#I would have given up on all my characters if it weren't for al of you!
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who could stay?
alexia x r
r is struggling with her anxiety. Alexia wants nothing more than to help. Will r let her?
CW for panic attacks / general depictions of anxiety.
Alexia knew something was up with you. Recently, you'd been attached at the hip to her. This wasn't something she minded, not at all, it was just quite out of character for you. You'd responded to her attempts to figure out what was wrong with tight lipped smiles, and clear lies that you were fine. You looked exhausted, which she didn't understand. You spent most nights at her apartment, and there was no indication that you weren't sleeping, yet the bags under your eyes only darkened. You made no indication that you wanted to speak to her about what was wrong, but luckily, she caught you getting out of bed one night.
Alright, she didn't catch you getting out of bed, but she rolled over, half asleep, looking for you to snuggle up against, eyes snapping open when she found your side of the bed empty. Still warm, but empty. She was instantly awake, and worried. She first looked to the bathroom, but the light was off, the door ajar. There was no light flowing in from the hallway, but she headed that way anyway, not sure where else you would be.
Entering the living room, she could just barely make you out on the couch, head in your hands, body seemingly shuddering with every breath.
"Amor?" she called softly, flicking on the light as she did so. Your head snapped up, wild eyes meeting hers. Your eyes were red, and tear tracks stained your cheeks. Alexia moved to your side quickly, crouching down in front of you. "Hey, amor, what is wrong?"
"No-nothing. I'm fine. Go ba-back to sleep, Ale," you gasped out. Alexia frowned in response, making no move to do as you said.
"Mi vida, why are you out here? Why did you not wake me?" Alexia was confused. She'd seemed to have found the root of why you looked so exhausted, but she still wasn't sure why she found you crying, by yourself on the living room couch, in the middle of the night.
You were quickly losing the ability to speak, though, something that Alexia picked up on. "What can I do?" she asked, begged really. She hated seeing you like this, hated not being able to help. In response, having clearly given up on trying to force her to go to bed, you gripped onto her forearm, your desire obvious. She moved up onto the couch, pulling you securely into her chest. Your ear was pressed right over her heart, and you tried to calm down, listening to the steady beats.
"Shh, you are okay, bonita, I've got you," Alexia soothed, and you tried to focus on her words. You were okay. You were safe. You were with Alexia. You were clinging onto her quite hard, and she held you with equal force. "Breath for me, amorcita, in and out, just like that."
Alexia's voice was comforting, and she talked you through the worst of the panic attack, only pulling away once you're breathing was almost normal.
"Thank you," you told her, eyes downcast.
"Of course," she paused, not really sure what to ask first. "How long has this been going on?"
"Only a week," you replied, and Alexia sighed in response.
"A week of waking in the middle of the night like this, and you did not get me once?"
"I didn't want to bother you, Ale,"
"You are not capable of bothering me," the midfielder argued, but she took a breath, not wanting to get frustrated when you were clearly still so upset. "Is something causing it?"
You stayed silent.
"Amorcita, please let me in. I want to help, I do not like seeing you so upset," Alexia begged.
"I stopped taking my anxiety medication," you admitted.
"Porque?" Alexia questions, looking stunned. You shrug. "Porque, amor?" Alexia asks again.
"I don't like relying on it. It messes with my mood, and I just don't want it anymore, I don't need it."
"Clearly, you do need it. There is nothing wrong with needing to take something for your anxiety, y/n." Alexia states, trying to keep her voice even. "Did you talk to your doctor about going off?"
"No," you reply, voice small.
"Amor, come on. That is not safe,"
"It's fine, Alexia, please just leave it," you respond, trying to sound firmer than you felt.
"No, I will not. I care about you, and I do not like it when you are unkind to yourself. You deserve to feel good everyday, and if medication helps you feel that, then you should take it. You are going to talk to your doctor, go back on your meds, and if you want to change something with them, you will do it under the supervision of a medical professional. Entiendes?"
"Si," you respond quietly, and Alexia is surprised at how quickly you give up. Your dropping eyes tell her why, though, and she drops her stern attitude.
"Venga, mi vida, let's go back to bed." You allow her to guide you back into bed, but clearly, you you think she's still mad at you, because you lay on the edge of your side of the bed, as far from her as you could get. You feel her pull on your shirt, and you turn, eyes watery. Alexia is laying facing you, arms open, a soft look on her face, and you waste no time scooting over into her warm embrace.
"I want you to talk to me, mi amor. When you are anxious, I want you to tell me, so I can help," Alexia whispers into your hair.
"I hate bothering you."
"Listen to me, por favor. You could never bother me, especially not when you're sharing your feelings with me. Vale?"
"Okay." You allow, after considering for a minute.
"Do you think you can go to sleep?"
You shrug. "I'm still kind of anxious," you mumble. Alexia presses a kiss into your hair, sliding her hand under your shirt, and beginning to run her nails up and down your back. She feels you relax more against her.
"There you go, amor. Just focus on the feeling of my hand on you. Everything is okay," she promises.
"Love you," you murmur, words almost lost in the fabric of her shirt.
"Te amo mucho, bonita." Alexia responds, only letting herself fall asleep once she was sure you had first.
-----
The first time you do as Alexia asked, and tell her when you're feeling anxious, is only a few days later. You're back on your medication, having met with your psychiatrist, who agreed to look into other options, so long as you went back on the current one for now. It was still an adjustment, though, and you were still significantly more anxious than normal. Alexia had taken to holding you tight against her while you both slept, which had worked in 2 ways. You hadn't woken up having a panic attack, and even if you had, you wouldn't have been able to slip out of bed without her noticing.
You've both returned from practice, and Alexia is in the kitchen, making a snack, when you decide that you are feeling to uneasy to sit and wait for her. Being in physical contact with her was one of the only things that was always successful in calming you down. Entering the kitchen, you quietly pad over to Alexia, wrapping your arms around her abdomen, and resting your head against her back. She stills her movements, cutting up strawberries, and puts the knife down, placing her hands over yours.
"Hola," she says quietly.
"Hi," you respond, voice shakier than you would have preferred.
"Everything okay?" she asks carefully, aware that it is not, but wanting you to come to her.
"No," you say. You mean to follow it up with something else, but your throat feels tight, as you swallow back tears, and you can't get another word out. Alexia doesn't need more, though, turning around and holding you tight against her chest, swaying you both back and forth lightly. You let out a shaky breath, feeling yourself already calming slightly.
"Thank you for telling me," Alexia says, aware of what a big step that simple word had been for you. "Can I do anything?"
"I don’t know," you admit, words dripping with vulnerability.
“That is okay. I’ve got you." She reassures, guiding your head away from her neck, and pressing her forehead to hers. Your eyes flutter shut, and you sigh. After a few moments, you pull away, feeling somewhat calmer. You only make it as far as Alexia’s arms allow, as she isn’t letting go.
“Make your snack, Ale,” you instruct, but she simply shakes her head, manhandling you into the position she wants you in. Once she has you stood in front of her, arms wrapped around her body, she resumes her snack preparations, looking over your shoulder as she cuts the fruit.
You chuckle lightly into her at her ridiculousness, but she ignores you, not letting you move from your spot nestled against her.
“We’re becoming that couple, Alexia. The annoyingly clingy couple.”
“No me importa. I like you clingy.” She declares, shuffling the both of you across the kitchen to put the strawberries back in the fridge. By the time she’s put the snack in a bowl, not letting you even an inch away from her, you’re both laughing.
Finally, she lets you go, smiling triumphantly at your significantly more relaxed behavior. She places a strawberry piece into your mouth, pecking your lips lightly.
“Better?”
“Yeah. So much better.” You promise, returning her soft smile.
“Bueno!” She replies, before taking the bowl in one large hand, and scooping you up and over her shoulder in the other. Her strength impresses you, but still, you squirm slightly as she carries you into the living room towards the couch.
“Alexia!! You’re being absurd” you laugh, and she playfully smacks your ass with the hand holding onto you. “Alexia Putellas Segura, put me down!”
Arriving at the couch, she tosses you easily down, and you bounce slightly. She’s looking down at you with a smirk, and you can’t help your lips tugging into a matching one. Just when you think she’s going to be normal again, she sprawls herself on top of you, larger body enveloping yours, as she shifts around making herself comfortable.
“No room for you to be anxious now, amor.” She says matter of factly, and you wrap your arms around her. It sounds absurd, but really, she’s right. Her weight on you is the perfect amount of pressure, and the smell of her perfume invading your senses slows your heartbeat easily.
Alexia reaches over to the table grabbing both the remote and bowl in her hand, making her intention to not get off of you clear.
“I like you clingy too.” You mumble, and the blonde offers you another strawberry. Your hands busy holding onto her, so you open your mouth, rolling your eyes, as she places it carefully in your mouth. You aren’t annoyed, not at all. You didn’t know what you needed before, but Alexia did. She always did.
----
The next time you ask Alexia for help, it’s a much bigger hit to your pride. You’ve just gotten into a fight, which ended with Alexia storming out of the house to “go on a drive and clear her head.”
It was a stupid fight; both of you thought the other was taking on too much at Barca and your respective national teams, and the lack of time together had been taking its toll. Frustrated, and really just missing each other, you’d gotten into an argument about which of you was too busy. It was both of you. Neither of you were ever people to give up, or step away, even when it was for the best, so you took your exhaustion and frustration out on each other.
You know both of you just need to calm down, and you would have given her the space to do so. Only, the minute she walks out of the house, you begin spiraling. You panic in a way that is completely disproportionate to the situation, but you can’t help it. She’s mad at you and you hate when she’s mad at you.
You need to do something to stop your panic. Your psychiatrist has decided on a new medication plan, in which you are on a lower dose of everyday meds, and take an as needed medication when you’re feeling extra anxious.
This is one of those times, you realize, as you shakily unscrew the bottle, and realize that it’s empty. You’d forgotten to pick up the refill earlier in the week, when you’d woken up anxious, and taken the last pill half asleep.
Cursing under your breath, you go to the bedroom, sitting down in the dimly lit room, and trying to do the breathing exercises you’d been practicing. It’s futile though, you’re already too far gone for that to work. You need either Alexia, or your medication.
You think about the conversations you’ve had with her over the past weeks, in which she assured you, over and over, that she would always be there to help you when you needed her. You aren’t really sure if she meant for you to talk to her when she was mad at you, though.
Deciding that you don’t really have a choice, you pull out your phone, clicking your girlfriend’s contact. You’ll just ask her to pick up your new prescription from the pharmacy, not to come help you. You don’t expect her to do anymore than that, not right now.
To her credit, she answers after only a couple rings, although her voice is still sharp.
“Sí?” She asks, not bothering to greet you, a sign of how upset she is.
“Alexia,” you say, not able to hide the relief you feel at the sound of her voice. You’re breathing heavily now, and you have to pause before you say anything else.
“What is it?” She asks, shifting to a more concerned tone.
“Get my refill of my meds?” You manage.
“Joder, yes, I will go now.” She answers, and you can hear the tires screeching as she makes what is probably an unsafe u-turn. Clearly, Alexia understands what’s going on with you, and it makes you feel better, if only slightly, that she doesn’t sound as mad anymore, just worried.
“Sorry,” you stutter, feeling bad for interrupting her time alone.
“No, it is okay,” she dismisses. “I will be there in 10.”
With that, she hangs up. You lean your head back against the bed, gripping the soft carpet under you in your hands. Shutting your eyes, it feels like only minutes have passed when you hear the front door open, and Alexia call out for you.
“Up here,” you yell out shakily. Alexia’s footsteps pound on the stairs as she races up them, bursting into your room and ruining the peaceful atmosphere that had been in place. She looks almost as upset as you feel, as she crosses the room in 3 long strides, grabbing a glass of water from your nightstand, and quickly getting out a pill.
She watches you take it, eyebrows knit together as she takes in your labored breathing. After a second of thought, she settles down next to you, leaving you the option of scooting closer to her.
“You can go, it’s okay.” You tell her, assuming she doesn’t want to comfort you, not when you just had a fight. Her tone tells you otherwise.
“Do not be stupid, I am not leaving.”
“But you needed to—“
“And you need me.” She says simply, as if you’re the only thing that matters. It dawns on you that maybe you are. You meet her eyes, then, and see nothing but love reflecting back at you. Not anger, not frustration, none of the things present before she’d stormed out. Convinced, you lean into her, resting your head on her shoulder. You allow yourself to forget about the fight, push all your worries from your brain, as you focus on your breathing, and steady, dependable Alexia next to you.
“Did you really think I would leave you like this?” The blonde asks quietly after a minute.
“You were mad. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d wanted to go.”
Alexia scoffs. “I love you more than I could ever be mad at you. If you need me, I will be here. No matter what.”
It’s not the first time you’ve heard this from her, but it’s the first time you really believe it. Maybe Alexia was telling the truth. Maybe there really wasn’t anything you could do to push her away, scare her off. She’d stuck with you through all the things you thought she wouldn’t, holding your hand, softly kissing your cheek through everything thrown your way.
It was overwhelming, the love you felt from her in that moment. You often felt like you couldn’t put into words how much you loved Alexia, but this was the first time that you’ve really been convinced that she loves you just as much as you love her.
You look up at her, eyes glassy, mouth opening and closing as you try to figure out what to say, how to express what you feel for her.
“What, amor?” She questions softly. Her eyebrows are scrunched again, and this time you aren’t panicking, and you can appreciate how cute it is, the way her worry for you is painted clearly across her face.
“I love you. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Alexia, I really don’t. You’re- you’re everything to me. Everything.” You whisper back.
Alexia’s face melts, all the tension leaving her, as she grabs your face in her hands, pressing a bruising kiss to your lips. You fall into it, the feeling of her lips moving desperately, but gently, against your own.
As you kiss her, you think you’ve maybe defined it, how much she means to you. Alexia is everything. Everything you could ever want or need.
——-
This wasn’t a request, just something I decided to write when I was anxious. I hope you guys like it anyway.
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A Reward
VAL + MLIST ; Happy Valentine's! It doesn't intrude on anyone if you'll be spending the particular day this month brings in, alone, we can spend it together with these one-shots I've prepared just for you, hoping it would send passion to you.
NSFW : office sex, secretary x ceo, humiliation, dominance, cockwarming, teasing, fingering, exhibitionism, praise, teasing, pet names, riding, cursing, degradation, penetration, etc.
note : I was only gonna do one character but since I've been inactive, yall take this, Happy Valentine's! The poll's ending and so far, secretary y/n x ceo is in the lead, whatever won would be the result for the female version as well. 💗
[ male ver. ] — Al Haitham, Ayato, Dainsleif, Diluc, & Tartaglia
│ AL HAITHAM
doing something nasty with your boss was something you never thought would ever happen to you in your lifetime of work at a publishing company, especially in your life as a bitter individual, but here we are, with the most recent edition in progress. you felt your stomach flip whenever he would thrust up his cock inside you further, the warmth radiating off his body seeping into yours, and that one thing you had always been discreetly craving for came right back again.
it's funny how all those sexual thoughts about him that you have never really let yourself admit to anyone, in particular, come rushing to mind when you think about what it might be like to fuck him, to have sex with him, it’s almost enough to make you feel ashamed from your desires.
"S-Sir... Please..." you begged him, and though it was difficult for you not to plead with him since he liked edging and teasing you like this to get you into positions where you would just do what he said or say something he wanted you to, you pushed your best to the limit to withstand him.
"Can't even wait until I finish my work, huh? Like a naughty thing you are, entering my office without even knocking first." He whispered seductively, You bit your lip, hoping you didn't make things worse for yourself by refusing to look at him. "I'm sorry... I-It won't happen again... I... Was just in hurry to- to get the work done as fast as p-possible so you'd get off early, s-sir..." you explained, your voice quivering and barely audible, but you were doing everything you could to hide how flustered and embarrassed you were at that moment. You didn't want to seem weak before him, it would only make him more determined to have you as his cocksleeve,
He hummed in reply, and you heard the shuffling of papers behind you, "So what? You want me to award you or something for doing that? I never asked you to rush the work, but if you must insist on having your head held down, then I can't deny you this." he told you. You gulped and looked at him sheepishly, You weren't exactly sure what he meant, but you knew for a fact that you wouldn't refuse anything he asked, especially if it involved getting to kiss him or touch him, you just couldn't help yourself sometimes, you had fallen hard for him. "if you can wait for me to finish this, who knows? I might even consider rewarding you."
│ KAMISATO AYATO
The sound of skins clapping and your wails are the only voices that permeate the room. You’ve lost trail of time after all this. In a way, You wouldn't lie, it was kind of nice though, being so immersed in the sensation of someone else or rather your 'boss' who's doing you to such a great extent that it leaves you feeling like a mess.
The chimes that come out of your mouth were loud enough to drown out any thoughts and doubts that might come to the surface, even if you try not to think about them at all. You're not certain how long you've been laying there with your hands clutched together, but all you could think at the moment is how much satisfaction he had given your body from the inside.
"You've been working pretty hard, (y/n)," You felt an arm caress your waist, Ayato pressed his lips against your neck. "And for that, You deserve a reward." His lips move to smooch your skin as he speaks to you, sending shivers down your spine every time. It's almost like he knows precisely what you feel and how to please your body just right, leaving you unable to move on your pact.
the way his cock moved inside your tight walls while he fucked you into thoughtlessness and made you enjoy the moment better... It made your heart beat faster, He was so fine, the way he would move with his lips on your neck and his cock into you made everything more severe than it should have been.
"A-Ayato~" you couldn't help but whine loudly when he started moving slowly in and out of you from behind. The oscillations of his hips against your own caused warmness to pool between your legs, stretching out through your whole body and making you want more. He groaned and bit your earlobe. "Normally, I'd be furious for you calling me by my name informally just like that, but today I'm just too busy here to care," Ayato said in between heavy pants. Your mind went blank as you felt him hit that particular spot, causing you to arch up and let out another moan that sounded less like a word and more like a plea.
│ DAINSLEIF, & DILUC
you were always curious about his reputation, in fact, you never get how your workmates are drawn into him! He was all cold and mysterious, always working at his desk and barely interacting with his employees. But then again, there is no shortage of people who are frigid and bizarre, to begin with. You know this. everyone was envious of you for being taken the yield of as his 'assistant' but that's just how things are between the two of you. It's not like he behaves toward you differently or anything, it's just that you can see right through the facade he puts up when it comes to his emotions toward others.
so now it's all weird to say that you're giving your boss the best day ever, How did it happen? it was because you had an argument with him and now with his dick inside your mouth, it felt really good, especially when you heard some sounds coming from his pretty lips. He sounded like he was having trouble controlling himself and you thought he would stop you but he didn't. so that's when your brain finally clicked. you were both horny, and the only way to relieve that pain would be to do something to each other.
but no, you were being disciplined for speaking disrespectfully toward him, and now would you even call this punishment? giving him a head like this makes you feel incredible, especially when your hands roam around his body, touching what you could brush. you don’t know how to describe his body, he has a ton of muscles that move with every movement he makes. it’s all amazing to you. you wish this feeling will last permanently because right now you think you could fall asleep with this man's cock inside your mouth, your lips wrapped around his shaft.
you’ve been sighing softly and he seems to be getting a kick out of this too. maybe he finds it as arousing as you do, maybe he's aware of what you want, or maybe he doesn’t give a damn either. you don’t know but he seems to be getting more impatient, and soon his hand is on your hair, pulling slightly so you open up further to take a better hold of his cock. “oh... your mouth... Fuck” he mutters breathlessly before thrusting into your throat harder than before. you feel yourself getting wetter and wetter by the second and you don’t think that’s fair because this isn’t even fucking you yet.
the noises he makes and how his dick slides into your mouth smoothly feel like heaven in the best way possible. he’s almost completely out of breath by now and looks like he might collapse any moment. you have him now, your fingers tightly wrapped around his shaft, pumping him with your mouth as hard as you can just to earn his forgiveness.
| TARTAGLIA
Your tight walls hugged his cock as if they were the very walls of your heart. Your hands held resting on his shoulder with your weight as you pressed your body onto him. You rode him hard until he cried out in euphoria. His face was buried in your neck, his hair was soft, and his scent was intoxicating.
He felt you squeezing his hips to keep his cock deep inside of you. He was aching for discharge, you could sense it. But the instant his hand wrapped around your waist, you gasped. His touch left an ice-cold trail across your back. The way his fingers traced circles on your skin made you shudder. He had that effect on you that no one else ever could. It was so powerful, so captivating. It wasn’t until that moment that you realized how much you liked this.
You like all of the noises he's making, the feeling of your thighs against each other, the roughness of your bare legs digging into his chest. You're sure that it makes him think of other things too when you're fucking him, but you don't mind at all. There's just something about having someone so passionate about sex, but so careful with everything else as well. "You're so tight..." he groaned, It's like you're in sync with each other, both of you moving in perfect tandem. You want to be as close to him as possible. So when he touches your shoulders or your ass, you let go and take his hand wherever you can reach. And that feels good. You love his big strong hands roaming over you. They are bigger than your own but softer. Like when he caresses you from behind, his touch lingers as it travels upwards.
"Not only were you good at seducing others," he says, "But you also knew what you were doing." His breath tickles your ear and you shiver. The feeling of his cock sliding in and out of your hole has you moaning softly. It seems like the only thing that sounds louder than your breathing, and that alone makes you crave more. Your body aches for more. Your eyes flutter closed, enjoying the feeling of having him inside you. You move your hips up again and again, pushing yourself against him as if trying to draw every bit of his cock into you. It drives both of you insane. All of it. Everything.
#genshin impact#genshin smut#genshin impact smut#al haitham x reader#al haitham smut#genshin al haitham#al haitham#kamisato ayato smut#kamisato ayato#ayato x reader#genshin ayato#ayato smut#kamisato ayato x reader#genshin childe#childe x reader#childe#childe smut#genshin tartaglia#tartaglia#tartaglia x reader#tartaglia smut#dainsleif smut#dainsleif x reader#dainsleif#genshin dainsleif#diluc ragnivindr x reader#diluc ragnvindr#diluc x reader#diluc smut#diluc ragnvindr smut
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Always happy to oblige,i personally tought the line was a little cheesy but, hey i'm not wrong!
But about changing alastor's powerset,if you think about it, is perfectly possible to, well not exactly change, more like expand his powerset just by looking at one of his principals (or so i believe) motifs: the Wendigo.
Because seriously the skinny long body,the canibalism,even the deer motif that they have been gaining in the last decades,the inspiration looks pretty clear to me! Not only that but i always thought that,everytime that i look at the image of one they always seem to cast an aura and atmosphere that darkens and cools their surroundings making everything seem ...dead, which seems exactly the opposite of the aura that Hazbin Lucifer brings, his powers always seems to make everything brighter,warmer and livelier.
So for me, as Alastor becomes more powerful, his powers(dark,cold,death,profanity) seem like a reflection and perversion of Lucifer's(light,warm,life,holiness) seems like the perfect idea. Not only that but even without the deer motif,wendigos are always depicted almost like twisted corpses suffering from frostbite,which drives even more the thought that without lucifer's light to guide him, Alastor lost himself to the cold evils of humanity and allowed it to twist him into a monster.
Gahhhh! I can pratically see the fatherly angsty RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!
Al's really going hard for that "rebel angsty yougest son" prize isn"t he?
To be perfectly honest, I don't like associating Alastor with the w*ndigo. That being belongs to the Algonquin-speaking people, and it's not just some random scary monster. It's an actual religious figure. And a dangerous one at that.
But even if that weren't the case, it simply doesn't fit Alastor's background. Alastor is a mixed race Louisiana Creole man. His ancestors would have come to the United States from France or Spain or have been brought over as slaves. The Algonquin people, on the other hand, consist of several different groups who all historically lived in northern parts of the modern United States and eastern Canada. While Alastor could have had some Native American ancestry, it likely would have been from a different group altogether, not one of the Algonquin groups.
And while w*ndigo are popularly depicted in modern media as having antlers or being a deer-like monster, that's really more of a misconception. It resembles a sort of walking dead, gaunt, with ice for a heart or else entirely wrapped in ice.
So, to sum things up, the w*ndigo is:
Not my culture.
Not Alastor's culture.
Not a deer.
And, yeah, I'm aware that there's a bit of a double standard here, given Alastor's depicted as a vodou practitioner. I had him grow up Catholic for a reason, although since the vodou is a part of his established character, as well as the culture he would have grown up with, I don't want to cut it out entirely.
All that said though, I am leaning heavily into the parallels of light and dark, creation and destruction with Alastor and Lucifer. It's like Alastor's a symbol of everything the elders of Heaven expect Lucifer to be. Alastor would hate being called the 'rebel angsty son' but it's absolutely 1000% true! Guess he and Luci have something in common after all.
#ask#umcaracomnumero15#Hazbin Hotel#the Devil's Bastard AU#Alastor#Lucifer Morningstar#w*ndigo#w**digo#w word#uncensored w word
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Radio silence from both Georgia and Anna with the occasional bs post from Anna about her “Mama’s Mabli Moo”. Wonder what they’ll do when the press tour begins. More specifically when Michael and David go on that show on Monday and everyone goes insane over them
Oh, so very much to unpack in such a brief period of time! Yes, we are finally getting Michael and David back together on a TV interview and I, for one, could not be more ecstatic.
To your points, Anons #1, I did notice that, apart from the Insta post you mentioned, Anna has also joined Threads. And now we also have the story that @phantomstars24 mentioned, and I just...
I do not at all believe it's a coincidence that she joined Threads when she did, just four days before Michael and David were to start doing interviews together. (Interestingly, Georgia does not appear to be on Threads, which is likely because she has other actual things to post about now that Staged has ended, whereas AL does not.) My supposition is further bolstered by AL's Insta story, which is a clear effort on her part to remain relevant, despite the fact that no one is going to be interested in this once tonight's One Show interview airs.
(Also, on what planet is any of the above "dirty talk"? Is this supposed to be a callback to/flat-out copy of Georgia's screencap of her text conversation with David about breakfast? Because it's not even close and the cringe is next level. At least we know she stayed in Wales this time...)
That said, whatever we are in store for on The One Show, it is most definitely going to be extraordinary, and the talk of social media. We know that Michael is going to be the champion of all things Ineffable Husbands and give us all sorts of feral, brain-breaking moments, but I have a feeling that it's David who is going to be the real revelation this time around. We've already gotten these eye-opening quotes from him in SFX magazine:
And given how vulnerable and open David has been lately, it would not be at all surprising to see him open up further around Michael. He and Michael are even closer now than when the first season was filmed, and we will no doubt see it reflected in their rapport, and in how happy and relaxed they are around each other. (Dare I also add "in love"? I don't think we can rule it out. And if there’s even a hint of that, it’s going to be plainly visible, and it won't just have to do with the characters...)
Which then brings us to the clipping that @feuerkindjana has helpfully shared, and that I think really sets the tone for today's interview. I recently talked on my blog about how Michael was saying four years ago that the lines between the character and real life were blurry for him, and now it's four years later and he's saying that is even more so the case than before.
"Everything that has happened in-between plays into coming back to these characters. I am sure it is all feeding into it."
This mirrors what I've felt for some time now, which is that the relationship between Michael and David has and did inform the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley in season 1, and now that is doubly true for season 2. And Michael is telling us this, is blatantly saying that what we will see on screen this time around isn't just the characters--it's him and David, and what we're going to see absolutely would not be what it is if it weren't he and David together in these roles.
But it's the last sentence in the clipping above that really gets me:
"It's very difficult for us to know how that is informing the characters and their relationships."
"Very difficult for us." Us. Not him. That alone makes my heart ache, because it reinforces Michael's previous remarks about not seeing his role of Aziraphale as independent from David as Crowley. It's that he's speaking seemingly for David, as if he doesn't even have to think twice about this being the way David feels, because he absolutely knows it is.
It's also how the "us" evokes the feeling of what we will now see in season 2, with Aziraphale and Crowley being on their own side, and echoes what David said in the article quotes above. That they are relying on each other in a way neither of them expected, and more than they would care to admit. That, taken together with Michael's comments just completely and utterly wrecks me a little. (Or a lot…)
So yes, given all of the above, I think we are in for an incredible time on the One Show today. I've had folks DMing me about all the emotions that this day is bringing up, and I can't help but think that if the prospect of them being together again is making us weepy, how must it be affecting Michael and David. Truly, I have no doubt we will find out once the show airs, and I am beyond excited to watch...
#anonymous#phantomstars24#feuerkindjana#reply post#michael sheen#welsh seduction machine#david tennant#soft scottish hipster gigolo#georgia tennant#good omens 2#hard to tell what's real life and what's the show#i don't think even michael knows sometimes tbh#it's going to be unreal now that they're even closer than they were before#but we can now see how their connection informed the relationship between aziraphale and crowley#and vice versa#can't wait for the one show interview now though#ineffable lovers#anna lundberg#discourse
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You know for a manga that boasts having so many badass female characters i can't help but need to add OCs to Metallic Crimson because all of the female characters fall into the following categories:
A) White Seeming Soldier Lady (Riza Hawkeye, Rebecca Catalina, Maria Ross, Sheska, Olivier Mira Armstrong, Briggs Doctor*) (*military doctor ergo here and not below- plus babe doesn't even have a name)
B) White Seeming Civillian Lady (Winry, Pinako, Sarah Rockbell, Armstrong sisters (3 of them and i can't recall if they ever speak), Mrs Armstrong (we don't have a name for her), Madame Christmas, Trisha Elric*, Gracia Hughes*) (*have these gals done anything except been there for their man or their sons I would hardly count them shonen badass but I am adding them because they are female characters and they play a part)
C) White Seeming Alchemist Lady (Izumi Curtis) (lmao i thought there'd be more but all of the other alchemists in the manga are men)
D) Not Human (Martel, Lust, Nina, Nina's mom)
E) Not Amestrian* (*Ishvalans are Amestrian) (Lan Fan, Mai, The panda (tbh i just now noticed i put the panda here and not in Not Human and it's so much funnier here)
The only ones who don't fall into this category are Shan (the ONLY female speaking ishvalan in the fmab anime - SHE APPEARS SO LITTLE AND IS FORGETTABLE THAT I HAD TO GOOGLE HER) and Paninya (a one-off character)
Oh but limeta! Amestris is supposed to be Europe, that's why they're all white -
My brother in christ, Raven and Paninya are RIGHT THERE
For its time, FMAB is an incredibly diverse story with amazing female characters, but i see people still boasting them for modern standards and it's like - but there aren't, there really aren't many badass female characters at all. and if I were to take a step further and remove all of the female characters whose sole motivation is enabling or helping a man succeed then I'd cut those characters up there even further. The only ones who are genuinely badass characters with their own clear cut motivation are Pinako Rockbell (suppose if she were younger, she'd be given a man to hype and do things for but thank god she's an old wise woman archtype and therefore immune to that trope), Sarah Rockbell (selflessly saving lives and being a doctor, though sorry queen you died) and Olivier Mira Armstrong (proactively fucking shit up and with a clear motivation what she wants - but then you can also infer that Mustang is a part of her motivation because she wants to fuck his chances up of being Fuhrer lmao)
Winry in brotherhood is very waifu, very not proactive, very I'll wait for you but she still gets shit done and so she's still badass because we all know that strength is differently expressed with different characters so she's still on this list, but compared to her 03 version she's very stay at home, very support role, very all i do i do for ed and al.
Riza Hawkeye... i love her. she's my favourite character. but remove roy from her motivation and what do you get...be honest...
Madame Christmas, for the only times she does appear, she does so because she's gotta help Roy.
Gracia is a housewife :) and we know nothing about her. She is an extension of Maes Hughes. She is there because if she weren't there we wouldn't have Elicia and if we didn't have Elicia we wouldn't have the scenes where Maes boasts and hypes his family up in order to solidify his characterisation as THAT CARING DUDE HOPE NOTHING BAD - OH NO THE WIFE GUY DIED.
Make no mistake! This is not anti fmab. I've written over 300k worth of content for this fandom and I adore every single frame of that show (especially the nina tucker spliced with her dog frame, chefs kiss) But it has forced me to have to create either backstories and motivation for most of these female characters that exist outside of the men in their lives or it has forced me to create OCs that don't fall within those aforementioned categories.
Would it have been so bad, I ask, if we got an Ishvalan character who was not a monk and not in the slums waiting to die? Maybe even a female character? Would it have been so bad that we got more speaking roles for women outside of the military who aren't alchemists? Would it have been bad if we got a female character who was a State Alchemist?
Most likely yes, because Arakawa had a clear view of what she needed in order to tell her story from start to finish, but I'm not confined to such limitations and I'll make Ishvalan characters who are proactive. I'll gladly add more characterisation to our prexisting anime babes because I love that I can. I am a worldbuilder first and foremost and I love making a world that's LIVED in and having such a sanitized character list from up there is really making me not feel like it's LIVED in.
Anyway calling fmab a show filled to the brim with badass female characters is ??? an outdated take.
#metallic crimson#not gonna tag this as fmab because i don't want people to think i'm bashing the show#but if you feel like reblogging you can#this was more of a post about something i've noticed because i tried to think of if there was a single isvhalan female character and i had#to google it#because it was so difficult to recall
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At this point I wouldn't be surprised if they suddenly included a teenage Murray in the play despite him not even living in Hawkins. I get that they struggle with age accuracy of several characters but they change a bit too much in my opinion. Plus the character names. Like is Bob's father now a priester or principal??? And who is the priester then??? I'm so sad I won't be able to see the play so I really hope they'll put in on netflix in summer 2024 or something but it's already soo confusing
You see, Nonnie, I personally don't think they struggle with ages at all. I'm the type of person who's more inclined to consider that they're deliberately fucking with us.
To answer your question: I'm not sure who the priest is going to be, since priests aren't meant to have secular jobs (like being a principal)...but I won't lie and say I'm not tickled about how this contradicts the one (1) Collider article that drops even the slightest hint at a Patty/"George" one-sided romance. They list her as being the preacher's daughter:
and with that key bit of her character description thrown into question...well. Y'know. I don't think I need to point out how unreliable this makes everything else sound.
Anyway, I'm hoping you'll get to see it at some point, Nonnie!
And this is nothing against you, personally, but I struggle to understand how people don't see how reminiscent this all is of a NINA simulation.
Complaining and making my case below the cut.
Bob shouldn't be hanging around Jopper, they weren't friends in high school. They knew of each other, and Jim bullied Bob. Karen and Henry should be around the same age as Alice, which is to say: children. Alice is at least close to filmed canon, even if you think shes younger than Henry. They should at least have cast them similarly with actors, but they didn't. They do all this swapping: Priest to Principal, Allen to Alan, Henry (12) to Henry (14-15) while all the other actors are close enough to be passable if you don't look too hard.
This is all reminiscent of NINA and the constant swapping behavior. Like I'm just going to tap these few signs.
I mean honestly, this alone should be enough to put NINA on our radars:
Everyone but El is the right age, and she's aged up visibly.
They also swap on whether Henry's hair is a natural side part or not:
They swap on which way Brenner's tie is done:
They swap on prop orientation, corpse posing, or blood patterns:
All this changing around with an end result of no one (who cares enough to look) being able to say concretely which version is real.
I feel like this should ring warning bells:
Even if we want to discredit the papers and put Alice as Henry's younger sister, she's still cast as the right age in TFS. Visibly so. Henry is visibly aged up.
The only place we've ever seen this happen is in NINA, which is conveniently the time when El's memories are being altered as they're fed back to her.
So unless this is some secret third thing where Henry (12) went back in time to try and fix things but he continues to age normally/he's now 14-15 when he ought to be 12 (which isn't an option I'm against, I actually think it would be fun)...we're just not given another viable explanation in filmed canon.
So yeah, Nonnie...who's the priest and who's the principal? Is he Alan or Allen? Is it Henry or Vecna or One? Henry/Vecna/One? Allen/Alan/Al? What's the truth? What are we settling on?
But my main gripe is about the attitude, and again it's not about you personally, Nonnie, but:
Is it so hard for the fandom to go "Hey, maybe all these discrepancies in TFS are there for a reason, not just because the writers are dumbfucks who don't know their own story...despite having written it in tandem with ST4"?
Especially given that Kate Trefry wrote the NINA project? Not Matt, not Ross. Kate.
Why is everyone so against it being purposeful? Where's the fandom's sense of joy and whimsy? Is no one else willing to have fun and be creative about it? Must it always be a derisive little "uhuhu dumbfuck writers silly writers look how stupid and messy they are, retconning the canon THAT THEY WROTE SIMULTANEOUSLY" thing?
Idk. Just rubs me wrong. We'll see soon enough, though.
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Thoughts on Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two" (2024)
Following on from my recent viewing of the first part when it returned to cinemas, I've now been able to apply myself to view the second part also. Once again, in lieu of a proper essay I have merely recorded my impressions in roughly chronological order.
As a reminder I previously wrote about how I might adapt Dune, years before Villeneuve's latest effort, as well as creating some concept art (I am working on my take on Shaddam Corrino IV). I did not re-read the book ahead of my most recent viewing and therefore some of my critique might be inadvertently comparing it to my own ideas on adaptation rather than the source material.
I was amazed and a little aghast that after all the talk of not doing introspection and critiquing the 1984 version's clunky opening narration by Princess Irulan, Villeneuve's Part Two opens with ... a clunky opening narration by Irulan. Perhaps there was a desire to have the 'other woman' do the narration as the first film opened with Chani as our viewpoint character; here we start with the view from the Imperium, introducing the Emperor.
Irulan implies the Emperor loved Leto like a son and is torn up about ordering his death. Was this in the books? When she says 'And the Emperor says' - we are on the edge of our seats, waiting for Walken's dialogue - 'nothing'. I am unsure if this was a clever trick or not. Shaddam here is portrayed as an older man, perhaps infirm, manipulated by those around him and particularly women. This is part of the sexual politics Villeneuve presents to us specifically in Part Two which stood out to me as either peculiarly heterodox for a mainstream modern Hollywood production, or perhaps was intended to be progressive but poorly assembled and unable to overcome Herbert's own (but noticeably different) views - some might say hang-ups - on the sexes.
My sense is very little time has passed on Arrakis since the end of the first film, despite Irulan's narration creating the impression it is old news. The column is still carrying Jamis's body and on its way to the sietch.
This sits oddly with Stilgar's blithe dismissal that the Harkonnen are there for the two Atreides. Are you sure? In-universe that was no more than 72 hours ago (the first night in the desert and the second in Kynes' weather station, with the sun coming up during the Jamis fight). He doesn't know the Baron ordered Rabban to commit genocide against the Fremen, so the logical conclusion is they are still looking for Paul and Jessica.
The opening fight scene seemed interesting, even if I wasn't sure why Paul and Jessica were where they were or why they didn't seem to be armed. Villeneuve seems to have forgotten that at the very least Paul has his crysknife and the gun he used to threaten Stilgar just hours earlier in-universe. I didn't mind the pregnant Jessica clubbing the Harkonnen over the head to protect her son, even though I feel like if this film had been earmarked differently by the usual suspects on YouTube and Twitter it would have been viewed as ridiculous and 'woke' given criticism of the same in games like Wolfenstein II.
As a note: The Harkonnen in the opening scene are now using Sardaukar antigrav tech; I feel this works poorly because we've been conditioned from the first film to associate this with the Emperor's forces, even though they weren't involved. I wondered if they had just randomly changed up the Sardaukar uniforms (which they have, but more on that later).
Sietch Tabr felt interesting but not quite as I imagined; did I miss something or were we really not properly introduced to the terraforming effort? We see some bird nests and the precious underground water and Stilgar says when Lisan al-Gaib comes he will use the water to transform Arrakis, but we seem to have dropped any mention of the idea they were already working towards it. And indeed, Kynes won't appear in this film at all - my preference to kick off a two-parter would have been Kynes wandering in the desert, dying of dehydration while having his revelation about how the sandworm life-cycle works, re-introducing us to the setting and the worms.
I feel the need to mention Villeneuve's racial politics here, which, like his sexual politics, seem awkward in ways commentators don't seem to have entirely picked up on.
When the sietch receives Paul and Jessica with hostility, there is a noticeable shift in who the camera lingers on, to the extent that the Fremen seem abruptly almost entirely black or very dark-skinned, with the lighter Stilgar and Chani the only ones speaking up for the outsiders. I hope I shouldn't need to explain this; if it's calculated, it is calculated to induce a kind of gut-reaction fear in white audiences. I noticed this in the first film where Jamis was cast as black and presented as noticeably wilder and crazier than the other Fremen. One might be tempted to suggest this is establishing ethnic groups within the Fremen - after all, later we learn that Stilgar comes from the south, so perhaps the north is darker-skinned (which would sync with some of the black city-dwellers we see in Arrakeen). It would even make sense as the south is said to be covered with dust storms and thus not exposed to direct sun. Except, as soon as the sietch turns and becomes more welcoming, the camera begins favouring the lighter-skinned north Africa and Middle Eastern Fremen actors.
This leads quite neatly into the Fremen culture and language. David Peterson, the linguist who worked on Game of Thrones, was tapped to create languages for Dune based on the phrases in the book, and others have picked up on the strange decision to avoid using actual Arabic words wherever possible - explained in inverviews as Peterson feeling that thousands of years into the future languages would have evolved so far that any similarities are mere coincidence. This means that words that are too important to the franchise to change, such as 'Lisan al-Gaib' (which they use a *lot*, seemingly to avoid relying on real-world messianic titles like Mahdi), stay as-is but others are radically changed. "Ya Hya Chouhada", a real-world battlecry meaning 'long live the martyrs', is changed in Part Two to a fictional phrase (I didn't remember it and seemingly others I haven't either) in the Peterson conlang. This is disappointing and actually not true to life given how Latin survived for thousands of years as a holy language.
UPDATE: The new phrase based on Peterson's conlang is something like 'A t'la abisi a santar!'. I can vaguely see something like 'life' in 'santar', but it's from a Latinate root. 'Toward the fighters, life'? Maybe 'At'la savaşçı uzun ', incorporating the Turkish word for 'fighter' and '?
It also means that Villeneuve's Dune is oddly sanitised and stripped of the book's Islamic and Central Asian cultural touchpoints. Very little mention is made of God; characters pray but I think at one point Paul says that they prey to their dead relatives (?). 'Jihad' and any mention of the book's main religions (Zensunni and Orange Catholicism) are excised.
All this begs the question - where is the line between inclusion and Orientalism? Where is the line between diversity and caricature? Or between cultural sensitivity and the kind of flattening that insists on Western neoliberal values everywhere at all times, even in our fiction? In 1984, the Fremen were mostly cast as white (likely due to actor availability) - not necessarily an incorrect reading of the book, given Herbert's inspiration 'The Sabres of Paradise' was not about Arab but Caucasian mountain tribes. Change them to a mix of interchangeable 'non-white' actors and have them led by Timothee Chalamet and the accusations of 'white savior complex' gain weight. Selectively show darker extras when you want the audience to be afraid and lighter when you want them to feel sympathetic and, to be honest, you probably deserve a few thinkpieces which I haven't seen in the press.
Stilgar threatens Jessica that he'll have her killed unless she agrees to become the new Reverend Mother. I felt this went back on his development in the first film, or even a couple of scenes ago where he fought their corner against the unsympathetic female elder. Jessica's flippant, almost Marvel-esque dialogue in the next scene where she references this annoyed me. Villeneuve has Jessica's experience with the water of life happen early in the movie and long before Paul's. This is somewhat true to the book and better than the 1984 version where Paul only takes the Water when his prophetic dreams randomly stop working, but my favoured method of compressing this for film has Jessica take the Water, fall into a coma, and Paul rescue her by taking the Water himself, entering into the same vision. This is when Jessica begins to suspect they are not merely using prophecies created by the Bene Gesserit, but Paul may in fact be the Kwisatz Haderach.
In Villeneuve's version, Chani is initially skeptical of the prophecy, saying only the southerners are superstitious (an invented distinction not found in the book). This is set up fairly competently as a romantic conflict; Paul wins Chani when he only wants to be one of the Fremen, but doing so means giving up on his revenge - however, the way it's resolved is frankly offensive and one of the things that I found most disrespectful about Villeneuve's Dune as an adaptation.
The first we see of wormriding in this film (Stilgar on a small worm) didn't entirely impress me; I feel it should have been much farther off to give a greater sense of the scale of the worms. However, Paul's own wormriding trial eliminated my doubts; again, no-one is doing cinematic scale like Villeneuve right now, where the audience is absorbed completely in *witnessing* a monumental event, without the need for quick cuts or snappy quips.
The 'naming' scene was also great and felt plausible as Paul being welcomed as one of the Fedaykin (interestingly Peterson didn't rename that one, despite being almost identical to 'Fedayeen').
The Harkonnen 'evil spice harvesters' bothered me - the harvesters we saw in the first film *WERE* Harkonnen harvesters! The Atreides literally just assumed control of the operation days earlier. The ornithopter mini-guns were pretty great but also felt un-Duney. The use of lasguns also felt good even if perhaps not book-accurate.
I actually really liked Rabban's failed reprisals, with the Harkonenn getting lost in the dust of their own carpet bombings and and the big guy losing his nerve when he sees Muad'dib's shadow. Bautista is surprisingly (?) one of the stand-out performances in the two movies.
We get some much-needed off-world politics, with Irulan talking to the Reverend Mother and deducing (I feel this wasn't in the book) that Muad'dib is Paul Atreides. There's clearly an effort made to present Irulan as a more hard-nosed politician in the making, with Shaddam even saying she will be a 'formidable Empress'. Mohiam introduces us to the idea of Feyd-Rautha being an alternative 'candidate' to Paul (did they actually say 'to be the Kwisatz Haderach'?? I don't think they did).
My feelings on Giedi Prime being an insane hellplanet are a matter of public record; it goes against a central theme of Dune, which is that a harsh environment breeds both discipline in the sense of espirit de corps and discipline in moral life. Whether you agree or disagree with the 'Fremen Mirage', this is Herbert's central idea. In the book, Giedi Prime is a neo-feudal world, with a cheerfully painted blue keep where 'fearful perfection' under military jackboot is the order of the day, but just off the main street you can see dilapidation and decay. It's a Potemkin village, feeding into the idea that Baron Harkonnen and his house are fundamentally about falsity and fakeness. He wears suspensors to convey the idea he is more physically able than he is. Feyd fights in a gladiatorial arena, but the combatants are drugged to make him look more competent. When a combatant isn't drugged, it's a plot to win over the crowd and he's not really in danger. Everywhere gets a fresh coat of paint and smiles at gunpoint when visitors arrive, but under the surface they don't genuinely care for the people.
In Villeneuve's Dune, Giedi Prime is an infrared nightmare under a 'black sun' (yes, the pasty skinhead Harkonnen live under a black sun, a seemingly deliberate allusion to fascist occultism trivia that made me raise an eyebrow). No diversity among the Harkonnen; it's just an anonymous tide of bobbing bald white heads. Again, I was unsure how to read this obvious Villeneuve innovation (in the original books the Harkonnen are mentioned as having dark hair). For what it's worth, Lynch did something very similar when he decided the Harkonnen were universally ginger. I also feel we've seen this archetype quite recently in 'Mad Max' with the white-painted radiation-sick Warboys.
This decision to make the Harkonnen interchangeable mooks does somewhat detract from Austin Butler's Feyd Rautha, who is just another chalky bald guy among many. Butler tries his best to infuse the role with random acts of violence against his own minions that put the 1984 version's heartplugs to shame. Couple it with Rabban's temper tantrum smashing the overseer against his monitor and you have to ask - why does anyone follow these psychopaths? At some point the bad guys end up killing more of their own than the enemy and it makes them feel incompetent and stupid.
In this version, the undrugged slave was a 'birthday present' from the Baron, who wanted to see who Feyd really was under pressure. In the book, Feyd contrives the assassination attempt with Thufir Hawat to increase his own standing with the people. There's no poison on Feyd's blades (he even licks one) but I think (the moment was super-fast) the Bene Gesserit watching mention that he uses an implanted word to stagger the slave momentarily. Odd to see that in this version the Harkonnen seem to worship their leaders ('the holy birthday of our beloved na-Baron'?).
It's an interesting reversal as in the book, Feyd tries to poison the Baron by having one of his sex slaves implanted with a needle (foreshadowing his own use of a similar hidden device in the final fight).
Margot Fenring appears here unaccompanied as a Bene Gesserit femme fatale, and her seduction of Feyd Rautha and their subsequent discussion of his levers was well done.
Around this time Villeneuve starts deciding that the Bene Gesserit are psychic, which is jarring and I don't believe foreshadowed (Jessica communicates using sign-language with her son but not in glances). I almost wondered if this scene - and the later one where the Bene Gesserit have an impromptu psychic discussion - were rewritten after filming.
Returning to Arrakis after the harsh black and white Giedi Prime seemed like a breath of fresh air and I think that was the intent. Villeneuve uncharacteristically doesn't linger long enough on the dunes for my tastes.
I should note here that in this version, Jessica emerges from the water of life trial changed, and while her motives are to protect Paul, she is subsequently framed in a very antagonistic role, always pushing for Paul to cynically embrace the prophecies and so, in this version, drive a wedge between him and Chani. This syncs up with my observations in Part One that Villeneuve almost presents her as a romantic interest for Paul; if so, here she is almost the 'other girl', and Paul has to choose between mother/prophecy and Chani/a simple life among the Fremen (this latter choice is highlighted by him removing the signet ring when he feels welcomed by the Fremen but keeping it in his stillsuit).
Gurney Halleck in this version is not leading a ragged band of Atreides guerillas like 1984's Patrick Stewart version. Rather he is now keeping a low profile and working as a spice miner, seemingly having given up hope that any remnants of House Atreides remain. The Fremen attack the harvester but Paul recognises him and tells them to stay their hand and presumably save the rest of the crew, though I don't think we see anyone else after this and he's more or less framed as the last remnant of Paul's old retinue in the final scenes. This *really* bothered me. Gurney says he managed to get offworld after the attack. OK; we know he has knowledge of the location of the Atreides atomics and hates the Harkonnen with every bone in his body; first for killing his family prior to the events of the first movie (as he reveals for I think the first time here); and then the loss of his new family with the death of Duke Leto. And so, Villeneuve imagines, he...
...goes back to Arrakis to work for the Harkonnen (the movie really seems to have forgotten who owns the original harvesters) and forgets about the atomics. What the absolute fuck? They do establish that the door is gene-coded so only a direct descendent of the Duke can open it (the line 'your genetic heritage only, m'lord' made me visibly cringe in the theatre), but in-universe, is there *any* reason he wouldn't go to, say, House Richese and say 'The Emperor was involved in the attack on Arrakis. I saw Sardaukar among the Harkonnen. I know where there are untraceable nukes on Arrakis; send in a covert mining team and you can tunnel down to get them. All I ask is you use some of them on Giedi Prime and the rest on Kaitan.'
For all that 1984 stretched plausibility that Gurney and his men could have survived in the desert without Fremen skills, it still feels more plausible than him getting off world then just coming back to work on a harvester.
(Note: in the book he joins a smuggler crew. Did they mention in an off-hand remark in the film that the crew he was with were not Harkonnen?)
The worm-drowning scene was well-done, even if I thought they should probably have set up the sandtrouts here if they have any hope of filming 'God-Emperor'.
Feyd Rautha's anti-grav ships bombard Sietch Tabr, causing heavy casualties. I almost feel like more attention should have been placed on this and how *this* is what changes Paul's mind; seeing his own new family injured and dead, rather than continuing for several scenes with will-he won't-he back and forth. Leave me here and go south - the people will only go if you go - there's an important meeting, they call the Lisan al-Gaib to appear, etc. The reunion between Paul and Chani *should* have been the conclusion of their romance arc here. I noticed the 'I will love you as long as you stay true to yourself' and anticipated the subsequent tension, but it felt clumsy.
Paul apparently just shows up and abruptly decides to drink the Stuff on a whim. This felt really bad and rushed. There was a jarring cut between him arriving and the guardian offering him the drink that I *think* was meant to represent Jessica's Voice command taking effect; she warns him 'leave or die' and then finds herself administering the Stuff.
(as a note: just how powerful is Villeneuve's Voice? It can apparently implant suggestions that take effect days or weeks later)
The female voice in Paul's visions has apparently (I think) been Alia? I am not sure about this as my assumption after the last movie was that it was future!Jessica. I didn't think the 'mind opening' was that well done in terms of mind-warping visuals, other than seeing an ocean in the desert. We caught of a glimpse of what I think were meant to be the face of his female ancestors, but a big point in the book is that the Kwisatz Haderach can access the memories of both his female and male ancestors (for all that this makes very little sense). This was crying out for a cameo from Duke Leto, instead of all people he sees Jamis (this may have been book-accurate, I can't remember at point of writing).
In the vision, he learns that Baron Harkonnen is his grandfather and 'we are Harkonnens'. So the pasty skin, black teeth and hairlessness of the Harkonnen is just environmental? Or even just fashion? This is interesting to see given the Harkonnen have been very deliberately racially 'Othered'.
In a reverse Sleeping Beauty scenario, Chani administers some more Water of Life, mingled with her tears, which wakes Paul up, because it vaguely fits the (fake, fabricated by the Bene Gesserit) prophecy? I am struggling to see how this works in-universe, for all that they clearly wanted some more action for her as female co-lead. Was it just a 'hair of the dog'?
The Fremen war council was spectacular, in a vast cavern (?) with lit podia (or was it just one with reflections on the walls?). Chani is again regrettably throughly modern, breaching her own society's rules by barging onto the podium to lecture to her leader. Her having to be restrained in accordance with Fremen decorum by Gurney Halleck *might* have been intended to be character development for him, but I think was just clumsy writing.
In general, Chalamet's acting was up to par, but something different was needed from him after his transformation into the Kwisatz Haderach and we didn't get it (for those saying he wasn't really changed; nonsense - he now has psychic powers that would make Kyle MacLachlan's version blush, actively reading minds when this is supposed to be impossible in-universe). What was called for here was a very elevated style of talking when he is consciously assuming the messianic role, reminiscent of holy text - not necessarily thees and thous but 'shall's and 'unto you's.
I cringed a little when, for example, he threatened the Emperor later in very unelevated, thuggish language. I can somewhat forgive the sections he is speaking Peterson's conlang-Fremen language it sounds quite rough; part of this is probably the difficulty getting the actors to sound fluent but it also had some echoes of rough and tumble military braggadochio in languages like Turkish.
The Emperor's reflective sphere-ship was certainly imposing; possibly too much so as it dwarfs Arakeen, something not immediately obvious from the ground shots so later when we see it just hovering over what just looks like a landing strip I wondered why it was suddenly out in the middle of nowhere before realising the shapes on the ground were the quarters of the entire planet's capital city!
I am always annoyed at the possibly royalties-motivated redesign of uniforms in sequels, and the Sardaukar here are a particularly offensive example. It's literally been less than nine months since the Battle of Arakeen; probably less given Jessica is not (I think) massively pregnant at the end. I did wonder if the redesign was to emphasise that 'the hunter has become the hunted'; now the Sardaukar are, like the Atreides, mostly bare-faced and their opponent is now the masked Fremen. On some level I feel this was deliberate, as when later the Sardaukar assume an Atreides-like sword line. I was also annoyed that we didn't hear any throat-singing as the Sardaukar form up outside the palace-ship. This would have immediately worked to remind us 'Oh yes, those guys', and differentiate them from the Harkonnen mooks who the Fremen have been killing all movie.
The attack on Arakeen was generally great - I would have liked to have seen the nuke scene handled differently and linger more on Paul silhouetted against the mushroom cloud.
The worm attack was also good; I did notice that suddenly the Harkonnen ornithopters become significantly less powerful than in the first movie, both rockets and miniguns seeming ineffective against worms and infantry Fremen alike. There wasn't really any sense that Shaddam's hubris led to him remaining on-planet (even the Dune 2000 game did this better, with the Truthsayer whispering 'Retreat, with victory in sight? Release the Sardaukar!"). I also felt like they sneakily tried to resolve a discrepancy between the visions of the first movie and this one by putting Chani in the role of infantry leader; she ends a shot in the exact same pose as Paul in the first movie when he has a vision of killing Sardaukar in a power suit (these don't appear in the second movie). In the second movie, he arrives on a worm instead. I guess this is a slight retcon and he is seeing himself in the place of whoever the vision is about. It seems a real waste though as presumably this sequence was shot - or was this implied to be during the galactic jihad?
One thing that stood out to me was the (redesigned) Sardaukar trying to regain formation after the blast takes down the mountain and the following storm. The first thing we see is one trooper trying to lift the Corrino banner and, as the wind overcomes him, another one helping to get it upright again. This felt *immensely* true to the book's universe.
Walken wasn't as bad as I feared; he mostly resisted the mugging I feared and wasn't given any lines containing 'walk without rhythm' or 'weapon of choice'. He plays Shaddam, again, as elderly, weary and manipulated, with the suggestion of fire re-emerging when he tells Paul 'your father was a weak man' ringing true. His throne room was appropriately Villeneuve-brutalist while still feeling Dune-y, and he thankfully replaces the Palpatine robe he wears at the beginning with an understated but still decently ornate tunic when holding court. No Burseg helmet as per the books, sadly. Should we read anything into the Emperor's throneroom being lit in a very obvious cross?
I understand why the plot was changed to give Paul a chance to meet the Baron and enact his revenge personally. Feyd wasn't in the first film and despite much more screen time compared to 1984 and even the mini-series doesn't feel satisfying as a final target for Paul's vendetta.
(As a note, the Baron throughout this movie now has a floating respirator with him that I am certain he didn't have in the first film. Is this supposed to be a lingering consequence of the gas attack?)
In this version, the duel between Paul and Feyd Rautha is explicitly a challenge to Shaddam for the throne, with Feyd serving as the Emperor's champion. This felt odd; has it been established that in this version the Padishah Emperor is a role you can have a knife-fight for, like the Klingons in Star Trek? I believe in both the book and 1984 version the coup was presented as a fait accompli with the duel a simple matter of honour and arguably an unnecessary risk by Paul; Shaddam's forces are shattered with only those immediately around him still loyal.
This is further reduced in the 2024 version as Paul has his Fremen kill the remaining Sardaukar and bring the Emperor to the visitor accommodation. This was a really missed opportunity as it deprives us of a huge and obvious shot; the victorious Paul sitting on the throne.
Feyd has no secret poison spikes in this version and, annoyingly, there's no tension in Paul choosing whether or not to use the Voice (Feyd Rautha reacts to Paul commanding the Reverend Mother to be 'Silent!' as if noting and remembering the ability, but we've already established he's vulnerable to it). This continues a trend of Villeneuve forgetting about the Voice in combat, where in the first film Jessica doesn't use it against Stilgar and Paul doesn't use it against Jamis, without even a one-off line like 'and no Bene Gesserit tricks'. Rather, he wins the first two clashes, even leaving a knife embedded in Paul's shoulder, before Paul kills him in a grapple that recalls his first on-screen spar with Gurney Halleck; Feyd is focused on the knife he is pushing further and further through Paul's seemingly exhausted grip, but he - and the viewer - can't see Paul's knife further down.
I *think* we were supposed to understand that as a possible Kwisatz Haderach Feyd is outside Paul's newly acquired precognition (this was sort of foreshadowed when he says he didn't foresee the attack on the sietch), together with the mention by Feyd that he dreamed about Lady Fenring, but wasn't spelled out.
A moment somewhat mocked on social media, but which I felt rang very true, was Bardem's frantic "Lisan al-Gaib!" when it is clear Paul has just barely survived the duel. This is *not* Stilgar the believer once again extolling his messiah's supernatural powers. This is Stilgar the politician and tribal leader realising that Paul looks very vulnerable and *un-supernatural* right now, and if he doesn't quickly get the watching Fremen on board with a chant of 'Lisan al-Gaib' the spell may be broken.
I liked how the Emperor was forced to plead for his life via the medium of his daughter, and the ambiguity of Paul's gesture; I initially thought he was commanding Irulan to step away from her father and take his hand in marriage (and this might be intentional), but instead, Shaddam is forced to go down to his knees and kiss Paul's ducal ring; a good use for the ring finding its way to Paul, which I complained about in the first movie (he also uses it in this movie to seal the ultimatum to the Emperor earlier).
The other Houses refuse Paul's ultimatum to accept him as Emperor (did he say this? I thought they only asked the other Houses to hear him out), leaving Paul to command his Fremen 'Lead them to heaven', ushering in the jihad. But we see their ships leaving seemingly without ill effect. This was crying out for first a few then intensifying rockets from the ground; perhaps even one of the ships burning and falling to emphasise that, yes, Paul just declared war on the entire universe and the ships are *fleeing*.
The final shot, incomprehensibly, is a grumpy Chani on her own, preparing to ride a worm. Perhaps Villeneuve has a plan for how Dune: Messiah will play out with her, maybe even taking some of the role of Alia, who obviously doesn't have the same interaction with the original cast here, being a psychic fetus the entire film-
(At this point I should violently interject; Villeneuve's politics, by God. What are we to make of the fetal personhood on show multiple times in this movie, at this time in American politics? She isn't even called an 'abomination'; that line is transferred to refer to Paul (who irritatingly doesn't even get to declare 'Look into that place you dare not look; you'll find me there' to justify it, just use the Voice, which the Bene Gesserit already know he can do!
Is the fact that it is most clearly championed by Jessica, who in this version has an antagonistic or at least 'bad influence' bent, intended to make it ambiguous? I feel this choice was probably intended to avoid the time-jump implied by a child actor; or perhaps to avoid the controversy of Alia of the Knife being a murderous toddler. But, as with his sexual and racial politics, what emerges is something that feels very odd, like he accidentally ended up throwing in a pro-life message.)
-All this should make us wonder. Villeneuve clearly likes the idea that Chani is the viewpoint character of Dune, beginning the first film with a voiceover from her and concluding with changing the story (no "history will call us wives" here) to leave her on her own but also seemingly abandoned in favour of the swanky princess; again, I feel like this last one wasn't intentional. There was probably an intent that 'Chani is her own woman and in this version she wouldn't want to marry Paul after he gives in and embraces the messianic role', but does it read as that? Or does it read as 'Chani missed her chance and Paul has married someone more suitable' (again, there's a racial reading here that can't be ignored; something not present in the 1984 version where Chani is played by Sean Young). Is this simply neo-Puritanism over the idea of the protagonist having multiple wives (I don't think any adaptation has thrown in the fact that Paul is honour-bound to marry Jamis's wife also)? Did someone say 'this feels a bit harem anime'?
The Guild are almost completely missing, and instead of using his knowledge of the worm lifecycle to threaten to use the stored water to create a chain reaction that will poison the worms, Paul just threatens to nuke the spice fields with his family atomics. When he does that, the Emperor says something like 'You've gone insane!', but no-one chips in to explain that, in fact, if he destroys the spice, the Guild can no longer navigate space, the Imperium will fall, and most of humanity dies due to the end of interstellar trade. This is the dilemma! The jihad claiming billions of lives vs. terraforming Dune claiming *literally all the lives*.
What was needed for the final shots of Dune was something like - of all things - the denouement of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. We should see the Fremen rampaging across the universe; ships burning; the shot from the vision of Paul looking out over Caladan, his again; Giedi Prime getting bombed into ashes - just to provoke us to think 'well, they liked violent gladiatorial games, but did they *really* deserve to die en masse because of what the Baron did?'. And then we cut to Paul on the Emperor's throne, looking shocked and hollow. He, like Dr Horrible, gets 'Everything (He) Ever Wanted', and it will haunt him forever. We grasp the cyclical nature of power - Paul Atreides, the exile turned revolutionary and mystic, is back on top - the very, very top, replacing the Sardaukar with his *own* brutal shock troops from a wasteland world. We needed to see that, and other than a few visions, we don't. Instead, we finish with what might, optimistically, be the message 'the traditional Fremen life will go on'? 'Sisters are doing it for themselves'? 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a desert'? 'You can't please everyone all of the time'? In-pardon my language, fucking-scusable.
All of this means I think there's definitely room for a different Dune at an appropriate distance in time once Villeneuve's series - however long it runs, and God-Emperor is looking like a possibility - concludes. I have suggested an animated film or series as something very different from the existing adaptations, possibly leaning into precognition as the conceit, and after viewing Villeneuve's Part Two I think I've worked out how to do it.
The first scene in the book is someone - we don't see faces - being administered the Water of Life. We then cut to the dunes and the muad'dib mouse, and then it becomes clear we are watching it from the perspective of Paul and Chani.
They discuss the mouse on the moon and Paul decides that his name 'will be Muad'Dib'. Paul then awakens years earlier on Caladan. At about the two-thirds mark, Jessica takes the Water of Life but begins seizing. She sees herself drowning deep under an endless blue ocean. Paul says 'I can't reach where you are' and impulsively drinks the Water of Life himself; as Chani holds onto him he reaches out and holds his mother's hand and we see in the now shared vision that he swims down into the ocean, grabs her hand, and pulls her up. When they surface he experiences the rest of the vision, and then, awakening, says "I saw it all - I was back on Caladan; I saw us travel to Arrakis for the first time - but I also saw Baron Harkonnen; I saw him plotting with the Emperor - Shaddam! The Emperor is behind the downfall of our family". The entire first two-thirds of the movie *is* the Water of Life experience. Paul has watched the entire movie so far and for the rest of the film knows everything we, the audience, have seen, and more.
In general, Villeneuve's Dune is still probably one of the most striking and solid sci-fi films in recent decades. It is not as clearly stand-alone as I think reviewers have been prone to claim - much like the Lynch version which infamously issued a physical guide for cinema-goers to consult to understand the universe, Villeneuve's Dune does not clearly establish some of the book's most distinctive elements.
You might reasonably assume that the shields are why this universe relies so heavily on hand-to-hand combat - but why so few lasguns? (because in the book, hitting a shield with a lasgun obliterates both parties).
Why do the Harkonnen and Sardaukar feel so much weaker in the desert? Because shields act like a thumper and call worms.
(Note: This was in fact mentioned in the first film.)
Why do some people roll their eyes and do mental maths? They're mentats, human calculators. Why do they exist, and why are there no robots in this oddly run-down, primitive-feeling future? Because a thousand years ago a war called the Butlerian Jihad resulted in the absolute prohibition of thinking machines everywhere in the Imperium (it's bizarre this wasn't mentioned given AI is such a hot topic).
By the end of the second film you've also forgotten that the spice is vital for space travel (why? because it makes Navigators able to see the future, something Villeneuve has decided to emphasise only applies to Paul, and thus able to predict where a hyperspace jump will lead).
The Harkonnen were I think handled the worst of the characters, which isn't new. Skarsgard's Baron is overall acceptable and Rabban has decent menace, but he and Feyd Rautha suffer from the Lynchian 'kill your underlings' brain bug which no longer makes villains feel scary, and the random lurid elements Villeneuve has invented (gimp spiders, child slaves, cannibal prostitutes) feel just as over-the-top as the disfigured 1984 Baron pulling his servants' heart plugs for fun. The decision to make them all pasty bald troglodytes speaks to a fear to present villains as anything more than interchangeable cannon fodder lest, perhaps, the audience find them too compelling? The Fremen suffer from weird racial politics (a need to cast for diversity applied, we notice, most diligently to the desert-dwelling tribesmen, but coupled with the apparent desire to make them darker when you're meant to find them scary, which feels distinctly un-progressive) and the Corrinos from limited screen time. The Atreides in the first film felt most like a believable future society, while the glimpses we got at the Spacing Guild seemed intriguing, with their Daft Punk helmets, but were never followed through.
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I just completed The Talos Principle 2 100%, so it's time for an unsolicited review of the game. Bottom line(s) up front: I enjoyed this game and some of the narrative features that could be seen as "flaws" really helped characterize the world. There are a few things that I would nitpick though, given that it's a more character-driven game than its predecessor yet there are inconsistencies and a lot of moments that made me roll my eyes or dislike a character outside of the game's intentions.
More thoughts under the cut.
Starting with the good stuff:
The puzzles were far more streamlined than Talos 1, and while the difficulty was lowered, the learning curve was far smoother. Talos 1 started with very basic puzzles and then very quickly ramped up the difficulty and stayed like that for the rest of the game. Talos 2's puzzle progression was wonderfully linear (except for a few puzzles here and there which would be stupidly easy), with the first area having simple puzzles that can be solved in under 30 seconds, to the golden puzzles being the hardest in the game. I never used the flame mechanic (though heavily considered for one of the gold puzzles, Thrust Vector, which I had to redo three times because I couldn't run fast enough), but I think it is a good addition. It takes away some of the frustration for people who might be able to solve all the puzzles but are particularly struggling with just a few.
The plot line felt complete and complex, with meaningful endings. I read another review here that mentioned that the dialogue fell flat as if the authors were trying to tell you their viewpoints rather than letting you figure out your own, as there weren't dialogue options to argue against ideologies. While I am a radical humanist, and enjoy a lot of Jonas Kyratzes' work, there were still some viewpoints (Miranda's in particular, which I found extremely childish and benign) I disagreed with. Unlike the first game, where you could argue and present evidence for and against claims with Milton, this game only lets you agree or disengage. It might come off as ostensibly lazy writing, but the fact that you can't argue with some of the characters helps characterize the functions of this new society. There is a terminal you can access in the interactive fiction exhibit called "Argument Simulator" that explains this exact thing. The simulator is an endless loop of "you're wrong because x" and the only way to escape is by selecting "let's find something we can agree on". The citizens of New Jerusalem have founded their society on the tenants of respect. Even characters with different views like Byron and Al are close friends because disagreement is not arguing against an idea, but choosing not to further it. I do wish there were more dialogue options for exploring character's viewpoints though (especially Yaqut, whose character I didn't fully understand except as someone confused about different ideologies and in staunch agreement with Miranda).
The small things in this game really made it stand out. The cat photos in Milton's rest, the text adventures in the Interactive Fiction exhibit, and especially the somnodrome plot line. The concept of the robots not being able to access their source code and creating a machine to circumvent said blackbox makes for a good side quest, even if it has little impact on the main story. Tom Jubert wrote the dialogue for Milton in the first game, and seeing a similar dialogue style in your chat with MILTOHIM was a cool throwback to the first game.
Now for the things I didn't enjoy:
The Theory of Everything plot point had no foreshadowing or lead-in, making it very difficult to conflate three-fourths of the way through the game. Let me clarify that I don't mean that it felt like a cop-out or retconned, just poorly introduced. In the lost labs, you can view updates on the experiment, but these are useless since they don't explain anything. Just "lack of power" or "unstable infrastructure". There isn't anything substantial that clues the player into the fact that what Athena is trying to solve is basically the universal equation. So when the game reveals The Theory of Everything, the player has to suspend a lot of disbelief. Furthermore, none of the other characters seem shocked enough by this, and you cannot engage them in conversation beyond their initial thoughts. Putting in a few extra files that show some preliminary research or philosophical texts on the "theory of everything" would have helped relieve this issue.
The maps. Holy fucking shit why were they so large. I can understand that the developers wanted to create vivid landscapes and give the game an open-world feel, but there was just way too much running around. It quickly became annoying. The Prometheus stars (and really all the stars, to be honest) were more exhausting and tedious than challenging. At least this is consistent with the insanity of stars in Talos 1, where some of the stars were nearly impossible unless employing sheer luck or trial and error.
The whole Athena, Miranda, and Cornelius storyline was just weird. I mean, Athena gets tired of people treating her like a prophet and the citizen's self-hatred, so instead of dealing with it naturally or listening to Byron (who warns her of the citizens' nihilism in a memory), she runs away to start a nuclear family? She then has a daughter (which I will discuss later in my confusion about why the robots have gender, or at least conform to some aspects of it without any explanation.) who Cornelius and her infantilize (even though we know that the concept of "children '' doesn't exist in New Jerusalem, as per a conversation with Yaqut, which makes sense given you are born with the same capacities as everyone else). She then acts surprised when the person she treated like her child, acts childish and blows herself up. This is never elaborated on, instead, Cornelius theorizes that Miranda thought herself above death as she perceived some special purpose in her design, likely a symptom of not being raised in society. Again, this might be nitpicky, but I was weirded out by the whole thing.
This segues into my next nitpicky point: the robots are somewhat gendered, and it's never shown how or why? I get it, you're going, "Oh boy, another trans person is complaining about an innocuous detail in a game because it didn't match their viewpoint", but it's just strange that the game goes into detail about menial things like Atal and his cat, or the dome, or even Helga's whole shop for which she re-invented the concept of money, but doesn't explain this one reoccurring detail? We know that the robots can choose their name (shown when Byron explains that he named himself after Robert Byron, not Lord Byron), and their voice pack (shown when Ovis mentions that they can switch to Alexanda's voice and say whatever), but not this? Most likely their pronouns just come with their voice pack, and can be changed at will, but it would be cool to have some confirmation or discussion. The player character is also referred to as he/him and with the name 1k throughout the game, and you never get a chance to ask why. I know, I know, this is not a very salient point of dislike. It's just odd that the game discusses so many aspects of what makes society, but doesn't explain an extremely benign factor that heavily dichotomized the preceding society. But whatever, this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the game.
Overall, Talos 2 was an amazing game and a worthy sequel to the first game. It has its shortcomings, but I was blown away by the game's ingenuity, both from a writing and design perspective. If anyone else has any other insights or opinions on the gameplay and storyline, I would love to hear them. Great game, 9.8/10.
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ooc; You know, I never thought anyone would like Thoth other than my group of friends who gave him a chance. I was so nervous with him, that I tried to make him a weaker character and I just couldn’t do that haha. I’m still nervous about him, but I want you all to know...
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I really am thankful. From the fan art, to the threads, to meeting so many wonderful people, I think it’s time to shine a light on those who I’ve chatted with, and gotten to know as well! Even if it’s just a simple hello, it makes my day. You guys are all wonderful, and I’m beyond happy over this. I was going to make a 100 follower and then the followers skyrocketed before I could haaa... ^^;;;
Anyway, these people below the cut? They really are cool.
But so are all my followers, even if we don’t talk!
@avoiided,
Preshie mun! You’re Gaster terrifies me, not like bad dreams terrifying but he is a really well developed villain! He just is so wonderful to interact with, and I love our threads, no matter the blog! Let’s not forget how you’re a sweetheart either! I feel like I spam ya too much haha, anxiety man- BUT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! Keep being you :D <3
(I still can’t believe Thoth had a mini crush on Gaster and they could have been nerdy friends if the judgement ever happened aaaaaaa)
@curioosity, @snackiies
Azura mun! I am still vastly scared to chat with you, but I want you to know, I do mean the words I say ^^ You may be feeling down right now, but... I think you’re a great person. I really mean that, you’re oc is very well fleshed out and very engaging! I adore seeing you on the dash, and your art- and your posts! I hope things brighten up for you! You need a good day, and I hope you get it!
@sixfingersixtails,
I really adore your concept and I’m glad you’re one of my friends! Sixer is adorable, and Thoth absolutely wants to spoil him! And pet him, seriously how many times have they ended up curled up together haaa. But the depth of your stories and fanfic are amazing and I love reading every chapter! Keep up the amazing work! <3
@softashfuck, @goodster,
I hope you had a good birthday kiddo! I love ya, you’re the son I wish that was here for I could spoil you some more. Seriously, anyway, I love your character and your interpretations and the fact you spam me with such lovely art ;w; so nice. I swear I’m going to keep spamming you right on back! <3
Okay but I mean it, I do care a lot about you and I do see you as my kid. Seriously, if I could scoop you up I would. <3
@all-seeing-all-knowing-eye, @br00kie-draws
BROOOOOKIE! Okay, first off. When I first met you, I was highly nervous and scared, I met you through an ex-friend that showed me your art and since then I am so glad I met you. Our ships are adorable, they have bumpy roads and that’s what makes them enjoyable, they arent perfect, and that’s just how a good ship should be. Not to mention your art?! Like DAYUM GIRL. Such a good, best friend too, always listening to me ramble! Love ya! <3
OUR SHIPS ARE ALSO A BLESSING thoug so yea!
OH AND ALSO HOW DARE YOU GIVE ME ICONS ON RANDOM LIKE THE SANS ONES, ;w; I cry, I cry with joy
@s-k-e-t-c-h-y-m-e-s-s,
I know we don’t talk as much these days, I know you’re busy but I still check up on your art! (I really should finish that gif I made omgosh) But you are also a very nice person, and a wonderful artist!
@splinter-sister,
Rach.... I gotta be honest. I love you, and I think without you these last years or so, I don’t think I’d be around. I was in a really bad patch, and thinking things I shouldn’t. I let my thoughts almost win but you pulled me out of there. You helped me in so many ways, you even sent money through the mail cuz of my situation. I feel like I can never thank you enough because you really are my best friend and I honestly don’t know what I’d do if you suddenly disappeared one day. I know work is hard on you, but you’re such a great person and you know what, I’m proud of you. <3
AND THEN THERE’S THE SHIPS OKAY
Thoth and Rachael, Rachael and Rich/Neal, Rachael and--- Wait no that’s it. I think, maybe. We ship a lot, I blame our shipness. lmao Love it all!
@buy-gold-bye,
Lye! I’m still vastly nervous to chat you up and that’s why I go silent cuz my nerves kick my ass but you are such a cool person! And your art? A++++
@derse-agent, @wd-blaster,
Heya! I like your stuff! It’s really cool, and I know I owe you some things, don’t worry I didn’t forget! I just want you to know, you’re a really cool blog and thank you for joining the streams at times! LAOS YOUR GASTER IS ADORABLE OKAY
@scientistofthevoid,
AAAAAAH?! For one I totally ship Tenny and Lotus now, I love how Tenny turns to mush at the very sight of my pretty boi. Not to mention t’s us so sugar sweet~! With some deviousness in there. Okay but on top of that, I love your characters, and the art, the fact you have put a lot of effort in your things and you’re a great friend! <3
@xenoasks,
Okay so, I love your art and the fact your Gaster is different fom others and you put time and effort into your creations and just YESSSSS. It’s amazing, and I love it and you’re really cool!
@stealthnerd
your art is realy cool and you are officially a senpai. I love the way you draw man, and I enjoy seeing you on the dash!
@of2814,
Apaaaattthhhyyyyyy, I miss ya, and I should deff mesage you more! Omgosh,and always drag you to more streams for you can succumb to the siliiness again! I love your Parallax! Hal and nomal Hal and the one time we rp’d where Venom was also Hal sdsfgb All the good stuff and I STILL REMEBER OUR SHIP OF SIOBHAN AND HAL <3
@theirmercy,
Okay so we’re still getting to know each other but you are an absolute delight!? AND YOU HAVE AN AMAZING SANS AND I LOVE HOW YOU WRITE AND I’M GOING TO KEEP RAMBLING IN CAPS FOR YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE AN IDOL HUN. <3
@ask-mystery-shack-cipher,
FOXIE AND HEALER!!! Healer, I love the way you write and Foxie? Hun, I wish I could draw like you. You two are really good friends and I’m sorry I haven’t een overly chatty? But I watch your content all the time! <3 You guys also helped me get rid of a toxic ex-friend and I’m grateful for that, you have no idea! Thank you for giving me strength!
@lastinggaster,
YOU ARE SUCH A SWEET PERSON!? You drew my boi, you chat with me, we rp- You are a delight! I want to invite you to all the streams and groups and let everyone marvel at your amazingness!
@lackadaisicaldenial,
Okay we don’t chat as I do with others but I’d love to? I’d love to also thread with you and I’m sorry if I didn’t answer that meme! It’s there staring at me like a deer in the middle of the road omg! But we should plot, on any of my blogs!
@evilgsanchez,
Okay so I loved our interactions with your Evil Rick and my Rick, I’m sorry that hes inactive right now, I’m trying to rile him back up but it’s just hard for me idk why- (been on an undertale kick tbh, aaaaa) BUT YOU WRITE AMAZINGLY AND BLOW MY FUCKING MIND LIKE OMG, HELLO SENPAI
@elooplvfklhiflskhu,
We just recently started talking but hey! I love your art from what I’ve seen keep up the amazing work okay? And don’t worry about messaging me, It’s all okay fi you want to :D I dont bite
@rubentheruler,
**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, screeching**
Your art is still amazing and I am highly nervous to talk with you but you are a sweety and I aspire to be like you!
@unspeakablyevil,
I would really like to chat with ya! And plot, and write! You seem to have an amazing Aku and it’s wonderful to see you on my dash!
@void-dad,
I love Trashy and I would really like to thread with ya. Your character is cute and well rounded, and I enjoy his story. Plus you’re a good person :D
@purplepimpryda,
BROTHER OF MINE I LOVE YA. I enjoy how hard you work on everything, even back when you wrote Joker. How we shipped, I still remember every moment despite my shit for brains memory hahaha. It’s wonderful and so are you and I’m glad you got out of your bad situation and are doing better and got things going for ya now! I love you, and I am very proud.
@pinkheartmelodi,
I LOVE YOUR BLOG OKAY? I read everything ^^;;; Haaa, I do, and it’s great. I’m kind of a side liner and I need to change that becuause Melodi is a cutie and I should totally spam you with more asks!
@paitakoyaki,
PAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII *SCREECHING INT THE SUNSET*
I miss our clown days, but I love how you draw still and I should message you more often, I miss ya buddy. You were and still are an amazing fiend and I aspire to draw how soft you do, those lines man mmmf, good stuff right there. Also Penance and Sorrow should hang out again.
@blackhxt,
SILVER HOW DARE YOU SINK ME THIS DEEP INTO VILLAINOUS
YOU MADE ME LOVE SO MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SHIPS, THE LORE, AND I’M SCREECHING AT YOU NOW. Oka but White Hat and Slug yessss, Flug and Black Hat, yesss, but my favorite...
Is the one I never expected. My fanfic’s Bill Cipher, dubbed ‘Glitch’ and Black Hat. I can’t believe they have two kids now and they recently hatched and are going to destroy the world. Cute little guys.
But you’re also a great friend! Seriously, amazing! <3
@cubicscubedemon,
Okay so I didn’t know anything of your muses but I saw you on the dash and I followed and I DO NOT REGRET THAT BECAUSE I LOVE THE WAY YOU TAKE YOUR CHARACTERS AND HOW MUCH STORY YOU PUT INTO THEM AND HOW MUCH WORK AND XKSHJBDCSFVGFMBH YOU ARE AMAZING <3
@storyteller-arc/ @smol-goop,
*inhale* B O I. Okay but on a serious note I love your Gaster, I love your oc. Storyteller, Gaster Grim likes them but not only that they managed to get Thoth to like them, he also likes smol as well. You have a really good character set it just attracts my characters like a magnet hahaha
Not to mention you are a adelight! Absolute delight!
@hannah-the-small,
*takes a deep breath* HOW CAN I EVEN BEGIN TO WRITE ON YOU!?
You are an idol to me. You are someone who has developed their entire set of ocs so much that I wish I could put that much effort without feeling nervous like hot dayum. You have suhc a good thing going, and I ust wanna punch Dick, hug him as well, punch him again- and also adopt ames and Hannah, and Eight- and the heroes, and Black Hat, and Dave, and all of them and HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME LOVE ALL THESE BBIES
@glitchster404,
GLITCHSTER IS ADORABLE!
I really do love how sweet they are and also the thread on Sans how he was commanded and i ended up being really cute and I just lve it all. You also have wonderful art and you are really dang sweet, <3 <3
@billrick,
okay....okay... I love your entire thing going on with ER, and I would love to write with you. I don’t even care what blog omgosh because you are an absoute steklar star on here, and Imma call you senpai til you perish cuz DAMN. Look at those headcanons, DAYUM look at those posts and stories and AUs and the past and 70 years worht of stuff and AAAAAAAA
A M A Z I N G
@a-vf-vi-tf-ti, @deep-black-dreaming
AAAAAA? I love your ocs, I love our rps and ideas on discord but we should deff rp here on tumblr again! Lemme drag you down with me on here muhahahahah, ALSO YOU’RE ANOTHER CULPRIT FOR GETTING ME DEEP INTO VILLAINIOUS AND I LOVE IT
@omnituent,
*stares at you deeply, squints*
Imma kick your Black Hats ass again just you watch. BUT ON A SIDE NOTE! OMG CAN WE THREAD ON HERE TOO? Discord is wonderful man man, I’d love to take it to tumblr, if you’re okay with that! I’ll even dust off my WH just for that reason :D
@igxitixn
You’re character seems swet and we should send some asks to each other ore often! I hope you’re having a wonderful day and I would love to get to know you more!
@dalearmitage
I know you thanks to Brookie and your character is amazing but I’m highly nervous to bug you nad for that I am very sory and I hope that we can chat more!
@an-ordinary-roach,
You have such a cute oc and I want to know all about them! We thread here on Tthoth and Grim but man I’d spam you with even Eddie Gluskin if you’d want :D Or Jack, but Jack scares everyone and so I keep him in th corner hahaha. But the point is, I love your concept and I wanna pet th roachie
@gothamsbruja
I remember when you were still developing your oc and it was on skype, and she had blue skin but now she covers up the blue skin and she is really great. I think you did amazing with her!
@hsheaddogs
Hey I just met you and aI think you guys are great. Sans and you, really cool! Thanks for joining the stream the other day and I hope to thread with you more! I mean it, and I should say hi to you more often on discord ^^ You seem great!
@gummypeculiar
YOUR CHARACTER IS SUPER CUTE AND I LOVE THEM AND I WOULD LOVE TO WRITE WITH YOU SO MUCH MORE EVEN THOUGH WE ALREADY WRITE ON sANS AND I JUST LOVE THEM AND WANNA KNOW ALL I CAN!
#I feel like I missed a few people but if I did#let me know#I hink you all are great#this took days for me#and thats another reason ive been so slow but im glad I did this#I appreciate all of you#I would have given up on all my characters if it weren't for al of you!
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Celebrating White Day with the Dorm Leaders?
{YES i love this algihalie- i wanted to get it done today since it's white day- i hope it came out ok for you anon!! i wrote it as if reader gave them something for valentine's day}
Riddle Rosehearts
Riddle had been trying to figure out what to get you for the entire month between valentine's and white day
he knew your favorite sweets and snacks, but what if you didn't like them anymore, or if you preferred to get a stuffed animal or-
Trey and Cater helped calm him down, Cater directing him to your Magicam account to show off some of your recent favorite things
he ended up getting you a few things and made them into a gift box; your favorite snacks and sweets, a small mouse plush, and some home-made chocolates Trey had helped him with
he nervously approached you after your last class, gift box in hand; he fumbled out a confession before shoving the box into your hands, face bright red as he waited for your response
Leona Kingscholar
Leona was usually pretty confident in his ability to read you, but recently he'd been second-guessing himself
what if you'd just given him chocolates on valentine's because you felt like you had to?
then again, you'd been spending more and more time with him since then as well
he decided to throw caution to the wind and go all in, inviting you out to a movie date in his dorm on white day
he also managed to snag a few of your favorite chocolates, and while they weren't home made he hoped that your love of them would make them just as good
Azul Ashengrotto
Azul’s initial thought was to just let you pick something off the menu at the lounge for free
that felt too impersonal, though, and like he would be disrespecting your feelings for him
instead, he decided to spend the week leading up to white day learning how to make chocolate
his mother's pastry chef had been more than happy to help, helping the octomer learn how to temper and shape the chocolate to his liking
when white day came, he approached you before classes and handed you the small chocolate box, containing a large octopus sculpted from your favorite type of chocolate, holding a little card asking you on a date
Kalim Al-Asim
Kalim had been so excited about white day, begging Jamil to let him throw an entire party for you
when Jamil refused, he instead asked for baking lessons so he could make you something special
between Jamil and Trey, they managed to help the eccentric dorm leader make a single good version of your favorite sweet
he proudly approached you the morning before classes on white day, hands outstretched to give you the box
"I made this just for you! So, will you accept my feelings?" he asked cheerfully, grinning widely at your blushing face
Vil Schoenheit
Vil wasn't sure if his best options was to spoil and drown you with gifts or to go simple
he figured going simple would be a bit more meaningful, so he asked Rook to collect information on your current likes and dislikes
once he had them listed, he started to put together a small gift box of some of the items
he'd managed to put together an impressive gift, including tickets to a show you'd been wanting to see
he handed you the bag on white day, smiling as you opened the gift and stuttered out an awed 'thank you', his smile turning to a grin when you asked him to go to the show with you
Idia Shroud
Idia had zero idea what to do for you for white day; he'd never really thought about having a partner on white day before
he ended up binging a bunch of otome games, to see what the characters got for each other
he nervously started to collect a bunch of ideas, organizing them to the best of his ability
eventually he decided on getting you a game you'd been begging him to play with you
he nervously presented it to you, gasping in surprise when you hugged him tightly and thanked him repeatedly
Malleus Draconia
Malleus had so, so many ideas; Lilia and Sebek had to physically restrain him from buying anything he saw that you might like
he wanted his first white day present to you to be impressive and as perfect as possible, after all
he eventually was persuaded to just get two or three things and write a heartfelt note
he'd managed to get a first-edition copy of one of your favorite novels, using that as the base for his other gifts
he handed you the small package after classes, smiling as you thanked him with wide eyes
#twst x reader#twisted wonderland headcanons#twisted wonderland x reader#twst scenarios#twst headcanons#headcanons#twisted wonderland#dorm leaders x reader#dorm leader headcanons#idia headcanons#idia x reader#idia shroud x reader#malleus draconia x reader#malleus x reader#malleus headcanons#vil headcanons#vil schoenheit x reader#vil x reader#kalim headcanons#kalim al asim x reader#kalim x reader#azul headcanons#azul x reader#azul ashengrotto x reader#leona headcanons#leona kingscholar x reader#leona x reader#riddle headcanons#riddle x reader#riddle rosehearts x reader
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ROBIN #5 (2021)
here are some favourite moments!
that no one asked for, but i'm gonna do them anyway.
spoilers ahead, duh.
1. Trust
Damian values Dick's trust so much🥺
It kinda hurts to see him say "I wish you'd just trust me" HE DOES BABY I PROMISE YOU
2. Damian dissing everyone.
"Is that why you and Tim are on a break?"
Damian, your brother had an eye-opening discovery about his sexuality less than two weeks ago, give him a break.
"Are you sure you weren't raised by clowns, Ric?"
He was shot in the head, child. Have some respect.
"Et tu, Reject?"
JASON IS NOT A REJECT OKAY! I LOVE HIM!
also, Damian quoted Shakespeare here. Jason and Damian bonding over classic literature??? please???? DC i know u can hear me. give us more Jason and Damian bonding moments!
3. Damian hugs Jason.
You can't see 80% of Jason's face but you can tell he is absolutely freaking out inside.
"omg omg omg what do i do?"
Jokes aside, this was genuinely such a sweet moment. Jason and Damian finally got their sweet brotherhood moment (even if Damian used it to trick Jason).
And you know what? Yea, Jason is most emotional Robin.
4. Or not..
It amuses me so much that Damian uses sentimentality as a weapon. He was the killy stabby Robin for so long, everyone knew not to try anything with him.
It makes so much sense that sentimentality from Damian, of all people, would shock Jason (the other killy stabby Robin).
also, this is exactly why your brother has trust issues, Damian. shame on you.
5. Big brother Dick.
I can confidently say that no one was surprised to see that Dick was the one who made it through to Damian. He's always been closest to his youngest brother.
The gift itself is beautiful, not because of what it is. But because of what it means to Dick, and now to Damian as well. A solid reminder that Damian has his family backing him up, waiting for him to come home.
And a reminder of who he is: Robin, a brother, a son, a friend, a Wayne, an Al-Ghul.
I would have included the panels of the gift, but alas, Tumblr has a 10 images limit per post.
6. My Robin.
No, I'm not crying. You're crying!
Once again with the sentimentality, this time, Dick gets Damian with it. Damian values Dick's approval and opinion, seeing as Dick accepted Damian and loved him for who he is, without expectations or standards, something Damian wasn't familiar with at the time.
To know that Dick supports him must've given him that last boost of confidence he needed to get back to Lazarus Island and compete in the tournament with a newfound spirit.
batfam stans, how we feeling?
7. What do we tell Batman?
To put it more crudely:
Jason: he got you with sentimentality, didn't he?
Dick: bitch, that was you.
I'm glad they're all leaving Damian to his own devices, letting him (re)discover who he is. And they know that when Damian is ready to come home, they'll be there to welcome him with open arms.
I love that Dick acknowledges and brings up that they've all went through this stage, discovering themselves for who they are outside of being a vigilante. It's a tough life and they know it.
Bonus:
8. Artist appreciation.
I love the artist for this issue (no hate to Jorge Corona from the last issue, but his character design for Dick was ehhhhh...).
Moreover, I love that this artist applied the same design for Nightwing from the current run. Melkinov used the Redondo's design for Nightwing's escrima sticks (the grappling hook coming out of the middle of the stick) and also used a similar design to his suit.
It definitely sells the idea that all of these comics are happening in the same continuity. We've had many conflicting storylines over the years because the writers/artists of the comics hardly ever seem to be on the same page when it comes to the character design of the same character.
I know that Jason's still wearing his old suit instead of the new one Bruce gifted him in Batman: Urban Legends #6 (2021), but this is something that still makes sense to me for the following reasons:
Urban Legends #6 came out only two weeks before this issue, the artist could've been done with their art and didn't know that Jason would be getting a new suit.
Jason is gonna wear the new suit in for the first time in Nightwing Annual #4 (supposedly), which will be released in November of this year. I can only assume that Jason won't be ready to wear his new suit until the point of time in that issue.
Lastly, shout out to Luis Guerrero for the amazing colours in this issue! He captures the essence of each character so well with his colours, like how the light is more reflective on Dick's suit than anyone else's, showing that Dick is wearing a stretchy material since he's a gymnast.
The shading, the contours, the way the light falls softly on each surface, truly a work of art.
#damian wayne#damian al ghul#robin#dick grayson#nightwing#jason todd#red hood#tim drake#red robin#stephanie brown#spoiler#batfam#batfamily#batman family#batman#ras al ghul#ravager#rose wilson#joshua williamson#gleb melnikov#luis guerrero#dc comics#robin 2021
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Over the last few years, I have gone out of my way to try and point out actors that weren't necessarily top billed or currently well-known but have still given top performances in amazing movies. Sometimes these people have outshined their costars, but they have always played an integral part in the film. John Cazale played five key roles in 5 fantastic, Best Picture nominated movies over 7 short years, and then tragically passed away. Here is a list of his cinematic performances and it will tell you why he stood out so much as an actor.
SPOILER WARNING FOR SOME VERY GOOD MOVIES!!! I TRIED TO JUST SPEAK OF GENERAL PLOT, BUT SOME THINGS MENTIONED COULD SPOIL SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE!!!
The Godfather (1972)
Not a bad part for a first major acting role, Cazale plays the second son Fredo Corleone, the least intelligent and weakest of the children in the Corleone family. He is passed over to lead the family when his older brother is assassinated, and for this he holds a grudge. Fredo's poor decisions are a constant threat to his family, and it becomes obvious in the first movie that he will have to be dealt with at some point if the family is to remain in power. Cazale had been performing in a theatre troop alongside Al Pacino and Richard Dreyfuss and was spotted by well-known casting director Fred Roos. He was suggested as a character player to Francis Ford Coppola and his career went up from there.
The Conversation (1974)
It is hard to believe that Francis Ford Coppola put out two outstanding films like this in the same year, but it is not surprising that he chose John Cazale to be in both of them. Gene Hackman plays a shut-in surveillance expert that taps into the wrong conversation and his life becomes in danger from the client who asked he do the bugging. Cazale plays the partner to Hackman's character that does most of the footwork. He plays almost a Watson like character to Hackman's Sherlock Holmes and the film ends up feeling like something I would expect from Alfred Hitchcock. This is a fantastic movie that was also inducted to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. I am somewhat surprised that it is not on the AFI top 100.
The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
Cazale reprises his role as Fredo, and, this time, the character is causing so much trouble that it results in attempts at killing members of the Corleone family. It all stems from Fredo's jealousy of his brothers and that he was never considered to be head of the family. His poor business decisions and willingness to make deals behind his brother's back just to have a larger piece of the action speaks of his conniving and weakness. He famously is given the kiss of death by his younger brother when it is discovered that a business deal had given a rival crime family influence among the Corleone group, had gotten the head of the family indicted for racketeering, and even allowed an attempt on his brother's life. Fredo is such a memorable character and Cazale plays him so well as both weak and simultaneously powerful enough to be dangerous.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
This is a strange film about a bank robbery gone wrong since the robbers are after the money with good intentions. Cavale plays one of the bank robbers named Sal who is the only person who seems like they would legitimately kill one of the hostages. Cavale seems to play a good stooge in his parts, a soldier who is not too bright but still has great aspirations for power and position. Sal really seems to think of himself as a Robin Hood type thief despite having none of the cleverness. This was the first major motion picture for Cavale that was not directed by Coppola, but he did get to costar next to his good friend Al Pacino.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
This was Cazale's final role as he had developed lung cancer that metastasized to his bones. He knew that this would be his last film and it was through the prodding of director Michael Cimino by his friend Robert De Niro and his girlfriend at the time, Meryl Streep, that he got the part. He again plays a weak character in a group of guys who often bully him, and he doesn't appreciate his low standing. He does not go off to war like the other men, yet he tries to get the same respect. In fact, I would say that Cazale played almost all his characters as desiring valor that they did not earn. What is heart breaking about this film for me is that one of the very last scenes that Cazale would film is at a funeral, not six feet from Meryl Streep. There is a realism in this scene that comes from Streep and Cazale looking at the coffin knowing he would soon be in it, and she would be grieving his death. The film is full of powerful scenes, yet this one always strikes me the most.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although Cazale was never nominated for any awards himself, all of his films were nominated for Best Picture and three of them took home the prize. He was remembered by his friends and costars as a great guy who dedicated his life to the craft. With so many actors taking on roles just for a paycheck, Cazale is the only actor I can think of who's entire filmography is nothing but classics. Rest in peace after a job well done.
#john cazale#the deer hunter#the godfather#the conversation#best picture#dog day afternoon#introvert#introverts#great movies#psychology
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OC questions 4, 7, 11, 38!
:D So, since they've been extensively on the mind, these'll be for my Elden Ring Tarnished, Ion! My first character, and thus made before knowing any lore of the game, they ended up not being too nonsensical but pleasingly fantastical, being a golden-eyed Nightkin roaming in the Lands Between!
4. Do they enjoy baking?
They do, in-theory, but are too impatient and are not particularly good at it. :] They understand the basic concepts of mixing dry and wet, and that dough with all the moisture cooked out of it will stay good for a very long time, but Ion could not make a decent cake to save their life. In random abodes in the Lands Between, Ion will sometimes help themselves to the stove or oven, but exploring the nooks and crannies of said abodes usually ends up taking priority. Camping in the wild, they use a small vessel gifted from the inhabitants of Jarburg for quickbreads.
They tried baking in the Roundtable Hold precisely once, asking Sir Gideon for a recipe. The attempted pound cake came out too runny, and then was baked into a brick and given to Boc, who declared that taken with enough tea and cream it "weren't half bad, really."
7. Do they have any unusual fears?
After Caelid, as well as further adventures, Ion has developed a begrudging unease of mushrooms, particularly of live growths. While assorted mushroom dishes of the Nox were once among their favourites, now the association with Rot is too inextricable, and large or unusually-shaped mushrooms recall memories of fetid swamps, harrowing battles, and the sickening feeling of infection and infestation.
Glintstone in all its forms is similarly disliked, due to its tendency to grow and corrupt, with Ion believing it to be a terrestrial corrosion of starlight. Seeing how Rot has infested Caelid and other locations, and how crystals similarly infest mines and the underground and parts of Liurnia, they fear that they too might one day succumb to either.
Finally, despite their proclivity for Ranni, they have a pronounced fear of dolls and mannequins, as well as the Burial Watchdogs -- the stiff, mechanical motion is unnerving, compared to more sinuous and flowing motion.
11. Do they have any addictions?
Dragon hearts. Despite knowing better than to indulge, and full knowing the inherent dangers of such, Ion is intoxicated by the thrill of the fight and is always tempted to consume the heart anyway, chasing the high and the power alike that such brings. For the most part, one aspect has replaced the other, with Ion rationalising to themself that it is the fight in itself that truly grants power, not necessarily the consumption of the heart with its potential side-effects. This also generalises into overall thrill-seeking behaviour, as well as a deep urge when viewing most dangerous or imposing foes: "I would like to fight it."
More mundane than self-endangerment is, against their better judgement, a fondness for warmth. They have passed Rogier's leaving while heading to Fia's chamber on more than one occasion, and truly think her goals noble, if difficult to understand.
38. What are their dreams like? Do they have any recurring dreams/nightmares?
Their dreams are usually dark, in multiple senses. Orphaned and abandoned cities, as well as being locked away, are common themes, and Ion fears the answer to the question of if they are dreams or visions. A consistent nightmare is of being trapped in darkness and unbearable heat, burning from invisible fire; another, both dream and nightmare and yet at once neither, is of multiplicity, particularly after meeting Millicent and especially after battling her sisters.
The dream is of meeting a silver tear who rises to take on Ion's own appearance, even -- unusually -- copying Ion's golden eye. It mirrors their every motion perfectly, up until it and Ion make contact, at which point Ion's body begins disintegrating and being absorbed into the mercurial mass. Once completed, there stands only the mimic alone in a perfect resemblance of Ion; it turns around, to meet another silver tear, who rises to take on its appearance. And so the dream repeats.
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Witcher of the Night (Chapter 24)
Chapter 23.2
WOTN MASTERLIST
Summary: The night of the feast could be a journey's end, or so we thought.
Warnings: Blood. Slight family dynamic? Curse words. Derogatory words. Geralt being so feisty? Limbs being cut off? Those kind of gore. 😢 Hehe. Mention of Asgard. LMAO.
Words: 7k+
A/N: WELCOME BACK TO ME. HELLO, BB'S! YES, TIS' I! I'll be posting the next chapters in Tumblr too for our Tumblr peeps! If ya' aren't in Wattpad, you might be missing out on my chapters! Heehee! Also, I'm sorry, life has been in the way. Especially research papers that gives me burnouts.
Disclaimer: PNG's and pictures used in edits are not mine even the GIF's too. (Credits to the rightful owners of the gifs) However, the edits and this fanfic is definitely from moi. Character development and personalities are based from my understanding and how I want them to be. This has no connection towards the books, games or show. (Well, somewhat) Though, sometimes Geralt's personalities can be found on either of the sources. But, still. This isn't liable to be a copy of one Geralt of Rivia's character to another because I base this from how I want him to be.
The day of the feast is the day of your death.
It was what you've perceived when you wore the dress they've arranged for the night assembled in the great hall of the castle. You've gussied up till your heart's content, wearing make-up given to you by Eanraig and his lover's basket full of women's essentials. As pretty as a princess that Cynthia has advised.
The defeatist part of your brain thinking that this was your end---the night where you would suddenly wake up in your bed, rousing from your illusions on creating love and a caring family that you have wished for back in earth and in the fullness of time, molding a small family for yourself as well with the growing child inside of you.
She was growing. You knew that Eanraig's honesty was really not a lie at all after seeing yourself in a full body mirror, stripped out of your servant's clothes prior to the morning demands before the feast. What stood before you was a woman who had a two month moon-belly. When the druid said that your pregnancy will be thrice as much rather than a normal gravidity, he wasn't joking. Though, your stomach isn't that obvious under the dress unless you were going to be disrobed from the clothing. It looked bloated, like something was in there. Too much divulgence of food or a baby---the image tells that someone or something was living inside.
In the midst of staring out of nowhere, you seated all alone with a glum frown etched on your dolled up face. Scrumptious looking food plated in the most rakish way as strangers sat in front, their barbarous laughter and prattles completely opposite of how you were acting in the middle of it all. Speechless, distressed and wistful from celebrating over a feast hosted by people who had done nothing but cast hate and animosity towards your family which included you.
Belerick was loudly munching on his smoked chicken, the gnome attending this so-called celebration feast for the royal family and for the blessing of the future king's assuage. When Belerick was present in a banquet like the king has held then expect his whole gang of Leprecauns to be actively with him.
His garrulous attempt of seeking answers over how downcast and drained you appeared to be regardless of the fake powders you've used on your face. The careworn expression adding up more of his worry and even for the slightly fading bruises along your back that couldn't be hidden by make-up.
"Last time I saw ye' you weren't lookin' like this! Who'd hurt ye'?!"
You were seated with the gnomes and a whole ton of nasty, tough looking strangers who had beer-belly in one long wooden table. Merek downed his cup of ale, loudly dropping the empty cup on the table with a 'thud' before blattering a comment. His attention now solely on you alone as he raked your outfit and beated body, "Yeah, right! Tell us, tell us! We'll hurt the lad!"
Belerick abruptly growled at the back of his throat, slovenly eating his chicken until no meat was left and only bones---thoroughly squeaky clean as if it would dazzle against the tall, chandelier lights. The Leprecaun spoke with his mouth full, chewing in the process.
"Was it the Witcha'?! He battered ye'?! The potato we would gladly worship, aye?! It gots not to be the bard because he's one feeble lad! Even his name sounds puny! A puny bard! Does he go with Jaskier or Dandelion?!"
Shaking your head, "You'll be beheaded if I did tell you," you meekly uttered, staring at the smoked mutton constantly being forked by the group of acquaintances you've somehow became familiar with back in Durriken's Inn.
Carac, who suddenly seemed to be shy based on his blushing ears and cheeks looked starry-eyed with his knuckles propped beneath his chin as he was watching you stare in the middle of the hall where people might be dancing on it soon, "Where's the pretty bard? I thought ye' would end up togetha'?"
"You dullard!" Belerick hit him in the head with a bone leg of a chicken, "---Ye' don't remember she's the lass that the white haired witcha' tried to save in the middle of slaughtering Tybalt's men?! Haven't ye' heard the gossips, Carac?!"
Merek audibly burped out loud. Careless and never giving a damn over his table manners as he slowly tapped his swollen belly full of beer and food.
"A murderer but a knight nevertheless. Not a pretty worthy tale to tell the people of Kaedwen, don't ye' think?"
"Guys, stop calling him that." you mumbled beneath a sigh, the frown turning deeper from mentioning about your witcher who you try to seldomly think of---but, it was difficult when you could feel what he felt even from afar and by the feeling of it, he seemed to be in distress just like you.
"What? a murderer? a knight? a monsta'? a mutant?"
Belerick was quick enough to attack his brethren, hauling an arm around his neck to choke his pal alive as he latched onto his back. Merek struggled against his hold, dry-heaving while the latter chewed on his smoked bacon, "I'm strangling ye'! She said to cease your horses or yer' makin' er' glum!"
"She ain't fuckin' the mutant! She gots to be feckin' him when it affects er' like this!"
The glass clung loudly in the hall, like a bell in a church that everybody worships. Everybody ceased their ceaseless yackety-yacks. People who surrounded you were noblemen, lords of different kingdoms and mansions whilst others were mere barbarians you expected to exist in a world you still haven't been familiar with---prior to the men seen in the first Inn you have been hardly welcomed in.
You've turned your head to see who has called everybody's attention and it was the king's loyal advisor and Geralt's old friend. He was prepped in a graceful outfit than before---suited for banquets like the one you're currently attending and seeing all the women wearing dresses and gowns, yours was the least vivid.
"This delightful, auspicious feast has been planned for the good fortune of everyone; for the chance that the prince shall be healed once the witcher comes back,"
Eanraig connected his grey eyes with your mirthless ones. The druid knew that you weren't highly thrilled to attend the feast by people who had given you trauma, "The queen and king highly believes that the future of Kaedwen finally has a path ahead for us and the people,"
As the scholar stood by the king on a floor higher than where everybody is, he'd raised a hand to call his attention. The side of his lips curl into genuine mirth, "Eanraig?"
"Your majesty?"
King Viduka raised a hand and gestured with his palm towards where you sat. The eyes of every human, deeming your presence as a person who seemed to be highly royal by how the king has addressed and thanked for what falsehood he was trying to let the people believe.
"For the help of the witcher's betrothed---an easy way to finally have him accept such favors, we must make a toast for her contribution for the future that has been set. A symbol of gratitude specifically given by the king that I wish for her to accept,"
You couldn't help but subtly cover the side of your face, your fingers scratching your temples but actually trying to avoid their judging stares. Their eyes heavy to be felt all around you especially from the gnomes who had their mouths ajar in consternation. This has been one of your discomforts, being stared by many without knowing what they thought of. The fading, healing bruises never helping the ignominy fighting with the awkwardness.
A sigh left your lips as you sat stiff on the chair, motionless by the spotlight being given. Silently asking yourself why you sat in the middle of the room when you could stand on the sides and stay hidden but attend the feast at the same time.
"Y/N of Asgard, please accept this toast. Thrice for a price that I can never repay---my gratitude over your witcher, his service and to yours. Coins if you may want to receive which I doubt no witcher's lover cannot refuse, a home for your family or any of your choice,"
The salted beef on your plate abruptly turned unappetizing when everybody started their own buzzes of condemnatory whispering campaigns by the mention of the word 'witcher' without even knowing who it was.
Yet, the brownies knew who this particular witcher was since he was the only one you were connected with, "I told ye' she's feckin' the witcher!" Carac loudly whispered beside Merek who dramatically fell on his chair while Belerick pounded his fist on the food-filled table.
"I feel feckin' betrayed! Yer' his missus?!"
You've shot your head up to see everyone still staring and awaiting for what you would ask for the king. Noblemen having lours that appeared to be permanent once the king publicly announced the relationship you had with Geralt, disbelieving that they've even thought of asking for your services because of how the rumors spread that you were the castle's trollop.
They've nodded to themselves. Yeah, you were a trollop. A mutant's harlot.
"Ughm---we already have a home. Pretty much homey than this extravagant castle you have. So, can I ask for more coins instead? Tons of it please. I think it's much more practical considering how we people live,"
King Viduka chuckled out loud, his laugh bombarding the great hall like an eerie echo you had found because this was the first time he actually cackled in your presence. It was probably a facade for the people, you mindlessly thought to yourself.
"The witcher plans to marry a clown and a smart lass. You have my word. Abundant coins and a toast of gratitude from the whole clan,"
Unbeknownst to you, there was more than just strangers or acquaintances circling your own space. A bard whom you've had become bosom friends with as he came with Geralt's relationship. Being two peas in a pod just like how you were with the witcher as well.
It took for a king's call to know that Jaskier attended the feast despite being told to stay at home. He never listens.
"For entertainment and to keep everyone out of their drunk stupor, may I request the bard standing from the far corner of the hall,"
King Viduka hollered for Jaskier to grab onto his lute and strum whatever epic was needed to be sung. You've huffed out a disappointed breath and washed your face with both of your hands. Seeing him dressed up in such a lavish outfit---catching himself off-guard by how he was suddenly called, stammering from his first set of music.
Jaskier has been eyeing you for a while now. Finding Geralt's other half inconvenient for a hall filled with different types of people. From nanoscopic, small, medium till large. Yet, his own hunt have been easy when the king started to acknowledge the fact that you were there---even giving credits to be the person needed for the witcher to follow their favors; seeming to find it the only way for Geralt to listen and give in. The dress and make-up you were wearing not helping his job because you looked to be quite feminine and bewitching for the lady he knew.
A woman he knew to be filled with mirth and jolly. Now, sat afar from him was a drained, battered lass who he couldn't recognize unless stared upon. It was only days that it took for the continent's enmity to change your sole appearance and spirit.
He started his song with a smile and a wink. Charismatic as he drifted from person to person, momentarily turning in his strides as he strummed his instrument like he was born to be a poet and a musician. The words leaving his mouth palatalized with every final letter, sounding more sung by the heart.
"Doeful eyes like a dear,
seems like a witcher who couldn't bear,
As vulnerable as she may be,
The witcher's destiny coverts her plea,
Known to be naive,
At the mercy of her mere existence,
She was his bonny tea-cup,
Drinking all of thy feigned monstrosity,
Oh! Garroter,
You're a man of few words,
Thou, cantankerous and brooding,
The witcher would still save thee,"
Until the moment you've realized he was actually singing the song he had written for you and Geralt. It took you a verse to squint your eyes back at him from how he was trying to pave his way towards where you sat. Attention wasn't a thing you thrive in and the bard's additional song performance had people clapping, dancing to the tune, and singing along to realize that it was a poem made by the bard for his witcher friend.
You wanted to melt in your seat. The heat travelling up your face from hearing the whole song for the first time. Back before being taken, you've only knew snippets of incomplete verses rather than the whole when you've been with Jaskier.
The bard finished his song when he stood before your sitting form, shooting daggers whilst Jaskier had his chest puffed with a lute latched as he mindlessly strummed, grinning down to see you glaring back like you've been disappointed upon firstly seeing him.
He was about to open his mouth and speak how unappreciative you were that they haven't thought twice to travel all across the kingdom just to attend the feast that was been rumored to be held---in hopes of seeing you and subtly wishing to sneak you out of the castle without swords being thrown at their backs.
By the mention of they, it meant to be Jaskier and Cirilla.
People went back to their own chatters. Most were talking about Jaskier's fresh written song, others tattling about how a witcher shouldn't be with a vulnerable woman like you---because his kind deserved no one; not even the pleasing idea of human nature on affection and care for proudly staying with Geralt by hook or by crook.
The gnomes were nowhere to be seen after Jaskier's given spotlight. They've left your side by finding women who were giving them flirty looks from the other table. Their bleats catching your attention when they've jumped off their chairs, grumbling over how you were being entertained by the witcher when they've expected Jaskier to be your plus one---a weakling they could battle for your attention.
But, the butcher of Blaviken was a different case. They needed to back-off in this instance.
You've eyed every bit of his actions, fidgeting over his nails when you've given nothing but silence and awkward, intense stares at him. He had to sigh and look around before kneeling in front of you, earning him more of your glares once you've connected your own with his baby blues.
The latter forgot what he was about to say with just one look from you. He mentally cursed inside his head for losing his charisma when the subject and the woman he was looking at has been you. He was still fond of you after all especially being prepared for the banquet with all those womanly essentials being painted on your face---the make-up making you more lovely than ever.
"Jaskier, what are you doing here?! aren't you beaten up enough to stay at home and take care of Cirilla? where's Cirilla?" squinting your eyes around, examining the whole room to see no Ashen haired child dancing or devouring on a plate.
Cirilla. Jaskier mentally thought to himself. Sparing a glance around the great hall, spotting an empty space where he left her and expected her to stay.
But, she was gone.
The curl of his lips trembled in the slightest. Showing confidence despite the worry suddenly making his nerves go wild. Though, he tries his hardest not to be obvious about his nervousness. His stammers had you crossing your arms against your chest, disbelief written all over your powdered face.
"Talking to one of the queen's sons---Oh." he nervously laughed and raised a hand to cup his nape, "She---she's completely safe and sound if you ask! Cirilla is in here somewhere,"
You didn't give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure, you've missed him---his playful jests and humor. So much that it made you cry to sleep every night just thinking about him, Cirilla and Geralt. But, now isn't the time for reconciliation when the castle was beyond dangerous for Geralt's family.
Jaskier instantly lost Cirilla after being given the opportunity to woo the king. A shake of your head was the only answer he'd gotten as you stood from your seat. Determined to find the child before she gets taken away by the bunch of people who knew nothing but hurt the people you love.
Jaskier evidently cleared his throat, blinking the guilty conscience away by changing the subject, "By the way, where is Geralt? Oh! I guess he must be finding the witch then---" his eyes zeroed on your healing bruises around your shoulder that haven't been covered by make-up. The troubadour instantly stood on his feet, his eyes swimming in utmost concern and regret.
"---Have you been bloody wacked by them?!"
"Shh!" you've waved him off with a faux, solemn smile to lessen his worries. His face even falling into a quick frown because your reaction says that his hunches were right. You didn't just tripped over things again and gained a boo-boo or whatsoever. This has been a work of hostility that Geralt has gained from being who he is---your presence involving the animosity that people felt.
Yet, you were still trying to fake your happiness when you could curse at everyone in the palace for landing a hand on your body which the witcher wholly and subtly takes care of. Jaskier could be the person of witness for how he knew Geralt when it came to you---the littlest wound tenderly being held like it was the worst thing to get and it humored him to see a scary, brooding monster slayer to be gentle towards another human being.
"You have still yet a smile to give, rat?"
Rat. It sounded refreshing in your ear other than the derogatory words you constantly receive from people.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about Cirilla and find her, Jaskier. I swear to God if she's lost---" you abruptly stopped in the middle of your sentence, bringing a palm up in his face, "---Don't you dare leave her for a one night stand,"
The bard blew a raspberry, wanting to laugh from how motherly you were sounding tonight---being more motherly than ever since the night you temporarily left them, "A one night stand you say? who stands in the night, rat?"
Sighing from his lack of knowledge over your modern words, you turned your body to grab onto your fork and jabbed a mutton to eat. Mouth closed as you chewed; once finished, you began to warn the beaming bard who seemed to be relieved to see you again.
"Such an imbecile. Shut up and go away before you get beaten up again,"
It didn't take long to feel arms suddenly envelop around your side. Her hands cupping your waist as it made you stand stiff and straight because of how the touch grazed through your slightly bulging stomach.
"Ma'!" The princess of Cintra sweetly hushed at your side, catching you off guard. The concern about her safety slowly fading when you've seen her bright face and joyous eyes, already in the verge of crying because of how it was lonely without you and Geralt in their home.
"You're---you're---"
Your heart raced, thinking that she was catching onto your pregnancy when the child examined you from head to foot. A subtle, breathless sigh leaving your lips when she'd focused on your shoulder which now had marks and probably even a second degree burn made from metal to skin. You've embraced her back to hide the frown on your face against her braided hair. Turning your voice upbeat and nonchalant to worry her no more when she was needed to leave soon. "I'm fine, Princess. Just some little bruises that has been treated already,"
She hugged you more tighter, praying to the heavens that she does not notice the bulge of your stomach like you were a newly pregnant woman.
"You're wounded! Filled with awful bruises and marks!"
Cirilla sniffed after her outburst in the middle of a busy feast. You've heard her against your head and you couldn't help but coo and try to calm her down; tenderly as possible---like how you would to your own child, "I'm healing. Please don't cry, Cirilla. I'm still alive, right? I still can get to choke Jaskier in his sleep,"
That caught the bard's attention away from a woman who was trying to catch his eye by staring at him from afar. He did not have the audacity to sneak away and plan to woo a woman all through the night after the obvious angry midget who was simply displeased for his abrupt decisions. Though, he was tempted in the slightest. You could feel his judging gaze on the side of your face, squinting from your devious, hidden threat lacing on your tongue.
Cirilla pulled away. The panic for your condition constantly threatening her anxiety---for her 'ma' who has sacrificed herself for the sake of not risking her to be taken. Without Geralt on your side made her more anxious than ever because he would be the only person to keep you safe.
"Tell me Geralt's here---Geralt needs to be here with you!"
"He's not. He needed to find the witch to reverse the curse. You need to leave---both of you. This castle isn't safe if they know who you are---"
Forewarning has been cut short when Jaskier reached out for the child's hood of her cloak, quickly tossing it over her head with a flick of his wrist as he feigned a laugh, trying to let the person who was closing in, think that you were entertaining their night with stories that made him laugh. The bard swiftly pulled the princess on his side, swinging an arm around her shoulder and kept her struggles with a tight hold as she incoherently battled and complained.
"May I interrupt such moment?" Eanraig intervened whilst he stood on your side with a tray on his hand. Three cups of whatever they were offering on one while the other with an extra large bag of coins sitting on the other.
Jaskier did not bet his trust over people he hardly knew when he was with Cirilla. Howbeit, the determination sometimes slip for an accident or two that catches him asleep at the wheel. You've given him a look before giving heed over the druid---seeing the troubadour slyly wink with Cirilla twisting and turning in his arms.
The druid gently served the drinks specially made for you on your side of the table. In due course, reaching out to give you the heavy bag of coins, "Your requests have been granted. Please take these as a gift from the king,"
You've taken the bag, blinking rapidly as you realized how heavy it was. Probably worth a lot than you think, "Thank you, Eanraig."
"Three Kaedwenian Stouts? Oh my, do you see this small lassie as a drunkard?"
Julian Alfred Pankratz spiritedly questioned, grinning as he did without any idea who Eanraig was. Regardless of that, the scholar knew exactly who he was; a bard and a very close friend of the white wolf.
Eanraig gave Jaskier a smile of familiarity, "Ah, the white wolf's humble bard. Pleased to meet you." he acknowledged the bard with a tilt of his head, his eyes forming crinkles due to happily seeing him the first time.
"This is just a mere juice harmless...for her,"
The way Eanraig said the last word sounded to have a meaning to it. You knew what he was trying to say, knowing that maybe beer could harm the child growing inside of you. He'd informed the maiden who has made the drink for you to be safe which ended up being a wild fruit juice that would be new for your taste buds.
You couldn't help but move your toes against your boots. A nervous tick because of how you didn't want Cirilla and Jaskier know what magic was in the midst of a strange sprout.
"Coins. Crowns. Pesos. Euros. Dollars. Whatever you call it. This is...A lot. I think?" you've carried the bag in both of your hands, awkwardly giggling because you expected to receive money made in paper and not a bag filled with coins where it could technically be used as a ship's anchor from how weighty it is.
"Best given by the king, little woman. Spare him no questions,"
Eanraig gave a tiny bow of his head before he left to serve his presence for the king and queen. As you watched him leave, hearing the bard hush whispers along your ear with Cirilla huffing out loud and crossing her arms for his uncalled actions, telling him that Eanraig knew nothing of her past and he didn't need to shove her around. Word per word, everything was mixing with the noise in the hall and it was making your head hurt.
Perhaps, the ache meant something more as you held onto your temples, giving Jaskier the bag whilst he accepted it and continued.
"Have you exchanged coins with the devil, rat?! This is a lot of coins! Extremely more than what Geralt earns in a month of slaughtering beasts!"
"Focus on Cirilla and no other. You've brought her here---kept her in danger, Jaskier. You need to leave. Now." You frankly informed and shook your head, trying to wash off the heavy haze spinning inside your head, your heart ricocheting and also feeling more heavier than usual like it wanted you to feel anger and regret. Echo of voices went from ear to ear, suppressed words that wasn't meant for you to comprehend like how it has given you turmoil when it last happened.
Still, it was giving you turbulence when all the noise sounded to be a blur until you've felt Jaskier and Cirilla calling out for your attention. Lately realizing you had closed your eyes and held onto the table for support. A set of hands coming to catch you from your stumble and it came from different men.
"Your witcher---,"
"---Are you okay, rat?" the bard asked in concern, his eyes shifting towards the man who slithered his way amidst the crowd to talk as he continued his spiel, "---Yeah. Geralt's not going to like this one bit. Nope. Nah."
Otker and Jaskier spoke at the same time. The bard catching onto Otker's face and recognizing him from the day you've been taken. He was one of Tybalt's men. The latter narrowed his eyes at Otker's hold on your arm, vaguely giving a fair warning from how he was freely seeking a way to touch like you've both created a friendship in a mere set of days.
"Ma," Cirilla had to also acknowledge that fact as she was used to Jaskier and Geralt being the only men you knew.
You couldn't help but wince from the throbbing pain inside your head and also from their cynical disapproving looks, "What? I made friends with a guy and this is what you think of me---like I've did the birds and the bees?"
The ashen haired child loudly gasped, thoroughly understanding what you meant. Only you and Geralt were meant to create honey over playing with the bees. The action was embargoed for any other men because she believed you both to be lovers just like how she have seen and understood; believing that the birds and the bees was a happening meant for lovers to do and not strangers.
"You did not, Ma! I can't believe you!"
"I really didn't! What is wrong with the both of you thinking that way?"
Cirilla was clearly pouting. On the other hand, Otker leaned close enough on your ear to whisper his worries, "He's here." he swallowed the agitation, hearing your other child complain for him to move away from you and it took Jaskier to hold her in place for kicking him in the shins.
"---and he'd brought more than just the witch,"
His voice fluctuated in the slightest, offering the conspicuous worry. It wasn't long that you've noticed that he meant it to be a word to be worried about---a warning that was needed to be taken for the witcher's betrothed. Terror filled those forest green peepers, informing you that your witcher has not just brought a witch, but also a palpitating ounce of dread for his arrival.
"Your Majesty," one castle guard raining in splatters of blood walked his way towards King Viduka. Bowing his head and kneeling beside him to whisper his urgent matters amongst the crowd having fun in the middle of the banquet.
"---The...The witcher has arrived but we have been ordered for the prohibition of his entry by Lady Ingrith and Queen Makeda. He has cost some slight...bloodshed upon the gateway for his restriction,"
"Isn't he a bit too early?" the king nonchalantly muttered and drank his wine, paying no heed to the guard and shared looks with his queen, seeing her eyes swam in distress from the guard's entire state.
King Viduka turned to see his men coated in a fair amount of blood on his face as it also stained his armor in the making. The guard had a deep frown, his nose scrunched as he thought about what the entrance gates were filled with. His mates amputated in a gory battle and some had no heartbeat at all---leaving him in a guess that they were killed purposefully based on how he remembered they were the set of guards who had hurt you with a cudgel and a scathing metal.
"That doesn't look like some slight blood shed to me if your hair is utterly drenched in blood!" the latter has slightly raised his voice, panic set in his features whilst he leaned to hear more of his explanations and findings.
The guard had no other thing to say but stammer, "He...well,"
"Eanraig," he hastily called and pulled his friend's collar to whisper in his ear.
"Yes, your highness?"
"The Witcher---why---why is here---trying to cause chaos?! You need to cease his monstrosity. People are here!"
Eanraig peeked to see the guard stained with gore. The druid had to close his eyes and feel what was happening outside of the hall, he was about to speak how it was too late now when a clutter of yells and screams followed suit beyond the room---everybody had to cease their merrymaking. Silence falling in a quick beat when one nobleman standing on the side of the large wooden, double doors saw a sword pierced through the wood; close to his face which made him jog away as the yells turned even more louder.
The door opened with a loud bang. Knights flew inside with bleeding limbs, falling on their backs in their heavy armor.
Cirilla, Jaskier and you had to give dreading looks with each other, your nerves having the jitters upon seeing two men fly inside the hall. Breathing hitched and heart stopping its beat for what was about to come---for what status has the witcher ended up being.
Blood cascaded a face you never seem to forget. Mixed with human blood and also others. His silvery tresses matted in a fair amount of blood you couldn't recognize. Thoroughly grungy as you've recognized him from afar---first thought was that he seemed to lack care for himself; bathing never coming to his mind till the day you've bathed him back at your chambers before he left in a hussy fit. Standing upon the threshold was a squalid, disgruntled witcher who had no other expressions other than scowls. Yet, you knew better that this type of frown was different than the rest. Tougher, angrier and utterly drawn in betrayal.
He took cautious steps forward, his otherworldly eyes scanning the crowd to seek for you and found more than what he expected. Jaskier and Cirilla. His other most important people and probably the first who he had given protection. His favorite people being around the presence of monsters in human disguise.
"Mutant!"
More horsemen marched their way to surround the witcher---barricading him from entering. Geralt had his lip curled, utterly sardonic for one to recognize, being a taunting warning as he spoke.
"You know better to step back," he gruffly groused before he squinted his eyes at the knight who has courageously yelled at him. The witcher's nose scrunched like he had smell something awful whilst his expression turned sour.
"Your scent. I can smell her on you. Did you touch her?"
Upon Geralt's seethe, the cavalier blinked dumbfoundedly with a creasing forehead, finding weirdness for the question that the witcher demanded to know.
Your scent was on this certain knight's body. Regardless being one of the person who has been involved in such assaults over an innocent woman. This was how Geralt knew he was one of Ingrith's men whom she has ordered to hurt you in your dungeon days before tonight.
Another sentinel stealthily sauntered close to him, a smug grin reaching from ear to ear as he claimed and it looked to be Roger who simply hated you and your other half's existence in their world.
"Who gives a fuck about yer' whore, Witcha'? Isn't that er' job? Wouldn't want to touch er' because of how she was probably been fucked a lots already!"
It sounded like a yes, also a no and a mere mockery for his point of view. Geralt has understood it in the darkest way and thought about how they have touched you without your own consent---forcefully might he add to that spiteful, bitter taste in his tightly closed mouth.
The witcher barred his teeth, fangs aggressively on show. There was that low, humming of a growl. The gold specks in his eyes turning darker for the anger being kept inside. Roger clasped his hand on his sword a little tighter than usual, the other sentinel beside him trembling on his own toes as he held onto his metal shield.
Roger planned to stab him. The motion in his arms already lifting halfway when Geralt saw everything and knew what was going to happen. King Viduka's guards weren't going to yield anytime soon. The white wolf simply spun on his heel, swiftly scooting in the middle of both men but not before amputating Roger's arm off in brutality.
His screams of terror and pain reverbrated the room, alarming the guards that he was there to kill anyone in his way.
He was ready to stab another nightwatchmen who went running towards him when his attack has been swerved. It didn't finish there because another knight who was lanky compared to the rest countered his strike on beheading one guard with a sword as well.
The cluttering of metal rang aloud. Forest green eyes and the color of stars in the night connected. Geralt was growling per attack, their eyes tucked below their grating weapons---under the blade where it connects.
Otker was heaving deep breaths, struggling against his strength as he subtly shook his head back at Geralt to tell him not to continue what he planned. Howbeit, he smelled the strong wift of your faint scent radiating off the righteous knight who has held you a while ago. It was so strong; utterly pressurizing him. The witcher didn't think twice to shake him off his way by strongly pushing Otker to the side, making him propel back on a table filled with food that has ruined the aesthetic of it by spilling everywhere.
Jaskier and Cirilla heard you murmur his name in the most hushed volume, turning their heads to look at you and it wasn't unnoticed by the witcher himself as he ceased his tracks upon battling with another knight who raised a sword on him.
"Geralt?" you voiced out, acknowledging his presence for the second time, snapping out of your trance upon seeing him finally. Suddenly forgetting why you were upset with him for days and nights. He seemed to catch onto your voice and snapped his head to see the yearning gaze inside your eyes. Geralt saw the slight pout of your lower lip. A frown that he certainly understood by how the bond could sense your tumbling emotions over this event---the connection heightening for this particular moment other than the days you've spent time with him.
The crowd were rooted on their spot, not knowing what to do. Drunkards seem to be raising their glasses and sending derogatory remarks over your sooty witcher that Geralt paid no heed to it. Out of the blue, being distracted to see you dressed for such a feast made to deceive for their welcoming character, he hadn't see one heavily armored man swing his sword towards his arm where he has been holding Tybalt's head---fighting all guards with a hand who held nothing but his steel sword.
The white haired weccan growled from the sudden impact, feeling the blade slashing through his skin and armor. The first time they have finally made the witcher bleed since he arrived. Geralt held onto his sword's hilt, thoroughly undisturbed by Tybalt's cut head on his other hand, the heel of his palm being used as support when he had no contrition upon wounding the man with a quick slash on his chest, breaking his armor as his blade punctured his skin. Yielding his sword to cut off a limb---the fury growing bigger because he had sense your scent crawling on this person's skin.
People gasped from the battle. Another cavalier who seemed to grab onto his weapon took a step forward with a large cudgel for Geralt to immediately cut the weapon in half and never forgetting to risk him a gash or two on his shoulder as he spun around to clung his blade over a knight's sword. Battling with the witcher's abnormally great fencing---Geralt's inhumane strength overpowering the chevalier as he knelt to the ground.
The witcher did not give any second thought and held onto his weapon, pulling away to strike a slash over his jugular when an authorative voice hollered before him. Geralt lately realizing that he has traveled all the way in the middle of the great hall and made guards think that he was there for a massacre and to slaughter the king of Kaedwen.
"Guards! Lay down your weapons! Witcher!" King Viduka screamed, the barbarians ready and about to pounce on anyone just because it seemed like it.
Geralt of Rivia heaved deep breaths, the warm, fresh, crimson liquid drizzling down his face like he had committed another butchery that people will be gossiping about once this ends. He cocked his head to the side, nonchalantly throwing the head of the dead higher vampire in the middle of the room. The whispering turned louder and more gasps never seem to cease.
His shoulders were squared and jaw tilted to address the idiotic king of a kingdom he once have been in and returned for safety purposes.
"Your highness," he hoarsely grumbled, subtly shifting his eyes to pave a look at Tybalt's putrid and decomposing head laying on the ground.
"---Consider my job and your favors done tonight,"
I didn't expect this fanfic to reach 60k reads on Wattpad. For the celebration, I will also be updating here in Tumblr as well because WOTN masterlist has reached 1.6k notes as well. I love y'all. How is everyone btw? I wanna know how are you guys right now. <3
TO ALL INCLUDED IN THE TAGLIST, HELLO BB'S. I'M SORRY FOR THIS. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE TAGGED ANYMORE. IT'S FINE, BB'S. I UNDERSTAND SINCE I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR MONTHSSSSSS. <3
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So I have question and I thought maybe you would have insights. I'm not British or American, so maybe things work differently than I understand. Michael's new drama on BBC Best Interests had started this week. I was surprised there was no interview with Michael about it from what I've seen. Usually when a TV show go on air there are at least some articles or talk shows with the main actors, so why he is so silent? He also didn't post anything about it or good omens s2, which also made me a bit worried. I know he's directing a series now but I expected he would at least post something about them. I don't want to be pessimistic but I'm preparing myself for a letdown with GO s2 promoting. Neil already said something about the fact that second seasons don't get the same level of events if I remember correctly, and he wouldn't be able to promote it due to the strike, and I was really excited about all the new Michael and David content we will get but what if there will be nothing almost? Is it a possibility? If best interests isn't being promoted by him maybe GO will not be promoted too? That will break my heart a little.
(Also I saw one episode of BI and I thought it was interesting, moving and Michael and the actor who played his wife were incredible. It is such a different character for him, his range is truelly incredible).
Hello, Anon! Again, apologies for being a bit delayed in answering this, but I appreciate you writing in to me.
So yes, Michael's show Best Interests did air a few weeks ago (I've seen almost all of the episodes and am hoping to write a review of it as I make my way through all my Anons). I can tell you that he actually did do some interviews for it--this one here in the Guardian, and this one in the Telegraph, and there might have been others that I've missed, though @invisibleicewands would probably know for sure.
I think there are a couple of things that happened with these interviews, which is that any promotion to BI unfortunately got overshadowed by the clickbait headline on the Telegraph article that ultimately led to a few clashes on Twitter between Michael and Laurence Fox (Billie Piper's ex, of all people?) about Michael's comments related to non-Welsh actors playing Welsh roles. So that, along with Michael continuously working on The Way (the series he was directing) nonstop is what I think kept him off of social media up until now.
(I will say, though, that it is curiously worth noting that Michael didn't do any kind of promotion for Staged 3, and all of that seemed to fall to Georgia and AL to repeatedly post about on their socials instead...)
As for GO 2, yes, it is true that the Writers' strike and possible impending SAG strike have thrown multiple wrenches into the proceedings (for instance, the GO 2 panel that was to have taken place at SDCC has been cancelled, as has the signing that was scheduled there). But there have already been snippets from an interview with Michael and David in SFX magazine floating around (along with another article in Radio Times that has invoked the ire of much of the fandom).
Also, with any luck, you've been on Twitter today, because our Michael seems to have returned to form with a vengeance. His header photo is now one of the GO 2 photos of Aziraphale and Crowley:
And he's been tweeting up a gloriously chaotic storm this evening, after months and months of silence (and probably being locked up in Neil's basement):
My guess is that whatever kept Michael from talking before now--probably an NDA, per the contract he signed for the second season--has expired, and now he's coming out swinging. I've previously talked about the kinds of things Michael tweeted when the first season came out, but if you weren't here for that, it was basically a level of feral that he seemed to strive to surpass with every successive tweet. Given how much has happened since then, I think we are in for fandom-breaking tweets the likes of which probably go far beyond what any of us have imagined.
And--perhaps best of all--we do have one confirmed talk show appearance with Michael and David, on the One Show on BBC 2 tomorrow! (I've gotten an intriguing Anon about that as well, which I will be answering shortly.)
So take heart, Anon, for all is undoubtedly not lost. It's likely that these interviews were planned well in advance, which means there could also be more interviews still to come. This press tour may not have the breadth and scope of the first season, but if Michael and David together, it's more than guaranteed to be something special.
I hope this has lifted your spirits some, Anon. Thank you for writing in! xx
#anonymous#reply post#michael sheen#welsh seduction machine#good omens 2#best interests#the go 2 press tour is going to be a ride#i cannot wait for the flirting#michael and david are back together#you love to see it#ineffable lovers#discourse
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I'm so tired of Lou's endless storylines with all these men. I really hope that Lou and Peter will get back together and then we could move on from this. I mean, I love Mitch but I just can't deal with this.
I loved little Lyndy! She talked so much! The scene where she told Sylvie that her daddy is in heaven was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I love that Ty is still present though and I love seeing Amy and Lyndy together. When Amy got pregnant I thought that it wasn't necessary but I really love that little girl and I hope that they never re-cast Lyndy. The twins are good. Also they love Amber I'm sure and Amber loves them! I love to see Amy as a mother even though It's also sad that Lou and Peter are divorced and Peter is not around much and Ty is dead.
Submitted by: smileandlifeissmiling
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I'm so frustrated with the way they've handled Lou's love life. I don't mind love triangles if they are done well, but I feel like they've been throwing Lou "scraps". I think at first they had to let Gabriel go, so they brought in Kevin, but then Kevin got other work, so they had to play with this constant back and forth with them and now they are back to Peter. In theory, Lou and Mitch could have been really, really interesting, which is why it's such a shame to me that they were never really given a chance.
I don't blame the actors for wanting to do other jobs, but I also can't help but wonder how the writers would have handled Lou's love life if either Gabe or Kevin were "tied to the show" like, for example, Graham was.
As much as I would love to have Lisa in every episode, at least they've established that Lisa is a traveller, she has business elsewhere, and it works for her story. Tim's also not in every episode, so that way Jessica doesn't have to be either. When Georgie was still around, her guys weren't in every episode either, which makes sense because teenagers live apart and have other commitments. When it comes to relationships you have around Lou's age, typically, you spend a lot of time together, maybe you move in, marriage might come up, etc. which is where one of the biggest problems lie. They could do a repeated storyline with Lou and "her guy" where she lives at Heartland and he's away 50% of the time, but that's getting kind of old, especially with everyone else having that kind of storyline. I'm not saying every couple spends all their time together, but the point of the show is to show that relationship so we can root for it. If most of it happens outside the scenes, how can we really get attach to that? I mean, that's how I feel about Cass and Caleb; I find them interesting in theory, but that's pretty much all I have because we've only gotten handful of scenes with them despite them being a thing since season 8. Caleb is a supporting character at this point, but Lou is a major character, so she deserves better than that, in my opinion.
Also, the longer things go on, the more ridiculous it seems that everyone has to live at Heartland. For the concept of the show, it works, but realistically, you have to wonder why is that. I think, especially now with Amy and Ty not being a thing, part of the audience wants to follow a romance of somekind, where you have the butterflies every time the couple is on screen and you see them plan the future. I think the risk with Peter is that people are tired of him already or they are tired of this situation with Lou/Mitch/Peter, so the starting point is not very good. I was interested to see Lou and Mitch develop more because while they had their whole back and forth, there was a promise of something new there, something we had never seen before. At this point it seems they'll end up going forward with Lou and Peter, but I have to wonder is there anything new there to keep us interested? I can understand the appeal of Take 2.0., but they really, really have to work for it to win people over.
I personally don't think Lou needs a man, but I also feel like she's, deep down, a very romantic person and enjoys sharing her life with someone and all that jazz, so maybe in a way it would also feel like denying her that wouldn't seem fair for the character. I don't know...
I have a feeling they'll stick with the Spencer twins for as long as possible. I think when it came to Katie's character, all these recasts were done out of the necessity; first the twins weren't comfortable in front of camera, then Julia moved to the States, Alex was interested in doing other, more fitting roles and now we have Baye who hopefully will be "the final Katie". Unless something changes drastically with the Spencer Twins, I don't see them quitting any time soon as they love Heartland so much. I'm interested to see more of their acting this season!
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