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masqueradeball · 3 years

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How about number 3? Like, tell us all about it if you want :)

Oh my gosh 🥺 thank you so much for giving me my first ask! 💖 I'm eternally grateful I get to spill all my pheels out.

3. What is my favorite Phantom tv/film adaptation?

My absolute favorite Phantom is the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film. He just embodies everything that I like about Gaston Leroux's Erik for me and he is both horrifying and pitiable. I dislike the ending but I can live with it given it's what test audiences wanted at the time. I truly love his Red Death costume. You can find it on Youtube and the Tubi app for free.

My first runner up would be Claude Raines in the 1943 because his Erique so soft and tragic in that film I cannot help but love him. This was one was my grandma's favorite 'classic monster' movies that she loved, so I have a special place in my heart for this one. I love his hair and appreciate that he was one fine silver fox before the revenge and jealousy issues set in. The opera parts are a little boring, but the costumes and the sassy diva rival to Christine are worth the watch. We get 2 handsome Raouls who end up going to dinner together at the end of the movie and a Christine who gets to bask in the limelight of her career while not choosing any suitor, which is the best possible outcome for her. Double play for the win in my book! You can watch it for free on the Peacock app.

My next runner up is a 3 way tie between Robert Englund, Gerard Butler, and Charles Dance.

I honestly enjoy all their performances because they each bring something unique to the role.

I cannot stress enough how violent the Robert Englund version is if you want to give it a go, but Erik Destler is insane, twisted, and fabulously murdertastic in this. I love the creepy, evil vibes the man gives off. Think of this film as a time travel AU of the original novel. I feel like he nailed Leroux Erik's darker, snarky personality that some people tend to forget he had and the gothic horror parts of the original novel are there. Bonus: they keep the Faust parallels like in the novel!

I'm gonna say it: I love the Charles Dance miniseries. I know it's not the best, but damn, he is so dry and sarcastic I cannot help but enjoy his performance. I want to pinch his cheeks and smother Cherik with the love his father never gave him everytime I see him. Again, this one focuses on the operas a lot, and for me it's a bit boring. But the backgrounds, settings, and props in this thing are fantastic and the costumes are wonderful too.

That leaves Gerard Butler in the 2004 movie. No he is not the world's greatest singing Phantom, but I don't care. I absolutely love his facial expressions and body language. The Phantom is an emotional, expressive dude and the Red Death costume scene is pretty good. I love how kind and sincere Emmy feels in this film and I appreciate she's not overracting and doesn't feel fake compared to some other Christines *coughSierracough* Being the film version of the ALW musical, this Phantom story focuses on the romance and Gerard excels at that. When he and Christine are singing Past the Point of no Return, I FEEL THEIR PASSION! And that's what counts more so than hitting the same notes we've all heard a million times before.

Now for the versions in the 'I will eternally like this' category 😊 :

The Phantom of the Paradise from 1974. This is also a very violent and dark film so fair warning if you haven't seen it. It's a bizarre rock musical, but if you're weird like me and enjoy Rock & Rule or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this might be a film you'd like too. I don't want to spoil it too much but the Faust/devil parallels are here too, as is various pop culture references. His teeth and mask are terrifyingly cool, and so is the electronic voice box he uses. It makes sense Daft Punk was inspired by this film. Maybe G1 Soundwave was inspired by this film too, but that's a debate for another day 😉

Next is the animated 1988 film. This one features animation on par with other 80s tv cartoons of the time. I love that they kept the Persian and the torture chamber from the novel. The Phantom's death scene is pretty damn epic. Christine is kind of a flake, but animated Leroux Erik is hilariously insane and terribly charming, especially when he calls himself a Don Juan. It's worth watching just for his antics and his dialouge.

You might not expect a Goosebumps episode to do a Phantom story any justice, but here we are: 1995, The Phantom of the Auditorium is a spooky fun take on the story and honestly, I'd like to see the full play the kids at that school are putting on cause it looks better than some of the live Phantom stage scenes I've seen. Both young boys playing the Phantom are fantastic actors and the plot twist at the end is great.

I absolutely have to give a shout out to Wishbone's Pantin at the Opera. He is the best, cutest, most adorable Raoul de Chagney ever and I will fight you if you dare talk smack about this version. I'm not even a Raoul stan by any means but like, this dog is precious and I enjoy this episode so much.

Also in the animated category and cute dog category is Scooby Doo Stage Fright made back in 2013. This movie is one of my fave Scooby Doo films (yes I own almost all of them on dvd) and there are multiple Phantoms, a reality tv show contest, and Fred and Daphne finally kiss each other! Lots and lots of hidden Phantom references in the background and lots of voice acting talent for those of us who appreciate that.

Now for the versions I intensely dislike 😏

The 1962 Herbert Lom version. UGH where to start. The sets are so small and everything looks dirty and of the wrong time period. The color in the film looks washed out. The clothes look too modern somehow (maybe it's their hairstyles?) and it bothers me. It feels low budget in a bad way and it shows. This phantom is not likeable or pitiable even though his backstory is similar to the Claude Raines version. He has no romantic interest in Christine, so it feels off. This guy is such an old a$$ piece of sh*t, he literally slaps Christine as she's singing for him for no damn reason. His paper mache mask looks like a Kindergartener's botched art class project. His personality is like somebody locked up cranky grandpa in the basement and he's PMS-ing because y'all forgot to give him his daily prune juice. This squatter's lair lacks creepiness, and his bizarre sidekick is annoying and yet somehow more interesting than the Phantom. The pervert manager trying to bang Christine aggravated me and simultaneously made me want to vomit. Raoul is the only likeable character in the whole damn movie. The Joan of Arc opera scene makes up for some of the film, but it's still terrible.

Next on my meh list is the 1983 made for tv movie starring Micheal York and Jane Seymour. Now, this one has some likeable and applaudable scenes: the various murders and general creepiness of the Phantom, and the lair scene when she wakes up in his bed and the Phantom gets all up in her face is so intense and so Leroux I absolutely love it. The rest of the film is a jumbled hot mess at best, but Jane Seymour is 🔥 and she gets some damn good sex, so hell yeah to that!

And lastly, I do not like the Royal Albert Hall 25th anniversary recording. I should preface this by saying it is Sierra I don't like. I like Ramin, I love Hadley, everyone else is wonderful but I cannot stand Sierra. She tries too hard to make Christine a Disney Princess- and that doesn't fly with me. It comes off as insincere or mocking the source material at best, and at worst it makes Christine look like an airheaded ditz. Apparently Sierra played Ariel at one point which is hilarious because of all the Disney princesses, I dislike her the most. But that's a different rant for another day.

And finally, the one I hate most of all:

The 1998 Argento film. This is the worst Phantom adaptation I've ever seen. It is a whole lotta nope for me. Between the rats, the unecessary and pointless telepathy, the r*pe scene, and the unfunny weird vibe from the murder going on in this film it's a disaster from start to finish. Honestly, it's the rats and his hair that bother me from a visual standpoint alone and it's beyond disgusting the way this a$$🤡 treats Christine. I don't like any of the characters in here and for good reason. It's not worth watching and if you do, be ready to bleach your brain afterwards.

💖 Sorry if this was a long read! Thanks again for giving me an ask and I will cherish it forver!!!! 💖

#phantom of the opera #poto film adaptations

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your-rose-highness · 4 years

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Tell me what is love (ch-8)

Chapter 8

Taeyeon was at her friend’s party when a call from baekhyun surprised her. He never calls unless in emergencies, and mostly they were about Sarang. Excusing herself she made he way out of the crowd before answering him.

“Where’s Sarang?”

“Wow, no hello, no where are you? Sarang is with Heechul Oppa.”

“That’s very responsible of you Tae. Heechul Hyung of all people?

Taeyeon hung up without responding. Baekhyun was being so difficult these days that she was losing her mind. She picked up a drink from the bar and drank it furiously before someone sat beside her.

“Trouble?”, smirked Changmin.

Changmin had always had a soft spot for Taeyeon. When she had just joined the company, he had spotted her as someone with a lot of passion and watching her grow both as an artist and as a person had been a delight for him. When she was dating Baekhyun, he was a little disappointed. He had expected her to focus on her career when she had just begun climbing fame. With the news of her dating and later marriage and children, her popularity had suffered and she had to begin from zero.

“Ah. Oppa. Nothing just, married couple issues, I guess.”, she smiled, taking another sip from her glass.

“Honestly, Tae, don't get me wrong. Why did you rush into this?”

“I told you, I was pregnant.”

“Do you realize how huge of a problem this is? How could you be so careless? You were just at the peak of success.”

“I was scared, Oppa. I was scared and Baekhyun proposed.”

“Did he?”

“What do you mean?”

“He didn't propose to you. Nor did you actually accept.”

“What is the use of thinking about these things? We’re a couple now.”, she sighed. “ Moreover, we have a child now. You know how these things will be twisted now if we decide to separate.”

“I didn't even say that you should. But if that’s what you're even thinking about. Well, there’s a problem, love.”

“But…”

“Look, ill just say this. Before the two of you, no one would have dreamed of marrying and having a baby at this age. Two members of popular idol groups and from the same company. How scandalous is that? But few fans have supported and have stayed loyal. Maybe after divorce, it’ll be another thunderstorm, but if you only you can bear through it. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be how it was. At least, on the bright side, you won't be as miserable.”

Baekhyun called up Heechul to make sure Sarang was still with him. On confirming, he quickly drove over and brought his daughter home and bathed her.

“What would my princess like for dinner today?”

“Cake!”, Sarang chimed.

“Ey, a cake isn't a meal. What about jjajangmyeon?”

“Yes yes yes”, the little one danced. Baekhyun laughed and quickly began boiling the noodles.

“Sarang do you remember Aunt Hye hee?”

The little girl shook her head silently, while busily trying to climb a chair so that she could see what her father was cooking.

“Well, I met her today and I feel really happy. Kind of how you make me feel, get it? All fuzzy and rainbows.”

“Daddy, I want an elephant.”, Sarang cried.

“What! Of all the things in the world? How about I get you a plushie?”

“Elephant!!”

“Elephant plushie allowed only.”

Baekhyun was always too busy to spend time with his daughter, but when he could he loved playing with her. The last time he was home, Sarang made him playhouse and him to come into her play den for tea and chips. He was tired but playing Sarang was the best thing on the planet for him. Today he was Sarang’s patient as Dr.Sarang checked his temperature.

Taeyeon came home then and Sarang ran over to her mother.

“Hey, you're home.”, baekhyun mumbled, tidying up after Sarang.

“Yeah. did she eat?”

“Yeah. made her some jjajangmyeon. Did you have dinner or should I make you something?”

“I did. Are you free tomorrow?”

“ Yeah. Why?”

“I have a schedule at 4 am tomorrow. Will be back by 3 pm. If you're home, then I don't need to drop her at my mother’s.”

“Cool. no issues.”

That’s it. Silence. This was how the couple spoke to each other. Mostly about Sarang.

The couple went to bed at the same time after months and it was always awkward.

“How’s work?”, asked Taeyeon

“Good.”, he sighed, “the agency wants us to begin individual projects now. So, I’m thinking about finally trying to get that solo, you know.”

“Baekhyun do you think we are okay?”, she blurted.

Baekhyun looked at her blankly, knowing very well what this was about.

“I really think we should talk about this. Not just for us, but for Sarang. We can't let our issues get to her.”, she continued when baekhyun didn't answer.

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm? C,mon baekhyun!” she exclaimed, agitated

“I don't know what to say.”

“Do you still love me?”, she asked, turning towards him.

Her blunt question startled him and he was caught off guard.

“Look, we… I don't know…”, her voice trailed as she tried to find words.

“Do you think we should separate?”, he asked softly, still unable to meet her eyes.

“I mean if that would make us less miserable, yes.”

“It’ll get very complicated.”

“It will. But I think we can support each other on this one thing, don't you think? We got married against everyone’s wishes too. It was difficult but we overcame it all.”

“The company, our members, the team..?”

“Seriously, baekhyun? Will this matter when its too late? We’re miserable right now. Coming home shouldn’t have to be this stressful.”, Taeyeon stated.

“Do you currently like someone else?”

“What?”, Taeyeon turned to him furious. “Is that why you think I’m asking for a divorce? Wow, I can't believe I got married to you. No wonder Hye hee left you so easily. You're still a child, baekhyun.”, she spewed, hurt. Picking up her coat and purse, she rushed out of the bedroom without glancing back.

Baekhyun quietly peeped into his daughter’s room finding her peacefully asleep. He sat by her bed once again, resting his head beside hers.

“Sarang. My little princess. I wanted to be everything I couldn't for you. But look here, what do we have? A loser. I've done everything for this life I have and have lost everything in return. Now, possibly, your parents will gamble a happy normal family for you. Are we too selfish? I can say I’ve pushed it this far. I’m at fault. She’s right, I’ve dealt with this almost childishly. But was it all my mistake? Or was it fate? I’ve lost everything. Everything.” baekhyun sobbed uncontrollably.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey good morning, hye hee”, Jaebeom welcomed her with a smile when she visited them the next morning.

Hye hee felt extremely apologetic towards him for Baekhyun’s behavior yesterday, but Jaebeom had been more than okay.

“It’s fine! He might have been surprised to see me. Also, celebs are afraid to be seen right. Green smoothie?”

“What with leaves?”

“Where else will it get its pretty green hue from? Hahaha. Don't worry, it won't taste bad, I’ll add berries in it. Jaein is still in bed, by the way, she made me watch reruns of harry potter last night with her. We watched the first three, after which I had to force her to go to bed. Can you imagine? A patient!”

The kitchen seemed different with Jaebeom moving around. Hye hee had been so used to just jane in this house, and the world knew she never cooks. She set the bunch of tulips she got for jane in a glass. Tulips were jane’s absolute favorite. She never had a specific color preference, so hye hee got her a mix and match of the colors at the florist.

“They certainly do brighten up the space.”,Jaebeom’s voice startled her.

“Oh sorry. Here’s your smoothie.”

“Wow, really vibrant.”, hye hee chuckled.

They sat at the dinner table while sipping on the smoothies. He was right, it didn't have that bad healthy taste that green smoothies usually did.

“So, you're also a journalist?”, asked Jaebeom.

“Yes, journalist aspiring to be a writer someday.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I’m a video producer.”

“Wow, anything I could have seen that you produced?”

Turns out, Jaebeom had worked with many filmmakers and also assisted music video producers.

“No, I’ve never worked with the artists directly. You see my work is mainly behind the scenes. Once my team receives the tape, we edit and add effects. It takes months at times, depending on the company’s reference.”

“That’s super cool. I've always wanted to learn how to edit.”

“Maybe I could teach you sometime. Of course, the professional level will take longer.”

“Oh, no. the basics are just fine for me.”

“What about you? Where are you working right now?”

“I got sacked out of my old one. The company went bankrupt. I’m trying to find another one right now, but no luck so far.”

“Would you consider working for scriptwriters by any chance?”

“Yes! Anything at this point.”

“Alright, I’ll get back to you after I speak to them. Last I heard they were looking for an assistant scriptwriter. You have a good typing speed too. A bonus.”

He hadn't mentioned anything about yesterday’s occurrences and it made her fidgety.

“Are we going to ignore what happened?”

“Hmm?”, he innocently asked, genuinely surprised.

“About baekhyun?”

“Oh! Look, I need to admit, I didn't fully trust you when you said you were friends with an EXO member, but seeing Baekhhyun did startle me. I did a google search about him after coming home. He has a daughter, eh? He’s quite young for being a dad.”

“Yeah. they had her immediately after marriage.”

“Yeah… you don't quite see that in the entertainment business. You were friends, right?”

“Best friends since middle school.” she stated.

“Whoa, now that’s something.” he smirked.

“What?”

“I’m sorry if I seem intrusive, but did you guys date?”, he asked, a smile on his lips.

Hye hee was taken aback by his question. How did he know?

“Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. Yeah, it did seem as such.”

“He was just worried about me, with the things happening”

“Probably.” Jaebeom softly said, the smile still playing on his lips.

She loaded her guns to shoot back answers when Jane entered the room. She looked very weak, now that could be because of the medicines or that she didn't sleep enough last night.

“Hello, my dear muggles.”, she croaked as she took a seat beside hye hee hugging her.

“I heard about your Hogwarts adventures.”, hye hee chuckled.

“Good. now that you're here, you’ll stay the night and watch the rest with me. You like the 4th movie anyway.”

“Yeah, that's great, another night with no sleep.”,Jaebeom cheekily added.

Baekhyun hadn't called her all day and it bothered hye hee a little. Suho might have said something to him about it. Had he known that baekhyun spent the night at hye hee’s? Though she wasn't home, a spectator would add things differently.

Jaebeom stepped out to get some groceries when she decided to spill everything to her best friend.

“So, you suspect this could be a fan’s doing?”, jane guessed.

“Why else would people patrol outside my house? They are not even sure how I look seeing they attacked you.”

“This is dangerous. You should talk to baekhyun about this. I’m shocked that he didn't see this coming. But, hey, on the bright side, he still has fans.”, she joked.

“What should I do?”

“Nothing. As Suho said, try to keep a bit of a distance. You are too caught up in your head with him. Live your life a little, please? Baekhyun isn't everything. He has his life spread out before him and it looks glorious. What about you? You’re still focused on him.”

When hye hee didn't answer, Jane continued, “I’m sorry if I was too blunt, but this is the truth and you have to face it sometime.”, she clarified, softly caressing her arm.

“I know, you mean well. I guess you’re right.” hye hee exhaled.

“Not taking the SM job then?”

“Actually your brother said he’d try to talk me up with his scriptwriters. Maybe it’ll work, fingers crossed.”

“Jaebeom? My brother? Actually, that reminds me, it’s kind of odd to see my brother so friendly with you. He’s usually very quiet, a stark opposite of me.”

“He’s been very kind, even though he half wanted to kill me after he found that you were in the hospital because of me.”, hye hee giggled.

“Now that sounds more like him.”, jane laughed.

Hye hee decided to spend the day at Jane’s after having lunch that Jaebeom bought for them. Jane was happy to have people in the house after so long that her brother decided to stay as well. It was quite a fulfilling day. The siblings shared each other’s embarrassing stories, Jaebeom played his guitar, turns out he has a very attractive voice as well.

After dinner, they all curled up to watch the rest of the harry potter movies. Halfway through the fifth part, Jaebeom realized jane was asleep with her head on hye hee’s lap. He carried her to her room and joined hye hee to finish the rest of the movie.

“Whoa. that is intense every time I watch it.”, sighed hye hee.

“Another Potterhead?”

“I cried when I didn't get my Hogwarts acceptance letter.”

After a while, the two of them decided to get some hot chocolate before bed.

“You're lucky! I bought marshmallows today.”,Jaebeom chirped looking through the grocery bag. Meanwhile hye hee made the hot comforting drink, taking it out to the balcony, where they sipped the hot drink with the gentle cool breeze touching their skin.

“So, do you have a boyfriend?”, Jaebeom asked, still looking ahead.

“No. not right now.”

“What a pity. Any man would be lucky to have you. I’m sure you've been asked out.”, he met her eyes. Hye hee was mesmerized and something about him seemed to draw her out of her shell.

“I wasn't ready.”, she simply put.

“Ah. no one quite reached your heart, then.”, he said letting out a throaty chuckle. “I get that, it’s quite the same for me. I see no point in dating for the sake of it. Unless its someone that stirs up your heart in ways unknown to yourself.” he glanced at her again, with the sweetest smile ever.

“Alright. I’m off to sleep. If you need anything, I’m here in the living room.”, he wearily said.

She watched him grab his bedding and spread it on the floor, as the couch was too small for him. Something about Jaebeom was very enticing to her, almost addictive. Shaking away her bothersome thoughts, she decided to call it a night. Maybe tomorrow would be a good day for everyone.

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corvidshipping · 3 years

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cliff texting hcs even though i should be in BED cause i have an 8 hour shift tomorrow

he did not have a phone for the longest time. remember the last time he was really in society was like, the late 80s, when the only phones around were the kind that plugged into your wall or cost a quarter to use, hes not exactly used to the thought of carrying that around with him, let alone a phone combined with a calculator, music player, computer, camera... hes kind of grandpa about it lmfao

he finally got a phone after vic got after him for never being able to contact him when he needed him and always having to call jane or larry to get to cliff, but it was like... a dinky little old-style razr.

he broke it almost immediately (it was a genuine accident. the phone was tiny and it has little keys and he has large, difficult to control robot hands)

he refused to get a phone again for a while after that (”if you really need to get in touch that bad you can call the house. not like i get out much anyway”)

larry said he should try getting a smartphone since those are bigger and easier to use, but yknow uh, robot hands make it kind of hard to use a touchscreen meant for humans

something something joke about nokias being indestructible and maybe thats what he needs if hes gonna destroy phones

i want to bee leaf that he finally gets a new one partially bc of possum. not entirely but i mean... ghost gf who depending on their mood may not be able to speak, may not be visible. sure, they use the whiteboard he got them, but... isnt it a bit more convenient (and tropey) to get a text from your ghost gf who lives in the attic?

(haha, spirit phone joke)

also, there is something to be said about technology (and animals!) being canonically just a little more sensitive to sensing possum than most humans (for example, because his eyes are basically cameras wired to his brain rather than human eyes, cliff can see possum’s physical form a little longer than most humans when they de-corporealize). so when theyre having trouble speaking, theres a chance that the phone might be better able to pick up on their voice than someones ears (i mean, hes got robot ears but... listen man)

also, this means they could use the touchscreen of the phone potentially even when theyre not corporeal enough to be able to lift a dry-erase pen

so anyway, back on topic. he finally gets a new phone because vic wont stop asking him about it and it makes things just a tad easier for the ghost in the house thats unreasonably attached to him. its a slightly outdated android, definitely not the newest model but still functional and can run modern software well. vic VERY pointedly gets him an extremely durable case, maybe something developed at STAR even. who knows

larry got him a stylus bc he is the only one who remembered that, yknow, robot fingers, touchscreen. larry probably has issues with touchscreens too given the bandages. it was very sweet of him

he is. SO bad at texting. just in general

either responds in 2 seconds or 2 days no in between. definitely at least partially hinges on how much he likes you

really cares about having peoples contact photos for some reason?

(i think hes afraid of not having enough photos of people if he loses them again 🥺)

despite the stylus, his texts still L. ook l ik E thIs. even autocorrect cant help him now

its getting better over time, though

speaking of autocorrect, definitely gets irrationally mad at it. the amount of times rita has had to talk him out of smashing his phone...

lockscreen is definitely an old photo of him and clara he found in chiefs files :(

do NOT tell this man about the emoji keyboard, he will overuse the SHIT out of them and wont know what half of them mean

(he just misses being able to make facial expressions a lot, okay?)

his message history with jane is definitely like this:

homegirl just does not respond to his texts, ever. its ok though he literally leaves vic on read ALL. THE. TIME just to piss him off

his phone ringtone is LOUD AS FUCK cause he cant leave it on vibrate bc he literally cannot feel the vibrations

bonus self indulgent hc: literally responds to possums texts in like 5 seconds flat. answers on the second ring every time she calls, no matter where he is or what hes doing. has possibly even picked up the phone for them in the middle of a fight.

#paper_heart.txt #s/i: possum #just so yall know ive been laughing at L ry make. cheese burgers for like 10 minutes straight now #s: human after all

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tisfan · 4 years

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Earth Girls are Easy

@rarepairsevents

Prompt: #8 - Carol comes across a truly lost human on her travels. Darcy was just doing her job when the bifrost went off. Now they’re on the weirdest intergalactic road trip. Bonus points if: bed sharing while mutual pining on an alien planet.

Carol Danvers/Darcy Lewis

Tag: Meet awkward, earth girls in space

Summary - Carol gets contracted to give a Terran a lift home. Cons: the pay sucks, Quill is an asshole, and the Collector’s been giving the girl a place to stay. Pros: She’s damn cute.

“Vers!” Someone bellowed across the Promenade.

Carol Danvers resisted the urge to immediately blast him. She’d been Vers for a mere six years with the Kree, and working under her own name -- or sometimes Captain Marvel, named after her Kree mentor and friend -- for almost twenty. You’d think some aliens would get the fucking memo already.

“Vers, hi, how are you?”

“Carol,” she said.

“What, no, my name’s Peter--”

“MY name is Carol.”

“Oh, right, okay, yeah, the-- the thing, with the Kree, yeah, you know, I really hate those guys,” Quill said.

“What do you want, asshole?”

“So, like you’re from Terra and I’m from Terra, and I thought, maybe, one Terran to the other, you could do me a little, tiny favor.”

“No.” That was easy. She started to walk away.

(more below the cut)

“Look, no, I’ll give you a cut,” Quill said. He was jogging to keep up with her, because her leave-me-the-fuck-alone stride was pretty damn fast. She had to give him credit for perseverance, but out of a perverse sense of humor, she kept walking until he was out of breath and sweating. He still hadn’t gone away.

“Of what?”

“The job,” Quill said. “Look, I got us a job, and then a really sweet opportunity fell into our laps and--”

“You already made a commitment and then something bigger came along, you can’t do both at the same time, even though you’ve already said you would, and now you’re hoping that I’m an idiot and I’ll do your first job for you, for half the price. Keep dreaming, Star Lord.”

“It’s an easy job,” Quill protested. “Look, you can have seventy percent, consider the other thirty a finder’s fee.”

“I’m gonna break your ‘finder’ right off and shove it someplace unpleasant if you put your hand on me, so don’t,” Carol said. “What’s the job?”

“Just drop this girl off on Terra, okay? She’s super lost.”

It had to be a girl, right? It couldn’t be some white male asshole lost in space that she wouldn’t feel a hint of guilt at neglecting. Carol sighed. “Where is she?”

“Great, you won’t regre--”

“Zzzt. Shut up. The only thing out of your mouth better be a location and the amount of units you’re going to be handing me. Otherwise, I’m gonna blast you into next week, and then you’ll miss out on both jobs.”

“She’s at the Collector’s,” Quill squeaked. “And fifteen Asgardian urus. She didn’t have units.”

“Urus will do,” Carol said, practically. Urus had a better trade value in some of the outer rim systems. “And what, do you not like her? Why leave her there?”

“You said not to talk!” And Quill smacked his faceplate down, clicked his rocket boots, and flew off like a slightly paranoid Dorothy Gale. Asshole. Honestly, Carol was never sure if Quill was an asshole on purpose just because it kept people from having expectations of him, or, if like, his emotional growth had gotten stunted at age eight.

Decided she didn’t care, Carol changed her trajectory just enough to be pointed in the general direction of the Collector’s.

At least she was one of the few people who could just barge in on him. He wasn’t exactly afraid of her, but she wasn’t afraid of him, either. They were sort of, not quite, equals in a way where both of them thought they’d win if it came to a throw down, and neither of them disliked the other enough to try it.

“Hey Taneleer,” she bellowed, slipping lightly between the displays. “I hear you got a package for me?”

“Do I? I was just thinking I might keep her. Earthlings are so delicate, they just don’t survive very long.”

“Yeah, yeah, your coat is lovely by the way, where did you get it?” She pushed into Taneleer’s personal space. “Give me the girl.”

“Right, one human woman, coming right up--” the Collector said, brushing down his coat, which appeared to, in fact, be alive. Gross. “Miss Lewis, if you please. This is Captain Marvel. She’ll be taking you home.”

The woman who Taneleer coaxed out of the corner was pretty in a coffee-shop, slam poet, studying to be a CPA on the side, and volunteering at the dog shelter on the weekends.

Oh, I am in so much trouble.

“Miss Lewis,” Carol said.

“Darcy, Darcy is fine, I’m-- yeah, nice to meet you.”

“You can call me Carol.”

Both Taneleer’s bushy eyebrows went up.

So much trouble.

“So, you’re a human,” Darcy said. Like when she was walking near Thor -- she never walked with Thor, Thor was a one man show, and sometimes he let other people accompany him -- she had to practically run to keep up. “Do I even want to know how you got to space?”

“I was kidnapped,” Captain Carol Marvel thingie said, not looking around.

“Lot of that going around, that’s the same thing that Star Guy said, and I know Jane’s been to space a few times, but usually Thor takes her. It’d be nice, I think, if there were some humans who got to space by themselves, don’t you? I feel so-- unadvanced.”

“Humans are, compared to the larger galaxy,” Carol said, “rather primitive.”

“Fuck you. We have great margaritas,” Darcy sniffed. “Around here they have random varieties of ‘we distilled this shit next to our power core and it probably won’t kill you.’”

“I’ll give you that much,” Carol said. “I haven’t been to a decent bar in… well, probably longer than you’ve been alive.”

“You don’t look that much older than me,” Darcy said. She was, however, familiar with gods, and their age issues. Thor was something around fifteen hundred years old, or the rough equivalent of a soccer mom. Of course, by that notion, Loki was all of sixteen or so, and the more Darcy thought about that, the more logical it seemed. Loki had all the sense and restraint of an angry white boy with daddy issues and a gun, and the Asgardians did seem to be the primeval angry white boys.

“Looks can be deceiving,” Carol said, “although, not possibly as old as you’re now thinking. I was born on Earth in 1966, standard planetary time.”

“There is exactly no way you’re twenty years older than I am,” Darcy spluttered. “Not with an ass like that.”

Carol looked over her shoulder. “What’s wrong with my ass.”

“Not a damn thing,” Darcy said. “And I’ve seen Tony Stark up close, so believe me when I say, I know a fine ass when I see one.”

“Tony Stark? Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Iron Man? Earth’s greatest defender? How long have you been gone?”

“Since ‘89, with a brief visit in 1995 to deal with some alien issues.”

“We had aliens back in the 90s? Well, that explains some things,” Darcy said. Really, nothing surprised her anymore.

“Quill is half alien,” Carol said, “and his mom popped out that delightful ass in the eighties or thereabouts. So you’ve had aliens on Terra that I personally know about since the mid seventies. And the Asgardians were there centuries ago. Face it, little green men are a thing, and probably always have been.”

“What even is my reaction to that supposed to be?” Darcy demanded, trotting to catch up, because Carol had stopped listening and was striding off toward… well, Darcy hoped it was her ship, or something. She was used to it, though. Being left behind. Forgotten. She wasn’t very interesting, or very smart, or very beautiful. She was a mostly normal-thank-you-very-much human grad student who was going to have a lot of freaking college loans to pay off. Which was why she kept putting off actually graduating, because at least being Jane’s assistant paid some bills and kept her in kitchen and booze funds.

It also ended up with her being accidentally zotted to the other end of the galaxy when one of Jane’s experiments either went drastically wrong, or incredibly right. Hard to say, and she wouldn’t really know until she got home and found out of Jane had just popped off to a different party of the galaxy. And rest assured that Thor probably knew where she was and went after her. Which, it might not occur to them for a while that Darcy also needed to be rescued.

To be fair, Jane often managed to find trouble when she was out of line of sight, and getting popped of, she might have, for instance, immediately have stuck her pen into some swirly goo and gotten infected with Bad Space Things. You know, just saying.

Not like it had ever happened before.

“So,” she said, when she finally caught up, panting for breath, because, damn, in addition to having a killer ass, Carol also apparently had increased lung capacity. Well, Darcy might be able to make use of that if she was going to entertain the idea of getting funky with a space diva. And she just might consider it. “Sounds like you’ve been missing the bar scene for a while, and maybe a drink or two, and cheese sticks? Want to hit the Applebees when we get back? I mean, I know it’s basic and everything, but I don’t get paid all that often and their happy hour is--”

“Don’t you have fifteen Uru? At least?” Carol stopped walking and Darcy slammed into her, and they engaged in a little rocking back and forth before Carol steadied them out.

“Well, yeah,” Darcy said. “I’ve got hundreds of them, Thor gives them to us all the time for stuff. But there’s no exchange rate on Earth for god-money.”

“How many do you have with you?”

“A hundred or so,” Darcy hedged. She’d told Quill she only had twenty because he’d looked very… untrustworthy.

“Right, we’ll hit up the exchange on our way out of the port,” Carol said. “Minus my delivery fee, of course.”

“Of course. Does that mean yes to a date?”

“If you have a hundred uru, you could probably buy the bar,” Carol said. “So, yes. Date. sounds fun. Do they still do karaoke on Earth?”

“Yass, Queen,” Darcy said, holding her hand up to be high fived and after a moment, Carol seemed to recall the custom. “What’s the exchange rate?”

Carol swiped a few gestures over her wrist, popping up a display holograph, which Darcy would think was really cool if she wasn’t actually in Goddamn space and had seen some actual motherfreaking aliens, thanks very much. “About six and a half to one.”

“Six hundred dollar’s isn’t bad, but it’s hardly buying real estate--”

“Six and a half thousand. To one Uru. So, about half a million dollars, or so, after processing fees.”

Darcy almost stopped breathing. “I have hundreds of those things at home,” she squeaked.

“So, yeah. Date?”

“Date.” She could think about the rest of it later. Like, when she was writing a check to pay off her student loans.

fin

A/n - in the book, Dorothy Gale had silver shoes, and she could use them to fly, which is what Carol is thinking of here.

Earth Girls are Easy is an 80s movie staring Jeff Goldblum, so... make of that what you will

#rarepairevents #carol danvers/darcy lewis #earth girls are easy

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daisywords · 6 years

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Characters But No Plot?

I’ve been struggling with the exact same issue for a long time, and now I feel like my wip is finally emerging (albeit slowly) from its chrysalis with maybe some semblance of a plot !? so here’s what I’ve learned:

So you have characters? lovely.

You have a setting? amazing.

You don’t have anything remotely resembling a plot? relatable, my dude.

So here’s what we’re going to do:

Step 1: feel out the general aesthetic/baseline that you want the plot to involve—epic battles? ocean’s-eleven-esqe heist? long meandering quest? political intrigue? lots of romance? tons of secrets? self discovery? solving mysteries? petty drama?

how big of a scale will this plot be on? what are the stakes?

is the fate of the world at risk? or just the fate of a relationship? are multiple countries in play, or do the characters never leave their small town?

This will depend on the characters you have, if their backstories are already fleshed out. And obviously the setting and worldbuilding you’ve already done.

Don’t be afraid to have a tight story with relatively small stakes. Not everything has to be about saving the whole world. On the other hand, if you’re really feeling juggling all the politics and diplomacy across an entire continent, you do you.

Step 2: Mash your setting and characters. It’s time to get more specific with all your enlightenment from step one.

Think about your setting, your world—what kinds of problems could exist that match the kind of plot you wanted in step one?

Which problems would specifically apply/relate to your characters?

Specific is the key. Don’t just give me “a war” or “a monster” or “an oppressive government.” Give me “Tina can’t get the supplies she needs for her healing spells because the collapse of a neighboring country’s government really did a number on the safety/success rate of trade routes” or “Prince Gary’s four older brothers have all mysteriously died, and now he’s the heir to the throne, even though he’s been raised in a monastery since he was three and has no idea what’s going on.”

Step 2.5: Why is your main character the Main Character? Or: Make the Stakes Personal

Part of specific is specific to your character. Your protagonist doens’t need to be some over-candied mary sue chosen one. But they need to be relevant. So make the plot/problem relevant to them, in a way that it isn’t relevant to others.

Sure, Tina could just shut her witch-doctor business down, except now her sister has the plague and she really needs that healing spell, so Tina’s just going to have to journey into anarchy-land to get that frickin flower, now isn’t she

Gary could just do what he’s told and shrug his shoulders’ except looks like his brothers were assassinated and he’s the next target. Hard to relax when you’re personally fearing for your life and can’t trust anyone around you.

Except maybe things aren’t working out. Maybe you don’t want to write about Tina or Gary as your precious MC.

Maybe you want to write about a young apprentice named Jane, or a cowardly monk named Sebastian.

So maybe little Jane is the one with the sick sister, the one who begs Tina for the cure, and sets off to find that missing ingredient when Tina explains the problem.

Or maybe Sebastian, Gary’s friend from the monastery is brought along as court scholar, and it’s he who has to prevent Gary’s assassination, because Gary won’t believe that he’s in danger.

Basically: What motivates your MC to get involved in all this nasty business in the first place?

Step 3: Who/What is your antagonist?

You know that problem? The one that’s going to suck for your poor little protagonist? Put a face on it. You might already have a fleshed out antagonist. Great.

(You might not want one specific person, and that’s fine. Man vs. society, man vs. nature, etc. stories can be great and you do you. But I’m going to discuss this like a single person for now.)

Ok so the problem. It’s now caused by a person. Was this intentional, or just a side effect of some bigger plan? What is that plan? What is concrete thing is motivating the antagonist? What inner desire is motivating the antagonist?

Warlord Ren, who overthrew Westland’s government, doesn’t care about Jay’s sister. He probably isn’t even aware that people in Eastland can’t get their medicine. He definitely isn’t doing any of this to hurt Jane. In fact Warlord Ren is the leader of a once-marginalized group in Westland, who were sick of being treated as second-class citizens. Warlord Ren is out for revenge. Violent Revenge.

Lizzy, Gary’s first cousin once-removed, has a two-year-old son who just happens to be next in line for the throne after Gary. If her son were to become the heir, she could be guaranteed lifelong financial security and independence—and the ability to leave her terrible marriage. Too bad so many people have to die.

Step 4: What logical step would your protagonist take to solve their problem?

This is where things start being a plot. Like you get real events.

It goes like this: action > consequence > (re)action > consequence etc etcetec

Once the consequences extend wide enough that they affect the antagonist, that’s when we get the actual protagonist vs. antagonist dynamic we know and love.

So the consequences can start being actions of the antagonist as well.

There’s safety in numbers, so Jane teams up with a caravan also trying to cross Westland. But they turn out to be thieves, who rob her blind the first night on the road.

Sebastian, worried about Gary being poisoned, insists on being present for the entire preparation and serving process of anything Gary eats. However, Gary finds this unnecessary and frustrating, causing friction in their friendship. Better/worse yet, Lizzy hears about this arrangement, and thus knows that Sebastian is on her trail. Maybe she’ll try to discredit him, or get him thrown out of court. Maybe she’ll even frame him for an assassination attempt.

Step 4.5: Put your characters where the action is.

I feel like this is one of the main problems people run into when they kinda have the basis of a plot (the problem) but no real events: The most interesting things are happening elsewhere and are heard about in passing, instead of actually becoming those real plot events.

Bonus: Not sure where the action is? Try this: put your characters where the antagonist is.

This seems obvious, but sometimes it’s hard, because you have to reframe the concept you’ve had in your head for so long. You have to be flexible. You have to be willing to deviate from your original vision. You also have to maneuver things around sometimes in unexpected ways. But guess what? You’re in charge.

Maybe Warlord Ren is up to some wicked schemes. You wanted your story to be all about Jane’s quest through Westland. But if Jane just keeps traveling through different towns and getting stuck in different shenanigans, she’s never going to even hear about those wicked schemes, let alone be put into direct conflict with Warlord Ren. So we sacrifice our journey narrative a little to really spice things up: Jane joins Ren’s army. After all, she was just robbed; if she joins just until the next paycheck, she’ll be able to have the means to continue her journey.

Sebastian, a court scholar, wouldn’t be along on a hunting trip, right? so I guess he’s just have to hear about Gary’s near-death “accident” after the fact, right? Wrong. Turns out Gary feels bad after their fight about “poison paranoia” and invites Sebastian along on the trip. It’s very unconventional, but Gary wasn’t raised as a prince, remember? And the crown prince gets what he wants. Good thing Sebastion is going to be right next to Gary to keep that accident just “nearly fatal” instead of full-on fatal.

Step 5: Reexamine the problem(s)

So things should have escalated by now. Maybe the initial problem is what drew our MC into this whole mess, but things should be a lot messier by now.

So we’re supposed to have a climax, right? But how?

Do not fear, friend. Here’s what we need:

- The most exciting/action based problem

- The problem that tests your character/engages internal conflict the most

- the original problem (from the beginning)

And now put them in the blender. Turn it on. That’s good. A good smoothie. It’s climax flavored. It’s exciting. It’s action-packed. It’s emotionally compelling. It’s structurally sound and resonant.

Jane has turned out to be quite a capable soldier. She’s managed to get quite high in the ranks, and has managed to impress Warlord Ren himself. The trouble is, she’s had to do more and more things she feels wrong about, and is slowly losing the ability to justify her actions based on her desire to save her sister. She’s also witnessed the harsh punishments given to attempted deserters, which makes her plan to join only for a little while seem less feasible. Now, Jane’s been given an assignment to lead a squadron on a killing spree, of people who she suspects are just innocent civilians. If she follows orders, she will be awarded a high-ranking position, granting her the ability to ensure a safe trade route so her sister an finally get her medicine. But this still doesn’t feel right…

Lizzy has successfully framed Sebastion for attempting to assassinate Gary. Sebastian is now facing execution. His friendship with Gary is severely damaged, maybe even beyond repair. Gary believes that he really is guilty. But that’s not all: Sebastian knows that Lizzy has plans to kill Gary herself that very night, while he is locked in the dungeon. Even if he manages to break out, Sebastian has always been a nonviolent pacifist. Will he choose to use violence in order to save his friend, even thought Gary doesn’t trust him?

Step 6: Resolve Everything

And that’s all, folks

#writing help #characters but no plot #what to do with your oc #writing advice #finding a plot #And I mean actually resolve everything #don't just leave us hanging like I just did #My examples always have terrible names #Idk if this will work for any of you guys but here #obviously not just talking about fantasy but this was originally in response to someone's fantasy wip struggles

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b1uecandlehomestuck · 5 years

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Epilogue Opinions

Hey, I’m still alive, apparently Homestuck is too, but not for long, let’s get into it.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the ending in general, for obvious reasons. A combination of an overly simple, unsatisfyingly “easy” ending; not that the journey was easy, but the conclusion was. Lord English’s death was just left as a vague non-issue that wasn’t directly confronted and we knew nothing about it; going back and saying “oh haha the weapon used was a physical manifestation of a plot hole” doesn’t immediately repair three years of leaving everyone in the dark. It still feels like a lazy wimp-out ending, even if revealed to be just that within the canon of the universe.

And then you have more pointlessly extensive technobabble that Homestuck loves to shove down your throat with canon and non-canon nonsense. It’s the story-equivalent of busywork since it can be explained as just, “Things that happen on Earth C are dubiously canonical, and you need to fix something we didn’t finish within the canon”. That’s it. That’s basically all that was said by Rose. We aren’t given a real explanation of what canon is outside of basically just being a fourth wall breaking mechanic.

But, I digress, I’m fine with pointlessly extensive technobabble, I wouldn’t be reading Homestuck if I wasn’t. What does bug me is just how fucking depressing Earth C always feels, mostly because we’re looking at it through the lens of John. Granted, John has a reason to be sad on one hand, but on the other hand, as selfish as it may sound, it really drags the ending down when the only character we’re looking at is John. Yeah, I get it, John’s (arguably) the main character, or more accurately, he’s the character we started with so it makes sense he’s the one we ended with. However, Earth C makes it feel like all of his friends just ceased to exist or acknowledge John’s existence. I mean, it makes sense that everyone’s busy setting up Earth C, doing their own things, Rose got married, Roxy’s with Calliope, God knows what’s happening with Dave and Karkat and Jade, or Jane and Dirk for that matter. But John has always been so happy-go-lucky and peppy, it feels PAINFULLY obvious that something’s wrong with John emotionally if he’s just fucking cooping himself up in his room constantly. Rose has the excuse of her seer powers, something I’ll go into later, but Dave and Jade have literally no excuse to not try and see what’s going on with him. Furthermore, yeah, John’s dad is obviously a crippling loss in his life, but John also has a very strong friendship with Dave, Jade, and Rose, so why isn’t he seeking them out for help? Ultimately, it feels like the world is just hanging John out to dry because Hussie really wants to cling onto this depressed John. This is a matter of personal preference, of course, but personally, I’m not crazy about “hopeless melancholy ending where the hero will likely continue to sulk forever even though they saved the day”.

The nature of Earth C itself also just feels cyclically pointless, but, again, this seems largely to be because we’re stuck in the view of John. It feels like the planet is just kind of a big babysitting center where nothing is really being developed. As a whole, it feels like “candy”, but the “meat” is there, it’s just being hidden from us and presented as candy anyways. The entire situation feels like it’s trying to be depressing and disappointing as a plot point. Maybe that’s just me.

And then there’s Rose’s situation, which also feels needlessly cruel only for the sake of needing someone to tell John to fix the shit in “canon”. I mean, they were advertised to be like gods, hence the title of god tier, the fact that they don’t have any means of controling their powers is a distressing thought, and is yet another thing that wrenches their deserved victory out of their hands because Hussie just loves to torture our main characters. That’s what it all comes down to. They have to suffer.

Also, it’s really fucking obvious that John’s gonna die, which isn’t particularly fun to know in advance. He doesn’t deserve to die. Why does John have to suffer the most? It feels like John has never, ever gotten any sort of justice for everything he’s done. That’s not tragic, it just feels like abuse at this point.

I really hope we get some light shone on the trolls as well, and not just depression-poster-boy John. I mean, I guess we’ll have to see, but I REALLY fucking hope this final battle includes the trolls somehow. The trolls always feel excluded from these things, some more than others, but ultimately it feels like none of the trolls really mattered besides HIC, Aranea, and Vriska. Everyone else is just emotional support, and by everyone else I mean Kanaya and Karkat. And sort of half of Equius and Nepeta.

From here, let me just speculate.

Best case scenario: John rounds up doomed versions of EVERYONE. The kids and the (first set of) trolls. Maybe even god-tier versions of the latter, since we know that they exist. And Feferi finally gets to do something in the comic please for the love of god Hussie. Let her fight. Feferi is so fucking strong and we’ve never seen her fight anything. Anyways, they fight Lord English, and after a long battle, well, John probably dies, but maaaaaybe they figure out some way to bring him back, John finds a new lease on life after facing death and coming back, maybe his friends have a newfound appreciation of him and try to actually help him with his emotional issues instead of leaving him to rot in his room, and also as an added bonus all the characters John collected get to come to Earth C and Feferi gets a happy ending and nothing else matters because Feferi is the best character on the show. Also maybe the dream bubbles get un-fucked.

Likely scenario: John rounds up the humans and ignores the trolls. MAYBE gets Vriska. But even that is unlikely. They all face off against Lord English (who I’m just realizing I should be calling Caliborn) and after a long battle, John obligatorily has to sacrifice himself to defeat Lord English, which is a Heroic death, killing him instantly. The universe is saved, I guess, and the doomed kids... I dunno, I guess they’re stranded there? Or they make their own Earth C? Earth D? Or they set something up beforehand to get them out of there? Or, Hussie doesn’t give a shit and we don’t learn what happens to them. We go back to Earth C, Rose is relieved, everyone is sad about John’s death, it’s sad, and it ends, that’s it. I continue to be indifferent towards the ending since the trolls are ignored.

Worst case scenario: Pretty much the same thing as the likely scenario because I have zero faith in these writers. We probably won’t even get any sort of resolution with Terezi or even hear about her at all. I think the worst thing they could do is just end the epilogue on the fact that John kills Caliborn and we don’t see anything else after the fact because we’re in John’s perspective and with John dead the comic just ends.

tl;dr Homestuck’s ending/epilogue is too fucking sad for the rest of the comic. It feels like this should be their resolution and we should be focusing on the characters more than we do. John has like four other friends who just ignore his crippling depression and it sucks.

Also the “Candy” ending is probably just gonna be a dumb “WOW YOU WANTED THE EASY ENDING WITHOUT SUFFERING WHAT AN IDIOT HERE’S YOUR SHITTY FAKE ENDING” thing. I’ll be surprised if they take the option seriously but I find it unlikely.

#homestuck #homestuck epilogue #spoilers #homestuck spoilers

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homestuckexamination · 6 years

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The End of Homestuck: Rapture

Alright then, as I’ve mentioned, I wanted to debate a few points I’ve heard about the Ending, consider it a sort of bonus celebrating over 2000 Posts and 1000 Followers!

But before I say anything, let me preface this by saying: This is not trying to make you like the Ending, rather it’s trying to make you realize why you dislike the Ending. There’s very valid criticisms to the Ending and the Story as a whole and you can just dislike the direction it took- But what I want is debunk a few things the Fandom seems to have really clung to that I think are extremely hollow and just, outright false at times.

So let’s begin, shall we?

The Retcon created a Timeline where everyone’s struggles had been solved, and the characters in it were vastly different from how they used to be.

This one is sincerely one of my biggest Pet Peeves, and I’ve talked about it partially before. A general consensus is that the Retconned Timeline solved every single key problem the Characters on the Meteor had, destroyed Character Development shown for those Characters, and thus, created versions of themselves that were vastly different. Vriska planted herself as a Miracle Solved and everyone lived Happily Ever After.

Except this really is not the case, at all. Vriska’s presence was ultimately extremely useful to disable Jade without killing her. For everyone else, no problems are fixed, and the conception that they do is, I feel, a heavy misunderstanding of what the characters actually struggle with. Let’s go one by one.

Rose and Alcoholism

This is a major one because we see Vriska literally smack a glass right off of Rose’s hand and slam it. Many people don’t even know why Vriska would do something like that, but they just straight up assume this deterred Rose from getting drunk, and instantly fixed every problem she ever had. This is an awful misreading of where Rose’s true problems lie.

“ROSE: And it was all mixed up with feelings of conflict and remorse over my mother.

ROSE: I sort of ran with it too? ROSE: The habit, I mean. For a while at least. ROSE: I was still distraught about losing her. And wanted to understand her. ROSE: To connect with her, in some way. And I guess that was the only idea I had.“

“ROSE: This almost makes it official. ROSE: I have no comprehensible path. There's nothing to overcome, no lesson to learn, no cathartic light at the end of this preposterous tunnel. ROSE: Not for me, at least! ROSE: I seriously have the DUMBEST arc anyone could conceivably imagine.“

“ROSE: I think my quest was fundamentally bound to the nature of this land, which was customized to the profile, needs, and potential for growth of a thirteen year-old girl. ROSE: But I'm not that person anymore. ROSE: What if I ROSE: What if I just ROSE: Didn't bother doing it? ROSE: Like, ever? ROSE: Would anyone notice my dereliction? ROSE: Would the powers that be strike me down where I loaf? ROSE: What if I just said fuck it?“

“DAVE: she sees this quest all neatly laid out for her wrapped in a bow DAVE: fuck it even looks like its made for little kids with like pink turtles and rainbows and shit DAVE: like here you go princess its babys first quest DAVE: almost like it was designed to piss her off DAVE: sburb says here, self improvement delineated and made comprehensible enjoy your cookie cutter odyssey DAVE: so because shes rose she goes no fuck my quest DAVE: literally starts wrecking shit DAVE: and maybe that itself was always her quest“

Rose’s problems aren’t with Alcoholism. They’re with her regret over her Mother, what she has Done up until this point, and her Purpose to the overall story she finds herself in. Alcohol is a way for her to ‘connect’ with her deceased mother, to prepare herself to meet Roxy, and at the same time, to take a weight off her shoulders, to not have to Think about what she’s supposed to do. She’s stressed, anxious and has severe doubts about her Self. Vriska just wanted a functional Seer for the Upcoming Battle, but this underlying unease that’s what drove her to Alcoholism in the first place is not gone.

Terezi and Gamzee

Post-Retcon, Terezi never gets together with Gamzee. Vriska keeps her in check as her Moirail, Gamzee is tied up and suppressed, she never falls for his abuse, nor does she unblind herself. However if you think this solves Terezi’s problems in the slightest I don’t know what to tell you, really.

“GC: 1 DON'T KNOW WH4T 1S WRONG W1TH M3 GC: TH4T 1 C4N'T JUST S4Y STUFF L1K3 TH4T, D1R3CTLY TO P3OPL3 GC: TH3Y C3RT41NLY DON'T 4PP34R TO H4V3 TH4T PROBL3M

GC: 1 W4S JUST P1SS3D 4BOUT YOUR 4TT1TUD3 OF C3RT41NTY GC: 4ND 4NGRY 4T MYS3LF FOR NOT H4V1NG 1T GC: 1 TH1NK 1T'S SOM3TH1NG 1 N33D3D 1N MY L1F3 GC: 3V3N 1F 1T C4M3 FROM SOM3ON3 3LS3

GC: 1 N3V3R F3LT WHOL3 GC: 1 ST1LL DON'T GC: 4ND YOU M4D3 1T SO 1 D1DN'T H4V3 TO F4C3 TH4T F33L1NG GC: FOR 4 WH1L3 4T L34ST GC: 4ND NOW TH4T 1 TH1NK 1 KNOW TH1S 4BOUT MYS3LF GC: 1 TH1NK 1 G3T 1T GC: TH3 F33L1NG W1LL PROB4BLY N3V3R GO 4W4Y GC: ONLY COV3R3D UP 4T MOST, M4YB3 GC: W3 COULD W1N TH1S F1GHT GC: CR34T3 4NOTH3R UN1V3RS3 GC: SUCC33D 1N 3V3RY W4Y POSS1BL3 GC: 4ND 1'LL ST1LL F33L 1NCOMPL3T3“

“TEREZI: OH PL34S3 TEREZI: WH4T COULD YOU POSS1BLY N33D M3 FOR?

TEREZI: 1 DONT TH1NK 1 W1LL B3 V3RY US3FUL

TEREZI: 1 DONT H4V3 MUCH TO OFF3R 3V3N ON MY B3ST D4Y”

Just like Rose’s issues, Terezi’s run deeper than just her getting together with Gamzee and ‘fixing’ her blindness. It’s a deep insecurity about herself, which exists there both Pre and Post Retcon, and being with Vriska is but a Temporary Fix. She needs to experience what Game Over Terezi did in order to even bring herself to join the final fight, and even after that, she still goes to track after Vriska, after everything is done.

Karkat, Relationships, Leadership.

So, Dave and Karkat get together in the Post Retcon Timeline, so there’s no Relationship Drama with Terezi, and Vriska takes over the Meteor’s leadership, leaving Karkat to chill. This seems uncharacteristic of him, even, except that, of course, he doesn’t just give up to his role as a Leader.

“KARKAT: WOW! HAHA, HA, HAHAHAHA! ME LEADER?? TOO FUNNY! KARKAT: I AM ENTIRELY AND SINGULARLY BAFFLED THAT IT COULD STILL EVEN *OCCUR* TO ANYONE TO ENTERTAIN THE NOTION THAT I MIGHT STILL BE PLAYING *ANY* ROLE EVEN WITHIN SNIFFING ORBIT OF A LEADERSHIP POSITION OF THIS RIDICULOUS PARTY. KARKAT: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I DID *ANYTHING* OF A LEADER-LIKE NATURE, WITHOUT BEING TRUMPED BY VRISKA'S MACHIAVELLIAN LIMELIGHT GLUTTONY? KARKAT: OR FOR THAT MATTER, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THERE WAS ACTUALLY ANYTHING LEADERY *TO* DO, THAT DIDN'T INVOLVE SNUGGLING UP ON THE COUCH TO WATCH "GOOD LUCK CHUCK" FOR THE FIVE HUNDREDTH TIME?! KARKAT: I HAVE SERIOUSLY JUST BEEN ASSUMING HER COMPLETE TAKEOVER OF ALL LEADERSHIP DUTIES WAS SOME FAIT ACCOMPLI SHIT FOR THREE SOLID YEARS, AND HAVE SINCE BEEN ENJOYING THE PEACE AND QUIET OF ZERO RESPONSIBILITIES, WHICH IS WHY QUITE FRANKLY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP MY BLOOD PRESSURE DOWN, AND NOW RESEMBLE THE LIVING EMBODIMENT OF PEACE AND FUCKING TRANQUILITY WHICH PRESENTLY BASKS BEFORE YOU IN A STATE OF FROTHING, EUPHORIA-HOBBLED TURDVANA!!!!!!!!“

He’s extremely obviously bitter about being left out of the loop, and hurt about not being the Leader anymore. He jumps at the opportunity to go beat Lord English up without a second thought, and leads the initial charge, which doesn’t end exactly well for him. Echidna does, however, imply that Karkat will have an important part in actually leading the new Troll Civilization. Karkat is not the best leader when it comes to a War-like battle scenario- But if his conversation with Terezi after finding her Unblinded is anything to go by, he’s a great Emotional Leader. Even Pre-Retcon where all the Problems Happened and there was Terezi Drama, he provided support to her and got along with Dave, even if it took a little while. Being cast from his position as a Leader Frustrates him heavily, and digs deeper into the Doubt he displayed after he started having the realization that the Cancer was his fault. He’s frustrated, more impulsive than before, and even though he has Dave to back him up, it’s still tough.

Dave. Just. Dave.

Honestly, there’s not much of a difference between Game Over and Post Retcon Dave, is there? He’s dating Karkat, sure, but there’s not much else. If anything, the major difference comes later on, with the Dogfight vs the Jackfight. We learn from his talk with Dirk about his hatred for Bro, his dislike for fighting, the sound of metal, the sight of blood. His hatred of Heroism because of him, and it ties well to him not wanting to use his Time Powers or Fight Jade- Training him to become stronger, Grimbark Jade basically wanted to do the same to him as Bro had been doing since he was born. But he does grab his weapon- When he knows he can bring Jade back, if he just snatches her away from the Dogs. This leads to his Death. On the other hand, though, when he fights the Jacks, he has managed to actually have a Heart-to-Heart with Dirk, and vent about everything that’s been tormenting him. This fight, too, ends with him breaking the Unbreakable Katana and Decapitating Dirk, before warping him away from the fight so he could be put back together by Jane afterwards. There’s a Catharsis for Dave, but as he tells Dirk, it’ll probably just keep building back up for a few years before needing a feels jam again. He got enough of a resolution, but his problems weren’t gone, and even if they were gone, they’re not gone by the nature of the Retcon, rather, by the nature of Meeting Dirk, which he was actively prevented from doing so in the Game Over Timeline. This is a development we also see on-screen, so there can’t be much of a complaint about it, right?

Kanaya

Without Rose Drunk and with Gamzee restrained, Kanaya’s focus post-Retcon returns to the Matriorb and rebuilding Troll Civilization. This is a tricky one, because you could say that Vriska did help Kanaya with this, and it is true that, by proxy, Kanaya didn’t have to do as much in the Meteor. But, these aren’t her Problems, rather they are things she helped with, and furthermore the presence of Vriska in general poses a problem for Kanaya. Still bitter about her old Red Crush on her, and with her being Meddlesome and butting in on her and Rose, she expresses explicit distaste when talking to her. Vriska is just up in everyone’s business and being a nuisance more than she’s an actual help. As for the Matriorb, well, with the issues leading up to Game Over they didn’t even have the possibility to focus on Troll Repopulation, so it’s a thing that’s brought up exclusively in the Post-Retcon Timeline. This is solved effortlessly, which actually brings new thoughts and issues to the table!

“KANAYA: So Instead Of All That KANAYA: Its Just KANAYA: Handed To Me KANAYA: Like A Nice Present ROXY: yes KANAYA: I Dont Know What To Say KANAYA: This Changes So Much KANAYA: About Everything I Thought I Had To Do”

Kanaya suddenly isn’t as sure about fighting, with the responsibility she suddenly has- Yet Roxy encourages her to go take down Condy. This is paralleled by Davepeta telling Jade to just do what she wants to do! But more on this later.

Vriska vs (Vriska)

The hottest topic of the Retcon. Vriska’s Character Development is absolutely ruined by her being brought back, and you know what? I do agree with this! But that’s the thing though- I think this is good? Like. A lot of people complain about Vriska coming back and fixing everyone’s problems and being glorified, but as I’ve just displayed up above, Vriska is anything but Glorified. She’s forced everyone to do what she wants without actually solving any problem, she’s pushy, she’s cocky, and then we have a literal confrontation between her and (Vriska)...

“VRISKA: 8e quiet. I'm talking. VRISKA: Look at you. VRISKA: Just looooooook at you. VRISKA: How completely pathetic. (VRISKA): What? (VRISKA): What's your pro8lem?! VRISKA: My pro8lem is you make me fucking sick. “

“(VRISKA): I'm not a loser though! (VRISKA): I LIKE who I've 8ecome. (VRISKA): I actually feel happy and good a8out my life for the first time in... may8e forever?? (VRISKA): Like, ACTUALLY good a8out my life in a way that feels real, instead of forced. Don't you realize that's what it was like for us? VRISKA: You don't have a life! VRISKA: You're DEAD, remem8er?”

The Vriska vs (Vriska) interaction is one of my favorite parts of the entire Webcomic, because we have the Cocky Vriska that never actually developed positively, facing the Vriska that actually did have personal growth. Furthermore, neither the Plan to fight in the Session goes as she planned, nor does she gather the Army, or even lead it for most of the part, and ultimately her contribution to the Final Fight is to literally open the Juju Chest. She Steals the Spotlight, and the only ones to actually glorify this are the people in the Fandom. Everyone else within the story actually suffers more than they are actively helped by Vriska’s Actions, and that is what makes me absolutely love her leading towards the Ending. She’s the Savior Figure that comes back from the Dead to fix everything stereotype, except she actually barely fixes anything, and is an actively toxic force for most of the characters. Meanwhile (Vriska), after Aranea leaves them, actually does introspection about what she’d been doing and positively changes, culminating with a reunion with GO! Terezi. That is the culmination of Vriska’s Character Arc, Terezi Remem8er, and Vriska going for Lord English is ultimately detrimental for her Character. You can dislike that Vriska’s character ended up like that, but that’s the thing, saying that’s a bad part of the story is subjective, because it’s the obvious intention of the story to display this duality between Vriska and (Vriska)!

Not only that, but all I’ve said about these characters, about Pre vs Post Retcon, is entirely taken from canon statements by the Characters, straight up saying their problems in one way or another, and by the way their actions shape the stories. Both Pre and Post Scratch display the effects of the Characters’ deeper issues in different situations, how they cope with them and how they work towards solving them. You know why they all seem to fix their issues more Post-Retcon than Pre-Retcon? Because they don’t Die. It’s not that they’re even that differently developed, they simply get further. Rose was already talking to Kanaya about her issues before Game Over, Terezi was working towards fixing things and ultimately led to John’s Retcon Quest, they had different issues, stemming from the same main struggles, and that did not change at all.

I’d like to close this section with a quote by Hussie on Character Writing.

“I think writing in voice is pretty simple. It's mostly about consistency. Choosing a set of parameters and committing to them absolutely. [...] The advantage in being so obstinate with the profile you choose is then any deviation you make will be very noticeable. This is to your advantage, if you can control these deviations with purpose and precision."

And honestly? Dave still feels like Dave. Rose still feels like Rose. Terezi still feels like Terezi. The deviation from their core character is minor, and these deviations are, in turn, explored and talked about with their interactions, putting some context to what they’re doing and what they’re striving for. Honestly, I feel a lot of the issues with Game Over and the Post-Retcon Timeline come from the fact they were the... Post-Gigapause Updates, and a lot of people just forgot a lot of stuff. But let’s move on, this first section has gone on for WAY TOO LONG.

Act 7 wasn’t a satisfying conclusion to the story. Plot Threads and Character Arcs were dropped entirely, and everything was left incredibly ambiguous.

Let’s start this by pointing something out: Act 7 wasn’t actually the End of Homestuck. One of the reasons Act 7 might feel bad is the fact that a lot of things aren’t solved. And that’s alright, because Act 7 isn’t the Ending of the Characters’ Stories, nor is it the end of everything that happens. Act 7 is the culmination of Calliope’s purpose, the Finale brought to Lord English’ Alpha Timeline, and the Ending of the SBURB Session the Kids have played. Hell- The Credits, without even going to the Post-Canon Snapchat Updates, shows us that there’s still obviously more going on. Terezi is still looking for Vriska, Aradia, Sollux and Davepeta are missing too, John is depressed because he has nothing to do, Caliborn is being an asshole through Snapchat occasionally.

The thing is that a lot of Plot Threads weren’t actually solved in Act 7, rather they were solved before Act 7, sometimes even extremely unceremoniously, like with Caliborn’s Masterpiece. And most important events in Homestuck? We’ve actually seen how they begin, and how they end. There’s ambiguity in the way you go from point A to point B, as well as some Timeline Weirdness with some things, again, like Caliborn’s Masterpiece.

Additionally, a few things about the Final Battle, the fate of Vriska and Lord English and Paradox Space, have been left ambiguous, and this is not unintentional. You may dislike ambiguous endings, and that’s honestly, perfectly okay? The ambiguity, or the ‘anticlimax’, you can dislike it, but the spite held against the Ending is, mostly, subjective tastes?

This however, doesn’t even touch one of the most important things about the Ending, and that is, that we don’t have the Epilogue yet. We’ve been left with nearly the whole picture, nearly the whole Puzzle of Homestuck, laid out before our eyes, and there are still some pieces missing that could come from the Epilogue! But even without it, I do believe we have enough pieces to put most of the picture together, enough that the rest of holes becomes sort of, obvious, or easy to interpret in different ways? The Epilogue could offer closure to the things we don’t know about, but what I’ve seen around, mostly, is that instead of trying to give closure to these open questions about the story, people have rather resorted to getting angry at the whole of the comic! This is, really, the aggravating attitude that’s made me make this post in the first place trying to debunk some of the more popular Ending Criticism. If you have any specific ‘We don’t know how this happened!’ question, feel free to send me an Ask and we can talk about it! In fact, let me answer to one of those Asks right now.

“What happened to LE?” Unless the Epilogue does pull a switcheroo, the Ending obviously assumes he has been defeated. The symbolism of the Treasure taking the shape of a Cueball and LE’s eyes becoming 8-Balls, with the Breach as the ‘Pocket’ certainly implies he’s been cast into the Black Hole, but there could’ve been more of a fight! Does the Treasure open to free the Souls of the Kids? Does it just Attack Him? That is something that’s left up to the imagination at the very least until the Epilogue happens, and instead we’re left with the image of the Kids Happy on Earth-C- It doesn’t quite matter how he’s defeated, because we know that he has been defeated, and the Kids are living happily post-ending. This could change in the Epilogue, yes, but if it does change, then we’ll have more of the story to go, which will mean that wasn’t the True Ending to begin with, yet still leaving us with the tools to build an actual Happy True Ending. That is the beauty of ambiguity in a story when you DO have the pieces to build what happens until the story continues post-canon!

“Does caliborn still turn into LE?” He needs to do so to become Lord English, however the Masterpiece also implies the possibility of our Caliborn and the Caliborn that becomes Lord English being two different Caliborns. This is, again, left ambiguous in the same way LE’s defeat is. We do know he HAS to become LE, and we also KNOW how he becomes LE. But then the seed of doubt is planted- Is it the same Caliborn? And that is how speculation, talk and theories about the Ending spark, still giving a satisfying conclusion because we know it has to happen somehow, but leaving us to ponder about the specifics, without holding back on important pieces of information that we NEED to know.

“Where’s Vriska?” That’s what Terezi is trying to find, and it’ll likely be one of the main points of the Epilogue. The fact she’s still looking for her however, implies that she’s been missing for over three years. She has accomplished what she went out to do, defeat Lord English. Now the question is, will she come back and redeem herself? Or did she fall with Lord English into the Breach, as a Karmic Retribution of all the bad things she has done? Does she deserve the same Fate as the Villain? Or is there still hope for her? For a character as controversial as Vriska, I honestly love that her fate has been left ambiguous so far.

As for Gamzee, I mean he’s extremely devout to LE and he’s fated to become part of him, granting him a Plot Shield. We do know why he’s so hard to kill, and we also know exactly in what way he ends up becoming part of LE. There’s some weird things left Ambiguous, like his Ghosts, but even that it’s speculation that doesn’t necessarily influence the Ending Result.

As I mentioned above? We have most of the Puzzle Pieces, and the ones we don’t have are intentionally left out for us to fill the hole with our own headcanons and theories. I can’t think of any important thing we don’t see the origin or result of, leaving just certain bits in between to the speculation.

But some of the Characters had their Arcs Dropped, didn’t have their problems solved, or were shafted entirely by the story.

Here we start to get into more messy territory with the Criticism Endings, because rather than misunderstanding, a lot of these are opinions! For example, I do agree I would’ve loved seeing some more Jane towards the ending. However I really don’t think anyone was ‘shafted’ by the story. In fact, I’ve heard people mention how Davepetasprite and Jasprosesprite were, somehow, attempts at reducing the amount of characters towards the ending, and like...

What? So you’re saying reducing the amount of characters towards the ending is accomplished... By making new Characters that present us with really interesting nuances and takes on the world of Homestuck? Are you sure about that? Hell, if Hussie really wanted to reduce the amount of characters, he would’ve killed off every Sprite Pre-Retcon, and not brought Rose back from where Roxy buried her. Were Davepeta and Jasprose afterthoughts that weren’t planned? Purrhaps. But they add onto the story, they are not an attempt to reduce anything. That being said, a lot of people that say this also call the Ending ‘rushed’, somehow. Listen buddy, you can’t simply. Rush something like the Ending of Homestuck. It took way too much time to make for it to not be completely premeditated.

A lot of characters, too, have more Depth to their Arcs than people give Hussie credit for, and while they do suffer or while they don’t interact with someone else as much as other people may, that doesn’t mean they are shafted by the story.

But let’s do this one at a time. Let’s begin with Dead Characters, and just let me say that, straight up, having everyone survive at the end wouldn’t have been as satisfying as you may think. Could Equius have learned to stand up for himself? Could Feferi have done more? Yeah, sure. Could the Dancestors have been more developed? That’s also true! But Death and Conflict happen in Homestuck, and you cannot give every character an equal amount of attention. Furthermore, expecting every character to develop positively is also unrealistic and, honestly, bad? The Trickster Arc is a parody of this, in fact, an accomplishment of the innermost desire of have your problems go away, share everything you want to share and just do everything you want! That problem-less happiness for everyone feels forced and uncanny, having everyone come back happily and develop positively would be worse than having some of them die off. The Dancestors, too, are precisely the way they are as examples of stagnant Character Development. Even Aranea and Meenah, which are the most developed of the Dancestors, follow this same tend. Meenah mentions how Aranea acting the way she did is not unlike the stuff she always did, and Meenah struggles with the fact that she cannot change the way she is, and follows after Vriska and not (Vriska) because it’s in her nature to Do Shit. It’s fun to write about further development and AUs! But in the canonical story of the magnitude and with the themes Homestuck touches, you simply can’t develop them all equally and positively. And while they could’ve been given more screen time, also, well. With so many characters it becomes hard to balance time and interactions.

Jade is another character that many feel was shafted by the story, but honestly this is not true? She suffered the 3 Years on the Prospit Ship and Struggled with her nature as a Space Player and what she was supposed to do- Just like most characters struggled with something. And in the end? Against what she thought Paradox Space had stored for her? She woke up happily to a letter by Dave about missing her. She tried to pacify her dogs and played with them the way she wanted rather than being put to sleep or fighting them. She did what she wanted to do, not what she thought she was ‘supposed’ to be doing.

Jake is also a very complex character towards the ending. His insecurities are pushed on him over and over until he nearly gives up his friends- Note, this is the boy that died to protect Jane without a second thought in the Game Over Timeline. Vriska pushes his insecurities and Tavros really doesn’t quite help at all. And in the End? He manages to prove himself to not be a useless fuck-up by defeating the most amount of villains in the Final Battle, rising victorious on top of a pile of defeated, Time-Warping, Meddlesome Felt Members. The task Vriska had given to him as she thought was the least important, and that happened to be one of the most difficult battles without a single doubt. Here, I would’ve personally liked to see more dialog about Jake finding out more self worth? But the sweet reunion with everyone else and with Dirk leading to Act 7, and the return of his Adventurer Persona by the Credits still expose development.

Jane is also mentioned to have been shafted at times. I would’ve loved to see her hug Dad when they reunited, but I’d say we got even more with her clinging to him in Earth-C during Act 7. Other than that, though? One of the things Jane has suffered for the most in the comic is being repressed and controlled. Condy, Jake shoving her in a more than desirable situation for her... However, her meeting with Jade and Callie bring some excitement and fun after being Mind-Controlled for a long time, and her encounter with Nannasprite reinvigorates her with confidence about being a Heroine herself, leading to the final Battle where she proves to be both a powerful healer and aggressor! And by the end, not only is she finally able to do what she wants, she takes over Crockercorp to make it her company as she wanted, and ends up with two lovely Girlfriends.

Indeed, there could be more to them, there could be more dialog, more is better after all! But I don’t think their Arcs are cut short, nor that they’re shafted by the story. Rather they showcase different struggles with reality and with themselves, that they need to overcome? And as Dave told us, Humans don’t have Character Arcs. They build up confidence towards the Final Battle to finish everything, to win the game together, and then they reunite one last time before passing into the New World. And here they will still have problems, for sure. But at the very least, the Game is finished, and they can leave behind a very unpleasant stage in their lives. Jade was Isolated, Jane was Corrupted, Jake was shamed, but in the end they reunited again, made amends where they needed to, and continue their lives with their unique sets of nuances and problems. John and Terezi, which are given some of the most development, are the two that end the most unhappy, in fact, with John having no purpose anymore and falling to depression, and Terezi obsessively chasing after Vriska still, but this doesn’t mean John’s character was ‘shafted’. His friends still encourage him, Jade still wants to visit him for his Birthday, everyone misses Terezi, they have each other and they all love each other, but internal struggles continue. As the Trickster Arc taught us, it’s something to work on, progressively, not suddenly have it all be fixed, and going through a bit of suffering to reach a happy end doesn’t mean being shafted, either.

The story conveys what it wants to convey with the characters. Whether you agree with what they convey, or if you’d want there to be more about them, now that’s an entirely different can of worms, and that’s why Fanfiction exists and why you’re not only allowed, but encouraged to give your take on the characters and the story!

The problem with the Ending is that it tried something the Story wasn’t. The ‘Meta’ elements, the ‘Symbolism’, it’s cool, but ultimately feels tacked on/Wasn’t conveyed properly through the story, and as such, made the ending feel bad.

This is honestly one of the criticisms I dislike the most about Homestuck when people talk about the Ending, when people say that Hussie didn’t convey his intent, and trying to make the Ending more Meta is detrimental to the Story as a whole and what ‘got the fans there in the first place’, or the thought that somehow more Meta elements and actual Storytelling can’t coexist.

You can definitely not enjoy thinking deeper about a story! If you just want to check out something different and not dig deeper into the content, that’s absolutely okay! However, I’m sorry, but that is not the kind of story Homestuck is. This is a story that’s been acclaimed by the Fandom for its complexity and its weirdness, and now you’re telling me that the thing you dislike about the ending is that it’s weird and makes you think about the story? That’s paradoxical on its own. But let’s leave that behind. Whether you enjoy the more Meta aspect of stories or if you prefer a story one way or another, it’s all subjective. Let’s go to the main point here.

Hussie. Didn’t convey the kind of story it was? And it’s a disservice to the Fandom to have the Ending be something you have to dig in deeper to understand? Honestly, I don’t even know what to say about this, because this is not even like subjective opinion or disliking the ending, this is a complete misreading of the Canon, of the way the story Explicitly tells us how things work. You can interpret a lot of things in Homestuck in different ways- But you cannot say that there’s nothing to interpret and the Ending is bad because it pretends there is.

This is the story that the Author himself has called both a Creation Myth- Explicitly telling us the point of the story is a tale about Reality and living in this Reality, with explicit in-comic talk about the place people have in a Universe with Predetermination, Existential Struggles of just about everyone. This is the story the Author called “A story that is also a Puzzle”- Inviting us to read through the story while providing some deeper bits of lore we could piece together to get a wider image of what truly is behind Homestuck. This is a story where the Author himself is a Character- Miss me with the ‘not Meta’ stuff, Hussie is a character, explicitly, in-comic, that affects the story extremely directly. Jade escapes literally through the Fourth Wall. Caliborn takes over the literal narrative of the setting. Homestuck acknowledges itself as a story multiple times.

You can dislike this. You can absolutely dislike this, it’s a preference, but call it what it is, you just not enjoying this kind of story, or not enjoying the direction the narrative took in general compared to your expectations. The intent and symbolism of the comic is exposed, canonically, pretty blatantly, and even more blatantly by word-of-god with Hussie’s old Formspring and Tumblr answers, and I bet it will be even more blatant as the new Books with Commentary come out.

By blaming Hussie and the Comic on your general interest in the deeper themes of the narrative, you’re outright misinterpreting Authorial Intent in order to make you feel better about not understanding a story, and at the same time, refusing to even give it a second thought! You’ve reached the Ending, so I’m assuming this a story you enjoyed. If you enjoy it, do you really want to just walk bitterly away without giving it a chance?

That’s yet ANOTHER thing I don’t quite understand about this kind of criticism, and it is... Okay, you get to the Ending, and are disappointed that a lot of stuff you wanted to see happen didn’t happen, but- And this is not as true anymore, but back during the Act 7 Days, there was militant dislike about the Ending to the point of saying it ruined the rest of the story? It honestly feels extremely childish that an Open End to a story as complex as Homestuck could make you hate the entire story instead of wanting to know more about it, to see if you missed something else!

I sincerely do believe that a lot of people just dragged themselves through the Ending because it was an old Fandom they were in and they wanted to see how it ended, but just weren’t invested in the story anymore at that point, so they went in remembering and taking the shallow details, leaving the depth behind, and then were disappointed when their own lack of interest sabotaged their view of the comic.

Homestuck is dense, it is a Story with a ton of Symbolism and a lot of weird themes, but it’s also incredibly charming with its narrative and its characters. And for that, I am not saying that ‘You SHOULD enjoy the Ending, god dammit!’. I’m not saying that at all. As I’ve said multiple times, you can dislike Symbology in Stories, you can dislike the directions the Story took, you can dislike anything about the comic itself!

But do understand, when you give criticism of the Ending, try not to tangle actual criticism about the Story or the Narrative with Subjective Opinions. You can say you dislike how dark Blade Runner is, but you can’t say Blade Runner is a bad movie because it’s dark.

So if you don’t like Act 7, more power to you. But if you prefer to have something you apparently enjoy enough to have gone through it to the ending, ruined by your headcanons, and leave you bitter instead of seeing if there’s something more to the story or if there was something you missed, well. I feel that’s a little bit silly?

But whether you enjoy the Ending and want to dig deeper into the story and what actually happens in Homestuck, or you think I’m just a dumb fangirl reading too much into a dumb Webcomic and would like to tell me, feel free to send me an ask! I sincerely do enjoy debating about the Comic and what happens in it as long as it’s done in a civilized manner.

Thanks for Playing.

#Homestuck #Homestuck Ending #Upd8 #Act 7 #Rapture #Epilogue #Credits #HSE

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a-splash-of-stucky · 7 years

Text

I Know This Game | Ten

Pairings: Bucky x Foster!Reader

Summary: One year later.

Warnings: Talk of depression and mental health issues. Angst (it’s mild, I promise). Implied sexual content.

Notes: Takes place exactly one year after the events in Chapter 9. I think we all secretly wanted this ending to happen? No? Just me? Okay, well, enjoy it anyway. Title from ‘Hopeless’ by Halsey.

IKTG Masterlist

Today is a momentous day.

That thought has been running through your head on a continuous loop, like a song stuck on repeat.

You’re up to your eye-balls in work, but your concentration is broken when the door to your office creaks open and Maria steps in, a stack of folders in the crook of one arm, a mug of tea in her other hand. Leaning back in your chair, you stretch your arms over your head to work out the kinks in your shoulders.

“Dr Strange has just left. He asked for me to pass these to you,” Maria says, as she places the folders in front of you and sets the mug on your floral coaster. “Dr Cho is finishing in about five minutes,”. Her demeanour is brusque as always as she relays messages and updates from your colleagues.

It’s a scene that takes place at the end of everyday, something so routine that you know exactly how many steps Maria will take from the door to your desk. But today, something feels off, different.

Or maybe, that’s just you.

“Thanks, Maria,” you murmur absentmindedly, “I don’t need anything else from you today, so if Helen’s got nothing for you either, then you can clock off for the night,”. Maria nods curtly, then pivots on her heel and stalks out through your door.

How funny. You remember her executing that same move -- with the same level of calculated precision, of course -- a year ago.

You take a sip of your tea and marvel at how drastically your professional life has changed in the last year. Such changes are not just limited your work, obviously; every aspect of your life has undergone significant changes in the last few months, but you’re especially proud of the journey your professional life has taken. You’re no longer the person you used to be. Things have changed for the better, and you can’t help but note how starkly opposed your present- and past-selves are.

For one thing, you’ve taken on more responsibilities within your clinic. Your practice has come far in the last year, gaining recognition as an excellent rehabilitation resource for war veterans. Due to the influx of patients clamouring to see you, not to mention the variety of traumas they’ve experienced, you’ve been forced to employ more specialised personnel.

Your first hire was Dr Stephen Strange, an arrogant bastard who you’ve grudgingly come to accept as a colleague. On occasion, his cock-sure attitude, condescending way of talking and snide remarks still grate on your nerves, but he is, undoubtedly, gifted at his craft. Strange is a physical therapist, working with patients that have sustained traumatic physical injuries. He may not be the nicest of people to work with, but he is an excellent physiotherapist, so you’re willing to retain some semblance of professionalism around him.

Dr Helen Cho, by contrast, is far more likeable, and, though you wouldn’t exactly call her a friend, she is most definitely more than just a colleague; a true pleasure to be around. Helen runs a group therapy session once a day, aimed at veterans who are seeking help, but are not yet brave enough to see a doctor on their own. She is an expert in up-and-coming alternative treatments to PTSD, and absolutely skilled in her field of work.

With a sigh, you flip through the stack of folders, dreading the task of inputting these notes into your digital archives. Paperwork can wait until tomorrow, you decide. It’s not like you’re going to get anything done right now, anyway, not with the butterflies in your stomach fluttering around as restlessly as they currently are. You pack up your things, switch off the lights in your office, then wave cheery goodbye to Maria on your way out.

—————————

The train, as per usual, arrives five minutes late. Because you’ve left the clinic a little earlier than normal, you’ve managed to avoid the worst of the rush hour and — bonus — snagged a seat for yourself. It’s about a twenty minute ride back to your station, so you settle in, lean your head against the window and shut your eyes, hoping that maybe you can doze off for a bit.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, killing that dream.

Nat: Barnes is going mad

You smile to yourself, thumb hovering over the keyboard to type an answer when, not seconds later, another message comes through.

Steve: Hope you’re coping better than he is

Bucky must have worked himself into quite the state for both Nat and Steve to text you about it.

After tapping out a quick reply to them both, you turn your phone to silent mode, then slip it back into your pocket. Now that thoughts of Nat and Steve have cropped up in your head, it’s hard to shove them away.

You recall the day you went back to the compound for the first time. You were apprehensive — understandably so. Steve was the first person to greet you and he had taken it particularly bad. He’d been your first and closest friend out of the Avengers, so of course your leave would have had a severe impact on him.

You just weren’t aware of how severe it would turn out to be.

Steve had practically thrown himself at your feet, wrapped his gangly arms around your legs and sobbed his heart out. He blubbered a thousand apologies as you clumsily stroked his hair, trying to get him to calm down. It was quite the shock to see the normally-composed Cap tear down his barriers so publicly, letting his vulnerabilities show. You’d been overwhelmed.

Tony, of course, had tried inject humour into the situation — you distinctly remember him calling Steve a ‘melting Capsicle’ — to no avail. Even Sam had looked pretty taken aback by Steve’s rare display of raw emotion. But, Steve’s breakdown encouraged everyone on the team to come clean with you, and apologies were said all around.

Later that day, you and Natasha had a long chat with each other. She apologised for her role in deceiving you, and you apologised for ever thinking about her in a negative light. Nat was also quick to assure you that Bucky had never done anything sexual with her whilst you were in a relationship with him.

The whole day had been surreal, to say the least.

It had been difficult, initially, trying to find your place within the group once you’d unearthed their big secret. Things had been awkward, conversations had been stilted, and for a while, it seemed as if there was no way you could ever regain the closeness that you once had. But, over time, you patched up the canvas that held you all together, weaving new threads of friendship, one memory at a time.

Though you keep in contact with the team, you make a point to not see them too often. You update them of new developments in your life, even join them for a movie night every now and then, but keep your distance besides that. These last twelve months have been a journey of self-discovery, a year for you to become a stronger, more in dependent woman.

Nat teasingly called it your year of self-love. The phrase has been truer in more ways than one; not being in a relationship means that you’ve had to get…creative in taking care of your bodily needs.

One of the discoveries you made on this so-called ‘journey’ of yours is the wonderfully therapeutic act of baking. You’ve never been one to cook — let alone bake — before this, but when the hobby suggestion was given to you, you thought no harm in giving it a try. Since then, you’ve mastered an impressive array of delicacies, ranging from the humble chocolate chip cookie, to the far more extravagant mixed-berry pavlova.

Besides baking, you’ve also been making a conscious effort to take a break and relax. Your last proper holiday happened before you started working with the Avengers, so the trip you took with Jane and Darcy to Bali was well overdue. It had been nice, kicking back by the poolside or beach, drink in hand, until the sun’s rays became too hot and you had to retreat into the coolness of your villa. Entertainment was not hard to come by; an exuberant Frenchman by the name of Dernier was completely enamoured with Darcy, and you and Jane spent much of your time giggling over his efforts to ask her out on a date.

You’d also taken a spa trip with Wanda and Peggy — an all-expense-paid one, at that, courtesy of Tony Stark. It was his way of saying sorry to you. It had been a retreat filled with massages, classical music, and many an intriguing chat with the girls.

But beyond vacations and new hobbies, you’re also striving to remember to cut yourself some slack in your daily life. It’s all the little things, really, like getting a facial or manicure every now and then, going on shopping sprees with the girls, not heaping too much work onto your plate; minor lifestyle changes, that have all hugely improved your headspace.

—————————

The apartment is empty when you arrive, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, it means that you can get ready for tonight in peace. On the other hand, it means that you’ll be alone with your thoughts for longer, with no one to distract you. You head into your bedroom, strip off your clothes, dump them in the laundry hamper, then jump into the shower.

You’d long ago decided not to tell anyone what your final decision would be. In part, this was because you believed that you needed to have a talk with Bucky first, before announcing the final outcome to everyone else. Mostly though, you decided to keep your musings to yourself because you’re not supposed to even have thought about the situation until today.

But of course, with you being you, you couldn’t help but dwell on the future of your relationship with Bucky for the better part of the last month. A lot of deliberation has gone into planning your next step; you’ve had many a long-distance phone call with Jane, and several lengthy discussions with Wanda and Peggy. Even Steve weighed in on the subject, at one point.

The thing is, there’s a lot more to consider now. You have a history with Bucky and the rest of the team. You have a practice that you can’t abandon, not when it’s just starting to pick up; it’s been your dream to open a clinic of your own ever since you completed your doctorate.

So many arrangements had been devised and discarded, in your quest to come up with the perfect solution to fit your needs. Of course, you still need to talk to Bucky to figure out how his needs fit into the equation, but you’re at least comforted by the fact that you have a solid game plan to adhere to when you see him tonight.

You haven’t seen Bucky in over two months. The two of you have been meeting sporadically over the past year. Sometimes he’ll take you out for a meal, sometimes you’ll go to the compound just to say hi. You have a chat over the phone with him once a month or so, just to catch up on things. Though you’re not as close with him as you used to be, there has never been any tension or ill-feelings between you two. What you have with Bucky is something special; even if you’ve gone weeks without talking, you can pick up right where you left off, no awkwardness or fumbling around in the process.

Bucky has kept his promise, not pushing or pressuring you to make a decision before you were ready to make one. In fact, discussion of your future, whatever it may hold, hasn’t even cropped up in a conversation — that is after all, what tonight is all about. You’re glad that Bucky has stayed true to his word; you’ve needed the last year to find your footing in the world, and that would not have been possible if you’d been in a relationship.

—————————

After swathing yourself in an enormous fluffy towel, you pad over to your closet and start rifling through your clothes, trying to decide what to wear. You’re aiming for something that is the right balance of casual and fancy, without looking like you tried too—

Wait. Why are you getting so stressed out about this? It’s only Bucky. He’s seen you looking worse.

In the end, you opt for a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt with a dark grey sweater on top. When you catch your reflection in the mirror, you laugh, realising that this outfit is not dissimilar from the one you pulled on all those months ago. To make yourself look a tad more presentable, you decide to put on a little bit of makeup.

Jane calls you just as you’re adding the finishing touches.

“Y/N!” she chirps.

“Hey Jane, what’s up?” you answer, switching the phone to speaker-mode and setting it on top of your dresser so that you can apply your lipstick.

“Just calling to wish you good luck,” she sing-songs.

You chuckle. “Thanks, I think I’m gonna need it,”.

“Nervous?” Jane teases.

“A little,” you admit, “I know it’s just Bucky, but it’s…it’s Bucky. It’s a big discussion we’re having and I—I don’t know if I’m making the right choice,”.

“Well, I’ll support you no matter what,” Jane assures you, “If it’s any consolation, I think you’re gonna do great, Y/N. You’re a stronger person than you were 365 days ago. I guess all those sessions with Dr Banner really paid off, huh?”

“Yeah, they really did,” you murmur.

After the events of the day which you and those closest to you simply refer to as R-Day (short for reveal day), you realised that perhaps talking to someone would be of benefit to you. An impartial third party, somebody who could give you an unbiased external opinion. When you resigned from your position as the Avengers’ private therapist, Dr Banner had been employed as your replacement. Pepper — somehow — found out that you were seeking psychological help for yourself and immediately referred you to him, even going as far as offering to take care of the bill.

That woman will never fail to astound you with her capacity for generosity.

Dr Banner had diagnosed you with situational depression, most likely as a result of the traumatic events of you losing Bucky and the rest of your Avengers family. In hindsight, you, as a trained professional yourself, should have recognised the symptoms; that’s a fact that Peggy continues to give your grief over. You’ve had a few meetings with Dr Banner — nothing extensive, and certainly nothing as intense as the sessions you’ve been trained to deliver — but what talks you have had with him have certainly been helpful. You feel comforted, knowing that the team is in the hands of such a capable man.

“Helloooo? Earth to Y/N? Did you even hear what I just said?” Jane asks, snapping you out of your daze.

“Huh? What? No, I didn’t get it,” you mumble distractedly.

“I said don’t freak out, just say everything that’s on your chest and things will work out fine. If you’re meant to be together, it’s going to happen,” she repeats.

“Easy for you to say,” you grumble, “You’re not the one doing the talking,”.

Jane huffs out a laugh. “I have faith in you,” she says simply, “And I also have a feeling that Bucky will accept whatever decision you make,”.

“I sure hope so,” you sigh.

“Call me afterwards, okay?”

“You got it. Bye Jane,”.

After giving yourself a once-over in the mirror one final time, you grab your purse and step out of your bedroom. Wanda is in the kitchen, work clothes still on, fixing herself a sandwich. She glances up and gives you a smile, which then turns into a small frown when she sees your outfit.

“You’re going to see him?” she asks stiffly.

You nod. “I’m just about to leave,”.

When you told Wanda and Peggy about your night in the diner, suffice it to say, they didn’t immediately believe Bucky’s story. Unlike you, they were not previously in love with him and did not have your deep understanding of his character. They’d seen you after your breakup, when you were at the lowest point in your life, and the memories from that time had left them with a bitter opinion of him. Both felt that Bucky’s story was too far-fetched.

So, in an attempt to convince Wanda and Peggy that Bucky was sincere in his apology, you’d arranged for the three of them to have lunch together. According to Bucky, who called you afterwards, it had been an intense affair, with him getting absolutely grilled by your two closest friends. He hadn’t gone into much detail, but from the slight shakiness to his voice, you could tell that the encounter had terrified him. Bucky had vowed to never get on Peggy or Wanda’s bad side ever again.

Later, Peggy had come back to the apartment and proudly announced that she’d given Bucky a tremendously forceful slap. Typical.

But since then, Peggy has become more accepting of the idea of you and Bucky potentially getting back together. Wanda still has her reservations; she’s always been the more cautious and less trusting of the two.

Now, she steps around the kitchen island and walks over to you, eyes flicking up and down, giving you an appraising glance. “You look good,”, she says, rather abruptly.

“Uh…thanks?” you reply, somewhat taken aback by her bluntness.

Wanda graces you a tiny smile. “Good luck, Y/N. I think I know what your decision might be, and I know nothing I can say will change it, but just — be sure about it, okay?”

“I’m just doing what I think is best for me,”.

“Good,” she says, “That’s all I can ask for,”.

—————————

Scott’s diner is only twenty-five minutes away from your apartment on foot, so you decide to walk it, since you’re still a little bit early, anyway.

The nerves are kicking into high-gear now, butterflies putting on a circus show in your stomach. You’ve been impatiently anticipating this hour for the last week and been an emotional wreck most of that time. In all honesty, thoughts of this day have been hovering in the back of your mind for the past few months. You’re jittery, over-excited, but most of all, nervous — anxious to discover how Bucky will react to your decision. Wondering whether or not he will accept it.

You turn a corner and there in front of you, is Scott’s diner, looking as unimposing as ever. It’s fitting that you’re meeting Bucky here — it’s a place that has significant meaning to the both of you. What’s ironic is that though you as a person have developed so dramatically in the last year, this place has not. Scott has continued to save up for the extensive renovation plans he has in mind, but money is hard to come by, so he makes do with what he has.

Bucky is already there when you arrive, sitting at the same table you sat at a year ago, dressed in jeans and grey henley with a leather jacket on top. His expression brightens when you step into the diner.

“Y/N!” he calls, standing up to greet you, pulling you into a brief hug, “It’s so good to see you,”.

Scott’s new part-time waiter, Peter, dashes over to hand you your menu as you take your seat.

“It’s great to see you too, Bucky,” you say, your lips quirking up into a gentle smile. He’s nervous, you can tell. Bucky’s hair looks like he’s raked his fingers through it a hundred times, several strands having already fallen out of his little man-bun. There’s an apprehensive flicker in his eyes.

Because today seems to be full of parallels from the past, you and Bucky opt for the exact same dishes that you got last time; him, the pancakes with a double helping of sausages, you, the chocolate chip pancakes and a strong coffee. Sure, pancakes are not exactly typical ‘dinner’ food, but then again, Vision’s pancakes are to die for.

Once Peter’s taken your order and cleared the menus, Bucky chews his lip agitatedly, fretting over what to say. You decide to be the one to break the ice.

“At least we’re talking at a more reasonable hour, this time,” you joke, trying to get a laugh out of him.

It works — the corner of his mouth crooks up into a half-smirk. “Yeah, that’s true. Funny how this place hasn’t changed, right?” Bucky asks, glancing around the diner. It’s busier than it was the last time you were here with him, though two-thirds of the tables are still unoccupied.

“I know. It’s kinda strange being back here,” you say, smiling nervously at him.

“Yeah, I—I’ve thought a lot about today, doll, but I still…well, it’s up to you, isn’t it? This is about you and me talking about…us,” Bucky trails off, voice hesitant, betraying his nerves. You have a feeling that you’re not going to perform much better yourself.

“How’re we doing this?” you ask, “I’ve got…things I want to say—,”.

“So do I,” he interjects.

“—and it’s all planned out in my head and everything, so would you like me to start?”

“Ladies first,” Bucky says, shrugging like he doesn’t care.

You snort. “That’s your attitude to everything in life,” you mutter. Then, for good measure, you add, “Sex included,”.

Bucky’s eyes widen and he bursts out laughing, shoulders shaking with mirth. You can practically see the tension leaving his system, making him more relaxed as the seconds tick by. Your heart feels uplifted, seeing him like this. Bucky scrubs a hand over his eyes, sits up a little straighter and endeavours to look at you with a solemn expression on his face.

He almost succeeds.

One glance at your face, the way you’re barely holding in laughter yourself and he loses it again, chuckling uncontrollably. You giggle with him, mostly to dissipate your giddy nerves. “It feels so weird,” you breathe, “I can’t believe we’re here, having this conversation,”.

Bucky shakes his head and clears his throat as his laughter dies down. “Go on, doll,” he urges, “What did you want to tell me?”. It’s apparent that the nerves are starting to creep back in, taunting the edges of his mind. He clasps his fingers together tightly, focusing on them, rather than you.

You take a deep, steadying breath. “Okay, well, first off, I’m going to ask you to do for me what I did for you,”.

“Which is?” he asks, arching an eyebrow inquisitively.

“To not interrupt me. This mini-speech of mine has been well-planned,” you say.

“Shit, doll,” Bucky murmurs, “You weren’t kidding about this being a proper chat, eh?”

“Nope,” you reply, “So. Do you promise?”

“Yes,” he replies immediately.

At that exact moment, Peter comes dashing over, two plates of food balancing on one arm, a tray bearing two steaming mugs of coffee in the other. With some fumbling, he manages to set everything down on the table without spilling anything, mutters something that sounds suspiciously like sorry for being a klutz, then scampers off to the kitchen, where he is less likely to drop food into diners’ laps.

The kid’s done that to you before. More times than you’d like to admit.

With the momentary interruption over, you turn your attention back to Bucky, who is stoically cutting up his pancakes, resolutely keeping his gaze trained on his fork.

You clear your throat. “Before I tell you what…what my decision is, I need you to know this,”. You pause, taking a deep breath to steel your nerves. In the silence, Bucky looks up, meeting your gaze with those unwavering, stunning eyes of his.

There’re no other eyes you’d rather look into. That’s where your home is.

“I still love you,” you blurt out.

His breathing hitches. Saying the words lifts an invisible burden from your shoulders; your chest feels lighter, somehow. You haven’t dared to say those words aloud, not even to yourself.

“Really?” Bucky asks tentatively, breathlessly, his eyes wide and wondrous.

“Yes, Bucky. Really,” you say, lightheaded and dizzy with excitement. “And I mean love love, not just ‘I care about you’ love. Romantic feelings,”.

Bucky is overjoyed, though he’s fighting to not let the emotions show on his face. You can see the flicker of optimism in his eyes though, like he’s breathed an internal sigh of relief.

It pains you to have to say the next bit.

“Don’t get your hopes up, though,” you say softly. No sooner have the words left your mouth does his expression fall, despondent. “Wait, wait!” you cry, “You haven’t heard the full story. It ends well, I promise,”.

Bucky breathes out a shaky sigh, runs his flesh fingers through his already messy hair. “Okay, doll. Continue,”.

You’re silent for a minute, picking your next words with care as you chew on a mouthful of pancake. It’s strange to have to talk to him like this. The conversations you’ve shared over the last year have been carefree and easy, amiable, almost like old times. Being forced to articulate your thoughts in such a precise manner reminds you of the last time you were in this diner having a serious talk with Bucky.

“I want to try again,” you say finally. It’s a blunt statement, but simplicity is not to be underrated in times like these. “I want to be with you again. I’m…I’m in a much better headspace than I was a year ago. I’m—a better version of myself,” you force yourself to pause, to take another calming breath. The sliver of hope has returned to Bucky’s expression, softened his features and put the sparkle back into his eyes. It is his eyes that you focus on when you next speak. “But things are going to be different this time. They have to be different, if we’re gonna make this work out, Bucky,”.

He nods enthusiastically. “Yeah. In agreement with you on that one,”.

You chew your bottom lip, then blow out a gust of air in a quick whoosh. “Okay, well, for starters, never again. Never keep secrets from me again, I don’t care how big or small they are, never again,” you say firmly. Bucky winces at your unyielding tone, but you power on despite that, because this is the requirement that matters most to you. “I want to be in on your missions, and by that I mean I want to be in the loop. I understand that you have to keep things confidential for security reasons, but you can trust me, Bucky. Besides, if the mission is a big deal for you or me, I think I have a right to know,”.

Bucky shakes his head, a mildly amused smile playing on his plump lips. “I had a feeling you would say something like this,” he admits, “You drive a tough deal, Y/N,”.

“I know,” you reply, “But it’s that or nothing, love,”.

Something is still holding him back, making him unwilling to agree with your terms. You sigh heavily. “The thing is, Bucky,” you say, tone taking on a note of tenderness, “The truth hurts, sometimes. When I—found out…yeah. It hurt me. Hurt like a bitch—,”

“Sorry,” Bucky says automatically.

You smile, “It’s okay. But you’ve got to understand my point, Bucky; the truth hurts, but secrets kill. What you and the rest of the team kept from me? It killed our relationship, my love. I’d rather not see the same thing happen a second time,”.

Bucky is nodding again, slower this time, like he’s deep in thought. “We’ll have to talk to the rest of the team about this,” he says hesitantly, “But I agree with you. Keeping you in the dark is not…it’s not a long term solution. Something needs to change,”.

Relief floods your veins. “You don’t need to worry about me blabbering,” you assure him, “One, that’s not in my nature and two, confidentiality is pretty much my entire life. Have you seen my poker face? My client face is to die for—,”

“Okay, okay,” Bucky laughs, holding a hand up to stop you, the corners of his eyes crinkling with fondness. “I believe you, doll. I get your point. I know you wouldn’t,”.

“Thank you,” you say crisply, “Now, two—,”.

“Oh, there’s more?” he teases

“There’s plenty more. Number two: My practice,”.

“Your clinic?” Bucky asks, cocking his head to the left.

“Yes. My clinic. It is…well, gaining a reputation for itself,” you admit, laughing weakly, a little shy but also proud to talk about this achievement of yours. “Truth be told, I love working there. I want to keep working there,”.

“Of course you—,”

“Which means that,” you say, raising your voice to talk over Bucky as your eyes narrow into a murderous glare, unimpressed by the interruption, “I might be back late. I might…need to bunk with Wanda and Peggy sometimes, to be closer to work. I’m not going to give up something I love just to be with you,”.

You’re reminded of a conversation you had with Jane just a few days after your break-up with Bucky. Her words echo loud and clear, despite the nervous cacophony inside your head.

“Just because the path isn’t clear, or the road is an uphill struggle, doesn’t mean that it’s not feasible. If you love two things, you should be able to have them both,”.

Bucky sighs, smiles wearily. “I know how much it means to you. And, having something that’s yours, your clinic—it’d probably do you good when I’m away on missions and such,”. He hesitates, the reluctance evident in his expression. “Maybe…maybe we can find an alternative location? One that’s a little closer to the compound? I’m sure Tony wouldn’t mind pitching in if you need money for a new space,”.

“Pitching in? He’d probably buy the whole building,” you scoff.

“True,” Bucky concedes, eyes twinkling with the effort of suppressing his laughter. “So what d’you think? Is it a possibility?”

“I’d have to consult with my colleagues, and the move wouldn’t be immediate, but I am open to the idea,” you reply, giving him a smile to soothe his anxiousness.

“Oh good,” he murmurs. A moment of silence passes as the two of you take a few more bites out of your dinner.

“On…a similar train of thought,” you begin, glancing at Bucky through your lashes to make sure that he’s listening, “We come to my next point, which is that I am not returning to be your therapist. Or, well, the team’s therapist,”.

Confusion passes over his features, eyebrows knitting together for a moment, before relaxing again. “We never expected you to,” Bucky says, “You can either be someone’s friend, or their therapist, but you can’t play both roles,”.

You arch an eyebrow, bemused. “Did Sam tell you that?”

Bucky smiles wryly, “Dr Banner, actually. He’s a good doctor. I like him,”.

“I do too,”.

“Oh yeah,” Bucky says, face lighting up with curiosity, “You’ve been seeing him, haven’t you? How’s that going?”

“It’s confidential,” you reply, winking knowingly at him.

Bucky rolls his eyes in amusement. “That all? For number three, I mean,”.

“Yes. Just the fact that I’m not being your therapist anymore,” you reply, mentally dusting your hands off as yet another requirement gets ticked off your list. The next ones are harder, so you take a moment to brace yourself internally, collecting your thoughts before you plunge forward.

“Number four is…I want to start from the beginning again,” you tell him, intently watching Bucky’s face for any indication of his thoughts. “We can’t just jump straight into where we were, what we used to be. It’s been a year and a half, Bucky — you’ve changed, I’ve changed…so doing what we used to do might not work,”

“So what’re you suggesting?” Bucky asks, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back, narrowing his eyes in doubt.

“I’m suggesting that we start all over. I’m talking dates, flowers, chocolates, the whole she-bang,”.

“Wow,” Bucky mutters, eyebrows rising in surprise, “You want to be wooed, huh?”

“With your classic forties charm, sugar,” you quip, mimicking his Brooklyn drawl. The lightness of the moment quickly evaporates when you next speak. “It also means that…I don’t want to move into the compound, just yet. I’ll explain why in a bit, but…if we’re going to be dating, in order for it to be the most authentic it can be, I think us living apart, at least initially, would be good,”.

You can see how heavily your decision weighs on him. It’s not the outcome he would have liked, that much is apparent. Your heart twinges with sympathy and you yearn to wrap your arms around Bucky and kiss the pain away.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur, your eyes downcast. It’s not enough; two words will never be enough to convey the full extent of the emotions you feel for him right now, but they are the only two words that come into your mind, the only phrase that even comes close to being adequate.

The corner of his lip twitches. “No. Don’t be,” Bucky says, “It’s—okay. I understand why you’d say that,”. He sighs, leaning back in his chair as he combs his fingers through his hair yet again. “I just—yeah. I know it’s selfish, but I was hoping you’d be ready to jump right back in,” he admits ruefully, “But I see your point. It’s…this is the rational thing to do,”.

“I’m…glad you see where I’m coming from,” you say, relief evident in your tone. This particular condition you knew would be hard for him to accept. In all honesty, you weren’t entirely sure if he would accept it. “I know it’s hard for you. But…what I have to say next is harder,”.

Bucky presses his gloved metal hand over his heart. “I have braced myself,” he says solemnly.

You smile, humoured despite the sombre situation. “Just because we’re getting back together, doesn’t mean…we’ll stay together — aww, no don’t give me that look!” you protest, as the corner of his mouth slip into a frown and a crease develops between his brows.

“Hear me out, okay? I love you,” you say, with all the conviction you can muster, “I really, really, do, with all my heart. I want to make this work, Bucky, but…me saying yes now, is not me saying ‘yes I’ll be with you forever’. Like I said, we’ve changed. It’s part of the reason why I’m not ready to move back into the compound. I want us to date for a bit, see if we’re still compatible and…take it from there,”.

A moment of silence passes.

“You’re so sensible,” Bucky chuckles, finally. There’s a note wistfulness to his voice, as if he wishes that things didn’t have to be this way. “Again, yes, I see your point. I’m so glad it’s you doing this negotiation business, doll, I just would’a stuffed things up,”.

“So…you’re agreeing to it?”

“If that’s what it takes to make you stay, I’ll do it,” he agrees, as he reaches across the table to take your hand in his. “I’ll fuckin’ pluck the moon out of the skies if that’s what you asked me to do,”.

“Don’t give me ideas,” you mutter.

Bucky tips his head, an acknowledgement that he’s heard you, but makes no further comment for a while, just circles his thumb against your wrist, expression pinched — you can only imagine what thoughts are flying through his head right now.

This is really happening, you realise. The reality of the situation is finally sinking in. This is the moment you’ve been building yourself up to. Though you’ve doubted yourself and questioned your decisions in the last few months, you know that you won’t have any regrets about this. You’re surprised by how content your are, how at peace you’re feeling.

This feels right.

This is the right decision. You’ve had your moment of doubt, but talking to Bucky has cleared the skies, blown away the dark, mysterious storm clouds hanging over your head like a bad omen.

There has been nothing you’ve felt more sure about in your entire life. This man — this gorgeous, stunning, kind-hearted soul — sitting in front of you is the person you want to be with.

He’s the person you’re meant to be with.

“Thank you,” Bucky whispers. “Thank you for coming back. I—I’ll do everything I can and more to keep you this time, okay? Remember what I said? I want you to win this game, for once in your life,”.

“Oh darling,” you breathe, “I already have,”.

--------------------------------- Condensed tags: @feelmyroarrrr @valkyeries @hollycornish @buckingoffthebed @moonbeambucky @sanjariti @in-winchester-we-trust @badassbaker @retroasgardian @lostinspace33 @waywardpumpkin @jurassicbarnes @buchonians @katielu-blog @alohabucky @sarahmatthews7 @i-should-probably-be-asleep-rn @toongtii @barnesdeservestheworld @amrita31199 @amour-quinn @ugh-supersoldiers

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagines #bucky barnes fanfic #my writing #i know this game #bucky barnes fluff #wanda maximoff x reader #jane x reader #bucky barnes angst

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ruffoverthinksthings · 7 years

Note

Can you do malvie for the ship meme?

1.Whois the most affectionate?:

Evie.

Shewas trained by her mother to shower her “future prince” with asmuch love and affection as she possibly could before starving himshortly after, so the flame of his passion wouldn’t go out, his eyewould never stray, and he wouldn’t consider something soscandalous, hurtful—and most importantly, jeopardizing to EvilQueen’s desired standard of living—as divorcing Evie, or runningaway with “some harlot” and taking all of the money andreputation with him.

Ona darker note, Mal has been reluctant to show affection to prettymuch anyone as Maleficent has been keen in her attempts to drill andbeat all the love and kindness out of her. She got better with datingBen and hanging out with their friends, but it’s hard to undosixteen years of brutally efficient conditioning.

2.Bigspoon/Little spoon?:

Malis the big spoon, Evie is the little spoon, always.

Regardlessof whether or not you subscribe to Mal getting moreFaerie/Dragon-like now that she’s getting a regular doses of magicto her system (and proper nutrition beside), Mal is incrediblyprotective of her girlfriend, and Evie is more than happy to beprotected, cuddled, and loved in such an obvious way.

3.Mostcommon argument?:

WhatMal is wearing, especially to public events in their adulthood. Mal’smost common complaint is “But you picked this out for me!” iscountered with “I have a better idea!”

4.Favoritenon-sexual activity?:

Casuallymaking up insults and comebacks for the people that still haven’tgotten used to VKs being productive, accepted, and contributingmembers of society. Sometimes, they do them with their friends,during playful teasing or the odd occasion where they wish to cutdown the others ego.

5.Whois most likely to carry the other?:

Mal.

Eviewill carry Mal if it’s a matter of life and death, butotherwise, Evie is more than content to be the princess being carriedoff by her lover—she may have been wearing high-heeled boots sinceshe could walk, but she still isn’t immune to the pain of wearingthem for too long.

6.Whatis their favorite feature of their partner’s?:

Mal’seyes are Evie’s favourite. Aside from the striking emerald colour,she enjoys how they light up when she’s happy, excited, or angry,and how you can tell she is not someone to be messed with from a lookalone.

Evie’sskin is Mal’s favourite. Because Evie was the only one with anyreliable access to both proper and homemade cosmetics and body careproducts, she was one of the few VK girls with almost flawless skin;she’s long been jealous of Evie for having such soft, warm, andnon-scarred and bruised skin, and now she realizes that jealousy wasfrom not being the one caressing that.

7.What’sthe first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings forthe other?:

Eviesuddenly gets suspiciously reluctant to help pick outfits out for Maland especially witness her changing clothes, because now she realizeswhy she’s so incredibly, casually touchy-feely with her, and it’snot just because the concept of personal space is pretty non-existentin the Isle.

Malgets incredibly avoidant with everything involving Evie, andfiguratively and literally runs away from her such as sleeping overfor weeks at a time with anyone who will let her in their room,trying to find some way to not be partnered with her on schoolprojects, and finding increasingly flimsy reasons to not hang outwith Evie aside from “I’m avoiding you because I’ve realizedI’m gay for you, and I don’t want to accidentally blurt thatout.”

8.Nicknames?& if so, how did they originate?:

Asidefrom “M” and “E,” there’s “Princess” for both of them,“Blue” for Evie, and “Sparky” for Mal. The last one is Mal’shabit of lighting up dark rooms and candles using her magic as amatter of convenience and flair.

9.Whoworries the most?:

Mal.

Shehas just started admitting to herself that she cares deeply aboutthese people and that she doesn’t see them as mere tools, and tosee or to think that something bad will happen to them sends her in atizzy. It doesn’t help that she’s slowly revitalizing heratrophied sense of Fairy Empathy, and she’s feeling intenseemotions after 16 years of pushing them down.

10.Whoremembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?:

Mal.

Shehas a better memory than Evie; not as infallible as Jane’s orJordan’s, but still impressive. This is both because she ishalf-Fae and because she has had to remember a lot of details andinformation for her evil schemes, both for lack of reliable writingimplements on the Isle, and to keep people from finding out thedetails and turning it against her.

11.Whotops?:

Evie.

12.Whoinitiates kisses?:

Evie.

Malloves them, and can’t get enough, but since Evie keeps making herstop functioning for minutes to hours after some particularly intensekisses, she knows better than to give in to temptation most days. Shedoesn’t stop Evie if she initiates, however, because now it’sEvie’s fault that she couldn’t do the thing she needed to do.

13.Whoreaches for the other’s hand first?:

Evie.

Again,Mal was taught and habituated to avoid all form of physical affectionand feelings for other people, to maintain the objective distancefrom people so you can use them as you should: tools.

14.Whokisses the hardest?:

Evie.

It’spart of the Evil Queen’s chief strategy—push and pull, “leavehim drowning in your love one day, leave him high and dry the next,never let him rest.”

15.Whowakes up first?:

Mal.

Evierequires her beauty sleep, and Mal is used to waking up early to keepfrom being victimized and have a headstart on all her mischief and“the good stuff” before someone else takes it.

16.Whowants to stay in bed just a little longer?:

Evie.Again with the beauty sleep, and later on, so she can cuddle with herown personal tiny space heater some more.

17.Whosays I love you first?:

Mal,surprisingly enough.

Eviehas only ever learned to say “I love you” as a means tomanipulate her exes and people to get them to do what she wants;she’s never really understood or considered ever meaning that shedoes in fact love that person.

Andbefore you ask, Mal blurted out those three magical words after Eviefinally confronted her, and demanded that she tell her just whyexactly she’s suddenly avoiding her all the time.

18.Wholeaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does itusually say?):

Evie.

“Thesecret ingredient is love, and also (list of exotic ingredients orflairs in her cooking here).”

19.Whotells their family/friends about their relationship first?:

Mal,largely because it’s easy to tell that to a lizard who’s onlycapable of communicating through a very basic text-to-speech consolewith an intentionally limited number of buttons and sentences you canmake out of them.

Itwas also easier for her, “Because I had already made myself a giantdisappointment to her once, what’s a second time?”

20.Whatdo their family/friends think of their relationship?:

Maleficentseems even more disappointed and disgusted with Mal than usual, it’shard to tell when she can’t really make facial expressions, and hasto communicate via pressing buttons with her tiny lizard claws.

EvilQueen is disappointed. “This wasn’t the royalty I wished you tomarry, Evie.” She’s even more disappointed when she learns thatMal is going into a career as an artist–”At least be an artDEALER!”–that they live in a very modest apartment, and Evie isactively GIVING away her wealth and talent on a regular basis withoutexpecting something in return or “taking advantage of” (abusing)the goodwill she’s earning with the people.

21.Whois more likely to start dancing with the other?:

Evie.

She’salways the first one on the dance floor, looking for someone that cankeep up with her, and even though Mal still can’t hope to hell withmatching her style, she’s perfectly content to be the incrediblystupid-looking human pole that Evie is dancing around.

22.Whocooks more/who is better at cooking?:

Evie.

Asidefrom the facts that Mal has never cooked for herself or done much ofanything entirely by herself except evil plots, and Evie has beentrained in how to cook and has an instinctive understanding of mixingand combinations because of her lineage, Evie just likes doing allthe “wife stuff” while Mal would rather distance herself from it.

23.Whocomes up with cheesy pick up lines?:

Neither.

Eviehas long developed a distaste for them ever since she starteddissecting how incredibly sexist, raunchy, and outright disgustingthey can be, while Jay has forever ruined that for Mal.

24.Whowhispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear duringinappropriate times?:

Evie.

Yetagain, another technique from the Evil Queen–”Always keep him onhis toes, promise reward, but only ever give it when he’s justabout to give up.”

25.Whoneeds more assurance?:

Mal.

Self-confidenceissues, and a demanding, horrifically abusive mother with impossiblyhigh standards, ahoy!

26.Whatwould be their theme song?:

“Seventeen”from “Heathers: The Musical.”

Thesetwo have been stripped of their childhoods and forced to become grownup well before they should be, and while there’s no reclaimingtheir innocence or going back to the time before they realized theentire world was out to get them and that life just isn’t fair,they can act their age and do normal, everyday things like regularteenagers, or later, adults.

27.Whowould sing to their child back to sleep?:

Mal.

She’sthe one who’s most protective and concerned over their futurechildren, unless it’s Dizzy—she’s Evie’s sole domain.

28.Whatdo they do when they’re away from each other?:

Malworks on her art or explores the big wide world to get inspiration,Evie socializes and reminds herself what it’s like to hang out withsomeone who isn’t her girlfriend, and of course, run her business.

29.oneheadcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart:

Asmentioned, Mal’s avoiding Evie at all costs once she realizes thatshe’s in love with her, which is coincidentally the reason why Evierealized she was in love with her back—having your female bestfriend suddenly completely avoid you like you’re the Crimson Curse,spending lots of lonely nights laying in bed, and being prone torumination and overly meticulous examination does that.

Evielikely falls into a depression, finding herself unable to work,socialize, or do all the things she could, experiencing what it’slike to legitimately be heartbroken—made worse by the fact thatthey never really were a “thing” to begin with.

30.oneheadcanon about this OTP that mends it:

Fedup, depressed, and possibly just a little bit concerned at thethoughts she was having after she sharpens her new pair of shears andrealizes they could cut pretty much anything just like that, even byaccident, Evie finally decides to stop “lamenting her faith” likea “lady should,” breaks out of the tower prison their room hasbecome, and goes on to find Mal, corner her, and demand that she tellher just why it is that their friendship has suddenly gone to shit.

“Thisis bullshit, Mal! We’ve been friends for years! Did all ofthat mean nothing to you?” Evie starts tearing up, and thistime, she’s not feigning it for sympathy. “Did I ever meananything to you…?”

Mal’sface contorts in pain. “Yes, but–!”

“Butwhat, huh?!” Evie snaps. “What is it, Mal?! Tell me, evenif it’s the last thing you’ll ever say to me!”

“Ilove you!” Mal screams.

Evieblinks. “What…?”

Mallooks like a sheep just realizing that a dragon’s open jaws areright above it. There’s a reflexive part of that wants to makesomething up and avoid this whole business, before she finally admitsto herself that all this evading has done nothing but worsen theproblem, and that she’s done withrunning.

“Ilove you,” Mal says, quieter and slower. “I love you as way morethan my best friend, and that freaks me the fuck out, becauseI know that if we get together, it’s probably going to be all aboutthe sex and pissing off our moms and ironically making the guys wantyou more, just like it was on the Isle, and I don’t want thatanymore!

“… Now…now, I want to actually get serious with you… like date youexclusively, hold your hand and kiss you even if no one can see us,fuck for more reasons than we’re bored and have nothing better todo… maybe even get married and try and start a family, settle downtogether and all that domestic crap…”

Eviestares at Mal, her cheeks wet with fresh tears.

Malsighs, turns around, and hangs her head. “I’m sorry…” shesays, her hands balling into her fists, her nose getting stuffy withsnot, her own eyes getting blurry and hot with tears. “I’m sorryI’m such a huge fuck-up who can do anything but ruineverything…”

Sheprepares to bolt again, no destination except anywhere away fromhere, before Evie grabs her shoulder and spins her around.

Malgets ready to snap, figuratively or literally breathe fire on Evie,before she feels her smash her lips on hers, and suddenly Mal’seyes go wide as her body turns to gelatin. Evie grabs the sides ofher head to keep her from falling away, before she pulls back.

“Ilove you too, Mal,” Evie says, her bloodshot eyes shining, her lipscurled into a smile.

Malblinks. “Wait, what?”

“Ilove you too, Mal,” Evie says. “I realized that some time afteryou started sleeping over all the time. And for your information, Ialso don’t want to do what we did on the Isle, and I also want tosee if we can make a future here… together.”

Malstares at Evie, her mouth falling open in surprise, before she findsherself grinning. “Man… we fucking suck at this ‘romance’business…”

Eviechuckles. “We’re VK, Mal—it’s kind of our thing.”

Malfinds her footing again, wraps her arms around Evie, and the two ofthem kiss once more.

Meanwhile,on the sidelines, all of their friends and several other Auradon Prepstudents gush over them, take pictures, or talk quietly amongthemselves, asking “Should we… should we leave? Or do we justtell them to go find a room…?”

#descendants #disney #headcanon #malvie

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mrsteveecook · 5 years

Text

updates: the sick leave pressure, the overload of vacation time, and more

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are five updates from past letter-writers.

1. My boss pressures me to take sick leave, but I can’t afford to

Based on the advice I’d been given, I decided to knuckle down and focus on getting another job – any other job. I know a lot of people suggested I contact Citizen’s Advice, but I was honestly (and still am) a little wary of doing that, as my father has dealt with them in the past regarding a job issue that was a lot more clear cut and wrong, in my opinion, and that didn’t go well for him.

Anyway, it turned out to be really lucky I was looking for other work, as at the start of May (not even a month after I sent my letter!) they laid me off. It was in a really mean way as well, because my boss came up to me at my desk (in front of my coworkers), and said ‘We’re going to have to lower your hours’ and I was like, ‘Okay, what to?’ My boss: ‘Zero.’ And then she laughed. Yup. Seriously. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more degraded in my working life. It was as if the whole thing was just a big joke to her. I wasn’t the only person to get laid off that day, but I had also just published their new website days before, so my family and I are pretty sure that played a part in it as well.

Anyway, that sucked, but I had an interview the Monday after for a 6 month full time writing internship. The interview went well – it wasn’t exceptional or anything – but lo and behold, I got the internship!

I’ve now been here a week and it’s amazing. I have holiday and sick pay, and I’m even getting put through their pension scheme! (Though whether that’s worth it right now seeing as it’s just an internship, I don’t know. Any thoughts on that?) I’m also earning the highest wage I’ve ever had! And best of all, I’m doing something I’m really passionate about! Who knew things would work out so well in the end?

2. I got in a car accident because my company insisted I do an event in a remote town during a blizzard

I can’t believe it’s already been 2 years since my letter! To confirm what many people guessed, I was a part-time independent contractor for this company. I shared in the original comments how I told my manager I was in an accident driving home from the event and wouldn’t be able to work for a while. She simply told me to let her know when I could work again and to find someone to cover my upcoming shifts. I tried to push for the company to figure out my shifts but ultimately I had to find coverage myself.

Then I actually couldn’t work for quite some time. By the time I was able to go back to that job, I honestly just wanted nothing to do with them and I quit instead. I mentioned in my resignation how I felt their weather policy is dangerous and they should consider giving the employee some say in if it is safe to drive. My manager didn’t even acknowledge what I said – basically just gave me an “okay, I’ll take you off our lists.”

The funny thing is they NEVER took me off their email list/job board despite several reminders from me. I still get their emails to this day! Most of their emails now are either pleas for someone to take upcoming shifts, about adding/losing clients (they seem to go cycle through clients quickly), offering incentives if you refer a friend to work for them, or sharing that X manager has left “because they couldn’t handle the hours/stress/work-life-balance” or some other kind of aggressive-sounding statement. So, draw your own conclusions there (I certainly have).

But enough about them! I mentioned before that I couldn’t work for a while – it turned out I actually hurt my shoulder pretty bad. I ended up needing surgery and then was in physical therapy for several months. So 2017 was pretty rough.

I have made a full recovery at this point and (finally!) this summer was able to re-join my favorite sport. Plus, my full-time job was SO amazing during this time. They let me work from home while my car was in the shop, gave me all the time I needed for the surgery, didn’t deduct any PTO for my Physical Therapy sessions, and let me work from home on days I was just really sore. I also got a significant raise this year despite all of this craziness in 2017 :)

The whole experience has made me so appreciative of good companies that actually care for employees. In case anyone still needs to hear it: if you don’t put an effort into your people, they’re not going to put an effort into your company!

3. My spouse and I want to be a cam couple

Thanks so much for publishing! You’re amazing and I preordered your new book on apple store. I thought I would finally send you an update. Sorry for how long it is, but I’m a long term lurker and actively commenting is not for me and I know there might be some speculation. I read through your answer and all the comments at length when it published and I haven’t looked again.

Hubby and I decided against cam sex work because of your thoughtful answer, and your wonderful commentariat.

I would like to address how horrified some people were when considering the ethics. I was honestly shocked. It made me think I shouldn’t go to strip clubs anymore or participate in any alternative lifestyles (even without being recorded, of course). To be clear: I would NEVER have sex with a patient or client. And, It made me realize how shocked a social work colleague was when I told him that he was obligated to let parents know anytime he made a CPS referral. Even while under licensure and being licensed it seems like a lot of social workers operate in silos. The more you know, right?

Also my husband doesn’t have a college degree. His insurance, as well as mine, is free because our companies self fund. It would require a significant pay raise to get him to leave, because adding him to my insurance would take a big chunk out of my salary and most other jobs on his blue collar level do NOT offer such great benefits. Y’all know this is America and I work in healthcare and insurance is Gold.

Thanks to the advice I’ve been lurking on even more on financial websites and I will try to remember to be grateful that I can mortgage my brain to live the good life. And both hubby and I have opted for decent life insurance payouts in case one of us dies, so we can live the life of our dreams. And if I go first he is instructed NOT to pay my Federal student loans because that’s a great benefit. We have already paid off the loans he cosigned (he had better credit at age 22 then either sets of parents, but regardless it’s OUR debt, not our parents’). I’ve lurked the captain awkward archives and gleaned some good scripts about freeloading family members. I’ve been successful with everyone but grandmas (plural), and we have a loved one on our cell phone bill but that is IT. Someone mentioned divorce and hubby asked me what I would do if I leave him after we pay off this debt. I told him I’d have to pay him alimony, so it would be better for me to keep him around.

4. Can I ask to keep my private office? (#4 at the link)

Long story short, Jane ended up being placed in my office. I talked to my manager about my reasons, explained how a private space contributed to my productivity, that private calls/meetings took place in the office, and that, quite frankly, a private office is a perk that keeps me in this job. One coworker even overheard this conversation and stopped by to express “that it was absolutely ridiculous that I [letter writer] (a manager) would be forced to share an office, but the office admin (where Prudence’s old desk was) had a large, private office just to type meeting minutes and order birthday cards.” The comment may have been harsh, but it’s always nice to have someone else in your corner. At the end of the day, I realize that my manager had to make a difficult decision and, as such, I got a new roommate.

While Jane is a very nice woman and, at times, has provided very insightful comments or suggestions, sharing an office has had an overall negative impact on my productivity. I’ve had to come in early, work after hours, or take extra work home because of her poor behavior. I’ve estimated that sharing an office with her costs me 4-5 useful hours per week. I’ve worked in several office settings, but her behavior is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Jane takes private calls for hours on end each week, listens to webinars without headphones, comes in late, invites random guests to meet in our shared office, and overall demonstrates a poor understanding of how to behave in an office setting. Others in the office have commented to me about the frequency of loud calls that they can hear from 30-40 feet away and I’ve responded by silently nodding and smiling. Have I said anything to her? Nope.

Here’s why (good news!) – I’ve recently gotten married and will be moving at the end of this month to a major city to join my husband. My new job is with a large company, providing many opportunities for advancement and learning with the bonus of an improved workload.

Thanks again for your advice. As a young manager, it was helpful to have support from you and AAM readers as I navigate these sticky workplace situations.

5. I accrue way more vacation time than I can use

Thank you again for answering my question and for all of the helpful suggestions readers gave as well! I walked away from the post feeling a lot better and I had actual concrete ideas to take to my manager, primarily planning my vacation time in advance.

Within a few weeks of writing in, my siblings and I were gifted a one week stay at friend’s beach house next summer. We’ve been trying to get together for a family trip for years and this seemed like a great opportunity to approach my manager with actual dates for 2019 to request off. Despite the week falling during what can be the busiest month for my department, my vacation days were approved! He brought up the fact that because it was such advance notice, there would be no issue accommodating my request and factoring in my time off as we created next summer’s calendar.

The other great news is that I won’t officially lose any of the excess days I accrued this year- I have the option to add a total of 420 hours (2 full months) to a completely separate PTO bank that is reserved for serious and/or chronic medical issues OR a future maternity leave. This my first full year in my position, thus making me eligible for this “emergency fund”. While it’s not ideal, I do hope to start a family in the next couple of years and I’m glad to have the option to begin contributing to that now.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the readers who shared their own stories of how they manage to use a large number of vacation days, specially those who pointed out that I have no reason to feel guilty for using the PTO I’ve earned! Re-framing the way I viewed all that time off as part of my overall compensation package (instead of just a whole bunch of days I have the option to use) was incredibly helpful. As I mentioned in the comments, the vacation policy was not discussed while I was interviewing because I was so desperate to get out of food service/retail, so it really did come as quite a surprise.

I’m very much looking forward to my handful of long weekends before the end of this year and a proper week long vacation with my family in 2019!