#she tried to kill it. it manipulated and lied to her at every opportunity. she mabipulated and lied back. it held a whole ass person captiv

[butrememberthesong]

i have so many thoughts on the squid entity and i cannot share them with either of my Thoughts People so. skip the tags if you are avoiding endgame spoilers.

[claramelooo]

CHECKMATE (3/20)

You will know more about our governor... I know I know... is taking a while for them to interact, but is a slow burnnn. Let's feel it, okay?

About the US elections, I'm not a us native, so if you find something wrong. Please, let me know!

Enjoy!!

MINORS MUST NOT INTERACT

Warnings: +18, angst and blood mention. (Proceed with caution)

Pairing: Governor!Agatha Harkness x Fem Reader

Summary: Agatha tries to find you and can't believe you were there the whole time.

Queen

noun

The most powerful piece of the game. It can move freely in any direction and any number of places, since there aren't other pieces in its front.  

Her makeup was flawless. Not because she wanted to look pretty—that was quite trivial—but because image was everything on national television, and Agatha Harkness knew how to manipulate image like a general commanding troops.

The TVW logo flashed in blue and white on the screen, followed by a deep musical cue that announced: "Washington Governor Debate: The Future at Stake."

Cameras cut to the austere stage set at Kane Hall, University of Washington, with tiny American flags hanging like sentinels behind the three lit podiums.

Steve Rogers, a decorated veteran and fervent advocate for national security, adjusted his red tie. His jaw clenched between each pause.

Bruce Banner, an award-winning scientist and environmentally focused candidate, stood composed. His gaze was calm, though his fingers drummed nervously on the podium.

And at the center, between the two men, stood former senator Agatha Harkness. She wore a custom navy blue suit. Shoulders squared, chin raised, eyes cold and calculating like the tip of a queen.

Moderator Lisa Monroe addressed the camera:

“Good evening, America. We’re live at the University of Washington with the top three candidates for governor of the state of Washington.”

Turning toward the candidates, she asked:

“Candidates, homicide rates in Washington have risen 33% compared to last year. What is your solution… Candidate Rogers?”

Steve leaned into the mic. His voice was deep, confident, rehearsed.

“The answer’s simple, Lisa. We need to reinforce police presence. Authority. Order. When a hardworking citizen leaves for their job, they should know they won’t be mugged or killed, and that criminals will think twice before acting. I support increased police funding across the board. Peace must be kept by strength, and that’s a fact.”

Applause followed and Agatha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. God. Steve sounded like he lived in a comic book.

She tilted her head slightly, watching him like a strategist observing a move.

“Candidate Banner?”

Bruce took a breath, adjusting his glasses.

“I believe the problem is systemic. Violence stems from inequality, from abandonment. The solution lies in education, mental health, social reintegration programs. We don’t need more bullets. We need more teachers. More psychologists. Fewer overcrowded prisons and more real opportunities.”

Applause came from another side of the auditorium. Lisa then turned to Agatha, who had yet to speak.

“Candidate Harkness?”

She leaned slightly toward the microphone. Her voice was calm, low, yet it filled every corner of the hall.

“What my opponents offer are outdated formulas. On one hand, the heavy hand of repression. On the other, an educational utopia that overlooks the urgency of this crisis. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. The truth is… the problem is multifactorial and so must be the solution.”

She turned slightly to face the audience, her gaze locked on the main camera.

“I support the use of technology to map out high crime zones, increased presence of trained police with demilitarization protocols, and at the same time, grassroots public policy implementation. No investment in security should come without investment in prevention.”

Bruce tried to interrupt, but she raised her hand ever so slightly—not even touching the mic, just a gesture. And magically, he fell into a silence chocked with saliva.

“And before anyone accuses me of ‘administrative coldness,’ as they have before…” she said, turning now to Lisa, “Let me say this: coldness is ignoring hard data. Coldness is watching mothers bury their children while we debate academic theories or empty speeches about force. I am rational. I am pragmatic. And that’s what this country needs.”

A heavy silence lingered for a moment.

“And just to be clear, Candidate Rogers…” she turned to Steve, her eyes now nearly glacial, “Putting more officers on the street without questioning the culture of force and racism is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline. Your answer is disturbingly convenient for those who don’t want change anything.”

She gave a rehearsed, toothy smile.

“And to Dr. Banner…” she addressed Bruce, her tone a touch softer. “Your heart’s in the right place. But good intentions aren’t enough when there’s blood on the sidewalks of our cities.”

She finished with a slight nod. Applause erupted from every section of the auditorium.

Harkness was known for her pragmatic, urgent speeches. She understood that change was needed and she was willing to make it happen.

Lisa swallowed hard, visibly rattled.

“Well… let’s move on to the next topic.”

Agatha Harkness adjusted her blazer and leaned back slightly against the podium. She didn’t need physical strength, nor passionate outrage.

Her weapon was intellect.

Control.

Strategy.

In the game of power, she already knew she was winning. 

The debate continued, growing more heated. Behind the cameras, Barkley celebrated in silence, watching Agatha maneuver exactly as rehearsed.

When Lisa finally closed the debate, Jennifer made her way toward Agatha with the satisfied smile of someone already tasting victory.

Agatha removed the mic from her lapel and turned with surgical precision toward Jennifer Barkley, who approached like a Hollywood star crossing a red carpet.

“How is my champion?” Jennifer beamed, red lipstick matching her over-the-top confidence. “You annihilated them. Steve looked like a lost boy scout, and Bruce? A tired environmentalist. Honestly, a very elegant bloodbath.”

Agatha raised one brow, her expression as composed as ever.

“If that was a bloodbath, I hope someone cleaned the splatter. I hate mess.”

Jen laughed and threw an arm around the candidate’s shoulders, gently steering her toward the backstage exit.

“You need to relax. We’re celebrating at the new downtown bar. Stark will be there.”

Agatha paused, rolling her eyes like someone who’d just been told she had to share a flight with a talking pig.

“Tony Stark?” She sighed like she'd just heard a bad joke. “The mayor-entrepreneur-privatization messiah? The man who thinks good Wi-Fi solves structural inequality?”

Jennifer burst out laughing. “The one and only. But he’s got good connections. And let’s be honest, he is fun when he is drunk.”

“A radioactive orange can be fun too, Jennifer. And it doesn’t mean I want one floating in my drink.”

“You’re impossible, darling,” Jen said in a tone that suggested she was used to the acid. “But it’ll be good for you. Take a moment to enjoy your win. You’ll be with me—it will be amazing.”

Agatha didn’t reply. She merely tilted her head slightly, as if already accepting the inevitable.

Minutes later, alone in the dressing room, she pulled out her phone and called Nicky. It rang twice before his young, hoarse voice picked up.

“Hey, Mom. The debate’s over?”

“Yes." She said, her voice gentler now. “And now I’m going to a bar with Jennifer. It’ll probably be a long night. Don’t wait up.”

She heard him yawn on the other end.

“Okay. Good luck with your billionaire suit friends.”

She smiled, and for a moment, her eyes lost the steel they held in public.

“You know me too well.”

“I’m your son,” he replied. “Someone has to.”

A quiet pause followed— very heavy with unspoken affection.

She broke it first.

“I… I love you, honey.”

She loved Nicholas more than anything in the world, but saying it out loud still felt foreign.

Luckly, Nicky knew the mother he had.

“Love you too, Mom.”

As the call ended, Agatha stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Her face was unreadable, almost impenetrable — but beneath it there were always scars.

Thanos used to say she was a fortress. That he loved how firm, how decisive she was. And he truly did. He was a good man, generous—a businessman who read poetry and cried at weddings.

But Agatha never loved him.

And that was the silent tragedy of her life: marrying a good man and still feeling locked inside herself. The frustration of knowing her love was never meant to shape itself around softness.

Maybe that’s why she learned to love power, the only relationship that never disappointed her.

The bar was a showcase of carefully calculated excess— amber lighting, polished black marble, waiters who looked like magazine models. It was still empty at that hour, and the soundtrack played softly in the background. 

Agatha Harkness settled into a dark brown leather armchair, crossing her legs with the elegance of someone who knew everyone was watching and more importantly, knew how to use it.

As if it were the most ordinary thing: a gubernatorial candidate walking out of a debate into a bar.

She made a simple two-finger gesture to the waiter, her voice landing like a signature on fine stationery: “A martini. Dry ice.”

Jennifer laughed beside her, already sipping from a glass of sparkling wine that matched the gleam in her eyes. “Martini? Oh, dear. You really know how to have fun.”

Agatha raised an eyebrow, as if debating whether a response was worth it. She took the glass with a grace so sharp it almost hurt, and brought it to her lips without hurry.

“Fun is a subjective concept, Jen. I just drink something that doesn’t offend me.”

Jennifer let out a laugh a bit too loud for the still-empty room, tossing her hair back. The kind of woman who knew how to be loved and hated in equal measure and enjoyed both.

“You don’t relax even when you’re about to win, do you?”

Agatha turned her face toward the window, eyes sharp as she watched the first cars pulling up outside.

“Because I haven’t won yet.”

“But you will.” Jennifer smiled like someone already cashing in lottery winnings. “Washington is just the beginning. With Stark in your damn pocket and this campaign in your hands, babe… we’re shaping the fucking country.”

At the mention of the name, Agatha drew a slow breath, her eyes drifting into her glass as if searching for patience inside it.

“Tony Stark is a billionaire buffoon with an ego the size of the national deficit. If he could privatize air, he already would’ve.”

Jennifer laughed harder, tapping Agatha’s arm playfully. “But he has influence. And you need that. This bar, by the way, is his. It’s all networking, baby.”

Agatha looked around like a woman trapped in a play written by idiots. Even the sophistication of the place seemed to scream: new money, old power.

But she was there.

Because in the game of power, even lions must dance with clowns.

Speak of in the devil—Tony Stark walked in. Hair slicked back, beard trimmed to perfection. A long coat and an expensive suit.

Old money. Real money.

The room seemed to tilt slightly toward him—waiters straightened up, conversations dropped in volume, and even the lighting seemed to land better on him.

Agatha didn’t turn immediately. She could recognize Tony’s footsteps anywhere: Italian leather shoes, sharp, arrogant.

He was the kind of man who made sure to leave behind a trail of expensive cologne and unspoken promises wherever he went.

“Oh, the peacock’s arrived,” she murmured to Jennifer, without moving a single muscle on her face.

“Be nice,” Jen replied with a crooked smile. “He wants to see you in the Oval Office, Agatha. Not at the altar.”

Agatha let out a quiet snort. “Which would be worse, I wonder.”

Tony was already approaching, arms wide, wearing that half-smile he believed was charming but was pure performance.

“Well, if it isn’t the most feared woman of the evening,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Agatha tilted her chin slightly, accepting the gesture with the same indifference one gives to an inevitable, useless meeting.

“Tony,” she replied, voice low and sharp like polished glass. “Here to celebrate a victory I haven’t declared yet?”

“I’m a man of vision. I like betting on winners.” He sat beside her, ignoring Jennifer entirely. “And you, my dear Agatha, are a racehorse in a field of donkeys.”

Jennifer laughed, but Agatha only sipped her martini. “The problem with visionaries, Stark,” she said, “is that they mistake projection for reality.”

“Maybe. But reality, as we both know, is bendable.” He leaned in slightly, voice lowering. “Imagine the two of us. My capital. Your mind. We’d be unstoppable.”

She finally turned to him, smiling a smile that was all blade. “Tony, you talk like this is a marriage proposal.”

“And why couldn’t it be?”

“Because I don’t marry billionaires who use drones to deliver flowers.”

“It was meant to be romantic.”

“Oh. The NSA must be jealous, I’m sure.”

Tony burst out laughing. He loved this about her—the disdain, the coldness, the fact that she’d never kiss him—which only made him want it more.

Agatha knew that. 

She knew that to him, she was a trophy that refused to be displayed and she knew how to perform. She knew how to smile with just the right teeth, tilt her body at the right angle, laugh at the things that needed laughing—like a trained actress.

She pretended well.

Until she felt it.

Eyes.

Not the dull eyes of sycophants. Not the ones looking for power, or seeing her only as a candidate to be manipulated—a valuable piece in their dirty games.

No.

This gaze was something else.

Like the flame of a candle in a dark room—small, silent, but impossible to ignore. Its presence burned gently, yet more intensely than anything around.

Agatha turned her head with the calculated slowness of a woman who knows every move she makes could shift the gravity of a room.

And then she saw you.

Sitting on the other side of the bar, alone.

Your small frame looked fragile, hunched slightly forward, elbows resting on the edge of the counter. Your cheeks were flushed from the alcohol. The heavy makeup and short dress trying to make you look older.

The glass forgotten between your fingers. And your eyes—your eyes were watching her with a rare kind of intensity. Not political interest or fame.

Something more human, something more dangerous.

Curiosity.

Desire.

Defiance.

When your eyes met, you smiled. A short smile—not arrogant at all, but with a hint of shy provocation. And then, you looked away. Like someone casting bait... and waiting.

Agatha remained still, the martini glass still near her lips. One brow arched. The exchange was brief, but it left a hum.

Were you flirting?

She didn’t know what was more intriguing: the boldness of the gesture or the fact that, for a second, it worked. For a second, Agatha Harkness found herself... curious.

But before she could give it more thought, you stood up. Without haste. Without looking back. You walked through the golden bodies of the lounge like you belonged nowhere, and disappeared into the sea of people swelling as the night grew older.

Agatha followed the motion with her eyes, like watching something come unhinged. Jennifer said something beside her. Tony too. The bar pulsed now with louder music.

But Agatha wasn’t fully there anymore.

Who were you? she wondered.

She didn’t know your name. Didn’t know why your gaze had burned more than any compliment or political alliance proposed that night.

“Are you okay?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it. Cold. Direct. And almost robotic.

But the truth was, she didn’t know why she had followed you. She only knew she saw your body disappear through the back door, and something inside her—maybe some ancient impulse, maybe a stupid desire to feel something —had made her follow.

She hated when that happened.

The silence that followed her question was almost worse than any answer. She saw the faint nod, the way your expression tried to mask a pain she knew far too well.

A kind of sadness that lives in the corners of the mouth, in eyes that don’t want to be seen.

“I just needed some air.”

Your voice was fragile, and even so, Agatha felt the blow. She could recognize that sound — someone trying not to fall apart. And what infuriated her was how much it affected her.

She sat down. Not too close, but close enough to feel it.

It was always like this. Agatha approached danger carefully, with the stupid illusion that control was enough to stop the abyss from swallowing her whole.

But it wasn’t.

Your presence made her uneasy. Eyes too big, too sincere, too alive. As if they stripped away everything she’d spent her life trying to bury.

“Why are you here?” you asked.

And Agatha almost laughed at your boldness.

Why, indeed?

She didn’t know.

The answer she gave was the only honest thing to leave her mouth in weeks: “I saw you leave. And… I came.”

She didn’t know how to explain what that was. A heat that threatened to melt her logic. An absurd attraction born from absolutely nothing, like being pulled by something stronger than herself—and she hated feeling weak.

“I don’t usually do this.”

And that was true, too. She didn’t. Actually, Agatha never did. But there, with you in front of her, the never seemed to dissolve far too quickly.

“You’re… different,”

The word scorched her tongue like alcohol on open skin. She practically spat it out, hating every syllable. Every damn syllable and what they meant. Because it wasn’t just any difference, it wasn’t about style or looks. It was something she couldn’t name—and Agatha hated not knowing.

Her whole body was on alert, like you were a glitch in her control matrix.

And worst of all: a fascinating one.

And you asked. Oh, God. Of course you asked.

“What do you mean?”

Agatha felt a flicker of irritation, like you’d touched a part of her even she didn’t dare approach. A pout formed on her lips—an involuntary expression of frustration she hated revealing.

She didn’t know how to answer.

Worse: she didn’t want to answer.

But her eyes, always so disciplined, faltered. They dropped to your mouth.

Damn her body. She hated that. Hated you.

“I don’t know,” she said at last, her voice laced with something deeper. An unwanted recognition.

But the truth, raw and unbearable, was right in front of her: You destabilized her.

And Agatha hated being destabilized.

“But I despise it,” she confessed. The venom in her voice wasn’t for you, it was for herself. For this fucking weakness you had unearthed in her.

You were too young, too reckless, and you had no right.

“Why?” you asked, with that voice that felt like an invitation to disaster.

Agatha felt the blood throb harder, her jaw tightening.

She turned to you like someone bracing against an invisible threat — but on your face, there was only the war inside her.

A volcano of colliding urges.

Because everything in her was control.

Everything.

Even you.

Especially you.

“Because I hate losing control,” she said.

It was a warning, but it was obvious you’d choose to stay.

The wind blew hard, covering part of her face with her hair. She let it, because hiding was easier than letting you see what was burning inside.

But you saw it, and that terrified her.

“Maybe… maybe it’s not such a bad thing.”

Oh. Sweet illusion.

She let out a harsh, dry laugh. The laugh of someone who’d seen the end of the world and survived only to laugh at the ashes.

“You have no idea what you’re saying.”

And it was true.

Come on! you had no idea how bad this was, how dangerous. And still, ignoring everything you didn’t know, you stepped closer.

Then again.

And now, there was no more space left between you.

Agatha could feel the heat of your body like electricity against her skin. You burned her, and still… she didn’t move back.

Why didn’t she move?

Because of your fucking needy eyes that met hers, and something in her cracked. Because you saw. You saw what no one should ever see, and she hated you for that too.

“Then tell me,” you whispered. “Make me understand.”

The request was a blade—sly, needy—that cuts and makes you thank it for the blood.

“I can’t do that.”

Her voice faltered. God, her voice cracked.

She turned away. She needed to leave, she wanted to run and never see you again.

But she didn’t run. 

Fuck. Why didn’t she run?

Agatha stood there, hand on the doorknob, waiting for something she couldn’t even name.

You approached.

Slow and intentional.

As if you knew she had nowhere else to go.

When your fingers touched her hair, Agatha shivered. The sound that escaped her mouth—God. She wanted to hate you. Hate you so fucking much, but no. Agatha wanted this. She wanted you.

“Please…”

You whispered it against her skin, and it felt like an ancient spell.

She turned. Her back pressed to the door, eyes heavy with everything she tried to hide.

“What the fuck do you want from me?” she growled, voice torn. She stared into your eyes, pupils blown wide, begging for something—anything.

God, you were so aroused.

And without asking, you kissed her. Not her lips, but her neck. Slow, feverish kisses, damn near perfect.

“Please, please, please.”

The words echoed in her mind, burned onto the neck you just kissed. Branded like whispered promises on a dangerous night.

You rose, almost a real kiss.

Almost…

And when she leaned in, you pulled away, the absence hurting more than any touch, and in her eyes now, there was fire.

Primal, wild.

“Fuck.”

She kissed you.

Like someone surrendering, like someone sinning with full knowledge they’d burn in hell.

And it wasn’t gentle.

It couldn’t be.

Because you were different.

And she despises that.

Agatha knew, from the second you pinned her against the iron door, that she had crossed a line she should never have even approached.

You moaned softly into her mouth, your lips fitting with an old urgency—she felt everything.

Everything.

As if your taste was the secret key to a prison she’d locked herself in for decades. And for a moment, she wanted to be free.

The campaign, Jennifer and Stark. The politics, the numbers and cold calculations could go fuck themselves. 

None of it mattered.

Not there, with your fingers slipping lower and lower.

Agatha only wanted to feel worshiped. And you… You were young, and you did it with a devotion that bordered on blasphemy. The way your tongue surrendered and defied at the same time… Hell.

She hated herself for loving it. For finding pleasure in being kissed by someone who shouldn’t even belong in the same world as her.

Her hands grabbed you like iron, and you—so insolent, brave, stupid— let yourself be marked, as if belonging to Agatha was the most natural thing in the world, as if you knew you were made for it.

Why? Why was it so easy for you to give in??

That’s what threw her off.

Agatha had always been cold, frigid. That’s how Thanos used to put it, even when trying to sound kind. That’s what the men in parties called her behind her back. That’s how she saw herself for years: a woman who knew how to use her body, but never actually felt anything.

But now? Now, with you… She was burning like fire. Because the heat was coming from you. From a young, unruly, disobedient body.

And fuck... that was dangerous.

Because feeling was dangerous. Feeling meant stripping down and stripping down meant dying in her world.

The heat in her thighs. The pulsing in her wrist. The sweat at her nape.

Everything was too alive. Too real. You made her feel, and that was a fucking problem.

She tried to control it. Tried to take back control. Pulled away from the kiss. Said “no” with her forehead still pressed to yours.

But you leaned in again.

You licked your lips and promised you’d take care of her. Your scent was everywhere driving her insane.

That sentence…

“I can do this for you.” 

Would be the death of her.

And the worst part?

 You did.

Agatha moaned, yes. Loud and shamefully. Her body trembled. Heat rose through her legs, gathered at her center, pounded in her chest.

With your fingers. With that pretty mouth of yours. With your doe eyes. With the fucking way you begged her to feel it.

You whispered promises and sweet words like poison while you explored her—mouth, fingers, eyes.

She lost her breath, lost her grip.

“Fuck! It’s been so long!” she cried, bouncing shamelessly on your fingers.

It had been ages since she let anyone give her pleasure. But it happened... in a dirty, cramped emergency exit. With a stranger young enough to be Nicky’s friend.

And you knew exactly what to do. How did you know? How could someone so young touch her with that much reverence and filth at the same time?

Fuck… she was lost.

And when you whispered: “I’m a good girl.”

That phrase. That fucking phrase pushed her to the edge of her own madness. It shook her. 

She wanted to laugh because you were so pathetic and cry because she tightened around your fingers. Agatha came, clinging to you like you were the only thing anchoring her to reality.

And that’s when she understood the real danger.

She needed to pull herself together. Fast. Return to herself. To the real world.

“This never happened.”

The words were cold. Sharp and ruthless. But even as she said them, your taste was still on her lips. Her breath still came in gasps, her panties still damp.

She told you that you meant nothing, because that’s what you should be. However her still-shaking body betrayed her.

“Go fuck yourself,” you said.

The way you said it, the way your eyes pierced through her… 

Agatha felt the floor vanish beneath her. She didn’t answer, she couldn’t. She just swallowed hard, jaw clenched, fighting the rising panic beneath her polished surface.

And then, you moved.

Not back, you didn’t leave in that scenario. In this time you moved forward, with your doe eyes transformed into blood.

Something glinted under the harsh corridor light. 

Too fast.

Too sharp.

A silent snap, the sound of metal breaking skin. And for a second, Agatha didn’t understand what was happening.

She just felt the stabbing pain.

The heat blooming in her abdomen.

The blood.

Warm.

Sticky.

Red.

The knife was in your hand and it was inside her.

Agatha dropped to her knees with a choked, raspy groan. Looked down and saw blood slipping between trembling fingers.

Her blood.

But you were already turning away.

“What… what did you do?” she whispered, eyes wide.

Her face pale, frozen in panic.

And you left. So calm and innocent like a child, as if nothing had happened.

The sound of distant alarms exploded in her head. 

A distorted noise, like sirens tearing at her ears.

A buzzing. A scream. A torn memory.

The floor spun, and Agatha woke up with a gasp caught in her throat, chest heaving like she was drowning.

She was in bed.

Her bed.

Sweat ran down her temple. Her hands were shaking. The sheets were soaked. Her heartbeat erratic. She clutched her stomach in terror, but there was no wound.

No blood. No knife.

Just the ghost of everything.

But the taste of your mouth, the echo of your bitter laugh—still felt real. She stayed there for long minutes, trying to convince herself it had only been a dream.

Just a dream.

Morning light stabbed through the curtains, and for a moment she felt like she hadn’t truly woken up. Like she was still in that cold hallway, blood running down her belly, watching you walk away like you'd stolen a part of her.

But the sound of the news on TV, the smell of coffee, the crackle of cereal broke the spell.

She was home.

Safe.

Alive.

She stood up with effort. The floral robe slipped over her shoulders. Agatha tried to look composed before walking into the kitchen, even if she was shattered inside.

“Good morning.” Her voice came out hoarse, scraped raw by a nightmare that hadn’t fully left her.

Nicky looked up from his phone, spoon frozen mid-air. He studied her for a second, brow slightly furrowed. 

 “Damn… you slept in.”

She forced a smile—the kind that hurt the muscles in her face. Ran a hand through her tangled, wild hair, as if the distracted gesture could erase the chaos of the night before.

“Had a long night.” Her voice was low, tired.

She sat at the table. Picked up the mug of lukewarm coffee like it could anchor her back to reality—a caffeine and routine anchor against an ocean of delirium, sex, and blood.

She tried to seem like a mother. Just for a moment. Tried to pretend she still remembered how to be one.

“Did you check the news?” she asked, feigning casual. “Anything about last night’s debate?”

Nicky shrugged, chewing slowly. “Just the usual… old dudes freaking out ‘cause you humiliated Rogers and Banner live on air. You’re trending, by the way. A bunch of people calling you a milf.”

Agatha raised an eyebrow. “Milf?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Mom.”

She let out a sound between a laugh and a sigh. “Oh god, why are you young people like this?” She rolled her eyes. “Does everything have to be sexual?”

“You’re kinda scary sometimes, you know that?” he said suddenly, with a crooked smile. “I think that’s what attracts the porn-addicted young guys or whatever.”

She pressed her lips together, almost laughing for real. Almost.

“Why are we talking about this so early?”

“It’s almost nine, Mom.”

Agatha raised a brow.

“Exactly. Early.” she muttered playfully, making Nicky stifle a chuckle.

For a second, she wanted to just be there.

With him. With her Nicky. The only real tether she still had to the world.

But her mind was a feral bitch and it always came back.

The nightmare.

The taste of your mouth.

The blood.

Your shy gaze that clashed with the brutal confidence of the way you fucked her.

You.

Again, you.

She ran a hand over her forehead, trying to push the image away.

Fuck.

"Someone from the security department called," Nicky said casually, scrolling through his phone.

The world stopped.

Agatha tried to keep her expression neutral, but her heart was pounding.

"Oh, really?" she asked, her tone deliberately flat.

"Yeah," he replied, already standing and throwing his backpack over one shoulder. "I told them you weren’t in, but that you’d call back as soon as possible."

Agatha nodded slowly, as if she needed to sync her thoughts before they spilled out through her eyes. “You’re so clever, sweetheart.” She stood and walked over to him. “So… how’s the studying for Harvard going? It was medicine, right?”

Nicky swallowed hard, clearly uncomfortable. “Studying’s fine. I ranked fourth on the class mock test.”

“Hmm, not bad.” She adjusted the collar of his shirt, even though it was already perfectly aligned. “But we can always do better, can’t we?”

“Of course, Mom,” he muttered under his breath.

Agatha leaned in and kissed his forehead. “Study hard, sweetheart.”

He gave a small nod, not too enthusiastic, and walked out. The door clicked shut softly—but to Agatha, it sounded like a gunshot.

As soon as she was alone, her posture collapsed. Her shoulders sagged. The composed look in her eyes dissolved into something close to panic.

Now that she was alone, she could finally breathe. She picked up the phone and called Peggy.

“Harkness. To what do I owe the pleasure?” the woman answered, casual as always.

“Any updates on what I asked?”

“Straight to the point, huh?” Peggy teased, her voice playful. Then silence. “Alright. The name you sent me… Melinda Nox, right?”

Agatha kept her chin up, eyes fixed on the untouched coffee mug on the counter. The white porcelain stood in stark contrast to the dark polish on her nails.

“And?” she pressed, her voice colder than she intended.

“She doesn’t exist,” Peggy said bluntly. “I mean, the ID exists... but it’s not official. No entry in the database. It’s like it was made on the side. A fake identity. And a sloppy one, at that.”

Agatha went silent and Peggy went on.

“I’m digging into whoever’s been distributing these. Something’s off, Agatha. And if I’m right, you’re tangled up with someone way more dangerous than they seem.”

Agatha narrowed her eyes.

She could still see her face —or rather, the face of the woman calling herself Melinda. The way her lips curled when she smiled—it was real, seductive.

Agatha had spent days trying to rationalize what happened, convincing herself it was just a lapse. Just desire.

But now...

Now Melinda had vanished. No trail. No trace. Like a ghost.

You were a lie.

You fucked her—and lied.

You were a fucking lie.

You could ruin her entire career with a single click.

And it was ruining her.

“Any idea who might’ve issued this kind of identity?” Agatha asked, arms crossing tightly.

“Maybe,” Peggy replied, evasive. “But I’ll need to dig deeper. This could involve big names. And you know how big names hate being dug into.”

“Dig anyway.” Agatha hung up before she could respond.

She stood still for a moment, staring at her blurry reflection in the kitchen window. The sky outside was gray — just like her mood.

Melinda Nox.

That name spun like a knife in her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to pretend she didn’t feel it, it was already seared into her.

Agatha didn’t know who you were. But the fact you dropped that identity… it felt deliberate. Like deep down, you wanted to be found or like you knew exactly what you were doing to her.

And now that you weren't you?

It made her furious.

Because Agatha Harkness hates not knowing.

[...]

Running her hands down the navy blazer with the precision of someone adjusting armor before a war, Agatha took a deep breath. The elevator dinged open with a metallic chime, and she stepped into the office hallway like she owned the floor — which, in many ways, she did.

The chaos was almost comical. Staff yelling into phones, rushing around with clipboards, dropping papers, tripping over their own feet. The tension in the air was thick. The night’s debate still echoed through the corridors like a post-impact earthquake. And Agatha, of course, was the epicenter.

“Ms. Harkness. Hi!” A young assistant greeted her with a rehearsed smile. “Jennifer’s already waiting for you in the conference room.”

Agatha followed the young woman —far too green to be working for a shark like Barkley.

Jennifer didn’t even look up when Agatha entered. In a way, it was the greatest show of respect Agatha could receive. Her image director was pacing, deep in an intense phone call. She signaled for Agatha to wait.

“I know,” Jennifer was saying, pacing like a caged lioness. “I know. But something came up, and we won’t be able to receive the interns today.”

Agatha crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, a faint smile dancing on her lips. 

Jennifer was good.

A monster, but a brilliant one.

“I know it’s in the contract!” Her voice rose slightly, before softening with a plastic smile. “Watson, you know I’m in the middle of a major campaign and—”

A muffled voice on the other end, followed by tense silence. Then Jennifer stared at the phone and sighed. “Shit.”

She finally turned to Agatha, forcing a smile.

“Sorry, darling.” She smoothed her blonde hair, clearly exhausted. “The office committed to hosting and training interns from the UW. You know… all that performative nonsense about inclusion, youthful spirit, building bridges with the next generation… It's so exhausting.” She rubbed her temples.

Agatha crossed her arms, blazer pristine.

“Good,” she said dryly. “Maybe one of them will actually be worth it.”

“Let’s hope so.” Jennifer sighed, dialing the internal line on her desk. “Ready for the meeting, darling? We’ve compiled some key points after Friday’s debate.”

As she spoke, the rest of the team entered, adjusting slides, firing up the projector, arranging charts.

Once everything was in place, it began:

“Ms. Harkness, good morning.” Said one of the assistants formally, Agatha responded with a simple nod. “Let’s get straight to it. Here’s the updated overview of voter intent for the state governor’s race.”

The screen flashed, displaying a detailed map of Washington State, shaded in blue, red, and gray.

“As we can see,” he began, “you’re leading in 43% of the metropolitan districts, especially Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. Your progressive stances on gun control, environmental policy, and educational investment have struck a chord.”

He clicked again, and a bar graph appeared.

“Your strongest demographic is the 35 to 65 age group. Liberal professionals, small business owners, middle-aged moms, teachers. They see you as a firm, modern leader. Authoritative, but forward-thinking. A direct contrast to Rogers’ outdated conservatism and Banner’s emotional intability.”

Jennifer leaned in to whisper, clearly pleased. “You’re the woman they respect, maybe even fear. And they like that.”

But before they could continue, there were three knocks on the door.

“Excuse me…”

“Sonya, what is it? This better be urgent.”

Jennifer closed her eyes for a brief moment before replying, as if begging for one last second of peace.

“It’s… the interns. They’ve arrived.”

Jennifer took a deep breath, sinking into her chair, summoning patience.

“Fucking Watson.” She cursed the man—the phone call man. “Sorry, darling.” She turned to Agatha. “But I believe the sooner we get this over with, the better, right?” Jennifer shrugged and adjusted her skirt.

The sound of Agatha’s heels echoed sharply against the marble floor of the hallway. She stepped out of the conference room, her mind still buzzing with charts, numbers, and meticulously crafted strategies.

But none of that prepared her for what she saw as she turned the corner.

The interns were lined up in the main hall, waiting to be greeted. Some whispered nervously to one another, others tried to look effortlessly cool.

And there, among them, was that same body shape, the same height. The hair that, just two weeks ago, had been tangled between her fingers—now perfectly in place, but still the same shade she remembered. The same face with full cheeks. The same eyes with lashes far too long for their own good, and that wide smile, looking genuinely happy to be there.

Agatha couldn’t believe it.

It was you.

Her stomach twisted, like a punch to the gut.

No.

It couldn’t be.

Her gaze locked on you—on every detail of your face, on your tense shoulders, on the posture trying to appear confident. But she knew better. That same young confidence that, just weeks ago, had left her panties soaked against the emergency exit door.

She felt completely obsessed and unhinged.

Agatha blinked, heart pounding in her chest.

“Ms. Harkness?” one of the assistants asked. “Is everything alright?”

She didn’t answer, just kept staring.

Anger rising. Hot, sudden, raw.

You lied.

You fucking lied to her.

How dare you?

Who even were you?

“Who is that girl?” Agatha asked, eyes never leaving your face.

The assistant hesitated. “Oh, right. One second.” She turned toward the reception desk and pulled out an ID folder. “Here. One of the top students at UW. Really impressive. Very mature for her age and—”

But Agatha wasn’t listening anymore.

She snatched the folder from the assistant’s hands with a sharp, almost feral motion. The papers inside trembled as her eyes scanned the first page.

And then, she saw it.

Your real fucking name.

Your real fucking age.

20 years old.

“Twenty...?” she whispered, choking on the word, as if each syllable scraped its way up her throat.

Fuck.

Agatha’s mind exploded into a dizzying storm of rage, guilt, disbelief, and repressed desire.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

You hadn’t just lied.

You were underage.

Too young to be in that bar.

Too young to be drinking.

Too young to touch her the way you did.

And yet… you had done it all.

Agatha ran a trembling hand through her hair. The folder shook in her hands like a bomb about to go off. She turned slowly. Wished you’d disappeared. That it was a delusion.

But you were right there.

And when your eyes met hers—wide, yes, but not exactly surprised—something inside her collapsed.

Shame.

Desire.

Guilt.

Hatred.

A kind of regret she didn’t dare name.

She had to get out of there.

Or make you leave.

For the first time in a long time, Agatha felt completely out of control. Like the game had finally slipped from her grasp.

Because in the end, it wasn’t power that was in check.

It was her.

The woman who had always known how to move every piece flawlessly. Who had sacrificed everything to remain untouchable on the board.

The queen was exposed.

Lost.

And, for the first time, unsure of her next move.

~*~

I think we all need this after last chapter, huh? How about we druve the governor all little crazy?

Tag List <3

@vyvvycg @rosekjsses @3liyuh @indentity0018 @beggingonmykneesforher @reginassecretlover @trying-to-do-good @imjustvibingsworld @mbxoxo @jazzyxqzl @eternallyconfuzed @ctrlaltedits @sheriffhaughtearp @lesbiansweet @i-luv-w1men @htinha157 @syssmin @wandasslut3000 @fuzzygiantlamphorse @imaginaryblogger01 @aboutcustardcreams @upsidedowndanvers @starbucks-06 @absolute-memegarbage @trinity2k @greyella @angel-kitten-babygirl-u-choose @whitelotus00 @dandelions4us @creaturesaphique @warpdrive-witch @sweetmidnights @dingdongthetail @mommy-mommy-mommy-hi @milfovers4 @jaylie-bee @holystrangersalad @chlondykebar @natashashill @harknessshi @whoreforolderfictionalwomen

[strawberryshortcake0413]

Last hope (part 2)

Characters:yandere Leon S Kennedy (older version) x reader

Disclaimer: This fanfic contains dark-themed topics, such as kidnapping, depression, suicidal thoughts, non-consent, unwanted pregnancy,etc

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. MDNI

Warning: yandere Leon Kennedy, kidnapping, non-consent, depressed reader, manipulation, Stockholm syndrome, unwanted pregnancy, emotional & mental abuse, out of character leon, smut etc

@ianrkives credits for the divider, thank you!

The pictures used does not belong to me!!!

Chapters: pt1 pt3 pt4

4 months. That's how long Leon kept you in his hell of a house. From being the freest soul on earth, doing whatever you wanted to be kept in a single room with nothing but a bed, and a window.

You learned one or two things about him during the months of “rest” as he says. If you willingly participate in his role-playing scenario, he lets you roam around the house freely with him as a tour guide.

The deep dark circle below your eyes was slowly turning to the same color your cheeks were. During the day you didn't have to feel like a failure, like you always did, whether it was in school, university, or work.

You hated to admit it, but his house seemed like an escape from your busy life. Even if most people would either pity you or see an opportunity to step on you like killing an insect after learning of your past, something about it seemed familiar. Almost as if you wanted to go back to your old life before Leon kidnapped you. Your old life was the escape from your current situation

“Fine,” you thought just before your consciousness went back to remember your accomplishments in life. You're not the kind of person who lies to themselves. You had a pretty hard life. Especially your childhood, which gave you an unhealable wound that would last a lifetime.

Now thinking, it was a silly dream of you to think you would be a famous singer. You sang well, maybe when you were 10, you had to toughen up for the harsh life.

But seriously. How many people become surgeons from a girl who had nothing but a public school education? Do people think it was easy to get a full-ride scholarship? Maybe to some rich kids with ties. But even with words, no one could explain the pain you went through to get here. Just for a random old guy to steal everything you had, just like your mom.

“Oh. Her?” You chuckled to yourself causing Leon to turn in your direction while he typed something on his computer.

She stole you from a good childhood, your first boyfriend, and almost your only chance of escaping her, scholarship. The bitch tried to hide your letters from you, lucky you to have a mother like this. Fortunately, you found them under her bed while she was passed out on the couch 2 days before the due date to respond. And to even think about the time you caught her sleeping with your first boyfriend.

Hope both of them are burning in hell.

All of this suffering, even your mother's failure in becoming a parent could have ended with a simple procedure. But no. Your mom decided to keep a baby she knew she couldn't love and take care of. Hell. You don't even know who your dad was. Or what he looked like.

“What are you smiling at? Baby” Leon came to interrupt your bitter thoughts, pushing back your hair behind the ear.

You stared at him like a beaten cat. Leon was proud of how far you came. From cursing and yelling every second to being calm around him was a big deal to the man.

“You're a happy baby? Is it me? Am I making you happy?” Leon smiled, giving you showers of kisses on your neck, lips, and cheek.

“Yeah,” you replied sarcastically, going back to thinking about yourself.

“Aw, don't be like that. You know daddy does everything to make you happy” Leon said, laying you on the bed, starting to kiss your neck again.

Leon's smile turned to a grin as he saw his angel giggling happily. He slowly crept his hand under your shirt, squeezing a breast in one hand while the other worked to cup your cunt.

“Fuck. What-” you started, the zoning out session interrupted again. As his tongue entered your mouth, you kissed him back out of the habit you developed for the last few months.

“Shh. Daddy got you” he said, pulling away to throw off his shirt before doing the same to yours. His breath hitched as he took in the scene before him. Your two perky nipples reveal themselves to his hungry eyes. He took one in his wet mouth causing you to breathe out heavily.

“Leon-”

He pulled away quickly, raising his eyebrow at you.

“Who?” He muttered. His dear dove rolled her eyes and whispered a nickname he gave himself.

“Louder baby. Daddys can't hear you when you talk like a mouse” he chuckled.

“How much do you want to humiliate me??” You yelled out in weeks for the first time. Leon signed as he realized he had to come to reality to face the truth. The blonde wanted so badly to believe his darling stopped this phase of rage.

“Baby, if you keep acting like a spoiled brat, I would have no choice but to spank you. I know how much you hate it” Leon says calmly.

You thought about the situation for a few seconds before deciding getting spanked was more humiliating.

“Daddy,” you said silently before hiding your face in the pillow.

Leon turned you around and started pulling down the shorts you wore along with your cotton underwear.

Just get it over with.

Leon immediately started to slurp at your cunt before gently biting your clit.

“You were a bad girl today. You know how bad girls get it right?” he says as he pulls down his jeans. Leon groaned as his hard cock slammed against his belly. “Open your eyes, baby,” he says as he lays on top of you.

You hesitantly opened one of your eyes before doing the same to the other, not wanting to get Leon angry.

Around 2 months ago, he slapped you so hard you felt sore in your mouth for 2 days. At the time you felt good causing him pain, even if you got the price. Unfortunately, the price was learning to never bite his dick, or you get slapped across the cheek so hard you fall on the floor.

As you popped your pretty eyes to him, he lined his cock to your entrance, guiding it up and down. The simulation makes both of the pair groan. Leon smirked as he felt slick forming around his dick, making slick sounds.

“No fingering since you were a bad girl. And what bad girls get?” Leon groaned as his tip twitched.

“No prep” you gasped as he pushed it all in one push. Your hands on his chest tried to push him back, causing Leon to lock your hands above your head.

Leon soon started moving, at a pace he felt pleasure. Today was not about you, you needed to learn your lesson. His dove wriggled while moaning.

“Feels good doesn't it? You just gotta ask daddy” Leon groaned as your legs wrapped around his torso.

“D-Daddy…” you whined as he rubbed your clit furiously. The man groaned loudly as you clenched around him, almost making him see stars.

Leon increased his thrusts as his dove started to moan louder than before. Clenching like your life depended on it.

“Daddy… i-im I'm gonna c-cummm” you whined before gushing all over Leon's dick.

“Bad girl. Who allowed you to finish?” he barked, slapping your clit causing you to squirt. He groaned in satisfaction, the feeling of your come with the whine that came out of you, popping the pressure in his lower belly.

You could feel the warm, liquid seeds flowing inside you.

For the past few hours, you figured the nostalgia you had in mind is not the one most people think it is. You were so used to getting shitty treatments, you started treating yourself like shit. You can't even think of a nice memory without someone stabbing your back.

“Dove, the breakfast is ready. Daddy made you your favorite.” Leon grinned as he placed a plate with some salad and yogurt.

He affectionately stroked your tears-stained cheeks. You sat on the chair, if anyone saw you, they would have thought you didn't have a spine.

You gave up. It was your last breakdown. You promised yourself, that no matter what happens, you are going to go back into your life. Even if it was shitty. You can change the coming events to go back. The future. It was your last hope. For yourself.

But again, it wasn't even clear if you would make it out alive. It was either you kill yourself or giving in to his dreams. If Leon manages to get you to obey his wishes, you will lose yourself. The only thing that you have, your achievements. You loved your career too much to end it like this. All those sufferings can not be meaningless like this. If you have to give up, you should at least try to be free.

Leon noticed the change of attitude you had, from barking at his face or ignoring him completely, you were being a good girl. Helping him clean up the house, letting him kiss you without resistance, and following his rules.

“Daddy… can I… have orange juice…” you muttered, trying not to be embarrassed. Leon's smile grew upon hearing you correctly address him. He pats your head gently before kissing your temple.

Pouring some natural juice he chose at the store in the plastic cup so that his dove can't harm anyone in the process of dining.

You took the cup and sipped the juice as Leon stared at you. Maybe it was time to get to know him more. At least who he was.

“Daddy… Can I ask you something?” You mumbled silently. Leon raised his eyebrows in response. What possibly could his angel be asking him about?

“Yeah… What is it?” Leon asked cautiously, he can't let you know unnecessary details of this evil world filled with a bunch of monsters.

“Um… I… what… what do you… like?” You muttered. You thought getting to know him was easy, asking a few questions and done. Your pathway to freedom, aka your life. It was stupid to ask about his personal life all of a sudden after you didn't give a single shit about him for more than 4 months.

Leon narrowed his eyes, the question was fine but the way you worded it seemed suspicious to him.

“What do I like? About what baby?” Leon asked as he turned his back to you while cleaning the counter as an excuse.

“Um… just what you like to do,” you said while sipping your juice. Why were you so awkward? The real you didn't hesitate to say shit in front of anyone about them. But now you were scared of what he would think of you.

“I love taking care of you, love. Now sleep. It's your bedtime” he smiled as his fingers tapped on his watch indicating 9 pm.

[alexjcrowley]

I am on episode 2 of season 2 of Kevin Can Fuck Himself and there is something I have to say because it's breaking my heart. And it's about Allison. Look, I know- we all know- she's far from perfect: she is messy, impulsive, she can be manipulative, controlling, she often lies, puts others in danger in order to save herself without thinking twice; you could say she emotionally blackmails Patty into looking into Tammy's notebook, the first thing she does after hitting Neil with a boiler is making sure she can pretend she was making tea with that rather being like "Oh shit I may have killed my friend's brother". I know about all of this, we all know.

But I still can't in my heart root against her or understand people who root against her because in this show there's not one fucking person who actually tries to help her escape her abusive marriage. It doesn't matter if they see Allison's and Kevin's marriage from the outside, or if they're present during acts of abuse or if they hear Allison scream in their face she needs to get out, they don't care about her.

Patty is the first important character to know about the abuse first-hand and because Allison explains it to her that she is being abused, that Kevin is trapping her, stripping her of possessions, of ways to leave him, of her life. And Patty does help Allison, a lot, because they're sort of trapped together in the same mess, but there hasn't been a moment yet in which Patty goes "Yeah we are going to help you leave your husband". You would think, in a perfect worldn after Patty actually takes into consideration the abuse she has seen Allison go through she would be like "Okay, my first priority may be sorting my own shit with Oxy, but after that we're getting you out of that house." No. If Allison didn't push to get out, in ways that may be questionable and exploitative of others, for sure, Patty wouldn't be the one to say "let's get you out of there".

Allison speaks to Sam. What does Sam says? That Kevin's an idiot. He doesn't want to get Allison out of town because he recognises that leaving the city, putting physical distance between her and her husband, may be the only way for her to escape abuse. He wants to live some sort of love dream, that seemed to me as much - if not more- about leaving his wife's overbearing family as it was about being with Allison. And when she doesn't want to run away with him, he is not interested in helping with her situation anymore. He refuses to give her a job, which strips her away for the little economic autonomy she could have had, and it's not like he says something like "but I'll look out if there are other places that are hiring...". And yes, I do understand that she often acted unfairly towards him, that she always had the emotional upper hand on their relationship, dictating its terms every time. But that doesn't cancel out the constant and apparently inescapable abuse she is submitted to in her daily life. She still needs help for that.

What about when she confronts Neil? Neil who knows what's going on. Neil who has often taken part in that abuse, who has fawned the flame at every given opportunity and knows what kind of guy Kevin really is? He berates her for always whining. But yeah, what can you expect from the guy who was going to kill her.

And Diane seems to function as this idea of what Allison may become if she doesn't do anything a put her marriage, she is the wife who is more or less totally submitted to her husband and doesn't even rebel anymore, doesn't even think she has a right to rebel. So of course someone who has grown so accostumed to abuse to believe it is the norm is not going to help Allison get out of her abusive relationship.

And really everybody until the point I have watched (ep2 s2)- every random side characters who has witnessed Allison's abusive relationship, has heard about it from her or has had a hint that there was something off about that relationship: the police officer who stopped Allison and Patty, Nick, the PI- didn't give a single fuck about it. None of them thought "maybe I should help her, maybe I should do something." Not even a little thing, not even, fuck, spare her from one of Kevin's insults just once.

When Allison says she tried to kill herself (which is understandable, given her situation, given that death might be the only way out), Patty tells her "You're playing the victim." No shit, she is the victim. Yeah, even if she acts shitty towards people, even if she often acts selfishly (in self-preservation, may I add, since nobody else seems interested in preserving her otherwise), she is still the fucking victim. And nobody wants to recognise it and, even when they do, nobody wants do anything about it.

Everybody would be more than fine if she kept bearing the abuse in silence.

"Well, if she didn't act so shitty all of the time and if she settled for a less questionable solution than killing her husband, maybe people would sympathize more with her and want to help her-" It doesn't fucking matter. It's not a victim's duty to look palatable or innocent enough so that they may deserve help. Her husband's compromised most of her jobs, forced her to move in with him, and he's more than ready to call the cops on her when she tugs on her leash just enough for him to get a sense she may be sipping away and there are people debating that if she only were nicer about her life being taken away from her own hands maybe someone would feel like doing something.

It breaks my fucking heart that the abuse she suffers from her husband is the core of the show, going by the title alone, and nobody does a thing to help her. Nobody. Nobody gives a fuck if she lives or die or she isn't seen anymore or if Kevin buries her in the backyard or he keeps her chained at home or nobody hears from her anymore. And I know- as Sam said in one of the first episodes, I believe, and as it was explained in Ted Lasso- that a victim may still be held accountable for the relationships they pulled out from; that it doesn't matter the reason, if you disappear from your friends's life all of a sudden you're going to hurt them, so let's say Allison alienated all of her former friends, because they all thought she was a bitch and it was 100% a conscious choice of her to abandon them.

There are still so many people in the show that overlook what she is going through. It reminds me of that scene from "Why Women Kill", when April goes on her "I Hate People Who Look The Other Way" monologue, about her mother being abused, and everybody in the family knowing it, and nobody doing anything.

I feel that's what everybody does in this show. They look the other way. They don't care. Only if Allison shouts and goes crazy and tries to kill herself or her husband they deign her of a minimum of attention, and even after that Allison being in very real danger is always the least important matter. Everybody in that show has their own interest to look after, but that's not an excuse. There, I said it, that's not an excuse. That's not enough.

Fuck do I know that you can't take care of everything, that you can't solve every world issues, but if in front of you you see someone who needs help, who is begging for help, you can see them and you turn in a blind eye then what. What are we doing as people. Everybody saw Allison being abused, everybody knows and fucking nobody does anything. Helping eachothers out is all that we were put on earth to do. And none of them, none of them decides to mind his own business because they don't know how to help, they believe they could make things worse- they just don't want to. They don't want to help and they don't care. I don't know who would be sad if Allison died by Kevin's hands, what I do know is that none of them would certainly be sad enough to move a finger for her.

You think Allison is self-serving? Show me a selfless character in this show. The closest we get to this seems to be Patty- who I like, she's probably my favourite character, and she does a lot for Allison, but if Allison didn't one day decided Kevin deserved his life to be taken away more than hers she would not have done a thing.

Allison's not perfect, I very much know. She often acts in bad ways, she takes bad decisions. But I don't think any of the other characters have a right to judge what she does while they were busy looking the other way.

[fanartka]

So, who on the council will be probable dead or injured? Jayce has a scenario armor, most likely he will only get a stylish scar, mental wound and strong motivation. But look at Mel Medarda's mother, Ambessa. She is stern and goes into battle, there is rage on her face, but somehow tired. Mel had her back to the window (by the way, it’s great that they lowered the dome over the council when Jayce was tried at the beginning of the story, but now they’ve forgotten about it.) and could have suffered the most. And that's why Ambessa looks so depressed through her belligerence - if her children are dead, why fight? To take revenge first, and then what? Who should I leave the inheritance to? It seems to me that a good scenario would be to cripple Mel or disfigure her wonderful beauty.

Frankly, I admired every time she showed on the screen. I like the fluidity of the panther with which she walks, how gently she manipulates everyone around, but not for the sake of an evil goal, on the contrary, she is a pacifist and a supporter of reasonable decisions. Her mind is sharper than anyone else in Arcane. Viktor could compete if his passion was politics, not science (and not Jayce, sorry, this is canon), and if his health was better. But in addition to intelligence, bribery and flattery, she skillfully used her charm and the fact that people are more willing to contact attractive people. It would be an excellent move not to kill her, but rather to deprive her of what she is accustomed to consider her inalienable weapon - beauty.

And, perhaps, deprive her of the opportunity to walk so gracefully, whitening herself with gold tattoos. Although there are cyber prostheses in this world. I think this would cause Ambessa to start tearing things apart because she will always avenge her children.

I imagine Mel hiding half her face behind a golden mask, with an exoskelkt in her beautiful back, and I can imagine how much her disposition might change when she experiences severe depression.

What I am sure of is that Mrs. Kiramman, Caitlyn's strict mother, is dead. It’s enough just to look at Caitlyn's bitter face, and there was a shot somewhere in Internet where her father looks tired of life, and in front of him lies a bouquet of white flowers, similar to a funeral one. Yes, she's definitely dead.

What about Viktor? He wasn't shown in the teaser, but I'm sure this is just to tease us even more, he will definitely be in the second season. Riot Games has stated that Arcane is now canon and that they will be rebuilding canon, but something tells me that one way or another this poor talented boy will become Machine Heralt, just this time for a different reason. I think the explosion will critically wound him, but the hex will prevent him from dying. He will be so seriously injured that there will be no other choice but to mechanize part of his body and let the hextech heal the rest. (I wonder who Jayce will rush to first when he sees their wounds, Viktor or Mel? Most likely to Mel).

And I'm sure that the creators will not disappoint us, the first season shows how bold they are in their creative expression, I think that all other studios should learn from them (yes, Marvel, I'm looking at you (how dare you be so lazy and carelessly when you wrote the story of Supreme! look at the work of Riot Games and Netflix, that's how it should be!))

In any case, I think we will have to wash ourselves with tears, but it will be done at the highest level, because the creators treat their characters like beloved children, not slaves to make money.

I'm looking forward to it, good luck to you, the characters I liked so much. I hope you remain more human Viktor than Machine Herald, poor clever boy.

[creaman]

Idk if I'm allowed to encourage this but everything you said about Kung fu Panda 4 is correct, it not only killed my grandma but massacred my bloodline. The only saving grace of that movie was the cute Dad stuff, and that the theater I watched it in had comfy reclining sofa chairs as seats.

Although you can make the point that Li and Ping 'distract from the film', being the B plot, they are genuinely the only good part of the movie. Again, you could argue that their absense would mean more time to develop the A plot, but their precense is the only funny and charming part of the film and the A plot had plenty of time.

The movie has the same runtime as its predecessors, but chose to spend near all of its time padding out the A plot with spoken exposition and filler chase sequences when it could have been fleshing out The Chameleon as a villain and developing Zhen and Po's dynamic.

Now taking this opportunity to talk about some of the secondary points I didn't get to cover in the primary post (hating is my passion)

Original Post

KFP4 spoilers again

Juniper City Sequence

A lot of the comedy is generic subversion — A statement followed by a verbal or visual contradiction which is standard, worn out and the laziest most predictable form of comedy.

There was also a scene that actually made me pause the movie and cackle; not from the humour, but from the sheer absurdity; — in which Po refers to himself as “—The Kung Fu Panda!”

Has never previously referred to himself as this

Has never been referred to as that by others

This is a genius scene which takes inspiration from the most memorable sequence in Kung Fu Panda 2, in which Lord Shen utters the chilling line, "You see, I need my Kung Fu Panda Too." (So powerful. Brought tears to my eyes.)

Smarmy. Arrogant. Unearned. Even if this was the Kung Fu Panda I knew and loved, what a pompous way to put it.

The Staff of Wisdom

It's pretty great. I tuned out all the lore, mostly because the first scene with this object is Po exclaiming "The staff of wisdom!" followed by nothing but exposition.

It's the implication that he's nothing without it, and that it embodies the Dragon Warrior. He's reduced to a staff which essentially has no function until the end. It sticks out in every scene because this meathead carries it everywhere, like its his house keys.

This one is a nitpick, but I think it looks stupid. It was fine in the third film because it functions as a little trophy for him, having defeated General Kai and finding peace with his identity — but it's too small for him, reads like a fucking lollipop and he looks ridiculous holding it because he doesn't use it in most of his scenes so it's just dead weight for the entire runtime.

The Final Act

This part is a little less structured — I had stopped taking proper notes and started typing 'WHY??' and 'FUCK YOU'.

The Kung Fu Masters. My favourite part of the film, as a Lord Shen enthusiast, was when they brought him in for two seconds and then had him sit in a cage with no spoken dialogue for the remainder of the sequence. Why are they here? Why is kung fu stored in the spirit? (pee is stored in the balls?)

Just tried to talk about the bowing scene again but I just know I'm going to give myself an aneurysm. Postponed.

The defeat of The Chameleon. Among the most memorable villain defeats, we bring you: head trauma.

The Amalgamation. Oh man. Sorcery was already a stretch in the worldbuilding of Kung Fu Panda. Now you're telling me The Chameleon can shift into a huge amalgamation of all the kung fu masters? This has nothing to do with kung fu anymore — artificially inflated as a threat by being... bigger.

Spoilers, She doesn't even do anything with this. Kind of just runs around snapping at their heels.

The Chameleon really doesn't utilise her abilities at all. She turns into Lord Shen to... to kick Po. Not to manipulate him psychologically or anything, but to... kick him. Alright.

They opted to make the fight sequence cool (by having the Chameleon shift between forms for no real purpose) but the fight scene is a nothing burger, in which no real damage is done to either party until Po busts out the pwn stick.

Closing Statements

I don't hate Kung Fu Panda 4 (blatant lie). I wanted the film to succeed, genuinely. But the state of it now...

Mess. Bury it.

[myfanfictiongarden]

also let me get this straight. Raoul's toxic behaviour: CuTe, Erik acting like the abused, neglected, trafficked and systematically abandoned mentally ill person that he is: uhhmm creepy abusive unforgivable. Uhm. Got it. So it's not about being good or bad, it's about who does it.

Ps: alw erik is more villainous and manipulative than leroux's. not the opposite.

I guess it’s still you anon… well then, let us continue.

Raoul´s toxic behaviour? Ok, sure he does have moments of jealousy up until Christine fully explains him what was actually going on, but a) throughout that first part the novel never forgets to mention how young and inexperienced he is in the matters of the heart and how like a school-boy every indication that could varant his jealousy sends him into despair but also that he always feels bad and tries to think clearly before jumping to conclusions, and b) Christine never puts up with his bs moments and always calls him out on it. And as we speak of toxic behaviour, here is what Christine says about her time with Erik in ch 12: 

"What more can I tell you, dear? You now know the tragedy. It went on for a fortnight—a fortnight during which I lied to him. My lies were as hideous as the monster who inspired them; but they were the price of my liberty. I burned his mask; and I managed so well that, even when he was not singing, he tried to catch my eye, like a dog sitting by its master. He was my faithful slave and paid me endless little attentions. Gradually, I gave him such confidence that he ventured to take me walking on the banks of the lake and to row me in the boat on its leaden waters; toward the end of my captivity he let me out through the gates that closed the underground passages in the Rue Scribe. Here a carriage awaited us and took us to the Bois. The night when we met you (Raoul) was nearly fatal to me, for he is terribly jealous of you and I had to tell him that you were soon going away ... Then, at last, after a fortnight of that horrible captivity, during which I was filled with pity, enthusiasm, despair and horror by turns, he believed me when I said, 'I WILL COME BACK!'"

Every girls dream, right?

As for Erik’s tragic/traumatic past and his current behaviour- I NEVER SAID HIS LIFE WASN´T TRAGIC, because, yeah, it is definitely tragic. But here’s the thing… at the court of the Sultana… no on forced him to turn his mirror-chamber into a torture-chamber or to kill all those people for her entertainment. He could have just easily “disappeared” and continued to show his magic tricks on fairs, but he stayed until the Sultan thought him a threat. Not to mention that later by his lake he would have had no problem killing the Persian if he didn’t owe him his life, he kills Joseph Buque without remorse, kills Raoul´s older brother and laughs it off like a mad-man, is fine with killing Raoul and the Persian and a full house of innocents by blowing up the Opera, all that because Christine would rather die the spend her life with him. So, no, Erik isn’t “villainous” because he’s older and ugly, it’s because his actions and behaviour are so. Again, Christine tried to smash her head upon a wall just so she could escape the misery of having to spend her life with him! It was Christine who voiced to Raoul the idea of running away.

If anything, the novel clearly says how the”monsters” that society creates deserve our pity and compassion. Erik did not choose to look the way he does, to be hated by his parents, abused in the circus, to live on scraps on his own until being offered the opportunity of a lifetime only to be turned into a killing machine for entertainment. All that time he was just yearning for love, so desperate for it that in a fit of mania he tried to make his fantasies come true by abducting girl that was as yet un-marred by the dirt of the world. His life was tragic, but his later action can’t be justified by it.

As for ALW version of Erik, they are the same level of villainous and manipulative- if anything leroux!Erik has a higher body-count (plus the idea to blow up the Opera), while alw!Erik is more touchy-touchy with Christine

[swapauanon]

"Ozpin lied to Hazel about Salem's plans to trick him into sacrificing himself."

I find it amazing how people can say this and then get shocked when I ask them to tag their Ozpin bashing.

Besides, Hazel was murdering innocent people just to get back at Ozpin, over something his twin sister he constantly infantalizes chose to do.

Like, yes, Ozpin is a self-loathing wreck who blames himself for everything that's gone wrong, but in the end he didn't say ANYTHING about Salem he didn't believe was true.

Remember, what Salem said was: "Why redeem these humans when we can simply replace them with what they can never be?" meaning she was either plotting eugenics and genocide or had horrible grammar. Given that Salem's shown to be EXTREMELY careful and deliberate with her word choice, I'm going to assume it was the former, because it would be REALLY frustrating for the entire conflict of the show to be based on bad grammar.

But NO!!! We need Ozma to be an evil baby-stealing monster who tried to kidnap Salem's children because she wasn't religious enough! Even though, y'know, one of the first things Oz did after coming back to life was disobey Light by seeking out Salem.

But sure! It TOTALLY isn't bashing Ozpin to suggest he just tried to kidnap his daughter's from Salem, let's just ignore the ACTUAL grammatical structure behind Salem's words to make Oz look as evil as possible!

And besides, even if Ozpin DID lie to Hazel, SALEM WAS COMMITTING GENOCIDE IN ATLAS!!! She was siccing her Grimm on civilians at that point! And Hazel was complicit in it, and blaming Ozpin for his choices, claiming it was all in the honor of someone Salem had killed for trying to oppose the "Grimm eating children" party. But sure! Let's erase Hazel's misogyny in order to paint HIM as a poor, helpless victim of Ozpin's manipulations when he desecrated his sister's memory by helping the monster she died fighting destroy even more families!

"No more Gretchens, boy!" said the man who robbed a child of her mother JUST to "stick it to Ozpin", and has left countless Gretchens in his own wake.

Hazel even ADMITS that the only reason he's going after Ozpin is that he can't hurt Salem! So I don't think the show is going to be resolved by Team RWBY deciding "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" when it comes to the whole "How do we deal with Salem?" thing, because every character who's done that has been treated as being IN THE WRONG with no exceptions!

And let's not ignore the fact that, y'know, Oz had just gone through an entire character arc about being more open and honest. Him lying to Hazel to get him to dance to his whims would, from a narrative standpoint, be like if Ilia had joined forces with Salem to get back at Atlas. It would have rendered all of his prior development a waste of time!

So, rather than Salem plotting against the gods, i just think she's learned she CAN'T hurt them and so is doing what so many people (such as Hazel) have chosen to do when coming face-to-face with her, lash out at the people she CAN hurt because she thinks fighting the Brothers is a fruitless endeavor. The show isn't going to close out on vindicating Salem's methods, and she's not a fucking "anti-hero" as I've seen some people unironically call her: She's an unrepentant villain who lashes out at people she believes have no chance of fighting back, because she can't hurt the people who actually wronged her. That is what makes her Ruby's evil counterpart: She gave up while Ruby is still looking for a new solution!

But sure, let's just ignore the structure of the narrative and paint Ozma as a baby-stealing monster who abused his wife for religious reasons and drove her to villainy. Even though, y'know, his rhetoric is completely antithetical to Light's idea of a perfect world and he went out of his way to disobey him at the first opportunity he had.

The narrative has laid out who Oz and Salem are countless times now: Oz is a flawed-yet-well-intentioned man who blames himself for all of the world's ills (regardless of how responsible for them he actually is), and Salem an unrepentant monster who lashes out at the world around her due to being unable to harm those who actually wronged her.

Trying to paint Ozpin as being just as bad as, if not WORSE than Salem ever was is disingenuous at best.

[claudiablogger]

can lescels kts? them saying Louis coerced Lestat into having Claudia and that the scene in 1x06 is Lestat who is dubious consent bc Louis is mentally talking to Claudia, they somehow got worse than after s1,how is that possible?

wtf lmao.....as a lestatcoded viewer this is so stupid a lot of the trial is obviously lies and farcical declarations but the whole production basically comes to a screeching halt freeze frames captured with neon signs every time lestat says something real. and well if they can't believe their white fave himself saying he fully consented to turn claudia + he broke the law + "if you sentence them you sentence me too," then they're not watching that show are they they're eating up snippets of the victimized and rejected white savior they paint sam reid's character to be. it's just a total refusal to engage w the story at all like usually i despise echo chambers but iwtv fans are so vile and unapologetically antiblack im so glad i don't step outside my tiny bubble here on tumblr. we have interpretative doubt at home. for the things that matter

the scene in 1.06....im actually going to throw uppp how do you see louis turning to claudia desperate for comfort bc she's trapped w a man that tried to kill her trapped not only by her husband's love but also her own and draw the conclusion that lestat is the one w/o the full ability to consent.....the thing is also . lestat literally sees louis drifting he hesitates twice before he draws her back in again; he chooses to continue while knowing louis' mind is somewhere else bc he wants her and thinks this will fix something, his enthusiasm and his force of will. when all it does is sink louis deeper into dissociative gloom. we're literally shown lestat taking the decision to go on in that scene while louis just passively accepts it ashamed and afraid of her desires and his presence. but obviously it's not abt the scene itself is it it's about painting lestat as louis' victim again bc he felt unloved. and paranoid and plotted against. let's ignore the murder attempt and the abuse and the fact that he's the one who made claudia sleep in the same room as them again

in s1 lestat was clearly the villain like in alignment w gothic tropes (ofc he's also the soulmate); the villain aspect is literally the primary plotline but bc armand is a manipulative gaslighter we have people seizing this opportunity to say louis can't possibly have had 2 abusive husbands (especially when one of them is white. and saved her) kys fr

[angelnightrose]

Alrighty! No worries, I'll send asks your way if you're more comfortable with that <3

So! *rubs hands together* Tell me about Kasumi 👀 What are her personality traits? What's her current Reaper rank and her backstory? And last but not least: how did she meet Minamimoto?

(I know these are a lot of questions so take all the time you need! ❤️)

aaaaa thank you for asking about my girllll!! Also this got uhhh longer than I thought so I put it under a read more, lmao. I am so sorry, I just kind of got to rambling and info dumping and uhhh here we are.

Kasumi is extremely arrogant and self centered, she's a genius who only really cares about her goals and whatever helps her achieve them. (Sound familiar? lol) She's also very entitled and thinks that she deserves to have whatever she wants and that it's all owed to her after how the world has treated her. (more on that later) Her brain operates on logic and the idea that everything has a logical reasoning or explanation behind it and she gets really annoyed with herself when she knows that her emotions are not following what she logically knows to be fact. (i.e. when she starts falling in love with Minamimoto despite knowing that he only cares about himself and won't love her back, or so she thinks but that's a whole other thing lmao) She thinks other people are below her and only sees them as toys to play with or tools to use to get what she wants. She is cold and merciless and enjoys letting people think they've beaten her before revealing that she's had them right where she wants them the entire time. Also she really, really loves ice cream. It's her favorite thing. She's pretty much always seen with an ice cream cone in her hand or sipping a milkshake or something.

As for her rank, she is Officer rank but for some reason she's never been given a chance to be Game Master, a fact that really pisses her off. Her Reaper abilities make her able to move incredibly fast, sometimes at near light speeds if she can focus enough. Her ability to think quickly and logically makes her able to predict other people's movements near perfectly and that coupled with her speed makes her nearly impossible to actually hit. All she has to do is let opponents wear themselves out before taking them down with one big hit.

When Kasumi was still alive she was actually very kind and enjoyed helping people and spending time with her friends. Unfortunately she wasn't the best at choosing who to spend time with and basically every friend she ever had was incredibly toxic and only wanted her around to use her and would throw her away when she wasn't of any use anymore. One day she finally got sick of it and tried standing up for herself only for it to backfire in a storm of lies and rumors which made her lose any other friends she may have had and led to her having to walk home alone late one night and getting killed in a hit and run accident. She played the Reapers Game and made it to the end only for her partner to be a little too happy about throwing her back into the UG when they learned only one person comes back. That final betrayal broke her, turning her into the cold, cynical Reaper she is now.

Now the fun part, how she meets Minamimoto. The short answer is simple. Blackmail. :3

The long answer is that Kasumi kind of hates how the game is run and wants to take over and restructure all of it and while trying to figure out how to do that ends up piecing together that Minamimoto is plotting to go after the Composer. She sees this as an opportunity to use him for her own ends, because she's so full of herself that she actually thinks she can manipulate this man into doing whatever she wants. (she can't, but we'll let her dream for now) So basically she manages to get him alone and is like "I know what you're up to, but I won't rat you out if you agree to make me your Conductor." But as expected our silly little math man is having none of that, and he decides to just erase her and get rid of her. Problem is Kasumi is too fast and too smart so he can't actually hit her and eventually he's forced to very begrudgingly give in and agree to give her what she wants. He really hates this and he really does not like her. Kasumi assures him that she's not looking for any kind of partnership and that he's free to keep doing whatever he wants and she won't pester him for information or updates, all she wants is for him to promise her the Conductor's seat. She does track him down occasionally just to bug him though since she knows he cant hurt her, (and also to try and figure out how to pull his strings) and he does try and fail to kill her every time. (For a while at least, he does start warming up to her eventually but it takes a whiiiiile) And thus starts the beginning of this very slow burn, one sided enemies to lovers, (I say one sided because while Minamimoto hates her and wants her gone, Kasumi just sees him as a means to an end and doesn't care that much) toxic relationship thing. It's all very complicated. I love them.

Okay that's all I'm done for now thank you for asking me about them!!! aaaaaaaaa!!!

[joylinda-hawks]

Does anyone remember Quiming's Eighteen Moves? WOH, Episode 33, Part 3. WKX holding Bai Yi in his hands stands in front of the gathered as a symbol of justice. He asks the assembled WKX if they remember any fighting technique and introduces it. The elegance and ease with which WKX performs the movements of this forgotten technique impresses the audience. ZZS is closely watching WKX. WKX is the epitome of a young dragon fighting for his place on the throne. ZZS still doesn't know what WKX's plan is, but they are proud of it. Some masters recognize the technique of Zhen Ru Yu from the Valley of Healers. Master asks WKX what this has to do with ZRY. Ironically, WKX replies that they remember ZRY. In a firm voice, he tells WKX what happened to his father after his father tried to save RX. Almost screaming, WKX asks the gathering where they were when ZRY was killed by the evil Ghosts. This accusation hits hard, because no one in the assembly is blameless. The sect master on Mount Emei asks who he is in relation to WKX - ZRY. WKX simply replies that he is his father, Master refuses to believe it, saying his name is Wen. WKX responds by explaining that his father's name was Wen, and he took the surname Zhen out of respect for his master. After the exile of his father, at his request, the son took the surname Wen. Master Zhi Yin accuses him of insulting ZRY. WK x calmly relates that a year after his birth, her sect sent his parents a Baijiai outfit as a gift. WKX adds that he didn't get a chance to say thank you for the gift. Master finally understands that she was wrong. ZJ tries to convince her that WKX is lying. He accuses WKX of getting the ghosts to pretend to side with ZJ in order to accuse him later. He accuses him of planning it. WKX doesn't say anything, just listens intently, wondering what lies ZJ will come up with. ZJ knows he's on edge, he knows he has to do everything in his power to convince the audience that he's been accused of something he didn't do. He emphatically claims that Ghost Valley is a master of discord, adding that GC has been deceived by the spirits and wrongly accused. Disgusted, WKX listens to these nonsense explanations with a smile on his face. However, when ZJ's allegations cross a line, Shen Shen speaks up, claiming that he has no right to mention GC's name. ZJ takes the initiative and accuses Shen Shen of dealing with Ghost Valley. He adds that the SS was a spy. The Scorpion King can't believe what he's hearing. ZJ publicly accuses the SS of what he himself did. The assembled conference participants start talking, they are shocked by what they heard. WKX and King Scorpion confirmed their suspicions. The Scorpion King wasn't much of a shock, but what he heard made him not regret his decision. He still didn't trust WKX and had his plans, but ZJ completely betrayed his trust. Now all he had to do was wait for further developments. I divided this long scene into several parts. What I want to convey here is that sometimes it's not worth trusting people you think are trustworthy. I want to focus on the issues of honesty, honor and trust. Over the years, ZJ slowly peaked with his skills of betrayal and manipulation. He used every person he could and every opportunity to get to the top. He seemed kind and empathetic, but that was a facade. He deceived many, only ZZS and WKX showed who ZJ really is. This scene should teach us not to trust implicitly everything we see and read. It is worth checking things that raise doubts and analyze the facts yourself. What seems real to us is not always true. Facts, analysis of the situation, knowledge of aspects of the event and conclusions contradict the original assumptions. ZJ beautifully shows us on stage the degree of manipulation of facts and uses the ignorance of the whole situation of strangers to create an alternative version of events. That's why this scene is important. And that should give everyone a lot to think about these days. Also, GJ has a fantastic smile and ZZH is such a quiet, icy beauty.

[attonposting]

I've always loved the scene on Telos where Kreia picks up on Atton's nervousness and breaks into his head, because so much crazy bastardry goes down in KotOR II while your protagonist's out of the room, and it's the first (...or second, in Kreia's case) major hint that both of your OG companions are not what they seem. It's punchy, it's brutal, and it sets the stage for some incredible reveals down the line. But also... for as skilled a manipulator as that scene makes her out to be, Kreia's threat to Atton doesn't really make sense?

I mean, imagine you're Atton. You've tagged along with this crazy half-Jedi for a while now, escaped a dead facility and a Sith zombie, blown up a planet, got taken into custody, lost your ship. You wanted to split first chance you got, because your life expectancy in their company's looking kind of shit and the less time you spend near Jedi the better, but you're also kinda inspired by them despite yourself, they need someone to watch their back, and there's a niggling feeling that this is the reason that's eluded you all these years - maybe this is why she thought you were worth something. Then this nasty old schutta tears open your mental defenses like plastic packaging and says “You stick with my student or I'm telling on you.” WDYD?

Atton obviously cares what the Exile thinks, yes. And he's very afraid of their reaction to his past. But if he's going to flee, then it wouldn't matter anymore if they hate him, because at that point he's made the decision to never see them again. Now, the threat Kreia makes to him later on, about dredging up the parts of him he tried to bury – that is a threat with sticking power, one that he can't worm his way around. But the first ultimatum is a cage with very wide bars, and they're ones he could slip through if he really wanted to. Maybe he's afraid the Exile will hunt him down, but it's like Kreia says; if the Exile is a Jedi, they won't kill him for his crimes. And if they're not, they won't care that he was Sith.

If the prospect of the Exile hating him is painful enough to keep him from running on its own, then he's already too far gone to run. So no. At this point, Atton's already decided to stick with the Exile. He just maybe hasn't figured that out yet.

So if it's not an effective threat, why does Kreia make it at all? Well... perhaps it's for the same reason Kreia calls him a fool and a murderer at every opportunity and repeatedly warns the Exile about his intentions. She wants Atton to doubt himself. She wants him to feel trapped so that he resents and fears the Exile; she wants him to struggle with his feelings of inadequacy so that he doesn't approach the Exile on honest footing and takes his frustrations out on everyone around him. She wants him to lie about his past so the Exile will distrust him.

Kreia is strongly against the Exile forming human relationships with their crew and pushes against every companion that has or seeks a close connection with the Exile – she plays up the split loyalties of Visas and the Handmaiden, she dehumanizes Bao-Dur, she derides Mical and insists he doesn't see you as a real person, she rails against every single romantic relationship the Exile might seek. Atton is Kreia's first competitor for influence on the Exile and he's either an extremely loyal friend or hopelessly smitten. She doesn't want Atton to mold you, she wants you to seek her counsel, so she does everything in her power to undermine Atton so that he ruins his own chances. And it's not totally successful (as long as you don't go low influence...), because Atton still admires the Exile more than he resents his situation, and he does come clean... but it doesn't fail either, because he won't admit his feelings until he's on his deathbed.

(And if you do go low Influence, it works completely – Atton is so trapped and isolated that he turns to Kreia as a confidante, as the only one who understands him in all his ugliness, and becomes her loathing disciple like Sion before him.)

In short, Kreia's such a good manipulator that she can coerce people into behaving how she wants them to by pretending to coerce them into doing something else.

[eletricheart]

The Salvatores

*image creds to the owner

How your story with Katherine Pierce started.

Word count : 617

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

Every supernatural being knows of her, even fear her. After all, she's not called "survivor" for nothing.

When Katherine went after playthings most would pity the souls that fell for her trap. Some went as far as to bet on how long they would last.

At the time Mystical Falls was like any other witch hunting city, pathetic. But Katherine wouldn't judge a book by it's cover, the religious ones are always the funniest to break.

So she decided to pay a visit…and that's how she met the Salvatore's. Siblings rivalry, so easy to manipulate, it was almost her fate to play with them.

It started slow, some courting here, some hypnosis there, everything was right on track. Well…until you happened, a foreign friend of the brothers, honorary sibling as they say.

Katherine isn't stupid, she knows when to stay away, but something about you was just enchanting. She obviously didn't let go of the brothers, she liked the control, the passion, she needed it.

However, during free times, she often caught herself watching you. Always so observant, so quiet.

You would go on nature walks, never alone, but only with one or two as company. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened, no magic, moonlight transformation, sometimes you would even walk in the sun with no jewelry.

These things made her wonder what was so different. Patience was never Katherine's virtue, so eventually she followed you, waited to catch you alone and made her move.

It went as usual, some flirting here, some hypnosis or so the vampire believed there and soon enough you were hers.

The rumors and bets started, which of the three would Katherine choose, which would die first. All were interested in how this story would end, even the vampire herself.

She was intelligent, ambitious, brave, a true survivor. But she was a victim of something that everyone has been, love. Of course she didn't know at the time, the longing stares, the casual affection, the delicacy, Katherine treated it all as part of the game.

When the new device was created and the common folk started hunting the supernatural, she saw an opportunity ready to be taken, an unfortunate death. The Salvatore's were easy to dispose of, she liked the Stefan boy but not more than she loved herself. Damon was a love sick puppy, the vampire couldn't care less.

And there was you, stupid you, with funny jokes and future plans. Oh how she hated you, how she hated the fact that the great Katherine Pierce looked for you amongst the chaos, how she hated that you were gone.

The vampire tried to forget you, she found more toys, but no one would replace you.

After a century she saw one of your friends, it all came back as if no time had passed at all. So she went after him, she questioned, tortured and killed him so many times.

He ended up speaking, as they always. You were alive, a sorcerer he said, a powerful one.

Therefore, Katherine asked about that night, just to know for sure that you abandoned her, but you never did. You went after her, you fought your family, your friends, you really tried to help her. They couldn't risk you, so they lied, they said Katherine was taken and killed, they heard your cry, your begging, until they heard you stop.

You left the country and no one has heard from you ever since.

To say the vampire was mad was an understatement, she was vivid, she wanted everyone to pay for what they did to you.

She wanted to find you.

So she would find you.

Therefore a new bet was placed, for when you meet again, which city would burn.

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

masterlist

[testudoaubrei-blog]

Well, it’s not quite a master’s thesis, but this is (the first of) a series of posts on why Catra and Adora are the best love story in the history of kids TV animation and maybe the greatest love story in the history of TV. This may in some ways be faint praise - romance on TV is generally not very good compared with books or movies. Often it’s just some will they/won’t they sexual tension that is defused by getting characters together and re-heightened by breaking them up. TV is full of nearly shark jumping pointless dramas like Sam and Diane (Cheers, holy fuck am I dating myself, though that was technically before my time), Ross and Rachel (Friends, which was no Cheers) etc, but also some less annoying couples like Ben and Leslie (Parks and Rec) or Amy and Jake (Bk99) who are mostly just kind of cute and fun. Other shows, like the X-Files, teased viewers for years with unresolved sexual tension. In kids shows most romances are, appropriate for their target viewers, mild, sweet relationships based more on self-conscious flirting and blushing than on complex and conflicted feelings or deep passions - which is pretty realistic when the characters are young teens or even mid-teens. Some of these relationships are really well done - Finn and Flame Princess, Dipper and Pacifica (yeah I ship them), the early stages of Katara and Aang (before the showrunners imbued this childhood crush with cosmic significance), Steven and Connie, etc. Catra and Adora, though, are different. Their love story is not a side plot or a sub plot, it’s the heart of the show. It isn’t a childhood crush, it’s a very messy and passionate relationship between two young adults. She-Ra is an emotionally complex lesbian romance just as much as it is a thrilling action/adventure show. Everything about their relationship is baked into the show’s plot, its themes, hell even its musical score. The dramatic tension between Catra and Adora is not the result of stretching out a flirtation for ratings, but a coherent dramatic arc that runs through the entire show. As Noelle said, he made Catradora so central that execs couldn’t take it out without ruining the show. And the show is better for it. In this series of posts I’m going to try to show why, as well as showing why She-Ra is such a fantastic love story.

First off, let’s talk about how Catra and Adora’s character arcs are foils for each other, and how they come together and apart through the series. This is actually a post that I’ve been working on for a while but I keep summarizing the show rather than cutting to the chase, so I’m not going to recite many plot points so much as sketch out what’s going on with the dramatic structure at the time. But also, let’s talk about what each character’s arc is saying, and how they are commenting on each other. Spoiler alert: Catra’s arc is a subversion and critique of stories of empowerment through ruthless self-assertion and revenge, while Adora’s arc is a subversion and critique of chosen one narratives and stories of self-denial and self-transcendence.

When the show starts, Adora and Catra are shown as rivals and friends - their first scene starts the recurring motif of them reaching out for each other as one of them dangles above an abyss, as well as establishing their flirtatious banter and easy camaraderie. We quickly learn that these two young women plan to conquer the world together. These scenes and later flashbacks show Catra and Adora as deeply enmeshed in each others lives, to the point where neither of them (but especially Catra) have clear identities outside of one another. There is so much genuine love on both sides before Adora leaves, but also resentment, envy and fear, especially on Catra’s side, as well as a protectiveness on Adora’s side that deprives Catra of her autonomy. They are both being abused by Shadow Weaver - Catra physically  and emotionally, Adora emotionally. It wouldn’t be too much to say that Shadow Weaver holds Catra hostage to control Adora (this is why critiques that Adora abandoned Catra to be abused are actually kind of messed up, since they accept Shadow Weaver’s premise that Adora is responsible for what Shadow Weaver does to Catra). In addition, Catra and Adora actually see the world incredibly differently. Adora already sees the world in terms of right, wrong and her destiny to right wrongs - this is why it’s important for her  to accept the Horde’s obvious lies - she couldn’t keep living if she didn’t. Catra, on the other hand, sees the world solely in terms of survival and personal loyalty - everything for her is about preserving herself and the person she cares about - Adora.

Then, when Adora finds the sword, she leaves because it’s the right thing to do. Catra doesn’t even have a concept of ‘the right thing to do’ being something she should care about, or perhaps, something she can care about as an irredeemably evil, awful fuck-up. So at Thaymor neither one understands where the other is coming from, and Catra and Adora begin to part. This is the first turning point in their relationship. Adora chooses duty over what she desires, Catra chooses to protect herself (such as she sees it) and nurse her sense of betrayal and abandonment.

Their relationship until Promise is a kind of weird Frenemy thing that is fascinating to watch and sold me on the show. Neither one wants to fully admit to themselves that the other is now their enemy, neither one has given up on changing the other’s mind. Each is furious at the other, and desperate to see her again at the same time. There’s a lot of heartache and just as much sexual tension, especially at Princess Prom. Both of them come alive when they fight each other (more about that in a later post). But they’re already growing apart - Adora embracing her destiny as She-Ra, Catra rising in the ranks for the Horde. Adora now has the purpose she always wanted, plus other friends and a sense of being chosen to do something great, while Catra now has power - the means to protect herself from people like Shadow Weaver as well as the vindication she had always been denied, and even the opportunity to beat Shadow Weaver at her own game.

The next turning point is Promise. Holy fuck, this episode. It’s an episode that is even more heartbreaking after you’ve watched the show because you know just how much worse things are going to get, and yet, it’s a necessary part of both of their character arcs. Even through season 1 Catra and Adora had remained very much enmeshed in each others lives in an increasingly fucked up way as they grew apart but refused to turn away from each other. Even though they aren’t -exactly- a romantic couple (Adora doesn’t recognize and acknowledge her feelings until the last episode of Season 5), Season 1 of She-Ra is one of the worst breakups I have seen on TV. As I said in a couple of previous posts, this is the kind of shit that the Mountain Goats write songs about. Everything that was poisoning their love for each other even before episode 1 bubbles to the surface and combines with them fighting on opposite sides of the war to make a truly fucked up situation. In the end, it’s Catra that makes the choice to turn away from Adora. This isn’t a -good- decision. It’s spiteful, and destructive, and based on an outright deluded understanding of their relationship (inspired by Light Hope’s manipulations and her own issues), but it’s in some ways a necessary decision. Catra has been so wrapped up in Adora for so long that she isn’t going to be able to figure out who -she- is without cutting Adora out of her life. And the same is true of Adora.

But each of them do this in about the worst way possible. Catra embraces destruction, ambition, manipulation and outright cruelty, turning the tactics of her abusers against them and against everyone around her. She first triumphs over Shadow Weaver and manipulates Entrapta into trying to corrupt Etheria itself. Meanwhile Adora ‘lets go’ and commits herself to the self-denying mantle of She-Ra. Over the next several seasons, their respective paths will nearly lead both Catra and Adora to their deaths (in the Season 4 finale).

For the next season (counting season 2 and 3 as one) Catra and Adora are still closely linked, but as enemies. Still, there’s more than enough flirtation between them (that ‘Hey Catra’ in the first episode of Season 2 is something else), and especially on Adora’s side we see her hold back with Catra, and often take responsibility for the harm Catra inflicts, just like she had when they were kids. Yet they still drift apart - after facing off every other episode in Season 1, they spend less and less time on screen together through season 2 and 3. Catra continues her ascent to power and descent into villainy while Adora becomes more of a stressed out mess as she takes the fate of the world and the wellbeing of everyone she cares about on her admittedly broad shoulders. Catra’s one moment of vulnerability is rewarded by Shadow Weaver’s betrayal and her exile, then Catra triumphs in ruthless badass fashion through sheer desperation and aggression. In the Crimson Wastes, we see Catra at her most independent, and she almost seems happy. But once Adora shows up and Catra hears about Shadow Weaver, she’s sucked back into the worst of her resentments, and she makes very clear that being happy is less important to her than making sure Adora is miserable.

This changes everything. Catra completely breaks with reality and tries to kill Adora, herself and the world rather than lose to Adora and Shadow Weaver (I do think it’s important to remember that she does that after Shadow Weaver nearly kills her). Catra betrays everyone around her when she exiles Entrapta, threatens Scopria and lies to Hordak. Then she flips the switch. When Adora tries to fix things, Catra fights to her own death to make sure that the world disintegrates with her. For her part, Adora fights first to understand what is wrong with the world and then to fix it. Finally she tells Catra that destroying the world is her choice and she has to live with it, decks her, and then sees her off with a death glare once the portal is closed. With this, Adora writes Catra off even if, as she says later, she never never hated her. By doing that, Adora casts off the guilt that had dogged her and takes responsibility for her own life rather than someone else’s - this is actually a huge step for her, and one that will become more important in Season 4.

Season 4 is in many ways the nadir of their relationship. They only see each other once during the entire season, in Fluterrina, when Adora tries to blast Catra, much to the latter’s shock. There’s a sense in that scene that Catra is trying to have the same flirtatious enmity she used to have with Adora, and Adora is having none of it. Catra almost seems hurt by this, which is an early hint at how isolated Catra is beginning to feel. Catra spends the rest of the season at her highest and lowest. On the one hand she spends most of 12 episodes winning by every standard she has ever claimed to care about, besting Hordak himself in single combat and making herself co-ruler of the Horde and coming within a day’s march of ending the Rebellion. In many ways it is the ultimate empowerment fantasy - the abused young woman has defeated her abusers, showed up everyone who doubted her and forced everyone to respect her. But I think it’s striking that the show starts with her and Adora dreaming of conquering the world together and in Season 4 Catra nearly succeeds in conquering it alone, almost like she was trying to live out her old shared fantasy while proving she didn’t need her former best friend. 

At the same time, Catra is clearly miserable. She’s always been unhappy, but in Season 4 we see her completely isolated and lying to herself and everyone who will listen in a desperate attempt to justify her actions. Turning the tactics of Hordak and Shadow Weaver against them to gain power and then against Scorpia and Entrapta to maintain it haven’t vindicated Catra, they’ve made her more and more alone as Entrapta is exiled and Scorpia drifts away. Meanwhile Catra reaches out to Double Trouble, and her interactions with them reek of a kind of desperate desire to have someone in her life (the feeling of their interaction is of an unhealthy casual relationship where one partner becomes emotionally invested and the other takes advantage of that while denying the other the closeness they desire). As people leave her, one after the other, it becomes clearer and clearer that Catra doesn’t want power at all - she wants connection, friendship, love, and power is a very poor replacement. As I said in my long Catra rant, Season 4 is both her ‘Walter White as a Catgirl’ season and the beginning of her redemption. Everything comes to head when Sparkles destroys everything Catra has tried to achieve, Double Trouble delivers those harsh truths and Horde Prime shows up and makes it all irrelevant, just highlighting how futile all her struggles and sacrifices and crimes have been.

Meanwhile Adora spends Season 4 becoming her own her and her own woman. After telling off Catra, she grows more and more disillusioned with Light Hope and critical of Glimmer (though the latter has more than a shade of her old habit of taking responsibility for others - Adora’s development is not linear). She’s gained the courage and confidence to strike out her own path, not just follow a destiny. At the season’s end she once again breaks with her best friend to do what is right, and discards the destiny that she was being prepared for. But in this case she isn’t chasing one packaged destiny for another, instead she’s making her own choice and literally shattering the thing that she thought gave her life purpose. It’s badass, and heartbreaking, and along with decking Catra and jumping after Catra into the abyss (see below) it’s the perfect Adora moment.

In many ways Season 5 starts with Catra and Adora farther apart than they have ever been. They aren’t even enemies anymore, they’re completely out of each other’s lives. And both Catra and Adora are lost at the beginning of Season 5 - Catra is useless and alone on Prime’s ship, completely defeated despite ostensibly being on the winning side, and she goes through the motions of her normal plotting without any particular conviction and none of her normal flair. Meanwhile Adora is even more miserable and self-destructive than usual, throwing herself at Horde Bots and working herself until she drops of exhaustion. In a very real way they both stay lost until they have a chance to help the other. Catra takes responsibility for what she’s done and what she can do, saves Glimmer (at least partly for Adora’s sake), apologizes to Adora, and sacrifices herself. Adora only seems to come alive when she decides to turn around, face Prime, and save the cat. And when she does, Catra and Adora’s arcs, which had separated so completely in season 4, come crashing back together to end the series.

Adora during Save the Cat is such a contrast with the uncertain, hesitant and self-destructive wreck we’ve seen so far in Season 5. This is possibly her craziest plan in 3 years of mostly cazy plans, but she never wavers or questions herself. Even when Chipped Catra appears and we see Adora’s heart break while we watch, Adora doesn’t back down or relent. She keeps at it even as the tears stream down her face. She fights better trying to save Catra without She-Ra’s powers than she fought at the Battle of Bright Moon with them. Catra’s just about as desperate - we see her cry and plead, and now is probably as good a time to any to point out how amazing a job both VAs did throughout the show, but especially in this episode, and how good a job the board artists did. 

Seeing each other for the first time in a year, and only the second time since Catra blew everything up, Catra and Adora are probably the rawest and least restrained we’ve ever seen them. There’s barely any banter, no bravado, and no pretense that they are anything other than two women who desperately need each other (Prime doesn’t help with ‘You broke my heart’.) Then Catra is flung to her death, Adora jumps after her, breaks both her legs in the fall (we see her crawl to Catra, as though she couldn’t walk) and becomes the real She-Ra. It’s such a triumphant and deeply queer moment seeing a woman transformed into a warrior goddess to protect the woman she loves, and it’s the reason that, as dark as it is, Save the Cat is my Comfort Food episode.

Let’s not sleep on Taking Control, though. This episode is like a microcosm of what this show does best, especially the A plot with Catra and Adora. Catra’s reversion to lashing out at everyone and her refusal to be open to Adora shows just how much of a struggle this whole ‘being good and trying to connect to people’ thing is. Catra’s outburst gives Adora a chance to stand up for herself and refuse to be Catra’s punching bag, while also not trying to control her. Adora’s ultimatum gives Catra a chance to reach out to Adora (quite literally), and allow herself to be vulnerable. In this episode, we see just how far Catra and Adora have come since the messed up stew of their relationship in Season 1. Adora lets Catra be responsible for her own actions; Catra lets herself be vulnerable to Adora and takes responsibility for her actions. They’re both better people and better friends and better partners than they were, and the show has shown this in a strikingly nuanced and realistic way. 

The important thing to note in the next few episodes of Season 5 isn’t just how much closer Catra and Adora get to each other and how much they flirt (So much. So much, y’all) but just how -happy- they are. We see both of them transformed in the other’s presence. Basically, since they’ve parted, both Catra and Adora have been defined in no small part by how miserable they often are. They have both had their triumphs and their lighter moments, but there’s been a sense of melancholy dogging both Catra and Adora since episode 1. And now that they’re together again, that lifts, somewhat. Catra’s verbal barbs have lost their venom, and she can openly show how much she cares for Adora and even Bow and Glimmer. She’s still herself - snarky, cynical, somewhat devious - but she’s not engaged in a self-destructive zero-sum struggle with everyone around her. Meanwhile Adora has spent 4 seasons being a neurotic and sometimes nearly joyless mess who takes responsibility for everything and often doesn’t let herself enjoy anything other than the odd BFS group hug (exceptions include trying to uh...impress Huntara and reveling with the butterfly ladies of Elberron in Flutterina).  Around Catra, though, she’s a cocky, swaggering jock who gives as good as she gets. It’s a side of Adora we’ve only seen hints of before, and one that’s so much more confident and joyful even as the world is ending around her. Apart, Catra had tried to protect and vindicate herself with power and conquest, while Adora had tried to forget herself in duty and sacrifice. Together, they can be themselves again. This dynamic is crucial to the show’s portrayal of Catra and Adora’s romance because it doesn’t just show how much they love each other, but how they’re -good- for each other now that they’ve grown as people, and that they are so much better than they were when they were apart.

Until Shadow Weaver shows up. Their old abuser reintroduces tensions but even then things are different than they were. Now Catra isn’t just resentful of how Shadow Weaver prefers Adora - she’s  protective of Adora, which is clearest in Failsafe when she calls Shadow Weaver out for being willing to sacrifice Adora. And while Adora takes the Failsafe, it isn’t to follow her destiny or because she has a death wish - it’s because she loves her friends, and she is the only one who has any hope of doing this and living (though Catra’s suggestion that Shadow Weaver take it is a good one). And finally, when Catra leaves Adora, it isn’t because she hates Adora, nor, despite what she says, is it because she really thinks that Adora chose Shadow Weaver. At least, not exactly. It’s because Catra loves Adora, and can admit that to herself, and can’t stay around and watch the woman she loves sacrifice herself rather than choosing Catra. Before Catra leaves, she asks Adora ‘What do you want?” It’s a question that echoes Shadow Weaver’s speech in Episode 1: ‘isn’t this what you always wanted since you could want anything?’ As much as Adora has grown as a person, and defined herself and stood up for what she thinks is right, she still has never answered that question - it’s never been ‘what do I want’ but ‘what do I have to do?’ and that’s how Adora answers Catra’s question. This is Adora’s last gasp as a self-transcending hero, letting go of what she wants (not that she ever dared articulate what that was) in order to do what must be done. And it nearly kills her and dooms the universe, because Adora can’t be the hero that she needs to be by being anyone less than herself.

But it’s losing Catra that inspires Adora to tell off Shadow Weaver for good (not that she’d ever really warmed to her after season 1). And it’s love for Adora that inspires Catra to stand up to Shadow Weaver and demand that she do the right thing. In both cases, Catra and Adora aren’t just standing up to their abuser, but holding her to account for the harm she’s caused, and it’s the love that they have for each other that inspires them to do this. In Catra’s case in particular her refusal to let Shadow Weaver weasel out of finding Adora is a much greater triumph over Shadow Weaver than beating her up and breaking her mask in Season 1 - it’s proof not so much to Shadow Weaver but to Catra herself that Catra really is better than this and that she deserves better than this. It’s not turning her abuser’s tactics against her, but truly holding her to a moral standard and demanding that she do the right thing.

And then there’s Catra and Adora together at the heart. Catra has already come back for Adora and stayed to the end, choosing to die with her even if she can’t share a life together (not out of some death wish, but because Adora needs her). And Adora, who’s been avoiding answering the question for three fucking years, finally let’s herself want Catra when Catra finally confesses her love (breaking the last of her self-protective shields) and asks Adora to stay -for her-. And by admitting what she wants, Adora can truly be at peace with herself and be the hero she needs to be, lesbianism saves the universe, The End.

So anyway, that’s how Catra and Adora’s stories are woven together and how they compliment and comment on each other. Narrativiely, Adora and Catra start together, come apart, find something of themselves, and truly find themselves and each other when they are reunited. Thematically, they are critiquing seemingly opposing narrative tropes - empowerment narratives and narratives of self sacrifice. But by showing the flaws in both types of story and showing how neither self-seeking empowerment nor self-negating self sacrifice can actually make us happy, She-Ra asks and answers more profound questions than most prestige dramas for adults do. I’ll get into how the show sells the idea that the power of love can bring us happiness (and save the world) in a future post. But next up, I’m going to celebrate just how much Catra and Adora’s relationship revels in ambiguity, complexity and contradiction and so tells a grown up love story in a kid’s show.

[muichiroslover]

Heyo could I request a ban x reader

Where ban and y/n first started dating before elaine so when elaine got into the picture she was a little jealous of their relationship and would try and break them up. And so one day ban and y/n got into an argument, the next day y/n and all of her stuff was gone. Elaine thinking it was a perfect time to take ban tries to comfort him but all he can think about is y/n. So eventually he finds y/n and apologizes in which y/n forgives him.

HAPPY ENDINGG

(Srry If its 2 long u don't have to do it if u dont want 2) (also I do not hate elaine xD)

Hi hi!! Yes I love this idea I love me some angst with happy ending 👀 I hope this is to your liking butterscotch!! <33 enjoy (●’◡’●)ﾉ♥︎♥︎

(Sorry it’s a little late ☹︎)

Pairings: Ban x reader

Warnings: Mentions of blood and wounds (not bad)

Genre: Angst with happy ending

_______________________________________________

You and ban had been a couple for as long as you could remember, at first it was kind of hard to approach him when you guys first met but when you guys had warmed up to each other you guys were absolutely inseparable

You guys did everything together and you were so well known your couple name around towns were “The bandit couple”

As you guys explored the world one night Ban brought up news about this drink that could give you immortality, using the sly line

“Then we can be together forever”

To which you laughed and hit him playfully, but he was entirely serious, you sighed and ended up agreeing to your adventurous boyfriends plan, if it wasn’t real at least you guys would have a fun time

So you guys began your journey to the fairy kings forest, when you guys had finally got to the tree you looked up and groaned

“That’s a huge tree, do we have to climb it?” You ask and he snorts as he already begins getting his hands and legs ready to climb

“You don’t have to, you can wait down here” he says smugly and you glare at the back of his head

“No I’m coming, I might as well see it through” you mutter annoyed to which he laughed

“That’s my girl” he says and you look away in embarrassment, feeling flustered at the comment which almost sent the blue haired man flying off the tree in amusement

As you guys climbed and finally made it to the top a girl, a little one at that looked at you both with a straight face as she puts her hand up and a huge wind blows you guys off

You scream in fear as you get blown far back and far above the ground, Ban grits and teeth and clicks his tongue as he grabs you as you guys start falling and takes the impact

You quickly got off of him and looked at him, tears almost in your eyes

“Oh my god! Ban! Ban I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for you to take the impact! Ban!! Ban-“ you frantically said to the man on the ground who’s eyes were closed

“If you keep calling my name out like that it’d be plain bullying if I didn’t wake up” he groans as he slowly sits up and you quickly hug him to which he chuckles and embraces you back

“Alright let’s try again” he says and your eyes widen slightly

“But ban-“ you begin and he just looks at you with his normal goofy smile you can never turn down, you sigh, deeply may I add and look at him

“Okay..I trust you” you say and he grins even wider as he grabs your hand and stands up as you guys started running towards the tree

The same thing happened a few times, it hurt, a lot but Ban never let you get too injured, always taking the impact of the fall even if you tried to fight with his grip in the air

The last time you guys got up there Ban grabbed his weapon and your eyes widen slightly thinking he was gonna attack the little girl

But he manipulated his staff and instead grabbed the cub with his weapon, You gasped as you two got quickly bounded by trees and the girl took the cup from Bans hand

The girl stands in front of you guys seemingly doing something then she lets us both go, Ban started explaining why you guys wanted immortality and those of such, You didn’t expect him to tell her his whole life’s story but

“Well shes too strong Y/n, let’s just go back” he says smiling at you as he holds out his hand, you smile lightly and nod as you grab it and you both head back down the tree

You guys were camping near the tree those days you were climbing it, you decided you’d stay another week since the fairy kings forest is actually quite pretty and you wanted to explore a bit before leaving since this opportunity may never come again

One night as you laid asleep in your sleeping bag you felt moving, you opened your eyes groggily to see your boyfriend quietly leaving the tent, you thought nothing of it, maybe he was going to pee or he was extra hungry or there was something dangerous nearby

Ignoring it you let yourself fall back into a deep slumber

But as the days and nights continued he kept sneaking out, you started getting suspicious so on the 4th night he snuck out you waited a little bit pretending you were sleeping and after a few minutes you slowly crept out of the tent

You looked around whispering your boyfriends name, this could be a huge misunderstanding after all

You went all around the forest and no sight of Ban

You went back to the tent and looked in, maybe you missed him?? But nope he wasn’t in there

You finally stopped in front of the tree and looked up, remembering the girl that resided there, logically speaking she was older then both of us since fairy’s live longer

“He didn’t” you whisper, you didn’t want to think, no you absolutely were wrong, must be seeing the wrong picture

Your boyfriend of years and hardships is not sneaking out at night to meet up with another girl, no it sounds absurd even thinking about it

‘I’ll just climb and check and I’ll be wrong, I’ll take the wind blow’ you think nodding your head reassuring yourself

You start climbing up the tree as quietly as possible, when you finally made it up and peaked up your mouth fell agape as you saw Ban and the girl chatting and laughing, all close

It surprised you so much that you lost grip on the tree and fell back, you rolled down the tree as if it was a hill, your limbs flying to and fro as you finally hit the bottom

You groaned quietly in pain

“What was that?” Ban says as he stops his conversation with Elaine hearing a soft thump

Elaine looks to the side

“ I didn’t hear anything?” She says and Ban shrugs as they continue to talk

You on the other hand shakily get up as you look at yourself, your arm was bleeding but you don’t know from where, your left ankle was sprained for sure, and your back was killing you it probably had a horrible bruise forming

A tear slipped out as you limped to the tent, you sat down as you grabbed bandages and started cleaning your wounds, the blood was coming from a gash just below your shoulder, probably from a sharp branch

You put a stick in your mouth as you took a deep breath, you grabbed some of Bans alcohol and poured it over the cut, you bit down harshly on the stick but no scream made it through, tears can’t say the same though

You spit out the stick as you breathed hard, every breath of air seeming like you haven’t had oxygen for a while, you take a bandage and wrap it around your arm securely

Usually you would make herbs for wounds and etc, but your hands were shaky, mind a daze and eyes blurry from tears

You wrapped up your sprained ankle and just let your back be in pain because there wasn’t much you could do about the pain back there

You sat silently in the tent waiting for your boyfriend to arrive, he did not arrive till the morning, about an hour and a half before you would usually wake up

When he opened the tent and saw you staring blankly at his empty sleeping bag he went to you and was about to touch your shoulder to ask you what was wrong but you jerked back

He was surprised as you looked at him, your eyes puffy, a huge sign you were crying

“Y/n what-“

“Where were you last night Ban?” You ask and he goes silent

“No in fact where were you the past 4 nights??” You ask and he sighs

“Y/n I just went out to explore and hunt, the foods not gonna come to us-“

You scoff, tears forming up, if he’s lying then is it true that he..

“You’re lying Ban, you’re lying to me” you grit out and he looks at you a little confused but mostly surprised

“What?”

“You were up there in that tree with that girl..” you say dangerously quiet and he sighs his head falling as he realizes he’s been caught and it looks totally wrong too

“Y/n..” he begins and you shake your head

“No no dont Y/n me, why did you lie and why were you sneaking out?!” You shout

“Y/n we were just talking I swear, I lied because I didn’t know how you would react-“

“HOW I WOULD REACT? HOW WOULD YOU REACT IF I WAS SNEAKING OFF LATE AT NIGHT AND MEETING UP WITH SOME GUY BAN?? HUH??!” You ask pushing him back but you wince as the wound near your shoulder moves

Ban notices this then notices the bandage on your arm and ankle

“Y/n what happened?” He asks quickly as he pulls your ankle into his palm to examine it, but you pull it back quickly

“You’re not even answering me, I-I can’t believe this, I can’t.” You say as you lay down in your sleeping bag, you were extremely tired from staying up the whole night already

You laid on the opposite side you usually lay on because of the wound on your other shoulder and thankfully it was the side not facing Ban

You guys didn’t speak for the whole day and when night came you woke up only to see Ban gone

“Y-You’re kidding” you whisper, you quickly get out, you run to the tree as you go up the route you began to remember with your mind at this point

You climbed up skillfully fast ignoring the roaring pain in both your ankle and shoulder, you peaked up and not to your surprise you see Ban and Elaine speaking under the oh so romantic fairy lights

With no sound you climbed back down, you walked to your tent and went in, grabbing your bag you grabbed your herbs, bandages, clothes and canned foods, leaving some for Ban even in your mood

You rolled up your sleeping bag and dig the dirt under as you grabbed your bag of coins, you and Ban always hid your money in case of any intruders, you guys were bandits after all

You take your money and put it in your bag as you get out the tent and leave

Ban returned back in the morning, he had asked Elaine what he should do to fix things and what a girl usually would like in this type of situation, you guys had never fought so bad to the point you didn’t speak the whole entire day

He was scared you were actually done with him, he had a few picked flowers in his hand and he took a deep breath as he opened the tent

But his eyes widen when he sees your stuff gone and your sleeping bag rolled up, he drops the flowers as he looks around frantically

“Y/N?? Y/N WHERE ARE YOU?!” He yelled, he ran everywhere around the forest looking for you, but you were no where in sight

By the time night fell he still couldn’t find you and it felt like his whole world was collapsing in front of him, he couldn’t think and he couldn’t even yell anymore bc he was sure he lost his voice by how loud and long he was screaming your name

He quickly wiped a tear that rolled down his cheek as he quickly climbed the tree, Elaine looked over at him worriedly

“You didn’t come at our usual time I was worried” she said and looks away blushing slightly

“She left Elaine! She left and I can’t find her anywhere” he says as he falls onto his knees and the tears finally come out

“She left me Elaine I-“ he says hoarsely

Elaine frowns sadly as she goes over and hugs him

“Well Ban...maybe she wasn’t the right one..there’s other people who can make you happy” she says

“Her injuries, she had bandages on her right arm and an injury on her ankle as well! She can get really hurt out there I have to find her” he cried

“Ban she left you, maybe it’s time to move on” Elaine says hintfully and lets go of Ban as she flies to the cup, she gives it to Ban and smiles at him

“Really?” He asks and she nods blushing a bit, he drank it slowly and when Elaine wasn’t looking he poured some inside of a glass bottle

“Ban I like-“ Elaine begins but Ban gets up

“I’m sorry Elaine I think this is the last time you’ll be seeing me, I checked every inch of the forest last night so that means Y/n has left the forest, I’m gonna be leaving as soon as I make it to the tent and get my stuff” he says to the girl who’s face falls in despair

“W-What wait but Ban she-“ she began

“She left? She had a good reason, if I was in her position I’d be upset too I can’t blame her” he says running a hand through his hair

“B-BUT SHE-SHE” Elaine tries to plead but stops when she sees Ban smile at her

“No matter what she did or does, she’s the only one my heart races for, in life or in death Y/n is my one true love so...wherever she goes I’ll chase her” he says and with that he jumps off the tree

Elaine falls to her knees as she watches the spot Ban once stood in, her head falling down as tears fell on to the tree

Ban had gotten to the tent and began packing all his stuff he got his money bag from under his sleeping , though he wonders where you hid yours and leaves

He travels for towns and towns looking for you, he had finally found you but much to his dismay you got captured since you were injured and were in a pretty tight situation as you were on death row

He watched as you and other prison mates were in a yard just doing your own things, you were laying on a bench staring at the sky

“Pssst”

You look up quickly and look around not seeing anyone, you were about to lay back down

“Pssst Y/n!”

You look around again noticing the familiar voice

“I must be going crazy” you mutter as you hold your forehead

“You’re not! Look over here!”

You slowly look to the side of the fence you were near and your eyes slowly landed on a bush, soon blue hair popped up from behind the bush and Ban gave you that grin of his

“Ban!” You say, a smile on your face, but you quickly replace it by a scowl and look away from him

He smiles slightly at that

“Y/n come on look at me” he whispers and you begrudgingly look over at him and he smiles, causing you to get flustered and your scowl to shake trying not to smile

“What are you doing here, you better hurry up and escape before they catch you too” you whisper not looking at him, instead watching the guards

He laughs

“As if I would leave you in a jail cell, come on let’s go” he says and you look at him stupidly

“Let’s go? No thanks death row isn’t that bad” you say coldly and he sighs

“Fine, guess we have to do this the hard way” he says shrugging

“HEY GUARDS” He shouts and your eyes widen as you sit up and block him with your body as the guards and inmates look at you

“UHH YEAH GUARDS, UHM YOUR ZIPPERS DOWN” you say and cringe deeply when the guards both look down and one coughs as he zips up his zipper, the inmates laughing

When everything died down you looked at Ban deadly

“Are you crazy?” You whisper

“Crazy for you”

Your mouth closes as you try to not blush but it’s inevitable as your brows unfurrow and a small smile takes over

“There’s that smile I love” he says and you roll your eyes as you huff slightly

“You better explain, I’m not giving you another chance so don’t you lie to me” you say and he nods quickly like a dog, you can basically see the tail behind him wagging

“Now step back babe, you’re boyfriends here to save you” he says smugly and you roll your eyes as you back up

He takes out his staff and in a swift motion breaks the fence, the guards all look over

“HEY” one shouts and you gasp as Ban quickly scoops you up and starts running

“It’s okay! I’ll take this bandit off your hands!” He shouts amused as he runs, he runs into a forest and does many turns eventually losing the guards who had to return back before any other inmates escaped

He puts you down lightly and you cross your arms to which he snorts

“I can run you know” you say and he shakes his head as he leans down and takes out a jar of green stuff

“They’re not as good as yours but they should do” he says and he gently takes your leg as he pulls up the inmate suit and sees your swollen ankle

“Tch stupid guards didn’t even treat it” he mutters as he takes some of the green cream and slowly and gently rubs it over your ankle

You can’t lie this felt really good but

“The first night I went up to try to plead for the youth drink” he says and you look at him

“The second night I went up to try and bribe for the youth drink”

“The third night I spoke to her, I tried to get to know her so she can see we have no bad intentions but one night wasn’t enough”

“The 4th night she had decent trust in me, so we continued talking”

He sighed as he started wrapping the bandage around your ankle softly, you don’t think you’ve ever seen Ban this gentle

“And the 5th night?” You ask and he looks to the side, you noticed a slight blush

“The 5th night I asked advice on what I should do to make you forgive me..” he mutters and your mouth falls agape slightly, it slowly forms into a small smile

“I’m sorry for not letting you explain..” you say and he shakes his head

“No, I can see how this looked from your perspective” he says as he rolls up your sleeves and switches the old bloodied bandages on your arm

You chuckle softly

“So I guess we can’t be together forever” you say sighing and as he rubs the herb cream on your bruised back he raises his eyebrow and pulls out a glass bottle with pink liquid

“Sorry but you’re not escaping me so easily” he says and you gasp as you grab the bottle and look at it

“This is really it??” You say looking back at him and he nods proudly

You slowly open it and drink it, but you didn’t feel that different

“Did it work?” You ask and he shrugs to which you deadpan

That day you both held hand as you jumped off a cliff, when you landed you guys sat up as you laughed and high fived, it worked

After a few months both you and Ban were caught purposely cause life began to get boring, you both sat in the same cell, after 33 executions you both are still alive in confinement

“I win” you say as you cross an all three X’s on the tic tac toe you made on the dirt in the ground

“You’re cheating” Ban replies and you laugh

Soon the door blows open and you two looked over to see a short man with blonde hair, you both smiled as Meliodas smiled back at you two

“Glad to see you two are still lovebirds”

[galahadenough]

I finally put together a review of Loki (TV Series). I've always been a huge Marvel fan, a huge MCU fan, but this show was horrific to me. Especially since I saw the show through to the end, I wanted to write a review for the main reviewing websites. I want this side to be heard. All it took was an immense amount of rage to get me to write reviews!

I’m planning on posting it on imdb, Rotten Tomatoes, and google reviews. So far I’ve gotten errors and issues with RT and google, and I’m hoping it doesn’t get lost on imdb. Any other places to leave reviews?

It took me a while to write this. I had to calm down a lot to make it coherent. Then I had to figure out how to condense it. I felt like a review should be my main points, but it took a lot of editing to get it down this much. (Then I had to make an edited version because google has much smaller word limits).

Thanks a lot @iamnmbr3. Your blog was the first one I found on the topic and it was a huge help. The show felt off from the first episode, but I couldn’t figure out why. Your analysis on the show really helped me to verbalize what I was feeling.

Review (except shorter on google):

As a huge MCU fan, I found the show to be intolerable. The plot was slow with way too much filler for the length of the show, and much of the filler felt purposeless. They could have deleted entire scenes or plot points without changing much if any of the story. The creators deliberately made the aesthetic average and mundane, which didn’t pair well with the underwhelming plot. The show relied heavily on slapstick humor, almost all of which was directed at the title character in a manner that encouraged laughter at his pain and stupidity. It would have been better suited for a cartoon, but it would be a cruel cartoon.

The TVA was presented as the better of two evils despite it being a totalitarian organization utilizing genocide and torture, both physical and mental. It felt very reminiscent of the book 1984 with the Thought Police, but the TVA was never truly represented as evil. Not one character opposed them as a hero or from a moral standpoint. All opposition came from a personal or self-serving motive. I’m not wanting every character to be brilliantly moralistic. That would be boring. But you don’t set up an organization like the TVA and say that they are providing a good and needed service, which was the idea the series was based on and ended on.

Mobius has a personality that is very easy to like, but he is very much complicit with the TVA. He happily 'does his job' of genocide and torture. He is Loki's captor, but we are informed he is his friend. When he isn't actively using physical or mental manipulation and torture, he is deriding and mocking him. There was nothing to indicate that they were friends outside of being told that is true. Mobius was never used as a villain by the show despite him fitting the mold well, but he also never has a redemption arc that would have made him a good hero. His reason for working against the TVA is because they lied to him, not because there is any moral reason. His change in alliances happened without much buildup, no gradual discovery throughout the series.

Sylvie felt like a caricature of a character, with very little to her personality other than grit. I was very bored with her. She was a tough, strong, and perfect character that lacked any other depth or nuance. She was called “terrifying” for being female, which felt horrifyingly sexist. She was yet another source of derision and mocking towards Loki.

Loki, the character, was very poorly written. He has always had a great deal of emotional depth that makes him interesting. He was acted with a range from extreme subtlety to riveting explosions of emotion in previous movies. His past is filled with good and bad choices, made with good and bad intentions. He was the villain who tried to be a hero and the hero who tried to be a villain. They took all that away and made him a side character in his own show who had little to no effect on the plot.

For abilities, he lacked his usual physical fighting prowess. He did very little magic, seeming awed when others used magic. His personality and mannerisms changed drastically. His gestures and expressions in this show were over the top and felt clownish, especially for a character that is known for his subtlety. He felt hyperactive and painfully eager to please everyone. His character is known for his manipulations, but his method of 'manipulation' here is to inform others that he is 'ten steps ahead' of them and is going to trick them. I don’t think that’s a good method of manipulation? Plus, the only effect he had on the plot was to slow down the other characters through his bumbling failures.

In addition, Loki was almost always the target of cruelty. This entire show felt like it was made to mock this character. They used every opportunity to tell us, and Loki, how terrible Loki is. How he is irredeemable and incapable of change. That he is a narcissist, which is inaccurate, and that any Loki is inherently untrustworthy. From birth, I suppose. Physical attacks, such as the slow-motion punch and the time loop where he was repeatedly kicked in the crotch, made me cringe. This show encouraged the enjoyment of cruelty.

As a last point, the show used the idea of representation to draw in viewers while avoiding having actual representation. The show was lauded as being good for bisexual and genderfluid representation. From what I’ve heard, the genderfluid representation was a mark on Loki’s paperwork, which you would need to pause at just the right moment to see. Plus, that makes the “terror” at a female Loki make even less sense. The bisexual representation was shown through a single word, and the character was only shown to be so when they made an entire show to mock and belittle him. That is not good representation.

I was very excited for this show, as well as for the next phase of the MCU. This has left me very disappointed and disheartened. I may not be entirely finished with the MCU, but this is the first part of the series that has killed my excitement for future releases. I get a sinking feeling when I hear about future projects now. I have enjoyed debating creative choices before, but this is not simply creative choices. It is too much cruelty, combined with poor writing and a lack of continuity.