#I can’t believe these two barely interacted in canon

[paesagex]

Catharsis

This was imagined as a spin-off of @codenamesazanka ‘s beautiful AU, but I guess it could be read as some kind of continuation to my own “A gift”. After all, the theme is kinda the same. What? I’m really fascinated by those hands.

A brief summary of the AU: All Might manages to kill Afo on the first try, and Tomura and Kurogiri are captured. After the 15 yo boy spends months in Tartarus, finally Toshinori decides to take action and get the boy out to reform him himself, even though at the cost of gradual retirement. It’s a rough path. But wounds heal, with time and patience.

[ashyblondwaves]

Girl are there fics of katniss and peeta interacting before the games but canonically? If not can you write it pretty please

HI! I'm sure there are, and I have even written one myself a long time ago, but here's another for ya!

Cracked Wheat

The bell over the bakery door gives a tired jingle when I step inside, a low sound that barely cuts through the thick smell of rising bread that assaults my senses. The warmth of the place hits me next. Soft, humid, and rich with flour and sugar. It smells like hunger, like a memory. Like a hand-me-down mercy I never asked for.

I shift the burlap sack on my shoulder, the two squirrels inside already weighing me down. They’re not the best catch, but they’ll do. The baker’s usually fair, especially with me.

Only it’s not him behind the counter today. It’s the baker’s son, Peeta.

He’s dusted with flour, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a streak of something across his cheek. His blond hair’s a mess, like he’s been up since before dawn. For a second, we just stand there, staring at each other across the counter like neither of us knows what happens next.

I tighten my grip on the sack. “Your father’s not here?”

He shakes his head once. “He’s out back. I… I can do the trade.”

His voice is quiet. Careful. Like he doesn’t want to scare me off.

I hesitate. I could leave. Come back later. But that would look strange, and I don’t have time to be careful about things like that today.

So I walk up and set the sack on the counter.

“Two squirrels,” I say. “One’s a little thin, but the other’s decent.”

He nods and unwraps the cloth slowly, like he’s afraid of breaking something. His fingers brush over the fur, gentle. Too gentle. Like he still sees them as alive.

“I can give you a loaf of rye,” he says after a pause. “And a couple cracked wheat rolls. They’re from yesterday, but they’re still good.”

It’s more than fair. I nod, even though part of me bristles at the charity tucked in his tone.

He disappears into the back, and I take a breath. The kind that settles low in your stomach. The kind that reminds you today is Reaping Day.

He returns a moment later with a paper bundle, warm and faintly sweet-smelling. He doesn’t hand it to me. He just places it on the counter between us, like the bread needs to buffer whatever’s been hanging in the air since I walked in.

“You’re up early,” he says, not quite meeting my eyes.

“So are you,” I retort.

Silence stretches between us. Not empty. Just... full of things neither of us are willing to say out loud.

Outside, I hear a child’s old wagon wheels creak by. A woman shouting for her child. The district waking up. People getting dressed, braiding hair, holding their breath.

I should leave.

He clears his throat. “I guess... good luck today.”

I freeze. Not because of what he says, but how he says it. Not pity. Not nervous chatter. Just purely honest.

I don’t believe in luck. I believe in snared rabbits and working lungs and not getting caught. But I believe he means it.

“You too,” I manage.

That’s when I finally meet his eyes. Blue. Wide. And searching for something I don’t have a name for.

There’s a softness in them that rattles me. Like he already knows something’s coming. Like he already mourns it.

I can’t hold that look. Not today. Maybe not ever.

I look down at his hands instead. One of them is still resting on the counter, near the edge of the paper bundle. His fingers are dusted in flour, the skin around his nails rough from kneading dough. They’re worker’s hands. Steady, strong.

Hands that once gave me life.

My throat tightens before I can stop it.

I hate that I remember that moment so clearly, how the bread burned, how he tossed it to the pigs, how I thought I was going to collapse in the rain. I hate how often I dreamt about it afterward, how I clung to the idea that someone, even once, might have seen me and chosen kindness.

I don’t want to owe anyone anything. Least of all him.

“Thanks,” I say, forcing the word out. It burns a little. I don’t know if I’m thanking him for the trade, or the bread from all those years ago. Maybe both. Maybe neither.

He blinks, like he didn’t expect me to speak again. Then nods. Just once.

The silence stretches again, this time thinner. Fragile. Like if either of us says one more word, it might shatter.

I reach for the bundle. My fingers brush his by accident.

It’s barely a touch, not even skin, just the edge of his knuckle against mine through a fine layer of flour. But I still feel it, sharp and real, like a match strike.

He pulls his hand back fast. So do I.

I hate how my pulse jumps. I hate that I even notice it.

Outside, someone laughs. It’s loud, shrill, drunk already, maybe trying to forget what day it is. A door slams. A baby starts to cry.

The world keeps moving.

“I should go,” I mutter.

Peeta just nods again, his lips parting, as though maybe he wants to say something. But nothing comes out. Maybe he thinks better of it. Or maybe he knows, like I do, that there are no right words for this kind of day.

I turn and head for the door. This time I don’t hesitate. My hand’s on the handle, the bell already tilting, when I hear him say, too soft to be sure I was meant to hear it…

“Katniss.”

I stop. Just for a second, but I don’t turn around. I don’t trust myself to.

So I walk out instead, the bell giving its sad little jingle behind me, and the door swings shut between us like a closing promise.

Outside, the sun is just starting to claw its way up the sky, but the world already feels gray.

I clutch the bread to my chest, like it might steady me. It doesn’t.

I don’t know what I expected. I don’t know why I feel like I left something behind. Maybe I should have said something else. Or turned. Or stayed.

But I didn’t.

Because I’m not the girl who says things. I’m the girl who survives.

And I know better than to reach for something that can be taken from me.

The early morning air hits harder than I expect for July, even with the warmth of the bread against my chest. It bites through my jacket and settles into my skin, sharp and unforgiving. Maybe it’s always like this on Reaping Day. Or maybe I’m just noticing it more today.

I keep my head down as I walk. Eyes on the gravel. Don’t give anyone a reason to talk to you. Don’t stop. Don’t think.

But I’m already thinking.

About the flour on his hands. The way he said my name. The space between us that felt heavier than it should have.

It’s stupid. I shouldn’t be thinking about Peeta Mellark. Not today. Not ever, really. We don’t know each other. Not really. Just a few exchanges, half-glances, and silences that weren’t supposed to mean anything. That can’t mean anything.

Still.

He remembered my name. And I remembered the way his eyes looked when he said it.

I pass the old fence near the square, the one with the hole I use to slip into the woods. Someone’s hung a strip of cloth over it, black and fraying. A mourning ribbon. There are always a few on Reaping Day.

I tighten my grip on the bundle. It’s cooling now, but I hold it like it matters. Like it’s more than just bread and rolls. 

I don’t know what Peeta meant by saying my name. Maybe it was a goodbye. Or a wish. Or nothing at all. Just a sound caught in his throat.

But it sticks with me. Lodges under my ribs and refuses to be shaken loose.

I hate that.

The closer I get to home, the more the world pulls at me. Prim’s face, waiting. My mother’s silence. Buttercup mewling like the sky’s falling. I focus on those things. Real things. Not blue eyes and soft voices and warmth I didn’t ask for.

By the time I step through our front door, the bread is almost cool. I set it on the table, but I don’t mention exactly who it came from.

And I don’t think about how my fingers still remember the shape of his.

[hmsdoodlin]

(22) Heart and Soul <3

Long ramble under the cut

I’ll be honest I have no idea why these two resonate so much with me, they barely interact in the album one on one. But I think they’re really cute and I’m kissing them on the tops of their heads. They have so much potential.

(Please don’t crucify me for any of this, I acknowledge that some of my takes may be ooc. This is all based on interpretation and whimsy. Soul is hard for me to characterize.)

My version of Soul is tired. He’s driven to drastic decisions that he does not want to do. He loves his Heart and his Mind with his entire being just as much as he hates them, they’re him! They’re a package deal! But in Cacophony Heart and Mind are far too absorbed with their rivalry to really acknowledge him unless it’s to turn the argument in their favor. He feels ostracized and used, more like something to be fought over than a friend. I think he’s really lonely.

And then you have Heart. Someone who yearns to be understood but struggles to express himself in a healthy way. He craves for unity just as much as Soul and Mind do, but ultimately crumbles beneath his own perception of the others and his loathing. He wants to love, he has the capacity to if he is the entire emotion spectrum, he just can’t express it right now because of everything going on inside his head.

Soul really needs a hug and to feel loved -> Heart really needs a hug and to feel understood

Both are incredibly lonely in their own ways, but they also have the ability to be mutually beneficial for each other in Cacophony.

Assuming Soul is half and half of both sides, he’s able to understand and at least sympathize with Hearts point of view. He doesn’t agree with it, he can see past all of the twisted perceptions, but he’s able to provide the sympathy/understanding that Heart needs. No matter how small. And in turn Heart is able to provide that brief feeling of togetherness and unity. Heart is most likely the easiest to connect with on a surface level, and therefore the best option for when Soul is feeling down and hopeless.

Heart thinks the entire world is against him, he believes that Mind and by extension Soul hate him and want him gone. Soul is able to quell the moons worries, at least for the night. Soul believes that his sides hate him just as much as they hate each other, he wants them all to get along. Heart can provide that feeling of unity, physical touch acting as a form of reassurance and communication. He can pretend that everything is good for a moment and that the warm body beside him is how it’s supposed to be.

I headcanon Mind as touch adverse and Heart as very physical, so Soul is the perfect middle ground! Heart and Soul are able to connect on a very emotional level, and therefore have an easier time showing affection and being close. Lots of cuddles! Lots of comforting! They don’t have to talk, there’s no pressure, they can just hug and everything melts aways. They want to keep each other safe and happy.

Their relationship is so appealing because there’s no barrier between them. They can connect with and understand each other on a very emotional level, switching seamlessly between comforter and comfortee in most scenarios.

I have a lot to say about them in an angst sense, but it delves a bit too far into headcanons and is incredibly long. That’s a discussion for another time, I’m trying to focus on the positives of their dynamic here. Heart and Soul angst absolutely cooks though, trust.

I may be delusional. But in my HEART and in my SOUL they are very close. They share the same night sky! The moon orbits the earth and controls the tides! You can only see the stars when it’s night time!!!!

(Quickly going to clarify that I personally accept a lot of different interpretations of Hearts blindness as canon, I generally like and accept most headcanons even if they conflict with eachother. Soul blinded Heart? Cool. Mind blinded Heart? Epic. Heart was always blind? Awesome. I personally don’t really care and I think all of them can be true simultaneously. Why the hell not, time does not exist on a linear scale. I don’t agree with Soul being 100% an abuser though, he’s just as much of a complicated victim as the other two.

I personally like the idea that Heart did it to himself in apathy the most. Doodle Heart has subscribed to that, as will all/most of my interpretations of him. My Soul didn’t hurt him in that way. And I think he was actually quite mortified when he found out.)

Be silly be goofy, do whatever the hell you want, at the end of the day this is my own personal point of view. They swim in my brain like little amoeba and have rerouted all my nerves. I’m definitely more inclined to be soft on them so take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt. My ass is biased. On my hands and knees begging for more content of them though. PLEASE.

On a less serious note. I think Heart is Souls little guy. He love him :(

[mayayayayayayaya]

I’m rereading One Piece and I made it to Fishman Island, I forgot how bad Sanji’s characterization is for the first stretch of post-timeskip. I’m on chapter 605 at the moment and the only cool moment for him so far is taking down a pacifista with Zoro. The nosebleeds are annoying and do a lot to flatten him out. But that’s not as bad as everything surrounding the Kamabakka kingdom. I’ve heard interpretations of the queens there as being a radical representation of gender, breaking free of societal conventions and living in their own way. That sounds nice, but I don’t buy it personally. Their depiction feels too mean spirited and draws on too many negative stereotypes for it to feel like anything other than a cruel joke. And that’s a shame because I absolutely adore Iva as a character, as well as other canonically queer characters like Kiku, Bon Clay, and Yamato. Overall, Sanji’s timeskip adventure feels like a giant missed opportunity to me. Now is the time that I start pushing my transfem Sanji agenda. Here’s what I am seeing that fuels my belief that Sanji’s character would have benefitted from returning to Sabaody a woman.

First off, he seems happier when presenting more femininely. The two main pieces of evidence for that is when he first arrived on Kamabakka and was put in a dress and makeup and the body switch in Punk Hazard. In both cases he was visibly exuberant at his body being more traditionally feminine. If that’s not gender euphoria then I don’t know what is. I mean when he’s switched back to his own body he laments that the dream is over.

My second point ties into repression. Sanji’s character as a whole is kind of predicated on feeling like he’s not enough as is seen in Whole Cake Island. He believes himself to be a burden to his crew so he leaves and doesn’t join until it feels like there’s no other choice. We see how his childhood as a Vinsmoke fueled that inferiority complex, always being the runt and eventually being erased. I see this as being a potential factor of why he can’t see himself as a woman. He puts women as a whole up on a pedestal, refusing to hurt them and being incredibly charitable to any and all who interact with him. It feels like he cannot see himself as being worthy of that kind of love, respect, and adoration, so it’s not possible for him to be a woman.

Next, as much as I dislike the whole perv gag, I can see it as another hint. Speaking from personal experience, I felt guilty about taking pleasure in being a woman. I thought that maybe I was some irredeemable weirdo fetishizing womanhood, not a real woman just a sicko. I can see that mindset being plausible for Sanji’s character as well.

With the “reasons Sanji reads as an egg to me” out of the way, let’s look at what what this hypothetical transfem Sanji would look like and what her story would be. (Im going to start using she/her pronouns to refer to Sanji for clarity’s sake now).

I imagine that during the process of fighting the 99 new kama masters, she not only learns new fighting and cooking techniques, but also starts to understand the people of Kamabakka more and in the process discover her own identity. Like Iva said, only those with the heart of a maiden can learn their ways. After learning all she could, Sanji would ask Iva to use their powers on her. I imagine this alternate post time skip design to be similar to the canon one (women in suits 🙇‍♀️) just with longer hair and a more feminine figure. I could also see her in skirts and dresses in other arcs, but I adore Fishmen Island and Raid Sanji’s fits and can easily picture a more fem version of them.

Moving on to the actual story and Fishmen Island. To start, I think that instead of her losing blood from seeing the mermaids she should lose blood by protecting her crew from a group of roided up New Fishmen Pirates. Have her do a 1v4 in the ocean that she barely wins, establishing the threat of the New Fishmen pirates especially in the water while also showing off how much she has learned during the timeskip. This allows for the search for blood and the knowledge that human and fishmen blood is not allowed to be mixed. She can still be saved by a couple of the queens, but she would probably be more nice to them. From there Fishmen Island is pretty similar, she’s still there to hear about Fisher Tiger and Jimbei, still tells Jimbei to kill himself, etc, etc.

Punk Hazard I’m less sure of what would happen with body swapping shenanigans. If she swapped into Nami’s body all those gags wouldn’t really be necessary since she inhabits a woman’s body already. And after the body switch happens, I can still see her leading the Navy men and saving Tashigi. I wish I had more ideas, but if you have any I’d love to hear them.

Dressrosa is much the same. I don’t see why she couldn’t have got Viola on the Strawhat’s side, fight Doffy briefly, and then escape when the Big Mom Pirates show up. Again, if you have any story opportunities here I’d love hear them.

Now for the big one and the entire reason for this post, Whole Cake Island. Sanji being confronted with her past would be even more heartbreaking if she were trans. Not only is she leaving behind her crew, but she has to go to the source of her trauma and self doubt, feeling like even after going through as much as she did she’s ultimately still a pawn for her father. A fem Sanji adds extra drama to the Vinsmoke family, with her now looking almost exactly like her mother. She and Reiju grow closer, Reiju seeing just how far Sanji has come and hoping to see her free. Judge despises her more, being reminded of his dead wife and a perceived weakness that he despises. Maybe she’s able to bring just a little bit more humanity out of her brother’s by choosing to not only look like Sora, but by following in her steps and choosing kindness. Pudding’s betrayal and redemption can be a mirror to Sanji’s journey, feeling ashamed about an unchangeable part of her core identity because of how she was raised only to realize that she was worthy of being loved the whole time. The things she thought she should be ashamed of is actually the thing that makes her beautiful. WCI is all about family, both biological and found. Having the queer undertones of a transfem Sanji amplifies the message of no matter who you are, you are deserving of a family that duly loves and cares for you, and it doesn’t matter whether they are actually related to you or not. The actual content of WCI doesn’t even need to change all that much, just having a trans character revisit her abusive family does enough to elevate the material as written.

When it comes to Wano, Egghead, and Elbaph I imagine the raid suit and mutation would be the center of Sanji’s development much like in the canon story. This time it takes on a deeper meaning with Judge’s influence not only turning her into a weapon of Germa, but also being a vision of what could have happened to Sanji had she not discovered herself during the timeskip. What if the suit and mutation changes her body back? The threat of becoming Stealth Black is made all the more apparent. There are small things that would be different too. Like instead of just happening to be at the bathhouse for creepy reasons, she could have just used her observation haki to save the women there, small tweaks like that. And of course she would be part of the Yamato and Kiku going to the correct bathhouses.

To close this out I want to talk about her relationships with the rest of the crew. I don’t really ship any of the crew together so don’t expect any of that stuff here, but more power to you if you do. For the majority of them things would stay the same. I cannot imagine Luffy, Ussop, Robin, or Franky caring at all, or treating her any different. And Jimbei only met Sanji in Fishmen Island, so their dynamic stays almost completely intact. Zoro would be confused until he sees the curly brow, then the rivalry would start again as normal. Nami would still be waited on dutifully by fem Sanji, but I see Nami helping Sanji out with shopping and doing girly things like clothes and makeup. Chopper would be confused, but after hearing about Iva’s powers would start working on new regiments to fit Sanji’s new body. And Brook would just ask to see her panties before being kicked.

Ultimately I still love Sanji, even with the rise in prevalence of the perv gag and not as many suave secret agent moments like Mr. Prince or the train scene. Most of this is just projecting my own shit onto the character, but I can’t help but see the missed opportunities. Transfem Sanji you are real to me.

[elric-art]

Edward is a dick to Winry, doesn’t deserve her, and EdWin in general is just a glorified situationship forced to be canon. You can’t change my mind.

Here’s my 13 reasons why in no particular order. Don’t @ me.

1. She’s literally the “girl next door” trope.

2. As one of the only constants in Ed’s (and Al’s) life, most of their time together can just barely be classified as a situationship more than a friendship. It’s just always fucking awkward watching those two interact on screen and the second-hand embarrassment is inescapable.

3. Being childhood friends, they would’ve known about each other too much to love each other imo.

4. They are friends but they barely have time to be.

5. Ed shows up with broken bits, bugs her for progress updates for 3 days straight, then bails with no explanation other than “I have to fix shit”. On top of that, I’d also be mad if my client was constantly ruining my hard work so her frustration resonates with me on a deeper level.

6. Winry is reduced to a shut in and when she’s onscreen she’s stealing her pseudo boyfriend’s money on trips to supply stores ONLY because it was on the way to wherever Ed was going.

7. She’s ALWAYS waiting in the wings for a man that may never come back… from his 5th gap year.

8. Ed has no highschool diploma, no college degree, no job, no house, no car, and somehow managed to finagle himself a bride? That’s a little too hopeful for my opinion.

9. While there’s technically nothing wrong with being a house husband, if anything, he’s been demoted from Hero of the People and Savior of Mankind to Trophy Husband of a hard-working wife. If that’s what they’re into then more power to them.

10. While she’s allowed to have her preferences (I myself would not date a guy shorter than me), she felt no attraction to him until after the growth spurt. From a narrative standpoint, you’d want to side with the hero and it does feel a little superficial coming from her. Again, nothing wrong with that.

11. It was a dick move to keep her on lockdown before he went traveling abroad. Didn’t even give her time to date someone else or find herself even though it was pretty obvious what she was meant to be. Putting a ring on a woman and forcing her to wait longer for you is just a dick move.

12. Them getting married felt forced as fuck when they had so little chemistry and even less room for their “relationship” to develop.

13. Ed had more chemistry with his co-stars than his own love interest and 03 knows this.

Edit: Ed and Al did fight over who would marry Winry once when they were like what, 4? 5 tops? They would’ve grown out of that crush phase. And because Ed was 12-15, the adults would tease him about Winry especially when Hughes says Ed “seduced his mechanic” and Riza flat out saying “because you love her”. It feels more like he may have been gaslit by the people around him and it may have made him think “well this is what’s expected of me, right? It’s only fair after all the trouble I caused, right??” It’s just a personal theory but my point stands, after all, he vehemently responded with “no, we’re just friends” (I would be flustered too if I were in his place tbh). He could’ve been made to believe there was something there that wasn’t there at all.

[ishouldgay]

Sometimes I forget that Jaina Proudmoore and Sylvanas Windrunner have barely interacted in canon. Actually I don’t think they ever have? They’ve been in the same room twice (it was a pretty big deal for the fandom at the time)

I can’t believe these two never really talked ??? It’s crazy and it was a missed opportunity before they did whatever nonsense they did with Sylvanas after BfA.

[smilesrobotlover]

Playing AOC and I want to talk about how this game dropped the ball on Zelda awakening her power. Now it’s a spin off game, not canon to the timeline, but it doesn’t excuse it from criticism, especially compared to botw.

My issue with Zelda awakening her powers her in AOC is the motivation, which is the same for botw. Link is the reason why Zelda awakened her powers in both games, but in botw it hits hard, and in AOC it falls flat and is very lackluster.

In botw, you can see the bond between the two grow and grow throughout the game thanks to the memory quests. Even if you don’t see it in a romantic light, you cannot deny that there is a deep bond that grows between the two. The memories take the time to show the two spending time together, at first because they have to, but after because they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. It goes from Zelda being annoyed at Link following her around to her slowly seeing him as who he is. She asks him thought provoking questions, the two do very mundane things like taking pictures of frogs, Zelda helps patch a wound Link got from fighting monsters, just a lot of things where you see their bond grow more and more. Link seems to be there when Zelda struggles most, especially after the calamity attacks and everyone is killed. She cries in his arms, finding no other comfort, knowing that he’s the last person she cares about alive. He means a lot to her, and it’s very clear that we see that. So when they are pursued by guardians and Link can barely stand, Zelda knows that it might be his end. The person she’s really grown to care about, to learn more about, the one who was there when she was at her lowest, was about to die. The last person she had. So naturally, the power is awakened. She cannot allow him to die. It’s a very powerful scene that shows how much Zelda cares about Link. Again, romantic or platonic, there’s a powerful and strong bond between the two, and it’s a big payoff to see her awaken her power from the relationship we saw slowly growing throughout the memory quests.

But AOC is… more lame. I know it’s different I know it’s a separate timeline but I don’t think it matters. I still don’t think it’s a good scene where Zelda awakens her powers. It doesn’t hit the same. To me, botw Zelda and Link had a very natural friendship. It makes sense that Link is following her around cuz that’s his job. Being the hero of Hyrule, he was tasked in protecting Zelda. In this game, I couldn’t help but feel like he was forced to be in every scene with her, even when it made no sense. It’s like the game wanted that same relationship but they forgot how it was done in botw, and believed that shoehorning the two together would do it. But it didn’t work. Zelda doesn’t have those conversations with Link, they don’t spend a lot of alone time together and when they are alone, nothing really happens. Tbf, the game is more focused on Zelda’s relationships with the champions and Impa, but perhaps everyone she interacts with should’ve been the catalyst in awakening her power. Or maybe even Rhoam? Not just Link though.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely some bonding moments between the two, but it’s not enough to warrant such a powerful scene. In botw, Link was the only person who meant a lot to zelda that was alive (save for Impa, but we didn’t see them interact in that game), but in AOC, everyone is still alive. So that desperation isn’t completely there. Which is why I think it shouldn’t JUST be Link, but everyone else. She sees that her friends that she almost lost are at risk of their lives, and that motivates her to awaken her powers, because she can’t lose them again. They mean a lot to her and to Hyrule. Or, since there was a flashback to it, perhaps the memory of Rhoam telling Link to protect Zelda and supposedly dying, it triggers her into awakening her power (but that one doesn’t work as well as the first option).

Either way, I just don’t think having Link as the sole reason works, because that bond isn’t there. The relationship definitely feels more platonic than anything, and nothing more. So the scene falls flat. There doesn’t feel like there’s any desperation or fear or anything like that (I know it shows Zelda freaking out but that’s not enough for us to feel the emotions. Link literally died in botw but link in AOC was perfectly fine) and it just doesn’t work for me.

And I know that it could’ve been many things stacked on top of each other, but that still doesn’t make the scene good for me. It doesn’t feel like a satisfying or defining moment for Zelda. It just feels like a moment that they had to do because that’s what happened in botw.

Yes, this is a spin off game and shouldn’t be taken as seriously but I don’t care. I’m taking it seriously and I’m rambling about this because I want to.

[carniferous]

dil do you have any spare thoughts on jegulus 🤲🏼

jegulus is like a years-long social experiment i keep expecting someone from harvard university to pop out of nowhere and be like Jegulus was a an engineered mass-hallucination for the purpose of seeing if a harry potter yaoi ship between two characters that have never interacted on account of being dead for years at the start of canon could make it to the top 20 most popular ships on ao3

lmao no but in all honesty jegulus is my favorite… if you couldn’t already tell from. the 100k+ words of fanfiction i’ve written about them. they’re the doomed love affair of All time to me. and like… the doomed aspect is very important and compelling to me. not to plug my own fucking fic but this will always be a core part of my jegulus thesis:

He worries that he’ll always wish to be back there, waiting for Regulus’s call. Decades will pass, a lifetime, and the wish won’t fade. He could love a thousand people and nothing will ever compare to the frightening, purposeful way he loved the first time. No one will ever know him so bare and uninhibited as he was at sixteen. The thought scares him so much that he almost throws up again.

it’s the first love and the first end of love that changes you so fundamentally. you can never love like that again bc you’re no longer capable of it. you are a fundamentally different person now bc of that love. it’s this

jegulus is also the love story that wasn’t meant to happen yk? i joke about this all the time but also it’s so serious to me. in a canon setting their love story is always woven through the gaps in the Narrative. they love each other despite the story they’re supposed be living out… and they have no choice but to live that story out! regulus has to take the dark mark. he has to die. james has to marry lily and have harry. he has to die. all in all their love changed nothing about their story but it also changed both of Them so fundamentally. just not in ways that are apparent to anyone but themselves

we also cannot ignore sirius….. sirius!!! sirius might be more important to jegulus than james and regulus themselves. he is the inadvertent crux the accidental catalyst. he would never ever dream of james and regulus falling in love he would actively stop it if he could but he CANNOT bc he’s the reason it happened. regulus and james are only aware of each other’s existence because of sirius. they’re bound to each other by the fact that they cannot separate themselves from sirius.

but i don’t think that james wants to save regulus because he saved sirius. i think james is aware of the fact that he Didn’t save sirius. sirius saved himself. and therefore james understands the differences between regulus and sirius and wants to save regulus himself. he wants to be the white knight rescuing the princess from the tower. he wants to give regulus a better life. and regulus wants that more than anything…. but he doesn’t believe in it. he can’t let himself hope that james is telling the truth bc if he is then it means that Sirius was telling the truth and regulus can’t bear that. it’s this endless misunderstanding……

i think a lot of jegulus fans make the point about how “love isn’t enough to save someone” and while i do think this is a correct statement… the only thing that can save regulus is love. there’s nothing else for him there’s nothing he’s been denied in life except love and connection and if he let himself believe he could have those things…. he could walk out!! james COULD save him!!! love CAN be enough

send me ships/characters !!

[emeritusemeritus]

Vulnera Sanentur [Weasley Twins x Reader]

Part 6

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Title: Vulnera Sanentur

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader x George Weasley {established relationship}

Timeline: DH1&2- Initially set during the battle of the seven potters. Canon and certain plot points have been altered for the needs of the story.

Summary: The battle of the seven Potters throws your world into chaos when one of your boyfriend’s is cursed. As Snape’s ex-potions assistant and previous protégée, you recognise the inflicted curse immediately and demand answers from your mentor.

Warnings: Angst, mentions of war and Voldy, descriptions of injury and blood, descriptive smut, p in v sex, shower sex, tension. Outside sex. Semi public sex. None sexual nudity. Crying. Snape has a soft spot for reader. Arguments. Probably some cursing. Mentions of nightmares. Reader is part of the Order of the Phoenix. Mentions of death (Dumbledore). Mentions of Tonks’ pregnancy. On it got a angsty. So much angst I can’t tag it all. Not spellchecked nor beta read, we die like Madeye.

Everything happened so fast.

One minute you were sat with Fred at Bill and Fleur's wedding reception, laughing and joking as you caught your breath after being twirled around on the dance floor for what seemed like hours and the next, you were running down Tottenham Court Road and fighting off death eaters in a grubby little café. Then came your long hideout at Grimmauld Place, the dangerous infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, Ron's splinching, his rest period and then eventual, rather dramatic departure, leaving you, Harry and Hermione to search for the remaining horcruxes alone.

The trio had told you all about the Horcruxes and the larger plan, leaving no detail left out as soon as you arrived back at Grimmauld Place, watching as you slipped through the protective enchantments unphased. So far you'd found very little except for Salazar Slytherin's real locket which had been a curse to you all, most notably you and Ron, who it seemed to effect the most.

Ron had become jealous and volatile as the months grew on, each and every time he would wear the repugnant locket. He obsessed over the radio he carried, listening with rapt attention to see if anyone of his family was listed amongst the missing or dead and would watch Harry and Hermione interact with a compulsive need, his jealousy and all consuming anger only creating a further rift amongst you all.

You had taken to the locket poorly, or rather the locket had taken poorly to you, finding that it seemed to attack the raw emotions inside of you, the grief and the longing, the doubts, like a dementor continually pulling at your bare soul. To pass the time, you had begun researching curses and the ability to heal after one had been stricken. Cursed limbs could not be restored, but there must have been something you could do, something that would make George return to normal again, so that he would love you once more. Restoring his ear in any way you could would make George love you again, it had to. It slowly sank into a desperate need for answers and accompanied by the locket's cruel effects, became an obsession that forced you to look into sheer darkness, dark magic and ancient methods that were outlawed for their questionable morality suddenly became interesting evidence that something could be done, no matter the price. There were two pieces of compelling evidence which led you to believe that you were on to something; one, that Severus had invented the curse and it had not been sanctioned nor recognised officially, therefore it could not be classified along with the other known curses and may be exempt from the rules. Secondly, that Voldemort had potentially been hit by the rebounded killing curse, if not the ancient magic of Lily's protection and he had managed to restore himself to strength. Harry had told you in great detail exactly what happened in the graveyard that night for Voldemort to restore himself and this only furthered your obsession, though you hid it well from the others, researching as you sat on watch, guarding you all from the ever-present threat.

The months you'd been gone had been filled with camping out in the cold wilderness, flitting from place to place, foraging for food and water, hiding from the ever present threat of death eaters and learning to live without the two men you loved most in the world.

Then came the haunting memory of Christmas Eve in Godric's Hollow and the events that followed with Nagini inhabiting the deceased Bathilda Bagshot's body, the memories of that night still giving you night terrors and leaving lingering effects on your mind, the trauma imprinted upon you. The day had been one of absolutely agony for you already, feeling the full effect of being away from your boyfriends, missing them with a devastating desperation, feeling near the end of your nerve, towing the line between doing the right thing and persevering or returning home to them. Seeing the twinkling Christmas lights, hearing the carols being sung by a choir only hurt you more, knowing this would be the first Christmas you would be away from almost everyone you loved.

During the attack, you'd been severely injured in the skirmish, bitten by Nagini on the shoulder as you leapt to Harry's defence upstairs having discovered the blood and decay in the room downstairs, the sickening sight and the smell of the room still lingering in your mind months on, turning your stomach at the very thought. Nagini had kept it's fangs lodged deep into your shoulder as you were dragged down the hole in the stairs during the skirmish, wrapped tightly in the giant trunk of their body, the fangs ripping at your skin and tail thrashing onto you as you fell. You'd only just broken free from Nagini's hold when Hermione cast the Blasting curse which had no doubt saved your life and had managed to co-apparate with you to safety just before Voldemort arrived.

Antidotes and dittany had done nothing as you writhed in sheer agony, your pale, sweat covered skin burning from the inside out. The skin around the bite was quickly turning black and burned with an intensity even fiendfyre couldn't replicate. After numerous hours of Hermione frantically trying to rid you of your torment did you make the decision to manually extract the venom, an archaic method of healing that was dangerous in the best of circumstances, something you'd only read about in restricted apothecary books.

Using one of the empty vials you kept in your bag, you instructed Harry to manually smash it so that it was only half the length, sharp sharps of glass where it had broken creating a serrated edge. The glass tube was inserted into the enflamed wound to create a vacuum, making you scream in complete agony. An incantation like charm needed to be performed repeatedly with precision, demanding intense concentration and a steady hand. Hermione had tried over and over, as had Harry, but nothing happened.

"Think of Fred and George, they need you," Harry had said through misted eyes, rubbing tears away with his sleeve, trying desperately to place your wand into your trembling, blood soaked hand.

Hermione was crying both out of desperation to heal you and devastation that she was unable to perform the extraction herself as you closed your eyes to focus, trying your hardest to ignore the pain and centre yourself, just as you had that night with George.

You thought of Fred, his boisterous laugh and wicked grin, his passionate kisses and his lingering touches. You thought of George and his slow, sweet kisses that could calm you and rile you up all with one meaningful peck, his shy smile and his sweet, autumny smell that comforted you like no other. Only when you'd centered yourself did you move your wand to point at the ruptured, nausea-inducing wound and began to carry out the incantation. You repeated it over and over, each time getting stronger as you forced yourself to think of your boyfriends, of the good times and the memories. Your thoughts surrounded you like fog, taking over everyone of your senses until it was all you could think of, the pain either lessening or just becoming less prominent as you watched the wound drain.

Black, almost iridescent liquid flowed into the vial slowly, gathering together in a move that defied gravity as it permeated out of your skin in droplets. The skin around the wound was slowly turning back to its usual hue, if not just more aggressively sore looking as every bit of venom drained out from your shoulder. When no more venom came out, you stopped the incantation and almost immediately collapsed onto the floor, losing consciousness out of sheer exhaustion and pain. When you came to a little while later, Hermione had wrapped up your wound and had cast a myriad of pain relieving spells in the hope that your excruciating discomfort would come to an end.

"Well it's safe to assume that the snake is definitely a Horcrux too," you'd muttered weakly, accepting a drink of water into your trembling hands from Harry who also looked rather traumatised by the whole ordeal. You'd have a gnarly scar, even with the use of dittany. The healing only went so far and nothing you did would make it close up completely, the jagged, prominent scars still red and painful, a fluctuating mixture between aching and burning under the wound on the worser days. You'd kept the venom in a fresh vial, storing it for purposes you couldn't explain, perhaps it could be used to restore George. This little fact, you kept hidden from the others.

Ron had returned not too long after that, finding his way back to you all using the deluminator that Dumbledore had gifted him, making you realise that your own gift must be his way of telling you something, though you could never work out what he intended for it.

You'd studied your gift countless times, repeating the curious words that magically engraved themselves across the black device, the very words that didn't make any sense to you no matter how long you studied them. You'd not even noticed the words in the beginning but had found out later that the words only appeared when you thought of a happy memory. Purely by coincidence, you'd noticed a pattern in when they would appear, experimenting on the others to test your theory and eventually received the same results.

"Maybe Dumbledore expected you to be unhappy if you joined us, knowing you'd be away from Fred and George. Maybe it's his way of telling you to stay positive," Ron said late one night, both of you sat outside the tent on watch. "I reckon he knew I'd leave and need to find my way back." You sighed, not finding his excuse plausible. Surely it had to be more than that. You closed your eyes and thought of the Yule ball, dancing with Fred and George, both of them intercepting the other trying to steal you back and forth as you were dragged and lifted like a rag doll between the boisterous pair. You opened your eyes, keeping the memory alive in your mind as you watched the words appear on the lebetum.

Expecto Dominum Meum

"Hermione," you called out, into the tent, hearing her rustle towards you. "Do you have anything about Latin in your books?"

"Oh, um, no I don't think I have," she says with a frown, cataloging her inventory in her mind as if she could mentally picture each book and it's contents.

"Is it a spell?" Ron says, looking at the words.

You shook your head, "I tried that. Maybe if we could translate it?"

The night drew on and you kept watch, feeling far too frustrated by the complex device in your mind that you couldn't sleep even if you wanted to, the answer so close it was niggling at you. Everyone else had gone to sleep and the night was still in a calming way, leaving you completely to your thoughts.

You pulled out your wand, trying something new and closed your eyes, conjuring up a strong memory of Fred and George. The first time they told you they loved you. Opening your eyes you fixed your gaze upon the lebetum and spoke the words clearly.

"Expecto Dominum Meum!"

Nothing happened. Until you looked at the lebetum.

Inside the frosted glass was a moving spirit like image, like a ghost moving through mist or fog, slowly becoming clearer with each second. A doe. Was it a patronus? Trapped inside the lebetum? It wasn't yours, your patronus was a Weasel, an ironic twist you'd discovered in your later years of education with Dumbledore's Army.

The doe turned to look directly towards you, as if it was really seeing you, looking expectantly at your face.

You repeated the words in a spell like manner but nothing happened.

"Expecto Patronum!" You called, still thinking of Fred and George, trying everything you could.

Immediately a blinding white light lit up out of your wand and brandished itself into a weasel, running around and illuminating the dark sky. Your eyes widened when the doe deer appeared beside your Weasel, dancing around eachother. But then the deer began to slowly walk away, casting a singular glance back towards you as if gesturing for you to follow. You immediately called out for Ron and Harry and that is exactly how you discovered the sword of Gryffindor trapped in the ice, which in turn, allowed Ron to finally destroy the locket.

After that came the Lovegood house and the outlandish mess that lead you straight into the arms of a pack of snatchers, including Fenrir Greyback, who took you to Malfoy Manor, the house of horrors as it turned out. Bellatrix had held nothing back as she tortured you and Hermione, trying to drag information out of you both, though Hermione endured more and worse punishment than you due to her blood status. You'd been beaten, sliced with a dagger and forced to endure the cruciatus curse as Fenrir prowled around you menacingly, waiting for his chance to take a bite out of you any chance he could. Only when you were thrown back into the dungeon below with Ron, Harry, Luna, Ollivander and Griphook, did you begin to cry, not allowing your abusers to see you break down.

You wanted Fred and George, you needed them desperately. You pulled out your lebetum, having concealed it in your jacket pocket upon your arrival at Malfoy Manor and tried your hardest to focus on something happy, though it was hard to focus through the pain and anguish. You thought of the three of you at the lake beside the Burrow; the first summer you were officially together, a summer full of kisses, pranks and laughter.

A thought occurred to you and you weakly walked over to Mr Ollivander, hoping he might have an answer, knowing he was a well studied man. He was weak and frail, looking older than ever through his torment.

"Mr Ollivander, do you speak Latin?" Talking was hard as blood filled your mouth, the evidence of Bellatrix's abuse so clearly displayed across your face. He gives a little weak nod, his eyes filled with sorrow as he looks at your bruised and swollen lip. "Could you translate this for me, please?"

You hold out the lebetum for him to take and sense Harry and Ron moving closer, trying to listen in to the quiet conversation.

"You were professor Snape's potions assistant were you not? I recognise you from Diagon Alley," he says with a squint. You nod, trying not to wince at the sudden pain shooting through your head at the movement.

"Yes sir," you confirm, suddenly feeling very conflicted by the information, "my boyfriends own the joke shop there." He makes a noise of understanding, as if he pieces all the information together before looking down at the Lebetum.

"What is this?" He asks curiously, rolling the item in his hand as he inspects it.

"A lebetum, Dumbledore bequeathed it to me in his will," you explain, sounding not so sure yourself. He lets out a chuckle at your words and you frown, consfused by his reaction.

"Expecto Dominum Meum," he says wistfully, "I await my master."

You stood in silence, more confused than ever.

"Are you sure?" Harry asks from behind you, evidently as confused by the translation. Ollivander thankfully takes no offence to Harry's question and simply nods, his eyes glancing over the words once more.

Later, you and Harry whisper amongst yourselves, trying to figure out what it meant as Ron clings to the bars, desperately looking up the stairs to catch sight of Hermione after everything had gone quiet, her screams ceasing.

"Your master is a doe?" He asks, thinking of the patronus that had burst out of the lebetum that night.

"Yes but my patronus is a Weasel, it doesn't make sense."

"It's risky but we could summon the patronus doe again, of course they'd see the light though."

"You're Kreacher's master, do you think it would summon him if you did it?" You ask quietly, taking the words written on the device literally, though you fear you already know the answer. Harry shakes his head, knowing it was too dangerous. Kreacher may have come around to you all eventually but he was still loyal to the Black family so it was a risk you couldn't take.

"It led us to the sword, it might lead us out, like a guide," he whispers and you nod along, thinking the same thing.

You close your eyes and dive deep into your mind, thinking of your happiest memories of the twins and recite the words. Sure enough, the doe's face appears in the frosted glass.

"Expecto patronum!" You say, trying to remain quiet but speak clearly.

Any hope you had crashes down around you the second no light shines from the lebetum, the spirit like image of the doe seeming to walk away into the distance. You turn to Harry and sigh in defeat, sinking lower into the cold ground as despair overcomes you.

You'd managed to escape Malfoy Manor by the skin of your teeth when Dobby had arrived only minutes later in a heroic and spectacular manner. As you all disapparated away to the safe house, Dobby was fatally wounded and died in Harry's arms from the blade that Bellatrix had thrown. Just before his death, Dobby had informed you in a weak voice that his boss was right, Harry Potter and his friends needed Dobby's help. He died amongst friends in Harry's arms and you'd all laid him to rest in the beautiful beach at Shell Cottage and planned to make him a fitting gravestone out of the large rocks.

Seeing Bill was like finding a freshwater stream in the desert. You supposed it was the familiarity of him, or maybe his familiar red hair that set you off but the moment you saw him, you flung yourself into his arms heaving out a sob. He seemed to immediately understand, and pulled you in to him, holding you tight until you were ready to pull away. His face contorted in displeasure as he looked at your beaten, swollen face and the cut across your cheek and then turned to the rest of the group with equally sorrowful glances. Fleur embraced you delicately but with a conviction that you'd never felt before, which you assumed was deep rooted.

Ollivander and Griphook had been immediately tended to as Bill prepared a hot meal for you all, delicious vegetable soup and warm bread, a far cry away from the pitiful meals you'd been eating on the run. You and Fleur had helped tend to Hermione's wounds, most notably the 'mudblood' script that had been carved into her arm. It would undoubtedly scar but with the help of dittany and a mixture of potions you had left, the pain would stop and there'd be no chance of infection. Fleur had then turned to you but you refused any help, preferring instead to go lay down for a while.

The room was simply decorated with nautical flares and the large springy mattress and soft sheets felt like heaven on earth as you rested your head, months of exhaustion and pain seeping out of you as you finally allowed yourself to let your guard down and relax.

You'd been awake for a few minutes, staring mindlessly out of the window from the bed and clutching hold of the jumper you'd stolen from the twins which you'd taken to using as a makeshift blanket. The jumper had long since stopped smelling like them but the soft woolly texture was familiar and comforting all the same as you picked at the stitching, feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, especially now you were safe. A gentle knock sounded out, alerting you to someone at the door and after a few moments of silence, the door crept open to reveal Bill. He'd brought a small tin bowl filled with water which looked like a muggle shaving accessory and placed it on the bed beside you, armed with cotton balls.

"I know, I was the same," he says, taking a seat upon the bed beside you, gesturing to his own facial scars. "Didn't want anyone to see them, thought I could do it myself." You understood why he was saying this, and the meaning behind it and reluctantly nodded, allowing him to help you as you sat up a little straighter in bed.

The elephant in the room was all consuming and it felt like you both knew exactly what was causing the tension but neither of you knowing how to stop it or what to say, the common denominators between you not yet mentioned. Bill takes one look at the jumper in your hands, then to you and smiles softly, dipping the cotton ball in water before bringing it to your left eyebrow.

"They're okay," he says quietly, concentrating on removing the dried blood from your face. "They understand why you had to go." Your eyes flick down to look at your lap, guilt consuming you anew. "They're lost without you but they keep themselves busy with Potterwatch, Fred mostly."

You remembered connecting to the Wizarding Wireless Network some months ago and finding enormous comfort in hearing Lee's familiar voice through the crackling signal. When Fred's voice rang through the speaker after Lee announcing the next segment of news of the chief death eater, you thought you were hallucinating. You'd checked to see that you weren't holding the locket, like it would play a cruel trick on you like that but it was real, not just in your mind. You'd laughed and cried in utter joy at hearing his smooth voice again and as soon as it disappeared and moved on to the next segment announced by Lee, you'd sobbed in utter misery right through the night. Your obsession with the radio after that matched Ron's, desperate to hear Fred's voice again but by the time you'd moved on, you could never connect to it again.

"They're worried about you, we all have been. Mum's a wreck most days, dad acts strong for everyone but you can see it in his eyes. Ginny's reckless, though I'd wager she's more worried for Harry than Ron," he says with a huff, reaching fir a new cotton ball, "and the twins, they just want you back."

"Even George?" You ask timidly, voice cracking a little as you think of how you left things between you.

"Especially George," he says with a determine shake of his head, "they don't tell me much but you can see it in him, especially when you first left, he looked devastated, guilty even." You wince at Bill's word and he suddenly realises he might have said too much.

"Sorry, older brother, tendency to overstep," he jokes with a smile.

"They can't know I'm here, not yet," you say, though it pains you to do so. He nods in understanding. That was something you admired about Bill, he was a man of his word and didn't question things further when it was unnecessary, a stark contrast to his mother.

He then pulls out his wand and mutters a spell that causes you to gasp, feeling your swollen lip contracting though the pain only lasts a second.

"That's probably going to scar," Bill says hesitantly, looking at the slash across your cheekbone. You nod, already accepting your fate. "Is there anything else?"

You quickly shake your head, not quite feeling strong enough to talk yet. He looks at you for a moment and you can tell he's not convinced, causing you to sigh.

"Can you numb something for me?" You ask reluctantly, trying to avoid eye contact as you sit embarrassed by what he was going to see. He nods and his gaze flicks across you like he's trying to work out what you're asking of him.

You bring your arm up delicately, the wound still tender even so far on, the broken skin and muscles never healing right. It caused you pain daily, especially when it was cold and as hard as you tried you could never complete a numbing spell on the right area. Slipping out of your jumper, you winced as your arm bent a little too far for comfort. You unbuttoned one of the front buttons on your long sleeve T-shirt and began to peel the collar away from your neck, slowly exposing your disgusting shoulder to him.

You watched as his face contorted into something you couldn't register, expecting disgust or revulsion but instead his look was tender and tormented. You slid your bra strap down, careful not to expose anything you didn't want your boyfriends' brother to see and allowed him to look at the raised, jagged marks on your shoulder that hadn't healed nearly as much as it should have.

"How?" Bill asks quietly, his eyes fixated on the wound.

"Voldemort's snake," you said, trying not to relieve the memory of that night, knowing you wouldn't sleep that night if you did. He doesn't say anything else but simply points his wand at your shoulder and completes a strong numbing spell, right on the spot that burns the most.

"You're the toughest witch I know," he says with a prideful chuckle, replacing his wand back into his pocket. You huff out a laugh with a shake of your head, covering yourself back up. Bill helps you put your jumper back on and remains standing as he incinerates the blood soaked cotton balls. "I'll bring you some tea, get some more rest tough girl."

"Bill," you say, stopping him from walking out. He turns to you in question and you quickly add, "thank you."

"You're family," he says, as if he's staying an obvious fact before giving you a tight lipped smile and walking out the door.

After resting up at Shell Cottage for quite some time, giving Hermione plenty of time to work through her trauma, a plan had been made to break into Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts after she'd unwittingly stated to Griphook that there was a prized possession in her vault, which you all knew was most likely a Horcrux.

The Gringotts plan was dangerous to another level, more so than infiltrating the ministry as the world seemed to have changed in the space you'd been gone, the threat and danger increasing tenfold as the death eaters claimed more and more supporters out of fear. You'd painstakingly brewed a batch of Polyjuice Potion during your time at Shell Cottage, along with a few other potions you might need to replace your inventory that had been used whilst you'd been away. The plan had been doomed from the very beginning, with Griphook being an unreliable ally, Polyjuice, Imperius curses, Flagrante and Gemino protection curses and a previously unknown and unplanned for Dragon guarding the lower vaults.

Thanks to Hermione's quick but insane thinking, you'd all managed to escape on the back of the half blind and antagonised dragon with Hufflepuff's cursed cup in your possession.

Your new destination was secured the moment you all dragged yourselves out of the freezing cold water after dismounting the dragon. Harry'd had a vision about the location of the next Horcrux, a suspicion we'd had all along that Voldemort had hidden a part of his soul in the castle.

You were going back to Hogwarts.

Next

[yuerikoko]

So…

I can’t believe it took me 3 years to be able to say it out loud but—

Old woman yuri.

(Or at least one-sided gay pining at the very most)

(Apologies for the lack of good screenshots, I just started replaying WE recently since my Angela brain rot is coming back)

———

Okayy so I want to confess: I initially wrote a fic about them because I wanted a wlw equivalent to Jars from S3 so then I thought about them— and thus came a slow burn fic (actually a 1k word one shot because it was part of a one shot book in Wattpad I had back then) I made of them in 2021 in an AU where Lars was the mole for the sake of making the ship sail. The one shot has been deleted, unfortunately, and as of now I might not have plans to rewrite it : (

Anyways I started shipping them seriously after I wrote that fic (I still like Angelars and Carchelle tho!) and the more I read into their interactions, the more I realized just how much untapped potential their relationship has (PS knew they would be too powerful so they had to make Angela the mole with little to no buildup until literally two cases before IPS/s). Also incoming ramble about them since barely anyone talks about them:

Their interactions, while few, are super wholesome and have a special place in my heart as someone who’s skimmed through the transcripts for either Angela’s appearances OR their interactions. No one talks about how Carmen, while usually hotheaded and quick to action, constantly praises Angela and is really patient with her enough. And as @celestiarambles has pointed out in their analysis of their relationship, Carmen has only gotten mad at Angela ONCE for a reason that wasn’t out of concern for her well-being and it was because she was flirting with Lars in front of her. (Could it be because she wasn’t being serious? Or could it be out of envy? We may never know, unfortunately…)

Likewise, I see so much potential to be explored when it comes to their interactions: Carmen teaching Angela photography after having very nicely for some reason (I bet 50 bucks that if it were Jack or Lars it’d be different) told her she sucked, them discussing parenting tips, and character studies of their relationships. Or if we were to enter fic territory, their pre-canon/post-canon dynamic is also an interesting idea to think about, or maybe an AU where they could end up together (Mole!Lars seems like the easiest way tho). Fic writers, I call upon thee to make this wish of mine come true/j

Their personalities also complement each other very well : D. While both show clear work ethic and seriousness in their work, they also complement each other. Carmen is tough, hotheaded and started off as distrustful at us in the beginning of WE, being focused on her work first and foremost, while Angela is much more calm, patient and initially warm and family-oriented. This also leads to some interesting parallels as they almost become each other’s core traits by the end of WE: Carmen having grown more motherly and caring after having Sanjay, whilst Angela grew distrustful and cynical, likely due to her pledged loyalty to SOMBRA, which lead her to follow their orders so devotedly that she was actually willing to blow us up.

The fact that the transition from the main plot of IPS to the AI has Carmen change facial expressions from holding a straight face to being sad/disappointed. It could’ve been Ripley, who was upset at the loss of one of their most competent members by the hands of the organization she swore to destroy. It could’ve been Jack, who was upset for Lars— his best friend, and they did have some nice interactions, too. But the fact that Carmen of all people was chosen for this, despite the fact that her relationship with Angela wasn’t either of their most important (Lars to Angela and Sanjay/Elliot to Carmen /platonically btw), did make for an interesting choice.

Also not related to canon but fun fact: my hc of Carmen nicknaming Angela “Angie” actually came from that one fic I wrote XD

And don’t get me started on the way they also fit into so many tropes at once:

Birds of a feather: Both of them are hardworking, serious and devoted to their work, but are shown to also care about the people around them, especially children and young people.

Red oni, Blue oni/Opposites Attract: Despite their similarities, Carmen is more hot-tempered and impatient, while Angela is known to be more calm and reserved.

Coworker yuri: do I even need to explain myself…

Brains and Brawn: Angela is shown to be really intelligent (you do not just forget a Nobel prize in biology) and it is also shown when she almost succeeded in deceiving us into thinking anyone but her was the mole. On the other hand, Carmen is more prone to action and violence (the fact that PS barely put out a moment in which she lets her badass personality shine and is almost always rescued by Jonah is a huge sin against humanity). Their jobs also reflect this in a way.

Pair the smart ones: Angela with her academic expertise in biology and Carmen with her field experience in journalism.

Battle couple: Most of the points I stated for Carmen earlier apply, along with the fact that we learn that Angela takes military training in the finale.

Dating Catwoman: Can somewhat apply post-canon, or after Angela has been outed.

Morality pet: To Carmen, since Angela is one of the few people she rarely ever gets mad at that wasn’t a child or teenager.

You (he) never did that for me: For Angela. An example was in Case 8 where she had went missing for hours and Lars was only like “hey guys my wife went missing” while Carmen actually went to go look for her.

Not so Different: Aside from their personalities, their character arcs also reflect this as discussed earlier. Carmen’s warm and motherly side gets to show itself later on with Angela still around, while the finale also shows Angela loyal to SOMBRA and being colder and meaner towards the Bureau, showing this sense of superiority(?) over their respective allegiances similar to Carmen in the early cases (and also throughout, to an extent) of the season.

Complementary colors: Red and green. Need I say more?

OKAY THIS WAS A LOT— it took me a whole hour to type this up but I wanted to get these two out of my head rq also as a means of unwinding from exam stress (will probably disappear into the shadows again after this). Please do correct me for any inaccuracies, though ^^

[leresq]

Guardians of the Galaxy Purist AU

This is an alternate universe where the wider MCU is not relevant to the events of the three GotG movies. The only things that are canon to this AU are GotG, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3. Infinity War, Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, I Am Groot, and the Holiday Special, are all not canon to this AU because they either interact with the wider MCU or have direct references to it. This AU considers anything that is talked about in the GotG movies canon, but the context is changed so that the Avengers and other Earth heroes either do not exist or are not a part of the story. To follow this AU simply watch GotG and Vol. 2, read this, then watch Vol. 3.

Sometime after the events of Volume 2, the Guardians have encountered other Infinity Stones across the galaxy and stored them safely on Xandar. Along with the Power Stone which is already there, they bring the Time Stone and the Mind Stone to Xandar, believing that its vault is the safest place for them. The Reality Stone and the Space Stone are in the possession of the Collector. Gamora worries that keeping all the stones together will lure in Thanos, but the Guardians assure her that this is the safest option.

Gamora and Rocket go looking for Nebula, who has not checked in with her sister in a while. They find that she attempted to kill him, almost succeeding, and in response he held her captive to bring in Gamora. Thanos has arrived at Knowhere, where Rocket and Gamora find him. Thanos, already having obtained the Reality and Space Stones, captures the two Guardians and brings them to Nebula, demanding to know where the Soul Stone is. He knows Gamora learned of its location, using Nebula’s memory bank to reveal the conversation the two had. He tortures Nebula until Gamora tells him, then he teleports away with Gamora. 

Once Thanos leaves, he signals the destruction of Knowhere. Thousands die and Rocket and Nebula barely survive. Rocket puts Nebula back together, and they both help the survivors, including Cosmo. Once Rocket builds a communicator, he contacts Peter, Groot, Mantis, Drax, and Kraglin to go to Xandar and prepare for Thanos.

Thanos and Gamora arrive on Vormir, where the steward of the Soul Stone tells them that a loved one must be sacrificed to obtain it. Gamora thinks this is where Thanos loses, as he has nothing he loves, but he admits that he does love Gamora. She tries to kill herself but is unable to as Thanos tosses her off the cliff, killing her. He tearfully receives the Soul Stone. 

Rocket and Nebula put together a ship and with Cosmo, they go to Xandar. Thanos arrives in his ship and begins his assault on the city. The Ravagers arrive to help along with the Nova Corps, as well as the armies of many other planets, but they are little help. The Guardians discuss using their three Infinity Stones against Thanos and his three, but they know they don’t have the ability to control them. 

Thanos reaches the vault containing the Infinity Stones and despite the Guardians’ response, he obtains the Mind and Power stones. Peter grabs the Time Stone as the other Guardians restrain Thanos with all their might. Rocket’s inventions hold Thanos’s arms down while Mantis tries to put him to sleep. Nebula is choking Thanos, Drax is trying to take the gauntlet off with help from Cosmo’s telepathy, while Groot wraps his vines around Thanos to hold him down further. Peter stands off to the side, instructed to keep the Time Stone away from Thanos.

Peter is cocky, telling Thanos that he lost, demanding to know where Gamora is. When Thanos reveals that Gamora is dead, Peter, in a moment of desperation, tries to use the Time Stone to bring her back. Because he doesn’t have his Celestial power, he can’t control it, and time begins to unravel. While trying to bring Gamora back, he accidentally begins bringing 2014 and the current time together in an incursion.

Peter realises his mistake, and begs the Guardians for help. They are able to wrench away Thanos’s gauntlet, and they all hold hands and try to control all six stones. It almost kills them, but many of the people on Xandar focus as well, spreading the weight amongst all of them. The concentration of everyone on the planet allows the Guardians to wield the stones, and they use it to disintegrate Thanos, recorrect reality, and destroy the stones. Peter realises that he has to give up Gamora to save the galaxy.

As a result of the temporary schism in time, Gamora from 2014 is stuck in the current time. She leaves with the Ravagers, confused. Xandar is shaken and damaged, Knowhere is almost completely destroyed. The Guardians make Knowhere their new base of operations, fixing it up and making it an asylum for people displaced by Thanos’ war. This leads into the events of Volume 3, with the lineup of Guardians being Peter, Rocket, Groot, Nebula, Mantis, Drax, Kraglin, and Cosmo. The Guardians carry guilt knowing that they should have listened to Gamora, and the fact that they didn’t take her complaints or Thanos seriously was the cause of all this.

[malka-lisitsa]

17. Are there any ships you can’t stand, why?

canon questionare.

Most of her non canon pairings honestly especially when they're shipped "romantically" just bc they're two hot people. Shes been alive 500 years and had 3 actual loves.

I can't stand Mikaelson hopping for her for ships either, Elijah and her had a very different dynamic she would not have with any of the rest of them without a LOT of work and even then probably not she barely trusts Elijah enough to date him.

She will absolutely fuck and have a good time that's not out of the question at all, she likes to use sex as a tool and a dopamine rush when its good- but as far as romantic ships go?

A lot of them are forced at best and it ruins the whole ship for me. I have never believed in "they look good together so lets ship!" no. I will play her correctly over a fantasy ship any day and i will not apologize lmfao.

If she's shipping with your muse and we have not talked it out extensively, and had them interact to solidify the chemistry she is USING your muse that is not a romantic ship, thats a pretty parasite thats bleeding you dry till shes done with her use for you.

tl;dr romatic shipping is extremely hard to actually do with Katherine and I don't ship for the hell of it.

[rosetheocto]

Hey! If you'd be open to it, I was interested in hearing your thoughts on any Failtopia pairings that you particularly enjoy and the reasons you do? Whether they be platonic or romantic-

YESSSS I HAVE AN EXCUSE TO YAP ABOUT CHARACTER INTERACTIONS YWUAJSJEJJEJR!!! OKAY!! So idk how put together this is since there is a mix of my typing when I’m super tired + typing when I just woke up so I’m praying that what I’m saying makes sense LMAO. TLDR: I really like failtopia’s characters

So starting off with what is probably the most popular dynamic in this series: Bo and Erica!! To say they’ve both Gone Through It is an understatement, and them both finding comfort and safety in each other is amazing to me!! Like. Erica’s had so many people die on her and the reaction to finding out that was nearly impossible to lose Bo was just. Flawless. Can’t believe Dan improvised that. And Bo was sent to just kill Mar and work for Screamith but Erica was pretty much the start to her letting her true self shine and developing an actual attachment to The Incident!! It’s so awesome how Dan has wrote them. we love our gay level 6 “friendship” girlbosses ‼️‼️

Mar and Orion have also gone through a handful of things before the series begins, and the relationship they develop as the series progresses is pretty dang interesting! as much as the fandom focus on EriBo as a romantic thing, more people need to talk about how Mar has explicitly shown he has a crush on Orion. MULTIPLE TIMES. The idea of Orion opening up to Mar after he lost his wife and Mar opening up to Orion after his time as the Dark Curse and AGGHH I love these two so much and the way they interact every time they’re on screen is amazing. old man yaoi

I imagine C!Failboat and Erica as exes. like they dated for like a week and were both mutually like “that was awful let’s just stay friends”, They had a bunch of small interactions together (especially in S1) and I like them being friendly towards each other, Erica finding a friend in C!Fail was a pretty good step for her arc! I also think the idea of C!Fail and Erica being childhood friends in non-Miitopia AUs very intriguing!! Any content of those two interacting (that isn’t romantic) is always a nice thing to see!

Taking a break from the more popular relationships/friendships in this series, we have Deko and Joker!! For two characters that barely interact in canon there’s a lot you can do with them! They’re just two anime boys trying to survive in this weird party. I have a lot of thoughts on them but I just can’t form it aghahajsjjs but the main one is that they aren’t alone in what they’re going through, and no matter what backstory you use for Joker it still has a lot of potential!! I’m sure people can explain this one better than I can I just really like this rarepair!! while on the topic of Joker, shoutouts to his friendship with Lanc!! You can’t convince me Joker didn’t have a crush on them. Just watch their interactions in Karkaton and you’ll probably get what I mean lmaoo

I just need to mention the sisters!! even if they aren’t sisters by blood, Chi and Erica both have the energy! Chi being the thing that really gets Erica out of her “I hate everything” phase in both seasons needs to be talked about more. They bring out the best in each other I swear,, again I promise I can talk about them more my brain just isn’t giving me the words rn, but I think Gnome explains it best!

While on sibling dynamics, Bill and Shrimp is so great to me. Like. Bill helping Shrimp out not only because he likes her music, but also out of the genuine kindness of his heart is so sweet to me!! They’re so nice every time they’re on screen together and it’s fun to see them battling by each other’s sides!! plus the matching outfits in the finale was also a great touch :]

I’ve mentioned these two before, but Bill and Chi are criminally underrated imo. Like. They’re the only members of the Incident who have just recently turned 18, Chi’s literally Bill’s mentor after he changed jobs, and their dynamic is just so fun to work with!! Bill’s more mature and ‘normal’ while Chi is Chi and will set things on fire For Science and I think scenarios where they’re together are really fun to come up with!! Same with Shrimp and Chi!! The sister dynamic they have is also super underrated, like they’re a Fire and Water duo!! I think there’s a lot of things you can do there :0

look I am more than aware these two have never interacted but that’s cuz Dan is a COWARD and knows that Bo and Lanc being in the same room would lead to so much mayhem lmaoo. Out of everyone in The Incident (apart from Chi obviously) I see Lanc getting along with Bo the best! a lot of stuff I have for them is pretty based on fanon but you can’t tell me they wouldn’t gossip about the lastest drama with the party and the outside world. I swear they’re besties, they relate to each other, just hear me out. I also think Rose and Bo can be great friends and they really have a LOT in common!! Princess who faked their whole identity gang ‼️‼️

I love Erica and Rose just being each other’s biggest hater, it’s my favorite thing ever. it’s canon that Rose only shows off for Erica to prove to her that she’s better than her and that’s amazing to me. They’re both just so done with each other lmaoo (also the headcanon of them each other’s gay awakenings is perfect)

I think Friend and Mar interactions could be cool!! Like for starters they had some pretty huge connections to Hank they could bond over. also I find Mar being canonically a demon mixed with the headcanon of Friend being an angel very fun!! I also think Friend and Erica could be fun to see, especially with Erica’s past as a Cleric!! shared jobs and trauma!!

Mar and literally any FailFleet member can be funny I think, like we already have the Neksdor Three obviously, but I think an ACTUAL Bob and Mar reunion will lead to someone getting beat up lol, everyone in the S1 Squad would all have very different view points on if Mar deserves to be forgiven or not, or if he’s a good leader, etc. and I think that there should be more done with that!!

Orion’s friendship with the rest of The Incident is also a very important part of why the party is the way it is!! There’s absolutely characters with awful relationships to their dads, fathers that are barely around, or just never had a parental figure at all. I LOVE that Orion was able to fill that void for those party members, and he does a damn good job at it too!! And of course the parallels he has with Erica is great, both are stubborn warriors with a lot of baggage, but also have a lot of differences, like their views on stuff like becoming a healer!! Orion being like a mentor to Erica is great. also shoutouts to Slapo, we love her. I think her interacting with other members of The Incident is also something that’s needed more!!

Speaking of fathers, scenes with Chat and C!Fail are downright hilarious! Chat’s insanity mixed with C!Fail’s attitude always leads to some crazy thing going down! Chat with anyone really is always a treat, since they’re way more than too much to handle most of the time, and seeing how everyone reacts to their shenanigans is always gonna be fun!!

Smuk, Rose, and Bob’s relationship is just perfection. Bob obviously crushing on Rose is so great to see when they have scenes together and Smuk basically proposing to Rose (but not really) with that ring is also cool!! And of course we gotta mention Smuk and Bob’s bromance in Greenhorne, those two were inseparable a lot of the time I swear, I love them a lot, I’m praying if we get S3 we have those three come back (along with Petunyawn)

Deko’s friendship with both Chi and Lanc is vital to his arc!! Similar to Erica, he had gone through quite a lot before S1 and traveling with them got him to warm up to them and helped him get better control of his powers!! Lanc and Chi being absolute goofsters while Deko has no energy is VERY amusing!! also Deko, someone who was experimented on, being paired up with two soon-to-be scientists is vile lmaoo, why do you do this Dan /pos

SPEAKING OF THOSE SCIENTISTS!! If you thought I wasn’t gonna bring up Lanchi at all then you’re wrong. These two. These two are my everything. They’re undoubtedly my OTP!! There is quite a handful of canon evidence (in both seasons!) that point to Something going on between them!! I’d list them all out rn, but imma save that for another time, so I’ll just stick to saying everything I like about them!! The way Lanc and Chi just bounce off each other is insane. I swear they can read each other’s minds sometimes, they actually just share a braincell!! Lanc being all nervous in the Finale and Chi comforting them,, and ofc Chi being inspired by Lanc to switch jobs in S2 is just GAHAJJJJW I LOVE THEM!! They’ve been living rent free in my head since 2021 and I can’t get them out even if I tried!! EVERY SINGLE INTERACTION they have can be read as romantic. I refuse to believe they’re just friends lmaoo

[celestie0]

I hope my question doesn't upset you, but as an author, aren't you afraid that ihm might end up as a kickoff? I also write occasionally, but only one shots. I've thought about starting a long series, but I'm afraid of investing so much time into something I might not be able to finish and then people getting mad at me for it…

i will try to answer this honestly n candidly. and this is a yap because i mean i’m such a certified yapper it’s evident in everything i’ve written lol

tbh as an author, i think of it as only four possibilities:

1. you are brave enough to post your fic as it’s ongoing, and see it through to the end

2. you are brave enough to post your fic as it’s ongoing, and don’t see it through to the end

3. you finish your entire fic first before posting

4. you don’t write it at all

for me, of these four options, i’d rather gamble on the first two than never write my fic at all, or have to write an entire story in private without getting to interact w my readers along the way

there is this common way that i’ve seen fanfic readers sort of try to “combat” this frustration that comes with authors abandoning their long fics series which is that they filter by “completed” and only read completed works. and i get that. people have been burned by one of their favorite stories ceasing to exist, it’s happened to myself before too, it’s a canon event i fear

but the thing i don’t think a lot of readers think about is the fact that their favorite fics exist BECAUSE there were readers who were supporting those authors every chapter of the way while the fic was ongoing, who had TRUST in the author and their direction of the story even before the author themselves knew if it would be any good, and believed that it was worth reading even if they can never see it through to the end. just a group of people genuinely and wholeheartedly rooted for them. i can’t think of a single other thing you could experience on the internet that could be as wholesome as being a part of something like that, whether as reader or writer.

and i can guarantee you that one of the biggest reasons those “completed works” are complete is because of those readers who left kudos or comments or reblogs or interacted w that author’s work n gave them the bravery n passion to write as they continued to work on it

life gets in the way, it might, you may lose sight of a project, may lose a hyperfixation, may get too busy, may start to overthink things. in the case with kickoff, i felt too much pressure. it no longer felt fun for me. every time i would sit down and write for it, i felt like it wasn’t enough of this or that or whatever people would want from me. and every month that went by of not updating it, the worse n more guilty i felt.

with ihm, and i don’t necessarily want to jinx this and i know that a lot of my ihm readers are also my kickoff readers, but i just feel like i never really had much of an issue w boundaries for that story. there was one time where i had to address the asks i was receiving regarding the whole ihm gojo ex wife thing (a lil too much hatred for a plot line that had barely even surfaced) but after that, things were fine

but also ihm really resonates w me n where i am in life right now, and i still really enjoy writing it. therefore, i’ve no reason to believe that i would discontinue it. i’m not going to sit here in fear and worry over a future that i don’t see in the present.

honestly, i mostly felt an overwhelming amount of relief and happiness w the responses i got when i told my readers i was discontinuing kickoff. of course there were silent responses too, i lost some followers after that post, but it takes me back to my point earlier—some day, when my fics are complete and there are new readers flooding in after the filter blesses them with a complete 300k word slow burn gojo x reader long fic that they will read in its entirety, the memories i’m going to have of the fic won’t be about the ending but it’s going to be about all of my lovely readers who supported me throughout the journey. i’m going to remember their reactions to things, their predictions about things, and i get genuine joy when i see the same familiar faces in my notifs in a month when i post the next chapter. THAT’S the part of writing fanfiction that i want to be a part of

idk, i thought a lot about only posting oneshots too. n i think there is a great art in creating oneshots, it’s not easy to create n manage a vibe in a short amt of words, tbh i find them to be a lot more challenging than a long fic 💀 but idk, that’s not really where the satisfaction of writing comes for me? even with the quality of interactions. i know oneshots do hella numbers but i’ve never had people send me paragraphs long dissertations ab any of the oneshots i’ve written

i don’t know if you’re necessarily asking for advice here anon, but it just depends on what you think is worth it. it goes back to those four options. you either write it or you don’t. you don’t have to worry about the people who you think will get mad at you for not finishing the fic, they don’t exist yet, because your fic doesn’t exist yet. but if you have an idea, and you have the desire, then i’d say just write it!

i don’t think that because i chose to discontinue kickoff, it means i will discontinue ihm too. i also worried if my readers would have this fear and give up on my fics or on my works all together. or just come back and read them when theyre done. which, again, is totally up to them, and i can respect that. but all i can go off of is how i feel today, and today i feel so excited and thrilled and proud of myself to be writing ihm, i think it’s a story that really addresses a lot of the things i’ve encountered in early adulthood, and the things i find wrong about my country as well as—in a way of connection to healthcare—my career. i’m really looking forward to seeing it through to its finale because it’s become really dear to me.

i went on about fifteen different tangents here, but the last thing i’ll say is—just because you invest a lot of time into a story and you don’t finish it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it. it still brought a lot of joy to people. ik i have readers that are upset ab the fate of kickoff, ik there are people who were really passionate about it, tbh sometimes i take the constant ignorance over my rules as…… them just genuinely liking it that much that they kinda didn’t give a fuck ab anything except wanting the next update 😭😭 which i suppose if i were to find a silver lining, or if i was a different kind of person, i could’ve found that flattering. but regardless, i’ll never forget the fun i had writing that story. and i’ll never forget the fact that a lot of people had fun reading that story. and maybe that was all the joy it was supposed to give people, and that’s ok. i can accept that, and if someday i can’t accept it, then i’ll just… finish it.

anywho, i suppose the conclusion isn’t about whether to create or not to create, but rather embrace the fact that you have to option to do either, at any time, in any place of your life, and have it be okay no matter what happens. you can’t fear something that hasn’t happened yet. i think this applies to lot of things in life. and i think it can go both ways—for an author worried they’ll lose passion for their fic, or a reader who is worried a fic they really enjoy will be discontinued.

hope this……..answers! oh god i really hope this answers 🤣🤣 much love! ❤️

[phoenixultra]

MK1 Ship Mini Rant

As much as I detest Mileena x Kenshi for a multitude of reasons, at the end of the day, I’m not in the right place to tell people what they can and can’t ship. However, there’s two things I have to say about it.

I can’t believe there are people trying to argue that Kenshi and Mileena have more chemistry than Mileena and Tanya. Kenshi and Mileena barely interacted in MK1, let alone any of the other games. So far, the only notable interactions they’ve had are the part where she BLINDED him and one of their intros together where she apologized for blinding him. Meanwhile, both MK1 AND MKX show plenty of chemistry between Tanya and Mileena, both in the story mode and in their intros together. Let’s face it; Kenleena is a crackship, and nothing more. Trying to argue that Tanya and Mileena’s relationship is forced and that Kenshi and Mileena make a better couple is completely stupid. At this point, it feels like people are just trying to come up with bullshit reasons to erase canon wlw relationships. Yes, Mileena and Tanya are both bisexual, but last time I checked they’re not in an open relationship.

The disrespect that a lot of Kenleena shippers show to Taleena and even Johnshi shippers is disgusting. Stuff like that is why most people consider shippers to be so toxic. It wouldn’t kill you to be a little nicer to other people, even if they like different ships. Even if I don’t like Kenleena, I don’t harass people because of it. Being mean to other people for no reason doesn’t do anything good for you or the fandom. All it does is cause unnecessary drama.

[5ummit]

So I really wanted to come back and jot down my thoughts after seeing the movie (not that I think anyone really cares) but I’ve been super busy the last few days and also realized I needed more time to process and get my thoughts somewhat in order. Still not fully there yet and I really need a rewatch or two to solidify how I feel about some things but let’s get into it anyway.

Overall Thunderbolts was really solid with a fantastic emotional through line and extremely fun character dynamics. Definitely one of the best Marvel movies post Infinity Saga. But it’s not perfect.

My rating: 8.5/10

Now for some incoherent rambling more detailed thoughts. Please don’t keep reading if you don’t want to be spoiled or if you loved it and don’t want your opinion colored by my overly-critical judgement (I'm only critical because I care). Long post ahead.

[SPOILERS]

The Good:

✱ Incredible character dynamics. I adore the trope of awful people with clashing personalities having to work together for their own survival and/or the greater good. The constant bickering and bullying was so fun. I would watch an entire movie of the gang just sitting around a dinner table. Take my money, Marvel!

✱ I’ve only had Bob for a day and a half 3 days but if anything ever happened to him I’d kill everyone in this room and then myself. Troubled, abused sweethearts with a dark side they try to keep hidden are my kyrptonite apparently. I already ship him with everyone. Yes, including himself.

✱ The trash possibilities of The Void/Shame Rooms?? Void Trash Party let's fuckin goooo!

✱ Great balance of humor and seriousness, which is a very hard line to walk when dealing with such heavy topics.

✱ Speaking of which, one on the biggest highlights was the mental health focus and the way they tackled topics like depression, suicidal ideation, trauma, drug use, and domestic violence. The fact that a blockbuster action movie tackled them at all is pretty incredible, but it was actually handled really well and the themes meshed with the plot seamlessly. It was a brilliant choice for this cast of characters and feels particularly relevant and important with the current state of mental health just in general right now.

✱ I loved the moment where they all simultaneously packed up their shit (their first real moment working together seamlessly as a team!) and got the hell out of dodge when they got their asses handed to them. You never see the heroes run away with their tail between their legs when they lose and it was both very funny and very humanizing and endearing. My only complaint is that they should’ve realized they were out of their depth much sooner but you can’t say they didn’t give it their all.

✱ No shoehorned romance for Bucky! Ever since the Tbolts announcement there’s been speculation that Bucky and Yelena might become a Thing, which I didn't truly believe since it makes no sense, but I hated that I couldn’t discount the idea completely. I also thought there was good chance they might try to pair Bucky up with some other woman in an effort to no-homo him like they did Steve. Thank god there wasn’t a single hint of that.

✱ The only potential relationship even slightly hinted at was Yelena/Bob, which I’m actually fully on-board with (though I’m perfectly fine with them as just friends too). They had such great chemistry and their interactions felt so genuine. I can’t even remember the last time I felt anything for a canon ship, much less a het ship. Ava and John are also very fun together, I ship it. What's happening to me?

✱ I’ve always known and preached that Bucky is not much of a leader, works best when he’s got a handler someone else to make the plans, and would’ve been a terrible Captain America. From his awkward interactions with the press and bumbling job as a congressman to his bare-bones attack plans, I'm feeling very validated.

✱ It never dragged. I was genuinely never bored or looking at my watch to see how much time was left, which can’t be said for many, if not most, other blockbusters I’ve seen in the last decade. If anything, it was too short.

✱ No convoluted multiverse shenanigans! Except for the last few seconds of the end credits scene, of course, but I won’t count that against it. Bucky's beautiful blowout makes up for it.

✱ No giant CGI battles and/or endless punchfests! I know Marvel movies are action movies at their core so action is to be expected, and I do enjoy action scenes! But so often the punching and shooting and magic laser blasts and CGI spectacle just goes on and on and on. It’s boring and exhausting and often doesn't serve a narrative purpose. Basically all of the action scenes in this movie were purposeful, well-coordinated, fun, and never really lasted longer than they needed to.

✱ Most of the top tier Marvel movies are the ones where the antagonist has a personal connection to the hero(es). Where the stories are character-driven and the central conflict has a beating heart and makes you feel something because it’s not just a random bad guy trying to destroy/take over the world. This movie had that in spades, very much like my beloved CATWS.

The Bad Not So Good:

I’m going to preface this section by saying that my standards are incredibly high and one of my favorite hobbies is complaining over-analyzing. Also I’ve always been very precious about Bucky’s characterization and treatment by Marvel. Please keep that in mind.

✱ Bucky was criminally underutilized. Despite how much they featured him in the marketing, I knew he was likely to be more of a side-character, and I was right. We basically see all of his scenes in the trailers and it felt like they didn’t really know what to do with him most of the time. He easily could've been written out of this movie and it wouldn’t have made much difference. I almost wish they had, if only to avoid my next and biggest gripe.

✱ Congressman Bucky. Where do I even start. I’ve never been on-board with this character choice and really hoped the movie would finally provide a look into his thought process and at least a half-decent explanation for how he ended up in that role. I was sorely disappointed on that front. The general consensus seems to be that he wanted to help people while also trying to get away from his Winter Soldier roots, and/or the whole thing was just a way for him to take down Val from the inside.

Explanation #1 could make sense if there weren’t plenty of other ways to help people without using his WS skills that don’t require months of campaigning and public speaking, both of which Bucky isn’t suited for in the slightest, for a position he doesn’t seem to actually want at any point. And explanation #2 could make sense if they showed him trying his best to participate in Val’s trial and do things the “right” way before that inevitably failed and he’s forced to change tactics. Instead, we start the movie with Bucky already crashing out after less than a year and resorting to his usual MO with zero indication that he ever really tried to be a good politician or do anything useful with his time there (he didn’t read the packets or sponsor a single bill!). And if that’s the case, what was the point of it all? How did this further the story and Bucky’s character development?

All we learn about him through this failed escapade is that he really hasn’t moved past the Winter Soldier. I might even go so as far as saying Bucky is the only Thunderbolt to have negative character development. He inexplicably throws himself too deep and too quickly into a role he’s ill-suited for and then immediately gives up and regresses back to his comfort zone of punching and shooting that he’s desperately been trying to escape and put behind him. Which is honestly great for me as big fan of Bucky Suffering and a “Bucky is way more like the WS than he wants to admit” truther, but the acknowledgement of the gravity and implications of this choice were severely lacking. It also seems kinda odd and incongruous given the "overcoming your past mistakes and trauma" message of the rest of the movie. You could read it as him finally accepting the WS side of himself, which I do very much enjoy, but if that's what they were going for, it could've been done better and made more clear. This is definitely one of those things I need to sit with and mull over a little longer.

✱ The complete sidelining of Bucky’s grief and trauma in a movie revolving around grief and trauma. I know it’s hard to get enough focus on each character in a ensemble film, but his character and background are such a perfect fit for the themes and he still has so many issues to work through himself, even if Marvel loves to pretend otherwise. Though I guess I'd rather them do nothing than handle it poorly again like they did in TFATWS.

✱ Bucky blowing up the limo immediately after rescuing the gang. Why?? They didn’t pose any visible threat and very likely would’ve cooperated and gone with him wherever he asked. I'm pretty sure they were all heading to the same airport anyway. And if all of the vehicles were destroyed except Bucky’s motorcycle, how did he get them from the middle of the desert to wherever they are later? It seems like he didn’t tie them up until they reached the warehouse(?) either, so did he make them awkwardly walk down the road for miles at gun point? Without saying a word to them since they clearly haven’t talked until we see them in the next scene? What happened in between? It doesn't make any sense and was clearly done purely for the spectacle and shock value and that really annoyed me because it threw me out of the story.

✱ Taskmaster being killed off so unnecessarily quick. What was the point of putting her in this movie at all? But mostly what was the point of marketing her as part of the team for so long when it’s been abundantly clear from the very first trailer that this was what was going to happen? If everyone can see it coming a mile away you don’t even get the shock value. She also had just as much trauma and baggage to work through as the rest of the team and it would’ve been so interesting to finally learn about what she’s like as a person under the mask and brainwashing. Such a disappointing waste of a character with so much potential. Very reminiscent of Rumlow’s death in Civil War, but at least he had some development up to that point and somewhat served a narrative purpose before going out in a literal blaze of glory.

✱ I know I put “didn’t drag” in the positive category but it’s honestly a pro and a con. The movie was extremely fast paced, almost to its detriment. There were definitely scenes and character development moments that really should’ve been allowed more breathing room to feel more believable, mostly in the last half. One example was Bob suddenly turning on his new friends, who tried to save his life and who he tried to sacrifice himself for, to align with Val and fight them simply because she ordered it. Obviously he’s very messed up in the head, but what little we see on screen of his interactions with Val and her obvious attempts at manipulation did not feel like enough to warrant such a sudden shift, especially since it seems like Val was only “training” him for a day, at most. Of course Bob wasn’t thrilled about fighting them, but I think he should’ve looked and acted a lot more conflicted about it given how little time had passed since they were last together (was it even a full day?). It seems kind of like Sentry is another alternate personality that took over and not exactly Bob anymore, but if that’s the case it was really not established well enough.

✱ Despite finally getting to see a bit of Valentina’s backstory and learning more about her, which I did appreciate, she still feels very flat and one-dimensional to me. I think that’s less the fault of JLD and more the way Val always seems to be written, particularly how other characters interact with her and how the world interacts with her in general. She’s so over-the-top sleazy and devious it just doesn’t make sense how she got to where she is and how anyone can trust her at all, especially considering she's a woman (don't @ me, we all know it's way easier for a man to get away with being awful). And it especially doesn’t makes sense that she could have this massive military/scientific operation going on, with all of that equipment and manpower, in complete secret, and multiple assassins in her employ who she talks to and about out the open. The fact that Val feels less real and believable to me than a character who can turn the entirely of NYC into his own hell dimension is not great.

✱ My final point is not really a criticism of the movie itself but the trailers and marketing. They showed too much. I think I would’ve enjoyed this movie even more if I didn’t basically know exactly how the story was going to play out beat for beat. Nothing really surprised me and that’s a bummer.

Off to see Thunderbolts, see y'all on the other side 🫡