#instead of having to sideline some characters

[starrbishops]

⟡Filthy Mouth⟡

(Bob Reynolds x Reader)

Summary: Bob finally lets you give him a blowjob. - prequel to Sidelines based on a request from @princess312

Word Count: 1.4k

Notes: Oral sex, blowjob, established relationship, Post-Thunderbolts*, porn without plot, so much swearing, Bob Reynolds curses like a sailor,

a/n: Uhhhh yeah this is just pornography. Straight up written word porn. With some Bob character study mixed in on his background and behaviors in a relationship. But mostly porn. Enjoy!

Bob wasn’t used to being powerful.

It was strange, having his new abilities. He felt stronger, healthier, but he still felt like himself. Robert Reynolds, the vagrant drug addict dropout. He did his best to keep his powers at the forefront of his mind after remembering what he’d done to New York. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not his new friends. And especially not you.

Bob tried to take things slow with you, always leaving you chances to back out. He knew he wasn’t an easy person to be with, and he honestly didn’t fully understand what you saw in him. But you stayed everytime. No matter how much he pointed out his faults, his flaws, you’d just smile and tell him you liked him anyways, as is.

It’s part of why he likes you so much. More than anyone he’s ever known.

Still, he tries to not come on too strong. He always makes sure to put you first. All the bare minimum boyfriend tasks; walk closer to the street, hold doors open for you, remind you everyday how incredible you are. In bed, it translates to making sure you cum at least once, preferably twice or more, before he does. Which is why it takes so long for him to let you blow him.

When it comes to sex, Bob is first and foremost concerned with not hurting you. He still gets nightmares of when you beat up you and the rest of the team as Sentry. You all laugh it off as a funny memory, tell him you forgive him, but it nags at him. He could hurt you so easily, and he would sooner die than do that on purpose. Anyways, he much prefers the way you look when he eats you out, eyes rolling back in your head, hands gripping his hair while he raves at you. He prioritizes your pleasure over anything else. The fact that you even let him have sex with you is the win from his perspective. Apparently, you don’t see it that way.

You’re seated in his lap, the two of you making out in his bedroom while the rest of the team is away on a mission. You palm at the grown bulge in his pants, breaking the kiss. “Can I please blow you?” you ask, with just a hint of a pout on your face. “I’m good at it, so I’ve been told.”

Bob is about to reply before you cut him off. “And if you say you just want me to have a good time, I will have a good time. I like taking care of you Bob. I just want you to let me.” 

He shuts his mouth, looking up at you. It feels like a fever dream, a beautiful girl in his lap who desperately wants to suck his dick. It’s not like he hasn’t imagined it before. There’ve been plenty of long missions where he’s had to deal with his erections himself, and thought of you while doing so. Imagine it was your hand rather than his, how it would feel to have your lips wrap around his length, taking all of him into your mouth and down your throat. Just thinking about it now makes it even harder.

So instead of his usual deflection, he nods. “You sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

You just grin, already tugging at his waistband. “Bob, we’ve had sex before. I know your dick is big. Congratulations, I will survive.”

He chuckles as he assists you in removing his pants, lifting his hips so you can pull them off along with his boxers before tossing them across the room. You settle yourself between his legs, licking your lips as you take in the image before you. 

Bob’s cock stands at attention, red and desperate for touch, precum leaking from the tip. You glance up, waiting for consent before you make a move. Bob nods, awkwardly settling his hands by his sides, not wanting to touch you too intensely at first.

Bob Reynolds is no blushing virgin. He’s had sex, and had blowjobs before. He’s trying not to be too loud. He really, really does. Still, the moment your tongue swipes over his tip, he’s already groaning. “Fuck, baby.” he gasps, one hand flying to your head while the other grips the sheets beneath him in an attempt to ground himself. “So good, fuck.”

You take the base of his cock in our hand, getting a firm hold before you lick up the underside of him, taking your time to coat him with your spit. He does his best not to hold too tightly onto your hair for fear of pulling too hard. He keeps his eyes on you, memorizing the sight of your tongue sliding along his length, the feeling of you against his most sensitive parts.

“Tell me how it feels, baby.” you mutter, looking up at him with lust darkened eyes. “Don’t hold it in.”

Bob’s always been the talkative type. Before you, he tried to tone it down, considering most of his sexual experience was just flings. When you said you liked when he made noise, he took it to heart, letting his inner monologue escape his lips as you ravished him. 

He nods, another moan escaping him as you take him in your mouth, at the heavenly feeling of your lips around his cock. 

Try as you might, you can’t take his whole length in your mouth. You compensate with your hand on what you can’t fit, stroking him as you begin to bob your head on him, Bob groaning at the sensation.

“Holy shit, babe, oh my god.” he rambles as you take him in and out of your mouth, his knuckles beginning to turn white with how hard he grips the sheets. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful like this, mouth full of cock. Should’ve let you do this sooner, fuck-”

He interrupts himself with another moan as you manage to take him ever deeper into your throat, his tip just touching the back of your throat. You continue at your pace, laser focused on his every move and sound, noting what gets the most reaction. You do it again, take him just that much deeper, and Bob almost cums on the spot.

“Oh my god, you’re so good. Holy fuck, you’re perfect, your mouth is fucking incredible.” He can feel your own moan vibrate around him, and he groans at the feeling in turn. He’s becoming convinced you’re trying to suck his soul out through his cock. He’d let you, if it feels this good. He’d let you do anything you want to him.

He’s still talking aloud, he realizes as you make a sound that at first verges on a laugh, shifting quickly to a moan as he accidentally jerks his hips up just a bit. “Shit, I’m sorry, a-are you good? Okay?”

You nod, wiping your mouth quickly and smiling innocently as you lower your mouth back onto him, one hand moving to cup his balls beneath his cock. Yet another string of curses escapes him at the feeling, the combined sensation of your mouth and hands becoming all too much. He can feel himself hurtling off the edge, towards absolute ecstasy.

“Oh, god, baby I’m gonna cum, where should I- can I cum in your mouth? Please? Wanna fill you, let you taste me.”

You moan around him, and Bob takes that as the affirmative. You continue, eyes closed as you concentrate on maximizing his pleasure.

“Fuck, baby, ‘m gonna cum, fuck, fuck!” he practically yells out your name as he finally cums, you taking as much of him as possible as he does, hot spurts of cum sliding down your throat. You take it like a champ, holding your position, still stroking the base of him and massaging his balls beneath that.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Bob groans as he tries to collect himself, eyes coming back into focus to see you sit up, swallowing before licking what’s left of his cum off the tip of his softened dick. “You’re amazing.”

“You have a filthy mouth.” you chuckle, crawling up his body. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse that much.”

“The things you do to me.” he smiles, leaning in to kiss you. He can taste the salty flavor of himself on your lips. “We should do that again sometime.”

You brush some fallen hair out of his face, grinning with satisfaction. “Told you I was good.”

“I never doubted you.” he assures you, pulling you into his arms as he flips you onto your back. “But now it’s my turn.”

a/n: i'm gonna be fr blowjobs are not my specialty but i did my bset here and honestly it was good practice. Insane thing to say about writing about blowjobs but damn here we are. uhhhh bob fans enjoy!

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Not-As-Vague-As-I-Anticipated Thoughts On A Valicer Ghostbusters AU

Hi everyone! Say, do you guys, gals, and nonbinary pals remember when I had not one, but two Ghostbusters AUs kicking around on my blog: I Ain't Afraid Of No Ghost, based on the original movies from the 80s with Doc, Marty, and Victor as the Ghostbusters and Alice as their receptionist, and Who Ya Gonna Call?, based on the 2016 reboot with Victoria, Emily, Clara, Jennifer, and Alice as the Ghostbusters and Victor as the receptionist? Weren't those good times? Well, it may interest you to know that, ever since Smiler showed up and became a notable presence in my head and on this blog, I've been having on and off thoughts about trying to fit them into one of those AUs! Because I am still a fan of both the original and 2016 Ghostbusters, still enjoy those AUs, and thought it would be fun to include Smiler in one of them! There was just one problem --

"I Ain't Afraid Of Not Ghost" was the one with a slot open for Smiler (as I always had trouble filling the "Winston Zeddemore" role in that one -- I think my best option was considering Clara for the role, as in the linked post)...but Smiler's general vibes always seemed a better fit for "Who Ya Gonna Call?" (which did not need any more characters in it!).

A dilemma, as I'm sure you will agree! And so the Ghostbusters AU thoughts, whenever they popped up, kept getting tabled in favor of AUs that I could actually make work. That is, until recently, when an idea hit me. An idea that can basically be summed up in the form of a meme:

Yes, my solution to my Ghostbusters AU dilemma? Smash the original 1984 movie and the 2016 reboot together. AKA make everything even more complicated and crowded! XD And so I present to you my initial ideas/timeline for the Mega-Ghostbusters AU that I'm thinking of calling "Busting Makes Me Feel Good." It's not totally feature-complete yet, but you should at least get a good idea of where I'd want go with this! Let's begin:

-->Our starting group, before all the supernatural nonsense kicks off, is Doc, Marty, and Smiler -- Doc's a professor at Hill Valley Community College, teaching applied physics and studying parapsychology in his off hours, while Marty and Smiler are two students of his turned lab assistants because they found out what he was doing in his free time and thought it sounded cool. (Think a situation kind of like what Abby and Holtzmann had going at their college at the start of Answer The Call.) The three haven't really gotten anywhere with their research into ghosts and paranormal extra-dimensional entities yet, but Doc's determined to figure this shit out, and Marty and Smiler are enjoying the ride. (And occasionally playing pranks on him, like the "ghostly fart noises" prank Abby and Holtz played on Erin.)

-->And then, one day, they're summoned to the local public library to talk to someone who says he saw a ghost down in the basement. Cue them meeting one Victor Van Dort, newly-moved to the city, who is understandably freaked out by his supernatural experience. The trio assure him that they believe him and ask him to take them down to see the ghost for themselves...and end up freaked out as well because holy shit actual ghost. They're eventually scared out of the building, a la the incident in the 1984 movie, but Smiler got the whole thing on their phone, and they gleefully present that and the ectoplasm samples they retrieved to their college Dean.

-->...Doc is immediately fired for wasting university time and resources, because the Dean does not believe them at all and has been looking for an excuse to fire that weirdo Dr. Brown for a while. Marty and Smiler are quite annoyed, but Doc sees an opportunity -- for you see, he's been working on a way to try and catch ghosts for some time now. And he's pretty sure those librarians would pay to get that ghost out of the library. So now that he has the free time, why not set up some sort of business where they can catch ghosts and similar entities to study them? Marty and Smiler are into it --

As is Victor, and it's about this time that everyone realizes, "wait a minute, why are you still hanging out with us?" XD Turns out that he just kind of followed along when Doc took them all to see the Dean because Doc seemed to know what he was doing, and well, now he's intrigued by all their research. Doc's like "cool, free third lab assistant" and says he's welcome to help out however he likes, and the core group grows to four.

-->Quick additional note here: while I intend for Emily to be a living human and not a ghost in this AU (as she was part of the core team back in "Who Ya Gonna Call?" -- you'll see her show up in a moment), I do very much want Victor, when questioned by Doc, Marty, and Smiler if there's a history of mental illness in his family, to admit that an ancestor of his back in the 1870s claimed to have temporarily married a corpse. It just amuses me to have that be his "I had an uncle who thought he was St. Jerome" moment. :p

-->Anyway, Doc gets his stuff out of the university lab (along with some of the university's stuff -- that does cause a bit of a kerfluffle, as you might imagine), and he and his assistants go looking for a good place to set up shop. And, as you might expect, they find an old abandoned firehouse that might be just perfect (Smiler in particular likes the fire pole). Unfortunately, between the needed repairs to the building and the asking price of the realtor, Doc isn't sure they can afford it --

Cue Victor revealing he's the son of canned food magnate William Van Dort and using some trust fund money to buy the place. (Victor: "I -- did tell you my last name when we first met." Marty: "I thought you were a cousin or something, NOT HIS FUCKING KID!") After the initial shock, the others decide to just be grateful they have a rich friend, and repairs begin apace. As their new headquarters comes together, Doc decides they could use some help filing and fielding phone calls and whatnot, and puts out an ad for an receptionist...

-->Cue not one, but both of Victor's high school exes, Victoria Everglot and Emily Cartwell-Merrimack, showing up to apply for the job. XD There's a somewhat-awkward reunion, with the three explaining their situation -- namely, that Victor and Victoria dated during senior year because their parents were "strongly encouraging" them to be together (the Van Dorts to leach off the Everglots being more "high society," the Everglots to leech off the Van Dort money); then, midway through said year, Emily ended up glomming onto Victor as a rebound boyfriend when he showed her some sympathy after her previous boyfriend broke her heart (and stole her mother's jewelry); and then there was a bit of a "thing" about who was cheating on who when Emily saw Victor with Victoria shortly after said glomming. But they managed to move past that (with a lot of profuse "I didn't realize you two saw this so much more seriously than I did" apologies from Victor, who was actually in the process of explaining the Emily situation to Victoria when Emily showed up -- just not very well), and they all ended up decent friends before falling out of touch after graduation due to going to different colleges. Both ladies prove to be good at the tasks required for the job AND not afraid to get their hands dirty helping with renovations, so Doc ends up hiring them both, figuring "this is probably going to be a 24-hour business, we should have day and night shift receptionists anyway."

-->Naturally, business is rather slow at first, with not a lot of people taking these new "Ghostbusters" seriously...but eventually they get a call from one Clara Clayton, local schoolteacher, asking them to come investigate her apartment because she recently opened her fridge and a weird dog-demon thing started yelling "ZUUL" at her. Doc and company promptly head over to investigate --

And, as you might imagine, Doc and Clara are instantly smitten at first sight. Somewhat annoying Marty, who keeps having to interrupt their awkward flirting over Clara's Jules Verne collection and her telescope to get Doc to focus on the job. XD Anyway, they don't actually find anything in the fridge, but Doc does note some fairly high PKE readings in the apartment generally and tells Clara to keep an eye out, maybe bunk up in a hotel if things start getting too bizarre. And that she can call him anytime, or visit him at the firehouse, or -- maybe join him for coffee sometime...basically Marty, Victor, and Smiler have to drag him out the door. XD

-->And then, shortly after that, they get a call from a local hotel saying that they have a bit of a ghost problem, and if they're legit, could they come bust it please? (I picture Emily being the one to take this call, mostly because I can better picture her being the one to yell "WE GOT ONE!" Janine-style. XD) Doc, Marty, Victor, and Smiler rush over to the hotel with their proton packs, and --

Well, of course it's Slimer, being his usual gluttonous self. Poor Marty's the one who gets the "he slimed me" moment, incidentally. XD But the boys and enby manage to wrangle the ghost with only moderate collateral damage, and with this first public bust, business starts picking up as more people become willing to tell them about the various hauntings they're dealing with.

-->It's around this time that we cut over to one Alice Liddell, getting ready to ride the subway to work (I have no idea if Hill Valley is actually big enough to support one of those, but this is supposed to be a modern day-ish AU, and we know Hill Valley gets bigger in the future judging by the fact it seems to be a much more bustling city in BTTF II's 2015 -- pretend it's a small local system that the mayor funded as part of a "better public transport" initiative or something) -- when she spots a familiar face sneaking off from the crowd. It's one Dr. Angus Bumby, the asshole who murdered her parents and sister and burned down her house, condemned her to ten years in Rutledge Psychiatric, turned to child pimping disguised as helping to rehabilitate troubled orphans after graduating university, tried to wipe her mind when she ended up in his care after Rutledge, and then -- when she FINALLY managed to drag him to the authorities -- escaped and disappeared into the ether. Alice is like "oh, you are NOT getting away from me THIS time fucker" and chases after him --

-->But then he sets down an odd device on the tracks -- and moments later, a very angry ghost appears in the tunnel, forcing her to back off and closing down the subway. Alice, seeing a poster for the Ghostbusters on the wall of the station, heads over to their office to tell them what she saw and ask them to investigate. The 'Busters are keen (especially since the subway authority have ALSO called them to be like "something supernatural is on our tracks, please get rid of it") and follow her to the station --

-->Where, before they do the bust, they encounter a young woman doing some graffiti art on the wall of the station. Turns out it's Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker, who's indulging a bit of a rebellious streak now that she's out of her parent's house (aka she's a bit like the 1986 Citizen Brown Jennifer from the Telltale game, because I really like that Jennifer). Upon hearing they're there to bust a ghost, she jokingly does the classic "no ghosts" logo on the wall -- the group agrees that would actually be a great logo and ask Jennifer if she wants to talk licensing later (Jennifer: "Yeah, I'll take money for this, sure"). With that sorted, the group busts the ghost (with a little distracting help from Alice and Jennifer, who insisted on coming along to watch) and find the device, which Doc notes is a specialized "ionizer" designed to attract ghosts, based on a design he mentioned in a book he authored on the subject of parapsychology ages ago. Alice is like, "I don't know why Bumby's now into ghost attracting, but I don't want him to keep doing it--"

-->And asks to join the team as a Buster. Jennifer is also into the idea (partly because she's a LITTLE worried about Marty's safety after seeing a bust in action, and at least this way they're risking their lives together), and Doc says that if someone is trying to summon ghosts, they probably could use all hands on deck and agrees to take them on, stating that they should train Victoria and Emily in how to use the equipment too. So it's back to the firehouse --

Where they find Clara waiting! Turns out, while she fortunately hasn't had any Zuuls in her fridge lately, she has been doing some research into the history of her apartment building, and, well, she's not exactly keen on what she's found. Turns out that the architect behind it, Ivo Shandor (name subject to change -- I am SO freaking tempted to make it "Cave Johnson" because they had J. K. Simmons play the guy in Afterlife), was part of some world-destruction cult, and built it to act as a sort of "antenna" to focus paranormal energies and attract the attention of a god named Gozer, otherwise known as "The Destroyer." Clara's like, "I feel like shit is going to go down if monsters are appearing in my kitchen -- can you maybe lend me one of those proton packs and teach me how to use it?"

Doc's response? "I'll do you one better -- you want a job?" Clara is initially thrown, but then is like "you know what, it's summer vacation and I really want to make sure this thing in my fridge doesn't get me and it means spending more time with you, so sure."

-->Cue a training and tech montage as Doc, Marty, Victor, and Smiler instruct Alice, Clara, Jennifer, Victoria, and Emily in how to use the proton packs and traps and test out some of Doc's new inventions in the field of ghost-busting! Also cue:

a) Clara getting really into how Doc's putting all this stuff together and helping him with it whenever she can, causing the two of them to grow closer and finally act properly on their attraction (kissing over a disassembled proton pack is as romantic as kissing in front of a telescope under the stars, right?)

b) Victoria and Emily taking a look at the 1984-inspired jumpsuits everyone is wearing and going "these desperately need an update -- hi-vis stripes would add visual interest AND probably make you easier to spot in dark environments," before using their sewing skills to make jumpsuits more akin to the 2016 ones; along the way they start acknowledging a mutual attraction

c) Alice and Smiler both noticing that Victor seems to be attracted to the other and attempting a little subtle matchmaking...only to discover what they're doing when Smiler asks Alice if she'd like to go on a date with Victor, and she's like "...I thought you wanted to date him." Talking to Victor after that reveals he's into both of them but had absolutely no plans to act on his attraction after what happened with Victoria and Emily. Smiler is like, "well, no worries for me, I'm polyamorous, so if you guys want to try the 'throuple' thing, I'm down" -- Alice and Victor decide it's worth it, and the three end up in a hinge relationship with Victor at the center

d) Marty and Jennifer, the Established Couple With Their Shit Together, wondering why busting ghosts seems to be such a romantic activity for all their coworkers (Alice: "Jennifer, you joined up SPECIFICALLY to be with your boyfriend.")

-->Also cue the gang getting some proper branded vehicles to drive to busts with, instead of just taking Doc's old "24 Hour Scientific Services" van! The fleet includes:

a) the classic Ecto-1 (with the spin-out gunner seat introduced in Afterlife because that is an objectively cool thing to add to it)

b) a DeLorean where all the time travel modifications are adapted to be for ghost-busting purposes instead (because you can't have the BTTF characters without THEIR classic 80s car)

c) the Ecto-2 motor scooter from Answer The Call, both because it's neat and because there are a LOT of characters involved here, so it's probably best we have at least one more transportation option

-->So, how does teaching the ladies how to bust ghosts go? Well, they all get opportunities to join the more experienced members of the team on smaller busts, and acquit themselves pretty well...but the real test of their training comes on a day when Marty, Doc, Victor, and Smiler are all taking the night off -- Marty's got a concert gig with his band, the Pinheads; Doc's helping him with the special effects for that gig; and Victor and Smiler are going to see said gig as part of a date night together (with Alice saying she might stop by and see how they're doing later). Jennifer of course also goes to see her boyfriend and cheer him on -- but while hanging around backstage, she spots a figure sneaking away from a storage room. And, upon investigating, finds another one of those devices they found in the subway -- which, before she can do anything about it, spits out a horrible demon-like bat-ghost. Horrified, she calls Clara at the firehouse and gets her to bring the gear with Victoria, Emily, and Alice -- however, by the time they arrive, the concert is in full swing, and there's no chance to get the stuff to Marty and the others in time. So the ladies suit up and charge in --

Just in time for the bat-ghost to start attacking the stage. Marty gets the other members of the Pinheads out of harm's way, while Doc offers advice to the women over the sound system and Victor and Smiler try to direct the panicking crowd to the exits (Smiler is much better at this than Victor). Fortunately, the quintet of ladies learned well, and while there is the usual collateral damage, they manage to wrangle the ghost and force it into a trap. Cue the crowd cheering, the various couples/throuple sharing a celebratory kiss --

-->And then the police busting in and insisting all nine of the Ghostbusters come with them immediately. There's a little "wait, what??" but the group do comply, and are whisked away to the town hall for an emergency meeting with none other than Mayor Goldie Wilson III. As it turns out, he and his fellow elected officials have been tracking the Ghostbusters' activity, and they're a little concerned -- both by the rise in paranormal events around the town, and by the fact that the people combating those paranormal events are bunch of unlicensed weirdos with probably-illegal tech. Doc points out that he couldn't exactly apply for a license to be a ghostbuster, which Goldie allows. He also admits to the group that he does not want them to stop busting ghosts, because they seem to be a legit threat -- he just wants someone to take a look at how they operate and whatnot, just to make it look like the local government knows what it's doing. Everyone's like "yeah, all right, we understand, got nothing to hide," and Goldie reveals his appointee as Official Hill Valley Mayoral Liaison --

-->And it's one Edna Strickland. AKA Doc's high school ex, former newspaper reporter, current member of the Public Health And Safety Department, and all-around nosy busybody with exceptionally prudish morals. And while Mayor Wilson is happy to let the Ghostbusters keep doing what they're doing, she considers the lot of them to be dangers to the town. Not in the least because she thinks Doc's a crackpot who chose science over her (Doc: "Edna, that was fifty years ago, let it go") AND because she's discovered Alice was formerly institutionalized and still suffers from hallucinations and suchlike (Alice: "I have gotten way better at telling fantasy from reality, thank you very much"). Things are NOT improved by Marty antagonizing her every chance he gets, both because she's being such a dick to his friends and because he has awful memories of dealing with her younger brother Stephen Gerald Strickland when he was in high school (dude's the local assistant principal and head of discipline and did NOT like constantly-late Marty). So the Ghostbusters now have to deal with her demands -- most of which seem to concern how real ghosts are (Doc: "How many eyewitness accounts of paranormal activity do you want, Edna?"), and how safe the ghost containment unit Doc built really is -- while simultaneously keeping an eye on the ghost situation...

And okay, it's no surprise that this AU crossing over the plots of two whole-ass movies with a bunch of other stuff is getting freaking long. So how about we take a break here, and we'll pick it up with the adventures of the gang as they head toward the dual climaxes in Part Two? Sound good? Sounds good.

[thanatika]

crazy how viktor can't take a shit without people trying to claim that the shape of it is somehow him trying to brand himself with the talis family crest because being romantically obsessed with jayce is his whole personality now apparently.

[ohsweetflips]

on the one hand i love harping and moaning over missed opportunities for previous dragon age companion cameos bc sometimes bioware really whiffs it (i long for the world where merrill is the eluvian expert instead of morrigan) but. on the other hand. sometimes it’s like. why would that character show up. answer quickly. the answer can’t be that it’s because you like them. it feels very reminiscent of having to accept that our wardens will never make another appearance.

[zenniaphoenix]

In universe, I really like Zoe. Even if she has a lot of similarities with other characters, I think her vibe is fun. From a Doylist perspective, though, I think introducing Zoe was a poor narrative choice. I think the slides above are a good explanation of how she compares to other characters, but you’re missing a crucial part of the fandom history that explains how we got here.

Zoe was brought into the story as a replacement for the role that was originally written for Chloe, before Astruc decided not to give Chloe her planned redemption arc. (From what I’ve heard, Astruc basically didn’t like the number of fans that were excited about Chloe’s anticipated redemption arc, or how they talked about it, and decided to scrap it because of that. I’m not searching out the tweets where Astruc said as much right now, but I do remember seeing and probably reblogging them). That’s part of why there are so many sets of dolls with the core four and Chloe as queen bee, even though she didn’t spend a lot of time with the bee miraculous. You can also see that in earlier drafts of the story, like the PV, the character Chloe was based off of was meant to be part of the main group as a friend and a hero. It seems like the plan for Miraculous Ladybug was to give Chloe a redemption arc somewhere around seasons 2-4.

So like… yeah of course Chloe and Zoe have a ton in common. In terms of their role in the overall story, they’re functionally two different versions of the same character. I never particularly cared about Chloe as a character, and I like Zoe better, but the mess this show has made of using Zoe as a replacement for Chloe rather than the sort of person Chloe could grow into with time is disappointing. Practically, Zoe is Chloe, a few steps closer to healing.

They both love fashion. Chloe seeks out prestige in what she wears, and Zoe enjoys decorating herself with art pieces that express who she is and what she cares about.

They both want to have acting roles. Chloe butts into every single audition in the show insisting on being the lead. She feels strongly enough about it that if she doesn’t get her way, she sometimes shuts the whole show down. Zoe has opened up about the fact that she wants to be an actress, and taken steps towards that goal, but she tries not to hurt people in the process.

They’re both wanted their mom’s approval. Chloe will do anything to get it, and has been shown a few times that that doesn’t work, but didn’t learn from that. Zoe’s decided that she’s not going to get it, and she might as well look somewhere else for emotional support.

They both seek out Marinette and Ladybug’s approval. Chloe goes to unreasonable lengths to make it look like she’s a hero like Ladybug, even going as far has putting people in danger so she can save them. She doesn’t usually get Ladybug’s approval, and throws a lot of tantrums about it. She’s still done the right thing sometimes anyways, but not when Ladybug happened to be watching. (Marinette doesn’t owe her forgiveness, but that doesn’t stop a lot of heroes from giving forgiveness. I kinda like the subversion here, but Chloe could have still have a redemption arc without earning Marinette’s approval or friendship, which would be equally subversive of the trope and honestly more interesting). Zoe just gets Ladybug’s approval as a baseline. She almost looses a bit of it, but gains it back within the episode.

Zoe gets a crush on Marinette, a girl who was nice to her when she didn’t have to be. And frankly, a lot of Chloe’s early bullying of Marinette looks like a childish, hair pulling to get attention kind of crush.

Zoe has a strong sense of justice, that’s a little bit more attuned to things that hurt her personally, but she’s learning to recognize things that hurt other people. Chloe has a stubborn sense that things shouldn’t be unfair to her, but doesn’t notice or care when other people are hurt. She has the potential to grow towards stubbornly standing up for her sense of justice if that changes.

Chloe puts up walls to keep her ego from being hurt. And those walls have hurt a lot of people. Zoe is learning to stop hiding who she is, but still occasionally does it by default. She’s still trying to move past the guilt of having been a mean girl before, and figure out who she can be when she’s nice to other people and herself.

Zoe is Chloe’s redemption arc, but the writers skipped the hard bits, where they have to convince the audience she’s really changing.

It feels like Zoe’s crowding the (former) mean girl space because… she is. She’s the foil to Lila that Chloe was supposed to be (as an actress, as someone who struggles to show up authentically), and having just the two characters in that space would have made a lot more sense in the story. And ironically, by having Zoe show up late and take up the space of a main cast member without earning it, a lot of people didn’t react well to her, and thought she fell flat, which was the same concern they probably had about a Chloe redemption arc.

For example: the scene where Andre tells Zoe he wanted to be a director would have hit very different if it was with Chloe, slightly after her lowest point, when she’s just starting to figure out how to be nice to people. For her to have an opportunity to see her dad as a person and understand why he isn’t happy as mayor, and force Chloe to weigh that against all of the privilege that having the mayor as her dad has given her, and decide whether she wants to support her dad being happier or her life being easier. Could she give up being the mayor’s daughter, a core part of her identity and the main weapon she uses against the people who she feels have wronged her, for her father’s sake? That scene would have been a much more impactful one than “oh hey step?-dad, nice to meet you on the roof, it’s neat that we have similar hobbies. I see you regret not following your dreams so I’m going to follow mine.” Even if Chloe botched that one opportunity to be a kinder person, it would have been interesting to watch her try. To fit well with Miraculous’s episode format they’d probably have her realize she was wrong over the course of an akuma fight against her dad, so they could write Chloe messing up and show her learning from it. Which is a thing characters on this show get to do every single episode, but not Chloe. Chloe never gets to learn, and introducing Zoe as a replacement for a Chloe redemption arc really cemented that decision. Having characters who can never be redeemed in canon is okay, but seems a bit mixed up to decide a kid can never improve in a kid’s show about learning to manage your emotions better.

[chika-seno]

[Non-MC reader in LADS, kindly block or don't interact if you're not interested]

With the popularity and the angst of the non-mc fics, I just have one idea to propose. Instead of us lamenting about the situation, how about the situation in reverse? Instead of bathing in jealousy, its him who feels inadequate and unable to intervene in your relationship with someone else.

The MLs, tied to some fate they can barely comprehend or remember making at the time is bound to the MC by their actions or through a soulmate like connection. He has no idea how to break it, and how to move forward with you in the picture.

You're probably someone ordinary and new he's encountered in this life. You could be the cashier in a cafe, a receptionist in a clinic, some worker in a seperate division of a museum, an air traffic controller, or an engineer. Either way, you're connected to him through his job or interests, and he starts to fall for you slowly.

You might have felt the same. Or, he might have escaped your radar. At the eventual revelation of each of his pasts, it's clear you're a new connection, a marker of a totally new life he could either move forward in or abandon for the past. The reality scares him shitless, since he has no tie or obligation to make you fall for him and vice versa. You could slip away from him easily, and maybe it would be the last lifetime you two would share as potential lovers.

He talks about it with her too. She's in the same boat, terrified and lost. There's someone nice at her job, someone she met through a mission-gone-wrong. They have no evol, but they make her feel so alive and unrestrained from her past mistakes and present condition. But she worries her baggage might take a toll on them, and they'd eventually leave for someone, never fully comprehending the connection they share.

Regardless of their decision and dedication, it's not long until you eventually show them your new relationship status. Whether it be a ring or a social media post, he's standing in the sidelines with some bastard hugging you close, taking their rightful position by your side.

Can they hold you closely as he could? Could they make you happy? Could they imagine staying by your side until your last breath like he would?

When you talk about them, it's nothing he could absolutely compare to. The way they make you laugh, blush, and feel secured in their presence feels so different from what he can do. He's just some friend you managed to get from a chance encounter. Nothing set in stone, meant to escape from his grasp when you eventually turn away from him.

He feels bitter. He lashes out in different ways but ultimately realizing you should live your life without them in the picture. He looks at you and your significant other, swarming with jealousy at the pretty picture he's not included in. To be with you till the end sounds like a happily-ever-after he has no place in.

In another lifetime, you would be in their place. Lamenting and cursing the world for not giving you their love and dedication. But in this version, he's in your place, doomed to be a bystander.

While there's no guarantee to be with the main character like him, it's not like you're running out of options either. Spared by fate and the cruelty of responsibility, you instead have to move forward in life and in death without him by your side.

[samiramohans]

yellowjackets is genuinely so fucking bad this season i have to laugh. the writing is so ass! they truly don't know what to do with any of their characters. they introduce random twists purely for shock value, refuse to actually elaborate on the interesting parts of the plot, and leave so many storylines half finished.

this is coming from someone who really loved season 1, both the teen and adult timelines were actually interesting. the writing was well done and cohesive and the choices that were made actually paid off or were implied to be explored in later seasons.

season 2 dropped the ball a bit. the first half of the season was basically just setup for the teen plot last 3 or 4 episodes. the adult timeline was fine? but mostly directionless - it didn't feel like there was really any continuity between episodes, just a bunch of diconnected events and callbacks/parallels that were supposed to make the audience Feel Something, and it worked to some extent for me - enough that i could overlook some of the shortcomings of the season and try to enjoy the show for what it was.

season 3? genuinely awful. there's one episode left and like three things have happened in the teen timeline. there's basically no stakes in the teen timeline right now either because we know they don't get rescued until during or after the next winter. instead of actually spending time on any main characters other than shauna (ESPECIALLY taissa and lottie, who are some of the most interesting characters on the show, and we can get into the implications of the writers ignoring their woc another time) the writers are putting their time, effort and budget towards melissa, a character who literally was not named during the first season of the show and had like ten lines in season 2. the adult timeline is also a whole lot of nothing! shauna's on some kind of wild goose chase, taissa and van have no characterization or plot outside of each other, no one really cares about the fact that nat died last season when they all seemed to respect her greatly in season 1, and for some fucking reason, lottie is dead. mind you, we know next to nothing about who she really is outside of the wellness guru we saw last season. all of this is being sidelined for the melissa plot which is just truly so idiotic i can't bring myself to watch any scene with her with a straight face. and with episode 9's ending of melissa stabbing van, i really feel like the show has gone off the rails. her entire plot this season has been about whether she and taissa are going to have a future. whether van will survive cancer and the wilderness is appeased by natalie's sacrifice in the season 2 finale. but no! get rid of all of that for background character #4 who has literally no personality but gives your season shitty underdeveloped #gay representation! or whatever

[cressidagrey]

Holy Ground - Chapter 2

Summary:

Nobody knew that Azriel found his mate. Until she nearly died. This is the aftermath.

Warning:

Rhys Bashing (as usual), Inner Circle Bashing (kinda), Referenced/Implied Sexual Assault, Referenced/Implied Domestic Violence, Discussion of Religion(?), Chronic Injury/Pain/Illness, Minor Character Death (It's probably nobody you love), Magical Work Accidents, Explosions, Injuries

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please take care of your own mental health and don't read it.

Azriel’s shadows liked to spoil his mate rotten.

Not that Azriel could find anything wrong with that.

She deserved more for putting up with him. 

More than new tea from the Dawn Court and her favourite chocolate covered, wafer thin cookies from a small bakery near the Sidra…more than the occasional embroidery thread they snuck her…More than whatever animal he went to go hunt, to cover his bed in even more furs just for her. 

He nearly had enough Sable furs to have a blanket made for her for Winter Solstice…

Azriel also had half a mind to go sneak in her office later that day. 

Just as a treat for not killing either of his brothers. For being civil. 

Rhys had come over for sparring, unnannounced. 

Azriel had hoped to have some peace and quiet today, but it seemed like Rhys had other plans. 

Currently Cassian and Rhys were wrestling with less sense than they had had when they were just kids, and Azriel was cleaning his weapons, watching from the sidelines.

Azriel couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sight of his brothers roughhousing. It was typical of them to turn a simple sparring session into some kind of ridiculous competition. He focused on sharpening his knives, trying to ignore their antics.

"You know, we could also actually train properly," he called out, his tone dry. "Instead of wrestling like a bunch of children."

Cassian looked up from his grappling with Rhys, grinning. "Oh, come on Az. Don't be such a stick in the mud. Loosen up, have a little fun for once."

Azriel's expression remained impassive. "I'm perfectly capable of having fun, Cassian. But I prefer to do so without rolling around in the dirt like a wild animal."

Rhysand chuckled, standing up and clapping Cassian on the back. "It's good to let loose every now and then, Az. You should try it sometime. It might make your brooding sessions a little less depressing."

Azriel just grunted in response, not willing to engage in a verbal sparring match with Rhys. He continued to clean his weapons, hoping that the training session would end soon so he could escape his brothers' teasing.

“When did you even come home yesterday?” Cassian asked him.

Azriel looked up from his work, his expression neutral. "Around 11," he said simply.

“You didn’t come to dinner,” Rhys pointed out. “You were missed.”

He highly doubted that.

And maybe he had made that mission in Dawn just a little while longer, so that he knew that dinner would be over and when he came home, he wouldn’t need to be alone.

Azriel just shrugged. "I was busy," he said, offering no further explanation. He knew his brothers were just trying to rile him up, and he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of a reaction.

*Are you still pissed of at me?* Rhys asked him mentally with a sigh. *I get it. But you don’t need to avoid everybody else, just because…*

*I’m not avoiding anyone,* Azriel replied, his mental voice tight. *I’m simply choosing to spend my time how I see fit.*

“I was busy,” he repeated aloud.

Cassian rolled his eyes. "You're always busy, Az. You know, there's such thing as taking a break once in a while. Spending time with your family."

Or he could spent time with his mate. He could spent time with his mate, who let him brush her hair and even braid it …who pressed kisses to his horrible scarred hands and smiled at him. 

If it was a choice between Irena or a family dinner where he didn’t want to stay longer than an hour or two, because he was still too fucking pissed off at Rhys…the choice was easy. 

“Or is there a special somebody?” Cassian teased him.

Azriel glowered at him. "It’s none of your business." He went back to working on his weapons, his expression tense.

*You can’t keep panting after Elain for the rest of your life,* Rhys said mentally. *Look, I know I didn’t…I am sorry. But she’s happy with Lucien and…*

*Don’t worry, I’ll go to a pleasure hall and pay for it if I want to fuck somebody,* Azriel shot back viciously.

Or his own hand would suffice. More than suffice, especially if…especially if Irena had let him kiss her the evening before…sometimes he waited until she disappeared into her room, and he buried his face in the pillows that smelled like her, fisted his cock and rutted like an untried boy for seconds before he came all over himself. 

It was still better than any other sex he ever had had before.

Cassian raised an eyebrow at him. "It sounds like you need to get laid," he said, chuckling. "Maybe that'll help with your bad mood."

Azriel shot him a glare. "Mind your own business, Cassian. My love life is none of your concern."

Rhysand gave him a sympathetic look. *We just want you to be happy, Az. You deserve happiness.*

“Ohhh, touchy,” Cassian said with a snort.

Azriel just gritted his teeth, his temper rising. "Cassian, if you don’t shut your mouth right now, I swear to the Mother, I’ll shut it for you."

Cassian just grinned at him. "Come on, Az. I’m just teasing you. Lighten up."

Azriel's grip on his weapons tightened. "I don't like your teasing, Cassian. And I certainly don't appreciate you making assumptions about my personal life.”

Mostly he just wanted his brothers to leave him the hell alone.

And then...then before he could say another thing...he felt the shaking.

And then the sound came. An eardrum shattering explosion, the very foundation of the House of Wind shaking. It was terrifying him.

Irena was down there in her office. Nesta was in there. 

He was moving before he was even thinking. 

*Merrill's office, Master!* the shadows screeched.

Azriel was already running.

Cassian hot on his heels, so was Rhys.

Azriel was faster, heaving shadows around his limbs as he rocketed down the spiral stairs of the House of Wind.

Level Two, Straight to the right. Clearly...Clearly the epicenter of the blast. Of the explosion…of whatever had happened.

He pushed as hard as he could, legs burning as he hurtled down the hallway to Merrill's office.

He wasn't the only one. "Merrill!" He could hear Gwyn's shrill voice screaming, coming to a stop in a hallway of what had once been Merrill's office but now was just...

It was a mass of wood and rubble.

He barely slowed down, scrambling into action. Gwyn was already digging through it, so where Nesta and Emerie. Cassian landed behind him, immediately moving some of the debris.

His shadows swarmed as he and the others quickly dug at the rubble. Looking, desperately looking.

He moved another piece of rubble out of the way...a piece of blue cloths. The same blue cloth that he knew covered Irena's body, the scent of poppies clinging to her...Without a thought, he grasped and then dragged, a hoarse shout that was her, that was her...

He felt as if he were choking, as if he were drowning as he dragged out her body. Bloody, bruised, broken but still...still there was a faint flicker, a faint, thready heartbeat.

His heartbeat pounding in his ears, he tried to pick up on her heart. There was barely a flicker. Too fast, too faint, she was barely holding on. Barely hanging by a thread.

There was blood pooling on her abdomen, dying the blue dress she wore bright scarlet red, He put pressure on that wound immediately, leaning on her with nearly all his weight, his fingers slick with blood. "Damn it, stay with me, love," he demanded sharply.

Azriel felt like he could barely breath. Like he was falling, tumbling down as he tried to will her to stay with him. Stay. Stay. Stay. Please stay. Stay...

Rhys was there suddenly, checking her pulse. "Breathing is erratic. She's in shock," he told Azriel with a grimace. "Mor is getting Madja..."

"Az..." her voice was so weak, but he turned to see dark brown eyes watching him, brows furrowing.

"Just keep breathing, Love," he told her, trying to stop his voice from shaking.

He could barely hear what was going on around him. It was as if he were in a bubble, a world of just himself and her and the desperate beat of her heart under his fingers.

"I am sorry," she whispered.

"There is nothing you need to apologise for her, Irena," he promised her sharply. "Absolutely nothing."

Irena's eyes drifted shut. Azriel felt like something was dying inside him as her heartbeat fluttered against his fingertips. His world was collapsing, shattering into pieces as her breath stuttered.

"Stay. Just stay..." he was barely aware of what he was saying, his eyes frantically searching hers. She had to stay. He would do anything to keep her here. Anything.

"I am still owing you that flight," he told her. She hadn't let him take her flying yet. They had snuck away in the library...in the rooftop garden...in her office. But he had never gotten to take her flying. He had never gotten to take her out into Velaris. They had never had a date at a fancy restaurant, had never gone to see the symphony. There were thousands of things that he hadn't yet gotten to do with his mate, because they had all the time in the world.

Irena just stared at him, her eyes pleading, as her heartbeat slowed, fluttering weaker and weaker. Azriel felt a sharp pain in his chest as fear clawed at his spine. "Just hold on a little longer, love," he whispered. "Please."

And then there Madja. Thank the cauldron. There she was.

Azriel could barely manage to let go of her, his mind consumed with the singular thought of Irena's laboured, erratic heartbeat as he moved back. Madja immediately set to work.

He lunged for her head, lunged to pull it on his lap, to touch her with blood slick fingertips, her normally rosy red lips pale, her skin even whiter than usual.

"Hurts," she whispered, as Madja set to work, barking orders.

"I know, I know, love," he whispered, touching her cheek with his fingertips as Madja got to work.

His eyes searched hers as he murmured those words over and over, as if he could somehow hold her in this world through sheer force of will alone.

"We haven't had enough time," he whispered desperately, leaning his forehead against hers.

She was slipping away. He could feel it. Feel her slipping, feel her heartbeat slow. Feel the thread that tethered her to this world fray, fray, fray...

No. He couldn't lose her. Would not let her leave him. He had waited far too long for her. Far, far too long to let her slip through his fingers.

"Stay with me," he pleaded. "Please stay with me."

But her eyes were slipping shut, her head lolling to the side. He gently patted her cheek, trying to urge her back to consciousness, but he didn't think he was even really aware of what he was doing, where he was. The world had boiled down to a desperate litany, in his head. Stay...stay...please...don't you dare...

“I am going to be so furious with you if you die. We may have our first fight,” he told her fiercely.

He needed her to know that he would be there to be furious with her if she dared to die, that she couldn't die. Couldn't. That she had to stay. Had to keep fighting. There were too many things ahead of them...a wedding to plan, children to have, years and years of life to live.

“Az,” she breathed his name, her eyes not even open anymore.

“Open your eyes, Irena,” he demanded. “Look at me, love,”

Her eyes finally fluttered open at his command. It was barely more than a slither of brown, but he latched onto it, taking it for what it was. A chance. A moment to get through to her.

He wasn't sure what he was saying, but the words spilled forth from him, a litany, a desperate prayer. "Please," he breathed, "don't go...don't you dare..."

He was dimly aware that the others had gathered, but he didn't dare look away. Didn't dare look away from her as he cradled her head, trying to pour all of his prayers into those words. All of his hope and desperation.

"You can't go." A statement. An order. An absolute certainty in his voice. "I will not let you go."

He wouldn't. Would never, ever let her go. Would drag her back from the Cauldron's grasp with bloodied and broken hands if thats what had to be.

She didn't speak. Didn't need to. He could read her answer in her eyes, the determination in those brown eyes as she tried so, so hard to stay.

It was as if she were holding on for him, because he had asked her to. Because it was him there with her. Like she would fight until her last breath because he told her too. He didn't deserve this beautiful creature, who was willing to fight for him, willing to live for him.

It was something primal, something desperate, something fierce as he whispered those words over and over, like a prayer. "Fight. Fight. Fight."

And she listened. She did. He could feel her hold on, just barely grasp hold of that tether that kept her in this world. Just barely keep her eyes open.

Just look at him.

And she did, those dark eyes unfocused but open, staring up at him, watching him. Trying so, so hard. It nearly made his heart stop in the most terrible way that she was struggling for him.

And he was so proud of her. Of the way she was fighting like she was. Of the way she was grasping, hanging on to life like she was.

The seconds stretched too thin, feeling like eternities and only the slightest of moments. But her eyes were open, if only barely. She hadn't given up. Hadn't let go.

He was dimly aware of the others, Gwyn hovering with a worried expression, Madja murmuring quiet instructions to the others, Rhys kneeling not far away. But he barely glanced at them, barely dared to take his eyes off Irena.

He was certain that if he looked away, if he let this tenuous thread sever, that she would die. That as long as he kept her here, she wouldn't slip, wouldn't let go.

He had one hand on her cheek, her skin still clammy and pale, as her eyes slipped open and shut. But everytime, they would find his face. His eyes, like he was the only thing tethering her to the world. It hurt. Hurt so much to see her barely holding on, only that last sliver of determination keeping her here.

"Please," he pleaded, whispering those words like a prayer, like he would be praying to a vengeful god. Those moments felt like eternities, stretching on and on with only his desperate whispers. "Please..."

The world felt so still, so silent as if the world was holding its breath. Azriel's eyes locked on Irena, silently begging her, asking her to please, please...

Live, live live... he whispered those words over and over, a desperate plea to the Mother, the Cauldron, to anyone who would listen. To Irena, the only person in the entire world who truly mattered in that moment.

Her eyes were growing glassy, slipping closed only to jerk open again. Stay he demanded. Keep looking at me. Please.

She tried. Mother, she tried. Her eyes drifted to him, the smallest hint of life, of a spark there in those dark brown eyes.

He hardly dared to breathe, hardly dared to move. Afraid that any wrong move could tip her over the edge, could pull her into that chasm of non-existence that she was desperately clinging too.

He felt something pricking at his eyes, felt something in his chest cracking, breaking at the sheer intensity of emotions thrumming through him. It hurt. Hurt so much to see her like this, so pale, barely holding on, barely conscious...

“Alright,” Madja said quietly. “Good girl. You were so very brave.”

"Will...will she be alright?" He asked, voice hoarse.

He didn't let his eyes drift from Irena's face, her half lidded eyes staring at him. It filled him with such an intense pang of relief and fear at the same time. Relief, because she was alive...and fear, because they had been so close to losing her.

"She's not out of the woods yet," Madja warned. "But she'll make it. She lost a lot of blood. It will take some time to get her vitals stable again."

He felt like he could breathe for the first time. It was almost dizzying, the sheer, intense relief that flooded through him. Irena was here. Irena would live. It filled his veins with an almost drug like euphoria, that made him light headed, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

He barely managed to keep that feeling in, the pure euphoria from showing as he smoothed a strand of hair back from her face. "Thank you," he whispered, voice hoarse, eyes finally dragging away from Irena's face to look at Madja. "Just...thank you."

He looked back at Irena, taking in her face. Alive. Still alive. Still here with him, not gone. The tension seeped from his shoulders, a strange sort of exhaustion taking over. As if all the adrenaline that had fueled him, the fear, was slowly draining out of him like water.

“Merrill,” Irena whispered, her voice near silent.

Azriel felt his fingers brush her cheek, just the gentlest touch as he tried to keep it together. It had been too close. Too, too close. He couldn't stop the overwhelming feelings flowing through him of elation and fear as he looked down at her as he looked down at her, alive. Alive and breathing and whispering soft words. "Shhh," he whispered softly. "Save your strength. Don't strain yourself."

He looked up finding Cassians gaze who just shook his head. Merrill was dead.

Azriel couldn't quite process that information, not in that moment. His eyes were still drawn to Irena, still unable to take his eyes off of her for more than a moment. His fingers brushed her cheek again, just the faintest touch as he pressed a small kiss to her forehead. "Rest," he instructed softly. "I'll be right there.” He promised.

“Being here to her room,” Madja said quietly.

“My room,” he corrected.

The priestesses dormitory was locked from males. If he even tried to get in there it would’ve end well for him. And he wouldn’t leave her side.

“Your room?” Gwyn asked sharply.

“Gwyn,” Rhys said quietly.Azriel didn't even acknowledge Gwyn's words, didn't have the energy. All he could focus on was the way Irena's eyes had drifted shut, the steady rise and fall of her chest. She would be alright. She was going to be alright. She was alive. Right now, in that moment, thats all that mattered.

“Az, how long have the two of you…” Cassian asked hesitantly.

Azriel just shrugged, his hand resting on Irena's hair, smoothing back from her face. “Two years. She’s my mate,” he said flatly as he gathered her up. 

“Mate,” she rasped. “Mine.”

“Yours,” he agreed softly.

[frownyalfred]

Why is it so hard to find ppl that actually understand bruce? I am tired of either finding ppl that see him as an abuser or others that only love wfa version of him I am really tired of this like really I can't even join a Fandom without getting my favorite character not getting mischaracterized left and right 😔

I'm going to rant a little bit here, and I apologize in advance. This isn't really directed at you. But I'm kind of tired of this flavor of ask. I get it a lot -- half of these asks are praising me for having a "good" interpretation of canon, and the other half are blasting me for being too "fanon" and bending too much to fandom tropes in my posts and writing. And of course the nonstop WFA hatred in my inbox is tiring.

Be the change you want to see in the world. If you don't like what the fandom is doing to your blorbo, write him your way. But sitting at the edge of the playpen complaining about how someone else is playing with their toys isn't useful. And it's really getting annoying to me, as a content creator.

I'm also tired of the superiority some canon-adherents have over those who write/draw more fanon tropes. So many of you are SO bitter over the idea that fandom is "ruining" Bruce or your other Batfamily blorbo because how DARE they write your blorbo in that way that is so OOC. How DARE they! And yet, you sit on the sidelines and create bitchy tumblr posts about how those fandom participants are stupid, or ill-informed, or simply don't have the higher thinking ability to understand your blorbo like you do.

And yet. You don't write Bruce the way you "enjoy." You don't create content or share posts or promote those canon characteristics you so highly value. Instead, you write posts complaining about the others in this fandom and deride them for being stupid like adhering to canon strictly somehow makes you better than anyone else. You mock their acceptance of fanon tropes as canon as if there is required reading in this fandom, entirely dismissing the idea that the line between DC fanon/canon is confusing as hell on a good day, and ignoring that the natural progression of engaging in fandom is finding out -- sometimes on your own timeline -- what actually happened in canon. Especially when canon is so vast.

And guess what? At the end of the day, we are all on the fandom website(s). You're still reading fanfiction at the end of the day. Canon or fanon or some blend of the in-between, you are still a fan participating in fandom content in some way or another. And we are all equal in that respect.

We are all here to enjoy these characters. Fanfiction is a medium that allows us to further explore canon, yes, But it is also a way to explore the OOC, the what-if's, the out of character but fandom-fave ideas and tropes people want. The fact that OTHER people enjoy those things should never impact your enjoyment of fandom.

If you cannot handle someone else playing with the same toys as you, but playing with them in a way you don't like, you need to go back to preschool. And if someone won't give you your toy back, find another one. Write the story. Create the post. Build your own engagement from the ground up, finding likeminded people if you can. They are definitely on here.

But I get the impression that when people complain about fanon "ruining" fandom, what they're actually saying is "I'm upset that canon content isn't as popular as fanon content." And that, I can't help you with. We can't always change what other people love or want to engage with.

I'm sorry that this rant is blunt, but it's been simmering inside me for a while. I'm really tired of getting and deleting this ask 15 times a day. You will not find much sympathy on this blog for canon purism and the derision of fanon/fandom, and for that I apologize. But it's the truth.

I enjoy consuming content about both "fanon" and canon Bruce. I like the contrast and complexities. But I have seriously had to stop following a ton of blogs in the last year who don't create "canon" content anymore and instead spend their time complaining about other people in the fandom who are just enjoying themselves and creating their own content. It's incredibly disheartening and frustrating.

[prickly-paprikash]

Castlevania Nocturne really stepped up its game in the second season.

I had two major complaints for the premiere season of CN:

The pacing was erratic. From episode 2 onwards, it seems as if the story is obsessed with giving us nonstop climactic battles, at the cost of letting the characters and pacing breathe. I understand that a central theme of the first season was loss—not just loss of loved ones and the grief that comes with it, but simply losing at every turn. They make the Vampire Messiah feel more like an inevitability, and it works to some extent. But one thing that the original Castlevania series did well was how it handled the flow of conversation and combat.

Seasons 1-3 were all mostly slow, deliberate episodes centered on talking. Characters would simply converse. The very first scene of Castlevania literally embodies this.

Lisa and Dracula, having an organic yet expertly crafted conversation that feels sharp, poignant, and immediately tells us everything we need to know about these two characters. We get one Lisa scene, and then she dies and yet it hits so hard because of how one conversation was written.

Nocturne's first season, many times, felt more like a quip-fest. Castlevania's humor was dry and morbid, to better fit the sarcastic and dark tone of the series. When characters like Trevor or Sypha or even Isaac cracked a joke, it never felt out of place. They had a cold, callous sense to them. Like their humor was a coping mechanism for the dreary and bleak reality they lived in.

Richter on the other hand felt like a Phase IV MCU lead, being unbearably sarcastic and "witty". Watching Nocturne again, I struggled to like Richter in the first half but he really came into his own after he meets Juste.

In the second season, however, the pacing really knuckles down. It becomes deliberate. And when a fight scene happens pre-episode 7, it feels more like OG Castlevania again. It isn't being treated with extreme weight, but it feels more like a part of every day life for Belmonts and their peers. Whenever Trevor, Sypha and Alucard get into a scrap with Night creatures, it actually had a sense of levity to them. This was a job. An occupational hazard. A logical result of living in Wallachia. In Nocturne season 1, fights were treated with more weight than they should have, while character work felt secondary, barring someone like Annette.

Here, it really allows me to fall for these characters more. Being an OG Drolta stan was so rewarding this season. I really also liked Maria and Tera more here, with Tera becoming a vampire creating a really interesting dynamic between the two and pushing their characters into directions that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did.

Mizrak, Olrox, and Richter were sidelined a bit more here, but it makes sense. These three dominated the first season, so it made sense to shift the focus on others and let their characters grow and shine. But just because they didn't take up most of the spotlight doesn't mean their characters were ignored.

Mizrak and Olrox's romance was developed in more subtle ways this time, which I appreciated. The writers let the unspoken heat and budding romance speak for themselves here, and I really enjoyed Olrox's sadness and Mizrak's regret and grief here, though of course the best scene between them was at the end. The way the writers made that finale, weaving feelings of heartbreak, lust, love, and fear into that one sentence was so, so good. Mizrak's fear of death and torment. Olrox simply saying that the devil was easy to cheat.

Ugh. That's the good shit.

And Richter? They still let him be the dry, sarcastic quipster, but I appreciate the restraint here. He doesn't crack jokes as much. Instead, they really focus on his feelings with Annette, to the point that he feels more like the love interest rather than the MC for a good chunk of the season.

And I'm not complaining. I enjoyed the budding romance between them in the first season, but with the deliberate pacing here, the writers really sold me on this soft, chaste, tender love story. Richter and Annette feel like young adults falling for the first time and I really fucked with it.

I'll talk about Annette in a separate post, but sufficed to say, she was the best character of this season. Hands down.

My second complaint was Erzsebet Báthory. She felt so... she felt like she paled in comparison to the three other villains of the season.

Drolta was exquisite. She oozed charisma and charm, and she stole every single scene she was in. The animators loved her and I could tell. She had the most costume changes. She had the sharpest lines. She was gorgeous. And even her death felt euphoric because she got to introduce Alucard into the mix. Like, seriously, they used her perfectly in the first season and she was easily the best character by far.

Olrox? Sexy. Gay. Kill me. Him and Mizrak? Perfection. His voice was so smooth and seductive. His dialogue? Smartly written. Every scene he's in, he feels like he's always holding back something.

Rage. Pain. Lust. Desire. Grief. Hatred. Remorse. It is always there, an undercurrent of emotions so thick you could feel it in every scene they placed him in.

Abbott? Worthless. Pathetic. Hypocrite. I hated him every single time he was onscreen, and that was exactly what he needed to be. A counterrevolutionary bible thumper that would elicit powerful memories of unlikable relatives at a reunion. No notes. Perfectly utilized villain, and I fucking cheered when he got burnt to a crisp by his daughter.

But Báthory felt so underwhelming.

So either the writers knew this specific complaint from the fans, or more likely wrote her this way to purposefully hide the true final boss of the series.

Drolta.

See, Báthory doesn't hold a candle to any previous villains of the Castlevania story. Not as complex as Isaac. Not as iconic and important as Dracula. Not as enjoyable to both hate and love as Carmilla. Not as hilarious and memorable as Death. She was just there. I thought it was a waste, and that I wanted to see more of her shine in season 2.

So when the only bit of character work she got was her mourning Drolta and her small flashback, I was disappointed.

Make no mistake, she made a great physical threat. But that was it. She felt more like one of Death's elite guards from season 4 than her own true brand of evil.

Not as hate-worthy as the Abbott. Not as conflicted as Olrox. Not as charismatic as Drolta.

So imagine my surprise and subsequent glee as to when Drolta takes the power for herself. Killing her in the sky. That was perfect.

Drolta, who served Sekhmet. Who broke down at the loss of her goddess, her fellow priestesses, and the people she cared for. Who, blinded by grief, sought to resurrect her goddess by becoming a vampire herself and searching high and low for a worthy vessel.

Drolta became even more interesting. Thinking herself as only a follower, never seeking to gain the goddesses' power for herself. Becoming the first Vampire/Night Creature that gave Alucard, the son of Dracula himself who was leagues above Báthory before she became the goddess, quite a lot of trouble.

The way every villain was handled in this season was excellent. From Abbott's death, to Richter proclaiming his desire to avenge his mother to Olrox's face right after they worked together to beat Drolta, but still letting him go afterwards as thanks—I'm sorry, but that was some raw ass writing right there.

The only thing I have to complain about? Nothing from the writers or animators or directors. It's the production that I hate.

Streaming services fucked everything up. 8-10 episodes for every single show is such a dumb move, and making us wait 2-3 years for every single one of them is horrible.

On top of the fact that they will cancel something on a whim.

Nocturne would be unquestionably a masterpiece had it been allowed to have 24 fucking episodes each season. We could explore France more. See deeper into the revolutionary setting of the show. Really see the world of Castlevania, but no. And now there's still a threat of cancellation when animation has been carrying Netflix's worthless ass for years? Especially through the pandemic?

Watch Castlevania Nocturne. Support the studio. Show Netflix that this is where their energies and money should be going towards.

Their live actions, barring something like the big names of Stranger Things and Squid Game, have been flops. They fumbled the Witcher series. They killed Kaos. They ended Shadow and Bone. They fuck up every single time and it has been animation that has pulled through.

Arcane. Castlevania. Blue Eye Samurai. She-Ra.

Support this show, please. I would love to keep this series going, but it needs the attention it so rightfully deserves.

Please. I need to see Old Man Coyote. I need to see Tera go further into the darkness. I want to believe in the possible Maria x Alucard romance that was in the games that could be written really well here. I want to see more of these characters. I want to dive deeper into this world. But most importantly, I want every single person who worked on this show to keep having a job. To be able to do what they do best and get better at it.

This show is great. It deserves more seasons. More sequel series to explore other Belmonts. Other countries. More sexy vampires. More sexy hunters.

Support animation.

[maximumqueer]

Luffy not wanting to be viewed as a hero is actually so important to me. Because while the first reasoning we get for this is him not wanting to share his food

We also learn later on that Luffy also doesn't want to be viewed as a savior, nor does he ever want to present himself as such. He doesn't want to be placed on a pedestal or (ironically) be deified by the people he helps.

At the end of Fishman island, he was fully ready to leave without fanfare because he did not want to be treated by the people in that way, and only agrees to stay because he is promised food. The same thing happens at the end of Wano, where he refuses to take any credit for the downfall of Kaido and instead simply enjoys the festival with everyone else.

I cannot overstate how much I love this decision for Luffy as a character. It is incredibly common for stories like Fishman Island and Wano to have the main character swoop in and save the oppressed people, with said character being to sole person to rally them and "teach" them how to fight back. We don't get that with Luffy.

In Fishman Island, he tells the people that its up to them to decide whether or not he is their friend or foe instead of swooping in playing the role of the hero. In Wano, he understands to importance of who begins the fight with Kaido, and stands back to let the Red Scabbards (Wano natives) get the first major hit on Kaido

Even in the prison when Luffy gives his speech, he is asking the people to let him help, to have faith that they and their country can be free again, to fight for the freedom that had been cruelly stripped away from them. And even then, it is Momo and members of the Red Scabbards that fully restore the Udon prisoners faith.

Hell, we even see this all the way back in Arlong Park, where Luffy waits to take action until Nami asks him for help. He doesn't come in guns blazing and save her like some sort of white knight, but instead waits for Nami's go ahead, placing the power in her hand.

It's just such a refreshing way of seeing a protagonist in this type of story be portrayed. To have him understand the importance of the people he fight's side by side with, and not place himself as the fixer of all problems, but rather as an aid to these people (often times an aid that they explicitly asked for). It actively rejects the white savior/white knight trope(s) and allows for the people native to the island to have agency in these large battles instead of being sidelined. It is their lives and stories that are centered as being the most important in these moments, and Luffy is simply there to help them.

[helaegoncore]

Making Helaena a dreamer was never intended by the showrunners as a way to develop her personality, adding a new, interesting trait to her. Instead, they reduced and are reducing her only to this; and in the meantime they gave some of her book traits (her bond with her dragon, her being a great mother, her being loved by the small-folk, her wanting to avoid war and find a diplomatic solution at the beginning, Dany's dragons coming from Dreamfyre's eggs) to Rhaenyra. And there's a precise choice behind this.

Knowing the showrunners, I think they did that in order to diminish furthermore the Greens. In fact, having Helaena, Aegon's queen, the queen of the Greens, with her own coronation, sitting on the Small Council as a respected and listened to voice, actually advising her husband, like in F&B, would have led more viewers to the Greens' side. Maybe they would have also preferred Helaena to Rhaenyra. So they tried to ruin Aegon and his claim furthermore, by weakining his relationship with his wife. And by not giving any actual female character standing for the Greens, because Helaena has no agency and Alicent is now pro-Rhaenyra and a traitor.

In other words: in order to make a female character (Rhaenyra) likeable, they sidelined another (Helaena, and not only her). So I'm very happy that Martin kinda called that out via his blog post mentioning Helaena, the fact she was loved and her others characteristics.

[mikashisus]

PARTNERS IN CRIME!

SYNOPSIS: soul eater au with genshin characters part one!!

PAIRING: kinich, venti, yelan, nilou x gn!reader

warnings: slight angst, mentions of death

notes: yall one of my irls finally got me to watch soul eater and it gave me so many ideas. i literally started the show back in june but i got so busy that i just.. never continued watching it.. 😭 until my friend invited me over to watch some episodes LMAO. there’ll be a part two to this cause i have more ideas with more characters teehee. anyw enjoy!!

KINICH

• the two of you became partners on a whim. your last partner had been tragically killed in battle and you were in the market for a new one. though, you were pretty standoffish towards everyone because you were grieving

• kinich was also looking for a partner around the same time and happened upon you after a meeting with lord death. you looked pretty worse for wear and he offered his shoulder for you to cry on. without thinking, he offered to be your new partner, and you agreed

• training together for the first time was a shit show, and your best friend, mualani, sat there laughing her ass off the entire time. you kept yelling at her to go find her meister and leave you and kinich alone so you could focus

• you had even more trouble adapting because kinich’s weapon form was a greatsword and your last weapon had been a gun. it was a huge change that required you to workout and build up muscle in order to properly wield him

• after a month or so, the two of you were able to finally build up your teamwork and trust. you spent a lot of time together in and out of classes to get to know each other better and form a bond. you easily formed an attachment to him, but he was a bit more reluctant due to his introverted personality

• you were shocked at how close you became in such a short period of time. before you knew it, you were taking on missions again and working on your soul resonance

• due to losing your last partner, you now had an irrational fear of losing kinich, which caused a lot of problems in battle. instead of letting him do his duty and protect his meister, you put yourself between him and the enemy and sacrificed your life to protect him. this habit eventually caused a huge fight between the two of you, with kinich sputtering out a confession

• shocked, you were left to mull over everything until you couldn’t take being away from him any longer and went to apologize. he also apologized for raising his voice, and you had a heart to heart talk that left a confession of your own slipping out

• you asked if he could forgive you, and he said he would, but only if you stopped taking the heat and let him actually do his job. reluctantly, you did, because you couldn’t say no to him when you loved him so much

VENTI

• the two of you had been long time partners, or “partners in crime” as he liked to call it. you were childhood friends turned lovers. he was your loyal weapon, and to him, you were his trusted meister

• you got on like oil and water, but you also couldn’t be more similar. opposites attract, after all. everyone always told you that you two were the most compatible weapon and meister ever. also the strongest… literal power couple

• you were able to collect 99 souls and a witch soul in no time together. together, your strength rivaled gods. venti himself was on par with a god, even if his weapon form was only that of a musical instrument

• on weekends, you spent your time training and venti would watch you from the sidelines, simply admiring you. you’d tell him to join you, which would always result in him asking for kisses in return if he did. every time, you’d say yes, because you just couldn’t say no

• whenever someone asked how you two got together, venti would come up with something different on the spot. once, he said that he was majorly attracted to you while watching you fight with another weapon in battle, and afterwards, went up to you asking to be your weapon instead and you dramatically threw away your last partner to become partners with him

• another time, he said that he dropped his uncle’s glass of wine on you while he was drunk and you ended up taking care of him for the night, which led to him professing his undying love for you. safe to say, no one actually knows the true story

• the true story of how you two got together was actually a bit more tragic. he sacrificed himself for you when you were teenagers. during your battle to collect a witch's soul, venti heroically threw himself in front of you to protect you and he was almost killed. in a fit of rage, you completely obliterated the witch and rushed over to your injured best friend. he played the situation off by making a few jokes, though they did nothing to stop your crying. thinking he was going to die, he confessed to you before you fed him the witch’s soul

• when he came to and was all healed up, you returned his sentiments. from then on, your bond grew stronger and served as an example for younger generations

YELAN

• being yelan’s weapon was rough work. you complained that she overworked you during training and you always seemed to have a quip ready on your tongue during battle

• never a dull moment between the two of you, as you were always the reckless type, and she tried her best to reel you in. after years of working together, your bond was exceptionally strong

• she teaches at DWMA, you think it’s hot

• you have an odd job outside of being a weapon. you work part-time as a tailor’s assistant

• you like to make dresses for her and she absolutely adores them, though she never admits it because she hates (not really) seeing that smug look on your face. it’s okay though, she’ll get you back by kissing you and laugh at your stunned expression

• you spend more time arguing with her than actually helping her fight enemies. she hates it, as she just likes to get things over and done with— especially since she’s an assassin

• your personalities are wildly different, but it makes you two all the more compatible

• at the end of the day, you make a great team and you have a bond that could never be severed. you’d sacrifice your life for her no matter what, even though you had full faith and trust in her that she could handle herself

NILOU

• she was more on the timid side than you. when you first met, your explosive personality made her a bit scared of you. it took a bit of time for her to warm up to you and gain the courage to actually say something

• you were the one who took the first step and approached her first. when you did, you accidentally scared her off, which caused you to sulk for a while. you just thought she was pretty and wanted to say so..

• after talking with her friends, dehya and dunyarzad, she went on a mission to find you and apologize for the way she acted. when she did find you, you were overlooking the city and sat in complete silence. she didn’t want to interrupt, but you already knew she was there

• she apologized profusely (after gaining the courage to sit down beside you) and the two of you talked for a long while. right before she was about to go home, she told you she was looking for a partner and would love for you to be hers. that was what set everything in motion, and you pledged to protect her as best you could

• she was tough for someone who looked very shy. she moved with a grace and elegance that entranced you, and you found yourself wanting to learn how to dance as well as she could. she immediately offered to teach you, and most of the time you spent bonding together was through dance lessons

• in turn, you taught her how to wield a sword better. the close proximity was a bit of a distraction for you both (in both dancing and sword training). soon, you found yourself wishing to be by her side like that forever

notes: shoutout to the stellaronhvnters disc for suggesting the last two characters. baizhu was also suggested, but he gives me the ick, so i didn’t include him LOL 😭 i have a discord server! it’s nice and cozy there, feel free to join! <3

© 2024 mikashisus. do not plagiarize, copy, repost, feed to ai, or translate my works to any other platforms.

[gods-perfect-idiots]

Okay bear with me folks, I have some ~thoughts~ about the Vanessa/Wade relationship (or frankly lack thereof) in Deadpool & Wolverine. I should start by saying that I am analyzing this with the (likely erroneous) assumption that everything on screen is 100% intentional and mindfully written to deepen the characters and inform their arcs. For the record, I don't necessarily believe that's true - there is certainly room for mistakes, lazy writing, confusing plot elements, or in this case, sidelining a potentially strong and important character for nebulous reasons (I'm guessing scheduling conflicts + run time concerns + actor's strike complications but idk for sure). (Also thanks to @gossippool and @kendyroy for encouraging me to post my thoughts instead of just rambling in the tags in the first place, y'all are the realest)

Long rambly post below the cut fyi

Now, granted, it has been a while since I watched the original Deadpool so I am not as well-versed in their early relationship as I am in the handful of scenes Morena Baccarin has in dp3, but I do think it is pretty canon that Wade generally struggles to express his deeper worries and feelings (without filtering it heavily through crude humor, sex, and pop culture references of course), especially after the events of dp1 and the physical and mental damage he sustains, and Vanessa is frankly no exception despite how much he cares for her. The entire first movie hinges on the fact that he doesn't really believe she could love him in his post-Francis mangled state, which is pretty contrived imo given that the film has established already how bonded they are, and she doesn't strike me as being written to be so shallow as to reject him based on a physical deformity. I mean iirc she wanted to stick around through chemo despite him being literally riddled with inoperable cancer, so she clearly is in it for the long haul (at least in dp1), messiness and all.

Now, in dp2, obviously she is shot and killed early in the film, and Wade spends much of the rest of the film wallowing in his very profound grief, trauma, and guilt over losing her due directly to his violent lifestyle. He goes to prison, he basically gives up on life and seems very resigned to dying once he has the power suppressant collar on, even excited to do so so he can be reunited with her. She is mostly sidelined as a Fuzzy Dead Wife trope basically, but the important thing here is that he spends weeks if not months in the throes of despair over losing the love of his life just as they were trying to start a family, and trying to reach across the boundaries of death to be with her.

Now, my first couple times watching dp3 I was frustrated by the trite narrative presented in the interview scene towards the beginning - specifically Wade's whole "my girl is getting tired of my shtick and I need to show her I matter". It felt contrived and disingenuous, and I just brushed it off as iffy writing, a means to an end, but the more I reflect upon it the more I think it is based in an emotional reality that is just handled with a very light touch by the film in favor of fanservice and Poolverine content (NOT that I'm complaining in the slightest - I think this movie is a masterpiece in many ways, albeit a flawed one but that's beside the point here), which for the record I am not against because I think it lends it an air of realism. This is Wade's story after all, Vanessa is a part of it but it is ultimately about him and his journey.

Basically, I think the combination of what happened to him in dp1 (the brain damage, the trauma, the awareness of the fourth wall, etc) followed by the events of dp2 (Vanessa's death, his grief and the associated guilt and trauma of being the direct cause of her death) led to an unbridgeable emotional gap between the two of them that ultimately leads to their breakup.

It's important to note that I don't think Vanessa has any recollection of her own death, given that Wade goes back and saves her before she can take the bullet, and so of course she can never fully fathom what Wade went through grieving her and their life together and their potential family, for however long he spent between her death and bringing her back with Cable's device. She can try (and she clearly does in the one scene I'll talk about next) but I fear she accepts, maybe even in that scene, that she can never succeed. He is beyond her reach by this point, and vice versa, his experiences having fundamentally changed him.

The one scene we really see from their relationship between dp2 and dp3 is the one where Cassandra mind-gropes Wade in the Void and we see Vanessa struggling to reach Wade across this aforementioned gap - she wants him to open up, she wants him to share what he's going through, she wants him to be the person she initially fell in love with (not even selfishly - to her nothing has changed really, because to her no time has passed). But not only does he not understand what she's really asking for but he responds in such a way that makes me think he has unprocessed issues that are only tangentially related to what she's saying - ie the stuff about mattering, about asking her if she even wants to be with him, etc. And he's not the Wade Wilson she met back in dp1 anymore. He watched her die and grieved her and brought her back, believing it would make everything go back to normal and they could resume their life together as if nothing had changed, but he has been fundamentally changed in a way that she can't grasp, even if he WAS good at externally processing his trauma openly without the artifice of wry jokes. She didn't "come back wrong" - instead, she came back exactly the same as before, but HE'S different now. Not wrong, per se. But changed.

It's an interesting scene because it's obviously a memory, and a crucial one at that, but you can see how Wade is misunderstanding what she's saying, viewing it through the prism of his own lack of self-worth and his own hopelessness - he takes away that she thinks he doesn't matter (even though like he says she didn't actually say that, but I don't think Cassandra invented that wholecloth - I think she pulled it out of his psyche because that's what he believes deep down, hence why his fixation on mattering even though she never said those words exactly), he takes away that she doesn't want to be with him, that she thinks he's nothing. Which would be frustrating as an audience member to witness as a pretty simple misunderstanding which could potentially be solved with one conversation, but it feels believable to me that these two people who have shared a great love would be fundamentally separated by unimaginable, cosmic trauma, and the on conversation they would need to have to rectify the misunderstanding is one that is impossible for Wade to verbalize and equally impossible for Vanessa to conceive of. It was one thing when they had shared trauma like violence and SA in dp1, but what Wade has gone through in dp1 and dp2, humor aside, is unfathomably traumatic, brain-breakingly so even, and that's not even factoring in the possible mental illnesses he now struggles with (I've seen folks suggest schizophrenia, DID, depression, etc. but I won't get into armchair diagnosing a fictional character here - suffice it to say he is canonically unwell as a result of what has happened to him, and yes it manifests as quirky fourth wall breaks and cheeky one-liners, but within the universe of the movies he is undeniably profoundly mentally ill, and that includes this humorous alter ego he created to cope with his trauma).

I think off-screen Vanessa probably really tried to reach him, maybe for years (the six year gap implies to me that they didn't break up immediately, that they tried for a while to stay together), trying to get her Wade back, but that Wade is gone. He struggled to express that to her until eventually he started to feel rejected because he couldn't express his trauma or how much he has changed, because even he can't fully conceive of the gulf that has formed between them. The truth is, he WANTS to be that Wade again, for her and for himself, but that Wade died when she died. Or maybe he had already started dying when Francis got a hold of him in dp1.

Anyway, all this is to say, I think Morena Baccarin WAS criminally underutilized in dp2 and dp3, but I think there is a strong argument to be made for the believability of their breakup regardless. I think even relationships built on enormous love can crumble due to trauma, and what Wade suffers over these movies is mind-bogglingly enormous trauma. It's especially heartbreaking that he blames himself for their relationship ending, talks like she just got tired of him, thought he didn't matter, whatever. But it is a credit to him that he never seems to feel anger towards her about it. He doesn't seem to feel entitled to her, though he longs for her and what they had and what she represented (hope, love, a future, a family), but ultimately she becomes more of a symbol of what he lost when he gained his powers, because let's be super fr right now - even if they had succeeded in having a baby, not only would they have lived in fear of her or the kid getting killed, but ultimately Wade would likely outlive both of them even if they managed to die natural deaths. The moment he gained his powers he was already destined to lose her, which is heartbreaking because she was the only reason he opted for the treatment in the first place - so he could stay with her.

I think a big part of Deadpool & Wolverine is watching Wade continue to process his own motivations (vis-a-vis Vanessa but also his other friends) and how he does eventually let go of the idea of "mattering" in favor of just saving the people he cares about (*cough* and being saved right back *cough* by Wolvie, as the final line and shot implies). And in the process he finds someone new who cares about him, who thinks he matters, who tries to sacrifice himself for him and his friends after mere days of knowing him, who comes home with him at the end of the story, who breaks his own centuries-old patterns, who has also experienced unimaginable grief and trauma, who has struggled with wanting to die and being unable to, who not only matches his crazy but matches his FREAK and also not only won't die on him but CAN'T die on him - and more importantly cannot be randomly killed by a stray bullet.

Idk if any of this makes much sense but I do think if you read between the lines and consider the potency of trauma and grief, guilt and emotional damage at play here, Vanessa and Wade's off-screen breakup is actually pretty realistic, and really heart-breaking to boot.

You can tell she still cares about him in so many ways - she shows up for his birthday party, she shows up to his welcome home party at the end, she finds excuses for physical contact multiple times, her eyes get soft when she looks at him, but there is a distance there that Morena Baccarin does an incredible job of portraying. She cares about him deeply, she has mourned the loss of their potential life together, she has let him go and accepted that the Wade she fell in love with is gone, but she wants him in her life even though she's moving on because she realizes he's gone somewhere she can't follow (literally and figuratively). And she wants him to be happy which is why I fully believe she would immediately clock the Poolverine of it all and not-so-subtly encourage them to make it official.

Anyway. Poolverine forever. Nothing against Vanessa at all - I think she delivers a nuanced and beautiful performance, I think their relationship is sweet and heart-wrenching in large part due to her acting chops, especially given how little she is given to work with - but I think their relationship was sadly doomed from almost the very start, because Wade becomes this traumatized superhuman and Vanessa would always be at risk in his orbit, but also would always on the outside of his multiverse superhero experiences. I think it's weirdly beautiful, even if I am filling in a lot of gaps and giving the writers maybe undue credit.

Anyway... thoughts? Please DM me or write in the tags, I am feral about this movie and just want to talk about it with anyone haha. If you have further insight into these characters too I'd love to hear it - I am by no means an expert in these movies or characters!

[screamofdespair]

Heiji Hattori as a Symbol of Creative Paralysis in the Detective Conan Franchise

For over two decades, fans of Detective Conan have watched Heiji Hattori grow from a charismatic rival to one of the series most beloved characters. And yet, even after more than 1000 episodes/chapters and 28 movies, Heiji remains treated as a side character, a "special guest" brought in occasionally to keep things going, but never fully integrated into the narrative core. This long-standing neglect is not just a missed narrative opportunity, it is a symptom of a deeper issue : the systematic creative paralysis caused by corporate control and capitalistic logic within the anime industry.

Heiji's Narrative & Wasted Potential

Heiji Hattori was introduced as a bold and brilliant counterpart to Shinichi Kudo, the perfect rival, partner, and narrative foil. He had all the potential to become a co-protagonist : two detectives in different regions solving cases in parallel, crossing paths, exchanging ideas, and deepening the world-building of the series. His charisma, his dynamic with Conan, his investigative style, everything was in place. Fans expected growth. Instead, Heiji became a glorified guest star. One or two episodes/chapters per year. No central role, no major investigations, no real evolution, nothing 'meaningful' since the end of his actual guest star phase, and all of it framed under the banner of a character written mainly to serve a forced romantic purpose. It’s gotten to the point where even the voice actors were tired. Despite the potential, he's used like a collectible taken off the shelf for an event, then put back into storage. They had a second ace detective in their hands and chose to keep him in the background, often by undermining his defining traits, reframing him as comic relief rather than allowing him to grow as a central figure. Takahiro Okura, the scriptwriter for some of the Detective Conan movies, stated that Heiji and Kazuha should be integrated into the main cast. Their absence, he implied, weakens the possibilities for deeper world-building. And ironically, now that the romantic subplot between Heiji and Kazuha has finally been resolved, their presence in the story risks shrinking even further if you ask me. Gosho and the writers might face a "what do we do with them now?" dilemma, instead of expanding their role meaningfully. From now on, Heiji could, alone, really take the spotlight, with Kazuha kept in the background or left out, out of fear that the story might move too fast and exhaust their new narrative potential too soon. And honestly? Why not. But that’s exactly the issue, it’s narrative cowardice. Having Heiji show up in more cases from now on, on his own, only proves they could’ve done it way earlier, and more naturally.

Corporate Logic Over Character Development

Heiji’s sidelining isn’t a creative accident. It’s a structural decision. The anime production committee composed of Yomiuri TV, TMS Entertainment, TOHO, Shogakukan etc, operates under a system where storytelling is subservient to profit optimization. Every narrative change is weighed not for artistic merit, but for its impact on merchandising, ratings, and continuity. Allowing Heiji to evolve into a regular would mean more writing, more arcs, and the risk of narrative progression. But that goes against the system’s core priority : endless repetition. This gives the anime/movies (especially the movies), and by extension the committee, a real influence over the manga’s pace, tone, and long-term direction. Aoyama may hold the pen, but the committee holds the cage. Lately, even some of Aoyama’s editors, under possible pressure, have either changed their stance or started aligning with the corporate mindset behind the series. This is not creativity, this is content management. And when your movies are making over ¥15 billion annually, why bother investing in a character like Heiji? Why develop new narrative structures, when you can keep him shelved as a “special guest” card. If you resolve arcs or elevate side characters, you bring the story closer to its natural ending and shortening a profitable franchise’s lifespan is commercially unacceptable. Even worse : while it would be entirely possible to use Heiji in non-canon filler episodes, giving the spotlight to his character without touching the core narrative, the producers still refuse to do it. Not because it would be difficult, but because it contradicts their conservative, product-oriented philosophy. They could plan episodes in advance, hire talented guest directors, build something fresh around Heiji but they won't. Because in this philosophy, innovation is not a priority. Stability is. What’s even more funny is that this could actually make people want to get back into the anime, and it would probably work really well. You’d get a bit of everything : a break from the usual artistic routine, different scriptwriters/directors/animators than usual, like i said earlier. A good example of that is the mini-series of Eri’s Courtroom. By limiting Heiji’s appearances through quotas, they’ve turned him from a character into a controlled asset, something to be managed, not developed.

The Endless Loop : Why the Story Can’t Move Forward & Its Creative Limitations

Detective Conan isn’t built to evolve. It’s built to circulate. The anime and movies generate billions of yen annually. Shogakukan, a major player in the Japanese publishing industry, has a clear economic interest in maintaining Conan as a permanent fixture, not as an evolving story, but as a cultural product. This isn’t just a franchise. It’s a dependency. The series fuels manga sales, spin-offs, licensing deals, and annual blockbuster films. The spin-offs, ironically, show how low the creative bar has fallen : despite fresh angles (Zero's Tea Time, Hannin no Hanzawa), they are underfunded and underanimated. The production circle is tightly controlled, with a limited pool of animators and almost no injection of new artistic energy. There’s no new blood injected in, just veterans like Yasuichiro Yamamoto (the series director), who have been carrying the weight of Detective Conan’s production since the very beginning. Animation Producers like Keiichi Ishiyama admitted in interviews that the system is so rigid that missing a single delivery deadline can jeopardize the entire production and push the studio to the brink of collapse. Another issue is the lack of creative freedom for the movie directors : even when someone tries to bring something fresh, like the director of Movie 27, Chika Nagaoka, who wanted to portray Heiji in a more mature way in the movie, the idea was swiftly overridden by Gosho Aoyama himself. Not necessarily because he disagreed, but because the philosophy demands consistency over innovation. That said, some animation producers, distinct from the executive producers or committee stakeholders, of course, do try to bring in talented animators, scout the competitive freelance market, and elevate the quality of key sequences. Without them, Detective Conan would be visually dead. These individuals still fight to inject life into a tightly controlled environment. But they operate under a passive restriction : the 'best' animators rarely want to work on a project so artistically suffocating (the shift to digital in Gosho’s drawings, or the gradual redesign of the anime’s character models = creative limitation, which became increasingly bound by consistency over experimentation). There’s almost no space for personal style. Even when talented directors are hired, like the director of Movie 22, Yuzuru Tachikawa (formerly of Mob Psycho 100) or Movie 25, Mitsunaka Susumu (from Haikyuu!!), their unique directorial style is barely visible. The films are cleanly produced, but the soul of the director is absent. Anyone can direct a Detective Conan movie. The role has become factory work, everything is controlled from start to finish, and the director no longer has access to any real source of creative input. The brand overrides the artist. Popularity of the manga > More money to be made > More content to be produced > Tighter deadlines and overworked studios (Gosho inclued) > Drop in quality but the money keeps coming in > A system of ultra-comfort settles in, no risk, no urgency to evolve > A never-ending cycle.

Capitalism Embedded in the Narrative

This is what i mean when i say capitalism over storytelling. Characters like Heiji are not written, they are managed. Narrative arcs are not planned, they are rationed. The goal is not to tell a story but to preserve a revenue stream. Even the script decisions are shaped by what’s safest for the committee. In contrast, look at Toei’s handling of One Piece. Despite being a massive commercial franchise, it invests in high-caliber animators, embraces experimental visuals and respects the momentum of the source material. It doesn’t just protect the brand, it elevates it. Conan does the opposite : it freezes its own world out of fear.

A Point of No Return?

Is it too late for Conan to change? Realistically, yes. The franchise has become a full-loop economy. The story can’t end, but it can’t move forward drastically either. Heiji Hattori, a character who should have been a second protagonist, remains trapped in guest status, even as his storylines are technically resolved. The worst part? That resolution doesn’t open up new narrative space. It shuts it down. The couple is canon now. It's great, but It’s hard to expect anything surprising going forward. I keep a sliver of hope, but honestly, it feels unlikely.

So yeah, Heiji Hattori is more than a sidelined character. He’s the symbol of everything the franchise could have become, and refused to. In trying to protect the illusion of a never-ending world, Detective Conan has built a prison for itself. Not out of lack of love. But out of fear of loss. The fear of losing control over a profitable system, fear of disrupting a carefully maintained commercial balance, fear of ending the formula that guarantees returns.

[yuukskillsworld]

ahhhhhhh omgggg i am obsessed with your writing brooo

can u do like a fic or headcanons of the love intrests x a self destructive readerr ^^ (i am a sucker for angst what can i say)

hope your having day or nighttt

“Wreck Me Softly” – Killer Chat LIs x Self-Destructive Reader Headcanons

Hey, sweetheart—thanks for the request! If you’re here for a little pain wrapped in obsession, you’re in the right place. These killers see your cracks and still want more.

Hope you enjoy every second of the spiral. <3

written by yuukskillsworld<3

WARNINGS: Heavy emotional themes: self-destructive behavior, intrusive thoughts, low self-worth, comfort after emotional distress, protective/possessive behavior in some characters, mild language and intensity, hurt/comfort dynamics, please take care while reading. If you're struggling, you deserve real-world support too—fiction is comfort, but your well-being matters more.

Ronin Beaufort

⁠♡ Immediate Recognition: Ronin sees through the facade instantly. You can joke, smile, or pretend—but he notices the tremble in your hands when no one else is watching. He's lived that kind of quiet pain and never overlooks it.

♡ Silent Vigilance: He doesn’t confront you right away. Instead, he watches from the sidelines, eyes sharp with concern. “You gonna tell me what’s eatin’ at you, or do I gotta dig it out myself?”

♡ Protective Fury: When your pain becomes undeniable, Ronin gets angry—but not at you. It’s a raw, helpless rage aimed at the world that’s hurting you. “You matter more than you act like, darlin’. Start believin’ it—or I’ll make you.”

♡ Subtle Care: He shows love through action, not words. Drapes his coat over your shoulders, hands you water without a word, or simply sits beside you, thigh to thigh. His presence is constant, grounding.

♡ Internal Spiral: When you fall apart, so does he—quietly, inwardly. He blames himself, wonders if he’s too damaged to help. His greatest fear is losing you the way he’s lost others.

♡ Fear in Disguise: If you take a reckless risk, his reaction is sharp. Loud. Scared. “You think this world wouldn’t end if I lost you? ‘Cause I promise you—it would.”

♡ Soothing Aftermath: But after the storm, he softens. Always. He holds you close, forehead against yours. “You don’t have to be okay. Just… stay. Let me help you carry it.”

♡ Unconditional Commitment: He doesn’t want to fix you—just wants you here, alive, with him. If it takes holding your broken pieces together every night until they start healing, then that’s exactly what he’ll do.

Maria de la Rosa (Angel)

���♡ Immediate Recognition: Angel quickly notices the signs of your self-destructive behavior. Her intuition and experience make her sensitive to subtle changes in your demeanor.

⁠♡ Protective Instincts: She becomes fiercely protective, often going out of her way to shield you from harm, even if it means confronting others or taking drastic measures.

⁠♡ Emotional Support: Angel offers a listening ear and comforting presence. She encourages open communication, assuring you that you're not alone in your struggles.

⁠♡ Acts of Service: She expresses love through actions—preparing your favorite meals, organizing relaxing activities, or simply being there when you need her.

⁠♡ Encouraging Self-Care: Angel gently nudges you towards healthier habits, reminding you of your worth and the importance of self-care.

Misaki Katsuo

⁠♡ Shared Vulnerability: Misaki relates to your struggles, having faced their own challenges. This shared understanding fosters a deep connection between you two.

⁠♡ Humor as a Coping Mechanism: They often use humor to lighten heavy moments, helping you find moments of joy amidst the darkness.

⁠♡ Open Conversations: Misaki encourages honest discussions about feelings, creating a safe space for you to express yourself without judgment.

⁠♡ Consistent Presence: They make it a point to check in regularly, ensuring you feel supported and valued.

⁠♡ Encouraging Professional Help: Understanding their own limitations, Misaki gently suggests seeking professional support, emphasizing that it's a sign of strength, not weakness.

Valentin Viljoen(V)

⁠♡ Observant and Insightful: V notices patterns in your behavior, often identifying triggers and offering strategies to cope with them.

⁠♡ Structured Support: He helps establish routines that promote stability, such as regular meals, sleep schedules, and mindfulness practices.

⁠♡ Calm Reassurance: V provides a steady presence, offering comfort through calm and measured responses during your low moments.

⁠♡ Encouragement of Autonomy: While supportive, he respects your independence, encouraging you to take active steps in your healing journey.

⁠♡ Resourceful Assistance: V researches and shares resources, such as therapy options or support groups, tailoring suggestions to your preferences and needs.

Thanks again for the love—means more than you know. Glad you’re enjoying my writing... and trust me, the killers are enjoying you even more. If you want I can make you a fic for each of them.

Sorry if I didn't do the characters description more cuz I only played the Angel and Ronin route for now. Thank you for for understanding (⁠´⁠∩⁠｡⁠•⁠ ⁠ᵕ⁠ ⁠•⁠｡⁠∩⁠`⁠)

Come back soon, darling. <3

Credits:

-> dividers: @saradika-graphics @dollywons @uzmacchiato @thecutestgrotto

-> photos: Pinterest