#when was the last time i posted decent writing? forever huh

[i-like-to-analyze-stuff]

Ok I have never posted on Tumblr before, but have a LOT of thoughts about Taylor’s curated playlists corresponding to the 5 stages of grief, so I’m jumping in!

My first impression was of course sadness about all the Joe love songs in here. I mean, she literally put the song “Lover” in “Denial!” Yikes. But when I did a deeper dive and tabulated which song subjects were in which lists, some interesting patterns emerged. If you don’t care about all the details, just jump to the end for the totals. Interesting, huh?

I have to tag @taylor-on-your-dash because they are my hero! Most of my opinions on who each song is about come from their incredible data on when each song was written, which I’ve cross-referenced with who Taylor was dating at that time. Obviously these are just opinions, but they are based on a lot of research!

OK here we go:

Denial:

Lavender Haze—Joe

Snow on the Beach—Joe

Sweet Nothing—Joe

Glitch—Joe

Betty—fictional, but written with Joe

Willow—Joe

Cruel Summer—Tom

Lover—Joe (ouch!)

Miss Americana—not romantic (2016 election)

False God—Joe

Style—Harry

Wildest Dreams—possibly Alex Skarsgard?

Treacherous—Harry

Untouchable—she didn’t write it

That’s When—non-famous person

Ours—John

Superman—John

Bejeweled—Calvin, but she also wore a “bejeweled” dress when she did a surprise appearance at a 1975 show a few months before her breakup with Joe was announced, so this could refer to being in denial about Matty being able to be a decent human being lol

Anger:

Vigilante Shit—not romantic (scooter)

High Infidelity—Calvin (positive about Joe though, at least he gets a break here!)

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve—John

Exile—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Illicit Affairs—I think fictional but who knows?

Mad Woman—not romantic (Scooter)

Tolerate It—fictional (plot of the book Rebecca)

Bad Blood—not romantic (Katy feud)

Is It Over Now?—Harry

I Knew You Were Trouble—Harry (yes I know there’s debate about this, but I remain firmly convinced that, even if she didn’t start this about him, in the end it was definitely about him)

We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together—Jake

The Last Time—Jake

The Moment I Knew—Jake

Babe—Jake

I Bet You Think About Me—Jake

Dear John—John

Better Than Revenge—Joe Jonas/girl he left Taylor for

Tell Me Why—non-famous person

You’re Not Sorry—non-famous person

Forever & Always—Joe Jonas

Mr Perfectly Fine--Joe Jonas

Bargaining:

The Great War—Joe

This is Me Trying—I think fictional

Peace—Joe

The Archer—Joe

Cornelia Street—Joe (oh, this one hurts!)

Death by a Thousand Cuts—fictional (inspired by a movie but the movie writer was inspired by 1989 so I guess semi Harry?)

Soon You’ll Get Better—not romantic (her mom’s cancer 😢)

Afterglow—Joe

I Wish You Would—Harry

Say Don’t Go—Harry

Come Back Be Here—Harry (I know there’s debate about this too but I’m in the Harry camp)

Better Man—Jake

The Story of Us—John

Haunted—Joe Jonas

Come In With the Rain—non-famous person

The Other Side of the Door—non-famous person

If This Was a Movie—Joe Jonas

Renegade—Joe

Depression:

Bigger Than the Whole Sky—non-romantic (miscarriage?)

Dear Reader—non-romantic (self-doubt)

Maroon—Jake? I think? Honestly I still can’t figure this one out for sure.

You’re Losing Me—Joe

My Tears Ricochet—non-romantic (Scott Borchetta)

Epiphany—non-romantic (war/pandemic)

Hoax—I think Scott Borchetta, so non-romantic? But possibly also Joe? I think she said in this one she was writing about multiple things.

Champagne Problems—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Coney Island—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Right Where You Left Me—I think fictional

Nothing New—non-romantic (self-doubt)

All Too Well—Jake

Forever Winter—non-romantic (friend with mental health issues)

We Were Happy—non-famous person

Last Kiss—Joe Jonas

Castles Crumbling—non-romantic (self-doubt)

Carolina—fictional (for a movie)

White Horse—non-famous person

Acceptance:

You’re On Your Own Kid—non-romantic (self confidence)

Midnight Rain--non-famous person

Labyrinth—Joe

The 1—I think fictional

August—fictional

Invisible String—Joe (finally, a happy song about Joe! This one is touching. Like I guess she’s accepting that they were fated to be together but not end up together?)

Happiness—I think not personal—supposedly about Abigail’s divorce

Long Story Short—another happy song about Joe! Wow!

Closure—nonromantic (Karlie friendship breakup)

Evermore—possibly fictional, but written with Joe

It’s Time to go—nonromantic (Karlie friendship breakup)

I Forgot That You Existed—Calvin

Daylight—another happy song about Joe!

This Love—Harry

Clean—Harry

Now That We Don’t Talk—Harry

Begin Again—supposedly Will Anderson (lead singer of Parachute)

Innocent—non-romantic (Kanye)

Breathe—non-romantic (close friend/fiddle player in her band left the band)

Totals (romantic only, not including fictional)—this really says it all!

Denial: 7 Joe, 2 Harry, 2 John, 1 each Calvin, Tom, possible Alex

Anger: 5 Jake, 3 Joe Jonas, 2 John, 2 Harry, 1 Calvin

Bargaining: 6 Joe, 3 Harry, 2 Joe Jonas, 1 each Jake & John

Depression: 2 Jake, 1 each Joe Alwyn and Jonas

Acceptance: 4 Joe, 3 Harry, 1 each Calvin and Will Anderson

So, basically, with Joe, and to a lesser degree Harry, the main feelings were denial, bargaining, and acceptance. Whereas with Jake and Joe Jonas it’s about anger, plus a lot of depression about Jake. And John gets a healthy dose of denial and anger. Sounds about right!

But also, to all the people ready to attack Joe when TTPD comes out, I think it’s important to point out that he’s not even ON the “Anger” list at all. Yes, things ended. Yes, it’s sad. She was sad. But that doesn’t mean he’s a terrible guy.

Oh, and Taylor L. is nowhere on the list! Yes, he is definitely the best ex lol.

[isleofair]

15 questions, 15 13 mutuals

Thank you for the tag, @hikari-yumi! 💚💚💚

1. Are you named after anyone?

Technically a saint (my mom liked a statue of her she saw once). I was given my late aunt's name as a middle name, but it got lost in the bureaucratic shuffle over the years, so it doesn't show up on any of my documents any more.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Pfshhh. When's the last time I didn't cry? Teary-eyed, today, over a post. Tears falling, surely sometime in the last three days. Full-on sobbing, I think last week.

(I know, I'm a mess.)

3. Do you have kids?

No, and I don't ever want any.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I used to, but nowadays not a lot.

5. What sports do you play/have played?

I tried gymnastics, basketball, and modern dance in elementary school. None of those stuck. (I am very unathletic.)

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Huh. I'm honestly not sure. Probably if they're cheerful and seem easy to get along with, or they're frowning/serious and seem unfriendly.

7. What's your eye color?

Dark brown.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings all the way. I can't handle scary things very well.

9. Any special talents?

I... was a natural with chopsticks when I first tried them? 😬 And I'm fairly good at learning languages (but then of course I forget them if I don't use them, so I only really speak Italian and English 😅).

10. Where were you born?

Italy, nowhere really special.

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing!!! 😄 (I'm still excited that finally I get to say it, too 😅) And then reading, playing a few video games (mostly Pokémon), playing D&D.

12. Do you have pets?

My beloved boys, my cats Sasha and Misha. 💕💕

13. How tall are you?

164 cm (or 5'4½'').

14. Favorite subject in school?

All scientific subjects (Math, Physics, Science, you name it), and English.

15. Dream job?

Used to be astrophysicist, now I'd honestly take "no job I just magically receive enough money to live decently and chill out and write fic forever", at least for a little while (I'm a liiiiiiittle burned-out).

*deep breath* This time, I can do it! 💪 I'm tagging (with ZERO pressure) @nicoroni, @debstinyyy, @imaginatorofthings, @saltedpin, @youngerfrankenstein, @damedanedameyodamenanoyo, @pearlnareff, @seaofolives, @exquisitefrogprince, @applescabs, @maidenvault, @carito-dorito, @art-trocious, and anyone else who'd like to play! 💙

[unholysunblade-a]

Misguided Faith

(Takes place at some point during WoD. Forsaken vs. Gilneans plus a death knight)

It started when she was a little girl. The shining daughter of Lord Sunblade, a fledgling caster, a proud, promising young girl with hopes and dreams. How dearly she wanted to wear her name proud, to show her parents and her peers that she was worthy of it.

    Cleave.

How badly she wanted others to see her worth. For her father to place his hand upon her head and smile down with the fondness other children’s parents held. How starved she became for that need, that attention, that love.

How willing she became to throw herself to the ghouls when she learned that want was unachievable.

The death knight rode upon her pale horse across the battleground, the Forsaken banner attached to her steed as she lifted her battle axes high in the air. This, she learned to love. The wind in her hair, the thrill of the kill, the screams, the blood, the mayhem -- this she was good at. This, her peers loved. Cheered for.

    Cleave.

Seaandra let out a piercing battlecry, charging gleefully into the fray. Both massive axes swung wildly, snatching and tearing through flesh of the worgen far too slow to avoid her. For every one that fell, honor would be granted to the knight. She deserves it, she feels. The praise, the attention, the glory -- she did not need her father’s mocking tone to tell her she would never live up to the name.

After fighting so long for her place in this wretched world, she deserved this.

    Cleave.

In one swift move, the death knight leaped off her horse, charging into the dense battleground. Dozens of worgen met her with blades drawn and teeth bared -- she met them with the same sentiment. Once upon a time, Seaandra had accepted there was no redemption for her. She was not the son her father wanted, she was not the knight the Light wanted. She had hoped that at least, in death, she would go down a hero, giving her all for her people at the gates of Quel’thalas. At least then, her worthless life would be lay down to give those who had lives worth living a chance to flourish. To prosper. To become something more in the wake of the new world.

But it was not worth it.

Seaandra let out a scream, frost shooting out from beneath her feet and crawling across the ruined grass at an intense speed, seizing the beasts by the ankles and legs. She channeled her unholy power into her blades, empowering them with infection and plague before wildly slashing at the victims before her.

    CLEAVE.

She had no peace of death, no peace of mind.While one hell ended, another began as she awoke to the smell of burning flesh and a necromancer reanimating stiff joints, and filling dead, exhausted lungs with ash and smoke. The very sight of flames revives the memory, the pain rolling over her tenfold. The young paladin, who believed so strongly in the Light, and the hope for her people to succeed, brought into a world of decay and blight.

But it made her stronger.

She could never be proud of the things that she had done while seized by that icy grip of the Lich King’s command, but she could not feel shame either. Within the Scourge, she had purpose. Glory for the Lich King meant glory for herself, and oh how she craved that glory. How dearly she wanted to show the other knights, to show her king that she was worthy. That she was powerful in her own right, that she was wanted, she was useful. The blood on her hands, the corpses she amassed, it all built her up. Here, she was wanted, here, she was accepted.

But it was not worth it.

A massive worgen leapt at her, tackling the death knight to the ground. She struggled against its large size, pushing its snout and cage of teeth away from her face. She clawed at whatever skin and fur the worgen had exposed, channeling her magic to the worgen’s blood, curdling it and manipulating it until every vein within her attacker had burst. With a snarl, Seaandra heaved its body off her, straggling to her feet. Around her, other undead with the Forsaken’s emblem upon their chests descended into battle, leaving chaos around her wake. Battlecries and shouts of horror and death rang loud in her ears, and though she lacked reason to breathe, she found herself panting. Of what emotion, she could not tell.

Her horse rode back to her, and she mounted quietly, riding to another populated area of combat. This, at least, was her choice. With the Scourge, she did as her liege wished, acted as an extension of his sword. But those days were over. She was free. Liberated from that horrible nightmare that should have never grasped her.

But this… This was not liberation. She brought a hand to touch her ruined cheek, preserved by unholy means as a reminder of what she had become. Once a valiant paladin, now… a horrible, twisted monster. Her life had been wasted, and her death had been weaponized against those she died protecting. What purpose could she possibly have in unlife? What did this world have for a heathen like her?

    CLEAVE.

Her horse galloped into a narrow neighborhood, snapping the wood of abandoned wagons and debris of destroyed homes. Once more, the death knight jumped off her mount, landing directly atop another beast and hacking through its bones and flesh. She hopped from victim to victim, leaving each corpse frozen and destroyed as she switched targets.

She fought for this world that did not want her. How she longed for their love, their care, their support. How she craved their attention, how she craved to have a place of her own in this world. The people she died for, they could never want her back in their society. Even still, in this twisted form, she continued to fight for their love.

But was it worth it?

The Forsaken banners flowed in the wind atop the buildings they claimed, and Seaandra could not help but grin. She has a purpose now. The Forsaken -- they know her pain. The Banshee Queen died in the same battle as she. They know the blight. They know the suffering. They are the unloved, the unwanted. But that does not mean they cannot FORGE their place in this world!

    CLEAVE.

Seaandra burst through the doors of homes, slaughtering any and all within the battered homes, the lichfire in her eyes glowing intensely as she shrieked and roared out. She knows what she must do. She knows what she can do. And the whole world must see it. See the pain that she knew, learn the horrors she was so acquainted with. Here, they will claim this land for themselves. These beasts will be the example -- the dead will rise, and they will make it known where they belong. And she will slaughter anyone that stands in her way.

For the glory of the Forsaken, she will PURGE --

Seaandra’s axes came to a halt, held just over her head. Frost coated her armor in an instant, and she looked down in horror, unable to bring her blades down.

A mother sat on the ground beside an overturned table, pressed against the wall with tears pouring from her eyes. She was not alone -- huddled into the corner, she shielded two small children, wide, fearful eyes trained upon the death knight’s weapons. Their fearful cries were soft and quiet, mourning the deaths Seaandra would soon claim.

But she could not.

An old, faint memory, like that of a dying candle, suddenly revived itself, burning like a fire raging beyond its confines. That same, terrible massacre Seaandra fought in on her final day returned to the death knight at a force that nearly rocked her physically. Once, she had seen the Scourge pour into battered homes, slaughtering the high elves with no mercy. She had stumbled into a destroyed house where an elven mother and her children hid in a corner as the wretched undead held their blades up, ready to claim their lives for the Scourge as well.

Here, faced with the Gilnean, Seaandra could see no difference between her and that frightful mother from so long ago. Had she really become the same monsters that destroyed her people? Had she really sunken this low?

Was it worth it?

Another worgen, a slim, female warrior, bursts through the door, shield in hand as she swoops to defend the mother and children. The embers of that memory burn bright, as Seaandra could see only herself as a young paladin those years ago defending the innocent from the Scourge that plagued her land.

She could not move.

The worgen slammed herself into the death knight, and Seaandra hardly made an effort to defend herself. She crashed out of the house, stumbling through the broken wood and debris as the warrior made her frenzied attacks. Seaandra cannot fight. This… This was not her purpose. How could she have strayed so far from who she once was? How could she become the very fiends that she worked to defend her people from?

Seaandra held up one of her axes, feebly parrying the warrior’s attacks. Like this worgen, Seaandra had once fought to protect her people from those horrors, sought to give them a future. That, she gave her life for.

How then, can she keep fighting, if not to strip that very same future from another dying people?

    Leave.

The warrior disarmed the death knight, sending the battle axe across the field. Seaandra held her other in both hands, trying to shake herself from that trance. She was aware with a different perspective of the battlecries, the screams of death and terror in the air. It bore into her like daggers, shredding through the fabric of her own reality and shaking her to the core, an icy feeling colder than her own frost, a pain akin to that of her own death.

How could she have done this? Has her Queen truly fallen so far she lost sight of her own cause as well? Does she not understand the weight of the Forsaken’s actions, does she not see that they have become the very same thing that cursed them to this fate?

    LEAVE.

She had to run. Run away from this. Such treacherous thoughts would be the end of her. Perhaps it would be best if she left, if she disappeared from this place before she sank further into her role of a monster. Perhaps it would be better this way --

The worgen’s blade found Seaandra’s abdomen, black ichor spilling from the chink in the death knight’s armor. Seaandra sputtered, clutching the blade and keeping the warrior from piercing her any further. Seaandra met the worgen’s eyes, the two of them close enough to see the fire and fury they held. But the death knight could see past the feral part of the warrior, past that rage and fighting spirit. She’s scared. This warrior, who so willingly threw her life on the line to protect the defenseless, knew fear well in her heart.

That beautiful sight woke something within the death knight. She could not leave. She could not run from this. All her work would be for naught, it would not be worth it. She had dug herself this grave, now she will lie in it.

Seaandra mustered her strength, lichfire returning to her eyes, ablaze brighter than ever, and she yanked the warrior’s weapon out of her abdomen, slicking her fingers with her own black blood. She twirled her massive axe in hand, bringing it down with a crushing force against the warrior. The worgen barely lifted her shield in time to block the attack, and Seaandra pressed forward, clashing the heavy steel against the shield until dents began to form. Frost formed around them until the faintest amount of deathly snow began to flutter past the two, and soon, the warrior began to falter, the death knight’s brutal attacks wearing down on her until she fell backwards, bloody and battered, awaiting her fate.

Seaandra stood over the warrior, watching the young woman pant and clench her eyes tight as she waited for the blade to fall down upon her. But Seaandra could not lift her axe. Not when the Forsaken sought to destroy the woman’s homeland. She could not finish her.

But she could not leave her.

“Get up.”

The warrior opened her eyes, shocked to hear the death knight’s sudden demand. Seaandra gripped her axe tightly, forcing herself to keep from trembling. The warrior did not move, she could only stare.

“I said get up.”

The warrior scooted slightly, but she did not rise. Infuriated, Seaandra let out a piercing shout, swinging her axe down heavily until the warrior rolled out of the way fast enough before the blade could cleave her face in two.

“Get up!” Seaandra shouts again, snarling and baring her sharpened teeth the same as the worgen did. “Look at your home! Do you want us to take it? Do you want us to win?!”

The death knight’s attacks became ruthless and uncalculated, the heavy weight of the blade hissing through the air as she swung and hurled it towards her target. The warrior dodged, on her feet once more as she retrieved her shield and sword, the fire reignited within her eyes. Sparks flew as their blades clashed against each other, both fighting spirits reinvigorated and with a powerful fury.

“Hold onto this hatred,” Seaandra growled, slashing at the worgen. “Remember my face, beast. Remember who wanted to take this. Remember that you were willing to give this up!”

The worgen roared, letting out a mangled cry that hurt the death knight’s ears, but Seaandra could only grin. If Seaandra had become a monster, then in the very least, it would give someone else a purpose. Give them reason to fight. Give them a duty and a place in this world. She will make the blood she spilled worth it. This warrior will be that example.

“Grieve!” She shouted, striking the worgen, drawing blood, but not enough to kill her. The warrior fell backward, growling and hissing in pain. Seaandra crouched over her, inching dangerously close to the worgen’s face. “Grieve your fallen. Remember your people. Remember what has happened here. Remember our faces. And don’t. Let. That. Go.”

She straightened, giving one final glance to her axe before stabbing it into the dirt beside the warrior. This path is over. No more banners and tabards, no more loyalties sworn to the broken and unforgiving. No longer will she lay her life or unlife down for someone else’s war.

No more. They do not deserve her faith. She does not deserve them.

“Find me when you are stronger,” Seaandra said quietly, casting the summoning spell for her steed. “I dare you to find me. Try to kill me.”

She will be her own hero, she will follow her own path. Her purpose will be her own, and Light dammit this new leaf will be worth it.

For only she can redeem herself.

[the-queen-of-fools]

Coffee & Cowboys

Chapter 1

— — —

Word Count: 1600 Pairing: Jack ‘Agent Whiskey’ Daniels x English f!Reader (no y/n, no descriptions beyond accent) Rating: Mature (For language and themes. Might become explicit at some point) Warnings: Swearing; slow burn; angst; mentions of death; mentions of afterlife; mentions of alcohol; post-movie; AU

A/N: Slow burn. Meta / self aware-ish. I have no plan. First time writing Whiskey. No idea how often this series will be posted. (I’m English, and I liked the contrast with our ‘Southern charm’-filled cowboy, so the reader is English too…)

— — —

Saturday started like any other. No alarm, so you wake feeling refreshed and ready for the nothing you have planned. A nice long lie in, read for a bit in bed, hot shower, and very comfy clothes. You walk downstairs and into the kitchen as usual, eager to drink the glorious caffeinated nectar of life, when you stop abruptly. There’s a man stood there. His back to you, showing off some rather tight jeans, broad shoulders in a dark denim jacket and what looks like a stetson. Who the fuck wears a stetson? “What the fuck? Who are you? What are you doing in my house?” You yell, as you pick up the first thing you can find in reach - a chopping board. A chopping board? What? He turns around, face slack. You grabs a jar and throw it at him. It flies straight through him and hits the wall behind, glass shattering and coffee spreading everywhere. You’re both just staring now, right where the jar should have stopped on his body. Your eyes meet his, matching expressions of pure shock on your faces. 

Uh... no. You shake your head and turn, running back upstairs and shutting your bedroom door behind you. You slide the lock in place, and dive back in to bed. Still holding the damn chopping board, you throw the duvet over your head and squeeze your eyes shut. You’re asleep. You have to be. You’re asleep, and dreaming of your nice relaxing morning routine. When you open your eyes again you can start the day right, have another lie in, a nice shower, and then a coffee without any men in your kitchen. Deep breath in, out, eyes open.  Sitting up, throwing the duvet off, you look up and fuck! There he is, stetson and all.  “Where am I?” A southern drawl crosses the room to you. It’s deep, and velvety, and if you’d heard it at a bar you’re sure you’d feel very differently about it. But in your bedroom?  “Why are you here?” “Where IS here?”  “How did you get in, anyway? The door was locked?” That stops him.  His face softens slightly as he looks at you and says, “I... don’t know.” He furrows his brows, two deep set lines forming between them. He’s staring at the door, and when you lean forward you can just about see that the lock is still in place. “Did you walk through the door?” You whisper. He’s silent, still staring. “Are you a ghost?” That gets a reaction. He whips his head around, and glares at you now.  “No.” “Are you sure?” His brow furrows again, face changing from its glare to a more fearful look as he whispers back to you. “…No.”

…

You’re both in your living room now. It’s taken over an hour to get you both to the stage you can share a room without shouting or throwing things. That would have been hard to explain to neighbours or your housemate. Admittedly, he calmed down quicker than you did. You’re pretty sure an existential crisis will do that to you. Plus, the novelty of throwing things through him took longer to wear off than you thought. Grasping tightly on your coffee (finally), the mystery ghost man paces in front of you. ���You’re making me dizzy, would you stop?” You ask. He stops moving, sighs deeply and sits down on the chair across the room. “Huh.”  “What?” He replies sharply. “Just curious why a jar goes through, or a pillow, or a chopping board, and you seem to be able to walk through doors without thinking about it, but you can still sit on a chair without falling through.” You explain to him, taking another sip of coffee. “Stupid metaphysical contradictions,” you grumble to yourself, and it actually brings out a slight chuckle from the man, who quickly tries his best to hide it. He shrugs. “Well, darlin’, I know nothin’ more than you.” “Don’t call me darling, cowboy.” “Cowboy?” His brows shoot up, a smirk lifting one side of his moustache slightly. “Because of the hat?” “And the accent. Thought you might prefer it to Ghost Boy... or Creepy McGee.” Another little chuckle falls from his lips as he leans forward, and looks at you. “You did follow me straight to my bedroom before. Creepy McGee would be a kind name for that.” “Cowboy is fine, sugar. Thanks, I guess.” “Ew. That’s worse than darling.” You finish the rest of your coffee in one mouthful, and look over to the man as he stands. “I’m still not convinced you’re real, just so you know.”  “What are the options then, darlin’? Ghost or what, exactly?” Or what, indeed. “And more importantly, how do I get back home?”  “The way I see it, we have three options.” “Based on what?” His hands are on his hips, and you forget for a second that he might not be there, he might not even exist. The breadth of his shoulders exaggerating the narrowness of his hands on his hips. Shit. Why couldn’t you have just met him in a bar instead? Why did he have to appear in your kitchen? He clears his throat, jolting you back to reality and you flush at the idea he’s just been watching you stare at him. The stupid smirk is back. “See something you like, darlin’?” He says, with a stupider wink. 

Ignoring him and his smug face, you begin. “Option One: I’m having some sort of mental health crisis and you’re a figment of my imagination. A symptom, if you will. Option two: You’re dead. You’re a ghost and, for whatever reason, you’re haunting me. Or, option number three,” you pause, “You’re not dead.” “Preferable, from my point of view.” He interjects, frowning. “Option three is more like, you’re not dead, but you’re close. Like you’re in a coma, but you’re still sort of haunting me. An apparition, astral projection, you know?” He’s nodding along, but silent, and still frowning. “Let’s rule out option one, I have no history of visual or auditory hallucinations, nor a family history of such things. So. Onto option two; there is a fairly wide and agreed consensus about ghosts, so we have ideas on next steps. Option three may be a little trickier though...” You trail off, placing your empty mug on the table in front of you. You stand, and walk over to a shelf to vaguely look at the DVDs. “Why is that one trickier?” He asks, sitting down onto the chair again. “Resources, mostly.” You tell him, over your shoulder. “There’s a lot of hauntings in film and TV, so a decent amount of lore to look into and test. But apparitions not so much.” You turn to him, and shrug. “Wait.” He says, processing what you’ve told him. “Film and TV? Those are your resources?” “Oh. I’m sorry. You got a library book recommendation? Name and number of an expert, perhaps?” You are just met with a huff and Ghost Cowboy just folds his arms and leans back. “Uncharted territory here, Mr Grumpy.” The look that replaces the sulk is priceless. “Sorry, sugar. But I think I’ll get my own answers.” He stands up and walks to the front door. His hands passes straight through the handle, so he sighs, and just walks forward. He can’t get through it though, hitting it like he would usually instead. Another sigh as he turns to you. “What now?”

…

He’s pacing again as you voice each thought crossing your mind. “So. Physical limitation to a place: ‘Beetlejuice’, ‘The Others’... Pretty common trope.” You pause. “Ooh, can we try something?” He stops his pacing and looks at you with a huff.  “Why not?” He says, throwing his hand out. “It’s not like it can get fuckin’ worse.” You stand and walk to the door. You open it, and walk back, past Mr Grumpy-Ghost-Cowboy, to the other end of the room. “Try to go through.” He does, hitting the invisible barrier. “Okay,” you move next to the open door, “try now.” He isn’t happy, but he tries again anyway. Nothing, still stuck. “Fine.” You move to the other side of the doorway, into your front garden. “One more time?” You raise your eyebrows and try to look sweet and innocent. “Please, Cowboy?” His hands are back on his hips. “Last time, English.” You nod, ignoring the newest nickname. It is decidedly better than darling and sugar, anyway. He tries again, and success. The cowboy walks through the door without any resistance. He looks shocked, and tries to walk further, perhaps out of your life forever. He’s stopped, again, at the wall. “Huh. Interesting.” You walk back inside your house, the ghostly intruder following you after a moment of pushing the solid air. “Very interesting. You weren’t dragged back by my reentering the house.” You close the door again, and move back to sit on the sofa. “So. We’re looking at… limited physical proximity to a specific person instead: ‘Heart and Souls’, ‘Just Like Heaven’, maybe? Sort of. Not quite.” You start to mumble to yourself, before lifting your head and looking directly at your guest. “I’m going to plan a movie marathon.” The ghost cowboy just shakes his head, frowning more than you thought possible. Any more, you think, and his eyebrows will start to fold in on themselves. “Look,” you tell him, “you’re not in pain, and you’re not fading away. I’m dealing in my own way, but I’m open to suggestions.” “Alcohol. Whiskey. Lots of it.”  “A cowboy who likes whiskey. Groundbreaking.”

[lovely-ateez]

Superman Jongho~

ꕥPosted: 11/20/20

ꕥGenre: Fluff & Angst (It ends happy I promise)

ꕥPairing: FemReader! x Superman Jongho

ꕥWord Count: 1.6k

ꕥWarnings: Slight language

ꕥA/N: Happy Halloween everyone! I know I haven’t posted in a hot minute but in all fairness college has been kicking my ass so it’s been awhile since I’ve been able to actually sit down and write. I’ll be posting Ice Cream Pt.3 later this week so look out for that!

“Nice costume, babe.” I giggled as I observed the navy blue tailored suit my boyfriend was wearing.

“Thanks, cutie. Any guesses?”

“Hmm.” I tapped my chin, “Michael Scott?”

“Damn. My James Bond outfit is lacking.”

“Maybe carry around a martini glass?”

“Oh I bet you want me to go around saying ‘shaken not stirred’ too, huh?”

“I mean, if the shoe fits.”

He wrapped an arm around my waist, raising a brow.

“I’m quite curious about your costume, actually. Why the change in style?”

Although my skin-tight, light pink dress didn’t align with my usual scary Halloween costumes, I wanted to try something different this year. So why not go as Hello Kitty?

I adjusted the white cat ears on my head, “I do scary stuff every year. I wanted to try something cute for a change.”

“Well, you certainly look it.”

I could feel my face tinting pink.

“Oh shush.”

“We’ve got about five minutes until we need to leave, do you wanna grab a jacket? It’s a bit chilly outside.”

“Hello Kitty doesn’t wear a jacket.”

“Okay but you do, and it’s cold.”

I squinted, wanting to refuse but knowing how easily the cold could make me shiver.

“Fine.”

After quickly grabbing a fluffy, white teddie jacket, I intertwined an arm with Jongho and we left our shared house for the late-night party.

-

Arriving at the party I looked around, surprised at how nice it appeared. Halloween decorations were carefully placed and every person in sight was wearing a different costume.

Jongho left to meet one of his friends, the host of the party, but not before placing a kiss on my cheek. I blushed at the simple action, still getting butterflies even after all this time of dating.

Approaching the punch bowl to get a drink, I quickly caught the eye of a certain pin-up girl. After a moment she turned to me and squealed, running towards me with an impressive speed. I chucked at my best friend’s actions. I was quickly engulfed in a hug I was half convinced would suffocate me if she squeezed any harder.

“Girl! Come ‘ere! How are you?”

“I’m pretty good, Hanna. And you? You seem excited.”

“I am! The party is gorgeous! And guess what?” She lowered her voice, looking around, “I saw him.”

“Oh my god you did not!”

“I did! A man was trying to rob the store I was shopping at earlier this week and I saw him stop the guy!”

“Are you serious?”

“Totally!”

I was surprised to hear a familiar deep laugh by my side, and as I turned I was met with Jongho’s mischievous eyes.

Placing an arm around my waist he spoke, “Are you two still obsessed with Superman?”

“No-”

“YES!”

Jongho tightened his lips into a small smile.

“Listen.” My best friend began, “I just think that he’s admirable, and strong, and his arms just look great-”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” My own questioned.

Hanna waved a hand in the air, “I mean yeah but he knows I think Superman’s cute. I can appreciate an attractive man and still be in love with my boyfriend.”

“Does he think Wonder Woman is cute, too?”

“Yeah well...maybe. But I don’t mind. We’re soulmates and I wouldn’t leave him for anyone. He feels the same.” A dreamy look flashed in her eyes and I couldn’t help but awe at how strongly she clearly felt about him.

Our conversation continued for a while until Hanna noticed the host’s cat trying to drink out of a cup of liquor and quickly ran after him.

We shook our heads in tandem, smiling at her feeble attempt to catch the cat before delighting in the rest of the evening.

-

After the party had come to an end we made our way back home and wandered to our balcony, admiring the beautiful night view.

Jongho tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before placing a few fingers under my chin, lifting it slightly and gently placing his lips on my own.

“I think I’m going to change out of this suit. Care to join me?”

“Actually, I think I’m going to enjoy the night sky for a while.”

He nodded and gave me another quick kiss, heading back inside and leaving me to admire the thousands of shining stars.

I rubbed at my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me. Deciding to change into more comfortable clothes, I took one last look at the stars. In my tired state I misjudged where the edge of our balcony was and leaned a bit too far over the edge, causing me to fall. I could barely let out a scream before I felt warm arms around me. I met eyes with my boyfriend and smiled, so, so relived that I was safe. I opened my mouth to thank him as I noticed that we seemed to be hovering mid-air.

“Holy shit. Jongho what’s happening?”

Jongho swallowed and placed me on the safe ground of the balcony, walking towards me.

“I...”

“You’re...him aren’t you?” I stared in disbelief as he gave a small nod.

“Why did you hide this from me?” His eyes lowered, pain evident in them.

“I-I didn’t want to keep it from you. I was just...afraid.”

I tilted my head, trying to understand. In the year that we had dated, Jongho had never shown fear of anything. Not spiders or snakes, scary movies, heights, the deep ocean, anything. And now apparently he’s Superman, too.

What does he have to fear?

Jongho finally looked at me, tears welling in his eyes. There was a sadness and longing in them that I had never seen before.

“I was scared that I would lose you.” He barely spoke above a whisper.

I fought back the hot tears stinging my eyes.

Did he really think I’d leave him that easily?

“Honey, you could never lose me.” I reached out to caress his cheek and sighed when he unconsciously leaned into my touch. Noticing his own actions, Jongho shook his head and pulled away.

“You don’t understand. It’s not just the possibility of you leaving me for who I am, but the danger that you could be put in if you knew. It was just better that you didn’t know.”

“How long were you planning on keeping this from me?”

Even though our words were calm, there was such tangible underlying emotion that we might as well have been screaming.

“As long as possible.”

“Jongho we’re supposed to be a team. How can we be a team when you’re keeping this from me?” I blinked as tears streamed down my face.

I had never seen Jongho cry. The only time he had ever come close was early in our relationship when I was hospitalized for the flu. I couldn’t eat or drink because of how awful I felt. Jongho later confessed that he, for a brief moment, thought he would lose me. Days following my recovery he first told me he loved me. The thought tore my heart everytime I recalled the memory.

And so I thought my eyes were lying to me as I saw Jongho quietly sob.

“I love you. So, so much. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. I can’t—I can’t—lose you.”

I threw my arms around him, clinging to him as if I let go he’d be gone forever.

“You’re so stupid, Jongho Choi. You could never lose me. I love only you.”

“I can’t guarantee that. And besides, are you even sure you still want to be with me? I’m in danger often and I can’t have you chase after me.” My heart broke in two when I heard his voice crack as he spoke his next words, “You could be with a man who would treat you well, one who isn’t putting himself in danger and-”

I pulled back and rested my hands on his face, pulling him into a soft kiss.

“This doesn’t change who you are. You’re still the same man I fell in love with. If it makes you feel better, I won’t chase after you. As long as it means I can stay with you.”

He gave me a heart-eyed smile, letting out a small laugh and holding me tight.

“I was so scared you’d leave me.” He confessed.

“Never.”

He lifted a hand up to my check, wiping away a tear I didn’t realize fell down my face.

“Please don’t cry. It hurts me to see you sad.”

“It hurts me to see you being stupid and thinking I’d ever leave you.”

“Touché.”

“God I probably look like a mess.” I cursed myself for not wearing water-proof mascara.

“You always look beautiful to me.”

I shook my head at how cheesy he was suddenly being.

“So...” I began, “You can fly, right?”

Jongho lifted a brow, a crooked smile lighting up his features.

“Perhaps. Why do you ask?”

“Can I fly with you? I’ve always wanted to fly.”

Without warning he picked me up, letting my legs wrap around his waist.

“Hold on tight, babe.”

We lifted off the ground and my grip around his shoulders tightened unintentionally.

“Hey, it’s alright. I’ve got you.”

“I know,” I smiled at him, “I trust you. It’s just...my first time flying like this.”

Jongho chuckled. “You get used to it.”

“Oh? Is that an invitation for me to fly with you again?”

“If that’s what you want, then of course.”

I chuckled and noticed that he had stopped flying up. We were a decent height from the ground, but not too terribly high.

Jongho nuzzled my neck and leaned his forehead against mine.

“You are the love of my life, darling.”

Smiling back at the handsome man I was fortunate enough to call my own, I kissed him sweetly.

“And you are mine.”

[neednothavehappenedtobetrue]

(Hello I have typed everything else that is in this post and now I am putting a parenthetical at the top. this post is very long, so you don’t have to read it, and if you do read it, you don’t have to Experience Concern, I’m usually fine and probably will be, but! If you do read it, and you do experience concern, would you mind telling me? Normally I do not require that, and I do not actually require that you read this long post, but if you do, it might be helpful to tell me)

(Also I can’t do cuts on mobile, so, sorry) (aha I am on desktop now and have added a cut, though this post is now from the past)

So! the good news:

-every homework I have ever had is done! all of it! the two classes I needed to finish after Big Cascading Extensive Sickness are fully completed! I have taken five classes of my grad program which is eight regular classes and then a semester where you do your thesis, so like ten classes altogether! Halfway there! Woo!

-I do not acquire more classes until not tomorrow but next Monday after that, so I have a week with some downtime in it! in which to do ADLs and write and listen to podcasts!

-my health situation has been back-and-forth this past… time period, but today I do not feel sick, nauseous, panicky, brain-stuck or sad!!! I will gladly take the current Mood Situation over any of those, and double-especially over nausea!!!

now for the part that’s not a complaint but also not not a complaint

-so I still cannot lately focus for shit until the very last minute where I realize there will be immediate bad consequences of not doing the thing right exactly now

-(this is an intermittent Mood Disorder problem for me, we are tweaking my meds, I am not going to be experiencing this brain forever)

-the final project was originally due Monday, and then “Sunday if possible” and then “can you turn it in Saturday night so I can grade it early Sunday?”

-it was not his fault about the moved deadline he is expecting a big hurricane and wanted to get it done pre-power-outage and the registrar would have been a big stickler for anything after Monday

-I figured that anything before 6:AM Sunday counted for these purposes, as he seemed unlikely to be doing grading any earlier than that

-I spaced out very badly most of Saturday

-I opened my laptop around 10PM

-my brain refused to let me do literally anything until like 1AM, at which point the assignment was due sometime between “an hour ago” and “five hours from now”

-then I unlocked the ability to focus for about five to fifteen minute increments at random a few times an hour

-it turns out that “literally after the assignment is due by the most generous definition, it’s already late and can only get later, someone is this minute waiting for you,” the point at which I regain my normal ability to just like, sit down, do a thing, and then have it be done.

-I worked pretty much straight through 7-noon, proofread, formatted, attached the document to an email with some made up personal problems in it

-not because I’m not having real life problems, I just didn’t want to explain the real ones

-turned it in at 12:35

-G submitted my final grade to the registrar already and will email me final comments post-hurricane

-if he secretly hates me he still gave me an A in the class, so who cares.

-the assignment took somewhere around 8 hours of focus work, most of which I did in the six and a half hours after it was (again, by the most generous estimate) definitely due and already late

-I guess it’s good to know I can Enter The Zone if I place enough consequences on myself

-I miss The Zone, it used to be comparatively much easier for me to go there

-I very much do hope the meds adjustment fixes my brain a bit, and soon

-I just did a casual assessment of my feelings about things and got “unusually limited emotions, somewhat flat inside,” about it, so I’m jotting that down.

-I don’t remember how I’ve been feeling, exactly, but I do remember telling my therapist that I’ve been feeling a bit flat lately, so that does check out!

-alex, if you were doing homework for fourteen hours, when did you sleep last?

-first of all, I was doing homework for eight hours, interspersed with six hours of genuinely nothing, I truly don’t even know

-that’s not even a terrible ratio for lately, there were entire calendar days last week where I had a brain for about two decent hours out of twenty-four

-there has been a lot of Mindless Scrolling lately, but also yesterday I put my phone away and genuinely did not even glance at anything but schoolwork on the computer

-what did I do for six hours? my guy, I truly do not know

-that wasn’t the question, was it? I’m kidding, I remember the question, it was about sleeping

-I slept from around 6-9PM last night, for some reason, and then haven’t since! lately I’ve been very nocturnal as much as I’ve been anything, so I am trying to reset my sleep schedule by going to bed, very tired, around 9PM tonight.

-assuming I will feel tired later, not sure body sensations are things I still experience very often, including tiredness.

-I’ve been very verbose today, and my voice on the phone sounded a bit manic earlier, so maybe that’s a thing, but in a distant and far away way, even that.

-huh. I feel like that would be concerning if I was closer to normal today. might edit this post a bit and then share it with my therapist.

-hey Alex, if you’re not doing any body feelings, what have you eaten and drank lately?

-more than nothing, technically

-I mean what are you, a cop?

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #232: And Now... Starfox!

June, 1983

“From Titan with love... Starfox!”

oh god no

Err. Anyway.

Last time on Avengers Z, the Avengers were bad enough dudes and lady dudes to rescue the president from wooden dopplegangers. The sinister and badly dressed Plantman (not to be confused with a Mega Man boss) summoned a giant-sized man-shaped swamp thing to battle the Avengers. They were doing a decent job fighting it when Starfox crashed his spaceship into it in his rush to join the Avengers.

And now, what happens after that.

Hawkeye is a terrible patient.

So also last time, a ceiling fell on Hawkeye’s leg and it be broke. He’s apparently the kind of dude who thinks its more manly to refuse anesthetic so She-Hulk has to literally pin him down long enough for Ordinary Doctor Donald Blake to cast it up.

And wow, that cast goes all the way up!

Where did you break your leg, Clint? At the sternum?

Actually this reminds me of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes because Hawkeye got his arm snaked and in-this-version-a-paramedic Jane Foster was asked to look at it but Hawkeye was similarly uncooperative there.

I wonder if that was an intentional reference or whether an accurate portrayal of Clint’s sparking personality just gets you there naturally.

But with the casting call done, Dr. Donald Blake makes to leave, making a point to mention how lucky that he was in town instead of in Chicago where he supposedly lives.

THUS Thor’s secret identity is secure forever.

Wasp and Captain America take Ordinary Doctor Donald Blake to the elevator to show him out but really, he just transforms back to Thor in the elevator.

Because Cap and Wasp already know his secret identity. As does Dra- oh wait, he’s dead. As does Iron Man.

In fact, after Cap mentions he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to seeing Dr. Donald Blake transform, Thor mentions very few mortals have ever seen the change.

Thor: “E’en Iron Man -- with whom I did share the secret of my dual life -- seldom watched me assume my godlike form. I believe it disturbed him.’

Wasp: “Uh-huh.”

Uh-huh is right. That’s a weird, random character beat! I wonder why it bothered Tony. Is it the god part? Transformation in general? Would it bother him to watch Bruce Banner turn into the Hulk? Or Captain Marvel/old broke version and Rick Jones chaaaaange places?

I’m intrigued. And yet there’s no further information. Hmm.

Anyway, the three founding or retroactively made a founding Avengers pass through two sets of ultra-security doors because obviously the thing in your base you most want to protect is your conference table.

Its got the cool, personalized chairs. Don’t judge.

As always, I wonder what symbols the other Avengers get.

Wasp delayed the resumption of the Avengers meeting (because it got interrupted by presidential ransom situation last issue) by a half hour because she wanted to run some things past Thor and Cap.

Wasp: “After all, we are the only core members on active duty and... well... I wanted to ask you both first... should I step down as Avengers chairwoman?”

Thor asks if she feels unduly burdened by the job but she says no, in fact it makes her feel so aliiiiiiiiiiive.

Cap: “Then stick with it, Jan! You’ve been doing a fine job! What on Earth made you even think of stepping down? Surely you don’t blame yourself for Iron Man leaving -- ?”

Surely in fact, she does do.

That weird call they got from an Iron Man quitting the team has shaken her. She probably thinks its because of Wasp dumping him. And in fairness, Tony ghosting the team happened not very long after that. But its not actually related.

Also apparently, Captain Marvel (the new cool one) was made a full active member and not an in-training to fill the vacancy Iron Man left. But now Hawkeye has gotten injured and there are no reserve members available.

Hercules is off doing him knows what. Beast is with the Defenders. Wonder Man is on the West Coast, presumably trying to make it in Hollywood. Vision and Scarlet Witch are trying to be civilians.

Wasp: “We used to have too many members around. Now we may not have enough!”

Yeah, ever since the roster shake-up that was soon followed by Hank’s No Good Very Bad Day, the Avengers have had a bit of a difficulty in keeping the team at good numbers.

Dammit, Hank!

Thor suggests, hey, we have Eros of Titan hanging around asking to be made a member. Why not... let him?

Thor: “Perhaps we should induct the brash Eros! He is swift -- and nearly as strong as an Asgardian!”

Cap: “Yes, but is he Avengers material? Does he have the proper training?”

Wasp: “Training! That’s it! We could try him out as an Avenger-in-training! It worked for Captain Marvel! She was almost totally unused to super-powers when she came to us, but she developed into a peach of an Avenger! With a little on-the-job training, I’ll bet Eros would fit in, too!”

So she calls the White House and asks if the president is back from his kidnapping yet. She has networking strings to pull.

And this honestly brightens her right up. Being group leader really does make her feel so aliiiiiiiiiiive. That and being able to call in favors from the government.

Twenty-six minutes of calling in favors later, Wasp reconvenes the meeting, this time with special guest Eros.

She asks why he wants to be an Avenger.

Eros: “Why not?”

This gives Hawkeye an anger and he bangs the table and also accidentally bangs his broken leg.

Eros decides to expand on his answer and says that he’s a lover of adventure and what better way to seek it than as an Avenger? He’s already aided them in the past so they already know of him.

Thor: “Aye! Against the threat of your mad brother, Thanos!”

Eros: “Too true. But I believe your brother Loki has also given the Avengers trouble hasn’t he?”

Wasp has to interrupt and tell the two to keep family matters out of the conversation. She makes a better moderator than some.

Eros: “You are quite right, Wasp! I hold no one -- god or man -- responsible for the actions of relatives! I seek but your fellowship! Indeed, I can think of no assemblage so appealing... so charming... anywhere in the cosmos!”

Wasp, Captain Marvel, and She-Hulk seem to approve of this answer.

... WAIT ARE YOU USING YOUR CHARM POWERS ON THEM? EROOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!

Anyway, since Hawkeye is out of action-

Hawkeye: “What do you mean, ‘out of action’? Who says I am?”

Cap(tain America) says he is and tells him he can’t be expected to charge into action with his leg in a cast. Which Hawkeye sadly agrees.

Anyway, since Hawkeye is out of action, Wasp decides that the Avengers can accomodate Eros as an Avenger-in-training. But the government did have one condition for letting his alien man become an Avenger.

He needs a codename.

Wasp: “Frankly, the president was hesitant to approve of anyone named Eros. He would rather you were called something less provocative in public.”

Hey, fuck you, Reagan.

But Wasp has an idea.

Wasp: “You’re a pretty foxy guy... and you’ve been out among the stars... how about ‘Starfox!’”

Good god, Wasp. Did you really just name this man Spacehunk? You’ve gone mad with power.

Also, I jumped the gun last post. I didn’t realize that Wasp comes up with his codename here so I was using Starfox to refer to him already.

Also also, he has a fox emblem on his shirt. Why does he do that if he wasn’t Starfox yet? What does the fox represent in Titanian culture??

Eros: “Starfox? I don’t know... Is this necessary?”

Captain America: “Well, it could make things easier, and you’d still be Eros to your friends. After all, my real name isn’t Captain America!”

Eros: “It isn’t?”

Hah.

I adore that last exchange.

Imagine the incredulity in the tone. ‘I thought that Earth names were Just Like That.’

Anyway, Eros accepts the name Spacehunk Starfox and the position of in-training so Wasp decides to get him started right away.

Remember that thing with the president and the wood men? Happened like an hour ago?

Well, there’s a Navy task force tracking the submarine which was spotted escaping from the scene and they’ve requested Avengers help. But, eh, why send the whole team?

So Wasp sends Thor, Captain Marvel, and Starfox-in-training.

And in fairness! That’s a trio that can handle a whole heck of a lot with their respective powers!

So off they go.

Starfox: “Duty and glory, Thor! Songs shall be written about this day -- even if I must write them myself!”

You know. That’s actually a very good attitude to have. Eros will be the fanfiction he wants to see in the world.

With that issue handled, Cap(tain America) and Wasp head off to take care of some other business.

Leaving She-Hulk and Hawkeye with only each other as company.

Hah.

On their way to the mission, Captain Marvel zooms all around, practicing her cornering in flight. As a new superhero... like its been under a month, I think? Captain Marvel still thinks flying is the neatest thing.

And she’s right!

But she’s also discovered a new ability. Since her energy form is made of energy and she has control over energy. Instead of flying around as a vaguely her shaped glowing blur, she can concentrate to create a light image of herself, why not!

She has made herself harder to draw but easier to portray!

Thor: “Your radiance rivals that of the golden apples of immortality!”

Captain Marvel: “I’ll have to take your word for that!”

Hah.

She zooms over to where Starfox is flying. Captain Marvel has been eyeing him throughout the book, which Wasp has been assuming was because he’s a space hunk.

But maybe she just wanted to learn more about Captain Mar-Vell because that’s what she asks Starfox about.

Starfox: “He was a gentle warrior... a noble soul. He was a true hero... Worthy of rank and name!”

I guess the description or the sadness Starfox still has at Mar-Vell’s death makes Monica feel like shit, like maybe she isn’t worthy, so she zooms ahead to let the navy know the Avengers are on their way.

Starfox: “Have I offended her?”

Thor: “Eros, I begin to wonder if your reputation with the ladies is truly deserved.”

Hah.

But also: If you have magical fuck-me powers you don’t need to actually be charming, I guess? Dammit, Starfox!

Captain Marvel arrives on the deck of the navy task force flagship as a bolt of lighting (SHAZAM!), alarming the navy in two ways.

First, lightning. Its just so loud! But second, wait the Avengers only sent one person?

Captain Marvel goes nah I got Thor and Spacehunk but they’re slowpokes. Not moving the speed of light. Imagine.

Admiring Admiral: I don’t know who the redhead is, but I’d sail into Hades itself with Thor in my crew!

Its fun the insight we get into how respected and beloved Thor is. I don’t think that’s the case anymore with modern Thor. The marvel citenzry has just become jaded to the cool hammer man.

The admiral explains the situation. That they’re chasing the submarine seen in the area of the presidential ransom attempt. But its hiding in an undersea canyon that navy frogmen kero kero can’t reach and that its somehow been deflecting depth charges.

The admiral was going to wait for navy subs to arrive but hey, if the Avengers want to try, this is their book.

Meanwhile, in aforementioned sinister submarine, the horticultural horror... Plantman! Nah, just kidding. He’s a goofus and I will point and laugh.

His cool sub lets him pre-explode the depth charges before they reach his sub but even he doesn’t want to tangle with trident-class submarines so he wants to skedaddle. And if the navy is blocking his way, the navy gotta pay.

He activates his PLANT RAY which is a real thing, look it up, and energizes the kelp in the undersea canyon.

The kelp reaches up like a kraken, a kelpken, and starts trying to pull the navy ships under.

Thor: “‘Tis an attack by yet another form of plant! Our unknown foe has struck again! Stand you back... the son of Odin shall end this threat!”

And then Thor jumps into the ocean, leading a confused Starfox to ask whether Thor needs to breath.

Captain Marvel helpfully informs him and the audience that Thor can hold his breath for hours.

Thanks, Monica!

And then some kelp yanks Starfox and then Captain Marvel off the ship.

Meanwhile, a very expensive Manhattan apartment occupied by a grumpy Tony Stark.

Tony Stark: “Why waste good money getting a T.V. remote control fixed, when I can do it myself faster an’ better? Hah! When I’m done with it, it’ll do more’n change channels... it’ll walk the blasted dog!”

... Tony, how though?

And do you have a dog?

What is going on in your mind?

His remote repair reverie is interrupted by a binging and a bonging on his chamber door. Only this and nothing more.

He grouses about the interruption but HEY ITS HIS FAVORITE PEOPLE! Its Wasp and Captain America!

They’ve been stalking him, a little.

The pressing matters they had to attend to was running down a list of homes owned by Tony and searching them one by one to find him.

He’s happy to see them though and offers them some morning whiskey. Or bourbon. Or perhaps chocolate soda.

Look, I googled eyeopener and its booze you drink in the morning to wake up although I’m pretty sure its afternoon now and if you need to drink booze to wake up, you might want to consider limiting your intake actually. Especially for Tony Stark who had an entire story arc about alcoholism. Dammit Tony!

Wasp: “Eye-opener?! Tony Stark, where’s your mind? We’ve been worried sick about you! No one’s been able to find you for days on end -- you haven’t answered Avengers emergency calls -- and when you did call this morning it was to resign!”

Tony Stark: “Now jus’ hold yer horses! Maybe I have been outta touch... but I’ve had my own ‘mergencies to handle! An’ I didn’t call you this morning! I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

Iron Man: “He’s right! I’m the one who made that call!”

Imagine being someone who reads Avengers and not Iron Man. How blown would your mind be seeing Iron Man fly into a room Tony Stark is already in?

Somewhat, right? Somewhat.

Imagine being Captain America and Wasp and seeing Iron Man fly into a room where Tony Stark is when you know for sure that Iron Man and Tony Stark are the same guy.

Cap demands to know whats going on and who is in Tony’s armor.

Tony Stark: “Jus’ who he appears to be... Iron Man, my faithful armored companion and bodyguard... jus’ like it says in the Stark International press releases! Ya see, boys an’ girls, ol’ Uncle Tony has decided to quit the hero biz while he’s still ahead of the game! No more playin’ Iron Man for me! Nosirrebob! Time to let a younger man wear the boilerplate!”

Oh.... Tony.... if this only weren’t the perpetual superhero narrative, you might be able to bow out gracefully.

And its not like this is gracefully anyway. As indicated by the charmingly tousled look, the slurred speech and the morning drinking in the afternoon, Tony is quite drunk.

Wasp asks New Iron Man to confirm and he does. He clarifies that the reason he quit the Avengers is because he doesn’t feel experienced enough yet to hold his own on the team.

And apologizes for the confusion. The Iron Man helmet has voice modifying circuits so New Iron Man (secretly James Rhodes) sounded just like Old Iron Man (aka Tony Stark). He didn’t realize that the Avengers knew Tony’s secret so didn’t realize he’d just be creating an intriguing mystery prompting readers to check out the Iron Man book slash confuse the Avengers.

Tony Stark: “Yeah... I forgot to tell ya that Cap an’ the Wasp were in on the ol’ secret. Thor, too! Oh, well... no harm done!”

Then he drinks some more booze alcohol. Cap asks him doesn’t he think he’s had enough? And Tony is like hey no I don’t and don’t butt into my life kthx.

Wasp: “We don’t want to pry, Tony! We just don’t want to see you throw your life away... like Hank did.”

Tony Stark: “I am not Hank Pym, lady! I’m nothin’ like your ex-hubby! I don’t need your help -- an’ you don’t need mine! The Stark Foundation will pay the Avengers’ bills with or without me! So, if you’ll kindly get out of my life -- !”

Oof. Why does everyone Wasp dates turn out to be a jerk?

I assume she was just leaning into it the time she dated Havok. But otherwise, oof.

They really have no choice but to leave Tony to make his own bad decisions. At least he was responsible enough to get someone else in the Iron Man armor?

Geez though. Geez.

Hate seeing you like this, Tones.

Meanwhile, back in the Atlantic Ocean... Captain Marvel fairly casually assesses the situation of being dragged into the water.

Captain Marvel: “Never saw any kelp like this before! It grips tighter than an octopus, and it feels as tough as steel! I could just turn to some form of energy and slip out of it, but then it could grab some poor sailor!”

So instead she explodes, which she can do, shredding the kelp holding her.

Then off she goes to find how Starfox is faring.

He’s faring okay. Just casually punching some kelp like it ain’t no thing.

But since teamwork does make the dream work, she blasts the kelp for him. Starfox thanks her though also says that he could’ve kelped himself.

They discuss how they can hear each other perfectly well underwater thanks to SCIENCE! The science of water conducting sound. I find it a bit dubious but whatever. Not as dubious as the next bit.

Captain Marvel asks how Starfox is breathing underwater.

Starfox: “A thin shell of air clung to me as I was pulled under... due to the gravitic potential of my body, I suppose! It all relates to my flying abilities. I was surprised myself! This is the first time I’ve ever taken an ocean plunge!”

Fun way to discover that, huh!

Also, heck, how long does a thin shell of air last underwater? How shallowly do you breathe, man!?

-google- Huh, Wikipedia has this description of his powers using almost the exact words (although not the word order) from this scene. I feel that it does not come up much so this is the primary source.

It also says that he doesn’t need to breathe as much as a normal hooman. So that’s answered.

The two newest Avengers find Thor already has things well in hand freeing the propeller without need for any further kelp.

So all three Avengers surface (and Thor retrieves his helmet, which in a nice bit fell off when he dove into the water and just floated on the surface).

Thanks to ex-boat cop Monica Rambeau knowing navy semaphore, she recognizes the signal from the navy vessel that the enemy sub is making a run for it.

And since none of these three Avengers have trouble fighting underwater, Starfox suggests they give chase.

Plantman: “NO! Not the Avengers! Not again!”

Yes, again. Yes, always.

He shoots some anti-personnel torpedoes, hoping they’re enough to stop the Avengers.

“They’re not.”

Hah. I love when captions get sassy.

The Avengers soon are busting into the sub, breaking through bulkheads and coming for Plantman.

Plantman realizes that they’ll have him trapped in the control cabin in seconds. So he pulls the last resort lever that his silent partner told him to pull as a last resort.

Some manner of escape sphere forms around Plantman, launching him high into the stratosphere and capsizing the sub right on top of the Avengers.

I mean, they’re beefy. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

But no time to verify that, SCENE CHANGE.

Over on Central Park West, She-Hulk has carried Hawkeye all the way from Avengers’ Mansion to his apartment. On foot.

Dang! Mighty nice of her! Even Hawkeye points out that he could have gotten a cab.

(But do we believe that Hawkeye has money for a cab?)

After gently dumping Hawkeye on his couch, She-Hulk asks if he wants to have her stick around. She literally has nothing better to do today.

Hawkeye: “Will you get out of here and leave me alone!!”

She-Hulk huffs off in anger because this is a rude way to thank someone who helps you home.

Hawkeye even realizes that he shouldn’t have yelled “but I can’t stand to have anyone mother-hen me! Besides, I have things to do... important things!”

Yeah, Hawkeye does seem like the kind of guy who hates getting any help at all because men are self-reliant and junk. Toxic masculinityyyyyyy!

And the important things? I dunno! He calls his head of security workplace Cross Technological Enterprises and tells them to send a car for him.

That’s probably going to be a thing in another issue. God forbid it be a thing in another book. I’m not made of time. I’m still dreading West Coast Avengers where Hawkeye goes off and makes his own team. The jerk.

Okay, back to the plot.

Thor, Captain Marvel, and Starfox of course shake off a submarine imploding on their heads without much effort. Starfox is the most shaken by it. Guess the new guy isn’t used to submarine implosions lol.

Meanwhile, Plantman’s escape pod keeps escaping up, up, and away but mostly just up.

Then a prerecorded message from Plantman’s ‘silent partner’ and/or ‘mysterious benefactor’ plays.

Wizard: “Plant-Man! This is a recording. If you have been so stupid as to get yourself in a predicament where you needed to use the emergency handle, you are now hearing this message.”

“While I appreciated your aid in escaping prison, the equipment I gave you should be considered payment in full. I owe you nothing more than an explanation.”

“Thanks to my anti-gravity generators -- which you activated along with this module -- you will soon find yourself safely in orbit!”

Plantman: “In orbit!”

Wizard: “There, you will be of no further embarrassment to me or our ‘partnership’ as you so distastefully called it. You will be beyond harm... for as long as your oxygen holds out. Farewell!”

Oof. Ice cold.

Ice cold, the Wizard.

Captain Marvel phases through the pod floor to basically say the same thing.

Plantman begs her to save him from his own dumb decision making. She’s like huh look, I don’t really know about anti-gravity but I do have an idea.

Then she blows a hole in the side of the pod.

And the pressure difference blasts Plantman out of the pod, right through Captain Marvel who has turned into intangible energy.

Captain Marvel: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

HAH!

That was mean, Monica. I love it.

But as Plantman hurtles screaming toward the ground, Thor catches him and tells him to stop screaming beside.

Thor: “Cease your cowardly whining! The Avengers do not wantonly kill their foes... not even such as you!”

These days though... well... probably still not wantonly? Depending on how you define it? Maybe during War of Realms though. The kid gloves came off then.

Starfox is loving this by the way. The whole thing that just happened.

Starfox: “What grand sport! Yes, I think I’m going to enjoy being an Avenger!”

‘Ha ha we made that guy think he was going to die!’

Also, Plantman’s outfit looked green and purple in the sub. I guess it was the lighting because its just jolly green now. But its still a terrible outfit.

Meanwhile, back at Avengers’ mansion, Wasp is back from Tony Stark locating duty! She-Hulk is back from being angry at Hawkeye duty!

She-Hulk mentions that she took Hawkeye to his apartment and for a loudmouth, he has a really nice apartment.

She-Hulk: “I wish I could find a nice apartment, but I’m still getting lost in this town. I don’t know where to begin looking.”

Wasp: “Well, if you’re so set on getting a place of your own, why don’t I give you a hand?”

Wasp is going to fulfill her delayed promise to take She-Hulk apartment hunting! And hey, why not focus her efforts on a friend that will let her help?

So Wasp changes into street clothes (or since we see her shrink later, its more that she changed her Wasp outfit and put clothes over it, which is almost like getting dressed in street clothes) and takes Jen out on the town.

Apparently, the Daily Bugle has the largest section on rentals and real estate of any New York paper. I guess they need something aside from diatribes about Spider-Man to attract subscribers.

Ben Urich’s award winning investigative journalism can’t pay all the bills.

Because this is the same New York which frustrated Tigra, some idiot immediately starts hitting on She-Hulk at the newsstand.

Some idiot: “‘Ey, beeg mama! I love that green body paint! You need any help removing it? Huh?”

She-Hulk: “Stuff it, creep! Or better yet -- stuff you!”

And she puts the garbage man in the garbage can. Where he belongs. While Wasp literally looks the other way.

She-Hulk: “Sorry, Jan, I just don’t care for men with fresh mouths. This sort of thing would never happen in California.”

Wasp: “Oh, fer shure...”

That sounds like the polite way of saying ‘Doubt.’ Surely there are sexist jerks everywhere?

Sadly for the She-Hulk Apartment Hunt, her expectations are also a little LA centric. You’re just not going to find an affordable condo with a hot-tub in New York.

Wasp asks what She-Hulk has against the free rent at Avengers Mansion with its built-in sauna that they’ve apparently always had but never mentioned.

Avengers Mansion is real nice!

She-Hulk says she can’t get behind the idea of living where she works but as someone who works from home its actually highly recommended! Although, She-Hulk’s situation is more ‘firemen live in the firehouse’ so it lacks the ‘don’t have to wear pants to work’ aspect.

Then the apartment hunt is interrupted by an incoming crossover slash a stampede.

She-Hulk grabs a random panicking passerby out of the crowd and asks whats going on but he can’t give a good answer.

She-Hulk: “Hot dog! I was hoping something would happen to break up the monotony. So far, this afternoon has been a big, dull...” -THUD-

First, I love She-Hulk’s enthusiasm for punching.

Also, hey, who put thin air in She-Hulk’s way!

There’s some kind of invisible barrier right across the sidewalk.

She-Hulk instantly decides that the thing to do is to TEAR INTO THE PAVEMENT TO SEE HOW DEEP IT GOES.

Instead of, y’know, feeling to see how wide it stretches.

Wasp tries blasting thin air too but to no avail.

Despite She-Hulk reminding everyone that “at close range, your sting can knock down a wall!”

And when she really tries, a whole house.

She-Hulk: “Wasp... This is impossible! We’re Avengers! Nothing can stop us!”

Wasp: “She-Hulk... I’ve the strangest feeling it just did.”

And apparently: this is to be continued in THE ANNIHILATION GAMBIT! Which is a crossover with Fantastic Four!

Which means I actually need to pop over to an Avengers Annual first because despite running into the invisible wall (Sue, is that you?) the Avengers are doing stuff on the Moon before getting involved.

I dunno. I’ll see when I get to it.

And you will too! Provided you follow @essential-avengers​! Also maybe like and reblog? Who can say.

[carlyfrombleachers]

Liveblogging of TS6 (reputation)

Okay. Let me preface this by saying I don’t like Taylor Swift. I think she’s a boring artist, who brings close to nothing to the table. The reason I’m even listening to Reputation is because I keep getting recommended an interview of Jack Antonoff where he talks about New Year’s Day (which is a song on Reputation) and I really want to watch that but I also want to know what the fuck he’s talking about. So here we are. Don’t expect more stuff like this from me. I expect this to be just a one-off thing. Swifties, don’t fucking come after me or I will cry. The only other TS album I listened to was Lover, and I thought it was trash. Absolute garbage. And apparently this one is worse than Lover. I don’t know if I’ll regret this.

Let’s begin, I guess.

...Ready For It?

I keep thinking of that one voice clip from the Hannah Montana intro (?) where you faintly hear a girl say “are you ready for it?” and that’s my first impression just by looking at the title.

I’m hitting ‘play’ right now.

Oh nevermind, I forgot to pay Deezer this month. YouTube it is.

Hey look, Ajay is in my recommended. Queen of reactions.

Help what is this

rockstar taylor??

what the fuck is up with the beat

chorus felt weak. this is my first opinion im not done with the track

i looked at the music video for 3 seconds and i saw a horse bye

i was distracted by the music video help i dont like this

since i looked at the music video for just a lil while i should say it looks weird. it is weird in a bad way it looks like some knockoff cyberpunk thing.

why didnt she just name this “Are You Ready For It?”

I’m... not particularly blown away by this track. It’s fine. I wouldn’t bop to it but I wouldn’t object to it playing somewhere. It’s like... it’s decent.

End Game (ft. Ed Sheeran, Future)

I don’t know who Future is.

she said reputation haha thats the name of the album

ok future is a rapper i dont listen to rap thats why i dont know him

after listening to lover i cant believe this is the same woman this is so weird

not looking forward to the ed sheeran part

“i wanna be your end game” this wasnt really what i was expecting

fuck off ed sheeran (i just reached his part)

according to some tabloid lady gaga mistook ed sheeran for a waiter? i would do the same thing if i saw this redhead fuckface on the street as well lol

“big reputation, big reputation, you and me got a big reputation” so deep!!!

I guess I should take this time to-- is she rapping?

Sorry, I got distracted. I don’t think every song needs to be this huge deep piece that must be deeply analyzed for centuries, but I do expect some interesting message or context for a track at least. If it sounds good, I’d also give it a pass. 

This one? This was boring. I would not verbally object to this playing close to me, I would just have a grossed out look on my face during the chorus.

I Did Something Bad

I keep reading the title in Akasaka Sad’s tune. You know the part where Rina says “A-ka-sa-ka sad, I’m a sucker”? I keep thinking “I did-I did something bad”. I don’t expect it to be like that.

“i never trust a narcissist but they love me” taylor talks about her fanbase

sorry to drag swifties publicly but i will forever take an opportunity to drag a swiftie

predictable antithesis use there with “i did something bad so why does it feel so good” but okay

why was taylor branded a snake again? she pretended it was “””gone””” with lover but like. it’s weird. its not like she punched kanye on stage in 2008 or something. i dont care enough to search for evidence that taylor is a snake so lol go off i guess

dont enjoy the post-chorus part where she’s like drddddddd dddddddd it feels so distracting the gunshots were more than enough

Yeah, this one was fine. My favorite up to this point, I think.

Don’t Blame Me

lol she said “dont blame me” then it buffered bye

i was showering for the past 25 minutes hello i was listening to track 10 and melodrama

i am enjoying this one kinda

“dont blame me love made me crazy” haha wait until you find out what your next era is

“i once was poison ivy now im your daisy” this is a pretty good line honestly

obligatory katy flop moment: haha taylor could hit the high notes in daisy

this sounds like a country song especially in the chorus i dont know what to really make of it

“loooord save me” this is why your female fans are called horse girls

This was... pretty good. The chorus weirds me out still, but it had its good moments. It was nice.

Delicate

stop saying reputation in the reputation album

this autotune voice bits of hers are so distracting

i say as i listen to how i’m feeling now by charli xcx

yes i did just roast myself. gotta leave the swifties with nothing

god the music video for this track has 400m views this woman is making my faves look like indie stars LOL

I keep getting distracted because this song is boring. It’s... okay. I guess. The music video was pretty cute. Nothing caught my attention in the track, but it sounds like gym music. It would play on a gym owned by a 30-something white woman during the yoga classes and you know it.

Look What You Made Me Do

We’ve all heard this song. I’m gonna listen to it and then be done with it.

I guess I’ll just watch the music video.

ONE BILLION VIEWS????????????

Okay. I watched the music video.

Really? All the fem guys dancing with her?

I’m not going to sit here and be like “fem guys are BAD and should all die and never be represented” because… lol. But it is kind of annoying how it was literally just fem guys dancing with her and doing all those faces because you KNOW she was looking for the impressionable gays to go “omg taylor progressive!!!!” and go talk about it on social media.

But am I saying that because I don’t like Taylor? Yes. But that doesn’t make my point less valid.

The music video was pretty good, the production on this track is really good (thank you Jack Antonoff xx) and the track itself is good. Not outstanding or perfect or a serve, it’s good.

Also the ending with all her previous eras? That was cool. The uncool part is most of the “look how rich I am” parts… because we all know you’re rich, Taylor. Nice SFX.

So It Goes…

i got an ad whyyyyyyy

fuck this shit i cant keep up with what shes saying im pulling genius out for this one

this is not lyrically deep i can tell already from genius

im not a fan of love songs i already have CRJ to cover that base and Lorde covers breakup songs I guess and this song is just. boring. lol

Nothing really shocking or noteworthy here, it’s just.. okay.

Gorgeous

I got another ad FUCK

i got a boss baby ad help

god boss baby really was something huh i completely forgot about that

why am i talking about boss baby

okay. reputation

why did a baby say gorgeous

HELP i am so disappointed this is the one track with the lyric video and god this is disappointing

i saw this and i was like “oh shit shes gonna talk about how its gonna be gorgeous when u die” or smth and

lol. LOL. the depth is nonexistent and the bar is in hell

who wrote this? you lied

This song is so boring, LOL. I expected so much from it and was instantly disappointed when the pre-chorus hit. You had everything on your plate and you ate the plate itself. Girl. What the hell. Why. You could’ve given us an anthem about hating your man, and you took the easy route.

Getaway Car

im intrigued

okay im listening and this sounds very jack antonoff? the shotgun thing made me immediately go o_o

it felt a bit weak at the end but at the start i was enjoying it quite a lot… i think this is my fave

I enjoyed this one quite a lot :) It was pretty good but not an amazing masterpiece. It was better than LWTMMD and that’s all I have to say.

King Of My Heart

sounds boring haha

taylor keeps putting these trap beats in things sister youre not lorde LOL

yeah this is kinda boring

WAIT A MINUTE NEW YEARS DAY IS THE LAST TRACK???? IM GONNA HAVE TO STICK UNTIL THE END oh my god please no

i dont. i .. i knew this would be happening but i didnt expect it to be the last one

i guess the timing is accurate ha ha ha ha

i just heard ariana grande

I keep hearing Ariana Grande on this track. Is that good? I don’t know.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

why are there so many songs in this fucking album

the beat is.. okay. it is catchy

oh i like this i think. its pretty nice

the chorus is nice. yes. i do kind of enjoy this

Yeah, I liked this one. Pretty good writing, and it sounds great.

Dress

wtf is this song why is it so horny

horny taylor is weird stop being horny please

this song is okay i would not revisit it because its just weird. do not like this!!!

when carly rae jepsen says slide on through my window it is funny but when taylor sings i bought this dress so you could take it off i die

oh that second of silence was really good

[looks at the producer] [it’s jack antonoff] :)

This song weirds me out. I don’t like it. It had its moments production-wise but it was... weird.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

I expect good things from this. With a title like that? Give me a bop.

Currently not being a bop.

Okay, it was cute. Nothing amazing. Just… fine. Cute attempt.

oh i liked the spoken part thats what i expected from this song

Call It What You Want

this is about genitalia this is my prediction

It was not about genitalia.

This song is pretty good if you remove all the mentions to her lover and her man and her baby, which are all the same person, I guess.

This is disappointing.

JACK ANTONOFF BACKING VOCALS

I LOVE YOU JACK

umm anyways

OH HE DID IT AGAIN IM GONNA CRY i love this man

I expected so much from this track and the chorus just… disappointed me.

JACK!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! KEEP SINGING!!!!!

i love this man im gonna cry

The highlight of this song is the part where Jack Antonoff sings.

New Year’s Day

wow the reason why im doing this shit

look at him. :)

this song was cute. nothing special. just cute. very okay.

just. okay. yeah. pretty fine.

nothing special.

Final Thoughts On The Album

It was better than Lover.

I expected this to be a concept album, all about the drama she’s gotten into? But it was just boring love songs with some extra flair. I expected great things from this album, having only heard LWYMMD from it before this. A concept album that’s just an answer/clapback to everyone’s who wronged her à la Yellow Flicker Beat (I know it’s for a movie but that song slaps and I don’t know a thing about Hunger Games) would’ve been PERFECT but it was just... love songs. I need Taylor to stop singing about love and start serving us big meals.

I would not like to revisit this. Like, 5/10. It could’ve been a lot better, but it wasn’t because you’re too afraid to cross some lines, Taylor.

Final Ranking:

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Getaway Car

Look What You Made Me Do

I Did Something Bad

Don’t Blame Me

New Year’s Day

Call It What You Want

...Ready For It?

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

So It Goes...

End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran, Future)

Dress

Delicate

King Of My Heart

Gorgeous

taylor flop stream gone now

[sheepish-outlaw]

This Land Was Made For You and Me (Prologue)

Arthur Morgan x Werewolf!Reader

Hey guys! This is my first time writing a fanfic, I’ve had an idea for an Arthur x werewolf reader fic for a while now and I've finally found the courage to write a bit and post it. So I hope ya’ll enjoy!

Warnings: Mentions of child and animal abuse.

Arthur was only five when his mother, Beatrice, had passed. He can’t remember much about her, but he can remember how loving, caring, and kind his mother was, her favourite flower, how she’d sing to him in the night if he couldn’t sleep. His father, Lyle Morgan, wasn’t always abusive, he never cared for Arthur, occasionally he would get yelled at or blatantly ignored, but none of that mattered, not when he had his mother’s love and affection. It was only when she passed away that he started to get beaten black and blue by his father.

Too scared to speak up in case that had gotten him beaten by Lyle, so he became docile, never speaking unless absolutely necessary. Arthur would only find sanctuary drawing in a journal he managed to snatch from some drunken fool out by an old tree not too far from his home, and company from a stray that he managed to befriend in town, he named the little light brown mongrel Dusty. Arthur was about nine years old at the time.

The happiness and companionship he found with his new four-legged friend didn’t last long, the mongrel had followed Arthur home one night without him realising, deciding to sleep on the porch to wait for his new master to come out and play. Arthur had awoken to his father’s raised voice (nothing new there) and the pained cries from a dog. Eyes widening he leapt from the bed to the porch, heart lurching into his throat, hoping it wasn’t what he thinks it is.

He reached the front of the house, only to find his father had grabbed poor Dusty by the scruff of the neck. Upon further inspection, Dusty’s left hind leg had been broken, no doubt by his father's hand. Arthur spoke before he thought. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes at seeing his little buddy in such pain, grabbing his father’s pant leg he begged for him to let him go, to not hurt him more than what he has. Of course, it didn’t work. This only ended with him getting a black eye and poor Dusty put six foot under.

After that day, Arthur closed in on himself more, he even stopped drawing in his little journal.

Two years had passed since then, The day Lyle Morgan hanged for the countless crimes he committed had finally arrived. Arthur didn’t feel anything when he watched the law drag his father away. He followed them to the hanging post and watched him swing. Only then did he truly feel something, he felt peace, yet no relief. Even with his father’s so-called ‘company’ he wasn’t really alone. Now he was. 11 years old, All alone, no family, no home, nothing but his name and the clothes on his back. He’s now an orphan, alone and terrified.

He and his father lived in a small town in Ohio. After Lyle’s demise he left for the city of Columbus. He hated cities, but this is what he felt he needed to do in order to turn his life around. It did, but not for the better.

Another two years passed since he decided to move to Columbus, during those two years, he became more angry, angry at himself, at his now-dead father, at his mother for leaving him so early on in his life, at everyone willing to ignore him and not offering help in his time of need. The only thing people would offer is a cold shoulder and a look of disgust as they set their eyes on his scrawny, filth covered form. 

Arthur hated it. Hated having to sneak into stables for a good night's rest, stealing food so he wouldn’t starve, and worst of all, being alone. 

Until she came along.

He had been rummaging through the rubbish in the alley behind an Orphanage for anything to eat or maybe some semi-decent clothes to wear since his are now full of numerous holes and rather small for him, his pants are at least a few inches above the ankles, his shirt now ripped in most places, like his pants are a few inches above his wrists.

The girl had run into Arthur as she was sneaking out of the orphanage, no she literally ran into him. Both children fall to the fall with a harsh thud, with the girl landing on top of Arthur, slightly dazed from the impact. She glanced up only to be met by furious teal eyes. Giving him a sheepish smile, she gets up off him and holds out a hand to help him up. He scoffs, swatting the hand away from him before getting up himself. The young girl rolls her eyes at his attitude.

The girl opens her mouth to say something, only to be stopped by the doors of the orphanage crash open followed by footsteps thundering against the concrete path. Before he can react she grabs his hand dragging him out of the alley and into an abandoned building across the street taking cover until the so-called ‘carers’ stop their search.

Arthur leans against the wall slowly sliding down to the floor. Gazing up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart. He was so damn tired and hungry. His stomach lets out a loud growl, causing the girl to look towards him. As quickly as his gaze met hers, he looked away, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

Letting out a giggle as he glares at her, she pulls out two small rolls of bread, holding one out for him to take. “Here.” Oh, how he wanted to take the bread from her. He’s starving but her small, thin frame made him think otherwise. She needed it more than him.

He tensed as she grabbed a hold of his hand once again, placing the bread roll into his palm pushing it towards him. Shyly he looked towards her giving a quiet ‘thank you’ before scarfing down his first bit of food in days. Both children stayed quiet while eating, just listening to the rain that had started to pour only moments ago. It was rather peaceful.

After a moment of peace and enjoying some food, Arthur decided to speak up.

“Arthur,” 

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She tilted her head to the side giving him a look of confusion. 

“Huh?”

“I’m Arthur. Arthur Morgan.”

Smiling she tells him her name “Oh! Sorry, I’m (Y/N) (S/N). Nice t’ meet ya, Arthur.”

After that Arthur and (Y/N) become quick friends. Arthur learned that (Y/N) was only a year younger than him and she wasn’t always at the orphanage. She had an uncle whom she was with, he went missing about a two years ago after going out hunting one day. She's been travelling throughout Ohio staying in stables, lending a hand for a little money or staying in an orphanage for a day or two so she can rest up, also stealing some extra food from the kitchen before sneaking out of the orphanage to travel again. 

In turn, Arthur told her about his past, about everything. 

After getting to know one another they decided to stick together, “ We can look out for each other.” She said smiling. Arthur yawned while he nodded.

Starting to relax more he begins to get himself comfy on the floor before going to sleep. Before he drifts off into a deep slumber his eyes land onto (Y/N), she was already asleep lying on her stomach with her head resting on her crossed arms as a soft snore left her lips, laughing a little to himself, for the first time in what seemed like forever, he found he wasn’t alone anymore.

[fiesta-freddie]

What about Teddy Boy Lennon protecting you from some creeps in Hamburg?

I’ve got you-John Lennon x reader

A/n: So I’ve decided to do this in two parts (maybe 3) otherwise it would’ve been really long, and I don’t want y’all to have to suffer from reading my terrible writing for that long. So this is the first part, I hope you enjoy it! I’ll be posting the next part sometime this week. If you want I be tagged let me know! Feedback is always appreciated and requests are open

You were nervous and had no idea what to expect. After all, you had never really been outside of Liverpool all that much, let alone the country. However, there was a part of you that was excited. It would be a new experience for you, and you were wanting to explore and see new things. You wanted to have a change in scenery instead of looking the same buildings and towers and houses and people that were in Liverpool. Surely, Germany would be different.

“Love? Are you almost finished packing?” John asked. You were going with him and his band to Hamburg. They had been lucky enough to go over there in hopes of being discovered by someone to launch their career.

“Yeah, just give me a few more minutes then I’ll be done.” You finished packing you last few items them headed out to where John was.

He was in the kitchen brewing some tea for you both. How sweet you thought. He hadn’t noticed you come into the kitchen so you decided to make your presence known. You walked up behind him and wrapped your hands around his waist hugging him from behind, giving him a few light kisses on his shoulder before resting your chin there.

“There you are Y/N, I was just about to come and get you.” John turned around and embraced you in a tight, loving hug just like you had done with him. He leaned down and rested his forehead against yours. You felt his warm breath against your face. He leaned down a bit further and pressed a sweet kiss against your lips, which you only smiled into. Once he pulled away you could feel that your cheeks had gotten warm “Your blushing love”

“Thanks to you and your charm Mr. Lennon”

John chuckled as he turned around to grab a cup “Tea?” He asked you. You nodded sweetly and thanked him.

“So Y/N, be honest with me. How do you feel about coming to Hamburg with us?” John asked you as he leaned up against the kitchen counter. You were at a loss for words, you didn’t know what to say. Of course you were happy to be going with him, but the other part of you didn’t know what to think. This could be the trip that launched his band's career and you wanted to be there in support of that. You were nervous about the whole thing. Obviously you didn’t want to hurt Johns feelings because he had been talking about this for weeks, every time it came up he would seem to get a little more energetic. But on the other hand you didn’t want to lie to your boyfriend, and you knew you would only feel guilty if he found out you weren’t enjoying yourself.

“Well,” you hesitated before continuing, making sure you thought of every word you wanted to say before you spoke it, “I don’t know. I mean, it’s just.” You took a deep breath before continuing on to help calm your nerves “I’m really happy for you darling, and I want this to go well. This trip to Hamburg could change your life. But I guess part of me is just scared”

John stared at you in confusion for a second before he spoke “I’m not quite sure I know what you mean, love. Scared?”

“Well the thing is I’ve never really traveled much out of Liverpool. And I guess traveling out of the country is just something I’m scared about. It’s gonna be different, the people will be different, maybe they aren’t as friendly, what if we get mugged, or separated for some reason, what if I can’t-“

John cut you off before you could say anymore. “Y/N, I promise you nothing will happen to you, to me or to us. I love you and I will protect you and stay by your side the entire time. Okay? There’s no need to worry.”

Looking up at John you scanned his eyes. They were big and filled with kindness and you knew he was being sincere by the time of his voice. You took a deep breath and rested the side of your head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and held you in a tight, protecting manner. “Okay.” You responded as you smiled and thought about John's words. Maybe your were just overthinking things, maybe you didn’t need to worry, maybe everything would be fine after all because John had promised you so.

********

The next day you were awoken by the loud sound of an alarm going off. “John, turn that bloody thing off before I break it!” No response.

“John turn off the alarm dammit, it's getting annoying!” This time you got a tired moan from him. “Jesus Y/N, why don’t you do it?”

“Because, your closer you swine!”

He didn’t respond to this. Instead he grabbed another pillow and placed it on top of his head so that way it was sandwiched between two pillows and blocked out some of the noise.

Getting annoyed you got up from your side of the bed and walked over to the beeping alarm clock that was on the desk. Once you reached it you hit the snooze button with such a force you were surprised it didn’t break. You let your eyes adjust for a few seconds before reading the time on the alarm clock. 6:53

Your eyes widened as you realized what time it was and you quickly woke up John who was still trying to sleep. “Fuck! John, get up now! We have to be at the airport by 7:30!” He didn’t move, probably due to the fact he couldn’t hear you. Rushing over to him, you quickly removed the pillow from the top of his head and repeated yourself once more “John get up! It’s almost 7:00 and if we want to catch our flight we need to hurry up!”

John quickly jumped out from the bed and checked the alarm for himself. “God, your right! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”

“Well if you didn’t have a pillow over your stupid head you would’ve heard me the first time! But noooo you just had to be stubborn, didn't you?”

“Okay okay okay, were wasting time. We can argue about this later.”

You spent the next 20 minutes rushing around the house trying to get ready and pack any last minute things. You didn’t have anytime to eat breakfast because you barely had enough time to make yourself look decent and not look like you just rolled out of bed.

John had finished 10 minutes before you and was loading your bags into a taxi outside your apartment. When you had finally come down he was waiting at the front of the building for you “Finally, I thought you were going to be up there forever.”

“Ha ha Lennon. Just get into the car so we can go already.” He opened your door for you and you got inside. After he shut it he quickly ran around to his side and got in. As soon as he shut his door the taxi driver started to move the car.

You had made it to the airport in less than 10 minutes thanks to light traffic and an easy commute. Once you arrived you got out and thanked the driver then grabbed your bags from the back. You and John then quickly rushed inside of the airport and ran down to where you needed to be.

You had made it just in time. Once you arrived the young woman working at the ticket check had announced your flight would be boarding in five minutes. You and John sat down to catch your breath.

While you waited you looked around the almost empty airport. You could see people walking to different terminals, most of which looked like businessmen or tired young tourists. In the corner of your eye you saw a group of people walking towards you. Your turned your head to see who it was and stood up immediately to give them a hug when you recognized them.

“Paul, it’s so nice to see you!”

“You too Y/N !”

Only a few steps behind him were the last few members of the band. “George. Pete. Stuart. It’s so wonderful to see you all!” You said as you gave each of them a hug.

You hadn't noticed that John had come up behind you until you heard him speak. “Lads! How are you? Glad you made it, and just in time too. We were almost late ourselves.”

“Yeah, it was a struggle to wake up this morning. God I’m still tired after 3 bloody cups of coffee!” Paul said.

“I hear what you guys are saying, I’m not much of a morning person myself.” George said. Stuart and Pete has only nodded in agreement to what Paul and George said, probably because they were still trying to wake up themselves. You could still see they all had heavy bags under their eyes. But you couldn’t judge because you knew that you did as well.

“Well we would’ve been here earlier if someone had gotten up when the alarm went off.” You said sarcastically as you looked over to John. He looked back at you with a grin on his face. “It’s not my fault Y/N,” John said pretending to take offense, “maybe if the alarm didn’t make such a loud and evil noise it would be easier to wake up to.”

“Uh huh, it’s impossible to get you up in the mornings anyways Lennon.”

“And it’s impossible to get you to stop screaming my name at night, Y/N.” John said with a wink. The boys laughed at this as you rolled your eyes at the comment.

“Flight 251 for Hamburg is boarding now, flight 251 for Hamburg.” You heard the young woman say over the loudspeaker

“Well, I guess it’s off to Hamburg we are then!” Paul said with a loud excited voice. The rest of the boys, including you, had cheered in response to Paul’s statement.

Once you boarded the plane and were sitting comfortably in your seat, you grabbed John's hand and smiled at him sweetly. “Ready love?” John asked you. You nodded in response, then you rested you head on his shoulder and closed your eyes to try and get more sleep before the flight landed. Over and over in your head you kept telling yourself everything is going to be okay, I have nothing to worry about until you were softly sleeping.

[jazzypizzaz]

end of the year fic meme 2019

I’ve done this roundup the last several years since I started writing fic regularly, so I figured I should do it again this year even though I thought I barely wrote anything... *spoilers* not actually true!

statistics:  I wrote 8 fics this year, ~32k total words, which is less than 2018 but not actually by much?? still a decent amount. huh.  I knew I had only written a couple Star Trek fics, but I guess forgot that there was that month I wrote as much The Tick fic as I could. ten questions:

1. What’s your personal favorite thing you wrote this year?

Like a Jolt of Espresso to the Skin which is Arthur/Tick smut ^_^.  This pair is in LOVE and they are TENDER and they are HORNY for each other.  Write what you want to read I guess!

2. What’s your least favorite thing you wrote this year?

I actually feel rather strongly about everything I wrote this year!  I guess something feels like it could be better in Dark Horses of the Night (Arthur hurt/comfort), but I’m not sure what because I do like each element in it...*shrug emoji*

3. Which of your fics was most different from what you usually write?

Hmm.  Maybe all the Tick fics in that it wasn’t Star Trek?  But otherwise all the types of fics were pretty standard fare for what I write in general I think.  I suppose the thing I did somewhat differently than usual was the two time lapse / snapshots over a period of years fics -- Every Time We Kiss and Closing Time.

4. Which of your fics this year was most successful?

Kiss and Run (Arthur&Dot + Arthur/Tick).  It’s funny, it’s sweet, it makes me happy, it had good timing with the brief flash fandom... I’m happy people liked it because it was another one of those write-what-you-want-to-read fics.

5. Which of your fics do you wish was more successful? Hmmmmm idk I’m pretty happy with reception to all of them?  Untangled (Michael Burnham &/ Sylvia Tilly) has the fewest comments and kudos, but it’s also the most recently posted, rather short, and tbh I wrote it really fast so don’t have as much investment in its reception (though I do think it turned out rather good). 6. What’s your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year? from Every Time We Kiss, I like the amount of tension I infused into this exchange:

“It feels different than with Nerys,” Odo said slowly.

“Before you ask, it was too brief for me to diagnose your problem." Quark faced the shelf again and took his time finding a place for the orange bottle. He was having trouble concentrating on what the label said. His hand wouldn’t stop shaking. “The teaser was free but you’ll have to pay for the rest. If that wasn’t clear.”

The side of Odo’s mouth quirked. “Is that so.”

also while I’m (over)indulging myself, here’s this bit (cries forever THEY’RE IN LOVE):

“You’re the most disconcerting, paradoxical, beguiling solid I’ve ever met. No one else of any kind even compares.”

“Odo,” Quark breathes. “Here I thought I’d finally be rid of you.”

ALSO ALSO I adored coming up with Tick-isms, so i’ll highlight my favorites of those because the Tick! THE TICK!:

Kiss and Run

“Because when we kiss, it’s like our mouths are connected to each other’s hearts -- and elsewhere -- careening down a log flume on a one-way river to love. Like hugging, but wetter! Hugging with our mouths, and our hearts. And to that I say one thing -- splish splash.”

Like a Jolt of Espresso to the Skin

I always want to touch you, chum. You make me into a telephone wire, a crackling lifeline of expression shouted into the ether, electrocuting birds! You make me FEEL! The Arthur connection: it’s a jolt of espresso to the skin!

Dark Horses of the Night

There’s nothing that a hug can’t do! It’s the snake oil rhino horn cure that actually works. A panacea that tastes like pancetta! The shark’s fin that’s actually made of shark. Sharks can’t hug, but the Tick can! It’s all in the arms.

7. What’s your favorite piece of description or narration? ummm trying to balance action, comedy, and dialogue was a big challenge in Forever is a Skyscraper (Let’s Leap Together) (Tick/Arthur), but I like how it turned out, so I will say the dinosaur-fighting portion in that one.

this also isn’t necessarily description or narration, rather a combo of how all the elements fit together, but Closing Time (Julian/Quark) ??? *chef’s kiss* THE ANGST 8. Which fic this year was most fun to write? Tick-isms in general were really fun to play with.  also Giving Head (quodo) because boy oh boy do I love some dumb body horror smut. :3 9. If you could go back and change something about one of the fics you wrote this year, what would it be? my secret is....... if something bothers me I just go back and change it, propriety be damned. >_<  I think the ones I did that the most with were Every Time We Kiss (especially getting the ending right) and Kiss and Run (there wasn’t an actual kiss and run in the first posting??? idk yall).

10. What, if anything, are you going to try to do differently in your writing in the new year? *SHRUG EMOJI*  there’s still a couple partial drafts that I’d like to work on, but mostly my “goal” is just not to push myself to write if I’m not feeling inspired, particularly because I’m feeling sorta removed from fandom at the moment.  we’ll see!!!  ~anything could happen~

[turnupswritessometimes]

The One With the Zombies - AshEiji - Ch1

Title: The One With the Zombies

Chapter: 1

Word Count: 4236

Description:  Another what it says on the tin from me - it's a Zombie Apocalypse AU because how else could this anime/manga get any darker? Whilst on the run from the outbreak of zombies, reporters Ibe and Eiji stumble across a New York street gang, safely huddled in an abandoned warehouse. As if the undead weren't surprising enough, Eiji finds himself becoming closer and closer to the gang's leader, mysteriously dubbed Ash Lynx. But safety doesn't last forever and soon it's only Ash and Eiji. And they're up against more than just zombies.

Note: This is available on A03, and I would recommend you follow it there, as I remember to update it. I would post a link, but then Tumblr wouldn’t include it in search results.

1

Of all the things to keep close during a zombie apocalypse, Ash wouldn’t have been in a hurry to save a camera.

But here was this Japanese boy clutching his to his chest as though it was a lifeline. As though it would be able to kill zombies – walkers – whatever you called them.

Bones and Kong had spotted him on a patrol. As he still had every appendage where it should be, the complexion of a human and no apparent desire for human flesh, they had invited him back to their hideout. Rather recklessly, Ash would add, but a the non-leader part of him had known they were right. Here was someone who needed help. If zombies were following, then they’d just have to deal with it.

So far, he hadn’t said a word. That worried Ash – as though the boy’s jaw would drop and that would be when the transformation happened. A long, low moan coming from him and then the frenzy for brains.

But his eyes were clear and dark.  Zombie’s eyes looked like eggs in their skull – white and fleshy and unseeing. This boy had wide, eyes the colour of melted chocolate that watched everything calmly. He looked at Ash. Maybe it was because they had colour, but he felt his lips twitch upwards at those eyes. He wanted to say it was just because he had seen two many egg-eyeballs and that was why he liked those eyes so much. Eyes like a Labrador retriever – trusting Ash and his merry band of street kids without a second thought.

The man they had found him with had been doing all of the talking, in halting English. Ash could feel a frown coming on as he listened to their explanation. He wished he could make it easier, but he didn’t speak a lick of Japanese. French, Italian, sure. Enough German to hold a conversation. But Japanese? No.

They had been in New York as journalists – that explained the camera. When the outbreak had started, they had switched to a hotel in New Jersey – far enough out of the city to sleep at night, but easy to get back to their article when it died down. They had thought it would die down. Everyone had.

Then of course, things got worse. Things had spread.

So they had fled New York, but they had no idea where they were going. They had tried heading through New York State, because survival had taken over having a long term plan.

“What were you writing about?” Bones asked. He was sat on a crate, swinging his legs so that his battered converses knocked against the wood. It was an annoying noise, but Ash found it hard to get angry about.

“It was about – about street gangs.” The man said. He tried for a smile, but he still looked tired and haggard. “I guess we found one.”

Ash nodded. He leant back against a crate. “We decided it was better to stay in one place – build up our defences. If we have a stronghold, we can last this out.”

“He says ‘we,’ but Ash decided it,” Kong said. He was next to Bones – everyone had gathered around with eager eyes. Everyone wanted a glimpse at these new people – new people who weren’t foaming at the mouth to kill them had been a rarity in the last two weeks.

But something had just clicked with Ash. A reporter – a reporter writing about street gangs in New York.

“Ash Lynx,” he said, holding a hand to his chest. He couldn’t help but smile when the man’s eyes widened in realisation. He had been expecting that – he didn’t expect him to burst into laughter. After a moment, he held out his hand to Ash.

“Shunichi Ibe,” he said. “And this is Eiji Okumura.”

Eiji Okumura. Ash had to wonder if that name meant anything in Japanese. He smirked, shaking Ibe’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said. “What a coincidence, huh?”

“You can say that again.”

“You’re welcome to stay,” Ash said, leaning back against the crates. “For however long you need. This can’t last for much longer.”

Ibe nodded his thanks, colour returning to his cheeks. That made Ash feel like he was doing a huge favour. He couldn’t bring himself to think anything of it. Surely that’s what any decent person would do. Ash wanted to be decent. He wanted to come out of this looking decent. It was selfish – but if an apocalypse was what it took for him to become a decent person, then maybe it would be worth it.

Bones and Skipper started the clamouring – pestering Ibe about what he had already written – and that started the others off. They bombarded him with questions – because it was still bright daylight and the situation never felt quite as real in the day. It was easy to laugh and joke and pretend that a Japanese reporter was the most interesting thing that they had ever seen.

Ash slipped away. He stepped around them so that he was stood next to the Japanese boy. Eiji. He was watching everything with that same interested look in his eyes. Like it was all fascinating. Those dark eyes also had dark lashes. Ash supposed they were long, but maybe they weren’t. They were the right size, he supposed. His skin was dark, the colour of a latte, but it looked gold where the patches of sunlight were coming through the roof. And he had a bow-shaped mouth – Ash’s attention was only drawn towards it because it was parted ever so slightly.

The boy looked up at him suddenly and then away. That was what made Ash realise that he had been staring. He cleared his throat.

“It was Eiji, wasn’t it?” he asked. Because he wanted to hear this boy talk – and it wasn’t just to check that he still could.

Almost as if he knew, Eiji just nodded. Involuntarily, Ash sighed and he suddenly looked panicked.

“Sorry – I’m-“ there was that voice. “I’m not – my English is…not so good.”

“It sounds great,” Ash said. It had been on impulse, because he hadn’t expected that voice. He was nervous, clearly, but there was something in that voice that Ash couldn’t put his finger on. “I mean, you’re doing great.”

“I haven’t really spoken much yet.” Eiji was smiling – a shy, apologetic smile up at Ash. He was short – shorter than him by a couple of inches, at least.

“I can tell these things.”

Eiji gave a soft laugh. He looked so self-conscious that a part of Ash just wanted to shake him. What kind of a person worried about his English in the middle of an apocalypse. The world was ending, but this boy was wasting time being shy. It seemed completely backwards.

“Um,” Eiji said, too loudly and then looked down, embarrassed. “I don’t suppose – it’s silly – that’s real?”

He gestured towards the gun slung into Ash’s jeans. There was no point concealing it anymore – hiding it under a shirt cost him a precious half second.

“It is.” Ash said, his finger running over the top of it. His pistol.

“I never saw a real gun, before-“ Eiji waved a hand to the doorway. They had attached several more bolts to the warehouses doors to keep it reinforced. “Can I hold it?”

“Sure.” Ash wasn’t sure what it was – maybe it was the poor, accented English, or the genuine look of interest in those damn, dark eyes, but suddenly he was handing over his gun to this boy. His gun.

He stared at it for a moment, his fingers running over the barrel of the gun. As though it was something precious. Ash had expected him to point it at someone – to play at shooting zombies or something – but he just handed it back and said “thank you.”

"You don't want to keep it? For protection?"

Eiji shook his head. "I can't shoot."

Ash wasn't sure why that made him smile. That should mean that he was a liability. That he was weak. And yet, he found it oddly endearing.

“Well, I can’t shoot with yours,” he gestured to the camera hanging around Eiji’s neck.

He looked down, like he had forgotten that it was there at all. Then laughed, holding it carefully. After all, that was his chosen item to save in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Maybe that was why he shrugged and said "I'll teach you to shoot, sometime."

Sometime? Like this was a happy vacation and they wouldn't be discovered any day now. Like they weren't walking a tightrope between alive and dead, with undead a gaping possibility underneath. Like teaching a boy he had just met how to shoot a gun was normal. Maybe it was, when he was shooting people in the head daily. Maybe that could be his excuse, because suddenly some part of him didn’t want Eiji to know the truth. That guns were a daily occurrence before the living dead.

Maybe it wouldn’t matter. Ash wasn’t expecting to survive before the week was out, and he knew as soon as he went his team would fall apart too. If that happened, there was no way Eiji and Ibe would be able to hang on. It was a miracle they had made it this far.

That was a terrible thought. It made Ash feel vaguely sick. No, he didn’t want it to not matter. But he didn’t want to think about all of this.

Just why on earth had he promised a sometime?

*

Eiji hadn’t been able to sleep at all. The ‘hideout’ was an old warehouse and the wind rattled the walls all night.  The sleeping area was at the top of a very rusty ladder – the floor was metal with that pattern of raised lines that made it impossible to get comfortable on. Everyone just seemed to drop their sleeping bags and fall asleep in a pile like a litter of puppies, all pushing each other to get a spot on the air mattresses. The only one who seemed unrivalled for a place in the middle was the tiny, dark-skinned boy spread-eagled in the middle. He hadn’t been brave enough to throw himself into the bundle of bodies.

It was cold on the other side of the warehouse and every howl of the weather outside made Eiji’s heart pause. They were safe here – they had a changing guard all night and he’d been told at the first sign of a zombie they would hit the fire alarm – sending thick, metal doors down to seal them off from the world. If that didn’t work, they were all packing guns.

Everyone but Eiji.

He kept seeing the same face – a middle aged main with flaking, beige-green skin. A trail of dried blood running down from the corner of his mouth and those wide, white, unblinking eyes. Hardly the worst he had seen – there was no hanging eyeballs or broken, drooping jaws – but it had been the first. And it had been so almost normal that it had been even worse. Uncanny valley, his brain told him, even though he wasn’t entirely sure what the phrase entailed. It had been the moment that he had known something was very, very wrong. He had tugged on Ibe's sleeve without a word.

And then the man had turned.

Then the man had grinned.

Eiji opened his eyes, feeling panic bloom in his throat at just the memory. He sat up in the darkness - because it was pitch black up here.

Sniffles, snorts and snores came from the pile of teenage boys as he fumbled for his phone and flicked the torch on. He padded across the raised metal floor in his socks, then inched down the rusty ladder at the far end, his phone tucked into his chin.

There was a rectangle of moonlight coming from the huge doors that lead into the warehouse. It had been filled with squashy, smelly furniture that looked like a shadowy army in the dark. Ibe had been offered the battered armchair downstairs as a courtesy. He had asked Eiji if he was fine with it and Eiji had nodded, but there had been a ball in his throat as he had. Don't leave, he wanted to say. Don't leave me alone with all these loud American boys.

A figure was silhouetted in the doorway. They turned as they heard Eiji approach.

“No torches.”

Eiji flicked it off before thinking. He knew that voice. That was the blonde boy who had smiled and told Eiji his atrocious English was good.

“Sorry,” he said, stepping up to the doorway.

But the boy had already turned back to stare out over the forest. Ash Lynx – Eiji remembered – he couldn’t forget a name like that. It didn’t seem like the name a real person used.

“Everyone seems to think that they can see lights,” Ash said. He was leaning against the door, his hands in his jean pockets like this was completely normal. “I don’t know how much truth there is in it, but I’m not risking it.”

“Mmm,” Eiji leant against the other door, mainly to stop himself from shaking. He liked Ash – Ash had been the only one who hadn’t spoken to him slowly, as if he was a complete moron. But he still needed to take a moment to translate when he was speaking so fast.

He chanced a glance at Ash. The light made his hair look silver and his skin ghostly. But his eyes were still that bright green and still had that sparkle in them. Eiji hadn’t been able to look at him for more than a moment earlier when those eyes were on him. He hadn’t been able to look at Ash for more than a moment anyway.

Eiji couldn't believe that this had happened. His first trip to the state and he had been caught in an apocalypse. A zombie apocalypse. The zombie apocalypse.  It seemed completely ridiculous. He had found the gang leader that he had come all this way for, but they were standing in the entrance of a warehouse, looking out for zombies because he hadn’t been able to sleep.

Ash didn’t say anything, but he didn’t chase Eiji off either. They just stood there – a slight breeze in the air, eyes searching the line of trees that sat on the horizon. They were stars, even though they were hardly out of the city, and Eiji wanted to know whether Ash would be able to point out the constellations. He couldn’t.

There was a lot of things he waned to say to Ash. There were so many things he wanted to ask. But the questions never managed to get to his mouth. He hated that he was scared to ask because the words came so easily in Japanese but what if the wrong English one came out? What if he skipped a word or said something too formal or informal or-

But Ash had smiled at him and said that his English had sounded great. That had sent a warm thrill through his chest.

He wasn’t sure how long they stood, staring across the woodchips into the forest before them, but eventually one of the other guys clapped Ash on the shoulder and told him to “get some rest.”

Ash had nodded and his eyes fixed on Eiji’s for just a moment more than was necessary.

“I’m going to crash on the sofa,” Ash said, mainly to the big guy – Kong, Eiji thought his name was – then he turned to Eiji. “If you don’t want to sleep like a meerkat, you can stay down here.”

“A meerkat?”

“You’re right, they’re not cute enough to be meerkats,” Ash paused, and he could hear Kong laughing at the doorway. “What about a litter of piglets?”

“Piglets are cute.”

“Mmm…I guess,” Ash fell over the arm of a sofa, landing on it face down. He raised a hand and waved at Eiji. “Don’t let me sleep in too long.”

In case he was late for school in the morning? Eiji wanted to ask. What did any of them have to wake up for?

But he wasn’t sure how to ask, and Ash’s breathing had evened out already. He couldn’t even remember falling asleep on one of the squashy sofas. They were lumpy and smelt of a dozen things Eiji couldn’t place.

But suddenly the sun was streaming through the warehouse door and there were voices all around him. The room was suddenly full of teenagers wearing ripped jeans and oversized hoodies. And most of them had guns sticking out of their jeans.

None quite looked like the one Ash had – like something from the nineteenth century. All polished wood and shining metal.

No one would have been able to guess that the world was ending outside. They were all laughing and joking with each other, kicking and tossing things and eating their supplies with abandon. It was the postcard image of ‘boys will be boys,’ the idea of boy’s in an American high school. Eiji had never been like that. He wasn’t sure how to join in now – if he even wanted to. It was all rough and tumble and they seemed so close.

The only other person that wasn’t joining in was Ash Lynx himself. He was sat to the side, watching with his chin on his fist.

"You're quiet," Ash leant towards him, the sun making a stamp of light on his skin.

Eiji shrugged. He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Sorry."

"That's nothing to be sorry about."

Everyone was looking at them now. Because Ash had paid attention to him, the whole gang was privy to their conversation. One guy, with a haircut that even the 80s would fine questionable, spoke up.

"I watched this film once!" he paused as though that was all he had to say. "And the guy picked up a foreign language just by listening to the people talk around him - do you know that film?"

"Bones, that could be any film,” the small boy said, rolling his eyes.

"It had Puss in Boots in it?" Bones scrunched a pale face up as he thought about it.

Ash looked at Eiji, an eyebrow raised as if to say 'do you see what I have to deal with?' Eiji couldn't help giggling. He had missed laughing - it felt as though it had been forever since he had laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked, completely unimpressed.

"C'mon boss, we watched Shrek 2 altogether."

Kong nodded then, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed. "Masterpiece of a movie. The best Shrek film."

"Yeah, and the cats not real."

"Not the cat, boss - the guy who voices him. He was in that movie!" Bones insisted. "Anyway, I bet that's what Eiji's doing - isn't it Eiji? You're trying to get better at English just by listening to us!"

"Well, I know English, kind of-"

"Eiji speaks English just fine." There was that snap of authority that had been in his voice the previous day. The snap that made everyone fall silent like scolded puppies. Ash stared at them all, then sighed and stood. "I'm going for a breath of fresh air."

He headed off, to where Ibe was standing by the door. He seemed to be the only one here who still owned a belt, Eiji noticed. And then realised he had been staring too long and dragged his gaze away. There was nothing to that, he said. It was just an observation.

"Don't forget a baseball bat!" Bones called cheerfully after him and Ash waved a hand in acknowledgement. A chuckle went through the group at the remark, but it made Eiji's skin crawl.

He hadn't killed a zombie yet. He hoped he wouldn't have to because he wasn't sure he'd be able to. He wasn't sure he'd be able to look into a human's face and shove a knife through their brain. It's brain. It.

The thought was too much, it overturned his stomach. He leant over to Bones and murmured "Going with him."

Bones nodded and opened his mouth to ask something but then someone had him in a headlock and he was digging his elbow into the soft flesh of their stomach and it was all much too rowdy for Eiji. He slipped away.

Ibe was standing guard, somehow managing to keep a weathered eye on the horizon despite the chaos unfolding in the warehouse. Eiji didn't even think he'd noticed him as he passed, until he had a hand on Eiji's elbow.

"If you're going out here, stay close to Ash, alright?"

It had only been a night, but Eiji was so relieved to hear Japanese again.

"Alright."

Ibe nodded and let him go, slowly. He looked a lot older than he had last week. Maybe it was the lack of shaving, but he looked much more weather beaten, more like the protagonist of a gritty western than the journalist Eiji had left Japan with.

He wondered if he looked any different. He had caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror, and the only difference was the dark crescent moons under his eyes. He didn't even really need to shave, there was only a dark shadow under his lip - nowhere near as impressive as some if the stubble the others were sporting.

But Ash didn't have much stubble either, he supposed, squinting in the sunlight. He still had peach fuzz on his cheeks and even the hair on his jaw was saw blonde it was hard to see.

He was watching Eiji, his eyes flickering from him to Ibe.

"What'd he say?" Ash asked. He was pulling a lighter from his jeans pocket. He flicked sparks from it.

"Stay close to you."

Ash smirked. "That's not good advice."

"Why?"

Sparks came from the lighter again. There was a long pause where Ash was staring at the floor. Eiji looked too. Ash was wearing a battered pair of converses, so dirty the white toes were a grey-brown colour. Eiji’s own didn’t look much better from the week he had spent on the run.

"Because I've done some things that I'm not proud of."

“Well.” Eiji rolled his tongue around his mouth. “Everyone has.”

Ash gave him a strange smile.

Then he pulled a box out of his pocket and tugged a cigarette out of it. Eiji watched him light it with some fascination. There was something about the way his eyelashes fanned over his face as he looked down and the way that he cupped his hand over it that Eiji couldn’t pull his gaze away from. He looked like he belonged in a different time – like he had been teleported over from the late seventies.

 "Fresh air?" Eiji asked.

"It's ironic.” A curl of smoke came from Ash’s mouth. He was still smirking and it was still making Eiji’s stomach do flips. His stomach had never done that before – he supposed it was the nerves that was making it happen now.

"I see. Very cool,” Eiji said. “Very macho."

Ash chucked, he took another drag of his cigarette. "There's nothing about me that's macho.”

"Sure. You're a Danny Zuko."

"More of a James Dean."

"Ah,” Eiji said, because he didn’t know what else to say to that.

There was another chuckle, another curl of smoke coming from Ash’s mouth, another flip of Eiji’s stomach.

"You have no idea who I mean, do you?" Ash asked.

"Sorry."

"Rebel Without a Cause,” he tapped the end of the cigarette and put it back in between his teeth. “If we come across a video store, I'll pick it up for you."

"A video store? Did zombies send us back to the nineties?"

"I think the polite term is ‘walkers’?"

"What - is the zombie going to kill me extra hard if I call him a zombie? Will I get given a lecture on hurting a zombie’s feelings?"

"You're mean." Ash was still smiling and for some reason that smile made Eiji feel so much less conscious about talking English.

"They're zombies!” he insisted. “Zombie is a word that you never get to use in real life. I'm using it."

“That’s adorable.”

He was still smiling – smirking really – at him, his eyes as green as the trees around them. Impossibly green.

Eiji’s stomach did more strange things that it hadn’t been doing before. He blinked at Ash, wondering if he had made a mistake. He must have gotten his English confused. This gang leader can’t have told him what he thought he had told him.

He didn’t seem to think so either – Ash’s eyes widened slightly and he turned away. He slipped a hand into the pocket of his ripped jeans and looked out over the clearing. It was just like last night. They lapsed into back into silence, but this time there was an air of awkwardness. Like they had said a little too much and they were trying to go back to how it was before.

Before – they hadn’t even known each other a day.

But the funny thing about living in an apocalypse was that it felt like he had known him a lot longer.

Or maybe he just wanted to.

[calliecat93]

Your top 5 most misunderstood characters in your opinion and why?

Huh... that is a REALLY good question Anon. Like sometimes the misunderstanding is just something stupid that gets overblown in fandom, but... hmm... okay I’m going off the top of my head here so there are probably better examples out there. But here’s my picks in no particular order:

1. Donatello (TMNT 2012)

If anyone has followed my blog since my 2k12 phase, you all already know what I’m going to say. During mainly Season 2, but it was kinda there in Season One, Donnie got a TON of stalker/creeper accusations because of his crush on April. Now I won’t lie, there ARE good reasons why and looking back now, I think I was too harsh and missing the point when I argued back. I am now more understanding of these kinds of problems and why so many were against it and I apologize if I came off as bitchy or aggressive in my defense posts. Nevertheless, my stance still stands. Donnie is an idiot teenager in love, bot a stalker. His motivations were overall well-intentioned, if carried out poorly. Fortunately by Season 3, this more or less died but since I spent about over a year arguing about it, it still stands out in my mind.

2. Martin Kratt (Wild Kratts)

Okay, it’s surprisingly hard for me to think of misunderstood characters cause as I said, it’s mainly for stupid reasons. This one is very minor, but I thought of it. The WK fandom is usually overall on the same page, hence why it’s the most tolerable fandom I’m in. Now Martin is a very happy-go-locky character, most characters in the show are. But he’s normally characterized as ditzier and well... dumber than his brother Chris. This is because Chris is the more logical thinker, but the truth is they are pretty equally intelligent. Martin isn’t as logical and straightforward with his creature knowledge, but he knows just as much as his little brother. He’s more emotionally smart and seems to have a better understanding of a creatures behaviors and emotional thinking. In short, Martin isn’t stupid. Reckless and short-sighted maybe, but so is Chris so...

3. Elsa (Frozen)

I’m gonna get a lot of heat for this one. Elsa has become very beloved since the movie came out, especially due to Let it Go. A song about accepting your gifts and allowing yourself to be set free. Indeed the song and the sequence that accompanied it are amazing... and are very bad in context. Elsa isn’t a bad character. I sympathize with her a lot, but IDK if I’d call her empowering. At least not until the end. While Elsa accepting her powers is a good thing and healthier than her previous mindset, it’s STILL unhealthy. She’s still isolating herself form everyone. She’s still living in fear. While she didn’t know about the storm until Anna showed up,s he was still abandoning her sister and a kingdom that was counting on her. It isn’t until the end when Anna more or less died for her that Elsa finally faced her problems. I hope the sequel will do a better job of letting Elsa become a confident character, but as it stands in Frozen she is nowhere near as great as she gets made out to be imo.

4. Professor Snape (Harry Potter)

Ho boy, this one. I was struggling to think of one when THIS popped into my brain. I hate Snape. I hate him so much. But SO MANY think that he is this sympathetic character who ultimately did nothing wrong and did all that he did because of his love for Lily. Which yes, he can warrant sympathy and him acting as a double agent was a very brave act that in the end helped the good guys grately. But... Snape is still an absolute asshole. Just look at his treatment of Harry, or really many of the kids. He’s outright rude an insulting to Hermione, a child, and I think int he books he was to Neville as well. But Harry? He is harsh, cruel, and cold to this kid because he’s the son of his former crush and his former bully. Look, he can hate James forever, but Harry did NOTHING to him. He is a kid who never even knew his parents and Snape KNEW THIS. If he truly loved Lily, he’d have at least been decent to the kid because he understood his loss. But not, he treat shim like dirt. He also got Lupin fired because he was friends with James by outing him as a werewolf, which was just terrible in so many ways. Also he never got over hating muggle borns from what I can tell, he switched because he was in love with a woman who he himself drove off. Yet we’re supposed to hate James more, nvm that he changed his ways by the time he and Lily married and wasn’t a racist. Sorry Rowling, but Snape is a terrible character imo and while his double agent act was indeed brave, I will never understand why so many try to paint him as a character who did no wrong when he was without question an asshole.

5. Professor Ozpin/Ozma (RWBY)

I saved this for last because it’s the most recent n my mind. I already wrote about this yesterday, but... man do many demonize this poor guy. Because Ozpin has had to make crappy decisions and has a tendency for secret keeping, so many wanted to paint him as secretly evil. Even moreso than Salem. Because... IDK, the male character always has to be terrible? Now Ozpin is a shady character, but even when all this started in V3, I always saw it as him trying to do what was best for the greater good and he clearly didn’t like doing those things. There were never any signs to me that he was evil or using people as sacrificial lambs without giving a damn. He does, and that’s what makes him interesting. He has to do all these questionable things that he himself hates because if he doesn’t, he risks the Gods wiping out the world. Essentially, many want to use Divide, the VILLAIN SONG that paints Ozpin as this terrible person from the VILLAINS POV, and use it as fact. Truth is, Ozpin is a regular guy who got given an impossible task and sadly to fulfill that task, it involves making the harsh choices that no one wants to make. But even after that revelation, so many still want to stick to the ‘he’s a heartless bastard using children soldiers’ crap and accuse the writing of being bad because they didn’t get what they want. Ozpin is a very complex character, and people need to accept that instead of clinging onto him having to be 100% good or 100% bad. Humans don’t work that way.

[pollenprince]

PSA.

// ...look.

I have been sitting on this for quite some time and I think I haven’t found better words to put this into, but from now on I will start asking for respect.

I’ll make it clear. I am not exclusive. I am not private. If you want to RP with me, you can come and hit me at any time, and if you show some basic decency I will say ‘yes’ with a 99,9% certainty. It doesn’t mean that we will click, that our muses will click or that it will go anywhere, but I try to give almost everyone a chance. I try to treat everyone well. I try to show people the most basic respect, you know.

And when I am being disregarded and ignored in return, I feel like absolute shit.

And I know! I know some people are new and they don’t know all the nuances! I know some people forget. I know some people don’t even know what the deal with roleplaying is, they just come in and go ‘huh, those people are writing stories about my favourite characters, better tune in!’ I know some people do not see how their actions can cause any harm or pain. I know that. And it is really hard to make me angry or hurt because I am trying to remember that I was like this once, too, and I made just as many mistakes.

But I am not asking for much. I only ask you for the easiest, most basic thing: to read my rules and do what they say. There is not much. They are more or less common for every RPer out there. I don’t even demand a password to show that you have read them because I know that some people are too shy or anxious or anything else so they never send them and it is not my business to question it. I operate under the assumption that you are all, in fact, decent people who won’t go against my requests.

But you do.

Here are some pieces from my own rules. You can go look at them and make sure I haven’t just imagined this.

Also please, don’t drop drama at me. If your plot requires either of our muses dead/broken/utterly miserable, please tell me in advance. No godmoding! Seriously. This is kinda bad. Everyone can follow, but reblog carefully. When I say NOT to like or reblog something, please, listen. Threads are not to be touched, unless they are yours. Also please don’t reblog my headcanons and personal posts. Especially if they have “do not reblog” written in tags. If you keep reblogging stuff that screams “DO NOT REBLOG”, I will message you asking to take it down. You will be softblocked after three offenses. If you follow me again and start doing it once more, I will block you for reals (after another three offenses). Sorry about that one rule, but I don’t want my rants to crawl over other people’s blogs :v If you want to roleplay, just ask! I don’t bite! Really. But remember, I am semi-selective. And also About and Rules pages are a must-have for your blog. Sometimes I make exceptions, but those are rare and don’t happen until I get at least some understanding of your dos and dont’s. Otherwise I am simply too nervous to interact.

All those rules have been broken over the course of a few last months, on that blog and my other blogs. You cannot say that you haven’t found them, because the links are on my About page and on the header in the mobile browser version, and I always link people to them if asked. So, if you broke them, I am forced to assume that you just do not care about my words.

That is why I will now be much less liberal. There are new rules, and from now on I won’t just look another way if you break them. You don’t have to go all out to follow them. It is not hard to be a decent person, after all.

The new rules:

I absolutely do not RP with personals. If you want to send Flowey asks, go on anon. It is never off. Any and all asks from personal blogs will be from now on deleted on sight. If you have an RP sideblog, include the name in the ask.

I do not accept godmoding, aka writing out my character’s actions without discussing it with me first. If I see it in your reply, I will ask you to change it. If I see it in your ask, it will be deleted on sight.

If you reblog my headcanons that are not tagged with some version of ‘rebloggable’, rants, personal posts, threads/asks that have nothing to do with you, I will ask you to get it down. If you do not comply with my request in 24 hours - you are getting blocked. Immediately. Forever.

Asks that have my character gravely injured or killed without my permission will be ignored and deleted. Replies that have my character gravely injured or killed without my permission will be put aside, and I will ask you to change them.

If you continuously break my rules, you will be softblocked after the first three offenses and hardblocked after another two.

I still won’t ask for a password. But now I will see if you haven’t read them, and I will act accordingly. That is everything I wanted to say.

Like this post if you have read it whole or at least skimmed the new rules.

[chasholidays]

thanks so much for doing this again, it's always super fun!!! after much deliberation my love for the single best asshole friend murphy fic in the universe won out, and my request is "in the library of my house i have a laugh" + graduation :)

Original fic here!

If Murphy had his way, he’d never actually leave grad school.

It’s not so much that grad school is so great and more that once he leaves grad school, he needs something else to do, and that’s a terrifying prospect. He’s pretty sure he doesn’t have a future in academia, not with how much better everyone else in academia is at the whole thing than he is, and he can’t just coast on Jaha thinking he’s brilliant forever. And if he’s not in academia, he doesn’t know what else to do. Somehow, horrifyingly, that’s all he knows.

“Maybe a self-help book,” says Emori. “Isn’t that how people with philosophy degrees and no other skills make money?”

“I think we just starve to death,” he says, staring up at the ceiling. He doesn’t want to have an existential crisis, but it might be unavoidable.

“I still don’t know why you’re so convinced you can’t get a job here,” Emori says. “Jaha isn’t the only one in the department who likes you.”

“Yeah, but can you imagine me as a teacher? Fuck, I don’t want to have the read the bullshit I write, fuck student papers. TAing was a nightmare, and I don’t want to publish research.”

“If only they had an open position for a visionary.”

“I think that’s Jaha too.” He huffs. “You got an idea for that self-help book? I think it only works if I’m actually successful.”

“You have a PhD and minimal student debt. That’s success to many.”

“Probably better to just skip it and be a bartender,” he grumbles, and she kisses his forehead.

“We might be hiring.”

“Awesome, keep me posted.”

*

The thing is, Murphy understands his skills. He’s decent at bullshitting, and he’s not actually a bad writer. He’s definitely engaging, and people like listening to him talk. He’s not exactly competent, but he’s good at surviving. Grad school seemed like a good thing, but now he’s supposed to go into the world and use what he’s learned, except he hasn’t really learned anything, and he doesn’t have any more idea what he should be doing than he did when he decided he might as well get his PhD.

“This is going to sound extreme,” says Bellamy, “but did you think about asking Jaha?”

“How dare you,” he says, reflexive. Then he actually thinks about it. “Asking him what?”

“He’s your adviser. In theory, he’s supposed to help you get a job.”

“That sounds fake.”

Bellamy shrugs, easy. At this point, he’s basically the poster-boy for academic success: not only do he and Clarke both have jobs in their fields, and said jobs are close enough together that they’re on track to be married and start in on their future as functioning human beings in the next year or so. Bellamy even proposed, which, like, it’s not like either Murphy or Emori wants to get married, but he honestly wasn’t expecting Bellamy and Clarke to be so on top of this whole thing.

It’s not a competition, because their idea of a happy future is completely different from Murphy’s. But he’s used to being able to feel a lot more smugly superior to them, and having to admit they seem good while he’s struggling is kind of fucking with his head.

“I’m not saying it’s a miracle fix,” he says. “Honestly, I don’t know what kind of career advice Jaha would give. But if he wants to hire you, you probably want to find out about that now.”

“You think I could be a professor?”

He makes a face. “No. But I didn’t think you could get a PhD, I’m not counting anything out.”

At least his continued success upsets someone. That’s something he’s got going for him. “Guess it’ll at least be interesting,” he says. “Always wanted to know what Jaha actually thought I was going to do with all this shit.”

“If you find out, let us know,” Bellamy grumbles.

Murphy raises his glass. “There’s always drinking myself to death.”

“If that hasn’t killed you yet, it probably never will,” says Gina, as he drains it.0

“Not with that attitude it won’t,” says Emori, and refills his drink.

So at least she’s still on his side.

*

“So, I was wondering if you had any career advice,” Murphy asks. It’s probably the only practical thing he’s ever said to Jaha, and he doesn’t like it. They don’t have real conversations. Jaha drones and Murphy snarks. It’s a really good dynamic. “Since I’m graduating soon.”

“Oh, you won’t need a career,” says Jaha, which is honestly the most terrifying thing he’s ever said to Murphy. And that’s a fucking competitive category.

“I like having food and shelter,” he says.

“John, the end is coming. Soon enough, the entire nature of society will change. In the new world, you won’t need employment.”

“Oh.”

“In the new world, people like us will–” he starts, and that’s a good sign that it’s safe for him to stop listening for a while. He nods and smiles and when he hears, “You should ask your girlfriend about this,” he makes a note to tell Emori that she’s still passing for a robot.

“Okay, so–great,” he says, once Jaha has finally wound down. “Really helpful. Thanks.”

“If you need a letter of recommendation in the meantime, just let me know,” he says, shockingly upbeat. He’s really excited for the robot uprising. “I’m always happy to help.”

“Yeah. Definitely want you vouching for me,” he mutters, and resists the urge to slam the door behind him.

*

It’s not as if Murphy is going to fall into immediate poverty once he’s done with school. Honestly, he’s still in pretty decent shape. He and Emori have a crappy apartment that suits them fine, and he’s still got his odd assortment of part-time jobs, including one he’s picking up at the bar. He’s going to get by.

But there is this weird, annoying, stubborn part of him that thinks he should be using his degree, and that sucks.

“It’s not like I wanted it,” he tells Emori and Gina. “Like, fuck, I was just doing it because I didn’t have anything better to do.”

“You were not,” says Emori. It’s one of the problems with actually having a girlfriend who gets him. “You wanted to prove you could do it, and you did.”

“I did, yeah. So now what?”

“I think you should become a YouTube personality,” says Gina. “That seems like a good fit for you.”

“Huh. I’m listening. Tell me more. What do I do as a YouTube personality?”

“Get high and talk about your thesis, like always.”

“How does that make money?”

“Set up a Patreon,” says Emori.

He shrugs. “What the hell, can’t hurt. Add it to the list.”

*

Murphy doesn’t really have much by way of family, and while he could theoretically invite his racist grandma to his graduation, he’d rather just go on never speaking to her because she’s a fucking asshole. And not in the cool way like he is.

So, instead, he will be celebrating his graduation with his ragtag group of asshole friends, and he’s a little bit emotional about it.

It’s the worst.

Bellamy, being a cook, an officially sanctioned adult, and the most mom-like person Murphy has ever met who is not actually anyone’s biological mother, is making dinner, and everyone else is bringing booze, and they’re having a big party to celebrate the fact that Murphy has somehow conned his way into a graduate degree. So long as he can avoid any accidental, unintentional displays of emotion, he should be fine.

The last thing he wants is for any of his friends to realize he values and loves them.

“If I start getting weird, I need you to take me out,” he tells Emori. “I assume you have tranq darts on you.”

“I have mace.”

“Close enough. If it seems like I’m going to say anything nice to anyone, just mace me.”

“How nice is nice?”

“I trust your judgement.”

“Well, that’s your first mistake,” she says, bright. “I am happy for you, John. I’m glad you were able to do this.”

“Yeah, me too. Now I just have to do something else.”

“Until my kind take over and you become our slaves,” she says, grinning.

“Yeah, do you have a date for that or anything? It would be great if I could plan around the robot uprising.”

“When you least suspect it,” she says.

“Fuck, then it’s never going to happen.”

All of the gang who could make it is at Bellamy and Clarke’s, which is a pretty decent number. They’ve dwindled in numbers over the years, as people have graduated and moved away, but they still have a pretty strong core friend group, and they’ve all come together to celebrate him.

Which is why he needs Emori on mace duty. It’s a very risky situation, emotionally speaking.

Clarke opens the door with an open bottle of whiskey in her hand. “For you,” she says. “You’re graduating, we figured you’d want to just drink directly from the bottle.”

“I want to do that when I’m not graduating,” he points out. But he does take the bottle and take a swig, because that’s what he’s about. “This is actually good whiskey.”

“It’s almost like we’re friends,” says Clarke. “Come on in.”

Miller and Monty are already around, with Gina and Raven on their way. It’s a smaller, more manageable group of people than they’ve had in the past, and it feels like the one that might stick. Couples are easier, it feels like, and they’re all pretty motivated to stay together and in the same place.

He takes another sip of whiskey. These are the thoughts he doesn’t need to be having. Not when alcohol exists.

“I’m going to go help Bellamy in the kitchen,” says Emori. “John, if you need to be maced, just yell.”

Clarke raises her eyebrows, and he shrugs it off. “Inside joke. Monty’s got video games?”

“Lots of video games.”

“Awesome. Thanks for having a party for me,” he adds, against his better judgement. “This is cool.”

“Bellamy’s head might actually explode when you get your diploma,” she says. “So we’re celebrating now.”

“Before he dies?”

“Eat, drink, and be merry,” she agrees. “Video games are in the living room.”

And that’s how it goes. He takes his whiskey and plays Mario Kart with his friends, and everyone swears a lot and drinks a lot, and once the food is done they eat a lot, and at the end of the meal, toasts go around in his honor. Clarke and Bellamy present him with a lifetime achievement award for worst adviser, and Monty plays a song he made with autotune and the best of Jaha’s weird voice messages.

He might say a few kind words himself, even. His breath might even hitch.

“You were supposed to mace me,” he tells Emori, on their way back. Everyone hugged when they were leaving. It was a lot.

“I was,” she says, completely unrepentant. “I didn’t. It was a nice evening. You like our friends, and I’m happy for you.”

“Jesus. Maybe I should mace you.”

She smiles, squeezes his hand. “It won’t happen again,” she promises. “Just this once.”

*

“So, I’m graduating now, you can tell me,” says Murphy. “This is all an act, right?”

Jaha blinks at him. “Excuse me?”

“You had something else going on, right? You’re not actually like this.”

“I don’t know what you mean, John.”

“Do you really think I’m a philosophical genius, or was this some weird prank? Is this a She’s All That deal? One of the other professors made a bet with you?”

“Of course not. All I wanted was for you to realize your potential.”

“Yeah? How’d that go?”

“I consider you one of my great successes.”

“As long as you’re happy.” He shrugs, feeling a little awkward. “Thanks, I guess. For everything. This was–cool.”

“I look forward to meeting you again in the new world,” Jaha says, and offers his hand.

There’s nothing to do but shake it.

“May we meet again,” he says, and that’s it.

He gets his diploma and hangs it on the wall behind the desk in the living room, where he’s been filming his new YouTube series, “Dr. John Murphy’s Guide to the Robot Apocalypse.” Some people in the comments have been doubting his credentials, and he’s looking forward to rubbing it in their faces.

And, he has to say, it looks good up there. Like it really belongs.

[chromemuffin]

Quan Zhi Gao Shou / The King’s Avatar Novel (Vol. 1, Ch. 1-10)

How these liveblogs work: I read five chapters of the manhua at a time, then the equivalent chapters in the novel. This is probably going to take forever seeing as there are 800+ translated chapters available as of the time of writing this post and over 1000 chapters total, buuut at least each chapter is short.

Fair warning: I always sound as if I don’t like what I’m reading or I’m criticizing it (just read my captive prince liveblog lol...), but I am actually enjoying it immensely.

Volume 1: Banished Battle God

Chapter 1: The Banished Battle God

My first comment of the entire novels: What is with the “eccentrically-shaped ashtray”? It doesn’t specify what this ashtray looks like, only that it’s unusual. Why include this detail in the first place if you’re not going to tell us what it’s actually shaped like? Now I need to know!

This was also in the manhua, but I didn’t bother bringing it up then: Why was the first bit of dialogue translated as “Arrived”? I’m pretty sure it’s this character: 来. I never managed to learn enough Chinese to be worth a damn, but I do Japanese to English translations on the side and I’m pretty sure a loose translation would work better. idk, it just bothers me. Don’t mind me, though. I like nitpicking over translation stuff. And I won’t get to do much more of it.

Anyway.

“He gently removed the card from Glory’s dedicated log-in device.”

I love this description, a little throwaway word ‘gently’ tells so much about Ye Xiu as a guy who really loves and respects this game. I think he already know what is in store for him to some extent, but he doesn’t take it out on the game. In fact, he was playing right up until it was time for the meeting. The novel states that the manager didn’t even him any advanced notice, I’m assuming of their decision to remove him from the team, but that Yu Xiu also wasn’t surprised.

“Only they quickly recovered because there was another important person that deserved their attention.”

Hm, pretty girl or new team leader asshole? Tough decision indeed.

Ah, ok. So that’s the deal with his pseudonym. It’s so close to his real name (in English lettering at least) that I confuse the two. But it’s far easier to tell the difference when I look at the characters 叶修 / 叶秋.

It’s kind of confusing because (at least in the translation), he is referred to as his alias Ye Qiu in this chapter, whereas the summary and other places refer to him as Ye Xiu.

lol “Mine!” How shameless.

“After one year, even if he wanted to return again, for the elderly, without a year of intense competition to maintain his skills...”

‘for the elderly’ is just...hilarious because he’s only 25. that’s not old. (well, in this game’s context it is, but geez is that an early cut-off age)

Chapter 2: Area 3 Number 47

“As tactful as he is, he wouldn’t think to blame the club for retiring him.”

But that’s?? exactly?? what happened??? You’re already kicking him out after all he did for the team over the years. I mean, it’s a sound business decision, but no need to be so nasty about it. The stuff Ye Xiu pulls off in-game aside, he seems to be a relatively decent person, even going as far as helping out his friends to the point where he doesn’t have enough left to pay the penalty fee, whatever amount that is.

Ah, Su Mucheng, I like her the more times I read these opening scenes across the various media...She has a cute character design in the animation, which I watched when it came out, but she actually turns out to be quite mature and adorably worried/supportive.

Icicles also formed on his head. If he didn’t take shelter, he would die.

Seems a bit dramatic, but so is icicles forming on your head!! It must be really, really cold out, huh...

Su MuCheng was always gentle and serene. Even during in an intense PK confrontation, she always held a smile. Speaking about her, Ye Qiu sometimes watched as she smiled while causing her opponents to explode into pieces. When she then politely said sorry, he would always inexplicably tremble a bit.

ah, yes, I’m pretty sure the animation skips this observation, which builds a bit more character for Su Mucheng since we don’t see her again for a bit. Ye Xiu, also, seems a bit more “alive” in a sense in the manhua/novel, because of little comments like these.

Chen Guo is also a fun character ^.^ “She slammed the keyboard directly shutting down the game.” definition of a rage quit, huh.

Chapter 3: Special Duty: Night Shift

“My hands were frozen cold or else 30 seconds would’ve been enough.”

show off. Though he doesn’t really come off as showing off. The poor opponent must have been so confused, though. Wins 52 times in a row and suddenly gets beat in 40 seconds flat haha.

“Ye Xiu… … Ye Qiu? It really is him!” Chen Guo excitedly thought. It looked like she really had uncovered his hidden identity! This showed that he really was Ye Qiu. If she had seen the name Ye Qiu written, then she wouldn’t have believed it.

This part confused me a bit in the manhua, but it’s clearer here. At least the Ye Xiu/Qiu mess is clarified early on. Still don’t know why the narrative refers to him as Ye Qiu in the beginning if his name is actually Ye Xiu (and is the one used in the summary)...??

She had been prepared to use everything she owned to get his signature. Ye Qiu’s signature, ah! Who had it? No one!

Chen Guo’s thought process is just fun to go along with, haha she’s so dramatic. And also works well narrative-wise to show how popular Glory is. I mean, she works at an internet cafe but that doesn’t mean she has to be into Glory herself; but she is, played for a long time, and is up to date with the professional scene to some degree if she knows the names and faces of all of Excellent Era’s members.

...she [had] a strong urge to change the word Xiu into Qiu.

haha.

“Oh, so it’s like this… … how generous.” Chen Guo sighed with sorrow. This person’s strength was powerful, his account definitely wouldn’t be weak. Powerful accounts were extremely valuable. Gifting it away so easily was very valiant.

The irony in this part never fails to amuse me.

Later, in Glory’s fifth expansion, a lot of experts obtained the qualifications to complete the Challenge skill becoming the first ones possessing access to all servers.

This is an interesting tidbit. I like the novel, where it’s easier to absorb all the rules of the game/professional scene.

Ah, so the account card Ye Xiu uses is actually one from 10 years ago? And he held onto it for this whole time, not using it. That’s...pretty amazing, I would have lost mine after 10 years.

His hair looked as if it hadn’t been taken care of in at least half a month. His face didn’t look too healthy. Although it was white and clear, it was that sort of sickly pale. His two eyes gazed at her listlessly...The guy in front of her didn’t look too young, but was unexpectedly also so dejected and disdained.

I remember people being upset that he looked more handsome in his other appearances. He’s the sort to not care about appearances, and I guess he doesn’t get out much, stuck inside playing Glory all day. But, well, if he looks dejected and disdained it’s probably from what just happened.

“full-time night cat“ AH this is why the manhua drew him as a cat when he said he likes nights. I guess it’s an expression.

His approving attitude made Chen Guo feel very apologetic. This small storage room truly wasn’t a place for living.

lol not to mention Chen Guo drops a bucket of paint on top of the bed along with a whole shelf in the manhua. She didn’t seem as apologetic in the other mediums as she does here, though.

Even after all this, he had never asked for his boss’s name.

haha kind of important don’t you think.

Chapter 4: Mysterious Expert

“If you also want to go out and eat, don’t ask my employees to go on an errand for you.” Chen Guo said.

“Next time, could you tell us in advance? Can’t you help deliver it to us?” A person said.

“The Internet Cafe only has so many people. How could we deliver it all back? Enough of this nonsense, if you really want to eat so much but are too lazy to buy it, go ask for their phone number. Wouldn’t they be willing to deliver it?” Chen Guo said.

“Sister Chen do you have their number? Lend it to me so I can copy it down.” A person said.

“What would I do with their phone number? I have people to run errands for me. Why would I inconvenience the restaurant?” Chen Guo said.

Chen Guo is pleasantly vicious. I wasn’t overly fond of her in the animation, but she has great expressions in the manhua, and her dialogue is just great in the novel.

lol “it looks like I’m forcing him play.”

This Heavenly Domain wasn’t a single map. It was another world. The map was as big as the combined worlds of five other servers. This place had difficult instance dungeons, powerful equipment, precious materials, and also freedom. All experts would meet up there. The Heavenly Domain was a player’s final destination.

So that’s what the Heavenly Domain is...I don’t know if I ever quite figured it out casually watching the animation.

“Don’t fake it. You actually haven’t retired. It’s just that you were unable to win a seat, so you were kicked out right?” Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu was speechless.

“No offense… …” Chen Guo realized that her words had somewhat stabbed at his sore spot.

Way to hit it where it hurts! Unintentionally, of course. I seem to like manhua Ye Xiu for his expressions, and novel Chen Guo because it actually gives some more depth to her character.

“Oh so it’s like this?” Tears streamed down Ye Xiu’s cheeks. Ye Qiu was currently chatting with you face to face, sister.

lol wait is this just an expression or- he’s not actually tearing up in this scene is he.

“Oh?” when Ye Xiu flipped to the last page and looked, a sudden wave of shame hit. Thinking about it, this hand guide hadn’t changed much over ten years. This was something players couldn’t update any further. For missions that veterans would choose, how could no one have come up with this type of strategy already? Right now, he needed this type of strategy. Just as Ye Xiu was ready to follow this strategy to take missions, tears immediately began streaming down his face. He was once regarded as textbook level figure! Now with a beginners guide in his hands, how could he endure this shame?

Ye Xiu’s a lot, ah, more expressive than the animation gives him credit for. I’m sorry, I laughed. He’s just so thrown off by having to start from scratch.

Chapter 5: Skill Match

But at this point everyone was still level 0. Their jumping abilities were too poor and there was no way they could jump high enough. Everyone repeatedly bouncing up and down was truly a cute and beautiful scene.

WHAT LOL Ok this wasn’t in the manhua was it, it’s indeed a glorious image. I like how the narrator even describes it as a ‘cute’ scene haha.

Aah, I appreciate the little break away to explain the mechanics of the game. It’s not terribly useful seeing as the game doesn’t actually exist in real life, but it’s decently interesting.

But if this skill set that had been picked by peak-level expert like him was seen by ordinary players, they would definitely laugh.

And an area where Ye Xiu doesn’t have to feel ashamed of, haha.

Chapter 6: Thousand Chance Umbrella

It’s not as if it wasn’t explained in other mediums, but the novel definitely has the time to go through all the details like the evolution of Glory’s class system and why no one would suspect anyone to play the ‘unspecialized class’ anymore.

Soon after, he directly headed to the storage chest in the warehouse and opened it. An equipment unexpectedly lay inside.

Accounts that transferred servers should be empty...

But Lord Grim, which had just transferred to the tenth server, unexpectedly had an equipment inside.

No one knew how this happened, but it seemed as if Ye Xiu had been expecting it. He knew that he would find an equipment here...

This, too, is interesting! Because it seems as if the warehouse pops up out of nowhere in the other mediums, and you’re not really sure if it’s something that everyone else can access or not if you weren’t paying attention to the fact that the umbrella is a ‘silver’ weapon and thus a unique item that no one else would be able to acquire.

...there wasn’t a trace of happiness in Ye Xiu’s expression. On the contrary, it was filled with grief. A rare tremble once again emerged on his right hand.

but then, there’s this. ;-;

The customizable/self-made weaponry is actually quite smart. Reminds me of the custom furniture you can make and add to the Sims... (look, I really am not a gamer haha, I have no clue how many real life games have similar features) I didn’t really understand what was so special about the umbrella before (I probably wasn’t paying 100% attention...).

Only, it could be a unique surpassing peak Epic equipment or it could also be a unique piece of trash.

Or it could be a unique piece of trash. hahaha 

Ye Xiu gently retrieved the Thousand Chance Umbrella and placed it in Lord Grim’s hands.

Also the fact that he, gently, places a bunch of pixels into his inventory/avatar’s hands is telling how much this game and this item in particular mean to him.

Damn, reading about playing a game really puts me in the mood to play a game, too. I don’t really play games like this one, though...

Chapter 7: Midnight Phantom Cat

You saw clearly, spoke well, planned well, but in the end because of a single unexpected accident, your dreams and hopes all disappeared into nothing leaving only this incomplete Thousand Chance Umbrella to me.

“You originally had talent in Glory, a successful talent… …” His fingers gently wiped over the keyboard. With a quiver, Lord Grim cast a heal onto Sleeping Moon’s body. When Sleeping Moon promptly praised him again, Ye Xiu’s mind was no longer in the game.

More sad hints of the past. .-. 

“It’s here.” Ye Xiu saw that typing might have been slow, so he immediately yelled vaguely. His mouth still held onto the cigarette!

Ooh! He spoke! Or, ahem, ‘yelled vaguely’.

He was even a little skeptical thinking that his healing might snatch away the enemy.

Don’t you hate it when you’re minding your own business, not even fighting, and the monster goes to attack you anyway? lol you know how many times my teammates died from that in Final Fantasy Type-0...the worst part is that you can only control one of the 3 party members at a time, so to save them you have to keep switching between characters. or deal with having no one to heal you and only bring 1 character. idk I really liked that game.

Beautiful! Ye Xiu couldn’t help but praise him.

lol lots of praise going around in-game. everyone’s still playing nice-nice. Well, in Ye Xiu’s case I guess he is genuinely praising him.

Ah, so Ye Xiu was actually going to warn the others, was he. He just didn’t get the chance. I wondered if he purposely didn’t say anything even if he knew Sleeping Moon’s plan, I can’t remember what happened in the animation.

Chapter 8:  A Life and Death Struggle

In these seven seconds, not only would the mage die but Fallen Sun would die too. He might as well try to save one of them.

Ye Xiu had lost faith in Sleeping Moon and directly abandoned the mage to heal Fallen Sun.

I do like how they handled the back and forth for the battle scene here, it doesn’t have too much of a lag between action while explaining Ye Xiu’s thought process.

He couldn’t tell if Fallen Sun had bad luck attached to him. Right when the Bleed status wore off, the Midnight Demon Cat swiped at him again causing him to Bleed yet again. These types of status inducing attacks only had a small probability to appear. But it seemed as if someone added a 100% percent probability halo around Fallen Sun.

Don’t you hate it when that happens. I don’t think anything fishy is up? He just had bad luck. It’s also totally relatable haha. 

Could it be that this guy had seen through his own own plan at that time?

Sleeping Moon sure manages to get a lot of musings into the space between attacks here. This is funny though, because the novel gives confirmation that Ye Xiu only realized this recently, when Sleeping Moon purposely let the others get attacked. He isn’t that godly that he realized it from the start.

“50%? I like 100%!” and “...be at ease and drop dead!”

lol and there the shamelessness comes out. Well, Ye Xiu also lost all respect for this guy so.

Furthermore, he opened it extremely exaggeratedly and the umbrella actually flipped the other way. He retracted the umbrella a bit...

Um, so this is possible with a real umbrella of course, but a virtual one too...?

Chapter 9: Ye Xiu’s Two Hands

A pair of hands that made people’s cheeks stream with tears appeared in front of her eyes — Ye Xiu’s two hands.

Those must be some pretty impressive hands.

The hands were beautiful hands.

And in case you didn’t get it the first time: Ye Xiu has beautiful hands. Well, that is in the chapter title after all.

lol and Chen Guo examining his speed, I guess he must be taking it easy since the boss isn’t a difficult one.

Their banter is also so fun to read~

Chapter 10: Shameless Novice

lol did you really get out of the dungeon just so you could switch computers to get a smoke. I don’t think he particularly cared about finishing it, since it just provides exp probably.

Haha “the shameless novice” but what does Sleeping Moon gain from labeling him a novice? Shameless, yes, to discredit him.

These identical messages mixed together with other anger and hate. Although the system automatically blocked profanities, people’s intelligence were boundless. They used same sounding words to complete their mission.

ah, yes, the ways people get past profanity blockers, particularly fun in languages with hanzi! (hanzi right? Chinese characters?)

“Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean I have to show it.” Ye Xiu didn’t look angry. He was even smiling. While doing so, he logged out of the game and shut down the computer. Changing over to the smoking area was still his current ambitious dream.

Ah, I love this series. He just really wants a smoke.

But I can relate, I’m fairly expressionless most of the time, even when I’m excited.

Only players over level 20 could leave the beginner area. When that happened, PK’ing would be opened up. In the meantime, those level 20 and under could only point fingers and argue.

lol just...lol

But now that he couldn’t form a team, his leveling speed would only increase.

HAHA joke’s on you, it apparently works out better for him, they can’t even start PKing so there’s really no use getting into a tizzy over it...not that that stops people from creating drama. ever.

Lord Grim was equivalent to three people. Furthermore, with Ye Xiu’s skills, he wouldn’t be slower in clearing a dungeon than a five man team. He might even be a bit faster.

The video game context really gives validity to Ye Xiu’s ability to breeze through the early stages of the story as well as his strength being far above the others. Plus, it’s true. There are some games where teammates slow you down, you might as well go at it solo.

“Hello hello.”

xD

What a nice way to end this part! I’ll be bouncing back to the manhua now.

So, yeah, like I said. I’m actually having a lot of fun, the novels don’t linger on the mechanics long enough to become boring. Plus, Ye Xiu’s background - being 25 and already on the pro scene for 7 years - makes all of his overpowered-ness not just believable, but expected. Reading him go through the early stages of the game is sort of like watching a let’s play - relaxing.