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#because people keep on forgetting that this story is about Time Bullshit
re-alku · 1 year
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goober
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mettywiththenotes · 2 years
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I find it funny how BNHA is one of the most popular anime/manga and yet people seem to forget almost everything that happens. like how.
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tossawary · 2 months
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I finished Volume 3 of SVSSS, which encompasses the main story, and currently have my bookmark sitting at the first chapter of the Airplane Extras in Volume 4. I took a bunch of quote pics but have yet to review them and add thoughts.
Every time I read SVSSS, I forget how... incredible... the inside of Shen Yuan's head is. He's fascinating.
Like, he's misogynistic (even while criticizing Airplane's own misogynistic writing), he's homophobic, AND he's transphobic. Not in a way where I think he thinks anyone deserves fewer rights than anyone else (I think he's generally a nice person, although, holy shit, I would not trust this man to craft policy of any kind) or would prevent anyone from living however they chose to live, a lot of his problematic bullshit stays inside his own head as he tries to understand the world around him using the stallion novel formulas he was given, but he's carrying around SO MUCH unexamined bias that supports his refusal to examine himself and his own desires.
Some of it reads (presumably intentionally) a LOT like the kind of conflicting, problematic bullshit a lot of queer people carry around inside their heads as they struggle to untangle themselves and their beliefs.
And while I do wish that Shen Yuan had been forced to confront and address his misogyny and transmisogyny even further than it does come up (in part because it is DEFINITELY affecting the way he thinks about gay men as well, including and especially Binghe), I do kind of... appreciate on some level that he thinks this way? From a character standpoint? Because I think it's probably realistic for a privileged young man spending a lot of time on the internet reading shit like PIDW to look at the world this way. And it's clear even through his own narration that his blindness in certain areas is causing him a lot of trouble. While I do have criticisms and personal wishes, I do appreciate the depiction of personal character development that is just... a cringeworthy mess of internalized bullshit the whole fucking time.
Also, it's SO funny to me that he reads as SO aro-ace-spectrum to me (probably gay, but generally detached from sexuality and possibly also partially from gender) AND he actually knows... the word asexual, I don't think he has a very broad understanding of asexuality... but he knows the word and yet doesn't personally identify that way. He mentally accuses both Luo Binghe (main story, before finding out Binghe is into him) and Liu Qingge (Succubus Extra) of being asexual for showing no interest in women, only to fail to reflect on how he ALSO demonstrably has no lasting personal interest in the women around them, which doesn't read as very genuine to me.
(EDIT: Again, I am not against a bisexual Shen Yuan interpretation either! I am willing to be persuaded by any author who wishes to tell a particular story. But Shen Yuan's attraction towards women often reads personally to me as very shallow and possibly insincere.)
"I willingly read PIDW, that proves I'm straight!" he sincerely thinks to himself, even though his favorite wife is the one without explicit sex scenes and he also admits to skipping over a lot of them.
"I'm able to tell when women are beautiful, that makes me straight!" thinks the guy who mentally censors nudity whenever demon women lose their clothes, and keeps telling us how "the average reader" of PIDW would react to these beautiful women instead of conveying his own attracted reactions. His actual reactions are generally centered on a woman's narrative significance. The only people he personally seems to find attractive are Luo Binghe and maybe Liu Qingge.
Though my interpretation was that he does probably experience sexual arousal and have a sex drive (see his username), which probably helps with his conviction of straightness, I'm not sure that there's any mention of Shen Yuan even masturbating at all in the entire main story of SVSSS? He never tried to hook up with anyone. Sex is apparently not a priority for him.
(EDIT: He does seem to enjoy sex with Binghe in the "Bing-mei vs. Bing-ge" Extra. He loves Binghe and likes the closeness and the physical pleasure. I appreciate the indication that they're working on moving on from the AWFUL intercourse pushed by Xin Mo's possession and possibly also the System's Scenario Pusher.)
And Shen Yuan seems to view women as being and behaving Fundamentally Differently from men and gay men as behaving Fundamentally Differently from straight men (as soon as he learns Binghe is into him, he thinks about how Binghe isn't behaving like the characters in his sister's gay, non-con, BDSM erotica novels), seeing everything through the lens of novel tropes, such that he seems to view sex and sexuality and gender as being deeply mixed with a person's personality. So he can't be a gay man, because he's too "Normal", in his mind at first, because he doesn't behave like his own mental image of "How Gay Men Behave" (or "How Women Behave / A PIDW Wife Behaves"), while also demonstrably not being anything like "the average reader" of PIDW and also apparently not caring too much about his own masculinity? Like, I do think he likes being the gentleman scholar of Qing Jing Peak, he does like appearing dignified and strong and cool, he doesn't like losing, he doesn't really like playing "damsel in distress" roles, and I do think he likes being gallant towards women, but he's not too concerned about seriously competing with figures like Luo Binghe or Liu Qingge? He's happy enough to back down and let someone else take the lead if necessary. He puts up with being put into the roles of female leads even if it embarrasses him and he rolls with the punches to his pride easily enough. He seems to have decided his Sexuality By Default, so it does make me have a lot of thoughts about whether or not he's potentially going with Gender By Default / Convenience as well.
Someone get this man some amateur and academic literature on gender and sexuality (and a lot of other stuff), stat, so he can ignore it, probably.
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starlostseungmin · 21 days
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stray kids ─── as one direction songs.
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✰ pairing : non-idol!skz x afab!reader
✰ genre : fluff, angst, maybe suggestive?
✰ warnings : subtle mentions of sex and drugs, kissing, mentions of food and profanity. lmk if i missed smth.
✰ notes : uhm i really don't know what i wrote. this has been sitting on my drafts since november and thank god anon reminded me about it (i actually went on hiatus after minho's birthday last year so yeah) the songs i associated with skz members are just strongly my opinion mehehe i hope you guys like it, idk if you agree with me in regards with the songs but DO NOT FORGET TO REBLOG, COMMENT AND LEAVE TAGS after it! thank you so much <33
✰ tags : @notastraykid , @ameliesaysshoo , @l3visbby , @reignessance , @lix-ables , @skzfelixlove , @rachabreathing , @hyunverse , @minluvly
masterlist | taglist.
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chan ─── perfect
honorable mention: little things
you already know how fucked up your life is but ever since he came, those days became different. it is always the small gestures that one fails to notice in the blink of an eye. you are just going to be surprised by the time it is done or how you managed to get out of a small inconvenience. he loves you so much that he would put you first before anything else. 
chan is different from everyone else. maybe because he is labeled to be kind and so above average of doing the bare minimum which people seek from their partners. he’s perfect but he doesn’t think of it the same way. 
you tried to convince him a hundred times but all you got in response is him being a blushing mess and his giggle that makes your heart warm every time you hear it. a smile would tug on your lips that would make him stare at you, he’d bounce back on the things you said to him and you think about what did you do in your past life to deserve someone as perfect as him. 
“baby, you’re perfect,” you said for the nth time, “no, i’m not, but i’m perfect for you,” he winked. “that was smooth, chan,”
lee know ─── night changes
he might be the type to not show his feelings immediately but he’s the one who subtly shows them. it started slowly, he reassured you that everything would fall into place once you both could figure out what was going on with this relationship. 
but as long as you’re together, the love you and him shared will never change. although the process of this love story has made things go in different directions, the thought of having to stick together is essential. 
your parents didn’t like him at first, they had someone in mind and that wasn’t him and yet, you didn’t care even if your first date was a disaster and the next one after that, but that didn’t stop you. it took a while for your parents to finally accept him after tons of convincing them that he’s a great guy, but it succeeded later on. 
you had a place on your own and welcomed his cats to live with you when some of them were wild, that’s what you think. minho was a mess when you met him, but thanks to you, it’s not that bad anymore. 
changbin ─── temporary fix
honorable mention: i want to write you a song
changbin is the type to offer himself as someone you can lean on but it’s not always because of this friendship you have, but as a lover who wanted to make you feel better and forget about shit. 
temporary fix is not always meant to be a cover-up of something you’d open up again to allow another train of bullshits in your life. it felt like he was being sent from the heavens to look out for you, an angel whose sole mission is to make you happy, the same feeling like something that keeps you high. 
there’s this thing on changbin’s vibe that you don’t want to share with anybody else and he makes you feel things when you’re with him. even though this relationship sounds like a fling and a guy who sneaks into your dorm late at night to make out with you, well, it used to be. but you know changbin is so much more than that after a while. 
the phrase, “you can call me when you need me, you know?” whenever he sleeps with you is now in the trashbin the moment you settle to be someone to each other.
hyunjin ─── last first kiss 
remember the time when he said that he chose to be the last love instead of the first? exactly. being the last person to love is basically spending the rest of your life with him, even if he’s not your first kiss, not your first love, not your first in everything, it’s fine as long as he’ll be the one you’ll remember as your eternal love. 
hyunjin being fitted into this song is like a message that he wanted to convey to his love, a sentiment that would indicate how much he’d spend time and effort to stay by your side until the end of time. indeed, a hopeless romantic man he is. 
last first kiss is the very first song that reminds you of him, it is part of those memories you made with him. it was that time when he decided to take this relationship to the next level, yes, he did mention that he wanted to be your last, and by what he meant, an everlasting love. 
“let me be your last,” and when you heard him say that, you knew he was the man who fits perfectly into your broken puzzle that would mend the wound forever.
han ─── rock me
honorable mention: midnight memories
rock me suits him as well as midnight memories. but midnight memories have their effects on han, giving him the vibes of being a musician specializing in the rock genre. and as someone who loves to listen to almost every genre in the world, you fell in love with him after watching him busking by the streets. 
you were amazed by how talented he is. his fingers strummed that guitar well, and his voice? like an angel. one could say that he is a free-spirited human being who does whatever he wants and writes songs about some things that piqued his interest. 
then there’s you, a broken melody who longed for him to come back, the same goes for him who let you go. both of you thought that you were too young to be in love and jisung was better off alone but his songs were dedicated to your break up. you rocked his world when you came and left broken notes when it ended.
but he always believed that what you had back then, was real and that you’d always remember the love you had. 
felix ─── why don’t we go there 
honorable mention: kiss you
felix is someone who gets hyped easily whenever you’re with him. his bright smile, his funny reactions, and the unidentified sounds that came out of his mouth made him a fun guy to be with. it started with a fling that turned out to be something you didn’t want to rush but it is slowly beginning to have a label. 
having a relationship with him offered different dynamics. it is the way he grabs your hand when you both start to get caught by the waves crashing by the shore or how he felt when you kissed him for the first time. he is someone who can get dragged with you to whatever your plan is, a great ball of sunshine to your rainy days, someone that you don’t want to be the one that got away. 
he does think the same, especially the fact that he treasures you so much and it became an opportunity to love you more when you spend that one night together somewhere, alone. it was an invitation actually and it made you realize a lot of things. 
it is the way he looked at those stars with those dazzling eyes of his. the constellation plastered on his cheeks glowed along with them, it is what they call freckles, you love them as much as how felix felt for you. having him as a getaway made you don’t want to come back, ever again.
seungmin ─── no control
night changes was the first choice but then no control became the one for him, no control, because he is, a menace. he believed that being in love was something that gullible people would do and get hurt, maybe a few of them proved it to be valid and worth it, yet he isn’t convinced because it is just a waste of time. 
and yet, you came out of nowhere. it is the way he looks at you with those dazzling puppy eyes, the way he obeys the things you wanted him to do, and it gets worse when you share intimate affections. from a gentle puppy to a wild wolf. there’s something about you that drives him crazy every time. 
nothing matters to him when you’re around and he never felt this way before. he’d kiss you out of nowhere when you reached home with your back against the wall as your hands played with his hair. he gets weak and powerless, but gets hyped and rough which you get caught off guard every time. 
and he is very loyal, he always makes sure that no other will ever meet his interest. you don’t want to share, anyway and you got him down bad.
jeongin ─── summer love
honorable mention: fool's gold.
loving jeongin is like a breath of fresh air, the freedom that he finally held in his hands, and the time he can make up for himself to be with you. it was a reckless summer that you spent in your grandma’s place, away from the bustling city and this boy showed up on your doorsteps. 
it didn’t take a while that you immediately had this puppy love type of interest in each other. you started sneaking out in the middle of the night when your grandma was in her deep sleep, swimming together by the river across the small town on a random afternoon, sharing a kiss under an oak tree that tasted like your grandma’s apple pie, it was great. you didn’t want it to end. 
and just like any other summer, it did. you didn’t know if you would still have this continuous conversation when the school year starts since jeongin is miles away from where you live. 
you saw him sitting on one of those branches of the oak tree where you kissed for the first time, and there you promised not to lose each other even if the summer ended. you couldn’t believe that what you did for less than two months was this serious. it was hard to say goodbye, yet you hoped nothing would change after the last summer’s sunset.
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©️ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐌𝐈𝐍 , 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒.
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ax-y10 · 3 months
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promise
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in which; wilbur comes home late and exhausted and brushes past his daughter
about; dad!bur au, so many different perspectives, angst to fluff, i wrote this in two hours very late at night so it's not the best, kisses, fighting, crying, wilbur being bad bad, wilbur ignoring your daughter, swearing, happy ending yayay, gender neutral, i think y/n is used once, anything along these lines
word count; 1.7k
taglist; @phxntomsdusk, @pheliiaa (ask to be added)
you heard the front door creak open, and you sent your daughter down to greet him. you stayed in her room, however, overthinking.
he was home late again from the studio, writing and figuring out songs for the new album. he was working hard, but was starting to forget about who lay at home, waiting for him.
you and your daughter made good use of time during the day when he wasn’t there. making little animals out of playdoh, making dinner for wilbur when he got home, or making silly stories with each other. however, it didn’t feel right.
it didn’t feel like when wilbur had promised to spend every waking moment with you and your daughter. he had promised that if it came to it, he would give up lovejoy, give up streaming, give up everything, to spend all of eternity with you both. but now, he wasn’t keeping the promise fulfilled.
you were cut off by the urgent footsteps of your daughter, and a very teary-eyed girl standing in the doorway. scooping her up, you cradle her against your chest and swing her back and forth, trying to cheer her up.
eventually, you had to break her walls and ask what was wrong.
“what happened? why’re you upset?”
“daddy…”
she was cut off by a loud sob erupting from her throat. she was just so heartbroken
“what did daddy do, sweetheart? do i need to go talk to him?”
it was a great effort trying to get a reason out in between her sobs and shaky breaths, but eventually, she got something out.
“daddy- he- he walked past me. i said hello and tried to hug him, but- but he- he didn’t say hello back. i offered the cupcakes and his- his dinner to him, but he just walked into his room. he just ‘hmphed’ and… ignored me.”
you were heartbroken by this point. he had left his daughter in tears, and his lover heartbroken, but you couldn’t keep sulking with your daughter.
cut to now. you were standing in your shared room with wilbur, arguing back and forth. stupid arguments spewed from his mouth, and sounds of disbelief spewed from yours. you were frustrated from his pure ignorance and bullshit excuses.
“i’m tired! do you not see that! you have to realise i don’t have all the time in the world to be with the people i love most! for fucks sake, you give no one a break, do you!”
each word spilled from his mouth shattered your heart. he didn’t understand.
“all you are worried about is me! all you are worried about is our daughter! all you are worried about is the little stupid things that do not need to have your mind occupied!”
he shouted more and more silly things, clearly not realising what he was saying.
“but that’s what we’re meant to be worried abou-“
“i don’t care! you need to stop! you need to calm the fuck down, sit the fuck down, and stop worrying. i get it, our daughter is very much upset, but im here, and im tired!”
why was he worried about himself?
“you quite simply ignored our daughter as soon as you opened that door! she offered everything her little mind could think of! the cupcakes we made today, the dinner we made for you, she said hello and tried to hug you and you walked past her, groaned, and ignored her! you’ve left her in tears in her bedroom, absolutely heartbroken, because of you! are you fucking brain dead, wilbur!”
he wasn’t going to deny that your words hurt him more than his hurt you. he was only just realising how much he was away from you and his daughter. how much time was spent without the smiling faces of the little love bugs that he leaves at home each day. he didn’t know what had gotten into hi-
“what happened to ‘i’ll give up everything. i’ll give up lovejoy, streaming, ill give up everything, to spend all of eternity with you’! you aren’t here anymore! you’re either not at home or you’re off with the fairies! what happened to us! are we not important! what happened to your family, wilbur! you must be fucking stupid, you bastard!”
that was the last thing he needed before he fell onto the bed and let the floodgates open. he hadn’t realised how much time he had spent away from you both. he was always worried about the release date of the next ep, or always occupied by something else. it must have been months since he truly recognised the warm smile of his daughter or the honey-sweet laugh of you. he didn’t realise that he was slipping down the same rabbit hole every one he knew was falling down. he needed to be present.
you were both fuming. you were pissed and he was frustrated.
it took him a good five minutes to register that you were gone. that you hadn’t offered him a hug, or a kiss, or even something as simple as a head rub. you had just walked off…
he immediately stood up and almost ran to his daughters room. he looked everywhere. you weren’t in there. you weren’t in the guest room, or the lounge room, or the bathroom, or even the kitchen. you were literally gone.
he was about to break down again, lose himself to panic, until the soft, wet laughs from his daughter reached his ears.
he found you both outside, your daughter laying in the grass, you tickling her. she had dried tear tracks on her face and red puffy eyes, you with the same. god she looked like you-
until the day he dies, he will never believe that your daughter looks like him. she has your hair, your eyes, your nose, your mouth. she has your beauty.
he sat down next to you after your daughter saw him and her smile dropped. he’d done so wrong-
“can i apologi-“
“wilbur go inside.”
“darling, plea-“
“wilbur.”
he stood once again and stepped inside. he grabbed his dinner and sat at the kitchen island. he let his eyes roam over every photo of you, of your daughter, of you and your daughter, of him and your daughter, of all of you-
he ate his dinner before it went cold, the small bowl of mac n’ cheese and mashed potato swallowed down before he trudged back to your shared room. he laid down and fell asleep almost instantly. he didn’t want the guilt to set in and ruin anything else.
meanwhile, you and your daughter were still laughing and rolling around in the grass. just before wilbur came out wanting to apologise, you had just calmed her down from her sobs and cries. she had voiced so many small sentences that were so incomprehensible, the sentence that you did catch was so heart-wrenching, you started crying again.
“do you and daddy still love me?”
you sobbed and endured shaky breaths but you got through it just for her.
“yes, of course, pumpkin. please don’t ever think we don’t love you.”
a shower and fresh set of pyjamas later, your daughter was asleep in her room, and you were pacing the lounge room, figuring out what to do.
do you sleep on the couch? do you sleep with wilbur? do you sleep in your daughters room? you simply didn’t know.
settling for your shared bedroom, you make your way to where wilbur was fast asleep, small breaths moving the curls on his head and the slight twitch in his arm from where you were absent.
you crawl under the sheets behind him, ignoring the slight hiccup in his sleep, and falling asleep with your head buried in his sleep shirt. the faint scent of cologne and rain luring you into sleep.
you woke to wilbur’s calloused fingers running across your face and through your hair, and finding rest on your shoulders. his slight bed head and tired face making him even prettier than usual. he’ll always dent that he looks pretty in the mornings, claiming that he looks weird with his messy hair or that his breath stinks, but everything is always brushed off with a wide smile from you and a kiss placed under his eye.
but as soon as the warm feeling came, it was pulled away as soon as he realised you had woken up. he thought that you were still angry at him, that you would get angry at him for being so close to you after last night. but he was surprised when he felt you move and pull his hand back to you face.
he continued his small gestures across your face, staring at your sleepy face maybe just a little longer than he should be, considering how horrible of a person he was last night. how absolutely self-centred he was, how he ignored your daughte-
“stop worrying, wil. i’m not angry.”
“i’m so sorry, for last nigh-”
“sweet, don’t apologise right now.”
“just let me, please?”
when he was met with a small nod, he continued.
“i’m so so so sorry about last night. i don’t know what had gotten in to me that made me ignore the two most beautiful things i call mine, but i feel absolutely horrible. i should not have said anything that i said. i shouldn’t have been so self-centred, i shouldn’t have ignored our daughter, i shouldn’t have argued with you. i’m sorry. i really am. and im sorry for not sticking by that promise. i promise that you and our daughter are going to be my number one priority from here on out. i love you.”
he finished his apology with a kiss to your forehead, to your nose, and finally to your lips. he threaded his hands back into your hair, and pulled off his shirt and gave it to you to keep you warm.
soon, your little ball of happiness walked into the room, laughing at the sight of you in wilbur’s shirt and him tickling you. you all calmed down eventually, and let your daughter climb into bed with both of you.
wilbur immediately smothered her in tight hugs and ticklish kisses pressed against her face. he apologised to her for ignoring her and made sure that she believed him before he dropped the subject.
you all spent the entire day doing things together. making playdoh animals, with wilbur. making dinner, with wilbur. making up silly stories, with wilbur. he was included in everything you did.
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ronwestbreeze · 1 year
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TO YOU , WORLDS AWAY | PART ONE : CHAPTER ONE
pairing: jake sully x human!fem!reader
summary: in which the story starts and finds you in a place of malevolence. a reluctant return to hell's gate leads you to meeting jake sully
warnings: none!
word count: 3.6k
author's note: finally posting this! there's no schedule for how i'm going to release these but i hope to be at least consistent! just no demanding me to post the next chapter or to finish, that doesn't help much with writing. anyways, hope you guys enjoy!
italics is speaking in na'vi
AO3 | masterlist | next
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Powder covered your hands by the time the radio next to you came to life. Last time that radio came on, Dr. Grace Augustine had, very heatedly, called on you to fix one of the link units. Some genius had thought it was a good idea to kick at it in anger, knocking a few wires loose. Didn’t do any real damage but that guy never slipped into another link unit again. He’d have Grace to thank for that. And his temper.
That had been months ago. You hadn’t been back in Hell’s Gate since then.
Surprisingly enough, it was Trudy. “Hey, Doc. Mind comin’ to look at one of the computers in the lab? I think one of those science geeks broke a monitor or somethin’.”
Without looking up from your work, you reply, “Then buy a new one. My job is to fix shit, not consult about some stupid monitor.”
There were muffled voices further away as the radio cut in and out a few times. Seconds later, Trudy finally spoke again, “Uh, my bad, it’s not a monitor. It’s some….uh…power box, I guess. Glitched out on the geeks, now they don’t have power in a few of the computers.”
It took a moment for you to respond. Both because of the weak radio signal in the middle of the forest and because you had to take a few moments to program your newly robotic arm helper to finish off your new invention, which you had been working on for nearly half a year now. Project Pandora is what you called it.
“Trudy,” you finally say, picking up the radio and pushing the chair away from the desk and toward the small window on the other side of the little space, “why are you, a pilot no less, asking me about computers in a lab?”
There is a hesitant silence on the other end. But after listening closely, you realized there was another muffled conversation going on further away, one that the radio couldn’t really pick up.
Eventually, Trudy’s voice reached the radio again. “I told you she’d see right through it.” It sounded as if she was talking to someone and that someone was muttering something further away from the radio. Trudy sighed before continuing, “Look, Doc. I’m gonna be blunt with you. Parker’s too much of a pussy to do it himself so he got me in here to reach you.”
You clicked your tongue, “Why am I not surprised.”
“He’s scared of you.”
“More than Grace?”
There were louder muffles, almost audible if not for the static from the radio. “Parker wants you back at the gate…and to tell you that he’s not scared of you.”
After a while, the radio finally cut off and you sat there. Outside the little window was the forest of Pandora, your view for the past few months. And really, you would like to keep it that way from now on. Being away from Hell’s Gate has brought you a sense of peace and a sense of forgetting. Although, the forgetting was harder said than done.
No matter what you did, there was nothing that could make you forget what these humans were doing to Pandora, what they planned to do, what they already had done. It was a bunch of bullshit really. The RDA complained that they weren’t making any progress with the Na’vi, the people of  Pandora, while at the same time attacking them and threatening to take over the land by wiping out the indigenous.
You had come here to learn about this species and quite possibly one day live among them, not take over. Which is why you separate yourself from Hell’s Gate after the incident. But it seemed no matter what you did to keep away from them, somehow you were always brought back in.
It had to be him behind it. That man was stubborn enough to keep you in his control just as you were stubborn enough to find any way to stay far away from that place.
“Doc?” Trudy’s voice came in through the radio. With a frown, you looked back at your robotic arm and the invention, deep in thought. “You there?”
With a sigh, you replied, “There’s no other engineers up there? Mechanics?”
“Most of them are workin’ on those AMPs. Parker wants you. The best of the best, you know?”
You frown, “Doesn’t sound as great as it did years ago.”
“Don’t think too much about it. You’ll be in and out. Then you’ll get to go back to your little lab in the woods and stay secluded like the hermit that you are.” Trudy teased in an attempt to lighten your mood. And you did try to smile at the joke, just a little bit, but the thought about going back, about stepping your foot back into that place, somehow he’d win.
“I could say no.” You try, even though you were getting up and sliding your boots on. “Tell him to find some other unfortunate engineer to do his shit.”
“You could.” Trudy agreed. “That would definitely make Parker pop a vein. But if we sent in someone else that isn’t you, it sure as hell wouldn’t get done quickly or right. So there’s that.”
“Hmm, I’d say let them rot.” You grumble as you grab your mask and place it on your face.
Trudy laughed on the other end as you stepped out of the lab. The air was fresh on your skin but poisonous to your lungs. Still, it did feel somewhat nice stepping out of your stuffy lab for once. Being surrounded by beautiful forest. The beauty of Pandora still never failed to amaze you despite your grim attitude as of lately. There was something so special about this planet, something you never felt on your home planet, Earth.
You just wished the circumstances were different.
“You’re a genius, Doc.” Parker praised as you closed the power box.
“Is that all?” You asked dryly, rolling your sleeve back down as you began leaving the dark room.
The administrator followed after you as you sauntered through the halls, ready to go back to the forest and your private lab. “Yeah, well, I believe that should be all. I knew you could do it the best too, my guys are useless when it comes to this stuff.”
“Stop kissing ass, Selfridge.” Both you and Parker turned to find Grace waltzing down the hall toward the two of you. A smirk was on her lips when her eyes landed on you. “Tinkers! Never thought I’d see you come out of your little hole. How long has it been? Three? Four months?”
Despite where you were, you gave a small smile, “Hi Grace.”
Parker excused himself immediately much to your relief, going back to his usual spot, which was overseeing all the link units of the Avatar Program. You raised your brows at how quickly he left but you figured it was mostly because he didn’t want to hear Grace go on and on about the beauties of Pandora. Parker was the type of guy who only cared about what profited him the most. And the last thing he wanted to hear was how innocent everything was. Would make him lose track of the most important goal.
And for that, you despised that man. Parker must’ve sensed your dislike for him and found it intimidating, especially when it came to calling on you for favors such as fixing an electric power box.
Behind her were three other men. One of which you knew by Dr. Patel, the other two you guessed were new.
Grace crossed her arms, not bothering to introduce the two other males behind her as she spoke in a lowered voice, “Coming back this time around?”
You shook your head, “No. Just here for a small fixer upper. I should be heading back soon actually.”
“You sure?” Grace then gestured to the two behind her, giving you an exasperated look, “Could really use someone familiar out there. To the land and the people.” You didn’t respond right away which the scientist noticed. “Forget about Quaritch, you know you want to get back out there. Your avatar’s waiting—”
“Who's the newbies?” You addressed Dr. Patel, earning a glare from Grace at your efforts of quickly changing the conversation. It was something you definitely weren’t going to discuss here and especially in front of the new people who were watching the two of you a little too closely for your liking.
Dr. Patel smiled at you in greeting before gesturing to the two other men. “This is Norm Spellman, our new biologist for the team. Fellas, this is Dr. Y/N L/N, our best engineer at RDA.”
The tall lanky one stepped forward and offered his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor, I’ve actually heard a lot about your work here. Well, your mother’s work, I should say.” Grace rolled her eyes as you tried not to wince at the mention of your mother. But of course, Norm didn’t notice and kept going, “Also, very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a brilliant mind, the best of our kind—”
“Alright, Spellman.” Grace gave him a pointed look before nodding over to the man in the wheelchair, “You remember Tom Sully? Well, this is his worse half, Jake Sully. He’s unfortunately replacing Tom in the program.”
“Thank you for that, Gracie.” Jake retorted just as quickly.
“Fuck off.” Grace glared and nudged your side. “Ignore him, I do.”
Yes, you did hear about this. Tom’s unfortunate death led them to scramble for a quick replacement. You never met Tom yourself so you never had much of an attachment to him. Neither did Grace but you could tell that wasn’t the only thing annoying her. If you had to guess, Jake was probably drastically different from his late brother and Grace didn’t have much patience for that.
Still, you offered him a kind smile. “Ma’am.” He nodded to you, offering his own hand which you shook.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sully.” You glanced from a pensive Grace to Jake. “I imagine you know a lot about the program similar to your brother.”
Jake tilted his head, “I watched a Netflix special once.”
Grace scowled, Dr. Patel coughed to cover a smile, and Norm shifted on his feet awkwardly, watching the two of them.
You found yourself grinning for the first time in a while., “I don’t know, Augustine. I kind of like him. “
Grace rolled her eyes, “Whatever. We’re heading over to the link units. It’s about time the two of you get acquainted with your avatar form.” She then addressed you but in Na’vi surprisingly. “And when will you bring out yours? Don’t try to change the subject this time, Tinkers.”
Feeling Jake’s curious and confused gaze on the two of you, you answer in a quick hiss, “Drop it.” Then you turned to Jake and smiled, “S’ nice to meet you, Mr. Sully—”
“Jake.” He nodded toward you with a little smile of his own. “You can call me Jake.”
Your smile grew, “Alright, Jake. Welcome to Pandora.” She pointed at Grace with her thumb, “Don’t let her ruin the experience, yeah? She can be a little twitchy sometimes.”
“Go back to your hole, Tinkers!” Grace called over her shoulder as she continued down  the hall with Norm and Dr. Patel following after her.
“Right up your ass, Augustine!” You shot back with a smirk before sending Jake a wink.
Jake, despite his previous stoic expression, found himself grinning at you. “Nice to meet you, L/N.”
“Y/N.” You corrected, moving around him to head the opposite direction. “Or Doc, either way, don’t be so formal. Especially with me.”
He nodded, “I’ll make sure to remember that.”
With that, you watched as he rolled away in the direction the others went. Once the company was gone, your shoulders sagged a bit, slightly exhausted from the small interaction and because of the busy environment of Hell’s Gate as you made your way out of it.
Just as you were about to reach outside and grab your mask, one of the soldiers, Wainfleet, blocked your exit while sitting in one of those AMPs.
“Doc! Leaving so soon?” He grinned down at you.
“Move, dipshit.” You say bluntly, gripping the mask in your hands while glaring up at him.
He shrugged, grinning cockily down at her. “Can’t do that, Doc. Colonel heard you crawled out of your little hole you’ve been hiding in the past few months. He wants to see you.”
“Tell him to eat shit, ya know, like in all the messages I replied to.”
When you tried going around him, he stepped in your way, aggravating you more.
“Look, cupcake. We could either do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way, you go and see Colonel yourself or hard way I drag your tiny ass over there.”
At this point, the more you gripped at the mask, the more it was possible it could break in your grasp. So you hooked your mask back onto your belt, seething eyes never leaving Wainfleet. It was possible to shut down the AMPs in your current height. You’d done it before but it was with someone who lacked experience controlling those things.
Wainfleet on the other hand was often training himself in them, which would lead to a more difficult and quite possible deadly attempt at escape.
Which meant, unfortunately, you didn’t have much of a choice.
With your dignity burying itself into the ground, you followed Wainfleet further into the Armor Bay where multiple more AMPs were lined up along with the ships and planes the pilots controlled.
When you arrived at the small gym room where Quaritch was currently benching, Wainfleet left you alone but you didn’t move to further enter the room. All you did was scowl and stand in the doorway with crossed arms, waiting for him to acknowledge you.
And you knew he knew you were there.
“I was wondering when we’d get the chance to talk again.” Quaritch finally said, putting down the weights as he sat up. He grabbed a towel next to him and began wiping the sweat off his sweat. “Are you finally done with your tantrum?”
He wanted you to snap, rise to the provoking. But you remained silent, your jaw clenching just a bit as your eyes narrowed in on him. Quaritch was watching you closely as well, probably waiting for you to react.
“Ah, the silent treatment. Guess I should’ve expected that too.” He threw the towel to the side before looking up at you with a smirk. “Thought you made a vow never to set foot in here again. Made a whole dramatic scene about it too—”
“What do you want?” You ask simply.
Quaritch now scowled at your indifference or rather rebellion, you couldn’t really tell. “I want you to get your act together. I don’t have time for you throwing fits like a child because you don’t get your way. This is a mission, Doc, and your job is to—”
“My job was to help the people.” You hissed, stepping only a few feet into the room. “To build a connection with them. That was your orders. That’s what you asked me to do. And what does the RDA do? Fuck it all up by shooting a bunch of Na’vi, leaving them for dead!”
Quaritch rolled his eyes, “You’re still on that?”
You seethed, “You don’t even understand what you did! You would think thinking smartly would crossed your thick fucking skull—”
“That’s enough from you!” He barked in his Colonel voice. “Disrespect me like that again and I will boot you right off of this planet as fast as I got you on it, you hear me?”
“Do it then.” You challenged, hands shaking from anger. “You’ve had plenty of times to get rid of me. If you find me so much of a problem, why am I still here?”
You half expected him to keep shouting at you, yell at you into submission like he does his subordinates. But instead, Quaritch chuckled as he stood up. “Moments like this, you remind me of your father. Good man, acted just like you. Which was what made him the best soldier. Which made him a good captain.”
He was changing the conversation, he was trying to have power over you without being forthright about it. He had done this before whenever you tried arguing, it was his way of shutting you down without getting into a fight.
“You’re a smart cookie, Doc. And I know you’re smart enough to realize your value to this team. To the program.” He flashed his white teeth at you. “You and I both know I can’t get rid of you that easily. And I won’t. I made a vow after all.”
You narrowed your eyes at him, wondering just where this conversation was going. Every time he brought up that damned vow it usually was followed by something for her to do. A favor. Something to keep her distracted.
“So let’s put the whole past to rest—”
“I rather not—” Quaritch cut you off just as fast as you did.
“And focus on the current future. Have you met Corporal Sully?”
You frown, suddenly remembering Jake’s charming smile. “What, he’s your new little puppet now?”
Quaritch wasn’t phased by the comment as he sat back down on the bench, “He’s got promise that kid. I tasked him to get to know the Na’vi people and learn their ways, to gain information for me.” You scoffed in disbelief as he continued. “Since you’re so well versed in their culture, I want you to give him some pointers. A tutor if you will.”
“Like hell I will—”
“And yes, you can decline.” Quaritch began lifting the weights again, “And then the RDA can take your little secluded lab away, destroying everything you’ve worked on. I’m sure that would be smart.”
This was where you had to control yourself. Your reaction. Your anger. You remembered a certain project that you were just nearly done with. Something you had been working on dedicatedly ever since the incident. If Quaritch or any of the RDA were to discover it, you were sure you would be exiled back to Earth.
Or quite possibly killed.
“What do you say, kid?” Quaritch noticed your silence.
With a scowl, you gritted out, “Fine.”
From the bench, the Colonel grinned, “Good girl! Now we can really get to work!” He placed the weight back down and stood, “Let’s go tell Sully the good news.”
When arriving in the link room, you lingered behind while Quaritch approached one of the link beds that was just opening. Jake happened to be in that one as he sat up, immediately spotting the Colonel walking toward him.
“Sir.” Jake greeted, briefly glancing your way for a moment longer before turning back to the Colonel.
Quaritch nodded in greeting and gestured to you, “I assume you’ve already met, Dr. L/N, the best of the best in the Avatar Program.”
“What do you want, Quaritch?” Grace cut in as she pushed open her own link bed. She noticed the angered look on your face and raised her brows, silently questioning you.
“She’s going to be showing the ins and outs of the Na’vi, she’ll give you some pointers to better prepare yourself for the program.” Quaritch winked as he clapped his hand on your shoulder. “You do best following her lead, might keep you alive, Corporal.”
Jake nodded, eyes alight, “Will do, sir.”
Quaritch’s grip on your shoulder tightened, “Take care of our boy, will you, Doc.”
Carefully, you reply, “He’s in good hands…sir.”
Grace narrowed her eyes at you while Jake frowned, finally noticing your change in behavior compared to your earlier brighter demeanor.
Satisfied, Quaritch gave you another rough pat on your back before leaving you with Grace, Jake, and as soon as he came out of his link bed, Norm.
“Tinkers.” Grace brought your attention back to her. She gave you a meaningful look before speaking in Na’vi, “What happened?”
Instead of responding to her, you nodded toward the three with an impassive expression, “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
You needed some time away, to calm down, to reevaluate some things. If only you had left as quickly as you had planned to, none of this would have occurred. You wouldn’t be feeling so helpless right now as you stalked through the halls, practically glaring at everything around you. At this rate, you wished that bastard dropped you back on Earth. At least you would be far away from this shit.
“Hey, Doc!”
A part of you wanted to just keep going and ignore Jake Sully when he called for you. But you stopped anyway despite yourself and turned to find him rolling toward you.  He stopped a few feet away from you, frowning at your guarded behavior. “I know I’m not well informed about all of this the way you’d like but I’m sure I can catch on fast—”
“Let’s get one thing very clear, Sully. I know you’re working with Quaritch. I know you’re planning on lying to them, gaining information for him to use or whatever the hell he’s planning. I don’t want any part of it.” You shoved your hands into your pants pockets glaring at the surprised man. “You’ve aligned yourself with a dangerous man, Sully. I hope you understand what you’re doing here.”
Just as you turned to walk away, Jake called out to you again, “So is that your advice then? As my tutor?”
 “No. Not all of it.” You glanced over your shoulder at him and shrugged, “Try not to die, Jake.”
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taglist: @luvvfromme @sully-stick-together @dazedshoon
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zeroducks-2 · 8 months
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This is quite random sorry but has Dick ever acknowledge (or as close to it) that a lot of things that Bruce did to him are abusive? (this is for a fic I’m trying to write)
Yes and no!
Dick knows Bruce is an assholes and WILL yell at him to stop being an asshole, or at least he used to. Dick would call him out on his BS and wouldn't let him get away with a lot of things, but this was once upon a time, before they rebooted everything and erased decades of character development. The closest he gets to that post reboot is after Forever Evil - everyone thinks Dick is dead, and Bruce wants people to keep thinking that, hence he forces Dick to join Spiral and become Agent 37.
Dick is, as you can imagine, not thrilled. He yells and fights and Bruce beats the everloving shit out of him in a very upsetting sequence, where Dick is half naked and Bruce is wearing most of his gear while he keeps hitting him to the point of leaving him bleeding on the floor of the Batcave.
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Dick begs and tries to appeal to everything he can including the "things can never be the same between us after this", to which Bruce essentially replies that it's a sacrifice he's willing to make. Ha. I say that this is especially upsetting because Dick went through a horribly traumatic experience during the events of Forever Evil, in which among other things he was tortured by Thomas Wayne Jr AKA Owlman, who wanted to turn Dick into his own sidekick after losing his Talon. The way Bruce beats and humiliates Dick is drawn in a way which creates a clear parallel between Thomas and Bruce's actions towards Dick, in a way that suggests they're "not that different after all", but this narratively goes nowhere and I don't get why they fuck they even came up with that. But anyway.
All of this gets forgotten soon enough. Despite his own warnings Dick forgives Bruce after a very short time, pines for home and tries to communicate with Bruce in any way he can because he "misses his dad", which to be honest made my guts churn and my bile rise after Bruce nearly beat him comatose. Essentially the story forgets Bruce did all of that and so does Dick, but for the brief time Dick was allowed to be aware of it and angry about it, he was indeed aware that he was being abused even if he never used the word abuse.
This is the case for lots of stories in which similar instances happen, as I mentioned before especially pre-reboot. Dick does call Bruce out on his bullshit - especially if Bruce is being an abusive asshole to someone else, since Dick is way more prone to defend other people than he is to defend himself, like here
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or here
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But despite being obviously aware that there are issues in the way Bruce does things, to put it mildly, he never uses the word "abuse" (which is sort of a prohibited word for DC standards, kind of like "rape". They're way more likely to say non consensual than rape because it's a less upsetting word apparently).
There is an instance of this post reboot, and it's during a conversation Dick has with Tim. I believe it happens in the Pride comics of 2022, but I don't have the panels on hand at the moment. Basically Tim asks for advice on how to please Bruce, being the man demanding and prone to bad moods, and Dick flat out replies "I spent a very big part of my life trying to please him, and I left when I realized it was impossible" which to me is so interesting since it's the textbook reaction of a former Golden Child who fell from grace and became a Scapegoat (please note that tumblr's definition of Golden Child is completely arbitrary; golden child doesn't mean "good kid", it means a child who the parent holds to the highest standards, on which there are the biggest expectations and the strongest pressure regarding everything the child does. Sometimes a parent lives vicariously through them and perceives them as an extension of themselves, but not necessarily. If you watched Encanto, Isabella is the Golden Child of the family).
Something similar happens during Nightwing's run from the 90s.
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Dick lives in Bludhaven and at this point he's gone essentially no-contact with Bruce. Tim, being the new Golden Child, is trying to reel Dick back into the toxic dynamic because he genuinely thinks it's going to be good for both Dick and Bruce.
I'm pointing this out not to fault Tim in any way, he's just a kid what does he know, but to show you that indeed yes, Dick is aware that he's been abused otherwise he wouldn't have left, he wouldn't be on a no talking basis with his parental figure, and he wouldn't reply to Tim that he spent so much time of his life deluding himself into thinking that Batman actually needed him. Of course this also goes nowhere and their relationship isn't allowed to grow or heal (things are just conveniently forgotten after a while), but as I mentioned, Dick knows what's up.
That being said, I believe it's also worth noting that many many times Bruce abuses the fuck out of Dick and Dick doesn't really acknowledge it, just takes it. Sometimes he doesn't have the spoons to fight back, sometimes he thinks he deserves it, sometimes he just doesn't know how to react because Bruce strikes like an unprovoked viper (this happens especially when Dick was still a kid but already a Titan). A very good example of this is what happens after Jason's death.
Bruce doesn't tell Dick that Jason died. When Alfred offers to let him know, Bruce says "I will handle it", and he doesn't. Then there's Jason's funeral and Bruce doesn't tell Dick about it, again Alfred offers to inform him, Bruce says he will handle it. He doesn't.
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Eventually Dick finds out for collateral reasons and has an emotional breakdown in front of the other Titans, which are powerless to help him. For reference, this is how he reacts when he has definitive proof that the boy is undoubtedly gone, if there was any doubt that Dick did care about Jason.
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So Dick goes to the grave with Kory but then decided to confront Bruce alone, and Bruce, in the abusive feat of the century, blames Dick for not having showed up to Jason's funeral, despite having refused to 1: tell him about Jason's death AT ALL, and 2: refused TWICE when Alfred very gently suggested to inform Dick.
Dick of course argues that he didn't know anything, and so Bruce reacts by gaslighting him, telling him they he never cared about Jason and in fact he was angry that Bruce adopted Jason and not him. Which is not true, Dick just wanted to know WHY Bruce adopted Jason and hot him. Oh and also punches him in the face when Dick tries to argue that Jason was an untrained kid. Please note that when all of this happens, Dick is hurt and can barely stand on his feet, having one of his legs in a cast.
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Cherry on top, Bruce explicitly saying that he never should have had a partner and never will again, essentially "our partnership up to this point meant nothing".
In this instance Dick is too neck-deep in his own self guilt to see that he's been through a sequence of extremely abusive behavior, and never really faults Bruce for that, using the easy-coming rationalization that Bruce was in pain, suffering for Jason's death, couldn't see reason etc etc (quick PSA: someone suffering isn't entitled to abuse and gaslight anyone. And even if we really want to enable Bruce cut Bruce some slack because he was grieving, it doesn't make his behavior any less abusive. Regardless of the reasons why, the way he acts here is very damaging towards Dick who in turn did nothing to deserve it, and is grieving Jason too).
See, the problem with Dick and Bruce is the sysyphean nature of comicbooks. Dick is doomed to be the original Golden Child who falls from grace, becomes the Scapegoat, but ultimately can never be completely free of the clutches of the relationship he has and had with Bruce, for better or worse. And since he can't ever truly get out and can't ever completely be independent, the abuse end up getting downplayed. If Dick never truly gets away from Bruce it's because it's not that bad, isn't it? Nay, it's because Dick cant. He is quite literally not allowed to, same as Bruce is not allowed to truly grow from his mistakes and learn to treat his former partner, sort-of-child and dear friend with the respect and love he actually feels for him, because despite all of this and because this is fiction, Bruce does love Dick more than it can be put into words and would set the world on fire for him. But, alas, he also is doomed to keep treating Dick like shit and never really learn from his mistakes.
So again, the answer to your question is yes and no. Dick is aware of how much of a difficult person Bruce is. He's aware of the domineering aspects of his personality. But he will ultimately brush it off in the name of the good that there is and there was between them, and he will keep answering Batman's call every time, because he's not allowed to ever truly grow apart from him. It doesn't matter how much he gets angry and how much Bruce hurts him, they're indissolubly tied in this dynamic and unless there is a huge shift in the way DC execs handle things, I don't see how this dynamic can change in the foreseeable future. Sadly enough, because I'd really like to see something new.
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keshetchai · 7 months
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I think a huge problem in internet Judaism (also sometimes irl!) discussions is often that we're so focused on fighting or pushing back on misconceptions, Christian normativity, and distorted Christian ideas about our theology — that sometimes in the pursuit of this, we forget to approach a more complicated internal reality, or we overlook parts of our own religion while trying to not assimilate.
Things like the Talmud talking about Yom Kippur being a happy day. A lot of folks were surprised and didn't know there's a huge tradition that YK is supposed to be a positive holiday and many Jews observe with joy. Then some folks went on to elaborate that if someone wished them a happy Yom Kippur and they were Jewish it was fine, but if they were gentiles who simply didn't know anything and didn't bother to learn, then they were annoyed by the lack of care re: cultural nuance or whatever.
But like...of all the annoying christian-normative bullshit that exists — someone trying to wish me a happy holiday on a holiday that is noted to be solemn AND positive, but not really knowing anything about my religion — that doesn't really make a list of things I have time to be mad about! Or even irked by!
There's a lot of ways in which people are shitty and careless or make it obvious they consider our non-christian holidays an annoying quirk they have to acknowledge, but "happy yom kippur!" Is not one of them. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that I want other people to assume the best of me, even when I am the one who is socially awkward or ignorant, or stumbling around just trying to be an okay person. And sometimes I am the clueless one who has only a shallow understanding of someone's interior life/culture and I said/did nothing actually offensive but treated the situation the same way I treat similar ones in my own life because everyone has cultural blinders somewhere.
So sometimes, I have to look at other people doing The Thing and ask myself if it's at all malicious or harmful, and if it ISN'T, shouldn't I assume the best of another human bumbling around like I do all the time? "Hey thanks. Yeah I had a meaningful holiday."
Likewise, YES, we do have a history of wrestling with G-d and pushing back and asking questions and so on, but no, stiff-necked isn't wholly complimentary, it's...frequently the opposite of that. And the knee-jerk reaction is often to push back against Christianity and Islam vilifying Jews and their stubbornness/failures/wrongs in the Bible. Which is totally reasonable, there's a huge history of a theology of antisemitism and blaming there that impacts us today.
HOWEVER, we can push back against the antisemitic theologies and interpretations of these stories without necessarily having to recharacterize everything beyond recognition?
Yes, Abraham yelled at G-d that one time, and it was great. It may have even been a test of Abraham. Yes, Israel wrestles with G-d. Yes, the Jews in the desert complain to Moses they are dying of thirst and ask what was the point of leaving Egypt if they should only die while wandering instead?
Great. Love that. BUT ALSO: yes stiff-necked is not always a compliment. Yes, the Israelites struggled and made mistakes, and are utterly and painfully human just like people are today. Flawed. We are not so stiff-necked as to say we have not sinned!
Is anything as scary as a group that admits no flaws? No errors of judgment? Never questions themselves or learns from past mistakes? Idk to me, it's all very "with great responsibility comes great accountability, and power isn't the point here." Yes? If we take pride in the moments of arguing and the pushing back, then by that same token, we have to own the failings just as much to learn from. The relationship between G-d and Jews is a two way street.
It's not a failing to be an imperfect human, but it would be a failing to screw something up and then never admit it or keep doing it when you can change.
Idk I just...there's got to be ways we can dig into meaty and interesting stuff without having to constantly be like "just because some ancestors screwed up and G-d was angry at them doesn't mean you can say Jews lost the love of God and the covenant and were replaced you absolute weirdos."
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mina-saiyat · 2 months
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Twice Interactive Story Part 1077-1087
Cry For Me (Nayeon)
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Following Jihyo back into your life, your time becomes more insufficient. Your free time is now fully occupied by Mina, Jihyo, and Dahyun every night. Sometime, you sleep with them separately, sometime together. For weekends, you occasionally visit Momo, but mostly at the gym. A quick sex after workout is the thing that you two do the most now, you don't even have time to visit her home.
'Leaving already?' Momo says as she wiping her hair after the shower.
'Sorry, Momo. I want to stay with you longer. But my schedule is really tight these days.' You say as you start to wearing your clothes.
Momo sadly gives you a kiss and sends you out.
You are now rushing to a fitting out works company, as Jihyo is really planning to connect the two flats. You would not object to the idea, as your home can become bigger.
You check your phone while you are on your way. You are texting Nayeon, although Jeongyeon told you to stay away from their life, but you have no intention to do so. You want to get Nayeon back. If Jeongyeon blocks your way, you would also crash her away.
You saw her ig updated. She is in Seoul now.
You tell Jihyo you may late and ask her to discuss the design with the designer first, and you drive straight to her somewhere near her parent's home, guessing she would go there first.
'I heard you are back to the town, maybe we can have a coffee? Near your parent's home.'
'Not interested, Y/N. Take your time. I am not visiting my family now.'
You are frustrated by her cold response, and then you see her sister just entered the Cafe. Although her family knows you two have broken up, in a bad way, no one knows because you cheated. Getting Nayeon's sister's help maybe a good option.
Though I know it would help my cause, I just leave and go home. Not wanting to possibly reveal what happened to cause us to break up.
You give up on relying on Nayeon's sister. You turn around and leave. However, the one you wanted to see appears. It's Nayeon, she carries lots of shopping bags, it seems she is busy on shopping when you text her.
When Nayeon sees you, her smile disappears. 'What are you doing here?'  You can feel Nayeon is a bit angry seeing you here.
'I just want to talk, Nayeon. But I don't get a chance.'
Nayeon takes a deep breath and says. 'I don't think there is anything we need to talk about. We are over.'
'Come to my car, Nayeon.' Nayeon glazes at you for a second, and she follows you to the car.
'I am sorry, I should not come to find you without your permission.' You open the door of her and get in the driver’s seat.
Nayeon gets on the car, and she keeps glazing forward rather than looking at you. Sitting on the passenger seat makes her remember the time when you two were dating. 'It's meaningless to say this.'
"Maybe, but I still have things to say, Nayeon, and I think you do too. After all, you could have rejected my texts. You could've gone straight inside without getting in my car. There are things we both want to say." I turn to her and see her looking forward. "At least look at me, Nayeon."
Nayeon' chest bouncing fiercely, she seems still angry. 'Looking you or not is my choice, it's none of your business.' Nayeon yells as she turns around to look at you. 'Now go ahead for your bullshit.'
I stare into Nayeon's eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. All the pain and anguish, everything. I was selfish and cheated on you. I lost the best thing I ever had that day, and right now, I'm struggling. I want you to go on and forget about me, to live a happy life with someone who'll treat you well. Someone who won't cheat on you, but at the same time, I still want to be the one standing by your side. I keep thinking of you when I've been with other people. I know I've got no right, and I stand no chance at that ever being the case, though. I guess, in a way, I just wanted to see you again. Even if you hate my guts."
'Do you need to hear what you are talking about?'
'After that dinner, I told myself we may be back together,  I wanted to get back together, so I came home and waited for you, whole night long. Where have you been then? You just go to find another girl and hooked up all night long.'
'When you fucked that girl, did you think about me? Did you think about we can be back together?’
‘And the one who cheated is you! Why am I supposed to be the one that pushes us back together?’ Nayeon screams and starts crying.
I pat Nayeon’s back. “I know, I know. I’ve felt awful since then. I thought you’d never want to see me ever again, and I drank too much after that. I did some things I’m not proud of. But more than anything, I’m sorry I hurt you the way I did. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do any of that. I’m sorry, Nayeon. I should’ve tried to work things out, to make things better between us. It’s all my fault.”
Nayeon keeps crying. You get a tissue and want to wipe away her tears. But she turns around and looks annoyed, not wanting you to touch her.
'I am here, if you have anything want to say, I am here.' You hold the tissue for her.
Nayeon instead uses her hands to wipe the tears. 'I can blame you for days if you want me to talk.'
'I know it's ridiculous for begging you to forgive me. You would not do that.'
The car becomes silence, Nayeon doesn't talk, all you can hear is her cry.
You stare at Nayeon. The way she cries triggered something in your heart, and you want to conquer her again.
'I stop Jeongyeon to slap you doesn't mean I forgive you, I loved you, that's why I am hurted.'
"I know. I remember. I...I love you too. I still love you." I stay quiet for a moment. "I'm still not sure about Jeongyeon. She's... something else, hating my guts but still wanting to have sex with me. It's a little funny when you think about it." I say trying to joke about it.
'What? What did Jeongyeon tell you last time? Or do you want to have sex with her, too? I am so disappointed in you.' Nayeon yells at you and leaves the car.
'Wait Nayeon!' You follow her immediately
'I haven't finished, don't leave yet!' You grab her hand from behind.
'Let me go, I don't wanna talk to you.' Nayeon shakes her hand, wanting to leave you control.
'What do you want?' Nayeon finally stops and turns to face you, but what she does next make you shock.
'Pak!' Nayeon doesn't even notice she slaps you in face, she shocked either.
You touch your cheek with another hand, it's hot and red. It is not easier than Jeongyeon's one.
"I didn't and don't want to have sex with Jeongyeon. I thought of you, of how it would hurt you if I did that. She's the one who tried to have sex with me. She explained how your relationship with her was fake and thought that I'd show her how a guy could make you feel better than she could. I was never going to have sex with her." I take a deep breath, "I never was and never will because I was thinking of you. Goodbye Nayeon." I let her go and start to get back into my car.
You back on your car and caress your cheek, it's hurts, especially is Nayeon, who slaps you. You look out of the window. She is still standing there, looking at your car.
Things haven't gone as you planned, although you can see a little progress. Looking at Nayeon, you are thinking should you come down to talk with her after she has calmed down.
I stare back at Nayeon, wanting to continue talking to her. So, I do as much waiting for her to calm down before trying to talk to her again.
You leave your car and walk back to her. You think she is calm, so you step closer to her.
'Don't get too close.' Nayeon takes one step backward. 'Anything you still want?'
"Are you alright?" I ask, worried as to why she had stood in place for so long. "I mean, you've been standing there for a long time."
'No, I am just making sure you are leaving and not waiting for me again.' Nayeon suddenly walks toward you, you are curious that she just tells you to stay away from her.
Nayeon comes and hugs you. You grab her in your arms, feeling her existence, and your heart is finally complete again.
"Nayeon?" I shut up at that moment and just hold her in my arms. Squeezing her as if never wanting to let her go again. I'll wait until I feel her pull away to let go.
You hold Nayeon tighter, afraid she will disappear at the next second. Nayeon squeezes you tighter too.
'Nayeon... Ah!!!' You moan painfully as you find Nayeon bites your shoulder. All the force is focused on her rabbit teeth, just like two drillers drilling on you. You only realize she hugs you so close is for she can bite you more easily.
Even though it hurts I continue to hold her tight, I smile and kiss the top of her head. "I still love you."
You hold Nayeon, let her bite you easier. Your feeling on your shoulder slowly fades out. You don't know if your shoulder still belongs to you.
You close your eyes and kiss her head. You know you deserve it. If you suffer this pain, then you can get her back. You are more than willing to do it.
Your hands go up to caress her neck, you know her body so well, and you reach for her sensitive spots. Nayeon releases a moan, and her body softens, 'Ummm...' Her teeth finally leave your shoulder. You feel you are sweating from the pain, you look at your shoulder, the blood is coloring your shirt.
Nayeon turns around to escape your glaze, her lips still have your blood. you can't contain your emotions, and you lean to kiss her. Nayeon tries to resist, she wants to bite your tongue, forcing you to withdraw. You already know what she would do.
You squeeze her cheek so she can't bite you. 'Ummm...' Slowly, Nayeon stops fighting anymore. She just lays on your arms and lets you kiss her.
You withdraw your tongue until you feel you can't breathe, Nayeon's face is totally red, her sight loss the focus, just leaning in your hug. The excited make out occupied her mind. Her mind is now full of your scent. Her brain can't even function properly because of that.
'Are you satisfied now?' Nayeon whispers. 'Let me go, please? Nayeon begs you. 'Give me some time to think about what we just talk alone.'
I hesitantly let her go. My hands travel down her arms until I hold her hands for a brief second before we completely separate. "Yeah. I guess I should go too." I pat her head before watching her walk away.
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darklinaforever · 1 month
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Daemyra = I support pedophilia, grooming and physical abuse.
Zutara = I support colonizer x colonized relations.
Sylki = I support incest with oneself.
Charlastor / Radiobelle = I erase the canonical sexuality of the characters.
Reylo = I support the Nazis !
Darklina / Alarkling = I support a pedophile, a groomer, a pro-genocide and child killer in his spare time.
Sareth = I support pedophilia !
Sessrin / Sesshrin = I support pedophilia, and grooming.
Persades = I support kidnapping, rape and forced marriages.
Wyler / Weyler = I support psychopathic serial killers ! And grooming too ! (Because apparently for some Tyler is an adult and not a teenager as he is canonically in the series...)
This is usually what I get insulted about for loving these relationships... and it's just bullshit.
Daemyra is not grooming and pedophilia, book and show, I have already explained countless times why and I won't do it again here. And Daemon do not abuse physically Rhaenyra in Fire and Blood.
Zutara is not a relationship of a colonizer with a colonized person. Zuko himself is not a colonizer and the people of Katara were never colonized by the Fire Nation.
Sylki is not a true incestuous relationship, especially not with yourself. Sylki is not shown and characterized as truly the same person but as different people with the same role in the universe.
I'm not erasing the canonical sexuality of Charlastor / Radiobelle by shipping them into the context of fanon.
Kylo Ren / Ben Solo is not a Nazi, I also already explained why. Essentially he has no ideology of his own and has been manipulated since his fetus by hearing voices in his head 24/7 again today, and above all the defenders against grooming keep quiet this time ironically, since Kylo Ren / Ben Solo is actually a victim of grooming by Snoke / Palpatine.
The Darkling has not committed any genocide, he is not a pedophile or a groomer either and is even less a killer of childs specifically...
For Sareth basically... Everything that happens in the movie is essentially a representation of the desires / fantasies of teenage Sarah. Jareth is the reflection of her dreams, he literally acts according to her. He is the product of his fantasy. Please note, I'm not saying that what Sarah experiences in the film is literally a dream. No, I'm saying that the film, through its story and especially the character of Sarah, is in a way a representation of the adolescent's desire / dreams, and also a bit of hormones / sexual awakening. Without forgetting the fact of accepting to grow. That's why everything in the maze is in Sarah's room. That's why Jareth's universe is in this book, and also why the way to defeat Jareth there is. This is why Jareth is “in love” with Sarah. That's why he looks like a walking sexual fantasy with his tights on. Why there is a snake, a cane. Why does everyone at the ball wear masks with horns and long noses (= just falic / sexual symbols) Brief. There's nothing wrong with shipping Jareth with Sarah, since he's literally her personal fantasy and he's acting on that. (in the sense that he takes the role she gives him in the story)
Sessrin / Sesshrin is also not a relationship based on pedophilia. Sesshomaru clearly didn't feel anything romantic or sexual about Rin when she was a child. As for the accusations of grooming, they are unfounded because there is no proof. The fact that Rin gave birth to twins at 18 is not proof of this. Inuyasha takes place in the feudal era where a girl under 18 is seen as an adult. Essentially, Sesshomaru simply fell in love with Rin as she grew up. And he came to see her from time to time from the moment he left it with Kaede as a child. He was not responsible for her education. That was Kaede. He wasn't her father figure either, that was Jaken.
And Hades and Persephone must be read in the context of the time when the myth was written, otherwise you lose its true meaning. I have already reblogged excellent analyzes on the subject, I invite you to go and see them. Hades, essentially, is not the true villain in this myth.
No. I don't support psychopathic serial killers. The proof, I hate Laurel. The real psychopathic serial killer. Tyler is a teenager who she manipulated and enslaved for her cause. Literally, Tyler is a hyde, implying a personality disorder, but more than that, canonically, he must obey and approve of what his master does. Tyler is a victim. Not a bad guy. Moreover, once again, a real case of grooming under the arms. Yes, Laurel groomed Tyler, I've written lots of articles on this subject, you can go and see them. But once again, ironically, no one talks about it, and what's more, the antis will try to say that Tyler groomed Wednesday by inventing a new age for him...
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I am really getting annoyed with people said "loki is just narcissistic person, strange is just arrogant doctor, Wanda is just selfish crazy", okey they are lie that more than that but somehow everyone forgetting that they have trauma and pain(not justify bad actions but still) and they keep insist that they need getting more punishment.
Then we have stark, yeah we know him and if someone say he is just arrogant selfish billionaire other standard will say he ore than that and they said stark didn't deserve punishment what he did , really?
I am have to say I have one fanfic not Wanda friendly but I take theme in MOM because how I hate Wanda in MOM (thanks Waldron make me hate Wanda) from all her on screen MOM is in my hate list.
Also you can see how many Wanda, loki and strange got punishment in fanfic rather than stark, they justify his actions.
They never cared to humanize Stark's victims. We just had that woman in CW who was written horribly and to make matters worse, Stark was framed sympathetically in that scene. Go figure! And of course that scene is followed by him claiming the entire team has to be """held accountable""" (not just him, the team) and when some of them push back he's shown to be the rational one. What a joke.
With that kind of absolute narrative protection, is it any wonder so many people claim he feeling bad for 0.2 seconds is enough?
Whereas with Wanda we know the names of the people she hurt, we heard them speak and explain how much pain they were in. (I always laugh every time I see someone claim WandaVision was on Wanda's side.. lol no).
In Loki's case, his whole past and characterization were retconned and simplified by Waldron and Feige, and those around him were framed in a positive light while he was shown as an evil character who will always have to be paying for his mistakes. Odin, Thor, Sylvie, Mobius... none of them are held accountable so the difference in framing is even clearer.
And with Stephen, he's so unlucky that he got his own movie taken from him and once again his story was simplified for some reason I do not understand. His pain, sacrifices, his story are an afterthought in MoM and ironically enough, he was written miles better in NWH than in his own film. And of course, we got other characters telling him he's evil, he's selfish, he's a villain, bla bla.
In short: he's defined (negatively) by others. Just like Loki. Ever see them defining or defending themselves? Nah. If they defend themselves they're "arrogant" and "narcissistic" 🙄
So I'm not surprised those three are treated like crap by the fandom while Stark is praised to the heavens and back.
Stephen, Wanda and Loki are not perfect. But the thing is... they don't need to be. In fact, they shouldn't be. That's what makes them so interesting, it's what sets them apart from the clear-cut heroes. What we should be getting about them is the why they're not perfect + the circumstances behind their actions and beliefs, those are crucial when it comes to morally grey characters. Otherwise we just end up with "they did x so they're y" bullshit writing.
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bohemian-nights · 1 month
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No this fandom is actually insane
Do people think it’s ok to write “he was teaching her how to bathe”?????? I’m honestly scared to go read the post that they were talking about. The lengths that these people will go to just to prove that dettles never happened
Read at your own risk.
The person who wrote that is actually Black(or so they claim), but is willing to throw Black characters and Black fans under the bus and promote negative stereotypes about us for their mostly (racist) followers in defense of a racist characters desirability.
Sir/ma’am, if you are reading this, get some self respect. I’m actually embarrassed for you cause this shit is actually pathetic. You’re better than this.
Case in point they wrote this crap a while back with 100% sincerity:
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(I should also note that I actually had a run in with them about a year and some change ago and they threatened to block me after I asked them if Corlys bathing with Rhaenyra would be normal father daughter figure bonding time so I blocked them first😊).
Like you don’t have to like Dettles, but when you are pushing harmful ideology and stereotypes (Black people are so stupid/dirty that we need the white mans help to civilize us) as a way to discredit them and make those who ship it look like angry Black women jealous of the poor helpless white woman and her stans, you’ve gone too far.
Let’s keep in mind that this poor helpless white woman was actively trying to kill a Black girl for a crime she claims she didn’t commit and that despite claiming that Nettles definitely didn’t sleep with Daemon her stans spazz out everytime you mention her name and actively want her cut from the show.
Or how about the fact that these same stans actively stalk and harass Dettles shippers whose only crime has been pointing out y’all’s bullshit.
Let’s keep in mind all of this shall we:
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So who is actually jealous of who here? Who in this scenario wants racial revenge?* Who is the problem in this hellhole of a fandom?
Is it the people merely pointing out Nettles importance to the Dance and Daemon’s arc or the people who hurl racial insults and stereotypes? The people who want her erased from the narrative in its entirety cause she disrupts the status quo?
(The fact that someone would even fix their mouth to say that when Black people have been beaten, raped, enslaved, terrorized, tortured, disenfranchised, abused, subjected, and not even given common decency and respect for centuries by these people. If we wanted racial revenge it damn sure wouldn’t be off the back of a fucking fictional character).
The fact that they can’t see Nettles value and only see her as some irrelevant Black girl and reduce people liking her down to a gotcha/“woke” moment is fandom misogynoir in action.
They forget that she comes from nothing, claims a dragon, has a prince willing to give his life for her(six men or sixty remember that since y’all claim to be capable of reading🙃), survives the Dance and becomes a firewitch worshipped by a group of people, because they don’t want to acknowledge her importance.
It makes them uncomfortable to do so because she doesn’t look like them, but people like I’m not like those other Negros cover up for them so that when they are called out for it they can go see this n-I mean this Black person agrees with me.
Imagine being this butt hurt about a fictional character that you can’t even leave your racism or tap dancing at the door for five seconds.
Nettles doesn’t fit the mold, but that’s the point of her story.
They can recognize maester propaganda and scream about feminism when it comes to their white faves, but when it comes to the Black girl who is actively being stereotyped and maligned for her gender, race, and social standing in the source material they believe it no questions asked?
Again, what does it say about you that you are so willing to believe that a Black girl who was clever enough to claim a wild dragon doesn’t know how to bathe herself? What does it say about you that you think Daemon would never touch her with a ten foot pole just because she’s Black?
What does it say about you don’t want her on the show because of her race? What does it say about you that a fictional character who just so happens to be Black has you worked up into a tizzy.
Y’all claim to be for women(real or fictional), but in reality you only care about the women who look like you and shit on women you see as beneath you. Women who you think are a threat to the status quo. You’re no better than the men who oppress you.
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asksythe · 11 months
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Hi! I was looking into some stuff and came across a post talking about WWX’s arrogance. It was about WWX’s character and how the fandom insists that his arrogance was one of his main flaws when that’s not true and so on. Then I saw some people saying that arrogance is not inherently bad in Chinese novels and that I might have to do with the way the novel was translated.
I was just wondering if you had some insight on this. Thanks!
On some level, it can be considered a translation issue. But the real reason why WWX's characters, as well as countless other details in MDZS specifically (and Chinese novels broadly speaking), tend to be misunderstood on such a massive scale is... cross-cultural value mismatch.
Consider this:
1/ There is a tendency in the international fanbase to judge WWX (and other characters) on a modern Western moral standard. I don't have to tell you how illogical this is. Imagine if you come into the world of Game of Thrones and start spouting 21st-century judgment. You are likely to become human shishkebabs in less than five minutes. Most people who watch Game of Thrones or read the book understand that's not something you do unless you are a moron or looking to start shit. But for some reason, this is not the case for the MDZS fandom (and many other Chinese media fandoms out there). I'm not sure why this is the case. It might be because of the cultural distance making people not really realize they are coming into an entirely different world, and then they forget to check their modern expectations at the door. Like how tourists become obnoxious when they come to a foreign country, expecting the foreign country to cater to their whims.
I've once seen someone made an addition on TV Tropes saying WWX is a mass murderer that never got punished for his crime. I... I don't know what to say to that really. My expectation is that the person who wrote that is someone under 30, never left America, and never served in the military. For somebody who has never had this kind of experience, no amount of words will explain to them that for major parts of the world and for the vast majority of mankind's history, you have to be able to kill to survive. In fact, for most of our history, killers are our heroes. War is a reality that we live in. The ones who survive are the ones who win wars, the really accomplished killers.
2/ MDZS was not written for an international audience. That is to say, it's written with the expectation that it doesn't have to explain its intricacies and tropes to its intended readers. Because its readers already know. MDZS is xianxia danmei. Danmei has only had about 2 decades of modern history. But xianxia as a genre has stretched back millennia. Its tropes are very set. Chinese (and Sinosphere) readers don't need an explanation because we grow up consuming this kind of stories.
We don't need to be told in plain words to know WWX's only crime is to be possession of the Yin Tiger Tally, and the Jin's scheme is the real reason behind his tragedy. Because it's such a standard trope in our culture that there are millennia-old proverbs about it.
匹夫无罪,怀璧其罪 - pǐ fū wú zuì,huái bì qí zuì. Lit. The commoner is innocent, but his possession of treasure is a sin.
We don't need to be told that it doesn't matter if WWX goes along with the cultivation world's ceaseless demands (keep Suibian with him, consult more with Jiang Cheng before he does things) to know that none of that matters. Because none of those are actual rules, just trivial bullshit made up and used to socially isolate WWX and manipulate the public opinion against him. WWX's true crime is that he is alone. He is an orphan. No one will stand up for him. And unlike his big mouth, he's a real softie. Because if he wasn't then all of them would be dead ten times over with the kind of martial power WWX possess. Only WWX's good heart holds him back from really using his ability. Therefore, you can spit on him, you can cut him, you can trample on him without fearing retaliations.
Nie Mingjue has no sword. Ain't nobody try to lip him about it. Yu Furen has no sword. She uses a whip. Ain't nobody lip her about it.
WWX's undead cultivation is also not really the problem. That kind of cultivation is vanilla as girl scout's cookies. It's only made out that way because it's a method of cultivation that is very easy to learn and does not require enormous resources (i.e. caste issue, not class, caste) to cultivate. Which means it's a method that can be practiced far and wide by poor commoners. Which means it's an infringement on the cultivator House's power and financial base. That's its real crime. Not all that justice bullshit.
For many international fans out there, MDZS is their introduction to danmei (and xianxia). So they come in not knowing these things. They don't see the caste issues, the tragedy, the difference of philosophies and choices between WWX and JC. Their conclusion is built on ignorance and misunderstanding.
It doesn't help that most know little to nothing about Chinese culture which is a high-context culture, the polar opposite of most Western cultures (low-context culture). Something that may seem small and insignificant for a Western reader base can be a really big deal for the Chinese reader base, because it's inbuilt in five thousand years of history and culture. Like why Jin Guangyao buried his mother's corpse in the Guanyin temple and why he needed to reclaim it and take it with him when he tried to flee to Japan.
So it's no surprise there is such a massive divide in fandom opinion.
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Text
Come Back, Be Here (Part Two) | DR3
His heart was glass and you dropped it, but you dropped yours too. Four months after ending things your new job lands you back in the one place you never wanted to be. The paddock of the Yas Marina Circuit for the final Formula One Grand Prix of the season. Part One
Warnings: angst, like…heavy angst, Christian Horner (being a decent guy), arguments, mentions of McLaren being dicks, a happy ending (I promised didn’t I).
Words: 5.9k
Living in Nice was strange for you, but it helped. You’d spent plenty of time there when you’d needed out of the Monaco bubble and living there full time made a difference. It was a lot of fun as you wandered around your hometown, visiting museums and galleries. Most evenings you walked home from your new job along the seafront. Sometimes you’d catch a glimpse of a yacht in the Mediterranean and your heart would ache a little bit.
Time hadn’t healed anything. If it had done anything at all, you just felt guiltier. Two weeks after you left him Dan put up an instagram story saying that you’d ended your relationship and you both wanted privacy. When you’d first seen it all you could think was of Lando’s one and how he’d probably helped Dan phrase it, which set off more tears. You reposted it and then logged out of the account altogether. It had been left untouched as you set up a finsta to keep an eye on the people you’d loved. The decision to set it up was probably the worst thing you could have done but you couldn’t help it.
You watched every race, getting up early for Suzuka and your heart in your chest as you saw Carlos crash and the tractor on the track. Hearing Pierre’s radio made you wish you were thousands of miles away so you could wrap him in a hug. Every time you heard someone on radio you felt so guilty but you were the one who left. You weren’t allowed feel guilty about it.
The only person it hurt nearly as much to see as Dan was Kelly. You’d hold your finger on the screen and stare at the pictures of the family, missing P’s hugs and the way she’d started calling you her aunt.
But aside from the heartache it was the right thing. You’d gotten a new job as one of the marketing leads in a VR company, a mix of in the office and at home. You’d made friends with the couple who lived across the hall and every week you’d swap between who hosted for dinner. Your colleagues were fun and you got drinks with them on a Thursday to celebrate the week nearly over. It was easy to fall into a routine and forget how lonely your bed was.
Except every night you’d wake up feeling cold because your human radiator wasn’t there. You kept seeing people in the media call Dan washed up and useless and you wanted to scream that he wasn’t. He was one of the best men you knew and he deserved respect and support rather than the bullshit they were talking about. That if you’d been in any of the meetings with Zak you’d have been hard pressed to not rip him a new one for the lies he’d told about how they’d work with Daniel. You’d have slipped some sly words to members of the press who you knew and trusted.
But you were on the outside of all of it and you didn’t get to say anything about it anymore. You were the ex fiancée. It wasn’t your place.
Your manager had told you that there was a sponsorship organised with a UK based sports team, that you’d be having a meeting with their top executive. So you were sitting in the office on the zoom meeting, talking about plans for their final match of the year. The familiar ding that someone had arrived beeped, and you looked up to see Christian H in the new slot, camera still not on.
“We’re happy to make this public in Abu Dhabi. We’re doing a big announcement about our drivers for next year then too, so we can have this year and next years involved. This stays in the room, obviously, but we’re signing one of our former drivers to come back for next year. Daniel will be more than happy to get involved in any marketing we need.” Your breath caught and you almost missed your cue to speak until Emilie, your manager, nudged you in the arm.
“Perfect. We’ll need to do a briefing to make sure they’re all aware of the branding.” Please let it all be wrong. Please let it be a completely different Christian with the same voice involved in sports in Abu Dhabi. Please.
“Oh they’re aware, Max is a big fan. He bought the bundle as soon as it was released, when we mentioned the sponsorship was happening he offered to send photos of him and his girlfriend playing on it.” The camera finally went on and your prayers weren’t answered. Christian Horner was on the screen in the meeting room, and you could tell immediately that he recognised you. You just kept yourself together and acted like you were jotting down notes.
“If he wasn’t I’d nearly be surprised, Max and video games are like him and winning races this season. I’ll be in touch with a slide deck next week, is the email we sent this meeting invite to the best one to get you on?” You were proud of how professional your voice sounded.
“Of course. It’s good to see you again, will you be in Abu Dhabi?”
“N—“
“Yes, the two of us are going.” Emilie cut into your denial and you just kept your face steady, the photographer smile you’d perfected plastered on it. “The two of us are flying out, we’ll discuss it together and settle on dates. We’ll have a meeting to confirm next week with you, Christian.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll see you both then.”
It ended and you glared at your manager as the room emptied until it was just the two of you sitting there. Emilie looked at you.
“I can’t be there. If I turn up the media will be all over me. And I can’t work with Daniel. If it was Max and Checo only I could do it, but not Dan. I can’t do it.”
“And if the media are all over you then we get even more visibility for this sponsorship. Plus you know how Formula One works better than anyone else here. You know exactly what we’ll get away with. You need to be there.
“Fuck.” This week couldn’t get worse, and all you wanted to do was go home and drown your sorrows in a bottle of wine. Instead you couldn’t, because you were taking the lead with Red Bull.
It meant meetings every couple of days with Red Bull’s marketing team, Horner sitting in when he could. You’d met all of them in other contexts and the look of surprise was clear on everyone’s face. The last time you’d spoken to any of them apart from a casual wave was at Dan’s leaving party, when Horner had asked if there was any way you could convince your then boyfriend to stay at Red Bull. He wasn’t too impressed when you told him that it was all Dan’s decision. But here you were talking distribution deals, how Daniel and Max would have their own box designs and the development team was working on a new game where you could drive the car in VR. In return your brand was pride of place on their cars and you were giving millions of dollars. Win win situation.
The meeting was wrapping up and you were organising the final logistics about Abu Dhabi when a door opened on Christian’s side and you heard an oh too familiar voice.
“You wanted to see me?” It was Max and you couldn’t stay in the meeting much longer. You didn’t want to see him until you were ready so you could be ready for his anger at your lies.
“I’ll let you go. Email me if you need any more details?” You asked, hoping he’d just end the call and Max wouldn’t have time to recognise your voice.
“I think that should be everything until you get out to us. You’re arriving on the Thursday and we’re doing the big event on Saturday with the car unveiling, correct?”
“That’s right. I’m flying back here on Saturday, and we’ll have a representative there on Sunday to see the race. I think Emilie is staying.”
“You should be there. Have you missed the races?”
“I haven’t missed the media chaos. I’ll see you then.”
“Wait is that—“ You hit the end meeting button before Max could say anything else, sitting back in your chair with your hands over your face. Eight days until you arrived at Yas Marina and had to face your past again, and each time you thought about it you felt nauseous.
The one silver lining was that you didn’t have any meetings with Horner until the Thursday morning at the paddock when you were in Abu Dhabi. You thought you could have a week without talking to anyone from Red Bull, but Tuesday when you were part working from home and part packing you received an email. You should have guessed Max would have done anything to get your contact information.
SUB: DO NOT DELETE
Hey,
First, don’t blame Christian for this. He left his iPad open when he left the room and I got your email address from his calendar. He refused to give me your details when I asked.
We miss you. I get why you had a clean break but you’re really missed. Kel thought she did something wrong until I told her about the elevator. P still asks if you’re coming to visit. She’s stopped asking Dan about where you are but that took a while. I tried to do what you asked and look after him but he’s still struggling. Checo’s retiring to stay home with the kids now they’re old enough to realise how often he’s gone, so Dan’s taking the seat. Horner made the joke that maybe he’d find the love of his life in Milton Keynes and none of us could mention he already had.
I haven’t warned him you’ll be there. Christian was going to tell us both on Thursday before you arrive in the paddock. If you want me to give him more notice I can.
Look after yourself for us? Everyone asks if we’ve talked to you. They all just wish you’d give your new number to call. If you still have our numbers nobody will get mad. And if you need them again just ask and I’ll send it all over. I miss my second sister.
Max
You started crying in your office as you reread the last paragraph. You missed everyone so much. Ending things had blown up your relationship and your friendships and none of it had been worth it. Yeah, your career was great but you were so, so lonely. Everyone who tried flirting with you to got compared to Dan and they never came out on top. It had been four months and the ache in your chest had barely lessened. Your hand still felt like there was something missing. You missed everything you’d given up. You even missed the jet lag.
It was the biggest mistake of your life, and in a few days you had to see him and pretend you were ok even though the exact opposite was true. Instead of replying to the email you opened WhatsApp on your phone and thumbed open the archived chats. There were so many messages there that you hadn’t read, but you opened the one with Max that had mostly been him sending you cat photos.
I miss you too
It took less than a minute for a response to come through.
It’s so good to hear from you. Kelly’s here, can we call?
He didn’t give you a chance to make the decision, a video call coming through with his name and WhatsApp photo. You wiped your face roughly and answered to see the couple in the tiny frame, heads pinned together
“Oh my god you’re there. You’re actually there. I thought Max had made a mistake when he said he’d heard you in a meeting but you’re here.” You couldn’t stop the tears as Kelly kept speaking, grins between you both.
“I missed you. I’m so sorry for everything, I just…I’m sorry. I’ll be there on Wednesday.”
“We’re seeing you. P is going to be so excited, she’s missed you so much.”
It was the briefest catch up before they had to go for their flight but you got to see them and they weren’t angry. Once you hung up you texted Kelly, the immediate flurry of emojis in response making you grin and miss her all over again. The final thing was a voice note from Penelope telling you she couldn’t wait for a hug. You re-listened to it on your flight to Abu Dhabi, lifting your spirits and making you feel like you could do it.
Max warned you with a text that he’d told Dan you were involved in the sponsorship event and that he was staying with McLaren until after the race. Once it was done he was moving over to the Red Bull hotel. They’d agreed to loan him out for the event only and you wondered what Christian had threatened to be able to get that much from them. You’d be gone by Saturday afternoon so it would be fine. You’d just see them for a few hours, leave, and get back on a plane.
You’d forgotten how easy it was to check into a hotel when a team had organised it, just giving your names and the keycards were released. As you turned to get your suitcase a three year old ran into your legs, wrapping her arms around your hips.
“I missed you!” Your manager looked confusedly as you hoisted P up onto your hip, Kelly running across the lobby to you.
“Missed you too, Princess P. What’s happening?”
“She’s supposed to be going to bed but saw you and ran.” Kelly gave you a one armed hug, the look in her eyes clear that you’d be having an in-depth discussion before the weekend was out.
“Uncle Danny gave me ice cream. He looked sad but when I asked he said it was ‘cause he didn’t have any so he got us all some!” You could tell from Kelly’s face exactly what had made your ex sad, but you shook your head and made yourself smile.
“Ice cream always makes me happy too. Go with your Mama and I’ll see you soon, ok? I have to work this weekend.”
“Will you be in the laranja building?” You shook your head at the Portuguese she dropped in when she was sleepy.
“I won’t be at the race. I’m going home before it happens, I have to work.”
“Oh.” She was gearing up for a tantrum but Kelly got in quickly and pulled her for a cuddle.
“I’ll get her to bed. Breakfast tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
Emilie knew that you knew Christian. She knew you were familiar with how Formula One worked. But she had no idea of your complete backstory and why you were so against coming this weekend. So over a room service burger that tasted too much like the first time you’d stayed in this hotel with Daniel you did the brief highlights of the last five years of your life.
“So you dated a driver, were engaged, ended things, and he’s one of the guys we’re spending hours with on Saturday before practice?” Emilie asked as you lay back on your bed and groaned.
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“It explains why Horner’s assistant didn’t ask for your photo.” You propped yourself up on your elbows to look at her. “She said we needed paddock passes for the weekend and we needed photos for security to confirm. I offered to send her yours but she said your pass was still active.”
“Merde.” The French expletive slipped out as you lay back, taking a pillow and screaming into it. Emilie stared until you could get your shit together and sat up.
“I was at every race until the summer break, I only missed a race if I was sick. Daniel and I split up a week before Spa. He’d just come home after signing his contract ending deal and I couldn’t keep things going on my own anymore. I broke his heart but he didn’t cancel my pass…he wanted me to come to a race.”
“That’s why every week you always seemed sad on Fridays.”
“Yeah. Ugh. And he’s still upset and I’m still heartbroken. It’s going to be a mess.”
“We’ll get you through it.”
And you made yourself do it. Arriving on Thursday was harder than you’d expected, keeping your head down to avoid people who you’d known as friends and who you’d spent so much time with. So many of the Alpine team had been there when it was Renault, and Esteban jogged over to give you a hug before realising you were there for work. But the Frenchman couldn’t keep a secret, before long the paddock regulars were abuzz that you were back there without Dan by your side.
An advance team had installed the machines and set up the games, you were there to make sure that the branding was visible and nobody messed up on the social media side of things. Drivers came over to interact with the VR headsets as you stood near the back to get Emilie to deal with them. Sebastian refused, instead coming over to give you a giant hug.
“I should be congratulating you on your final race,” you murmured into his shoulder.
“I didn’t think I’d see you at another one.”
“Work calls.” You separated slightly at that, giving a shrug before indicating to the photographer to leave Hanna and the kids alone and waving to them.
“He misses you.” The words were tender but you shook your head, giving him a final hug before letting go and remembering just how restorative they were.
“It was the right decision. He deserved more than me.”
Before Sebastian could refute what you’d said one of his daughters pulled him away, leaving you to breathe a sigh of relief. The photo of him hugging you went up on the brand account, your still unused public profile tagged on it. But it being public meant more people came up to you. There were conversations you never wanted to have but you were forced into them.
“You’ve some nerve.” The paddock was nearly empty as you turned to see Lewis speak while you were tidying the final things away before leaving for the night. He stood there in a bright outfit, lights from Williams hospitality illuminating him.
“I don’t want to be here. But when my job calls, I answer. The last thing I want to do is hurt him.”
“Should have thought of that before—“
“You’re saying this like it was on a whim. Like I enjoyed it. I broke my own heart in the process and it’s not healing. But he deserves so much more than I can give him, and I deserve someone who can put me higher than tenth on their list. He couldn’t do that anymore. I don’t expect anyone to understand what happened and I don’t expect anyone to be friendly and forgive me. I just want to get through this weekend and leave on Saturday and pretend I was only here four times instead of five. So just…just ignore me or whatever you need to do, ok? I’ll do the same.”
You didn’t know where the words came from, months of hurt and anger coming out at Lewis who you’d barely spoken to before. The packing was finished and you locked the shutter in place, Lewis stepping back to watch you do it. Your arms were full and he tried to take the top box but you turned away.
“I’m a grown adult.”
“And I picked a fight I shouldn’t have touched. Can I help?” You got him to scan your paddock pass to get you out, walking in silence to the hire car Red Bull had organised. Everything was packed away when you finally had the courage to ask the question nobody was really answering. The two of you had barely been acquaintances, definitely not friends, so it was easier to ask him than anyone else.
“I know I have no right to an answer…but how is he?”
Lewis turned to look at you with the softest expression you’d seen on his face in a long time. “He’s fucking miserable. He turned up in Spa alone and we were worried about him, then the press realised you weren’t there and asked Michael if you’d dumped him because he was getting fired. None of us knew anything until Carmen told George you’d left the WhatsApp group and changed your number. Then we realised what had happened. That triple header was tough on him, I’ve never seen him so sad after that Monza DNF.”
You sighed and pulled your hair from your face in the desert night, making yourself listen to everything Lewis had to say.
“He’s doing better now but he’s still not great. I think he asked every one of us if we noticed anything, if he’d done something obvious. He doesn’t believe it’s not his fault even though he said it. Seb nearly punched him when he realised that he’d missed your anniversary. We were out in Singapore after the race there, that’s when it hit him. But the last couple of weeks he’s doing ok. He’s had some almost smiles.”
“Thanks for looking after him for me.”
“I always will, you know that. I’ll see you tomorrow and you can get some photos of me looking stupid.”
That night you were supposed to have dinner with Max and Kelly in the hotel restaurant but you texted an apology, instead going straight to your room and sobbing your heart out into the spare pillow as you mourned for the pain you’d caused.
Friday morning came too early. The last thing you wanted to do was get up and face the world but you still had a job to do. A cold shower helped the puffiness on your face, your makeup was impeccable even with the heat. The tricks you’d learned from being constantly photographed meant that you could get ready quickly and as soon as you closed your hotel room door you were on and ready for the day that you knew would have hugs and probably involve looking at people who hated you. But you and Emilie arrived together to open up.
Charlotte and Isa were the first two there, arriving as you powered on the devices calling your name. You were wrapped in a hug as Emilie looked on, the Ferrari men standing a few meters away and nodding to you when you separated from their girlfriends. You set them up playing tennis between them, laughing at the scenes in front of you. It didn’t take long for you to put your press face on, getting into a rhythm of greeting the people you knew by name and smiling at everyone else. But then he arrived and the fragile bandages on your heart split open.
“Can I play?” He was skinnier than when you’d last seen him, corded muscles too visible on his arms, face almost gaunt. His smile was there but it wasn’t a real one. You ached knowing this was your fault.
“Of course. Put this headset on and you’ll be in the game. The controllers act as your hands. Have fun.” You passed over each device one at a time as he was ready to go, keeping your skin away from his. You didn’t get to touch him. The VR had a number of games but at the last minute you changed it to a pattern bashing one that had always reminded you of his reaction games. It didn’t take long for Dan to get into a rhythm, barely missing a beat.
You couldn’t help but smile at how he moved, remembering the way he used to dance around the living room before pulling you up to dance with him. But then it was over and you schooled your face back to neutrality to see him and put the equipment back.
“And your score is…” It took a moment for the numbers to appear, but you couldn’t help but laugh. “33,333. Turns out it’s a lucky number after all. Congratulations, Daniel.” His full name felt wrong on your tongue but you;d lost the right to use a nickname for him.
“Thanks, B—“ He cut himself off and you nodded.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Sure.” As he walked away you saw Michael and Blake stand outside the unit waiting for him. You wanted to apologise for hurting their best friend, but it was clear from their faces they’d never want to talk to you again. You didn’t blame them.
The rest of the day went in a crawl for you and all you wanted to do was scream. He’d been right there in front of you but you couldn’t touch him. The tears were piling up at the back of your head waiting for a moment for you to let your guard down but you couldn’t. You weren’t allowed to cry until you were back in the hotel. The only saving grace was that Emilie was on closing up duties so you got to leave once FP2 was over. The screen in your unit had the stream up and you watched the practice go, staring at the people you’d been so close to before driving in circles. You slipped back to the hotel in the crowds that were leaving to hide away, deciding to get room service when you finished this bout of crying.
When would it stop? When would you finally be over him? If not over him at least when would it stop hurting like that August night? You were going to see him a couple of times a year at a minimum from now on, and if each moment hurt like this you wouldn’t survive it. You didn’t want it to be this painful. If you could go back in time to the woman who was so sure it was the right call you’d scream at her to change her mind. But you couldn’t. And he deserved the chance to be happy.
Knocks on your hotel room door disturbed the pity party, so you wiped your eyes to make yourself a little more presentable. Once the mascara streaks could be confused with artfully smudged eyeliner you stood straight and opened the door as the knocking continued.
“Emilie, I’m fine. I just need to get through tom…Daniel.” He was standing right in front of you. He looked as through the wringer as you felt, staring right at you and not looking away. There was less than a meter between the two of you and it was too much space and not enough at the same time. “How did you get my room number?”
“Penelope. She asked why I was sad earlier and I said I missed you, so she asked Max what your room number was. She’s crafty for barely more than a toddler.” You let out a wet laugh, trying to cover that you’d just been sobbing over him.
“I was supposed to go for dinner with them last night. Decided on a night alone in my room instead.”
“I was also supposed to be at dinner with them, but tonight. Which is my excuse for being here but I needed to come up here instead. I need to ask you one question, ok?”
You wanted to say no. You wanted to tell him to leave and go back to crying. You wanted to close the door and to forget that he’d appeared there, try to forget the five years you’d spent together. But you owed him this at the very least. After everything that had happened between you, you owed Daniel the truth. No matter how it hurt you.
“You deserve answers.”
He stopped at your confirmation, licked his lower lip and looked you straight in the eyes with his molten brown ones. It was like he was searching your soul for something you weren’t quite sure of, but whatever he saw gave him the strength to continue.
“Do you still love me?”
It wasn’t what you’d expected him to ask. Wasn’t what you’d imagined him asking in your wildest dreams. But he was there at your hotel door and you could never lie to Daniel Ricciardo as long as you lived.
“I don’t know how to stop loving you. And that’s what hurts so much about all of this.”
The words were barely out of your mouth when he closed the gap between you, broad hands on your waist as he pulled you close and kissed you soundly. It took a moment for you to realise what was even happening but you kissed him back, hands running through the hair you’d missed so much. He was there and you were in his arms and if this was the last kiss the two of you ever shared you were memorising all of it.
A ding from the elevator bell reminded you that you were semi in public, separating and breathing heavily. His hands were still on you, yours around his neck as a small smile - a real one - appeared on his lips.
“Can I?” You nodded back to him before bringing him into the room and settling on the small sofa with him. His arm went around your shoulders to pull you close, holding onto him for dear life. It didn’t feel like reality to you.
“I’m sorry. For not realising how much I was taking from you. For missing our anniversary. All of it. You…you deserved so much more than I gave you for our entire relationship. I’m just so sorry I didn’t realise what I was doing in time to save us.”
“Do you still love me?”
It was clear he hadn’t expected you to ask the question he’d asked as his body froze before looking at you. But you held his gaze the exact same way he’d held yours as you waited for your answer.
“You’re the love of my fucking life.”
It was a practiced move the way you leaned over and threw one thigh over his, pulling him into a bruising kiss as you were spread over his lap. Your forehead leaned against his, hands cupping his jaw as he held you tight against him.
“I was wrong to end things. And we have so much to talk about and work through, and please understand couples therapy is about to be compulsory. But I love you and you love me and if we still feel this way after four months then we’re worth saving.”
You watched the widest grin you’d seen on him in years spread across his face, a hand reaching up to run his thumb over your cheekbones before Dan brought you into a lingering kiss.
He cancelled dinner, citing that he was nervous about tomorrow in the text to Max. Instead he helped you pack a bag with a work outfit before the two of you snuck away from the hotel to get back to his. Michael and Blake were sitting in the lobby, the two men looking stern as you arrived with Dan beside you.
“What’s she doing here?” Michael asked. You wanted to shrink away but held your head up, Dan’s hand on yours.
“We’re trying again.” Three words that made you want to sing.
“But you…” he trailed off and you took the opening it provided.
“We were both a mess, and I know ending things was my decision. But we love each other and we’re trying to make it work.” You took a deep breath before saying the next words. “I owe both of you the biggest thanks for looking after him while I wasn’t there. I made the biggest mistake of my life walking away, and I can’t thank you enough for keeping him going.”
The words softened them and you got nods, knowing that when Dan was in a car you’d get a lecture. But it’d be worth it.
“See you tomorrow. The two of you going to the paddock together?” Blake asked as Dan nodded.
“Yeah, we’ll be going early so she can open up. See you both there.”
It was quick to Dan’s room, the elevator door opening to Lando on his phone. You could have laughed at the way his jaw dropped seeing the two of you there, but Dan did it first.
“Hey, Mate.”
“But you’re…what? I was avoiding the VR all day cause I thought you wouldn’t want us hanging out? When did this?”
“Today. And come over tomorrow, I’ll give you a longer go. But you’ll have some tough competition to beat, I’m just saying.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll keep this quiet till tomorrow for you too.”
You spent that night talking, having the hard conversations neither of you really wanted to have. How you both needed to compromise, the races you would and wouldn’t attend. How he’d support you and do what he could to make life easier for you with the media and stop ignoring the crap that was said about you. And you promised to tell him when you were worried about something. But it was worth it to have Dan pull that familiar box out of his suitcase and open it.
“I couldn’t leave this behind. Don’t ask me why, but it’s come everywhere with me. Will you please, please marry me?”
“Of course I will.”
Getting ready the next morning was terrifying. It wasn’t just the publicity, but his family were about to arrive and you hadn’t seen them since the break up and now you were back together. As you began to overthink Dan realised, handing you one of his new merch shirts to wear to the paddock. You put your work one underneath, but this was your way to prove exactly what was happening. It was the two of you and nothing else would matter.
Michael was outside the hotel room door when you were walking out, and the man was surprised when you hugged him. He hugged you back after a moment and you looked up to him.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for all of it, and Dan and I have talked about it. But thank you for being there for him when I couldn’t be.”
“Please don’t do it again?”
“Never.” He caught sight of your ring and smiled, hugging Dan and clapping his back. The three of you got into the car and made it to the circuit, your phone beeping with texts from Emilie asking where you were. You promised you’d be there in a minute and got an eye rolling emoji in return.
“Are you ready, Babe?” Dan asked as he put it into park and you nodded while gathering up your bag.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The photographers were taking shots of both of you entering, hands firmly clasped together until you had to separate to swipe in. A hair tie was keeping the oversized shirt from turning into a dress, and it was very obvious you were together. He didn’t stop until he was just outside your unit, leaning in for a final kiss before letting you go.
“See you in an hour for the unveiling?” He asked and you grinned.
“I’ll see you then. Good luck.”
“I don’t need it, I’ve got you back.”
Tags: @vroomvroommbtch @a-distantdreamer @sidcrosbyspuck @soleilgrec @clintsupremacy @hiphopdancer101universe @sheslikeacurse @footballbroadcast @ricsaigaslec
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beanghostprincess · 4 months
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I have this thought for quite some time, coming mostly from my twitter and Reddit interactions.
I kinda love the amount of hate I see towards Buggy. People hate how Oda loves this clown and keeps bringing him up, how he is getting more connections to story, how he gets that high bounty. They hate him because he doesn’t have powers, or isn’t smart.
And the fact that so many of them try to cope by putting Mihawk in place of Buggy is incredible. Mihawk is not some lost friend who is having insanely deep contention to shanks, BUGGY IS.
But I guess he’s not “cool and powerful” enough and they don’t get why shanks could be friends with “someone like that” (actual take I saw a lot).
I can’t wait for buggy to be more important just to see everyone lose their minds. If he gets to laugh tale, the best day of my life. And I’m not even that big on Buggy
These takes make me so angry because they're just??? Not true at all??? Most of these opinions come from the general audience and dudebros who don't take the time to analyze Buggy and just accept his character the way other characters see him. Instead of stopping for a second and thinking about why he does what he does and why Oda likes him so much, they just assume he's the lame clown everyone in the OP world thinks he is. Which is, in my opinion, extremely sad. And you don't even have to analyze shit?? Like, okay, I get it. Chapter 1082 is crucial for his character and perhaps if you don't read that you might think he's useless and Oda uses him too much for what he actually does for the story (bullshit, by the way, I'm just trying to find a reasoning behind their shitty takes). But after reading 1082??????????? Okay???? Whatever. Buggy haters get on my nerves, not because they don't like Buggy, but because they don't understand him.
Saying Buggy isn't smart is uhhh. It's just not true. The fact that he's constantly placed next to the biggest, most feared, and strategic pirates in the world just doesn't help him at all to prove that, tbh. I'd be scared af if I had gone through all the things he has, honestly. Like- People- People just ignore Water 7 and the whole thing with Usopp being a coward but wanting to be more than that because of his dream and that being scared doesn't necessarily mean something bad??? I think people just forget entire arcs and scenes to post these things. Buggy might not be the bravest but he understands the pirate world better than anybody and he's genuinely smart, he's just constantly placed in situations that force his character to be scared af (for obvious reasons) and everyone looks down on him for that. Which makes total sense for his character because his whole thing is feeling inferior and being compared to others when he has many talents himself. He isn't dumb, he just has the worst luck in the whole fucking world. Or the best. It sort of depends.
I think he lost his bravery and sense of adventure when he gave up on his dream, but now that he's being more confident in the fact that he could achieve it, we will see him using his full potential. And I am so, so excited for that. The speech he gives in chapter 1082 changed my life and it's easily my favorite chapter from the whole manga. I really, really hope they do something with that. I want him to have all the wonderful scenes he deserves.
And, okay, about the Mihawk thing: I don't agree with that that much? Like, okay, I can see people often making Mishanks relationship more than what it actually is, but tbf, Mihawk is barely a character here because Oda hasn't given him screentime of his own. He's always there for another character (Shanks, Zoro, Cross guild, etc). What we do know about him is that he went all his way to find Shanks and tell him about Luffy?? Like. Okay, babe, I know what you are. What we do know is that Shanks and him have something going on and I would really like to know WHAT exactly. I'm not even a huge Mishanks shipper but I completely understand why people like it. I prefer other ships like Shuggy and Cross Guild but, well, I don't think they use Mihawk to take over Buggy's place. I think they just want Mihawk to have some story because Oda barely gives him one. But I can see where you're coming from, though. I can see a lot of people using Shuggy's dynamic for them sometimes and it bothers me because these two have their own thing and they could easily just?? Ship both things??
People saying they don't understand why Shanks would be friends with somebody like Buggy is so funny to me, because we barely know anything about Shanks either, lmfao. He's the cool and powerful role model of the main character. He's literally the most cliché thing in the whole wide world, shut up. And I absolutely love him and he has wayyy more personality than these types of characters usually have, but I am tired of seeing takes like this as if Buggy wasn't one of the most interesting characters in this manga. But, also, Shanks would just?? Kick these people's asses for this shit. Saying you don't understand why Shanks would be friends with Buggy is just admitting you think the same way people in-world think about him, which is just admitting you don't understand his character. At least people in-world think that way because they don't know Buggy's story. You know Buggy's story. You should know why Shanks is friends with him and cares so much about him. But also?? Even if Buggy truly was a fucking loser with no talent and no dreams. Saying Shanks needs a reason for being friends with him is so dumb. Have you considered that... Sometimes... Most of the time... People don't have a reason for being friends with somebody and you don't need to find a reason for somebody's love?? Like- Perhaps Shanks just fucking loves Buggy because that's his childhood friend and he doesn't care about his abilities or talents. Perhaps he just loves him for who he is. I don't think it's that hard to understand, honestly.
You're not that big on Buggy, but I am. I really am. He's probably getting a tragic ending with Shanks but I do not care. If he ever gets to Laugh Tale or- Or if he ends up believing in himself finally. If he gets closure with him (which he will get, because Oda loves these two too much to leave them without closure). I will be the happiest person in the whole world. My mind and body say "Luffy king of the pirates!!" but my heart cries of happiness every time I think about Buggy being the king. I love him so fucking much.
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1989stanz · 3 months
Text
Nash proposing to Libby
Hey, guess what? I wrote another fic. Why? Because I have no job.
Disclaimer:
Mentions of Nash Hawthorne, Libby Grambs and Alisa Ortega. Minor cursing.
English is not my first language. I'm sorry if there's any mistakes.
Word count: 9K (IT'S LIKE THE SHORTEST I CAN, OK?!)
While growing up, all Nash craved and dreamed of—whole heartily, soul consuming and passionately— was his grandfather approval. He just wanted to know that he did enough, that he was enough. All the old man lessons he kept in mind, so he would not make any mistakes the next time. Be perfect. Better. Stronger. That's what Tobias always praised. But it didn't take long for him to discover who his grandfather, the man he admired, was. And after that, how could he learn about what being extraordinary really meant from a man who was worse than the devil? The respect slowly started to go away, giving room for the need to stay away from. From his money. His house. His horrific lessons that Nash memorized, who seemed to age like milk in his brain, leaving the dreadful spoiled smell behind. Eventually, he just put in his head that his lectures were full of bullshit that he did not need. But he knew, deep in his soul and heart, that he would never forget one, no matter how much time passed by. It just didn't go away.
5 years later
Nash was 22 years old, and he just came home from a long trip around the country. He tried working at different jobs, since he wouldn't use his grandfather money to keep him alive and under a roof. Tried being a mechanic, because he understood a lot of cars and motorcycles. Chef, since he knew a thing or two about cooking. Worked at Target for a long period, for the reason that he simply liked his costumers. Makeup artist, 'cause why not? At the time, he found it more enthusiastic to work as a bartender, serving all kind of drinks and listening to people's stories. However, he usually had a hard time trying to get a job, since he even refused to use his real last name and had to use a fake ID. Fortunately, he knew how to convince someone that his name really was Nash Ortega. Maybe he could change after his marriage with Alisa. Sure, she was having a bad time accepting the fact that he wanted her to move on from his grandfather and get others clients, but she probably would give in. She loved Nash and already said that she wanted to have a life with him, so there was a high chance that they would make it through. Of course they would. Just because it was a minor argument, that didn't mean they wouldn't work out as a marriage couple. They would, and Nash was more than pleased to state that he couldn't wait any longer to runaway from the billionaire with the love of his life, Alisa. The woman he could only think 24/7. The one he always saw first in the mornings. The one and only he thought about having a family with. His heart pounded faster and harder just at the thought of his new life with his incredible wife. In fact, it beat so fast that it was the only thing he could hear at the quiet tree house. He took a moment to analyze it better. The Hawthornes were know for being magnificent when it came to luxury, always having really expensive and glorious things. Their own house and the others old man's properties were an example of it. But the tree house was out of curve, without anything really rich and embellished. It was like a normal tree house, the magic was on the memories. That's when Nash heard footsteps behind him, too fragile and languidness to belong to any of his brothers. Without turning around, he felt a light but firm hand on his shoulder. “It's beautiful, isn't it?”, the old man asked, and Nash couldn't keep himself from feeling a really pure disgusting feeling of his grandfather. Of everything that he had done. Yet, the Nash that once saw him as a father felt love. “It could be yours, all yours, if you choose to stay with Alisa.” His grandson threw his head back, laughing really hard. “Trying to manipulate me again, Tobias?”, he emphasized his name. No “grandfather” or “old man” for him today. The devil stood still, not appearing offended by his word or apologizing to his grandson. But the secret was that he would never say sorry to any of them—ever. He would die before it. “You're consistent, Nash,” he replied. “Resisting even when I offer you everything. That's what I love about you.” Nash snorted, “We both know that it isn't going to be me.” Tobias looked at Nash's eyes, his expression never giving a hint about his thoughts.
“Maybe you really aren't. But who cares? You decided years and years ago that you hated everything that was related to me, and you've been running away from me since them. And you have the audacity to say in front of my face that I'm manipulating you!”. The old man smiled, amused. “You took a decision years ago and stood with it, without any hesitation.”, he looked at Nash. “That's what you should do if you want to help people. I know you don't want my money, but don't hesitate, Nash. Never hesitate when making decisions to save someone. Be consistent, hard to deal with hesitation.”, he looked away. “If you don't be, the consequences can destroy you completely.” Nash felt like the old man was talking about his own experiences in life, but he didn't give a damn at the time. Or at least pretended to. He wasn't really good at pretending, if everything always came back to haunt him.
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Looking at the ring he just bought to Libby, this memory came back. Nash wasn't made for hesitation. He always thought about the right decision to make, and he stood with his decision no matter what. It was hard to change his mind. When he broke free from the old man, he was confident about it. When it came to his brothers, he was sure about every single decision. Even when he proposed to Alisa, he was more than certain about it. Of course, he was ignorant enough to think that Alisa would give up on the old man. She didn't, and it was terrifying to think about the things that Tobias did. The things he took away from Nash. But this time he wasn't there, which meant that he couldn't take Libby away. He was hers and this would never change. He was sure about everything that was about her, so why he got so nervous and insecure just by looking at the ring? Probably because he didn't know if she wanted it too. Libby loved Nash, but what if it was too early to take this step? What if it was the wrong kind of ring? What if the place wasn't adequate? And the most horrendous question: what if she wanted it, but not with him? There were so many doubts, and he didn't like to be so. . . Scared. That's it, Libby managed to get him scared. And unsure. But that's what he would find in a marriage life. Sometimes, being married isn't a straight road, and it's definitely not easy and secure. It was more like being in a road full of multiple turns and confused, mysterious and even scary streets. But once the streets are crossed, the rest is lovely. Not easy, but worth it. And Nash was ready for it.
Libby spent her entire life in Connecticut, and now that she had money and a food truck business, she wanted to travel to places that once were only part of an unreachable dream. Like Paris. Nash had the idea, and he planned everything for the two of them: booked a hotel, searched for restaurants that made her favorite foods, localized the most famous places that sold flowers—just in case— and he had every single day planned. Well, at least the second day had to strictly follow the plan.
They arrived late at night in Paris, Nash still feeling terrible from the flight, ate dinner and slept. Nash woke up at 5:00 am, anxiety not letting him sleep for long, and they left at 7:00 am.
The Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame. Palais Garnier. Louvre Museum. Champs-Élysées. Nash took her to visit all these places, loving to see the admiration in her face. He has been to Paris before, therefore there wasn't anything he hasn't seen—at least at the most famous locations. Even though he did not like expensive places, he really wanted to give this experience to Libby before proposing. And by the end of the day, they were exhausted. It was impossible to feel his toes, but he had to ask the important question to her. They were standing on a cliff, staring at the Eiffel Tower—which was pretty, he had to admit. “Nash, why did you randomly take me to Paris?” Libby asked, and he froze, unable to even look at her. But she glanced at him. “I know you would eventually take me to travel, but why right now?”
He gathered himself, his heart pounding fast. “I love you, Libby. You deserve to have a day like this one every day for the rest of your life”, he picked her chin, looking in her eyes. “But I brought you here today because I wanted to ask you something.” He dropped her chin, searching for the ring on his pocket. “You saved me in so many ways, Libby. You fixed what I thought could never be fixed. You loved me for what I am, and I want to be with you until I die. So,” he picked the box, “I really want to know.” Opening it carefully, he revealed the ring. If he wasn't shaking, sweating and so god-damn nervous, he would've noticed Libby's shy smile and her hands shaking. She was blushing, like him. Kneeling, he asked, “Lib, will you marry me?” Her smile grew more and more, happiness dominating her completely. She shook her head and said out loud, “Yes, Nash. I'll marry you. I love you so much.” Lib managed to say the last part with a quavering voice, tears falling down her cheeks. He got up from the ground, and she hugged him really tight, both with bright smiles. Nash kissed her like his life depended on it, like he was made for it and for nothing else, a soft and lovely kiss. His lips held an unspoken promise: “I will fight for you, love you, and always choose you. I'm yours, and I'll do everything I can to make you happy.” And they stood there, kissing, with happy tears in their eyes.
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