#we got a BIT of background on that psycho girl in red but still

[dany36]

man that nachtigal arc was really weak. We saw him once before the battle at the palace and we got a bit of background from rowen that he and nachtigal fought together in war ages ago. Was I supposed to feel sorry for him or rowen after killing nachtigal? Cus I felt nothing 🥱 like…next!!!!

[anythingforspence]

the capstone - chapter one

Summary: Reader is a semester away from getting her masters in Psychology and duringher last semester she has to complete her capstone, or passion project if you will. This year, the professors decided that each student will be personally mentored by a psycologyst in distinct fields. When Y/N meets hers, she can’t decide whether she is lucky or if it will be a long 5 months.

Pairing: Female reader x Spencer Reid

Word Count: 1.8 k

Chapter warning: harsh language, sexy talk, no smut yet

A/N: omg tysm for all of the love on the teaser post. i hope i dont dissapoint.

Although I’m wide awake, I let my alarm clock keep beeping and beeping and beeping as I stare up at the white ceiling of my cheap studio apartment. My neighbor woke me up bright and early this morning by doing what sounded like lugging a dead body throughout his apartment. I lifted my head slightly just to slam it back against my bed, whining about being awake at 5:30 am. I’m probably just nervous. I have to complete this passion project for my psychology class by being mentored by a famous psychologist and write a paper about their career and their wisdom I guess. I have a meeting with my mentor today and I don’t know what to expect. My professor kept the identity of our mentors a secret. For the “excitement” and whatnot.

With a sigh, I swing my legs over the side of my bed and bend over to switch off the alarm. Resting my elbows on my knees, I run my hands down my face, basically prepping myself for the fact that I have to stand up soon. The moment I stand, I stretch all throughout my body, ending with my hands high above my head, stretching into the ceiling. My mouth getting ready to yawn when a bang was heard next door, like a book being chucked against the wall ajoined with my neighbors apartment causing me to yelp. I’m pretty sure I heard a chuckle in response to my scream. I glared at the wall, thinking of all the ways I could storm in there and punch my neighbor. I had two choices. I could storm in there and do all the things I wish I could do, or I could mind my business and get ready for the day.

Rolling my eyes I decided to just get ready. I still wanted payback, however, I blasted Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now by The Smiths as I head into the showe. I grab brown trousers, a white button up, and a sage green set of lace undergarments. Not that anyone would see them, unfortunately there has been a drought of sorts in my pants. I just wear them for the aesthetic. Getting undressed, I put on my favorite playlist with all of the songs that make me feel like I’m the main character in an indie film. I heard a light tapping at my door, like some wanted my attention but at the same time wished I never paid attention to them. I decided to ignore it and step under the stream of water in my shower.

Once I was all finished with my shower, I stepped out into my foggy bathroom. Singing along to Bug Collector by Haley Heynderickx, I start drying off and slip on my outfit for the day. I keep my hair in a towel to help it dry some so I don’t have to use any heat on my hair. For my makeup I decided to go for a red lip, neutral blush, mascara, and brows today. Something simple and professional. I let my hair out of the towel and brush it out, not doing too much to it. Blowing myself a kiss in the mirror, I grab my purse and wrap my student ID around my neck, letting it fall next to the golden flower chained to my neck.When I open the door, I laugh in shock at the note my neighbor left for me.“nice taste in music”

I felt something against my leg and knew exactly who it was. “Hi, Payton,” I sweetly spoke to the Sphynx cat at my feet. I named her Payton even though she’s not technically mine and just wanders through the apartment complex. I bend down to give her scratches at her neck. “How’s my cutie patootie. Did you see the asshole who left this not?” She just tilted her head more into my hand, telling me to keep on scratching. “Guess not.” I stand back up and check the time on my watch, “Shit”. I had five minutes to get there.

-----

A bell rang as I entered the coffee shop I was supposed to meet my mentor at, of course with my favorite mask on. My eyes scan the place a little before I walk up to the counter to order my favorite drink. “Hi can I just get a 16 ounce Earl Grey, please?” The barista said something along the lines of yes of course and how my total was 2.16. “Alrighty, thank you.” It didn’t take too long for it to be done. They weren’t very busy and it’s just a tea bag and hot water.

“Excuse me, are you Y/F/N Y/L/N?” 

Woah. His voice sent a tingle down my spine. Probably just because I haven’t had much human contact or the fact that I haven’t been laid in a while but, my god, what I would give for him to say my name again. But that was nothing compared to what I saw when I turned around. I’m just glad I was wearing a mask so he didn’t the way my lips parted when my eyes met his. He had curly brown hair and he dressed like an old man, doesn’t sound like much but for me, that’s everything. Oh my gosh, and he had nerdy little cute glasses? When I realized I was staring I averted my eyes and started blushing.

“Um, yes, hi, that’s my name. I’m so sorry, but what’s your name?” The tremor in my voice made me want to just drop dead. I’m a woman of science but if the Earth knew how to open up and swallow people, now would be the time to prove it.

“Oh hi. I’m Doctor Spencer Reid. I’m your psychology mentor. Did your professor not tell you?” He seemed so confused, oh my god he’s so cute.

“Oh. Oh my God I’m so sorry! My professor didn’t let us know who was mentoring us, just in case we did prior research or something. I’m sorry. But yes um I’m Y/N. It’s very nice to meet you, sir,” I kept on rambling, looking anywhere but his eyes. Unfortunately, it made me look like I was checking him out. Oh fuck.

Chuckling a bit, he goes, “Oh no your fine. No need to apalogize. It’s a pleasure to meet you miss Y/N.” Not going to lie, the way he said my name sent tingles to my pussy. Oh my god what is wrong with me! I can’t be thinking these things about the person who is going to mentor me! Stop being so horny.

I started to blush and I cleared my throat and gestured towards the window. “Um, should we go sit out there?”

“Oh yes of course. Please after you,” he said, his hand finding the small of my back, hitching my breath and making me nervously mess with the rings on my fingers. We sat at the iron tables outside of the coffee shop, he pulled my chair open for me, finally his hands off of me. I felt like I could breathe again but at the same time I felt sad, empty. He took off his mask to take a sip of what he was drinking and holy shit. He had some scruff and his lips just looked so inviting. I wanted to distract from the silence that was biting at me. “So, uh, what do you do?” My voice trailing off, making everything so much heavier with awkwardness and the sexual tension that was just coming from me.

“What do you mean what do I do?” Fuck. I looked so stupid of course he does something in pschology. That’s the whole reason you’re here.

“W-well, um, like what specific area do you work in?”

“I do criminal profiling with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.” My eyebrows bunch together in confusion. What does that have to do with psychology? Almost as if he’s reading my mind he continues, “We psycho analyze crime scenes, victims, bodies to understand why a criminal would do what they did, which helps us to understand the type of person they are, their background, and it leads us to the criminal, or unsub.”

“Wow that’s actually really cool. But, like, how does that all work?”

“Tell me, Y/N, when was the last time you had sex?” I didn’t say anything. I was so shocked. First off, how inappropriate, but also how did he know? “When I first walked in, you kept on looking me up and down as if you’ve never seen a man before. You keep fidgeting with your rings. Usually new jewelry makes people fidget but the stains on your fingers suggest you wear rings frequently which means you're nervous. Also ever since I’ve taken my mask offyou haven’t stopped staring at my lips. So, sweet girl, tell me when was the last time you were satisfied?”

I just sat there, gapping at him like a fish out of water. What was I supposed to say? Why thank you for asking, although the last time I’ve had sex was a year ago but the last time I’ve orgasmed has been longer? Before I could come up with an answer he got a phone call. Someone named Morgan needed him or something. Whatever it was, it seemed urgent.“Sorry our meeting got cut short, Y/N. Very important FBI business came up. Here is my card, has my name, email and phone number. I recommend calling me because I don’t usually check my emails or my texts. Your professor already gave me your contact information so I know how to find you. I am very excited for the upcoming months.”

“Oh- uh, thank you,” I whispered, still shocked. He grabs my hand so that he can hand me my card since I haven’t moved a muscle. 

“Oh and Y/N?” My head wips up at him and I let out a “hmm?” that could be mistaken for a moan. “Green is a nice color on you.” Confused, I looked down to see my button up shirt had popped open, letting my green covered tits be seen by the world. Eyes blown open, I immediately cover myself and say a thank you that sounded so embarrassing because my voice cracked. He just chucked and told me he would contact me soon. Before he left, I could’ve sworn he looked at me as if I was a sexy hollywood actress or something. But I brushed it off. Maybe he was concerned for me. After all, I had my tits out and made it obvious that I was desperately horny. God these five months will be awful if I keep thinking about Dr. Reid as a sex partner than a mentor. Then again the concept of having sex with your mentor can be hot. Nope. No. I should stop there.

[wtffundiefamilies]

This is from 2013, but holy hell I hope Anna finds it.  Entirety of the post beneath the cut; it’s both long and not something people should read with no warning.  But I wanted to copypaste in case the link goes down one day.  It’s insane to me that these “little details” and “clues” are obvious and screaming red flags to people raised in a normal world.  (And no, looking at legal porn is not a “red flag” that someone is a child molester.  But, like...again, given the circumstances I’m not sure what we’d expect; we all saw what Jessa said.)  It’s part one of a series, and it’s amazing just how much this dude sounds like Josh.  And how much their “courtship” sounds like Josh and Anna’s.

Part of my mission, my purpose in life, is to educate others about child predators.  I’m not here to stir up some kind of crazy hype, but to present the facts and to give you a bit of insight as to what happened in my own life.  How was I so blinded to the fact that for forty years I was living with a practicing pedophile?  How did I not see the signs?  How did I not pick up on something being very wrong with the man I married?  

The truth is that I sensed something was wrong even before we got married, but I didn’t listen to my inner being.  I didn’t pay attention to those nudgings that something was wrong.  Why?  Because as a Christian it had been taught to me from little up that people who went to church were good, honest, moral people.  I was taught to trust people who said they believed in God and followed His teachings.  And, I did just that.  I was, unfortunately, one of the most trusting women who ever walked the face of the earth!

Pay attention to this, please!  Just because a person tells you that they walk by the teachings of God does not mean it’s true.  In fact, the word of God warns us against “wolves in sheep’s clothing”, and I learned first-hand just what that meant.  But, it would be years before my eyes were totally opened to this fact. As a bit of background information, I came from a broken home.  My parents divorced when I was fourteen, a sister of mine died when she was thirteen, my mother was an alcoholic, and my father was by today’s terms a “dead beat dad.”  Needless to say, I longed for a different life, and I prayed constantly that God would send a good, righteous, faithful Christian into my life so that I could build a home on godly principles and a firm foundation.

I worked hard all through high school so that I could go to college.  But, I didn’t want to go to just any college.  It had to be a Christian college because I sincerely believed that was the only place I would ever meet a Christian man to marry.  Because I worked so hard all through high school, I earned a four-year scholarship to a four-year state school.  BUT, you guessed it!  The idea of finding and marrying a Christian man was so ingrained in my heart and mind by now that I passed up the scholarship and instead went to a very small, two-year Christian College.  Little did I know that this one decision would lead to so much heartache for me and for those who are most special in my life — my children.  While it’s true that we can’t see around every bend in the road, there are signs and signals along the way.  I didn’t pay attention to anyone who tried to talk to me.  One thing was on my mind — finding a Christian mate!

Every person wants to feel special, and longs to be told that they stand out among all of the rest.  During the summer between my first and second year of college I met a young man who was articulate, bright, funny, witty, and who also told me that I stood out.  He was spending the summer at college and so was I.  A friendship developed, and even though I was engaged to marry someone else, this young man worked very hard every day to convince me that I was with the wrong person.  He pointed out all of the flaws of the man whose ring I was wearing until he finally convinced me to break off the engagement.  That’s a story in and of itself — maybe I’ll share that with you another day.

What was a bit strange to me was that the man I would soon marry had a quiet control over me like nobody ever had before.  Even though I had low self-esteem I was used to making my own decisions and being very independent.  For the first time in my life I found I was reporting my every move to this quiet, shy young man. He told me I was special.  He said out of all the girls on campus I was the only one that he thought was pretty and was a true Christian.  He told me just what I wanted to hear.  It was the word “Christian” that nailed me!  I knew he was the one I had been praying about since my youth!

One of the greatest stories my now ex-husband loved to tell was how he spotted me from across campus and said to his roommate, “See that girl?  I’m going to marry her.”  This was totally absurd because at the time he said that we had not even met!  He later told me he would hide and watch me — study me — and he knew my schedule, when I was going to eat, when I’d walk back to campus, when I would go to work.  He said, “I knew everything about you.  I knew where you were from morning until night. I knew I would marry you.”

Instead of being freaked out and thinking this guy was some kind of stalker psycho, I was flattered.  “He chose me.”  Out of all of the girls around, he chose me and that again was more evidence of answered prayers.  Deep inside, though, was a gnawing feeling that something wasn’t right.  He didn’t talk much.  And, for a man who said he loved God, he made fun of people in a mean way.  He mocked people’s insecurities.  Yes, you guessed it!  He mocked me on several occasions and I felt like a piece of dirt he had stepped on.  He made fun of the size of my nose.  He made fun of my feet calling them “hammer head toes.”  He made fun of the space I have between my teeth.  I cried myself to sleep many, many nights, but still……..he was a Christian man, and he was so nice when we were together in public.  He opened the car door for me (it was my car, by the way).  He paid the bill when we went out to eat and left a nice tip.  (It was my money that he used.)  He talked me into giving him my car (which I had since I was 16) and I found myself asking him for permission to use my own car.  This was really weird!

Why did I put up with it?  Why does anybody put up with abuse?  Because they’ve been so used to being beaten down that they think this is the norm. Please, please — if you’re in a situation like this run for your life!!!  This is NOT the way a good relationship works!  And, it’s a red flag indicator of many other problems — in my case, it was a big red flag that I was being masterfully manipulated.  Groomed to be the wife of a pedophile who was already deeply involved in porn and child sexual molestation!  

Learn to listen for “clues” that a decision you’re making might not be right.  I had BIG clues that I passed off as “odd��, “not making much sense”, “silly”, or “not that big of a deal.”

Clue 1:  For the last four months we dated, my fiance was in Israel doing overseas study.  We corresponded by letter only.  We were to get married less than one week after he arrived back in the states.  In his letters he would write to tell me how he would hide behind the grasses on the beach and watch girls changing out of their clothes and swimming nude.  He said he’d skip class and stay there all day.  In other words, he was openly telling me he was a “peeping Tom.”  This was a test of how far he could manipulate me and I passed with flying colors! I never questioned him about it.  Oh, I cried lots, but I never questioned him!

Clue 2:  He told me while we were dating that he and one of his cousins spent the summers together and they would steal cartons of cigarettes from stores and sneak out of the house at night and smoke the cigarettes and look at “porn” all night long.  Another test!  I looked at him quietly but never questioned him.  If you want to know the truth — I didn’t even know what porn was!!!!!  I had to ask my college roommates.  Again, I was being tested.  Could he get away with doing things right under my nose?  Sure he could. I’d never question a man of God!

Clue 3:  He was almost 21 and his favorite job was to “babysit all the little kids at church for free because he loved to give them baths and powder their little butts.”  I’m totally sick now as I write these words.  Why in heaven’s name didn’t I run from this man? There were so many clues that something was wrong, and I passed them off as being a little odd.  Nothing more — just a little bit odd. In fact, I actually thought this was kind of nice.  I never saw my father get involved in parenting like that, and I thought, “Wow!  This man will make a wonderful father!”    

Porn.  Lying.  Peeping Tom.  A young man who loves bathing and powdering little kids.  Masterfully manipulating.  Gaining the trust of adults. (Church people loved him babysitting their kids!)

I was another one of his victims.  I was being set up. I was being groomed  I would be the perfect alibi for his continued evil behavior.  He was calculating.  He studied me.  He used me.  He used my faith as a means to get what he wanted.  He knew what he was doing! His actions were no mistake.  He worked very hard to plan every detail.  

Listen up everyone!  Please don’t do as I did!  If your gut is telling you something is wrong, it probably is!!! Pay attention to the little details and the little voice that is whispering something is wrong!!!

This is just the beginning of my story.  I will share more in the weeks to come in hopes that others will not be blinded to the facts as I was.   We must get educated about child sexual molesters so that we can protect life’s most precious blessings — our children!

Why am I sharing the ugly, sad parts of my life?  That’s simple.  Because children are beautiful.  Children are precious.  Children deserve to be protected.  Statistics (according to information found here ) tell us that 1 in every 3 girls and 1 in every 6 boys are molested by the age of 18.  Please help me to stop this!  Let’s get educated!  Let’s do all we can to make it incredibly difficult for the molester!  Let’s be vigilant on behalf of our children — at all times!!!

Every child should have the ability to grow up feeling safe and loved and whole and pure!

It isn’t easy or comfortable for me to write about this, but I must.  I must take this terribleness and do something positive with it.  I must work for the safety of our children. Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time to read this.  Thanks even more for making yourself more aware of what is going on right under our noses — in our schools, our churches, our camps, our homes.  Let’s do all we can to work together to make this a safe place for our children!  

Love, Clara

[anika-ann]

What I’d Never Say or Do (Had I Been in My Right Mind) - Pt.1

We Both Break Free (…if We Make It on Top)

Type: series, soulmate AU series  (part 1, part 2, part 3)  

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader    Word count (Ch1): 2050

Series summary: A story in which you officially come back from the dead, Tony with Natasha decide to take the blame for the whole mess and organize a party with unexpected party crashers and Bucky should consider thinking before speaking.

Fic title applicable to Tony, Natasha, Steve and his soulmate (aka the Reader), Bucky and his sort-of-buddy Matt Murdock and possibly few more.

Ch.1 summary.: In which Natasha and Tony go mad.

A/N: This series will be just a smaller thing, snippets set around The Age of Ultron (and later, Endgame). Later will be referred to as WINSoD because the title is a monster.

Warnings (ch1): mention of death and resurrection, mention of superntural creatures (see Errare Humanum Est), language, fluff

༻༺༻༺༻ღ༺༻༺༻༺

Tony Stark was a ridiculously theatrical person.

While that was no news to anyone who knew as much as his name at least, but he still managed to outlive the legend, the reputation that preceded him.

He left you standing by the door, walked in to gain the undivided attention of the person inside the office and wanted you to reveal yourself in the exact right moment – a moment he trusted you to recognize.

Well. You assumed with a revelation like yours, it was rather hard to keep the drama away. But leave it to Tony Stark that he would blow it to proportion just to have fun.

“Tamara, darling!” the billionaire howled, the door opened only for a crack, so you could hear the reaction. You rolled your eyes, sighed and nervously looked around. The department was empty safe for the woman in the office, but it still made you feel uneasy; probably the effect of having to hide for the past weeks to avoid detection that could lead to a major scandal.

“Oh god, what happened?” Tamara asked, sounding as horrified as annoyed.

“Why do you assume— okay, that’s fair. How’s you hubby doing?”

“Alright,” the poor woman answered, clearly suspicious. “I more or less cleaned up the latest mess, so I’ve been coming home early…”

“Yeeeeah, about that. I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?” Tony offered cheerily.

“Bad news. Always. Let me just sit down-- no, no, don’t let me sit down, I have a feeling I’ll wanna pace irritably.”

That caused the corners of your lips to turn up. You were starting to like this woman already.

“I’m gonna need you to deal with a major scandal worthy of your skills.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere and I assumed as much.” Now you officially loved her – and you saw why Tony did too. Sass and snark; Tony’s language. “So, care to elaborate?”

“Nah, I’ll give you the good news. You’re gonna get some help. I brought reinforcements. She doesn’t have much experience with PR-” Try none. “-but I’m pretty sure she’ll be the one all the questions will be aimed at.”

“Oh my god, Anthony, did you get a woman pregnant?!” the woman hissed, not bothering lowering her voice. She sounded… kinda pissed. Which was reasonable, given the fact Tony Stark was happily-not-single with one amazing Pepper Potts.

“What? No! I have Pepper!” he opposed her, having the nerve to be offended. You smirked, hoping Jarvis caught that one line too. “This is all on Capsicle-“

“Captain Rogers got a woman pregnant?! What the-“

You felt like this was the moment.

“No, Mrs…. Tamara,” you said it the end, realizing Tony never told you the poor woman’s last name, and entered the room. “But his soulmate sort of came back from the death.”

Tamara was a middle-aged woman, with blonde medium-length hair and huge majestic glasses, business suit in a bloody-red colour and lips perfectly shaped in an “O” as you demonstrated the problem at hand.

“Holy. Shit.”

Leave it to Tony Stark he would flee the moment an actual explanation was needed, letting the others deal with the aftermath of his dramatic tendencies. To be fair, this was more of your drama, so…

“Good. Looks like introductions are not needed. I’ll send you the necessary data. Have fun.”

He strode through the door, winking over his shoulder at you and sending an air kiss to Tamara and you nervously smiled at the woman, your awkward side showing when you raised your hand to a reluctant wave before you could realize a handshake would be more appropriate.

“Uhm. Hi…”

The blonde blinked several times, shook her head with an incredulous chuckle and stuck out her hand.

“Hi. I’m Tamara, Antony Stark’s cleaning service. What can I do for you?”

Oh yeah. You’d get along just fine.

…

The story was simple and yet enough to make at least two Avengers very much hated.

Tony and Natasha, perhaps from some residual guilt of which you weren’t sure where was coming from, were determined to be thrown to the wolves of public.

Apparently, it had been all their idea – to have Steve and you kidnapped in the first place by the bomb enthusiast psycho. They had caught something fishy, been aware of it for a long time and opted for drawing the something rotten within SHIELD and company out by leaking early info on where you and Steve would be going to dates for several nights in a row without your or Steve’s knowledge. Perfect bait with nearly perfect surveillance background and safety measures.

Predictably, it had gone to shit and while you had never been blown up to death, which was something Steve had had zero clue about, you had been recovering from your life-threatening injuries for weeks in a hidden facility of top-secret location with way too much security. Still without Captain America’s knowledge.

Admittedly, this tale was a PR nightmare in making, not to mention a complete bullshit. Yet, the Avengers (sans Steve so far) unanimously approved of it. Tony and Natasha would be the first to blame, while the rest would reluctantly admit they knew as well and they had all kept it from Steve.

“You can’t be serious,” was all you managed to come up with, Steve sitting on the couch next to you while the rest of the team, the part that was momentarily on Earth, gathered around you to break you the news. This was what they came up with? “People will hate you.”

“And their hearts would still bleed for their golden boy, who would forgive us in time, especially since we offered his girl a job and an apartment she can’t quite refuse.”

“Wait, what kind of a job?!” Steve snapped, waking up from the deep thoughts he had fallen into with this stupid talk.

“The non-dangerous kind, Steve, calm down, please,” Natasha cooled him off flatly, but you could see her sincere gaze when it met with Steve’s. We wouldn’t endanger her, not again, it whispered. Steve’s shoulders slumped.

“What kind of a job?” you echoed, still worried. You assumed the apartment Tony mentioned was a place in the Tower, not bothering to ask about that part.

“PR. Unless you want to deal with your old job of which I have no doubt your best buddy would give back. I’d just like to remind you how the public reacted to you dying.”

Right. You wouldn’t mind a little privacy and safe space. You liked your old job, but it didn’t seem like an option now. Except… this was crazy.

“But they will still hate you. It makes you guys terrible friends and teammates. Frankly, it makes you kind of… terrible people,” you said slowly, taking time to examine everyone’s face.

“She’s got a point,” Steve agreed, wheels in his head clearly turning in a lightning speed.

“Meh. You should know what Fury’s up to during his ‘the end justifies the means’ periods – which is non-stop. I wouldn’t worry about that,” Natasha shrugged it off, pursing her lips a bit.

“Wasn’t it you who said you weren’t sure how to get her back to the world without having to explain she was literally led by an angel from Heaven?” Clint reacted to Steve, who sighed.

“Yes, of course, but this-“

“-is perfectly believable,” Natasha interrupted him, raising an eyebrow before beckoning to Tony and herself. “Me and Tony came up with the operation – a spy and a billionaire with questionable conscience. We pulled the rest of the team into the charade. This can work.”

“I can’t say I’ll enjoy this,” Bruce entered the conversation for the first time, surprising everyone. “However, it will allow you to walk the streets freely – with uncomfortable questions, yes, but it is a reasonable deal for us.”

“Steve? Thoughts?” the spy turned to him again.

Your soulmate observed his team for a long time, just like you, watching each of them individually, trying to read them as he himself was conflicted and undecisive. Finally, his eyes settled on you, a hint of an encouraging smile on his lips.

“Doll? How do you feel about that?”

The softness of his voice, the actual freedom he gave you when it came to this decision warmed your heart and made you shudder at the same time. You had no doubt he had come to a decision; but the final step was on you and you only. He would be affected too, of course, but this was your life that could turn upside down for like… what, the third time since you had met him?

You worried your teeth over your lower lip. “I mean… I’d really appreciate not having to hide in here all the time, but… I don’t want people to hate you, guys. I feel like I caused enough problems-“

“No, doll,” Steve whispered, his hand covering yours and squeezing firmly as he locked his gaze with yours and didn’t let go. “I’m not asking about them. I’m asking about you. They are clearly willing to do this.”

“Are you?” you questioned despite being confident about his answer.

“Do I love you?”

That caught you off guard. “Huh? That’s not what I-…?”

What did that even mean? Did he love— come again? How was this about his feelings towards you all of sudden? Was it time to question them? God, you hoped NOT.

“That the newest version of asking whether the sky is blue, doll,” he explained with a lop-sided smile and you released a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding.

Idiot. Sap. Sweet-talker.

“You’re such a sap.”

“You love it,” he hummed confidently. You smiled despite your better judgement. You loved him. And yeah, you loved this silliness too.

“I do.”

“So… are we doing this? Together?” His smiled grew a little wider, the twinkle you adored appearing in his eyes and you couldn’t but squeeze his hand back.

“Yeah. Together.”

“Jarvis, send Dum-E with some insulin shots,” Tony cleared his throat and you felt your cheek dust with a blush, roughly pulled out of the haze Steve managed to put you in once again. “We’re all having unhealthy sugar rush.”

The captain rolled his eyes. “Har, har, Stark. Are you guys really okay with this?”

Clint huffed. “It’s not like people will start planning our assassination more than they do already.”

“Tamara might,” Natasha opposed, amused.

“Ah, poor Tamara, I better bring a wine with me when asking…” Tony mused, scratching his goatee.

You turned to the red-head spy, not happy about being out of the loop.

“Who’s Tamara?”

Tamara, the head of the PR department for Tony (and sometimes for the Avengers too, because those two clients, so to speak, often came as a package deal), was currently starring at you speechless when you told her the tale of what actually happened and what lie they had decided to feed the public.

The silence lasted long enough for you to start worrying.

“Are you alri-“

“Angels are real?!” she burst out, nearly making you jump out of your skin with the sudden exclaim. You placed your palm over your chest to keep your racing heart inside your ribcage.

“…yes. But so are demons, shapeshifters, witches and so on, so…”

“Not a good thing to go public with. Got it. I understand the cover-up now. Though people being able to be resurrected would be enough on its own even without the… creatures. My my… we have a lot of work to do.”

“I’d imagine,” you agreed, not having a clue how to do this and where to start.

The woman looked at you over the rim of her glasses, her smile kind, in the Stark contrast to her loud cry only few second ago.

“…you don’t have any experience with PR at all, do you?”

“Nope,” you admitted, accenting the P and looking away, ashamed that Tony threw you into this without giving you anything helpful.

Now Tamara had to deal with the scandal and with you trying to help. That woman was worthy of some serious pay raise (though you had no doubt Tony paid her enough for her to own a villa or something, exactly as much as she deserved for dealing with his shit).

“I’m gonna kill Anthony, I swear…. Okay,  let’s get this shit on the road. Also, Jarvis? Tell Antony to get the freakin’ wine ASAP.”

Oh yeah. You would actually adore Tamara, you were sure of it.

༻༺༻༺༻ღ༺༻༺༻༺

Part 2

༻༺༻༺༻ღ༺༻༺༻༺

Here we go! The final part of the series. Admittedly, I’m not sure about quality of this thing, but I’m trying.

Chapter titles are taken from the chorus of Les Friction’s What You Need

Thank you for reading ♥

(I’ll be tagging my Errare Humanum Est taggies, if you don’t want ot be taggged anymore, let me know)

[skylarmoon71]

E2 Harrison Wells x Reader Oneshot

"I-I love you Harry, that's why I was so worried!"

Your statement made the tall man halt. His blue eyes were watching you with shock. As time went by, you could see a number of different emotions flash over his face. Finally looking at you must have seemed like too much, he just lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't return those feelings."

Was it possible to hear the breaking of a heart.

"I'm sorry."

It hurt, more than you thought possible. But you didn't let it show.

"H-Hey it's fine. I'm sorry I just dumped this on you. That was totally not cool." Letting out a laugh you turned your back.

"Just be careful the next time you're out being a hero. " 

Just like that you were walking out of STAR Labs. Every step felt like a stab to your heart. As you rounded the corner you pressed a hand to your lips, sobbing softly. You prayed that he didn't come after you, because if he'd seen you so broken, you were sure it would have just made you feel that more pathetic.

~~~~

~One Month Later~

"Barry hurry there are still a few people in the building!"

Caitlin's panicked yell at the other side of the com earned a grunt from the speedster who was already rushing people from the third floor.

"Where's (Y/N)!" He was fast, but there were over a thousand people in the building. Even at his speed, he'd have a hard time getting them all out safely. Cisco already secured a floor, vibing as much as he could.

Harry was at the bottom, doing the same.

"Right here." you called. Barry sighed, and you stomped, clapping your hands together. A mass amount of wind flew right through the entire floor. The people who were still there stopped, staring in awe as the fire seemed to vanish completely. It wasn't long before you could hear applause from the civilians. You grinned, placing your hand on your hips.

"Just on time." Barry said, giving you a fist bump.

"From the cheers I'm hearing in the background I'll take it that everything is fine." Caitlin asked.

"Come on of course it is, I'm here after all. " you respond.

"It always is."

~~~

"Phew, after the day you had, you guys deserve a break." Caitlin stated.

Protecting Central City was never an easy task. Not only did you save an insurance company full of workers from being barbequed, right after you got back there was a new meta causing rampage in the streets. A multiplying psycho wasn't the easiest to subdue. Shortly after that, Cisco blew a fuse in the cortex fighting with Harry. So you spent the better part of your evening making sure the rest of STAR Labs didn't go up in smoke. 

Safe to say you were completely and utterly exhausted.

"Maybe we can take tomorrow off. I'm sure Wally and Jesse can handle one night without us."

"I second that!" Cisco chimed in. "Club night!!"

You had a feeling Cisco would say that. The guy was a party animal. When the occasion arose.

"I'm in." You said, leaning against the chair.

"Barry and I down." Iris beamed.

"Harry do you want to-"

"Please Harry would never come to a club." you interrupted. It was nice of Caitlin to offer, but the guy had a stick up his ass. It's not like you were still bitter or anything. Not at all. Pshh.

"I'm in." you were surprised he even agreed. You just huffed under your breath. Grabbing your mask, you stood. "I'm heading out, guess I'll see you all tomorrow night." You didn't stick around for them to reply, and as you left, Harry's eyes followed you.

There was so much he regretted in his life, but rejecting you, it was high on his list. He was a coward. All those days that he confided you, that you confided in him. When he first got to Earth one, everyone was weary of him, and you were the one who challenged him the most.

Cisco coming in a close second. But as time progressed, he started to view the team differently. They were no longer just a means for him to save his daughter, they quickly and unknowingly became a part of his family. One he always thought he didn't need, or deserved.

Little by little he got closer to you. At the beginning it was out of curiosity of your abilities. He was a scientist, so generally metas intrigued him. He liked picking parts of their DNA and trying to figure out how it came about.

Slowly, you were less of a project, and more of a friend. Someone he could depend on. It wasn't long after that he realized, the feelings he was gaining for you, it certainly wasn't just friendship. There was something more. And every time you looked at him after busting a criminal, or helping Barry on his misadventures, the harder it was becoming for him to deny how he felt.

When he got into the little scuffle, the first person he wanted to rant to was you. And that's what he'd intended to do that day. But the moment you saw him you started a rant of your own of his recklessness. Which brought on a screaming match and your unplanned confession. It rocked him entirely. All along he thought it was completely one sided.

That's when he knew it, he couldn't accept your love, not at all because one, he was a middle aged man with an inability to keep anything remotely good stable in his life. And two, he was at least twenty years older than you. You were a vibrant, cheerful, beautiful woman. If he attempted to venture past friendship, he would ultimately screw it up. And if he couldn't come and see that confident, cocky smile on your face every morning, then it wasn't worth taking the risk.

Although now, what he feared had come through. By doing what he thought was right, he ruined it.

"Wonderful." He thought aggravated.

~Saturday Night~

As you stepped into the club that night, you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear self consciously. You weren't exactly the party girl type. The booming music and sweaty bodies jamming next to each other did nothing to calm you. Your eyes were drifting over the tables, searching for your squad. You smiled when you caught Iris waving crazily from a corner. Everyone looked up when you pushed through the sea of possibly plastered individuals on the dance floor.

"Hey guys!" your hand tightened on your purse when you saw the way Harry's eyes ran over you form. You were wearing a simple red dress with thin straps. It hugged every curve on your body, and displayed just enough cleavage to draw attention. Barry whistled. 

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress (Y/N). You look amazing." you blushed. 

"Thanks Barry." Iris nudge you with her elbow grinning. 

"Did you come to steal my man tonight." she said playfully.

"A girl can try right." you laughed. She smiled, giving you a side hug, whispering in your ear.

"Try to have fun tonight okay." when she pulled back you nodded. "I will." Iris knew about your little predicament. She was the one you went crying to when it all went down.

"Where is Cisco and Caitlin, did they bail on us!" Barry pointed in the crowd, and you weren't even shocked. Of course they were on the dance floor. Cisco was at it again with his very, exotic movements.

"Are those moves even legal." you spoke titling your head to the side.

"Not on this earth, or any other." Harry retorted. You flashed him a small smile, which he returned.

"Well, Barry and I are going to dance."

"We are?" she took his hand pulling him along.

"I guess we are." he called.

It was cute, watching the way Barry was awkwardly moved, especially since Iris was pretty good.

"Barry was right, you look stunning tonight (Y/N)." Harry's words had you turning to him. You wanted to say thanks, maybe throw a compliment his way. Because it didn't matter what he wore. To you he always looked good. But, you stopped yourself. Turning your back to him.

"I'm going to dance." you said, leaving your purse on the table. As you left you made sure to put an extra sass in your step, swaying your hips. You wanted him to know what he was missing out on. What he couldn't have because apparently he was too good for anyone. As you got there, you just started moving with the mass of people. 

Tonight was about having fun, not focusing on Harry. He'd taken up too much of your mind already, and you refused to give him anymore. So you just let yourself go, moving in time with the music. Pretty soon you were jamming with Caitlin and Cisco to the rhythm of the song blaring on the speakers. You didn't glance in Harry's direction, not even once.

Iris drifted closer, giving your hip a little bump and you giggled. You needed this.

The night carried on, at some point the girls started getting drinks. Caitlin was the first to tap out, reluctantly going home with Cisco. For sure she would have a blazing headache tomorrow. Barry was unfortunately the only one unable to get drunk. You sort of felt sorry for him.

That didn't stop you from indulging though. You and Iris were on your third drink. You sat at the bar, about to chug another. Iris stepped away, almost falling when she took the last shot. Barry caught her, and she giggled when he scooped her up into his arms.

"Whooo! So glad I got the big old flash to protect me." she was tracing her finger across his chin, biting her lip seductively and you almost spat out your drink in laughter at the way Barry chuckled nervously. "I think that's our signal to go." You waved to him, obviously not seeing the look he gave Harry. It was a secret exchange. 

"Take care of her." 

Harry just gave a nod at the speedster, and you squint, confused.

"A-Are you guys telepathic now." your words were becoming a bit slurred. Whatever you were drinking was pretty strong. "Maybe you should call it a day too (Y/N)." you frown, annoyed that he had the audacity to tell you what to do.

"I'll head home w-when I feel like it." you let out a small hiccup through the statement.

"I think she's old enough to make her own decisions. " Another voice interjected. You turned, not expecting the very attractive man standing behind you. "Not as hot as Harry though." the minute it entered your mind, you banished it. "How about I show you some real fun, beautiful" You knew it was stupid, you didn't know this guy and you were already wasted. "Sure." you stood, taking his outstretched hand. Harry grabbed your wrist before you could even take a step.

"She's taken." you stumbled at the tug, crashing into Harry. He held you up, glaring at the man that was now sizing him up.

"Please old man, there's no way she's going for a grandpa, right sweetheart." you were angry with Harry, who was now pushing you behind his back protectively. "Back off. " he warned. The guy didn't take the warning, because he fired a punch, and Harry ducked, socking the male in his jaw. The poor guy crashed to the ground, unconscious. Your eyes widened. "Woah.." Harry just K.O the guy like it was nothing. You probably shouldn't have been so excited by that.

Unlucky for you, the stunt caused a ruckus. It wasn't too long before both you and Harry were being shown out of the club by a bouncer. Harry didn't resist, he just took your hand, guiding you away.

"Don't come back." the rough tone of the man's voice and the harsh slamming of the door was all that was heard for the longest moment. "Leave it to Harrison *hic* freaking Wells to get us kicked out of a night club!" The one night that was supposed to  be just fun and drinks, and he messed that up for you too.

Typical.

"Are you serious! That man obviously wanted to show you more than a few dance moves. And you were about to go with him."

"What if I wanted it, did you even think about that!!" it wasn't the best idea for the both of you to be screaming in the street, but what else could you do.

"You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying. I'm getting you home. " he turned his back to you, pulling out his phone to call an uber.

"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" Your yell doubled with the immense rise in wind pressure gained his attention. The gust that whizzed by nearly knocked him off his feet. Harry gave a soft grunt, dropping to his knees to ground himself. You stopped when you saw he was struggling to keep his footing. The trees behind were bustling aggressively, and you took two deep breaths to calm down. When you did, the wind dissipated.

"I-I'm sorry." you were pissed at him, but it was unfair to use your powers like that.

He rose to his feet slowly, painfully so. And you felt guilty. You gripped at the edge of your dress.

"I-I-" Harry pitched forward, pulling you into his arms. Every fiber in your body just stilled.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. " Now you sort of wanted to punch him in the gut. It wasn't fair for him to do this. He knew how you felt. Why was he always tugging and pulling you in so many directions. One minute he acted like he cared, then the next he was acting like his usual douchey self.

"I hate you.." you whimpered in his arms. Your body sagged, melting into him.

You would never be able to get over him, he had way too much power over you. And it scared you. He scared you.

~~~~

You smacked your lips, grimacing in distaste.

"Ugh. I should have stopped after the third one." You were a lot better at holding your liquor than Caitlin, but that didn't mean it didn't affect you. Turning, your brows knitted together.

"Where am I?" finally opening your eyes, you scanned the area. "Please tell me I didn't get drunk and boned some random dude at the bar!" you said in horror.

"Don't worry, I made sure that didn't happen. " Harry's voice made you scream. He just looked at you blankly.

"Really?"

"Don't do that! I thought you were a serial killer!"

"And your idea was to scream your way free? Genius." You really didn't need his sass this early in the morning.

"You're lucky I'm hungover otherwise I'd blow you away."

"It's a good thing you're hung over then."

Cheeky bastard." Deciding that you didn't want to spend the rest of your morning going back and forth with him, you inched out of the bed. You were more than a little relieved that you were in your apartment, and not some stranger's. "How did I even get back?" you couldn't recall, but Harry must have had something to do with it. Harry took your hand when you tried to get up.

"Here." he balanced your weight, which you accepted. "I'm assuming you want a shower and some fresh clothes. "

"Wow Harry, sometime I'm certain you can read minds." The sarcasm in your words was evident. He just ignored it, directing you to the bathroom.

When you got there you opened the door, stepping in.

"I'll be in the kitchen, take your time." Harry was being strangely helpful today. You didn't think too much of it.

"Yeah whatever." you slammed the door shut, and Harry sighed, heading to start a fresh pot of coffee.

~~~~

Walking into the kitchen you sniffed, sighing at the smell of bacon and coffee. "Oh yes!" you ran over to the fresh pot, pouring yourself a cup. Pulling the cup to your lips you hummed in satisfaction. "Just what I needed. " Harry smiled, placing a plate of bacon and toast in front of you on the table. You sat, taking it with a small thank you.

"So are we going to talk about last night." Harry's question was something you expected.

"There isn't anything to talk about, I got drunk, it happens. "

"You know that's not what I mean (Y/N)."

Dropping the fork in your hand, you stood. "Suddenly I don't have an appetite. " Now wasn't the best time to lose your temper, but he was really testing you. What exactly did he want. He made it perfectly clear how he felt. So why did he insist on pushing. On and on.

"If you don't need anything else, you can see yourself out. " Harry slammed his hand on the table, probably to intimidate you, or maybe quell his own anger. You didn't care what the reason was. It didn't do much.

"You could have gotten hurt! Do you understand that!"

"Please, if he tried anything I could have easily taken him."

"In your state that would have been near impossible!"

"I don't know why you're getting so angry. We went out to have fun, that's what I was trying to do. A stupid one night stand isn't a big deal."

"That's not what you want (Y/N)."

"And how the hell would you know! Are you in my head. Why do you even care! Was it the fact that I was actually getting attention from someone that surprises you. News flash Harry I'm not completely undesirable to other guys!"

"What are you..."

"Oh don't give me that stunned look. Be straight with me, that has to be it. You aren't attracted to me, and I get it. Honestly if I were a multimillionaire I would probably think the same. You're just way too good for me." The spite behind your words were obvious.

"Is that what you really think."

"What am I supposed to think Harry. You're the one who rejected me. I poured my heart out and you just stepped all over it. Then the minute someone shows the slightest interest in me you get all protective. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME! Because you choose to be miserable I should too!" At some point you started screaming.

Harry stood there, guilt clear on his face. You could have beat the shit out of him at that moment, because after all of that he still managed to make you feel sorry for him. When he moved closer, you felt your body freeze. You weren't sure why, but the look in his eyes changed, and now you were a bit scared of what he was going to do. There was a glint in his sapphire orbs.

"H-Harr-" His lips crashed into you with urgency, and you swallowed the gasp that nearly left. His hand gripped the back of your head softly, keeping you in place. Your hands balled against his chest, trying to shove him off, but his hold was firm. He pulled you, deeper and deeper in, his lips diving after yours as if it were the last thing he'd ever do. 

You whimpered softly, relenting. Letting go and giving into the disaster that is Harrison Wells. He backed you up on the counter, hooking his hands around your thighs and hoisting you off the ground. When your butt landed on the cold marble you sighed, slipping your fingers into his dark hair. You tugged and pulled trying to urge out a sound. And you succeeded, because he gave a guttural moan, trying to get as close as he could. Your legs hooked around his waist, keeping your bodies mashed together.

"This is wrong." you repeat that. Because it didn't make sense. Why would he reject you, then kiss you. What was his game. Did he just like toying with you. If that was the case you would surely make him pay.

Harry pulled back panting. In a quick move he took off his glasses, and before you could get a question in his lips were back on yours. You wanted to stop, if nothing but for a proper explanation. Or any explanation honestly. This time when you shoved his chest, he moved back. He was now standing a safe distance away, and you jumped down from the counter, pressing your hand to your lips. You stayed with your back to the counter, watching him wearily. Because you knew if he tried to kiss you again you wouldn't have the willpower to stop him.

"(Y/N) I-" you flicked your wrist, and the wind that came hurtling in his direction knocked him right off his feet. He flew backwards, skating on the ground and hitting the wall. It wasn't enough to actually injure him, just get your point across. The grunt of pain he let out brought a  little satisfaction. "I-I deserved that." he grunted, placing a hand on his knees, lifting himself up. When he was upright, you kept your hand raised, indicating that whatever he had to say to defend his actions had better be good.

"I was wrong."

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!"

"I should have given you a chance I just...you don't understand (Y/N). I've done things that-"

"Oh don't give me that bullshit! You know I don't care about all of that. How long have we been friends, Harry. Ever member of this team has done shit, myself included. You really think I care. You're not the same man you were. You're different, better. You're just too stupid to see it. You think just because you made a few mistakes that it's alright to constantly punish yourself. And that's where you're so selfish because you don't just punish yourself you punish everyone that cares about you. "

Harry looked a bit defeated.

"You keep proving to me just how useless I am. " His head lowered.

"It's not just the issue of my past mistakes (Y/N). There are so many more variables present. "

"Like what." you challenged.

"Well..our age for one is the most glaring. "

You blanked. "Are you telling me this whole thing was because...you thought you're too old for me?"

"Well when you put it that way it sounds ridiculous. "

Wait..so did that mean, he actually does care about you...

"Harry...did you reject me because..because I'm younger.."

He wouldn't meet your eyes. "You have to understand that..I'm almost sixty. Our age gap, it isn't small. I've already done all that I've ever wanted in life. You still have time to pursue that, to pursue someone more suited for you. "

This entire time you thought he just wasn't into you. But hell, he was crazy about you. He was just a bit insecure about the age difference.

"For someone so smart, you're incredibly stupid." his head lifted, ready to inform of his intelligence most likely. You paced, grabbing the collar of his shirt and slamming him on the wall. Harry's eyes widened in surprise, and when you raised onto your toes to initiate a kiss, he didn't fight back. Your hands were desperate on his body, slipping under the dark shirt easily. When your fingers brushed his skin, he hummed. You traced his toned torso, memorizing every curve and dip.

"You're mine Harrison Wells."

There was no way you were going to back down now. Knowing that he returned your feelings, it was all you needed. You could handle the rest. No matter how stubborn he was.

[minjungfmd]

headcanon / career linings

trajectory from her pre-debut claims to present day. how her image has changed throughout the seven years inside equinox. warnings / none wc / 695

in the beginning of minjung’s career — she was really lackluster and had zero fans. her only appeal? she was the maknae. she barely had talent according to people who watched equinox’s earlier stages and her presence was shit. as a result, she wasn’t really one to look at during debut

she was more meek and timid in her earlier years, not fully revealing that 4D personality. that was in part because the life was too new and that she was just young — it was a surprise all over considering she graduated high school, and suddenly became an idol (at least from her classmates perspective).

her title tracks and the few after still made her not stand out one bit. even with the addition of sooah, which took away the ‘maknae’ label from her, she didn’t have as many fans. in fact, i consider her a very overlooked member because she still had chubby cheeks from still growing and the outfits that equinox had were really weird? it did not highlight her in a good light at all, and thus she was just… there.

things took a turn after red flavor, i’d say. many fans call it “her era” in how her voice was refreshing for the song. plus, she had her hair dyed bright red, so she stuck out a bit. this really brought her into the frame and the beginnings of her career start in 2018. 

this sudden bolster of fame brought a few brand deals her way — mostly, she did a soju cf. which was right in line with the ‘summer refreshing’ clinks, etc.

of course, right afterwards was the fall comeback of 2018 with peekaboo. this was probably her most ‘iconic’ moment, where she wore a rainbow dress on one of the stages / music videos. she went from the overlooked member in the background to ‘sex appeal’ for the darker concepts of equinox. that was when gold star went chaching, we know what avenue to toss her in.

because she did cutie with red flavor and more mature / sexy with peekaboo. this brought in burberry, and now she was promoting two big names. 

because she got a bit of public appeal, and her general image was good? gold star finally let her put her hands in a b-side of equinox's single. this is where her avenue in music really starts — she partially writes / composes kingdom come, which is very on brand with her actual persona.

but still, gold star wasn’t putting out artist minjung any time soon. they wanted to milk her worth for the cfs / brand ambassadorships. as a result, she was pulled from burberry then into chanel. the modeling really helps out her image as fans start to call her ‘human luxury’. then from chanel, she goes into dior. she does a lot of fashion related things, just because that’s the only thing gold star lets her do.

however, she gets a few image dents when she uploads some weird art (i’d say, nude sketches etc. something u wouldn’t expect of a girl group member.)

but afterwards the continuation of modeling slowly buries that criticism and now she has a generally positive public image (this is all over the place i know, but i hope i’m making sense).

they let her do solo work, and it flops at debut. doing exponentially better when gold star picks and chooses her songs, ballad to dance. so, they continue at that — figuring what works is what they decide

however, they did manage to like the deeper vibes to her solo debut? so they think taking one of her songs and putting the gold star touch on it would work, so that’s how psycho comes about. it does extremely well, and they think minjung isn’t so hopeless on the lyrics / composition scale.

as a result, they set her for a quick album release pre-approving songs. hence loveforclosure. the album drops does a+, and for now — they trust minjung in the process albeit a bit wearily. that’s why there’s a possibility of her working on equinox’s songs in the future, but also another reason why she might hide out and do things herself.

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1983

Under the cut.

Toto -- "Africa" -- February 5, 1983

This song becoming massively popular recently sort of mystifies me. But maybe it shouldn't; the music is very pretty, and we've been short on popular music that goes for "pretty" for a long time. The lyrics... I really don't know. The best explanation I've seen was someone joking on Tumblr that maybe the narrator's a werewolf. I'm sure that wasn't the intent, but it's what I'm going with. It is a good song, entirely because of the music.

Patti Austin and James Ingram -- "Baby, Come to Me" -- February 19, 1983

I'm not sure I've ever heard this song before. It's a romantic duet. It's not annoying or anything, it's fine, but now that I've heard it I think I'm probably about to forget it again immediately.

Michael Jackson -- "Billie Jean" -- March 5, 1983

This song, I've heard. A whole hell of a lot. Like everyone else, we had the Thriller album (or tape, rather.) Actually I had it -- for some reason, Thriller was seen as some kind of child's first pop album. Every kid I knew had it. (And since seeing Leaving Neverland, that has been very creepy to me.) As for me, I'd put it on and dance, especially to this song. I pretty much understood what the song was about, and even got the "His eyes looked like mine" line. I didn't have an opinion on whether or not the kid was his son. It didn't matter; it was entirely about the music. Which is truly great.

Dexys Midnight Runners -- "Come On Eileen" -- April 23, 1983

Until the last couple years, I didn't entirely know what this song was about, because I couldn't understand Kevin Rowland's weird singing outside the chorus. I got that he wanted Eileen, and that this was about the combination of arrogance and horniness of youth. I did not know about all the references to the previous generation's pop culture, with an obvious inference that they felt the same way at one time. Also about Margaret Thatcher's intentional destruction of her own country's society. You don't have to think about any of that to enjoy the song if you don't want to, though. It's a fun dance song as well as being complex lyrically.

Michael Jackson -- "Beat It" -- April 30, 1983

This is the Michael Jackson song I remember being played on the radio by far the most when I was a child. It's basically the main background song of a couple years of my childhood. It's a hard-driving song about how you should run away from a physical fight rather than die. "It doesn't matter/ Who's wrong or right." Yes. It's rock, and it's dance, and it's... probably really great? I don't know, some things are too formative.

David Bowie -- "Let's Dance" -- May 21, 1983

"Put on your red shoes and dance the blues" makes no sense. But this is David Bowie; he knew that. It's part of the point. While this song is perfectly feasable to dance to, it's not really a dance song. It's achingly romantic and not the tiniest bit soppy, with music that's both accessible and fascinating. And my god Bowie could sing. I love it so much.

Irene Cara -- "Flashdance... What A Feeling" -- May 28, 1983

I didn't see Flashdance until college, when my roommates decided we would watch a bunch of cheesy 80s movies because it seemed a brilliant thing to do. It was, actually. Some of them even turned out to be good. Not Flashdance. Flashdance is memorably stupid, at least -- it doesn't hold back. It's extremely entertaining because it's deeply unintentionally hilarious. This song, though, I've heard a lot since it came out. The song is much better than the movie. It's got a wide-eyed optimism that's appealing, and the music is fun.

The Police -- "Every Breath You Take" -- July 9, 1983

I remember people periodically insisting that many, many women don't understand this song and think it's just romantic. I have never met any of these women. I have a feeling it was only a few, and that got blown up into some kind of crisis, as things do. Especially when people can imagine angelic airheaded women being dumb and somehow inviting abuse from those scary scary men. That's a favorite hobby for many. Anyway. It's a really good song that gets into the mindset of a really bad man -- or of a man who's currently imagining being really bad but is going to wake up, deal with his hangover, and get on with life. It's not a comfortable song, and that is good. Also Sting's hot.

Eurythmics -- "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" -- September 3, 1983

Usually repetitive songs drive me nuts. This song is incredibly repetitive lyrically. I love the lyrics, though. And musically, it changes up just enough to keep my interest. It's almost hypnotic. Apparently, Annie Lennox can do whatever she likes with me. Speaking of "some of them want to be abused"...

Michael Sembello -- "Maniac" --  September 10, 1983

The original demo of this song was about a serial killer, and it sounds like it, with the Psycho-like musical parts. It's not a dance song at all. Michael Sembello worked with Stevie Wonder during his best years, but he's no Stevie Wonder. He has that 70s light rock white guy voice, and it doesn't fit this song. If he'd handed this to another singer, it would have been better. Though still goofy, because it's music about a serial killer wedded to a story about a dancer. Many of the lines don't seem to have been changed either: "On the ice-blue line of insanity/ Is a place most never see." And  okay, that's a good line; I wouldn't want to leave it out either.

Also my aunt is a professional dancer (mostly choreographer now), so I've seen quite a bit into the professional dance world, and it is seriously unhealthy. It seems to be getting better, at least in modern dance, but the reason my aunt didn't go farther as a ballerina and switched to modern dance is that she could not get skinny enough for the fashion in ballet, no matter what she did. We're a muscular family with solid bones, and she couldn't get rid of that. She's got an eating disorder still though. Professional dance is harsh and terrible, and probably kills more women than serial killers do.

That's what I think of when I hear this song.

Billy Joel -- "Tell Her About It" -- September 24, 1983

Billy Joel's best songs didn't make it to #1, but that's almost always the way. This bouncy throwback of a song is still fun. With most excellent advice: "Tell her about it/ Tell her everything you feel/ Give her every reason/ To accept that you're for real." (It occurs to me that my husband is the first guy I dated who did that actually while we were dating, as opposed to waiting until after we broke up. Most of the guys I dated did not take in "I will not get back together with you if we break up." Not my fault; I told them about it.) Anyway, this isn't as good as "Big Shot," or "You May Be Right," or "My Life," or a whole lot of other Billy Joel songs I like a lot better, but it's pretty good.

Bonnie Tyler -- "Total Eclipse of the Heart" -- October 1, 1983

Melodrama, I love it. This song is so Great -- big, fantastical, unembarrassed, and awesome in both meanings of the term. Bonnie Tyler knows her strengths and has no hesitation about using that huge voice, and yet she doesn't oversing, either. The lyrics? Hell if I know. To me, it sounds like that part of a relationship where you're losing yourself and can't think about anything but the other person, and especially about having sex with the other person. But whatever else it is, it's poetry. And big thunder crashes. Which is a lot like falling in love. It's not necessarily happy. It just is.

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton -- "Islands In the Stream" -- October 29, 1983

Going from "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to this song induces emotional whiplash. The opening goes "Baby, when I met you/ There was peace unknown." That's the exact opposite of "Total Eclipse of the Heart." What is the same as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is that the lyrics make no actual sense -- but of course they don't, this thing was written by the Bee Gees. Nonsensical lyrics can be poetic, but the Bee Gees didn't do poetry, at least not good poetry. Oh well, it's probably their most tolerable song. It's a sweet and light song, and I'm sure the narrators will be very happy together. They sound exceedingly "emotionally healthy." But as art, I prefer the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" take. Also I think this song might have been better with just Dolly Parton. Kenny Rogers was good, but he couldn't match Dolly.

Lionel Richie -- "All Night Long" -- November 12, 1983

Lionel Richie puts on a fake Jamaican accent for this thing. Also he makes up pseudo-African chants. I'm not going to go all "j'accuse!", at least not of problematicicity. No, I am accusing him instead of being annoying. Also dull. This is a party song, but an extremely boring one. Also Richie kind of tries to do an "ow" thing, obviously inspired by Michael Jackson, but of course it doesn't work. It's still not terrible. Unlike all the gloop Richie made, I can listen to the whole thing. The drums --  or drum machine, rather -- have a neat beat, and there are some good horns and other musical touches.

Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson -- "Say Say Say" -- December 10, 1983

Well this is weird. I can't remember ever having heard this song before. The song is about begging someone not to "play games with my affection." And it sounds like the two men are singing to each other, regardless of the lyric about getting through to a "girl." It's not bad -- Michael Jackson gives Paul McCartney the musical edge that he'd lost as soon as he left the Beatles. Strong beat, harmonica and all. But I'm not going to seek it out, either. I think the beat's too repetitive. Also it feels too busy.

BEST OF 1983 -- "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, and "Sweet Dreams" by The Eurythmics. Great year for the pop charts. WORST OF 1983 -- There aren't any that I think are truly terrible this year, so I guess I'll go with "Baby, Come to Me," because as predicted, I have already forgotten it.

[malereader-inserts]

Under Your Nose

Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairing: BAU team & Psycho!Male!Reader Summary: It’s taking them days, if not weeks, to find this smart killer. Even though it’s right under their noses. Word Count: 1,914 Request: “Can I request a Psycho!Reader with the Criminal Minds team, please thank youuu (hope you are having a good day!)” A/n: Call me a weirdo, but these are so good to write about

Tapping.

It’s the one thing that was slowly driving Spencer insane, then it’s abruptly stopped as you looked at him.

“You alright Spence?”

You softly gazed at him, he looks up from his notebook and his writing, Your sweet as honey voice stops his mind from thinking as you innocently sip from ou hot chocolate. It’s almost as if he short circuit just fuses out as you looked at him concerned, you reach out to him but pausing.

“Stuck on a case, you know how it is,” Spencer says, with a tight smile as you nod and recoiling your arm away from him.

“Understandable,” You nod, shrugging your shoulders, “You and the team always figure it out, I believe in you. I mean you are the genius?”

There was a slight venom upon the last word though you were fully aware that Spencer was too distracted to take note of your tone as you lift the mug up to your lips, the glare held longer than usual as Spencer looks over to you across the table that separates you from strangling him - the urge and you know he’s not armed, shame you two are in public space.

“I guess...” Spencer stutters over his words as you raised an inquisitive eyebrow, “I’ve known psychopaths before this one is just too good...”

“Oh?”

“One per cent of the world population are psychopaths, unable to feel emotion correctly and are profoundly selfish,” Spencer started to rant as you slowly nodded, not caring for another of his lecture - he’ll be called back into work soon, you’ve got his schedule down to a tee.

“Spencer?” You called out to him, interrupting his lecture, five minutes in as you point to his buzzing phone on the table, “Looks like you have to go.”

“Oh,” His shoulders deflate as you placed the mug on the table, “I guess I have to, will you-?”

“I’ll be fine, Spencer, I’m a big boy,” You teased lightly, watching his cheeks flush red, you wonder how quickly you could make him blush if you pointed a knife towards him, “Go, catch this psychopath, tell the team I say hi.”

“Of course, yes,” He nods, closing his notebook and sliding it to his bag, “Garcia would love to see you again.”

“I know.”

There was an unsettling feeling in Spencer’s stomach when you said that as you looked up at him as he stood up with a straight back. There was a glint in your eyes but he questions it not as he just nods and awkwardly takes his departure.

You breath easy as you watch him rush back to work, you leaned your hand back down on the table and started to tap. 

Eyes slowly becoming disinterest as you watch Spencer disappear into the crowd.

Garcia meets you at a bar, she rewards herself with a break on a Friday night knowing full well she’ll be back in work to help solve the case. JJ and Emily are by her side and they’re feeling the tension in their shoulders

But, upon your smile both charming and welcoming they come to their senses to drop their guard with you. You motion to the drink of alcohol you’ve bought them.

“One drink, on me,” There was a cheery tone and they fall for it, “You guys need it, really, you do!”

Not that you cared about their welfare, you rather get the drunk as quickly as possible but alas, you have their trust and it’s fun to wave food in front a starving man, so oblivious and yet so obvious.

“How’s work?”

“Quit,” You shrugged, “Hate being tied down, you know? I’m taking a break for a bit.”

“How will you be...?” JJ asked, sipping on her beer, head already spinning- she wonders have you drugged her glass but you cannot because you’re the sweetest person she knows.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I’ll be fine,” You shrugged your shoulders, waving your hand, “Come on, go enjoy your night!”

That night to drive the girls back to Garcia’s place, too out of it to notice how you stole their money. You unloaded their guns and took the bullets from them. Knocking on the living room door as the girls groaned and looked at you.

“Here, I brought some water for all of you, can’t have you going into work hungover,” You bring them the water, “Well, I best be off, tomorrow will be a great day.”

“Ugh!” Emily groans, her head spinning, she shouldn’t have drunk so much though she can’t even remember how much she drank.

You really took the pleasure in getting them drunk, you felt no remorse in doing so, there was no motive and no gain just all risk. A little fun game to keep you entertained before you go exploring the night for another victim to keep your thirst of murder manageable.

“Say, before I leave, have you checked the victim’s house properly?” You asked, a tentative tone to your voice as you tilted your head, intimidating that three trained FBI gets scared of you, “You might have missed something.”

When they come into work the next day and follow your advice, they find more evidence, which you put there the night you left them plastered. They don’t question how much you know about the case despite being confidential and to you, you sit back watching they play so oblivious as you play too obvious.

There was a knock on your apartment door.

You looked up from your book, it’s been days since you last heard of the team. The classical music on the vinyl on blast as it calms your senses, though the buzz caffeine leaves you aching to fulfil the need to do something.

However, when you open the door you see Morgan looking exhausted and with Hotch.

“What can I do for you guys?” You questioned, “Where’s Rossi?”

“Just your company,” Morgan says, you nodded and let them in.

“He’s drinking away alone in his home,” Hotch answers the second question of yours as you take the answer, shame you didn’t get to see him.

Your apartment is clean, nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to spark curiosity in Hotch, as the two men ventures into your apartment. You paused the vinyl and swapping it for something more tasteful such as Queen and lowering the volume.

“The girls send their wishes for taking care of them,” Morgan says, missing how you grin at yourself in the mirror and fixing your hair even though it was barely a noticeable change.

Self-absorbed in your actions and in yourself, the two profilers miss because you were too good and everyone gets a little vain.

“Well, that’s what friends do,” You shrugged as venom drips from your words before clearing your throat, “Still working on that case?”

As you recall it’s been three weeks since Spencer came meeting you at the coffee shop, it has been their longest investigation yet and it’s sweet as you thought it could be.

“I don’t know how our unsub is doing it, there is no pattern, no link, he’s doing it for fun. A murderer, a psychopathic murderer.”

The term "murderer" was now reserved for psychopaths. There were those that took life and crumpled under the weight of guilt, even if they'd no choice. There were some who killed when necessary and never lost a wink of sleep over it.

There are others who have made it a whole new hobby, look at them the wrong way and they attacked with lethal force, which is where you stood now, sort of. That last group are the only ones considered murderers now. 

The term applies to you as much as it does to a wolf or a bear. Killing in self-defence is just a given. Killing for resources is a grey area. Killing for fun, well, it is a hobby.

“Anything I can help with?”

“If you can catch this sick son of a bitch, then, go ahead,” Morgan seethes in your armchair.

You flash him a smirk, enchanting as your eyes sparkle, “Now, now, Morgan. I’m not a genie.”

The team stood in front of the whiteboard looking at maps, the pictures of the victims and the information, but nothing comes out of it.

Garcia’s fingers are starting to cramp and ache, hoping for a break as the team starts getting headaches.

“Hey, hey,” Your voice echos in the debriefing room, the telephone hadn’t even rung, so they were all surprised to hear your voice.

“Not now, (Y/n)...” Rossi rubs his forehead, stressed.

“Aw, still going over that case, I’m bored!” You shouted down the phone as Rossi press the end call button, “Tsk, weren’t you taught manners, Rossi? It’s rude to hang up.”

“What the-”

There was a chuckle on your side of the call, “Anyway, as I was saying, I’m bored and I’ve been watching you stare at the same thing for the past two hours.”

“What do you mean-?” Hotch asked, roughly.

“The cameras been hacked,” Garcia says frantically from her seat at the round table.

“Whoops,” Your voice calls out and suddenly they can hear people in the background, “Come find me, will you? Come find me and entertain me.”

“Listen (Y/N)-” Morgan almost shouts at you, his was getting inpatient with your vague answers, “We’re busy and if you’re interfering.”

“Me interfering? Oh, yes, I am because this is my case. Shame, I could have this pretty girl fall to her death,” There was a whimper on your side of the phone and then the realisation hits them, “Or this sweet innocent man drown.”

“It’s been you,” Spencer gasped.

“Yes, yes, I thought we got over this,” They could hear you roll your eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” Emily asked, leaning on the table to get closer to the telephone which was stationed in the middle of the table.

“Because I am a proud man? I enjoy my hobbies?” You questioned, “Funny, these two aren’t much of a screamed unlike the others, bless, victim two was a screamer until she annoyed me too much and you know strangled her.”

JJ looked at the board to see the cause of death matched up, nodding to the team about your affirmation.

“And victim five was loud too, you know, begging is very satisfactory. It’s almost a big win, but when they get too much, oh my god, you just have to take a knife to the throat, you get what I mean?”

JJ once again nodded, seeing how victim five matches your violent description of murder and death, then another whimper could be heard from your side of the phone.

“The longer you’re listening, the less time you get to save these poor unfortunate souls,” You hummed, “Well, it’s nice to catch up with you, maybe I’ll call again-”

“NO-!” Hotch exclaimed but you hung up as he looked sternly at Garcia who looked lost in her search.

“That sick son of a bitch!” Morgan seethes and hisses, “Right under our noses, and he’s gloating about it.”

“He is a psychopath, Morgan,” Spencer reaffirmed, hurt that you weren’t being truthful to him or the team, “He does this out of pleasure.”

You looked at the time on your watch, before making a dash for it, the two of your next victims fall to their demise as you departure to building unseen. Now, this is definitely a cure for your boredom.

[dbzebra]

☕️ OH YKNOW WHAT AT THAT NOTE? Talk about that dbs broly movie cuz yknow. That’s a hot topic of the ages that folk feel particularly really strongly about

ooooh ive been waiting for this one. We watched this together on discord so you know my general feelings but Im happy i got this ask lol.

putting this under read more cause it gets long 

The new movie that everyone seems to love and adore.... that I dont. It was a pretty middle of the ground, meh overrated af movie. Not bad, just nothing special. I enjoyed watching it sure, but not something I have an inkling to return to anytime soon if ever. It was just ‘there’ for me. 

First, I’ll say the good stuff. The visuals looked really pretty. Nobody was THAT out of character of the existing cast (save for the ending), which i feel weird to have to even mention it as a positive, but nothing really stood out to me as a defining moment for the little cast we had besides Goku’s “youre not a bad guy, i can tell” or w/e. SUPER SAIYAN 1 IS STILL GOAT. It looked soooo good in this movie i wish we couldve kept it the whole time instead of Blue. But i will say, Blue looked much better in this movie than the series. The darker-blue with the lighter blue eyes was a nice change from instead of the ugly bluish-green the series did. Also the aura looked better. Backgrounds like the ice area and even Planet Vegeta were amazing. Action was great too. little Bulla was cute. The OST i liked (the chanting really grew on me) and Blizzard is a banger i love that song. Oh and the aritisic license they took for the fusion scene with the reds and blues spiraling together was great

Anyway thats all the positives I have lmaoo

This film includes Minus and I already went in depth on why I hate Minus with a passion and why it’s the worst thing to come out of modern Dragon so yeah moving on. But the fact that they devoted screentime to Gokus backstory which ultimately served no purpose to the story of the film and couldve been used more valuably elsewhere. 

I said the action was good, and it was, but it almost too good. At times it was so fast to tell that was going on and really lessened the impact for me. Like when they went into the other dimension or whatever, Gogeta went blue and Broly went LSSJ (idc if the name is different name, itll always be legendary SSJ to me lmao) so ast it was a blink and you miss it moment. like what? those moments shouldve been given even a little bit of focus. 

Next the cast. Goku and Vegeta. AGAIN. snorefest. no Gohan, Piccolo is just there to show them the fusion, Goten and Trunks are still kids and look like babies (and Pilaf gang is with them which is another can of worms), no Android 17, who the series established as one of the top 4 fighters on Earth. 

Do we get any of that? Nope. Just the two Blue and Bluer fucking again and again I. dont. care. anymore. Their dynamic is so boring and played out id rather watch paint dry. It was fun in Buu Saga, hell it was even fun in GT, but DBS constantly forcing this dynamic and Vegeta as the second Main Character needs to fucking STOOOP. Toei and Toriyama has no idea how to further Vegeta’s character because theyre stuck in this infinite loop. 

Vegeta doesnt want to help Goku, he mentions Bulma and/or Trunks, Vegeta blushes, and then he decides to help. THAT HAPPENED LIKE SIX TIMES IN DBS ALONE. It happened in Buu saga as well, but it organically worked cause it was the first time but Bulma and Trunks were ALREADY DEAD/ABSORBED. The look on his face wasnt blushy or pouting for a gag, dude was legit shocked. I rag on Vegeta but he had some legit great moments in the early arcs and later parts of Buu Saga. Anyway im off track. They repeat that same exact character moment OVER AND OVER. cant tell you how many times we had “my Bulma, my bulla, my Trunks, my cabba” in the Tournament of Power alone, and this movie is no different.

DO SOMETHING ELSE FFS

Then we have Broly. ohhhhhh boooy Broly. if you can even call this version of him Broly. His backstory is kinda the same as original movie 8/Broly LSSJ, but its more tragic becuase according to most fans, if youre background is a sobstory, that equals better character. NO. sure it could, but that trope was so worn out so long ago I hate it. “waaa his life was bad, hes not a bad guy” bruh i dont care thats not Broly. just make an OC if you wanna do that. but nope. gotta use the marketing! (More on that later)

People like to criticize Z Broly as “he hates Goku cause he cried” or “all he says is Kakarot” which both are false. On the first point, Broly is a psychopath. He was stabbed as an infant and left to die along with Paragus cause he was too powerful. Then that same day Planet Vegeta explodes practically on top of them. The rest of his life hes basically either being controlled or on a rampage. So that one moment of peace is “ruined” by Goku in a sense cause he subconsciously associates that with Goku. On the second point, Broly was already mentally unstable and then nearly dying, getting caught in the explosion of a SECOND PLANET and then being frozen for seven years will fuck anyone up in the head. Z Broly in the original movie was sadistic af and he had a lot of memorable moments and lines that werent just screaming Kakarot, that Second Coming made him infamous for. 

New Broly is legit a man-baby. People talk about old Broly having no personality and this new version having a deep character, but I dont see it. He acts like a child when hes with Cheelai and Lemo and then once the fighting starts he doesnt say a single word but yell. SOUND FAMILIAR?? But he gets a pass because the canon police says so right??? fuck off. New Broly is boring. Im tired of trying to make the Saiyans into ThEyRe noT aLl BaD sEe The SaIyAns ArE AcTuAlLy GoOd!!!11111 ugh i hate it. keep Broly a psycho and keep Bardock a prick. even that guy that went with Buzz Lightyear I mean Paragus was a sweet guy who couldnt fight because of course he was. At least they kept Paragus being a prick when he killed him. Tho his death was lame. 

Cheelai’s overrated af. Shes just green bulma lmao. and the fact that they included the “big soft-spoken man gets mad and saves girl from drunk lowkey-rapey pervert” trope just had me roll my eyes like dude stop. Lemo was fine? Nothing against him but didnt do much for me either.

FUCK. FREEZA. i went over this one before too so ill be quick with this as well. I hate hate hate the fact that they brought him back not once but twice in DBS, but even worse that they left him alive to do whatever tf he wants including going back to mass murdering people and expanding his army again. Goku and Vegeta just LET HIM LIVE. Why tf did they go all out and attack Broly, but not Freeza? when one of them was fighting Broly th other easily could have taken out freeza but nope we need a token villain like Joker or Skeletor cause unoriginality. Even at the end, Gogeta does a full power blast to wipe Broly tf out, but when Freeza tries to kill Cheelai and Lemo (two innocent people, feelings on them aside) Gogeta basically just shakes his finger like nuh-uh! dont do that! and then he flies off. Just let this mfer die already im sick of seeing his ass. FUCK I HATE IT SO MUCH GFGFFGFGFGF

Lastly this movie is legitimately Dragon Ball Fanservice The Movie. 

Gogeta vs Broly, which the games have been doing since fucking 2003, is the main point of this film. Theres no originality whatsoever. Minus is discount Father of Goku special, and then its a mashup of Broly LSSJ and Fusion Reborn (both of which are superior movies imo). This creatively banrkupt shell of a franchise cant think of anything new, so they legit remake an old movie, through in fusions because that sells like hotcakes, and make the animation pretty because thats all that matters.

Imo, this movie, like 99% of Super, is all flash and flair but no substance at all. At least this movie looked nice. unlike the show. 

ok thats all i got lmao

[thecrazyanimegirl]

Winter Anime 2019

And here is the seasonal review! There were some amazing second seasons, mob psycho, kakegurui, fukigen na mononokean, but also some great new ones!

We try to give our opinion on the new anime this season without too much of a synopsis (you can get that anywhere) and just our comments ~ Of course, your view of an anime might be different, but we hope we made it easier for you to decide what to watch next  (＾▽＾)

{ Winter ‘18 }  { Spring ‘18 }  { Summer ‘18 }  { Fall ‘18 }

Adorable Food Goddess 

Totally expected just food and more food, but it actually has an interesting plot. It’s also hilarious and the main girl is great, funny and capable! Which rarely happens in this kind of genres. So it’s a big plus! So, romance, food and laughs, a good combination ^^

Boogiepop Phantom

Somewhat weird at the beginning and through the middle and the rest... xD BUT it has that interesting eerie aura that keeps you yearning for more and go through till the end. Also, keep in mind if you plan to watch this that you should begin with the 2019 version first and then switch to the older one since that is the chronological order of events (also try to remember the names of people because the art style is different so that you don’t suffer like me xD).

Dimension High School 

This one is really special. A stupid kind of humor some people (like me hehe) might enjoy, but others will consider utter rubbish. The mix of 3D and animation is weird and the whole story is a bit dumb, but it somehow works in their favor. If you like stupid humor, you might like it. You can tell right from the first episode because all the rest have the same feel to it. (I don’t regret watching it, it did make me laugh and I actually looked forward to relaxing a bit watching it every week ^^ just don’t expect anything amazing)

Domestic Girlfriend 

A romance and drama story about a boy in love with his teacher and then he tries to get over it by sleeping with a girl he meets. Soon, both of them become his sisters due to their parents marriage. It is angsty and has a lot of drama, and even more unresolved complexes considering their sexuality, affection and relationships. Also, who let these teachers be teachers? haha. It’s a drama, sometimes too awkward and slow, but there is a lot of fanservice with the girls for those interested and the story develops in an interesting way that makes you continue watching it. It also does well in portraying the characters development and the more psychological side of the story. 

Dororo

Amazing and ingenious! Loved it! One of the best this season. It is a bit on the darker side and has some gruesome scenes, but it’s extremely interesting, the story is well paced, the battle scenes are great and there are some heartwarming ones as well (also Dororo is precious). Looked forward to this every week! Beautiful and compelling to watch!

Gen:lock   

A mecha story done right! Rooster teeth never disappoints! Maybe it doesn’t fit in this list, but it’s still amazing and interesting! The characters are also extremely different and lovable ~ 

Gotobun no Hanayome  

An anime about a guy being a tutor to his harem that happen to be quintuplets. Not really that interesting, but not too terrible. It’s okay for one episode a week, but probably couldn’t binge watch it though.

Grimms Notes The Animation 

It’s pretty generic anime, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good, just doesn’t have the wow effect. It doesn’t stand out, but the idea behind it all is good! The main characters venture into the world of different stories, everything from Little Red Riding Hood to Alice in Wonderland and show an alternative side to the well known tales. Cute and amusing, just not binge-worthy material.

Kaguya-sama: Love is war

A not so typical romance story where the two protagonists really seem to be made for each other, but their pride keeps getting in the way xD There is also the funny commentary from the narrator that quirks up the already comedic scenes. Definitely worth the watch, it’s hilarious! (I looked forward to this anime and it even exceeded my expectations!)

Kemurikusa 

Okay, we really loved this anime. The first episode was confusing, but the more you watch the more interesting it becomes. It has a really interesting and imaginative plot. Everything is really well done, from the characters to the world. The only thing that will probably deter people the most is the animation, but you get used to it with time and it’s worth “suffering through” it for the story ^^ 

Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka    

Once again there is a dark magical girl anime in the season! The plot is not too deep but interesting enough if you are into this kind of story. The only difference is that this anime leans more to the military type of battle, rather than just magic. Be prepared to see lots of blood, boobs, tragic backgrounds and some yuri teasing! 

Meiji Tokyo Renka

A typical otome of the season. The MC is pretty blank, but they tried to make it lovable by giving her cute traits like tripping (all the time) and loving food lol But aside from her and her main guy, the side characters are pretty sweet and interesting (they are the reason I continued watching this)! 

So well, a sweet romance story, but the bickering of everyone else but the main couple is priceless! 

My Roommate is a Cat

This anime is really fun to watch if you own a cat (or are a passionate lover of felines) because you can easily relate to the daily life of Haru. You get to see her reactions, from the point of a cat, on various situations and easily laugh or cry over the fun and sentimental things she goes through with her owner (who is also very relatable). A lot of feels, a lot of cuteness, loved it! Both easy going and filled with emotions and character growth. 

Near Death!! Ekoda-chan 

A 3 minute anime about Ekoda and her everyday life. Each episode has a different director and voice actor, but they all do a very good job portraying Ekoda. It’s short so it doesn’t get boring, even though the episodes are sometimes completely random and sometimes they are incredibly relatable. Overall, liked it ^^

Psychic Princess

Still haven’t watched enough episodes to truly say it’s amazing, but so far it is! The main heroine is finally capable and independent. She can fight and speak to ghosts and will let no man near. It’s still a romance story, with plenty of datable guys. And it’s also very funny ^^

Shingeki no Bahamut: Manaria Friends

15 minute long episodes that tell the story of two (girl)friends in the Mysteria academy, in the SnB universe. The plot isn’t connected with Virgin Soul so you can watch it even if you haven’t seen the other seasons. The plot is somewhat yuri oriented and concentrates mainly on school life.

The Promised Neverland

Probably everybody knows about this anime, that is just how good it is. It will always leave you on the edge of your seat. It is really interesting and well made. The characters are great, the plot is great. Loved it!

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Not your typical I-got-teleported-into-another-world anime because in the very first episode there’s a really good plot twist. It’s really interesting to follow the character development and each episode leaves you yearning for more. Although everyone seemed hyped for this anime adaptation, I didn’t think that it would leave me so amazed at the very beginning and excited to see more!

Dropped:  Ueno-san wa Bukiyou,  Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai,  Endro!,  Cost of Smiles 

[nicklukenelson]

Calm, 5sos album review

They're not in order cuz I didn't know the order sorry! (Ps: I know this is long but I dont know how to hide text under the cut, Sorry!)

Red desert: I LOVE THIS SONG! It's pretty repulsive but that kinda just adds to the vibe? It's a very vibey and disco dance night kinda song and even though the4 lyrics are repeated it feels different every time they say it lol! I love this one, absolute bop: 10/10

Best year: okay okay I'm loving Luke's voice! The lyrics are so cute too and a little sad but its 5sos so... This song feels like the embodiment of every trope ever in a y/n fanfic!! "I wanna hold your hair when you drink to much, carry you home when you can not stand up"??? Tell me that not a 5sos y/n fanfic I DARE YOU! It's a little repetitive and not to be problematic on main but I preferred the acoustic version with just Luke. This ones got a lot going on OH THOSE DRUMS! Okay wait his voice so snapped at the end there that was INEDIBLE! 7.5/10

Old me: THIS SONG IS SO HECKIN ADORABLE OKAY?!?! AND IT DOES NOT DESERVE THE HATE. The lyrics are cute and the music video is ABSOLUTE PERFECTION so... the chorus is a little boring but the VERSES SLAP SO FUCKING HARD! His falsetto! I really love Luke's voice on this one and the harmonies buuut the chorus is a little...eh? The drums and bass is so cool tho! The songs a little long but I LIVE for the bridge and the symbolism in their lyrics, Ima give this one a 6/10

Not In the Same Way- this song just wastes no time to knock you off your feet, OMG! I really like the lyrics but his voice is a little boring, WAIT NVM TAKE THAT BACK! "We fuck then we fight then you call me a psycho"!!! I LOVE THAT LYRIC! "Throw rocks at your window" these boys have an obsession with vandalism lol! I REALLY like the lyrics but the "Not in the same way" is kinda throwing the whole vibe off for me. I DO love the beat and flow of the song and how he sings rhe lyrics especially the spinning effect added at the end of "psycho". THE BRIDGE UGH THATS THE BEST PART OF ALL OF THE SONGS! OKAY! listened to this song about 3 times more and this song is definitly a bop 7/10

Lover Of Mine: highkey whenever I hear the title I think of the song by Alannah Myles, lol. The guitar is so pretty and his voice is too! Really smooth so far everything flows so beautifully. "Butterfly lies" is that a parallel to Teeth? THAT HUM WHO GAVE HIM THE RIGHT! It's so fucking cute I can't....the prechorus wow! The falsetto! The chorus! The drums! This entire song slaps so fucking hard, it makes me want to propose and sob at the same time 10/10

Thin White Lines: I love how it starts with the guitar/base, then the beat gets heavier and then Luke's vocals just coat it on top, beautiful progression! The chorus kinda slaps you in the face tho, ngl. I love the harmonies and the vocals and the beat buuuut it feels simultaneously too slow and too fast? Like not fast enough for dancing but too slow for the soft vibe, imo. Once again the bridge fucking slaps! "I dont think I like me anymore, can someone tell me who I was before". Lowkey, my favourite part of the song 5/10

Lonely Heart: so I already decided I loves this one from the title, sorry not sorry. THE SOFT COUNTING AT THE BEGINNING! Very stripped down so Luke's voice is the main focus, as a luke girl, I like it very much. The hint of vibrato when he sings "follow" but its breathy and more intimate is so amazing! I love that it feels like he's singing to me in this one! Okay the songs getting a bit fuller and BAMN hit ya with that chorus, my dudes! I love this chorus! The harmonies and simultaneous singing is giving me queens vibes and then the way it fades out back into an acoustic but the guitar is layered eith the beat now! THE HARMONIES! This song lures you in with a soft, comforting embrace and then SLAPS you in the face with the chorus but in a way where you want to thank them, lol! I'm not as big of a fan of the lyrics but the rest is perfection, omg. AND THE BRIDGE WOOPITY WOO! THE RUNS!!!!!!! 9/10

No shame: I love the base? On this song it's so cool! Also the close ups on Luke's face during the MV are nice,😏 I like this song basically jsut makes fun of society, it's a whole mood honestly. I'm gonna give it an extra point because of the highnotes, but, it kinda bores me, I'm sorry 😔 4/10

Easier ( live from the vault): okay yall I see where the hate comes from but I LIVE for this song. It is very poppy but it's still good, C'MON! It's a song I could dance to and the lyrics are something I really relate with. I'm also giving props cuz this song is a BITCH to sing, lol! Solid 7/10

Teeth: listen y'all this is my favorite song at the moment so I might be a *bit* biased, lol! I love the background stuff its SOO GOOD! Also this song is as well another song that is a fucking BITCH to sing so, props. I seriously want " late night devil" tattooed on me somewhere like especially with this quarantine🤔 THE BRIDGE IS SO SENSUAL! I love this song so much and refuse to find anything wrong with it so im giving it a 10/10

High: HOW DARE THEY START OFF BY LITERALLY WHISPERING IN MY EAR! His vocals slap so hard already, geez! GOOSEBUMPS!! The moment his voice got deep and all raspy, I was not prepared! "I need to stop letting me down" is my motto and the way he sings that is so fucking pretty. His voice is so so so pretty in this and smooth but still has that breathy quality and slight rasp that makes it feel so personal! And that high (ha!) note on "down" in the chorus? 😍 I like that this song doesnt really have much going on and how at the end the boys join in at the chorus and then how they end it on a lower note 15/10

[milkcartonbastard]

Wide Eyes

Fandom and Pairing- The Outsiders (Johnny X Dally and background Steve X Soda.)

Notes- The setting is modern times. I use the word 'Fae' as the plural form of Fairy. This was a request and I know I haven't been taking them for this fandom, but it was a lot and I was blown away.

This is a Mythical Creature AU that I am living for.

Warnings- Johnny's home abuse and attempted murder. As well as Dally's New York experience. There's violence towards the end. Language warning too. Leave comments, please. I love hearing from you all.

~~~

  The fan hanging from the ceiling of the Curtis living room hummed loudly in the gang's ears. There was a frequent swishing sound coming from Two-Bit flicking his switch blade around, his eyes locked on the black television screen. The gang was getting restless and sweating profusely. It was the end of Spring and it was already one of the hottest Summer's in Tulsa. Which was fitting, because the Curtis brother's were behind on their bills, causing their power to be cut off. Darry had the money to pay the bill, which had been doubled in order to be reactivated, but had to wait until Monday when the City Court House was open and accepting over-due payments.

  Steve had been generous enough to use his abilities to hook up a system that caused the fan to move without electricity. But it was slow and just moved the hot-air around and caused the sweat-fall to worsen. Steve was good at things like that, but that was his gift after all. Steve's mother was a witch and had passed her genes down to him. He had a natural sway- one that didn't require spells, of course he could still do those too- over fire and mechanics, which was fortunate considering the only place that would hire him was the DX down the road from his place. He worked on cars during the hottest parts of the day and then came home at night to relax. But it was never very relaxing, considering his step-dad was a piece of shit and always trying to push him around and control his life. He was a warlock, like Steve, but his power must have been bitterness, because Steve had never seen him do anything useful in his life.

  Steve's magic was pretty superior to other warlocks he knew, which was not many, at least that's what he believed. He knew of his step-dad, some prick at school who loved to make strong breezes blow girl's skirts up, and Johnny Cade. Johnny kept his powers more concealed than Steve had ever been able to. He'd only seen Johnny use his abilities once and it was against some psycho who had flicked his knife out at the gang. If it hadn't been an emergency- also a situation where the Curtis brothers weren't there- he would have been sure Johnny still wouldn't have used them. It was an incredibly strange thing to see, which said a lot considering Steve had know the Curtis brothers his entire life. Johnny's black colored eyes expanded until you could no longer see any of the whites of his eyes and his voice sounded like it was under water.

  "Sleep." Johnny had gently placed his hands on either side of the man's greasy face and then the man had fallen unconscious as soon as the word's left Johnny's lips. Steve had known Johnny was a warlock, but seeing that had just shocked him as much as not knowing would have. Two-Bit had been there with them and had told the rest of the gang about it as soon as he'd seen them again, changing his face and acting it out for the Curtis brothers, who were having an 'inside' night. Everyone had patted Johnny on the back and told him he'd done a good job. He'd smiled only slightly, but his rosy cheeks gave away how thrilled he was.

  "Alright. Fuck this. It's hotter in here than it is outside! Surely we can find something to do outside." Two-Bit whined and stood up. He pulled his chuck's on and laced them up. Nobody moved to stand up or put their own Converse on.

  "I don't know, Two. It's hot and I've heard some rumor's going around about some Hunter's in the area. Maybe we should just stay in and lay low." Darry said. At the mention of Creature Hunter's, Pony's eyes left the homework he was doing off to the side and flickered across his oldest brother's face. Their parents had been caught a couple years back and had been terminated, which had prompted Darry to raise his brothers and the three other boys since. The Hunters had never gotten a possible ID match, which meant their parent's bodies had been too mangled to identify. That was a good thing- an impossibly horrifying thing- because that meant the three Curtis brothers were safe. For now.

  Two-Bit sighed heavily, his knees buckling to the floor in front of the oldest boy's feet. He pressed his palms and fingers together, his bottom lip jutting out and quivering slightly, begging Darry for some freedom. "But it's so nice out. We can go play in the park and you can chase all the cars you want. Please? You can't say no to this face."

  "Yes, I can. No, Two-Bit." Darry stated firmly. He leaned back in his recliner, his shirt soaked in sweat. Two-Bit groaned and thought for a second. A split second later, he stood up and his face had changed. Barack Obama was now standing in the Curtis house. He smiled charmingly at Darry and fixed the tie that was laying perfectly with his navy blue suit.

  "Well. Certainly we can work something out. Come now, the President of the United States Of America has decided we are going to the park." Barack Obama fixed his cuff-links as he strolled to the door. Johnny was quick to shut the door, kicking the bottom while sitting on the floor nearby. Johnny would hate for someone walking by the house to see the President looking through the screen door. Obama stopped in his tracks and suddenly the Shift was gone. Two-Bit stood with a defeated look on his face.

   "What if we all just go out and grab a bite to eat. If we open your fridge with all this heat, who knows what will happen?" Two-Bit was deflating, already going to take his shoes off.

  "Fine. We'll go out for a little. But no Shifting, no magic, and no wolfing out. 'Hershey bars' is the code if you see anything suspicious or if something happens. You all know the drill." Darry grabbed his shoes and Soda hopped off the couch and went to grab a shirt. Two-Bit fist punched the air as they all got ready. It was around 6pm and he was ready for some fun. Of course, the Dairy Queen wouldn't be a blast, but he knew milkshakes would be involved.

  Pony flipped his Calculus book closed and grabbed his shoes out from underneath the couch. The ceiling fan came to a complete stop, Steve's magic had stopped working and his red eyes faded back to their whisky brown. Soda came sauntering in, wearing one of Steve's cut up thrift store shirts. It had been carelessly cast onto the floor earlier when he and Steve had disappeared into his room. Pony was very glad that he'd decided to get his own space and move out of his brother's room, cause he was sure he would have had to change his sheets.

  Steve and Soda stood by the door with Johnny and Two-Bit. Pony stood up and brushed the cookie crumbs off his pants. Darry was tying his boots up and everyone waited patiently by the door. Soon enough, Darry was shutting the door to the house and they were piling into the Curtis's beat up red truck. Two-Bit got shotgun, and since it was a stick shift and Darry couldn't change gears without hitting the knees of whoever sat between him and Two, the other four boys piled into bed.

  By the time they got to Dairy Queen, the boys were no longer sweating and their damp of their clothes had dried. Pony and Johnny were sat crisscross beside each other and talking amongst themselves. Steve was sitting with his back against the cab window and Soda was laid in his lap, staring up at the clothes and pointing every now and then as they drove.

  Johnny felt a strange twisting in his gut. Steve's fingers were carding through Soda's wheat-gold hair. Steve wasn't looking up at the sky, only at Soda's pretty face. Johnny wanted that. He wanted someone to stare at him like he was the stars. Like he was the only beautiful thing in the world to them. He'd used to like Ponyboy, then he'd gained a small crush on a girl up the street- Malia Smith was pretty, but her personality was like pouring salt in an open wound- and then he'd ignored his feelings for anyone until they had all just faded away. Pony was nothing more than a really good best friend and Johnny had decided he'd wanted it no other way.

  "What kinda milkshake do you want? I feel like it's a strawberry kinda day for me." Pony said. Johnny felt a smile spread across his face. He only loved one type of milkshake from Dairy Queen and everyone knew that. Pony's face twisted up. "Peanut butter, again? Gross."

  "It's delicious, thank you very much. One day you're going to be in a peanut butter mood and you're going to be telling me how wrong you were all these years." Johnny's face got hot and he laughed softly. "Whenever you concur your peanut allergy, that is."

  Johnny and Pony both started laughing hysterically. Two-Bit heard this, which prompted him to unbuckle his seat belt and open the beer-window. He asked the two what was so funny. It took a full minute before either boy was able to compose themselves enough to answer him.

  "Pony's the only werewolf I know wuh-who is allergic to peanuts." Johnny felt laughter bubble up inside of him again and then the silent laughter fit took over. Two-Bit snorted and watched the two teens.

  "Yeah! I thought dogs were supposed to like peanut butter! What a-" Two-Bit was being dragged back into the cab and hit in the back of the head by Darry. Two-Bit cackled and just like that, the family was pulling into Dairy Queen and parking. It was almost empty, save for a few people at the drive-in and a couple people getting carry out orders. Darry led his motley crew of creatures into the restaurant. They all got milkshakes, minus Soda who decided he wanted a cookie dough blizzard instead. They payed and went outside to hang around at the tables. They laughed and swapped shakes occasionally. Nobody but Darry drank any of Johnny's peanut butter shake, meanwhile Soda wouldn't share his blizzard with anyone but Steve.

  "Well if it isn't my favorite mutt. How ya been Horseman?" Curly Shepard hopped the little neat gate around the outside eating area. He clapped his hand on Pony's shoulder and stole a sip of his milkshake.

  "Sweaty. What about you?" Pony snatched his shake back and Curly grabbed a nearby chair. He spun it around and sat with the chair back against his stomach.

  "Fan-fucking-tastic. I found this awesome hangout for ya know- people like us- and figured y'all could use a new club-house since yours no longer has air-conditioning." Curly grinned lopsidedly. His dark eyes stuck out against his pale-white face. His curly black hair was getting shaggy now, almost as long as Pony's. But Pony had tied his back in a small bun today, since it was too hot to have that mess in his face.

  "Sounds shady. Any Hunter could waltz in at anytime. That's a trap with a beacon attached." Darry shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest. His muscles jutted out of his tank top, causing him to look a lot more defined than usual. The tan that he'd gotten a week earlier was helping too.

  "Nah, this cat had a glamour Cast on the place. Only our kind can really see the place. It makes normal eyes just glide over it. A Hunter's worst nightmare. I'm heading down there right now. All kinds and species are welcome. Come with. All y'all." With that Curly stood up and pushed his chair back where it came from.

  "Who is this guy? He could be a Hunter for all we know." Steve had his arms crossed too. Pony glanced over and noticed Johnny's closed eyes. What was he doing?

  "Show up and find out." Curly started to walk away, grinning widely, but that grin faltered quickly and he stopped moving. He walked closer to the table and started to speak again. It sounded like words were being pulled from his body.

  "His name's Buck Merril, he's an Elf and part of a sm- small resistance. His goal is to get a bunch of our kuh-kind together and let us interact. He thinks it'll make us all stronger if anything ever happens in Tulsa and - ugh, what the fuck!- and we'll know each other good enough to want to stand together." Curly's mouth snapped closed and he was breathing hard, his cheeks puffing in and out. His mouth opened, he snapped it shut, then it opened again. "Other than that he just wants to party."

  Just like that, whatever was pulling the information from him stopped and his body relaxed. Curly cleared his throat and shook his head, like he was shaking an intrusive thought away. "The club is on the East side, in the middle of Blossom Street. Can't miss it, it's got a Elvish symbol carved on the door. Only we can see it. See ya fuckers there."

  Curly finally left that time and the table was dumbfounded. Two-Bit was the first one to speak up. His poster was loose and he had a giant smile on his face, but his grey eyes were stormy. "Anybody want to go for a Hershey bar? There's some good ones down the street."

   "That was me. No chocolate needed." Johnny whispered. Soda's head snapped around, a look of amazement on his face.

  "What did you do to him? He looked like he was going to shit himself!" Soda's mouth tugged into a smile and Steve snorted.

  "I just made him give us some more information. It didn't hurt him, it's just that he was fighting back a little. Happens." Johnny sunk down in his chair and slurped his milkshake. His face was a little bit rosy, but it wasn't the sun. He'd used his powers for the first time in a while, which shocked both him and the others.

  "Alright, well, I am willing to bet my fur that 'Buck's' place has air-conditioning. I say we check it out." Soda sat his empty blizzard cup down on the table. Steve rested his arm across Soda's shoulder and nodded along. Darry worried his bottom lip and looked at the other three. They all shrugged and nodded their heads.

  "Alright then. Codeword is the same and so are the rules. If we don't want to go back after tonight, we do have to. We'll just check the place out." Darry stood up and gathered his trash. They all threw away their garbage and loaded the truck up. They picked up Curly on their way, since he was trying to walk in the heat. Curly had his head stuck through the beer-window and was giving Darry directions.

~~~~

  When they arrived at Buck's, they were immediately caught off-guard. The place was crunched between to shabby looking houses and was... kind of crooked. From the way Curly was talking about the place, it was a mansion with golden windows and door-handles. None of them had expected this run-down bar to be the destination. Curly clapped his hands down on Darry and Two-Bit's shoulders.

  "It only gets better from here. Let's go, boy!" Curly ruffled Darry's hair and pointed at the building. Darry smacked his hand away. Annoyance clearly on his face.

  "Once more wolf joke and I swear-"

  "You'll what? Bite me?" Curly yanked his head out of the cab before Darry could do anything. The gang unloaded and followed Curly Shepard to the door. He placed his hand over the Elvish symbol on wooden surface and the door swung open, letting them in. The place looked like shit from the outside looking in. As soon as they had crossed under the doorframe though, everything blurred with movement.

  The 10ft by 10ft room with dusty walls and shitty looking bar tables changed. The room was giant now, stretching way open like a high school gymnasium. Large chandeliers, dripping crystals, hung a good 15 foot off the floor in replacement of the one naked lightbulb that had been there. The cracked tiled floor became marble and perfect. There wasn't a speck of dirt on the shiny floor and the gang wasn't prepared to see people appear out of nowhere. Soon the music reached their ears and they noticed all the people dancing. All the Creatures dancing.

  "Holy shit." The entire gang's mouths were hanging open. Curly had changed along with the room. He had two, dark, ruby, colored horns poking out of his messy curls and bending backwards. His demonic features were showing and Darry almost panicked. Curly's cheek bones were jutted out and looked like they could cut someone. His tongue was forked and he had dark fingernails. He gestured to the room and grinned at the six of them.

  "Welcome to Paradise. All Glamors and magic disguises get removed at the door- since we're free to be ourselves here. Buck will probably come and introduce himself to you all." A girl came sashaying out of a section of people. She was all curves and long, white, hair. She had a set of shimmering, butterfly looking wings, sprouting from her back and pink tattoos wrapping her exposed, chocolate colored, skin. She wrapped her fingers around Curly's horns and tugged him down to kiss aggressively. She was pulling him into the crowd and he was wrapping his hands around her waist. He struggled out a 'behave' before disappearing completely.

  "Are we going to get a welcoming like that?" Two asked, incredulously. He laughed, smacked Darry in the chest with the back of his hand, and disappeared into the crowd. Darry rolled his eyes.

  "We can split up if you want. I think- I think we'll be okay here." With that, Darry disappeared into the crowd of people too. Steve and Soda coupled off and started dancing along with the other groups of people. Pony and Johnny stayed together.

  "No offense, but if a Pixie grabs me too, you can count me as good as gone." Pony shouted over the music. They were making their way through the crowd, looking around. Johnny laughed softly, no sound so much as his shoulders moving up and down.

  "I'll probably just awkwardly stand next to you two." Johnny really laughed as Pony's cheeks and the tops of his ears went red. Something solid collided with Johnny and he stumbled backwards. The literal troll that he had bumped into caught his arm and steadied him.

  "Sorry, I wasn't watching wear I was going. My bad," Johnny looked up at seven or eight foot troll. His skin was a mossy, green color and was like thick hide, sort of like a pig. He had two large teeth poking out of his mouth. They were a pearly white color, like the whites of his eyes. His iris's were a pale yellow. He waved Johnny off.

  "Happens all the time, kid. Your first time here?" He asked. Johnny nodded and the troll gave him a smile. "Well, my name's Phillip. Nice to meet you, kid. What are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

  "Warlock. My name's Johnny, by the way."

  "Well, Johnny, my advice to you is to hit up the pool. The merfolk love to be in the company of warlock's. They're pretty friendly, if you get my flow. Have fun, Johnny." Phillip took a big swig of his cup- which looked more like a bowl- and left Johnny alone. Johnny stood in the middle of the room, looking around at all the different creatures. He could see centaurs, trolls, goblins, Fairy folk (Fae), Elves, and some he couldn't even name. He felt a rush of excitement fall over him. He went to hit Ponyboy's arm in excitement, but realized he must have been washed away in the sea of people. Johnny didn't feel anxious to be without one of his friends. After all, he had no reason to be scared right now.

  Johnny was in a building full of people just like him. He wasn't in school surrounded by normal kids. He was in a room full of people like him, which meant he was the new normal. For the first time in his life, Johnny thought about the fact that here, he wasn't a freak. He was normal- he was himself. Johnny felt his muscles loosen up and he began to move through the crowd again.

  For the first time that night, he noticed that little lanterns and tiny houses were strung up on the ceiling. If he looked close enough, he could see Pixies- which were in their normal form, that was roughly the size of a dragonfly- flying around and going in and out of the houses. If he listened hard enough, he could almost hear the soft buzzing sound their wings made- sort of like a hummingbird's wings.

  "Hi, there. Who might you be?" A sweet voice brought his thoughts back to the ground and not to the tiny village floating above him. The voice belonged to a very attractive Fairy. She didn't have any wings, but he still knew she what she was. She was gorgeous and had fire red hair. Gold markings were beside her emerald eyes and she smelled like lavender. She giggled when she caught Johnny staring. She wet her bottom lip and grabbed Johnny's hand. She started dragging him forwards. He followed, absolutely dumbstruck that anything as beautiful as her would even look at him.

  When they broke out of the crowd, she pulled him into another nearby room, which Johnny was shocked to see. This place was even bigger than he'd originally thought. Wow.

  The look of this room was far different than the room in the front. There was wallpaper with little naked Cherub babies on it and clouds with naked men and women sitting atop of them. The floor was grassy and he could hear a stream trickling from rock to rock. The grass looked real and Johnny was almost positive it was. The ceiling looked like the starry, night, sky. Johnny could pick out Jupiter and its moons, but that was about it. More Fae and Pixies were sitting in the room, at the base of trees and in the knee-high grass. Johnny saw Two-Bit was off in the corner, telling jokes and shapeshifting as he told the story. One second he was Elvis, then the next he was Kim Kardashian and Johnny was clueless as to how those two people were interactable.

  The Fairy girl was still pulling Johnny along. She looked as though she was headed to the big tree in the back of the room, by the wall. The tree had a hole in it, which a pearly liquid was dripping steadily from. There were Fae and an Elf or two sitting around that tree. They were all beautiful and despite Johnny feeling like he wasn't a freak in this place, he started feeling very self-conscious.

  "Drink with us." The girl dipped a piece of bowl shaped piece of bark into the liquid and held it out to Johnny. "You just look so lonely."

  Johnny thought about that story, Tuck Everlasting, that he'd had to read in 5th grade. But that Fountain of Youth and Immortality had come from a spring in the ground, not a nut-hole in a tree. The girl giggled, which sounded high-pitched and like wind-chimes. A male Fairy with brown and white feathery wings started to run his fingers through Johnny's hair and giggled too. Surely one drink wouldn't be so bad? If he didn't like it, he wouldn't drink any more of it.

  Johnny gently took the bark-bowl from her and went to put it to his lips. Before he had time to, it was being jerked from his grasp and thrown into the little lake of pearly liquid at the base of the tree. Before Johnny knew what was going on, an arm was around his shoulder and he was being led away from the tree and the people there.

  They were all laughing and giggling hysterically. Johnny felt a clarity, he didn't know he had lost, return to his mind and he turned back around to look at them. They were not Fae, nor were they Elves. They were Dark Pixies, standing there with scarred and torn dragonfly wings. They were not nearly as beautiful as Johnny had believed either, which made his gut clench. He was a Warlock with the ability of illusions and mind control. How was he not able to realize somebody was literally using powers like his own against him? Shame knotted up in his gut.

  "Dark Pixies are trouble makers. All of them. I'd give them a piece of my mind if I really thought it would do any good. They're just so damn- pesky." The person leading him away from the Pixies was talking, but Johnny hadn't realized that there was a person leading him away. When he finally caught back up in the situation, Johnny's eyes wondered over to try and see who had knocked the drink- if there even was a drink- away from his lips.

  Johnny had not been prepared, at all, to see the most beautiful guy he'd ever seen to be beside him. He was obviously a Fairy, since Johnny could see his pointed ears poking out from underneath his shaggy white hair and some Fairy tattoos circling his left wrist and disappearing at his forearm. He had the iciest  blue eyes that Johnny had ever seen.

  Even with those couple features, it should have been impossible for any more of him to be attractive, but his cheek and jaw bones were chiseled and hard. If he stood still for a long period of time- Johnny was sure he could pass for the most gorgeous work of art to ever exist. Just like before, Johnny felt the need to curl in on himself.

  "What kind of non-Fae, moron, are you? Didn't your parents every teach you about Fairy Drink?" The guy stopped guiding the two of them when they reached a kitchen-esque area. Food was piled high- like there was a catering job going on. The Fairy fixed his blazing eyes on Johnny and he felt breathless.

  "Uh-well- I... no. What's a Fairy Drink?" Johnny felt his face get hot. The Fairy's eyes softened a little, but only for a millisecond.

  "It can only be ingested by Fae and Fae alone. Anyone else, even the strongest of Pixies and whatever the fuck else, either goes insane or dies. Most of the time both." Johnny's throat went dry. Those Pixies were trying to kill him? What did he ever do to them? Johnny had never met any other Creatures beside the ones in the gang and the Shepard family. Were they just plain old bullies, or did they have a grudge against warlocks in particular? Certainly that couldn't have been it. They didn't know Johnny was a warlock. He could have been a vampire, werewolf, or even a wendigo for all they knew.

  "I can clearly see you overthinking this, Kid. Don't take it personal. Those assholes feed off of mischief and, apparently, attempted murder." The guy crossed his arms over his chest and heat flared in Johnny's stomach. He had toned arms, sort of like the in-between stage of Steve and Soda. Johnny offered a weak smile.

  "Thanks for helping me out back there. I'm Johnny Cade." Johnny stuck his hand out to the taller of the two. A large grin appeared on his face.

  "Johnny Cake?" He chuckled softly. Before Johnny could correct him, he had clapped their hands together. "Well, Johnny Cake, I'm Dallas Winston. You can call me Dally, since I did save your life."

  Dallas tossed his arm over Johnny's shoulder and led him toward the giant refrigerator. He opened the door and motioned to all kinds of drinks. "What's your poison? Animal blood, human blood, lactose free milk- whatever the hell that is-, or some actual poison?"

  "Water is fine. But, thanks." Johnny swiped a water-bottle and cracked the seal. He took a few drinks to unclog his throat. Dally leaned back against a counter. He was looking at Johnny with a curious gaze, something Johnny fidgeted heavily under. He could feel those blue eyes trailing over the puffy scar on his cheek. His father had given him that. He'd slung a glass cup across the room, sending it splintering and cutting across his ten year old's face. He hadn't meant to, Johnny had thought then and still believed. He was drunk and had no idea he could actually hit his only son. Surely.

  "Alright, Johnny Cake. Help me put together the puzzle on what kind of Creature you are. Vampires would never turn down blood and I highly doubt you're a werewolf. If you were, of course, that scar on your cheek would never have happened. It would have just healed. Of course, you could let it scar over if you were a werewolf, but most don't. Even then, you wouldn't have such dark circles under your eyes. Werewolves sleep like the dead." Dally's crossed arms flexed a little.

  "I'm a warlock."

  "Really? And if I were to say I don't believe you?" There was a mischievous glint in Dally's eyes. He wanted Johnny to show him his powers. Johnny nibbled at his bottom lip. He had never shown his power off to anyone before. Not even Ponyboy, who had been his best friend for many years. Was he really going to show an almost-stranger his powers because he was cute?

  Yeah. Sounded about right.

  Johnny closed his eyes- a habit he had when he did use his magic- and held his left fist up. He felt the gentle sensation of his magic wrap around his chest. It felt sort of like someone was hugging him softly, which is a reason he used it when he felt scared or lonely. The magic made him feel like someone was there with him.

  He felt a fluttering in his hand and he opened his eyes to see if he had made the right thing. Sure enough, when he opened his fist, a white butterfly with the same dark purple markings that Dally had was fluttering into the air. Dally's hand shot out and grabbed it. When he opened his own palm up, a little sticker with the words 'Good Job!' was all that was there. A lopsided grin spread across his face.

  "Cool trick. Your parents teach you that one?" He asked. Johnny opened his mouth to tell Dallas that his parents were both normal and despised anything that wasn't human, but he opted to just mention that he learned it himself. Dally's eyes flickered up to Johnny's and he saw the surprise in those icy irises.

  Dallas moved forward and cupped Johnny's face gently. The pad of his thumb was rough as he ran it over Johnny's right cheek- the one without a scar- and made gooseflesh rise to his skin.

  "Your eyes don't look like any other warlock's I know. Usually the color changes, but I've never seen fully black eyes. The whites just completely disappear... which parent did you say had magic?"

  "Oh, uh, my paren-"

  "Let's go, Johnny. It's late and we all got to get back." Steve and Soda had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, which made Johnny jump. Dallas let his hand fall and had backed up. Soda's eyes narrowed slightly, but he hid that before the Fairy could see.

  "See you next time, Johnny Cake. Watch out for those pesky little shits." Dally pushed himself off the counter he had immediately gone to lean on and started to walk off. He turned around to eye Sodapop for a second, which Johnny could tell Steve did not enjoy. "All the food here is free to take with you. The third shelf has plenty of protein for those... rough nights."

  As soon as Dally left the room, Soda was eyeing the fridge like it was a party trick. Johnny opened the fridge and grabbed a pack of soft, pink, meat. He tossed it in Soda's direction and Soda tucked it under his arm. Tonight was one of those nights, in about an hour and the Curtis brothers had to be home.

  Usually on their transformation nights, one of the gang wouldn't stay at the house and make sure all three of them stayed in the basement. Steve was going tonight, since it was his old man's birthday and he didn't want to be at his own place. Johnny was tempted to stay and go find Dallas, but he knew that the heat of walking home would suck, even in the dark. He joined Steve and Soda and they went to get the others.

~~~~

  In the couple months since the gang had discovered the Haven that was Buck Merril's, they had been back more times than they could count. It was something about the pulsing of the music and the way they were free to look and act like themselves was the most freeing thing they had ever experienced. Two-Bit had made a dozen of friends and he'd gotten on Buck's good side.

  Buck Merril was one of the few Elves that resided at the club. He'd come from New York with one of his kid-friends. Buck had deep and angry looking scars that ran down his face and neck. They weren't from a fight with another Creature or an angry honey badger. He'd gotten them from a group of Hunters, which was the reason he'd left New York all together. Him and his best friend's little brother had gotten caught and tortured before they eventually got away. Johnny had heard the story three times now, but each time made his stomach twist.

  The first time he'd heard it, the Curtis brothers had been with him. He couldn't imagine the thoughts running through their heads. Were they thinking about their parents? Were they wondering if it had been quick? Maybe they were just thinking about what could happen to the gang if they were caught. Whatever was playing in their minds, Johnny had never seen such anguish on his family's faces. He hated it.

  Tonight wasn't a night they were going to Buck's though. It was around midnight and Johnny was laying on his bed. He couldn't sleep, so he was laying on his back, staring at the palm of his hand. He'd already knew that he had natural powers over minds and illusions, but he hadn't realized how much he could do without spells. It was kind of like how Steve had manipulation over fire and mechanics, but he needed spells for the majority of magic. The only difference was that fire would dance whenever Steve did magic and all Johnny had was a thin layer of black smoke that settled over his palm.

  His magic had been strengthening a lot since he'd met Dally. He'd even managed to get his hands on a spell book. Dallas had been letting him borrow some of them so that Johnny could practice his magic. Which gave Johnny something to do when he couldn't sleep. His parents were arguing in the living room, but Johnny was so used to it that he tuned them out. He guessed they were fighting over something stupid. His dad probably forgot to throw his beer can away or something.

  Johnny was working on a levitation spell, which was kind of complex. Dally had assured him that he could do any magic he wanted, as long as he practiced. So here he was, practicing as best as he could. He had caused the water bottle on his to levitate and then he had gently put it back on the ground. He had been listening to his parents earlier, but as soon as he lifted the bottle and the sensation of a gentle hug encircled him, he'd felt tons better. His magic made him feel safe, so that was another reason he was practicing in his room.

  Johnny closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. He extended his left arm, his palm open and his poster loose. He let the spell words- there were just two of them for such a complex spell- fall from his lips in quiet mummer. He felt that gentle pressure wrap around his chest and hold him softly. For a second, he imagined it was Dallas's arms, and then he felt the unmistakable movement of his target, except it was more than he'd wanted.

  When Johnny opened his eyes- which were completely black- he realized that everything in the room was floating. His dresser and everything on it, the nightstand by his bed, his ratty old Converse, and his bed with him still on top. The bottom of the curtains in front of his bedroom window were gently floating, almost like they were blowing in the wind. Johnny smiled widely. He was making everything float! He was doing that. It made him feel incredible. He had mastered his first complex spell and he felt like he was floating- er- not in the literal sense.

  Johnny's door swung open and hit the wall. His parents were arguing and his mother was pointing at Johnny over her shoulder. Johnny's black eyes widened and he gasped. "Let's just ask Johnny then! See what he has to think about wha-"

  His parents stopped arguing. They were deadly quiet, in fact. Johnny dropped his arm, the dark air in his palm vanished, and everything crashed to the ground. It rattled the house, shaking the Cade family to their cores.

  "What the fuck were you doing?" James Cade's eyes narrowed to slits, his fists clenching together tightly. His mother had her hand grasping her mouth, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears. She was afraid. Johnny was watching his mom with wide eyes, but he had been too focused on her.

  A fist smashed against the left side of his face. It hurt too much for Johnny to be able to pinpoint exactly where he'd been hit. Johnny's eyes immediately began to water, despite his previous experience with being hit in the face. A hand wrapped up in his white t-shirt, dragging him by it. His father was leading him to the living room. He was yelling something, but Johnny was too focused on the pain in his cheek.

  Why did this have to happen? He'd been so happy, he'd felt so good in those few seconds. But like always, as soon as he had a peaceful and genuinely happy moment- it turned to shit. Johnny was thrown to the floor, barely even inside of the living room. His mother was silent, but words and spittle were still flowing from his father's mouth.

  Johnny must have been asked a question that he didn't hear, because a fist collided with his face again, his nose giving another sickening crunch. This was about the third time his nose had been broken and two of the times it had been his father's doing. Johnny wanted to sob.

  "I asked you a question! How long? How long has your soul been sold to the Devil?" James was hovering over his son, his beady eyes were small and hollow. His mother was still quiet, lurking in the shadows with her hand covering her mouth in shock.

  "You... did this! Not me! I was born thi-"

  Johnny's father didn't even let him finish before he was boxed in the ear. One punch. Johnny's ears were ringing and he couldn't hear the words being bellowed at him. He could barely see anything for the blood covering his face and the tears in his eyes.

  James stood up and stormed away. This was it? No more punches and no more broken bones? This was one of the easier beatings Johnny had taken. This was nothing compared to the time he'd broken one of the good China plates his mom had used for Christmas. That had been the first time his nose had been broken and his arm. Johnny didn't think he'd ever seen the gang that mad, besides when he'd shown up with a deep cut on his face, which had needed stitches.

  Johnny had never dreamed his parents had ever really wanted to hurt him. Sometimes he deserved it, since he was a problem child. They had just been trying to shape him for the real world, but they just had a difficult way of doing it. He knew his mom would smack him every now and then, but it was more the liquor than it was her. His dad was just angry all the time and Johnny perfered him to hit his son than his wife.

  Johnny had made plenty of excuses over the years for the abuse. He'd truly believed it was him and not his parents. It was hard raising a kid and it made parents tense. Being too tense causes people to snap. Little snaps was all it was, but as soon as he saw the gun in his father's hands, he realized that was not it at all.

  His father was sick in the head. He had to have been, to pull a gun on his only child.

  "No child of mine will be a freak. No son of ours will be a monster." His dad spit the words out at Johnny. He was cowering on the floor, but as soon as his dad cocked the gun and put his finger on the trigger, he felt something. Instead of a gentle hug wrapping around his chest, it felt like a punch crashing against his breastbone. Johnny screamed and his dad went flying across the room, the gun going off and the bullet lodging into the floor a few inches from Johnny's head. All of the lights and the windows cracked and shattered, sending shards of glass flying all around the living room.

  It was deadly quiet. His father's head had bounced against the wall, causing his unconscious body to limply slide to the ground. That got his mother's mouth working. She started to sob and wail, walking around Johnny in a large arc. She had a couple thin scratches from the glass on her forearm, causing Johnny's heart to thunder.

  "Mom, are you okay?"

  Her head swiveled quickly- her eyes locking on Johnny. She snarled at him, teeth glinting in the flickering light- the only one that hadn't shattered- above the couch. "You're a monster. A fucking monster!"

  She moved James's body, letting his head rest on her folded legs. She was sobbing, hands on either side of his face. She was talking, but Johnny couldn't hear anything. He was looking down at his hands. How could he have hurt his mom? His mother, who must have been too shocked to stop his father with the gun, hadn't deserved to be hurt. She was scraped up a lot more than he originally thought. Cuts were all over her chest and arms. He could have killed them both.

~~~

  Johnny was crying, blood running from his mouth and nose. It was hot again tonight, but Johnny didn't care. He'd been walking for a while. He'd grabbed his one pair of shoes before he'd ran off. He hadn't known where he was going, only that he didn't want to be home or anywhere nearby. Which canceled out the lot and the Curtis house. He'd text the gang in the morning and hope they wouldn't be too mad at him for not showing up after what happened.

  Johnny wasn't that surprised when he'd found himself at Buck's club. He'd been there a lot in the last couple months and didn't expect it to change anytime soon. He kicked some pebbles around outside of the shitty looking building. Maybe he shouldn't be here. Johnny turned on his heels, turning his back to the busted neon sign that said 'Buck's'. It hadn't been working for a few weeks now. Johnny picked up his feet and started walking again. He could probably crash at the Shepard house.

  "Johnny Cake? That you?" Johnny jumped at the voice. Of course it would be Dallas who would notice him outside. Johnny turned around and looked at him. He was standing on the porch of the club, looking down at the bloody teen with furrowed eyebrows. Dallas couldn't really see Johnny in the darkness of the night, but Johnny could see him. His purple Fairy tattoos were gone, just like his ears. He looked like a normal teenager with a normal face. Nothing too handsome, but nothing too ordinary about him either. It was his Glamour, which had activated as soon as he crossed the threshold to the outside world.

  "Yeah, it's me." Johnny's voice cracked and Dallas jerked his head over his shoulder. Johnny looked at the door behind him, still not sure if he should be here. Dallas sighed and hopped of the porch. His boots crushed the gravel under his feet and he stuck his hand out for Johnny to take. As soon as Dally's eyes focused and he saw all the blood on his face and shirt, a dark look washed over his face.

  "What the fuck happened? Was it Hunters? Did they jump you?" Dallas grabbed Johnny by his shoulders and gently tilted his chin up with his hand. Johnny shook his head and then Dallas was dragging him up the porch steps and into the club. Not too many people were there, but it was still pretty full. Johnny saw Phillip the troll dancing with a troll girl nearby. Bethany, if Johnny remembered correctly.

  Johnny was already trying to hold fresh tears back, keeping his head low and letting Dallas drag him wherever. Dally's hand was wrapped tightly around Johnny's wrist- a lot harder than Johnny thought he meant to.

  Soon enough, Dally had brought them to a bedroom and shut the door behind the two of them. Johnny looked around and saw a mouth guard, the bandage wrapping for fists, and a first aid kit. Pictures of random people and things were stuck in the mirror above the dresser. Dally was in two of the three with people. In one picture, it was of a little Fairy kid with black wings. The kid looked like an angel with the feathers all prim and proper. It seemed to personal for someone to have up in a random room. This was Dally's room. He had brought Johnny to his room. Johnny let out a small sob and Dallas jumped slightly. He released Johnny's wrist and Johnny rubbed it softly.

  Dally's icy blue eyes widened. They looked softer again, much unlike when he was around other people. Johnny was the only one he looked at like that, but Johnny still couldn't process that. "Shit, I didn't realize. What happened to you, man?"

  "My parents. They caught me doing magic in my room. Weren't to happy," Johnny whispered. The words hurt his throat too much to say loudly. Confusion warped across Dallas's face.

  "Why would- why would they be upset about you doing magic?"

  "They're human. They didn't know I wasn't. They hate anyone not like them." Johnny wrapped his arms around himself, shaking slightly. He didn't need to be here right now. He needed to leave. He opened his mouth to offer an apology for inconveniencing Dallas, but what he did say wasn't what he meant to. "They tried to kill me. And I hurt them. I hurt them really bad."

  Dallas didn't need to hear anything else, because he was wrapping his arms around Johnny's thin frame. He could feel the younger teen shaking like a leaf and he held Johnny tightly. Dallas was pissed. More pissed than he had been in a while. He'd never even met Johnny's parents, but he was already ready to break a couple laws.

  "I'm a monster..."

  Dallas shushed Johnny, rocking the two of them softly while standing. Johnny sniffled a couple times and patted Dally's back awkwardly. Dallas let his arms fall to his sides and he pulled a chair away from the wall and patted it. Johnny sat down and Dallas grabbed his first aid kit.

  "Where are you hurt? Just the face?" Dallas asked. Johnny nodded, so Dallas gently took his chin in his grip and tilted his face up. His nose was definitely broken and his eye already had a deep purple and black bruise around it. Dallas was still mad, but that wasn't helping right now. Johnny winced when Dallas tried to wipe the blood falling from his nose. His lip was split too, but it had already stopped bleeding.

  Dallas reached in the kit and grabbed a blue tube of liquid. He handed it to Johnny, who gently took it from Dallas's grasp, like he might hurt the other one. "Drink this. It'll make you feel weird for a second, but you'll be fine after that."

  Johnny wiggled the container, watching the liquid swirl inside. He downed it in one go and Dallas watched him carefully. Johnny didn't feel anything at first, but soon his entire face was tingling violently. This was what Dallas drank after the ring fights, which happened every other week. Buck hosted fights sometimes and people bet on the winner. It was pretty cool to see people fight, when it wasn't Johnny or his parents.

  Dallas wasn't undefeated, but he was closer to that than any of the other fighters. Johnny had been around for about four fights total and Dallas had been in about two of them. Dallas had won them both, when Johnny was there to watch. After the two fighters stopped fighting, they were both given two little blue vials. They healed automatically after that, which was wild to see.

  "You're all fixed up. It got rid of the blood too, so now we just need to get you a different shirt." Dallas said. Johnny looked in the mirror that sat on the dresser. Sure enough, his face wasn't bloody anymore. Johnny gently prodded his no-longer swollen lip and repaired nose. It wasn't even crooked anymore, which had happened from the first two breaks.

  "Thank you. You didn't have to do that." Johnny caught a t-shirt that Dally had thrown at him. Dally motioned for Johnny to give him the other one. Johnny stood up from the chair and tried to pull his shirt off. He was still shaking pretty bad though, his fingers kept trembling and dropping the hem of his shirt.

  A pale pair of hands gently grabbed a hold of the bottom of Johnny's shirt. Dallas spoke in a soft voice, almost a whisper. "Bullshit I didn't have to help. I know what that shit is like and just because nobody really helped me, doesn't mean I can't help you. Suck it up, Cake, it's what friends are for."

  Dallas was gentle, so gentle that Johnny was ready to break down and cry more. Dallas pulled Johnny's shirt over his head, their bodies really close together. Gooseflesh rolled across Johnny's bare skin. It wasn't remotely cold in here, but he could feel Dally's gaze on him and that was enough. Dallas helped Johnny into the clean shirt. Johnny really wasn't expecting Dallas to pull his shirt off, so he almost choked on air when he saw the bare chest of the Fairy.

  Dallas discarded his- also bloody- shirt and tossed it into a hamper in the corner of the room. Johnny's eyes widened and his fingers were already reaching out to trace the tattoos on Dally's back. They were like the ones on his wrists. They were thorn bush vines that circled his waist and curled a little ways up his back. They were the same grape purple as the ones on Dally's wrists. They were really pretty.

  "I've had them since I was little. After a certain age, all Fae get them. Mine and my mom's were the same." Dallas was looking over his shoulder and watching the warmth in Johnny's dark eyes increase. His fingertips were light and gentle, sending shivers up Dally's spine.

  "I've always wanted tattoos, but I don't think mine could ever be as pretty as these." Johnny gave a small smile and Dallas watched him in the mirror. Johnny was mesmerized, tracing each and every vine and thorn. He wished he was Fae, just for the tattoos, honestly.

  Johnny was silent as he traced them. Dallas didn't seem to mind, which made sense. They were friends and that's what friends do. They are comfortable around each other.

  Friends do not do this. They don't trace each others shirtless bodies or stand as close as we are right now. All I have to do is move half and inch and I'll be pressed against him. Johnny thought the words, but as quick as they arrived, they left.

  There were thick, pink scars on Dallas's back. They were raised above the skin and looked jagged. Johnny's fingers left the tattoos and traveled to the two, long, thick, and puffy scars that were on Dallas's back. They started a little below his shoulder blades and ended a couple inches above his tattoos. How had Johnny not noticed them first?

  As soon as Johnny's finger ghosted the top of the left side scar, Dallas jumped. Johnny stopped moving and waited to see if Dallas told him to stop. He didn't, so Johnny finished tracing the jagged- cut?

  "What are these from?" Johnny asked. Dallas pulled away then, going to grab a shirt from his dresser draw. Johnny backed up and watched the taller of the two move around his room.

  "I used to have wings." Dallas spoke so softly, Johnny almost didn't hear him. Dallas had wings? The scars did match up with where the wings were supposed to be. How did he lose them? Was it an accident? Was there a fight? How long ago did it happen? Why did it happen? Johnny had questions swarming his mind, but he remembered when he got his cheek cut up and all the questions from that. He'd hated each answer that was drug out of him.

  "What did they look like?" Johnny whispered the question. He saw the frustration- which he knew wasn't aimed at him- and anger flash across Dallas's face. Johnny just wasn't ready to see the painful expression on his face. He locked eyes with Johnny and flashed a weak smile.

  "They were beautiful. I wish I cou- yeah." Dallas shook his head, like he was throwing the thought away. The words made Johnny's chest hurt. The pain was still on Dallas's face and just like with the Curtis brother and that story, Johnny would do anything to make that look go away. The picture stuck in the frame of the mirror jumped out at him. That was Dallas. The kid with the black wings- the ones that made him look like an angel. Those were Dally's wings.

  Before Dallas could put his shirt back on, Johnny placed a hand on his back. The familiar hug sensation wrapped around Johnny's chest and black wings sprouted from Dallas's back. They were just like the ones in the picture, the little grey feather towards the top and all. Johnny backed away and the wings stayed on the scars. They even moved back and forth. It was a pretty good illusion.

  Dallas's eyes locked on himself in the mirror and he smiled. It was a bittersweet smile, but the pain in his eyes was gone and Johnny had made it go away. Dally's hands twitched to touch them and Johnny nodded at him. Dally's right hand grazed the feathers of his left wing and he gave a startled laugh.

  The illusion did not falter, but remained very solid. Dallas leaned into the touch of his wings and smiled at Johnny. He crossed the room and pulled Johnny into a hug. The wings disappeared, since it caught Johnny off guard. Dallas was hugging him tightly and Johnny felt nice. It was a 'thank you' that Dallas couldn't get out.

  Dallas pulled back, but didn't move out of the space. He was looking down at Johnny, eyes scanning his face. Dallas brought his left hand up and let his thumb graze Johnny's scar. He was gentle, just as Johnny had been. Dallas opened his mouth to say something, but his bedroom door swung open. Dally's eyes lost their softness and he glared at whoever had opened the door. He dropped his hand from Johnny's face, but didn't move away from Johnny. There bodies were still inches apart.

  Buck was standing in the door, looking at the two of them with a twinkle in his eye. He had grey eyes and his ears were tall and pointed. He had his long dirty blond hair pulling into a bun at the base of his neck. He was slim, but not as tall as Dally. Dally sighed and looked back at Johnny.

  "Head up to the roof and I'll meet you there." Johnny nodded and Buck moved out of the way to let him head up the other set of stairs off to the side of Dally's room. He was going to go look at the stars and wait for Dally to join him.

  "You're falling for that warlock boy, huh?" Buck leaned against the door frame. Dallas knew his face had given his answer away, because Buck whooped and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thought so. Go keep the kid company. Have fun, but we're going to talk about the next fight in the morning. I need to figure out who to put you up against."

  Dally shot him the finger and earned himself a hair ruffle as he was going out of the door. He jogged up the stairs, trying to get the pink out of his cheeks and ears. When he got to the roof, Johnny was sitting on the edge and staring up at the stars.

  Johnny looked over when Dallas joined him and gave him a small smile.

  "What are you looking at? Any constellations?" Dallas asked. Johnny shook his head and looked at his feet, that he was kicking back and forth over the ledge of the roof.

  "I'm just lost in thought."

  There was a silence that hung between the two. Johnny was thinking about his mother's sobbing and the cuts from the glass in the windows. How could he have done that? To his own mother?

  "What happened, Johnny? Why'd they do that to you?" Dallas was looking at him with those soft eyes again. Johnny wondered why he cared so much. Why he cared at all. He was a monster, someone who hurt his own family. What would stop him from hurting his friends? Johnny looked away and figured this was a shitty last conversation to have. Dallas would definitely hate him after this. If not hate, then just not want to be around.

  "My parents are human, like I said. My powers started up around the time I met the Curtis family. I showed them that I could make Ponyboy fall asleep, just by touching him and saying it. They told me about them being werewolves and asked if my parents knew. I said no and then they explained that it should probably stay that way. I agreed, even then.

  "Tonight, I was practicing a levitating spell in my room. It was just a water bottle on my dresser. Then it was supposed to be my dresser, but I made everything float. It was the best feeling in the world. My parents had been arguing and decided I should be brought into it, so they came into my room. They saw everything floating and the next thing I knew, I was getting beat up in the living room. My dad pulled a gun on me. I freaked out and threw him across the room. The windows and lights exploded, which cut my mom up pretty bad. She called me a monster and I think she's right."

  Johnny took in a deep, shivering, breath. He felt tears try to pool into his eyes, but he blinked them back. "I know that they were just scared and it's my fault. I shouldn't have been practicing in the house. I knew better and my dad's just stressed over work and I-"

  "Johnny, stop. Stop. This is not your fault in any way, shape, or form. No matter how scared or stressed a parent is, they don't try to kill you. They should never hurt you." Dally's eyes flickered to the scar on Johnny's cheek. He knew who had done that, without even having to ask.

  "I still shouldn't have hurt them. I feel so bad." Johnny took his shirt-tail and wiped a stray tear away. Dally's shoulder pressed against his and there was a silence again. He waited for Dallas to get up and leave him, but it never happened. He stayed there and never once made a move to leave.

  "My parents weren't great either. Back in New York, when I was with my parents, they fought a lot. They were drunks, so it happens. Well, my mom took it too far one night, after a huge fight with my dad. My mom got into his liquor, sort of to spite him. She got into a bottle of Fairy Drink, which was really bad since she was only half-Fairy. Long story short, she died and I just got... angry. I was out with friends more than I was at home. Buck and me were out one night and we got caught by some Hunters.

  "I don't know how they knew about us. Either way, they stripped off my Glamour and when they saw my wings... you get the picture. I got us out of there, which was hard since Buck was so torn up and my brother was dead. They had us there for two days, just playing with us. When I got back to the apartment, my dad had all of our shit packed up and ready for us to leave. Buck came down to Tulsa with us."

  Dallas scoffed and spit off the side of the building. Johnny was surprised at the fact that Dallas was the kid that Buck was with. That he was the kid in the story. "It wasn't until after we got down here that my dad told me about the Fairy Drink. He told me that someone had broke in. He said it was random and that they got scared and ran off without taking anything. Bastard."

  Johnny was looking at the ground still. He almost jumped out of his skin when Dally's fingers slid under his chin and turned his head towards his. He was looking Johnny in the eyes seriously.

  "So don't believe what your parents say. I know monsters, but you are not one of them." Dallas was staring Johnny down. "Okay?"

  "Yeah. Okay." Johnny said the words honestly. He wasn't a monster.

  Even after Johnny agreed, Dallas never removed his hand. His forefinger stayed where it was, but his thumb moved across the scar on Johnny's cheek again. It was dark outside, but the two of them were illuminated by the stars and the big, almost full, moon. Johnny bundled his left hand in Dally's shirt.

  As if on instinct, Johnny's tongue wet his bottom lip. Dally's mouth quirked a little and then he was leaning down, closing the small distance between them. Johnny's mouth found his and there was a moment where neither one of them moved. Johnny felt like a middle schooler right then, so he deepened the kiss. He wanted to smile when Dally's other hand moved to his face, but he didn't want to mess up this kiss.

  Dallas was gentle with him still, the only rough thing was his fingernail grazing across Johnny's scar and Johnny's hands doing the same to the scars on his back. Dally's mouth was soft and his face had a small amount of stubble, which nipped gently at Johnny's warm skin.

  They broke away and rested their foreheads together. Dally's hands were still on Johnny's cheeks and Johnny's hands were twisted in his shirt. They breathed the cooling air in, smiling like idiots.

  "See? Nobody thinks a monster is beautiful. So obviously, you can't be one." Johnny rolled his eyes and Dallas leaned back down for another kiss, something Johnny was more than ready for. Their lips had barely brushed when door to the roof crashed open.

  "This better be important, Buck." One look at Buck's face was enough to tell the two boys that it was important. Johnny's stomach dropped and Dally was already getting to his feet.

  "The Hunters. They're here."

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

“So Happy Together” Analysis

i don’t sleep

tl;dr: tbh not much to go off on about. i think we see a new skin for Iron Bear, one with some stripes. amara smiles, i do talk a little bit about little sisters in bioshock but tbh i think this was all just a stylistic choice lol. oh and handsome jack’s masks- probably Mount Jackmore. i don’t want to get to freaked out over jack returning, but damn gearbox lol u had me there for a second. im pretty sure it’s just a reused cut quest from bl2 that they never got to implement. 

EDIT: here’s all the cut content in bl2 (plus all the non-cut content as well for funsies). you can go to the cut quests and see the audio files for claptrap’s jackmore quest

holy shit can i just vomit all my emotions rn, they’re all good so imma do that so im rational when i start analyzing stuff okay? okay! 

holy shit that was fucking great and im really glad i tempered my expectations to something smaller than i thought because i feel bad for people expecting something huge, i was under the assumption we’d be getting a new mechanic that was like ‘choose ur +1 and they’ll be able to play the game with you if you’re both online even if they don’t have the game’ which was what someone said on reddit. altho im sure the poor company is gonna get spammed now with hate like ‘WTF YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BUILT THIS UP AAAA’. not to lie, i was slightly disappointed it wasn’t a longer stream, but i mean if they’ve got nothing to announce, they’ve got nothing to announce and HEY! new trailer!!! gonna be combing thru on the assumption this has some easter eggs like the MoM trailer did, just in case. i thought it was a cute trailer, gearbox never explicitly said what it was gonna be, a lot people all just assumed what was gonna happen was a demo/beta which sucks so i hope this doesn’t negatively impact people’s perspective of the game. im staying off reddit for now bc when i first checked it people were pretty pissed and i dun need that negativity lmao

okay! emotions are LOCKED behind closed doors. i am shifting into study mode. here we go boys/girls/those of us who know better. haven’t done one of these in a while, let’s see if im rusty at all.

claptrap! and the skull on the chair which reminds me of tyreen’s “favorite skull”. 

tv says “we are under attack, please stand by”

and afaik claptrap is near the beginning of the game, you can see part of the recruitment center behind him when the camera pans.

im thinking there might be something in the roses, specifically the hand-drawn roses later on in the trailer. will be keeping an eye open for that.

this is specifically a jakobs brand chest. i really like the see-through aesthetic of it

intro area of the game again. possible hint to the opening cutscene? tbh i was worried that’s what we were about to get because i haven’t finished the roughs of my mock up lol

so what i didn’t notice my first time through is that you can then see claptrap, also being shown in the chest

waving up at the camera. that’s not trippy at all or anything lol

this car in the foreground (with no one driving it, mind you)

randomly combusts, looking quite like elpis in that one shot of the claptrap presents pandora trailer. wonder if that means it’s gonna ‘splode.

ohhh it spins. please no spin imma get motion sick blech

shot of some cultists. one appears to have a jetpack near the bottom right there

another explosion to the beat

the shock wave!!!! that’s awesome

shock nomads cultists are back. f in chat for our shields

another cultist seconds before he gets blown to bits

it cuts to black for a secco as it moves thru said explosion

another cultist, i assume a psycho

finally some good fucking angles

heh.

idk what i expected from someone who’s first action skill line i ever heard was them shouting MAGIC WALL!!! TAAAADAAAAAAAAH

as a side note

who is shooting those lasers

we see them coming from behind the VHs, but

there’s nothing there

SPOOKY~

they’re coming from... the wall???

tfw u shot urself in the foot on accident

amara is not amused

`is this some human custom i don’t understand yet`

also i hate that i’ve done this exact dance before when i took dance classes as a kid

with less style of course, i was like 7

moze is into it, hell yeah

this reminds me a lot of Kingsman. where all the blood is like fireworks and stuff. i wonder if that has anything to do with the psycho brainwashing. like little sisters in bioshock. they see roses instead of blood, right? maybe there’s something like that going on with the psychos

i’d certainly hope our vault hunters aren’t brainwashed, anyway.

this dude looking SHOCKED to see that tho, lmfao

i relate to this man on a spiritual level i stg

man he looks pissed

omfg lol

“um”

“i guess this is okay”

the body language in this is gold i am just having the time of my life

adsfdgfhgjhgfk

this is so cute

also in retrospect, i think this is one of the turrets we see on promethea. i wonder what it’s doing here!

moze u ok?

oh nvm she’s into it, look at her! she’s dancing! She’s Dancin’!

oooo one of the robots from the we are mayhem trailer! okay you can totally see why i think they’re jakobs, RIGHT???

iirc this is a maliwan soldier

man this is a crossover event, isn’t it?

i get it now. togetherness. i gotchu gearbox.

some maliwan ships in the sky. possibly sanc-iii on the right? or a ship of the same model as sanc-iii!

this is a magitek dropship, change my mind

eh, they both start with M, fuck it.

no idea what fl4k is doing here

mayyyybe shielding themselves from the ‘firework’/confetti shower

i like that the confetti explosions are backed up by purple, you know like eridium/slag/siren powers. seriously, maybe this is just how to cultists see us Vault Hunters and the mass murder.

at the very least, the psychos.

fl4k’s into it. i wish we knew the name of their skag, if it has one. i hope it does.

well now the lasers are coming from the other side! what the hell

moving on

i think this is the HBC from the speakers, plus im pretty sure that skull and the stained glass are the entrance to mouthpiece’s arena

we also get a different colored explosion. im paranoid jack is somehow making a return (please god no), so i’ll just note it’s the same color as his eyes.

AND the chests are vomiting out gold guns, which i think, gold-plated gear, is the cult’s way of signifying standing. which im sure is a tongue-in-cheek commentary as gearbox gives out a gold weapon pack as a pre-order bonus. no, like, it even shows up as an ad on the video

smh gearbox lmao

oh, also, the cultists are doing fuckin flying impressions

im not saying its a reference to the cultist with rakk wings on the cover, buuuut

bitch it might be lol

it’s an upside-down vault symbol! ive been trying to figure out what that is in those screens for the longest time!

back on promethea and we get to see fl4k’s spiderant in action

their skag, too, of course

the jabbermon in the back there, too! i wonder if they’re going to be shock or cryo. i would imagine shock given how they’re glowing

also i love the way the flowers look in contrast to the character models

moze is so happy aw

i love the way fl4k’s skag comes flying in and slides to a stop. such a good doggo ;-;

this is beautiful, i want it as a wallpaper

moze skipping? holy shit

100% verified the best thing i’ve ever seen

i lied. this is.

is this the fast travel station effect?

also! IB is looking a bit different

i wonder if this is a redesign or if IB is wearing a new skin moze picked out

pan over to zane who clearly doesn’t notice the being of darkness and horror in the doorway

oh also, we’re on eden-6 now. which would explain the fast travel effect

psychos dancing on the rooftops lol

oh god my eyes

nothing to really say here, i just like this screenshot

pink shields booyah

this is so fucking cute

we also get a better look at that one facility on eden-6

is that... red i see? >w> i won’t say it i won’t i won’t say it i swear i just- ATLAS

fuck

i like that zane’s clone spawns with his melee attachment

not AS excited as the real life version though

GB pls let this be a zane emote

is that a varkid? on eden-6?

wtf is a varkid doing on eden-6???

more shots of the facility btw. reminds me a lot of sanc-iii so maybe this actually is the supamax mfg construction facility like i originally thought. hmmmmmmm

ah yes, of course

holy shit what is this a reference to?

im told it’s the sex pistols

the back of the bullet turns into Athenas

pans in

amara!

enemy with a top hat on. some variation of/upgraded gravedigger? it’s like a psycho but recolored with blue pants and a top hat. you can see it fall off when amara shoots him

y’know, these guys

some rakk in the background

i am hoping bc this is a celebration of togetherness we’re seeing all enemies everywhere, not that the planets don’t have their own unique fauna.

she’s so happy omfg

oh, you want some?

Uhhh then there’s THIS sequence

they’re doing the flying thing again lmao

there’s also whatever that black blob is on the left. a spaceship maybe?

car wheel

all their eyes started glowing red. uh oh gamers

also another fast travel effect

hmmmm... zarpedon is that you??

back on pandora.

“super 87 racetrack”, maybe this is near that motorcade fast travel we saw?

huzzah! rainbows!

i do believe that’s sanctuary-iii

another ship. drop ship?

elpis is looking nice this time of year. definitely not explode-y. yet.

pret-ty sure that’s iron bear. moze is standing atop the tower lmao

also! back to it’s old paint scheme. looks like moze was using a skin or smth

we also have this. are my eyes failing me or is that a big cross on the left? could be where jack was buried. 

also i know there was cut content in bl2 about Mount Jackmore! and this looks like a Mount Jackmore to me. it’s a cut quest where claptrap asks you to basically ruin the thing. but since the quest was cut, it’s still here in bl3. maybe they’ll reintegrate the quest lol

i can’t imagine it being roland’s gravesite. because it looks like the below.

i do know we’re going to roland’s grave in bl3, but the statues don’t really match up. maybe it is and the statues were broken, or ruined or something and replaced by a cross. could be then that the gravesite was defaced with, well, the guy that killed him. 

im really hoping jack doesn’t make a return. im fine with dealing with what he set in motion, and his influence, and probably even some ECHO logs and movie trailers, but please, for the love of god, don’t actually bring him back, AI or otherwise. im really excited for the calypso twins, i’d really hate to see the focus shift back to that guy. he’s had his fingers in every borderlands game. it’s time to let him go.

idk what this is exactly. it looks like maybe that weird eye bot troy stands next to in the intro for the behind closed doors panel?

goodbye mr magical jakobs chest, it’s been real

the RC now has red drapes going down it. have those always been there? i don’t remember those

hmmmmmmmmm maybe we’re looking at it from the back 🤔

anyway, that’s all she wrote. i haven’t see any hidden morse code messages or anything yet, but if something surfaces, i’ll be sure to add it here.

[yoshimickster]

RWBY Volume 6 Episodes 12/13 “Seeing Red” and “Our Way” Micksterecaps: TWO RECAPS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO doggie, youse KNOW I can’t wait to talk about the finale, so you get not one but TWO recaps! Also doing the same thing with Gen:Lock as they released the first two eps of that on the same day-EITHER WAY LET’S GET TO DANCIN’!

THE EP STARTS OFF WITH-

-the ARGUS MILITARY-watching their boss waste military hardware, while being away from their FREAKING STATIONS-where a threat the Colossus was MADE to fight is coming close to the city. ALL WHILE RUBY-

-HANGS-in there? EH?! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!

After a nice little cliff climb, Oscar informs the team that the shields go down EVERY time Cordo fires missiles, which is the time to STRIKE! Ruby while on board-DOES-point out the difficulty of it though.

Ruby:-I’d have to be practically staring down the barrel of her canon.

FORESHADOWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

Ruby than jumps onto their legitimately stolen airship, while Maria does what she does best-

Maria: HEY CORDO-your mother wears NON-combat boots!

Cordo: SHUT UP I HAVE ALL THE MISSILES!

SADLY-though-

-sheeeeeeeeeeee catches on.

*BANG*

*TING*

*CLOSE*

Cordo: SURELY you know Atlas perfected missile launcher door quick-closing technology!

Ruby: BITCH YOU GOT LUCKY AND YOU KNOW IT!

Cordo: FUCK YOU I HAVE A LIGHTNING CANON!

OOH-and she WINGS them even, DAMN that’s gotta smart!

OOH-spoke too soon, Maria got the worst of it! MAN-that’s gotta sting.

Looks like its up to farmboy to SAVE THE DA-

*CRASH*

...EH-he’s a 14 year old farmboy, did the best he could with no fly knowledge or help (WINK).

See that? A NICE clean crash, Launchpad McQuack would be proud!

Ruby realizing how fucked things are, decides to pull a make or break move-RIGHT BEFORE-this scene-

Qrow: Ruby, stop!

Ruby: I need you, to trust me.

And he then lets go of her hand. Its a small yet powerful scene, and I really loved it, just wanted to point that out.

Ruby then makes a passionate speech to Cordo about how they only stole from her because she gave them no choice, especially since their supposed to be on the same side, and hopes she listens to reason.

Cordo: Hm....

Cordo:...NAH-I’ll just kill you.

CAROLINE CORDOVIN FOLKS-the defi-NITION of excessive force!

But does THAT scare Rubelubes?!

FUCK NO-she dashes herself RIGHT in there! SEE-foreshadowing!

She sees the target-

-LINES up the shot-

-while Cordo reevaluates recent life choices-

-gives herself a nice SNIPER breath-

-SHOOTS THAT FUCKER-and with-in a SECOND-

-PETALS HERSELF AWAY! Ace huntress right here! ALL right before-

-THAT FUCKER GETS CRYSTALIZED-good on you Ruby!

OOH-still got that aftershock crackle though! Thankfully Weiss uses her reverse gravity glyphs to slow her down ‘cause she’s a GOOD girlfriend, either figuratively OR literally(Bumblebee is canon fo sho, but STILL not sure on Iceflower, BUT still hopeful).

Qrow then catches her, and Ruby smugly replies with-

Ruby: ...toldja.

Oh Ruby, you SASS!

End the scene with a bit of Maria sass-

Maria: OH-don’t tell me I MISSED it!

AND CUT TO OUR FAVORITE NEW POWER COUPLE!

7:25

BEHOLD the holding of the hands, FEEL the gay energy it creates, while pissing off Blake’s creepy predatory ex, who was probably a creepy senior like Daniel Tosh when they started dating and needs to die(WINK).

Blake then says she and Yang are gonna KICK HIS ASS, because she made a promise to stick with the people she cares about-PROMPTING ADAM-to say this-

Adam: Y’know, she made a promise to me once, that she’d always be at MY side. HA-and look how well she’s kept it.

Your ex likes girls dude, GET OVER IT!

Either way it prompts Yang to say THIS badassery:

Yang: Did she make that promise to you? Or to the person you were PRETENDING to be?

Fuck yes. Either way, time for talk is over-ITS ACTION SCENE TIME-

-OOH-start out with a splitscreen, NICE!

Blake and Yang keep hitting him from both sides-

-and uses her shot-gauntlets to get distance, as a STRATEGIST does!

Blake goes in on the offensive, but ADAM ATTACKS-

-HER SHADOW-because he keeps forgetting how her semblance works like the dirty bitch he is!

Blake somersaults over him-

-KICKS-him back in the best pic I could get, because it happens in like a MICROSECOND-

-to a Yang Xiao Long that’s RARING to go with her shaunt-gauntlets-

-AND YANG KNOCKS HIM BACK...trust me, she did, this fight has a LOT of quick action and getting the pics I want is a nightmare.

The battle is INTENSE y’all, either way Blake gets ENOUGH distance-

-to get her partially broken gunsword back-

-tttttttttttthrows it over to fuckface magee-

-OOH-but he blocks it, no goal for you Blake-BUT-

-YANG GETS CONTROL OF THE BLADE-they may just make this count-

-she flings her over withe classic “infinitely stretchy band of stretchiness” to INITIATE-

-BATTLE CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH-but WAIT-

-OOH-knock back on both sides-

-Adam lands on his feet while Blake-

-OOH-she got crackle folks, we’re nearing the endgame (copyright Marvel studios...nah just kidding, RWBY’s a DC property). It ALSO almost knocks her off the cliff-

...I feel there’s a joke about a cat poster I can make here, but I’m not sure if right now is the right time to say it.

Yang is of course READY to save her-

-WHILE giving Adam an obvious deathglare for obvious reasons(MURDER HIM).

SADLY though Adam uses his greatest power of all-

Adam: MOMENT of truth Yang, do you think your faster than you were at Beacon?

*GASP*

EMOTIONAL manipulation( MURDER HIM, MURDER HIM). ALSO-sorry for the arrows, they wouldn’t go away and I couldn’t edit them out without ruining the gravitas of the shot.

Then a punch, A KICK, Yang’s on the ropes, will her aura hold out? CAN BLAKE HANG ON?!

OOH-apparently she can! MAN-the endurance these young women had, she lost a forcefield and now she’s climbing a MOUNTAIN, made of STEEL that one!

Adam than acts like the most OBVIOUS psycho-ex ever-

Adam: What does she even SEE in you?!

Yang: A person who doesn’t let their psychological baggage be an excuse to be an abuser!

Blake: Someone in my own age group who isn’t a creep who peaked his senior year of High school!

Adam: YOU SHUT UP I’M A PERFECT SUNFLOWER!

Adam then uses MOONSLASH on Yang but if you don’t know our girl-

Yang: Gotcha.

-you’d know it’d be NOT very effective y’all-SUPER SAYAIN YANG ACTIVATE!

FUCK YEAH-punch him OUT!

-AND HE GOT THE CRCKLE Y’ALL-its aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallmost over!

OOH-but so does Yang, BUT she’s got his sword so ADVANTAGE Bumbleby!

EITHER WAY-everyone’s running on fumes, its SUDDEN DEATH SMASH TIME Y’ALL!

And dear lord...its amazing-

-Yang THROWS that shit off a cliff-

-Adam goes after it-

Blake: SHURIYUKEN!

Yang: Wait I saw you climb UP the mountain, how’d you get back there-

Blake: WHATEVER-let’s kill this guy!

She sees the broken sword at her feet-

-she grabs ONE half-

-Yang graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabs the other-

Yang: RAH!

Blake: EYAH!

YANG/BLAKE USED DOUBLE STRIKE-

Adam:...oh-

*SPLASH*

-and its SUPER effective-CRITICAL HIT! RPG BUZZWORDS! AND THEN BUMBLEBY-

-gives themselves a tender cry scene while both promise to be there for each other. DAMN that was a fight scene, emotion, action, DEATH, I love this show!

Blake: *SNIFF* I just really really-REALLY-hope he stays dead!

Yang: Don’t worry, he can’t get maiden powers so he’s gone for good.

Blake: I love you babe.

Yang: I love you to.

A THEN CUT TO-

-CORDO-dealing with the consequences of her actions in MORE ways than one!

Nubuck: HEY UH M’AM-

-Godzillallegory is on the horizon- 

- and it brought a BUNCH of friends, we could REALLY use the giant Collossus mech made SPECIFICALLY for fighting giant Grimm!

Cordo:...I am SO fired.

AND THAT’S ep 12, SEE YOU...in 2 SECONDS for the next Micksterecap as this is a DOUBLE feature!

The FINALE starts off WITH-

-with a VERY nice airship! Look at that woodwork, now THAT is craftsmanship! The ship opens TO REVEAL-

-NEO-and her SNAZZY new look! Look at that jacket, just FULL of snazz! SPEAKING OF SNAZZYNESS-

-HOT DAMN-I never thought wearing a cape the wrong way could look GOOD but Cinder proved me wrong! After the minor fashion show-ITS SHIP SHIFTING TIME!

Cinder:(DAMN I am im-PRESSED by this, SO glad we’re friends now!)

We get it Neo, your semblance is OP, QUIT SHOWIN’ OFF!

Either way, our girls are looking fly as hell and are READY to fight Team FWBYQOMJNR....NEXT volume. Yeah, turns out it was one of THOSE build-ups where its for next season. I know, I’m pissed of too.

But enough about that-A CUT TO-

GOJIRA-slowly making his way to Tokyo bay to REEK ATOMIC TERROR!

This is the time when one could REALLY use a giant robot with a laser canon-

-if not for the fact that a senile old racist wasted it on minor offenders like a crazy person.

After the team realizes that they had a SLIGHT hand in ruining Argus’ defenses against a kaiju level threat, they decide to FLY OFF! Right before CORDOVIN-

“This is YOUR fault, your fault....

....your...fault”.

-ADMITS her own guilt in this to herself! Didn’t expect character development from her, NOW all she has to do is apologize to Blake for casual racism and it’ll be AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL good!

MEANWHILE-on the ship-

-Blake apologizes for her psycho Ex stalking them, ALL while only her, Yang, Nora and Maria(off panel) are sitting down. YOU ARE IN A PLANE-I do not believe that they are hogging all the seats!

Despite the obvious chaos, Maria basically suggests this-

Maria: Okay...what if we just BAIL?!

Everyone:...

Maria:...YEAH I know, gotta be superheroes and what-not, I just REALLY want Cordo to die.

They then all decide to get up close and personal with the thing, Ren and Jaune plan to do their combo move a.k.a. the ONLY semblance Jaune will boost this season-BUT THEN-the monster resurfaces!

*RESIN COATED GLOVE AGAINST A BASS GUITAR!*

Look it up bitches. Its ALSO at this point that Mrs.Terra Cotta-Arc-

-regrets recent life choices that inadvertently lead to her brother in-law and his entourage to destroying Argus’s last defense...also what’s up with that girl in the background? The one with the diamond logo and the bare mid-riff? She a superhero or something? If so...GET TO WORK-there’s a monster to fight!

AW-she’s there for her family and...I’m sorry I just can’t get over that background character’s design, I mean LOOK AT HER-does she have ANY hips to speak of?! I know its just a background character, but STILL bad design.

BUT LUCKILY FOR ARGUS-

-THE SHIELDS GO UP-which I’m sure won’t be damaged at all!

SEE-look at that, COMPLETELY impenetrable!

BAM-even blocks the beast’s elemental attack, NOTHING can break this shie-

*BOOM*

...w...WAIT A MINUTE-the SHIELDS are impenetrable but the pylons MANAGING the shields AREN’T?! That is...a HUGE design flaw, DAMMIT CORDOVIN, this is what you get for spending your defense budget on your Gundam hobby!

This is when everybody just wants to get the HELL out of there but Ruby calls it in-

Ruby: EVERYBODY-me and my scrappy team of rogues is gonna take on that beast, we JUST need you to back us up!

Nubuck: UH-no thank you, we’re nameless soldiers in a fantasy story, WE KNOW what happens to us in this situation!

Either way Ruby is ready to use her magical laser eyes to slow down the beast, by her OWN dang self!

Ruby: Fine, we’ll do it alone if we have to.

Ruby: Let me repeat, I-A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL-am going to fight a monster ALL by myself...with NO military support...alone.

Look at Cordo, see the GUILT emanating from her!

Either way the plan is set-SUPER TEAMWORK COMBO-

-EMOTION MASK TIMES TWO! Seriously, the ONLY semblance he enhances this season.

They then fly undetected through the chaos while ONE plane gets hit! Exactly ONE...no lie, maybe this army isn’t as bad as I thought if only one plane got knocked down so far.

After just NARROWLY avoiding the blast-

-the beast takes out the SECOND barrier due to the worst design flaw in the world-

-DESTROYING THE TOP TO EXACTLY ONE BUILDING! DAMN-lucky Argus, this is a generally destruction free monster attack!

OOOH-but also RIGHT at the moment Ren and Jaune get crackle, CLOAKS DOWN PEOPLE-cloak is DOWN!

But have no fear-OUR LEADER HAS A PLAN!

Weiss:...giant bee?

Ruby: GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIANT BEE!

Yang: You rang?

Blake: Oh YOU!

Nora and Yang give cover fire while Blake just...stands there, because her weapon broke. Hey, sometimes your ex smashes your gun-sword in half, it happens.

SEE BLAKE-you just upgraded yourself to Weiss...holder, way to seize the initiative and HOLD THAT WEISS!

Ruby: I know this is stressful but riding a giant bee is still FREAKING AWESOME!

Nora: I CALL NEXT!

Yang: Aw man, I wanted to fly next.

Qrow: QUIT YAMMERING AND KEEP SHOOTING!

Rubalubes than squares up with the great beast and then-

-STARTS A CLIP SHOW TO PSYCHE HER POWERS UP! She ALSO-

-throws that PESKY earpiece RIGHT into the ocean...because turning it OFF is impossible apparently(freakin’ Atlas tech, TOO many design flaws). Either way-CLIP SHOW TIME!

What NICE memories, nothing that would trigger feelings of doubt which would mess with her hea-

SHIT-memories of the dead almost girlfriend-SHIFT FOCUS!

YES-memories of the vomit boy-FOCUS ON THAT!

Nooooooooooooooooooo-

-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Focus focus focus FOCUS!

NOT ON THAT!

NOR THAT!

Stay calm, STAY calm-

-AND she’s boned.

Ruby: DAMMIT silver eyes, WORK WHEN I WANT YOU TO WORK!

The beast is in her sights, her powers aren’t working, only ONE thing that can save her now!

Ruby: JINN!

*SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW*

Yang: Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

DEUS EX MACHINA-because TELEVISION! Also really wish I could show the illusion of time slowing down better in simple pictures

Pouty Jinn is pouty. Either way she tells her that she’ll only allow her to summon her this this ONE time without asking a question.

Jinn: I must admit, this WAS clever.

Ruby: Heh, yeah, to be FAIR I wasn’t sure if you ACTUALLY slowed down time, or if that was like a “Bill Cipher” style illusion, but yeah I’ll have a real question next time.

Either way-CLIP SHOW RESTART!

Time re-starting is ALSO hard to show with still pictures.

*WAVES MOVE SLIGHTLY FASTER*

You enjoying this so far? You COULD be re-watching the show instead of a slow clip-show of it but O-kay!

Yes, GOOD memories of Pyrrha, GOOD ones!

*MORE SUBTLE TIME RESTARTING*

OH YEAH-she’s still in front of a monster! DAMN-that’s a good timestop, full on ZA WARUDO!

That’s right, good memory of Penny, DON’T PSYCHE OUT!

And just when you thought they weren’t gonna hit us with a feelsbomb-

SUMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER! ALSO-confirmation that Ruby knew what her mom looked like, I wasn’t sure as she died when Rubes was REALLY yong, either way HUZZAH! ALSO-this shot-

Summer’s eyes-

RUBY’S EEYS!

“THERE’S A LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT THERE TO SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE-

- “ AND ITS POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWER IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”

Bless you Casey Williams, BLESS you!

Look at the well designed background characters being showed off by Rooster Teeth, THEY ARE PLEASED! Also, look at that glasses wearing mother fucker in the purple jacket, he a WIZARD or something? We coulda used a WIZARD y’know, just saying.

Nubuck1: YEAH-that girl we refused to help stopped the beast!

Nubuck2:...are we terrible at our jobs?

Nubuck3: Just shut up and keep cheering!

Ruby then marvels at the site of a major city that SURVIVED a kaiju-class Grimm attack for once-BUT ALL IS NOT WELL-

*CRACKLE CRACKLE*

*ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!*

Ruby: DAMMIT-I meant to fire DISINTEGRATING beams, not FREEZING!

Maria: I now, its LITERALLY the most fickle super power.

But worry not-FOR ALL IS NOT LOST!

Cordo: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE I COME, TO SAVE THE DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Ruby:...okay, thanks for the help, but HOW did you rip your mech’s arm off?

Cordo: HM?! Oh nothing fancy-

Cordo: JUST A BAD ASS DRILL THAT I WILL USE TO PIERCE HEAVEN!

Ruby:...why the HELL didn’t you use that on us before?

Cordo: Honestly I forgot it was there...as well as SEVERAL functions on this mech. Really I shouldn’t be in charge of anything.

Either way-

-she drills the FUCK out of that thing! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH SPINNING!

Man, that’s some NICE dusting! 

Once again, the background characters are pleased, including lady hipless over there! Oh lady hipless, I will NEVER understand you.

And even 2/3rds of the Cotta-Arc household are completely enjoying it, while Terra is REALLY hoping this mess won’t come back to her.

Ruby then thanks AND apologizes to Cordo because she’s a NICE young lady, while Cordo gives her team the go ahead to fly out tho Atlas. DOESN’T make up for her mean comment to Blake, BUT progress is progress.

A THEN CUT TO-

-BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED CLOUDS! MAN this show loves to show off and I LOVE IT!

INSIDE the ship-

Ruby’s mentors give her WELL deserved props and Qrow celebrates BY-

-NOT drinking! GOOD ON YOU Qrow, PROGRESS!

D’aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw.

The mentors than have a NICE quick moment.

Maria: For a depressed drunk, you make a great uncle and huntsman.

Qrow: That is...LITERALLY the best compliment you can give me.

Speaking of sweet moments-

FUCK YEAH-hand holding! Now let them KISS dammit!

ALL WHILE-

-RUBY deflects praise like a body does, EVEN points out how Oscar landed a clean crash...OR DID HE?!

Oscar: I...DIDN’T land the plane on my own.

YUP-Ozpin helped him, in a scene that’s BASICALLY this-

Oz: The force Oscar, USE the force!

The team briefly discuss the fact that their creepy wizard principal is most DEFINITELY spying on them before Qrow points out-

THE UNIVERSITY OF CAROLINA IN THE SK-I mean-THE CITY OF ATLAS! Anyone...old enough to get that reference? Scott Pilgrim? Its a story about a guy who dates a 17 year old, dumps her for someone cooler, and we’re supposed to see him as the hero? WEIRDLY good read despite the what the synopsis will make you believe.

We also briefly see-

-THE UNDERCITY OF MANTLE...which...looks like its near an active volcano I think! NO WAIT I see, that’s where the floating city came from...still feel BAD for the poor people of Mantle though.

Either way, they get up there and EVERYTHING is fi-

-ZOOP military blockade, never mind. And we end the adventure of Team RWBYQOMJNR with a MYSTERIOUS line-

Voice: Manta 5-1, welcome home.

Oooooooh, Weiss is in TROUBLLLLLLLE!

And that’s it for them, credits start rolling-NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVERMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE- and then a we get a TEASER because Joss Whedon!

Mercury: I like being depressed in here, it makes me look DEEP!

Emerald also walks in to slightly foreshadow her defection from the Legion of Doom but notices how FREAKED he is...why?

Cause Salem’s making flying MONKEYS that’s why! We ALSO-get a Hazel cameo!

Hazel: There’s an old saying, if you want something done right-

-do it yourself.

WELL-team RWBY’s boned. EITHER WAY, a fantastic season, personally I feel episode 12 had better finale energy than episode 13, BUT outside of a malfunctioning force field still good. I’m also KINDA mad that Neo and Cinder, and pretty much EVERY member of Salem’s faction didn’t get many times to really shine, BUT there’s always next season! 

AND WITH THAT-I’l see you either next season of RWBY, or on my Gen:Lock recaps on MICKSTERECAP! Peace out folks.

[kellykadesperate]

robron week

Day 3 | Distance/Separation:  if you just keep holding on.

Aaron's on one side and Robert is on the other.

He tries to blink out everything in front of him but all he sees is thick blackness and dust and it fills his lungs so quickly that he can hardly breathe.

For a second, he slumps back and almost just lets everything crawl over him and then he sees this slab of a wall just cutting straight through the barn. He holds a hand against it and tries to ease himself up and then his heart is aching because -

"Rob?" He croaks out, breathes in all the air and groans against it. "Robert." He slams against the brick, eyes wide and alert and he's this absolutely mess.

And Robert isn't saying anything back.

~*~

Lachlan's exposed in dramatic fashion.

The pub is full and everything just collapses around him.

Belle has her suspicions, she hears him pouring his heart out to a pair of graves and she's startled into doing something.

And Rebecca, it's not even like she can help all that much because of what he's done to her.

But then one day she's scared of him again and everything seems to just click.

"You caused it?" It's Robert's voice, he's the first one to shout amongst everyone else staring at Lachlan. He feels everything build up inside him and he can hardly breathe as he looks at the boy who's responsible for taking everything from Rebecca, punishing his own son too.

Lachlan keeps his head down, looks like he's trying desperately to think of some sort of excuse but he can't.

Aaron's standing behind Robert, practically feels the heat and anger radiate from the older man and within seconds he has to hold him back from launching himself at Lachlan.

"Rob, Robert calm down." Aaron whispers, check to check, breaths colliding as Robert looks down at Seb gurgling in the pram next to him and Liv looking in horror from the side.

"You - you don't know what you're talking about." Lachlan flaps now, and then he scowls at Belle. "How could you think I -"

And it's the wrong move to make, grabbing her arm a few seconds later is even more stupid because Cain practically fly kicks him out the pub and everyone is silent again.

Belle's this wreck of girl and Lisa envelopes her into a hug like she's only little. "Mum I heard him, he said he was sorry for - for what happened. He said he swerved the wheel and -"

It's enough for Robert to hear.

"I'm ringing the police." He blurts out, gets a nod of the head from Aaron and Chas as he scrambles for his phone and lets them know about the psycho on the loose.

Only,

They let him go.

Not because they don't think he did it, but because they need to actually gain more evidence before they can just start dishing out charges.

Robert's not saying anything, curled up on the sofa with Seb in his arms and Aaron shuffled close to him.

Liv's sitting beside them all, headphones out for this evening like she knows she has to be there for Robert that little bit more.

The television is murmuring in the background and Robert can't even pretend like he's listening to it. Instead, he's just staring down at Seb and looking at how long his little body has got.

Everything seems to hit him there and then and Aaron gently strokes his cheek.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He pleads, needs to feel close to Robert at a time like this and can't bare the distance that this is creating.

Robert shudders, "Seb could have died if I hadn't taken him that day. Lachlan could have just - just lost it like that on the way to the airport." He can't breathe again suddenly and even Aaron's startled by how true it all is. "We could have lost Seb." He holds the baby towards him a little and wills himself not to cry.

Liv's never actually seen him cry before, she's seen tears in his eyes and heard his voice cracking but never like this and he doesn't want her to.

Aaron seems to understand and then so does Liv.

"Can I read Seb a story? Upstairs?" She asks and Aaron smiles a little adoringly at her before Robert passes Seb over to her and sees him wriggle a little with glee.

He only seems to let everything out when they're both gone and Aaron's wrapping his arms around him.

"All this time, I thought it was me. I thought that - that taking Seb led to everything. But Lachlan was always going to be deranged enough to swerve the wheel." Robert has his face buried in Aaron's chest, and the younger man draws small circles into his back, kisses his head over and over again and it's so unlike Aaron to be this tender without warning but Robert craves it.

"He isn't going to get away with this." Aaron says, voice cold and unmoving and he thinks of dunking Lachlan's head under that barrel for even longer now. "I promise. He's going to pay." He says, and Robert nods against it.

~*~

Aaron slams a hand against the wall, waits to hear Robert's voice and then feels all this blood rush to his head so suddenly that he nearly falls back.

He's bleeding, feels it trickle down his face but all he can concentrate on is the silence.

"Rob," he heaves out. "Robert please." He says and then suddenly he's hearing someone coughing on the other side of the wall.

Robert heaves, suddenly panicked as he tries to reach out for Aaron and is met with this brick wall in between them.

"I can't - I can't see ya. I can't -" Robert babbles, feels all this pain race through him suddenly. "Aaron?"

Aaron's smiling a little, all this relief flowing through him and he tries to forget the ache in his chest from the pressure of the bricks laid out over him. "I'm here. Rob, it's okay." He tries and he's awful at this, he's sobbing against how much he wants to hold Robert's hand.

And then he's hating himself for causing this.

He did this, he did this.

( Aaron's unable to help himself.

He's got Seb in his arms and he's trying not to get emotional over the fact that he has no idea about what sort of monster he's related to.

"I've got a monster too you know." He whispers, strokes at Seb's little face. "But we're not like them okay? Doesn't matter how much we're related to 'em." He kisses him gently and then suddenly Lachlan's knocking on the door and Aaron has to clench his fists against the sound. "You stay there mate."

He holds his breath as he goes towards the door and then sees Lachlan there, eyes red and looking shabby. He supposes he's been living anywhere he can since the whole village knows about what he's done.

Everyone except the incompetent police.

"I'm only answering this door to tell you to never come here again." Aaron's saying, voice tight and controlled and Lachlan looks through him, looks straight at Seb and Aaron practically loses it. He blocks his view and pushes the door shut but Lachlan keeps it open.

"Where's Robert?" Lachlan's asking, and Aaron scowls against the question. He knows that he probably wants to see him and do some damage before he's caught out and Aaron won't have any of that.

"You need to leave. Right now." Aaron says, only Lachlan turns into Lachlan again and slams a hand against the door.

It makes Seb start to wail and Lachlan doesn't even flinch against the sound.

"You think I'm just going to roll over and let myself get sent down for this? It was your pretend husband who did all of it. Him. And he deserves to pay for this." Lachlan scowls, face red and eyes burning into Aaron's and making him frown.

"You're not touching a hair on his head." Aaron snaps, but his voice seems to waver with emotion and Lachlan's eyes flicker.

"Yeah? We'll see about that won't we?" Lachlan says, smirks and Aaron drags him against the door with ease.

"I'm warning ya." Aaron growls, adrenaline racing through his body because this is suddenly too much to even begin to handle.

He has a family now, he has everything he wants and Lachlan can't ruin it.

He can't but -

"What have I got to lose now?" Lachlan says, looks towards Seb and then back at Aaron. "Tend to your little baby then Aaron." He's smug, he's still smug and Aaron's shaken as he leaves because he's right?

He has absolutely nothing to lose.

He holds Seb suddenly, rocks him back and forth. "It's okay. He's gone now, I'm going to protect you. Always okay?" And he kisses at his head again as he watches Lachlan stalk off. }

Robert heaves again suddenly. "Aaron? Aaron - I - I can't breathe right." He complains, because his sides are pressed against something heavy.

Aaron nods. "I know, I know. I'm sorry." He whispers, holds a hand out against the wall and his chin wobbles.

Robert frowns suddenly against the sound in Aaron's voice. "Don't cry. It's - don't say sorry."

Because he shouldn't be.

Aaron's laying here like this.

Aaron could die like this.

Because of him. Because he should have listened.

{ Aaron hasn't let go of Seb all day, and his arms ache by the time Liv comes through the door with Robert behind her.

He's not himself, still not himself and Aaron's not trying to make it worse but -

"Make sure you've locked that door." Aaron says, stands with a sleepy Seb in his arms as he bounces him. Robert frowns against it and Liv knows what he means.

"I haven't seen him today." Liv says, "Zak and Lisa have kicked him out. He won't -"

"He already has." Aaron hisses, looks towards Robert who's suddenly scowling.

"I'm going to kill him." He says, turns like he's going to leave but Aaron holds him by the arm.

"No." Aaron panics, "Okay. No one leaves." He says. "Not until he's behind bars."

Robert seems to get it, holds Aaron towards him and strokes his arm. "He isn't getting to us."

'He said he was coming for you. He's going to hurt you and I might lose you so don't leave my side.'

It's what Aaron wants to scream but he doesn't. Instead Robert holds him and he shakes a little in his embrace.

"We're going to be fine." Robert promises, drags Liv back towards his side and kisses her head. It makes Aaron's heart do something funny. "He can't touch us.}

Aaron gulps hard against the black air.

"I should have told ya the truth, instead I - I didn't want to worry ya too much and -"

The sound of something falling beside him makes him wince, and Robert shudders against it.

"Aaron?" Robert screams, "Aaron, are you okay?"

And this, them like this is too much for him to even get through his head.

He wants to hold Aaron in his arms, rock him gently and suddenly he's thinking of their family and the fact that he's feeling cold, drained against everything around him.

Aaron manages to cough out something to let Robert know he's still okay.

"We - we need to keep our eyes open." Robert keeps saying, breathing ragged and something pressing deep within his side, hard enough for everything to turn woozy in his head as he speaks.

He thinks about only a few hours ago, when Aaron was still so far away from him and everything came to a halt in his chest.

His chin wobbles against it, against the fact that he'd caused Lachlan to do what he did. To lose his whole mind.

{ Aaron didn't want him to go, he'd begged for Robert to stay with him all day.

But here Robert is, staring down at his work folder and telling himself that Lachlan is less than nothing to them.

And then his phone is ringing,

And it's him.

At first, Robert's smug with it all. Because he knows that the net is closing so far in that Lachlan is probably struggling to breathe right about now.

"Keep talking Robert. You keep talking." Lachlan's voice is strangely calm and Robert finds himself unsettled by it all. "You know, Seb's a right crier when Aaron's upset isn't he? It's almost like he picks up on it or something."

And there was a mug in Robert's hand, it's nothing but pieces on the floor now and his mouth is gaping open against Lachlan's words.

He can't help but move towards the house, practically runs there as he hears Lachlan laughing down the line and -

Seb's just crying his eyes out on the sofa and -

He's alone.

Robert drops the phone, heaves in and out from the way he was running and then suddenly brings Seb towards his chest and rocks him.

He's shaking, his little boy is shaking and so is he.

"It's okay, daddy's here. Daddy's right here okay?" Robert's eyes are wet against Seb's face and he keeps his voice tight until he's hearing Lachlan still speaking down the phone.

"You shut up." Robert screams. "Where is he? Where's Aaron?" He says, and there's something so awfully tragic about what this is.

He's made this happened, with his scheming and poking and prodding.

He's made Lachlan into this deranged sort of boy who goes around killing his family and kidnapping people and -

"He kidnapped me once, remember?" Lachlan says breathlessly down the line, almost lightness in his voice. "No one cared about me then. But you? You were more worried about him than you were about me ending up dead."

And Robert's eyes flicker against Lachlan's yammering. Something inside him just aches and he needs to know where Aaron is.

The feeling sparks through his hands and shakes the phone suddenly and -

"Just tell me -"

"You've taken everything. So I'll take everything too." Lachlan says calmly. "I take Aaron. You lose it. You can't be there for Seb. He goes. I win." He says, and then he's laughing.

He's laughing and he's this calculated evil little -

Robert falls towards the sofa under the weight of it and then he breathes out steadily.

"Police." He blurts out. "I'll ring the police. If you don't let him go, I'll -"

"You'll come alone Robert. If you want him alive by the time you get here." Lachlan says, and Seb's still crying in his arms, face red and tears streaming and -

The world turns black around him. }

He can't hear him,

He can't hear Aaron and his heart just thumps against his chest in this uncomfortable way. It makes everything inside him tense and he's willing himself to keep his eyes open, keep breathing, keep trying to -

"Aaron?" Robert slams against the brick between them, clears his throat and heaves against the blackness.

Aaron's eyes droop, something aching in his side and he slams at the brick wall. He tries to make sure Robert hears him but something crashes around them again and he can't help but wince, attempt to pull himself up into a ball.

Robert shudders. "I'm hurt." He says, groans and tries to keep talking, keep Aaron alert against how *bleak absolutely everything is feeling right about now. "My - my side, Aaron I -"

His pain only perks Aaron up, makes him suddenly aware that Robert, his Robert, his husband is so close to him and he's feeling all this pain and he needs to be there for him too.

He needs to help.

"We're going to be alright. Just - don't think about it." Aaron whispers, holds out a hand out against the brick wall. "Put - put your hand against the wall yeah?"

And Robert does, feels just something flow through him as he pretends he's holding Aaron's hand.

A tear falls down his face and the panic inside him seems to just settle a little.

"Are you hurt?" Robert asks suddenly, and Aaron looks down at himself for the first time.

Something sharp is sticking out of his stomach, there's blood everywhere and he's not fine but -

"Me? I'm - just a few scratches." He says, he lies because it's easier and because he knows Robert has this insane habit of wanting to sacrifice himself for Aaron in ways he shouldn't.

Robert breathes out steadily. "Oh God, okay." It's settled him a little, bought back some colour to face because Aaron's okay. He's okay. He smiles almost faintly as shaky hands press against the wall.

And he struggles against the way his mind travels back.

{ Aaron's nowhere to be seen. That's all Robert knows as he walks into the barn.

He expects him there, chained, hurt, something but it's too dark and he can't see anything.

"Aaron?" Robert whispers, voice steady and firm and he doesn't want Aaron to see him scared, absolutely petrified.

He hears the sound of feet and suddenly the door is being opened and Aaron's flung towards Robert's feet.

He's not hurt that much, he's got his legs tied though and Lachlan's clearly punched him hard because there's a redness under his eye that won't budge as Robert falls to his knees and holds him.

"Aaron? God," Robert's crying, tears streaming down his face and Aaron's shaking in his embrace.

He's literally shaking against every single memory and every single -

"Seb? Liv?" Aaron's panting, because the last thing he sees is Lachlan standing there and he's got a gun and Seb's crying in Aaron's arms and he's refusing to let him go.

He doesn't want to leave him but -

"Shhh," Robert whispers. "They're fine." He says, hands falling on Aaron's face. "Come on, I've got you okay." He promises.

Only Lachlan's suddenly coming in and he's making loads of promises too.

They're mostly about making Robert's life a living hell and this being payback or something.

He doesn't take him seriously, still.

And then Lachlan's got a gun out.

Robert's hands fly up. "Put - put it away okay? You've made your point. You've scared us and now -"

Lachlan's taller than Robert remembers him being now, he's got this gun in his hand and the beanie he used to rock when he was younger has been long abandoned.

"You think I wanted to scare ya?" Lachlan says suddenly. "Nah." He smiles. "This, it's payback."

And Aaron's panting against the ground. "Yeah? Well go on then, do your worst but you leave him alone." He's shouting, he's this brave, stupid, amazing man and Robert shakes his head against his words so quickly that he nearly faints.

"No." Robert begs, "Lachlan. Look at me. It's me, isn't it? It's me, always has been. You - you did what you did 'cause of me."

And he knows that has some level of truth it. He hates how much actually because Robert was the constant in Lachlan's life until he was gone and he left this insane boy to go out into the world and harm.

Lachlan's still waving the gun around and then he nods.

"You're right yeah. It is you." And Robert's shoulders tense as he points the gun at him. "So how do I make you suffer eh? Through this beefcake." He says, and he's  still laughing.

And he's this maniac who Robert can't let take Aaron from him.

Not like this, he keeps thinking.

Over and over and over again -

"You don't have to do this." Robert blurts out, eyes wet. "The police have nothing concrete do they?"

And Lachlan suddenly produces his phone, hits play and Robert is suddenly met with this terrible confession.

'I swerved the wheel. And I wanted them to die. I wanted them to hurt exactly how I was hurting. I wanted them to finally understand how it felt.

My name is Lachlan White and I killed -

It's enough to make Robert have to turn around and press his hands against his head because hearing it all is suddenly so sickening.

He feels tears building up inside of him and Aaron's still tied and bruised and on the floor.

"You - you absolute monster." Robert growls, leans forward as if he's going to do something.

"Come back to me." Aaron winces out and it stops Robert in his tracks, makes him move towards his husband and kneel a little to comfort him.

"I sent that to Belle. And she's probably told the police by now which means I have absolutely nothing to lose do I?" Lachlan is almost getting off on this, and Robert can't get over how much of a sick bastard he is.

It's everywhere, this blackness, this terrifyingly true reality that Lachlan has absolutely nothing to lose and -

"It doesn't have to be this way." Aaron pleads, "Lachlan. Just let us -"

"What? Go?" Lachlan screams. "If - if you kept your dirty hands to yourself in the first place, then mum wouldn't have been so bored out of her mind and obsessed with interfering with my life all the time, because she'd still have a husband!"

And the ground shakes.

And Aaron's flawed by his logic as he feels his eyes glaze over with tears.

"That was me Lachlan." Robert jumps in front of Lachlan's view. "Me. I - I had the affair, I broke your mum's heart. Me."

And Lachlan's rolling his eyes. "Oh, well done Sugden. Why do you think I'm going to break yours then?" He points the gun back at Aaron, and Robert feels everything at once as he sees his husband crying his heart out.

Because,

Aaron doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to die.

He wants to see Seb grow up and hear his first words and he wants to watch Liv find happiness and -

He wants to marry Robert again.

He wants -

Suddenly Lachlan puts the gun down.

It falls to the ground and everything is horribly silent before he's sniffing and wiping at his face with the back of his hand.

"You think I'd add anymore life sentences for you two?"

It's all one big joke and the feeling of relief rushing through Robert's whole body is overwhelming as he watches Lachlan turn around and leave.

He's going and Aaron's still shaking from how near to death he just was.

"Rob." He cries out, hands fly towards Robert's shirt and he grips tighter and tighter and -

"I've got you, we're safe. Aaron we're -"

Only there's a sound of an engine suddenly, and someone slamming on breaks and -

Lachlan's ploughing straight at the barn.

And everything around them collapses. }

The pain isn't easing, it's relentless and Aaron pants against it now as Robert groans.

"Tell - tell me something." Aaron whispers, heaves again as the smoke and the dust flies through him. "Something to - to distract us."

Just something, Aaron wills and Robert keeps his hand firmly pressed against the wall in hope Aaron is doing the same.

"I booked us a holiday two nights ago." Robert smiles against how flipping spontaneous he was, glass of wine and some cheesy chick flick on in the background. Aaron wasn't watching any of it but they were in Monte Carlo and Robert got ideas. "You and me. Four nights. Monte Carlo."

And Aaron feels something break in his chest.

This love, this unwavering sense of underserving love, just overwhelms him.

"I love you." Aaron panics, "Rob, can you hear me?"

Because this pain is only growing heavy against him and he's crying now.

He's crying and Robert blinks quickly, feels himself growing woozy again.

"Hmm?" He murmurs and Aaron's eyes widen.

"No. No, Robert. You said we had to stay awake. Come on -" he leans forward a little and the pain is unbearable. But he doesn't give a shit, he bangs against the brick wall over and over again until Robert is responding again.

"I love you too." Robert whispers, has no idea if he'll ever be able to say it again because they're stuck and -

"No. No don't say it like that." Aaron's suddenly willing them to be strong. "We - we have to shout for help. We have to try and get someone." He coughs harshly, and something else crashes down, another wooden beam.

They're lucky it doesn't hit them.

"Help!" Aaron's screaming, it sucks all the energy out of him and he can hardly breathe.

And it doesn't even work.

"Always - always so brave." Robert mumbles adoringly. "Brave Aaron." He whispers, hands falling against the wall. "*My Aaron. You - you got to be *mine."

Aaron's heart sinks.

"I still am. I still will be." He says, "Because we're going to get through this, we're getting out." Only his face is so dangerously pale now and he can't bring himself to look at the state of his stomach or the way his heart rate is slowing.

Robert nods slightly, breathing ragged again. "Tell Seb - tell him I loved him so much. And - and Liv, she was my sister."

And no.

Aaron slams a hand down on the divide and shakes his head. "Robert Sugden, don't you dare even try to -"

"Say goodbye." Robert finishers his sentence lightly. "I don't want to Aaron but - it hurts." There's blood everywhere and his eyes feel heavy -

He was thrown across a room by a moving car and knocked unconscious and -

"I know it does." Aaron reassures him gently. "But we just have to hold out a little longer okay?" He whispers, eyes flickering and then he bites his lip. "'Cause I was planning on asking you to marry me you idiot."

He was planning on getting down on one knee and asking Robert to be with him forever and ever in this awfully sappy way.

And Robert's mouth hangs open, his hand on the wall rests and starts to fall slowly as he hears Aaron's words.

"Yeah?" Robert's whispering against the lump in his throat.

"Church, hall, everything."

And he's crying again,

"You and me." He whispers. "So you can't go and - and give up on the chance of that happening can you?"

He's honestly not sure how he's still keeping it together, and then his head lolls back a little until he's resting on something hard.

And then he's hearing someone shouting from outside.

He lifts his head up and sees flashing lights and -

"Aaron, Aaron there's -" Robert shudders against his relief, feels the pain finally begin to ease around him and Aaron smiles faintly before feeling his eyes close all at once, too quickly and -

He feels someone shouting closer to him, and all he can say is,

"Him first."

And he means Robert.

He means he needs Robert to get out first.

There's a threat of a beam falling, everything is cracking and shaking because of the weight the men bring in.

Aaron sees everything through a blurry haze and then suddenly Robert is feeling a mask over him, faces telling him to move fast and press down where it hurts and he's nodding slowly.

And then something falls down on them again, splits the wall and he watches bricks cascade around them.

"Aaron?" Robert says, drags the mask off his face so that he can see his husband. "Aaron, we're okay now - look at -"

Only Aaron's pale, his lips are a strange colour and there's this faint smile on his face like he's at peace and Robert has to be dragged off of him.

"No." Robert screams. "He - he said he was fine." He's shaking, look down at the state of Aaron and the tears fall. "Wake up. Aaron, wake up." He's pleading, and thy blackness returns because the paramedics are telling him to let go of Aaron's hand and let them take him out to safety.

But he knows. He feels something deep inside him and -

"Don't tell me he's dead."

"We need to get him out."

Is code for,

'He might as well be' it seems.

~*~

He's in Vic's arms suddenly, and he's *sobbing.

"They - they took him. They said they needed to operate but it's been ages Vic."

And he's not supposed to be sitting on a plastic chair.

He's got cracked ribs and something wrong with his lung, needs further testing but he won't move.

Vic's eyes are damp. "He'll be okay." She whispers, strokes Robert's hand. "And Lachlan? He's - rotting behind bars as we speak Rob. He's - he's gone."

And there's light relief in that, he supposes.

But it doesn't help this. The hole only growing in his heart as he struggles to breathe.

"He could die." Robert's hands are trembling. "Die." And Vic tuts as he leans towards her and he's back in her arms like a baby.

And she tells him Seb's fine with Diane, she reassures him and holds his hand.

"I thought he was fine. He told me he was but - it was a lie. He just wanted me to - to not worry about him." Robert's eyes are stinging from the way he's crying and he wonders if he pulls his hands out in front of them, would they shake? He supposes they would, and then he's suddenly back *there and Aaron's struggling on his own.

Vic seems hurt by his words and she doesn't say anything for a few seconds as she rubs his back. "That's Aaron all over." She whispers, sniffs. "He loves you."

Robert gulps, shudders a little. "Yeah. He does."

And for the first time in so long, he wishes Aaron didn't.  

He keeps wishing and then Chas and Paddy are there and they're a mess and -

Robert manages to drown things out until he hears the doctor telling him that he can see Aaron.

That he's out of theatre.

That it went well and they've managed to successfully give him the blood transfusion he needed.

"He'll be groggy, a bit out of it but you're free to see him."

And Robert smiles against it.

He shuffles into the room, they're all surprised he can actually walk but he's not. Because he's trying to be strong for Aaron and that's always been the way things have gone.

"Hey you." Robert whispers, eyes soft as he looks at Aaron laying flat against the bed with tubes sticking out of him. "Don't leave me alone." His skin prickles. "Don't leave our family, please. We need to do the whole proper wedding thing eh?" He says, gentle hands fall on Aaron's bruised face and he kisses him tenderly.

Only he feels something back and -

Aaron's eyes are flickering.

"That - isn't - a proposal." Aaron's stammering out, hands suddenly tight against the sheets as he looks up at Robert with drowsy eyes.

Robert gasps. "Aaron." He says, eyes flickering. "Don't - don't to that again." He pleads, "God, I - I nearly lost you." He whispers, "Don't - do ever, ever leave me like that again, okay?"

And Aaron's eyes are red and Robert is staring over him, hair all over the place and looking an absolute mess but -

He pulls a hand up and holds Robert's cheek. "Mine." He whispers, and Robert nods.

"Yours." He whispers back, kisses at Aaron's nose and everything is still until Aaron's panicking. "Lachlan."

Robert strokes his face. "Gone." He mumbles, "He isn't touching us. He's gone, I promise."

He promises and then he's crying against it.

"I'm so sorry for everything he did." Robert keeps saying, and Aaron's shaking his head against it all before his chin is wobbling.

"We're a team. You and me. And -" Aaron winces slightly against his pain before smiling. "I love you." He says, and his head spins with thoughts of losing Robert like that again.

Just slipping away.

It makes him use all the strength he has to squeeze at Robert's hand and then Robert's forehead is against his, he kisses him gently and when he pulls away Aaron's looking at him like he's never looked more in love.

"I want Seb and Liv here. I want to see them," Aaron's asking, and Robert nods his head before sniffing and combing through Aaron's hair.

"I'll get Vic to bring them okay?" He whispers, "Now though, get some rest."

And Aaron's scowling. "You too." He's saying, "Come." And he pulls at Robert's hand, gestures for him to scoot the chair over and then they're sort of awkwardly resting on each other. "Don't ever want to feel that close to losing you again. I can't stand it." Aaron admits, eyes glassy and this heart ache building.

Robert gets it so much that he can't say anything for a second.

"You won't." Robert swears, gently stokes Aaron's face again.

"Because we're getting married? Having a summer wedding?" Aaron's whispering, hands so tight in Robert's and he's clearly shaking still.

And Robert smiles at him like he's the sun and the moon and the stars too.

"Still haven't actually proposed." Robert reminds him, "Down on one knee and everything."

Aaron almost laughs, keeps everything tight around Robert and he doesn't want to ever let go.

He just wants to stay this clingy.

"I can do that." Aaron whispers, accepts this challenge in the midst of everything heavy around them and feels that separation suddenly ease into absolutely nothing.

He shuts his eyes, and Robert's hand is in his as Chas and Paddy watch from the window in a soft sort of amazement.

[takaraphoenix]

I believe you didn't talk about your opinion of Riverdale's season 2 yet. (You know, in it's entirety and not just of some scenes.) But now I'm left curious. What do you think of the rest of the season? And since you wanted to find out on your own: Did you manage to correctly identify the Black Hood before it was confirmed in the show?

Oooh. Oh, sorry. I just always post the excitement when something, ya know, exciting happens. Still unsure about lengthy ramblings that seem too off-topic from the blog. (Yes, I am still pretending this blog has a theme. Let me. xD)

Oh dear, how do I put all the things into words and in order?

To sum it up briefly as an intro: I’m disappointed.

Now, more in detail.

Starting with the things I liked. Which are significantly less than the things I disliked, hence the overall verdict.

Toni is an amazing character and I love her addition to the show. I just hope she will get her own plotline next season, because this season she was only there to either further Jughead’s plot or Cheryl’s. I’m also very eager to see Toni’s and Cheryl’s relationship unfold, because boy do I ship it hard.

I really enjoyed FP and Alice Cooper’s development this season, much to my own surprise. Alice came out being one of my most hated characters first season, but I actually liked her semi-redemption arc and... I... somehow now ship her and FP? I am very disturbed by that, to be honest.

And... with that, we kind of reached the end of the things I enjoyed this season? Which, yeah, sad.

I didn’t like a single one of the main characters’ plotlines this season.

Archie and how his relationship with his father slowly came apart over the course of the season - despite it being semi-mended in the end, this whole arch seemed unnecessarily forced and in contrast to their portrayal in the first season.

Archie and starting his own fucking gang. TWICE.

Seriously. He gives Jughead shit for being a serpent, but then he goes ahead and starts his own gang. And the fucking names. Red Circle. Dark Circle. Wow. Such creativity, much awe.

Archie running after Hiram Lodge all season long was just... intensely disturbing to watch. He just allowed himself to be sucked in deeper and deeper.

So did Veronica and with her it annoyed me even more. First season Veronica seemed so much like the girl who was against her criminal father. And now she just... doubled down on the crime hard. And I genuinely don’t know what she was expecting? Because the girl acted like what happened was somehow a surprise or something in the end, when she turned against him again. Like. What... What did she think would happen...?

Then there was Betty’s plot.

I liked that she confided in Archie and her friends about the Black Hood and didn’t just do a solo gig. But her trying to get her brother and them just immediately accepting the creep into the family without so much as a fucking background check first.

And Jughead literally went from the sweet nerd with a blog to the fucking king of the gang. Like. Good lords, slow it down some. It seemed so incredibly rushed just how fast he came to accept the serpents as his family and the school as his home. I think that his “becoming a serpent and becoming king of the serpents” plot should have been stretched out over two seasons.

Cheryl’s plot was... so over the top too. Conversion camp? Her mom trying to murder grandma? And... her characterization was all over the place too. One second she is the Queen with the power-moves cutting her mom’s oxygen, the next she is the crying girl in the corner, weak and helpless. I mean, I get that with everything that happened last and this season to her, she wouldn’t be fully stable, but it really felt more like convenient writing. “Mh, we need more tension, so how about Cheryl is utterly helpless and defenseless in the next scene?” turning into “Oh but we could use a badass move, how about she just attacks the serial killer with her bow and arrows and without being the least bit intimidated?”.

Also Cheryl and Rose now living alone in the mansion... Honestly, instead of making her sick grandma her guardian, I think auntie Alice should have stepped up.

The relationship between Cheryl and Betty is really fascinating and I would genuinely enjoy seeing more of it. Like, having Cheryl move in with them, she can have Polly’s room. She would be forced to live a more down-to-Earth life.

The whole evil twin of her dad thing was really unnecessary. I mean. Seriously. It added absolutely nothing to the plot.

Just, overall, there was way too much going on this season for my taste.

And not just too much as in too many plotlines, also just... too dark, too deep, too heavy.

This show is indeed taking the Desperate Housewives route, but it hits it harder than I expected.

That is to say, the first season offers a genuinely intriguing, vaguely over-dramatic mystery that happens and that brings an unlikely band of protagonists together to solve it. Following seasons will so desperately try to top it that the dramatic event is completely blown out of proportions and loses absolutely all grasp on reality.

And that’s what happened this season.

We get a serial killer. And the mafia. And a psycho imposter brother. And an evil twin. And a conversion camp. And a gang war. And a serial rapist. And a drug problem.

That’s just too many “and”s.

First season worked perfectly. It had that one mystery that they had to solve and then some sub-plots around it. That mystery was one murder.

Now, to your other question regarding the Black Hood: HONESTLY HALF THE TIME I FORGET THAT HE IS A CHARACTER ON THIS SHOW.

Hal is so bland and so unimportant. When he made his first appearance this season, I legit went “OH right Alice has a husband! Ooops!”.

I figured it out at one point, but then they went misdirection with that second, or third, I lost count, Black Hood and I grew doubtful because why the fuck.

Last season, with daddy Blossom, it took me really long to figure it out. But when it was revealed, it was a thing that made sense. They set the mystery up so you had to work to figure it out, but it made sense plotwise.

This one? They purposefully wrote it so it doesn’t make sense.

There is no legit motive. They retconned some “Oh by the way his dad was a murderer but he pinned it on someone else and momma brainwashed him and Betty’s words in the last season finale were a trigger to turn him into a serial killer” so hard that it’s just pathetic.

And how he conveniently managed to stop killing when he got it pinned on someone else. That was literally only plot-convenience to make the viewer believe they got the right guy, because Hal had no logical motivation to stop killing. It was never about hiding his crimes? He literally wrote letters and made phone-calls and flaunted it in everybody’s face, why would he find a scapegoat and then stop killing? That’s just... bullshit. He should have, logically speaking, gone after like Hiram Lodge or some other scumbag criminal.

Nothing about that shit could have been guessed.

I mean, I did guess that Hal would be the son of the murderer. Or the one surviving child from the murder. But then they put the janitor in and killed that.

Last season’s mystery came natural. This one was forced in every way of the word.

That just completely took the fun out of it for me.

Well, that and the sheer amount of cruelty and brutality this season. There was no fun this season. Last season still had its lighthearted moments. This one didn’t.

It’s not just taking a bad Desperate Housewives route, that route is crossing streets with the bad Teen Wolf route of going grittier and darker and removing all color and fun from something that used to have color and fun and then somehow expecting that to be good. It is not. It never will be.

Either make something gritty and dark from the get-go so it attracts the right crowd of people, or make something that has jokes and lightheartedness in it and embrace that. But don’t attempt a genre-change like that. It’s a failure.

The musical episode was really out of place for me too. It didn’t fit to the tone of this season at all. Fun musical stuff could have gone with last season. Not to mention the musical could have been Kevin’s plotline. But... Kevin kind of didn’t get a plotline at all. He got one episode of musical thrown his way and that vague shit about him fucking in the woods and that was, essentially, it.

I am also not a hundred percent sure; did Betty and Jughead actually fuck or just make out...? I usually look away when they start undressing on screen and only look up again when the scene is over. I fail to see any reason for sex scenes at all, period, in literally any show, but especially so in a show about supposed teenagers? It’s just... weird for me. But if they did, fuck you show. I want asexual Jughead. Also, this ship has zero chemistry.

And can someone maybe get Betty a therapist now? Last season with her turning into psycho Betty with the fucking wig was already Really Disturbing, but she doubled down on that hard this season? And? Is she supposed to have some form of... personality disorder? Is that intentional? Either way, she helped cover up a murder this season and got psychologically tortured by her father who is a serial killer, so yeah please get her professional help.

So, yeah. That’s it.

I found this season too forced, too dark and too brutal and if the show doubles down on those elements with the same rate that it did from season 1 to season 2, then season 3 is going to be DCEU levels of dark and gritty.

I really hope they will slow down and that they will start remembering that you don’t have to rush from one traumatic, brutal event to the next murder to the next attempted rape and so on, but that you can... pause in between and put something more light in, to even things out. How do writers keep forgetting that...?