#he would’ve become the fandoms favorite

[thief-of-eggs]

RIP to my favorite goth/alt boy, you are so overshadowed by all the other characters </3

[softrozene]

Short and Feisty Female S/O that Likes to Cuddle

Ladymogar asked: Aaaye I’m always so happy to see new writing blogs in fandoms I love ❤️ could I get hcs for Arthur, Charles, John, and/or Sean for having a smol s/o? Like short and fiesty but also into cuddly times? Thanks doll, I’ve really enjoyed your writing so far!

rdr2 masterlist

I adored this request and had to do all the characters suggested AND I added Javier because he is delicious. I would say the reader in this is under 5’5” (165.1 cm) as that is what is considered short where I am from but it’s different everywhere! Anyway, I’m glad you enjoy my writings, Hon!

I did go off this link when I think of the characters’ heights!

Originally published on March 31, 2020

Arthur, Charlies, Javier, John, Sean x Female Reader

Warnings: Pure fluff

-

 Arthur Morgan-

Honestly, for him, I think he would be so fucking smitten with you

You would literally be everything he wanted in a partner

Small (or well smaller than what he would’ve imagined) but so much cuter and god the fire in you? To die for

He can 100% see himself risking it all for you and going to settle down to have a family with you- but that’s the future for him

The present with the gang around he would be hard to read

Or that’s how he likes to imagine himself

The second you stroll up to him and have to crane your neck to look up is the second his heart melts and that gentle giant comes out (maybe for a second but everyone in the gang definitely saw it)

Your feisty side originally made him assume that you weren’t the touchy-feely type

So when you first cuddled with him he was probably as stiff as a board and awkward but with you coaxing him into more cuddles which he always accepted he has realized how much he loves them

Poor boy is definitely touch-starved so he would never ever deny your cuddles no matter what time of day it is or who is present (Though he may get flustered)

It would become one of his favorite things to do with you

 Charles Smith-

Omg for Charles since he was a loner before the group and since the group has mostly taller people he would be astounded by your height at first

I feel like he would be on edge the whole time and make sure that he never ever harms you

That would probably be his number 1 fear in the relationship (Poor babe is scared he’ll crush you with his pinky or something)

It would take him a while to get used to being in a relationship with someone as small as you but thanks to your feisty side it makes him feel more comfortable eventually

It definitely eases him that you are not as fragile as you look (though let’s be honest he probably would adore how fragile you look since he would take on the protector role in the relationship)

He knows you are fully capable of protecting yourself though

This boy is touch-starved to but he has boundaries

He would set certain times or have cuddles only restricted to nights and away from prying eyes

He tries to compromise with you but really he believes that intimate moments should remain in private and once you do get to the cuddle session he will be absolute putty in your hands (Or you will be. It probably all depends on his mood)

 Javier Escuella-

This gorgeous man would never say anything about your attitude or height… in English of course

In Spanish, he’ll be teasing you relentlessly and you’ll be dying to find out what he’s saying

Your feisty attitude with this just makes him happy (and a tad impressed if you get mad enough to try and hit him)

No one else is allowed to comment about your height beside him- You both make sure of that

He would flirt with you constantly and without shame

And that’s how you would eventually get together

When he finds out you are a cuddler?

He’ll embrace and relish in it

He’s a romantic through and through so he won’t care where, when, and who is present he will always encourage and initiate the cuddles too

Though because he is a romance it could lead somewhere else and that’s when whoever present needs to speak up is

If you are outside the camp with him expect him to expect you to remain by his side or on his arm

He just likes the fact he can proudly show you off but if it ain’t your thing he won’t force it

Is absolute favorite time with you is when the two of you are cuddling, you in his lap, and he has the guitar on your lap strumming away as he sings softly into your ear

 John Marston-

He would be the one that wouldn’t care at first

It just doesn’t catch his attention and I feel like he would try to avoid you since your small stature and feisty nature reminds him of Abigail

Though once he does give in and you two become friends he’ll start to appreciate your stature and nature

He won’t comment on your height but he will purposely place things out of your reach to watch you struggle for it or so he could be “smooth” and help you (Yes imagine the cliché thing where the guy goes right behind the girl and they touch hands or something lmao- that would be John if he likes you)

Once he is confident that you aren’t like Abigail and you won’t get mad at him for teasing or initiating contact with you he’ll become more confident

I feel like he would be the first to try to cuddle and so when you let him he would just be awestruck

He doesn’t care too much about PDA around the gang but every once in a while he’ll pull you onto his lap and honestly if you let him or encourage him- he’ll probably marry you on the spot

John will appreciate you wanting to cuddle him but sometimes he’ll have his moods where he’ll need to be alone for a while

Don’t worry though because he will come back and feel bad for rejecting a cuddle and he’ll try to make it up to you

 Sean Macguire-

Would be the one to immediately say something about your height the first time you show up in the gang

He has no shame in teasing you, flirting with you, constantly picking on you

When he genuinely likes someone he’ll seem like a bit of a jerk but the cuteness of it is undeniable

Everyone in the gang will know why he acts like that and eventually you will too

However, because of your feisty nature, the beginning of the friendship and relationship would be both of your personalities clashing

He would 100% enjoy this though where you may get annoyed beyond relief

He is the one who would pick you up and carry you around camp to either piss you off or show off your smaller stature

1000000% Would be the one to use your head as an armrest and be all smug bout it

I think in general that Sean with a very short s/o would be a hilarious relationship

He could have his romantic moments but there will be absolutely no witnesses to show this

Unless he goes to Arthur, Hosea, or Dutch for help on how to charm you (That is the only time those three will have not lost faith in Sean’s romantic life)

As for cuddling, this boy lives for it

However, his hormones also live for it so the cute cuddles can and probably will turn into something else rather fast

Again he has no shame so he would try and cuddle (and do more tbh) with the gang present

[servethelight]

Shit I’ve noticed during my clone wars rewatch and my interpretation (very Obi-Wan focused because he’s my favorite character lmao):

(Includes spoilers obviously)

+ I love this show to bits, but it has horrible issues with consistency. Every other episode there is a new weapon or something introduced and we’ll never see it again. This is very prevalent in especially the first seasons.

+ Obi-Wan is such a fucking enabler. Like he tells Anakin his plans are stupid at least twice during the Malevolence episodes, but then joins him on all of those. It’s literally like: “Anakin this plan is reckless and won’t work, anyways what’s my part in your plan?”

+ Rex running into that metal pipe. I forgot about that and laughed for 20 minutes straight.

+ Anakin pulls a “Are ya winning son?” on Obi-Wan about Ahsoka.

+ I once saw a post that it isn’t confirmed that Obi-Wan and Cody are friends, but you have Obi-Wan literally marveling on how competent the commander is and Cody always going the extra mile to save his general’s ass. To me that’s pretty much a friendship.

+ The Jedi are in general very gentle, but quite touchy. They might not go for hugs, but there is always someone touching someone’s shoulder or waist. And they’re just so fucking kind. I don’t think I ever noticed that as a kid, but they’re so respectful about life and culture and always helping someone. I just love them so much.

+ And I love the understanding and kindness the clones have. They’re soldiers and programmed to kill, but they’re also good people in most cases. I just wanna hug most of them.

+ My mother told me I cried as a child during the episodes with the Zillo beast. Well, I didn’t cry again, but I’m still so fucking mad at Palpatine for putting that poor creature in that position. If he just had listened to Mace Windu (more of the characters should actually, just saying) that poor animal wouldn’t have killed people and found its end like that.

+ Mortis is quite hated by the fandom but for me it’s a defining showcase of Obi-Wan’s, Anakin’s and Ahsoka’s relationship. I’ve seen people in the fandom saying that Anakin would’ve turned out differently if Obi-Wan would’ve told him he’s proud and took care of his feelings. This episodes literally show that he does exactly that and Anakin still doesn’t give a shit.

+ Anakin tells the son in his dream, that he’ll never come to the dark side willingly. Only to walk over to the literal manifestation of the dark side like 10 minutes later to save Ashoka. I came to the conclusion that the only way to tempt him was by promising to save his loved ones. I still think it was a really awful and greedy thing to become Vader for that, but I must admit it’s a noble character trait to put others first.

+ Kit Fisto doesn’t have nipples. Therefore I’ve concluded he’s isn’t a mammal and hatched from an egg like Nemo the clownfish. (And no, that isn’t a animation thing, Rex does have nipples when his shirt is off).

+ The discussion with my gf about Kit Fisto nipples and Star Wars biology also touched the topic of “how does Maul use the bathroom”. My conclusion is: he has a stoma, because the lower abdomen, where that would be, is always covered.

+ Hardcase mentions he is hyperactive. I now see him as my favorite ADHD clone, because having ADHD myself I can fucking relate.

+ I forgot Waxer died on Umbara and bawled my eyes out. Waxer is one my favorite clones and when he cried while dying I just couldn’t take it.

+ My friend spent the entire Umbara arc just simping for the clones (mostly Jesse), while I was suffering. So maybe they look hot or something for people attracted to men in this episodes.

+ In the episode after the Umbara the duo usually consisting of Waxer and Boil is sent out, but this time it’s just Boil and I was about to bawl again.

+ For being called “the negotiator” Obi-Wan gets his ass beat quite a lot after his “negotiations” (aggressive flirting).

+ While I’ll never forgive Obi-Wan for doing that Raako Hardeen shit, I nearly pissed myself when the Ziro the Hutt’s ex gf is flirting with not one but two women there. Like I didn’t expect her to be the fucking gay rep in clone wars.

+ I’m seriously never forgiving Obi-Wan for that. I can’t get over Ahsoka’s tear filled eyes while she’s holding his corpse. Also she doesn’t seem angry like Anakin just massively sad and disappointed after it is revealed that he’s still alive. Personally I believe she’s starting to doubt the order here.

+ Point three on hating on my favorite character for that shit, I feel like Anakin becomes quieter and less playful after that disaster.

+ Maul is me. He’s obsessed with Obi-Wan and mentions that he has massive problems what is going on inside his head. As a mentally ill person, that makes me feel really seen lmao.

+ The underwater episodes and the ones with Ventress on that train were just the most beautiful worlds I’ve ever seen. Like the planets in general are so beautifully designed in clone wars, I’m so in love.

+ Motherfucking “I said fuck the council and became a child soldier for a rebellion at 13” Obi-Wan Kenobi seems very reluctant on doing it again. There are two entire arcs of him disagreeing on helping rebels. First I didn’t understand, because like dude you literally did this before, but since he talks about his worries about bringing the separatists in or worsen the situation, I think the poor man is just a little bit traumatized.

+ After the events of Onderon I’m pretty sure Ashoka is already filled with doubts about the order, the republic and the war. I also feel like she’s feeling massively led down by Obi-Wan again, which broke my heart because I love their relationship.

+ I just realized he fails Ahsoka a third time, when she is captured by Hondo and Obi-Wan is supposed to help her. Instead he gets attacked by Grievous and is forced to postpone the helping them until they help themselves. I mean it’s not his fault but in Ahsoka’s place that wouldn’t feel good to me.

+ This particular fight with Grievous ignited my love for Obi-Wan again. Before he attacks Grievous he helps an injured clone and when he goes into the fight, Grievous directly kills a clone. Instead of his usual witty remarks, he just goes: “you’re gonna regret that” and jumps Grievous. He just loves his clones as much as I do.

+ One of the most beautiful shots in the entire series for me is in the episode before the droids find Gregor. This WAC droid looks into the desert and it reflects in his eye. Because of the cracks in the desert ground it looks almost like a retina. Beautiful metaphor of combining something artificial and metallic with an organic and almost human part. This was such a fucking raw shot for me, it took my breath away.

+ Tarkin is an asshole, but he’s climbed the asshole latter so hard after he has been mean to Plo Koon.

+ Shotout to Obi-Wan for convincing the order to let Anakin go after Ahsoka. Additionally the whole time he acts in her support only to be shut down by the council. I didn’t remember him doing that so I was surprised.

+ Fives tells the plot with the inhibitor chips to a cab driver. Do you think the cap driver ever thinks back after the war and is like: “Fuuuuuuck”?

+ I kid you not, the clone bar has gender neutral bathrooms (and no, it’s not bc the clones are all male, in the bar are also women). The bathroom are just decided by humans, hutts and a third species I cannot quite recognize.

+ I forgot Teckla gets shot, NOOOOOOO

+ I always say clone wars anakin is better, but Jesus stop acting like a jealous bitch. Padmè deserves an award for putting up with his bullshit. Obi-Wan too. He even tries to give him reassurance by telling him that feelings are not forbidden and Anakin just bitches at him.

+ Obi-Wan casually passing on babysitting duty for Jar Jar fucking killed me (and yes, taking care of Jar Jar is babysitting duty).

+ Never in a million years I would have thought to see Jar Jar admitting to fucking this queen, but here we have him saying he was making love to her last night. Imma set myself on fire and I believe Windu will join me.

+ You could also call the clone wars the exposition wars. Every episode has their one minute exposition in the beginning, but I feel like a lot of the dialogue is used for exposition.

+ Obi-Wan doesn’t learn shit. That man got drugged by Hondo, but yet still accepts drinks from the Pykes. MY BROTHER IN CHRIST PLEASE DONT

+ I AN GOING TO SCREAM. You have been informed that the Clones have a behavior influencing chip in their brains and then you find out Dooku was behind the creation of the clones and no one connects the fucking dots. I love the Jedi, but goddamn are you all dense.

+ Do you think Hunter thought Rex was screwing his general? Because their conversation sounded kinda suggestive and then they trail off to do something secret.

+ Ahsoka going “my older brother thought me”after kicking a guy where it hurts most. I now imagine Anakin going to Ahsoka as soon she got to be his padawan: “Listen up Snips, if you ever facing a creepy guy, you kick them right there”

+ When the sisters make their escape I don’t get why they don’t let Ahsoka fly. She’s clearly the more capable pilot.

+ Controversial opinion: I have a strong dislike for Bo Katan. She’s a fucking terrorist who doesn’t betray the deathwatch when they murder an entire innocent village, no but when there’s Maul trying to take their authority. Says a lot about her character if you ask me.

+ I mcfucking cried when the clones painted their helmets according to Ahsoka’s face markings and my flatmates gf came in and asked me if everything’s alright. I am fucking embarrassing I have seen this scene three times already but I still bawl like a baby.

+ Also my dear Obi-Wan can you quit being an ass? A “hello Ahsoka, nice to see you” wouldn’t have killed you.

+ Through the whole show most of the characters seemed to appear increasingly tired towards the end. Especially Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, but other characters aswell. The only one who seems to stay energized is Anakin. He becomes more serious but I feel like he’s the only one at the end that is still going into battles with full energy. It almost felt like he’s especially thriving in a war scenario which is incredibly sad.

+ The beauty of that last scene with Vader is truly unparalleled. I don’t ever think a tv show can recreate that.

+ I still love this show to bits and I cried 5 times total during that rewatch, shit this was nice.

[hanasnx]

diff anon but what fandoms did you meet your close moots through? i don’t know if that counts as indy lore

that counts! more under the cut. i wanted to talk about all my mutuals

@its-clockwork-princess one of my best, oldest, and dearest friends. years and years of friendship, roleplay, fanfiction, writing. every time i see a duo on screen or in any media my first thought is always her and my second thought is always “us.” we went through a thousand different fandoms and i can’t remember our first but we definitely bonded heavily over fandoms like marvel, dc, and fnaf at the very early stages of our friendship. her dad was actually dating my mom for a long time, which gave us plenty of time together. literally cant even summarize everything we’ve gone through together, everything we’ve built, seriously been friends for a decade and i plan on staying that way for the rest of my life. i cant imagine my life without her, how bleak and colorless it would’ve been. i’m honored to know such a generous and kind person, and someone who helped shape me into who i am today. a love truly unconditional.

@ohgodmyeyes loved his takes on anakin, thought he was so real and so down to earth even though he could stand to be more egotistical considering how talented he is. i think about a certain post he made about anakin -> vader's dick literally once a day. i'm not even exaggerating at all when i say it was my roman empire. in just that small amount of time i was taught his quiet confidence, his exquisite way with words, and his unapologetic thought process. i maintain a distance from him because i'm playing the long game and from what i've seen on his personal posts i feel like he might be overwhelmed if i come on too strong, as i often do. but that doesn't stop me from grinning every time i see him in my notifs and i get to think, "this message was approved by ohgodmyeyes." very proudly.

@somuchfrstardust we talked in the comment section of anakin edits on tiktok i feel like and then i was like "hey wanna be friends" and we haven't talked in a while but that's totally cool, that's just how i am. i still consider them my friend i think they're a rly cool person.

@banakinbabygirl was one of the first anakin/hayden blogs i followed, i love how they write smut. it's a very emotional way of writing, very heavy on the descriptions and realistic reactions that drew me in and kept me there.

@starmanskywalker is one of my favorite writers in general. anything on her masterlist is an instant recommendation from me, instant like, instant reblog, instant indy review. i'm such a jealous person in general but the way i feel about alanis' writing is beyond jealousy. it's admiration, it's fondness, it's awe. i don’t feel envious i feel fulfilled. i was very proud to become her mutual, her friend, be on a first name basis with her, and write fanfiction with her. we have a collab we've been working on for a while but because we're both so busy and it's such a big project it takes a lot of time and a lot of love, but i'm still so excited for the day it's finished and can be published.

@xstarkillerx is so much more than a person i met on the internet. truly one of my best friends, and i can’t imagine not having him in my life. there’s so much i can say that i have actually already said on this blog before. donnie has a way with seeing the world i just love to hear about. i’ll ask his opinions and experiences on everything simply to hear what he, specifically, has to say about it. when we have conversations inhibitions are left at the door for the both of us instead of just me. i feel skinless, muscle-less, body-less with donnie. an entity obsessed with him on discord as we write novels to each other, sonnets about how we view the world and its fictions. donnie is my bread and butter, and i’m so glad i found him and stalked him and forced him to be my friend and now he’s reliant on me just like i want.

@weixuldo such a sweet person and very understanding of me and my boundaries. i first found wei’s blog through their fanart of darth vader which i loved so much i sent every single one of their posts to my best friend who i mentioned at the beginning of this post. i still go back to look at those works every so often to brush up on my love for them. such a talented artist i’m very happy i’m worthy of a follow back, and that we enjoy each other’s content.

@mcondance i met through hobie brown back in june 2022. i loved how they kept luring me to their page by mentioning me and my hobie works they kept reading, i swear they were using my vanity as bait and it worked. they are, genuinely, so fucking funny. i only have friends that are funny don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about jupie that when i’m talking about them to other people, that person is like “omg jupie is so funny.” like. jupie just transcends my sense of humor to other people’s. they’re funny to the masses. i’m very bad at texting, but jupie is a person i try to reach out to so they know i’m virtually loving on them. they like the attention. another writer i’m so pleased to be mutuals with when they’re so skilled at the part of writing i always feel like i’m most wooden at. the side of smut writing that takes feeling and sensation and even an edge of genuine horniness, jupie is so good at translating that onto a page.

@murdrdocs is another mutual i gained from the height of the hobie brown era and i believe i saw her content through jupie’s page. now we don’t get to talk too much but that doesn’t mean i don’t think she’s not a super cool person. i don’t read much, but the things i do get to read specifically on icarus’ page make me very proud to be her mutual. not only is she an accomplished and gorgeous writer, but her blog designs are always envy-inducing. she shifts her aesthetics so seamlessly—even tho i know how changing a theme can be draining and time-consuming—and it’s always easy on the eyes. her navigation is especially creative and i’ll never forget her newspaper clipping themed announcement for last kinktober.

@princessbrunette another writer i’m constantly in awe of. i met her through her anakin works, and invited myself onto her kinktober taglist when she was still a relatively new blog that’s how much i was instantly attracted to her work. her style is so distinct and so refined, i can overlook non canon work because hers is just that good. she’s also very funny, and has a gifted silver tongue. i’m always impressed with how she’s able to paint a picture in her pieces using nothing but the most concise and visualizing words. it’s not often that i watch something because a friend watched it, but i watched obx for her so i could still enjoy her work that’s how much i love it. our universes we create in our dms are so special to me.

@empiresheir was someone i met through their anakin one-shot about order 66 which i’ve reblogged several times and it’ll never be enough. it was such a good piece i gave live updates to my best friend who was reading it too. i sent those screenshots to her orc cos she deserved to know what i had to say. she was also an essential help when i was writing my kinktober project, kind enough to read my pieces and give me line by line feedback just like i like so i wouldn’t go crazy from lack of attention on pieces i couldn’t post til october. not only another talented and powerful writer (capable of dropping my jaw at how insanely good she is at wording things), but such a sweet person to talk to. and though she’s not active in the fandom anymore i think of her fondly and i hope she’s having such a good time with baldur’s gate.

@darthvvder had a collection of anakin drabbles that i found on wattpad of all places and i was amazed at what i read. thoroughly impressed by the physical reactions her works were eliciting in me. got me to care about smut tropes i hadn’t cared about before simply bcos she was so good at writing them. i posted about a line that gripped me and she commented that it was her, i followed and the rest is history.

@jarebare99 is my boyfriend :) he gets an honorary mention. i wrote him an entire book of poetry and my thoughts on him so he can read that if he’s feeling left out from everyone getting paragraphs. i met him in irl not through a fandom but idc.

@ddejavvu was someone i’d see in my notifications including my inbox every so often and she was very recognizable. i really can’t remember how us being mutuals happened? i’d like to say i somehow discovered she wrote and wrote well and once i began noticing i consistently liked her content then i followed and lo and behold she was following me too. mei is very respectful of my space and i like that she texts me without expecting an answer back bcos i like to read her updates and don’t always know what to say. i have some of her inbox messages i gatekeep and i go back and read them every so often and think about how diabolical it would be if i answered them and floored the world, but i have yet to be ready to share the genius.

@anakincentric technically through anakin. even though we don’t talk much bcos both of us have really similar no-contact ways that doesn’t mean i don’t think she’s real sweet. i like when she pops in, drops a banger, and then peaces out. like a disney cameo appearance.

@harrisonbrainrot i wanna say han/indiana. i feel like i was already following his blog because i got to read some of his stuff when i was in a han mood and was like, “yea, this guy gets it.” and then when we reconnected in the comments of someone else’s post, i told him i was a big fan which was true, and then wham bam thank you ma’am mutuals. i have no idea if he knew who i was before or if he was following me, but he’s cool asf. not only is he hot and chill, he’s also really kind with me about not texting. a very generous soul who let me use his crunchyroll to watch jjk out of the goodness of his heart, which i am kissing him for. one of the rare writer’s on here who’s unapologetic in the shit they say, which i always admire and prioritize in who i choose to follow. love his han characterization, so when he’s reblogged a han work of mine, i believe it’s been christened by the harrison ford pope.

@anitheus tagging this blog bcos it’s what i followed first but i also follow her other account @silxani because i love her art style. i love how she draws anakin every time. her spider-sam fanart, and her nsfw anakin works are my favorite, as well as the fanart she made of us for my birthday. gorgeous art style i could look at all day, and i like her personality when we text.

@ivysangel i wanna say it was dc comics but i can’t remember the character, might’ve been jason todd. she came for the dc, and stayed for the other stuff including my general tomfoolery. she flatters me with kind words about how i’ve influenced her, which always makes me soft. we have a lot in common, which is always so much fun to compare, and i love that she watched batman beyond when i recommended it even though i wasn’t expecting her to a) do it and b) love it. she’s aware and respectful of my boundaries when it comes to sharing my ideas which i appreciate, and i love seeing her in my inbox. we haven’t had enough time together for me to nail down everything i like about her, but i will.

@loveliestlovelygirl eloise caught me by surprise bcos it’s not often i get instantly hooked, or at least it hasn’t been that way for a while. i haven’t been in an anakin mood for a while, but i still reblog her works instantly so i can get to it later because i know i’ll like it even though i haven’t read it. idk much about her, but her theme makes me bonkers jealous. it’s so beautiful. like her chapter HTML for her fallen angel au makes me drool.

@psuedosis newest mutual. her reaction towards me made me instantly endeared, and i loved her jet works. some zuko pieces as well! hit at the right time bcos i just finished atla animated. very excited to get to know her more.

boom. indy lore and extensive thoughts on tumblr mutuals.

[cantstoptheimagines]

Date Stealer (Ahkmenrah | Night at the Museum)

Summary — Larry accidentally made the museum residents believe he had a date to their Valentine’s Day party, and now you’re caught in the crossfire. Not to mention, there’s a super attractive pharaoh in the room.

Warnings & Other Tags ➳ Nothing but general fluffiness.

Notes ➳ ‘Can’t Stop the Love’ Event (8/14) ➳ Word Count is 740.  ➳ Reader is gender neutral (they/them).

FAQ | Masterlist | Fandoms | Requests | Coming Soon | Schedule 

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

Larry sent you yet another apologetic glance. His hand were shoved deep into his pockets as he walked next to you along the sidewalk. Each of you left a trail of footprints in the fresh dusting of snow.

“I can’t believe I talked you into this,” muttered Larry. “I really owe you one.”

“Why didn’t you just tell them you didn’t have a date?” you asked. “Would’ve saved both of us a lot of trouble.” 

“I don’t know!” he groaned, tossing his head back and slowly opening the door to the museum. “Look, help me out! It’s just for tonight, I promise—!”

“You two made it!”

Your conversation came to a halt. A small thud against your ankle made you look down. Your eyes were met by a familiar toy car. Jed and Octavius waved at both of you with wide smiles.

“Hey, guys,” you greeted. “You both look like you’re having fun.”

“Always!” replied Jed. “It’s not a party without us!”

“We hope you share an evening filled with love!” grinned Octavius.

With that, the toy car zoomed away. Some glittery decorations in various shades of classic Valentine’s Day colors trailed behind it, along with Rexy’s favorite bone. Speaking of which, Rexy wasn’t too far behind the toy car, nearly knocking you and Larry over with his tail as he roared loudly.

Larry laughed, patting you on the shoulder, “I’m gonna find Teddy. I wanna see if he actually asked Sacagawea to be his date tonight.”

“Alright,” you nodded. “I’m gonna get a drink. You want anything?”

He paused to think for a moment, and then shrugged, “Punch? If we’ve got it tonight.”

“On it,” you smiled. “See you in a few minutes.”

The two of you split up. Larry began searching the crowd for Teddy while you made your way to the snack tables. Your ‘date’ was in luck since there was punch tonight.

As you grabbed two cups, a voice drew your attention away from your task, “You came.”

As if your night couldn’t get any better, before you stood Ahkmenrah. Your eyes widened and your heartbeat quickened. Draped in golden fabrics and dazzling jewels, he smiled at you.

To most, it was probably obvious that you had a small crush on the Pharaoh. To Ahkmenrah, the source of your admiration, however, seemed to have no earthly clue about your feelings. 

“So happy you could make it!” he exclaimed, before taking the cups out of your hands. “Let me help you with those!”

“Thanks,” you squeaked, nearly grimacing at your reaction, though Ahkmenrah didn’t seem to notice.

As he began pouring some punch into the cups, he asked, “You decided to accept Larry’s invitation then?”

“Yeah,” you muttered, “but it’s just a friendly thing.”

“I see,” he smiled, passing you one of the drinks. “So he wouldn’t be particularly upset if I stole you away for a moment or two?”

You paused at his question. He wasn’t looking at you. Instead, his eyes were focused on the dance floor filled with the other museum inhabitants.

“What does that mean exactly?” you finally asked.

Side by side, his shoulder brushed against yours as he leaned closer, and then quietly whispered, “I believe Larry thought he was doing me a favor by bringing you to our party tonight.”

You tilted your head and your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “A favor?”

He nodded, “I wanted you to come, but I was far too shy. I suspect that’s why Larry chose to ask you to attend instead of someone else.”

“Too shy?” you chuckled, nearly shaking your head at the very thought. “I can barely even talk to you most of the time.”

Ahkmenrah felt his cheeks become warm, and then he whispered, “Really?”

You nodded. Across the room, you met Larry’s gaze. He was beaming from ear to ear as he watched you talk to Ahkmenrah. You shook your head and turned away to ignore him.

“You know,” you muttered, returning to attention to Ahkmenrah, “I don’t think Larry would mind very much if you ‘stole me away’.”

He looked at you in surprise. After realizing you were being serious about your suggestion, he held out his hand and then smiled, “Have you ever seen my tomb?”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise, but took his hand in yours nonetheless. This was going to be an interesting relationship to say the least.

[zabiume]

Hi!!! Not the same anon, but I really liked how you addressed the ichihime dynamic during ichigo and grimmjow’s fight in hm. I know you’re not exactly a renruki blog but I recently saw some ir shippers trying to say that “if it wasn’t for ichigo, renji would’ve let rukia be executed” and I wanted to know your thoughts. Personally, I don’t agree at all and although it’s been much too long since I’ve read the manga, I feel like at some point renji says something and/or reacts in shock to the news of rukia’s sentencing bc didn’t he believe that she would just get a slap on the wrist??? Idk but I wanna hear what you think or what you (or anybody else who reads this ask and feels like adding onto this) can recall from that arc.....

i'm going to be sooooo honest: i don't really enjoy responding to takes from that particular fandom for several reasons, namely that a) their perspective never matches with mine on...anything b) i feel like it's unproductive to "debunk" the way someone else enjoys the series (if they're really enjoying themselves idk idc) and c) they're a very vocal side of the fandom and i don't like engaging with that kind of energy. this isn't particularly at you or anything, but i really don't care what anyone outside my bubble thinks about one of my favorite series, and i want to continue to enjoy it this way. people are free to feel however they want about something, but i'm not obligated to care or interact with it😅

that being said, renji has been one of my favorite characters ever since my very first interaction with this series back when i was in high school and that hasn't changed over the many re-reads i've done since then, so let's talk about it! sorry if this gets long!

firstly, there is some truth to the "if it weren't for ichigo" part of that sentence, but not in the way they're framing it. the soul society arc as a whole is an arc about distrust & distance, and a lot of it has to do with aizen's subtle manipulations. he turns momo against hitsugaya, turns soul society on a wild goose chase as they try to figure out which shinigami among them killed him.

but it isn't just aizen who's responsible for the distance between the characters. as we all know, byakuya's adoption of rukia created a massive gulf between rukia and renji. to renji, this adoption represented a better life for rukia—something they had always dreamed of when they were children. in fact, their vow to become shinigami has always had a grave weight to it, because both of them suffer from the survivor's guilt of being the only ones among the group who lived while the others died. their desire to become shinigami isn't just about living a better life but to honor their friends who died and carry on their memories. being a shinigami means a LOT to renji and rukia, because so much weight is tied to that decision, and so much was lost in their journey to soul society.

keeping that in mind, renji's feelings are totally reasonable. from his pov, rukia has thrown away every sacrifice they both have made (and the sacrifice he personally made in letting her go), in favor of willingly giving her powers to a teenage boy—a stranger. in fact, renji is first convinced that ichigo STOLE rukia's powers. however, even after learning that she willingly gave ichigo her powers, he still tries to direct any ire away from her and tries to put it all on ichigo. eventually, we learn that renji never thought she'd be executed in the first place and that he'd been counting on byakuya to use his influence and repeal central 46's decision. once he realizes byakuya isn't going to do that, he actively turns against byakuya (and by extension, all of soul society) and begs ichigo to save her, but only because he himself isn't strong enough*. EVEN AFTER THAT, renji heads to sokyoku and is willing to let aizen cut his arms because he refused to let rukia go again.

this refusal, saying he'll never let rukia go again, implies that he had always believed being in byakuya's care would make her immune to any kind of trouble and that, as a brother and her family, byakuya would protect her. he was obviously aware that as a noble, rukia would enjoy the highest power there would be in all of soul society. but once he realized she was going to be executed anyway, he switched sides, so i don't think he was, at any point, intending to "let rukia be executed."

*that being said, had ichigo not been around, would renji even be able to save rukia? considering what i mentioned earlier, probably not! he wasn't strong enough! so yes, there's a chance renji would have "let" rukia be executed, but only after he died trying to save her. then again, by that logic, rukia would have never been in this situation in the first place had it not been for ichigo, so we could also argue that it's ichigo's fault that rukia is about to die, but thankfully we understand how plots work and we understand that ichigo is the protagonist, so we also understand that 90% of the plot would not have worked without ichigo and we won't be making that dumb argument!

so technically yes, ichigo is the catalyst for literally everything that happens, so of course, he's the one that saves rukia—and renji is both aware of this and extremely grateful for it, which is why he is loyal to ichigo the way he is. this is just....character writing. renji is a typical bait-and-switch character who we are initially meant to dislike because he's antagonizing our favorite characters and once we receive context, we realize he's been one of the good guys all along. it's not some big slight to renji to imply that he needed ichigo, because renji doesn't see that as a bad thing, and neither does anyone else because renji and ichigo have the same intentions.

remember how i mentioned earlier that aizen creates distrust? well if aizen drives people apart, ichigo brings them closer together. his outrage is what gets characters like byakuya to question his own rule-worshipping, and his values are what leads to soul society realizing how they're completely focused on the wrong things. his only intention was to save rukia, but he's such a good person that the people around him can't help but be influenced by his values. and because of that, renji and rukia got closer too.

all of this is not even necessarily up for interpretation, since this is all stated quite explicitly in the manga, but um. this is not the first time or first fandom to flanderize a character or ignore plot-important details for shipping reasons, so it doesn't surprise me or interest me! sorry for the long answer, hope this cleared things up!

[coraniaid]

Last post on this topic for a while, I promise.

I saw that somebody tagged my recent post about Helpless as ‘anti-Giles’, and – while I can see how you might get that impression (I mean, to be fair, I did use the phrase ‘unambiguously evil’) – it’s not really what I was trying to drive at.  My problem is with the way that particular episode depicts Giles (and to a lesser extent with the broader fandom attitude towards Giles) not with the character of Giles more generally.

What I mean is: I think the version of Giles that exists in Helpless is basically impossible to reconcile with the character we’ve seen in the first two seasons of the show. The Giles of Prophecy Girl who was so appalled by the thought of Buffy dying that he wanted to “defy prophecy” and fight the Master himself surely wouldn’t have taken so long to stand up to Quentin Travers.  The Giles of Innocence who told Buffy that “all you will get from me is my support and my respect” certainly wouldn’t repeatedly drug her and lie to her face about it.  The Giles who spent all summer chasing down possible sightings of Buffy across the country after she ran away at the end of Becoming would not be so willing to risk her life again just to follow orders from a group of people he openly despises. 

And – because the show doesn’t ever come back and address what he’s shown to do in this episode – it’s also impossible to reconcile Helpless with subsequent episodes.  Nobody ever talks about it, at all, and so the impression is that it either didn’t happen or just wasn’t a big deal.  Giles was unfairly sacked, for some reason, by the Bad Watcher’s Council, and that’s all there is to remember.  (The fact that Giles worked for years for the Bad Watcher’s Council and would’ve happily kept on doing so if they hadn’t fired him goes similarly unremarked on.)

But I don’t think a Buffy who had been betrayed by Giles this fundamentally would go back to trusting him as quickly as she does.  If ever.  I don’t think that only a few episodes later she’d be in any hurry to talk to him about the manslaughter she’d unwittingly been involved in, or that she’d so readily listen to him as her unofficial Watcher when Wesley arrives.  As it is, she spends more time being upset by the fact Giles had sex with her mother this season than she does caring about the fact he almost got her and her mother killed.  That just doesn’t make any sense to me.

And, just to be clear: I really do like Giles a lot.  He is one of my favorite characters in the show.  I think the evolution of his semi-parental relationship with Buffy is really well done; I like his connections with Jenny and Ethan and the way he gets to play off of other characters like Snyder and Joyce and Wesley. I think he is generally a very good deconstruction of the trope of the wise and patient mentor.  I think that ASH’s performance as Giles in Season 1 is probably a large part of what got the show renewed for a second season.  I am, in fact, firmly pro-Giles.

What I don’t like is the collective willingness of the fandom to overlook all of his faults. To strip away everything that makes him interesting until he’s just “Buffy’s Nice Dad”. To afford him a level of tolerance and understanding that somehow never seems to extend to any of the women in Buffy’s life. To pretend that Joyce Summers is being ridiculous or unreasonable for blaming him for her daughter running away, even though it is explicitly Buffy’s calling as a Slayer – and the fact that Giles himself insists she keeps this secret from her loved ones – that makes the events of Becoming possible.  [No, Buffy doesn’t just run away because of what Joyce said to her: if that was the only reason, why did she also cut off all ties with Giles and Willow and Xander and her other friends?]  And, yes, to act as if the fact that Quentin Travers, of all people, tells us that Giles has “a father’s love” for Buffy is the only takeaway from Helpless, and to pretend that his actual actions in that episode don’t undermine that reading at all.

Joyce Summers can tell Buffy not to come back home if she leaves the house without permission – in the heat of the moment, during an argument, clearly regretting it the second she says it – and twenty-five years later the internet is still full of posts calling her a bitch and a terrible mother and claiming she wanted Buffy to leave.  Joyce can be compelled to burn Buffy at the stake because she’s possessed by a demon and this is still a running joke in the fandom two decades later (nevermind the time the season before when Giles was similarly possessed by a demon that tried to kill Buffy: that one doesn’t count, apparently).  Buffy can literally tell Giles that she doesn’t “see the point” of living in the world anymore after her mother’s gone and you all act like it’s a complete mystery why she might be depressed after The Body.  Buffy tells her mother she loves her every season, starting from the third episode of the show – the first episode we see her tell anyone she loves them – and you all pretend that it’s somehow a huge retcon when she still loves her mother four seasons later and that she misses her when she dies.

But Giles goes along with a plan that seems all but designed to get Buffy killed, hypnotizes her, drugs her, and lies to her face about it – not because he’s possessed, not because he’s not in control of his actions, but because the people who employ him tell him he has to – and … nothing.  There’s no outrage at all.  The fandom and the writers alike all agree to pretend it just never happened.  I look for any discussion of this, but you’re all just talking about how much more consistently written a character Giles is than Joyce (which … no, sorry, that’s obviously nonsense; the Season 2 Ripper retcon alone is evidence enough of that), and how he should’ve gotten to adopt Buffy after Joyce died (when … uh, Buffy was legally an adult??), and writing  fanfic after fanfic in which Buffy tells Giles he was more of a parent to her than Joyce ever was (nevermind that she says almost literally the opposite in Season 6, or that she didn’t even meet Giles until she was sixteen, after Joyce explicitly uprooted her whole life to try to find somewhere for Buffy to have a fresh start) and … honestly, I don’t get it.

I just don’t get why you all hate Joyce this much, or why the fandom collectively seems to judge her by standards it never ever applies to Rupert Giles.  When did we decide that the times Joyce hurts Buffy are a fundamental part of her character and that the times Giles hurts her can be safely hand-waved away and ignored?  Why was I not at that meeting?

Like I said, I don’t know.

But what I do know is that Joyce is practically the only recurring character on the show who was played by a woman in her forties.

[For reference, Buffy’s recurring female cast includes two centuries old vampires, a thousand year old ex-vengeance demon, her friend the still-active vengeance demon whose exact age we don't know but was active in the 19th cenutry at least and probably for centuries before that, an ancient and immortal hell-god from another dimension and a centuries old ball of green energy that takes human form.  Not one of these characters is played by a woman over 35.  In fact, only one of them -- in-universe, quite possibly the youngest one of them -- is played by a woman over 30.  

The adult woman with the most screen time after Joyce is Jenny Calendar, who is played by a woman who was 27 years old when her character was killed off. A year later, Giles starts a relationship with another woman called Olivia Williams (who the show and the fandom are both profoundly uninterested in: at the time of writing there are more fics on AO3 shipping Giles with Oz than there are fics shipping him with Olivia.). Olivia is played by a woman who was also 27 years old in the only season she appears in, the same season that ASH turned 46. She's also introduced by Giles as an "old friend", which is probably something it's best not to think too hard about.

The one other woman over forty to appear in more than one episode of Buffy was Lindsay Crouse, who plays Professor Maggie Walsh in Season 4.  She appears in eight episodes, anticipates fandom by calling herself an ‘evil bitch’, then dies in an incredibly stupid and pointless way.  That’s literally it.]

So maybe I do get it.  And frankly, it sucks.

[slices-of-naranja]

I see people being so bitter about the PJO tv adaption but like literally if you wanted a 1-1 adaption, that’s okay, but you should’ve known that wasn’t going to be what happened. Not only would that be logistically impossible, it wouldn’t have been good. I love PJO, but a book isn’t going to translate literally into a show well. It would’ve sucked. It would’ve been dated, expensive, and require wayyyy too much CGI and a much larger runtime than they got greenlit for. It’s been twenty years. Things change. That’s okay. But don’t say it’s shitty just because it’s not the exact same. New watchers fucking love it. I’m convinced some of you are letting little details ruin your experience because some of your grievances make it seem like you’re not even watching the show.

“Not enough action!” Boohoo. Fights are hard and expensive and don’t fit the deeper themes they’re going for in this season. And this is just season one. You know, before the actual main conflict of the series even starts. This is entire season is for setting the larger shit up. Including the emotional component of why Luke does what he does, which means exploring why the gods are bad parents. You’ll see more battles in the next few seasons.

“It’s too dark and serious” Percy put on a British accent to make fun of Athena. Mr. D pulled an “I am your father!” On Percy. They splashed him in a fountain like an overheated dog. Percy crashed a taxi. The consensus song. Grover letting animals loose on Las Vegas. The mortals saw the chimera as a tiny ass chihuahua. They played “What is love?” During the tunnel of love. Percy literally thought he was Jesus Christ 2.0 for a second. He was distracted petting a lizard during capture the flag. Ares starts Twitter wars. Grover told him “Thanks for the burgers and emotional abuse.” There’s tons of humor and silly moments. Just pay attention. Or maybe it’s not your humor. That’s okay. But don’t say it’s not silly, cuz it is.

“The characters aren’t the same!” Okay you’re just lying now. Annabeth is complex, they’re exploring her relationship with her mother, and Leah’s onscreen chemistry with Walker is insane. Percy would absolutely sacrifice himself for his mother without second thought. Grover acts as a guide and bridge between Annabeth and Percy. And he gets his character explored more! His connection to Pan and nature is so cool here! I could go more in-depth here but literally the characters are almost the exact same. Little scenes don’t make a character. You either haven’t read the books in a while, don’t critically analyze your favorite characters and what makes them who they are, or are letting minor grievances overshadow how good the actors and writers are. This is so evidently a passion project from everyone involved.

“They’re rushing percabeth/percabeth isn’t good enough!” Weirdly have heard both. Both are due to fandom interpretations, not the actual show. Nothing romantic is going on between the two of them because they’re both twelve and just met. They’re friends, and that’s great! Your knowledge that they’re going to become an amazing power couple is clouding your judgement.

You guys are letting minor scenes from a (around) twenty year old book dictate your experience of a wonderful show that keeps the same spirit and care that was put into it in the first place. I agree on lighting issues, a few odd lines, stuff like that, but the actual substance of the show is amazing and true to character. I love it. It’s okay if you don’t like it. But ask yourself why. Don’t be bitter about a few scene changes because there’s so much joy that you’re denying yourself of because of something as simple as nostalgia.

[raccoonfallsharder]

When I saw the first guardians film in middle school, my love of our favorite raccoon began. Finding a community of Rocket lovers after keeping it silently inside for so long is special (in a way I can't articulate without sounding goofy bc it's an anthropomorphic raccoon we're talking about here). I graduate from college this weekend and want to thank you for your stories getting me through hard times and motivationless days. It's given me a knew way to enjoy the movies I've watched so many times :) What was the media that got you super into Rocket and inspired your fiction writing? Much love!!

first and foremost, i want to congratulate you. school is not easy, and i swear it gets harder and feels more high-pressure/high-stakes every year. i hope that your time at college has given you more learning experiences than all-nighters, more opportunities than stressors, and more joy than hardship. and i hope that you are able to take everything you’ve earned and enjoy your freedom from university surrounded by good people, with plenty of time and resources to do the things you love. if you haven’t yet, please take time to sit and breathe and really soak up the fact that you did this. be proud of yourself. you fucken deserve it.

secondly, i read this while walking to the parking garage at 11pm after helping at an event for my college students (i work at a university) and i had to sit in my car and wait till i stopped tearing up so i could drive home. this truly made me so happy and im so glad my silly stories made things even just a little easier for you. ♡

so, my falling in love with rocket was a process. (cue me narrating this for three paragraphs like a schoolgirl with her first crush)

when we first saw rocket’s back in gotg1 i was like, oh. he’s in so much pain. between that + his fucken sarcasm, i complained afterward that the movie would’ve been so much better if he was the main character (lol). i started lazily dabbling in comics content then. i hadn’t been big into marvel comics before (more of a dc/image comics kid) but rocket and groot were becoming my faves. i loved gotg2. so much more focus on rocket, and yondu’s arc had me bawling like a baby. gotg2 made me like gotg1 more, which is part of how i judge the quality of a narrative series tbh (and why i think series are so hard to make). when the first gotg3 trailer came out and it was clear this was rocket’s story, i was obsessed. i didnt watch any additional trailers or read any more comics — rare for me. i wanted to go in completely blank. then i went back to the theatre to rewatch it three additional times (i have never before gone to see a movie more than once in the theatre). i was like… almost bursting with love for this stupid raccoon at this point.

then i got around to reading his grounded comic arc, and it was like — the dam burst. i hadn’t written fanfiction since 2017ish, and hadn’t been on tumblr since 2016, but i was like — i have to write about this fucken raccoon. i need to take care of him lol.

so when you ask what media - i guess all of it? in increments? because of course now ive watched most of his various cartoon incarnations, read probably 70% of the comics content, halfway through a stream of the 2021 game, have one of the novels (sitting on the tbr pile) and frankly the love just continues to grow.

now that ive taken up thirty-two years of your life, i just want to say im so glad you found this fandom and this community. he may be an anthropomorphic raccoon but he’s meaningful to people, in so many ways. im so very very glad that he could be that for you, and that you’re here.

congrats again, nonnie. i hope post-graduation life rewards you with supportive people who love and understand you, with joyful new experiences, good health, and everything you need to live happily and fully.

[mha-grievances]

Alright, I’m bored, so I’m gonna tell you my opinions of the various MHA villains. This isn’t a dee analysis on any of them. Just my vague thoughts on them. I won’t be tackling any of the Nomu (including Kurogiri), spin-off villains, or movie villains:

AFO: He’s just there for me. For a Big Bad he’s kinda lackluster. He lacks the charisma of the archetype that he’s trying to be a part of when compared to other members of his archetype (giant looming threat) such as Darkseid and Thanos.

Tomura: Meh. I know people didn’t like him initially when he showed up cause he was a man-child, but I didn’t mind that. However he’s not really interesting to me. Sure his backstory’s sad, but his grand plan is to just disintegrate everything… just cause? While this is nothing new, it was kinda lackluster seeing as the narrative was putting Tomura down the path of being the next biggest villain. Like I get it, fuck society, but what does destroying everything accomplish? I dunno, his story feels weak to me.

Dabi: He’s definitely overrated by the fandom, but I like his character. He’s also got a kickass design and quirk. Dabi’s motives are a bit more than “fuck the world, let me destroy it” as his beef is with his abusive father. I can buy into this more-so than Tomura’s motives

Himiko: Definitely one of my top villains in the series, but I feel like she wasn’t explored as well as she should’ve been. Himiko’s definition of love is to literally become someone else, which can serve as a metaphor of people who aren’t able to accept who they are and aim to change everything about themselves. You compare this to Ochako’s experience with love which fuels her to be the best possible version of herself. I also would’ve loved to see more of her relationship with her quirk, how it has dominated every portion of her life. Finally, I do agree with those who say she’s often fetishized.

Spinner: I like him, but he’s been severely underutilized. His arc about mutant quirk discrimination was quickly wrapped up in like one issue and that’s it.

Mr. Compress: One of my favorite MHA villains. I love his quirk, his personality, and design. However, he struggles with a clear lack of motives, his only boiling down to the fact his ancestor was one of the greatest villains to ever exist. Why did Mr. Compress choose to follow his footsteps? Was it for fame? Because he agreed with his ancestor? Or maybe for another reason? At most we can say he hates society like the rest of the villains, but that doesn’t really give us much insight to his character.

Twice: My favorite MHA villain. If there’s anything from MHA that can be considered great, it’s the writing of Twice’s character. Twice is someone anyone can relate to, a person cast aside by the world and is willing to do anything to make friends. His quirk has caused him great anguish and he constantly grapples with his self identity. Out of all the LoV members, he has the biggest heart, but easily the most fragile one, and that’s why he’s a villain. It’s why he refused Hawks’s hand when told he could be a good guy. He saw his friends, the people who accepted him for who he was, and chose to fight besides them even if what they were doing was wrong. Twice is without a doubt the best character to come out of MHA and I will die on this hill.

Dr. Garaki: one of my favorite villains concept wise. A man who is canonically smarter than Nezu (who has an intelligence enhancing quirk) who makes Frankenstein like monsters could’ve been a super cool idea for a main antagonist. He could’ve served as a parallel to Izuku as Dr. Garaki’s quirk provides no offense utility. He’s essentially a quirkless person who lives longer. He is kinda a walking plot device though.

Magne: As many people would agree, she was wasted potential. A trans character who could’ve helped with MHA’s world building. I do wanna know why she chose to be a villain, but unfortunately after the Overhaul Arc she’s never brought up again.

Mustard: I like Mustard a lot but he’s yet another character with wasted potential. A kid as young as 1-A who hates heroes, a lot could’ve been done with that.

Moonfish: Unpopular opinion but I really like Moonfish. Why? Cause of his design. It’s very Lovecraftian like and I’m a sucker for those sorta things. Moonfish isn’t a deep character but he doesn’t need to be. He’s just evil and that’s fine. His creepy factor more than makes up for a lack of character.

Muscular: Serves as a physical obstacle Izuku has to overcome. Does his job well in that regard. Unlike Moonfish his appearance or quirk doesn’t make him stand out to me.

The Eight Bullets: Categorizing them all together. I like them. I can empathize with their struggles and how they wish to be needed despite being social outcasts. Obviously I wish more detail was put into them, but that’s pretty much it. I will say Rappa kinda doesn’t belong in there cause unlike the others, his motive is just that he wants to fight Overhaul, but that’s not to say I dislike him. I just feel he should’ve swapped places with one of the other Yakuza who weren’t the Eight Bullets.

Overhaul: In terms of presentation, design, and quirk, he absolutely is one of my favorite characters. His motives suck though. Man is in possession of one of the strongest quirks in the series and his motive is “ew, quirks are cooties”. Wanting to create quirk erasure bullets to cripple heroes so that the Yakuza can rise again is more than a fine motive for him. The “quirks are a disease” thing comes off as dumb. Maybe if he actually had a quirk that affected this behavior, this motive would’ve made a lot more sense.

Re-Destro: Boring. He could’ve been a neat Magneto type character but he’s immediately thrown to the side despite somehow having a city’s worth of members and spies layered throughout Japan.

The rest of the MLA: Couldn’t care for any of them, except for Geten, but that’s only because he has a cool design and quirk. The girl who can place mines had a cool quirk and design, but she got on my nerves.

Giran: Sometimes I forget he exists 😂. He’s basically a walking plot device.

Edit: I forgot someone 😭

Stain: I felt his message was extremely important to the themes of MHA and I like his design. However I feel that they neutered his message by having him target any heroes who weren’t All Might. There are other heroes, like Tensei, who are great heroes, just not at the caliber as All Might in terms of fame. Doesn’t mean they’re any less of a good hero. Imo he should’ve been more selective with his targets.

Edit 2: Forgot about another person 😭

La Brava: I like her. I think she’s cute and her relationship with Gentle is both genuine and well written. Her being a hacker’s really cool.

Edit 3: Forgot yet another person 😭

Gentle: thought he was cool too. A more human villain compared to the others we’ve gotten, and while not evil, is still someone who fits the bill of a villain.

[maple-the-awesome]

We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 32

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader

Words: 3,853

Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.

Series Masterlist 🤎 Marvel Masterlist 🤎 Fandom Masterlist

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: GET LOW

You have to keep your priorities straight. There's a group of terrorist super soldiers running around while the serum to create them is apparently being created in the worst possible place for it, Madripoor. You only agreed to this mission to solve that problem; nothing else should be on your mind nor of your concern. The sooner you fix things, the sooner you can return home where you somewhat wish you would've stayed to begin with.

Despite your bitter and anxious mood, you keep strictly to your assigned character during negotiations. Standing behind Zemo with hands kept clasped in front of yourself, you pay close attention to every word said not because you care for the conversation itself, but so that you can be prepared if anything goes wrong.

As scripted, you only move when Zemo offers to 'trade' the Winter Soldier to Selby in exchange for information, at which point you briefly hold up a book for her to see containing the supposed code words (none that are accurate, as you made sure to confirm before even entering Madripoor).

Earlier when this part of the plan had been explained to you, you were hesitant, yet now you find yourself caring a little less, a petty side of you almost wanting to actually leave him here with this lunatic crime-lord since she seems perfectly willing to take him off your hands. It's not like you plan to ever come back to Madripoor anyway, so he'd never have to worry about seeing you again; a total win for him.

The good news is you get a lead from Selby: a man named Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the one making super soldier serum. The bad news? She refuses to say where you can find him, not even willingly to mention if he's in Madripoor. The worst news? Sam forgot one of the biggest rules to undercover missions: turning off your damn phone.

It's at this point that your facades begin to unravel like a cat's favorite ball of yarn. Based on the way Sam looks around the room nervously, you can tell it isn't a scam call or wrong number, yet there's nothing any of you can do for him once Selby demands he answer it on speaker phone. Despite his desperate attempts to maintain his role as Smiling Tiger, the woman on the other end doesn't get the hint, stubbornly remaining on line until delivering the final blow by referring to him by name.

"'Sam'? Who's 'Sam'?" Selby becomes enraged immediately, "Kill them -!"

Almost as soon as those words left her mouth, a bullet came crashing through the window, hitting Selby from behind and causing her to fall limp onto the ground. From there, you're only allowed a brief moment of surprise before a fight ensues.

Thankfully unlike the bar downstairs where there would've been a gun pointing at you from every direction, there are only two armed guards in this private room who are slow to react. Bucky and Sam easily knock them out while taking their guns for themselves which is enough of a threat for everyone else to flee without causing any further trouble, although that doesn't necessarily save any of you from this new situation you've landed yourselves in.

"We have a real problem now," Zemo complains, yet his behavior comes across as being no more inconvenienced than he would be if someone spit in his tea, "Leave your weapons and follow my lead."

You wish you could be as calm, too - which is the first and only time you'll be jealous of Zemo for something. Sure, you can act calm, but to truly be it is another talent. It doesn't matter how straight your expression is nor how casual you try to walk while still being swift on your feet; you feel like a deer walking through a shooting range the second you step onto the streets, senses heightened as you wait for any sign of danger directed your way.

You don't have to wait long. The lights of the street suddenly flash off, leaving you blinded by darkness soon disrupted by a flurry of gunshots aimed at your group. It's complete chaos after that. There’s no uniformed or planned attack like what you're used to. It's a city of criminals governed by no leadership or morals, only their own selfish interests in mind.

There's gunshots to your left and gunshots to your right. People screaming as they run for cover, people shouting as they chase after you through the many streets and allies. Now, you haven't been to the gym in months - Alright, maybe years, but practiced exercise is nothing compared to pure adrenaline. The mere thought of your life being on the line as motorcycles roar somewhere close by serves as the perfect motivator for your legs to keep moving, chasing directly behind Bucky who likely has no idea where he's going, but anywhere is better than stopping to ask for directions.

Your pace only slows when coming around another corner, at which point you foolishly duck upon hearing two more gunshots fired from somewhere ahead. When you don't feel the force of any bullets ripping through your body, you turn around to see the motorcycle drivers both hunched over lifeless.

“Well, this is too perfect,” A voice comes as a woman steps out of the foggy darkness, only removing a hand from her gun briefly to pull down her hood which reveals her face to the rest of you. If it weren’t for your excellent memory, you likely would’ve had a harder time recognizing her as Sharon Carter, someone you’ve only met once and under far different circumstances, but she’s an ally nonetheless.

This would be the point where you sigh if not for still trying to catch your breath and steady your nerves.

You're grateful for the opportunity to finally switch out of this stupid disguise you've been forced to wear all night and pleased to see Sharon has offered quite the selection of new outfits to choose from, although most look far too fancy for your taste, particularly the ones drenched in glitter. Not wanting to look like a walking disco ball, you pick something comfortable yet pretty and, most importantly, suitable for action since you highly doubt your game of dodging bullets is over just yet.

Glancing around to check on everyone else, you notice they all seem to be doing their own thing. Sam's trying to find his own change of clothes from the rack, Zemo's currently helping himself to Sharon's alcohol collection, and Bucky has simply plopped down on the couch with back turned to the rest of you (brooding, as you would assume).

"Is there someplace I can change?" You ask Sharon once she returns. She tosses her coat onto the couch next to Bucky and spares you a quick look as she passes by.

"What? Can't change here?" While her tone may have been teasing, that smirk on her face makes you question if she's truly joking, however you certainly aren't.

You'll confess that you've changed in the same room as Bucky before, however you'd also argue that the circumstances were very different then. To him, you had been roommates for so long that it didn't seem like a big deal to switch shirts or sleep in only boxers in your presence. To you...Well, you've always known that you had both done a little more than simply 'change' in front of each other in the 40s, so why be embarrassed about your roommate-once--fiancé catching a sneak peek?

The point is, while you're comfortable around Bucky, that doesn't apply to anyone else in this room. Sam's a friend you barely know, Sharon's a person you don't know, and Zemo's a liability you'd have to strangle if he so much as thought of saying anything remotely inappropriate.

"I'd rather have privacy."

Sharon rolls her eyes with a scoffed laugh, "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind. You've never seemed that shy around men before."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Your voice alone warns her to answer carefully as does your irked expression, yet she still turns away from you with a careless shrug.

"It's just that you come across as someone who likes attention, that's all. What, with you going from Rogers, Barnes, Stark then Barnes again; you sure get around, but hey, props to you for having fun with your life, I guess."

"You know there's this thing called 'friends', right?" Sam interjects, unable to himself. He knows you all desperately need Sharon's help in finding Dr. Nagel, but he has trouble biting back the offense he takes on your behalf from her unwarranted comments.

For better or for worse, she isn't fazed by Sam's disapproval, instead responding sarcastically to it, "Really? Never heard of it."

"Like that isn't obvious," You roll your eyes then land them on Bucky who unlike Sam doesn't bother to show an ounce of concern for how Sharon's treating you, his back remaining completely turned to the problem.

Although his silence has been bothering you this whole time, you must say it especially stings right now. You understand that he's mad, but so much so that he isn't even willingly to say a single word in your defense? That he's just going to sit there and let her basically call you a whore? He knows the truth, all he has to do is say it. Who cares if it actually shuts Sharon up? At least he'd look like a decent gentleman by attempting to protect your honor instead of a total asshole wordlessly supporting her point!

Looking back at Sharon, you match her crossed arms and pair them with a disinterested stare, "I know you're bitter and shit about Steve leaving you for your aunt, but that doesn't involve me, so if you're that desperate to lift your ego, I suggest picking up a hobby or - better yet - moving on instead of pissing me off which I will only warn you once is a dangerous game to play.

"I'm sure you'll be pleased to know Barnes and I - we're nothing; not even friends. The sole reason why I'm right now is because Sam, a friend, asked nicely and I, for one, don't want anyone dragging the name of super soldiers through the mud; personally, I don't think Steve's legacy deserves that. Now is there somewhere I can change or not?"

Despite the bite behind your words, Sharon appears more impressed than offended or sorry as she nods her head towards the hallway, "There's a bathroom down the hall, three doors to your right."

"...Thanks," You brush past her with your clothes in hand, more convinced than ever that you'll never step foot in Madripoor again after this even if the rest of the world were to be on fire.

Seconds after you disappear through the glass doors, Bucky turns to send a glare Sharon's way, "What the hell was that?"

"What? ...Oh, come on! Did I really hit that deep of a nerve? I thought for Avengers, you'd all have thicker skin," Sharon's attempt at innocence crumbles under Bucky and Sam's intense glares, yet she merely sighs in frustration before going to pour herself a glass of alcohol over where Zemo's been watching the whole scene unfold while sipping his brandy in amusement.

"I highly doubt I'm the only one who finds it a little suspicious that someone who stuck their neck out for the Winter Soldier and Captain America was entirely forgiven when rich boy Tony Stark cried out in their favor only to conveniently fall right back into their former lover's arms after his death. I mean, last I saw they were practically your little lap dog seven years ago and honestly, I can't say it seems much has changed once Stark got out of the way."

Sharon finishes her little rant by collapsing on the opposite side of the couch as Bucky who shakes his head in disbelief, "Wow, you're kind of awful now, aren't you?"

"Look, Sharon. I'm sorry for everything that happened. I'm sorry no one ever called -" Sam starts.

"- You make it sound like it was just a missed date or something -"

"- I know that it seems like (Y/n) got off easy compared to the crap you've had to put up with after helping us, but it's not their fault how things ended. Stark was there to stand up for them while no one was there for you, so don't blame them, blame me. I should've called, but after the Blip, it was chaos and I -"

"- Oh, save your breath," Sharon shakes her head, looking back at Sam from over the edge of the couch, "...You know all this hero stuff is just bullshit, right? Deep down, you know it's all hypocrisy and that's why you gave up the shield."

"He knows, just not that deep down," Zemo asserts from the corner of the room, however Sam himself can't seem to say anything, only able to remain quiet while wishing he had your talent for snapping back. He wants to say something to disprove Sharon's allegations, yet he instead hands her the win with his silence, allowing her to go back to finishing her drink just in time for you to return, clearly still irritated and too much so to question whether the dim energy of this room is from your past conversation or a new one.

"Alright, so what's the plan? How are we finding this Dr. Nagel, hmm?" You get right to business, not even bothering to act cheerful or excited as you normally would; your will to do so for everyone else's sake is officially run dry.

"Are you guys still sure you want to get involved in this?" For once, Sharon doesn't show much confidence, in fact you would even say she sounds genuinely concerned as she sets her empty glass on the table, "For your own safety, I'd recommend that you don't. Nagel works for the Power Broker who, might I remind you, you're already in deep shit against after what happened with Selby."

"Free range super soldiers being produced under the management of a criminal empire? Yeah, for the safety of the world, I'd say backing down isn't really an option here," You argue, half surprised Sharon doesn't have some smartass comment to swing back at you which proves that while she might be a pain to deal with, she at least isn't stupid.

"To do this we need your help, Sharon. We can get your name cleared -" Sam adds.

"- Heh. Haggling with my life now, are we?"

"Not like that -"

"- Mmm, I don't buy it - you pretending to clear my name as your bargaining chip?"

"I can try," Sam walks around the couch, standing in front of Sharon with a hand outstretched towards her, "It's not impossible, after all, they already cleared the name of a bionic staring machine after he killed almost everyone he met -"

"- I heard that -"

"- I don't trust charity."

"It's not really 'charity'," You sit on an armchair and shrug when Sharon's glances around Sam at you, "Charity is the act of voluntary giving. We're not just 'giving' you anything, we're offering an exchange. You help us find Nagel, Sam here gets your name cleared. Can't be that hard. The government's views change like a flip of a dime. Catch 'em at a desperate time of need and they'll be more willing to pardon you for your help in the cause."

"...Nice to see someone here admits to seeing the hypocrisy of it all," Sharon inhales and exhales deeply, her words causing you to raise an eyebrow in confusion after having missed the context to them earlier. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter as she finally shakes Sam's hand and stands to her feet, "I sell to some pretty connected people, so just lay low, stay out of trouble, and enjoy the party while I see what I can do."

You're not a fan of crowds, but at least this suffocating party beats being cornered in a bar full of hostile, armed patrons. Here everything is more laid back, similar to any noncriminal run club. The music is blaring, lights flashing, and ground vibrating as guests dance to their hearts' content. All you have to do now is just look like you're equally enjoying yourself for a few hours which is significantly easier than your previous role as 'silent assistant'.

Leaned against a wall, your laughter becomes comparable to the booming of the bass and is contagious within the group of party goers standing around you. You just gotta keep this up - keep engaging in a few more conversations, tell a couple of funny jokes while downing a drink or two along the way, and soon that annoying, nagging voice inside your head will finally go mute, allowing you to sink deeper and deeper into your game of intoxicating pretend.

"Hey -!" You're suddenly pulled away from your new group of friends when Bucky grabs your arm, quite literally tugging your attention from them to him. While he's technically successful, you're hardly amused, immediately ripping your arm away from him with a glare and another swig of your drink.

"- What?"

Bucky, who was going to say something else, becomes distracted when his eyes flicker down to your half-empty bottle, "...Don't you think you've had enough?"

You huff, bringing the bottle back up to your lips while maintaining your glare, "I'm not going to get drunk if that's what you're worried about. I'm able to handle my liquor quite well, thank you very much. It's in my blood, after all."

Bucky sighs, half tempted to rip that bottle away from your stubborn hand, however he refrains from the urge.

"...Have you heard anything from Sharon yet?" Your question echoes within the glass as you survey the active party around you both.

"No. Last I heard, she's still talking to her 'connections'."

"Well hopefullyshe starts speeding things up. It's been a long enough night already," You'd blame it on exhaustion fogging up your mind, but in truth, it's probably the relief from Bucky's finally talking to you which seems to take some weight off of your shoulders, allowing you to relax and speak more freely in his presences - to be more like yourself unlike how you've been behaving around those other party goers...however you shouldn't have been so trusting to this feeling.

"Then you should go rest."

"Not until we find Nagel."

Bucky pauses, not even looking at you as he just stares at some other far off place in the room, "...I think you should stay here while we go talk to Nagel ourselves."

"There's no point in that," You sigh, "I came here to help you guys, not stand on the sidelines."

"It wasn't a suggestion."

"What?" You return your glare to him once more.

"It's not necessary for all of us to go. We don't need five people -"

"- Does my presence add that much to the equation? Three people is fine, but four's a crowd? In that case, why not have Sharon stay behind? She's the tag-along...Or is it just me?"

"It...It has nothing to do with you, okay? I just think -" Bullshit. He acts as if your accusation is nothing short of ridiculous yet never looks directly at you longer than an impatient glance. It is you.

"- Here's an idea: how about you just pretend I'm not there, yeah?" You put your free hand on your hip, feeling your blood begin to boil the more his words sink into your skin, "I mean, that's what you've been doing this whole time and you seem to have gotten pretty damn good at it, I'd say, so I doubt it'll kill you to do for a few extra hours."

Bucky inhales deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose, "...Look, we've already run into trouble and barely got out of it just searching for Nagel. Actually talking to him is going to be dangerous."

"Alright? And your point is?"

"You're at the most risk out of all of us. You don't have any formal training, you don't have any powers. Just - Come on and be reasonable. You'll only get yourself hurt -!"

"'Be reasonable'?" You can't help but laugh with a shake of your head, "I am being reasonable! In case you've forgotten, I protected your ass for two whole years and helped the Avengers fight Thanos twice! That's not even mentioning the shit I went through against HYDRA, either! For fucks sake, I've been shot at before, so training or not, the fear of dying isn't new for me!"

Your fury falters and you immediately regret your choice of words once noticing Bucky's reaction to them. Almost as soon as they're said, his expression becomes shattered and mournful, and a part of you instantly feels terrible seeing that, yet at the same time, your lingering anger - still fueled by your inner, unresolved pain - prevents you from outright apologizing.

"...You're a liability if you go..."

You grip your bottle, almost wishing it would just shatter in your hands to emphasize what you're feeling right now. Maybe then you'd have an excuse to cry in front of so many people - people who would definitely raise eyebrows if you were to completely lash out right now and confront Bucky with every swirling thought that's been burning hotter on your tongue following each drop of alcohol: 'What am I doing wrong? Why are you treating me like this? How come you don't love me anymore? Can't you see that it's drowning me?

You take a deep breath, calming yourself down a little before opening your eyes to look back up at Bucky with a false smile, "...You know what? Suuure. I'll stay behind. Whatever makes you happy, you fucking asshole!"

After spitting those final venomous words, you shove pass him roughly and storm off into the crowd, no longer caring if anyone heard your little 'lover's quarrel', as they probably all see it as. You have no idea where you're going or what you'll even do in the meantime, but Sharon's house seems big enough, so you're sure you'll have no problem finding someplace quiet to soak in all your self-pity.

Bucky almost calls after you, requiring every ounce of willpower not to chase you and give an apology, but what would that actually accomplish if he did? 'Sorry I hurt your feelings, but I'm still not changing my mind because I stand by what I said'...As if that would fix anything.

Maybe this is for the best, at least that's what he tries to convince himself throughout each second that his guilt eats away at him. For the price of hurting you, you won't be in danger if things go south talking to Nagel. Perhaps you'll even want to go home after this and you'll never have to be at risk because of any of this stuff again. Sure, you'll hate him as you probably do now, but if that's what it takes for you to be alive, then it's worth it.

...It'll be worth this heartache, won't it?

NEXT CHAPTER ->

<- PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Taglist:

@arunabrak,

[snowflakeanimelover]

So uhm I have a request for Spicytober. Could you please write a Kawaki x reader (fem) based on the prompt "I'd rather get you instead of candy" buuut if you don't mind can you change 'candy' into 'taiyaki' because it's his favorite 🥺 (tho ofc it's fine if you don't). I kinda wanna see reader get flustered because it's veeeery unusual of Kawaki to like something else other than taiyaki 😆 N e wayyy the genre is fluff and both Kawaki and reader are members of Team 7 and in their present age in Boruto. Thanksssss 🥰

Of course! I’m gonna be honest, the little bit I’ve seen of Boruto, Kawaki is my favorite lol. I’m sorry, I would change candy into teriyaki but then it won't be Halloween based very much…I hope you will still like it! :) Oh, and sorry the ending is so cheesy lol

Spicytober Event!

Topic: Candy

Prompt: “I’d rather get you instead of candy.”

Relationship: Kawaki x Female Reader

Fandom: Boruto

Warnings: Fluff :), cute, friends to lovers kinda trope

— — — —

“You can’t be serious.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on my friend's face. I would’ve fallen backwards if it weren’t for Kawaki’s quick movements at grabbing a hold of my back, and pushing me back up. I coughed for a bit since I choked on a bit of my own saliva. Once I cleared my throat, I looked over at Kawaki.

“What are you laughing at?”

I cover my mouth, making sure not to burst out into laughter again. “Your face! It was really funny.” My voice was muffled behind my hand, but he still understood it.

“Whatever. I’m not dressing up.”

“What?! Come on, you have to do it with me! Friends do everything together!” I argue.

“You go to the bathroom without me.” He calmly replies.

I gawk at his words. “Obviously. You’re not a girl.” My lips turn into a pout at him. “Come on, please?”

He shakes his head. “I said no. I’ll go trick or treating with you, but I won’t dress up.”

Knowing for sure I wouldn’t be able to get through to him, I decided to give up. I let out a loud groan, admitting defeat. “Fine. At least you’ll go with me.”

— — —

After the third time, my parents called for me from downstairs, I jump down in excitement in my costume. “Alright, I’m ready!”

For a split second, his eyes widened as his eyes wandered over my costume. Quickly, he avoids eye contact, a dust of pink covering his cheeks. “Finally. Took you long enough.”

“Oh, shut it.” I giggle, hooking my arm with his and rushing out the door. The sun has already switched places with the moon, the stars, and street lights being the only light for people to see where they were going. I couldn’t help my excitement, my feet skipping down the sidewalk while I hummed a happy toon.

“Why are you so excited?”

“And you’re not? How can you not be excited to get candy?” I call over my shoulder since he was a couple of feet behind me.

Kawaki mumbled something in return, but I was too far away to hear. I stop my skipping, twirling around to face him. “What? I didn’t hear you.”

He was now a step in front of me, his cheeks becoming pink once again. “N-nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, come on! What did you say?” I lazily punch his chest, the candy bag crinkling as it was held in that hand. 

He was silent for a few seconds. His lips open apart as if he were to say something, his eyes darting away from mine before he let out a sound. “I said…I’d rather have you then candy.” 

I was so close to missing it once again. His voice was so quiet, but I heard it as clear as day. I didn’t know what to say to that. My mouth opened and closed like a fish. The heat on my cheeks started to rise as I sputtered for a reply.

“U-um…wow.” I finally say. “B-but…don’t you like tariyaki more than anything?” I shyly ask, my fingers playign witht he bag in my hand. 

“Way to make this situation awkward, (Y/N)!” He shouts, face palming his forehead. 

“Just answer the question!” I yell back.

For the first time tha tday, our eyes met. The intensity and determination in them were astonishing. “It’s like I said, I prefer you…”

I stumbled back a bit. I tried to cover my warm cheeks with my hands, looking away from him. “I…I don’t know what to say…”

His warm hands grasp my wrists. He pulled them away from my face, both of our faces a bright shade of pink. “Don’t…hide from me.” He says gently. “I just…I guess now is the right time to say it, huh. I really like you, (Y/N).”

I tried my best not to look away in embarrassment. “I like you too, Kawaki.” I smile at him, warmth spreading through my body at this situation. It was certainly a relief to tell him my feelings.

[myths-tournaments]

Awful Characters Round 1 Part 2 (3/8)

Propaganda under the cut!

SANDER COHEN

In the novel, he made a guy fuck an octopus. Yes. A literal octopus. He also tortured people with his great “pal” by first doing stuff like burning their bodies and then freezing them to see their faces. Also he just, plastered in bodies. He also helped with a child trafficking ring that was one of the main sources that caused little orphaned girls to become little sisters. Bro took be gay and do crime but didn’t so silly things like, rob a bank, become a mafia member. His crimes would made it so they would’ve invented a new form a punishment for him. Believe it or not, the only reason he was never punished was because he was in a city underwater the whole time. Why do I like this horrid man? I don’t know. I just do. Maybe because he has one of the best stages in bioshock.

ZABUZA

He is a super cool and skilled fighter. I love his relationship with Haku (platonically in canon, nothing else is stated at least, Haku is like 15 years old and Zabuza is 26 y.o., fandom can be quite nasty about the Zabuza & Haku topic, no matter what one says or what ones head-canons are) He has a badass big giant sword. He has a cool design and outfits. I like that his mask is basically just bandages, and sometimes he wears cow pattern! A grown-up man who unironically wears visible cow patterns! Gotta love it! His techniques are also pretty cool. He uses water elements. I love water! He can conjure up fog and envelop the wider area around him in thick mist. He has also water attacks like water dragon bullets or waterfalls. He can conjure clones of himself from water and make prisons of water were he can keep enemies. Zabuza's academy were he trained to be a ninja made death matches to determine capable fighters. After killing hundreds of fellow students, he was, yes, the most capable fighter (after that they stopped this practice). He became known as the Demon of the Hidden Mist (Hidden Mist is the name of his village). He was against the government of his village and wanted to fight against it, unfortunately he was betrayed by his fellow fighters D: He had to flee from the village, during which he met a boy, Haku, who became parentless because of the turmoil. At first Zabuza did not want to have anything to do with him, but Haku somehow stuck to him. He then trained the boy to become a mercenary like him. After all these events, Zabuza's life spiralled downhill and he lost the focus and his big dreams. In the end, the boy Zabuza had half-raised was not only a weapon for him, but the person closest and most important to him and Zabuza was allowed to die next to him (Haku died before Zabuza to protect Zabuza).

[perestroikan]

Watching Luca (2021) in movie theaters, 3 years after its initial release really invoked something in me.

When I was originally into the movie, it was a year after quarantine and so many shifts and changes were happening not only in my life, but in the world. This movie was there for me, and so was the fandom and the friends I made through it.

Now, I’m 18 and graduating school which felt like it was eons away when I was a huge fan of this movie.

I had forgotten some moments that still caught me by surprise years later. It was refreshing to meet these characters that held such importance to me once again after so many years in an empty movie theater. I think past me would’ve paid attention to every line, every motion, eye movement, and other details during the movie and made some tweet freaking out about it.

Now I get to have the pleasure to watch it for what it is, a kids movie.

The movie presents such a simple theme, exploring the unknown in life. The characters explore life on the surface, having never experienced anything of the sorts. It made me realize how much I had been taking for granted in life. Walking with the ground underneath my feet, tasting my favorite foods, learning about how the Earth spins, and having a family who supports my aspirations. I will now have a reminder in the back of my mind every time I find myself enjoying the simple aspects of life to not take them for granted.

However, another seemingly “simple” theme Luca presents is the theme of friendship. Luca Paguro only has two friends during this entire film, yet so much conflict emerges from this. What seems to be a simple task, to have one friend by your side, proves to be difficult even for kids. Luca and Alberto fight about what they want to get out of life, and conclude that it is impossible to be friends when you are too different from each other.

Surprisingly, the aftermath of the fight did not move me to tears or sadden me. (Don’t get me wrong, my jaw was open when Luca called Alberto a sea monster) I could relate to these kids, sometimes it’s hard to be friends with people who think too differently from you. I could find parts of myself in their positions countless times throughout my life. I would be like Luca, trying to physically do actions to ignite an alliance again. Or on the other hand, I’d be Alberto and blame myself for everything and not attempt to make amends by isolating myself.

Yet, the part that really moved me was when Alberto went back for Luca, who was pushing through the race to prove his loyalty to Alberto. Despite their several disputes, they’re still on each other’s sides. Despite their differences, they still love each other so much to the extent they’d endanger themselves for each other. Despite everything, they still would do anything for one another.

And as displayed in this dramatic gif above, they’d even leave each other for the other to be happy. It is clear throughout the movie Alberto has trouble detaching from Luca and has gone through a very dramatic event in his life regarding his dad abandoning him. Yet in the span of what I’m assuming is two weeks, Alberto meets Luca and his world is changed. He grows as a person, and learns to let the people he loves move away from him.

While one could argue Giulia’s dad is now Alberto’s new father, I’d still like to think Luca had such an affect on Alberto that he helped heal Alberto. This kid he just met had such a hold on him, he learned to be better because of his love for him.

The movie ends with a bittersweet finale. Luca moves away to the big city, attending school with his new friend Giulia to nourish his curiosity and new found love for learning. Alberto stays with Giulia’s dad in Portorosso, becoming a fisherman with him and enjoying the new routine to his life. They live separate lives without each other being there, but still find ways to include each other in their routines. They write letters, describe their new discoveries, and send gifts to each other. They find happiness in this settlement and anticipate the next time they can see each other.

When I left the movie theater and stood waiting for my ride outside in the wind, I felt like a hole had just opened in my chest.

I watched the branches and leaves shake in the wind, just like they did in the movie. I watched people walk by just like they did in the movie. Yet, there was some sort of feeling of envy in me.

I understood the movie’s themes, I understood I should be grateful, I understood it’s hard to navigate relationships. Yet, I was so jealous of these fictional characters getting to walk away with people who loved them so deeply. Something as simple as getting a rusty bike for their friend after winning a kid’s race made me feel so envious. I wanted the chance to prove my love for someone like that or to be the one receiving such admiration.

The last time I watched this movie being 3 years ago, nothing has changed between then and now. I still haven’t found my Luca or Alberto.

And I know, it sounds like I have no friends or I’m not thankful for them. I do have friends and I am extremely grateful for them, but it’s only once in a lifetime are you going to find someone who connects with you as much as those two did. Someone who heals you the way those two did. Someone who stays by your side, no matter your differences ,the way those two did. I’d hate to rush something like that, but I’ve been waiting for the past 3 years for someone to see me the way they saw each other.

Of course, the whole gay-sea monster identity parallel definitely comes into play here. But instead of having someone there to love your identity and understand you, it feels like I’m wanted dead for $300,000 dollars for who I am, like they were at the start of the movie. And also, the city’s population is the population of America.

Although I have been dragging my old age through out this sad movie review/diary entry, I am 18! I am graduating! I will be able to explore a new and different surface above the water that is college without anyone knowing my real identity. I’ll discover new things about the world and myself without anyone holding me back.

Though, I know I cannot rush these things and I won’t find my person the first day of college. I’ll have to wait patiently and trust that destiny connects me with the person I need at the time I’ll need them most.

However, a part of me hopes that one day, I’ll be able watch this movie with my own Luca or Alberto by my side.

OVERALL? GREAT MOVIE! 10/10 I LOVE GAY PEOPLE!

[problems-with-botsandcons]

Finally gonna say my piece on how feel about a certain character from IDW 1, mainly for MTMTE and TLL.

It’s not okay the treatment of Getaway and how his character is now treated by the whole fandom/fanon to the point where it becomes uncomfortable for me to share that I like them.

This may be a long post so all my thoughts will be down below.

Warning for mentions of NSFW content and mentions of abuse/trauma

So right off the bat, the fandom’s treatment honestly makes me mad and so fucking uncomfortable that it has made me question if I should even bring this all up. How Getaway went from an MTO, which is basically a cybertronian's version of a child soldier, who struggled with the fact that the person responsible for his creation and trauma was not only NOT punished for their crimes, aka Megatron the genocidal warlord who nearly wiped out his whole race, with a slap on the wrist. A mech who was angry, a mech who was hurting, and not everyone on the ship agreed on giving Megatron a chance. Some of the mechs fought against Megatron’s army, most likely losing people they cared about or just the fact they may also have trauma but nothing as serious because they’re much older then Getaway.

But then his character was turned into a one-note, blood crazy, villain because of two things:

- shipping (tailgate/getaway and cyclonus/tailgate)

- because people agreed that Getawat was right about Megatron, with not only a majority of The Lost Light agreeing but the audience as well

The shipping is obviously a major point of how people view Getaway for manipulating Tailgate into trying to get Megs to nearly kill him. I can protest that it was indeed wrong but giving him small slide, a very tiny one, he might have thought that Tailgate could survive but even then he would’ve been in trouble. I get it, Tailgate is a sweet but naive character that people can't see him with an abusive character like Getaway.

Now to state, I came late into MTMTE and haven't read issues 40 and onwards.

But I can state wholeheartedly that what Getaway got as a punishment was fucking extreme that one would think he was a war criminal. He had his arms, legs, jaw, and voice box removed and was put into a device similar to what Overlord was placed in earlier in the comic’s run.

Sure, he nearly got Tailgate killed but one has to think that MAYBE the punishment was a bit too far.

Now then the shipping can sometimes be the toxic part of a fandom, I get it. I want to state I have no problems with the fandoms’ shipping of Cyclonus/Tailgate since it’s one of the popular ships. Shipping is usually one of the main forces for drama and this is one of them.

But now comes the part that makes my blood boil:

Getaway has his character assassinated then has said character reanimated into a zombie for their creator to control.

Now his character is portrayed as an abuser, a manipulator, or a straight up the most evilest being in IDW, and now Transformers in general, when there are more characters that are deserving of that. Can’t even look towards ao3 for him because it always one or more of these things below:

- abusive and manipulative partner

- rapist

- just pure evil

Getaway had depth to him just like every other character but as soon as it was hinted that Tailgate, whose a fan favorite during MTMTE and TLL, was in danger people were unsure how to feel about Getaway.

I’m also aware that the deal with IDW and Hasbro was slowly ending so the stories had to be wrapped up. So they just had to make him one note. They didn’t have enough time but they could have tired.

I’m gonna end this all off here.

I just want to see content that isn’t just ‘GeTaWaY iS pUrE eViL’ or ‘GeTaWaY tHe AbUsIvE PaRtNeR’ or some other crap.

Because people avoid talking about Getaway after his character was assassinated. People who are fans of him I don’t see speak about him or if they do it can rarely find them.

But I’ve been aware that a of lot people are starting to speak out about Getaway’s mistreatment in the fandom. Which is better than having to stay quiet.

[fyeahbachisagi]

Why Showing Bachira’s Flashback in Episode 2 is a Good Thing + Some Manga Hints on Bachira’s Backstory

【this post contains Blue Lock manga spoilers】

Edit (Dec. 11, 2022): This post is very outdated now and needs to be updated.

Manga readers were in for a big surprise when they saw a flashback scene from chapter 70 being animated very early on. I myself was just as surprised.

But initial shock aside, I found the early addition of the flashback a good thing, and I commend the studio for doing it.

For context, I joined the fandom only recently and just caught up to the manga last week, so the manga is still very fresh in my mind. In the manga, most scenes are in Isagi’s point of view, and we won’t get to know more about a character until it’s their arc.

This is why when it was time for Bachira’s backstory, I was actually quite overwhelmed and taken aback to see just how deep Bachira’s affections run for Isagi (and you don’t even have to interpret that romantically). Up until then, I’ve always viewed him as a happy-go-lucky guy who just likes to stick to Isagi a lot. Who would’ve thought that underneath his sunshine exterior was an insecure guy who was very afraid of being left alone.

I actually went back to the earlier chapters just to see hints of this. Heavy developments must be foreshadowed, after all. And to my surprise, there were actually indications of this, but it’s very subtle that you have to know what you’re looking for to find them.

Here’s one from Chapter 43. In forming teams for the second stage of the Second Selection, he automatically includes Isagi into his team without even asking for his opinion.

If it were just this, then one could easily brush it as just the thing that friends do where you don’t even have to ask coz it’s considered a matter of course.

But then we have this:

When Nagi asked Isagi to join his team, we see Bachira’s panel in a dark lighting while everyone else’s remain bright. [Edit: This turned out to be something that's only found on the fan translation. In the official translation, all panels are lit the same. The image above has been changed to show the official one.]

And in the next panel, we actually see Bachira worried:

And although Isagi chose to be with him, Bachira’s smile doesn’t look so happy. It even looks forced... Because he knows.

He knows Isagi would want to team with a powerful player like Nagi:

Edit: Okay, the one above turned out to also be from the fan tl. In the official one, instead of Bachira saying "Figured," he just says "Totally."

There are more hints in even earlier chapters. For instance, the scene from Chapter 3 that got included in episode 2:

The manga version of the scene is very tepid, though. (Oh my god, Rin’s favorite word is now also becoming my favorite.) Unless you’re reading immersively and not just scanning through the dialogue to get the plot, then you can hardly feel its impact.

Whereas, in the anime version, it feels more meaningful: The sudden silence in the background and Bachira putting away his smile and looking serious... it tells the viewer that what he’s saying is important.

Several more hints can be found in the manga, but to keep this post short, let me just get to the point now:

Bachira is a very important character, probably only second to Isagi. But for such an important character, we hardly knew anything about him beyond being that "cute guy with a crazy side and who makes metaphors about monsters and stuff" until almost the end of the Second Selection arc. Once animated, anime-only's would be quick to dismiss him as just another stereotypical "crazy" character.

But by showing Bachira's flashback in episode 2, and even going so far as to animate the Monster itself, the anime is sending a message that there's more to Bachira than a stereotype.

The scene above speaks volumes. We have this kid not getting along with his teammates, gave the enemy team an advantage by losing the ball, and then he's even seeing things that other people can't. He surely hasn't been living well

And shortly after this scene is him telling Isagi how glad he was to have come to Blue Lock since he could meet him.

From all these, we are already given the impression that this guy is lonely. This guy is weird and crazy, and nobody wants to play with him. But then comes Isagi.

The anime is already setting up for Bachira's arc this early on, and I think they're doing a better job at it than the manga.