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pinkbowsandprettyprose · 1 year

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Everything posted so far on Twitter re: TMMN Episodes 13 - 14 ✨

Potential spoilers under the cut! I’ll continue to update this post as more info gets posted.

HUGE disclaimer that this is all speculative based off of what is being posted to Twitter from people who saw the episodes firsthand. Not all of this will be perfectly accurate. Don’t come for me if eps 13-14 air and some of this isn’t quite right 🫠

OP/ED impressions:

Sentiment is generally positive saying that both the opening and ending are really cute, but at least 1 person commented saying the animation quality is not as good as the S1 OP, and hoping they’ll fix it up a bit for the broadcast on TV.

More than one person said that Smewthie sounds like they are getting to be better performers. The person who was disappointed in the animation quality remarked that they think the music was the main focus and got better, while the animation got a bit worse.

Apparently there’s a bunch of ship bait in the opening including Zakumint and Tart/Pudding.

Plot beats (in no particular order):

Episodes 13-14 revolve around Ichigo and Masaya being boyfriend and girlfriend, Deep Blue’s awakening looming, a sidebar about Mint and Ichigo’s friendship and Mint’s home life, and the aquarium battle where the Blue Knight shows up.

We get to meet Ichigo’s mom and dad for the first time! Mint runs away from home in episode 14 and has dinner at Ichigo’s house with her parents / has a sleepover with Ichigo while discussing the trouble in her home life. It’s apparently really sweet. One viewer said they cried during this episode.

Ichigo and Masaya kiss at some point — unsure where this is, I’m thinking this might happen in the scene where they’re hanging out after Masaya’s kendo practice and he dozes off in the lawn, so Ichigo goes to pick a piece of grass off his face and they get super close? Totally speculating here, OP didn’t specify.

The Blue Knight has long pants. Yeah, I know. 😭 Pour one out for the bootyshorts.

Mint has a character song! This probably happens in the scene where she’s staying at Ichigo’s.

Some of the Mews have upgraded/new attack styles. Lettuce was specifically mentioned as having a cool new attack.

As I suspected, Quiche has an existential crisis over his mission with Deep Blue because of his feelings for Ichigo, and tells Pie as much. He goes a lil psycho during this dialog and threatens to do something drastic after he’s told not to lose focus on the mission.

The aquarium battle has all 3 of the aliens instead of just Quiche. In fact, Quiche doesn’t participate in the actual battle portion as much as he’s there just to harass Ichigo.

And oh boy, is the “harassing Ichigo” bit way different from the manga AND the original anime. According to one viewer, Quiche fabricates a whole new alternate dimension that kinda looks like the underwater Ryugu Palace from One Piece, and transforms Ichigo into a matching dress for it (a la Labyrinth). He tells her that even if the rest of humanity dies, he’ll save her. There’s something in here about a scene with a merry-go-round. Obviously she tells him to piss off, so the illusion is shattered.

Quiche is livid when the Blue Knight shows up to protect Ichigo, and has to be held back by Pie and Tart at one point.

There’s one line where Ichigo tells the aliens that they’re protecting their Earth, and Quiche laughs and says something to the effect of “you really don’t get it, do you?” So, expect more building on the alien’s belief that they’re entitled to Earth / the reason between their mission.

The aquarium battle is more intense than the original manga battle. One person used the word “murderous.” Battles might be getting grittier for S2.

TMMN gets rid of the scene of Alto showing up to change Ichigo from a cat back into a human before the aquarium scene.

There’s some food for Ryou/Lettuce shippers 👀 It’s not super clear in the post I just found, but Ryou may have a scene where he catches Lettuce from tripping, and in another scene, Lettuce brings him a cup of coffee while he’s working (Ryou takes his coffee with two milks no sugar)

#tmmn spoilers #MAJOR S2 spoilers you have been warned!!#long post #tokyo mew mew new

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noneorother · 8 months

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The grand unified theory of Good Omens S2 hangs on - you guessed it - a double meaning (and art). *Part 4*

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l The End?

This is major spoilers for season 3 territory. You have been warned. I'm also going to split this into parts because wow, I have so many ✨Clues✨! Friends, we have arrived at the prestige! Metatron come at me bro, catch these hands. Oh wait you can't, you always have your hands in your pockets...

People smarter than me have talked all about Aziraphale's magician outfits on this show, so I won't steal their thunder. Suffice it to say, The Metatron is wearing a weirdly dark coat and tie over his whole outfit. Which gives him a very only a white floating head look, but also keeps in the theme of ✨I am a magician✨. He's here to perform a trick!

I also won't talk a lot about him in the coffee shop because that's been done already. If we have learned anything from part 3, analyzing the coffee to death is what we are supposed to be doing, because He is distracting everyone with a benign object that we can inspect. So while he's waving this coffee around in the shop going "SEE I KNOW HOW EARTH WORKS" he's also doing something fascinating: Checking to see who recognizes him.

Weirdly, even though Aziraphael saw him in season one, and the angels all work with him, no one does right away. EXCEPT for Saraquiel and Crowley, who just saw his face not in person, but in a video tape of sorts up in heaven at Gabriel's trial by farce. And then something funny happens. Saraquiel is scared shitless and pretends to have 'forgotten' like Michael, but Crowley admits loud and proud that he does. Then Uriel gives THE BIGGEST SIDEYE I have ever seen on screen to Michael, as in "You don't recognize our boss? I am very afraid for what that means."

As far as I can understand, this is the reason the Metatron is here : "Are we in the version of events where I lose?" And the answer The Metatron gets after the question is : We are in the version of events where I have severely fucked with Michael, sort of fucked with the other angels, I have fucked with Aziraphale, and Crowley has seen me already in heaven. Now we're missing a lot of information as to WHY this specific answer is good for The Metatron, and how much Saraquiel knows, but it seems like he interprets this as an "I haven't lost yet, and I can still do my trick".

So now here we are, at the most important part of the episode, in my (and Aziraphale's) opinion. THE double meaning.

This line is insane. On the surface we have meaning 1) The Metatron is scolding over-zealous angels for meddling in this affair, and over reaching with their power, especially threatening to use the book of life on people. He's the good guy! But under the surface we have meaning 2) I HAVE THE BOOK OF LIFE and I have been using it on everybody in this room. If I don't get my way this time around, I will edit you guys again, and you will have done the right thing. And with that admission, Aziraphale severely twigs and becomes very afraid. From then on his voice shakes and he babbles, and he has trouble looking the Metatron in the eye. I'm willing to bet that this is the moment Aziraphale realizes what The Metatron just admitted: I am creating a version of reality as we speak where I change you and Crowley (and everyone else) so that you lose to me. A terrified Aziraphael goes off with The Metatron to have a chin wag. Now here's the trick.

We've already established that Maggie and Nina are here as stage assistants to The Metatron, so they need time to work on Crowley alone. If they talk to A/C together, like they would have without The Metatron's appearing in the scene before, better communication might have happened between them. He made Aziraphale disappear from the scene!

This does NOT look like the face of someone getting good news. We never heard what the details were besides inviting Crowley to the job promotion, so who knows what he threatened him with, but

This looks like the face of someone caught in a trap. So we are now seeing the prestige! We don't need that coffee anymore, that cup is GONE BABY. Aziraphale has been removed from the Nina/Maggie confession like a dove, and placed in The Metatron's dark coat pocket. Now he just needs to make our angel reappear in the scene the assistants have prepared for him and let him fail, thus completing the trick (uhg I hate it. So cruel).

I'm going to turn the final 15 into it's own post because this is already very long. Let's skip it for now, but we know our lovebirds get separated by heaven, and Aziraphale leaves. The Metatron breathes a huge sigh of relief in the elevator as he thinks his trick has worked, and he has won.

So it's finished now, and there's seemingly no way out. Aziraphale now knows what The Metatron meant when he communicated "I am creating a version of reality as we speak where I change you and Crowley and everything else so that you lose to me."

BUT! ARE YOU READY FOR THIS SHIT? BECAUSE IT HIT ME LIKE LIQUID JET FUEL. And I think it hits Aziraphale right here, (when he makes the creepy face after being hit with a beam of light i.e. realization)

That means that in the original version of events before all the edits, Crowley & Aziraphale won.

------

If you've gotten this far, thanks so much for reading. I'd love to hear what you thought, or even reblog it with your ✨Clues✨! Want to read more about the timey wimey business that we're gonna see in season 3, and why all this changes the final 15? Well I have *part 5* coming in just a bit. Parts 5 and The End are here! Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l The End?

#good omens meta #good omens season two #art director talks good omens #go meta #good omens 2 #go season 2 #go2 #go3 #good omens prime #good omens s2 #aziraphale and crowley #aziraphale x crowley #crowley and aziraphale

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vin-taege · 1 year

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How It Starts, How It Ends

summary: a series of pivotal moments in your relationship with Chishiya, pre and post-Borderlands.

genre: some fluff, heavy angst, established relationship

pairing: chishiya x art student!reader

words: 3.5k

warnings: major character death, hurt no comfort, depression, possible spoilers for S2

First Meeting

"Look at this cute beetle I found."

The small insect gently crawled up your pudgy hand as you held it out. The boy in front of you didn't seem too impressed, responding with only a blank stare. You had always seen him by himself during recess and felt bad that he had to eat alone daily. The other kids were either scared of his dad or thought he was weird—but you minded no such things.

"Those carry germs. Some species of them even hiss or bite," he deadpanned.

"But not this one," you pouted, nudging your hands closer to him. "Look, I think he wants to meet you."

Truly enough, the beetle was inching its way off your fingers, seemingly heading towards the stoic boy. He glanced at it before looking back at you, then he sighed. He didn't think he could get rid of you, so he'll entertain you for now.

"I'll pet it, but I'm not gonna hold it."

"Deal!"

The way you beamed at him made him feel weird, like something was stirring in his chest. Interesting, he noted.

"I'm ___," you smiled, watching him swipe his finger back and forth the beetle's shell.

"I'm Chishiya."

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Date(ish)

"I'm about to implode."

Chishiya looked over your notes and let out a snort. Almost everything was highlighted and it all looked like one big splotch of spilled ink on paper. You ignored him, opting to rearrange your home-made flashcards instead.

"Physics isn't that hard," he murmured.

"Yeah," you glared at him. "For you."

He chuckled again before getting shushed by someone sitting a shelf away from your table. This made you snicker, worry melting away for a split-second. "I don't get how you can grasp this so easily. The formulas all look the same and I don't know which one to use."

He hummed thoughtful before scooting his chair nearer you. "Just start by focusing on the question. Look at what variables they're giving you and at what's missing, then just match them up with the formula that fits."

"I know~ but—" you huffed. "It's a no-formula-card type of exam."

The way you pouted at him almost looked exactly like how you did all those years ago. You were his first—only—friend, and over time, him simply tolerating you had turned into him growing fond of you.

"How many formulas have you memorized?"

"Two, almost three."

"There's six right? Almost there," he gave you a genuinely encouraging smile.

You loved Chishiya for all his snark and cleverness, but you also loved how soft and supportive he can be when it comes to it. These were small moments you held near your heart, and you doubt you'll ever let them go.

He gently took the flashcards from your hands, tapping rhem on the table to align them. He moved a little so the blank sides were facing you and peered at you over the cards. "If you can get this all down by 5 pm, I'll buy you a snack."

"I want a box of macarons."

"I'll buy you a snack that I can afford."

"Deal!"

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Milestone

"How was your finals, doctor?"

A light blush bloomed across Chishiya's cheeks. You were a constant pillar of support for him in life, one he hadn't experienced before from anyone else. Since college had begun for the both of you, you were consistently waiting for him after every finals exam he had—a small strawberry cake roll ready in your hands as a reward for him. It became a tradition for the both of you, and even though Chishiya wasn't the best with words, you knew he was appreciative of your actions.

"I've been offered to intern," his voice was neutral, though you know he was at most pleased with himself with the way his eyes crinkled up. In his mind, however, he was more excited about the cake in his hands rather than the position.

"Holy shit?!" you wrapped your arms around his neck, careful not to squish the frosting. His breath hitched for a second, before he wrapped his free arm around you. He buried his face in your hair, lips quirking up as he shut his eyes to savor the moment. "I'm so proud of you, Chi."

The sunset was slowly trickling into the wide windows of the school hallways. Chishiya didn't expect to be in that laboratory for so long, and it was only now that he realized how long you must have waited. Reluctantly, he pulled away from you to see your face better.

"Have you eaten yet? You might get an ulcer."

You chuckled lightly, "I've eaten lunch a few hours ago. I wanted us to have dinner together, but I've eaten some crackers while I was waiting."

"Crackers," he pressed his lips in disapproval. "Those aren't nutritious."

Lightly chuckling, you took his hand, leading him out of the building and soon, the campus. The weather was a bit chilly even though you had worn a jacket. Still, you were too stubborn to say anything. Fortunately, Chishiya read you like an open book. Without prompting, he took your hand in his.

"How was your finals? Did your prof like the color application?"

Your heart swelled up. You honestly didn't expect him to remember.

The final project your professor gave you for color theory was to pick an existing painting and evoke the opposite emotion of it by changing the colors and composition. It seemed easy enough, but it had stumped you since you wanted to pick just the perfect base.

The night you were finishing it, Chishiya stayed over at your apartment to "make sure you were eating"—an excuse for him to spend more time with you. He was adamant about getting you to sleep early for the sake of your circadian rhythm, and when he couldn't convince you, stayed up with you instead.

"He seemed to like it, thank god. The composition flowed well and he like that I used a tertiary color scheme."

"I told you the risk would pay off," he smirked.

"I know," you stuck your tongue out. "I should listen to my all-knowing boyfriend more."

Boyfriend.

He loved it so much when you called him that. Until now he couldn't believe you were real, that what you had was real. He would give anything in the world to stay with you forever.

You passed by a ramen shop, stopping in your tracks to scan the bowls of steaming noodles in longing. You had badly wanted something to heat you up, but one glance at the prices shot down your hopes.

"I'll treat you," he said softly. "You deserve it."

"But you're the one who got the internship," you pouted at him.

"I'll be treating myself too by buying myself good ramen," he raised an eyebrow, silently pleading that you'd just give in. "And you did treat me. You got me cake."

He raised the small box by the ribbons wrapped around it. When you stayed silent for a couple of seconds, he sighed. You were still stubborn about having to "owe" people things, especially if you felt like you "didn't earn it."

"Fine. I'll buy you ramen tonight and you can make it up to me by taking me to the cafe next week."

"Deal!" you gave in.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Game

Your first game in the Borderlands already had you running for your life. It was a five of clubs called Cat and Mouse. Set in a large office building, you needed to find the four mice scattered all over the place and take their tail—the twist being that the "mice" were actually people donning masks and guns. Red bandanas were attached to their belts, the tails you needed to get.

Chishiya was just behind you, heavily breathing as he slid between the winding hallways of the game arena. His hands were still in his hoodie pockets, much to your dismay. You had told him it'll slow him down, but he just shrugged you off.

"I know where the final mouse is."

The gunshots faded as you ran farther away from the main room. The two of you teamed up with a group of three other players, and Chishiya came up with the idea to lure the third mouse so you can ambush him.

You had seen another player holding a bandana, and by Chishiya's deductions, you only had another tail left to catch. "The gunshots stopped. We know that there's two mice either dead or incapacitated. Judging by how they seem to be on defense, I think there's only one left."

"Because it would be risky for the last one to come out," you murmured moreso to yourself, completing his thoughts.

He hummed in approval. "We need to find the other players to see if we can cover ground faster. Unless..."

He halted, staring straight down the dimly-lit hallway. You nervously looked around, readying the crowbar you held tightly in case anything were to pounce on you. Chishiya.

"Maybe we shouldn't stop in the middle of the hallway," you chided him, though he was still deep in his thoughts.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a realization. "Unless the mice aren't on the floors."

You're gaze trailed up to the ceiling, landing on the thin slits marked on some parts. Chishiya grinned proudly. Your intelligence has once again made him fall impossible even deeper.

"They're in the vents," you surmised. He nodded, looking at you in awe and love—as if you were God who came down from heaven to bless him, your devout worshipper.

"We need to tell the others so we can prepare another ambush then." You had considered going back to the main hall, but the other players might have left or been dead by then.

"Don't you want to rest first?" He asked teasingly.

You snorted. "Shuntaro, we have—" you glanced at the phone, "—five minutes left."

He hummed, feigning contemplation. That name was reserved only for serious occasions, and he knew you were getting riled up. "How about this: we tell them now, but we let them do the handiwork."

This was a side of him that you dreaded seeing. His entire "pawns go first" philosophy bothered you—in fact, you were strongly against it. You didn't like how this place brought out the worst in him, how it brought out the coldness and slyness of his heart.

Yet here you were, unable to leave him. You knew that he was only doing it to protect you. He wanted you to go back together safely as much as you did, but he did it in his own ways.

You bit your lip, voice laced with hesitation.

"Deal."

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First and Last Goodbye

The first game of the face cards round decimated what might as well be half of the players.

During the first onslaught King of Spades, you and Chishiya got separated from Kuina, Arisu, and Usagi. The crowbar you had kept from your first game served its last purpose when you used it as a makeshift golf club to hit the grenade away from you. Just as you did, Chishiya dove and pulled you downwards with him to take cover.

You eyes were closed tightly, and the only things you could hear were the ringing in your ears and the beating of his heart. For a second, you swore you had died. Then the arms wrapped around you loosened, followed by a hand running through your hair.

"Are you okay?" Chishiya whispered. His eyebrows knit in worry. "We need to move. Now."

You nodded wordlessly. slowly and quietly rolling off him. Screams and the roar of a rifle were still audible near you, but seemingly moving in the opposite direction. He helped you up, giving you a quick scan to make sure you weren't heavily injured.

"We need to find a sparsely populated area," he spoke once he deemed the King was far enough. "Looks like he's going after large crowds."

"We can go to the edge of the city and follow the river. We're bound to hit a forest sooner or later," you suggested.

"That might take time." He looked your tired state. The bags under your eyes darkened and small scars littered all over your body. An almost empty backpack slung over your shoulder, looking almost as sad as you were.

He weighed out his options: what you suggested was the ideal choice, but you were in no condition for a long trek. Finally, he came to a decision. "But that'll work. We need to do a supply run first."

Was it risky still being in the city? Yes. Did he want you to starve? No. As a compromise, he steered clear of the shops on the main streets. Unfortunately, the smaller stores you ventured into were already looted, only expired goods left in the wreckage.

You could tell Chishiya was getting frustrated. His jaw clenched each time you failed to find food or water. His composure was starting to crack for the first time since you got here. You sidled next to him, slipping your hand into his. He relaxed a bit, though his lips were still pulled into a small grimace.

"We'll be okay," you offered him a small smile. He kissed you on the forehead, returning only a small hum in response.

After thirty more minutes of searching, the two of you finally stumbled upon a shack that had edible food. There were candies at the front, the strawberry ones catching your eye.

Grabbing a handful of them, you strode up to Chishiya. His back was turned to you, the blond busy searching through shelves of cup noodles and biscuits. You tapped him on the shoulder.

"I got this for you," you brought up the candies like an offering. His eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help the grin that broke through his face.

"Charming." It was supposed to be teasing, but it came out genuinely grateful. He turned the backpack he was filling up towards you so that you can drop the candies in.

He held it in place for a few seconds longer, looking at you as if he wanted something. You raised your eyebrow in question. He hesitated for a bit, before leaning forwards and connecting his lips with yours.

You reciprocated the kiss, pressing closer to him. The bag landed with a thud on the ground, him favoring pulling your waist closer instead. He was rarely the one who initiated physical affection, but it only took him a bit of prodding to follow through.

He broke away, only to look you in the eyes. "I'll take you home. I promise."

"We'll take us home," you gave him one last peck on the lips.

For a moment, it felt normal again. It was just you and him against all odds. You were in your little bubble near the outskirts of town, safe from all the hurt.

Then the gunshots started again and they were scarily nearer this time.

Your eyes widened and Chishiya froze. You quickly picked up the bag while he slowly peered out the glass panes of the shop. The caped King was just down the road, a shotgun in his hands. He shot towards the inside of a shop, and Chishiya was certain he hit whoever his target was.

"That's not good," he muttered to himself. "___, run when I tell you to."

"I won't leave you," you snapped.

"I'll be right behind you. I promise." He gave you a reassuring look before peering out the shop window again.

"Fucker must have tracked us." With the crowbar gone, you had only the small bomb Chishiya made for protection.

He took it out of the inside of his jacket, waiting until the King got close enough. Chishiya knew it wasn't enough to kill anyone, but it would buy you time. That's all that mattered to him.

The crunching of boots on gravel drew closer. Chishiya twisted one of the wires around his finger, ready to pull the activator. The King shot into another store, closer to the one you were in this time. He emptied the round and lowered his gun to reload. In one swift movement, Chishiya pulled on the wire and chucked it as hard as he can.

"Go!"

The two of you sprinted out the shop. The can clunked on the ground as it landed before splintering into pieces with a loud boom. Chishiya yelled after you.

"Don't look back!"

Yet you did, just in time to see the King dodge behind the doorframe. Just in time to see he had the now loaded gun pointed at Chishiya.

In a split-second, you turned on your heel and pushed Chishiya into an alleyway, the bullet meant for him digging its way into your chest.

The impact slammed you against the brick wall. There was ringing in your ears and your eyes were blurred by tears. When did you start crying?

Chishiya grabbed your upper body, dragging you deeper into the alley. You could see his lips moving. He was trying to tell you something but everything was so fuzzy.

With adrenaline pumping in his veins, he scooped you up, carrying you as he ran. There were footsteps following not far from him. Pushing his legs to go faster, he inched around the twisted alley, slinking in and out of connected rooms, running and running until he found a door to a semi-basement hidden behind tarps.

He forced it in with his shoulder, careful not to hit you. The room used to be for storage—construction items and dust filling the space. He slid behind a pile of wooden beams, gently setting you down. The surroundings outside settled, and he knew the gunman had lost you.

But god, the bloodbath before him was the scariest.

He'd seen this happen before. He's seen how pale a person could get after so much blood loss. He's seen how it becomes more evident with the lips, cheeks, the tips of your fingers. He's seen that faraway look, the one where he knew the person was starting to drift away.

He put both hands on your chest, putting pressure on the wound. Your blood leaked through your shirt, soaking his hands. Frantically, he took his hoodie off and pressed it against you too.

"Don't die on me, ___. Please." He whispered, voice breaking.

His words brought you back, tearing your eyes away from the corner of cement bricks and bringing it back to his warm, brown ones. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He's never cried before.

You tried to move your lips, only a croak escaping from your throat. "Chish..."

"Don't leave me, please. Please, ___."

A crimson puddle on the ground was growing at an alarming rate. He had no tools, no help. He was a doctor but he couldn't fucking save the only life that mattered to him.

Shakily, he held you closer. His voice never sounded this gentle before. "Stay with me."

"C-candies. Eat well... okay?" Your voice was hoarse. The humid room felt colder now. "L-love you."

"We'll eat well together. We'll go back together, I promised you. I'll get you macarons and ramen and those paints you've always wanted, okay? Deal?" His voice was wavering. He tightened his grip on you, pressing your chest harder with his other hand. "Deal?"

You looked up at him with a sad smile. With the last bit of your strength, you brought your hand up and pressed it against his. He laced your fingers together.

"___?" He whispered, finally letting the tears fall. "Deal?"

You didn't respond. You didn't get to hear him say he loved you too.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

First Grief

One minute.

Landing in the Borderlands. Cat and Mouse. The Beach. The face cards. Losing you.

It all happened within a minute in the real world.

Chishiya made a promise to himself while he was in the Borderlands. When the candies would run out, he'd stop fighting. When the last traces of you would leave him, he'd join you. Yet by divine intervention, they lasted enough until he beat the King of Diamonds. Long enough until Arisu and Usagi cleared the final face card.

And now here he was. Sitting on a hospital bed, knowing that he wouldn't find you anywhere in the hospital or the Earth for that matter.

He hadn't spoken since, only nodding or shaking his head in response to the doctor's questions. As a doctor, he'd known he would've been pissed at a patient that acted like himself. But nothing mattered anymore.

"We found you holding this. Your fist was wrapped around it pretty tightly that we thought the blood had cut off," a nurse told him. She placed a singular piece of strawberry candy on his bedside table.

He looked at it with mixed feelings of remorse and dread. He waited for the nurse to leave the room. Wordlessly, he reached over to close the curtains separating him from a patient with burn injuries. He allowed himself to break down again that day.

When his wounds had recovered enough for him to stand, he found himself sitting in the garden area. The candy was still unopened, sitting on the oak table in front of him. A part of him still hoped that you'd join him out of nowhere. That he'll hear your voice like tinkling bells calling out to him.

"I promised," he thought to himself. How was he supposed to continue everything you've built without you? How was he supposed to go home and face all the things you've left behind?

He wanted to cry again. He wanted to tear his heart out so he'd stop the hurt. He wanted you back. He'd give anything.

The small buzz of wings pricked his ears. He lifted his hand a little, discovering a tiny beetle that had landed near him. He stared at it for a few seconds before gently nudging it with his finger.

It grasped his skin, spiky limbs crawling up his hand.

"___ would've loved you," he whispered.

#alice in borderland imagines #chishiya shuntaro #chishiya alice in borderland #chishiya x reader #aib chishiya #aib imagines #imawa no kuni no alice #alice in borderland x reader #alice in borderland #chishiya imagine #aib x reader #chishiya shuntaro x reader #asks #requested

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miyamiwu · 1 month

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Unpopular opinion: There is no Link Click “trio.” It’s just the ShiGuang Duo + Qiao Ling

Now, before the Qiao Ling fans come after me, I just want to make it clear that I do not hate Qiao Ling. She’s a queen, and I love her. What I do hate, however, is the writers’ neglect of her character.

Warning: This will contain major Link Click season 1 and 2 spoilers.

Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, and Qiao Ling have been marketed as the main trio right from the OPs and EDs all the way to the different official artworks and PVs. But despite this, Qiao Ling has never been portrayed like a protagonist in the story itself. Her value has always been tied to some other character, and what’s sadder is that even as a supporting character, she’s still being neglected by the writers.

Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang both have something in themselves that push the story forward. Cheng Xiaoshi’s recklessness in s1 is what gives tension to the dives and what leads to the overarching plot related to Emma. His planning in s2 also keeps the plot going. On the other hand, Lu Guang acts as the voice of reason, grounding the fantasy aspect of the show. His hypocrisy revealed in s2 also reshapes how we view the entire story.

But what about Qiao Ling?

Throughout most of season 1, she’s been kept in the dark about ShiGuang’s powers, which in turn excludes her from a big part of the story. In s1, it was only during the kidnapping arc that we see a bit more about her, but the focus wasn’t on her at all but on some random extra. And at the last episode when she finally gets to be in on the whole eye power thing, Li Tianchen possesses her, overshadowing Qiao Ling entirely and redirecting our attention and interest to him. (Extra: In season 1, between Qiao Ling and Emma, would you dare say Qiao Ling is the protagonist? I bet you won’t.)

Then in s2, despite Qiao Ling’s extra screen time and more involvement in the plot, the neglect of her character is even more palpable. She got possessed by a murderer, nearly killed her friend, and even tried to stab her own brother, but even after all these, we barely get to see how she had to process everything.

It’s really no surprise many people loved this scene:

This, for me, is the one time, the ONE time Qiao Ling is portrayed as a character on equal grounds with Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. If Link Click were a sports anime, this would be the scene where she discards her role as the female manager over a bunch of male athletes and expresses her desire to become a player as well.

But unfortunately, after this episode, Qiao Ling is once again pushed to the sidelines. She’s a player now, yes, but a player who’s just being pushed along the game. She may take the initiative in some things (like talking to Li Tianxi), but even then, the things she do are all still just to help her friends. You know, like a supporting character. None of what she’s doing is for herself alone. (If any Blue Lock fans are reading this, Qiao Ling has no “ego,” so to speak.)

Qiao Ling has no goals of her own, and this is how the writers failed her.

All the other major characters have their own goals. Heck, even the antagonists are more like protagonists than Qiao Ling.

Cheng Xiaoshi wants to find his parents. And he also just wants to help the people he meets in dives

Lu Guang selfishly broke the rules of time travel just to keep one man alive and will do it again if he must

Li Tianxi betrays her brother and Qian Jin just to find a way home

Li Tianchen approaches ShiGuang and later kidnaps Cheng Xiaoshi because he also wants to go home

And Liu Xiao wants to, I don’t know, change the rules of time and space entirely?

God, writing that last bullet makes me realize that even Liu Xiao, who only showed up in the last episode of season 2, has more weight in the story than Qiao Ling. This is ridiculous.

Seriously, what is Qiao Ling even here for??? Play big sister???

Just market her as a supporting character. It’s fine. She’s still badass.

I also don’t have much hopes over how she will be in season 3 because of how season 2 ended. Qiao Ling seeing Lu Guang’s memories means her worth in s3 will inevitably be tied to this secret. It’s the s1 ending all over again. At the end of s1, her worth was tied to the mysterious Red Eyes. At the end of s2, it’s tied to Lu Guang.

If the Link Click writers are gonna keep pushing her as a protagonist, then they better start treating her like one!

It’s not enough to just give Qiao Ling a goal, by the way (although it is very important too). She must also become a player who has the power to control how the game goes. If she ends up inheriting Li Tianxi’s powers, as many theories have said, then may the drama around her not be focused on how she may leak Lu Guang’s secret at any time.

I don’t know what she could do with her powers, but I think it would be very interesting if she ends up opposing Lu Guang.

Lu Guang wants to keep Cheng Xiaoshi alive, but...

...he’s no longer alive. The Cheng Xiaoshi we see is just a glimpse of the past...

What if… as Qiao Ling sees more of Lu Guang’s memories, she sees more of the real Cheng Xiaoshi and suddenly… wants to let go… wants to move on?

The fandom have talked a lot about how ShiGuang may react once the secret is out. But what about how Qiao Ling would react to it over time as she realizes those memories weren’t just her overthinking things?

In season 1, she couldn’t bear to face that kid’s father for years, and at the end of s2, she couldn’t bear to confront Lu Guang… In s3, how long can she bear looking at her dead brother?

The chances of her “giving up” Cheng Xiaoshi and returning to the original timeline is slim, though. I’m just giving an example of how she can be more like a protagonist.

Anyways, I’ll end here… I still have so many thoughts, but I can’t figure out how to organize them. This has also been in my drafts for over two weeks and I just want to post it already!

#qiao ling #qiao ling meta #shiguang dailiren #link click #时光代理人 #link click spoilers #miyamiwu.meta #miyamiwu.src #link click meta

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ataraxiaspainting · 24 days

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Body.

Yan Mahito x F Reader x Yan Nanami.

Synopsis: He hasn’t come back yet. It is far past dusk, and you are here sitting in the dark, waiting as you were taught to.

Warnings: Yandere themes, kidnapping, mentions of violence/not SFW, and major spoilers for late S2 of JJK.

Word Count: 500.

just pretend mahito survived and is still just a silly little gremlin <3

*~*~*~*

The apartment has always been devoid of any color and has always had a musky smell lingering in the air. But things had changed when you were asleep; things like the entrance being cleaner than usual, and that suffocating earthy scent being replaced with something more bitter.

There were flowers on the dining room table when you woke up, marigolds, accompanied by a large breakfast platter. Eggs, toast with butter and jam, coffee, and cherry tomatoes.

“...” You didn’t yell out anything to see if Kento was around, for he had told you last night he had to leave extra early for his job. You didn’t complain back then, and you still don’t now.

You were happy to be rid of him for a bit. You earned yourself the reward of having the bookshelf in the living room unlocked, along with the reward of getting your sketchbooks and notepads back.

However, as time passed, the joy gradually diminished, leaving behind only a nauseating feeling from your gut.

“...Hungry…” You murmur, looking away from your sketch and towards the clock that hung above the television. “...Seven… He’s late…” You say the words quietly to not alert the cameras Kento put all over the place, especially the one that was right next to one of the lamps. “...Good…?”

The cameras would see your drawing if you do or say anything louder, all of it, with Kento’s head sliced off and on the bottom right corner, having the image of rotting away in damp dirt with x’s replacing his eyes and his tongue sticking out. His arms and legs are in the other areas of the paper, put in puddles of blood just to get all of your anger out before Kento comes back.

But the feeling does not go away, and further into the night the sky goes, the hungrier and lonelier you are. Even though you wish you could miss anyone else, you miss Kento, because despite him being your kidnapper, he is all you can talk to while you are held captive in this apartment.

You miss him, even with how each slap of his cane felt on your skin. You miss him, even with how every few days he would force your legs apart. You miss him, even with how his threats, while horrifying, also felt quite possible.

You miss him despite everything he has ever done to you. The pain it brings exceeds any words that can capture its intensity. The agony is far greater than everything Kento has ever done.

But then with the sound of the door creaking open, along with the sounds of humming a tune, your heart feels like it has stopped for a few moments. Even though you don’t know who exactly entered, you know that it was not Kento, and that scares you most of all. Your life flashes before your eyes and faster than you can blink, a man with gray hair grabs your shoulder tight.

“I think we’ll be great friends…”

#yandere #yandere x reader #aya abstractions #yandere nanami #yandere nanami kento #yandere nanami x reader #yandere kento nanami #yandere mahito x reader #yandere mahito #mahito x reader #nanami x reader

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strangesthirdeye · 5 months

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Under the root of Yggdrasil (Loki x fem! Reader)

Summary: Sometimes being able to see your loved ones from afar is good enough.

Warning: It's Loki who doesn't like him. Medium angst, Loki s2 ep 6 spoilers? Norse Mythology, acceptance, Loki needs a hug,

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Staring at the one spot makes all the views in the corners of your eyes blur as you only focus on one spot. Your mind is somewhere else while your fingers unconsciously fidget on Loki's broken tempad. It's been a few weeks since the temporal loom event.

Since Loki sacrificed himself to save the entire timeline even universe. He's not dead but his absence is enough to make one. The way he smiled in sadness and willingly to be a pillar of the tree of life and also the way he said 'I love you' for the last time to you made you enough to shed tears.

All the events are back to normal and like nothing happened, yet you feel empty without Loki's presence. Mobius? He is retired. B-15? she's also thinking of retiring. O. B? busy with everything. And you don't want to bother Casey as he seems quite busy too.

While Sylvie, she has returned to her universe and that was the last time you saw her. She is still in the phase of accepting the truth after witnessing Loki's action.

How about you? It is very difficult to accept the fact that Loki is no longer with you. But still, you have to keep moving and living as normal. Which is quite difficult because you are both attached hip to hip to each other. Never lost from each other. Always found one another.

But ever since the Temporal Loom problem everything changed as Loki suddenly or willingly saved the Timelines by 'sacrifice' himself. you? You just let out an anguished loud shout to tell Loki to stop. But, Loki ignores it hoping you all are safe.

It was very difficult at first after a few days after the whole TVA problem. After Loki became the main pillar of the tree. Everything reminds you of him.

Not once, but many times. You yourself can't ignore that feeling but the next thing you know you're staring at nothingness with your cheeks wet with tears. You miss him and worry about him at the same time. Which makes you wonder in your mind. What is he doing now? Is he lonely? is he okay? All those questions running around your head which make you more sad and worried.

You always think about his well-being. You wonder if he can see you now from the Yggdrasil tree. Seeing yourself who cannot accept the fact that he is 'gone'. After all those things you both went through. Is this the ending you both got? Away from each other. Lost a loved one? is that the ending you both get? Funny.

Sometimes, if you are too worried about him or miss him, you will go to TVA and to the place where the Yggdrasil tree is shown behind the glass of the room where you, Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, Victor, O. B and Cassie were before.

Staring at the tree for a long time as you make sure that he is not alone although you can't see him. The green glowing tree really reminds you of him. And you hope he is fine there. Sometimes, O. B will come to check up on some technology in the room and notice you in front of the glass mirror standing stiffly with your eyes looking at the tree. He gives you a sympathetic look even if you don't look at him but he knows you just want to make sure Loki is okay.

'You look sad, when you think he can't see you'. Ever heard? yup, that's what you've been going through all along. Thanks Molly Hooper.

But what you don't know is that Loki actually has the same feelings as you. Missing, worried and sad. He missed you, He worried about you and He was sad that he couldn't be with you.

But, he can't do anything. His duty is what he has to do to make sure all Timelines are under control.

He missed your touch, he missed your voice and he missed your smiles. And he can only see you from afar. And that was enough for him.

#loki series #loki season 2 #loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki #loki x reader angst #loki x y/n #loki laufesyon x reader #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston loki #tom hiddleston x reader #Spotify

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kissedbyaviscount · 15 days

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I love spoilers, they help me adjust my expectations so I can enjoy the show, but I know others don’t so I’m putting a few tweets under the cut, and I beg, don’t look unless you want to be completely spoiled for S3 Kathony.

*MAJOR SPOILER WARNING*

(I should say, I don’t follow these people so it’s possible they were misinformed but this is already kinda what I was expecting so…)

(link)

I agree with the optimistic take btw. The above fan explains how if given more time for a subplot they wouldn’t have chosen one about exploring Kate’s role as a Viscountess, it would almost certainly been angsty or her nearly dying in childbirth etc, so I’m happy that they are not disrupting the beautiful Kathony HEA that they began in S2.

#bridgerton #kanthony #kathony #bridgerton spoilers #s3 spoilers #spoilers #s3 #bridgerton s3 spoilers #bridgerton season 3

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moments-on-film · 8 months

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Moments on Film: Carmen Berzatto and Connell Waldron - Character Analysis

For the past few weeks, I’ve been a lot quieter on this site, and my analysis of The Bear, and that’s because I have been deeply engrossed in finally watching Normal People. I realize the show came out in 2020, but for whatever reason, I missed it when it was first released. Knowing that Paul Mescal has multiple films on the current/upcoming film festival circuit, All of Us Strangers, and Foe, the first of which, already garnering stellar reviews, and the latter, based on a sci-fi book of the same name, which I read and enjoyed, I decided to watch this piece of work from his oeuvre so I can better assess his range.

To put it simply, I found Normal People very compelling, moving, and heartbreaking. The acting from the two main characters is stellar. One of the other things I noticed, are the seemingly endless connections to the main characters in The Bear—in particular, Connell Waldron and Carmen Berzatto. Although these characters are different and a world apart, one in Chicago, Illinois and one in Sligo, Ireland, watching this show was like viewing many of the same problems through another character’s eyes.

On the surface, there are so many obvious similarities, (like the fact that they both religiously wear a chain necklace, Connell’s silver, and Carmy’s gold), but underneath there are multiple traits, insecurities, weaknesses, strengths, and patterns of behavior that stood out so clearly to me that I felt compelled to start writing this piece. In my opinion, both The Bear and Normal People are coming of age stories, because both feature multiple protagonists who are on a journey to discover who they really are and what actually brings them purpose, peace, fulfilment and joy. In a prior piece, I analyzed why I believe Carmy Doesn’t Know Who He Is Yet, and while the reasons may be different, the same is true for Connell Waldron. Below are several examples I noticed of the shared similarities between Carmy and Connell.

Please note: If you watch The Bear, but not Normal People, or vice versa, and you want/plan to, heart this post and come back to it after viewing to avoid major spoilers. If this doesn’t bother you, please, read on, and thank you, but I wanted to give fair warning. 🧡

Communication

Both Carmy and Connell struggle with this desperately. In The Bear, Carmy has trouble putting words to feelings, but he has them, he feels very deeply. In Normal People, Connell struggles to identify what he is feeling. These issues cause both of them, and the people in their lives, so much pain and suffering. Carmy’s life of abuse and trauma has forced him to stifle how he feels about situations he’s in, placate and appease others, and silence himself. In 1x6, Carmy tells his sister Natalie, “most of the time, I feel sort of trapped, because I can’t describe how I’m feeling.” Connell, on the other hand, is so worried about what others will think of him and his choices that he denies his true feelings, to the point where he often can’t even identify them himself. In 1x2 Connell tells Marianne that he struggles to know what he feels, “I might look back on something and think how I felt at the time, but, when it’s happening I never have any idea.” There are so many moments in both stories where one or two sentences would save them and their loved ones a world of hurt, but neither one is capable in several key moments that really count.

Crippling Indecision

Both characters suffer from this. In S2 of The Bear, Carmy is trying to straddle building his dream restaurant, and being in a relationship that is pulling him from everything he needs to be doing to open it. In 2x8, Sydney tells Carmy, “I just think you need to decide...” I have read much into this line because, due to his past, there are so many questions in Carmy’s life that he’s never been allowed to/allowed himself to explore enough to answer. In Normal People, Connell starts out not even knowing what he wants to study in college. He only comes to a decision when Marianne tells him very clearly what makes the most sense, based on her observations, and she’s right. Both of them look to the women in their lives go help them make key decisions.

Talent for Their Craft—with Barriers

Carmen is a talented and award winning chef. Before he’s left The Beef in his brother’s will, he conquered the world of fine dining. He’s risen to the top of his profession. He was even awarded the James Beard Rising Star Chef award from his time as a chef at Fairest Creatures, in Malibu and retained 3 Michelin Stars as CDC of Eleven Madison Park in New York. However, in S2, he struggles with crafting the menu for the new iteration of The Beef, The Bear. He’s torn between incorporating nostalgic dishes from his past, and new forward moving dishes created in partnership with Sydney. Connell is a talented student and sports player when we first meet him, and he goes on to be a “star” student at Trinity College, in Dublin, recipient of a prestigious scholarship, and editor of the publication of the literary society. However, in his work, (at times), as in his life, both suffer from his lack of communication. He receives a letter in response to a short story he submits that says his work “lacked a clear voice and confidence.” This problem affects all areas of his life, not just his professional one. Both Carmy and Connell’s work suffers because of their personal issues which they have yet to work out.

Soulmates

The relationships between Carmen and Sydney and Connell and Marianne have many parallels. Both couples (yes, couples) trust and confide in each other exclusively. They are each other’s confidant, and safe place. This gets tested for each couple when they are not truly honest with themselves about what the other means to them and when they let outside forces mess with their cosmic connection. Carmy ends up going out with Claire, partly due to the outside pressure from his family. Connell has a beautiful budding relationship with Marianne in the beginning of the show, but capitulates to outside pressure from his group of friends to do what is expected of him and be with the popular, but mean, Rachel. When he does this, it illicited the exact same response from me as when Carmy ditched Sydney to help Claire run an errand. Both moments had me yelling at my TV, “what are you DOING?! How could you do this to her?!” The thing is, both sets of characters have such a magnetic pull on each other, that outside forces can only penetrate for so long. Their paths are deeply intertwined. Carmy essentially asks Sydney to join him in opening a restaurant, and Sydney says yes. Marianne effectively asks Connell to join her at Trinity College, and he says yes. Both decisions will advance their relationships, personally and professionally. I must note that I don’t believe either ask is selfish. Carmy sees Sydney has talents and skills that compliment if not exceed his, and he wants her to shine. Marianne sees Connell’s talent and passion for English and knows Trinity is the best school. Another beautiful parallel is the fact that they are so deeply connected they they can literally read each other’s minds. Carmy and Sydney regularly start and finish each other’s sentences. They think alike, they dress alike. Carmy selects a chef coat for Sydney that could have been designed by her. In Normal People, Connell actually tells Marianne, “you know sometimes I felt like I could read your mind…..but I don’t know…maybe that’s normal.” Marianne stares at him deeply and pauses before saying “it’s not.” And it isn’t. These two sets of characters have a connection that is unique, special, and written in the stars.

Wasting Time with the Wrong People

Both Carmy and Connell go through trying to force relationships with other people that are just not right for them. Marianne does this too. We have not seen this yet from Sydney, but we may, as the show (hopefully) goes on. Carmy, for a variety of reasons, tries to be in a relationship with Claire. Early on, Connell succumbs to pressure to be linked with Rachel, who he doesn’t even like. Later in the show, he is in a placid and passionless relationship with Helen Brophy. Both Claire and Helen are or will be Doctors. Claire is in her last few months of residency, and Helen is at Trinity studying medicine. Neither woman is right for Carmy or Connell, which pulls them from their respective soulmates.

People Pleasing and Trouble Saying No

Carmy’s abusive upbringing has made him a people pleaser to some extent. He has had the completely arduous task of literally being in charge of managing his mother’s emotions and mood swings, as well as his brother’s. He doesn’t want to rock the boat or make people upset. This makes him say yes to people and situations he may not actually agree with and is another reason why he has trouble expressing his feelings and what he wants. This is a reason why he drops his work and Sydney to please Claire when she asks for a favor. Connell, from what we know, has a loving mother, but he is an only child and has no father, and seeks outside validation from friends. He’s very aware that his relationships are conditional and he very much goes along to get along, much to his detriment. An early example of this is when Rob asks to copy his French homework and he hands over all of his hard work without question. In the background of this scene, you can hear another character ask someone else for theirs and they give an unshakeable, “no.” Carmen and Connell struggle with boundaries that would protect them because they don’t want to risk making people upset.

Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Gif source: @birthdaysentiment

Both suffer from this. Actually both shows do an excellent job at uplifting the struggles of mental health, particularly for young men. Among other things, Carmen has undiagnosed PTSD from his trauma that manifests in sleep walking nightmares and severe panic attacks. When panic overtakes him, he literally is gripped in its clutches, and can barely breathe or move. The first time we witness him having a panic attack, it’s because he gets a phone call from someone asking for his brother who doesn’t know he has died by suicide. He gets so shaken, it impacts him physically and he has to physically remove himself from the restaurant. Connell has his first panic attack the moment he experiences just how conditional his friendships truly are. In 1x3, after he finally defends Marianne, his secret girlfriend who he loves, but is unpopular, to his friends, helps take care of her and takes her home, he shows up at school the next day and is relentlessly teased. Experiencing the way his friends will just turn on him on a dime causes him so much anxiety, he has to run to the bathroom and has a panic attack in the stalls. Connell also struggles with depression after his friend, later in the show, dies by suicide. He has a panic attack, so bad, he can’t even leave the house. Unlike Carmy (so far), Connell eventually gets treatment, and we see him start to even out emotionally. It must be said that during the final panic attack we witness Carmy endure, it is the thought of Sydney that pulls him through. Connell has treatment, but he also has the support of Marianne during his most major time of need. Both turn to these women in their lives for their strength in moments of great distress.

Al-Anon / Counseling Share Session

Gif source: @birthdaysentiment

Season 1 of The Bear culminates for Carmy emotionally when he reaches a breaking point, and in an effort to get help, makes a decision to not only attend an Al-Anon meeting, but get up and share many details about his background and his brother and it becomes crystal clear how deeply his absence has and continues to impact his life. Jeremy Allen White acts this 7 minute uncut scene with his whole heart, making us feel for him in every moment. He is spilling his guts, while restraining his deep, deep trauma, sadness and pain. His eyes brim with tears the whole time, tears he has still yet to shed. In one of the final episodes of Normal People, at the recommendation of his roommate, Connell goes to a free counseling session, sits in a chair, and starts for the first time ever to truly speak his mind, including how the suicide of his friend has impacted him, what Marianne means to him, and how he hates his current station in life but feels like there’s nothing for him to go back to in his hometown. Paul Mescal, like Jeremy Allen White completely carries this scene with the power of his acting in an extreme closeup. Unlike Carmy, Connell breaks down, and his emotions gush out in free flowing sobs. Both actors make the correct decision to barely make eye contact. Sharing this much is new for them and makes them uncomfortable, so for the most part, they keep their eye-line down, but despite this, the vulnerability is palpable we can really and truly see, hear and feel all of their pain.

Coming to Terms With What They Want

Gif source: @birthdaysentiment

I think the ultimate goal of both characters, Carmen and Connell, is to decide what they want, free themselves from the expectations, opinions, thoughts, or suggestions from others, and go get it. As I said, both Normal People and The Bear are coming of age stories. Both stories highlight the transformative power of love and the confidence to make choices for yourself with that knowledge that there will be someone there to love you no matter what. For Connell, it has been such a journey for him to come to terms with the fact that writing is his true calling. In the end of the show, he has the incredible opportunity to go to New York and take his place in a prestigious MFA program. At first, he is so scared to leave. Marianne is his rock and he loves her. He’s scared to leave and be alone in a strange city without support, without her. He asks her to come with him, but she knows this is a journey he needs to go on alone and she wants to stay in Ireland and live the life she’s living. She encourages him to go, and reassures him they will be ok. In The Bear, Carmy is not at this place yet. As I mentioned earlier, I have written about how at the present, Carmy doesn’t really know who is is or what he wants. However, we as an audience can see that his gentle spirit is attracted to art, drawing, and creativity. This has been beaten out of him, but I believe art is his true calling, he’s just never been allowed to pursue it. If we get more seasons of The Bear, I hope we will see Carmy have a similar breakthrough in reigniting and going after his dreams and letting go of what no longer serves him or brings him joy. I truly believe that he and Sydney will be a part of each other’s lives no matter what. In the kitchen or outside of it, in Ireland, or away, Carmen and Sydney and Connell and Marianne are connected in ways that time and space can’t break.

There are many, many other parallels to be made in both stories (which I may continue to write about). Connell and Marianne’s stories have come to an end, as Normal People was one season, and based on a book. We know where his journey takes him, but we can only speculate where else he may go, and if he and Marianne find their way back to each other. Carmy, on the other hand, is a character on a show that hopefully will have several more seasons, so his future is unclear. I just hope he can get the help he needs to heal and the strength and support to discover who he is and what brings him joy. I hope he, like Connell, mends and maintains his relationship with Sydney no matter where life takes him, especially if it leads him out of the kitchen.

Both The Bear and Normal People are at times, beautiful, tender, heartbreaking, poignant, and hopeful. They shine a brave light on what it means to be open, vulnerable, complex, flawed, trying, failing, succeeding, and most of all, human. Both series also show so beautifully how we need community and each other to raise us up, lift us out of our darker places and reach and keep reaching for light in our lives to be our truest and best selves. As Marianne tells Connell in the final episode as both she and Connell cry, “we have done so much good for one another.” I see this in Carmen, in Sydney, in Connell, in Marianne, and in so many other characters on both shows. And in this life, at the end of the day, isn’t that the most important gift? And we each have it—the ability to change someone’s life for the better.

©️moments-on-film 2023

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readreactrant · 2 months

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"Love, or Something Ignites" might just be the best goyuu fic ever!!! let me explain!!! (Thoughts and Review)

Some quick context but cuz this review was already going to be pretty long without my flashback sequence so pls scroll down to the red text if you don't want to hear my history of opinions with JJK and its ships.

I've been deep in the goyuu tag since the beginning of the year, which I found kind of strange at first since I watched S1 way back in 2022 and did not give much of af about the whole show.

I kicked my feet a bit at SukuFushi, tried to like it more, and even searched out a couple of fics but they just weren't giving AT ALL.

At the start of 2023 I watched jjk 0 and I was kinda hyped to get back into the show, but my shipping heart still ached for something to latch onto so I went on AO3 and picked up the first fic I found. Surprise, surprise, it was a goyuu fic featuring role reversal. I wouldn't say I liked it but it did tickle something in my brain I would have explored if I wasn't neck deep in my bakudeku era at the time.

Then S2 happened and it all just sorta clicked for me. Before then I'd mainly been a SukuIta believer, I didn't frequent their fics but I DID gobble up their twincest doujins like I was starved when I had the time. 2nd cour of S2 coming out practically sealed Goyuu for me, I'd always felt there was a bit of something I saw between them but Yuuji screaming out for Gojo in that last frame...just...*chef's kiss*

I didn't go back to rewatch S1 where a majority of their reactions were like some diehard fans would but the clips and screencaps I've come across now and again are enough to solidify for me that yes! They are made for each other!! (Hope the wrong stsg fans don't find this ◉‿◉)

I'd really love to go on and on about their dynamic but this was supposed to be about my February fic of the month, "Love, or Something Ignites" by lainebee.

Like I said, I've been deep in the tags and the only others I think that come close to this one are "No Sanctuary" by eddie01 and both world's sequels.

Now I'm not saying there aren't other good ones, like I'm just halfway through the hundred and something AO3 pages of their ship tag, so there's a lot I've yet to see. Still, this is a sorta subjective review and I just hope to spread the word of this masterpiece and maybe meet others who've read it so we can fan together in the comments.

(Now that's all out of the way, there will be mild spoilers and also warnings for; omegaverse, mpreg, and voyeurism so let's hop to it (✿^‿^)

The fic is set in a historical Japan au where Yuuji and Sukuna are brothers, with Sukuna being much older and ruling over a kingdom in the south. Thing is, he's constantly at war with the Gojo clan cuz these two mfs are just built like that in every verse. Shit happens and they come to a truce and as a sign of goodwill Sukuna offers Yuuji, his recently presented omega brother, as a gift (I honestly thought Yuuji was like 16 or 17 but he's 19 so like whatever idc (╥﹏╥)

"So what's the problem?" you might ask, well aside from the obvious marriage of convenience plot, Gojo doesn't give a fuck, he's still hung up on Geto (kinda tho, it's complicated but they aren't in love) and he's pretty much intended to go through it for show.

But that's not the end; not only do our boys have no feelings for each other and have never even met, but THING IS... Sukuna has demanded a public consummation cuz he's a bastard like that and we love him for it. Worry not there's no fucking on a stage for everyone to watch...just fucking in a 'room' for a handful of witnesses to watch from behind those dresser screen things (vocab not working lol).

The fic is definitely kinda long and tho there are some slow-burn vibes a lot of it essentially takes place in ONE FUCKING DAY. My first assumptions going into this were, "pacing issues???" and "oh the author is going to either insta love them, make them fuck and spend the rest of the fic doing fluff, or they will fuck with some angst then spend the rest falling in love."

Color me surprised when yeah, they did fuck but that was one or two chapters from the last of about nine.

You expect this kind of shit to feel rushed as fuck but the writing is so fucking divine that you never feel like putting it down. There's always so much going on but time is never wasted dwelling on one subject for too long, it's fast, it's funny, and the characters and setting are constantly giving the energy you know and love from the original show but probably two times better.

One of the things I noticed a few GoYuu writers struggle with is accurately reflecting Gojo cuz he's actually an enigma and arguably one of the most complex characters in the show with a broad range of emotions. He doesn't particularly fit one kind of vibe whereas for everyone else you can pick one or something close to it. Gojo on the other hand goes from one end of the spectrum to the other pretty quickly and that's super hard to capture and explore, especially when it comes to the shorter smutty fics (Not complaining too much tho, I live for the E rating.)

I love the direction the author chose to go with him, and it feels so true to his character, his immature but his teasing doesn't feel over the top or come off as exaggerated. His status as the strongest is just told but shown to us with the way he behaves and I like that we get instances of him getting work done despite knowing he's a rebel. It reminds us that yeah, he's working to make the clan the way he wants but he's just going along with what he has to in true Gojo fashion.

Yuuji, is totally something else, it's implied that he actually killed people...and I don't think we got a paragraph of him feeling guilt over it but that's somewhere toward the end so forget it. Yuuji is the absolute sweetest here and I adore every scene he's in along with how bratty he tends to be with Gojo. It's not frequent and most of the time he's pretty respectful but when he's not...Yeah. His inner thoughts and his conversations with most of the other characters really bring life to the story and you literally feel you're right there with him through it all.

Then there's the smut...oh. my. fucking. GOD. It's absolutely delicious. If you were iffy about it being omegaverse, I beg you to actually consider it cuz all probably more than four thousand words of it are fucking precious.

I had no idea I'd be into sex with some commentary when I began reading but the conversation from the characters picked was spot on and even added to the spicyness.

My favorite part is when Yuuji moans like a fucking pornstar and the zenin guy (forgot his disgusting ass name) goes "The boy is a whore."

Like boohoo bitch just say you wish you were getting all that, I wish I was (╥﹏╥)

If you're still iffy about the Omegaverse trust me it's not that big of a deal, the focus is mainly on Gojo and Yuuji trying to find some mutual ground to get on so the consummation isn't fucking awkward but by talking, joking, and getting to know each other something even more starts to blossom.

There are definitely traces of insta love but I personally see it as a weird mixture of attraction and possessiveness but this book is just like the prelude to the main course which is the second part in the series which I'm not done with yet but fucking hell...all the intrigue and tension that you will find in Love, or Something Ignites, gets doubled with more angst and mystery in the second fic, along with goyuu being stupid as well as stupidly in love.

So give it a try, and if you have, let me know what you think. I'd usually say where the tiny flaws are but for this book there are none...unless you count Yuta being Maki's mate instead of Rika's but that's my personal hill to die on. Let me know if there's a fic you want me to write about and I'll maybe get to it

Well, that's all from me today, it's 3 am and I'm fucking exhausted.

#anime #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 struggles #jjk #writeblr #goyuu #gojo satoru #yuji itadori #jjk smut #jujutsu kaisen #gojo x itadori #fic rec #fic reviews #masterpiece

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rafesproactiveprettygirl · 1 year

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Him or me || JJ Maybank x female reader ||

OUTERBANKS S1-S2 SPOILERS!!

summary: with the family jj has, it’s caused him to have major trust issues, rightfully so. but the problem is it has started to get in the way of you two’s relationship. your ex-boyfriend rafe, committed a crime. murder. he immediately came to you after it happened. he was sobbing, choking on his own words, not able to come to his senses about what he had done. he was in shock. he explain how he had done it to protect his dad, you understood for a split second but nonetheless he was guilty. you knew he needed help, his dad had always had him in a choke hold, ready to do whatever he asked. and that was no good. you spent your days trying to convince rafe to turn himself in, and you almost had until he blamed john b and now had the pogues were after him. jj had notice your behavior, and as your boyfriend, was not only worried for your safety, but his. if rafe had gotten close to you again, he may have been able to manipulate you into leaving the pogues. manipulate you into leaving him.

warnings: arguing, cussing, crying, mention of murder, mental issues, drinking, angst to fluff

“Rafe!” You yelled, slamming his door open to see a pacing and sweating Rafe Cameron. “What the hell is wrong with you? Wrongfully accusing John B?! My friend?” You asked slamming the door behind you. He turned to you, eyes wide and bottom lip almost gnawed off from how much he was biting them. He quickly walked over to you, standing nervously in front of you. “Y/N please just listen to me-“

“No Rafe. I was going to help you! I was trying to at least. And yet you keep getting worse!”

“My dad asked me to! I had to!”

“See that’s the problem Rafe. You always listen to what daddy says. Is his approval so important to you that you quite literally would murder someone for him?”

“No? What? Y/N listen I-“

“Rafe i’m done listening. What happened to you?” You asked in disbelief as you crossed your arms. His eyes watered up but he wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. He looked at you with red eyes. “Please Y/N, your the only one I have. You can’t leave me.” He stuttered out, voice cracking.

“I don’t want to Rafe.” You breathed out. “But what you did was fucked Rafe.”

“I know Y/N and i’m so, so sorry. I just, I didn’t want to upset my dad. You know how he is, what he’d do to me.” You brought your fingers up to your forehead and pinched the bridge of your nose. “Jesus christ Rafe, you’ve gotten yourself in some deep shit.” He nodded, grabbing your shoulders to make you look at him. “I know Y/N I know, and i’m sorry. I’m sorry okay? I promise i’ll make it up to you. I just need time.”

“You need time? Yeah John B has murder charges and a money reward to whoever finds him but yet you need time?” You scoff with an irritated laugh. “Yes, I need time. I can get me and John B both out of this, I swear, I just need time to clear everything up. I can talk to my dad and we can figure something out. I promise Y/N. You know I wouldn’t have blamed him if I didn’t have an option.”

“Yes you would have, you hate the pogues.”

“Yes but I also know by blaming them it would hurt you because, oddly enough, their your friends. And I didn’t want to hurt you Y/N. I love you. And you know that.” He said, his eyes searching yours for a reaction. You gave him a cold, hard stare before finally letting out a sigh of disproval. Both in him, and what you were about to do. “Fine.”

“Fine?” He asked, eyebrows knitting with confusion. “Fine.” You say pulling him roughly into a hug. He shoved his face into your neck, holding you tightly around the shoulders. “I can’t lose you either Rafe. As much as I hate you right now. I still care about you.” You felt wet tears drip onto your shirt and you pulled back to wipe them off Rafes cheeks.

You gave him an stern stare, I’ll give you a week. A week. Nothing more nothing less.”

“Nothing less?”

“Take it or leave it.” You grimaced.

“I’ll take it.” He said desperately. You nodded. “Good. Now i’ve got to go talk to them and fill them in on everything.” You say turning to open his door again. You turn back and point at him. “Get your ass to work.” He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

You pulled up to the chateau and saw everyone sitting on the couch on the porch talking, they all seemed frustrated. You walked up and all their eyes turned towards you. You noticed JJ wasn’t there. “Where’s JJ?” you asked confused on why he wasn’t with the rest of the group. They all looked at each other and Pope swallowed nervously. “He’s a bit upset right now. He said he wanted to be left alone.”

You furrowed your brows before sighing roughly. “I’ll go get him. Where is he? I have news for y’all.” John B nodded to the kitchen and you thanked him. You dropped your bag off in front of the door, slipping off your shoes and taking off your jacket. You walk through the house and into the kitchen and see JJ taking a sip of his beer and leaning against he fridge, eyes stuck on the cabinet in front of him. He didn’t hear you walking towards him, he was too deep into his thoughts.

You reached for his arm. “Hey baby-“ He flinched, causing you to pull back. He turned his head slightly to eye you, finely registering who it was, he faced you. “Sorry” you chuckled nervously. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” He nodded, leaning up off the fridge and walking to sit on the couch in the living room. You found it quite odd that he just ignored you. No kiss, no hug, no nothing. You turned around and began following him into the living room. You looked out the window and caught the other staring at you in anticipation.

When you looked at them Pope and John B immediately turned their heads away, gaining your suspicion. John B started whistling and Pope rested one of his arms on his neck awkwardly. You heard Kie and Sarah talk about taking a walk to the beach so they got up and left, Pope and John B went to sit on the boat and drink. You sighed and turned to face JJ who was now sitting on the couch, beer in one hand and phone in the other.

You moved to stand in front of him and crossed your arms. You waited for him to notice you, but he didn’t. You cleared your throat which earned you a slight glare from him. “Okay that’s it,” You huffed grabbing his phone and tossing it to the side on the couch. “What is your problem?” You asked impatiently. JJ crossed his arms, mimicking your position and scooted back, man spreading slightly.

“What’s my problem?” He asked. “What’s your problem Y/N?”

“My problem?” You scoffed. “You’re the one with a problem. You’ve either ignored me or given me attitude since I got here. What did I do?”

“Always something.” He mumbled under his breath, breaking eye contact. Ouch. “Always something?” You asked in partial shock and partial anger. You threw your hands up in defense. “You know what? I don’t have time for this. I’m leaving, text me when your ready to have a grown up conversation.” Just as you turned he said something that sparked your fume. It was something that made you just about blow.

“Yeah, go run back to Rafe.”

You immediately whipped around. “Excuse me?” You asked bewildered . “Oh don’t play dumb Y/N.” He huffed getting up to walk back into the kitchen, getting another beer. You followed him. “Now who’s walking away.” You mumble just below a whisper. He turned around. “I saw you. At Rafes house.”

“We’re you stalking me?”

“Yeah totally.” He rolled his eyes as he popped open another beer, tilting his head back to let the liquid fall down his throat. “Then what we’re you doing?”

“I was coming to pick you up so we could come back to the chateau and talk about what Rafe did. Or did you forget?”

“Obviously I didn’t.”

He laughed with anger. “Yeah obviously.” He shook his head but continued. “You weren’t home, so then I knee immediately you’d be with Rafe. Per usual. I pull up and through the window see you hugging that sick bastard. Really Y/N? That’s low, even for you.”

That hurt. It really did. JJ was genuinely upset with you this time.

“JJ you don’t understand-“

“No Y/N I understand perfectly.” He said throwing the empty glass bottle into the trash, the loud “clinking” sound making you tense. You look back him and your heart shattered into a million pieces seeing tears welling up in his beautiful blue eyes.

“I get it. You’re still in love with Rafe. So naturally your going to defend him. I just wished you would have told me, instead of making me believe that you loved-“

You grabbed his face roughly, tears in your own eyes. “JJ, shut the fuck up.” You demanded before roughly pulling his lips onto yours. JJ was still upset, but having your lips on his one last time, or so he thought, wouldn’t hurt. Both your eyes closed, and his hands immediately flew to your waist, holding on for dear life as if he were to let go you were going to melt away. You felt his tears drop against your own face, his teeth clashed against yours and he let out the smallest whine when you pulled back.

You looked deep into his eyes, frowning when he breaks eye contact to wipe his tears. “JJ look at me.” And so he did. “I just need you to listen okay? Please.” He nodded. You swallowed and began to speak. “I went to Rafes house to yell at him for accusing John B.” JJ’s face went pale, he must feel like an idiot. “I don’t blame you for getting mad though, I understand. Just talk to me text him, K?”

“I talked to him and he apologized and said he was going to fix it. He said he was going to find a way to get both John B and himself out of this.”

“I don’t believe him.” JJ immediately barked.

“I don’t either. But I gave him a week just to see if I could trust him. The hug was to throw him off. But JJ, this is really important so pay attention.” You say once against taking his hand in yours.

“I do love Rafe. It’s not something that’ll just go away. I care about him; as a friend, as an ex and as en enemy. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for him. But i’m not in love with him.”

You see a spark of hope in JJ’s eyes that makes you want to smile. “I’m in love with you, JJ. I have been ever since I first met you. Literally. I could not stop talking about you.” This made JJ smile, so you smiled as well. “I’ll love you, and I always will love you.”

“I’ll always love you too Y/N.”

You leaned in, about to kiss him when you hear footsteps sprinting inside. You turn to see Pope and John B. “We’ve got to go! The cops are here!”

“Shit.”

#ficsandfun #sweetrelief #outer banks #jj mayback imagine #jj obx #jj maybank #jj mayback x reader

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aziraphales-library · 3 months

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hello! how are u guys? sorry for my bad english! i was wondering if there were any fics in where crowley and zira are fighting and one of them makes the other cry? if they have happy ending better <3

Hi. You can check our #arguing tags for more fics like this. Here are some that feature fighting and crying...

Worry by Ilovecastiel18 (G)

Crowley finally wakes up from his year-long nap and goes to the bookshop to find a distraught Aziraphale. As it turns out, they are both very upset about what has taken place in 2020 and are both in need of comfort from one another. Hurt/comfort, angst, love confessions. Mild language warning. One-Shot.

Loose feathers by tenebi (T)

Situation: Crowley and Aziraphale have been drinking, Aziraphale yet again mentions Crowley's nature and his “ incapacity to love ”. “I mean it’s not like you have been treating me like I am always here to personally attack you or it’s not like you have been putting every fucking problem of this earth on my back just because I happen to be there, and yeah I know I know that what demons do but I was expecting you to understand after a bit… or when you keep telling every soul that we meet that we aren’t friends” Crowley's voice began to crack, but he didn’t care anymore. His glasses were giving him enough protection to hide the pain in his eyes and the literal pain caused by the liquid that had started to gather up in his eyes. “ but the worst the worst is that even after everything, the 6000 years, the armageddon and the trial.. you still think I don’t-”

Hold that thought! by thenightmares (T)

how season 2 SHOULD HAVE ENDED. major spoilers for season two of good omens!

Fallen by TheCosmicPebble (G)

Crowley is very busy feeling sorry for himself when he gets a call from Muriel. Aziraphale is back on Earth, and someone is really wrong with him. Post S2 fic where Aziraphale chose to go to Heaven without Crowley, just like in the show. My interpretation of what happened after!

In Pieces by LollipopCop (E)

Crowley has been nursing his broken heart in a numb stupor since the day Aziraphale left for Heaven, but it turns out he isn't the only one suffering. Their kiss did not go unnoticed by the Metatron, nor unpunished.

- Mod D

#good omens #good omens s2 #ineffable husbands #arguing #crying #emotional hurt/comfort #mod d

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noneorother · 8 months

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The grand unified theory of Good Omens S2 hangs on - you guessed it - a double meaning (and art). *Part 1*

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l The End?

This is major spoilers for season 3 territory. You have been warned. I'm also going to split this into parts because wow, I have so many ✨Clues✨!

As a few people have started saying already, something very fishy is going down in season 2, and it seems to be The Metatron's (boo hiss) doing. And by Job, they seem to be right. Come with me on a long and magical journey through time, and trust that I will bring you back to the double meaning of it all very soon. But because I am an Art Director, some things jump out as being very specifically dumb in S2 in a way that I find impossible for the smart people at Good Omens to have done by accident. I started having my doubts about what we were seeing on screen specifically while watching this scene :

Bildad voice "You think you guys are in a gang, with your cute little buttons, and your neat white power tatto--oooh wait a second... HAHAH WTF" - Me

This dildo literally has a NO REGERTS tattoo on his forehead. What. And two teardrops ABOVE his eyebrow. Dude. No. Any wannabe soundcloud rapper knows the teardrops go UNDER THE EYE. I have not found a single example of a real person putting teardrop tattoos above their eye, and I have googled. Also their pins seem extremely well placed, symmetrical, and just kinda... generic? Like the top one in the close-up is just a Scottish flag pin for both dudes. Do these guys... not know how to gang? Then there's this :

No miracle sound, no show of a stern face from Aziraphale, just a kind but firm ask and these two *GaNgStErs* do exactly what they're told. It's almost as if this was an order from an angel and they understood that, and just did it.

But you know what else is funny about REGERTS? It's a mis-spelling. You want to know who else misspells things in this universe?

Oh don't you worry you're getting a whole other post out of me on Maggie.

So now we have two threads to follow : 1) There are *fake gangsters* hanging around Aziraphael in the cemetery. Why? Who put them there? 2) These *fake* people seem like they have traits in common with with Maggie - and demons (because they can't spell and do what they're told, mostly.) Are any of those others *fake* too?

Would you like to see more clues, and the prestige reveal of what the double meaning is? Part 2 is right here

#go season 2 #good omens prime #go3 #good omens s3 #good omens season 2 #aziraphale #go meta #good omens meta #good omens spoilers #art director talks good omens #good omens 2 #good omens season two #good omen

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ageless-aislynn · 3 months

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Title: “15 Minutes” (8/?) Author: @ageless-aislynn Characters/fandom: Master Chief John-117/Reader, Halo the series Summary: You've got work to do. John worries. Things get a little more intense. Series: How to date a Spartan (without even trying) Rating: T (PG13) Length: 1,945 (this chapter, 19,693 total so far) Spoilers/warnings: Set in the Silver Timeline of Halo the series, not the games or novels. Though we began with the events of Halo 1x06, there will be no more show spoilers. We are still firmly seated in the AU Warthog, merrily driving out to places where there’s only a passing nod to canon. 😉 Disclaimer: Definitely not mine but I do enjoy borrowing them just for a bit! 😉 A/N: Text is both here in this post or available at AO3, however you like to read. Halo season 2 has finally arrived! However, this fic continues to zip along in the AU Party Warthog, so, while we began with season 1 way back when (and you'll see a few more things from s1 along the way 😉), we'll not be venturing into s2 territory at all. Unless s2 is going to take some verrrrry interesting twists, lol! Chapter 9 is still in progress by hand but I hope to have it ready soon. 🤞😣🤞The next chapter will also see us entering into some hurt/comfort for a bit but I tend to lean heavier on the comfort, in case you're worried. Or, you know, would be disappointed. 😉 If you read, I hope you enjoy! ⭐💖⭐

Taglist: @pinheadbanger @mysardencut @laurenstacy610 @sporadicbelievernightmare @ultrablackwidower @bxmxtx @jellotherelol

If you would like to be tagged in my John/Reader fics, just let me know! I also write John/Kai, John/Cortana and Kai/male Reader, so I’m glad to tag you for whatever you’d like. If you would like to be removed from the taglist, also feel free to let me know, no harm, no foul. 😉 💖

Halo fic masterlist ⭐

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

The Troop Transport Warthog hit a particularly rough patch and you held on for all you were worth to keep from being ejected.

"Sarge," Private Taylor yelled. "Where are we?"

"That's need to know and none of you need to know, marine," Sarge shouted back from the passenger seat. "Just keep your head down, do your job, and you'll be home 15 minutes before your mama has breakfast on the table."

You couldn't particularly tell if it were dusk, dawn or high noon, the air was so heavy with the greasy remains of mortar rounds. In the distance, a nondescript cityscape occasionally flared with either continuing pockets of active combat or just the remnants of the devastation that had passed through.

Wherever you were, it felt like you were barreling at top speed through a graveyard of vehicles: Warthogs, Mongeese and even the odd Scorpion, some overturned, blackened and smoldering, others weirdly intact as if their drivers had merely stepped away for a moment.

This was a salvage and recovery mission, tasking your unit with marking vehicles as repairable, recyclable or a total loss to be abandoned.

The next hour or so, that had been your focus, moving from Warthogs and the occasional Mongoose, conducting a quick evaluation, then using your spray gun to mark a green circle on the hood to send back to Reach for repair, a white slash to send it to be stripped for usable parts or a red X to abandon, not worth salvaging.

You marked a Mongoose with a red X, though the gun sputtered and you had to give it a few whacks before it sprayed properly, then you moved on.

Next up was a Warthog that seemed in decent condition from the outside, short of the rear antenna twisted until it resembled a curly tail. But the electronics were fried and the entire undercarriage looked like it had plowed over a series of flaming spikes, all major parts gouged out and burned. There might have been a few nuts and bolts reclaimable but since you'd just recently been writing up requisition for needed parts, you judged that it was more effort than it was worth.

You made the call to abandon it but as you tried to spray the red X across the hood, nothing emerged, even after shaking the sprayer and giving it a few more hits with the heel of your palm. With a slightly frustrated noise -- who was checking to make sure that the sprayers were in working order before they were sent out? -- you headed to get a replacement. Along the way, you caught a private going in the opposite direction.

"Hey, see that 'hog there? Would you red X it for me? Thanks."

"Um, sure," the blond man said and headed where you gestured.

You were still looking for somebody who had a spare sprayer when Sarge drove up in the Troop Transport again.

"Wrap it up, it's about to get hot," he shouted.

You quickly joined the rush back to board the Pelican and scrambled into a seat just as it lifted off. A split-second after you'd clicked the restraint down, the Pelican rolled to one side, shuddering from an impact.

Alarms began blaring, mixed in with the pilot calling out coordinates, and you automatically tried to look forward, as if you'd somehow be able to spot what was shooting at you. All you could really see was the anxious faces of the other marines around you. You spared a couple of breaths to be glad that neither Maria or Jamie had been called in for this.

The Pelican took a second, more glancing blow and the resulting shudder rattled your teeth.

"Covvies?" somebody asked over the engine whine and the private across from you shrugged.

"Who else?" she said. "But that felt like surface-to-air to me. What about you?"

She met your eyes and it was your turn to shrug. "I'm not sure. Never been hit by any sort of missile before."

"Oh well, congratulations on your first missile salvo," she returned with a crooked grin.

The Pelican rolled once more, this time in an evasive maneuver, then thankfully smoothed out and made its escape without further incident.

Your unit was taken to the covert off-world depot known colloquially as The Pit, where everything that had been marked for repair or recycle would be delivered for further sorting. In the center of the large warehouse area was a compactor pit for all of the scrap to be sent into. Several cranes were already busy moving the smaller vehicles like Warthogs and Mongeese into berths to be stripped down while the still operational vehicles were lining up to be loaded onto heavy transport carriers to be returned to base.

You finished stripping your second Warthog for salvageable parts and signaled the nearest lift operator. The clawlike crane clamped onto the 'hog's shell, picking it up and carrying it towards the compactor while you moved on to a Mongoose with a crumpled left rear wheel.

Then, out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a Warthog with a particularly distinctive twisted rear antenna being dropped off into the line to be loaded up and returned to FLEETCOM.

Frowning, you wove your way through the other mechanics, avoiding the occasional flying part, and found a green circle sprayed onto the hood.

Shit, the private must've heard me wrong when I told him to red X it. It seemed like an odd mistake to make but things had been hectic.

You grabbed a sprayer and neutralized the green and sprayed over it with a red X, then went to the nearest crane operator.

"You see that 'hog with the X on it? Drop it in the line for the compactor, please."

"Got it," the woman said and you waited until she'd picked it up and deposited it appropriately before you returned to work.

You were elbows into a Gauss 'hog's engine bay when you heard your rank and name called. Looking up, your heart gave a little skip: John in full helmeted Mjolnir strode your way with thundering steps you could hear even over the rest of the cacophony.

"With me," he said tersely, passing by and disappearing through a doorway at the back of the warehouse.

You had to hustle to catch up and he had already stopped by the time you joined him in the otherwise empty hallway. He turned, removing his helmet with a slight pneumatic hiss.

"Are you okay?" you both said at the same time.

The angle of the hallway meant you were shielded from most of the work floor. He set his helmet down and very carefully took your hands in his gloved ones.

"Insurgents took the field," he said, looking you over from head to toe. "Did you see combat? Intel was unclear."

"No, we got out but the Pelican took a few shots. Somebody said it felt like surface-to-air but I didn't remember Covenant using anything like that. It was insurgents, then?"

He nodded distractedly, glancing away to mutter, "I'll be right there." Then he looked back to you. "I have to go. Your unit's being sent back to Reach but if they divert you into combat..."

He trailed off, clearly realizing there was no way to finish that sentence the way he wanted.

"Tell them, nah, I'd rather not, thanks?" Your mouth twitched and you squeezed his fingers.

He gave a resigned chuckle. "Yeah, try that, please."

"You're the one who'll be much more in the thick of it," you pointed out. "You be careful, okay?"

"Always try," he said, bringing your hands up to press a kiss to the back of both.

Kai leaned around the door, her visor glinting green. "Chief, sorry but we've got to go."

"Copy that." He released you with clear reluctance and picked up his helmet. "Stay safe. I'll see you soon."

He vanished through the doorway and you took a breath, exhaling slowly. John suddenly appeared right in front of you again, leaning down to cup your face in one hand.

You were just about to ask if something was wrong when he kissed you.

For a moment, for forever, the universe shrank to just the two of you, his mouth on yours, a little frantic at first, then slowing, steadying out.

You felt like you were hovering off the ground and then realized you were; he'd picked you up at some point, pressing you gently to his chest plate. Your hand dropped to the 117 etched near his heart and it was gritty with sand and dirt. You were both grimy and sooty but it didn't matter. It couldn't have been more perfect if you were in a flowing ballgown and him in a tux, slowly spinning together on a glittering palace floor.

He set you back onto your feet but you only parted a breath away from each other.

"I... I'll get better with practice," he mumbled.

You smiled at him, feeling wobbly, lightheaded and more grounded than you'd ever been before, all at the same time. "John, if you were any better at that, I'd have to show you how fast I can get a Spartan out of their Mjolnir with my bare hands."

He was near enough to see his pupils dilate and that was incredibly gratifying. "I'll hold you to that," he said, his voice dropping an entire octave, making your toes literally curl inside your boots.

Then he put his helmet back on and left. You took a moment to compose yourself, then exited as well. There was no sign of Silver Team. No doubt, the Pelican waiting for him had taken off the second he'd boarded.

Cutting through the busy deck, you looked for any vehicle marked with a white stripe, still waiting to be stripped. On an impulse, you diverted to the line being dropped one at a time into the compactor. There was no sign of the curly tailed Warthog.

It could've already been compacted, you were thinking when you saw it going by overhead, clutched in a crane claw and heading back towards the line to return to Reach.

You didn't stop to think, you sprinted for the crane's operator booth. "Hey, put that 'hog down!"

The operator looked at you and you realized in a burst that it was the blond man you'd originally told to mark it with the red X back on the battlefield, who'd apparently designated it instead to come back to The Pit.

No, to go back to FLEETCOM.

Recognition went across his face at the same moment and he bolted from the booth. The lift automatically stopped, the Warthog swaying over the crowded deck.

You knew. You just knew.

You ran as fast as you could and slammed the alarm on the wall. "Bomb!" you bellowed over the shrill klaxon. "Bomb! Clear out!"

Jumping into the operator booth and grabbing the controls, you quickly scanned the area as marines scattered everywhere. There was only one place you could think to go.

You swung the arm around, guiding the curly tailed 'hog firmly clasped in its grip towards the compactor pit. It felt like it was taking a year to get there but you couldn't release the controls or the safety would bring it once more to a stop. Once the Warthog was finally in position, you opened the grip.

What if I'm wrong? you thought as it began to fall. I'll feel like such a fool if--

There was a saying that if you were close enough to an explosion, you would never actually hear it.

It was true.

end note:

If you want to, you know, imagine that Sarge's full name is, sayyyyyy, Avery Johnson, well then, who am I to tell you that you're right or wrong? 😇

If you don't know the Troop Transport Warthogs, here's one in action from Halo: Reach. It's on the level "ONI: Sword Base" and is scripted to be destroyed but there's a way to save it and the marines in it and take it with you for a great deal of the rest of the level! I love saving the Troop 'hog, even if it always still looks like it's on fire. Nah, it's fiiiiiine, no worries! 😎👍😂😉

#halo #halo the series #halo paramount+#master chief x reader #x reader #john-117 x reader #fic: 15 minutes #series: how to date a spartan without even trying #ageless aislynn #aislynn's fics #aislynn's fic

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theclaravoyant · 7 months

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AN ~ Okay, Stede can have a little breakdown. As a treat. For me, to cathart my feelings into because Thursday is going to Kill Me Dead.

Also for @fictober-event’s Fictober 2023 prompt: “I may not get another chance to say this." Masterpost of my Fictober OFMD fics

Heavily inspired by the 2x08 trailers but written before it aired. Contains major S2 spoilers.

Fandom: Our Flag Means Death Characters/Relationships: Stede Bonnet, Izzy Hands. Tags: Whump, Hurt/Comfort. Content Warnings for Canon Compatible Everything (ie, violence, self loathing, references to mental illness and suicidal ideation) coz this is the Stede Bonnet Going Thru It Fic, ft. everyone else also going thru it

Also on AO3 (2700wd)

Panic // Pride

Stede tries to swallow the lump in his throat as he looks at himself in the mirror. He tugs at the jacket, but he can’t get it to sit right. Ironically, he thinks to himself, it’s kind of fitting. This is a navy jacket and he is a coward.

It’s my battle jacket, his mind supplies, and he thinks wistfully of his embroidered yellow robe. Another beautiful thing, lost to the ocean; just like the bright hibiscus and bougainvillea of the Pirates’ Republic is now lost; just like the delicate fanlike sails of the Red Flag and her sisters are lost.

Wistfulness abruptly turns to heartbreak. He still remembers the shriek, the wail, the way the utter despair tore its way out of Zheng’s chest. Everything she had built, in ruins, in moments.

History’s Greatest Pirates.

Stede’s hands shake on the buttons of the jacket. He clenches them into fists, trying to discipline them. He doesn’t have time for this now.

Little Baby Bonnet. Are you gonna cry? Baby Bonnet’s gonna cry?

Memories shoot through him like shrapnel through sailcloth.

“You did this to them,” Rick had hissed, holding the dagger to his throat, marching him into captivity. Smoke and gunpowder roiled around them. Part of it had been part of the plan. Part of it had been desperately, desperately, desperately, trying to avoid slipping into this exact spiral. “Gentleman Pirate. Ha. You’re all alike. You’re a snake. You’re a scourge.”

Stede Bonnet is not a human.

A violin splashed into the water, and its owner followed it into the depths. The spiral had started then too, but he’d pushed it down.

You’re a monster.

A plague.

Blood on his face.

He’d pushed it down like he’d pushed Ed against that wall. Drowned it in those big brown eyes who’d nodded and begged and needed just as badly as he did. Who’d whispered sweet nothings and filthy ones too and that was supposed to be beautiful.

You defile beautiful things.

“Last night was a mistake.”

Mary’s wedding dress had been beautiful too, in its way. It probably would have been more so if he’d been as desperately in love with her as he’d hoped, or she with him. God, he hadn’t thought about their wedding night in a while but ever since Ed he’d been thinking about firsts. He’d always expected the first time would be something like a dream. Not like a medical procedure, peeling back from each other only that which was strictly necessary to do what needed doing. She’d laughed with Doug, enjoyed herself. Never with him. It was always cold and quiet with him. He’d never quite shaken the way it had felt like something he’d done to her.

“You and I did this to him,” Izzy had said. “ And we can’t let the crew suffer any more for our mistakes.

The crew. Half abandoned, presumably to starve. Half dragged down with Edward in his damn-near-suicide-attempt and starving anyway. Crowded around the table where they’ve killed the albatross. Not to mention Lucius, who’s sharp around the edges now. He’s getting better but he’ll never be the same. He’ll never get the taste of rat out of his mouth, he’ll never look at a dog the same way again. He’ll probably never scrape another barnacle again and that part he’s probably not all that bothered about but the point is: it’s irreversible, the damage. The plague he’s wrought upon them.

Then there’s Izzy. Izzy Hands, who’d had his heart broken and his leg shot off and festered and cut and shot himself in the temple and somehow, somehow, dragged himself to life again to save the crew Stede had abandoned.

And unabandoned again. On a whim.

Your own family.

“I don’t want your old food.”

He remembers Alma storming off from the table. It cuts through him like a knife. Worse - Louis all but seizing in the night. Screaming and whimpering, caught in a nightmare. Mary sat on the side of his bed, glaring at the book he’d left there, glaring at Stede when he’d come in to try and help. Shielding his own son’s face from him like a mother bear shields her cubs.

“I told you, Stede!” she yelled. “I told you he’s too young for your stupid pirates! Look what you’ve done to him!”

“Who are you, again?”

You used to be a killer.

And here you are. Unscathed.

He can’t breathe. The room spins. His own words echo in his head:

“You’re panicking!”

He’s running through the forest in his nightclothes. He can still taste Ed’s kiss and he can still smell Chauncey’s gunpowder and the combination is sickening. He’s got to find a ship back to Barbados.

“You’re a coward!”

He’s running through a different forest; breath quick, feet not as light as they need to be. They never are. He’s praying he doesn’t fall flat on his face like last time. The boys are throwing things today. He isn’t ready. He’s running away.

He’s running away. Isn’t he always?

You’re a coward.

That’s all you’ll ever be.

Fuck the jacket, fuck the mirror. He’s running away. He’s fallen on his hands and knees and he’s running away to the nearest, smallest, darkest place he can find.

Little Baby Bonnet fucking cries.

–

Izzy flexes his shoulders with a scowl. His posture is perfect, that’s not the problem, but he hates how this thing sits on his shoulders anyway. It reminds him of that asshole’s smug smile when he’d come crawling back to quote-unquote “betray” Bonnet again. It was all part of the plan. Which unfortunately meant he couldn’t stab the fucker in the throat like he wanted to. The whole point of this was for the trap to snap shut around them first. To crawl into the belly of the snake and cut its head off from the inside. But the whole point of traps is that you don’t snap them on purpose. Once you do, you’re playing the hunter’s game. It makes him antsy, and he’s not used to being antsy.

“Are you done, Bonnet?” he hisses through the door.

He gets no response.

“Hurry up, ya twat, it doesn’t fucking matter if your epaulettes are off kilter. They’re only playing dress-ups to make you bow for them anyway.”

Still nothing. Nothing except the clench of the knot in his stomach that warns him something is wrong.

Fuck.

Izzy pushes open the door to the little chamber where Stede’s been getting dressed. His regular clothes are draped over the back of the chair as he’s wont to do - a habit kept from his days of dressing in finery - but it’s the lace cravat that lays abandoned on the floor. Its wearer is nowhere to be seen. But he can be heard, quietly sobbing from the closet in the corner.

“Bonnet?” Izzy calls, and resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose so hard he snaps it. “What are you doing in there?”

“I- “ Bonnet chokes, still clearly bawling his eyes out. “I’ll be out in a minute. Just dropped a cuff link.”

Izzy hears a crunch beneath the unicorn’s hoof. He sighs and scoops the offending cuff link into his hand. Part of him wants to throttle the man but he’s too exhausted and scared to make it a convincing walloping. He’s got to save his wolves’ teeth for the English. They never worked all that well on Stede anyway.

“Found it,” he says.

“Oh, okay,” comes Stede’s quivering voice. “Uh. Good.”

He’s still terrified. Still not coming out and probably increasingly giving less of a shit about a pretense for why. Christ. Izzy looks to the ceiling. Calypso be with him; he’s trying something new.

He drops himself to the floor outside the closet with his back against the wall.

“You’re not crazy to be scared, you know,” he says.

Stede sniffles.

“This is big. This is bad. Your learning curve has been, uh. Steep.” He winces. He doesn’t want to imagine this walking slapstick in a real fight either. But here they are. “But you’re a pirate now. This is the life of a pirate. Did you think Oluwande was kidding around about that Chauncey bloke? Life as a pirate is life under the Sword of Damocles, always.”

Stede sniffles again.

“You know about the Sword of Damocles?”

“Course I fucking know about the Sword, Bonnet. You’re not the only one who can read, you prick.” Izzy sneers. It bursts out of him in a rage and he’s trying to remember he needs a gentler hand. He takes a deep breath. “Sorry. I’m a bit of an arse when I’m scared.”

“You’re an arse all the time,” Stede retorts automatically. Ah, there he is.

And now he’s getting it.

And maybe Izzy’s coming to some sort of understanding too. It actually feels kind of nice, to admit he’s fucking petrified and know with deep and abiding certainty, for once, that he’s not going to get his throat slit for it. Not by Bonnet anyway.

He lets the back of his head fall back against the wall.

“What are you scared of, Bonnet?” he asks. “Can’t be the English or you never would have started with this pirate schtick. Contrary to popular belief I don’t think you’re that much of an idiot. So what is it?”

“I’m… scared…” Stede attempts.

“I’m… scared…”

Give the man a chance, Izzy. He clenches his hand into a fist and demands patience.

“I’m scared it’s all my fault.”

“What is?”

“Everything!”

Oh.

“Everything,” Stede repeats. “Ed. Mary. My family. Your leg. It’s all my fault. Even Zheng, I- if I hadn’t left Rick behind with Jackie he never would have-”

“Never would have what?”

“- had his nose cut off and gotten all weird about it and tried to take down all the pirates.”

Izzy blinks.

“Stede.” He’s so shocked he first names the man. He corrects himself. “Captain. With all due respect that is the stupidest shit I have ever heard. Do you hear yourself? You refused to endanger yourself and your crew over some no-name blowhard, Jackie defends her property, Prince Pricky gets a complex about it and that’s your fault?”

“Huh.” Stede thinks on it. “I guess if you put it like that…”

“The fucking English have been trying to kill us all since before you or I were twinkles in our mothers’ eyes. And Edward and I have been on and off trying to kill each other since way before you were a twinkle in his.” Izzy snorted, a pang of pain shooting through him and not just because of his stupid leg. "I meant what I said. You’re good for him. You saved his life, did you know that?”

“Yeah, he told me. I was a mermaid in his coma dream.”

“What? No, I’m talking about before that.”

“Before?”

Izzy sighs. If there wasn’t such a high chance he was about to be Hung By The Neck Until Dead he’d never fucking dare open his mouth about Edward’s business. But Edward isn’t here. Thank God. And they might not be here much longer either. So here goes nothing.

“When we found you. He was… drowning. He was giving up. He had no purpose, no joy. Not a care in the world, not for love or money or his crew or nothing. The only way I knew how to help was to piss him off enough to keep the fire going and try to stop it picking off the rest of us. Then he heard about you. I didn’t get it at first. But I think I do now. He saw what you were doing, leaving a life that was killing you, and he needed that. He needed you in a way that he could never need…” Me. He swallows it. “Anyone else in this world.

“And that goes for the rest of the crew too. Those fucking insufferable clowns have undying love for you for a reason. Even if they don’t know it. You wanna talk about Lucius? How long do you think he would have lasted in a port town before he picked the wrong pocket or sucked the wrong cock? Now he’s got a stable job, a roof over his head and a love of his life. And Jim? On any other ship - any other ship - they’d have been tossed overboard for the sharks the second that beard came off and it wouldn’t have mattered a flying fart what they call themselves. Fuck, and Buttons? The man would have spent his life locked up in Bedlam if you hadn’t vouched for him. Now he’s free as a bird - literally, if Edward is to be believed, and he may be a suicidal maniac but he’s not deluded. Face it, Bonnet. You’re special. You just are. You save people. It’s just what you do.”

Finally, he runs out of words. He might not have ever strung more together at once in his life. It’s exhausting, this emotional vulnerability thing. But apparently, it works.

The closet door swings slowly open.

A somewhat bedraggled Stede walks out. His body moves slowly, but his eyes are surprisingly clear when he looks down at Izzy. He asks:

“And what about you?”

The gold paint on the unicorn leg is speckled by charcoal from all the explosions, but still it gleams. And surely, they both remember him swanning, as much as someone fighting off a panic attack can swan, out onto the deck with a full face of makeup behind none other than The Goddess Calypso. What happened to him was more than pain and rot and cutting out the toxins. It’s change. It’s courage. Any other day, he’d have all but begged Bonnet not to make him say it. But he might not get another chance. And he’s trying something new. So.

“ Your crew,” he says, “on pain of death hauled my sorry stinking behind into your secret passages and cut my leg off to save my life. Then they sat around and told a story about a little wooden boy.”

Sure, they’d bungled it into a story about a demon child who thirsted for blood. Or was it life? But the point had stuck. Fuck, and Archie hadn’t even met the man yet.

Tears fill Bonnet’s eyes again. Gentler ones, this time. In spite of himself, Izzy has to smile.

“Guess that’s me,” he says. “Or maybe you. You’re a real Pirate Captain now, Bonnet. What are you going to do about it?”

Stede holds out an arm, and helps pull Izzy to his feet. The ground feels steadier beneath him now, but he can’t quite shake all of it off. It’s going to take a lot more than being orange and sparkly to save them from the English, and Izzy’d be the first one to remind him of that too.

“Is this you telling me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get on with it, then?”

“No.” Izzy snorts. “It’s impossible to pull yourself upward by your bootstraps. They’re on your fucking boots. But this is me telling you that for my money, I think you’re ready to put your fucking noose back on and save our hides.”

Or die trying. But they’re on a roll, so he leaves that part unspoken and holds out the fistful of lace.

Stede draws himself up and makes sure his cuffs are done up tighter than any lawman would ever dare. He takes the cravat and fastens it around his own neck like he’s done every day for most of his life. He can tell Izzy Hands, in his own Izzy way, is fucking bursting with pride and he draws from it what strength he can and holds it out against his demons. He’s not used to people being proud of him. It’s nice. It’s powerful.

“Okay,” Izzy breathes, casting an eye upward. “Ready, Captain?”

It’s faint, but up on deck, a roll call of Capt. Stede Bartholemew Bonnet’s list of crimes is commencing. Ha. He has a list now. He’s kind of proud of that, too, actually.

He nods back.

“Let’s go.”

#fictober23 #stede bonnet #stizzy #stede & izzy #ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 #ofmd spoilers #clara's fic tag

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shipposttt · 6 months

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The Ship of the Day: The Ineffable Husbands

SPOILER WARNING for the Good Omens series, including season 2 :D

Names: Crowley and Aziraphale

Ship name(s): The Ineffable husbands/ Aziraphale

Original Content: Good Omens book (1990) and the Good Omens series (2019 S1, 2023 S2)) and all subsequent world building done by our lord and saviour Neil Gaiman through Tumblr <3

Ship info: Firstly, while the book will be mentioned within this post, it is important to note that i myself have only ever watched the series- as such, if there is information from the books that is failed to be mentioned that you believe should’ve been, this is why; please feel free to add anything you would like in the notes! Secondly, I will be using multiple pronouns for both Aziraphale and Crowley within this post because, as stated by Neil himself in a Tumblr ask, we might as well see them as genderfluid because he does. Similarly, angels (and thus, demons) are defined as sexless beings within the book, who’s “size, and shape, and composition, are simply options”.

So, you may be wondering, “what’s with this bible fanfiction?”, well don’t you worry I will clear that right up!

Good Omens is a novel/book originally written as a collaboration between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman in 1990, exploring the roles of angels, demons and mortals during the apocalypse – Armageddon. This has in recent years been adapted into a series for Amazon Prime Video with the help of Neil our beloved to ensure it stayed true to their vision for this story, especially since the series goes beyond the canon timeline of the book.

In particular, it follows demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale, who, as the only non-mortals residing within the mortal world long term, formed an alliance over the centuries, though this alliance slowly but surely turned into a friendship and then progressed into even more. Now, this might sound like an enemies-to-lovers 400k slow-burn but it’s NOT. You see, Crowley was once an angel prior to his fall, with the fandom theorising that they were a rather high-ranking angel due to his actions and clearance levels depicted within scenes of season 2, so technically they didn’t start off as enemies, nor would I argue that they ever truly became enemies following Crowley becoming a demon. Anyway, the first series follows these two immortal beings as they attempt to prevent the coming of the Antichrist, Adam Young, together. The majority of season one focusses on how Armageddon is coming to fruition and how mortals and immortals alike were attempting to stop it. Despite this, there is still a large focus on Crowley and Aziraphale’s personal relationship throughout time.

Within season 1 episode 3, we take a short break from the ‘current’ canon of stopping Armageddon to explore Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship and how it grew throughout the centuries using flashbacks for the first portion of the episode, this past history between them before the canon of Armageddon is also explored further in season 2 through multiple extended flashbacks. In the canonical timeline of events, these flashbacks begin from before the beginning of the universe as we know it, with then-angel Crowley creating the universe (“let there be light” and all that) as Aziraphale watched him do so; then jumping to the Garden of Eden, where now-demon Crowley tempts Eve. These flashbacks are sporadic throughout time, gaining in frequency the closer to ‘now’ they get, showing the pairings meetings at: Noah’s Ark, during the testing of Job’s faith (where Crowley first tempts Aziraphale with food), at Jesus’ crucifixion, in a Roman tavern, in Arthurian Britain, and then much more frequently between 1793 in a Paris dungeon and 2019 at Armageddon. All of these flashbacks portray their relationship going from working against each other (in the garden 4004 BC) to working together (the Globe Theatre 1601 AD), though we don’t know the exact date “the arrangement” between the two beings began, it is alluded to within this scene in the Globe Theatre as they discuss the possibility of one of them doing both “the blessing and the tempting” (their respective jobs given to them by heaven and hell) in Edinburgh, as they had done so elsewhere previously, with Aziraphale showing fear for Crowley’s safety within this arrangement, saying “but if hell finds out, they wont just be angry, they’ll destroy you”, but eventually acquiescing, calling heads on the coin toss to decide who goes. These more frequent visits shown leading up to Armageddon show the change from just working together for ease to working together because they enjoyed their time together.

So now we are up to date with their relationship prior to Armageddon, from working together to working against one another all the way up to forming an alliance together and coming to care for one another. So, spoiler alert (I say as if the previous paragraph wasn’t full of spoilers); they stop Armageddon together (yay). Following them preventing Armageddon, hell and heaven attempted to fully discorporate the pair, using hellfire for Aziraphale and a holy water bath (sans rubber duck) for Crowley, the two predicted this move however and temporarily swapped bodies so as to ensure neither came to harm. They then nicely finished off the season with the pair dining in the Ritz, making a toast “to the world” as a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square (in reference to the popular love song published in 1940).

So, all is well and good for the start of season 2, right? WRONG. Archangel Gabriel shows up at Aziraphale’s bookstore having lost all his memories, Crowley and Aziraphale perform a miracle together to hide Gabriel (now going by Jim) that is so strong heaven believes it could only be the will of an archangel, leading to them believing that Gabriel is hiding in Aziraphale’s bookshop. Now, this season evolves around hiding Gabriel and somehow restoring his memories but Aziraphale instead takes it upon himself to focus on trying to set up the owners of two nearby stores, drawing similarities between the two and himself and Crowley. So Aziraphale is trying to set these two up, Crowley is trying to keep Aziraphale safe and heaven and hell alike are both convinced they are hiding Gabriel. This all comes to a head as Gabriel’s memories get restored and it is revealed that he was demoted after refusing to support an attempt at a second Armageddon, conversations are had and offers are made and the elusive Metatron offers Aziraphale Gabriel’s old position, promising to restore Crowley’s status as an angel.

Now for the divorce. Yeah, you read that right, the ineffable divorce. The day I cried, the fandom cried, I think even the official Amazon Prime Twitter *ahem*, sorry, ‘X’ account admin cried. Aziraphale accepts the Metatron’s offer because they believe he and Crowley working together can make a difference, “we can be together, angels, doing good. I need you”. Crowley confesses to Aziraphale, saying how they can do the same as Gabriel and Beelzebub and leave heaven and hell behind to just be them, they disagree on working for heaven and Crowley points out that they can’t hear any nightingales (in reference to the end of season one), “you idiot, we could’ve been us”, before kissing Aziraphale once, finishing off this glorious season with “I forgive you” (A), “Don’t bother”.

Now, this is where we are left off with their relationship, and while there are a lot more scenes I’ve missed out here which allude to their building romance and many, many posts by Neil Gaiman which explore it further, this has already gotten way too long to include them all.

Type of Ship: Queer

Now, even outside of their relationship, these two are unequivocally queer. As previously stated, they both do not conform to societal stereotypes surrounding gender, with them being angelic beings who simply choose to take on the traditionally more masculine forms we most associate with them, whilst other times choosing more traditionally feminine forms- like Crowley did in scenes of the crucifixion of Jesus, or when they were a nanny. While this isn’t explicitly spoken about within the series (because their gender presentation simply is there, an unquestioned part of them, it’s not a focal point of the plot), co-author and series writer Neil Gaiman has clarified that angels and demons alike do not have gender or sex and do not perceive gender in the same way as humans do.

How, as such, within the ship they are also queer, with the pair not bending to societal norms surrounding gender, sex and relations. And though they do kiss in the final episode of season two, Neil Gaiman has confirmed that their kiss was “about a lot of things but its not to show they’re in love” alluding to the love being shown in other ways as their relationship isn’t inherently sexual- neither is it inherently asexual as he explained “they are an angel and a demon, not as male humans”. This portrays romance and love in away that is inherently queer and different to that of heteronormative ideals as they are not strictly male or female and don’t explore sexuality in the same way as is the norm.

Thank you for reading this! Admin 🦇 out!

#fandom #lgbtq community #ships #gay ships #aziraphale #aziracrow #crowley #crowly x aziraphale #ineffable husbands #ineffable divorce #ineffable idiots

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