#what the fuck i strayed away from my plotline
Note
Pretty please I was thinking Xavier Thorpe x Reader sort of based off ‘You Belong With Me’ By Taylor Swift and it’s basically just Xavier’s best friend pinning to him their entire lives and has to suffer in the side lines of him and Bianca’s relationship while their friendship slowly dies only to be reignited after Xay and Bianca break up and maybe ‘prom’ could be the Rave’N dance?
think i know it's with me (oneshot)
resp : this trope be hitting like a brick. idk if i can write it as good as it's supposed to feel but here's my take on it!!
word count: 3, 169 (what the actual fuck)
angst, fluff, Bianca is only mentioned
(i forgot about the prom thing oh my god)
You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset
She's going off about something that you said
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do
"Oh please, it wasn't even that bad. Your humor's not that great, Principal Weems could probably make me laugh faster than you ever could." you say in between bites of the pizza you were sharing with Xavier in the quad.
"I don't know, man. Principal Weems can't do the griddy as good as I can." he supplied, trying to sound present but you know from the slight scrunch of his eyebrows that he's thinking of something else.
Xavier Thorpe has been your friend ever since you were both still in your diapers. You could say best friend and it wouldn't be wrong but he'd probably disagree and call you his glorified armrest (given the fact that he could very easily rest his arm on the top of your head) to annoy you.
Right as you were about to do another dig at his (not-really-dry) sense of humor, his phone started ringing.
You rolled your eyes and looked away after Xavier gave you a look that spelled out i'm sorry i have to take this call and also help me i think i'm fucked.
He was right, he was incredibly fucked. That one annoying ringtone has served as an omen of an impending argument with his oh so perfect siren goddess girlfriend, Bianca Barclay.
Looking back at him and finding him still looking at you, you raise your brows in question, "Go ahead, Xavier. Answer the call of the hell-bringer."
Breathing in and doing a heavy sigh, Xavier answered the call. The phone wasn't even on speaker but Bianca's voice sounded like it came out of a megaphone.
"That was way out of line, Xavier! You may be my boyfriend but it doesn't give you the right to make fun of my appearance."
"Bianca, I literally only said that your eyes looked like that one Miley Cyrus meme. It's not that deep." You had to hold in a laugh as you heard the incredibly shallow reason that sparked the argument.
"But if it made you feel bad, then I'm sorry. I..." you turn to him with a look of confusion, after all why is he apologizing when he did nothing wrong? But Xavier just met your gaze and then looked away. "I apologize."
"This is the second time this week that you've made me feel bad, Xavier."
Getting frustrated you stand up and fix your uniform, getting ready to leave your best friend to talk with Bianca. Xavier notices, looks up at you and grabs you by the wrist. He mouths, 'please stay.'
Taken back by the sudden touch of his hand on yours, you froze where you stood.
"I know, I'm really sorry. Let's meet at the Weathervane tomorrow? Grab some coffee and talk about it."
You harshly forced your hand out of his and walk away, heading to your room. Upon reaching the doors to the dormitories, you hear footsteps behind you. Turning around, you were faced with Xavier.
Panting and standing right in front of you closely (too fucking close), he opens his mouth to speak. Before he could, though, you turned back around and made your way up the stairs.
"Hey, hey." He calls after you but you just continued to go up the stairs.
He calls your name and grabs your hand, and that made you stop. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong is you forgetting about our plans for tomorrow, Xavier. We were gonna celebrate my debate win, remember?" You wince, realizing how bad your words sound. They sound so desperate, so trivial.
"I promise I'll make it up to you. I just.. I really need to fix this stuff with Bianca."
You hummed in response, but nodded anyway. After all, you didn't have the right to be mad.
Xavier lets you go, sensing that you need some time alone to process your emotions. You make your way to your room, thankful that Yoko wasn't there to witness the emotions you let out.
The friend can't compete with the lover after all.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do
The day after, Xavier got back from the Weathervane exhausted. The remnants of his date making their presence known with the way he speaks during your phone call.
Not wanting to tire him further, you settled for a Spotify session instead. You two take turns showing each other songs that the other might like and adding them to a collab playlist. It's become a habit of yours to sketch while on Spotify sessions with Xavier, so along with the music came the faint scratching of your pencil on paper.
You had to listen with your headphones though, as Yoko was also doing something on her side of the room and you don't want to disturb her.
"Okay, okay but listen to this one by Matt Maltese." You say as you changed the song from Fallen Star by The NBHD to Everyone Adores You.
Everybody thinks of you when they sleep at night
When I say 'everybody', I'm actually referring to me
As you hum along, a faint echo of the song plays from the room in front of yours. Across your window, Xavier was listening along.
"That was another good one. I have one that I think you'll like up next but don't look at the queue."
"Hmm? Okay, if you say so."
The song you played comes to an end and a song by Cigarettes After Sex starts to play. Your sketching stopped, seemingly in sync with the increase of your heartbeat.
Opera House was playing as you placed you pencil down and closed you eyes.
"So, do you like it or...?" Xavier asks after the obnoxious loss of your rambling.
He calls your name out again, and you notice how it sounds so different coming from him. How it sounded so divine, like it was a sound made just for him to speak.
"Ah, um. Yeah, I love it, actually. I didn't know you listened to Cigarettes After Sex?" you ask, trying to fill in the silence on your part.
"I've just started listening to them. Noticed you liked them a lot so I decided to give them a try."
You hum in response, unable to focus as you process the lyrics of the song.
I was meant to love you and always keep you in my life
I was meant to love you,
I knew I loved you at first sight
Did he listen to the lyrics before? Or did he just send you this because he liked the way it sounds? So many questions popping up, one after another. You snapped out of it when you heard him calling your name again.
"Bianca's calling me.." He says reluctantly, waiting for your reply.
"Oh, okay. Um, it's fine. It's getting late anyway. Have a good talk. Good night, Xavier."
"Thanks for tonight. Bye." The end-tone plays momentarily. You take off your headphones and tidy up your table.
"Are you sure you two are not dating?" "HOLY FUCK!" "Cause like, that's definitely not just-friends behavior." Yoko blurted out of nowhere, startling you.
"NO! No, definitely not. He's dating Bianca." You say as you make your way to your bed.
"Oh, shame. You two would've made a better couple."
We would've. We could've. But I just didn't have the guts to tell him how I feel.
"Hmm." You hummed in reply. "Good night, Yoko."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
Walk in the streets with you in your worn-out jeans
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself
Hey, isn't this easy?
"Anyways, I just feel like Miss Thornhill's too stressed about the RaveN. She's been dropping things a lot during class right?" You say as you kick the poor lonesome pebble you found on the pavement along with you as you walk on the campus paths.
"Dude, I got startled when she dropped that pot with the black dahlia. Heard she was taking good care of it too." Xavier replies, to which you chuckled because to say he was startled is an understatement.
"Startled? You literally kissed the table when it happened, that's what you get for dozing off."
"The table was lucky that day then."
"Oh please, you think too highly of yourself."
"The truth is the truth."
"And all you've been saying are lies. Anyway, we're here. Let's sit down before we miss it!" You say as you approach the bench facing away from the main building. The sky was clear and there were no obstructions blocking your view of it. You both sat on the bench and looked up, waiting for the meteor shower.
You take your earphones and plug it in your phone. You look to your side and see Xavier holding out his hand, asking for the other earbud.
"Oh my fucking god. The Xavier Thorpe asking to share earphones with a girl that's not his girlfriend? I can imagine Sinclair's face if she finds out. And Bianca's too." You exclaim jokingly as you hand him an earbud.
"Everyone knows we're close friends, so it doesn't really matter."
friends. doesn't really matter.
"Oh, yeah." You hope you didn't sound disappointed. " Of course."
You put your playlist on shuffle and look up at the sky as Affection by Cigarettes After Sex plays.
It's affection always,
You're gonna see it someday
My attention's on you
Even if it's not what you need
I think of you,
I want you too,
I'd fall for you
The universe is cruel, you concluded. Why would this song play, out of all the songs in your playlist, right now? At this very moment, when you're alone with your best friend whom you've liked for years now. it's like a forceful confession brewed by the universe.
"Look! It's so pretty." You exclaim, pointing to the first glimmer of light from the sky.
"I know, it really is pretty."
You look at Xavier, finding him not looking up at the sky but at you. He quickly looks up though, but you still caught the way his eyes lingered just a bit too long on yours.
Maybe the universe isn't that cruel after all.
"By the way..." "Hmm?" "I know I promised you that we'd go to the RaveN together this year, but.."
And there it is, but. You didn't have to guess to know why.
"Bianca wanted to be my date for this year. I hope you understand."
You look away, trying to make the sting from your eyes go away. It was expected, how could you be so dumb to even think that he'd go with you?
"Yeah, it's fine. I figured you'd go with her. Have fun at the party then." You looked back at him after wiping your eyes, hoping that the tears weren't obvious.
"Tha- wait. What do you mean 'have fun at the party'? Your'e not going?" He asks, his face and voice laced with confusion (and disappointment, but maybe you'd imagined it).
"No, I'd look so miserable going alone. Plus, I have to finish my book." You give him a smile, hoping that it looks genuine.
"Are you sure? I can ask Ajax to take you-"
"God no, Enid would claw my eyes out." You laugh, but it sounded dry. "I promise, it's fine."
"Nothing I can do to change your mind? I can ask Bianca if I can go with you."
"No, Xavier. You have to go with her, she's your girlfriend after all. I'm just your friend, you should go together."
You tried not to take notice of the way your own words stung. (And how it seems to have hurt Xavier too, the way his brow scrunched when you said just friends was not exactly subtle)
"Oh, okay. Yeah, you're probably right." He sighs and looks up at the sky. You look up too.
"Fuck, clouds covered our view."
"We should probably get inside, it's 3am. And it's starting to drizzle." You say, standing up. The drizzle was staring to get heavier and your clothes were getting wet. you were pretty sure you were gonna get a cold.
You noticed Xavier taking off his coat and before you could protest, he's already put it over your head to shield you form the rain.
"But what about you?" You ask him, worried.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He assured you. You then made your way back to the dormitories.
Xavier insisted on dropping you off right at your door, so that's what he ended up doing.
"Thanks for the botched meteor shower observation, idiot. And thanks for letting me borrow your coat."
"Wow, some actual kind words from you? The world must be in trouble." He says sarcastically.
"Oh, shut up Thorpe. You should get going now, we have a 7am period tomorrow."
"Oh fuck you're right! Bye."
"Night." You say as he turns to leave. You close the door gently, so as not to wake Yoko.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
And you've got a smile
That can light up this whole town
I haven't seen it in a while
Since she brought you down
You say you're fine, I know you better than that
Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?
"Hey, you okay?" You ask Xavier. You're getting worried, he' s been in a sour mood all day. Not even bothering to talk to you, or to anyone at all. You knew it had something to do with Bianca, as you heard them screaming at each other in his room.
"Yeah, 'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Like, really sure?"
"Damn it, I said I'm fine okay?! Why can't you understand that? You're getting so annoying, it's so infuriating. Why can't you understand that not everyone wants your sunshine personality all the time? You are so irritating."
Frozen in your seat, you look at him with wide eyes. Xavier has never lashed out on anyone, especially at you. So this caught you by surprise.
You didn't even notice you were crying until he looked at you. His face was a mixture of shock and disbelief (you hope it was aimed at himself).
He says your name, but it didn't sound nice anymore. It sounded like a bad omen, like a dark cloud that promises a storm and you were a girl with a body made of paper.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"I didn't mean to annoy you. I'm sorry, I'll leave." You say, frantically walking to your own room. You were walking too fast, your eyes blurred by your tears that you tripped on the stairs. You had a cut on your forehead, but the physical pain couldn't combat the pain you felt inside you.
As you curled up in your bed, missing your classes for the rest of the day, you hoped that Xavier would show up at your door. Knowing him, he'd probably apologize a thousand times.
You waited hours, the mid-afternoon light fading into the bluish glow that 6pm brings but Xavier still hasn't knocked.
Maybe you never really knew him after all.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
You were looking at the sky from the rooftop of the academy, watching the sunset paint the sky with different shades of love.
Purple. Blue. Red. Orange. Pink
You feel the presence of another coming up from behind you, making you turn around and whip your arm out as a defense mechanism.
Xavier catches your hand, lowers it but never letting you go. His hold loosening but his touch never leaving.
You look at him properly, his eyes heavy with tiredness. It's been a week after he lashed out on you. A week of no contact. A week of pure torture. Within a week, the cut on your forehead has now turned from red to a dark brown. The cut on your heart hasn't healed as fast the the one on your forehead.
"Let go." You ask him but he doesn't budge.
"Xavier, let go. Please." And then he did. Your arms now hung uselessly beside your body, and you hate the way they crave the warmth of his hands.
He says your name, it feels like a trigger as been pulled and the gun was pointed at your chest.
"Please-"
"I heard about what happened. If you're here to blame me for your breakup with Bianca, then leave. She's already done that, I don't need you to repeat the shit she said."
"Listen, I'm sorry. Yes, we broke up but this is not about that."
"Then what is this about?"
"Us. About me and you. I'm sorry I said all those hurtful things to you. I didn't mean to hurt you, I wouldn't dare to hurt you. I was just so stressed, with Bianca and the truth."
"What do you mean, Xavier? Stop speaking in riddles."
"Bianca. I think she used her abilities on me. I saw her siren song one of her friends to do what she wants and I realized that what if she did it to me? It all makes sense, when I'm with her it's like my body is on autopilot. Like, I can't control the things I do. But when I'm with you it's like I'm myself, you know? I was so fucking confused, but now I see the truth."
You couldn't speak. Couldn't even utter a single word. To say you were speechless is an understatement.
Xavier steps closer to you, the tips of your shoes touching. He holds your arm with one hand gently and tips your head up to meet his gaze with the other.
"It's you. It's always been you. Whenever I wanted to draw or paint, I'd find myself making portraits of you. I started listening to the songs you liked. I turn around when I hear your name. God, it was so fucking obvious. It's you."
His hand slides down from your arm to your hand, intertwining your fingers with his.
"I think I know where I belong, now." He says, smiling. The most genuine smile you've even seen him give. And as you stare into his eyes, they seemed to pull you in.
You never learned how to swim but you wouldn't mind drowning in his eyes. You never liked to drink but you wouldn't mind getting intoxicated by his presence.
Xavier Thorpe, the man you've pined for. The man you've watched from the sidelines. The man you love, now finally yours.
You stared at his eyes, then at his lips. Before you could move, his lips meet yours and it's like an explosion of colors and all things nice. You bring your hands up to his hair, burying your fingers in the softness of them.
Breathless and lovesick, you break away from him and smile. Blissfully, you say:
"Think I know it's with me."
#xavier thorpe x reader#xavier thorpe#reader insert#wednesday tv series#what the fuck i strayed away from my plotline#this doesn't make sense but i've already written it
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OZ Rewatch 3: s3e07: Secret Identities
Okay well, I’ll just say ahead of time that this is probably (maybe) going to deteriorate once again in quality (I can barely type when I’m sober so add alcohol and I’m FUCKED looool
Plotlines:
Keller continues to fuck with Sister Pete, standing her up
Alvarez finally meets face to face with Rivera
Sister Pete confronts Keller about him manipulating her and tells Mukada she is leaving the convent
Glynn tries to interrogate the Latinos abut the drugs
Carlo’s sister tries to see him. McManus gives the note from her to Carlo to Lopresti who throws it away
Hughes being a bitch. Elbows Diane in the face. Glynn finally tells Hughs what happened.
Dianne kisses McManus as some kind of power play against Claire
Nappa finishes his true crime book and is killed by Nat
Adebisi gets Wangler to accuse McManus of sexual harassment
Shirley asks to see McManus and ask about methods of death; Shirley averts the death penalty by being pregos
Boxing lead up: Cyril out of control ! He’s fighting Jaz; Aebisi wants to align with the Muslims, make it a race thing
Khan v Cramer; Khan wins
Toby and Said!! Keller does not like
Said is humbled, tells Khan
Toby forgives Keller but no homo lol so Keller wants to kill Said (BOO); Tobias apologises to Schillinger like a stupid person; FIGHT!! Weewoo weewoo
Sister: Is this a hallucination... Oh thank God.
Sister: Oh, i thought he was dead. I’m so used to people just appearing like that in this show.
Sister: Why wouldn’t you be able to have a kid? He’s only blind. It’s not like she wouldn’t be able to see the kid. I feel like she’s making this harder on him than it has to be… [schoolmate]’s dad was blind and he had two kids, remember? I don’t get this.
Sister: No, he saved his cajones.
Sister: (as Chris) That’s why I’m manipulating you
Sister: yeah, let’s just give it to the guys who are definitely going to throw it away.
(Lopresti throws away the note)
Sister: Thank youuu. Did exactly what I said he was going to.
He would so get into conspiracy theories. Or true crime podcasts.
Sister: (as Glynn) Because I’ve been getting it on with the priest.
Me: You’re still on that?!
Sister: Because he doth protest too much!
Sister: She’s going to say that now but when she’s actually there, she’s gonna be like “this sucks, I change my mind”
Sister: THAT’S "Little Anthony"?!
To be honest there wasn’t much commentary this episode because Sisters was smacked halfway in lol and she gets real quiet. I feel like the episode flew by though. Felt shorter than most, and maybe it is, at 56 minutes.
Final Thoughts:
Sister: This episode felt kinda short. That one part where he touched the boob… no thank you. That one lady (Tina) did not need to be there. Like she needed to go eat a bagel or something, like she was making it worse.
Me: Who’s your favorite character right now?
Sister: Mr. Nappa Cabbage. So sad… We even bought a Nappa cabbage right now but I haven’t even eaten it
Me: Miguel?
Sister: He’s not even in this episode…
Me: He talked to Eugene.
Sister: Which was a waste of time. It was so stupid. [Rant about Tina]
Me: What do you think about what’s going to happen?
Sister: With what? The baby?
Me: Next episode is the last episode.
Sister: They’re just gonna redo the coup. Replay the glory of season 1. Someone’s going to get maimed, but I don’t think it’ll be those three guys (Toby, Said, Keller) ‘cause they just got got this episode.
Me: Well they still have the boxing matches.
Sister: I don’t like those. I’m just there for the fashion. Seeing what the gays wore. No good hair, though. I think the one gay in the leather (Fiona) should’ve had Betty Boop hair…
Stray Thoughts
Kinda amazing that Pancamo crushed that floppy disk in one hand
Keller was looking at a website about high school GED equivalencies, suggesting that he doesn’t have one
No Chico this episode. Big L.. Woulda loved to see him doing the Que routine lol
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i think my main problem with what happened is that we *rarely* get to see a realistic established queer relationship that deals with what it is like to be queer in such an effective manner and they added this plot line... for what?
if they wanted to show them two people growing apart because they do not share interests anymore, because they are two different people now, they could have done it without the cheating. they could’ve been on a ‘break’ and teh could’ve kissed jai then, realising that he only ever wants oh-aew. we rarely get to see a realistic established queer relationship and they had to add a plotline that most consumers of queer media are fucking tired of.
even if they find a way to redeem teh or they show that ‘oooh actually this was a misdirection all along’ it is a shitty thing to do to a primarily lgbtq+ audience because they gave us a space to misinterpret the actions.
cheating might be realistic, but i just wanted to see two people growing into all different people they become and choosing each other, over and over again, a long term queer relationship where they aren’t the same people as they were when they started it, but that does not mean their hearts would ever stray away from each other.
#as someone who felt seen by this show in a way they never get seen by others...........#i do not mean to invalidate those who like this ok!!! sorry if it comes across that way#just my two cents#i promised you the moon#ipytm spoilers#ipytm
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X-Men Unabridged: Hellfire (1980)
The X-Men, those often stripsearched mutants that have sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them, are a cultural juggernaut with a long, tangled history. We’ve been untangling that history for a while, but sometimes, you really want a more in-depth look. Interested? Then read the (un)Abridged X-Men!
(X-Men 129 - 131) - by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Since I think Scott, square extraordinaire, would also say: “I know squat about rap, but this Vanilla Ice dude is excellent,” I’m not putting much stock in his musical opinions. (X-Men 130)
Before we finally reach the apotheosis of the Phoenix saga, we’re going to take it a little slowly by focusing on the first three issues of 1980. They are basically the ramp-up to the end, putting all the pieces in place for the X-equivalent of the Red Wedding, the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm or the explosion of Alderaan. But, before smashing the board, Claremont introduces three new queens to the game. Here they are, in order of Awesome:
Emma Frost, or The White Queen; a telepathic HBIC with ambitions beyond dressing up in lingerie;
Kitty Pryde, or Sprite (Shadowcat, these days);
Alison Blaire (Dazzler), a disco dolly with light powers who unfortunately starts out as a relic of time gone by.
But before we can expand, Claremont shrinks the cast: Banshee, who sold his voice to a sea witch has injured vocal chords, stays behind on Muir Isle, retiring officially. (It’s gonna be a while before he returns to the X-Family in any true capacity - I think it might be the 90s?) It’s the first time since Thunderbird’s death that the core cast changes, and it’s not that surprising that Sean gets the shaft: Banshee, who has been positioned as the older, more experienced member of the team, has had very little to do (and Claremont has seemed reluctant to flesh him out the way he has the rest of the X-Men). Sean is essentially a decent, upstanding man who has mastered the use of his powers: there’s very little way to go without breaking him down or changing the course of his character. (If you’re a fan of him, go read the Phalanx Covenant and 90’s Generation X: it’s the best use of Sean.)
Polaris, Havok and Jamie also stay in Scotland, choosing a quiet life without superheroics. (For those familiar with X-Factor, this is where you laugh and laugh and laugh.)
Jason Wyngarde, meanwhile keeps fucking with the Phoenix, using his psionic fantasies to unleash her darkest self.
Jean’s darkest fantasies amount to little more than a Victorian bodice ripper, which is adorable. (To be fair, if I were trapped in a lusty prison of my own design, I´d probably dream up my own Downton Abbey soap opera where I was sleeping with all the hunky house boys, so…) (X-Men 129)
Scott, meanwhile, reveals the sheer depths of his repression by admitting that he never let himself feel the grief for Jean’s death.
If you think it’s weird that Jean falls for a sleezeball like Wyngarde, remember that the love of her life is a man who is so repressed that it took him 5+ years to tell his friends he had a brother. Her taste in men is questionable at best. (X-Men 129)
The whole “I accidentally picked up a stray thought” has to be such a bullshit. It’s like your sister claiming that she heard from a friend of a friend that you like someone, while she actually just read it in your diary. Telepaths are snoops, Jean, own it.
Speaking of telepaths without boundary issues, Professor X is back from space! He immediately slips back into a stupid, patriarchal role and treats this X-Men team the same he treated his X-Men in the sixties. Scott is like: dude, these aren’t the same dumb teenagers we were, but Xavier won’t listen. Their squabble is interrupted by Cerebro, alerting them to the existence of two new mutants! One in NYC, one in Chicago.
Somewhere else, the Hellfire Club is revealed to be listening in: they have bugged the mansion a long time ago. While most the Inner Circle is featured in some way in this arc - we finally get to see Sebastian Shaw’s face! - the main villain here is the White Queen. She’s coordinating the attack on the X-Men and is looking to recruit Kitty for her Academy in Massachusetts.
It’s kind of bizarre that it took so long for this plot - an emerging young mutant is an object of interest for two competing factions - to be a main plotline, considering it’s such a staple for the X-Men mythos as a whole. (See, for example: the New Mutants, Generation-X, the Young X-Men, but also Rogue in the first X-Men movie and the whole of X-Men: First Class. Hell, X-Men Evolution’s first season was practically built on this trope.) It is kind of fitting that one of the mutants introduced this way is Kitty Pryde, the first X-Man that would be completely Chris Claremont’s creation.
While teacher’s pets Cyclops, Phoenix and Nightcrawler can go to New York, Xavier takes Colossus, Storm and Wolverine to a suburb in Chicago (“to monitor them in the field”, fuck you too, Chuck). In the Windy City, we meet plucky YA-novel heroine Kitty Pryde, who’s being tormented by headaches.
The KISS-poster in Kitty’s room is fortunately the only crossover we’ll have between the X-Men and the KISS-comics published by Marvel. (X-Men 129)
Just after a certain Ms. Frost has pitched her Academy to the Pryde parents, the X-Men arrive. While Charles works the parents, Ororo takes Kitty to get some ice cream, letting slip the secret of the X-Men.
Wolverine reading a titty mag in an ice cream shop while both Ororo and Charles are trying to convince people they run a legitimate school is a hilarious mood. (X-Men 129)
Kitty’s appearance is supposed to have been inspired by a young Katherine Hepburn, which is particularly evident in these panels.
Anyway, they are promptly attacked by Hellfire droids, who spook Kitty into jumping through a wall. Finally, her powers are confirmed: Kitty can become intangible, ‘phasing’ through objects. When the X-Men defeat the droids, Emma Frost comes along to finish the job, psychically overwhelming Storm, Wolverine and Colossus. She abucts them, not realizing Kitty has stowed away in their… floating… hovercraft… thing. She also manages to abduct Xavier.
I love how Emma’s to-do-list was:
Abduct the X-Men
Strip them naked (X-Men 130)
The Inner Circle and their motivations are slowly fleshed out: they’re all in it for power, money, glory. (Emma would love Lana del Ray.) But they’re not a united front: Wyngarde considers Phoenix the road to power, Emma believes in raising (and controlling) the next generation of mutants and Shaw… Well, Shaw is a clever opportunist, not afraid to sell out his own kind. (It’s heavily implied the Hellfire Club helped fund Lang’s Sentinel program.)
Through Jason, we pick up the thread in New York, where Jean and Scott visit some shady club downtown. Nightcrawler is stationed outside. Inside, Jean enjoys the relative perversion of the clubbing crowd, until Jason shows up and twists reality, shunting her to ‘their wedding day’.
It’s never made explicit, but in between the lines, it’s highly probable that Jason seduced Jean, violated her body and mind. That, combined with the whole BDSM/Marquis de Sade atmosphere of the Hellfire Club where the men are fully clothed and the women prance around in lingerie amounts to a whole lot of ick, ick, ick. (X-Men 130)
In Chicago, Kitty skulks around the compound of Frost Enterprises. She manages to creep up to Ororo’s cage, who gives her a number to call. Before she can do anything else, Emma sees her, calls all her henchmen cretins and orders her to get that pigeon kitty. Kitty flees and manages to get a call in.
Kurt picks up the phone in their limo (which feels super swanky for the eighties!) and Kitty delivers her warning. Kurt is then promptly attacked, as are Phoenix and Cyclops. Together, they make short work of their attackers, with the aid of Dazzler. Introductions follow:
Dazzler’s “nope” tells you about 80% of what her character is about. (X-Men 130)
It’s funny to see how relatively unknown the idea of mutants still is. Kitty doesn’t even consider it, even though freaky shit is happening to her, and Dazzler hilariously doesn’t give a figgin where her powers come from. (Though she may just be in denial. Anyone who wears a disco ball around her neck can’t be accused of good common sense.) In ten, twenty years, I bet there’s tons of teenagers in the Marvel Universe who get headaches or weird growing pains and fear that one morning, they might wake up a mutant.
It’s odd how Cerebro picks up Dazzler as a ‘neo-mutant’, even though it’s obvious she had her powers for a while. It might have to do with the fact that Dazzler wasn’t created by Claremont and Byrne, but by Tom DeFalco and John Romita Jr. However, because editorial wanted to Dazzler’s debut to make a splash, so they added her to their best-selling book and she had to be shoe-horned into this plot. She was originally intended to be closs-platform - there were plans for albums, Bo Derek would star as her in movies - but since Marvel had the keen foresight to introduce her just as disco was dying all of this got shelved. After a solo series, she’ll become a pretty solid B-Lister X-Man in a couple of years. (Should I be covering her solo series? It’s only very tangentially X-Related. Sound off below!)
Cyclops, Phoenix, Nightcrawler and Dazzler Trojan Horse their way into Frost Enterprises and make quick work of the White Queen’s cronies while Emma is creepily making Storm her personal plaything. Kitty, meanwhile, manages to free Wolverine by phasing through the electronic lock. Jean recognizes the Hellfire Club from her (fake) memories with Jason, but doesn’t connect the dots quite yet.
Emma, frustrated that her plan is falling to pieces, takes out her ire on Storm, threatening to lobotomize her. Jean… does not take this lightly.
“I understand you call yourself something of a telepath” is absolutely the most badass line Jean has ever uttered. Fuck yeah. (X-Men 131)
With the White Queen defeated (rumors of her death are greatly overrated), the X-Men can briefly regroup. Dazzler does not join the X-Men, being too into the idea of becoming the mutant Madonna, while Kitty is delivered back to her parents. To prevent a nasty scene, Jean casually alters the memories of her parents, removing the memories of Kitty’s involvement with the kidnapping of the X-Men. This also neatly prevents her parents from realizing what a horrible idea it is for a 13 year old to join a superhero squad. (Even if she has a defensive power.)
This arc ends with the two people who love Jean the most voicing their concern:
When you look up ‘muhahahaha’ in the dictionary, this picture of Jason Wyngarde will be the definition. (X-Men 131)
Hold onto your butts, people. We’re almost there.
#x-men#x-men abridged#abridged x-men#professor x#cyclops#phoenix#storm#banshee#wolverine#nightcrawler#colossus#sprite#dazzler#shadowcat#emma frost#hellfire club#mastermind#sebastian shaw#chris claremont#john byrne
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127 with shuake would be good.
"My hands are not clean, and maybe they never will be, but they can still carry you home when you're ready to sleep."
once again. didnt forget abt these. im working thru em.
Summary: Goro wakes up one day in a hospital bed with only a bullet wound to keep him company, and not a single memory of who he used to be.
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(ao3 link)
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He was almost certain the last few weeks had been a dream.
Or maybe, several long and white coated dreams. The kinds with bright lights at an arm's length, and ill-fitting clothes, and men coming in waves carrying their clipboards as flags. With deep voices all at once whispering, echoing, “what is your name?”
Maybe he was in a hospital.
His first day of full consciousness was slow and lonely. His second day too, time spent wiggling his toes and counting ceiling spots. Day three he asked for a glass of water and scared a nurse out of her skin, and his week was kickstarted. Which only really meant an actual doctor came in and declared retrograde amnesia the only explanation for his condition.
His “condition” was quite the word to use. Which condition? They could play bingo. Was it his memory loss (obvious, weak narrative), or could it have been the state of comatose he’d been in (intriguing), or even the bullet wound (now here was a mystery, what a plotline) he’d heard remarkably little about? Amnesia, the fickle bastard, was the type to bring one answer to dinner, and disappear by morning.
But what did he know?
Well, he knew that this was a pretty shitty hospital. As far as how he assumed they should be managed, this one was on a low tier. And according to the nurse, as was their police station. Incompetent, and uncaring of his case, which had apparently been made.
It’d been a week now. He could get up. Limited, with his IV, but he could. The nurse said later that maybe the police would listen to him now, since he was conscious, basically up and kicking. ‘Listen to him now,’ was also an interesting phrase, because he hadn’t been speaking in the first place.
He wasn’t injured. His vitals were fine, the nurses had told him, and commented he was taking up an unnecessary bed. Not that he could actually make any kind of sound argument, which was frustrating enough on its own, but this didn’t seem like proper procedure.
He was, once again, very alone in his room. He thought about going to the police station. Incompetent as they may be, there would be no answers here. There was no one here to help him; some healthy boy in a hospital bed.
He got up. His IV was stuck in poorly, the tape just barely holding on. They’d disconnected him from all sorts of machines. Nothing was roping him down except for saline solution and his own two feet.
And, he was already standing.
It wasn’t hard to pull out.
His hospital gown was tied all the way down, falling just past his knees. He had odd socks on, their texture was weird, and they were several sizes too big. They were thick and patterned, maybe slip proof? But shoeless as he was, they would do.
The hallway was very empty. He was on the ground floor, but he wasn’t sure there were other stories. Maybe one, or a basement. It didn’t matter much. There just wasn’t anyone around. His concern was in that he didn’t know how long their absence would last.
There was a glass door at the end of the hallway.
To the police he’d go. A medical bill dodging amnesiac would probably get him some attention. Enough to get a name?
The door was not locked. That was probably good, for a hospital, and not a security breach, which is where his mind had initially gone.
Doors are meant to be opened, he thought. There really isn’t anything wrong with that.
It was just a little bright outside. The sun was up but not too far. He was in the parking lot, and it was almost entirely devoid of cars. Small, small hospital.
He didn’t exactly have a map, and no nurse was around to give him any condescending directions. He’d might as well go forward, then. He started walking, and thought to himself how odd his feet felt on the concrete.
No one was out. He hesitated to call it deserted, just maybe a bit early. He kept walking, nerves high, still worried he might get mauled by a stray doctor.
It seemed like this was a very small town, going by his surroundings. Lots of trees, and cracked roads, and old buildings. He didn’t think much of taking it all in. He’d have time for sightseeing when he remembered his initials.
A bit farther ahead was a woman, leaning on a car parked on the side of the road. She was glaring down at her phone. She looked— maybe irritated? Or tired. He wondered if he could ask her for directions. An aimless stroll through town wouldn’t take him to where he was going, after all.
“Excuse me,” he called, “Ma’am? Do you know the way to the police station?” He approached her with just enough caution to call it looking out for himself, ignoring the sorry state he was already in.
She glanced up from her phone. Her hair was short, and dark, and it bobbed around her face. She registered him for a moment, and her eyes went big.
“Holy shit.”
He knew enough to know that wasn’t the answer he was looking for. “I need to go to the police, please.”
The woman kept staring at him. “You—” she stuttered, “are you Goro Akechi? You are, aren’t you?”
This encounter was already going awry. Did she know him? “Do you know me?”
“Uh…I mean, no, we’ve never met.” She pushed herself off her car, and slowly put her phone back into her pocket.
That wasn’t really what he meant. He needed to persist, here. This could be a lucky hit. “No I— Do you know who I am?”
Blatant confusion spread across her face. “Uh… Are you not Goro Akechi?”
“I don’t know,” he answered.
She stared at him again, almost suspicious. Then she looked him up and down.
“Are you… coming from the hospital?”
“Yes.” He watched her mouth open just a bit in disbelief. He wondered how this woman knew him. If explaining would get more information out of her, then he’d do it. Privacy only existed when you had something to protect, after all. “I’ve been given an amnesiac diagnosis, you see. I’m going to the police station to see if I can find any sort of lead on myself.”
She looked shocked. “Amnesia? And you’re going to the cops?” She blinked, and suddenly looked very serious. She grabbed one of his shoulders. “Wait. That’s bad news. Don’t go to the police.”
He (Goro?) hadn’t expected to hear that.“What? And why shouldn’t I?”
“You… holy shit, kid, do you actually have amnesia?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen you need to— oh good god, this is gonna sound like I’m trying to kidnap you— I definitely know who you are. I can tell you but we shouldn’t… here. If someone finds you… ” She exhaled hard, and looked him dead on. It made Goro freeze. “Fuck, okay. The gist of it is— you’re in more danger than you realize. Like, a lot more. Will you come talk with me in my car?”
Alright. So, a lot to process, and a lot he didn’t know how to. He didn’t even know if he should process it, or if that was the kind of story that should be immediately disregarded. Someone telling you to not go to the police and please get in their car seemed like a textbook stranger-danger red flag. There had been something uneasy about her tone, though. Like genuine concern— not that such a thing couldn’t be perfected and acted, however.
But she’d given him a name. And it felt almost tangible, the more he thought about it. Less bendable and more sturdy. It was very easy to attach to himself. And it was a lead, wasn’t it?
“Hey, did you get discharged, or are you just wandering around? Cause they’re gonna be looking for you if they didn’t let you out,” said the woman, jump starting Goro (almost certainly, Goro) out of his head. “And kid, I cannot just let you turn yourself in to the cops.”
‘Turn myself in,’ he thought to himself. Such particular wording. It made his stomach drop. This woman knew more than him, clearly. And really, for fucks sake, if he died, he died. Obviously he hadn’t left enough of a mark on anyone to warrant not a single visitor during a five year coma. According to the nurses, it was more evident that he’d simply been dumped in town— like someone had already been trying to get rid of him.
Well, whoever they were, they’d forgotten to bury his bones.
He straightened himself up. “Okay.”
She looked surprised, at first. She swallowed around it. “...Yep, okay then. Hop in before you change your mind.” She popped open her car door, and Goro circled around the side and followed suit.
Her car was messy. It was filled with food wrappers and empty bottles, but papers and notebooks were scattered around, too. So she kept busy, it seemed. He decided he’d consider this a point in the not-about-to-murder-you direction. Too much here that could be used as evidence against her. Too personalized. He was almost envious.
She adjusted her seat forwards and turned on the ignition. She was a bit jittery, Goro noticed, as she scratched the back of her head vigorously.
“So, I’m gonna drive us somewhere that isn’t here but I can talk and drive so, just— like, just a second, okay?”
He nodded. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. “...Goddamn,” she muttered, and then pressed down on the gas, turning her car onto the barren road.
She kept her eyes forward, but kept true to her promise of talking. She sighed. “Right. So, uh, to start… Okay, first, my name’s Ichiko Ohya, I’m a journalist. Get that cleared away. Next comes you which is a bit more complicated, but you probably wanna know why we’re dodging cops so I’ll start there. Or, as close to there as I can.”
He would take anything he could get from her, actually. The cops situation was undeniably concerning, but right now he was essentially a sentient empty shell, absorbing everything for the first time. A kid in a metaphorical candy store, but the store was a dodgy reporter who still might be kidnapping him and just stalling. He’d call himself the kid, but it dawned on him he didn’t even know how old he was. Fantastic. More things the hospital staff hadn’t bothered to tell him.
“Your name’s Goro Akechi. I told you that already but, that’s you. At least I’m like, ninety percent sure.” She spared him a glance. “You do look a bit different but all in all I’m— I’m pretty sure. Just the hair and the stubble, you know.”
Goro hadn’t exactly looked in a mirror recently, so no, he didn’t know. He knew he had long hair— certainly longer than Ohya’s. He rubbed his jaw and felt the rough and gritty bristles that had prickled onto him. It bothered him that he didn’t know. It bothered him that he didn’t know what he looked like.
Ohya continued, not letting him dwell for long. “You’re also sort of famous. Well, you were, and it was mainly with teenagers and moms in the city, but you were a popular detective. So, that’s how I know you. And I swear I’m getting to the running from cops part, but you have to know this first first. Oh, shit, it’s right here.” She took a sharp turn into a grocery store, and Goro had to grip the side to keep steady in his seat.
She didn’t act very sheepish about it. “Sorry, for that. We’re gonna talk in here.”
She paused her explanation to pull into a spot, which Goro felt a little thankful for because, under his circumstances, that felt like a lot of information to take in. He was well known, but not well known enough that anyone out here knew him. ‘Famous detective’ raised some weird alarms in his head, a position absurd enough that it might be true. It felt unfortunately right, like a disappointing truth. It was different from his name, more unwelcome. But it didn’t click either. Nothing had been clicking at all.
There was a pit growing in his stomach, like something was in there, chewing down on his insides. But he’d found he didn’t care for ignorance, so he would put up with it for as long as it took.
Ohya turned her car off, pushed her seat away from the wheel, and got herself comfortable. She faced him, nonchalant but sincere. “So this is where the really juicy stuff comes in, alright? So like, listen up now, if you weren’t.” There was something very serious about her eyes.
As if he’d have let any of her explanation slip under his radar. “I’m listening.”
That was a good enough answer for her, it seemed.
“I’m trying to think of the best way to explain this, honestly,” she started, thumbing the back of her hand. “You… okay, there was this guy. He was a really big politician that you were involved with, and it’s kind of a gray area as far as what you were doing for him, but you and him worked together. Kind of. He was a really shitty guy.”
She looked like she was considering her words. She turned her focus out the windshield for a moment, and sighed again. “He basically ended up confessing because this group— well, actually, they don’t matter right now. He confessed, and he talked about you. For some of it. It was a long fucking confession. But half of what he said wasn’t even coherent. He was talking about some crazy shit and no one knows what he meant by it. You were part of that whole section.” She paused again, thinking. Goro let the silence sit. He didn’t want to jump to a conclusion until he’d heard her out. Which was proving difficult, truthfully, because this all left a sour taste in his mouth, one that had almost certainly been there before.
“They wanted to take you in for questioning, but you disappeared. And, to add fuel to the fire, they were having a hard time getting any actual concrete evidence,” she began. “Can’t make an arrest based on a confession alone. He did other things, too, and that's what he ended up being indicted for, but there's still that problem. This whole chunk of confession is still there that technically lines up with his timeline of events, but there’s no way to prove it. That’s why they want you,” Ohya’s expression darkened. “At least, publicly, that’s why they want you.”
She readjusted in her seat again. She faced him fully. “This guy— Shido’s his name— he’s got goons. Not to mention, he had complete control over the police, and there are other higher up’s who worked with him. Some of those guys got busted with Shido’s confession, but there’s a few where there just isn’t enough evidence to put ‘em away. These are the ones who you need to watch out for.” She took a deep breath, not finished.
“I’m gonna be frank with you,” she continued. “They want you dead. They don’t want a single loose end, and you’re still dangling. The police are on their side. Are you understanding me?”
Goro tried to let the words sink in. That was more than a lot to think about. The creature in his stomach was grinning now, he could tell. But, this was also no time to get overwhelmed. If her words were true— which, the overwrought familiarity of her explanation compelled him to trust them— he needed to keep his head above the water.
“So these— subordinates. You’re saying they’re after my life? They can’t be actively hunting me down, if they have the influence you’re implying, or I’d have been found by now,” Goro said, deciding to ignore the fear creeping up his spine. “So then, what’s my public status? How unlikely was it that I was the egoless comatose patient they were searching for?”
“Uh…” said Ohya, seeming like she was the stunned one. “Well, you’re right, they don’t really have a manhunt right now. I guess I don’t need to worry about beating around the bush here— you’re presumed dead.”
Interesting. “That doesn’t surprise me,” he said, furrowing his brow. “But, obviously, a body was never found. They’re probably prioritizing morgues then, not hospitals. That does explain why I wasn’t discovered after all this time.” Though, if they’re smart, they’d also keep an eye on cases like his. They probably were, in fact. He’d gotten lucky that the police here were clueless.
Ohya gave him a very funny look. “You know, it’s almost creepy how well you’re taking this. You were in a coma this whole time?” She shook her head. “I’d have thought you’d be more out of it, honestly.”
“Is this not what you’d consider a wake-up call? I’ve been ‘out of it’ for a week. It’s common sense that I’d react like this,” he told her. Just going outside had cleared his head. He had a feeling hospitals had never been a fitting place for him. “Yes, I was in a coma,” he added, as an afterthought. “They said I’d been shot.”
Just as the words left his mouth, he realized the implications that had.
Ohya noticed just as fast. “You said shot?”
They’d certainly both had the same assumption— maybe an attempt had already been made after his life.
But there was something that felt wrong about that scenario, too. “I’m not… entirely sure it’s what you think it is,“ he replied. Maybe wrong wasn’t the correct word but, it wasn’t completely right either. “There’s no benefit to not making my body public. And, if they’re really after me, it seems messy, to say the least, that they didn’t finish the job properly.” He tried to speak confidently. The effort was familiar, too. Part of him wondered when he’d get the chance to do some self-analysis and tear himself apart.
Ohya caught on very quick, rolling with every punch Goro gave. “Christ, kid. What kind of shady shit were you into? So we’re thinking you’ve got another group after you?”
“I don’t know.”
He really didn’t. There were missing pieces, but that was evident. He had no end of missing pieces. If he was supposed to be some detective, then maybe he should get on with acting like it, and figure out whatever the hell this was.
Whatever business he’d wrapped himself into.
Ohya, again, spoke too quickly for Goro to finish digging through his own head.
“Maaan, I’ve really got myself into something haven’t I?” She rubbed her eyes, like she was already exhausted. “Look, I’m a busy woman. Don’t expect much out of me, but apparently I’ve got a bad habit of adopting puppies. So I’ll see if I can at least point you in the right direction, okay?”
He didn’t have much of another choice, other than to let himself be killed. He nodded again, not sure whether to call himself pleased or solemn.
She buzzed her lips and looked at him, obviously thinking. Then she opened her car door. “Well, okay. First things first, you gotta get some clothes, ‘cause you can’t go walking around like that. God, you don’t even have shoes…” She got out and stretched, and then turned back to him for one last comment. “Don’t expect much, okay? I’m not made of money. Don’t you dare go anywhere, either.”
She slammed the door shut and started walking into the store.
Goro was glad for the moment of peace. He let his jaw relax, closing his eyes. He hated how familiar the stress felt, and how desperate he was to welcome the feeling. A life or death promise was about as thrilling as one day should get.
Getting any memory back was his top priority. But he didn’t have an inkling of where to start. He didn’t have a phone, or a computer, and certainly not a home. He guessed he could use a public computer at a library, but just searching himself might raise more questions than answers. They’d be important questions, he was sure, but he wondered about the bias, the assumptions, the fact that it’d be an outside perspective looking in. He didn’t know how delicately he should go about regaining his memories.
Not to mention, he had only the word of a stranger and a low feeling in his stomach confirming he was even Goro Akechi. And now, with the reputation he’d had, if he even wanted to be him was questionable. Memories of such a life seemed… unpleasurable, at best, but he hadn’t set himself up to be able to just start over. Remembering his past was his best chance at plain old survival.
He wanted to have some kind of plan before Ohya came back, but he was drawing blanks. What he really needed was someone who knew him personally. Beyond media attention, if there was a single poor soul around who’d actually known him. He found himself doubting such an existence, past anyone who was out for his head.
He heard the car doors unlock, and he opened his eyes. Ohya was walking back with two bags, and she was on her phone again, barely looking where she was going. Well, there goes him having a plan. Bouncing ideas back and forth was the last thing he wanted to do. It was time wasted and he knew he would get frustrated, but his choices were limited. At least Ohya seemed pretty knowledgeable. It was possible she knew more than she was letting on, too.
She opened up the car door and tossed the bags onto his lap. “Hey,” she began, setting herself back into place, “I got your stuff but— I remembered something in there that might be a good starting place for you, if I can run that by ya.”
Or, of course, he could hear Ohya out and avoid idea bouncing all together. Something solid had come by much quicker than he thought.
*****
Ohya’s plan wasn’t bad at all.
She’d told him she had a contact from a few years ago, who was in charge of a bundle of self storage units. Apparently a certain “Goro Akechi” had registered himself one a couple months or so after Goro’s public disappearance. They’d told her once they noticed the name, but Ohya hadn’t taken up the lead at the time. When Goro asked why they’d even told her that, she left it at “no reason important,” and kept the topic adamantly off the table. Goro would push the envelope if it weren’t for the fact that his life (a life he didn’t even know he had, for the record, and one that still bothered him) was on the line.
If this unit did belong to him, there could be a very solid lead on himself in there, and leads on his acquaintances, too. Ohya didn’t know if the garage still existed, though. So she said she’d give them a call and see if they could figure something out.
Which is what led to Goro sitting in a barber’s chair. After he’d gotten dressed (an ensemble of sweats, a sweatshirt, and tennis shoes) Ohya had commented that he looked like he belonged in a homeless shelter, and “really needed a haircut.”
She said something about how he’d always kept himself looking clean, and Goro believed it. He was already feeling discomfited the way he was. So unkempt and basically filthy. So, she decided that while she was getting her contact all in order, she’d pay for him getting a trim and a shave.
She was helping him more than he’d expected her to, in ways he didn’t really expect. But he’d take what he could get. He’d hardly had a reason to say no.
He sat waiting in front of a mirror. He hadn’t gotten a good look at himself until now, but god, she was right, he looked pretty fucking bad.
The first thought that came to him was sickly. Eyes sunken in, deep bags under his eyes. You wouldn’t expect him to have just been in a permanent state of slumber for the past five years. Or maybe the correct assumption would be, a coma hadn’t been enough sleep for him.
His hair was just below his shoulders, and he had a very pitiful looking beard. He didn’t recognize himself. He didn’t think that would change much after his haircut, but it made him itch. It was a face that didn’t feel like his. He wanted to rip it off and replace it with a new one, one he knew better.
Maybe he’d never liked looking at his reflection.
Ohya had spoken to the barber for him. The one he got either wasn’t the talkative type, or really got his vibe of not wanting to speak to anyone. She went to work in silence, washing his hair with fruity shampoo and dressing him in a long black apron. That was all fine, albeit uncomfortable, but once she started cutting, Goro found he couldn't watch. The snips were loud, and definite, and it left his chest feeling tight. He couldn’t do anything but let his thoughts run blank.
He wondered if that was hair he’d had before his incident, now falling away. He’d have the same eyes, and organs, and teeth, too. But he felt all wrong in this body. Like it had gone on without him.
He was thankful when she moved to his beard. Just for a moment, though, because having someone so close to his face made him want to retreat as far back into himself as possible. A blade so close to his throat. He wondered how hard of a push it would take to make a cut. He wondered how deeply he’d have to go to make it bleed.
Maybe he’d always hated barbers, too.
When she’d announced she was finished, and Goro forced himself to look back in the mirror, it actually took him aback. It had taken years off him. She’d styled his bangs, and left no hair on his chin, but most importantly, it was clean. Soft looking. Pleasant.
It was almost enough to distract him from the discolored scar plastered on his forehead.
He stared for probably too long. His disheveled bangs had kept it clearly out of view on his first glance, but now that he was fresh and groomed, it pushed its way into the limelight. It was reddish, and almost shiny, and painstakingly circular.
He could feel dread bubbling up. He tore himself away from the mirror, and found an instant sense of relief when he wasn’t staring anymore.
Reflections and barbers. More to read into later, he supposed. He was learning he had been quite the hassle. What an annoyance.
Ohya met him at the entrance. Pure amusement was all over her face. “Shorter than I expected, but you’re looking pretty smart like that.” Her eyes went to his scar, but she made no comment on it. She frowned, but that was all.
Goro didn’t mind her reluctance on the topic. He raised his eyebrows, and spoke with the silent mutual understanding of “that is one gnarly goddamn scar” between them. “Ah, and I’m sure the sweatpants add to the look.”
“Watch it,” she snapped back, sliding into her usual demeanor. “Not like I could get you Levi’s, kid.”
She paid for his haircut, and out of the shop they went. They walked to the car in anticipating silence. She had her phone out again, texting someone now. Goro didn’t want to get his hopes up. Texting could mean anything, or nothing, or half of one or the other.
She pushed her seat back getting into the car, and pulled one leg up with her. Goro waited for her to speak, keeping himself tense. He really wouldn’t be able to loosen up if he tried, like a wound up doll who’d gotten stuck.
Ohya broke the quiet. “It’s still there.”
Goro sucked in, but didn’t let himself relax. Nothing ended there. It was one check off a list, but not all of them.
“And can we go in?”
Ohya blew air out of her mouth. “Well, she said she wants to make sure it's you, because there's only so many privacy laws she wants to break.” She shrugged at him. “But honestly, looking at you now, there's not a doubt in my mind you’re Goro Akechi. So, you can chill about it.”
He leaned back into his seat. The tensity had not left him. Something was making him lucky today, and he hated it. He would feel much more comfortable in the mitts of misfortune. But he couldn’t help feeling giddy, too. Like something was rubbing circles into his back, easing, but not erasing, bits and pieces of his concerns. It was something to focus on, and a goal to achieve. Above all, that relief made him feel pathetic.
“I was gonna ask if you wanted to go today or not, but you look more thrilled than I think I’ve ever seen you, so I’m just gonna take that as a yes.”
He hated the way she worded that. He frowned. “Only if you’re as concerned about my identity as you seemed to be earlier. You’re welcome to take your time, I’m surely not going anywhere.”
“You’re snarky! I never realized you had an attitude,” Ohya laughed.
She got the car going, and they were on their way to the unit. Apparently it was quite a ways, and Ohya advised him he’d better buckle in for a long one.
He could feel his eyelids getting heavy. He had things he wanted to think about, and questions he wanted to ask. Working up a tolerance to being active was not something that could be done in a day, but fuck if he wouldn’t try anyway.
But, despite how he tried to fight it, Goro fell asleep.
*****
He woke up when they were about ten minutes from the units. Ohya commented she’d thought it was a little funny that he’d been so exhausted doing just about nothing all day, but admitted too that his body was probably pretty weak, and he really should take it easy. As easy as he could, at least.
They were both quiet for the remainder of the drive. The sun was getting low now. They were passing by suburbs between grassy fields, driving past exit by exit. He had no idea how long they’d been going for. Ohya had called herself busy, and Goro believed it, so her continual help felt unusual. People weren’t just like this, he was almost sure.
She also knew things that felt… almost inappropriately relevant to him. The topic of the unit still tingled in the back of his mind. Why had they called her about his storage? And for that matter, why had she even known so much about him? The information she had felt intimate— like the results of a deep investigation. Had this all been yielded from that politician?
But Ohya had a distinct air of privacy. There could’ve been something personal about her aid, but Goro figured that she wouldn’t crack easily. It might be better to leave it— personal matters tended to yield lasting effects, after all. At least, he assumed so. He really wasn’t sure if that was as big of a plus as it appeared on the surface, though.
When the centre came into view, Goro let those thoughts ease into the back of his mind. He could focus on Ohya’s MO later. This was leaps and bounds more important to him; if anything was going to last, it was this. He could play detective, just like he was supposed to, and maybe come across some special clue. Perhaps he could test out his muscle memory and flex whatever skills he presumed he’d had.
They arrived, and it looked extremely closed. Like the only customers they’d been expecting were ghosts. The lights in the windows were off, and the gate guarding the units was shut tight. It wasn’t encouraging.
Ohya read his expression pretty clearly. She bumped his shoulder with her fist. “She knows we’re coming, my contact’s still here. The front just closes at 6:00. I’ll deal with it, so just stay put for now.”
And just as she said, after she hopped out of her car and approached the office, the door swiftly opened and a woman joined Ohya outside. The two of them seemed friendly. Goro watched as they talked, noting quizzically to himself that Ohya was someone who talked with her hands.
Ohya gestured to her car and they both looked over to Goro. He watched them walk over, and obeyed smartly when Ohya signaled him to roll down his window.
The woman peeked her head around to look at him, her eyebrows arched high. “Wow,” she said, completely staring now. “I mean, he looks like him, that’s for sure.”
Ohya grinned. “Sure does. That enough for you to let us in?” She didn’t really say it as a request, more like an expectation. Goro appreciated the tone.
She fiddled with her bottom lip. “Hmm. You said amnesia? He got any doctor's notes about that?” She asked, giving cue to Ohya’s sour expression.
“You didn’t say a word about notes
on the phone, you know.”
The contact clicked her tongue, and looked back to Goro. She bit the inside of her cheek, and sighed. “Just cause it’s you, Ohya, I’ll take that nasty scar on his forehead as my confirmation.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Come with me inside, I’ll get his key.”
Ohya made a haughty noise of achievement, and followed the woman back in. Goro rolled up the window again.
They were taking a little while. He rubbed at his scar absentmindedly. So obviously a bullet wound, maybe that had been the real reason his barber hadn’t made much conversation. Whoever tried to kill him had shot just where it counted. You don’t fire a warning shot into a head. He wondered if he’d deserved it, and doubted he didn’t.
Goro removed his hand when Ohya reemerged from the building, and she was looking confident. She slid back into her car and jingled the key to his unit victoriously. “Easy peasy. She’s gonna open the gate for us in a second. Your unit number is 508.”
They waited for a little while, nerves ever growing, until the automatic gates opened on their own, groaning and creaking until fully extended. Ohya started her car and drove in, squinting at the unit numbers in the low light.
Rows upon rows of garages awaited them. This must’ve been a pretty large lot, by the looks of things. The dirt road was the only uneven piece of scenery, the repetition was endless. He kept a watchful eye on the unit numbers, as well, skipping between the evens and the odds.
After a few right turns, and one very tight u-turn, they were there. 508 stood wedged between its neighbors, almost at the end of the row, but not quite. Not a thing stood out about it. It was just as gray and worn and untouched as the rest of the facility. Not even the dirt was remarkable. It reminded him of the hospital.
Ohya held the key out to Goro.
“I’m assuming you want this to be a ‘just you’ kinda thing?”
The gesture was something he should’ve expected, but didn’t. It made him hesitate for a moment.
He took the key. “I appreciate it,” he said.
“No sweat.”
He got out of her car, and she drove off to the end of the row. She stayed parked within general sight of the unit. It was essentially pseudo privacy, but neither of them knew how long he’d be in there, and who knows what this could trigger. Ohya also didn’t seem like she knew a thing about amnesia. He wouldn’t look to her for comfort of any sort, but there was reassurance in her being a safe figure.
He took a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. This was his step one. He’d gotten himself into some deep shit, his past self hadn’t seemed to have a shred of self preservation in mind. Had he not encountered Ohya, he could’ve been dead by the hands of the crooks that call themselves the police by now. He had a lot more steps to cover, and each one would be riskier than the next. He was much more on his own than he realistically should’ve been. Most people had friends, as far as he knew. But this was seemingly his own fault. He wanted to know why exactly it was his fault.
One more deep breath.
He inserted the key into the lock, and grabbed the handle of the metal shutter. He pushed up, and with a squeak of rust and a bang of metal, he opened up his door to more dangerous times.
And it was nearly empty.
It was barren concrete. Newly disturbed dust was floating about. It was eerily quiet, and the stale air made his throat itch. Cobwebs stuck in the corners, barely visible in the low light of the setting sun. Though he wouldn’t call it underwhelming.
In the center of the floor was a cardboard box. About medium sized, without a lid. It matched well with the rest of the room, lined with dust and unaltered. He kneeled in front of it.
It was its contents that felt much more exciting. There were papers, lots of them. Thick manila envelopes full of information for him to flip through. He scooted back towards the entrance and pulled the box along with, trying to get the last of the light funneling in to help him read.
It was heavier than he expected, and he didn’t know how much to attribute that to his current lack of strength. He took out the first envelope and it, despite the dust, was clear and candid. When he flipped it around, he noticed with eagerness that there was writing on the front. He tried to make it out as clearly as he could, and in careful handwriting, it read: “05/21/2020— Case No. 1471”
It was a case file. He pulled out another envelope, and it was similarly marked. His interest was surely piqued. There must’ve been some sort of relevance to these, if they were going to be so pointedly left here. He pulled out a third, and then a fourth, and from the weight he’d expected many more. But, the pile ended there. Instead, what filled the rest of the box was another, smaller, wooden one.
He took it out delicately, gripping it securely around the sides to ensure he didn’t drop it. This seemed much more… personal. Shiny cherry wood, latched but not locked, just small enough to sit on his lap firmly. A thought that couldn’t help but be excited came to mind.
This could’ve belonged to me.
He wasted no time. He undid the latch, and it gave a satisfying click. The hinges creaked just barely as his clammy hands lifted the lid, and pulled all the way back, until it rested hanging by itself.
Inside sat more papers. Some were crisper than others, some had obviously been crumpled and then flattened out again. But there was consistency in each of them being folded neatly in half, stacked neatly on top of each other.
He picked up the one from the beginning of the pile, unfolded it, and was surprised to find it had hardly been written on; a simple “To you,” at the top. This was a candidate that had been clearly wadded up and discarded. He set it down carefully, and picked up the next.
This one hadn’t been written on much, either. It said even less, just “Hello.”
He picked up another, and another. It was all soft stationary, each topped with slightly different wordings, and some decorated with a couple lines, even. But they were all just about the same, a simple greeting, and then resigning.
They were letters. Or rather— drafts for one. So he’d learned today that he was indecisive, maybe a bit quick tempered, but potentially also at least organized. He assumed the existence of these drafts meant he’d never gotten around to sending his letter, either. And perhaps he’d never get such a chance, if this visit didn’t convince any muggy memories to creep out of their caves.
As he pulled out drafts and read his pathetic one-liners, he came across a page that was different. There was actually a fair amount of content on it, over a paragraph's worth. It had obviously also been cast aside, but even a spare scrap could be useful to him, in this state. He used the last of the remaining light to read it.
“To whom it may concern,
I would like to skip the inherent shamefulness of writing a letter to you, of all things, in my introduction, and I will title this ambiguously under the assumption that if you believe this does truly not concern you, that you will save me the mortification of reading through it anyways.
I won’t formally phrase this as a farewell, but you should take it as one.
Our unknowns are too great to write, and while you were not innocent, neither am I, and there are truths between the two of us that shouldn’t have remained unspoken. I’ve never thought to run from the blame.
My hands are not clean, and maybe they never will be, but they can still carry you home when you’re ready to sleep.
Perhaps a fact I recognized too late.
I do not want to say goodbye, however I—“
It cut off.
The letter left a lump in Goro’s throat. He read it through once more. He wanted to analyze each sentence down to its core, but the light had died out. But there were bits and pieces, words that suck out in his mind. “Farewell,” “Innocent,” “Unspoken.”
“Too late.”
Goro bit down on his lip hard. The case files— those he understood. With the life he’d allegedly lived and the people he’d known, of course something like that would be predominant. They were fact on paper, ignorant of bias, they’d be full of names and leads. They were important. But, he didn’t understand why these almost-letters had been left here. Out of anything that could’ve been kept. Had there been someone he’d felt so strongly for? To be kept in safety behind lock and key?
To identify this person— that could be his next goal to achieving his memories. To ignite the fire of their eventual reunion, and perhaps they could know what happened to him. They could come easy, though he suspected that anyone who he’d decided to be so rottenly open with wouldn’t be typical. But, they would also know him, past the media, past the appearances.
And, though he wasn’t going to admit it, he’d needed something more hopeful to work towards.
He put the papers back where they belonged, placed the entire case back into the cardboard box, and stacked the case files back atop it.
There was no telling how old these letters were. They could’ve been from much before his incident. But this set him up for a goal, a big one, that might get him back to whatever meager place he’d left himself in.
He picked up the box, and prepared himself to head back outside to Ohya. He needed to muster up his resolve, because this was only the first out of two very important clues this visit could provide.
He positioned the box onto his waist, and took one last look into the dark before closing up his unit. He returned to Ohya’s car, pulling open the door without so much as a greeting, and set the box on the floor in front of his seat.
Ohya leaned forward, interested. “That a box you got?”
He wasn’t going to talk about the embarrassing letters he found. Even if he wanted to, his second clue came first. “It’s not that important right now,” he lied. “Is your contact still here?”
She raised her eyebrows at him, but let the topic drop. “Sure is. She can’t leave ‘till we leave.”
Good. “I need to speak with her.”
She hummed in reply, seeming very curious by his idea. They drove back up to the entrance, Ohya not questioning his motives, but still giving him an inquiring side eye every so often.
They got out of the car together this time, and walked into the front office. The woman was reading behind the counter, almost completely in the dark, with only a desk lamp lighting her work area.
She glanced up at them, and placed her book upside down. “Hey there. You got that key?”
“Yes,” Goro replied. He placed it lightly on the counter. She took it without a word, and got up to put it back on its hook. Goro stopped her before she turned. “I have a question for you.”
She seemed a little surprised. She glanced between him and Ohya, and then put her free hand on her hip. “Okay?”
He hoped he could push his luck just a bit further today. He’d made it this far, after all.
“Is there any way I can see the documentation that was filed when this unit was made?” he asked.
The woman pursed her lips. “Ohya?”
Ohya put her hands up defensively. “Don’t look at me. This is all him.”
The woman stared at Goro. He stared back. This was arguably the most important part of the visit. He needed to see those papers. Just a single particular part, it was the one factor that needed an explanation. He would not leave until he got that documentation, and if he had to stand his ground and pull her leg a bit to get it, he would.
After their staring contest lasted just a moment too long, she folded her arms. “Jeez. Only because I feel bad for you, okay?” she huffed, turning on her heel. “And because my niece liked your food blog.”
She disappeared into the back of the office, leaving Goro feeling just a bit full of himself. He would think about the food blog comment later.
Ohya lightly punched his arm. “Okay, good going. But whatcha going to do with that?”
“There’s something I need to check,” he replied flatly. It made Ohya grunt unenthusiastically.
The woman returned with a few papers, all paper clipped together. She tossed them onto the counter. “This is a customer copy, okay? So feel free to keep it.” She glared at Ohya. “And, I’m going home now. So, get out, please.”
That got a laugh out of Ohya. “I know I can always count on you to bend a couple of rules for me.”
“Out.”
They left the building, Ohya waving her last goodbyes while Goro rushed to the car. He needed to get some light on these papers, it was long past sundown now. He slid himself into the car, clicked on one of the lights, and went to work reading, all while Ohya was still walking over.
Ohya opened her door and stood outside watching him, leaning on the frame. First, it was with interest, but it soon turned into irritation.
“Kid, tell me what you’re looking for. You’ve got your eyeballs all over that thing,” she said.
He didn’t let their conversation stop him from reading. He kept his eyes glued to the page, checking each word and box before moving on.
He did owe her an explanation. Getting his thoughts out would help him focus a bit, anyway.
“These sorts of things— storage units. Wouldn't they be paid for recurrently?”
Ohya went quiet for a moment. “They are,” she said, and joined him in the car. “Shit. Those funds can’t be coming from you, can they.”
“Exactly. I’m looking for the responsible billing party.” He turned onto the next page. None of the handwriting matched what he’d seen on his papers and files, which further confirmed to him that this unit hadn’t been one he’d purchased himself. Whoever this was had put all that information in there, those cases, those letters. He suspected they weren’t his mystery recipient, but he could confirm that with them once they’d met.
Why this had been done in his name, though, was beyond him.
He flipped onto the last page, and found his prize. Big black bolded letters asking for the responsible parties name, and neat penmanship filling in the blank.
“Sae Niijima,” he read aloud.
Ohya gawked.
“‘Sae Niijima?’ Seriously?” she scoffed to herself, and sunk down further in her seat. “She’s an attorney. A damn good one, too.”
An attorney? He wondered how she could’ve known him. “She’s the one paying, apparently.”
Ohya tapped long slender fingers onto her steering wheel again. She dropped her head. “Guess that means she’s our next lead, huh?”
Goro adjusted himself in his seat. “It does.”
“Ahh, man,” she complained. “You’re really somebody who’s in with the big guns, you know. You better let me have some exclusive with you after all this is done, or something.”
Goro gave way a hint of a smile. Probably his first since he’d woken up. If this would be the last of his luck, so be it. He hated to rely on something so shifty and mischievous, anyways. This was a start, barely a sprout, to whatever his big picture was. But he’d see himself to the very top.
Really, he’d already died once. Hardly a way to go but up.
“We’ll see.”
#thank u for the aaaask!!!#this is shuake but akira is actually not in it at all whatsoever#also im so sorry i know the ending is. unsatisfying.#i just realized if i wanted the most satisfying ending possible this would go from 8k to like 32k at least#maybe once i post all these prompts on ao3 ill consider adding chapters to this cause i do like the premise#this is also like. my first published non comedic piece. so a lot of this is experimental for myself#anyway i hope you enjoy!!!#my fics#ask#anonymous#my p5 fics
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1.) I don't think they were trying to punish Ben's character necessarily, I just think they were too incompetent to come up with a finale that didn't involve killing an evil sith lord. Whether it was snoke or palpatine, rey had no connection to either of them so they had to give her Ben's story because otherwise she becomes a side character. Anyone with half a brain would've just focused on the FO as a tyrannical gov't that ben and rey would have to come together to overthrow but that would-
2.) involve straying away from the formula of the OT, which JJ is too cowardly to do apparently, and making the main plotline a romantic one but we can't do that either because it would upset the fan bros that are oh so important to DLF. This movie was just about pleasing them and giving them exactly what they asked for in the hope's that it would win them over but it backfired 🤷♀️
Pretty much. My theory is still that JJ Abrams is a creatively bankrupt hack who only cares about the most surface of surface levels, didn’t know what to do without being able to ape the OT, and is easily swayed by the whims of others because he sees the film set as a place to have a good time with his buddies rather than a job creating art. Meanwhile Terrio had the closest thing this mess has to an ~artistic vision~, in that he’s actually conscious of the idea that a story has meaning, but unfortunately he’s also a hack and has maybe never seen a Star War.
I don’t think anyone was really deliberately setting out to punish the character, because I don’t think any of them are that self-aware, but there is an undercurrent of hostility towards Ben just because of what he inherently represents. He becomes a ‘problem’ they have to ‘solve’.
If these fucking idiots understood what a sw protagonist is and what their job is supposed to be thematically, they wouldn’t need to duct tape everyone else’s conflicts and iconography and ghosts onto Rey to try to make her the hero and they would realise the way to tie her into the entire saga/the Skywalker family is Ben.
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A Chromatica Review
So I never really use Tumblr, but when I do go on here, it’s pretty much to review something long-form. As you can tell from my profile picture here, and from my glowing review of ARTPOP from 7 years ago, I am and have always been a Gaga stan. Just read the melodramatic first paragraph of my ARTPOP review and you’ll get the gist of how much I idolize this woman. Well, idolized. Past tense.
That’s not to say I suddenly hate Gaga–I’m still going to follow her career and listen to whatever she puts out. There have just been several factors this past year that have changed my perspective on how I view her, this album being one of those factors. But I’ll get to those later. First I just need to lay out all my issues with this album.
Yes, this is going to be that type of review, so if you’re a fellow Gaga stan that isn’t able to criticize her work, this probably isn’t for you. Otherwise please read to the end if you can, because this is honestly about more than just the album.
Issue #1: The Mismatch Between Music & Aesthetic
When the cover of the album came out, I was so gagged. Like, just look at it! It’s striking, and Gaga has rarely ever disappointed me when it came to visuals. Actually, I can’t even think of any visual choices she made in previous eras that disappointed me. Even in the Joanne era, the pink cowboy hat became iconic and all of her aesthetic choices fit with the overall vibe of that album cycle.
So naturally, when she revealed to us the new visual direction she was taking for Chromatica, I assumed it would give us some insight into how the music would sound. The aesthetic of this era always gave me grungy cyberpunk and heavy machinery tease. When I look at the album cover for example, I can hear a song produced by SOPHIE in my head, the clink-clank queen herself. (There were rumors that Gaga was going to or did work with SOPHIE but that was never confirmed, unfortunately for us.)
For those unfamiliar with SOPHIE, here’s Ponyboy, which was most recently used in the ad campaign for Beyoncé’s Ivy Park clothing line.
youtube
That was the kind of production I was more or less expecting when taking the visuals into account; dark, metallic, basically similar to ARTPOP’s production (to be honest ARTPOP sonically fits better with the Chromatica aesthetic; think about it).
But what did we get? Light, garden variety dance pop, a stark contrast to what the album cover and the promo images teased us with.
In the album, we get these orchestral interludes that are beautiful but don't really mesh that well with the actual tracks. The songs don't have any orchestral elements by themselves, so the interludes felt a bit misplaced to me. I wish they'd incorporated more of that into the individual songs, so that there could be an orchestral through-line to give more cohesion, like what Ariana did in her album positions by using strings. However I will say, the transition from Chromatica II into 911 remains unmatched.
I get that the album is supposed to sound happy, that it was her returning to her “dance pop roots” and singing about serious topics like mental health over happy-sounding beats, because it’s supposed to reflect her current mental state. I get all that. But if that was the case, I think she should’ve gone with a different visual direction to match. Personally I wish she went a different direction musically instead, but even if it was just the other way around and she changed the aesthetic of this era, my opinion of the album would probably improve slightly, cause at least there would be cohesion between the visuals and the sonics.
I look at that album cover, and promo images like the one below, and then I listen to songs like Fun Tonight or Plastic Doll for example, and there’s a noticeable dissonance there.
You might be thinking “why are you so hard on her for this?” and I guess it’s because I’ve always held Gaga to a high standard when it comes to how she links those two elements. Think of every era she’s had in the past, and you remember how the visuals always just worked with their respective albums.
And that’s before I’ve even talked about the videos. Oh lord, the videos.
Issue #2: The Videos Are Lackluster (Except For 911)
It started with Stupid Love, the lead single. I had mixed feelings about that song in the beginning, but because I was so thirsty for new music from Gaga at the time, I played that song like hell when it leaked and it was on rotation for a good while. But when Gaga premiered the Stupid Love video, I’m not going to lie; I really didn’t like it.
The whole “shot entirely on iPhone” schtick really did the video a disservice. I’m sorry but it had to be said. If I imagined the video with a higher budget and more of a plotline as opposed to just being a dance video, I think it could’ve worked a lot better and been a decent introduction to not only Chromatica the album, but this fictional world/planet that she’s created. Which by the way, she didn’t really deliver in that regard either.
The concept of Chromatica being a fictional world could have been expanded on further; she could’ve showcased all of the different factions (I know they were called “tribes” at first but that’s appropriative so I’ll call them factions) and perhaps had an overarching storyline about how these factions are at war, and it’s Gaga’s job as one of the “Kindness Punks”, as she calls it, to bring everyone together for a rave.
This is why I will always say it: Chromatica needed to be a visual album. Just imagine the storyline I mentioned just now being turned into a full-length feature, and now imagine the album’s orchestral intro playing as they’re essentially opening the gates to Chromatica and Gaga discovers this world for the first time, and then it goes into the first song Alice where she’s meeting all the factions and getting acclimated to her surroundings.
Honestly I could go on and on cause I have thought about this for SO LONG now and I’ll never shut up about it. It’s just such a missed opportunity cause the concept was just begging for a visual album. Anyway sorry for my tangent: back to the Stupid Love video.
The whole “shot on iPhone” gimmick really was unfortunate. Like she really ruined the quality of a music video because she wanted that Apple check??? Come on, Gaga, there could’ve been some other way to secure that check.
And then there was the Rain On Me video, which definitely have visuals that are a massive improvement from Stupid Love because it was professionally shot and cinematic. But even that was another purely dance video with not much in the way of storyline. Not that storyline is always required for music videos, but I think specifically when it comes to Chromatica, not having storylines in the M/Vs does a disservice to the overall concept.
I guess my issue with these two music videos, but mostly Stupid Love, is that Gaga isn't fully utilizing her COIN. Like she's successful enough to the point where she has budgets for these videos and can go all out, but doesn't. She has the capacity for extremely high production value, but up until 911, the last video she did that had that level of extraness was G.U.Y. I miss the days when her music videos were an event. I still remember where I was and what I was doing the exact moment the Telephone video came out. That's impact.
Taylor Swift I think is somebody who really knows how to blow her budget on a video. Look What You Made Me Do may have been a terrible song, but I always thought the video was sickening.
Anyway, I have no notes on 911. She's a masterpiece. If there was a music video category at the Oscars, I'd be campaigning for it right now.
Issue #3: Any Other Girly Can Do This
The thing I always loved the most about Gaga's music was that nobody was doing it like her. Everything she put out always felt like it was distinctly hers and hers alone, it's unmistakable. Even in Joanne, despite that album being a major departure from what she normally did.
I know Joanne is a very polarizing album, even for Little Monsters, but personally I've always loved it. Joanne was an album that I always knew she would make and I thought was essential to her career and body of work. Despite her straying away from pop for a more earthy, grass roots sound, it still sounded very much like her music. Even from the first track, Diamond Heart, her DNA is all over that.
It's difficult to explain what exactly I mean when I say there's a certain signature "Gaga-ness" or that she has a very specific DNA injected into her songs. If you've been a fan of hers for a long time or followed her career, you probably understand what I'm referring to. It's the way she laughs maniacally in the beginning of ARTPOP on Aura, how she says "I don't speak German but I can if you like, OW!" and proceeds to recite broken German on Scheiße, how she invented the phrase "disco stick", literally the ENTIRETY of The Fame Monster.
These examples probably give you the gist of what I'm trying to convey. Gaga is fucking weird. She has always been fucking weird and I love that so much about her. And her brand of weirdness was so specific that if any of the other pop girls tried to do what she did, it would have been cringey as hell. To me, the most disappointing thing of all with this album was that this weirdness that was so uniquely hers was missing.
It's there in brief moments, in tracks like Sour Candy, 911 and Babylon, but most of the album doesn't really sound like her music. It sounds like songs that she wrote for other people, like her old unreleased stuff. OG Little Monsters probably remember songs like Second Time Around and No Way. These were leaked unreleased songs that Gaga had written for other artists, and even though they were absolute bops, they didn't sound like her. They weren't supposed to.
A similar feeling I had was when her song The Cure came out a few years ago. I genuinely thought that was something she wrote for someone else, cause even though it was a solid pop song, it absolutely had zero Gaga-ness and any current pop girl could sing it. This pretty much encapsulates how I feel about the majority of Chromatica.
I was gonna say it sounded like songs that were written for Ally, her Star is Born character, but I think even those pop songs from the soundtrack sounded more Gaga than Chromatica does. 💀 I can easily imagine Hair Body Face being on The Fame.
Final Thoughts
It's funny that the last review I had posted on here before this was my review of Kingdom Hearts III. The Kingdom Hearts game series is something that's very near and dear to my heart, and I waited a wholeass decade for the third game to come out. And then it did, and I was so disappointed.
So you know what happened after that? What helped me deal with my disappointment of that game was my anticipation for Chromatica, or at the time it was still called LG6. I had no idea I would feel the same exact way about this album the way I do about KH3. Now when I think of both of these things, I'm mostly frustrated by all of the potential and the missed opportunities, but I also look at them with a certain fondness. I had fun playing KH3, and I also had fun listening to Chromatica, despite both of them disappointing me overall.
In the beginning of this review I said that there were certain factors that have stopped me from idealizing Gaga too much. Firstly it's because I'm much older now, and secondly it's due to the sheer state of the world this past year. The pandemic really precipitated the fall of celebrity culture, and all of that made me really examine how putting someone on such a high pedestal can be damaging in the long run.
Gaga is a human being and I haven't agreed with everything she's done, particularly how she handled the whole R. Kelly situation back in 2013. And also the simple fact that she's a white woman, we know how a lot of the time they can't help but show their asses and are bound to disappoint us in some way. I'm forever grateful for her artistry and how she saved my life when I was a suicidal little eighth grader, but I'm also going to hold her accountable for any of her mistakes, and I'd be ready to stop supporting her entirely if anything she does ever goes too far.
Now I stan artists for fun. It's not healthy to idolize them to the point of revering them. I mean, I like to make jokes like that about Beyoncé, like "no way on Beyoncé's green earth", etc. But even she is just a person that we shouldn't deify for real.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Chromatica being a lackluster album and era ended up being a good thing, because it helped me grow out of idolizing celebrities too intensely. Chromatica was pretty much the best disappointment I've ever listened to.
If you've read all the way to the end, thank you! Writing this was very therapeutic but also stressful; this is a second draft cause Tumblr fucked up my first post. 😭
Anyway, SAWAYAMA & Ungodly Hour are albums of the year. Argue with the wall.
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Unexpected
Sweet Pea x Reader - Reggie x Reader
AN: I’m trying to get back into the swing of things sorry this took so long to get out but I do love it! I hope y’all do too! This was requested by my boo @theflameofdeath! All mistakes are my own, I do not own any gifs I use. Thanks to my beta @xserpentlife as always! This is work of fiction I do not own the characters or the shows used.
Word Count - 3433
Requested Yes - Hey boo! So I’m rewatching Friends and I got to S8 E12 and I was wondering if you could do a thing about Joey and Rachel’s plotline but with SP and the reader? Basically the reader hasn’t been on a date in a while/she’s only been on dates with bad guys and SP (her best friend) takes her out on like a friend date to try and cheer her up but he ends up actually falling for her but she still shows no signs of being interested in him and your choice if he tells her or not :)
Warnings: Angst, pregnancy, slight language.
You sat on the couch flipping through the channels trying to numb your mind. You pressed a hand to your stomach smiling as it fluttered. “Hi little one. What’s got you moving?”
As the words left your lips the front door opened Sweet Pea coming through smiling at you. “Hey pretty girl”
“Hey! Look I’m now my own table.” You smiled as you balanced a pop can on your protruding stomach.
Sweet Pea laughed coming to sit down next to you. “Hey Y/N/N I’m taking this girl out in a few days know of any place to take her?”
“Drew’s Cafe in Greenwood it’s romantic, it’s got great food. I’m sure one of your fancy girls would like it.”
Sweet Pea pulled a face. “My fancy girls?”
“Yeah you know those Northside and Greendale girls you keep getting to go on dates with you. All fancy girls Pea. Oh, and then afterwards you could take her to the Wyrm or some fancy bar for drinks. Or go listen to music or dancing… OH! TAKE HER DANCING.”
“You sure are listing a lot of ways to postpone sex Y/N/N.”
You smacked him in the arm. “I miss dating. Getting dressed cute, going to Pops or shooting pool at the Wyrm. It was so much fun. I won’t be able to do that for so long. Not that sitting here worrying about birthing a seventeen pound baby is not fun.”
Sweet Pea took the pop can off of your stomach taking a drink before placing it on the coffee table turning more fully to you. “You know what. Why don’t I take you out?”
You turned shocked. “Pea you don’t want to go out with me. With all of this. I’m a pregnant girl not someone you can take out and then get laid.”
Sweet Pea scoffed. “I do though. C’mon it will be fun. We can go to Pop’s then go dancing at the Wyrm, if you are up for it. It will take your mind off of all this baby shit and things spreading out and rippin-”
You leaned over placing your hand over Sweet Pea’s mouth. “Okay… okay! I will go with you if you stop talking about that.”
Sweet Pea smirked. “Okay tomorrow night. Six O’clock.”
You bit your lip smiling. “Okay.”
You stood in the bathroom. The dark green maternity dress hugging you, as you put the finishing touches on your face. You leaned out of the bathroom as the doorbell sounded throughout the trailer.
“Pea! Can you get the door?”
The doorbell sounded again. “Pea?” You sighed stepping out of the bathroom heading to the front door. You pulled it open confused looking back towards the hallway that lead to Sweet Pea’s door.
“Pea? What are you doing here? I thought you were in your room?”
“I’m picking you up for our date. These are for you.” Sweet Pea smiled bringing a handful of sunflowers out from behind his back handing them to you.
“Oh Pea, sunflowers are my favorite.”
Sweet Pea smiled coming in from outside as you pulled a cup down from the cabinet filling it with water and placing the sunflowers in it.
“This is starting to feel like a real date. Although I have morning sickness, and I’m wearing underwear that comes up to my bra line.” You laughed.
“What do you mean, this is a real date. Here.” Sweet Pea looked around. “Nice place you got here. Pizza boxes, serpent stuff, oh a subscription to playboy. My kind of woman.”
You let out a laugh rolling your eyes. “I’d like to meet this roommate you speak of he sounds amazing.”
“He is, but he’s very protective of me so you better watch yourself.” You smirked.
“He good looking?”
“Mhmm.”
“Must be hard to keep your hands off of him.” Sweet Pea smirked winking.
“Eh. I’m pretty sure he’s gay.” you laughed.
Sweet Pea faltered breaking his charade. “Hey you are no fun. What the hell Y/N/N.”
“You started it Pea.” You smiled as you linked your arm through his letting him lead you outside. “The truck?”
“Yeah Fogarty let me borrow it. Figured with your uh, situation that the bike probably wasn’t the best way to go.”
“Yeah I probably wouldn’t look very good on a bike right now.”
Sweet Pea stopped. “You would look stunning on a bike. Don’t talk like that.”
You rolled your eyes but nodded as Sweet Pea opened the truck door for you closing it as you got in. You smiled as the soft tunes of your favorite station played once the truck started.
“So where are you taking me?”
Sweet Pea smiled. “Well miss ‘I’m not a fancy girl’, you’ll just have to see.”
You playfully smacked him as the truck pulled into Pops. “How’d you know Pops was my favorite?”
“I take pride in knowing my dates.” Sweet Pea winked getting out of the truck. He came back over opening your door.
“You know you don’t have to do that.”
“Open your door? It’s a date Y/N I’m going to.”
Sweet Pea lead you to a corner booth pulling the table out slightly towards him. You glared. “I’m pregnant Pea but I can fit in a Pops booth.”
“I know I just like the table closer to me is all.”
You rolled your eyes not calling him out on his lie as Veronica stepped to the booth. She smiled at the two of you. “Hi guys, what can I get you?”
“Hey V, can I have the bacon burger but instead of fries another bacon burger?” You questioned making her laugh.
“Actually Veronica just put in an order for 3 bacon burgers with fries with two cherry shakes and can you bring out like a few strips of bacon super crunchy so miss cravings over here can put it in her shake.”
Veronica laughed as she took the menus from the table. “Yeah it will be up shortly. I’ll bring out some water beforehand.”
You smiled at her before turning to Sweet Pea. “You know my shake order? What I’m craving?”
“I pay attention, also how do you think things keeps magically appearing in the freezer? A food fairy?”
“I thought Fangs was just being Fangs since he’s the one on late night jobs and will usually bring me one.”
“It’s all me baby.” Sweet Pea winked making you blush.
You cleared your throat. “Oh I forgot I have a check for rent.”
Sweet Pea put his hands up. “We are on a date no roommate stuff okay?”
“Okay. Well I’m excited now I get to see what the famous Sweet Pea is like on a date. You have any moves?”
“No if they don’t like me for me..” Sweet Pea started cutting himself off with his own laughter. “C’mon Y/N/N of course I have moves.”
You smirked. “I knew it! C’mon show me your moves.”
“I was going to wait till the end of the night to kiss you but you are so beautiful I don’t think I can.”
You leaned in pressing your hand on his arm. “Wow. I almost leaned in… wow.”
Sweet Pea smirked. “Tell me one of yours.”
“If you excuse me I have to go to the restroom.” You got up, smirking. Still in ear shot. “You are watching me walk away.”
Sweet Pea smirked. “So simple, wow Y/N/N.”
You returned to the table. The conversation and laughs not stopping. You were mid sentence when the bell to Pops rang and you watched with glossed over eyes. Reggie Mantle walked in with a Vixen on his arm. Sweet Pea turned around following your line of sight. He scowled trying to rein in his anger of seeing Mantle. Ever since he walked out on you he wanted to knock him out. Sweet Pea turned back around looking at your trance like form. He placed a hand on your arm gently.
“Hey… let’s get out of here. Yeah?”
You pulled your eyes away from Reggie nodding slowly. Sweet Pea left money on the table motioning towards Veronica slightly without giving anything away to you the reason you were leaving. Veronica nodded with a small wave. Just as you were about to follow Sweet Pea out the front door, a hand wrapped around your arm. You turned coming face to face with the father of your child.
“What do you want Mantle.”
“How are you?”
You pulled your arm out of his grip. Turning, his eyes immediately going to your stomach. “I don’t know Reggie. I’m a teenager who is going to give birth in the next few months, who was kicked out of her parents house because of it, and oh yeah my so called boyfriend who took part in knocking me up bolted as soon as he found out. I’m just peachy.”
“Look I’m sorry. I just wasn’t ready, and if my parents knew… ”
“What so you are the only one that matters in this situation? You think I’m ready? Fuck Reggie how dumb are you? But you know what, don’t worry I have people who care about me and this baby way more than you ever would. Oh and don’t come around in a few years wanting to know us either. As far as I’m concerned this baby doesn’t have a dad.”
Reggie backed up. “I did love you.”
You scoffed. “You sure have a way of showing it.” You turned around. “Let’s go Pea, I suddenly feel sick.”
Sweet Pea nodded, grabbing your hand while glaring daggers into Reggie until he got to the truck. “That was amazing. I’m glad you finally put that mangy bulldog in his place.”
“Yeah… ”
Sweet Pea reached over wiping a stray tear from your cheek. “I know you loved him, I’m sorry he’s such a dick, want to go home? We don’t have to do the rest of the date.”
“There’s more?”
“Well yeah, you listed a lot of things Y/N/N.”
You smiled. “I don’t wanna go home Pea, I want to do the rest of our date.”
Sweet Pea’s hand moved from your face to your thigh. “I’m glad.”
You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face as Sweet Pea pulled up to the Wyrm. “The Wyrm? You take your fancy girls here?”
“No, just you, c’mon let’s go get a table.”
You sat at the booth with Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea sipping on your sprite as they all drank from a pitcher a beer. It almost felt like old times. You smiled as the beginning of Tennessee Whiskey played over the speakers.
“Let’s dance?”
You looked across the table. “Seriously? I thought Sweet Pea doesn’t dance?”
“Well it’s your lucky night then. C’mon princess let’s go.”
You smiled softly as you allowed Sweet Pea to lead you to the dance floor. He placed his arms around you getting as close as he could, you wrapped your arms around his neck. You softly sang the words as Sweet Pea hummed swaying you both back and forth. When the song ended you smiled. “Thanks for that Pea.”
“You ready to get out of here?”
“Yeah, my feet are super sore and if I smell Fogarty’s cologne any longer I might upchuck.”
Sweet Pea laughed while spinning you towards the front door. “I’ll tell him to lay off of it for awhile. You head to the truck.”
You nodded as you went to the parking lot laughing as Sweet Pea yelled across the Wyrm. “YO FOGARTY LAY OFF THE COLOGNE.”
“You know you could have walked over there.” You sassed as he came into view.
“And miss embarrassing Fogarty? Nah c’mon Y/N/N you know me better than that.”
You rolled your eyes as you climbed into the truck, laying your head against the cold window as Sweet Pea drove you both home.
“Okay out of our friends who would you punch?” Sweet Pea inquired as he unlocked the front door, letting you in.
“I’m not punching any of our friends Pea.”
“No, but if you had to, like really had to.”
“I don’t know okay.”
“Jughead?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know why.”
Sweet Pea let out a booming laugh as he toed his boots off. “He’s annoying that’s why.”
You flipped him off. “Be nice to Juggy.”
“Whatever you are the one who said they’d punch him.”
You stuck your tongue out at him as you pulled the white to go box out from the small bag. “Okay no judgements, I would wait until you had left buuut you live here with me so I’m chowing down on this burger.”
Sweet Pea sat down next to you. “That’s fair. You are eating for two.”
You smiled as your stomach fluttered again your baby moving. You gasped as you felt a kick.
Pea looked at your worried. “Y/N/N! Everything okay?”
You lurched forward grabbing his hand pressing it against your stomach. “She’s kicking!”
Sweet Pea smiled as he felt the movement. “That’s amazing.”
“Okay what are end of the night Sweet Pea moves?” You asked taking a bite of your burger.
“If I want her to kiss me and not make the first move. I make my lips look irresistible.”
“How do you do that?” You asked with your mouth full.
“You can’t tell anyone if I tell you. I might have to kill you if you do.”
You rolled your eyes at his dramatics. “Just tell me.”
“I put on shiny lip balm.”
“Oh my…”
“Like a moth to a flame.” he smirked. “Okay now you tell me.”
“I don’t want to it’s embarrassing.”
“More embarrassing than shiny mango lip balm?”
You snorted as you took a drink of your water.
Sweet Pea placed his hands over his face. “I didn’t say what kind before did I?”
“Nope” You smirked popping the p “and now I have something to hold over you for the rest of our lives.”
“Oh c’mon Y/N/N, just tell me.”
You stood up “Okay fine, you gotta stand up.”
Sweet Pea smiled standing up excited to see what you think your move would be.
“Well when we are at the door I lightly press my lips against his and then move into his body just for a second and then I make this sound. Mmmmm” Sweet Pea stood still entranced. You stepped away. “I know it doesn’t sound like anything but it works. Every time. Like a damn charm.”
“Ye-yeah I’m sure it does.” Sweet Pea stuttered out.
You smiled placing the rest of your pops in the fridge, turning you smiled up at Sweet Pea. “I had such a great time tonight Sweets. Thank you so much.” You stood on your tiptoes gently placing your lips against his cheek. He watched you disappear into your room before bringing his hand up to feel where your lips had pressed moments before.
“Yeah me too.” He stood still for a moment before shaking his head and rushing to his room.
You sat in the lounge. Laughing with Fangs, as Sweet Pea walked in. He eyed the spot next to you gladly taking it before anyone else could.
“Hey”
“Hi!” you paused. “You know how last night we talked about Kujo.”
Sweet Pea nodded. “I can’t believe you haven’t seen it.”
“Oh relax. Anyway I was going to rent it sometime?”
“Let’s do it tonight?”
A puzzled look crossed your face. “Don’t you have that date tonight?”
“Oh, yeah… yeah.”
“Hey did you feel weird last night?”
“Yeah! You did too I don’t know what it was”
“I think it was a bad batch of pop’s. I was in the bathroom all night.”
“Oh yeah yeah me too.”
“We should have crossed paths.”
“I stayed in my room… don’t look in my hamper.”
You shoved him. “That’s so gross Pea.”
“Well I’m gross. I’m going to head to class. I’ll see you after my date with Emily tonight.”
“TIFFANY” you yelled back at him hoping he would remember her name on his actual date.
You looked to Fangs. “He seem off to you?”
“When doesn’t he seem off?” He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
You shrugged as you got up heading to class.
-
You sat on the couch popcorn next to you as you wrapped yourself up in a blanket watching the movie on the screen, and hiding when you didn’t want to look. The door opened causing you to yelp.
“Oh thank god you are home. I’m watching Kujo.”
“Alone?” He questioned.
“Yeah bad idea anyway… didn’t you have a date?”
“Eh, she wasn’t worth it.”
“Want to watch with me?”
“Uh, sure.” Sweet Pea sat on the edge of the sofa.
“What are you doing over there? You sit here, you protect me.” You informed him as you pulled him down curling into his chest as the loud barking came from the screen. “How can you watch this are you not scared?”
Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around you. “Fucking terrified.” He whispered.
Sweet Pea POV
The next morning I sat on the couch eating a bowl of cereal convincing myself I wasn’t in love with Y/N. She’s just your friend. Nothing more. Just your friend. Y/N walked out of her room in one of my old faded Serpent hoodies. I love you. What? Fuck. I’m so fucked.
“Hey Pea, I’m heading out early. Reg wants to talk to me this morning.”
I clenched my fist. “Want me to come with you?”
“No. I’ll be fine.”
I nodded. Taking a deep breath treading carefully. “Can I talk to you later?”
Y/N looked up at me. “Okay. Find me at school, I’m sure I’ll be punching something after talking to Reggie.”
I nodded putting a spoonful of fruit loops in my mouth.
I pulled up to the school on my bike, my stomach in knots as I headed to the lounge. The closer I got I could hear Y/N laughing. Fangs must be there making her better after that douche ruined her morning. As soon as the thought passed his mind he saw Fangs at his locker. He looked down the hall Cheryl and Toni wrapped in each other. Was it Jughead? The moment I got into the doorway of the lounge my stomach dropped. Y/N was sat on the couch facing away from me while Mantle was facing her, his hands displayed on her stomach as he looked at her in amazement. I watched as she covered her hands on top of his. I stood frozen to the spot, unable to take my eyes off of the scene in front of me. I was close enough to hear the words.
“Look after running into you at Pops with Sweet Pea the way I saw that I broke you I just, I’m so sorry. I want to help with this baby Y/N/N I want to be apart of their life and yours if you’ll let me.”
I scoffed. She wasn’t going to let him back so easily. He walked away. I’ve been the one at appointments and holding her hair back during morning sickness. Where has Mantle been? Screwing as many Vixens as he can.
She sighed. “Listen Reg,” I smirked ready to witness a Mantle beat down. “It’s going to take some time. I don’t trust you. I will always have love for you and I don’t know if we will ever get back to where we were, but you have to step up for any kind of chance.”
I felt like I was going to puke. I watched as Reggie pulled her in for a hug kissing the top of her head, before saying he had to get to class. I turned around until I felt a hand on my back. Turning back around I forced a smile as I looked at Y/N.
“Hey Pea, you wanted to talk to me?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Uh, I was just going to see if you copied notes in history yesterday.”
She smiled at me and I swear my heart skipped. Why is she doing this to me now? We’ve been best friends for years. “Yeah I always write two cause I know how forgetful you are.”
“I’ll grab them at lunch?”
She nodded turning as I watched her walk away. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my chest. There was one thing I knew for sure. I would not let Reggie Mantle hurt her again.
#sweet pea x you#sweet pea x reader#sweet pea fic#sweet pea x reader insert#sweet pea imagine#reggie x reader#riverdale x reader insert#riverdale imagine#riverdale x you#riverdale imagines#riverdale x reader
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I don't know much Auriga, and that is a travesty cause I love hp ocs. Please tell me more about her so we can fix that!
I’ve never posted about her before!! Auriga has existed in word docs and emails and notes for several years but I’ve never posted anything about her/her fic. She’s very dear to my heart and it’s like... weirdly difficult to throw info about her up here now after just working on it in private for so long?!
Warning that this is INSANELY long even though I tried to condense it, I am so sorry lmao. Auriga means so much to me and I have a LOT of stuff for her from over the years... this really is the “short” version LOL
So anyway... Auriga is Sirius’ twin. She spawned out of a desire to explore the Black family dynamics, and have a character that is not so polarized as Sirius... and, in some characterizations, Regulus too. The story does address Sirius’ darker side (like, say, sending a schoolyard nemesis to potentially get eaten by a werewolf?! bro.......) but for the majority Auriga is the shade of gray in the middle of the brothers, in a sense. She never strays toward Voldemort like Regulus did at first, but she is not as stereotypically “good” as Sirius, as far as the general consensus of the wizarding world is concerned. The “light v dark” / “good v evil” system being SO SO RIGID in HP is something I passionately hate and I consistently reject it in my writings, even with more lighthearted characters. Auriga, in essence, was created directly because of that. She is not a “light” witch nor is she a “dark” witch, and in fact, she rejects that entire dichotomy as I also usually do. She’s just... Auriga. Not a goody two shoes Order member who won’t aim to kill if she needs to, but also not a murdering bigot like the Death Eaters.
Unfortunately, her willingness to get her hands dirty without remorse puts her at odds with the Order more often than not, while her refusal to follow Voldemort makes her a target. She very much gets stuck as a lone wolf figure, which... she kind of always was, tbh. She was very close with both Sirius and Regulus growing up, but the older they get the more fractured it is - she is always stuck in the middle of their fighting or unspoken tension at home, and her being sorted into Slytherin distances her from Sirius. She so desperately wants them to stop fighting and for the three of them to be a united front again the way they were as children, but it just never happens. As soon as Sirius is sorted, there’s a fault line between the brothers and she is left straddling the divide trying not to fall. Regulus’ death is something that fractures her as a person, and she sees it as her greatest failure in life that she could not save him. There is also some other stuff going on in her life, and some decisions she made with lasting repercussions, that make her feel like it is her fault he ended up where he did.
Auriga is... kind of repressed, tbh? The way she was raised, she’s just really emotionally stunted. Sirius and Regulus are too but it displays a bit differently for each of them, and for her it’s being the perfect pureblood princess and having trouble displaying her “improper” emotions or having agency for herself beyond the family’s uses and expectations for her as a daughter.
To be frank, I think her fic is the darkest and grimmest of any of my WIPs. It’s just a very ADULT story, in terms of the themes that play a big role in it and the difficult subjects it tackles, if that makes sense? It looks at a lot of aspects of pureblood culture that are just footnotes in canon, and it builds from there. Walburga and Orion’s parenting being directly abusive in several ways, and the psychological/emotional aspect of growing up in the culture and household that the Black kids did. It grapples with the commonly accepted sense of morality, and how it gets murky in wartimes. And it also tackles the patriarchal elements of pureblood society - betrothals, arranged or even FORCED marriages, and the potential lack of agency/lack of consent for witches in particular that stems from a blood/lineage/name obsessed culture. One of the rifts that forms between Auriga and Sirius as they get older is that he does NOT understand what it is like to be a pureblood witch from a family like theirs, and how different it is from his lot. They can commiserate about their family and their upbringing, but so much of his freedoms are not available to her. When he runs away to the Potters’ and she refuses to go with him, unwilling to abandon Regulus, this comes to a head. Walburga is furious about Sirius of course, and this is shown by how much more controlling she is over the two remaining children - Regulus being pushed toward Voldemort, and Auriga being pushed into a betrothal she was diplomatically resisting beforehand. This is a whoooooole fiasco and plotline that deals with forced marriages, lack of consent, and mental manipulation/use of mind-altering magic in order to trap Auriga into the marriage.
After escaping this, she’s... pretty traumatized, understandably. She changes fundamentally as a character after this, becoming less stoic and composed “pureblood heiress” and instead lets out all the anger that’s been collecting inside her all this time. She leaves the family after she’s mentally coherent again, in a pretty theatrical way, but she is VERY angry with Sirius and - illogical or not - she throws a lot of blame his way for what happened to her, so she refuses to show up at the Potters and instead makes her own way. This is a BIG fracturing moment for the siblings.
A lot of her seventh year is dealing with the repercussions of that forced marriage, both physically and mentally. She’s in a really bad place when the year starts. The silver lining is, she 100% gets her revenge on the fiance AND on Walburga for what they did to her, and eventually she starts to be more of herself - her true self, the one she was hiding behind the mask all those years. She finally is able to pursue the relationship between herself and Remus, which had been building for years but which she consistently denied because she was afraid to make him a target of her family. By the end of the seventh year, she has completely the family off and they are in a relationship.
The golden few years here in the middle, ironically, take place during a war. She has mostly patched things up with Sirius, and she and Remus are dating and sickeningly happy, she’s got true friends for the first time in her life. Things are really good on a personal level, even as they are fighting a war.
Unfortunately, things fall apart again. After Peter’s betrayal and Sirius’ framing, she has a falling out with Remus over his believing the story. Despite all the issues between herself and Sirius, she never EVER doubts his innocence. EVER. She completely cuts Remus off when he starts believing it, and the both of them are spiraling after that. This is worsened by the fact that shortly later she is wanted as a supposed accomplice of Sirius and has to go on the run. It’s not surprising - she was the Slytherin, she was always darker than him, she’d committed lesser crimes or toed the line of what the Ministry approves of... if they named Sirius Black, infamously defiant of his family and a loud and proud Gryffindor, as a Death Eater... it’s a lot easier to make the leap that she was one too. The public wholeheartedly accepts it and she is hated intensely, and is forever on the run after that. By the time it gets to Harry’s time, she’s a pretty dangerous character, even more so than before. She and Sirius reunite, and eventually she and Remus patch things up. There are some lasting complications from earlier plotlines I won’t delve into right now, and tbh their ending is... pretty fucking depressing?! They don’t ride off into the sunset in any way shape or form. But they do get closure, and they do find their own kind of peace before the end. And I think it suits them, and the story, in the end. Auriga’s story was never intended to be a fix-it fic or even really address major HP canon lot elements, it’s very much just about HER as an individual and the different dynamics of what it means to be someone like her in that culture, society, and world.
So basically I’m really mean to Auri but writing about and really diving into difficult topics through her POV is really cathartic for me for various personal reasons and despite her entire life being a FUCKING TRAGEDY, she’s been around for a long time for me and I love her so much and she means a lot to me!! :’)
#this really is the condense version!!! i swear it!!! i just. apparently cannot stop talking about Auri. i really do love her sm#fd: harry potter#ask game#mine#ch: auriga black#a-song-of-quill-and-feather#answered
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So it's hero hei so I didn't want to watch it but for some reason one of my recommended videos was his newest upload talking about how miles has blamed not being able to write the faunas well because he's a white guy or something like that On the one hand I can see it as Miles saying I can't write a minority and their struggle well because I've never faced that but knowing hero hes probably dragging it out as blaming my bad whiting on my ethnicity.
*Ding Ding Ding!*
You’re right!
The quote in question has Miles mentioning he’s white once which sounds damning...until you read the WHOLE quote and see that he mentioned being YOUNG numerous more times
“That’s a wonderfully insightful question, thank you for that. So Penny I think.. Oo, I’ve been working on Volume 8 for awhile so I have to be careful not to say Volume 8 things. Um, I do think Penny is interesting, Penny is one of a kind and we did get a little bit in Volume 7 into the Protector of Mantle story line and Penny and if she can be trusted. I don’t think it’s our intent to portray another marginalized, minority, group with synthetic people since currently Penny is the only one and all the other ones are sort of Atlesean droids and stuff. I also think if we were to do that we would want to make sure to take the time to do it right. I think to be completely honest we were like 22 when we started writing RWBY and when your young you want to be like let’s make a show about good things and good morals and touch on this, this, and this! I think it could be really interesting and really important to have a show with you know, some segregation and let’s talk about racism and minorities and stuff. And I think we were a little too ambitious for like a 15 minute… at the time a 5 minute long show, especially with like two white guys writing it.
I think you know as the lore and the characters continue to get bigger and bigger and bigger we want to continue and make our writers room bigger and bigger and bigger and more diverse. I think the more voices you can have in a room with a varied background will ultimately give you something better cause everyone brings something to the table. Like we said earlier and its core that’s what RWBY is all about, like coming together for one thing. Understanding we are all people on one planet all trying to get along and so I think that’s a super interesting question. I think we would want to be sure we do something like that right and take the time to really flesh it out. I hope I answered your question, thank you very much.”
In fact, THAT was the focus of why he thinks they did it badly. Being white in his eyes just compounded that. It is NOT the primary factor. (You can tell since he repeatedly goes on and on about his thought process when he was young and only OFFHANDEDLY mentions being white.)
But Hero Hei, in his eternal need to parasitically drain people for their money, decided to completely ignore that and push the ‘TEHY AGENDA!” point (Even though, as I have pointed out: The WF plotline actively ATTACKS what he says is their agenda) because he mentions the word ‘diverse’. (No seriously, point to me where Miles referred to diversity as a racial thing.)
And when I call him a parasite, not only I am 100% serious. I have a friend who listens to him and has expressed losing faith in RWBY as well as being a listener of this guy. Considering Hero Hei’s bullshit, I think it’s entirely reasonable to think HH is partially to blame.
But in a different context, HH’s audience would agree. He talks about how RWBY should ‘just be entertaining instead of doing what it is doing now...except you can see this SAME SHIT (*cough* The Stray *cough* Black and White *cough*) in Volume 1. Fuck, this shit was prevelant in the BLACK trailer. It’s always been apart of RWBY, HH, you just took one aspect of the show and pretended like it was the whole thing.
Sound familiar?
Replace ‘RWBY’ with ‘Anime/Video Games/Comic Books’
And Replace ‘Be entertaining with ‘Fight for social justice’.
Suddenly you wouldn’t be able to tell HH apart from the innumerable feminists who drain those audience of their joy to profit from them. (Again, SOUND FAMILIAR?)
HH is the same selfish, parasitic type of person he says he dislikes, he just has a different coat of paint. And for those of you who consider HH a valid journalistic source because he just so happens to be right about Vic-
CNN is technically journalism too. Does that make THEM right? Better question, does that make them NOT a parasite on the news viewing public, sucking away nuance and making them paranoid and miserable for personal gain?
These guys don’t care about you. Once you become less profitable, they’ll throw you away. Hero Hei once said that all RWBY critics were shit not TWO years ago in Volume 5. Funny how things change eh?
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a VERY LONG post about Hell on Wheels
YEAH i forgot about this post in my drafts... it’s been like a year since i finished the show now and i feel i’ve barfed everything out into this post (that i can think of), so here it goes
(you’ll have to shield your eyes after the spoiler warning if you don’t wanna be spoiled btw. i can’t seem to be able to add a read more-link...) :
SO... i finished watching “hell on wheels” at last, pm half a year since i started. it’s funny because i was under the impression that i’d sOMEHOW be able to binge all five seasons within just one month (reason: i wanted to watch it before my free trial on HBO’s website went out). honestly, that wouldn’t have been possible because it was a LOT more emotionally draining than you’d think at first glance... after being gutpunched three times in a row in season 4, any reasonable human would need a little break.
anyway, it feels-- weird. i’ve never been big on following tv-shows so i haven’t been able to relate to that feeling ppl describe once they’ve finished a show they’ve become so attached to, except NOW i can relate.
the show’s not groundbreaking, it’s not perfect, but i’ve had a lot of fun. what a ride it’s been...
looking back, i’d say HOW’s biggest weakness is its tendency to forget or ignore certain plot points. i guess that’s not too weird, with such an arsenal of characters, but still, i find that’s what bugged me the most, if anything bugged me at all. for example--
[SPOILERS for those who might wanna watch it after seeing me go on abt it, idk]:
first off, what REALLY grinds my gears is how ezra dutson’s plotline was handled. it was set up perfectly in the beginning; having him escape from the swede (who promised him that, and i quote: “i’ll find you, ezra! i always do”), the original plan was obviously for ezra and the swede to “reunite” some time in the future so that ezra could tell everyone that the swede killed his parents, thus tying up loose ends and giving some closure to that whole arc.
some might say this would’ve been too predictable, but i would rather have that predictable storyline than having it just end unceremoniously like it did, with ezra dying ACCIDENTALLY and off-screen by sidney snow’s hand, simply as a way to further bohannon’s pain and set the stage for ruth’s final arc.
this might’ve been fine, if the writers had made it so that ezra actually, y’know, TOLD SOMEONE WHY HE’S AN ORPHAN TO BEGIN WITH. but they didn’t even give the viewer that form of closure, instead just deciding to use him as a plot device for the other characters’ increased angst... bohannon and the others were never even made aware of ezra’s last name, and this is all what bugs the everliving SHIT outta me: the only ones who know, or will EVER know, ezra’s full story is the swede and the viewer, tho after season 4′s end, ezra is never mentioned or acknowledged again-- not by bohannon, and not even by the swede.
ezra went from convenient character with a PURPOSE to “nameless” orphan forgotten by history. thanks, writers...
then there’s the whole deal with campbell coming to town to reinforce The Law™, which wasn’t a bad arc, mind you-- campbell and his goons were the most infuriating little shits for a while there-- but the thing is; didn’t campbell LIE to his men about the president giving him the position as governor? i might’ve misunderstood it, but i’m PRETTY sure the president didn’t give him THAT much of an upstanding role, but that campbell just went ahead and took that position anyway?
if that was indeed the case, then that’s another plot hole, cause nobody finds out about campbell’s possible trickery to become the governor. nobody rats him out, despite literally no one in “his” town liking him all that much, so they’d have no reason to protect his “secret”. (correct me if i’m wrong on this one though. i might be misremembering things)
then there’s the other pretty infuriating issue of bad guys never getting called out for doing bad shit (unless it’s the swede, who gets all the blame, all the time), for example:
major dick bongbendix(???idk he had a silly name like that) is presented VERY MUCH as a bad guy in the beginning. y’know, just casually beheading natives on all his missions and collecting those heads and taking them to the bar like a fucking nutcase-- those little details. he also seemed to believe in racial biology, so yeah, definitely not a good guy. but by the end, he’s been watered down into some quirky guy who’s ALMOST on friendly terms with the main characters. yeah, uh-- seems everyone (writers included) collectively forgot the whole public display of cut-off heads he had going on...
aaron hatch: started off as a guy too proud for his- or his family’s own good when he shot the police officer, BLAMED IT ON HIS FUCKING SON and then just kinda let bohannon hang the kid even though it was pretty obvious hatch was just shifting the blame away from himself. THEN he reappears with some other mormons and causes a full-on shootout in the town (probably getting some people killed, i don’t remember), TAKES EZRA (also a mormon) HOSTAGE SO THAT BOHANNON WILL COME WITH THEM WILLINGLY and passive aggressively forces bohannon to marry his daughter who bohannon knocked up.
somewhere along the line, hatch’s bad side is just thrown to the wind, and bohannon at one point describes him as “a good man”. yeah, ABOUT THAT--
sean and mickey mcginnes: unlike the ones mentioned above, these two started out as seemingly decent dudes, but ended up pm as secondary villains in the end. however, like the ones mentioned above, they hardly face any consequences for whatever crap it was they did in boston, OR the fact that they killed and fucking mutilated/dismembered a man in cold blood (a man who WAS gonna kill them, yes, but HE did it because he thought they had killed his friend, which wasn’t a farfetched idea since mickey DID brag about killing the dude even though he didn’t actually do it).
sure, they face their OWN demons as time goes on, they get ostracized, and they start losing faith in each other as well, which ends up with mickey killing sean before the latter can confess(?) his/their crimes. so, while sean was spineless and a creep, at least he thought about finally owning up to what he’d done in the end, whereas mickey lives on to keep doing shady shit, killing people, and getting increasingly more corrupt. he does end up pursuing new goals in the end, but it’s obvious he’s not happy about it anymore. that’s-- really all the comeuppance he ever gets, and the only one who knows about his shady businesses are pm just bohannon, durant and eva
(also, personal gripe here-- they seemed to not settle for “just” tarring and feathering the swede and publicly humiliating him, but i’m pretty sure i recall mickey telling bohannon they were thinking about having the swede killed too. keep in mind, this was BEFORE the swede truly lost it and started killing people left and right. apparently, being kind of a douche about taxes is bad enough to warrant being tortured and cast out by the entire community... i’m obviously biased here, but still-- the mcginnes bros’ double standards are amazing to behold)
now that i’ve aired some of that out-- here are some highlights, according to me:
unexpected friendships, like that between eva and durant. i’d say the swede finding that stray dog and fawning all over him qualifies into this category too
durant and campbell fighting in the mud before finally coming to an agreement
-- just- durant and his competitors being petty as fuck, honestly. it’s hilarious
bohannon trying to get through to elam by reminiscing about their friendship, especially since bohannon isn’t one to show his feelings often OR get sappy
-- in fact, EVERY time bohannon loses his stoic facade is a good moment. when he was gonna bury elam and he just broke down completely for the first time since we were introduced to him... that shit had me in tears as well, but man was it a great scene
jimmy two-squaws
every time the swede opens his mouth (yes, even when he’s spouting some lies and bullshit like that)
ruth’s character development. i admit i didn’t like her at all in the beginning, idk something just felt off about her, but man did she ever grow on me. just-- how everyone kinda relied on her eventually, even though she’s only like in her 20′s or something... she still became a pillar of the community. bless ya, ruth :’ı
-- also, her essentially adopting ezra was Pure as heck. I Lov it
the fact that this was the 1800′s and the only backlash the (openly) LGBT characters faced for it was pm just “yeah they’re a bit confused maybe but they’re not hurting anyone”. maybe that’s not very realistic but WHO GIVES A SHIT AMIRITE
mr tao just being a sweet old man
chang’s sunglasses, straight out of Django Unchained
mr toole’s complete heel-turn from racist POS to someone who sticks by his word to turn himself around. that shit was impressive coming from him, tbh
bohannon just calmly running into a buffalo by the train tracks
mei posing as a grown man instead of a boy (which is what she looks and sounds like, oml)
another thing i realized is that bohannon is a classic gary stu. there’s just no getting around that fact after seeing him being revered by most everyone he meets, how he’s somehow the only person able to build the railroad(s) fast and efficiently, and even wooing the literal PRESIDENT and becoming close friends with him-- all this despite his Bold and Brash personality.
of course, there’s more to bohannon than these gary stu-symptoms, but i felt someone should bring it up, for the lulz
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Ok but why are people so convinced that something is up w Sanders home life??? It feels like a bit of a stretch maybe?
Hello! Good question! The reason that people are wondering if something is going on with Sander's home life is because Sander has a lot of traits that differ from the other Evens that cannot necessarily be explained away by a mental illness plot. Here are the list of things that have come up more than twice, meaning it's a pattern, about Sander that could potentially suggest something strange about his home life.
Sander's lack of reaction to violence. It's common for victims of abuse to have adapted to forms of violence to others or themselved and not see it as "that big of a deal" in comparison to other.
We've never been to Sander's house. While there was a similar theory about David actually, esp when Matteo saw that he lived in a bit of a sketchy place-- we're used to visiting the Even's apartment at least once by now. Sander told Robbe that he would much prefer it if they went to Robbe's place rather than his, also, the video call after the attack Sander was sitting on the stairs outside of somewhere rather than in a room or other home-y place.
Why and how does Sander know Amber? At first this was a crack theory. Now, people are actually getting curious and interested into how necessarily they know each other. Sander only follows three characters on his IG: Robbe (Boyfriend), Britt (ex) Girlfriend, and Amber. When asked about how they knew each other- he ignore the question. Some speculate he and Amber are step-siblings! Or cousins or something! And knowing that the Vilde character comes from a rough home, this would explain how they know each other and also mean that Sander also has a bit of a broken home.
Sander is uncomfortable with the police. He mentions the police twice: expressing his relief that they wouldn't recognize him for his graffiti (yes anyone would say that and I didn't think it was weird either until hindsight after the video chat) and when he very quickly shoots down the idea of reporting the attack. If Sander comes from an abusive family or a broken family, he would have interacted with the police before-- maybe from investigations into allegations of abuse or with social services. If he's attached to his family, it makes sense why he would not want to involve the police and risk having them talk to his them. This would also support the theory of Sander having homophobic parents-- he would not want them to be aware of an attack on their LGBT son.
The only time he has spoken of his family was once and it was a comment about his mother in spoken in the past tense.
Sander looked absolutely devastated at the start of the reunion clip. No Even has looked like THAT before. We have no idea what happened, why he took so long to respond to Robbe's mural text, or where even he came from before going to Robbe's. It was at night so it makes sense for him to have come from his home so why the heck did he look so damn SAD?
Honestly, I would not be surprised if Sander's backstory never comes up. That would be classic SKAM to have everything explained away by the MI or to have all of these be either quirky characteristics of Sander, or to be coincidences. I really would not be surprised if we saw a pattern that apparently never existed for the writers. Everyone is VERY focused on the violence desensitization thing and while it would make more sense if Sander was an abuse victim or had grew up seeing it, I fucking bet they're gonna chalk it up to a MI plotline... Not great but I wouldn't be shocked.
I hope this answers your question. Because I know that we as a fandom tend to be smarter than the writers on occasion, I try not to get my hopes up for intricate theories that, while would make total sense and be interesting to see, were probably just not that thought through as in depth by the writers. To them, it's not that deep. Which can be frustrating. Looking at all I've listed, I don't think the home issues theory is a stretch, but looking at how SKAM and it's remakes have a tendency to leave unanswered questions and not stray TOO FAR from the status quo... It is a stretch that the writers would think that in detail about it. BUT IF THEY DO I WILL BE DELIGHTFULLY SURPRISED.
#long post#not to diss on writers of coufse#i generally love the writing when we see the whole picture#so don't tell me i think i'm better than them#i'm not#i just have seen a milliom remakes and have noticed a pattern.
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Mafia! Stray Kids Reaction to their Gf Being Hit On, But She Doesn’t Know It
Anonymous requested: Hihihi lol could I request a skiz mafia au similar to the nct one where the gf gets hit on by another guy? Thanks!!💕💕💕
A/N: Absolutely Anon! I hope you enjoy! I did my best as possible with this one! I kinda changed the prompt a little but not really. Just remembering to tell you guys that when I do AU reactions each member’s basic plotline stays the same, it’ll never change!
Here’s the link to the first one!
Chris:
Chris saw you sitting at a bus stop across from his secret meeting. He watched as a man sat right beside you. He witnessed as he slowly started flirting with you, to which you happily responded. He immediately dialed your number, fuming, when you answered he only growled “Get away from that man right now,” but to his surprise, you responded with a curt no. Now he was Satan level angry, he left his meeting running to you. He arrived and literally yanked you up from your seat.
“Look, I get you’re still mad at me, but cheating on me is not the right way to get back at me,” he screamed at you. Hearing his yells the other man ran off.
“Damnit, Chris! You just cost me $180,000! I was fucking working! I would never cheat on you, not in a million years!” After hearing this, he lifted up your jacket to find your work belt. It was at this moment he knew, he fucked up... again.
Minho:
Insecure little baby. Even though you two were married, and Minho had obviously fallen for you... hard, he still had not confessed in the slightest. He kept his feelings close off because he was afraid you hated him. He sat there having to watch you being flirted with by this pompous asshole and you looking confused as all hell. He felt like he couldn’t do anything, well, that was until this man decided to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. Minho had, had it at this point, he deserted the boys a pulled you harshly by the arm outside. You gave him a questioning look, and he just grabbed you by the face and pulled you into an angry kiss.
Realizing what he had done, he turned around and mumbled sorry before starting back to the bar.
You stopped him and dragged him back. You gently grab his face, jumped up to wrap your legs around his waist and returned the favour by pulling him into a passionate kiss. “You don’t know how long I have waited for this,” you sighed happily as your forehead crashed into his.
(guys I really want to write a full-blown one-shot on this story, send me an ask if you think I should)
Changbin:
Actually, he was kind of amused by the whole thing. He started off watching you be utterly clueless. Then he pulled Felix aside and decided to show off how much he knew you since obviously, he knows more than Felix since he's been in a relationship longer. They both ended up making comments about how you were going to react to certain things, and it eventually devolved into a game of sorts.
“He just put his hands on her shoulder, she’s gonna punch him,” Felix commented.
“5 bucks says she's gonna kick him in the balls,” both boys witnessed as you kicked the man in the balls, but you turned around and shot Changbin a huge glare before storming towards the two. Obviously, they were not as quiet as they thought they were.
“50 bucks says your in major trouble right now, huh, Mr. Relationship Expert?” Felix chuckled before he turned around and left.
Hyunjin:
Clingy Hyunjin to the rescue! He saw this young man clearly making you uncomfortable as he touched you when obviously you didn’t want to be touched. Within two seconds he was attached to you like a tumor whining about how you need to pay attention to him and give him affection. This obviously seemed to scare the other man away very quickly considering he was graced by the presence of a member of one of the most dangerous gangs in the city. Hyunjin then walked away with you, hand in hand with a victorious grin on his face.
Jisung:
You thought his trust issues were bad then? Ooh lordy, you obviously being flirted with by another man in front of him, made it ten times worse. Especially because to him you not having a clue what was going on actually meant that you didn’t truly care about him.
It wasn’t until Minho scolded him and said, “Why aren’t you taking care of your girl? She is so obviously clueless and uncomfortable in a situation like that without you.” It was then that he realized you weren’t doing it be an asshole you just didn’t understand what was going on. He then putzed over, wrapped an arm around your shoulder and whispered Do you want me to fix this? To which you nodded your head vigorously.
Felix:
Aggressive and violent. Good luck young padawan. He saw you from across the club sitting down on a small loveseat since being in crowds for prolonged periods of time makes you feel sick and anxious. He watched you carefully as he sipped on his drink from across the room. Fairly quickly a man ended up sitting next to you on the couch and starting casually flirting you. You weren’t really paying attention as you were trying to recover from your anxiety attack, but boy was this man persistent, and it angered Felix to no measure. He slammed his glass to the ground before mumbling over to you.
He grabbed the man by the collar and growled: “Can’t you fucking tell that the lady is preoccupied and your advances aren’t making anything better?” Felix then took the man outside and beats the man to a bloody pulp.
He came back inside to sit next to you, apologizing for not helping you sooner. You stopped him before he could hug you, scolding him saying how he couldn’t cuddle you with blood on his hands... literally.
Seungmin:
This was just fairly funny for everyone, well except for Seungmin. The boys decided that it would be funny to make Hyunjin fake/teasingly flirt with you (as he was single at the time). Both Seungmin and you didn’t notice the subtle innuendos or the quiet giggles coming from the rest of the group. It wasn’t until Hyunjin gently caressed your arm that Seungmin noticed. Seungmin pissed as all hell, pulled out his gun and put it directly to Hyunjin’s head. Which then sparked an argument between you and the rest of the boys vs Seungmin, about how he needs to learn to control his temper, and Seungmin just shrugged it off. The gun wasn’t loaded anyway.
Jeongin:
He’s still so young, so he’s going to be really hot-headed especially when it comes to you. You are the entire reason his eyes sparkle, and to see some narcissistic asshole think he could get away with flirting with you like that? Oof boy was he livid. He literally stormed off to you, smoke coming out of his ears. He grabbed the man by his scalp, threw him onto the ground, kicked him a solid three times before he walked off pulling you by the wrist.
#prettyboysnetwork#stray kids mafia au#stray kids mafia au reactions#stray kids mafia au imagines#stray kids reactions#stray kids imagines#stray kids scenarios#bang chan#chris bang#kim woojin#woojin#lee know#lee minho#changbin#seo changbin#hyunjin#hwang hyunjin#han#han jisung#felix#lee felix#seungmin#kim seungmin#i.n#yang jeongin
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P l e a s e do ramble, it sounds like?? so much fun?? and super creative! -tma anon
!! Bless you anon, you’re super kind for tolerating my excitement kjashdkasd everything will be under a read more, because this got. a whole lot longer than I anticipated haha
OKAY!! So!! As I said, still kinda in the rough drafting stages, I don’t have everything figured out yet, but!!
Gregory Edgeworth’s essentially going to play (half) of the role of Gertrude in the story. He was head Archivist, gathering information about the avatars, and also details about von Karma (who roughly plays the role of Elias) and his shady behavior. Too close to getting to the truth, and overall just becoming rogue to Karma’s plans, Karma—who’d rather not get his hands ENTIRELY dirty—strikes up a deal with an avatar of the Buried to kill Gregory.
Gregory is killed in the elevator of the Institute from an earthquake. His nine year old son, Miles, is present during the event. He suffers from trauma, as well as being permanently marked by the Buried (which I don’t think entirely lines up with how the Buried operates in TMA, but I’m taking some creative liberty here ljakdjka). Von Karma decides to take Miles under his wing to train him to become the next Archivist, to avoid future issues and to operate his plan more smoothly.
While that happens, Misty Fey, a former assistant, becomes the next Archivist temporarily. As a friend of Gregory’s and partially-aware of what was going on, she continues his work in secret. She severs all contact from her daughters, Mia and Maya, to keep them safe and as far away from von Karma and the Eye as possible.
Years pass, Mia is recruited as an assistant, as she wants to know what happened to her mother. Misty goes under a different name and essentially panics, deciding to go into the tunnels and travel to avoid contact and confrontation while she continues her research (taking some statements with her).
Mia takes and records statements in her absence. Phoenix pops in one day, and gives her a statement about his wonderful girlfriend Dahlia, who’s totally not an avatar of the Desolation, and her strange tendency to be near wounded/dead strangers (who all show signs of being brutally burned). Mia, incredibly concerned, sends her fellow assistant, Diego, to confront Dahlia himself while she keeps this stupid kid out of trouble. Diego ends up nearly dead and comatose as a result, and Dahlia almost kills Phoenix as well, before Mia just decides to rid of her herself.
After the stress and trauma of that situation, Mia tells Phoenix to get a job as an assistant in the Institute after he gets his degree, because at least then she can keep an eye on him (entirely unaware that this is a Very Bad Idea). He gets excited because his “friend Miles’ dad, Gregory, was an Archivist here once! Maybe this is where he disappeared to?” and Mia’s just. praying for this poor naive child.
Miles hits nineteen, which von Karma deems as a suitable enough age to become the Archivist. Karma intends to permanently get rid of Misty, but loses track of her when she blinds herself and goes into hiding. Karma elects Miles as the new head Archivist.
Couple years pass, nothing really substantial happens. Then, Phoenix is recruited as an assistant under Mia’s watchful eye. Phoenix is Excited because Fuck Yeah, Miles Edgeworth is here, but immediately realizes something is off when his old childhood friend gives him the cold shoulder and treats him like an annoying employee. As a result, he becomes determined to figure out what’s wrong and get through that mask of his, as well as help Mia uncover whatever else is going on in the Institute.
Von Karma gets tired of Mia’s nosing around once and for all, and again not wanting to put any effort into anything, sends an avatar of the Slaughter(?) to kill Mia for another exchange. This avatar is Redd White, and he succeeds, permanently silencing her and once again halting their progress in finding out the truth.
Phoenix is left to take care of Mia’s younger sister, Maya, who’d been quietly helping her older sister as well (though she isn’t part of the Institute). The two of them are determined to not let anything else get in their way, which also means befriending the grumpy, stubborn Archivist who refuses to do anything against von Karma’s wishes.
That’s all I have solidly so far!! Franziska’s also going to be involved, and Gumshoe and possibly Maggey are going to play the role of Basira/Daisy. I really want to focus on the development of Miles and Phoenix’s relationship (possibly paralleling Jon and Martin’s), and while it is going to stray away from TMA’s plotline, it’s definitely still going to be in the same universe! It’s kind of a mess at the moment though haha
#Anonymous#sorry for replying to this so late!!#i got distracted and making my rambling comprehensible was challenging ljkahdagsdj#screw it let's give this a tag huh#tma!aa au
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What are your thoughts on this season of Supergirl? On lena's storyline? And the danvers ark? Or anything else you like? I love brainy, and I hate the new deo boss.
Hello! I’m very sorry this has taken me so long to get to. It’s just that every time I tried to sit down and put my feelings about this season into words… I wanted to stab myself in the face.
SPOILERS BELOW FOR SUPERGIRL SEASONS 1-4. READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
I don’t understand how a show can RUN THEIR OWN CHARACTERS INTO THE GROUND so fucking efficiently but they can’t pull a decent storyline out of their arse? Like… okay. Nia’s great. She’s great and I’m super happy for the actress and the representation. But we don’t need another Superhero on the show. We had enough of that last season where Supergirl was forced to share her space with like 76 others. It’s still called Supergirl, not Superfriends.
WHERE. THE FUCK. IS RUSSIAN. KARA. I swear, if they bring her in to be the bad guy in like the last 3 episodes, I’m going to fucking strangle someone with one of my stray socks because that will be SUCH. A. WASTE. She should have been amped up to be the big bad throughout, not sporadically slotted in between scenes with no rhyme or reason just to remind us she’s there. Clearly, these writers have forgotten how the Harun-El works, because it should have split Kara into her good and bad sides, no? So, we should have a Kara that’s at least slightly different than the one we left at the end of season 3 and Russian Kara should have badass exploded all over National City by now. It’s ridiculous.
And LENA. Do not get me fucking started. I don’t read spoilers and I try to stay away from casting news as much as I can, but I have had one certain addition to the cast spoiled and I just want to fucking scream because WHY. WHAT IS THE FUCKING POINT. HE DOESN’T BELONG IN THIS STORY. And I’m serious if they turn Lena evil after all of their fucking “Lena isn’t Lex” rhetoric, I’m going to scream. I am. Going. To fucking. Scream. You can’t give me two seasons of Kara making everyone believe that Lena is so much more than her last name, two seasons of LENA trying her best to prove that same thing and then do that. You’d be shitting all over your characters, but I don’t think the writers’ room cares about that honestly.
They’re the same people that threw Lena and James together after he spent half a season hating her and then, what? They smiled at each other during a board meeting and BAM. CHEMISTRY. That’s not. How. That. Works. James did not TRUST Lena. You gave us NOTHING that showed him progressing past that. Suddenly, they were just kissing and I wanted to claw my eyes out. I can’t stand that pairing. I can’t. I’m so over James as a character. You can’t have them dating for two episodes and then have him be like “I KNOW LENA BETTER THAN ANYONE” NO. YOU FUCKING. DON’T. LENA HAS FANCY PENS THAT KNOW HER BETTER THAN YOU DO. Get. Fucked. Also? His whole fucking selling Supergirl out after the Kryptonite fiasco, what the fuck was that?? You MASSIVE twat. I’m not saying Kara was in the right, that whole thing was incredibly OOC and just… fuck, I can’t… but to throw her under the bus? When you KNOW Kara and Lena are best friends? How the fuck is Kara supposed to ever tell her now??
And Alex. My sweet, precious Alex. They’ve taken your memories but I wish they’d taken mine. *Sigh* Thankfully, they’ve mostly left Alex alone after WASTING THE POTENTIAL OF SAM AND RUBY ARIAS AND THE ROLE THEY COULD HAVE PLAYED IN ALEX’S LIFE. Like are you fucking kidding me? You have Maggie and Alex break up because Alex wants kids. This after setting up Sam and Ruby’s characters in THE FIRST FUCKING EPISODE OF SEASON 3, SO WE HAVE SINGLE MOM, CHILD, AND ALEX WHO WANTS A FAMILY, THEN ALL THIS FUCKING SUBTEXT BULLSHIT AND PROTECTIVE!ALEX AND VULNERABLE!SAM… and, oh, no, you’re just pissing that away as well? Okay then.
I literally cannot count how many things should have been better. How many things should have been changed or done different over the last two seasons. It makes me want to fucking scream and cry, because I want to keep loving this show. I do. But every time I see James sitting in Cat Grant’s office LIKE HE SOMEHOW HAS THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES TO RUN A FUCKING MEDIA EMPIRE WHEN HE’S JUST. A FUCKING. PHOTOGRAPHER AS FAR AS WE’VE SEEN or whenever Lena does something slightly “questionable” THAT YOU KNOW THE WRITERS ARE USING AS A STEPPING STONE FOR A POTENTIAL “DOWN THE EVIL RABBIT HOLE” PLOTLINE, or every time Kara gets pushed aside so another character can get more screentime I WANT TO CUT SOMEONE.
The new DEO boss needs a(nother) punch.
But I love Brainy. I adore Brainy. Brainy is a very small, very adorable puppy dog that must be protected at all costs. I will fight anyone that says differently.
Thank you for coming to my Red Talk.
#rant#supergirl#what is up with the cw fucking up their own shows#do they not enjoy success?#i'm confused#anon#ask
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“Game of Thrones” Season VIII: Episode 1 - Eighth Verse, Same as the First
All right you sons of bitches, here we motherfucking go. The last six episodes. I want to see you wrapping yourselves up in fur, hopping on your nearest dragon, and shaking your asses... because winter? She’s here.
WARNING: Spoilers for the latest episode below, so if you haven’t seen it and don’t know yet who dies, who fucks who, and just how many times Bran was creeping in his wheelchair, turn back now.
WINTERFELL
Okay, so after the credits are like -
we see this rando little boy running around and we’re kinda like, “Little Boy, what the fuck are you up to?” And he’s like -
And it’s kinda like “Okay, little boy, chill the fuck out because D-Baby and J’Snow are COMING. TO. TOWN.” So they’re strutting in like -
And Arya’s watching like -
but also a little like -
And meanwhile during all this, Barack and Michelle are looking around all -
Anyway, the whole thing is like kinda gorgeous and super nostalgic but like in a good way and we’re kinda like, “This might actually just be really fucking great.” But then D&D are like, “Boy, do we have a fucking treat for you guys, ‘cause the first line of the season? Yeah, it’s gonna be a joke about how Varys doesn’t have a dick!”
And what’s more constant on Game of Thrones than dick jokes? No, aside from gratuitous nudity. No, also aside from sexual violence against women. Yes, that’s right. Dragons. The lone survivors come flying over Winterfell, and Arya’s like -
while Sansa is all -
Truly not having it. Okay, so finally J-Snow winds up in the Winterfell courtyard and we see somebody creeping in the corner of the frame like -
SURPRISE! IT’S BRAN! And J-Snow’s all, “Yo little bro, it’s so crazy to see you. You’re totally a grown ass man now.” And Bran is all -
And we’re like, “Cool, so he’s like TOTALLY just a fucking meme now, got it.”
Meanwhile, tensions are HIGH inside the Meeting Hall when Lady Sophia Grace reads. J-Snow. To. Filth.
And so it’s like drama, drama, drama, but like none of it ultimately matters because guess who’s fucking back with like a REAL White Supremacist haircut?
That’s right. Hide yo kids. Hide yo wife. And also minorities, because... that haircut is a little concerning.
He’s basically like, “Gotta have more coal, gotta have more coal,” while P-Dinky and Sansa have That Awkward Remember When We Got Married talk and Bran watches from the courtyard like -
Then for Reunion #5,765 we’ve got Arya and J-Snow. Arya is all, “You used to be taller,” and J-Snow is like, “You used to seem less like a sociopath.”
Anyway, they bond over Arya’s sword and he’s like, “Have you ever used it?” And she’s just like -
And then J-Snow is like, ‘Look at us, we have swords, we have so much in common, also ISN’T SANSA A BITCH?” And Arya’s just like -
KING’S LANDING
So Cersei is literally dressed like this.
when Uncle Freddie Mercury struts into the Throne Room, and this time he’s brought Jon Bon Jovi along for the ride.
HEY, GURL! So Cersei’s pretty stoked that she has Bon Jovi’s army, but also a little bit like -
Meanwhile, Uncle Freddie’s just got one thing on his mind.
And after putting up a little bit of a fight, Cersei is just like -
And then we just cut to Bronn Piece of Fucking Shit in the middle of this -
when Maester Frankenstein bursts in all -
So the Boob Ladies have gotta go, but not before one of the craziest things ever to happen on this show goes down. First one of the Ladies goes to Maester Frankenstein all -
And then he literally says, “Poor girl. The pox will take her within the year.”
Yeah, glad we’re spending time on this. Anyway, I guess Cersei like... wants Bronn to kill Jaime and P-Dinky. Sure. Next.
Cersei is post-coital and all she can think about is -
While Uncle Freddie is just like, “Girl you make me wanna get you pregnant,” and she’s just like -
Meanwhile, outside on Uncle Freddie’s ship, all the guards are suddenly like -
except legit one of them already has a fucked-up eye before he gets shot. I’m not even kidding, check it back... so I guess, no harm no foul? Anyway, it turns out it’s Theon rescuing his sister. And clearly we’re supposed to all be like -
But instead it’s kinda like -
Like. So easy that they steal a bunch of Uncle Freddie’s ships. Again. Like, Freddie. Get on your shit.
WINTERFELL
Back here, Varys is singing my favorite Harry Styles song.
While D-Baby and J-Snow are running around like -
Like truly has there ever been a piece of entertainment so sure we are invested in a couple and so wrong as Thrones is with these two?
But gird your loins, people because D-Baby is like “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta RIDE MY FUCKING DRAGON.” So J-Snow is like -
and then it just turns into this -
meets this -
Because when your lead actors don’t have chemistry, it’s best to surround them with CGI gobbledegook and then make them say the most fuckboy of fuckboy things ever.
J-Snow: It’s cold up here for a southern girl.
D-Baby: So keep your queen warm.
Anyway, back to the real show.
Much better. So it’s time for the second leg of the Arya Reunion Tour. We’ve got the Hound. We’ve got Gendry. And the Hound is all, “You left me for dead.” And Arya’s all, “Nuh-uh, first I stole that PAPER.” And the Hound is like -
“Peace.” So then it’s just Gendry and Arya. And Gendry’s all, “Gurl you look GOOD.” And Arya’s like, “Yo I hate being called milady except when it’s YOU ON THE OTHER END.” And I’m literally like SALIVATING for these two to just BONE already.
But first Arya shows him some shitty drawing and is like, “Can you make this?” And he’s like -
So then we get to what winds up being the best part of the episode, which is the only time that term can be applied to anything relating to Samwell Tarly. I know, I’m just as surprised as you. So D-Baby struts in to see him and she’s all, “You’re the man.”
And she’s like, “Sure. I mean the man who healed Ser Jorah! THANKS FOR THAT!”
“Oh, also, by the way. I literally burnt your father alive.” And Sam’s all -
But then he’s like, “Wait, but now I can move back in with my brother!”
And she’s like, “Okay so I burnt him alive as well.”
So Sam’s like -
So he’s having a bad day, right? Like it’s horrible enough that he has to deal with this shit, and when he goes outside he almost gets hit by a fucking wagon, but the worst of the worst is that he winds up running straight into -
And it’s like BRAN! WHY HAVE YOU BECOME THE WEIRD WALDORF KID WHO CUTS HIS OWN HAIR AND LISTENS TO WAY TOO MUCH COLDPLAY?!?! AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST SITTING HERE?!?!
Ugh, whatever. So he’s like, “Sam. It’s time to tell Jon the truth.” And Sam’s like, “Oh, bitch, you bet it fucking is.” So he storms down to J-Snow and tells him the two words he needs to hear most.
THE LAST HEARTH
So Ginger Wildling and Eyepatch Dude somehow survived the Wall falling.
And they’re wandering around this place we’ve never been before all -
When suddenly they run into a bunch of Night’s Watch people and That Night’s Watch Dude Who’s Been Around forever shouts the thing I thought all Oscar season about Bradley Cooper -
“STAY BACK! HE’S GOT BLUE EYES!”
But then everybody chills the fuck out and they go into this room where this little dead boy is the centerpiece of some bizarre art installation by the Night Queen.
And they’re like, “Notice the use of light” when suddenly the dead little boy is like -
and they’re like -
Which makes for Child Burning #2 on this show. So that’s good.
WINTERFELL
Okay, so then we’ve got Mysterious Hooded Figure approaching the castle. And I’m like... “Melisandre?” And the show’s like...
And I’m like... “Littlefinger?!?” And the show’s like...
And I’m like... “Beyonce?!?” And the show’s like...
And I’m like -
Until he looks over. And who else should he see but -
This fucking kid.
BOOB COUNT: 3 pairs
BODY COUNT: 1 (RIP Ned Umber, whoever the fuck you are)
EPISODE GRADE: B-
Okay, so this spot used to be reserved for SER POUNCE’S STRAY THOUGHTS, but then D&D announced Ser Pounce is dead because they’re cruel bastards. So I announce the installation of:
THE SER POUNCE MEMORIAL FOR STRAY THOUGHTS
I was one hundred percent down with the echoes of the pilot episode - Arya clocking the little boy watching the procession just as she had, the scoring. I typically hate when movies or shows repeat earlier stuff in their home stretches, but this was well-done and satisfying nostalgia porn.
Why do we continue these ball jokes? Does anybody genuinely think they’re funny anymore? ANSWER ME!!!
There’s a long linger on Bran’s first look at Daenerys. I suppose this could be because he knows she’s Jon’s aunt, but maybe he knows something else in her future. But also who gives a fuck, Bran’s nuts.
Okay, so this Tyrion trusting Cersei shit - there’s gotta be something going on here, because I don’t believe for a second Tyrion would believe she’d actually come unless he, as suspected, struck some kind of deal with her. He says, “She has something to live for now,” which ties back to the moment we cut away from their scene last year. Could he have made some sort of deal about the baby? As in he will fight for the Lannister lineage? I don’t know what this means yet, but I will justify hardcore when the show starts making Tyrion look like a fucking dumbass.
It’s so frustrating that Jon is right - everybody does need to work together - and yet he seems to not accept that it’s completely valid that people should be challenging his leadership tactics after botching two military operations the last two seasons. I’m so over him.
Harry Strickland’s entrance with 6 episodes left feels suspect. Let us not forget that in the books there is the other Aegon who is represented by the Golden Company. We don’t know where that plotline is going, but it’s very possible Strickland is this character incognito, and that he will ultimately be the one to kill Cersei. He has only a few moments in this episode, but his looks at Cersei and the Red Keep are quite loaded.
I hate no character more than Bronn and I am also certain no character will survive more than Bronn.
Moments like the elephant shit turn these characters into campy weirdos that make me wonder if D&D even like these people at all.
I suppose I’m mildly interested in the fact that Cersei has so alienated herself from everyone that she has to turn to Euron for the tiniest bit of comfort. But then I remember that Euron is one of the most lazily-written villains ever and I stop caring.
Boy, the buildup for the Theon rescue mission was so great and boy, the payoff was lousy.
“I don’t know how to ride a dragon.” “Nobody does, until they ride a dragon.” Television writing - so easy a fourth grader could do it.
Dragon doesn’t like Jon kissing Daenerys. Does dragon want to fuck Daenerys?
As much as Sansa is calling Jon on the carpet about his allegiance with Daenerys and his seeming ineptitude at leading, she has even more grounds to be pissed off than she’s showing here. I’m hopeful that we are meant to side with her and that it isn’t the show just giving Jon another free pass for being the de facto “hero” of the show.
And the MVP of the episode shockingly goes to John Bradley, who is heartbreaking in his scene with Daenerys. Moreover, combining the Targaryen reveal to Jon with the notion that Jon may be turning a blind eye to Daenerys’ more psychopathic tendencies sets up a really interesting conflict that hopefully the rest of the season cashes in on. And having it come from the one person Jon knows wouldn’t lie to him made it all the more powerful.
“My father was the most honorable man I ever met” - the words of denial
“You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?”
So obviously the Bran stuff is just a fucking lost cause at this point. But even I will admit the symmetry of the ending with Jaime took me by surprise and gave me chills. I’m not a monster.
NEXT WEEK: Jaime’s got some ‘splainin’ to do.
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