#and i think they were both people of great intelligence that has generally been underestimated

[fideidefenswhore]

I think the problem with Chapuys is that the ambassadors aren't really seen as "people", if you will, with agency and biases like everyone else, but just disembodied voices narrating the story, and so for a long time historians and writers just accepted reports at face value, because there wasn't "thought" behind it. You should write a book on him as a response to the other one. You've got a lot of interesting observations.

Omg, you're too kind. But thank you ❤️

Yeah, I actually made a similar observation to you, elsewhere, expanded a bit:

Unfortunately, the practice of using Chapuys' dispatches as the emotional blueprint for all these historical people has become rather prevalent. I think he had credible insights at times, but what's sort of forgotten is that while many of his reports are of what these people said and did (according to, a noblewo/man, or Cromwell, or a physician of a nobleman, or a servant of a gentleman, or 'several reliable quarters', or COA or Mary themselves), many others are simply what he's assuming they thought or said or felt, and have no specific incident or quote or source given. One particularly egregious example informed a lot of subsequent portrayals of Thomas & George Boleyn, namely that upon the death of COA in Jan 1536, they "must have said to themselves, what a pity it was that the Princess had not kept her mother company", with the 'must' (ie, speculation, rather than an actual report of what any of his sources claimed to have overheard) omitted.

[To wit]:

"The King’s mistress had from the very beginning resolved that the Princess should act as her train-bearer, and that she would cause her and her mother all manner of annoyances; but considering that her singular beauty, goodness, and virtue, might possibly induce the King to change his purpose, and that if the Princess were to attend Court, and be seen there continually, she might daily gain the hearts and favour of the courtiers, she has not allowed her to come." Jan 1534, Chapuys to Charles V

[Also, literally a month after this report Anne does invite her stepdaughter to court, the first of three recorded attempts, so...awkward.]

Now, as 'resolved' is not 'said' (it's also interesting that his concern seems to have shifted from the report of the year prior, in which making Mary her trainbearer was the least of what Anne threatened: 'I hear she has lately boasted that she will make of the Princess a maid of honour in her household, that she may perhaps give her too much dinner on some occasion [ie, poison], or marry her to some varlet [a low-ranking servant of poor birth, Chapuys would later refer to Mark Smeaton as a 'varlet']), this would be a case of the 'mind reading' I meant; insofar as some explanation as to why Mary was sent to Princess Elizabeth's household, which was a satellite of the the King's court, rather than the centre of everything, the King's court itself. Granted, I think AB fearing her stepdaughter's popularity is more likely, but the likelier explanation overall would be that Mary was not invited to court for the same reason her own household was dissolved; she defied Henry's appointment and determination of her illegitimacy. Youth and beauty and envy thereof was hardly the determinate factor here, considering [...] that Margaret Douglas, of almost identical age and equal in beauty (according to their contemporaries), was one of AB's preeminent ladies and much in favour...the determinate difference was that MD and her mother acknowledged Anne as Queen, and, for obvious reasons, Mary and hers did not. Rich pickings for the narrative trope casting Mary as Snow White and AB as her wicked stepmother, tho......

[sweetbunnykook]

Only You (9)

Word Count: 13,197 // [SPOILER IN WARNINGS] angst (mention of double homicide, gore/blood, miscarriage, mistreatment of a corpse, panic attack), smut (period sex, cunnilungus, blowjob, throatpie, body worship, mommy kink), brief fluff, toxic relationship, manipulation

Photographer!Jungkook X Noona!Reader

Summary: Jeon Jungkook, your wedding photographer, helps you escape on your big day upon learning about a secret your groom-to-be kept hidden. You soon fall for this young, passionate photographer. However, you underestimated just how much he was willing to reciprocate that love. Maybe, you think, he’s loving you just a little too much.  

A/N: If you are still reading this series, I wish you the best of luck. Please leave a review if you can and let me know your thoughts. - 🐰

You were every mother’s blessing – kind, caring, intelligent, obedient. She watched you stumble and fall many times but you manage to catch your footing with a smile. Despite your yearning for independence, your mother kept you in her embrace as all mothers do. In some ways, it would be loving; things like helping you choose the venue for your wedding and holding your hand while you inquire about using chiffon instead of silk for your veil. You were such a wonderful daughter that she didn’t wish for a son even when you decided to carve your own path rather than follow your father’s footsteps into medicine and entrepreneurship.

It’s why your mother sits in the parking lot of your apartment complex, dumbfounded beyond belief, teeth gritted. She looks up at your window to see Jungkook staring back down at her, unable to read him. She holds his steel hard gaze, daring him to look away or pull the curtains close.

He doesn’t take the bait.  

Pulling the shifting gear and rolling out of the parking lot, she peels her eyes away and takes several deep breaths.

There is no way on God’s green Earth that you fell in love with a middle-class photographer. Of all people, of all the men in your circle, affluent men coming from money both new and old, you couldn’t have fallen for a lowly photographer who doesn’t care about you enough to know his place and leave you be. How could Jungkook not know that you aren’t meant to live like this? How could he be so selfish as to hope for marriage when he could barely afford the ring he wants to slip onto your finger?

Your mother throws back her head and cackles. The only reason you were able to study abroad during college, the only reason why you could walk into an upscale neighborhood and look like you belong there, is because she followed the natural way. She never loved your father, not even once, but he was a good husband and an even better financial asset. Not only did she not have to lift a finger after tying the knot, but she also became part of the untouchables.

There’s a sense of power and invincibility that comes with wealth. It comes softly, like a whisper of wind that keeps a dandelion intact; it’s invisible to the eyes but she can feel it when she shakes hands with politicians, celebrities, businessmen and women, important people doing important things.

It took nearly twenty years of work. Getting close to the Kims, making sure you attend the same school as their children, running into Namjoon when you visit their vacation home, and letting his parents witness what a great wife you would be for him – it was all going so well. Puberty treated you well enough too that she didn’t need to consider getting you minor cosmetic procedures when you graduated high school. Sure, you could lose a few more pounds, but you were healthy and fit to give the Kims, and her, the grandchildren who will guarantee a new generation of wealth and prosperity. Gone are the days when she could only dream about creating the perfect family, respected by the social circle and the general public. You, her lifelong project, made it all come true.

Yet, life proves to be cruel once again.

As soon as she set her eyes on Yori she knew she was trouble. She didn’t object when you stayed out later and wore a bit more makeup than what was deemed graceful for a woman of your age. She knew that if she’d raised her voice, you would be compelled to rebel (it didn’t help that you were as stubborn and thick-skinned as your father). However, she wanted to warn you, just a tiny bit, that Yori is the kind of girl whose eyes strayed to find a new target and you were a hair away from standing right in the middle of that mark. She knew, because Yori had the kind of eyes she had as a twenty-year-old woman who climbed that very same social ladder.  

You were such a good daughter, so intelligent and transparent, that she believed you would have the backbone to come into your mother’s arms at the first sign of danger. It looks like you were just as clueless as the rest of the sheep you called your bridesmaids.

A Jeep honks from the next lane as she swerves into the street and bangs on the steering wheel with the heel of her hand, her Cartier bracelets clanking together in unity. The light turns yellow and she stomps on the accelerator, lurching the vehicle forward.

At the end of the day, she knew it was her fault. She could have warned you earlier, planted seeds of doubt in your mind, even pull Namjoon back into your arms if you realized soon enough; but alas, your day was chosen to be one of desolation and misfortune. Her poor daughter, the apple of her eye, the one precious gem of a person who would propel the family into royalty, whisked right away from under her nose.

She shakes her head, tires screaming as she veers into the next semi-busy lane, watching the sun disappear into the horizon as the familiar roads darken.

Letting you mourn on your own terms was the biggest mistake of her life, second to not following her gut feeling and keeping Yori away from you. She knew about this photographer lover of yours who has the face of an angel and seem to follow you like a puppy wherever you go. From a distance, she’d watched you wrap your arms around him and kiss him with such fervor in a public space she felt bile rise for the first time looking at you – her most precious creation acting like a hussy for all to see.

The boy seemed to be in love with you as much as you depended on him. She waited until you would be sick of him like the ones you took to bed after the wedding night (yes, she knew about your shameful conquests). She waited countless nights, praying that you would come to your senses, that you won’t refuse her advances, until months later she sees you living with him and sharing meals and completely forgetting about her. Yes, she had been mainly focused on making sure the investors haven’t pulled out and that you still had a name for yourself after the wedding. It wasn’t an ideal response as a mother because you needed help and she knew you’d throw a hissy fit but you must understand that while you had been taking men to bed, she had been busting her ass saving what’s left of the family pride.

The Kims also attempted to salvage your reputation, but they won’t do so at the cost of Namjoon’s name. The true reality is that parents will only care for their own blood in the end.

It’s why she finds herself confused and drenched with sweat when the car halts in front of the white villa lined with jasmine bushes. There’s a new gate installed, probably to keep away reporters during the first few weeks after the wedding incident hit the papers, and it momentarily angered her that she must now ask an intercom to enter a space that should have been a gift to you from the Kims.

Her hands tighten around the steering wheel with the intent to squeeze something warm and pulsing. She still remembered the day Yori knelt on the floor of your dressing room and she still remembered the strands of hair that squeezed her fingertips as she tore the whore’s flower hair clip off her head. The yelling, the panic, the uproar, the whispers that came from the guests – it was humiliation to the tenth degree.

Wiping the bead of sweat off her temples with the back of her hand, your mother hushes the engine and places the key in her coat. She steps out of the vehicle and marches up to the gate and buzzes in, huffing when her heels wobble on the cobblestone steps.

A few heartbeats later, Yori’s voice pours through her ears and reached into the crevices of her scalp like a dull headache.

“Hello?”

She leans forward. “It’s me.”

There’s a long pause before the gates click open and the stone stairway up to the front door reveals itself with a moist gleam. The garden sprinklers die down just as she steps onto the platform and makes her way up to the front door where Yori is leaning against, one hand on her stomach, the other hand tucking her fringe away from her face. She notes that the knitted silk dress, tied above the swell of her belly, is from the latest Prada collection.

“What a pleasant surprise,” she smiles. “Come in. Welcome to my home. I apologize for the mess…I had a baby shower earlier today and help is gone for the rest of the week.”

Your mother wanted to rip that smug grin off her face but she kept her eyebrows still and her lips soft.

“Excuse my intrusion.”

She walks into the spacious living room, eyes quickly glancing at the stacks of presents on the couch and the empty bottles of sparkling water and champagne sitting on the coffee table. She can recognize, just from the color of the boxes, that the gifts were not cheap. Had you married Namjoon, this would have been your palace.

“I’m in the middle of decorating the nursery. If you don’t mind…” Yori says, not bothering to look back as she makes her way up the stairs. She didn’t have to turn around to see that steam is coming out of your mother’s ears. “Can you help me with unrolling the mat in the hallway? I can’t bend over very well.”

Your mother trails behind in place of answering, watching Yori’s hip swing side to side as she makes her way up the stairs and then turn to leer down at the older woman. It’s a bit laughable, Yori thinks, as your mother pretends not to ogle at the stacks of Tiffany blue boxes tucked beside the living room couch like shoeboxes. Her face flushes when she meets Yori’s eyes once more but she doesn’t comment as she follows the young woman into the hallway just a few feet away from the stairs. Her head turns at the smell of fresh paint to see the nursery on her left, the door left open as if the room expected her arrival.

“Where’s Namjoon?”

Yori fixes her fringe once more. “He needed to attend a conference in Ginza. I’ll tell him you stopped by.”

“There’s no need.” She leers at the stacks of presents next to the crib. More aquamarine boxes, all neatly stacked according to size with the smallest at the top.

The younger woman leans against the tall, heavy vase next to the wall leading into the hallway to the East wing. “If you say so.”

There’s no reason for your mother to be here. It should be you instead, coming back to tie loose ends and perhaps inquire about Namjoon’s injuries if you cared enough. Compared to your mother, you didn’t have much of a backbone when it comes to relationships and it makes it so easy for men to take what they want and go. It’s what made you a bore, what gave Yori the power to pull Namjoon right into her bed and have him calling her name like a prayer.  

“Did you forget basic manners?” Your mother finally snaps, beady eyes darting from side to side to admire the nursery that could have been a snapshot from a furniture magazine. “Not even offering a glass of water?”

Yori only smiles, motioning to the unrolled mat slumped against the wall, adjacent from the staircase.

“I assumed whatever you wanted say would be quick as you came uninvited. You’d probably think the water is poisoned even if I offered any way.”

The older woman glances at the rug – no doubt imported from Dubai with its elegant coloring and silk touch – then walks over to it before tracing her fingers around the rolled edges. She shouldn’t have accepted to do such demeaning housework but given how she pulled into the driveway unannounced and that the woman is heavily pregnant with no help around, it was only fair. She may have left behind her patience with Jungkook but not her manners.  

“Why did you have to pick that day to tell her?”

Yori’s eyebrows raised just slightly before falling back down to its former position. She puts a hand over her stomach and walks towards the giant vase again, rubbing her fingers over the cool lacquered surface. Namjoon’s parents had a thing for porcelain she just couldn’t wrap her head around.

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you wait until the marriage ceremony to tell her you were screwing her husband?”

“Husband?” She cocks her head to the side with an incredulous widening of her pupils. “Last time I checked he only had a fiancée he rarely saw who ran away with some pretty photographer the first chance she got. I’d say that’s far from married.”

Your mother shakes her head. “Answer the question,” she looks down, chin trembling. The world is falling apart, her dreams are nothing but a pebble in quicksand, and you no longer cared. “Please.”

Yori watches, in a way one watches a fly buzzing around a piece of fruit, the older woman bring her hands together in front of her like it has taken all her energy to ask such a question. Maybe for a moment she considers telling the woman the truth. She considers telling her that you broke her heart first, that you had the world succumbing to your every need, that your mother’s greed doesn’t only belong to her but you too because you made Seokjin your lap dog while Namjoon promised you a future. She considers telling her about the night she saw you laying like a swooning damsel in distress as Seokjin – the only man she had to beg for attention – suckle your tits like you were getting paid for it. She considers telling your mother that her daughter is the two-faced whore here, not her. She considers telling her that you touched what belonged to someone else first.

But what difference would it make? What would it change? The baby is still due in a handful of weeks, Namjoon is set to take over the company once he gets his shit together and his nose heals, and you’re perfectly happy with a new and exciting boyfriend of yours. The truth doesn’t set anyone free, it just makes sure the shackles aren’t too tight.

Yori turns her moist eyes away towards the living room downstairs. She walks over to the railing, resting her wrist on the copper before she stares down at the half-eaten cake on the coffee table with utmost disgust, as if she can still smell the overly sweet frosting with too much blue and pink dye. Catching her voice, she brings the smile back onto her face.

“I picked that day,” she turns her head, just slightly to catch your mother’s expression. “Just because I wanted to watch her look as pathetic as you do now.”

Your mother’s lips part, hands falling to her sides.

“It just happened. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s…all?”

Yori chuckles, her empty gaze falling back down to the cake. “That’s all.”

Years of planning, years of giving you the best education the country has to offer, years of making sure you never have to suffer as she had, years of shaking hands and kissing the ground the Kims walk on, only for this girl without new or old money to come and…

Before your mother can think, she lunges forward and grabs Yori by the ends of her hair, twisting the locks around her wrist as the younger woman gasps and shrieks. Her swollen stomach hits your mother’s side as she screeches and uses both hands to grab at her taught hair, pulling away to place as much distance she can. The heel of her ankle catches the edge of the first step and she watches the older woman’s eyes widen as she slams, back first, into the steps and then bounce off the next step as her jaw and skull slams into the copper pipe railing. Yori’s stomach hits the corners of the last several steps before the swell of her belly squeezes inwards, the final gurgling scream ripping out of her throat as her vision turns black and the house falls in silence.

It all happened so fast. Your mother watches with her hands over her ears, chest pounding and bracelets clattering as her limbs turn cold and her knees buckle.  

Her eyes widen, more and more, as the pool of blood around Yori’s head expands until there lays maroon halo around her crown. She’s lying flat on her stomach and it takes another moment for the trembling woman to realize that, in the silence save for her own labored breathing, the bump is no longer there.

“Oh my god…”

Curling over to the side, your mother’s jaw falls open and the remnants of her early lunch spills over one of Yori’s shoes ledged between the railing and the first step. She empties her stomach until there is nothing left, her knuckles white as she grips the railing for support. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she descends down the staircase, back pressed against the wall and eyes darting from the body to the tinted windows with burgundy curtains tied to the side. When she reaches the body, she trips over Yori’s limp feet as she quickly dashes to the living room to draw the curtains close, her neck craning from side to side as she finds any opening where an imaginary eye might witness the ultimate sin. It was only when she finds herself in the kitchen, washing her hands that she realized she had, in fact, stolen two lives.

Yori, and the baby who never had the chance to see daylight.

…

You’re sitting in a bathroom stall, turning over the small flash drive between your fingers when you hear the clattering of heels against polished tile and the sound of handbags slumping on the counter. One of the women walks into the stall next to yours, undoing the tampon wrapper as if she were scouring for the winning lottery number written on the string.

“Did you see Jin with her again?” The woman outside of the stall says and you recognize her by voice. She works for the accounting department and regularly walks into your office for weekly reports.

“I was keeping an eye of him. It’s annoying that they work together now so he’s always all over her.”

No doubt this conversation is about you.

“Tell me about it. I bet they’re fucking, you saw how he looked at her.”

“Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?” The toilet flushes and you can hear her shrugging her skirt back up to her thighs.

You hear a gasp. “Oh my god, you’re right. It’s that young guy who keep bringing her lunch, right? She didn’t break up with him?”

The stall opens and both women are in front of the counter. You’re stuck in your seat, not knowing whether to kick open the door or to interrupt the conversation but with Seokjin’s flash drive in your clammy hands, you struggle to even breathe.

“They’re still together. Looks like that photographer dick is too good to give up for the office hunk.”

They laugh like hyenas – that high, shrieking kind of laugh that makes their red lipstick bleed onto the corners of their mouths.

“They’re so out of her league. What do they even see in her? She’s painfully average. The only thing she’s got going on is a good wardrobe.”

You keep your head lowered when they walk past your stall as if they could see you. They pull on the paper towel lever until they can rip a generous piece and wipe their hands.

“She’s rich. She’s probably only working here because it keeps her humble or some bullshit like that. You know how girls with daddy’s money are, thinking they’re doing charity for working like the rest of us-”

You don’t hear the rest of their conversation, glad that your face no longer feels hot but you’re angered all the same. Jungkook’s visits, for this reason, had made you nervous in the beginning because you know they’ll talk and come up with their own little villain fantasy about you. It doesn’t bother you as you keep work separate from life (something Jungkook had been interrupting much to your discomfort) but hearing it in person ignited the kind of angry tears that has you cursing at yourself for letting yourself be disturbed by it.

You grab your handbag off the hook, place the flash drive back in your pocket, and unlock the stall before pushing the door open. You wash your hands in haste as the air had become suffocating in the aftermath of the two women. Wiping your wet hands down your black slacks, you let your wavy hair down and let it frame your face to hide your flushed cheeks, making sure that your eyes are no longer moist and your nose isn’t pink. What a way to end a workday.

When you arrive back at the office, most of your coworkers are gone except for the new interns organizing papers for tomorrow and the occasional workaholics making coffee in the makeshift cafeteria. You just hope you won’t run into the two women if they choose to swing by for whatever reason but, thankfully, it was never a common occurrence. They never did above the bare minimum any way.

A sigh of relief leaves your lips when you slump back down your office chair, squeezing your nose bridge as a wave of exhaustion wracks havoc in your pulsing head.

“There are some more sandwiches in the fridge, please help yourself if you’d like.” A student intern says as she carries a crumpled file under one arm, peering from above your divider.

“Oh!” You exclaim, your head darting towards the room Sora left in a mess before turning back to the girl. “Thank you, I’ll help myself. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She gives a short nod before leaving, the glass door squeaking as the office once again is filled with the sound of coffee machines whirring and papers shredding.

The USB flash drive sits heavy in your pocket as you wave goodbye to the last person leaving your department with a cup of coffee. She nods, smiling, and pushes out the heavy glass door and you silently hope she won’t forget to return the mug before leaving the building. You listen to the clacking of her heels fading before turning back to the work computer still logged into your account. The saturated blue screen is harsh on your vision and you find yourself squeezing your eyes shut, turning to look at the clock on the wall momentarily to keep yourself grounded.

Jungkook can call at any minute as your shift is coming to an end.

Maybe it would be easier to do this with your phone turned off but knowing him, he would worry enough to drive over to make sure you’re safe.

Within the gray walls that surround your cubicle, you should feel secure. Yet, some part of you wonders if he would suddenly appear behind you and wrap you in his arms before asking you what you’re up to. In this nightmare of a scenario, you can also feel the antagonizing gaze of the two women.

Looking back down at the USB, you’ve come to realize that you have bigger things to worry about. Some part of you feels just as disgusting as a cheater taking off her ring in the presence of another man.

What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

You’ve rehearsed the same mantra in your head at least a hundred times within the same hour (before you had the unfortunate chance to overhear that unpleasant conversation) and it sickens you that this is a phrase that Namjoon would have used to justify his time with Yori. It’s a cheater’s mentality – a cowardly way of shifting responsibility away from themselves without considering the consequences when the truth comes to light.  

With a sigh, you pull the flash drive out of your pocket and flip the black casing open until the lid hangs off its hinges to reveal the silver end. You look around once more, taking a deep breath, and push the end into the appropriate slot of the system unit. The USB flashes a neon green light, pulsing as it loads, before it dims and a small ping pulls your attention back to the screen.

The file explorer window expands, showing a ZIP file among an array of photos that had you squinting to observe. You jolt straight from the seat as your phone rings. Cursing under your breath as you note an incoming call. You’re just about to turn back to the screen when you recognize that the number flashing across your screen isn’t Jungkook’s but your mother’s. She never called at this time and if she did, she would have texted you first to make sure you weren’t in a meeting.

Just as you reach for the phone, it stops ringing and you contemplate turning it off. But something tells you you should have taken the call. When the phone rings again, causing you to flinch, you let it vibrate twice before swiping across the screen.

In exactly five minutes, you will regret ever picking up the call. In ten minutes, you’re running for your life.

…

Jungkook paces back and forth with his thumb between his teeth. If he bit his nails any shorter, he would pierce through skin. Your voice still rings in his ear as you cry into the phone, your tires screaming through the speaker as you speed through the streets back to the apartment. He’s sick with worry, wondering if you crashed into a tree of if you decided – on a whim – to handle this situation yourself. Because you called him immediately after you left work, he has a feeling you wouldn’t do anything stupid but today has been especially unpredictable.

First, your mother coming to meet him. Second, the same woman pushing Yori down the stairs and threatening you to take care of it. If he’d heard you correctly, the old wench even mentioned she would make his life a living hell if you don’t head over immediately. Some mother you are. It pisses him off to no end that you had to live with her for half of your life but it makes him even more upset that you’ve been hiding your mother’s behavior, throwing excuses about how much she worries when she’d call in the mornings and leave voicemails that you delete without listening.

He changes into a pair of jeans and an old university sweatshirt that is a bit too tight on the cuffs. When he hears the sound of your heels clack on the other side of the door, he barely had the time to wrap his head around such a God-given opportunity.

As soon as the door swings open you’re falling into his arms, wracked with sobs as he engulfs your entire torso in his arms. He presses your head further below his neck, reaching behind you to grab his coat off the hanger and wrap it around you before kicking the door close in case a neighbor passes by. You can’t bear to lift your head, trembling as your teeth chatter and your pupils are wide with fear. He’s never seen you like this – not even during the wedding night – and it makes his insides squeeze as if someone had reached in him and pressed a hand against his organs.

“I-I don’t know w-” you sob, “I don’t know w-what to do. I can’t breathe. Jungkook-”

He hushes you softly, threading his fingers through your hair with his thumbs curling around your ear. He tilts your head up towards his gaze, watching your tears trail down your face and onto the coat. Between gasps, you’re wailing, your throat tightened to the point that even his name sounds like nails on chalkboard on your lips.

“Noona, you have to breathe for me. Inhale,” he brings air into his nostrils as demonstration, “and exhale. Can you do that for me?”

You nod, swallowing first before you mimic and close your eyes. Jungkook brings a hand up to your chest, digging underneath the coat to feel it pounding against your ribcage.

“Keep breathing, noona. It’s going to be okay, keep breathing.” He rubs his warm palm over the chiffon and you find yourself leaning your forehead against his chest in exhaustion.

You wish you could stay in his embrace forever. Locked inside this warm and unassuming apartment, away from your mother, away from the past that has now resurfaced in the worst way imaginable – you wish you can curl into his arms and never leave. That…or you just want the world to swallow you in a deep well and leave you to starve.

“We have to tell the police.” You tremble. You can’t imagine the repercussions, not to mention the heartache of seeing your mother behind bars. She’d rather hang herself than end up in prison, you know that much. You’d sworn to your father before his passing that you’d keep her safe and you’re already thinking of running away.

“Noona…”

“We do. We…I have to. I-I mean it was an accident,” you’re suddenly peeling yourself away from him, bringing your hands up to rub your face. “They’ll give her m-maybe three or four years at most, right? If it was an accident it won’t be…”

Jungkook comes up behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders and rubbing up and down. You’re shaking again, tears streaming even quicker than before and the nausea is causing you to falter from side to side.

“Kookie, I don’t know what to do. Please tell me what to do, I’m going crazy. I don’t know what to do.”

He places his forehead against the crown of your head, staring into the distance. You feel his fingers tighten around your arm before he’s wrapping his arms around your shoulders and resting his weight upon your collarbones.

“Do you trust me, noona?” He whispers.

The fridge hums in the distance. You nod.

“Yes…I trust you. With my life.”

When he doesn’t reply, you turn your body, slowly, as if you were anticipating a monster and not a man, until you can look up at his face. He’s rubs his thumbs over your tears and moves down to your chapped lips, swollen and pink from your incessant gnawing. Your lips part just slightly as you exhale, keeping your eyes locked onto his loving eyes. He looks so angelic under the kitchen lights, the yellow bulbs blurred by the moisture in your eyes to form a halo around his long fringe. His hair is parted in the middle to form a curtain around his structured face, casting a shadow over his eyes in the semi-darkness. You can’t see him clearly with the lights behind him but you can sense his confidence, his reassuring grip on your cheeks; he’s no longer the boy from the night before but a man who is willing to keep the promise he made to you.

“I can help you.” He whispers softly once more, his voice lowered. “If you take me to the body…I can help you, noona.”

He holds your gaze, his thumbs still rubbing softly over your cheeks as if to coax the words into your skin. The implication isn’t lost on you but your body reacts first, fingers shaking as a fresh wave of sweat prickles down your back.

“W-What do you…” you trail off as your breathing grows heavy. Jungkook puts a hand on your chest once more as he did before, rubbing softly over your chest to calm your pounding heart.

He holds you close, breathing in your skin once more as his own eyes sting with unshed tears. Fate is a terrible thing and for every moment of bliss with you, he must pay the price; except, this price is a new opportunity to secure you by his side and earn your mother’s silent approval. It’s okay, Jungkook thinks, he can do this for you. He has the resources, the will, the strength, the plans – the only thing he can’t predict is your mental well-being in the aftermath.

Will you lose respect for him? Will you still love him? One thing he was sure of was that this was the only chance to keep your mother from arranging a marriage partner for you. He must go through it to not only save your sanity, your mother, but your answer when he puts one knee on the ground and opens the velvet box he keeps on top of the fridge for the perfect time. Oh how the universe responded so quickly to the day’s worries.

“Back then…when you said you would…”

Kill

“…You would do that for me. You really meant it, baby?”

Jungkook brings your head back under his chin and keeps you there, rocking from side to side as if to lull you to sleep.

“I meant every word. I’m not afraid, noona, not if it means I can protect you and your family.” His eyes darken as he tangles his fingers into your hair, twirling the ends of your waves between his fingers. “You love me, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Then I need you to listen to me.”

With great reluctance, he pulls you away and holds your palm in both of his larger hands. Your eyes are closed, whether from fatigue or concentration he doesn’t know until your brows scrunch when he speaks.  

“Call your mother when I tell you to and tell her you’re on your way over. If she asks why you didn’t answer her previous calls, tell her you had an emergency at work. Reassure her and make sure she doesn’t touch anything more than she’s probably already touched by now. Don’t mention that I’m coming with you, understand? She might panic and bring attention to herself if there’s any witnesses.”

You nod continuously, creating a mental checklist. Call, inform, excuse, reassure, move.

“And noona?”

You look back up into his eyes.

“You…you won’t hate me after tonight…would you?”

How could you fathom it? With his warm, sincere stare and willingness to walk to the ends of earth for someone as plain and unlovable as you, you should be on your knees worshipping him. You don’t understand how he can think of you hating him when he had so willingly put his entire life at risk without reluctance. You aren’t asking him to fetch a forgotten carton of milk at the corner store. You’re asking him to clean up the mess your mother made, a mess that can tear your entire world apart, a mess that has nothing to do with your boyfriend who has no boundaries to prove his devotion.

You shake your head. “I could never,” you breathe.

You hold him this time, letting his body bow towards your trembling figure as he breathes in the scent of sweat and perfume on your neck. You give him a moment of peace. You wanted him to remember this touch as after this night is over, you don’t know if you’ll be the same person. You don’t know if he’ll be either.

He goes over the plan once more and leads you to his car. When Jungkook straps you into the passenger seat and turns the ignition key, you curl your fingers around your shaking knees. He notices your anxiety and takes the closest hand in his before letting your palm rest over the gear shift. He places his own hand on top of yours, gripping tightly when he shifts and maneuvers the car out of the parking lot and onto the road before unclenching.

The sky is pitch black and the moon stalks from behind. You count every tree, read every sign, tense at every sign of a police car passing by, and sniffle when your burning eyes refuse to calm. You don’t register where you are until Jungkook lets go of your hand on the shifting gear and undo his seatbelt. You’re inside the garage of his studio, surrounded by wires, cardboard boxes, plastic bins, and office supplies. When you grasp his arm, letting out a small cry, he hushes you instantly, bringing your hand up to his lips to place a tender kiss on your knuckles.

“I’ll be quick, noona. I just need to get some things, okay? I’ll be right there-” he points to the very back of the car – “in view.”

You swallow, nodding before uncurling your grip from his arm.

It takes every ounce of self-restraint for Jungkook not to coo at your desperation. He missed this dependency of yours (he had only seen it during the wedding night and the necklace argument) and for once he wonders if he went a bit too far with his role as the sweet and needy boyfriend. He’s not acting in a way that he doesn’t want to but he is guilty of dramatizing some of his pleas and affectionate touches. He knows, in his head, that he is a man. He’s stronger, taller, capable of committing a crime and not just cleaning its aftermath, and will eventually be the father of your children. He’ll tug his collar open to expose his vulnerabilities, but he will show you his strength too. Tonight is a blessing from the universe that will, finally, keep you where you belong: at his side, looking at him, and needing only him.

You watch as Jungkook swings open the trunk of his car and load three large plastic bins and pile photography equipment – tripods, developer fluids, camera bags, lighting equipment, and even a small monitor. And then you see the last box of supplies: rope, black plastic bags, gloves, masks, bleach, towels, and tape. When his eyes meet yours, he flashes you a small smile between his labored breaths, the kind you’re used to seeing after you make love to him and he’s spent, sprawled on the sheets with an arm over his perspired forehead. The car jolts slightly as pushes the back door shut and hop back into the driver seat, adjusting the temperature in the car, muttering something under his breath, and latching his seat belt back on.

He keeps both hands on the wheel. “Noona…make the call now.”

You’re frozen, hands clasped together on your lap.

“Kookie…”

You’re having doubts. He can see it in the way you can’t even bear to look at him. He digs through your pocket and presses your cell phone on your lap. When the lockscreen awakens to the photo of you two, you feel your heart anchor to the bottom of your stomach.

“I-I can’t do it.” You shake your head. “We have to go to the police. I can’t live without you, I can’t live without mom, we’ll get caught and I-” You press your hands to your face, your hoarse sobs lodged deep in your throat before it rips from your chest in the kind of wailing that makes Jungkook’s own heart squeeze. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this to Yori either e-even if it means my family…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

He sees himself in you. He sees himself as the teen boy who let Taehyung drag his scalpel across his father, then his mother, before encouraging him to give it a try. You’re a virgin. Even if tonight worked out perfectly according to his plans, you’d still be a crime virgin. It was your mother who pushed Yori, not you. Knowing how empathetic you are, how tender you are, it might as well be you who pushed the woman down the stairs. He knows your fear all too well and he knows just how quick your hummingbird heartbeat is underneath his coat that you’re wearing. You’re just like him.

“You’re beautiful, noona.” He places a palm over your clasped hands and brings his other hand up to your face, tucking your hair behind your ears and strumming your cheeks with the back of his fingers.

“No one deserves your kindness. It fucking upsets me,” he swallows, allowing his eyes to water, “that even a mother will take advantage of that kindness.”

You sob into his hand, leaning your temple against the head rest. He’s right. How many times have your mother, before Jungkook came into your life, morphed you into something you’re not? The days you spent trying to please her, comparing yourself to other children she would complement to get a reaction out of you, letting yourself be a pawn for when she wanted something from your father that either required money or the right handshake. You still love her above all because she’s your mother but there’s no denying how much it still touches every part of your life from your relationships to your career. Moving away from her and letting her fade into the background was a true feat and it pains you that all that effort crumbled away and you’re left in a bigger mess to clean than before. If only you hadn’t taken the fucking call.

Maybe this was your fault. Maybe, if you hadn’t been such a hard-headed person, she would never had driven over to Yori’s place and none of this wouldn’t have happened. You wouldn’t have to get Jungkook involved either, as willing as he is.

“You trust me, don’t you?” Jungkook slouches back into his seat, putting his hands back onto the steering wheel. “Don’t you, noona?”

You nod, keeping your head lowered.

“Then be good for me and call. I’ll take care of you and I’ll take care of everything else. I’ve never broken that promise, not now, not ever.”

Jungkook hopes that’ll work. He’s rather annoyed but not at you, never at you. Why couldn’t she tumble down those stairs too instead of giving you such unnecessary stress? This kind of stain would be terrible for the baby had you been pregnant. It’s tearing him apart watching how different you are now compared to this morning, leaving the apartment in comfort only to come falling into his arms in tears. He came to the conclusion that you’re simply too pure for the world.

Oh how romantic tonight would be if you were honest with yourself all along. Claiming to loathe your mother with the strength of a thousand suns only to act like this when she shows up with baggage. Jungkook can’t blame you for you shared a majority of your life with the wench, but he finds it exasperating that you can’t see how little of your pity people like her deserve. Nevertheless, you wouldn’t be the love of his life if you weren’t so sensitive and caring.

It was with great relief that you mustered the courage to swipe across the phone screen and type your mother’s number.

He clicks open the garage door and the vehicle begins to descend down the elevated lot.

“M-mom? I’m on my way now…c-can you tell me where you are? It’ll be okay…I know mom, I-I’ll be there soon…”

…

You feel eerily calm as Jungkook drives past your mother’s car parked in the front of the gate to circle around the perimeter of the fence. He doesn’t recognize the new gate but he’d climbed over the old ones many times to watch you on the balcony. The metal may have changed but the level of security should be the same given that the villas are built a good distance apart between trees and the residents – people with mostly new money – keep to themselves. Lodged between a large tree and a partial opening in the back gate that is no doubt left ajar by your mother, Jungkook step out of the vehicle and press the door close before coming over to your side.

He’s relieved that you’re no longer in tears but your hands are still freezing cold despite the heat turned to the max inside. Your eyes are wandering and your breaths are labored as you press your body close to Jungkook’s.

Your mother is waiting near the door, her head poking out just slightly in the darkness and you can see the familiar row of bracelets on her wrist. She seems to have aged several years in just the last few months and the reason for her demise is standing next to you.

“Are you insane?” She seethes as she pulls you by the arm into the dark house and keep her eyes on Jungkook whose gaze bore into her skull. “How could you bring another-”

Jungkook barely had the time to secure your grip on his arm when you gasp, flinching back to hit the chess table next to where he’s standing when you see Yori’s pale arm stretched out from beneath a mat. The deep crimson shade of blood had congealed on the marble, partially smudged by the mat above her weighing her corpse down. Deep inside you had hoped that at least the baby could be saved, by some miracle, but the damage is far too great. Accident or not, a police officer finding this scene would not consider a light sentence if you mother decided to confess.

The older woman’s jaw is clenched, no doubt suppressing the panic she too feels hammering inside her as you hang off of Jungkook arm, trembling still. She looks up to your boyfriend and finds herself jolting awake when his eyes are peering down at her. He looks kind, sympathetic, soft, as if he is still sitting across her on your couch, eager to prove that he can be the son-in-law she’s been looking for all along.

“You should head home for the night. I’ll handle the rest.”

She scratches at her bracelets, her nails tugging the gold free from her skin. “B-But…where are you taking her? Anyone will find it if she’s buried in the yard.”

Jungkook doesn’t answer the question.

“Please go home and make sure there are no witnesses. I know you didn’t inform anyone before coming here,” he turns his head towards the body, “so go home as if you were never here. I promise I’ll take care of it.”

It’s evident the older woman is relieved by the way her shoulders slump but her gaze is still firm as she measures her trust into the young man who is in full control of your heart. Your eyes are still on the body when your mother takes your hands in hers and gives a squeeze.

“Sweetheart…” she croaks. She knew she gave birth to such a dependable, obedient daughter. You’re every mother’s dream and she makes a mental note to come back to your apartment with more boxes of food and perhaps make amends. There are far too many misunderstandings and miscommunication; it’s no way for a mother and child to live.

However, when you rip your hands away and take Jungkook’s hand in yours, her face crumbles.

“I don’t ever want to see you again.” You hiss, your voice straining. You’ve never spoken to her like this and didn’t think about doing so until you saw the body, the mess your boyfriend has to clean. “You did this to us.”

“Wh-”

“Leave me alone. Please, mom. Get out of here, okay?” Your eyes glisten and you wipe away the droplets before they have the chance to fall. “It’s…we’re putting our lives on the line for you. It’s the least you can do now…so please…”

Between your pleas and Jungkook’s silence, your mother bites the inside of her cheek from saying anything more and turns back the way you came in. You watch her figure recede into the darkness, her shoes clacking softly on the cobblestone path. She turns back to look at you before the door closes and for once, you earn the most genuine apology you’ve ever received and this time she didn’t even need to open her mouth.

When the door falls back into place, Jungkook gives your shoulders a comforting rub and leads you towards the staircase, reminding you to breathe. He feels a bit more relieved that your mother didn’t raise too much of a ruckus. How could she when he’s the one getting his hands dirty? It’s what the perfect son-in-law will do and after this night is over, he’ll no longer have doubts about her approval. She wouldn’t have a valid argument anyway – not when he had just proved that he’s willing to go to the ends of Earth for your family and stability.

You’re too cute, Jungkook thinks, as you breathe through your nose and exhale through your lips. You’re a mirror image of his virgin self coated in blood, panicked but euphoric, angered but more than relieved to be rid of the parasites that kept him in the sewers.

“H-how are we going to do this?” You breathe, looking up the stairs as if you were expecting Namjoon to be standing there.

“I’ll handle the body. You can help me wipe down the stairs, okay?”

And handle it he did. He first fetched the supplies from the car, making sure once more that there are no witnesses while also keeping you within sight. Even without a severe puncture wound, Yori made quite a mess.

The terror didn’t come from seeing your former friend of years lay in a puddle of her own secretions. Nor did it come from seeing how calm and collected your boyfriend is peering down at the body with something akin to annoyance. No, terror came from how easily your mind and body adapted to helping Jungkook. You had no more tears left to shed when he lifted the mat from the body and placed a plastic covering next to her before rolling her body onto it. The sheet rustles beneath her weight and the stench of iron and urine fills your nostrils, prompting you to place your gloved hand over your nose.

Jungkook seems to know just what to do. He orders for you to wipe the railings first, which you do so with the slowness of a snail climbing a brick wall. The smell of bleach kept the nausea at bay and prompted you to focus on the smaller tasks because you can feel your heart already beginning to race with the sound of your boyfriend dragging Yori by the feet to straighten her posture. When you risked a glance back, you catch yourself feeling irked by the way Jungkook places her fingers so tenderly on her flattened stomach. Even when he’s wearing gloves, you catch yourself glaring at his touch on her skin, at the way his fingers brush over the ring on her finger. It makes you clench your jaw harder, pour more bleach onto the staircase, and wipe down each step with vigor.

She’s dead, she can’t take him from you.

You spray the bleach onto the top step, scrubbing with the heel of your palm as your shoulder fights through aches and pressure. You can do this. If Jungkook kept his promise, you must too. You will never find another man who will devote his entire life to you and for that you must not be too forgiving to those who don’t deserve your kindness, not this time.

All your life it’s one person after another coming to take what they want and leave. This is your lesson to finally take yourself back from them all, to come to terms with how much you gave and how little you received, see that Jungkook was the catalyst you desperately needed. It was no coincidence that when the elevator doors opened that very night of your wedding, he was the person standing in front of you. He was meant to be there holding your shoes as he rescues you away from those who would eventually suck the life out of you. He’s not someone you should be afraid of – no – because he’s your savior.

When you turn back again, Jungkook is slipping Yori’s legs into a large, black plastic bag identical to the one she’s laying on. He uses the bag beneath her to fight friction as he slides her body forward, careful not to bend her body before the duct tape comes into play.

And suddenly, your shoulder doesn’t ache anymore. Your heartbeat slows as you take another deep breath, this time through your lips, and watch his shoulders hunch over and forearm veins protrude.

“Kookie?”

He looks up, hair damp with sweat as it falls over his eyes. The lights from the front lawn, as it filter through dark maroon curtains, casts a red glow on your lover’s skin. When he meets your eyes he’s filled with glee, seeing that you’re no longer panicking and your eyes are clouded with a kind of protective apathy that lets him know you’ve gotten stronger. You’re dipping a toe into his world.

“Yes, noona?” He huffs, straightening his spine and wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist.

“Nothing will happen to us after tonight…right?”

He physically melts at your saccharine voice. You’re worried about him, about whether he’ll still want you after this and if he’ll want you forever. “Of course not, noona. Are you feeling okay? Do you need to rest?” He asks if he hadn’t been the one packing the corpse into a bag.

You shake your head with a sniffle. “…I’m fine.” You’re not sure what to say, so you rub the cleaning cloth between your fingers and shy away from his eyes. “J just wanted to hear you say that.”

A smile spreads across his face, slow but bright as if he had just heard the most amazing thing. You can’t smile back and instead focus back on the floors and the last few inches of the railing.

You make sure to wipe the decorations nearby, in case your mother left any fingerprints on the lacquered surfaces. She can be rather careless in dire situations. You’re lifting yourself off the floor when something catches your eye: a large crib with layers and layers of blankets and fuzzy cloud and star plushies.

“What kind of bedtime stories should we tell our kids?”

Namjoon puts his head on your lap, sighing in relief when his neck is elevated at just the right position to depressurize the knot.

“What about myths? About the constellations and such.”

You giggle, brushing your fingers through his hair. “Isn’t that a little too mature for babies?”

When he doesn’t answer, you wave you hand in front of his eyes. He squints, chuckling. So this is what marriage life is going to be like – he can get used to it. “You’re right, that is a bit too much. Then…hm…they’ll learn about the types of clouds in the sky and we can go from there.”

“Joonie, I love you, but don’t come crying when our kids prefer mama’s stories over papa’s boring myths and random science facts.”

“We’ll see when we get to that point. Either way, you’re stuck with me.”

Asshole.

A fucking good-for-nothing lying asshole.

Gifting the same toys he promised to give to your future children to the same bitch who ruined your life, your family, and your sanity; they deserved each other, you think, and they both deserve to disappear as if they had never existed. The unborn baby inside Yori is innocent but a part of you is elated that he’ll never experience the kind of fatherhood he wanted. You silently wished Namjoon would tumble down the very same staircase you cleaned and joined Yori in a happy couple’s embrace to…

“Kookie?” You call out to your boyfriend who had duct taped the body in a semi-mummified state and used a shibari knot with his jute rope for easy carrying. He’d dragged the body next to the railing and leaned it against one of the stair planks in an upright position so that after he inspects the house for any evidence, he can bring the corpse easily over his shoulder.

“Yes, noona?”

“Where are we going to bury her?”

Jungkook wets his lips. He can’t possibly tell you the process of disposing a body or else you’ll surely fall back into panic so he gives you the simplest answer he can. “I’ll have to keep her body in the freezer in my studio. I’ll look for a place to burn it soon.”

You nod, swallowing as your throat tightens uncomfortably once more. The waves of anxiety come and goes. Jungkook knows how you’re feeling all too well and he wishes he could just hold you in your arms until tomorrow comes. Much to his distain, he knows you’re partly living your fantasy of making Yori pay for her involvement with Namjoon. You no longer love the man but anyone in your shoes wouldn’t deny there is a sense of satisfaction in seeking vengeance after a lifetime of humiliation that dampened your reputation in both your personal and professional sphere. Jungkook prays that getting rid of Yori will eliminate your mind of their presence although he highly doubts it; you’re not always rainbows and flowers. It’s only natural for you to be curious about taking another life when anger consumes logic. Most of these thoughts are fleeting ,which is why you had surprised Jungkook by your composure. He expected screaming at the very least but all you could do was cry.

He understands.

After he watched the life drain out of his parents, Taehyung had watched him cry for the longest time and when the next day came, it was like the world had turned its back while he washed the blood off his hands. The anxiety was terrible – at least for the first month or two – and then it was as if nothing had happened.

Like he learned before and like you’re learning now, it didn’t take much to get rid of a person. Over time, it just became muscle memory, kind of like making your morning coffee half-asleep. Now that you’ve gotten your first taste of the power, he wonders how you’ll cope. Will you fall into despair and regret it all in the morning? Will you be hungry for more? How will you return his most tiresome display of affection? These are questions he can’t answer. But what he does know is that you finally understand what love is in his world.

Love isn’t just about a ring on the finger or a baby in the crib. Love has to hurt. It has to infest your dreams and turn them into nightmares, wreak havoc on your heart, rip off the magnet in your moral compass. It’s why the human heart is caged behind ribs – it can hardly be tamed.

…

As the car lurches behind trees and between unpaved roads, Jungkook notifies your mother about what to do next. It would not raise suspicion for her to leave the country for a few weeks, especially since she had been traveling to speak to investors abroad. It would take some of the burden off his shoulders too; your mother is a cunning woman who fears losing money more than losing you so he had no trouble alluding to her demise if she disobeys. While you look away, he quickly sends a notification to Jimin to make sure the older man will take care of the rest. When he receives an immediate response back, his shoulders slump in relief and he pockets the phone back into his jeans.

When he takes your hand in his again, the other gripping the wheel, you give him the smallest of smiles through the silence.

Three is a crowd. The body folded and hidden in the rear space between his photography equipment makes your head turn every now and then to make sure it doesn’t escape somehow. You’re exhausted beyond belief but Jungkook is here, his palm over your hand on the shifting gear once more, to keep you grounded. The night feels like it might go on forever.

The streets pass by in a blur – nightlife still alive and pulsing with neon signs – and there’s a kind of peace enclosed in the car that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s the comfort in knowing that Jungkook has always been and will always be there for you. Whether to take you from somewhere or bring you to some place, he’s the only person in your life left that you could depend on. As he expertly drives through tight alleyways where gas station surveillance cameras can’t reach him, you’re dozing off with your head against the window.  

“We’re almost there.” He says while running his thumb over your knuckles. There’s blood on his shirt and your neck but you’re too tired to care.

You awaken with a gasp when Jungkook swings the door open; he had been careful not to wake you but you feel enough residual adrenaline to jolt awake at the smallest of sounds. It takes a moment for you to recognize the inside of his garage, the bright LED lightbulb hanging above causing you to squint as your eyes adjust.

Unaware that you’re awake, Jungkook quickly moves to the rear of the car and swing Yori’s body over his shoulders, tightening the ropes around where her neck and feet are to secure his grip. He carries the wrapped body towards the door next to the shelves and kicks it open to reveal several more stocked shelves before coming to a halt at the buzzing freezer. With a free hand, he lifts the lid open and removes several bags of seafood and miscellaneous food items you can’t quite make out before rolling the body inside the interior. He places the bags on top of the body and latches the freezer shut, securing it with a combination lock from one of his bins.

When he steps back and shut the storage door before turning, he’s surprised to see you standing in the doorway, your hair a mess, his coat hanging loose off one shoulder.  

“Do you remember the night after you took my engagement photos? The ones at that same house?”

His brows scrunch slightly in confusion as he nods. There’s a noticeable flush on your cheeks as you breath in and out from your lips, a puff forming in the chill of the garage. You’re half-asleep, the exhaustion resting well deep in your bones but you can’t bring yourself to find your way towards his bed.

“I left my bedroom door open for you. I-I watched you from the balcony and waited for you to come back.”

Jungkook’s lips part, something foreign stirring in his stomach as the coat weighs down your shoulders and you don’t stop it from sliding down your arms, letting it pool around your feet. You don’t know why you wanted to confess but it felt right. It felt right to confess to something that isn’t about being an accessory in a crime.  

“Why didn’t you say anything, noona?”

You close the distance, putting both of your hands on his chest, over the blood stains on the university sweatshirt. He exhales loudly when you bring him down to your level by a tug of his collar, your lips just a mere centimeter apart.

“Because I wanted you then just as much as I want you now.”

Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to close the gap between your lips, slamming your body onto the car behind you as he brings one of your legs over his waist to press himself against your heat. Your fingers curl around the nape of his neck and he listens to your squeal as he lifts you fully off the ground and lets you wrap both your legs around him this time. You break the kiss and pepper sweet kisses over the mole on his neck and the smears of dried blood that caked onto his sweatshirt.

“I love you so much,” you whisper, moving your head to the other side of his neck to suckle on his warm skin and feel his pulse through the jugular.

Jungkook quickly throws open the door to the studio and steps into the darkness, his memory allowing him to lead you towards the bathroom without his eyes adjusting. Your eyes burn once more when he reaches behind you to shut the bathroom door close and turn on the yellowed lights with the back of his elbow. When your face comes into view, he sits you on the counter next to the sink and pushes his tongue back in your mouth, your name leaving his lips with a whimper.

He’s terribly hard against your thighs, his length straining through his jeans. You tug him forward by the belt as you break the kiss once more and let him rip open your blood and bleach-stained blouse.

“God, you’re so beautiful, noona. I can’t believe you’re mine.”

He moans as you press the heel of your feet up his erection, his voice muffled by skin filling his mouth as he takes the top your left breast spilling from the brassiere on his tongue. You arch to chase the heat of his tongue, back of your head leaning on the mirror behind.

“My good boy…such a good boy…”

The effect your praise has on him is immediate. Jungkook reaches behind his neck and pulls the sweatshirt over his head, ruffling his hair in the process. You watch him unbuckle and tug his belt free from the hoops before unclasping the front of his jeans. Impatient, he circles his arms around you to undo the brassiere, leaning down to kiss the indents on your skin as you slip your blouse off your shoulders and pull the straps down your arms. The coolness of the counter causes a hiss to leave your lips and Jungkook drinks in your state of orgasmic delirium like an aphrodisiac.

It’s a blessing for you to have worn a less difficult pair of pants to shimmy out of. With a short tug, Jungkook slides the waistband of your wool slacks and cotton panties down your ankles. When he pauses, chest rising and falling steadily, you follow his gaze to see a streak of blood in the middle of the light pink fabric.

In the time between your mother’s call and your boyfriend dumping your former best friend’s body in a freezer, your period makes an early appearance. The streak of blood is bright and vibrant, unlike Yori’s blood that oxidized into a deep maroon shade on his tanned skin. Jungkook tugs your pants down your ankles but takes your panties into one hand, his doe eyes coming to rest on the blood before something snaps within him.

He throws the fabric on the floor and hooks his arms beneath your shin, prompting you to gasp as he spreads your thighs apart. He stares down at your dark pubic hair before tracing two fingers up your slit and into the curls. His fingers reappear with your blood, seeping underneath his short nails and the crevices of his nailbed.

“Can I taste you, noona?” He breathes, chest rising and falling even faster. His cheeks are flaming red, the flush reaching his earlobes as his lips part for more air. He feels like he can’t breathe, seeing how beautiful, fertile, and red you are for him.

You’re hesitant, the blood reminding you of what you just done – what he just done – yet the burning in your belly proves that you want this just as much as he does. You barely had the chance to nod before Jungkook pushes his face into your pussy, his tongue lapping the blood on your vulva and clit as his nose buries in your trimmed curls. You taste metallic, as if he’s sucking on a penny, but it’s light and the syrupy texture allows him to take all of your juices in his mouth. When his tongue draws circles around your clit and he presses his lips around the nub like a suction, your fingers immediately grasp his hair from the roots, begging his tongue to fuck your weeping pussy.

Jungkook laps your folds like a starving puppy until you’re arching for him once more, thighs trapping his head where it belongs as your cum gushes out of you with traces with red. Between your blood and your juices, he can’t decide which one tastes better. The metallic tang disappears, leaving a fragrant aftertaste that he can only indulge when he inhales through his nose after swallowing what remains on his teeth. When your knees twitch, Jungkook pulls back to come up for air, watching your expression as your eyes fall to his wet crimson lips, the mess reaching his chin and jaw.

It takes a minute for you to gather yourself together and in your exhaustion a slow but soft smile reaches your lips.

“Does it taste good, baby?”

“Heavenly,” he whispers as he traps your body between his arms and gives you a taste, twisting his tongue deep inside your warm mouth. Your hands stroke the contours of his biceps and triceps, core aching as he groans when you lick your remainings from his chin.

You can tell he’s tired, having to do most of the manual labor. He winces as you knead his shoulders and it makes your chest ache. Even when he’s hurting, he takes care of you first. Your precious boy.

“Turn on the shower for me.”

Jungkook is aching to be inside you but he obeys, turning away to step inside the shower and twist the silver handle lodged into the tile. You stand behind him, moving away just slightly when the water – steadily turning hot – sprays over his hair and onto your breasts. Just as he’s about to turn around you circle your arms around his waist and reach into his jeans, palming his throbbing cock before pulling his jeans and briefs down his ankles. He steps out of the tight fabric, watching the remnants of Yori’s blood spiral down the drain as you kick the fabric in front of his toes.

The shower hose is harsh on his head but he can’t seem to pull away, one arm holding onto the wall for purchase, when you cushion your knees with his wet, blood-stained jeans. He can’t get any harder watching water drip from the ends of his hair down to your erect nipples, sliding down between the valley of your breasts and onto your soft stomach.

You’re delighted to see his cock twitch, taking your bottom lip under your teeth as you look up at him.

“You want mommy to take care of you, Kookie?”

He nods, exhaling as his abdomen clenches.

“You want to cum all over mommy’s tits, yeah? Make me proud?”

“Unng…” He moans in response, hips bucking forward to slide his leaking tip across your lips. He whimpers when you pull away, your smile twisting when his stomach clenches again.

You massage his firm thighs, gliding over every ripple of his muscles and over to the patch of pubic hair above his cock. When you pass your hands over his belly button, you stretch a palm up towards his face.

“Spit.”

The mole beneath his lips appear as he gathers as much saliva as he can produce on his tongue and spits into your palm. There are some traces of blood in your palm but you pay no attention to it as you place your saliva-coated palm over his cock and make a fist around the length.

“Mo-mmy,” he throws his head back, the shower head coming down his flushed pecs. Your fist begins to move slow but tight around his hardness. “It feels so good. Fuck…unng, mommy…please…”

Jungkook can cum just from your warm breath hitting his leaking tip but he doesn’t. When you lean forward and take his entire length in your mouth, tongue stretched as far as you can as you press your nose against his pubes, his jaw drops. You’re warm, wet, and fuck, so tight.

His other hand combs through your hair, reaching underneath the nape to pull your head back until your half-lidded eyes can watch his skin glisten.

With your hands back on his thighs, Jungkook expects you to move. What he doesn’t expect was you to tighten your throat before swallowing with his entire length in your mouth.

“Fuck!”

You gag around him but repeats, breathing through your nose before letting your whimpers and cries vibrate his cock. He’s about to lose it, his tightening grip causing your scalp to burn.

“You’re so pretty, mommy,” he pulls his length back just slightly to let you suction him back inside. When his entire length is warm and pulsing in the back of your throat, you swallow once more and begin moving up and down, your eyes closing as Jungkook backs your head to the tile and fucks your mouth at a steady pace.

“Wanna cum in your throat, all over you, inside you. God, you’re so perfect.” He chants, abdomen clenching when your throat tightens just right over his pink tip.

You hum, hands trailing behind his thighs and up to his firm cheeks to push him forward. His grip tightens once more when he whimpers your name, over and over again, his cock driving into your mouth with a vigor that’s bound to leave your throat sore in the morning.

The first spurt of his warm cum hits your uvula and you cough just as he slides out of your mouth and pumps himself into his fist. Watching his creamy cum dripping down the corner of his mouth intensifies his high, prompting him to burst onto your shoulder blades and over your wet breasts. He doesn’t wait for you to catch your breath before he pushes you down onto the tile, moving away the wet jeans to a corner before finding safety between your legs. His arms, on either side of your head, allows him to prop himself up to lead his tip towards your entrance.

He’d forgotten all about cleaning the blood on your neck when you’re spread for him, your hands cupping his face in admiration. Your eyes and nose are still puffy and red, but he knows the blush on your cheeks come from your need to have him deep inside until you can feel him against your cervix.

“I love you, noona. So, so much.”

You hiss slightly when he pushes inside, your snug velvet walls engulfing his cock and keeping him where he belongs. His body bows in servitude to the goddess that is you.

“I love you too,” you huff, brushing your fingers over his sculped cheekbones and mandible. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You let him take you there despite how painful it was to bear him pounding into your walls with the intent to ruin. You’re not sure how long you lay on the tile, how many times he came inside, how sore and painful your insides will be when he’s done. It was never-ending – how Jungkook muffles your wails and whines, how he pumps his cocks while pressing your shoulders down to bury himself deep, how exhausted you are by the time he’s pushing his cum back into your swollen hole. The last orgasm triggers tears to seep from the corner of his eyes which Jungkook kisses away as he reaches up to the shower cloth and waits for you to fall limp before running the soapy cloth along your body.

You’re freezing cold despite the hot water still coming down onto your boyfriend’s body and, from there, onto you. He’s quick to clean you up and wrap you in the same towel he had laid over you the first time you used his studio shower. You can barely move as he carries you to the bed and lays your damp body on the fresh linen. You can hear the sound of him ripping open a thin menstrual pad and placing it in a pair of fresh panties he fished from the shared armoire closet. He slips the panties up your legs, lifting your hips to pull the fabric over your buttocks, flashing his usual charming grin when you murmur a thank you.

He pulls the towel from your body and squeeze out as much water as he can from your long tresses, careful not to tug. It wasn’t ideal to him that you’ll be sleeping with wet hair but you’re beyond exhausted and, to be frank, he is as well. At least he’s heading to bed satiated.

Jungkook slides under the blankets and brings your body closer by your waist. He groans into your neck, his body immediately softening as the warmth of your skin and the blanket brings him the peace and comfort he craved.

“Kookie?”

“Hm?”

It takes a heartbeat for him to sense your sudden anxiety. “…I’m scared.”

“Why are you scared?” He manages to ask although sleep is weighing heavy on his eyelids.

“I don’t know.” You murmur.

Jungkook is too tired to remember if you said anything afterwards for he falls deep into slumber. As for you, your head won’t let you sleep despite your body pleading for rest. Every part of you can feel Yori’s heavy body in the freezer just several feet away. You’re not sure how you’re supposed to feel about tonight or if tonight should have happened in the first place but in Jungkook’s arms, you can’t find the smallest ounce of pity for the woman.

You close your eyes, snuggle closer into his firm chest, and try your best to pretend nothing will change. You try to forget the flash drive sitting in your bag, the possible evidence your mother may have left behind in the villa, the corpse in the garage. Most of all, you try to forget how Jungkook looked at the bottom of the staircase, slipping the corpse inside the black plastic trash bag with such ease that makes you wonder if he had done this before. He surely must have, that voice inside of your head says but you wave it away.

I don’t know.

You lied to him. For the first time in your relationship, you lied without guilt. You do know why you’re scared and it’s not because after tonight every knock on the door will cause your heart to pound.

No. It’s because you know your boyfriend – your sweet, loving boyfriend who cries watching romantic comedies on Sundays – is truly capable of murder.

[diamonddrive91]

Okay, so having read the most latest post from @kalorphic I got to thinking about a specific old chara of mine and wanted to share so here’s another info dump lol

Nathanael Schaffer

So Nathanael is a spy/assassin who is just....he’s a bit of a mess. He’s great at projecting this complete and utter doofus that no one would expect to be good at his job but give him any sort of projectile, especially a bow and arrow, and you have one of the most dangerous people you will ever find. He’s highly intelligent, at least when it comes to people and survival, can calculate trajectory and angles on the fly without having to really think about it, and is fluent in seven languages, proficient in two others, and knows a variety of curses and insults in eight more. But his self-esteem is shit and he prefers being underestimated so he’ll always tell people he’s not smart or deflect praise towards others. He’s got a big heart and will point out people’s best aspects like it’s the only job he could ever have but when it comes to himself, you’ll never really hear him giving himself any sort of praise. He’s tough as hell on himself, though he doesn’t see it that way. Nathanael adores dogs and Disney and has been known to detour on the job just to pet a dog because hello, dog. His best friend is a tough as nails assassin/spy who doesn’t really tend to lighten up unless he’s around, often intimidating the hell out of any who cross her path, but he maintains that she’s a total sweetheart if you get to know her. A sweetheart who can kill you with her pinky if she wants, but a sweetheart. Nathanael brings out her goofy side and there’s even been instances of the two belting out Disney songs while on the job, particularly the ‘Do you wanna build a snowman’ and ‘love is an open door’ songs from Frozen while in the middle of gunfights. Their opponents were both confused as hell and very amused.

Nathanael’s got hearing issues and has to have hearing aids at all times. It’s not something he likes sharing, in fact it’s one of his greatest insecurities. He came from a very rough childhood and though he adores physical contact, he still tends to shy away from it though he hides it the best he can. His usual approach to things is ‘get it done’ even and especially if it’s a risk to his own safety, not that he tends to realize it. Despite his apparent openness and friendliness to others, he’s truthfully more of the quiet observer and does not trust easy. His self preservation instincts are absolutely shit, he takes risks like it’s going out of style, and is extremely well acquainted with many of the dumpsters around his neck of the woods. He’s got a talent for stumbling into the weirdest situations and trouble but he’s also very lucky and usually manages to get out of those situations with only a few broken bones. Hence how he wound up with his doggo, who totally has him wrapped around their paw. 

When it comes to his dog, Nathanael’s a total pushover. One look from that one eyed, three legged doggo and Nathanael will drop everything, sometimes even literally. He’s apparently quite the fantastic pillow if the sheer amount of times his dog’s sprawled across him means anything. Nathanael’s got a bit of a thing about ‘accidental’ adoption of strays, which his friends often tease him about. Met a doggo in trouble? Adopted the doggo. Met a baby assassin with trust issues and a penchant for violence? Adopted the assassin. Met twins on the run? Adopted the twins. None of that officially of course but nevertheless. He still hasn’t caught on that they’ve all adopted him in return. 

Nathanael doesn’t understand that people actually like him and care about his general well being. When confronted with that, he often opts for denial and complete ignorance. He’s constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, to be left behind in the dust. There’s only one who’s gotten it into his thick head that they do care and that’s his bestie. He’s long learned that doubting she cares about him will end with one of two results: her kicking his ass or the silent, disappointed mom look. Nathanael does not do well with disappointing people he cares about. It makes him feel all squirmy and antsy and when not properly used, tends to result in him going way too far trying to turn it around and getting himself hurt. 

some random little fact-os about Nathanael include: -ADORES purple -whenever he can, he’ll be where the dogs are. that means volunteering at shelters, frequenting dog parks, spending hours in pet stores. He’s a total sucker for dogs and makes literally zero secrets of that -has an older brother but the two of them aren’t in touch. if they need to get ahold of each other, they have one of the, to quote his best friend, ‘most convoluted, inane method of communication to be found on this planet’. Meaning they literally will take out random ads in newspapers and hope the other one ends up seeing it -if it weren’t for his best friend, would have died years ago. the reasons for which include: she makes sure he eats more than just pizza and doesn’t drink coffee at all hours of the day, she drags him to medical when needed and literally sits on him to avoid him making any daring escapes, she’s death glared/threatened pretty much everyone who’s dared try to harm him, and she’s mastered guilt tripping him into employing many of the less dangerous methods of survival he’s considered when on the job -the higher up he is, the calmer he is -a shifter! his shifted form is the most obnoxiously purple Puple Martin you’ll ever see. it’s absolutely tiny as well and he’s literally managed to make a mini crossbow for this form. He spent four hours cracking up the first time he used it because his best friend recorded it and they both maintain it’s one of the funniest things they’ve ever seen: a 6′4″, 212 lb man running screaming from a miniscule armed bird -whenever he’s not being monitored at all times, he’s a freaking unrivalled escape artist when put into medical. not even being cuffed to the bed can stop him. -big fan of vents -extremely good at fitting in places he shouldn’t be able to. he’s very good at contorting himself -nestssssssssssssssssssssssss. He’s got them all over, hidden away, and doesn’t talk about them. Ever. He tends to steal clothes and blankets from the people he cares about to put in his nests but will return them once they stop smelling of whoever he took them from. He’s completely mortified at the idea of anyone finding out about them. Of course, his best friend knows about them but they’ve got an unspoken agreement that she NEVER says a word about them. Still, every so often he’ll find a new blanket or pillow or leather jacket that smells of his bestie that he never put in there. 

[wingsofthewibbets]

Hello I Made A Playlist

It is specifically for the vibes of the Calamity Trio! Also, I feel like contributing to fandom, so I tried to explain why I felt each song gave off the ~Vibe~. Apologies for the length of this monstrosity. It’s on Youtube and Spotify, but there is a song on Youtube I used that was unavailable on Spotify. It’s in no particular order, although maybe I’ll organize it one day.

~‘California Friends’ (The Regrettes)- Generally the fun upbeat vibe of the song, but also these specific lyrics make me think of Anne’s :

     I think I love you but then I think

     No way!

     I gotta go but I wanna stay

    Just stay!

    I guess I’ll save it for another day, well okay?

As well as:

     I get mixed up in my head, you do too

     But I don’t forget a thing you’ve said

     Well that’s true

I think the lyrics definitely give me more Anne/Marcy vibes, but the music itself makes me think of Sasha getting them into trouble. There’s some big garage band energy here, and it just makes me think of them running around and causing chaos. (also the ‘i gotta go but i wanna stay/just stay’ definitely reminds me of the end of the aquarium episode)

~’The Archer’ (Taylor Swift)- Oh man this song where do I even start?? There is so much?? (I know I’ve already talked about this one, but Imma do it again) I was listening to this song one day and the lyrics hit me so hard as reminding me of all the girls, specifically:

For Anne:

    Combat, I’m ready for combat

    I say I don’t want that, but what if I do?

    ‘Cause cruelty wins in the movies

    I’ve got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you

I feel like this is pretty self-explanatory, but this seriously makes me think of her relationship with Sasha -or the shambles of it anyway oof- and the speeches line just makes me there’s so much that she doesn’t tell her friends about what’s running through her head. 

Anne’s an emotional person to be sure, but she’s also a very impulsive one, which means a lot of times, what people get from her is the unedited, unreflected version of her thoughts, which don’t make them any less true, but that also means that she’s probably a little more reticent with the deeper ideals that don’t get unearthed through dramatic moments. She just does things a lot of the time, and when she gets stuck on something, it is kinda obvious from the outside, but she also gets uncomfortable with trying to talk about it, because there is no clear solution she can enact in the moment to resolve it.

For Sasha:

    Screaming who could ever leave me, darling?

    But who could stay?

    I see right through me, I see through me

As well as the repetition of ‘they see right through me/can you see right through me’, these lines give me huge Sasha vibes, specifically. I think of them kind of especially applicable to the Reunion episode, but also just how there were a couple scenes where she seemed to be regretting hiding from her friends the toad rebellion that was going to take place in Newtopia, and that conversation Anne and Sasha have in The Third Temple. I don’t think she ever considered regretting the rebellion at all, but I do think she worried over what it might do to her friendships. 

The end of Reunion was heartbreaking, for both Anne and Sasha, because if the Plantars had been able to pull both girls up, I think there would have been more opportunity for Sasha and Anne to have a better reconciliation. (i think this about this a lot ngl) And, also because she was willing to die for Anne??? I don’t think that gets discussed enough. That episode has big ‘who could ever leave me’ at the beginning, and then at the end ‘who could stay’ vibes. 

For Marcy:

    And all of my heroes die alone (OOF)

As well as

     All the king’s horses, all the king’s men

     Couldn’t put me together again

     ‘Cause all of my enemies started out friends

Ahahaha this is the ANGST. So. I mean, obviously the king’s horses part makes me think of the ending of True Colors, and I don’t think that Marcy considers Sasha and Anne to be her enemies by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t think that Andrias is above manipulating her to think that they think of her that way. (Also the line ‘cause all of my enemies started out friends’ line is very applicable to Anne and Sasha as well, it just happened to be part of the lines that made me think of Marcy) Plus sticking around the king and whatever the heck he has in store for her will definitely not put her back together sooo-

The ‘help me hold onto you’ and the ‘I’ve been the archer/I’ve been the prey’ just apply to all of them (for the former, think Sasha and Anne in Reunion, the way Marcy tried to mediate in The Dinner, and just True Colors in general; for the latter, it makes me think of the sword-fights between Anne and Sasha, as well as how Marcy once believed that Andrias actually cared about her). The ‘Dark side, I search for your dark side/But what if I’m alright, right, right, right here’ make me think of how Anne is going to be reevaluating her friendships with both Sasha and Marcy, as well as how all of them seemed to grow into the Amphibia communities that they landed in and what they are going to struggle with leaving behind.

I had this song on loop for way too long trying to word my feelings out about it.

~’Soldier, Poet, King’ (Oh Hellos)- This song is just so absolutely perfect for the three girls. I’d like to take the time to state that I think Sasha fits soldier, Marcy poet, and Anne king, but what are y’all’s thoughts? 

     There will come a soldier/Who carries a mighty sword

     He will tear your city down

Big Sasha vibes, fits with what’s she done so far in the show, as well as how she’s being set up for the third season to be a hero (whose intentions somewhat align with the consequences of her actions).

    There will come a poet/Whose weapon is his word

    He will slay you with his tongue

Marcy spends a lot of time journaling, and she even takes the time to learn a dead language! She seems rather skilled with more traditional weaponry, but her biggest boon is her intelligence and her quick-thinking. I also think that if she does end up getting possessed by the Night, its words being spoken by Marcy’s voice is absolutely going to SLAUGHTER Anne and Sasha.

     There will come a ruler/Whose brow is laid in thorn

     Smeared with oil like David’s boy

Apart from the fact that Anne literally has plants growing from her head in the S2 finale, she is also a charismatic leader who has made connections all over Amphibia. She genuinely cares about the people around her, and takes the time to get to know them and spend time with them. Also, a lot of times, she is underestimated and seen as the David to her opponent’s Goliath- whether that be physically or in skillset.

~’Someone To You’ (The Banners)- No specific lyrics here, but the general vibe of the song. There is a sort of desperation that seems to permeate it, as though if the narrator isn’t someone to the person they are singing to, they will be nobody at all, and I think that is very much how all of the girls view their friendship, at least at first. 

Marcy gets the music box thing going because she doesn’t want to be alone; Sasha is desperate to have Anne, and she wants so much for both Anne and Marcy to look up to her as someone who is strong and present. I think for Anne, we kinda see this song in the speech she gives to Sprig in Best Fronds when she’s trying to get him to break the rules with her, but also in how she is open to reconciling with Sasha in The Dinner and giving her a second chance. Mainly, though, what I associate with Anne for this song are the scenes where she reunites with Marcy and Sasha for the first time. The spinning hug she gives Sasha, and how tightly she hugs Marcy with tears in her eyes- she really does love and care about these girls.

They all cling to this friendship so much, in different ways, both healthy and unhealthy, and I think this song really captures that.

~’Lost Girls’ (Lindsey Stirling)- This song is mostly instrumental, so again, no specific lyrics here, but there is a very deep, melancholic feel to this song. It gets kinda fast-paced at some points, and reminds me of the ending of True Colors, with Anne and Sasha and Marcy separated. There is so much space- literal and internal- between all of them now, and I think this song does a really great job of getting Those Feels across. They aren’t just lost to each other, they are also struggling with battles inside of themselves.

But the lyrics that are in this song, (lol I just said I wouldn’t mention them whoops) ‘Lost girls find a way’, are sung, the music played after them that plays remind me that, like Matt Braly said, sometimes things have to be broken to be fixed again. They can find a way. It’s not a happy song to be sure, but there’s a quiet strength and determination in it.

~’Long Live’ (Taylor Swift)- I could cite specific lyrics here, but this song has just always given me epilogue-end-of-the-battle scenes, where we get to see everyone exhausted, but happy and most importantly together. This song is what I’m hoping the future gets to be for Marcy, Anne, and Sasha; happy about their present together, being able to heal despite the past, and accepting that even if they aren’t together forever in the future, that doesn’t mean they weren’t important to one another.

~’Torches’ (Oh Hellos)- ‘Torches’, on the complete opposite hand to ‘Long Live’, kind of represents where the girls are right now with one another. 

Despite keeping that old wheel turning, despite laying that next spoke down (yes these are direct lyric references), they are also continuing to make mistakes with one another.

    I got a venom like a snake running out of my mouth

    (Running out of my mouth, running out of my mouth)

    It’s got you burning at the stake

    Innocent or not, you’re not a bet I care to take

 And, yet, somehow, they keep being led back to one another. They are more alike than they think, and even if they get back to Earth, they will still be bound by the mutual experiences they had on Amphibia, that no one else is likely to ever understand. The ways they misunderstand one another and don’t communicate cleave them apart, but also together, in a way. 

    And Father Ignorance will make brothers of us all

   (Brothers of us all, brothers of us all)

    As he sets our torch aflame

    Chasing down the flimsy specters that we pro-create

As well as 

    Mother Fortuna, O, she makes sisters of us all

    (Sisters of us all, sisters of us all)

   When the faces in her wake

    Look more like our own than the effigies that we immolate

~’Castle On The Hill’ (Ed Sheeran)- Purely just the vibes. Nothing super deep, just makes me think of how Anne, Sasha, and Marcy are going to look back on their friendships and their time together. 

~’Trouble’ (Valerie Broussard)- Though I will forever associate this song with Six of Crows thanks to a fabulous animatic, I will say that it also makes me think of the darker tone that Season 3 might take on, and how each girl is poised to take on a different problem. I see it as a very Sasha song (especially ‘I’m your Number Two man in a fight/We are revolutionaries tonight’), but all three of them tend to lead a trail of chaos in their wake. (Also the vibes here are impeccable)

~’Time Alive’ (K.C Katalbas)- (not on Spotify, definitely recommend checking it out) This song just has that perfectly nostalgic, yet aspirational feel to it. It is hopeful, yet it it has its own sort of weight. It pairs nicely with ‘Long Live’ and ‘Castle On The Hill’, in a way, I think. It makes me think of what the future could be for the girls, once again, and how even if something is bittersweet, you are still allowed to be hopeful. Mostly, it makes me think of each girl reflecting about one another, and the time they spent together. 

    And this is your life, every plan has a right to fall

    And this is your heart, through the dark it’s the loudest call

    And this is breathing

    And seeing her go

~’Try’ (The Lightning Thief)- True Color battle against Andrias vibes! And Season 3 vibes! A lot of these lyrics are kind of specific to Annabeth, Percy, and Grover’s characters, but I also think the general feel of this song is very applicable to Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. Particularly, I am reminded of how Sasha and Anne will be feeling about Marcy.

    I may fail you

   I may fail you

    I may fail you, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t try

And

    I’m not leaving your side til we find what matters

   I’m not leaving your side til we’re back home

   I’m not leaving your side til you’re remembered

   No matter how far we have to go

As well as probably the guilt that Marcy was feeling during True Colors:

   Two thousand four hundred forty eight reasons I have to come along

   Wash my hands of past mistakes

As well as

    The weight of the world’s on my shoulders

    Like Atlas, it’s crushing me down

    We’re not brave, we’re not strong, we’re not soldiers

And how could I forget?

    L.A doesn’t seem so far away…

~’Drive It Like You Stole It’ (Sing Street)- Again, like ‘Trouble’, but a little softer. If ‘Trouble’ has Sasha vibes, this one makes me think of Anne, but it also has a similar line to ‘Time Alive’- this is your life. For the most part of Amphibia, I think the girls focussed a lot on fitting in and adapting to their surroundings, but I think Season 3 is really going to see them owning who they are and taking it upon themselves to enact change. 

It also just makes me think of them messing around and being kids, trying to figure out who they are. It’s like, if they ever make it back to Earth in one piece and stay friends, but still manage to get into shenanigans.

~’What’s Up Danger’ (Blackway, Black Caviar)- local newt king gets mauled by three newly empowered thirteen-year olds

~’How Far We’ve Come’ (Matchbox Twenty)- This one is a classic. No playlist of mine is worth its salt if it doesn’t have this song here. It has the ~vibes~ of pre-last battle energy, and also I can definitely see Sasha and the Sharps playing it at some point. 

Alternately, this also makes me think of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy finally going home together or reuniting properly after the end of True Colors. Lots of angst either way.

~’We Are Young’ (fun.)- What I picture with this: Anne, Sasha, and Marcy are not entirely reconciled with one another yet, but it’s the night before the last battle or somethin’, and they still care about one another a lot. This has that energy. They’re just kids, but they’ll be damned if they don’t go out without a fight, and without standing by one another’s sides. 

(and marcy found someone(s) to carry her home nanananananana)

Slightly more uplifting(?) than ‘How Far We’ve Come’, but similar energy, I think.

~’Pump It’ (Black Eyed Peas)- three local teenagers get pumped to cause problems on purpose; montage time. I have no justification for this song, only that it has the vibes of Sasha and Anne’s relentless energy and the confidence of Marcy swinging down on a rope she doesn’t know will actually hold her weight. 

~’Disaster Hearts’ (I Fight Dragons)- I feel like this song is the definition of Matt’s tweet about how some things have to be broken to be fixed. It has vibes of the aftermath of a battle, and opening the door to reconciliation and forgiveness. Amphibia has tied these girls together, for better or worse, and I think there is room for them to become better friends and mend their relationships.

    Disaster has a way of remaking our hearts

    Long after all the thunder and scars

    Days pass and bit by bit we begin to restart

    Our disaster hearts

~’Thus Always To Tyrants’ (Oh Hellos)- It makes me think of where Anne and Sasha are left at the end of Reunion, but also in how Anne wants to find Marcy now that she know she’s definitely out there. The sound of the song gives me huge Marcy vibes, with how it does seem to be almost cheerful? The very last line makes me think a lot about Sasha (‘Learn to love without consuming’), but I think a lot of the song is applicable to all the girls in different situations. 

[shini--chan]

May I request Allies with an S/O who's a small country rich in some rare spices/gems and their reaction to an enemy country invading them for those resources? (Yandere and S/O are allies/have close political relationship)

I really enjoyed writing this! Thx :)

Yandere Allies

America

The moment the news floats in, he stills for a moment for a few precious seconds before launching into a fever of planning and hasty communication.

While on a large part Alfred may act like a dope – it means that people severely underestimate him and it is so amusing to see the looks of shock and horror when he does/says something intelligent – he is no wimp when it comes to war.

Believe me when I say he is the last person you’d want to face on the battlefield. The sorry sod that decided to attack you effectively signed their own death sentence.

He is the hero, really Captain America in the way he is the golden boy of the army and ready to swoop in to save his girl. A bright and glorious defender of liberty indeed. However, he very much forgets that he is the anti-hero of his own story.

The end justifies the means, and if the end means have you happily in your arms, then he’ll rain hell fire upon his foes and call it poetic justice later. You’ll do best to remember that, especially when he starts worming his way in and ensnaring you tighter with kind words and half-genuine, half-pretended compassion. All soft power to drive you in his arms and trap you there. Before you know it, he’ll have you thoroughly Americanized and depended on him.

Canada

Yes, Matthew is kind and compassionate and doesn’t like to fight…

…that doesn’t mean he extends that to his enemies and that doesn’t mean he isn’t good at it. The nation that dared attack his lover isn’t going to have an easy time at it.

Of course, Canada is unbelievably patient and will try any other route to secure peace. He’ll negotiate, he’ll point to chartas and treaties and the disadvantages of invading you. And then, when there is no avail, he’ll proceed to give his enemy nightmares.

If you really think that Canada is a wuss that can’t even hold a knife, then go ahead and ask Francis’, heck, even Ludwig. They both can attest that Matthew isn’t just a sweet little wall flower.

Suddenly, the jokes of him being invisible aren’t so funny anymore – especially not in a war zone.

After he has sent his enemy packing, there is nothing that is going to prevent him making the ties between you two even closer. The treaties he’ll draw up will have only the tinest loopholes for you to wriggle to freedom.

China

So, his dear political ally is under attack? By that nation, you say?

Yao will sigh heavily upon hearing the news and demand that the reports be handed over to him. Slowly, as he processed the words, his rage would grow, only disguised by a practised poker face. He’d only unleash his emotions in a controlled environment or directly at the enemy in an onslaught of cutting remarks.

Yao is old, but old doesn’t mean he has become tired of the savoury taste of ambition and victory. If there are a few things that age has taught him, it would be patience and how to obliterate his enemy. How would said enemy feel if everything they held dear would start to crumble to ash.

China will start to throw his weight around and place sanctions or also demand that debts be repaid. Should that not work, or the offender get more desperate to get their hands on your resources, China would start to flex his muscles – a few troops are really nothing compared to what he could actually do, right?

There are a few things in this world that nobody wants to rouse; one of them would be the anger of the Great Red Dragon.

Afterwards, he would ensure that you are fine – strengthen the trade between you. Maybe buy up a few of your resources at that and let a few of his companies settle there. That wouldn’t be a problem, or would it? 

England

The moment England catches wind of the invasion, he is transformed into a seething mess. That switches to icy resignation, the sort that is threaded with rage and promises damnation and then to a melodramatic mess. If the big-shots aren’t already convinced to come to your aid in fear of losing a very important ally, they will do it for the sake of calming the personification down – Arthur is just that bad.

Really, the gall that snotty nosed, twitches weasel of an invader had to attempt to take away what is rightfully Arthur’s. They were just baby steps into a grand project – that of him wooing you, utter and completely so that you would be totally captivated – and then that wench had to ruin half of that hard work. You’re distressed and paranoid – something England can’t tolerate.

But Arthur has always been an opportunist, if there has been any.

Of course, Arthur is a gentleman but that is also just one facet of him. Very clearly he remembers how it was to be an empire and the euphoria of crushing his opponents to ash and dust. So why not take the chance to relive the good old day?

The enemy will have made a mistake in assuming that England had lost his vicious bite.

After repelling the aggressors he’ll be sure to keep some soldiers stationed.

You don’t like it? Oh, please darling, it is for your own good! What is your problem with his officials taking over the resources and conduct the operations? Aren’t you still ravaged by war? You need all the help you can get. (Not that this would end after you have recovered. Arthur is too greedy and possessive for that)

France

That usually so open face hardens. He doesn’t like the idea of you being invaded and filched away from him very unappealing.

Now, first things first. France knows that he isn’t the best when it comes to war, the years have taught him that bitter lesson. And to a former empire like him, that is extremely bitter.

That doesn’t stop him from trying – the notion of you not being close to him drives him to the edge of insanity and he has to resist the urge to carelessly tear his hair out. He is probably burning through a few cigarettes to calm himself down while he goes over the plans with his generals.

He’ll send you a lot of relief in form of men, rations, and medical supplies. On top of that, he’ll help you establish an active and large resistance. It just happens that Francis is best at undercover operations.

He’ll be there for you when nobody else, your anchor in the storm. So that afterwards, he can make it seem like your choice to isolate yourself from all but him.     

Russia

War is something that has always been a part of his life, so he’ll find to very poetic to go to war for his desired. He won’t let it end in a tragedy this time.

At first, it won’t be a full-scale war from his side since the other nations still fear him and are therefore out for his blood. Ivan doesn’t immediately what to give them an excuse to go after him, even if he is spilling blood for your sake.

So, in the beginning, he’ll send arms and men – field doctors, strategists and also a few bodyguards for you. Russia might even join them, to ensure you stay safe under his watchful eye. With his rather flippant demeanour in the face of hardship, you could even need him desperately.

On top of that, he wants to gouge your capabilities and test your mettle on the one or the other occasion – he has to know the strengths and weaknesses of his dearest, their vices and virtues .

If the enemy doesn’t relent, he’ll send a fully armed battalion, to remind you of his love…

Back to business. Keep in mind that this nation is very desensitised to violence and he really knows how to hold a grudged. He has a long memory and can’t be tricked easily. You might want to step in before the battle becomes a slaughter and even then, you’ll have to be very careful, least he interprets your actions and words as betrayal.

Afterwards, once it is just you and him and your people, be careful, for everybody’s sakes. He’ll want to keep a tight hold on you and if you want to worm yourself out, you’ll have to be extremely cautious and appeal to his emotions. And it is even questionable if that will work.

[technicolor--dreams]

The object of her affection: chapter 1

Plot summary: Summer 1937. Flighty heiress Susan (Merle Oberon) has been in love for years with her father’s business partner Joseph (Fredric March), and will stop at nothing to get the obejct of her affection, even if it means involving a wise cracking cab driver named Connor (Joel Mccrea) who has little patience for her silly antics.

p.s. i put the actors name and screencaps because that’s how i write, picturing a movie with actors. i hope it’s alright. also if there’s some spelling mistakes english is not my first language so bear with it.

If you had asked Susan Holbrook if she was a sore loser, she would've denied it vehemently, but that was only, of course, because she did not contemplate losing as an option altogether. Since she was born eighteen years before, life had bestowed every blessing upon her. The only daughter of Russ Holbrook, heir to the famed railway dynasty which settled in the United States a century before, she acquired money from her father, beauty from her mother, and her intelligence from both. Since she was an infant, she had been spoiled and pampered, not only by her parents, but also from nannies, servants, and family acquaintances who never failed to stop by the Holbrooks bearing gifts for the littlest one. Her life had been an easy one for most part, as anything she wanted was at her disposal, be it a toy or a pet, or a new shiny pair of shoe handcrafted in Paris. That was, until a fateful spring day on her fifteenth year of life, where she fell upon the only thing her parents couldn’t buy her – love.

She'd first met Joseph about  two years prior at her father's annual company picnic. As the boss' daughter, she was required to attend, but in all frankness, she didn't care much for the event. Everyone in attendance was either too young or too old to keep her company, as most of her peers had been sent to boarding school abroad by their parents once they became of age. Those who had once been her childhood friends were now across the ocean, while she had been left behind to be home schooled, her parents far too sentimental to send the only daughter a continent away.

That year's picnic hadn't seemed remarkable in any way. The weather had been considerably favorable, and the park adjacent to Susan's family's country estate provided the perfect scenery for relaxing and playing around. Conversation with her parents had been pleasurable, as much as it can be for any sixteen year-old girl, that is, and she indulged their friends in small chit-chat whenever they stopped by their table. Food and drinks had been good and plenty, and by the time two p.m. rolled round, she was ready to settle on a blanket with a book and doze off in the sun for a couple of hours.

It was during a particularly enthralling passage of Wuthering Heights, that a handsome stranger approaching her father caught her attention by standing in her light. When she put her book down and turned around he was already gone, immersed in chatter with her father a few feet away from her. From where she was standing she could only see his back, but she admired his tall, slender figure and his broad shoulders. She noted that his left finger was bare, not to mention he had a whole head full of hair, which was not something to underestimate in her limited opinion. How many times had she met perfectly handsome men who from the front sported luxurious locks, only to find out when she turned around that God had not been as generous in the back!

The man appeared beside her, after ending his conversation with Mr. Holbrook. "Do you mind If I sit here?" 

"Not at all." she replied, scooting aside to make room for him.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Joseph Westley." he extended his hand, "I just started working for your father a month ago."

"I'm Susan." she shook his hand in turn, "But you probably already knew that."

"Firm grip." he observed.

"Father says it's the mark of a great man."

"But you're not a man."

"Who says a woman can't be as great as any man?"

"True. Say, how old are you? Fifteen?"

"I'll be sixteen next month."

"Hm." Joseph picked a grape from a nearby container and popped it into his mouth. "You got moxy for your age. I like that. I bet you could convince someone you were a tree if you talked to them long enough."

"Perhaps. I've never tried. How old are you?"

"Thirty last month." He replied, looking far away pensively. "You know, it's nice to talk to someone young for a change. Everyone here's either five or fifty."

"Tell me about. I had to go to these things since I was a baby. You know, you should bring someone to keep you company at this sort of boring engagements ... “ Susan said coyly, trying to suss things out. “a girlfriend, or a wife."

"I don’t have any. Maybe someday. What about you? No one to keep you company?"

"Oh, no. I'm just there to play good little daughter and be the belle of the ball."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Why should it? I'm not one in a position to complain. Besides, once I'm eighteeen, everything's gonna change. I'll do what I want."

"Now, you sound exactly your age." Joseph laughed.

As they continued talking, Susan's fascination with Joseph only grew stronger. It was so different from any other male she'd met. He actually listened to her when she talked, never breaking eye contact and keeping her engaged with questions born out of genuine curiosity rather than mere duty. He treated her like a peer instead of fragile china doll, or a puppy that you pat on the head condescendingly after giving them a little treat.  

Susan hadn't been the only person impressed with Joseph, though, as Susan's father himself had nothing but praise for the young man. His arrival to the company had improved business tremendously, and he found him to be a shrewd businessman, not to mention a trustworthy employee. He saw a great future for him in their company, and soon he was a staple in their household, coming to dinner twice a month, much to Susan's delight. In a matter of months, he had become not only a close associate, but a close friend of the family and everyone could only say that the day they had met Joseph Westley had been a blessed one.

* * *

Months flew by, and they soon became years. Susan’s eighteenth birthday rolled around, and with that, her certainty that Joseph would finally reciprocate her love.  

"Happy birthday to youuu, Happy birthday to youuu. Happy Birthday, dear Susan, Happy birthday to youuuuuuu."  

The crowd surrounding Susan concluded their off-key rendition, clapping and cheering as the maid hauled a white sheet cake with an emblazoned gold eighteen on the table.

"Come on, darling, make a wish." Mrs. Holbrook urged her, patting her shoulder with her lacquered hand.

Susan leaned down on the table and rested her index on her chin, pretending to think it over. In truth, she knew all too well what she wanted, or rather who. In fact, she had been trying to get the object of her affection for years, to no avail. Her eyes glanced across the room where Joseph stood, his dark hair peeking over in the middle of the crowd, and before darting back on the cake she could’ve sworn she was him winking in her direction. She smiled, then blew on the burning candles with all her might. She was gonna get her wish this year, she swore to herself, If that was the last thing she'd do.

* * *

Susan walked towards the balcony, where Joseph leaned over the railing, smoking a cigarette.

"Here," she said, putting a slice of cake on the marble in front of him. "I saved you a corner piece. Those are the best ones."

"Thanks" he replied, putting out the cigarette on a nearby ashtray. "There was so many people trying to get a piece, I figured I'd never get close anyway."

"Consider this one the perks of being close friends with the birthday girl."

"So, how does eighteen feel?" He asked, digging with his fork into the white frosting.

"Don't you remember?"

"It's been a while," he chuckled, "You're gonna have to refresh my memory."

"Exactly the same, and completely different at the same time. There is so much I couldn't do yesterday that I could do now. For example, getting married ... I could just run off to Vegas with anyone and be done in a few hours. I'd be set for life, and no one could object." she said casually, hoping Joseph would catch the hint.

"Except voting, or drinking." he quipped.

"Oh, well. What's three years, anyway?"

"Three years is a lot of time at your age. Anything could change."

Susan waved her hand dismissively. "Why must you always be so practical?"

"Occupational hazard." he polished off the last bit of cake left on the plate, leaving a light smearing of frosting over his upper lip. “Listen, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you a-”

Susan giggled, unable to contain herself at the sight of Joseph’s serious frown next to his sugary moustache.

"What's so funny?"  

"You got a bit of -" she giggled some more, coming closer to reach for his face, then ran her thumb over his mouth.

"Susan." he said firmly, but not without a hint of fondness in his voice, retracting as gently as possible.

“All gone.” She reclined back on the railing, and licked the frosting from her fingers. "You know, I think a moustache would suit you. Look at Clark Gable. Before he had one he was nobody, then boom, he won an academy award. You should think about it."

"Maybe. That's a big change in a man's life." he said, averting her gaze and picking up his empty plate. "I think we'd better go back inside, it's getting chilly out here. Everyone is probably wondering where you are."

* * *

If there wasn’t one thing Susan couldn’t resist, it was a good piece of gossip. Mind you, she was not one to engage directly in the activity, but in her opinion, there was no harm done in being a passive listener. If wasn’t her fault if other people couldn’t keep their tongues tied, after all, and if she happened to be in earshot, she certainly couldn’t help what she ended up hearing.

So, of course, that monday, when she ran into some of her mother’s friends sitting poolside at the Country club after her weekly tennis practice, and found them immersed in deep hushed chatter, she couldn’t help but stopping by - not because she wanted to eavesdrop, of course. It would have just been quite impolite not to say hello, that was all. Etiquette and whatnot.  

“Good morning, ladies.”

The small group immediately stopped their chatter, turning their attention to Susan.

“Susan! Come, come sit, darling. You must be parched.” Mrs. Vance, one of her mother’s fellow member of the daughters of the American revolution said, before pouring her her a glass of iced tea.

Susan thanked her and sipped on her drink, as the woman kept talking.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to your birthday party last week. It’s my Benjamin. The flu, you see. He’s always been sensitive to temperatures, but now I’m afraid age is catching up with him. He’s all bones and his skin, all wrinkles.”  

“Poor thing.” Susan said, sympathetically. “Send him my regards, and tell him I wish him a quick recovery.”

Mrs. Vance furrowed her brows, uncertain what to say. “I will, If he can understand what I’m saying.”

Susan put a hand on her heart. “Oh, gosh, I didn’t know his health that bad.”  

Mrs. Hoover, a little octogenarian with fiery red hair sitting on Susan’s right side, leaned into her. ”Benjamin is her sphinx cat.” she whispered.

“Oh.”  

“Anyway,” Mrs. Vance continued, “We’ll have occasion to see each other soon. Your family is coming to Martha’s Vineyard this fourth of July, right?”

“Oh, yeah, we wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.”

Every year during the days leading to the fourth of July, Susan and her parents flew to their Martha’s Vineyard property, alongside some of their close friends who also happened to have properties in the same area. It was a full on extravaganza filled with music, food, and games, leading up to the big party the night of the fourth, which the families took turns in hosting.

“You better not.” Mrs. Vance replied, “I heard this year it’s gonna be quite the event.”  

Her dark eyes closed into slits, her mouth thinning into an enigmatic smile, giving her the appearance of an elder Mona Lisa.

“Really?” Susan asked, perking up.

“Yes, but I shan’t say more.” the woman mimed zipping her mouth.

Mrs. Hanson, a plump blonde woman around her mother's age,  jumped in from her seat across the table. “An engagement is gonna be announced on the fourth, or so they say.”

“Oh, how fascinating!” Susan sighed, dreamily. “Whose?”

“Phyllis, I said no talking!” Mrs. Vance objected.

“No, dear, you said you would say nothing. I’ll talk as much as I please!” Mrs. Hanson replied, before turning back to Susan.  

“So, I was at the hairdresser yesterday, and who I run into if not Louella.”

Louise Carson, neè Wilson, was known to her family members by her birth name. But to everyone else who mattered she was known as “Louella”, due to her more than average-sized mouth.

“Her sister-in law lives right next door to the brother of the widow of the younger Wilson. You know, the short one, not the tall one.”

“And?” Susan pressed on.

“She says the daughter of the other Wilson brother is announcing her engagement at the party.”

“Which Wilson? the short one?”

“The middle one.”

“Age or height?”

“Both.” Mrs. Hanson replied, before turning to Mrs. Hoover. “Martha, what’s his daughter’s name?”  

“Helen.” her friend supplied.

“Yes!” Mrs. Hanson exclaimed. “She’s the one getting engaged. Do you know her, Susan?”

“Not really. We only met a few times. Wasn’t she studying in London?”

“She graduated a couple of months ago and came back home.”

“You left out the most important part, Phyllis!” Mrs. Hoover urged her friend. “The boy!”

“Oh, right. Who is she marrying?”

Mrs. Hoover smiled wickedly through her wrinkles, eager to share such a juicy piece of information.  

“You know him. It’s that nice young fellow who works for your father,” she thought it over for a second, ”Joseph.”

All color drained out of Susan’s face as the grip around the cold glass in her hand tightened, her heart beating a hundred miles an hour under her white tennis outfit. She didn’t dare move a muscle, or reply for that matter, fearing her feelings could have transpired in her reaction. If her shock was evident, she couldn’t tell either way, since the ladies around her seemed much more concerned with the sound of their own voices than anyone else's, buzzing like bees.

“Now, you have to promise to keep this hush-hush. It’s supposed to a surprise.” Mrs. Vance said.

“Hmm-hmm.” Susan agreed, nodding, before gulping down the remaining of her tea, her mind barely registering what was happening around her.

The ladies continued talking, engaging Susan in polite chatter, but the whole ordeal had clearly lost all of its appeal to her. What was the fun of gossip when you were at the offending end, albeit indirectly?  

So, she got up on unsteady feet and excused herself, leaving Mrs. Vance with the promise of coming over soon with her mother to visit Benjamin and share a cup of tea.

She checked her wristwatch on the way to the wooden building housing the changing rooms. It was only eleven in the morning, but she already couldn't wait for the day to be over.  

[captainshorter]

Im gonna sort the All for the Game characters into Hogwarts Houses.

Starting with Neil Josten, definitely a Slytherin. Y'all can say everything about him but we all know he's cunning and ambitious as fuck. He also notice a lot of surroundings and noticed in a short period of time that Andrew picked him up instead of Aaron and that Andrew was off his prescribed drugs. He also at first doesn't really care about the foxes, when he wa son the run the only thing he really cared about was his Mom and saving their own life. He also has a real drive to accomplish his goals and he likes to control a situation. Also when he started to care about the foxes he would get hurt for them, and i think that a lot of people forget that Slytherins are actually really loyal and would literally kill for people and get hurt to protect them.

Next is Kevin Day. Okay so imma just say this Kevin is definitely not a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff. I was debating between Ravenclaw and Slytherin but eventually Ravenclaw won. I think Day is a Ravenclaw because it's said multiple times in the book that Kevin plays exy with a strategy, he knows exactly what play works depending on which team he plays against, he's not like Neil who's depending on sheer strength and determination.

Aaron Minyard. This fucker was hard but i decided to put him in Ravenclaw too, i feel like he's a smart guy and who's really intelligent and all. (he was hard sorry guys😂✌️)

Nicky Hemmick (my baby). Okay it was a little debate between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff but i decided on Hufflepuff (there is no yellow:(() . Nicky is generally a happy and cheerful person, he's also sensitive and cares a lot about people. He always up to help the foxes and cousins. He is also really flirty and kind which makes people like him more.

Danielle 'Dan' Wilds. Gryffindor, definitely. She's a great leader (which is usually a trait for a Slytherin but gryffindors too), she motivates her team in a positive way. She's really passionate and tries to include her whole team from the beginning (even when the monsters didnt want to join she tried, that's mentioned right?)

Matthew Boyd. He is too a Gryffindor. Let just start with that Gryffindors are loyal as fuck and that Matt offered to intervene if Neil needs someone to kick Kevin's ass, knowing the risk that Andrew would kick his ass for it.

Renee Walker. It was a debate between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, both would fit for her but i think Ravenclaw. She's a relaxed person. The foxes go to her for advice. She's also really hardworking and a stabilizing factor for Andrew. She's generally respected by all of the team and no one argues with what she says. She literally changed the way she lived and that shows her dedication for things she really want. She usually sees the good in people, but knows when people aren't.

Allison Reynolds is a Slytherin. She literally takes pride in how she looks and isn't ashamed to throw around her money. She, too, is extremely loyal towards the people who are the closests to her. She is determined about exy and didnt want to quit even when the consequences were that her family cut her off. She has a haughty attitude, she acts likes she better than all the people around her.

Seth Gordon. He too is a slytherin, he has a bad attitude and openly shows his dislike towards his team. But i think if he were alive longer than he was, that we could have really found out what kind of Slytherin he was. I like to imagine, he would have started to care about the others too and that he too was really determined about beating the Raven's in the end. I do think that he would have been really protective about Neil, despite all his lies. And that he would start planning to murder Riko (together with Renee and Andrew) because he hurt Neil.

Andrew Minyard. Some of you are really gonna disagree with me on this but Andrew is a Slytherin. A big ass Slytherin. He protects what's his with everything he has, no matter what happens to himself or others, and like i mentioned with Neil, people underestimate how loyal Slytherins are. He's very determined to keep his promises and never breaks one, which makes him a reliable person, which most Slytherins are. He has a strict set of personal values and is determined to uphold that. Also shown with his mother's staged death, he is really resourceful, usually a teenager wouldn't be able to get away with it. He holds his life in no regards which is a little different than what most Slytherins do (but im a Slytherin and also dont hold my life in such a high regards or have a lot of pride). So with all of his other's trait i feel lile slytherin is the best house for him.

David 'coach' Wymack. Gryffindor (but kinda ravenclaw too) . I dont know exactly why i think this, but i think because he puts up a 'tough guy' act and responds to the foxes with a lot of sarcasm and threats even when he genuinely cares about them. He also respects all of the foxes with their secrets and doesn't force any answers out of them. He's seen as an idealistic because of his idea to give 'problemetic' kids a second chance. He also goes beyond his way to ensure his teams safety. He's really protective of them and overall just an amazing coach/person.

So this was it i dont have more but this is what i think:))

[sunset-wishes-upon-hill]

Alec’s personality part 2

Part 1:

I thought I’d add a bit more on my thoughts on above.

In Consumed movie, you could see that Jane is the more confident one of the pair and could be seen leading Alec along; he trusts her judgement and looks up to her for guidance. Whatever she does, he follows; he’s more cautious and reserved while Jane is unafraid and braver although more petulant. The example could be when in Consumed, Aro appears in front of Alec and Jane; Alec is afraid but vigilant, he thinks before he acts while Jane unhesitatingly takes the first step forward to take Aro’s hand. This highlights that although they are twin and alike, Alec could be seen as calmer and more mature one.

In Eclipse, Aro elects Jane to take on the role of leader/orator as opposed to Alec, Demetri or Felix. The latter pair are very skilled guards who are not to be taken lightly in terms of their strength as soldiers/intelligence who have been a vampire far longer than Jane or Alec. (I thought that Aro would have gone with Demetri or Alec to be the decision maker/group leader)

I do think Aro favours Jane more although he slightly treasures Alec’s power more because of its destructiveness; it might be that he sees some of himself in Jane (thirst for power and ambition with sharper elbows along a worshipping adulation that strokes his ego) and Jane being the first one to take his hand.

In Alec’s wiki page, it’s said:  “He is more lively, less sadistic, and calmer than his twin sister”

In the novel, it’s shown that he is polite, friendly as well as playful in general. His interaction with Edward, relatively a stranger, hints that he is more outgoing, approachable and sociable than Jane. 

New Moon Chapter 21: Verdict

Becoming a vampire enabled few negative/positive traits of his to develop/enhance. 

“Alec has nevertheless proven to be just as ruthless and self-interested as she is. He can be considered the "sane" other half of Jane, looking at him from Volturi standards. He shows no remorse for taking anyone's life and carrying out the Volturi's frequently violent missions. There's a quiet confidence about him that, given his readiness to kill, is usually terrifying.”

His experience when he was human also influenced his personality a lot. He was bullied and ostracised by the whole village. As result, he’s became a hurt but sensitive boy who is generally friendly and polite to others although it’s hinted that the twins do have spiteful side to them, even as a human:

“Bad things happened to people who were unkind to the twins or their family, and good luck followed those who were friendly to them.”

 As vampire, this part of him subtly became more twisted and darker due to Volturi’s influence (mainly Aro and Caius). 

Alec, as a vampire, has lot of confidence due to possessing of great power and his power has never went by unchallenged (before Bella). He could destroy anyone he wants to and it would be unstoppable.

I do think with Aro and Caius’ indulgence, he’s became spoilt and drunk with power just as  Jane- this change of personality would have not been as visible or obvious as it was with Jane. But he is just as selfish, ruthless, cruel and frightening - he enjoys others’ fear of him, he looks down on others although he doesn’t underestimate them and I think he also abuses his gift when allowed to. He is less sadistic that he don’t enjoy inflicting pain to his enemies as much as Caius or Jane.

If his fear as human was being hated and disliked, as vampire it’s being powerless and although he doesn’t show it, when Bella’s shield blocked his power, he probably panicked and for the first time in his vampire life, felt genuine fear that he hasn’t felt since he died as human like Aro.  

So although outwardly he seems friendly and lively, most of it I think is a facade and how much good in him I don’t know but I think most of it died along with human Alec. All his life, he saw very little goodness of the world and had little chance to see the kindness humans are capable of. Then throughout his vampire life, he’d only would have seen and be told of humans’ capability of destructiveness i.e. world war, genocide etc., by Aro’s and Caius’ teaching. 

Power corrupts, and it seems like it corrupts the meek and good-natured quicker than everyone, given half a chance. 

"The nature of power is such that even those who have not sought it, but have had it forced upon them, tend to acquire a taste for more."— Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Revisited

Alec is ambitious but cautious and that’s why he’s worse than Jane both in personality and power; he’s patient and observes; wait for people to beset by weakness. Wait until they talk and give away information, expose frailty and concede ground while Jane would have been overwhelmed by her emotions and lose logic at fatal moments. Alec doesn’t and Aro is aware of it. And he’s thankful that Alec adores him like a father because Alec has potential of being a threat to him.

You know what they say: it’s the quiet ones you need to look out for. After all, the devil appears as a gentleman. 

[introverts01]

Just how to Go From Introvert to Exhibitionist

As a youngster I was very withdrawn, usually spending my time on the computer system, reading, playing video games, or seeking other solo leisure activities. I 'd hang around outdoors biking, exploring the neighboring areas and also hills (which today are filled with homes), or capturing hoops, however I 'd usually favor doing these points alone or with people I recognized extremely well. I never felt as well comfy around strangers, and I never took care of big family members occasions. Psychological examinations like the Myers-Briggs secured me directly as an autist. Any individual who recognized me would have explained me as an autist without a reservation. Like several introverts I was pushed by others to mingle more. Yet I mainly resisted this pressure, partly due to the fact that I enjoyed being an introvert. I typically checked out characters as doing not have in intelligence and depth, and also I can't state I intended to count myself amongst them. However, over a long period of time, I eventually found myself ending up being a growing number of extroverted. I embraced hanging out with other people, headed out of my method to satisfy brand-new individuals, could easily present myself to strangers, and also really enjoyed it. The Myers-Briggs test now identifies me an extrovert To the people that recognize me today, this wouldn't be unexpected. I'm not the sort of extrovert I imagined as a youngster though. I feel I have actually done a good job stabilizing the autist and also extrovert parts of myself, such that I take pleasure in both sorts of tasks similarly. I really feel equally as comfy staying at residence reading a book as I do mosting likely to a brand-new social event and introducing myself to people I have actually never ever fulfilled. I enjoy both group as well as solo tasks, each for different factors. Some weeks I'm even more introverted as well as mostly stay home with my family members. Other weeks I have a full social calendar with an occasion virtually every evening. I enjoy both just as much.

introvert extrovert ambivert definition In order to end up being an exhibitionist, I found that I needed to get rid of a number of blocks to being more extroverted Possibilities are that if you're in the exact same watercraft, you have some of these blocks also. Blocks to becoming an exhibitionist. * Underestimating extroversion. Spending quality time alone as well as with individuals are equally important. If you're extremely shy, you might underestimate the positive role people can play in your life, such as understanding, relationship, development, laughter, and so on. The ideal outcome is to strike a balance between the two. You do not have to give up the autist tasks you enjoy. In fact, when you balance them with more social tasks, you'll most likely find them much more gratifying. After several nights of being around individuals, I really eagerly anticipate an evening by myself to review, practice meditation, write, and so on. And after great deals of time alone or with my family, I'm itching to go out as well as be around other individuals.

hobbies for introverts * Underdeveloped social skills. Social abilities can be discovered like any type of various other skill set. One factor autists shy away from social activities is that they do not feel comfy due to the fact that they don't know what to do, specifically if the unexpected were to occur. Being able to start up a conversation with a complete stranger AND feeling entirely comfortable doing it is a learnable ability. The even more you do it, the better you get at it. Accept the fact that you're a novice, as well as don't contrast yourself to others. * Picturing yourself as the wrong type of exhibitionist. If you locate the extroverted individuals around you superficial and perhaps also frustrating, why would you wish to be more like them? You would not. When I was a child, I really didn't want to be extra like the characters I understood. Also as a grown-up, my vision of a character was an in-your-face salesman that just intended to develop a shallow partnership with you so they might sell you something. It seemed really phony as well as bogus to me. As well as naturally that vision stopped me from ever before wishing to be like that. Yet you needn't pick such a minimal vision for yourself-- you're totally free to develop your own vision of a favorable means to be much more extroverted. * Associating the wrong individuals. Why would you wish to spend more time with people you do not such as? If ending up being much more extroverted means spending even more time with people you prefer to avoid, you'll have no motivation to do it. Once more, you're totally free to damage this pattern as well as create a social team that you 'd like to be a component of. * Overvaluing on-line interacting socially. Online interacting socially has its place in your life, yet it's a pale darkness compared to in person, belly-to-belly interaction. Voice and also body movement can connect a whole lot greater than message, as well as emotional bonds are easier and also faster to establish personally. I feel a lot closer to the neighborhood friends I have actually understood for just a few months than I do to the people I have actually known online for several years yet never ever fulfilled personally. It's just not as fun heading out to supper with a laptop. You don't need to get rid of online socializing, but don't allow it to crowd out conference individuals in your area. If you do that, you'll only cause your social skills to lag even more behind. If you have some of these blocks and intend to surpass them, the very first step is to recognize them as well as consider how they're holding you back. Then start to service them just as you would any type of various other challenge in your life. Focus your purposes, set goals, make strategies, as well as begin acting. It might be uncomfortable and awkward initially, but just approve that, and also obtain relocating anyway. Suggestions for becoming much more extroverted. Right here are some extra recommendations for exactly how to end up being more extroverted: * Envision the sort of exhibitionist you would love to be. What's your optimal outcome? If you feel as well withdrawn and wish to be extra extroverted, start by working with your vision of your end result. Chances are that if you have actually been making little progress in this field, you have a somewhat adverse vision of extroverts. When I developed a positive vision of being an extrovert that consisted of structure real connections with smart individuals I respect (in contrast to arbitrary, shallow interacting socially), I soon began attracting those partnerships. Being a "stupid jock" kind of exhibitionist still has no interest me. * Consider relationships in terms of what you can provide, not in terms of what you can get. If you look for to develop new relationships based on common offering as well as obtaining, you'll have no lack of pals. Recognize individuals with whom you would love to develop a connection, and start by providing. I've discovered that my geeky understanding is actually a significant strength when it comes to interacting socially due to the fact that there are a terrible great deal of non-geeks that had actually like to comprehend geeky things better, and also I can describe it to them in means they'll understand. For instance, I have actually been teaching some regional speaker good friends about blogging and also web marketing, and in return I'm discovering a lot from them regarding speaking, wit, etc. There are lots of intelligent people available that 'd love to have a nerd as a buddy. What can you offer a connection that will be of benefit to somebody else? When you identify what that is (and also it's probably various points), you'll have a simpler time bring in brand-new pals right into your life. * Discover the right social group for you. Purposely think about the types of people you 'd want to have as friends. There's no policy that claims this has to be your peers or associates. I in fact find myself much more curious about making buddies with people who are much older than me instead of individuals my very own age or slightly younger. Individuals around my age (34) often tend to be extremely profession- and family-oriented, but commonly in a somewhat brainless, socially conditioned manner in which isn't focused around any kind of knowingly chosen life function or idea system. And also people in their 20s, while commonly extremely energised, tend to be largely unfocused ... or focused on trivial pursuits that simply aren't that vital. So it's been hard for me to find people near my age where we have sufficient alike for a lasting friendship. I seem to have an easier time making friends with people in their 40s, 50, as well as older. They generally have higher understanding and experience, more fascinating stories to share, extra sources (info and also concepts, funds, get in touches with), and also a much better sense of that they are as well as what they intend to perform with their lives. Commonly I discover myself going to get-togethers where I'm the youngest individual in the space, however that really feels really comfy and typical for me. Don't hesitate to extend past one of the most obvious peer group as well as hang out with individuals from various ages, areas, cultures, nations, etc. You might find the range to be a lot of fun. * Play from your strengths. It's fascinating that lots of introverts have no difficulty interacting socially online. Because environment they're able to play from their staminas. But you can additionally utilize your strengths knowingly as utilize to branch out into even more face-to-face socializing. As an example, after I graduated university, I met a female on a regional BBS (before there was much of a World Wide Web). We got to chatting online over a duration of weeks. Ultimately we met in person as well as became buddies, as well as I soon fell under her pre-existing social team with osmosis. My social calendar went from empty to complete almost over night. That female, incidentally, has actually been my wife for the previous 7.5 years. If you mingle on-line, see if you can not make use of that toughness to develop new regional relationships. While people have actually done this in international forums like on the internet video games, I think it's much easier to try it in local online forums. As an example, there are message boards for people who've recently relocated to Las Vegas. * Join a club. It's old guidance, however it still functions. The advantage is that you'll locate people who share comparable rate of interests, that makes it easier to construct brand-new relationships. One excellent club can fill your social calendar. For example, with my membership in Toastmasters, I obtain invites to lots of other local gatherings. I do not most likely to everything, yet it's nice to obtain those welcomes. Plus belonging to a worldwide company with 200,000 members worldwide creates social inroads around the planet. If you sign up with a club and also find that it's not right for you, give up as well as join something else. My spouse as well as I have actually both been through a variety of regional social teams that just really did not resonate with us (also monotonous, as well slow, as well disorganized, way too many problem drinkers). However one great group is all you require. * Establish your social skills consciously. You can learn to become better at developing rapport, presenting yourself, keeping a conversation going, asking somebody out on a day, feeling socially comfy instead of anxious, and more. You don't need to be superficial and also manipulative regarding it, but truly develop these skills because it will significantly improve your life. One technique I locate exceptionally effective is to ask the various other person exactly how s/he got going in his/her current job. 80-90% of the moment the individual will certainly state something like, "Well, that's a fascinating tale ..." And I genuinely like listening to these stories. A tiny fundamental set of social skills can go a lengthy way due to the fact that you'll reach reuse them each time you meet someone. Whatever skill you would love to create, attempt doing a Google or Amazon search on it, and you'll probably locate lots of articles and also publications. Realize that when you hold on your own back from interacting socially, you're not just depriving on your own-- you're additionally depriving other individuals of the chance to learn more about you. How much longer do you want your future partner or friend to stay alone? Here are some follow-up messages that additionally explore this subject: 1. Improving Social Abilities 2. A Concern for Introverts 3. Risk vs. Compensate in Human Relationships

[michaeldempsey]

The Deep Tech Deficit: Why more people aren't starting technically ambitious companies right now

This is an internal note I sent to a few investors/friends a few months ago.

Over the past 6+ months there seems to have been a noticeable drought in the creation of new deep tech or just broadly technically ambitious companies (ex-biotech). This is a sentiment that has been echo'd heavily from other investors, and has only accelerated with COVID. This became especially noticeable as startup fundraising has massively increased in adjacent areas in H2 2020. 

While there isn't a data-driven reason as to why this has occurred (or if it has, indeed occurred) my working hypothesis is three-fold.

1) The maturation of platforms and no clear outbreak of new platforms

After a fervor of excitement surrounding areas like VR, ML, and Robotics from 2014-2018, we've largely seen unabashed excitement die down and be traded with hopeful skepticism. VR was too early and is looking increasingly like a platform that will be subsidized and dominated in early innings by incumbents due to heavy R&D costs. 

Machine Learning has shown a commoditization curve that erodes value for much core ML development, while also has been incredibly difficult to implement at scale to build vertical specific companies that accrue value (read our 2019 annual letter for more thoughts on this). ML companies have largely turned into product-centric organizations versus true research engineering orgs, which many investors aren't quite sure how to parse mid to long-term defensibility or economics (see Martin Casado’s wonderful post).

The closest next platforms that people seem to be centering on are AR and Quantum. AR has its own difficulties, again, largely a value accrual in the short-term towards incumbents (Snap, Apple, MSFT) and at the application layer very little differentiation in technology (my view is that most enterprise AR companies are building product orgs with little technical moats and early product UI/UX that will be considered cringey in 2-4 years). 

Quantum has a usability problem in addition to a timeline narrative that "this will take awhile and is incredibly capital intensive" so the only vertical use-cases we've seen really have been pharma and finance. In addition, some argue that ML algorithm development has kept pace in lockstep with quantum in reality.

So TLDR, investors need a narrative to drive them towards a Schelling point surrounding "what's next" but can't find consensus. 

Again, Computational bio and further on the spectrum, biotech seems to be only area, but has debates around moats and is incredibly hard to parse and pattern match for technology investors.

Thus we default to what we know has killer cash flow dynamics in a time where TAM has materially expanded (SaaS/dev tools/infra), or follow narratives that we want to be (and may be!) true, like social being ready for VC investment again.

2) COVID & Founder Profile: “It's time to build" wasn't meant for deep tech founders.

Founding a company becomes sexy as generational startups scale and with a large amount of money in stock options, employees feel the desire to work on a new problem where they can seek a new form of status, both social and financial (early ESOP or founder title). It's no longer cool to be at the $10B+ tech company and there are hundreds of people at these companies starting funds, syndicates, and companies, so you should too.

Some subset of employees on the technical side look at internal tools that were built and democratize them (think data science teams, but there are tons of examples).

Another subset are PMs and software engineers who read Marc's essay, saw a year of remote work ahead of them and thought "great I can move out of SF, live cheaply and stomach going from $250k/year to $100k/year, and be a Founder. 

These people like building software that can quickly be iterated upon and is quite realistic to raise $1-$3M to run at for 24 months. In addition, these people likely feel time pressure because multiple other teams are starting startups similar to their idea. It’s time to build because everyone is building.

Deep/frontier/emerging/whatever we call them tech founders sometimes follow a bit of a different founding story. Many have dedicated 4-10 years of their life becoming an expert in a given industry, or banging their head against the wall in academia, in pursuit of applying a technology to the real world, or bringing some other initially non-sexy technology to production level. The time pressure for these companies and founders could be viewed as less existential, as many companies aren’t speedrunning capital markets for a 12 month seed to series A sprint comprised of MVP -> early pilots -> highly extrapolated MRR/ARR. 

Instead, many deep tech companies are operating with a 2-4 year R&D window, hoping to show a step function in technology reality and value creation by month 18 to raise a Series A, where they then start to either begin converting pilots, or testing hypotheses on commercialization over the next 2-4 years. 

Candidly, there ain’t that many people signing up for that trajectory.

So when you're a deep tech profile founder (not to be overly prescriptive but often something like PhD/academic, eng/product lead at incumbent R&D group, Engineering at prior deep tech co, Engineering at scaling tech company with material infrastructure innovation, etc.) your calculus is a bit different.

If you're thinking about hardware, you might say, you don't want to deal with the dynamics of having possible supply chain headaches (not as much a concern today vs. 6 months ago), you don't want to deal with dynamics of really not being able to do remote work, and you know VCs are probably a bit risk averse on funding hardware at this stage as a whole. In addition, while customers might have a strong desire if you're automation focused, you won't be able to ship product for another 12 months probably so, why not just wait to see how the election/transfer of power/vaccine timeline shakes out to truly understand the economy in 2021, before starting something that could be de-railed from random economic/geopolitical policy.

Calculating the risk factor and why now of your business. The reality is, you must convince a smaller universe of investors every 12-36 months in the future you believe in and hope to pull forward, so why *now* matters more when these futures are less consensus. So just doing simple calculus, all of these things once again could lead to waiting. Bank your $300k+ salary at bigco through 2020 and see where the world is in 2021. You're operating on a true long-term time horizon so there isn't as much deep desire to uproot your life/family just to build asap.

TLDR - Deep tech founders maybe viewed as slightly less beholden to the time pressures of the market as many are solving previously unsolvable problems. I will say, many do underestimate the commoditization curve they are running up against though.

3) Burn Out

This point is not talked about enough publicly but is a consistent sentiment I’ve noticed over the past few years.

The first wave of "deep tech as a category" really hasn't created many successful businesses yet (we can debate the recent run of SPACs in deep tech on it creating successful outcomes). As you talk to more veterans in this space, many are pretty disenchanted by their past 7+ years of work. 

Their friends at Uber, AirBnB, and Stripe are multi-millionaires (some on paper), same with their friends at FAMGA, and they possibly are too but don't really have anything material to point to in the real world. They’ve spent a good chunk of their professional lives to hopefully get swallowed up in an offensive acquisition (Boston Dynamics, Skybox Intelligence, Zoox, Cruise) or early commercialization that is strategic (Kiva, Six River, Blue River), and a bunch more are sitting at these companies that weren’t able to quite deliver on the future they believed in. 

I think many are kind of waiting for a "moment" that feels like everything is once again possible. I don't think those moments are obvious in the present, but alas, it's a real sentiment.

--

I know I’ve painted a fairly jaded point of view on both sides of the market but ultimately I think there are massive tailwinds for all of tech over the next few years and believe COVID has pulled forward some futures we were expecting to take 3+ years.

I’m confident that we will see a high volume of deep tech startup creation over the coming 18 months, but as an investor with a large focus on these types of businesses, it has been interesting to hear how many have felt similarly in 2020 and thus I felt the need to litigate *why* this was happening.

[marzaid]

Izuku having an E in aura is probably a good thing if you think about it. The only person that is stronger than him is Shouto but one could argue that they’re at the same level just better in different aspects. No one looks at Izuku and thinks “gee that kid is strong and is gonna kick my ass.” He’s the kid who shattered his bones at the Sports Festival and lost because he taunted his opponent (though we all know he shattered his bones to help Shouto). Sure a lot of people think Izuku is a kind-hearted and intelligent person but they don’t see him as strong and don’t think he really has much of a presence. A lot of people see his muttering and perpetual nervous nature and brush him off. We’ve seen this since the beginning from Katsuki to everyone at the Entrance Exam to his own classmates time and again. Heroes and villains alike constantly underestimate him but we see that he uses their opposition to build himself up and get stronger rather than letting it drag him down. This is why Izuku having an E in aura is actually a good thing. Sure once people realize that he’s strong and a force to be reckoned with he changes their lives but many people still underestimate him especially the villains. I think this will come in handy. Izuku doesn’t seem like the type of person to become a great hero because he’s smaller, skinnier, babyfaced, and has anxiety (thanks Katsuki). This causes many people to pass him over. But I’m reminded of something Izuku says to Tsuyu and Mineta during the USJ incident, “When the enemy becomes certain of their victory, that will be our chance.” Of course, at the time he was channeling All Might and trying to help Tsuyu and Mineta be more confident so they could get passed the villains but this is something Izuku has internalized but this can be applied to many instances in his life. He was bullied and hated by his peers and his supposed closest friend for over a decade because he didn’t have a quirk yet he still had hoped he’d become a hero one day. Then All Might came into his life and gave him the vote of confidence and the training to help. He was the first one to believe in Izuku and see past his nervousness and general puppy-like demeanor and saw the true hero Izuku was because Izuku stepped up to the plate when no one else did. Despite the ten months of training and the growth as both a hero and a person, many people only saw him superficially and underestimated him. His friends, peers, and villains looked at him and shrugged him off because they were so sure they were better than him and would win against him no matter the circumstances. The only person besides All Might that didn’t underestimate Izuku was Shouto, who marked him as an equal and rival. Many of the class were confused by this because at this point Izuku is still shattering his body every time he uses his quirk. To everyone else Izuku is just a well-meaning kid but they don’t see him as becoming a strong hero. They underestimate him. It’s only when he steps up to the challenge and unleashes his inner gremlin that everyone is floored. We see it after the Hosu Incident when Izuku, Shouto, and Tenya all face stain and Izuku gains control over his quirk. They’re doing an exercise with All Might as a class and everyone except a small few are voting against him. But what happens? He turns out to be a total beast and only loses because of a misstep. The entire class is shook but they honestly should never have been. The only reason they are is that Izuku doesn’t really have much of a presence. Quickly, he becomes the one the class looks to for inspiration when they’re in a tight spot. We consistently see different people thinking “what would Izuku do?” and then jumping to do that same but they still see him as kinda weird and awkward (we know he’ll never grow out of it but still love him for it). Arguably, I think it’s a good thing that he’s still awkward and unassuming to most people. It could help him not only blend in with a crowd if he needs it but also take his enemy by surprise. When Izuku is in everyday clothes, people see him as just some ordinary citizen, who’s a bit goofy but probably a cool guy, so they’d never realize “Holy Shit that’s the Number One Hero!” With a roll of his shoulders and a glint in his eyes, people will realize they were mistaken but his ability to blend in because he has no aura and he’s plain-looking will help him take his enemy by surprise. And his enemies typically look at him and either see him as the kid that shattered his bones or some nervous small-fry that’s too weak to do any damage. When he does attack them, they’re in for the fight of their lives because he’s not backing down no matter the cost and he will win even if it hurts him and breaks him apart to do it. I do think that Izuku could use help putting people at ease since he is kinda goofy and awkward but we’ve seen him making steady progress in that aspect. Through his actions, he has two kids, Kota and Eri, that already see him as their hero (you could also make an argument for Shouto but that’s a different post). Izuku will become the most powerful hero if he harnesses his ability to seem like an everyday person and pairs it with his power, technique, and intelligence. He is terrifyingly strong but people don’t see that from him at first and I think that when he uses that to his advantage he is ultimately the strongest. All Might has his larger-than-life persona and I think that’s what Izuku is trying to emulate but that’s not who he is and that’s not why his friends and everyone else adore him and look up to him. Izuku is kind, intelligent, strong both mentally and physically, has incredible analytical skills, a bit awkward, and rather nervous. He inspires them not by being larger-than-life but because he is just some random kid that reminds them time and again not to underestimate the little guy. People relate to him on a personal level and he uses his actions to help others. So though he doesn’t have much of a presence and is kinda awkward and weird that’s not exactly a bad thing.

[ostcntatious]

          honey ( and also everyone else ) , i’m home ! and that means that at last ... it’s time to post this intro . since it’s been literally six hours , i’ll just go ahead and let you read all about miss ophelia . feel free to message me on discord for plots ! i’ll be posting a plotting call there soon !

          ʻ / let me introduce you to a prized member of our student government , ophelia song . this cisfemale gemini has been a student at our institution for four years and is currently a twenty one year old junior . through the halls , she has always reminded me of chungha , but there is always more than meets the eye , like the fact that she planted drugs on a rival to sabotage them . coral cape has made their future just as bright as their smile , i assure you . ʼ

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘

tw : familial neglect , sexism , drug use .

          𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐘 . 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐀 profession out of etiquette , social norms , tact … manipulation . her father excelled at it , once . he turned a blind eye to those undeserving of his time , then showered his superiors in calculated praise . he married the prettiest –– and quietest –– model of his generation to marry after gifting her lovely dresses , and extravagant pearl jewelry .

          𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 korea , the pair jetted around the world practically every year . they had a child , born in austria –– a son . he was lucky , got the best treatment , the future inheritance . two years later , another child , birthed during their stay in england . not only younger , but also a woman –– ophelia song , the younger song sibling , was doomed from the start . she was expected to hit the ground running , to conquer every challenge set upon her , to maintain her composure at all times . tantrums were unacceptable, crying in her household was unheard of . ophelia got used to being the shadow at her brother ’ s side , the pretty sister to the accomplished brother . she and her brother would often be sat side by side , him a head taller than her , both smiles forced until their photograph was taken and they could go back to turning their back on each other just as their parents had turned their backs on the two of them .

          𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 , ophelia did everything right –– and got no recognition from it . to her peers , she was the pretty , machinating girl who would show up brandishing cutting words spoken with a soft accent ( she was never that good at languages , really , so getting rid of the accent was always too hard ) and taking over whatever leadership spot she could get her hands on . beautiful , elegant , captivating –– gone by the end of the year , to repeat her routine at another rich private school , in whatever country they’d be shipped off to next . the only permanent thing in her life was the ongoing competition with her brother . they were always enrolled at the same school , and ophelia would always outdo him in every way . her grades were better , she was debate team captain and prima ballerina , she became best friends with the wealthiest classmate . he was always second place –– vice captain , a bit lonelier , less subtle about his vices . the ninety - nine percent to her one hundred . 
but he was a boy , and that was enough to put him above her in the family’s eyes .

          𝐁𝐘  𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐑  𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 of high school , when her brother was caught cheating on an exam in duke university and her parents just got an auditorium made in their name to make up for it , ophelia made the clever decision to fuck off and do things for herself instead of those who seemed to think that the only great achievement she could obtain in her lifetime was a loveless marriage to a really powerful , most likely really uninteresting man . and a couple of babies too , for good measure . they underestimated her , so ophelia got herself a spot in cape coral for senior year , dyed her hair blonde and convinced them to let her do her own thing ( it wasn’t hard –– they were mostly indifferent , really , and all ophelia asked for was a home , some staff to do the cooking and cleaning , and a hefty allowance for the price of staying out of trouble ) . there was only the small detail of the sat’s . ophelia had always done well academically , but there was absolutely no room for mistakes now . any slip up would prove to her parents that she couldn’t really succeed on her own .

          𝐒𝐎  𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐀  𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃  her brain , as she does –– the fact that she got an amazing score was her own merit . the fact that she was best in the whole year group too , she told herself –– though there had been some … insurance . there was a rival , someone whose scores were too close to hers for comfort . when threats and bribery failed to convince them to underperform, ophelia had to get creative . some pills purchased from the same person who would sometimes supply her with her own party favors , carefully planted inside their bag , followed by a performance at the headmaster’s office that , in her humble opinion , could’ve landed her a place in acting school . through a haze of tears ( thank you , eye drops ) she expressed concern for her classmate ’ s wellbeing . they seemed so stressed , she could tell this process was taking a toll on them , and they’d started behaving strangely recently . ophelia dropped just enough hints for them to grow suspicious and ask to see the contents of their bag . too bad the sat’s were only a couple of days later and they underperformed , leaving ophelia to earn all the praise and adoration of faculty members –– and a place in the university of her dreams .

          𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 , life has been a dream to ophelia song . free of all expectations but those she sets for herself ( high , but not unattainable considering the lengths at which she’s willing to go to get her way — ophelia has never taken no for an answer , after all , and she will not start now ) . sure , she may be slightly malicious at times — with her social , economic and academic status , manipulation is practically a survival skill to keep any threats beneath her level . but ophelia wears her flaws almost as beautifully as she does her virtues — as a golden crown , resting on golden hair , while crimson lips turn upwards in an entrancing smile . mother and father may have given her a bit of a fucked up childhood , sure … but they also gave her money , beauty and brains — more than enough for her to build an empire of her own .

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍

+ charismatic –– ophelia  knows  her  way  around  people . hell ,  it’s  basically  what  her  father  did  for  a  living . so  her  words  are  often  calculated  to  be  the  right  thing  to  say , in  order  to  keep  herself  likable  in  the  eyes  of  others .

+ ambitious –– the  moment  she  gave  up on her parents’ expectations of her altogether, the world opened up for ophelia song. there were no limits now, no reason why she should fall in line with their unreasonable and antiquated views of what place she should occupy in society ( namely, married off to become some man’s educated and accomplished trophy wife ). she knows her own value, her own intelligence, and her own resilience. why be some person’s wife when she can be their boss instead?

+ persevering –– she does not take no for an answer, ever. maybe because no one ever told her no growing up, and ophelia got used to get her way. whatever the case, ophelia doesn’t stop pushing and working until she gets what she wants.

- manipulative –– ophelia views herself as superior to those surrounding her, and in turn, can treat others as pawns. she doesn’t find a problem in manipulating people to get her way, so it’s no secret that she’s so calculating.

- reclusive –– she has high walls built around her heart, and  only  a  select  few  have  gotten  past  them –– whether  that  is  because  they’ve  put  in  the  effort  needed  to  earn  her  trust , because they’ve  known  her  for  long  enough , or because  they’ve  simply  forged  a  strong  bond . whatever  the  case , she’s  mostly  closed  off  emotionally.

- materialistic –– growing up with a silver spoon in her mouth, luxury is all she knows. it has become a standard in her life, to the point where she accepts nothing but opulence.

[ablogthatishenceforthmine]

My Top 10 Favorite Boardwalk Empire Characters in Order

1. Jimmy Darmody

My baby boy... who I immediately fell in love with in the pilot. The emotional kid, who’s looking to prove himself. I always like young, emotional hotheads. And Jimmy has so many interesting things about him; his relationship to Gilian, to Nucky, to Angela, to Al, to Richard, to the war. He is such a tragic character, and has a fittingly tragic ending. He was just lost and had no idea what he was doing.  A perfect, smart, and strategic secondhand man, but didn’t have what it takes to be a boss. 

2. Arnold Rothstein

Every scene he is in is a delight. He is badass, smart, and (almost) always in control. He is both eccentric and terrifying. He is electric when he is on screen, commanding attention. He has amazing quotes, saying some of the smartest things in the whole series. Just what a joy to watch.

3. Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano

oh man.... what to say about Charlie. I love every iteration of him. The hot-headed, arrogant man we first meet. Who is never content, always trying to do more and be more, branching off from his bosses, constantly disobeying them. Until he gets fed up with being kicked around, and he learns to see the flaws of his father figures and the other bosses. And he learns from them; their strengths, their weaknesses, their achievements, and their mistakes. And then he becomes cold, and calculating, and highly intelligent in the 5th season. And improves on everyone who came before him, looking forward and coming up with a new way to do things. Everyone underestimated him, and as Nucky says that makes them “dumber than [they] knew” (absolutely in love with that line.) He brought people together, and tore down ideas about who were “his people.” He wasn’t about that tribalism. He was also one of the snarkiest motherfuckers ever. And I love his smart mouth and complete irreverence, especially in the earlier seasons. Also he is pretttttty easy on the eyes, and looks so god damn good in deep blue suits, and he has no right to.

4. Richard Harrow

My heart literally aches everytime he’s on screen. Somehow, even though he probably has the highest body count, he is the most sympathetic character in the show. He is so openly vulnerable, which is such a great contrast to the other characters. I just always wanted him to be happy. Also, he is one of the only (if not the only) character who does not get into the mob for money and status. He get involved because of love and friendship. He is empty and lonely and he is good at killing people so the mob is a natural fit. Even though he doesn’t really have a place there; he just had a place with Jimmy.

5. Eli Thompson

I know this is an unpopular/unusual choice, but I love Eli. He is a fascinating character. I love his inferiority complex. He resents, and is envious of Nucky, but he can’t do what Nucky does. There is a reason for his inferiority complex. Nucky is smarter and more talented than him. Eli hates being in Nucky’s shadow, but doesn’t have what it takes to leave it. Eli is not that smart or that brave. He is not really anything special. And this juxtaposition of an inferiority complex, and actually being inferior is fascinating to me. However, there are many ways, that Eli is superior to Nucky; namely, in his family. Eli is much better at personal relationships than Nucky. Until season 5, he had a good relationship with his wife and family, and never cheated on his wife, in juxtaposition to almost every other male character, until season 5 that is. And his trajectory is both tragic and inevitable. In the end, his punishment, unlike Nucky, is not death, but the loss of the one thing he ever had over Nucky: his family. 

6. Chalky White

Heartache and Sass. That is what Chalky brings. He is also a refutation to people who says “you can’t have black people in period films/ shows that aren’t service people or slaves and be realistic.” Despite it being the 20s, Chalky is in a position of power. At the same time, the show does not erase the racism of the time, and Chalky’s blackness and America’s racism are central to his character. In the pilot, after Jimmy tells Nucky that he wants to make something of himself, Nucky replies, “This is America, ain’t it... Who the fucks stopping you.” But as Chalky character shows, for many Americans, there are a lot stopping them. Chalky is not afforded the mobility that Nucky ascribes to America. He  is a gangster, but the show illustrates how his mobility and ability to rise to power is severely restricted because of his race. Thus showing, that all black people in period films/shows don’t have to either be absent or servants for the text to be realistic, and can in fact, even be in positions that popular culture don’t believe they could have ever been in. In fact, there were black gangsters during this time period. It is fascinating and enjoyable seeing Chalky try to operate in this world, taking power when he can. Whenever he has leverage (i.e. Nucky desperately needed help), he used it. And he was allowed to be morally complex like the other characters, killing people, and being driven by greed and status (and often putting himself and his own advancement over the advancement of his community).

7. Al Capone

I did not expect the Capone we got... in the best possible way. Similar to Charlie, it was amazing to see his evolution, and how he grew into the person he became. I don’t know if it’s accurate, but I love how he starts as one of the most loyal, and respectful of the right-hand men on the show. Surprisingly, his rise of power was non-violent, and he just took over when his boss retired. Then, he becomes the person that today’s public sees him as: powerful, erratic, violent, and unpredictable. Stephen Graham’s performance is just amazing: one of the best, if not, the best in the show. He perfectly plays all parts and iterations of Capone, and make them all seamlessly and coherently blend into each other. He nails the humor and fun aspects of the character, and absolutely kills the emotional moments, such as him talking to his son before going to jail in the series finale. He was always such a joy to watch, I especially enjoyed the scenes between him and Van Alden. Their dynamic was just gold.

8. Meyer Lanksy

It took me a while for my affection to grow for him. I overlooked him in the earlier seasons, but in the later seasons, and after I finished the show, and couldn’t stop thinking about it, I began to like his character more than I had. He is smart and carefully considers his moves. He is patient and great at reading a situation and discerning the role he should play in it. He, like Charlie, was underestimated by everyone around him. He can be unassuming and quiet, and that's one of the things that makes him dangerous. Meyer often feels like the one adult in a world full of kids, and that’s amazing. His friendship and partnership with Charlie is a highlight of the show. In a show filled with doublecrossing and people fucking each other over, it’s nice to have two people who can completely trust each other, and generally care for the other.

9. Billie Kent

Sweet summer child. She has the best smile and brightens up every scene she is in. Extremely charismatic and likeable. And the show never makes the mistake of making her too pure. She knows who Nucky is and doesn’t care. I wish we saw more of her. I wish she wasn’t fridged. 

10. Margaret Schroeder

She quite a while to grow on me. I especially grew fond of her in the later seasons, which unfortunately is when they started to use her wayyyy les. She is smart and witty. And even if I didn’t always like her overall storylines, she has some great moments.

[elyridis]

Rules: Don’t reblog, repost.

tagging:  @jadedxsparks, @wisestfool, @plutoridden, @fllamau, @rottenxleaves tagged by:  stole it

( reply as muse talking )

► NAME ➭  eleanor hailwood.

► ARE YOU SINGLE? ➭  no, happily engaged.

► ARE YOU HAPPY? ➭  most days, i am. 

► ARE YOU ANGRY?  ➭  i try not to be, anger gets exhausting after a while.

► ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL MARRIED? ➭  at the time of my father’s death, they still were married and my mother did not remarry.

⚡️ NINE FACTS!

► BIRTH PLACE ➭  one of greece’s small islands.

► HAIR COLOR ➭  copper, i think, would be the most honest answer.

► EYE COLOR ➭   someone more poetic than i has called it ocean blue once.

► BIRTHDAY ➭  18th of may.

► MOOD ➭  peaceful . . . relaxed, even.

► GENDER ➭  female.

► SUMMER OR WINTER ➭  summer! in fact, i do handle heat far better than the cold darkness of winter.

► MORNING OR AFTERNOON ➭  an early morning is the best start into a productive day.

⚡️ EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE!

► ARE YOU IN LOVE? ➭  yes, and it is being returned in kind.

► DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? ➭  immediate attraction, i can agree with. genuine love at first sight? i doubt it.

► WHO ENDED YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP? ➭  circumstance did, frankly. 

► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN SOMEONE’S HEART? ➭  sadly, yes. as much as i hate it, sometimes, things have to end.

► ARE YOU AFRAID OF COMMITMENTS? ➭  no, i may be a woman of many words, but i am also a woman of my word and i am not afraid to give it.

► HAVE YOU HUGGED SOMEONE WITHIN THE LAST WEEK? ➭  indeed i have! my daughter may not have appreciated it, as it is quite warm, but i did hug her.

► HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SECRET ADMIRER? ➭  over the years, i had more than one. some mustered the courage to express themselves, others did not.

► HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN YOUR OWN HEART? ➭  ah, yes. there have been times when my brain willed a decision my heart was not agreeing with.

⚡️SIX CHOICES!

► LOVE OR LUST ➭   call me a romantic --- love.

► LEMONADE OR ICED TEA ➭  oh, i am fond of both! it depends on my mood which i opt for, in fact.

► CATS OR DOGS ➭  i’d like to pass on this question.

► A FEW BEST FRIENDS OR MANY REGULAR FRIENDS ➭  ah, i don’t have the same burden when it comes to making time for my friends that others have. i can --- and have been able to --- maintain friendships quite well.

► WILD NIGHT OUT OR ROMANTIC NIGHT IN ➭  both, though i tend to enjoy the former most in moderation.

► DAY OR NIGHT  ➭  i like both, to be honest.

⚡️ FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS!

► BEEN CAUGHT SNEAKING OUT ➭  cannot say i have been caught.

► FALLEN DOWN/UP THE STAIRS ➭  who hasn’t? some stairs want people to fall.

► WANTED SOMETHING/SOMEONE SO BADLY IT HURT? ➭  ah. yes. of course. it is a price i pay for passion, i suspect.

► WANTED TO DISAPPEAR ➭  i am too old to have ever been comfortable in my own skin.

⚡️FIVE PREFERENCES!

► SMILE OR EYES ➭    smiles. or wait --- eyes. gods, i don’t know. both have their appeal.

► SHORTER OR TALLER ➭  i have no preference, honestly.

► INTELLIGENCE OR ATTRACTION ➭  whoever first thought of this question greatly underestimates how attractive a sliver of keen intellect is to me.

► HOOK-UP OR RELATIONSHIP ➭  there is nothing wrong with the former and i did indulge in the past, but relationships suit me better.

⚡️ FAMILY!

► DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET ALONG ➭   i usually agreed with my parents, i almost always come to an agreement with my brothers, unless dion is planning to do something outrageous, and i do love theresia to pieces.

► WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE A “MESSED UP LIFE” ➭  a question for you --- after how many deaths is a life automatically messed-up? in general, however, i don’t think so.

► HAVE YOU EVER RAN AWAY FROM HOME ➭  on occasion, yes.

► HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN KICKED OUT ➭  no! my parents were quite lenient with me, most of the time.

⚡️ FRIENDS!

► DO YOU SECRETLY HATE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS? ➭  that would make me a poor friend and a liar, wouldn’t it?

► DO YOU CONSIDER ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS GOOD FRIENDS? ➭  i do. i trust them a great deal.

► WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU? ➭  i think i have no single person who knows everything, but those dearest to me know me well.

► WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? ➭  i recognise a trap when i’m about to walk into it. passing on this one as well.

[rankakiu]

Thoughts of the Droid: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Hello, people of Tumblr! How was your week? As always, I hope very well. People, this time I bring to you all my review and opinions about the new installment of the T-800 franchise: Terminator: Dark Fate. A film that has raised some controversy.

And it is not for less, since Terminator is one of the most beloved sagas within science fiction. Curiously, even after 35 years, the general public and especially fans of the saga, only love the first two deliveries; the remaining four, including Dark Fate, have them in very low esteem. Being honest with you, almost a week after its release, it was very frequent to see my YouTube recommendations critical of this movie, all of them very destructive, stating that Dark Fate was the worst film in the Terminator saga. Well, your favorite friend and reviewer Rankakiu has already seen that movie. Is it really a disaster? Or are we facing a misunderstood masterpiece? Well, let's go to the review to find out.

WARNING: NOT SPOILER FREE. Read at your own risk

Starting with the review, what did I think of the movie? Short answer: it is a passable movie and you can have a fun time watching it. But nothing else. Now let's go into details.

Characters: Without a doubt it is very pleasant to have back actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and actress Linda Hamilton playing their iconic roles of the T-800 and Sarah Connor, respectively. And although Hamilton had a long time not to return to her character, that does not affect at all, since she has shown not only her acting quality by reincarnating a warrior woman like Sarah Connor, but also demonstrates that she was born for that role. At no time in the movie did Hamilton's performance seem indifferent, but quite the opposite, since at all times she felt like Sarah Connor. With a reborn resentment towards machines and a more experienced soldier, but still Sarah Connor despite everything.

The same goes for the good Arnold Schwarzenegger, although in his case it is already easier for him to play the T-800 again, since he has participated in almost all the films. Even with that, like Hamilton, Schwarzenegger was born for the role of the 101 model of Cyberdine systems. Apart from the above, the film is responsible for humanizing the T-800 and thereby answering the question of whether a machine can develop attachment and affection towards humans.

Certainly previous films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Genysis had already answered that question; however, in Terminator: Dark Fate, it gives another approach, differentiating itself from the aforementioned films and I liked that a lot. Both actors make the film much more accessible to watch and make the experience much more pleasing to me.

On the other characters, the truth be told, they are not (that) badly written. Of course, I feel they need that little spark called charisma to become characters that were much more memorable. One of the most rescued new characters, in my very personal opinion, is the character of Grace, played by actress Mackenzie Davis, who, in my opinion, did a good job of playing a warrior woman, enhanced with cyber technology, turning it into a kind of cyborg. You could say that his role represents a bit what was the character of Kyle Reese from the first Terminator movie, being a soldier with the mission to protect Dani Ramos. Something also to highlight, are the moments of action of the character, where we can see her fight hand in hand with a Terminator, being almost at the same level.

Grace clearly possesses reflexes, speed and strength well above a common human; However, this power can only be used in a short time and requires a special serum to keep her cyborg body functioning properly. That little detail pleased me a lot, since you have a lethal soldier, but not with too much exaggerated power, and besides, these restrictions of power are well founded within the story. While Grace doesn't leave the conventional clichés of being a strong woman and a war-hardened soldier, at least Davis's interpretation pleased me quite a bit, building a pretty decent character. If they really gave her a better-worked script, I'm sure Davis can surprise us.

On the other hand, we have actress Natalia Reyes, playing the character of Daniella "Dani" Ramos. Interestingly, in this character we see a kind of amalgam, a story that combines the situations experienced by the characters of Sarah Connor and John Connor. Dani's life, so normal and common, suddenly changes radically and without the possibility of returning to her previous way of life, when an artificial intelligence sends a machine to exterminate her (representing Sarah from Terminator). As soon as she knows the destiny that awaits her, she has no choice but to fight and accept her destiny as a protector and leader of humanity against the machines (adopting the role of the various incarnations of John Connor).

In my opinion she is a decent character and some may consider that her evolution as a character happens too quickly, but in my case, I think that is justified, since Dani Ramos is in the situation that she has to mature quickly and become a warrior, or else her death will be insured. If you ask me, Natalia did a good job, but unfortunately her character has a somewhat annoying approach, being more the fault of the script than anything else.

Of course, I cannot finish this point without mentioning the antagonist: the Terminator Rev-9, a model created by artificial intelligence called "Legion", which has created one of the most advanced terminator models ever seen. It has similar properties to other terminators seen above, particularly the T-1000 and the T-X (Terminatrix), only here it proves to be much more advanced than the mentioned models.

If there is something that has characterized the Terminator franchise, it is without a doubt, the creativity that they put on the various models, each with amazing capabilities that more than one military contractor would like to see in reality. And the Rev-9 is no exception. I certainly liked that ability that has to be divided into two completely autonomous machines, since with that ability, it can attack the same target from two flanks, or it can attack different targets at once.

It also highlights the enormous ease that Rev-9 has of hacking systems, computers and unmanned vehicles to search for and eliminate targets, as well as being able to infiltrate with great ease and above all to replicate a complex range of human emotions, in order to go unnoticed. A highly lethal machine that should not be underestimated and whose antagonism in the film pleased me quite a bit. Maybe not at the level of the legendary T-1000, starring Robert Patrick. But at least the interpretation of Gabriel Luna does not go unnoticed.

Story: Well, where to start? If you ask me, the story presented in this movie is something like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the story of how Grace and Rev-9 travel to the past to look for Dani Ramos and the last one seeing how her life changes dramatically, to later accept her destiny, results in a fairly decent story in my opinion. The problem is that history has certain interesting ideas, but in the end it does not know how to develop any in a satisfactory way. Certainly, I think they made the same mistake as Terminator: Genysis, basically leaving a lot of doubts and confusion in the viewer.

I think one of the biggest mistakes in the movie was precisely to eliminate John Connor, to be replaced by Dani Ramos. Look, I'm not against a woman leading an army of humans against the machines, but you have to keep in mind that in the previous five films, John Connor was always established as the leader of the resistance; That, coupled with the fact that it is a very abrupt change and without argumental justification, is not difficult to understand why many did not like this change at all.

In a personal opinion, I think it would have been better if they kept John Connor alive and at the same time, to interact with Dani Ramos, so that both of them would end up becoming the resistance leaders. Or, that John Connor died in adulthood, in the middle of the battle and that before he died, it was he himself who designated Dani Ramos as his successor in the resistance.

Certain doubts also arise as the plot develops. As for example: which of the two artificial intelligences sent all those terminators that ended up destroyed by Sarah Connor? If it was Skynet, it makes no sense, since in the end it did its job of killing John Connor. If it was Legion, why so far did it occur to send a Rev-9 to exterminate Dani Ramos? And since we're in those, how is it possible that the T-800, the one who killed John, knew exactly when a Terminator arrived? And how did Legion artificial intelligence originate? Grace explains how her world ended up destroyed by Legion, but never explains how it becomes an menace, if it was an artificial intelligence that acquired its own consciousness, or a kind of virus that altered it computer structure, something that explains Legion's origin.

In this regard, one might also ask, if the events that prevented the emergence of Skynet in Terminator 2, altered the original timeline. In any case, it must be stinking that no matter what Sarah Connor does, there will always be an artificial intelligence that will seek to destroy humanity.

Another mistake made by the film at the level of story is precisely to tell the same story that we have seen throughout the franchise: an artificial intelligence sends a machine to eliminate the future leader of humanity. The resistance, meanwhile, sends a soldier capable of fulfilling the mission and having a link with that leader. After a series of battles, they defeat the evil machine, while the person destined to lead mankind becomes aware of the role he will have in the future.

Although as I said, the story that tells the growth of Dani Ramos, is not bad and in fact, the character reaches its culminating evolution in the battle at the hydroelectric dam, where our heroes join with everything to end the Rev-9 , being one of the most exciting and successful sequences of the film.

Visuals & special effects: Without a doubt the best of the film. And it is really amazing that they could rejuvenate the characters of Sarah Connor, the T-800 and especially the character of John Connor. Similarly, the special effects are fascinating when it comes to showing the Rev-9 model in all its splendor, particularly where the Rev-9 shows its liquid metal state, much like a kind of live pitch, whether for regenerate or to divide into two combat units, or to create white weapons. The effects also stand out in themselves, by showing the conflict between the human race and Legion artificial intelligence, where you can see Terminators units, similar to the Rev-9 mentioned, only that they have more beastly forms and are more implacable. Similarly, the atmospheres about a destroyed world have that perfect apocalyptic atmosphere, a practically unrecognizable world, where humanity has to fight day by day against mechanical beings, ultimately lethal.

Action: Another remarkable aspect and also the best that the film offers. For example, the fight between Grace and the Rev-9 at the car plant is a good-to-face choreographed melee battle, enough to make it a memorable battle. It is an intense combat, full of strength and speed, where both fighters use their skills to end their adversary. I also highlight another scene, being this, the final battle in the hydroelectric dam, where our protagonists come together to definitively end the Rev-9, being really a scene of thrilling action, full of adrenaline at every moment. And while I recognize that there are unlikely action scenes, at least they are quite acceptable, since these are not very exaggerated. At least, in my opinion, it is worth watching the movie for the action scenes. In conclusion, Terminator: Dark Fate, is a film that will not be a masterpiece, but neither is it a horrible product. At most, it is a passable movie that can take your boredom away. However, being a product that conforms to more of the same, telling you the same story over and over again will undoubtedly become something totally dispensable. You watch the movie, nothing happens. You don't watch the movie, anyway, you don't miss much. Therefore, I give this movie 2.5 of 5 Revs-9. Sadly and ironically, Terminator: Dark Fate is waiting for a dark destiny: to be placed next to its three predecessors in the vault of oblivion.

Greetings

Rankakiu

[lohrisaelee]

⌠LALISA MANOBAN, 23, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, LOHRI SAELEE! according to their records, they’re a THIRD year, specializing in RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT + AWARENESS TRAINING, BREATH CONTROL, HAND TO HAND COMBAT; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (bangs perfectly aligned, soft scent of lilies, dry cherry blossoms falling from a journal, warm brown eyes and that ecstatic smile of someone who has been daydreaming possibilities either about a fight, or a love). when it’s the pisces’s birthday on 3/13/1997, they always request their FRIES AND VANILLA MILKSHAKE from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation.

Basics

FULL NAME: Lohri Saelee NICKNAMES: Lo, brainy, lili(leelee) BIRTH DATE: March 13th AGE: Twenty-Three ZODIAC: Pisces GENDER: Female PRONOUNS: She/Her GRADE LEVEL: Third Year MAJORS: Research & Development + Awareness training, breath control, hand to hand combat SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual ETHNICITY: Thai American CURRENT LOCATION: Roseville, Virginia

Personality

She is good at dancing as well as swimming, but she is terrible at lying. 

She's easily distracted,  often have her head in the clouds. 

She's caring and compassionate, Lohri is the first to help a friend in need even if she doesn’t think they’d be there to help her, most of the time putting others necessity over hers. She loves showing affection but respect other people more than anything.

She tries to be social, to be accepted.

She's a hopeless romantic type of girl, she falls in love 20 times a day but rarely ever does anything about it. She's not much of a fighter when it comes to relations in general. If she's in love with someone she doesn't know, there's always that little shine in her eyes.

She doesn't let anyone treat her badly, something her twin taught her, though she won’t confront them or try to talk about their behavior. She won’t try to convince them that she is right and the person is wrong. She’ll just slowly slip out of their life, leaving them wondering if they ever meant anything to her at all. Despite her sweetness, it must not be underestimated her power to break a heart without saying a word.

She is very transparent so anyone can tell when she is fine and when she is not.

Lohri is quite sensitive, as it seems, she hates a few things more than being called annoying, she doesn’t usually get mad or irritated but when she does, she thinks very deeply about the situation. She can get very emotional, quite mean and angry when hurt and won’t apologize first once someone made her mad. 

Her mood is as peculiar as her personality.

Headcanons

Loves taking pictures of things and people. 

She always carries headphones with her. 

As some sort of escapism, she likes to write poems on her journal but doesn't show anyone, she's insecure about what she writes. 

She likes playing with her cat, lobo, listening to music, watching tv shows, training hand to hand combat.

Biography

    She was born in Bangkok, Thailand, her father's hometown,  he was an ambassador at the beginning of his career at the time, used to travel extensively for work. Her mother, an important environmental engineer, born in Oregon, met her father during one of his trips. Her mother gave birth to twins. After their birth, the family chose to move permanently, as her father earned a promotion and that included moving to Washington, DC. When she was 16 years old, they moved again, to Portland, Oregon, where a Thai consulate general was maintained.

    Lohri has always been a smart kid at her school. She always felt like she was being a relief to her parents, since her brother was a huge trouble maker. Lohri's relationship with her twin had always been peaceful, despite their peculiarities and childish fights to decide who was right, they were inseparable, they invented things together, helped each other with homework, made up pranks — despite Lohri being against it. 

    After they started attending high school, both of them loved swimming and together they became two of the best swimmers on the school team, internally they called themselves “Sharks”. In addition, Lohri was part of the book club, martial arts, astrology club.

    When she arrived in Oregon she did her extra research and was fascinated with what she found, she was mesmerized with the mystic, the stars and everything that was related to it. So as she was an excellent student, there was no resistance regarding the creation of her own mystery club, she was a great researcher.

    Despite being intelligent, Lohri was a foreigner, being a girl with different features attracted a certain type of bullying to Lohri who didn't understand how someone's skin color would be a good reason for not being treated equally. From there, she developed a great sense of equality that would later be linked to feminism.

    During her hectic and busy high school, Lohri has significantly distanced herself from her twin, due the fact that he was sent to some sort of therapeutic boarding school. That provided her first sense of freedom, but also showed that the fear of loneliness existed as well. As she finished high school, Lohri promised she'd be close to her twin again, they could work together at her bookstore, which would open soon.

now

    Well, that was five years ago, Lohri actually tried to keep her promise, for a year she still struggled between her commitments to reconnect with her twin, but the following year a very interesting recruitment came making her choose between her promise and a duty. And the young Thai woman was no longer able to stay in Oregon, she has been studying at the Gallagher Academy for two years now, that she's starting the third year she is rather proud of the progress she has been making. She knows she still has a lot to do but she still remains positive that she will soon be able to go out on missions and help  her mates, doing the possible and the impossible.

Curiosities

    Lohri got her name from her parents shortly after they made a trip to India, during the winter solstice. They were amazed by the festival and the meaning of the name.