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#its just soooooooooo annoying to me when people say that something they like is a cliche when they mean TROPE or that all tropes are bad
austajunk · 2 years
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you shouldnt be apologizing for your post, what you initially said is correct, and its annoying af for someone to go out of their way to rag on other female characters just bc they go out of their way to see people rag on their favourite (not to mention super hypocritical to their whole mission?) i also noticed that user specifically making shit up about chiaki and acting like theres no misogony around her written character/acting like criticizing chiaki is synonymous with misogony and it was soooooooooo fucking annoying seeing others agree with them. thank you for saying something and sorry others are acting weird about it
I think you have me completely wrong, friend.
I DO agree with @wydstepcat and their assessment of Chiaki. People really don’t do the work of actually looking beyond the surface impression of a character and then just consider her waifu bait because the creator said that she would be his dream girl.
Yes. That is male gaze-ish and therefore flawed. But it’s also personal to Kodaka. He states in interviews that he always wanted to know someone who loved games as much as he did and to talk to them. And Chiaki was basically written with that in mind. There is a lot to her character, her fascination and hyperfixation with games, her personality and inability to be able to connect to others on a personal level and her role in the story that so many people connect with. And it’s constantly disappointing to see people have such a shallow take for her when she’s one of the most important roles in the game. So I appreciate @wydstepcat and their perspective on the context people missed and took for granted in their post.
My criticism was delivered to ChiakiArchives who undercut it with also dunking on Ruruka, a female character who gets enough hate already… another character people just refuse to think about because they don’t want to go beyond a surface level reading. That they didn’t think about how that would make someone who adored Ruruka (like I do) feel. It’s the same way when someone insults Chiaki and makes them feel kinda crappy too and I felt that was kinda… just pointless.
You don’t need to crap on another female character to defend one other.
That being said, I didn’t want to chase them away. And it was wrong of me to vague post or vent about them without thinking. I could have just messaged them and said “Hey that sucks”. Sure, deleting their blog is quite an overreaction, but it still really sucks. And I am sorry.
That being said, thank you for the kind words and trying to comfort me. I appreciate it.
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transmasc-wizard · 3 years
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When does a trope become a cliche in your opinion?
Thanks for the ask!
So, first, it's important to note that this isn't some easy sliding scale--the entire point of a cliche is that it's an overdone trope, and whether something is overdone varies from person to person.
[Some things that are pretty universally considered cliche, though, are the "damsel in distress" (weak feminine girl is put in danger in some way, must be saved by the strong male protagonist) and the "evil mcbad guy dark lord" (as i like to call it. super evil guy takes over everything, knows how evil he is, completely 1-dimensional).]
I think a trope becomes cliche when there's nothing new the interpretation is offering. People like tropes because they give a general structure of one element--e.g found family--while still retaining unique elements. They're familiar, but not boring. A cliche is familiar to the point of boredom.
That's why I don't understand the whole "I hate cliches *cut to a trope the person likes* oh my god, Trope I Like" meme. A cliche is a term that inherently means you think the thing is not only used a lot, but overused.
And like... yes, a cliche is still a trope! An overused, boring, and badly done one. That's why trope is a neutral word, instead of an exclusively positive one; tropes do contain cliches.
But tropes can be very good, as well. There are tropes in almost everything, especially SFF. Even if they've been twisted and changed, they still are tropes! See: the Chosen One is a trope, but is done in many different ways.
Tropes are a tool. Cliches are a problem.
Anyway! That became a bit of a tangent! To go back to my rather roundabout point, I think a trope becomes cliche when and only when it's overused and unoriginal. There's a difference between tropes you just don't like (e.g. soulmates, enemies-to-lovers, Chosen One, whatever) and cliches (damsel in distress, evil mcbadguy).
(They can cross over, of course, but as a rule: tropes are neutral, cliches are bad.)
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Yeah, It’s Me.
This is an almost very late birthday gift to my dear @negativenuggetz​. You deserve the world, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday! Thank you for being wonderful and always cheering me up. You deserve so much more than this, but I hope you like it!! (Mind the read more)
Read here on ao3! 
5.  "Coffee." Steve muttered, and slid a mug toward where Billy was just staring out the tiny window in the kitchen of their apartment.
Billy smiled a little, wrapping his fingers around the warm mug. He took a grateful sip, and sighed a little. Steve always knows how to make the coffee exactly the way Billy likes it. He almost makes it better than Billy himself make it.
"You work today?" Steve asks. Billy nods. "Need a ride?"
Billy nods again. He doesn't really talk much since July a year ago. Doesn't have much to say anymore. Though that's not quite true. He's not sure he can ever explain how traumatic it was to speak in a voice that wasn't his.
"I've got work today, but I can drop you off, and then if you don't mind waiting about 45 minutes after you're done, I can pick you up again." Steve says, smiling happily. He slides some bacon and eggs over to Billy. Billy eats quietly, and Steve chatters away about something Billy doesn't listen to. He’s been distracted since last summer, and Steve never blames him for that.
Billy clears his plate, and wordlessly wanders into his room to change for work. He pulls his hair back as best he can, it's growing out since the summer, and Billy really likes its length now.
Steve is changed for work too by the time Billy is, his name tag affixed to the horrible grey shirt he has to wear at the Video Store. He's yawning and watching TV.
Billy wanders back into the kitchen to try and cobble together a lunch. He doesn't do very much of the shopping, his hours at the garage are long, and he's almost always exhausted when he gets home. Steve always shops for them. Billy always means to help more, but it never works out. He’s always so tired.
"Oh! Here." Steve calls, coming over and handing Billy a brown paper bag. Billy blinks.
"Lunch?" Steve says and shakes the bag a little at Billy.
Billy nods, and takes the sack from Steve.
"Ready to go?" Steve says, and at Billy's nod he grabs the keys and leads the way to the car.
The Camaro, Billy's first love, is still out of commission after the summer. He’d get it fixed, tow it to the garage and fix it when things are slow, but the car is collecting dust in the back drive of Cherry Lane. Billy can't get it. Much as he wants too. Neil’s got it held hostage. Steve gives him rides and seems all too happy to mother hen him but Billy misses his baby.
They pull up to the garage, and Steve smiles at Billy, bright and open. Billy's heart aches, how did Steve Harrington get so pretty.
"Have a good day! I'll be back at 7!" Steve chirps. Billy nods.
"Bye Harrington." He whispers.
Steve grins and pulls away from the curb once Billy gets out of the car. Billy clocks in and checks the list of cars, and the mechanics assigned to them.
"Hey there kiddo!" Bernie calls from the main garage.
"Good morning." Billy calls back. Bernie is Gary's wife, the two have been working at the garage for over 30 years.
Bernie chatters away all shift, but Billy doesn't mind. She talks about cars, and the people, and she doesn't care that Billy doesn't really answer.
"Your roommate drive you in?" She asks when they take their lunch break. Billy nods. He opens the paper bag and finds an apple, a sandwich, a candy bar, and a sticky note with a smiley face drawn on it. Billy rolls his eyes and starts in on the turkey sandwich.
"Roommate make the lunch too?" Bernie asks. Billy nods.
"You in love with him too, or is it just him?" Bernie asks. Billy chokes on his sandwich and gapes at her. She grins. "I ain't gonna tell anyone. I'm just askin."
"I…." He says. And then swallows thickly. "He's just… he likes taking care of people." Bernie grins.
"Sure, he does." Bernie says. "But I think yall love each other." She goes back to her cold pizza nonchalantly but Billy ignores her resolutely, desperately disputing what she's said in his head. It’s not true, Steve is straight.
He ignores her all afternoon, but when Steve's red Beemer pulls up, she wiggles her eyebrows at him and smirks. He blushes and scurries out to the waiting car.
"Hey!" Steve chirps when Billy climbs in. "How was your day?"
"Fine." Billy says, and can't help but watch Steve out of the corner of his eyes. Steve prattles on about some story at work.
Billy smiles at him a little and closes his eyes, listening to Steve complain about some annoying kid who apparently switched all the tapes and cases on the horror shelf, so he and Robin spent all shift sorting it out. It’s really nice, and Billy tries not to think about it too much.
4.  Billy is drunk. Quiet drunk. Quit Drunk. Qu... Qu... Very Drunk. Whatever. He's drunk, for the first time in a while. He fumbles with his keys for ages on the front step, mostly just dropping them and picking them back up over and over.
Heather had shown up a few hours ago, barging through the apartment door and demanding that Billy join her for a party in Roan. Billy hadn't quite had a reason to say no, so he went with her. It had been loud, and exhausting. But it’d also been good, he'd drank warm, flat beer, danced with Heather, and smoked a little. And Heather had stayed sober and driven him home, and watched him carefully to see if he needed anything at the party. He’d even flirted a little. (The guy did NOT look like Steve, shuddup Heath.)
She's sitting in her car by the curb to watch and make sure he gets inside the apartment ok. She’s mostly just laughing at his many failed attempts too hard to actually help him.
He eventually does, and stumbles inside. It's dark, and he squints around. He turns and fumbles with the door trying to close it. (His foot is in the way, which takes him way too long to figure out). A light clicks on in the hallway.
"Bills?" Steve's sleepy voice calls. "You home?"
"yeps!" Billy chirps. Steve laughs.
"How ya feelin?" Steve mumbles.
"Goooooods." Billy slurs. Steve laughs and motions Billy into the kitchen.
He pulls out some leftovers from his dinner, spaghetti and garlic bread, that he heats up and slides over to Billy. Billy tucks into the food and eats quietly, this time because he’s inebriated. Steve sits at the table, adorably sleepy, in old basketball shorts and a giant stretched out hoodie, that he's pulled over his hands. He smiles softly at Billy whenever Billy looks at him.
"Tell me about the party." Steve whispers.
"Itssss fine. Loud." Billy says.
Steve nods. "I believe it. I'm glad you went."
"You are?" Billy whispers.
"Yeah, you're looking more like your old self." Steve says. Billy is too drunk to piece that bit together, so he just finishes his food.
Steve sits there and watches him for a while, knee pulled up, cheek resting on it. Billy shoves the plate away. Steve stands up and clears the plate. He ruffles Billy's hair a little on the way to the sink. Billy sighs happily, and rests his forehead on the table.
"Stevie, I'm vary drunk. Berry Drunk. Very Drink. Drunk. Issss drinked." He mutters. Steve chuckles from behind him.
"Yes, I can tell." He says.
"I'm soooooooooo sleepy. Hey Pretty Boy! Can Isss ask you something?" Billy mumbles.
"Of course, what's up?"
"Do weeeee has ice scream? Frozen milk? You know? The sugar and the cold. You know?" Billy says and then sits bolt upright. "Stevie! Oh mys god, tell me we have icescream!!"
Steve laughs. "We always have ice cream Bills." He pulls out the tub and dishes it up, sliding it to Billy again. Billy grins and digs in. Steve rolls his eyes and goes back to the dishes.
Billy almost falls asleep into his ice cream, but he finishes it. He only drops the spoon four times and he even tries to clear the dish. It's just basically a lot of fumbling around and Steve takes the bowl from him, laughing.
"Come on, bed time." Steve says, tugging Billy toward the bedrooms.
They rented this tiny two-bedroom apartment above Melvald’s after the summer, as soon as he was released from the hospital. Billy couldn't bear to live with his dad anymore, and Steve's parents kicked him out when they found out that he hadn't gotten into college.
It's got two tiny bedrooms, and one bathroom. Their furniture is all mismatched, and Billy is sleeping on a mattress on the floor, but they are out from under parents that hated them.
Steve eases Billy down onto his bed, and helps him out of his boots.
"Stevie?"
"Yes Bills?"
"I'm tired." Steve laughs.
"I know, we're getting you to bed." Steve says. "You want your jeans off?"
"You jus' tryin tah get me nekkkkkkid." Billy slurs, doing that closed eye drunk squint thing.
Steve laughs. "Sure, that's what I'm trying to do." The sarcasm is lost on Billy, but he’s not really paying attention.
He hauls Billy up, and helps him undo his button and fly, then slide out of the jeans. (Billy had worn underwear to the party because he knew he wouldn’t be getting any.)
Steve has to basically shove him back onto the bed, and he pulls the covers over Billy.
"Goodnight Bills." Steve whispers, and combs his fingers through Billy's hair for a minute. Billy's eyelids droop.
He's asleep before Steve even leaves the room.
"So, this boy put you to bed?" Bernie creaks the next day, in her raspy voice.
"Yeah." Billy says.
"Fed you, took off your pants, shoes, and put you to bed?" She asks, one eye brow creeping up.
"Yeah?" Billy says, eating the sandwich Steve made him.
"Boy, that man loves you." Bernie says. Billy rolls his eyes.
"He does not, straight remember?"
"Sure, he is, you keep thinking that." Bernie says, getting up to greet a haggard looking man walking toward the garage.
3.  "Ok, so, I work all weekend, but the kids wanted to come over Saturday night, for movies. Dustin already gave me a list." Steve says, eyeing the notebook page where he'd scribbled his schedule. "I know they are a lot, but Max misses you."
"Ok." Billy says, and then slides the piece of paper with his schedule over to Steve.
They do this every two weeks, when they get their new schedules. Billy needs rides, he doesn't like the bus, and his coworkers can't pick him up often.  Bernie takes him home sometimes, but Steve doesn't mind helping.
"Holy crap, Billy! Why are you working like 10 hours on Saturday?!" Steve cries, gaping at Billy's schedule.
"Only time we could get the school buses in for detailing before school starts." Billy mumbles.
"It's Hawkins, there's like four school buses." Steve mutters.
"They take a while, and we have some other cars that need finishing." Billy says. Steve sighs.
"That sounds like hell. Well, I can take you to work, and pick you up if you want that day, Tuesdays and Wednesdays you'll need a ride home." Steve says. Billy nods and makes a note on his schedule to ask Bernie, or maybe Sam. Sam works at the garage too, but he's attending college a few towns over, so he can't work as often.
Steve moves on, puttering around the kitchen making a grocery list, and Billy drifts off to read on the couch.
The week passes like usual. Work is busy, but Billy loves getting a car running again. He also rarely deals with clients. People expect a certain amount of brusqueness from their mechanic, and they don't mind if he doesn't talk much as long as the cars run again.
Saturday morning, he and Steve get up bright and early. Steve gets ready for work, makes them both lunch and coffee. He takes Billy to his job, two hours before Steve has to be at his own.
The school buses are all nightmares, and even with Sam, Bernie, Gary, and Billy all working on one, it takes them nearly the whole shift to get them working again on the school’s budget. They also get two of the really nice cars in from Loch Nora, for oil changes, but their owners demand full inspections. By the time the shift is over, all of them are exhausted, sacked out around the break room, with the fans going full blast. They all have shoved their coveralls down to their waists, and everyone's under shirts are riding up.
"Are those from…" Sam asks. Billy glances down and sees the edges of his scars peeking out under his white tank. He blows out a slow breath.
"Ay! Sam! Fuckin' rude man!!!" Bernie snaps, her usually cheerful demeanor squashed by so many hours working.
Sam looks sheepish and goes back to standing in front of the fan.
The official public story is that Billy was caught in the mall fire rescuing El and the kids. He was badly burned and had to be in ICU of the hospital for three weeks.  That's all people know.
Billy self-consciously pulls down his tank and drops his head back to the couch.
"Billy?" Steve calls.
"We're in here hun!" Bernie calls. She's known Steve for years, her daughter used to babysit him when he was little.
"Hey Mrs. Hannan, Mr. Hannan." Steve says.
"You can call me Bernie; we've been over this honey." Bernie says. Steve rolls his eyes and nods. Gary nods at him, but doesn't say anything, he's exhausted.
"Ready to go Billy?" Steve asks. Billy nods and gets up, nodding to everyone.
"See you Monday Billy." Bernie calls. Billy nods again and follows Steve to the car. They are both quiet on the way home, Steve knows Billy is drop dead tired.
Once they get home, Billy nods at the kids piled all over the couch and heads to the shower. Max waves and settles back against Lucas.
Billy takes a long shower, trying to work all the grease out of his hair. He doesn't quite manage it, but he gives up when the water runs cold. He hops out of the shower, slinging the towel around his waist. He wipes off the mirror and stares. The scars have fades to pale pink right now, but they are raised and a little lumpy. He sighs, hating them. But the doctors said there was nothing they could do for them. He just has to live with them.
He pulls on a comfy shirt and flannel sleep pants. Billy steps out of the bathroom and tosses his work clothes toward the laundry pile in his room.
"Billy? Dinner's ready!" Steve calls.
Billy doesn't reply just heads to the kitchen. He stops short in the doorway. Steve is fighting back the kids from the piles of food on the table, armed with an apron and a spatula. One plate is piled with steamed broccoli covered in cheese, steaming still. Another is filled with crispy breaded fish, and there is a mountain of French fries next to it.
"I said wait! Billy gets to get food first!" Steve says, physically holding Dustin back.
"But I'm hungry!" Dustin whines.
"Tough shit, you guys are animals. Jesus." Steve says, and then grins at Billy.
"Hey! Come get food! These kids are gonna demolish this." Steve says, glaring at Lucas when he moves closer. El giggles.
Billy walks over and grabs one of their mismatched plates. He takes several pieces of fish, handfuls of fries, and a huge serving of broccoli. The second he clears the table, Steve sighs.
"Alright, go ahead you monsters." Steve says, and steps back as the kids swarm the table. Billy sinks onto the couch, and takes the cold beer Steve hands him. Billy takes a careful bite of the fish, and nearly groans at the taste.
"Is it good? I asked my aunt in Maine for the recipe, she used to live in Cali. Finding fresh Cod was a bitch. Is it good?" Steve asks softly. Billy nods.
"I love fish and chips, and broccoli." Billy says. Steve smiles.
"I know, I asked Max what your favorite food was. Your day was so crazy, I wanted to make you something good for ya." Steve say, and then leaps up to break up Mike and Dustin, who are fighting over the food.
Billy frowns at his food, but he's too tired to wonder why Steve went to all this trouble. He doesn't know where one would even buy fish in Hawkins, but it's the freshest he's had in a while. (Still not as fresh as Cali, but fresh for Indiana.)
He's so tired, and the food is perfect, so he shrugs it off and tucks in to his dinner. The kids all pile on the couch or floor with their plates and Steve puts in some alien movie that the kids watch raptly. Billy falls asleep half way through, with Max leaning against his side. Steve helps him to bed again, smiling softly.
Bernie cackles on Monday when Billy tells her about the dinner, and mutters at him about roommates and being in love. Billy wonders how life got to the point where his best friend is a fifty-year-old mechanic. Her and his roommate. Life is weird.
2.  Billy has come a long way in the months since the July 4th battle. He saw a therapist for a while, and still goes in every few weeks for check ins. He took his meds diligently, and was given a prescription for depression and anxiety, that he mostly doesn't take, it's for emergencies.
Billy probably should have taken one before bed. He'd been yelled at by a rich housewife, who thought he'd broken her car (he hadn't), then Sam had dropped an entire tool box, causing Billy to startle so bad he'd spilled hot coffee all down his front. That had immediately reminded his of constantly being scalding hot with the monster in his brain. Then he'd dropped a tool on his foot. To top it all off, he'd forgot to tell Steve that he worked later today, so Steve wasn't able to pick him up, and Billy had had to catch Hawkins’ only bus, which was crowded and awful. Billy was quiet all through dinner and had gone straight to bed after, falling into an exhausted sleep.
It hadn't been peaceful for long.
In the nightmare, Billy was walking through the mall, begging the Mind Flayer not to do it, to find someone else. It had whispered in its horrible voice, that Billy was the best choice, and together they would create perfection. Billy was so tired, and couldn't fight. Couldn't fight as it killed the kids, one by one, Max last. He'd screamed, begged her to run, but she hadn't, couldn’t. But then the mind flayer dragged Steve, bruised and bloody, forward. Billy had screamed and fought, begging not to kill Steve. The mind flayer hadn't cared, and had bent to kill him.
Billy sat bolt upright with a scream, clawing at the shirt plastered to his chest with sweat. The light in the hallway clicked on, and the door banged open as Steve rushed in. Billy jumped and pressed himself into the corner, staring in horror at Steve.
"Billy, it's me, you're safe." Steve whispers, crouching near the bed.
"Steve…." Billy breathes.
"It was just a nightmare, you're ok." Steve says. He gets up quickly, turning on the floor lamp in the corner, and disappears into the hall. He comes back a few seconds later with a glass of water. He sets it near Billy, but doesn't hand it to him. Billy would be grateful if he had any thoughts to spare.
He chugs the water, and the looks at Steve for a long moment.
"You ok?" Steve whispers.
Billy takes a deep breath. "Mind flayer is gone right?" Billy whispers. Steve nods.
"Yep, we killed it, don't worry. We got it." Steve whispers. Billy nods.
"It was just a nightmare, I promise, you're safe." Steve says again.
"Don't think I can sleep anymore." Billy whispers a few minutes later. Steve frowns, checking the clock, proudly displaying one am.
"You need to sleep Bills." Steve whispers.
"Can't. Nightmares travel in packs." Billy mutters. Steve laughs.
"What if I stay?" Steve whispers.
Billy levels him with a look. "I'll sleep on the floor, but sometimes having someone nearby can really help." Steve whispers. Billy sighs.
"If you need to." He whispers.
Steve smiles, and gets up. He leaves the hall light on, and then turns out the light in Billy's room. Billy lies down, and wordlessly lifts the covers to let Steve in. Steve slides beneath the covers and sighs. "Not a word Harrington." Billy grumbles. Steve chuckles lowly.
"Wasn't gonna tell a soul, but we've been living together for too long for you to call me Harrington again." Steve mutters.
Billy just grunts. "Go to sleep Bills."
"You sleep, Stevie." Billy mutters.
They both lie there for a while, and Billy's head spins. Steve is here, in his bed, breathing softly. Which brings up the whole mess Billy has been ignoring for too long: that he's utterly gone on Steve Harrington. Has been since first seeing him a year ago on the basketball court, all sweaty and flustered.
And it's only gotten worse since moving in together.
Although, its mellowed slightly. In high school, Billy wanted to fuck Steve's brains out, or maybe have Steve fuck his brains out. Either way, Billy only really wanted to have sex with Steve. But since the mind flayer, and almost dying, and then moving in with Steve, the feelings have mellowed.
It's more focused on Steve himself. Billy wants a life together, to share a bed with Steve, to hold him, to be held by him at night. To sit next to him on the couch and lean into him, because he's exhausted. To hold his hand on the car ride home, to kiss him quick when he gets home. To go out with Robin and Heather to restaurants, so that they can go on dates. He wants the freedom to roll over right now and throw his arms over Steve, snuggling closer.
"You ok, Billy?" Steve whispers.
"I thought you were asleep pretty boy." Billy mutters.
"Nope." Steve says, popping the p. Billy rolls his eyes. Steve chuckles.
"I practically felt you roll your eyes." Steve sasses. Billy chuckles a little. They lapse into silence again.
"I'm not gonna bite ya, Bills." Steve mumbles.
"I know." Billy whispers. Steve shifts around until he's lying on his side facing Billy.
"Go to sleep, you look exhausted." Steve whispers.
"Thanks, Steve." Billy snarks. Steve laughs.
"Fine, I'm exhausted. So quit thinking and go to bed." Steve snaps. Billy laughs, and takes a deep breath. Steve's eyes have dropped closed, fluffy hair flopped around the pillow, and long lashes dusting his cheeks. Billy takes a slow breath, trying to match the rhythm of Steve’s.
His eyes drop closed, and before he knows it, he's asleep.
Billy wakes up to Steve's alarm blaring in the other room, snuggled into Steve's arms.
"I can feel you overthinking, already." Steve mutters. "Give me a minute, I didn't want to get up and wake you." Steve squeezes Billy tight for a moment.
Then he gets up and goes running into his room to dress for work. Billy sits alone in his room, trying desperately to find his footing again.
Steve doesn't bring it up at breakfast though, or for the rest of the day, so Billy grudgingly leaves it alone.
1.  Billy sort of falls into a downward spiral after that night. He withdrew more into himself over the next weeks, and is quiet at work, home, and everywhere in between. He had nightmares every night. And every night Steve slipped into his bed and held him. Billy pretended it didn't mean anything, but he clung to Steve.
"You don't have to talk about it." Steve whispered one night, running his fingers through Billy's hair. "But I'm here if you want to."
Billy nodded a little, and pressed closer, letting himself have this comfort, as much as he could.
"I'm scared." Billy confessed, a little while later. Steve was quiet, but Billy could tell he was listening. "I'm scared it'll come back, and that it'll make me hurt you and the kids."
"Oh Bills." Steve says, pulling Billy closer. "It's gone we got it, killed it, closed the gate. And even if it came back, we'd stop it again." Steve pulls back a little and looks Billy dead in the eye. "I will always come to find you, always. I promise." Only Steve can look this serious at butt fuck o’clock in the morning, talking Billy down from nightmares. Billy sighs and snuggles closer.
"I'm gonna hold you to that Harrington."
"You got it Hargrove."
They curl around each other and fall asleep like that.
Eventually Steve just starts going to bed in Billy's bed, which finally stops the nightmares.
Billy feels like maybe it's something they should talk about, something they should address. But Steve doesn't bring it up, just continues to live his life like normal, so Billy does as well.
But every morning he wakes up in Steve's arms, it's hard to remember that they aren't together like that. And that Steve is straight.
As October wears on, it's hard to remember that they haven't always done this. Billy tries really hard not to think about it, but it's almost constantly on his mind.
"You ok?" Bernie asks on their lunch break. Billy just grunts. "That aint an answer."
Billy sighs, and mumbles an answer under his breath.
"Didn't quite catch that hun." Bernie says, far too chipper.
"’M in love with my roommate." Billy mutters, and pauses, holding his breath. He can feel his heart pounding. Coming out in the past has not gone great for him.
Bernie whoops and thumps his shoulder. "Damn right you are!!" Billy raises an eyebrow at her. People in California were a little more liberal with this, they didn't care much. (In some neighborhoods they did, but in most they didn't). But this is a small-town Indiana: they aren't the most openminded people.
But Bernie is smiling so big, Billy's a little worried she's gonna hurt herself.
"So, you two handsome young men together yet or what?" Bernie asks. Billy rolls his eyes.
"Gross Bernie. He's straight remember?" Billy says. Bernie rolls her eyes.
"Please, I've seen the way he watches you, he's not straight."
"Creepy Bern." Billy says. Bernie grins and bumps their shoulders together.
"I think he's in love with you, that's all I'm saying." Bernie says.
They sit in silence for a while, Bernie munching on her pretzels, Billy eating his apple and mulling that over.
"Bernie?" Billy asks.
"Yes, Honey?" She says immediately. Billy is struck by how much she's like a mom to him, and how much he appreciates it.
"You don't mind that I'm…." Billy trails off.
"Oh honey, of course not. My daughter, you remember Shawna?" She asks. Billy has met Shawna like one time, she lives in Seattle. Billy isn't sure what she does. "Shawna lives with her girlfriend in Seattle. Shawna is a lawyer out there, and Christina is a teacher." Bernie sighs a little. "They have to pretend to be roommates, but me and Gary know that they are together. I love her with my whole heart, no matter who she loves."
Billy blinks a few times and accepts the hug Bernie pulls him into.
"You're wonderful, don't let anyone tell you different." She murmurs and then releases him and gets back to work.
Billy thinks about it all day, and on the entire bus ride home. It’s funny how casually Bernie said something that he’s gonna think about for the rest of his life.
He unlocks the door at home and steps in to see Robin and Heather curled together on the couch, and Steve sitting in the sagging armchair.
"Hey Bills, how was work?" Steve asks. Heather and Robin twist around and grin at him.
"Fine. Hi Heath, Buckley, what are you all doing here?" Billy mumbles.
"Steve asked us over for movies." Robin says.
"Yeah, I wanted to be around their gross happiness." Steve snarks.
"Gross happiness?" Billy asks, eyebrows furrowed.
"I asked her out like a month ago, and she said yes. Which you'd know if you hung out with me anymore." Heather snarks. Billy grins at them.
"Sorry, work." He says, and goes to shower.
When he gets out, the others have ordered pizza and are gathered around the coffee table. They don't hear Billy coming back down the hall way.
"Come on Steve, just tell him. Yall already sleep in the same damn bed, I think he's there." Robin says. Heather nods.
"You are the only person he trusts; I swear, I think he's into you too." Heather says, shoving pizza in her face.
Billy backs up and deliberately steps on the trick board in the hall way.
By the time he rounds the corner, Steve has a plate of pizza ready for him. Billy sits down and smiles at him.
"You've got some grease in your hair, Bills." Steve says, reaching out to comb it out with his fingers. It's a little stuck in there, but Steve gets it eventually. Billy is helpless to do anything but stare at Steve the whole time.
He blushes a little when Steve finally looks away. Robin and Heather shoot Steve meaningful looks, and everyone turns back to their pizza.
After their meal, Robin puts on the Breakfast Club, and curls up with Heather on the couch. Steve settles back in his chair, Billy leaning against it. Steve reaches down and gently kneads the sore muscles of Billy's shoulder, without being asked.
Billy tries very hard to forget what he heard. But his mind whirs the entire time, wondering if Bernie was right. And what Heather and Robin possibly meant by what they said.
+1.  Billy wakes up at eleven on his day off to some moron honking out in the parking lot behind Melvald’s. Billy's window faces the parking lot, and the honking literally will not stop. Billy groans and glances over at the other side of the bed. It's empty, which is odd, because he always wakes up to Steve. He frowns and stands up, the hoking continuing behind him. He turns to peer out the window, ready to flip off whoever is honking. His jaw drops when he sees what's outside.
Billy grabs his boots and puts them on while trying to run to the door. He falls a few times and barely makes it down the stairs without dying. But he stops short on the gravel of the parking lot and gapes at the car sitting there. Steve climbs out of the driver’s side and Max jumps out of the passenger seat, both grinning.
"Holy shit." He whispers. Steve's smile stretches a little wider.
"Surprise!" Steve cries, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Billy is speechless, gaping at the car.
Max apparently can't keep quiet anymore, she's practically vibrating with excitement. "We got it back from Neil, for your birthday!!! I had Mrs. Hannan at the garage fix it up during your off days, or the days you wouldn't notice. It runs like new and Neil gave me the keys." Max cries. Billy really thinks he might cry.
"You got my Camaro back." He whispers. Steve nods.
"It was all Max really. I was telling her that I wasn't sure what to get you for your birthday. She suggested getting the car back." Steve says.
"How?" Billy whispers.
Max sighs a little bit, and smiles. "I just kept bringing it up that it was taking up space every day for a while." She smirks. "He hates clutter, you know that. So, one day he was standing there glaring at it, so I said maybe Steve wanted it."
Steve jumps in. "I drove over there and bought the car. Max and I drove it to the garage and talked to Mrs. Hannan. She promised to fix it. It was done yesterday, but I wanted to wait until today." Steve says. He tosses Billy the keys, and Billy smoothly catches them. He just stares transfixed at the car.
"She's here." He whispers. Steve and Max crack up.
Max runs over and hugs him hard. "Happy Birthday, Billy. I love you." She says in a whisper.
"I love you too." Billy says. "Thank you."
"Of course, you earned it." Max says.
"I forgot it's my birthday." He whispers. Max laughs.
"It's ok, you've been working so much.” She doesn’t say that he’s been through a lot, but they all know it.  “But Steve remembered, and I did, so don't worry."
Billy hugs her again, and walks up to the car, trailing finger tips on her hood.
"I'm gonna take Max back to the Wheelers’ house. Go driving, I know you want to." Steve says, grinning, and jumps back into his own car. Billy wonders briefly if he caught the bus to the garage or something to pick up the Camaro.
Billy slides into the car and can't keep the smile off his face as he peels out of the lot. He whoops and goes flying down the dirt roads near Hawkins like he used to.
He had worried that being back in the car would bring up bad memories, but it doesn't. It's just freedom, and wonderful.
He drives for an hour and a half before he goes back home. He's exhilarated when he gets back, and baking the car into a spot next to Steve’s makes his smile stretch.
He's still grinning when he walks back inside. Steve is sitting on the couch and grins back.
"Good to have the Camaro back?" Steve asks. Billy nods.
"Hell yeah. Thank you, Stevie."  Billy says.
Steve just beams, and then turns back to the TV. Billy hangs his keys up on the other hook by the door, and settles on the couch to watch too.
Steve gets up later to figure out dinner, and Billy goes to his room to grab his book. He doesn’t mind a lowkey birthday, because just him and Steve is perfect. There’s a wrapped package sitting on his pillow.
Billy goes to open it, but stops and opens the card.
Bills, I know I got ya the Camaro back, but I thought you should have this too, cause it’s your birthday.
Love, Steve
Billy gapes at the card. Then it all sorta slots into place. All the little things Steve does for him. The rides, the lunches with sticky notes with silly doodles, the dinners made painstakingly from scratch, the casual touches and the way Steve mother hens him always. They are sleeping in the same bed for god’s sake!
Steve got his car back, from Neil who surely didn’t offer a fair price. Billy rips open the package and swallows when he finds a new Stephen King novel, and several new pairs of earrings. A dangling spike like the one he lost last July, a skull post earring set, and two sets of silver hoops with thin dangly knives and feathers respectively.
Billy swallows and dashes out to the kitchen, where Steve is comparing two take out menus.
“Hey Bills, you want Chinese or Thai?” Steve says.
“You love me.” Billy whispers, still in shock.
Steve sighs and sets the menus down. “Listen, I don’t need anything more, I’m so happy with what we’ve got now, like seriously, so happy. I totally get it if you aren’t into me, it’s all good. I’m fine, I just want you to be happy.”
“You’re straight?” Billy mumbles.
“No? I’m bi. I like both? I came out to you when we moved in?” Steve says. Billy believes him, but he hardly remembers that.
“Oh.” He says. Steve frowns.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want you to feel any pressure, I can move back to my own bed.” Steve mutters.
“I kinda thought we’d move to your room. Your bed is better.” Billy says, that old snark making an appearance. Steve’s head snaps up.
“What?” He says. Billy crosses over to him and grabs the front of his shirt.
“I’m in love with you too.” Billy whispers. Steve’s eyes widened.
“It’s you, and I can’t believe it took me almost a year of living with you to see it, but we have spent too long apart.” Billy whispers. They both sway toward each other, mouths meeting in the middle. Steve’s arms wrap around him, and Billy holds on tight.
“I love you.” Steve says, breathless.
“I love you too.” Billy replies, and holds one tight. They don’t need any more words.
The transition from roommates to boyfriends is seamless. They do move into Steve’s room, and turn Billy’s old one into a guest room. The sex is great, when they eventually get there. Being openly loved by Steve doesn’t magically solve Billy’s body issues, but Steve is patient, loving, and wonderful.
The kids are all disgusted and simultaneously glad. Robin and Heather apparently have been betting on how long it would take them to get together. (Heather made 20 bucks.) Bernie whoops so loud when Billy tells her, that Gary comes running down from the upstairs office to make sure nothing bad has happened.
She crushes him into a hug and Billy holds on just as tight. “You deserve this, every moment of it! You deserve the world and that boy is gonna give it to you.” She cries. Billy laughs, and when Steve picks him up, Bernie wolf whistles until Steve kisses him, right there in the garage.
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sakurabaneku · 6 years
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anime expo was soooooooooo much and it was so hot and overwhelming (and yes, crowded) but i had so much fun! under the cut because i sure do talk a lot
i knew ax was big but WHOA OK its on a whole nother level!! i dont think i even saw the entirety of the convention center and i didnt even step into the jw! wow ok! i was really worried about it being overwhelming and everyone being too busy to.. be friendly i guess but that wasnt really a problem!! everyone was really friendly, especially at the meets!! the ff meet was on the hottest day of the weekend and it was overcrowded and difficult to get things organized but everyone was still friendly and talkative and looking out for each other in that wild heat!! SHOUT OUT TO THE ZACK FAIR PHOTOBOMBING THE SHOOT BY DOING SQUATS IN THAT HEAT!! you really are a hero, zack fair. you really are.
speaking of the heat, idk how i survived in noctis all day in.. 106 or something degree weather but i loveloveLOVED being him!! it was worth the suffering!!!! one of my favorite costumes ive done so far i think and i got so many super nice comments from people on it and waah! also got arrested by the thot patrol and shoved into the ballpit by ardyn and ik ive already posted pics but that was fun. i didnt take nearly enough shitty meme pictures honestly. smh. I DIDNT GET A PICTURE OF ME GETTING FRIENDZONED BY LUNAFREYA which happened. noctis did a heart hand luna thumbs up’d. rip noctis. 
cosplaying kingdom hearts is always a really fun time and im kinda glad i didnt finish riku in time bc kairi was a godsend of a costume. so comfortable. bless. and i just love being her!! im glad i brought my pins back to give out, everyone had the CUTEST reactions!! a sora also tossed me a little paopu fruit as he walked by which was really sweet and its soft and adorable!! 
it was also the first time i wore bakura which was uhhhh and experience and that costume didnt make it home in one piece lol i really didnt feel great in it but i still had some fun!! littlekuriboh complimented it lol so like, my inner 10 year old can die happy! 
i think the thing that really made this con was the people!! rooming with sharon, janice and emma was like, the best, chillest hotel room and i hadnt seen any of them in EONS i miss u guys come back to cali soon!!!! and meeting angel and aj was really nice and i had a lot of fun hanging out with them and also going to dennys at midnight in cosplay. andrew and jesse are local friends so i see them a lot but it was still fun hanging out with them at the con! they braved the outdoors to meet up with me at the ff shoot. brave souls. 
i met a lot of real cool new people too, and people id seen once or twice before at cons and got to spend more time with and everyone was just! really nice!! and fun to talk to!! hopefully the people i met felt the same about me and i didnt annoy anyone or talk anyones ear off.. too much cause i sure do that my apologies if i was the biggest pest in the universe!!! 
ALSO SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN ARTIST ALLEY LOL.. someone was selling ffxv omanjuus so i got a prompto and a noctis!! omanjuus are my absolutest favoritest kind of merch ever. im so happy. actually i mostly just bought xv merch for myself... OOPS i got some cute sorikai tho!!! i got more stickers for my travel sketchbook :3 
AND!!!!! AND I GOT TO PLAY KH3 DEMO!!!! the lines were capped for most of the weekend... except for when i walked by and one of the booth employees went “PSST HEY GUYS, WANNA PLAY KINGDOM HEARTS 3?” hells yeah. uh, i know some people dont wanna see details about kh3 until they actually play it and idk if anyones actually READING this but im gonna talk about the demo so like.. leave now if u dont wanna see any of that
the gameplay!! was so good!! it was so FAST and smooth and intuitive! but it was creative and cool and you can switch keyblades in combat and the attraction attacks are SO CUTE! theres something so emotionally satisfying about killing things with the tea cups. you could play olympus and/or toy story world if you had time to do both in the 15 minutes you got (i finished toy story and almost finished olympus!) the toy story world was so cute!! TOY SORA IS THE MOST ADORABLE and fighting in the mechs was actually really fun!! the cutscenes were included for toy story but there were 7 minutes of cutscene so i skipped it rip. there’s nothing new that hasnt been seen in trailers and stuff yet but it was super fun to actually play it!! it’s a lot like bbs/ddd gameplay but a lot better and idk, im not an expert in gamedev but it just felt like combat had a good.. flow to it and its a million lightyears away from the clunky gameplay of kh1!!!! ITS COME SO FAR!! IM PROUD! and also it just feels like its a REAL CONCRETE thing thats actually happening now that ive actually gotten a chance to play it for real. kh3 isnt fake yall. wow. wow. 
ANYWAY. THAT WAS A LOT OF TALKING AND I FEEL LIKE THERES A HUNDRED MORE THINGS I WANNA SAY it was a good weekend. im very tired. im so sad its over. idk when my next con is but im hoping mayyybe ala???? maybe????????? we’ll see! other than that uhhh i really just have disneyland planned so... i guess its time to actually finish riku for the halloween party.
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mysticdragon3md3 · 4 years
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reactions to Demon Slayer KNY ep8-14
12:15 PM 9/21/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep8
Wow.  Tanjiro actually called out to Kibutsuji Muzan, since he had to let him get away!  O.O  I was hoping he'd do that, but usually that doesn't happen.  
So his alias is Tsukihiko?
Aw, demons who are moved by Tanjiro's empathy for the guy was who transformed!  ;u;
Oh, interesting!  A simultaneous reason for why Tanjiro's family was attacked in the middle of nowhere and why his father was gone.
I've often daydreamed of my OC's blood effecting people with such instantaneous infection that all their cells melt simultaneously, but I've never seen a series fulfill my daydream before.  
Tamayo and Yushiro.
When did Tamayo learn that Nezuko was asleep for 2 years?  We wern't even told she was asleep for 2 years.  O.o?  
Is this Yushiro character indicative of the type of humor this manga-ka injects into all his non-action scenes?  I hope it doesn't get too annoying.  But if it does, it would explain why my brother doesn't like Zenitsu(?).   . . .
------------------------------------------- 12:48 PM 9/21/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep9
I know they wanted Yushiro's beheading to be shocking, but he's a demon and we've seen demons regenerate quickly throughout the series.  
I like that Nezuko and Tanjiro are fighting like a team now, as a given, even when they haven't been forced into a last resort.
Why are they recapping this deal to retrieve blood?  I know in a weekly manga, a recap like that is necessary, but is teh manga just trying to buy time/filler?  
Suzumaru sucks at close quarters combat.
I still don't like the idea of Nezuko being hypnotized to see other people as her family.  If the imagery was overlapping her family onto people, without Kurokodaki's hypnosis explaination, then that imagery would be used to understand what Nezuko is thinking/feeling, even though she can't talk anymore.  It would be touching that she gets reminded of the family she lot and of wanting to protect people as deeply as her own family, to prevent a repetition of her family's tragedy.  There would be so much emotion throughout all of it, in thinking about Nezuko's motivations through everything.  But with that Kurokodaki hypnosis explaination, it takes away her agency and all the emotions behind the possible motivations.  ;_;  
Time to kick some dush into those eyes.  
But if he got the neck, won't the whole body disappear before they can get a blood sample? I wonder if the previously chopped off arms from Suzumaru still have blood samples in them? Or did they disappear?  
Wait.  Is her name Suzumaru or Susamaru?
If Yahaba an Suzumaru only just met but they fight so in sync, does that mean the blood from Kibutsuji Muzan inside them makes them sync up?   . . .
7:27 PM 9/24/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba
Going to leave ep9 playing, while I go get food, since I've seen this ep before.
The animation in the fights is really good, and I'm very glad for Tanjiro when he fights well, because I don't want him to die.  But suddenly shouting these moves, that we've never specifically seen before, then instantly winning, sometimes feels like a "magic" deus ex machina.  I mean, his training episodes help, but we didn't see him learning specific moves.  Maybe I'm just too accustomed to older Shonen anime being very specific with its training.  Ranma 1/2, Bleach, etc.  
"Let's practice our teamwork, Nezuko!"  Now I wish Nezuko was awake during Tanjiro's training instead of asleep for 2 years.  I still can't believe it was TWO YEARS.  The series didn't give that sense at all until Tanjiro specifically said how long she was asleep.  It would have been so cool of Nezuko was helping Tanjiro with his training, and essentially training alongside him.  Ah, well.  Their teamwork now is so endearing.   . . .
7:58 PM 9/24/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep10
REally showing the toll a battle has on TAnjiro.  I always watch movie reviews criticizing modern movies for NOT doing this.  Good to see a good example of it being done, that isn't Die Hard.  
It's good to hear a character say that this power of Nezuko's is "her own".  I'm really stuck on that Kurokodaki hypnosis suggestion taking away a sense of Nezuko's agency/motivations.  But if this series could do more to suggest that Nezuko has her own feelings and motivations to protect people and fight, that would vastly improve things.  I want to forget that Kurokodaki hypnosis thing.
Ack!  He said not to move!  Please don't turn into a trap!  ...Thankfully, it didn't.  Maybe i have that expectation from Western storytelling, since it's so rooted in moralistic religious cultures?  Naw, even the "2 Sons of the Sun" story used that disobeying trope.  Anyway, I really appreciate how often, even after each battle, this series takes the time to show Tanijro showing empathy.  And high levels of empathy too, when he can even risk expressing empathy for an enemy!  *o* This is one of my favorite archetypes/tropes.  ;u;  
Suzumaru asking for her temari...Was she turned into a demon when she was a kid then grew as a demon? "Just like a little kid"?  So is Nezuko after becoming a demon.  And that morphed demon during Tanjiro's exam had childhood memory flashbacks before he died.  Do people's minds just get rebooted when they become demons or something?  They revert to childish mentalities?  
"At first, I didn't like the idea of Nezuko being under a spell, but since it looks like she has a will of her own, I'm glad that---"  I was about to write that even though I don't like the plot device of Kurokodaki's hypnosis on Nezuko, taking away her agency and the sense that she decides her actions and thus still has her own motivations---I was ok with this scene because her being affectionate to Tamayo and Yushiro was just so cute.  But now the scene is burying itself into that hypnosis plot point.  -.-;  Still a very heartfelt scene though!  ;U;!!!
I'm glad Tanjiro took Nezuko's wishes into account.  
Zenitsu is giving me Miroku flashbacks.  How did I put up with Miroku's running gag for so long anyway? Especially considering now that I'm just soooooooo terribly sick of the cliche of "sexual harassment as humor and running gags".  Is it because I worshiped Rumiko Takahashi and was so used to it?  Is it because I could always be confident that perverts in Takahashi series would immediately get pummelled, since Inuyasha had its roots in Takahashi's slapstick sensibilities?  I mean, if since Takahashi series are so slapstick, even when her series got more series, like INuyasha, if a pervert was bieng especially annoying, you could still count on them being punted into the sky or at least beaten until they couldn't move.  Well, usually, they could twitch, but that was about it.  And if they were beaten half to death and left out all night, well, that was common enough to be counted upon when needed.  Because seriously, after Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura, if there's going to be a pervert, then they sure as hell better be satisfingly beaten half to death.  I guess that slapstick extreme is the only way I'll accept that trope as a running gag.  Though, I still prefer if it didn't happen.  Like, I enjoy seeing Happosai suffering, but I'd prefer to not see him at all.  
8:38 PM 9/24/2020 ep over. I'll take a break from KNY for now because I need to multitask.  
I know I've been writing most of my negative criticism reactions to watching this series so far, but I really am enjoying it.  The animation is beautiful, the protagonists are endearing, the music is so good, I've been listening to the opening theme song on loop, during my daily walks this week.  I gotta write down more of my positive reactions.   . . .
12:51 AM 9/26/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep11
I think I'm beginning to see why Kuya doesn't like Zenitsu.  
Sometimes I have to wonder about Shonen manga-ka or the Shonen genre, when it seems to always default to using "harassing women", "chasing after disinterested women", and "whining about getting girls" as "humor".  Hell, even Persona 5 used that cliche for their humor thru Ryuji---and I love that character despite that!
Though my brother is probably annoyed by Zenitsu's whining more than by his girl-chasing cliche.  
So Zenitsu's "power" is hearing?  lol  Are all the protagonists in the Demon Slayer Corps going to have "magically unsuual senses"?  lol  
This episode had too many slow downs up until this point, but I will always appreciate the story slowing down to emphasize Tanjiro's emathy.  ^-^  
I'll admit, this series really loves it's funny faces.  But it doesn't fit sometimes.  It's not like Soul Eater, where humor was clearly the manga-ka's forte, and they were forcing themselves to do a Shonen action series.  
Maybe this would be funnier if I didn't already know spoilers about Zenitsu actually being good with a sword.  
Wait.  Inosuke??????  That's his name right?  They all met in this one episode by CHANCE????????????????  I thought they would get assigned to the same headquarters for Demon Slayers or something.
Did this demon not mean to trap humans into his house?  That doesn't sound right...  
Everyone's really in their own little worlds huh?  This demon, Inosuke,...everybody is just parallel talking towards each other.  Odd.   . . .
1:45 PM 9/27/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep12
All I hear from the fandom is that "Inosuke is a good boy".  So what's with this callous stepping on a kid?
I know Zenitsu's freak-out scenes are meant to be humor and the seiyuu is obviously having fun with it, but these scenes really should be cut SHORTER.  It's not that funny.  Dragging out such a mediocre joke AND as a RUNNING GAG is getting really tiresome.  It's bad enough that it's starting to turn me unsympathetic to someone who is justifyably afraid.  Who was the editor telling the manga-ka or the direction who thought that dragging these jokes out was "soooooooooo funny"??????????  
I can't figure out if I like or dislike this series!  Mou!  Now I know why I initially tried several times to watch this series and wasn't compelled to binge or watch more...until I consciously tried to catch up on it recently...just because it's popular and I like the opening theme and animation.  ~_~;  Previously, I thought that maybe all my reactions to each episode so far had just _seemed_ negative, because I was forgetting to write down the positives.  But now, I'm beginning to think maybe I'm just not having that much fun with this series.  Though it's true that I was compelled to watch it today, I was excited to watch more...now that I actually am, I'm just not having so much fun.  Maybe I just don't like Zenitsu and Inosuke.  So far, at least.  Maybe I only really liked Tanjiro and Nezuko.  Reminds me of Bleach: I thought I loved _the series_; turns out I only liked Rukia and Ichigo, and when the series focused less on them, I got disinterested and dropped the series.  
Well, at least Zenitsu is protective towards the kid. He's selfless...sometimes.  
So...Is he really sleep-fighting?  
Listen.  I know it was probaby someone's idea to really drag out Zenitsu's cowardice to make his excellent sword attack more shocking.  But that joke was not worth it.  ~.~;  
I'm sorry, but exposition only just now, about how much pain Tanjiro is in, just to put more tension into this fight, is not going to cut it. Yeah, there have been a few foreshadowings of Tanjiro being in a lot of pain.  He even straight up told Zenitsu that his leg and rib(s) are still broken.  But "telling, not showing" was just as ineffecitve then as this monologue meant to build tension in this fight's resolutiion, right now.  ~.~;  If Tanjiro's pain and previous injuries were supposed to make this fight tense, the outcome of his victory less certain, then the episodes so far should have been peppering asides of him secretly flinching with pain and secretly trying so hard to put on a brave face UP THROUGH THIS ENTIRE TIME.  It should have been so obvious, that going into this fight with the tsuzumi demon, the audience would have *already known* that this was a worry, even at the start of just going into the fight---even at the NOTION of going into ANY possible fight!  But instead, we get this monologue, with barely any foreshadowing to suppot it beforehand, that's supposed to *suddenly* convince us that this fight has higher risks that any previous fight?  I call sudden editor changes to the manga.  ~.~;;;;;;;;;;  
"YOu're the eldest daughter, but don't just endure it, come talking to me"?  Tanjiro deserves to not just endure it too!  ;o;!  I mean, he's alone right now and does need to endure it, but when Nezuko or anyone else is around he deserves someone to lean on too!  ;o;!!!   . . .
10:44 PM 9/28/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep13
Well, I like that this series continues to emphasize Tanjiro's empathy, even for demons. Actually kind of reminds me of the yokai genre more than the demon-hunting genre, which is a compliment.  But even that's starting to get forced, just like last episode's last minute tension about Tanjiro's broken bones.  Why would Tanjiro try not to step on the writings/papers?  Why would he suddenly ask for the demon Kyougai's name??  Not that I didn't enjoy it.  But c'mon...
This series is just so cloud so being something great, that every faint failing bothers me.  The production is great, I love the 2 main characters, the character design is good,...Why do I keep finding things to be annoyed with?  I worry that I've just become a grumpy butt.  ~__~;;;  Maybe I just can't enjoy Shonen series anymore???  I did move to almost exclusively watching iyashikei genres...  Ugh.  I don't know.  Because this series totally has objective problems!!!  Not deal-breakers, but everyone has built up this series as warranting fanatasim, and I'm just not feeling it.  
So why is Zenitsu suddenly brave when it comes to protecting Tanjiro's box?  He doesn't know Nezuko's in there yet, right?  
Oh, so Inosuke isn't totally heartless.  HE stopped his sword at Zenitsu's neck.
Oh, that's right.  Zenitsu's "superpower" is his hearing.  He already knows a demon is inside Nezuko's box.  
I dunno.  I just can't buy Zenitsu fighting so hard for Nezuko's box, jsut because he knows Tanjiro is exceptionally gentle.  Zenitsu has spent all this time unwilling to fight demons, even when more was at stake than Tanjiro's box.  It's just so inconsistent, I can't feel the stakes that these scenes want me to feel.  I'm so disassociated and non-immersed.  
Like right now.  Inosuke is so sick of this he's going to skewer both Zenitsu and Nezuko's box simultaneously?  We just saw him unwilling to follow through on that same bluff!
omg  I _WISH_ I was just being too nit-picky!  But lately this series has been proving to me why I asn't compelled to continue this series after the first time I tried it, until maybe the 2nd or 3rd time I gave it a try.  
Maybe I just am fed up with everyone who's not Tanjiro and Nezuko. When the series was just their adventures, I loved it.  Even though it was just repeating old Shonen tropes that I had seen too many times, after all my years---I just didn't care.  Because I liked spending time with Tanjiro and Nezuko SO much.  But now Zenitsu is being annoying, Inosuke is not being the "good boy" I kept hearing he is, and the writing is contradictory, last-minute,...blehhhhh... I WANT TO LIKE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!  Why does it have to keep getting in the way of that?   . . .
5:10 PM 10/5/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep14
I can't stop thinking about all those anitubers who called Inosuke "best boy" and "goodest boy", in contrast to what a bullying asshole he's been so far.  Incidentally, bullies are my biggest pet peeve.  I've dropped SERIES for that reason.  If I can drop HeroAca after giving it 3-4 tries, because any glimpse of Bakugo was enough to piss me off for the rest of my day, don't think you're immune, Kimetsu no Yaiba!  
Is this supposed to be enjoyable?  I know this fight between Inosuke and Tanjiro is animated beautifully and martial arts anime used to be my obsession, but I do not want to see more of this character.  Especially in a fighting scene, a scene that is designed to somehow make him subconsciously look cool.  I know what you're doing.  He's not cool.  He's being an asshole.  This isn't a scene or a character I want to see more of.  This is like in Ironman 2 when the director said in interviews how well the actor who played Hammer oes the "greasy salesman" act---But why do I want to watch more of a greasy salesman!?!  I don't!  A serial killer can do their murders impressively well; doesn't mean I enjoy seeing all these murders happen in front of me!  Inosuke is getting all these "cool" Shonen genre tropes layered onto him, but no.  He's not cool.  
The thing that pisses me off is the idea that Inosuke clearly is being portrayed as those battle-hungry characters who want to become stronger and constantly test their strength.  YA CAN'T ACTUALLY IMPROVE IF YOU TAKE ON WEAK OR UNWILLING OPPONENTS, YA DOOF!!!!!  That's like rule #2 of any martial arts or battle manga/anime!  Why do you think so many anime have the "bad guy who becomes reluctant ally/rival" type?  It's because they're waiting for that proper duel where they've both agreed to fight to their fullest and not hold back.  You can't get that from an unwilling opponent and getitng it from a weak opponent is worthless!  GAwd!  Inosuke is pissing me off more, the longer this duel goes on.  It's such a shame that such good animation has to go to a fight that don't want to see more of.  Cut this short!
My one reprieve is that at least Tanjiro is intensely angry at his bullying, enough to reflect my own anger.  Yet, he keeps his Compassion and True Strength unassuaged by Inosuke's provocations.  
Oh no...I just realized that the way Inosuke is acting in this episode is one of my other highest pet peeves:  Assholes who confuse Power with Strength.  Strength is defined in 2 ways: 1)  A soul pattern that will not assimilate into another's pattern.  In other words, a resolve that won't fall under the influence of someone else's mindset.  The ability to retain one's own will.   2)  The ability to do the hard thing, the difficult thing.   Guess what falls into both categories of Strength?  COMPASSION.  That's why people with True Strength act with decorum.  It's why I love that one of Confucius's 8 virtues is Courtesy.  Having consideration for everyone, at all times, in everything, is the most difficult thing in the world.  And anyone that can keep to that with unfaltering resolve, is The Strongest.  Compassion is not easy for the Weak.  It's difficult.  Only the Strong can demonstrate that level of Compassion.  Only the Strong can risk being Kind, can bear the exposed vulnerabilities of Kindness, and continue to act with Compassion even after being hurt, betrayed, or taken advantage of, for offering Kindness.  That's why jerks who confuse Power with Strength, piss me off.  They're idiots, who don't recognize that attacking is inherently an action of Fear and Weakness.  
Ah, wait.  I see.  When Tanjiro chided Inosuke for aggrivating his rib wounds...  Inosuke is self-destructive.  He's just taking it out on everyone else.  Ugh...  
Huh.  Delayed reaction.  
Wow.  I thought Inosuke's unmasked face was a spoiler for much later in the series.  
I love that Tanjiro probably honestly is concerned about Inosuke's rib injuries and totally doesn't think he's being condescending or passive-aggressive to Inosuke.  
So only 1 of the siblings has Marechi blood?  I hope they plant wiseria plants all over their house.  
See that scene of Zenitsu crying and being quickly silenced by Tanjiro?  Most of his grovelling was at a distance and quickly cut off.  That's what we need more of.  For both Zenitsu's supposed "comedy" and Inosuke's bullying.  
Is there a difference between the 3 futons to even fight over???
That "severe" joke was funny though.
I appreciate the faster pace fo this episode, but the jokes are starting to wear down.  
Kindness has a specific scent now.  lol  
I imagine that hearing Zenitsu crying for so long, so often, is how ProfessorThorgi described Spiderman sometimes being written with nothing but quips, and you don't notice how annoying such dialogue is while reading, but when you hear it, it's just grating.  ~.~;;
I've been bitching so much about this series.  Do I even like it?  Why am I watching?  Maybe I should drop it?  But I really like Tanjiro and Nezuko.  The animation production and music themes are beautiful.  And I haven't watched a Shonen action series in so long, and I think I really need one to help get through my depression...
I know this Demon Slayer Corps Academy omake is supposed to be cute, but don't remind me about the whole "dye your hair black" "But this is my real hair color" bullshit.  Fuck Harmony.  Wrong things are wrong!  Sorry, but I'm American, and I'm going to fetishize Justice!  Pretending everything is ok and just going along with the loudest authority, no matter how cruel and inconsidering they are, is what makes the whole of society miserable!  Fuck that shit!  
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