Fun Facts about Parasitic Worms

Did you know that there are parasitic worms that get into your blood or lymph vessels and stay there? Imagine looking down at the veins in your hand and noticing that one of them is moving. It's shifting and squirming. Oh god, there's something inside there. Get it out, get it out! But you can't. There's no way to do it without cutting open your vessels, and you really don't want to do that. So you need to wait. Wait until the antiparasitic works, and pray that it does.

There are also worms that pierce through your skin and make their way to your lungs and when you cough them up, see the writing mass of worms crawling all over your hands, they use it as a way to go back down the other way & get into your digestive system to breed. You may very well have had these worms at some point too, they're apparently pretty common.

-- Fun facts from a vet student

Non is NOT a perfect victim

Or: The meta that will likely get me canceled lmao

Disclaimer: I am not victim blaming Non. I'm not saying that he deserves what happened to him. I'm simply tired of everyone acting like he has no agency and has never done anything wrong. Non was written to be a gray character the same as the others.

I think a lot of people write off the bad ways that Non acted, either because they view the ways he harms others as "not that bad"... or view his actions as being fair or just because of the people they impact. But regardless, the writers clearly wrote Non to make mistakes, hurt the people around him, and not be a perfect victim.

Getting his "friends" involved in money laundering

It would be easy to say that Non didn't know what he was doing was illegal. But he definitely did. Tee brought Non to an illegal casino, hidden behind a restaurant.

Gambling is illegal in Thailand. Non knows in that moment that what he's doing is wrong, and he jumps into the deep end anyway. I'm not making a judgement on him choosing to work with Tee for money - I understand why he did it.

The thing is, Tee basically told Non what he was getting into. Taking him to the illegal casino, laying it all out what they were doing. Non knew he was getting involved in something illegal when he started working with Tee. Non more than likely felt like he had no choice, since he couldn't ask his parents for help, of course.

But Non doesn't do that when he recruits his friends. He blatantly lies to them, telling them it's all for filming, and then uses the accounts they opened for money laundering.

Then, because of the way that Non and the mafia are using the accounts, Jin, Fluke, and Por all got pulled in by the police and questioned. And I know people hate the bullies - but those three aren't the ones that deserved to get arrested at this point in the narrative.

Non covers for them and says it was all on him (truthfully) but it's also out of self-preservation since Tee warned him that he'd be killed if he told the truth.

Lying to and gaslighting his boyfriend

Then we get to the introduction of Phee as Non's boyfriend. And on the surface, they have a happy, cute relationship. But then we go below the surface, and we discover they have issues. Phee is always pushing Non and trying to help him, despite the fact that Non hasn't asked for his help, and doesn't want it. And in return, Non repeatedly lies to Phee.

He starts episode 7 by promising he won't do that, promising he won't lie to Phee.

And within the same episode, Non does exactly that. He lies to Phee's face after Phee catches him with Keng. There's debate on whether or not Non slept with Keng here (I'm personally under the impression that he did, since his shirt is untucked, but we don't know for sure). But regardless, Phee asks Non what was going on, and Non lied to him.

Phee calls him on the pieces of his lie (and yes, I've seen people saying "Phee didn't trust Non!" and yeah, he doesn't, because clearly they have a history of Non lying to Phee). And Non proceeds to turn the entire thing around on Phee, making it about Phee having trust issues and not trusting him.

This is gaslighting. Non flips the script and turns the accusation back to Phee, making Phee the one who is in the wrong because he doesn't trust Non, despite catching Non doing something wrong and suspecting that he's lying.

"(Gaslighting is the) psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator." Definition, Merriam Webster

While gaslighting is usually chronic, that doesn't mean there can't be individual cases. And given the ease with which Non lies to Phee, and the way Phee knows in the past that Non withholds things and makes him promise not to lie, we can tell that Non's lying is a chronic problem in their relationship.

I want to point out here that a lot of Non's actions are signs of hyper-independence which is a trauma response. It's clear that Non has been abused and isolated his entire life and has no framework to know how to ask for help. He "knows" (because of his upbringing) that he can't rely on the people around him, and that help never comes without a price. I don't want to paint him as a villain, he's not just yanking Phee around for the fun of it. But people who are hurt, abused, and in bad situations can and do still hurt other people. Non's hurt doesn't erase the wrong he does to Phee.

Further manipulation of Phee

Non shows further manipulative signs when Phee catches him with Keng. (I will address the cheating thing later but for the purpose of this section - Non was coerced into sex so we as the audience shouldn't label it as cheating, however from Phee's point of view that's clearly what it was).

When Phee catches Non with Keng, the first thing that Non does is apologize, which is good. However, he immediately follows that up by telling Phee to calm down, and telling him that he loves him.

Telling Phee to "stop being upset" implies that Phee is too upset, and that he's not acting rationally. Following that up with "I love you" is designed to slide through the weak spot in Phee's armor. This exchange shoves Phee's emotions to the sidelines and centers Non's instead.

This manipulation is much lighter than the gaslighting earlier, but still made me wince when I saw it. Non is belittling Phee's emotions and trying to recenter it all on Non's love for Phee, because that matters "more" than the hurt and pain that Phee is experiencing. Non is working in CYOA mode - that's another trauma response. He's used to being the target when people are angry, so he's trying to deflect it and make himself the victim. It's a trauma response, but it's still a manipulation.

Planning to murder his friends

This is one of the ones that I point to as "I think people gloss over this because they think the bullies deserve it." But I want to point out that pre-meditating to murder people is still a bad thing to do. Non made a plan, brought a weapon into the woods, and then proceeded to try and kill everyone there.

We can debate whether he could've actually gone through with it - he cuts Top and tries to kill Tee, but then when Jin jumps forward to apologize, Non calms and doesn't swing at Jin. That may very well be because he doesn't know what Jin has done - but despite not knowing those things, Non still crossed out Jin's face and planned his death in the script.

I don't know if, when push came to shove, Non could've actually killed any of them. But regardless of that, he planned to, and hurt some of them.

Again, does that mean he deserves to be sold off to the mafia? NO. Of course not! I just want to point out that premeditated murder is bad.

A note on "cheating"

I mentioned this above, but I want to linger on the point about cheating. Because while I stand by that Non was coerced and assaulted, and therefore we as the audience shouldn't label it as cheating, I still feel like it's important to point out that everyone in the narrative treats it as cheating.

No one - Jin, Phee, Non's parents, etc. treat Non sleeping with Keng as if it's assault. Non doesn't seem to understand he was assaulted either (which is normal for victims of grooming).

Phee and Jin in particular react to Non as if he was cheating on Phee. Their actions are shaped by that assumption.

Should they have seen what happened and known it was wrong? Maybe. But I also did some research onto the laws in Thailand and I'm not actually certain that Keng did anything illegal, since Thailand's age of consent is 15 and there's some murky language in their coercion laws (big ass disclaimer that I'm only able to read things in English and so I'm not reasonably certain it's accurate, but it's the only information that I have access to).

I am reasonably certain that the only person who could've brought charges against Keng was Non, but I'm not certain that he would've had a case (again, because of some murky language).

Obviously that regardless of legality, Keng's actions are still morally wrong. I just want to lend some perspective on why people may have reacted the way they did to the event.

In conclusion: Non is a victim, but not a perfect one

Non is still the ultimate victim in the narrative of the show. He's still the one whose life was destroyed, who was victimized repeatedly by the people around him. But I don't want people to forget that he also made mistakes of his own. Because I'm kind of tired of people acting like anyone who sympathizes with a character other than Non is "missing the point."

Non was written to be a gray character, just like Tee, Jin, Por, Phee, and the others. All of the characters have made mistakes. Have acted selfishly, have hurt the people around them, have done illegal things, etc. The difference is that Non's life is the only one who got ruined. Until the present, of course...

Disclaimer that I'm not saying that all of the characters are the same level of gray, there's obviously a bit of a sliding scale there!

Liveblogging Dead Friend Forever Ep 5

Flashback Time! Let's Go!

only at the 2:40 timestamp and already there's some crunchy little details. Tee has money - where from? He tells Top to go clean the toilets at Por's house for spending money, but we all know that's not what Tee is up to. And it's soooo convenient that there's a short film contest and it just so happens that Por has an idea for it and also a location to shoot in that just so happens to be in the Cult Murder Woods. Here at 2:40 in I am still banging the drum of Por And His Family Are True Believers. Will I be putting on my clown shoes later? Perhaps!

Jin and Tee are both skeptical that they'll be able to pull it off. Por and Fluke are really trying hard to get Tee to agree... Por mentions selling tickets to see the movie and the music changes and you can see Tee fall for it. Why is Tee so desperate for money when he's buying expensive In Game Purchases? does he have a gatcha gambling problem lmao.

Non is so unsure when he comes into the planning room and is immediately bullied! Why are they so mean! He's the only one giving actual ideas! And I see that Jin isn't involved in the bullying and doesn't know the backstory between them. Poor Non does seem a little weird but not in a bad way. The way they're just using him to get a script is so mean!

Wait, are they in a fucking Catholic School hold up i gotta rewind that. "Think Good, Do Good, Be A Good Person" I mean....words to live by i guess. Not that these Mean Girls-ass friends will pay any attention.

Ooooh, Por telling Non to send the script digitally he doesn't want a literal paper trail he is already planning to steal the credit! He's doing all this work and they're still calling him Greasy! These shitheads deserve what's coming to them. Jin is right to call them out about it. No wonder Jin will be the Final Girl. Non, sweetie, please develop some self respect!

ok but like JinNon are being really cute together. no wonder if Non gets a crush on him.

OK OK OK HOLD THE FUCK UP. THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN NON'S PARENTS IS INTERESTING. Non has a sibling they send money to, but they're having money problems and can only afford to pay their bills this month and don't have the money to spare. Non's mom wants to take an emergency loan to cover it and if I learned anything from Kinnporsche one of those things was don't take sketchy emergency loans because the mafia will come after you. Mom mentions to Non that New is studying abroad buuuuuuut....hmmm. it just seems shady.

Non's sure on a lot of pills for a highschooler. also, someone with a heart for their contact name is asking if he took his meds....

Top is the fucking worst. but Por's not any better really. I did laugh at "Move, my beloved Greasy will sit here" and the way the other kids scattered. Por really is throwing his family's money and influence around isn't he. ugh the way Por and Top wipe their hands after touching Non is so gross and mean and awful.

oh no. Hot Teacher just offered to give Non a ride home and i feel nothing but dread.

Gambling Hall! Oh my god i was right about the gambling lmao. Anyway, Tee's in the mafia. so that's fun.

That lady on the board saw Por's name and was like "oh. we definitely don't want to make his parents mad" the way she nudged the other judge!

can't believe they tried to exclude Non from the results reveal oh wait, yes i can. because they're the worst.

Por's mom spoils him but lmao you can see that his dad is just Done even if he does get worn down by mom.

Por is so fucking stupid for leaving that expensive-ass camera in the unlocked classroom. Top is so fucking stupid for messing around with the camera. I hate Top so much oh my god.

oh no. Tee is going to frame Non for it isn't he. that was the money Por was saying he shouldn't have taken from Non isn't it. And we know Non's family has money problems!!! Tee is the worst. lmao at Fluke just being there the whole time.

I like that Jin knows what's up and tried to defend Non.

I really want to know who ❤️ is. Is it New? Is it Hot Teacher?

Boo Tee trying to drag poor Non into his Mafia shit. leave him alone! Haven't you done enough???!

fiiiinally freeing up some time to work on more of my muse intros—phew! hey, everyone—it's just me, ryan (h/h, 25+) back with an intro for another favorite of mine: avi gellar-cho! he's a muse i've picked up, dusted off, and reworked for this space, and i'm actually really stoked to dive into him. in my opinion, he's really cool. he's a voice actor and now podcast host whose based in korea solely because of his husband—it's complicated, but he's really happy!—and though it's taking him some getting used to, he's stoked to learn more about his husband's culture/home!

1.

avi gellar was born and raised in new york city. his parents operate a kosher bakery that's well-loved in their neck of the woods, and he grew up learning all of the family recipes. while it was never exactly a passion of his, he understood why his mom and pop loved to bake so much. he can taste the love in everything they prepare, and although he's over thirty now, he still feels their love, and they definitely still view him as their blue-eyed baby boy.

as a kid, he learned that he did extremely good impressions of his favorite cartoon characters, a skill that he spent far too much time honing, but it kept him out of trouble, so his parents didn't think much of it. that, and he often made them laugh with his impersonations, so they weren't complaining much either. they thought he was quite the character, and so did his peers at school, who revered him as something of a class clown. he dodged bullying by making everyone laugh instead.

it was a fluke chance, but when his dad saw a listing for an open call looking for voice talent for a new series to be launched on a kid's tv network, he told avi about it and avi auditioned, and out of hundred of others, he landed the leading role in the show—marking the start of his career. (side-note: canonically, i'm claiming that he was the og voice actor for aang of atla. why? because i can. 😆)

he's done tons of voice work over the years, and now, he hosts a podcast about voice work; one where he often has other voice actors from all over the world as guests to talk about their shared craft. as of now, he's living in south korea with his husband, who he met along the way after a previous engagement of his failed dramatically. it's daunting to be in a new place, especially one that's more socially conservative than new york, but he's excited to learn more.

2.

avi gellar is funny. that's something that everyone who meets him can say about him. even those who hate him can't deny that his quick wit and comedic timing aren't near-flawless. some say he could've genuinely gone into a career in comedy, but he refrained from that. he never wanted to be a comedian, and he doesn't like being in the spotlight that much. hiding behind animated characters is more his speed.

he's not only funny, but he's also a rock. he's solid. he works hard. he's someone who works within the realm of fantasy lands and animation, but in real life, he's got a practical edge about him that prevents his head from floating into the clouds too often. since he's been involved in the entertainment industry since childhood, he's got great business sense—typical capricorn sun—and makes strategic financial decisions. it's why his fortune from his youth is still supporting him. he's used it wisely.

avi is a work-horse. his willingness to work is immense, and he'll do all he can to ensure that he and his family are supported. he's not the type to sit idly by and hope other people make change in the world. no, he's someone who gets up and gets shit done. he can be a bit hard on those who don't choose to get up and do the work, but it's only because he genuinely doesn't understand that mindset.

want dad advice? avi's your man. he's still young, but there's a way about him that makes him feel genuinely wise beyond his years. that, and he's not afraid to be a critic; to be more stern with people he thinks can use a bit of a wake-up call. his paternal instincts are rather strong, to be honest, and so is his propensity toward using dad jokes.

3.

i'd love any and all plots for him, idk. i'm much easier to brainstorm with than lay out ideas, so let's work something out together! 🥰

This Side of Normal Ch. 10

AO3

Prev

Marinette glances around the silent table, willing Jason to say something. Or do something. Or even Dick. She needed one of them to start a conversation, because Adrien hated awkward silences. And if this silence went on much longer, he was definitely going to say something and then she would regret it. Horribly. 

“These rolls are purr-fect.” Adrien says, out of nowhere. Marinette lets out a groan, of course he’d skip straight ahead to the cat puns. Of course that’s where his freaking mind was tonight. 

“Aren’t they? I’d say Alfred’s cooking is pretty claw-some, myself.” Dick speaks up, grinning at Adrien. Marinette looks at him, wide eyed. 

“That’s it. I’ll find a new trapeze partner and a new best friend. Both of you are out of my life.” She deadpans, ignoring Adrien’s offended gasp. 

“But Bugaboo, who else would give you a hand with your crazy schemes?” Adrien asks, and Marinette turns to him, narrowing her eyes. 

“I swear to god if you take your arm off right now you will never find it again.” She threatens, pointing her fork at him from across the table. 

“But Mari, that joke needs the arm. It doesn’t work without it.” He pouts, she rolls her eyes and turns to Damian. 

“I apologize for him. He thinks he’s funny.” She says, turning her glance back at Adrien. “He’s wrong.” 

“Tt. I’m unbothered by his sense of humor. I have lived with Grayson for eight years. His humor is nothing compared to those horrors.” Damian quips, and Marinette swears his lips almost quirk into a smile. She snorts. 

“Guess I made the right choice in throwing Dick to the curb, huh?” She teases, ignoring Dick’s gasp and Adrien’s reassurance to the man. Honestly, who was the adult here? 

“It was for the best, Dupain-Cheng.” Damian says and Marinette winces slightly. The only person who called her by her last name (in regular conversation, anyway) was Chloe. And while the girl had long since given up full on bullying her, she still wasn’t Marinette’s best friend in the world. 

“You can call me Marinette, my last name is kind of a mouthful.” She says, trying to be nonchalant about it. She’d heard him refer to everyone else as their last name the entire evening. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but him calling her Dupain-Cheng was going to make her uncomfortable in the long run. 

“Very well.” He says, and though he doesn’t say her name, she still counts it as a win. A throat clearing catches her attention and she glances at Jason who was glaring at Damian. 

“What’s up, Jay?” She asks, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Nothing Pixie Pop. Just thinking about the time you kicked the ass of that would be mugger.” He says, and Marinette frowns. Mugger? “You know, the one that was obsessed with you?” He clarifies, and she understands. Copycat had been reakumatized during Jason’s stay in Paris. And he had wanted nothing more than a date with Ladybug. Though, she couldn’t understand why he was bringing it up now. 

“I am so lost.” She admits, shaking her head at her pseudo-brother. He grins. 

“That’s fine, just sharing that you can kick ass with the table. In case someone wants to try something.” He says pointedly. Oh. He definitely caught the heart eyes she sent Damian back in the gym. Can he blame her, though? Her weakness was green eyes. And Damian’s were the greenest. 

“I did walk in on you hogtied, Todd. I assumed she was a reputable fighter after that.” Damian says, and Marinette blushes furiously. 

“I’m sorry, what happened?” Mr. Wayne asks, his vapid (and fake) smile replaced with a faux look of bewilderment. She briefly wondered if it was exhausting, putting on a constant act, until she remembered how tired she was throughout collège, before she started lycée and decided she didn’t really care. Yeah, acting constantly was tiring. But why did he do it? Jason nudges her lightly and she blinks, focusing back on the conversation. 

“Oh, Jason and I sparred. He apparently had forgotten that I use my surroundings to my advantage and that Adrien is always on my side.” She explains, shooting Jason a smug smile. Jason huffs. 

“Not always.” He says, and Marinette raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms and giving him a challenging look. 

“Oh really? Name one time that Adrien took your side instead of mine.” She challenges. She grins as Jason starts to think, obviously wracking his brain. 

“Earlier today!” Adrien pipes up, and she immediately turns to him, glaring. 

“What?” She asks, confused. What had- oh. Of fucking course. “That doesn’t count!” She protests, narrowing her eyes. 

“Why not?” Adrien asks, raising an eyebrow in a challenge. She scoffs. 

“Because it wasn’t a fight or argument or anything. It was a joke.” She says. 

“Are you talking about the adoption shit, cause that was definitely not a joke. All the kids B adopts definitely have trauma and certain features.” Jason cuts in, and Marinette sighs. Of course he would clue in. 

“But- no. No. That was a fluke. A glitch in the matrix, obviously. You literally cannot name a singular other time. And technically, ya big jerk, you didn’t even name this time. Adrien did.” Marinette points out, glaring at Jason. 

“I’m sorry, how long have you three known each other?” Mr. Wayne cuts in again, and this time- this time- she sees that some of the confusion on his face is real. But it looks odd, like he wasn’t used to expressing a real emotion. She really needed to remind herself to talk to Jason about this later. She didn’t necessarily want to make it a habit to stick billionaire fathers with asshole tendencies in jail, but she would. She’d do it for her boys. Any day of the week. She hums in thought, adding up the time. The anniversary of Gabriel’s defeat had been a few weeks ago, which meant-

“We’ve known Jason for just over a year.” She says, before glancing at Adrien and grinning. “But I’ve been stuck with this goof for four years.”

“You know you love me.” Adrien says with a wide grin. She rolls her eyes. 

“How exactly did you meet Jason?” Mr. Wayne asks, and she kind of wants to throw her fork at him. What was it, interrogate the random kids at dinner night? Though, to be fair, they were random kids in his house. But she refused to like the man until she’d talked to Jason about the potential assholeish tendencies. 

“He helped me learn some self defence after I got caught up in an akuma attack.” Marinette lies smoothly. Well, it was technically a half truth. But the Waynes didn’t need to know that she was always caught up in akuma attacks. 

“Akuma?” Mr. Wayne asks, and Marinette glances at Jason with a frown. Had he not told his father about anything? Not even the basics? 

“Wait, is that what the thing that flooded Paris is called?” Dick asks suddenly and Marinette nearly flinches from the memory. That was one of the akumas that still gave her nightmares. One of the ones that was burned in the back of her eyelids when all she wanted was to sleep. And not think about bloated corpses and dead classmates for one goddamn minute. She lets out a steadying breath, glancing at Jason whose face had changed from annoyance to concern. She resists the urge to roll her eyes. She could talk about akumas. It was the past. Sure, she had refused all of the therapy options her parents gave her and Adrien, but she didn’t need it. She was fine. 

“Yeah. Technically, her akumatized name was Siren. But, the general term for those attacks was ‘akuma’.” She says, gripping her fork a little tighter than necessary, grounding herself with Tikki’s reassuring nudges from inside her purse. 

“There were more?” Dick asks, his eyes wide. Marinette glances at Jason and raises an eyebrow. Why had he not said anything? He’d been there for an entire month of Hawkmoth’s reign. He’d seen dozens of akuma attacks. Jason shrugs. Thank Jay. Super helpful. 

“When you get down to it, there were probably hundreds if not thousands more. Some people, like Siren, were turned into the same akuma several times. Some people became a different akuma when they were akumatized again. I think it just depended on the person or their issue.” Marinette explains, hating how dry her mouth felt all of a sudden. She could talk about this. She could. So why was everything a little too bright? Why was the sound of forks against plates a little too loud? 

“Did the Justice League stop it?” Damian asks, though by his tone, he seems to already know the answer. Odd. 

“No, the local heroes did. Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Marinette says, ignoring the constricting feeling in her chest. 

“Why-” Mr. Wayne starts, but Jason clears his throat. Everyone glances at him, and Marinette is unsurprised to see the flicker of anger in his eyes. Especially after she glances at Adrien and sees how pale he’s gotten. She kicks him lightly under the table to get his attention, frowning at him in a silent question. He nods, slightly. She purses her lips, not believing for a second that he was actually okay. But they could talk later. Away from eager ears. 

“I’m sure you remember what Dick said about my phone call from when I first arrived in Paris. Marinette and Adrien dealt with attacks like that interrupting their day to day lives from thirteen to sixteen. I get that you’re not the best at knowing when to drop the damn topic, but I really think you should drop the damn topic.” Jason says, and though he’s smiling, Marinette can see the danger behind it. The warning. ‘Drop it, or I’ll make you’. 

“My apologies, it was just so interesting.” Mr. Wayne says and this time Marinette winces at the falseness in his voice. And the smile on his face. God, this man could not have lasted a day in Hawkmoth’s Paris. 

---

Finally, finally, dinner was over. After the akuma talk ceased, it was extremely awkward. Mr. Wayne looked like he would rather be anywhere else. And Marinette couldn’t blame him, wanting nothing more than to get back to her hotel room and away from the constant lack of real emotion on the eldest Wayne’s face. It was tiresome, just watching him. 

“Thanks again, for having us.” Marinette says, mostly directing her comment to Dick and Alfred. Alfred just nods. 

“Of course! Come back any time. Really soon, actually, so we can work more on the trapeze. I can’t lose my new trapeze buddy.” Dick says with a wide smile. Marinette holds back a sigh, nodding instead. She liked Dick, she did. But she’d definitely have to make sure that Mr. Wayne wouldn’t be around. She still wasn’t sure what to think of him. 

“You should also spar with me, some time.” Damian speaks up and Marinette blinks in surprise. 

“Spar. With...you?” She says, tilting her head in confusion. That came out of nowhere. 

“Yes. You took down Todd easily, and I am far superior. You would actually have a challenge if we sparred.” He says. She smirks, and suddenly, with a burst of confidence she didn’t know she had, says:

“Sure thing, Pretty boy.” Before turning and walking straight out the door. The second she’s outside, she drops her head into her hands. “I can’t believe I just said that.” She mumbles under her breath. 

“Pretty boy?” Adrien says with a smirk, she glares at him and moves down the front steps. 

“Fuck you.” She says, no real venom in her voice. The boy knew how she got around crushes. He’d seen it firsthand. With him. With Luka. With Kagami. With the girl with bright green eyes who worked at the coffee shop across the street from the bakery. She was an absolute disaster. He was worse, but still. He wasn’t the one with the quickly developing crush on the youngest Wayne. 

“Pretty boy?” Jason asks, a scowl on his face as he catches up to the two. 

“Not another word, Jason.” She scowls at him, crossing her arms defiantly. He holds his hands up in surrender. 

“Sure.” He says. Her mind rushes suddenly to her previous thought. Youngest Wayne. Damian Wayne. Hadn’t Lila- she snorts, before erupting into uncontrollable laughter, ignoring the worried looks from Adrien. 

“I- oh my god, Jay.” She manages to say, straightening up and following Jason to the car he was borrowing to drive them back to the hotel.

“I’m completely lost.” He says.

“Join the club.” Adrien adds, and Marinette just laughs again. 

“Your little brother is Damian Wayne.” She says, as if it should be obvious. Jason doesn’t get it, and neither does Adrien. But after a moment-

“Oh my god, that’s hilarious!” Adrien cries, letting out a chuckle. Jason huffs as the trio get into the car. 

“Care to share with the class?” He asks, and Marinette snorts. 

“Absolutely not, I dislike the majority of those people.” She says, referring to the group who was hopefully already in their rooms and not in the lobby of the hotel. “Now it’s funny that your brother is Damian Wayne because Lila made us come to Gotham instead of New York and London, because she’s dating him.” She explains and Jason scoffs. 

“Yeah right.” 

“Obviously she’s not actually dating him, Jay. But it’s freaking hilarious that she thinks she’s gonna get away with it. He definitely goes to Gotham Academy, and people are definitely going to call her out.” She says, not even trying to hide the absolute glee she’s feeling. If there was ever a time for all of Lila’s lies to come crashing down around her, now would be good. When she can’t just run away and claim Marinette set it up. If people Marinette didn’t even know called Lila out, well, that would be irrefutable evidence, right? 

“Her regime is gonna topple and I’m gonna take you guys out for ice cream to celebrate.” Jason declares and Marinette laughs again. She was so against the idea of Gotham originally, but now, with Jason at their sides again, she’d decided that it wasn’t so bad. Suddenly remembering what had been on her mind most of the night, she turns to Jason. 

“Jay, I have a serious question. And I know it’s a little hard to talk about but just know that we’re here for you to support you, and that we’ll figure out a way to make sure you and your brothers are safe and-” 

“Whoa, Pix, calm down kiddo. You’re rambling again.” He says gently, furrowing his eyebrows. He pulls the car over to the side of the road and turns to put his full attention on the two. “What’s bothering you?” He asks. 

“Is Mr. Wayne abusive?” She asks and Jason blinks. “I saw how hesitant you were to call him your father, and you were tense around him a lot of the night. And I don’t think the man had one legitimate expression all night. He was acting the whole time.” Marinette says, looking at him worriedly. “Look, Jay, I don’t necessarily want to make a habit of putting billionaires in jail, but I’d do it for you.” 

“Is he- you would-” Jason stops and lets out a breath, obviously trying to compose himself. “No, kiddo, he’s not.” He finally says. Marinette frowns. 

“Really?” She asks, and he sighs. 

“Yeah, look. Our relationship has been...rough, for a couple years. We had a sort of falling out when I was a teenager and I stopped talking to him for several years. We reconnected a while ago, but it’s still rocky at times. I don’t usually call him dad or father or anything. He’s just Bruce, or B, to me.” Jason explains and Marinette nods, letting out a small sigh of relief. 

“I was worried, Jay.” She admits, and Jason grins at her before pulling away from the curb again. 

“I didn’t even catch on.” Adrien says with a frown. Marinette rolls her eyes, smiling at him with fondness. 

“Course you didn’t Kitty. Reading people isn’t really your strong suit.” She says with a small smile. He huffs, but nods in agreement. 

“True.” He says and Marinette laughs. She could officially take Bruce Wayne off her ‘threat to be dealt with immediately’ list and move him to ‘possible future annoyance’ list. A big improvement for the man, and it would mean she wouldn’t be as tense around him the next time she saw him.

Next

Tag list: @toodaloo-kangaroo @laurcad123 @kittenmywaythrulife @lost-in-the-world-of-maribat @queenz-z @daminette-56

thoughts about chloé/her potential for redemption

thomas recently made some interesting comments about chloe on twitter (which you can read in this post). i’ve been thinking about chloé’s potential redemption arc for a while now, so i wanted to respond to those comments that seem to shut down the possibility of redemption

i have to start by saying that by no means am i a chloé stan, and i am the furthest things from a marinette salter lol (just clarifying because thomas’s points call out those two groups in particular, which are usually the same group). i am also generally supportive of thomas/the writing team and like the direction the show is going. but this is one case where i am hoping it will turn out differently than he’s implying.

what thomas says totally makes sense—that people have a tendency to cling to any good deed in a bad person in their desperation to prove that they are good deep down, and that sometimes people are just Bad, even if they occasionally do a good thing (usually with the wrong motivation). OP also has a good point about people getting angry because the story is going a different way than what they think it should be.

here’s my thought, though: one of the things i like about ML is that it continues to surprise me—not just for the sake of shock value, but so that it can develop in new and interesting directions. but i personally wouldn’t consider “class bully remains a bully forever despite multiple episodes devoted to her character development” a new and interesting direction lol. maybe a chloé redemption would not be “new and interesting” either, but it at least would be meaningful.

i don’t want to overfocus on chloé’s few good deeds when they are so clearly outweighed, by her bad ones. but from a storytelling perspective, they tend to hold extra narrative weight as behavior that is distinctly different from the norm. And tbh i guess i just don’t really understand why they were put in the story if they were never going to amount to anything. i’m thinking of moments like these:

if chloé was never meant to have a meaningful character arc ending in self-redemption, why were they included? you could argue that these were all flukes or that her motivation was corrupt, which is true, but doing good with the wrong motivation is still a start. (I just rewatched the Good Place so I’m thinking of that, lol. “Remember, that's the road map. First, we change the behavior. Then, we work on motivation.”)

maybe chloe was merely intended to be a foil for marinette and adrien—to force marinette into test moments to help her grow and to emphasize how different adrien turned out from chloé despite having similar “tragic backstories.” but so much thought and planning seems to have gone into her development that i have to assume there’s more to it.

from what i’ve seen, most good redemption arcs have the same key ingredients:

establish that the character is Bad

create audience sympathy early on

introduce a secondary villain that people hate more

force them into growth opportunities that show glimmers of their redemptive potential

just when it seems like they might be changing, have them make a terrible choice and hit rock bottom 

allow them to experience the consequences of that mistake and finally have the wake-up call to inspire true remorse and a conscious choice to change

show them actively trying to be a better person

the redemption arc that comes to mind most easily for me is Zuko from Avatar—and i actually see a lot of similarities in how his story and chloe’s are told. so far, chloe has hit all the checkmarks except the last couple—the final steps to seal the deal. obviously she’s been marinette’s enemy and a totally bully from episode 1, we get audience sympathy through her mother’s mistreatment and her insecurities about it, we have lila to win the Most Hateable award, and all the scenes i showed above are examples of her buried potential.

what i’m saying is that everything is set up perfectly for a redemption arc, if that’s what the writers choose to do. they may not, and if that’s the case, i accept that (albeit with some disappointment). but i also can’t help but wonder why would go through all this trouble to set up an arc they didn’t plan to see through. it honestly seems like a waste to me.

maybe they originally planned to redeem chloe and decided later to drop it. i almost hope that’s the case if we don’t get a redemption because the alternate explanation is that they are sending a very intentional message of, “some people are simply irredeemable.” which is is definitely true and could be a poignant message for a more mature audience, but we have to remember that despite the considerable number of adult fans, Miraculous Ladybug is still a children’s TV show. And that seems like a pretty bizarre and disappointing message to send to children. thomas is of course correct that children don’t root for the villains, and they’re obviously not going to be sitting around analyzing her redemption arc like i am right now, lol. but i also think that they would absolutely pick up on the significance of the scenes i listed above, and if chloé started making good choices on her own, they would embrace that and find it meaningful.

as someone who also makes a living creating content for children, i will always be on the side of a positive message rather than a negative one. i don’t want to tell children that people suck and there is no hope—i want to empower them and inspire them. at its core, miraculous is a story of two kids who overcome all the obstacles to keep choosing love and keep fighting for good no matter what—who choose to be heroes every day, whether they’re suited up or not. we hear that message in the intro before every episode: “the power of love always so strong.”

so where does chloe’s story fit into that, if redemption is not in the cards for her? obviously, she is a side character and her arc/development is not nearly as important as marinette and adrien’s. but it’s been given enough focus/screentime that it feels important, and whatever the resolution is will send a message, either positive or negative.

the thing is, there have already been a ton of positive messages worked in around chloé:

if chloé ends up being Irredeemable™️, that would seem to contradict all of these messages—because it would turn out that some people are useless, that setting a positive example has no impact, that some people are simply incapable of change. and that just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, especially when it comes to children’s content. on the flip side, if she does redeem herself, these are the messages the writers would be sending:

Everyone has potential to become a better person, no matter their past. You can always grow from your mistakes.

Your example is powerful. Kids can make a difference! Ladybug/Marinette was a role model for Chloé, her childhood bully, and that influenced Chloé to want to be a better person. (I’m ofc not meaning that any expectation/burden should be placed on Marinette to forgive Chloé or give her more chances that she doesn’t deserve—but this point would still be a powerful one if a Chloé redemption did happen.)

Heroism is not about your abilities; it’s about your choices. Having superpowers is not what makes you a hero—you’re a hero when you choose to do the right thing every day and treat other people with kindness and love.

That last one is the most significant for me, since it would support the core message of ML—something that is emphasized over and over again throughout the show

And, interestingly, it could even be achieved without Chloé ever getting back the bee miraculous or any miraculous at all. In fact, I think that could be a really meaningful resolution to her redemption. Showing her choosing to be a hero without a mask just by doing good things on her own.

In the end, I really have no idea whether a Chloé redemption will happen. If I were only looking at what’s been presented in the show, I would be pretty confident that they were following the usual redemption arc formula. But Thomas’s comments seem to contradict that and imply that Chloé is just there to be an obstacle and a symbol of the ugliest parts of humanity. I’m trying my best to keep an open mind and accept whatever the writers have planned—after all, this is my favorite TV show and they have managed to create a story that I’m really invested in, so they’ve earned a pretty certain level of trust from me and I’m excited to see what’s in store in season 4. I’m definitely pulling for a redemption for all the reasons above and will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen, but at the very least, Chloé has served a purpose to challenge and develop both Adrien and Marinette, and the fact that she had a few small moments of hope makes her a more interesting and developed character, even if she ultimately remains an antagonist.

White ppl don't like getting called out for their bullshit and racism so the first thing they'll do is clutch their pearls and act as if they're some kind if victim when we voice our grievances with fandom and wanna act dumb and be like "well what am I supposed to do, how is it my fault?!"

I'll tell you what you can do: get over the victim mentality and actually listen to us when we point out harmful behaviors that are often perpetuated by white people in fandom spaces (some may be unintentionally, but still) call out the people who are and use your platform to help bring awareness to the issues we face in fandoms

BIPOC get treated like shit in fandoms--if the fandom isn't treating the bipoc characters like shit, then they're doing it to actual living people. And when you vent or wanna talk about "hey, this certain issue is bothering me" then they try and act dumb or deflect from the issue.

Like: just let us vent and don't automatically victimize yourself and don't speak over us. It's not hard

The memories this just brought back. Not everyone gets to escape in fandom.

My own misadventures through the years in a couple different fandoms: Wait a sec, why is the only Black character missing from all these main cast edits? So The Hunger Games wasn't a fluke and people will bully actors off social media if characters are racebent or the audience lacked the reading comprehension to realize they weren't white? Why do people only seem to care about platonic m/f friendships when there are poc invovled? Why are these characters way more aggressive than they've ever been shown in canon in fics? Yay, feminism but it's weird that no one notices that this character’s #girlboss moments are always happening at the expense of Black and brown characters? Why do people hate and vilify this character for doing the exact same thing other characters have done? Woah, why are these actors' mentions so horrible? Why is this character a ridiculously supportive friend, but being painted out as a bully?

The answer: it's the racism.

“A person of color—or even a character of color—faces dire consequences when he or she steps outside of his or her assigned place, or flips the script in any way.”

-Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, The Dark Fantastic

I’m Not A Witch

Characters ( Cordelia Goode, Misty Day, and Reader)

Word Count 3k

Warnings (Minor drug use 💨)

You don’t have a bad background, in fact your life is pretty cushy but not without its problems namely...you being able to do things with your mind but you have no control. Thankfully, Cordelia and Misty scoop you up before you head down a path of self-destruction. Platonic af but there could be something if you squint I think 🤔

~~

New Orleans was a world different from New York. A world different. You were born and raised in New York—it was your whole life, and you never really thought about a life outside of the city that never slept. Why would you want to leave the city that everyone wanted to be apart of? Well that's what you thought for twenty-three years.

You lived a comfortable life your entire existence, you didn't have to struggle nor were you ever afraid of your future. Your parents always made sure that you were well taken care of, nothing but the best for you and you knew how fortunate you were especially being a foster kid. You were born to Mr and Mrs Hawthorne, a wealthy couple who couldn't have a baby of their own so they went with the next best thing that money could afford—surrogacy.

It had taken your parents months to find the perfect candidate as Mr. Hawthorne, your father, would use his own semen (yikes dad). But that was all that you knew, you had no idea the identity of the woman they hired to carry you for nine months other than she was the nicest young woman your mother has ever met.

It wasn't a topic that could've been avoided as you got older and noticed that your complexion was a few shades more than theirs. But thankfully your parents were always open and honest with you, even at a young age. Of course you had a nanny growing up, both of your parents were lawyers—their time was always stretched far too thin, but you weren't a neglected child nor were you ungrateful and they loved you so much for it.

Which was why you never told them about your newfound skill when you hit your sweet sixteen—everyone thought the candle that nearly melted your entire birthday cake was a fluke incident but you knew that it wasn't. You had felt the heat of the fire as you watched your father set the tip of the match against the wick of the candle. For a brief moment you wondered what would've happened to your cake if it was on fire, you thought it would look pretty badass. You hadn't exactly expected it to actually happen! But it did and thankfully no one was injured just thoroughly freaked out.

Your parents laughed it off, quite nervously, but you never said anything about it to them and they never really brought it up again anyway. Unbeknownst to them, of course they were always at work and the penthouse housekeeper wasn't required twenty-four seven, you were able to fool around with your newfound hobby with relative peace in your room. Well until you nearly set the place on fire twice in the same month, after that you just went to the roof and googled meditation practices on google.

You only ever couldn't control the fire unless you were an emotional wreck. For two years, you kept that secret to yourself and if you didn't have friends before you sure as shit didn't then. No one really liked you anyway, your parents were richer than most of everyone else's and your parents actually gave a damn about you and not just about how you were going to make them look in the future.

They tried to bully you about your height but you weren't a punk, so that was short lived. Students envied you but that was okay. They didn't have anything to offer you, that's what your mom always told you anyway. Besides there was nothing wrong with being short, it just meant you had more to offer. Of course.

When you turned eighteen, you discovered something else about yourself...and you weren't exactly sure what you wanted to call it but you could always tell if someone was lying to you if you listened hard enough.

You weren't sure how it worked but you never took any real notice to it until your ex girlfriend, and your only girlfriend, lied to you and you felt a bit of a...you wouldn't say it was a jolt but your insides felt the same type of tingle when your foot fell asleep or something.

That's how you figured out your first love (high school, right?) was cheating on you...you hadn't dated anyone after that. How could you when all people did was lie?

And the minute they learned that you were a Hawthorne...it was done. You saved yourself the heartache and just focused on the future. You managed to graduate college a year early and you didn't go to jail for arson, yet.

The older you got and the more you learned about how shitty people could be, meditation and yoga stopped working so well for you and you ended up joining a gym. No martial arts or anything like that, you didn't have the time for it, but you hired a trainer and five days a week that’s what kept you grounded.

Presently...

You weren't currently working, well not anymore. Less than a month ago you were a nurse at Mercy hospital as a CRNA. It was a late night already and an unruly patient was brought in for a gunshot wound. Somehow he managed to slip out of his bonds and before anyone could stop him, the bastard had his hands around your throat and you'd...you just fucking panicked and he ending up burning to death from the inside.

No one knew how it happened they couldn't even prove that you had even done anything, but you were fired on the spot anyway...and your parents had to shovel out a good amount of money and blackmail to keep your name from the papers.

You hadn't searched for a job after that, what was the point? Your name may not have been dragged through the papers but you sure as hell weren't gonna be working at any hospital anytime soon. At least...not in Manhattan.

But after what happened...what you did to that man, the cruelty of it? Why would you? You'd been high strung after that and you picked up a habit you ditched after you left college.

It just helped you regulate your emotions better and to think, plus you just liked the way it made you feel. It also helped with the nightmares that would plague you every night, and the scene was always the same. He was always on top of you screaming to a pain too gruesome for words.

Your parents tried therapy but you were stubborn besides your medicine was better than theirs anyway.

Your father didn't know about your newfound hobby but your mom did, and she wasn't going to tell him either. She was just thankful that it wasn't crack or cocaine—she could deal with her daughter turning into a weed connoisseur. But she would not support an unproductive one.

That was exactly why she was on her way back into the city to your penthouse with two guests in tow. Doing her best not to cry in front of these two women who have proven to her that they could not only help you but take care of you in a way that she couldn't.

But she knew when your birthday cake went up in flames...she had been watching you the entire time, and in that moment...every warning and tale that your birth mother told her came to light. But she made a promise to love you like you were her own, because you were, and she'd love every freaky little tic that came with you.

As a mother it was hard for your mom to accept that this wasn’t something that she could do for you. But she was woman enough not to stand in the way of her daughter's success...whatever it was that you chose to do.

~~

You were sitting out on your balcony wearing your black robe with nothing else on except a pair of panties and your Prince tank top that you should've gotten rid of years ago but it was still one of your favorite—holes and all. You'd been blissfully in your own little world for a few hours now with your iPad sitting in your lap with some Stevie Nicks playing in the background over the speakers coming from inside your penthouse.

It was just the right volume that it wasn't too loud but the city noises didn't drown it out either. You'd just polished off your fourth bowl, something grape...whatever, you were just enjoying your time. You went back to drawing, head bopping softly and you were so lost in your own little world you didn't realize that you were alone in your penthouse. There were three different sets of high heels that you missed though you just about jumped out of your skin when your mother came into view via your peripherals.

“Oh!” you smiled bright and wide, eyes a tad bit low, “Hey mom, what are you...um...who are they?” you sat up quickly, unaware that your robe fell open with the movement and your mom nearly facepalmed. You set your tablet aside, doing a double take at the blonde with the curly hair that was lowkey dancing to Fleetwood playing in the background. You looked at your mom, your smile morphing into a confused frown, “Mom?”

“Sweetheart,” your mom soothed back a long strand of dark hair and cleared her throat softly which worried you even more because your mom was never one to be nervous, ever, “This is Cordelia Goode and Misty Day.”

Subconsciously you reached into your robes pocket and pulled out a bright orange stress ball you got from the bodega for a whopping five bucks. (You had to have been high as fuck not to argue that price down but whatever.) You squeezed it softly, licking your dry lips, “Um...hi? Did I do something to you guys too? If I did I'm so sorry, I—”

“No, baby, no,” your mother sat next to you, quickly fixing your robe and your messy hair and Cordelia's brown eyes shot to Misty, who had immediately stopped dancing, “Just...are you hungry? Orange juice maybe?”

“Mrs. Hawthorne?” you looked up at the blonde woman came up behind your mother with a soft smile, “If I may, in my experience it is always better to just rip it off just like a band-aid.”

“Rip what off?” you pulled away from your mom, scooting away and hated seeing that hurt look on her face but there was something going on, you were not that paranoid.

“Honey, this is just a little intervention and—”

Laughing, you scooted away from your mom again, “What? Mom, it’s just pot—”

Your mom waved away your comment with a roll of her eyes, “Honey, I don’t care about the grass—”

“Then what…”

“Zip!”

You quickly shut your mouth when your mom said that and have you that look, it was one you knew quite well growing up. It baffled you how it was still working on you.

Your mom sighed, “It's just for a little while and I'll make sure that this place is well cared for.”

“Wait what?! You're sending me away??”

“(Y/n).” the blonde, Cordelia, pulled your attention from your mom who was crying, Cordelia sat on the edge of your coffee table carefully while Misty continued to hover in the background curiously, but prepared in case you got jumpy, “We just want to help you, okay? We're not here to kidnap you or harm you in any way.”

“I can't be helped,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes even as the tears spilled over, “I—I don't know what you think you know, Miss Goode but...”

“I know quite a bit, (Y/n),” Cordelia held out her hand and suddenly your stash box flew past your head making you flinch but Cordelia caught it just fine and you stared at her wide eyed, “You and I? We aren't so different and at Miss Robichaux's academy for exceptional young ladies...we teach young witches such as yourself how to survive in the modern world.”

“Witches? You think I'm a witch? No way, mom c'mon...the...the stash box trick was cool and all, but witches? Mom! Mom please, you're not buying this are you?” but even as you questioned it, you knew that they were telling the truth and that's what scared you the most. “How do you know they're not trying to use this for your money?”

“We're not, I promise! We don't need your family's money, (Y/n). All we want is to help you.”

“Listen to her, honey, this is for your benefit, okay? And...these women are very nice people, so don't give them trouble, not that you would, right?”

You looked over your mothers shoulder at Misty, the woman offering you a smile and a playful wink.

You exhaled heavily, your eyes sliding back to your mom, “...and you're not getting rid of me right? Because of...what I can do? Or what I've done?”

“No! Absolutely not, it was an accident! If anything it was the faulty bonds they put that monster in! Honestly,” your mother huffed, “your father and I still have half a mind about suing that hospital…”

“But not without having to drag my name through the mud.” You mumbled, sighing heavily.

“I love you, (Y/n), so damn much. Yes, we would’ve gotten millions but you’re worth much more to your father and I, don't you forget that,” Your mom reached over and grabbed your hand, squeezing gently before standing and quickly gathering her Prada bag, “and...don't worry about your father with all of this. I'll break this to him myself but baby...promise me that you will try?”

You bit your bottom lip, nodding slowly and holding her hand tighter almost painfully so before surging up and hugging your bother tight, and even though she was in high heels your slight frame made it easy for her to catch most of your weight. She hugged you back just as fiercely, kissing your forehead twice before letting you go.

“And here—for emergencies and whatever you might need, honey.” your mom pushed her black card into your trembling hands, the weight of it denser than you expected it to be and it made you laugh, of course your mom would shove money at you. It was her love language, you stopped questioning it a very long time ago but you never took advantage of it. “I love you so so much.”

Cordelia watched the entire exchange silently with an ever curious eye, even daring to risk raising an eyebrow when she saw your mom push that unmarked card into your hands before skirting off. Your mom reminded her a bit of her own mother...money was Fiona’s love language as well.

But your mom was much more pleasant, her love for you blossomed like a rose rather than a thorn bush.

You exhaled shakily, hands fidgeting in front of you, “I...what now?”

“Now we get down to business,” Misty smiled at you, stepping into the space your mom once occupied and took your hands in both of her own, “Your mama is resourceful, she tracked us down and everything, but it wasn't like it was all that hard since Delia and I were lookin' for you too.”

“You...you were?” you looked over your shoulder at Cordelia still sitting on your coffee table, “Why?”

“We heard about what happened to the man at the hospital and even though you weren't named, it wasn't that hard to track you down and we happened to cross paths with your mother.”

“Figures...” you nodded, sniffling again and you quickly pulled your hands from Misty when a breeze hit your skin—reminding you how indecent you were among two strangers.

You fixed your robe again and quickly sat down and Misty followed you down, bouncing slightly almost a little too close—your high was completely worn off at this point, “Earlier you said that you were helping wit...people like me live in the modern world? What?”

“Yes, we help witches such as yourself avoid situations like the one you currently experienced.”

You raised an eyebrow at her wording and she smiled at you when you met her eyes. You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest—appearing unbothered even if you were still sniffling, damn. Your mood swings were going to give you whiplash one of these days.

“You don’t really expect me to go around calling myself a witch do you?”

Cordelia’s eyes narrowed a fraction, “What I expect, (Y/n), is for you to actually make an attempt. There will be rules and the sooner you drop the attitude, the easier this will be for all of us—you especially.”

You opened your mouth to argue back but then you quickly shut your mouth, your mom's words bouncing around in your head to stop causing trouble. Along with the promise you made to her.

Misty was sitting still next to you, and though you couldn’t see it—her eyes were darting back and forth between you and Cordelia with a bit of a grin trying to break free.

“Right, and um where is this school of yours again? If I even agree to this at all?”

Cordelia gave you a look that you couldn't really decipher, “Miss Robichaux's academy is in California.”

Your eyes flew back to hers immediately, “I don't wanna go around calling you a liar Miss Goode, I only just met you...but you and I both know that's not true.”

“Ah, so it is true...you do have some form divination.”

She led you right into a trap and you couldn’t even be annoyed by that, Cordelia was proving to be a lot more than she appeared. “Divination? What is that? Is there anything my mom didn't tell you?”

“Well, she didn't tell us ya favorite food.” Misty supplied unhelpfully, attempting to break the building tension with poor humor. And you couldn't hold back your smile, deciding that you liked her a lot.

“You're a walking lie detector, dear. That's quite handy in today's world.”

Misty chuckled before one of her arms came around your shoulders, “Oh yes, and Madison is just gonna love you!”

“Don't worry, you’ll fit right in.” Cordelia chuckled, still sitting directly across from you and there was a bit of a twinkle in her brown eyes, she knew you were going to be trouble and that she would have to keep a close eye on you. But if there was one thing that Cordelia enjoyed, it was a challenge.

~~

I dunno what I’m doing for real lol it’s 1am and I’m in my garage on a tablet 😅😅I thought this was fun

Do you mind elaborating on why do you think Amity's arc was rushed, that you don't think she has a personality anymore and that lumity isn't right neither for the characters or the story? I'm kinda curious to read your reasoning.

oh fuck yeah dude sure.

amity went from one of the most interesting characters to one of the most stagnant right when she got that crush on luz. she goes from being an antagonist to challenge luz to being a conflicted ally dealing with intense pressure and parental abuse to just standing around and blushing whenever luz walks by and it all happens in less than half a season.

literally, the turning point is the moment she first blushes at luz. then she has little to do and her development is pretty much skipped through. every now and then you get a really compelling moment where you see that she isn't done growing yet* but for the most part she loses all steam and nearly all her appearances revolve around Being Into Luz. the ones that aren't, where she gets to deal with her own shit, honestly just feel like flukes.

like... controversial opinion: the grom episode? where we learn that amity's Darkest Fear is... being turned down by her crush? you're telling me this girl with That Kind Of Toxic Relationship to her parents, all the pressure of carrying her family name and inheriting all their wealth and power, and of balancing all her obligations at school and to her shitty friends... is most afraid of being told 'nah i don't wanna dance with you' by a girl she has known for a few weeks? are you kidding me. that's dumb. especially since for practically all of season 1, luz is totally indifferent about her crush.

there's another thing: lum!ty is imbalanced, both a) in its pacing and b) in its execution as it relates to the story as a whole.

a) i'm okay with characters developing crushes at different times. when it's done well it can be really juicy. but this doesn't hit with me because that crush becomes all amity has. she loses her arc/speeds right through/around it and then just... sits there, pining, while luz is off doing bigger better things and feeling nothing for her.

i like that the moment luz starts to reciprocate is when amity actually starts standing up for herself and what she wants, but an entire season of waiting for that with nothing else was too much. it's got that... ending-of-sky-high-vibe? where after layla spends a whole movie pining after will, who clearly could give af about her, he suddenly goes Actually Let's Date Now after he went off and had other adventures. just... ugh. it just hammers in that amity isn't a character first, she's the love interest first. good romances treat both parties like they're equally important, and bc of that imbalance, lum!ty just hasn't done that.

(also people love to praise lum!ty as Enemies To Lovers but... bitch no it's not. they were schoolmates who didn't like each other for thirty seconds, amity did one genuinely mean thing to luz once, then they buried the hatchet right away and only caught feelings after all that antagonism was well behind them. they're not even rivals-to-lovers. they're girl-and-her-new-friend's-former-bully-to-classmates-to-friends-to-lovers. the conflict is so watery and quickly resolved that it is. not. compelling.)

and now them becoming girlfriends halfway through the show... i mean i'm glad the gfs got to happen this early bc disney cartoons hate the queers, but by the basic rules of fictional romance pacing, this either means we're going to get cute but stagnant gf moments for a season and a half (... which does not work, because romances are stories and stories need to have conflict), or they're gonna crash and burn.

all the seeds are there. luz has to make the choice to return to the human world at some point, which'll mean some kind of conflict regarding whether she wants to stay with amity or let her go. *and eclipse lake had amity's Did I Mention I'm A Good Girlfriend attitude being called out in-canon as a sign that she's regressing into her compulsive need to treat people like status symbols and relationships as transactional.... which means her relationship with luz isn't the exception, and isn't as good for her as she thinks it is. (not that the fandom seems to realize that behavior isn't actually good for either of them)

they've taken that first big step in admitting those issues are still there, but now they have to do something about it. but.... will they?

if amity's actually going to complete her arc, they have to address that issue. but since that would mean acknowledging their relationship is either flawed and in need of serious work or maybe not a good idea at all, the writers probably won't do it. which means, if that never happens and they stay together, amity would have never completed developing and will define herself by belonging to other people forever. yes, she belongs to luz, which is better than her parents or her bully clique, but she still isn't her own person.

b) the one-sidedness does not work. romances are stories, and stories have to have narrative weight for both parties in the romance. and lum!ty doesn't.

remove lum!ty from the story and amity's arc completely collapses without someone to want to defy her family for. her Big Rebellion Moment against her parents happens in defense of luz, and her first attempts to ditch her shitty friends, seek better people and stop being a bully happen because she is interested in luz and wants to get to know her. this is good, this is a sign that the romance has plot and characterization weight.

(... granted all these beats, plus the Groundbreaking Sapphic Rep status, could still hit if her romance is with willow, who she has a much deeper and more storied history with. falling for a girl her family hates and looks down upon and spent years trying to keep away from her hits harder than doing it for a girl her family barely knows exists. maybe if they made it more of a point to show off how her parents are anti-human bigots,,, but they didn't do that. and even then it's not great that the role luz fills in amity's arc could easily and more efficiently be filled by someone else. if the romance is good, it shouldn't be this easily replaceable.)

but the scales are only tipped in amity's direction. remove lum!ty from the story, and luz stays exactly the same. her character arc, the plot and the themes don't lose anything if she doesn't date amity.

luz needs to decide whether to stay in the isles or go home. she struggles to belong in the human world and comes to the isles seeking connection... but there's so much to stay in the isles for (eda, king, hooty, lilith, the owl house, gus, willow, hexside, her future palisman, her magic lessons...) that chopping lum!ty off that list doesn't tip that balance. you wouldn't miss it if it were gone.

now if say, luz came to the isles and ran into the same trouble with making friends that she had back home, and amity was her first and only real friend here (imagine gus and willow don't exist, or don't befriend her until much later) then i'd be more compelled. but that's not what happened.

and luz is already a person willing to stand up to bullies and abusers, empathize with their victims and forgive ones who lash out because they're in pain. so bonding with amity and understanding why she does what she does... doesn't really change her at all because she's already there. it takes next to no time and effort for her to do that. (and even then... there are so many other characters for her to hit these beats with, cough hunter cough, that removing lum!ty from the equation changes. nothing.)

tl;dr amity stops being a character and starts primarily being Luz's Gf the second that crush develops, and their relationship just isn't particularly compelling from a storytelling pov; all the impact it has on amity could be maintained and even improved if she had a different gf, and luz just... isn't affected by it much.

Good Intentions

Ao3

Based off this post. You guys really seemed to like it, so here you go.

The plan to ruin Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s reputation and credibility was well under way. And while there had been a bump in the road with Bustier undoing her seat switch plan at the end of the day, Lila still considered the day a victory. After all, she managed to sow the seeds of distrust, and the class managed to believe her over Marinette. She gave the baker girl maybe a month, tops, before everything came crashing down on her, and with no way to prove that Lila had anything to do with it.

Of course, there was still the issue of Adrien, but he was a pushover. All he wanted was to make friends! He had no spine, and it would only be a matter of time before she had him twisted around her little finger.

That night, maybe an hour or so before retiring to bed, she hatches her next plan and hits up Alya with a text:

L: Hey, Alya? Could I have Marinette’s number? I’d like to work things out with her and maybe even get her opinion on some clothes??

Usually, for texts like these, she gets a pretty immediate response. She even gets the animation indicating that Alya is typing a message, only for it to stop and no message to be sent. Frowning, she places the phone down on her desk as she goes about browsing social media profiles of her classmates and the stars she’s supposedly schmoozed with, checking to see if there are any new updates. About thirty minutes pass when Alya finally responds, and Lila can’t help but roll her eyes at what might have possibly kept Alya for so long.

A: heyyy, i think it’s great u want to get along w Mari, but i think it’s better 2 give her some space after 2day. but if it’s an emergency, i can ask her 4 u!

Squinting her eyes, she gives the text a long, hard glance before realizing that it’s real. It has to be some sort of joke. There’s no real reason Alya should be hesitant in giving her something like this. 

L: I was worried about this. Marinette must really hate me if she doesn’t even want to give me her number!

A satisfied smirk spreads across her face as she waits for the inevitable anxious reply. Surely, Alya wouldn’t want her new friend to feel so left out and targeted, right? Once again, the texting animation is quickly evident, and she can practically hear Alya apologizing for making her feel so bad about it. 

A: i swear it’s not like that!!! just give her some time & she’ll warm up, i swear!! so how about those outfits!?

Scowling, she quickly responds with a half-hearted “never mind, I’ll ask Clara’s designer instead,” and tosses the phone across the room onto her bed with a sigh. Perhaps it’s just a fluke, and maybe tomorrow, when Lila comes face to face with Alya, she can corner her into giving up Marinette’s number. It’s not something she should be this worried about anyway, but if she’s going to forge fake messages, she needs to make it look like they had contact with each other.

For now, that idea is on hold. Still, there’s plenty of ways to shake things up the next morning.

---

While having a position of power made you respected, it also made you stress out over every other little thing, and put you in a position of criticism. Thankfully, Lila doesn’t have to contend with the responsibilities of Class Rep, and can instead content herself to push Marinette’s buttons instead.

“...And the class vs class picnic will be happening next Friday,” she says, finishing the morning announcements, “Please make sure to bring athletic attire to change into, because we will  be getting messy. Does anyone have any questions?”

Oh boy, does Lila ever. She meekly raises her hand, making sure at least one or two other classmates note the wary expression on her face. Biting back a sigh, Marinette points to her and asks, “Yes?”

“Um, well, I’m not sure I can handle anything outdoorsy,” she pouts, holding out her hand, “My wrist is busted and I can’t really throw anything.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Mylene interrupts, smiling cheerfully, “We made sure to include some non-athletic activities, like making friendship bracelets and writing nature haikus! If you don’t want to use pen and paper, you should be able to bring your tablet!”

With her lips curling inward, Lila has to bite back a dark glare. Something was definitely up. She’s not sure what, but Marinette must have told them something about the previous day. It’s difficult to tell because Marinette doesn’t have a very distinctive expression, but Lila would be a fool to believe otherwise.

And she would certainly not be that.

“That’s very nice of you to think of me,” she says, trying to bite back tears, “But, um, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to go that day, anyway. I’m supposed to be volunteering at a charity event to help reduce carbon emissions. Is it possible that we could have the picnic a day earlier? Or the next week?”

Some glances are exchanged in the rows before conversation breaks out. As she expects, Marinette’s face contorts with annoyance, and she opens her mouth to say something, but she’s cut off by Alya, who places a hand on her shoulder, and shakes her head. Turning to Lila, she says, “Actually, me and Mari spent a lot of time organizing this event with the other student reps, and it wouldn’t be fair to suddenly reschedule like that. But I assure you that we have some other events in the future that we’ll be more easily able to take your schedule into account, just as long as you tell us ahead of time, Lila.”

“Oh,” she pouts, blinking as rapidly as she can. “That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to going too…” she says with a sigh.

“Well,” Mylene offers, “We can always throw you a picnic another day. That way, Marinette and the other student reps don’t have to worry about all that rescheduling, and you can still have fun hanging out with us. Right, guys?”

The chattering, the annoying, annoying chattering grows more excited, as if they already have it planned in stone. As though they no longer have to give Lila anymore thought or concern. Of course, she’d have to be gracious and just accept it, right?

There’s still no sign from Marinette that she’s in on it, or that she’s satisfied with the turn out. For someone who hates lying so much, she must be pretty good at it. There’s no way she’s innocent.

Still, Lila has no choice but to playfully bat her eyes and practically coo at the suggestion. “You’re all just so wonderful! I would love that, of course!”

A pen snaps in her hands, and the ink covers the knee of her leggings. But her forced smile doesn’t falter for a second, lest she want to draw unwanted attention.

---

Marinette is naive to leave her backpack by itself, without a single eye to watch it. It seems that Chloe failed at her job at instilling fear in the school, if Marinette was going around carefree without any sort of protection. But that leaves Lila free to sneak into her bag and plant the answers for the test that they finished taking-

A sudden, squeakish voice interrupts, causing her to drop the paper.

“There you are, Lila!” Rose says cheerfully, “What are you doing?”

Jumping, it takes her a moment to realize she’s dropped the paper. She unfortunately can’t see where it landed, and she finds herself sputtering, sputtering, her response, “O-Oh, Rose! I-I was just… I found Marinette’s backpack!”

“Oh, she was looking for that!” Rose says, picking it up and hugging it to her chest, “That’s awfully nice of you, Lila! Marinette was looking for that.”

“It’s not a big deal! I just wanted to help out a friend, you know?”

“You really are a sweetheart, you know?” Rose says, patting her shoulder, “Still, I think we’re better off just telling Marinette it was in the lost or found.”

She blinks. “What? Why?” 

“Well, we don’t want to give Marinette the wrong idea,” Rose points out, “You might be trying to help her, but knowing her, she’ll probably think you tampered with her stuff.”

“I can’t believe she thinks so little of me,” Lila sniffs, “I’m only trying to help.”

“Oh, we know,” Rose says, patting her shoulder, “And someday she’ll be able to see that. But I think she’s really coming around. Just a little more time and she’ll see just how cool you really are!”

As they leave the area, Lila waits for a moment to sneak back into the backpack, but the opportunity never presents itself. Soon enough, Marinette is reunited with her backpack, and Lila knows from her narrowed leer, she’s bound to search through the bag to make sure it wasn’t tampered with.

--

There is no doubt in her mind that this is deliberate sabotage. Marinette said something to get these goons to follow her around and interrupt at the most opportune and least convenient moments. Plan after plan, ruined because they “don’t want Marinette getting the wrong impression of her!” 

Well, with any luck, that was going to stop today.

She is quick to follow Marinette into the bathroom and pin her against the walls.

“So, you think you’re so smart, huh? Getting your friends to keep an eye on me and keep you out of trouble?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Stop lying!” Lila shouts, “Playing stupid isn’t your forte! I know you said something about me to them to ruin my plans! Well, guess what? I have plenty of methods that’ll get you expelled.”

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, Lila?” Alya’s booming voice calls out, holding a phone in front of her. Behind her are Alix, Mylene, Rose and Juleka, who all share darkened expressions and are ready to voice their distaste. She has to think of something quick if she’s going to recover and get control of the situation again.

“A-Alya,” she stammers, trying to force a smile, “M-Marinette was just, um, she was bullying me! Can you believe it?”

“No, I can’t,” Alya retorts, “Because I just captured footage for the past few minutes of you attacking Marinette in the bathroom and threatening to get her expelled! And after everything we did for you, trying to help you get along with her, especially at Adrien’s suggestion!” She clicks her tongue. 

Blinking, she looks from Marinette back to Alya. Adrien? Adrien was the one to calculate this plan? She supposed it would make some degree of sense - Adrien was hardly the type to get his hands dirty when he had assistants and money to do that for him. Still, there was no way the boy with the least amount of backbone in the entire school would go out of his way to sabotage her, especially not for Marinette.

“You’re a liar,” Lila hisses, before trying to smile again, “Adrien would never suggest something so diabolical.”

“Since when was trying to help people get along diabolical?” Alix points out, “If anyone is headed toward the realm of villainy and bullying, it’s you. Anything else you want to confess to?”

And for once, Lila’s out of stories to spin.

hey you. yeah you. we’re gonna do a little pop quiz on living life, alright? answer below and read carefully.

have you been a little asshole lately? by which i mean, 1) have you been treating people online like people lately? 2) have you been treating tumblr like a conversation, which it is? 3) have you been sending hate? (4. at what point does critique become bullying?) 5. have you been asking yourself that question? if you answer no to every question but 3), congratulations, you’ve been a little asshole lately.

circle your answers. are you A.) an angry gay teenager and have you B.) been sending hate to other angry gay teenagers over what they ship? do they have to disclose their age or sexuality for you to care and stop? if you circle B) then congratulations, you’re a little asshole.

personally, i don’t have much experience being a little asshole. my teen years are barely behind me, my 20s scraping by ahead, but this is my round-about way of giving some life advice, because by some weird fluke of fate, i get new followers on this blog just about every single day and i know a lot of you guys are probably younger than me, and well, i guess sometimes not being a little asshole can be hard.

(are you being needlessly cruel? are you focusing your energy on shitting on something that people love instead of what you love? is it necessary? because i can guarantee it will hurt you more in the long run.)

so take it from someone who’s been queer, in fandoms, and probably past the life stage you’re at now for some time: ask yourself what you care about and why. if you care about other people, then act like it. that includes strangers on the internet, whose personal information you are never entitled to, and you should not need to know someone’s history or personal experiences in order to not be a little asshole. no one is entitled to that information of you either, ever. and i cannot stress this enough, but making snap judgments of someone will ever only go poorly, and you should never assume someone’s history. ever.

quick crash course in university level narrative theory: fandom antis and people who say there’s only one right way to engage with anything in fandom - ship, character, headcanon, etc. - sound like samuel johnson, a 18th century idiot, and plato, who kicked poets out of his metaphorical republic and held us back in scientific discoveries for literal centuries until kepler had the sense to call bullshit. we’ve been having this argument for literally thousands of years and aristotle disagrees with you. you’re never gonna win because that’s not how art inherently works. learn to listen rather than demand. 

(do you think humans are bad and stupid? do you typically hold a negative view of others? of yourself? cut that shit out. even if you’re right about the first thing, it doesn’t do anything. there is nothing productive about pessimism. 

are you trapping yourself in an inability to change? are you trapping other people there? do you believe we are broken? do you believe we are stuck? if someone saw the worst of you on your worst days, it wouldn’t be a very pretty picture. are you taking your other - better - days into account? are you taking other people’s? even the score. forgive yourself. let go. 

you can’t carry all of that. no one has to.)

(that does not mean you have to stick around to see other people’s days, but you shouldn’t deny that they could exist. despair and tragedy is when no more chances or changes are possible, not because the ending was inevitable, but because this was the end. aristotle understood that, too.)

have you been a little asshole? it can be scary to answer yes, because by your own mindset that means you can’t change without having what you’ve done previously held against you. answer yes anyway. at least then you can change and have new (better) things to hold against you, like a heart and happiness against your chest.

the #1 rule for surviving fandom: the second you don’t enjoy it, get out. the second it causes you more frustration or misery than it does happiness, leave. you don’t want to see something? don’t look at it. you can shut your eyes. you can turn away. you don’t have to put up with bullshit and the way isn’t by controlling others, but by curating yourself.

focus on what you love. make sure one of those things is yourself. believe the stories you read if they have messages that are useful for you. keep up with your readings. it is always better to ask for help and find out that you don’t need it than not ask when you desperately do. these things are skills that build muscle memory like any other. practice.

listen to sleeping at last (or whatever music you like). learn when things aren’t actually that deep and learn when they are. learn to see what other people see even if you can never wear their glasses. study history. go outside. go to therapy. change labels. smile first. (someone always has to make the first step. it might as well be you.) you can have compassion without compromising your character. (know when to compromise.) keep waiting, even when you get angry, even when you get frustrated. things are always better in the morning. ferociously protect your boundaries. eat at least two meals a day. try to do something you like if you can’t do what you love. do what you love on the side. do what you love for you. (fuck everybody else.) 

and if you’re lonely, i promise, one day you won’t be anymore. 

(everyone has people to find. it’s the only answer that matters.)

I need to vent a minute...

FFS, why the hell can’t people understand why the protests are happening???

This has been building forever! This particular incident is only the trigger, but the  explosives have been added to longer than any of us can remember. Longer than any of us have been alive. And so little has ever been done to try to defuse things. It keeps fucking happening!!!

How long are people supposed to protest politely and accept no one is listening to you? Don’t these people asking “Why?” not understand frustration and rage??? Haven’t they ever wanted to lash out at the world that keeps hurting you and ignoring your pain??**

Police violence and monsterous brutality against people of color, the general abusiveness of power many cops always show, seeing the public as the enemy.... All this has been at best dismissed as a fluke of individuals, at worst ignored entirely. The simple fact is that the basic structures and attitudes wired into law enforcement permits all sorts of horrors.

Alright, I will admit I hate cops. I’m a white, blonde, woman and yet I’ve been on the recieving end of bullying and aggressive behavior. Stupid ones too, but that’s whole other issue. In my experience they seem constantly keyed  up to find some way to get you, seeing everyone as a threat or target, with the ones most vulnerable most likely to see the ugly version of their sense of power.

Cops as bullies isn’t new. Hell, my parents had a black friend in the 1960s that gotten beaten up for walking on the wrong side of the road. (Are you supposed to walk with or against traffic? Was it even a real law? And obviously none of that mattered.)

When my father was tiny in the 1940s his father was in charge of maintenance and security at buildings owner by Boston Edison. When Frank Sinatra performed grandaddy decided to bring Pop along. I dunno why, since Pop was too young to know who the clammy handed shifty eyed skinny guy was, but what happened outside the concert made a much bigger impression. 

Outside the building hordes of bobby sockers swarmed to see their crooner hero. These were teenage girls, many of them young teenagers, and probably mostly if not entirely white...and the cops were abusing them. Decades later, telling me about it, my father would get emotional voice shaking in rage and almost in tears. The girls were being beaten and groped. Girls were knocked to the ground. Billy clubs were being shoved up their skirts by laughing cops. Bleeding and sobbing girls everywhere.

My grandfather was outraged and confonted the cops. These were little girls, he shouted at them. They got aggressive with him, pointing out his authority was only as far as the building but that the sidewalk was theirs.  If he took so much as one step out the door they would treat him the same and arrest him right in front of his little boy....

There is a reason my father and grandfather didn’t like cops, even before the 1960s when the local ones here told them they were on their own to deal with death threats and being shot at. That incident when Pop was four or five traumatized him. He knew the darkness of police.

Now imagine if those hadn’t been white girls and my grandfather had been black. I expected it would have been so much worse. 

But you don’t need personal experience of witnessing brutal cops. You don’t need to have been pushed around by an aggressive cop. You don’t have to encounter a cop that almost openly is trying to find an excuse to nail you for something. You don’t even have to think about the bullies and racists you knew as a kid that became cops. Just watch the damn news! 

 I am constantly suspended between fear and anger about cops.

But all this isn’t just law enforcement. It’s the racism you can find in all the structural systems in society in general.

  “Little” things like a doctor dismissing a patient’s symptoms or my 8th grade science teacher telling some black kids they might as well put their heads down on the desks because they weren’t going to learn anything anyway. Or heck, take something seemingly unimportant, like  entertainment of my childhood where adventure stories would have a token black person and a token woman, but the white dude was ALWAYS the main hero. But the child notices who gets to be the leader.

Imagine a lifetime of that!

You protest. You write letters. You take part in a march and wave signs. You do boycotts. You shout louder and louder.... And it all just keeps happening! You feel like nothing changes!

 Or maybe you end up with a fucker like Trump as president and you can’t help but feel like it is getting worse. A dude that actually endorses armed take over of goverment buildings because folks don’t want to take precautions in an epidemic, but wants to call in the military on largely unarmed black folks protesting getting killed by cops!

All of us were under stress because of Covid-19, but remember people of color are suffering more. They are more likely to die from it and be working jobs that endanger them. And it seems like this has been shrugged off as something inherent in their race, rather than the result of the way racism  has impacted their lives. It has to have added to the emotions. I know it made me angrier!

Will the current unrest inspire postive change? Will it just be a temporary venting with nothing really changing? I dunno. I try to hope.

I won’t be doing a lot of posts on this subject or reblogging things. It isn’t that I don’t care. For me, things I do on Tumblr feel like hollow gestures, If I changed my icon to support Black Lives Matter would it just seem performative, someone trying to get cred for thinking right while doing nothing? I’m holding on my fingernails in my life, and feel guilty for not having the resources and energy to do anything tangible. I will be blogging like usual (when I can keep my internet going!) but raging in the real world.***

**Another admission: I planned how to blow up my high school as a teen. Obviously I never actually did it, and my intent was to blow it up when it was unoccupied on a Sunday, but just the intent held satifaction. I hated that place, what it did to people I knew, and the pain it caused me. The school system as destroyer of souls.  I knew the building wasn’t the cause, but it was the symbol of it. Blowing it up would have felt sooooo GOOD and meant people had to notice the rage no one seemed to see. So believe me, I do get some of the destruction in these protests. Burn a police station or police cars? Yeah, don’t get caught, but fuck yeah!

***I live 50miles from the nearest place with protests and my town doesn’t even have one cop. I’m struggling to make sure I have the cash to get gas, so a road trip is out of the question. My anger is kinda worthless. The animals will get to hear a lot of profanity! LOL

I feel really stupid that I just had this realization now.

I’ve always been told growing up that I’ll never be accepted by society, that I’ll ultimately be a burden on society and an inconvenience to the flow of it’s existence and to other people. I always felt that I would rather not be seen by anybody than to cause anyone distress on accident just by doing something “not good enough”. The stress of always having to do “my best” (aka: “good enough that nobody could ever complain about it or hate me for it”) makes me produce barely anything at all, because my standard of “best”(”good enough for neurotypical people”) will always be fleeting and uncontrollable. I am so rarely in good enough form to exist for everyone else. It’s funny how I only just now realized how stupid it would be to hold that standard for literally anyone else, no matter how mentally healthy they were or how neurotypical they are. Some people might be “better” at being loved by society as a whole, but is being loved by a fundamentally corrupt and broken system really even worthwhile? Is being liked by the majority really worth it if the majority is wrong? We know for a fact that humanity used to not wash their hands and has majorly lower lifespans, and we moved on from that for the better, but at some point people thought never washing your hands was okay.

I’ve been thinking about how hatred towards people with genetically passed down neurological disorders is a form of scientific racism. I also feel like hatred towards queer people could also be a form of racism if there is physical evidence of differences between homosexual and heterosexual individuals - which there is, in form of weird stuff like finger lengths, estrogen and testosterone levels and other weird subtle chemical studies and the like. If you really get down to it, dark skin can be “cured” by taking the melanin out. It’s a chemical. It’s a minor difference. But black people are still human, we’re all part of the human race, and gay people are normal, but autistic people are still a “disease” to be “cured”? (I want to clarify I am NOT saying autistic white people have it worse than neurotypical black people, I only mean to point out the discrepancy on what qualifies as "scientific racism" as a concept)

Every time I think about how autistic people end up being an actual “burden on society”, it tends to be more often than not that we just get upset and distraught over concepts society has built and insist on maintaining that just doesn’t make sense. We KNOW that there’s no reason why we have daylight savings, we KNOW that basing our entire society’s sleep schedule based on incredibly outdated guidelines for good ecological farming is now invalid when the majority of us in 1st world countries are office workers now, we KNOW that memorization is an ineffective way of teaching our children, we KNOW that forcing children to go to school at 8AM instead of 10AM is not good for their brains, we KNOW that at this point school days last as long as they do as a glorified babysitting service for parents who go to work during the day, we KNOW that people are absolutely capable of doing things online or through email instead of in-person or on the telephone but they refuse to for stupid reasons, we KNOW that shaking hands and making eye contact is actually not that fucking important, and we KNOW that we have the choice to wear comfortable clothes, but as a society these things are just unacceptable because “that’s how they’ve always been” and society as a whole is just not ready to change. It’s not okay that a majority of people just accept things as they are when things are not good for us as a whole.

This is also what the whole “abolish the police” concept that’s been a popular topic this year is all about. We’ve come to a point in natural societal evolution that it would be honestly better to abolish certain major systems that have been proven to be inefficient and corrupt and remake them from the ground up in hopes they would work for the better rather than to continue hanging on to the hope that things can change a comfortably small amount for the better. We know that changing things in only a small way barely helps and ultimately just aids the feeling of letting things change ultimately and overall the same.

I am terrified of talking about these things even when I know I might actually be right because I don’t want someone coming on to ask box who doesn’t want to hear it to bully me, taking something I said out of context to create a callout post telling everyone to avoid me, or otherwise just proving the anti-autism and anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda I’ve heard my entire life right - that I shouldn’t exist. Do you have any idea how hard it is to have the idea completely hammered into your entire being that you shouldn’t exist in this world? That human society isn’t for you. That you shouldn’t even be human, because you basically aren’t if you don’t think like the majority. Because you’re different and never will be the same. You’ll never fit in. You’ll never be welcomed. Living as a ticking time bomb to the day you inevitably say something that's misinterpreted because you said it in a weird way - or god forbid, you express any thought out loud that you haven't researched thoroughly beforehand, and get physically or psychologically beaten to a pump for it.

But then I think about the few times I’ve stepped out of my fear-driven comfort zone and said something truly from my heart, and found nothing but support and admiration from strangers. Something I still often felt was just a fluke or undeserved. Complete imposter syndrome because everything I thought I knew was the opposite of what was actually happening. I was actually being helpful to others. I was actually... worthwhile of society.

I think about the few people who’ve told me that they believe in the concept that maybe, just maybe, the theory that autistic people are part of the natural evolution of humans is actually fundamental to our continued existence, that maybe I am needed in this society to improve it for the better, that maybe my discomfort with a broken system is actually helpful. Maybe me calling attention to all these things will actually open up the eyes to others. Maybe people being different is a good thing. Maybe we can only grow if we see the points of view of people we don’t automatically understand.

And isn’t that obvious?

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄 & 𝐊𝐄𝐘: 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄

❝ Hello? Hello? ❞ ❝ You hear that? ❞ ❝ Okay, hold on. We should think about his. ❞ ❝ You guys can hear it, too? ❞ ❝ What’d you find? ❞ ❝ Okay, shh. Mom’s still asleep. ❞ ❝ Let me see. I think I’ve seen this before somewhere. ❞ ❝ So, we can all hear them now. ❞ ❝ I’m not alone anymore. ❞ ❝ You were never alone, little man. ❞ ❝ And she’s still out there! ❞ ❝ Always keep them with you. ❞ ❝ And, by the way, before we do it, we’re all talking about it first. ❞ ❝ Enough with the orders! We can manage ourselves. ❞ ❝ Yeah, you’re in great shape. ❞ ❝ Just because I don’t have fear doesn’t make me irrational. ❞ ❝ So, shut your mouth, ________. ❞ ❝ Holy shit! ❞ ❝ These things, these aren’t toys. They’re weapons. So, until we need them, we’re not gonna use them. ❞ ❝ Why can’t they be both? ❞ ❝ I’m not alone. There’s three of us now! ❞ ❝ Morning, Mom. Mom? ❞ ❝ I just haven’t been sleeping all that well. ❞ ❝ I just don’t get it. ❞ ❝ It’s probably just a fluke. ❞ ❝ Actually, I’m not going back. ❞ ❝ Why wouldn’t you be going back? ❞ ❝ They’re not gonna miss me. ❞ ❝ Hey, can I have a piece of your toast? Thanks, bye. ❞ ❝ Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom. ❞ ❝ What were you doing in the shed? ❞ ❝ Did you get anything to eat? ❞ ❝ Love you, Mom. ❞ ❝ I can’t believe you started the movie without me. ❞ ❝ It’s the rest of the damn thing. ❞ ❝ Not what you were hoping for? ❞ ❝ Well, let’s put it this way, if I was hoping for a used car commercial, I’d still be cringing at this mess. ❞ ❝ It’s just a rough cut. ❞ ❝ Rough? It’s bloody sandpaper. ❞ ❝ Mm, a director blinded by the wannabe he’s sleeping with, how classic. ❞ ❝ __________, go away. ❞ ❝ You know, it’s such a shame that desire has nothing to do with talent. ❞ ❝ I hate to break it to you, but wanting to be a ________ doesn’t mean you are one. ❞ ❝ You’re just a pretentious, mediocre little fanboy, and that’s all you’re ever gonna be. Mediocre being the keyword. ❞ ❝ Leave it. It’s not worth it. ❞ ❝ You want some alone time with her? It’s cool. ❞ ❝ Did she say something? ❞ ❝ She’s picky, and I guess she picked you. ❞ ❝ Don’t screw it up. ❞ ❝ Hey, you’re gonna have to find another ride after school. I’m going over to ________’s. ❞ ❝ Next time, why don’t you come up with a complete set of rules? ❞ ❝ Don’t make me that guy. ❞ ❝ Don’t be that guy. ❞ ❝ That was aggressive. ❞ ❝ I’m just sick of bullies. ❞ ❝ I’ve come to accept them as an inevitable part of the high school food chain. ❞ ❝ I mean, it’s like air pollution. You know? You just don’t really get a choice in the matter. ❞ ❝ You know, we’re not powerless here. We have certain tools at our disposal. ❞ ❝ And what exactly did you have in mind? ❞ ❝ That’s an oddly specific guess. ❞ ❝ I’m right, though, aren’t I? ❞ ❝ Physical comedy isn’t easy, guys. ❞ ❝ Think I nailed it. ❞ ❝ But she’s not even upset. ❞ ❝ That’s pretty accurate, yeah. ❞ ❝ This is some sort of prank, isn’t it? ❞ ❝ There’s no way she’d have been able to pull that off. ❞ ❝ It’s real, but you can’t tell anybody. ❞ ❝ Oh, no, no, no, no, no! What is happening to me? ❞ ❝ Funny. ❞ ❝ I think that’s enough now, though, right? ❞ ❝ _______ is just the empirical worst, so… ❞ ❝ Right, agreed. ❞ ❝ Yeah, maybe, but there is a limit. ❞ ❝ Well, I thought that this was about getting back at her for what she said to me. ❞ ❝ It’s now or never. ❞ ❝ This is messed up. ❞ ❝ You guys are nuts. ❞ ❝ I just feel like he’s gotten so far away from me. ❞ ❝ I promise you’re not in trouble, okay? But I need to know why you brought a blacksmith hammer to school. ❞ ❝ Who do you think’s going to hurt you? ❞ ❝ You can’t understand. I wish you could, but you just can’t. ❞ ❝ Oh, I’ll protect you, honey. Nothing’s gonna hurt you, I promise. ❞ ❝ I’m really not gonna tell you. Someone who could use a common misunderstanding for blackmail? No way. ❞ ❝ I don’t think people should trust fortune tellers anyway. ❞ ❝ I think fortune tellers are for lazy people who let the world dictate who they are. If you want something to happen, make it happen. ❞ ❝ I knocked but no one was home. ❞ ❝ You can’t just walk into my house. You should’ve called me first. ❞ ❝ You’re right, you’re right. I’m so sorry. ❞ ❝ Your scar. Sorry to stare, how’d you get it? ❞ ❝ That must’ve hurt. ❞ ❝ Hey, keep it quiet. You weren’t even supposed to know. ❞ ❝ I’m sorry, but, I mean, I do know, and now I feel like I’ve got to know more. ❞ ❝ In my family, we’d call this ‘serious questions’. Ask away. ❞ ❝ How does it exist? Like, how do you think it got made? ❞ ❝ Oh, she deserved it. ❞ ❝ I like to think of it more like she earned it. ❞ ❝ Yeah, I like that. ❞ ❝ For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here. ❞ ❝ Oh, hey, what’s up, man? We need to talk. ❞ ❝ Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. ❞ ❝ Can you turn your anger down, like, 90%? ❞ ❝ Our little brother is going to hold onto it because, clearly, he’s far more mature than you are. ❞ ❝ You ________ today when I explicitly told you not to. ❞ ❝ Yeah, you did tell me, but I did it anyway. ❞ ❝ It’s just… it’s not smart. ❞ ❝ You’re not my parent. ❞ ❝ No, no, you don’t know that! We don’t actually know anything. ❞ ❝ Look, I’m sorry that you’re still a slave to your own fear, but it’s not my problem. ❞ ❝ I have to keep an eye on you every second so that you don’t get us all killed! ❞ ❝ No, actually, you don’t. I hereby relieve you of that burden. Go. Live your life. Don’t ever think  about me again! ❞ ❝ I’m guessing Mom told you to talk to me. ❞ ❝ Perceptive. ❞ ❝ So, why don’t you tell me what happened? ❞ ❝ Some things are more important than doing math problems. ❞ ❝ Fair point. ❞ ❝ You want to tell me what is more important? ❞ ❝ We all need to be protected. ❞ ❝ I want us all to be safe, too. ❞ ❝ Do you remember when you were a kid? ❞ ❝ That sounds really, really wonderful. ❞ ❝ Hey, look, kiddo, tell me how I can help, okay? ❞ ❝ It’s okay if you can’t remember. It’s not your fault. ❞ ❝ Okay, I promise, I’m not crazy, so just hear me out. ❞ ❝ I hear you, I just don’t know what you’re asking me. ❞ ❝ And, if it’s not possible, what does that mean to you? ❞ ❝ I’m pretty sure the reason is that something happened. ❞ ❝ Honestly, it’s part of the reason I’m here. ❞ ❝ I kept searching for something, someone I could blame. ❞ ❝ It’s okay to lose yourself in this just as long as you can find yourself again. ❞ ❝ I’m always here. I’ll help you however I can. ❞ ❝ She still won’t open up about it. ❞ ❝ You’re a good friend. ❞ ❝ I thought I had a lot of friends, then all our shit went down and everyone just sort of disappeared on me. ❞ ❝ That’s terrible. ❞ ❝ You all seem really close. ❞ ❝ It’s just like, it’s almost like I have to act like their dad, and I suck at it. ❞ ❝ I mean, you’re not their dad, but you are their brother. And you’re a good one. ❞ ❝ I’m not so sure. ❞ ❝ You’re strong, you’re kind, and you have a good sense of who you are. ❞ ❝ I kinda always wanted to do the pebble on the window thing. You know, it’s romantic. You should be impressed. It’s a pretty long throw. ❞ ❝ Hold on, hold on, hold on! ❞ ❝ I’m certainly not one to be censoring the world of sorcery. ❞ ❝ Let’s keep it that way. ❞ ❝ Great kids, full of potential, and all that. ❞ ❝ I’m kidding, I’m joking. ❞ ❝ I’m not supposed to tell strangers when I’m home alone, but you’re a friend, so my mom isn’t here. ❞ ❝ Listen, I just saw something. I can’t explain it. I think I need to show it to you, alright? ❞ ❝ I’ve been waiting for you. ❞ ❝ Jesus, _____, just give it a rest for tonight. ❞ ❝ I know things aren’t great with us right now. ❞ ❝ You told me to be done with you, so I’m done. ❞ ❝ I actually feel good for once, so please just stay out of my hair. ❞ ❝ Those kids that drowned in the cave were Dad’s friends. His best friends. ❞ ❝ Maybe that’s why he never wanted to come back here. ❞ ❝ Seriously? You want to do this right now? ❞ ❝ It’s coming from outside. ❞ ❝ I want you with me. ❞ ❝ They’re something that connects us with Dad. ❞ ❝ I think that means they’re worth the risk. ❞ ❝ Hey! What’d I say about snooping? Out, now. ❞ ❝ Memories aren’t perfect. They’re very subjective, they’re often distorted. ❞ ❝ Does that look distorted to you? ❞ ❝ There was a plastic bag over his head. ❞

Bnha prompt where Easerhead is made to look over the income students files and doesn't like how bakuguo looks. So he goes to see himself and sees how he acts and has proof so in the end even after passing both the paper and qurik exam he is turned down. And bakuguo doesn't know the useless deku is in ua until he sees him win the feastal

Ok I can’t sleep so you get yours early!

Mrs Midoriya was a kind woman that loved her friends fiercely but no amount of friendship was worth seeing her baby boy charred and bloodied. She and Izuku had lost their closest friends but they were both able to grow because of it. Inko filed for divorce and Izuku saw that idled idol worship wasn’t going to get him into hero school without a quirk. They both faced ridicule for ‘forcing’ a mark on an exemplar and honored student. It wasn’t the last mark Katsuki got for harming Izuku while they attended the same middle school.

Every year Aizawa had to wade through stacks and stacks of student entry files. The ones that didn’t pass the written exam or didn’t meet the cut off number of points for consideration had already been tossed so all that was left were those deemed qualified for assessment. Which was all just fancy words for these are the kids he and Ken would be picking their next classes from. This year Principal Nezu had added on an interview to the process, one with the student and their guardian and one with their middle school home room teacher. Aizawa knew it was because he had expelled his whole class last year by the end of the first week so this was Nezu’s way around that problem.

Out of 67 candidates Hero Eraserhead had gone to 43 school rooms and homes. His next stop was Aldera middle school where two hopefuls attended. He was curious about the place that produced both a kid as clever and determined as Midoriya Izuku and a kid as brash and tactically minded as Bakugou Katsuki. He was also curious about the missing pages in both of their files, it could have been a fluke but he wasn’t an optimistic man.

The building was nothing to write home about but Eraserhead knew better than to judge a book by its cover, many had done so to him in the past. He counted his luck that he could finish two interviews with one trip once he set foot into the school. It smelled of mildew and the wooden stairs were warped in places, not a good first impression. The teacher who greeted him at the classroom was a middle aged man with a slight hunch and thin hair. “Welcome Eraserhead sir, we are so honored to have you with us today. We don’t normally have students achieve such feats but it’s no wonder with our promising prodigy Bakugou, we are so proud of him!” Praises the Aldera teacher, as he walks Eraser to a seat at one of the desks.

He notes it as odd the man hadn’t mentioned that they had two students in the running for UA and writes it in the notebook he brought for today’s set of interviews. “Yes Bakugou has shown he has the mind and skill it takes to make it at UA but there is only so much a video and an incomplete file can tell us about a child. So that’s why I’m here today. I would like you to tell me about your students today. Particularly Bakugou AND Midoriya.” He drones only putting emphasis on the fact this was for two students, not just one. The cheerful face the man was wear slips into a exasperated one at the mention of the other student. “Oh so he got into General studies did he, well can’t say I’m surprised. He isn’t much be he has a good melon on his shoulders, could probably get into marketing if he wasn’t so hung up on being a hero, that damn Midoriya.” The teacher ponders aloud like it wasn’t just for show. Keeping a straight face and not just calling the man out on favoritism Eraser pushed forward with the interview.

Drawing out the folder for Bakugou first Eraserhead flips to where behavioral records and notes should have been. “Normally a file will have at least a note or two on student behavior so teachers down the line can help curb bad habits or know how to handle a quirk controll issue. Neither student submission had one which seems like an odd over site. What can you tell me about Bakugou’s history with his quirk and other students?” As he spoke the teacher was growing more and more agitated. “He’s a good student, I don’t know what you’ve heard but he deserves to be a hero! Just because he has a slight temper doesn’t mean he’s a bad kid. That bitch and her son just wanted attention! Slandering a prodigy before he gets a chance to shine? It’s absurd.” Rants the hunched teacher, sounding like a politically backwards uncle. Eraser makes a mental note to stop at the office to get another copy of the files.

“That was informative. Do you have any notes on Midoriya’s behavior?” He asks fearing he already knows the answer. “Like I said before the kid is smart but he is constantly garnering for attention. Probably because he’s quirkless and his father ran off. Mess up him and his mother, they accused poor Bakugou of picking fights and using his quirk in public. Absurd, Bakugou wouldn’t ruin his chances on some nobody like Deku.” Aaaand that was all he need to hear. He would be advising Nezu to investigate this place, the building wasn’t the only thing that smelled.

The secretary seemed like a nice and headstrong lady. When he asked to see the original files she pulled them out of a false bottom in one of her cabinets. She must have been waiting for someone to finally see what she must every day. “I was told to lose these as soon as both boys applied to UA. I’ve seen that poor kid come in fine in the morning and then leave covered in marks or limping home.” She whispers quickly, sparkling purple eyes checking for nosy nellies. “My mom is quirkless and the stories she told me are mother compared to what must be happening to him.” He thanks her and discreetly snaps photos of both files. One taking longer because how large it was.

Bakugou’s sheet listen 7 accounts of bullying since the 3rd grade. And that was just against one student, there were many more of one off fights or arguments. No matter what though it painted the kid as an egotistical narcissist with a God complex who was not above physical violence as a first option. Not what Aizawa would call exemplary or promising. Midoriya on the other hand had no official marks but all his teachers before had called him disruptful and attention seeking. He would have to see for himself at the home interview but he might as well get the one he was sure about out of the way.

So...the Bakugou family was dysfunctional to say the least, Aizawa had been forced to not only use his quirk and also restrain the mother after she attacked her son and made several remarks about her wish for him to “just shape up or go kill himself”. Aizawa felt bad for the father he had tried to calm the situation but his eyes betrayed him, the man had known it wouldn’t work. Now Mrs Bakugou was facing charges of child abuse and suicide baiting, both were small charges but she would still serve time for it. For the two Bakugou men the court would probably suggest therapy for ptsd and whatever non-addressed issues Katsuki would probably had ignored in his childhood.

On the other side of the coin the meeting with the Midoriyas was a short and peaceful affair. The notes on the kid’s file were obviously just the teachers discriminating against a kid that was already delt a bad hand in life. He was definitely having Nezu pick apart that school, hire the secretary too for her smart thinking and strong morals. “Well Ms Midoriya I will be in touch with you soon. And Izuku, you’re going to do great things no matter what you choose to do.” Okay so the kid impressed him...multiple times. He didn’t have a soft spot for bullied kids with minds as sharp as their eyes, no matter what Mic says.

-3 months later-

The sports festival was playing on the television at the support house. The little kids were oohing and awwing. It hurt to even listen to as the students all fought for a spot at the top. Katsuki’s therapist had told him “it is okay to be upset about thing like this but the way you show that emotion should help you get the emotions out not bottle them up.” So he was letting himself be mad and sad and holding onto his dad’s hand for comfort. Another thing his therapist had told him was okay, comfort and crying weren’t weaknesses. Some of the kids were cheering now and one typically shy kid shouted “go green boy!” And there was no way.

Katsuki let go of his dad and moved closer to the tv. The smaller kids gave him room to see the screen. Just as he thought, a small bundle of wirely limbs and green hair slung a slab of metal forward on a pile of canisters. The explosion of pink and red glitter launched Midoriya Izuku, the kid Katsuki had thought he had hated for most of his life, past the losers just hopping over the obstacles and into third place. He joined the kids in their cheers, he wasn’t sure what De- Izu had done to win these kids over but to them he was already a hero. They all watched as he used all of those brains that the Bakugou’s recognized and all of the skill they did not to get further and further through the competition. He thinks his therapist will be happy to know that when Izuku was named that year’s Champion that the only things Katsuki had felt were pride, happiness, and anticipation. He couldn’t wait to get better and be able to tell Izuku just how much he saved him.

Okay so a little different than you probably were expecting buuuut I hope you still like it

Tales of the Sculptor II: A  Hero’s Call

Like, I said before. I never wanted to be special. I was okay being average. It was safe, in the middle. So, after Bruce, I didn't use my powers again, for along time. Although it ended well for Bruce, I felt it was wrong to interfere with someone else's life. In addition, the personality change I witnessed on Bruce scared me. It seemed unpredictable. If the wrong aspect of a person's personality changed, it could be dangerous. And, all these were factors for why I didn't even consider using my powers on myself.

I know it sounds strange to have these powers, and not even use them. Especially to try and better my own life. But, the truth is I didn't want to. I liked being average. I liked being normal. So, it was easy to bury these powers deep inside me. I reached a points where I didn't even know if I had them anymore, and I didn't care. The incident with Bruce, became just that. A one time fluke of the laws of physics.

And, I continued to live my life. After taking a whole year to work, I realized I was going to be stuck living a life I hated. So going to college was my next step. I still didn't know what I wanted in life, but I was hoping that the college atmosphere could give me some perspective. Luckily, I got in to my top pick. It was far from home and offered freedom to find myself. It is also where I met Brandon.

I remember my parents leaving after helping me get settled in to my dorm. They stayed for most of the day, but it started getting late. So, I sat there all alone and confused, the bed next to me was empty. (Wasn't I supposed to have a roommate)

The next morning, I woke up and decided to explore around school. I partook in some welcoming events and looked at some clubs that set up tables. It was some time in the afternoon, when I decided I should go back to my dorm. I was surprised to see the door slightly opened and even more surprised to see a shirtless man.

And, boy what a man he was. I would later find out he was a year younger than me, but his body screamed maturity with his packed on muscles and physically powerful development. I walked in as his toned back was facing me. He was busy unpacking things onto his bed. I closed the door and the sound it made caught his attention. "Oh, shit you scared me." He said with a friendly tone. I just stood there. I began to notice he was wet. His hair was soaked and his body glistened as light hit the beads of water on his body. He had wash board abs, strong pecs, and powerful arms. He came closer to me. His moist body making this moment even more erotic.

"So ... you must be my roommate." He said as he extended his hand to me. I shook it in response " Yeah, I guess I am." I awkwardly replied. He recoils his hand and dries it on his pants. "Sorry, I just got back from the shower ... I was in the middle of drying off and getting dressed. Luckily you didn't see me bare ass naked." He laughed. I sympathetically laughed. ( I wish I did see you naked.) I thought.

He put on a shirt and it hugged his muscular body, as our conversation continued. I learned he arrived a day late, because of car trouble. He had an old hand-me-down car. He came from a poor family and had to drive himself up here, by himself, because his parents couldn't afford to take time off from work. Although it was painfully obvious, I also learned he was a jock at his high school.

I became worried, because my past experience with jocks wasn't so great. But, the more we talked; the more I saw how different he was. He wasn't an asshole like jocks I met before. He was a good, kind, and humble guy. Although he was a jock in high school, Brandon knew that sports wouldn't be his future. Instead he went to college for a business. The more we talked; the more we realized we clicked with each other. And, our conversation moved to more personal matters.

I talked about how I was bullied. He told me stories about how he protected people from being bullied. It stemmed from being bullied about being poor, at young age. As he aged, he was blessed with good looks and a strong body. He used what he got to join his football team, freshman year, and from there he gained popularity and respect from his peers. But, he never forgot about the little guy, and stood up for those in need.

At our college, he quickly became Mr. Popular. He got invited to parties and always invited me. I got to see him in action. He liked including everyone, no matter who they were or how they looked. He stood up to assholes at the parties. People loved him and respected him. In my eyes he was my ideal version of a super hero. I was developing a bad crush on him. What made it worst was that he was straight and quickly got a girlfriend, in his first year at college.

Our first year of college went by and it was great. Thanks to Brandon, my life was more social. I made friends and started coming out of my shell. For Brandon, it was going great. He was still the top man on campus and his grades were great. But, he was hit hard by the freshman 15, or more like the freshman 30, in his case. The partying, studying, beer and jockish eating habits started adding fat on his body. His belly started sticking out. His muscle became less defined. Don't get me wrong he was still hot. He had an average beefy frat bro build going on. He was still the life of the party. His relationship with his girlfriend was going strong. But, his stomach didn’t stop expanding.

Moving into our third year of college, nothing changed. Nothing, except ... Brandon's weight. By this point he stopped working out and all his muscle was gone. Only fat remained. Brandon didn't come from a wealthy family, so he couldn't just afford a new wardrobe. So, he just bought a few bigger pairs of pants. Now without his muscles, his chest and arms were smaller. This allowed his shirts to still fit comfortably on his expanding body. He quickly got the nickname "keg" because of how big he was getting and how much he could drink. He was starting to lose the respect of those around him. Before no one would dare make fun of him, but now fat jokes were becoming a common occurrence for him. But, he played and laughed along.

It was our last year off college and Brandon was completely unrecognizable. I learned he gained 130 pounds, since the start of college. And it showed. His new size 46 pants barely were able to button. His old size 2xl shirts were now skin tight. They hugged his ball belly and perfectly outlined his pair of fat tits. You could tell he should had moved to 3xl shirts by now, as his shirts constantly rode up his stomach. In order to help prevent this he started tucking in his shirts, which made his already hard to miss stomach even more noticeable. He was too stubborn to buy new clothes. He had the mind set that if it still fit he would wear it. He also always said he was planning on losing weight, so buying bigger clothes would just be a waste.

Now he was the main attraction at parties. People would always come to him and dare him to eat or drink something. People liked bringing up how fit and hot he used to be. They'd make fun of how out of shape he was. They'd warn each other  to watch out or they would get as fat as the Hog, which was Brandon's new nick name. Everyone loved teasing him by slapping his belly, scoping his boobs and watching his rolls jiggle. A  lot of guys would even stuff beach balls in their shirt and pretend to be him. You could tell Brandon was becoming bothered by all the jokes. But, now there was no stopping it.

One day, I hear him yell "Fuck!" I rushed to see what's up. Brandon was stuffed into a too small suit. The buttons on his dress shirt were straining. His dress pants weren't even close to getting over his thick thighs. He turned to face me and the buttons on his shirt popped off. Releasing his caged stomach in a tidal wave of jiggling flesh. His checks turn red. "I was hoping to wear this for my 3 year anniversary with Becca. This fit me last year for that business internship."

"Why don't you ask Tom for some clothes to borrow." I said trying to help. Tom was a 5th year college student. He lived in the same dorm complex, as us. He was the fattest guy we knew and had always been that way. He was nerdy and hung out with a different crowd, and he always seemed nice. "No, I can't just ask Tom, that's weird. And his clothes are probably to big. I don't want to look baggy and sloppy on this important night." Alex complained"Well it doesn't hurt to try." I said.

Brandon sighed and agreed. He got dressed and we went to see Tom. We explained the situation and he agreed. Tom pulled out a suit and Brandon put it on. To both mine and Brandon's surprise, it was a struggle to get it on. It fit, but was still tight. "Do you have anything bigger maybe something newer." Brandon asked. "No ... sorry. I just bought that yesterday for my new job." He explained. I could see Brandon's face, as his heart sank.

"Oh ... okay. Well this will have to do." Brandon said quickly. Tom nodded allowing us to take the suit and we left. On the way back Brandon said "What the fuck! I'm fatter than Tom. Have I been that blind to how big I have gotten." He let out, as I remained silent. He was to busy battling his thoughts to care. I know, I'm not one to talk, but it was true. (Brandon got really fat) I thought to myself. (It probably hasn't been since sophomore year since I have found him attractive.) Once we got back, I quickly left, because time was getting close for Becca to arrive.

I spent my time at a party and decided to head back at 2 am. I walked back to our apartment and saw Brandon shirtless, on the couch, looking at T.V. His boobs out in full display and his fat belly extended to it's full size. It took me some time to realize he was wearing some underwear. He was also surrounded by empty boxes of pizza, beer cans, and a melting tubs of ice cream. He turned to me. His eyes were red with beer and tears.

"She broke up with me, man. She said I was getting too fat. I am not attractive to her anymore. Apparently we haven't been having sex, because my fat ass was crushing her. I told her I would change. I told her I would lose weight. I kept begging her. That's when she told me she been fucking Mike. She has been cheating on me with that asshole. Why him out of anyone?" He let out in burst of rage, sadness and desperation.

Mike was the person who picked on Brandon the most. He gave Brandon the nickname Hog. And, liked making sure Brandon knew how fat and disgusting he was. He also like rubbing his fit athletic body in Brandon's face, trying to remind Brandon about how hot he use to be and how much he let himself go. I moved closer to sit next to Brandon.

"I'm a fat fucking hog. I'm fucking bigger than fat-ass John. I'm the laughing stock of my friends. They probably all knew Mike was fuckin’ my girl. I can't run, anymore. I struggle getting my shoes on. I get out of breathe just by walking out of this building, let alone going up and down the stairs. Apparently, I been crushing my girlfriend trying to get my deeply buried penis in her, to have sex." He yelled and tossed empty pizza boxes across the room."I didn't know you felt like this ... you never said anything thing. You seemed happy." I let out.

"Yeah, I was ... Or maybe I was lying to myself. Maybe I always knew what I know now ... I was such a fool. But, being with Becca helped blind me to the truth. But now that's gone. My life is over. I damaged my body beyond repair. People will always see this before getting to know me." He said pick up his big belly and shaking it. Sending waves of fat throughout his.body. " I will always be the fat disgusting joke. The fat slob that did this to himself. And, I did. I did it to myself. Your lucky. You have stayed the same throughout these years. I would literally kill if it meant I could be skinny like you."

Everything he was saying was hitting me right in the heart. I felt sad for him. The hot jock I once knew sat defeated, now in a body he saw as a prison of fat. When we met I was the fat one and now he called me skinny. He was always good to me and others. Before he was the butt of the joke, he would help the voiceless. But, nobody was there to help him when he was getting mocked. Hesitantly I said, "I have something that could help."

"What are you talking about?" Brandon asked. I was worried because I never tried it again after the first experience."I can make you skinny, right now." I said "Fuck you" he said, "I opened up to you and now you are making fun of me. I never thought you would be like the rest. I'm fat not a fucking idiot." "No ... I'm serious. I can help. But you have to agree. I want you to be okay with it" I pleaded

He looked at me with drunk eyes and sighed "okay ..okay I got nothing to lose. Either you actually do it or I find out your an asshole like the rest.""Okay but before I do it ... I should tell you..." I try to explain. "No just stop and do it. I don't care. If you can make me fit again, I can deal with the consequences. I DON'T want to hear it." He said aggressively and with a little hope starting to form in his voice.

We both became quite. And I just examined his body. Trying to get the feel for my powers again. Trying to find a good place to start. I moved my hand to his fat filled boobs. He shook a little. I started messaging them. I could tell he felt awkward. His face started to become red in embarrassment. Tears formed in his eyes as he felt betrayed. But, he doesn't stop me.

I started to feel bad for putting him in this situation. (He must think I’m an asshole/creep for putting him into this situation. Maybe I didn’t have my powers anymore.) I could feel him starting to pull away, from me. In that moment I wanted nothing more but to help him and apologize.  And, with that, my hands started to warm-up. I could feel energy rushing out of my body and he started to moan. His breast felt like clay in my hands. His moans become more intense, as the fat started dissolving. I kept rubbing his chest down. Once his breast got small enough, I began to form them into pecs. They started becoming rock hard, as if chiseled by a Greek god. I worked on rubbing the rest of his body. Each new body part filled Brandon with Ecstasy. I shrunk his belly and give him rock hard abs. I pumped up his arms and legs with muscle. I gave him a nice juicy ass and tone back. Like a sculpture, I begin to chisel fine details into his body. Getting as close to the first time I met him.

I saw his body pulsating and growing more muscular by the second. He continued to moan in pleasure, as he reaches for my hand. He slowly guided it over his muscular chest and rock hard abs. Finally he stopped at his crotch. And, I could feel what he wanted me to see. His fat pad was still there, drowning his dick in lard. I was hesitant to remove his underwear. But, between the moans and flexing he nodded. I removed his underwear and pushed his fat-pad back. Shrinking it, I revealed his hard 6 inch dick. I start messaging his dick and start stretching it. Slowly I extended it to 7 ... 8 ... stopping at 9 inches. I also rubbed his balls making sure they stayed proportionate to his now larger dick. Finally everything stopped changing as Brandon let loose in one big orgasm, Jizz fountain-ed out of his dick and on to his body, bed, and my hands. With that I was finished, and began to worry what changed inside Brandon's mind.

He reclined on the bed and put his arms behind his head. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Damn your good." He said. "Fuck I can't believe you did it. This fucking got me in the mood for some action." "Well the party might still be going on ... get some chicks ... show off your body." I replied. Still concerned. Did I turn him into a sex addict or is this a normal response?

"Why would I want to fuck a chick. Your the one that gave me this body. And, since I like guys ... I thought you'd deserve the first test drive." He said flirtatiously. My heart raced fast "Oh no! I turned you gay." I let out. Brandon laughed "what's wrong with that. I know you always wanted some of this. Since the first day, I met you, I knew you were gay and had a crush on me. I’m actually surprised you never came out to me. I want to pay you back for what you just did. I mean this will be a one time thing, because we are friends and I don't want to ruin that. But, come on and get it while the offer still stands"

I stood there motionless, as he began making out with me. He didn't seem disturbed by turning gay. And, he is happy. So, I let up and started feeling his rock hard body. He started pushing my head lower. I licked his neck. Then his chest. I made my way through his abs. He stopped at his dick and I began sucking. We fell onto the bed as he moaned. I started rubbing my own cock and I sucked his. He turned me over and shoved his 9 inch cock into me. I scream out in pain. But, it quickly turned into pleasure, as he skillfully moved his now larger cock inside my ass.  As I braced myself on the bed, Brandon moved his hand along my body. He reached for my cock and started to jack me off, as he pumped my ass with his seed.

We both released, as his cum shot-up my ass. And my cum shot onto the bed. We both collapse on the bed, breathing heavy. "Damn, it's actually been a couple months since I had sex." Brandon said in between breaths. "Well this was my second time having sex, and first time as a bottom." I replied. And we both laughed.

The rest of our college lives were fun, but afterwards we naturally went our own ways. I heard he did started up a successful business and began helping his family. But he did teach me a lesson. I had these powers for a reason. Just like Brandon, I was a hero. I could help those who were struggling and give them a chance at a better life. I have heard my Hero’s Call and decided to answer my destiny. So, after getting somethings together, I left my old life. I cut ties to my parents and friends.  If I was going to do this, I had to be completely free. i never stayed anywhere to long.and left soon after helping someone. I never asked for award, but some of these people donated to the cause. I never took more than what I needed.

My first few years were great, but eventually I would learn how magical and complicated the world really was.