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illuminatedquill · 3 years

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Extracurricular, An Analysis

Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri

“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is sign on as it’s accomplice.” - Tom Robbins

You know the story. You’ve heard it before, right?

Boy meets girl.

Girl finds out that boy is running a side protection business for prostitutes.

Girl decides to blackmail boy into letting her join his business.

Classic high school criminal shenanigans ensue leading them into more dangerous situations where they are forced to make desperate decisions to stay alive.

Oh, and they fall in love along the way.

Oh? You haven’t heard this one before? Then let me introduce you to this delightful kdrama called Extracurricular.

I watched this one while waiting for the newest Hometown Cha Cha Cha episodes to drop and ended up binging the whole series in two days. There are many remarkable parts of this series: it’s a crime drama, first and foremost, that showcases high school teenagers caught in a cycle of violence and crime, abandoned by the society and adults that are supposed to be protecting them. There are no clear good guys and bad guys in this drama; everyone is cast in shades of grey. Our main leads, Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri, run the prostitution business, and are both from broken family backgrounds. Their actions are morally questionable at best, but the top tier performances from Kim Dong Hee (you might remember him from Itaewon Class) and Park Ju Hyun make you cheer for them anyway. You want them to have a happy ending, despite the horrible things they do. The audience is always reminded that despite how clever they are in staying ahead, their actions have consequences, and they’re just high school kids. The drama never pulls it punches.

But, weirdly enough, it’s also a love story. And that’s the part the really sticks with me until now. (The chemistry between the main leads is absolute dynamite and I could watch ten episodes of them just verbally sparring with each other. They don’t even kiss. They’re that fantastic when together on screen.)

I’m writing this because this is undoubtedly one of my all time favorite kdramas and I have a lot of feelings about our main pairing, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri. I can’t call them a couple (wait, didn’t I just say they fall in love) because their relationship can’t be labelled simply as that. Think of it as something similar to the main leads in My Ahjussi. Two people who should have become soulmates, yet met at the wrong time.

This kdrama is not particularly happy, and while I do encourage people to watch this, I am warning that the subject matter is extremely dark. If you’re sensitive to scenes depicting sexual assault, graphic violence, or anything in that zip code you’ll want to steer clear.

Also, I’ll be diving into spoiler territory in this analysis. So if you want to go in clean, then stop reading here.

Still here? Awesome. Let’s dive deep into the messy, amazing pairing that is Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri. First, let’s do a brief character background on our two main leads, starting with Ji-soo.

Oh Ji-soo is one half of our main pairing and this story starts with him. He lives by himself and has been essentially abandoned by his only parents; his father is a failed businessman who gambles whatever money he acquires on scams and his mother ran away. His apartment is small, sparse, but functional. He owns only a few outfits aside from his school uniform. The only unique item he owns is a pet hermit crab that he takes care of. His life outside of school is non-existent; he has no friends, no one to hang out with and do typical high school teenager activities with. He takes care of himself and lives only for himself and his “dream”: to graduate, attend college, get married, and have kids like a normal person.

But to do that, he needs a large amount of money. He has no other financial means to do so (his father is largely absent, as is his mother), so he decides, at some point, to start up this protection business for prostitutes. The drama doesn’t go into detail about the how and why he came to this conclusion that this was the best way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, so you’ll have to suspend your disbelief from the get go. Considering the themes of the story (how youths abandoned by society tend to act out in extreme ways to make it in this world), it’s not hard to believe his desperation would drive him to make such a decision.

Ji-soo, despite his shady business, is actually a decent person. There’s a streak of humanity that exists inside him that refuses to go out, despite the increasingly dark and bleak events that start to overtake his life. He’s attached to his hermit crab, cares for his “employees” outside of them being tools to make him money, and doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt. He goes above and beyond what’s required to help out people at the risk of his own life (in particular, Gyu-ri, and we’ll get into that shortly).

What we learn from the first few episodes is that Oh Ji-soo is extremely smart and methodical in how he approaches his life. At school, he is known as a model student - quiet, top of the class in terms of grades, doesn’t draw any attention to himself, always follows along with what the teachers ask of him. Only his homeroom teacher, Mr. Cho, seems to consider his quiet style of existence to be concerning and tries to make him less socially awkward by pairing him up with another student in a new extracurricular club. This leads to the introduction of Bae Gyu-ri, Ji-soo’s longtime crush and future partner-in-crime.

Meet Bae Gyu-ri, the other half of our dynamic duo. Her introduction into the story kickstarts the entire plot, as one of her earliest actions leads to a domino effect that spells increasing doom and tragedy for our main leads. She messes with Ji-soo’s operation at a critical moment and she spends the rest of the drama doing her best to make up for the consequences that follow.

In my personal opinion, she is probably the best main female lead I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. Hands down, no other character exists (currently) that rivals her sheer cunning, wit, and badassery. Gyu-ri is Crazy, capital C, and is the chaos to Ji-soo’s control; the fire to his ice. Despite being the direct cause of half the events that happen to Ji-soo in the drama, he can’t help but need her because of what she offers. They make an incredible team. Her competitiveness, her need to win no matter the odds, helps them survive time and time again.

Gyu-ri is from the opposite end of the spectrum of Ji-soo; he’s dirt poor and she’s insanely rich (always nice to see a reversal of typical kdrama tropes). Her mother and father run a successful entertainment company. Gyu-ri is popular at school, friends with seemingly everybody, pretty, cheerful and gets along well with her teachers. Ji-soo, and the audience, believe from the beginning that she has the perfect life. It’s not hard to believe that she’s just involving herself in Ji-soo’s business because she’s bored and needs an outlet, at first.

We soon learn otherwise. Gyu-ri has more in common with Ji-soo than he initially realizes, in that they’re both trapped in circumstances beyond their control - it’s just that Gyu-ri’s cage is gilded, whereas his is not. Her parents are strict and have her life planned out for her, all without her consent or input, leaving her feeling frustrated and powerless despite her rich lifestyle. A suicide attempt hasn’t done much to change her parents attitude towards her, only serving to further their control over her life.

So, when she learns of Ji-soo’s operation she immediately seeks to angle her way into it. First, she tries to rip him off, believing that he’s an evil “pimp” and thus deserves it. But after spending some time with him, she changes her mind last second and decides to help him out instead.

And, now, let’s get into their relationship, which is one of the best (if not the best) aspect in the entire series.

I need to be upfront about something: the relationship between Ji-soo and Gyu-ri is not exactly healthy. I wouldn’t describe it as toxic - the circumstances surrounding them aren’t exactly the best environment to encourage open and honest communication - but it’s definitely not what should be considered ideal, especially for young adults, and especially for young adults who are dabbling in crime instead of studying.

So, why do I love them so much? If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that I loathe toxic relationships in kdramas, so I understand if you think I’m coming off as hypocritical here. Why do I like Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri when I didn’t like, for example from recent history, (oh boy, here I go again on my Nevertheless BS) Park Jae-eon and Yu Na-bi?

First, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are way cooler than Jae-eon and Na-bi ever could be. They run a criminal enterprise that involves having a high amount of intelligence, cunning, and daring to do so. Do Jae-eon and Na-bi run a criminal enterprise as a side business? No, they don’t, because they’re boring art students.

Secondly, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri actually progress in their relationship and change their views as they learn from each other. Now, granted, that progress isn’t towards becoming better versions of each other - quite the opposite. But at least they have progress. Jae-eon and Na-bi stayed in the same stupid cycle for the whole series and then decided that it was better staying that way as opposed to trying for something else.

Last, but certainly not least, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are actually interesting to watch for me. The chemistry between Park Ju Hyun and Kim Dong Hee is explosive and they way they spar, exchange looks, and just generally exist around each other on screen is something I can watch forever. I’ve said this before but Han So Hee and Song Kang’s on screen chemistry, outside of their intimate scenes, really didn’t impress me.

Okay, back to Extracurricular. This relationship, man. It’s all I can think about (other than HomeCha’s Du-sik and Hye-jin, but that’s another post). Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are so good together.

I’ve noted before that Ji-soo is methodical in how he approaches his life; he plans out everything ahead, and rigs any situation as much as he can in his favor. It’s brilliant, but when a crisis happens, he doesn’t know how to deal with it effectively. He panics and flounders; becomes indecisive at a time when clear, decisive action is required.

Enter Gyu-ri. She quickly becomes the partner he never knew he needed. When there’s a situation, she becomes invaluable in her quick thinking and wit, coming up with solutions on the fly. It’s not perfect, but it keeps them just one small step ahead of whatever is coming their way.

The only thing preventing them from becoming unstoppable is the lack of communication and trust they have with each other. A lot of that has to do with how Gyu-ri entered Ji-soo’s business - she blackmailed him first, and, when that failed, she strong armed her way into getting him to accept her help. It’s implied in the drama that Ji-soo has had a crush on Gyu-ri for a while (since ninth grade, I believe) and in the first episode he actually gets the chance to spend time with her outside of school on a sort of quasi-date.

It goes sideways pretty quickly because of some shenanigans from his business, but not before she gets to know him and says some pretty touching words regarding his situation. Poor guy is head over heels - even after finding out that she’s the one blackmailing him, his feelings are only dampened, not extinguished. When he catches a glimpse of her family’s situation, he gains a deeper understanding of her and why she acts the way she does. Even more importantly, Ji-soo treats her the same after finding out this information which, to someone like Gyu-ri, means more than if he comforted her about it.

If you want to see a physical representation of how he feels, other than paying attention to his actions, you can see it in him keeping mementos from Gyu-ri. She has an interesting habit of folding bags into origami shapes and giving it to him. Even after the blackmail reveal, you can see that he continues to keep these in a container on his desk. It’s really cute that he keeps these, when it probably doesn’t even matter that much to Gyu-ri.

Towards the end of the drama, Ji-soo prepares to turn himself in to prevent Gyu-ri from being implicated in the crimes they committed. And it costs him almost everything to protect her. Ji-soo, the quiet, nerdy kid, puts himself on the line time and time again to protect Gyu-ri, knowing that it puts his life and his dream at risk to do so. And all for what? For some girl that he thinks doesn’t even like him in return?

Well, let’s talk about that. Because I’ve seen some comments that Gyu-ri was only using Ji-soo for her own selfish gain. And I can agree that was how it was at the beginning for her; she definitely was only interested in acquiring money, like Ji-soo was, in order to achieve her own goal of being free from her parents.

But, oh man, that is not what is motivating her at the end.

It’s actually pointed out relatively early by some of her friends that it’s obvious that she likes Ji-soo more than he likes her. Understandably Ji-soo is keeping her at arms length from him given the whole recent blackmailing, so it would make sense that it looks that way.

Further questioning reveals what she likes the most about him:

“It’s not like I’m crazy about him. He’s fun. And amusing. He’s smart. And there’s a certain charm he has. He also has a wolfish side to him. But he thinks he’s a puppy.”

- Bae Gyu-ri

But, as she gets to know Ji-soo better, you can certainly see that she starts to fall hard for him. As a cover story for why they hang out so much together during and after school, Gyu-ri states to everyone that they’re dating. The reactions across the school definitely imply that this is a shocking development, which means that Gyu-ri hasn’t dated anyone before. So why Ji-soo other than the reasons she herself states?

He challenges her, just as she challenges him. Gyu-ri may be the more dynamic, quick thinking of the pair but Ji-soo is every inch her intellectual equal - just in different ways. She doesn’t seem to be the type to be easily impressed, but you can tell that she’s definitely impressed by Ji-soo’s operation and how thoroughly set up it is. When Ji-soo is frustrated at the beginning by his setbacks, he blows up at another student (knocks him out in a crazy punch) and immediately walks over to Gyu-ri afterwards (who saw the whole thing) to inform her that she is now his partner in crime.

The look in her eyes, and the small smirk she has speaks volumes about her attraction to him in that scene. Smoldering.

And, oh yes, she’s prone to jealousy. Another classmate, Min-hee, gives Ji-soo a present out of the blue (it was supposed to be for her boyfriend, Ki-tae, but that’s another sub-plot) - all within view of Gyu-ri. It’s hilarious how she tries to brush it off. Later, for plot reasons, Ji-soo has to spend more time with Min-hee which only furthers Gyu-ri’s annoyance.

And her motivations stop being entirely about the money and more towards helping preserve the dream that she and Ji-soo share about being free. There’s a scene in episode 8 where it’s revealed that, due to a business partnership with a local gang (set up by none other than Gyu-ri herself in a desperate move), Ji-soo would have to drop out of school permanently to work on their behalf. Gyu-ri overhears this and, despite badly needing the gang’s help in sustaining their own business, immediately terminates the partnership.

All because it would interfere with Ji-soo’s dream.

Man, if that isn’t love.

In the following episode, Gyu-ri, and later on Ji-soo, is kidnapped by the same gang in retaliation for terminating their partnership. Ji-soo comes to her rescue but Gyu-ri is already almost free (again, she’s really, really badass) and is demanding that they bring Ji-soo to her instead of running for her life.

Surviving this latest attempt puts the two in a reflective, vulnerable mood and Gyu-ri asks Ji-soo why he keeps saving her. Ji-soo asks later on why she keeps risking her life to be with him. They don’t say the answer in words but in an almost kiss (yeah, you read that right - almost).

And then, if you aren’t already convinced, Ji-soo crosses his one last remaining line in an effort to keep Gyu-ri safe; he accidentally pushes a fellow classmate down some steps and, instead of helping her, leaves her to die after grabbing the evidence she has on him and Gyu-ri.

Extracurricular pulls off quite the magic trick here, hiding this well done love story in the middle of a serious crime drama.

The real tragedy is that Ji-soo thinks that Gyu-ri views this whole business, and by extension his life, as one big game. It’s something that she takes offense at, visibly becoming upset when he says that.

But even if that were true, he should be assured since Gyu-ri doesn’t like to lose.

As they hurtle towards the end and face up to the consequences of their actions, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri undoubtedly lose sight of their original goals and dreams. They do some fairly horrible things to stay alive and ahead of the police who are close on their trail. You can’t really blame them for doing what they did; in the face of a society that has abandoned them, what they’re doing is a logical outcome to gain what they want so desperately and deserve so much: the chance to be free to live like normal, care-free people.

I can’t say for certain that they achieve that. The drama is serious in consequences and, at the end, the net around them is drawing tighter and tighter. I won’t spoil the ending scene for you, because I highly encourage you watch this drama yourself but I will say this: Ji-soo and Gyu-ri seem stuck in an impossible situation with nowhere to go, and no one to help them, with a clock ticking down towards either death or discovery by the police.

But, all the same, I’m always the optimist. They’ve gotten through situations like this before and they can certainly do so again. Maybe not as bad as this one, but not too far out of their league. And, like I mentioned before, Gyu-ri doesn’t like to lose. Especially when it comes to Ji-soo.

Their relationship is truly dangerous, as Ji-soo himself notes. Them being together is the source of their problems; they’re too much alike now, as opposed to the beginning of the drama where he stated that they’re too different. Their love is the kind of love where both of them are willing to burn the whole world down if it means keeping each other safe.

I’m a real sucker for those kind of love stories. No one’s a hero here. They’re just kids in high school, doing the best with what they know.

Who are we to judge what is right and wrong? Especially when the one committing the acts are high school kids who don’t know any better and just want to save each other?

Do we have that right?

Do they really deserve that punishment? Shouldn’t we be pointing fingers at the society that forced them to act this way?

Extracurricular really makes you think about that. Is it really so outlandish and terrible what Ji-soo and Gyu-ri do to survive when the adults who are supposed to be protecting them, teaching them better, have failed in their duty?

Maybe they really did win at the end. Not so much in succeeding in their goals but in gaining something that not even regular people are likely to find - a partner, a soulmate, someone who will stand by you no matter what.

If you do watch the ending, and are not an optimist like I am, then all I can say is this: whatever happened, they were together at the end.

They were together.

#extracurricular netflix #human class #netflix #kdrama #oh jisoo #bae gyuri #park joo hyun #park ju hyun #kim dong hee

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missorgana · 3 years

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a moment in time

pairing: karolina dean/nico minoru

fandom: marvel’s runaways

rating: general

word count: 2014

warning: swearing

summary: Nico accidently brings home the wrong suitcase. Annoying. The owner of said suitcase? Anything but annoying. (no powers meet-cute + luggage mix-up)

(a soft silly au right before femslash february comes to an end mwahhhhh! they’re superior girlfriends wbk. Cat / @inafaithforgotten beta read this as always AND as always u are an angel 💕✨ hope you enjoy!!)

read on ao3

“You talk to any of the others yet?”

Nico frowns at her friend, hoping the signal’s clear enough for the picture to show him, “No.” Of course, Alex laughs. Idiot.

“Come on, Nico,” he tells her, absentmindedly rummaging through his fridge, of all things, “You can’t just be alone in Sydney for six months.”

And of course, she rolls her eyes at his response, as always. Deep down, she knows he means well, but really, his social butterfly self gets on her nerves from time to time.

“Why not?” she huffs, but with a kind of smile that tells Alex she doesn’t care about his life philosophies, without fearing making him upset. Or him being scared she’s upset. Mostly the ladder.

A beep of his microwave oven sounds in her headphones, “Nevermind, dummy.”

Maybe she misses her best friend, but it’s not like she’ll admit it as long as she lives. Anyway, the hotel room’s better than she expected once she arrives, the cool air of the airport and crowds of students approaching her in each their own language became all too much, too fast.

Nico’s not exactly a people person, as Alex says.

But also, baggage claim is the absolute worst. Don’t try to argue with her, won’t change her mind.

There really is no way to avoid it, but seriously, absolutely no personal space. It’s like a warzone, almost, because her fellow passengers can’t fucking wait a minute or two, and be damn polite?

It’s whatever, Nico’s just glad to finally have arrived.

She may have a little airplane anxiety. It’s embarrassing, but Alex, like the wonderful best friend who cares too much, crafted her a self care kit (his words, not hers). Maybe the obligatory pre-takeoff text helped with her restless hands. Shut up.

Soon as Alex says his goodbye, door closed, she’s back on her background noise playlist, eager for a shower and some long-awaited sleep. At this point jet lag can kiss her ass.

A look in the mirror reveals the mess of eyeliner she made when she rubbed sleep out of her eye for whatever low budget action movie had played on the tv system (terrible selection, seriously), oh well, the little hot water she gets access to does wonders for her headache.

Another reason why she avoids traveling by flight at all costs.

It’s a comforting thought she’ll be here for a while, though. Alex made this sound like an all alone in the world thing, but Nico honestly doesn’t really mind.

With her parents, she’d been alone much of her childhood, anyway. Depressing, she knows.

She leaves the shower in a haze, hoodie and sweatpants right at her hand, and just catches Amy’s enthusiastic text full of heart emojis.

Ridiculous. But lovely.

Nico thinks that reply back is just about all she has energy left for, until the rumbling of her stomach clearly tells her otherwise. Fuck.

And, well, budget hotels infamous for exchange student parties rarely offer room service. It’s ten minutes of Nico panicking, almost going to the desperate point of having to leave the hotel room, find a vending machine, or some cafe nearby, which would require her to interact with people.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It’s sort of embarrassing, or at least it would be, if anyone was here to see her. A small virtue.

But, hah, of course! The angel Amy truly is, Nico almost forgot the snacks her sister insisted on stuffing in her suitcase.

If she almost wants to cry of happiness, no, she doesn’t. She’s allowed to be a little overdramatic, okay?

Small emotional rollercoaster aside, she hurries for the luggage, surprisingly, struggling with finding the zipper. Not anything she takes time to think about much, given the circumstances, until she breaks it open and comes to a halt.

It does take a minute.

But this is definitely not Nico’s suitcase.

The exterior was familiar, but there’s absolutely zero doubt in her mind a mistake has been made when she’s met with a soft pink piece of fabric. With fucking lace.

Her stomach’s not turning with the thought of the outside world anymore, instead, she’s just weirded the hell out. Because she had never jotted herself down as easily distracted, but there’s a first time for everything, she supposes.

Nico simply shifts to a cross-legged position, staring at the pair of pastel colored scrunchies, white dress shirt, and brown tassel boots. She just wants to sleep, dammit.

But she can’t really ignore this kind of problem, really.

She’s got her carry-on, of course, but like, she wants her own things. All of them.

So, a careful investigation of the luggage is what she puts her mind to, trying not to mess up or pry too much in this stranger’s business. A postcard accompanied by a tiny silver cross pin causes her to snort.

Whoever this person is, by the looks of the suitcase’s content, is not exactly someone Nico would find herself hanging around with.

Whatever.

It takes way too long for her to find any sort of information on this stranger. Or, well, maybe just her sleep deprived mind missing the very obvious nametag on the back. Shut up.

The white laminated label tells her it belongs to a Karolina Dean.

Nico maybe stumbles over the address, the same state as herself, but who cares, it’s not like it’s any surprise. Her lucky stars also provided a phone number to the person, and she just can’t hurry enough.

What a mess.

...

Nico is stood in Sydney Airport at shit-o-clock in the morning, with a wrong suitcase and without sleep for fuck knows how many hours.

Needless to say, she can’t wait for this to be over already.

Funny enough, her strange companion got ahead of her, calling her at exactly the time she gathered the phone number. The voice was bright and a bit giggly, which would piss Nico off if she wasn’t so tired.

She’s still pissed, but mostly at herself.

So, of course, they agreed to meet back at the airport right away. This Karolina’s an exchange student as well, as she gathered, but located at another hotel. It’s probably decided according to their line of study, or something.

Nico would be lying if she said she knew what she was doing right now. She hopes she won’t have to explain this to Alex, he’ll only laugh his ass off, that’s for sure.

She’s been staring at the same five rerun commercials on the flatscreen, which surely won’t do any good to her burning eyes, when the voice from the phone call says her name. And honestly, she’s not sure what she expected from this meeting.

Nico stands up to a close to angelic girl.

Judge her all you want, but that’s about all the thought her brain’s forming right now.

Karolina Dean’s beaming a smile at her way too bright for this early in the morning, blonde braided hair and star-studded ears.

Fuck, okay, also, blue eyes nearly sparkling, or something.

Nico doesn’t have to force a smile back at all.

She soon realises the mention of her name was a question, “Uh, yeah, Nico. Karolina, right?”, to which the taller girl nods.

“I’m so sorry about this,” she tells her, sighing, sounding almost like she ran all the way here, “So easily distracted.”

Maybe Nico almost gets angry from this beautiful stranger taking the blame all for herself. Maybe she wants to roll her eyes, but she doesn’t. Karolina doesn’t know her, and for some reason, she’s the kind of person Nico doesn’t want to disappoint. Or offend.

Instead, she shakes her head and shifts her weight from one foot to another, “I’d say we’re both equally to blame here.”

She also tries to laugh, which sounds very wrong in her own ears, ugh, but her new companion maintains her sweet smile, too innocent and soft spoken, that Nico almost wants to cry again.

Anyway, she has to gather herself.

Status so far is that while she still desperately needs sleep, she is also faced with the problem of an extremely pretty girl in front of her. Pretty girls are somewhat of a weakness for her, as you can tell. Damn the universe for this.

So, what’s Nico to do about it?

Alex would most likely yell at her to get her number. Or, technically, she has the number already… but fuck, is this really the right time to flirt? Most likely not.

She’s admittedly also a very awkward flirter. Alex described her as such, which is a bit hypocritical when he’s just as bad himself. Scratch that, he’s worse, and Nico will remind him daily. A disaster pair of best friends they are, but Alex is right.

Luckily, Karolina seems a bit more cool-headed compared to the rut she’s stuck in herself, and the reason this meeting is taking place is handed over.

It’s hard to describe how much her body’s screaming for her to find her way back to bed as soon as possible, but even with her own stuff back, she hesitates.

The blonde still smiles, damn her, but takes on a wide-eyed expression, tugging on her fingers like she’s embarrassed, “I promise I didn’t mess up your stuff, I- sorry, I just. Your jacket’s really cool.”

Nico blinks.

And her companion seems to read her mind, cause she giggles, “I mean it! It made me want to know you.” Karolina soon after frowns at her own words, continuing with, “Sorry, that sounds… so weird.”

You’re so fucking adorable, Nico thinks to herself, and honestly, just wishes this angel would stop apologising. It’s sort of painful.

Of course, she shakes her head at her companion’s words, because that’s somehow the most ridiculous thing she’s heard today. The last two days. Man, fuck timezones.

But somehow, it takes her way, way too long to figure out why the blonde’s giving her a surprised face. And she blushes.

Because, of fucking course, Nico can’t keep her thoughts inside her head.

So she gathers she’s just called her adorable, and Karolina’s fidgeting with the handle of her suitcase now, seemingly not being in a hurry to go anywhere, and she’s biting her lip.

It makes Nico’s head spin. Mostly the fact that the angel girl’s not fleeing the scene.

“Did I just say that out loud?”

The blonde nods.

“Fuck,” she finds herself saying, because whatever, it’s not like she can say anything more embarrassing than what just came out of her mouth, “I’m sorry. Can you, uh. Can we pretend it’s my sleep deprivation talking?”

Karolina’s curious to her. She tugs the wispy locks of hair behind her ears and looks at Nico like she’s sincerely considering her words.

It’s here she notices how close they’re actually standing, and that she’s breathing a tiny bit faster than normal. She’d scold herself like a loser, if her companion didn’t answer her question in such an unexpected way.

“I guess,” Karolina chuckles, but she’s fidgeting again, staring at her scuffed white sneakers with a meaningful look.

And then it’s like she gains a new sort of determination, looks up at Nico, which definitely doesn’t make it easier for her to breathe. Her smile turns a bit mischievous. At this point, the lack of sleep might just make Nico hallucinate.

“But I’d rather have breakfast when we’re not sleep deprived. Heh, if- if you want to, of course.”

The blonde’s biting her lip again. Nope, Nico definitely heard that right, no sound hallucination or whatever.

Turns out this luggage switch was a blessing in disguise, huh. Fuck you if you accuse her of being cheesy, she doesn’t really care when a, yes, definite angel is looking at her expectantly, and maybe also has invited her to something resembling a date. Breakfast can be a date, right?

Needless to say, she’s never said yes to anything as fast as this in her life.

And, needless to say, Nico’s never looked forward to waking up again as much as she does when she finally goes to bed, either.

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angels-heap · 4 years

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Okay hello I feel like you are Wise and Know things... it’s kind of hard to explain but is it wrong to just... Enjoy Things? With all the HL pisscourse going around it’s making me nervous about liking things like TF2 and missing something critical and huge in the media I consume and being labelled as a bad person for doing that. ESPECIALLY for liking characters like GLaDOS or Wheatley from Portal. I want to just Enjoy Things but there’s guilt tied to not being critical about every single detail

Thanks for reaching out, friend, and I’m so sorry to hear the current nonsense has you feeling this way. I have a hunch you’re not alone, and although I don’t claim to have all the answers here, I hope hearing my thoughts on this helps alleviate some of that guilt. This got long and I’m not putting it under a cut because it’s important.

The short answer to your question is no; it is not wrong to just enjoy things. You don’t have to constantly examine all your favorite media under a microscope and incessantly highlight or dwell on its faults to be a good person or a good consumer of media, and here are a few reasons why:

(CW for brief mentions of all the squicky/potentially triggering things that tend to come up in ship discourse conversations.)

1. It is virtually impossible to find a truly unproblematic piece of media.

And that’s okay! Media is both created and consumed by people, and people are notoriously imperfect and complex. Sometimes creators choose to explore dark or taboo themes that are always going to squick some people out, no matter how well (or poorly) they’re handled. Sometimes content creators are actually terrible people who deliberately try to perpetuate their messed-up ideas through media. Sometimes creators’ deeply internalized prejudices seep into a work in a way they may not even consciously realize. Sometimes consumers’ experiences or prejudices color the way they perceive a piece of media and may lead them to a very different interpretation than what the creators intended.

Point is, there are a lot of shades of gray here. We should always strive to do better as creators and consumers, but the goalposts for “perfection” are always moving.

There’s almost always going to be something about your favorite media—no matter how benign it is—that rubs some people the wrong way, or (perhaps unintentionally) perpetuates harmful stereotypes, or starts out okay but doesn’t age well down the line. Period. That’s an uncomfortable truth that we all have to sit with. But don’t despair, because…

2. It is still okay to engage with and enjoy media that you know is problematic. Even if it’s really problematic. For real. I promise. The media you consume does not determine your worth as a person.

Since you specifically mentioned Valve games, I’ll start out by clarifying that (as of July 2020), Valve games and their fandoms are pretty benign overall. Perhaps in the future, more of the humor will start to age poorly, or Valve will make some extremely questionable design choices with their next game, or Gabe Newell will be outed as a prolific serial killer, or whatever, but for now, there’s really nothing about Valve games that should make the average person go, “holy shit, you’re into that?!” when you bring them up in polite company. (And anyone who insinuates otherwise re: Half Life shipping discourse is either very confused about the definition of certain words or is maliciously trying to stir up controversy.)

That said, everyone has a different threshold for what they do and don’t want to see in media, and those boundaries are totally valid! But it is absolutely possible to enjoy even notably problematic media (e.g., Game of Thrones, the new Star Wars sequels, old movies where the directors were huge assholes to the female cast members, etc.) without being a bad person or a bad social justice activist. Instead of rambling about that at length, I’m going to link you to this excellent blog post on the subject.

The big takeaway here is that you can love a piece of media while also acknowledging its faults. In fact, I’d argue that a key part of loving something is being able to think critically about it and trying to hold its creators to a higher standard whenever possible. However, that doesn’t mean you have to be constantly analyzing it or prefacing every single public acknowledgment of your love for it with an “I know this is problematic and I swear, I just like it for XYZ” disclaimer, because…

3. Tumblr’s black-and-white thinking about media consumption is not healthy, “normal,” or (usually) present to the same degree in other virtual or real-world spaces.

I think most of the people on Tumblr who seem to be on a constant (and ultimately futile; see point 1) quest to find the One True Unproblematic Media have good intentions. I really do. And I applaud them for actively trying to understand and un-learn their own biases while becoming critical consumers of media.

Unfortunately, for a bunch of complicated reasons I still don’t totally understand and won’t get into here, some online communities tend to take these things to such an extreme that, in their quest to create a safe and/or inclusive environment, they actually end up creating an even more hostile one. To reference the recent drama again, nowhere is that more apparent than with “pro-ship” vs. “anti-ship” discourse.

Basically, “pro-shippers” believe that fiction is entirely separate from reality and therefore, “problematic” content (up to and including p*dophilia, inc*st, noncon, etc.) has just as much of a right to exist as any other content; this makes some sense on a purely intellectual level, but in the real world, obviously things are much more complicated than that. “Anti-shippers,” on the other hand, claim to be specifically against the aforementioned Big Three Bad Things in theory, but in practice, they’re basically the fandom purity police; they strive to criticize and shut down any media or fandom activity that could be even remotely construed as problematic, because they seem to have a (perhaps well-intentioned but ultimately misguided) perception that discussing anything “bad” in fiction will glorify/condone/promote it in real life and that all creators of “bad” fiction are inherently malicious. Often, they’re willing to twist definitions and jump through some very strange hoops to justify why something is “bad.”

The truth lies somewhere between those two extremes; fiction absolutely can (and does) impact reality, but not in such a clear-cut cause-and-effect way. People can see or read about dark/complicated/problematic things without condoning or enjoying them in real life, and conversely, people can dislike even relatively benign things without having to have an extreme, profound reason for feeling that way. People can also enjoy “bad” media while being fully conscious of what’s wrong with it and taking steps to ensure that it doesn’t negatively influence them, or they may lack the knowledge/context to understand why something is “bad” at first and change how they engage (or don’t engage) as they learn. There’s a lot more nuance to this issue than Tumblr is willing to acknowledge, and as a result, a lot of innocent people who just want to enjoy things in peace get sucked into some truly absurd drama that can be really hard to deal with. And that sucks. A lot.

So, TL;DR: Almost all media is at least a little problematic, but that’s okay, because the media you like does not determine whether or not you’re a good person. (And especially if your primary interests are Valve games... you’re good, mate. Seriously.)

The fact that you’re even asking me this question shows me that you’re being a thoughtful, responsible consumer of media, and that’s all anyone can reasonably ask of you without being a gigantic hypocrite—because whether they’ll admit it or not, everybody who’s perpetuating this discourse both on and offline likes something “problematic.” It’s impossible not to, unless you live under a rock and consume exactly zero media. Take care, and try not to let the discourse get to you! Go forth and enjoy things! (As always, my inbox is open for follow-up questions.)

ETA: Here’s another excellent tumblr post on this topic! And another one!

#asks #anon #fandom #ship discourse #sorry it took me so long to respond to this #I'm sure I left things out but here are some thoughts to get you started #long post

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eremiss · 4 years

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Apparently I forgot to send you asks. SO. 6. do they get married (or equivalent)? 11. sleeping habits? 13. favorite sexual activity? (if you are so inclined! Wink Wonk). 44. do they feel they see each other enough, or do they have activities that take too much of their time? :B

it’s me so it got long oops hahah

6. They’ve both thought about marriage before, mostly as vague daydreams and ‘huh, maybe one day’. Towards the end of ShB they both start to think about it much more frequently and more seriously because they both came so close to death, on top of being separated for so long pre-expansion.

They've both started giving off big ‘long term relationship’ and ‘spouse’ vibes recently (perhaps because Ryne is there to be like their daughter?) even though neither of them realize it. They’ve always been comfortable around each other, but there’s a new sort of energy to it that everyone else can see plain a day, yet they are particularly oblivious to.

Comments or teasing from their friends about being husband/wife or marriage in general tend to get Gwen quite flustered or make Thancred cagey and a little awkward.

Gwen and Thancred are still trying to figure out what they, themselves want in terms of marriage, beyond vague notions of, ‘hey it’s actually I can picture it now, where I never could before’ and wanting a family. They’re both struggling to find a balance between ‘what I/we want’ and ‘what the world needs’ and 'what's actually realistic, anyway?' thanks to all that responsibility and their own sense of duty, as well as wondering if, given their dangerous and hectic lives, a family is even a good idea. They want to be sure of themselves before they try to bring it up with the other, so they've stayed pretty silent on it.

Despite their long term, healthy relationship, Gwen and Thancred are still both uneasy/nervous about labeling themselves and what they have. Kind of ‘it works as it is, but labels might change or mess with it’ aka: labels make it real and ‘real’ about this kind of stuff is intimidating in a good and bad way (similar to thinking ‘getting married will solve our problems’, but instead it will somehow make problems). The biggest talk they’ve ever had about their relationship was in ARR when they had a semi-awkward discussion about what, exactly, ‘they’ were, and settled on ‘basically friends with benefits’.

Hells, they still haven’t even officially declared they’re exclusive; though it’s pretty much understood at this point, given how they clearly have no interest in anyone else and haven’t slept with anyone else in years.

They know what they feel, and they’re confident in what the other feels, ‘I know I’m serious and I’m here to stay. They know I’m serious, and that I’m here to stay.’ And they try to do things to show that, as saying it (particularly with ‘I love you’ involved) is kind of tricky. They’re both comfortable, secure and content knowing they’re committed, even though it’s not explicitly stated… but, well, maybe getting married could actually be kind of nice… one day.

11. Not great, lol. They both frequently stay up too late for one reason or another, and it’s very difficult to make someone sleep who doesn’t want to. The only thing that will reliably get them into bed is not wanting the other to stay up all night, either. (they are amazing hypocrites when it comes to telling the other to take care of themselves or open up more, but not actually do that themselves lol) This inevitably turns into, “I have work to do.” “Fine, then I’ll stay up too.” “No!” “Yes!” or “You’re doing work, yeah, but you know what’s more fun than work? *wink wink nudge nudge*” or the occasional “I’ll go to bed when you do.” “Bet. I’m going to bed now.” “FFFFFF”

Gwen is a fairly standard sleeper (not light, but not dead to the world) unless she’s stressed or anxious, which is when she becomes a light, very restless sleeper. This is when maximum cocooning and stealing of blankets occurs. Thancred is naturally a light sleeper but, given how many partners he’s had, he had no trouble acclimating to sleeping with Gwen despite her fidgeting. She rarely keeps him up or wakes him unless she’s stolen the blankets, or he’s purposely sleeping lightly to keep an eye on her. When she’s restless he’s found the best thing to do (to calm her down and to not lose his blankets) is to basically spoons her and hold her still, and it actually does seem to help.

They’re both early risers, but Thancred is quicker to actually wake up and get his brain functioning. Gwen hides her face and lazes for a few minutes before trudging to the bathroom (sometimes with her eyes closed) where she splashes water on her face or takes a quick, cold shower to wake herself up.

13. Uuhhh… Having sex?? LOL

More seriously, they both love nothing more than giving the other pleasure, as well as indulging in the sights and sounds associated with such. They also enjoy trying new things.

For Gwen, who didn’t do much experimenting and whose past relationships just...well, weren’t nearly as deep and secure as this, just about everything is new, and she’s at least enjoyed experimenting, even if everything wasn’t exactly a success. Some things are a little difficult to wrap her mind around (“I... I’m supposed to wear what?”) especially at first, but she comes to embrace intimacy as a thing where there are no expectations except letting go and genuinely enjoying herself.

Thancred’s done plenty of experimenting, so he’s got the physical aspect pretty covered; instead he’s come to love the new kind of intimacy and familiarity that comes with having a partner he genuinely trusts and has a deep emotional connection with. Genuine tenderness and affection are new, as is relaxing and giving himself over to and trusting his partner rather than feeling he must maintain some aspect of control/distance, and so far it’s working out pretty great.

44. Not at aaaaalllll haha. They have busy lives and tons of responsibilities, especially Gwen, what with being the WoL and all, and there’s rarely a time when one of them isn’t busy, nevermind both of them at once. What’s worse, not only are they busy, but they’re busy apart, given their difference in specialties pulling them to different places.

Gwen is protecting Ishgard and fighting Nidhogg, Thancred is off tracking the Warriors of Darkness.

Thancred is gathering intel in Garlemald and Gyr Abania, Gwen is a world away in Doma.

Thancred is out at Eden, Gwen is running around on the First and the Source.

They try not to complain about it too much, because they know what they do is important and necessary, and they’re both pretty tired of it, honestly, but complaining won’t change anything… That doesn’t mean they don’t vent to each other, though.

They would like to see each other more, yes, but specifically they’d like to work together more. Not only would working together mean time together, it also means being able to look after and protect one another, as well as being able to help in the moment rather than showing up after the fact. Though they complement one another in battle and work together well, their dramatically different skill sets alway shave them on separate assignments.

Failing the above, they’d like to be able to at least share a bed more often (or every night). Even if they didn’t always wake up or go to sleep at the same time, cuddly sleep is good sleep, and they’ve both come to find that physical closeness very mentally/emotionally recharging. Being close enough (aetheryte travel notwithstanding) to sleep together every night would also mean that they wouldn’t be too far apart in general. They’re confident in their own, and each others’, abilities, but that doesn’t mean there’s not some inherent, unexplainable sense of security and assurance that comes with knowing that, if something were to suddenly go to shit (like it so often does) they’re not days or weeks away.

#Thanks for the ask!!#Thancred Waters #Gwencred #They're both wondering about getting married but terrified of actually fully committing #even though they're basically already committed #Because they're both massive dinguses #Snugglesleep best sleep #WHAT'S THIS THE READMORE WORKS NOW????#my writting #guinevere ashe

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quakerjoe · 4 years

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LAST CALL ON FACEBOOK

I’m done. I’ve had it with Facebook, so fuck this shit; I’m out. Here’s the final publication...

THE LAST CUPPA JOE SERVED ON FACEBOOK: TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2020

Perhaps you’ve noticed that it’s been quiet around here despite all the political excitement. If you’ve guessed “He’s in facebook jail again”, you’d be right. Being put in a childish “time out” because I pissed off someone who came to MY page uninvited is the name of today’s game, and I’m done with it. I already lost the original Quaker Joe page with well over 10,000 followers without an opportunity to say good-bye, so I’m doing so here and now to you all and to share some final thoughts about what I’ve learned about America, its people, and the political process in a collection of simple, straightforward observations. Here it goes.

First, it has become abundantly clear that America simply does NOT want to make this “a more perfect union” as prescribed in the Constitution that everyone claims to hold so dear. My whole life I’ve watched the GOP sink the economy and destroy civil rights and worker & environmental protections while making massive money grabs. While doing so, they’ve enacted shit laws to benefit the rich while screwing “the help”, meaning YOU in general.

This brings me to “Democrats are feckless” and suck-ass at delivering a clear message or any sort of show of strength. While they’re busy trying to clean up the mess left by the GOP every turn of the tide, the GOP points at them and they shout “Look at the mess the Dems are responsible for!” and Dems say nothing. Civility, I guess. It only goes so far before you get the reputation for being wimps. You know, like today.

Democrats are yesterday’s Republicans. They’re scared, angry and afraid of taking chances. Bold leaders like Bernie Sanders want to bring us ALL to a new, all-time high. Democrats are now his #1 enemy, trying to tear an honest man down. “He hasn’t accomplished anything” the same way Jesus didn’t in the N.T. No, I’m not comparing the two, but it’s funny how a “Christian Nation” isn’t rallying behind a Jew who is a former carpenter and is trying to lead a movement to tend to the poor and heal the sick. Fuck, Bernie could walk on water and turn water into wine all while bringing a dead man back to life and the Dems AND GOPers would still shit on him.

Liz Warren. She’s a brand. Granted, her brand is taking a royal shit on the rich and powerful by calling them out on their bullshit, and she used to be a hero to me, but we’ve got to face it- she ignored the call in 2016 when Bernie urged her to run for POTUS. She was either afraid of Clinton or she was playing the “But I’m A Woman” card and secretly wanted to back HRC. Either way, Warren was out for Warren, not a Progressive agenda and clearly wasn’t behind the cause. When Sanders picked up the torch for the Progressive Cause, she fucked him over and backed HRC, all while calling herself a Progressive. Again, she saw HRC as the inevitable victor and ponied up with her, probably hoping for a cabinet position. She’s doing it now, only more cautiously. This round, however, she thought it smart to shit all over Sanders EARLY in the game and when she did it cost her and her campaign tanked. She’s dropped out. So why hasn’t she openly endorsed Sanders, a fellow Progressive? She won’t. She’s waiting to throw in with Biden after the Primaries and we ALL know it. She’s no champion of the Progressive cause. She’s a brand and she’s looking out for her own ass and nothing more. She’s fallen from grace, if she ever truly had some. She WAS GOP before and clearly nothing’s changed much.

Biden. Fuck me, are we seriously considering fronting this next generation “W”? Why not just hand the election to trump now and get it over with. 2016 all over again. He’s already lining up his potential cabinet with Wall St. tycoons, and has OPENLY admitted that he’s going to slash Social Security (even though the Fed. OWES it a fuck-tonne of payback from all the times it has dipped into YOUR paid-in benefits) and Medicaid/Medicare, but do Americans find this a threat? With typical GOP mentality on BOTH sides of the aisle, it’s only a threat when a Dem. wants to do it, but if the GOP tries, well then it’s all good and fine. Biden is a fucking REPUBLICAN. Just because he CLAIMS to be a Dem, it doesn’t make him so. He’s racist, and twats like Kamala backing him already after the whole “I was that little girl” jab in the debates only shows that she’s not for “We the People” but her own ass. Shocker.

I could go through the list of formerly anti-Biden hypocrites who’ve jumped on board to support Biden and shit on Sanders. All the moneylenders are organizing and ganging up on the ONE true delegate trying to save YOU and not the RICH. Again, this is a CLEAR example of how America doesn’t WANT to be saved.

This has taught me that Americans are not only deluded and hypocritical, as a people in general, but that they seem to LOVE being put into position of strife and misery. It’s where they’re the happiest; embracing the stupidity and ignorance instead of trying to find a way to make us ALL safer, healthier, and happier. Americans HATE being happy with the “others” are happy too. Instead of reaching down to help a fellow American up, it’s the “American Way” to punch down and blame the poor and powerless for their own failings while the rich at the top keep pissing and shitting down on them all while making money grabs.

Next, there’s all this infantile bullshit about “Bernie Bros”. Seriously, shut the fuck up. Hypocrisy in action, yet again is what this is. I’ve found in my personal experience that if I call out another Dem on their bullshit, I’m labeled a “BB”. No matter how you try to point out how Pelosi’s asleep at the wheel or Schumer’s a babbling idiot or how Biden’s a declining fuckwit who can’t string words together and that trump will eat him alive on the debates if he’s the nominee, because I back Sanders, I AM THE ONE getting labeled. The media and the fuckwits out there who are tender little snowflakes who can’t handle criticism or having dirt on their picks dug up and called out cry and cry and cry until someone puts an admin in FB jail for days or even weeks or months.

So to them I say- “Fuck ALL y’all!” I’m done here. Cry me a river because I’m sailing off of Facebook and leaving you all with this cesspool of social mania run by a cunt who backs trump. It’s bad enough knowing that the game is rigged when electing who’ll be our nominee in the Dem. party, but it’s fucking stupid trying to fight the battle here on social media when there are thousands of people following who don’t have a problem with my postings, the description WARNS that I cuss here, yet it only takes one or two fucktards to shut down your page. Fuck this bullshit. I’ve got better shit to do, and my posts on other platforms like Tumblr and even Twitter never get me blocked or locked out. Childish as this whole notion of social media is, at least virtually every other platform is infinitely less riddled with whingers, bitchers and cry-babies who can’t take the heat and instead of clicking to go elsewhere they feel the need to fuck up a page. Enough is enough.

So for those of you who’ve even made it this far and still want to follow me, you can find me on Tumblr, a much more grown-up platform, here at https://quakerjoe.tumblr.com/. If you’re into Twitter (yuck) I’m there too for who knows what reason. https://twitter.com/QuakerJoe2020 will get you to me. I hope to see you all at one of those places. It’s been a real adventure and learning experience, but all I’ve learned is that America is a dirty, filthy nation with a dark and sinister past that it refuses to acknowledge and accept, let alone apologize for because admitting that you’re wrong is UNAMERICAN. Trying to do some form of penance is considered weakness, and turning to truth instead of lies and deceits only leads to the revelation that you’re all up to your eyeballs in selfishness, racism, misogyny, all sorts of phobias, and that you’re only happy as a nation in general when you’re literally given the liberty to tear each others throats out legally.

Good-bye, Facebook. I hope you ALL get a chance to get the fuck out and perhaps regain some sanity one day because if there’s one thing that trumplefuckstick did that was good, it was that he took off the covers and the gilded paint and showed us all what Americans REALLY are, it we’re not pretty.

-Quaker Joe

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afflicted-ascendant · 6 years

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Random Observations ‘bout the Mars Signs

Mars in Aries: Aggressively pursues whatever they’re after, whether it’s a goal or a person or a victory. “Short fuse” is an understatement. Not afraid to say or do anything they believe in. Can have a bit of a childish view of the world, no patience for the complexities. Often become heroes in the eyes of others for their diehard strength of will, but also get a lot of eyerolls and facepalms from people who think they’re too reckless or reactionary. They like to go hard and fast in relationships (in more ways than one), so they don’t have the time for people who aren’t upfront, honest, and confident about what they want. They’re the type of person who would leap into a burning building to save someone, without a second thought.

Mars in Taurus: Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. Get really grouchy sometimes. The hardest workers you’ll ever meet, especially in blue-collar job environments. Artistic types with this placement will actually finish their projects because they’re willing to power through the nitty-gritty boring bits that so many of us flaky, flighty artists get stuck on. If they enjoy sex, they really enjoy it and have the stamina to go all night, but a lot of them seem to be uncomfortable with sex or even outright asexual. Many of them have literally the worst opinions on politics. But they’re solid, dependable people who will do anything to protect the ones they care about -- they don’t just say it, they do it.

Mars in Gemini: Their brains are always buzzing, they have a natural taste for knowledge. Their childlike curiosity is so freaking cute. Very good with words, they speak and type compulsively and even if their grammar/punctuation is shit, the spirit of what they say is almost always worth reading or listening to. They have many interests and many people “interested” in them, if y’know what I mean. Funny and charming is their default state and they probably don’t know how to turn it off. They also don’t know how to stick to one person, goal, or idea because there are so many tempting options that set the wheels in their heads a-spinnin’.

Mars in Cancer: Extremely moody people, but they hide it fairly well. They build up a thick shell to conceal how sensitive they are to changes in scenery and circumstance. They get very attached to people, places, and pets. Likely to be very clingy and needy when it comes to love and sex, but also very giving. Cuddles are recommended, though they’ll need to really trust you before they’re comfortable with physical contact. Like all Cancer placements, they complain a lot to blow off steam and deflect their nervous energy. The more time you spend with them, the more you can pick up on the roiling, boiling stew of emotions that’s constantly bubbling underneath their defensive crabby surface.

Mars in Leo: Can be obnoxiously arrogant and oblivious to how they’re perceived. Self-awareness is not one of their strong suits, but self-expression certainly is. They really crave attention, admiration, and appreciation. The good ones are worth giving it to because they mean well and have a generous loving heart, but the bad ones won’t shut up about how great they are and go into a red-hot rage when they don’t get what they want. Very pushy people, no concept of boundaries. They treat love like a performance art, which is why the courtship stage is their favorite part. They’re usually very selfish sex partners who come up with some wildly imaginative roleplay scenarios. You’ll either love them or hate them, which they proudly proclaim because they get a kick out of being dramatic like that.

Mars in Virgo: Always strives for perfection in everything they do. Workaholics. Often come across as condescending or judgy. Their sarcasm is legendary. When they talk about sex, they describe it clinically and bluntly, it’s not something they romanticize as sacred. Many of them honestly do despise their fellow humans and will stick their nosy asses in everywhere to “fix” things. The nice way of putting this is that they “just want to bring out the best in you”. If nothing else, they certainly do put in a lot of effort for the people they care about, which they will aggressively guilt-trip you over when they want you to do something in return. There can be a lot of friction between them and their children if they become parents, mostly because they have no idea how to give praise without turning it into a critique.

Mars in Libra: This is an odd place for Mars to settle in because these people get really stressed out and upset by conflict of any form. Doesn’t mean they won’t fight back if you push them, but for the most part they recoil from arguments and will try to subtly nudge everyone into getting along. Because of this, it’s especially painful for them to have a falling out with a friend or family member, and they will always try to move toward forgiving and forgetting the issue even if it’s unforgivable. One of the least sexual placements of Mars -- they might have an aversion to even discussing sex. But they’re also skillfully flirty and charming, so don’t assume they don’t have an active love life. They usually believe in the power of “peaceful protests” and “civil disobedience” as a way of changing society for the better. Storytellers with this placement will often write stories where people ultimately talk out their problems and come to an understanding of each other, maybe even achieve world peace in the process. Basically, they’re hippies~

Mars in Scorpio: Even when they’re in a good mood, you can feel hostility suffused in the air around them. Scary as hell when they’re angry. Living with them means walking on eggshells. If they’re artistic they can make beauty out of the most fucked-up subject matter. Fascination with death. Does not know how to compromise, would rather die than give ground on what they believe in. Has the force of will to do pretty much anything. Usually not afraid to talk about sex, for them it’s like discussing the weather. Might be into some really kinky or taboo sex acts, might even be horny 24/7. They dominate others without even having to try. Probably has resting bitch face. When they’re not screaming with rage, they usually maintain complete calm and control in public because they loathe vulnerability of any kind. Being near them is an intense experience no matter who you are.

Mars in Sagittarius: Irreverently funny and playful. No matter how old they get, never stops acting like a kid. Enjoys being physically active in some way, getting out and doing things. Always itching to try something new. Has no attention span. Gets bored before finishing projects and drops them for months at a time. Their energy is infectious. Likes sex to be more physical and raw than emotional. Has no trouble laughing and having fun while doing the deed, and people who make them laugh and excite them are the ones who most attract them. They prefer friendships and romances to work pretty much the same way, relaxed, easygoing, with no pressure to commit to anything. This is why so many of them get into friends-with-benefits situations. When things get serious or the relationship runs into an iceberg, their first instinct is to wimp out and run away instead of stick around and make an effort. Can be absolute hypocrites to the point where it’s shocking how self-unaware they are. Will complain endlessly about things people do that they don’t like, not realizing they do those exact same things all the time. Will bristle at the slightest criticism, they can dish it out but they can’t take it. Their convictions/beliefs are usually based on gut reactions rather than research. Enthusiastic about their passions, can be adorable when they get excited. As frustrating as they can be sometimes, there’s just something so lovable about them that you can’t help but forgive them anyway.

Mars in Capricorn: Have this serious, broody aura about them that can be kind of alluring and intimidating at the same time. Will present themselves as rock-solid even if they’re on the verge of a breakdown. Will put in as much work and dedication to get a job done as it takes, without a single word of complaint. And they really like sex. Like I”m not even kidding, these are some lusty goats we’re talking about. But they don’t usually like admitting how horny they are because it might harm their public image. They put a LOT of work into maintaining that public persona -- they secretly want to inspire awe in every person they meet, they’re gluttons for glory but they hate people knowing that so, gotta act all cool and casual. Once they finally find fame and success, they’ll find non-verbal ways to brag about it, because all they really want is for people to be jealous of them for once.

Mars in Aquarius: Questions everything they read. Highly intelligent, incredibly quirky, but never comes across as “nerdy”. Pierces right through people’s fake bullshit. Knows a lot of big words but rarely uses them, because they despise any form of pretentiousness. Has firm beliefs backed up by extensive research, refuses to be pigeonholed into any one movement or ideology. May fall along any point of the political spectrum, and will be very outspoken and capable of strongly arguing the case for their independent views. Hates being labeled. Has trouble feeling attached to their body because they spend so much time in their own mind. Even when they get emotional, some part of them will be detached and objectively analyzing the situation to understand it more fully. They’re the same in relationships -- no matter how invested they become, some rational part of them will hold back and hesitate to care. When it comes to sex, they can be even kinkier than Mars in Scorpio. They want to try every possible position at least once, they love to experiment, they will never be satisfied if sex becomes the same routine every time. But in some ways they enjoy thinking about sex more than actually having it -- the act itself can be disappointing and dissatisfying for them, partly because they don’t know how to live in the physical moment instead of rationally dissecting the proceedings. They attempt to be open-minded toward everyone they meet, but they can also be coldly cruel and verbally vicious toward people who violate their personal code of ethics. They can be very uncompromising when it comes to their values, and if they ever view you as part of the “problem” in society, you’ll probably be dead to them.

Mars in Pisces: There’s always a touchy-feely atmosphere around these people. Socially conscious, likely to get involved in some form of activism, a cause they believe in. “Belief” is something they have in spades -- they’re drawn to mystical mumbo-jumbo and yoga routines. They can out-hippy the Mars in Libra people. Can easily become addicted to things. No matter how tough their other placements make them seem, they have a squishy teddy bear side that the people closest to them will see. Most of them are romantically and sexually submissive on some level, though they may try to hide it. Keeping things hidden is a talent for them, actually. It’s hard to get to know them on a deeper level because so much of their truest self is swimming beneath the surface. Passive aggression is their go-to tactic for expressing anger. Will bend over backwards to make their partner happy -- they love both making and receiving sweet gestures of affection. Most of them have a deep appreciation for art and aesthetics even if they aren’t artistic themselves.

#astrology #mars signs #mars in aries #mars in taurus #mars in gemini #mars in cancer #mars in leo #mars in virgo #mars in libra #mars in scorpio #mars in sagittarius #mars in capricorn #mars in aquarius #mars in pisces #long post #essays #random observations

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intrulogical · 5 years

Text

sanders sides logan angst fanfiction list

so, this is how i’m going to do this: i’ll list the fanfictions out one by one and under each fanfiction i will state:

- their author

- the ships

- its summary or description

- the universe it’s set in (if there’s none, it’s not an au)

- status (whether it’s finished or not); and

- its warnings (additionally, i’ll also say here whether the fic has oc’s, sympathetic deceit, and hurt/comfort)

please be careful when you read these because it’s labelled angst for a reason. check the warnings before reading.

and, one last note: if i didn’t add any fanfiction you think should be on the list, you can reblog and mention the fanfiction or leave me an ask or message! since this list most likely will be updated over time, you can finds updates and new additions in the reblogs!

1. Supposed to Be

by: SkiaShadow (ao3)

ships: slight Virgil/Logan (can be read as platonic)

summary: “Logan is hurt by the others never listening to his rants but he thinks he shouldn't have feelings. Virgil comforts him.”

status: complete but the author implies they might add more in the future.

warnings: hurt/comfort

2. Liar

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Logan/Deceit

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: dark logan

3. There’s A Monster…

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “There's a monster inside of him.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt no comfort, no happy ending

(a little footnote: this author actually writes a lot of logan angst. i highly recommend checking out their tumblr because it’s literally scattered with angsty logan fics/headcanons.)

4. Marks

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “He was selfish, he was a smartass, he was stupid, he was an asshole, he was hurtful, he was boring, he was a hypocrite, and he was stubborn. He knew all of it, he knew his every flaw and downside.He knew what was wrong with him, and yet...it felt impossible to put an end to it. But then again, that was the very reason he didn’t…

He knew what he was like, and that was the very reason he didn’t stop them.

Because he deserved this, and he knew that he deserved this.

And everything that it entailed.”

status: complete

warnings: no happy ending, depressing thoughts, depression

5. Prove

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “Logan has started to notice a pattern among the others, and unfortunately comes to a startling discovery about not only them..but their resident snake as well.”

status: complete

warnings: depression, thoughts of death, knife (not used), morally ambiguous Deceit, cliffhanger

6. Promise

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: platonic Deceit/Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: “All it takes is one single phone call for Virgil to seriously contemplate murder.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, sympathetic deceit, heartbrokenness

7. Him

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: ” It wasn’t a sudden realization that came over Roman and Patton, if anything it would have been slow in comparison to Logic’s way of thinking. But even so, he knew the exact moment that they knew, he knew it by the way that Roman’s hand fell to the hilt of his sword, and he knew it by the way that Patton clutched the fabric of his shirt right over his heart.

He knew it all.”

status: complete

warnings: dark side oc - carelessness, hurt/comfort

8. The Yellow Tie

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “Logan has exactly one yellow tie in his closet, none of the sides have ever seen him wear it. He knows that the others have forgotten about it, and thus rendering it useless. But even with that being said, only Logan knows when he’ll wear it, and only Logan knows why he’ll wear it.”

status: complete

warnings: self-deprecating thoughts

9. Again

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Logan/Deceit, Patton/Roman/Virgil

summary: “Logan has come a realization, it by every definition wasn’t an easy one to come to, but in his eyes he needed to understand it. So he has, and it has led him to darkness that he is all too willing to embrace.”

status: ongoing

warnings: self-esteem issues, self-doubt, self-destruction, hurt/comfort, logan becomes a dark side

10. Choice

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Virgil/Logan, Patton/Roman

summary: “Not having a voice is something that Logan was already well accustomed to, he’s gone all his life without speaking a single word. And really he’s fine living that kind of life, there have always been several ways to communicate outside of speaking. It is, however, the lack of choice in his life that hurts him the most.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

11. Rage

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Patton/Logan, Roman/Logan, Virgil/Logan

summary: “There’s always more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case...there’s always more than one way to become heard.”

status: complete

warnings: intense nightmare, blood and gore (happens in the nightmare), hurt.comfort, vomiting

12. The Stars

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “Logan loves the stars, he loves space and everything that comes with it. He loves it so much that he finds complete peace and comfort within it, it soothes him and makes him forget everything that happens to be wrong with him. It's just too bad that the very thing he finds comfort in, also terrifies Virgil.”

status: complete

warnings: emotional attack, hurt/comfort, unhappy ending

13. The Day After

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Logan/Deceit

summary: Waking up next to someone you love is supposed to be a nice happy thing, for Logan...it isn't.”

status: complete

warnings: one night stand, mentions of nsfw, sympathetic deceit, hurt/comfort

14. Twelve Seconds

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: None

summary: “All he needs is twelve second, just twelve seconds and he’ll be alright again. Twelve seconds, and then he can live the lie.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, emotional breakdown, anxiety attack, sympathetic deceit

15. Bottles

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “One day when going to check up on Logan, Patton spies bottles lining the logical side's room. Bottles of all various colors and sizes, Logan assures him that they are nothing, but coupled with Logan's odd recent behavior, is everything as it seems?”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, bottling up emotions

16. The Bottle

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “Semi-sequel to Bottles, one-shots delving into the different bottles that Logan has in his room, and how he comes to accept them.”

status: ongoing

warnings: hurt/comfort, bottling up emotions

17. No Title

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “prompt: ok so i’d like when you get scared logic shuts off right what if like whenever they’re in a high stress situation virgil just instinctively decks logan

Like afterwards virgil is so apologetic like “i’m so sorry i didn’t mean to do this you know that right like your voice just gets kinda annoying when i’m stressed so my arm just kinda-“

“This started out as an apology”

“Oh yeah right””

status: complete

warnings: mentions of bruises, mentions of injuries

18. The Jock… and Logan

by: Shay_Nioum or sidespromptblog (links are in no. 2)

ships: none

summary: “Logan is a nerd, that much is a given and something that he’s gotten used to over the years. One thing that he can’t get used to, no matter how much it happens, is the fact that people use and then subsequently leave him.”

universe: highschool au

status: complete

warnings: abandonment

19. Lists.

by: princelogical (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: Logan makes lists.

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

20. I’m Alive

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: platonic Patton/Logan

summary: “Theory; Logan is not a human being.

or.

Logan's going into his freshman year and he isn't quite sure what he is, but he's pretty sure it's not human.”

universe: highschool au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, childhood trauma, implied/referenced self-harm, mental breakdown

21. The Garage

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: none

summary: “Thesis: Logic can be replaced.”

status: complete

warnings: torture, psychological torture, aftermath of violence, aftermath of torture, hurt/comfort, dark side oc – apathy

22. Is There Someone Who Can Watch You?

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: past Roman/Logan

summary: ““Why did you leave me?”

“I had to.”

“You didn’t tell me why,” Logan choked out.

or.

Roman and Logan are exes who are still in love but Roman is a wanderer who just can’t… stay.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: heartbreak, heartache, drinking

23. apples and oranges

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: Virgil/Roman

summary: “Logan doesn’t remember the exact moment “girl” felt wrong but there’s this moment in sophomore year when he’s standing in front of the bathroom mirror and he feels like he’s seeing someone else.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: gender dysphoria, coming out, hurt/comfort, self-harm, homophobia, transphobia, internalized homophobia, non-sexual nudity

24. Stars

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: platonic Virgil/Logan

summary: “Breakups hit harder than Logan likes to admit.”

status: complete

warnings: breakups, hurt/comfort

25. summer (best time to fall)

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: Virgil/Logan, Thomas/Remy

summary: “Logan’s running record is three months and two weeks without saying a word. It’s starting to get on Virgil Sanders’ nerves because he remembers, wedged up with his ex-boyfriend, trading secrets at the crack of dawn, that Logan can talk and Logan can talk a lot. Something’s just happened between the start of summer and the beginning of senior year that’s shut him up. And Virgil’s gonna do all he can to figure out what that is.

Or.

The one where Logan’s too scared to speak anymore because he’s afraid of spilling a big secret, Virgil’s a concerned friend, Thomas has his first boyfriend, and Patton and Roman are just in for the ride.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, selective mutism, trauma, gun violence, mentions of sex, sexual humor, minor character death, ptsd

26. Don’t Let Me Think Weakly (Though I Know That I Can Break)

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: none

summary: “What did you mean by, ‘you’re lost’?“

Virgil sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "I meant a lot of things by it, Logan.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

27. Odd

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: none

summary: “Logan doesn't like to talk about his freshman year.”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: car wrecks, hurt/comfort, implied/referenced child abuse

28. Stone Still

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: none

summary: “Why couldn’t Logan have just been normal?”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, touch-starved, implied/referenced child abuse

29. Shaky Decline

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: platonic Patton/Logan

summary: “Logan’s burnouts start slow and progressively quicken to a forest fire where he’s in the middle of it all, stressing about an assignment due in three months.

or.

The 5 signs that Logan’s approaching burnout.”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: burnouts, bad eating habits, overworking, hurt/comfort

30. A Darkened Holiday

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: ambiguous or implied relationship(s)

summary: “Logan doesn't like Christmas; it's a stressful time of the year. This year doesn't look like it's going to be any easier with his parents on his back about a possible transfer, some moron who like to dress up as a prince, Patton's non-stop concern, Virgil's rotten luck, and what he feels to be an oncoming nervous breakdown.

He doesn't know what to do and he hates not knowing.”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, suicidal thoughts, implied/referenced self-harm, implied/referenced suicide attempt, mental breakdown, mentioned sexual harassment

31. Sick Day

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: none

summary: “Logan's coming down with something and it brings about a bag of emotions that he did not request.”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: sickfic, mentions of abusive parents, hurt/comfort

32. Tumbling Into Love

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logan

summary: “Thomas is falling in love and Logan feels muted, terrified, and powerless. Roman knows how to help him let go for a moment and forget.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

33. Lies, Trust, and Communication

by: princelogical (links are in no.19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logic

summary: ““You lie to Logan. He can’t ever fully make you happy. What you two have is pathetic you’ll get bored with him because you need something to please the sides of you he can’t feed.“

Roman feels anger, so scalding hot, wrench through him from his core and he draws his sword.

or.

After the video, Deceit comes along and tries to make a mess of things.”

status: complete

warnings: acephobia, slut shaming, emotional manipulation, deceit

34. I’ll Be Back

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logan

summary: ““It’s okay, Logan. We’re all assholes when we miss someone.”

“I do not… miss… that would be illogical to-”

“You’re allowed to miss someone,” Virgil says. “Especially him.”

or.

Roman’s been gone for 4 weeks and 3 days. It’s taking its toll.””

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

35. Fade (Prelude)

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logan

summary: “Logan feels his limbs shaking and he looks down. His heart comes to a stop- his skin is translucent, fading into mists that trail against the ceiling. Logan runs desperately to his door and wrenches at the knob to get someone’s attention to help him but the knob doesn’t budge. He pulls his hands back and goes to pound against the door but his fists shatter then evaporate. He opens his mouth to scream in desperation but his voice is smothered, raw, and choked- nothing but a garbled cry comes out.

Deceit appears in the doorway, sneering. “He’s not in love. We’re not doomed, Logan. Thomas is gonna be just fine. You can convince him to change his mind. Things are gonna be okay-”

or.

Logan hates it when Thomas falls in love.”

status: complete

warnings: mild body horror, nonsexual nudity

36. Fade (Intermission)

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logan, Patton/Virgil

summary: “Virgil can tell that Logan’s having a bit of a hard time. It’s not his job to reassure Logan- but he’s going to anyway.”

status: complete

warnings: none

37. Fade (Cessation)

by: princelogical (links are in no. 19)

ships: queerplatonic Roman/Logan, Patton/Virgil

summary: ““You’re up at two in the morning making coffee and leaving me all alone in my cold, cold room.”

“Roman, it is June. And Thomas resides in Florida.”

Roman laughs and grips onto the counter, hoisting himself up to sit. “Pour me a cup, would you?”

“You hate coffee.”

“I do,” Roman says with a smirk. “But if you’re up, I’m up too and we’re talking.”

or.

It’s time to talk some things out.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, arguing

38. Illogical

by: PeridotWritesFic (ao3)

ships: Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan has a problem that requires input from Virgil.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

39. when i was your man

by: sandersidesquotes (tumblr)

ships: past Patton/Logan, Patton/Roman

summary: none

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: heartbreak, no happy ending

40. A Fool, A Jest

by: coconutcluster or coconut-cluster (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: ““A fool, a jest,” they sang, “an idiot in disguise, oh, what a horrid ruse."”

status: complete

warnings: nightmares, hurt/comfort

41. And It Was Work He’d Do

by: coconutcluster or coconut-cluster (links are in no. 40)

ships: none

summary: “There were times Logan got tired. Obviously, of course - there were times everyone got tired, so it wasn’t particularly distressing, or even shocking, despite his being a figment in Thomas’ mind and not a human being with incessant needs; fatigue tended to be a nuisance to him above all else, really, an impediment to his productivity. An inconvenience. Nothing more.

But this… this was different.”

status: complete

warnings: overworking, exhaustion, fatigue

42. Error 8246

by: coconutcluster or coconut-cluster (links are in no. 40)

ships: Patton/Logan (it’s basically Deceit taunting Logan because Logan has a crush on Patton)

summary: “Logan had a bit of a knack for seeing the truth.

He wouldn’t call it a talent, of course, and certainly not a “sixth sense” as Roman so belatedly suggested - it was simply a tendency to notice changes in body language, a psychology trick, really, but crucial to his job; to correct any falsehoods Thomas told himself was one of his main duties, and the ability to identify them quickly was more than useful.

But it wasn’t foolproof.

(aka an angsty Loceit interaction, directly after the events of "Can Lying Be Good?")”

status: complete

warnings: taunting, emotional manipulation

43. Define Beauty

by: CamilleNicole59 (ao3)

ships: none

summary: “Logan is dissatisfied with the isolation that his lack of comprehension brings him, which separates him from the others. As a result, he tries.”

status: complete

warnings: anxiety attack, stress, feelings of inadequacy

44.Written on Paper

by: JustGalactic or justgalactic (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan, platonic Virgil/Logan

summary: “Logan is in charge of facts. They all come to him on small pieces of paper. Sometimes, they fly in on paper airplanes. The paper planes taunt him, and paper storms and paper avalanches make him worry for the other sides.

Or:

Idioms are real and incredibly distressing.”

status: complete

warnings: blood, brief talk of implied/referenced self harm

45. Unanswerable Questions

by: JustGalactic (links are in no. 44)

ships: none

summary: “Logan left the others to their issues. What did he do while they stayed in Patton's room?”

status: complete

warnings: none

46. Who Cares?

by: JustGalactic (links are in no. 44)

ships: none

summary: “Do the fans like Logan as much as the others? If they don't, how can he make them like him? And, god, why did Thomas want to do a video about personal identity?”

status: complete

warnings: self-harm, self-hatred

47. Mistakes

by: JustGalactic (links are in no. 44)

ships: none

summary: “A long day and a single mistake are all it takes to send Logan spiraling down.”

status: complete

warnings: self-harm, self-hatred

48. Stay in the Equation

by: RainbowMartin or rainbow-sides (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “A depressed and suicidal Logan is helped by a kind stranger and finds himself becoming a part of a family.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: depression, implied neglectful parents, homophobia mention, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, suicidal thoughts

49. Fallacy

by: RainbowMartin or rainbow-sides (links are in no. 48)

ships: none

summary: “Logic is not infallible. Logan finds this out the hard way.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

50. Come Home

by: very-bitterly-jittery (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “A little drabble about Logan facing his fear, becoming a dark side, with Deceit there to help coax him through it that is completely based on the theory that all dark sides have two different eye colors. There also might be a part two if I figure out how to describe outfits.”

status: complete

warnings: dark side logan, sympathetic deceit

51. Keep Your Eyes On Me

by: very-bitterly-jittery (links are in no. 50)

ships: none

summary: “Part Two to Come Home.”

status: complete

warnings: dark side logan, deceit mention

52. No Title

by: sirpuppetuniverse (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “prompt: Okay but,an episode where Logan cries.”

status: complete

warnings: none

53. Alexthymia

by: GraeWrites (ao3)

ship: platonic Patton/Logan

summary: “Alexithymia: noun. Meaning difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses. (Or: human touching is an inherently emotional need and therefore, Logan cannot be touched-starved because he is Logic. At least, that’s what he keeps telling himself.)”

status: complete

warnings: touch starvation, hurt/comfort

54. Making Mistakes

by: IronWoman359 (ao3) (tumblr)

ship: platonic Patton/Logan

summary: “Logan takes it upon himself to remind the other sides that it’s ok to not be perfect. But he’s not very good at taking his own advice, and it takes Patton to show him that.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

55. The Most Dangerous Lie of All

by: SocialBookWorm (ao3)

ship: none

summary: “The most dangerous lie of all …..is the one that we tell ourselves.

Or: Logan’s put them all in more danger than he ever realized.”

status: complete

warnings: panic attacks, implied/attempted gaslighting, self-deception, manipulation

56. Whoops, Angst

by: fanartfunart (tumblr)

ship: none

summary: “Logan‘s feelings are normally masked and hidden away, and sometimes those feelings reveal themselves.”

status: complete

warnings: no happy ending

57. Triangles are the Strongest Shape

by: OneLetteredWonder (ao3)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: “In a mathematical sense, triangles hold more power in their shape than any other. Three legs are needed to make a table stand as well as support whatever to be put on top of it. It’s stable and strong. Each end connected to the other. Each pieces supporting the other. Each hand able to hold another.

While Patton, Roman, and Virgil are enjoying each other’s company, Logan is left out. He supposes that’s for the best, as a non emotional trait, they don’t really need him in the way.

But he's very, very wrong.”

status: complete

warnings: none

58. Exhausted

by: Fangirltothefullest (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Just a vent fic for Logan and college class work based on an experience of my own.”

status: complete

warnings: overworking

59. Logan, What Do You Need?

by: Fangirltothefullest (links are in no. 58)

ships: none

summary: “Patton realizes Logan never expresses his own wants and doesn’t know how to say no to them. So he, Roman and Virgil decide to confront him about it.”

status: complete

warnings: sickfic, hurt/comfort, talks of abuse, emotional suppression

60. Logan: “Emotions Are Not My Thing”

by: Fangirltothefullest (links are in no. 58)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “Logan has a mental breakdown because he is in love with Patton and he has no idea how to comprehend this knowledge.”

status: complete

warnings: none

61. Brave of Heart and Calm of Mind

by: Feather_Quill_Ambition or just-fic-me-up (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: ““There's no use apologising,” comes Patton’s voice, casual and hard in a way it’s never been, as he busies himself with examining the pile of objects on the couch. He doesn't look at Logan at all. “Not unless you mean it.”

He sounds so non-expectant that something in Logan’s chest floods.

“I know,” he says, forcing the words past the dryness in his throat, and Patton pauses. “That’s why I'm here.””

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, self-doubt, self-hatred

62. It’s (Not) Logical

by: Ash__Gray (ao3)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan internalizes the pain of the other sides, taking it on himself rather than letting them be hurt by illogical things, like dragon witches, the imagination, or themselves. But as injuries keep escalating because the sides find themselves almost invincible, how much of the illogical pain can Logan stand?

In which Logan accidentally takes on a role with shoes he could never fill.”

status: ongoing

warnings: implied/referenced self-harm

63. Isolated

by: im-a-queer-fander (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: panic attack, loss of hearing aid, food mention

64. Logan Angst

by: im-a-queer-fander (links are in no. 63)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: panic attack, self-deprecating thoughts

65. little high little low

by: dear_chaton or dear-chaton (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Roman/Logan (but they’re arguing so…)

summary: “Or the one where Logan might've messed up, just a little bit.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt no comfort, not a happy ending, arguing

66. A Shattered Hope

by: Wrenny_Fang_03 or dailypattondoodle (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: platonic Roman/Logan

summary: “Prompt: If you’re still taking requests, might I suggest “shatter” hurt/comfort with Logince?”

status: complete

warnings: slight internalized arophobia, hurt/comfort

67. False Care

by: Wrenny_Fang_03 or dailypattondoodle (links are in no. 66)

ships: none

summary: “Prompt: Roman and Logan angst, “I thought…I thought you cared…””

status: complete

warnings: arguing, yelling, no happy ending

68. I Wish I Never Met You

by: Wrenny_Fang_03 or dailypattondoodle (links are in no. 66)

ships: established Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: ““I wish I’d never met you…”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to pain you with my death!!””

universe: highschool au

status: complete

warnings: self harm, depression, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, hurt/comfort

69. Forgotten

by: Wrenny_Fang_03 or dailypattondoodle (links are in no. 66)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan/Deceit

summary: “Logan thinks that after the last video, the others wouldn’t care about his birthday. His solution: don’t even bother showing up unless he’s summoned.”

status: complete

warnings: panic attack, yelling

70. the stress on my back’s been severing my spine

by: defectivedeviant (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically), brief romantic Roman/Logan

summary: “ the thought of feelings made him uncomfortable, before. happiness and sadness and love; it made him vulnerable.

it was better to close everything off; and that's how he became a robot. he kept everything at an arms length. attachment was useless, like himself, and it would stay that way.

until the floating started. ”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: implied/referenced self-harm, implied/referenced suicide, dissociation, dissociative identity disorder, depression, hurt/comfort, panic attacks, implied sexual content, suicidal thoughts, seizures

71. Too Loud

by: randomfanderfriend (tumblr)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan, brief past Roman/Virgil

summary: “Logan finds himself unable to convince himself that he is fine.”

status: complete

warnings: self-hatred, loneliness, breakdown, intrusive thoughts, fighting, yelling/screaming, self-harm, brief blood mentions

72. Forgotten

by: randomfanderfriend (links are in no. 71)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: “Logan isn’t surprised that he’s been forgotten. But he’s indeed disappointed.”

status: complete

warnings: self-hatred, lack of self-worth, isolation, ambiguous deceit, food mention, unhealthy imagining

73. Loop

by: thealmostviki (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “"Do you believe in ghosts, Logan?"

"No." The answer is easy. "It's highly unlikely."

"Why do you say that?" Virgil's voice is careful, although Logan can't imagine why. The statistical probability of ghosts is so low there's no point wasting the thought. The idea that the spirit of something could be tethered to a physical artifact, the implication that living things even have souls, is too metaphysical to fully be determined through any degrees of natural science. Logan tells Virgil this, and Virgil's mouth presses into a line. At first, Logan thinks he's going to argue, but he doesn't. He just shrugs and puts his earbud back in.

"Okay. I was just wondering."

Or: Logan hasn't seen another human being in three years. Then Virgil moves in, and Logan is forced to confront his loneliness head-on, whether he likes it or not.”

universe: human au, ghost au

status: complete

warnings: death, non-graphic violence, ghosts

74. Pursed

by: thealmostviki (links are in no. 73)

ships: Patton/Logan, Patton/Roman/Virgil

summary: “The situation is this: Logan and Patton have been dating for two years and three months when they meet Virgil and Roman. Six months later, Patton asks Logan permission to date them, and Logan reluctantly agrees. Two months after that, the nightmares start again.

Or: Logan is insecure and bad at communicating his needs.”

universe: human au

status: complete

warnings: nightmares, miscommunication

75. Serious people wear neckties

by: Thuri or sanders-sides-thuri (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “The conclusions he’d come to were unavoidable. Logic could work most effectively if the others–particularly Patton–took him seriously. If he focused solely on Thomas’s continued well-being and didn’t again let things devolve to the point they had before.”

status: complete

warnings: cursing, self-doubt

76. Illogical

by: Thuri or sanders-sides-thuri (links are in no. 75)

ships: none

summary: “Did someone say Logan angst?

Character introspection, in which Logan tries to work through his feelings. Or at least, on specific feeling.”

status: complete

warnings: one-sided attraction

77. Evidence was Mounting

by: Thuri or sanders-sides-thuri (links are in no. 75)

ships: none

summary: “Logan can no longer ignore the facts. He's not needed.”

status: complete

warnings: none

78. The Voice in my Head, It Lies

by: supercalivirgilistic or sortablue (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “The thoughts had been growing, festering, from the start. He couldn’t tell anyone. They couldn’t know that he was one wrong step away from breaking down.

Not Logan. Not logic. Never him. They couldn’t know.

Or, well...”

status: complete

warnings: panic attack, breakdown, self-deprecating thoughts, hurt/comfort

79. C+ For Creativity

by: Treble (Cutty_Ren) or of-treble-and-dragons (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “Logan tries to make himself more creative but things don't work out in a way he expects.”

status: complete

warnings: self-deprecation

80. Compassion and Attrition Left Misspoken

by: Treble (Cutty_Ren) or of-treble-and-dragons (links are in no. 79)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: none (but it is the sequel to the previous fanfiction.)

status: complete

warnings: depression, character abuse, verbal abuse, torture, psychological torture, mild blood, forced kiss, suicidal thoughts, self-deprecating thoughts

81. Silence

by: aliferous-ly (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Deceit messes with Logan.”

status: complete

warnings: evil deceit, name-calling, muteness

82. …Is Not Always Bad.

by: aliferous-ly (links are in no. 81)

ships: none

summary “Logan doesn’t like being silenced. (sequel to Silence)”

status: complete

warnings: helplessness, muteness

83. Ambitious

by: aliferous-ly (links are in no. 81)

ships: none

summary: “Virgil, ironically, religiously completed his homework while Logan finished much of it two or one night before the test (when the homework packet was checked to gain the option of correcting a test). Logan’s approach was not at all systematic, but had worked thus far.

Well… until, that is… calculus.”

universe: highschool au

status: complete

warnings: incompetency, self-deprecating thoughts, mentions of thorns (used as a metaphor), not a happy ending

84. Exoskeleton

by: virmillion (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “the honors zoology-inspired fic that no one asked for”

status: complete

warnings: OCD, heavily described food, fighting, unhappy ending, derealization

85. No Title

by: virgilsjourney (jenna211b) (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “For the prompt list, ‘ call me now, it’s urgent’ logicality?”

status: complete

warnings: grief, death of a parent

86. Reassessing

by: virgilsjourney (jenna211b) (links are in no. 85)

ships: platonic Patton/Logan

summary: “Takes place some time after the Moving On resolution. Logan and Patton are still treading on eggshells around each other, and have a much needed talk.

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

“Patton?” Logan says. His voice is quiet and careful.

Patton looks up. There’s a steely glint to his eye that has Logan automatically taking a step back.

“I never said you could come back in here,” Patton whispers accusingly.

It’s an awful thing, Logan thinks, to hear him sound so cold.

“I know you- I’m sorry. I only meant to-”

“Just go.” Patton bows his head, clutching onto the photographs even tighter. “I know you don’t like my room, anyway. You don’t like feelings.” His voice cracks a little: “You don’t like me”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, grief

87. No Title

by: nyxwordsmith or NyxWordSmith (tumblr) (ao3)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Prompt: "Who- who got a dog?" "I thought we could use the company." "we already have SEVEN!"”

status: complete

warnings: shouting, swearing

88. Time Stands Still

by: nyxwordsmith (links are in no. 87)

ships: Virgil/Logan, background Patton/Roman

summary: “After an awful accident, Logan clings to the only constant he has left, Virgil.”

status: complete

warnings: car accident, nightmares, PTSD, broken bones, amputation coma, exhaustion, hospital

89. Silence is Golden

by: ahoardofside or Listless_Songbird (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan, implied Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan feels like when he speaks none of the other sides truly pay attention, and so he creates an experiment to determine what the optimum amount of words that he could speak a day would be.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, negative thinking, panic attack

89. to make matters worse (and worse);

by: prouveyrac or ethospathoslogan (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Patton/Logan

summary: “Logan had expectations that he might as well have been required to meet. They were set up for him, a perfect mold to fit the image of what he should be.

But what happened when the mold began to crack?”

universe: college au

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, drunkenness, alcohol, stress/anxiety over grades

90. our place under the cosmos;

by: prouveyrac or ethospathoslogan (links are in no. 90)

ships: none

summary: “Logan found comfort in the cosmos. Typically. However, after their run-in with Deceit, he looked up and saw only the vast abyss.

Luckily, he finds himself not alone.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

91. windows error;

by: prouveyrac or ethospathoslogan (links are in no. 90)

ships none

summary: “The subconscious distorted logic and twisted it into something that never should have existed, twisting it into errors in a code that was never meant to be anything good in the first place; twisted it until Logic was no more.”

status: complete

warnings: evil deceit, described body horror, unhappy ending

92. When It Rains (It Pours)

by: rosegoldroman or rose-gold-roman (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Logan’s facade is slipping — and all it takes is an argument with Roman to make it break entirely.”

status: complete

warnings: arguing, fighting, no happy ending, yelling

93. Pathetic.

by: PrinxietyGodfairy (ao3)

ships: one sides Patton/Logn, past Logan/Deceit, Roman/Deceit

summary: “It was just a picture, not more than a memory preserved with glass, strewn on a frivolous site, with the only purpose of letting others in on an alienating but addicting filtered blink of happiness.

And it hurt.”

universe: highschool au

status: complete

warnings: mentions of vomit, mentions of blood, allusions to self-harm, no happy ending, mentions of alcohol, mentions of death

94. a(pathetic)

by: unring-this-bell or plumcat (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “"People are supposed to understand themselves and others, to know who they are and he… doesn't. He knows he is a person but sometimes he doesn't feel like a proper one— more like a robot, a failed approximation of a human that seems functional only if one doesn't look too closely."

(a character study.)”

status: complete

warnings: self-hatred, insecurity, negative thinking, anxiety, existentialism

95. No Title

by: unring-this-bell or plumcat (links are in no. 94)

ships: none

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: none

96. No Title

by: always3charcoaltea (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Prompt: “Imagine if Logan just stops talking, but no one comments on it, so he thinks no one cares. One day he just doesn’t leave his room and ignores everyone’s attempts to get too him.””

status: complete

warnings: none

97. No Title

by: always3charcoaltea (links are in no. 95)

ships: none

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: loneliness, themes of self-destruction, antagonist logan, drowning (used as a metaphor)

98. Sleep Paralysis

by: Shadowmightwrite17 or background-noise-headache (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: Virgil/Logan

summary: “It's well past midnight and Logan is the only one in the mind palace not trying to sleep. The problem is that it's keeping Thomas awake at night too, and not even Virgil can convince Logan to pause his work and go to bed for the benefit of everyone else.

Then Deceit sneaks into Logan's room and puts him in a trance that leaves him paralyzed and under a crushing pain. Deceit leaves him there in the dark, alone. But someone comes back for Logan.”

status: complete

warnings: hypnotism, sleep paralysis, nightmares

99. Wishful Thinking

by: i-will-physically-fight-you or Listenerofshadows (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: ““Wishes are illogical, and it’s not befitting for him to indulge in it. But this is an experiment; nothing more and nothing less. Logan likes conducting experiments to prove the validity of facts and that’s all there is to the matter.” / In which Logan folds a thousand paper cranes to see if good luck will follow suit.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

100. Astraphobia

by: i-will-physically-fight-you or Listenerofshadows (links are in no. 99)

ships: none

summary: “Logan flinches, despite his anticipation. It’s an involuntary flinch, because he knows it’s irrational to be afraid of thunder storms. He knows fear. Logic fears things that cannot be explained. The unknown. Things like the vastness of the ocean and the uncertainty of space. There is nothing to fear about storms, however, as long he stays indoors. He knows this and yet he cannot help wondering, what if?”

universe: human au

warnings: blood mention, hurt/comfort

101. Star Light, Star Bright

by: i-will-physically-fight-you or Listenerofshadows (links are in no. 99)

ships: platonic Roman/Logan

summary: “Every night, Logan would climb onto the rooftops to stare at the stars. He wants more than anything to become an astronomer. But how can he become an astronomer when his eyesight is failing him?”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort, arguing, implied verbal abuse

102. Burnout

by: ilovereadingandilovebreathing (tumblr)

ships: platonic Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan

summary: “There’s been a lot going on in the Sides’ world lately, and Logan will learn that he doesn’t take proper care of himself, it’ll come back to bite him. (Post-12 Days of Christmas video/Holiday time setting)”

status: complete

warnings: stress, physical discomfort (troubled breathing, heavy chest), panic

103. No Title

by: loqicality (ao3) (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Prompt: “you didn't ask for a 2nd one but ANOTHER ANGST LOGAN HC I have is that like he tries so hard to connect to the others, even though it's hard for him to, and one day he'll just stop. He learns slang, he plays along with their antics, he *tries* and someone pointed out on here that no one ever makes that same effort for him. When he disappeared in the Nostalgia episodes, I think it's going to lead to a bigger event where Logan either pushes too hard "logically" or gives up trying to collaborate””

status: complete

warnings: none

104. No Title

by: loqicality (links are in no. 103)

ships: none

summary: “Prompt: “a logan angst hc? i feel like whenever he and virgil clash, that's when logan (*if* he had feelings) hurts the most. Roman is so fanciful and anti-realistic, and Patton is so emotional, he can't relate. But Virgil he's the closest to, physically and literally, and the one he has the most in common with. So when Virgil dismisses his intellectual input or attacks him for causing Thomas unease, it cuts like a knife. I think Logan thinks of them as on the same side, and it hurts when they're not.””

status: complete

warnings: none

105. Not So Emotionless After All

by: lilygold23 (tumblr)

ships: none

summary: “Prompt: “Lonely (for Logan Sanders please!)””

status: complete

warnings: none

106. Not It’s Intended Purpose

by: love_write_edit_sleep (ao3)

ships: can be seen as any pairing

summary: “Logan believes Patton Bucks are worthless for Logic. He does not need ‘small favours’ or ‘little treats’, nor does he need the fatherly love the Moral side provides. So why not give away his Patton Bucks for his own benefit?”

status: complete

warnings: insecurities, touch-starvation

107. Letters On Paper

by: love_write_edit_sleep (links are in no. 106)

ships: none

summary: “16 year old Logan gets a bad report card and struggles to show it to Patton, fearing his reaction. Instead, he hides it and hopes Patton will forget about it. Of course, he doesn’t.”

status: complete

warnings: self-esteem issues, PTSD, hurt/comfort, panic attacks

108. 5 Times Logan Almost Let His Guard Down, And 1 Time He Tried So Hard Not To:

by: love_write_edit_sleep (links are in no. 106)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan, or Logic, has a reputation: Cold, Emotionless, Robot… But that’s not who he is. Not really. It’s just who he believes he has to be.”

status: complete

warnings: hurt/comfort

109. 5 Times Logan Didn’t Speak And 1 Time He Did:

by: love_write_edit_sleep (links are in no. 106)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan refuses to speak after a rough argument amongst Thomas and the other Sides. The Sides try and correct their mistake...”

status: complete

warnings: self-hatred, insecurity, self-esteem issues, hurt/comfort

110. [L]unacy… [O]verwrought… [G]oing [I]nsane… [C]razy...

by: love_write_edit_sleep (links are in no. 106)

ships: Patton/Roman/Virgil/Logan (can be viewed platonically)

summary: “Logan goes to Virgil when his work drives him to near-insanity from the stress. The shadows in Virgil's room decide to lock Logan in and play with their new toy.

This is not a nice fic. Please don't read if you're easily triggered.”

status: complete

warnings: self-harm, blood, self-torture, self-hatred, near suicide, knives, hurt/comfort, no happy ending

111. Scales

by: darkcirclestars (tumblr)

ships: Logan/Deceit (can be viewed platonically)

summary: none

status: complete

warnings: blood, picking, throwing up, self-injury, sympathetic deceit, character passing out

and that’s it so far! remember to notify me if there are any fics i missed and please reblog this if you can!

taglist:

@musicallyroserie @benjaminclareyrobar @mushroom-gardens-and-clockwork @sanders-sides-love-astronomy

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #logan sanders #ts logan #ts logic #angst #logan angst #fanfiction list #fanfiction #my post #long post

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lawncareservice101-blog · 4 years

Text

Why Organic Lawn Care Services Are Better For Your Lawn, Children, Pets, Wallet, and the Environment

That intoxicating scent of freshly mowed grass tickled my nostrils as I proudly looked at my lush green landscaping. A flush of happiness soothed my body and mind because I knew the sight I was staring at ended up being the result of organic fertilizers and absolutely no lawn pesticides. I felt confident that I had overcome challenges and is now performing a new, better way of lawn care. A method of lawn maintenance that was saving money on my mineral water bill, keeping neighbor children and pets safe, and protecting the environment while still having a beautiful healthy property that made my jealous neighbors wonder why they haven't made the switch to organic lawn maintenance yet. The debate continues whether lawn pesticides are harmful to young children, pets, and the environment. It isn't much of some sort of debate these days with numerous new studies coming out providing evidence that many of the materials that were and still are being applied to "traditional" lawn care will cause cancer and other health problems while harming our environment. My goal of this article isn't to help scare homeowners into using safer products or to provide statistics and scientific research on if lawn pesticides are bad. My goal is to educate, and let folks know that there is a better way of maintaining a turf through the use of organic materials and inform them why it is beneficial for them to make the switch. Hopefully with the help of this knowledge, consumers will start demanding that companies such as Scott's begin to put more of their large R&D budgets toward better and more natural products that are as effective as the chemicals we have been blasting our lawns with for years. The first thing An excellent opportunity is to adjust your mentality to what a perfect lawn looks like. Residential lawns are never going to look like the fairway for your local country club. The sooner you realize this, the better. A couple of dandelions showing their yellow heads is not the end with the world. It is actually natural and common even on the most expensive lawn program out there. I'm not saying your sod can't look similar to that fairway, but weeds come and go. That's nature. Work with it and not with it. The second thing I would suggest is adjust your cultural practices such as mowing and watering techniques. Without practicing these things properly, your lawn will continue to fight nature instead of working with it. Mowing your lawn to short-term lengths like your country club fairway is not beneficial or correct. Those fairways are usually bentgrass and the proper mowing height is under an inch. Most residential lawns in the Midwest and the northern part of the U. Ohydrates. are blue/rye/fescue cool season grass mixes. These types of grasses should be mowed at 3-4 inches after being slice. If they are mowed down to lengths below this you will exponentially create an environment that is more prone to crabgrass, broadleaf weeds such as dandelions, and a shallow root system that can't fight off drought, insects, and disease well. Watering your lawn everyday is not smart and your root system will hate you for it. The roots for the grass want to dive deep into the ground to search for minerals and water. By watering everyday you are keeping people roots close to the surface and creating a weak root system more prone to stresses. The proper way to water if you need to, is to give you the grass with water when it needs it. Every lawn is different, but I usually suggest watering every 4-7 days to weeks for about 1-1. 5 hours per spot. You want to water deeply and infrequently to train your roots to plunge deep into the ground. Now let us get into the fun stuff. How can switching to an organic lawn maintenance process save you money? This is what everyone wants to know these days with the economy struggling. Well, the main reason you can save money through a much more natural program is because you are actually improving your soil structure instead of just juicing the lawn up with unsustainable top growth through synthetic fertilizers. How does this occur? A lawn is only as good as its base, the dirt. You can grow grass on concrete, but it would cost a lot of money, cause you plenty of headaches, and it may be silly since growing grass in 6-10 inches of quality soil is much easier and less expensive. So we should address the issue of how to develop a high quality soil first and then I will explain how this can save you money. Get their soil tested. This can be done by a local professional lawn service provider, yourself, or your local county extension office. Having your soil tested is not only smart, but also the right thing to do. The results will provide you with what the soil needs, so you can save money applying only the necessary materials down. Once you have this information, you can then develop a fertilization plan around what the soil is missing in. There are many organic fertilizers out there that provide many of the same nutrients as chemical fertilizers. The way they work is just a bit different, but the result of feeding the grass plant the necessary nutrients is the same. Chemical fertilizers feed the yard plant mainly through the tips of the grass, while organic fertilizers feed the grass plant from the soil in place. Organic fertilizers feed the soil life, which in turn feed the grass plant. So how does using organic fertilizers save you money? With organic fertilizers you are actually improving the soil structure with the organic matter while additionally feeding the grass. This combination of benefits is why organic fertilizers are superior to chemical fertilizers and how down the road it ultimately will reduce your water bill by providing a much improved soil structure with deeper roots. Seems like so simple because it is. Improving the soil biology aspect of organic lawn care is a little more complicated, nevertheless how this reduces your need for lawn pesticides to control fungi and insects is pretty simple. Improving ones own soil biology instead of depleting it will create an environment that allows nature to fight off pests that harm a lawn. Feed the good guys down there, so they can fight off the bad guys and eliminate your need for insecticides and additionally fungicides. Again, this means less money you have to spend to keep your lawn the envy of the neighborhood. That sounds superior right? So why isn't everyone doing organic lawn care instead of "traditional" lawn care? The main obstacle holding that movement back is the absence of a selective organic weed control. This is where the adjustment of your mindset comes into play. Don't allow this scare you though. Your organic lawn doesn't have to be a plot of weeds with some grass neighboring it. There are ways around this, but sometimes it takes a little patience, adjusting your mowing height, a little seed, and possibly some extra work. Uh oh, did I just lose some of you with that "extra work" comment? Hopefully not, but don't worry it isn't that much extra work. Following this statement that may seem a bit hypocritical, I will present you with some tips that will keep your lawn weed free without using lawn chemicals. First though, let me state that some turf may need an application or two of spot treatments of a selective broadleaf herbicide before the grass can start to the natural way crowd out the weeds. This doesn't have to be done, but often times can satisfy the more impatient homeowner looking for a a lot more weed free lawn quicker. Many religiously organic lawn gurus will curse me for stating that, in addition to honestly I hate stating it, but on some occasions it may be needed to avoid drastic lawn renovations which completely kill the lawn and then you would have to start over. If you do use spot treatments of herbicides, ensure you only use them where they are needed and follow the instructions that the label provides because these pesticides can result in harm to humans and animals. Use the proper safety equipment and please make sure to keep your children and pets heli-copter flight lawn for 24 hours after the application if possible. That is a last resort technique and should only be used after testing out the following tips to lower and eliminate the weeds in a safer more natural manner. So what are these safer methods of controlling weeds? The main and most important tip I can give anyone trying to control their weeds naturally is to mow high. A deep lawn will have less weeds and this type of lawn is developed by mowing properly. Remember the mowing tips mentioned previously? Follow these and it will help drastically to reduce the number of weeds that thrive in your lawn. Another tip is complete any bare/thin areas with new grass seed in September or October for cool season lawns. These tips will help you develop a thick lawn that can "crowd out" the weeds. Even a thick lawn will have some weeds though, so what can you do then? Hand pull or use a device that makes manual weed pulling easy. Ensure you get the entire root of the weed and don't get discouraged when the weeds keep popping up. If you keep at these, they will lose their energy eventually and die off. The main thing with weeds is to stay determined and take them out before they have a chance to seed. If the weeds seed, the vicious cycle of perennial and annual weeds might continue. Sometimes this might mean collecting the clippings while mowing your lawn to avoid spreading the weed signs over the lawn. This is the only time I would suggest bagging your clippings because those clippings provide extra organic issue and recycles the same nutrients you provide with the fertilizer being applied. This is just another way of saving money because if everyone collect those clippings when it isn't necessary you will have to put down more fertilizer. Organic lawn care is the new, far better way of maintaining your lawn. There are a plenty of reasons that places like Harvard University are now caring for their property naturally. Saving money is one reason, but helping the environment and providing a safer place for children and house animals are other reasons. Provinces all over Canada are banning the use of cosmetic lawn pesticides. Places like child attention centers, schools, and places where animals habitat are beginning to use organic lawn care because of the previously claimed reasons. So why not become one the thousands joining the organic lawn care family daily? Soon, most people too can smell the scent of freshly cut grass like myself while having the peace of mind that you are working at something good for the planet. Oh yeah, and you can save some money so you can enjoy that gorgeous healthy lawn of yours. I am internet websites PureLawn Organic Lawn Care. PureLawn is a lawn care service provider that maintains Dayton and Cincinnati lawns within a environmentally responsible manner. While working for a traditional chemical lawn care company in high school and into my summers while attending The University of Dayton I saw a huge amount of unnecessary lawn pesticides being applied. I imagined there has to be a better way, so after graduating from U. D. with a business degree, I began PureLawn. I appeared to be ahead of my time with this type of lawn service and now enjoy a very healthy growth annually with the happiness to learn we were doing this before "being green" was cool. I love the smell of freshly mowed grass. If you happen to drive through a neighborhood during the spring, you might smell the perfect aroma of a mowed lawn or the strong distinctive smell of lawn pesticides being applied. My mission and goal with PureLawn, is to make sure in the future this kids and homeowners will have the priviledge of smelling the beautiful smell of freshly cut kentucky bluegrass instead of the toxic scent of pesticides.

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potterandpreferences · 5 years

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Hi!!! I was wondering if I could get a hp ship (any era is fine). I’m interested in both girls and guys. I’m around 5’4” and I’m more flab that ab. I have medium length light brown hair, downturned blueish grey eyes, and an oval-ish face. I absolutely love music (mostly alternate rock), reading, and I play piano. I have a large scar going down my spine from a spinal fusion that I’m really self conscious about and it’s still numb and hypersensitive in some places. Thank you sooo much!!🎁

Apologies for this taking so long! I hope you like it lovely x

_-_-_-

Charlie Weasley

This boy who the movies wrongly ignored is absolutely a dork when it comes to dragons. Looking at him, muscular, burn scars and confident, he's often labelled more a jock than a nerd, to use American high school stereotypes. And yet, it's primarily books that you two first bonded over. He saw you reading a fantasy novel with dragons and how could he ignore that? Someone as pretty as you reading about his passion? Like a moth to a flame!

Charlie loves you just the way you are. He doesn't care if you aren't the skinniest or the tallest or anything like that. It's what's on the inside that counts as far as he's concerned. There's also no shame in your scar, and he'll tell you that everyday while placing little kisses along your spine where it won't hurt you. Frankly, it would be hypocritical for him to judge when he has plenty scars of his own from various burns. To him, they are just a part of life, but he'll always look for more effective remedies to help yours be less painful.

He adores watching you play piano, the expression on your face as you concentrate and get lost in the music. Some of his favourite moments include you playing while he sits in front of the fire finishing up paperwork. There isn't a lot of time for him to be domestic in Romania, and he cherishes every second he gets to enjoy it with you.

You were at home, clearing up the remaining dishes the muggle way. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be leaving in a couple of days, their trip to Romania coming to an end.

It wasn't as stressful as you thought it would be. They seemed to approve of your relationship with Charlie, although it was clear Mrs. Weasley was hoping he'd fall for someone in England. Away from the dragons. To keep him home.

You felt your lips pull into a smile when your boyfriend started drying the plates on the rack. He nudged you gently with his shoulder in greeting, eyes bright as he smiled down at you.

"1992, eh?" He said, glad to have seen the New Year in with you. "I reckon it'll be a good one."

You grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Why's that then?"

"Well," he said, pressing an affectionate kiss to the top of your head, "I'm starting this year off better than I have any other. This year... I'm with you."

_-_-_-

Fleur Delacour

If you think for one second this woman will let you feel bad about your scar, you have another thing coming. She knows she's beautiful, she is part Veela after all, and she will never let you feel like you aren't good enough to be with her, and if anyone else questions it then you can trust Fleur to be confident enough for the both of you. It's her personal ambition to raise your self-esteem.

In fact, one of her favourite things to do - aside from being with you - is letting everyone else know that out of all the fish in the sea, she chose you. She loves you and she does not care in the slightest what anyone else says, but that does not mean she doesn't want to show you off.

She can be a bit fussy with the things she likes, so she may not always appreciate your music taste, but she'll love that you play piano. Just don't be surprised if you find score sheets with the tunes she prefers suddenly appearing on the stand.

You smiled softly, watching Fleur speak rapid-fire French with her little sister. Gabrielle was adorable and she admired her elder sibling so much. It was very endearing, especially when Fleur would stop whatever she was doing to interact with her little sister.

You weren't quite sure where her parents had got to, but you didn't mind being left to do your own thing while the two sisters chatted away. Instead of attempting to understand what they were saying, you returned to a book you had brought with you, fingers lightly tapping against the cover as you read.

You didn't often get moments like this. You and Fleur weren't quite at the move-in-together stage, but you were getting there quickly. It wasn't very often she visited her family either, and rarer still that you tagged along. It was always surprising to see her around her family because she became so much softer. Fleur was a tough cookie, but it was always a pleasure to see her walls come down. Which is perhaps why your gaze frequently drifted back to her as she chatted away freely with Gabrielle, a lightness in her features you felt honoured to see.

#harry potter imagine #potterandpreferences follower celebration #charlie weasley #fleur delacour #reader #reader ships

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barberwitch · 6 years

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Your response to that asker’s question about sleep magic was pretty denigrating! Assuming the worst of someone - especially less experienced than you - seems to be pervasive in this community. The wording of their question may have been “clunky” in your eyes but this is probably new/not obvious for them as it is for you & they’re not a bad person by default for needing to have concepts introduced for the first time. Talks about consent are important but that attitude can just turn people away.

Denigrate: to criticize unfairly; to disparage

Disparage: to regard or represent as being of little worth.

I...disagree. I kind of did the opposite and probably read more into the question than was meant to. I feel I put more weight into it than anything, especially if you’re accusing me of belittling the seriousness of an ask.

I will admit that re-reading it, I did forget to answer the question as I had in the first few drafts: “No, a sleep spell to assist with sleeping isn’t a curse.”

Now, follow up: you’re assuming they’re inexperienced/less experienced than me. I did not, in fact, my response was that of treating them as an equal. Re-read their question…at no point did they say “I’m new; I need advice; I’m newer to this side of witchcraft; I don’t know how to do this etc” They also never asked something like “How do I cast a sleep spell, are there herbal teas that may help with sleep, is there a way that a sleep spell could mutate into a curse?”

I did the opposite of saying it was of little worth, I put more worth into it by showing why the phrasing was concerning to me. Including: Consent, Medical Advice, and negative/baneful magic directed towards a minor or a family member. If you don’t think those are issues, then that’s your choice, but they are for me.

I also acknowledged that I may not have understood what they meant, this probably wasn’t the response they were expecting, and I asked them to re-phrase it, and send the ask again.

If you want to speak about generalizations and negative things observed in “the community”, then ask why I’m supposed to know the context, deeper meaning, motivations and answer to every ask I receive and deliver a perfect answer based on one to two sentences.

I try my best, of showing my logic, taking myself off any pedestals and showing I’m a real person. Trying to help, and making it very clear that I can only answer based on what I’m given.

I asked them to rephrase and re-ask if I misunderstood. Couple other things to think about:

me expressing concern is not criticism. I never said “That’s wrong! Bad witch bad! You’re a naughty person how dare you ask that?!” Because that’s not what I feel.

I’ve admitted before when I’m wrong, and asked for clarification, assistance in understanding and how to be better. I did that in that post.

You assuming the worst about me is hypocritical.

Can you admit when you’re wrong, ask for help in understanding, and admit that your criticism of me is disparaging actual concerns I have for the well being of the child and the person casting? Can you admit you’re belittling not only me, but the anon who asked, by assuming they’re inexperienced?

So, here’s my takeaway: When I have bare minimum of information, I can only respond based on that, and I will be wrong at times. I take ownership of that, but I share it with the person asking because I am not a mind reader and if the situation isn’t shared in detail, how can I give a detailed response?

When I get direct message questions, I have a conversation to gain context, access to ingredients, their comfort level and compare to my experience, how I would do something and help formulate what they can do based on the help they’re asking for.

Help me help you guys. If you have a question, send multiple anons labeled 1/3, 2/3, /3/3 or whatever!I’ll screenshot the asks and make a post with all the info and my response. Send me a message and have a conversation with me. I assume it’s private unless you tell me otherwise and won’t post it publicly...just ask any of the literal hundreds of people who’ve messaged me, but you can’t because they’re private conversations.

And to this anon...please don’t villify me for answering something different than you would. Please don’t talk down to me because I have my comfort zone of what I will share advice wise and from my practice. Please don’t put out me on a pedestal, making it seem like I’m turning people away from witchcraft. I’m not the witch pope, I’m just a guy who works two jobs who doesn’t have any days off who runs this blog and helps where I can.

Attacking people who’s hearts are in the right place is an issue in “the community” as you put it. Not the guy who tries to answer questions honestly and without mystery.

Here’s the post in question. If the anon who asked originally has any follow up info you want to provide, or you want advice on how to do a sleep spell, let me know!

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch

#ask a witch #discourse #witchy asks #original post #sleep magic #witchblr

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pennnotes · 5 years

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a sort of rant about a Persona album review

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/k-pop-stars-bts-the-biggest-boy-band-in-the-world-sbx3nn7r3This is my opinion on an opinion-piece (lol) please don’t flame me and also don’t go flame this critic, hate isn’t beneficial constructive discussions are :)

A summary of some points I wanted to touch on if you don’t want to read:

-You don’t have to like anybody’s music or art or actual existence and you are entitled to your opinions

-Artists are humans and not pre-packaged dolls (despite how some may come across) so try to consider commentary on artists themselves in a more personal context

-Please consider getting to know something before you trash it in its entirety, especially if your job is to critique things :)

-When considering an issue try to take a step back and gain a wider perspective before you get too involved in your own

aNyway I read this Persona album review from The Hollywood Reporter and I was confused + disappointed + sad. Here’s why:

His actual review of the album was strange and dismissive. Here’s what I mean by ‘strange’. He said basically every song was bad (which is his opinion of course) but he did it in such a weird way. Kind of like how he described the whole album as “a tasty snack that leaves a bitter aftertaste” lmao what?? He’s trying to spice up his piece with some rhetorical techniques I guess... He could have just listed technical reasons for him not liking songs and moved on but he had to make everything super spicy (for lack of a better word). This is somewhat understandable because he’s a journalist and he’s trying to add interest to his piece and I feel a bit ridiculous giving this any more attention so let’s move on. More importantly, he was very dismissive. He criticizes the album line up, says the group has no clear music taste and calls them “prolific dabblers” (I guess he’s trying to say it’s hard to tell what genre they actually prefer/aim to work in? It’s weird how some see this as a con but others admire this sort of diversity. I guess I can understand it somewhat, but personally, I like hearing lots of different sounds from artists I follow). Some of my other favorite lines include “The songs play like unintentionally comedic genre mistakes”, “The new record is bracketed by its weakest tracks, “Intro: Persona” and “Dionysus,” particularly off-putting songs that leave a lingering sour aftertaste” and “Like much of the mega-pop-artists’ work, this album in particular feels like it’s packaged on an assembly line and by committee”. My head hurts from trying to stop at three lines this whole review is absolute gold. He calls RM’s line about Icarus in Boy With Luv “stodgy” and “middle-school-level” and then sums up all their references as clumsy. His perspectives on their songs really make me sad because it seems like he got no meaning from them and it’s like he was hearing a whole different album than what I listened to. It isn’t the fact that they weren’t his taste that upsets me, it is the fact that he felt they were so empty when I found them to be so full. (This really applies to their work as a whole - not every song is super meaningful to me, but regardless, they are genuine and there are some that have stolen my heart).

He actually made a four-in-one in one album/artist/genre/fanbase review. I have a hard time understanding this. Admittedly I don’t read album reviews often but I am pretty sure that critics aren’t supposed to be reviewing entire genres(fact-check me please. I read some about writing album reviews and I didn't see much on this point). If he was going to do such an extensive review I wish it had been a separate piece not labeled as an album review and I would hope it would also boast well-informed opinions based on extensive research (am I hypocrite?). To me, it seemed that he didn’t actually know that much about the group, the fanbase, or the genre and, in turn, he seemed to know very little about the songs. It felt like he was writing off not just this album, or BTS’ music, but BTS themselves as fake and shallow. Like they are sell-out musicians who were perfectly crafted to have mass appeal and have shaped themselves for success in America and that’s all there is to them???? Their songs apparently have no meaning? It’s like he takes these tiny seeds of truths from the Korean entertainment industry or global marketing of popular artists and uses them to grow a commercial farm of opinions (I think I need some metaphor tips from him my game is weak). This article seriously gave me flashbacks to that interview/commentary from The Times. Throughout, I got the sense that he was just shoving in certain passionate opinions he had which were formed through minimal research. Like he just went on social media, watched a few videos, browsed a few fan tweets, heard a bit of the music and took it from there. He comes off as condescending and his delivery reads like he thinks he is gifting some profound revelations to all the intellectually-stunted fans out there. To sum it up it seemed like he didn’t understand that A) BTS’ fanbase is huge and is made up of many different people B) BTS are actual human beings C) The messages in the music (and there are messages there) are genuine. I think this article on the whole Times controversy sums up my feelings on several issues fairly well. (I know it’s Pop Buzz I’m linking it bc the perspective is valuable tRuSt mE pls)

The acknowledgments he made throughout the piece. For example, he acknowledged that their music has helped people but it felt like at the same time he was labeling people who were touched by their music as shallow. I should have probably expected this because generally large followings get shit for stuff like that but I hoped it wouldn’t be mentioned (meaningfulness behind different music is always being debated). He says that in this album “BTS keeps doing BTS” but makes it feel like a diss. Like some sort of pat on the head for everyone involved (sure honey BTS is one of a kind...one of a kind at being stellar a commercial product to please the masses). Similarly, he acknowledges that they have meanings in their songs but sums it up as “Reddit-bait” and paints it all as a marketing tactic. There is some truth in the point that adding lots of easter eggs and stuff is to garner more interest, but there are some very heartfelt messages in their music as well and it seems like a sizable oversimplification to chalk all of it up as part of a ploy for money and fame.

Sort of disclaimers:

I got the sense that reviews aren’t supposed to just be about whether something is genuine or not but more about whether it is technically good (which is why I stated that, in my opinion, the writer should have focused more on that and less on social commentary). I don’t think BTS is a revolutionary group whose music or concepts are unparalleled. I am not a crazy fan with too much time on my hands, I’ve been thinking about the different takes on music people have for a while and have wanted to write something specifically like this since The Times incident. I welcome commentary and I want people to continue to share honest opinions and feelings I just hope for some more professional (is insightful a better word?) commentary from people whose job it is to write reviews. I understand writers are busy and no one has time to do extreme research but I still think more extensive research is necessary for opinion pieces (reviews, commentary, etc.). I mentioned “seeds of truth” earlier and I think the reviewer has some good points they are just addressed horribly and don’t really directly relate to the album itself.

Feel free to correct me, share your opinion, tell me “it’s not that deep sis” or scroll past this entirley lol bye

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dcarevu · 5 years

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DCAU #16: The Cat and the Claw (Part 1)

“Never trifle with the affections of a woman!”

15 episodes into Batman The Animated Series and, hey, we’ve finally arrived at the first episode! Isn’t that something! Yeah, I’ve stated a few times that this show was aired in a very different order than how it was produced. Some people like one way vs the other, although I’m a production-order guy myself, but I’m not gonna pretend like this doesn’t make a decent first episode. It has a pilot quality to it, and the way the episodes sounds in particular make it seem like it would come before episodes like Heart Of Ice. But whichever way you prefer to watch the show, let’s agree on one thing: airing part 2 seven episodes later was not the best way to watch the show. For anyone that’s curious, though, this was done because the way weekend airings vs weekday airings worked. Part 1 was shown on a weekend, so part 2 was shown the weekend after.

Episode: 15 Robin: No Writers: Sean Catherine Derek (story), Laren Bright (story), Jules Dennis (teleplay), Richard Mueller (teleplay) Director: Kevin Altieri Animator: Sunrise Airdate: September 5, 1992 Grade: B

Saying that this episode has a pilot-quality to it isn’t exactly a compliment, as in some ways it feels like we’ve again taken a few steps back here. This episode sits right at home with On Leather Wings, Nothing to Fear, and even The Underdwellers. It’s not bad, but the footing just isn’t there, and the vibes are very similar to those three. Looking at the credits only backs up this observation. Some of the lower-tier episodes we’ve seen have come from these writers. I think that so far this is one of the better ones they’ve worked on, but it didn’t blow me away or anything. Sunrise handled the animation, and it worked for the most part in Pretty Poison. Here, though, there were some weird things. There is a shot of Catwoman climbing up a building that looks pretty damn awful. It’s quick, and most may not notice it, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter because someone working for Warner (probably an intern or something) chose this shot for the DVD menu on disc 3. What the hell? You turn on the DVD and you get this awkward, misshaped Catwoman that gets worse the longer you stare. Like god, it’s ugly, guys. And Catwoman is an attractive character! I can only imagine that they were pressed for time or something. I’m mostly just bringing this shot up because I find it funny, but there were some other things too that stuck out like sore thumbs. This included some weird facial expressions (like the goon at the end or the dude constantly gritting his teeth like an old Looney Tunes antagonist), some overall messier work, and the lighting was all over the place. A lot of shots just seemed a little bit too bright for the show. It’s not all unsightly, though. Sunrise have a weird, weird style, guys. There are some scenes that I think I like the looks of, much like some moments in Pretty Poison, but really nothing I was blown away by. I hear Akom did part 2, so I am actually genuinely excited to compare them. I’ve been okay with Akom so far.

So this sounds like a recipe for disaster so far, I know. But the episode is generally enjoyable, despite. I have no idea how they pulled it off either. Where the visuals fail, the magnificent, ballet-esque score picks up the slack. While the lines don’t always stick with me, they don’t downright flop, and the characters are great. Catwoman really impressed Char (who, once again, is a newcomer to the DCAU), and like some other rogues, I don’t know if she was necessarily expecting much beyond a typical villainess dressed in a distinguishable suit. In fact, I wouldn’t necessarily label Catwoman the villain at all. Yeah, she shows that she has a robbing hobby at the beginning, and I’m not gonna defend that, but she spends the rest of the time attempting to get her way with the animal preserve and genuinely showing that in some ways she’s pointed in the right direction. I’ll talk more about her character, along with Batman’s, in a bit, however. But before diving into some of the more social/psychological aspects, I wanted to note how fun the beginning of this one was too. It was a unique start for the series, and watching these two run around on the night rooftops is fascinating to watch. I was almost sad when it ended. Especially since a lot of the other action in this one was a lot more par for the course. When we cut to a police chase going on, I internally groaned just a little bit. I feel like that is one of the most common things to happen on this show, and there was no real twist on it. Things are calm and casual, then out of nowhere some guys with machine guns are being tailed by the police. Maybe I’m imagining things, but I think it’s getting a little bit stale. Oh, also, just as an observation, I felt like everyone was whispering throughout this one. Catwoman, Batman, and Red Claw all said their lines in such a soft manner, and while inside some of the buildings made sense, I’m surprised they didn’t have a tough time hearing each other on the rooftops at times. That’s what I mean when I say this one sounds like an early one. Anyone else feel me on this? Like, did the actors have to be quiet because another show was being voiced or something? That’s a joke, by the way.

A big plus was getting to dive into our main characters. Batman and Selena’s chemistry is fairly natural, despite them not sharing too-too many lines with each other, at least in costume. Yet it just works. Batman is a man of few words sometimes. I don’t think his ways of communication and relation necessarily rely on English. You get a sense of chemistry from watching them soar among the turbines, free fall toward the street, and basically try to keep ahead of each other in an almost playful way. We even see Batman crack a smile as he talks to his new, curious friend, and it’s not even weird to see. Add in that downright beautiful score, along with them mixing as their civilian selves, unbeknownst to them, and it starts to become a shame that you know that in their current ways, they’re not gonna work. It’s as both of them worked together to say; there is something in between them, that thing being the law. Parts of me reluctantly want Batman to just give in, but admittedly, that would be rather hypocritical of him. Ha. Yeah. Imagine how that relationship would go. “Hey, honey, have fun hitting the Smiths’ house tonight! I’m off to stop a robbery!” Would make for a decent parody, though, for sure.

Even without Batman, though, Catwoman is an interesting character. I love how strong and dedicated she is. She knows what she wants, and she’s not gonna back down until she obtains it. She goes a little too far with taking things into her own hands because, well, she’s literally taking things that don’t belong to her into her own hands, but you get the feeling that she works her ass off with her conservation efforts and doesn’t take shit. This is another factor that makes her relationship with Bruce so interesting. She first flat out tells him that she’s not interested in dating him. He politely asks her if they can just try it out once, she agrees, but she actually ends up cancelling to do something that she sees as more important. She’s not about to feel bad about it either, and why should she? You get the feeling that in some ways she is equal to Bruce, and if she were a lot weaker than him, then their midnight meet ups wouldn’t be nearly as interesting. By the way, a cartoon show displaying a strong, independent woman acting like a hero, but also performing cat burglary? Some parts of me are surprised that at the time this was let through. She is clearly someone to admire in some aspects, but not necessarily in others, which is kind of a complex, abstract idea for kids.

Of course, you wanna talk about strong women, we can’t leave out Red Claw, the terrorist leader. Now this lady, she is not someone I’d ever wanna mess with. She looks like she could pound me into a pancake with one whack. Char was not a fan of her design at all. When she walked into the screen, I heard her go, “That design is shit.” It didn’t strike me nearly that hard, and while I don’t find her to be awesome-looking, her design never really bothered me. Char mentioned it being the way she was proportioned. I did think that she looked a little bit…hm…maybe hefty is the word? But I sorta dig that choice. It adds to her intimidation-factor. She looks like she’d be a challenge for even Batman to square up with (even though this is likely not the case if we’re talking strictly hand-to-hand combat). But maybe the strong reaction to her design was simply Char finding the model off-putting, and maybe Akom can amend this next time. We shall see! I’m also hoping that she’s not wasted potential. I get that most of the emotional depth should be focused on Batman and Selena, that’s obvious. But I at least want to avoid Red Claw being obvious stock. We have a whole extra near-half hour to use, so let’s hope the writers learned from their light mistakes in previous episodes and deliver a thrilling conclusion. Char really loved this episode (she liked it a lot more than I did), and was very interested at what was going on basically the whole way through, plus I think Catwoman is going to be a new favorite of hers. Don’t want it to let her down! Even if this one is an episode that I don’t consider amazing, it brings me a lot of joy to see it getting so much mileage with someone else. This is part of the reason I’m doing these blogs, people, and I hope that many more of you in the future will end up following along and coming to your own opinions that you can compare and contrast with mine. It’s no fun if everyone feels the same way and makes the same observations, right?

Oh, we both agreed that this one had one of the best title cards so far, by the way. And after the episode is finished, you go from thinking it’s a Catwoman reference, to realizing that it almost seems to be referring more toward Red Claw with that scratch mark!

Char’s grade: A

Next time: The Cat and the Claw (Part 2) Full episode list here!

#dcau #dc animated universe #catwoman #the cat and the claw #batman #batman tas #batman the animated series #red claw

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