#rachel amber critical

[saemi-the-dreamer]

For the ask meme, 8, 19, and 23?

Thanks for the ask Elves ^o^ Now let's gooooo!!

8. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I've answered it here already, but here's another thing that bugs me and I'm going to take the risk: about the games Life is Strange (1 and Before the Storm)

Rachel and Chloe were not a cute couple. In the first game "Life is Strange", it's implied that Rachel was selfish and manipulative and that she took advantage of Chloe and many people to get what she wanted, breaking hearts on her way and leaving the people behind to pick up the pieces after her. In "Before the Storm, there are many clues and foreshadowings telling us that Chloe shouldn't trust Rachel, nor get close to her, but she's just so lonely, desperate and in a vulnerable state of mind that she's tricked. This whole scene is not Rachel confessing her love or "proposing to her" - as some comments like to say - on stage / in public to Chloe while staying in character. Look well at the lines, forget they're acting a Shakespearian play, and you have a true summary of their relationship:

Rachel sent Chloe to wreak havoc for her; Chloé does and is always the one who takes the risks, always in the first line for her, and because of Rachel's influence, Chloe becomes more and more ruthless, self-centred and obsessed with Rachel, which leads Chloe to lose any friend she could make in BtS and we know how bad her relationship with both her mother and step-father is in LiS1.

After Chloe is done with a task, Rachel praises her but then immediately points out "There's more work"; even though Rachel's parents are rich and she's socially way above Chloe, she's relying on others to do everything for her. Rachel is the most desperate to leave Arcadia Bay, but Chloe is the one who has to find a car and the money to leave. What does Rachel do, except give orders and get more and more demanding? What does she concretely do for Chloe, except get her in trouble and give her some crumbs of affection/love? Nothing! She never helped Chloe find a way to go back to school, follow her studies online or anything, or even support her in finding a job! All she does is ask and take, and her pieces of advice are shit, she pushes Chloe to rebel and be unpleasant when it comes to her mother marrying again instead of telling her to talk it out with them or to give her future step-dad a chance before slamming the door shut to his face.

when Chloe reminds Rachel that she made a promise to her, Rachel either doesn't remember or pretends not to

"My liberty." "Nay, this most of all I will not grant." Rachel refuses to let Chloe go. She even has the gall to ask why! Like "Hey, why do you want to be free? Aren't you happy to serve me? Are you not having fun?"

"Yeah, but fun is not happiness!" Chloe even points out that she wants to be loved for who she truly is, not just have fun and adventures, Chloe needs something genuine, she also needs stability. But Rachel still refuses, "I hold you in my grasp" (!!!) and then even points out that seeing Chloe free, happy on her own, and seeing her thrive would make her envious. This plainly shows Rachel is an abuser! She can't stand the idea that Chloe can be happy without her, she needs to be the centre of her world!

And although Chloe reaches out for her, telling her "Then come with me, isn't that possible for you?", Rachel evades the question and basically tells her "Once we leave Arcadia Bay, I will make you so happy that you will forget that you're my prisoner and slave".

THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC! And people in the game PLUS many gamers are falling for it, since someone in the public screams "SAY YES!!" er... NO?! Chloe, run for your life!!?

Chloe was basically the caretaker of Rachel, and when Chloe wasn't enough, she looked for another. Rachel seduced Nathan (rich, abused and vulnerable but mentally ill), then Frank (an independent adult, but he was a drug dealer and not mentally stable) and then she fell for Jefferson, who had ticked all the boxes... Unfortunately for her, he was very much like her but worse!

Another point for LiS1, I don't believe David was an abusive step-father.

Is he kind of a jerk, not the most tactful, and kinda sexist? Yep, all agreed. But people also forget that this guy has fought in a freaking war! Everyone justifies both Chloe and Rachel's actions with their traumas, but no one even thinks about how this guy must be full of traumas too. What he lived explains (not justify!!) that he's a bit paranoid and adamant about following rules and laws. And we tend to forget how he had a very good intuition for many things: he was suspicious about Jefferson very early, but no one took him seriously, for one!

And back to the stepfather thing, I saw many people talking shit bout how Chloe didn't feel safe at home because of him. This is bullcrap. If Chloe didn't feel safe, then why did she take drugs in her room?! Or hid the gun she stole from him under her mattress? Because she knew she would get away with it with, at worst, a slap. A slap she pushed David to give her, which is another abuser tactic btw - one she must have taken from Rachel, as we see how her speech, manners and even clothing mimic Rachel if you take BtS into account. In Life is Strange 2, there is a scene where you meet him, and if you have a saved game with the "Chloe survived ending", we see how she and Max keep in touch with him! They write letters and send him photos, and David calls her "his daughter" and even "Sweetie" as he picks up when Chloe calls him!!! ; and let's not forget the "your old man doesn't fear the heat." So Chloe even came to consider him as her father then! Do you seriously think she would if he had been an abusive piece of shit? I don't. If anything, Chloe must have acted on her realization at the end of the first game, where she told Max that David doesn't deserve to die in the storm and reached out when she felt ready.

19. You're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like…

I'm at an age where I stop caring about the internet's opinion most of the time, I just want to chill and enjoy my things in my corner xD BUT I'm quite kind of surprised and embarrassed (sometimes) at some kinks I realised I enjoy more than I thought I should (still quite soft compared to what we can find!) like spanking for example. Or when I start a story and think "URGH this character is SO annoying, I can't stand them" then it changes to either "I love them" or "I want *insert character* to tame them"

23. Ship you've unwillingly come around to

Well, I've ranted about the game series, so I'll keep on it:

I've spoken about Rachel/Chloe, so I'm not going to expand more, but for Pricefield (Chloe/Max)? Well, in summary, I'll say that Chloe did to Max exactly what Rachel did to her.

I'm not the purist kind, if you want to ship a toxic ship, it's totally okay! I can see the appeal! But most fanworks romanticise them way too much! They cut out all the toxic traits or interesting character development and make it all "pure from friend to lover" which isn't... that at all. I'd like them more if it was addressed that the pairings are not the healthiest, or if it was explicitly written under "toxic/abusive relationship"! Or just an "everything is fine/better AU", sure, go ahead! I love these AUs too, it would be fun and heartwarming to read slices of life stories/small comics with the characters without the tragedies awaiting them!

But at the moment, all I see is that Rachel was Chloe's toxic ex, and Chloe became Max's toxic ex-best/girlfriend (in the timeline where Chloe dies).

[fire-and-sparks]

anyway! Rachel never cheated on Chloe because being victimized by adult men twice her age (one of whom drugged and kidnapped her) is NOT cheating!! she’s literally a teenager!

[dystopicbrain]

never in my life would i choose to save arcadia bay over chloe. i don’t give a shit if ur mother deserves so much more than that and blah blah blah. chloe, i’ve saved your ass i don’t know how many times and if i ever choose to let urself die, then u couldn’t even pay for the years of therapy that max’ll surely need. u don’t want to live? well, i don’t give a shit, u live because i decide so

[atopcat]

Are you surprised by the waves of support for Sophie? I for one thought everyone would be taking Joe’s side instantly

I am surprised but taking a step back I’ve realised the real reason isn’t because we as a society have stopped letting men trash their ex wives, it’s because Joe Jonas doesn’t have a male fanbase.

His glory years were spent being a teenage heartthrob for young girls, never a fan personally but that was his whole schtick thus he never won over the male demographic. So when he started using the supposedly never failing “blame the wife” strategy he fell flat because unlike Johnny Depp he doesn’t have an army of stupid boys ready to leap to his defence no matter what. Yes women got involved in the Amber Heard hate train, I’m not denying that, but if you go online, read the articles, watch videos, check out the crowds outside the courthouse etc. it’s predominantly men showing support.

That’s what makes Sophie’s situation so unique to Amber Heard, Evan Rachel Wood, Angelina Jolie etc. Her ex partner doesn’t have a legion of women hating incels drowning out the critics so now we can finally have a conversation about the dirty tactics men use to attack their wives without some Andrew Tate wannabe sending death threats.

[arcadiabaytornado]

I want to talk about Rachel’s junkyard letter to Chloe because it contextualizes her relationship with Frank and Mark. (Note: She is more than likely talking about Mark here. Frank doesn’t seem wise, and he is scary, but in a pretty conventional way. Mark will even say that Frank was Rachel’s bad boy phase in Episode 5. Plus, “We hooked up near campus,” also points to Mark.)

This note has a lot of substance regarding the nature of Rachel and Chloe’s ambiguous relationship, but that’s not really what I want to talk about...for today at least. Instead, I want to talk about how this is so clearly a note written by a young woman who’s way over her head. She acknowledges that Chloe would find her relationship with Mark gross, and she then says that if Chloe freaked, “she wouldn’t blame her.” She then elaborates on this point by saying she has to keep her relationship with her teacher a secret because she knows that Chloe would be right to react with disgust. Max even says that Rachel sounded confused and ashamed about this relationship. 

But what's somehow even more alarming is Rachel referring to Mark as scary, and honestly, that just breaks my heart. We don't know what Mark did, but we know that Rachel had already been in a scary situation with an older man. In Frank's RV, we can find a letter where Rachel says that Frank went ballistic and frightened her. She was an eighteen-year-old girl, at the oldest, and in an RV with a drug dealer who was losing his shit. Then she meets Mark. Another older man who has power over her grades and future. She hooks up with him, but...she finds him scary too. We don't know what he said to make her this way. Or what he did. Or if Rachel just got a weird vibe...but she was in her second relationship in her young life with a man who scared her...and she was right to fear them both. Especially Mark. 

More Undercut

Rachel Amber was not a seductress. She was not a harlot sent to lead the men of Arcadia Bay astray. Rachel Amber was a victim. She was eighteen years old and dated men who had power over her, not just in their age, but in drugs and grades. She feared each of them, and no one could save her in time. She died in the darkroom. Overdosed on Frank's drugs while Mark took photos of her body. And yet...such a tragedy so often boiled down to "She hurt Chloe's feelings!"

As much as I love Chloe, that's not the worst thing to happen in this situation. The worst thing to happen is the grooming and subsequent murder. I know that’s kind of harsh phrasing, and I really hope I'm not coming off as overly critical, but I’ve noticed that Rachel’s relationship with Frank and Mark is often talked about in terms of how it affected Chloe instead of how it affected Rachel.

And while, yes, Chloe’s feelings were hurt, and that shouldn't be minimized, Rachel's relationships with these men affected Rachel more than anyone. That's not to say I'm opposed to talking about how Rachel's relationships hurt Chloe!!!! Because they did!!! I'm just saying that it makes me uneasy how Chloe is sometimes treated like the biggest victim of Rachel's relationships when Rachel is dead at the hands of the men who groomed her.

Sorry that I went off on a tangent at the end there, but I’ve never liked it when characters are boiled down to their romantic relationships, and I tend to think that what happened with Frank and Mark should be looked outside the lens of Amberprice a little. Just like I think Chloe deserves an analysis of who she is as a person outside the lens of Amberprice and/or Pricefield.

OKAY I have got to end this post because that was another tangent but quick thoughts: A: Rachel was a victim and it seeps through every letter of this note. B: Rachel deserved better. C: I wish the Mark/Frank situation wasn’t often boiled down to how it made Chloe feel. I feel like Rachel’s character is sometimes not given the analysis it deserves because of it. 

[hadsephone]

Could you elaborate more on "Amber shaped Persephone as much as Anais and Rachel did"? Like did she actually have say in things like lyric changes or staging or is it more about her actual legacy and how long she was in the role for?

The second one! to my knowledge she didn't have any direct say in the actual book/script, but ever since they started workshopping the show it was Amber's personality, acting, singing, etc that helped to shape Persephone. She's a very unique and one-of-a-kind performer and her specific mannerisms are what made Persephone, Persephone. Like, I don't really know how to describe it, but if you've seen her in other shows or at solo concerts you can definitely see a very strong overlap between "Amber characteristics" and "Persephone characteristics" and how Ambersephone was a perfect mix of acting as a character while also using her own mannerisms.

Amber was in the show for six years, across four different productions, and that's not even counting workshops. Theatre critics and fans genuinely viewed "Amber Gray" and "Persephone Hadestown" as synonymous in a lot of ways.

Many of the replacements have done a fantastic job at continuing on Amber's legacy while still putting their own unique twist on the role, and that's amazing! Amber is not an easy person to follow and I really do love most of her replacements. I love how they honor Amber's legacy while putting their own spin on the character.

Also there's just so many aspects of Persephone's character that are just...Black culture. For example, her dance in Way Down Hadestown is a jazz funeral. And tbh it's really offensive to have white actors in that role doing the same thing. If Amber had never played Persephone, Persephone would be a completely different character.

Persephone was exclusively a Black/mixed-Black role for almost 5 years.

(As a white fan, I'm not going to comment on non-Black POC playing the role. I ADORE Maria-Christina Oliveras and Shea Renne, who both are Asian-American, and I am not going to comment on whether or not it's 'okay' for mixed Pinoy actresses to play a Black-coded role, because while I do think Persephone should ideally be Black, I'm not going to advocate AGAINST Filipina leads. White Persephone is a million times more offensive than nonBlack-POC Persephone ever will be. That being said, since I've acknowledged that Way Down is a jazz funeral, I do wish that Shea and Maria had had the chance to honor Filipino culture in their portrayal, in the same way that every other Persephone honors Black culture.)

Basically: Amber Gray and Amber Gray's specific portrayal of Persephone is literally what built Persephone. Especially from a racial aspect, there's so many parts of Persephone's character that you literally cannot separate from African-American culture and casting white people as Persephone is so disrespectful to Amber's - a biracial black woman's - legacy in the show. Also, if Amber had actual say in Persephone's lines, I can guarantee the Chant II verse would never have been cut.

[rach-amber]

Hi, it’s me again (:

What was your favorite character traits about Rachel Amber?

Hey! Happy to see you and boy what a great question, thank you! Loaded answer ahead; TLDR, see the good in Rachel Amber.

Rachel's many things. Pretty, hot, charming, stylish, not to mention her lovely voice, these physical traits are already a great start for many. Then you have functional traits-- ambidextrous (can I just say that's hella cool, omg I want that too), social genius/people skills, straight As student, drama queen, masked with a layer of mystery, many people would've already fallen for her, in-game and out, me being one of them when I first got to know her as a character (so pretty much those were my fav traits of her).

But if we strip her physical beauty down and shove aside her fascinating skillset, who is she really? We may never know 100%, but some character traits can still be found.

Here are some of my favourite (&underrated) Yangs to Rachel Amber's sides. aka why Rachel Amber should get more love & less hate from the fandom

Ofc there are exceptions, but those are not relevant in this post; assumptions & headcannons are added

1. A good heart

Kindness to me will always be one of the most important character traits to have for anyone. With all that powerhouse of a Rachel Amber can accomplish, she chooses to use them with kindness.

With her social skills she chooses to lift people up, saving Hayden from a quickly-escalating scolding from Mr Keaton in ep 1, asking Chloe in a nuanced way if she's "taking (getting kicked outta Blackwell) this a little too well", kinda guiding her independent thinking rather than directly telling her what's right or wrong. (There'd be constructive criticism between Chloe & Rachel, which I stan in a relationship/friendship.)

With her intelligence she tutors Justin & helped him improve his algebra from an F to a C I believe? That's pretty impressive, ngl

with her ambidexterity.. idk, she makes Chloe happy :> (yes i'm totally referring to doing graffiti with her left hand on Chloe's insistence *cough*)

This is why I'm inclined to believe that tornado was not Rachel's revenge. She'd never choose to put Chloe, her parents, her friends, at risk; if she wanted revenge she could've killed the men w her powers. Sure you can say some of these might be her trying to live up to her DA father / principal assistant's duties, but at least she chose to do them. She could very well be a kid who doesn't give a damn or fluff through some of these things that requires time & effort.

2. Sees the good in others!

One of the most underrated Rachel Amber traits imo. This girl literally has a reputation of "her friends are her friends", and does not discriminate in terms of friendship/who she hangs out with. She picked Chloe up from her lowest (saw her & praised her for backtalking the biker, defending Nathan, & "you're more of a hero than you think you realise", when Chloe didn't take Drew's money). Rachel stuck with Chloe when no one else did (puts up with her sh*t, which ofc Chloe does the same), literally chose Chloe to share her uncertain future outside Arcadia, did not take her chance to leave when she could in those 3 years, most likely cuz she wanted to leave with Chlo. She also hung out with Nathan (& Chloe when so many wouldn't), saw the good in Frank (yes. same as Nathan & Chloe his reputation is far from great and despite the unhealthiness of this relationship, she at the very least cared for the guy, & saw the humanity inside him), & very sadly fell for the portrayed "gone through some serious shit" act by Jeffers*n, all these showing her being an empathetic & sympathetic person.

I'll add non-judgemental as well, cuz it's why she's able to get along with so many people so well. Like what her VA Kylie Brown says in an interview, whoever you are, Rachel'd be like "hey you're a pretty cool person, let's talk!" It's inspiring. I love that about her. Gotta have more Rachels in the world.

3. Ambitious. Puts in the hard work. Persistent.

"One day, I'm gonna climb Mt Everst." says a 15 year old Rachel in Bts, who has posters of travelling in Asia (the green poster has Chinese words saying "go travel in China", amongst others), already speaks about her courage & ambition. And of course, leaving Arcadia with no one but Chloe for a better life. Yes you can say it's reckless, because it's a big idea for a teenager, but she didn't just give up on it. It stuck with her, and she worked hard for it. Doing photoshoots to get modelling jobs, maintaining her 4.0 GPA, finding opportunities to leave... she did those for 5 years. And in the comics universe, they made it out! Now they're over 22yos with an LA apartment, Rachel's in modelling gigs with her acting career kicking off... what could've been for game Rachel. (oh the things I'd do for Bts' ending to be Max appearing in the nick of time instead of that damn vibrating phone!) Also I wonder if in some universes, like the wheelchair Chloe one, a missing Rachel could mean she actually made it out without others knowing, instead of the darker end.

4. Caring & thoughtful & protective & passionate partner/friend/lover!

She listens to Chloe's problems (therapy session), she gives Chloe nice clothes to wear within the few days they'd met (what financially challenged Chloe needed, & in a way that wasn't awkward for Chloe), she sends post cards to Chloe while she's away (she thinks about her often), & "don't f****ing touch her". Passionate lover, I mean.. the way she kissed Chloe under that lamp (with high intimacy of course) is good enough an example. Chloe's the romantic one in my head. Rachel, the passionate.

*the way she puts her hand on C's shoulder after wiping her tears, OmO*

So far these are the character traits I can think of, and your question helped draw out Rachel's positive sides that are too under-recognised. Thanks again! :)

These links helped me understand Rachel & Amberprice better, here for people's reference:

Because I choose to see the good in Rachel, I'm her defender through and through. Join me, if you can.

Edit: damn I literally wrote an essay, maybe 1 day there'd be a video!

This pain wouldn't be for Evermore.

[thousandfireworks]

Authors whose books you have to avoid because they are problematic.

Abigail Hing Wen.

Alex Aster.

Alice Hoffman.

Alice Oseman.

Alison Win Scotch. ‘Terrorism is never acceptable. Not in Israel.’

Allie Sarah.

Amber Kelly.

Amy Harmon.

Annabelle Monaghan.

Anna Akana.

Aurora Parker.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Brandon Sanderson. Islamophobic.

Carissa Broadbent. Said that hamas is doing violence against innocence.

Chloe Walsh. Siding with Israel in the name of humanity.

Christina Lauren. Believe that Israel is the victim. A racist, also Islamophobic.

Colleen Hoover.

Cora Reilly. Travel to Israel despite criticism.

Danielle Bernstein. Islamophobic.

Danielle Lori.

Deke Moulton. Said hamas is terrorist.

Dian Purnomo.

Eliza Chan.

Elle Kennedy.

Elyssa Friedland.

Emily Henry.

Emily Mclntire.

Emily St. J. Mandel. Admiring Israel.

Gabrielle Zevin. Wrote a book about anti-Palestine. Mentioned Israel multiple times without context on his book.

Gregory Carlos. Israeli author. A zionist.

Hannah Whitten.

Hazel Hayes. Reposted a post about October 7th.

Heidi Shertok.

Jamie McGuire.

Jay Shetty. ‘Violence is happening in Israel.’

Jean Meltzer.

Jeffery Archer. Wrote a book with a mc Israel operative (mossad) in a positive and anti terrorist light.

Jennifer Hartman. Liked a post about pro-Israel.

Jen Calonita.

Jessa Hastings.

Jill Santopolo. Said that Israel has right to exist and fight back.

John Green.

Jojo Moyes.

J. Elle.

J. K. Rowling. Support genocide. Racist. Islamophobic.

Kate Canterbery.

Kate Stewart.

Katherine Howe.

Katherine Locke.

Kristin Hannah. Support Israel. Shared a donation link.

Laini Taylor.

Laura Thalassa. Islamophobic.

Lauren Wise. Cussed that Palestinian supporters would be raped in front of children.

Lea Geller. Thanked people who supports Israel.

Leigh Stein.

Lilian Harris. A racist. Blocking people who educates about colonialism in Palestine and call them disgusting.

Lisa Barr. A daughter of Holocaust survivor. Support Israel.

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery.

Lisa Steinke.

Liz Fenton.

Lynn Painter. Afraid of getting cancelled as a pro-Palestine and posted a template afterwards.

L. J. Shen. Her husband joins idf (Israel army).

Mariana Zapata.

Marie Lu.

Marissa Meyer.

Melissa de la Cruz.

Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

Michelle Hodkin. Spread false rumors about arab-hamas. Islamophobic.

Mitch Albom. ‘We shouldn't blame Israel for surviving attacks or defending against them.’

Monica Murphy. Siding with Israel.

Naomi Klein.

Navah Wolfe.

Neil Gaiman. Suggested Palestinians unite with Israel and become citizens.

Nicholas Sparks.

Nic Stone. Talked nonsense that children in Palestinian refugee camp are training to be martyrs for Allah because they felt it was their call in life.

Nyla K.

Olivia Wildenstein. Blocking people who disagree with Israel wrongdoing.

Pamela Becker.

Penelope Douglas.

Pierce Brown.

Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Rebecca G. Martinez.

Rebecca Yarros. ‘I despise violence’ her opinion about what's happening in Gaza. Blocking people who calls her a zionist.

Rena Rossner.

Renee Ahdieh.

Rick Riordan.

Rina Kent.

Rivka (noctem.novelle).

Rochelle Weinstein.

Romina Garber. ‘These terrorist attacks do nothing to improve the lives of Palestinians people.’

Roshani Chokshi. Encourage people to donate to Israel.

Samantha Greene Woodruff.

Sarah J. Mass. Her book contained ideology of zionism.

Stephanie Garber. Promoting books by zionist author (Sarah J. Mass)

Skye Warren.

Sonali Dev.

Talia Carner.

Tarryn Fisher. Said ‘there was terrorist attack in Israel.’

Taylor Jenkins Reid. Posted a video about genocide.

Tere Liye. Rumoured to have ghoswriters to write his books and never give credit to them.

Tillie Cole.

Tracy Deon.

Trinity Traveler (Ade Perucha Hutagaol). Rumour to wrote book about handsome Israelis.

T. J. Klune.

Uri Kurlianchik.

Veronica Roth.

Victoria Aveyard. ‘Israel has the right to exist.’ quote from her about the issue.

V. E. Schwab. Shared a donation link and video about Israel.

Yuval Noah. ‘Israel has the right to do anything to defend themselves.’

Zibby Owens.

[hotxcheeto]

Hiii bby ! ☺️ i’m literally obsessed with your chloe fics <3 may i request rachel x fem reader smut with soft dom rachel <3 i love her sm

━ 𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) - Rachel Amber x Fem!Reader

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - Smut, cursing, v fingering ( r! receiving ), kissing, sweetness and FLUFFFF, compliments, girlfriend!rachel, top rach, bottom reader

𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ? - Yeah/Nope ( I did spell check tho... kinda )

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 - AHH ty for the request!! and I'm glad you like my other fics ily sm!!

REBLOG MY WORK! I WORK HARD & IT'S APPRECIATED!!

Your dorm room was silent, blinds clattering every few minutes from a blow of the wind. Rachel didn't seem to notice like you had though, too busy sorting all of the photos she'd taken in the past few weeks while muttering criticisms to herself. Tossing her least favorites aside.

The golden glow from the window complimented the four walls that you called home currently. Your eyes dancing from each of them as you thought, stretched out and comfortable while pondering what to have for dinner.

The sudden flash of a camera took your mind away from the thoughts of ramen or tacos. Flickering your pupils to the golden haired girl looking at the screen of the camera in her hands with a grin.

"Sorry, you just looked so... majestic."

You rolled your eyes at her dramatics, running your hands down your face while hiding your smile in the process.

"Nothing about me is majestic right now, I can promise you that."

Rachel gasped, placing her hand on her chest. Suddenly a faux expression of shock and horror crossed her face and invaded her irises.

"I didn't take you for a liar and a promise breaker, Y/n."

"What can I say? I'm truly a horrible person at heart."

Rachel stood up, laughing on her way to sit beside you on the mattress. Climbing over your body which made you painfully aware of how little clothing she'd been wearing, having spent the night. Choosing her underwear over her jeans which... who were you to disagree... or complain, for that matter?

"Majestic as well." She joked, resting her head on the pillow next to the one you'd been laying on. "Even if you're blind to your beauty." "Is that a line from one of your plays?" You then asked her, rolling onto your side to face her.

"No, it's a line from my heart." The way Rachel spoke always sounded like she was reciting a poem, making it hard to believe yet entrapping and enticing you all the same. She sounded like a Goldrush, and it matched her appearance as well.

"You should be a poet, if your other career plans fail." You blurted out quietly, listening to her melodic chuckles. "I get that a lot." It was your turn to find her funny, blinking while watching her take in a breath.

"Have been considering it, but I'll need a muse." You listened to her voice, the bed moving as she shifted to lean over you, laying her head against her palm, elbow keeping her raised.

"Something... someone... majestic? To, y'know, get heaps and floods of inspiration from. As those movie artists say, you cannot be a creator without finding something to love that's been already created."

You stared blankly at her, admiring the way her jaw and mouth moved as she spoke. It sounded like she was both joking and serious.

"You just made that up didn't you?" Your question came out before you could think it back in. Her laughter filling up your ears.

"Yeah, but it was hella poetic, right?"

You agreed quietly, smiling up at her while she continued to wonder. Her nail running along your leg making you shift as it had tickled. Though it began feeling less and less ticklish the closer she got to your inner thigh.

"Maybe I should be a poet." You said something to follow up that but it trickled away as she moved closer and closer towards where your shorts had ridden upwards.

"But all my poems would just end up being about you." She muttered, content with the way you squirmed under touch but didn't pull away. The little flicker of a flustered state never passing slowly across your features which made her increasingly bold.

"Oh really?" You spoke just above a whisper, trying your hardest to ignore the thumping in your underwear. Breaths light and shuddering her baby hairs from how close she truly was to your face.

Rachel spared no seconds though, leaning down to kiss your lips, tasting like the fruity drink she'd bought from the convenience store. The half drunk can still set on your side table across the room.

"I love you.." You said happily, muttering it to both yourself and her. Feeling the tips of her fingers inching towards where the seams of your panties met your leg. "Hm... tell me again."

She grinned as she said this, sneaking her way into your shorts and tugging them aside while you gathered yourself once again.

"I love you..." You spoke again, spreading your legs in just the slightest to give her more room to work with. "I love you so much..." A grin crossed your face when speaking, only for it to be replaced by a gasp, her fingertips brushing over your clit before moving in a soft circle.

Rachel just continues to take in every inch of your face, each little curve and indent. Each line and little blemish, her fingers working whilst she tried to paint your entire existence into her memory.

"Do you love me?" Your question was silently answered but was followed by an audible, "Of course I do.." from her. Rachel then leaned down to kiss you again and again while teasing and pleasuring your bundle of nerves. Rolling it against her fingers while you tried your hardest to stay in the same spot and not jerk away or shut your legs.

"You're my muse..." She gave you a smirk, referring to herself earlier while simultaneously picking up her pace and making you whimper. "...what's not to love?"

You focused on how she worked skillfully, yet barely broke a sweat. Too busy nipping your jaw or nuzzling your cheek to hear your sweet yet low moans increase. A light wet sound meeting your ears from inside of your bottoms, making you look at her with big eyes while she only basked in your adorable pleas that fell on deaf ears.

Your eyebrows furrowed and mouth jittered, biting your lip to give your neighboring students ease of not having to listen to your girlfriend fuck you.

Her digits then found their way to your hole and without warning, two fingers soaked with your slick invaded your cunt. A choked, strangled noise following up from your throat which she pressed a kiss to.

"Rach.. oh fuck..." You hummed, chest heaving up and down, eyes moving back and forth between her hand and her face. Both such sights to behold but she helped you make the choice of which to actually focus on.

"Look at me..." Rachel practically sang, giving you no room to deny her request. "M'gonna-" "I know, now tell me how much you love me, Y/n."

You were rocking against her to meet her knuckles, reaching out to grab at her forearm which she seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

"I- I love you- I really do- I love you so much-"

She giggled as you repeated yourself over and over, muttering and babbling nonsense to her as you came around her. Shuddering and shutting your thighs on her hand, but she kept moving, not letting her unfortunate new position hold her back from fucking you through your blissful state.

Everything then coming to a halt, your shaky breathing being the only sound in the room besides her amusement.

"Fuck, now that was majestic." She spoke first.

You looked up at her, smiling big and leaning for a kiss which she gave. Rubbing her nose against yours and making you pull back, laughing sweetly.

"Now... be my muse for a little longer?"

How could you say no?

a/n: watching kennie rn - stan bad movies and a beat y'all

[silverskull]

Shades & Hues

Part 2: Hues of Happiness

Tim and Lucy often have happy kisses, but sad hugs on-screen. What if we flipped that idea and wrote a two-shot?

* She’s in his arms, wrapping herself against him tightly, and he pulls her close, dipping his nose into her hair. He can smell exhaust, and cigarette smoke, and the unfamiliar shampoo from the apartment she shared with her mark, but it’s her - it’s her - and she’s here, with him, and he can feel her ribs below his fingers, her eyelashes fluttering against his neck, and nothing else in the world matters.

(Full fic below the cut, or click here to read and bookmark on AO3)

“Lopez is my plus one.”

“I asked her first!”

“I asked her nicer!”

“So what does that make me?”

“Minus one.”

Lopez and Harper grin and chortle - yes, chortle - clinking their champagne glasses giddily together over the fancy linen tablecloth. They’re dressed to kill, Angela in a flowing white pantsuit, Nyla in an unexpectedly pretty pink cocktail dress, and they’re determined to make the most of the free bar while it’s still available.

Grey gives an amused snort at Tim’s other elbow, shaking his head at the detectives and slicing into his seared steak. Tim grimaces, poking his fork at a lump of potato stuck to the side of his plate.

“You’re just gonna let your minions disparage a senior officer like that?” he asks, knowing before even finishing the question that Grey has absolutely no intention of siding with him.

“They’re free agents tonight, Sergeant,” Grey chuckles. “They’ve earned their place here. You only got a seat at the table-”

“Because you slept your way to the top!” Angela interrupts, with a wild toss of her head. Tim feels his jaw drop open, aghast, and his fork clatters loudly against his plate before falling clumsily into his lap, spattering potato everywhere. Nyla finds this particularly amusing and she cackles loudly, throwing her head back and leaning against Angela for support. Tim scowls, swiping her napkin and dusting himself off irritably.

He wasn’t one to shy away from a celebratory night out. He quite enjoys the opportunity to dress smart and eat well, particularly when the company is good. He remembers Lucy quizzing him relentlessly after his first date with Rachel at Ravenna. She’d started with some circumspection, commenting on the reviews page in the newspaper he’d been browsing, or spending hours in the shop talking her way through an imaginary buffet for herself and Jackson, that just so happened to have all the same dishes as Ravenna. He’d let her ramble on, knowing full-well that it was driving her crazy, until she eventually broke down and asked him outright.

“How in the hell did you know so much about a restaurant with two Michelin stars? What are you? Some sort of moonlighting food critic?!”

“You sound surprised.” His smile was smug, and he knew she knew it.

“No! Well… yes.” She jostled in her seat, fiddling with her seatbelt. “You just never seemed like the type who likes…” She trailed off, pursing her lips thoughtfully. It irritated him.

“Likes what? Good food?”

“No! I know you like good food. A guy who likes…” She paused again, following the track of a delivery bike as it swooped past them at the traffic lights.

“Likes what? Spit it out, boot!” He thumped the steering wheel for emphasis, glaring at her as the lights changed and the cars in front of them rumbled back into life.

“Likes culture, I guess,” Lucy finished, with a shrug. “The finer things in life. You… you still surprise me.” She turned to appraise him, her lips tugging down at the corners as she fought a losing battle against a smile and as the shop moved forward, a beam of sunlight caught her eyes, turning her irises from dark honey into molten amber. He looked away quickly, clearing his throat.

“Yeah, well, I’’ve got layers.”

“Like an onion?” she smirked.

“Like an ogre,” he growled, pressing a little too hard on the gas pedal.

She settled back into her seat, readjusting her belt and tipping her chin up. “Well I think that underneath all those layers, you’re just a big softie.”

He’d added dumbbells to the bottom of their warbags before she arrived the next morning.

“Oh lighten up, Timothy, it was only a joke!” Angela waves her napkin at him across Nyla’s lap, snapping him out of his reverie. Harper plucks her own napkin back daintily, scrutinising him thoughtfully.

“You should be honoured to be here at all. These awards are for people who do actual police work, not just smashing down doors and waving ‘round riot shields,” she says, spreading her napkin neatly back over the pleats in her dress. “If it wasn’t for Chen, this table would be exclusively diligent detectives and top brass-” she gives Grey a solemn nod, “-and you’d be on door security with Nolan and the rookies.”

The aforementioned Nolan picks that very moment to catch Tim’s eye from his station at the entryway, waving cheerily and completely ignoring an influx of inebriated off-duty cops heading towards the bar. Juarez, at least, gives them a stern glare, but she’s almost a foot shorter than all of them and hidden in the shadows cast by the elaborate lighting. Tim scowls, turning back to his plate and tossing his cutlery into the middle of the potatoes.

It’s over an hour later when the speeches begin, and Tim can feel himself slowly begin to petrify into his seat, his legs restless and antsy, and his hands tingling from repeated applause. Harper had raved about this ceremony, swirling her embossed invitation around in the bullpen, and noting that only the crème de la crème of Law Enforcement ever got invited to it.

The California Law Enforcement Agency Gala Awards. What an atrocious mouthful. 

Apparently Harper had attended before, nominated for her UC work in years gone by, but she’d lost out to a Detective Fry, who, in turn, had gone on to all but run the Undercover school in Sacramento. Harper held no ill-will, instead lauding the merits of a night of great company, fine food and - best of all - a free bar, paid for by the agencies themselves. Previous nominees were sometimes honoured with invites, and Harper had been drawn this year, and she preened smugly around the station for the entire afternoon after opening her mail. 

He’d seen her invite so many times during the day that, upon arriving home that night and opening the mailbox, he immediately recognised the thick card and gold embossing on the envelope he pulled from within. It was dark out, and he’d had to unlock the door and find the light switch while Kojo tangled himself around his ankles enthusiastically, but he was soon able to see it clearly. He’d turned the envelope over in his hands, tracing the golden bear above the seal, the name imprinted in dark ink along the front.

Detective Lucy Chen

The next day at work, Harper nearly exploded with pride when he showed it to her. She’d set about calling contacts and negotiating deals to try to extract Lucy from her op ASAP, and even succeeded in securing them a video call that very evening. Lucy was pleased with the news; amused at Harper’s enthusiasm and proud of her own work too, but mostly she was happy to see him. To see Tim. She’d eventually persuaded Harper to let them speak alone, and he plugged a pair of headphones into the screen, letting the music of her voice wash over him while he drank in her face.

She’d already been awarded the highest marks in the LAPD for her Detective’s exam (he’d promised her he wouldn’t take revenge on Prim, once she’d let him in on her secret; but it didn’t stop him from wishing for the guy to stand behind the wrong door one day, and get smashed right in the face) and now she was up against nominees from agencies across the state. Officers just as clever, hardworking and brilliant as herself.

Tim, of course, thought there was no need for all the fuss, and said they should just give her the prize directly, no questions asked. Grey and Harper stepped in quickly, reminding him that the fact that the awards were being held in LA meant more of her colleagues would be present to cheer for her. As if to drive home the point, Nolan signed himself and Juarez up for security duty the moment the requisition went out, and Thorsen traded Smitty a crate of ridiculously expensive IPA to take his place when the list had filled. Grey got invited as station Sergeant, and Harper latched onto Lopez as her plus one.

Which left Tim, miserably waiting to hear back from Lucy for days on end.

And, in the end, she’d found no way out. Nyla reminded him, half-heartedly, about ‘dope time’, and Lucy ruefully highlighted that it wouldn’t be a good look to drop an op in order to attend an awards show. He’d initially chosen to decline the event altogether, but then a request came down from the Captain, and subsequently the Chief of Police, that all nominees needed to either attend in-person or assign a representative, and, as her partner, Tim would have to show up for Lucy.

Which was how he had ended up here, now, listening to the same Chief of Police drone on about the challenges of modern policing, the responsibility to be seen as fair representatives of the justice system, and the bright future ahead for police agencies, with such an outstanding bunch of nominees in their presence tonight. The woman wouldn’t be winning any prizes herself, for speech-making at least.

“And, at last, what you’ve all been waiting to hear. May I present to you, from across the entire state of California, the ten nominees for this year’s CLEA Exhibition Award!”

Raucous applause breaks out across the room - the bar has been open for over four hours at this stage - and Angela elbows her neighbour (a young officer who’d travelled all the way from Eureka, and was desperately seeking Lopez’s approval) to imitate her sharp wolf whistle. Eventually, they quieten down enough for the Chief to begin calling out the names, but she’s only on the second one when the room bursts into noisy cheering again.

It’s Lucy’s name - Detective Lucy Chen - and her colleagues from the station are spread all across the room, clapping and whistling loudly the moment she’s mentioned. Tim feels the warm glow of pride, and he allows himself a moment to smile fondly at her photograph when it appears on the screen at the back of the stage. He stays looking at it as the rest of the names are called out, basking in her warm smile - one cheek dimpling in shy amusement at the photographer, a small strand of hair drifting across the other - and he wishes with all his heart that she was actually here. With him. Hiding her face in his shoulder at all the attention, or steadying his anxious foot-tapping with a soft hand on his knee.

“And, of course, though there can only be one winner, I want to be clear that the contributions of all ten nominees is valued, honoured, and will be upheld up as a standard of achievement for the Force for years to come.” Chief Coleman was stacking away the last of her note cards, tapping them firmly against the wooden surface of the podium, and grimacing quickly against the spotlight into the depths of the room. “I also want to note that neither Detective Abdul nor Detective Chen could be with us tonight, due to work commitments. In their stead, we welcome their husbands, Doctor Karim Abdul and Sergeant Tim Bradford.”

Lopez and Harper pitch immediately in opposite directions, cackling madly, and Tim feels a hot blush rise along his neck as his colleagues in the shadows whoop and hoot merrily. Grey gives him a smug side-eye, but says nothing, and Tim rolls his shoulders back, picturing in his mind’s eye the little velvet box buried behind a loose board in the back of a dresser at Genny’s house, that not even his sister knows about. 

They’ll all find out, when the time is right - he’s sure. But he’s still waiting for that moment.

Waiting for Lucy.

“And the Exhibition Award for exemplary achievement in California’s Law Enforcement Agencies for this year goes to…” The Chief pauses to break the seal on the envelope in her hands, and Lopez, aided by her new minion from Eureka, begins a drumroll on the edge of the table. Tim’s eyes are fixed on the screen, but he notices, in his periphery, Thorsen enthusiastically joining in, slapping his hands against the wall behind him and grinning from ear to ear. Despite himself, he feels a thrill of nerves; a rush of anticipation.

The Chief pulls out the card, and her lips quirk into an amused smile. “Detective Lucy Chen!”

The room erupts in applause and cheers, even the tables of guests from out of town giving in to the excitement of having a local winner. Tim feels hands patting his back, his shoulders - someone even dares to ruffle the back of his hair. He’s not surprised - of course she’s won, of course she has! - but in the commotion he nearly forgets that he has a job to do. Grey and Harper think for him, practically lifting him out of his seat by the elbows and propelling him across the room towards the stage. His feet catch on the legs of someone’s chair and he stumbles, taking a moment to apologise and straighten his tie before swallowing his pride and heading for the podium.

The path through the crowd seems endless, but eventually he trots up the steps to the stage, where Coleman shakes his hand firmly, her face serious and her eyes dark.

“We’re extremely proud of Lucy,” she says, gripping his hand tightly. “She’s a remarkable woman.”

He can’t help a quick smile. “I know.”

And then he’s on his own, staring into the blinding glare of the spotlight and almost forgetting the single notecard in his breast pocket. He reaches in to pull it out, feeling the sweat on his palms sticking to the paper, and he recognises Angela’s shrill whistle from the hidden sea of people before him. He takes it as support, takes courage in it, and begins.

“I can honestly say that on the first day I met Lucy Chen, I never pictured a night like tonight anywhere in our future. She was a hot-shot from the get-go. A woman with no quit in her. Endlessly aggravating. I even thought at one point it was a personal attack from our Sergeant, him sticking her with me.” He swears he can hear Grey chuckle from the middle of the room. “But Lucy was also kind. Thoughtful. Compassionate. She gave people grace in their hour of need - none more so than me.”

His mind flashes back to any number of moments in their first months together - his shooting, Isabel’s return, Andersen’s death - and he remembers his own dawning realisation that Lucy’s presence wasn’t just some flash-in-the-pan whim of a privileged kid.

“She had potential - real potential - and she was ready and willing to learn from all of us around her how to hone that potential, and become the officer that she is today. And she went through hell…” His voice catches, the fleeting sensation of hot sand under fingernails sweeping over him, and he has to swallow hard against a lump in his throat to keep going. “She went through hell to get to where she is today. The fact that she is still a member of the LAPD, and not only succeeding, but thriving, is a testament to her incredible talent, her skill, her capability, and her enormous heart. I am proud to accept this award on her behalf, and - with the greatest of respect to all the other nominees - I know that there is no-one more deserving.”

The crowd applauds again, and he steps back from the podium, noticing a small shuffle beside the tables at the foot of the stage. Thorsen has somehow wound up near the steps, and he’s apologising to someone as he edges past their chair, shoving them calmly but firmly to one side. Tim wonders why he chose now to start making a nuisance of himself, but he plasters on a smile and gives a quick nod of gratitude to the audience. He turns to thank the Chief too, but her chair is empty and there’s a sudden flurry of action in the wings opposite him. A young man with a headset scurries towards another man at a laptop and whispers hurriedly in his ear, covering the end of the mic with one hand. Tim is immediately on edge, and his smile falls away, his skin prickling into sharp goosebumps.

He’s just about to leave, turning to head for the steps and calculating how quickly he can grab Thorsen’s spare gun, when Coleman appears at his elbow and grips his arm tightly.

“We must take a photo, Sergeant Bradford,” she says, pulling him firmly back towards the centre of the stage and seizing his hand.

“There’s really no need-” he begins, looking around for a way out and catching, instead, the bright pink of Nyla’s cocktail dress at the side of the stage. There’s a dazzling flash - a camera somewhere below them - and he blinks against the stark spots in his eyes, shaking his head to try to clear his vision, and it’s only some remote modicum of ingrained obedience that prevents him from pulling away entirely from the Chief’s grasp and running for cover.

There’s another flash, and he’s suddenly aware of a low murmur running through the audience, a hum of suspicion, but he doesn’t have time to acknowledge it before Chief Coleman drops his hand and leaves him, confused, in the centre of the stage. She walks back to the podium, tipping the microphone briskly back down to her own height, and he checks quickly to the side to see Harper, still in the shadows, and grinning broadly.

“Ladies and gentlemen - colleagues from across the state.” Coleman’s stern voice gets everyone’s attention quickly and the murmur dies down. “It seems we have a small change to the order of events tonight. I’ve just been speaking to one of Detective Chen’s handlers, Detective Harper, and it seems they’ve had a breakthrough in their case. I’m sure you’ll be as delighted as I am - but nowhere near as delighted as Sergeant Bradford - to welcome to the stage…” She turns and smirks at Tim. “Detective Lucy Chen.”

His heart drops at the same moment as his jaw, and he has no time to think before Harper moves to the side and there - right there, in leather and denim - is Lucy. 

His Lucy. 

A little dishevelled and a little uncertain, but smiling with her whole face - her whole heart - and twirling her fingers nervously. Lucy. Chief Coleman urges her forward, and all Tim can hear is the blood rushing through his ears, and his hands reach out for her before she even moves. 

And then, with just a few steps, she’s in his arms, wrapping herself against him tightly, and he pulls her close, dipping his nose into her hair. He can smell exhaust, and cigarette smoke, and the unfamiliar shampoo from the apartment she shared with her mark, but it’s her - it’s her - and she’s here, with him, and he can feel her ribs below his fingers, her eyelashes fluttering against his neck, and nothing else in the world matters. He wants to ask ‘how’ and he wants to know why he was left out of the loop, but all of that can wait. For now, all he needs is her breath against his skin, her pulse hammering away against his chest almost as fast as his own, and the utter contentment that he feels in knowing that she is here, safe, at home, and with him.

It takes him a moment to recall where they are, with his fingers tangling in her hair to draw her head back and his thumb tracing along the sweep of her cheekbone, but then he remembers. He realises the rushing sound in his ears is the applause from the crowd, and he can definitely hear Angela’s piercing whistle taunting him from the floor, but he really can’t bring himself to care. He catches Harper’s eye as she saunters off the stage, and she waggles her hand at him, pointing conspicuously to her ring finger.

“I missed you.”

Lucy’s voice draws him in like soft honey, and he allows himself another moment to indulge in her presence, to soak up the familiar beauty of her face, and the smile she wears just for him. He pulls her into his chest once more, pressing his lips against the crown of her head, and then the Chief is rolling her eyes at them and waving her hand to get them off the stage. He grins, turning Lucy towards the steps and handing her the sparkling award. She lets him direct her, and he has a split second while his back is turned to the crowd to dip his mouth to her ear unobserved.

“Marry me?”

She comes to a dead halt, her eyes locking on his, and he grins, linking their hands and drawing her knuckles to his lips.

The crowd is still cheering, and Coleman is beginning to look a bit peeved, so he tosses her a quick salute and tugs gently on Lucy’s hand. She comes to, wobbling into a faltering walk behind him, before following him down the steps and off the stage. With the spotlights out of his eyes, he can see their friends, their hands raised as they clap for her - for them - and he leads Lucy towards their table, where he can see Nolan and Juarez already standing behind an extra chair.

She doesn’t have to answer him tonight. She doesn’t have to wear the ring he picked. She doesn’t even have to say ‘yes’ - at least, not yet.

But he needs her to know he missed her too.

And he needs her to know he loves her.

And he will always be here, ready to welcome her home.

Always.

AO3 link💖

Back to Part 1!

[deadguydeathmatch]

The Dead Guy Death Match Bracket Is Here!

Round 1 will be split into 4 waves of 16 24 hour polls and each wave will be posted 24 hours after the previous. The first wave will start on Tuesday the 18th of April at 3pm BST

The matchups are listed under the readmore and will be hyperlinked to the polls when they go up.

The matchups were all randomised although I did make minor adjustments if I thought one was much too unfair.

Also tagging @tournamentdirectory as I haven't already

Wave 1:

Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane) Vs Gavroche Thenardier (Les Miserables)

Leif (Bug Fables) Vs Queen Serenity (Sailor Moon)

L (Death Note) Vs Jonny D'Ville (The Mechanisms)

Noah Czerny (The Raven Cycle) Vs Lee Everett (The Walking Dead)

Pat Butcher (BBC Ghosts) Vs Xerxes Break (Pandora Hearts)

Captain Orimar Vale (Skyjacks Campaign Podcast) Vs Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks)

Diallos Hoslow (Elden Ring) Vs Rachel Amber (Life Is Strange)

Andrei Grandier (Rose Of Versailles) Vs Constance Blackwood (Ride The Cyclone)

Spock (Star Trek) Vs Maria Robotnik (Sonic The Hedgehog)

Kravitz (The Adventure Zone) Vs Sal Fisher (Sally Face)

Mari (Omori) Vs Ianto Jones (Torchwood)

Nate (Leverage) Vs Max (Sam and Max)

Owen Carvour (Spies Are Forever) Vs Vylad Ro'Meave (Minecraft Diaries)

Neil Perry (Dead Poet's Society) Vs Sayaka Miki (Madoka Magica)

Flapjack (The Owl House) Vs Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Loki (Marvel) Vs Adam Faulkner Stanheight (Saw)

Wave 2:

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) Vs Diggory Graves (Hello From The Hallowoods)

Hugo Oak (Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts) Vs Leonardo Hamato (Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie)

Chara (Undertale) Vs Magnus Chase (Magnus Chase)

River Song (Doctor Who) Vs Micheal Afton (Five Nights At Freddy's)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wurthering Heights) Vs Tara Maclay (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Laudna (Critical Role) Vs Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy)

Mia Fey (Ace Attorney) Vs Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

Meiko 'Menma' Honma (The Flower We Saw That Day) Vs Claire Foley (Professor Layton)

Grelle Sutcliff (Black Butler) Vs Skelly (Hades)

Ethan Winters (Resident Evil) Vs Portgas D Ace (One Piece)

Polly Geist (Monster Prom) Vs Hua Cheng (Heaven's Official Blessing)

Avatar Kyoshi (Avatar The Last Airbender) Vs Galivar Kholin (Stormlight Archive)

Pink/Orchid (Animation Vs Animator/Minecraft) Vs Lewis Pepper (Mystery Skulls Animated)

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb) Vs Stoick The Vast (How To Train Your Dragon)

Evelyn Hooper (Less is Morgue) Vs Manny Calavera (Grim Fandango)

Kokichi Oma (Danganronpa) Vs Silco (Arcane)

Wave 3:

Eurydice (Greek Mythology) Vs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead)

Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain) Vs Charles Vane (Black Sails)

Howard Hamlin (Better Call Saul) Vs Jason Grace (Riordanverse)

Nora Hildegard (The Vampire Diaries) Vs Gerard Keay (The Magnus Archives)

Manny (Swiss Army Man) Vs Matoro (Bionicle)

Wen Ning (Mo Dao Zu Shi) Vs Kikyo (Inuyasha)

Yuri Nakamura (Angel Beats) Vs Simon Kain (Pathologic)

Deep Throat (The X Files) Vs La Signora (Genshin Impact)

Esmeralda (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Novel) Vs Ursula Zandt/Silhouette (Watchmen Comics)

Nageki Fujishiro (Hatoful Boyfriend) Vs Tuba (Infinity Train)

Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice) Vs Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption)

Oda Sakunoske (Bungou Stray Dogs) Vs Rose Quartz (Steven Universe)

Duncan (Dragon Age) Vs Junpei Yoshino (Jujitsu Kaisen)

Quincey Morris (Dracula) Vs Connor Murphy (Dear Evan Hansen)

Deadman (DC Comics) Vs Breakdown (Transformers)

Draal The Deadly (Troll Hunters) Vs Castiel (Supernatural)

Wave 4:

Matsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer) Vs Midori (Your Turn To Die)

Kelsier (Mistborn) Vs Peter 'Parker' Yang (Malevolent Podcast)

Tadashi Hamada (Big Hero 6) Vs Noriaki Kakyoin (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Erik (The Phantom Of The Opera) Vs Matthias Helvar (Six Of Crows)

Tigerstar (Warrior Cats) Vs Boromir (The Lord Of The Rings)

Joel Miller (The Last Of Us) Vs Pedro Madrigal (Encanto)

Rufus Emeterio (They Both Die At The End) Vs King Arthur (King Arthur)

Bunny Corcoran (The Secret History) Vs Lenore (Nevermore Webtoon)

Sliver Of Straw (Rain World) Vs Bow (Inanimate Insanity)

Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place) Vs Nicholas D Wolfwood (Trigun)

Tiso (Hollow Knight) Vs Okudera (Yakuza 5)

Koki Kariya (The World Ends With You) Vs Horst Cabal (Johannes Cabal)

Mr Boddy (Clue) Vs Garret Jacob Hobbs (Hannibal)

Eddie Kaspbrak (IT) Vs Emily (Corpse Bride)

Ash Lynx (Banana Fish) Vs Ophelia (Hamlet)

Eddie Munson (Stranger Things) Vs Kili (The Hobbit)

[chloepleasestopdying]

And here is my thing right: there are things you can criticize Chloe about. She is rash, she has a small selfish streak, she is bullheaded etc etc

How is it that people (it’s men like 90% of the time let’s be honest. The other 10% are people who ship Max and Warren) take those and turn Chloe into some kind of monster?

Like how are you going to sit there and tell me that Chloe is a bad friend when she’s still out there looking for Rachel Amber after every other person in Rachel’s life has given up? After Chloe gives Max, who she has every right to be mad at, her beloved dead father’s camera less than a hour after seeing her again? How are you to say she’s selfish when she almost begs Max to sacrifice her to save the town?

It’s sexism, homophobia, just the unique hatred people have of teenage girls and most of all it’s bullshit. 

[nachoaveragejoe234]

DNI if

You think people who criticize racebending is racist.

2. You think only white people are racist. Don't be bigoted towards ANY race.

3. You hate Slavic people, think they're not oppressed.

4. You hate people because of their dictators (Russia, Japan (Hiroshima and internment defenders), China, Turkey, etc) or justify any hate or attacks against them.

5. You hate girly girls, damsels in distress, puppies, pink, think dolls will make girls stupid, anorexic, consumerists, etc.

6. You hate the original Disney princesses.

7. You support radfems, bullies, smearers, racists (both white and POC), and bullies in general but here's some specific people:

Rachel Zegler

Harriyanna Hook

Tommy Ross (a Youtuber, his video on defending black Ariel literally showed a picture of Danes and was like "do they look oppressed?" as if not only is their culture "evil colonizer", ignoring how Denmark was literally a victim of Nazi invasion, which IDK if you realize, the Nazis were genocidal oppressors and colonizers, but claiming oppression has a specific look, and then the POC who criticize racebending he literally tries to guilt trip them into liking it and force them to believe it's not leftovers. And ironically all this shit is being said by a white BRITISH MAN, a BRIT, ACTUAL COLONIZERS.)

Keira Knightley

Amber Heard

Mindy Kaling

8. P*dophilia apologists

9. Monster High G3 stans (if you attack G1 and claim G1 isn't diverse enough)

10. People who defend Velma, new Snow White, Mulan 2020.

[ziwi-miwi]

There are plenty of valid criticisms of Before the Storm but I don't understand the whole "Well nothing we do in the game matters because Rachel dies anyway" mentality? Like that's not the point. Or it is but not in the way people want it to be I guess?

Rachel Amber's story is a tragedy, through and through. Nobody can change how it ended, not even Max. Rachel was just a teenager who was under the weight of a thousand different expectations and who found out that the entire foundation of her relationship with her family was a lie. In the aftermath of this she may have had Chloe, but she was still preyed on by grown men while she was in a vulnerable, volatile place mentally speaking.

Nobody can change how her story ended, but that doesnt mean that the life she had didn't matter. It doesnt mean that her relationship with Chloe didnt matter or that the events in her life didnt matter. Rachel deserved better, and that's the point. She was young and she deserved the chance to grow past her trauma and live a full life. She was snuffed out brutally and far too early.

You can't change how or when she died, but that doesn't mean that the choices the player (and thus Chloe) make doesn't matter. They're choices that matter to Rachel and Chloe both, no matter how long they get to live after them.

[kendrixtermina]

More thoughts on the Flake thing

I know everyone's jaded from how the Till thing turned out to be largely crying wolf when ppl were much more open-minded/critical at the beginning but pls try to look at it neutrally, imagine it was your least favorite politician.

Let us please consider that "several witnesses said she spoke about it at the time, including therapists (not family members who might conceivably lie)" is the highest standard of proof you can realistically get with rape. They convicted Trump recently on the same level of proof.

If that's not enough, then all rapists would get off scott free unless they did it in public or in front of a camera.

Besides, ppl making it up is rare, because it's serious and gets your targetted. Rare does NOT mean zero but in those Amber Heard, Evan Rachel Woods type cases there is usually a proveable track record of the person having a personal vendetta and being demonstrably unhinged, or being pressed into it by threats of judgement (lying to protect yourself from conservative parents etc) - ppl don't just get up an day & decide to lie, it happens but it's usually a demonstrably crazy person.

What's more likely, a full blown conspiracy, or that a person who described himself in his book as having been sexually irresponsible back when he had a drinking problem was extremly careless in a way that caused someone serious trauma & harm?

is ridiculous to cry conspiracy on this. its just sobering & dissapointing to see, those responses alone kinda make me wanna quit the fandom completely and stop caring

Yes, we have to consider & feature in as a mitigating factor that people were not yet sensibilized for/ taught about freeze responses & hence expect that if someone didn't like it they would say so, but no matter how you spin it, starting to touch someone out of nowhere when they've laid down in bed after drinking too much (especially when they're younger & trust you) would have been considered taking advantage even then & regardless of the norms at the time it's not something I would want happening to me.

It's not the same degree of severity as if you're actively holding someone down or a someone who strategically looks for perving opportunities, but there's no way to spin this as consensual.

He fucked up bigtime, with very serious consequences.

I'm not calling for cancellation, demonization, torches & pitchforks or even telling anyone to stop listening to the music, but the behavior was unwanted, hurtful, and something we as a society should discourage and can't just brush under the table, even if we happen to like & sympathize with the person that did it.

I’m frustrated that this apparently still has to be explained to people, but it’s suuuper common for people to take a long time to process trauma before coming out.  

It’s as airtight as can reasonably be. That 100% happened. 

I don’t think it’s automatically rape because she was 17, but if it’s her first time getting shitfaced and/or having sex - or just as the host while someone else is a guest at your house - you have an extra responsibility to make sure she has a good time & it shows a distinct selfishness & disregard to be so casual about it. 

This person had a traumatic experience that she went to therapy for that could have been completely avoided by just simply asking “Hey, you ok?” instead of starting to touch her just like that. Or simply letting her be if she’s already gone to bed due to feeling sick from too much booze, for crying out loud. 

I hardly think that’s too much to ask to avoid someone having a traumatic experience.

I can imagine that it must be hellish for him to think he had managed to turn his life around & get over that but then find that he still did some pretty irreversible fuckup. 

But we gotta consider that he had much more of a choice in crating the situation than the girl who lived with the consequences/trauma in the years after, even if we don’t know her or the details of how it impacted & stunted her life

The ppl it happened to should be allowed to say it so that people (especially thosewho in theory care of they traumatize someone) are sensibilized for the importance of enthusiastic consent because freeze responses are a thing.

I’m not saying Flake should be roasted on a pike by the mob; Rather he is a person who had a problem with alcohol and made impulsive decisions that hurt others as a result.

But there is just no way under the sun to spin that story as consensual or no big deal. 

its frustrating that the mob understandings nothing short of either complete demonization/ostracism or exonoration, but the victim isnt wrong from coming out & saying what her experience of it was; Saying the truth is ever wrong

...i really wonder how the others are going to react now that its a different person being accused and some extent of undeniable wrongdoing.   

I just wish that instead of this for or against circus we could be having an awareness about freeze responses & the need for enthusiastic consent and WHY people “dont just say something” 

[arcadiabaytornado]

Unpopular Opinion: I’m worried and convinced that the people that hate Chloe Price and Rachel Amber took their hatred of them and passed it onto William Price and acted like Chloe deserved to lose her father cause they were saying that she deserved everything bad that happened to her and said that David was the better dad than William. Thoughts?

I fully disagree with all that. Though I feel like those are more bad faith arguments then genuine opinions.

Chloe is a character that can be polarizing for both genuine and stupid reasons. Some people were never going to like her just based on the fact that she's a woman. Let's just put that out there bluntly. Some people would also never like her because she's not the perfect victim. When her Dad died suddenly, her best friend abandoned her, and it seemed like her love interest left to pursue their dreams alone, she handled it by becoming angry instead of slapping on a smile and dancing through a field of tulips.

I do think are genuine reasons to not like Chloe's character, and even if there weren't, you don't have to have a real reason to dislike a character. Sometimes the vibes are just off. However, people who say she deserved everything she got are probably either rage baiting or they saw a women and decided to give her character no critical thought whatsoever.

Honestly I don't think you should give people who say stuff like that any mind. Mostly because their argument is probably "women bad" or they don't have an actual argument because they played the game once and never thought critically about it ever again.