#unfortunately when you have a good show the entitled pricks will arrive to see it

[utilitycaster]

I firmly believe that pre-taping has been, overall, good, and that anyone who claims the stream is different than when it was live is fucking making that shit up because it's indistinguishable, with the singular exception of Sam posting The Full Chetney on Twitter 2 minutes after the end of the stream with an admission that he couldn't figure out Reddit.

#cr spoilers #more generally i have a lot of thoughts re some of the entitlement this past week/early chat like playing backseat producer is NOT cute. #like ok 23 year old with poorly managed depression your ass CANNOT make informed production decisions. #or like. wow. tlovm is not coming out as soon as past seasons? almost like a significant character's VA died and also there was a strike. #but that was also a problem with early lockdown [remember the unironic masque of the red death suggestions] #unfortunately when you have a good show the entitled pricks will arrive to see it #(should add: i have been the 23 yo w/poorly managed depression this is why i'm judging that mindset.)

[thedirtpreferences]

PREFERENCE #17 - FIGHT (REQUESTED)

Vince: He had snapped on a group of fans for taking a picture of him. It had only been one picture, but Vince was in a particulary sulky mood today and the whole thing had sent him over the edge. Since then, he was snapping at everyone: his bandmates, management, interviewers, road techs, and most importantly you. And you were NOT having it. Especially when he snapped on a particularly excited fan, asking them if they ‘knew who he was and how he couldn’t possibly have time to humor them for a picture because he had bigger priorities’. That had been enough for you who had been so polite and patient all day. “Listen to yourself, you entitled prick” You growled, pushing him against the wall, your face inches from his. “This is NOT the Vince I fell in love with and I won’t sit here and watch you deteriorate and throw away your success just because you’ve grown disgustingly complacent. I love you too much to do that.” You spat, stumbling backwards as he broke free from your iron hold grasp on his arm. “You’re not my mom, Y/N.” Vince grumbled stepping forward and crossing his arms across his heaving chest. “You’re right, Vince. Absolutely right. I’m your girlfriend and I’m not arrogant enough to think that you’ll follow my orders, but I have to try. Because as your girlfriend and someone who loves you as much as I love you, I can’t stand to see you wreck your future and to let this fame consume you. You’re too important to me,” Vince dropped his head at your words, searching for something smart to retaliate with, but he had nothing. You were right. You were always so, so right. That’s why he loved you afterall; you called him on his bullshit and kept him accountable. “You’re so annoying.” Vince sighed in defeat, turning around to face you with a sheepish expression. “And you are a concieted asshole.” You quipped, refusing to make eye contact as he approached you, grabbing your small, fragile hands in his. “I’m sorry.” Vince whispered, kissing you on the forehead. His words were meek and tainted with embarrassment. Although it was a simple apology, you knew this was big for him because apologizing wasn’t one of his strong suits; really it had never been for as long as you knew him. But you knew if he was saying it, he really did mean it and that was big for Vince. “I know you are. Just try to cool it next time, yeah? Without them, there would be no you.” He nodded knowingly at your words, pressing a sweet simple kiss to your nose. “Thanks for keeping me grounded.” He murmured as his lips pressed gingerly against your own. “Always.” You mumbled, as he deepend the kiss his arms wrapping around your waist as he hoisted you up and pressed your back against the wall. It was always such a turn on when you let him know how it is.

Tommy: “Would it kill you to be a little bit more mature?” You muttered, packing his clothing for him as he downed his third shot in the last twenty minutes. “C’mon, Y/N. Lighten up, would you?” Tommy laughed, chucking a pillow at your head. Usually you would’ve laughed, but this sent you into orbit considering you were currently doing him a favor by packing HIS clothes after HE had successfully got everybody kicked out of the hotel for the night after hours of travel. “Lighten up? Tommy, I’m EXHAUSTED. I was looking forward to a decent night of sleep after the last 24 hours of complete choas and you get us thrown out before my head can even hit the pillow? You could afford to be mature, not to mention apologetic for your barbaric actions, you immature child.” You exploded, turning promptly on your heel to face him. “Honestly Y/N, if you don’t like life on the road you can always go back home. No one is making you stay, in fact it might be a little more fun if you leave anyways.” Tommy sneered standing up and sauntering over towards you. “You ungrateful son of a bitch.” You whispered shaking your head as the rage filled you to the brim. “Pack your own damn things.” Dumping everything you had neatly packed for him on the floor, you stormed from the hotel room tears in your eyes at his hateful words.

The ride to the next available hotel was silent, the air thick with malice as you and Tommy sat as far away from eachother as possible. Not even Nikki dared to utter a word on the situation as he had never seen your face so serious in his life. As soon as you had arrived to the hotel, you were the first person off the bus, going to the phone booth located by the entrance. “What are you doing?” You jumped as Tommy’s words penetrated the silent air, the hair on the back of your neck standing from the shock. “Calling to see when the soonest flight is to get me the hell out of here since I’m sucking the fun out of everything.” Hand on the phone, you gasped when Tommy snatched it out of your grasp and slammed it on the hook. “You’re not going anywhere. Look, I was thinking and I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I want you here with me.” You tried to avert your eyes from his penetrating gaze knowing that the moment you locked eyes with him it would all be over. “Then why’d you say it?” You asked childishly, kicking the ground with your shoe. “Because I didn’t like that you were right. I was being selfish and unappreciative.” Tommy sighed, his thumb and forefinger lifting your chin delicately. “Forgive me?” He breathed, his sweet breath blowing against your face, dazzling you completely. “Unfortunately.” You sighed, leaning up wrap your arms around his neck, squeaking when he lifted you up bridal style. “Let’s go to bed, yeah? I promise you won’t have to move a finger for the rest of the night.” Tommy assured you peppering your face with sweet kisses. How could he not be forgiven?

Nikki: “You can’t just shut me out and expect me not to be pissed, honestly, what did you expect?” You snapped, crossing your arms across your heaving chest, your eyes dark with infuriation. “I figured you’d just leave like everyone else does,” Nikki shrugged, taking a swig of his alcohol nonchalantly. “How many times do I have to convince you that I’m not going to leave? It’s like you don’t even listen to me.” You raised an eyebrow when Nikki chuckled darkly, rolling his eyes as if you were an afterthought. “You’re right, Y/N. I don’t listen to you when you say that, you want to know why? Because just like I’m hearing it now, I’ve heard it a million times before and you know what happens everytime? People leave. It never changes. You’re no different, I’m sure.” How could he say this? Your heart felt like it had fallen completely silent as you gaped at him, desperate for anything that could surface. How could he possibly be saying that to you? To someone who loved him more than you even loved yourself. “I’m no different?” You finally whispered, tears brimming your eyes. “I try over and over again to understand you and to be there for you, but it’s no use. You’re so damaged and deprived of real love that you can’t see the good that’s right in front of your eyes. I’m exhausted, Nikki. Exhausted of trying, exhausted of being hurt, exhausted of not knowing how to help you and unfortunately I can only do so much. So, I guess this is me being like everyone else,” Gathering your things, you turned your back to him lips quivering as the tears betrayed you gushing over your cheeks and coating your features as you walked through his front door slamming it behind you.

Hours past, but you couldn’t bring yourself to physically leave him. Instead you stubbornly sat on the steps in front of his home, allowing yourself to be drenched by the persistent rain. Why couldn’t you leave? After he hurt you the way he did, why isn’t it you couldn’t walk away? Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard the front door swing open, Nikki standing there in shock as his eyes focused in on you. “What-What are you doing here?” He yelled over the rain, bewilderment coloring his features beautifully. “I’m not everyone else, Nikki Sixx. I can’t leave you no matter what you say to hurt me. No matter how hard you want to push me away.” You admitted pathetically standing to your feet with struggle as your clothes were now heavy from the rain. “You really aren’t like everyone else.” He said more to himself than to you as he stepped towards you. “I’m rotten for you. I don’t deserve this, this kindness this love.” He spoke, shaking his head, guilt coloring his features. “That’s where you’re wrong. You are deserving of all of that and more and I will show you that if it’s the last thing I do. You aren’t broken, Nik. You’ve just been through too much; too much that you didn’t deserve.” In that moment, his lips crashed down on you. Usually his kisses were controlled and gentle, but this time was different. It was rough, careless, and passionate. It left your head spinning, and your breath ragged, your heart pounding relentlessly in your chest. “I love you and I’m so so sorry.” He breathed, pressing his forehead against yours as tears filled his eyes. “I love you Nikki, you’re never gonna be without me, I promise.”

Mick: Mick was typically a quiet creature. Not very often did he raise his voice, not very often did he grow angry. That didn’t mean that it didn’t happen, however, it just meant that it took something extremely important to get him to that boiling point. And the thing that was most important to him, someone might ask? Well, it was simple: you. And when you were self destructing and you weren’t taking care of yourself, nothing infuriated Mick more. Why couldn’t you love yourself the same way he loved you? Why couldn’t you see just how important you are? What you meant to him? “Just leave me alone!” The octaves in your voice rose with each syllable as you stormed away, leaving him to follow pathetically in your tracks. “No, I won’t leave you alone. Especially when you’re acting like this!” He spit, his words venomous and filled with evident fury. “Acting like what?” You demanded, rummaging through the counters desperately searching for a wine opener. “This, Y/N. You don’t cope, you don’t allow yourself to feel emotions or to process. You just drink and do anything to not feel anything at all! Deal with your emotions like a fucking adult for once, you fucking coward!” Mick slammed his hands down on the counter, causing you to drop the unopened bottle on the ground, glass shards flying all around you, wine coating your clothing. “That-That was my last one, now what am I going to do! I-I hate you! ” You shouted through hysterics, dropping to the floor, desperately trying to scoop the liquid up with your shaking hands as the tears poured down your cheeks uncontrollably. How could you say you hated Mick? You were disgusted with yourself, with how far you had allowed yourself to spiral, with how far you were willing to take things for selfish gains. “Y/N…” Mick whispered, his arms pulling you away from the mess, collapsing against the fridge when you faced defeat and allowed your body to slump and grow limp to his touch. “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry. I love you.” You sobbed into his arms as he consoled you, kissing the top of your head gingerly. “We’re gonna get through this, Y/N. I’m going to see it through if it’s the last thing I do,” Mick spoke with vehemence as you continued to cry into his arms. “I’m just so scared.” You whispered defeated which only made Mick hold you tighter in his arms. “I will never let you down. You’re gonna be okay, Y/N. You’re gonna be okay.”

#colson baker #daniel webber #douglas booth #iwan rheon #the dirt #nikki sixx #mick mars #tommy lee #vince neil #the dirt blurb #the dirt blurbs #the dirt motley crue #the dirt one shot #the dirt imagines #motley crue #motley crue the d

[iwillwalk500miles]

a semi coherent analysis of blake belladonna and her character arc

a/n i accidentally wrote a tiny essay analyzing blake’s character while gushing to a friend on discord so now you all have to suffer about it,,,, i was supposed to be writing the soulmate au but no i have to be a clown about it jfc, if u think i missed anything or am straight up wrong pls tell me i am trying to learn more about this

okay so the thing about blake in the beginning was that she was very guarded right of the bat in the show, and it's later revealed this is do to adam (the prick) and all of the problems he caused her. according to the comic, she was very young when they met, like, i dunno? somewhere between the realm of twelve and fourteen? and adam was like eighteen, so... a bunch of red flags

he convinced her to put her trust in him, to care for him... and then effectively threw all of that love she had for him in her face when he became obsessive and angry and abusive. he tore her down over and over and over again, made her believe that he was the 'nice guy' here, he wanted to 'save everyone' made her feel bad for doubting him, and guilted her into doing things that she probably never would have done otherwise

then, when blake realizes that adam is bad, that he was not a good person, that he had lost his way so badly that he had no qualms with mass genocide, she drew the line and decided to get the hell out of there... but her trust in people is shattered, she'd left her parents for him, had ran from a loving mother and father for someone she realizes wouldn't do the same for her

so when she arrives to beacon she's quiet and cold, she thinks that she doesn't know how to love and care for the right people around her, and she's afraid that if she starts making friends with everyone she will only ever let them down (a side effect from her emotional abuse from adam)

then she meets yang and the rest of what would become her team, she starts to open up again, starts to allow herself to care for these people that she'd met, and it's ruined right as it's just beginning to blossum into something potentially beautiful

yang's arm is gone because of someone that blake knew, someone that she'd cared for once upon a time, and unable to deal with the thought that yang might blame her, she runs away.

so, blake runs right? and she decides that hey, adams a total prick (obvi) and that she might be safer around people in menagire, as long as she distances herself from all her friends none of them will suffer because of her... unfortunately sun did not get the memo, she's angry with him for a good reason, i think. i mean the guy means well, but someone following her every move is exactly what blake is worried about, he accidentally caused her undue stress, which made her entitled to be a little annoyed

when it comes to her parents, i know that she loved them and wanted to reconcile with them, but i can't quite follow her thought process here... in the end i assumed it was because she had no where else to go

in menagerie, she and sun discover a plot with the white fang, and throughout that little arc blake and ilia meet again and again

ilia (whom i'm in love with) represents the good of what she had in the past, ilia very much sees herself as a protector, as someone who dedicates themselves to a cause with their all, and this is obvious in the way that she seems to believe that following adam is doing the right thing. unfortunately, she's wrong, and blake is the one to show her that

i don't remember all of the events in the volumes after 3 super well because before 4 came out i tended to rewatch the first three, so all my thoughts in this arc about blake's character are kind of half baked and unpolished, but i do believe i have her core character in mind so bear with me for a moment

when she meets yang again, it's obvious that she's afraid, it's painted onto her face. she doesn't want yang, want any of her team, to blame her for what had happened. so consumed in this desire to prove that she's sorry, that even though it was 'her fault' (which it wasn't) she is doing her best to atone for what she thinks she did wrong, completely missing the real reason that yang is mad, which is that she ran away... leaving yang to relapse into her abandonment issues

they have a few very emotional and tension filled moments, with blake so obviously desperate to 'atone' and yang so obviously annoyed for her misguided apologies

obviously, this all comes to a head when the encounter the apathy

it's then that yang can't take the fact that blake seems to think that she needs to be protected, and blake (who has no experiance in this type of relationship except with,,,, adam,,,, ew) is left spiralling and confused, not so sure what she did wrong

my memory of the next events are kind of spotty, but blake and yang's confrontation with adam is a big big moment for blake's character. it's fighting him she realizes that one person trying to protect the other isn't the right way to go, that if they equally put in the work for their partnership it'll work out, contrasted with what she had with adam which all seemed to be a onesided effort on blake's part

(this is where i stopped)

i love blake, and i love her character arc, and i’d really appreciate it if anybody wanted to debate her actions with me, or if you have differing opinions, i really want to understand this whole thing better then before.

#blake belladonna #rwby #character study #my writing #i am tired and this is the result of that #rwby character study #blake bby i love you #gen writes

[btgalaxy]

Ineffable

➳ pairing: namjoon x reader, yoongi x reader

➳ genre: ceo!au, smut, angst, probably fluff too

➳ word count: 2.6k

masterlist / next

Chapter 1

Your heels clink against the marble floor of the office as you pass through the glass doors. Your eyes are focused entirely on your phone, going over your notes for the meeting with the new CEO today. Some young, rich entrepreneur inherited Kim Industries after your former CEO decided to demote himself to a less demanding position, so he can help his son get a grip on the company before resigning completely. So now you’re left in the hands of an amateur.

You smile at Jihee, the receptionist here and one of your closest allies along with Jimin, approaching the front desk with a curious expression.

“So,” you say, “Have you seen him yet?” The whole place has been in uproar the past few weeks trying to catch a glimpse of the new boss. You’ve all heard the rumours of his bachelor reputation and handsome looks, but none have yet been able to confirm it.

She sighs, looking up at you sullenly, “No— but I’ve seen pictures online from that charity event on the weekend and I think it’s hard to fake that kind of attractiveness.”

“So he is attractive?”

She nods, eagerly, “He’s gorgeous. Looks like he’d be a freak in bed too. God, he has these dimples when he smiles—“

“But he doesn’t look like an arsehole then?”

She sucks a small breath in through her teeth, “It’s kind of hard to tell from just a photo... but the article with it was about how he supposedly messed with both a receptionist for the event and a socialite attending. And that’s only one version of the story.”

You roll your eyes, exhaling with a deliberate huff, “Fantastic.”

You don’t need another sleazy man lurking around the office. You’re already eye-fucked by middle age men on the daily during meetings with the senior directors— much like the one today— so you can’t say you’re exactly excited to have him around.

“Well, I’ll see you at lunch?” Jihee offers, shooting you a slightly pitiful smile as you take a step back from the reception.

“If I haven’t committed a homicide by then.”

“He can’t be that bad,” she argues, “Nobody with a face like that could be awful to work around.”

You shrug, “Guess we’ll find out soon. See you in a bit.”

You wave off and head into the lift to press the top floor button, eyes now glued to the brief notes on your phone. This will be the best course of action regarding both the digital and direct marketing teams due to the versatility of the campaign… You recite the particular phrases in your head, exhaling deeply to calm your rattled nerves, apprehensive to impress the new boss.

The lift stops and you glance up to see you’re only at floor 7, when a tall and alluring young man saunters in, going to press the top floor button before noticing you already have. He looks over at you and frowns slightly, looking you up and down disapprovingly. The fucking nerve of this guy. You’re wearing a maroon bodycon dress with black heels and a blazer and you have a small shoulder bag resting on your hip; an outfit you confirmed was a good choice with your boyfriend this morning. It’s not a crop top and jeans, is it? How dare he walk in and look at you like that.

“Is something wrong?” You bite, beyond irritated.

He raises his eyebrows, looking a little taken aback, yet undeniably smug, “Nothing at all.”

You look at him a few seconds longer, then decide to keep your mouth shut, just pursing your lips and continuing to read your notes. Self-entitled prick.  

When the elevator bell rings, you go to step off, but not before being shoved to the side by the man’s shoulder. So much for chivalry. You simply take a deep breath and choose to ignore his disrespect, walking straight down the corridor and into the meeting room to get ready for your presentation.

About half an hour later and people are beginning to arrive. The table is set for about 20 or so with one leather swivel chair at the head, clearly for the new CEO. You put a handout at each of the places and return to the laptop attached to the screen to double check the PowerPoint.

You’ve always been an exceptional presentation giver; part of the job, you suppose. And you love your job; you’re surrounded by mostly senior men and pride yourself on being a young female in a high position. Of course, you’re subject to some discrimination and sexism but you’ve learnt to bite your tongue at the right times, and when not to. 7 years here and you’re used to it—  it’s a shame Mr Kim won’t be here any longer to set them straight, though.

Everything is running smoothly until a familiar head of mousy hair saunters in. He glances over at you with a somewhat sinister smile making your blood boil, then abruptly turning on his heel to head straight to the head of the table; in the CEO’s chair. Balls. You should’ve known.

You have a moment where you’re in denial, unable to digest the prospect the new CEO must already hate you before you’ve even had a chance to show him what you can do. It’s unfortunate you’re so proud nowadays, else you’d act like the arselick you were in your school years to get onto his good side. But then again you’ve worked damn hard for this position and some petulant man will not be the reason you lose it all…

You’re still in denial. You’ve already pissed off a new CEO who you’ve already deduced is clearly tenfold more entitled and petulant than the last. God, you’re fucked.

“Good morning all,” he greets huskily. “I’m Kim Namjoon. I’ll be the new head of Kim Industries. I look forward to working with you all.” At this moment, his eyes meet yours. He wets his lower lip, continuing with an indecipherable expression.

“Now before we begin, I’d like to just make a few things abundantly clear,” his eyes darken ever so slightly and your stomach drops, “I will not tolerate anything sub-par. From this moment onwards, consider all of your positions at risk. I am marking a new beginning to Kim Industries; I do not plan to let it dwindle under my watch.” He speaks with an air of unmistakable authority and your already shaken confidence seems to plummet.

“I am also implementing a clock-in clock-out system; one thing I cannot condone is lateness. I don’t care if you have crashed your car and are lying in the hospital or your grandmother is dying; without at least a weeks notice for you not being at work at 8:30am for a damn good reason then you can say goodbye to this company.” The room is eerily silent at his speech. You can sense tension even among the most senior directors seated close to him.

“Now, shall we begin, Miss…” he trails off, looking directly at you. Your mouth is dry for a minute and you have to think of what you’re supposed to say.

“y/l/n,” You stutter, “y/n y/l/n.” He nods while squinting his eyes at you, before slowly nodding as he sits in his chair.

“Well, Miss y/l/n,” he clears his throat. “Do begin.” And with that you start your presentation.

Throughout speaking, Namjoon’s eyes flicker between the handout and your presentation. You should’ve spent longer making sure the pamphlet matches with the slides. You should’ve made it more thorough. Your hands are visibly shaking in comparison to your normal confident demeanour. Regardless, you still believe you’ve done well.

By the end of the meeting, tensions have eased significantly, and you can physically feel the relief wash over you. Immediately after you close the laptop and bring the room to a close, Namjoon dismisses the men and leaves abruptly. You suppose that’s better than him wanting to stay and actually talk to you.

You pack up your things and head down to your office, only to see Jimin sat in your desk chair flicking nosily through some paperwork. He smiles as you walk through the door.

“How was it?” he asks, grinning profusely. You sigh and place your phone down on the desk.

“Alright. I think the new boss hates me though,” you laugh slightly, sad to admit it. Jimin frowns and gets up from the seat so you can sit.

“Surely that’s not true. He hasn’t even been here for a day and knowing you I bet the campaign presentation was killer,” he tries to comfort by placing his hands on your shoulders and massaging them gently.

“I don’t know,” you cover your face with my hands, “I saw him in the lift when I first got in and he looked at me like I’d just shot his dog.” You groan, partially due to your frustration and partially due to the tension in your shoulders Jimin’s massage eases.

“Maybe he mistook you for someone else?” he proposes, and you remove his hands from your neck to swivel round and give him an incredulous kind of look. He just sighs and shrugs before perching himself on the edge of your desk.

“He told the entire room all of our jobs were at risk,” you practically whine, immensely irritated at the possibility of your losing my job at the hands of the man.

“Geez,” Jimin raises his eyebrows and pushes his tongue to the side of his mouth, “Sounds like he needs a good fuck if you ask me.” Your eyes widen in response to Jimin’s words and you let out a laugh in disbelief before slapping his leg.

“Ooh, maybe that could be your way into his good books,” Jimin wiggles his eyebrows before you hit him again.

“I have a long term boyfriend, Jimin,” you bite your lip incredulously, holding it there as Jimin grins, teeth peeking out between his lips. “And besides, from all the articles I think he’s fine as it is.”

“How are you to know all those rumours are true?”

You ponder over the thought for a second, but there’s no way. How would such vicious rumours stem from just nothing? The man’s obviously doing something to provoke such gossip.

“Just go, I have work to do,” you dismiss him, and the small curiosity for your new boss.

“Fine, but you know I’m renowned for my good advice.”

“Whatever,” you grumble. Jimin bids you farewell before heading out and you’re left alone to try and comprehend your current situation and salvage what little confidence you have left. God help you if you lose this job. You won’t be able to afford rent and you sure as hell won’t be able to find a job of your position anywhere else. You’d have to start from the bottom all over again, collecting lunches and bringing around coffees and doing nothing actually brain-stimulating. You shudder, turning on your desktop to escape in the form of new campaign ideas and research, although Namjoon still lingers on your mind and you can’t shrug the idea that your job is already done for.

The end of the day comes around agonisingly slowly, and you still haven’t received any feedback or even an e-mail from Namjoon regarding your presentation. Mr Kim, the previous CEO, would’ve e-mailed you within at least half an hour of your presentation and asked you to see him to discuss your ideas in more detail. You always appreciated that as it felt so much less intimidating and you felt more open to communicating new proposals. He truly was a great boss.

You remember the first day you had on this job, hair slicked back into a tight bun and a ladder down your tights you didn’t notice until you were getting off the train. You wanted to make a good impression so badly. Mr Kim didn’t care either way; he just told you to focus on your work, do it well and that’s the key to success. he rewarded you well for the work you did, and he was kind and fair, always allowing you the time off for example when Yoongi’s father died, and when you had that pregnancy scare. He was always understanding.

You sigh, accepting that Namjoon probably isn’t going to talk to you today, gathering your things to head off home to finally relax and tell Yoongi about the nightmare of a day you’ve had. You place your phone into your small bag and turn off the desktop before leaving your office.

You spot Jimin at the photocopier down the corridor, looking heatedly at the piece of technology. He looks over at you and summons you over with a flick of his head.

“I’ve tried being nice to her,” he declares, furiously.

“What?” You frown.

“The photocopier,” he whispers, leaning close to you. You shoot him a confused look and he flicks his eyes down the machine.

“You’re mad,” you sigh, unable to comprehend what goes through his head sometimes.

“No, no, I’m fine. This- this,” he stutters, “this thing is mad. I’ve followed the instructions, I’ve done exactly as I’m supposed to, and I can’t leave until I’ve printed these documents. It wants to keep me here.” You look down and see he has clearly forgotten to press the enter button, which you do for him and the machine starts to print out copies of the word. He looks at you, dumbfounded, before clearing his throat.

“It has a vendetta,” he insists.

“Right. Sure it does. I’ll see you later,” you smile knowingly at him before heading to the lift.

Just as you press the button, you hear your name being called to the left of you, from the direction of the CEO’s office. Your mouth goes dry as you turn to see Namjoon frowning at you from his door as he begins to stride over. Before you can even consider turning and throwing yourself out the window just to avoid him, he is stood in front of you, shirt slightly unbuttoned to reveal a copious portion of his chest and his tie loosened to hang just below, looking like a God despite the dishevelment. In fact, you think that might make him even sexier.

“Why are you leaving? I haven’t spoken to you about the presentation yet,” he glowers at you. Your lips part slightly and you can hear how loud your breathing is. Don’t embarrass yourself, just speak. Just talk to him.

“Right, sorry- sorry, sir. I- I normally- I mean before, before…” you stutter humiliatingly. God. “I mean I just assumed you’d— I don’t know— send an e-mail or something…”

“Well don’t assume next time. We can talk now,” he turns around, “Unless you’ve something more important to do?” He stops with his back to you.

“No, of course not,” you insist, forgetting about the movie night you planned with your boyfriend and instead glancing at the floor — rather shamefully for some reason. He carries on moving back down the hallway towards his office, obviously expecting you to follow. Somewhat naturally, you do.

#bts #bts angst #bts fluff #bts imagines #bts series #bts rm #bts suga #admin lottie

[shadowsof-thenight]

Fictober day 22: Speed-dating part two

Promptnumber: 25 “I could really eat something” Fandom: MCU Characters: Reader, Wanda Maximoff, James Rhodes Warnings: some nasty arrogant people, but that’s about it. Words: 1626 Summary: The night continues and seems to get even worse, before it gets better.

A/n: This did not turn out as I wanted it, at all...But still, here it is.

{Part one}

Speed-dating part two

Unfortunately the evening did not go faster, or get more enjoyable after a few more drinks. Naturally not all men that came to your table were bad, far from it. And you could easily deal with the occasional entitled prick, it just bummed you out that you weren’t meeting people that sparked an interest. You had hoped for some friendly encounters, to get new acquaintances. Though to be fair, you knew that was farfetched.

That said, the person that was currently sitting across from you did seem really kind and the smile you showed him was a real on that even reached your eyes. That had not happened yet and it offered you some hope. He had dropped into the seat with a bright smile on his kind face, wiping at the little beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead, before extending his hand to you. After the initial introductions, where you learned his name was Will and he was 28 years old, he eagerly started shooting questions. Barely waiting long enough to hear your answers, though you didn’t mind it all too much. He was clearly nervous, but his chipper demeanour was very infectious and he managed to extract a chuckle or two from you.

“Is this your first time here?” You wondered after his stream of questions finally slowed down.

“That obvious?” He chuckled and you smiled kindly, winking in confirmation.

“I can’t remember when I was last this nervous,” he confessed and you chuckled, reaching out to pat his arm gently.

“Relax, be yourself, you’re doing great,” you said, hoping to raise his confidence level a little.

The bell rang once more upon your statement and leaned forward to mumble a thank you, before moving to the next table. You smiled as you watched him introduce himself to your neighbour and hoped that he would be able to calm down enough to be successful. He seemed nice enough.

The following man to sit down was also kind, though much quieter and the conversation got a little strained after a few questions. He didn’t seem to be very comfortable at all and try as you might, you couldn’t change that. He finally confessed that he had been convinced to come by his friend and that he was entirely out of his comfort zone. The happy man before being his friend in this story. You chuckled as you informed him of your similar situation and wished him luck for the rest of the evening.

However the man that arrived at your table right before the third break changed your whole experience of this event. It was a handsome man, exuding just enough confidence without arrogance and a smile that could brighten up any room. His dark cheeks were clean shaven, as was his head and the cologne he was wearing wafted over you. It was a rather intoxicating smell. He seemed cautious momentarily as he places his crutches to the side of table, but you hardly noticed as his smile drew you in. “Hi, I’m James,” he said, that smile still shining and you could not help but return it as you gave him your name.

“I have to admit, this wasn’t where I intended to be tonight, but I am suddenly glad that I am,” he said rather smoothly and you barked out a laugh. A small blush appeared on his face and suddenly the smooth man became adorable.

“Smooth,” you simply replied and asked him what he did for a living.

He eagerly accepted the out you offered and began telling you about his experience as a military man. Due to an injury he was assigned a consultant post in the city and he was enjoying reacquainting himself with all his old friends. Amongst them was Wanda’s supervisor and when the four minutes were over, the three of you moved towards the bar to continue your conversation. He was funny, had great stories and showed to be a good listener as well.

You were sorry when the last quarter of the night commenced, since it meant you had to end your conversation and this man had certainly caught your interest. Still, more hopeful than you had been before, you sat back down at your table and awaited your next visitor. All the while secretly hoping you would get to see more of James afterwards.

“Next one does security at my company,” Wanda whispered as she eyed the man that was walking up to your table. The tone of her voice told you that her four minutes with him had not gone smoothly and you frowned a little as you looked at her.

In all these years that you had known Wanda, she had appeared to be the kind of person to befriend just about anyone. She rarely disliked people and you were eager to ask her just what had happened to create her tone. If only you had paid more attention to her as you spoke with James.

“Hello, beautiful, my name is Casper and what’s yours?” He asked, taking your hand in his and kissing it. Wanda’s behaviour had put you on edge, but you tried to smile kindly as you gave the man your name.

He was a good looking man, tall and broad shouldered. His shirt was tight enough to show his well-defined chest and dark jeans told you that he didn’t skip leg day in the gym. He took pride in his appearance, his dark half long hair slicked back with precision and he had a perfectly designed goaty around his lips. The lips formed a thin line as he looked you over and you felt a chill run over your back at his gaze. He wasn’t doing much, but his stare felt invasive somehow. Perhaps his piercing green eyes just gave that appearance, you thought and tried to relax a little.

“Did you just fart?” He suddenly asked and you frowned in confusion, before he added the punchline, “Because you blew me away.”

He barked out a laugh and winked at the man that was now sitting with Wanda, clearly his mate, as they both laughed at the joke. You just watched him with raised eyebrows, hoping that this was simply a joke they were playing on the two of you. It certainly didn’t impress you much. Unfortunately it was a joke that had no end as he spewed a few more of those interesting lines at you and Wanda. Neither one of you very amused, instead more confused. Did this ever work on women? The men doubled over in laughter again, while you and Wanda shared an exasperated sigh. You wondered just what was going on?

Finally Casper turned back to you and asked what your job was. Determined to be polite, though reeling from their behaviour so far, you informed him of your own business. He didn’t bother to ask what you did exactly and you didn’t feel the need to tell him. Soon after he asked you about your plans for the rest of the evening and slightly suspicious you leaned back in your seat, taking him in before saying anything.

“Well, probably going home,” you finally said.

“Or you could come home with me,” he winked and you barked out a laugh.

“Why not?” There was a still a confident smirk on his face as his eyes lingered on your chest. You were very happy that you had decided on a dress with a higher neckline.

“Read the room, man, not happening,” you finally sighed and wiped the smile from your face. Were those four minutes over yet? You rolled your eyes when he called you boring and uptight, tapping your foot impatiently against the leg of your chair. You didn’t even bother to reply to him, instead you raised your eyebrows and mouthed an ‘okay’.

He mumbled some colourful language as he stood up and stalked out of the room, not even bothering to attend the final three tables of the evening. His friend followed suit. The girl next to you didn’t appear too bothered by that and the two of you exchanged a few words during your dateless four minutes.

By the time the last bell rang, you were tired, hungry and entirely ready to give up dating all together. If this was an indication of what was out there for you, you didn’t want to try. You’d rather stay single. Wanda agreed with your sentiment, though she was far more patient and much less annoyed.

“God, what’s with those guys,” you exclaimed as you ordered another drink at the bar, while you discussed all the men you had met that evening. The clearing of a throat stopped the words that Wanda had been about to say and you both turned to see James standing behind you. He smiled a little self-conscious. You couldn’t blame him, if he had heard your comment, though you were eager to tell him that he had not been amongst the group you had been discussing.

“I wanted to ask if I could buy the two of you something to ear, to salvage this evening as much as we can,” James asked as he stepped up to you. Wanda and you exchanged a glance, she shrugged and you turned back to the man.

“I could really eat something,” you smiled and he offered you both an arm, before leading you towards the exit. Suddenly speed-dating didn’t seem so horrible after all.

*** Fictober19 Masterlist

#fictober19 #MCU fanfiction #no warnings #James Rhodes #Wanda Maximoff #Reader

[flatsuke]

if eisuke was one of the slbp sengoku lords, what would he be like? what would his MS be like? in what ways do you think having the ichinomiya clan to run back in the 16th/17th century would change his character??

OH MAN I LOVE THIS QUESTION SM YOU HAVE NO IDEA! There’s so much potential 

Questions like these butter my biscuit man. Anyhow, without further ado, let’s start my favorite game, Eisuke Love Ballad Party:

What he would be like:

For the most part, I’d say he’d be really similar to SLBP Nobunaga in terms of personality. They’re both larger-than-life figures that are arrogant, callous, and ostensibly cruel. But everything they do has a reason behind it.

Eisuke would be the lord of a once-small clan that is now slowly gaining power in the country. Like, Nobu, he’d be the kind of leader that is feared and respected by his people as opposed to loved by his people.

I’d say he’d be a well-intentioned extremist, if that makes sense? Like, he thinks of the welfare of his people, but he’s willing to use underhanded and downright cruel tactics to make sure his people are benefiting under his rule. 

I think a major difference between Nobu and Eisuke would be that Eisuke would be a lot more subtle than Nobu. Nobu is into flamboyant shows of his power and action, but Eisuke would be a lot more toned-down. Nobu likes to work front and center, but Eisuke would rather do everything behind-the-scenes. He’s less likely to lose his cool, too.

He’d also be more manipulative than Nobu, especially when it comes to dealing with other clans. He’d be more likely to blackmail clan heads or hire assassins to get rid of his enemies. 

He’d be a master of the Fake Smile™ in negotiations, similar to Nobuyuki and Ieyasu. Eisuke is, after all, a businessman at the core of his being.

Among his retainers, only a few would genuinely like him as a person. Most of them fear him and keep a distance from him. Eisuke wouldn’t exactly be the best people-person, especially with his retainers. 

Because of his unlikeable personality and lack of a true connection with anybody, he’d be extremely prone to betrayals. Retainers who were once close to him have tried to kill him at one point or another, and some of his own family members have tried to assassinate him for monopolizing the power in the Ichinomiya Clan.

Due to that, he’d have extreme trust issues with just about anybody he’d meet, and he’d always keep people at arm’s length.

If I had to say, he’d be 50% Nobunaga, 30% Ieyasu, and 20% Nobuyuki.

Compared to his modern day self, he’d be a lot colder and crueler (as with the harshness of the feudal era).

That is, until MC comes along ;)

Possible MS plot:

I’m going to take a ton of creative and historical liberties with this (I’m having too much fun with this lol). Also, I borrowed some plot points from Nobu’s MS + Act 2, Nobu’s Another Story ES, and Ieyasu’s MS because I think it would suit Eisuke’s possible MS perfectly :D

Just like most people in that time period, MC is a simple, hardworking farmer just trying to make ends meet for herself.

One day, she encounters a stranger being attacked by a group of ronin. MC, being the good samaritan she is, steps in to defend said stranger. 

(For the sake of the AU and my own self-indulgence, let’s say MC has some martial arts training due to living alone for so long)

Of course, said stranger happens to be Eisuke in disguise. He’s currently in hiding from the castle, trying to figure out which relatives want him dead. He’s waiting for his assassins to snuff them out.

MC can’t fend off the ronin by herself, so Eisuke helps her out. He’s secretly impressed that she’d help a complete stranger at the cost of her own life.

He lies to her and tells her he’s a traveler in need of a place to stay for the time being. She tells him of the nearest inn in town, but Eisuke says he needs something more lowkey and nondescript.

She offers him temporary bedspace at her own humble shack, and he hesitates because it’s a peasant’s house, but he reluctantly agrees because he can’t afford to be picky.

So he ends up cohabiting with her for some time, 

And the whole time they’re together, they end up bickering 90% of the time because of course Eisuke acts like an entitled prick who feels like he’s above working around the house lmao. She’s annoyed that she was gullible enough to let this prick live with her rip

One day, MC goes to town to sell her crops to some merchants, and he accompanies her. When they arrive there, he hears the townspeople talk about how much they hate Eisuke and how much he’s made life harder for the peasants (of course none of them know that he’s actually Eisuke).

Surprisingly enough, MC defends Eisuke from the hate he’s been getting, saying that Eisuke always acts in the best interest of his people, etc.

He’s touched by her words because no one’s ever really defended him like that before, but he doesn’t say it out loud.

Since that day, Eisuke makes an effort to be slightly less of a prick to her than he usually is. He even tries to help her out with some of the farmwork (albeit very clumsily).

Time passes, and the assassins finally notify Eisuke that the traitors have been snuffed out

And it’s finally time for Eisuke to go back to the castle.

One day, while having a quiet dinner, he breaks the news to MC. She doesn’t believe him at first, but then she hears horses from outside her shack. Lo and behold, Eisuke’s retainers have come to pick him up and take him back to the castle.

MC is flabbergasted to say the least. She immediately bows to him and apologizes for addressing him so informally the whole time.

Eisuke tells her to stop bowing (it makes him uncomfortable after being treated normally by her the whole time).

Being the businessman he is, he gets straight to the point and insists that she come to the castle with him and act as his servant. He offers that life would be much better in the castle, and that she’d be paid handsomely for her service to him.

Of course, MC hesitates, and Eisuke being Eisuke, he doesn’t take no for an answer.

So now MC lives in the castle

And it’s a whole new experience for her because she sees all the political intrigue and the power dynamics of the elite firsthand.

She also sees Eisuke fitting into his role as a ruler and how he juggles so much responsibilities all day. 

Her job description is technically a palace servant, but she acts more like Eisuke’s personal servant.

She’s the only he allows in his chambers, and he usually calls her to make him some food, or to keep him company (because he won’t admit it, but he can only act like himself around her and he feels a little less only with her).

Unfortunately, this catches the ire of others in the castle because this low-class peasant somehow managed to earn his good graces in a short period of time. Plus, the implication of MC going into his room often isn’t good.

Still, MC perseveres.

One night, he invites her to go drink with him on the veranda

And lowkey she’s uncomfortable because earlier that day, he had a retainer punished severely and she’s still unused to his displays of severity on his subjects.

But he insists and she joins him.

He remarks how they used to drink together when they still lived at her shack. But they both know the distance between them is considerably bigger now, thanks to the revelation of his status.

Still, he straight-up tells her to stop calling him “Lord Eisuke” all the time when they’re alone. He wants to revert back the to the first-name basis they had back then.

She rejects the proposition of course, but Eisuke makes it an order for her to do it when they’re alone together at least (of course he does lmao). She eventually caves in.

They start making small talk about life in the castle, and she finally brings up the subject of the punished retainer. She asks him why he would punish them so harshly.

He angrily tells her it’s none of her business, but she retorts, saying that she always had an idealized view of him as a ruler, but after seeing his display earlier, she’s not so sure anymore.

He’s incensed at her reply, telling her how naive she is. He tells her that the retainer was caught trying to poison his drink, and that everyone has been out to kill him and betray him since Day One. He says that’s the way the world they live in works, and that she should’ve had that in mind.

He goes on to tell her that even his own family never trusted him, so he’s had to look after himself, gain power, and do everything on his own. 

It’s the first time she’s ever seen him lash out emotionally at all, and she’s not sure what to say. She gives a small apology after.

They’re quiet for a while, and he tells her that everyone ends up leaving him eventually, and that she’s the only one who’s ever stuck with him for that long. But he’s afraid that she’ll leave him, too.

She says she’ll continue to stay, and that she wouldn’t betray him, ever. He asks her to promise that no matter what, she’d never betray him. She does.

After that night, they grow considerably closer to each other, and at this point, MC already acknowledges that she has feelings for him.

But unbeknownst to them, some of Eisuke’s retainers have allied with enemy clans and have been quietly planning a coup d’etat all this time.

Eisuke learns of this plot too late before he can stop it, and he immediately pushes her away from him, even asking that she be brought back to the farm because he knows the traitors plan to kill everyone close to him. MC is understandably confused and upset.

The day comes when the traitors plan to kill him once and for all, and they trap him in the castle with no means to escape. 

It’s Eisuke and a few of his closest retainers versus the traitors + some members of enemy clans. He knows he’s outnumbered, but he still tries his best to fight anyway.

Eventually, the enemies are subdued, but all Eisuke’s allies are dead, and he’s the only one left alive (but fatally wounded) in the bloodbath. He doesn’t have the strength to move anymore.

As he lies there, dying alone, he thinks of MC’s face regretting the fact that he couldn’t make anything better for anyone, especially to the only person who ever mattered to him.

He thinks he’s hallucinating when he sees MC walk closer to him, and to his surprise, it’s actually her. He wonders why she’s stumbling as she walks towards him when he realizes she, too, was mortally wounded in the crossfire by some of his enemies.

He angrily asks why she came back for him even after all the suffering he put her through. He says she could have lived a peaceful life if she stayed.

But she tells him she made a promise to never leave him no matter what. She admits to him that she loves him as they’re both dying.

For the first time in many, many years, he cries. He’s been so alone for so long, and now he finally feels like he’s found his other half in his meaningless life.

They both die together.

And hopefully, a reincarnation AU lmao

WOW, i had way too much fun with this. I’m sorry this got really long, but I hope you enjoyed it!

#croquettish #ask #kbtbb #spade writes #just for fun #eisuke love ballad party #spade edits #eisuke ichinomiya #long post #i LOVED ANSWERING THIS ASK SO MUCH!! #ALSO!! im sorry for answering this so late #thank you so much for your ask and your patience :DDD #kissed by the baddest bidder #voltage inc #otp: thank you for being born

[i-have-a-dc-problem]

In Her Arms, Chapter Two

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16219166/chapters/37981061#workskin

Jason had awoken once more to the sunlight piercing his room through the window he loved to sit in. "Master Jason," Alfred called from the hall. "It's time for school!" Jason had had trouble leaving his bed in the mornings at first, but he complied and walked to his wardrobe. "I'm up, Al, I'm up." He dressed in his Gotham Academy uniform which he despised at first sight. It was tight, itchy and stiff. Jason knew, however, that this school wasn't something he could pass up. He wanted to the best education he could get his hands on. Might as well, right? He'd probably never get a chance like this again. "Make the best of it," he smiled to his reflection in the mirror as he tied his tie. He grabbed his bag and headed down to the stairs to the parlor. He stood still as Alfred attempted to comb the boy's thick black hair.

"Forget it," Jason said, impatiently. He waved his hands above his head, disrupting Alfred's. Alfred took a step back and followed the boy to the kitchen, but he knew Jason was nervous. Alfred had already prepared breakfast, and Bruce joined them, dressed in one of his work suits. "Morning, Alfred. Morning, Jay," he smiled. Jason smiled at his father, taking a break from his strawberries and cream oatmeal.

"Morning, Bruce," he replied, but a bit of oatmeal came flying out, landing on Bruce's jacket. Jason's eyes widened in fear. Bruce looked at Jason, and laughed. "Gotta remember to swallow before you speak," he said.

"You're rather lucky, Master Jason. Whenever Master Bruce would speak with food in his mouth, his parents had me smack his bottom," Alfred laughed. Bruce rolled his eyes and smiled. He went upstairs to change blazers, and soon returned.

Jason had finished breakfast, and they headed to the Rolls Royce. Alfred sat in the driver's seat, as usual, and Bruce joined Jason in the back. "Nervous?" Bruce asked.

Jason was quiet, but he nodded. "Yeah," he finally spoke as Alfred started the engine and pulled out of Wayne Manor. "It's okay to be nervous, Jason. You're strong, you're smart, and you're brave. You can handle it."

Jason's quivering lips softened and curled into a smile. His blue eyes beamed with confidence. He nodded softly and looked up at Bruce. "I'll give it my all, old man," he smirked.

Bruce smiled back. "Good to hear. Now, let's do something about about that hair." He pulled out a comb and parted Jason's hair down the middle, curling up at the corners of his forehead. "How's that look?" he asked the boy.

Jason pulled out his phone and looked at his reflection in the front facing camera. "I look a hellova richer than I did a few weeks ago," Jason chuckled. "It'll do just fine." Alfred parked the car. "We've arrived, sirs," Alfred spoke. "Ready, champ?" Bruce smiled. Jason nodded and hugged Bruce before bolting out of the car. Alfred and Bruce smiled as the boy raced up the stone steps leading up to the Gotham Academy.

Bruce looked on with pride, and a bit of worry. He wondered how other kids would treat him, and how he'd react. Jason hid his anger well, but kids could be cruel. Bruce shook off the thought as Alfred pulled out into traffic, now headed for Wayne Enterprises. "As you said yourself, Master Bruce, he'll be fine."

Jason roamed the halls memorizing his surroundings and getting his bearings. He felt eyes upon him from his peers. Their stares pierced him as their whispers infiltrated his mind. "That's the new kid?" "I hear Bruce Wayne found him in a gutter." "I dunno, he's kinda cute." "Dick was cuter." "Nah, I heard he's killed a guy befor-" Jason couldn't take it. He held his head high, braving the world and walked to the nearest bathroom. He looked at himself, into his own eyes. "Everything is what you make of it, Todd. Even you, err, me. Whatever. We got this." He stepped out and struck up a conversation.

"So you're the newest heir to the Wayne fortune?" Cindy Highmore asked him, Lucy Westminster right beside.

"It probably depends on how I behave," he said, showing off his cocky grin. The girls giggled. "Say, it's my first day. Mind showing me around?" Jason asked politely. The girls agreed and each took one of his hands, leading him down each and every hall. Jason felt more powerful than ever. He knew he wasn't ugly, but the thought that he was cute hadn't occured to him. Mrs. Walker would pinch his cheeks and give her two cents, but Jason was no more than a tyke then. He had no idea how he remembered that, let alone Mrs. Walker herself.

"Soooo this is the gymnasium, and over here is the science wing, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, you name it," Lucy spoke up. They led him all over the school, showing him the art room, all of the literature and language art rooms next. After showing him the mathematics department, they pulled him out of view from the hall, and Lucy and Cindy pecked Jason's lips. Jason stood there, stunned. His face ran red, and he went to the office to get his schedule.

Even though Jason had said nothing of it, the girls had spread it through the school like wildfire. Jason was still uncomfortable with the attention. By lunchtime, he had his tray in hand, and sat at a table with friends he made in English Literature. He was chowing down on his food when some older kids came to the table.

"Are you Jason Todd-Wayne?" One young man asked. His newfound friends ran, scared.

Jason kept eating, not even looking up. "That's what it says on my underwear, more or less.

He grabbed Jason's collar and lifted him off the ground. "You have insulted the Highmore name, and the honor that comes with!"

"Normally, at this point, I would ask 'What did I do?', but let's be honest. You're obviously a tool and I have enjoyed upsetting you. I mean look at you. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a voice like Thurston Howell the Third. You're like a villain out of a cheesy '80's movie. What are you gonna do, tear down the ski lodge my ragtag orphanage friends go to?" His friends start to snicker, and he gets angrier still.

"You little shithead! Do you know who I am?!" He roared.

"Honestly, I don't know and I don't care. I've just been stalling until someone of authority shows up. Gotta pick your fights, pal. Oh, and by the way, your sister and her friend kissed me. I didn't make the first move," Jason replied. Highmore was baffled as some teachers ran in. "What did you think was gonna happen? That I was gonna challenge you to a duel? Please." Andrew Highmore let go of Jason. "This isn't over!" he snapped. "Yes it is," Jason replied as Andrew was sent to the Dean's office.

Jason let out an exasperated huff and sat down to finish his lunch. "Entitled prick," he muttered under his breath.

The next period they had physical education. Jason had been looking forward to it. His blood had already been pumping. Unfortunately, he and his classmates were instructed to watch videos, explaining how to play the sport they would do for the next two weeks. To make matters worse, it was croquet.

The final bell of the day rang, and Jason left. He felt eyes of someone on him. He looked around, to find Andrew Highmore glaring at him from a third story window. Jason promptly hooked each side of his mouth, stuck out his tongue, and crossed his eyes at him. Jason looked for the Rolls Royce, but didn't see him. He shrugged and started walking home, back to Wayne Manor. It wasn't long after that Bruce and Alfred pulled up to the school, completely forgetting that they had a child. Bruce ran all around the block, looking for Jason.

Jason was already 3 blocks away. "He's a CEO," he shrugged as he talked to himself. "He's probably working hard, doing... hell, I don't know what CEOs do, but it's important." Jason kept stepping when a car pulled up. "Jason!" A voice called out. The boy turned his head and saw Bruce. "Where were you? I was worried sick!"

"I was just walking home from school," he shrugged. "Don't kids normally do that kind of thing?"

"Not when the walk is 14 miles!" Bruce said, wrapping his arms around the boy. "I'm sorry, Jason. The time slipped away from me. I-"

"It's okay. I get it," Jason replied. "Let's go home?"

Bruce nodded and helped him into the car. "So, how did school go today?"

"Well, to be honest, there was a lot more drama than I was expecting," he sighed. "Why do white kids have to be so damn dramatic?" The willpower it took for Alfred to not laugh, especially at Bruce, could have earned him a Green Lantern's power ring, but a knowing smirk shined through.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Bruce asked. Jason shrugged. "Well, these two girls were showing me around, and then they kissed me. I wasn't expecting it, but you won't hear me complain," he blushed. Bruce was surprised. "Well, they told like all of their friends and it got back to her older brother, and he got pissed on me. 'A plague upon thine house,' quoth the dweeb, or something like that. He got detention for putting his hands on me so he's probably gonna try something again."

"Well, I know a thing or two about bullies," Bruce smiled. "If you want, I could show you a few moves. A little bit of fencing, a little bit of boxing, or your Uncle Oliver can come down from Star City to show a few things with a bow and arrow if things get too out of hand," Bruce chuckled.

Jason thought on it, and nodded. "Yeah, better safe than sorry." Bruce smiled and nodded. "We'll lace up some gloves as soon as we get home. Besides, I have a few secrets I want to tell." Jason nodded again, with a smile, and looked out the window for the rest of the ride, watching Gotham get just a little smaller than it already was.

#Jason Todd #gotham academy #bruce wayne #Alfred Pennyworth

[titoslondon-blog]

New Post has been published on Titos London

#Blog New Post has been published on http://www.titoslondon.com/whos-the-most-feminist-disney-princess-of-them-all/

Who’s The Most Feminist Disney Princess Of Them All?

Rex Features

When the first trailer for the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast was released last November, the two-minute clip set a new record for most views in its first 24 hours alone.

Since then, the remake, which sees Emma Watson playing the bookish heroine, has supplied us with plenty of 1998 nostalgia–illustrating, once again, the remarkable staying power of the Disney princess. But with Beauty and the Beast's entrance into the modern era–and what a tumultuous and monumental era it is–our childhood protagonists are now subject to modern scrutiny.

While Belle serves as the poster child for brains-before-beauty, Watson has given the princess a more realistic, feminist makeover for the revamp. “In the animated movie, it’s her father who is the inventor, and we actually co-opted that for Belle,” Watson told Entertainment Weekly. “I was like, ‘Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn’t fit in, other than she liked books. Also, what is she doing with her time?’ So, we created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead. So, yeah, we made Belle an inventor.”

The original set of princesses were created between 1937 and 1998, meaning that the OG fairytale leads lack the advantage of more modern Disney ladies like Tiana, Rapunzel, Ella, and Merida, who lean more heroine than princess simply because of the time they were sketched. But with the imminent arrival of Beauty and the Beast, we found ourselves wondering: How do Disney's original princesses stack up in 2017? To be respectful of each princess' circumstance–they're all feisty in their own right–we created a matrix that compares their level of defiance to their intentions.

Read on for our full analysis of the original eight, their stories, and their fairytale flaws.



1. MULAN


Backstory Refresh: When the Huns invade China, the government calls for one man from every family to join the Chinese army. In order to keep her aging father home, Mulan bandages down her breasts, lobs her hair with a literal sword, and goes full male to join the forces. Even though her initial military skills are weak and she needs to endure daily training sessions where in her captain repeatedly sings that he’ll make a man out of her, Mulan becomes a pretty badass warrior. Her true gender is only ever discovered after she is slashed in the chest by the Hun leader. Ultimately, she is the key player in rescuing the Imperial City and Emperor and her super buff captain falls in love with her.


Fairytale Flaw: N/A. At no point her story does Mulan stray from her true feminist ideals and strong family values.


Modern Day Translation: Modern day Mulan would stick to her non-gender conforming standards of style and behavior even when she develops a baby crush on the stereotypical hot jock. She would put her family and friends over herself and throw support behind their causes.



 

 




2. BELLE 


Backstory Refresh: When her father is trapped in the Beast’s castle, bookish Belle sacrifices herself to take his place. When she’s not gossiping with the fine China, she is gradually befriending the Beast, who is a total jerk (albeit his mood has certainly suffered from being shunned from society). When Belle finds out her father is in danger, she returns to the city. Meanwhile, Gaston, the vain village hottie who feels entitled to Belle’s affection, goes after the Beast but ultimately dies because he hates books and you can’t survive in this world without intellect. Belle, apparently chill with body hair, smooches the Beast and he returns to his true chiseled form, Prince Adam.


Fairytale Flaw: Although Belle ultimately falls for a man well outside of society’s traditional standards of attraction, she also falls for a man who is totally domineering and emotionally immature because she believes she can change him.


Modern Day Translation: Belle can spot and take down a misogynist at the drop of a baguette. But her determination to better a man who treats her poorly despite how it may inconvenience her (like being held prisoner in a castle) is a bit naive.



 

 




3. JASMINE




Backstory Refresh: Princess Jasmine spends her days avoiding arranged marriages to high falutin royal suitors and her nights sneaking out of the castle to hobnob with the middle class of Agrabah. Here, she meets man-of-the-street Aladdin who shows her common decency and so she falls for him. Still, he requests that his genie make him into a prince so he can deceive Jasmine into loving him, but she assumes he’s just another royal and is uninterested in his newly gained socioeconomic status. Ultimately, Jasmine is awarded the opportunity to choose who she wants to marry (her father literally changes the law that said she couldn’t) and she chooses “street rat” Aladdin.


Fairytale Flaw: Jasmine pretty much holds her own against the oppressive standards, which pretty much say her marriageability defines her status as a woman. She does, though, at one point, reduce herself to an object of sexual desire in order to seduce Jafar.


Modern Day Translation: Jasmine is a strong, empowered woman who believes you can be equal parts smart and sexy. She chooses a poor boyfriend to financially support, going against the traditional man-saves-a-woman narrative because he emotionally supports her. Unfortunately, sometimes the only power a woman can wield over a man is physical, but Jasmine uses her sexuality for a pretty noble cause.



 

 




4. CINDERELLA


Backstory Refresh: After her father dies, Cinderella lives and works for her evil stepmother and stepsisters. She is literally enslaved and used as the family servant. With the help of a fairy godmother, though, she is able to attend the royal ball where she encounters a prince who becomes immediately smitten with her. She only has until midnight and flees the ball, leaving behind her trendy, but definitely uncomfortable, glass slipper. The obsessed prince uses his privilege to force every eligible maiden to try it on until he finds Cinderella and marries her.


Fairytale Flaw: TBH, Cinderella doesn’t have too much opportunity to stand her ground as a captive in her own home. But she does defiantly make it to the ball, even if she only wanted to go to find a man.


Modern Day Translation: It might not push the most progressive narrative, but you can’t knock a girl for wanting a night on the town to manhunt with her friends.



 

 




5. POCAHONTAS 


Backstory Refresh: Pocahontas is the original free spirit. She is a walking flower crown full of beauty and good vibes, which is exactly why she doesn’t want to marry stern warrior Kocoum. When the white English settlers come and set up shop on Native American land, Pocahontas encounters the very Aryan John Smith, whom she quickly becomes enamored with. They kiss and basically set off a war between the settlers and the tribe. Smith is sentenced to death, but Pocahontas stops her father (the tribe’s chief!) just as he is about to kill him. When Smith asks Pocahontas to return to England with him, she declines, choosing instead to stay with her tribe.


Fairytale Flaw: Although regarded and remembered as one of the fiercer Disney princesses, Pocahontas endangers her entire tribe and actually gets a couple people killed to be with a guy.


Modern Day Translation: There’s no denying Pocahontas is a true badass female. But a man is rarely worth losing your connection to your family and friends. She makes the right decision to ultimately put her romance to the side and stay with them, but she sort of owed it to them after all the drama.



 

 



6. SNOW WHITE


Backstory Refresh: In order to avoid having her heart cut from her chest (upsetting!) by for her evil, super vain stepmother, Snow White flees into the forest. There, she encounters seven dwarves whom she befriends. She works in their cottage, cooking and cleaning, while they mine diamonds during the day. She’s poisoned by the queen, though, and falls asleep. The dwarves think she’s dead and build a rather stunning glass coffin to lay her to rest above ground. A year later (!!!), she is visited by a prince she met prior to her escape into the forest who smooches her and wakes her from her slumber. They live happily ever after even though Snow White was essentially decaying for an entire year.


Fairytale Flaw: Snow White is the most passive of all Disney’s leading ladies. She never tries to escape her servitude to her nasty stepmother and her first instinct upon arriving at a cottage full of little men is to cook and clean for them.


Modern Day Translation: She might be the most passive, but she’s also Disney’s oldest (Snow White and Seven Dwarves was released in 1937) so we’ll give her a pass on the lack of progression.



 

 




7. AURORA, "SLEEPING BEAUTY"


Backstory Refresh: After Maleficent basically condemns Aurora to die on her 16th birthday (by a sewing wheel of all things), another fairy alters the curse to have her fall into a deep sleep instead, only to be awoken by true love’s first kiss. Aurora is then raised by that fairy and her two fairy sisters and essentially exists to aimlessly walk about a beautiful scenic forest while singing, which she genuinely seems okay with. She meets and immediately falls in love with a charming man with an impressive tenor. After the fairies tell her she can’t see him again, Aurora runs off and is, of course, manipulated and led to the spinning wheel where she pricks her finger and falls asleep until prince man wakes her up with his mouth.


Fairytale Flaw: Sleeping Beauty shows absolutely no real drive or need to create or find a purpose for herself. She only displays any level of passion when she, as a teenager, is told she can’t date the random singing boy she met in the wilderness.


Modern Day Translation: Sleeping Beauty aimlessly wanders through life until she falls victim to her own naivete and needs to be saved by a man.



 





8. ARIEL


Backstory Refresh: Fiery red-headed mermaid Ariel is fiercely curious and interested in a world beyond her own. In fact, she hates her own neighborhood so much and wants to be human so badly that she’ll do anything to be “part of that world,” even if it means disobeying her king dad and regularly spending time at the surface of the ocean gazing at humans. Without any contact at all, Ariel falls in love with human man Eric, who has two legs and well-coiffed hair. She visits sea witch Ursula and trades her magical singing voice for a pair of legs to woo him with. After a ton of drama and her father being turned into a polyp on the floor of the ocean, Ariel is actually saved by Eric. Her excessively forgiving father turns her fin into permanent legs so she can marry him.


Fairytale Flaw: Although inspiring in her rebellious nature, Ariel misdirects her defiance, risking her and her father’s life for a dreamy land-boy. She trades her voice and her home to be with a stranger she saw playing flute for a few minutes from a distance.


Modern Day Translation: Impetuous and passionate as she may be, Ariel committed the most disempowering sin when she gave up her voice for a man. And then, after all that trouble, her father still has to grant her freedom.





This article by Lindsay Dolak originally appeared on InStyle.com.