#and he made enemies a femme fatale

[dannybobany]

Really old oc of mine I decided to draw (because he kinda looks like Basil omori)

He’s so old in fact I was never a good enough artist to draw him how I wanted when I still used him so. Here’s a gift for my younger self :}

[finnish-kingdom-hearts]

Why I love the Alan Wake/ Alex Casey pairing:

The Minstrel's Ballad: Enemies to Lovers trope (Ultimate)

From wherever Alice truly was, Alan could feel his wife’s emphatic approval of her husband’s advances on Alex. Her words, as soft as whispers in a breeze, reverberated in Alan’s head.

“Contrary to universes’ belief, you two are allowed to be happy for once. Go for it.”

Alan dreamed about Casey’s varied loves and found himself wishing he’d been on the receiving end of his detective’s affections. His very first drafts of his Alex Casey stories were more amorously charged, Casey finding his lovers on a wider spectrum. But Alan knew, at the time and the world being the world, his books wouldn't sell that way. So reluctantly, Alan knew certain changes to the detective's tastes would need to be made to reach a wider audience.

The detective’s romances would always ended in tear-jerking tragedy, femme fatales crushing Casey's heart leaving the man hollow and raw by the end of each book. It was a fate Alan longed to change for the man but his readers loved the drama all too well. As time went on, the writer shared his desire for his original version of Casey with Alice who gave him every variety of “well DUH” she could think of. Alan was as content as he’d ever be with this secret crush on his very fictional detective.

Casey was everything Alan thought he wasn’t. Alan put all of the things he knew he couldn’t overcome into the Casey books. Every challenge he knew would destroy him he eagerly threw Casey into head first. Casey in his early life solved problems with his fists until finding his calling solving the worst crimes the sordid city had to offer. As hard as he got knocked down, Casey would always stand back up and his fans loved him for it. Rooftop shoot outs, soul shattering betrayals. The writer had left long trails of scars both visible and invisible on his detective. And that was ok. His Alex Casey wasn’t real.

FBI agent Alex Casey however was very much real and was very much pissed off at the writer from the moment he emerged from the lake’s shore. Years of jokes the moment he said his name out loud, years of that damn murder cult in NYC sending him their twisted work based on Wake’s novels.

Then the events of Bright Falls happened. His memories rewritten, whatever he had experienced in the Dark Place, his side throbbing from a wound he didn’t have. The contents of his skull felt rearranged from Scratch’s possession. The thought of that monster hunting and tormenting Alan for more than a decade made him sick.

Which brought his thoughts back to the writer. His rage towards him had dulled into a manageable annoyance reserved for anyone not Saga adjacent. The Wake of 2023 was a shadow of the man he’d glared at on the newsstands before his disappearance, nothing like the arrogant blowhard he expected him to be.

Casey stood strong through the multiple times wake tried to apologize for… everything. He noticed how flushed the writer’s cheeks would get when he was close, how his voice would stammer ever so slightly. He noticed how dry his throat got when someone mentioned the writer, his hand reaching for the nearest cup of coffee to block his reddening face. He also noticed the raised eyebrows and slight smile Saga gave Casey from across the room. Casey rolled his eyes. Maybe it was the after effects of this damn lake. He wasn’t developing feelings for this wet cat of a man. He wasn’t.

[arcadia-of-pluto]

Twist of Fate; Chapter Fourteen

Pairings; LADS OT4 x reader

Word count; 2.2k

Themes; isekai, eventual smut

Rating; 18+ for swearing and mature content

Notes; Hey guys! A little late on posting today, but it should be fine. Chapter fifteen will come out shortly after this and I'm pondering whether or not to post sixteen as well since it'll be a much longer chapter 🤔 and that'll be the beginning of my actual writing, straying away from the original story finally. Chapter fifteen marks the end of the original timeline! So, it'll be the end of Sylus's story in-game and I'll be able to branch apart and do my own thing. So I hope you're excited by what's to come.

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Masterlist

In the dim lighting of ‘your’ room, the crow brooch on your chest gleams a dark red reminiscent of wine. Finally, after a long fight, you got the brooch from Sylus. He kept his promise and agreed to help you obtain the aether core as long as you resonated with him– which you still weren’t sure just why he wanted to resonate with you, but it doesn’t matter at this point.

With an expensive, form fitting red dress and some dazzling earrings, your reflection in the mirror is strange yet sufficiently alluring. A slit runs up the side of the dress that just barely exposes the skin of your thighs, a pair of black stockings adorning them. The only uncomfortable thing would be the shoes, but you’d just have to deal with heels tonight. Your hair was pulled back, as to show off the jewelry best, and the scar over your right eye almost seemed like it fit the outfit, making you look like a femme fatale.

As you were checking yourself out in the mirror, you didn’t even notice Sylus stepping into the room until he speaks. “It suits you.”

You look up to meet his gaze in the mirror, noticing that he’s wearing a formal black shirt with a coat thrown over his shoulders, both having a kind of blood splatter type design to them, and a pair of black slacks. He always made the most simplistic of outfits look good.

Sylus leans lazily against the doorway, “No one can stay wary when there’s a beauty walking around.” A soft blush creeps across your cheeks as you clear your throat and turn around to look at him, “Hmmph, this beauty will bash your skull in sooner or later.” You take a few steps toward him as you fix the ends of your black gloves, “You’re just going to waltz right into a dangerous auction without a plan?”

“I like how you assume I didn’t make one,” Sylus raises a brow as he shifts his stance and rubs his middle finger and thumb together, “Find a way to make everyone lower their guard first. Then lure out the ones with ill intentions and get rid of them. Then, I’ll cover you when you fetch the aether core’s other half.”

“....That’s it?” You raise a brow, placing one hand on your hip. Sylus loops his thumbs through his pockets and looks down at you, “You won’t fail. Promise.” He gives you another once-over and you sigh, taking his outstretched hand and walk out the door with him. “You better not be a liability later,” You shake your head.

To deal with the real masterminds behind the auction, you can only ally yourself with someone deadlier than the enemy. All the information you have gathered has created an intricate web of conspiracies. Now, it’s time to tear it up.

The hotel is decorated rather elegantly, a card sitting on the counter reads “Myriad of Night”. There must be a dress code, seeing how Sylus generously gifted you the dress you’re wearing... As you step into the hotel, Sylus turns his head to look down at you, turning his body to face you and you suddenly feel way too overdressed– as if a fancy dress like this doesn’t fit you. Like it would be better on someone else, someone more pretty.

“It’s not too late to back out now if you want to,” The white haired man says and holds his arm up for you. “Focus on yourself first,” You retorted back, almost embarrassed that he caught you in a self-deprecating moment before you grab his arm, “It’s showtime.” You smile up at him as you step closer, intent on putting on a show.

As you both step further into the large room, you notice multiple encased podiums with protocores and their prices, along with hotel staff walking around with metal trays filled with glasses of alcohol. One, two, three guys…That’s quite the ambush. Three guards, so it’s not like you can steal anything. You’ll just have to buy whatever it is you want for now. “Sylus..” You turn your head to look up at him, “Are you sure they’ll bite?” “It depends on your performance,” He says, not turning his head to look at you, but you notice him stealing a glance at you from the corner of his eye. 

“Mr. Sylus, we’ve been expecting you,” A male server says as he walks up to you both and Sylus turns to face you, taking out an earpiece from his pocket. His fingers brush against the skin of your cheek before he puts it in your ear. “I assume you already know how to act as good bait,” He murmurs as he leans forward, playing the role of a boyfriend almost perfectly. He steps back, a smile tugging at his lips as he lets out an almost breathy chuckle, “I’ll be back soon. Have fun.” He lifts your hand up to kiss the back of it before he holds out a black card between two fingers. You happily pluck the card from his grasp.

After he leaves, you walk down the row of encased protocores, taking a look at each one. The majority of them are just ordinary protocores, good thing they aren’t bombs. 

Though you pause at one plumbob-shaped, reddish pink one, doing a double-take. It seems…off. Was it tampered with? It was labeled at $70,000 and you decide maybe you could use a good chunk of Sylus’ money. He must’ve handed you his black card for a reason. You move closer to the red protocore to take a better look and almost jump out of your skin when another server speaks to you. “Did anything catch your eye, Miss? There are even better ones on that side.”

You notice he has a tablet in his hands, so he must be one of the sales waiters. “The stuff you have is pretty mediocre,” You scoff, crossing your hands over your chest. This was probably the one and only time you’d be able to act all haughty and rich, so you were going to take advantage of it. A smirk tugging at your lips as you press the button on your earpiece, “Sylus, it’s okay for me to purchase a few items with your card, right?”

“Don’t bother me with such trivial matters,” He responds quickly, sounding like he’s in the middle of something. “Got it,” You muse before glancing back at the waiter, “Mmh, I’ll take this one for one million. Please, wrap it up for me.” “Five million.” Comes a voice from your earpiece and you hold back the urge to laugh. “Why?” You respond to the earpiece and Sylus scoffs, “You offer will make people think I’m broke. Wouldn’t want that, sweetie.”

“Actually, I changed my mind. Put it down for ten million,” You say to the waiter, twirling the black card around between your fingers. “Also, are these all the protocores you got? I’ll buy everything for four times the price.” You smile as you hear Sylus speak in the earpiece again, “Pompous.” “I’ve always wanted to say that at least once,” You whisper into the earpiece.

As Sylus stops responding, you decide to hand the card over so the server can ring everything up. You pocket the card after it’s all done and go to lean against a wall, taking a sip of the fruity alcohol you were given as you try to listen to what’s going on on the other side of the earpiece.

You assume since Sylus can hear what’s going on on your end, you should be able to hear what’s going on with him. “Mr. Sylus.” You hear a man before hearing the sound of Sylus’ evol and a few grunts, the man sounded as if he were choking. You assume Sylus was trying to intimidate him with his evol. “My time is limited, so let’s cut to the chase,” You hear Sylus say and you imagine he looks nonchalant in front of the others.

“No…I didn’t betray you..” The other man says and you hide your smirk behind your glass. That’s probably Sherman and, if memory serves, he’s the main suspect behind your family’s death.

“Oh, I know. You’re too much of a coward to do it on your own. But the people who said they’d help you replace me must have made an offer only an idiot would refuse.” You hear Sylus say and you raise a brow.

Oh? So he was doing this on someone else’s orders. Then, the feed goes silent for a few minutes and you take out the earpiece to make sure it’s still on, your eyebrows furrowing. You shrug and put it back in your ear. Sylus is probably using his right eye on the guy. “I see. Their method of buying traitors is as old school and uncreative as ever.” You finally hear Sylus and you hum to yourself, wondering just what is going on.

Though, maybe it’s better if you didn’t know. It would be easier to stay safe if you really knew nothing. “Sylus…! Don’t think…with them around, you won’t be cocky for long!” That man must really have a death wish. You take another sip of your drink, watching the light pink liquid swirl around in the glass. “Since you chose betrayal…My only option is to make you pay in advance.” Sylus says before you hear static. You wince, pulling the earpiece out to rub your ear. 

Guess Sylus knew you were listening in, but didn’t want you to hear him taking care of the guy.

After a few minutes, you decide you’ll meet Sylus in the banquet hall since he’s done with his part. You walk through the tall double doors and take in the banquet hall. Black flooring with a red carpet leading from the double doors all the way to a wooden, circular lacquer floor in the middle and black columns with small circular tables all around.

The banquet hall really was fancy, it almost felt like you were transported back to renaissance times where they regularly had balls. You felt countless eyes checking you out, both opening and from the shadows. You subconsciously fiddle with the protocores you bought.

There are traces of other protocurves. These were modified.

You turn around to look around and several pairs of eyes immediately look away. You take this opportunity to speak in a hushed voice into the earpiece, “Sylus, you done on your end?”

“Miss,” you hear a rather annoying voice of another man, “That brooch you’re wearing is rather exquisite. May I buy it from you?” You look the man up and down with an annoyed expression on your face. He was wearing a suit and was blocking your way, holding out his hand as he smiles. You notice a faint, blue electric current flashing from his wrist cuff and you scoff to yourself, like you’d fall for such an amateur trick like that.

You quickly steel your expression, taking a step back as you raise your chin, “Not interested. Excuse me.” The man doesn’t budge and instead takes another step toward you. “How does ten hightowers sound? Ah, the banquet is about the start. Would you like to dance?”

Maybe most normal men are ugly to you now compared to the four men you’ve seen on the regular…but either way, this man was getting on your last nerve.

“What are hightowers?” You ask, not lowering your chin as you kept your pokerface before a smile spreads across your lips as you spot a familiar face walking up.

“They’re special weapons made from high-grade protocores. A single Hightower can obliterate this entire hotel,” Sylus says as he walks closer…and closer. You feel his hand wind around your waist before he pulls you toward him. A soft gasp slips from your lips and you rest your left hand against his chest. “Sorry, the brooch is a gift from me,” Sylus barely gives the man his time of day and you felt relieved before he turns his head to look down at you, “You wanted to sell it?”

“Who knows if you were coming back or not,” You hum and notice he has a teasing glint in his eyes, “Are you disappointed?” You hold back the urge to say something else and instead run your hand up his chest as you lean closer, almost resting your cheek against it, “He was going to spend a fortune so he could dance with me. What about you? Shouldn’t you make an offer as well?” You glance over at the other man, who quickly makes his exit after realizing there was no room between you both.

You pull back a tad once he leaves and look up at Sylus as he speaks, “The aether core’s location.” “You know where it is?” You raise a brow, trying your best not to look so excited. “You’ll find out…” Sylus takes a few steps back from you and holds his hand out, “After this dance.”

“How are you so sure I’ll listen to you?” You ask, taking his hand anyways and he steps back close to you, “Refuse me all you want.” You feel the warmth of his hand against your back, resting your free hand on his shoulder as the white haired man guides you into a dance.

I hope you guys don't mind the short paragraphs, I'm trying to space them out more to make the chapters seem longer! I'll probably post chapter fifteen in a few hours?

Anyway, my Sylus's one-shot little voting thing still has a day on it, so you can go there if you wanna participate in choosing what I write! I feel like it's funny that the one– that I said I wasn't sure on, is the one in the lead 😭 but, because of that, if it wins...I've decided to merge a few ideas together, so I'll actually be able to write it with a good idea in mind!

So...I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are excited for what'll happen in sixteen! (I've been hyping it up so much, I hope it doesn't fall flat)

Taglist; @orphicmeliora , @yoongi-tunes , @mitzkooni , @hiqhkey, @tanspostsblog

[ananke-xiii]

(I forgot about this one, my drafts are as messy as I am, help)

"Lucifer Rising", insane episode.

(posts about "Lazarus Rising" and "The Rising Son" are all related to my series about resurrections but I'm making a total mess out of my drafts and notes so there is no real structure for my ramblings to be honest, I will have to give them some sort of order... at one point... one day.... yeah, in the future I'll do... that)

Okay first of all, let's go off topic: one day I'll have to talk about convents and nuns and demons and how they all had a big hand into the downfall of the Winchester's and Campbell's families. St Mary's Convent, St Bonaventure Convent really seem to be where the party's at. Also, huge missed opportunity for my babygirl femme fatale Abaddon cause they could have made her lurking among nuns trying to discover in what convent Lucifer was in jail or something... I don't know, I'm just saying that the dots were thematically connecting.

Second off topic: one day I'll have to talk about the fact that Zachariah really said:

Zachariah: Our grunts on the ground -- we couldn't just tell them the whole truth. We'd have a full-scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it. Would we really let 65 seals get broken unless senior management wanted it that way?

I don't know about you but I really wanted to see low-level angels rebelling againt senior management. This also reinforces my idea that, deep down, all angels are really just like Lucifer and it was precisely Lucifer's rebellion that set into motion the brainwashing and the Naomis and the bible camps etc.

And since we're here, third and last off-topic: one day I'll also have to talk about the difference between paradise and heaven and destiny and doom, cause heaven in Supernatural is literally not paradise but it's more like a jail or something so it totally tracks that angels wanted paradise on earth, while destiny always has this negative meaning related to "doom" and thus to "apocalypse", like destiny and apocalypse are so intertwined in Supernatural I'll have to think about that.

Back to resurrection now: Lucifer is rising, guys. Following Chuck's warped passion for symmetry for a rising character that comes... a rising character must go. This means, therefore, that Castiel must die. The Lazarus in"Lazarus Rising" is, then, totally Castiel but no worries! Being a Lazarus is a good thing cause, you know, it means he will resurrect, good for him. Maybe.

I also want to point out how Dean's "You're dead to me" in s14 echoes what he tells Castiel in this episode:

Dean: …soulless son of a bitch. What do you care about dying? You're already dead. We're done.

For some reason both times Castiel is very shocked by these words, clearly he's not scared of dying but he doesn't like the idea to be dead to Dean. I find it very interesting because it's precisely that, being dead to Dean, that will start Cas' most important (to me) resurrection in the show. Cas' resurrection in s13 didn't happen because of God or Ezekiel, it happened because of Dean.

Moving on. Castiel out, Lucifer in (momentarily) already tells us a lot. If we had any doubts Lucifer dispels them in "Abandon All Hope..."

Lucifer: Castiel. I don't understand why you're fighting me, of all the angels. I rebelled, I was cast out. You rebelled, you were cast out. Almost all of heaven wants to see me dead, and if they succeed, guess what? You're their new public enemy number one. We're on the same side, like it or not, so why not just serve your own best interests? Which in this case just happen to be mine?

Lucifer sees himself in Castiel and he knows what's next for Cas and his affiliation with Heaven: nothing good.

But Lucifer interestingly also tries to appeal to Sam in the same way and in the same exact episode:

Lucifer: I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand. I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael—Michael turned on me. Called me a freak. A monster. And then he beat me down. All because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar?

Lucifer is drawing parallels between him and Cas and Sam (you of all angels, you of all people) and, in so doing, he's also drawing a parallel between Cas and Sam.

It's no coincidence, then, that in later seasons Jack will be so central to Sam and Cas' stories and why, in my humble opinion, the show should have focused on these two relationships to resolve Lucifer's storyline.

The thing that really separates Sam and Cas from Lucifer is that... they both don't idolize their Father as much as Lucifer idolizes God (and Michael). To be honest with you, I personally don't see Cas as an angel who loves his father That Much (he has that in common with Raphael, too bad that they don't see eye to eye). He wanted love for sure, Cas is a heart character through and through, but not necessarily his father's love. He's not happy about him being absent and never replying to any of his calls but I love that he's like: "fuck them kids and fuck you too God, I'll just have to become God myself", lol. Angels like Metatron and Lucifer idolized God way more than he did. Not for nothing one of Castiel's fatal flaw is his hubris. A hubris that's, perhaps, way worse than Lucifer's. Of course, the difficult relationship of Sam and John is one of the pillars of the whole series and the Problems with the Post-mortem Idolization of John Winchester are basically what keep the series going.

What sets Sam and Cas apart is, on the other hand, that, even though Sam acts like a softened version of his father with Jack he's still archetypically a son, just like Lucifer will always be ("I was a son"). This is what I gathered from "The Rising Son", an episode that's precisely about the fact that Jack, Sam and Lucifer are, again archetypically speaking, still Sons. Cas, on the other hand, not so much. Just like Dean, he never was a son, he never served the function of the Son in the story. He leaned more on the archetype of the Companion and/or the Father.

Nevermind the archetypes, it's still interesting to notice how the two characters defined by the adjective "rising" find their meeting point in Jack, the rising son himself and how both Lucifer and Castiel are intrinsically connected to the people they resurrect and the people who (willingly or not) resurrect them. All things considered, Cas had to say "yes" to Lucifer just like Sam did. When Sam and Cas play volleyball about who's responsible for letting Lucifer out from the cage in s11... that, that was interesting. They really should have explored that. Plus, the Crowley of it all, of course.

[xxavengingangelxx]

Somewhere Only We Know 1/?

This is part of a series: Long Way From Home. Graves gets ahold of 141's translator and demands she give up information she knows about 141.

Graves still has Val in this continuation. This continuation includes the events of MW3 so 141 will find out Graves is alive and they will learn where Val has been this whole time ;) MW3 SPOILERS Thanks to @unicorngirly1 for talking ideas with me!

Taglist!

@bellgraves, @unicorngirly1, @lily-lily131313, @shepgurl. If you'd like to be added and/or if I left anyone off, please let me know!

Triggers/Warnings: Mentions of torture, dubious consent, brainwashing, mentions of suicide. More will be added as the story develops.

-

“Un-fucking-believable,”

You were across the dark room, not visible to the camera, but Soap’s voice drew your attention and your head snapped in that general direction.

You’d been given orders by Shepherd and Graves: you can be in the room but you were not to move, not to make a sound and certainly not to approach the camera. 141 still thought you were dead, remember?

Consequences for approaching that camera? A return to a room similar to that cold, terrifying room where you’d spent your first week with Shadow Company being tortured for information that you eventually gave up. That was all you needed to hear. You in no way, under no circumstances, wanted to go back there so you’d do what you were told. Besides, you’d been more tired than usual, not feeling like yourself, like you were on the verge of getting sick, so it’s not like you even had the energy to put up with that. You wouldn’t be able to mentally handle it, either.

You’d make a third attempt on your life if you were returned to that room. Of that you were sure.

“Soap!” You heard Graves respond. “Ya miss me?” Graves laughed coldly. “Well technically you did, didn’t you?”

“Laswell, if you’re tracking this,” Ghost’s voice interrupted, “let’s call in an airstrike.”

“Ghost that is not nice,” Graves chided, almost as if he was speaking to a toddler. It made you wonder how he would be around kids.

“And Val?” Soap demanded.

“Now her ya did kill, Johnny,” Graves sneered. “Shame. I liked having her around.”

“Go fohck yerself. What’re you up to?” Soap’s voice snapped at Graves.

“I’m up to doing my fuckin’ job, kid. Maybe you should try it sometime,” Graves shot back.

“My fucking job is to kill the enemy. Guess what you are,” Soap spat back.

“Let’s keep this professional, boys,” Shepherd interjected. “Cap’n let me pain you the bigger picture. You need Makarov in a pine box. I’ve got the nails.”

The rest of the conversation was faded out because that name, Makarov…Makarov scared the shit out of you. Graves had told you that Vladimir Makarov liked petite, little, innocent-looking things and that like they’d done before with other male targets they might use you to help draw him in or distract him. You were Shadow Company’s femme fatale after all. You’d drawn in men before.

But the idea terrified you. Makarov was a different kind of monster. A psychopath. What was stopping Makarov from taking you like Graves took you? And Makarov you knew would not be nearly as ‘nice’ as Graves had been. Makarov would haul you to Russia and torture you himself. And he would get off on it. Unlike Graves Makarov wouldn’t hesitate to use rape as a weapon.

“Val,” Graves’s voice drew you back to the present.

“Graves,” you responded, shaking your head of the chilling thoughts that had occupied your mind only seconds before.

“We gotta meet 141,”

You sighed. Got teary eyed. What if they took you from him? So you said something. “They’re gonna take me from you,” you sniffled.

“We’re gonna have a fucking problem if they do,” Graves snapped. “We’re not moving forward until I get you back if that happens. They think you’re dead, Val. Remember that.”

You sighed again. “They better. I’ll raise hell ‘till they give me back.”

“I know it sucks,” Graves conceded. “But this is moving quick. We need Makarov. The quicker it’s done, they quicker we never see any of ‘em again.”

Makarov. That name. It gave you chills. You had the worst feeling about him.

Graves then gave a series of commands: wear both vests (we don’t know if they’ll try to kill you), wear your mask, wear your combat goggles, wear a helmet, wear a uniform. Do anything you can to hide your identity. Do not come within an arm’s length of them. You’re going to have a sidearm, your rifle, and a knife. And it all else fails? Run.

You followed orders and got dressed exactly how you were told to in the morning. You were exhausted. You hadn’t been sleeping well and your body ached.

-

It had been decided to meet in an abandoned warehouse. No electricity so it was easy to sweep for bugs. That meant no heat. It was raining and the dropping temperatures promised snow. It was miserable but at least all the layers you were wearing kept you warm.

You could feel 141’s eyes penetrating you.

You tried to tell yourself it was because out of a group of men you were by far the smallest one. The only female, obviously.

Price, Laswell, Shepherd, and Graves were in a room sealed off from the rest of you. Shadows were in that same room protecting Graves and Shepherd. Graves had wanted you in the same room as him but that risked Price recognizing you since the room was so small. The meeting would be quick, Graves promised. You only hoped it wouldn’t be drawn out.

That left you in a large room with Soap, Gaz, and Ghost. You stayed as far away from them as possible. You had your rifle hanging from your shoulder. You had your sidearm ready to go. The only problem was there was no damn way you could shoot any of them. You only prayed they’d stay across the room.

You didn’t like this. In fact you hated it. Why couldn’t another Shadow have stayed with you? Actually no. That Shadow might shoot at 141 and the last thing you wanted was to have them hurt.

Soap met your gaze. You had a soft spot for Soap. You two had been close. A little more than close but that was a story for another day.

“What’s your name, lass?” Soap called out. “Didn’ know he had female Shadows.”

You didn’t answer. You were scared your voice would give you away. You just pointed at your tag: P-80.

“I can’t read that,” Soap replied. “You can’t talk or sometin?”

You shook your head no. Duh. Of course you could talk. You just chose not to. Your voice was a lot softer than any of these men’s. It stood out. And they’d recognize it for sure.

“Your mannerisms remind me o’ someone I was close to,” Soap added. “Real pretty lass. Had a lotta fun wit her. But smart as ‘ell. Dangerous, too.”

“That you, Val?” Ghost asked.

“L.t.,” Soap whined. “I was gettin’ there.”

“I think it is,” Gaz added.

You shook you head no again. Tears pricked your eyes. This was getting to be too much. You didn’t care that you’d been told to stay out of that briefing room. You wanted to be in the same room as Graves.

“I know that’s you, Val,” That person, Ghost, calling your name was like someone lighting a fire under your ass. Graves had conditioned you to RUN from them if he wasn’t close by. You shook your head before taking off running, following Grave’s orders.

You were so frazzled that a flight of stairs presented too much of a challenge for you and you tripped, hitting the landing hard and slamming into the wall sideways, your head hitting the wall with force. You had a helmet on thank God but the hit still rattled you. Voices were scrambled and everything got blurry for a few seconds. You were about to get up and keep running when someone grabbed you by your vest and dragged you back up the flight of stairs you’d just tripped over. You fought not to scream to be let go.

Ghost had grabbed you. You knew because he was the roughest one out of the group. Only because he was incredibly protective of his men. After dragging you back up the flight of stairs he released you onto the concrete landing.

You tried to get back up. You were shoved down.

“On your knees,” Ghost demanded. Rifle raised.

“Ghost,” Soap started. “Don’t—”

“I’ve got this, Johnny,” Ghost retorted.

You sighed and dropped to your knees with hands held out.

“Helmet,” Ghost demanded.

You unclasped your helmet and took it off.

“The goggles and the mask,” came the next command.

“Fuck,” you mumbled to yourself.

You complied and took both off, dropping them to the ground next to you.

“Hoooly shit,”

You recognized it as Soap’s voice.

You shook the bangs from your eyes and glanced up.

Gaz was not far behind and approached. And you couldn’t do this. You couldn’t. You decided long ago you would never go back to them. They’d either kill you or send you to a military prison for the rest of your life.

Worst of all, Graves had said, you’d never see him again. You knew for a damn fact you couldn’t handle being separated from Graves.

So you pulled your sidearm and put it against your head.

The effect was instant.

141 backed off. Ghost dropped his rifle, leaving it to hang off his shoulder.

Immediately.

“Back off,” you stood up slowly.

They were speechless.

“What happened to you?” Gaz asked, eyeing you with stunned, wide eyes.

“Nothing,” You responded.

“Val, we’re not leaving,” Soap stated simply, his hands in front of him to show he was not reaching for a weapon. “Put the gun down, Jesus Christ.”

You didn’t respond. You lowered the gun from your head. Little did they know you’d rather die than be separated from Graves. In your panic you didn’t notice Soap was no longer in front of you. You raised the gun in their direction.

Yet not one of them reached for their weapon. You wondered if it was because despite how much you had changed they could see it in your eyes that you couldn’t shoot any of them.

“Let me go,” you warned, taking small steps backwards. “I’ll call him and they’ll come running.” Your mind flashed to that first night in Las Almas when Graves had ordered you to call out to 141. You being your stupid self had refused. Now you were actually threatening to scream to get Graves’s attention.

Then.

Your worst nightmare.

Someone grabbed you from behind. He placed a heavy, calloused hand over your mouth preventing you from screaming, from calling out to Graves. His other hand gripped your right wrist on such a way that you dropped your weapon. Your gun dropped to the ground. Soap expertly kicked it away from you. You were then flat on the floor on your stomach, the sudden movement aggravating the ribs that had been broken several times over now. Your rifle was taken. Your knife was taken. You were about to say, “Fuck you, let me go.” But duct tape replaced the hand that had been on your mouth.

They were treating you exactly like Graves warned you they would. You screamed into the tape because what else could you do? You were flipped onto your back and you immediately starting swinging fists, kicking, trying to scratch, anything to get them away.

Soap clearly was overwhelmed because he just stared in horror and how hard you were fighting. For what? To go back to Graves? To go back to the man who had inflicted that cut on your face that had scarred?

“Thas’ enough ‘o that,” Ghost said lowly. You’d forgotten how big he was because when he stood over you, he terrified you. He looked like the grim reaper. Zipties went around your wrists after your arms were pulled in front of you. But not before you put up a hell of a fight. You tried to scratch but only got Ghost’s Kevlar and uniform. Zipties brought back bad memories.

“You swing at anyone again,” Graves knelt in front of you while a Shadow ziptied your hands in front of you. You were lying on the floor, beat halfway to unconsciousness by said Shadow. “I’m leaving you in those with a broken arm,”

“Fuck you, sadist,” you mumbled as you lost consciousness.

-

Price, Graves, Shepherd, and Laswell were still in that small room. Talking about what you had no idea. You tried to use your hands ziptied in front of you to break the window of the SUV they were dragging you to.

You struggled, tried to be dead weight. Your worst fear was coming true. You were being taken from Graves. And you couldn’t scream because they’d taped your mouth shut.

But then you got an idea. You got into that SUV willingly because you had a plan. They’d removed the tape from your mouth provided you promised them you wouldn’t scream. The skin on your face was still red, though. Just wait until Graves finds out what they did to you.

-

I feel like this isn't as good as Long Way From Home. :( Idk why! But please let me know what you think! If you have ideas, message me! I'm thinking of opening an ask box :D I wanted to post a longer chapter but character limits got me!

[ratmobstudio]

Los Aquillios, CA. 1968. It’s the hottest summer on record since ‘32, and the heat is not the only thing starting to get under everyone’s skin.

You’ve spent your entire life as an associate to the Verano crime family— one of the three biggest mob factions this side of the West Coast. This life has brought you respect, a steady income, even a family who treats you as one of their own.

But you’ve grown tired of constantly looking over your shoulder, of the bloodshed that paints the streets far too often for your comfort. You know as well as anyone that there are only two ways to leave the life: disappearing into the harsh clutch of witness protection or in a bodybag.

Fortunately, you’ve discovered a third way: making enough money on your own to vanish into thin air. 

Yet when your plans collide with two different men, the trajectories of your fates will be changed forever.

Play as a down-on-his luck mobster with several secrets that could result in a one-way trip to the bottom of the river.

Make allies and enemies among the people you’ve known your whole life. Burn bridges or stick together, sink or swim.

Shape the MC’s personality and worldview.

Forge relationships between a cast of shady characters, each with their own flaws, and earn your reputation among the city’s crime factions.

Try to claw your way out of the mess you’ve dug for yourself, kid.

Walter “Angel Eyes” LaTorre [M] | Verano family associate

Your childhood best friend, Walter is now nothing but a thorn at your side— and everyone else’s. A degenerate gambler relying on his boyish charm and enthusiasm to get by,  there’s nothing Walter likes better than to spend money that isn’t his. But time is ticking, debts are unpaid, and you’ve always been one to help a friend in need. Haven’t you?

Carmine Pitera [M] | Verano family made man

Balanced on the edge of the family’s inner circle and egged on by the ever-burning ambition in his gut, Carmine is a cunning and dangerous mobster. He’s been around the block since long before you ever came on scene. With nine lives almost up, Carmine has started looking at you differently, and you’re not quite sure if you should run.

Ophelia Gallo [F] | Civilian

A femme fatale found at every bar the Three Families' own, Ophelia delights in the air of danger and allure that has permeated every inch of her life. The daughter of the don of the Perricone family, what she isn’t given, she’ll take— even if it’s detrimental to her. She’s set her sights on delving deeper into the dangerous world her father occupies, and she wants you as a guide. 

[Full Character List]

Demo TBA + Ch1 in development

[homicidal-slvt]

Hi, can i make a smut request where Rudy being seductively enthralled by a femme fatale reader, please?

I’m not sure if you like the specifics, but if you do, here we go;

1. They both are in a mission to capture Hassan & find the missing missiles.

2. Rudy was captivated and turned on seeing Reader doing training and fighting/slaughtering the enemies

3. He was jealous seeing reader playfully flirt with others (TF141 & Alejandro) and a bit shy to approach reader but decided to ask her out anyway (she says yes).

P/s: please feel free to ignore if you have your own ideas/make any adjustments ☺️ tysm!! 🫶🏻❤️‍🔥

"She's Trouble"

-

Rodolfo Parra x F!Reader

Femme Fatale|Y/N

-

Warnings: Very Brief Drug Mention, Fluff.

-

Oh, how could he ever resist someone like you? He found himself drawn in the moment you two met. It was so obvious too, with the way his gaze lingered on you every chance he got.

The way his jaw would clench whenever you playfully flirted with Alejandro.... He tried to convince himself he shouldn't be jealous. You weren't his. You're out of his league.

-

"Y'know..."

Rudy watched as you leaned in closer to a man, he watched the way you so effortlessly enchanted everyone you met, the way you got the guys guard down and slipped drugs into his glass of whiskey and he was none the wiser. He'd be out like a light soon.

He was impressed, horny and jealous. The only one of those feelings he found acceptable was being impressed by you, the other two he certainly tried to fight away.

-

It seems no matter how hard he tries, you manage to reel him back in.

"Rudy!"

You chimed in excitedly and your hand lightly brushed against his arm, a wide smile on your features which makes his heart pound faster.

"Yes?"

He internally cursed himself for how meek he sounded, he usually was far more calm and collected than this. You really did a number on him.

"I just missed you. You haven't been around much lately. Are you alright?"

He swallowed the bubbling guilt down like a bitter pill, he didn't mean to make you worry. He simply has been dealing with his feelings, trying to figure out how to tell you... But every single time he loses his confidence.

"I'm fine. Just a bit busy lately."

You furrowed your brows... You didn't believe him. You could tell he was crushing on you but you didn't realize just how bad. You decided not to push the issue though and just nodded.

-

"She's trouble."

Alejandro stated the moment he first saw you, the way you walked with such confidence... The sass dripping from you like molten lava, yet at the same time you were kind and dedicated and knew how to pour on the sugar to fool a man with ease.

However, unlike with other men you didn't act as flirty with Rodolfo. He chalked it up to you not being interested but in reality it was because you genuinely care about him.

-

His hands were so sweaty and he kept awkwardly wiping his palms on his pants.

"How am I supposed to confess- like this?"

He mumbled as he was considering chickening out for the umpteenth time... However when he spotted you with another man all over you- that green monster inside reared its ugly head. He had to do something about these feelings, he couldn't just keep shoveling dirt on top of them and hoping they'd fade.

Not saying a damn word he walked over, a little hint of murder written in his eyes as he carefully grasped your wrist.

"Rudy- hey wait- where are we going?"

His change in behavior confused you to say the least, him tugging you away from the man. He made eye contact with you, taking a deep breath he finally let it out.

"I like you... A lot. Will you please go out with me?"

Your confused expression turned into that of pure delight, taking both his hands in yours while maintaining the eye contact.

"I thought you'd never ask~"

This made him chuckle slightly, averting his eyes with a goofy little smile.

"Alejandro was right... You're trouble."

-

{I changed some things. I hope it turned out alright. Thank you for the request, anon!}

{I just realized it was a smut req I'm so sorry}

-

{More Content}

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Talia al Ghul

Talia is the daughter of the centuries-old warlord known as Ra's al Ghul.  Despite the sexist views her father held, Talia’s loyalty, intellect and skill earned her the status as his favorite. She became his most trusted advisor and the chief lieutenant of his organization, The Society of Shadows.  

Leading the Society of Shadows, Talia conducted secretive operations all over the world.   One such mission saw her going up against a former colleague known as Count Vertigo who was attempting to steal an experimental sonic drill.  It was during this ordeal that Talia met Batman.  Working together, Talia and Batman were able to defeat Vertigo.  Talia absconded with the drill (which her father wanted for his own purposes) yet Batman had already disabled it, making it useless.  Batman’s actions earned him the respect of Ra’s al Ghul as well as the infatuation of Talia.  

Ra’s had decided that Batman must be made a part of The Society of Shadows, possibly even his own successor; and that he should marry Talia and continue on the Society’s goals.  Although Batman was greatly attracted to Talia, he was not going to forced into marriage and opposed the extremism of the Society.  Displeased, Ra’s sentenced Batman to death.  Disobeying her father for perhaps the first time, Talia furtively facilitated Batman’s escape.  

Batman would go on to have many more encounters with Ra’s and the Society of Shadows.  Throughout these subsequent adventures, Talia endured a great deal of conflict and an inability to fully see Batman as her enemy.  She considered him her beloved and held on to the belief that the two were destined to be together.  

Actress Helen Slater provided the voice for Talia with the femme fatale first appearing in the forty-fourth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘Off Balance.’

[protagonistkiller]

Hey hey hey hello!

Saw your recent post about red rising and was curious, which book are you on?

I need someone to rant about this series to desperately, it hurts.. oh god it hurts OH GOD AA-

-🧃

I am currently about a quarter of the way through Morning Star.

I think this trilogy is super interesting because it’s realistic depiction of a caste system empire, much like the one described in Plato’s Rebuplic, and also its depiction of revolution. It makes a very clear point that Darrow is not the “destined savior who crippled the empire all on his own and became the coolest man who ever was” no the truth was Darrow was more of a figure head who made occasional battle strategies. The most important thing he did for the revolution was kick off the civil war and serve as a magnet for Gold sympathizers. Ares and his rebellion did a whole lot more damage to the empire.

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Darrow, he’s one of my favorite main characters in a long time. He’s shockingly human with deep nuances and complexities, he contradicts himself a lot and has a skewed view of himself and his actions. He has incredible rage and compassion inside of himself and at any given moment he can’t decide whether he wants to murder his enemies or turn them to his side through his bottomless forgiveness. And that’s really interesting considering he grew up in a very community based culture that also was enslaved and kept in the worst conditions.

Now, time to talk about my boy. Sevro. I love Sevro so much. The moment he was introduced in the first book I was like, “yes, this one” it took me a while to get through the first half of Golden Son because I didn’t want to face the possibility that he was a character only for the first book. He is less interesting than Darrow but also a lot more fun precisely because of that. While Darrow’s off having an existential crisis over the morality of overthrowing an entire empire when that’s certainly going to lead to a lot of innocent people getting killed Sevro is killing six people to steal a candy bar and cackling like a maniac the entire time. And that’s gorgeous character design.

I also really like how this book makes it a point that the revolutionaries and imperialists are ultimately pretty similar people:

Even though Darrow doesn’t realize it, he and Cassius are very similar, they both lost everything and continue to fight for their family who isn’t here any more. They both turn to diplomacy first despite being some of the best fighter in this world. They both have a pretty rock solid sense of morality that they can be persuaded to turn from but they always return to because it’s a crucial part of who they are, not because they were born that way but because these ethics are the only thing they have left of their fathers.

I find the parallels between the Jackal(Adrius) and Sevro the most interesting(especially after events in the very beginning of Morning Star that I will not spoil). Especially in the third book; Sevro and Adrius were both born outsiders to the Golds. They were both born a little small and not very physically impressive, however they were both very intelligent. They’re both scrappy and a little insane(or a lot in some cases). Neither of them got along with their fathers and felt they were always chasing approval. They both became leaders in powerful factions in the war due to inheritance from said fathers. The key difference comes in how the two of them chose to cope with their daddy issues. Sevro found a family who excepted and loved him for him which allowed him to forgive his father and eventually reconcile. Adrius let his murderous hate and desperation for affection drive him to further and further points of evil until he killed his father reaching the point of no return.

I find the similarities of Victra and Antonia both obvious and difficult to explain as in the beginning they’re both painted as femme fatales and eventually Victra splits from the role their mother gave her and finds her own path while Antonia allows herself to be molded by this mask until there’s nothing left under it. If that makes sense.

I will have to collect my thought on the similarities between Mustang and the Sovereign. As Virginia and Octavia are both omnipresent characters without a lot of screen time so I’ll make a post on them later. I know it’s a lot of words but the brain rot is so severe.

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

For the ask game; Alcroft/Myal!!

They are literally all I think about at the moment-

Ship It - Mycal

Ship it ship it ship it so much!

What made you ship it?

I think I kind of shipped it backwards from the introduction of Charles Dickens. Like I was vaguely aware of it as kind of a sexy side ship before that, but that was the point where I was like, "Oh there are more emotions going on there than I realized." And then on rereads, I noticed more things. It's definitely nowhere near Sherliam levels of They Just Literally Got Married What?! but it's definitely got some fun things going for it. Right from the start, much like their brothers, they have this easy game of "I know you're manipulating me but I'm allowing it for my own reasons" that is always very enjoyable to watch. I like that those dynamics allow for tension and elements of enemies-to-lovers but avoid the drama of "You lied to me how dare you?!" because both parties know the whole time that neither is being entirely honest. It's fun!

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Honestly it's just sexy. Or at least the way I interpret it is sexy. There's something about their energy as a pair that's so strangely Classic: I can't explain it fully, but whereas Sherliam are refreshingly trope-defying with their absolute equality and Switchy Vibes, Mycal feels like…like a noir movie about a powerful man playing dangerous games with a femme fatale, all black-and-white with smooth jazz. And I love the similarities and the contrasts.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't know about unpopular, because my headcanons for these two seem to be fairly in line with the majority of the fandom, but I do think this is one ship where I'm relying largely on the Magic of Imagination. So all my opinions about them are kind of pulled from thin air, and it would be totally valid for anyone very attached to canon-based interpretations to side-eye me into oblivion lol.

Also not really unpopular, but I'm just not bothered in the slightest by Mycroft being Albert's boss. Personally I tend to like my ships sort of...idk, more unproblematic than not? I like exploring dark things in fic etc, but usually as something characters go through to get to the wholesome on the other side. But in this case I just 100% don't see them as having a power imbalance, despite their technical roles, and I really don't think it's somehow concerning for them to be doing unspeakable things on Mycroft's desk in fic or whatever even set pre-TFP. Albert is definitely not somehow at Mycroft's mercy (unless he wants to be lmao). 😅

[breakfastassociation]

Scooby Doo Mystery Inc, an Introspective.

Daphne - The Spy

She's already been established as being the most physically inclined, a great beauty, and handilly going behind enemy lines (ie getting kidnapped); all traits of a femme fatale. in my canon, daphne really operates as the gang's Body (Wo)Man. In a crime ring she would be The Muscle. I really like the idea that Daphne is classically trained at a young age in all sports; her family may not have be as weslthy as Shaggys but theyve def made some money being world class athletes. This idea also lends itself to the idea that daph was the most well travelled before meeting Mystery Inc, her family always loved to bring her to their competitions, shes been to every Wimbledon cup, etc. While daph is well cultured and great at meeting new people, i do not think she would describe herself as an extrovert altho u cant deny shes warm and welcoming (as much as anyone in the gang is! theyre really a great group of kids). Growing up with a lot of sisters, Daphne is the one most acclimated to team work (maybe they did a lot of team sports growing up?). The reason this doesnt automatically translate to out of this world people skills is because her ability to work with others is strongly rooted in being familiar with her team. She grew up with her sisters and has been friends with Mystery Inc for a long time too; shes built up a repartee with her group and really relies on her understanding of them and their understanding of her to be as efficient as she is. In this way, she and Scooby really hold the group together. Definitely a Actions Speak Louder Than Words type which is why people who dont know her well are so willing to overlook her as a vapid prettygirl; ie when daph spots a clue shes more likely to "wow look at that!" and point rather than "hey velma that glowing orb looks really similar to the one the ghost is always haulin around" Daph and Kim Possible would be truly the unstoppable duo.

disguises, stealth, and sleight of hand ??

polyglot, also designated translator

well connected (but cant network). her sisters got their fingers in all the pies and the Blake Sisters were Daphne's first Mystery Inc :) i do not buy into Daphne having a sister complex #speakingmytruth

very well travelled, met fred on a layover?

literally james bond, ya feel?

tldr; woman of the world, woman of the world, teamplayer

Fred - The Mechanic

Breaking off of the 'Traps Guy' prototype that Mystery Incorporated set up for us; Fred has always been the one at the steering wheel. Everyone loves a Himbo Fred moment but i know hes capable of great specialization just like velma daph shaggy and scoob are. Hes not an air head hes just thinking about a V8 engine vs a Turbo ykno? I do want to lean into the idea that Fred works with his hands and works with contraptions (velma is the gizmo girl tho) and works with CARS and is knowledgeable about them! very, Mona Lisa from My Cousin Vinny/Rosalie from Twilight (ie gets under their car + is hot) but because i want all these kids to be multi faceted, id like to explore the other half of cars which is Travelling. in this day in age, seeing the world is so marketable which is why i can see fred being the one with biggest internet influence. More so than that, fred keeps the team on the move, books accomodations, plans the roadtrips, has the biggest thirst to see the world (maybe thats one of the things that first pulls him and daph together, shes already seen so much of it before they met) Out of the group, i think Fred has the closest relationship with his parents (i think this was shown in some of the tv shows? If not, this is my canon) Fred, despite loving to work with cold hard metal, is maybe the most deeply feeling of Mystery Inc. he really jumps on cases after meeting the people who are most severely impacted by them. This would also explain why hes so inclined to 'himbo moments', he doesnt mind making the less rational choice if it means he can help his fellow man. He and scooby are def the most socially inclined; fred bc he really cares about People (thats why hes a traveller, meeting new people is one of the fun parts!)

automotives, maintains the car (velma helped him set up his sound system) and loves a good car chase

also into planes, trains, and ships but cars are his first love

inventions

explosives

physics, hes a car guy but bikes are fascinating

social media savvy (hes so chipper and always dressed to the 9s courtesy of daph, IG eats him up). Maybe he started the Mystery Inc blog as a way to keep his family updated about what hes doing (the first People he loved was def his family) he gossips about celebrities with velma and daph

loves travelling (in his car) and posts to his gram (see above), his experience with hotels/motels/hostels/etc lets him talk extensively about hospitality with shaggy + scooby

tldr; auto shops, social butterfly, humanitarian

Shaggy - The Doctor

Hear me out!!!! Norville Rogers is known to be: Concerned about his bodily safety and RICH! Tell me which profession that is besides Doctor and ill rework this whole thing. i think this really works for shaggy, hes by no means materialistic but mans has grown up with the silver spoon and can really appreciate luxurious creature comforts like quality bed linens. Like. that plain green t shirt is Hermés dont get it twisted. this also works bc as the groups highroller, we now know how this op is funded (aside from being paid for their detective work:freds blog but like..we really didnt see that often. id like them to be able to do this as a fulltime hobby if they so choose) Aside from this, we know some of Shaggys other great loves are Food and Not Being Physically in Danger. I wouldnt be surprised if one of his parents or older relatives made their money in medicine, allowing shaggy to grow up in that scape. omg id love if this doctor relative was a mentor to shaggy but also a bit of a hypochondriac; maybe shaggys scaredy cat tendencies have roots in his relative's anxieties. I think Shaggys fear comes from a good place, he just wants him and his friends to be healthy happy and whole. In line with medicine, Shaggy is the one who pushes the team to take care of themselves and take much needed time to recuperate from the stress of solving mysteries. As an only child, he can be seen as a foil to Daphne. She has a lot of sisters and did a lot of team sports and became very comfortable working with others. Shaggy was an only child whos only friend was his dog and they prefer to stay in their circles of safety. But both shaggy and daphne have about the same level of social skills lol i think also, bc shaggy grew up without a lot of friends, he is the most conscious of his friendships with the gang. like, he really doesnt take them for granted bc for a long time he did not have any friends at all

selfcare

Mystery Inc's checkbook (when appropriate)

appreciation for the finer things

healthcare

medicine, biology. daphne's go to gym buddy (shaggy really knows kinesiology)

chemistry aka alchemy, imagine the happy medium between Scoobie's love of cuisine and fred's love of ..bombs

tldr; self care KING, truly looks out for *his* people. medic

Velma - The Professor

Velma velma velma. im kind of dropping the ball with her. i want to develop this a lil further bc i think im leaning too hard on the crutch that is Velma Is The Bookworm. Altho i do think Velma is more interested in the Humanities Vs STEM fields, id say her genius reputation is cultivated from how well rounded her knowledge base is. In terms of academics, Velma is the jack of all trades ( opposite to daphne who is JoaT for athletics). Because of this (and because shes great at all things she puts her mind to) shes is also left with the helm of 'resident hacker'. As im typing this, truly the girls of the gang have very broad interests while the boys are very specialized. Anyways, id say the key to Velma is that shes very good at making more from the sum of the parts. She does not shy away from the grunt work of academia, she knows some Important Things will not be intuitive to her but she will run flashcards on them until theyre reflexive bc she knows having that info on hand will be important at some point. Her ability to take the factoids of life and put them together also makes her the teams True detective, not fred. It just makes more sense imo that Velma is the one to push the team to find and close cases. Obviously everyone in Mystery Incorporated has strong convictions on Right and Wrong but i think Velma sees the beauty and satisfaction of solving puzzles.

Edit on 1 mar: may think of switching role of Gizmo from Velma to Daphne since canonically, Daph is always with her cellie. But instead of making her the vapid airhead glued to her phone shes j really into tech (think felicity from Arrow)

Loves trivia

history, talks a lot about international cuisine with daph + scoob

software > hardware, talks gadgets with daph + fred

She and fred share a thirst to see and explore new things

statistician and mathematics aficionado

forensic sciences

law

very up to date with popular culture, from the anthropologic perspective. watches the most reality tv, tv in general, and movies; its interesting, documentaries are informative, and she likes to keep it on as white noise while researching

business, finance, and economics. thats how she knows all the business bad guys on sight (during the reveal), she also handles the group finances with shaggy

tldr; lifelong academic, the most hardworking, curious

Scooby - The Chef

Scooby! The team mascot! Firstly, scoob is Shaggys *best* friend. It makes sense to me that their interests overlap so much. Scooby has always been known to be a big eater (he *is* a great dane...) but my mans is CULTURED. He eats a lot but its never slop. Given Shaggys keen awareness of health and wellness, im not surprised that scooby has combo-ed that influence with his own love of the culinary arts. Shaggy and scooby have definitely known each other the longest; so how ever old the gang were when they met, in my canon Shaggy and Scooby were the first to become friends and it shows. But obviously theyre all friends, and to the group id say scooby is the hearth (not heart) of the operation as any great relationship starts with a plate of good food. Quiet moments of deep inner contemplation will often happen at Scoobys side and scooby, consciously or not, really provides a place for everyone to be themselves in the same way having to dice 5 onions is meditative. We've seen that scooby is a golden hearted goof ball, i think this could be sourced from a highly admirable sense of humility (ironic since hes the only non human of the group?) Great danes are known to be fierce protectors, and even tho (like shaggy) scoob is a scaredy cat, when push comes to shove he is really protective. Thats why hes so cautious! He really doesnt like seeing his friends in risky situations! My hot take is that *Scooby* is the people person/social butterfly of the group! This whole cast is a band of mis fits, having a dog makes Mystery Inc much more approachable to outsiders. Scooby, being a dog, is great at warming hearts to him and loves to be at the center of attention. In regards to mystery solving, hes also invaluable as a clue finder since his senses are so highly developed.

super sniffer, works the most directly with velma on cases

cooking (bonds with shaggy + daphne over but for dif reasons)

people person, gets along real well with daphne's sisters (everyone loves dogs)

very much looks after the gang and motherhens them, hates seeing them walk into danger

zoology (obvious i know)

tldr; iron chef, spokesman of mystery inc

General Notes

Shaggy and Daphne are the two in the gang who are really Of The Body (shaggys understanding of its inner workings, Daphne being the peak form of a human specimen), while Fred and Velma are Of The Mind (Fred who works with calculations inventions etc and Velma who is a lifelong all rounder academic)

Another dichotomy is that Daphne and Fred are the pragmatic pair while Shaggy and Velma are the theoretic pair

But in general i think a lot of the team has a lot of interests that overlap which keeps them tightly bonded

[kissimor]

My Hellaverse ocs and sona

Sinforosa

The most popular and woman in hell Sinforosa born Sasha she died in 2020 from Desert Rose poisoning she has zero memory of the days of her death and reason why she was killed but in life she was a college student and reasoning musician but was killed by deranged fan who buried her body in rose garden in hell made a deal with the Vees she is both a famous pop star and pornstar she is kind and sweet and sickeningly nice but is extremely vain and has a huge fear of being seen ugly by anyone and her stage persona is very different from actually persona being sexy femme fatale dominatrix she talks differently on and off the stage, off stage she talks very sweet and sugary while on stage she talks in a sultry and sexy way and is well known for her love of sweets and anime (also her style of singing would sound differently on and off stage on stage she sings like a typical sexy pop star while off stage she sings like a Japanese idol) she is pansexual

Webster

This is Webster he is a former member of Angel dust’s crime family who left the crime family after falling in love with Sinforosa in life he was member of angel dust’s crime family and was a close friend of Angel and Molly in life he died by gunshot in the back in the 1940’s he is a joyful and very enthusiastic but he can be anxious and he is very confident but gets embarrassed by Sinforosa’s flirts as well heartless towards his enemies guy he traces of a Italian accent and likes to collect firearms and practice his sniper skills he is straight

Melly

Melly a poor moth demon who literally was rigged by the system in life she was hospitalized for most of her life and had only a few friends which are Sasha(Sinforosa) and Ken(Kitsu) she died on hospital bed from asthma in 2021 she is calm and collected but has a lot of depression and is very lazy she talks she likes to sew and make clothes and actually wanted to be a tailor she also likes to listen to mediation music in her free time her voice sounds kinda gruff due to her breathing mask she is heteroromantic asexual

Kitsu

Kitsu is a lovable and very likable fox demon he was computer science and engineering student and died in fire in his dorm in 2017 he is childhood friends with Sinforosa and Melly and he is a nice supportive guy who is completely against conflict he barely has any negatives beside he is very kinky compared to other bell citizens and does have a timid streak he likes to play video games and watch videos on his phone his a bit of a mix of a japanese and Canadian accent he is gay he used to date Dante when he was new to hell but is now dating Lex

Q.J.

Q.J. Or Quincy Jane This chick is Velvette’s older twin sister and was her biggest supporter in life and her rising in hell but was sexually assaulted and by Valentino she died in the early 2000’s her cause of death was a red room which is basically is people get put through torture and murder and the process was recording and posted on the dark web so yeah a lot of trauma she generally feel like her sister abandoned her but buried it deep down until the incident with Val causing her to breakdown and runaway her personality is Spunky and Sassy Girlboss like her except she is more wiser and more maternal girlboss but she has her negatives are basically she had a lot PTSD and Bottles up her feelings until they burst and boil she likes to watch romcoms and generally is a old romantic and has British accent like Velvette and a similar voice but has a more maternal tone she is Bisexual

Dante

Dante is well trained bodyguard and hitman and Kitsu’s Ex and is Sinforosa’s Bodyguard and he is stoic and quiet and has a huge fucking temper which makes sense for him being a wrath ring citizen he likes to box and lift weights he has a southern accent and deep intimidating voice and is Bisexual

Gidget

Next is Gidget she is in life she was a office worker from the late 1970’s she died from throwing herself into a lake and drowning she is loyal Christian and very religious and is a Loyal and super intelligent person but suffers from self-loathing due to her not knowing why she is in hell and thinks she failed as a Christian she has a valley girl accent she likes to cook and help out when she can and is lesbian

Lex

Lex this guy used to work for Vox better later quit to do his own thing in life he was a Art student who died of a overdose in the late 2005’s and is a well laid-back, comedic, a huge art buff and very eccentric his negatives are extremely self-doubting and has extremely bad anxiety issues he likes to paint, hangout with Kitsu, he loves anime and partying he is pansexual

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Omg finally someone else knows about the Charmie ship, I was starting to think it was a fever dream that I dreamt up lol. People always bring up Taekook and Larry as examples of bad shipping practices but Charmies were delusional too. It’s interesting how these problematic ships have specific terminology associated with them/their industry. Larry had a ‘beard’, Taekook had an opposing ‘fanservice’ ship and Charmie had a ‘PR relationships’. Observing the ships of especially higher profile celebs/idols is so interesting to witness because it highlights the patriarch society we live in. Like you mentioned, these ships really display how women consciously/subconsciously hate on other women they perceive to be threats to their ship or fantasy. The enemy of these ships are usually women (Harry+Louis+Timothee+Armie’s girlfriends/wives) or men that they feminize (Jimin). Interesting topic.

You made an interesting observation at the end regarding Jimin. The taekook narrative is different in comparison to other big slash ships because the so called "enemy" has a different gender. For larry or charmie, the woman is the intruder so hating her it's like an automatic response. She's there to disrupt the fantasy and also expose the fantasy at the same time.

Because the result is that the shippers are more interested in actively fetishizing a gay relationship and gay men. They are fascinated with it, although at the same time they apply heteronormative definitions to it. One is the woman with any particular gender stereotypes, the other one is the man, with its own set of gender stereotypes. This is then transposed into the way they write fanfiction, how they draw the couple. They have the obsession with coming out, of praying for their eternal love. Once you see such vocabulary, it makes it all more clear. And then something happens, a woman comes into play and that's a problem. They already have the woman, the feminized version of one of the men in the ship, which is acceptable because it's a product of their imagination and a self insert at the same time.

Now, taekookers are having to deal with a bigger problem. Their biggest threat in their view is in this case a man. That disrupts the fantasy even more. So in order to make it all work, they have to change how they view that man. They need to reduce him, to strip him of his masculinity because his masculinity puts him as equal as those other two men. And him being an equal makes it a threat. Because in the case of taekook where the shippers believe that Tae and JK are in love with each other and that makes them automatically attracted to the same gender, hence gay (I'm just telling how their fantasy works), it means that there is the possibility of Jungkook (never Tae) to be attracted to Jimin. Because he is a man. That's why ships involving Tae/JK and a woman do not pose a "real" threat in the eyes of the shippers. They laugh at it because they truly believe JK and Tae are together. But by believing that, they are also aware, deep down, that Jungkook as a presumably gay man, could also be attracted to another man - Jimin.

So because this is such an unacceptable scenario, they have to femininize Jimin. He cannot be seen at the same level of a gay man as JK and Tae. Hating Jimin in that position would reveal that they can be homophobic and how they mostly fetishize a gay relationship. In turn, Jimin is portrayed as a woman. A woman that can be hated, the type that through the patriarchal conditioning, is seen as a threat to other women. For example, the femme fatale, the seductress, the slut, the whore. All words used by taekookers. Sometimes they latch onto made up rumors in which they return Jimin his masculinity if it involves some woman, or him supposedly becoming a father. But that doesn't happen often. Jimin is also seen as a man who could be gay only when once again, they find another man to ship him with. Be it Yoongi, or his friends in his private life. In both these scenarios, Jimin can be a man and attracted to other men. But the minute he is next to Jungkook, he cannot be that anymore. He is no longer potentially a man with whom Jungkook may cheat, but a home wrecker, which is usually a term used for women. Jimin's feminine qualities which show up in his behavior in a positive sense (he is more nurturing, he is in tune with his emotions, etc) are completely dismissed. He is patriarchaly feminized.

*Jimin and gender identity/sexuality discussion.

[linkspooky]

Wait, if DC Comics is your passion, why is Spider-Man your favorite superhero (I mean, I know why but)? Is that allowed under federal law?

If you think about it, Batman and Spiderman are essentially the same character:

They became a super hero and fought crime after the death of a family member to a random street mugger.

They are relatively small time, they only fight crime in their cities it's New York City for Peter, and Gotham City (which is basically New York or Jersey) for Batman. They're not really trying to save the world, they are fighting for one city. If you want someone to fight a world ending threat you call superman.

They're not physical contenders, they rely on stealth, their intelligence, and the gadgets they create in order to win fights. Spiderman swings around on webs yeah, but his web spinners are gadgets he made himself. Spider's only real superpowers are enhanced strength, a spidey sense, and the ability to cling to walls the rest are all gadgets he comes up with. You could say Batman flying around the world to learn martial arts is like the equivalent of Peter's enhanced strength.

The identity takes over their whole life. Batman cannot give up being batman even if the only way for him to settle down and be happy would be to live as Bruce Wayne. Peter's infamous for his terrible work life balance.

They have iconic rogue galleries (peter even has a femme fatalle thief he flirts with who dresses up like a cat). Their rogues galleries are usually more sympathetic and redeemable than other rogues and downright likable. Peter's most iconic enemy Green Goblin for example is his childhood best friend's dad (and sometimes Harry).

They are just one dude and their allies trying to fix the crime for an entire city, and this wears them down a lot. Their strongest trait isn't even their super powers, it's their determination. One of Spiderman's most iconic scenes ever is when a whole warehouse building falls down on top of him and he just... lifts it up not because he's that strong but because he literally has to it's sheer determination and grit.

Then what is the main difference? Bruce Wayne is rich, and Spiderman cannot pay rent. Therefore, Spiderman is inherently the better hero.

As for why I like Spiderman despite not liking Marvel comics much there are two reasons. First, Spiderman doesn't really work when he's interacting with the wider marvel universe, he really is at his best when he's just staying in New York. He's literally called the "Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman" he should not be fighting Thanos. Batman at least, fits into the DC universe. He is friends with Superman and Wonderwoman. His first sidekick Dick Grayson graduated from him and went on to run the Teen Titans. Batman often does a bunch of magical adventures on top of his noir stuff in Gotham. Second, Marvel comics just kind of DOES NOT LIKE Spiderman.

Here's my example of this, the banner image I used for this post. Peter Parker and Mary Jane. This is my favorite superhero ship of all time, Peter Parker growing up together with Mary Jane, going through other relationships and learning from them, and then finally when he's mature enough getting together with Mary Jane to "Face it tiger, you just hit the Jackpot." It's such a beautiful relationship and arc for his character and Marvel just UNDID ALL OF IT to keep Peter single because that's more marketable.

Marvel is just never going to let Peter grow up, so him being a part of the marvel universe is actively to his deficit. I know this is kind of a problem for Batman too, but DC at least occaisonally lets characters grow up. Superman settled down and married Lois Lane and had a son. Dick Grayson was allowed to grow up and become Nightwing. Wally West kid flash, grew up and became Flash for a long time. DC generally does let characters grow up and pass on the mantle. Peter Parker could totally just grow up and let other people be spiderman (that's literally the whole concept, anyone can be spiderman, miles is right there and Into The Spiderverse is the best Spiderman movie) they just won't.

[onewomancitadel]

No seriously, those sorts of garbage 'headcanons'/fanon (Cinder is illiterate, Cinder is an eternal child who needs a different parent to tell her what to do, Cinder needs the Best Friend Club and not emotional/spiritual evolution) just reveals exactly what has currency in fandom and what doesn't. Cinder's canon character, values, beliefs, motivations, potential thematic statement offering to the story doesn't matter, just the ways in which she can be stuffed into cutesy, predetermined archetypes. That's accessible, that's what people ostensibly want, that's what is popular. And maybe I shouldn't get annoyed with it because ultimately it isn't about Cinder.

In some ways I find the fanon versions of Cinder (be they 'feral woman' or the femme fatale) as grossly offensive as the depiction of Jaune, if only because I know Tumblr fandom doesn't really care about him at all so I don't tend to see bad shit here as much as there used to be elsewhere. Usually he just gets relegated into some polyamory situation with Ren and Nora or stands to the side with Weiss or is still sad about Pyrrha or something. They're never really sure what to do with him and tend to not care.

Anyway like, I am now aware that I have made at least two enemies of big Cinder 'stan' blogs but as unpleasant and repellent as I find them, and I would never individually call them out, I still think writing about Cinder's actual canon character worth the time.

A separate post about the insistent arrested development that fandom at large is obsessed with was something I thought about writing once, but it's not worth it, I think. It is interesting that a very common power fantasy now is having surrogate parents and characters regressing to childhood and not becoming empowered through adulthood, though. It's basically the anti-myth.

[possessionisamyth]

Reasons to Love Ada Wong:

-Outstanding Intelligence: As seen in damnation, re4, and re6, Ada knows how to remain one step ahead. She knew the BSAA lie would fall through so she could get into the facility to access what she really needed. She immediately adjusted her plan in re4 to make her helping Leon out of tight fits appear as inconsequential tasks while she went towards her goal. She immediately figured out the "Simmons" calling her wasn't Simmons at all. She's not someone you can outsmart easily.

-Excellent Self-Preservation: Gotta look out for #1 baby, and Ada is the best embodiment of that. RE is packed with enough martyrs who will give up their entire lives "fighting for the cause". This girl is there to get her paycheck and get the fuck out so she can live her life, and I respect it. I hope she charges triple for overtime and extra hassle. We should all be doing that.

-Plays The System Like A Fiddle: Ada says fuck cops. Ada says fuck the government. Ada says fuck corporations. As long as what they're doing won't pull her into a long standing cross fire, she will work for the money they offer, but she'll go where she pleases once she's done. Is that really any different than people in real life looking for a better job when leaving an old, shitty one? I don't think it is.

-Has only one weakness: Ada knows her limits. She knows when she can save someone and when she can't. She knows when to let something lie and when to go for it. Leon is her only weakness, but everyone else she can take or leave unless they prove they'll have value for her work. If Leon died, she'd retire or go back to being ultra capable, so kill him Capcom.

-Impeccable fashion: Ignoring the dragon lady take with og re4 dress, Ada's other outfits are fire. Red is a wonderful color on her because it hides the blood, and also she's so hot.

-Emotionally Unavailable: She is the only RE woman who is not seen sincerely comforting a man or comforting a child(re2/re2r doesn't count because she's acting). This is extremely refreshing. Yes, she is the sexy femme fatale, but does she comfort Leon? No. Does she baby Sherry when she saves her? No. This isn't a moral failing. She's just not that into you, and it's not a flaw. It's an underutilized character trait with women especially.

-Hookshot User: I don't know about the people younger than me, but this was the coolest tool for people to use in cartoons when I was a kid. It's the closest a normal human can get to being Spiderman, and that automatically puts a character on the Best Design list in my opinion.

-High-risk High-reward Thinker: Working with B.O.Ws in any capacity means you're somewhat of a gambler. What does Chris get from going into enemy territory to arrest some guy? Paperwork. What does Jill get from saving Chris' life? Brainwashed into a killing machine and made blonde(the worst fate bestowed upon women). Leon fights for his country. Ew. Gross. You know what Ada gets going into death ridden zones? Her bag. Her check. Her money, and it's actually worth it.

-Espionage S-Rank: The international arrest warrant is going to make things a little more difficult, but Ada's made her career around going under the radar to get in and out of high security areas. She gets the gear, the guns, and plays her role with finesse. Her intel gathering skills must be impeccable to achieve this.

Quick Bullet Points:

Not a eugenicist. (Wesker is.)

Doesn't experiment on corpses. (Heisenberg does this.)

No god-complex. (Wesker has this.)

Against child labor? (Heisenberg wants a baby gun.)

Doesn't make viruses that kill people. Only gets paid to move them around. (Unlike some people.)

Thinks Leon is pathetic, but likes him anyway even if he's a lil ugly. Which is so nice of her. (❤️)

So there's my comprehensive list I said I'd make weeks ago but am just now getting to. If anyone has anything else to add feel free to do so in the replies. If you're here to be an Ada hater, you'll get blocked.