#whiz cam

[superman86to99]

Action Comics #698 (April 1994)

Superman vs. an army of muscular, exploding Lex Luthors! And also... himself, because his newly enhanced powers are so out of control that he’s officially more dangerous to Metropolis than any clone army.

Last issue ended with LexCorp being attacked by monsters and Lex Luthor Jr. blaming Project Cadmus for it. In truth, this is the work of rogue geneticist Dabney Donovan, one of the scientists who helped clone Luthor a younger, sexier, cancer-free body. Luthor once tried to kill Dabney to leave no evidence that he’s faking being his own Australian son, so Dabney returns the favor by invading LexCorp tower with his genetically-engineered abominations. Dabney’s remote-controlled monsters finally reach Lex at the top of the tower, but... it’s not Lex, it’s a dummy with a wig on. Which is rigged to explode. All CEOs have one.

Meanwhile, despite his various problems with Luthor in the past, Superman is doing his best to defend LexCorp tower from the monsters (after all, Lex isn’t the only one who works there) but he’s hampered by his erratic powers and the fact the his body seems to be growing for no reason, which is always disorienting. Superman is able to knock down one of the monsters and, upon removing his luchador-like mask, is confused to see that it looks just like Luthor. In fact, all the big monsters do, because Dabney has a special sense of humor (and access to Lex’s DNA).

Superman puts down the rest of these mindless Lex-trocities, which spontaneously combust upon being defeated, and he has to turn on his heat vision to stop the last one. Unfortunately, now he’s unable to turn it off -- in fact, Superman’s heat vision is suddenly so potent that he can’t even close his eyes or he’ll burn his super-eyelids off. After accidentally causing some more property damage to the street in front of LexCorp, Superman has to fly into the ocean and cool off underwater for an hour before regaining his ability to blink. But at least his power troubles seem to be over!

NEXT: Superman’s power troubles get even worse.

Plotline-Watch:

The smaller monsters attacking LexCorp are the same “P-Bak” critters that Dabney and Cadmus’ Director Westfield sent after Superboy in Adventures #506. Presumably Dabney was in a rush and didn’t have time to redesign them so they’d have Lex’s face, too.

Lex checks in on poor Dr. Happersen, still recuperating from his Bizarro attack, not because he’s worried about him but to tell him to stop whining and keep working on the Supergirl project (as seen in the Supergirl miniseries). Luthor’s lackeys really need to unionize and get some better health benefits.

Superman’s power woes are actually making him feel nostalgic for the days of Lex Luthor Sr., back when all he had to do to solve his problems was show up at Lex’s office and find out what gizmo to punch (like the last time his powers went out of whack, in Superman #10).

Lois Lane finally finishes the exposé on Lex Luthor “Jr.” she’s been working on for months, but just as she electronically mails it to the Daily Planet, Lex hacks into the system using the secret backdoor included in all LexCorp PCs and rewrites the entire article so that “there won’t be a soul alive who will ever again believe Lois Lane!” See, this is why is “e-mail” thing will never catch on. Anyway, we’ll find out next issue just how good Lex’s creative writing skills are.

Patreon-Watch:

This post was made possible by our patrons Aaron, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, Bheki Latha, Mark Syp, Ryan Bush, Raphael Fischer, Kit, Sam, and Bol, who got to read half of it a whole week ago (yes, Don finished his section way before me again). Obligatory link to see if we can trick more people into joining us: https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99

And now, Don Sparrow’s section, at last liberated for all the world to see!

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

We begin with the cover, and it’s a good one, by Jackson Guice.  It puts me in the mind of old “X-Ray Specs” ads from inside comics, though I couldn’t find one that was a specific pose match.  Still, a good use of colour to have the bones of Superman’s hand “inked” in solid red.  

Inside the issue, we are first greeted by not one full page splash, but three—Superman outpacing the Whiz Wagon, by land and by air. While I think Cadmus/Kirby stuff can tend to overwhelm the Superman mythology at times, I will never tire of seeing that car! [Max: Same!]

There’s an interesting juxtaposition early on, with Director Westfield observing goings-on from his situation room, followed immediately by Dabney Donovan’s similar, but lower-tech observation station, from which he spies on basically everyone.

We’re given another double page spread on pages 12-13, as Superman decks some of the giant creatures sent by Donovan. Denis Rodier’s chunky ink brush lines resemble Kirby at the best of times, but with all these Cadmus creations about, the connection is made all the more visible.

A little later in the story, both Guardian and Jimmy comment that it appears that Superman is growing, but there’s really no context clues in the artwork to sell this idea.  He isn’t really placed next to anything for a convincing sense of scale, which feels like a missed opportunity. [Max: Agreed, he looked taller in exactly one panel in which he’s looking down on Guardian, then goes back to looking normal in the next.]

Jackson Guice has always excelled at drawing a realistic and beautiful Lois Lane, and his version of casual around-the-apartment Lois is no exception.  Lastly, his depiction of a wizened and ageing Luthor is very well done, and a precursor to the (much later) return of a thin Lex Luthor, which we haven’t seen since the Byrne reboot.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

 My issue has a colouring error on the second page, where Superman’s normally yellow/gold belt buckle appears to be white or silver. [Max: Same in my Spanish reprint!]

I’m sure Dabney’s cameras are well hidden, but it appears as though Guardian is looking straight at it, as Donovan monitors the Whiz-cam.  Also: thank God that’s the only Whiz-cam we’re shown, that could have been much worse. [Max: I think Dabney is just hacking into the feed seen in the previous page. Also, I’m guessing Lex is the only one with the other type of “whiz-cams” in these comics, considering his habit of spying on women’s dressing rooms...]

Groan: yet another addition to the “since Doomsday” file, where Inspector Henderson thinks to himself that he hasn’t “heard such an edge in his voice…since he went up against Doomsday.”  It is an unfortunate (and understandable) habit of this era to liken everything back to Doomsday, in order to elevate whatever is happening in the present story. [Max: We really dropped the ball not having a “Since Doomsday-Watch” section.]

This issue is structured a bit oddly, especially for a comic called “Action”.  The action in this issue all takes place early on, with the rest of the issue making up a very long denouement.

Love the care with which Superman speaks on the telephone, not trusting the line not to be observed.

Interesting that burgeoning internet technology is a major plot point here.   Nowadays we’re used to stories involving hacking or digital trespass, but in 1993, this was incredibly novel. [Max: Lex was the original Zero Cool.]

[brookiidookiii]

Made a list of Jo’s nicknames because the ones I’ve seen miss a few

Brick

- Aptly named clump of cadet meat

- Maggot

- Soggypants

- Jarhead

- G. I. Joke

- Dead weight

- Dampypants

- Sir leaks a lot

- Brick for brains

- Soggydrawers

- Wetness (off screen)

- Major drippy

- Captain whiz

- Soldier

- Soggy McGee

Cameron

- Toothpick

- Stringbean

- Pencil neck

- Chicken legs

- Bean sprout

- Bubble boy

- Bubble head

- Cam

- Nerdlinger

- Wonder nerd

- Turbo dork

Lightning

- Jockstrap

- Sha-duh

- Light source

- Muscle mouth

- Protein powder puff

- Meat locker (????)

- Sharkbait

- Muscle head

- Captain muscle

- Brightning

- Liability

Anne Maria

- Poofhead

- Lazy

- Sprayhead

- Tan job

- Helmet hair

- Helmet head

Duncan

- Short pants

- Dud-can

- Stuncan

Alejandro

- Leggy McLatin

- Ale-hand-walker

Gwen

- Gothball

- Count Gwenula

Scott

- Freckle face

- Dirt boy

Zoey

- Red

- Apology breath

Heather

- Old Heather

Mike

- Pointy

Vito

- Strong man

Sam

- Couch potato

Chris

- Chris McLame

Fang

- Fin face

[weekend-whip]

Can headcanons 🔫 hand ‘em over

(Jamie babysitter? First words? Accidental surprise powers?)

I was like 'can headcanons gun'??? What??? Is that a meme?? And then I realized

Baby!Camellia HCs GO!

General-

Cam's "birthday" is October 27th! (...which is the day Enter the Aftershock happened. Totally planned on Jesse's part.)

At first she sleeps, like, all the time, to the point that Jesse thinks she's sick or something (she's just extra exhausted from suddenly being spawned into existence). And Cole, always glad to have an excuse for nap, will sprawl out on the couch and cradle her on his chest so she can rest to his heartbeat.

...And then she shifts quickly into nearly never sleeping at all, constantly being fussy and crying, to the point that everyone in the Monastery has to take shifts staying up with her so they all can get some sleep (though Jesse takes on the bulk of these cuz he feels primarily responsible, but no one's actually mad nor minds)

They all then discover she will fall asleep instantly to Cole's Glow Worm song......and wonder if her crying all night is better than enduring Cole's singing. (Jesse can sing her to sleep too, but it takes way longer and you've gotta rock her at the same time)

She gets frightened by unfamiliar things very easily- unrecognizable sounds, new places, different faces, certain sensations (like putting a foot on grass/in water), etc. Lloyd is the one that patiently tries to help her adjust to the overwhelmingness of the world because he knows

She is very grabby, tugging at hair and clothes when and where she can and poking people's faces. She also likes messing with Lloyd's pointy ears (which he'd normally hates, but he can make an exception just this once)

She will steal what she can get her hands on, and will run off giggling with her loot. Cole's vibration tracing helps keep track of her baby crimes, thank the master.

She is obsessed with unicorns. Jay makes the mistake of gifting her a stuffed rainbow plush unicorn that they call 'Corn' and she almost never lets it go and turns into a monster when you try to take it from her.

("MY CORN!! MY CORN!!" "Jay what have you done" "I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS CUTE!!!")

Pixal is the one that designs/builds her bedroom, while Zane and Nya fill it with all the much needed supplies. Maybe too many supplies.

Wu is the one that gave her the headband with the pink camellia (he knew what was up)

Kai: ...I personally think she's got enough hair to get The Kai style~ Jesse: I'll kill you :D

Babysitting!-

Kai's idea of babysitting is taking Cam for rides in the Charger to get her to fall asleep (with Jesse nagging him constantly to not drive like a maniac). At first Cam is intimidated by the car rides, but winds up loving watching the scenery whiz by and enables Kai to go faster (which entirely defeated the point of the car rides in the first place)

"...All right don't tell your dads" *floors it* "WHEEEEEE!"

Nya and especially Jay get baby fever whenever it's their turn to watch, and use Cam for potential future practice. Nya tests out if she'd even like to be a mom...while Jay is up to his arms in notes on parenting snksnksn

Zane is a godsend when she starts teething, constantly making icecubes and freezing stuff over for her to gum on (otherwise she starts gnawing on his and Pixal's colder exteriors instead). He also makes the best homemade babyfood. Jesse tries and fails to not be jealous.

(Cole will also gladly eat the baby food for himself "just to make sure" until Zane smacks him with a spoon)

Lloyd doesn't get many opportunities to babysit (too busy being overly important) but he always gets a little choked up whenever he holds Cam and marvels at her mere existence and he can never fully explain to anyone why.

Jamie is the go-to babysitter when random crises pop up (Or when everyone needs a date night/me time ...or Jesse and Cole just generally spent.)

Jesse: *appears on Jamie's doorstep* *drops Cam in his arms* Jamie: Wha-? Jesse: *collapses on floor* We just need like twenty minutes– Jamie: ...You look like you need a thousand years

Jamie also takes hundreds of photos of this child. Jesse keeps all his on his phone while Cole carries three wallets full of the prints.

Antonia will babysit on short notice if Jamie's not an option, but she'll always drag Nelson into helping her out. Antonia is also the one that teaches Cam how to read, and Nelson likes to fill out coloring books with Cam (even if Cam's "coloring" is just smearing pink across the whole page).

Cam cannot be left for longer than three days at Grandpa Lou's house. She'll come back humming and singing show tunes she doesn't know the words of at the top of her lungs.

Being left with Grandma Caroline means that she comes home with baskets full of food with her (Cole likes leaving her with Grandma for this reason, along with not having his kid obsessed with showtunes)

Cam is only left with Miranda when no other options are available to (which...seems to happen way too often). Miranda doesn't mind babysitting and spending time with her niece but a) she's not really a kid person and b) she's a horrible influence lmfao. Still, she becomes Cam's biggest idol and inspiration (and Jesse is officially convinced that the universe spites him specifically)

Firsts! (And Magic)-

There's bets going around for what her first word would be but nothing could compare Cole and Jesse for the sucker punch that was when "Miwa" started pouring from their baby's mouth

(Miranda won a very hefty 1000 bucks that day, and Jesse still insists she cheated somehow)

(Her second word is "ubican" –unicorn– and Cole throws his arms up in defeat)

Cole attempts to make Cam's first bite of solid food come from a piece of cake. Lloyd loses his mind explaining why that's a terrible idea.

When she firsts learns to wiggle/crawl, Jay play-races her across the floor and lets her win.

Zane is the one present when she stands for the first time and the sheer excitement in his yells prompt the whole building to come running.

Jesse straight up cries in joy when Cam start toddling towards him for the first time (he was bringing her a freshly-washed Corn, but the point remains)

When Cam gets more mobile in general, she will copy Cole in every single thing he does. The way he stands, the faces he makes —even from across the room, if Cole is present, she is mimicking him in some capacity. He casually lifts a table one time while vacuuming and Cam is suddenly convinced she must be strong as well. She is not and learns the hard way.

Due to essentially and quite literally being made of magic, some of Cam's powers manifest even before True Potential, but she can't control them whatsoever.

"...is our daughter burping sparkles? I think she just burped sparkles."

Nya and Pixal rig up video baby monitors in every room on the monastery the first time Cam gets the hiccups and starts warping

Things will start randomly flying around her room in the middle of the night along with loud sounds and flashing lights scaring the absolute life out of everyone—but that's how they learn when she's having a nightmare. ("Why can't she just cry like a normal baby?! It's like something out of Paranormal Activity!" "KAI.")

Jesse is simply playing patty-cake with her and white camellias start popping up out of thin air.

Cam learns that she can shock people whenever she laughs and finds it extremely funny when people yelp in surprise, making her laugh even harder (and shock even harder. Cycle repeats). This does not work on Jay and that makes her pouty.

Don't make her angry. That's when the fireworks appear.

"Cole, where's the baby?" "...You're not gonna believe me, Jess." "...I'm sure whatever ridiculously insane thing it is, I can handle it." "...she sneezed and is now currently floating on the ceiling." "WHAT?!"

She, like Jesse, also cries glitter.

[opie-nixx]

I Cant Be The Other Woman.. (CHAP. 17)

Knock, knock.

Hosea: "Y/n..."

Knock, Knock

Y/n: "Mmm." I groan swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and pushing myself up.

Hosea: "You awake?"

Y/n: "Mmm-hmm." I say waddling my way over to the door, rubbing the crust from my eyes. Twisting the knob, pulling it I step aside to let Hosea in. He was holding a cup of coffee and pushing it towards me.

Hosea: "Here." I take the hot cup from his hands and begin to blow on it, my eyes grazing around the room for Arthur or even his hat, I furrow my brows.

Y/n: "Where's Arthur?" Hosea sighed as he sat on a crate.

Hosea: "He uh, went to go do a ferry job with Josiah..." I raise an eyebrow at him.

Y/n: "You sound unsure." I say sitting on the bed and taking a sip.

Hosea: "I am unsure on what I should tell you...I see the way he is with you and how he looks at you. I just feel bad for how much of a horse's ass he is." I take another sip before replying.

Y/n: "Just spit it out." I chuckle.

Hosea: "Arthur received a letter from Mary." My heart crushed as soon as he said letter.

'What about everything he told me? Does he actually love me?' My mind begins to think of all the times Arthur would smile at me,  kiss me, the way he would fuck me. I set the cup down on the end table. 

Y/n: "Okay."

Hosea: "I'm sure he loves you very much-"

Y/n: "Hosea, you don't have to make up excuses for him. I get it."

Hosea: "I really wish there was something I could do to make things better."

Y/n: "That would be up to Arthur, whenever he decides to pull his head out of his ass." I stand up as well as Hosea, he takes his leave. As soon as that door shuts, hot tears well up in my eyes. 

'I was better off in my own time.'

I begin to start putting on my clothes and silently cry. I don't want the other cam members to ask me whats wrong. Soon enough the tears stop and I hear heavy steps approach the room, my heart beating harder and harder with each step. I pull the straps up over my shoulders and take a seat on the bed to put on my boots. The door opens and my breath hitches as my eyes meet Arthur's.

Arthur: "Mornin, beautiful." He states with a wink as I glare at him.

Y/n: "So, you went to go see Mary?" I grunt as I shove my foot in my boot, switching to my next foot.

Arthur: "Err..Yeah." Shoving my other foot through and standing up. I grab my satchel and hat and begin to make my way out, Arthur right behind me telling me to wait. We begin to argue as we come down the stairs.

Y/n: "I cant be the other woman, Arthur." I say pushing the front doors open. I see Sadie sharpening her knife, she almost about drops it from Arthur and Is argument. 

Arthur: "Its not like what you think." He says grabbing my arm, which in return I spin on the ball of my foot and smack Arthur, knocking my hat off from the speed and his from the impact, I let all the tears pour from my eyes. Uncontrollable silent tears, my breathing becomes uneven. Arthur slowly cups my face in his hands and wipes the tears with his thumbs.

Y/n: "You still have feelings for her and that's fine. It's only obvious you still love her with how quickly you drop everything in the moment to go help her." I pull out of his grasp, and run my finger through my h/l h/c locs and tie them in a ponytail. My cheeks red and puffed up just like my eyes. Suddenly I feel a shift in the atmosphere, I think Arthur senses it too based on how his stance changed to defensive. 

'Tree line.' I look around and draw my pistol and before I take aim, they beat me to it and begin to shoot at us. Arthur wastes no time in grabbing me by the waist and throws us down behind the water fountain. He looks me over before unholstering his own gun. I look him over as well as bullets whiz by us.

Arthur: "You okay!?" I nod, my breathing becoming uneven as I unholster both pistols and take aim and squeezing the trigger with no hesitation. I try to take a few breaths to calm my heart from thumping out of my chest.

Dutch: "Woman and children get inside, the rest of you hold your ground!"

Y/n: "I cover the back and you cover the front until everyone gets inside!"I go to get up and make a dash but Arthur grabs me by my arm and pulls me back behind the fountain. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls me into a deep rough kiss. His beard scratching and digging into my face, forcing his tongue into my mouth he doesn't leave me anytime to even contemplate fighting back. I let him explore me and claim it, the intense emotion that washed over my body like rain trickling down a leaf left me stunned yet wanting more. Before I can even go deeper to respond to the kiss he pulls away and gazes into my eyes sternly.

Arthur: "We will talk about this later. Now go!" He barks, I nod as he stands from cover and begins to start popping them off 1 by 1. I take the opportunity and dash into the house with the others, I see Molly taking cover behind a wall beside the back door and Hosea the opposite of her as Pearson rushes inside and shuts the door.

Y/n: "Stay out of the windows!" I shout as I holster my pistol and take my pump action off my shoulders, gripping the barrel in 1 and gripping the door handle with the other I spin on my heel out the back and slamming the door. I see Sadie ducked behind a crate, re loading her revolver then unsheathing her knife. I run to her side and cock my pump action, the bullet shell bouncing off the steps I hop off of.

Y/n: "How ya doin?" I say with a sarcastic grin. She chuckles and fires off a few shots in the general direction of where the O'Driscolls are taking cover. 

Sadie: "Most relaxed Ive been in a while, if I'm bein honest." I shoulder my pump action and switch to my carbine, standing from behind the crate and leaning over the top of it, I take a few deep breaths as bullets whizz beside me, I aim my carbine to where I see either there heads or throats in my cross-hairs. The smell of burnt flesh and gun powder fills my nostrils, squeezing the trigger and switching from target to target and seeing there body drop in my peripheral. I hear the glass shatter from behind us and hear John and Arthur's voices.

Arthur: "Your eyes are on the wrong target, Marston." He says with anger laced through his voice. Sadie chuckles as she watches them bicker and I shoot.

Sadie: "You sure are a helluva shot and quite the looker."  She gets up and begins to move closer to where some men were beginning to run.

Y/n: "Sadie!" I say as I chase behind her. She tackles a man and 3 others stay to help him. 1 punches me in the face, sending me stumbling back into another O'Driscoll who knees me in the gut and pushes me into the mud. Sadie gets slapped and pushed towards me, right into the mud.

Y/n: "Fine, if that's how you wanna play." Sadie and I lean on each other as we get up off the ground. Sadie unsheathes her hunting knife and drives it into a man's eye in the blink of an eye, letting out a scream that mimicks a cougar. I whip out 1 of my revolvers and shoot a man in his head; point blank range. His blood spraying the other 2 O'Driscolls, Sadie and I. The guy standing next to him smacks the gun out of my hand and I send him my fist full send, making him stumble back a bit and I grip the handle of my blade and drive it into the mans gut, I twist it pull it out and drive it into him again. I hear Sadie let out another scream as she stabs the last man to the ground.

Arthur: "Y/n! Sadie!" I rip the knife out and perk my head up to Arthur as Sadie stabs the man a few more times. I wipe the blood on the dead O'Driscolls clothes and sheathe my blade again. Arthur picks up my pistol, wiping the mud off of the gun before putting it in my holster and giving me a peck on my cheek.

Arthur: "I need you both inside!"

Sadie: "And miss all this?" She pulls out her knife from the man's skull and makes a dash to a tree, pressing her back up against it, taking cover as the next round of men  approach, Arthur takes cover behind some crates. I shake my head and pull out a stick of dynamite. A wicked grin adorning my face as I strike a match and light the fuse. Sadie's eyes glisten with  pure joy and excitement as Arthur's eyes widen with horror and shock. A chuckle escapes me as I slide into cover beside Arthur. I peak my head up to survey where I should toss it. Once I see a general area of laces they duck behind, I toss it and brandish my pistol.

Arthur: "You both are absolutely crazy."

Sadie: "Can you believe Dutch will take her robbin with y'all but not me?"

Y/n: "I know, ain't that some bullshit." Then the ground shakes a bit and the dynamite finally explodes, bodies scream and thud others thud.

The sound of gunshots begin to dwindle, we emerge from cover and stand to catch our breath.

Y/n: "Lets make our way back to the front of the house." I say as I jog and shoot, ducking and dodging bullets. I soon hear Sean's voice.

Sean: "Oi! Come get some more ya bloody bastards!" He shouts with a small smile on his face. Arthur shoots the men some distance away as Sadie and I deal with the ones in front of us. Charles pushes a man down in front of me, scaring the absolute shit out of me from not seeing him in time. I fall on my ass and watch as Charles swings his machete down a few time at the O'Driscoll. He stands up and extends his hand.

Charles: "You okay?" I take his hand and he hoists me up with ease.

Y/n: "I'm fine, you just scared the shit out of me. I didn't see you." I smile before Sadie calls for us to come on. We all run as hard as we can behind her as we chase the remaining O'Driscolls out of the camp.

Dutch: "Cowards!" He shouts, putting the last bullet in the O'Driscoll. Hosea and Reverend cautiously peak outside before taking some steps outside.

Hosea: "We okay?" Soon everyone starts piling out and take a look around checking our surroundings. I feel Arthur grab my hand in his and give it a squeeze, I return his gesture.

Dutch: "I think so.."

Hosea: "We need to get this place cleaned up. Mr. Pearson! Miss Grimshaw!"

Grimshaw: "Already taking care of it. Come on now, work!" Soon its just John, Dutch, Arthur, Sadie and I. The rest begin to clean up the dead bodies. Dutch kicks the dirt around his feet.

Dutch: "Colm O'Driscoll.."

Arthur: "That man can really hate."

Dutch: "So can I, Arthur. So can I." Arthur suggests another place to move too, but Dutch retorts instead with another job to get more cash. I wait til he walks off to turn to Arthur and John.

Y/n: "That trolley job is just another set up, wed be risking more actually robbing than what actually is in there."

Arthur: "I know, but hes the boss." I sigh shaking my head before walking off to help Sadie clean up, as Arthur and John do the same.

Hours go by and its nightfall. The crickets chirping among other insects I cannot name fill the night silence. I'm leaned over the balcony enjoying a cigarette and listening to Uncle make u some bullshit story to glorify himself on some pedestal and Javier strum his guitar and hum. I close my eyes and bow my head, a smile bright on my face.

Arthur: "You were never the other woman." His gruff voice announces. I turn to see him leaning on the door frame.

Y/n: "I don't want you to not see her...In all honesty I don't know what I want..Except to stay with you. That in my mind is still very clear." I take a final drag before flicking it off the porch. He comes beside me, looking me in my eyes.

Arthur: "You tell me what to do and I'll do it." Not breaking his hold on my gaze. I think for a second before licking my lips and replying,

Y/n: "I don't know how we can fix this." I sigh.

He puts 1 hand around my throat loosely grasping it and the other around my waist, my breath hitches from this as he pushes me against the wall, Giving my neck a little squeeze I bring my face a little closer to his. He meets me in the middle before whispering gruffly

Arthur: "I will always love you." He finally connects roughly. Painfully pleasurable, the doubt and sadness I was feeling earlier washed away. Small squeezes around my neck, his other hand moving from my waist to my ass and giving it a firm squeeze, a moan escapes me.

What I didn't know was that Arthur was eyeing John from below. Who in turn was watching our interaction. With every little squeeze he was watching Marston mockingly as if saying I'm all his.

[ponds-of-ink]

Okay, but what if Fazbear’s Fright opened? (And other concepts)

This version of the (in?)famous FNAF 3 attraction did float in my head sometime ago, but looking at spooky attractions on my off-time has made me want to revisit and expand it. This’ll essentially be a concept (maybe for a fan game or fan model? idk), so don’t think I’m working on anything straight away.

With all that preface, let’s kick off Spooky Season properly, shall we? Details will be below the cut, since it’s somewhat lengthy.

*It’s a couple of years after 2023. By some miracle, the attraction known as Fazbear’s Frights has successfully opened to the public and is still going. Yes, even with Springtrap as one of the leading “stars”.

*In fact, it’s been so successful that the company’s wanting to expand the building and work with newly uncovered legends. Tales of circus-themed animatronics escaping some bunker, a pigtailed ringmaster haunted by her maker’s daughter, and even things that could only be found by those looking into newspapers further back from the 80s.

*The remodel is almost complete, save for some animatronic “training” that has to be done for the newcomers. At least they’ve found an unused Baby animatronic that seems to be cooperating with the staff.

*...But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m supposed to be giving a tour of the building, not a tour of the “lore”.

*So, let’s go back to the beginning. Or, more accurately, the hallway that greets you as you walk in. Here you will see various items hanging up on “brick” walls. Old posters, newspaper clippings, and even a few drawings left over from actual Freddy locations. A person dressed in tattered Fazbear employee attire will be in the sales booth, acting as if you were returning to the remains of the restaurant itself. You even get a few souvenir Faz-Tokens, if you want to try the arcade machines.

*After you get your safety warning spiel from a more urban-looking employee, you step inside an updated version of the original FNAF 3 office/hallway combo. The lighting is more bluish-gray than musky-green, the night guard should be looking more bored than stressed, and your nerves are to be more relaxed... Until you realize that Springtrap is nowhere to be found.

*(Side note: The reason for this is to prepare the guests for a different type of horror on top of all the jump-scares. Something a bit more.. concerning without crossing the line. Besides, Springtrap’s been weirdly antsy about one of the new finds and nobody’s been able to convince him that it’s just another rabbit robo-skeleton. So the jumps are more environmental-based than monster-based.)

*Everything else looks “normal” up until you reach the hallway in CAM 5. For whatever reason, it’s been transformed into a spinning tunnel that threatens to tear the establishment apart. Bricks whiz past, colored streaks of light swirl around, and whispers of unfamiliar voices echo as you draw nearer to the tunnel’s exit.

*But, once you’re past that tunnel, everything is different. The rooms are still dilapidated, but it’s clear you’re not in the remains of a pizzeria anymore. In fact, things are now seem a bit more disjointed. At least there are unseen voices of the past (provided by cleaned-up video recordings) giving you some context.

*One of these areas is where the newfound Baby animatronic resides. You suddenly take on the role of an technician on your first day, ready to repair the robot. However, there is a chance that your operation will “wake” her up— Especially if you give her one too many controlled shocks.

*Another is a smaller replica of Fredbear’s in its glory days... But the animatronics are nowhere to be found, along with the chattering guests you hear all around you. It should be a happy place to rest your befuddled minds, but it’s not— Especially with the ancient newspapers lining the stage floor as you are forced to climb up there. If you look closely at these papers, however, you’ll at least have a decent frame of reference for what could have made this place so empty.

*The last place I’ll mention is both the most normal and the most bizarre: A living room pulled straight from the mid-1950s. Why is this here? Well, the company’s found a unique type of horror story to tie all the other ones together: The apparent childhood of one of the Fazbear founders.

*So, in this place, there is a chance that you’ll catch something alarming: A sudden change to a (recreated) local news report on the analog TV, projected shadows on the wall showcasing a typical afternoon in this tense household, or even the cries of a small British boy as thumping comes from underneath the floorboards..

*If you happen to flee the scene during that last part, you’ll have a near-seamless transition to the last section. By this point, you’ll have returned from the “Land of Memories” to Fazbear’s Fright.. All while an equally frightened and pleading Springtrap is waiting for you behind a locked door.

*You see, the company’s decided to offer a workaround for the rabbit’s sudden skittishness. If he’s so determined to hide out of sight instead of jump-scare out in the open, then why not “lock” him back up in the ‘Safe’ Room and let him scare guests indirectly? It’s not like putting him right next to the ‘50s Afton household is going to drive him even more hysterical..

*Anyway, the tour wraps up with a robotic skeleton of a rabbit bidding guests farewell. This guy was supposed to just be Springtrap’s replacement for the first half, but it appears that his AI’s made him too smart for his own good. Not in a “oh he mimics everyone too well” sort of way, but in this... uncanny, manipulative sense. Like he’s done this before when he wasn’t a bare-bones pile of metal. The fact that he can tie a tie like a normal human does not help shake off that ‘haunted’ sentiment.

*There is a gift shop after you exit, but nothing’s been really stocked yet. Plans are to include new plushies of Springtrap, “Circuit-Baby”, and most likely some Freddy Fazbear restocks. T-shirts and other merchandise should line the walls, but that layout’s not set in stone yet.

*Of course, there’s always the chance of a last minute change. Props could be moved, not-recorded story beats could be altered, and last-minute animatronic malfunctions are possible. This is just a rough outline of what the company is planning on a “perfect” walkthrough could look like... Jumpscares aside, because where’s the fun in detailing where those could be?

*I guess if you want a synopsis of Fazbear’s Fright 2.0, it’s this: You return to the place where fun and fantasy have fled, go down a “supernatural” rabbit hole, and you somehow wander through the haunted mind of a once-arrogant Springtrap. Will you make it back without being consumed by the past of someone– or something– else?

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Trick or treat!

I'll give you a piece of the (very very rough and bare bones) opening scene of what would have been my Team Lewis story for this year--the sci-fi Beth March story.

The Star That Stays

The funeral made that cozy little Midwestern town the center of the universe. Hover-cams buzzed through the streets for days. A hundred news-streams told the tale of Gordon and Mamie Vietsch's remarkable daughters. Jamie, the youngest captain in the history of the Interstellar Fleet. Kate, the engineering whiz-kid responsible for keeping humanity's largest space stations in orbit. Rose, the beautiful, groundbreaking musician whose voice rang out across the stars.

Not a word about Bel, who'd sacrificed years of her life to care for her aging parents.

But that, Jamie vowed, would change.

After the funeral, she and her sisters gathered around the battered table in Mother's little yellow kitchen, surrounded by the dated knickknacks of their childhood, and discussed Rose's future.

"What are you going to do?" Kate asked, rushing, as always, to the practical heart of the matter.

Bel lifted her head from where it rested on her arms on the table. "Do?" she asked, bewildered.

Jamie said, "Now that Mom and Dad are gone, you're not stuck here on Earth. You can finally start your own life."

"Start?"

[Cutting an embarrassingly bad conversation where Bel gets bewildered by their suggestions.]

That was the trouble with their high-flung careers. They got so wrapped up in their own lives that they didn't know how to interact with people who fit into different ones. Jamie put her hands on the table, leaned forward, and looked Bel in the eye. "Where would you be happy, Bel?" she asked.

"I'm happy right here."

"Yes, but what do you want to do?"

When Bel hesitated, Jamie assured her, "You don't have to decide right away. I understand that there's a lot to consider..."

Bel suddenly became firm. "I have considered," she said. "That's what I'm trying to say. I've decided." She took a deep breath and said, "I'm staying right here."

[painprns]

Horror & Edgy Neopronouns

CW: Illegal activity. TW: Violent actions, murder, stalking, body parts, weapons, and religious themes. A lot of the content in here triggered me so be careful if you want to look at this list. (And before you ask, yes, I am fine. You learn to cope.)

Of course, I don't approve of anything in this list, and this list isn't meant to glamorize those who have mental issues or violent tendencies. I have issues with violence and mental issues. Sometimes, it just helps. If there are any words you think should be added (or removed) feel free to send in an ask.

Note: Try putting a suffix on some words, like -ful or -less. Gives you plenty more options. Also, every new beginning letter will be bolded and with a new color for reading ease.

Pronouns (including emojis, not including extras like parentheses or alternatives): 443

🖤 🕷 🦇 🗡 ⚔ 💣 🔪 🕸 ⛓ 🥀 💀 ☠ ⚰ 🚬 🪦 🔥 😈 👿 💉 ⚠ 👻 🦴 🧠 🫀 🫁 🦷 👁 👀 🪝 🔨 🪓 ⛏ 🩸 💊

abandon

abyss

accelerate

again

alive

alley(way)

anarchy

anger

apart

apocalypse

arm

arson

ash(phalt)

attic

away

awful

awry

axe

back(alley/rooms)

bait

bat

beast

beat(down)

beg

belittle

behead

bet

bite

blade

blaze

blood

body

boil

bomb

bone

boo(m)

brain

break(down)

breath(e)

brick

brittle

bug

bullet

burn

bury

buzz

cannibal(ize)

cap(ture)

car(cass)

carnivore

cat(ch)

caught

cause

chain(saw)

chaos

chase

cig(arette)

claw

clown

coffin

corvid

concern

concrete

consume

control

copy(cat)

core

corpse

corridor

cover

coward

cower

crawl

creature

creep

cremate

crimson

critter

cross

crow

crime

criminal

crumble

crunch

crush

cry

crypt(id)

curse

cut

dagger

danger

dark(ness)

daunt

dawn

daze

deflate

disease

disgust

dissect

dizzy

dead

death

decay

demon

destroy

devil

dice

die

dirt

disappear

disease

disgust

doll

done

drac(ula)

drain

dread

drown

dull

eat

ecto(plasm)

edge

edgy

eerie

elbow

empty

evil

eye

facade

face

fail(ure)

fall

fang

far

fatal

fear

fight

final

finger

fire

flame

flesh

follow

freak

fright(en)

fury

gain

gargoyle

gas(h)

gauze

gaze

ghost

ghoul

gimp

glee

gnash

god

gore

gouge

grab

grain

grasp

grate

grave(yard/stone)

grease

grim(ace)

grime

grind(er)

grip

grit

gross

grotesque

grunge

guard

grue(some)

gun

gut(teral)

hail

hammer

hand

harbor

hard

harm

hatch(et)

hate

hatred

haunt

havoc

head(stone)

heart

heat

hell

hidden

hide

high(way)

hilt

hit

hook

hollow

horror

hound

hunt

hurl

hurt

ice(pick)

ill(ness)

immolate

immortal

imp(ale)

incinerate

inflammatory

inhale

inhalation

instant

intense

irritate

jab

jail

jam

jank

jostle

joke

joy

junk

kill

kilter

knee

knife

lank

last

lather

laugh(ter)

leak

leg

lich

lim(inal)

linger

link

little

lung

lurk

macabre

maim

malicious

manslaughter

marrow

mask

mass(acre)

maze

meat

melt

mime

mince

misery

monster

morbid

moss

murder

mystery

nail

nausea/nauseous

night(mare)

noise

nowhere

necro

off

one

omen

open

over(power)

pail

pain

pale

panic

phantom

phobia

piece

pill

plead

poison

poltergeist

power

prey

puddle

purge

pyre

question

quiet

quiver

rabies

rage

rail

raid

rain

rake

rat

raw

restrain

retch

rip

road(kill)

rock

rot

run(away)

rust

saw(dust)

scare

scary

scent

scratch

scream

search

seize

sewer

shadow

shake

shiver

shock

shoot

shove(l)

shred

shriek

sick(ness)

silent

sink

sin(ister)

skin

skull

slash(er)

slay

sledge(hammer)

small

smash

smell

smoke

sob

somber

some(body)

someone

slip

spider

spirit

spike

spook

stab

stain

stalk

start(le)

steal

step

storm

strain

strange

stun

suffer

sunk

survive

sword

syringe

teeth

tense

terror

thorn

threat

tinge

tomb(stone)

torn

torture

tooth

trail(cam)

train

trigger

trip

turn

tyranny

undead

unknown

vamp(ire)

venom

vicious

villain

violent

void

wary

weak

weapon

weep

weird

wick(ed)

wicker

whir

whiz

whisper

will

wilt

wither

wound

worry

wraith

wrath

wreck

wring

wrong

wrought

yank

yell

yelp

zero

zombie

[loversjust]

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[frozendelinquent]

“Are you ever gonna drop the ‘junior’? Your dad hasn’t exactly been in the game for a while, Cam.” | @tigreshot

NOSY - NOT SO ANONS

@tigreshot​

"Gee-whiz, why didn't I think of that?" Cameron rolls his eyes with a frown at the subject. It was always a little bit of a touchy thing, "I need to build enough status on my own first before slapping on a new title or even hoping to snag his. It's not how the mafias family names work anyway, YOU should know that - Tigress - pot, meet kettle."

[mirrorfalls]

Hi Mirror,

I thoroughly enjoyed your post about what makes Ran so wonderful, especially in regards to the flexibility of her character and the roles she can fulfill (even if canon isn't always good at doing her justice). I'm going to try my best to add to the quality Ran content in the fandom for your gift - hopefully you like the end result!

What encouraged you to get into Detective Conan in the first place? Are you a mystery/ detective fiction fan?

~Santa

Ah, therein lies a long but not particularly interesting story...

As a grade-schooler I read the usual pack of paperback mysteries - Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jensen, Jigsaw Jones - and I loved Arthur's occasional mystery-centric episodes (in fact, I think it might've been where I first heard of Sherlock Holmes), but by the time I got into Conan I'd pretty much outgrown all of that.

So what did lead me there? TV listings. Specifically, listings for that magic land known as [adult swim], forever beyond the reaches of my bedtime. Even on the rare nights my parents forgot about that, there was no goddamn way my tiny metabolism could stay up 'til two in the morning. So all I had to go on was the bare-bones summary from [as]' homepage, which confused the hell out of me (did I mention there wasn't even one screenshot, so I hadn't clue number one what this "Case Closed" even looked like?). A teenage detective is poisoned into... a kid? In what universe was this the stuff of Serious Adult Drama?

Fast-forward to... seventh grade or thereabouts, when I discovered the magic of YouTube and also scanlations. Poured myself around ten episodes of the Funimation dub, then hopped over to sub, and from there it was only a short jump to the manga (if you're of my generation, you may remember those Bad Ol' Days when most of the scans after Ch. 70 or so were cobbled from Vietnamese efforts that made your average Hong Kong bootleg look respectable). My brain was still soft and malleable enough to take damn near any new series at face-value, and those early cases had more than enough whiz-bang action to keep me hooked (the debut of the super-sneakers in Vol. 2 remains a quiet favorite). I don't think I ever tried to play along with the case-cracking - never had much of a head for that, and still don't. I was there to see all the personalities bounce off each other; all the piano-wire magic just bored me.

Even more... I-don't-want-to-say-ironically-but-I-don't-know-what-else-to-call-it... Conan was my gateway into Classic Mystery Fiction. I read the entire Holmes canon in Undergrad so I could understand how to write from Shinichi's POV better, chased it down with the likes of Hammett and Chandler, and up through today I've got a small side-hobby of collecting obscure Japanese mysteries purely on the manga's recommendations. One day - one day I might even become a Legit Connoisseur.

'til then - that fic ain't gonna write itself.

[rapwave]

NEW POST: Wiz Khalifa - Wiz Khalifa: Behind The Cam (Trailer) (https://www.rapwave.net/2019/04/10/wiz-khalifa-wiz-khalifa-behind-the-cam-trailer/)

[resthomeforrobots]

im looking at some of my old ocs that ive had since high school and theres this pair of twins that were like.. vampire hunters anyway i kinda think cam and vincent would be cute together.. and allie and bo would kill each other

cam is an artist and a math whiz that loves plants and is constantly covered in paint. he would be fucking O B S E S S E D with vincents work.. i keep thinking about them just quietly working on projects side by side, with cam telling vincent random little anecdotes.. cam would love braiding his hair, and painting his nails, and he would paint him A L L the time.. they would show each other music (cam would get vinnie SO into mcr, tho his own taste lies more in cobra starship and fall out boy, and he develops an interest in opera)

and his twin sister, allie, is an angry bitch and also so very stupid about everything that isnt hockey, cars, and apocalypse planning.. she and bo would HATE each other lmaooo.. i love the idea that bo is a fake mechanic so like.. allie figures it out after talking to him for like 5 minutes and is like the ron swanson "i know more than you" meme.. they would constantly be hanging out and antagonizing each other, and theyre basically best friends but when anyone calls them friends theyre like "?? no we hate each other". they literally argue about E V E R Y T H I N G. sports teams, cars, music, food, tv shows, everything.

the only thing they agree on is like.. the stupidest most blatantly untrue bullshit, and they will team up on vinny and cam when they try to correct them on basic facts.. they also will both pretend they believe shit like the earth being flat, just to start shit with vinny and cam.. lester gets roped in, and he ends up on allie and bos side, and it kinda turns into that episode of its always sunny in philadelphia when mac convinces the gang that evolution is fake

[queenvernage]

the most iconic episode of each power rangers season: disney era edition

in honor of “it’s friday, i have no life and i’ve gotta put my endless power rangers knowledge to use somehow or i may implode”... i’m proud to present this listicle no one asked for. (see part 1: saban era here)

disclaimer: these are not necessarily “the best” or “my favorite” episodes of each season, merely the episode which i feel best captures the tone (erring on the lighter side) of each season. this more like “if you’re gonna watch just one episode of each season, i recommend...” episodes. i’ve excluded crossovers and specials from this list because who’s gonna say that ANYTHING is more iconic than “once a ranger” making fun of the unlikelihood of tommy having a phd? certainly not me, and that’s just not fair to the rest of a pretty iconic season. okay. on with the list.

ninja storm: "i love lothor" marah and kapri convince lothor to make a tv show to conquer earth because "it worked for britney and christina." cam and tori take a cooking class because they are good friends, the rest of the ranger boys take the same class because they like cute girls (can relate). blake and cam accidentally fall under a love spell with tori, while the girls in the cooking class (including kelly) all fall for a very leave it to beaver version of lothor. cam insists the way to a girls' heart is acne face wash.

dino thunder: "isn't it lava-ly" cassidy CANNOT function without devin who is suddenly mysteriously busy. ethan is the lovable insufferable know-it-all we all love and appreciate as he prepares to enter the "detonation man" video game tournament. he makes himself a t-shirt that says "i am detonation man" but ends up losing to devin who is secretly a detonation man whiz. trent gets sidelined for the nth time because the footage simply isn't there. the megazord hangs ten. (god i wanted to pick "lost in translation" so bad, but it's not representative, it's just good)

spd: "boom" ranger tech boom, an adult man who should know better, lied to his parents and told them he was the spd orange ranger (who simply doesn't exist) and when his parents come to town, some of the rangers bend over backwards to help him perpetuate the lie, while jack and sky have bonding adventures in space. boom's parents learn the truth, and love him just the same, because this is wholesome content, OKAY?

mystic force: "inner strength" xander cannot fathom that he isn't the best ranger or that he has anything to learn from daggeron who is literally only there to teach the rangers things. he puts both feet ENTIRELY in his mouth. the rangers take the hogwarts express, edging toby ever closer to the inevitable therapy he most certainly needs after being their work supervisor. a giant does not eat the rangers, but thinks about it. if you ever wondered what i mean by "mystic force is just harry potter meets xena with spandex" ...this is what i mean.

operation overdrive: "it's hammer time" the rangers meet actual norse god loki, disguised as actual norse god thor (who are actually norse gods, who actually exist in this universe, i cannot stress this enough) in mexico while searching for mjolnir. nascar legend ronnie robinson is mistaken for actual norse goddess freyja, and spencer disguises himself as ronny disguising herself as freya to seduce loki and it works.

jungle fury: "true friends, true spirits" rj accidentally befriends flit, camille pretends she doesn't absolutely love and care about the little bugger. lily calls flit "cute" and theo nearly pulls an optical muscle with how hard he rolls his eyes because he's that predictable. flit tries to be helpful but isn’t (he is, however, incredibly lovable). rj loses control over the fact that he's an ACTUAL werewolf, but figures it out after fighting himself. slapstick humor ensues as the rangers try to catch a fly.

rpm: "heroes among us" gem gets a gold medal, scott gets jealous, dillon gets vivid flashbacks. honestly though, we get truman family focus AND the boom twins being their cutest selves? AND gem learning the power of friendship after flying his chicken into the apocalyptic waste to save one reckless red? classic. (and we get some good citizens of corinth content which is a+)

more iconic episodes by era: saban era | neo-saban era

[soybeantree]

a baby changes everything

pairing: do kyungsoo x (reader)

genre/warning: artificial insemination, drama

word count: 2.3k+

description:  when you decided to have a baby, you knew everything would change, but this is not what you expected...

a/n: november installment of our ‘trying to write a kyungsoo story for every month that he is gone’ series.

parts: o1 | o2

Cars splash through puddles as they whiz down the streets. Rain continues to patter down on the bus stops awning. Resting your hand on your stomach you attempt to quell your little one’s movements with a soft whisper. He continues to push against his boundaries, ready to enter the world or perhaps eager to protect his mother. Your nerves have much to do with his unease. Your internal whispering have had the same affect on you as it did on him. There is no calming your nerves.

Your bus arrives, and with a deep breath, you push yourself up and board. A thirty minute commute stretches between you and the upcoming encounter. It drags on, while simultaneously rushing ahead. You’re not ready for the meeting, but neither would you be given more time. They gave you a week to come to a decision, even though you knew your answer the day they asked. Your son is your son, and you will fight to keep him.

The first day you met your son’s father was the day his family requested you relinquish to them your rights to your unborn son. He sat silently at the end of a long boardroom table, his eyes fixed on something beyond the room’s windows. His lawyers and secretary were anything but. They chattered incessantly and at a speed which left you confused and irritated. Eventually, you tuned them out as your focus rested on your sperm donor. He was rich, presumably well-educated, and based on the current diatribe due to become the CEO of his family’s company. The question which circulated most through your head was “why?”. 

Why would someone like him go to a sperm bank? Clearly not for money. Perhaps treatment for an illness. Was he saving it for some future spouse? Were you given his sperm by accident?

In the end, why didn’t matter. What mattered was that your son was his son, and his family wanted his son. Your son was to be his heir and the heir to their company. You would become his surrogate, relinquishing all legal rights to him.

At the end of the meeting, they offered you a contract which outlined your duties for the remainder of your pregnancy and beyond. It included a gag order and the information regarding your compensation. They gave you a week to decide. As you prepared to leave, they delicately advised what would happen should you reject the offer. They had the means and the legal team to ensure your son ended up where he belonged, and when they succeeded you would end up desolate and destitute. The world passes by in a blur of gray. Water droplets race down the bus windows, and you watch them, betting on which will win. The distraction fails, so you stop. Your hand returns to your stomach, and this time you hum instead of whisper.

Telling your family you were going to undergo artificial insemination had released chaos. Your mother went silent, but her judgment was tangible. Your sisters vocalized their disapproval. You were still so young. You had plenty of time to find a guy and get married.

Telling your co-workers had started the gossip mill. Their disapproval stemmed from the opposite direction. You were a successful career woman, steadily climbing the corporate ladder. A child would complicate your life, and a woman didn’t need to have a baby to be complete.

You smiled politely and thanked everyone for their concern. On the day of your insemination appointment, you arrived early and prayed for success. A month later you received the wonderful news.

The comments petered out after you shared the news. The disapproval remained in their eyes though. You continued to smile politely as you planned for your new life.

Everything was going to plan which should have been a red flag that something would go wrong. Early in your third trimester after all your baby-showers and after you had completed your baby’s room, you received a visitor at work. His business card identified him as a legal representative of EXO Corporation, a corporation known the whole world over. You doubted the validity of his claim. Your employer had no connection with EXO Corporation, and your only personal connection came via the products you buy from their subsidiaries.

The man assured you he was indeed a part of their legal team and requested to arrange a meeting with you and the corporations president. You had snorted, the reaction involuntary but accurate. With a clipped smile, he informed you that they would send a car to pick you up the coming Saturday.

A car had arrived that Saturday, a week ago. It took you to the meeting which has haunted you and robbed you of sleep. This Saturday, you left before a car arrived.

The bus pulls up to your stop. You whisper a thank you to the driver as you descend the stairs. The EXO building looms over you, leaving you in its shadow. A chill shakes your shoulders. Raising your umbrella, you square the and march forward.

“Ms. Y/L/N.” You skitter to a stop and glance around for the source of your name. Do Kyungsoo stands beside a sleek black car, reminiscent of the one which came for you. From beneath his umbrella, he raises a hand in greeting, and you unconsciously mimic the gesture. Snapping your hand to your side, you politely nod before resuming your march. Ire burns in your stomach, but you smother it with reason. You need to be clear headed for the coming battle.

Arriving at the elevator, you tuck your umbrella in your purse and wait in vain for the doors to open before he comes. Kyungsoo takes the spot next to you, but the crowd of workers inhibits conversation. You board and ensure the crowd separates you. As the elevator ascends, the workers exit on their floors until only you two remain.

“I had hoped to speak with you before today’s meeting.” And he had tried. Every day at exactly 5PM, he would call, and after going to voice mail, he would send the same text. If you are available today, I would like to speak with you. “We still have a few minutes before the meeting. I intend to grab some coffee. We have water and juice.”

“I’m fine.” You decline with a polite smile. “I’d prefer to keep my time here brief.” The elevator dings, and the doors open. Kyungsoo motions for you to exit. He falls into step beside you and opens the door to the boardroom. Your upbringing forces a ‘thank you’ from your lips.

While you and Kyungsoo may be early, the legal team is earlier. They already sit around the table, vultures ready to pounce. When Kyungsoo enters, they stand and show their respect. He returns the greeting and situates himself at the head of the table. The legal team sits and motions for you to do the same.

You remain standing and meet their eyes. “Thank you, but there’s no need. I’m not selling you my baby.” Anger burns in your chest as you utter the vulgar response.

The head of the legal team smiles with all the sincerity of a fox. “Ms. Y/L/N, that’s a rather crude way of looking at this situation. We are merely compensating you for your services.”

“I don’t need compensation because I haven’t provided any services to your president or this company. I chose to have a baby. I chose the sperm from the options given to me. I chose to be inseminated. This baby,” you rest your hand on your womb, “is my baby. As we have no further business, I will be going. Goodbye.” You nod to them before exiting the boardroom. Indignation and threats fly at your back, but as the door closes behind you, they fade into silence.

Once more setting your hand on your belly, you feel peace. Your son has finally settled down to sleep.

In the nursery, you sit in the rocking chair you spent weeks agonizing over. Relaxing into its plush cushions, you commend yourself for your good decision. You have no regrets regarding your son, but certain decisions weigh heavier on your mind. The EXO corporation has maintained silence since you gave your decision, but their threats linger. If they decide to pursue legal action, you may lose your son.

The door buzzer breaks you from your revere. The rocking chair cushions are easy to sink into but difficult to climb out of. After much struggle, you free yourself. Eying the chair, you second guess your decision. The buzzer sounds again, and you table that thought for later.

Staring at the door cam screen sends fear winding through your veins. Kyungsoo’s face stares at you. He reaches for the buzzer again, but you open the door before he can push it. Body blocking entrance, you meet his eyes. He offers a smile which you refuse to return. With a nod, he pulls his hand from behind his back to reveal a take-away bag from your favorite restaurant. Your eyes narrow as you inch the door closed.

Clearing his throat, he lowers the bag. “I probably should have gotten something generic and not from the background check we did.”

“Probably.”

“It’s a peace offering. I was hoping we could talk. If not, the food is still yours.” He extends the bag, the smell of the food wafting forward. Your stomach growls, and your son nudges you. With a sigh, you grab the bag, keeping your fingers far from his. His arm returns to his side as he awaits your decision. Curiosity and fear mingle in your mind. Stepping back, you open the door wide.

You leave him in the entryway as you head to the kitchen. He enters as you finish transitioning the food from the container to a plate. The bag only contained one portion of your favorite dish. You settle at the table with your food. He takes up position in the kitchen’s center, hands clasped behind his back.

“I wanted to let you know that my corporation will not be suing you for custody. I have told them that we will respect your decision.” He begins as you chew on your first bite. Relief floods you as tears prick your eyes. Swallowing, you nod in acknowledgment but keep your attention on your food. “I also wanted to apologize.” Your next bite lodges in your throat as your knuckles whiten around your fork. Kyungsoo silences.

“Continue.” You offer before standing up and heading to the cupboard to grab a glass.

“I’m sorry for the way my company and my family treated you.” You pull a water pitcher from the fridge. “I’m also sorry for allowing them to harass you, my reasons for doing so were cruel.”

“Because you wanted to steal my son.” Your voice remains steady despite the roiling in your stomach. You set the pitcher beside your glass. Your hands are shaking too badly to pour.

“Because I didn’t trust you.”

“Trust me?!” Your eyes flash to him, your hands balling into fists on the counter top

He maintains your gaze. “I had concerns that you had chosen my sperm on purpose and intended to use the baby to exhort money from me. After meeting you and seeing your love for your son, I put my concerns to rest.”

Anger still burns inside, but you release your fists and pick the pitcher back up. You guzzle the first glass and pour yourself another. This one you hold in your hand, swirling it and watching the ripples. “Is that all?”

"No." You glance back up. He continues to stand in the middle of your kitchen, his attention fully on you. "I also came to ask you to consider allowing me to be a part of my son's life."

“Why?” The word snaps out.

“Because he is my son, and the only child I will have.”

“What?” You breath the question as you set your glass back on the counter.

“Last year, I was in an accident.” The tabloids had covered it ad nauseam. “What was left out of the news report was that the accident left me infertile. Information which could be detrimental to the corporation.”

“Did they have you save your sperm in case of something like this?” The “whys” you pondered resurface as you take your glass and return to the table.

A smile cracks his face, and he chuckles. “No. That was a lucky happenstance.” Curiosity tingles the tip of your tongue, but you seal your lips. The smile continues to play on Kyungsoo’s lips. He motions to the chair across from you, and you nod. As he sits, he continues. “After high school, I went through what my parents call my rebellious stage.” You snort around a bite, pieces of food flying to the table. Covering your mouth, you clear your throat and attempt to regain your composure. With him sitting across from you in a perfectly tailored three piece suit, you find it hard to imagine him going through a rebellious stage. He shakes off your reaction. “I ran away from home, lived on friend’s couches, worked odd jobs. At one point, I became desperate for cash, and my friend suggested selling my sperm. Any option was better than swallowing my pride and crawling back to my parents.

“After the accident when my parents and the board began to worry about the future of the company, I told them about the sperm. They went to the bank, but-” He shrugs. You know the rest of the story.

Running your thumb through the condensation on the glass, you contemplate his story and his request. “If I say, ‘no’?”

“I will respect your decision, but will request that if my son ever wants a relationship with me, you will allow it.”

“If I say, ‘yes’?”

“I will respect the boundaries you put in place.” You settle your hands in your lap and meet his gaze once again. You search beneath his calm demeanor and find the flicker of hope. 

“You know a lot about me.” He swallows but nods. “May I get to know you better before I decide?” The hope brightens, and he nods again.

[iamanartichoke]

Oh man.. I went to see endgame again and I want to like Thor in this movie I really do and am worried I'm a bad person for not but like, the tone feels all over the place with him, like the tragedy undercuts the humour but then the humour disrespects the tragedy. I can't get my head around this creative decision. What do you think?

First of all, you’re not a bad person for not liking Thor in this film. The negative reaction to how Thor is portrayed is pretty widespread, especially on Tumblr, and a lot of people share your opinion that his character was handled poorly. 

I ... *sighs* Here’s the thing. My immediate/general reaction was something like being stunned and second-hand embarrassed for Thor and really upset at the portrayal, because it really, really does feel like the narrative is framing Thor’s very real PTSD as a joke. Playing it up for laughs when there’s nothing funny about that level of loss and grief. 

I felt it was disrespectful, that it undermined not only Thor but those of us who suffer from mental illness and have unhealthy coping mechanisms. I felt like depression was being made fun of, like trauma was being made fun of, like weight gain/generally showing how far a person can sink into depression where they can’t take care of themselves was being made fun of. Furthermore, I have been especially furious that despite his trauma, Thor didn’t mention Loki even once, even when acknowledging literally everything else he’s lost besides Loki (family, Asgard, Jane). 

But. 

Everyone knows, because I have been obsessing about it for days, that I’ve discovered some really, really good during/post-Endgame Thor fic. Fic that manages to strike the balance between what we saw on-screen and what’s going on in Thor’s head. I have found fic that somehow manages to reconcile the two, showing how deep Thor’s trauma runs while still being consistent to what was portrayed on-screen. 

And in finding myself not only empathizing with Fic!Thor, but also feeling very protective of him and generally loving toward him, it also made me admit to myself that, when I watched Endgame, it was like two days before the release and I was watching a really shitty cam rip, where I missed 75% of what was really happening, due to poor sound and visual quality. 

So, tonight, I went back and rewatched it. Not in the theatre but I found a better cam version on Putlocker, with much better sound and video. I tried to be open-minded. And I had no idea how much I missed, when it came to Thor’s microexpressions and mannerisms and even what he was saying half the time. Watching it in better quality along with having the fics in my head has kind of ... brought me to an understanding of it, I think? In a way that I’m no longer furious about it, because I can sort of get behind the creative decision to show Thor just completely deteriorating and becoming something like an entirely different person than what he’s been before. Because mental illness and trauma do do that to a person. And I do think that it was a bold, but not necessarily a wrong, decision to go the opposite way in portraying the illness than what is usually shown in media. Usually, in films and tv, traumatized, depressed people are portrayed as stoic, and usually really thin, and scowly and brooding.

Thor in Endgame as a concept is taking that expectation and subverting it and showing the other end of the spectrum: that sometimes you are smiling and joking even though it’s an act, that you’re laughing on the outside while a weight is pressing down on you on the inside, that drinking to excess can cause weight gain, that eating as a coping mechanism can cause weight gain, that not caring about life can mean not caring about yourself and you don’t necessarily notice that it’s been a week since you washed your hair and two years since you cut it and what does it matter anyway, because you’re not going anywhere or doing anything or trying to impress anybody, you’re just putting one foot in front of the other and trying to make it through day by day until the universe finally decides to take pity on you and you die. 

And I get that, because I’ve been there, because a lot of people have been there, because it’s a very real, uncomfortable, visceral portrayal of someone who has just completely broken down - mentally, physically, emotionally. 

That all said - I understand the intention better now than I did before, but I do think that it fell flat. Instead of really delving into these things, the narrative played it like we were supposed to laugh at Thor. Not a single person, except for Bruce, asked Thor if he was okay. No one acknowledged that Thor might not be up for this mission. No one acknowledged that even if the snap was reversed, Thor will still have lost everything and he doesn’t get anything back. 

Thor is very visibly breaking down, and the others just roll with it. Worse, they make fun of him, what with the way they look at him and the way they act toward him and Rhodey’s stupid “cheeze whiz” joke. The narrative supports this view, especially with camera shots that emphasize Thor’s weight and general disheveled appearance. And the version I watched today was still filmed in a theatre, so I was able to hear all the places where the audience just laughed, even when Thor was obviously in pain and obviously needed sympathy rather than mockery. It smacks of fat shaming and general mental health shaming. And that’s not okay. 

I feel ... more generous toward Chris Hemsworth’s performance than I did before. On a second, closer viewing, I do think that his facial expressions and his delivery of his lines did show someone who was in deep pain, especially when it came to Thanos specifically (his change in demeanor when Bruce says his name, the way he begs to wear the gauntlet and “do something right,” the way he approaches Thanos in the final battle, among other moments). 

I also think, though, that Chris may have gotten too into the comedic aspect of it, too, and that probably contributed to Thor in general being played for laughs. Because Chris likes to laugh, and have fun, and screw around, and he’s said so himself. I think if Chris had a better understanding of mental illness than I assume he does, he might have been more willing to delve further into the emotional side and relied less on the comedic side. And if Chris wasn’t so anti-Loki, then I think we would have had a lot more acknowledgement of how much Loki’s death has contributed to Thor’s grief and mental state. 

Idk. It could have been better. The fics are better. But at the same time, I do get it now more than I did before. I’m not really crediting the Russos with that, bc they’re trash, but I do give Chris Hemsworth and his acting more credit than I did. And honestly, I give the fic writers credit bc reading them forced me to consider my point of view and whether or not I was looking at Thor too critically due to my general hatred of everything the Russos touch. 

So, yeah. Overall, it’s ... a complicated thing. I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with it, but I’m not so anti it either, anymore. If that makes sense. 

I didn’t mean to write you a dissertation, Anon, so I’m sorry for the length. This has actually been on my mind for several days, though, so I kind of hopped on this ask and took it as an opportunity to write all of this out. I hope it makes sense. I hope people can understand where I’m coming from. And even if you can’t, please don’t @ me, I’m very tired. 

Anyway. Yeah. So that’s what I think. I hope this somewhat answered the question. XDD 

[stompymoomin]

i explained to my friend cam how i am messaging him on instagram on desktop and using inspect element to access the mobile view and he now thinks i am a computer genius. i have my grandma calling me for computer help all the time i don’t need cam now too. call your uncle the actual computer whiz you dork.