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wolfjackle-creates · 1 year

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Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 16

Happy WIP Wednesday everyone! Sorry I missed last week, but I think I should be good to get back on track going forward. Finished making most of the baby things I want to make for my soon-to-be nephew, so I'll be able to spend more time writing than crocheting again.

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.4k

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An hour later, all eight of them were ensconced in the theater in Sam’s basement with a few pizzas and salads spread around them. Wulf again refused any and the rest dug in.

“All right, Tuck, we need to figure out what Walker’s up to. Can you ask Wulf?”

Tim watched as Tucker asked and Wulf responded. Then Tucker burst out laughing and slapped his knee.

Tim’s eyes narrowed. He wouldn’t.

Sam scoffed. “You have no idea what he said, do you?”

“Not a clue,” Tucker admitted.

Tim groaned.

Bart cocked his head. “Give me five minutes, I’ll be right back!”

Before Danny could even finish asking, “Where are you going?” Bart was gone.

Conner grabbed another slice of pizza and said, “He’s off to learn Esperanto. Hang tight and he’ll be right back.”

“How can he learn a language so fast?” asked Sam.

Tim swallowed. “He’s a speedster. His normal is faster than our brains can comprehend. He slows himself down so he can interact with us mere mortals. He’ll be back.”

Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, Bart was back among them. He repeated Tucker’s question. This time, when Wulf responded, the ghost was understood.

“So, Walker is pissed at Danny,” translated Bart. “And he totally wants to ruin your entire life and drag you back to his prison in the ghost zone. Apparently he and his guards are overshadowing a bunch of the people you’re close to in the town to trap you in their web of lies.”

Danny groaned and buried his face in his hands. “How do I fight against that? I can’t just soup them all! I don’t even know who all is overshadowed!”

Cassie butt in then. “We know some of them. Dash and your classmates are definitely overshadowed.”

“Your reputation improved thanks to the other night,” commented Conner. “That might help mitigate Walker’s plans.”

“Doubt it,” said Danny. “Most people think I’m a menace. One night of good publicity won’t turn them around. Especially not with my parents there to dirty my name.”

“Let’s prepare a press release,” suggested Tim. “I bet the Young Justice team could get themselves on the local news. And if we speak up for you, it might help.”

Danny exchanged looks with his two friends. Tucker shrugged, “Couldn’t hurt, dude.”

“Fine,” bit out Danny. “What else?”

Conner looked at Wulf curiously. “Bart, does Wulf know how we can get his collar off?”

“Oooh, good question.” Bart asked, but Wulf shook his head as he answered.

“Will he let me look at it?” asked Tucker.

“I might be able to help, too,” added Tim as he stepped closer and reached out to touch.

Before he could actually touch the collar, though, Wulf snarled at him and jumped back several feet. Tim held up his hands in apology and took a step back himself. “Sorry!”

Bart grinned at him. “He said don’t touch it.”

Tim grimaced and nodded. “Think I got that.”

Tucker was already typing away on one of his devices. “I’m gonna try something. Might help.”

And that’s when Wulf screamed out in pain and fell to the floor clawing at the collar.

“Shit!” shouted Tucker as he rushed forward. He managed to plug his device into a port on the collar. Electricity arced back along the connection, causing Tucker to yelp in pain and drop his PDA.

But a moment later, there was a beep and the collar fell to pieces.

Wulf looked down in shock, then up at all of them. “Mi libras?”

“You’re free, dude,” said Tucker.

Bart added something in Esperanto.

Wulf grinned at them, sharp teeth shining in the light. “Mi libras!” Then he turned and disappeared as he jumped through the wall.

Conner groaned and collapsed backwards. “Jerk couldn’t even stick around long enough to help us after everything we did for him.”

Tim sighed and sat down as well. “Well, we’ll figure it out ourselves. Just like we always do. So, operation Fix Danny’s Reputation. We’ll start with talking to the press. What else?”

“Can we write up op-eds describing what really happened in some of his ghost fights?” asked Cassie. “Set the record straight?”

“What if we make you easier to reach?” added Tim. “Get a number the police or the mayor can reach you at so you can show them you’re willing to work with them instead of just on your own?”

“Do you think that’ll work?” asked Danny.

Tim shrugged. “Worked for Batman. Don’t see why it wouldn’t help you.”

Danny sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“Great,” said Tim. “I’ll send out some emails asking for interviews. And then we can start working on the op-eds. How about we split into three groups, Danny and me in one, the rest of you can split up how we like. Then we can go over the major ghost fights that have happened and write tell-all articles that don’t run the risk of spoiling Danny’s identity.”

Conner shrugged. “Sam, wanna work with me?”

Sam grinned. “You betcha.”

Bart disappeared and reappeared next to Tucker. “Tucker and I will work together, too!”

Cassie moved until she was next to Conner. “I call working with Sam and Kon.”

“Great. Now, Tuck, do you happen to know the best contact info for local reporters?” Tim pulled out his laptop and powered it on as he spoke.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll get it for you.”

Fifteen minutes later, Tim had sent out a dozen emails asking for interviews. As he and Tucker were working, Danny and Sam had gone through which ghost fights would be the best to write about and divided up the attacks between the three groups.

Once he was ready to start on the articles, Tim sat down next to Danny. “So, what are we starting with?”

Danny grinned. “We’re going to go over my first fight. The one with Lunch Lady. She wasn’t bad, but caused a lot of clean up for the school and wasted a lot of resources. Most people still don’t even know that was a ghost attack.”

“Great, let’s get started.”

Tim had heard about most of Danny’s fights before, but being next to him in person definitely made a difference. They were sitting with their arms pressed against each other so they could both see the computer screen and add or delete bits as they went. It was nice.

They’d been working for a few hours when Sam’s parents came down.

“Children!” called her mom.

Tim wasn’t the only one to hide a grimace at the term.

Jeremy Manson continued, “The mayor has instituted a curfew for the city due to all the ghosts. No one is allowed out on the streets after nine PM.”

Pamela Manson giggled. “And it’s nine PM now! So looks like you’ll all be staying here. Tim, dear, be sure to tell your father how seriously we took your safety. I don’t want any of you leaving the house until morning.”

Tim turned on his gala smile. “My dad is in a coma, I’m afraid. But I’ll be sure to tell Bruce just how considerate all the people of Amity have been.”

Jeremy let out a forced laugh. “Of course, our mistake. We wish our best to your father, as well. I hope his prognosis is good?”

Tim blinked at him. “He’s been in a coma for months.”

Pamela giggled again. “Of course, we knew that. Right, dear?” She smacked her husband lightly on the arm.

“Sure did!” he agreed. “Well, I hope to hear news of his miraculous recovery. I’m sure he is getting the best of care.”

“Of course he is,” agreed Tim. “I wouldn’t put up with anything less.”

A few more giggles and well wishes, then Pamela and Jeremy made a hasty retreat.

Once they were alone, Conner looked at him with concern. “Tim—”

“I’m fine, Conner.”

Before anyone else could try and say anything, his email beeped. Tim took the excuse and read it over. The most popular morning radio talk show wanted to have the Young Justice on. Tim grinned.

“We’re getting up early, guys. Radio interview at six AM.”

Cassie laughed. “I can do that, can you?”

Tim shrugged. “I just won’t go to sleep. Easier to stay up that late than drag myself out of bed that early.”

Conner shook his head. “You and your family are insane, Rob.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get back to work.”

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This is where I definitely go off the rails of what happened in the show. But that's half the fun of an AU! Hope you like it.

I no longer tag for this fic, but if you want to be notified of updates, please check out the Subscription Post.

Scroll down to the next post on my blog to see the really cool birthday comic @stealingyourbones made for me!

#dpxdc #tim drake #danny fenton #will they be able to repair danny's rep before walker enacts his plan?#wait and find out!#there absolutely wont be any long term consequences to whats about to happen #nope #none at all #*evil laugh*

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sucrealacreme · 2 months

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Supe Busters - Soldier Boy x female reader

Chapter one

Summary : Vought has many secrets, project W is one of them. What happens when said project turns against them?

You dealt with supes on the daily. I mean, it was truly your only job. Vought called you a villain, a criminal, Atomeris they called you. A supe who has been brainwashed all of her childhood by both her parents and an anti-supe cult.

They made up fake stories about you. Built a whole new you. You weren’t the kind nurse anymore, no, you were this evil witch who should be burned at the stake according to them.

Each time they called you evil, criminal, an animal, you wanted to cry. You just wanted to help people by bringing justice to those who felt superior to the law. Those who could hurt people without consequences.

Your very first supe was Icy BABY. An ice controlling woman who caused multiple deaths by making huge and shampooing spickes of ice everywhere. Vought said it was to stop a robber, or a murderer, you couldn’t remember what they came up with.

But you knew why she truly did that. She just thought it was fun. Simple as that. The cunt thought it was funny to see inferior beings die so easily. So you did what you had to.

During one night, you and your team of other fucked up supes tracked her down and beat her up down before you did what you do best.

Months ago, you got your hands on compound V. You studied it days and nights to be able to control it. The blue liquid was a weirdo really. It had so many different molecules it took you almost two months to finally crack it's nature. And with it's formula now printed in your brain, you could now separate it from blood. So to put it simply; you could unsupe supes.

And that's exactly what you did to the Elsa wannabe. It was truly a sight for sore eyes to see her try to attack us with her now weak force and speed.

That night wasn’t just to serve justice. No. It was to prove a point, to warn Vought that from now on, their toys weren’t as invicible as they once were.

“Fucking cunt I can tell ya” said the black haired man to Hughie. “Yeah well Soldier Boy did scared the living shit out of him. Can't blame him for running away right?” Butcher looked at him like he grew a second head. The other man started to feel anxious under his hard stare and could feel himself starting to sweat.”The only thing I did was telling him what I would do to him if he wouldn't give us their damn locations” “Oi for fuck's sake. You threatened him to punch a hole where his dick was and to use it like a fleshlight”

“And I meant it” said the tall, green-eyed man before leaving the room to smoke a good ol’ joint.

“We lost our only suspect linked to this shit hole and we have yet to find any like places where those people could be hiding and the both of you are fighting for shit” Hughie was now not only anxieuse but angry at the situation. I mean, they’ve been looking for weeks for those people and the one guy who could have helped them get a connection left in the middle of the night. “He’s gonna act right from now on I can tell you that much.”

“Oh yeah? How do you fucking know Butcher?” said Hughie “It’s either that or he's going back to being the sleeping beauty

waiting for his bloody prince. I'll contain him from now on, like a god damn mommy birdy” Butcher said with his signature smirk

“Your words not mine” said Hughie, pointing at him while leaving the room.

“There was an explosion today at Times Square Ashley. It allegedly happened when two unidentified people attacked our New-York mayor out of nowhere. Many are injured and even worse, there have been fourteen deaths. Now, some say it was a terrorist attack, others some sort of uprising super abled villains. What do you have to say to those people?”

“Well Cameron, we are scared to announce it was in fact some sort of twisted version of supes who caused those deaths and injuries. Now, if supes were included as part of the US military, those tragic events wouldn’t have been. You see, the American government made an atrocious decision three years ago. He decided that supes were just entertainment, and not valuable defense assets. So now we are facing situations like this. Where criminals think they can do whatever they want and not risking anything because well, no ones gonna stop them they’re super abled!”

“That’s tragic Ashley. Now, what can us patriots do to change this situation?”

“Thank you for asking Cameron. Well, you can join the “Supes are our best defence” protest this friday at 2 pm in front of the White House. For our watchers outside of Washington, Vought is ready to give away plane tickets at a low rate price for those who wanna join. We thank you for your support.”

“Thank you Ashley for this strong speech.”

“Alright who did this.” Said Florence, a woman part of your team who could control airwaves like light and sound and all of that.

“I don't think it was any of us Flo, why would we attack the mayor? It's against our own values” Orleta, fastes woman in the world, said with an anxious laugh.

“Oh you think it's all a fucking joke now uh don't ya Orleta? You know, you might be physically fast but mentally you're fucking sl-”

“Alright, alright let's all calm down, I'm sure if someone here did this they had a reason. Now, whoever did this please come forward and explain to us the reasons behind such violent actions” said the group leader, Evangeline. Evangeline was kinda like homelander, minus the maniac part. She wasn't as strong nor as fast as him but she could still fly, laser people and all that. A magnificent woman. She was like a patient leader to all of you. Evangeline used to be a preschool teacher before this whole mess. None of you really know much about her except that. Magnificient, but mysterious.

“As anyone thought that maybe it’s Vought who’s trying to make us look bad once again? I mean they do it all the time and we did in fact get a rise in popularity with the whole Silver man mess…” you said, unsure of your theory. You weren’t sure of it but it would make more sense then one of you to kill innocents. Something you straight up fight agaisnt.

“Yeah I agree now that would be way more plausible then one of us doing it. I mean we kill supes, not civilians” that was Florence. She was your best friend. Together, the both of you could take down 5 supes at the same time. You were one of the deadly duos in the team.

“Yeah exactly, that’s their job not ours,” said Oletra now relieved that everyone calmed down.

“Alright then. It’s settled. It was once again Vought. Like usually.” Evangeline then left the room her heels clicking on her way out.

“We found something,” said Annie entering the living room of her appartment with Hughie.

“Oh thank God cause we lost the guy”

“What guy?”

“You know the with like metal powers and all?” Said Hughie with a nervous smile

“You lost the fucking silver man?” she said, in disbelief that under three hours The Boys could lose such a valuable asset.

“Yeah but you know now we have a new track, yayyyy” the man tried to loosen the tension

“Yeah ok anyway. We think the team, oh what's their name again”

“Illusion?”

“Yeah them, me and Kimiko found one of their guys entering some weird facility. When we entered there was only a locked door. We didn't try to force it open or anything we were only two. They're probably like thousands there.”

“Oh that’s good, that's really good Annie. Butcher's gonna want to Kiss you” said Hughie while laughing and kissing his girlfriend. They finally found something and this time it couldn’t escape.

A/N : So that was it for part 1, hope yall liked it 😊

A/N 2 : So this is the second version. If you saw something else, it's normal I changed à few things 😊

@demodemo909

@weaponxgames

#soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x you #soldier boy #the boys x reader #the boys #jensen ackles

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no-see-um-incorrect · 8 months

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(this idea was from @weepingredwillow I hope I did it justice)

Also, I allude to the headcanon that sweetheart and Sam are siblings

Tender love, And-

Sam and Masc Darlin belated after care

⚠️NSFW Mentioned⚠️bruises⚠️ mentions of past trauma⚠️ angst⚠️

No proofread

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Darlin woke up to the soft morning light shining in their face from the window. They adjusted their eyes to the glow, searching for the face that they usually wake up to…a face that is conspicuously absent.

Then the memories of their conversation with Sam last night came flooding back. He’s at Vincents. helping him with landscaping plans.

He must’ve left before the sun came up. They could stay in bed all day, but. sadly, this was the day where they also had things to do. Darlin rolls over to sit up and is immediately met with an intense sharp pain in their side. “GOD!FuCk-”

Darlin’s POV:

“God that fucking stings!”

I sat up from the bed clutching my side, carefully walking to the mirror. Well doesn’t this bring back memories.

I look in the mirror and lift up my tank top. “Oh shit” a large dark bruise on my side “how the fuck-Oh” the memories of me and Sam escapades last night start coming back to me. We had talked about using a little more force but….he did not push me against the wall that hard. And even if he did my bruises don’t hurt NEARLY this fucking bad. I haven’t felt this bad of pain since-

“Aw shit….i must’ve re-Fucked it up” should’ve listened to Gabe when he told me to drink the milk out of my cereal bowl growing up. “it’ll make your bones stronger!” Who would’ve guessed the old man would be right.

Good going! First time your a little rougher with your mate in bed and ya fucked it up by getting hurt. I sit back down on the bed, wincing at the pain from grabbing my phone off the nightstand.

“Healershealershealershealers” I scroll through my phone contacts. Cursing myself for not learning healing magic like Marie was always wanting me and Milo to do. Then I see my saving grace

invis-bitch

Given how close they are to Sam it’s not my best option, but better than an earful from Marie. I dial the number and put it on speakerphone.

“investigator Greer speaking” “investigator Greer~ is this some film noir scene! Am I supposed to put on some sort of cheap jersey accent and tell you about how my husband has mysteriously vanished~” “very funny. I’m just testing it out” “it sounds nice i’m sure if Milo heard you say that he would tackle you right then and there” a chuckle can be heard on the other end of the phone “are you gonna get on the topic of why you called? Or am I supposed to guess?” “oh, right. are you free at all?” “actually I’m at work right now. why what’s up?” “Shit-never mind I thought I left something at your house..but it’s right in front of me!” “you sure? You don’t sound normal” “i’m fine just woke up. see you at the next pack meeting. investigator Greer~”

I Hang up the phone and grab my bag. Taking a few ibuprofen. Before heading to the shower.

Nobody’s POV

Darlin gets out of the shower and gently slithers into a tank top and boxers.

*BUZZBUZZBUZZ* invis-bitch

“can’t get enough of me huh?”

“you worry me” “you’re not the first person who’s told me that” “given your track record I won’t be the last” “so what’s up?” “your hurt what happened?” “you got all of that from a phone call? No wonder you’re one of dumps best” “Answer the question Tank” “FINE. Me and Sam wanted to get a little rougher in bed and he pushed me against the wall too hard…” “did Sam not realize it?” “well, if he did, I wouldn’t be sitting here with a broken rib talking to you now would I?” “usually Sam’s pretty careful with his strength..” “🎶it was the heat of the moment🎶-OW! shit!” “try not to strain yourself DumbASS” “why do you sound so pissy?” “I had to cancel my dinner plans because I have to work late. stop deflecting” “…asshat” “why didn’t you call Sam?” “he’s already out helping Vinny with shit and the sun is bright as hell. He can’t go anywhere” “but that’s not the only reason” “what makes you say that?” “because you hide your emotions the same way Milo does. You give some vague general ass answer, in hopes to satisfy the person asking because you don’t want to burden them” “wow getting read to filth on a Tuesday afternoon”

“spill. i’m literally sitting here doing basic ass paperwork I’ve got time” “…..Sam takes his time with everything…and that’s time I’m happy to give him..i’m scared that one stupid accident will make us go backwards…” “….do you wanna know why me and Milo work so Well?” “…sure” “Me and Mi work so well because we communicate on everything. “Hey love the knots are a little too tight” “hey sweetheart can you use a little less teeth?” We constantly have that line of intimate communication To the point where it’s as simple as talking about dinner” “but i don’t want to-” “To scare him? Oh Honey that Man is ALL IN! because you’re his safe person. He has a level of trust with you that he’s never had with anybody else” “..so what do I do?” “have a conversation. I promise you it’s not as hard as it sounds” “….thanks for the advice” “yeah, try actually listening to it”

They hang up the phone. and grab a heating pad out from the bottom of the cupboard under the sink

————————Time jump———————————

“I’m Home Darlin!” Darlin walks out of the bedroom “hey baby” they give him a soft kiss and wrap their arms around his neck. Their side burned in pain, but they managed to hide it “how was your day?” “pretty uneventful. what about you?” “Who would’ve guessed Vincent is so picky when it comes to outdoor decor *sigh* but I’m happy to be home” “are you gonna go get cleaned up or do you want to chill on the couch” “we can chill on the couch. That’s fine with me” the two sit on the couch and cuddle up close, being careful as to not sit in a way that would injure them further

“hey Sam?” “yeah Darlin?” they sit up and turn to him “um…I…I noticed something this morning that sparks an important conversation we need to have…” “is everything OK?” “yeah, everything’s fine. Justhear me out OK?” “all right I’m hearing ya” “last night was great it felt great. Everything was great. but this morning I woke up and saw the effects of it…” “..did I hurt you?” “….yeah. I didn’t want to tell you.. because I didn’t want you to feel shitty over a mistake..” “Darlin..I appreciate you looking out for me like that but I can handle a little constructive criticism when it comes to you. I wanna make sure you’re comfortable” “and I am comfortable! It just needs some tweaking..” “and I’m more than happy to do that…can I see” “how did you know the pain is still there?”

“you were walking weird..thought you just fell asleep on something…please let me see” Darlin lifts up their tank top and exposes the large bruise covering their side. They can hear sam’s gasp

“i’m so sorry Darlin” “Sam it was a simple mistake.. you don’t need to apologize for that” “….at least let me fix it..let me give you that tender love and care I should’ve given you last night before we fell asleep” Darlin nods and Sam gestures for them to lay down, And turns them to their side. “can I touch?” “Yea. Sammy baby you don’t need to ask. it’s not like we’re back in my old apartment after I fought those vamps. i’m familiar with these..callus hands~” they smiled and for a split second it brought Sam back to that old apartment and hell, even through tears and blood and pain his darlin still smiled.

Sam’s hands gently shifted around their torso. Sam’s magic didn’t tingle like Marie’s or Milo‘s mate’s. It felt warm. Like a roaring fire on a cold winters night. or a warm blanket after a long day. It was a Sam feeling. it’s their favorite feeling.

Once the healing was all done Darlin went to pull down their shirt, but Sam stopped them

“I never said I was done” “but you finish the healing” “yeah, I plan to do much more than that kind of healing” they stopped his hands “Sam I don’t want it to take too much out of you. That was a lot of magic” “i’m fine darlin. I only got a dull headache it’ll go away in a little while. But right now I wanna do this. if you’ll let me” “..Fine”

Sam straddles their legs. And leans forward. planting soft kisses on their side where the bruise used to be. Gently kissing up and down their torso. the feeling of his scruff against their skin tickled against their scars. “I can feel you almost laughing” “it feels nice! but it also tickles” “i’m glad” “….But..Ya know what would feel even better?~” “what’s that?” “feeling those soft lips on mine~” “is that so~” they adjust themselves so they’re laying on the couch and Sam’s on top of them. He wraps his arms around their neck. And Darlin locks their lips. A soft and warm kiss. one of those kisses where it just feels like everything’s right in the world. (even when things aren’t) Sam breaks away and gazes into their eyes.

“I love you Sam” “I love you too Darlin”

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This might be shit

But that’s OK. However, I am not.

I’m not OK

I promise that I will write something other than Sam&Darlin soon (I just really love them)

Hope you enjoyed

#redacted audio #redacted asmr #redacted sam #redacted darlin #redacted sweetheart #redacted fic #no see um writing #i’m still learning how to tag shit I’m sorry

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am-i-obsessed---maybe · 1 year

Text

Another Archer (Shadow Of A Bluejay Mini Chapter)

Welcome Artemis! And welcome guilty sibling replacement feelings! its all so fun

Wordcount: 1k

Warnings: none

Series Masterlist

Star City August 4, 3:08 PDT

You and Ollie sat at the Ace Of Cups 24 hour diner. You'd spent hours here eating after patrol in costume or meeting up for lunch out of costume. It was a lovely little diner about three blocks away from Dinah's apartment and it being open 24 hours meant it was often the only place that was open. The staff knew you all both in and out of costume and you'd recently taken the team there.

You were still in costume as you stared Ollie down.

"So you're saying that arrow. The arrow that saved us back in Gotham, that arrow belongs to some kid who's taken up crime fighting in Gotham. And she just so happens to use a green bow and arrows?" You questioned and Ollie itched the back of his neck.

"Listen I know it sounds like I'm lying but I'm not. I had no part in this" He said.

You glared him down as you took a bite out of your fries.

"So you won't blame me for not believing you" You said.

"Batman just recently told me about her. He's tracking her down and wanted my help but we didn't know she'd be at the school" He said.

"So you know who she is?" You asked and he nodded.

"Are you familiar with the criminal known as Huntress?" Ollie asked and you nodded.

"She and Sportsmaster worked together until she got caught and sent to prison" You said.

"Well they had two daughters. One of which is our mystery girl" Ollie explained.

"Then why the bow and arrow?" You asked and he shrugged. "No idea" He said.

You took a couple more fries.

"What are you gonna do with her?" You asked.

"That's the complicated part." Ollie took a deep breath.

"We wanna invite her to join the team" He said.

"What?"

"She has talent and since Roy isn't with you, you need an archer" He said.

"First of all we don't need an Archer and second of all we don't know that Roy won't come around" You defended.

"Kid" Ollie said, his tone annoyingly sympathetic.

You and Roy hadn't talked since he stormed out of the Hall of Justice. He's decided to strike out on his own which was fine but he also decided to stop answering your calls or replying to your texts. By the time you came back from Cadmus his stuff was gone from Ollie's place and he's refused to talk to you.

"He'll come around" You said. "He's stubborn and it'll take him time but he'll come around" You argued.

Ollie raise his hands in surrender.

"Okay. Either way this girl has talent and Batman and I are going to offer her a place on the team" Ollie said.

"I wanna go with you. I wanna meet her." You said and allowed himself a small smile.

"Fine with me" He said.

Gotham City August 7, 22:42 EDT

Huntress, or Paula as she prefers to be called now let you, Ollie and Batman in. You'd come in through the front door, scaring Paula half to death and surprising both you and Ollie. Then again if you wanted to bring her daughter into your secret superhero team it was probably better not to sneak in through the window.

It didn't surprise you to see the former criminal in a wheelchair when you came in. You read all about her time in prison beforehand and everything you could about her daughter, Artemis.

"Why are you here?" Paula asked once you'd come in.

"We're here about your daughter."

"Jade?—" "No. Artemis." You said and that made her eyes widen with fear.

"Oh god, what did she do?" Paula asked fearfully but Batman explained everything and knowing her daughter hadn't followed her example and gotten into the criminal life eased her.

"We'd like to speak to her if we can" Ollie said and Paula nodded.

"Of course. Artemis! Could you come out here please?" Paula called in the direction of the rooms down the hall and soon out came a blonde girl that looked right about your age with a long ponytail down her back and wrapped in a bathrobe.

"Batman, Green Arrow, Bluejay... Mom what did you do?!" The girl yelled. It was a fair assumption based on Paula's history.

"Actually we're here to see you" Batman said.

"Artemis we know what you've been up to" Ollie started.

"And you came to stop me? Well you can just forget it!" She exclaimed.

"No." Batman said, "The Justice League has formed a covert team of heroes... As I believe you already know"

You held up an image taken from one of the many security cameras at Gotham academy. One with Artemis in a tree getting ready to fire an arrow.

"I saved him! If you want an apology you can forget it!" She said.

"We'd like you to join." Batman said plainly. That caught her off guard.

"We think you'd make a great addition to the team, if it's alright with your mother" Ollie said and Paula confirmed that she agreed.

Artemis looked between you, Ollie, Batman and her mother, "I—".

"Will you tell them? About who I am? Who my family is?" She asked, this time she looked at you. She knew you were a part of the team. She saw you in Gotham Academy.

You shook your head. "That would be up to you" You told her and she smiled widely.

"Then I'm in. I'm so in!" She said.

"That's great! We'll introduce you as my new prote'ge and niece. Hey we're both blonde" Ollie told her.

The plan made sense. It wasn't thought up ahead but it worked. That didn't mean it sat well with you for Ollie to get a new prote'ge. And you knew at least some of the team would have a problem with it too.

She seemed like a nice girl but you would give anything to just have Roy back.

#reader insert #dc x reader #gn reader #gender neutral reader #yj x gender neutral reader #yj x reader #young justice x reader #metahuman reader #young justice #artemis #artemis young justice #oliver queen #green arrow

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foolishsweet · 1 year

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Anyways the new pjsk Card set detective v/s phantom thieve M AU

Mizuki is a phantom thieve that steals stuff that's cute like a crow, and An being the main detective tied to their case, with Rui being her main aid on tracking them down.

There is this museum that's gonna showcase a set of earrings and necklace that's just too cute for Phantom M to miss, so they send a calling card before hand. But that night, right as the grand announcement and as they were going to make their move, the lights go off and on revealing the set has already been stolen. Now Mizuki is the prime suspect and has to clear their name without revealing their identity, with An and Rui tracking them down.

Akito seems to notice something is off about the crime tho, so he helps Mizuki go under the radar. He gives An hints and distracts Rui whenever he catches up to Mizuki. There is a lot of drama, with both An and Rui having been friends with Mizuki in the past and trying to bring them to Justice and An doubting her skills as a detective, with their trust for Akito also getting strained.

Slowly An unravels the mystery, discovering that the person in charge of the museum created a set up, trying to steal the jewelry and pass the crime off to Mizuki, then having his goons hide them so he could collect them later. The problem is that the goons lost the jewels, and refuse to say where. So now nobody knows where these gems are. This turns into a gun fight when they hear a new goon scream "there is the set!!! get them!!!" followed by a dog barking and the confused screaming of what the three detectives recognize as their co-worker, Tsukasa.

He was supposed to be looking for a lost dog, how did it get to this?!?! The whole situation turns to a chase with guns, and they somehow start a fire. Now with the suspects mansion aflame everyone is trying to escape, but Tsukasa can't because this goons keep scaring the dog and driving them both further into the building. The others outside end up watching Tsukasa hugging the dog and jumping of a window. Mizuki uses a graping hook to save them both and bring them safely to the ground.

Everyone is confused, but because of the movement the dog starts to gag and pukes one of the missing earrings from the set. An then asks Tsukasa who made the request for finding the lost dog, and it turns out it was one of the goons in the name of the master in charge of the museum. The pieces click together.

The Master is arrested, the dog is sent to a vet and the earrings and necklace are retrieved as evidence to the detective agency in An's office. All seems well, till An goes to get the set, only to find Mizuki's card in their place, along some flowers.

Now...the chase continues ;)

#omake: Tsukasa keeps the dog. Akito is not amused.#mizuki akiyama #an shiraishi #akito shinonome #rui kamishiro #tsukasa tenma #pjsk #pjsk au #pjsekai

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hornithology · 2 years

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Dick & Bruce role reversal AU

(I am going to write this, but I have two other fics to finish first and this one is gonna be long. but here’s my thoughts:)

Haley's Circus has a permanent station in Gotham as well as a traveling season.

Dick Grayson of the Flying Grayson's watches his parents fall to their death at age ten. in his grief, he tracks down their killer Zucco.

The Court takes him before he can decide what to do, and train him so that he can enact his revenge. The Court begins to brainwash and complete his Talon transformation.

Dick's final test is to assassinate Zucco. whether he does or not, he realizes that killing does not bring justice for his parents and vows to never kill again.

Dick escapes the court (bc he's a genius) and flees the country. for the next 5-8 years, he travels the globe training under masters to become a hero. it's awful, but Dick is fearless and his spirit never fully breaks.

Dick returns to Gotham and Haley's Circus. by day he is on his way to becoming the world's greatest acrobat; by night he takes on the mask and cape of Nightwing and protects Gotham. Dick has precious few resources but does what he can, becoming Gotham's (K)night.

(when he travels with the circus he capes in other cities and meets other heroes.)

Gordon creates a wing symbol instead of a bat symbol.

Joker becomes obsessed with this grinning crusader, who has just as many bad jokes as him.

instead of a batcave there's Nightwing's Roost in the abandoned water tower on Amusement Mile

his greatest nemesis is the Court, which he vows to take down completely some day.

AND THEN

Bruce Wayne watches as his parents are shot to death in crime alley. he’s eight years old.

Bruce tracks down or runs into Nightwing and rages at him for failing to save his parents.

distraught and rebellious, tiny!Bruce keeps running away to the circus on Amusement Mile. he meets Dick Grayson, who seems to be the only person who understands what it’s like to lose your parents like that. Dick always shows him a good time at the circus before returning him to Alfred. Bruce looks up to Dick as much as he hates Nightwing.

when Haley’s leaves for it’s traveling season, Bruce stows away with them!!!! runs away to join the circus!!! ofc he can’t actually stay forever because Alfred has initiated a manhunt for him and it’s ALFRED. but Alfred learns to trust Dick and allows Bruce to train with the circus. or something.

one night Bruce realizes that Dick is injured in the same way he saw Nightwing be injured and realizes they’re the same man :0 drama! angst! Dick agrees to train Bruce, all the better to protect him from the Court.

Nightwing takes the street with Bat, his little shadow. Bruce keeps him focused and dedicated.

THE DYNAMIC DUO

Bruce (well Alfred) uses his wealth to fund Nightwing. Bruce is a little mechanic genius and designs all sorts of gadgets. Wingarangs. Wingcomputer. Wingcycle. Wingmobile. Dick has been using PAPER FILING for his cases and Bruce gets him a computer and organizes it all himself because Jesus Christ.

Bruce befriends Harvey at Fancy Boy’s School :))))

Nightwing leads the Justice League

Dick wants Bruce to develop his teamwork and leadership skills, so he makes him work with a team of “sidekicks”. Bat becomes the extremely intimidating leader of the Teen Titans. the social skills are lacking.

Bruce has a huge growth spurt and he’s taller than Dick. he can put on muscle like crazy. Dick gets teased by the others at the Justice League but he’s just proud of his protégé.

when Bruce is nearly an adult they have a huge falling out. maybe Dick takes in Jason at Haley’s because Dick is a sucker for strays. maybe he can’t handle that Bruce doesn’t need him anymore, that he can’t protect him. maybe it’s about the Court. Bruce leaves to go solo.

and then, well... a lot of things happen.

#batman #batman and robin #bruce wayne #dick grayson #fanfic #nightwing #robin #brudick

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mejomonster · 1 year

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I’m relieved to find out when i finish case 3 in silent reading the translation still has a part 4 AND extras ToT

like god i admire priest SO much. i think in many ways the writing choices in silent reading are SO ballsy. especially now that i know what publishers push toward regarding standard/norms look like all other novels don't deviate dont be brave or unique. like i know priest self published online THEN gets a print deal but like. to decide you as a public commented on author with a HUGE following where ppl buy your chapters? is gonna write THIS?

its brave i think. its brave to trust an audience to read 77 chapters of truly fucked up crime story thats main point IS TO critique the world and justice and human nature. before you get into the romance danmei readers most wanted. to make readers both feel bad for and terrified of a little girl. to remind readers every poor immigrant with a bad life who dies is a TRAGEDY and a horrible loss that society has too much allowed. to remind readers that the justice system fails to bring many people closure or help.

(babes below the cut turned into a MEGA meta on zhoudu and their completely different views on the world)

and THEN of course the LEADS priest decides to write arcs for in this. its ballsy to write a lead the other lead thinks might be capable of being a killer. to write a man objectively with as many red flags as. fei du as THE lead. like? think of 2ha and the people who hate mo ran too much to try it even just hearing of mo ran lol. fei du objectively in some ways is HARDER to empathize with and view as 'an ordinary relatable man'. mo ran when you take that hes been abused is mainly just a kid who wanted to help people typical xianxia hero style and gain power for revenge on REALLY cruel people in a really cruel Fucked up world he lives in thats painted as so much worse than our real earth world.

fei du? well he outwardly is pretty so i guess like the strangers he meets people tolerate that. but the little we get of our past lets us know he killed animals with his hands (and again its as BRAVE a writing choice as the lead in kdrama Flower of Evil who’s raised by a serial killer and trained to be like him and unable to empathize with others and he fights so HARD to be a good person but he’s no one’s definition of a safe guy to trust - but somehow he met his wife and had a daughter and loves them so dearly and he IS and has always been a good man and good kid who went through awful stuff because people were afraid of his inability to emotionally connect and his abused background). Fei du is like HIM. Fei Du self harms to an intense degree, trying to curb impulses trained in him from a young age and a natural propensity mixed with a raising teaching him and Hammering into him that death is the only absolute to feel comfort in. He could’ve become a murderer, an abuser, in the sense of his father pushing him toward it and so many things could’ve affected it - like luo wenzhou simply being not there. Fei du is fighting before anything else, himself and his own fears about himself and who he is and who he even wants to be ultimately. Mo Ran gets cursed and becomes an evil emperor, and without that was a brute revenge okay-with man (and a black lotus trope so honestly more tolerable as a violent rage fest reading-norm wise). But fei du? is just an ordinary modern man working in an office who thinks it would be nice to choke someone and watch them break down hopeless. Who’s probably felt and thought everything su luozhan did (now i’m losing track... there’s things to be said for mo ran and his abuse making him cruel and lash out like fei du and su luozhan too...but moving on for now). fei du is a realistic ‘monster.’ or an almost one. he’s a man who if taken for all he is, much of society would want removed and taken away, or see as an inevitable evil of a rich man who can’t be stopped by most. he’s like Flower of Evil’s lead and the bad rich kid who lashed out and killed people, combined into one.

priest makes him understandable, because priest is amazing at writing very good characters and depicting them and showing their nuances and evolution. and also because luo wenzhou loves him unconditionally. luo wenzhou chooses to love the hurting child, and in doing so comes to see fei du for all the multitudes of value he has as a person, for the treasure he is in ALL of himself with the bad and the good as a whole. (sort of like Flower of Evil main characters sister always loved him and saw him as her little brother needlessly hurt by the world, or the wife who eventually realized the man she loved was part of it and is real its just hes more than she knew before - luo wenzhou is both in one). and because luo wenzhou can see him, all of him, and love and appreciate all of it even EVEN when it horrifies him? even when he thinks and knows its beyond the scope of acceptable or normal, even when he’s hearing fei du lose himself in a viewpoint of the world that is so FAR from luo wenzhous ability to understand or view it. luo wenzhou STILL thinks - how do i reach out so we connect and meet halfway, even if i have to wade into that dark and try to understand, even if i have to explain the regular world like its fantastically rare and incomprehensible to him until he gets how other people like me feel. luo wenzhou thinks: no matter who he is, in fact with ALL of who he is, i’m going to go up to fei du and connect to him, we are going to eat and be okay, we are going to carve out a life together and feel whole and safe and connected there. and so for all fei du is, when we are given luo wenzhou’s fathomless endless care for him it’s impossible not to also open our hearts to fei du. to assume no matter how different he is from us or feels things, or how inhuman or whatever, he’s a an amazing individual and worthy of being understood and accepted into our care too. because luo wenzhou’s viewpoint is hard to fight. even if we think luo wenzhou were wrong, if we didn’t get sucked in, we can’t fight the fact luo wenzhou unconditionally feels this and it won’t change, it will drive the story.

there’s the choice priest made, to make an ‘ordinary’ enough hero of a story (a policeman - legal official solving crimes - who is almost superhero like in his original desire to help people and bring justice, who still ignores wounds and tries to be Larger than Life and do More than the average man, trying to save even with his very real human faults of a nepotism parentage and a short temper in his youth and a naivety he had to lose). he’s old but not jaded, he’s realistic and skilled now but still driven to give out justice, still hurts in his heart when he can’t help someone enough. and it all kicks off with a kid named fei du, and luo wenzhou wanting to heroically bring him justice and closure and save him like Superhero savior of the Cosmos young luo wenzhou did... and failing. failing. failing and having the realization he WILL fail people, legal justice is sometimes impossible or has dead ends and horrible things happen with no resolution and no one saved, and still wanting to care about fei du, wanting to do his best to help him even when it will Never ever be enough. Fei du will NEVER be saved. can not be saved. the damage has already been done (and after the basement scene, luo wenzhou realizes even into adulthood, even once fei du’s dad was in a coma, luo wenzhou still couldn’t even protect fei du from Himself, yet another way luo wenzhou can never be that Cosmic Superhero, not even that local guardian to one single boy, he loves fei du unconditionally and that does NOT mean he’ll ever be enough to protect him or undo the damage).

but luo wenzhou tries anyway. and its in that trying, that is so worth it. it’s not the outcome, its the act of trying, the ‘ceremony’ and how it means he cares. how it means he views fei du as worthy of it (and he really views by extension so MANY worthy of it who he also can or can’t help to varying degrees, and it rubbed off on fei du, because now hes the kind of man who also finds it awful a poor young man named He zhongyi dies and is willing to go to any lengths to try and get justice for him, for any particular person). Anyway, the point is luo wenzhou is an understandable hero typical of his story type. His heroics are the super-detectives who want to save everyone, his failings are the cops like Lee Dong Sik in Beyond Evil who take their small tasks seriously and are aware they may never save their world or Do Enough and justice can fail but they’re still making Their Choices every day, their baggage and damage and aged lessons coming along. He is an ordinary enough choice for a lead. His most remarkable trait in my mind, that makes him stand out, is his decision once upon a time to care about fei du unconditionally. its a choice a parent makes when they adopt, a bodyguard makes in a fantasy tale when they decide to dedicate their life to their ruler, in a realism grounded story like Silent Reading real life red flags just usually keep such a decision from being made.

Take Flower of Evil - its normal for the wife to be suspicious her husband is a killer and investigate it before ultimately picking his side. Take Beyond Evil - Juwon is younger and has fucked up, but Lee Dong Sik makes fucked decisions he doesn’t expect of the younger, makes the choice to cross lines he feels the younger shouldn’t and maybe no one should but he’s too far gone to quit his path now. Luo Wenzhou sees fei du, the teenager, making death threats and you can’t abandon your own kid. But it’s not his kid, its a stranger like su luozhan who’s killed something, lashing out and feeling unlike other humans and without any real parent who gave them unconditional love (maybe fei du had his mom once a week when she was alive but with health issues and spousal issues and dad’s nonstop threat of a presence on them, fei du was not getting that secure unconditional love environment). its a stranger completely, and luo wenzhou just decides to love him anyway.

So why’s he a brave writing choice? to use a character like luo wenzhou who does decide to love someone like that unconditionally. before the romance even starts. he’s not fei du’s family, he’s not fei du’s mentor until he Chooses to be, he’s not fei du’s lover when he makes the decision or long time spouse (like in Flower of Evil), he’s not a man who’s got enough shared experiences to understand fei du’s perspective (in fact it terrifies luo wenzhou the gulf there is between each other’s experience and view of the world). but luo wenzhou, the man that he is, chooses to love fei du unconditionally.

it makes sense for his character of course, because priest is good at writing characters. while luo wenzhou fits the relative norm for his genre, it also makes sense his particular life leads him to a choice i rarely see in these stories. He’s an idealistic naive rash ‘hero’ rookie cop. He sees a child cope with the death of his mom and his world shatter, look at him with an intense resolve that BEGS Luo Wenzhou to BE the hero that can give fei du justice. Luo Wenzhou, the rookie who think himself Hero of the Galaxy, has been dealing with petty crime and this is one of (or possibly the FIRST) time anyone has given him the responsibility and Ability to attempt to serve justice on this scale. This is his first opportunity to SOLVE a possible murder, GIVE someone closure, and truly change their life on such a scale. Of course heroic-dreaming Luo Wenzhou, thinking himself important and inhumanly capable of anything to help someone, takes up that look fei du gives him and decides “then I will give you the justice you need. I will resolve this for you.” A character like him? what other choice would he make.

And fei du is both the first time the world gives him the chance to be the Big Hero Savior he wanted to be, and the reality check that he can NOT be that Hero. That such a heroic feat is impossible, is unreasonable, is not something anyone will be able to live up to forever without fail - especially him, who turns out is lacking much of what he needs to succeed. But even if he had ALL the tools to succeed: even if Luo Wenzhou had ALREADY been a Captain, with rich influential and politically powerful allies, and had been able to legally adopt fei du and take actual political action against fei du’s dad? Even if he HAD all that, luo wenzhou would not have been able to save fei du - from the pain of his childhood, from the loss of his mom, the mystery was too hard to be solved at the time (or luo wenzhou of stubbornness i believe would’ve found a way to solve it), or from fei du’s own self hatred and self harm (just given how privately fei du keeps part of himself - he kept so much from luo wenzhou and probably always would’ve).

So even with everything, Luo Wenzhou would’ve failed. And at least failing then, as a rookie, he learned he WASN’T superman, he wasn’t infailable and Enough to save people inherently, and took the experience that he’d have to WORK and struggle and fight every single TIME to truly try and save people with him as he was promoted and gained power. That failure made him a better savior for future victims he’d help: because he’d be self aware that failure was possible, and helping others was going to be a struggle and require All his dedication every time, and is never a guarantee.

Luo Wenzhou picking fei du changed their lives. He failed fei du (and always would have) and in doing so it made him a better person to help people moving forward. and in the moment he chose to try and save fei du, an impossible thing with no Real Guarantee (as Luo Wenzhou would learn later and not ever promise so freely with certainty again), fei du DID see him as a savior. As a hope. As the first guardian angel in his life, the first belief that ANYONE outside of himself could help him. Could fix anything in his life - could explain why his mom who loved him would choose to leave him, could explain if it was his own fault for not loving her ‘enough’ or being too monstrous or if it was someone else’s fault, who could take his father to justice for the awful things he’d done when to fei du his father was the god of his world able to kill and do anything and make fei du do Anything no matter how awful. For the first time, fei du truly had a hope in something able to HELP him. And Luo Wenzhou failed. And fei du experienced both a temporary believe in the kind of “justice is served to the evil, help is provided to the innocent” that children usually simplistically learn at first but he never did (because his father didn’t teach him that but that the predators do what they want). and then experienced a cold harsh horrible shock that it WAS a lie, that the person telling him to believe it - luo wenzhou - was wrong. that fei du’s view of the world was “correct” and the false hero he’d believed in, luo wenzhou, was a fool who believed falsehoods and couldn’t do anything real. that no one Could help fei du.

and yet. despite all that. despite that failure shaping them both. it also tied them together. for all luo wenzhou failed, he still decided Inexplicably to be responsible for it. Instead of taking the loss, he went on to keep helping fei du. Caring. With Tao Ran as a contrast, its clear how excessive those actions were compared to the norm. Luo Wenzhou dragged Tao Ran into helping him take Fei Du after school, so fei du was rarely left alone in an empty house, into taking him out for food so he’d eat when the help at his house didn’t cook, these are all the acts of a godfather or a makeshift caretaker. They’re more than a responsible police officer should’ve ever gotten involved in a victim’s life - the most luo wenzhou should’ve appropriately done, was maybe call child services and insist and fight that no matter ‘how rich older master fei was’ the child still was in an enviornment that needs either an after school program for some socialization and social support, or a caretaker to move in, or if at all possible to get to live with a different guardian. But Luo wenzhou, knowing what’s appropriate, couldn’t abandon that ‘idealic heroic’ persona he learned failed and was unrealistic, still trying adamantly to be it for fei du. Even failure after failure. He would’ve adopted fei du probably, possibly, if the person he’d been fighting for custody against hadn’t been so filthy rich he’d have never had a chance. (never mind the legal issues im sure would keep him from getting custody, but the intent was there). He took fei du in as much as possible for their circumstances, then expanded that to full on parenting. To checking fei du’s report cards, to making sure he ate right, to checking on his healthcare, to commenting on his dating life as he grew up into a playboy partier, to insisting he pick a career, to worrying how he adjusted when his dad died and he had to take the business, to giving him gifts for birthdays and just cause (both secretly and also full on remembering his birthday when others didn’t), to the simpleness of scolding fei du like a regular teen caught cursing when he’d threaten violent, the simpleness of taking the Extreme-ness of fei du’s worse personality moments and simply saying ‘well whatever fucked up stuff you did or want to do, come sit down and have dinner, come on and join me.’ i care about you. lets eat. i accept you into our little family of two no matter what, and every meal is a ceremony reminding you this is permanent and secure and always here for you.

luo wenzhou can’t save fei du as a child, can’t save him as an adult from himsel, can’t save him throughout of a great many deal awful things. but he can give him a safe stable eternal home in the both of them, that is always ALWAYS there. always opening it’s doors, always mobile and coming to fei du when he feels isolated and abandoned and like he doesn’t even belong to the same world, it exists everywhere. it’s his. its a thing he never had before luo wenzhou. but it exists now. and it is THAT which luo wenzhou can provide.

He can’t save fei du from the many horrors of the world, from the monsters within himself. But he can give fei du a home that exists no matter what horrors exist or happen, a home that fei du will always belong IN no matter how monstrous he is, no matter what he’s done or what happens.

Maybe once upon a time the end of the week with his mom, had been the closest fei du had to that kind of ‘home.’ Some safe place where he was loved even with everything different about him, with the fucked up views his dad pressed on him, with the way he felt different from others and uncomprehending of the world. His mom, fleetingly, would be there with the house made ready for him, would be happy to see him and simply be with him.

Luo Wenzhou carved out a home for him after that, when he lost that, and made it permanent. It exists nonstop, always, whenever fei du is with luo wenzhou. waiting for fei du when they’re apart, always open for him to return.

wow i got distracted in zhoudu dynamic stuff lol. back to whatever the point was... priest writing brave. so. while i love all of zhoudu’s very grey area roles filled up and overlapping dynamic. i think the above portion explains well WHY it makes sense for them. Why their dynamic makes sense it would happen, from luo wenzhou’s perspective. why luo wenzhou would choose to do it, and how it would end with him and fei du connecting deeply.

Because that’s the kind of man luo wenzhou is and that’s where he was in his life, in the perfect place to make 1 single heroic Ideal decision and fail, but still feel too attached to actually quit and cut his losses. He could never cut the loss that was ‘failing fei du.’ he had to keep providing the only consolation he could, a home for fei du, even if he could provide nothing more. To Luo Wenzhou he will always be Fei Du’s very mortal and flawed Guardian Angel who couldn’t move heaven to save him or help him, but still took the job as his life’s work. And to Fei Du he will always be that very mortal Guardian Angel who lied that he was Strong enough when he wasn’t, when angels don’t exist and he was just a man, when justice doesn’t exist only this lying flawed incapable Luo Wenzhou trying to act like there is still justice. But to Fei Du, flaws and all, it’s still his Guardian Angel despite it all. In his world there are no angels, no true heroes. But this person is trying to be one, in Fei Du’s fucked up world where none exist, anyway. Luo Wenzhou is still trying to be one for him. And that’s worth something because it has MEANING, the choice to try to be an angel in a world with NONE means something, its the effort that counts. It’s the ceremony of doing it, the act, that means everything. (As luo wenzhou’s final lines in i think chapter ~79 hammer home).

Their dynamic makes sense, for them. Of course it’s where they’d end up, how they’d develop. How they’d get so enmeshed and close and Bigger Than People to each other (both symbolic Roles to each other while being gravely aware their symbol is actually just a flawed human who will never live up to it). To Fei Du, Luo Wenzhou will always be a Guardian Angel and that IS just a weak human who will fail the job. To Luo Wenzhou, Fei Du will always be his charge to Save, even though saving him is impossible, even though he’s failed for 7 years, even though fei du will never let him and both of them are More Than Aware this mission is impossible. Luo Wenzhou knows fei du is not a charge, was never one - or only one for the first time until Luo Wenzhou first failed.

Fei Du is a grown man who has done bad things, horrible things to himself, who views the world so differently from Luo Wenzhou his morality might not even be able to compare with his, who is a man he can’t fully understand but tries to reach out any try to anyway. Every single time. What a brave choice. To be commited to unconditionally loving someone and trying to understand them, even painfully knowing you never will. We may truly never be able to understand another person completely. But in these two’s case, they truly have such different internal worlds, it is a painful point for them both that they really never will exist in the other’s world and grasp it fully.

Fei Du is brave too. He knows Luo Wenzhou is an ordinary man, who belongs to the world most people understand and accept as reality. He knows he’ll never understand Luo Wenzhou, will always see some of Luo Wenzhou’s beliefs as lies or falsehoods most people seem to believe or assume or operate based on that Fei Du will never ever understand or connect to or operate under unless he tries very hard to force himself to act unnaturally. In a way, it is like an Angel loving a Demon. In reality they both realize they’re not an angel and devil - Luo Wenzhou realizes he’s painfully human and incapable, Fei Du doesn’t see himself as a demon he just thinks all humans are truly this way or walking-corpses unaware of it and Luo Wenzhou is another deluded soul lying to himself or simply way too uncomprehending to ever see the ‘truth’ of the world the way Fei Du is Only capable of seeing it. But Fei Du sees his own awareness as monstrous, in that it makes him a monster to those ordinary people and their entire world framework. And yet to Luo Wenzhou, he’s not a monster for it, just another flawed imperfect person like Luo Wenzhou is. They put themselves into the Roles of Angel and Demon, while knowing its partly untrue but unable to stop living that way when it comes to each other. Fei Du can’t help seeing Luo Wenzhou as an angel, in the warped way he’d view one in his world - a deluded hero who’s incapable, but still the closest thing to any angel in Fei Du’s world could exist. Fei Du can’t help seeing himself as a Demon, even though it’s normal to him he can’t shake the awareness its how he’d be in Luo Wenzhou (ordinary people’s) framework of the world. And then they meet in the middle somehow. And somehow even existing in different realities cause they perceive the world SO differently, Fei Du somehow catches a glimpse of himself in Luo Wenzhou’s worldviews: an innocent. An ordinary man. Not a demon, not even different from others. But someone who could and DOES exist in Luo Wenzhou’s world where people who are hurt deserve justice and people attempt to give them it, where cruelty is not the norm and not comprehensible to the masses. Fei Du isn’t compatible with that world - he’s not comprehensible to them. But somehow Luo Wenzhou can look at him, and place fei du into that world. And for the moment they’re together Fei Du EXISTS in both worlds. Is brought into the world outside his, that he can’t be part of or relate to or understand, and see as if he’s like Luo Wenzhou almost. And he wants to be one of the people providing justice to those who are harmed, one of the people who views cruelty outside of the norm and combats it. Could he do this, view things this way, if Luo Wenzhou didn’t connect their worlds by being connected to Fei Du?

And in contrast, in Fei Du’s world the cruelty is the norm, there is no one innocent only those harmed and those self aware enough they also cause it. There is no justice, only an attempt of power and control until the inevitable death. People like Luo Wenzhou cannot exist. In Fei Du’s mind, people like Luo Wenzhou can at most only be struggling helplessly against nature, hurting themselves by prodding other violent people, giving no justice because there’s no way to give it, just struggling to fight for an outcome that is impossible to provide. But because its Luo Wenzhou, Fei Du’s worldview shifts to accomodate him: Luo Wenzhou is a pathetic man fighting for an outcome that can never occur... but he keeps trying anyway. And because he’s Fei Du’s personal angel, even though angels can’t exist here in fei du’s view of the world? Fei Du almost wants to believe maybe there’s worthiness in someone trying anyway. To be like an angel. To do what nothing in his world does, want what can’t be achieved in his view of the world. And that’s where their worlds connect. Where Fei Du’s world connects to Luo Wenzhou’s and lets a sliver of Luo Wenzhou into his as something Possible. And is that why Fei Du wades into the water of doing work like Luo Wenzhou? Is that why he cares when a son dies and leaves a mom behind. In his world to care is illogical and pointless and has no use. But Luo Wenzhou IS in Fei Du’s world, and he cares. So Fei Du feels like... maybe he’ll care too, even if it is useless. He’ll let himself care still, like Luo Wenzhou cares.

There is use in the ACT of caring. Even if it changes nothing. There is worth in the act of caring, even if it fails to save anyone or stop harm. Is that one of the themes of Silent Reading I wonder... its certainly a theme of these two’s relationship.

It’s the point of Luo Wenzhou trying to explain to Fei Du what their connection is. It’s the connection of their worlds - Luo Wenzhou in our usually normally accepted one, and Fei Du in his hopeless one. It’s also the connecting point of their personalities - through knowing each other they’ve both developed a level of caring. Caring despite finding it cannot save, cannot stop the awful things that have happened and will later.

And so we get to a point where Fei Du cares about Luo Wenzhou, even though Wenzhou failed him and still does. Even though Luo Wenzhou will never fully understand him or the world he exists in.

I never realized just how wholly separate their concepts of the worlds they exist in were till I wrote this damn.

>>I keep losing the point in zhoudu meta lmao. Anyway back to priest. What I am impressed by (among many things), is priest writes that kind of dynamic as mentioned above. The ‘normal ordinary hero’ type Luo Wenzhou who can never connect to the kind of person/world Fei Du exists in, and vice versa. But somehow they meet halfway and see through the keyhole of the other person’s world anyway. Take one step in, while still being unable to enter the other’s world and abandon their own. It’s impossible. But it is. Because they choose to do it, no matter how impossible it is.

And its this relationship that outside on paper on some novel summary is the tags idk older/younger, rich/gruff, cruel/heroic whatever. When I walked in once upon a time, with the impression from a tagged summary it was going to be a cold genuis with a fascination for analysing cruelty, and a heroic gruff type combatting him and helping him ‘grow a heart’ I did not expect this kind of deep relationship dynamic i actually got. I didn’t expect a relationship that’s part caretaker/child, part opponents striving to fight yet it’s to connect their irreconcilable worlds, part lovers who were already closer than usual lovers before the romance even enters the picture. I didn’t expect 7 years of failing each other, but still being unconditional care there. Fei Du is not just a ‘cold genius’ he’s given the traits of a man from a world where he sees himself as the ordinary monster of it, and he will never ‘grow a heart’ and come to see the world like Luo Wenzhou (I’m 70% through the novel but i don’t think he will). And Luo Wenzhou for all his physical actions is not a gruff man with a ‘warm heart’ a la some sweetie pie emotional warm hero. He was an idealistic idiot who got a reality shock he wasn’t Superman, who grew into a realist. He is a guardian angel who is not actually an angel and KNOWS he isn’t but can’t stop himself from trying to be for Fei Du, the first and only time he tried to be one, refusing to quit this mission even though it’s been lost a million times and it’s painful for both of them for him to keep pretending he’s an angel instead of a man. Luo Wenzhou’s warm emotional ‘hopes and ideals’ don’t touch Fei Du and ‘change him’ (although Fei Du trying to understand Luo Wenzhou’s pov at least does open him up to witnessing Tao Ran’s idealism and kindness even though he finds it naive).

While their failures with each other certainly change them, they don’t actually change the core of each other - they are permanently too distinctly different people who see the world in an incompatibly different way. Growing up with Luo Wenzhou certainly influenced Fei Du’s behaviors, and gave him a peek into seeing the world differently, but he still ultimately exists mainly in his own world. Even with shared experiences together now, working together, it’s not shifting Luo Wenzhou into a person who sees the world as inherently cruel and monstrous like Fei Du, and its not shifting Fei Du into seeing justice as natural and possible. In some couple stories the worldviews would gradually mesh as the shared experiences grew - but no, not with these two.

The beauty of their relationship is they Will exist in their separate worlds, their incompatible worldviews and interpretations of it. But they still connect. They still carved out this space of a home together, that exists in both worlds. That has a window to each other’s worlds where they ask the other to explain what that unimaginable window’s view means, how the hell the other person is interpreting it because they don’t see it the same way. This shared home, that lets them concieve of a world where the other person can and DOES exist in their world. Fei Du sees himself as a monster in a world where it’s natural, and where angels don’t exist let alone just heroes - but Luo Wenzhou is in his world. Impossibly. He’s there, he’s part of it, he’s relentless, and he always will be. In Luo Wenzhou’s world, Fei Du exists and is just as inevitably part of it as Luo Wenzhou is. Even though Fei Du can’t conceive of existing in Luo Wenzhou’s kind of world - luo wenzhou sees Fei Du WITH him there, dragging him in by refusing to accept that Fei Du couldn’t be there.

Fei Du’s heart (in my prediction anyway lol) is not going to grow 3 sizes and decide justice is possible, is expected, and he’s an ordinary person who thinks like the others and feels wronged when he’s not given help and doesn’t instinctively think cold things. But Fei Du’s heart, despite himself and knowing Luo Wenzhou lied about being an angel in Fei Du’s world where none exists and failing him, holds a permanent space for Luo Wenzhou. A permanent part of him lets itself open the window to what Luo Wenzhou sees, and even though Fei Du simply can’t understand it, he lets the wind come in. Lets the idea drift through his own world: that for all justice is impossible, try to fight to do justice anyway. Try to conceive that people deserve it anyway, even if there is no way they do. Just humor the idea. Try anyway. It’s okay to try, even if the result will fail. Luo Wenzhou tries anyway, so you Fei Du can indulge in trying too despite it all. Fei Du’s heart has Luo Wenzhou in it, broken through the window and bringing the breeze, residing warmly in it and bringing all the ‘idealistic-fictional’ warmth from the world ‘other ordinary society thinks’ and decorates. Brings warm cooked noodles, shrimp, sweet candy so sweet its better than Fei Du’s world but here IT IS. Brings hope and determination and belief that doesn’t exist in Fei Du’s world, but here it is, in residence in his heart, with good smells that make him hungry, that taste like nothing that’s supposed to exist. And Fei Du thinks: its a lie, it can’t exist, it can’t be this good, it can’t be permanent... it must be an illusion or something that will crumble later. But its Luo Wenzhou... so Fei Du tries indulging the temporary goodness anyway, even if it WILL crumble. Like how Luo Wenzhou will still fail. Even so, even though this is nicer than any dinner in his world with his mom and dad had been, so much nicer he believes it impossible and a lie and just as hard to rely on as trying to grab the wind. He’ll still sit down and accept it for the experience it is. Because Luo Wenzhou brought it and said it was their home. And even if it makes no sense, somehow in their shared point of connection - this place where their worlds can almost overlap? It’s worth it to try. It’s the act of trying that’s important, not the outcome later. Not what’s possible or impossible. But that here, they can coexist somehow. That they tried very hard to carve out this home right here. They can be brave enough to believe the other sometimes about their other worlds, even if they can never move into the other’s. Try to go on faith on the other person, and try out the other person’s way of living in their very different world, even though it makes no sense.

It’s a love story about yes, being seen as all of who you are and still loved unconditionally (something often appealing in fiction romance). But also like. Its this heavy reality of No, actually, you will NOT ever be seen completely and understood completely by another person. We are not Fei Du and we are not usually seeing the world and it’s ‘laws’ as so drastically different as him. But like him, when we meet people even as close as we may become, as much as we share, another person will truly never see and feel exactly as we do. Words are imperfect, people’s past experiences and personalities are all different, people can’t read your mind and see your history and feel your emotions. There is no perfect fullproof way to get someone to truly understand you completely. And that’s okay. You can be loved, you can connect, even when that’s true. There is worth in making connections, even if we will ever only be understood imperfectly, only partly be able to view the world or something the same way. Even if someone can’t understand why X is that way about you or why you can’t believe Y the same way they do (even when you try your best to). There is space in all of us to find a way to still love whole heartedly, to choose to Try to understand. There is power in choosing to try, and keep choosing to, even though it’s an impossible endeavor to ever fully accomplish. Like Luo Wenzhou, we choose anyway. Like Fei Du, we realize there’s worth in just the act of trying. Even if we are never fully seen, can never fully grasp the other, there’s care there. The care builds a space for us to connect. A space for us to feel close enough, safe and loved.

#silent reading #lb #meta #zhoudu #zhoufei #WELL this turned into a mega zhoudu meta and character analysis #character analysis #i will say though. damn.#i think this is true of many (possibly all of priests works but i havent read all) of priests novels #is that they really CAN be delved into analysis wise as works of literature #Silent Reading alone? It has a LOT to say about society and justice and our expectations we're raised on #versus how society really acts. versus the unique ways individuals VARY WILDLY in their perception of it #which i didnt even go into in this meta. but in a Literature Class that'd probably be the main theme.#but then also? fei du and luo wenzhou really ARE doing something so unique with their dynamic that's worth discussing #the fact that like they DO put each other on pillars. while also being self aware those pillars are LIES. and then yet they keep #functioning as if both aware the other are only human AND still putting faith in the pillars they put them on #the fact that in this story the two NEVER reconcile their worldviews into one shared one more or less. which usually happens in these #stories of different ppl. think Goodbye My Princess or Love and Redemption or The Untamed - those different ppl #end up experiencing things that help them come to understand each others pov and perspective of the world.#but the thing is lwz and fd will NOT compromise or change their core world view understandings. lwz just CANT see the world #as inherently monstrous and cruel and kindness as so fleeting and impotent. its against his entire belief system and experiences and #against who he IS. and fei du just Cannot see the world like the ordinary masses. let alone like luo wenzhou who #when young saw himself as the pure idealistic super Hero. to fei du a man like luo wenzhou just Cannot exist and succeed or and just IS #wrong. but their choice to connect anyway is a bridge between worlds. they cant even see eye to eye. but they can choose to connect anyway #despite it.#and internally grow hope and awareness and motivation. even if their worlds remain the same

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ex-textura · 6 months

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well a little later than i expected but NO MATTER hello friend tav info dump you say I'm so sorry for the novel this is about to become

I mean you do already know of Vic, half orc eldritch knight with a martyr complex the size of the city. Grew up in Baldur's Gate, genuinely a really nice childhood he's got two younger siblings and lovely parents and I'm not positive in what way he got his soldier background but the boy is always a soldier of some kind (maybe a Fist? it's hand wavy). He was a whopping 21 when he got scooped up by the nautaloid and decidedly does not want to be a main character but shit keeps happening and Vic is gonna die protecting his friends or Vic is never gonna die

He's always been real into magic but didn't think of himself of the Wizardy Type growing up, and then the local wizard took the time to teach him magic and there was a very good reason he had a very big crush on Gale. It was Gale who pushed him onto the eldritch knight track specifically and Vic might not get the finer points of all the theory and technical jargon but that's fine he has a genuinely very good teacher

and then y'know. Wyll happened. and godsdamnit Wyll you were supposed to be the Unattainable Paragon of Justice and way too good for me but then he was just a guy with a determination to protect people as strong as Vic's own and this way of talking that sounded like he was constantly half a step away from writing an epic and maybe there was a bit too much wine at the grove party that led to a lot more self-confidence than Vic ever has but that kinda. happened. (the psuedo-breakup with Gale after the fact was not fun for anyone involved but ??? was that actually anything Gale there had been absolutely no conversation about it, they do eventually get back to actual good friend and there's the moment of Gale telling him "For the sake of absolute transparency, I may have slept with Astarion" and Vic choking on his dinner but they're friends again)

Karlach is the bestie from the very start. In their first little heart-to-heart by the fire there did have to be the "hey, so you know I'm like. really gay, right?" conversation, but from that point on she is constantly giving him enthusiastic thumbs up over Wyll's shoulder and the teasing is relentless. She clocked his formal training the first time they fought together and the soldier nickname is Incredibly fitting, they fight very well together and are both very physical people which is unfortunate before Dammon manages to cool the engine down. (Wyll has a "secret" scoreboard in the back of one of his books of the number of times Vic has forgotten, punched Karlach's shoulder, and burned himself. An additional category was started for "bad enough that Shadowheart had to heal it") She fully died in Grymforge, like got knocked down and then pushed into lava, and he had to pay Withers to bring her back and that was. not a good day at all, when she was back and mostly focused again Vic just preemptively called Shadowheart over so he could give Karlach a (very very quick) actual hug

he just wanted the tadpole out So Bad, bad enough he ended up with a magical eye for the troubles. Vic never touched the tadpole powers, figuring if he couldn't manage with his own sword and magic it wasn't worth doing anyway. The boy is decidedly in favor of relying on your own abilities, having seen far too many cases of the gods or others granting powers get petty, use them as leverage, strip them away on a whim, etc. fuck the gods, tbh, very glad we stopped Gale from becoming one or making one even more powerful

had to break his little sister out of the Iron Throne along with his future father-in-law and the only mind flayer he respects, because his little brother is unfortunately a very talented artificer and the job at the foundry seemed so good at the time. another No Good Very Bad Day, they got out of that place by the skin of their teeth and Vic is decidedly afraid of deep water now

Freed Orpheus because fuck the emperor that's an entire race enslaved by this litch, and then it is only by the stubbornness of his friends chipping away at that martyr complex this whole time that he realized turning into a mind flayer himself might. not be the immediate best answer (but also no fucking way is Karlach going to do it either)

It was So Much he's just a baby boy, he never wanted to be the protagonist, but now he's gotta go maybe kill the archdevil of Avernus with his two favorite people in what is the weirdest fucking honeymoon ever (it doesn't count wyll insists constantly we are not married yet, he knows it doesn't count)

i'll stop now (with This One......) because god that was in fact a novel but [holds him up like simba] baby boy. baby.

VIC!!!! IT'S VIC!!! MY HALF-ORC LOVE ITS HIM!!! Ugh I'm not even gonna pretend to be normal about him I'm sorry.

He's so goddamn cute with Wyll they're so beautiful together. I want. To see more. Of them. And him. Bleese.

Oh my god I love his dynamic with Karlach. I can just picture them rolling around like siblings and being the absolute best bros. Just. The wholesome-est trio with them and Wyll honestly.

IN THE LAVA OF ALL THINGS?! God that's like. Painfully poetic in a way. I hate it but of all the things to kill Karlach. God. I'm so glad he had Withers. And that he could give her all the hugs and shoulder punches in the world once she got fixed.

HIS LITTLER SISTER WAS ON THE IRON THRONE?! Man, fuck you Gortash. Where is she now? Is she safe? Did they have a big heartfelt reunion? does she love Wyll?

How's he doing in Avernus?? Did he get to come up for the reunion?

WHEN ARE THEY GETTING MARRIED?!

#bg3 #asks #other people's ocs

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thehypotensivegrad · 1 year

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The Adviser (23/45) | Bechloe Mafia AU

In the Shadows of Obscurity - Chapter Preview (Read the rest at ao3)

It's been a busy past few days for everyone in the tower. Flo's head was spinning with all the new information.

One was who their real enemy was. Charles Walters, Jr. or rather, the person who they believed to be Chicago Walp. Someone who had walked the halls of the tower a few times over the last couple of months, either with Chloe, as her intern, on official business back when they were both still with DSM, and by himself, as Chloe's friend, when he was visiting Chloe after she had gone.

He had always been so cordial and nice. Discovering who he really was felt like a betrayal for everyone in the tower, maybe except Beca and Aubrey. Lilly didn't seem to care either way.

Two was the discovery about Beca being a… what was the term again?... mafia lawyer – Flo decided to stick with that term – something they found out when she got back with Aubrey and Chloe who managed to sort things out. How? They wouldn't say, but Beca made no attempt to deny it was the truth. Who knew mafia lawyers could be so cunning and dashing? So kindhearted too? The rest of the tenants had started spewing out their own ideas about what she could be doing in the tower, the most popular opinion was that she was hiding from someone, but Amy seems insistent that she had personal reasons to be there.

Third was, of course, the rumored hold in the tower. No one had forgotten about that. Since the truth about Beca had come out, the tenants thought it would be best if they told her so that Beca, with all her underworld connection, can help them. They even offered her a share of the hidden treasure. Beca scoffed at the idea but Lilly managed to convince her. She promised she would look into it and came back three days later saying that it seemed to be nothing but a myth. She said she tracked down Norman and he doesn't seem to recall the story he told the tenants, so perhaps, it was just nothing but a made-up tale he gave them in exchange for some food.

Four was the current plan to out Chicago. Beca had gathered all the tenants in Denise's dance studio and, together with Chloe and Aubrey, brought everyone up to speed with their fight against Babel. They had offered to help, after all, because they all wanted to fight hard for their home and show they shouldn't be trifled with, no matter how rich and powerful their opponent was.

The major focus of the meeting was how they could get Chicago to come out and admit who he was. It was the only way to bring him to justice, after all. Charles Walters, Jr. was behind everything, and so Charles Walters, Jr. had to be found guilty by the court of law and imprisoned for his crimes. He might use Theo as a patsy if he isn't brought to light.

How will they do it?

Beca seemed to already have a plan set in motion. It started as soon as she found out who he was, when Beca broke into his home and attacked him, promising she would eventually get him.

It seemed to do the trick in scaring Chicago, as Beca's intel indicated that he was currently staying in one of their vacation houses out of state. He was currently hiding away in coastal North Carolina, Wilmington to be exact.

"So, what does that mean? What's the plan exactly? Do we attack him there? Give him a scare? I can google up ways of effectively torturing someone…" Denise then said.

"Um, no, no we're not gonna do something that extreme," Beca then said, dialing down the situation. Aubrey shot Denise a disapproving look but Chloe seemed to consider it.

"If we need extra help, my Uncle Mauricio…." Flo then volunteered before Beca stopped her with a raise of a hand. She shook her head.

"I just need a few of you," Beca then said. "Lilly's coming with, but how about you Cynthia Rose? Ashley? Jessica? And Benji? I need a hand with somethings. We'll be going on a road trip."

"Count us in!" Jessica and Ashley chorused.

"Sure thing," Beca replied.

"How about me?" Jesse then asked, eagerly volunteering his services.

"Someone needs to run the restaurant while I'm gone," Cynthia Rose then responded.

"And we need capable hands to stay here while we're gone, just in case they plan another attack," Chloe added.

"It's also the reason why we decided that Bumper, Donald, and Uni stay behind," Aubrey pointed out, nodding towards the three new additions to their group staying at the back of the room.

"You can count on us!" the three reformed Trebles then chorused.

"Alright, sounds good and all, but what exactly do you have in mind, Beca?" Stacie asked, a fair question Flo thought. It doesn't seem like Chicago would give up his advantage quite easily.

Beca smirked. "People like him, they have dreams of grandeur and excellence. He doesn't really care about anything else, other than getting what he wants, even when he stays in the shadows. Even when people never find out that the success he wants Babel to have, it was all because of him. But that comes with a price… We'll make Chicago come out of the shadows and step into the light, by using the one thing a man like him fears."

"And what would that be?" Flo found herself asking out loud.

Beca gave a knowing smile.

"Fading into obscurity," Beca then replied. "His ego would never be able to accept that."

#bechloe mafia au #bechloe #bechloe fanfic #bechloe fanfiction #bechloe lawyers au #bechloe vincenzo au #beca and chloe #Beca x Chloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Pitch Perfect

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leaderoffestivals · 2 years

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Antique Legends: Epilogue 3

Madara: … … Well, that’s that, then.

Good night, goodbye——Producer-san.

Season: Autumn Author: Akira Characters: Madara, Mika, Kohaku

Madara: Ahaha~! I'm sooo sorry, Kohaku-san! I tried waylaying him as he was leaving, but I guess it isn’t surprising that his guard was up, so he managed to get awayyy!

It’s such an awful shame! I’ll regret this mistake for life!

Kohaku: Hmph. I told ya we should’ve taken care of him before goin’ up to perform on stage.

Madara: Yep! However, it seems our performance at the Antique Market was incredibly well-received yesterday—

—which led to a larger than expected audience showing up here today as well. It felt like all of them were eagerly waiting for us to appear on stage!

Whether we’re ‘allies of justice’ or idols; We have no choice but to live up to those expectations!

Kohaku: Ko ko ko ♪ It won't matter which of those two we claim to be, we would seriously be cursed to Hell and back fer it, wouldn’t we?

If ya compare us to those who’re honestly and earnestly pursuing their ideals, we're really just cheap knockoffs no matter how hard we try, right?

Madara: Yes. However, there are surely some ‘functions’ which only such vile existences like us can fulfill… …

It’s like how no one would use the pages from a priceless encyclopaedia to dry wet shoes, riiight?

Kohaku: Geez! Quit tryin’ so hard to come up with clever expressions. Don’t we have a target to track down now?

Errr… Let’s see. That would be the guy who disappeared backstage just now, right?

Madara: Yep! That guy’s wayyy speedier than I thought he would be, but still, I won’t ever lose when it comes to games of tag! I am the former Captain of the Track and Field Team after all!

Stop, stay right there, you scoundrel! You’ll reap what you sow!

Mika: Errr… … What in the world is goin’ on here?

Kohaku: It would really better fer ya to keep yer nose out of it… … but I guess that’s already impossible fer you, huh? Mika-han is already involved in this, after all.

To tell ya the truth, no sooner had we finished workin’ our butts off yesterday, that we received a new assignment fer today. To be precise, you could say we received fresh confirmation of our real target this time.

Right now, we’re gonna eliminate the scoundrel schemin’ to bring down COSPRO. We’ve managed to identify him, thanks to the series of events surroundin’ that Antique Market.

Madara: Fufu~n! That’s right! And although this target is especially talented at covering his tracks and hiding, we’ve finally managed to grab him by the tail this time!

Kohaku: Exactly. At the Antique Market yesterday, Hidaka Seiya———han…, he presented a ‘treasure’ to the victorious Valkyrie, didn’t he?

That treasure turned out to be an extremely precious jewel.

If we were just to research a little, we can find out where that jewel is, right away. It’s just that conspicuous, ya see, just like an idol, or a star sparkling brightly in the sky.

Mika: That jewel… … I gave that to the person who consolidated all my debts as a kind of collateral just now, though!

Vice-Prez instructed me to do that, just last night!

Kohaku: Yep. We’re real sorry fer keepin’ Mika-han in the dark about it, but the truth is, we went and installed a listening device in that piece of jewellery.

We used that to gather information and got hard evidence of the wrongdoings bein’ committed.

That person who helped ya consolidate yer debt? He was the one who hired fraudsters to run the con which caused Mika-han’s orphanage—yer home—so much pain and sufferin’.

In other words, Ibara-han managed to get hold of evidence which can be used to prove that guy was the real mastermind behind the attacks on Valkyrie and COSPRO.

To top it off, that scoundrel went and bragged about all his other wrong-doings while he was holdin’ onto the jewel.

All that was recorded by the bug too. We’re gonna make sure he feels the pain fer what he’s done.

Mika: EeEEEH~... … There’s really no need fer you to go that far, y’know? I’ve already paid the debt back in full, so there ain’t any issue with him anymore. I’m fine with callin’ it quits between us now.

Kohaku: Yeah, no. If that were enough to make all things right; we’d all be livin’ in a peaceful world by now. However, his kind will never stop houndin’ their prey till it's dead with its blood sucked dry.

That guy’s true goal ain’t about money; it’s about attackin’ COSPRO and the other agencies. There’s no way a guy like that would leave us alone feelin’ satisfied, just because you’ve paid him.

This is a war, and it won’t end until one side is annihilated.

Our target’s just a small-time crook this time, so we won’t go so far as to take his life yet, but—

—we’ve heard he’s also been causin’ NEWDI grief by orchestratin’ various incidents to happen at all the idol trainin’ facilities affiliated with the agency.

It turns out he’s part of the reason why NEWDI has been struggling so much with its business management.

And it’s not just COSPRO or NEWDI as individual agencies that he’s havin’ beef with—rather, we should say his hostility is targeted towards ES as a whole.

That’s why we’re gonna crush him. Both COSPRO and NEWDI are my bosses after all—since he’s lookin’ to start a fight with us, we’ll have very reason to strike back.

I know how it sounds when we say it like that, but this ain’t a bad thing fer Mika-han at all. After we take care of that fella, Mika-han won’t have a debt to repay anymore.

You can use all the money you save on all those kids who admire and aspire to be like ya.

That’s a much nobler cause to use such a sum of money fer, rather than letting some scoundrel use it to line his own pockets, right?

Mika: … … … …

But why, Kohaku-kun? … … Why’re you doin’ those kinda unspeakable things? I understand, I get mad at swindlers and all those bad people too, but—

—it ain’t any part of any idol’s job to be punishin’ those people like that. … … I ain’t wrong in sayin’ that, right?

Kohaku: Nope. Mika-han’s way of thinking is in the right. Idols should be a special breed of people surrounded by normal mothers, fathers, and kids with sparklin’ eyes earnestly askin’ fer autographs to be signed——However, we… … we’re just not that kind of people at all.

There’s a part of reality in this world which can’t be put right just by spoutin’ pretty words and ideals at it. Someone has to get their hands dirty to fix it—

—and that ‘someone’ just so happens to be us.

Of course, we do get some benefits fer doin’ these deeds too.

Crazy:B created a whole lotta trouble in the summer fer ES—and fer all the idols in ES... ... Doin’ this helps to make up fer some of the damage we caused—

—and as long as we’re useful like this, we won’t be forcefully put down.

… … I’ve got no idea how Niki-han thinks, but at the very least, Rinne-han and HiMERU-han’ll be able to continue doin’ the idol activities they love so much.

As fer me, I’m satisfied with bein’ able to do this much. That’s all I need fer now.

Mika: Is that really—really—enough fer you, Kohaku-kun?

Kohaku: … … … …

Madara: OI~III, Kohaku-saaan~? You were scolding me for my failings earlier, but aren't you just slacking around and chit-chatting with your friend now too~?

That’s fine, I don’t mind. I’ve always thought you’re more suited to ‘the world on that side’ anyway. … … You can leave everything from this point onwards to me and start making your way back now.

Kohaku: Seriously? Don’t be an idiot. It doesn’t matter how big and strong you are, there’s no way you’ll ever be able to beat everyone on yer own.

Besides, from the moment I was born into my family, I’ve already been thoroughly stained with stinkin’ filth.

Even if I were to go back and try to live under the light of the Sun now, everyone would just pinch their noses shut and turn their eyes away from me.

Kohaku: Since that’s the case, I’d rather see how far I can walk along this path with you—you, who is covered in the same stink as I am.

Madara: Is that so? Without wasting words, I’m ending ‘this’ now.

Madara: … … And that goes for you too, Anzu-san. What are you even doing here? Why did you insist on coming to this place, even though you know you don’t belong here at all?

Can it be you still believe me to be your kind, gentle ‘childhood friend and older brother’? That, I’m someone, whom by nature, is incapable of doing anything criminally or morally wrong?

Do you really think I am here, in such a place as dark as this, because there must be some kind of mistake?

No, Anzu-san. That’s not it at all. You’re sooo wrong in assuming so——

I don’t have the time to explain everything in detail to you right now because I’ve got a pitiful villain to catch—

—however, everything about the person you believed me to be—that was all a lie. I am not a human worthy of your respect at all.

Madara: And that’s why... you shouldn’t care about me anymore. Don’t come here. The night is getting late, you should go.

You have work tomorrow, don’t you? Even the Sun has gone to sleep; you should go home too, and get a good night’s rest.

Madara: … … Well, that’s that, then

Good night, goodbye——Producer-san.

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

The End

Translator’s Note:

For those who are new to the game, there is a rule where the idols are supposed to refer to Anzu as Producer (from Madara’s first idol story) even though very few actually do. Madara actually stated that he would never call Anzu as Producer ever, because of his childhood friend relationship with her. That he would actually call her Producer at the end, further distancing the relationship with her, is really a very big gut punch.

Please read Myriad of Colours Chapter 5 / As An Elder / Hidden Beast 1/2 chapter / Blackjack Ch 14 / Secret Service for nuggets of what happened to Madara after this.

This is unproofed, so if you have any feedback, please DM me.

#ensemble stars #enstars tl #Mikejima Madara #Oukawa Kohaku #Kagehira Mika #Antique Legends

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thatll-do · 1 year

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top five favorite video game characters?

Ok, so I originally had this whole thing with pics and gifs typed out, and I was on the last sentence before posting answer when tumblr glitched out and deleted all of it. So Imma redo it and hopefully do the original draft justice, but without gifs and pics just in case that was what screwed it up

Edit: it happened a third time >:(

1: As a devout Haru stan and apologist, it pains me a little to say that I have not had the full Haru experience, having not played any of the spinoffs or supplementary material outside of Persona 5 Royal, and we are not counting the Haru that exists only in my head, which is why despite my love for her, I cannot in good conscious call her one of my favorite video game characters, yet. With that in mind, I will have to with mild begrudges have to hand it to Futaba. What can I say? I have no choice but to stan an internationally wanted hacker who is capable of shutting down governments from her phone while being incapable of calling the pizza place down the road without going into a nervous breakdown. Plus, have you seen her? She smol. Diminutive. Gremlin shaped. Perfectly scampable. Plus, I feel she provides a very welcome change of pace with her palace in the story, being the only one where the antagonist is not some overtly hostile villain being quite refreshing for when she comes into the story, with her overall arc being very satisfying to watch play out, both in the grand narrative and in her smaller personal interactions. However, I must admit I'm not overtly fond of how navigators are used in Persona games, with them feeling generally detached from the general gameplay loop of them not being active party members, but as someone who doesn't typically go for JRPG's I am totally willing to recognize this may just be a me thing and that my sensibilities might not quite line up with how these things typically go

2: Surprise motherfucker! Nobody expects Wheatley! Which is a shame, because he's great, but it's understandable. On the one hand, you have GLaDOS, who was scientifically engineered to be fucking hilarious at every possible moment. And then in the other corner you have Chell, a fine self insert to insert your sense of self into, who shoots things when you tell her to. But people often overlook this little metal ball of idiocy, and what he brings to the table. First, he brings a very different kind of humor to the table that I think tends to go a bit underappreciated by the audience, and I'm not just talking about the slapstick and general incompetency, although that is also top notch. Honestly, just his inane ramblings are fucking comedy gold on their own that I could listen to for hours. He's also surprisingly arguably a more effective antagonist than GLaDOS. I went into Portal 2 almost completely blind, and while GLaDOS's insults were funny, they never really like stung or anything. There wasn't any real substance to it, it was just a one-sided hatred from my perspective. But Wheatley? When he did his heel-turn, I was in active shock. It took me several seconds to fully process what the fuck had just occurred. Unlike GLaDOS, there was a genuine bond formed, and breaking that opened so many doors despite slamming my fingers in them. And highlights what he does incredibly well. He brings a certain element of chaos and danger that GLaDOS could never have due to the fact that she has a functional sense of self preservation. With GLaDOS, you know what you're in for. She's gonna try to kill you, but she's gonna do it through elaborate traps and her patent pending Aperture Science Testing Chambers, but never directly, and she sticks to those rules. She is bound to them, and because of that you can plan around them and monkey your way out of it. But Wheatley? Wheatley in charge of Aperture is like a ticking time bomb without the watch. He doesn't even know what the rules are, otherwise he wouldn't mash two testing tracks together like a four-year-old smashing two lego master-builder sets together and almost accidentally killing you in the process.

3: Madeline, from Celeste. She is trans and I can project myself onto that

Not much else to say, really

4: Nope, you're not getting off that easy. The actual thing about Maddy is that, genderisms aside, I don't think I've ever felt quite as seen as I have with her. Celeste, by all accounts, is a very simple game. Both in terms of story and mechanics. The story is you climb a magical mountain in Canada, and the mechanics are run, jump, and climb. But it's how these two interplay to put you in the mindset of her, how anxiety hounds you, how it unnerves and undermines you, getting you stuck doing the same things making the same mistakes over and over again, is where Madeline really strikes a chord with me. And the game really doesn't shy away from how "tricks" and coping techniques can help but they're not a cure-all, they don't always work. Your fears and worries will break through, and you can try to ignore them, or leave them behind entirely, but you really can't. The only way to deal with them is to accept them for what they are, that they're just a part of you but you nonetheless and need to work with them. Her frankly snippy personality is also appreciated, because like, while it's not the nicest thing it's refreshing to see someone who's kinda just really tired of people act on that annoyance even if it's not strictly other people's fault for setting it off. And also her being trans just really brings it in for me

Actual number 4: This may be because I'm a horny shill, or maybe because I would prefer to liken myself as something of a philosopher, but I find myself drawn to 2B and her plights and think that the world of Nier:Automata provides some of the most profound and insightful moments modern gaming can offer. She's something of a stoic hardass, meant to be unfeeling of the world around her but still taking note of the absurdity of it all and sometimes going along with the unexpected asides from the farce she finds herself in. For all intents and purposes, she's just a cog in the machine, just a perfect mindless unthinking AI soldier in a proxy war with machine enemies that has spanned millennia. But as much as she plays the part, she can't help but display an overt world-weary awareness of her role that she's lived and relived time and time again. It may be only displayed subtly most of the time, but those tinges in her interactions quickly bleed out once you get a fuller picture of the story at hand.

5: Ok, as tempted as I was to put a FromSoft character here, even I have to admit that I find their interactable NPC's rather lacking. And while I like a fair amount of them, I would never call them my top of the list favorites. Instead, I'll go with my favorite companion who is trapped in one of my least favorite games, Curie from Fallout 4. I'll try to keep this spoiler free since I think you've been playing it and I don't wanna ruin anything for you, but simply put Curie is a sweetheart. You find her long abandoned in what was one of the most monstrous vaults designed, made purely to violate every medical ethics code in the book, but she spends her days toiling away trying to create medicines instead. After nearly 200 years alone, she's eager to explore the world, and she just has this bright-eyed curiosity about the wasteland that's rather infectious. Where most people see ruins and decay, she sees resilience and life persisting, and that kind of optimism in such a jaded setting hits like a hot shower after a filthy day outside. She's not terribly complicated, but she doesn't need to be

#sometimes i answer these things

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moonlightreal · 2 years

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Fate season 2-6

As we enter the penultimate episode of Fate: Tales From Elemental Academy, many questions are still to be answered.

We need to track down Bloom’s birth family, bump off Sebastian so everyone can get their powers back, see what Grey’s up to, and find out what the Blood Witches are really after. That rebel camp lookin’ scene really made me wonder. With luck Terra will get the girl, and I’d really like to see Stella finally get some revenge on her abusive mother. And yeah, who is gonna run the school now? I feel like Dowling would’ve come back if the actress was available but she’s off to other things.

And is Rosalind all the way dead? Yeah, she was fried but it seems not-unlikely that “fried by the Dragon Flame” is how you get Burned Ones.

Episode title: Poor Unfortunate Souls. Which may refer to us viewers, pulled back and forth by this show! Or to Beatrix, who has been quite unfortunate. Or to everyone.

We open with Riven giving Sky a book.

It’s still night and the girls seem to have gone straight to Silva and told him everything. He wants to keep quiet because “no one can know any of the fairies at this school no longer control the Dragon Flame.”

What? Bloom said she lost control but did the power go out of her? I missed that completely. So ok, reference to when Icy stole the Dragonfire near the end of season one but here it wasn’t stolen and didn’t seem to go anywhere. But the point is, everyone was counting on the Dragon Flame to protect them from the blood witches and because it’s now gone somehow there could be panic. Right?

Stella is wearing a hideous fur coat and it’s very distracting.

Terra politely suggests that Rosalind being dead and Rosalind having Murderized Miss Dowling!! is maybe a bit more important.

Silva says they don’t know for sure about Dowling. He seems very calm about the possible loss of one more comrade. Yay Silva, showing skepticism and waiting for evidence! But it is going to suck for the poor guy when it sinks in, it’s only him and Ben Harvey left of their whole adventuring party.

Sky brings in… it’s not a book, it’s a box containing magical handcuffs like they put on Beatrix last season. Aisha calls them torture devices and says Bloom only lost control because of the mixupo with the crystal; if Bloom puts her magic back into it she won’t be a risk. Wait they’re worried because Bloom lost her powers and also need to stop her from using her powers? I guess her fire powers and the Dragon’s Flame are separate things but it’s still not totally sense-making. But if Bloom doesn’t put on the handcuffs she’ll get arrested and locked up.

Bloom has been staring at the ground in shock this whole time. She speaks up to say she’s fine with getting handcuffed. She did the murder after all. Silva holds out the two bracelets and they wrap around Bloom’s wrists, with claws digging into her skin. Aisha and Stella flinch away in sympathy.

So Bloom has to wear antimagic bracelets-- they’re not chained together so they aren’t really handcuffs, but they are the spirit of handcuffs so that’s what I’ll keep calling them—until she has her trial, presided over by Queen Luna. that’ll go great.

In fact the queen has a speech to make now! Silva gets out this crystal pyramid on a little Christmas-tree-stand lookin’ thing. A prop created for the show! Or borrowed from another show. It projects a hologram of Luna wearing a dark red tunic. She says she has tragic news, Rosalind is dead, she was one of the bravest fairies the Otherworld has ever seen, respected by her peers, feared by her enemies, and the guilty party will be brought to justice… the blood witches! While the hologram spoke we saw other stuydents, normal people in Blackbridge, and I think the Blood witches in their rebel hideout all watching.

Luna continues, “attack carried out by their leader Sebastian Valtor.”

Ahahahaha! That is so dumb seriously Fate, Valtor? Him? Also Luna puts the emphasis on the last syllable, ValTOR. Why, Fate, why even do it? Fate: Tales from Elemental Academy is a perfectly fine show, why must it slap names from my favorite Italian cartoon on random characters?

Also the release date for season 9 is now January 2024, we have a whole year to wait and it is just too much. Yeah, season 2 of my beloved Carnival Row is coming out soon and there’s going to be a Fallout TV show so it’s not like my spirit will starve for lack of shows, but Winx is MY show and I need my show!

Ok, ok, back to the show I’m watching…

Luna says any Blood Witch following him is an enemy of the crown, which means some blood witches are A-ok, but Luna is going to send her army after the rest. This means war!

Opening!

Bloom’s asleep in her bed with a photo of her parents on her nightstand. Sky’s text doesn’t wake her but Stella opening the curtains (bringing the light, very Stella!) does. Aisha brings coffee. They ask Bloom how she is and she is clearly suffering from trauma. She keeps flashing back tob the graveyard but everything’s blurry. Stella offers to clear things up: Sebastian took advantage of Bloom in a vulnerable moment, revealed a terrible truth, and when Bloom confronted Rosalind, she attacked and Bloom defended herself. That fits my memory of the last episode and Bloom says it makes sense.

Are they playing at Bloom being confused because something else is actually what happened? Can’t tell.

And Stella intends to prove that’s what happened, at the tribunal. Stella has studied Solarian law! She has binders full of it! She doesn’t say that. We see the binders.

Aisha says Bloom is lots of things, some amazing, some annoying, none murdery. That was sweet.

Bloom asks what happens if she loses. Could be confinement or banishment. Bloom lies back again and Stella says moping isn’t useful and “You’re the Dragon Flame, Bloom, and you did nothing wrong. The realm needs you.” Yay, friends acting like friends!

Outside specialists pack things on the black jeeps. Riven is there. Dane wants to get out and fight but Silva says they’re still students. Dane says they’re training to fight and Silva says yeah, they’re training to fight after they graduate and the best thing to do now is impress the Solarians with a well-stocked supply depot. Riven claps his ex on the shoulder and says, “Basically, we’re fucking grunts.” and Silva says, “Language! And attitude, both of you!” heh.

Musa comes over and offers to help. She’d like to become a specialist as a way to stay at Alfea now that she has no magic. Silva starts to say this isn’t a good time but Dane steps up and says since they’re just doing supplies there’s plenty of time, he can train Musa in their spare time. Riven says what spare time and “this isn’t fucking daycare, no offence.”

Musa: “that wasn’t clever enough to offend me, no offense.” and she’ll literally do anything.

Then we see Musa, Dane and Riven looking at a giant pile of poo they have to shovel. Where they’re shoveling it to, how it got piled up, and what creature it came out of is unclear. Horses, presumably? Fertilizer? But it is a very tall pile so I prefer to think some very large flying creature dropped it off.

We cut to a potion lab! The new teacher, Aimee something? Aimee LeRoy I think. Is there with Terra and Flora, they’re making green potion for the army. Flora’s anti-puppeteering potion? They’re not entirely sure it’ll work. While she’s distracted Flora pockets a test tube that’s either empty or full of some slightly cloudy potion.

Then they're outside headed for the graveyard to find proof that Dowling is buried there. Thankfully they don’t actually have to dig. But they can’t do anything because the graveyard is full of specialists. Terra blushes and says hi to Kat. Terra fumbles for an excuse as to why they’re there and Kat says no roaming around; Blood witches could be anywhere… but she’s alone on duty tomorrow morning so that might be a good time. Terra says to Flora, “Disappointing. But somehow still promising.” Terra with a crush is so dang cute.

Back inside Bloom is… packing? I’m not sure. Sky comes to the suite door and asks if since Bloom is laying low, maybe they could lay low together. Bloom doesn’t answer and Sky waits a minute or two outside the door and then leaves.

Outside Aisha is leaving a message for Grey. Who, remember, is a Blood Witch. I guess he vanished after trying to leave and not being able to. Aisha says sorry she couldn’t talk before when Grey wanted to, things got out of hand, but she’s going for a swim now.

And we go to Grey getting the message. Just as he arrives outside the Blood witches’ lair and Sebastian welcomes him home with a half hug.

Inside and later I assume, Bloom is doing the most Bloomish thing ever and running away. She was packing! She passes Stella asleep on the couch among her law books.

Bloom heads through the woods to a house I don’t remember seeing before. Furnished, with electricity. She has a flashback to when she burned down her parents’ house before season one as she sits in this house reading her old journal. Then Sky comes in! He followed her I guess. He makes a quip about getting away from Aisha’s snoring and she says she wanted to give Aisha a break. He asks if it’s not dangerous out here without magic and Bloom confesses she’s scared she’ll hurt someone with out-of-control magic like before.

Literally “you have no magic” and “I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone with magic” back to back. Am I missing something here? Maybe Bloom’s afraid she’s strong enough to do magic despite the cuffs? Everyone has been telling her how powerful she is. Maybe that’s it?

Bloom is afraid she’ll hurt Sky, since her emotions hurt people and she has a lot of them about him. If they have a lovers’ quarrel she could accidentally burn him up. Sky says he’s not afraid but Bloom shuts down the attempted comfiort and says she needs to get some rest, she’s going on trial tomorrow. Sky says, “We’ll fix this.” and leaves her for now. Sad music plays as he walks away, but not far. He sits on a treestump to keep watch.

Morning over the castle!

The pile of poo has been moved. Riven asks Dane, “Did the shit fairy come last night?” and Musa behind them, says, “Don’t ever call me that again.” which is, ok, a little bit funny. This show keeps almost having clever lines. I guess Musa shoveled long into the night, to make sure the guys had time to train her. She is wearing camo pants, a black shirt and olive green vest… that show off an inch of belly. Someone clearly looked at enough Winx pics to know the girls wear short tops and made that part of Musa’s specialist gear.

Riven and Musa have a sword fight! Very clanging, much swings, lots of twirling. Very different from the real swordfighting lessons I’m taking where there’s much less moving about, many more parries, and a lot more protective gear. But I must say, the way they do it looks a lot cooler!

Riven kicks Musa’s butt handily about three times, in the end knockimng her down. She asks why jhe’s being a dick and Riven kinjhda rants that they’re about to have a real war, and specialists aren’t just “randoms” they’re selected, they train for years. Having Musa just walk in with no experience is insulting, and also she could get hurt. Or killed. Riven really is being protective of her. I can see why the fanbase sees chemistry between them. Riven is a jerk but he’s being kind in his jerkish way. He tells Musa to play dress up if she wants but there are more important things now. And he and Dane leave. Musa looks after them with an expression I can’t read. Determination? Despair?

And here comes a car with a flag! A very colorful flag, large patches of red, green, yellow and blue. If there’s a Solarian flag I want to see it but it’s out of focus. It is not just a gold sun or sun-and-moon, which I feel the real Solaira’s flag would be, if any of the realms had flags.

Stella hasn’t seen her mother since Rosalind too over. She says her mother will probably pretend the gem isn’t there and that’s good, because “that’s not what today is about.” so we know the gem is in fact still there. And dang I like this determined Stella! I want so much for her to get some kind of victory in this story. She lets her mother kiss her cheek and suggests they pretend Luna is just here for a visit.

Beatrix is waiting with Bloom. She says, “Killing Rosalind was the best thing you’ve ever done. She deserved it.” Beatrix has also prepared water for the queen: chilled, four lemons, sparkling. Apparently Stella mentioned her mother’s strange water preference. Stella smiles at thios suddenly very helpful Beatrix. She and Aisha have arrived to I guess take Bloom to be judged.

Stella has plans! To be more tricky than her mum. She’s read up on the law, they have Terra and Flora looking for proof, and Aisha as a character reference. Apparently Aisha’s family supplies energy for half the realm, so the queen won’t want to make them mad. Yay Stella, make plans! Only… your previous plan failed terribly.

Outside Kat patrols the gate to the graveyard. Terra arrives with a bribe, a bento box of… “Tobian rock snails.” Which Terra took a week to gather, hoping to cook them for Kat in a “date type situation.”

Kat curses and Terra is horrified, thinking she misread the situation, but Kat says she didn’t, she is interested… but she got back together with Francesca, her ex we assume.

Terra just does the ‘I’m really happy for you” and she and Flora go into the graveyard. Leaving Kat with a tasty box of snails and a confession of love to think about.

Inside Queen Luna has taken over the headmistress’ office. Bloom, Stella and Aisha come in. Luna says this is a closed tribunal and tries to kick Stella out even after Stella says she’s acting as Bloom’s advocate. (“Advocate” is the best fantasy word for lawyer and should always be used.) Luna says no advocates and Stella whips out a precedent where useless Uncle Arthur acted as advocate for a “companion” found “in a financial scandal.” Bloom says she wants Stella as her advocate since Stella knows more about the system and Luna says “faint praise” because Bloom knows nothing about the system.

Bloom is literally from a different world, wouldn’t there be public defenders or something to deal with First Worlder cases? I mean I know Luna is ignoring all decency because she’s awful, but you’d think there would be a system.

Luna lays out the case: Rosalind, a beloved figure, is dead and Bloom admitted she did it. “so. What don’t I know?”

Back in the graveyard Flora is more interested in convincing Terra she still has a chance with Kat but Terra’s mind is on the mission. Flora explains the magic: when fairies die they release life essence. The test tube is full of magic smoke that will find where a very powerful fairy died. But the smoke smokes around but leaves a gap by the bench where we know Dowling was killed. A powerful fairy didn’t die here!

Yeah, she issekaied into House of the Dragon and is livin’ her best afterlife with Matt Smith! But Luna demands physical evidence. She says Sebastian could’ve lied, which, fair. But Rosalind admitted it, but only to Bloom so that’s heresay. Stella is starting to crack under the pressure.

Terra reaches her magic into the ground and pulls out… a coconut? Some big seed. Not evidence.

Stella gets the text: there’s no body. She goes for the character witness. Aisha immediately brings up her family’s contributions to Solaria. Then she describes how Bloom discovered her magic with nobody to explain it to her but in spite of that she’s doing great. Then Aisha explains about the spell to help Musa get her magic back and side effects of that spell caused Bloom to lose control. Aisha does very well and the music is hopeful so I know Luna is about to shoot it down because nobody is allowed to triumph at anything in this show.

And Luna pulls out, “Aren’t you dating Grey Owens? ‘cause he’s totally a blood witch so shows what kind of judge of character you are.

Aisha snickers at the idea but yep, Grey is indeed a Blood Witch, his records were forged. And Luna can tell Aisha’s family about that anytime and really mess with her.

Aisha, thoroughly defeated, leaves the room. Outside Beatrix is in the secretary’s chair. Aisha asks to see Grey’s records right now.

Inside Stella tears up and is reduced to “Please. Bloom is my friend.” and Luna says Stella did an “admirable job defending her… but you were correct in your letter.” And Stella begs her mother not to say more. In Stella’s letter asking to borrow the convergence crystal she described Bloom as a “ticking time bomb” and that being friends with her was a good way to keep that power on their side, pretty much. We the viewers know Stella was just “playing the game” saying what her mother would want to hear, but of course Bloom doesn’t know that.

Bloom asks to speak. She says she was indeed defending herself, but Stella was also right in the letter. Bloom knows she could have backed off, and she didn’t. “I wanted to punish her for killing Miss Dowling, I wanted her dead. The Dragon Flame just gave me the ability to make that happen.” She’s ready to accept the consequences.

The verdict is Bloom will be places in stasis for 20 years.

Stella is horrified. She tries to argue. But Bloom says it’s for the best.

And they walk down and stick Bloom where Rosalind was. The general of the army finger-writes some sigils on the walls and says “I’m sorry you didn’t have a fairy mother who could teach you to control your magic.” and Bloom says, “Me too” and the barrier comes up and Bloom is stasised!

But this show is not done raking Stella over the coals! She cries, her mother says the letter was a transparent attempt to butter her up, and there was never any chance Bloom would have been judged innocent. But she was impressed by how Stella managed the trial. she’s very proud.

And she takes the control gem off poor Stella’s back! I think she really is proud, in her own abusive parent way she thinks that “playing the game” is just what royals have to do and she thinks she’s helping by toughening Stella up. Which is the basic thought behind lots of child abuse. “I am sorry about your friend. But being queen means you must look beyond things like friendship.”

And Stella says what if she’s not a princess? Her mother warns her not to go down that road but Stella says, “If I am forced to choose between my friends and my privilege, do not be surprised by what wins.”

And she walks out. Queen Luna looks shocked and worried.

Aisha walks back into the suite. The other girls are there, they want to know what happened but Aisha only has eyes for her phone. She calls Grey, and he picks up! He’s outside the Blood witches’ base. She says she only needs one answer and he says, ‘I’m sorry, I knew you wouldn’t understand” and that’s all it takes. While poor Aisha is in shock-- and the others know what’s up because they heard—Stella comes in to tell everyone they lost, Bloom’s gone. Aisha breaks down in tears and Stella comforts her.

Back with Grey, Sebastian comes over talking about how Romeo and Juliet is a great story but actually very dumb and all the mess could’ve been avoided with a little more communication and “Leo and Claire” is a better story. The movie with deCaprio? Is that what he means? I never was a theater kid so I have no Shakespeare knowledge. Grey asks if maybe peace is an option now that Rosalind is gone. He doesn’t really hate all fairies.

But Grey didn’t hear Queen Luna’s speech. Luna blamed the Blood witches for a murder they didn’t do. Peace is not an option now. “Fairies want us dead. They have always wanted us dead. Now it’s time to fight back.”

Back in the suite Flora is full of ideas for how to break Bloom out. Maybe they can get Luna to change her mind! Maybe they can use the bits of Dragon Flame still in the convergence crystal! Maybe Bloom can break herself out! Stella says Bloom’s given up. Flora says “we’re all scared. But I refuse to live in fear. As long as one person has hope there’s a chance...” and Terra cuts her off with, “Read the room, Flora. It’s over.”

Flora leaves, no doubt to do something ill-advised.

Downstairs it seems the Solarian army has located Sebastian’s lair but instead of going in themselves they want the Specialists to do it! Dane gets to have some war after all! Silva sounds not at all annoyed at this, I kinda think he would be after his last speech. Sky comes to join the muster and Silva has to tell him his girlfriend is now frozen.

Sky goes down to the dungeons where the general (Bavari I think is her name) is with two soldiers. Sky tries to fight past them to see Bloom but they haul him off to a cell as he calls for Bloom. His voice echoes around the dungeon.

Flora’s desk plants have wilted. She says, “Really guys, you too?” and revives them, with magic. Heh. She starts making a list of ideas to get Bloom out. The plants wilt again. Flora revives them again. Very good mystical hand gestures! But they wilt once more. There’s the coconut they found in Dowling’s grave, I guess they stuck it on a pot. Flora calls to Aisha and asks if she still has the convergence crystal. She uses the crystal to direct green magic into the coconut, which is actually more like a tight ball of vegetation. Not a literal coconut, that’s just what it looks like. “We found this thing in the graveyard, we thought it was dead. But it isn’t.”

Down below, trapped in the stasis field Bloom remembers Aisha's speech about growing up with no one to teach her. She… imagines? Wearing fake fairy wings while a woman with red hair uses magic to light candles on a birthday cake. Using magic to light a sparkler under a banner of American flags, with a boy, maybe a brother, beside her. Then her imagining changes to her real first time using magic to burn down the house.

A ghostly hand strokes Bloom’s face and the barrier comes down.

And it’s Miss Dowling! Back from the dead, with the girls behind her!

Oh my gosh she did turn into a tree! Just like we thought! The little plant thingy she put herself in was absorbing life essence, “in the First World they’re called resurrection plants.” A real plant. So the girls fed it the last of the Dragonfire energy in the crystal and it came to life. Dowling knew Rosalind was going to murder her so she used magic to hide her spirit in the plant. She’s not back for long though, just enough time for one final lesson.

Musa says magic lessons aren’t really her thing anymore but Dowling says they’re all fairies and the lesson is for all of them.

Dowling says as headmistress she tried to use only positive emotions and shield her students from harsh realities, while Rosalind believed the opposite. Now Dowling says they were both wrong and “To unlock true magic you must make peace with all your emotions. The reckless joy of the positive and the despair of the negative. There is beauty and power in both.” And she says she’s proud of them all.

Back at school Beatrix is doing secretaryish things when the general and some soldiers come in saying “we have to find her!” and then immediately tell Beatrix not to tell anyone. Gee, how’d she get to be general like that? Beatrix puts down her paperwork to text Stella that Bavari knows Bloom busted out.

The girls are in the random house, by the way. Flora and Musa head back to school to cover for them, saying the other girls should have more time with Miss Dowling.

Oh yeah, and the boys are invading the Blood Witch hideout. This show, always doing so many things at once. Silva is very “murder the lot of ‘em.” for Silva. Also he says there’s not enough protective potion for everyone. He does give the boys a chance to opt out of the war, saying there’s no shame in it. But Riven and Dane gulp their anti-puppeteering potion, ready to fight.

Bloom and Miss Dowling sit on a rock overlooking the castle. Bloom asks Dowling if she’s disappointed at the loss of control. Dowling says taking a life is a serious thing and a burden, and talks about Aster Dell, how she was so angry she wanted to kill Rosalind after the murder of so many (she thought) innocents. Dowling also says the world is objectively better off without Rosalind.

Bloom is very scared, of losing control, of not knowing what to do. Dowling can’t tell her what to do, only Bloom can figure that out. But “anything with the power to destroy can also protect” and tells Bloom she has the power to save the world. Bloom;’s heard that already, from Rosalind. But Dowling suggests a revision: Bloom can save her own world, the people she cares about.

Stella, Terra and Aisha join them and Bloom gives Miss Dowling one last hug as the headmistress melts into streamers of purple light that flow up into the sunset sky.

And we’re back with the boys! Instantly. Riven and Dane have time for a little witty banter as the team creeps towards the Blood witch hideout. They break in and get to the room where the Blood witches were hanging out… but nobody’s home. The Blood Witches knew they were coming!

Beatrix is in the headmistress’ office, at the desk, drinking. Someone knocks on the door and she lets Sebastian in. How’d he get in? He asks b to cut the lights and she summons her lightning and knocks out the power to the whole school.

And a whole bunch of scrapers slither through the halls!

I can’t really blame her for working with the baddies, when working with the… other baddies… wasn’t working out. Was there even a good guy side that Beatrix could have turned to?

#fate the winx saga

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