

"'So you want out now, don't you, love?' Damn, so dramatic."

"Someone's obviously broken his heart . . ."

"Hehe what a loser, can't even hold down a relationship!"

"It's a good breakup song though, don't you think?"

"hmm I guess. Damn! I should have written a breakup song!"

"It's a bit late for that now, C"

"Don't remind me, Aeth!!"

"'excite me with your demise' ha yeah! That's what I'm saying! When can we get rid of this loser, eh?"

"'a man of faith is hard to find' well if he wants a good Satanist boyfriend he has the whole of the ministry to pick from . . ."

"C, i dont think thats what he meant. Also, he can't even get in the door."

"I may have locked him out on purpose. . ."

"'you showed me yours, I'll show you mine' what a pervert! Unbelievable, who even is this guy! He's only been on tour for less than a week and he's already too big for his stupid little boots!"

Marks Of The Evil One

"'Rides a steed, white' HES TALKING ABOUT MY HORSE, DEATH! I swear to Satan, if he's taken him on tour or for a stupid music video I'm going to go insane!"

"Death is still in his stable, I literally saw Cumulus sat with him this morning. Also, I think he's talking about the four horsemen, so the first one is Conquest, right?"

"'The fourth rider is Death, rides a steed, pale' well at least my horse got a mention.

"'the marks are spreading everywhere!' eww sounds like he's got a type of a disease. . . what a loser!

"I quite like this one actually, C!"

"Seriously, Aether! Whose side are you on??"

*singing along* "there! there! disciples of the evil one!"

"Okay! okay! It's not THAT good!"

"The guitar solos pretty good . . . again."

"V's pretty good at writing guitar solos, eh?"

"yeah well I could do better but, y'know, it's not bad for a beginner, I guess . . ."

"I like his voice in this one, it's a really catchy song, don't you think?"

"He sounds like a cat with the flu to me but sure . . ."

Umbra

"Ooh this one's gonna be good! I've heard people say it's the next Mummy Dust!"

"hmmm its okay . . . IS THAT A COWBELL?? IS COWBELL GHOUL BACK?"

"Yeah he came back from Scotland to play for the recording. Did you not see him around the other week?"

"Oh so not only is this fucking V taking my ghouls, my choir, my fans, my clothes, my songs, he's taking Terzo's ghoul too!! Next he'll want my rats! Unbelievable!!"

"'I put my love in you' ugh what a slut!"

"Shouldn't you be happy about that, Cardi? He is promoting lust to the masses?"

"Well yes but I hate it!"

"You can't hate something just because you're brother made it!"

"Yes I can! And I will!"

"Damn Cirrus and Dew going wild! At least the ghouls sound good! Can't say the same for fucking V!"

"There's so much cowbell!"

"I know! Isn't it awesome?!"

"Alright, alright, Aether. Just remember whose side you're on."

"this one's going on the gay sex playlist."

"What?"

"nothing."

Excelsis

"'it is the end' THANK THE LORD!

'"its the end of your sadness and pain' well it will be when this song's finally finished"

"'everybody leaves one day' Copia, just sit and listen to this one. I think you need to hear it."

*Copia silently cries through the rest of the song*

"'I am afraid of eternity, too.' You alright, C?"

"ahuh, hyeah. yup. just a little dust in my eye. damn hayfever again. *sniff*

"what do you rate the album out of 10?"

"3. It was shit."

"You cried twice!"

"Okay 6/10. And I didn't cry! I have allergies!"

"Sure."

"My albums were better though, right?"

"Sure, Copia."

[casscainmainly]

"My long-held belief that Duke and Luke should not get along" <- could you please elaborate on this? I'm fond of both and I collect your thoughts and analyses like they're rare trading cards so I'm ready to be all 👀🫳🍿

First of all anon this might be my favourite ask ever, I've been dying to write my thoughts on these two so THANK YOU. Secondly my belief that Duke + Luke wouldn't get along actually stemmed from WFA, I was super annoyed with Luke giving Duke the pep talk in ep 76 because they have no relationship!!! Then I started thinking harder and realised they are a really interesting pair. In case anyone hasn't noticed I'm fond of giving Duke relationships where he's annoyed with the other person so 😭 this is very on brand.

The thing about Duke + Luke is they are, on the surface, similar - they are Black members of the Batfam who operate mostly independently, 'separate' from a legacy as Signal/Batwing (though I will deconstruct this later), devoted to their family, have a strong sense of justice, and view crime-fighting as a business. But I believe at their cores they are fundamental opposites - and it's this hidden opposition that makes me think they wouldn't vibe with each other. I'm focusing on We Are Robin Duke and Batwing Luke, though I will also refer to Duke's Signal days + Luke in Detective Comics.

(This is going to be a long post because this is lowkey my Luke + Duke thesis 😭)

Introductions

Duke and Luke were both introduced in the New 52, actually in the same year (2013!). What's really cool about their intros is that you already see how different they are. We first meet Duke in Zero Year, where he's fishing in the subway and then attacked by a gang; we then get the famous scene of him solving crosswords by Bruce's unconscious body. When Bruce tells Duke and his family to leave, Duke refuses, telling him they can't leave Duke's grandma and that all it takes is one riddle to free the city from Riddler's influence.

By contrast, we first meet Luke in the spotlight as he's wrestling for MMA in Batwing #19. He's been wrestling to get Batman's attention, refusing all job offers from his dad to do so (and thus creating some juicy father-son tension). In Batwing #20, we see he has two degrees from MIT, lives in a fancy apartment, and is really tech-oriented; his cover story for Batwing is that he's travelling the world.

Already, there are a couple things that already firmly separate them:

Class: Duke is from the Narrows whereas Luke is rich

Connection to Batman: Duke stumbled across Batman and gained his attention quite organically, whereas Luke was actively begging for Batman to notice him

Agency: Duke's actions were motivated by the extreme circumstances of Zero Year and a desire to help rooted in his material environment, whereas Luke's is a more internal, abstract wish to help (pointing to their class differences again)

Gotham: Duke refuses to leave his city, whereas Luke immediately packs up and travels the world

Intelligence: Both of them are fiercely intelligent, but in different ways - Duke loves puzzles and riddles whereas Luke is more inclined towards engineering and technology

And these differences only grow as they get older!!

Maturity

Duke is 16 (in my head, canonically it's vague but he's between Damian and Tim so 14-17) and Luke is 23. This age gap is honestly not that big, but I think it would feel big to both of them. And what's worse is that Duke is quite mature, but Luke is said to be immature:

Batwing #23

I don't think Luke is actually immature, but it's a recurring theme that other characters perceive him as unwilling to grow up; and I genuinely do think Batwing, for him, is kind of an adventure at first. Now compare this to Duke, whose circumstances disallowed him being childish. He had to grow up because his parents weren't around anymore, and he became quite jaded as a result. Even after he's mellowed out in his Signal days, I still don't think he could tolerate working with someone who comes off as light-hearted as Luke does. Duke would be annoyed by how he perceives Luke doesn't take things seriously, and Luke in turn would be annoyed when Duke inevitably criticises him for it.

Arc

Following on from above, their arcs are actually in total opposite directions. We first meet Duke alone and disillusioned with everything, putting his whole being into finding his parents. Then, through We Are Robin and Robin War, he begins to understand what Robin means as a symbol and finds community, leading to his brighter personality in Signal comics. Luke, however, begins very light-hearted (as seen above), with a huge respect for Batman and the Bat symbol. Once his family starts being torn apart, though, he becomes increasingly aggressive, more isolated, and in a much darker place. Compare a narration box from the last issues of both:

Batwing #34 / We Are Robin #12

These encapsulate their journeys: Duke learns that he doesn't have to act alone, whereas Luke struggles with accepting all that has happened since he put on his suit. Being a vigilante improves Duke's life, whereas it essentially ruins Luke's. This is why I don't think that WFA ep made sense!!! They have nothing in common in terms of the vigilante experience, and I think they would frustrate each other because they have such different conceptions of what the vigilante life is!!!!!!!

Batman and Robin

Okay so I said that Luke + Duke aren't legacies; even though Batwing is one, Luke doesn't actually talk to David Zavimbe, and his Batwing is not spiritually connected to David's really. But Luke and Duke both do take inspiration from other Batfam members - Batman and Robin, respectively.

Batwing #25 / Batman (2011) #45

Luke is the rare Batfam member whose motivations don't spring from tragedy - he's inspired one night when Batman saves him and he jumps in to help. Luke's love for Batman is wrapped up in Bruce himself, as a person rather than a symbol; he genuinely thinks Batman is awesome and wants to help people under his name.

Duke is the exact opposite - Robin is not a person for him but a symbol, and a symbol that can be spread to many people. It's also intimately tied with Duke's relationship to Gotham, because Batman is "on the gargoyle" and Robin is "on the street". Importantly, Duke says to Darryl that "I know you work for him, but you're us". Working for a singular person is in opposition to this 'us' that Duke believes in.

Luke, though not exactly an employee, literally wanted to work for Batman, Inc. Batwing is in many ways a 'job', an alternative to the corporate life Lucius wanted for him. Duke would, I think, take huge problems with Luke's philosophy as a whole. Separated from Gotham, attached to Batman as a person rather than as a symbol, Duke just literally wouldn't understand where Luke is coming from. And Luke, too, doesn't seem to respect Robin as a mantle (this is after someone mistakes him for Batman in Batwing #34):

I think Luke views Robin as firmly a kids' role, a sidekick for Batman; that would annoy the STUFFING out of Duke. I actually could write a whole post in itself about this incident and Luke being mistaken for Batman but that's for another day. The point is they are attached to the Batman and Robin legacies which in themselves are already vastly different, but Duke is kind of anti-Batman and Luke is a little anti-Robin, so they would not mix.

Family

One thing they do have in common is a deep love for family. But even then, their familial relationships are extremely different: Duke has a wonderful relationship with his parents, bolstered by the fact he lost them for a while, whereas Luke has a contentious relationship with his. Duke in some ways idealises his mom and dad, while Luke is sharply aware of his parents' shortcomings.

Batwing #20

Now this wouldn't be an issue normally, but Duke canonically has, like, a problem with judging other people's families. It's a really consistent (and somewhat hilarious) trait of his:

We Are Robin #5 / We Are Robin #5 / Gotham Nights #8

The Dre comment ("you're a mob kid?") is particularly telling. Because Duke has such a good relationship with his parents, and because he's shaped so much by them, I think he sees children as reflections of their parents/families. It's hard for him to see someone completely divorced from their family - you even see this a bit in Batman & The Outsiders, where although Duke understood Cass' disagreements with Shiva, I don't think he really got the nuances of what that felt like for Cass.

Luke's relationship with his father is complex and contentious. They love each other, but Lucius' desires for Luke just don't match what Luke wants, and Luke can't tell him about Batwing either so it's a constant back-and-forth. This secrecy is another thing Duke wouldn't get - I've made posts before about Duke and honesty, and it's a huge value of his. It's significant that as soon as his mom is healed she finds out about Signal; dishonesty is not really a factor in Duke's life, whereas it is Luke's central conflict. Luke's entire thing with his dad and his alter ego is something Duke has never had to deal with, and I think Duke would just be like 'tell him?? and make up??' and Luke would sigh so loud and hard.

Personality and Authority

But all of that aside, I just think their personalities wouldn't mix! Duke is a jaded teenager whose overt honesty and resistance to authority often give off a bad first impression (see his first encounters with Black Lightning, We Are Robin, Damian, even the Bruce train scene...). People do warm up to Duke quick, and once you love him you adore him, but there's a hurdle to becoming close to him that you have to leap first.

Luke, on the other hand, is affable and immediately likable. He's popular in school (as Russell mentions in #25), has experienced college social life, and is open and friendly. I think in an initial meeting Luke would find Duke off-putting and rude, while Duke would find Luke shallow and annoying. Luke is an extremely confident person, as shown in both Batwing and Detective Comics (particularly the latter). I think Duke would take this confidence as him being stuck-up, especially because Luke is rich.

Their class differences also separate their reactions to authority. Luke doesn't take authority at face value - he disobeys Bruce basically as much as Duke does. However, given his upbringing he isn't that anti-authority. Compare Luke and Duke's attitudes to cops:

Batwing #25 / We Are Robin #2

The Luke narration box is after the cops shoot him and accidentally make him kill his best friend 😭😭😭 like if that had happened to Duke his inner voice would NOT say that. This is another example of how their different upbringings and personalities cause them to have DRASTICALLY different outlooks on things. Batwing also sides with Batwoman when she kills Clayface in Detective Comics, something I think Duke would not do (he would've sided with Cass) so their ideologies often put them on opposite sides.

FINALLY, and least importantly, Luke is not a reader. This is a recurring thing and it's so funny:

Batwing #21

That's Tam telling Luke to "read a book". I think this exact interaction would happen with Duke taking the place of Tam, where he'd just be super annoyed that Luke doesn't enjoy literature. Honestly I think Duke might remind Luke of Tam in a lot of ways, since Duke is Bruce's golden child just like Tam is Lucius'. And that would annoy Luke, like he can't escape annoying younger siblings even as Batwing?? Bruce liking Duke more than Luke, even when Duke doesn't even care for Bruce's approval, would send Luke's blood pressure through the ROOF.

Conclusion

Um anyway I'm so so sorry this was so long but that's why I think Luke and Duke wouldn't get along!! It's mostly that they have such different outlooks on literally everything and their personalities clash. Anyway, if anyone bothered to read til the end here's your reward!! A little edit of what SHOULD have happened in WFA ep 76:

[quirkwizard]

Mutant Mayhem: A Critique on the Mutant Sub-Arc

Normally, I start this off with some kind of intro to establish what I'm talking about, but I'm not going to lie: I think this might be the worst thing to come out of the main storyline. This may be a surprise to long-time followers of the blog. My dislike of Stars and Stripes and her arc has been well documented, with me calling it the worst part of MHA. As much as I dislike a lot of elements of the Stars and Stripes Arc, I can at least understand what Hori was going for, and it's pretty easy to ignore in the grand scheme of things. With this? I can't understand this.

So I want to put two disclaimers here. First off, I am not an expert on politics, sociology, or anything related to that in any way. I do not know how the events in the manga reflect real world issues, both in Japan specifically and the world at large. What I am is a writer. I am someone who analyzes stories for fun. This is going to be a critique of how the story handles the plot purely from a writing perspective. It will not be a critique of whether it is realistic or comparable to real world events. I'm sure there are other people far more equipped to handle talking about this.

Second off, for the sake of this, I'm ignoring a lot of the character work with Spinner. I actually think that's some strong stuff here. It just happens to be stuck in the middle of an arc that I don't feel uses that well. I know that isn't nearly as important as the first disclaimer, but I like it a lot and I want to give this arc flowers where I can. So, without further ado, let us get into this.

The Major Players

To be frank, Shoji and Koda feel out of place here. Do not get me wrong. I like them both, Shoji especially, but it does not feel like either of them has any place leading an arc. He's such a background character, even among the ranks of 1-A. And Koda is even worse in terms of relevance. Shoji and Koda don't have any real arcs of their own or connections to Spinner to make this feel warranted, let alone satisfying. At least, not that'd tie them into this part of the story. Koda is a kid who was shy that wanted to find his voice and gain more confidence. Shoji, the leading man of this whole arc has... nothing. He was just a quiet, minimalist who helped out where he could.

On the other end of things, there is Spinner. For the whole of this arc, Spinner is reduced a brainly functional monster. Yeah, that's great for his character, but it hurts the rest of the arc and the point it is trying to make. Because the guy who is supposed to be leading this part of the story has been reduced to a drooling moron who can barely string a sentence together. When he does talk, all he can say is that he doesn't even care what his own allies are doing. It makes it come across that Spinner doesn't have any real place in his own arc. It ends up hurting the manga and the story it is trying to tell by actively robbing the key player of his agency.

And then we have the spider guy. I'm not even going to bother remembering his name. We don't know anything about him or why he's doing this. He's only really here to spout out exposition about the discrimination of the Mutants and what they have gone through. So do we get someone who is passionate about fighting for this cause? No, not really. He makes it clear to the audience that this is not his main goal. All he is there to do to keep the revolution going for the sake of All For One. He's not the kind of figurehead that this arc needs. Someone who can act as the passionate mouthpiece to really push what the Mutants want and need. He just ends up being some other stooge that quickly gets defeated without much thought.

So right off the bat, it doesn't feel like these characters have any strong ties or arcs to work with here. It feels like we're dealing with the leftovers. Like all the other characters were busy somewhere else, but needed something Spinner for his story and to get Kurogiri. Shoji and Koda are the only ones left with any kind of panel time, and now he had to throw some stuff together about how there was all this prejudice against Mutants. Because that is all you have to tie them all them together. Okay, sure, maybe the characters aren't really that good for this kind of story line. But maybe the actual writing and build up to make this part of the story will make this arc feel satisfying, right?

The Setup?

Right off the bat, I don't think that this plot line is that well established. Looking back at the series, what examples do we have of Mutant discrimination within the main manga? Maybe a few small moments. A comment about how big the doors are at UA as opposed to other places. Which can imply that other buildings aren't as accommodating for those, but it's never really explored that much beyond that one comment. Gang Orca is a Mutant and is said to be one of the most villainous-looking heroes. Yet I feel like that's a pretty forgettable fact about how minor of a character he is and how aggressive he tends to act around people. If anything, that feels like a bigger contributor to why people see him as a villain. 

A few insults based on how a character looks. Namely, Shoto to the dog Chief of Police, Dabi to Spinner during the car chase to get Overhaul, and Pony to Shoji during the Joint Training Arc. However, none of these are given real focus. They are all either played off like any other insult or even a joke, in the case of Dabi and Spinner. Do you see what I'm getting at? For all the focus it gets as an end-game issue, there really isn't a lot of focus put on it with the story or characters. It's all a bunch of smaller moments. Smaller moments that are few and far between and aren't given any kind of real gravity for when they do happen. There isn't anything that stands out to me that makes me think that Mutants are facing any kind of discrimination in the modern day.

And before any of you say anything, yes, there are more notable examples of problems like this in the Vigilantes spin-off. The most obvious one is Kirihito Kamachi. He has the body of a giant praying mantis. He has difficulty living and interacting with others because of how monstrous he is, such as finding a place that can accommodate him. That is a great exmaple... that is not in the main manga. As good as Vigilantes is, it's still ultimately supplementary material. To me, you shouldn't have to rely on supplementary material to support your main story. Because most people aren't going to be reading it. At least, not many people do from what I have seen. Within the main manga, there are only two major examples I can think of. 

The first is the Creature Rejection Clan. A group of people solely dedicated to the exclusion of Mutants on the basis of blood purity. Which certainly sounds bad. The story says they used to be a thing back when the first Quirks came about. Yet they are barely even an organization in the modern times. They are treated instead as a long-dead relic, who are so weak and fractured as to be a joke. The second is the attack on the giant fox woman, which has so many extraneous factors involved that I hesitate to count it. Such as the fact it was done by a bunch of people without any kind of real racial motivation behind it and it was a random attack by scared people during a total societal collapse. So while it was part of the world, it seemed more in the background. Something that happened before with some lingering wounds. A problem with the world that should be dealt with, but not something that is that prevalent.

The Mutant's Madness

We then cut to the current storyline and... we have a horde of thousands upon thousands of Mutants all marching on the hospital with Kurogiri inside of it. All of these Mutants were so disgruntled about the world as is, that they formed a mob of this size. We're told that Spinner was regularly attacked and sprayed with bug spray. We get mentions of these massive hate crimes against Mutants that were never mentioned before. We then get flashbacks to Shoji's history. About how he was beaten and heavily scarred by people that attacked him as child. This is something that happened whenever he interacted with any other people. Hori: Where on Earth did any of this come from?

I want you to think about all the examples I picked out. I did not intentionally cherry-pick those. I tried my best to find all the notable examples of this before the arc. Would any of you assume that would be how Mutants were treated in the setting? I certainly wouldn't. I don't think I'd ever reach the conclusion that the story did. That, not even ten years ago, there were mass killings and public attacks on small children. This took such a drastic turn that I get whiplash just thinking about it. Was this ever implied or set up before? I feel like this kind of violence would have been shown or mentioned until now, but no. This is the first time we've heard about it on this scale.

And introducing a problem this big this late into the story, in the very arc it is relevant in, is sloppy writing to say the least. Realistically, this should be something that affects a large portion of the world and even members of our cast. You would think that if stuff like that was happening, we'd see way more examples of this in the story. Characters like Tokoyami, Sero, Tsuyu, and Mina. All of which could have been used to explore this more, but they have never been mentioned. Could you imagine if we only got passing mentions of what was going on with Himiko? And, outside of her obsession with blood, we never fully understood why she was that way. Only to find out there are thousands of other kids that go through exactly what she did and no one ever talked about it?

And why is that? Why is it never seen or mentioned? Hori tells us it's because the cities aren't as bad. It's out in the country where it's really bad. What?! What kind of explanation is that? Let's ignore the fact that it doesn't make any sense. If you have that kind of acceptable violence even out in the sticks, there would have to be some kind of sign of it in the major cities. The fact of the matter is that this is such a lazy excuse. Geez, Hori, if that was the case, maybe you should have shown us something outside the city then. Maybe then you could have built up this plot point more if you wanted it to be such a major focus of the arc. Why even go to this level of extreme with it? Especially since this level of violence the Mutants undergo suffocates the message so much.

The Mangled Message

My issue with the violence is that it is crippling the narrative the story wants to go for. Having it be this level of violence justifies the Mutants in their revolt. Shoji's whole point is not letting your hatred win and how you need to rise above what people think of you. A good sentiment on paper. If you want to talk about the kind of harm extremists can do to a message and progress as a whole, that is totally fine. Or maybe you could go with how people can be caught up in something that doesn't have their real interests at heart. There are a lot of ways you could go about this kind of message.

But that kind of talk doesn't exactly fly when your lives and wellbeing are in active danger. The Mutants aren't getting side-eyed by some old dude on a porch. They're running from hate mobs out for blood. Hate mobs are so wild and vindictive they will openly attack children on sight with zero moral compunctions about them. Which, yes, is the extreme, but the rest of what we learn doesn't make it seem like it's that far of an extreme. This kind of writing not only makes it jarring with what we have been shown, but it puts the Mutants as a whole in such a terrible position in this world. I can't exactly blame them for fighting back, even if it's aimed in the wrong direction.

When I'm writing this, I keep thinking back to that one line from Shoji. "Spinner, you're about to put us back thirty years." I get what the story is trying to say with that, but it feels so wrong here. Sure Shoji, you can try and be the model citizen that wants to bridge the gap between people. Not stooping to their level and all that. Yet trying to moralize people who feel actively threatened by the world at large doesn't come across the way you think it does. It comes across as tone-deaf and preachy even in the best light. And that's not the kind of thing you want to say about the guy who is supposed to be in the right. It's this weird moralizing that makes this sub-arc so hard to read and enjoy.

What makes it worse is that the crowd feels like such a mindless mob. One that only stopped because they realized they were attacking a hospital. What on Earth did you think you were doing here? Volunteer work? I get that the point is that Shoji's speech and the heroics of everyday people is what stopped them, but come on. It feels like Hori needed to put them in a much worse position morally to make the violence stop. That doesn't really acknowledge the problems that they are going through in a reasonable way. Why not make them stop because they feel like their leader is nothing more than a violent thug? Or the revelation that they are fighting for just to be used by All For One? Not because he cares about them, but because he just wants to build chaos?

This entire issue just feels so bizarre and poorly thought out on so many fronts. It makes me wonder why we're even getting this kind of arc in the first place. On the surface, it fits in with the other villains. Which I get is the point of the villains. They are people with genuine grievances towards society, but go too far with what they will do to get what they want. But at least it felt like the villains were exceptional extremes of the system who were hurting more than they helped. Their issues were a product of the system, but were far more personal. This seems like it's something far more widespread. Something so ingrained in the world that goes beyond any one person. So it feels at odds with how the rest of the villains and issues are set up.

And to be clear: I'm not saying this because I don't think MHA should cover these topics. In a series talking about the issues of society and how people need to work together to make things better, bigotry in any fashion could be something you could easily cover. If anything, I think that MHA Is uniquely suited to talk about this. It's certainly more appropriate to cover it here than other series that try to use its supernatural elements to talk about bigotry. And yes, that includes the X-Men. But to talk about these issues, you need to lay the groundwork. You need to tackle it with some tact. You need to know what you are doing. And Hori clearly doesn't know what he's doing here.

The Rewrite

Now, how would I fix this? This is kind of an awkward position for me to be in. Because I don't think you can fix this arc in and of itself. It's built around a foundation that is shaky at best. I honestly think you'd need a whole other mini-arc just to set this issue up and establish this as an issue for Shoji. At very least, you'd have to put a lot more of a focus on Spinner as a real character. So I think that the best answer is to just rewrite it from scratch.

For starters, you change the people that are attacking the hospital. The horde is not all Mutants. They are instead all followers of the League itself. They are just like Spinner was back when he was following the image of Stain. They are people who think they understand what the League is fighting for or are merely fighting back for their own personal vendettas. They are all people who felt small and hurt. It is effectively an army of Spinners. At least, as he was early on in the manga. And these aren't anywhere near as bad as they are in canon. It can be for whatever ill-thought-out reason there is. Spinner is still leading the charge, still full of Quirks. And while his change in form would tie into his other story, I'm going to try and make it relevant to the rest of the arc.

And you may be wondering how this ties back to Shoji? It doesn't. Again, I like Shoji, but he does not need to play such as a major part of the final arc focused on him. So I suggest we get another student to replace him. Specifically, Iida. Why put Iida here? To be perfectly frank, I think Iida was wasted in this arc. He doesn't have any real ending for the arc we've seen and doesn't add much to the part of the story he is in. All he's used for is a glorified taxi for Shoto to get to his arc. I do have an idea about him and why I am putting him here, but I'd be lying if I said my personal feelings on Iida this arc aren't part of my decisions.

To start things off, I would make it clear that this is one of the last functional hospitals in the country. This place is integral to treating the most seriously injured and sick. Trying to move any of the patients would likely kill them, including Kurogiri. The heroes wouldn't want to use it as a battleground, but feel forced to because such a valuable target is there with Kurogiri. So the heroes organize a force to help defend the hospital, for which Iida volunteers. And when asked about it, Iida says he wants to protect it because it's about his brother. Both that is what Tensei would do and all he can think about is his brother laying in that same hospital.

And this is where their dynamic would come in. Spinner and Iida are comparable in how they both looked up to a person in their life and how much that warped their perspective. After encountering Stain, both of them changed. Iida strived more to emulate and honor his brother rather than idolize him. He wanted to be the one to build up the rest of his classmates and become a proper hero that can save people. Spinner went from being a fanboy to an idol himself, but a false one. He got the power he wanted, but an empty in the process, with everyone else ascribing things to his actions rather than having any real will of his own.

I'm doing this because, in a series all about inherited wills and legacy, I think that you could do something focusing on inheriting the wrong ideas from someone. That is brought up a few times throughout the series, but I think that some part of the finale could focus on it. It's how your actions have meaning and those actions can spread out to people who look up to you and trust you. These are the roles that Iida and Spinner fulfill. It ties back to what the Mutant Sub-Arc was trying to bring up about how this group of people is being used and radicalized for All For One's cause and not their own, but in a way that doesn't tie it to all the baggage of discrimination and bigotry. 

Iida can talk about how the crowd is misguided. That the League and All For One aren't on their side. Nobody in the crowd cares though. They rather shout about their grievances. About why they are fighting this war in the first place. They all look up to Stain and Spinner as their revolutionaries. They all turned to Spinner looking for his wise words. This is the part where he says he doesn't care. He can give a similar speech as he did in canon, but it can be more to emphasize his own past as opposed to Iida. How Iida is where he is, because he was born lucky with a wealthy family and a strong Quirk.  I think that this would be a lot more personal to Spinner. His whole perspective and life has changed so much that Stain, the man that inspired him, is barely even an afterthought. 

This would be encouraged by a man on a roof seeing it all: Trumpet. Now, I am replacing the spider guy with Trumpet for a few reasons. One is that he's already an established character, and he already has ties to Spinner. Second is that his power of "Incite" could do a lot to explain how the crowd is fighting so well. Finally, I think that it could reflect how All For One is using these people. They aren't here to lead a revolution, but to cause chaos. And I think that works better with a figure like Trumpet. The second a new regime seems to be rolling in, he immediately switches sides to working with All For One. He isn't as staunch MLA follower as people thought he was and merely attached himself to it because it was a means of power. It feels more fitting for someone like him to talk about how he doesn't really believe in this kind of stuff than someone who should be affected by the issue they are fighting for.

So the battle rages on between the two groups. You could also throw in some of the students to help fight with Iida. To me, you could put any of the other students here if you want. Maybe you could have some moment for Jiro or Koda here. They'd be able to use the power of their Quirks to help drown out Trumpet and all of his rhetoric. Maybe you could have people like Sero and Ojiro work as the counterpoint. They don't have great Quirks, but they were still able to make it into the Heroics Course in spite of that fact. Their roles don't matter as much to me as the main conflict between Spinner and Iida. Iida tries to fight back as hard as he can, but, ironically, Spinner's ability to jump and climb between walls makes it hard for Iida to attack him.

That is when the crowd starts closing. The doctors are doing their stand to make sure no one can get in and hurt the patients. This makes the crowd hesitate some. At that moment, Iida gets an order. To stop the crowd no matter what it takes and save the doctors. Even if it means he has to kill Spinner. Everyone thinks that Iida is going to violently charge at and destroy the crowd. But no. Iida doesn't do that. Instead, he uses his immense speed to rescue everyone in the hospital. He is going at such high speeds that he is able to save everyone before they can die and move them to another location away from the fighting. All except Kurogiri, who is under such heavy defense that Iida could not reach him. Everyone is shocked and amazed at this, including Iida, who never thought he'd be able to pull off such a move.

After it's all done, Iida is spent. He used Recipro Burst too much and is now unable to move. Yet he still stands, begging the crowd to not attack the hospital. This is where Iida's arc ends. He gets to be a true hero, focusing on saving others rather than trying to hurt them, and making another speech to stop a raging crowd. The doctors can be out there as well, as I do think that bit is important to the greater themes of the series. And it does work for a moment. Spinner does not care though. He still moves forward. And then suddenly stops in his tracks. Only to reveal Stain had used "Bloodcurdle" on him, leaping from on high to stop the assault on the hospital. 

Yeah, I'm throwing Stain in here too. I've always disliked how Stain's death was handled. I don't mind him dying, just how it was done. Not only did it feel totally pointless, barely adding anything to the final fight with All For One, it felt so inconclusive to his character. There's more that could be done. We have already got the conclusion to All Might and Stain's connections at the statue, so having him die with Toshonori doesn't really fit. To me, Iida and Spinner have some of the strongest connections to Stain. Because they were the ones who were most changed by interacting with him and his legacy as a villain. So I believe that adding him here will add more to the arc and his own character.

This is a point where Stain takes Spinner to task about everything he's done so far. About how this was not his dream and not his goal. That was to flush out all the fake heroes. Not to hurt people who "didn't deserve it". By killing Iida and attacking his hospital, they are all corrupting his mission. This really puts a stop to the crowd. This is their idol, the one who started their revolution. And now he's talking about how their work makes them sick. So now he stands against them. To protect Iida and the hospital. You could even call back to his infamous speech, a dreadful aura falling over the whole Quirk. Yet Spinner starts to move again much sooner, either from losing so much blood from "Scalemail" or having a Type-O blood type, and the Quirk stops affecting him.

He charges up to Iida, ready to cleave him in half. Only for Stain to block the attack to save Iida, dying in the process as his body gets stuck on Spinner's weapon. Only to be tossed aside without a care as Spinner makes his way to the hospital. In this way, it acknowledges the growth of Iida into a "true hero" in the eyes of Stain. It's between these three elements that the crowd stops. The heroic moment of Iida, the death of Stain, and the obvious indifference of Spinner are all what led to them realizing that this cause may not be worth fighting for and stopping the charge. I think that would be a lot more point of a moment. Because now we get the culmination of Iida's character, the ironic death of a major villain, and the final tragic note of Spinner as a character.

And I think having it be this way could make it more fitting for where the two end up. We see Iida start to work closely with Uraraka when helping out the children. Maybe Iida could be working with other kids that are in trouble. He can be the guy who is trying to help out his community and lead like example. Just like what his brother was doing before him. Meanwhile, it could help recontextualize Spinner's ending. I've already talked about this in my rewrite of the ending before, but I think this could add a nice way to present Spinner's book. That he wants to tell the truth of the League and have them be remembered, but not in a way that will radicalize people like him in the future. 

Now, is this a deviation from the main story and what this sub-arc was going for? Yeah, but I don't think that you are losing much by changing the players and context. Here, you can still have the misguided rioters that have close ties to Spinner, but without a lot of the sloppy writing surrounding the Mutant storyline. It also can give more meat to two major characters that felt shafted by the final storyline. Iida get's recognized as a true hero, finally living up goal he had since he fought Stain. Stain himself dies an ironic, but fitting death. He dies at the hands of a follower who idolized him, but did so saving a kid he said was a false hero. Overall, I believe this does more justice to the characters and the story.

[dutchiepoo2]

How it Should've Been

Arthur x Fem!Reader

hi, this is me working through my issues! please read the content warnings, dearest -Jelly

cw: nsft intro, unhealthy attitudes surrounding sex, intimacy issues, references to past sexual trauma (no detail) and responses/emotional flashbacks relating to said non-detailed trauma, angsty with a not-happy ending

uses she/her pronouns & she has a pussaaaaayyyyyyyyy

i couldn't figure out how to end it so it's shit oops!! 2.5k words. mdni.

..........

.....

..........

Finally, they'd gotten a moment of peace. After weeks of high tensions within camp, and then Arthur being away, finally, they had time alone. Arthur had been wanting her for ages, and vice versa.

Now, they had a moment to get away. The chaos had calmed down a bit, and Pearson had been hounding Arthur to go out hunting. He figured he'd kill two birds with one stone and take his lover along with him.

Yes, it was a hunting trip, but they weren't doing much hunting. Arthur knew of an old, abandoned cabin that wasn't too decrepit. He knew it wasn't exactly romantic, and to some, might have been down right disgusting. Next time, he swore, he'd take her to a nice hotel and buy her a hot meal first. He'd slide his hands over her shoulders and kiss her reverently between declarations of her beauty, of his appreciation. He'd make sure she was relaxed and comfortable and take her how she should be taken.

But, that was for next time. Both of them were far too pent up for something as sweet as that. Arthur was frustrated with how busy he'd been lately, and he just desperately wanted a release. She was just plain frustrated she couldn't have him. There had been too many mornings spent quietly grinding against each other, too many sneaky wandering hands at the camp fire. They were craving each other, plain and simple.

And so, within ten minutes of Arthur laying his tent canvas over the old, dusty bed, he was inside her. This was unusual in the sense that Arthur typically took his sweet time. He was big, and he knew it, so he almost always spent ages stretching his lover open, getting her worked up enough until she's dripping, pulsing—past the point of ample preparation.

But that's not what happened today. Today, she was already wet and eager, kissing him hard and gripping at his suspenders. He was a starved man, so he laid into her with the same passion and then some.

First, he had her bent over that creaky old cot, his hands running along her waist and petting at the soft skin of her back. There was an undeniable power behind each thrust that had her singing praise and gripping hard onto the canvas blanket. He fucked into her like that for a while, just to get some of their energy out, until he decided he needed to see her face and maneuvered her onto her back.

Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he crawled over her, grunting and growling against the crook of her neck. The humidity of the summer air did little to ruin the moment, instead encouraging a shine to form over his body, little droplets of it rolling down Arthur's nose. She licked at his neck between staccatto'd pants, addicted to the taste of salt on his skin.

Then, her head was thrown back, spine arching to meet each thrust as best as she could with his weight on her. She was so full, more than normal it seemed, so needy for more. It was like he was scratching an itch she couldn't reach, no matter how many times she'd shoved herself full of her fingers on the nights he was away. Nothing could compare to this, she thought, as he ground down against her clit.

The prettiest noise Arthur ever heard escaped her throat, and he knew he needed more. Suddenly his weight was gone, and he was standing above her, collecting her legs and folding them against her chest.

"Want me like this?" He rasped, gaze intense and pupils blown.

As their eyes met, she felt his cock twitch inside her, relaying just how desperate he was behind his tough guy facade. Her cunt fluttered around him before she could answer verbally, but she gave an eager nod either way.

His next thrust punched the air from her lungs, her mouth falling open and hands flying to his wrists. A high, flighty gasp escaped her throat, trailing off into a shuddering hum of approval.

Again, and again, and again, he thrusted hard into her like that, slowly descending his weight down onto her. Again... and again... and—

A sharp pain radiated across her abdomen, her eyes flying open and her nails gripping tight against his skin. She yelped and reflexively tried to jump back, but Arthur held her in place as he extracted himself from her.

"Sorry—" he puffed, cradling her face immediately as he leaned over her. "You okay, girl? Too much?"

The pain wore off almost immediately, the only proof of its existence the small tremble in her thighs. She forced herself to relax, embarrassment bubbling up her chest.

"'M okay," she mumbled, leaning into his hand. "Keep going?"

Arthur breathed out in relief, leaning down to this time to press his lips to her crown. His grip on the back of her thighs loosened, letting her maneuver them as needed. He slid back into her, carefully, gently.

This time, he moved at a much slower, shallower pace, watching her face intently. His concern won over his lust for the moment. He just wanted his lover to feel comfortable, pleasured. His pace only picked back up when he felt the tension begin to melt from her thighs, and he could tell from her noises and expression that she was obviously feeling good again.

It didn't last long, though, before he pushed too hard or too deep or something, somewhere, and she jumped again. She'd been more prepared this time, so her pained reaction was much smaller, more subtle. Either way, Arthur noticed, of course he did, and paused.

"Okay?" He asked, disquiet evident on his face.

She nodded quickly, her cheeks flushing red.

"Yeah, sorry. Just... maybe this position...? I don't know..."

A deep sigh puffed across her bare chest, and she swallowed thickly, worried that she'd annoyed him. He released her legs and let them wrap back around his hips.

"Here," he mumbled, patting her calf. "You seemed to like this one earlier, yeah?"

Would he stop if she asked...?

She agreed, holding her breath. Silence. Why was she nervous? He'd obviously not meant to hurt her.

"Y'gonna tell me if you're hurting?" He scolded softly. His big fingers carded through her sweaty hair.

Right. Of course he would.

Again, she nodded, feeling awkward and embarrassed and annoyed that she was even hurting in the first place. They'd been having a good time. Her teeth grabbed at her lip, and she stared up at the cobwebs on the ceiling. Suddenly all she could smell was the musty, moldy smell of the old cabin, and any remaining arousal she was feeling drained from her body.

Arthur called her name gently, bringing her attention back to him.

"What'chu want, sweetheart," he asked gently, petting her ribcage with his thumb. "Anything you want."

What she wanted was to get out of this cabin. But she didn't want Arthur to be disappointed in her, or mad, or frustrated that he couldn't finish during the first time they'd had sex in weeks.

A few more minutes wouldn't kill her. She could do it, for Arthur.

Her hips rolled against his, hands pulling his shoulders down so she could hide her face in his neck. She knew how to fake it well enough.

"More," she breathed against his heated skin, "Take me."

Would he stop if she asked...?

Why couldn't she ask?

Arthur huffed, but began moving again, still heartbreaking-ly gentle. A soft noise escaped her lips, and she continued rocking her hips against his, encouraging him to speed up, to use her.

It did still feel good, physically, with his pubic bone grinding against her clit and her body stretched taut around his girth, but all she could focus on was how much she wanted to go home to her own tent, how hot it was in here, how bad it smelled, the sound of the single fly buzzing at the window.

She loved Arthur, so why was this suddenly so difficult? Why couldn't she do this for him?

He picked up the force of his thrusts, still going slow but getting stronger, snappier. That's usually how she liked it, so why was she so tense? Either way, she moaned into his ear and gripped him tight with her legs, despite her belly beginning to ache again.

Then he changed his angle minutely, and there was that sudden, radiating pain again. Her breath caught, but he seemed to think that was a good reaction, an honest mistake, because he did it again, and again, and again, and harder, and harder, and he started groaning again like he was close.

She could bear it until he finished. It wasn't that bad.

A few more seconds. Just a few more. Just—

Would he stop if she asked?

All her muscles went rigid, and she burst into tears, hands flying up to her face. Dread flooded her system, crushing all the trust she had in herself in an instant.

"Shit!" Arthur barked, as he flew back, startled by her outburst. "Shit... What's wrong?! Look at me, girl. What hurts?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, shame stealing her voice and forcing her still. Despite the summer heat, her skin rippled with a chill, a cruel reminder of the fact that she was stark naked and crying, legs still lifted awkwardly in the air.

Silence. Long, humiliating silence as she slowly curled around herself like a dying insect, quickly retreating into her own mind.

Arthur's big, calloused hands attempted to smooth out her messied hair. He called her name again and settled on his knees next to her.

"What happened, sweetheart?" He asked in a voice softer than she'd ever heard before.

Her chest rose in a short, stuttering breath, escaping her throat as a weak apology. When her eyes finally cracked open again, she immediately recognized Arthur as her love, and reached her arms out to him with wide, begging eyes, a pitiful, wet gasp. He didn't hesitate, and cradled her tight against his chest.

Worried and put off by her apologies, Arthur chose not to speak. He didn't think she seemed able to give him any answers right now, so he just held her.

And boy, did he feel like a right bastard. Nausea burned at the pit of his stomach as he considered what just happened. Did he hurt her? Scare her? She'd seemed into it. His eyes wandered down to where they'd been connected, searching her thighs and his now limp dick for any traces of blood or answers. Nothing.

He didn't spend much time getting her warmed up, he realized. Did he push her too fast? He'd have gone down on her if he'd known, would've had her come on his fingers until he knew she was ready. She had just seemed so eager.

He could feel her trying to calm herself down. Shaky sounding, hot puffs of air brushed against his stomach, her face buried in his chest, fingers clutching at his skin. Strong arms wrapped around her, a broad palm smoothed up her spine. He forced himself to be steady, despite the dread building in his gut.

In the tiniest voice he ever heard, she apologized again, directly over his heart. It clicked then, and Arthur's chest collapsed as the pieces fell together.

Oh.

Pieces of conversations past echoed in his skull, about no-name men and their sins. Memories of how she'd shy away in the beginning of their relationship when he came on too strong, even though he'd always been a gentle, gentle lover. Strange bouts of insomnia and poor sleep that always seemed to align with nights they'd indulged in each other more passionately than was typical.

Shit.

His nose pressed into his lover's hairline, his blood turning to ice. Amidst his onset of guilt, cradled in Arthurs arms, she was beginning to come back to the world. His familiar embrace, smell, brought a comfort she could never describe.

The anxiety fizzled out into emptiness as the minutes ticked by, and eventually, she was still. Awake, but still, half missing from her body. Arthur, meanwhile, was buzzing with energy.

He pulled back, searching her face, zeroing in on the tear tracks drying against her cheeks. He felt sick at the way she peered up at him, eyes wide and owlish.

To her fuzzy brain, it felt like a year that they stared at each other, resting together in that old, gross cabin. He broke the silence.

"What happened, sweet girl," he whispered, voice thick. "I hurt ya?"

It took a lot of time for her to process the question. She supposed it was true, but it didn't feel true. She made him hurt her. She let him believe she was having fun. God, why did she do that? She wanted him to enjoy himself.

Her expression began to crumble as she shook her head, no, emphatically. It wasn't his fault. She didn't want him thinking that.

Arthur sighed deeply, not convinced in the slightest, but willing to put it aside for the moment. His thumb brushed against her cheek, eyes soft.

"You forget it was me?"

That didn't feel true, either. She knew it was Arthur, and she realized with a sinking feeling that he knew. What would he think, if he thought she saw him as some sort of... that kind of man? She knew he frequently felt like a monster already. She'd put so much effort into building him up. What would it do to him if he thought she was afraid of him?

No.

She forced it down. She'd protect him from this ugliness that made her question him. What was she thinking? Of course he would stop if she asked. He always did. Usually, he'd stop before she'd even get to asking.

"No," she croaked. "Just... I don't know what happened, Arthur. I'm sorry."

He wouldn't let it go, though.

"You gotta tell me if it hurts, little girl," he chided gently. "I don't wanna hurt'cha. Don't matter to me if we gotta call it. You know th—"

"Can you get my clothes?" She interjected, eyes glassy again. It was too much. "Please?"

Arthur's jaw went rigid in frustration. Guilt, shame, annoyance. With a kiss to her forehead, he separated himself from her body and sat up to search for her layers.

The moment had passed. She'd shut him down in fear of hurting him, and he was losing patience by trying to figure out what he did wrong.

Slowly, gently, he helped her dress back up. Arthur helped her return to modesty, and only then began dressing himself. She sat motionless on the edge of the cot, watching him with a little frown.

They watched each other, distantly, carefully. This was unusual, unsettling.

He didn't blame her. She didn't blame him.

He wondered if she trusted him. She wondered if he'd forgive her.

He beat himself up for not noticing. She beat herself up for not holding out.

Arthur hated that, maybe, he unintentionally reminded her of something so awful. She hated that her body couldn't react to anything else, especially with someone she trusted with her life.

Neither uttered a word.

When Arthur was clothed, she reached out to him again, seeking the solace she'd found earlier when he'd brought her back to her body. They wrapped around each other, murmuring apologies and declarations of love, each touch and each whisper poisoned by guilt.

Next time would be different, for sure.

[admirationandromantics]

Guilt and Grudges, 2: Darkness

Another one out, hope you guys like it so far! I don't really know what to write on these intros anymore, since not much is happening. I'm getting ready for exams, I'm working, and I'm writing. That's about it. I almost forgot to post this chapter tonight because of it, lol. Anyways, enjoy! <3

I try not to breathe loudly, but this is intense. Was it always so hard to get to the top? We walk up a couple of stairs and take a turn. In front of us is a large dark figure, and I look up to meet Josh. 

“Hey man, what’s up?” 

He smiles, giving Sam a nudge on the shoulder to greet her. I see a faint blush on her cheek, but I can’t determine if it’s caused by him or the cold. 

“Not much, waiting for you of course” 

“Man, I feel like this mountain gets bigger every time I climb it” Chris exclims, a loud sigh forced out when talking another step. 

“Really? Feels the same to me” 

“Oh come on, you grew up here, it probably feels like it’s shrinking” 

“I guess that’s true” 

I interrupt them both, cold and tired, wanting to get to the lodge as fast as possible. 

“Hey Josh, nice to see you, BUT how about we keep moving?” 

“Well, can’t keep the ladies waiting, can we Cochise?” 

“We cannot” 

I meet Sam’s eyes, and she’s also tired, not as bad as me, but still. She grabs my hand and starts dragging me up as I whine. “Sam, I was joking, we can make some snow angels or something. Just lay down, romantically, looking up at the stars…” 

“It’s clouded” 

“That’s the only reason why we’re not doing it?” 

She laughs, and I pull myself together. It isn’t long now. Despite the cold weather, snow, wind, heavy bags and ice, I finally glimpse the dark pine planks of the lodge. 

“When are you gonna install some cell towers up here? I’m getting withdrawals already” Chris asks, and I hurry to the stairs, sitting down and relaxing. Sam stands over me, breathing heavily as well. Were we really that out of shape? 

“You got a spare million lying around, I’ll fix you right up” Josh empties his pockets, showing the lack. Chris starts fumbling around with his blue jacket, feeling himself up. I want to do that. 

“Funny you should say that, I think I left it in my other jacket” 

They start walking towards us, probably about to open the door. Finally. Josh scurries up the stairs, flickering with a couple of keys. Chris follows through, his hand brushing lightly against the hood of my jacket. Fucking hell. How am I supposed to survive this if every little touch makes me heat up like this? It’s fucking embarrasing. Luckily, no one seems to notice, not even Sam. 

“Yo, yo, yo, are we getting things moving up here or what?” 

“Yeah man” 

I lift my head to Sam, and we share a look. This “boy-talk” is already drilling a hole in my head. I think she hates it even more than I do, her eyes rolling so far back her head that I can’t see her irises. A smile finds its way to my lips. If Josh and her got together, she would smack him every time he said something weird, I just know it. And Josh’s reply? Definitely something like “yes ma’am” or “as you wish”. There’s no secret that he’s down bad for her. 

“Lead the way, Cochise” 

I hear them moving down the stairs, each thump vibrating through my body. 

“What’s going on?” I ask Sam, who’s looking up at them attentively, following every move. 

“Frozen lock, I think” 

They both get down, Josh continuing around the lodge. Chris, however, stops in front of me, mouth opening then closing, as if trying to say something. This leads to Sam taking a step back, giving me a thumbs up from behind him. I give a hard stare in reply. She can’t be that obvious around him. 

He’s smiling, that sweet smile that he always does when happy. I look up in awe, hoping to control my eyes a bit. He lifts his head, finally speaking. 

“So, how’re you doing?” 

“Hmm, good now. Surprised by how out of shape I’ve gotten” I laugh, a bit embarrassed by myself. Ugh, if he could just hoist me over his shoulders right now I would never speak ill of the guys again. And that’s a challenge. 

“Well, it is right after the exams. Are you freezing?” 

“Yeah a little” I think about the fire inside. Sitting in front of it, warming ourselves. There are other ways to do that too though. Jesus Christ I’m letting my mind wander again. “I think I could use some time curled up by the fire” I continue, looking at him intently. I can imagine the yellowly lights gracing his face, his skin. I almost feel disgusted by myself for being so forward about it, I really don’t mean to. 

His smile falls a bit, mouth still open as he takes a deep breath. I can see him swallow, and a sinking feeling embraces me. Oh no, I’ve been caught, he knows, and this is not the right time, not after everything that’s happened. I’m definitely stupid. 

“Yeah… that does sound pretty nice” 

His voice is different, breathy and serious. He keeps eye contact, holding intently as if trying to say something else, trying to get me to understand something. I don’t know what. 

“Christopher Hartley! I’ll have to call your mother and complain if you don’t get your ass here immediately!” Josh shouts from the other side. I give him a weak smile, arm raising in a small wave as he makes his way over. His absence is already noted on my body. I already miss him. 

Not seeing him in almost a year, to spend an eternity with going up the mountain, then just leaving? I’m being dramatic, I know that. But he feels like a drug, the small dose getting more and more wanting. My cravings are growing by the second. We left off at a terrible time, starting something that wouldn’t even make it an hour. And the circumstances make it even more difficult. How can we start up again without feeling guilty for the things that happened? Without being reminded by them. If we were downstairs, we could’ve stopped them. Or we could’ve reached Hannah or Beth. I wish we had. 

“I’ve seen a lot of foreplay in my days, but what the hell was that?” A familiar voice sounds beside me. I look up, meeting Matt and Ashley. 

“Way to greet me Matty” 

“I mean, come on. The tension is obviously there, do something about it” 

“Leave her alone Matt, they were both thinking about fucking each other by the fire” Ashley chimes in, a playful smirk on her lips. I look at the both of them, shocked by the incredibly rude greeting. 

“You haven’t even said hello” 

“I saw you four days ago” she defends, arms in the air and taking a step backwards. 

“I’m sorry, hello, anyways-” 

“Nope” I stop him, finger put up in the air. I stand up, walking to the other side of the lodge. No way I was gonna be teased this way. I mean, what if Chris suddenly opened the door behind us? That’d make for an awkward situation. I hear one last thing before I turn the corner. 

“She’s embarrassed we’re right” 

Assholes. I’m not that obvious, at least I try not to be. Ashley knows because I’ve told her, and so does Sam, who also told Josh last year. Now Matt also knows, though I don’t know how. I would’ve answered the same thing if someone else asked, maybe in a different tone, but still the same. 

“Alright, alright, I got it. Jeez” 

“You’ve got what?” I ask, surprising him from behind. He mumbles, cheeks getting flushed and not meeting my gaze. He looks everywhere but me. 

“He’s got a plan!” Josh shouts, hand waving, signalling for us to follow. I walk beside Chris, sensing his nervousness and wondering what’s got him so worked up. 

“What kind of plan?” 

“A secret one” 

I laugh, the silliness of it being a bit unnerving. Still, I’m intrigued, wanting to know more. 

“Can I be part of it?” 

“Oh, trust me, I believe you will” 

“Great, can’t wait” 

Josh laughs, and I smile, unknowing of what I’ve joined in on. Chris is still silent, swallowing hard and looking out in the forest. 

“So, how’re we planning on breaking into my parents lodge?” 

“We’re breaking in?” 

Chris finally chimes in, letting me hear his voice and see his face. “It’s NOT technically breaking in if you own the place” 

“We’ve already had this conversation” Josh sighs, turning around and walking backwards. 

“How’re we getting in?” I ask, retraveling back to the original question. If the door doesn’t work, maybe a window or another backdoor will. 

“Well, I didn’t say I had a plan on how to do it” 

“You sounded like you had a plan” Josh throws out his hands in despair, head to the sky as he sighs dramatically. “You better deliver, or else you got five lovely ladies who are gonna be freezing their buns off, and last time I checked, that’s not a good way to get laid” 

Chris tenses up again, giving a low huff in response. I laugh, Josh teasing him is hilarious. 

“Wouldn’t want to spoil Josh’s plans with Sam” I whisper to him, just loud enough to make Josh hear. Chris’s lips move up in a smile. 

“Hey, I’ve got A LOT of plans for you this weekend, just so you know. So don’t get too surprised” 

“Bet Sam will be surprised” 

“Oh, shut up guys” 

We get to the side of the house, waiting for someone to form an idea. I look around. An empty fire-axe display, a couple of windows and a power box. Chris moves to the power box, and Josh follows. 

“We’ve got ourselves a thinker, nice on” 

They place themselves on either side of the box, one pulling and one pushing. I run over to help, suddenly aware that I’m not doing anything. A few grunts and pushes, and the box is right under the window. I breathe out. Almost wish I hadn’t helped them, that was hard. 

Chris wastes no time, and jumps on top, slightly grunting as he does. Josh signals for me to follow, and I nod. He gives me his hand, and I take it, letting him help me up on the slippery box. A loud thud is heard, followed by whining. 

“I’m okay!” 

I help Josh up, and we move over to look in through the window. Chris is laid flat on his back, eyes pinched closed and arms spread. I give a small laugh. He’s adorable. 

“Should’ve paid more attention in climbing class” 

Josh and I immediately share a look, both of us furrowing our brows and wrinkle our noses. We look back, and he has already begun lifting himself up. 

“You mean gym?” 

“Yeah, you know, with the climb up the rope-” 

A loud shatter interrupts him, and the room goes dark. I look around, seeing the light bulb has exploded. I lean in a bit, wanting to see him better. 

“Woah”

“Did I do that?” 

“I don’t… I don’t think so” 

Josh fumbles with his jacket, hands going in every pocket before he finds what he’s looking for. A lighter. “Here, use this” he shouts, throwing it at Chris. He catches it with ease, lighting the small fire. The room lights up again, and everything gets more visible by the yellow flames. Oh, and his face, the way the light and shadows work together… 

“Woah, Chris, I just got an awesome idea” 

“Yeah?” 

“Totally” 

“Well, what is it?” 

“Okay. So, I’m pretty sure that I’ve got some deodorant in one of the bathrooms, you could use that with the lighter” I look up at him weirdly before asking. 

“How is a stick of deodorant gonna help?” 

“Same question!” Chris exclaims, pointing to me. 

“Spray-on, it’s a can” 

“Ohh, yeah, now I gotcha” 

“I still don't follow” I add, waiting for someone to explain. 

“Flamethrower!” 

“Just like we did with the little army dudes!” 

“Yup, the ones we melted” 

“You guys are madmen” I butt in, gaze going to and from them both as they talk. 

“Didn’t you ruin a couple of toys with fire?” Chris asks. 

“No?” 

“Did you even have a childhood?” Josh jokes, pushing my arm. 

I shake my head in response, letting them figure it out. If this was the way to get the door open, then let it be. 

“Anyway, lock!” 

“Yeah, flamethrower on the lock. On it!” Chris salutes, and Josh does the same back. 

“Godspeed pilgrim!” 

Chris turns around, and Josh and I jump off the powerbox, careful not to slip on the ice. I take his offered hand, my other one placed on the box as I carefully lower myself. He’s already on his way somewhere. 

“Hey, Josh…”

“Yeah?” 

“I just wanted to check on you, I know this year has been hard”

He puts his finger up, urging me to stop talking. 

“I truly appreciate that you all came back this year, I know it must feel weird. But you guys are some of my closest friends, and I don’t want to lose that” 

I nod, smiling a little his way. 

“Well, okay. Just know that we’re here here for you, anytime” 

He smiles, the atmosphere feeling lighter and lifted. 

“Thank you, you should have a grown-up talk with Chris too”

“What do you mean?” 

“You know what I mean” 

I cross my arms on my chest, unsure about how to approach the subject. 

“Josh, I want to, but it all feels a bit…”

“Icky, weird, disgusting?” 

“No, absolutely not. Maybe a bit disrespectful?” 

“To who?” 

“Your sisters” 

The air around us gets heavy again, and I beat myself up for not thinking before answering. He slowly nods his head, as if understanding something he didn’t before. 

“Okay, listen. They don’t mind” 

“It’s not that. Everything started last year?” 

“Something happened between you last year?” 

“Right when the prank happened, we were in the upstairs bathroom…”

“Shit” 

“Yeah”

“Fucking hell. And no one else knows?” 

“No, and as soon as we heard commotion downstairs, we ran to see what was happening” 

I try to explain, but everything sounds so vague and bad considering the circumstances. 

“Hey, I get it, bad start. I appreciate both you and Chris, for everything you did, also that night, but don’t let that stand in the way. If you need my blessing, you’ve got it. You both deserve each other, and last year didn’t doom you as it did others” 

I look up at him, trying to read his expression. But there’s something different there. He looks different, like another person. His eyes are empty and blind, the darkness clearly visible. Maybe this is not a good thing to talk about. 

“Thank you Josh, but I think we both need to be on the same wavelength about this, especially after not having contact for a whole year” 

He nods, and is about to turn around again when he puts his hand up, dramatically spinning around back, a finger pointed right towards me. I look at him surprised. 

“You know, I don’t think Chris will find that can on his own” 

“What? Yes he will, he’s a smart man” 

“I mean, academically, yes, but give that man a location and he might go an entire different way” 

I give him a sceptical stare, and he gives himself away as I catch a glimpse of his playful smirk. Was everyone on this mountain going to tease me? 

“None of you guys are funny, I left the others because I thought there was a chance I wouldn’t get teased here” 

“Oh, you’re no fun. You just need to shoot your shot” 

“Absolutely not!”

“God knows the only way Chris will do it, is if you put a gun to his head” 

“He might not even then” I add, the thought sinking in. If it really mattered, he would’ve done so already. Whatever these feelings are, they’ll pass. 

“Oh, I guess we’ll see. But you still need to go inside” 

A loud shriek is heard, something which definitely came from Chris. I look at Josh, and he just shrugs. Rolling my eyes, he helps me up on the power box, and I carefully make my way in. 

“Josh, it’s super creepy down here!” 

“Got your phone?” 

I reach into my pocket, grabbing my phone and turning on the flashlight. The cellar lights up, full of dusk and boxes. 

“Um, still creepy Josh!” 

There’s silence, too much. He doesn’t answer, and I try his name again, but to no avail. Shit. I would definitely struggle to climb back out, so the only option left is to find Chris or the entrance. It’s been a year, and I don’t remember everything. I walk further in, deciding to ignore every dark corner and room. The door to the hallway is open, and I quickly make my way, immediately feeling the familiarity with the dark wood and wall decorations. It’s like nothing’s changed. Except the atmosphere, and dust, and that sinking feeling that something bad will happen. I walk to the end of the hall, noticing the family portrait at the end. Beth and Hannah look so alive, the brush strokes bringing out their colour and vibrancy. I miss them, both of them. 

A loud noise bursts my bubble, making me look to my left to see the previously open door being slammed shut. My breath hitches, body tensing as I grab the doorknob. It’s locked. It probably has an automatic lock on the other side, and the wind made the door shut. There are most likely other windows open that made this happen. I breathe out, clutching my phone harder from being frightened. I just need to find Chris. That’s the only reason I'm here in the first place. 

I take a right, walking further into the building to see a door creeping open right in front of me. I wait for Chris to go through, but he doesn’t come. The door is left open, the creaking noise burrowed in my brain. This is fucked up, wasn’t it closed? I thread forward carefully, each step taken with great caution as I make my way. I look through the door, seeing the familiar sight of the lodge’s hallway and main room. Thank God. 

I walk to the door and look through the windows. Sam and Ashley are standing there, waiting for it to be opened. I knock, and they both jump at the sudden sound. 

“Just me, didn’t mean to scare you!” 

“Good, Chris already tried” Sam complains, trying to look back through the frost-covered glass. 

“Yeah, I can’t see him” 

I feel something behind me, something big and dark casting a shadow on the door. Soft yellow light approaching and a small creek right behind me. My body, which is already tense, gets stiffer, and I try the door handle to no avail. 

Two large arms go around me. One on my waist and one around my neck. I scream before my mouth is covered with a massive hand, pressing down on my lips. 

“Shit, it’s just me, just jokes” Chris smiles, letting go of me. My heart is beating out of my chest, pulse skyrocketing and breathing uneven. 

“That’s one too many for today” I state, and he gives a small laugh. 

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself” 

He comes closer, arms closing around me in a gentle manner. The touch is soft, and too short as he leans away, lifting my face to look up at him. I’m calm now, the adrenaline rush lowering and my senses coming back. 

“I swear to God, if you scare me one more time during this trip-”

“You’re such a scaredy-cat” 

“That’s the point!” 

I hear snickers outside as we keep bickering, and roll my eyes. Didn’t these people have other things to do than listen to us? I look down, seeing the spray in one of his hands. Oh, that’s right, they don’t. 

“Let’s get this thing open” I wave to the lock, and he gives a smile, hand pushing me out of the way. He puts the lighter in front of the spray, and I take another step back, just for safety measures. He sprays, the flames being big and ashy as they go against the metal lock. I look over, making sure that he stays within the secluded area, and doesn't set the wood on fire. Luckily, he seems to have full control. 

Finally, it seems enough, and before I can stop him, he’s quick to grab hold of the handle and open the door. The others thank him, while I notice the shaking and clutching of his left hand. 

“Thank you, thank you” he bows. “I’ll be here all week” 

A loud noise and fast-traveling animal runs out beside us, and I hold my breath, standing still as it passes. Chris yelps, jumping back while the other’s make way for it, letting it run back into the forest. 

“Crap, that thing freaked me out” Chris breathes out, his hand on my arm. Poor thing. 

“What was that?” Ashley asks, still laughing a bit. 

“It was like, a bear or a tiger or… something” 

“Awe, it was just a cute little baby wolverine” Sam taunts, walking past him and clapping his shoulder. The response makes me giggle, and he pulls his hand back, having both of them in the air and waiting for some consolation. 

“Baby?” 

“Don’t worry buddy, you’re gonna be a big boy soon” Josh adds, walking past him with Ashley and Matt. I give him a nudge, and we follow them into the main room of the lodge. 

“Home sweet home” Josh exclaims, hands outreached to the dark space. 

“Sweet is not the word I’d use” Matt whispers, and I agree. It’s dark, weird and feels too eerie for me. It’s like we’re in a horror game. Ashley rubs her arms, trying to stay warm. 

“Oh my gosh, it’s so good to be inside, even though it’s still freezing” 

“I’ll get a fire going” Josh walks over to the fireplace, placing down some logs and setting up. 

“This place barely looks any different” Matt comes up beside me, looking over all the furniture. 

“My thoughts exactly” I tell him, meeting his eyes. There’s some kind of worry in them. I bet he still feels bad. No wonder, no one should really feel good being up here. Not after what happened. 

“What’s up, party people!” 

“Hey!” 

Mike and Jessica make their entrance, both psyched to get the action going. Most of us greet them back, but I notice that Matt doesn’t. He looks at Mike with contempt, something dark brewing. That’s what we all need now, some drama. I walk over to Ashley, sitting beside her on the sofa. Don’t want to be in the fire-zone when the shooting starts. 

“Make yourself at home, bro” Josh tells Mike, still fumbling with the fire. 

“Will do” 

“Yeah, come on in” 

Shit, now it starts. I give Ashley a look, and she leans in to whisper something to me. I listen while the drama unfolds in front of me. 

“I was by one of the telescopes earlier, and saw Mike and Emily exchange quite an ‘intimate’ hug. Matt wanted to see, and I was unsure about what to do, but he just looked anyway. I think it really hit a nerve” 

“No wonder” I whisper back. “Wouldn’t you be pissed if you saw your partner do that with an ex. The ex right before you. Who, you have A LOT of history with?” 

“Well, yeah, of course” 

Things seemed to have cooled off a bit between the two, Mike with both of his hands up in surrender and Matt taking a step back. Mike walks over to Jess, arm going to the back of the sofa, behind her. She nuzzles into him, and I can already sense Emily’s anger before she wanders into the lodge scoffing. This was going to be a long retreat. 

“Oh my god, that is so gross. Are you trying to swallow his face whole?” she walks towards them slowly, stopping a couple of meters away, arms crossed over her chest. Not more drama. Matt takes a step towards her, hand reaching a little out for her. 

“Em…” 

I can imagine how he feels, seeing his girlfriend and ex like that, and then seeing his girlfriend get jealous. Still, he isn’t aggravated anymore, just trying to calm her with small steps. She doesn’t budge, but keeps looking at the couple with disgust.

“Seriously, can she be any more obvious?” 

Jess snuggles further into Mike, taunting her and showing him off. I can already see that Mike’s getting uncomfortable, knowing something is about to blow up. Emily leans a bit down, as if talking to a toddler, staring Jess down. 

“No one wants in on your territory, honey” 

“Excuse me, did you say something?” 

Jess now rises, walking up to her. The tension in the room strengthens, and I look over to the others, but everyone is fixated on the next move, sucking in the drama like sweet nectar. I sigh, feeling Ashley’s hand on mine, uncomfortably shifting as she watches. This’ll go nowhere, the bickering and bitching. If someone doesn’t stop them, they’ll keep going, maybe even get physical. 

“Hey, watch it!” 

“Oh, you’re the only one who can put him down? No one else gets to play with your toys?”

I lean over to Ashley, whose eyes are still glued to the fight. 

“Is none going to stop them?” 

“I wouldn’t dare to put myself in that position” 

Josh stands up, shaking the ash off his fingers. 

“Stop it! This is not why we came up here, this is not helping. It’s not what I wanted” 

Sam stands up as well, taking a few steps and adding to the statement. 

“If we can’t get along for ten minutes, maybe we just need a little break?” 

Josh looks over at her, an appreciative smile on his lips, then turning back to the others. 

“Yes! Mike, why don’t you check out the guest cabin, the one I told you about?” 

Mike stands up, hand outstretched for Jess. 

“Yeah, want to go do that?” 

“Any place without that whore” 

“It’s right up the trail” Josh adds as they walk out. Emily finally turns around, noticing our big eyes and awkward faces. Matt imitates an explosion, causing her to roll her eyes. I take a breath, looking over at Chris. His lips are thinned, and he also lets out some air. Jeez, that was a lot for most of us. Hopefully, things get better tomorrow. Matt walks over to Josh, noticing the lacking fire. 

“So, should we get this fire going?” 

“Yeah, working on it” 

“Where’s my bag?” Emily asks, looking over at Matt. 

“Huh?” 

“My bag… The little one with the pink pattern, the one I got on Rodeo” 

Her boyfriend gives her a dumbfounded expression, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Matt, are you listening? Matt, I need my bag!”

“Oh my god Em, maybe you just forgot it!”

“Do you seriously think I’d just forget my bag?” 

“Well, I-”

“Do you?” 

“Guess not” 

“You must’ve left it down by the cable car station” 

“Ugh”

“Come on, hun. We’ll be back soon” 

Matt sighs, walking over to her by the door. 

“Then we can get warm?” 

“We can get very warm” 

He caves, arm outstretched and letting her lead him out. I lean back on the couch, energy drenched. God, why did I come? Ashley leans back, lips against my ear as she whispers. 

“See how easy it is for them to say what they want to do to each other instead of OBVIOUSLY thinking loudly?” 

I hit her, and she laughs. All the others look over curiously, but I just shake my head to them. 

“Okay, I’m gonna go take a bath” Sam exclaims, patting Josh’s shoulder and walking up the stairs. 

“Need help?” Ashley asks, already making her way beside her. 

“N-” she hits her, looking over at us before agreeing. I roll my eyes as they both walk upstairs. 

“What’s that all about?” Chris asks, and I tell him nothing. I can see Josh trying to hide his smile, still unable to get the fire going. 

“Shit, forgot to give Mike and Jess the keys” He stands up, and I do the same. 

“I’ll sprint over with them” 

He walks backwards, looking at both of us while throwing the keys up and down, catching them in his hands every time. 

“No, no. You guys are guests, get comfy, have sex, whatever” 

“Man” Chris interjects, but he turns around and laughs. 

“It’s what everyone else is doing, just follow the herd” 

He disappears around the corner, and I sit back down. They finally made things even more awkward between us. The silence is deafening, only broken by a couple of giggles from upstairs. 

“I guess we should talk” Chris suddenly says, eyes still on the ground, body leaning forward on his knees. The cold is almost as bad as the sinking feeling in my stomach, but I still nod in reply. 

“Let's get a fire going first, it’s icy in here” 

“Coming right up” he says with his comedic voice, the tone lightening the mood. We both walk over to the fireplace, setting up the last logs and lighting some matches. I watch his fingers as he does. The fingers tensing a little as he swipes the match to create fire. He  leans into the fireplace, and manages to light right on the bark, setting the logs ablaze. I hum at the light, the air around us starting to get a little bit foggy and warmer. 

I look up at him, noticing how close his face is. I carefully inch closer, everything in the background blurry as I look into his eyes. They’re wanting, as if needing something, or someone. His mouth is slightly open, and I bite my lip a little in anticipation. Both of our breaths are heavy and uneven, and I can feel it on my chin as he gets closer. 

“I gave you five minutes!” Josh exclaims, and we both jump back. We look up, and Josh is standing between us, the girls on the top of the stairs watching intently. I stand up, making my way back to the couch. Chris does the same, pushing a smiling Josh out of the way. 

“We were building the fire you so miserably failed at” 

“Damn, harsh man” 

“Sam, want to help me beat up Chris?” Josh shouts. 

“I was just getting into the bath!” Sam responds, shouting down from upstairs. He gets a playful smirk on his lips, hand going to his mouth to carry his words further. 

“And, do you need any help with that?!” 

“Hardy har” 

Chris and I look at each other, before looking at the flirt. He has a slight blush on his face, almost invisible. 

“Well, if it isn’t the little Sammy-lover” Chris smiles, leaning cockily back on the couch. 

“At least he wishes to be”

“I hate both of you” 

“Maybe he’s the one who needs to be left alone for five minutes?” 

“Shut up” 

He laughs a little, and I smile at the thought of him finally opening up a bit. This was healthy for him, feeling like this. I’m still unsure about the whole lodge-ordeal, but so far, he’s good. 

“You know, we have a spirit board here somewhere” He says, side-eyeing us with a sly smirk. 

“A what?” 

“Wow, you have a spirit board?” Chris asks, leaning forward interested. 

“Yeah, yeah, they’re fun right?” 

“Absolutely not” I say, shaking my head. After everything that has happened here, I’m not checking for ghosts and demons, that’s the last thing we should be doing. 

“Should we have a seance?” 

“No”

“Yes” 

“They’re a joke, they don’t do shit” I try, but my argument fails. 

“I know, but it's still interesting” Chris says. 

I look over at him, and he’s looking at me pleadingly. Puppy eyes and a pouty mouth. I try to resist, but my defences fall, and I sigh. They both take it as defeat and cheer. 

“But, only if I get Ashley with me” 

“She’ll be easy to convince” 

“Josh! No hot water, kind of a major oversight don’t you think?” Sam says, coming down the stairs. Ashley walks behind her, coming down to take her place beside me. 

“Yeah, yeah, just gotta fire up the boiler, it’s in the basement” 

He turns to us, already beginning to leave with Sam. 

“You guys see if you can find the spirit board” 

“A spirit board?” Ashley asks, and I just sigh. “They forced me to” 

“Can’t say no to this handsome face” Chris smiles, getting up to look for the board” 

“Come on, let’s go find it, it’ll be like a scavenger hunt” and she drags me up by the arms as I whine. “Fine” 

We look for a while. At one point, we lose Chris. He walked into another room, not to be seen again. I try closets and shelves, but cannot find anything. 

“Think it’s time to regroup?” 

“Yeah”

We walk back to the main room, voices immediately heard. 

“Holy crab, you were scared, admit it”

“I was not!”

“Come on, you totally pissed yourself!”

“Josh!” 

Up the stairs comes the three guys, Chris wearing a monk-costume. I look him up and down while Ashley’s laughing so hard she almost can’t stand. She has to turn away to calm herself. I smile, walking towards him as he joins his hands in prayer. 

“What the hell are you wearing?” 

“I’ve found my true calling?” he says, hands making a cross over me. 

“You know monks can’t own stuff, or have relationships, or sex?” 

He thinks for a bit, looking me up and down with a small smirk. Is he… cocky?

“I guess I need to change profession then” 

“Omg, will you take a vow of silence?” Ashley laughs, coming up beside me. He starts talking without sound. And I can’t help the small snicker that escapes my lips. 

“Okay, okay, we get it” 

He draws forward the spirit board, and I whine again. Why did we have to do this? 

“Here’s our one-way ticket to the spirit realm” 

Sam is already walking up the stairs, not wanting to take part in the activities. I almost want to join her. A hot bath clearly beats seeking demons. But I don’t, instead, I take off my coat and hang it on a chair before walking over to the others. 

“Bold move of you with the sex-comment” Ashley whispers, and I give her a small smile and I rest my head against her shoulder. 

“Well, you all have told me to be a bit more forward” 

“That’s my girl”

Taglist: @porcelainbluedove @b3rryb3t

[zshiftsrealities]

zshiftsrealities ✦ introduction

❛ hi, hello, welcome !

i'm z ✦ ‘07 — sept ✦ intj ✦ south–asian

꒰ ... and this is a documentation blog of my experiences with reality shifting, lucid dreaming, manifesting, and (newly added) astral projection ... ꒱

₊ ꒱ likes & interests — ★

anime, kdramas, highschool life (as depicted in media), summers, spring, red, rain, quiet evenings, starry skies, moon, black, cats, sleeping, comfortable silence, lively environments, friends, before dawn, ocean, clouds, trees, night outs, nature, tea, late night conversations, dreaming, the blue sky.

⌗ journey towards eternity ❝

꒰ i. 𖦹˙— reality shifting ✧

first found out about shifting in 2021 through youtube and tiktok ⋮ actually started attempting shifting since nov-dec 2024 ⋮ made more progress these 4 months being on tumblr than the whole of 4 years of having known shifting.

(mini) shifts ✦ first ⋮ second ⋮ third

꒰ ii. 𖦹˙— manifestation ✧

found out about subliminals and manifestation same year, just a bit earlier than shifting ⋮ had many results from subliminals, some even lasting to this day ⋮ got into loa after joining tumblr ⋮ recently manifested many things (small achievements, but a win is a win)

꒰ iii. 𖦹˙— lucid dreaming ✧

lucid dreamed once years ago and then forgot about it ⋮ came back to me on a random morning in december 2024 ⋮ lucid dreamed many times since then.

꒰ iv. 𖦹˙— astral projection ✧

wasn't ever really interested in astral projection ⋮ heard its unsafe (misinfo btw) so decided to just leave it as is ⋮ astral projected on accident recently, and am planning to look into it now :)

astral ✦ experience

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s realities .ᐟ

very few realities that i've put thought into and scripted. will add the links as I post.

‧₊ ⌗ my hero academia ── · . ˚✧ main dr ꒱

.ᐟ intro |

๑ moodboards | drself ✦ s/o ✦ friendgroup

‧₊ ⌗ jujutsu kaisen

.ᐟ intro |

๑ moodboards | drself ✦

‧₊ ⌗ miraculous ladybug

.ᐟ intro |

๑ moodboards |

⟡ others ⋮ demon slayer dr, kdrama drs, multiple au’s for mha dr and jjk dr etc etc

ᵎᵎ ❛ dni if — x

! basic dni criteria + anti-shifter, disrespect people's choices / preferences / beliefs etc etc, force your ideologies onto others, islamophobic, pro-isnotreal / anti-palestine, entitled for whatever the reason might be, rude and hateful in general.

... you get the idea. I don't want weird people on here so just don't interact if you are one.

! don't care if you do or don't support race-changing. I race change, and if that doesn't sit well with you, you're free to leave.

— ❞ ⌗ tags ¿ ?

⋆˙⟡ customized tags : for navigation, and because it's fun to have them >_<

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 talks ... random thoughts

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 reblogs ... my reblogs

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 loves ! ... my fav posts ever !!!

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s drs ! ... when I talk about my drs

— ꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s mha reality .ᐟ ✧ things related to mha dr

— ꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s jjk reality .ᐟ ✧ things related to jjk dr

— ꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s miraculous reality .ᐟ ✧ things related to miraculous dr

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s moots ! ... wherever I interact with my mutuals !!

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s successes ! ... success stories (manifestations / shifts / lucid dreams / astral projection)

꒰ ⌗ ⋮ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ’s shooting stars ! ... answered asks

© zshiftsrealities, 2025 all rights reserved.

[bloopitynoot]

Reading TGCF: Chapter 93

For those who don't know, I am reading TGCF for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag Bloopitynoot reads TGCF. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read BUT if you followed along with my SVSSS read, the rules and vibe are the same.

I'm here!

It's been a long day of travel and registration and all that jazz that comes with conference things. I am very glad to have some time to slow down and read a chapter with some almond, rose, and amaranth tea tonight.

With that, Let's get into chapter 93!

Ugh! Mu Qing and his vulnerabilities! Xie Lian is just trying to help! p36

LOOL These two explaining the romanticism of the red string Hualian wear to Xie Lian. p38

The visual of Hua Cheng being the ghost version of mary poppins. Just umbrella flying them out of danger. p40

Ruoye baby!! Scared of the webs :( p41

Exactly Mu Qing! Why wouldn't they smash the faces instead of hide them- it's almost like they are deeply in love with them. p43

Mu Qing, once again the voice of reason- how is Hua Cheng so sure about the 'random' direction they're traveling in? p45

Oh! The pearl! ofc Xie lian forgot about it though. pp47-48

everyone is so alarmed by the statues like Hua Cheng was being sketchy about it. The reality is he was embarrassed low key since Xie Lian was the only person then god who gave a shit about him and he did promise him 10 000 temples p51

oh no, my feelings!!! I can't with Hua Cheng's murals. His portraits with himself being ugly and disfigured- sweetie :((( p54

oh gosh, my heart. Mu Qing and Feng Xin please, there is no nefarious plot here. p57

As a side note, fuck these guys for taking away Xie Lian's right to choose how to handle the supposed situation they're in right now. What right do they have to just do what they want without talking to him about things. p60

oh fuck! Mu Qing did kick Hua Cheng out of the army back then! p65

omg this miscommunication with the command spell- too much! p70

Noooo! He's just trying to heal Xie Lian and they think he's a freak. :(((( p71

Holy fuck. MXTX jump scared me so hard with these fake character deaths. I was so scared! I just closed the book for a solid minute!!!! p75

WHITE NO FACE!!!! p75

omg this guy is stronger than Hua Cheng! p76

Jeeze Hualian! This is NOT the time or place for confessions!! p78

If sidestepping a conversation was an Olympic sport, these two would take gold. p88

Hualian is asking the question; why is white no face at the mountain, I am asking the question; why is white no face so attached to Xie Lian! p89

I am crying!!! If Hua Cheng's ashes are in the jewelry Xie Lian is wearing this conversation is too fucking much! Hua Cheng!!! You sap!!!! p91

Xie Lian to Hua Cheng: "Once we're out of Mount Tonglu, there's a lot I want to tell you" YOU BETTER BOTH GET OUT THEN! p93

OMG SO MUCH.

Everyone is having a different conversation this chapter LOL and then we get the drama of White No Face added back to the pot. It ends with EVEN MORE mystery with Lang Ying!!!! (who I am assuming is white no face and not actually the sweet babe).

[nabi-unveiled]

Nabi Notices (April 22 23, 2025)

It was so much fun getting to play the emoji tag game this week. I actually have a notebook where I've played/wrote down my guesses on these types of games when I was lurking in the past so it was a lot of fun getting to actually participate. I joked that it felt like I had talked to people all day when I had only said 10 words in real life. I mean that literally. I counted them.

But I now have very few brain cells left. 😂

This is further evidenced by the fact that I went to sleep before midnight yesterday. That almost NEVER happens. I have to do most of my "serious" show watching at night so I burn a lot of midnight oil.

I'm very grateful to @soypim for this epic exercise in distraction and work procrastination.

The Things I Noticed This Week:

People have strong feelings about Heesu in Class 2. I've been reading a lot of the commentary on Heesu since I find the discussions and different interpretations/reactions interesting. I always find it intriguing when people have such strong but opposite reactions to the same thing.

(The answer to that question is yes btw.)

I've only watched through episode four as I've prioritized Love for Love's Sake over Heesu since both shows are long form posts. I now wonder where I'll end up on this spectrum of reactions when I do get around to watching it. It's hard to tell.

In things I did watch...it was a lot. I was initially shocked by how many shows I made it through at least one episode of this week (13+). Especially as it still felt like I slept, and I actually engaged in multiple social activities. But then I remembered that I didn't write as many posts this past week, and that probably is correlated.

The "winners" for the week:

Fabulous Fit

This V-neck sweater in Love for Love's Sake won my fit for the week.

My brain just keeps wondering how it would feel. I've thought about this sweater way too many times in the past week. Would it be fuzzy? Would it be itchy? Is it as soft as it looks? Or would the texture give it a rougher feel? It looks like a heavier material. How weighted would it be? For the record, weight is often a good thing for clothing in my book. However, I hate the wall color. I haven't mentioned it in my posts about LFLS. It could be symbolic. But I hate that wall color SO VERY MUCH that any interpretation would be biased.

Honorable mentions to Jin Hwan from Business as Usual and Ji Hoon from Something's Not Right. I enjoyed a lot of Jin Hwan's looks, and I would love to add this white jacket to my closet.

Fascinating Find

Thanks to the emoji game, I now have a new show (Triage) to add to my "everyone else seems to have seen it" list. I now just have to decide which show to indulge in next as one of my backlist watches.

I also identified two shows that I know I started and watched in part but must have dipped out on when life got busy. Because the likelihood that I completely forgot about a character fervently praying in I Saw You in My Dream or the olive oil in I Feel You Linger in the Air....not high. Not high at all.

Maybe I should start a spreadsheet like so many of you all seem to do. I've just mostly kept records in my brain, but it's obviously not an accurate way to keep track.

Fantastic Frame

I can't even pretend my fantastic frame this week was due to symbolic purposes or even strong use of cinematography. I actually struggled to decide exactly WHICH frame from the scene I wanted to include. But thanks Fight For You.

We're vertical. There's pinning. There's a mirror. Need I say more?

Fun Fluorish

The sticky note intros in My Stubborn was such a fun touch. I wish I could read them without using a translation app, but I loved it as a way to introduce the characters. We got a lot of information quickly.

That said - I need this woman on my screen more. 👀

Favorite Fragment

When I first watched Business as Usual this past week, I thought this line would be my fragment of the week.

That line hit me HARD. I felt it in the core of my being. I've SAID a variation of that line before in a conversation with my husband. We've been together twenty years, but we have very different memories about certain events. We're both very introverted people who keep a lot of thoughts in our heads so that's no surprise. We've had to learn how to TALK and get the words out of our heads. Honestly, we're still working on it. It's why, as painful and scary as those conversations can be, Jin Hwan and Min Joon are both going to NEED to use their words.

But as hard as that line hit me, it's not the line I've dwelled on as the week progressed. It's this one:

Accompanied by a set of dialogue from this week's episode of When Live Gives You Tangerines.

I'm older than both of these characters, but I understand these thoughts so well. I struggle with it now probably more than I did in my early 20s. Back then, I thought I knew the answers. But as life becomes increasingly complicated, as I've learned so much more about the world around me, as I've embraced my own sexuality and deconstructed religiously, and as I now have to navigate explaining those things to my children -> I don't know anything.

My 10 year old asked me a really important question just this week that I had to say "I don't know the answer to that." His response "How am I supposed to figure it out if the adults don't know?" My thought - I wish I knew kid. But I told him, "We'll just have to keep working on it together." It's the best I had at the moment.

I will also say that this line in Tangerines cracked me up a bit too. My daughter recently conducted a survey to see how people would describe me in three adjectives. It was a wild experience. Not a single word was repeated. My husband describes me as "wife, mother, writer". Not one adjective in the bunch. 🤣

At this point, this section probably should've been it's own post. Moving on.

Feral Fan

This was a special category I created for the week, but I felt it was important to include. This category probably won't be a weekly occurrence. It will be reserved for a moment that I had a strong emotional reaction to while watching.

As in - I might have been LOUDLY yelling at the screen during Top Form. I just really really really wanted Jun to squeeze harder and choke the bastard. There is no redemption possible here. I will throw things.

My Queue for the Coming Week:

As always, I'll watch other things. I just don't know what.

Something's Not Right (Ep 3/4)

Business as Usual (Ep 4)

Top Form (Ep 7)

Love for Love's Sake (Finish Ep 4/Ep 5)

When Life Gives You Tangerines (Ep 6)

Cooking Crush (remaining episodes)

[minkieater]

can we hear more about the chain

hello YES

i love you for this question thank you for asking it!!! imma just give u a little snippet of it, this is the intro !

Felix’s warm brown eyes are hidden behind an angry onyx. Dark, pointed, accusing, he faces the brown leather booth that’s carved into the wall of the tour bus, the window just beside it cascading hues of sunshine and shadows across his freckled cheeks as they cruised through cities that remain unnamed. Blue couldn’t say she wasn't used to this look on him, he rarely held a shred of warmth when his eyes were pointed at her, but today was different. He looked at Hyunjin that way, too. 

Jisung was still asleep in the bunk beds at the back of the bus, and she wondered if he was still asleep after the past twenty minutes of Felix-generated commotion. Granted how much partying they’d done last night after Chris reamed the four of them out, Blue wouldn’t be surprised if he was, he always needed more sleep than the three of them did. 

“So that’s it? You have nothing else to say?” Felix stands straight up, his hands balled to fists at his sides, feet firmly planted in the faux hardwood floor that never stopped moving, the bus never stopped moving. This wasn’t Blue’s argument– this wasn’t her place to say anything. “All you have to say is ‘I’m sorry?’”

She wasn't exactly sure why Hyunjin was apologizing in the first place– she never asked him to. 

“The tabloids are running rampant– they said our show last night was a doozy. Do you not think the two of you are to blame?” 

She and Hyunjin share a look. Blinking at each other, saying so many words between the eye contact but verbalizing none of them. It could be partially her fault, but she would only take a fraction of the blame, she wished she could tell Felix show business isn’t all that it seems, but that excuse only works until it doesn’t. Felix knows it’s deeper than that, between Blue and Hyunjin. That’s what really upsets him. 

What Felix doesn’t realize is that it’s deeper than that between himself and Hyunjin, too. If Blue could see it, she wasn't sure why Felix couldn't. 

Their show last night was a doozy. They weren’t harmonious as usual, it was disorganized, it was awkward, none of them could get into a flow. Every chord was played flawlessly, Blue sang every note at perfect pitch, it was the four of them that couldn’t get it together. Felix couldn’t look at Blue, Jisung shied away from Hyunjin’s eye contact, their crowds were used to seeing them nearly maul each other onstage– flirting, a kiss every once in a while, sharing microphones, Blue trading her guitar for Jisung’s… Fans were used to seeing them as a unit. Last night they couldn’t be further apart. 

On top of that, Chris didn’t hold back after the show ended. 

He called them a slew of insults backstage: Morons, ungrateful pricks, undeserving of their money and fame, selfish for letting personal endeavors come before their jobs. Their fans. Their duty to entertain. As a manager, he was allowed, he was paid to keep the four of them in check. But Chris couldn’t be everywhere all the time, he couldn’t always stop the touching, the sneaking into each other’s bunks on the bus, the sneaky bathroom breaks when they stopped at a bar for a bite to eat on tour. He couldn’t catch them in the act, he was too busy managing them, figuring out their schedules, their security. 

All of this, because Felix caught Blue instead of Chris. All of this, because Blue couldn’t keep her hands off of Hyunjin. Because Hyunjin couldn’t keep his hands off of Blue. Because Blue couldn’t keep her hands off of Jisung. Because Hyunjin couldn’t keep his hands off of Felix. 

She supposed that was one of the main things that kept the four of them together. 

[pigtailedgirl]

Hmm, I mean for me yes and also but. Because while I love and do think Fraser has a messy concept of what is sexual/romantic love, is perfectly read to not really crave that...and that whole of Meg Thatcher being not for the relationship and deftly coded as such to be over that and more aro than even Fraser by end...

I come back to start of series was not quite.

That there were relationships like Mackenzie King and there was Buck's daughter Julie and the horse lady. Or Brighton as proto- Thatcher even. Elaine's attraction that is overt but not so harassing. Frannie's which is overly overt. Him dancing with Jane.

Despite his portrayal of naive and the truth that pursuing him is a thing he is discomforted by and retreats from...There is also a vast amount of evidence he has in these relationships or in the random pursuits that there is more understanding and agency and interplay than he's willing to tell.

He knows what they want and shuts it down too deftly to be oblivious or in some cases repelled or unable to boundary. I think I see more that he has high boundaries. He knows a come on. He walks a fine line with some too that gives me a read of not so much uninterested sexually or romantically but unable to act.

Or acting in a defined way to avoid. Whether that be cause not interested in them, in concept, in it's my weird take his get off to not have that type of relationship aka. he's playing coy and queer on the side etc. etc. etc.

Which can read more his primary bad experience with Victoria and role-model stunted him in traditional or open expression.

There is also the thing I come back to that Thatcher in season 2 of my read, and the more love interests and ladies takes.

That post Victoria, Thatcher's intro is the perfect opposite brunette he would fall for. Before he gets to know her and genuinely admires her as similar to him in wrapping herself in a role, in having to hide her womanhood for that role or be extra judged for it and struggling with that... she's the perfect adhere to duty, do as I say and it's right even if you don't feel it because it's for the job. She's the perfect cover and authority to find attractive and dictate his acts and sublimate desires with and on.

But then Meg reveals herself to be human and in the feels too. And despite liking that in each other, and freely flirting, they both go oh, well that's neat of us, let's never go for it. Because neither seem to really want.

While with the Rays you have the varying friendship and subtext dynamics. Both having loads of on and off tensions with what does my romances or interests mean in expression of my feels with you Fraser.

And then the double bonus of Ray V in season 2 on sidelines and side-eyeing the Thatcher interest like he somewhat pegs what that's about but can't get Fraser to verbally say it. And Fraser equally judging his stuff or watching because Ray's relationships past and pursuits are influencing their present.

Here's me re-watching Starman and that big rant Ray has on Ian at the campfire and then Fraser's pulling opposite to comfort Ian.

They are in some weird head-space.

Where it's more in season 3/4 that Kowalski's pursuits and overly attached to Stella still are a study in the why he struggles and Fraser's attractions or those attracted to him are a lot of working out his wants and griefs and definitions same.

It's all very interesting.

also think it's interesting that in terms of sexual writing on the show, benton fraser has only had experiences ranging from harassment (being pursued/commented on without his consent) to lowkey sexual assault (being touched in a sexual way without his consent), and various iterations of similar, with the two most obvious being a situation in which he's emotionally blackmailed and manipulated in the lead up to having sex (victoria) and where it's canonically stated that he's being taken advantage of while in a vulnerable state and shouldn't have sex (janet) (EDIT: also ladyshoes, which is interesting in its own right, but i think needs a whole other post, because he's learned from being taken advantage of and plays her game and it kinda hurts to watch)

the only person where it's more complicated is meg, and the more i read into it, the more i think there's a lot to be said for her taking a big step back because she's his superior and has power over him (ofc, i also enjoy the read that she's aromantic, but that also carries a feeling to it that she has some complicated feelings for him that she doesn't necessarily want to ruin by entering into a sexual relationship with him, regardless of how attracted to him she is, and the fact that he would allow it... it probably would end up hurting him, if not gone about carefully)

point being, there's a whole depth of thought id like to explore on fraser and sex that relates to him not only not having language for what he maybe does want (whether or not that involves sex and/or kink) but he's also not been given the opportunity to learn/verbalise what he doesn't want

his whole relationship with sex and relationships, to me, is wrapped up in so many layers of messy experiences and lack of respect for his bodily autonomy that he'd have to unlearn all kinds of things before one could even know under what precepts he'd consent to something on, and potentially that might never even happen, because he doesn't exactly end the show having learned to enforce boundaries (or even, maybe, that he's allowed to have them)