#unfortunately this means one less reason to be ignoring The Guy from The Show.

[radioromantic-moved]

found another lesbian who self ships with live action men (more than i do) and even though we're not mutuals or anything it is surprising how much better this makes me feel about me doing it. the way i am so "i don't Care what other people think about my selfshipping >:)" but also take so many cues from other people. i will get normal...one of these days

[pyrodolls]

can you write sounding with one of the yan boys or ignoring them because of something?

GIVING SUPERFAN! AND STALKER! YANDERE BOYS THE COLD SHOULDER

warnings: obsessiveness, sfw, some slight su!c!de references, bayani is basically a servant and victor needs a therapist, just overall unhealthy behavior cuz they're yanderes. (i do not condone yanderes irl and this is for writing purposes) gender neutral reader, no use of y/n.

a/n: hey guys i just found out my best friend might be dating my ex bf (that made me hide in my house for a year) which is funny bc he told me "not to worry about her" while we were dating. and my birthday is in 2 hours so it's quite an unfortunate time to find out that they've apparently been dating for a few months. if it's true, then whatever LMFAOOO now she's gotta deal with him and it ain't my problem. also thanks for 1k followers, you guys are awesome!! sorry for not updating much, i just don't have a lot of motivation these days

———————————————————

if you ignored bayani...

bro do you *want* him to jump off a cliff???

he is panicking. he is having a CRISIS

bayani lives to please you. if he's talking to you and you just ignored him for whatever reason, he would be heartbroken. absolutely crushed.

he would attempt to ask what's wrong, and fix it as soon as possible. as much as he enjoys being mistreated by you, he'd hate for you to be upset with him for an extended period of time.

his first instinct is to fix whatever he did wrong. he would automatically blame himself, even if it wasn't actually his fault.

he always seeks your love and validation. if you were to ignore him, he would literally sink into the floor and die.

if you forgive him and stop ignoring him, he would be overjoyed. and he'd be less clingy, and a lot more careful around you. he wouldn't want you to get mad at him ever again. that would be his worst nightmare. if you want him to return to his old self, let him know he can be clingy again. if you don't, he'll remain cautious around you for the rest of his life. he just wants you to be happy with him. he can hold himself back from showing too much affection if it means you'll approve of him.

if you ignored victor...

yeah no he's not having it lmao

he'd be so butthurt. and unlike bayani, victor would be very annoying and start hanging around you more. usually he lets you do the talking, or follows you around from a far distance. but if you started ignoring him, he'd become more talkative just to piss you off.

he hates being ordered around, so he's not gonna let you stop him from interacting with you. he's gonna keep talking to you and hanging around you no matter what.

it'd take about a week for him to get agitated. he'd wonder what he did wrong, and try to ignore his insecurities by pushing them on you. instead of drowning in his sorrow, he'd turn it into anger and blame you. you're the one being unreasonable, he did nothing wrong. of course he doesn't believe that, but that's what he would convince himself. he would rather take his anger out on you, the love of his life, rather than admit how unhappy he is with himself and how he treats others.

he'd find ways to punish you for your behavior. as much as he loves you, he won't accept any disrespect. he takes it as a huge blow to his (very fragile) ego.

BUT if you gave up and started talking to him again, he'd get a huge ego boost. of course you'd talk to him again, he's just irresistible! this was totally expected... even though he was crying in his bedroom every night wondering why you weren't talking to him and got very insecure, wondering what he did to make you mad at him. would he ever confess this, though? nope.

he's too prideful to admit that he missed your voice and attention, but he'd show how sorry he is by helping you with chores and work. if you bring it up, he'll say something along the lines of: "i'm not doing this because i'm sorry... i just think you weren't doing it right. i know how to do it better."

this insecure and bratty ass man child would rather sit naked on a hot grill than verbally say sorry lmao

[burst-of-iridescent]

Aang was indeed a bad father. It's way past time we stopped making excuses for him.

An all too common defense for Aang is the fact that he's a monk and is not well-versed in how parenting looks. Yeah! No shit! But do you know who is well-versed? Katara! They talk as if Aang is a single parent like Toph but he is not. Katara's been on Aang's side since the day they met, always stood up for him, always complimented him.

Is this really the thanks she gets? Are they really that disinterested in explaining Katara's side of the story? As if her not getting a statue wasn't insulting enough.

Another major flaw in this defense is that Aang is not just a monk. He's the avatar. This means, part of mastering all elements also means embodying all of the ideologies based on said elements. That includes elements/ideologies completely opposite of his own. His daughter's crack about Aang "cutting and running when things get tough" shows that he's learned absolutely nothing.

We never truly see him master all the elements, he just gets them and, more or less, calls it a day. I'm even beginning to doubt that he's truly mastered his default airbending and he just got his tattoos prematurely because the monks were impressed with his scooter invention.

Zuko got the privilege of understanding the ideologies of other nations, allowing him to grow, and unlearn any toxic masculinity lessons through them, and would blow a gasket if he ever saw a kid get mistreated by a parent in any way. Is it really any wonder why Zuko is the more popular character and the most requested choice for Katara, in comparison to Aang?

using the "but he was a monk!" argument to excuse aang's bad parenting is fucking baffling to me. even leaving aside that aang did have a father figure (or are we collectively ignoring monk gyatso?), i don't think you need to witness fatherhood in action to understand that showing preferential treatment to one of your children is a messed up thing to do. that seems like the kind of thing that should be common sense, especially when you're best friends with the guy who's walking proof of what happens when you play favourites with your kids.

truthfully, i also don't fully agree with katara being able to compensate for aang's supposed lack of knowledge. while i do believe katara was a good mother, and i don't think it was her responsibility to teach her own husband how to be a good parent, i have my doubts about how much, if ever, katara called aang out on his behaviour towards bumi and kya. if their relationship in atla was any indication, i suspect katara very much turned a blind eye (or at most tried to gently suggest that aang pay more attention to bumi and kya) to aang's flaws in this area, as she (unfortunately) does in most others. that's one of the reasons i was never able to get onboard with kat.aang, because katara is the only one of the gaang who is never able to meaningfully challenge aang, even when he desperately needs it. (the only time i recall her trying to push him to do something he doesn't want is in sozin's comet when the fate of the literal world depended upon it. not a good omen, methinks.)

the katara we knew in atla might not have idly sat by while aang favored his airbending child over the others, but the seeds for who she turns out to be in lok are already planted. it's not a stretch to see how katara's blind faith in aang, and her unwillingness to confront his flaws, could have easily led her down the path to the woman who would fail to stop her husband from neglecting two of their children.

it's no surprise that aang in lok is repeating all the same mistakes he did in atla, because his character arc came to a screeching halt at the start of book 3 and was never picked back up again. how are we meant to believe that aang ever became the avatar (yknow, the embodiment of all four nations in one) when he was still, at the very end of the show, prioritizing the values of one nation over the others?

truly the shocker of the century that people might prefer katara to be with a character who had a believable arc with well-written development and a satisfying conclusion, instead of the narrative equivalent of a brick wall.

[yamcha-thelonewolf]

🫀The Heart's Savior.

Today I want to discuss a fairly complex topic that I will have to divide into three parts. I do not know when I will publish the remaining two, but I will certainly try to be as quick as possible to complete it as soon as possible. Well, the title of this topic is clearly a pun. King Kai would probably love it, because as you can imagine the word "heart" is musically related to the word "earth." This creates a close connection between two terms that are absolutely linked in Dragon Ball. The point is that in our story we often talk about earth's saviors, which is normal since the goal is to save the planet at all costs. However, it seems to me that nowhere is it written that only muscles and ultra-powered energy balls are always needed to protect the earth. Sometimes the heroic gesture happens even beyond the battlefield, and it does not even have to be addressed to the whole world. It would be enough to help even one person, and that could make all the difference. From this point of view Yamcha has done a lot, but unfortunately his good deeds have always gone unnoticed or foolishly ignored. So today I will try to bring back to the forefront his personal heroism, which as far as I am concerned had its little best between the Androids Saga and the Cell Saga.

I will divide the three parts in a temporal sense. The first part will be about the past, the second part about the present, and the third part about the future, so that it will be very clear to everyone how Yamcha's contribution has seriously saved the whole arc of Dragon Ball.

So... Let's not waste any more time!

Are you ready, wolfpack? Let's get started!

PART 1: The Past.

In order to better understand all that will follow, it is good to specify once again what Yamcha's role in the story consists of: he is basically a support. This does not mean that his character automatically takes a back seat, but simply that his personality causes him to behave in a certain way, surely different from all the other warriors who immediately take the field. Many people laugh that Yamcha is a coward who prefers to shy away from battles, but that is not true. Yamcha is there. He has always been there, and no matter what, he has always tried in his own way to help.

Few people notice it, but I cannot help but realize how in these two arcs he has fought the most dangerous battle of all. No, guys, I am not joking or overestimating the character. Keep following me and you will understand better.

The chapter "The Past" is perhaps the one that most shows what I think, as well as the most important. Here we will talk about the one and only Goku, who has been part of Yamcha's life since the days when they were a child and a young boy respectively. You know, the one between Yamcha and Goku is a long-term friendship. Think of it, it is even longer lasting than the friendship between Kuririn and Goku, since he met the bald kid some time after meeting the desert bandit. I know that time is relative when it comes to relationships, but I only want to emphasize this precisely to point out how much more intertwined Yamcha and Goku's lives are than you might think. For this reason, Goku won the first chapter. It is a symbolic way of saying that Yamcha cannot help but give thanks to his past.

Let's go in order.

The Androids and Cell Saga is certainly one of the most fascinating and memorable. The plot is considerably more intricate, a historical enemy, the Red Ribbon Army, returns, and most importantly we have the full Z-Fighters for the entire duration of the story arc. What is most beautiful is that everyone, in one way or another, makes a contribution, even those thought to be "weaker". For example, Tenshinhan's intervention trying to stop Cell's second transformation from absorbing Android 18 is unforgettable.

But... what about Yamcha? It really seems that he did not do much in the battle, but that is not the case. Well, he certainly fought less than Piccolo and Vegeta, but that doesn't mean he helped less than the others. First of all, we must take into account an absolutely essential event that strongly influenced Yamcha's future actions: upon the arrival of androids 19 and 20 he was the first to risk death. No, I should correct myself: he almost died. Had it not been for the Senzu bean, he would surely have died within a very few minutes, and even if he eventually survived, that does not mean that Yamcha has forgotten the pain he felt from that horrid hand completely perforating his chest.

This is a a full-fledged trauma. Not only that, it is also an epiphany for him, because at that moment he realizes that he is unable to cope with two such terribly strong monsters. Think how discouraging it must have been for him to have to accept the fact that he was knocked out practically at the beginning. If we then want to add that all this coincides with the separation from Bulma, which he certainly did not take well, let us say that this period was not the best for his already fragile personality hidden behind his great charisma.

However, a little later something extraordinary happens. It is a scene that I personally find as moving as it is realistic, simply because Yamcha proves once again that he is the most human of all. Unfortunately, this scene is seen by everyone as Yamcha's usual ridiculous moment, but the truth is that this is where he demonstrates all his greatness. I'm talking about the time when Goku suddenly gets sick from the disease and someone necessarily has to accompany him home to start treatment. Gohan is the first to offer, of course he is his father and cannot do otherwise, but he is immediately stopped by Yamcha who offers to do it for him.

This is the first time ever that Yamcha puts aside the pride that has often made him tenderly cocky and admits in front of everyone that he is the weaker one. I would have many things to say about this consideration of him, because I strongly believe that his problem is precisely that he has come to hasty opinions of himself precisely because of his fragile personality, but I will not discuss that now. Here, an interesting point is that he calls it pathetic to stand aside, but he is very wrong. There is nothing pathetic about accepting one's limitations and giving way to someone more capable. It is also a very good strategy. If Gohan had left, the chances of others being defeated would have been much higher. Taking away a strong member of the team would have only made things worse, so it makes sense that it should have been the least strong person to leave. This to me is the most exemplary test of courage of all. In Dragon Ball we have always seen proud, swaggering characters constantly bragging about their strength, but few times have we seen someone take a step back because staying might have only gotten in the way. The hole in his uniform is the greatest demonstration of this. You can see that he is ashamed of it, that a silent anger simmers inside him and that all the frustration accumulated over those years has reached its peak, but boy, let's just say that in saying that he is more badass than those who do not accept being second best. That's why I say Yamcha is incredible. He is the only one who took a step backward, not knowing that by doing so he was able to go beyond. This is the way of life. At some point you stop running aimlessly, you look inside yourself, and you realize that in order to move forward you must also know how to go back. That's what Mr. Popo had told him to do, but he was too young and blustery to listen to him. And that's okay. He's a human, let's never forget that.

I could end here. Yamcha leaving the group and entrusting the mission to heroes stronger than himself, but this is where the fun begins.

Just before getting up in the air, Piccolo warns him that there may be a risk that Goku's illness may be viral. This means that Yamcha, being in close contact with the infected, risks contracting the virus as much as the saiyan did. Actually, it is not confirmed anywhere that the virus is contagious. Piccolo assumed this from Trunks' words when he explained to Goku what would happen in a few years.

We only know with certainty that senzu can do nothing against this disease and especially that not even a super saiyan can recover from this illness. Did you get it right? This means that an earthling is totally unable to survive this disease. I mean, if a saiyan has no chance, a human being is triply doomed. We are back to square one. Yamcha is risking his life again, and this time against an absolutely unbeatable enemy that has defeated even Goku. Do you understand? Goku. If there was a margin of possibility to beat the androids, in this case it is completely impossible. So by agreeing to help Goku, consequently Yamcha also agrees that he can surely die. But this time he is not backing down. This time he is sure of what he is doing, just because his greatest goal is not to survive and avoid death but to support in his own way. Coward, huh? From here it is clear how dying is not his problem at all. Or rather, it is, but it does not matter if it means helping the one he loves and, in this case, the one who could save the entire planet.

This is how Yamcha's true nature comes out. Actually it is possible to notice it long before, but this time it is practically evident. I imagine him constantly searching for his place in the world, but the truth is that he has already found it, he just hasn't realized it yet. He hasn't realized that his job on the team is precisely to take care of everyone, even more than a magic bean can. It is a shame that even the authors did not realize this aspect of him. What the hell... Seriously, did no one notice how heroic Yamcha was at this point in the story? He remains there with him, keeping vigil for his friend, and with great bravery faces a battle in which emotions are also at stake.

The scenes in which Chichi and Yamcha care for Goku are among the sweetest in all of Dragon Ball. Yamcha is not required to stay because Chichi is already in the house, but he once again makes himself available to help as much as he can. Notcing how Goku struggles in pain, Yamcha's strength may be needed to block the saiyan and prevent him from unintentionally hurting himself or Chichi. What's more, assuming a worsening of the disease, thanks to the ability of flight Yamcha could transport him anywhere else in no time.

In some ways, he is also taking care of Chichi. A wife who sees her husband in so much pain can never cope alone, she needs support, comfort, someone to tell her that everything will be all right, and Yamcha is absolutely perfect for this role.

No one else among the Z-Fighter would be able to instill serenity in Chichi as Yamcha does. His patient, friendly temperament, always ready to reassure anyone, has surely prevented her from any crisis or attack of fear. One can well see how Yamcha's sensitivity goes beyond fine words. His mental elasticity leads him to reason quickly about all possible eventualities, so without a second thought he even suggests that Chichi take the medicine with him. Yet more proof of how he really loves everyone.

For example, this is a scene that explains very well what I mean. We're talking about filler, but I don't care. Whoever decided to do them must have understood that Yamcha deserved more. It is only a small detail, but at least it is highlighted how Yamcha's presence was crucial for Chichi and Goku himself. Here we can see Goku once again being sick, so Yamcha warns Chichi to retrieve the medicine again, but when she rushes to look for it she cannot find it, perhaps because she is so panicked that she does not understand anything more for a few moments. Sensing her confusion, Yamcha turns toward her and in no time comes to her rescue, pointing her to the exact spot where the medicine is. She grabs it and so Goku can once again stop suffering. I like to think that Yamcha's sixth sense, or ultimately his well-developed spirit of observation, helped him easily memorize where the medicine was at that time. His cool-headedness, coupled with his gentleness, were definitely a staple in Goku and Chichi's most intimate and fragile moment.

He also does so during the Cell Game, and this time together with another great character who deserves equally: Tenshinhan. This is one of my favorite scenes. Two great friends of Goku, initially villains and then both reformed to become his allies, stand before Goku when he is in trouble, to protect him from the Cell Juniors. It doesn't really matter that they are not strong enough to defend him forever, but just being there for him, acting as his human barrier, is one of the best moments. When I say that they could create a lot of good content for Earthlings, I am also referring to these kinds of scenes. It would be nice if they could recapture the atmosphere of this arc, where everyone lends a hand and everyone fights in their own way, even if they don't necessarily win.

Well… I know I've said as much as I know I could still say as much. I would just like to point out something. Doesn't it also seem to you that Yamcha is a bit like a guardian angel for Goku? Pay attention to that. Yamcha took care of Goku at the very time when he was most vulnerable. This shows how he has always been that big brother to him who has always watched over him. He took care of his heart at a time when not even a senzu could help him feel better, and going back to the past… He took care of Goku even in his most unconscious state, which is when he transforms into the Great Ape. The first time, being the only one who realized that his weak point was his tail, he had managed to stop him by cutting it off with Puar's help. But it is when Goku transforms for the second time that Yamcha shows off all his love for his friend, running up to Jackie Chun to stop him from hurling the kamehameha at the monster.

In the end, the moon was the target, but Yamcha and the others certainly could not have imagined that. I find it extremely emotional to see him desperate and ready to even hurt himself in order to prevent the death of his little friend.

As you can see, protecting Goku has always been part of Yamcha's instinct, and it is a pity that many have forgotten or ignored it. He is the character who most of all is moved by love, in every possible sense.

Therefore, while someone else gets the title of Earth's Savior, Yamcha absolutely wins that of Heart's Savior.

He's not pathetic. He's a true hero.

Well thank you, guys, for getting this far, whoever did it. Stay tuned for the other two parts of this topic and remember to never stop loving this beautiful wolf!

[raaorqtpbpdy]

Dead on Arrival

Written for the Phic Phight Prompts: In some hospitals, CPR is done to a patient despite them being declared dead on arrival. This is a courtesy to the family. The doctor doesn't expect the scream when they lay down the defibrillator paddles on the boy's chest (from @eyesofcrows), Danny gets caught in the middle of a bank robbery. Can he diffuse the situation without revealing his powers? (@wingedflight), and For some reason someone uses defibrillators on Danny, the feeling is all too familiar to him (@phantomphangphucker)

AO3 Link

[Warnings for blood, injury, violence, flashbacks, minor dissociation, hospitals, and near-death experiences]

Daniel Fenton was dead on arrival. Everyone there when he was brought to Amity Park General Hospital knew that. No pulse, no breathing, already cool to the touch. But his parents were inconsolable, desperate. They demanded something be done. So the doctor called for a defibrillator and started chest compressions, just for the parents' peace of mind. They'd just lost their fourteen-year-old son. It was the least the doctors could do to extend them this courtesy.

When the nurse came in with the defibrillator, they cut away the boy's shirt to press the paddles to his bare skin, ignoring the slick blood covering every inch of skin. They all knew nothing would come of this, that it was more or less for show, but they did it anyway. The nurse set the charge.

"Clear," warned the doctor before administrating the shock.

None of them were expecting the corpse to scream. A visceral, bone-chilling scream. A scream that rattled the windows, that made the lights in the whole hospital flicker with the force of it. A scream like the auditory incarnation of pain itself.

The doctors and nurses all slammed their hands against their ears, desperately trying to block out the sound, to no avail. It was the most horrible thing they'd ever heard in their lives. But it meant one thing. Danny Fenton was alive after all.

—

It was rare for Danny to encounter trouble with humans. He was a ghost hero, after all, so he mostly dealt with ghosts causing trouble. There were a few exceptions, like Freakshow, and sometimes Vlad, but even the exceptions were at least ghost-adjacent. These guys weren't.

They were one hundred percent human, committing a one hundred percent human crime. Two in the bank lobby, two more cracking the safe. Danny had just been coming to cash a birthday check when they showed up waving guns around and demanded everybody get down on the floor. It wouldn't have been fair for Danny to go ghost to fight a bunch of bank robbers, but of course, they were pointing guns at civilians, and he wasn't about to let that slide, either.

"That's it, nobody's gotta be a hero," one of the robbers said, and that sounded like a cue if ever Danny had heard one, because there was no way he was about to let that happen.

"Excuse me," he said, standing up to get their attention entirely on him. Immediately both the robbers in the reception area had their guns trained on him. It was preferable to having those things aimed at regular humans, not to mention an unfortunately familiar position for Danny to be in, so he had no trouble remaining calm as he raised his arms to show them he couldn't fight back.

"Si'down, kid," barked one of the robbers.

"I was just wondering if this is really the best use of your time," Danny said casually, staying on his feet, keeping the robbers' focus all on him. "I mean, surely you have better things to do than rot in prison, right?"

"There'll be no prison, 'cause we won't get caught!" the other robber said.

"Sure you won't," Danny said sardonically. "Except, you're not wearing masks, and this place is full of cameras." Idiots. Danny's presence might've given them a fighting chance, that is, if every public building in Amity Park hadn't made the switch to Fenton Spook-Proof Security Cameras about a year ago. "So I have to wonder what exactly your plan is here? Are you gonna get radical plastic surgery with the money you steal?"

The one closest to Danny smirked. "Robbie hacked the cameras before we came in, ain't that right, Robbie?"

"Uh... I thought Nick was supposed to do that," said the one standing by the teller's desk.

"What?!" said the first guy. "That was your job!"

"I don't know how to hack cameras, Jack." Robbie responded.

"Jack, Nick, and Robbie, huh?" Danny repeated. "Robbie the robber? Who's your fourth guy, Steal?"

"Melvin," Robbie said, "but his last name is Steel. How'd you know that?"

"And what's your last name?" Danny asked.

"Johnson, but I don't see what that has to do with anyth—"

"Robbie you fuckin' moron!" Jack groaned. "Now he knows our names and our faces!"

"Oh, shoot!" Robbie lowered his gun to slap a hand over his mouth.

"That's not a bad idea," Jack said, putting on a wicked grin and leveling his gun at Danny, whose eyes widened. "He can't talk if he's dead."

"Wait!" Danny shouted, but he didn't have time to say anything else before Jack shot several rounds into his gut and he collapsed backwards onto the floor.

Dark red bloomed across Danny's shirt. It stung a little, but it wasn't so bad, actually. Not as bad as an ecto-blast, but worse than a paper cut, he decided. Although, that could've just been because his brain hadn't caught up with the injury yet. His extremities were already loosing feeling as blood pumped out of the holes in his abdomen and pooled around him. It was a shame. Danny really liked this shirt, and now it was completely ruined.

He knew he'd bleed out before the police arrived, even though the robbers had failed to prevent the teller from tripping the silent alarm. He'd probably be okay in the long run, but he'd pass out for a bit while his body healed. All Danny could do was hope these idiots didn't realize that everyone else in the bank had also heard their names, and could therefore identify them just as well as Danny could. As long as he was the only one who got shot, everything was okay. That was his last thought before he lost consciousness from the blood loss.

The next thing Danny knew, was the all too familiar sensation of electricity shooting through his heart. It wasn't as strong as the last time, but it reminded him of it, of the portal accident, and the memory alone made it feel much much worse. The phantom pains that tore through him as he recalled the worst experience of his life increased the pain a thousand fold.

A scream ripped from his throat.

Whatever was happening in that moment didn't exist to him.

He had no idea where he was, or how he'd been zapped, or what else, or who else was around him.

All he could see was green.

All he could feel was a burning pain lighting up every nerve in his body, ionizing his atoms, rearranging his molecules.

The smell of ozone and charred meat filled his nose.

The metallic taste of blood overtook his mouth as electricity arced between his teeth.

His screams would echo in his head for months to come, would haunt his dreams as long as he haunted the Earth, perhaps longer.

It was overwhelming.

He was overwhelmed.

After a lifetime and a moment, the pain started to fade; the sensations ebbed. Everything was still. Everything was quiet, but for the ringing in his ear drums.

Danny felt floaty and faraway. He fisted his hands, digging his nails into his palms to ground himself, and pushed himself into a sitting position. Gradually, he became more aware of his surroundings.

He was in a hospital room. It smelled like antiseptic and blood. The light was out. Shattered glass glinted on the countertop. The hospital bed was thin but soft under his hands. He took a deep, shuddering breath.

No one seemed to be there until Danny looked down. A doctor, two nurses, and Danny's parents were all unconscious on the floor, blood dripping slowly from their ears. Alarmed, Danny checked to see if they were alive, and sighed in relief when they were.

He'd done this.

It was all his fault.

[ishipallthings]

Cap-IM Rec Week 2023 (Thurs)

Golden Oldies Thursday, July 20 for @cap-ironman Rec Week!

This is a day late, but here are some of my favorite older Steve/Tony classics!

Remember to show some love for your hard-working creators!

The Twice-Told Tale by arysteia

For someone he'd hero-worshipped for so long, Steve Rogers in the flesh is a pretty big disappointment. For one thing, he keeps looking at Tony as though he reminds him of someone else, and even if he never says anything, Tony's pretty sure it's his father. A lifetime of not measuring up to Howard's expectations is more than enough, thank you very much, and he's certainly not going to make an effort to live up to any of Steve's. Steve's pretty clearly failed to live up to his expectations, in any case, and that's not hypocritical at all.

(First Impressions Are) A Work in Progress by ras_elased

Tony has a point system for the times he can get Steve to be less than perfect.

i stole the keys to this guy by kellifer_fic:

Where it was Nick Fury's idea, but he didn't mean it like that.

many names in history, none of them are ours by aubkae

Steve's not sure if he'll ever understand Tony Stark, but it's good, living here. If he still wakes up sometimes convinced this was all a dream, well, it's better than it was before, and that's something, isn't it? The Avengers live in a world that both glorifies and fears them, but they know each other now behind the scenes.

bedrock and brick by lyra_wing

Immediate sequel to the movie, wherein Tony builds Avengers Tower. Or plays interior designer, take your pick.

Four (Or Five) Reasons for Kidnapping Tony Stark by scifigrl47 @scifigrl47

There are four reasons for kidnapping Tony Stark. Tony's sick of all of them. Well, there's potentially a fifth, but it's highly unlikely that Captain America will suddenly fulfill THAT fantasy. Tony's deeply disappointed about that. Steve Rogers, as always, is oblivious. At least, that is, until someone who isn't him kidnaps Tony. Then he's just pissed.

Honey, I Can See The Stars by twentysomething:

"The most he'd ever cared about anything remotely related was his uniform, which, beyond the stylistic, was pretty necessary. But now his suit comes from a lab far more advanced than the basement of a Brooklyn antique shop, and the only decision he really gets to make is if his pants are too tight. (They were, but he doesn't really think they changed them. He doesn't know why, but he thinks that might have been on purpose.) That being said, he doesn't know what he's done to deserve the double take Tony gives him as he walks in the room."

Mr. July by jibrailis

Tony is the only one who can defend Steve's virtue. Tony hates his life.

The Best Policy by starknjarvis

Tony Stark breezes through life on bluster and bullshit. When he gets hit by a truth spell, he locks himself away in his workshop so he can find a way to reverse it without anyone finding out. So why can't he say no when Steve keeps asking to spend time with him?

The Most Amazing Things (Some Terrible Lie) by copperbadge @copperbadge

Tony's decision not to reveal his identity as Iron Man to the world was shrewd and calculated. Too bad it's about to backfire on him like a Jericho missile.

the reason you ruminate the shadowy past by Mizzy

So, Captain America effectively manages to cockblock Tony for a year.

It's not Steve's fault. Well, actually, it is. But he was just proving a point - that if a superhero is gay, how can it be wrong? Steve just picked the wrong superhero to make the point with. Now America will think they're dating - and Tony's not going to be the guy to break Captain America's heart.

There's only one way out. To save face, Steve and Tony have to become fake boyfriends. Steve thinks the "boyfriends" bit will be the hardest to act... but maybe it's the "fake" part that will be the hardest act of all.

Even the Light is an Illusion by Mizzy

Death threats are an unfortunate side-effect of being Tony Stark, so he's learned to ignore them. The problem is, when someone really wants you dead, hiding your head in the sand just kinda exposes your ass. But it's not just Tony's behind on the line. Whoever wants him dead wants him to suffer first, and they're willing to do anything to make that happen. Tony knows there's only one way out. To save Steve, the Avengers, and the general public, Tony has to die. Of course, death isn't always the end, and Tony does what any other self-disrespecting scientist would do: he finds a way to fake his death and avenge his own murder. The trouble is, terrible decisions usually have a terrible price, and this one is no different. Tony has a chance to save the day, but the cost may be more than Tony was ever expecting to pay…

Tony Stark and the Super Sleeper, or actually, Soldier by RurouniHime (@thegertie)

The one where Steve keeps falling asleep on Tony.

Two Out of Three (Ain't Bad) by plingo_kat

It blindsides him one morning in the middle of his customary third cup of coffee; Steve walks through the door in loose cotton pants, shirt pulled up to wipe the sweat off his face from his usual morning workout, and Tony thinks: adorable.

and of course, the one that started it all:

Resurrection, Reconstruction & Redemption by Elspethdixon, Seanchai (616)

Doom brings Steve back from the dead. Hijinks ensue, some of which might vaugely be considered plot.

Hope you guys enjoy the recs, and stay tuned for more! Please mind the tags before reading. Check out my tag for previous years’ rec lists :)

[honestlysublimecherryblossom]

MEN ARE FUCKIN COMPLICATED AS SHIT!!!

⚠️: rant ahead (solely for entertainment purposes)

You don't need an expert to say this but trying to find a man (or boy) to date or even just get to know is so fuckin hard. You think women are weird with their mood swings? Try boys!

I have been texting this japanese guy who randomly approached ME and he was alright. BUT NOW, unfortunately, what was smooth sailing has now become shitty lake water.

Our "friendship" is approaching its one year and yet that guy refuses to show me his face or reveal what he sounds like through facetime; says he's insecure. Ok, that I kinda understand that crap! What I don't understand is how can this guy be insecure if he can send me a pic of his fuckin abs?(don't know if that's him tho)

What gets even weirder is that he disappears for weeks/months at a time and when I ask what happened he gives me reasons and explanations that are vague as shit! At first I was ok, thought he probably needed his space and alone time. It happened a second time, I was chill. Third time was the charm because I lost my cool with the reasons he's pulling out of his ass and immediately he gets defensive! I mean if your friend goes missing for a long time, you eventually text ti find out if they're alright. That's the normal response! I gave up on that eventually😕

THEN HE DROPPED THE FUCKIN BOMB: he said he likes me! WTF...the dude ignores me yet he has the audacity to like me when I know jack about him. This is the same dude that refused to give his best friend my profile in fear that his friend would flirt, work his way into my heart and he would lose me (his words not mine). What the actual fuck should I make of this?

It's been another 2 months since he ghosted me (again). His friend has been keeping me company and he's seems like a good guy I guess.

Honestly it's so fuckin disappointing. I wasn't expecting much tho. In my entire life, I haven't dated or been in a relationship so I'm actually clueless. The disappointment approaches the point of being hurtful because even though I wasn't expecting a lot- from a guy who sits a thousand miles away, who refuses to show me who he really is even when it's been a year- it doesn't make it hurt any less. He's my age so I guess that's why it bothers me.

I don't know wtf went wrong but I do wish it worked out.

[sandandlightning]

The St Peters Cross

So honestly I want to share knowledge as much as start a discussion with this one.

For those who don't know, the ‘inverted’ cross commonly associated with Satanic imagery is actually the St Peters Cross. It's not traditionally a Satanic symbol.

I say ‘traditionally’ because the question I want to pose is: at what point does common societal reassociation outweigh the original meaning, if at all?

This question occurred to me when I was watching a tacky ghost hunter show for fun and the guy was like ‘omg!!! An inverted cross on this rock!!!! The ghost was a witch!!!!’ which like, obviously there are twenty things wrong with this, and I found myself snapping ‘thats the st peters cross you ignorant fuck’ on instinct, but it did get me thinking. Because you know, if the ghost was ‘modern’ enough and was being fed the same misinformation as Cheesy Host Guy? Maybe the ghost did identify as some kind of Satanist and that symbol was there with that intent, I don't know their life. (You know assuming like, something just didn't fall on the rock in a coincidental way. I believe in ghosts, but ghost shows are, you know, like that, haha.)

In linguistics, the meanings of words change over time as social associations with them change. This is brought up a lot when people try to point out slurs are words that ‘just mean x’ or ‘its just a color in another language'. But in this case, the cultural association from centuries of built up implications change the meaning of the word to something very specific in English. Less unfortunate examples would include the etymology of how American and British English have different meanings for some words (think cookies, crisps, chips, and biscuits).

Ergo, one might argue that, despite the initial association of the inverted cross with satanic themes originating from Some Guy that just went ‘upside down cross edgy’ in the 1800s, it is so divorced from its original meaning that the new, socially common meaning would be more accurate.

Of course, the difference here is that a religious symbol is very different than a word or normal colloquialism. One could also argue that by its nature there should be far more weight put on the original intent of its original users than something that is purely used for human to human communication. After all- am upside down cross might communicate to some guy in line behind me at Walmart ‘satanic’ but using it for the purpose of communicating with divinity or some kind of force- the point of a lot of religious symbols- it might cause a lot of mixed signals.

Like, obviously, I don't think Lucifer or whatever entity is so unaware of modern going ons that they wouldlook at someone trying to pray with a misapropriate symbol and just ignore them or go ‘what the fuck’. There would probably be a big helping of ‘hes a little confused, but he's got the spirit' I would think.

But at the same time I would feel that in ritual, using the traditional symbols might be stronger or more effective. But that also, in and of itself, is a question of debate. Because a new sigil made with the intent of communicating to an Entity that has a lot of personal meaning to the user I think is very powerful. But that is something new and it's original association is how it is being used. In kemetic practice I would write out things in poorly phoneticized hieroglyphics. This is definitely in the same category as ‘confused but got the spirit'- it's a far cry from the original Egyptian. But the difference here is it's the closest to ‘original’ symbolism as I could arguably get within some reason, whereas the inverted cross doesn't even have etymological roots in left hand practice. It's a Christian symbol being borrowed and used out of context. It's closer in spirit to say, using mjolnir imagery for Set ‘because storm god’, but also still a bit far from that because at least those are two similar things and not something that once meant the opposite, though arguably the left hand view of these entities does not put them so directly opposite to certain ideals than a Christian view. I suppose in that regard it might be closer to when Anpu is painted as Scary Death God Who's Angry And Mean Like Devil, which would explain the compulsive urge to correct or reject the St Peters Cross in left hand practice.

But at the same time, does all of that invalidate the very real fact that, in human to human communication it currently very clearly communicates ‘hello I am left hand friend'? Perhaps part of the problem is because there isn't a doubled effort to reclaim (or… just claim, technically) it as far as I have seen in actual left hand circles, so it doesn't work as coding. It's sort of the opposite of coding. Like a queer person might have hair dyed A Color and you just know ‘oh that's a friend'. With the inverted cross you are more likely to get negative attention from aggressive conservatives, you don't know if the person wearing it is doing so religiously or secularly. I mean, even if they're ‘just’ a metal fan they are far less likely to judge my beliefs and are advertising that in a way, but it is still not quite the same. It has not been reclaimed, so it can feel more like a brand of shame than a mark of pride.

Anyway, when I started this I was in a more neutral headspace, but I feel like I've accidentally reasoned out a bit too much in favor of not (re)adopting. Really I do feel like if people really wanted to they could, but again it is something that requires a community on at least something of a similar page. And there are still questions about periods of time where people might have tried their hardest with what they had, but what they had was just the wrong information to start with, and how that's shaped things.

What are people's thoughts on the inverted/St Peters Cross? If you see someone wearing it do you think friend? If you see it in media do you just feel the rage of a disgruntled anthropologist? I didn't even get into the phenomena of it being used with intent as ‘not actually something Satanic bc that being Too Real makes Producers and Publishers uncomfortable but it gets the point across for my story' phenomena.

Let me know what you think!

[spacebatisluvd]

So, I agree with the idea that Horde Prime's behavior towards Hordak is just as bad, if not worse, than his behavior towards Catra and Glimmer. And I'm not going to come on your blog and tell you that you're 'wrong' for liking Hordak more than them, etc. But I will say this: the other reasons why we might like Catra and Glimmer more than Hordak, aside from them being attractive and relatable (which is subjective, I guess) is that they are given more screentime to develop, so there are more chances to connect with them (which is less subjective). Plus, Hordak only becomes sympathetic later, with the reveal of him being an abuse victim, and of his real motivation, much later, whereas Catra and Glimmer start out sympathetic, even if they sometimes do bad things, too. There is also the matter of how they express their emotions: even when they're being mean to Adora or about to make a really bad decision, etc., you can always see the emotions leading up to that. They cry, and they have irises/pupils/more nuanced facial expressions. Catra has breakdown. But with Hordak, his primary default emotions appear to be 1) anger and 2) nothing, until Entrapta shows up. Of course, he has other emotions before he meets her, I'm not saying he doesn't, it's just that to me, the expression of them generally comes out as looking like either anger or nothing, which is not very sympathetic to a lot of people. (For example, Catra is angry at Shadow Weaver for committing child abuse, and feels fear after the purification ritual, but Hordak undergoes the purification ritual and seemingly has no reaction to it afterward).

In terms of Horde Prime specifically... Horde Prime keeps touching Catra and Glimmer against their will, in a very specific way, which is animated so that you pay close attention to it. During this, their facial expressions are like, "Don't touch me!" The show already is very dark sometimes and covers issues like child abuse, mental illness, harmful ideas from Christianity, etc., so I think you are meant to interpret Horde Prime as sexually harassing two vulnerable young women and getting away with it for the time being because he is in a position of power.

(You don't have to answer this, obviously. And I sympathize with Hordak somewhat, in addition to sympathizing with Catra and Glimmer. To me, it's not that he isn't abused, OR that people who don't sympathize are misinterpreting. It just has to do with the order in which events are presented to us, and the way that the characters react/express emotion when something happens to them, among other things).

The funny thing, Anon, is that you’re doing a very good job of proving my point.

I think the show could have done a much better job of building sympathy for the clones and for Hordak. The way the show presents these things is very much meant to make a viewer scared for Catra/Glimmer rather than to build sympathy for Hordak and the clones. That’s my problem—I think they could have easily done both, rather than ignoring one for the other.

It’s kind of upsetting to me that the nonhuman characters aren’t afforded the same care and empathy in the writing as the human (or more human-looking) characters. Especially when you also consider that less human-looking, “ugly”, and/or reptilian characters are always the bad guys in the show. It’s an unfortunately common practice in fantasy media that I find upsetting for a variety of reasons. It has some Unfortunate Implications to say the least, particularly when presented uncritically as it is in the show.

I think your interpretation was the intended interpretation and that’s my main criticism of the writing—for season 5 in particular. You’ve done an excellent job laying out how the way those scenes are presented changes the way a viewer feels about the scenes and the characters.

However…I am going to point out that we do see Hordak cry when he realizes Entrapta is “dead”. And his screams during the actual purification ritual are horrifying. Go rewatch it, if you don’t believe me.

I will also very politely invite you to understand that having a flat affect—Hordak’s lack of visible emotions, even in the face of some truly horrifying situations—is (or can be) a sign neurodivergence. Many people in real life will present in the same way. Just because you can’t see someone’s feelings on their face, that doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing them. In fact, considering how much time we all spend interacting from behind a screen, I’d say being able to understand the way someone is feeling, even if you can’t see their expression, is becoming a more important skill for all of us to develop.

But…on re-reading your ask, I’m guessing you’re here because of that recent ask about the comic, and not because of my tirade about how Wrong Hordak’s pain is treated as a joke within the narrative, which is the typical source of these sorts of asks. I think you may have accidentally stepped into a well-trodden argument over on my blog. So maybe you’re not aware of my stance on all this.

In any case, you don’t need to explain anything, Anon. As I said in that ask, the characters folk fixate on will vary and will vary for different reasons. My criticisms of the show do not extend to folks who find other characters more sympathetic—your preferences are your preferences, and that’s fine. So long as everyone is respectful of everyone else—and you have been—I really don’t have an issue with anyone.

However, if I said something that made you feel bad about your preferences or like you needed to justify them, then I am sorry for that. That reply was meant more to give the other Anon some support and remind them that they can dip into some Hordak-focused content in our pool if they needed that extra bit of fandom support. (Sometimes fandoms can feel a bit isolating if you spend a lot of time away from folks who share your focus, and I think that’s part of why Anon needed to vent.)

I have a rather formal style of speaking, especially when replying to strangers, so I can see how my reply to that original Anon may have seemed critical of other folks’ preferences. That was not my intention and I do apologize if that was the impression I left you with.

[clay-cuttlefish]

Gotham Central 1-24 and the stories in between, splitting it where The Question 2005 starts. I feel so incredibly normal about this era. Definitely not putting off my school readings for this. (In my defense Plato is a long-winded bitch.)

In the Line of Duty (GC #1-2)

This is a really strong start. Gotham Central works because it makes dealing with supervillains feel meaningful to the average person in Gotham - sure, Batman shows up and gets them eventually, but that doesn't mean everything just goes back to normal.

Freeze is barely in this and he's unsettling as hell. The cold gun is creepy!

Dead Reckoning (Ted #777-782)

Immediately derailed by a Tec story. It's a good one, at least.

I like that Gordon became a teacher, even if he's not qualified at all.

Why does Arkham have an isolation cage.

I'm with Two-Face here, if he can drive an Arkham employee to a nervous breakdown it's probably better that he do it instead of Scarecrow or whoever.

Harvey ignoring his coin for Gordon's sake... they are friends...

As a guy who loves the imposter Two-Faces and the pile of miscellanous Clayfaces I love this story.

All the side villains are very fun here. Scrungly gossip Riddler, wacky self-sabotaging Joker, no-nonsense Penguin, mad scientist Scarecrow... I like these guys a lot.

Harvey's out. That's probably fine.

Motive (GC #3-5)

Mostly Reneeless. A good episode of a cop show. Idk what to say about it.

The Queen is Dead (Gotham Knights #38-39)

Helena's been kidnapped by Checkmate, and Vic shows up to tell Nightwing about it and beat up a goon. I miss them.

Half a Life (GC #6-10)

Screaming, crying, throwing up, etc.

Renee's talk with Maggie about their different experiences being out is a really good moment.

God I don't have coherent thoughts about this it just kills me.

Crispus. Dude. She's been framed for murder and you're annoyed she didn't come out to you?

At least Josie's here.

HARVEY YOU SON OF A BITCH. You don't get to blame Two-Face for this one! This is on you for being a creepy possessive fuck to the point you were flipping on it!

"You've been living two lives, and I've broken down the wall between them" we're still a few years out from that one and she'll do it of her own volition with some help actually but thanks

"I don't see what that has to do with us." I am going to put my head through the drywall. What are you talking about! What am I supposed to do with this!

"You're welcome." Bruce I will actually kill you.

Soft Targets (GC #12-15)

Renee's back! Nothing too major for her here, but she's... levelled out, I guess.

Hub City mentioned! As the one police department more corrupt than Gotham. Sounds about right.

I'm not generally a fan of the Joker but this is a pretty good story. it's an elaborate scheme to mess with Batman that hurts a lot of people along the way.

Maggie should've killed him. I am not on the "Batman should just kill the Joker" train but she shot him like five times and at that point him surviving is just overkill.

Life is Full of Disappointments (GC #16-18)

No Renee but Helena's here! Just for a moment to ask Mafia questions.

Unresolved (GC #19-22)

There's a Previously On segment now, this really is Law and Order: Gotham.

I don't have it in me to feel bad for Bullock. He's been an awful bastard this entire time and trying to pretend he was a "good cop" just makes me like him less.

Thank you, Josie, for being the voice of reason.

Ohhh my god girl why are you immediately willing to defend him.

Corrigan (GC #23-24)

Crispus bringing his wife and kids to Renee and Daria's for brunch... this is the one real friendship Renee has.

Unfortunately Renee getting a nice thing means her life immediately gets worse.

This guy being named Jim Corrigan is. A choice? I get it when there's last name overlap between characters, or when it's minor characters overlapping, but the Spectre's not niche. Maybe it's intentional foreshadowing of Crispus' time as the Spectre but I seriously doubt that was on the table at this point.

Her and Daria's relationship makes me implode.

[yourkimjaejin]

Milk and Honey Blog Post #431

~ Posted January 15, 2023

Hello, My name is Mod Milk for the fansite Milk and Honey. 

I wanted to tell this because our blog turned 6 three days ago and I felt compelled to write this story down. I hesitated to post it on the 12th because I didn’t want anyone to think less of this site and the hard work we put in (We don’t call ourselves the first Moxy fansite for nothing). As I look back over these six years, this story needs to be told cause it's the reason we exist. 

On January 12, 2017, I was lucky enough to attend a 127 fansign with my friends after the release of Limitless. My friends and I became fans of the boys after Firetruck was released. We weren’t able to make it into the fansign for their debut but this time we were extremely lucky. Everyone was trying to get in so they could say they were among the first to get Johnny and Doyoung’s autographs. We were all excited to meet the members for the first time. Except one. 

For Context: My mom dropped me off at the location of the fansign. She promised to pick me up cause the hall was on her way to work. I found my friends and we took our seat, waiting for the members to walk out.

During this time, My friends and I made a plan and set it in motion. A shameful plan. 

We, like many others at the time, were against Moxy joining the group. To show our solidarity with other fans, We ignored her. Skipped over her and went straight to the next member. Disregarding how hard it was, not just for us fans but for her to adjust to us.

Soon enough, Moxy left close to the end of the fansign, managers told us she had a headache that wouldn’t go away and Moxy went to rest. Most of the girls saw through the excuse including myself and the friends with me. 

As the minutes passed and the fansign officially ended, my friends all got picked up by their parents until I was left alone. I had texted my mom but she got held up at work and wouldn’t arrive for an hour.

As I stood there feeling like an idiot, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Doyoung Johnny and Moxy heading to their car with a couple of managers with them. Part of me questions why they were leaving without the rest of the group in tow but I was too concerned with any of them noticing me. 

More Context: Doyoung and Johnny were visibly annoyed with the girls that were skipping Moxy in the line

Unfortunately for me, my pleading with the universe didn’t work. My eyes met Moxy’s and hers narrowed, not in a menacing way but in a questioning way. As the group made their way around me, Moxy stopped half-way turning around to head my way. 

“Hey, are you here alone?” Silently I nodded, I kept my head down hoping she wouldn’t notice me.

“You were at the fansign right? Is someone on their way to pick you up?” As quickly as I could I explained how my mom was held up at work and was an hour away from arriving. Moxy grew frustrated, I didn’t know if it was because of me or something else. I didn’t have enough time to contemplate because Moxy ran over to where the group's managers, Johnny and Doyoung were waiting. For a moment, I couldn’t here what they were discussing until Moxy shouted

“Look I’m not letting a young girl wait for her mom in the cold for an hour! We don’t have any more schedules today and honestly, I don’t feel like hearing Taeyong mouth about today. You guys take the van, I’ll call a cab and stay until her mom comes.” With that she returned to me and directed me inside the building not taking a glance back as her members left. 

For the whole hour, Moxy sat and talked to me. Asked me questions about my life and how I became a fan of NCT. She showed so much interest in me even though my friends and I were horrible to her earlier. 

Just as my mom pulled up, I bowed to her. Thanking her for being so kind when I had been mean. All she did was smile and walked me to the car. But what she said was what stuck with me. What made me start this blog. 

“It can be tough. Change. This isn’t an easy spot to be put in. I just want you to know one thing. I’ve worked so long but my members have all worked longer than I have. I would never want to ruin this for them. You and I are the same. We both want NCT to go far and further than others think it can. So could you possibly find it in you to give me a chance? I promise I won’t let you down.” Moxy winked before greeting my mom who was thanking her profusely. 

As we pulled away, Moxy’s ride pulled up. She and I locked eyes one last time and she waved goodbye. 

I spent the rest of the night regretting my actions while my so-called friends were celebrating what they did. Now, I knew Moxy wasn’t as bad as everyone online was making her out to be. So I took a stand. I made this blog and it changed my life. I made new friends and my fandom of NCT did a 180. I appreciate and love every member equally (except Moxy, She’s Queen!)

I made this post not only to reveal how this blog came to be but to be transparent. I’m not perfect. Neither is Moxy. She is and wasn’t this infallible or impassive person. She was put in a tough place made worse by our reactions as fans. But if you were even on the fence on whether to stan her, I promise you won’t regret it. 

And Moxy doesn’t break her promises. 

Love, Mod Milk.

This is a new idea for me. My brains splitting time between the present and Moxy's beginning months in NCT. I hope you all enjoyed this look into how the fans reacted to Moxy's debut!! Also let me know if reading this in the chat font is difficult cause I can change it to make it an easier read ~Author Izzy

[mlobsters]

supernatural s12e19 the future (w. robert berens, meredith glynn)

feel like i'm finally getting into the home stretch of this show. i know, three full seasons that i have not heard great or even mediocre things about to go but still. i've got a lot behind me

and we're finally dealing with wtf cas is doing up in ye olde heaven. why didn't he at least like. send a text. "going to heaven, be back at some point, i'm fine"

you know i have feelings about suicide in media and it's a common trope on this show but the music is especially mismatched with this (kelly getting in the tub with a shard from the mirror), but maybe it's for the best because it is less affecting. the voiceover also a weird choice. surely she's not actually dead...?

legit laughed out loud when cas just casually opens the door. like, hey guys... 🤷‍♂️

CASTIEL I was in Heaven. I was working with the angels. When I saw Dagon had captured Kelly, I-I thought they could help. SAM And? CASTIEL Nothing. SAM Well, at least you're back. We're glad you're back. DEAN Really? No, I'm sorry. Okay, 'cause while you were striking out in Heaven, we had a shot at Dagon, and we lost. CASTIEL I know. I received your messages. DEAN Oh, you did – you did receive the messages? Okay, that's good. CASTIEL Dean. DEAN So not only were you ditching us, but you were also ignoring us? That's great. 'Cause we really could've used the backup. But, uh, you were too busy with, um (Clicks tongue) What was it? Nothing? CASTIEL Dean, I – DEAN What the hell is wrong with you, man? You know, whatever. That's--yeah. Welcome back. (walks away)

SO. dean's being pretty harsh and i'm sure it won't last because it never does, but it reminds me of someone who like.. you're at the end of your rope with in general, and then small fuckups ending sending you into a fit. because it's like COME THE FUCK ON, MAN. even though in the grand scheme of things it isn't a huge transgression. i am unfortunately guilty of that too, so maybe it's just projecting, but that's the vibe i'm feeling. but he always forgives him pretty quickly even when he's pissed like this.

but also, i think it's pretty reasonable that he's upset vs sam's acceptance and happiness he's back (which seems a little extreme the other end, like disappointment but glad he's safe seems more reasonable-ish to me). it's one thing if he's tied up in heaven, but being tied up in heaven getting nothing done, and knowing that they actually had a bead on dagon and doing nothing seems super absurd because that was the whole reason he was in heaven??? unless he's not telling us something relevant to why he couldn't act, which would also be pretty typical of how this show operates. getting me riled up. good grief this is pointless

CASTIEL Sorry, Dean. Um I just wanted to return this. DEAN It's a gift. You keep those.

what. "traxx"? really?

DEAN Cass, you can't – With everything that's going on, you can't just go dark like that. We didn't know what happened to you. We were worried. That's not okay. CASTIEL Well, I didn't mean to add to your distress. I – Dean, I just keep failing. Again and again. When you were taken, I searched for months and I couldn't find you. And then Kelly escaped on my watch, and I couldn't find her. And I just wanted I needed to come back here with a win for you. For myself. DEAN You think you're the only one rolling snake eyes here? Me and Sam, we had her. We had Kelly and we lost her. CASTIEL And if you find her again? DEAN Sam's working on it. Of course, he's hell-bent on finding something that doesn't mean killing her or her kid. CASTIEL Right. And if he doesn't find something? If you run out of time, could either of you kill an innocent? DEAN We will find a better way. CASTIEL You mean, we? DEAN Yes, dumbass. We. You, me, and Sam, we're just better together. So now that you're back, let's go, Team Free Will. Let's get it done. CASTIEL I'd like that. DEAN Great. And I'd like a beer.

well i'm sure this can be read very shippy, what i pick up is just upset and freaked out that he disappeared without any notice (trying to imagine like, bobby just goes dark when they need him and how dean would react). and wanting him back because he needs the resources in this fight. and cas being kind of desperate for dean's approval. which is kind of a shitty space to be in. dean's "let's go Team Free Will" is pretty sarcastic sounding and the "great. and i'd like a beer" is really dismissive. the scripts linked on the wiki both say he smiles (which he doesn't), this has totally different tone.

(surprise surprise baby nephilim wouldn't let kelly die)

for the love of god get a couch already

SAM Well Okay, the baby's half-angel, right? So remember Gadreel? DEAN The psycho angel who took your body for a test drive? Yeah, what about him?

kinda hard to forget, sammy

trying to remember how that whole grace extraction ritual thing went down and was cas on the up and up with him? buh can't remember. looks like it, skimming 9x11

SAM So what if Cass used it on Kelly's kid? I mean, a-a Nephilim's just a human soul with angelic grace, right? So you remove the grace –

if the kid is half grace wouldn't you end up with a half a kid :p

all right well reading the script gave me a heads up that cas was lying -_- but stealing the colt to give to the angels, great. good call, castiel

KELVIN You're doing the right thing, you know. Committing to Joshua's plan, putting angelkind above the Winchesters. I mean, your reputation in Heaven is – CASTIEL This has nothing to do with my reputation. I am doing this for the Winchesters. I-I stole the Colt to keep them out of this mission and to keep them safe from Dagon, and I – I will kill this girl so that Sam and Dean don't have to.

mmmk. well, good on you cas, not being able to kill the pregnant lady either. maybe give sam and dean a call, if we're going down this road

CASTIEL No, it isn't. I used to believe in a plan. I used to believe that I had some mission. But I have been through enough now to know that everyone is just winging it. Some of us quite badly.

(writers included, ahem)

KELLY I know my baby can be good for this world. CASTIEL Kelly, if he's born that is not something you can survive. So even if you are right, and even if the worst isn't inevitable, then who will care for him when you're gone? (Sighs) Who? Who is strong enough to protect him and to keep him from evil influences and to keep him on the righteous path?

bunker baby? lol

she got the demon growl sound treatment too

ok. weirdly noncommittal slam into the wall

DEAN Well, while you were scamming me for the Colt, Sam put a tracking app on your phone. SAM Cass, when you came back, you didn't even look us in the eye. You wanna explain what's going on here?

LOL ok, sam was secretly on the up and up

CASTIEL I know. I wanted to keep you out of this. I-I was trying to keep you safe. DEAN You're not our babysitter, Cass, okay? That is not your job. And when in our whole lives have we ever been safe?

neverending theme of choice being taken away by everyone everywhere all at once

definitely a good idea to give them the keys and leave them alone in the impala while they both want to go to the holy sandbox and she's got some nephilim mojo

dumbasses :p

KELLY You asked me who would protect him, guide him when I'm gone. I know now. It's you. CASTIEL Me? That's I am not someone that you should put your faith in, Kelly. I couldn't kill Dagon back there. I lost two of my men. I betrayed my friends, my family.

LOL papa castiel

DEAN Well, he hasn't exactly had a banner year. I mean, think about it. Between Lucifer, killing Billie, Ramiel, everything's been blowing up in his face. And he's so desperate for a win right now, he can't even see straight.

were there consequences to killing billie? i can't even remember lolsob useless

i didn't see dagon melting (ish?) the colt coming. good call though, girl

all right well i'm including this because cas got the demon (and nephilim apparently) growl too along with this oboe (maybe? i don't know i can actually tell the difference between oboe clarinet and i dunno, french horn? lol) music that i dislike but they do use semi-regularly :p

anyway, cas got his win. why does dean seem so surprised by cas healing his arm? don't they hit cas up for healing on the regular these days?

DEAN Are you okay? CASTIEL I am. I've been so lost. I'm not lost anymore. And I know now that this child must be born with all of his power. SAM You can't actually mean that. CASTIEL Yes. I do. I have faith. We have to go. SAM Hey, Cass, wait a second. Wait, hold on. Just - CASTIEL You have to just trust me. DEAN No, no, no, wait. Okay, whatever that thing did to you, we're not just gonna let you walk away. SAM Yeah, that's not gonna happen. CASTIEL Yes, it is.

who needs to explain things and try to win arguments when you can just boop them on the forehead and make them go sleepytime in the park, at night. exposed.

(script linked on wiki)

made me laugh. cas and kelly all juiced up on faith, together

so i finally made the mental leap figuring out who the baby will be (i had all the info but was embarrassingly slow to connect the dots) so like. i'm very unclear how this is going to play out. cas constantly lying and going off-piste generally is not something to be rewarded with being doing the right thing, but feels like that's the path that will need to be taken? even if they're painting it as him doing a bad thing now? i dunno. maybe not. the problem with half knowing small or general big picture details without context via fic :p

grateful for no bmol bullshit i guess, this ep

[joy-of-life88]

Lace & Leather [a Damian Priest story] 11 Visit

Katja POV

"I just don't know if this is such a good idea. You've been doing just fine without him." my mom said for the thousandth time, and that's just in the last hour.

"That may be true, but still, Hazel needs her dad. And it's bad enough I kept it from him for so long. We're trying to make this right. All I ask is that you give him a chance, Mom," I replied.

"I mean, there were reasons for it. And I still don't understand how you could even get involved with a man like that. He's so much older than you, and those tattoos." she said snidely.

"Mom, don't start with that! You don't know Damian. He's a great guy and doesn't deserve your prejudice one bit. And who cares that he's older? I don't. And you have to get used to him because he's going to be a part of my life. Hazel is as much his daughter as she is mine. And just because I made a mistake and didn't tell him, it doesn't give you the right to assume he's going to be a bad father." I explained to her harshly.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Kat. Is that so bad?" replied Mom.

"Of course it isn't. But I've already been hurt, and it's nobody's fault but my own. All I want you to do is give him a chance. I didn't ask you to marry him," I said with an eye roll when the doorbell rang.

I got up and went to the door. Mom followed on my heels. A look over my shoulder showed me that she had a pretty pissed off expression on her face. She never liked it when I did my own thing, and she liked it even less when I did something that other people might find inappropriate.

With a deep sigh, I opened the door. Damian was standing there, looking a little lost. The look my mother gave him didn't help one bit.

"Hey Damian, come on in." I said smiling.

"Hi Kat, hello Mrs. Fay. How are you?" he asked politely as he entered my apartment.

"I should be going now. Call and let me know how our little one is doing." mom said without answering Damian's question.

With that, she walked out and left us alone. I closed my eyes. In frustration, I shook my head. I couldn't believe how incredibly rude she was acting. I was embarrassed. And I would have loved to kick her butt.

"What was that? Did I do something wrong?" asked Damian immediately, concerned.

"No, you didn't. Please don't worry about that. It's just... my mom is pretty conservative. And to say that she wasn't thrilled that I got pregnant without being married didn't sit well with her. Since Hazel arrived, it's a little better, but now she has something new to be upset about. I'm sorry she's like that," I explained anxiously.

"I guess that means she doesn't like me," he stated.

"Yeah kind of not. She has quite a lot of prejudices. About your age and stuff. I've tried to talk some sense into her. Unfortunately, she's pretty stubborn. So it may take a while. Sometimes I wonder how I can be related to her." I replied.

"Oh." was all Damian said.

"Please Damian. Don't worry about my mother. I don't. She has nothing to say in this matter. This is just about Hazel, you and me." I said.

"Okay... I'll try to ignore it. Speaking of her... where is our little princess?" he wanted to know after he sighed deeply.

"Taking a nap. But I think she'll wake up soon. Come with me." I replied.

I went ahead in the direction of the nursery. Carefully I opened the door and went in as quietly as I could. Damian followed me. Together we stood by the crib and looked at the sleeping little bundle. I turned my head in Damian's direction. He had a small, but somehow proud smile on his lips. When I looked back at Hazel I saw that she had woken up.

"Hey Hazelnut. Look my baby. You have a visitor. It's your daddy." I said softly as I loosened the swaddle blanket and lifted her up.

I gave my baby a kiss on the forehead and then put her in Damian's arms. Hazel gave her daddy a sweet toothless smile and I could tell he was melting.

"Hello you little angel. Did you sleep well?" he asked her softly as he held out his index finger.

Hazel gripped his finger tightly while still smiling at him. She loved her daddy. I could feel that. But I also felt that little twinge of guilt again.

"Bluebell are you okay?" Damian wanted to know when he suddenly looked at me.

I had to swallow against the lump in my throat before I was able to answer him.

"Um, yeah.... I'm fine. It's just... so nice to see you guys together. That's all." I replied softly.

"Hazelnut, I think mommy is a little emotional. Do you think I should hug her to make it better or would it be better if I ordered her pizza?" he babbled to the baby in his arms and immediately she started cooing too. As if she understood what he was asking.

I saw Hazel let go of his finger. Damian took the opportunity to gently hug me with his free arm. Our baby between us looked very content.

"It's going to be okay, Bluebell. We'll figure it out." he whispered as he placed a kiss on my forehead.

[vulpiximisa]

number24 review

I went into this of course for seiyuu reasons and Ayu’s character was pretty cute so Im pretty satisfied. Rugby definitely wasn’t a sport I would ever watch but if the characters are good then it’ll carry. (Its not like I watched Eyeshield 21 for football)

Anyway the pros of the show is definitely the cast. Natsusa is a very amusing and interesting character, especially with how the show starts up with his accident. Coming out from REmain not too long ago, it’s not like its something new but I like the prospect of an ex-player turning into a manager, or something just to stay close to the sport. Natsusa’s personality is lots of fun too, it makes me wonder what he would have been like if he was still a player. 

Ibuki has the second best characterization of the series, imo. Maybe I don’t mean characterization but he get’s lot of focus and he has relations with many of the other characters so that he isn’t Just “the third guy in the friend trio”. Which unfortunately Seiichiro kind of feels like. Maybe because I personally don’t like when childhood friends are attached to each other to the hip and only do things for the other person, but Sei feels a lot like that, especially when his character arc had to do with Natsusa.

Yasunari had his whole arc early enough and I’m glad to see him mellow out later. And ngl, I was already kinda shipping him with Yuu way before they even interacted, so seeing that the series actually pushed for them together, I’m winning. Yuu is my sweet baby boy and if anything happens to him, I’m going to kill everyone and then myself. Anyway, YasuYuu good. Gochisousama deshita.

I keep comparing number 24 to Free, because I can feel that the creators made the series with the intention of selling “Male Friendships.” So Natsusa, Ibuki and Sei are the Haru, Rin and Mako, respectively. (In that respect, Yasunari and Yuu are the Rei and Nagisa or whatever.) I like, don’t super mind that that’s what they’re trying to sell, because if I like it I’ll take and if I don’t then I’ll ignore it. It’s not like I was here for the sport anyway so I definitely am looking at the guys bonding. 

I personally prefer Ibuki and Natsu’s relationship, theyre so funny. Natsu is a little mean to him sometimes but that’s what they’re like. The fact that Ibuki is actually their senpai but theyre also childhood friends but Natsu does not go easy on him or is not super chill makes it really interesting I’m pretty sure Natsu calls him senpai just to mock him because he “hates” him so much. Sei and Natsu are sweet but I didn’t care for Sei being so Natsu centric. Like yeah, Sei does interact with a few other classmates but he is very Natsu centric.I could already feel it from episode one. I’m glad Sei and Ibuki get a good amount of scenes together as well and aren’t just Natsu’s two boyfriends.

I also thought Ibuki and Ethan were funny but man, there’s too many guys. And then theyre are the two yellow team guys (voiced by Soma and Kaito but are unfortunately brothers, booo) who also have a certain beef with the main 3. Wish we got a little more from them instead of showcasing the rest of the way too colorful team. 

number 24 fails Because they have such a huge cast. We did NOT need to know the names and faces of all…. Number of the Doushisha team. The fact that its a college club means that there are 1 to 4 years of classes, and it just makes remembering the characters even harder. Especially because All the characters have to Have A Distinct Look. If the series had been a two cour, and they slowly brought up some of the side players, it would have definitely helped, instead  of dumping all whatever number from episode one. Or just make the less important characters not that bright and colorful. It’s okay to have the Ita trio if you trickle them in slowly. The Ita trio weren’t even whole characters in the early chapters of HQ anyway, they were mob charas without a set design.

They did mostly focus on the main 5 (Natsu, Ibuki, Sei, Yasu, Yuu) and sometimes the captain/vice captain and that should have been it for the 12 episodes that they had.

Also the fact that the character designer’s works are way too soft for a sport like Rugby. I think they should have used a different character designer. I didn’t like how all the pretty anime boys were playing their sport without a helmet. Also, ngl, rugby isnt super pretty to begin with, so if they were trying to be Free (shirtless and rippling abs or whatever) they failed because I dont think fujos like the rough man on man grappling. Unless they do, not gonna judge, but the ending images are just so jarring when watching the series/op and what they do.

I’m surprised they actually had a budget because a lot of the rugby plays were pretty good. So I guess it wasn’t a complete cash grab. I mean, it does feel like it, but I was surprised. Oh, also Ive said in another post that I don’t care for sports anime where all the rules are never explained because the cast already know and love the sport and there’s no noobie to explain the rules to (and the audience.) So I went the whole show not knowing how rugby worked, and only had a slight inkling by the end because it was a little like AmeFoot (which the only knowledge I had was from watching Eyeshield 21). So its a good thing that rugby players werent the main focus because I would have bounced a lot earlier.

Uh, anyway, that’s numberTwoFour. Not a complete waste of my time but not something I would highly recommend to anyone. If they do have a cour 2/season 2 of course I’ll watch it but I highly doubt it.

[alienpimps]

As a former....Not really nazi, but borderline white supremacist alt-right dipshit, I'm sorry to say but you would be very incorrect, @queeranarchism. I don't know where you're making these assumptions from, and maybe you're talking about specific situations i.e. at a protest or something, but you literally cannot ever expect someone to reconsider their beliefs if they don't see the opposing beliefs being argued and won over and/or aren't given the tools to come to those realizations themselves. Logic will never win over everyone, hell it will never win over the vast majority of people, but it is still worth having these debates and "publicly owning" nazis in front of other believers. Why? Because they're either going to get defensive and cry about it, or that might be the push some of them needed to consider whether it really is an ideology that makes sense to them.

I did not leave the alt-right because nobody would debate with myself or the idiots around me. I left precisely because they would, and would poke holes in arguments, and then I'd see people far more extreme than I was arguing, and I'd be able to poke holes in their arguments thanks to the arguments people on a less extreme level than I was were having.

It is acceptable and useful to debate nazis. Because that's a small yet vital part of how you make sure there's less of them around in the future. Unless you think that people like Hasanabi aren't actually successfully doing anything by publicly doing exactly that...Which is factually not true. I have opinions on the guy but one great thing he's done is successfully show thousands and thousands of young kids and teens how unjust and full of shit the world is. He is the active pushback against the alt-right pipeline.

You cannot push against the alt-right or nazi pipeline if you do not present alternative ideas to the young and feeble minds. Simply saying "I'm right, fuck off nazi" is not enough. I know this because tumblr and the vitriolic shithole that was the liberal/leftist community on here at the time is the entire reason I became an alt-righter in the first place, because those idiots on 4chan somehow were less vitriolic than people on tumblr were. They would actually debate my liberalish views at the time. Unfortunately, I wasn't educated enough to realize that I was actually right the entire time about my viewpoints pre-4chan, but there's nothing I can do about that, because I know better now.

Edit: I also don't mean to be rude but I really don't think you should be having an opinion on this unless you've firsthand witnessed what actions are able to successfully convince and sway people. And I promise you, saying you should ignore nazis is not the solution, that is the problem. You are advocating for more nazis to exist whether you understand this or not.

Edit 2 because I'm autistic and anxious: This isn't a personal attack on you, for the record. I'm merely stating what I lived through and what I saw many others live through, and what did vs didn't work to make there be one less nazi in the world.

Edit 3 for the same reasons: It should probably go without saying, but no, for the love of all that is holy, I am not currently still an alt-righter, nazi, or white supremacist in any capacity. For fuck's sake I'm a socialist who's disabled, fervently bisexual, and borderline a radical environmentalist.

Ultimately the debate over changing the minds of our oppressors with angry words versus kind words is meaningless because it rests on the assumption that people in power will be swayed by words at all. In reality, people who have power over you have limitless ways of tuning you out or reinterpreting your words to death. It's often the case that they won't actually hear you unless there are material consequences for not doing so.

[deuterosapiens]

Just finished Rosemary's Baby, the original novel by Ira Levin. I'm not sure I can talk about this without being unfair to Delicate Condition, which I was admittedly a bit harsh on. As a point of preference, I loved this book far more, which I unfortunately went into that book being aware would likely be the case.

I sort of complained a bit that the Zoë Saldana miniseries version dragged a bit compared to the original film, and having read the source novel, I'm even more perplexed. This book is seriously quick-paced. I read the second half in basically one sitting (plus a break for pizza, and a break for work); at no point did I feel like it dragged, or lingered, or took too long to get to the point.

I've often heard it claimed that there's no reason to read the book if you've seen the movie. I'm not going to agree with that on the basis that the book was quite enjoyable to me, but I easily understand where this sentiment comes from. We are dealing with an adaptation that so correctly adapts the spirit and text of the original book that the only thing you really lose is the ability to put a book mark in your place and set it down.

Following The Exorcist was probably the correct approach from a reader's perspective. This story inherently is more tame, coming off less as a horror story and more as a psychological mystery with a demonic twist. It's weirdly more palatable, and part of that cones from the pleasing yet direct way that Ira Levin writes.

See what I mean?

There's pleasantness, which is somewhat unexpected in a story like this. Humor.

That said, this book was published in 1967. There are a few details that certainly show the time. Like how one of the most bizarre features of Rosemary and Guy's new apartment is the homosexual couple next door. Or the fairly regular use of a descriptor that was normal at the time, and worlds better than other popular epithets from the Era, but which is still not exactly advisable in our modern world. I think it's fine though, it's aged a bit less weirdly than Huckleberry Finn, you know?

It's not as misogynistic as it could have been, and honestly that was something I was extremely curious about. There's of course quite a bit plotting here that is heavily dependent on the Role of Women in Society, which certainly looks weird in our Modern Society. Like, a doctor ignoring his patient's concerns for herself and her unborn's life and wellbeing takes on a completely different look now than it did then.

Again, as a said with Delicate Condition, the word hysteria comes up a bit, and I refuse to believe that its etymology isn't at least something that's taken into account, not in a story like this. Rosemary believes no one will take her concerns seriously because she is a woman. She is unfortunately, correct, when she seeks help from another doctor.

Values dissonance at play.

It's a flawed read, certainly. And I think having a feminist perspective could do the book some good. And for that, I see why a book like Delicate Condition is necessary. I do love that Rosemary has quite a bit of agency here, in a story that could easily reduce hers to none.

The ending, I believe, shows this best. While the events leading to Adrian (Andrew? I refuse to call the The Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is Called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan, and Lord of Darkness Andy) being born are out of her control, every step of the way she attempts to thwart actions that she feels are against her. She considers killing him, for the good of the world, but decides that it is her duty as his mother to raise him as best she can in a way that counteracts his potential for evil. It's a powerful moment, because this decision is ultimately hers.

I haven't exactly heard the best things about Son of Rosemary, so when that comes in, I might give that book more of a day-by-day analysis, an more in-depth look. I hope it doesn't do anything to detract the finer points of this book's ending!

Hahaha... right?

(In the event it isn't clear enough, I already know how it ends. I've spent the last six years knowing how it ends, which is in part why I've never read this one until now: because I knew I would read the follow-up, whose ending is umm apparently very-much not good)

Final thoughts: this book is as good as its film adaptation lead me to believe it would be. It can probably be breezed through in the span of an afternoon, probably in one sitting if you gave it that kind of attention. I consider it worth reading if you've see the movie, and liked the movie, but not strictly in the "the book has so much that was cut out!" sense, but that's a time commitment and as always, a two hour movie is much less of a commitment than a three-hundred page book.

I didn't find it overly frightening, but then again, I don't consider the film adaptations particularly frightening. If the basic premise doesn't disturb you ("woman is impregnated after being drugged, the father is Satan"), then the actual book itself probably won't, but your mileage may vary. But a cheap scare isn't what's going offered. It's definitely more focused on intrigue, which I think the book handled quite well.