#manager tai who does NOT want to be there

[its3amandiamverytired]

been blessed with the vision of line-cook!shauna and waitress!jackie and now i cant let it go

[kissporsche]

anon, I am so sorry, I tried to publish this but tumblr ate the post AND the ask 🙃 so I hope you see this!

okay okay so. I tried to answer this ask so many times but I kept getting stuck because my brain wouldn't work unless it was part of An AU. so obviously I drafted in @lu-sn to help, assume anything good or fun or clever in this response was her doing

Here's what we got: post-canon, the outbreak starts slow. Infections are just freak accidents at first, but eventually there's so many it starts to cause panic. The compound is well protected and well-stocked with both resources and weapons, so they hide out for as long as they can, essentially locking down the place, but not before consolidating their assets: Vegas, Pete and Macau are brought in for their own protection.

Eventually, it becomes clear that the situation is only getting worse, and the only viable option is to get out of Bangkok while they still can. Korn, the pragmatic forward thinker, already has an Escape The City plan in place, which he triggers just as zombies are breaching the walls. He calls helicopters in to get everyone to safety, and during the chaos of the evacuation ends up killed. If anyone saw Namphueng push him into the horde, they don't mention it.

They're deposited somewhere far from the city, presumably a safehouse with a lot of land around it, and have to try and figure out how to survive not only the zombies, but living with each other for the foreseeable future. The priorities are self-sufficiency and protection, and not killing each other before the zombies do.

Kinn and Vegas make a surprisingly good team on the logistics side of things, Kinn has the loyalty of his men and a good head for large scale organisation, whereas Vegas has much more experience working on the ground level of business, making sure everything is running smoothly and efficiently. There's definitely a learning curve, and a lot of this survivalist stuff is very much out of their sphere of knowledge, so-

Porsche and Pete are invaluable when it comes to the day-to-day. Coming from lower income backgrounds, they have so much more to offer in terms of practical knowledge, how to make food stretch longer, mend clothes, get enough nutrients from limited supplies etc. We saw in episode 6 that Porsche has some legitimate survival skills, so I think those are essential things he can bring to the table and teach to others.

Basically everyone is a good shot and can play their part in protecting their little commune, but it's frequently Porsche, Pete and Kim who leave in search of resources, information and survivors. There's much less hierarchy between family and guards now, there can't be when everyone needs to work together to have a hope of survival, but Kinn is still the de facto leader and Vegas is still recovering from his injuries, so these three end up as the primary scout team.

Kim needs to learn to rely on other people most of all. At the beginning he would disappear for days at a time, take too many risks, and although his kill count was ten times anyone else's he would come back to a hysterical Tankhun, disappointed Kinn and quiet, withdrawn Chay. After that he stopped going out alone.

Lu came up with the galaxy brain take that Tankhun might cope surprisingly well with the apocalypse, the violence of mindless creatures being much easier to conceive of than the deliberate, cruel violence of humans. It's freeing, in a way, to know there's no malice behind the ongoing threat. Despite being the least suited to this kind of life he takes Chay and Macau under his wing, and the levity he brings is as valuable as his perceptive wisdom.

Okay uh this got away from me a bit and has sort of become a fic premise/outline but I hope it still answered your question?!

[elegantjellyfishwerewolf]

Kung fu Panda headcanon:

Don't take this post too seriously. It's just my "what if" fantasy (in this post, the fourth part is not taken into account).

I think that the spirit world is much bigger than we were shown in the third part. I believe that absolutely all souls get there, not just kung fu masters. Because Kai got into the spirit world before Ugway invented kung fu.

So, I think that the spirit world is divided into several levels.

The first level is "up": This is the location where Po meets Ugway at the end of the third film. Only those souls who have been able to find inner peace get there.

The second level is the "middle": This is the location where Po defeated Kai. Only thouse souls who could not find inner peace, but who were good people during their lifetime.

The third level is "purgatory": Tai Lung gets here at the end of the first film. Those who managed to make mistakes during their lifetime go there, but these mistakes are not so terrible as to send the soul to the lowest level.

Fourth level "Hell": The souls of sinners who committed terrible deeds during their lifetime come here. I think that's where Shen is now.

Souls can move from the upper to the lower levels whenever they want. For example, souls from the middle level can descend into purgatory and even lower. But the soul cannot just rise to a higher level. To do this, the soul needs to be "cleansed". So, for example, a soul from purgatory will be able to rise to the middle and then to the upper level. But it is also possible to rise to a higher level if you absorb enough chi. That's exactly what Kai did, when he collected enough chi from purgatory, it allowed him to get to the middle level. After that, he was able to collect chi masters from two levels at once. However, his fight with Tai Lung took too long, as the leopard turned out to be a serious opponent, which is why Kai was able to get to Ugway only at the beginning of the third film.

By the way, Kai did not fight with Shen because he was afraid to go down to the lowest level straight to hell. This explains why Kai doesn't have a peacock pendant, but he does have a leopard pendant.

Once again, this is just a theory and concept of how I see the spiritual world in the KFP universe. Don't take it too seriously.

(Has anyone been able to make out Shen's silhouette on the lower level?)

[remember-digimon]

Good ol' reliable Joe!

When I first watched Digimon back in the 2000s, Joe was the character I related to the least. Now, as a big grown up in my late 30s, I finally understand what Joe is all about.

At first glance, Joe is anxiety incarnate. In the dub, he gets the 'nerd' trope that Izzy avoided for the most part. Joe is always allergic to things, worried about the slightest danger, and constantly trying to be the voice of reason. His 'voice of reason' however is more 'voice of general complaints and worry.'

If I recall correctly, in the original Japanese, Joe is like this because he's the oldest, at 12 years old. He feels it's his responsibility to make sure everyone is safe since he's the upperclassmen in this situation. In the dub, he's just a worrywort.

Joe takes on responsibility that he could easily delegate to other kids. In the episode where Gomamon evolves into Ikkakumon, Joe tries to break up an argument between Tai and Matt about climbing a mountain, only managing to get drawn into the argument himself. Later, he decides that he should climb up the mountain on his own as a compromise. He doesn't even bring Gomamon with him; Gomamon tags along anyway, of course, but initially Joe intended to go by himself.

He shows initiative, that's for sure. At least when the pressure is on. Others have noted that Tai, Sora, and Joe are the action-takers while Matt and Izzy act more defensively with Mimi, Tk, and later, Kari in mind. I like this thought, especially for Joe. He is often stumbling into danger out of his need to be the 'adult' of the group, feeling responsible for everyone's safety.

One thing we should discuss is his crest. I want to go more in depth on the crests on a different post, but here I think we need to talk about Joe's crest being changed for the dub. Originally it was the crest of faith.

Honestly, I do think reliability fits Joe a lot better. It is awkward for that to be a trait of a child (Remember, their crests were developed back during the original Digimon Adventure OVA, when Greymon fights Parrotmon). But I do think he exemplifies being reliable, because it's the right thing to do.

Conversely, Joe doesn't really expect others to help him. He wants to be relied on, but doesn't want to rely on others. He saves TK from drowning in the bay without thinking of his own safety.

Joe is also the studious member of the group. At one point, while they're temporarily back in Odaiba, Joe takes a practice test and fails it. This causes him a lot of anxiety. It feeds into the situation at home, which is another point I'll get into shortly.

In Our War Game, Joe is unreachable because he's taking an entrance exam. He's in a panic the whole time, showing how important it is that he does well. No doubt he's one of those cram school kids.

As for his family, we do meet his older brother Jim, but not his parents. In fact, Joe's parents are the only ones we don't meet out of the original 8. We do hear a lot about his dad, though, who has high expectations of his sons. Mr Kido wants both of his sons to be doctors like him, and on his terms, too. Jim says he wants to go to less developed countries to practice medicine, and that their father doesn't approve.

Jim also doesn't seem to have much faith in Joe becoming a doctor due to his high anxiety, and the fact that he faints at the sight of blood. Joe seems apprehensive about it himself, even though he does eventually go into med school and become a doctor.

To me, Joe's story is one of perseverance. When he's working off his debt in the diner, he fully expects to work there until it's paid off and is genuinely surprised that Matt would offer to help. When his test scores fall, he resolves to work harder. Even though he doesn't like the idea much at first he does eventually become a doctor. I can see how the original script would give him the crest of faith with all that in mind, but I still think reliability fits him better. He doesn't just have faith that things will work out, he's proactive in making sure they work out. Even if he's a little clumsy about it.

[poorlittlegreenie13]

I NEED to know how Van handled Tai marrying Simone. Did Tai call to tell her?? Was she happy for a second to see Taissa's name lighting up her phone? Did she think, just for a second, that Tai actually wanted to speak to her? Actually wanted to see her? Or did Did Shauna tell her, or someone else all together?? Did she read about it in a newspaper?? Does she have a google alert set up for Tai's name?? Did she see it totally by surprise, going about her day, until she read the news and broke down?? No matter the circumstances, it must've caught her off guard how absolutely fucking terrible it made her feel, right? She must've crumpled to pieces in an empty video store, barely managing to flip the sign to 'closed' before she stumbled upstairs and landed in her bed so she could just cry and sleep and cry and sleep for days. Did she get drunk? Did she think about calling Natalie for something stronger? Did she think about crashing the wedding in a suit and objecting? Did she have drunken fantasies of whisking Taissa away to New York City and taking her on a carriage ride through midtown?? Did she almost smile imagining it until reality came crashing back down on top of her?? Is that when she fully cut herself off from the others? Is that when she gave up on getting Tai back? Stopped thinking of her and Tai as 'us' and started thinking of Taissa as something she actually, irrevocably lost? Did she scour the internet for wedding pictures? Did she masochistically beg Shauna to send her updates throughout the entire ceremony? All of Taissa's vows, what she was wearing, what song they danced to? Did she think about running straight into the first forest she could find, into woods deep enough that she couldn't hear the cars on the highway or see the glint of streetlights behind her? To a place where pain made sense and life was simple? Did she wish she could go back to the second floor of that cabin, sleep with Taissa's wrist tied to hers, shivering in the frigid cold of the worst winter she's ever lived through? I NEED TO KNOW. Did anybody come looking for her? Maybe one of the baby gays she took under her wing who noticed the store had been closed for weeks? Did Shauna call her? Or did she just lay there feeling sorry for herself until she realized nothing was going to change? Did she watch as Taissa's first anniversary passed, then her second, then her third. Did she watch Taissa's son make headlines in the backs of local newspapers? Wilderness survivor turned politician welcomes first child with lauded doctor of comparative literature. Did she buy political magazines that interviewed Taissa, rereading brief soundbites about Simone being the love of her life, the reason she gets up in the morning? Did she watch campaign adds with Simone and Taissa smiling into the camera together?? Did it ever stop hurting??? (Obviously it didn't). BUT I NEED TO KNOW.

[zoetiger-1106]

The Chameleon is actually a really complex character and here's why.

Disclaimer: This post will contain kfp 4 spoilers as well as include info from interviews and the animation featurette and I will be analyzing the movie pretending that everything had deeper thought put into it even tho it's most likely not the case sometimes

For those who haven't seen it, have the absolute criminal offense that screwed with the story telling of this movie because it is important context.

Now that we have that whole thing out of the way, let me explain to you how the Chameleon's character is shown through more subtle things instead of just very in your face exposition/ storytelling.

1) Cammy's insecurities

The first time she was in on screen, Cammy was established as being in charge of Juniper City via commanding the local crime lords. She is hidden among them for the first part of their conversation, where she observes them badmouth her before she reveals herself, but even before the reveal, we get hints to her being there via the line "You forgot the shape-shifting sorceress part" that she throws into the conversation after the bear crime lord insulted her appearance.

Despite showing herself as in control and well put together, her need to interject hints at the fact that she does still have some underlying insecurities regarding her true form.

That insecure aspect of her character is further proven by her summoning Tai Lung first (I'll get to that later) and a statement from Viola Davis where she talked about how she did the character voice for Cammy

The underlying implication that she has internalized when masters told her she was "too small, too lowly and that kung fu wasn't [her] destiny" is proven even more when you take into consideration that she exclusively transforms into species that are larger and more physically powerful than her.

She literally says: "I grew, I excelled, and I got everything I had ever dreamed of." Everything BUT kung fu. The one thing she wanted to do from the very beginning. So, with that context, the "dream" she got fulfilled to a degree was the power. Conventional, physical power.

People have told her kung fu wasn't "her destiny" so she decided to take matters into her own hands and do what she believed to get her to where she wanted to.

To quote the Stephanie Ma Stine, the director who actually cared about her: "Because she has this anger that's been build up from always being invisible to everyone else, her transformation process actually reflects her anger."

All those years of being over looked and seen as less than had such an impact on her that it consumes ever part of her being. That lizard needs a hug and therapy, your honor.

As I said, I wanted to get into why she summoned Tai Lung first (chill I know this was not actually as thought out as I am interpreting it to be but hear me out.)

Tai Lung is everything she isn't and couldn't have been.

He is tall and conventionally powerful. Even if you knew nothing about his character, you could take a look at him and know that man is strong. On top of that, he had received formal training at a renowned school by a renowned master. Taking his kung fu first and foremost is not only the fulfillment of a wish she's had her whole life but also a power move on it's own; while not able to do kung fu Cammy still managed to beat someone who was what the schools she had gone to all those years ago would have considered the ideal student.

Also can we acknowledge how the water dragons (those are not komodo dragons idc how often it's stated) clap for her after she's done with Tai? Show of hands from all the mentally ill people who'd get their henchmen to clap for them too because they desperately need praise 🙋

Similar can be said for how she makes the people of Juniper City bow before her when she is paraded around; it makes her feel powerful.

Lastly I'd like to point out that her line of "Third rule of the streets? [...] Some would say it's the most important. Noone is interested in your feelings." Is probably something she got from people not caring about her feelings back in the day when she tried to pursue her passion.

2) Cammy's knowledge & skill

"Those bonds (the cages) are enchanted with some very old and very powerful magic. You'd need at least 10 Dragon Warrior's to get through them". Not only can she create such strong (presumably) chi based bonds but she can make them in batches and with ease. Between the scene of her accepting tributes from the crime lords of the city and Po's vision about her plan we can see her enchant multiple cages at once.

Not only that but she knows advanced chi techniques as well as how to open portals to the Spirit Realm. That is not easy information to come by Cammy has been researching chi in general for god knows how many years.

I don't know if I have said this on this blog before but her not being redeemed is such a wast because she could have not only helped Po further his mastery in chi but also aid in replacing a lot of the scrolls in the JP since she is knowledgeable on history and the history of kung fu and master too.

You honor that lizard is a nerd and deserves to geek out with Po.

I'd also like to point out that not only is she able to shape shift but do it incredibly swiftly. She can be seen switching forms in a matter of seconds even mid combat. Not only that but she has so much control off her body that she was able to create that dragon from of hers by transforming parts of her into different beings with little to no effort. That forms for incredibly stable too; she only transformed out of it to change her strategy.

Her incredible amount of control over her body funnily enough also shown by her 3d model alone. As stated by Sean Sexton the head of character animation "The Chameleon had 8130 controls. You could move every single part of that character [...]"

Lastly, I need to talk about how she genuinely is like Po.

I've seen people say that she can't do anything on her own because she just steals people's kung fu when no. No that is not the case. After having stolen enough master's kung fu to have a wide knowledge of the craft she was able to mimic and adapt to Po's style without having to steal anything from him. If she wouldn't have been given the opportunity to learn kung fu she would have become like Po and been able to master techniques based on simply observing them.

TLDR: Cammy is a great character this fandom is just horrible to female villains

[johntayjinf]

take me on

rrthiel - athletic (ym2151 + ymz280b)

i was inspired so i wrote a vocal mix! ack

for anyone who wants the commentary:

the pain of vocal production on a tracker with simple detuning controls

no, genuinely i can't tell you how frustrating the vocals were to tune; first i set the entire project to 435hz (440 is the default tuning that every single daw in existence uses), but the consequence of that is that it also lightly detuned every single sample, making timing very difficult to manage. i felt like the devil having to artificially extend my vocals to fit both the timing and get the tuning right, but you win some you lose some i guess.

on top of that i feel very unsure about my own vocal performance and there'd be a few noticeable tuning mistakes, i think? i mean before i tuned them again tonight they were even worse, but apparently the trick to that is just to listen to them outside my headphones; because listening to the lower frequencies to tune vocals isn't going to give great results. or maybe that's just me and my habits. my shit phone audio that exposed the mid frequencies did a good job at telling me that, "hey, you tune terrible for a gal that likes to say she does music production to people when you like silly video games and music that came out before you were even conceived"

venus theory made a very good point about having a "shitbox" (like, a boombox that is shit) so it exposes frequencies you would've never heard otherwise, and that was quite the enlightening experience to say the least. i wouldn't say my tuning is terrible; frankly i think it's fairly okay for someone with informal training and practice, but i genuinely didn't expect to go so out of tune in my one (yes, one) take of the main vocals... and then i learnt that way that the voice that you think you're singing varies widely with what's actually produced from your vocal cords, your mouth shape, and how much air you put into it. needless to say this was a really good, and *horrifying* learning experience, and hopefully this means more vocal covers and originals in the future.

as for the lyrics, i was going for the "mindless 80s love song" cheesy lovey dovey kind, and was inspired slowly after a few listens of the og song. it's not my first time writing english lyrics, but it's fair to say that it's really rare coming from me.

Lyrics

sometimes i feel like i'm afraid of heights

(don't look down now)

sometimes i feel like i wanna hold you tight

oh you would never know the sight,

because right now we're so high we could almost die

but now you're here with me, i'm like on ecstasy

if anything ever happens i won't mind

'cause with the two of us, our hearts combined

we'll always have our time to shine

together we can find a place or run away

it's okay

you could pretend that we would be so far

but i will find my way 'cause you're my north star

i hope that you and i are on par

i don't wanna put my feelings in a jar

is it just my mind that is pacing, my chest that is aching

the things i wanna say could be said everyday

is it just my heart that is racing, the love we'll be sharing

and we will never say goodbye

you see that all is fine,

now put your worries all aside

[guitar solo]

'cause with the two of us, our hearts combined

we'll always have our time to shine

together we can find a place or run away

it's okay

you could pretend that we would be so far

but i will find my way 'cause you're my north star

i hope that you and i are on par

i don't wanna put my feelings in a jar

is it just my mind that is pacing, my chest that is aching

the memories we'll make will never fade

is it just my heart that is racing, the love we'll be sharing

and i will always play my part

we should take on the charts,

or maybe begin from the start

[scribbling-dragon]

Forced Acquisition of a Child

summary:

“Jimmy,” he holds the baby awkwardly, gripping it under the arms. The blanket unravels a little, trailing below but not quite touching the floor. He’s never held a baby. He should never be trusted to hold a baby, and yet, somehow, here he is. “Why have you got a baby.”

“fWhip gave it to me,” Jimmy continues to look and sound the most distressed Tango has ever seen him, and Tango was there for the Train Incident. They still don’t have an explanation for how it appeared overnight, but Jimmy is too scared to remove it. Like the train tracks might summon another train if he does. “And then he just left.”

-

Or: Jimmy "doesn't know" how to take care of babies, and Tango doesn't know how to take care of babies.

(ao3 link)

(masterpost)

(2,185 words)

“But what am I meant to do with it?” He tries not to sound too distressed, but even he can hear how terribly he fails at that, voice coming out higher pitched and squeakier than he intends. He’s never beating the toy allegations. The baby he’s hold at arm's length looks rather content, only wriggling slightly as Jimmy continues to stare at it.

He doesn’t think it’s blinked once.

“I dunno,” fWhip is already walking away, shrugging and not even looking back at Jimmy. “Your problem now, don’t kill it, yeah? Alright, bye!”

“Oh my god,” he looks back at the baby he’s holding. He doesn’t even know how to hold a baby. He’s pretty sure there’s a specific way you’re meant to do it though. He’s not suited for this; he can keep the cats content, easy, they’re cats. If they’re not happy they go a kill something to keep themselves happy. Or they run to Tango so they can use him as a heating pad. Cats are simple, in that they practically take care of themselves. All he needs to remember to do is feed them and shower them in love and affection.

He's never even seen a child this small before. Are children meant to be this small? Do they normally emerge from rocks, is that how it works? It doesn’t seem like the way it should work, but he also doesn’t know enough on the topic to dispute it. He never thought to ask before, but maybe he should have. He really, really should have.

He thinks. Doing his best, at least, as the baby continues to stare at him. Unblinking.

It’s like having a mini-fWhip at arm’s length, judging his every move. Which…actually isn’t far off what the normal fWhip does. Enjoys doing, whichever. But he does normally blink a little more than this. Did fWhip have a staring problem as a baby? He can’t picture fWhip as a baby; he’d always assumed the goblin just sprung from the earth fully formed, or something. He rests a hand over the baby’s eyes, shifting his grip on it so it’s cradled in the crook of his elbow.

God, he knows nothing about children. This is such a horrific idea. Whose idea was it in the first place? Right, yeah, adoption program. It just sounds like a way of foisting childcare onto the other empires because fWhip can’t be bothered to deal with it.

He can think a little clearer now that the baby isn’t staring at him, judging his every move. He keeps his hand firmly pressed over their eyes, but not hard enough to do any damage. He thinks. He doesn’t even know how to hold a baby! He’s doing his best.

Never mind, just…think.

Think. Who would be able to help with this? The other empires have their own goblin children to deal with, and he doesn’t even want to know what some of them are doing to these unfortunate children that have, somehow, managed to end up in their care.

What smart people does he know that have good, well-rounded, and applicable life skills? He knows a lot of people. Not many of them are well-adjusted to normal life, meaning he can easily disregard over half of the people he knows.

He spins on the spot as epiphany strikes him, hooves clattering loudly over the stone as he realises he already has an answer, a remedy to all of his problems: Tango.

 === === ===

 Tango hummed quietly to himself as he moved back and forth, tail flicking behind him as he rearranged a few more of the files. It’s not one of his favourite tasks, mainly because Jimmy seems unable to agree on a standard filing system, making everything they have impossible to find in a hurry because it’s in some arbitrary place that made sense at the time.

It’s been a slow process of gradually rearranging everything into a proper system without Jimmy noticing. And also repositioning the documents he puts in the now incorrect places. He had thought by organising it he’d find the system behind Jimmy’s madness. But there is nothing. There is no system. Jimmy loses his files regularly, and then they have to hunt around for them because he managed to remember a tiny detail that means they’ll be able to take one of the local bandits to a proper court and go through proper legal proceedings.

The door crashes open behind him, swinging back into the wall (he’s been meaning to put a doorstop in so that can stop happening. He’s had to repair that wall three times in the past two weeks. It’s getting tiring). He winces at the resounding crash, flinching back from where his hands are in their filing cabinet, still holding one of their thinner files.

“Tango!”

“Jimmy,” he turns around with a smile, relaxing a little as his voice registers to Tango’s ears. “You scared me for a moment there, I thought there was a problem.”

“There is a problem!” Jimmy’s across the room in a moment, looking unusually distressed and cradling something in his arms. “Look!”

And the bundle is thrust unceremoniously into his arms, leaving him fumbling to balance the file and the surprisingly heavy object he’s been given. “Um,” he says, intelligently.

“What am I meant to do with it?”

Tango isn’t even sure what it is yet, so he ignores the question in favour of peeling the blanket back and looking at the thing underneath. A pair of eyes stare back at him, bright blue and unblinking. Right. Alright. That’s a thing.

“Jimmy,” he holds the baby awkwardly, gripping it under the arms. The blanket unravels a little, trailing below but not quite touching the floor. He’s never held a baby. He should never be trusted to hold a baby, and yet, somehow, here he is. “Why have you got a baby.”

“fWhip gave it to me,” Jimmy continues to look and sound the most distressed Tango has ever seen him, and Tango was there for the Train Incident. They still don’t have an explanation for how it appeared overnight, but Jimmy is too scared to remove it. Like the train tracks might summon another train if he does. “And then he just left.”

Right. Goblin King…gave Jimmy a baby goblin. He’s pretty sure goblins just naturally emerge from the stone of their caves, but that doesn’t explain why Jimmy has now come to be in possession of a baby. Even less so why fWhip specifically took the time out of his day to give the baby to Jimmy.

He grimaces at the small creature, more than a little unnerved by the fact that it hasn’t blinked yet.

“And you gave it to me, why?” He holds the baby a little further away from himself, attempting to give it back to Jimmy. Jimmy steps backwards, tripping over his own hooves, and fumbling to catch himself on the edge of the desk. He succeeds in catching himself on Tango’s desk, simultaneously succeeding in disturbing the piles of paper he had spent the morning organising. “I don’t like children.”

“You're smart, you know what to do with a child, right?”

“I might have been a bandit but I never kidnapped a child.” The baby reaches a hand towards his face, grabbing hold of some of his hair and yanking. Tango grimaces at the feeling, pulling his head back to try and avoid the small fists. “I had standards. And a limit on where my patience ends.”

“I wasn’t saying you would, Red,” Jimmy frowns at him. Tango huffs a laugh from his nose, and he watches as Jimmy’s frown deepens. “You were being mean, alright. Nevermind, I don’t think you have any standards. Your standards are terrible.”

“And what does that say about you?”

“That you're lucky to have me.”

The baby makes a small sound, reaching for his hair again. He should have cut it ages ago, should have ignored Jimmy when he said that he liked it. Sure, being able to braid his hair is an added bonus that he gets to enjoy on a morning when Jimmy does it for him, but it’s not worth this. He’s going to have to wash his hair later.

“Did you date fWhip at some point,” he asks.

Jimmy stares at him. “What?” He sounds like he’s either about to start laughing or crying.

“Just,” he gestures helplessly, movements slightly hindered by the baby in his arms. “Babies normally come from a relationship. Or maybe he just really hates you.” The baby makes another grab for his face, aiming for his ear this time. “Just- take the baby, it’s not mine.”

Jimmy almost drops the baby, but manages to catch it quickly enough that it is as though nothing happened. He then cradles the baby in one arm, balancing it perfectly and easily. He looks at the baby, then back at Jimmy, then at the baby again. The baby looks perfectly content, like it might fall asleep.

“It’s not mine either!” Jimmy’s protest is loud enough that Tango worries they might be interrupted by some concerned citizen. He’s not sure how either of them would explain the baby that is very clearly a goblin.

“Alright,” he leans back against the cabinet behind him. “Let’s take this from the top. How did you go from having a meeting with the emperors to acquiring a child.”

“It was part of the meeting.”

“It was part of the meeting,” he repeats. “Alright. Why was it part of the meeting?”

“Because…fWhip got the crown, meaning he got to make a rule. And he wanted…all of us to take care of a goblin child. Like an adoption program.”

“And you just agreed?”

“Uh, yeah?” He’s pretty sure the baby has just fallen asleep. He’s heard Jimmy, several times, protest that he doesn’t know how to deal with children, let alone look after them. He sleeps in the same bed as a liar, apparently. “He has the crown right now.”

“And this crown is all-powerful, is it? All, wow, look at me, I'm so powerful and great and you must listen to my rules?”

“Only one rule.”

“That’s not the point, dear.” He sighs. “Is the crown magical?”

“Maybe?” Jimmy shrugs. “I haven’t been able to get my hands on it yet, but it’s old. Pix found it in a ruin.”

“And his first instinct was to make a game with it? This old and potentially evil crown that might be able to…I don’t know- it might do something!”

“I didn’t think about it very much!” Jimmy protests, still looking at him with his sad eyes. Those eyes stopped working around the time that he figured out Jimmy practiced them in front of a mirror to manipulate him. “This is why you need to come to these meetings with me.”

“No.” He ignores Jimmy’s still sad eyes. “I went for a few, and that was it. You’ll have to tie me up and drag me through the door to get me there.”

“I'm not doing that.”

“Which is why I suggested it,” he smiles. “Now, what you're going to do is take the baby back to Gobland, and we can pretend all of this never happened.”

“But I can’t.”

“Why.” He taps a finger against the cabinet behind him. It isn’t an impatient move, just something he does when he’s thinking hard. He’s calculating, right now, how much work he’ll be able to do while Jimmy returns the baby. He might even be able to finish organising the cabinet. And then he can relax.

“Because of the rule.”

“Alright,” he sighs. “How do you make the rule stop…being in effect.”

“You steal the crown.”

“Well,” he claps his hands together. “Fantabulous, you’ve got your solution. Get him while he’s least expecting it.”

“That’s not a word.”

“Yes it is,” he lies through his teeth. He doesn’t know if it’s a word. Half the words he says aren’t words. It doesn’t matter, they convey his emotions well enough. “Take the baby back to the Goblands.”

“But what if it gets hurt?”

“Bigger chance of it getting hurt with us taking care of it.” He reasons. “I regularly catch on fire. If the cats didn’t land on their feet, you’d have dropped one of them on their head at this point.”

“Harsh.”

“But true,” he presses a kiss to Jimmy’s cheek as he walks past. “If you're quick we might be able to go for an early dinner at Chromia.”

“We’ll go there anyway,” Jimmy grumbles half-heartedly. “It’s a Tuesday. You and Scott have your weird little competition.”

“You love it really.” He calls over his shoulder, already occupying himself again. He prefers doing something to sitting around idly. “Have fun returning the child!” Jimmy doesn’t respond, but he does shut the door gently behind him. Doesn’t make up for the hole in the wall (Tango almost managed to forget about that), but the thought is appreciated.

Jimmy is fantastic, but if he comes back with another child Tango might just kill him.

[delicateflowerss]

Don't Worry, Darling: One

After marrying the love of your life, Rafe Cameron, you thought you couldn't be happier. But when a murder shakes the island, you learn you don't know your husband as well as you thought. When does Paradise become Hell?

Warnings: 18+, eventual NON-CON, dark!Rafe, implied violence, blood, drug use, mentions of pregnancy, kook!reader, non-canon ages

This is on the short side, and more of an introduction to my new series. Next chapter will have more action, enjoy!

Series Masterlist

“How did you manage to not get knocked up?” Caroline asks through an amused smile. “I thought that would be the first thing Rafe would do on your honeymoon. Especially in a place like The Bahamas,” she adds.

Laughter follows from everyone including you.

“Maybe he did. She just doesn’t know it yet,” Audrey chimes in.

The same level of laughter erupts, but your smile falters a little.

“Rafe and I are waiting,” you explain.

“Why? You two seem so happy. And look at this place,” Caroline motions to the backyard of the house you share with Rafe, complete with a blue, sparkling pool and freshly mowed grass. “You’ve got it made.”

You shake your head, a smile still on your face. “I just got a new client, and I’m doing really well right now. There’s no need for us to rush.”

“Don’t you just work from home? You can have a baby and be a book editor,” Cassie points out, taking a sip of her Mai Tai.

“When you all have babies, then you can criticize me. But until then, I don’t want to hear it.” You try to keep your tone lighthearted. But there’s an edge to your voice, their words starting to bother you.

“We’re just playing around.” Caroline looks around, earning nods from your other friends. She smiles at you and sighs, “I’m excited for you. I mean, who knew someone could tame Rafe Cameron?”

“He’s come a long way. I think,” you pause thinking about the man you’ve married. “He really is the perfect husband.��� Your eyes twinkle, a content smile tracing your lips.

“You know, I was a little worried when I heard you were getting married,” Kelce begins, picking up the glass he was pouring brown liquid into. “I thought there goes the Rafe Cameron I’ve always known, always doing whatever the fuck he wants, now having to answer to his wife.”

He walks over to Rafe, slapping him on the shoulder. “But I see I was wrong,” Kelce laughs.

“Nothing’s changing here,” Rafe says before bending down to snort the white lines off his desk through a rolled up hundred-dollar bill.

“So, Y/N’s okay with all this?” Topper asks, watching Rafe wipe the residue off his nose.

“I wouldn’t say that.” He breaks out into a grin. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Topper just nods, his lips tight together.

Rafe’s face falls at the look Topper gives him. “It’s only for special occasions. Alright, Top? You don’t have to get all…”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything,” he interrupts. “This is just new to me.”

“What is?”

“You and responsibility.”

Rafe scoffs, looking away from him.

Before anything else is said, Kelce intervenes, “I was talking to Chase yesterday. Said he thinks he’s getting that promotion.”

“He always thinks that,” Rafe mutters.

“Well… He said he knows for sure this time. I guess Ward must have told him.”

At that, Rafe turns to look at Kelce, furrowing his brow.

“Are you sure?” He asks.

Kelce shrugs, “that’s what he said.”

He moves his glare to the floor, lips parting. “Huh.” A million different emotions pass through his eyes as he thinks for a moment. “So, Chase is getting promoted before I do?”

There’s a heaviness in his voice, like he’s finally admitting it to himself. Any fun carelessness in the room has disappeared, leaving a thick tension that’s anything but.

Kelce opens his mouth, but closes it right away, not knowing what to say.

“I’m sure your promotion is coming, Rafe. I mean, your dad owns the company,” Topper assures.

The smile on his face is wiped away when Rafe points his glare to him.

“Yeah. And your grandfather helped you get that job at that law firm,” Rafe fires back.

“I didn’t mean it like that. If you’re so upset, just talk to Ward.”

Rafe chuckles, a lack of humor evident. He taps his finger against the wood of his desk.

“No, you’re right. I’ll just talk to him.”

The hot, sticky air wraps around you as you fix the hat on your head, helping to block out the sun. You finish setting the soil around your freshly planted roses, the diamond on your ring glistening in the bright sunshine. You wish you could’ve finished gardening before the housewarming party last night, but better late than never.

A car door slamming behind you, startles you, forcing you to look at the street. You quickly stand up at the somewhat familiar face, brushing the dirt off your dress.

He doesn’t notice you until he’s gotten his equipment from his truck. You give him a slight wave, and you don’t miss the surprise that washes over his face.

“Oh. Didn’t realize this was your house.”

As much as JJ tries to hide it, his apprehension is apparent.

“We just moved in.” Your tone is so much brighter than his.

“Right.” He nervously looks around, like he’s searching for someone. He sighs, “I guess I should’ve read the names on my client list a little more carefully, Mrs. Cameron.”

Your lips part in realization. “Oh, Rafe’s not here. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

His silence confirms your suspicions.

“And he’s pretty much over all that stupid Kook vs. Pogue stuff.”

“Is he?” Doubt laces his voice.

You never understood why Rafe was so set on terrorizing his sister and her friends. But thankfully, he’s grown out of it.

“I think he can handle you being here once a week,” you assure.

“I don’t know about that.” JJ scratches the back of his head.

“He doesn’t even have to know.” That catches JJ’s attention, his gaze settled on you. “You’ll only be here while he’s at work. All he knows is he’s paying the pool company. I’d hate to see you lose out on a job because of Rafe,” you finish with a reassuring smile.

Maybe this is your way of righting all of Rafe’s wrongs.

He sighs, a smile finally forming on his lips.

“Fine. But only cause you’re so convincing.”

You stare at the food you dedicated your evening to, getting cold on their plates. Your lips are outlined in a pout, thinking about how Rafe is never home this late.

Your mind has already conjured up every worst-case scenario. But the most realistic scenario, is the one that hurts your heart the most. You worry that Rafe simply got distracted, and he forgot to tell you he’ll be home late.

You don’t want to be forgotten.

You try not to think about it. He really has changed so much, turned into the man you’ve always known he could be.

That’s why you married him.

So, you don’t want to think about how it could have all been for nothing.

Before you can go farther down your pit of despair, a ding from your phone pulls you back.

You breathe a sigh of relief at his text. He just needs to stay late and work. You know he’s been wanting that promotion, which goes further than wanting more money.

You text him back, making sure to put his dinner in the fridge.

The only sound that echoes through the dark house are Rafe’s footsteps. His movements are slow as he goes up the stairs, hoping to God that you’re sound asleep.

But once he gets past you in bed, sleeping peacefully, he locks himself in the bathroom. He stands there for a minute, unsure of what to do. Adrenaline still rushes through his veins, his breathing erratic.

His blue eyes find the mirror in front of him, taking in his disheveled state. The evidence of what he’s done is still on him and it hits him like a slap in the face.

After that, he’s frantic, peeling off his clothes as fast as he can.

Rafe steps into the shower, lathering soap over his skin, washing his hair, and scrubbing under his nails. The red tinted water goes down the drain.

Once he gets out, a towel around his hips, he picks up his clothes from the floor, inspecting them for any evidence.

His eyes widen at the stains, heading downstairs to throw them in the washer. He doesn’t worry about his shoes, only finding mud on them.

The clock reads 3:47 when he finally gets in bed next to you. You don’t stir as he settles in. Serenity paints your features as his are creased with uncertainty. But that slowly vanishes the longer he looks at your face. He softly presses his lips to your head before shutting his eyes.

Tags:

@fangirlwithlou @thebuttofcaptainamerica

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist for this series!

[linkman447]

Time for another au I got cooking

So hear me out. A universe, where the members of RWBY and JNPR, were adopted by the arcs for one reason or another.

Now I’ve seen ren and Nora being adopted by jaune’s family before beacon, but this time it’s all of them so let’s do the set up

Blake: during one of the rallies for the peaceful white fang an attack against the Faunus happened. Which was orchestrated by sienna to bend more Faunus to her side of thinking by making it seem as though humans are violent, but before she acted ghira wanted his daughter to be close to him up front

With the attack Blake gets separated and really lost (she’s about 3-4) and wonders into the forest and is attacked by grim only for papa arc to come to the rescue

Now this will have some changes with ghira’s attitude towards sienna and he’d be a bit more of a protective member and would probably fight more when sienna tries to take over the white fang would most likely start a more peaceful group after her takeover

But Blake would be raised by Arcs

Yang and Ruby: I’d like to think that during the mission wears summer goes missing tai, decides a tagalong and as a result, the only person that could take care of Ruby and Yang was Qrow which he was woefully under prepared for, but he was good friends with the Arcs and managed to give Ruby and Yang a good home

Ren and Nora: just look an any fan fic where this happens they get found after their home is destroyed

Weiss: for this all I can see is failed kidnapping planned by her father

Picture this, Whitley was just born, winter was too publicly known so what does Jacque try to do. Kill the unnecessary child but the plan is botched by mama arc a really old and dear friend of willow, who asked the arc matriarch for help after finding out the plan of her husband now this essentially is where Willow would start drinking unlike normally with during Weise’s birthday she found out just how evil her husband is and essentially ask if they can look after her daughter

Pyrrha: now this is more difficult to do and would require hmmm a more further meddling and adding of oc characters

In some fics Pyrrha is part of a family with Olympian names (names of the Greek and Roman gods) and she is treated quite poorly given her mother is a mistress. So in this case her mother passes and her father kicks her to the curb but her uncle Hephaestus takes her To the arc’s a family he knows would be able to help and the rest is history



So there’s my idea

[mintharaworshipper]

BG3 headcanons (modern AU)

My brain is full of headcanons and I need to get them out!

Shadowheart: She’s an English teacher. Always advocates for her queer students, who see her as a refuge. Loves sweets and pastries and is always carrying a snack in her backpack. Dyes her hair once a month, different colour every time. Chronically online, Tumblr and Twitter user, has the best taste in memes out of all the gang. Writes poetry and fan fiction. Grew up in a cult and lives with religious trauma, but she goes to therapy and does her very best.

Astarion: He’s a lawyer, of course. Has an impeccable aesthetic in his instagram profile, with a defined palette. Very good taste in clothing. He was physically and emotionally abused by his stepfather when he was a kid and hasn’t really worked through this trauma (Shadowheart always encourages him to go to therapy). Very close friends with Shadowheart.

Minthara: Lawyer, but has specialised in finance and has rapidly climbed the financial ladder via questionable methods. CEO of a major company. Impeccable taste in fashion. Vegan. Has a section in her closet filled with BDSM paraphernalia. Everything she owns is expensive. She’s the daughter of a powerful senator who was very emotionally abusive to her growing up. Staunch defender of capitalism. Wakes up naturally at 5 am. Does yoga and tai chi.

Lae’zel: She’s in the air force, has wanted to be since she was a girl. She’s in the spectrum and has only recently realised. Her special interests are planes and meteorology. Wakes up very early to run 10k. Extremely mindful about her eating, every meal is perfectly balanced for her specific nutritional needs.

Karlach: Non-binary. P.E teacher, works at the same school as Shadowheart and that’s how they met and started dating. Loves large dogs. They are a personal trainer on the side. Loves going to the gym and is very supportive of new people. Friends with Wyll since high school.

Jaheira: Anthropologist, environmental and anti-gentrification activist. Has lived in her neighbourhood forever and hates that it’s getting gentrified. Being a local icon and leader, a few political parties have tried to get her to run for office but she always refuses because she doesn’t trust the establishment. Has been arrested multiple times at demonstrations. She’s so devoted to her activism that she has neglected her children at times. Chain smoker.

Halsin: Environmental lawyer. Has worked in multiple NGOs. Has been to therapy. Single, not for a lack of suitors, but because he wants to find a life partner. Has been a vegetarian for decades. Has a bear tattoo.

Wyll: Entrepreneur. Devoted to The Grind™. Has taken classes on gender politics. Goes to the gym with Karlach and uploads mirror selfies. Has asked Minthara to be his mentor but she keeps refusing. Has also been to therapy.

Gale: Successful academic. Has been going through a terrible divorce with another famous and powerful academic. Excellent cook, makes his own sourdough bread. Likes the finer things in life.

Bonus: My OC, Ramona

Literature major but has no academic ambition whatsoever. She does know a lot about it and runs a literature club for troubled teenagers with Shadowheart.

Was working as a barista when she met Minthara and was immediately enthralled.

Has shared a flat with Shadowheart since uni, and they’re best friends.

She’s easily the funniest one in the gang.

Always manages to get free stuff or discounts just because of how nice and persuasive she is.

Excellent liar (white lies, mostly).

Wears recycled clothing almost exclusively, which Minthara hates.

Everyone hated Minthara when they first started dating but over time, as she changed, they managed to put up with her, even growing fond of her (most of them).

I’ve been trying to write some fics but I can’t seem to find the courage to. I enjoy coming up with headcanons more

[weird-an]

Hero!Steve flirting with easily flustered Villain!Billy

There's a giant fucking octopus ("It's not an octopus, Steve, it's Vecna" - who cares, Dustin, who cares) attacking the city. On a Friday, just one day before Steve's well deserved vacation.

Even superheroes need vacation. Steve has already seen himself swimming in the ocean and slurping Mai Tais in a few hours and now he's here.

On a stupid rooftop, wearing his red and blue suit and having to fight Billy Hargrove. Who's involved. Again. Arrogance in a tight leather suit and sharp claws and teeth, the strength of a wildcat - probably a shapeshifter too, but no one has ever seen.

"You can't stop him," Hargrove laughs, a roar making his chest vibrate. "Why don't you just join us, pretty boy?"

Also nothing new. Hargrove's asking Steve to join him every time they fight. The Mind Flayer Collective has been terrorizing the state for a while now. Steve is a small town hero. A pretty face no one is afraid of.

"Stop asking me out, Hargrove." Steve rolls his eyes. "Buy me a drink first."

He expects a snarl, maybe even a slur, but he's met with Billy clearing his throat and stuttering a little. "Buy yourself a drink."

Steve is so confused for a second, he forgets that he actually wanted to use the water that's dripping out of the rusty tubes nearby and blast it into Billy's face.

Is Billy... flustered? Steve thinks back at months of Billy trying to rile him up, of Billy fighting him, but never really managing to kill him, of Billy asking him to join the Mind Flayer Collective over and over again.

Oh man. Steve's day just got better and worse at the same moment.

"Don't you wanna have a good time?" he asks. Billy's cheeks turn a little pink.

"I'll have a blast when I break your face," Billy snarls half heartedly.

"Billy, you haven't really tried that in ages." Steve takes a step closer. He can see Billy's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows hard. "You're all talk."

"Fuck off," Billy scowls. He reminds Steve of a wet cat, lips twitching and black painted nails growing sharper. Which gives Steve a stupid idea.

Water has been a part of him ever since he was born and made the waves that turned into hands and animals, just with his imagination and his parent's pool.

"All talk," Steve repeats - and collects the water from the tubes and drops it onto Billy - who makes a sound of surprise that's somewhere between a groan and a cat's hiss.

"Harrington!" he sneers. "I'll fuck you up."

Billy's mullet clings to his face and drops of water run down his collarbones and to the hint of his pecs peeking up where he didn't bother to zip up the suit like usual. Like he's showing off whenever he sees Steve.

"Oh, I'd love to see you try." Steve rolls his eyes. "But if anyone does the fucking here, it's me."

Billy lunges forward to take a swing at him, but Steve had already seen it coming. Whenever Billy runs out of words, he's using his fists.

He dodges the punch and pushes Billy. His back hits the door leading downstairs. Billy's breathing fast - too fast for one punch and his pupils are slitted.

"Does that turn you on?" Steve asks, a smug grin on his lips.

"Shut up," Billy gasps. His eyes flicker from Steve's lips to the other rooftops. God. Steve had been so blind.

"It does," he says slowly. "That's why you ask me to join every time."

Billy huffs. "I have no idea what you're-"

Steve presses his lips on Billy's, is greeted with a moan of relief and pleasure.

"You were sayin'?" he asks, grinning against Billy's mouth.

Billy pushes his hips forward. He's hard, his suit leaving next to nothing to the imagination. Steve's hand searches for the zipper. Finds it and pulls it down.

"Damn," Billy groans. "You're fucking greedy."

"Have you seen yourself?"

Steve peels the suit off. Sucks on every new bit of skin he sees. Billy aches his neck and moans. An animalistic sound, making Steve think that there might be something true to the shifting rumors.

He's pulling down his own pants and wrapping his arms around Billy's hips. Lifting him up, so that he can nudge the tip of his dick against his hole.

"Jesus," Billy pants. "When did you get so strong?"

Steve really doesn't want to think about manic workouts after giant bats tried to kill him. He kisses Billy again, tongue plundering his mouth.

When they pull away, he opens his palm for Billy.

"Spit," he says hoarsely. It's dizzying, watching Billy do as he's told with glassy eyes. He's spreading his legs wider.

It's insane. A rush unlike any drug he has ever tried. They are on a rooftop, there's a storm brewing near the coast where there's a monster trying to step out of the ocean and Billy Hargrove turns all pliant in his hands.

He coats his dick in Billy's spit and it won't be enough, but maybe enough so that it doesn't hurt as much.

He pushes in slowly. Billy's body is yielding with ease, ragged breath in his ear. He's hot and so tight and Steve is in paradise.

One hard thrust makes Billy's head hit the wall, but he doesn't seem to notice. His weeping cock slaps against his abs, precome running down its length.

"Fuck," Billy groans, voice like gravel. His eyes are brighter than before, a neon touch to it and his canines turned into fangs. He's all wildness and fucking beautiful.

Steve fucks him harder, trying to find the angle that makes Billy gasp and moan and clench around him. His fingers dig into his firm ass cheeks.

Billy's claws scratch his back, trying to get a better hold. He's panting, a bright flush crawling down his neck along his chest.

It's marvelous. Steve doesn't even need to touch his dick. He's thrusting into him, chasing after the high of pleasure and littering Billy's neck and chest with kisses and bites and Billy's whole body is shuddering underneath his lips.

Billy falls apart. In his hands. Comes with a howl and a tear running down his face. Steve kisses it away. Billy clings to him, bites his shoulders to stifle another cry threatening to fall from his lips.

Sharp pain runs through Steve, making him follow Billy over the edge. He sees stars and pulls Billy closer.

He pulls out and lets Billy down who leans against the door like his legs can't carry him. A bit of milky come runs down his leg.

"That was... unexpected," Steve grins at Billy. Billy's eyes are still glowing.

"I should leave," he manages after catching his breath. He bends down to grab his suit and struggles to put it on. It's a tight fight. Especially with still shaking hands.

Steve's chest grows tighter. Maybe it's selfish, but he doesn't want Billy to go back to the Collective. To fight him again, to forget all that just happened.

"I'm going on vacation in..." Steve stares at his watch. "Three hours. You wanna come with me?"

Billy stops trying to pull his pants over his ass. The leather is constricting his butt cheeks a little. Steve's fingers itch to slap them.

"You're the enemy," Billy says.

It's funny, all a matter of perspective. Dustin says the same about Billy. Steve thinks of Billy clenching around him. He's sure they'd be both off their teams for fraternization, if anybody finds out.

"That's not an answer." Steve snaps the seam of Billy's pants against his ass.

Billy scrunches his nose, thinking about it.

"Fine. I guess I can take a few days off," he grumbles. "Where are we going?"

[deadbeatbirdmom]

Why Yang is the best*

*in my admittedly biased opinion, she's my favourite character in RWBY.

Let's get the shallow reasons out of the way first:

She's very pretty, including her long golden blonde mane of hair and lilac eyes. Blonde bombshell is a fitting description.

And this blonde bombshell can make other things very literally explode with her sticky grenades from Volume 7 onwards.

She's a badass in combat even without her Semblance, but with it she packs even more of a punch, and that's quite an understatement.

There's also the way her Semblance makes her hair either glow like molten gold or transform into flames (Volume 6 onwards), and her eyes turn red, or later a fiery orange. Both striking.

But Yang is far more than these shallow things. She has depth.

Right from the start in her trailer, from the quote at the beginning to the things she does, it's clear that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's goes to a club, but not to party. She's there for information.

Yet I've read fics where she's written off as a dumb blonde party girl. Sure, the beauty of fanfic is writing what you want, but if Yang's that out of character is she really still Yang, and not an original character by the same name?

Yang isn't dumb. There's no mention of her being a bad student, and she's seen paying attention and poised to take notes in Volume 1.

She also doesn't fight like someone who just keeps punching until her opponent falls down and can't get up again. I mean, that might be part of it, but she adapts, like she did in the trailer against the kicks of Melanie Malachite.

In that trailer Yang defeats a club full of goons, two bodyguards (Melanie and Miltia) and Junior himself. All of them adults against a 17 year old who hasn't yet started at Beacon (going by what I've heard of the Roman Holiday book, Melanie and Miltia are in their early twenties in Volume 1, just like Neo).

Yang starts to adapt against Neo on the train in Volume 2, but gets knocked out before she can get far enough to actually do more than throw Neo.

The Yang that gives the impression of a cheerful party girl is a mask, as can be seen when there's glimpses of her depth in Burning the Candle when she persuades Blake to slow down. And that mask really shatters in Volume 3 when bad things start to happen.

Yang goes through trauma, physically and emotionally. It changes her. But it certainly doesn't make her boring, at least not to me. She also gradually heals, enough to make jokes in Volume 5 onwards. That is a hopeful message to other people who go through bad things. Sometimes bad things just happen, but that's not the end. You keep moving forward. It may take a while to recover, and to get back to yourself, and you won't be quite the same, but you're still you.

Then there's the sisters Xiao Long-Rose. Yang is dedicated to being there for Ruby, to the extent that she raised her after Summer disappeared. Exactly how long their dad was lost to depression isn't clear, but even after he recovered he'd still be busy working. Yang would remain the combined big sister and mother for Ruby even after Tai's more capable of parenting.

That isn't to say that Yang is perfect, or that she never makes mistakes, or always gets along with Ruby. She's human. They both are. To be human is to err. But they always love each other. They're family, the closest they have. Even if Yang didn't always manage to say 'I love you' back right away. Even if Ruby left her without a goodbye or even a note (the one she left at the end of Volume 3 was for Tai). They know where they stand with each other, even if it took Ruby a reassuring hug and an 'I love you' from Yang to be sure of that in Mistral.

There's Yang’s big heart. I've seen her described as the heart of team RWBY, and it's so true. Yang's intimidating when she wants to be, but she's so kind and caring, to the extent that it led to a rift of sorts with Ruby in Volume 8. Ruby was focused on the big picture, trying to get word out to all of Remnant about Salem, while Yang wanted to help save the population of Mantle before they were overrun by Grimm. Neither of them were wrong.

Yang takes hits, not just as part of her combat strategy to fuel her Semblance, but also to spare others who might not be able to take them as well as she can. Usually Ruby, but her other friends too. She draws Salem's attention away from Oscar when she threatens him, which could have gone so badly for Yang. But that's who she is. Those she loves matter more to her than her own life ever could.

And there's Yang's mothers. Her biological mother Raven, who abandoned Yang when she was a baby for reasons that still aren't clear, but likely to do with Raven being afraid of Salem. Yang's search for her almost got her and Ruby killed as young kids, and when Yang finally found her she was bitterly disappointed by who she found.

I don't hate Raven, I find her an interesting character, but she has without a doubt disappointed and hurt Yang, to the point where that was a large part of what reduced Yang to tears on claiming the Relic in Haven's vault.

Despite all that, Yang kept the fact that Raven was the Spring Maiden to herself, as far as we know. It wouldn't be the first time that a conversation about Raven took place off screen, as Jaune, Ren and Nora knew Raven was Yang's mother. Yet Yang only ever told Blake about her. And I can't see Blake gossiping about that. I figure Ruby likely told them at some point when on the long walk to Haven.

Then there's Yang's step mother, Summer, who took Raven's place so completely that Yang didn't know about Raven until after Summer disappeared. Summer, Yang's super-mom, who Yang must have tried to emulate when raising Ruby, but couldn't possibly be more than a pale shadow of. Yang was just a child, only two years older than Ruby. Summer is Yang's hero, and who she still considers as her mom, as she proclaimed to Salem.

Last but certainly not least: Blake and Yang. The Bees kissing are what drew me to RWBY in the first place, and Bumbleby is my OTP. They've been through so much together, and they deserve happiness with each other.

Yang was already my favourite months before the Volume 9 commentary revealed it, but it also means a lot to me that she's only just figuring out her sexuality. It took me a long time too.

This isn't every single thing I love about Yang, but it's what I could think of and get down in writing.

All of this is of course just my opinion. Maybe someone else from RWBY is your favourite. In that case I'm just glad another character can mean that much to you.

[remember-digimon]

May I present, Princess Mimi!

Mimi is one of those characters I didn't really connect with as a kid. She is almost always complaining, and at first glance she doesn't seem to contribute much to the group. But there is something to her, it's just sitting below the surface.

Mimi is probably the only kid that doesn't have some kind of family issues. Her parents are very loving and even overly sweet, and they apparently give Mimi everything she wants. Not to say she's fully spoiled, just that she's used to a more comfortable lifestyle. Understandably, once she finds herself in the Digital World, with none of the modern faculties and conveniences that she's used to, Mimi finds it very hard to adjust.

While the group is split up the second time, Mimi stumbles across some Digimon that need her to sing to wake up their leader. She fully takes advantage of this situation, even after Joe and Tai arrive. In fact, she puts them in jail, with Palmon, for trying to get her to sing. It's only after a nightmare where everyone leaves her, and when Sora tells her she needs to give up the Princess act, that Mimi realizes she's been acting like a brat and asks for forgiveness from everyone.

Mimi's relationship with Palmon is a bit weird. As a kid, I always thought Biyomon was better suited for Mimi because she's pink (yeah I wasn't a bright kid lol). But if Mimi had Biyomon, who is cuddly and loving and heaps attention on her partner, it wouldn't have helped Mimi grow. Palmon helps her see beyond appearances and her own immediate comfort.

In fact, while they're back in Odaiba, Mimi says that Palmon basically doesn't fit her aesthetic, which understandably hurts Palmon's feelings. Later, when Togemon evolves into Lilymon, it's because Mimi has realized that the important thing isn't how someone looks, and it certainly isn't her own comfort. The important thing is to keep fighting, even when it's tough.

Like Joe, Mimi's crest was changed in the dub. Originally it was purity, and in the dub it's sincerity. These are both kind of vague to me. Purity is, thematically, very similar to light. No bad vibes, Disney princess stuff. Sincerity is being free of deceit and hypocrisy. Sincerity plays into Mimi's bluntness and naivety, while I feel like purity is just 'unproblematic girl.'

Mimi always speaks her mind. If she doesn't like something, she says so. If she thinks one of the Digimon hitting on her (?!) is gross, she'll straight up say it. For her, there's no point in not saying what exactly she's thinking. Even if it's another complaint about how her feet hurt, or how hungry she is, or what she thinks of Palmon. This is actually desperately needed in the group; the other kids won't outright say they want to stop for a rest because they're good Japanese kids that don't want to cause trouble for anyone else.

At the end of the season, it's Mimi that brings reinforcements for the fight against Peidmon. Of course she gathered these reinforcements with Joe, but she did manage to bring them to the battle. Mimi's lesson in the first season is to do her fair share of the work, which she does. Eventually. But once she's learned this lesson, it sticks with her. Even after she moves to America in 02, she's still very involved in what's going on in the Digital World, when she could easily ignore it in favor of her comfortable lifestyle.

Don't dismiss Mimi like I initially did. She says what everyone's too afraid to say. She's honest, and it isn't always easy to be honest. Especially in a culture that prioritizes the group over the individual.

[lady-guts]

10 QL people I want carnally aesthetically

@nuwildcat thank you for tagging me! As a fellow ace, I'm going to copy the aesthetically part of this list, because wanting carnally is really not my thing.

1. Tay - Kinnporsche

He is the definition of gender envy. No one wins him in aesthetics, he has them all. I want him and I want to be him, but I will settle by being able to raid his closet.

2. Porsche - Kinnporsche

That gold skin, that itty-bitty waist, and those smiles. Aesthetically, him and his high waist trousers have won me over, and the suits by the end of the show are just *chef's kiss*. He's the best, and I love him, and since I don't think we'll get more of him, I'll just keep drawing him.

3. Kinn - Kinnporsche

Look at those long fingers. Look at them. And at his effortlessly casual dominance in everything he does (until he meets Porsche, and all that ice melts). I just love him. Also, what's better than a big sad boy? A big sad boy with huge tits, and Kinn has those to spare.

4. Vegas - Kinnporsche

Vegas bewitched me. He's such a pathetic, soggy mess, but then when you least expect it he whips out his murder raincoat and looks even cute with blood all over. I also want to raid his closet, and steal all his oversized witchy shirts (except for the velvet ones, he can keep those)

5. Choi Yu Na - Semantic error

She's everything. Yet another character I want to steal clothes from. Shes just so cool and so perfect, and I want to have a spin-off of centered on her.

6. Kurosawa - Cherry magic

Kurosawa is just so dear to me. He tries so hard to be this perfect cool guy, when he is the dorkiest person on earth, and somehow still manages the whole gentlemanly thing all together. I can't get over how he wrote a whole CV to meet Adachi's parents, and I love the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles.

7. Togawa - Old fashioned cupcake

Look at this boy eat! I love love love people who enjoy their food, and Togawa's hamster cheeks are the cutest of them all. He gets extra points for how he proposes in the special episode.

8. Nozue - Old fashioned cupcake

Those little three piece suits he wears look so nice on him. He's so babygirl too, batting his eyelashes at Togawa without realising his feelings at all. He's another case of the eternal dilemma of whether I want him or I want to be him.

9. Ai Di - Kiseki: Dear to me

Is half of this list characters whose clothes I want? Perhaps. But look at the kind of sweaters Ai Di wears all throughout the series, can you blame me? That and his chokers, and his hair.... He's also the best friend ever to Bai Zongyi, and he and Chen Yi stole the whole show for themselves.

10. Jack - HIStory3: Trapped

Just that smile (and maybe his boobs too just a little bit). He would come onscreen, smile like that, and I would miss half of what was happening from how much it distracted me.

Special mention. Fujisaki - Cherry Magic

Fujisaki is just so dear to me, she's one of the first explicitly ace characters I ever seen in a show. I read the manga for Cherry Magic, and while she's hilarious there, I'm so glad they gave us this version of her in the show.

I'm not sure who has or hasn't done this, so no pressure! @dummerjan, @dramarec, @mortimerlatrice

[deconstructthesoup]

So, this is inspired by @tai-janai's new Slay the Poet AU, where LQ has to rescue the Narrator and is being guided by Shifty. I saw their idea post, and my brain demanded that I put my own spin on it, so... yeah. Go check out their AU, though, it's probably gonna be better than mine and it actually has drawings.

I've already typed out the overarching plot (tldr, Shifty's the player and LQ is the "guide," and Narry is a professor who's trapped in a library in an abandoned city), but here's what I think the Narrator's chapter 2 vessels would be like:

The Wizard: You get the Wizard if you don't go into the library's basement with the knife, you make the decision to free the Professor, and you resist when the Guide makes the desperate choice to take over your body (while repeatedly apologizing over and over in your mind). The Wizard is unflinchingly kind and has that classic Disney-fairytale whimsy about him, and will always encourage you no matter what you do---and is the only one who undoubtedly means you no harm. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Apprentice, who believes that the Professor is a learned and wise soul who can teach us everything, and we must listen to him.

The Warlock: You get the Warlock if you don't go into the library's basement with the knife, make him think you're going to free him, and kill him---either via getting the knife or letting the Guide take you over and winning the ensuing struggle. The Warlock is a slightly draconic being who is devious and cunning, but very clearly bitter towards you, and there's no doubt that he's thirsting for revenge. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Charming, who uses flattery and deceit to get her way, and encourages you to do the same to the Professor---after all, we did it once, and we can do it again, can't we?

The Creation: You get the Creation if you immediately kill the Professor, attempt to leave and fail (which causes the Guide to panic, saying that this wasn't how it was supposed to happen and he doesn't know what's wrong), and kill yourself once you see no other way out. The Creation is a stitched-up, reanimated corpse who somehow managed to bring himself back, and he's a lonely soul who just wants you to set him free. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Restless, who's a listless and tired individual who's aching for things to change... and whether or not we choose to help the Professor or not is entirely up to us.

The Scientist: You get the Scientist if you go into the basement---either armed or unarmed---talk with him, and decide to just leave him there... except, if you do, he'll figure a way out, and he'll electrocute you with a single touch. The Scientist is every bit the sadistic mad genius, and while he knows full well that he needs you in order to get out, he sees no problem with torturing you if that's what it takes---and he's incredibly transparent about his desire to end you once he's finally free. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Doll, who claims that she's not scared and that everything is fine, but is very bad at lying and is clearly shaken by everything the Professor does.

The Academic: You get the Academic if you go down into the basement with the knife, talk with him, attempt to kill him... and when he fights back, you submit. The Academic is self-absorbed, condescending, and controlling, believing himself to be superior to you in every way---and he soon proves that he's not just some entitled asshole, as he's able to take control of you with his words alone. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Humbled, who is openly terrified of the Professor and sees no problem with just doing what he says.

The Archivist: You get the Archivist if you go down into the basement with the knife, decide to free him instead, and resist when the Guide takes you over. The Archivist, who is free from his chains but is unable to escape without your help, has nothing better to do other than to reorganize and catalog the books in the library, and has become incredibly cynical and emotionless as a result. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Curious, who constantly asks questions and wants to look further into random things---something that at first seems irritating, but you eventually realize just how helpful she can be...

The Doctor: You get the Doctor if you go down into the basement with the knife, talk with him, attempt to kill him, and fight him until neither of you can fight anymore. The Doctor openly hates you and sees you as his only obstacle, and will engage you in combat whether you want to or not---and once you fight back, you discover that no matter how brutally you fight, he knows just how to set his organs back to normal, and he knows just how to wreck yours. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Hateful, who wants nothing more than to crush the Professor to a pulp and make him suffer.

The Dragon: You get the Dragon if you go down into the basement without the knife, decide to free him, and don't resist when the Guide takes you over---though you do let the Professor win, in the end. The Dragon is the most beastlike and inhuman of the vessels, and all he wants is to devour you so that he may escape. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Warrior, and she knows exactly how to fight him so that you can make it out of there alive... but be sure to listen to her, because ignoring her warnings could end very badly.

The Inventor: You get the Inventor if you either kill him immediately and check to see if he's dead, or if you question for one second whether or not he's armed... either way, you soon discover that you've brought a knife to a gunfight. The Inventor is cheerful yet murderous, and has several contraptions up his sleeves that are designed to end you---in all sorts of fun and exciting ways. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Prepared, who's quick on her feet and can easily improvise ways to evade the Professor's onslaughts.

The Substitute: You get the Substitute if you avoid going to the library entirely, and instead choose to wander the city---resulting in the city reverting entirely to libraries. Because of this, the Substitute starts off as nothing more than a blank slate of a man, and gets more and more jumbled and confused the more you attempt to talk to him. The voice you gain in your head is the Voice of the Rebel, who doesn't really have a goal other than to just goof off and have fun---making choices for choice's sake.

And, uh... that's what I got!