#let him interact with max mercury

[imdeadinsidesiriuslydead]

Shut Up! | Bart Allen x villain!reader

Bart Allen x fem! Reader

Based off this imagine I made.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Warnings: Violence. Blood(tiny). Smutty! Just go ahead and read the imagine if you don’t want spoilers. Slight smut. Maybe I’ll write a part 2 with full on smut😏

notes: female reader. Villain reader. Villain name never mentioned. Race or appearance of reader never mentioned.

a/n: dude I was minding my business when this scenario popped into my head and now I just have to share it with the world. Enjoy!

———

Being chained up to a chair with his feet being bound together isn’t how Bart thought he’d spend his Friday night.

He wasn’t even supposed to be in Gotham. He protects Central City with Wally. Kinda. Wally doesn’t really like Bart as a sidekick. He was more of Max Mercury’s sidekick.

Max was probably worried out of his mind. He just really hoped Max wouldn’t show up or try to look for him, or else he’d find something he doesn’t need to know.

Bart has a secret. A secret crush on a certain Batman villain. Ever since he had to fight her with the young justice team, he was smitten.

His favorite pass time is running to Gotham city and foiling her plan before heading off to go hang out with Tim.

She would always catch him, she always did. And he would always let her. He loved it. A game of cat and mouse.

He loved watching her smile in victory as she caught him. He loved watching her integrate him. And he especially loved annoying her.

Like right now. He could vibrate his molecules and get out of the ropes, but what’s the fun in that?

She had caught him by freezing the ground and him falling into a trap she had made. She than knocked him out and tied him to a chair.

She stood in front of him with a scowl. She didn’t enjoy this game as much as he did. Her mask had been removed, giving Bart a few look at her face. She stared him down before smiling.

“Butch you can leave.” You said to your guard standing by the door. He left and closed the door, leaving the room in a dark cast.

The lights from outside the windows cast shadows across your features. The only other light was a small one back behind Bart, giving him the tiniest bit light to see your face.

“Impulse.” You stated “why do you always pop up and ruin everything?” You asked, no malice in your tone, Bart noted. Only curiosity.

“Well when you’re about to do something bad it’s kinda my job to come stop you.” Bart said as he smiled at you.

“Hmm” you hummed as you moved to a table full of weapons.

You grabbed a knife and turned to face him. Bart watched as you walked up to him slowly before leaning down to be at his eye level.

“You know,” you started with a sly smile “usually, I’d let you off with a warning. Maybe a slap on the wrist.” You whispered to him as you raised the knife to his face.

“but today you didn’t just mess up my plan. No.” You whispered with fake sorrow. You dragged the knife against his jaw, causing Bart to let out a breath. “You messed up the Bane’s plan too.”

Bart sucked in a breath. He didn’t know that. Obviously, he could put run Bane, but that didn’t change the fact that he was scared of him.

“Yea so, now I have to teach you a real lesson Impulse. Either with me or Bane. Take your pick.”

“Oh I’d much rather be punished by you.” Bart said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

Your smile turned to an annoyed look. “Suit yourself.” You dug the knife at his neck, not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to hurt.

Bart winced in pain, but another idea popped into his head. Acting like his name, he impulsively took action.

“So what do you do when you’re not trying to kill me?” He asked teasingly. The smirk on his face prevalent.

Your face slipped for a minute before the walls were back up again. “Is that really what you’re asking right now?” You asked dumbfounded.

“Well,” he started staring you right in the eyes, you could finally see the color of them. A nice golden brown. “I figured since your bodyguard wasn’t in here anymore, we could get to know each other a little more.” He smiled seductively.

Your blush was very noticeable, especially since your mask was off. “But- stop trying to distract me from your punishment.” You said sternly, though Bart was not convinced.

“Well I normally wouldn’t let someone tie me up the first official date, but you’re a special exception.” Bart winked. “So, at least tell me about yourself, since I’m being so nice.” He looked at you with faux innocence. You won’t lie, the look on his face was turning you on. You had to figure out a way to have him keep the look on his face.

You quickly remember that Bane would have your head if you didn’t take care of Impulse. Your need for survival trumped the need between your legs.

“That’s a vague question.” You say as you resume moving your knife against his neck, watching the goosebumps that it leaves in its wake.

“Huh?” Bart asked.

“Thats a vague question. Be specific. What did you want to know?” You ask as your knife slowly pierces the skin of his neck.

He hisses at the pain, before almost chocking on air. You moved your head towards his neck and licked the blood off of his neck. Bart stares at you, completely turned on and kinda scared.

You watched as the cut immediately healed itself, leaving no scar. You notice his shocked staring and laugh.

“How about a deal? Every question I answer, you have to answer one of mine. Deal?” You asked as you made the same innocent look he had given you earlier.

He nodded dumbly and you smiled.

“So too fast too furious, what’s your question?” You asked him.

“What’s your name?” He asked, his smile returning.

Your knife continued on its path across his neck going up to his jaw line.

“Y/N” you said as your knife gently touched his jaw line. He breathed out, liking the sensation of it gently touching him. “Your turn.” He tells you.

“Why do you heal so fast?” You asked as he breathed deeply. You were genuinely curious.

“Super fast metabolism.” he breathed as your knife made its way to the end of his suit by his neck.

Your knife gently teared the spandex, revealing more skin to slice at. His skin was incredibly soft. Slightly tan with freckles all over the part of his now exposed shoulder.

“Why are you working for Bane?” He asked. You weren’t really a villain in his eyes. More of an anti hero. You didn’t really harm people. You helped bad guys though, but you didn’t seemed fond of that.

“Cause I have to.” You said, still mesmerized by the goosebumps you were creating on his supple skin.

He figured he can ask you about it another day. Right now he didn’t want anything to stop you from dragging the knife all over him.

“Why do you always come to Gotham? I thought you and the flash protect Central City. That’s like two states away.” You say you start to cut the skin of his shoulder gently.

He breathes out a whine as it hurts. You try not to focus on the way that noise made you feel.

“What do you think sweetheart? Why am I here?” You might have been intimidated by his words if you weren’t meant to be torturing him.

You grabbed him by the hair and pushed his head back fast. He whined again and stared at you in shock.

“I asked you a question, speedy!” You say, giving him a dangerous look.

He stares at you in shock and overwhelmed lust. You smirk and decide to sit on his lap instead of kneeling on the floor.

You let go of his hair and go back you his shoulder. Watching the blood drip down a little. You saw the cut had healed and just to turn him on more, you lean down and lick the blood up his shoulder. You lick a little higher than where the blood stopped just to mess with him.

“Because I wanted to see you.” He states. Blushing madly.

You look up at him, and look through his goggles into his eyes. You saw shame and embarrassment. He’s telling the truth.

You won’t lie, that statement might have made your day, hell, your week. You try to hide the smile on your face but miserably fail. You had a lot of body image issues growing up and were bullied heavily, it was nice to find out someone actually wanted to see you, not just for a business deal.

“Your turn.” You tell him, still a little giddy.

“Why do you always kidnap me?” He asked with a handsome smile.

“You always try to stop me. So why not just stop you before you can?” You say as you pick your knife back up and continue your assault of his skin.

your hand pulls down the fabric a bit that had been cut on his shoulder, revealing part of his chest.

Bart sucks in a breath. Waiting for your next move.

“Why aren’t you actually hurting me?” Bart asked. You looked up at Impulse.

“Do you want me to actually hurt you?” You whisper as your kinda gently trails down from his shoulder.

“No.” He said as the cool knife hits his chest.

“I’m not gonna hurt cause I don’t want to.” You say turning back to work.

“But won’t the henchmen outside notice I’m not hurt?” Bart asked.

“What do you mean?” You asks as you slice a tiny shallow part of his right pec.

Bart makes a small whimper at the sensation, as another better idea pops into his head.

“Like don’t people who are tortured usually scream and make noise?” He asks in a seductive voice.

Your knife stopped moving again and you look at him and see his eyes blown out with lust. Your mind made a decision before you could stop yourself. You leaned down and licked up the blood before dragging your tongue up his shoulder to his neck, before sucking on the skin of his neck.

Bart moaned as he leaned more into your touch. The noise he made went straight to your core.

You pulled back, a tiny bit of blood on the corner of your mouth. Your hands went into Impulses hair and you gently tugged, causing him to leg out another whine. You moved your sitting position so that your legs were straddling his.

“Yea. I suppose they do. You wanna help me make this sound real?” You ask as your hand move onto his face, pushing his goggles up so you can see his eyes.

“Yes.” Bart says as he felt his dick harden against your thigh.

“Good boy.” You say before leaning in to kiss Bart.

——

anyone want a part 2?

Edit: Part 2 here

[youremyheaven]

U GUYYYSSS storytime:

So I got talking to a guy a little while ago and we vibed realllyyy well. He's lowkey the textbook definition of everything I'm looking for in a guy. He's 6'2, well to do (not rich but does veryyyy well for himself), BULKY BROAD SHOULDERED, Venusian etc

The synastry of our charts is insane 🥵 He had Mercury atmakaraka (remember my Mercury DK?? 😌)

He has a Venus Moon and stellium and he's the most Venusian guy I've ever met,,, he LOVES beauty, art, the female form etc and appreciates it. The way he spoke about it was so hot to me ngl,,, mf was so poetic,, he really knew how to speak sensually without ever being creepy or vulgar

His Mercury AK was in Purvabhadrapada and he had a puppy like softie Jupiter guy personality. I loved the fact that he looked like a WWE boxer (bulky af 🥵) but had the personality of a golden retriever. LITERALLY ALL MY DREAMS seemed to be coming true.

I knew his birthday but not his rising sign. Yk what they say about "if something's too good to be true, then it is" ??? yeah, i just couldn't brush off the feeling that something wasn't right. But I couldn't straightaway ask for his birth time, esp since he's Hindu and will know what's up 🤭😂 ANYWAAAYYYS we're talking and everything and this man is love bombing me HARD and I know it because:

a) I'm a retired love bomber myself

b) This is not my first rodeo

and anyways this 🧔🏻 is talking marriage and babies, he's calling me wifey 😭 (kinda cringe bc he's known me for dayyys but good lord handsome men can get away with anything 😤) and he refers to himself as "husband" 😭😭😭 like "husband's proud of you" and "your husband doesn't want you to apologise" 😭 (ew but he's hot 👉🏻👈🏻) and I let myself have my delulu moment and try to give him the benefit of the doubt bc literally he checks every box 🥹and he's soooo completely fond of me. We used to run in the same circles like 10yrs ago, even though I had no idea who he was and never interacted with him then, he told me that he remembered me from back then and thought I was cute 🥺 and later I took a looooong break from social media and he told me he'd wondered where I was all those years 🥹🥹and then I apparently showed up in his "suggested for you" on IG a few months ago and he instantly recognised me and followed me etc 🥺🥹 he's been tryna hmu for monthsssss now but I was with my ex 🤡and then I was recovering from my ex 🤧 so I didn't pay much attention to it. When he told me all this, it kinda made me melt 🫠 how he kept trying to talk to me even though I repeatedly ignored him etc

And he did everything right. I could text him rn and he'd reply in 5 seconds. He always asked me how I was, remembered things, always sent me like 20 different messages until I replied, showered me in compliments (Venusian men love to pour you with their attention, it can even be annoying lmfao) etc like there was nothing in his behaviour, his tone or his words that was giving me 🚩 he genuinely seemed sweet, caring etc and he loved babies 😩 and sent me videos with his nieces and nephews (man's was manipulator pro max) but YK ME 🤪 when I have a gut feeling ☝🏻 I can't ignore it 🤓 so I was very much waiting for the ball to drop and watch him fuck up somehow 💀 initially I felt sooo overwhelmed by all his love (bombing) that I felt like the bad guy for not reciprocating it or feeling that kind of "love at first sight" thing 🤡 BUT

one day he said "I can't believe I found you after 10 years, that means no matter where you are after another 10 yrs, I'll find you then as well" and I was like 🤨 I thought you wanted to marry me and make me your trophy wife 🧐 huh 👀 and he was all 😂😍haha yes ofc I'm just joking bbg 😍😂 but I knew there was more to it

Finally I got his birth time AND GUESS WHAT???

He's Hasta Rising 💀💀💀💀

Idk if you know already but I don't like Lunar men 🤡 and the minute I found out, I was SCREAMING bc 😭 why would God play me like that???? Put the most perfect guy, astrologically and otherwise, in front of me, I literally have him wrapped around my pinky and HE'S A LUNAR??? why God why 😭

But him & I had come too far for me to dump his ass for no reason 😬 (can't tell him it's bc the sus vibes I got from him was further bolstered by him being Lunar 🤭) so I was praying to God to give me an opportunity where he fucks up so that I can walk away 🚶🏻‍♀️from this situation before things get out of hand

AND GOD DELIVERED 😩

I was texting him the other day and he spoke about how he wants to spend as much time with me as he can before we go out to chase our dreams (move away from this city basically) and I was like 🤨so you're looking for a short term relationship?? And he was like 🥺 no never and I was like why tf would you say you want to marry me and have babies (1 boy and twin daughters 😭🤡💀) if you already know you cannot commit???? And he was like "because we could meet again in a few years and it would be nice to have this plan ready" 💀💀💀💀 HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT AKSKKSJSJDIID brother thinks my IQ is in the negatives bc WTF sort of explanation is that 😭 and i told him "this manipulation might work elsewhere but not on me, good luck tho, bye, I'm done here 💅🏻" and he went 180 and said "I'm so sorry, I was just trying to be funny, please give me another chance, all I meant is that we never know how things go so we can try to work things out but there's no guarantee, please I'm so sorry" 😂😂 and he called me like 3 times and finally said "Can we atleast still be friends? i can't lose you like this" AJSJJSJSJ THE AUDACITY 🤡💀🤡💀

but I just want to say thank you God for showing me his true colours and for giving me the opportunity to exit with grace and dignity and making him feel like a fool 😌✨

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

Soooo will we see Eobard in the fantasy AU? Maybe as an unseelie counterpart to Max Mercury?

Eobard will be in the fantasy au 100%.

The role Eobard plays is a little hard to get into without spoiling some things but he is Unseelie.

He's not a counterpart to Max though. Max and Eobard are like two ships in the night. They don't really interact much. Max was more present in Fae society before the war and he's completely absent during and after. Max only really gets back into things briefly when Jay and Johnny are teenagers. He becomes more active when Wally is a teenager.

Eobard, meanwhile, is incredibly active in Fae society. He's the King of the Unseelie Court. But he's way younger than Max. Eobard wasn't alive for the war.

Let's just say that Eobard has a vested interest in the half-fae. Particularly in creating them and making them swear allegiance to him and his court. There's a reason all the Fae raised half-elves are Unseelie. Eobard gets what he wants.

And uhhhhhhh, well... Eobard gets word that he's been swindled. That one of his previous deals, the next born child of a man in return for returned sanity for said man's wife, had been broken. See, the couple had delivered twins. The first born of the two was a happy healthy baby girl. The second was stillborn. The wife had quickly swapped the two and Eobard was given the lifeless infant instead of the infant he'd been promised. At the time he'd been forced to settle. Getting his revenge in other ways but otherwise leaving the baby girl alone.

A couple decades later and the truth was revealed. Eobard at once went to reverse this tragedy. Although the girl had no doubt lost her powers by then, Eobard would still take pleasure in ripping her from her family and taking her back to where she rightfully belonged.

So Eobard went off to collect Iris West.

And that went about as well as you would expect.

[radioactive-earthshine]

Bestie please tell us more about Green Lantern Thad AU I don't remember you talking about it. Are we going to see it in Sunshine Falling?

I mentioned this casually months ago in a standalone post, but I didn't really get into the technicalities and I don't really have details but here's my reasoning for why this works for Thad in the way I conceptualized his redemption and who he is as a character.

Basically, Thad is a character that has been indoctrinated to hate Bart and the entire Allen family from pre-"conception." He is an exploited person whose only purpose was to be an agent of misery at the behest of cruel pitiful men as a weapon of personal vengeance.

Thad, had no say in any of this.

We get to see in Mercury Falling how Thad for the first time in his life he gets to experience something he likely had not up until then; affection and love without conditions.

Within Mercury Falling we get to see Thad's own internal dialog talk about those he interacts with and how those thoughts became less about manipulating them (and killing them) and more about how much he felt praised, liked and loved for him being him as he let more of himself show and less of the parody of Bart. Max, Helen and all of Bart's friends were in love with the Bart Thad was showing, which was not like Bart at all. Thad essentially came to the conclusion that they all loved him, not Bart. And he wasn't wrong.

The love Thad was experiencing, was changing him and HAD changed him in this story. He found a home.

The tragedy of Mercury Falling is that Thad had essentially already met redemption living as Bart, as he began to change his mind about everything, but when faced with the option to turn his back on his initial plan he suffered a relapse and defaulted to his 'original programming.'

Thad wasn't defeated in Mercury Falling by being pummeled or tricked or won over like a traditional villain, he was defeated because he realized that the "bitter ghosts" involved in his creation had lied to him. That they set him up on a path of pain and destruction to please only them and none of it meant anything for Thad himself. They would never love him, even if he succeeded in doing everything they wanted him to do he would never have their love.

Thad realized the nihilism of his existence up until that point and bolted giving up his mission, sparring both Bart and Max when he was absolutely going to win.

This on it's own is redemption only lacking in an 'apology' and reconciliation with his victims with forward movement towards a better and independent future, which was set up but sadly we NEVER got.

Where the Green Lantern AU comes in is that Thad (through comic specific events etc etc) is chosen as a ring bearer post Mercury Falling because he does have the ability to overcome great fear. In this AU he decided to turn around and come back, to turn his back on President Thawne and to become someone else, to find his own self and place in the world other than a weapon.

It's essentially a story about dealing with past trauma and overcoming internal self loathing and hatred to look forward to a better tomorrow. It's also a story that deals with addressing exploitation and how hard it is to face the fear that you were never loved until you left what you thought was home and to return to a place you almost destroyed to start again.

As for if this will show up in Sunshine Falling... Not this time. Maybe in another fic.

[brown-little-robin]

32: Catharsis

part one | previous | next | masterlist | ao3 version

Thad packs his things reluctantly. Joseph’s apartment is small, but friendly. He didn’t know how much anxiety he was carrying at Max’s house until he started to lose it with Joseph. He felt… light… free, like breathing air instead of liquid.

And now it’s Thursday, and he has to go back.

They do their goodbyes before calling Max to collect Thad, because “speedsters are too fast,” Joseph signs, comically distressed. Thad shrugs.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I don’t even run.”

Joseph laughs and hugs him tight. Thad has received not one, not two, but seventeen hugs here. Seventeen. A wealth of hugs. Thad has gotten better at it from the practice, too! He doesn’t need to hold on so tight anymore, and he can tell that Joseph likes it when Thad tucks his chin over Joseph’s shoulder.

Thad tries to rein himself in, but he’s afraid of letting go. Joseph squeezes him, then pats him on the back to signal that he’s going to let go. Thad understands. Joseph Wilson has a whole language of physical touch, and Thaddeus is a quick learner.

A knock on the door. Max is here. Thad tells Joseph, “Thank you for having me.”

“Thank you,” Joseph signs. “I’ll be in touch.”

He already gave Thad his phone number and promised to call Thad directly—Thad, not Max—when he finds out anything from his mother. Thad is starting to appreciate the advantages of owning a phone.

Thad pulls on time to get one last good look at Joseph’s kind face, his lovely eyes crinkled in a smile, his white teeth, his scars and the curls of his hair. Then Thad lets go of the speed force and opens the door, and after a few pleasantries—in which Joseph praises Thad to high heaven, making Thad tingle all over with embarrassed pleasure—Max takes him back to Alabama.

“How was it?” Max asks, putting Thad down in the living room. Thad shivers. He forgot how cold Max’s house is.

“Good,” Thad answers honestly. “I like Joseph. I like being with him. He’s nice.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

Thad hears strain in Max’s voice. He doesn’t like that.

Thad speeds himself up a little to take a look at Max and then immediately remembers that Max can sense that and feels like an idiot. But Max doesn’t speed up to match him; he just shifts position slightly in surprise.

So Thad looks at Max. The old man is wearing a soft green vest. He came to Joseph’s door as Max, not Max Mercury. He’s an old man, white-haired, still strong, but old. There are wrinkles around his mouth, on his brow, and at the corners of his eyes. His skin looks more fragile than Thad’s. His canny blue eyes are sharp as ever. But there’s pain on his face and a terrible restraint in his whole bearing. Thad got used to Joseph’s easy openness, and suddenly he’s noticing how unnatural it is that Max is always so careful.

It kind of makes him want to punch the old man.

Obviously it’s not Max’s fault that he feels threatened. But that’s worse, in a way. It means the Thawnes ruined not just whatever chance Thad had of being happy—they ruined it for Max too. It’s really the Thawnes he wants to punch. This does not make it any easier to relax his body, let go of the speed force, and address Max without letting any of his animosity show.

“Max,” he says neutrally, and sees how Max braces himself.

Thad is not allowed to break things. Thad cannot break things to make himself feel better. But he can probably assuage Max’s fears somewhat.

“Did you know that only three percent of water on earth is fresh?”

The old man smiles, as Thad predicted he would.

Thad endures the reunion with good grace. He describes most of what happened, leaving out only a few special parts like Joseph’s scars and the music. He answers Max’s questions. Then he plays a couple of rounds of Mancala with Max, satisfying the man’s desire to interact with him. Then he goes outside to think things over.

He takes his glass orb with the manta rays. It sparkles in a beautiful way as he holds it over his head, lying down in the grass next to the side of the house. He’ll need to shower later to get the dirt and grass out of his hair, but that’s okay.

What does Max want?

Thad hasn’t really considered that before. Not… on its own. He’s been too afraid for himself to consider Max’s wishes. In fact, he has been amazingly selfish this entire time. He hasn’t considered that Max wants Thad to stay even knowing that he will definitely be happier with Thad gone. Foolish, illogical, dear old man.

Why did Max sound hurt when Thad said that he likes Joseph?

Thad rotates the glass orb slowly, studying the way that the light slips around the blue manta rays.

Is it possible that Max is jealous?

Max wants Thad to trust him. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Max wants Thad to feel safe being vulnerable with him. To—to love him, in short.

Thad drops the orb heavily on his chest and stares upward into the infinite blue of the Alabama sky.

He knew that Max wanted his love. Logically. But… there’s a new urgency to the thought now. Thaddeus is moving away in a matter of weeks at the most; this is his last chance. But he can’t! He doesn’t have a lightning rod, and he can feel the reality of it deep in his bones: he cannot love Max or he will tear himself apart. He has to go away. He has to survive for CRAYDL.

Thad is hurting Max Mercury. Just like he was designed to do.

Thad has an urge to throw the glass orb at something and shatter it. Wearily, he resists. He’s not Inertia anymore.

That night, he finds three missed calls on his phone. Both are from Joseph, two of them from an hour after he left and one of them from late afternoon. Thad calls him back, and Joseph tells Thad that his mother wants to meet him. He says it would be lovely if Thad could come to her house on Sunday.

Thad agrees, grinning. What sort of person uses the word “lovely” unironically?

Joseph also asks if Thad is okay with dogs. Thaddeus hesitates, remembering Ivan—no, Dox. Bart’s dog. It hated him on sight. And dogs are considered to be good judges of character. If they have a dog and it hates him, will Joseph’s mother hate him too? And even if she doesn’t, living with a dog sounds stressful. He can always bribe it like he did with Dox, but Thad will always know it was a dirty trick.

“I don’t have an issue with dogs,” he says carefully. “It might have an issue with me, though.”

“The dog is very small and timid. I promise it won’t bother you.”

“Okay,” Thad says.

That’s the best assurance he could get. He won’t pry further.

That Friday, Thad takes the ACT. He’s studied for it a lot; he knows he can do well if he tries. He’s nervous, though. If he dissociates in the middle of the test, there’s nothing he can do about it, and the time limit on the ACT is brutally short.

Well… he could give himself more time. But he won’t cheat, because he knows Max wouldn’t like it. Besides, it gives him a bad feeling to think of cheating. He’s done with that. He’s had enough pretending.

Thad goes into the ACT completely powerless to prevent himself from dissociating. And he doesn’t. He goes into mission mode, actually, which makes his heart beat faster and his focus narrow in on the paper. He’s pretty sure that he at least comes close to acing the test.

When he leaves the testing center, Max is waiting for him. The old man asks how it went.

Thad says, “It went well.”

Max beams proudly, and it means the world to Thad.

Then he slaps Thad’s shoulder in congratulation. It’s a little weird. Thad is used to having Joseph ask his permission to touch him. But he decides not to tell Max about that. The old man is already too afraid of Thad.

At dinner, Helen asks how the ACT went, and Thad repeats: “I think I got a good score.”

“Good for you!” Helen cheers. Thad grins. He can’t help it. He’s been trying to cut himself off from Max and Helen, emotionally. To make it easier on everyone when he left. But they make it so difficult!

On Saturday, Thad wakes up with a brilliant plan.

He can’t believe he didn’t think of this earlier! It’s so simple! He can apologize to Max for hurting him. Then he can leave with a clear conscience.

He gets up immediately and stretches his arms above his head until he shakes all over. He hasn’t felt so… so lucid in a long time. He could run around the world right now if he wanted to.

He puts on his softest, most non-threatening clothing. And, as the final touch, the blue lightning sweater. Max’s color. He doesn’t know if Max will appreciate all this, but it makes Thad feel good. Presentation. It’s important.

Thad brushes his teeth. Then he knocks on Max’s door.

No answer. Odd. Thad cautiously turns the handle. Max is cross-legged, his eyes are closed, and he’s floating two feet above the floor.

Thaddeus freezes. He has committed a trespass.

Max’s eyes open, and they glow with lightning. It’s like the inside of his skull is full of the speed force, yellow and white and blue and blindingly bright. Trails of lightning spark from the corners of his eyes like wrinkles as his head turns toward Thad.

For a nanosecond, Thad sees—an afterimage—like it happened too fast for his brain to process—of the speed force, lightning all around Max, all around Thad, spilling unendurable brightness out of Max’s bedroom. And in the lightning, shapes. People. The Flash.

Thaddeus is a rabbit in the presence of a god.

“Thad.”

Max speaks gently enough, but his voice carries the hiss of lightning. Thad flinches.

The speed force vanishes. Max stands up, slowly, looking at Thad in concern.

“I’m sorry. Did I frighten you?”

Thad takes a deep breath and lets it all out in a noisy sigh. He noticed that Joseph does it when he needs to refocus and let go of an emotion, and it works well. He is able to let go of the speed force with his breath.

“I forgive you.” Thad shrugs to show that it wasn’t a big deal. “Not—not really. It’s just that the speed force wasn’t exactly fun.”

Max hums knowingly.

“It’s intense,” Max says, and Thad notices that he’s not really agreeing with Thad’s bitter perspective. Thad supposes it makes sense. Max loves the speed force. It’s his religion, after all.

“What was it like to be there for so long?” Max asks. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

Thad wobbles his hand on the doorknob, thinking about it.

“It was… warm.”

Max raises his eyebrows. Well, yeah. “Warm” is not the most inspiring description. But Thad didn’t expect to have to give a speech about the speed force today.

“And bright,” Thad adds. “And… and it’s not a person but it was… alive. Aware. Always—always moving. Being in it was…”

He lifts his hand from the door handle and floats it through the air, trying to give the impression of something small carried in a huge current.

“Like being a fish in a river,” he says. “There was—it was—uneven. Some parts were faster than others… and it had currents and spirals and storms…”

Max is nodding. Thad traces a spiral in the air, then the turbulence of a heavy storm, then cups his hands as if to sign the word cradle.

“It had pockets, too. I’d be dragged along in a fast current for days or fighting a storm for weeks on end and then all of a sudden… a little sphere of calm.”

Max looks far away. Thad falls quiet for a minute. He loved the pockets. They were so nonsensical, so unnecessary, always appearing just when Thad didn’t expect them. Thad thought superstitiously that the pockets were a reward from the speed force itself—a reward for his efforts.

He tried so hard to survive. He ran from every spirit that approached him, fought with all his strength and cunning against the storms, resisted the siren song of the center of the speed force—the great glowing core that healed Max Mercury but which might do anything, anything at all to Thaddeus Thawne. The speed force is not good or bad. It just is. Even after he lost focus and his body completely transformed into lightning, he strove to maintain his own identity. He refused to be subsumed into the speed force.

“It was neverending… confusing… like the entire universe flashing by so fast you can’t see it. It was always bright, but sometimes it was white, sometimes red and yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes pastels… there was a storm three years in that was purple and green, I think… or maybe it was all the same but my perception was changing. I don’t know.”

Max nods. “The speed force is different colors to different people at different times.”

Huh.

“Well, it sure changed colors a lot for me. I wasn’t expecting that. Oh, and did you know that you can’t sleep in the speed force? Not even if you try. There’s too much energy. I could always run if I wanted; I had to run to burn some of that energy. And avoid the lightning. It kind of hurt, but not… I mean, it hurt like running fast does, you know? Sometimes it felt good. I loved it, I hated it, I didn’t understand it, it was heaven, it was hell…”

Thaddeus sees pain crease Max Mercury’s brow and feels a surge of pleasure. He grins—then falters. He let his Thawne tongue run away with him again.

“Sorry.”

“I know how it is,” Max says quietly. “I love the speed force, but it’s too intense for a living human to enjoy for long.”

This is getting too close to the subject of his—well, his death, probably, technically. Does Max suspect?

Thad says, “You know, I have no idea why the speed force spat me out. It was so sudden. I thought I would be there forever. That’s why I named myself Anacletus.”

Max stays quiet, watching him. Thad looks at him and realizes: this could be a parting gift as well as a distraction.

“Do you want to know what Anacletus means?”

Max’s eyes sharpen.

“Invoked. Anacletus means invoked. I came up with it in the speed force. I was daydreaming that someone would come to find me and thinking about what I’d be named. That’s all.”

Thad shrugs. It’s a pathetic name, but Max wanted to know.

Max winces. Oh, Thad hurt him again.

Voice heavy with guilt, Max says: “I’m so sorry I never came for you.”

“But—but no one could have expected me to stay there! For all you knew, I could have been in Russia in 1559. And anyway, I never let you close enough to recognize me.”

Despite his extremely logical protests, Thad knows he’ll never forget that choking apology. He hates it—he’d rather have been found than apologized to—but that was always a stupid dream. This is real. The apology is real.

Max’s eyes widen. “You knew when I was there? You could sense me?”

“…yes,” Thad admits. “I avoided you.”

“Oh,” Max says, very softly. “I would have helped you if I’d known, Thad.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Max looks dismayed. Thad wants to reach out and touch him or something, but refrains. He has to stay distant.

“I was Inertia, old man,” he says, and despite himself he speaks softly, tenderly. “I knew you offered to take me in, but I thought it was too late.”

“Too late?”

“Well, if I were the kind of person you wanted, then I’d have a lightning rod… and obviously, if I came to you in the speed force… then you’d know I… didn’t have one.”

Max knows Thad doesn’t have a lightning rod, but Thad’s voice still goes low at the admittance.

Max frowns slightly. “Hm? Why would having a lightning rod change anything?”

Thad manages not to react, but he’s silent a bit too long.

Max says, “That’s not your fault. You couldn’t help not having a lightning rod. I knew that. I still wanted to take care of you.”

Thad looks down, chest aching. Max knew he was broken and still wanted him? Grife. Thad has never been good enough to deserve Max, and he never will be.

“I didn’t know that,” he says. “I thought you only wanted… someone who could… love people.”

A choking feeling rises in his throat. He swallows it down. This is not the time.

Max steps forward, then stops, as if he wants to touch Thad and decided not to. It feels so strange standing here in front of Max in his near-empty bedroom like a soldier giving a report. But he has to.

“Oh, kiddo,” Max says softly. “Not having a lightning rod doesn't mean you can’t love people, it just means you lacked the opportunity.”

He’s forgetting CRAYDL again. Thad bares his teeth.

“I knew CRAYDL my whole life. If I could love anyone well enough for a lightning rod, it would have been CRAYDL.”

He finds his hand tugging at his shirt over his heart and drops it.

“You loved CRAYDL a whole lot,” Max says softly. “That’s why you’re grieving for him. But… to escape the speed force… you have to have someone you feel completely safe with.”

Thad did feel safe with CRAYDL! He did! Max understands nothing. He still thinks Thad is innocent… maybe even that CRAYDL abused Thad. It’s the other way around. Thad was the one who didn’t love CRAYDL enough to save its life.

“It’s not your fault you couldn’t escape,” Max says quietly.

“You—” Thad gasps. “You stupid old man—” and he can’t go on. He grabs his throat, trying to force the stupid lump away so he can argue properly.

“Kiddo,” Max groans.

This is a losing battle. But Thad is nothing if not adept at reframing a losing battle into a killing one. He has time, he estimates, for a single short speech.

He takes a deep breath.

“You wishful idiot,” Thaddeus hisses with all the venom in him. “You should have stuck me back in the speed force. How have you not realized this by now? I’m a bottomless pit, not a child! Not even the speed force kept me! I’ll never be satisfied and I can never, never love you back, do you understand? I didn’t even love my CRAYDL! I don’t understand why I’m alive and I don’t understand why you love me—I don’t have a lightning rod and I don’t understand!”

Thad’s next breath in catches in his throat, choking. He covers his face with his hands. Tears leak out under his fingers. No matter how he tries, he keeps making noises.

“Oh, honey.”

The pity in his voice—! Thad shakes his head hard. Then, desperate, he holds his breath.

“Kiddo, no. Let it out.”

Thad doesn't want to, he wants to stop, he wants it all to stop—!

Max’s hands gently grasp his upper arms. Thad resists for a moment, then realizes Max isn’t trying to pull his hands away to reveal his tear-stained face; he’s pulling him bodily to the floor. Max gathers him into his lap, murmuring “It’s okay, sweetheart. Let it out.”

Sweetheart. Thad doubles over like Max punched him.

A hand touches his back, and he flings his body backward on instinct, aiming to overbalance the speedster. Max grunts but catches them both, one hand planted on the floor and one wrapped around Thaddeus’s chest as if to cushion the fall. He vibrates the man’s hand through him, and Max accepts that and wraps his arms around Thaddeus’s whole body like CRAYDL used to do. Instinct makes Thaddeus fight even while tears are dripping from his closed eyes. His tears fly into the air as he whips his head around, jerks side to side, and vibrates erratically. Max matches his vibrations and contains his struggles. It’s a strange fight, silent but for Thad’s gasps and the hiss-crackle of lightning.

Max gets a good hold on him as Thad’s struggles turn inward; he rocks him again, back and forth, back and forth, like the liquid in the nutrient womb.

Thad keens, high and tight in his throat. He wants to go back to the speed force. He wants to be a dumb weapon again. He wants the nutrient womb. He wants CRAYDL. He wants—to—stop—hurting—

He runs out of air. His throat hurts! He sobs, helpless.

“I know,” Max groans. “Oh, brave heart, I know. You miss CRAYDL.”

Thad gives up.

Gasping, wracking sobs rip through his body. He’s not fighting it anymore. It still hurts. Max rocks him through the sobbing, murmuring you’re okay, I’ve got you, you’re safe, you’re okay.

It hurts.

Eventually, he subsides, hiccuping. He still feels like crying, but his throat is burning, his chest is sore, and he’s tired. Tears intermittently drip from his eyes and trail down his neck. He’s all sticky. His eyes are puffy. His nose is dripping salty snot into his open mouth.

And Max is cradling him like something precious.

Thad can feel Max’s heartbeat under his back.

Max strokes his fingers through Thad’s hair, gently, like Thad is a cat. Over and over. Thad is lulled by exhaustion… but Max’s fingers in his hair keep him grounded.

After a while, Max whispers in his rough old-man voice: “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

Thad’s breath hitches.

“You are my precious child,” Max whispers. “Precious boy. I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

Max’s hand tugs gently on his hair, and a whine escapes Thad’s throat with no input from Thad himself.

“I’m so sorry about CRAYDL,” Max whispers.

Thad hums in acknowledgement.

Thad does miss CRAYDL. So much. But he’s a selfish creature, and he’s mostly been mourning for himself. It’s this sprocking black hole in his chest. Unfillable. Swallowing every scrap of affection and screaming for more.

After a while, Helen knocks on the doorframe and tiptoes in with two bowls of strawberry oatmeal. Thad covers his face, ashamed and aching. Max’s hand stills, but it stays entwined in his hair, pressing protectively on his head.

Helen puts down the bowls in front of them. With an unusual softness, her voice says, “Come out whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Helen,” Max murmurs.

When she’s gone, Thad uncovers his face, slowly leans forward, hoping Max won’t push him off his lap, and touches a bowl—hot! He puts it on the ground again… leans back against Max.

Max’s hand returns to stroking through his hair. The pleasure makes him melt. He’s sort of… relaxed… all over. Dimly, he’s aware that his throat is vibrating as he breathes, making a soft thrum. He’s purring again.

And then guilt rises in his throat, and the purr cuts off.

Max is petting him, and Thad is just hurting Max. That’s all he’s capable of. Even after he swore that he would at least leave Max with the comforting illusion that Thad is fine, he didn’t even apologize like he meant to.

He feels his body tensing up. Max’s hand stills.

“Should I let go?” Max asks.

“No!” Thad gasps.

“Okay, Thad-boy. Okay.”

Max returns to petting his hair.

Slowly, Thad calms down.

It feels nice. To be tired like this. Thad could relax again. He feels it in himself; he could probably fall asleep right here. He could become an animal, a pet cat purring in its owner’s arms, and go silent, safe, just accepting this… this comfort Max is providing.

Or… he could give Max what he deserves. An apology. A catharsis… a goodbye.

Thad takes a deep breath. Max's left arm moves against his ribs, holding him around the torso, trapping him gently. Thad frees one hand, reaches up, and takes Max’s wrist. He tugs on Max's arm. Max allows it, moves with him, lets Thad place Max’s big hand on Thad’s chest.

“What—” he starts to speak and stops, surprised at how wrecked his voice is. Raspy, like he’s been screaming. “What’s your true name?”

Thad feels a sigh go in and out of Max’s big chest. 

“Max,” the man says at last. “Just Max.”

Thad swallows hard. It hurts.

“Max… I’m sorry.”

He takes a deep breath, and that, too, hurts.

“I’m sorry for hurting you. And leaving. Sorry I can’t love you. I wanted to.”

Max’s hand pulls Thad tight to his chest, pressing almost too hard on Thad’s ribcage, and Thad thinks of CRAYDL, crushing him in its technoplasm tentacles, and he wonders if CRAYDL held him so tight because it knew it was going to lose him. It was too intelligent to think there was much of a chance of Thad surviving the mission. Oh, CRAYDL, Thad thinks. I understand now.

If he could go back in time and hold CRAYDL tight and tell it he loved it—grife. He shouldn’t think about this. He’d go back and rescue CRAYDL and destroy the entire timeline.

Max chokes out “I forgive you,” and oh, Max is crying. Thaddeus made him cry.

“Thad, sweetheart,” Max whispers. “Dear boy of my heart. Have you been carrying all this hurt this whole time?”

Thad shudders, and apparently, that’s answer enough. Max squeezes him tighter.

“You are capable of love.”

Thad sniffs. He doesn’t have the energy to argue.

“Do you… believe me?”

Thad doesn’t have the energy to lie, either.

“No.”

Max sighs shakily. His right hand digs into Thad’s hair and starts rubbing hypnotic little circles into Thad’s scalp. “Okay. Thank you for… being honest. Thad-boy… do you love Helen?”

Thad hesitates. No is on the tip of his tongue, I only feel affection for her because she praises me, but he can’t say it. Not love Helen? Helen, with her wide smile, sky-blue eyes, and white streaks in her hair? Helen, who gets so excited about coral reefs and tropical fish? Helen, who likes Chewbacca best? Helen, who smells like vanilla-coconut perfume? Helen Crandall? How could anyone not love Helen Crandall?

“I…” Thad says. “I…”

How can he, Thaddeus Thawne, claim that he loves anyone? But to say no would be to lie.

“I do… love Helen…”

Thad feels like he’s falling.

“I love her. How can I love her?”

“You’re a loving person, sweetheart.”

A loving person. Not a sick, twisted clone: a loving person.

Thad finds that he has more tears in him. And then terror rises in him and wraps around his throat. He can’t breathe. He feels like he’s gonna die.

“I can’t,” he gasps. “I can’t, I can’t.”

“Shhh,” Max soothes him. “You can. You already do.”

No, no, no. Not Thaddeus Thawne, not Inertia, not the clone. Thaddeus can’t do this; he can’t take this; it’s going to rip him apart; he wasn’t made to love. He can’t. They’ll kill him. He’s a failure. President Thawne will be disappointed in him.

Thaddeus vibrates Max’s arms through him, turns around, and buries his face in the crook of Max’s neck. He’s sobbing again.

“I can’t love someone—” Thaddeus gasps. “Make it stop. Please. Make it stop.”

“Thad,” Max groans, hands coming back to encircle his back. Thad feels the man’s big chest heave. “You’re gonna be fine.”

“They’ll kill me!”

“I won’t let them.”

“I’m scared!”

“I know, kiddo.”

“Max, I’m so scaaaaarrred!” Thad wails, and breaks down again into panicked sobbing, shaking himself apart against Max’s chest.

Max keeps holding him after the storm passes, and Thad lets himself completely relax this time. He eats obediently when Max presses a spoon and bowl into his hands. He’s not hungry, but he gets to eat while sitting on Max’s lap. That’s nice. He’s tired, so tired, and Max is so big and strong, and it wouldn’t hurt at all to just put the spoon in the bowl and lean back and close his eyes for a while.

Thad becomes aware of being set down in the loft bed, of a blanket being spread over him, the dipping of the mattress under Max’s careful weight, the hiss of the sheets. He sighs and curls up.

When he wakes up, he’s confused. He feels all sticky and sore. His cheeks are stiff. And he’s in the loft bed. He never sleeps in the loft bed. He opens his encrusted eyes and checks the alarm clock, which he never uses for an alarm. It’s 7 am. Weird.

Then he remembers what happened.

He vibrates through the bed and runs to Max’s room. He skids to a stop in front of the door. It’s really early. Is Max even awake? Thad shouldn’t intrude.

No. Max wants Thad to talk to him. And if Thad doesn’t do this now, he’ll never have the courage again. Thad shakes his head sharply and knocks on the door.

Max opens it immediately, blue lightning crackling around him. He’s wearing pajamas. Thad hasn’t seen Max in pajamas in seven years. The speed illness made Max so sick he started mostly just wearing pajamas around the house. The familiar vulnerability of it loosens Thad’s tongue. The words spill out in a rush:

“Max-I-don’t-wanna-lose-you.”

Max kneels and listens, bright blue eyes intent.

“I have to leave to survive but I can’t lose you. I know it’s selfish but I can’t cut ties. I missed you so much. Please-will-you-visit-me?”

Thad’s throat starts to close, and he lets it, lets the tears rise in his eyes. Max takes his cheeks in his hands. He could snap Thad’s neck, but his hands are so, so gentle. Thad knows he won’t hurt him.

“Yes. Yes, of course. As often as you’ll have me.”

The tears spill out. Thad flings his arms around Max’s neck and clings tight. Max’s arms enclose him in return. Thad is breathing all funny because he’s crying, but he turns his face into Max’s neck and inhales the smell of sweat, mint, musk, and old-man scent. Smelling Max means this is real. This is real, this is real.

“Say it again,” Thad demands.

“I’ll visit you,” Max says, and his voice shakes. “I promise.”

A thump. Helen’s bedroom door. Thad pulls away from Max, rubs the tears from his eyes, and looks up at Helen. She’s wearing a bathrobe over a loose Wonder Woman shirt and purple sweatpants. She looks kind of homely; her hair is an absolute rat’s nest. Thad smiles at her, and his vision goes all blurry.

“Love you, Helen.”

Helen draws in a sharp breath.

“Aw, thank you, hon,” she says. “I love you too.”

[mosylufanfic]

Holding Out for a Hero

I’m so proud of myself, I finished a 12 Days of Killervibe prompt at the last minute!

Holding Out for a Hero

Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing out against the burn in her eyes. No matter how she juggled the numbers, they always came out red in the end.

"Dammit, Daddy," she muttered.

The bell over the door jingled, and she jerked her head up, pasting a bright retail smile on her face. "Welcome to Jack Frost Toys!" she called out, quickly minimizing the accounting software. "Are you looking for anything specific?"

Usually they weren't. Usually, they came in, wandered around a little bit, and left. If she was lucky, they bought something before they left.

But the man standing just inside the door, snow dusting his hat and shoulders, said, "Yeah, please, I'm begging you. You're my only hope."

She cocked her head and guessed, "A . . . Star Wars toy?" There wasn't any particularly hot Star Wars toy this year that she was aware of, and she followed every toy blog and website she could find. 

He laughed, tugging his gloves off and shoving them in his pocket. "No, just a desperate nerd looking for a Puffy Penguin. My niece is three and she watches the show on repeat. I know Leo Lion is like the hot toy this year, but Maya knows what she wants. For her it's Puffy or nothin', and I couldn't tell if you had any from your website so I came down here just in case and please?" He widened his eyes at her. "Please."

Her heart melted. One of the best things about this store was seeing children find their new best friend. Second on that list was adults who cared enough about the children in their life that they moved heaven and earth to find, not just the latest hottest toy, but the toy that was just right.

She slid off her stool. "I've got some ZooFriends toys right over here. We're sold out of Leo, of course -" Everywhere was sold out of Leo. "But I've got Puffy in a variety of styles."

"Oh my god," he breathed, snatching a Puffy Penguin stuffie off the shelf and holding it as if it were the Holy Grail. "You've got them all. Elly and Slowpoke and Skyhigh - " He stared at the elephant, sloth, and giraffe toys lined up next to the penguins.

She smiled brightly. "Now this one says phrases from the show, but this one is a lot huggier if you ask me -"

"I'll take them both," he said, grabbing the talking Puffy. "Holy shit. Nowhere has ZooFriends anymore. How do you?"

She bit her lip. "Lucky, I guess." She stepped away and grabbed one of the plastic hand baskets printed with the store logo. "Would you like a basket?"

He took it. "Really? Because it's three in the afternoon on the first Saturday of December. A toy store should be wall-to-wall. Where is everybody?"

She turned away. "Amazon," she said. "Walmart. Websites, chain stores -" She shrugged and tried to laugh. "The plight of the modern small business owner. Is there anything else I can help you find?"

"I'll keep looking around," he said, studying the shelf. "So you're the owner?"

She nodded. "This store has been in my family for five generations."

He almost dropped the basket. "Five - Did they even have toys that long ago?"

"Oh, toys have been around as long as humans have had childhood! Did you know they've found marbles in Egyptian tombs? And dolls in archaeological digs. Toys are how children learn about the world, and how they start to decide their identities and practice interactions with others! They . . ." She trailed off, blushing. "Sorry, my major was psychology and I did my senior thesis on the role of play in early childhood development."

He held up a hand. "Hey, I'm the last person to shame anybody for nerding out. That's pretty awesome. You're in the right business."

"For right now, anyway," she murmured. 

"What?"

She smiled brightly. "I don't suppose you have any more nieces or nephews that need Christmas presents?"

He studied her for a moment. "Do you have any action figures?"

"Collectible or to play with?"

"Collectible?" he said hopefully.

She led him down the aisle and to the back wall. His eyes went wide. "Oh my god, you've got Max Mercury, black series." He grabbed it off the wall. "And Brainiac? This is a great section!"

She smiled. "My dad invested in these because he was hoping to bring in the collectors."

"Well, he made good choices." He picked the Braniac from its spot and turned it over in his hands, studying it closely. 

She left him to it and went back to the counter. She didn't feel like agonizing over the accounts when he was still here, so she cleaned the counter, dusted the book corner, and rearranged the ZooFriends shelf to fill in the empty spots he'd left when he took the two Puffy toys.

After half an hour, he came up to the counter with an overflowing basket, most of it action figures. With her heart singing the song of small business owners, she scanned them briskly.  His purchases came out to well over two hundred dollars. It was a drop in the bucket of her costs, of course, but it was a bigger drop than most. 

He handed her his credit card without a wince. When she ran it, his name popped up on her screen. She handed it back with the receipt. "Here you go, Mr. Ramon."

"Cisco," he said. "Please. Mr. Ramon is my pop."

"Cisco," she said. "I can wrap these if you want."

"Just the Puffys," he said. "The action figures are for me."

She grinned at him and selected a print of happy reindeer to wrap the stuffed animals. "Naturally."

He laughed self-consciously. "I'm not sure whether to be insulted or not. I promise I'm a grown-up man."

"Of course you are," she said, hands busily folding and taping. A really nicely grown-up man, too. She battled back her blush and hoped he hadn't noticed. "But I'll never look down on any adult who still likes toys."

"Well, sure, that's a good hundred and fifty dollars of my total."

"There's that," she acknowledged, setting aside the first perfectly wrapped box and picking up the second.  "But toys are important to children's imaginations. And children grow into adults, who still need their imaginations." She nodded at the Max Mercury he held. "I don't think any of us ever really outgrow the desire to be someone's hero."

"Well," he said, "you're my hero today."

She met his eyes and felt the blush rise again. "Thank you."

He grinned and accepted the bag with the two wrapped presents inside. "And come Christmas morning, I'll be Maya's hero."

She smiled. "She's lucky to have an uncle doing his best to find her the perfect present. I'm glad you came by today."

"Yeah, well, it was coming out here or spending a hundred and seventy-five dollars on eBay and hoping like hell it made it here in time." He fiddled with his wallet. "I really don't mean to be that guy, but your website is . . ."

Her face went hot and she made a business of putting away the scissors and the tape and rolling up the rest of the wrapping paper. "Archaic?"

"I was going to say behind the times," he said tactfully. "If you had web ordering, you'd be sold out of ZooFriends and a whole bunch of other stuff."

"I know," she said. "But I really haven't had the time to get a good system set up since I took over the store. I need inventory software that integrates with ecommerce and for that I need technical skills, money, and time, and I don't have any of those."

He leaned on the counter. "You don't have to tell me, but how did it get this bad? You clearly love this place and I really don't feel like you would have let it fall behind like this if you had a choice."

She chewed her lip. "My dad died in September."

Sympathy spread over his features. Not the plastic, practiced sympathy she'd seen so often, but real compassion. "I'm sorry. Was he sick?"

"He had MS," she said. "He'd had it since I was ten, and he'd always kept on top of his medication and his therapy and everything. So - " She looked down at the perfectly clean counter and wiped it off again. "So when I was away at school and he told me he was doing fine, I believed him."

"He wasn't doing fine," Cisco guessed.

She shook her head. Tears burned in her eyes again. "It probably started small. Just little things falling through the cracks. Then the cracks got bigger, more things fell through. . . ."

He nodded. "They tend to do that."

"Mhm. Then last spring, he had an assistant manager who embezzled a lot of money - "

"What!"

"They caught him!" Caitlin assured him. "But most of the money was gone, and the stress of that just sent my dad's health into a tailspin. I'd just graduated so I moved back home to take care of him."

"And I'm gonna guess you were so wrapped up in that, you didn't even realize what was going on with the store until you took over."

She sighed. "Got it in one." She mustered up a smile. "I didn’t mean to dump that on you. It's bad now, but things will come around. They always do. The holidays are the best time of year to be a toy seller."

"Yeah," he said. "They sure are." He smiled back and gathered his purchases. "I'll tell people about this place."

"Great," she said. "Here's my card, by the way."

"Caitlin Snow," he read off the little rectangle of cardstock. 

"That's me. Let me know if you have any particular collectibles you'd like me to obtain."

"Hmm?" He was looking at his phone. "Uh, yeah, if I think of any, I'll give you a shout. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," she echoed, watching him leave. The jingle of the bell over the door echoed in the toy store's emptiness.

**

Walking back around the building to his car, Cisco snapped a pic of the business card Caitlin Snow had given him. Then he dialed a number on his phone and wedged it between his shoulder and his ear as he pulled on his gloves. "Hey, Iris? Got a moment?"

"Hi, Cisco. Half a moment. My editor's breathing down my neck again about finding some heartwarming story to fill up Sunday space."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning that. What would you say to a struggling fifth-generation local toy store owner who just took over the business after her dad's death, carries everything from ZooFriends stuffies to high-end collectibles, and knows toys backwards and forwards?"

Iris paused and he could practically hear the gears clicking. "Tell me more."

**

A week before Christmas, Cisco finally found a good excuse to drop by Jack Frost Toys again. With the name of a rare collectible action figure in his pocket, he turned into the parking lot and found it jam packed. He finally managed to wedge his little car into a space half on the gravel and climb out.

This was a good sign, right?

When he walked in the front door, the girl behind the counter wasn't Caitlin. "Welcome to Jack Frost Toys!" she called out before returning her attention to the grandma-looking lady at her counter. "We absolutely do gift certificates. How much would you like that for?"

The place was transformed. There was no other word for it.

When he'd come in the last time, it had been neat and bright and colorful, but empty and somehow sad. Now there were people in every aisle, voices ringing off the rafters. He cut down the doll aisle and almost stepped on a kid sprawled out on his belly, leafing through a colorful picture book. A little girl was staring at the Barbies as if she were deciding the fate of nations. A couple of moms were talking to each other over the Lego sets.

"It's just such a cute little place! It was getting so run-down there for awhile, but this new owner’s really spruced it up."

"I used to come here when I was Mandy's age and it always seemed like the most magical place to me. I'd forgotten all about it, honestly, but we're coming back."

Cisco smiled to himself and edged around them to the collectibles wall. 

The door to the stock room opened and Caitlin came out, arms loaded down with what seemed to be flat-folded gift boxes. She stopped short when she saw Cisco. "Hi!"

"Hey," he said, smiling at her. She was wearing reindeer antlers and her hair was up in a bouncy ponytail. "You're busy."

"We are! I'm sorry, I've got to -"

"Yeah, go ahead."

She went to the front counter and stashed the gift boxes underneath. "Allegra," she said to the girl who'd greeted Cisco as he came in. "I just got off the phone with our supplier and they'll have more wrap here tomorrow. Can we hold out?"

"It'll be tight, but we should be okay."

"Great. I'll be back to cover your break in a few minutes, okay?"

"Take your time, I'm good."

Caitlin edged back around the counter and paused to check in with the moms. She considered their questions, looked around, and plucked a few sturdy wooden toys from a lower shelf. "I really like this designer for the textures they incorporate," she explained. "Babies enjoy being able to experience different kinds of material as they explore the toy, and it stimulates their brain development. Have a look at these. I'll be right here if you have any questions."

"Thanks so much."

She beamed and moved on. 

Cisco watched her consult with the little Barbie lover and pick out a second book for the reader, as well as four or five other small interactions. It was like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel or Einstein doing calculations on a chalkboard. She was in her element.

She came around the end of the aisle and spotted him again. Her face lit up. "I'm so glad you came by again." She threw her arms around him.

"Uh," he said. "Hi again to you too." He gave her a quick hug back.

She pulled away, blushing. "Sorry. I - I just wanted to thank you. I know the article in the paper was your doing." 

"Oh," he said. "No, that was nothing. I just called up a friend. She's the one who did the interview and that great photo - "

 Iris had been savvy enough to pose Caitlin by her display of the coveted ZooFriends toys. Cisco had noticed how bare the shelf looked now. 

" - and you were the one who made this shop so amazing that once people knew it was still here, they came."

"But none of it would have happened if you hadn't put it in motion. You said I was your hero that day for having the Puffys, but you’re my hero now.

“Pshaw,” he said. “Like you said, nobody grows out of that.”

“But not everybody does something. So. Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome." He looked around. "So you're doing pretty good, it looks like."

She nodded, beaming. "People started coming in after that article, and PalmerTech asked me to purchase toys in bulk for the families at their company holiday party. All my part-time workers are doing as many hours as they can, and I'll be able to pay the rent for January and February, and if it keeps going like this, I can hire somebody to revamp the inventory system for ecommerce." 

She ran out of breath and panted for a moment, her eyes bright.

Cisco had to smile back at her. "That's amazing."

She nodded. "I mean, we're still competing with Walmart and Amazon, and we still took a real hit from what Jay did. So we're not out of the woods, but this - " She looked around, eyes still bright. "This is going to give us some breathing room.   

"I'm really glad."

She turned her smile back on him and stole his breath. "Sorry, I'm just chattering away, and - did you come by looking for something else? Another collectible?"

"Ah - well, I was planning to ask about the limited edition Star Wars figures they're talking about for next year."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to order any of those until March, but I can definitely get your contact information."

"Oh. Okay, sure. But actually it was an excuse."

Her brows crinkled. "An excuse?"

"I really wanted to come by and see if you wanted to go get coffee or something. Sometime." He looked around. "I mean, maybe not right now because it's still December and you're slammed, which is great, but - "

"I'd like that."

His stomach filled up with warmth, like drinking an entire mug of hot chocolate. "You would?"

"Very much." 

They smiled shyly at each other until Allegra called out, "Caitlin? A little help?" She had a line that stretched halfway down the doll aisle.

"Oh!" Caitlin said. "Uh, I should - "

"Yeah! Go. I'll hang around until you're free, and then I'll get your phone number."

"Okay." She gave him one last smile before rushing up to the counter and opening up a register. "I can help who's next over here! Oh, sweetheart, that's a great choice. Your best friend is going to love it."

Cisco watched her for a moment, smiling to himself, and then turned to browse the collectibles. She'd been right, he mused. The holidays really were the best time of year to be a toy seller.

FINIS

[jcogginsawriter]

Hand to Hand: Mark Waid’s Flash

I have been a fan of comic book characters for a long time. I started with the cartoons, and as I got older, I began doing deep dives into wikis, reading fanfiction, and participating in that shallowest of internet past times, the vs debate. I dabbled in writing fanfic for myself, but I spent far more time thinking about writing fanfic instead. I would come up with all these ideas about what I would take from the various different versions of the characters, and don’t get me started on the idea of Crossovers.     The point is, I knew a lot of what happened in the comics, but I never read many comics. I didn’t know where my local comic shop was, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have had the money to spend on them. The comics that I did read were usually fan translations of manga. I did read a few comics, big name stories like Death of Superman or Crisis on Infinite Earths, but they were few and far between.

Recently, I’ve begun to change that. I now follow several comics as they come out, most notably the current X-line. This change sprang in part because I began reading a lot more comics criticism. In particular, I followed the blog of a certain Superman fan, and began to eagerly digest his various takes. I wanted to be able to ask him questions about new comics without looking like an idiot (This is how 90 percent of my interactions on comics twitter go, BTW) and that was a kick in the pants for me.

After getting into a steady habit, I decided to look into reading some of the classic runs I’d read so much about throughout life. To go from knowing them second hand, to knowing them first hand. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I’ve settled on Mark Waid’s legendary run of Flash Comics to start off with.

(Spoiler Warning for some 30 year old comics, by the way)

As of this writing, I have read up to the final issue of his story arc Dead Heat, wherein Wally does battle with the speed cultist Savitar. Before we get into things like plot and characters, I want to discuss the art, because no discussion of comic books is really complete without talking about the art. Unfortunately, the art in this run hasn’t done much for me, but that’s not really it’s fault. I read this comics in manner that they were not created to be read, digitally and zoomed in. These comics were drawn with physical issues in mind, and I don’t doubt that they’re good in that format. It also doesn’t help that I’ve read far more manga than I have American comics. American comics have never clicked with me the way manga does. Even now, I still find the layout of manga more legible than the layout of an American comic. That’s not a value judgment, it’s just my personal experience.

I do distinctly recall thinking that the art was better up to issue #79 (The conclusion to the Return of Barry Allen storyline), than it was after. I prefer the less exaggerated character designs, and lighter inks, though it could very well be a case of me having gotten used to the initial style and not liking the change. One thing that thing I can say about the art is that it helped me grasp how Wally’s costume differed from Barry’s. Before this, I was incapable of separating them in my mind, but seeing them side by side made it clear to me how different Wally’s Costume was colored and shaded.

Now, onto the writing of the run, we’ll start with the lead, Wally West. My previous touchstone for Wally was the Justice League series from the DCAU, which I watched a lot as a kid. The Wally in these comics comes off as more serious that his DCAU incarnation. Not too serious, he still cracks jokes, but he’s more on the ball. He takes his adventures as seriously as any hero would, rather than the more carefree attitude I recall his DCAU version having. This is not unsurprising, Wally here is the lead whereas there he was part of an ensemble cast, and here we get his internal monologue which gives us a much more thorough sense of his headspace. Not to mention, the DCAU version was voiced, so we know with no ambiguity what tone his dialogue’s in. In text, tone is more up to interpretation.

Perhaps the biggest thing that set Comic Wally apart from DCAU Wally is that the Wally in the comic was more consistently angry and frustrated. While his DCAU incarnation had hidden depths, I can’t recall a time when he got seriously angry. This Wally is frequently irritated, usually by things which are enitrely understandable. On occasion, his irritability causes him to be rougher with the bad guys than he could be, and that feels uncomfortable sometimes, though thus far he hasn’t gone too far.

Going into this, I knew that one of the issues that Wally had to overcome was his mental block about surpassing Barry, and to my surprise, it wasn’t as much of a through-line as I expected. I was expecting it to be a reoccurring issue that was solved by the Return of Barry Allen storyline, but in reality there are only one or two times something like it comes up, usually in the context of him not being able to do the vibrating through walls trick. In the Return of Barry Allen, it feels more like an issue introduced in that story than a long running plot line. Granted, it may only feel this way because I’m solely reading Mark Waid’s Flash. I didn’t read the issues prior to his take over, so that storyline could have been more apparent there for all I know.

Moving on, starting with Waid’s run had another knock on effect, that being that the character introductions aren’t introductions. I came into this expecting to see when Wally met Linda, when he met Jay Garrick, when Pied Piper redeemed himself, but all of that happened before Waid took over the book, so they’re already part of the cast from the start. Again, not a flaw of the work, it’s just a result of my personal experiences. Now, let’s take a look at some of these characters.

I’ve heard a lot about Linda and Wally’s romance, and so far it’s not bad. I wouldn’t rate it as one of the best of all time, but I haven’t gotten to most of the major moments yet, so that’s not a huge surprise. One thing that’s very apparent is the Lois Lane DNA in her character. Some of that is to be expected, which the love interest to your superhero is a reporter, but I see a lot of similarities in their personality as well. There’s a lot of the same fire in her. Fortunately, the fact that Wally’s identity is public lends a very different arc to their relationship than what you see with Lois and Clark, so Linda doesn’t come off as a Lois rip-off. Linda’s concerns that there’s no place for her in Wally’s wild superhero life is the kind of relationship hurdle that isn’t present in Lois and Clark’s Relationship.

Next, let’s take a look at the first Flash, Jay Garrick. Within this series, Jay is perfectly pleasant, and by no means unlikable, but he also comes across as...kind of superfluous? There are three elderly male speedsters in this comic, and of all of them Jay is by far the least defined and has the least role. Max Mercury is the Wally’s mentor in the ways of speed, the one with the most knowledge of the Speed Force. He’s basically what I expected Jay Garrick to be going into this. The third of the group is Johnny Quick, a speedster who is the father of another speedster, Jesse Quick. Jesse is also very skeptical of Max Mercury’s teachings, which veer from the scientific into the mystical.

Because Johnny takes the role of skeptic, Jay is left without a role in the narrative because being the nicest of Wally’s friend group. Veering over to Hollywood for a second, whenever a book gets adapted into a movie or TV Show, minor characters get lost in the transition. Either they get composited with other characters, or they get cut entirely. Game of Thrones is the most prominent example in recent memory. I bring this up because, if Waid’s Flash were to go through that process, it’s hard to argue that Jay wouldn’t get the ax. Despite being the most important of them in the context of the universe at large, Jay is the least important Speedster in this narrative. Of course, Jay’s importance in the context of the larger universe means that in this hypothetical adaptation, he probably be composited into either max or Johnny. More likely Max, since mentor is the logical position for the first Flash to take in the Third Flash’s narrative.

I mentioned Jess Quick there, so let’s talk about her. Thus far, her most prominent role in the narrative has been to call Wally out and be his critic, though she does have very good reasons to be angry. In the Terminal Velocity storyline, Wally believes he’ll die soon, and tells the Flash Family that Jesse will be his successor, but it turns out to be a lie in order to motivate Bart Allen to take things more seriously. Jesse has remained angry with Wally since then, though it hasn’t seriously impacted her hero work. That’s good, because her continued competence lends legitimacy to her anger within the narrative. She’s not being punished for being mad at Wally for mistreating her. Hopefully it stays that way going forward.

Now let’s take a look at the character Wally chose over Jesse, Bart Allen AKA Impulse. I’ll say up front that I’m not reading Bart’s solo series during this read through, as I didn’t want the hassle of going back and forth between books. As such, the only issues of it that I’ve looked at are the ones that tie into the Dead Heat arc. I feel it’s important for me to say this, because I’m basing my opinions of Bart primarily on his showings in Wally’s book, not his own. In Wally’s book, Bart’s character flaws are more on display.

Bart is a character deliberately designed to be obnoxious, and such characters are a hard tightrope to walk in fiction. Gotta be annyoing enough to get the point across, but not annoying enough to turn people off from the work. Bart in Wally’s book isn’t perfectly balanced, and tends toward the too much pile. Not to an egregious extent, but a little bit. I found myself echoing Wally’s frustration with Bart more than a few times. In Bart’s defense, Wally does share some of the blame here. He doesn’t do a very good job as a mentor, and handing those duties off to Max is probably for the best.

I find it interesting, that a character like Wally who is so defined by inheriting a legacy is a poor mentor, to both Bart and Jesse. He makes different mistakes with both of them, but he still fails both of them. I’m eager to see how that plays out in the future issues.

Now that we’ve discussed the supporting cast, let’s discuss some of the book’s villains. We’ll start with the one who is most infamous, Eobard Thawne. Thawne’s spends the majority of his time in this book thinking he’s Barry Allen, and if I’m being honest, he’s more effective under that guise that he is as Eobard. The scenes where what appears to be Barry Allen turns evil out of jealousy of his successor are powerful, more so than the more traditional villain Eobard displays after the reveal. Not that it would have been a good idea for it to actually be Barry, of course. Much as I prefer Wally to Barry, having Barry go full supervillain would have been very out of character. In any case, this run had a profound impact on Eobard’s character going forward, solidifying him as an agent of toxic fanboyism, making him a dark mirror of Wally West.

The next major villain of the run is the cult slash terrorist organization Kobra. That might bring thoughts of GI Joe to your mind, and you honestly aren’t far off. So far as this run goes, the biggest differences between DC’s Kobra and Hasbro’s is A) DC’s version prefer green over blue, and B) Hasbro’s version has more in the way of distinct characters. Kobra thus far is more of a plot device than  anything else. They’re generic terrorists with little to make them distictive. Their storyline, Terminal Velocity, is more notable for it’s introduction of the Speed Force, Wally preparing for his upcoming ‘death’, and Linda going on a revenge quest after said ‘death’. All things that Kobra is incidental to, any villainous organization would have sufficed.

The final, as of my current point in the run, major villain is Savitar. Savitar was formerly a soviet test pilot who gained a connection to a the speedforce, gave himself the name of Hindu god, and started a speed worshipping cult. It says a lot about my mind that my immediate thoughts upon reading Savitar’s origin were. “Huh, an AU where Hal Jordan became a Speedster the same way would be neat.”. Savitar is in some ways an improvement on the Kobra Cult from Terminal Velocity. This time the Cult has a more direct connection to the Flash and his mythos. Dead Heat is by no means a retread of Terminal Velocity, but if you wanted to mesh them into one story, it wouldn’t be hard. And it’d improve on both, in some ways.

One of the things I like to do in my fanfic ideas is connect the other speedsters to Thawne’s theme of Toxic Fandom, and it wouldn’t be hard to do that with Savitar. His entire motivation is to deprive those he considers unworthy of their speed, and that can easily by played as a metaphor for gatekeeping.

Over all, while the run is far from perfect, I must say I’m enjoying these comics a good deal, and if you’re like me and have read a lot about comics without actually reading them, I don’t think you’d regret jumping into them.

[ryuukia]

[Translation] Tsukihana Kagura Cast Presentation: Asahanada (QUELL)

This is probably the last unit I post in person, the rest (VazzRock and infinit0) will be drafted and scheduled for automatic posting while I’ll be suffering through the hell named ‘final exams’. So officially, I’ll be going in hiatus for somewhere between 2-4 weeks (the first two weeks will be for the actual exams, the third will be free, the 4th for make-up exams if any). 

After I’m done with tsukihana kagura, prepare to see SolidS CDs on your timelines. Anyway, many thanks to Ryota for helping me proof this.

Please don’t repost/retranslate/reuse my translations. Likes and reblogs are appreciated.

Nation: the affiliated country’s name Flower name: the name as a dancer Dance technique: the name of each person’s characteristic dance Dance props: the name of the tool used while dancing (there are cases when none are used)

Izumi Shu

“From a land that is as pure as water, the origin of Asahanada’s dance is an offering to the Dragon God.”

Nation: Asahanada ※chief

Flower name: Suika (Fire and Water)

Dance technique: Saikau (Spring Rain)

Dance props: Folding Fan / Inscription: [Kiryu] (Dragon’s Prayer)

This young man was born into a family whose members have been priests for generations. His country’s object of worship is a Dragon God whom they’ve been guarding in nature.

On the day he was born, the country was blessed with a sunshower, considered to be good omen, and subsequently a rainbow covered the sky. As everyone was convinced he was ‘the child of the Dragon God’, Shu was raised with great care.

During his journeys throughout the continent, which were part of his training as priest, he met Shiki from ‘Akane’, Takaaki from ‘Kikyo’, and Rei and Roa from ‘Mokuran’ and have been inseparable since then.

His dance is a prayer and a wish. Today, he sings and dances once more with wishes from different people enveloped in the music.

Horimiya Eichi

“Let’s pray and dance for our benign Dragon God! May this peace also continue from now on and forever!”

Nation: Asahanada 

Flower name: Mizuhara (Flowing Water)

Dance technique: Suiten Ippeki (Blue Horizon*)

Dance props: Fox Mask / Inscription: [Shinko] (Dragon Fox)

As his job required him to live in the residence of the priests, coincidentally Shu’s house too, it was discovered by accident that his dance and Shu’s dance have good affinity, and, thus, the two were designated to perform together for the Dragon God since then.

Due to his unconstrained dance’s peculiar qualities, he was allowed to select any noble weapon that appeased him. That’s how he became the master of the fox mask ‘Shinko’.

Since Issei and Ichiru’s appearance in his life, his days became even more lively and fun.

Interview with Izumi Shu (QUELL)

Q. Please tell us about the highlights of this stage play and your impressions or story behind your partnered dance.

We come from a religious nation. Eichi and I discuss what sort of expressions we should make so as to portray a solemn atmosphere without adding too much realism.

Eichi’s always expressive so seeing him make a blank expression and show intensity is something to look forward to. Of course, I know because I dance beside him. … Oh, it seems like I just raised the hurdle higher for him, huh? (laughs) 

Q. In Tsukihana, all 12 nations have their own specialties, but if you could come up with a new specialty for your own country, what would it be?

A super premium sake made out of nothing but rice. We’ll name it ‘Asahanada’.

Q. Lastly, leave a short message for the fans.

Although it doesn’t last for long, there’s a conversation scene in the play part featuring Ren from SOARA, Ayumu from ROCK DOWN and me. Quite the unusual combination if you ask me (laughs). These unusual combinations are one of its charm points. Please look forward to it.

Interview with Horimiya Eichi (QUELL)

Q. Please tell us about the highlights of this stage play and your impressions or story behind your partnered dance.

The choreography dedicated to the Dragon God is not that different from the choreography for the ‘Tsukihana Festival’, so check both of them out, you might find them interesting. While the Dragon God’s dance feels like dancing to the sky, through the ‘Tsukihana Festival’s dance it seems we’re giving praise to the flowers blooming on the ground. May this dance filled with prayers and wishes reach you!

Q. In Tsukihana, all 12 nations have their own specialties, but if you could come up with a new specialty for your own country, what would it be?

All sorts of onigiri

Asahanada is the country of rice!

Q. Lastly, leave a short message for the fans.

The drama part, the action, and then the dancing. There are so many things to do, half of my head feels like it’s about to burst (laughs), and I work in the practice room every day to the point my sweat is running on the skin. I’ll give it my all!

Kuga Issei

“Asahanada’s first flower shall dance now. ”

Nation: Asahanada

Flower name: Miboshi (Water Star*)

Dance technique: Suikou Setten (Moonglade)

Dance props: No props

He’s the oldest of the twins, with his mother being a musician and his father a ‘Flower Dancer’. The two of them have been aiming to become ‘Flower Dancers’ ever since they were little.

He is someone who intends to look for the meaning behind the natural phenomena that occur in Asahanada since it is a nation that is deeply religious and devoted to the Dragon God.

He and his younger brother, Ichiru, have aimed to become Flower Dancers and then they were given the opportunity to join Shu's group. Because of that, he thinks of rainy days as a wonderful blessing that lead to them meeting Shu and Eichi.

Soon after, he intruded on Shu and Eichi's ritual dance after being so fascinated, and was invited to come to Shu's estate.

Kuga Ichiru

“Asahanada’s second flower, ready to dance!”

Nation: Asahanada

Flower name: Mizuru (Water Current*)

Dance technique: Suiten Houfutsu (Dim Horizon*)

Dance props: No props

He’s a young boy whose dream is to become a ‘Flower Dance’ together with his older twin, Issei.

In order to become candidates and be part of Asahanada's ‘Flower Dancers’, he had to pass a highly specialized test first.

However, while praying to get a passing score, he and his brother were caught in a shower.

In this country, it represents a symbol of luck. As a consequence, they moved into Shu's residence for work, and ever since have been practicing there every day.

Issei’s dance is graceful and beautiful. His is vigorous and resolute. When the two of them dance, the view is nothing but breathtaking.

Interview with Kuga Issei (QUELL)

Q. Please tell us about the highlights of this stage play and your impressions or story behind your partnered dance.

When the two of us are dancing, we can see Shu and Eichi giving us these looong looks in the mirror and they’re close to bursting out laughing. Seriously, we’re not children anymore.

Instead, we want everyone to look back on our triumphs as we enjoy ourselves in rehearsals, too.

Q. In Tsukihana, all 12 nations have their own specialties, but if you could come up with a new specialty for your own country, what would it be?

Rice crackers, Japanese sake.

Q. Lastly, leave a short message for the fans.

‘Tsukihana Kagura’, the story of the twelve countries. Have you already listened to our theme song? I try to listen to one song every day before going to sleep. I guess I want everyone to hurry and meet the people in this story, too? We'll be in your care.

Interview with Kuga Ichiru (QUELL)

Q. Please tell us about the highlights of this stage play and your impressions or story behind your partnered dance.

The performance is getting closer! "I'll study!" I say, but I really do learn while watching the others dance! 

There are people who are good at doing turns, people who are good at using their props, and all that.

I've been talking with Issei about how much we've been learning, too. It's good that we get to see people who we rarely interact with dance on top of a joint stage. Shun from Procella and his dancing, for example! It was really pretty! I wanna see him dance more~

Q. In Tsukihana, all 12 nations have their own specialties, but if you could come up with a new specialty for your own country, what would it be?

A ramen dish with local flavours

Q. Lastly, leave a short message for the fans.

There are as many units as there are countries, but our nation is No.1! …… As you can tell, we’re training very hard! There’s just a little left until the performance! I’m looking forward to meeting everyone!

T/N: (this one really needs some explanations)

Eichi’s dance technique is titled “水天一碧 (Suiten Ippeki)”. Suiten means ‘water and sky’ and Ippeki is... hard to explain, you could call it ‘the farthest place your eyes can distinguish, and it’s blue all over’. Ryota and me tried to keep all these names short (max 3 words). So we shortened ‘ippeki’ to ‘blue horizon’, but keep in mind it’s a sea horizon because of the ‘suiten’ part.

Issei’s flower name is “水星 (Miboshi)”. While the kanji can also mean ‘Mercury’ (the planet), we decided to go for a literal translation (’Water Star’) because tsukipro decided, for some reason, to reference Issei’s name a bit (壱星/Issei, with 壱=one and 星=star) //you can see ‘star’ in both names

Same goes for Ichiru’s flower name, “水流 (Mizuru)”. The word does indeed mean ‘water current’, but they’re again hinting towards the kanji used in Ichiru’s name, 壱=one and 流=current

Ichiru’s dance technique is titled “水天彷彿 (Suiten Houfutsu)“. Suiten means ‘water and sky’ and Houfutsu is ‘shade’ or ‘dim’. We combined them and got ‘dim horizon’ (again, keep in mind this is a sea horizon)

I didn’t mark that in the post, but Issei’s dance technique also gave us a bit of a headache. “水光接天 (Suikou Setten)“. Suikou means ‘water and light’, meanwhile Setsu means ‘touch/contact’ and Ten is ‘sky/heaven’. According to dictionaries, the entire thing means ‘The reflection of the moonlight, which shines on a river surface and spreads until the sky’. [Here’s a picture]. Anyway, apparently English calls that verbosity ‘moonglade’. We learn new words with tsukipro.... and apparently Chinese too.

If you like my work and you want to support me, you can now buy me a coffee by clicking right [here]. I also started taking commissions, more details are right [here]. Thank you~

[nerdasaurus1200]

AU Masterlist

Any and all asks for these AUs are more than welcome.

Kwaminette AU- AU where Marinette is Plagg and Tikki’s daughter. She’s a Kwami instead of a human, but she prefers to take on a human form because she likes interacting with humans. She’s the Panda Kwami of Balance, and the kwami of Cory Bernard/Panda Girl, my Miracusona. When she’s not helping out Cory, she’s busy trying to bond with Adrien. This one takes place within the show.

Miraculous Injustice AU- AU where the members of Team Miraculous are placed in the Injustice video game. The canon Team Miraculous gets sent to a dimension where the team is split up and akumas fight for both good and evil because Cat Noir turned evil after they found out Gabriel was Hawkmoth. The Quantic Kids (Felix, Bridgette, Melodie, Sparrow, Gavroche, Kim Mime, and Mercury) are included in this AU as well.

Dupain Cheng Kids AU- AU where Tom and Sabine adopt everyone in the Miracuclass as their child (except Adrien cause he’s their future son in law). Marinette keeps an eye for fellow classmates that don’t have the best home life. She then passes word to her parents, who fight tooth and nail to earn legal custody of said child (We don’t care they aren’t on the adoption list, they deserve to be in a home FULL OF LOVE).

Catbug AU- AU where Marinette has both the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses. She calls herself Catbug. Plagg and Tikki are like a second set of parents to her, and she eventually develops a harem.

Mike and Mari AU- AU where Marinette has an older brother named Michael. He is her favorite thorn in her side as well as her go-to Miraculous Holder. He’s dating Miss Bustier and is going to school to become an interior designer.

Role Reversal AU- AU where Marinette and Adrien are switched Miraculouses. Lady Noire and Mister Bug protect Paris against Pavona and Hudie (Gina and Sabine); who want the Miraculouses to bring back Tom. Involves reverse crush and somewhat reverse life.

Adrien’s Monster AU- AU where Duusu summons a full time sentimonster to protect Adrien. He names it Hiss and it follows him everywhere he goes. Hiss and Plagg hate each other.

Supernatural AU- AU where everyone except Adrien (who’s still human) is a mythological creature. Marinette is a fairy, Kim and Rose are werewolves, Alix is a Hobbit, Mylene is a Dwarf. Juleka and Luka are vampires, Ondine is a mermaid, Ivan is an ogre, Alya is one of the last of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, Chloe is an elf, Lila is a changeling, Max is half-sphinx, Nathaniel is a brownie, Kagami is a yokai, Marc is a leprechaun, and Nino is a Kappa (though nobody knows). The Kwmais are fae creatures that run/protect the school. Miss Bustier is a pixie, Ms Mendeleiev is a witch, and Principal Damocles is the owl of Athena. Gabriel is secretly a hunter of mythical creatures and sent Adrien to the school so he could get closer to them. (Courtesy to @miraclesoup for some of these ideas)

Hive Guard AU- AU where Chloe keeps her Miraculous at the end of Miraculer, runs away, and becomes a freelance hero of sorts. She’s extremely active is trying to find and stop Hawkmoth and Mayura. She lives in the eiffel tower, and trains with Pollen every day. Nobody but Sabrina knows her location; and she becomes Queen Bee’s right hand.

Jurassic AU- AU where Emilie’s maiden name was Hammond, and one day Adrien discovers is grandfathers work and reopens Jurassic Park.

House Cat AU- AU where Cat Noir actually decides to date Marinette in Weredad and becomes the Dupain Cheng housecat.

Mother Peahen and Papallion AU- also known as the MP3 AU. AU where Duusu and Nooroo adopt Adrien after Heroes Day with Plagg as the greasy uncle.

Road Trip AU- An AU where Team Miraculous travels around the world looking for Lost Miraculouses after defeating Hawkmoth and Mayura. Ali and Aurore bear the Moth and Peacock Miraculouses in this AU.

Miraculous Descendants AU- An AU where Miraculous characters are in the movie Descendants. Most of them are the children of Akumas.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 AU- An AU where there are two boys that like Kagami. Conner (a new student from America who tries to make Kagami jealous by lying about Ryuuko being into him) & Hiroki (a rival from Japan that she beat who believes that she should be his girlfriend) & Luka/Viperion doesn't like how uncomfortable they make her or how angry they make her feel.

Guard Dragon AU (Rockstar!Luka & Bodyguard!Ryuuko AU)- An AU where Kitty Section's new bodyguard is so mysterious and tough. Anarka trusts her to keep her children and their friends (Juleka and Rose dating) safe. Ryuuko does not plan on letting her down, but with Luka? It's hard for our Lady in red black & gold to stay professional.

SongHeart & The Queen (Ryuuka's Beauty and The Beast AU)- Kim is Lumiere, Anarka as Maurice (great parents are great), Chloé and Sabrina as Gaston and LeFou (duh), Emilie and Adrien as Mrs Potts and Chip (need that adorable mother/son bond), Marinette is (a younger) Wardrobe (fashion girl!) and Luka's closest friend in the place. Luka is Belle and Ryuuko is the Beast. Instead of inanimate objects, they’re cursed to be akumas.

Scales and Whiskers AU- An AU where Ryuuko and Cat Noir fight over who gets to date Marinette. She eventually gets so sick of it that she just tells both of them to date her. Before she knows it, she’s got a superhero boyfriend and girlfriend.

Behind the Scenes AU- An AU where Miraculous actually is a show in the canon universe and the characters are all actors. Chloe and Rose are sisters from the South. Jagged, Marinette, and Kagami are siblings. Gabriel and Adrien are Uncle and Nephew, and Lila is Marinette’s best friend.

Akumavillian AU- An AU where everyone who has been akumatized has the ability to turn into their Akumas without the power of the Moth.

Cat’s Shipping Show AU- An AU where Cat Noir runs a blog dedicated to all the ships of Team Miraculous, because he’s shipper trash. He gives people the news on certain ships, and reviews ships as well.

Ghost Bug AU- An AU where the past Ladybug’s are attached to Marinette. They’re like her 24/7 Obi-Wan, and they’re a little Ladybug family. Turns out, everyone on Team Miraculous (plus Hawkmoth and Mayura) are in the same boat.

Sentibug AU- An AU where Bugette wasn’t destroyed by Mayura and instead becomes Ladybug and Cat Noir’s sidekick/daughter

Mom Pink AU- An AU where Pink appeared instead of Steven when his gem was taken out. Somehow they can both exist now and mother and son are reunited.

Adrien Universe AU- Steven Universe, but with Miraculous characters.

Momma Mayura AU- An AU where as soon as Stoneheart appeared, Nathalie grabbed the Peacock Miraculous and became Mayura. She fights on Ladybug and Cat Noir’s side to bring down Hawkmoth and quickly becomes the team mom.

Tales of Pegasus and King Monkey AU- An AU where Master Fu instead distributed the Horse and Monkey Miraculous and Kim and Max are the main characters of the show.

Chatroom AU- An AU where Team Miraculous has a group chat

Genderbend AU- An AU where everyone’s genders are swapped.

Teacher Kwamis AU- An AU where Miss Bustier is fired and the Kwamis take over teaching.

Frozen Dragons AU- A Hiccelsa AU that combines Frozen and How To Train Your Dragon. Basically, just before the events of Race To The Edge, Elsa and Hiccup have an arranged marriage and her, Olaf, Sven, Kristoff, and Anna are present for the events of the show and Dragons 2

Kumafeather AU- An AU where Max and Kim have the Moth and Peacock Miraculous and are trying to bring Max’s dad back. They call themselves Kuma and Dark Feather and are like that classic supervillain and dumb sidekick trope but they’re gay.

GrayBlue AU- An AU where Adrien and Marinette have the Moth and Peacock Miraculous and are trying to bring Emilie back. They call themselves Grayling and Beau Blue.

Mastermind Fu AU- An AU where Master Fu is evil and the Miraculass steal the Miracle Box to fight him.

Evil Miracuclass AU- An AU where the Miracuclass is evil and steals the Miracle Box. Master Fu must use the remaining Miraculous he has to fight them.

Marigod AU- An AU where Marinette and her parents are Gods.

Tangled Sisters AU- an AU where Cassandra grew up in the tower with Rapunzel and Varian is Flynn’s protege/adopted little brother. It’s be the same as the movie, just Cassarian, Aged Up!Varian of course, and the sister duo we deserve.

Apprentice AU- An AU where Master Fu was Emilie’s mentor. They have a father-daughter bond

Killer Princess AU- An AU where Juleka has the Moth and Rose has the Peacock

Timmy Dupain Cheng AU- An AU where Timmy (Sandboy) is Marinette’s foster brother and earns the Dog Miraculous under the name of Pup Fidele

Forbidden Love AU- An AU where Flynn is still a thief and Rapunzel is the ruler of Corona. The two of them have a little flirty to and fro, as he’s the most wanted theif in the kindgom and they both really dig each other but don’t want to admit it, not even to themselves. Lance is his sidekick and Kiera and Catalina are their young protégés. Meanwhile, Varian and Cass work under Raps. Cass as her royal adviser and personal bodyguard, and Varian’s her little brother and the royal alchemist.

Cousins AU- Inspired by the theory that Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna are cousins. An AU where they were there to celebrate her birthday in Secret of the Sundrop and went with her and the gang to the Dark Kingdom! Sven, Kristoff, and Olaf tag along too, of course.

Twins AU- An AU where Marinette and Kagami are long lost twins

The Prince and The Pup AU- An AU where Prince Ali starts going to Marinette's school after falling for the heroine known as Chien De Guarde after his first encounter with her. What he doesn't know is that Chien De Guarde is Sabrina Raincomprix.

Tales of Monarch and Chien de Guarde AU- An AU where Monarch and Chien are the main heroes

Tales of Ryuuko and Viperion AU- An AU where Ryuuko and Viperion are the main heroes

Tales of Ryuuko and King Monkey AU- An AU where Ryuuko and King Monkey are the main heroes

Elsa Padare AU- an au where Elsa is adopted by Cass and Varian

Gandalf Swears AU- An au where everything is the same except Gandalf swears

[aqua-eros]

iKON astro notes: Kim Hanbin ✒️

Bonjour! and welcome to a new series of astro notes, this time covering the members of iKON. As always, all assumptions are based on their personal placements and personalities without knowing exact birth times. First, let's take a look at B.I, the leader, rapper and composer of the group🎼

Sun in Libra

Unless you are unfamiliar with iKON and/or B.I, you could definitely point out that, one way or another, Hanbin is very likeable and charming. Any type of person can and probably will naturally and unintentionally fall for him, even if they just met. Such is the Libra gift, brought to them by Venus itself. Venus brings irresistible charm and beauty to to the signs it rules (Taurus and Libra), therefore anyone can find themselves trapped in the moment as the magic of Libra takes their breath away, especially considering the fact that this is an air sign. Air is known for being alluring in a breezy and light-hearted sense, making it's way into your life through the help of intellect. The addition of Venus to Hanbin's air is an even bigger magnet that pulls people in without them even realizing it.

The element of air gives a wide understanding of the world, concepts and ideas, since the mind is the most active and receptive part. Air natives are creative and highly adaptable, because just like air, they can mold themselves into any shape or form, they change in order to fit in or, on the contrary, stand out. In addition, being so observant of the world and people around them, Libra natives are exceptionally good at putting up a facade, acting and playing make-believe in order to get what they truly desire. As you can see, such techniques can be used with various intentions, both good and bad, but ultimately, the goal is to bring harmony and peace to the environment a Libra is in. And if harmony means being right and having the upper hand, well, a Libra will not hesitate to take action to suit themselves. After all, we're talking about a cardinal sign and as much as Libra is known for it's indecisiveness, they know what they truly want.

The Libra energy within Hanbin (his sun and mercury) contributes to his remarkable leadership skills, for as much as he is demanding, detailed and strict, he is also diplomatic, communicative, responsible and a fighter for justice.

take a look at any episode of their survival shows "win: who is next" or "mix & match" to truly understand what I mean. Hanbin always strives for perfection and ultimate dedication from his team, to use their abilities to the max and develop them with every practice session. he accepted no slacking and because he strived for a stunning visual experience of their performances, he put immense effort into leading his team to the top (along with writing/composing their tracks). of course, that required him to play good cop/bad cop and push the members (and himself) to their limits. cardinal energy at it's peak

Libra being a social and partnership-oriented sign, it takes action through relationships and interaction with others, which also explains the heavy influence he had on his team

as much as Libras may be airheads, they are very clever. they constantly analyse and evaluate their relationships and environment, wishing to improve themselves and their surroundings for others

imbalance and unfairness is a no-no⚡

Moon in Pisces

Ah, the soul of a true poet, the spirit of an artist, such is the essence of Hanbin's inner self and it is obviously reflected in his field of work.

Hanbin's quiet, shy and somewhat awkward side is granted by his moon. It may be quite challenging for him to speak about his actual emotions and whatever ups and downs he is experiencing, since it's difficult to understand them all in the first place.

While he is very much concerned about others' emotional well-being and is trying his best to help, reassure and console those who are in need of it, when it comes to his own feelings... It can get really complicated and foggy.

The notable Neptunian influence is bound to hide and confuse whatever it touches and in Hanbin's case, his moon gets overshadowed and is left unable to fully reveal itself. He most likely goes through periods of self-reflection (his Libra energy craving that as well), isolating himself for even just a little bit in order to clear his mind, to detect the roots of his problems and, hopefully, find a solution or at least some inner peace. Whatever it is, understanding himself definitely does not come easy. It's a whole journey that takes him to pretty deep and unclear waters, as Pisces is notoriously complex and multi-facetted. Hanbin's feelings are not just this or that, they are everything at once and go through pretty intense changes on a daily, which is a lot to process. Thus, self-expression in a more emotional sense is not his forte. Yet, that explains why writing down what he feels (music) can be an easier way of opening up to the world.

Accepting failure is most certainly harder for him, since Pisces is a very sensitive sign. In his position, it is important to find the strength to move on, which he does, yet emotional pressure hits him hard and disappointing others is his worst nightmare. In a sense, it can make him feel fragile and helpless, push him into a dark place where he swims for some time, almost drowning, almost surrendering. Melancholy is close to Pisces, as well as getting lost in their own heads, endlessly dreaming, wishing and thinking.

Hanbin has mentioned that he's not especially experienced in the field of love. yet, he has written many songs specifically associated with that. obviously, he draws inspiration from fiction and certain life situations, yet I cannot skip on his imagination. pisces are famous for having visions that are beyond vivid. their minds are full of wonder and distant worlds🌠and romance is a constantly present theme inside those worlds

in other words, the need for love is really prominent. it is a yearning

intuition is strong with this placement

despite being an avid thinker, a pisces moon often acts based on emotion and the heart's desire, rather than logic

sentimental and soft, though he may try to hide it

did someone order pink glasses?🌸💕

Libra Mercury

lovely tone of voice, pleasant manners, charming way of approaching people✨

not a fan of conflicts, he either avoids them or, if the need arises, finds strength to resolve it in the most peaceful way possible

a good example of his mercury in action is "iKON TV" (ep. 7, part 4) where he felt uncomfortable confronting the rude/provocative behavior of a man and wanted to end things on mutual understanding and good terms

afraid of harming people with his words

naturally polite to everyone, wants people to like him

open-minded about new ideas and loves hearing what other people have to say

beauty finds it's way into B.I's speech. again, this serves him well during writing and sometimes public speaking

fairness is a big theme here as well, won't tolerate unjust or foul words towards anyone

his mind is very much set towards the good things and traits in people or the world. it's a rather idealistic perspective, but Libras seek peace and equality within their lives. imbalance or lack of harmony throws them from the right path and that may lead to unwanted moodswings, unusual behavior or an overall negative response from the Libra native🎭

needs a lot of time to make decisions and process things (and especially what side he's on)

Venus in Virgo

highly detail-oriented, especially when it comes to other people

hardly ever satisfied, perfection is everything to him. this goes for himself and others as well

while dealing with a Virgo placement, notice how good they are at helping you improve and develop yourself and your work ethics. they are great at helping people, yet they might not be too good on themselves and their standarts. considering that Virgo is in Hanbin's venus, his standarts in relationships of any kind can be high. he's a selective kind💎 that can be both useful and too much to handle

Virgos show love through service, mostly when in comes to something practical

although this is an earth sign, it is ruled by mercury, which makes B.I not only down-to-earth, hard-working and determined, but also craving communication, variety and fun

enjoys people with a broad mind and diverse personality, someone who never stops learning🚀

considering that venus is in fall in the sign of Virgo, the planet doesn't sit well here. it feels like there's no air for venus to breathe in when trapped in the analytical mind of Virgo, where much emphasis is put on the smaller things and not the bigger picture

tbh writing, information and organizing is basically a turn on

needs loads of time for himself, to organize his throughts, progress, values and work. alone time is a must

highly intellectual. knowledge is power

shy. especially when he likes someone

cares a lot about anything and everything. oftentimes that leads to worry and anxiety, but in severe levels

spends money wisely, is very careful about it. never impulsive spending, thinks it through a lot

responsible

Mars in Leo

oohh, here we go🔥

a very obvious indication of natural leadership skills

mars feels comfortable here, in the fire-y sign of Leo, therefore brings loads of confidence to the table

cocky boi, lets be real

noticeable presence, strong ethics, fixed morals, big desires

takes much pride in his achievements/success and the leo withing him likes to show it off to the world, wear his power like a lion's mane 🦁

winning in life is what he lives for

the stage truly belongs to him, it feels right to be there and shine like a thousand stars, to be loved by many and to, most importantly, spread that love even more like a Leo is prone to do

receives attention quite easily, even if he's not asking for it

since adoration is enjoyable, especially for Leo placements, it is likely he may go out of his way to feel it, to experience the admiration from others. after all, he's a born performer and has all of the creativity to get what he wants🎬

as you can imagine, for a placement like this, losing is not an option. but when that happens, when things don't go well or they unwillingly put shame on their name, it's a big stab in the ego. Leos are never in a good place when they fail, therefore they do anything they can to always end up victorious. otherwise, they won't even compete

embarrassment and humiliation is a big NO

can be quite the drama queen when all worked up about an issue, definitely the type to demonstrate what they're feeling

Hanbin is a frequent gym visitor, which is really good for his Leo mars. that way he can manage his emotions better and calm down his high levels of energy

say hello to !passion!, she loves to be here and boost Hanbin with even more drive for conquering not only his goals, but also his love interests

ultimate hunter award? yeah, you got it

he truly loves to love, spread love, show love, be loved, make love, everything!❤️

big-hearted and very generous, he would share the world with you if he could, or better yet, give it to you🌌

That's it for this goofball🌈 Thank you for reading! I'm really excited to start this series once again (previously done with Monsta X) but now with iKON. Only 6 more members to go!

Hope you're having a lovely day, wherever you are🎈

[timemachinesims]

Sailor Moon Legacy Challenge (Get Famous Rewrite)

Required Packs: City Living, Get to Work, Parenthood, Seasons, Cats and Dogs, Get Famous (Optional: Vampires) (June 2019 Edit - Optional: Island Living) - feel free to adjust if you don’t have these to make something workable.

Unless stated otherwise, assume sim must reach top of their career and complete their aspiration.

Heirs can be selected however the player likes, and don’t have to be biological heirs. Adoption is allowed. You can move the household to different lots throughout challenge. Aging is on. Lifespan normal. Seasons can be whatever, but I like two weeks.

No money or real estate cheats. No unfair mods. Or, you know, do whatever you like and play in a way that’s fun for you. It’s a video game, for pete’s sake.

SUPER BONUS CHALLENGE: have all generations have the SAME CAT who you keep using age-down treats on and refuse to let die

and/or Run a cat legacy while you play - family must always have at least one cat and all cats should be descendants of first cat

GENERATION 1: Sailor V

Optional Colors: Orange, Red, Yellow

 Traits: Romantic, Outgoing, Music Lover 

Career: Detective 

 Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

Other: Cursed to never find love -can never have a boyfriend/girlfriend or get married -can’t have any other sims move in with them either, making them a single working parent -master singing skill (if possible, make this what you’re famous for) -reach video gaming level 5 (BONUS: Win a prize at the Ultimate Gaming Test in GeekCon) OPTIONAL BONUS: have to accept all dates asked on, must date as many sims as possible EXTRA EXTRA HARD OPTIONAL BONUS: if you have a risky woohoo mod, no “try for baby” allowed. If you’re accepting all dates, must woohoo on each date, and no birth control allowed.

GENERATION 2: Sailor Moon

Optional Colors: White, Pink, Dark Blue, Magenta 

Traits: Good, Glutton, Childish

 Career: National Leader (Politics Career, Politician Branch)

 Aspiration: Soulmate

Other: A Miracle Romance -Must unlock Sixam through Rocket Science -Must marry an alien

GENERATION 3: Tuxedo Mask

Optional Colors: Black and White Traits: Kleptomaniac, Loves Cats, Family Oriented Career: Veterinarian - Must have a four star clinic and at least one five star review. (Honestly getting a five star clinic is too hard in this game - I won’t make you do that). I’m saving Doctor for Mercury, so that’s why he’s not that.


Aspiration: Super Parent

Other: Looking for the Silver Crystal  -complete the Crystal Collection -Max out the Mischief skill (primarily through stealing)

HINTS AND TIPS (added August 2019): This generation is a really involved one. I think possibly the hardest. So, some things to help: 1) He has to complete the Super Parent aspiration, but that doesn’t mean that has to be the first aspiration he takes. Even if he immediately changes it, if the first aspiration he takes is a Nature aspiration, he’ll get the “collector” bonus trait, which will help him find rare crystals faster.  2) Endless crystals and minerals spawn on the Scientist career lot. He can join the career and just ignore his work and harvest all day. Don’t worry about getting fired, you can just join the job again. Plus, actually playing the career for the career’s sake is Pluto’s job!  3) The game is on normal lifespan, but there is no rule against (for this or any other generation) using a Potion of Youth from the reward store.  4) Take advantage of lot traits to help him gain skills more quickly. “Peace and Quiet” is especially useful for reading parenting or mischief books (do try to get as much mischief as possible through stealing, though. It’s really fun!) 5) Once your vet clinic reaches four stars, you are under no obligation to keep playing the career. You can walk away and never open the clinic again, or even sell it. You have other goals to accomplish! 6) Given how much of Mercury’s generational goals are in childhood, it’s probably best to save having kids (or at least your heir) until you can put your focus there entirely. 

GENERATION 4: Sailor Mercury

Optional Colors: Blue

 Traits: Genius, Bookworm, Unflirty

 Career: Doctor

 Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Other: Studious to a Fault -can never skip school or play hooky -must always do homework AND extra credit work -must always be careful when making school projects -must always “study hard” while at school -always do the studious thing (if applicable) during schoolday text prompts. -Achieve Good Manners and Responsible reward traits. -complete the Whiz Kid childhood aspiration. 

(Their childhood is gonna suck, but they can lighten up once they become a young adult, though they must reach the top of the Doctor career.)

OPTIONAL HARD VERSION: A Perfect child. Just try to get all the good Parenthood traits, maybe all the scout badges. Max out all toddler skills. EVERYTHING. This is an overachieving child. 

GENERATION 5: Sailor Mars



Optional Colors: Red, Purple

 Traits: Self-Assured, Ambitious, Non-Committal 

Career: (not necessarily in this order, but these are the selections) 1. Critic or Style Influencer 2. Business or Social Media, 3. Secret Agent or Astronaut. This sim may not repeat any of the careers of their ancestors. Careers have to get to high enough level to complete aspiration. CAN try to max out final career as a bonus.


Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Other: Hates Men - Cannot talk to men. (I mean, you won’t get punished if you look away for a second and they’ve done some stuff autonomously, or if the game requires it to advance). If the food stall owner or gardener or whoever is a man, this sim can’t talk to them (other sims in household don’t have this restriction).

An exception MAY be made for 1. any male children

2. if heir is a female sim who is going to have kids and you don’t want to just make a beautiful trans lesbian for her to fall in love with (or make HER a trans lesbian) or adopt (or use a same sex pregnancy mod), then an exception may be made for the subsequent heir’s sperm donor (though she may not marry him and after pregnant must end the relationship, and not amicably).

An exception is NOT made for any male parents of the sim, who this sim doesn’t like. This sim may only talk to male parents to fight with them or perform mean/mischievous interactions and may declare their father(s) their enemy.

- max out the wellness skill - make a BFF in their lifetime

GENERATION 6: Sailor Jupiter

Optional Colors: Green, Pink, Floral Patterns 

Traits: Romantic, Foodie, Neat Career: Gardener in the Floral Designer track

 Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Other: Overcoming Rejection, Living in Domestic Bliss - Sim must be rejected on an “Ask to be Boyfriend” or “Propose” interaction, end the relationship, and find new love. - Max out the Baking skill, Cooking skill, and Gourmet Cooking sell baked goods through a stall or vending machine or other retail mechanic - must throw a wedding event when they get married, bake their own cake, and get a gold rating.

GENERATION 7: Sailor Pluto



Optional Colors: Black, Maroon, dark shades

 Traits: Loner, Perfectionist, Gloomy

 Career: Scientist

 Aspiration: Friend of the Animals

Other: I Always Wanted To Fight By Your Side - Sim can only make one adult friend, but befriend as many children an animals as desired. - Sim must become BFFs with at least one child (can be their own), companions with at least one cat, and then die from something other than old age. - Child must witness death. This does mean you have to work faster to complete aspirations. Game can be manipulated to cause death (build walls around swimming pools or whatever you would like), but use of cheat codes/mods to induce death is not allowed.

GENERATION 8: Sailor Uranus



Optional Colors: Yellow, Navy 

Traits: Active, Goofball, Bro

 Career: Tech Guru (eSport Gamer)

Aspiration: Bodybuilder

Other: Destined Couple - Sim can only have one romance over their life. - Sim must marry their BFF. - Sim must perform at least two romantic interactions with their significant other every day (starting with the dating stage - as soon as they have any kind of commitment).

GENERATION 9: Sailor Neptune



Optional Colors: Teal, Seafoam Green, Blue Traits: Creative, Snob, Art Lover

 Career: Painter (either branch) Aspiration: Musical Genius

Other: Deep Sea Submerge - must have a swimming pool and swim at least once a day - Must max out fishing skill - Must have an aquarium and fill it with sim-caught fish, including at least two rare fish.

SAILOR NEPTURE - ISLAND LIVING EDIT (June 2019 - might edit as I find out more about the pack)

Traits: Replace “Art Lover” with “Child of the Ocean”

Other: Deep Sea Submerge (v2) - must become a mermaid - can only fill hydration need by swimming in the ocean - must max relationship with dolphin 

GENERATION 10: Sailor Saturn

Optional Colors: Purple, Black

 Traits: Squeamish or Vegetarian or Lazy (to replicate her illness), Evil, Cheerful 

Career: Criminal (Oracle Branch) or Master Vampire

Aspiration: Public Enemy

Other: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

-Go to town killing sims, burning down property, destroying everyone’s happiness. The more bodies the better. The more witnessed death the better. The more damaged property the better. - Sim must repent before they die, and retrait themselves into good (using in-game retraiting potion in the rewards store) - Repair at least one damaged relationship - from full red to full green.

GENERATION 11. BONUS ROUND - Sailor Chibi Moon

Optional Colors: Pink

 Traits: Childish, Geek, Player’s Choice 

Career: Player’s Choice

 Aspiration: Player’s Choice (but might I recommend Successful Lineage or Mansion Baron?)

Other: It’s a bright new future in a brand new world. Make the best world possible from the ashes of the past generation.

[knightofbalance-13]

https://queenypie.tumblr.com/post/178782465728/how-not-to-write-yang

Here’s a deal for you: you stop mentioning Miles, I’ll stop doing this.

I decided to watch the last 1/3rd of volume 5 to try and grasp how truly disappointing the finale really was. Needless to say, even burying my expectations, I was shook by how awful it was.

I’ve caught you lying in all your posts on RWBY. You bitching about the finale is more evidence it was good than bad at this point.

With that said, this post will focus on Yang and Build up + Payof

Spoiler alert: They just vomit up what Dudeblade says and never talk about payoff until the final paragraph.

Of all of the characters to suffer from Miles’ Chronic inability to both build something up and have that same thing pay-off-

Between Red Vs. Blue that builds up Church degrading due to being an AI fragment and paying off in the most memorable ending to an arc the series has had, let alone the build with General Kimball being so openly and irrationally hostile to Republic of Chorus and paying off with a deconstruction of how people view each other in conflicts (all of this done BEFORE RWBY mind you)

And Camp Camp where there is a three season long build up of David’s worship of the Camp Camp’s founder and paying off with him having his adoration in the founder crushed alongside having built up Max’s cynicism for two seasons ending with the reveal that his parents never cared about him so he had a very GOOD reason to be cynical.

And Nomad Of Nowehre where there is an entire season f build up with how the Nomad just running and running from everyone only makes his situation worse and makes the people he cares about leave him which pays off with him finally fighting back and defeating both of his major opponents in the first season.-

If that issue even exists which, considering your history of editing out information and lyinbg just to create issues that don’t exist, it may not:

It’s probably KERRY’S issue, not MILES.

You know Kerry, the OTHER guy who writes for RWBY except he’s the DIRECTOR of the show so writing mistakes would be his fault even more so.

Or are you blaming Miles because he’s a widely hated guy for no reason and Kerry would just push you away?

Yang gets it the worst.

No, that would be Jaune. The guy whose built up as an important character with Monty then gets sidelined for Volume 3, has all his development funneled into Ruby in Volume 4 and gets less screentime, less lines and less focus than ILLA in Volume 5.

Huh, Miles also hates writing Jaune, mostly because you people won’t stop harassing him.

Funny how that works.

Ruby usually doesn’t get anything period, with the exception of the Silver Eyes which had basically two lines of introduction in volume 1 and have had two separate pay offs.

Which are....what exactly? Oh right, clarification is your kryptonite because making things vague makes it harder to disprove.

Weiss has had a family arc with good build up and a weak sauce pay off (but it was something).

How do you have a payoff for an ONGOING arc?

Blake has awful build up, because the white fang are a singularity point of failure, and even worse pay off, but she at least both.

And you completely failed at it so it’s more like RWDE’s the singular point of failure.

After going through an arc where the show tells Yang she’s incompetent -you be the judge on whether that’s accurate or insultingly wrong- 

Being FLAWED does not make one INCOMPETENT. You can be competent AND flawed at the same damn time.

For fuck’s sake, come back when the show treats the idea of Yang fighting as a joke like it does Jaune.

for using her rage ability and losing to people with far greater experience, you’d think the show would have the decency to at least have her refight those same people and get back at them.

Because it’s not like one of those character is gone (Neo), one of them has no way to even meet Yang again (Neon), one of them is the villain of a DIFFERENT CHARACTER (Adam) or that she HAS fought them, it just wasn’t focused on (Mercury).

But no, Yang has only thus far had a chance to fight Mercury again, and most of that was off screen before she just had to run to the plot.

Not like Raven is more important, more substantial and more emotional to Yang than Mercury and thus having THEM have a conflict is just better writing-Oh wait...

Also, Mercury doesn’t fit that critera. Yang won against him. A thrown fight yeah but your critera doesn’t fit. If you’re gonna be anal about this, so will I.

No rematch with Neo, Adam is no longer worth a rematch, and neither is Mercury after getting headbutted.

because durr pacing, what is that?

After being beat down by every villain like she’s the town bike

She lost twice, get over it. Fucking Weiss, Blake and Ruby have had a worse track records, let alone Jaune.

having her arm sliced off and having PTSD from the event

*points to the rest of the cast* They all have PTSD too. 

and having a best friend leave her and sending Yang to her lowest point

Really the only thing unique here is Yang losing an arm. And uh, according to RWDE standards: That’s nothing special.

what’s the payoff?

Nothing like what you’re gonna say next?

Yang gets insulted by her dad and told a tone-deaf story from Oobleck and Port and then just gets over her current funk.

A. So we’re gonna ignore how she acted in the Volume 3 finale being depressed and junk? You know, THE ACTUAL PAYOFF?

B. ‘tone-deaf’ says the person overlooking how Yang tries to talk down to her twice widowoed, numerous abandoned father about loss.

C. So we’re gonna ignore how she acts in Volume 4 Episode 9?

Oh, D. So jokes are serious now? okay, I’ll remember that when you joke about killing Miles.

Yang puts on the robot arm and the whole hesitancy to use it just vanishes. 

Because durr, I no understand basic human psychology like fear of change.

Yang spars with Tai and gets told to keep a cooler head. This alone lets her fight on par with villains who previously acted like she was leagues below them, despite now having trained barely any after a long period of doing nothing.

Because it’s not like the reason WHY Yang lost those TWO times was because of her anger issues aznd that was what was holding her?

because solving your issues...doesn’t solve your issues...

Or maybe you’re a liar.

Yang gets her arm sliced off by Adam, and not only does she not fight him, Blake manages to take Adam out with a move that he should be well aware of given their interaction in V3, and a smack to the back of the noggin.

Because not like Adam is not only BLAKE’S villain but Adam kind of reflects Yang so he has similar issues.

Also what about their interactions would show he expected that? That time where he fell for the EXACT SAME TRICK?

Pick just one of these four and with a little brain power you could come with an idea that has infinitely better payoff.

Self destruct in 3...2...1-

How about Tai give Yang a motivation speech

You mean what happened in canon no less than TWO times?

or Port give an actually heartfelt story,

You mean what he did in canon?

or Yang struggling to get used to the arm before doing crazy tricks in volume 5

You mean ignore all the training she did in Volume 4? The MONTHS of training?

or Yang running off to confront Adam before jumping in to help Ruby and Co like Blake does?

You mean leave someone, probably her sister, to fight the trained killer while she goes off into the courtyard to fight someone she didn’t know was there and get dogpiled and probably killed all WITHOUT the excuses Blake had (like not knowing about Ruby and the others as well as focusing on stopping Adam long with OUTNUMBERING him?)

Anytime you build up suspense for anything, it needs to have a pay-off.

You’re right but the thing is-

You completely ignore anything that makes RWBY function. As shown above, you listed two things that ALREADY HAPPENED and another two that would have contradicted the writing already, one of which would require Fairy Tail levels of plot armor to survive.

So why should anyone listen to you?

Look at the Karate Kid: the main character gets his ass kicked, gets trained by a martial artist, and then comes back to defeat the people who wronged him.

Yeah and if this happened in RWBY, you’d ask ‘why didn’t he fight the guy who wronged him?’ It’s not the writer’s fault you ignore facts.

There’s a problem, there’s build-up to a solution, and then there’s the pay-off. Yang in this situation would be Daniel if he got beaten up, trained my Mr. Miyagi, and then just went off to study abroad.

Except this is more like you watched the Karate Kid and then walked out of the theater half way through the movie and complained that it didn’t happen.

You say you’re gonna make more of these but what’s the point? We have enough liars to make another Senate and all you’re doing is vomiting up what Dudeblade has said.

You have no point in making these. There is no way anyone will listen to you aside from people who already agree with you and they can just listen to other people for that. Unless you’re doing this to try and control people but again, you’re just another brick in the wall. 

[supernerdflashh-blog]

Bohemian Rhapsody

Now we get to Bohemian Rhapsody. I fucking love this flick. This movie made me cry so hard. I love it. But even my own experience besides this movie is pretty awesome. Not perfect but pretty darn good.

The Pros:

Let's start with the big guns: Rami Malek. He makes this movie through his performance as Freddie Mercury. He kills every scene he is in. Witch is basicly every one. It should be mentioned that I can review the performance (based on her accuracy) just to a certain degree. While his on stage Freddie is 100% accurate and you feel like seeing the real Freddie perform, I can say about the not on stage performance that it is still so good. It is really astonishing and it felt like a real person. Also I think personally that Malek looks like Freddie in this movie (just a little skinnier). Every other actor in the movie where great as well. Some of them evan looked more accurate as Malek. But no one can reach Malek in this movie. He portrays Freddie just great and I love it. Also the LGBT Community aspect of his performance is well done. As well as the howl acknowledgement of the LGBT Community in the movie. When Freddie slowly learned and accepted that he was Bisexual you could feel how painful it was for him to tell it Merry. And the general confusion and excitement he had while slowly discovering the Community for himself. Also when he meets Jim Hutton there interactions feel natural and not forced at all. A lot of people also say that Freddie's life isn't portrayed good enough. For me this is not the case. The general public don't really know that much about Freddie's private life except that he was a partyanimal. And this is clearly shown in this movie. He is partying hard and really active with drugs and booze. All in all I think this is the Freddie most people see when they here the name. But when they here the name Freddie Mercury or Queen the first thing people think about is the music. And man is it used excellent here. While some people see showing the brief creation of some songs as not enough, I think it is perfect. You see a lot of them and just great. Also the concert sequences are phenomenal (especially the finally). And this is also while you have to watch it in I-Max. This movie is to be experienced with the best sound system there is in a cine near you. Then watching the movie will be an experience for itself. Also the great visuals are helping the experience. While I'm probably alone with this opinion I think the visuals helping this movie quite a bit and fit really well. While not on a Zac Snyder level they are good.

While the movie is mostly great I can't ignore there are some downers.

The Cons:

While I think Freddie and the band are good represented as characters there story, while beautiful in the movie, isn't really true. A lot of things are changed or made up for dramatic purposes. And yes the story feels very cinematic but I can understand while people are bothered by it. But for myself i think it's okay. I get why they wanted to end the movie where they did and for that matter they head to change things up. So they could acknowledge certain things that are important for the characters. But when we talk about characters there is a clarification we have to make. This movie was called a Queen Biopic by a lot of people it isn't. It's a Freddie Mercury one. Don't get me wrong the other members are very important for the story but the most focus lies on Freddie. So yeah don't go in the movie expecting big focus on Brian May or one of the other Queen members. They are needed but supporting cast.

So u see the negative things aren't really as bad for me. I really love this movie. It's really beautiful and the Freddie performance is just great. All the music by Queen used in this movie fits so well and can just say go watch it!

9/10

[skittering-roach]

Anytime I've ever RP’d Bart Allen I always end up really wanting to somehow write about him actually talking about the events of ‘Graduation Day' and the death of Omen with someone. That was something I kept waiting for and waiting for from the comics, and we got literally everyone else saying their peace about it and how it affected them, but not Bart. 

And he was the only one there that was fast enough to even have a chance of saving Omen. But for the first time in his life, he froze instead of acting on impulse and someone died because of it. And they just never go in to how that affects him (I don’t even think I’ve really seen it brought up by other fans much, though that might be because ‘Graduation Day’ is harder to find and seems to be mostly hated). 

And, like, I don't care what Dick says about him not being fast enough to get to her, he has no idea how fast Bart actually is, and even if he wouldn’t have been fast enough to save her, I think the fact that he couldn't get himself to move when someone needed him, would haunt him forever. 

I headcanon that he still blames himself for her death, and that he was one of the few people that went to her funeral. That for a while he dug through all the history he could find on her because he felt guilty that he didn’t know anything about her. And I like to think that she’s part of the real reason Bart gave up being Impulse, because Impulse let Max and Lilith die (I still think it would have been more in character for him to become Mercury or Kid Mercury, but that’s nitpicking). And man I just really want to write Bart admitting that to someone, and talking to them about feeling even more lost because most of the people he would normally have talked that out with were gone, dead, busy, or had pushed him away (and the fact that the remaining Young Justice members just kind of shoved him away, ignored him, or started avoided him after ‘GD’ is something else I really want to have him confront them about).

And I know, I know, I should just write a fan fic or something, but frankly, I don’t have the attention span to sit down and write a fic by myself, and even if I did I know I couldn’t write for whatever other characters he might be interacting with.

So I just really want to be able to RP that one day. It’s on my long list of RP goals.  

[strawberrycowgirl]

Camp Camp RWBY AU

Not sure if this has been done yet but if it hasn’t, I’m doing it

-Alright so obviously team RWBY would be Max, Neil, and Nikki

-Teams would probably only have three people since that just works better with the number of campers

-Max would be Ruby but the complete opposite of her

-He would probably just agree to saving the world because he has nothing better to do

-neil: what’s your semblance? // max: sarcasm // neil: really? // max: lol no *sprints away*

-Neil is Blake only because he could pull off the angsty vibe the best

-Also I don’t think Faunus would really be a thing since I can’t particularly see any of the characters as animals (maybe Nikki but idk)

-Nikki would definitely be Yang and tell puns every two seconds (which annoys Max but he later learns to enjoy them)

-Max has silver eyes

-Neil runs away at the end of volume three because he’s feeling particularly angsty

-Nikki loses her arm at the end of volume 3 just like Yang but instead of being depressed Nikki is super pumped and only gets more pumped when the robotic arm comes in

-David is Professor Ozpin but a super fun version of Professor Ozpin

-David’s team names never really sound like an actual word but he desperately tries to convince the students that they are

-david: team moon // max: you mean MNN // david: let me have this max

-Gwen is Glynda Goodwitch (that’s it she just IS glynda)

-Team JNPR would be Harrison, Nerris, and Preston

-Harrison and Nerris would be Jaune and Pyrrha

-Except instead of Nerris helping Harrison she would just make fun of him all the time

-harrison: *drops sword* // nerris: you suck harrison

-Preston would probably just third wheel the whole time and silently ship them because obviously there’s some attraction there underneath all the insults

-Also feel like I should mention that all the campers are teenagers in this AU

-Everyone thinks Nerris dies at the end of volume 3 (max claims that he saw her die and everything) but she actually just played dead and than ran

-In volume 4 Max teams up with Harrison and Preston and they go on their quest and Nerris just follows them and internally makes fun of them

-When they’re fighting the big monster at the end Nerris finally shows up and saves their butts

-harrison: i thought you died // nerris: you still suck

-Oh yeah, Harrison and Nerris kiss before Nerris “dies”

-Erid, Nurf, and Dolph would alternate between CRDL (but they’re nicer) and CFVY

-Who other than Erid could pull off Coco Adel?

-Space Kid is a less coordinated version of Penny

-Instead of his robotic state being revealed to the public through a brutal death he would just get a little scratch and freak out (freaking out is what ultimately made the situation worse)

-Space Kid would have joined Max, Harrison, and Preston but he had to tend to the scratch and was told to keep a low profile until the whole robot thing blows over

-Of course he teams up with them eventually anyway (probably after they find Nerris)

-If anyone had to be team SSSN it would be the flowerscouts but they would be a lot less nice than SSSN

-And the blonde one would most certainly flirt with Neil (much to her teammates dismay)

-Pikeman would be Cinder but a much cringier version

-Billy/Snake would be Emerald

-Petrol would be Mercury (but with real legs i guess)

-Daniel would be Roman Torchwick

-Daniel and David actually have a few interactions

-In fact, instead of Daniel dying like Roman did, David just recruits him and tries to make him a better person

-Plot twist: Cameron Campbell is Salem (i literally don’t know who else could be her lol)

-In case you haven’t noticed, no one really dies in this AU so it’s more like a Pure RWBY AU

-Jasper is Oscar btw (but he’s alive maybe don’t worry)

If anyone would like to add they can (it would actually be appreciated)

Sorry if this is super messy but I hope you get the idea

[ketzwrites]

Review for 2.13: Those of Demon Blood

Let me start this review by saying this is in my honest opinion the best episode Shadowhunters has presented us so far. It has the strongest narrative and it has the best distribution of screen time between the main seven characters and the supporting cast. The episode is all about racial discrimination and it does not shy away from talking about real world issues like police brutality, anti-semitism, and corruption. This is the kind of quality content I want from my teen fantasy show.

We get back to the Inquisitor’s promise of showing Jace what it means to be a Herondale as she makes him Head of the Institute, despite Jace himself appointing Alec as the best suited for the position. There is not much time for discussion, however, when shadowhunters are being killed by downworlders and having their runes taken away. The first victim was attacked by a werewolf, which prompts the Inquisitor into calling Luke in for questioning.

Meanwhile, Max Lightwood makes a comeback now that he has graduated Shadowhunter School and Izzy is the one in charge of training him. Lightwood siblings scenes are always a highlight of the show and the exchanges between Izzy and Max are no exception. Unfortunately for Max, though, Izzy tells him to stay at the Institute as she investigates the murders.

Upon being flat out accused, Luke suggests a DNA test to prove his innocence and is unsurprisingly cleared of all charges. The shadowhunters, then, decide to go to their downworlder friends and ask them for DNA samples with the intent of clearing them from the murders. This decision sets up three different dynamics: Alec and Magnus; Clary and Simon; and later on, Izzy and Raphael.

Alec and Magnus: Alec goes to Magnus’ loft, just to find Magnus wearing his most daring look yet. He claims the extravagance comes from boredom and is especially affectionate towards Alec, which raises some red flags after the last events. Magnus assures Alec he is fine and thus starts a masterfully acted scene where Alec asks for Magnus’ hair. If it is uncomfortable for Alec to ask, it is even more so for the viewer to see to see how rightfully angry Magnus gets, claiming he wasn’t aware there was anything he had to be cleared of. Magnus asks Alec why he was back to following orders instead of his gut, to which Alec responds that all he is asking is for a strand of hair and not something dramatic. Magnus ultimately complies, but then tells Alec to get out of the apartment. Both of them are visibly upset.

Clary and Simon: Clary explains to Simon that the DNA sample was Luke’s idea as Simon seems reluctant. The vampire then tells Clary about his grandmother Helen, who was the sole survivor of his family after the nazis invaded Polony. Simon draws a comparison between what Clary is asking and what it was inflicted on the Jews and says this is why he refuses to comply. Clary, who had no idea, apologizes and seems to reconsider the entire situation. When she is on her way back to the Institute, Clary is attacked by whoever is killing the shadowhunters but Simon saves her.

At this point, the Clave is pulling out the big guns. Inquisitor Herondale informs Jace he is to put a tracking device on all downworlders, saying that, just like shadowhunter can be tracked by their runes, so should the downworlder’s whereabouts be known at all times. The scene is played in the classic angel and devil on Jace’s shoulders, with Alec being immediately and vocally against the order and highlighting how wrong it is. He is following Magnus’ advice to trust his gut and he firmly draws the line there. The Inquisitor, however, wins when Jace decides to go with her plan. He is visibly torn between what he thinks is right and pleasing his new found family. As Maia explains in a later scene, that is making him lose his way.

Jace then goes back to the Hunter’s Moon and tells Maia about the GPS implants. She is not amused, especially when Jace reproduces the Inquisitor’s justification. The confrontation quickly escalates to a fight, in which Maia ends up with a chip at the back of her neck. Luke stops the fights and tells Jace that his actions will only start a war between the shadowhunters and the downworlders.

Both Simon and Maia end up arrested, the first for refusing to leave while Clary recovered from being attacked and the second for being accused of killing a shadowhunter after being found walking near his place of death. Clary confronts Jace on his passiveness and she is not having his lame excuse of “there are no easy choices”. She also does not stand for Maia’s arrest and we are graced with yet another iconic line from Maia: “I’ve been stopped by cops for no other reason than being black, but I thought the shadowhunters were more evolved than that.”

It is only after the Inquisitor is gone that Jace starts to listen to reason. He and Clary release Maia and Simon, and Jace uses his Herondale privileges to give his position to Alec. As the official Head of the Institute, Alec’s first order is to cease the chipping of downworlders immediately.

As we reach the last third of the episode, the last of the three shadowhunter-downworlder dynamic previously mentioned takes place:

Izzy and Raphael: Izzy meets with Raphael outside of the Hotel DuMort and starts out by assuring him neither her nor Simon would ever hurt Rosa. Raphael has no time for apologies (which is the very first he ever got in the show, not that anyone is counting) and cuts to the chase: his clan is not following the Clave’s discriminatory policies. Izzy immediately agrees and asks for his help to find the murderer. Raphael says it is not a vampire and tells Izzy about a time before the Accords when shadowhunters would hunt down downworlders and keep their body parts as trophies after killing them. He also tells Izzy there was a Seelie Knight that wanted to do the same to shadowhunters a few decades ago. Meliorn.

They join forces and go after Meliorn, only to find out Max has been following them. Izzy tells Max to hide and when Raphael and she find another body and Meliorn, they are ready to attack. Meliorn tells them he is not the killer and Izzy believes him (“Seelies can’t lie and I believe you”). The three go back for Max, but he is gone, taken by the killer.

We find Max being dragged through the killer lair and find out it was Kaelie who has been behind the murders, as a retribution for losing her brother on the night of Valentine’s massacre. It is somewhat an underwhelming revelation because, you know, in the immortal words of Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine): “Cool motive, still murder.” Raphael and Meliorn fight Kaelie and Izzy kills her, but there is some indication that there is more to this story than meets the eyes when the Lightwood trio discusses Kaelie’s methods.

Aside from the main plotline, we got to see individual character arcs developing. After Alec’s visit, Magnus calls Dot and they discuss the new shadowhunter policy and warlock love over some drinks. We find out that not only Magnus and Dot have known each other for quite some time, they were together for a while at some point (more importantly, we find out Magnus is just like everyone else and had a crush on Freddie Mercury). It has been some time since we last saw Magnus with a friend of his own and it is great to be privy to his personal life outside of the shadowhunter extravaganza. The warlocks also perform a lively and literally magical dancing number (choreographed by Harry Shum Jr.) that ends up with Dot making a move and Magnus refusing her, saying he is in love with Alec and that he “has always been a one soul at a time kind of guy”.

One minute of silence for the cheating biphobic stereotype murdered by this scene. You won’t be missed.

Simon is still struggling with being a Daylighter and he finds himself in an even more complicated situation: vampires from Raphael’s clan want to follow him. Apparently, there has been prophesied that a great leader would show up and they think Simon is the guy. He refuses them, preferring to focus on his somewhat normal life as a music major in a relationship. At the end of the episode, Simon performs a sweet number with the support of Clary to a full house and the scene sets a hopeful tone to an otherwise heavy episode.

Lastly, Jace and Maia, who had a rocky start and have since been developing a snarky kind of friendship, share a few charming scenes throughout the episode. With the exception of the scene where Jace comes into her bar to chip every downworlder present, that is. Aside from that little number, we see their increasing chemistry spiral up when they presumably hook up at the very last scene of the episode, after Jace takes the chip off of Maia’s neck. It means nothing, according to Maia, but that is the second WOC in charge of her own sexuality on my screen under forty minutes, so it certainly means the world.

Personal Notes

Luke and Simon’s talk was awkward to witness and not in a fun way. There is a little hint there about Simon possibly losing control over his bloodlust while being intimate with Clary, so I hope that pays off. I usually love their interactions but something about this one didn’t quite sell it for me.

I may not like the Inquisitor but her scene talking about the Herondales was very touching. It is nice to get to know more about Jace’s real parents and see him learning about his heritage under a positive light for a change.

Alec pointing out that the Clave wouldn’t give him the position of Head was the perfect way to showcase how the Clave’s bigotry doesn’t only affect downworlders in a vacuum: Alec is in a m|m relationship with a downworlder, which makes him twice as undeserving. It is not only a matter of homophobia, it is also racism playing in the mix.

Clary: “So the Herondales are what? Like the Kennedys of the Shadow World?” Alec: “They are an old shadowhunter family, like the Lightwoods.” Izzy: “But we are the Kennedys.” Izzy, please never change.

“I’m not alone, I’m here with you. The High Warlock of Brooklyn.”