#surrounded by people who have no choice but to assume he's cool because they have no frame of reference for what a cool adult looks like

[emberwritesinsight]

Every year Akio Ohtori loans his sister out to a bunch of teenagers, grooms said teenagers, makes all of them fight each other several times, does irreparable emotional damage, hopefully THOROUGHLY cleans the inside of his car because Christ alive.

And all of this, all these surreal, intricate rituals, are so he can lose a sword fight with a door.

This has happened multiple times. He doesn't even seem particularly upset about failing. Every year Akio Ohtori loses a sword fight with a door and somehow does not feel like an absolute clown. Could NOT be me, I would never try again. I would lie awake at night every night after the first attempt agonizing about how stupid I must have looked and how my sister absolutely would have laughed at me if all the organs she needed to do so weren't getting shish-kebabed six ways to Sunday.

#revolutionary girl utena #akio ohtori #shoujo kakumei utena #ohtori akio #rgu #sku #i might begrudgingly respect his total lack of shame #if i thought it came from solid self-esteem and not from intentionally isolating himself for years #surrounded by people who have no choice but to assume he's cool because they have no frame of reference for what a cool adult looks like #also i knowwww I'm taking this too literally okay it's fun to take Utena literally for the lulz sometimes

[sassykinzonline]

when people talk about naruto's repression they kind of miss a crucial element which is that it actually makes complete sense.

firstly from the power perspective, simply put, by its very nature he requires repression to function on a most basic level. this is opposite to the sharingan, which thrives on huge displays of emotion. im going to assume that the reason this is missed is because it runs counter to the personality traits each character is known for: the "emotionless, calm and cool" one actually is constantly accessing and expressing the most powerful of emotions, and the "expressive, empathetic and emotionally honest" one is actually warring with letting true emotions come to the surface. comparatively, when you look at starfire and raven from teen titans, you see that their personalities reflect their power. starfire is bright and expressive because thats how she best accesses her powers, and raven is subdued, controlled and calculated in order to control her powers. this means that contrary to popular belief, naruto isnt starfire-- naruto is raven. there are actually a few moments where you are subtly shown just how calculated naruto's displays of emotion are, and how they are reinforced in such a way (context is naruto being saddened that his request for parental affection was rebuffed):

which brings me to my second point: socialization. this part is straightforward. from itachi actively causing and incentivizing hatred and anger, to various mentors/people of influence (eg. kakashi) remaining silent at clear expressions of violent anger-- these negative emotions are not punished or discouraged when it come to the context theyre in. why? they are beneficial to the agenda of various characters. the revenge plot only starts being punished when its disadvantageous to the state. remember that there is a monetary value attached to the murder of itachi uchiha, and this is actually a common way to earn money. when you look at naruto, there is never a single instance when naruto is encouraged or even tolerated for having these emotions. the only exception who does this leaves him due to their own parallel struggle (side note: this is why naruto distinctly says the reason for his obsession is that this person accepted him more than anyone else, given this person is the only one who saw naruto's pain and anger and actually blamed his aggressors for it). naruto, raised implicitly to know that everyone seeks to be a tool of the state, and that in his case this is not just a choice but a requirement for his humanity. iruka's acknowledgment of naruto comes with an indication of possession, implying conditionality. people like kakashi, hiruzen, and others in positions of influence witness the abuse he faces, and ignore it or groom him into accepting the idea that he should appeal to his abusers for eventual acceptance. naruto meets gaara, someone with the same condition as him, but with radically different circumstances. whereas naruto's condition symbolically papers over his pain over time, gaara's is self-protective and defensive against his pain. gaara also occupies a position of power as the member of a royal family, and has siblings who are afraid of him but do hold some level of affection towards him. gaara's feelings of loneliness, while rational, come from a different place than naruto's. for gaara, he is surrounded by community that he doesnt know how to access. naruto has no community, he needs to find a way to forge one, but even when he does it is superficial. this dynamic is repeated in his introduction to killer bee, who from an early age is granted family and institutional protection. this isnt to say that the treatment of jinchuriki is ethical or healthy, but that naruto's situation is actually uniquely oppressive. kushina is the closest naruto gets to someone who validates this pain, but she cannot truly relate to him because she is never cripplingly alone (again, not to say her life was not difficult or oppressive or traumatic) and the object of her affections returns those feelings consistently and early on. naruto's trauma is thus compounded over and over by the conflict his need for his specific love interest causes: naruto is only tolerated as a weapon of the state, and in order to be an effective one he needs to love and be loved, but his love interest who allows him these negative emotions is an enemy of the state, leading to further isolation/tension from the state and pushing him towards the love interest.

as such, i actually think naruto does remarkably well at balancing this conflict and tension in a way that keeps him functional. though, obviously and eventually the compounding of his trauma and the repression of his pain is something that needs to be addressed. the only person who is capable of doing this in a way that puts naruto's wellbeing first ("when i saw you in pain...i also felt pain" and the subsequent frequent moments of protection and defence) only reunites with him at the end of the manga, so you never get to see that actually happen.

im assuming the reason why a lot of this is missed is partially because through framing this repression as positive through the majority of the manga (aside from naruto's own personal thoughts), the reader is never really forced to decide how they feel about the concept unlike the inherent conflict of the radical revenge plot. the other part is the grander, underlying allegory in the naruto story which is the varied manifestations AND expressions of trauma. through readers' responses and attention to certain individuals in the naruto story, you can learn how they relate to and look at trauma. to me, naruto himself is actually the example of a trauma victim who shows a brave face and thus isnt recognized. naruto is the woman who puts on makeup to cover the bruises to go to work a day after she is assaulted. who tells herself that she must have some part in it, so it isnt abuse. maybe she grew up in a family where no one answered when she cried, so she learned to keep it moving and stop crying.

lastly, on a greater scale, people also forget a crucial aspect of "yin/yang" is that things with a large properties of one, by nature will also come with a small amount of the opposite. thats what the smaller inner dots represent.

a more surface level example of this is that naruto's face is brash, large, and masculine-- these are yang traits and they are predominant in his appearance. however, looking closely at his rounded cheeks and eyes and the soft nature of his eye colour, there are subtle yin elements. naruto's "positivity" or "optimism" is fueled by a certain level of negative repression.

#naruto analysis #naruto meta #naruto #naruto uzumaki #uzumaki naruto #sasunaru #narusasu #pro naruto uzumaki #uh who are relevant characters to tag here #gaara #kushina uzumaki #sasuke #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #the rest is up to god #i wrote this in one go so typos are expected

[aroacemisha]

Having an “I like this less now that some time has passed and the hype died down” moment-

I saw someone criticize how they don’t like that Luz did actually turn out to be a chosen one, the Titan literally did choose to show her the glyphs while hiding them from Philip- Honestly, I’m starting to agree. Sure, she wasn’t chosen by some undefined forces of destiny, but she was literally chosen by the island - the world itself basically.

The “choosing yourself” message would’ve been stronger if the glyphs were always there for anyone to find, and the reason Luz found them is because she chose to take Eda’s advice and pay attention to her surroundings and immerse herself in the environment of the Isles, and she genuinely appreciated it all, whereas it took Philip years to find all the glyphs and he had to be given the last one by Luz because to him they were just a means to an end, he had no affection for or interest in the magic or the world around him - he despised them, actually, he wanted them gone - which is why he never tried to connect with them.

(And the reason other witches and demons didn’t find the glyphs is because most of them don’t need to search for alternatives to typical magic powers, since most of them have the ability to use magic naturally, and if they lose that ability they likely just rely on their staff from then on and assume there are no alternatives. Or maybe some people did come across a glyph or two, but didn’t realize their significance, assuming they were just a cool pattern. This works especially with something like a snowflake)

Luz could’ve still met the Titan in the In-Between Realm, but he could’ve not had the power to choose who gets to find the glyphs and who doesn’t, with who ends up finding them and how long it takes them to do it depending on those people’s own choices, like actively choosing to immerse themselves in the environment and try to connect with it.

The Titan being able to literally choose whether to show the glyphs or not undercuts the idea of “choosing yourself”, because whether you get to find them or not now also depends on whether he likes you or not, because regardless of what choices you’ve made, if he happens not to like you and not feel like showing the glyphs to you, you won’t get to find them. And we know he’s not some purely objective infallible being, he’s a person, and we know for a fact that he has made mistakes and misjudged people, for example imprisoning the Collector.

#toh #the owl house #owl house #toh critical #toh criticism #the titan #papa titan #king's dad #luz noceda #emperor belos #philip wittebane

[sanctaignorantia]

Starting another text about how my mind is deteriorating as I think more about Death Stranding 2. Here we go!

Today we're going to talk about how I believe Fragile will be the friend who betrays us in the sequel, but not because she's bad, but because she had no choice or because she's in a risky situation.

Let's start with a few points (which may be confusing because my memory isn't great, sorry). During my conversations with @love-bigboss1fan-me about Metal Gear and how Kojima's mind works within his worlds I came to a few conclusions. Let's get started!

-> Fragile and Higgs will be "on the same side".

If we were to put APAC as the common point between Higgs and Fragile then I could assume that both would be working "together", without knowing it, or knowing it, but still with a certain dislike between them.

How did I come to this conclusion? Coffin.

Coffin is the only thing that closely links Higgs to Fragile and I am very suspicious of the ease with which Fragile closed Fragile Express simply to open Drawbridge. The Qpid that Sam will now wear is basically the same design as the necklace that Coffin wore. Higgs' cool sarcophagus has the same ideas, so we have Coffin linking Fragile and Higgs here.

And you know what's bizarre? I was looking for these photos and then I thought "Fragile's father reminds me of Higgs…", the type of hair, the style, I don't know…

But then you ask yourself "why would Fragile be involved?" - Was the design of the new Qpid made by Drawbridge or APAC? The DHV Magellan is something that was given to Fragile by APAC so I assume that all the technology Drawbridge has is thanks to APAC, the ship, the Qpid and the "rings". And then we come to the second very funny thing that makes me think APAC has Coffin's finger in the middle.

I thought this new technology represented rings, but it could also be miçanga, remember?

A bead (miçanga in brazilian portuguese) is a small decorative object made from natural materials such as stones, bones, shells, wood or, in most cases, glass. They are usually used to decorate necklaces (or any other ornament made from glass), and are recognizable because they have a small hole in the center for threading or stringing. They are then attached to a string, chain or necklace. Their colors and different shapes are widely used in fashion, handicrafts and decoration to create unique pieces. The use of beads originated in South Africa and surrounding countries, where they have a spiritual value, since these necklaces were used in their early days for prayer or devotion, or perhaps to ward off evil spirits. For indigenous peoples, their meaning is not purely aesthetic, for them there is a question linked to ancestry and corporeality. x

Coffin hands the miçanga to her husband and then he hands it to Fragile. The object is purely a bridge between mother and daughter and then becomes a bridge between Sam and Fragile.

These new miçangas will be used by us (Sam) and the entire Drawbridge team, each miçanga is a "knot" that is joined by a large cord, leaving everyone united.

So we have the design of the coffins, we have the miçanga, we have APAC behind Drawbridge and Higgs (according to theories), then we have Coffin. "But ah… Coffin is dead!" - Cool, since when was that an impediment in Death Stranding? Since when, for Kojima, is killing someone the end of the line? And I'm talking now because I have knowledge of MGS and all the architecture behind "bringing people back to life through AIs" - here in Death Stranding 2 we'll be going into a world that's "very Metal Gear on Kojima's part" so I think it's important to take into account the fact that he's going to CONTINUE using Metal Gear references. And I say continue because DS1 already has a lot of references...

Coffin may be dead, but her ideals still survive somewhere, in someone, and just as we believe that Higgs raised this cult of Amelie as an extinction entity, we can assume that leaving Coffin with her ideals somewhere, germinating, would not be crazy. The next point would be to think that there is something behind Coffin, in case Coffin is "the face" of APAC? Probably. This is Kojima we're talking about, and in terms of manipulation, things work like an onion.

In DS1 Fragile tells Sam the "whole truth" that Higgs tells her, before she leaves him behind on the Beach. Knowing the unknown field that is Higgs Monaghan I would have thought that handsome son of a bitch had a card up his sleeve from the start. He had to. He didn't look like someone desperate in the face of imminent destruction. So taking on his big Hollywood starring role, because acting is also his "thing", it would be easy for him to keep telling truths that hurt and he obviously does with Fragile since he was "about to die", but what would stop him from telling her that he also worked with Coffin?

They are damaged goods and damaged goods with common points that hurt both parties, they are already deeply connected by the red thread of destiny, they are already part of that great string full of miçangas.

Assuming that in the trailer 1 when Fragile escapes with Lou, the vehicle she uses already contains the Drawbridge logo, then she will basically have had her team assembled since the beginning of DS2. I'm going to conclude that, in trailer 2, when we hear her telling Sam that she's closed down Fragile Express and set up Drawbridge, it's actually at the very beginning of the game, probably in one of the scenes where we have Fragile visiting Sam to look after Lou for a few moments. So these visits will be frequent in the same way that Fragile's insistence on Sam coming to work with her at Drawbridge will initially be frequent. When the trailer 1 comes to an end and Fragile invites Sam to meet her crew, that's Fragile's last attempt to convince Sam to work with her, and guess what? It works because Lou is gone… There's nothing left for Sam… AGAIN!

We have some points that I haven't been able to think about yet, like Higgs. If he's with APAC because there's Coffin's "face" behind it, then why is his cult for Amelie and not for her? That sort of thing. But let's leave it alone because I believe that, although Higgs and Fragile may have this much in common, they still have particularities that will set them apart.

-> Higgs is not so "bad".

Evil is a point of view, and in my honest opinion Higgs was never a villain, he was a victim.

As @love-bigboss1fan-me always reminds me, no robot/human character in MGS is a total villain. They always come across as "neither friend nor foe" (although most of them are more like friends, but they don't admit it). So I'm taking into account that Higgs in DS2 will be an anti-hero. Messing around and creating chaos is still his thing, he's there to do it and he enjoys it, but he's going to help us.

Higgs in DS1 wasn't afraid to get close to Sam, to look him in the eye, to break the safe distance of Sam's private zone. No, Higgs wasn't. Higgs would pierce any barrier Sam put between them. Higgs puts his tongue in Sam's cheek without trembling, he likes it. But in trailer 2 he simply keeps his distance, he hardly looks Sam in the eye. He touches the gun, a soulless husk, he touches the puppet, knowing that it is a soulless little husk, and then he touches Lou's empty pod.

But while Sam? Well, he only touches Sam with his words and, probably, with his truths. When he says later on that Sam will have to seek the truth and that the pain he's in will only get worse, I don't believe he's only talking about Lou because later on we have lines from Fragile indicating that "it wasn't her intention to string him along". And it's not as if Fragile is the villain, perhaps the lie she tells Sam is exactly the omitted truth "I didn't tell you because you never asked!".

If Fragile and Higgs have a link to APAC because APAC is linked to Coffin, then why should this be Sam's business? Sam doesn't seem to share his visions of Cliff out there, so "everyone take care of your family" and we'll be fine, but back to Kojima and his way of telling stories, we know that family isn't exactly what descends from our own blood or genes, family is what passes on and leaves a connection in us. And connections are what Death Stranding is all about. Humanity needs to connect, because humanity is the Great Family here…

-> Is it Higgs who "kills" Lou?

I can see Kojima saying "we need to set it up so that everyone thinks Higgs is the one who shoots. Maybe he shoots Fragile, maybe Lou. But actually Higgs is shooting at whoever is chasing Fragile and Lou. Higgs is helping them."

They don't look shot to me. The background isn't even the same color and for the situation to get to where it is, with this fire and destruction, then there was a lot of fighting, something that just one shot would have solved, one shot would have ended the show.

And Higgs, like a good son of a bitch, is going to help with his own intentions behind it. He's going to help Fragile and Lou, but maybe he's going to kill whoever's after them while acting as if he killed Lou and got Lou out of there (here comes the theory that Lou is closely linked to Amelie and then Higgs' interest with his EE cult). Higgs had opportunities to destroy Fragile and never did, Higgs had opportunities to destroy that baby in the pod and never did. Higgs talks too much, but he wouldn't kill them. Fragile gave him a choice, shoot or be trapped forever on the Beach. Fragile was merciful so I don't see Higgs wanting to get back at her.

So how could Fragile become the "villain", but not because she wants to but because she "had no choice" or "is at risk"? APAC is a new face, a new company, Kojima likes to deliver the new as friendly and then that's not really a very friendly thing. We'll have APAC vs UCA then we have the top of the pyramid. These are dangerous names because they are names that have power, so these are the names that will be in control. Seducing Fragile and Higgs using their deepest connections isn't something new for Kojima either, we're still treading the same minefield as DS1 and the entire MGS franchise. The big problem is what's behind those masks, what's behind all the curtains when the show is about to start and then when it's over, what only the people who have that power in their hands will be seeing. We are just puppets, pawns.

You seduce them, hand them a fraction of that power through weapons and soldiers (for Higgs) and technology (for Fragile) while they believe they are using it for THEIR OWN INTERESTS, when in fact they are bait, they are "the pawn bridges" for the purpose of these "kings".

I don't believe that Higgs becomes "the villain" in DS1 because he wants to, and I don't need to explain his reasons. So here I don't believe that Fragile would be the "villain" because he wishes it when everything is about manipulations and well-rehearsed lies. Fragile is at risk because she does again what she condemned in DS1, she will ally herself again with something "faceless" because it gives her powe/and or has things in common (technology, dhv magellan, connect the world, make deliveries) and that will lead her into the hole. In the same way that we have Higgs doing again what he did in DS1, letting himself be seduced by icons. And we have Sam doing exactly what he didn't want to do in DS1, teaming up with a "great idea" to connect the world, this time, because it's the only thing he believes he's good at, and because he has nothing else left and because someone told him that it would heal him. THE SAME CYCLE IS STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN.

And when I talk about cycles that repeat themselves, I talk about reincarnation, I talk about how a spirit needs to repeat the same things during its spiritual journey so that it learns from its mistakes and breaks this karmic cycle and thus evolves. We see this in MGS with Hal, for example, breaking the "karmic cycle" that his father Huey "started" and so on with "the future generations" or "descendants" that are placed in the story and that can also be interpreted as "future reincarnations" of the same "soul" = idea, ideal, character. And yet, we can compare the karmic cycle of all humanity, which, in both Death Stranding and Metal Gear, continue to practice/and or be part of the same "karmic cycle" that only generates its own destruction.

#about-ds #death stranding #death stranding 2 #parallels between ds and mgs #coffin #higgs monaghan #sam porter bridges #fragile

[paperstarwriters]

*Sigh* Ok, ok, firstly, I just wanna know where the people who don't mind the culture shift, but also still don't really like the show are. Like — I actually really like the casting choice for The Addams They're really cool and I really like them. Personally, I'm particularly fond of Wednesday and Gomez but still.

I just… don’t really like some aspects of this remake. One being that the actors for Gomez and Morticia felt so...uncomfortable while performing. Like the 1991 & 1993 movies, Gomez and Morticia were so clearly and so fondly in love and were very comfortable with expressing that, with their over-dramatic expressions of love feeling very easily expressed and normal for them. Here, I don't think the actors were quite as comfortable in performing that kind of expression of love, which just kinda made their romantic interactions just uncomfortable to watch.

Also, it's disappointing that they kind of just... abandoned the murderous core of the Addams? Like, I understand that there may be more appeal in having the Addams keeping the torture to themselves rather than bestowing it onto unwilling victims, but I think it just feels a lot like... telling us that they enjoy torture and fighting rather than showing it. In all the scenes where we see them, the Addams seem so uncomfortable when it comes to causing or receiving torture or harm. They flinch at needing to kill someone, and yet they say that they revel in it? Gomez takes insult at being told he isn't a person capable for murder and yet as far as we know, he is?

It makes their whole torture ordeal seem like it's just for show which feels disappointing and sad. It just makes it feel like this show is trying to call the old 1991 Addams family fake. As if they too were only ever really putting on a show to impress or (more accurately) surprise people, which I just really, really hate. Originally, the Addams family felt like a group that cried out that you did not have to conform to the ideals of the people around you to be happy, which speaks a lot to queer communities and neurodivergent people—even people of color. By implying that they're just... faking being strange or odd, it just makes me feel like I'm attempting to exclude myself.

Thing, I think is practically their only indication for being odd or strange and yet he's often set aside, and just acts like a strange yet funny sidekick amidst these Addams. He kinda feels like the token character to remind the audience that these are the Addams who have very strange and murder-y things with them.

I think, largely the issue here is that we don't know these Addams. here, the Addams are an entirely new set of characters separated from the older 1991 and 1993 movies, but because of the opening with Wednesday and Wednesday's typical demeanor amidst the entire thing, I kinda felt like I was led to assume that it would comply with the older movies, only to be unpleasantly surprised.

I know they're trying to set up a huge mystery surrounding who the Addams are and how that's tied into this school and the town, but with the way the story is currently going, I feel like we may never know.

It feels like I'm reading an alternate universe (AU) fanfic where the characters are represented differently than in the original source material, but it is not readily obvious. Like sure, the setting is a little different, and their situation seemed to have changed a bit, but the story implies that it's the same characters who have lived through the same events as they did in the source material. While some people may be interested to witness or understand why this change exists, most people will feel like the characters are being OOC and will quickly abandon the story because they don't understand why their favorite characters are so different.

Because this story is so clearly different from the 1991 Addams family, the show probably should have established not only how and why the family was different but also how they are tied into the original Addams. They should have been introduced as if they were entirely new characters. Show what they're like when they're in their element. When they're killing and murdering or if not that, torturing and being tortured. If they don't kill, establish that. Maybe make a statement along the lines of, "Addams don't Kill, we don't want to cut their torture off short, do we Wednesday?" which would help us to better understand why Gomez and Morticia would react that way to a murder.

Idk, maybe I'm just biased because I liked the 1991 Addams family and the 1993 Addams family values movies, and because I know that version of the Addams family so well, I just can't appreciate this new iteration of them.

#wednesday netflix #addams family #the addams family #Not to mention how they seem to name-drop a lot of political issues in the show while never ever going any more in depth than that #Like it feels like they're just trying to score brownie points with people watching #trying to be as ''woke'' or ''politically correct'' as possible #like don't get me wrong #many of the issues discussed are important and do need to be discussed #but there is no discussion here in the show #like — it's basically fanservice #just superficial appeal to the things that certain fans want to see #except instead of shots that are overly focused on a person's body #it's random commentary on real world events in events where none of that is connected to the actual plot #my sister said that it's like watching old Disney channel tv shows and yeah It kinda does #Im just saying if you put a laugh track after every time someone mentioned some politically important event....

[jaesvelvet]

aim for it

SUMMARY ➤ you decided to bring your frenemies to investigate the murder of someone that unrelated to you

PAIRING ➤ archery! jay feat. bishop fem! reader

GENRES ➤ frenemies to lover, fluff at the end, action, betrayal, crime, violence

WORDS ➤ 14.3k words

WARNINGS ➤ profanity, murderer, alien attack, fight scene, kidnapping, death threats, mention daredevil once, absolutely make no sense at all, grammartical error, mention sunghoon twice, mention of weed once! and this fic is heavily inspired by hawkeye series on disney+

NOTES ➤ tysm to @seungstarss for the banner!! finally i got to use it and im so sorry for disappearing (,: i forgot my password (dumbassss)

The scene you witnessed when you were 10 years old sure gave a huge impact on you. Only seconds ago you talked with your mother about having a picnic with her and your dad and now you are standing in your room, with an accelerated heart rate you witnessing nonhumans attacking New York City. You are scared for sure, is this what the adults say 'the world is ending?'

For 10 years old, you are terrified by what your eyes witnessed. You are not scared of death but more of the foreign things you saw or the media would say, aliens. You never thought aliens could be this scary, the image you had of them was like green and blue— like monsters from the Monster Inc movie.

Your eyes widened as you saw an alien flying towards your room, you froze on the spot, you didn't run. Your mind went blank— but you are thankful for not running as there's another thing you witnessed. An arrow shot straight to the alien's body and exploded a second later which made you flinch, didn't expect it to blow.

As the aliens fall to the ground, you finally notice a male on the tall building with a bow with him. The way he notches an arrow and effortlessly fights those aliens using fire arrows mesmerizes you. A person could be a superhero without any cool weapons or superpower.

You saw him fight for a moment before you heard another explosion, it felt like you came back to the real world again. You ran from the terror-stricken scene, yelling for your mom and dad but to your dismay, none of them respond to your small voice.

At 10 years old, besides aliens, you are also afraid of losing both of your parents. Your breath is hitching as you are alone in the living room with chaotic surroundings, you can't do anything at this point, your young mind didn't think further enough to make a choice.

You keep yelling for your mom and dad, a shriek escaping from your lips as you could feel someone hug you from behind when you realized it's your mom. You cried. The relief you felt when you hugged your mom was overwhelming.

"Where's dad?"

"We'll find him later, now we need to save ourselves"

You did find him.

6 feet under.

At 10 years old, you never assumed to experience this kind of loss. Usually, parents will die when you grow up, right? You didn't expect your father to die so soon. The attack surely leaves a huge impact on you which is trauma. You lost your father due to the attack and you will not let your mother be the next one.

"Mom, I will protect you from now on"

Those words that came out from a 10 years old kid break your mom's heart. At this age, you don't need to have such responsibility but the death of your father makes you afraid that you will lose your mom because you are still young to do anything to keep her safe.

"Oh, sweetheart. You don't need to, I'm the one who needs to keep you safe. It's my job" your mom sobbed, pulling you into a hug.

You trust your mom but it's not enough to keep both of you safe. Besides the news said that the mighty heroes promised to fight those aliens if they come to earth again and keep all citizens safe. You are thankful and admire them but they are human like you, they might get rid of the aliens but some people were killed in the attack and we can't always depend on the 6 heroes.

That's the main reason why you decided to take up archery in the case of another threat. Throughout your middle and high school career, you went through high amounts of martial arts training, being able to gain many medals in several competitions.

Clint Barton has been your idol since you were 10. You are still fascinated by the fact he saved you with a stick and string. Your mom opens up a new company— a security company. Your life gets back on track again, your single mom affords to take care of you, you got a good grade on academics, and keep winning every competition you entered. Both of you are pleased with your current life despite one person missing in your life, you are delighted with your mom's successful job, you knew how she struggled and was depressed after your father's death but she keeps going to give you the life you deserve.

11 years passed, and now you are in your early 20s. You graduated from university with flying colors yet you didn't have a feeling about doing your internship since your mother signed your name to work under her company. As you develop to the age where you think you are mature enough to understand everything that goes on in your life, you grow distant from your mother.

Neither two of you didn't know where went wrong, and how did your lovey-dovey relationship escalate quickly. Maybe because your mom was too busy with her job and you got used to your own. Never once in your life have you embarked to address this matter with your mom since you started to feel awkward around her, you felt that little you would be so disappointed with how things turned nonetheless you can't blame anyone. Your mom is still keeping you safe (maybe a bit too much for your liking) and you are comfortable with how things are going around for now.

"Stay focused Bishop, you might lose to me again"

You turned your head to the owner of the voice, feeling a bit embarrassed by him caught you daydreaming. You clear your throat and nock an arrow, pull back the string— you close your left eye and right eye is aiming for the center, loosen the string and it hits the 10 points. For a normal person, they would cheer for you since it hits the center of the board, however it does not hit the pinhole, the exact center of the gold. You heard a snicker beside you, a sigh escaping from your mouth.

You hate losing.

Losing to him to be more exact.

You throw your bow to the side, feeling angry about losing to him for the third time today. It angered you so much how easily you lose focus on something stupid your mom said earlier this morning. It frustrated you that she still controls your life despite the fact that both of you don't have the mother-daughter bonding anymore.

"You lose again," he said, carefully placing his arrows in the quivers, he took a glance at you. Once again he snickered at you, he loves it when you lose knowing how frustrated you can be afterward.

You didn't reply to his teasing, you were not in the mood to have stupid fights with him. You only give him a death glare before you leave the training center.

"Y/N don't make a scene, wear the dress and please behave" your mom pleaded. This morning your mom told you that she is having a birthday party at some fancy hotel. That's not the worst part. The fact she invited everyone— her family, her boyfriend's family, and her colleague was so nice of her. But when you open your mouth to question your father's relatives.

She keeps her mouth shut, smoothly changing the topic about the dress you're gonna wear for tonight.

That is the starting point of the argument with your mom that morning. You can't believe how she could toss your dad's family after she got a stable career and a new boyfriend. They are still your family nevertheless.

Yet your mom stands by her choice, she will not invite your father's family, making your whole day sour.

"I don't see a point to go to your birthday party" your cold voice greets her yet she seems unbothered to your strike, it looks like she has encountered this numerous times.

"You have and you will go to my birthday party. I don't want people to make bad assumptions about our relationship" her answer makes you scoff. The audacity of her is unbelievable.

"Bad assumption? Mom their bad assumption of us is true—"

"Y/N, please. Or I need to cancel your card"

The question that you will never find the answer to was: why do you have to be jobless and still depend on your mom's money?

And here you are– standing at the fancy party in an awkward state. Instead of wearing a sparkling dress, your mom told you to, you wear a black suit like a typical girl that hates girly stuff. You admit your attitude was cliche but if it would make your mom go insane, you are willing to do it.

Maybe wearing a black suit it's not a good choice tonight. You look exactly like the waiters that serve wine to all guests. Awkwardly, you stand in the middle of the hall, eyeing your mom with her flirty boyfriend, Jack.

You bite your inner cheek, why does your mom have to be in a relationship with someone like him? To think about him, he's a good man, he's respectful and kind but something about him just seems off and you did not dig anything yet, so far. But you are 90% sure he is not a good man for your mom.

Well, even your relationship with your mom drew apart— yet you still care about her relationship with Jack. You dislike him in the first place when your mom introduces him at your family dinner. He looks like someone who has an evil plan to take the company and leave your mom alone.

"Excuse me, dear can I—"

"Sorry, I'm not a waitress" you quickly cut him off, an old man who looks like in his 80s approaches you, thinking you're a waitress there.

"You're a little Bishop girl" the old man exclaims. You were amused how he recognized you this quickly since all people who's on his age tend to have recollecting problems.

You give him a thin smile, not really wanting to have a conversation here. All you need is to get out of this hotel and be in your room. Blasting some of Avril Lavigne's songs from your Spotify.

"Armand. Armand Duquesne. Jack's bloodline" he introduced himself. Well, you're not in the mood for chattering but you are aware it's kinda rude to ignore people. So you just nod at him as a response.

"You know, it's unfair. I never looked that good in a tuxedo in my life." he started, giving you a mischievous smile. You still didn't say anything. You don't know who this man was and suddenly he was complimenting you. Social anxiety in you rises as he seems to not want to leave the scene just yet.

Your eyes wander to search for someone who you are familiar with but failed as he keeps talking to you.

"I'd appreciate it if you wear something a little more lady-like for the wedding, so we won't be competing."

Your head tilting to the side. You are certain that you are not misheard the words he just said seconds ago

"What wedding?"

"You don't know?" you shook your head. It's your mom's birthday party, right?

"It's Eleanor and Jack. Oh! Those secretive little love birds!" he chuckles while you have a hard time processing his words. Your mom is engaged? You know nothing about this.

Do you need to get upset? Well, to be fair you also didn't share anything with her anymore. You lick your sudden dry lips, no. You have the right to get upset. She should tell you at least! He's gonna be your stepfather and you have the right to know!

"Believe me, I've done everything in my power to talk him out of it. When he gets something set in that little mind of his, he can be quite determined." he continues, you could only mutter an 'Oh' to him as a response. Your gaze is clouding and you are already distant from reality.

Too much going on in a short period. How can she act as if nothing happened when she's engaged to the man you are still doubting for. You respectfully dismissed yourself and walked straight to your mom still laughing with her future husband.

"You're engaged?" You didn't hide the fact you were so disappointed with her, your tone was cold as ice.

"Oh, well, I guess the beans are out of the bag" she chuckles but your serious face looking at her makes her clear her throat. Realizing that both of you are gonna have some serious chat.

"Can we have a little moment?" your mother asked Jack which he gladly fine. He gives your mother a peck before leaving the both of you to have some discussion.

"Babe, I'm sorry, I'm sorry you found out this way" she uttered, softly caressing your cheek but you turn your head away, you are too mad at your mom right now. She pursed her lips together, she acknowledged that you are pissed off with her right now, so she gave you space.

"I don't know, Mom, this is just like...Fast" it's true. It is fast. Your mom and Jack have only known each other for like a year and you didn't know him at all! All those times you were on the campus while Jack moved into your house. Besides you still got a bad vibe from him, which makes you mad even more at your mom.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fast, yes. But, you know, it's kind of nice being swept up in the romance of it" she reassures you, looking you straight into your eyes.

When you didn't give any replies to her words, she would sigh. She realized this is her fault and she wanted to tell you first but at that time you were busy with the finals and all the competitions you entered so she didn't want to irritate you.

"Is there a part of you that could be happy for me?" you're taken aback by her question. Sure, she sacrifices almost everything to get where you are now, you knew she cried all night because of the hard path she went through alone and the reason why she doesn't want to invite your father's family because she is getting married to someone else.

You took a glance at her, she was still looking at you with doe eyes. Hoping that you will accept her choice on this matter. Although you grew distant from her, she is still your mom no matter what.

"Yes, mom. Of course"

You could see her relieved smile as you uttered those words to her. She takes a step, to hug you but you quickly step back from her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you first. I'm sorry" she said

"I'm going to get some air, Mom" you need to have a moment alone to let the marriage thing sink into your mind. Your mom seems to understand and let you go to get fresh air from the outside.

You go down to the lobby of the hotel, leaving the main entrance, and now you are on the side road. The road seems packed with too many cars on the road due to weekend nights.

You exhale your breath slowly, your mom remarries some suspicious guy that seems to want your mom's assets. Maybe you let it pass this time? Maybe your instinct is wrong. Maybe he is a good man for your mom? You still can get to know him from family dinners.

If anything goes south, you will make sure you're the one who saves your mom from all the chaos.

You re-entered the lobby, with a heavy heart you went to the party. If your mom is so serious about this then maybe it's the best for her.

"I'm gonna get this sword no matter what!" your track stops as you hear Jack's voice in the hallway. You hide behind the wall and peek to look at him. You frown seeing him with Armand, they seem unfriendly despite sharing the last family name.

"You know nothing about this sword, Jack! Stop dreaming!" he scolded. You look at the sword on their side. It was a Ronin Katana. A long sharp colored black sword was used by the mighty Ronin. A criminal who disappears after the snap, the police are still looking for him but there's no trace of him at all.

"I am and I will get the sword!"

"Well, you are one second late because I am willing to pay half million for it, '' Armand bragged, handing his cheque to the seller. A smirk formed on his lips as he watched Jack's irk's face. He then patted Jack's shoulder and left the hallway, going straight back to the party.

You quickly run to the party, the last thing you want to experience was to get caught by Armand that you've been eavesdropping on them.

You act like nothing happened when you saw Armand enter the party then Jack following a moment later. What is so special about the Ronin swords they are talking about? If it's a criminal sword, didn't they just involve themselves in a black market?

You try not to think much about it. You know Jack is a huge fan of fencing. Maybe he is interested in Ronin's sword since your home now is filled with his sword collection.

You reassure yourself, nothing bad is gonna happen.

As it's on cue, the light went off making the halls all black in a matter of seconds. All guests were screaming, shocked by the sudden power-off of electricity. You curse under your breath, you knew something was off. For sure someone planned this.

You screamed for your mom's name, you got a feeling that both Armand and Jack have bad intentions and you want your mom to stay out of all the chaos.

"Yes Y/N, stay calm, the light will be on soon!" she screamed back, you know she only says that to reassure you and it works since you know she is safe in the darkness. A couple of minutes later the lights flicker. Your squint as your retina adjusts to the sudden brightness.

"Oh, God..."

You gasp as you see Armand's body on the floor. The white marble floor tiles are now filled with the crimson red blood of Armand. His eyes were wide open and the blood kept coming out from his abdomen.

You swore your knees are getting weak and the scene was too traumatized for you. It looks like he's been stabbed, your eyes naturally land on Jack's. He seemed too relaxed for witnessing his cousin's murder.

Well, now you have a point to make your mother break off the engagement before it was too late.

The police confirm it was a murderer and he's been stabbed while the power suddenly went off. All of his relatives were crying, sobbing on the floor seeing Armand's body being carried by the paramedics. Your mother also burst into tears, the day that was supposed to be happy for her turned into a nightmare as a murderer happened. The police started to investigate one by one guests that were invited to the party, you are no exception. You gave the police the truth answer— you went out to get fresh air after the heated arguments with your mom.

As you're done with the investigation, you saw Jack being dragged by the police to get his alibi in a private room. You don't want to miss a thing, so you follow them behind their back, making sure you're not seen by anybody, you act naturally, or else someone is gonna pick you as a suspect.

"You may start your alibi now"

"I was with him, the seconds before he dies"

Your eyes turn bigger hearing his confession. what is in his head?

"But we just passed by, I saw him on my way to the toilet in the hallway. We chatted a bit and that's all. The next thing I knew, things went all dark and suddenly Armand's body was on the floor" Jack said, pursing his lips together, the way that he saw Armand's dead body was quite disturbing.

You didn't hear the next thing, you sneaked out of the private room, your chest felt so tight and it was so hard to breathe. The brand new information you got was so unexpected. Why did Jack lie about his alibi? Is he the one who murdered Armand? Seeing Jack being lovey-dovey with your mother scared you, he must have already planned everything. Who knows, maybe your mom will be his next victim.

Hours later, the police were done with their investigation and all guests were sent home. The three of you didn't say anything, letting the pop music blast in the car. Your mom was still shocked about Armand's death while you were so busy thinking about Jack who seems too calm.

"Baby, I know you are shocked. Go get rest, I'm gonna make you some hot tea" Jack offered, rubbing softly your mom's shoulder making you frown.

Ugh, he's act killing you inside.

Your mom nods her head, weakly she goes upstairs, straight to her room while you stand in the middle of the kitchen, observing every little thing he does, you have a trust issue with him now. He could put poison on your mom's drink.

"Y/N, what's wrong dear? You want tea too?" he asked, grinning as he saw you not moving any inches at all. Thinking you finally open up to him to accept him as your stepfather.

"No. I don't want anything"

"Uh, sure! Oh, by the way. You could put your archery equipment in the trunk of my car, I will send you to class tomorrow, uh you know your mom is still in shock, let her rest for a day" he said

"You really care for my mom, right Jack?" you raise one brow to him. He may look innocent to everyone else but not to you. You just need proof that he killed Armand and everything would go back on track again. You just need to dig a little bit.

"Of course Y/N. I really adore her" he said while giggling, he gave you a wink before going upstairs, serving his hot tea to your mom. You scoff, if you could stab his eye using your arrow, you will do it without hesitation. Lazily, you grabbed your archery equipment, you need to go to class no matter what.

The cold air slaps you, giving your body a little shiver. Tonight's weather seems a little colder than usual, you look up to the sky. You pray for Armand's soul. You don't know him besides his name, but he deserves better and you swore to the sky that you will catch the criminal no matter what.

The moment you open the trunk, you froze, your equipment fell to the ground and you peered intently at the things you saw in Jack's car trunk.

"Holy shit..." covering your widened gasp with your hands. This is not a dream, right?

Your eyes are not playing with you, right?

You just saw the Ronin Katana inside Jack's trunk. The Ronin Katana he is dying to wish for. You are not sure what you should do right now. Scream for help? Kill Jack using your sharp arrow? Or call the police?

Your mind went hazed for a moment. You put your equipment on the back seat instead. You slowly close the trunk and step away from Jack's branded car. Today was a very hectic and hard day for you.

Maybe tomorrow you will figure it out, your head starting to feel pain. It was too much for you. For now, you let 101 unanswered questions in your mind remain unanswered.

"You lost again Bishop," he said in a mockery tone. Honestly, he thought you're gonna beat his ass today but like yesterday, you seem off and he never saw you in this state. To say he is worried about you is far away from that. He just wonders why you're not like yourself, the competitive Bishop and the one who always teases him every time he loses with her.

"Are you dying or something?" he asked and almost earned a slap from you but you stop midway because you might die in Jack's hand if you're not careful around him. He may kill you and your mom at once.

"If I'm dying you will not live stream my funeral right?" you asked

"Well, it depends if you die due to natural cases it will be boring to live stream"

"You right," you said, putting your arrows in the quivers. Sitting on the nearest bench, your life is on a string and you need to perform your plan immediately before Jack does.

"I hope you die in a funny way I need to increase my followers you know"

"Fuck you, Jay"

His identity is no more secretive at all, the man you hate losing with was Jay. Park Jay, was born in Seattle and moved to New York when he was 12. Since then, you knew him from archery class. Despite both of you being the ace in the class, you and Jay didn't click at all because of the high competitive behavior, the two of you are desperate to beat each other's high scores.

Jay didn't say anything and left you alone in the training center. You shut your eyes tightly, where do you should start your investigation? You can just ask Jack why Ronin's sword is in his trunk, it will immediately get you killed.

You open your eyes slowly, blinking at the sight of the small security camera on the ceiling. An idea popped into your mind.

The hotel CCTV!

You threw your backpack to the side of the fence wall of your house and climbed it carefully, making sure neither your mom nor Jack caught you. As you land on the floor, you squint as you see an unfamiliar car parked in front of your garage. At this point, you are 100% sure if you turn your phone on, there could be thousands of missed calls and texts from your mom but you couldn't care less. Your mission went wrong when the security stopped you since the hotel now is a prohibited area for citizens.

Nothing went on your way today causing major stress to attack you but you still have a little hope. If you ask anyone who knows you, Bishop never gives up. You want to pinpoint Ronin's sword, what's so special about the criminal sword that Jack and Armand ache for?

You made your way to your mom's office, you learned that Jack loved to place his belongings in your mom's office, entering the cold big room and making you goosebumps. It feels like you are on a secret mission with Hawkeye.

Well, technically you are in a secret mission only minus Hawkeye. There's a time when you have a thought, what would happen if you have a superpower? Like being a God of thunder? Or injected with a super serum making your life for like 100 years like Captain America? Your mom would be against all of this but having Hawkeye as your co-worker is really dope.

You always imagine how it would be so extraordinary to meet Hawkeye only for a second. You want to thank him for being your inspiration and saving her during the Alien Invasion 11 years ago. Is he aware that there are too many people who are grateful for the Avengers? However, Sokovia Accords break the Avengers apart and since then, many people despise the earth's mighty heroes although they have already sacrificed everything for world peace.

Your mom always told you to not be a hero, don't ever think about it, saying 'I know that young people think they're invincible and rich people think they're invincible. And you have always been both. You're not. You'll get hurt. Don't go out looking for it'

You never understood her words until now. What's wrong with helping people? And right now you are helping her from dying without her knowing. She should be thankful one day!

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Shit" you never flinch so hard in your entire life, maybe it's because the nerve makes you look like a scaredy-cat. You turn your body around, and a sigh of relief left from your lips after knowing the person that caught you was Jay.

"I'm not doing any— I should be the one who asked you, What are you doing in my house? Lurking in the hallway?" Placing your hands on both of your hips with one brow-raising.

"Your family invites my family for dinner and I'm not lurking! I just got back from the toilet and heard something from this room" he said, looking straight into your eyes with his usual cocky expression.

"Help me, find Jack's car key," you asked him, there's no point in arguing with him right now. You need Jack's car key to research the sword.

"So polite of you"

"If you help me, I swear next time we have dinner I will brag on how you are way better than me in archery"

"Here you go"

"Dude? What the fuck? Where did you find it?" you gasped, you've been in your mom's office for about 35 minutes and there's no Jack's belonging here.

"On the sword table" now the key is in your hand. You smirk, maybe today wasn't that bad.

"Follow me!" you grabbed his forearm and brought him to the back door, which is in your kitchen. You pressed the button on the car key causing the car to beep.

You throw the keys to Jay, luckily he has fast reflexes and catches the key easily while giving you an unamused look. You told him to drive since you failed your driver's license twice.

It's ironic when you can do almost anything but fail a driving test because you can't parallel park.

"Where to go?" Jay asked, and the question came out naturally from his lips. You didn't expect him to ask a question like that. Knowing Jay, he will bombard you with some annoying statement or question until you explode— by 'exploding' to catch him with your sharp arrow in your hand.

"I don't know, just drive to some uncrowded place" you answered, fastening your seat belt. You can't wait to explore the sharp swords, who knows maybe it will be a little clue for your secret mission.

As Jay turns the steering to the left to park Jack's old branded car at an empty parking spot which is a bit unnerving for both of you. Truth to be told, the two of you may look like young teenagers who aren't afraid of dying but can piss in your pants at the word 'ghost'.

"Where are we?" you wondered, the place Jay brings you might be frightening but it's so quiet and empty— it's so calming to be far away from the crowded and noisy city. You might come here again to clear your thoughts.

"My secret place" Jay and you get out of the car and start in the night sky. It's been a long time since you looked up to the sky. The sky remains beautiful just like the last time you watch the night sky with your dad.

You wondered if your dad watching you from above, watching every little move you make and all the trouble you do that makes your mom's migraine worsen? If he is alive, will he be proud of you? Or will he react the same as your mom?

Too many unanswered questions when it comes to your dad. You vividly remember his presence and his embrace. You start to forget his voice and his face. It aches you when you need to remember his face through a family photo in your room.

You always hope that your dad is still alive, maybe your mom wouldn't meet Jack and all of this wouldn't happen. Unnoticed by you, Jay has been staring at you for a moment now, his eyes didn't even blink for once– too mesmerized by your glowing face under the moonlight.

Since when have you become too pleasing to look at?

It was a bolt from the blue that his heart suddenly thumped so quickly. He never felt this feeling before, is looking at you making his life span shorter? Is he dying?

He turned his face away from you when he felt his cheeks a bit hot. Surely it will turn light pink as a result.

On the other hand, you make your way toward the trunk, carefully open the trunk and bring out the scabbard of the sword.

Jay immediately stands next to you, frowning to see a sword in your hand.

"Did you take a sword class?" he asked, his finger stroking the leather skin of the scabbard, he had never seen a real sword in his entire life.

"This is Jack's. He uses this to murder his cousin"

"Pft! Don't tell me this is your like origin superhero story" he derided at your words. It got him rethinking the feeling he felt for you just now. Heart thumping? Nah, there's no way he is fond of someone delusional as you. Perhaps he is too tired to the point he starts thinking something unbelievable.

"What an ass you are, Park" you roll your eyes at him, suddenly you regret asking him for help.

"No, because how do you confirm he killed his cousin? You know this is a serious matter Bishop" the dignified tone in his voice made you gulp your saliva. Jay never shows his serious side and you made a mental note to not make him turn on his serious mode on you. It's unpleasant to encounter him in this state.

You find yourself opening up to him, sharing your experience from the moment you step into the hotel to the night he caught you in your mom's office. Jay on the other side was stunned at your story, now he started to wonder— how much was worth this criminal's sword?

"So, what's your next plan?"

"I have no idea" your plain answer drives him crazy. You take part in this dangerous mission that could kill you and you didn't have a plan?

"I can't wait to attend your funeral"

"Make sure you make me look like an awesome person! Or I'll haunt you every night"

"Now let's open it, shall we?" you continue, your face lights up as you look at the scabbard a bit closer, the syllables that are carved in Hiragana are so neat, as it is custom made by a professional, which brings another question to your mind

'Why did he need to carve something on his scabbard?'

"Jay, do you know what was written on this?" you asked, knowing he is an anime fan (you caught him simping over Rei Ayanami once at the training center and he never heard the end of it), and surprisingly he is good at reading and speaking in Japanese.

"Um, it says 'I am my Demon'??"

"What? That's some corny shit" you laughed as you slid the gleaming sword out of its scabbard.

"One slice and you wake up in Heaven" Jay whispered, fingers landing on the sword to touch the steel. He can't believe how many people had died because of this one sharp metal.

"Agreed"

"Oi!"

Both of you and Jay look up to the foreign accent voice, eyes widened at the sight of a bunch of Russian guys standing in front of you and Jay while holding guns and bats.

"Give us the sword and no one hurt"

Ah, the typical words that come out from the villain's mouth making you smirk, Jay was wrong. Obviously, this is your origin superhero story that you will share with the world in the future.

"Mister, I am no fool" you argued, throwing the sword back to the trunk.

"And I am not showing sympathy" he raises his gun to shoot at you, luckily both of you quickly dodged the bullet.

"Shit" Jay cursed, he took out the sword from the trunk and swing the sword at the big guy

But who are we kidding here? An archery boy with a sword?

Easily, the big guy dodges Jay's attack and punches him straight to the face resulting in him bleeding on his lips. His vision was blurry, the punch was strong coming from his big fist. Jay felt his sense of balance slowly losing due to one punch he received.

From the side of your eyes, you could see how Jay fell to the ground. You mentally scoff at him— how can he be great in archery but not in fighting?

But you quickly realized, they are too many and you only have Jay— that didn't know how to fight. Without any second thought, you grabbed his forearm and got into the car.

"Just drive anywhere!" you yelled, hoping that none of them would shoot Jack's car window. If your alter ego is a real person, she would scream and yell right through your face to run away. You are not the type of person that would give up on anything. Alas, you acknowledge that you are with Jay, a stranger in this foreign world. There's nothing you can do than run away or else this would be the last time Jay breathes in this world.

Jay swore he finally felt his blood running back into his body while he whined as he realized they managed to take the sword with them. You failed to protect the sword— how are you gonna take care of your mother?

The sword was the only thing you can use against Jack. There's another thing you wondered, how the hell did those Russian guys know where you were? Did Jack secretly track you?

"Can't believe I almost died because of you" you turn your head towards Jay, the dried blood on his lips could be seen from afar. Guilty filled you, you shouldn't involve him in the suicide mission— that's the number one rule of becoming a superhero.

"We need to find the sword" was the only thing you said. There's no 'sorry' left on your lips. You felt sorry for him, but your mind is too focused on getting the sword back.

"Are you fucking out of mind? We almost got killed!" he screams right to your face. You never like it when someone raises their voice to you and you suddenly feel defensive and snap back at him

"Stop being fucking selfish for once and help me, Jay!"

He scoffed at your words and that's when you realized— who is he to help your family? Why did you seek help for him in the first place? You are frustrated by hitting your head with your hands. Your mind couldn't even process how to find a way to bring the sword back to you.

Should you order two coffins now? For you and your mom?

And did Jay will do a live stream on your funeral day?

Well, you only could hope that you look good, dying.

The sunny and clear weather in the morning seems gloomy to you. It felt like a nightmare that the sword had been stolen under your care. If you failed to protect the sharp metal then how are you gonna keep your mom alive? You didn't get enough sleep last night, thinking about everything that had been going on in a short period.

Who do the Russian guys work with? Why are they also after the sword? Too many unanswered questions wander in your mind and make you more eager to investigate the case except you have no starting point.

"Good morning, Y/N!" you roll your eyes hearing Jack's sweet voice (to you it's the most annoying tone ever) greet you the first thing in the morning. How do you wish you have Thor's superpower right now and smash him using Mjölnir or attack him with thunder—

"Woah, what's the attitude, young lady? You sneak out with Jay using Jack's car. Where are your sorry?" your mom asked, both of her hands on the hips. A typical pose for the angry mode you guess.

"Geez let them be. It's young love, you can't stop it" Jack defended you.

"We're not in love or whatever! He's such an ass and I could easily beat him in archery!" you spat, feeling annoying because first) you loath Jay. Second) Why is Jack suddenly defending you? And third) it's not a 'good' morning for you.

Jack giggles hearing you respond, maybe he finds his soon-to-be stepdaughter a fool teenager that is in love.

"They never admit it" he added

"Oh my God! I'm out" that's the last thing you said before leaving the house.

"As expected. I win" Jay smirks seeing your frowning face. Ah, what a good morning for him.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night" you place your arrows back into the quiver. Why must the coach pair both of you for today's training?

"Whatever makes you sleep, Bishop" you and Jay make your way to the exit, as the training hours have already ended. The silence hit as both of you were waiting in front of the main gate of the training center without mocking each other as usual.

"I'm sorry" you broke the silence

"Took you long enough"

"I was so overwhelmed when they got the sword and I realized I said things I shouldn't... You shouldn't involve in this suicide mission" you said, briefly looking at him. For the first time, you felt uncomfortable making eye contact with Park Jay.

"Why don't you just report it to the police?"

"It's complicated!"

"What's—"

Someone parked their minivan right in front of you two, making Jay stop in the mid-sentence since the black minivan is foreign to him and Y/N too, looking at her clueless reaction.

As the vehicle's door opened and revealed those Russian guys you fought last night enough to make you and Jay panic. Are they here to kill you and Jay? You hope not.

Mindlessly, you push Jay out of the scene, wanting to deal with this alone and you stand by your words earlier he shouldn't involve in this suicide mission. But those trained Russian guys were so much faster than you, they easily caught the two of you within seconds. Your eyes felt heavy and your head light-headed as they put a dirty handkerchief on your nose, giving you the strong smell of alcohol that slowly took your concussion away.

Jay. Was the only thing you thought before completely blacking out.

"JAY!"

Your eyes scan the huge basement that trapped you. It is full of harmful weapons and smells awful too.

"I'm right beside you, Y/N" he glared at your now relieved face. Well, at least you know he is safe (for now)

"Bastard! Let him go! He doesn't know anything!" you scream but no one pays attention to you. You keep screaming and screaming until one of them throws a baseball that landed right on your forehead, making you wince in pain.

"Hey! Don't use violence on her!" Now it's Jay's turn to yell after a moment he keeps his mouth shut. The big guy— he seems like the leader here grabs a chair and takes a seat in front of the two of you. Eyes keep changing direction to you and Jay. He keeps doing that until you and Jay grew uncomfortable at his stare.

"What are you? Couple?" he asked with his thick Russian accent

"No way!"

"Hell no!"

The big guy raised an eyebrow at the answer, well honestly he was hoping for some cheap romantic drama between the two of you.

"Uh okay. Let's get this straight. How the hell do you get the sword?" he asked, looking straight into your eyes rather than into Jay's.

"It's on—"

"We won't" you cut Jay off, there's no way you would let them know the truth, or else they will harm your mom. Jay looks at you, in disbelief. Why did you be so stubborn while your life was on the thin line?

"You don't wanna tell? You know once I pull this trigger and your head will blow in a second right?" you didn't give him the reaction that he expected, you look at him straight in the eyes showing that his threat means nothing to you. However, if he observes you well, he would notice your uneven breath and trembling hands. You were scared but you need to fight the feelings. They can't easily get the information they want with a single threat. You are not that weak.

"I will ask for the last time. How the hell did you get the sword?"

"I won't tell"

"You fuck—Ugh" your eyes widen at the sudden attack by... Jay?! How did he escape? And since when he becomes so strong, fighting with three men alone?

Jay runs towards the table in the middle of the basement where the quivers were placed, but the big guy also runs towards Jay on the opposite, he lifts his big fist, keen to punch Jay. Nevertheless, Jay was more advanced than him, with the taekwondo skill he learned (you thought he was joking about having a black belt in taekwondo) he jumped and did a flying back kick, and his Prada boots successfully landed on the big guy's cheek.

Jay smirks seeing the guy stumble with his kick, he didn't waste any time and runs to the table to take his quivers. On the other side, you can't even believe what's going on— Jay's fighting was shocking news for you. Did he hide his superiority to make your jaw drop open?

"Jay! Help me" you yelled but your loud voice echoes in the basement and gets ignored by Jay. Resulting in a burning fire flame inside of you. The fact that no one in the basement pays attention to you makes you mad. You should be the one who fights all of these old guys! Not Jay. It feels like you are a huge statue that no one pays attention to.

Your pupils are fast to catch up on what's going on in the basement, whenever someone's tried to attack Jay from behind you yelled to him while trying to untie yourself.

Your wrists are getting painful every time you twist your hand to release yourself. You tried to endure the pain but it didn't help when your wrist started to bleed.

"Ouch" you wince, you don't even think to give up right now since Jay might need your help.

You shriek as you feel the rope around your wrist getting loose. You turn your back to check on your wrist just to discover Jay's arrow on the floor. Before you could mutter any words or throw at least one punch at one of them, Jay quickly grabbed your wrist (but not so hard since he noticed the blood on your wrist) to get out of the basement.

"What are we gonna do now?" you asked

Your question was replied to by his action when he casually took out the car key from his pocket and unlocked a random car. He did not think much when he took the key while fighting. Escape was the only thing he had on his mind.

"Oh wow, badass" you tease

"Shut up" Jay starts the engine, his left foot pressed on the pedal, driving away from the weird and stinky group of guys. He definitely would pour all the shower gel once he gets home.

You weren't surprised to see two minivans chasing you from behind while aiming to shoot the car you and Jay are in. They hold a massive grudge against both of you since they are so brave to make a scene in public.

You peek at Jay, who focuses on driving away from the minivans, and you didn't want to be useless this time, this is the time you can prove to everyone that you can be a hero. Much more terrific than Jay.

Luckily Jay grab your quivers, your hand shakily took out one of your arrows, move to the backseat, and after getting your breathing stable, you release your arrow to the front window screen— thanks to the broken rear window they made from shooting your car earlier, you can easily attack them with your arrow.

The arrow you released let out a purple slime and fully spread on the front window screen to the point it covers their sight while driving, causing them to hit the utility pole.

"That's my baby" you whispered and kissed your quivers while Jay furrowed his eyebrow, looking at you through the rearview mirror.

"What the fuck?" is only he can utter now. He can't stay calm since there's one more vehicle chasing them.

You took another arrow, this time you aimed it higher. You didn't release it until the car you and Jay were in passed the traffic light. You calmly release the arrow and it hits the top of the traffic light. If anyone is walking near the traffic light, surely they will smell the burning scent that comes from your arrow.

It took some time for the acid in your arrow to melt the metal and your calculation is correct. As the van arrived at the traffic light, it fell on the top of the roof of their vehicle. The driver pressed on the break, realizing they were losing, and you and Jay got away once again under their supervision.

"Yay, we won!" you exclaim, moving back to the front seat to high-five Jay. This feeling you always dream of, it felt like you were just shooting an action movie with no CGI or double stunt. It dreams come true which was weird for a person who just got kidnapped by a bunch of dangerous guys a moment ago. Jay stops the car at a place where none of both of you know where it was. It is better for you to not use this car as that guy can track this car and kidnap both of you again.

"We're taking a cab," Jay said. You nod, your body felt sore from the action you pulled earlier.

As you arrive at Jay's apartment— you only assume it was his apartment since you heard Jay's parents whining that he rarely stays in their home anymore.

You followed him like a puppy, you could sense he is mentally frustrated right now with his jaw clenching and his usually soft eyes turning to sharp ones. Well, you don't blame him. He didn't do shit and still gets involved in your mess.

"I'm sorry" you apologized. He must think of 101 ways to kill you right now.

"I'm not reporting for your own sake. If I get involved one more time, I do not hesitate to call the FBI" Jay was fumed. He doesn't get why you are so stubborn to accomplish this mission alone. Do you think you have some of the Avengers' superpower levels?

You didn't reply to his words, unnoticed by Jay your eyes are too busy mesmerizing his apartment. You didn't pay attention to him as your body entered the luxury apartment. You were amazed at how tidy his apartment was unlike your room.

Jay moves to the kitchen, offering you a glass of water. Fighting against criminals was indeed tiring. How the hell do the Avengers manage to fight those brutal aliens?

"Now. Explain your weird arrow to me. I think I have the right to know about it" his black eyes glued to you while taking a sip of water.

"Easy. Hawkeye survives with this kind of arrows. But I don't have Stark Technology to make it more powerful so I just DIY all of the arrows"

Jay chuckles hearing your explanation. Your obsession with Hawkeye is no joke.

"You wait for this moment to happen? Where you get attacked and..."

"Is it weird if I say yes?"

"Well, it's not weird if it's come from you. I think I won't be surprised if you come to me and say you have a superpower. Your dedication is on another level"

His words come out sarcastically but you're too caught in the moment by his words, no one ever says something nice to you when it comes to your dream to become a part of Avengers. Unnoticed by both of you, a small smile formed on your lips, feeling slightly happy when he didn't judge your fantasies.

"Can't lie, you amazed me earlier" you said

"I just want to save me"

Ah, here we go again.

"I'm hungry" your hands land on your stomach, you didn't get to eat your breakfast because of stupid Jack's appearance that ruined your morning, then you get kidnapped because of stupid Jack's sword. He is a curse in your family which you're gonna get rid of soon.

"Starve yourself then, I'm going to sleep" Jay glared at you. You grabbed his wrist, looking at his cocky face with your doe eyes.

"Cook for me, please... I heard you're an amazing cooker"

"Says Who?"

"Your mom always bragged about it every time we had dinner!" Jay sighs, all he needs right now is sleep after a traumatizing experience, not babysitting his arch-enemy. With heavy steps, he enters the kitchen, searching for anything he can cook for you. You take a seat at the countertop and your eyes never leave him. Such a pleasant view to see male cooking in the kitchen.

You watch how he smoothly cuts all the vegetables and the way his lips pout as he focuses on something, you realize for the second time, he is good-looking. His sharp jaw, broad shoulders, and fair hand— how is he completely bitchless by now?

Did the cooking make him insanely attractive? Your heart starts beating as he rolls up his sleeve to check the oil temperature using his palm. He is the view that you are willing to see every time you open your eyes in the morning.

"For someone who just got kidnapped, smiling like a maniac. I am more than ready to call the psychiatrist."

Everytime you admire him, you forget he is the most annoying person you have ever encountered. Maybe this is a post-traumatic experience where you found Jay attractive when he is not. (you are lowkey working so hard on denying this)

You didn't have any savage comeback for his words, so you just continued staring at his fair hands cooking your meal. The marimba sound echoed through the kitchen making both of you flinch as the apartment was only covered by a sizzling sound from the stove.

You glance at your cell phone, and a sigh escapes from your lips seeing your mom's name displayed on the screen. Lazily you pressed the green icon, putting your mom on the speaker.

"Y/N Bishop! I'm worried sick about you! Where have you been? Did you seek trouble again?" you shut your eyes immediately after hearing her yells, all you need right now is peace and a full stomach, not getting yelled at by your mom.

She would faint if you said you just got back from being kidnapped by one of Jack's gang.

"Relax mom. I'm at my friend's house" you calmly answered, take a peek at Jay that is still busy stirring something in the pan. You could hear your mom mutter something like 'She's fine'. Maybe she was talking to Jack, who may curse under his breath right now because of his failed plan of killing you and Jay.

"Sweetie, please next time tell me anything. I couldn't get any information from you" you almost burst a laugh hearing your mom's remark. If she can't trace you then what's the point of establishing a security company?

"Mom, I'm not going anywhere! Don't worry about me, go to sleep" you ended the call. Your mom has been so obsessed with your safety since the day the aliens attacked earth. Although you reassured her you can take care of yourself, she still hired some unknown men to take care of you from afar. (and you knew her plan so you threatened every one of them with your DIY trick arrows)

"Food is ready, ma'am" Jay put three plates in front of you, he smirked as he saw you almost drool seeing his cooking.

"I don't want you to die yet, that's why I cooked three meals for you," he said making you playfully glare at him, but his sarcastic comment is the least important thing to you right now, you need to fill your stomach with delicious food as soon as possible or you're gonna die because of starving.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know they went this far" you muttered, after taking a spoonful of fried rice which instantly became your favorite.

"I swear to God if I get involved one more time I will ask for a restraining order" his tone sounds serious, you slowly chew on your food. If you continue your plan, will the innocent one get killed? The villains are ruthless, they didn't have any sympathy.

"Clean the dishes and you may sleep in my room, I will prepare spare clothes on the bed" was the last thing Jay said before leaving you alone in the kitchen.

Jay noticed you deep in your thoughts. He is mad, not because you keep getting him involved but because of your stubbornness. Ever since the Russian gang attacked both of you that night, he has been scared for your life. Jay knew you so well, he knew you were so determined to achieve something and he always worried if you're gonna get hurt as you are the type to not think carefully before doing anything.

And right now, his nightmare came true with Jack's sword case. Both of you have known each other for a long time and it would be a complete lie if he didn't care about you even for a tiny bit.

He hopes you will back off from this suicidal mission before it gets too late.

The next morning, you left Jay's apartment after making sure everything was clean and placed a small sticky note on his fridge, thanking him for letting you stay the night.

Walking through New York City at 8 in the morning felt very different to you. All of sudden you felt very productive like every college student Youtubers doing a vlog of their day.

The cold breeze slaps against your cheeks and you feel calm like the chaos you encountered yesterday was only a dream. Maybe this is why your mom urges you to wake up early every day.

Stopping your track as the pedestrian traffic light turns red. You lightly tapped your feet while waiting for the lights to turn green. You didn't get any sleep last night, rethinking your decision to continue to hunt Jack. You realized you are alone, no Stark Technology or superpower could protect you from those Russian gangs. One bullet in your head and that's it. Maybe you should have a slow talk with your mom about this.

"Mom?" you saw your mom stop in front of you, she seems worried to the point she didn't even notice your presence beside her car. You immediately hail a taxi behind your mom's car, telling the old man to follow her.

Your mom's car is parked in front of Fisk Tower. You pay for the taxi and quickly follow your mom entering the huge building.

You scan the lobby, you never heard any Fisk from your mom and you never know this huge building in New York? Did you spend so much time training? And fighting with Jay?

You remembered the spy bug you made last month with one of your engineering friends, he thought you are an Avenger so he was willing to help you to become your sidekick (you lied to him so you can use him to learn how to make Hawkeye's arrow)

You took out the spy bug from your bag and placed it on your mom's coat by accidentally bumping into her. After mouthing a sorry, you quickly search for a place to sit and wear your special wireless earphone that connects to the spy bug to hear your mom's conversation.

If this is another business thing you just gonna straight go home but there's no zero possibility that this gonna lead to something new or Jack's sword case.

Yeah, you completely forgot your plan to 'talk with your mom about Jack's after you found her rushing to get here and you followed her by a cab, literally felt like one of the Avenger's missions.

"The sword? How was it?" you heard your mom ask as soon as the door behind her closed. You cupped your mouth. Did she know?

"Yeah, it's fine. However, we got two teenagers that think they are earth's mighty heroes and ruined everything. They are a threat to us!" the male said angrily, you purse your lips tightly at the mention of you and Jay.

"Okay, whatever, when are you gonna kill Jack?"

"Patient woman, we just killed Armand!" the male yelled, and banged the table.

The next sound faded away as you slowly took out the wireless earphone from your ears. Your eyes become glossy and your face becomes hot as you try to process the word your mom said.

When are you gonna kill Jack?

Did she plan everything from the start? Was she the one who paid a mob to kill Armand? And the sword? Is that all her plan?

You quickly ran to the main entrance, and hailed a taxi to go back to Jay's place.

"Jay! Open the door please!" you banged Jay's door which he opened within seconds with his messy hair and furrowed eyebrows.

"Y/N what the fu—"

"Jay" you called his name and pushed him inside the house, after making sure the door was locked, you looked at the person who stood in front of you, in a confused state.

"Jay..." you called his name again, but this time your tone went down and became softer, you blinked and tears streamed down on your face.

"You've got to run, they're gonna kill us" you try to speak between the sobs, you cry so hard to the point your chest feels heavy.

"What the fuck did you do this time?" Jay groused, he fully awal by now, his focus is 100% on you. Part of him is afraid if you do something stupid again.

"I saw my mom— she's the one who planned everything... She's the one who killed Armand" you mewled, you have no energy left to stand so you let yourself slowly sit on the cold marble tiles.

"It's my mom Jay. It's not Jack... Please move far away from here. I don't want you to get killed because of me." you said while holding your chest, trying to get your breath back to normal.

Without a word, Jay kneels in front of you and pulls your body closer to him, hugging you in such an awkward position. As you feel his big palm patting your back, you start crying again. Everything feels unreal, you almost forgot, that being a superhero, one of the character traits is being betrayed by a person who you wouldn't even think would betray you.

You may dislike your mom because of her choice to marry Jack and both of you grew distant because of her safety freak of you never ending. But deep down both of you care for each other. You almost got Jay and you killed because of your assumptions that Jack will kill her. You make an innocent life in danger because of your stupid move. Turns out it's your mom's plan after all.

"Jay... Please go far away from New York. It isn't safe anymore" you said, finally loosening the hug to look at him.

Jay pursed his lips together and wiped off your tears using both of his thumbs

"Y/N... We're in this together. I'm not gonna let you fight them alone"

"No Jay! You don't understand! They're dangerous and this is a suicide mission" you warned him

"You know what, it would be dope if I asked Sunghoon to live stream our funeral"

You hate the fact that his stupid joke makes you laugh

"Found it!" You quickly read the email between your mom and [email protected], your mom had her private email and you weren't shocked at all since she is the head of one of the biggest security companies in the world. Of course with her own money she can do anything.

You quickly turn off her iPad and make sure there's no trace of you entering her office.

"Y/N what are you doing here?" you flinch so hard at your mom's voice. Isn't her secretary saying she has a meeting right now?

"Nothing?"

Your mom frowned as soon as she saw your swollen face, you really cried so hard in Jay's apartment this morning.

"Sweetie, are you crying?" she takes a step to get closer to you which results in you clenching the doorknob a bit harder. You don't even feel safe around your mother anymore.

"Umm. Rough day" you answered awkwardly, trying to leave her intense stare.

"Tell me what happened in my office—"

"No mom, I had archery class... I can't" you quick to cut her off, you won’t ready yet to face someone who just betrayed you. Without waiting for her response, you didn’t waste any time and left the building, you could only pray your mom did not notice your awkward behavior just now.

“So they’re gonna kill Jack this Saturday? At the charity party?” Jay repeats the information you gave to him, killing someone in public, isn’t that too risky?

“That’s what I read in her email, It is weird she want him to be kill at her own party, is one murder isn’t enough for her? ” You questioned, peeking at Jay who looked on Kingpin’s profile from his PC, apparently there’s not much info of him on the internet besides that he is a legitimate businessman and a kind-hearted philanthropist who made donations to charities.

“I think Kingpin will attend the charity party as his website stated that he’s gonna donate something big on Bishop Charity Party” Jay informed, turning the PC to your side for you to get a better view to read the article.

“Damn, they really cover themselves well”

“I know right”

Both of you remain calm in this hazardous situation, Jay keeps reminding you to stay on the right path, one wrong move and this week will be your last week on earth. You’re dealing with the mighty Kingpin, I mean, did you see his body is totally heavy with muscle? One punch and you’ll be seeing heaven.

You didn’t have any idea of why your mom associated herself with him and killed an innocent life just for a black market sword? If she has so much money in her bank account, then why didn't she simply buy it? You lean your head on Jay’s shoulder, today was too much for you and it's not even 2PM yet.

“Jay…” your voice came out like a whisper, all of this brand new information drained your energy.

“Hm?”

“Why do you help me when you hate my existence so much?” the question you asked him was out of the blue, you didn't think anything when you called him, and the question left from your lips naturally.

Jay’s focus is on you, he puts the iPad down on the coffee table to take a peek at you who’s still leaning on his shoulder, seeing your blank face making him chuckle.

“Do we really hate each other?” he asked you which make you look at him, curiously

“Then what’s the point of those rival moments between us then?” you raised your eyebrow

Jay didn't answer your question, he lifted your heads up and cupped your face using his palms.

“Why don’t we focus on how to defeat Kingpin, hm?” the way he stares at your eyes making your cheeks heat, by now you only 50% confirm that you is falling for Park Jay, your arch-enemy

For 3 days you and Jay practice archery real hard and your coach is surprised to see teamwork between the two of you which never happened but alas you didn't care. You are only a step away to make the world peace (Kudos to Captain America for the speech he did while you’re in detention back in highschool)

“What is this?”

“We need some cool superhero suits! So I bought a bulletproof jacket from some store I found on the internet” you excitedly unboxing the medium package in front of you, handing Jay a black bulletproof hoodie to him.

Jay sighs, he knows you’re gonna make everything you can do for him to wear the ‘superhero suit’. At least he will die in some new shirt

“And I'm gonna wear purple!” you exclaimed, showing him your purple jacket- rather than being scared to life right now, you felt excited like you completed one of your bucket list.

“Weirdo,” Jay said to himself.

Both of you stand in front of the venue where your mom held the charity party while wearing a jacket and leather pants. Earning side eyes from others didn’t bother you much since you never follow your mom’s dress code but for Jay, this is humiliating for him since every part he went he never failed to show off his high quality tailored suit.

“Y/N Bishop! What are you wearing?!” your mom quickly made her way towards you, her eyes glared at you feeling frustrated you didn't even try on the dress she bought for you.

“Jay, you too?” your mom disbelief, she thought Jay was the last person who would go along with your crazy mind

“You know what? Nevermind, just go home. I won't force you to join tonight’s event.” Jay looks at you with a confused expression, usually your mom is willing to do everything to make sure you attend the event she organized but tonight she seems off?

“No mom. We’re here” you insisted and pushed your mom out of your way. Jay follows you like a puppy following his master, he tries so hard to cover his face from the public, if anyone recognized him in this state, he willingly unalive himself without Kingpin’s help.

“So now what?” Jay asked, taking a bite of brownies from the tray.

“We wait.” you simply answered, turning your whole body to the large glass window that shows the whole view of New York City. To think about it, it’s really unbelievable the things you’re gonna do a few minutes or maybe hours later, defeat a bad guy with his Russian Gang with DIY arrows, cool bulletproof jackets and hope. Despite having less than 0.1% to win the war, all the needs to end by tonight.

While both of you are too mesmerized by the city light, ignoring all the eyes that are judging you and Jay for wearing something absurd at a formal charity party- neither of you realized that there’s a red laser pointing on the large window from the next old building, waiting for the sign from someone to shoot at it. When the first shot is fired causing the large window to crack, all of the guests start to scream and run to the entrance to save themselves while you and Jay quickly wear earpieces, and make sure all guests are safe since the bullets keep hitting the large window making it more fragile.

“Jack!” you called Jack from afar, finally realizing him hiding under one of the guests' tables after Jay pointed out to you.

“What happened?” Jack slowly comes out from his hiding, crawling to get to you. You help him to get up and grab his hand to bring him out of the scene, however as soon as Jack reveals himself, the shooter becomes more brutal, it won’t stop until the bullets hit Jack’s body. You hand him the bulletproof jacket, telling him to wear it while you and Jack run to the door.

“Shit, they locked it!” you curse, kicking the wooden door, of course they planned it perfectly so that no one will ever be blamed on Jack’s death

“It’s the two of you again” the leader of the Russian gang grunts, his hostile glare makes it clear his still holding grudge on the two of you.

You didn’t say anything, instead you nock one of your special arrows and shot right to his thigh and seconds after it exploded making the big guy scream, holding his burned leg.

“I swear I thought I pulled the electro one”

Seeing their leader is down, the others start attacking you and Jay. You shoot as many arrows as you can, aiming at their either thighs or arm while Jay physically fights with others. Both of your energy decreasing and your arms starting to feel numb, you never shoot many arrows in a short period of time, while Jay throws punches to guys that are twice size than him. On the other side, Jack sees a sword belonging to one of the criminal guys and carefully crawls to the scene, making sure no one would notice him, he takes the sword and slashes the back of the guy that wants to attack Jay’s from behind.

“Jack! Don’t” you scream while prods one of your ‘needle spinning’ arrows to the ground and the motor spins quickly to shoot out needles from all sides. (you make a mental note to thank your engineer friend for making this)

Jack ignores your warning, he keeps fighting with all the Russian gang using his terrific skills on sword, you thought he's a fool who is a fan of sword, but he proves you wrong- he attacks them with the sword effortlessly like he’s born with it.

With one last stab to the right on the thigh, the three of them successfully defeat the gang. Jay, Jack, and you trying to catch breath, an awkward silence filled the hall- who could guess that the two people you hate are on your side?

“We need to get out from here, Kingpin didn’t get caught yet” Jay said, taking one of the guns from the marble floor and shot to the double dore twice before he kicks the door, opening the door just to see all the guests are standing in front of the venue, feeling traumatized.

“Y/N go, you still can catch Kingpin. I will be with you soon, don’t turn off your tracker!” Jay said, holding both of your shoulders, looking at you with his sharp eyes. You froze on the spot for a second, why did you suddenly feel shy when his eyes looked directly on you?

“Jay… you’re bleeding” you gasped, after a moment of staring you realized his forehead bleed.

“No, it’s fine! Go catch Kingpin now!” he said, wiping off the blood that came out from his forehead using the back of his hand, Jay hissed as he could feel the sting.

You hesitate for a second, you don’t want to leave Jay but you need to catch the criminal or else the three of you will die by tonight. You grabbed Jay’s collar and gave him a peck on his soft lips, you could taste his blood from the cut on the corner of his mouth. Jay didn't say anything when you took a step away from him, giving him one last smile before you left him with Jack.

“Ah, young love” Jack cooed, smirking as he saw Jay’s ears turning red.

Well the peck you share definitely changes the status of your relationship.

Running through the busy road for sure will earn a bunch of honks from everyone, nevertheless people's anger is not your issue right now, the person who drives a white branded car is your aim. Using the arrow that has no trick, you easily shot right to his tire, making the car go slower as it was getting hard to control, you shot the second arrow to the right tire making the white car completely stop.

Kingpin finally reveals himself towards you, with a wide smile stuck on his face. You swallow your saliva a little hard, didn't expect him to be this huge? Like he’s so big, bigger than a sumo player. You could hear the sound of a camera capturing the pictures of the two of you and recording, yelling that you are a troublemaker.

“How nice to finally meet you, kid” he said, grabbing your shoulder a little harder making you wince in pain.

“You’re devil in disguise” you spat, feeling disgust by his action, killing people at night and doing charities in the morning. He didn't deserve the compliment he gets from the public. He let out a sardonic laugh. You took out your trick arrow, and notch the arrow straight to his calm face.

“Killing me in front of the public? Rookie mistake” he insulted

“Vanessa is a nice woman”

That’s it. The name itself would trigger everything in Kingpin. A name of the woman he loves, he would even do impossible things to have her stick on his side. Her beloved wife who didn’t know a single thing about the dark side of him. You found out Kingpin has a soft spot on her wife after dealing with Jay’s uncle who is apparently a blind criminal defense attorney.

The big guy mumbled something to you before taking your arrows that were aiming at him and broke it to two, his raged face proving that you successfully made him angry. You try to kick him in the stomach, but Kingpin is fast enough to hold your legs and twist it to make you fall to the road.

“Don’t touch her!” He spat and lifted you by holding on your collar before tossing to the side, your back hitting the bay window of the store that was located on the side of the road.

You wince in pain, he tosses you like he’s tossing a crumple paper into the dustbin.

He angrily walks to you, he takes out a gun from his coat which made the public gasp but before anyone can do anything a car comes from the side and rams on Kingpin.

Once again a loud gasp could be heard from the public, there’s more people recording and capturing the scene but alas, that is the last thing you need to worry about. Your back is killing you, luckily the car rams into him or else you are very sure he will turn you into pieces.

“Sweetie” you lift your upper body slowly with the help of your elbows, you take a peek at the owner of the voice.

Your mom rushingly out of the car to get you. As she became closer to you, you could see her swollen eyes and red nose, she was crying. You scoff, she must be sad since her plans are ruined. She helps you to get up which you gladly accept, your mom quickly hugs you tightly, she rests her head on your shoulder while mumbling sorry and i love you to you.

“Why?” the one and only question you want to ask her.

Eleanor Bishop is all alone now, her husband dead in the New York attack and his company bankrupt due to the fallen economy. She had nothing besides her daughter, Y/N Bishop. All she wants is to protect her and give her everything she deserves yet again she got nothing on her. The money she has is enough to raise Y/N but she needs more than that, she needs more protection to the point that if anything bad happens she does not need to worry since Y/N will have enough protection with her.

That’s the reason why she got acquainted with one of his late husband’s friends, Wilson Grant Fisk, a successful businessman who had helped her husband a lot during his lowest time. If she knew stepping inside Fisk’s office would turn her life upside down, she swore she wouldn't. He is not kind like the media portrayed him to be. He forces her to join the darkside of him, covering all of his bad doing with her high security and that is one of the reasons why her business is going so well despite being the new company in the industry. He is highly influential both in the legal and illegal industry making it so hard for Eleanor to expose him.

The recent request she got from him was a sword that was used by Ronin- an unknown assassin. He never told the reason, but alas Eleanor can’t do anything besides accept his request. Jack’s cousin, Armand was so into the sword to the point he talked about it every time Jack’s family held a dinner. Eleanor took him to her office, persuading him to give her the sword since it is illegal for citizens to have it.

Armand then threatened Eleanor to report her to the police since he knew everything about Eleanor’s relationship with Kingpin. Fear for her life, Eleanor asked Kingpin to kill Armand to get the sword and she’s the one who put the sword on Jack’s trunk so Kingpin’s subordinates will take the sword from him and kill him since Eleanor can’t deal to live under one roof with the bloodline of the person she killed.

Everything goes so smoothly until you and Jay interfere, the day she meets Kingpin, Eleanor feels her knee weak as Kingpin shows a clear picture of both of you. How does her daughter get involved in this? She was supposed to know nothing. When the attack happened tonight (once again planned by her) her heart stopped when someone informed her that the three of you are trapped inside the hall, fighting those Russian gangs. She knew you after Kingpin, Eleanor knows her daughter so well, if she’s aware of the attack tonight, there’s no way she wouldn't know about Kingpin which is why she is going after her, she doesn’t want her daughter to die in Kingpin hands.

“I’m sorry sweetie. Back then everything was about you. I was so scared of losing you” your mom sobbed, releasing her body from you.

Police siren could be heard from afar and you could just say sorry to her. She understands, your mother knows she can’t forever hide herself from all the crime she commits. Your mother notices Jay, panting hard from running to get to you.

“Take care of her, Jay” was the last word she said before the police arrested her. Seeing your action tonight makes her realize all the martial arts and archery classes you have been enrolled in are enough to protect you from evil. Your mom was too obsessed with your safety, to the point she was doing things that ruined her.

You are grateful for having a mom like her but she needs to face the consequence after killing an innocent guy.

TWO MONTHS LATER

“I stopped playing Tinder after a guy said he miss her and i be like ‘bet she bad’ and he replied ‘my grandma’-”

Jay chokes on his drinks hearing your worst experience in dating, tonight was friday night so both of you decided to have a sleepover in your house while sharing some crazy story you guys had.

“You’re moron” he tease

“He literally didn’t speak a word to me after that” you chuckled, feeling stupid by your old self who has zero exprience in dating.

“Well for me, I was high with Sunghoon and I dmed to a person who have a cancer emoji on their bio ‘I hope you beat the cancer” Jay hide his face using the pillow, ah the most embarrassing moment in his life, he swore he stopped taking weeds since that day.

“You are so much worse than me!” you wiped the tears on your eyes because laughing too much. The laughter stopped as you both realized there’s no one in the room except you and Jay. staring deep into each other's eyes and bringing bodies closer to each other, you close your eyes as you lean your face to kiss him, the two of you are too shy to express love to each other through words and physical touch is the love language for both of you.

An inch before your lips connected, a knock on the door making you and Jay freeze. Who the hell visits your place 2 in the morning?

Being the brave person you are, you reach the door, slowly twist the doorknob, meanwhile Jay stands on the next side with the baseball bat on his hand, ready to attack if things go south.

“Y/N Bishop?”

You gasped and your eyes widened as soon as you saw the person in front of you. Jay slowly reveals himself to take a look at the person that visited you 2 in the morning. His jaw dropped seeing Clint Barton standing in front of your house with his suit.

“We have lot to talk, come with me”

#enhypen jay imagines #enhypen imagines #enhypen one shots #enhypen jay #park jay imagines #jay imagines #enhypen fluff #enhypen x reader #enhypen drabbles

[thedawningofthehour]

How did the search for Galois in Chapter 33 go for both sides (Draxum and his side looking for Galois after he was captured and Leo and his side when Galois got away from them/evaded Raph)? Who was the most calm, who was the most hysterical, etc.? Did Leo lash out at anyone on his side in particular/blaming them? Did Draxum?

Hmm, I'm trying to think back now to what Draxum and co were doing during the chapter. The fact that I never write this shit down is gonna kill me one day, I swear.

So after Draxum's team regrouped and Cass and Tigerclaw told him what happened, Draxum probably had some...choice words for Tigerclaw. And for everyone else, but they were keeping their distance and he wasn't lashing out at anyone in specific, just anyone he saw. He was probably close to hysterical even before the Phone Call, but the whole thing with Leo parading his victory and verbally attacking him, (which he knew was absolutely deserved and that made it even worse) the sound of Galois screaming for him, hearing Splinter's voice and knowing Donnie's real father was with him-if he wasn't so practical he probably would have attacked Tigerclaw. But he needed to find his kid.

I think I had Tigerclaw and Cass take two of the people they were with to search while Huginn was with the other three, because Draxum trusts none of his allies and thinks they're all secretly planning to take his son and sell him off or whatever. He didn't trust them not to hurt Cass if left alone with her either. (Huginn's harder to injure so he didn't really care) He went off with just Muninn so he could cover more ground and because he'd probably murder anyone else he was around. (Muninn kept his beak very firmly shut) He knows the rough area of the lair but as a show of respect to Donnie's final wishes he never uncovered the exact location. Which he regretted, after sending out search parties to scour the hundreds of miles of sewer tunnels under Manhattan.

Cass probably went into Full Chaos Mode and was ready to destroy any turtles or rats or stupid humans with bats she came across-after making sure her little brother was unharmed. Tigerclaw, he's a professional, he's good at keeping his cool. He kept Cass from breaking her neck and generally balanced her out, they made a pretty good team. Both the gargoyles were seconds away from breaking into tears, but they choked it down. There were several instances where Gale almost came across a search party looking for him, but swam away because he heard voices and assumed it must have been the turtles.

Draxum was completely frantic. Galois was scared and potentially injured and Draxum was terrified by what Leo and the fam might be able to do to the memory spell. He's very confident that it's secure by now, but in Donatello's old home surrounded by Donatello's family and Leo being given ample time to work his machinations-he already has nightmares of the spell unwinding, he can only deal with them by telling himself that they're complete paranoia. If Leo gave them weight, Draxum's heart might give out.

He 100% cried in the shower afterwards.

On the fam's side, let's see, Raph and Splinter searched together so I must have had Leo and Mikey as the other search party, since April stayed back in case Donnie stumbled back in or Draxum found the lair. (she probably called several people to help search, but Leo was in such a state that he just didn't remember anything afterwards)(plus there was the whole 'Donnie is ready to murder and a bit feral right now and he might legit try to kill anyone who corners him' to contend with, so April wasn't a good candidate for engaging) She was probably kind of a mess of everything. Anger, crying, denial. She wouldn't remember much of this either.

Unfortunately, I feel like Splinter would really detach after all the kids were home safe. He'd be good during the initial search, keeping everyone on-task and staying relatively calm, but after realizing that he'd really lost Donnie again he just...shut down. Probably spent the next couple of days staring at the wall. Raph would have accepted defeat first out of everyone and set to taking care of his remaining family, like he does in the movie. Mikey and Leo were the ones who had to be physically stopped, because they would have kept searching until they collapsed. Mikey cried a lot. He still has bouts of crying over it, honestly.

Leo, though, Leo was in an absolute frenzy. He'd planned this out for weeks, and he thought it was all but foolproof. He thought he was entirely in the clear once they got Donnie in that blanket. He'd really believed that the ordeal was over and Donnie was back home for good-and then that was snatched away. He lost his brother again, and he had no more aces up his sleeve. That was his best plan, and it still didn't work. He was completely out of everything, ideas and energy and lies he told himself, and he still didn't have Donnie.

He was nasty. Yelling at everyone, hitting and biting anyone that tried to get him to give up. He was the last one home, and I think I mentioned this but they literally had to sedate him because he was acting so erratically Splinter was legitimately afraid he was going to hurt himself or someone else.

Nobody held it against him. They knew they'd probably react the same in his shoes.

#doth asks #the grammar in this is all over the place but whatever i'm petting a bird #should i tag everyone #ugggh #donatello #leonardo #raphael #michelangelo #splinter #baron draxum #cassandra jones #april o'neil #tigerclaw

[suhmayzooka]

19–Rant about a change they made to a character of your choice.

:)

jason todd's everything

OKAY i mentioned this briefly here but i do think one of the worst things done to jason was actually done to willis and catherine todd: namely, making willis a basic abusive drunk deadbeat criminal, and making catherine...Just an Addict

i hate RHATO for many reasons (i only touched the tip of the surface here but tldr I Hate Scott Lobdell so fucking MUCH), only one of them being the absolute disgusting retcons to the todd family. thank god for RCO so i don't have to give a sexual harasser a cent providing these screenshots

from rhato 2011 #0, our introduction to catherine and willis was catherine in labor crying "get it out already" because she "really needed a cigarette" and willis already jumping out of the picture to flirt with the hospital staff

willis drives drunk and runs someone over, goes back to catherine, fights, gets arrested, leaving jason to take care of catherine who's addicted to drugs, etc. this is all a very, very basic story that has been told over and over, because (unfortunately) many people have experience growing up in this kind of environment. especially in poverty. perhaps if written by someone who understood poverty, crime, drugs, addiction, the cyclical nature of it all, this may have been told well. unfortunately scott lobdell is a piece of shit and DC can't handle sensitive subject matter, so DC has given us the backstory that, i reiterate, REAL PEOPLE EXPERIENCE (i know because i know real people who had this upbringing—poverty, drugs, abuse, violence) as an excuse to make jason 'street trash' and dehumanize low income families.

but lynx, you just said that you know real people whose lives are reflected by this, shouldn't this be valid representation for them? isn't it realistic?

sure.... maybe, if all the surrounding stuff about jason's story doesn't make this all so CLASSIST and gross in retrospect.

it's not enough that jason escaped the cycle of poverty.... he had to be saved by batman lest he become a Bad Criminal like his father, because that's the only possible outcome to this. there's no reason willis was abusive or drunk or a criminal beyond the fact that he's poor, that he's a 'street rat.'

(side note, can some fans like,,, cool off calling jason a 'street rat' all the time? it's dehumanizing, and like. you know. there are real life people in these situations, they're not 'street rats,' they're the results of a failing system that perpetuates poverty. your anger should not be with 'street rats' but with the governments and the system that leaves vulnerable people behind while lining the pockets of millionaires and billionaires who won't ever step foot into east harlem or brownsville. go serve soup at the bowery for one day and look into the eyes of people stuck into the failing systems, of families coming in with their kids who are trying to do what they can to survive, they're not 'street rats' they're evidence that leaders don't give a shit. your privilege is showing. i digress).

the thing is... making willis and catherine like this isn't bad on its face. before i read DITF, i assumed this characterization was always like that, since both canon and fanon never seemed to indicate any differently.

OH how wrong i was. as i mentioned before, one thing about DC comics that i find... weird... is how comics from before 2000 can be more progressive or sympathetic than comics from the past 20 years.

THIS is how catherine and willis todd were APPARENTLY introduced originally, from batman #426 (part one of DITF):

"her name was catherine todd, a good woman who probably loved her son deeply, only wanted the best for him. willis todd probably loved jason also. maybe that's why he drifted into crime, hoping to give his son a better life. the poor fool realized too late that those kinds of shortcuts never pan out. catherine todd's life was cut short by a disease that didn't care just how much love she had in her heart. jason's dad fell victim to the vicious gangster he was working for, two-face."

wow! so from this... it seems that willis todd wasn't a piece of shit criminal, but someone who turned to crime out of desperation. to give jason a "better life." shocking.... this is ..... more in line with how poverty actually makes people turn to crime. being poor doesn't make someone turn evil just to be evil.

POV you're willis todd. your wife is terminally ill (and, i want to remind international DC fans, gotham is based in new jersey. no free healthcare. no universal basic income. if you want to be precise about when this specific comic was written, RONALD REAGAN was president. think about the circumstances going on). you have a kid. you are unemployed, and there aren't many work opportunities around you.

do you relocate to metropolis, since that city seems better than gotham? with what money?? most of what you do have is pooled with your wife's money to fund her medical bills, but remember this is america and the costs are piling up. additionally, you have to pay for your kid's necessities like food and clothes. you're not going to find an office job making more than minimum wage.

two-face comes along and, being a criminal, can pay you better than working at a random warehouse can. you just go along and follow his orders, and sure it's dangerous and you know you can be arrested but your priorities in life are catherine (until she dies) and then after that, your kid. to willis, and indeed many real parents who find themselves in this situation, crime is probably the most immediate solution; whether willis dies or gets arrested isn't as important as making sure he can put food on the table for just one more night.

let's just go back to catherine—i've seen some people speculate that "the disease" was actually just a euphemism for drugs and the comic was trying to be vague about that. here's how I would handle it if I worked at DC: catherine was sick from some terminal illness, but couldn't afford to pay the ungodly medical bills, so she turns to illegal drugs. you think living in high poverty just makes people turn to nonmedical opioid (the 'opioid crisis') because they're evil ne'er-do-well drug addicts? no!

NOW let's get to jason. he's already an orphan when bruce meets him, stealing the batmobile's tires not out of an inherent evilness within him but because he needs money to survive. he says it himself, he doesn't want to be a criminal! did willis want to be a criminal? did catherine want to die? no! from batman #409:

"i don't wanna learn to be no crook. i just boost what it takes to survive..."

everything about this could make for a compelling story and why i hated HATED HATED cheer so much. jason KNOWS the relationship between poverty and crime because he's LIVED IT, more than bruce could ever understand.

jason is adamantly AGAINST the systems in power BECAUSE HE'S SEEN oppression and injustice. he's lived it.

making willis abusive severely diminishes any sort of sympathetic connection jason could have to petty criminals...which makes no sense because he was one. jason should not be killing random thieves or henchmen, his issues should always be with the people in power. including in crime. note that he DOESN'T go on an anti-drug, anti-crime crusade in UTRH (which, as a whole comic, does contain some war on crime propaganda, but overall miles better than the bad parents retcon). he DOESN'T think that all criminals deserve death; his issue with batman ISN'T that gotham is too full of criminals that should be killed, but if you read the retcons and the abusive willis todd it's easy to interpret that (URBAN LEGENDS CHEER MY BEHATED).

i think lost days should be included in every printing of UTRH because of how much emphasis it places on jason's compassion for the downtrodden; he's not just murdering people because hee hee the lazarus pit made him evillll but because they're oppressing others; he kills people in positions of power who are abusing the systems in place. (NIGHTWING ANNUAL 2021 MY BEHATED)

so much of that is just... it just doesn't come off the same if willis was abusive at the start.

now. even after my rant, i want to say there's an upcoming fan film about jason's upbringing as an "abused street kid", HOWEVER the creator has discussed many times that this is based on his own personal experience so i have a lot of hope that it'll be less misery porn than what DC wrote.

salty comics ask game!

#yes i watch many red hood fan films i have a whole playlist. some are pretty fun! #if anyone wants fan film recs i can provide a list. i think i've watched enough to do so #dc #lynxreadscomics #meta #asked #jason todd #benbamboozled #moots

[13eyond13]

What do you think Griffith's goal was? We know of his dreams of empire, both as Griffith and Femto, but what happens after? "Alexander wept, since there were no more worlds to conquer". Assuming he gets everything he wants, what would happen after? Perhaps that would be his biggest curse?

That's a very good question! And I'm very excited to get asked about Berserk, but also feel I'm still such a novice about trying to do serious analysis for it or anything, so please bear that in mind 😅

From what I recall, Griffith really wanted to test his own limits and see how far he could go / how much he could attain for his dream of running his own kingdom and ascending above his humble beginnings. He didn't have a concrete end goal in mind other than continuing to push higher and higher and "own" the kingdom that he coveted from afar since he was a child. This is the first thing we see him talking about with Guts in flashback:

I feel as though Griffith considers himself one of those "true elite" he mentions, who are somehow destined to rise above the confines of the social rankings of their birth and do great things, and is therefore determined to achieve that dream of his above all else. I think this contrasts him interestingly with Guts, who also was of low birth, but who never thought to dream beyond his everyday surroundings and survival and the harsh circumstances he was born into until he met Griffith - which is a big part of what makes Griffith so inspiring and unusual in his eyes.

But, as you said, where does he plan to go from there after he reaches the pinnacle of his dream, especially after sacrificing so much of his own humanity and causing so many other people's suffering and/or deaths in order to get there? And who is he ever going to share it with if he's only ever trying to be above everybody else? I think for the most part he is so conflicted by these competing interests and the pressure he feels to lead everybody to his end goal that he eventually tries to stamp out all yearnings for personal attachments, so that all he will ever care about again is the realization of his dream to rule everything around him. I think he sees stuff like his emotional attachment to Guts as a negative thing, a weakness and a distraction from his ambitions - and indeed, his feelings for Guts and fear of being abandoned by him is what always led him to lose his cool or make rash choices that did not completely aid him in achieving his goals. And after he is incarnated again I think he said that he DID succeed in removing that part of himself that yearns for a human connection, EXCEPT for the part of him that is altered by/shared with the Moonlight Boy. So right now the Moonlight Boy and his odd cohabitation in the same body is keeping Griffith from fully erasing that aspect of himself.

SO all of that is to say, I feel if Griffith did achieve absolutely everything he ever set out to achieve it might indeed still end up feeling sort of hollow and very lonely for him, because he never did fully manage to erase his humanity or emotions toward the person who meant the most to him - the one that he had to choose to sacrifice to finally get what he wanted. So yeah, if he were to do some truly honest reflecting about it then I think he might end up considering that being like his curse, or something along those lines...

#thanks for asking! #berserk #berserk spoilers #p

[evarenity]

A’ight, you know what, my brain isn’t shutting off for the night like it’s supposed to, so let’s just go off

So! SRMTHFG. Shuggazoom City. One city on one planet ‘cause everywhere else has been corrupted by Skeleton King, right?

BUT

Coming from someone who intermittently checks the RWBY tag (not necessarily a big fan of that show, but personally, I think its world has a lot of potential), that shouldn’t be the case, right? ONE city on this entire planet? With a massive underground jungle? Some ice caps? Come on, SURELY there are other human settlements ASIDE from Shuggazoom City, right?

Like, you underestimate the power of humans to ADAPT. Even amid the corruption surrounding Shuggazoom City, SOME people should’ve been able to figure out how to survive in the Zone of Wasted Years! There’s NO WAY there AREN’T any little villages scattered about

The other thing that bugs me is the presence of ancient ruins in the Savage Lands. Those didn’t just appear out of nowhere; they were built by PEOPLE. SOMEONE (other than Valeena) must’ve lived here at some point! What happened to those people? Does anyone other than Valeena live in the Savage Lands? The jungle may be harsh, but I imagine anyone who can figure out where to find food and how to avoid predators can make a semi-decent living down there

I guess what I’m trying to say is, Shuggazoom is WAY TOO BIG to have just ONE city. ONE

I may not have anything specific to go off of (like any confirmation that Shuggazoom is the same size as Earth or the explanation behind its pink surface, possibly a stylistic choice), but again, you can’t expect this planet to just have one city on it

OH AND ANOTHER THING

Shuggazoom City hasn’t seen snow in centuries my BUTT. Why does everyone have winter gear in Snowbound, then?? Chiro I can get, because on top of having a space suit in Hyper Mode, he probably has winter gear in case they go to an ice planet or something (come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing the winter gear OUTSIDE Shuggazoom), but everyone else? Who’s had use for earmuffs and puffy jackets since… however many hundred years ago???

To top it off, it looks like the city is situated on one of the poles. ONE OF THE POLES. There, you’d expect constantly freezing weather and weird day-night cycles! Assuming Shuggazoom is tilted slightly on its axis like Earth is, Shuggazoom City should be having periods where the sun never rises or sets! Hell, they should even be seeing the aurorea borealis! You can only expect constantly warm weather with relatively normal day-night cycles near the equator, and even then who knows how Shuggazoom even works!

And that’s not even getting to what the rest of the world looks like! Skeleton King kicks the bucket (for a bit), so if the planet is finally safe from his evil, what does that landscape look like now?

… By the way, how the heck did Chiro, a random kid, end up all the way on the outskirts of the city? I doubt even a bicycle can get him that far between getting out of school and bedtime

AND WHERE THE HECK ARE THOSE TREES

AND WHY IS SHUGGAZOOM BUILT ON SOME DUMB RESERVOIR THAT CAN EASILY FALL APART DUE TO EARTHQUAKES?

Sure, it’s all cool and futuristic, and maybe it’s not even my place to talk about it because I’m nowhere near a civil engineer myself, but like… I feel like this stuff doesn’t require half a brain to even think about

Ahem. That’s it for today

#It turns out I care way more about worldbuilding than I thought I did #And the more I think about it the more mad it makes me #I love this show. I really do. But sometimes I think Ciro Nieli just. Did not think some of this through #Long story short: Talked with some folks in a server on top of being fresh out of an archaeology class #ANYWAY #SRMTHFG #Eva rambles #text post #Oh and by the way judging by the medieval bit from Evil Ages and the witch trials Christianity probably exists on Shuggazoom

[celestialholz]

What's an interesting yet not very well known Forgotten Realms fact that you would like to share?

Hello, dearest anon. I'm about to do to you what I've done to many people over the years and deeply disappoint you 🤣 I'm not especially familiar with the D&D setting outside of BG3 - I actually play WFRP in some of my spare time.

But in lieu of a Forgotten Realms fact, a handful of BG3 facts you may not know and that I think are very interesting, learned from my three and a half playthroughs. :)

1. Minthara's battle phrase 'sussun egg oloth' is Drow for 'light slays darkness', which is funky and appropriate for a paladin who has been exiled from her Underdark hometown. This is also written on Isobel's tomb - and Aylin is the source of both Ketheric's immortality and, potentially, his downfall.

2. Astarion's Persuasion check to stop him ascending is literally half of Shadowheart's not to kill Nightsong, provided you have to use her Persuasion check anyway. Which is absolutely wild to me.

3. A Storm Sorceror using Chain Lightning on a Wet target with Destructive Wrath and the Killer's Sweetheart auto-crit will do 320 damage in one turn if it isn't saved, assuming a 'normal' hit - i.e. lack of resistance/not being vulnerable.

4. Gortash's name is a play off the theme of radiance, hence his crossbow doing Radiant damage when he's my favourite bastard. :) His Hellfire Watcher-in-chief also carries Gontr Mael, the legendary longbow of this game that also does Radiant damage.

5. Gale is the only one of the tadfools whose guardian has a specific gender - he refers to them as she/her.

6. There's a second Dark Amethyst for the Necromancy of Thay in Mystic Carrion's basement.

7. There's a really cool axe behind the Illusion door in Sorcerous Sundries, but only if you destroy the door.

8. If you take one of the Drow twins in Sharess' Caress with you upstairs and Minthara is your partner, she will threaten to kill them if your sordid act goes ahead. Ignore her and go anyway, and Initiative will roll the second you speak to them in their quarters. (On god this is the funniest shit I've seen in a game crammed full of really funny shit.)

9. On arriving in Baldur's Gate, if you speak to a romanced Gale he'll tell you he's happy to support you if you're finding city life a bit overwhelming. This is supremely cute.

10. The Light of Creation doesn't stun you if you're naturally immune to Lightning.

11. An Embrace Durge can be targeted successfully by Hold Monster, even in humanoid form.

12. The Sunwalker's Gift doesn't work on console. My githyanki and dragonborn disapprove.

13. Ketheric's Netherstone is pink, the colour of feminity and adoration - presumably because he turned to the darkness after losing two women he loved.

14. If given free choice, even as a Selûnite Shadowheart will choose to kill her parents in the House of Grief.

15. Lorroakan keeps the best staff (and arguably the best robe) in the game in his basement, and uses a reasonable variant of both himself instead. A delightful showcase of his incompetence.

16. In Balanced, the Steel Watch are weak to lightning, and default Durge is a Storm Sorceror. This one's just fun. :)

17. Tactician Raphael has 865 health. Ew.

18. If you fight Gortash whilst the Steel Watch are still active, and try to give yourself an easier life by Arcane Locking the door to the three Watchers outside so they can't help, when the fight starts all three of them will be inexplicably surrounding Gortash.

19. You can pickpocket Withers. And he does not care how many times you fail it.

20. If you're struggling with the House of Grief fight, a Light Cleric can dispel magical darkness up to four times in the fight with the Amulet of the Devout.

:)

#fun facts with celestial #bg3 #ask #answered

[fishtre]

Hi!!! I read Your medieval au in ao3 and loved it so much. Both the writing and art were amazing and could really build up and give form to both the au and the characters. Your jay is such a complex character that is so cool and competent without stopping him from being charming and a survivor with whom it’s easy to sympathize with. Also i really like how you portrayed and designed dick grayson, I really like his mean strike and smartness to read bruce. If you don’t mind me asking out of curiosity, how would you describe the relationship between bruce, dick and Jason? And what are each character’s expectations from each other? I would really like to see how did you intend to portrayed their relationship reflected in the art of the comics,reactions and thoughts. Anyway, I really like to blog and truly enjoy your post both in tumblr and ao3. Kudos and have a nice one!

Okay first: ashjsdhsd!!! Thank you, anon. I'm flattered you enjoyed it, and relieved that the fic was legible. I’ve gotta thanks Dae for that. 💖

It's hard to explain my intents without mentioning what I had to cut out. For the flow and to not bloat a one-shot fic that had already too much happening in term of "lore".  But I may as well spill the beans here. I assume you're ready for an essay since you like blogging anyway. lol  

Despite of how hard I wanted the reader to feels for Jason's struggles, my intent wasn't to portray Dick as unlikable. Same for Bruce, even if that alpha is a daker shade of gray and stays out of focus. I also wanted to avoid portraying Jason as passive or as a victim. Going with the flow, dealing with the crappy cards life throw at him with spunk is what Jason does best.

My last intent was to not disney-ize or fetishize royalty/nobles/the feudal system.

> How would you describe the relationship between Bruce, Dick and Jason?

Unequal. A power balance dictated by the feudal system above all. The dogmas surrounding ABO are just the final nail in the coffin. From their age/designation/birth, Bruce and Jason represent the two extreme poles of that spectrum.  

(Dick's origins got cut out, but he was supposed to be an in-between. He wasn’t born a slave or a noble. His birth station is humble but uncommon enough it sets him a bit apart. He gets assimilated and socially ascend upon joining Bruce's pack early on his life. This involved extra elements from the worldbuilding and there was already too much going on.)

*

Bruce is Gotham's Earl. Powers above him exist, the crown and the church, but he controls his land however he wants.The church is breathing in Bruce's neck for Bat-man, who accidentally re-ignite a pagan tale/faith to life.

(If Bruce still seats in Gotham it’s because the crown prefers Bruce where he is. The alpha managed to bring order in what the they perceive as an accursed county after the Wayne's death. Beside he’s the heir and a noble. He is part of their clique and the lesser evil until someone better steps in.)

Regardless of Dick's origins, him and Bruce are pack. Despite the lack of blood affiliation. You can imagine Dick faces some discriminations, but he is overall pretty well accepted/assimilated since he becomes Sheriff.

As Dick grow, they become to have an “old” dog versus young dog kind of rivalry that ends pushing Dick away.  

Jason is above all a serf; a slave-born. Without even taking ABO designations into account, the peoples Jason serves have choice of life and death over him. He can be sold. He can’t marry without authorization. Same for his pups because this condition is hereditary. This is the prism between these characters.

Jason is part of Bruce's pack in the sense that he is a possession. Being an omega is why Bruce ends taking interest in him, and indirectly improve Jason's life conditions over night. Like a fairy tale that scoop him away.

He’s a glorified pet or chew toy in the service of an eccentric noble, who wouldn't be as attached to Jason if the omega was less feisty. As such, Bruce can be pretty lenient toward Jason occasionally. So long as that sharp tongue isn’t aimed at Bruce’s lordship. If Bruce likes him for his spunk and “bluntness”, Jason actually filters his thoughts around him and does as he is told.

As for Dick and Jason... They just met, and not in the best conditions. Bruce pits them against each other to get Dick’s attention.

  > What are each characters’s expectations from each other?

Bruce ➡ Dick

A family/ pack. Bruce has this “old” packless alpha kind of crisis going on. Until now he always prioritized his duty over his pack. But now Gotham is somewhat in order, the Bat-man isn't as needed so Bruce has to face his loneliness in Dick’s absence. A void he can’t fill with Alfred, Jason or Tim. He's reassorting his priorities and that begin with re-bonding with Dick before the young alpha breed his own pack and truly put Bruce behind him. That's the headspace he's in atm.  

Dick ➡ Bruce

The young alpha to Bruce’s old. He’s after Bruce’s trust, respect and recognition as an equal and alpha. 

Bruce ➡ Jason 

For Bruce, Jason is a servant, pet and a distraction. An intelligent omega he trains to be versatile asset/weapon. In the absence of Dick (or Tim), Jason is a squire with benefits that won't/can't challenge Bruce. Even as Dick’s chew toy/practice dummy, Bruce expects Jason’s loyalty to goes to him first. He is found of Jason but mostly because there’s a lot about the omega Bruce takes for granted.  

Jason ➡ Bruce

Nobles are high maintenance and servitude is a hassle but Jason’s quality of life and life expectancy improve greatly. Jason gives the alpha his best but ambitions to earn his freedom (to become a free folk) after some years of service. To his own surprise Jason grows to like/respect Bruce for his eccentricities. The very things Alfred, Dick or society may disapprove of. 

Dick ➡ Jason

Jason is Bruce’s olive branch, a responsibility and a chew toy. Where Bruce asks Jason to be mindful of their status, Dick makes sure Jason doesn’t forget he is an omega. Where Bruce is amused by Jason’s spunk, Dick is way less impressed. If Jason profits from Bruce’s eccentricities, Dick knows from experience the pack doesn’t always do. This is something Dick expect to see changes after mending bonds with Bruce. A young alpha has a lot to prove (more so with omegas) and keeping the pack in line is how they typically prove their “alphahood”.

Jason ➡ Dick

Dick is someone who could be a plan B or jeopardize his goal entirely. It doesn’t help that Jason doesn’t feel beholden to Dick or like his temperament. It’s in Jason’s nature (and role as a chew toy) to push Dick’s limits when staying on Dick’s good side could be vital for him. Which isn’t always an easy feat when Bruce’s influence stands between them or when the alphas’ expectations contradict each other. But if Jason can gain anything by playing to an alpha's weakness, Jason will.

#reply #kemonomimi hell AU #a pleasure to butcher english #as always

[whorrorgrl]

Legally Blond is Perfect

Legally Blond is cinematic perfection.

If I sit down and list off movies that I think are all-round perfect, it would be pretty short. Like, 2-3. No matter how many movies I highly rate, there’s always somethin I either thought wasn’t fleshed out enough or shouldn’t have been there in the first place. It’s so hard for a movie to be perfect for me. I’m not picky. I don’t do it on purpose. But 🤷‍♀️. 

Legally Blond, however, checks all my boxes.

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Mathew Davis, and Jennifer Coolidge, this 2003 comedy follows Elle Woods, a fashion major, who transfers to Harvard Law following a recent break-up. The more and more I watch this movie, the deeper I fall in love with it. It’s so perfectly done, so perfectly filmed, perfectly casted, perfectly everything.

I am going to do what I do best: completely break apart this movie into bits and tiny little pieces.

Astrology?

I’m pretty into Astrology, so rewatching it and hearing that Elle and Bruiser, her tiny dog, are both Gemini vegetarians was a cool moment. But when you really think about Elle’s character (even Bruiser being classified as “friendly” when Vivian Kensington tries to pick him up), it perfectly matches.

Based on the stereotype of Geminis, those who hold placements in the sign are known to be friendly, conversational, and witty. Geminis usually have a variety of interests, hobbies or skills. When I think of them, the word that comes to mind is “multifaceded,” because they truly are. It all of course depends on how it manifests in each individual’s life, but they have a range of random knowledge, thoughts, etc. They can always easily pick up on small details and remember them. These people I always see as great presenters, interviewers, writers, and study partners. Depending on the person, of course.

Elle Woods embodies her Sun sign. She’s very smart and knows even the smallest of details. As a fashion major, she’s able to pick up on a sly sales clerk trying to pass off a last season dress as the recent. When she’s moping in her room, a sorority sister goes to Elle to ask for a homework question, signifying that she’s the go-to for the girls on all things school. She also has the highest GPA in her sorority.

When she assumes joining Harvard Law will prove to Warner Huntington that she’s smart (assuming this will make him take her more seriously as a future wife), she spends the entire movie montage studying to up her LSAT scores. She never had any plans to actually continue. But When Warner still devalued her knowledge, this motivates her more to study, improving her presence as a student in each of her teachers’ classes. Not to mention her humility. “What, like it’s hard?”

She’s easily influenced by other’s opinions of her and can’t think much for herself. I’ll go deeper into it further, but many people have had the power in influencing Elle’s choices and decisions. Whether it results in a counteractive response (fueling those who doubt her to study for Harvard), it almost makes her quit law all together. Gemini being a mute sign, I made the connection.

There’s this bigger-picture mindset I always see in Gemini/Sag axis where they speak generally instead of giving details. As a Sagittarius Mercury myself, I can relate. When Elle finds out that Enrique is gay and rushes into court to tell the news, she just blurts “Hey’s gay! Warner, what type of shoes do I have on?” When he answers, “Uh...black ones?” She whips her head around to Callahan and says, “See?” As if the context of Enrique shading her by the water fountain would just materialize in Callahan’s head. She speaks in ways where she assumes everyone within the room will understand her, despite that most of what she’s saying requires a lot of context. This also could do with her being in a different setting with people who lack the range of her previous surroundings.

Her ability to adapt to new environments (of course with her own flare) and new hobbies is prevalent. She's a fashion major and now a law student in just few months, her quick wits rivaling even Waitlist Warner. When she combined both when it came to Brook’s case, it only showed that her versatility is necessary. Who else in that damn school would’ve known that taking a shower hours after getting a perm would deactivate the ammonium thioglycolate? Certainly not V05, 10-In-One Warner. 

Realistic Male-Centeredism 

All her life, Elle has been taught to work to be a trophy wife. She is beautiful and in shape. That’s all that matters. Even her parents insinuate that she isn’t “serious” and that law is only for “ugly people.” Elle probably never realized the low bars people set for her until she ventured out of the expectations. While her reasoning for joining Harvard and maintaining her place were fueled by the possibility of winning Warner, she later realizes that she actually likes law - and she’s pretty good at it.

Doesn’t matter why she started, as long as she’s on the right path.  

Elle joins Harvard because she assumes that it will change Warner’s mind in choosing her as a future wife. However, when he says she isn’t “smart enough,” despite the fact that they got accepted into the same school and have the same classes, this gives her the similar motivation to continue to study. On a call with her friends, they urge her to get the ring and hurry back home. Harvard was only meant to be temporary. When he continued to still doubt her, the goalpost moves. Getting into Harvard wouldn’t earn her his heart; it was now maintaining it.

Unsurprisingly, she accomplishes that when she begins to study more, much to Vivian and Warner’s surprise.  Elle has high hopes for joining Callahan’s internship and expresses this to Warner, who still doubts her. So when she impresses Professor Callahan enough for him to ask if she’s applying for his internship, she replies, “I don’t know.” Warner doesn’t think she’ll do it so she questions herself. 

Lastly is when Callahan comes onto her in his office, clearly not seeing her true potential beyond her gorgeous looks. She’s doubtful of her starlight given knowledge and once again allows a man to determine her path. That is until Professor Stromwell, a woman, reminds her of her potential. This is where everything flips. No longer is she guided by the men in her life, nor does she seek their approval. You see this when winning her first case is finally all the proof Warner needs to see Elle as smart and worthy of mooching off of her name. But it’s already too late and we are lucky to witness her reject him.

A small thing I also realize is when Vivian criticizes Callahan using her as his personal assistant and Warner’s laundry incompetencies, Elle says, “You know men are helpless.” She’s almost excusing men’s uselessness and misogyny as a cute little character flaws because at that time stamp she still sees Warner and Callahan in a good light. It makes me think of those TikToks of wives laughing because their husband can’t bring home the right brand of tampons or those dad that don’t know their kids are deathly allergic to penicillin.

It should be shocking considering Elle is so strongly supportive of the women in her life that she, too, is victim of centering Warner. Her relationship with her sorority sisters and how she treats Vivian and the other women at the school who horribly misjudge her would make you assume that Professor Stromwell would’ve been the best guidance she should’ve paid attention to. But even a before-her-time Gemini vegetarian like Elle Woods fall victim to the male gaze. It isn’t in your face or obnoxious like She-Hulk. She realizes that her worth is from within and changes the pattern in prioritizing men’s opinions before her own. I think the first sight of this was when her father discouraged her from going to Harvard and she chose to ignore it anyway. However, I don’t think her parents, especially her dad, are meant to be interpreted deeply. But it’s still there.

It’s always funny that Elle constantly was doubted by men like Warner and Callahan when these men are not qualified. Vivian reveals that Warner was waitlisted until his dad paid his way in; Elle obliterates his argument in class; and he’s simply played by Mathew Davis, so that sucks in its own right. Warner never stood a chance. Secondly, Callahan has all his research done by Emmett, doesn’t have a trustworthy relationship with his clients, and overlook important details that Elle was able to catch. He’s a seasoned lawyer that’s gotten comfortable. Lazy.

Anyway.

The Sisterhood.

I’m so in love with the sisterhood in this movie. That damn sorority would help you hide a body with no weak links waking up in cold sweats. Rumor Willis’s Ellie, clock out.

I see these sorority girls as iron-tight friends that would never break the bonds of sisterhood. They help each other, support each other, and don’t discriminate. But sororities aren’t  generally known for this, especially ones predominantly white and blond as Delta Nu (which is weird if you think about it). So when Elle leaves the bubble of sorority row into the more dull, less fashionable world of Harvard Law where plaid sweaters and grey pantsuit are more a la mode, she struggles to find that sisterhood. The girls are less loyal, less warm...less, well, Elle.

The girls lie to you and have you show up to a party as a bunny, don’t invite you to study groups, and are rude to you based off of the fact that you’re blond and wear pink. While her sorority girls would help her study in between breaks of their pilates class, grade her LSAT practice tests, and stay up in the library with you instead of going to a frat party, these Law girls are more exclusive...even if you brought muffins. They treat Elle the way they assume she would them. Despite it, she keeps her head up, never assumes the worst, and takes it all with a grain of salt. People pick at her like easy prey, saying whatever they want to, to her, etc. It never fazes her. It doesn’t waver her confidence nor her kindness.

That’s the thing about Elle. She isn’t nice. She’s kind.

What I loved was how she never told Brook Taylor’s alibi, even if it meant Brook getting off of the murder of her husband. Brook swore her to secrecy, so Elle is a closed book. Period. Figure out another way.

She empowers a once meek, soft-spoken Paulette to get her dog back from her cheating ex-boyfriend and to embrace her sexuality when it came to UPS Guy. She doesn’t hold grudges against Vivian and even create a friendship with her. She connects with the women in the beauty salon. She’s just so damn great.

Consistent Themes

The one thing I hate about movies now is that there are always parts of them that’s not fleshed out enough and sort of just get abandoned. I never leave full with these movies. They make a simple story shitty because it’s a cash grab. Movies like Mean Girls, Legally Blond, and Jennifer’s Body you can tell were thought intensively for more than a minute instead of just going out both ends all watery.

The theme of the movie is judging a book by its cover. Throughout the movie, Elle is judged for being blond. She’s stereotyped as stupid, unserious, and shallow. She’s from a sorority, so people assumed she’s an exlcusive mean girl and treat her as such, especially Vivian. Considering Elle is the ex, Warner probably telling Vivian exaggerated, untrue things about Elle during prep school, and Elle showing up to Professor Stromwell’s class not aware of the summer reads, Elle doesn’t have much going for her in Vivian’s eyes. In a world where what’s in your brain matters more than all else, Elle is an anomaly; proof that there is the option of prioritizing both and either one not meaning the lack of the other. (It reminds me of Booksmart where Annabelle surprises Molly that they’re going to the same school next year. Molly assumed that only prioritizing school instead of a social life was the only option and is shocked that people she thought she were above weren’t peaked). Elle’s humility hides the blood, sweat, and tears she puts into her studies, so Vivian thinks this is a reverse Sharpay Evans/Gabriella Montez thing. It’s not. 

However, while Elle is judged for being who she is, she also judges those who are brunette. Aside from her friend Serena, everyone around her is blond, even Warner. So when she meets dark-haired Vivian and new love interest Emmett, it’s a all-around switch-up. Dorky David Kidney even being rejected by those girls is another layer. Warner only proposed to Vivian because of her family, even recycling the same nickname he used for Elle. Everyone is judging someone and treating them according to labels predetermined.

When Elle tells Emmet to have faith in people after he questions the reasoning for Brook not giving an alibi, he follows this new-found ideology through when Elle makes an observation of Enrique being gay. Enrique’s on the stand claiming  a three-month affair with Brook, which would convince the jury of Brook having reason to kill her husband. Elle mentions this after he calls her Prada Damen pumps last season, an observation not many straight men would commonly know, but Callahan dismisses it. Emmett asks Elle if she’s sure and trusts her judgement, jumping into the cross examination. Enrique slips up and admits to having a boyfriend and the court is shocked. A new perspective is brought forth. Aristotle was wrong. Passion is necessary in law.

This theme of faith is continued when Brook trusts Elle enough to represent her as a first year law student. Emmett agreeing to supervise her and pushing through the first few minutes of Elle’s awkward cross-examination was beautiful.

While Warner and Callahan try to influence her choices, Emmett allows them to flow. He gives her range to think things through no matter how they come across. He doesn’t question her, nor does he doubt her. She is his equal and he learns from her as much as she learns from him.

Another theme that carries throughout is Vivan’s internalized misogyny. While Elle’s loyalty to women around her is strong, Vivan’s quick-to-judge attitude rivals it. It’s unrealistic to think internalized misogyny would disappear overnight.

Trigger Warning: I will be defending Vivian Kensington. You’ve been warned.

Look at it from Vi’s perspective. She probably comes from a high strung family who prides themselves in competitive environments. It’s the classic Blair vs Serena bit. It’s not hard to see how easy she falls victim to seeing Elle the way she does. Take Elle being Warner’s ex and the first week of school out of the equation. She’s in an environment where people expect the worst in others. Elle had to even convince Emmett, who lived in that environment longer, to have faith, so Vivian assuming that Elle was accepting Callahan’s advances makes sense. 

Now put the ex bit and the first week back into the equation. Vivian states that Warner told their prep group a lot about Elle. We already know how he sees her so it’s pretty clear how he portrayed her. But for Vivian to witness Elle be called out by Professor Stromwell for not reading the summer read, you can only assume all the gossip of Elle during that summer was confirmed in Vivian’s mind. Elle is a privileged, pretty girl.

She repaired her relationship with Elle, but she still has that mindset buried somewhere. It came out in the worst situation, but it’s very believable.

Lastly, Elle is very humble. After spending an entire summer studying her ass off, she casually acts as if joining Harvard was something simple and not beating the 5% rate of acceptance. When she wins the case for Brook, she downplays her catching a flaw in Brook’s stepdaughter’s story as something any girl would notice. She can be too humble to where she believes her accomplishments aren’t as impressive as they are, though.

Ahead of Its Time

Sisterhood, denouncing slurs against sexual orientation, putting yourself before men’s perspective...I’m not saying the early 2000′s were void of these themes, but in a general sense, they weren’t as popular. Legally Blond was so ahead of its time and does what shows and movies today handle harshly.

Watching She-Hulk, I realized this more than ever. Aside from the show seeming to not have a specific timeline in the MCU and the episodes not having much content, they don’t call out misogyny in the practice of law the way Legally Blond did (I didn’t even realize the law-relation between the two until I wrote the last sentence). It was cheaply done, vulgar, and inorganic. The men were cartoonishly horrible, conveniently terrible, and it almost came off bully-ish. This is crazy coming from me because I love a good man-hating content but She-Hulk did it in a way that was more whiney than point-driven. They even trivialized Hulk’s entire journey of Bruce’s mental struggles. You can’t tell men to go to therapy and them shame them at the rate they get through it. While I liked the implications of women’s life-time experience in composure being the reason why Jennifer Walters was successful in immersing herself with her hulk, her accomplishing other milestones so easily and fast that took Bruce years to master was just too much. If Thor: Ragnorok didn’t already bury Hulk’s entire characteristic, She-Hulk hit the final nail in the coffin.

MCU having a male-dominant fanbase also doesn’t help. They’ll quickly click off of it. I believe men can still watch movies like Legally Blond, Jennifer’s Body, Gothika, Sucker Punch, Practical Magic, etc. They can learn the lessons that the men in those movies fell short at and broaden their understanding of the society they live in. In She-Hulk, there is no message. There is no reflection. It’s only filled with dogwhistle-like phrases copied from Twitter and pasted into the screenplay to fit the woke trend bulldozing through Hollywood screenwriting rooms.

I mean...a man being brutally murdered by a succubus is more easy to watch than whatever She-Hulk uploads. It sucks.

Legally Blond only seems more perfect when you really think about it. Content today only wish they could handle sensitive topics like this without coming off tacky.

In Conclusion:

All in all, this movie is so delightful. I pop it in every time I want a good back ground noise. There’s always something new to discover, always something to unpack, and it’s such a well-rounded film. Even the extras and minor roles can act their asses off. So beautifully done. I truly miss the 2000′s formatting of movies. I know there are plenty that suck, but more than today’s average that don’t.

If I missed anything, let me know.

BTW, Mattew Davis being exposed as a raging racist only makes you realize another aspect of this movie that just ages like fine wine.

#legally blond #Reese witherspoon #whorrorgrlreviews #whorrorgrl #comedy #romance #pink #law school #2000s movies #2000s #elle woods #bruiser woods #misogyny #feminism

[souredvalentine]

10 cookies of your choice are stranded on a beach

who is doing what and are they going to survive until they are finally rescued?

OOOOOH OK this is interesting i think im gonna do this but using the most practical cookies/who would be most useful

also by beach im assuming island? i may be wrong though but im gonna answer as if it was an island as that’s generally what people say

dark cacao would be there because he’s used to not having a lot to eat, and is also very capable of fighting - probably hunts food for them to eat or wards off any enemies

crunchy chip too (the above also applies to him) plusss if they run out of food the cream wolf is always an option /j - most likely hunts as well (his wolf would be useful here too)

mango because they’ve got a vast knowledge of islands, beaches, and the oceans surrounding them etc - most likely plots a way for them to get home and also directs them around places (tells them what’s safe to eat and what’s not etc etc)

avocado because she’s skilled in crafting - would help construct a boat to leave on + gathering materials as well as having the skills to build a temporary base for safety

adventurer because again, he’s used to exploring things and being in danger - could potentially explore the island in hopes of finding something useful

muscle because he’s very strong - could help avocado gather materials and lift heavy objects that could be in their way/used for help

strawberry crepe because of their skills in mechanics - would definitely be useful in helping construct a working boat that can get them away OR in building a functional temporary base

herb because he can obviously grow plants to help them survive as well as heal people - would try and grow plants (idk how well it would work considering it’s a beach) and would heal any injuries sustained

captain ice (ik she’s ovenbreak but whatever) because she’s LITERALLY a captain - could definitely steer the boat and get em all back home safely plus that huge ass anchor has got to do some damage if thrown when hunting

sea fairy because she can control the fucking ocean - idk man she saves them all because she can just. direct the tides to take them back? idk but that would definitely help captain ice ALSO like. she can like knock things down from trees (eg food) using the water so yeah that’s cool

NOW DO THEY SURVIVE:

no. i eat them all

ok in all seriousness if they didn’t manage to escape before help arrives then yeah!! i’d say they’ve got a preeeetty strong chance of not dying

of course i sorta organised this over how useful they would be escape-wise but i feel like this could work regardless

#dark cacao cookie #crunchy chip cookie #mango cookie #avocado cookie #adventurer cookie #muscle cookie #strawberry crepe cookie #herb cookie #captain ice cookie #sea fairy cookie #sourtalks

[rafescoke]

Jealous ; Rafe Cameron

masterlist

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x reader

Summary: Rafe finds himself being jealous over his friends with benefit flirting with a certain blonde boy

Warnings: Straight smut, angst, cursing, alcohol consumption, jealous Rafe

A/N: i am so sorry JJ for making you the second choice for almost every fic ever i still ly :( anyways thank you for 380+ followers wtf you guys are beyond amazing <3 here’s the smut you guys have been craving for:

“You’re handsome.”

“Oh yeah?” JJ smiled, showing her his pearly white teeth. “You’re not too bad, (Y/N).”

“Just not too bad?” She glowered, and leaned closer onto the blonde boy. He stared into her eyes, feeling her body heat now that she was too close to him, and he could smell her sweet scent. She reminded him of an ice cream during a hot day.

“Fine,” he huffed, and watched as her mouth morphed into a smile. “You look hot, (Y/N).”

“Thank you,” she giggled, placing a soft kiss against his cheeks as he laughed along with her, putting his arms around her.

(Y/N) never really had anything with JJ, being friends with him since god knows when, but she wasn’t cool with his other friends. He was there for her, and she was there for him, but they weren’t what people would call as best friends.

“Where’s the boyfriend?” JJ asked, a glint in his eyes. (Y/N) rolled her eyes at this, being done explaining to him that she’s not dating Rafe Cameron and will never be. They were the total opposite; he’s a kook, and she’s a pogue.

“JJ, I don’t know what to explain anymore,” she grunted, resting her back against the lawn chair as she watched the partygoers dancing to the booming music. “He is not my boyfriend.”

“You’re always out with him,” he shrugged, and (Y/N) gulped before she could answer him. After being Rafe’s friend with benefits for 5 months now, she didn’t think anyone would notice their relationship. They did everything in their power to keep themselves lowkey, but here JJ was; spilling everything.

“I won’t judge, you know,” he said, and gave her a sly smirk. “I get it if you like a kook.”

(Y/N) laughed nervously, and then proceeding to cup his face in her small hands. Her breath hitched at how adorable he looked in her hands, and she felt the urge to kiss his cheeks.

“I’m not even friends with him,” she rolled her eyes, and JJ swung his arms around her one more time, this time pulling her close. They stayed in silence for a few seconds before JJ pointed to a couple by the fire, saying a joke, and (Y/N) had laughed from the punchline.

She didn’t know it was the humour or the alcohol taking over after how many shots of vodka since the start of the party. Whatever it was, she truly enjoyed JJ’s presence; her childhood friend.

Rafe Cameron entered the party with a brunette girl he owed his father to bring, and he had never looked so miserable being in a party before. People looked at them as they made their entrance, and Rafe almost let out an annoyed groan knowing that people will talk about him and whatever the name of the girl was.

His eyes swept over the swarm of dancing bodies to look for a particular (H/C) haired girl, but she was nowhere to be seen. He sighed, continuing to walk to where they served the drinks.

“Thanks for bringing me here, Rafe,” the girl said, and Rafe nodded, not wanting to make any unnecessary conversation with her. He tried to negotiate with Ward, saying how the business will still go on without him having to take whoever this girl is to the party, but Ward had insisted him to do so, saying how he should think about making his family proud.

Rafe grunted, and his feet moved towards the backyard. He was glad the girl didn’t try to follow him after seeing her friends, and he didn’t think he would even talk to her if she did. He didn’t know what he want; he was just as confused as everyone else.

“You think so?”

His head perked up at the sound of her familiar voice, and Rafe found himself searching for her small figure. His eyes passed the couple making out by the fire, some pogue munching on a burger, someone preparing to jump into the pool and then -

Her. And JJ.

He crossed his arms, his eyes not leaving her as he watched her laughed again, her head tilting to one side. Every time Rafe would tell her a joke she would do the same thing, and Rafe felt a minor pang of hurt across his heart after knowing that she did the same with JJ as well.

“You know I would love to, J,” (Y/N) said, running her fingers through his blonde hair. “But your friends just don’t like me.”

“They do!” JJ insisted, “They just think you’re too intimidating. I don’t know what they’ll think about you if they know you’re with Rafe.”

Rafe raised his brows at the sound of his name, but before he could express a proper reaction, he heard her speak.

“JJ, enough with his name,” she groaned, “I don’t like Rafe, and I will never like him.”

Rafe almost laughed at this because god, who does she think she is? She was begging for him every time they did the ungodly activity, pulling his hair and leaving scratches behind his back. Rafe had to explain to Topper and Kelce how it was Sarah’s new kitten that had scratched him when they went out for surfing, and they didn’t even have any pets.

He listened intently again, getting more amused every second. Although he wanted to hear more of their conversation, he couldn’t deny the hurt coursing through his veins at the sound of her voice practically hating on him. He didn’t know if it was an act or if it was the truth, but he didn’t like anything about it.

“Then be with me,” JJ mumbled, and Rafe watched as she nervously laughed as if that was the funniest thing in the world. Rafe stayed quiet, wanting to hear her reply to that plea, and his heart was beating so fast.

“You’re cute,” she suddenly said, pressing a slow kiss against his cheeks again. “I’m so glad I have you in my life.”

Was that a yes? Or was that a no? Rafe cursed in his mind, not having a clue about the truth behind what she just said, and before he could process it further, the girl that he came here with tugged on his arms, catching his attention.

He clicked his tongue, “Yeah?”

“I want you to meet my friends,” she smiled, and proceeded to pull him to her group of friends who were waiting by the corner. Rafe tried to maintain his grim smile, trying to figure out how in the hell this girl did not notice the obvious signs that he was trying to show;

He was not interested.

“Here’s Rafe,” she exclaimed to her friends, and continued to introduce them to him. He smiled weakly at them, not really hearing their names, his mind wandering to a certain girl a distance away.

“Rafe?”

“Huh?” He looked at her again, “What is it?”

“They’re asking if you’re joining the truth or dare game in a few minutes,” she replied, and she had a look that wanted him to say yes.

“No,” he shrugged, and he watched as her shoulders slump. “But we can stay, I guess.”

She cheered, and Rafe used almost all of his energy not to mutter anything back, and followed her to the middle of the party where everyone started to gather for whatever middle school games they were planning to play.

He sat right next to hear, flicking his lighter on and off, not paying any attention towards his surrounding until she heard the familiar laugh again.

(Y/N) giggled at something JJ had said, walking towards the circle and sitting opposite of Rafe. They didn’t notice his presence, being too caught up with each other, and Rafe watched as she laughed again. He gritted his teeth.

“Who’s playing?” A voice suddenly spoke, and Rafe assumed him to be the host of the party. He thought of how the party sucks and he could hold a better party than this, but when she saw (Y/N) saying that she will be playing, he knew he had to be in the same game as her too.

“I’m playing,” he said, and watched as the people around him stared at him. (Y/N)’s eyes widened at the voice and she quickly looked at his direction, and he watched as she tried to contain her shocked expression.

“Okay, we have enough people playing,” the host said, “We’ll start with. . . John B, wanna choose first?”

“Yeah,” John B sat up straighter, looking around the circle until his eyes landed on his best friend. “JJ, truth or dare.”

JJ put on the smirk Rafe hates, “Easy. Truth.”

The crowd groaned and some booed, but JJ still had the smirk on his face, yelling to the crowd that he was just trying to calm everyone’s nerves.

“Okay,” John B rubbed his hands together, “Who would you like to fuck in this room?”

The room fell silent as their attentions were on JJ, and JJ laughed before replying the question.

“Seriously? I thought you’re going to ask for my bank account or something, not that I have money in it. But (Y/N). I’ll fuck (Y/N).”

Rafe found himself gritting his teeth, staring straight at the girl who was also staring back at him. She had a teasing smile on her face and Rafe had to stop himself from pulling her out of this goddamn party and into his car.

“I’ll go with (Y/N). Truth or dare?”

He watched her again, his heartbeat quickening.

“Dare,” she shrugged, and the crowd cheered, finally getting any actions they were craving since the start of the party. Rafe sat up straight, wanting to see to what extend she would do something, and he would be lying if he says he wasn’t nervous.

“I dare you to kiss the hottest person in the room.”

(Y/N) stood up from her seat, walking away from JJ and towards Rafe. He widened his eyes, not sure if she would actually do it or if she was messing with him, but she was clearly walking towards him and everyone knows it.

She leaned onto him and Rafe swore he could feel his heart stopping. He could smell her scent now; that goddamn cupcake smell he loves so much.

“You’re drooling,” she whispered, and turned on her heels.

She proceeded to return back to her position and kissed JJ with all of her heart and the crowd cheered, but Rafe was trying to calm himself down. He felt his anger rising, being humiliated just like that in front of everyone.

He stood up, ignoring the girl beside him’s questions and continued to walk upstairs, leaving the stupid game downstairs to smoke and probably snort some coke in his pocket. He didn’t know anyone here that much, being in a party outside of Kooksville and only knowing the pogues, but he’s not friends with them so he was totally alone in this case.

He entered a guest bedroom and proceeded to climb onto the bed, taking out his stash and unfolding a dollar from his back pocket.

“Hey.”

Rafe jumped to his feet, shocked to his core from the sudden voice, but he relaxed when he saw (Y/N), though he didn’t show it. He continued to separate the powder into lines, rubbing his nose a few times.

“Where’s the boyfriend?” He asked, sniffing and lowering his head to inhale the intoxicating substance. He threw his head back, feeling warm, and looked at her again.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, being questioned with “where’s the boyfriend?” almost two times now on the same night, and crossed her arms.

“You have no power to be mad at me, Rafe,” she said, and walked closer to him. He watched as she leaned onto him like she did downstairs a few minutes ago, “You’re not my fucking boyfriend, and you know it.”

Rafe laughed, his head getting woozy, but he couldn’t deny the amusement he was feeling at that time, and god he felt like doing the most filthiest things to her.

“And if I want to fuck JJ,” she continued, her face so close to him that her voice was just above a whisper, “Then I’m allowed to.”

“Oh yeah?” He raised his eyebrows, and he stared into her eyes with a smirk tugging on his lips. “You wanna fuck him? He can fuck you better than I can?”

Her breath hitched as he trailed his pointer along her soft cheeks from the temple, and he whispered again, this time with his face so close she could feel the heat from his breathing.

“I’m asking, baby, can he?”

One thing that (Y/N) hate was being challenged, and the look that Rafe gave her fit that exact meaning.

Before she could mutter anything else he attached their lips, moving so fast she didn’t have time to catch a breath. He pushed her over so her back was against the bed, her chest heaving, and Rafe had never looked prouder when he saw her in that state.

“Wanna be a bitch again?”

“Maybe,” she answered, with that twinkling in her eyes.

“Wrong answer,” he replied, and kissed her roughly again, hearing her moans and her fingers pulling on his already unkept hair, making them more messier. He groaned when he felt her biting on his lips, knowing that he would have to create a new lie to Topper and Kelce on why his lips are all bruised.

He pulled her apart again, this time with both of their chests heaving, and Rafe swore he had never looked at someone more beautiful than the girl before him. His eyes trailed down to her chest, seeing her breast all pushed up and her nipples hard against the cold air.

He licked his teeth, “No bra?”

“No-pe,” she giggled, emphasising on the ‘ope’. She inched closer to his ear, “Making it easy for you.”

“Thanks, baby,” he replied before kissing her fully on her lips again, and slowly going down to her core. He placed his wet kisses from her neck to her stomach and down to the aching heat as she arched her back from the tingling feeling, placing her palm against her mouth to silence herself.

He continued to place soft kisses on the outer side of her pussy, his member hardening when he could see the wet mark on her panties. He watched as she bit her lips, closing her eyes from just the kisses.

“Beg,” he whispered, and (Y/N) looked up from her laying position, feeling like dying at the slow reaction from him. She groaned, desperate for her release, and bit her lips.

“Please, Rafe,” she begged, withering as he ran his fingers along her thighs. “Please, baby, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

Before she could prepare herself he dipped in, collecting her juices with hid tongue and flicking back and forth on her clit. She couldn’t contain her voice anymore, whimpering and moaning his name as he continued to please her, liking the way she was so submissive under his touch.

Just like putty.

“Oh my god, you’re amazing,” she gasped, gripping onto the sheets with her fingers. “I’m close, Rafe, oh my god.”

He chuckled against her core, sending vibrations throughout her body and causing her to yell from the overwhelming pleasure, gripping on the sheets even harder she could feel it coming undone from the mattress. She could feel the familiar euphoric feeling inside of her stomach and arched her back to reach it, until-

“Rafe!”

“Huh?” He looked up to her, innocently wiping his mouth with the back of his hands as he crawled back go her. He gave her a smile, “What’s wrong baby?”

“I was so close,” she answered, with tears in her eyes. Rafe tutted, using his thumb to wipe a tear that escaped, and proceeded to press the thumb on her clit, causing her to jerk upwards in shock.

“You’re okay, baby?”

“You’re a dick,” she answered, and jerked again as he pressed his thumb into her one more time. “The biggest dickhead I’ve ever met.”

“Yeah?” He raised his brow, and placed a soft kiss against her lips. “Should I go then?”

He made a move to go away and without any shame she pulled his by his wrist back, not letting go until he chuckled, placing himself before her again.

“Answer me one question,” he whispered, and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Me or JJ.”

“You.”

“Who?”

“You, Rafe.”

“Not my name,” he said in a sing-song voice, and proceeded to fake-yawn.

“You, daddy.”

He watched her with a smile on his face, leaning closer and pressing a kiss ok her cheeks one more time. “And will you be good to me?”

“Yes, daddy.”

Rafe was harder than ever, he could basically cum just by seeing her all worked up under him. His breathing was heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to fuck the girl before him.

“Okay, then,” he sighed, and before she could process anything he turned her over, exposing her ass to the air as the skirt she wore rode up to her waist, and (Y/N) felt a rush of cold against nipping on her skin.

She yelped as she felt his palm made contact with her cheeks, spreading his fingers and massaging them right after. He liked the colour of her skin now, all red, just because of him.

He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled his boxers down, letting his member springing free and watched as his precum pooled on his tip, and quickly positioned himself before her.

“Please,” she begged, and that was enough for Rafe to push into her, closing his eyes and muttering a curse word while he felt her closing on him.

“Fuck, so good for me, baby,” he swore, fastening hid movements. The girl was practically screaming under him, and he had to place his hands against his mouth to keep her shut. He groaned, feeling the warm feeling inside him growing.

“Shut up, you bitch.”

She moaned at his words, taking a liking at the way he downgrades her since the first they had sex, and pulled on his hair as she tried to comprehend the euphoric feeling inside her.

“I’m close,” she warned, tugging on his back as he pushed into her, this time with a faster speed than before. “Fuck, I’m so close, baby-”

“Cum and I’ll fucking kill you,” he groaned, pushing himself into her that he ended up balls-deep, watching her scrunched up face trying to take his full length. He grunted, feeling his own end nearing, and getting ready to pull out.

“Fuck!” He yelled, aiming his penis at her face as he shot his load, and she could feel the hot leaks dripping off her face down to her neck. She didn’t reach her high, not wanting to disobey Rafe before, and she felt like crying her hardest.

“You’re crying now?” He laughed, cupping his face with his hands and watched as his cum dripped from her eyebrows down to her eyes, and he took the chance to clean them using his fingers before placing them before her eyes.

“Suck.”

“Fuck you,” she said, her eyes glassy.

“I said,” he leaned closer, placing his knee against her core and watched her jerked again, “Suck.”

She gritted her teeth and took his fingers into her mouth, tasting him and making lewd noises. Rafe watched her with his mouth slightly parted, his eyes a shade darker.

“You’ve been a good girl, princess,” he smiled, and made a move to hold her. She pushed his hands away and he laughed, “Tell me what do you want.”

“I want you to fuck off.”

“Really?”

She bit her lips, not wanting to answer his question. In truth, she wanted nothing but for him to fuck her like it was their last day on earth.

“You still want me to fuck off when I do-” he inserted a finger inside her and she grunted, “This?”

“Y-yeah,” she answered, biting her lips.

“Are you sure? Even when I do-” he inserted another finger, “This?”

“F-fuck, yeah,” she gripped the sheets, feeling the familiar feeing knotting in her stomach again for the third time.

“Really?” He sighed, and took his fingers out, pretending to wipe them on his shirt. “Guess I’ll go. Respect the lady, you know?”

“Fuck you,” she said, and Rafe chuckled when she took ahold of his fingers and inserting them into her by herself, arching herself at the feeing she’ve been craving since forever.

Rafe bit his lips, watching her guiding his fingers and he wished he had his phone with him so that he could record this moment and watch them over and over again.

“Close, baby?”

“Mhm,” she hummed, thrusting against his fingers. Rafe sucked in a breath, hearing her moans, and before he knew it she released himself against his fingers, screaming his name as she reached her high.

He laid himself beside her, staring at the ceiling as they tried to catch their breaths again. (Y/N) turned to look at him, and when he noticed she was looking at him he turned his head to her in the same way, so they were both staring at each other.

“You’re still an asshole.”

“I know.”

“And I hate you.”

“I know,” he smiled, and god, (Y/N) never had a stronger will to slap that stupid smile from his face.

“You love me though,” he suddenly said, and (Y/N) turned to look at him again.

“God, you’re full of yourself.”

“You just don’t want to accept the truth, (Y/L/N).”

“Whatever,” she got up, searching for her discarded panties and fixing her fallen top and skirt. She ran her fingers through her hair to disentangle them before making her way towards the door, only stopping to look at him before she could return to the booming music.

“See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.”

-

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[artzee-bee]

Not going anywhere | Lucifer Morningstar x reader

Fandom: Lucifer

Request:” Hi i have request for you ,Lucifer and the reader have a big fight they are married, and this fight it's lucifer fault The reader leaves home and Lucifer decides to give her space After a few days, he goes to the reader and realizes that she has been missing for a few days,When the person behind all this claims that the reader is dead and gives them a her body . Everyone thinks that the reader is dead and Lucifer He gets depressed and thinks it's all his fault , and after a few days, the thieves release the singer and the reader goes to Lucifer.Lucifer first thinks it is an imagination and then apologizes to the reader Thank you so much”

Genre: Angst with happy ending

Warnings: kidnapping, death

~~~

Your intention had never been to start a fight. All you wanted an explanation (preferably one that also made sense) and an apology, but apparently that was too much to ask, because as soon as you voiced your opinion, Lucifer went up in flames

“Don’t start this again!”

“I dislike it just as much as you do but what I hate more is being cancelled on, AGAIN, through a text message no less!”

“It was an emergency!”

“It’s always an emergency Lucifer! It’s starting to sound a lot like work means more to you than I do!” “The detective needs me, damn it!” your husband yelled

“And she has you! Every day of every week! All I ask for is one date night and for the past month you’ve done nothing but avoid committing to one or backing out at the last second! I’m tired of being your second choice Lucifer! I’m your wife and you are my husband, I love you to the ends of the world, I just wish you'd say no to Decker from time to time...”

“I’m saving people’s lives Y/N. So if you’re not on your deathbed, other people are and they need me now!” as he said this, Lucifer walked right past you and into your bedroom, seemingly ignorant to the painful words he’d just said. You looked around the living room, vision blurry with tears, your chest heavy with anger and disgust. You rushed towards the elevator.

“When you find time in your busy schedule and feel like being my spouse again, let me know!” the elevator door closed before Lucifer could say anything

~~~

When Lucifer woke up the next morning to a cold and empty bed, he didn’t think much of it.Truthfully, he was still kind of pissed at the attitude you had given him a day before, so he got dressed as usual and went to the precinct, assuming you’ll be home by nightfall.

Except when he got home that night, he stopped by Lux first, which ended up like it always does: with him sucked into an endless cycle of booze and dancing, that lasted until well into the night. When he did enter the penthouse eventually, he found it empty. Exactly the way he had left it in the morning. Even the tie he had left on the floor, after deciding last minute that it didn’t go with his suit, was untouched. Now this was curious, but still, Lucifer felt like you must be playing hard to get. He sent you one text message, before going to bed

“Call me when you can!”

The day after that, he figured his part was done! By reaching out first, he had already made a big compromise, so now it was your turn! To reach out, come home! But that didn’t happen that day, or the day after that.

Three days after the text message,Lucifer was getting worried. He was looking at his phone every other minute. Always making sure he hadn’t accidently put it on silent or missed any texts. He sent more messages, telling you he was sorry and that he wanted you to come home. That he would listen and spend more time with you, promising luxurious dates and weekend trips, if only you forgave him. You didn’t even open the messages.

“Lucifer are you listening?” Decker was insanely annoyed at her partner’s lack of concentration

“Sorry detective. I’ve...I’ve got a lot on my mind”

“Well, better get it out of the way now, so that we can move on to our case!” she said, cleaning out her desk quickly, before resting back into her chair “Talk to me!”

“It’s Y/N. I’m worried about her!”

“Why?” “We...had a fight a couple days ago and she left. She hasn’t come back since”

“Have you heard from her at all?”

“No…” Lucifer said, embarrassed at his own lack of care for you. He should have called you earlier, reached out more! He should have tried harder!

“How long had she been missing for?”

“4...maybe 5 days…”

“Lucifer, are you sane? And you’re only telling me now?!” Chloe jumped from her seat, turning on her computer

“I thought she needed space! I thought she was avoiding me intentionally cause she was angry! I didn’t know…” Lucifer choked back a sob, not wanting to break down in tears in the middle of the precinct

“Lucifer!” Chloe caught hold of his hand “I’m gonna find her! I promise you!” A few days later, she did. Well, more like Y/n came to her, in the shape of a pretty little gift box left on Decker's doorstep.

“A lil too late on your case detective” read the note attached to it. 

Inside were Y/N’s clothes, all of them stained with dark, dried blood. Y/N was declared dead that day and the case was closed. At her funeral, only her closests friends were present. Lucifer wanted it to be as intimate as possible.

That day was also the first time anyone had seen Lucifer, since the news. His eyes were bloodshot and the dark circles under his eyes almost matched the black suit he was wearing. Throughout the ceremony he kept twisting his wedding band, a habit he’d picked up on since you went missing. He chose not to do a speech, but once the crowd disappeared, and he was left face to face with your grave, he pulled out a little piece of paper from his pocket and sat down on the grass.

“In hell, everyone feared me. There, I was nothing but another server of the universe, ruling over an empire I never really wanted, because I never had a choice. So eventually I left, thinking anywhere will be better than what I had, and I came to earth.

I ran into you about 2 weeks later, before I really even knew how to behave myself. Before I knew anything about who I really was besides ‘the devil’. I longed to know, grow and discovers different sides of me, where I could be something new, and you gave it to me. You made me who I never thought I could possibly be. You made me a lover. I never thought of myself as capable to love anyone, in any degree, but your light shone everywhere you went and your kindness touched me and everyone around you. It became impossible to not get infatuated with your person. I allowed you to see and feel around every dark corner of my soul and being and every time I thought it was the end. Everytime I would take in your touch as if it was the last, I would prepare myself for abandonment, but it never came. Through everything you stood by my side and when I felt my darkest, you gave me a fistful of your light and that was enough to keep me going. You married a broken man and called him perfect, despite everyone telling you how much of a foul you were. Even then, you shooed them away. Even then you chose me. I wasn’t worthy of your love or your trust and our last night together proved it.

You’re not here anymore to hear my apologies and I’ll never forgive myself for it. You’ve gone now somewhere I can not follow, but I know you are well taken care of there. I hope, someway, somehow, you’ll hear these words: I am sorry. I loved you with my entire soul. Not listening to you was the biggest mistake of my life and I’ll never forgive myself. I choose however, to remember you as you were, because I know that’s what you’d want. I’ll remember you and your laugh.I’ll remember our date nights and shopping sprees. Nights in Lux or on the penthouse balcony. I’ll remember all the meals you prepared for me and the flirtatious remarks you used to make, because you thought they were so silly. I’ll remember the little frown on your face whenever you worked on an important project for work and I’ll remember every evening walk around the block you’d make me accompany you on. I know I always complained about them, but they were always fun. Everything I ever did with you was always fun.

I loved you. I still do. You are my everything Y/N. Thank you for devoting yourself to me in all the ways that you did. I’ll forever live on in my heart.“

~~~

It had been months since your disappearance. After all this time, you finally managed to escape your kidnappers and report them to the New York police station, since that’s where you had been held hostage for so long. As soon as the paperwork was done and you were sure that the people who ruined you were getting the punishment they deserved, you jumped on a train and headed straight back home. Straight to Lucifer.

Lux looked exactly the same as you had left it. You were washed over by a wave of comfort that almost brought you to tears. Home. You never thought you’d get to step in here again. Overwhelmed, you took a seat on one of the couches, allowing your head to rest back on it, as you took in every detail of your surroundings: the feel of the leather on your fingertips, the cool breeze of the air conditioning, the warm lights. Everything was still here.

“Y/N?” you jumped at the sound

“Hi love…” your voice broke as you said those words. Words you never thought you would be able to mutter again. The sight of your husband, messy as he was, made you weak in the knees. He was standing at the top of the staircase, dressed in nothing but his robe, tied carelessly around his waist. He had probably just woken up. You wanted to say something again, but before you could, he laughed

“Nope” he said simply, before making his way down the stairs and to the bar “I’m not doing this. Not today, not ever!” Lucifer filled his glass to the top with bourbon, before turning around and trying to leave back to where he came from

“Lucifer, it's me!”

“Sure you are, except you’re not real! Nice of dad, taking my ability to stay endlessly sober, getting me drunk, forcing visions of my dead wife onto me to teach me another lesson about managing my emotions. Real clever, except this is too much! So I’m going to enter that elevator and I expect to never have to see you again, hum? Right, well, au revoir now!” he continued on his way, but before he could get far, you were clutching on the silk tie of his robe. Lucifer felt the tug around his waist and turned around slowly to look at you, this time a little more unsure. As if he was trying to figure you out

“Lucifer, I’m Y/N. I escaped”

“Escaped? But that’s impossible, she died! I saw it-”

“What you saw was a bloody shirt!” he looked up to meet your gaze, tears already forming “They lied to you Lucifer”

Finally, it seemed like he had connected all of the pieces of the puzzle. The glass of alcohol fell to the ground and your husband wrapped you in a big hug for the first time in months. He nuzzled his head in your hair and took in your scent, your figure, your warmth. Hell, you were even more perfect that he remembered! Silent tears fell down both of your cheeks as you collapsed to the ground, still holding onto each other for dear life

“I’m so sorry” Lucifer sobbed in your hair “I’m so so sorry”

“It wasn’t your fault Luci”

“If I hadn’t been a jerk you wouldn’t have left! If I would have simply listened to you, they wouldn’t have gotten to you! You would’ve stayed here, where you belong! You would have stayed with me but instead I was too busy with my stupid job and the stupid cases and I’m sorry! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry” he continued crying on your shoulder as you rubbed small circles on his back

“I’m here now my love” you whispered, kissing his cheek “And I’m not going anywhere”

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