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stromblessed · 5 months

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Mizu's spectacles, and the levels of her disguise

In drafting some more Blue Eye Samurai meta posts, I find myself writing out the comparisons between what Mizu can and cannot hide about herself, and how that affects how she moves through the world.

Like, I get the jokes about Mizu's glasses, if only color contacts had existed back then, etc. etc., and I think (hope) that most viewers don't take the glasses jokes seriously, as in "I don't care about the suspension of disbelief because BES is a cartoon." But I wanted to write these thoughts out anyway without burying them in a text post about something else.

I think the points I'm going to lay out here are viewed very differently by different people, so please feel free to add to this post, reply, or put your thoughts in the tags!

Not only do Mizu's glasses not actually help her that much, there's surely more to Mizu's mixed race appearance than just the color of her eyes.

In my view, this was pointed out in episode 1:

I'm willing to bet most of us were expecting young Taigen to say "blue eyes," not "ROUND eyes."

Obviously this is still about Mizu's eyes, but not even spectacles can hide their shape.

I don't think the show is obligated to point out everything about Mizu's face that isn't quite as Japanese as the people around her expect. Though the creators have said that they specifically designed Mizu - and her clothes - to read both as "white" and as "Japanese," as well as both male and female. I think there's more about Mizu's features that read as "white" than just her eyes.

This is where my own headcanons start entering the picture, but it's my impression that people can just tell that Mizu looks different, whether or not they can put a finger on exactly how.

There's the little girl who looks at Mizu and then hides on the way into Kyoto:

When there's more to your face you'd like to cover up than just your eyes, big hats are a big help!

By the way, most of these examples have to come from the first half of the season, since by the second half, either Mizu is too preoccupied with fighting henchmen, or everyone Mizu is facing knows who she is already, and she therefore has no reason to hide her mixed race identity.

It's worth mentioning that the mere fact that Mizu has to hide multiple aspects of her identity - her mixed race and her sex - results in her having to choose clothes that really, really cover her up, which doesn't win her any favors either:

(Zatoichi reference, anyone?)

If it were as easy as, for example, tying her glasses to her head and wa-lah, nobody would ever know she was half-white - then (1) Mizu would've just done that long ago, and (2) Mizu wouldn't be so on guard and on tenterhooks 100% of the time the way she's depicted in the show, even when her glasses are on.

Her spectacles sure don't help her in the brothel, which is full of observant women who are trying to seduce her, meaning they get good long looks at her:

Mizu never takes her glasses off, but they still send a woman to her who has light eyes, thinking that must be what will interest a blue-eyed man:

No wonder Mizu gets mad after this, lol

So Mizu never takes her spectacles off in the brothel, it's dimly lit inside, and the women can still tell that she has blue eyes. I'm getting the sense that Mizu putting on her spectacles isn't a guarantee that people suddenly can't tell that she looks different.

And yet no one spots that she's female.

Mizu can hide her breasts, can wear her hair in the right style, can hide what's between her legs, can walk and talk and behave like a man - and she's been doing it for almost her entire life, to the point that not only is she very good at it, but the threat of being found out as female is deadly, but isn't presented in the show as omnipresent.

Let me explain.

She threatens Ringo for nearly saying the word "girl" out loud, because while she's constantly ostracized for being mixed race, being a woman traveling without a chaperone, carrying a sword, and disguised as a man will get her killed or flogged or arrested or some combination of these things.

But in addition, it's been drilled into her since she was a child that if she is discovered as female, the combination of her being mixed race and female will identify her as someone extremely specific, someone known to some bad people, and she will be killed:

I think of it as Mizu thinking to herself, "Being found out as mixed race means I'm treated badly. Being found out as mixed race and a woman means I'm dead."

Mizu's hair is cut as a child. But she isn't made to wear a big hat, or cover her eyes somehow, or anything like that. Because hiding her sex is a more successful endeavor than hiding her race.

Ringo finds out she's female by accident, but once Mizu accepts the fact that he won't rat her out, she relaxes pretty early on in the season. Because the threat of being found out as female is mitigated pretty much 99.9%, since Mizu has gotten so good at being a man. And also, because most of the time, people see what they want to see. Even if Mizu's face makes her stand out as "not 100% Japanese," no one in the world of BES looks at Mizu's clothes, her bearing, her sword, hears her voice, and will ever in a million years conclude that she is a woman, because expectations around gender roles in the Edo period were so rigid and so widely enforced.

One detail that proved this to me is after the Four Fangs fight:

Ringo takes off Mizu's clothes so he can stitch her up, then leaves her clothes off even after he's done. He doesn't even throw her cloak over her as a blanket or anything. There's a little a straw (pallet?) as a divider there on the left, but anyone could just peek around it and see Mizu and her chest bindings. (I think it's mostly there as a windbreaker.)

And Taigen is right there, but he doesn't give a shit:

Opinions probably vary hugely on this, but my impression is that because the show doesn't make any kind of deal about Taigen being in the room with Mizu here, my guess is that Mizu isn't in any danger of Taigen thinking she's female. Even when I watched the show for the first time, I assumed that Taigen had seen Mizu out of her clothes here, and that he thought nothing of it.

Eat your heart out, Li Shang (Mulan 1998). I actually do think that this scene is a direct and purposeful side-eye to that movie, lol

There's obviously some nuance to how "severe" being mixed race is compared to how "severe" being a woman is for Mizu:

After all, Swordfather can't bear to listen to Mizu confess to being a woman.

So a Japanese man can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants in BES. A Japanese woman has limited options: marriage, religion, or a brothel. A mixed-race man is an eyesore in this story. A mixed-race woman is a death sentence.

May as well eliminate the female aspect, and do what you can about the mixed-race aspect. Because that's just realistic.

Meaning Mizu can avoid the strictures Edo society places on women. But she can't avoid the repercussions that come with being mixed race. And I truly don't think that it's just because "there's no brown contacts yet."

#blue eye samurai #mizu #racism #bes #I am truly disappointed that we didnt get absolute confirmation that Taigen saw Mizus bound chest and just didnt think it was a big deal #but I still think that scene is making a point #again I dont think most people take the glasses jokes seriously #but its been bothering me ever since I first saw them #I really dont think Mizu just looks like a 100 percent Japanese person...... with blue eyes #and I bet that will be made even more obvious when she goes to London where Im sure she will meet plenty of people #who are more than happy to point out their observations to her #also I ran out of room in this post to go into it but this is also what made Mizus marriage an absolutely doomed prospect #Mikio talks about wanting to find the right creature for his lord and well... a mixed race woman is the right creature huh #he just needed a little push imo #getting kind of sad at the thought that Ringo is the only person in Mizus life who knows her whole identity AND accepts it wholly

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rwrbficrecs · 10 days

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We’ll Invite Something In by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@dot524: This is a fandom favorite and for good reason. In this canon divergence AU, Alex is President, Henry is out, and they never got together in their 20s. Instead, they encounter each other in their late 30s and a very different type of relationship ensues. They still hide it at first, but there’s a lot of living that they both have done and need to work through. I really enjoyed the character dynamics here and how the premise changed both Alex and Henry, making them bolder and more mature. Definitely read this one!

Eyes Blue, Like the Atlantic by bleedingballroomfloor (book-verse)

@dot524: A Titanic AU! Adapted by an excellent writer, this one has suspense, action, romance, and intrigue. There is a MCD (Main Character Death) in here and some other tags to be aware of, but also vibrant scenes with dancing, chasing, art, and formal wear. I really enjoyed it!

Clean Slate by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was just so excellent. I devoured it in no time, couldn't put it down. I love the way Alex just slips into Henry's life like a silk glove even though Henry has his hesitations. There's abslutely no angst at all other than "you're too young for me" "no, next question" I love it. I love Henry finally feeling young for the first time. I think that is something that Henry generally feels after meeting Alex, like he's never been able to, no matter at what point in life he is. ANYWAY I'm talking about Henry way too much again for a rec. Read this.

Most People Exist by @sprigsofviolets (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Henry, 30, is a nurse on a cancer ward. From the very first moment he feels an intense connection and attraction to his newest patient, the one who has a brain tumor and is named Alexander Claremont-Diaz. - The tags say it all: "Falling in love, Slow Burn, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt/Comfort". After reading this story I am a whole new person. I laughed and cried, had butterflies in my stomach, I felt it all. Hands down one of the best fics I've ever read!

after hours by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@na-dineee: How much can happen in a few hours? stutteringpeach: Hold my beer. 😅🤝 Reading this was truly a roller coaster ride, my stomach was doing somersaults non-stop: On his last evening in New York, poet Henry meets bartender Alex and the two spend the night together - in true "Before Sunrise" style. To sum it all up: enchanting, sweet, phenomenal, iconic!

No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue) Oil on Canvas by @captainjunglegym (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: This fic is so twisted and surprising in the best way! The summary did not prepare me for all the action that comes after the initial relationship drama and I'd really like to fawn over it some more but I don't want to spoil the fun of figuring out what really is going on and what are characters' motivations. Just give it a try.

Meet the Parents (series) by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@dot524: I really enjoyed these thoughtful character studies of Ellen and Oscar. The two short stories are a series of canon vignettes from Oscar and Ellen’s POV. These glimpses of the Claremont-Diaz parents add heart and depth to the RWRB canon, giving insight about how Ellen and Oscar think about parenthood, power, family, and each other.

Leave The World Better Than You Found It: A BONES AU by @treluna4 (book/movie-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: I really enjoyed this FirstPrince meets procedural TV show fic! With Alex as Booth and Henry as Brennan, they learn to work together, solve crimes--and fall in love, of course. Plus take down a very satisfying book villain.

No Laughing Matter by @inexplicablymine (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This fic is absolutely hysterical- a must read if you need something to cheer you up! It's also very relatable for anyone who, like me, has said things they've regretted in all the best ways!

in summer air by @acdsbff (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I need a vacation and vitamin D - maybe that's why this series (both POVs are covered 🥰) captivated me so much?! It is set on a Greek island, where Alex, just cheated on by his boyfriend, meets hotel owner Henry. What follows is a whirlwind speedrun romance against a beautiful backdrop. Really therapeutic for the heart on dreary days!!

here is a map (with your name as a capital) by @alasse9 (book-verse)

@dot524: What an incredible surprise to have this entire 50k story drop at once. In this canon divergent story, Alex and Henry start getting to know each other in Rio, when Alex helps him recover from a panic attack. Their friendship, and later their relationship, is a delightful slow burn with funny moments, heartbreak, and steady support of each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this start to finish — the characterization of both Alex and Henry is on point and I really enjoyed how the writer changed some of the scenes from the book while keeping key callbacks. A delight.

Claremont 2008 by @happiness-of-the-pursuit (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This friends to lovers AU is done so well! Having Henry and Alex meet as kids means we get years of their friendship before they even start dating, and it gives every aspect of their relationship so much depth through this entire fic. It also gives some events only referenced in the novel a completely different perspective, which makes them even better!

keep me in the moment (don't it feel so real?) by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: I absolutely love everything that comes out of Sarah's magic little fingers and this was no exception. Alex and Henry are best friends and pinning over eache other unknowingly and an accidental lil discovery turns their relationship upside-down (for the better) absolutely recommended. I honestly loved it so much.

you know i can't be found with you by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was SO much fun. Alex was RELENTLESS and I absolutely love an older Henry. It was also very fucking funny. 10/10

the great duck fiasco by @alexclaremont-diaz (book-verse)

@suseagull04: A spy AU, dating apps, and Alex's Texas roots combine in the funniest way possible- definitely read this if you want a good laugh!

#monthly faves #rwrb fic recs #firstprince #firstprince fic recs

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balioc · 2 months

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Is this a concept-formulation that's already kicking around out there somewhere? It might well be. It feels like the sort of thing that someone would already have developed. But it's new to me, at least, so I'll muddle around with it as best as I can.

On one end of the spectrum, you've got the musical hook. A hook is maybe two seconds of music, if that. And when you hear it, if it's good, you get a concentrated spike of -- oh, yeah, that's the shit right there, this exact experience in this exact moment is fucking awesome. And then, as soon as it's come, it's gone. All you can do is wait for it to come back later in the track, or rewind a few seconds, or maybe just replay that tiny little scrap of music in your head.

The pleasure of a good hook is incredibly condensed. It doesn't even really extend into the rest of the song, let alone into the rest of your life. To experience it, you have to be listening to those exact few bars (if only in your mind). It has no penumbra, no shades-of-experience that color other aspects of your existence. On the other hand, well...when you're listening to those exact few bars, you know it, and it's great. If it's a good enough hook, you kinda just want to listen to it over and over again, like you're popping Pringles or something.

All the way on the other end of the spectrum, you've got something like a traditional-style TTRPG campaign.

Even when it's being run masterfully, a game like D&D has a very low proportion of that's the shit right there moments, and a very high proportion of tedious yak-shaving stuff. Every so often you get your critical success in a high-stakes moment, every so often you get your awesome monologue or your big-drama scene or whatever...but for every moment like that, there's a hundred moments or more of the other stuff. The commonplace D&D play experience is famous for its vast amounts of OOC joking-around, which is not how things look when people are deeply engaged with the art on a moment-by-moment basis. And, of course, not every campaign is run masterfully. Sometimes boredom, or eye-rolling, is what you get in almost every moment.

And yet people love their D&D campaigns, like really incredibly a lot, and are deeply affected by them, and not-uncommonly have their whole lives changed by them.

The correct model here, I think, is that the pleasure generated by that kind of TTRPG experience is super diffuse. It's almost all penumbra. The awesomeness doesn't inhere in any one moment, or even any one scene or any one story arc. It inheres in the broad strokes of the campaign, in the ongoing knowledge that YOU ARE YOUR COOL CHARACTER and you go on a million cool adventures, in the mythos and the running jokes that add up invisibly over time into magic. And it pervades the entirety of your existence. You can think about it when you're lying in your bed, you can chat about it with your friends over lunch, and the awesomeness is just as much there as it is when you're actually playing. Maybe more so.

**********

Once you start looking at art through this variable-diffusion-of-appreciation lens, you can see many different points on the spectrum.

It's obvious that a short story is more concentrated than a novel, which is more concentrated than a series; it's obvious that a movie is more concentrated than a TV show. But it's not just the choice of medium that pushes in one direction or the other. It's a million different choices concerning content and style. Lushly descriptive language, in prose fiction, serves to concentrate the reader's appreciation into the moment of reading -- it forces the expenditure of extra attention for the sake of creating a beautiful mental moment, which in the vast majority of cases will be gone and forgotten almost instantly. Abstracted and philosophical language does the exact opposite, pulling the reader out of the narrative for a little bit for the sake of giving him something to roll around in his head. Suspense, and surprising plot developments, are concentration techniques that can have their full effect only during the transition from unspoiled-to-spoiled (and they serve to emphasize and heighten the moments of that transition). Archetypical, iconic plots are diffusion techniques that trade predictability-in-the-now for satisfaction-in-contemplating-the-story-later.

Sitcoms strike me as being vehicles for diffuse appreciation, to a huge extent, even more than other TV shows of comparable length etc. Much of what makes them good is just the presence of the characters and their distinctive shticks in your mindscape, in a way that builds from episode to episode without any particular grounding in specifics. When I think about a sitcom that I like, I find myself concluding that I like the show overall more than I like any single given episode. Which is weird, right? You'd expect some sort of bell-curve thing where the best episodes, or even the best individual moments, rise up above the averaged-out mass of the whole. But no.

**********

Fannishness is, overall, a very diffuse form of appreciation. This is true in the very-obvious sense that you're enjoying the work during a time when you're not actually consuming the work, by dint of consuming/producing fanworks and talking with other fans etc. But it's also true in the somewhat-less-obvious sense that the enjoyment-of-the-thing usually ends up very unrooted in the specifics of the thing, the plot beats and characterization details and so forth. You have a big beloved vibe, with lots of bits and bobs attached, and you can take the bits and bobs you like best and rearrange them however you like best when you're engaging in fandom.

**********

I believe it is overall true that concentrated appreciation is much more legible than diffuse appreciation. More legible to artists and art theorists, more legible to marketers and consumers. When you talk about art being good or bad or successful or unsuccessful, it's very easy to think in terms of "what is it like to consume this moment-by-moment?", and much harder to think in terms of "how does each piece of the work pervade the whole of the work, and also the general thoughtscape of the consumer?" For this reason, concentration techniques are associated with prestige, and high-prestige analysis tends to focus on a work's ability to generate concentrated appreciation.

...I also believe that different people want to be appreciating art, in the ideal case, at different levels of diffusion. There are people for whom a good artistic experience means lots of crack-hit awesome moments, and others for whom a good artistic experience means getting to live in an infinite penumbra, and others who fall at every point in between.

**********

For reasons I may discuss later, I think this concept-suite is extremely valent to the construction of theater LARPs, and the tension between people who expect more-concentrated enjoyment and people who expect more-diffuse enjoyment is responsible for a lot of the Wars Over What's Good within that sphere.

#media analysis #spectrum of appreciation diffusion

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eldritch-spouse · 7 months

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I don't usually interact with "succubus/incubus" esque monsters in my monster-loving ventures because I feel weird about them being designed to fulfill others desires. Almost like they can't have boundaries?

I usually enjoy your writing so I read some of your succubus stories of Santi and Vesper, and though I'm still not exactly a 'lust-monster cheerleader' I find myself enjoying them with less of my usual hangups!

I really like how you convey the monsters as enjoying the activity outside of just sex = sexual pleasure = all good folks!

The idea that pleasure/lust gives them pleasure isn't new but the way you write it is refreshing in allowing an easier suspension of disbelief.

With how depraved and lust-driven you make the monsters it's easier to believe that they really do enjoy all the kinks their prey enjoys and are within their comfort zone. Instead of some objectified fantasy of a sex-doll coming to life but still being just a sex-doll, it only comes to life to make the person feel wanted and less of a loser (nothing wrong with those who partake in those fantasies every now and again but I personally don't like it, especially when it's repetitive and still no personality).

By giving them personalities that aren't just "sexsexsexsexsex" or some facet of it (so many succubus/incubus characters tend to fall back on the trope personalities traits of charisma, self-absorbed, shallow) you make them more fleshed out without losing the idea that they still are lust-driven.

Also, kudos for sticking to your guns about them being sexually polyamorous (though not always romantically poly) because it makes sense!!!! So many stories seem to go with the idea that once they find The One they'll be monogamous (and if people want to read that then good for them it's their preference), but being sexually polyamorous makes sense and doesn't negate the meaningfulness of their relationship any!!

You don't shy away from what it means to be a Lust Monster, which I really appreciate as someone who is into monster loving for how 'other' the monsters act (not just look).

It also allows them some agency in a way? I can't really explain it but something about you not disregarding their monstrous aspects or expecting them to change and loving them for it. Something about not expecting a beast that feeds on lust to conform to your perception of the world. Something about not controlling or owning them. Something about how their species give pleasure to receive pleasure and you can't physically withstand enough of their pleasure-giving for them to receive enough pleasure so you give them pleasure in a way by encouraging them to receive it elsewhere. Something about adapting to their ways of affection & love based in pleasure as they adapt to yours based outside of it and both of you being better off for it.

I do wonder;

Does Vesper have any boundaries (in relationships or otherwise), even if they're not sexual?

Does he ever have a moment where the realisation that his spouse isn't just in it for the sexual gratification he can offer them or the power of being with him fully sets in? That he isn't just lust-worthy but love-worthy? I imagine he is loved by many but probably for his capabilities, his power, or the persona he displays. But to be loved for something other than what he can give/serve others?

(I may be coming to the realisation that this aversion to lust-monsters could have something to do with the uncomfortable familiarity of being loved for the servitude you offer and not for who you are)

Would he react in any particular way?

[Ohhh lord, this is huge (no offense genuinely), so I'm going to keep the answer under a read more and divide it so people can tell when I'm talking about Vesper.]

I'm going to be real, I actually like the idea of monsters who are genuine sex creatures. Creations that exist solely to please sexually and have little to no autonomy as well as a basically non-existent sense of self. But that already comes from my somewhat present objectification/mindbreak fetish. I did laugh when you talked about the "fantasy of a sex doll coming to life", because I could get into that. I know perfectly well that a character of this caliber would be extremely one-dimensional, and therefore a bit of a "one-trick pooch" that I can't poke and prod at too much unless I give them a personal development arc that is quite profound.

I agree with you in the sense that, even if just subconsciously, I've always felt like people weren't really exploring the lust monster trope too much. Or maybe I just wanted to put my own very different spin on it. (This is a bit rich of me to say, considering I've intentionally reduced Gluttony to what amounts to "heehee hungy :)))" instead of "overbearing indulgence".)

I enjoy trying to translate their view of the world into terms we can understand. Sex isn't just a recreational commodity for them, it's food, it's a basic necessity, it's their bread and butter- Even a science! But it's also trivial. Sexual cheating just isn't a thing for concubi, unless one of them has entered some sort of exclusivity agreement, for whatever reason.

I like the idea of there always being a healthy amount of "pros" and "cons" in all types of monsters, it keeps them balanced and more two dimensional as characters, and it makes for a very good base when it comes to world-building. (Keep in mind I'm talking out of my ass, I have no formal/professional insight on any of this.) Sure, you can have a concubus as a partner, it'll be the best sex of your life, you'll find new sides of your carnality you never saw before and you'll be able to withstand some acts that would break your physical limits- But you'll get quite literally drained of your life if you insist on being their only meal. But you can and will become hypersexual depending on the circumstances. But there's quite a bit of social stigma. But many of them are afraid of commitment. But kids might never be on the table. Etcetera.

That makes things more interesting, doesn't it?

I'm a firm believer that perverted characters can have depth to their personality, sex-driven narratives can have interesting premises or twists and a wide variety of personalities that serve to enhance the smut, you know? In fact, you should strive to make these lust monsters as distinct as possible, so that they don't all fall under the same umbrella of repetitive humdrum smut. There's nothing sadder than a sexual setting that falls flat on its ass because you can predict everything.

I'm not going to lie, I think the idea of them becoming exclusively attached to you romantically and sexually can work- But in a very toxic and "horror-esque" setting where the concubus is so mentally ill with their hyperfixation that you end up dying eventually because they don't acknowledge your limits and simply keep shattering you for their own gain/pleasure.

Thank you for the insight though! I'm very happy you find some sort of novelty in the way I portray these characters!

When it comes to Vesper, you have to remember he's a bit of a romantic.

Both him and Santi are given how much contact they used to have in the past, how Vesper helped mold Santi into someone better. Naturally, Santi is more of a romantic than the King for a couple of reasons I can't get into right now or I'll risk making this response longer than it needs to be. They're both also yandere, keep that in mind.

From the very start, Vesper is extremely affectionate with you and quick to profess his love. He expects you to want to be with him for the sex, obviously, but he also desperately wants you to return his love and he thinks he can get you to love him with enough pleasure and pleasantries.

Since we're talking about an Icon, Vesper doesn't really make a strong separation between "what he can give others/receive from them" and "who he is". Icons are less two dimensional than standard characters, so whether you love him because you like Vesper as a person or because he makes you feel like nobody else in bed, it's all the same to him- Because it kind of is the same in his mind.

Maybe I'm not being too clear, but I hope it's understandable.

Boundaries... It kind of depends? I'll ramble.

You're romantically monogamous to him as he is to you, but there can be a polyamorous dynamic at some point, if desired;

His mark is the only one to ever stay on your body;

On the realm of preferences, you know he doesn't really like to have sex while he's clothed because clothes are unappealing to him;

He doesn't like it when you wear chasity devices;

He won't humor castration as a fetish for you or him specifically;

Don't portray him chastely;

It really does depend on the situation, because Vesper will gladly let you refer to him as a "brainless fucktoy" or nothing more than cocks on legs, or something equally derogatory that suggests he's not even a person.

As the embodiment of depravity, he's bound to only get more aroused by his own consistent dehumanization, so the demonlord's boundaries end up being things you wouldn't really expect, you know?

#Vesper oc #sexc-snail

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drdemonprince · 1 year

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on the "top shortage" thingy because I read what you shared........... and didn't understand half of it........... because the sentences were too long and i got lost........... (can i blame it in not being a native speaker even if i'm fluent? can i play that card?)

Yeah that piece was super long and very academically worded, so if you struggled to parse it you are far from alone.

The core takeaway from that author's perspective is that some bottoms believe they can only be topped by their fantasy version of an all powerful brute, but that brute has to also be a person that they can respect, and how we view those two qualities is often skewed by classism, racism, sexism and so much more. This leads to certain bottoms yearning for a type of person so rare and so hard to reconcile with their own worldview and social position as to almost not exist. They want tops to be voracious animals who just magically claim them in exactly the way they want to be claimed but without ever having to do any of the work, and without ever seeing themselves as a person with real power. This often has to do with gender and racial biases the person has about what being strong or dominant has to look like, and it's very dehumanizing. It is kinda no wonder people with that worldview cant get laid.

MY take (and I do love that author's piece) is a lot more simple. The top shortage does not exist. When bottoms complain about there being a top shortage they reveal their own inability to communicate and to actively seek and initiate toward what they need. Or they dont see tops as human and arent mutually giving and considerate toward them. In short, communication, agency, and mutuality are key.

I have never had a problem finding tops. Any active attempt and I'm drowning in options within like moments. This was true at all points in my life and thru many identities and in a variety of scenes. straight bi gay bondage hypno vanilla furry groups parties cruising whatever whatever. I never had trouble because I a) approached people that I was interested in, b) could lay out in detail what I wanted, and c) was happy to learn what the top wanted and dole out in return while also just generally treating them like a person with feelings and insecurities.

Communication agency and mutuality destroy the top shortage.

The notable exception is seeking a person with very particular niche expertise that takes years or money to develop. So, if you are seeking an experienced suspension rope top (and particularly one with their own space to host play), you will be limited to the handful of people who have the time and resources necessary to develop into that. Bottoms might be more plentiful on the ground due to that.

BUT even then!! there is always a relative shortage of BOTH tops and bottoms who can communicate, initiate, and be giving.

One thing I have learned as a professional communicator is that people with confident communication skills are rare. If you are good at communicating, initiating, and being mutually giving as well as receiving, you are a glistening jewel in the dating market or kink world and prospects will be numerous for you accordingly.

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erosxreader · 8 months

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Please stop talking || Bokuto Kōtarō

You and Bokuto have hung out a couple of times and Bokuto isn’t good at being subtle, or causal.

Pairing: Bokuto Kōtarō x Reader

Word Count: 979

Genre: I like to think it’s funny, and romantic

Note: did you know that Mr.Virguto Kōtarō is also a Scorpio Venus?

other note: You know how sometimes a good story starts in the middle?

“Bokuto, I’m saying no”

“Why not?”

“Because I just met you two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks is more than enough time to know if you’re in love”

“Yeah if your brain only has the storage for 3 weeks” Y/N snorted before turning back around to face the substitute teacher. They plainly stared forward, trying to ignore the burning bokuto-shaped whole in the back of their head.

“That’s not fair, you know me” he gestures to himself unbeknownst to Y/N, “yo-you” he began, his voice growing uncharacteristically tender, “you know my body”

Y/N rolled their eyes, a habit they’ve become accustomed to when Bokuto gets too much free time.

“I kissed you on the cheek once”

“Is my cheek not my body?”

“You’re beyond ridiculous. And I’m not going to be in relationship with you.” With that rejection he went silent, the sound of dejected paper rustling followed not too far behind.

It’s only when he shuts up does a twinge of guilt find its way into their chest. They don’t *need* to explain themselves to him and he wasn’t asking for an explanation. And yet,

“Okay look,” they turned to look him, his brows quivered on his forehead. His lips sat in a defeated pout, that had little to no affect on Y/N’s next words.

“I’ll admit, I’ve had a lot of fun the past couple of days,” a smile began to creep on his face,

“BUT I am well aware that the captain of any sport is nothing but trouble and I don’t do trouble.” Bokuto scoffed offendedly.

“I’m nowhere near trouble, trouble has never heard of me”

Y/N knowingly raised their eyebrows. They could name three near-suspension incidents off the top of their hand. Two that involved a red volleyball captain and an orange one and the school water fountain.

“You are trouble in a bad haircut”

“You love it. C’mon, Give me one chance, one date.”

“Nope”

“Two chances, three dates?”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“No.”

He groaned in frustration. “Come on”.

Y/N shrugged and resumed facing forward. They tapped their finger impatiently against the pencil, hitting the cover of Fukorodani’s newest newspaper addition. At the top it read:

OUR TICKET TO NATIONALS

In the middle of the page, sat a picture black and white picture of Bokuto with his hands stretched over him. He was in the air, doing a spike. A small grin grew on their face, his smile was contagious even through film.

“How do you smile at a picture of me more than at my actually face?”

“For starters, a picture can’t talk.”

“I’ll win nationals.” He slams his hand against his desk in declaration. “And THEN you’ll go out with me”

Y/N let out a short laugh, shaking the newspaper out to read. “And what does you winning do for me? Other than enlarge your ego”

He thought for a full minute, and the way his browns were furrowed you could see his wheels turning.

“Well I can’t be much trouble if I’m winning National Titles.” Y/N blinked.

“Come on you know I’m hot and then when I win you’ll know I’m serious.” When Y/N turned their head to show him a knowingly glace, they were greeted with an empty seat.

In front of them he stood in all his glory. The light from outside cascaded across his frame. From this angle his hair color nearly blended together, existing in a world of platinum and shadow.

He bent down to reach their desk, resting his elbows on their table. Swear glistened off his temples.

“When I want something y/n” his voice took a deep breath in, letting his head and eyes travel onto theirs. His gray eyes shook, his iris unable to sit, running from each point of his companions face.

Y/N couldn’t call it studying their face, but an absorption of the whole. They shifted uncomfortably in their seat, feeling rather caught than chased for. He smiled as his eyes grew wide. It was like he was on ecstasy, experiencing the high of a victory he hasn’t won yet.

“I get you Y/N. And I fucking love you. So just let me fucking love you”

There was a pause. The buzzing of the classroom chatter did little to conceal to weight of the silence.

“You’re up against Shiratorizawa, you’re toast.”

“Not if I’m motivated, by you know you-“

“I get it I get it.”

He took a step back off their table, “so?”

He was met with silence, and after a long minute, Bokuto let out a final defeated sigh, dragged the weight of his limbs back to his seat. He began to put his head down, when a newspaper slams onto his desk. A manicured nail pointed at his picture.

“If I’m going to date a captain, he has to be the Number 1 captian”

Bokuto’s head shot up, his hair as high as his eyebrows. He flashes a toothy grin.“You’re in luck, I am Number one”

“I bet you are big guy”

The ringing of the bell rung, final sealing for their sentencing. “Well” Y/N cleared their throat, and rose from their seat.

They leave the classroom beside one another. Bokuto held his hand out to hold Y/N’s bag, which Y/N declined beneath a hue of red cheeks.

“Well it’s time for you to go hit a ball and be proud of it”.

“Can I get another kiss on the cheek?”.

“After you beat karasuno, I’ll think about it”

“God I love you.”

“Go fetch your ball Bokuto” he nodded enthusiastically as he began to walk in the other direction towards the gym.

Y/N let out a cathartic deep breath, their hands wrapped tightly around the school paper. ‘You always get to a point of your life where you’re going to have to gamble on something and sometimes the bigger the bet, the high the reward’

Please don’t make me look stupid, Bokuto.

As Y/N eyes chased him down the hall, they noticed a signup sheet hung up by the gym door. It was too far to make out much but in big bold letters stood font.

NEW MANAGERS FOR SPORT TEAMS!

#bokuto koutarou #haikyu x y/n #haikyuu!!#haikyu x reader #bokuto x reader #bokuto x y/n

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give-soup-please · 2 years

Text

Reader finding Narrator’s romantic writings about them

Your place has gotten pretty disorganized recently, and it hasn’t been great for your mental health. You decide you need to tidy up and get rid of some things.

The narrator shrugs his shoulders at this. Of course, he wants you to be in a good space mentally, but mess doesn’t really bother him that much.

Parts of the office were cluttered, and if he really gets overwhelmed, he can always pop out of the physical plane of existence and just be a voice. But if it makes you happy to clean, he’s not going to protest.

You do a few loads of laundry, take the trash out, and begin organizing some papers the narrator left around. You ask him permission before doing this, and he waves you off, saying that those were old projects and that he didn’t care what happened to them.

Well, you found something you hadn’t really anticipated. You’re leaning against his desk, trying to keep a neutral face while you read.

It’s… detailed romantic descriptions. About you and him. How soft he imagines your skin to be, how tenderly you look at him when the lovelight is in your eyes, his strong and firm arms wrapping around you, passionate kisses and declarations of affection. Holy-

You keep reading. Chapters of undying love, pages of yearning, paragraphs dedicated to how soft your lips are- You’re becoming more flustered and giddy by the second. The narrator walks back in.

“Ah, I see you’re taking a break. Found anything inter-” He stares at you with wide eyes. Your expression- You’re looking up at him and grinning shyly. Your face is flushed, and you’re giggling. What on earth?

“Ahem. Yes, I know my writing is excellent, but that’s a new reaction. What did you-”

He remembers what was in the pile of papers now. He had forgotten- He’s always had slight memory problems-

He rushes forwards and snatches the pages from your hands. “That’s enough of that, thank you. I- I need to-” His face is burning. Oh, the humiliation, and the inevitable rejection- “I don’t know how these papers got in here, I- I’ve never seen this writing before in my life.”

You try very hard to not laugh, knowing that he’s not in a position to take it well. His writing style was very iconic. No one could write like he did, let alone break into your home and leave the pages around. It was the most bald faced lie he’s ever told you.

“But- I didn’t get to the ending!” You whine, grinning. “Do we make it as a couple, or does the evil Lord Dred-ful keep us apart? Come on man, don’t leave me in suspense. It’s fantastic work, some of your best.”

He’s caught in between his ego and his embarrassment. He blusters and stumbles through a mishmash of sentences. “I- you- it’s, well- The thing is-”

You continue to tease him. “Now if my literature analysis skills are any good, I’d say you like me. More than like me, if your reaction is anything to go by. Tell me, are you just as passionate a man as you are a writer? Maybe we should find out~”

His stuttering and stumbling gets worse. You’re actively flirting with him instead of being disgusted or horrified, so he supposes it’s a victory. “I-I-I-I-”

You finally take pity on him. “I feel the same way. I love you, narrator. Without reservation or hesitation.” You’re quoting him, writing your character. It’s an odd feeling. “For real though, do you want to try and make a romantic relationship work? I’m very willing, but if you’re hesitating, we can just remain friends. No pres-”

He pulls you into a kiss. You hum delightedly and kiss him back. You pull away after a few minutes, both panting.

“...So. How’d your writing compare to the real thing?” You ask.

“...”

“...Your lips are more wonderful than I wrote them to be.” Woah, now that was high praise. Not only not taking the opportunity to boast, but to make you feel good about yourself?

You drag him in for another dozen kisses. You resurface again, the both of you completely love drunk.

“Your writing is going to improve with how much hands-on experience I’m planning on giving you.”

You’ve never seen him so happy.

#the narrator x reader #the stanley parable #tsp narrator #tsp #headcanon #answered ask #stanley parable #narrator #tsp narrator x reader

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rescue-ram · 8 months

Note

Now I'm curious, how would you adapt a modern version of Mash?

Oh man thank you for giving me pretext to ramble about this. I have too many thoughts about Cursed Hypothetical MASH Reboot.

Genre Change MASH is from the golden age of sitcom and is one of the best examples of the genre. Tragically, really good sitcoms don't get made, and the shorter lengths commissioned mean we wouldn't get space for the sillier or more experimental episodes that make MASH so charming and memorable. This is also why any remake or reimagining could never replace the original. There's also less "suspension of disbelief" with modern audiences, so I think modern MASH would have to have a more grounded setting and consistent time line, so RIP time loop. I think the modern genre that would best fit MASH is dramedy. Classico MASH already had elements of "get 'em laughing so they cry harder" and Hypothetical Remake MASH would play that up. Basically, we're gonna "Better Call Saul" this bitch.

In writing out my ideas below, I realized hitting the main plot beats I imagine makes this sound like. Depressing. Which it kind of would be! But I want to emphasize that in my mind's eye this would still tonally be a comedy right up until It Isn't. Similar to BCS, characters encounter obstacles, handle them in very funny ways, but things Keep Happening and compounding and at the end you realize all those funny things have added up to something horrific and inevitable.

General Thoughts In my beautiful mind, this is five twelve episode seasons, each corresponding to a roughly six month period- the first two seasons are 1951, climaxing with Henry's death, first episode or two of season 3 is Trapper leaving/BJ arriving and then 3/4 is 1952, and the final season is 1953 and the ceasefire. Fortunately, because the characters in MASH are pretty well fleshed out with a lot of traits I think they could be turned into dramedy characters pretty easily, and you can take the Big Things that happen to them and play them straight/expand on them into proper arcs. Also, pulling in more historical details could be really interesting, and an opportunity to unpack how Fully Evil the war in Korea was. In reading more memoirs from doctors who served in MASH units, I was struck by how much contact with international forces they had, and the surprising amount of contact with their Chinese/Korean counter-parts. I think more of both of those things would be fun to incorporate into Hypothetical Remake.

Expanded Roles for Nurses We need more women. And fortunately, we got them! Even though there is Not A Lot of existing canon, I really do think we have enough on the recurring nurses to act as seeds for fuller characters. I would love to see Kellye developed as a supporting character from the start. Struggling to articulate this, but I think a deeper perspective on anti-Asian sentiment could be explored through her, possibly with some connections to the history of colonialism in Korea in particular. The character was described as Chinese and Hawaiian, but given her credited surnames of Yamato and Nakamura getting a little into her Japanese heritage and the resentment of Koreans towards the Japanese could be interesting as well. I also think "Dish" Schneider's conflict, torn between loyalty to her husband/fiancee and her attraction to the handsome funny guy who relentlessly flirts with her, could be a source of drama. I also really like Ginger's recurring "thing" with Trapper in canon, and expanding that into an actual friendship and digging into the racism and taboos against interracial relationships of the period would be interesting. You can take Margie Cutler as a young and inexperienced nurse and give her a little coming of age arc. I would also love for Knocko McCarthy to be a foil for Margaret- as the second most senior nurse, she chafes under Margaret's command and kind of collaborates with the Swampmen to subvert her, culminating in Margaret calling her out that if she didn't side with them against her, they'd hate Knocko too, and them growing closer over the series.

Ho-Jon and Expanded Roles for Korean Characters Many have written about the shitty representation of Koreans in MASH, and Hypothetical Remake could remediate that significantly. I think giving Ho-Jon (or a similar new character) an expanded role would be good, with more ties to his family out of camp and conflict over whether or not supporting the occupying American forces and the south is the right thing to do or the expedient thing. I also think there's some dark comedy to be mined from a slightly subversive Ho-Jon taking advantage of racism and being seen as ignorant or interchangeable to get away with shit. Would love for Black Market Guy to be a recurring character. There's also a great real life story I read where a MASH surgeon formed a bond with a Chinese doctor after accidentally connecting to a PLA radio channel, and I think that could be adapted into a really fun source of comedy (bonding with "the enemy" over shared indignities, surprising similarities, etc) and ultimately drama (Hawkeye finds out about a US or ROK attack that will cripple that doctor's unit or put him in danger- does he say nothing, knowing hundreds will be injured or killed including maybe his new friend, or does he commit treason and risk prison or death to warn him- and how does he live with not knowing what happened when he has to choose inaction?) Any of the Very Special episodes could be adapted and expanded. And of course, Hypothetical Remake would have Korean writers, or consultants, or at the very least a goddamn baby name book so we don't end up with a dozen characters just named Kim, or worse random syllables.

Radar I would love to keep Radar as one of the main POV character throughout the whole series and use his unique position to bridge between different storylines- he's an enlisted man so he has that perspective, he's close with Hawkeye and the surgeons, he's assisting Henry/Potter so he has ties to command, give him a friendship with a nurse and you're set. Given the comedy-to-tragedy arc of dramadys, I would love to take the book detail that he enlisted with dreams of glory and becoming a general and lean fully into that. He starts out season 1 as a sweet naive farm kid flying by the seat of his pants to figure out his job, he gets more and more enmeshed with the military over the course of the series, currying favor with the brass to pull strings to help the unit/his friends/himself, and it ends with Potter giving him a recommendation for officer school- an outcome fully framed as a tragic loss of self to a corrupt institution.

Hawkeye I think Seasons 1 and 2 in particular could be driven by the Hawkeye and Trapper committing outrages and crimes in the name of justice/not giving a shit, and then having to spend the rest of the season engaging in more outrages and crimes to Bugs Bunny their way out of consequences. The central tragedy arcing through the series is the Destruction of Hawkeye Pierce. He starts out determined to stay himself, stick to his principles, and not let the army change him. The glimmer of hope at the end is that he has survived and gets to go home, but At What Cost. I also think making him bipolar makes the most sense- early season Hawkeye hints he's had highs and lows before, but always managed to cope, but under the increasing stress his mental health gets worse. Insomnia due to overwork triggers a manic episode (adapting Dr Pierce and Mr Hyde) about halfway through S1, with a major change in his relationship with Trapper associated with that, and his first on screen depressive episode triggered by Henry's death, which gets him his week of R&R he goes AWOL from. He holds it together through S3 with increasing amounts of self-medication for BJ's sake, and S4's overarching storyline for him is a fully Catch-22 expansion of The Late Captain Pierce with increasing levels of franticness to resolve it, and S5 is a full blown "I'M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE" crisis culminating in the equivalent of GFA, and a brief psychotic episode triggered by his mood dysregulation and moral injury. An expansion of The Late Captain Pierce would be a great source of absurdity and drama, the ultimate consequence of his alienation of Everyone In Bureaucracy or Command (they all dislike/hate him for his antics and disrespect in S1-3 and no one wants to help him in his predicament, with a few spitefully refusing to help outright), and necessary to explain his presence in Korea in 1953 since his enlistment should've ended by then (since key members of the bureaucracy Hate him they refuse to count the months he was "dead" as part of his service, and his father is in too poor of health/financially strained from his cancer scare to advocate for him successfully stateside). I also think "playing straight" all the nurses breaking up with him after Ceasefire could be interesting. Like, S1 Hawkeye is a ladies man who's saying all the right things and juggling multiple relationships, but after they realize he doesn't Capital L Love any of them they start to distance from him- not unfriendly, but less a source of support. That alienation from others, first with the nurses at the end of S1 then others in camp, causing a vicious cycle of increasingly erratic behavior leading to less support etc culminates in his breakdown towards the end of the series.

Trapper My beloved boy ♥️ who has less of an arc and more of a vibe in existing canon, so we get to make some shit up whole cloth. Either keep the book/movie canon they were friendly in college, or make them childhood friends- not close, but some kind of pre-existing relationship. First episode is them stealing a jeep and bonding as they get into Shenanigans and Danger on their way to camp. Some people have the headcanon that Trapper lost a brother in WWII because of Wayne Rogers' acting choices, and I think a backstory like that could be interesting. He starts out a little ambivalent about the war, not wanting to be there and very aware of the human costs, but also feeling he has a duty. As he and Hawkeye get into more and more Situations trying to expose war crimes or fix injustices and even basic supply issues and are met by indifference or incompetence, he gets disillusioned. After Hawkeye's manic episode, he decided the one Actually Good thing he can accomplish is keeping his friend sane until they can get back home, since he starts to increasingly see his medical work as futile and the UN intervention as hopeless/harmful. They get closer and rely on each other more and more in S2, and in my based and gay pilled vision this is explicitly romantic and sexual, albeit with serious ambiguity if they would've had this relationship outside the trauma of war. Towards the end of S2, Trapper starts to get sick, and it turns out stress and increased alcohol & tobacco use contributed to an ulcer- it almost seems like he'll be sent home, but as in Classico MASH he begins treatment at the 4077th- and then Henry dies. Hawkeye spirals and they have to send him away, and then Trapper has to help pick up the increased work load. His symptoms get worse and he tries to cope and hide it, and develops peritonitis. When he realizes he's going to be evacced to Tokyo and then back to the States, he has a bit of a fucking meltdown. Mission Failed, he can't be there for his friend, and he blames himself because it was partly caused by his alcohol abuse. This is not just me being a Trapper simp, he has to go home before his enlistment is up for plot reasons since we no longer get the benefit of fuzzy timeline, and the genre convention of dramedy is you always Reap The Whirlwind at the worst possible moment.

BJ Ironically, I don't need to change anything about BJ to turn him into a dramedy character. He already has a "negative character arc", and you just take the major beats of that, set them in a linear escalation, and tighten them up. He starts out bright eyed and idealistic, determined to keep his head up, do his duty, and get out. Hawkeye meets him at the air field, having missed Trapper. Hawkeye blames himself for Trapper's health problems, and wants to do better by the new guy, offering him support and guidance. BJ bonds with him through the craziness, but as stress increases he starts acting out in small petty stochastic pranks, and then Peg's letters and missing his family build his anger, and he lashes out at Hawkeye because he suspects (in that "he's not right but he isn't wrong either" way) that Hawkeye's friendship isn't really because of BJ himself but because BJ is Trapper's Replacement. He suspects Hawkeye and Trapper were more than friends and he's simultaneously jealous and repulsed- he wants to totally replace Trapper and for Hawkeye to like him best, but he also loves Peg and misses her terribly and resents Hawkeye for "making" him want him. His chaotic unhinged repression is funny until it's briefly terrifying, then sad. As Hawkeye's mental health deteriorates, he tries to be supportive, but is ultimately overwhelmed by the intensity of Hawkeye's crisis and pulls back, though they mend things somewhat at the end.

The Hawkeye/Trapper/BJ Nexus In summary, our core duos are codependent trainwrecks, but while TrapHawk are more of an enabling and felonious "Thelma and Louise" style folie a deux, BJ and Hawkeye are more of an epic highs and lows "if you can't be with the one you love love the one your with" "hand in unlovable hand" mess.

Margaret Don't have nearly as much to say about our girl because I suck and have been writing this for almost 2 hours now because I'm insane but she has one of the best character arcs in MASH and Hypothetical Remake would really just intentionally start laying out her conflicts and growth from episode 1. She would also have more independent story arcs of trying to manage the nurses, and navigating advancing her career in the face of sexism. I would love to see her messy and complicated relationships with powerful men explored more fully. She bonds with Frank first to have a relationship where she's more in control than with her superiors, then as an ally to push back against the TrapHawk Chaos, then as she grows more confident (and TrapHawk get in over their heads) she is able to let go of the cloak of power military pretensions give her and be more herself.

Henry and Potter Henry remains a lovable incompetent. The one headcanon I have I'd like to use in Hypothetical Remake is that he's pretty severely dyslexic- I base that off his mispronunciations and malapropisms and canonical issues with reading (in Classico MASH doing things like holding a paper upside down or not being able to read maps and the words on them). He got through med school by having his wife read his textbooks out loud and type his papers, and brute force memorization. This is part of why he over relies on Radar to manage his paperwork and is easily scammed into signing off on things- he really can't tell what he's signing unless he uses all of his focus to decipher the text, and he's a trusting person so he rarely does. @marley-manson I LOVE your take that your ideal Potter is the exact same character in the show but the narrative treats him as an antagonist, and that is the vibe Hypothetical Remake would have.

Frank and Charles Again not a lot to say here, secondary characters and minor antagonists, but they would remain big sources of commentary but their pathos would be played up more in a dramedy.

Mulcahy Again, not too much different from canon, just more intentional building of a tragic arc. A smart sensitive guy who grew up poor and thought the church would be a path to respect or maybe even greatness got told to be a math teacher by his diocese, enlisted as a chaplain when the war broke out as part of his personal quest for meaning and significance, is confronted by the horrors and damage to innocent lives but still tries to believe in a greater purpose and good to what's happening, struggles with feelings of powerlessness and futility, and when he's finally able to do something heroic loses his hearing, which costs him his vocation- he's permanently disabled and would be unable to return to his old role as a parish priest/school teacher.

Recurring Characters Sidney my beloved ♥️ We bring back Sam Pak as a returning character. Also General Hammond and other members of the brass. I think Oliver could work really well as a recurring character.

Klinger Whole bundle of thoughts on this guy I wanted to save till the end. Because I adore Klinger, he's incredibly funny and one of the kindest and most principled characters on the show, and he's also incredibly 70s and I don't think could work as he was in a 21st century dramedy. I can see three potential paths to adapting him. A) Lean into the young, brash, hustler side of his personality, and he's a straight guy who thinks the craziest thing someone could do is wear a dress. B) An explicitly gay character who refuses to admit to being gay for a discharge because he finds the idea of being judged less than or broken for his sexuality incredibly offensive, but did drag back in Toledo and also refuses to stop being himself just because he got drafted. C) Principled pacifist serving as an orderly because of the draft who refuses to wear the uniform and started wearing dresses as a protest against bullying/abuse- oh, your gonna call me a sissy and steal my clothes because I refuse to use a gun? I will not only wear a dress, I will zhuzh it up into something amazing, because I would rather wear this outfit you intend to humiliate me with than that damn uniform.

#mash #thank you for the ask!!#i literally wrote this out for over three houts why did i do that lol

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dystopicjumpsuit · 4 months

Text

Stars Beyond Number - Chapter 19

The Way the World Ends, Part 3

Rating: T (rating varies by chapter; mature content will be tagged; regardless of rating, minors DNI)

Pairings: Echo x Riyo Chuchi; Gregor x OFC Cerra Kilian

Wordcount: 2.9k

Warnings and tags: angst; suspense; canon-typical violence; someone gets punched; blood and injury; language.

Suggested Listening:

Summary: Echo arrives in Pabu; the team disagrees about how to proceed.

A/N: This story shares continuity with Martyrs and Kings, "Double, Double Boil and Trouble" (part 2 here) and "Do It Again," but all the fics can be read as stand-alones.

…This is the way the world ends…

—T. S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”

To say Pabu was beautiful would be grossly inadequate: it was the most idyllic place Echo had ever seen, and he’d seen a kriffing lot of the galaxy. He didn’t know if a worse hell existed than Skako Minor, but it was difficult to imagine a heaven that was lovelier than Pabu. He wished Riyo could have been there with him to see it.

It felt very strange to sit in the sunshine and enjoy Shep Hazard’s feast, to drink whatever fruity cocktail the mayor had made from the fermented tropical fruit that grew on their island—all while conscious that the rest of his team was either stuck in that dingy underworld garage or out on missions that were equally likely to end in gruesome disaster as success. He didn’t blame Hunter for wanting to keep the rest of the Batch—and particularly Omega—safe in this paradise.

Despite all that, Echo didn’t regret his decision to join Rex for even a second. The team’s success at Balmorra had only reaffirmed that he’d made the right call. But he couldn’t deny that it was very good to see his family again. Hunter made it more than clear that Echo would be welcome to join them, and if he were honest with himself, Echo admitted that it was a tempting prospect: a peaceful life in this beautiful place, surrounded by the people who were closest to him.

But what about the others? The ones who weren’t lucky enough to have found peace and safety?

“Echo, you've seen the power you're up against,” Hunter said. “You can't defeat them.”

“It's not about that,” Echo insisted. “It's about fighting for our brothers.”

“I understand why you're doing this,” Hunter sighed, “but when will it be enough?”

Echo didn’t reply immediately, but the unspoken words hovered between them nonetheless: Not yet.

“We have to tell him,” Fireball insisted.

“What good would it do?” Rex asked. “We need to get that data spike decrypted. If we tell Echo now, he’ll want to join in the search. We have to think about the bigger picture.”

“We could use some karking help with the search,” Nemec pointed out. “We still don’t know where Cerra is or even who took her.”

“My contact is looking into it,” Rex insisted. “If she’s in Imperial custody, we should know within a day or two.”

“And what if she isn’t?” Fireball asked. “How are we supposed to find her when we have no actionable intel?”

Riyo’s stomach churned. She couldn’t even believe they were having this conversation. Rex’s jaw was set firmly, but she could see the torment and self-doubt that swirled in his eyes.

“What if the situation were reversed?” she asked Rex. “If Echo knew something had happened to Cerra, and he decided to keep it from you?”

“I’d say he made the right decision,” Rex said. “The mission comes first.”

“That’s a kriffin’ lie,” Gregor said. “You’d burn the galaxy to the ground.”

“And what makes you say that?” Rex demanded harshly.

Gregor stared at Rex without flinching. “Because that’s what I’d do.”

“I have to agree,” Riyo said. “I’m sorry, Rex. If you don’t comm Echo, I will.”

Rex sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “Just… Give me a day. If I don’t hear back from my contact by then, I’ll comm Echo myself.”

“And what if you hear back?” Gregor asked.

Rex didn’t respond, and Riyo knew he was considering the possibility that his contact wouldn’t have any information.

“Then we’ll make a decision at that point,” she said decisively.

Rex met her eyes and nodded in acknowledgment. She wasn’t particularly thrilled, but she understood Rex’s reservations. There was really nothing Echo could do right now, and his mission was important. But the minute they had a shred of intel, she would comm him—Rex and his bigger picture be damned.

“Previous transfer records recovered from the ship's logs list other clone prisoners detained by the Advanced Science Division,” Tech said, “and Crosshair is one of them.”

Wrecker spoke the thought that sprang to all of their minds: “You mean Crosshair turned on the Empire?”

Echo stared at Tech. If this were true, it could change everything. Crosshair had chosen the Empire, and he’d claimed to have done it without the influence of his inhibitor chip. Echo harbored private doubts that Crosshair’s chip had truly been removed, even if he thought it had. Regardless, if Crosshair had a change of heart about the Empire, that meant that there was hope that he would be willing to come back to the squad. Echo had lost too many brothers already. If there was the slightest chance that he could save Crosshair, he had to do it.

Tech and Echo threw themselves into the task of combing through the data he’d recovered from the Gozanti, and then into hunting down any leads they could find on Hemlock and the Advanced Science Division in Republic and Imperial records. There was precious little, and after an exhaustive search, Echo sent a message to Rex asking for assistance.

Echo was surprised by how quickly Rex commed him back. He answered the call aboard the Remora; better for everyone involved if the Batch knew as little as possible about the details of Rex’s operations. The more they knew, the bigger the targets on their backs would grow.

“Echo,” Rex greeted him without preamble. “My contact came through with limited intel on your Dr. Hemlock, but we do know that he’s set to travel to Eriadu in two rotations.”

“That’s not much time,” Echo frowned. “What’s he doing there?”

“Attending some sort of summit at Tarkin’s compound with a bunch of Imperials. Not sure who else will be there, but given how classified it is, safe to say they’re all high-level officials.”

Echo grunted. “Tight security, then. Couldn’t take it with an army, but maybe a strike team could infil. Anything else?”

Rex shook his head, his expression troubled. “Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it seem like Hemlock doesn’t exist. They’re not going to be happy to see a squad of wanted fugitives tracking him down.”

“We don’t have a choice. If he has Crosshair, we have to get him back,” Echo said firmly. “He’s our brother. Besides, Hemlock is holding other clones, too.”

“I understand,” Rex replied, but doubt clouded his eyes.

“We could use some backup,” Echo observed.

“I wish I could send it,” Rex said. “Echo… there’s something you need to know.”

“What is it?” Echo asked. “Riyo—”

“She’s all right,” Rex said. “It’s about Cerra.”

Echo’s short-lived relief spiraled into a sense of foreboding. “What happened?”

“She went missing on an extraction mission. We still don’t know who took her.”

“I’m coming back,” Echo said flatly.

“Negative,” Rex replied, his voice stern. “The whole team on Coruscant is working on it. Your mission is too important; we have no idea if or when we’ll get another lead on Hemlock.”

“Kriff Hemlock—” Echo began.

“Cerra would want you to put the mission first,” Rex interrupted. “You know it’s true.”

“Cerra has a karkin’ death wish!” Echo snapped. “She’s been looking for an excuse to self-destruct since I met her.”

“We won’t let that happen. We will find her. I need you to stay focused on your mission. We can’t spare the men for Eriadu, and we couldn’t make it in time anyway. It has to be you, Echo. We’re counting on you.”

Echo sat alone in the Remora for a long moment after Rex ended the holocom. He knew Rex was right, but it didn’t ease the sick feeling of dread when he thought about Cerra. Dank farrik, he’d only just begun to get through to her, and now he might have lost her for good—his last link to Fives.

The mission comes first.

He’d get his brother back first, and if the team hadn’t found Cerra by then, he swore by the Force he’d get his sister back, too.

Cerra awoke to the familiar gray walls of a Venator brig. She’d never been held in one before, but she’d seen them plenty of times during her years of service. She had no idea how much time had passed or even which Venator she was on. Her body ached, and hunger gnawed at her stomach. She took a quick stock of her situation.

Naturally, she’d been stripped of her weapons and armor, which was karking annoying. It was just her luck to lose her armor on the very first mission after she finished the modifications she’d been working on with Echo. The loss of the blasters cut deeper. Jesse had customized them for her specially years before, and they were all she had left from him. Even if she managed to escape, the odds were spectacularly bad that she would be able to find them on the Venator, if they’d even made it aboard.

That was assuming she lived long enough to escape. She had no delusions about her chances: she was being kept alive long enough to interrogate. Once they’d ripped the answers out of her, she would be terminated and jettisoned with the rest of the trash. If she were lucky, it would happen in that order.

All of which meant that she needed to escape before they had a chance to extract her secrets. All she had to do was break out of a completely secure holding cell, make her way through an enormous and heavily guarded starship, steal a ride, and jump into hyperspace before the Venator could engage its tractor beam—all without getting captured again.

Easy peasy.

She scoffed and flopped back down on the kriffing pathetic excuse for a bed. Clearly, prisoner comfort was not high on the list of priorities for jail cells. Nor was entertainment, which she discovered over the course of the next several days. Had she been bored when she was alone in the garage? That had been a paradise compared to the endless, colorless monotony of a Venator cell.

She slept, she woke, she slept again. Nothing changed, and she was forced to confront the very real possibility that she was going to die in this cell. She didn’t know how many days passed before the heavy tread of a TK trooper sounded outside her cell door.

“On your feet,” he barked. “Hands behind your head.”

She complied, keeping a wary eye on his blaster. He shut down the ray shield and entered the cell, then shoved her against the wall as he secured her wrists in a set of binders behind her back.

“You know, I usually expect a man to at least tell me his name before I let him tie me up,” she said, hoping to catch him off-balance.

“Quiet, scum,” he snapped.

Ah, well. Worth a shot.

“Get moving,” he ordered, nudging her out of the cell and into the corridor with the muzzle of his blaster.

“Where we headed?” she asked conversationally.

“Interrogation,” he replied shortly.

“Any chance we can stop at the commissary?” she asked. “I wouldn’t mind a snack. The prisoner rations here are—”

“Shut up,” he snapped. “Eyes front.”

Unfortunately, he never let down his guard, and his blasters were properly secured. Trust her to encounter the only competent TK trooper in the entire kriffin’ army. He marched her to the interrogation room and thrust her through the doorway. She stumbled, but righted herself in time to see the door slide closed and the lock engage.

She took a quick inventory of the room. There was nothing inside except a table and two chairs; nothing she could use to escape or even loosen her binders. She paced around the room impatiently. After waiting a frankly impolite amount of time, at last she heard the door hiss open behind her.

“Cerra Kilian. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Oh kark.

She would recognize that voice anywhere, and she fought against a reflexive urge to snap to attention. Instead, she turned slowly around and inspected the man who’d entered the room.

“Admiral,” she drawled in greeting, hoping that he couldn’t hear the pounding of her heart or see the damp sheen of sweat that she suddenly felt on her forehead.

“It’s colonel, actually,” Wullf Yularen replied.

“Apologies, I didn’t realize you’d been demoted,” Cerra replied. From his narrowed eyes, she could tell the barb had struck home.

“It was a lateral move,” he replied. “An opportunity presented itself to be of greater service to the Empire.”

“Then I suppose congratulations are in order,” Cerra said.

“I can’t say the same for you,” Yularen said with a faint look of disgust as he surveyed her from her shaved head to her booted feet. “What on earth have you done to yourself? You used to be almost pretty.”

Always such a charmer.

“Well, new Empire, new me,” she said glibly. “I think the new look suits me.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t expect better from a deserter and a traitor,” he said.

Cerra smirked. “Deserter, I’ll give you. But I hardly think a few shady back-alley deals constitute treason. If they did, you’d have to arrest the entire senate.”

Yularen clenched his jaw, but he didn’t rise to her bait. “You saved my life once, Lieutenant—or rather—Miss Kilian, and out of respect for that, I am going to give you a chance to do this the easy way. Tell me where to find your companions, and I will let you go free.”

Kraytshit, scughole. The only way you’re letting me out is in a body bag.

“I don’t have any companions,” she said. “I’m a free agent.”

Yularen’s lips tightened. He began to circle her, slowly, his shoulders ramrod straight, and his hands clasped behind his back.

“What were you doing on Daiyu?”

“What does anyone do on Daiyu?” she asked. “I was picking up a shipment of glitterstim.”

“You expect me to believe you abandoned your highly decorated military career to become a spice runner?” Yularen’s voice dripped with skepticism.

She shrugged. “Girl’s gotta make a living.”

He narrowed his eyes. “We know you were involved with the insurrection on Raada.”

It was hardly an insurrection. I just blew up a speeder.

“What’s Raada?” she asked insouciantly.

“We have surveillance holos of you on the base. There’s no point in pretending ignorance.”

“Oh, you mean Raada, the moon,” Cerra said. “I was thinking about moving there, but I didn’t care much for the neighbors.”

“I see. I must admit, I was surprised to see a familiar face when we began to investigate the Raada incident. Careless. Almost as careless as trusting a spice runner not to give you up at the first hint of a reward.”

So that’s where the hole in our opsec was, Cerra thought grimly. Poor fucker.

“Hell of a reward,” she said. “Why do you care so much about a blown-up speeder, anyway?”

“Don’t pretend to be so innocent,” he gritted out. “Where is Ahsoka Tano?”

“Who?” Cerra didn’t need to fake her confusion this time; she was truly baffled.

What in the galaxy does Ahsoka Tano have to do with anything? Cerra had met the young Jedi several times before she was transferred to the Ro-Ti-Mundi, but didn’t know her particularly well. Certainly not as well as Rex did. As far as Cerra knew, the girl had died along with the rest of the Jedi Order, even if she was a lapsed member.

“We know an adolescent Togruta Jedi killed an inquisitor on Raada and escaped mere days after you were caught on holocam at that base. Where is she?” Yularen demanded in a harsh tone.

“I thought all the Jedi were dead. What’s an inquisitor?” Cerra asked curiously. She hadn’t heard of them before, and she figured she might as well try to get as much information as she could on the off chance that she walked away from this mess.

Yularen backhanded her, hard. He struck so fast she never saw his fist coming before it smashed into her face. Her head snapped to the side, and she stumbled, but righted herself quickly as agony exploded in her mouth.

“Rude,” she gasped painfully. “I thought we were having a conversation.”

She tasted the salty, metallic flavor of blood, and she spat it onto the floor in front of Yularen’s feet.

“I gave you your chance to cooperate,” he said. “But it seems you’ve chosen to do it the hard way.”

“You know,” Cerra said, “you were a decent commanding officer. Bit of a hardass, but I never took you for a stooge. I guess you can never really know someone.”

“Strong words for a woman who betrayed everything she ever stood for,” Yularen said.

“I didn’t betray shit,” Cerra snarled. “And my only regret is that I dragged your fascist ass into the escape pod instead of saving more clones.”

He glared at her. “You will tell me everything.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she said.

“I won’t need to. Guard!” Yularen snapped. The TK trooper stationed outside the room entered immediately. “Escort the prisoner to the enhanced interrogation room, and notify Agent Daivik that his services are required.”

“Yes, sir,” the trooper said, taking aim at Cerra. “Move it, scum.”

Cerra shot Yularen an impudent, bloody grin. “Be seeing you.”

---

Next chapter

#echo tbb #captain rex #captain gregor #riyo chuchi #oc: cerra kilian #echo x riyo chuchi #gregor x oc #clone trooper fireball #clone trooper nemec #the bad batch #star wars #tbb fanfic #star wars fanfiction #star wars oc #dystopicjumpsuit writes #stars beyond number

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thethirdromana · 1 year

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Suggestions for Tumblr's next book club

With Dracula Daily on the horizon again, I've been pondering what other out-of-copyright novels we might like to consider reading very slowly. Here are my ideas! And if any of them already exist, lmk.

North and South

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell Year of publication: 1854-55 Length: 185,000 words, 52 chapters. So we could have a chapter weekly for a full year. Summary: Margaret Hale is forced to leave the rural south of England and settle in the rough, industrial north. There she clashes with mill-owner John Thornton over his treatment of his workers... Why Tumblr would like it: Enemies to Lovers! Class struggle! Fascinating historical context! Honestly, it's a great read.

Evelina

Author: Fanny Burney Year of publication: 1778 Length: 157,000 words in 84 letters. That's right, it's epistolary, and the letters are almost all sent March to October of the same year, so we could read this one in true Dracula Daily fashion. Summary: Evelina is the sheltered daughter of an aristocrat trying to make her way in the world of late 18th-century society. Why Tumblr would like it: Evelina is a likeable, relatable character. I think it'd be fun to get emails from her.

The Well of Loneliness

Author: Radclyffe Hall Year of publication: 1928 Length: 158,000 words in 56 chapters. Summary: The story of Stephen Gordon, a girl who realises at an early age that she's a lesbian, and her attempts to find love in the early 20th century. Why Tumblr would like it: It's one of the most iconic lesbian novels of the 20th century!

The War of the Worlds

Author: HG Wells Year of publication: 1897 Length: 63,000 words in 27 chapters. Summary: Alien invaders land from Mars and fuck up the south of England. Why Tumblr would like it: Alien invaders land from Mars and fuck up the south of England, come on, what's not to like?

The Moonstone

Author: Wilkie Collins Year of publication: 1868 Length: 200,000 words (so a bit of a marathon) in 51 chapters. Summary: A young English woman inherits a large Indian diamond of dubious provenance on her 18th birthday. Then it gets stolen! Why Tumblr would like it: One of the first detective novels, and supposed to be one of the best, it's a page turner with lots of suspense, twists and cliffhanger endings.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Author: Agatha Christie Year of publication: 1920 Length: 60,000 words in 13 chapters. Summary: The first murder mystery starring Hercule Poirot. Why Tumblr would like it: Look, you liked Glass Onion, right? And if you like this, Agatha Christie's novels are emerging from copyright at the rate of about two per year.

Les Misérables

Author: Victor Hugo Year of publication: 1862 Length: 570,000 words in the English translation (ouch) in 365 chapters. Summary: A vast, sweeping story of poverty, justice and revolution in early 19th century France. Why Tumblr would like it: Well, if you thought Moby Dick didn't have enough digressions...

The Canterbury Tales

Author: Geoffrey Chaucer Year of publication: 1387-1400 Length: 24 stories averaging 700 lines each. Summary: Some pilgrims are heading to Canterbury. They tell one another stories to pass the time. These are their stories. Why Tumblr would like it: I mean, there's a reason we still read these 600 years later. They're a fascinating insight into medieval life, but they're also - for the most part - just good fun.

If you love any of these suggestions and would really like to see it take off, reblog to help make it happen.

#tumblr book club #north and south #evelina #the well of loneliness #the war of the worlds #the moonstone #poirot #les miserables #the canterbury tales

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agirlwholovesrockstars · 9 months

Text

at the end of the day, I choose you

☆AGATHA'S MASTERLIST☆

☆ EDDIE MUNSON'S MASTERLIST ☆

summary : you got involved into a ridiculous case that Eddie falsely accused some kind of a "satanic cult" at school, people called him "freak" just because how he dress and listens to metal music, you didn't knew him very well but in the short amount of time you're with him, he is innocent and he is not exactly what they think about him, they would've loved him like the way you loved him

word count : not gonna make this long, I always keep my word 😩

warnings : 18+ Eddie Munson x FEM!reader, language, Eddie and reader are both 20, no use of y/n, Jason Carver appearance 🤮, I don't know if this is considered a warning but Eddie will face bullying, pure discrimination against him, and the townspeople will be just really mean to him, so yeah, expect this little bit soul crushing but you'll survive lol

what to expect : angst, drama, crime, thriller, suspense, romance and fluff at the near end! hehe 🤫

note to reader : I just had a thought of this, how about Eddie and reader will be at the court room without Vecna and the upside down exist? This is just an ultimate tear-jerker and romance films you've seen hahaha

author note : I just really hope you'll enjoy reading this one! 🥺🫶🏻

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

You're not exactly close with Eddie

You don't know him very well, but you knew him of course

You love to watch him annoying those jocks at lunch time

more like..... jerks

But you shared classes together, interacted a bit, he seems nice

You didn't care about the social cliques and about your social status

All you wanted to do is to learn, graduate and hopefully you can get to find friends

and you did.....sort of?

It's very rare for you to vibe with someone has the same age as yours

Jonathan, Steve, Robin and Nancy are the only ones you befriended

They all seem very real to you and you're grateful to have them

But most of the time, you love to bond with Will

You enjoy his company and he is very dear to you

You treat him like your own brother

"How's California?" you ask Will while you're playing with the straw of your vanilla milkshake

He popped a fry on his mouth and he stops chewing "it's good" he lies, and then he swallowed

you moved your milkshake to the side and you lean down "I know when you lie, Byers"

He rolled his eyes as he pushed away his food

"Where do I even begin?" he starts "Me and El had a hard time to adjust in the new environment" he softly says with his eyes flickering with hesitation

You quickly noticed this so you said "You know can always talk to me, right?"

"Yeah" he sheepishly smiles

"Is there someone bothering the both of you?! I would gladly to punch them all so they won't bully you guys anymore!" You jokingly says and Will threw his head back in laughter

You smile at him while he calms back down from his laughter

"There are some mouthbreathers" he admits with a glint of affliction in his eyes

You nod "I completely understand how you feel, just don't mind those assholes" you scoff

He chuckles "I just wish people could be just more open-minded and not mean, you know?"

A smile grows on your lips "This is why you're my favorite in the group" you think to yourself

"I totally get that" you paused "when you try to socialize with people and it feels like they didn't want you, that's okay, just move on and mingle again, and if it has the same energy then it's good! there are more people that willingly to be your friend and much more deserving than those mouthbreathers" you say as you finish your vanilla milkshake

He continues to eat his fries while he listens to you

"Thanks" he beamed and this time you made his eyes light up and that warms your heart

"Don't mention it" you say and you wave at him dismissively

"Have you talked to Jonathan?"

He shook his head and avoids your eyes

He is troubling opening up to his big brother, when they grew apart, the time when he is going for college, but since Jonathan is also your friend and he is always has been vocal about how much he cares for his brother... you know, nothing has changed between the two of them

"He might not be able to reach out to talk to you, but, believe me, Will, he truly does care for you and he always talks about you"

"Really?" he says softly with a small smile

"Yeah, and don't ever, my god! don't ever think of a second thought that he won't be there for you"

He snorted yet again "It's so good to be back at Hawkins"

"You missed me, don't you?" You smirk

"Well, duh" you both laugh together

You grab your purse and you pick out your wallet and slam a $10 on the table "Now, come on, let's go home before Joyce might grounded you"

He chortled and stands up after you stood up and you ruffle his hair while you hug him walking towards to your car

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

You're in the Hawkins High Library and you're headed towards to your next class

Until.... a boy with a varsity jacket pulled you in the corner where no else can see you

"Hey, there" it's fucking Jason Carver, you despise him

He kept hitting you up and he won't stop, you turned him down more than a million times already and you're getting exhausted of it

"What the hell, do you want, Carver?" You say bitterly with rage on your eyes, you had enough of him

"Oooh, feisty! still going on strong?" He says ignoring the way you're obviously not interested at him

You shake your head "Leave me the fuck alone!" You say in a whisper-shout and you push him

The action that you just did, angers him, he is so full of himself, thinking that all the girls want him but not you-

You would rather kill yourself than be with him

He grabs your wrist and tightens it, you try to rip it off but he won't let go

"Take your hands off at her" a serious tone coming from the other side of the room

You know that voice, you turn around and you saw Eddie

He menacingly laughs "What you gonna do about it, freak?"

Your face scrunched up of what he just called him, it's too distasteful to you

Sure, you're only classmates but come to think of it

He is more nicer than this douchebag, despite of him wearing the clothes that he's wearing that other people wouldn't approved

He made a death stare to Jason and he says sternly "I'm not going to ask you again, let.... her.... go"

He shoots a pointed look at the bully and he just looks at him up and down, he huffs

He looks back at you and he finally let go of your wrist and you wince at how hard he holds you

"You're not even worth it" Jason spews at you in frustration and you taken a back at his words and he walks away

giving Eddie a hard push at the side and he scoffed

"yeah, right, you bastard!" you shout at him

"What a dick" Eddie watches him leave and you walk past by him and he stops you by holding your hand gently

You halt your tracks as you look down where he holds you "Yes?" You ask

"Are you okay?" he says softly trying to make you look at him

"Yes, Eddie, I'm fine" you reassure him not looking into his eyes

Your eyes softens when he checks your wrist, when he runs his thumb around it, you flinched

He raises his brows at you and you click your tongue

"I'm alright, Eddie, it's just a bruise!" you shrug

"No- I'm taking you to the clinic" He says as he pulls you with him

He is much more respectful and a gentleman than most guys at the school

The fact he is a stranger.... he has much more kindness to those who claim themselves as the good person when in reality

They're the ones who have real bad intentions

Sometimes, people calling someone a "freak" have the purest hearts

after he took care of your wrist, he asks "Can I walk you to class?"

"Uh- yes, you may" you smile at him

He opens the door for you "after you" he gestures outside

You nod at him shyly

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

"Hello?" a voice coming from the walkie-talkie on your bedside table is making you wake up from your sleep

You groan and you turn yourself on the side and you place a pillow on your ear but the noise is still clear as day

"Hey, I know you're awake! Pick it up!" His voice becomes more maddening

you sigh and you remove the pillow from your head and you sat up on the bed and pick up the walkie-talkie

"What is it?" You say trying not to sound crabby but Dustin always caught it and you rolled your eyes

"Have you seen, Eddie?" He asks, he sounds jumpy and it confuses you

You glanced over your wrist where Eddie took care of it and you blinked

"Uh- no, I haven't yet, why?" your eyes draw side by side something feels off

"Turn on your TV, right now" he says plainly

You furrow your brows but you did what he asked you to do

You slip off from your blanket and you walked towards to turn on the TV

You sit down on the edge of your bed

"Just In : A student from Hawkins High, female, aged 18, was found dead by unknown circumstances, Jason Carver claims that Eddie Munson is a crime suspect of this murder"

"What the fuck?"

"I know, It's bullshit" Dustin says over at the walkie-talkie

"You haven't heard from him ever since?" you say still looking at the television screen

"Nope, Nada, that's why I've been asking you for over an hour ago!"

Your face crumpled up "Why are you asking me this? You should've known where he is since two of you are friends, right?"

"I know the two of you aren't close but Lucas saw you and Eddie at the clinic yesterday"

"So I'm just guessing.... maybe... you knew something else before he got missing in action"

"No, uh- after the clinic, he walked me to class and I went home afterwards"

"Uh huh, okay, well, thanks for the info"

"Dustin"

"Yeah?"

You take a last look on the TV, this isn't right, he shouldn't be treated like this

"Can I help?"

"Oh- We don't have all day! I'll be at the Wheelers, I meet you there!" He exclaims

Not the response you expected but you get up and grab your purse and drove away

You sit back and watch all of the kids discussing about the situation

"I-it doesn't make any sense! Eddie might look scary but he would never do this" Mike paces back and forth

"Exactly, we all know that Eddie and Jason didn't get along together, but no matter how mean is Jason to him, he wouldn't lay a finger on that, man!" Lucas added

"I hope he is somewhere safe" Will says

"How can you be so sure that he didn't do it?" Max looks at Dustin in question

"You don't know him like I do, Max!" Dustin raises his voice and all of you got the attention

He glances at Lucas and he gives him a small smile as he took a deep breath

"High school can be tough, when Lucas made all of his sports friends, Mike and I we had no one" he paused

"No one except Eddie" he says as he sats down beside you and your gently rub his back

He looks at you with a light nod, he really wants to find his friend and you can tell he is worried for him

Max looks at Dustin with empathy on her eyes

"Listen, man, Jason" Lucas nervously swallows

All of you look at him in confusion

"He won't stop looking for him, he is blinded by his own rage, I-I ran away before they can get suspicious, but I guess I am also wanted too"

"What do you mean?" You ask him

"They knew that I was playing D&D and they saw the picture of us, The Hellfire Club, a-and I saw him burning it"

You, Mike, Dustin, Max and Will shared looks that are filled with disturbance

"I felt unsettled, the last thing that I heard from them, I think they're going to-" Lucas and the look in his eyes, you know what it is already

The tension in the room is dark and it feels like tying a knot into your stomach

"Oh, god" you cupped your mouth

"We need to look for him right now!" Dustin shouts

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

"Will you stop making fun of me, Robs?" Steve grumbles while fixing the tapes in the front desk

She flashes out a smug smile "I just love to see your face turns bright red" she laughs

Steve gives Robin a look that says "I will annihilate you"

Robin raises both of shoulders with a soft "Fine" jumps out of the seat and picks up the other VHS tapes

Hopper and Jane enters inside the Family Video

Steve and Robin eyes both light up and Jane does the same

"Hi" she says shyly

"Good day" Hopper greets them

Steve nods to him and Robin "Good day to you too, chief!" with a dramatic salute and making Jane laugh

Robin exits the front desk and walks around towards to Jane

"What can I help you?" Robin excitement in her eyes glowing

Jane looks up to Hopper and says "You go ahead"

"I want a movie with fantasy and adventure" she says with a soft smile

"With a bit of romance?" She winks, of course, she knows that this is Mike's girl

She chuckles "Yeah"

Steve and Hopper watch them as they look over the Fantasy/Adventure section

"Is she always this excited to other kids?" Hopper asks

"Uh, I guess? I see her hanging around with the others but I think she likes Jane's company a lot more" Steve leans down on the counter with his hands locked together

Hopper grows a smile on his lips while he listens "I don't blame her, she radiates positive energy, you know"

Steve agrees "Yeah, she does" he ends it with a smile on his face

Two townspeople entered the premises

Steve immediately knows who they are, Mr. Ron Cunningham and Mr. Jake Carver

They headed on the side of the room

"You don't have to do this, Jake, you know it is not right" Ron trying to convince Jake about his plan

Ignoring his words by saying

"Thank god for my boy, Jason Carver, he is like the god's messenger, what he said about Eddie Munson? is a true vessel for Satan" he delusionally said

Steve overheard their conversation as he halts to what he was doing as he quietly says "What the fuck?"

He stole a glance from Hopper, only to find out that he also heard it

They both shared a knowing look as they continue pretending not to hear about anything

The two chatted with each other, the sound becomes clearer and clearer as they walks closer to the counter

"They even made a fucking cult, what is it called again?"

"Hellfire Club" Ron answers, he exasperated sighs

"my god, I wonder some of our children got brainwashed by that kid!" He exclaims

"Look, Jake, just because that boy, Eddie Munson likes to listen metal music or play D&D doesn't mean they love to sacrifice lives?!? HE IS JUST A KID!" Ron shouts at him

Ignoring him yet, again

"Rock Music is nothing more than satanic cyanide, I bet it hypnotizes you, just a little game? That's what they wanted you to think" Jake throws the VHS on the counter

Ron rolls his eyes at him as he places his tape on the counter

Robin and Jane, overheard it while they're waiting for their turn to pay for the VHS

Their faces dropped in such tension, all of them started to wonder, what will happen to Eddie?

They're not as close to Eddie, but all of them know that it is not right to punish someone who is clearly innocent

While they're paying for the VHS, Jake recognizes Steve

"Hey, you're a Harrington right?"

Steve raises his head with a serious look and glances over to Hopper before he could answer

"Yeah, I am"

"I heard you used to be like so popular back then like Jason but now" he looks up and down at Steve disgustedly

"You're one of those freaks as well"

"Like father and son, both of them are assholes" he thinks to himself

"My son outshined you, Steve"

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not falsely accusing someone" Steve bites back but Hopper gives him a look that says "Stop"

Before Jake can respond, Ron pulled him away, dragging him outside the exit

"Sorry about that, Steve" Ron shows a small smile

Even for a short second, Steve can already pick up, he can see in his eyes, the sadness and heartache

It's Chrissy, his daughter is the one who got brutally murdered

"We need to call Dustin right now!" Robin whisper-shout

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

You manage to find Eddie by asking Gareth and Jeff, his safe place, the one place where he could be truly be himself

All of the gang reunited, on the search for Eddie

The house is empty with no lights are on

There is one however open, on the side of the house

The moment you opened the door

Eddie, jumps out of nowhere on Steve pins him against the wall with a broken glass bottle, startling all of you

"Eddie! It's me! It's Dustin! This is Steve!" Dustin shouts

"We're on your side" he emphasizes his point with his finger pointing to all of you and back to him "I swear on my mother!" Dustin exclaims

Even when it's dark, only flashlights that all of you using, you can see the fear in his eyes, he is terrified

"Eddie?" your soft voice eases out the tension from him

He looked back at you, seeing you standing there beside Dustin

He turns back at Steve again, with Dustin saying "Steve, would you drop the oar?"

It clatters and making Eddie bringing up the broken glass closer to him

"Eddie, please, we're with you"

He looks back at you again, he takes a double check, that it is real, he is not dreaming

It is really you

His gaze softens and as walks away from Steve

You gave him and Dustin, a moment together

Police car wails pass by the area, you saw while looking at the window

"Hey" Dustin speaks up behind you

"Yes?"

"He wants to talk to you"

You looked over to Dustin's shoulder, you see him sitting all alone outside fidgeting with his rings

"Don't worry, he's all good" Dustin says

"Okay" you pat him back and give him a small smile

You walk towards him slowly, you say "Hi" softly

He only nod in response, you sat down beside him

"What are you doing here?" He asks not looking at you, his eyes were on the soft waves of the water

"I- uh, I just wanted to help" you say while raise your one knee close to your chest

"Do you believe it?"

"No, I don't"

Now, this time, your eyes meet, he stares at you for a while and goes back to the water

You raise a plastic bag in front of him

He furrowed his brows together, he turn his head to face you and you smiled "it's for you"

You gave it to him and he picks out a bag of pretzels, his eyes goes wide and a six pack beer

"How did you know that these are my favorite?" He asks while holding up a bag of pretzels

You shrugged "I saw you all the time with it, especially at lunchtime"

He genuinely smiles that reaches to his ears

"Thank you, sweetheart" he says while opens the bag of pretzels and he grabs a handful and chomps on it

You chuckled lightly on his action, how in the world would people think he is dangerous?

The demon in question, is literally devouring pretzels cutely

You shook your head at the thought

"For the record, I didn't only helped, Dustin"

He stops chewing for a second while he looks at you closely

"I came because I want to help you"

He blinks and he swallows, he glances at your wrist the one he took care of yesterday, still covered with a bandage

You stand up "and I don't believe them"

"What do you believe?"

"You, I believe you" you say while you give a small squeeze from his shoulder

You smiled at him and you walk away

He laughs under his breath, he watches you and opens a can of beer

He takes a sip of it, feeling oddly tingles on his stomach and brain

He became infatuated for you

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

A loud banging from the door, all of you woken up, you straighten yourself up

You saw the police cars outside, you saw Gareth and Jeff with Jason's goons

They looked.... beaten up

Your heart starts beating speedily, you look for Eddie, he is already staring at you, he is afraid

"Did anyone told where we are?!" Dustin with his eyes almost bulge out from his skull

"I didn't told a soul" you give a pointed look at Dustin

"Unless" Lucas says

"Unless, what?" Mike speaks up

"Someone is already watching in Gareth's place, before you came" Lucas gulped and all of you looked at each other with the same thought

"Hey, open up!" Officer Calvin Powell demands from the outside

"I'll handle this, kid" Hopper reassures Eddie sniffles and frozen in place

You walked towards to Eddie "You need to hide" you whispered to him

"No"

"What?!"

"I'm done hiding, I'm not running away again"

"But, Eddie, you've done nothing wrong"

"I-I know, I am not scared anymore because-" he paused tearing his eyes away from you in a moment

"You're here" his eyes roams around your features with a sad smile on his face

You sigh "Eddie- this isn't the time to be heroic-" he place a finger on your lips cutting you off, you knit your brows together

He holds both of your shoulders "you gave me hope"

Your eyes became glossy "Eddie, please, don't do this"

"It will be okay, we can get through with this" he says while he moves his hands up and down on your shoulder, raising one up to tuck your hair behind your ear

You stare at each other, smiling to one another

Before you know it, your little time together has cut off

Officer Callahan came into the scene "Eddie Munson on your knees, put your hands behind your head!"

You gasped and you frown at him, Eddie follows the instructions carefully

The protest from Dustin, Lucas, Will, Mike, Jane, Steve and Robin voices drawn out from your ear

It was loud at first until it feels all blurry to you

You can't even hear some of your friends begging not to arrest Eddie, your heart drops at the sight of him, cuffing his hands

He gave one last smile at you, "I'll see you again soon, sweetheart" he says

You hold his cheeks with sympathy on your eyes

You glanced over to Jason with infuriating look to him

He crossed both of his arms with a smug smile on his face

While heading towards the police car, Steve jogs to reach Eddie

"Hey, man, look, I know a lawyer that can help you" he points to himself and the group

"We will help you"

Eddie only chuckles "Thanks, dude, you don't need to do that, Harrington"

"Please, let us help you, Eddie" Steve sighs

Before he can respond, he heard his uncle's car arrived

He gets out of the car, just to see his nephew with cuffs on

He ran towards to him only to be stopped by other police officers

"No! What are you doing?!- Stop this! My boy is innocent!" His voice cracks up and Eddie ducks his head down, he doesn't want to see his uncle distressed

Your heart crushed into pieces when you heard his uncle cried out for his nephew

You sharply inhale and you close your eyes, if Eddie says it will be okay

Then you'll just have to trust him and have faith

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

Steve did kept his word for him, he found a perfect lawyer

The case goes on and on for days and weeks

The real suspect is still at large and people are just wasting their time on the wrong guy

There's got to be way to end this

You had an conversation with Chrissy's father over at diner, you thought he'll be fuming at you since the whole town is clearly.....

Hate everyone who is friends with the town freak

People seriously need to wake up

You had a couple of death threat's and it feels like the whole world is against you and your friends

Ron Cunningham stopped being friends with Jake, he had enough of his behavior

He is sick as fuck like his own son

"Of course, I was mad, but it isn't right to be violently revenge on someone who is innocent" he says while he takes a sip of his coffee

"Yes, you can be angry, you have the right to be angry of losing your loved one but I just-" he shakes his head

"It's wicked to do something like that, ending someone's life when there's like no proof at all?!?" he laughs in disbelief

You stare at him directly while listening to him "How are you so certain of this?"

He clears his throat "My daughter once told me, Eddie helped her while she's having hard time with herself, mentally and physically"

You nod and he added "She doesn't open up to me a lot but I know my daughter, I knew that fucker, Jason wasn't good for my little girl but..... she loves him so much i couldn't bear to see her like that so i let her"

"Wait- do Jason, knew about this?"

"About her personal problems?"

"Not that I'm aware of"

"Can you testify for tomorrow?"

He quickly averted his eyes from you while he looks out at the window "I-I can't"

"Why not?"

He remains silent until you know the reason why he hesitated, he is petrified of the Carver's

"You could bring justice to your own daughter, Ron and you could also do the same for Eddie"

You lean in closer "I-I know im not in the exact same world with Chrissy but I interacted with her before, she is an angel such a sweet soul"

His eyes became misty and sniffles, showing you a sad smile

"It is unacceptable to ruin someone's life, only to find out a few years later, they realized that Eddie has done nothing wrong"

"Jason and Jake are just people who need guidance for their wrong point of view at beliefs about everything" you pressed your lips together

"Whoever that person is still out there, everyone life's are in danger because they focused on the wrong person" you place a one dollar bill on the table

You stood up before you leave "I hope I'll see you in the court room, Ron"

Your words made him think deeply, he despises the Carver's, they will get karma from what they've done

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

While at the courtroom, you twiddle with your thumbs, anxiously or wishes a miracle would happen

"Did you get to talk with Ron?" Steve asks, scoots closer to you

"Yeah, but"

"Oh no, it went wrong didn't it?"

"No, from what I just said last night, I think I pulled a string from him"

"So, where is he then?"

"I just don't know if he'll come around"

"He is a Cunningham, those people won't let you down"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Him and my father, we're pals back then" his eyes searches for Ron but no sign of him

"Oh" you raise your brows

Eddie steals a chance to glance at you everytime he can, he thought after you found him you'll stop but there you are again

Present at all times, helping him yet again

It's unbelievable to him that someone like you are devoted to get him out of here

"Again for the last time, did you bring someone to testify?!" The judge is impatiently waiting for the 2nd consideration

If Eddie's lawyer asked for more 5 minutes, the judge will dismiss this case and declaring that he is guilty

You and Steve panicked, both don't know what to do

Until....

"They did" Ron enters the courtroom heading towards on the side

You and Steve both sigh of relief, Ron glances at you and you smiled

Mouthing a "Thank you" to him

The courtroom with him is going well, until it's shit again

is Ron Cunningham isn't enough evidence?

"I'm sorry, guys, I think we're almost there, we just need to keep trying" Ron reassures all of you

"There's definitely something's fishy in this case" Hopper agrees

"It's corruption" Lucas added

"They're fucking stalling if you asked me" Dustin scoffed

"I hope the bad guy will face conscience to what mess he just did" Will shoves his face into his hands

"I smell bribery in that place" Mike frustratingly groans

"It's a room full with liars" Jane huffs

"Jane, you're a genius!" your voice was so loud to make all of their attention goes to you

Wayne smirks and you too making them more confused than as ever

"I am?" Jane points to herself, puzzled at the situation

"My boy, Eddie never lies" Wayne says

"We need a proof that is so strong that they just can't turn it down, I gurantee tomorrow is our lucky day" you say while you whispered into Robin's ear

You told them about your plan and it is excellent idea

Robin goes back to the room saying "I called the two of our allies, they're game for tomorrow"

"Great, let's just sit tight and wait for the magic begins" you chuckled

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

It's the last court day

Eddie is aware of it, he is nervous as hell

You sneak up from behind, startling him, you say "sorry" softly

"It's going to be okay" you say while holding his hand, you echoed the one he told you before

Eddie looks into your eyes and all he can see is filled with bravery and confidence

He is taken a back from it "I admire all of this, sweetheart"

You smile at him making him genuinely smile at you again, you're missing this

He always asks for you to hold your hand before the case begins, it helps with his anxiety

The judge came in saying "I think it's time for the jury to-"

"Not so fast, there's one more thing left to discuss" Nancy holds up one of the folders

"Justice for Eddie!" Jonathan yells making your side of the room cheered

Eddie's lawyer tackles the mysterious folder that is given to him

He catches up to what this means already

"It seems like the paperwork that I have right here with me proves that my client is truely innocent" he starts

30 or 40 students from Hawkins High, boys and girls told the whole court that they we're bullied and harassed by Jason Carver

One student claims that he gets away with anything, stating that he never holds accountable for what he has done

Jason slumps down from his seat, his father is now pissed off at him

Jason looks at you across the room, staring daggers at you, while you just flip him off

"Eat your own medicine" you mouth to him

This commotion earned a look from the judge, the jury and some of the townspeople in the room

"Can I testify?" You get up on your feet, all of your friends turn at you shockingly

Eddie with his lips apart at your voice, you can feel his eyes on you

"You go ahead, young lady" the judge proceeds

"I admit that I don't know Eddie personally, but a few small interactions with him, he is far more different guys that I met, I felt safe whenever I'm around him, I guess Chrissy might felt the same as I did" you took a deep breath

"Eddie might look scary to some of you, but he only did that just to protect himself" your eyes meet Eddie's

You look over at the jury "Can you imagine the life of being an outcast? Bullied most of your life, of course, you need to look tough so that people will leave you alone" you holding back the tears from your eyes

"About the music, most of us, rely on that, is what keeps us going, you don't know maybe it inspires us, it helps us to whatever we're going through"

"Open your eyes and look hard enough, think deeper, be more emotionally available to your children, just listen and try to understand"

One of the jury asks "Are you saying that you trust Eddie?"

You quickly wiped a tear that escapes from your eye "Yes, I trust him"

You turn around to look at the judge "People at my school called him names "Freak" "Weirdo" and "Loser" you laugh incredulously

"Sometimes people who are seem odd to you maybe the one who saved most of your children lives"

Another one from the jury speaks up "I'm not following this"

"He gathered a group who doesn't find their place in the school's environment, he never left anyone out"

Another group of students just barge in inside (this wasn't part of your plan and it shocks you)

Claiming that Eddie Munson, helped them

You, Eddie and your friends light up at the scenario

Eddie became teary eyed, even he's a little bit far away from you, you can see his hand shaking

"I rest my case" you say as you go back from the seat with your friends

You placed a hand on Eddie's shoulder and he pats it with a grateful smile

Everyone is appalled and began rethinking decisions since the proof felt so real to all of them

"I may have come to the conclusion, a review of the alleged falsely accused crime of murder, Eddie Munson, who you people believe is a devil worshipper, when there's people out there have bad intentions, but for my observation, these people right here,"

The judge points to all of you, you feel frightened and your heart starts racing

"Spoke the truth and they indeed preach and fight for what is right, so therefore, I pledge NOT GUILTY of all the charges" he finishes with the bang of the gavel

All of you screamed in victorious mood

Dustin jumped, Steve starts whooping, Robin whistles, Mike, Lucas, Gareth and Jeff give themselves a high five, Jane and Max both said "Oh my god" at the same time, Will hugged you completely overjoyed at the success

Nancy and Jonathan salutes to you with a wink and you laugh

Hopper watches all of you, he smiles in content

"Those kids never stopped believing do they?" Ron laughs in a cheerful way

"They're not giving up that's for sure" Hopper says as he shoves his hands down on his pockets

You saw Wayne embraced Eddie, and both of them cried in such happiness, your felt your heart warmth with jubilant

You let yourself enjoy of this blissful moment

☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹

It's been 2 months since the case happened

The suspect finally turn himself in the Hawkins Police, after the case was finished, he is ashamed for what happened to Eddie, he is now put behind bars, Ron Cunningham avenged his daughter, he can feel that Chrissy is smiling down at him

Justice was served on both sides

Eddie is much more open and felt welcomed than before

He also noticed that there's an improvement after the impact that he has done

It felt good to him, felt safe and sound, the school takes bullies very seriously now

No more social cliques, no more who's popular and who is not

The hatred is gone, Eddie never felt this alive since he never knew this could happen in his life

You and your friends hang out a lot, all of you got more closer together and more caring to one another

Meanwhile, at Steve's place having a movie night, with foods and drinks for everyone

"Hey" a voice from your beloved person

"Oh! Eddie!" You didn't think twice of hugging him and he melts easily at your touch

"Can I have a word for you?" He asks in a serious tone and you got intimidated

"Uh, sure, Ed's" you beamed at him

You're in Steve's backyard and he closes the door

The gloomy breeze hits your exposed shoulders, Eddie noticed this he gets out of his jacket and offers it to you

Before you can say no, he give you a warning look and you chortled

The warmth tender that gives you from his jacket, you felt bubbly all over

"What's up, Eddie?"

"I've been meaning to ask you" his voice sounds shaky and you find his doe eyes cute

He wastes no time and he just blurted it out

"Can I ask you on a date?" He sheepishly smiles

Words got caught up on your throat but you recovered, you didn't expected this

"I would love to go out with you" you smile widely

He blinks rapidly "You do?" he grins

"Yes" you nod aggressively and it made him laugh

"You're so unreal"

"Why?"

"I've never knew that I will have the girl that I always wanted"

Your eyes sparks with adoration "I will always be your girl, Eddie"

He places his hand over his chest "Well, shit my darling, I think you got me all over the floor now"

You giggled "I have something to tell you too"

He nods motioning you to continue

"I-I think I've fallen in love with you, ever since the day at the clinic"

His eyes almost popped out of his skull

"How about now?" He says softly while reaches down to holds your hand and runs his thumbs over your knuckles

"I love you" you confessed

"Really?"

"I really do"

"There's no one else?" He looked down, he tries not to look into your eyes

You frown, you cupped his cheek to make him meet your gaze

"Eddie, why would I do that? when you captured my heart in the first place"

He chuckles, he places his hands over your shoulders, you blushed

"Sweetheart, I love you so much, you're so good to me, you're amazing and the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me, you never had a thought of giving up to me, you believe in me when no else did, you cared for me even when your life is endangered, you willing to do anything just to save me, I'm so blessed having you in my life, I am truly indebted to you" he leans in closer

You gasped, you never been this close to him before

"Thank you for everything, I wouldn't be here without you" he does the same thing, he tucks your hair behind your ear

"For all the problems, liars and dirty cheats of the world at the end of the day, I choose you"

"And we will get through all of it like we always do" he says

You make a quick kiss on his lips and he flustered by your action but he smirks

"You call that a kiss?" He raises a brow

You acted all coy and until he pulled in closer for a real kiss

He gave you a kiss like no other, it's electricfying and pure love

You both smile in the kiss fondly, he savors and treasures this moment

Having you in his arms and hugging each other

You know, you'll be okay for the rest of your life as long as you have him on your side

You got nothing else to worry about....

♡

#eddie munson #eddie munson fic #stranger things 4 #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst

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comradekatara · 7 months

Note

gaang + fire nation girls and their opinions on yellowjackets??

okay well i've talked before about how katara suki and ty lee watch yellowjackets together as well as assigning each character their yellowjacket counterpart, so check those posts out too, if you want!

aang: he knows katara loves it, but he can't watch it, he finds it too upsetting and creepy

sokka: he enjoys it but katara can't stand watching it with him because he's always shit like "well if they had just listened to ben they wouldn't be in this mess" or "they should be nicer to nat" and he's killing the vibe -_-

zuko: it gives him nightmares but the good kind so he keeps watching. he's a little bit obsessed with adult shauna and adult misty they are like camp icons to him

toph: appreciates the soundtrack and also sokka's very biased recaps wherein each episodes mostly details what fresh misery his best friends nat and ben (and occasionally simone) have had to endure this time

suki: she loves the aesthetics, the tone, the suspense, the humor, the music, and most of all, the hot babes. i think she is a vangirl and a lottiegirl first and foremost so s2 was a beautiful gift to her. also she'd be lying if she said she hasn't read a fanfic or two

mai: she likes it but she thinks shauna should have, at the very least, kissed jackie's corpse, if not outright fucked it. ear eating was a good start and all, but doing your dead bestie's makeup is honestly not even weirder than what the average mortician does on a daily basis, so kind of disappointing to be honest.

azula: doesn't watch it because any tv show that isn't on hbo is too pedestrian for her refined tastes, but if she did she would be so obsessed with taissa she would be the number one taigirl and she would ship taishauna like her life depended on it!!!!

ty lee: it is one of her favorite tv shows ever because it involves lesbians eating human flesh in a bacchic frenzy and what can be better than that. she's a shaunagirl because she thinks shauna is the most unhinged and therefore the sexiest. she's the type of fan who is constantly coming up with fakakta theories about lore and where the show is gonna go next. if suki can constantly spam the yj groupchat with taivan fucking nasty in the lake 5k words then ty lee is at least allowed to predict that antler queen is actually a literal spirit of the wilderness who is personified by their very faith in the supernatural, right?

katara: a show depicting various women struggling to deal with their trauma in unhealthy unappealing destructive ways, toxic teenage girljocks who take soccer way too seriously, exploring taboos in relation to the colonial assumptions of society vs the constructed bogeyman of "the wilderness" that exists in the white supremacist imagination, and nuances of patriarchy vs relational modes of knowing through both absence and presence is exactly the kind of narrative that katara would be compelled, nay, transfixed by, even if she does have some well-deserved critiques when it comes to the show's execution, especially some of its blindspots when it comes to the issue of racialization. hence why she is the biggest yj head in this house (which is why i saved her for last). like she has a whole side twitter just for yj posting. she loves all her milf children equally, except she might have a teensy bias towards taissa for the simple fact that she is the best at soccer. katara is one of those fans who studies the soccer game in the pilot as a way of gleaning insight regarding the characters, because actually she's a really big nerd when it comes to things like that. she didn't like nat at first because she'd show up drunk to practices and that pissed her off, but then nat shared that strategy with kevyn tan's son and she decided that she was okay. stuff like that. despite the fact that she and suki have gotten into screaming matches debating jackie's sexuality ("i don't understand how you can think she isn't a lesbian how else are you supposed to read her character" "maybe she just kind of ...sucks? ever think of that?????") and also nat's (katara being of the opinion that nat is straight is actually so bravely correct of her, in this instance, despite suki's totally sympathetic objections that if nat is straight then how are she and lottie gonna partake in the milffucking?? hm?????) and also ben's ("no straight man would be carrying all those condoms with him for a weekend work trip" "suki not everyone is gay you can't just assign homosexuality to everyone you think is hot" [...] "okay i stand corrected just this once"), she is extremely emotionally invested in every single one of these characters, and seeing any of them get hurt or die makes her feel physically ill (yes, even laura lee). aang's like "you know, if this show is getting bad for your mental health, you don't have to rewatch every episode five times to pick up on nuances and easter eggs and potential foreshadowing" and katara's like "but if i don't then how will i be able to properly characterize them for my greek mythology AU novel-length fanfic???????" because she is totally normal about the show and everyone can agree on that.

#imliterallysobored #asks #the gaang and #mostly #katara #synthesis #modern au #because it incorporates katara being a soccer player. i guess #also do not ask me for yj fanfic recs i have never read any and i never will. just pulled those examples outta my ass #based on what i think could be compelling theoretically #and yes i do think that nat is straight. dont @ me!!!!!

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bluespiritshonour · 10 months

Text

NGL Batman sometimes reads like The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas (or Brothers Karamazov, whatever you please)

Like, in order to keep saving the city Batman needs a child to demean and abuse and take his emotional frustrations out on. The cost would be paid by those children so Batman can go out and be a hero (selfless? Ha, selfless!)

And no, I'm not coming at it from the child soldier angle. It's fiction, I can suspend my disbelief.

But when canon comics themselves hate the concept of Robin and write storyline after storyline focusing on loss of innocence (Jason Todd dying; Tim Drake losing his whole world—Grayson was spared because he wasn't Robin any longer—but soon enough they were retroactively injecting that shit into his backstory (Robin: Year One and many others that I can't care to list)—so yeah, kinda hard to keep my disbelief suspended when canon is trying to shake me into ✨rEaLiSm✨

It's really funny to see them try to juggle gritty realism and also keep Batman a hero. Like, I can suspend my disbelief that a benevolent billionaire exists—but, uh, it looks like the creators have a thing against suspension of disbelief.

But even then, it's not about the Robins being child soldiers. Golden Age comics never treated Robin as child endangerment—it was just Bruce who was simply a jerk. Dick had abandonment issues and really low standards of parental affection and none of it had to do with being Robin. It was Bruce's shitty parenting.

But I am speaking of it as in, Batman has infinite patience for random kids on the streets but not those in his tutelage—the way he loves only in death (dead people don't need emotional labour from you; neither do kids that don't really depend on you)

And more often than not, one of these kids has been dealt a far worse hand by life than Batman has ever had. And he still has the gall (the writers and DC and everyone else) still have the gall to pretend his tragedy is the greatest.

He lost his parents! So did countless other superheroes; if anything he was more fortunate than most.

Fans love to say Dick Grayson was everything positive in his life and changed him for the better—and so does canon sometimes—but that's simply not true. (If it is, why don't you ever see it play out fully? The only time I ever saw it happen was in Lego Batman)

He doesn't love Grayson enough to change for him, if anything, he just found a kid that he can lean on emotionally and give nothing in return. As a result he was slightly better adjusted. Introduced him to the vigilante lifestyle not because he thought it was good for him (in most cases it was) but because he himself was lonely. In this way, he gets to have companionship and not do the emotional labour that's required of a father.

He doesn't love anyone enough to change for them: his kids, his friends, his lovers. He's only ever capable of loving in death.

(The exception, again, being Andrea Beaumont from Mask of the Phantasm; the only time I ever felt bad for Batman and actually liked him)

But then, what's one movie in the face of more than 80 years of canon?

It's really funny to see.

“He makes so many personal sacrifices”—well, he does take out the frustration of it on those that he's supposed to look after and care for or he'll go off the rails...so? Your point?

It is Omelas.

#batman #batman and robin #shadow blabbers #anti bruce wayne

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mxtxfanatic · 7 days

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Because I saw that 7seas released the first volume, I'm very curious of what you thought about the disabled tyrant's pet palm fish? I wasn't sure what your tag for it is, assuming you've posted about it here. If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them since, as of this moment in time, I'm planning on picking up a copy next time I get the chance.

Of course you pick the novel I was conflicted about promoting LOL

So I read it and mostly liked it, like, a majority of the book is comedic and engaging. The beginning really gives a Cinderella-esque romance along with some mild court drama. Definitely a light read that won’t leave you too anxious or in suspense.

However I feel like ableism is baked into the plot in a way that becomes unbearably inescapable around the last 2-300 pages. It sat with me pretty unpleasantly that that love interest’s disability (mutism) is never accommodated in the entire story, not even by the people who love him in the setting, not even by his transmigrating husband who I know for damn sure knows sign language exists even if he doesn’t know it. They could have found some way to communicate with him that didn’t involve him mouthing words, writing, or having people just learn to read his micro-expressions, of which only one person can do so. I was willing to table these reservations because, despite the story pretending like disability accommodations don’t exist, the people who love this character never make him feel bad or less for it. Then those last few hundred pages hit…

Spoilers for some plot stuff: So the biggest issue for me that tipped the ableism into unbearable emerges with the sideplot of the main couple trying for another kid. MC wants a girl because they already have 4 boys (accidental quadruplets), only to discover that LI has been secretly taking contraceptives to prevent another pregnancy for fear that any pregnancy could result in a mute child, as he thinks his mutism is genetic. The couple end up having a good talk where the LI opens up about his insecurities about having a child like him because he knows how lonely it was growing up with his disability. But instead of turning this into a moment where MC could point out that their hypothetical disabled child wouldn’t be lonely because they would have a whole family who loved them—including a parent with the same disability—that LI should not have been isolated because of his disability, that he was the one who was failed not the failure, and that he (and their hypothetical disabled child) will be supported from now on, the author… has the MC agree and stop trying for a kid… Complete missed opportunity and waste of time in the long run, because not long after this it gets revealed that LI’s mutism isn’t genetic, which is why their 4 sons have no speech issues, and they go on happily to have their daughter. End Spoilers.

If you didn’t read the spoilers, then long story short: a side plot with eventual major implications for the main story arc treats preventing the birth of potentially disabled children as a reasonable thing because “those children will be isolated, otherwise,” while neglecting the idea that people—PARTICULARLY LOVED ONES OF THE DISABLED—can simply accommodate said disability. The story simply pretends as if accommodations for mutism do not exist in material reality or even as a concept.

#fireandgrimstone #had that whole baby sideplot not happened #i would’ve just trigger warned in my post #but because it became such a *major* plot point #it’s not something that can be given benefit of the doubt #this story really did not need to be about disability #if this was how it was gonna be treated #also those last 200 pages feel pretty meh plot-wise #like the story would feel great and complete without it #everything after feels very rambly #disabled tyrant’s pet palm fish

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regarding-stories · 2 months

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Until it breaks: Suspension of disbelief has limits

Nothing deals damage to suspension of disbelief like cold hard facts. Because once the analytical part of your brain kicks in, it's all over. All the Fridge Logic will unravel, and frankly, the enjoyment drains out the watching or reading experience.

Now, I picked this topic because of a recent Lupin III Part 6 episode I watched. Being one of the longest-running shows with endless material released over the course of decades, Lupin III has in general good writing. Or let's say it like this: Typically the authors nail the characters.

Yes, part 6 in general is a highly enjoyable show that can bank on the fact that our main characters - Lupin, Jigen, Fujiko, Goemon, and Zenigata - are well fleshed-out, recognizable characters that you are just gladly along for the ride with and the general fun factor of the show ensures that you merely experience the differing quality of episodes as minor ups and downs along the journey.

There are exceptions, though.

When it holds

Lupin III is basically revived as "parts," where each part could be considered a big season. I'm currently watching Part 4, and several episodes definitely have the quality of Fridge Logic - you might question things after the episode finishes, but you're basically okay with how things unfold while they still do.

One episode, hitting that slightly noir vibe, focuses on Inspector Zenigata, Lupin's eternal complement.

The show aired almost ten years ago, so forgive me for spoilers.

The basic plot of the episode "Until the Full Moon Wanes" revolves around every scoundrel in the world believing that the widow of a media mogul sits on a huge hidden fortune because her husband seeded the rumor before he died. The first climax of the episode seems to be convincing the world that this was indeed a lie - a cooperation between Lupin and Zenigata. In the denouement we learn that the fortune actually exists and the widow wanted potential thieves off her back, Lupin shows up to steal it and is finally thwarted by Zenigata.

The episode really revolves about human folly, with a media mogul rescuing a girl from sexual violence, taking her as his beloved wife, then completely scorning her when she cheats on him once - including marking her body. This theme of scorn beyond the grave and its somewhat noir vibe playing on human passion and the unreliability of love and character are enough to keep us entertained until we get our inevitable finale.

I'd say this one stretches suspension of disbelief but doesn't break it. Though it raises questions - even if she had a huge fortune hidden, wouldn't it be easier to own it, hire guards, and just enjoy it? Furthermore, how did Lupin and his gang intend to steal the fortune?It's gold. It weighs tons and tons. (And yes, it's enough gold to be considered the reserves of a country. Did the author not watch "Die Hard with a Vengeance"?) It's also stacked in the most stupid way possible to impress the audience. Once you start to think about it, the story unravels and falls apart. But I'd bet while it goes on with its (somewhat forced) twists and turns, you're willing to follow it.

When it breaks

There are, however, some episodes too stupid to live, and so far the unrivaled king of the trash heap is "The Jet-Black Diamond". I'll spoiler this one so you don't have to watch it.

So, some small wooden dolls are somehow supposed to lead to a treasure. But the story makes no sense, no matter which way you look at it.

The central theme behind the treasure hunt is supposedly a love story. A somehow Japanese woman in Brazil falls in love with a pirate who basically sacks her village but spares her. (Because seeing people die you spent your life with is conducive to romance. Maybe she had Stockholm Syndrome.) They know they have little time so they concoct a plan to hide some treasure and meet again. Which never happens because the pirate gets executed shortly after and she commits suicide.

This might make sense on the surface but just wait for the rest...

The clues they leave lead to a cashew tree with magical red glowing flowers that only blossoms every 75 years. The biological facts themselves are mindboggling - how does it benefit the damn tree to blossom only every 75 years? And how is it so exact over such a long period of time?? And why is everyone showing up at the right time to see it???

Breathe. Slow, deep breaths.

So this basically means they planned to meet again when they were around a hundred. Instead of, you know, like five years later.

Then... piracy in the Caribbean and around South America was a phenomenon largely limited to the 16th and 17th centuries, with stragglers hanging on until the 18th century. Steam vessels and larger national navies ended it for good in the 19th century. (To put it very roughly.) The episode itself can be assumed to be set in 2021 when Part 6 aired. So, are we to assume that old-fashioned piracy occurred in Brazil in the mid of the 20th century? The age of airplanes and nuclear bombs? (Piracy persists but is a rather local phenomenon in the world, relying on quick hit-and-run raids.)

What is the treasure, actually? Pepper. Some special pepper, that supposedly ended up making the village prosperous. This is probably an allusion to the times when pepper was still highly valuable, something which was maybe true up to the 17th century (as a little research shows).

What we really have here is an author shoe-horning a pirate story into Lupin III, and somehow trying to tie it to a love story and a living relative. (Instead of a long-lost pirate treasure.) But frankly, the whole thing fails over and over again. The finale is devoid of any logic. Even the dolls are somehow important because their patterns help identify the tree by its blossom patterns. The only tree blooming in that particular year, looking entirely magical and obvious BY ITSELF!!

(Also some young local thugs show up to gang up on the old lady and her company because everybody thinks about the ages old treasure all the time and so the arrival of a Japanese lady is clearly stirring up the area.)

To make the offense even worse, just when the story focuses on Fujiko being in the lead for quite a while, Lupin shows up as a drone projecting a hologram acting as Captain Exposition, stealing her thunder. They couldn't be arsed to write him in properly, but they couldn't leave him off-screen for five minutes or have somebody else have the spotlight. Wow, that was horrible writing altogether.

And here we have it - it qualifies as a story. It's tied together by a plot. Events happen, characters appear, and the same mixture of twists and turns and a lack of treasure at the end (for Lupin or Fujiko) appears, but it doesn't work. You could be forgiven for not knowing about the history of piracy, but the notion of a tree with such magical properties is not a twist to a story, it's a ridiculous device meant to introduce one twist too many to a poorly written story.

Because for some reason the author was so focused on thwarting the thieves so much he had to set up an entirely unbelievable gotcha even for Lupin standards. A show where people evade bullets near point blank range or where eating a steak can restore Lupin's blood loss within hours. It's actually quite the accomplishment!

#anime series #lupin iii #lupin the third #lupin the 3rd #part 6 #suspension of disbelief #part 4

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