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eriexplosion · 1 month

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Yesterday everyone was posting their feelings on TBB. I'm glad I waited, because there's a lot swirling around. Cut for negativity again.

I was introduced to The Bad Batch in August 2022 and fell instantly in love. The characters, the story, the complex family dynamics, they all spoke to me. I wasn't even a Star Wars fan but I went through and devoured The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, all of it. I threw myself into this world and adored every second of it. I must have rewatched season one over five times before season two even came out.

When season two premiered I loved it. Every Tuesday night I stayed up until the episode drop and devoured it immediately. I looked ahead at the schedule and took days off work for the double episodes, for the big Crosshair episodes - he was my favorite early on and season two only made that grow. But season two also really brought Tech into my radar even more. I had always liked him, but here he was shining. The Crossing really solidified it, as an autistic person. I'd never heard someone describe the difference in processing so succinctly before, so clearly, and it spoke to me like very little had. Here was a character that was like me. Here was a character that I needed when I was an undiagnosed child, someone that would have made me feel like I had at least some way of describing my differences.

Then, well. He died. It was an affecting scene, but it felt out of nowhere, it felt unfinished. Tech didn't even get the climax of the episode. He just fell into the clouds, the Batch grieved for a few minutes, and then the plot steamrolled right along.

I didn't believe it, not after the mad scientist presented his goggles and claimed not to salvage anything else. It seemed like such an obvious fake out. The longer I sat with it the less satisfying it felt. It felt so brushed over, so pointless, all for a mission that they accomplished nothing on. Then came the social media circus. Again and again his fall was shoved in our faces on Twitter, demanding we stream it. TikToks were made that were so out of touch they felt like parodies, the wound ripped open again and again, and I thought surely there had to be a purpose to it.

So I waited for season 3 as interviews were done that seemed to almost intentionally avoid calling him dead. As tweets were made promising we'd be so fulfilled if we could only see who was onscreen in the mid-season! (A tweet that immediately garnered dozens of people hoping it referred to Tech, all without a single comment to try and quell the speculation.) It felt already like we were being toyed with, but I thought it had to be for a reason or a purpose. More weirdly vague discussions went up about his Sacrifice, his Fall, his Anything But Death, even as everyone insists that it was so meaningful, the way he died on a mission that accomplished nothing. Jokes were made around Valentines Day.

He Fell For You, get it?

The first official use of killed went up on the databank right after the trailer, on Hunter's page of all places. The first time the interviews used dead was the Friday before the premier. It all felt too late, theories had already grown for months by that point.

Season 3 finally came and I waited up for every episode drop just like I did for season 2, hoping for him to come back or at least for him to be properly grieved, since we had barely a couple of minutes in Plan 99 before it was swept away for the next plot point. Surely Tech's impact deserved an episode of focus, if he were really gone.

The previously on plays his last words twice. But then we skip months into the future. We don't see Crosshair find out the news - even though Tech died on a mission to retrieve him. We don't watch Omega grieve. She barely seems to notice she's missing a brother. We got a brief allusion in episode two. It took three episodes to even mention his name in passing. Five episodes in everyone got their chance to look sad about him, but only for a few seconds and only when his skills were relevant. Compared to the gorgeous callback to Mayday in the same episode, it felt shallow. He had to have been more important than this didn't he?

Episodes 6 & 7 felt like maybe there was a reason. We see a new masked assassin that gets extra focus, who got put through a series of Tech-adjacent situations, whose beef with Crosshair was just a little too personal, who survived longer than all the rest but stayed masked. Rex talks about losing brothers, but Hunter says nothing about the brother they lost. I hoped it all meant something, that this was the reason that he felt so much like he was thrown away, so that he could come back in.

More one off mentions that only really come up when it's about how useful Tech would have been. More poking at the wound that still felt open and raw because we'd never gotten any closure. The closest we get is a single scene in episode eleven, so late in the season and so brief that I thought that couldn't possibly be it.

CX-2 comes back, and he talks like Tech. He's still not unmasked. I really need him to be something because otherwise what was it all for?

The most emotion comes in Juggernaut, from Phee. Its a highlight because it actually feels like it was about him, like he mattered as a person. It's episode twelve and we finally talk about him like a person. We never saw her get the news either.

Episodes thirteen and fourteen pass without any mentions at all. We're running out of time. Episode 15 hits and we get one raw one from Crosshair that Clone Force 99 died with Tech. It's the first time they directly say he's dead in so many words. It's the season finale. CX-2 is a nobody it turns out, and he dies faceless. Everyone gets a happy ending and after over a year of wondering if we'd ever get closure, it turns out Tech's just dead. But look how happy everyone else is!

Everyone gets to grow old. Except the autistic one of course. He's just dead and it hardly feels like it mattered at all. Did you know Wrecker and Hunter don't use his name once in season three? Omega and Echo mention him once each. Crosshair twice, only once with any emotion behind it. Phee tops the charts at three mentions, two by name and one by nickname. We see his goggles four times. I kept count.

There was never a bigger plan, this was just all he was worth. We spent two seasons on Crosshair's absence. We spent a whole episode dealing with it when Echo decided to go with Rex. Tech dies though and all his life amounted to was a handful of mentions when his skills would have been useful, some shots of his broken goggles, and endless cooing out of the text over how meaningful his sacrifice was. Too meaningful to take back, of course, even as Ventress is brought back from her own sacrifice.

I had really, really thought that this time autistic life would be worth more than autistic death. That a character that felt so carefully handled couldn't have just been thrown away for shock value, barely to even be mentioned again, his memory used to string us along to keep us watching. If you added up every mention and shot through season 3 it might actually clock in at less time than was spent on Mayday's send off.

I'm an adult. I'll survive, though the sting of seeing yet another character like me used as a stepping stone for everyone else's happy ending will take a while to fade. But I think about the child I used to be who needed a character like Tech. And I think about how it would have felt to actually get that only to watch him die a handful of episodes later as a side note to his family's story, barely even mentioned again. How badly it would have hurt, how deep it would have scarred.

I'm not that child anymore. But there are a lot of autistic kids out there that are the same as I used to be, and they're learning for the first time that people like us don't get happy endings. Instead they die so that everyone around them can rise up, and they might even get mentioned a few times. But don't worry. Everyone will tell you how meaningful and special it is and how delusional you were to ever hope for anything else.

The Bad Batch still means a lot to me. I think it always will. I love the characters. I love the family, and all the potential they had. But the sting of not belonging in this happy ending is there, and it's deep. It's been a long time since I trusted a show. It'll be a long time before I risk trusting another. And I hope that the autistic kids trying to learn how to close their hearts off behind new walls are doing okay.

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #could not sleep so I'm in my feels instead #it did help to type it out #I'm not going anywhere fandom wise but I have to admit I'm hurt

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poppitron360 · 12 days

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Ok so in another post I talked about all the reasons why Valzhang is better than Caleo, and I wanted to do one on Valgrace as well (lmk if this should become a series).

Bear in mind I am only on HoH- I haven’t read all of the Caleo bits yet, but I know she ain’t gonna treat him right.

I was originally SUPER sceptical about Valgrace (“I ship them platonically” “Jason is the Token Straight Friend”) and while I don’t think it was ever cannon I 100% THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Seriously, my eyes have been opened to Valgrace, to the point where the fanfic I’m writing about them currently clocks in at around 5,934 words.

I am OBSESSED. It is a PROBLEM.

And some of the fanarts/fanfics of them are SO CUTE I COULD DIE- it was hard NOT to ship them after reading some of y’all’s stuff. Keep up the good work.

Anyway buckle up ‘cause I’m ‘bouta write a whole dam essay on this.

1. The whole appeal of Jason Grace’s character is that he sees through your insecurities and lifts you up because he is too pure for this world. So narratively speaking, why is he with the most stable character? Yeah, Piper’s got issues, but compared to the others? She’s doing pretty well for herself. I mean, her parents are ALIVE!! Wouldn’t it just make more sense, narratively speaking, to put Jason with the MOST insecure character??? He can support Leo, help him in his arc, and it would give Jason a time to shine by highlighting his best qualities.

2. Throughout most of the books, Jason is the ONLY ONE who actually consistently sees through Leo’s mask. Everyone else’s POV of Leo is “Haha Leo said something funny and goofy and we’re all trying to be serious here, Leo. Gods, he’s soooo annoying!”, whereas Jason’s POV is like “Jason could see that Leo was desperately trying to keep it together for the good of the group, and he thought that was noble and brave and good and kind and awesome.” Like I said above, he’s able to lift Leo up because he sees him, and knows him. Something Calypso never did. There are several interactions, during TLH particularly, where Jason is just like “Hey, Leo? You are great. You are awesome. You have saved our lives multiple times. Whatever just went wrong, it wasn’t your fault. Stop beating yourself up about everything. You are a valued and respected member of this team. I love and appreciate you.” And Leo still puts up those walls with the jokes and the sarcastic remarks, and Jason is nothing but patient with him. Calypso was never like that.

3. I can’t find the line in the book, but there’s a bit in HoH where Jason’s worrying about the “To Storm or Fire, the World must fall” line in the prophecy, and he says words to the effect of “I like living, but I’d rather I die than Leo, anyway horses-” and seriously?? Rick missed a trick by not making them a couple. There is WAY more potential for angst if there’s that romantic feeling involved, knowing one of them is going to die, and both being willing to sacrifice themselves for one another like this is “Merchant of Venice” or something (I will explain the obscure Shakespeare reference in the comments). Calypso would never give up her LIFE for Leo, and Leo would only give up his because she’s hot.

4. Okay, most of this is copy-pasted from my post about Valzhang, but it still applies, and it applies to them maybe more so. They get so much more time together to establish a meaningful relationship. Their arc carries over all five books, and we get to form connections as a reader to them both, so the payoff is a lot more satisfying. Unlike Calypso, Jason is his own character separately, and not just an add-on to Leo’s arc. Their friendship is a key focus in their chapters, and a key point in their character development, as Jason is the first person Leo ever opens up to about his mom. When Calypso showed up, Leo had already gone through that journey of letting down those walls, so it was a lot less meaningful. They had little to no time to develop a relationship, and we never get a chance to care about Calypso as a person. She’s just kind of a plot point for Leo/Percy’s own development, and never her own character.

5. What separates Leo and Calypso from the other relationships in the series is that they were not written for each other. Frank and Hazel? Written for each other. Jason and Piper? Written for each other. Percy and Annabeth? FUCKING WRITTEN TO BE TOGETHER FOREVER. Cal was brought in during BoTL to cockblock Percabeth, and then Rick realised Leo “needed” a girlfriend, so picked her. But you know what two characters were written to be best friends right from the get-go? Like literally it’s established in the first couple pages of the first book? Jason and Leo. Much like how Valzhang were always meant to be rivals, Jason and Leo were always meant to be best friends.

6. Like I said in the last post, Leo doesn’t NEED a girlfriend. He can heal his trauma with friends and found family, learning to love and accept himself, learning that he doesn’t actually need the attention of a hot girl to be valid. Jason is the best person to help him on that journey, seeing as how his character thrives in uplifting others. The only person who ever loved Leo unconditionally died when he was eight. His blood relatives abandoned him, and he clearly wasn’t treated very well in the foster homes. He constantly feels like he has to work to prove he’s earned his place among the Seven because for him, family has never been a guarantee. Jason cares for Leo even when he’s fucked up, even when he’s a crying mess on the floor, even when he feels most like he doesn’t deserve to be cared for. Leo thinks he needs the attention of a hot girl to give him validation. What he really needs is to find a place among his brethren- and Jason offers him that place.

So, kids, that was it for today’s edition of “Why Literally Any Ship Is Better Than Caleo”. Tune in next time for our fav ✨trauma twinsies✨ Valdangelo!

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pit-and-the-pen · 1 month

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Eris-Mating Ceremony

Part of my Eris x day court! OC series.

Previous parts of

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3]

Bit of a time skip here but I needed to get this out of my head. This series is non-linear after part 3 so be on the lookout for more with this character. Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list for this particular character.

Warnings: smut (18+), soft Eris but also a little bit of dom!Eris if you squint. Slight dumbification of reader but it’s only because of the mating frenzy.

WC:~4k

Divider as always by @cafekitsune

-------Eris Pov-------

Eris was sure he had never seen anything as beautiful as she walked down the short aisle. For the first time in his life, he felt his hands sweating as their eyes locked. Her smile rivaled the very sun itself as he truly got the chance to drink her in. A flowy maroon dress, peaks of emerald green underskirt and deep green fern leaves embroidered up the front of the dress that wrapped around her waist the same way his arms would. His clothes suddenly felt itchy on his skin and he cannot for the life of him figure out why he suggested the big ceremony. Mentally cursing himself for all the times she tried to offer him food and he told her to be patient and wait. Oh how those words had come to bite him in the ass.

After what felt like an eternity, she was standing in front of him. Cheeks flushed the most delicious shade of pink. He could almost smell the joy radiating off of her and his heart softened even more for her. How could he not? Standing before him, eyes wide and shining with love, he knew that he would burn the world around him if it would keep her safe.

The priestess behind them said the usual prayers and said both of their names, Eris jumping slightly because he had been so lost in the female in front of him. Vows. Yes, he had written vows and now had to say them in front of everyone. His hands shook slightly as he grabbed hers, she gave him three little reassuring squeezes.

I vow to love you with all that I am, with all the I ever will be and all that I have. That you will never know a day of pain and loneliness. I vow to do all in my power to protect and honor you. I pledge myself, my name and my court to you. All that I have is yours.

Less than two years ago, those words would have never tumbled so freely from his mouth. He never would have risked loving someone as much as he loved her, having seen the consequences of love with his brother. But Beron was long gone, rotting in the family catacombs, not even his ghost would spoil the chance he had been blessed with.

Once he was done, he continued looking into her eyes. A small sob slipped past her lips, mouth tugging into a smile. Eris reached a hand up to wipe away the tears. “Happy tears.” She mumbled against his hand. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to bring that hand back down to grab hers.

He held his breath while she spoke her own vows. Each word that came out of her mouth had him thanking the mother. He pushed down that part of him that said he didn’t deserve her, that she was too perfect to be with someone like him. He knew she would shut that down instantly so he tried to do the same.

The priestess had them join hands and pulled the ribbon from the table behind them. She held the black ribbon up for them to each place a small kiss against before nimble fingers started lacing it around their wrists. The final knot was left for them to pull tight, each grabbing one piece and pulling it until it slipped in place. Eris knew the priestess was saying words behind them but all he could focus on was his mate standing in front of him, eyes still shining with tears. He could feel his own tears welling with emotions. Before he knew it, she was leaning forward and finally Eris felt her lips against his. HIs free hand came up to delicately lay against her cheek. He felt electricity zip through his skin at the contact and from the way she shuddered into the kiss, he could only assume she felt it too. He all-too-reluctantly pulled away but only enough to lay his forehead against hers and whisper “I love you”

------- Sunbeam POV---------

I saw Eris shift in his seat and I tried to keep the grin off of my face. One look at him and I knew it was taking all his strength not to pull me from the party right this second. Not taking my eyes off Hazel as we talked, I placed my hand on his knee and started rubbing small circles. His whole body tensed at the contact. Pulling my gaze away for a second, I bit back a laugh at his pained expression. His free hand was tightly gripped onto the arm of his chair, the one connected with mine gave my wrist a slight pinch.

He leaned in close rough for the hair on my neck to rise. “Don’t think all these people will stop me from dragging you into my bed, sunbeam.” Heat flared through my whole body. We still had arguably the most important part of the ceremony left. Dinner had yet to be served so the bond wasn’t officially accepted yet. I counted down the minutes until then. Idle chatter filled the time but I knew Eris was wound tight. Hazel finally was called by someone else and politely excused herself. I felt the male next to me let out a sigh of relief.

“Now I get you all to myself.” He said and pulled my face to his. His face was warm, cheeks flushed and pupils blown wide. It was my turn to shift in my seat, a motion that Eris clocked. That was all it took for Eris to signal the attendant near the table. Signaling to start bringing out the food. This wouldn’t be a formal sit down dinner like those during court. People would watch our first meal and then the party would continue long after we had left.

Eris had given me full control over the menu for tonight. So I picked a mix of our favorites. And as the food popped into existence in front of us, I saw realization wash over his face.

“Thank you.” He said as he kissed the side of my face. I blushed and grabbed his hand under the table.

He refused to let me grab my own food. Ignoring my protests of “I’m supposed to feed you” with a smile. I couldn’t help but laugh as he held up a bite of food and placed it in my mouth. He didn’t so much as let me grab a plate for him until I finished half of mine.

I heard the noise in the background fade to whispers as I copied his earlier motions. His favorite dish, a spicy autumn court tart made of apples that his mother taught me to make, offered in front of him. My hands shook slightly as I felt all eyes in the room on us.

“It’s just you and me my sun. Pretend they aren’t even here.” His voice was soft and comforting. I did my best to listen to him. Focusing on the amber in his eyes as I brought the fork closer to his mouth. Time seemed to still as he wrapped his lips around the metal utensil and finally ate something I offered him.

The effect was instant. The bond fully snapping into place had me breathless. The cheers and clapping of our friends and family all bit forgotten as I couldn’t look away from Eris. When I was eventually able to pull my eyes away, I scanned the crowd and smile widely at my friends all dressed in black. There wasn’t a sting in my chest as my eyes caught the blue siphons. Azriel smiled, a real smile, at the clear joy in my face. My eyes quickly glanced at my old family. All so full of love for me that I had to look away. That and I felt Eris’ hand tighten against my thigh.

“Sweetheart. I know you’re happy but seeing you look at anyone else right now makes me want to pull their head off their shoulders.” He said through gritted teeth. I laid my head on his shoulder and felt his arm wrap around me. His whole body instantly relaxing.

“Please, just rip it off.” I whined as I felt his hands going to undo the corset holding my dress on. His hands were sending chills up my back as he dragged his fingers along the newly exposed skin. We had barely made it to our room before he was beginning to pull at the ribbon holding my dress together. He paid no mind to the hurry in my voice as he responded

“Where’s the fun in that?” He paused long enough to get the words out before he continued his slow movements. I shifted my weight slightly, trying to push back into him. Eris let loose a heavy sigh but still didn’t stop

“You wrapped yourself up so nicely for me, is this,” He pressed a kiss along my spine, “really so bad that you can’t be patient.” I could only mewl at the feeling of his hot lips gliding along my spine. Despite my impatience , my back arched into his touch. Eyes fluttering shut as I bit back a deep moan. Finally the dress pooled at my feet leaving me in only my panties. My back still faced Eris and when I turned to face him my mouth went slack at the hunger written clearly across his face. Hands clutching the bedsheets with white knuckles as he drank me in.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous.” He stretched out his hand for me to take and I couldn’t help the laughter that was ripped from my mouth as he pulled me into him. Arms bracing myself against his chest, I still felt the soft fabric of his jacket against my nipples. They hardened and I watched his pupils grow even wider as his gaze dipped down.

“Eris.” I had only just said his name before his mouth was on mine, one hand locked on the back of my head as the other one trailed over my front. I jerked against his hold as he tweaked a nipple between his fingers. His tongue claimed my mouth as he pulled me down onto his lap. Legs spread along his muscular things. All the thoughts cleared out of my head as I felt his hardness under me. When I went to move my hips, he held me still. Fingers pressing deep into my thigh. I could smell his arousal in the air.

Suddenly unable to stand the clothes separating him for me, I started undoing the buttons of his shirt. He let me push the fabric from his shoulders and my hands were all over him. Touching the planes of his stomach, hands running through the small patch of hair in the center of his chest then running over his back as we continued to kiss. His teeth ran lightly along my lower lip and I pulled away panting. The heat in my stomach had turned into a raging sensation that I could not ignore any longer.

“Please… touch me. I can’t…” the words felt like mush in my mouth, tongue already heavy from the lust coursing through my body. No smart comment from his mouth to be found as he gently flipped me over onto my back, legs half hanging off the bed.

Seeing Eris slowly kiss down my stomach was a sight I would never forget. My eyes closed as I honed in on the feeling of his lips. Unable to focus on anything other than that one point of contact. His fingers hooked into the sides of my panties, pulling them down as his kisses descended lower. My breath speed up as he pulled them completely off, my foot flicking them somewhere in the room. It didn’t even process that this was the first time Eris had seen me fully naked. Nothing mattered as he hooked my leg over his shoulder exposing me to him. A delightful groan left his mouth before he placed a loving kiss to my center. I moaned loudly at the contact and he pulled my hips closer to his face and licked a long slow stripe up my folds. His hands went to hold my thighs apart as they tried to snap closed around his head. My own hands latched onto his hair and tugged gently. I tried to pled for him to not tease but found myself unable to speak as he latched his lips around my clit.

He took his time, ignoring my cries of faster. Working me slowly to the brink. When his fingers joined his mouth I thought I would pass out at the pure pleasure of it. His fingers were gentle, opening me up despite the fact that I was already soaked for him. The sounds of my wetness filled the room as he pumped his fingers in and out of me, the sound managed to make my cheeks heat up. I could nothing but take what he gave me. My back leaving the bed as my spine arched. One hand tangled in his hair and the other searching for his free hand. I locked our fingers together, resting on my thigh. My moans falling out of my open mouth in pants, almost too breathy to hear. My toes curled along his back and I felt my orgasm beginning to crash through me. He didn’t stop his fingers or his mouth as I screamed his name. My grib in his hand and hair tightening as my eyes screwed shut. Aftershocked wracked through my body as his name continued to drip off my lips. He didn’t stop as I used my legs to push him away. When I saw his face I almost laughed. The slight pout in his lips when he had to pull away was almost comical.

He rose off his knees and I saw that he had unlaced his pants. The loose waistband caused them to slip lower on his hips as he stood, showing off the prominent vee that had my mouth watering. The line of hair on his stomach guiding me to exactly what I wanted, needed. When I lurched forward to sink to my knees, he caught my chin with his hand forcing me to look in his eyes.

“Tonight’s about you. There will be time for that later.” I went to argue but the look he gave me let me know he wouldn’t hear it. That didn’t stop my hand from darting out and reaching for him. He didn’t stop me as I pulled down his pants and boxers in one motion. His hardened length springing free and slapping against his stomach. I could only stare with wide eyes as I saw him.

I knew he would be pretty, every single part of Eris was pretty. But as I looked at his thick cock, slightly curved and the same color as his lips I felt my mouth water. I couldn’t stop my hands from running lightly along the underside of him, exploring and I all but purred at the feeling of the soft skin. A firm contrast to how rock hard he was under my touch. Warmer than the rest of him I kept exploring every inch of him. He cursed under his breath as I squeezed my hand, hips already starting to chase after my movements. His hand went to capture my wrist, halting my movements. Eris was already breathing heavily above me. I spread my legs slightly for him, an invitation to where I wanted him most. He didn’t need to be asked twice.

I felt his thighs meet mine as he lined the tip up with my aching hole. Teasingly, he just barely pushed in before he pulled his hips back.

“Don’t tease.” Was all I could get out, my own lips forming into a pout as I already missed the heat of him. He chuckled softly before pushing in another inch. Inch by inch he pushed inside of me, my walls fluttering around him. Both of us let out long moans at the feeling.

“Gods you feel perfect. This, you, were made for me.” He gritted out as he bottomed out. I felt him deep in my stomach. It’s all I could do to nod at his words as I adjusted to his size. He didn’t move, just stayed buried to the hilt inside of me until I was crying for him to move. So slowly I could feel every ridge and vein of him inside of me, he pulled almost all the way out before slamming back into me. The motion had me sliding up the bed slightly, chest bouncing with the force of his thrust. He kept that same deep and slow pace, working me just as slowly as he had before. My hands were joined with his above my head, his arms caging me in. He had emptied out all other thoughts in my head except for him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this. Gods I love you so much.” He spoke into my neck, lips placing messy open mouth kisses along my jaw and collarbone.

“I love you. With my whole heart and soul. My husband. My mate.” At my last word, he stilled his hips. Still deep inside me, I tried to push against him to move but he stared deep into my eyes as he said

“Say it again.” His voice held so much adoration that I could do nothing but comply.

“My mate. My beautiful, strong, loving mate. You’re mine and I’m yours.” He groaned at my words and resumed his slow thrusts. I felt my high start to creep up on me again. Eris must have sensed it too because his thrust became shorter, grinding somehow deeper into me until I was wailing underneath him.

He pulled one of his hands away from where ours were connected to trail down my front. When his fingers started swirling slow circles on my clit, I erupted around him. He swallowed my moans with his mouth. My second orgasm devoured any part of me that could live without Eris. He worked me through my orgasm and as he went to pull out, I locked my legs around him keeping him against me. He was about to protest as I used my thighs to flip us over. He was suddenly underneath me and I let out a scream at the feeling of him so deep in me.

Adjusting my hands so they were now resting on his chest, he pulled us further up the bed so his back was resting against the headboard. Fully seated on his lap, I wrapped my arms around his neck as I took a hesitant bounce. We both groaned at the new position. I started moving my hips faster and he wrapped a hand around my waist to pull me down onto him. He was meeting me thrust for thrust and I joined our lips again. It was too much and not enough all at the same time. I couldn’t get enough of the feeling of his skin against mine. I felt the tears running down my face at the tidal wave of emotions that rushed through me. This was the male I had gone through so much to be with. The second chance I didn’t know I would be granted. I laid my head against his shoulder as I continued moving against him. His arm only wrapped tighter around me. Our pace was unhurried, almost lazy as we clung to each other. I wasn’t so much riding him anymore as he used his grip on my waist to push up into me. His stomach brushing against my clit with every thrust of his hips. My third release squeezed through me without a warning, still so sensitive from the other two. He cursed as I felt him twitch inside me, holding me down tightly against him I felt his warm release inside of me. He panted my name against the top of my head, pressing me closer still to him until I was unsure where I ended and he began. We stayed like this, both of us riding out the waves of pleasure until I was finally able to open my eyes.

Tears began again at the pure undiluted love I both felt through the bond and saw on his face. I saw his own eyes get glassy as I brought my nose to his, brushing against his face softly. I nuzzled my face against his and just stayed wrapped in his arms, still full of him.

I leaned my head against his shoulder again and stayed wrapped in his arms until I felt a small motion of his hips under me. His slight groan had me meeting his eyes once again. The tentative roll of my hips confirmed that he was hard again. Much to my dismay, I pulled myself off of him faster than he could push my hips back down.

“What are you…” I heard his words cut off as I pulled myself onto all fours, arching my back further than needed for him to get the hint. I heard him suck in a breath as I felt his release seep out of me and run down my thigh. That little release of breath was all the warning I got before he was fully inside me again. This is what we both needed. The frenzy that I had heard about. He pulled my hips higher up until my face was pushed into the mattress, his hips pistoned into mine. While I loved the slow pace from before, the bruising pace of his thrusts soothed the ache that wouldn’t seem to go away. I pushed back on him with all the forced I had. Begging him to go harder, faster. His hand wrapped around my hair and he pulled me flush up against his chest. His hips didn’t slow as he truly began to fuck me. My hands went to rest on his thighs, nails digging into his smooth skin leaving angry crescent marks. I screamed as I let him set a punishing pace.

His hips lost none of his earlier dexterity as he claimed every inch of my body. His mouth was sucking harshly against my neck. I lost count as orgasm after orgasm rolled through me. And he gave me one last hard thrust before he spilled into me again with a cry of his own. I collapsed against him, chest sagging as I attempted to catch my breath. Once I could breathe again, he rolled over so we were both on our side. I didn’t let him pull out of me yet. His warm fingers traced lazy patterns over my shoulder and down my back. We didn’t speak as we wrapped ourselves in our own little bubble of warmth.

“Sleep or bath first?” He asked me. And curled up in his arms, I knew there was no way I was making in to the bathroom. The idea of him not being inside me almost bringing tears to my eyes again. He must have felt that through the bond because he pulled me tighter against him and kissed my cheek.

“We can stay right here for as long as you want Sunbeam.”

I stopped counting the amount of times we made love throughout the night. Night that slowly turned into day and I still that feeling clawing in my chest wouldn’t go away unless Eris was buried deep inside me. He had managed to coax me into the bath with the promise that he would fill me right back up the moment we sat down in the water. He only pulled me off long enough to help me clean between my legs and even that had me frantically climbing back onto him. I let him wash my hair and he smiled as I reached for the shampoo to wash his in return. I scratched his scalp as I washed it and his responding groan had the smell of my arousal floating into the air again. The water had started to cool slightly as he wrung another lazy orgasm out of me. Satiated for the time being, we dried each other off once all the soap had been washed off. He carried me to our bed and I curled myself against his chest, leg draped over his hip. My hands rubbing over his chest, feeling that amber hair under my fingertips. The small circles he rub into my back had my eyes growing heavy and I drifted off to sleep.

Judging by the sun reflecting through the windows, it was almost evening when I started to wake up. Looking up at Eris I found his eyes were already on me and I blushed under his heavy gaze. I pulled my head off his chest and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

“I love you Eris.” I mumbled already half asleep again.

“And I love you Sunbeam.” Was the last thing I heard before I drifted back to sleep.

Tag list: @starsandsins @nocasdatsgay @daycourtofficial

#acomaf #acosf #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acowar #a court of thorns and roses #eris acosf #eris vanserra #high lord eris #eris x you #eris x oc #eris x reader #Eris venserra smut #eris smut #eris fluff #mate!eris #Eris x day court!reader

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theallianceofcelestials · 5 months

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This is a post that is probably not gonna be well recieved, but oh well lol. Gotta let these things out too.

I miss Moon, and I meant the Old one. He was a funky character, even if he had many faults. The fact that his final wish came true, a version of him that would treat Sun better, in the form of New Moon, makes it a little bittersweet.

I'm ultimately happy Old Moon can rest, and that New Moon got the chance to live, because he's a sweety who deserves good things, and does not deserve the stress he is placed under thanks to certain forces.

But alas, this is time to go down memory lane, cuz I've been seeing people hate on Old Moon, and while yeah sure he did terrible things, he was ultimately not the monster New Moon and some fans make him out to be.

Because whenever I see someone say Old Moon was never a good brother, I sometimes begin to think if we've watched the same show or not. Yeah, he was more times a questionable brother than not, but he did have his fair share of sweet moments, even if the circumstances, which lead to his bitterness, hatred and depression, rarely let such softness shine through.

Remember how in the first SCP video, which was in VRCHAT, when Sun ran through the Tesla gate, Moon immediately went "Good job brother"? Or when later in the same video, after looking at SCP-096 or 'Shy guy', when it starts going into it's murderous rage, Sun's panicking, and Moon says: "Brother, brother! I'm okay! It's okay! Brother, I'm here!"?

Remember when Eclipse first appeared, in the "Sun and Moon TRANSFORM into ECLIPSE in VRCHAT", Sun quietly asked if he was going to die, and Moon immediately went: "No, no! Out of anything, I won't let that happen!"? He offered to go back, to be back to square one in the same body, which we know is basically his worst trauma, because he didn't want his brother to die. His brother being alive, was more important to him, than his own freedom.

Remember when in the Wither Storm Saga 3rd episode, when Moon's in a panic about the bomb not killing the Wither Storm, Sun calms him down, and brings up how the book can be used for something else probably, and how that leads to Moon figuring the solution out WITH Sun, both leading one another? Remember how Moon said to Sun: "You tiny little genius!"? How sweet he sounded while doing it?

Remember when in the lore video directly after the Wither Storm Saga, how Moon said if he ever gets into an episode like Beta-10 again, that Sun get someone else immediately, because he doesn't want to hurt Sun?

Remember when in the video "Eclipse TRAPPED Sun and Moon in The BACKROOMS! in VRCHAT" the light suddenly went out, and Sun went into a panic, the way Moon gently guides his brother towards the light? Calmly and softly saying "Over there, over there"?

Remember when in the video "The DEATH of SUN and MOON in VRCHAT", how Moon just quietly says "I don't wanna lose you"? Or when he cuts off an anxious and unsure Sun, to say "I love you too brother"? When he says to Eclipse in front of Sun, "You are gonna take away the only thing, the only person I care about"? When he says that Lunar isn't fighting him for control, because he knows the moment Sun is gone, Moon will just give up? His quiet admitance that he did not want Sun to think less of him? How when he promises Sun, that he will get him back, they are holding hands? Something that Moon hates, and he will freely do for his brother, because his brother is more important than his own discomfort. Because even if he did mistakes, he loves Sun more than anything.

Was he perfect? No. No he wasn't. He did terrible things, for no reason at all at times. But he wasn't just a monster. He was a person placed in a terrible situation, with a code in his head telling him to do horrible things, and before KC, we did not know it was possible to go against one's nature, one's coding, one's very own being, and yet, Moon fought his killcode. He fought what was essentialy a loosing battle, and came out battered and bruised, with victories that were only temporary. But he still did it, because there was a person (later persons), who wanted him around. And because of that he made damn sure to fight his nature everytime.

Could he have been better? Yes.

Did he treat Sun terribly? At times yes!

Were some of his actions truly horrible? They were.

But was he a heartless monster, who cared for no one? No. No, he wasn't.

He was a person, trying to live, with everything stacked against him and his brother from the very begining. And he immensely fucked up. No question about that.

But he did care

(Sorry about the long, depressive post lol. Got into a mood, and wanted to get the depression off my chest for a bit. But yeah, I love this guy. He was funky. The New Moon is funky. Sun is funky. Lunar is funky. KC is funky. Eclipse is funky. Ruin is funky. Bloodmoon is funky. New Bloodmoon (I call that one Harvest(moon), and yes, I differentiate between them, cuz they be different. sue me) is funky. Earth is funky. Solar is funky. Solar Flare is funky. Everyone is funky. And I love them all.)

#sun and moon show #tsams #the sun and moon show #sams #sams moon #tsams moon #MemoryTimeswithSunray #MemoryMonday #sorry I fell off the memory cliff #it'll happen again <3 #btw that “Everyone is funky.” part doesn't include the Creator #screw him #moon beloved #“MemoryMoonday” lol #this is just what i can remember off the top of my head

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nevernonline · 8 months

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✧.* remind me; wjh

remember when you spent the night with your best friend? or do you need a reminder of what it was like all these years later.

✿ paring: junhui x afab! reader

✿ genre/s: the one that got away, friends to lovers to strangers.

✿ warning/s: smoking, reader has female genitalia, smut, swearing, mentions of drinking. minors dni.

✿ word count: 2.3k

✿ note: not much, just me thinking of junhui. especially after the 5:26am teaser photos iykyk. also def not edited, srry lol.

Over the course of five years the thought running into Jun had become basically nonexistent, sometimes you'd go into your favorite coffee shop or book store imagining him bowsing along as you not so casually run into him.

His smile felt like it was fake now, something you’d imagined in your head. Maybe your ex was a made up character in your life.

You were so casually shopping in your favorite sweat suit when you thought you caught a glimpse of his perfect side profile, but you knew it was just your imagination. Thinking some other guy in the store was him. It could never be. He left you, he left town, when he skipped you knew it was over with the both of you from the start.

Jun had always been a bit of a nomad, but so you were you. It was just another thing in common you had put in your pros and cons column of some document you titled ‘The Perfect Man.’ He left his home town to move to a big foreign city in pursuit of a dream, for him it became reality for you it became many years climbing a corporate latter you weren’t sure would end in your favor due to, well one, being a woman and two how competitive your field was.

The day you had met as interns you clicked right away, both working for the company's CEO one of you always grabbing his sugary coffee drinks and one of you running his investment numbers, based on your bosses tastes you always were the one running ‘wife tasks.’ like picking his kids up from school, grabbing his dry cleaning, booking him dinners that he needed you to attend for the company, but mainly to look like his much younger girlfriend to appease his clients.

Jun was the only person who made you feel real at your job. I mean, he was the only shining light in a stepping stone to what you really wanted, because he understood. He always felt bad leaving you with the boss's dirty work.

To be fair you never blamed him for getting the real jobs, even after you both graduated university.

He was perfect. He was competent, smart, and well liked. But, you were those things too, it just so happened half the office was obsessed with the fact that they could fuck you that they paid no intention to how good at your job you were.

A night spent out nearing your final days of your internships and graduation on its tails, you both decided to take the chance to get a luxury dinner from your boss. Jun texted saying you’d be a fool to miss expensive wine you didn’t have to pay for yourselves.

At the restaurant you remembered the feeling of being the only female intern, especially once the rest of your so called class got more and more waisted, you were just a face, you were just another person for them to fantasize as they worked ‘hard’ in the office.

Jun changed that, he fought for you, fought for your chance to be seen as more than someones ticket to a luxury hotel bedroom fuck that they didn’t have to tell their wives about. He was the only one who saw you for you.

That night you had your first kiss, you had your first taste of his lips on yours. Not because he was the only person who understood you, well, maybe that, but also because you had a crush on him too.

You and Jun had a romantic night in a hotel room paid by your boss, you fucked, you kissed, you even ordered food on his tab just to spite him for the way he had treated the both of you during your intern year, but the moment you woke up he was gone.

You never could understand why he left, until you saw him on the local news being promoted to the company's CFO nearly seven years later. You had tried to move on, but did he?

It really didn't bother you as much as you thought it might, he was successful, he was kind-hearted, came from a decent family, he was really the picture perfect person for a job like that and you knew it.

The one thing that really bugged you is that maybe you felt like a victim, like your old boss said you didn’t deserve the job for being too distracting.

After the news you were out with your friends, trying to avoid anything to do with the one person you never seemed to be over. But, he was here.

Him, Wen Junhui, the boy you once knew with his perfect side profile, his perfect laugh, his charisma that went for days.

The odds? I mean, none really. The city was big enough that you both could never run into each other, except for tonight.

You watched him silently while your friends drank and celebrated across the room, he was confident and happy as ever. And beautiful.

Maybe the buzz of too many tequila soda’s make you confident or maybe it was your taste buds suddenly remembering how his plump lips tasted against yours, that you were reminded of him.

Some girls surrounded him in flocks, but you noticed how disinterested he seemed in their advances just waving them off in the most polite way he could.

Not being able to watch him much longer, you excused yourself from your friends and headed to the back door to take a hit of the joint burning in your purse pocket.

After a few minutes of being alone in the cold post winter air the heavy metal door opened, revealing Jun.

“Y/N? I thought it was you?”

You weren’t sure how to respond, taking a long hit before handing it over to him.

“Uhm, Hey. Here.”

He took the perfectly rolled object from your long manicured fingers, nearly grazing them with his hands.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, I’m sorry.”

Sorry? So he was sorry for leaving the morning after you hooked up. Isn’t that a convenient thing to say?

“Right, I’m sure.”

Jun was taken aback by your coldness as he breathed in a deep pull into his lungs.

“I am. Look, I kind of chickened out. I really liked you, but everyone told me that being with a company girl was a bad look, that I should be a bachelor for a while. I guess I just took it to heart a little too much. Just, I guess trust me. I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

Anyone? A perfect, rich, beautiful guy hasn’t been with anyone in seven years? It was heard to believe, but his expression was one you remembered, one of his sincerity.

“In seven years? Not one person?”

“Well, maybe for needs I couldn’t handle myself. But, there's been nobody like you I’ve met. I really tried for a while, it’s just nobody compared. I know this is so stupid, I’m drunk and I don’t care.”

“Jun, you don’t mean that.”

“No. I do. You’re the only person I can’t get out of my head. I think about you consistently to the point where seeing you in the bar tonight I just assumed it was some random aura, I came out here to get some air actually when I found you. You’re my youth, y/n. That intern party and finally kissed you, it stuck with me. It’s like since then I’ve only looked for people who reminded me of you, like, I guess doing myself a disservice?”

“Me too.”

Me too. The only words passing through the lips Jun had missed.

“I miss you, I miss the way you felt in my arms. I miss the ways you fucking held my hands, I even miss the way you stoke french fries off my plate when you told me you didn’t want any. I was so in love with you, I think I still am. I’m sorry.”

Jun’s body turned back to the metal door paned into the brick wall, suffocating the sound of loud club music coming from within, but before his hands could open it, you grabbed him.

“Look, I don’t know if this is stupid or if it’s just because I’m cross-faded, but I was in love with you too. The reason I came out here was just because I saw you, I wished for so long we’d meet randomly and when it finally happened I freaked out.”

Jun couldn’t believe his ears, the sweet sound of your love for him coming out of the mouth he so badly wanted to plant kisses on and well, do other things with.

“Will you leave with me?”

“Won’t all your girlfriends be mad you picked up a company girl”

“No, fuck them anyway. Why’d you leave the company after we hooked up if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Why did you leave me the morning after we hooked up?”

“I asked you first.”

“Well, I overheard some of the guys talking about us. I just felt like I was being kept around because I was a good fuck or something. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I just used my new corporate business experience and opened up a bakery. Feels good to not be a suit I guess.”

“Wait. You actually did it? Wasn’t that your dream since you were a kid?”

“Yeah. Sweet you remember me so well.”

“I would’ve never forgotten you anyway. That morning, I got a call from the CEO asking me to come straight to the office because of a complaint and I panicked, but really he offered to train me to be the new CFO if I became his assistant, the only catch was he told me I couldn’t date within the company and that I should forget you, get myself a basic girl that just wants to stay at home and tend to me, because I’’ll be busy. It was stupid, leaving you, but I just thought it was the right move at the time. I’m sorry, you believe that right?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m not mad at you, you know. I just wished you would’ve told me why.”

“Hate me?”

“I’d never hate you, Jun.”

“Good, let’s go.”

Jun’s hand wrapping around yours gave you deja vu and here you were together at last.

“Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Trying to fuck and forget again, Junhui? I thought your mom taught you better.”

“Nope, trying to bed and wed.”

Needing to feel him closer to you, you stopped in a narrow alleyway and pushed his white collared covered back against the cold bricks of a building to your right. Placing a feral kiss onto his mouth, unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

“Someone’s desperate.”

“I can’t wait to get back into your apartment, just fuck me here. Please.”

Without another thought Jun traded his position against the stone with you, now stripping you of your panties that were hidden below your skirt and putting them in his back pocket. Kneeling now, revealing his perfect face between your thighs as he went in and placed soft kisses on your soft skin, before reaching the aching spot of your pussy.

“Fuck, I missed you.”

Jun just mumbled into your wet center as he continued pleasuring you. You missed the way your hands felt in his hair while he ate you out so sweetly.

“Can you just fuck me already, I mean the head is great, but I need you to be inside of me so badly.”

“Whatever my baby wants, my baby gets.”

Jun now crawled up your body just to the point of pressing his clothed cock onto your leg, sucking on your neck, causing you to moan louder than you ever thought you had as he slowly unzipped his pants in the process.

He was teasing you now, rubbing small circles against your center with the tip of his penis before finally entering bliss.

“God, you feel the same.”

“Fuck, thats kind of hot but you’re bigger than I remember.”

“Probably the implant.”

Your laugh rang in his ears, he missed making you laugh while he fucked you, he missed seeing the way your eyes were glazed over in pure euphoria from him being inside of you.

His movements gained momentum, placing his hand behind your head as he fucked you faster, making sure it didn’t hit the brick wall too hard behind you.

“I don’t think I can last much longer, Jun.”

“It’s okay baby, you can finish. We can always go for more later.”

WIth a few final soft kisses and thrusts you held on as long as you could before he reached his peak too, releasing himself inside of you and cleaning you up with the panties he stored away into his pocket.

“Wait, how far do you live? I don’t think I should walk around with no panties for too long and I have to pee.”

Jun’s hand pointed to the brick wall he just fucked you against.

“Here actually.”

Your cheeks grew hot and you placed a hard smack on his arm.

“Oh my god, you mean we could’ve just went upstairs?”

“Yeah, but where's the fun in that.”

“Touche, cutie.”

“Cutie? Still? I’m not like hottie, sexy, handsome?”

“Nope, just a cutie forever and always.”

“Not even sexy when I wrap my hands around your neck?”

Entering through Jun’s front door, he jokingly wrapped his pretty fingers around your neck to give you an idea of how he would take you later since you provoked him by calling him cute.

“Pulling out all the big moves tonight?”

“Mhm, only for my girl.”

“I’m still your girl?”

“Yeah, my one and only. If you’ll have me.”

“Remind me, what's your name again?”

Suddenly your feet were pulled off the floor as Jun carried you into his bedroom where he’d remind you all night long.

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great-cats · 6 months

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The Compress Analysis (2/?)

(From: This Post) Ⅰ - Ⅱ - ...

Part Ⅱ: The Mask

Yep, I see the mask as a key part of his character to the point where it simply must get a section of its own in this increasingly more insane ramble. One may immediately assume that the thing is used for identity concealment. While this is partially true, I reckon that its primary purpose is the concealment of his emotions, as implied in the ultra analysis entry for him (attached below). He may have a near perfect handle on his body language, but I will personally headcanon that he has a terrible poker face until the day I die. As a villain, his identity is going to come out at some point, you know? Even after the Kamino raid (where he got doxxed the hell out of), he continued to wear the mask up until his ta-da moment in 294. So with that info, we can reasonably assume that identity was on the back burner, and emotion/dramatics took centre stage. The latter option is thrown in because he obviously was saving that reveal to an extent. One can even go so far as to assume he hadn’t even taken his mask off around the league, which would be pretty interesting. We don’t ever see him without it while he’s with them, after all.

Beyond keeping his facial expressions behind closed doors, the mask may very well bolster Atsuhiro’s confidence. We don’t particularly see much of this in action given he wore the thing for so long and has only a select few moments of casual interaction, but I still like to think of it as a very real possibility. For all intents and purposes, Atsuhiro Sako is just a normal man with an interesting background and some past poverty. Despite this, the villain that is Mr.Compress– or what quite nicely amounts to a stage persona –is flamboyant, clever, and has a penchant for monologuing. I quite like to create a separation between “Mr.Compress” and “Atsuhiro Sako” because of this disparity. The latter is the flawed man behind the mask whilst the former is a faux, ideal identity put on for the audience. Only in those rude remarks and reckless actions do we see the facade begin to slip. So, what of the moment in the climax of chapter 294 in which he throws that covering off? Well, for starters, he couldn’t not. Jeanist’s quirk could nab anything fibrous, and the fellow couldn’t take any chances. But, beyond that, Atsuhiro thought that moment would wind up his final stand. What’s the use of concealment if you’re going to die soon? He might as well make things flashy.

A big thing in my opinion regarding the mask is how it often reflects Atsuhiro’s status. While I do like to make the distinction between him and Mister as mentioned prior, again, there’s that smidge of him shining through. When he lost his arm, the mask was solemn and in the times he was at his best, it portrayed a smug/snide grin. That grin in particular is by far his most iconic design! It gets the cogs turning in my head when his real emotions don’t seem to match it, though, Regardless of how Atsuhiro is really feeling, that mask keeps up the smile until it’s either broken or otherwise removed. It circles us back to that emotion concealment point, if that wasn’t already obvious. In pursuit of the perfect villain and the next in line for the illustrious goals and teachings of the late Peerless Thief. Atsuhiro has no room for error with that heavy load on his shoulders and must keep up appearances, even if he has to hide behind a smiling mask to do so. But why hold this legacy in such high regard? Atsuhiro claimed that it was the very reason he was there with the league, so what could’ve possibly gotten the man to be so dead set on the wishes of a long gone relative he likely never met? Perhaps, answers to questions like that could be found in what minimal information we know about…

Ah dear! That's part three exclusive content!! Tune in for "The Upbringing" later in which we'll pick right back up from where we left off!

#mr compress #atsuhiro sako #sako atsuhiro #mha #bnha #mr. compress #league of villains #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #character analysis #also when im done with all this I'll probably post a google doc #since thats what im writing this on #Just so that it's all in one place!!

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rippersz · 1 year

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ɢᴏᴏᴅʙʏᴇ, ᴅᴇᴀʀʜᴇᴀʀᴛ

✩⢄⢁✧ --------- ✧⡈⡠✩

(A Larissa Weems x Reader angsty one-shot) (TW: Character Death)

✩⢄⢁✧ --------- ✧⡈⡠✩

“Ms. Wilson?”

You blinked.

Someone was calling your name. Their voice was soft.

“Ms. Wilson. Are you alright?” When you looked up, mildly irritated by the gentle tone, you weren’t at all surprised to find the dark brown eyes of Mr. Tom Prince burning into your soul.

They were familiar; exploding with the same fucking emotion you’d been seeing from others for an indefinite amount of time. So much… pity. Pity and grief - even though Mr. Tom Prince barely knew a fucking thing about his client, Larissa Weems. Even though he didn’t seem to truly understand the importance, the nuance, the strangeness behind your presence on that cold dreary rainy morning. Because honestly, at the heart of things, there was no reason for you to be there. At all. You’d only known Larissa for a year and a half, what could she possibly have left to you in her will? You were unimportant. You were the admirer. You were the one who stayed in the shadows at school functions and nearly lost your life each time you looked at Larissa because she was so damn breathtaking. And you were the one with the crush. The one who was in love. The potential interest that was never explored because you never got the chance and because she was your boss and because things just didn’t play out that way and because you weren’t written in the cards. Because the Gods didn’t shine upon you. Because you weren’t meant to be.

And they felt the need to kill her in order to prove that.

And soon your admiring turned to mourning. And your shadowed glances became teary stares. And your crush became a distant memorized feeling. And your love, which consumed you always, became a last thread that you held onto with intense desperation. And whatever potential interest you once were had fizzled into absolutely nothing. Because with Larissa gone, there was no burn in your heart. No buzz in your soul. No reason for you to stay at Nevermore, really. The brightness that had once existed there; the appeal of the country; the draw of the Academy - was gone. It was all gone. And you weren’t sure you could stay there anymore. Not in the place where she once lived. Not in the place where she was buried. Not in Vermont.

And not in that damned room with that damned attorney and the damned desolation that came from the fact that Larissa’s belongings were no longer there.

“Just get to the point.” Your voice was low with apathy.

You wanted to go home. You wanted to get the fuck away from Mr. Tom Prince.

And he seemed to sense that as he stared at you for a quick moment before letting out a sigh. It was the kind of sigh that pissed you off so terribly. As if he had the fucking world on his shoulders even though he absolutely did not. And the bags under his eyes were stupid. They screamed exhaustion. They screamed sadness. They screamed of an understanding that you preferred not to focus on because if you did, you’d probably crumble. And you hadn’t crumbled yet. And you wouldn’t fucking crumble. Especially not in front of Mr. Tom Prince - who was not princely at all and who was not helping at all and who was… bending down… and pulling something out of one of the desk drawers.

“She left this.” His voice had returned to something neutral as he slid the letter across to you.

It was an unassuming thing. White envelope, silver wax seal with the Nevermore insignia, and your name of course - scrawled in thin black cursive.

‘Odette.’

You swallowed with such vigor that you felt your throat ache.

The letter was light, but in your hands it felt like a bomb. A very beautiful looking bomb with words inside it that would surely blow your heart into a Jackson Pollock-esque explosion of viscera and love. And as you stared down at it, letting it rest on the tips of your fingers, delicate and sweet, you felt your world crack just a little bit more. Slowly but surely. Creating a chasm. Breaking you in two.

“If you need a moment-”

“Yes,” you whispered instantly, stuck to your spot by imaginary blocks of cinder that were chained to your legs.

Mr. Tom Prince nodded and let the silence sink in before he hefted himself out of the leather chair and went to leave the room. You hated him, you decided. You hated him and his idiotic grey suit and his haunted eyes and his eternal frown. You hated him and his well-combed hair and his cologne and his very presence. You hated him and his audacity- his nerve- to sit in Larissa Weems’ desk chair and you hated his fucking voice and his fucking existence and his fucking job; because how dare he read her words? How dare he be privy to such delicate information? How dare he hand you your letter when it should have been Larissa giving it to you herse-

oh…

oh.

right…

she couldn’t.

Warm tears tipped over the edges of your eyelids.

They ran in slow lines, salty and ticklish and utterly infuriating. You didn’t bother brushing them away - they wouldn’t stop. For weeks, they hadn’t stopped. Constantly, always, forever. Like your real talent, after all that time, had actually been sobbing and you were really damn good at it and all it took to find out was the detrimental loss of your love’s life. Well… not even your love. Not even your loss. There were plenty of other people who were closer with Larissa. People who deserved memories of her and people who would take care of her things. And although you weren’t one of those people, she had still left you a letter.

A letter. With your name on it. Meaning it was yours.

And with shaky hands, you pried the wax seal off as best you could and began reading.

‘

But whatever happens, don’t forget that there will always be a being in the world to which, at any moment, you can turn or come. I once gave you, from the bottom of my heart, everything I possess and everything I am. You’ll keep it until I leave this weird world that’s starting to tire me out. My hope is only that one day you will see how much I loved you. ~ Albert Camus to Maria Casarès

Odette,

I am sorry about the circumstances in which you find yourself reading this letter. It was never supposed to happen like this, in whatever way it did. And if I have yet to bear my soul to you then likewise, it was not supposed to end like that either.

I’ve figured that if I don’t get around to being vulnerable and honest, I must at least leave you with something - just to tell you that you have always meant more than I have let on. I believe if things were different, if we weren’t colleagues and if I weren’t a nervous fool, then perhaps this letter could have existed in a manner other than this. A manner much less focused on confession and instead centered more on memory and love. Love, I say, because that is what I feel for you. In this exact moment, sitting behind my assigned Nevermore headmistress desk, I feel love for you. And not an easy, light, caring and kind love that is shared between friends or strong acquaintances or close coworkers; but a deep love. One I hide behind my smiles and my professional facade. It saddens me greatly that I must do so, but since I am uncertain of your feelings toward me, I must remain distant. I hope you understand. I hope you understand and I hope you know that if I do manage to confess before I die, this letter will be re-written. Goodness Odette, you have no idea how much I hope it is re-written. But, whether it is or isn’t is a situation for an older version of myself to know and deal with.

For now, I am going to try and stay in the moment. That has been my New Year’s resolution for as long as I can remember. It’s not an easy feat, I’ll tell you that. My mind is always running, and I suppose that’s why I’m writing this letter to you in the first place. You’ve been wondering, I’m sure. And the answer to your question, to your ‘why me?’ inquiry, is because I must prepare for the inevitable. To shield myself somewhat; to feel relief in knowing that this last loose end would be tied up neatly with a few of my words left after my death. Please do not misunderstand, it does hurt to leave you like this. More than you will ever know. In fact, I am trying quite hard right now not to sob. Wouldn’t want to ruin the ink, would I? No. No, I need this to be perfect. But then again, I suppose perfection does not exist within death, does it? No, maybe not.

Well… I fear I’m going in circles at this point. Just postponing what cannot be postponed forever; stalling, if you will. And you will. Or you may not. It truly depends on if you’re still reading at this point. Knowing your love of literature and poetry, you are. But also knowing some parts of your heart, I know loss is scary to you. And it is. It is. But it will be okay, Odette. I understand that my presence and my control gives the faculty and students a sense of safety, and I am unendingly grateful to receive everyone’s trust and support, but things will not crumble after my sudden death. My memory will live on in Nevermore and all of those that I loved, which now includes you. And I hope you enjoy that news. If you don’t, well… there’s not much I can say then, is there? I’m afraid I will not apologize for my honesty - we only live once, do we not? So it’s necessary that I tell you that I love you. And it’s necessary that I say it again and again until you understand.

I love you, Odette Wilson. I am in love with you, Odette Wilson. And I am sorry that I could not say so when I was alive and warm. I’m sure that I will regret it from beyond the grave, but such is the price I pay for my fear. And if there were a sliver of a chance that those feelings were returned, then I’m sorry I missed your smile. And the shine in your eyes. And the happiness in your expression. Even now, I miss seeing your face. It’s a Friday evening, so I won’t be seeing you until Monday. Can you feel my heart beating faster at just the mere thought of that? Of looking at you again and noticing the blush in your cheeks and bell-like jingle within your pretty laugh? You probably can’t. Oh well.

It’s getting late, anyway. And you are most likely asleep. And this is my second glass of wine; the glass is nearly empty. So I’ll leave you with this dearheart:

I love you. I feel as though we were never strangers, you and I, not even for a moment. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche to Mathilde Trampedach

Somewhat Yours In Every Life,

Larissa Imogene Weems

’

‘Oh Larissa…,’

You were heaving for breath. Grasping for life. Watching the world fall apart.

'…why didn’t you say anything sooner?’

✩⢄⢁✧ --------- ✧⡈⡠✩

Hope you liked it! I've been a bit busy but I'll get back to requests soon. - Ripley x

✩⢄⢁✧ --------- ✧⡈⡠✩

#fanfictionwriter #fanfiction #larissa weems #rippersz #larissa weems x reader #larissa weems x y/n #fanfic #larissa weems x you #wlw fanfic #wednesday netflix #sad fic #angsty #gwendoline christie #principal larissa weems #principal weems

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fastcardotmp3 · 1 year

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even if they were never going to let hopper stay dead after season three because the don't know how to Do That, I still think it's bonkers that they chose to tease him being alive in the post-credits sequence LIKE.

his death felt impactful when I watched it the first time when it was released. it felt like a really big deal and a great set-up for questioning well fuck what are they going to do without him next season? what will happen to El? How will Joyce cope? what will the police force look like without someone in the know in charge?

and yeah, those questions still get answered in season 4, but during that (extra long) hiatus between the two seasons, we didn't even get to relish in ASKING because three minutes after the show ends it's just a letdown of hard-won emotion like. oh. oh he's still alive so no matter what changes it's just gonna... maybe not matter? lasting impact TBD?

there's just. like okay if he HAS to come back from the dead lets think about a slightly different way to do it, yeah? for shits and giggles?

(I am just having fun I am just playing what-ifs please do not take this too seriously fjsdklf)

step one: let the audience actually grieve that character.

let them believe he's dead or at least be very uncertain about his ability to get back up from that particular fight. let them mull on a ST universe without him because that's part of the joy of ongoing TV right?? that we get space to think about what might happen next? let them MOURN.

step two: don't send him to russia.

why are we sending him to RUSSIA when we have access to the opportunity for trapping him in the very dimension his daughter both single handedly opened and closed. why are we sending him to RUSSIA when the upside down was brought into contact with Hawkins by his kid, this girl who he has to find determination to stay alive for, who he has to find pieces of in this rotting place because if she had even some small hand in touching it then there must be something good here right?

(this also has the added bonus of opening up Joyce and Murray for having a more narratively impactful arc too. Like as if they both haven't gone down the government conspiracy rabbit hole in the wake of losing their friend? as if they wouldn't take an opportunity to investigate their OWN government and military if there's some sense that Owens is still hiding something from them?? let Joyce be contradictory in the face of having lost so much; let her outwardly look for a safe place to raise her kids and actively chase down danger because she doesn't know how NOT to at the same time)

(anyways ahem)

step three: don't bring him back in episode one.

maybe not even episode 2 or 3 either. maybe let us watch characters want him or need him or miss him in the aftermath of his loss in a mirror of what the audience feels in the wake of his death too.

step four: bring him back in a moment of high stress or action.

bring him back when Steve's got a bat's tail around his throat and his friends are wailing on monsters with rowboat oars because it's all they've GOT. bring him back-- equally changed, looking hardened and rough on the outside but with this flash of shining hope in his eyes when he realizes-- if they got here, then they can help him get home.

step five: give him the chance to be Different Now.

He's single-minded and single-missioned-- get back to El-- and that has the potential to get in the way of a lot. just because he's in hawkins this time around doesn't mean he's going to be all that helpful when the kids have a different first priority than he does. don't worry, they can still lose this time around, especially when you add the conflict of not knowing how much help Hopper is going to be when he's running exclusively on adrenaline and love for his kid.

step six: the reunion.

there is so much satisfaction to Hopper and El reuniting I love that scene in canon, but imagine how much better it could feel if, instead of his season 4 arc being about getting out of russia it could be about coming home to El.

they've both, in their separation, come to understand each other better this way too-- El because she better understands the grief that has run Hopper's life since Sara died and Hopper because he has become so familiar with the world and the creatures that have haunted El for so many years.

let there be symmetry to their reunion. let Hopper realize he wasn't there when she needed him, let El realize that she left Hawkins when he was there the whole time.

let them both be changed and have to get to know each other all over again.

let them be willing to do it.

bonus alternate tragic ending if you're into that:

there is no reunion because he dies in place of Eddie and El has to face the realization that he's been alive for 10 months only for him to die as soon as they find him and before she even gets to see him okay BYE

#dot post #hopper #think about this All The Time it was eventually gonna become a post who are we kidding afjkdsljf #i love playing posthumous script doctor i love dissecting media i care about

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this-is-what-makes-us-fandoms · 4 months

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Pretty Girl and Her Hero || Lab Rats: Elite Force ||

Requested: hey, could you create a story about kaz and reader (Female pronouns please). It can be a cute or hot story, it doesn't matter, at the moment it's very difficult to find a story about kaz around here, that is, I don't care about the style or plot of the story as long as it ends up being okay in the end

You find yourself being saved repeatedly by a certain hero and he keeps teasing you for it. You start to find it annoying, but he thinks it cute.

Pairing: Kaz x Reader

Warnings: Near death situations, female reader, slight mention of assault

Words: 3.7k

A/N: Got a request done, finally! This one might be a little darker compared to others I’ve posted but I liked how it went. I’m trying to write these characters in a more aged up setting since my writing has matured a lot. If you guys don’t like it, I can try to go back to the original style. Let me know how you all feel! And I totally didn’t steal these scenes from spider-man.

The first time you were saved by Kaz was a complete accident, you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

You were crossing the street, on your way home from the library. It was your turn, the little walk-man shining brightly on the crossing sign. How were you supposed to know you’d gotten in the middle of a high-speed car chase? With the bad guys directly heading your way. You didn’t even see them until they were inches away from where you stood.

Your eyes widened and you panicked, frozen in your spot. You didn’t even hear the horns blaring or the people shouting for you to move. The music from your headphones was practically at full blast. And you did try to move, but your feet were glued to their spot. The only thought on your mind was how you were about to die. You closed your eyes, bracing for what you imagined to be a harsh impact.

It never came, or at least not the one you imagined. Something did hit you, except it was softer than what you expected from a car. Not to mention the arms holding you firmly and the smell of men’s cologne hitting your nose. You open your eyes and you’re not in the middle of the street anymore, nor did you get hit by a car. Instead, you were quite literally swept away by some stranger's arms.

You’re met face to face with a guy, around your age with pretty, brown eyes. Eyes that you were quickly entranced with, probably because he just saved your life. For a moment, your heart started speeding up and anxiety filled your being. You’ve never been in this sort of situation, rescued like some damsel in distress by a cute stranger. You suppose you have to thank him like the heroine does after being saved. But everything you were feeling quickly went away when he opened his mouth.

“Don’t you look both ways before you cross?” he asks.

You’re not sure if he’s serious or not, if it's an attempt to distract from what happened or if he’s genuinely asking. It pisses you off either way and instead of feeling thankful, you’re irritated. “Well, excuse me for crossing when the light was on. What? Did I interrupt your high-speed chase?”

He looks shocked for a moment as if he wasn’t expecting that from you before a smile forms on his face. It’s cocky and smug, and oh so cute that it irritates you more and you want nothing more than to wipe it from his face. He looks like he wants to say something but a girl behind him interrupts, calling out to him. He waves her off before looking at you, still smiling that stupid smile.

“See you around, pretty girl. Oh, and look both ways before you cross,” he says.

You want to tell him that no, you will not be seeing him around or anywhere. But he’s gone before you get the chance and you’re left alone on the corner of the street you were originally crossing.

The second time Kaz saved you, it was purely coincidental. It had to be. Anybody could have been in the situation you’re currently in, you just happened to be unlucky one.

Some wannabe villain had crashed the Centium City festival, which resulted in utter chaos. Things were being blown up and rubble was falling, and once again you were in the middle of it all. You and your friends were watching the parade from one of the open balconies of the buildings. Whoever the villain was targeting just so happened to be on the balcony next to you. Whatever wreckage was caused to them bounced back onto you and your friends.

Which is why you were currently pressed up against the railing of the balcony. It was cracked with half the base dangling in the air and threatening to break off. You happened to be on the wrong side with your friends safely by the entryway. There was a lot of screaming, mainly from you as you screamed for help. Your friends tried to help, holding onto each other while one of them reached out for you. But when you tried reaching back, the smallest movements made the balcony shake. You’d fall if you tried to move.

So, you stayed put, or at least tried until the ground below you shook. That was enough for your broken part of the balcony to fully break. And suddenly you were plummeting down several stories, screaming until your lungs gave out. The universe must have had it out for your or something because there was no way this was the second time you almost died. Almost being the operative word.

You were caught before your untimely date with the ground, whisked away from the chaos. You landed on a rooftop miles away from the chaos of the festival. Safe and sound. You were extremely grateful to your savior, that is until you saw who it was.

“You again?” you shriek.

It’s the same guy from before, the one who saved you from getting hit by the car. And when he sees you, he wears the same smile as before. “Oh hey. The girl who doesn’t look both ways.”

“It was my turn!” you let out a noise of frustration, instantly annoyed. “What are you doing anyway? Who are you?”

“A little gratitude would be nice, I just saved your life,” he feigns hurt and it only makes you glare at him. “Most people say thank you.”

“And most heroes don't make fun of the people they just saved,” you scoff, crossing your arms over your chest. You were grateful, extremely so, but he ruined it by opening his mouth.

“Well, I guess I’m not most heroes, pretty girl,” he flashes you that same smile.

You want to say something snarky, but you’re cut off when you hear a voice coming from his ear. You notice the earpiece and figure it’s someone who works with him. The thought alone surprises you; you couldn’t imagine someone being able to stand him.

“Stay out of trouble, okay?” he tells you before running, or rather flying, off.

You’re left standing alone on the rooftop of whatever random building he landed on. And you realized how you got on that roof; your hero was an actual superhero.

The third time it happens you think you’re cursed, you must be. There’s no actual explanation as to why you’re currently dangling on the edge of a building by a fucking phone cord.

You’d come to your dad’s office, delivering papers he had left at home. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Because of course a construction crane would go haywire out of nowhere. And of course, it would come swinging into the building you just happen to be in. And better yet, your dad’s office was right by the window that said crane was crashing through.

You would have made it to safety if you hadn’t pushed your dad out of harm’s way. Kind of ironic since it should have been the other way around. But instinct took over and you were paying the price for it. The floor below you caved in, and you were sent falling backwards. In your disarray, you grabbed the nearest thing to you. Which was the cord phone to the phone that had once been on your father’s desk. It unraveled and stretched as far as it could until you were hanging from the edge.

You had a tight grip on it, screaming your head off as you looked below you. Bad idea, of course. You were several stories up and everything below you looked ant sized. This time you were sure you’d meet your end. There was no way you could be saved from a situation like this and there was no hero in sight this time. And when the cord started to slowly break, you whimpered and shut your eyes. This was it, for real this time.

The cord snaps and gravity does the rest, sending you falling through the air. You didn’t even scream this time, the feeling of falling from so high up stopping you. Until you were caught, strong arms holding you tight and flush against someone. You kept your eyes shut, adjusting to the feeling and not yet wanting to see who caught you. Even if you already knew who it was.

“You get in a lot of trouble, don’t you,” he says.

His voice rings through your ears and you grimace as you open your eyes to look at him. This time he looks at you seriously, but you can see the corners of his lips twitching. You know he’s holding himself back from smiling.

“And somehow you’re always there to save me,” you huff.

He still irks you even if you're grateful to be saved and even more by him. Somehow it felt comforting, though you’d never admit it out loud.

“Guess I’m attracted to you, pretty girl.”

His smile is back, smug and full of the ego you’re sure he has. Your face feels warm, and you hope it doesn’t show, his words throwing you off. You know he means it differently but the way he looks at you says something else. You’re back to feeling what you did when you first saw him, but you aren’t sure it left in the first place.

“Can you just put me down before I fall again,” you mumble, looking away in an attempt to hide your face.

He doesn’t say anything, but he lowers you down and gently sets you down. You don’t know if he’ll say anything or not, but you beat him to it. “Thank you for saving me again. And that other time. That’s all you get.”

“Fine by me, but as much as I like saving you, try to be more careful, pretty girl,” his tone is stern, like he’s trying to scold you but the glimmer in his eye says the opposite.

You scoff and send him a glare. “I told you I wasn’t—Stop calling me pretty girl!”

“Awe, is someone shy?” he teases, giving you a goofy smile to match.

“No, I am not! Aren’t you supposed to be saving the world or something?” you scoff, sending a glare his way.

“Eh, it can wait,” he shrugs his shoulders and you only stare at him.

“You’re not a great superhero, huh,” you say.

A smile threatens to crawl on your lips at the offensive look on his face when he says that. He looks like he wants to say something, but you’re interrupted. This time it's you who’s pulled away when your dad rushes over to you. You look at him briefly before you turn back to your unknown hero, only to see he’s gone. It upsets you for a moment, as much as you bickered, you weren’t ready for him to leave. You don’t get to think about it much before your dad steals your attention.

The fourth time was your fault, really. After the first three times your life has been in danger, you should have learned to be more cautious. You should have known that of course some maniac would rip the brakes from your train.

The train jolts and starts to speed up, causing everyone around you to start to panic. You don’t. Even if you should have been scared, everything was telling you not to be. You had a guardian angel or something looking out for you because he always showed up. He’d show up now too, you hoped.

But as the train drew closer to the end—a dead-end cliff that led into the ocean—you were starting to lose it. Maybe this was the one time he wouldn’t show up, or so you thought. One by one, the few people in your train car were disappeared with only a gust of wind left behind. You were left alone and the train was getting closer to the edge. Whatever miracle was happening seemed to be taking a lot longer for you.

Or maybe you had imagined it, and you were really just all alone in this part of the train. Your brain made you see others being rescued to keep the hope of you being rescued too. The thought only made you panic, and you tried looking for a way out. Outside, buildings sped past faster than you could make out. Jumping wasn’t an option. You were utterly and completely trapped.

Accepting your fate came faster than you’d thought, maybe because of the few other times you almost died. You sat back down and closed your eyes, letting everything else play out. Until you felt a tight grip around your waist, familiar arms holding you tight. It didn’t even matter if he’s only held you three other times, you’d know him anywhere. Your own arms wrap around his neck and you’re holding on for dear life as he flies you off the train. Everything feels like it should. Almost.

His grip is deadly around your waist, almost like he’s afraid to let go. You don’t dare to open your eyes and look at him until you’ve landed somewhere safe. Part of you still thinks it's in your head and opening your eyes would ruin the delusion. Your feet touch the ground, but you don’t pull away, arms glued around him. His grip doesn’t seem to loosen either, he still holds you close.

“It’s okay, pretty girl. You’re safe now,” he whispers and this time your heart flutters at how he addresses you.

He’s so soft and gentle with you this time that it feels odd, so unusual to the other times you’ve interacted. “I didn’t think you’d show.”

His grip tightens for a moment before he loosens it, enough to let you pull away if you wanted to. You don’t, not yet. “You’re doubting me? Ouch, I always save you, don’t I?”

“You cut it a little too close this time,” you huff, finally pulling away to look at him.

You expected his usual cocky grin but this time his lips are set in a straight line. There’s no grin, no spark in his eyes, nothing but a blank look. It worries you and you miss his stupid smile, even if you’d never say it out loud. You almost reach out to him, stopping yourself short and clearing your throat instead.

“Are you okay?” you ask but it feels off to ask that. Maybe because he’s a superhero and they’re always supposed to be in pristine condition.

“I’m fine. Are you? Sorry about the train, but we managed to stop it,” he answers, his voice matching the look on his face.

It makes you frown, lips pursed together, and brows furrowed in thought. You didn’t really know him, you’d admit, but you knew enough to know this wasn’t his usual self. Being goofy and aloof seemed to come naturally to him, this serious demeanor felt forced. You weren’t convinced he was okay.

You feel the need to apologize, as if the runaway train was your fault somehow. It wasn’t but you do anyway. “Sorry for making you save me again. I guess I am a magnet for trouble.”

“Don’t. Just... You’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

Now you know he’s not okay when he doesn’t respond with a joke back. This was about the time he’d tell you to keep out of trouble with a stupid grin on his face. Yet it never comes, and you don’t know what to say. Was it in your place to figure out what was wrong when you hardly knew each other? Yes, you’d think after he saved you four times now.

He speaks before you even get the chance to, almost like he sensed what you were about to ask. “I have to go. I’ll see you around.”

You don’t get to say goodbye before he flies off, leaving you at a semi-empty corner of the city. Everyone’s gone to see the accident with the train, but you want nothing to do with it now.

The fifth��and final—time you’d been saved had been months after the train incident.

Your luck had finally turned around and you weren’t in life threatening situations anymore. Which meant he wasn’t around to save you like always. Nor was he around in general. Centium City was a large city, crossing each other’s path was almost impossible. Especially since you didn’t know if he looked the same as a civilian, or better yet, if he lived here at all.

It feels nice not having to fear for your life all the time and everything’s gone back to normal. But there’s a dull ache in your chest when you actually think about it. You don’t even know why, it’s not like the two of you were close. And you hardly spoke the few times he saved you, only bickering with each other. Well, you bickered and he poked fun at you. It was limited interaction, but you missed it.

After the first month, you tried forgetting about it since you were sure you’d never see him again. Not unless you were in trouble, and you weren’t going to purposely put yourself in harm's way. The thought did cross your mind, but you’d be crazy for even trying something like that. The only other choice was accepting that you’d never see the cute superhero again. Until you find yourself in danger once again, you should have known your streak wouldn’t last so long.

This time you were walking home at night, which was already a red flag. The city was much more dangerous at night. You were coming home from studying at the library, losing track of time. You had headphones in, and you didn’t notice the guys following you. Until you stupidly when down an alley to cut your trip short. One of them appeared in front of you, saying something that didn’t quite reach. You panic nonetheless and try to walk around him. He grabs your arm before you can, and others join him.

You’re ready to scream for help until one by one they’re all thrown off you. They scatter quickly, throwing obscenities your way until you’re left alone. Almost alone. Someone stands away a few feet away from you, their back to you. You don’t have to see their face to know who it is, and you run to him. He turns around in time as you wrap your arms around his neck. He’s quick to wrap his around you and you’ve never been so relieved to see him.

“And here I was thinking you didn’t need me anymore,” he jokes but his voice is strained.

“Clearly we were both wrong,” you say, trying to joke back despite your pounding heart.

“It’s okay, pretty girl, I’ve got you,” his arms wrap tighter on your waist, and you lean into his touch.

It helps calm you down and you find that you never want to let go. It’s kind of funny, you don’t even know his name yet he’s already the most comforting person to you.

“How did you know?” you find yourself asking, knowing that if he hadn’t come when he did, things would have ended differently.

He doesn’t answer for a minute before taking a deep breath. “My team and I were patrolling the city. I just got lucky being around here.”

“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here. I don’t—”

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. That’s what matters,” he reassures you.

“I don’t know your name. I want to at least thank you properly this time,” you say.

You pull away from him to be able to see his face, warm brown eyes staring into yours. He looks hesitant for a moment, as if you’ve said the wrong thing. You almost think you did before he smiles, warm and genuine, and not at all what you’re used to.

“Kaz, my name is Kaz,” he tells you.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kaz,” you say before introducing yourself back. His name has a nice ring to it and falls nicely off your tongue. “Thank you for saving me, again.”

“Don’t sweat it, pretty girl. It’s what I do,” he shrugs but his ears have a soft tint of red to them.

It makes you smile how bashful he suddenly becomes, another side of him from his norm. “Still, five times is a lot. Is there something else I can do to thank you?”

“How about your number, then?” he asks, quicker than you expected. “I-I mean, just in case you’re in trouble again and need me.”

Your smile widens and you nod. “Sure. And if you want to go out sometime, that works too.”

You give him your number and he saves it under ‘pretty girl’ despite your protest. Well, it’s not like you really minded, having grown used to it. And he walks you home, even as someone calls for him through his earpiece. He just turns it off, you’re more important right now despite telling him you’ll be fine.

#one shots #oneshots #one shot #oneshot #lab rats elite force #lab rats elite force ones shots #lab rats elite force one shot #lab rats elite force oneshots #lab rats elite force oneshot #kaz #kaz one shot #kaz one shots #kaz x reader

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saltwaterburns · 5 months

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VERY EXPLICIT DETAILS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF MY FEELINGS AFTER FINISHING "THE EMPTY GRAVE"

I tabbed 5 pages: blue for 347, red for 354, green for 385, orange for 415 and yellow for the very last one

i. Lockwood tells Lucy about the blue sapphire necklace his dad got for his mum as a "symbol of his undying devotion".

I was listening to Radiohead for most of the book, and this scene in particular was very dear to me because "Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi" is almost most definitely Lockwood's song. Like. Everybody leaves when they get the chance to, but Lucy won't. Lucy is back here and he's with him and they're standing side by side and he nearly can't get the words out of his mouth that's gone incredibly dry but somehow he's telling her about the necklace in his palm and his mind is racing while thinking about how pretty it'd look against her supple skin. He's almost about to give it to her, his mouth is open but the words die in his throat because Kipps is leaning over the doorway and telling them that Winkman is here and now he might die and she might never really know about his feelings for her but it's okay, because she'll live. He'll make sure she'll live.

ii. "But, if anything, I had my eye on someone else."

"Good God, you don't mean George?"

"You must know there are other possibilities in this world."

Sweet, darling girl Holly and her unrecruited wlw crush. Sweet, darling Holly who was squealing on the inside whenever she caught a glance of Lucy, her glowing skin and twinkling eyes and bright hair. Sweet, darling girl Holly who couldn't help the mean words that sometimes spilled from her lips because God forbid anyone realised what actually might hide under those longing glances.

iii. Lucy and her pet Skully but Skully is being TAKEN AWAY and they're having an angsty goodbye.

I'm pretty sure I actually cried during this scene. As much as she hates to admit it, she's so fond of Skull and his company and she's so used to his vile, unannounced jokes and comments that when he's being taken away from her, her heart literally stops, even though she isn't in the living world anymore. We only realise what we have until we've lost it, and this quote fits here perfectly. Sure, she hates him and his comments are unneeded and he never helps her, but they can't just take him away, can they?

iv. "Marissa came by?" Lockwood asked. "Was she alone?"

"Hey, Lucy asks the questions around here," the youth said. "You can't just barge in and take over like you're the leader or something? Where's your respect?"

Bonus - Skull telling the Clapham Butcher Boy to "find his own human"

I GIGGLED SO LOUD. He's so emotionally dependent on her. Find your own goddamn human, fish face!! That's right!! He's my favourite character. Nothing intellectual to talk about here, it just made me smile really big.

v. She hung the symbol of Lockwood's father's undying devotion to his mother around. Her. Neck. Cause. Locky. Gave. It. To. Her.

CAN YOU HEAR MY SCREAMS AND SOBS? Oh my God, where do I even start? During the entirety of those 5 books, they've always ran and someone's been hunting them down and Penelope was always breathing over their shoulder but not anymore. They'll still take on dangerous jobs and get into little quarrels with Barnes but now Kipps and Flo are also part of their little 35 Portland Row agency. They'll still be in danger every day because that's just what their job requires but it's different because Lucy's got that little gemstone around her neck and it might not mean anything to simple onlookers but all the love and light that's ever been gathered in it is now shining upon her. It's casting a little golden halo around her head and it's all okay because even when death is looking them in the eye, they'll look at each other and nod and everything will be okay.

This is it! Thank you for reading my little rambles. I don't know how I'll ever recover, because 35 Portland Row will eternally be etched to my heart. As my favourite singer once sung, there'll always be a chamber in my heart dedicated to those three and all their little hooligan friends and the shenanigans they got into.

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bluef00t · 7 months

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Finally collecting these in a post—Atomic Robo robotswap ideas. This was more of a character design challenge than a real AU, but the concept kind of got away from me.

Rambling design notes + a couple panel redraws + some ideas I had for Helsingard and ALAN 1.0 under the cut:

This idea spiraled out of an old sketch by Wegner of real-boy Robo as a genetics experiment. I'm interpreting that as basically Wolverine minus the animal motifs (and generally much more well-adjusted).

I tried to mimic more elements of his bot design; for example the hair silhouette and the thick blue-tinted glasses, swapped for goggles as his lifestyle got more active. I guess sensitive eyes are a side effect of his mutations. (The classic superhero forehead curl on babyrobo has no design justification, I just couldn't resist.) His appearance would make the public of the '20s a little uncomfortable with seeing him as Tesla's son. Which feels very thematically appropriate.

I'm still calling him "Robo" because it feels weird not to, though it would be a nickname. Appropriate for a guy who never sleeps; plausibly derived from Robert/Ratko. (The American name would be how he's introduced to the public; the Serbian one used casually by Tesla.*) Honestly, it seems in-character for him to put down Robo as his actual legal name when he finally got that chance.

*Things I found out after picking these names for their superficial resemblance to "Robo": Robert means "famous, shining" and Ratomir means "defender of peace"; literally "war for peace". Definitely an affectionately ironic moniker for a son so determined to be an action hero. Though dear monolingual Robo probably wouldn't catch on until decades after Tesla's death... Well, now I've gone and made myself sad.

The action scientists are mostly an excuse to still draw robots. Let's say they're Robo's big midlife crisis project after realizing he was going to outlive his entire first team and not think about it too hard.

Vik (inspired by Robby the Robot) is the oldest of the models. He's optimized for processing power, which is how you get a robot that will try to suggest purely hypothetical (but mathematically sound!) solutions to urgent real-world problems. And enjoys TTRPGs of Turing-complete levels of complexity.

Lang (inspired by Robo) came shortly after, more optimized for the "action" part of action science. Being made of metal does wonders for your recoil management. (I know she hasn't had the hair buns in 10+ years, but that's what I was trying to do with the "antennae".)

Foley (inspired by Alan) is the newest model, optimized for human-robot interaction. Getting wifi installed in her head early on had the unexpected side effect of making her really good at understanding networks of all kinds.

BRN-3 wasn't built to be sentient. He's just a lab geological survey bot that began showing signs of sapience one day and attributes his own "enlightenment" to the "crystals" he'd been studying. This is obviously bullshit but nobody can give a better explanation, so...

Jenkins is literally just the Terminator, except his evil future is vampires instead of AI. He was sent back to kill Robo, which clearly didn't work, so they talked it out and now he just hangs around Tesladyne on high alert for anything that might kick off the apocalypse.

(I have no idea where Ada, Ben, and Koa fit in here, but I might come back to them later. Using their Agents of CHANGE power suits as android designs felt like cheating.)

Not included in these drawings are Helsingard and ALAN, but I'm considering switching around parts of their premises, too.

Helsingard was a Nazi supercomputer meant to calculate the perfect world-conquering strategy. Instead, it realized that Germany's loss was imminent and hid copies of itself around the planet. Every once in a while, someone accidentally boots up a copy and it tries to take over. In the modern age it's a total dice roll as to whether this will be horrifying (what major infrastructure isn't computerized these days?) or just kind of pathetic (it's too old to understand the internet and can easily get itself trapped in an office printer spitting toner and stacks of paper that read BEHOLD HELSINGARD).

ALAN (potential rename pending; the Turing connection is rather lost in the version I'm going with for now) is the world's second successful "unkillable" genetic experiment, a govt project during the Cold War to ensure that the last man alive in a nuclear winter scenario would be British. But it turns out telling a guy he's the next stage in human evolution and sealing him in a bunker for decades to await a chance to inherit the earth which doesn't come isn't great for his sense of compassion or morality. Eventually, ALAN decides to hurry things along before we inferior humans end the world in a less convenient way, and Robo has to... well, you know this part.

It turns out there was a secret phase 2 to this plan, which would have been to populate the solar system with perfect immortal mind-networked clones of himself. The single under-baked clone that it does manage to spit out before being shut down is our Alan :] He needs someone to look after him while his crazy healing powers fill in the missing chunks of his body and brain, and he didn't get a full memory upload from ALAN, so it's free son boy!

No changes were made to Dr. Dinosaur. He's already perfect.

#atomic robo #robotswap #bluef00t art #the part under the cut is pretty long I've been turning this over in my head for a while #there's definitely bits of continuity that don't quite work (even Wolverine would have trouble with the head-in-a-box-for-130-years thing)#but this isn't really about rewriting something coherent. this is about how fun it is to do panel redraws as warm-ups #000

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miraculouswolf99 · 7 months

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Season Five Feelings

As someone who has been into this show for a while, I am sure that I was not the only person who did not have high hopes for season five. Especially since after seasons 3 and 4, the show itself had really gone downhill. Especially in terms of character development and storyline.

But, as I watched season 5, it actually became one of my favorite seasons after the first two. There was actual character development, there were moments where characters other than Marinette got time to shine, and we finally got somewhere when it came to the love square.

I will first be honest. I have never been a fan of the love square. Marinette has always been a creepy stalker who seemed to care more about Adrien as the "perfect model" than she cared about Adrien as the "regular person." Also, I never liked how even when she tried to date Luka, she still never gave up on Adrien and that was extremely unfair to Luka since he is by far one of the best characters on the show.

But, given that season 5 had actual character development, the love square actually became something I enjoyed. First, there was the adorable reversal where Adrien liked Marinette and Marinette liked Cat Noir. Gave a lot of "Marichat" fans what they wanted given that it is the corner of the love square that people tend to enjoy the most. It also lead to both Marinette and Adrien going into slight depression because of how their hero lives continued to prevent them from having meaningful relationships with anyone as civilians. But, after the two of them actually got together, without any Cat Blanc or Ephemeral stuff happening, they actually became a really good couple. Marinette was less of a stalker, Adrien started standing up to his father, and the two became more in sync as heroes.

Also, if there is one thing that I have seen a lot, it is people disagreeing with how Lila and Chloe's characters were handled. Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with them. While I get that people were probably excited by Chloe's redemption story and were against how it was "taken from her," I never cared much. Like, even during her "redemption" arc, Chloe was still Chloe. She still bullied others, still got people akumatized, and still treated everyone horribly. There was always the chance that she would turn worse rather than get better. With Lila, I think it is quite realistic that she is as bad as she is. Like, I understand how there are a lot of people that want her to have a reason for her being as bad as she is. But, that is not the case for everyone. Sometimes, people are simply bad without really having a reason. Lila is a classic case of a sociopath or a psychopath with narcissistic personality disorder. She literally can not accept anyone going against her in any way. Which is why she targets Marinette and Ladybug for such petty reasons.

As for each episode, allow me to share my feelings for each one.

Evolution: Probably the episode would have had the most fanfics about if it had not been the first episode of the season. Not only was it fun to see little flashbacks from previous episodes, but it was the start of development for other characters beyond Marinette. Such as how Cat Noir was allowed the rabbit miraculous to duel-wield as Rabbit Noir. Actually giving him a moment where he was treated as Ladybug's partner and not her sidekick. Also, it showed that despite the golden opportunity, Gabriel would choose his obsession with the heroes over everything else. After all, he could have easily given his past self the fix-it spell for the peacock miraculous but instead chose to go after Ladybug and Cat Noir. Plus, I personally also enjoyed Natalie giving him the "you're an idiot" talk. Also, we got the moment of Alix gaining the rabbit miraculous, even if it also took her out of the show, for the most part, to keep Monarch from getting the miraculous back. It was nice to see Alix's father approve of her leaving rather than taking Alix away from her life without letting him know. Multiplication: This episode was the first that started the rest of the real plot of the season. First, it showed the heroes traveling to London to confront Felix about both his betrayal as well as to get the peacock miraculous. His mother lied about him not being there even though the episode ended with him being next to her and then introducing himself to the peacock's kwami. Then, it showed how the other characters, and people in Paris in general, were adjusting to try and keep Monarch from being able to akumatize them. Such as Mylene and Ivan taking up yoga and Alya and Nino taking boxing lessons from Nora. It was shown that a few weeks had passed since Monarch gained the other miraculous, making people originally believe he gave up. Until the attack by Kagami's mom, who had also been given the power of the mouse miraculous. After she had been defeated, she was shown to not have the actual miraculous. This led to the reveal of how she was both aware of Gabriel being Monarch on top of revealing they were designing "smart rings" to give akumas specific miraculous powers without having to give them the actual miraculous. However, my favorite part was Adrien getting his best character development moment when he confronted his father and said he did not want to model anymore. Which, much to his shock, his father agreed to. Even if Gabriel only agreed because he was still using Adrien's image for the Alliance rings.

Destruction: Another episode that was almost like it could have been a fanfic. It was about Monarch trying to force the kwami to lead him to Marinette/Ladybug because he was ordering them to take him to The Guardian. It leads him into what was basically an overly complicated scavenger hunt around Paris that eventually takes him to the wax museum. But, it was then revealed the entire thing was a trap. Ladybug had been prepared in case Monarch, when he was Hawkmoth/Shadow Moth, ever got his hands on the kwami. So, she set up the entire scavenger hunt so that she would know where he would end up and they could ambush him. I thought it was great to have a moment of Cat Noir having actual pity as well as some trauma over Monarch forcing him to use his power on him so that he could get away. Plus, it's also fun to see the heroes be able to plan ahead the way they did to almost be able to defeat him. Especially since there was no way either could predict that he would be so desperate not to lose that he would allow himself to be cataclysmed. This episode also had the moment of when Gabriel and Tomoe changed the miraculous into rings so that they could move forward with their plan. It was great to see the plot slowly unfolding.

Jubilation: Usually, the introduction of a new character this late would not work out. But, I actually ended up really liking Socqueline. It showed an unseen part of Marinette's character when we meet an old friend of hers. Plus, it was also revealed that another usage of the Alliance rings was to track people. That way, if either Ladybug or Cat Noir wore a ring, the rings would detect their faster movements, which would reveal who they were to Monarch. While it was a little unrealistic that only Ladybug and Cat Noir would not wear rings, it makes more sense for Marinette and Adrien since Adrien was shown to not like that his image was still being used and Marinette was shown to not really like Alliance in general. And they were not the only ones since Ivan and Mylene were revealed to not wear rings, either. I also liked that Ladybug and Cat Noir chose to come out of the illusion that the power of the pig miraculous put them in. It shows that they were willing to put aside their own desires to stop the akuma.

Determination: It was not my favorite episode, to be honest. While it has been shown that Luka and Kagami were supportive of Adrien and Marinette getting together, this episode took it a bit too far where the two tricked them into coming to the museum and then locking them in a room. While this had already been done in the New York special, this time it was interrupted by a real akuma instead of the fake one that Jess and Aeon created. The episode also showed how much more hatred Chloe had for the heroes since she was using her father to keep the hero exhibit from being opened. A lot of people disagree with how Chloe has been done, but I have never liked her. Plus, her irrational hatred of the heroes has been shown before. It made more sense for her to hate the museum because I doubt they would have had a Queen Bee statue. I also enjoy that even this far into the show, there are still characters that become akumas for the first time.

Passion: Personally, this is one of my favorite episodes of the season. I really enjoyed the character development of Natalie. She stays at Agreste Mansion solely because she wants to protect Adrien from Gabriel. She even got akumatized on purpose, basically tricking him because she was going to take the miraculous for herself and make a wish to once again keep Adrien safe from Gabriel. Plus, another great part of the episode was Cat Noir taking charge of his and Ladybug's partnership. He was able to use the kwami to switch their miraculous so that he could become Mister Bug and she could become Lady Noir. He made the choice because the paralyzing arrows that Natalie/Safari was using against them would search specifically for Ladybug and Cat Noir, not Mister Bug and Lady Noir. I also enjoyed seeing how much Adrien did care for Natalie. He treats her as a mother figure and going to her for advice on how to ask Marinette out.

Reunion: There are two great things about this episode. The first being that we got to meet a previous holder of the ladybug miraculous, Joan of Arc. Marinette had gone to her for advice since she was the only other previous holder who was involved with that era's black cat holder. The second was how heartfelt it was to see Jalil missing his sister so much that he was willing to believe anything that could explain why she left because didn't want to believe she left her family willingly. He wanted the truth, even if he had originally gone to the wrong source by believing online chats that were filled with people going the "Monarch might want to use the wish for something good and Ladybug and Cat Noir might be the real bad guys" route. It was really funny to also see Joan try to fight Pharaoh, only to pass right through him because she was not actually there. Plus, when Plagg gave Adrien his own kwagatama, I was literally like "Finally!"

Illusion: Another great thing about the season was that civilians were also trying to fight back against Monarch. Nino had formed a resistance group made up of the class and their friends. They wanted to try and figure out how the akumas were gaining miraculous powers without having the miraculous. Only, they had no idea Lila eavesdropped on them and revealed their plan to Gabriel. It brings me to how I enjoy that Lila was becoming more frequent and less of someone who randomly appears in episodes to cause trouble. She was becoming an actual villain rather than a small-time bad guy. It was a villain's own form of character development.

Elation: I had said earlier, this season had a reversal of the love square. And this episode showcased their changed feelings. Probably the one thing I enjoyed the most about the episode was Marinette reaching her limit with other people telling her who she should love. It was a very human moment that also showed the downside of her falling for Cat Noir since it is dangerous to be with a hero. And despite knowing how dangerous it was, she still loved him. Cat Noir also had his own moment of knowing that it was dangerous for him to love Marinette as a hero. They both did not change their feelings, but they accepted how dangerous their feelings were. It was a great character moment for both of them.

Transmission (The Kwamis’ Choice – Part 1) & Deflagration (The Kwamis’ Choice – Part 2): I thought this two-part episode was a great show of Marinette and Adrien finally allowing themselves to make a selfish choice. Tikki and Plagg had taken it upon themselves to take away their miraculous so that both of them could lead normal lives and have their own love lives. I think it was a great moment to show that even heroes can go through difficult times. I also like how the plot device that was previously shown, the rings tracking the movements of their wearers, was used against instead of being forgotten. That was how Monarch learned the identities of Scarabella and Kitty Noir. Also, the episode included more of the Resistance that Nino started. I definitely enjoyed seeing them fight against Monarch rather than giving up hope once it was known that the new heroes had been defeated. Though, it was funny that while fighting against Monarch, Kim, Ivan, and Rose dogpiled to keep him from moving. The fact that Rose also jumped onto the villain despite being the only one who is almost as small and short as Alix was so funny to me. Plus, despite Marinette and Adrien basically going back to square one by the end of the episodes, they did not choose to go back. They decided to continue to try a relationship despite being heroes again.

Perfection: As I previously pointed out, I enjoyed that Lila was becoming an actual villain. This time, it showed how she was able to trick more than just the class since she was able to lie and trick Kagami. I did feel really bad for Kagami because she made to believe that no one really cared about her. That even when she strived for perfection, it wasn't enough. The plan for helping Kagami break out of Monarch's influence was really sweet. Especially since I enjoyed seeing Socqueline again. And while a little corny, I also think that Adrien's song to Marinette was really sweet, with funny moments as Max, Nino, and Zoe provided the backup vocals. A very random trio.

Migration: Luka is definitely one of my favorite characters. Not to mention also a fan favorite. So, having an episode focused on him was great. Anarka was also HILARIOUS with how many times she threw Bob Roth off the Liberty. And while I hate his character, I did like how Bob got an actual akumaization this time rather than the opening scene one that we got in the Ephemeral episode. I also enjoyed that it was finally brought up how Luka is aware of both Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities from back in the Wishmaker episode. Despite how it forced Luka to have to leave Paris, that was a realistic moment while showing Luka's selflessness when it came to protecting the heroes. Plus, the fact that he gets quality father-son time is a great thing for him that he deserves.

Derision: As someone who does really like Kim, I both loved and hated this episode at the same time. The parts that I loved were showing more about Marinette/the class's past, showing the reason why Marinette and Socqueline had been so close, and also having Adrien end his "friendship" with Chloe for real. I also enjoyed seeing the reason why Marinette was so focused on learning everything about Adrien. As much as I think it doesn't excuse her stalker behavior, it does explain it. I also enjoyed Mylene's line about how just because Chloe's mom left her, it doesn't excuse Chloe's behavior the way everyone says that it does. Chloe's brattiness is her choice and her choice alone. While I liked the additions to Kim's character, what I didn't like was how he was turned into an unknowing bully. Like, he didn't mean to be a bully, but he was one. He took jokes too far, including using Marinette's fear of bugs against her after Chloe tricked him. However, it did explain why Kim had sometimes gone along with Chloe in the past before she broke his heart in Dark Cupid. Such as going along with Chloe and Sabrina when Chloe got Alya suspended in Lady Wifi. I am glad that he learned his lesson by the end.

Intuition: Just like with the power of the rabbit, the power of the snake was another that probably a lot of people thought that Monarch would use a lot. And it was shown that he did use it. Very often. I liked seeing scenes from previous episodes, showing how much he used the power. Plus, it was another example of something from a previous episode not being ignored. This time being the cataclysm scar from Destruction. It showed how he basically was speeding up his injury because time would move for him while it would reverse for everyone else. Also, gotta love Natalie and her once again basically saying "You're an idiot" to Gabriel.

Protection: I know how often Kagami and Luka are used in fanfics as friends of Marinette who see through Lila's lies easily. But, I actually like how Kagami also falls for Lila's lies since it shows both Lila as a threat on top of showing that even someone like Kagami has weaknesses. What I didn't like was how this episode basically ignores Kagami having already learned from Perfection how much others, including Marinette and Adrien, care about her. Another great part was Adrien once against standing up to his father, who had teamed up with Tomoe to get Adrien and Kagami forced back together. Adrien chose not to listen to them, choosing to continue pursuing Marinette. He was really growing into his own character.

Adoration: Lila and Chloe had shown to have teamed up in the previous season. A great detail that was shown to not have been ignored in this new season. This time with them teaming up to get back at Marinette by getting Sabrina akumatized into Vanisher again, with the added addition of the power of the dog miraculous, to frame Marinette for theft. I enjoyed showing how awful these two are on their own with them basically using Monarch to their own advantage rather than the other way around. While I have always liked the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, I didn't like how Zoe was made yet another person interested in Marinette. If they really wanted more LGBTQ+ characters, then they could easily have Juleka and Rose or Marc and Nathaniel be actual known couples rather than having them only be known as that through speculation and guesswork. It just makes it seem like they try and force Marinette to appear like a Mary Sue-type character with how many people they have fall for her.

Emotion: Felix is another character that I feel got a lot of much-needed character development. While the entire idea of this episode came out of nowhere, it shows that Felix was more than just a regular villain. He was actually more like an anti-hero, like Red Hood and Harley Quinn. I enjoyed seeing him try and protect Adrien and Kagami by making those who control them vanish. It was also a realistic take on how even when both Adrien and Kagami are aware of the fact their parents are controlling, they still love them. Kagami showing she was even willing to attack a miraculous-wielding "bad guy" to get her mother back. I also enjoyed how Felix ended up changing because he could see how much he upset Adrien with his actions. But, Felix obviously was shown to be a very complex character that I was really looking forward to learning about more.

Pretension: More character development for both Marinette and Felix. Not only was it great to see Marinette standing up to Gabriel, but Felix showed his growth by becoming interested in Kagami. And not just because he liked her, but also because he did not want her to be controlled by her mother. Also, despite not trusting Felix, Kagami learned enough about Felix and why he does what he does that she was able to convince Ladybug and Cat Noir to give him another chance. That allowed them to be able to defeat Kagami's akumatized mother, with Felix allowed to get away. Felix and Kagami were quickly becoming a favorite couple of mine. The way they gave each other development was really good. Also, I enjoyed Adrien now having to deal with his own home-based conflict when Gabriel reveals he is going to demand Adrien go to London right after the end of school. It gives Adrien another reason to start standing up to his father.

Revelation: Lila is shown to really have no real version of herself. Not even with her own family since it is revealed she is juggling three different mothers/lives with her lies. I actually like that detail since it shows how there is really no "real" version of her. She also had really been pushed to the edge in this episode as Gabriel had replaced her with Kagami as an Alliance avatar. Part of which was probably because he wanted to make her angry to akumatize her, but mostly because he no longer found any use for her. However, I liked that it backfired on him since when he did akumatize her, she used her powers to force Natalie to take pictures of all of Gabriel's secrets and send them to her. While others might question how she was able to do that, she still had her free will because she was willingly akumatized. Just like when she was akumatized into Chameleon. I also like how Adrien apologized to Marinette for his "high road" advice. He now knew that Lila was a lot more dangerous than a simple liar. He was another great growth of his character. One thing that I will never understand is why they allowed Lila to run for class representative simply because she did not get the chance before. I mean, it was almost the end of the year, so there wouldn't be much point to have a change. My best guess is simply because they needed a plot device for the next episode.

Confrontation: And I was right about them needing a plot device for the next episode. After all, if they had not allowed Lila and Chloe to take over as class representative and deputy, then they would not have been able to throw away the original school/career forms to replace them with things none of the class would be interested in. After all, even if they replaced the forms while Marinette was still the representative, there is no way that Marinette and Alya would have shown the forms at the school meeting since they would know someone faked them. Also, while I didn't like how Damocles was forgiven for all his past mistakes, I did like that he finally stood up to the mayor. Especially when allowing the class to redo their forms rather than letting the mayor tell him to not allow that because it would "make the school look bad." The added power of the magical charms was also really cool! Lila finally being exposed was also really satisfying, even if it didn't end up doing much since Chloe used her power to keep herself and Lila in school and away from the consequences. But, my favorite part was actually the reveal that Juleka has a speech impediment, which resulted in her previously being held back a year. It was a great explanation as to why Luka was not also in the same school with them even after it was revealed that he and Juleka were twins.

Collusion: It turns out that Damocles' no longer being the principal did not mean much in the long run. Even with him being replaced by Mendeleiev, she also bent to the will of Chloe and the mayor. Even firing Miss.Bustier for no reason other than her trying to stand up for Marinette after Chloe faked getting slapped. As much as I hated how low Monarch was willing to go to akumatized a pregnant woman, I did like how it was one fight that was handled with no violence. Just like when Rose first became Pigella and helped defeat Reflekta without any need for fighting because of her power. However, I honestly did not like the episode much since it really drove home how Chloe literally can get away with ANYTHING! Like, how could it ever be possible for a TEENAGER to become mayor even if her father had been the previous mayor? Even with the usual TV logic, it STILL doesn't make sense.

Revolution: The only thing that makes even less sense than Chloe being the mayor is people being OKAY with her being the mayor and making Ladybug/Cat Noir outlaws along with Monarch. Like, the heroes have been working hard, day and night, to defeat Monarch and his akumas. With a lot of those akumas being CHLOE'S fault. Yet, that is forgotten by so many people when they agree with her decisions. Also, if Sabrina had not already broken her "friendship" with Chloe by exposing her and Lila's plan, then she DEFINITELY would have done it when Chloe replaced the entire police force, including Sabrina's own dad, with robots. Not to mention ruining school by forcing Mendeleiev to "teach" Chloe's fake version of history, which was her family being responsible for everything good in the world. However, I am SO glad that she FINALLY experiences consequences for her actions. Her father finally stands up to her, he kicks her out of Paris to allow Chloe's mother to have full control, and not even Marinette allows Chloe to deal her any more emotional pain. Chloe has reached rock bottom and she knows it. Also, Adrien and Marinette finally getting their kiss will always be adorable!

Representation: I will be honest and admit that I have never liked the whole "Adrien is a sentimonster" theory. But, then I got this episode that revealed how it was true, not to mention Felix and Kagami also being sentimonsters as well. That was definitely not expected. However, it does explain why Felix and Adrien are identical even though their mothers are identical twins. After all, identical cousins are not a real thing. I also really enjoyed the way that Felix and Kagami revealed their origins to Marinette. Telling it as a fairy tale with a sentimonster called "Once Upon A Time." It was fun and creative. I also loved how Cat Noir got to defeat an akuma all on his own, with help from the Resistance. Plus, since I do like Kim, I enjoyed how he was the one who went right to Cat Noir to help bring him out of his nightmare. I also felt SO bad for Adrien and Kagami since their parents wanted to control them so much that they forced them into plain locked rooms since both had escaped their previous new rooms in London.

. Conformation (The Final Day – Part 1) & Re-creation (The Final Day – Part 2): Big season finales have always been a favorite of mine! And this one was REALLY big! First, my heart went out to Adrien because he was constantly being tormented by his nightmare while also locked in his room with no way to seek comfort. Second, I really enjoyed the other heroes from other parts of the world, the United Heroes and Lady Dragon, coming to Paris to help in the final fight. It brings the heroes from the specials even more into the world of Miraculous rather than keeping them as just characters in the specials. Gabriel and Tomoe's plan was honestly brilliant! While Scarlet Moth failed to overwhelm the heroes, this was a global-scale epidemic that was pretty much a guarantee to overwhelm them. If it had not been for Marinette being able to learn who Gabriel really was. Her fusing the black cat and ladybug together was really cool to see! As well as bringing back the detail of the upgrades she and Cat Noir got from "growing up" in the Revolution episode since she used both Lucky Charm and Cataclysm several times without changing back. I also enjoyed how it didn't focus on just her showdown with Monarch, but also her friends dealing with the Alliance soldiers. Especially since Rose being the one to tackle Ivan to the ground when he became a soldier will always be funny to me! Rose is a violent angel and I am here for it! Only three things bothered me about the episodes. One, Marinette trusting Gabriel enough to de-transform in front of him just because he was showing a moment of weakness. That was NOT smart at all. Especially since he had already sown that he was pretty much completely insane with desperation by that point. Two, the fact that Marinette kept her "promise" to Gabriel to not reveal who he was to Adrien. If he ever finds out the truth, he is going to be DESTROYED! Not to mention feel incredibly betrayed by Marinette. Adrien has every right to know who his father was! And three, they seriously took Adrien/Cat Noir out of the final battle! That is NOT RIGHT! He has been a hero from day one and yet they do not even allow him to take part in the final battle! That is NOT okay!

Action: I don't honestly have much to say about this episode. It is simply one of those regular "children's show" episodes that are about teaching kids an important lesson. A lot of kid shows usually have an episode like it. The most I can say is that I enjoyed how it was another example of Adrien standing up to his father.

#ml salt #miraculous #miraculous fandom #i hate chloe #luka is the best #miraculous spoilers #ml spoilers #i have opinions #season five #miraculous season 5 #chloe salt

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 9 months

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Hi JWB! How are you doing? I was rewatching ipkknd and came across the episode where Khushi decides to leave after Arnav calls her his"biggest mistake " Had she left before he turned up do you think she would have gone home and confided in Bhuaji? Also, would Arnav have gone behind her immediately or waited till morning and do you think he would have got her back? Thanks

Hey there Anon!

I'm doing well :) Hope you're well too.

No she wouldn't. Khushi doesn't have anyone to confide to in general and she knows revealing her marriage (or the lack of it) would cause more issues in their families than any resolutions.

Also Khushi, inherently, never wants to bother anyone nor does she know how to share her problems. So there's no way she'd tell Buaji about her marital troubles and bother her old aunt.

Of course Arnav would straight up march and get her home. And they'd have a big fight. And he would've told the 14 days left to her in the Gupta house and blackmailed her to get back with him.

However,

I think it would've been a super interesting track if he blackmailed her at Gupta House and Buaji overheard it. It would give Buaji the chance to shine as a completely positive character who'd get protective of Khushi and a solid redemption track to Arnav - but I guess it was too much drama and the audience was perhaps getting tired of the constant struggles and they needed comedy.

Which, again, in my opinion could've played for immense comedy. Cause when Buaji is stern with Arnav - it's hilarious to watch! Just imagine after a heartbreaking argument and Buaji banishing Arnav from Gupta House - Arnav resolves to get Khushi back (and earn Buaji's good graces) but it's impossible with Madhumati.

Arnav brings gifts - she throws them on his face (and he probably falls on gobar on that process).

Arnav tries to apologize to Khushi but of course he has a hesitation saying anything beyond the soft 'sorry' and Buaji butting in with - WHY ARE YOU SORRY? WHAT DO YOU THINK MY NIECE WILL BE OK WITH ONE WORD? WHERE IS THE REST OF YOUR APOLOGY? SAY IT LOUDER!

And everytime they accidentally Rabba Ve, Buaji would butt in.

It would be hilarious because at one point even Khushi would forgive Arnav but Buaji wouldn't until Arnav has genuinely mellowed down;

Buaji: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEVER MARRIED HER?"

Arnav: "No, that's not true. She's my legally married wife."

Buaji: "HAYE RE NANDKISORE THEN YOU WERE LYING TO HER?"

Arnav: ...

Khushi: "You lied to me???"

Imagine Buaji and Khushi teaming up and slamming the door on a flabbergasted Arnav's face. And of course you'd pace the comedy with some genuinely tender moments where Arnav actually apologies, Buaji apologises to Khushi for forcing her with Shyam and denouncing her on the day of the elopement and Khushi apologises to Arnav for hiding about Shyam (most likely Buaji will).

It wouldn't be your classic redemption track but it would have the heavy rom-com tropes and Buaji+Arnav is my favorite comedic duo tbh and the only one who isn't intimidated a bit by Arnav.

But yes, that's my lengthy answer that went into more of a 'what if' category, lol.

Best,

JWB

#ask #anon #gupta house track #buaji #dude why do i write ideas that i'll never get the time to write #kyun dard hai for reals #but i like this idea

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evenstarfalls · 1 year

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I've always found it interesting how Victor as a character, narratively, is so dependent on Eli's existence, up until this point in the canon, because all we see of him is either shortly before or after Eli appears. We really know very little about his past, so the canon version of Victor Vale is just a product of Eli's influence on his life (in a way) [and of course there is a lot of other things, but it's too much to detail didn't want it to be too long], hope it doesn't sound confusing.

I know I've drafted at least one post talking about the narrative in Villains and how Victor manages to cast it off, but I can't find either of them so I probably left them to die in drafts. Yes! Victor's narrative is very dependent on Eli's. I think in a lot of ways the series is about Victor grappling for control of the narrative. Like if we think about this (very popular) quote:

If Eli really was a hero, and Victor meant to stop him, did that make him a villain?

Of course, Eli's not a hero. But narratively, while Victor is the main protagonist, Eli takes the role of the hero, and Victor the villain. It's a hero story with Eli as the main character. He's the one who researched EOs, who believed in them. He's the one who first got powers, who spent 10 years moving through the world with Victor as his backstory. He passed for not just normal, but a standout. He even wears Clark-Kent-esque glasses as a disguise. Eli is a hero-coded villain.

“He heals. It’s a reflexive ability. In his eyes, I think that makes it somehow pure. Divine. He can’t technically use his power to hurt others.”

Victor is relegated to the second guy, the other guy, the friend turned adversary. He's aware of it, he struggles against it, but the narrative sets him up to fail. He was never the shining star Eli was; he never tried to hide his nature. Victor gains powers and immediately gets locked up for ten years. Even when he came back, his main focus was getting revenge on Eli. It should've been impossible for him to win, because at the end of the day he was mortal and Eli wasn't. The hero narrative ends with the villain in the ground, and the hero living to fight another day. Victor was always doomed by the narrative, a dead man walking.

Sydney Clarke could raise the dead.

Sydney is the character that interrupts their whole narrative. She's not subject to their narrative, and so she's able to save Victor from it. Their narrative plays out in Vicious, and she isn't able to directly stop it, but she resurrects Victor and lets him live beyond it. One of the threads in Vengeful is about Sydney growing up and growing into her power. Eli and their narrative catch back up to Victor and this time narratively she's able to interfere directly: she kills Eli, allowing Victor to cast it off more fully.

“Do you know him?” he asked, eyes alight. Sydney nodded. “How?”

Sydney swallowed. “He’s the one who shot me.”

What's also interesting is that she doesn't come to Victor directly. She meets Eli first, and he tries to kill her. Victor finds her and saves her. She held the power to change their narrative, but it was the choices that they made within the narrative that aligned her with Victor. Eli chose to kill her, and she new narrative came back to bite him in the ass. Victor chose to save her, and in return she saved him.

It was like a magnet, constantly drawing his eye, but Victor forced himself not to stop and look at it. Not to think about what it meant, that Eli Cardale was really, truly dead. The way the knowledge knocked Victor off-balance. A counterweight finally removed.

With Eli dead, Victor's narrative center is gone. The oldest constant in his life, the character he's grappled with for years. That hero narrative has been cast off completely, and now Victor's untethered. We've never seen Victor alone. He's such a solitary character, but he's always been heavily defined by Eli, and usually supported by Mitch and Syndey. In Victorious he finally has a chance to be independent. I don't know what he's going to do with it, but I'm very excited to see where he goes after Vengeful.

#I'm gonna call this long enough #but i could probably go on like. villains is so interesting in how it treats the classic superhero story #victor vale #eli ever #villains duology #villains trilogy #villains #vicious #vengeful #ve schwab #victorious #Syndey Clarke

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dynared · 2 months

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While Robert Kirkman and friends have made it clear they have no immediate plans for characters outside of US G1 for now, I'm once again pondering what might be done in the near or far future with certain characters. Admittedly some of this is also because I know there are certain characters Earthspark won't touch for anything, even if they might have some use there, because Mae Catt was told she couldn't make them gay couples.

Anyway, my rambling will start with one character that was screwed over hard in IDW and really deserves more of a chance to shine, especially given how nice his Haslab and third-party figures are. I'll probably do this for other characters later. So let's start with the biggest victim of IDW's writing - Star Saber.

Star Saber is someone who got a REALLY bad look in IDW thanks to his characterization being based on the one from James Roberts's shitty fanfic, to the point Hasbro has essentially done an about-face with him everywhere else. Knowing that Hasbro won't return to the insane religious fundamentalist that he was mutilated into is already a relief. Still, there is something to the idea that if Optimus and presumably Rodimus aren't going to be gone for volumes at a time as the leader of the Autobots, there may be another role Star Saber can fit into in the Energon Universe.

Swordsman/Master of Metallikato -

One of the ideas in Transformers lore that has existed since the Furman run of the 1980s but has surprisingly never been elaborated on, even in IDW, was the idea of Metallikato. Metallikato is supposed to be a mysterious Cybertronian martial art thought lost to the ages, until the Decepticon Bludgeon began bragging to everyone within earshot that he was a master of the art, a combination of bare-handed fighting techniques and swordplay. While on occasion you get a Bot or Con who claims training in it, like Drft for example, it rarely gets elaborated on in any meaningful way.

Maybe it's my love of martial arts movies talking, but the idea of an ancient martial art in the tradition of kung fu movies being used to turn the tide of a civil war has a lot of potential. Star Saber being a master of Metallikato along with others, wondering if he should lend his blade to a partisan cause, only to find that bots like Bludgeon and Drift have made that choice for him. From there there's a ton of ideas that could sprawl from that, both sides wanting to train new Metallikato practitioners, the philosophical issues with lending a blade to a partisan cause, or the idea that a master would want power for themselves.

As an aside, if he were to show up in Earthspark, Saber training one of the Terrans in the mastery of Metallikato seems like it would be a pretty natural fit. Then again, considering what the rejected script with Drift looked like, I doubt they were entertaining such a notion.

The Single Dad in the galaxy -

While Star Wars may have abused the utter hell out of the framework of Lone Wolf and Cub since The Mandalorian became a hit (Bad Batch and Obi-Wan both try to replicate the core idea to much less success) one of the bigger parts of Star Saber's original characterization (which was ignored by IDW like everything else) was that he was essentially a father with an adopted child. A human child, named Jan.

The second episode of Transformers Victory actually has Star Saber doing paperwork to get Jan into a private school.

While, as noted before, the idea of a lone warrior traveling with a kid has been used a lot in recent years, there are definitely a lot of ways this could be taken that would be new to Transformers. The human element (or another alien if the EU goes that route) forcing Star Saber to interact with other people a lot more than he would have to otherwise. Hard to be the straight-laced, serious sword guy when you're worrying about your adopted kid being able to socialize with others and get an education. At the same time, there's definitely a lot of comedy to be milked out of such a setup. You just know the other Bots would groan whenever Saber shows pictures of his son.

The Super Robot Parody/Reconstruction -

Simon Furman, the quintessential Transformers writer guy, has been writing a lot of stuff for the mobile game Transformers: Earth Wars (and he also helped to write the script for the Earthspark game). In it, he has Star Saber as an active character, but as something of a worrywart/blowhard whose speeches about JUSTICE and other platitudes oftentimes rub his Autobot compatriots the wrong way. Then he fights and everyone is quickly reminded why he's the head instructor of the Autobot's War Academy.

As I mentioned in another post, the idea of a super robot parody is not one that Transformers has ever really dealt with despite having super robot elements in past shows, and Bang Brave Bang Bravern showing the potential of such a concept. Granted, I don't see Star Saber being nearly as...affectionate as Bravern can be, but the fact that Transformers hasn't played around with this parody concept outside of some flavor text in a mobile game few want to whale for is something that you think would have potential. Is he genuine about it or is this something he thinks is cool? How do the other Bots and Cons react? How do the humans? And what happens when they underestimate him and the end result has them lose to the weirdo?

Like I said before, I get not wanting to have the straight leader archetype if you're not planning to get rid of Optimus or Rodimus. But with the religious extremist angle having been rejected by just about everybody, there are ways to make Star Saber work in the Energon Universe and other animated material.

#transformers #macadam #transformers victory #star saber #transformers idw #transformers skybound #rambles #meta #Skybound #energon universe

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