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pilot-boi · 1 year

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Jaune had to check to make sure team rwby was real. So he is hallucinating. So that mean he has gone mad from loneliness

The first time it happens is just after the one month mark.

Jaune has set up a temporary camp on the shore of the golden ocean. Temporary because he won’t be staying long, his friends will land on the too-gold sands any day now and then they’ll all get out of here.

His stupidity can’t have flung him that far back in time. Surely gods don’t hate him that much.

He’s taken to patrolling the shore searching for Crescent Rose whenever he can’t sleep.

Which is often.

The weapon fell along side him, after all, and he knows that Ruby will want her scythe back. He has to fight down the sly little voice in the back of his mind that hisses that he’s just trying to buy her forgiveness. It’s quite literally the least he can do in repentance for murdering her…

Friend? Girlfriend? Jaune’s never been the best at figuring out romantic relationships.

As far as Jaune has seen, he’s the only human sort of person living here. There’s dozens of mice, and he’s long grown used to the fact that they can talk. If there’s people living further inland, Jaune doesn’t know. The jungle spits him back out on the beach whenever he ventures more than twenty feet inside.

Stupid jungle.

So it takes him aback when he spots what is undoubtedly a person peeking at him from behind a palm tree.

Twin silver eyes gaze out of the shadows, a red cape dappled with the shadows of leaves.

“Ruby…?” Her name drops from Jaune’s lips in barely more than a whisper. She smiles, turns, walks back into the jungle.

It takes him a second to remember to breath, because holy shit! She’s here! He’s not alone anymore!

“Ruby! Ruby wait-” Jaune calls, jerking into motion and kicking up sand in his haste. “Ruby thank the gods I-” He chokes out a sob, smiling through tears and pushing leaves out of the way. “I thought I’d never see any of you again”

He steps into a clearing. But nobody is there.

Jaune stops short.

But Ruby was… she was right in front of him he saw her. He saw her! Jaune whirls around, sure he’s about to find his best friend hiding ready to startle him. Because why else would she be missing? Where is she?!

The bright colored pelican bird (Dodo, he’s taken to calling it) squawks, startling Jaune out of his thoughts.

He jumps a foot in the air, and tragically there’s no one around to hear the very undignified shriek he lets out. “Dodo, don’t do that to me!” Jaune reprimands, a hand on his chest.

He’d give more than anything to hear his friends laughing at him good-naturedly. Or heck, even cruelly. What he wouldn’t give to hear another person right now.

A yawn creeps up on him, and he slumps. Guess he imagined the whole thing. The flawless moon hangs above him in the sky, mocking him in its perfection because it’s not right.

He really hasn’t been sleeping well…

Months turn to seasons, and seasons turn to years. Other than the shift of the suns and the perfect moon, it’s hard to tell if time is passing. Jaune tries to keep a tally with a rock, but the waves wash away his effort.

Ruby won’t leave him alone, and as the months pass neither do her teammates. He never saw any of them land, but here they are regardless of all logic.

Not that this place seems to put that much stock in logic.

They never say anything. Just smile and watch him from the tree line. Or the doorway of his hut. Or where the waves crash on the sand.

There’s nothing real about their smiles.

Blake’s cheeks don’t dimple the same way, there’s no warmth in Yang’s eyes. Weiss’s smile is as unfeeling as the day they met, and Ruby’s grin isn’t the crooked one his friend always wears.

And no matter how Jaune tries, he can’t follow them far into the shade of the trees. Dodo squawks chidingly at him whenever he ventures into the jungle and it spits him back out onto the beach.

Part of him wonders if this is his penance, if he’s actually dead. Cursed to remain forever on this beach haunted by the specters of those he’s killed. But that can’t be right, because then where is Penny?

Where is Pyrrha?

The only way he can really tell that the years are moving on without him is the rust that gathers on his armor. It takes him a year before he realizes his hair is at his shoulders again. It’s like nothing has changed since Beacon.

He laughs until he cries.

Pyrrha’s sash frays from constant washing in golden saltwater until he has to untie it from his waist. “I don’t want to get rid of it.” Jaune finds himself speaking to the apparitions, even though they’re one hundred percent not real. He must really be going crazy. “What do you think?”

Blake’s dark hair buffets in the wind and she smiles her empty smile.

“You’re right.” Jaune uses the precious scarps to tie back his hair into a short ponytail. “Guess I finally got that warrior’s wolf tail.” His laughter sounds hollow even to his own ears.

Blake walks into the jungle. Jaune can’t follow.

His shield tarnishes, Pyrrha’s metal going from gold, to bronze, to rust. Jaune blinks and days pass. The suns whip across the heavens as he sits in one place.

His hair is past his shoulders. He’s no longer certain that RWBY aren’t real.

It’s midday and Jaune lays sprawled on the beach, one arm over his eyes, blocking the suns. He’s too tired to remove his armor even if the rust let him. What’s the point of moving if nothing ever changes?

“I’m boiling alive out here,” he groans. He feels weak and floaty, his brain not quite tethered to his body. “Did we make it to Vacuo?”

Weiss smiles down at him, flawless and silent as ever. The humidity doesn’t touch her, even as Jaune burns alive.

“Yeah,” he agrees. His head flops onto the sand. “I never thought I’d miss Solitas.”

Weiss walks into the jungle. Jaune can’t follow.

“How do you deal with this?” he whines, voice like a child even as time weathers his features. He’s battling with tangles in his ever lengthening hair, glaring at Yang’s perfectly coiffed curls as he does so.

Yang smiles at him, eyes empty. She reminds him so much of his sisters, in temperament as well as looks.

“Just stand there, sure,” he grumbles, combing his hair out with his fingers. Why won’t she just help him? Why won’t any of them just help him?!

Yang walks into the jungle. Jaune can’t follow.

His muscles are weighed down by new armor and the weight of years. Crescent Rose is found and tucked safely away. And there, as if she felt her weapon’s call, stands Ruby in his doorway.

“I found it,” he says, voice cracking. She smiles at him, her eyes as unfeeling as the metal of their name. “I finally found Crescent Rose!”

His armor is rusted so that he can barely move, Penny’s blood on his sword has damaged the shattered blade beyond all recovery. But Crescent Rose is perfect.

Jaune is broken, rusting, corroding away mind and body and soul. And before him Ruby stands. With that damned smile on her face.

“Can I leave? Please, I found it can I just-” Jaune doesn’t know who he’s talking to anymore. His friends that can walk away while he’s forced to wait behind? That charge forward into a place they know he can’t follow?

Or himself. The idiot coward failure of a hero who can’t seem even die properly.

Ruby smiles at him.

“I know, I know,” Jaune sighs. He turns his gaze back to the ocean. “I can’t follow any of you anyway.” His voice sounds like his father’s, like his grandfather’s. How long has he been on this beach, waiting?

Unable to just move on?

Ruby turns and walks into the jungle. For once, he doesn’t watch her leave.

Because Jaune is watching the sky above him, hand out stretched, to where two meteors of cool blue fire streak across flawless moon.

#rwby #jaune arc #ruby rose #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #anonymous #mine #my writing #rwby volume 9 #rwby spoilers

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the-cookie-of-doom · 4 months

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sooooo..... thoughts on Mike/Peem from He She It? 👀👀👀

So. Mike and Peem. First thing’s first: Mike is a terrible person. I don’t care. I’m 100% a Mike apologist, and to that end, Peem is not entirely innocent. He’s the one sleeping with the guy who’s already in a public relationship. Now, the responsibility for that lies solely with Mike!! Peem doesn’t owe Pear any loyalty. However, going after someone in a relationship is a sleazy thing to do. Though there is that interesting moral gray area of, “Yeah he’s cheating on his girlfriend, but only because he’s super repressed and closeted, so it doesn’t count if he’s exploring his sexuality,” which is usually used to make an otherwise shitty character more sympathetic. Your mileage may vary here. Cheating is cheating; if Mike was worried about anyone finding out, he could have broken up with Pear and just kept seeing Peem in secret. He had options. But personally, I do think it’s an interesting character motive; it’s messy! All of them are! The only person in this entire cast who isn’t a fucking disaster, is Pear herself. Girl did not deserve all of that.

So, all of that aside, I love Mike and Peem’s mutually assured destruction thing they’ve got going on. Because Peem knows/believes Mike doesn’t love him, but loves Mike anyway, and Mike has to know they were always going to be caught eventually. There’s no way to hide the fact you’re sleeping with your best friend forever. And because he refused to just break up with Pear, there was always going to be incredible fallout from the eventual discovery.

The acting teacher at the beginning aid: “In the real world, we don’t know who is acting. Sometimes, in the world of performing, we don’t know who’s real. Sometimes we can’t tell them apart at all.”

Combine the fact that when Mike pulled Peem into the pool the first time, he started to drown. Mike immediately jumped in to save him, and when pressed, Peem says he was just acting. Implied: trying to get attention. He’s hurt; he’s feeling rejected by Mike, then they had a heart to heart where Mike gives in to him a little, and Mike literally saved his life. Peem is feeling vulnerable. It’s easier to let Mike believe he just wanted attention in a superficial kind of way, than to face the deeper emotions he’s feeling in this scene. Probably because he knows Mike won’t be able to meet him halfway, but he knows Mike likes feeling wanted. He can handle Peem being sad and rejected—he can’t handle Peem’s heartbreak, or any implication that Peem is in this for more than easy sex. Which is likely what Mike is telling himself he wants; he’s in complete denial of both his sexuality and his feelings for Peem.

So: we have already established that Peem told Mike he faked the drowning. What was a funny/cute moment between them becomes tragic when Mike pushes Peem into the pool again, remembers this incident, and decides to walk away rather than save Peem again. They’re in the middle of a heated fight, Mike feels like his world is ending, and he sees this as Peem’s attempt to keep him from leaving, which only pisses him off more. But he truly believes Peem can swim; this was an accident, not a murder. As horrible as Mike’s actions are, he’s a scared kid at heart; if he had any idea Peem was going to die that night, as angry as he was, I think he would have saved him. As much as he was denying his feelings, Peem was still his lover, and before that, his best friend. He wouldn’t have intentionally left him to die. That’s what makes it so tragic. Things didn’t have to happen this way, but a domino effect from the very beginning meant they were doomed to end up here.

I'm just. So !!! About these two. I've had a fic idea rolling in the back of my mind ever since I saw it with a Bad Ending where Mike drowns, wrapping the story up where it starts. Peem is there, and it's left ambiguous whether Mike drowns himself, or Peem does, or if it was just another tragic accident. But whatever happens, Peem is there. He forgives him. It's going to be okay. Mike has already lost everything, now they can finally be together, without anything or anyone else standing in between them.

#cookie speaks #he she it #i loved fucked up characters #this is also not the meta #i've got 4 posts coming in a minute #just editing #bc i finished writing at like 330am lol

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a-dauntless-daffodil · 6 months

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ooh can i ask what story the girl turning into the spider is from? it sounds sweet!

oh uh... it's sweet in the sense that, even though pretty much everything goes wrong, some things still go right?

Tavra (spider girl) is a very stoic, somewhat blunt and socially awkward, generally grim, only ever laughs bitterly but will gently stroke your cheek and remind you to keep moving forward main supporting character in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance YA books written by J.M. Lee. (mostly in the third one, tides of the dark crystal) (SPOILERS) She's... kinda like the older sister figure / adopted mom / eventual one half of fav OTP to the three point of view characters? Her whole thing is being ready to sacrifice herself and her happiness for the sake of saving people, enduring pain without flinching even while telling others to be careful, repeatedly almost dying and smiling about it....

....except that she really, really, REALLY wants to see her girlfriend again, too. Especially after kinda sorta dying and getting spider-ed.

Her uncharacteristic rashness and nervousness when showing herself to Onica- and Onica's zero hesitation to reach out to the small spider that sounds like Tavra- is the first clue these two are A Thing.

They've been a thing for a loooong while. A forbidden secret romance kinda thing.

Onica turns out to be outwardly the sun to Tavra's cloudy day, except she's actually still VERY angry at Mayrin (Tavra's mother) for being a jerk, and VERY bitter over how Mayrin treated Tavra over their relationship- and while Tavra tries making excuses for her mom the best she can come up with in the end is a damningly faint "that was a long time ago". Which. Well.

Anyway, up till now Tavra has always taken on the role the Experienced And Steady Advisor and Guardian to her new younger friends, but once she's back on Onica's ship (Onica is a single crew sailing ship captain able to dream of things happening far away have i mentioned that?) Tavra starts finally relaxing enough to show some of the stresses she's been under lately, even going off and 'mope' when her attempt at teaching one young friend how not to get killed with a sword goes badly.

(moping is described as Tavra "just being Tavra") (her kinda new little sister is the one saying this) (Tavra can be recognized in any form by her dower frown) (especially funny when Onica is constantly described as laughing and chuckling and wearing a mysterious smile)

So blah blah blah, Onica is a the good kind of terrifying and almost dies, Tavra saves her via the power of gay flashbacks with the help of their new number 1 shipper-

Then Onica's bestie, who is in huge awe of Tavra, tries to push a traumatized depressed disabled woman in the body of a spider into leading all their people in revolution bc she'd be ideal for it- and Onica very pointed says that you can't help others if you don't take time to help yourself before going off to presumably snuggle her sad spider gf.

The two are last seen in the books as Tavra's sorta adopted teen son Kylan-

(who turned her into a spider to save while committing murder despite generally being a pacific presumably bc of the trauma of watch his birth parents get snatched away by murders as a child)

-decides to look at some runes, and Tavra says she and Onica will stay with him.

So. Tavra never gets her old body back, and her mom is murdered, and part of her soul is drained and eaten, and her sisters probably think she's dead- but she also does not die. By the end of the story she is happy with the family she has found, and finally fulfilling her and Onica's promise to someday live their lives as one.

Oh did i mention there's a parallel between her and Onica's secret forbidden romance and the more tragic example that kicks of the whole story?

Did i mention Onica calls Tavra "my love"?

And Tavra was a swordswoman before becoming a spider?

I don't know if you wanted or needed all this info and I don't care, there will never be enough stuff about these two written but by gods i will take ever chance to scream about them

And that's how my arachnophobia was cured!!!

#tavonica #tavra #onica #age of resistance books #the dark crystal #rant #your honor i love them

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chans-room · 7 months

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✂️ Spookyfest Presents ✂️

BTOB in Nightmare on Elm Street

Cast List:

Tina - Yook Sungjae

Bestie vibes fr. Caring and sweet and gone too soon but never forgotten.

Rod - Lee Hyunsik

Oof poor guy. Sees his girlfriend get killed then flees, gets accused of murder, and dies in custody. Rip my guy, he deserved better.

Don - Shin Peniel

Is it bad to say he has closed off cop dad vibes? Bc he absolutely does lmao. Lowkey unwilling to listen to other people who are trying to convince him that his perception of things is not accurate like Freddy not being dead lol

Marge - Lee Changsub

I feel like he would be someone who’s consumed by guilt after knowing they were a bystander/participated in a murder. Also feel like he’d be skeptical enough to still be afraid of Freddy after his alleged death.

Glen - Seo Eunkwang

I was so close to putting Minhyuk as Glen but let’s be real. Eunkwang has the perfect himbo vibes that Glen does and I will take no criticism. He’s hot and dies tragically; but would be a good boyfriend. Also 10/10 wanna see him in a crop top like 😮‍💨

Nancy - Lee Minhyuk

Final girl written all over. Endearing and good hearted, wants to uncover the truth and save his friends but unfortunately fails to save anyone. Tried his absolute best tho and tbh that’s all we can ask for.

Freddy - Jung Ilhoon

This might be a hot take but I think Ilhoon has the sheer determination to repeatedly resurrect himself in order to fuck up some children.

spookyfest babes: @kiestrokes @eureka-its-zico @j-a-nuary @minisugakoobies @minttangerines @chimivx

#spookyfest #btob #btob headcanons #btob Halloween #btob as nightmare on elm street #kpop halloween #btob edit #nightmare on elm street #kpop as horror movies #btob as horror movie

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pcvrlys · 21 days

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Name: Kian Isaac Lawson

Faceclaim: Chace Crawford

Gender & Pronouns: CIS-man & he/him

Age: 37

Birthday: December, 8th, 1986

Occupation: Owner of Finishing Touches

Neighborhood: Midtown

Does your character have a secret? No.

Biography

tw: mentions of cancer, character death and heart attack

Kian Lawson was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on December 8th, 1986. As the oldest of four children, he always felt responsible to take care of his younger sisters Olivia, Paige, and Charlotte. His parents Simon and Jessica owned a local hardware store—Finishing Touches, which had been in their family for generations. From a young age, he loved spending time at the store with his dad, learning the ropes of the family business. Even after a tragic event when Kian was 7 years old involving the murder of the town's mayor, he still loved Wilmington and considered it his home.

He became best friends with Amos De Leon in elementary school and their families became close because of it. The two boys bonded over having multiple younger sisters along with their love for sports. In high school, Kian was an athlete who played on the school's baseball and football teams. He was well-liked by his classmates and while he made average grades, being a jock made him the popular kid in school. When it came time for college, Kian decided to stay local and attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He studied Environmental Science and continued living at home throughout his college years.

Shortly after starting at UNCW, he met a beautiful, kindhearted girl named Diana Johnson. The two quickly fell in love and began dating. Kian was convinced he had met his soulmate. Diana was everything he could have wanted in a partner. Tragically, just six months into their relationship, Diana started experiencing severe stomach pains. After many tests, she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. Given less than a year to live, he was devastated but vowed to make Diana's remaining time as special as possible. Because he loved her so deeply, they made the decision to get married. She fought hard but only lived for ten more months before sadly passing away. It broke his heart, losing the woman he considered his one true love. He became withdrawn for a long time, swearing to never open himself up to that kind of hurt again.

During senior year of college, tragedy struck once more when his dad, Simon suffered a major heart attack. For a while it was uncertain if he would recover. Thankfully, he pulled through, but his heart would remain permanently weakened. Knowing his dad's health was now precarious, he decided not to pursue job opportunities away from Wilmington after graduation.

Now at 37, Kian runs Finishing Touches—just as his father and grandfather did before him. This frustrated Simon, who always hoped his only son would aim higher and leave Wilmington behind. But Kian felt strongly that this was where he belonged. Running the family store allowed him to help care for his parents and keep an eye on his dad's health. He also enjoyed giving back to the community that shaped him. Wilmington was home, and he wanted to see it restored to the vibrant place he remembers from childhood.

tl;dr

Kian grew up in Wilmington as the responsible oldest of four kids. He loved spending time at his family's hardware store and considered Wilmington his home despite tragedy. In school he was a popular athlete who fell in love with his college girlfriend, Diana. After she died of cancer shortly after their marriage, he became closed off. He gave up opportunities to take over the family business to care for his sick dad. Now at 37, he runs the store to give back to his hometown.

Wanted Connections

Best Friend: They met in elementary school and have always had each other's back. Amos knows everything about Kian and have dropped everything despite his busy schedule to be there for Kian. Amos De Leon.

Friends: -

Enemies: Maybe someone that he might have pissed off because boy is grumpy as hell.

Volunteering: He volunteers for the big brother program and the food bank.

Neighbor(s): -

#wnc.intro #intro: kian hughes

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the-sun-and-the-sea · 2 years

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TBOSAS Thoughts (Chapters 28-30, +Epilogue)

Coriolanus grapples with the moral aftermath of potentially turning Sejanus in via the jabberjays. This is one of those moments where I really feel like his morality is taking a turn for the worse. Although he doesn’t want Sejanus to actually die (he even tries to convince himself that outcome is unlikely, to assuage his guilt), he still had no problem betraying his best friend.

Another thing I found interesting this chapter was the rebels’ plan to leave Panem and go ‘up north’ where there are no districts or Capitol. I wonder if there ever were people up there, and if so, are they still there by the events in the original trilogy? I feel like someone should write a fic about that because I’d love to read it.

At the Covey’s weekly performance at the Hob, Coriolanus keeps a close eye on Sejanus in hopes of catching him working with the rebels. He finds Sejanus and a man named Spruce working to collect guns and supplies for their mission. However, plans are derailed by the arrival of Billy Taupe and Mayfair (the mayor’s daughter who is dating Billy Taupe).

Coriolanus is concerned that Mayfair, who is not part of the rebel plan, will go tell her father everything she saw, including everyone who was involved. Naturally, he’s concerned that he’ll get busted for working with the rebels. Instead of taking the time to talk or think out a rational solution, he just grabs a gun and kills Mayfair. Just like that. No hesitation. He reasons that it was self defense because he’s saving himself from a potential hanging. He compares it to killing Bobbin in the arena, although he says this kill is easier.

I don’t think the audience is supposed to see it that way, though. By now, it’s made very clear that Coriolanus is a dangerous person. His ambition and self-serving nature only serve to make him more of a threat to anyone who disagrees with him.

He spends the next few days paranoid that he’ll be arrested for the murder of Mayfair, but it never happens. Instead, they just arrest Sejanus. At first, Coriolanus thinks that this will be a good wake-up call for Sejanus. But then he learns that Sejanus isn’t going to be spending time in jail, he’s going to be executed for treason.

Coriolanus actually does start to feel guilty here, especially as he watches it happen. The execution hurt more to read this time than last, for some reason. Sejanus deserved so much better, and what happened to him was truly tragic.

In chapter 29, Coriolanus grapples with his feelings about Sejanus’ death. He admits that he was the one to kill Sejanus, but rationalizes his decision by saying that it had to be done, and that Sejanus was on a self destructive path anyway. By this point in the book, it’s made very clear that Coriolanus has a skewed moral compass.

His biggest concern, though, is that he will be arrested and charged with Mayfair’s murder. However, when the commander calls Coriolanus to his office, he only expresses his sympathy to Coriolanus and his gratitude at the sacrifice he made in turning Sejanus in. Coriolanus tells the commander that he and Sejanus were “like brothers” (because he only pretends to like Sejanus when he can get something out of it, as we know) which earns him more sympathy points. This whole scene is just infuriating. He just never faces any consequences.

Coriolanus sees Lucy Gray again when the Covey performs at the commander’s birthday party. Their relationship looks as stable as it’s ever been (at least from Lucy Gray’s pov) because Coriolanus doesn’t tell her that he turned Sejanus in. He thinks trust is important and also recognizes that his girlfriend values trust above all else, and yet he lies to her like every chapter.

Anyway, he and Lucy Gray make a plan to meet at the hanging tree and run away somewhere ‘up north,’ where Sejanus was going to go with the rebels. However, before Coriolanus can meet Lucy Gray, he learns that he has passed the test to begin training to become an officer.

Chapter 30 begins with his initial excitement and pride about this new development in his Peacekeeper career, but it’s tinged with regret because Coriolanus knows he promised to meet Lucy Gray at the hanging tree so they can run away together. He decides to follow through on his plan with Lucy Gray and they run to the woods.

It’s here that Coriolanus realizes that he really, really hates the woods. He even says that it would be easier if he wasn’t “such an exceptional person.” That part always makes me laugh because the entitlement is so prominent.

As they’re talking in the woods, it becomes increasingly clearer that Coriolanus and Lucy Gray are incompatible. I really like this slow build of tension. It’s gradual until Coriolanus realizes that Lucy Gray knows he’s the one who killed Sejanus, and then he decides that she must be eliminated. Like, the change is instantaneous. It’s absolutely wild how his mind works, but an incredibly fascinating read.

After some deliberating, Coriolanus tries to kill Lucy Gray. But due to the rain and the mockingjays, he’s unable to tell if he actually shot her or not. I really like Lucy Gray’s real life ending paralleling the ending of her song; I think it’s so poetic and beautiful. Personally, I don’t try to fill in the gaps of what happened to her. I like the mystery.

Another small detail that I wanted to point out is when Coriolanus gets back to the Peacekeeper base, he realizes that the rose powder from his mother’s compact has been damaged by the rain, so he throws it away. I really love this subtle symbolic representation of Coriolanus leaving his childhood behind. Conversely, the only thing that did survive the rain was his father’s compass, symbolizing the fact that he would take on his father’s traits in his adult life.

The chapter ends with Coriolanus returning to the Capitol and learning that he was never meant to be a Peacekeeper in the first place; Dr. Gaul only meant to keep him there for the summer until he could start college classes in the fall. If this were any other protagonist, we’d be happy with this ending and glad our hero triumphed. But here, we know that Coriolanus is no hero, and the fact that he has no consequences for his actions just ends up feeling very unsatisfying, which it’s supposed to.

One of the most striking things about the epilogue is that our main character isn’t referred to ‘Coriolanus’ anymore, he’s referred only by his last name, Snow. He feels more like the tyrannical president we know now. I really like how this was done so I just wanted to mention it.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the epilogue is that Snow is basically adopted by the Plinths and lives off their money. Even though he killed Sejanus, they treat him like a son because they don’t know the truth, and of course he lets them. It’s absolutely infuriating and it makes the tragedy of Sejanus’ outcome hit harder.

We also learn that he bans shows at the Hob in District 12, which is so unnecessarily petty and totally sucks, because now the Covey has no way of making money. I just wanted to mention it because it felt so unjust.

His last action of the book is to take yet another life by poisoning Dean Highbottom. We know from the original trilogy that Snow poisons his enemies and makes it look like an accident, so this action just seals the deal on what person he is becoming.

I’m going to take a second to talk about my overall thoughts after the reread, then I’ll be done. Overall, I’m glad I did this reread and I found it very fascinating to go back and relive these moments. I think I got more out of the book this time than the first time. However, I will say that this is a hard book to reread. It can be difficult to get through some parts when you already know what’s coming. It feels like a very dense book and I probably won’t read it again for a while, even though I think the book is good.

For these last chapters, I listened to I’ll Sell You For a Song, Pure as the Driven Snow, and The Hanging Tree. Here’s a link to the full playlist in case you want to listen to all the songs again.

Thank you so much for reading my thoughts for the past ten weeks! Feel free to reblog this post or send an ask if you want to chat about the book. <3

#I can't believe we're done with the book #thanks to everyone who's been reading these posts #I appreciate you all sticking with me #tbosas reread #tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #thg #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #sejanus plinth

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pip-fitz-amobis · 10 months

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no bc spiderman is such a tragic character and i will never be able to stop thinking about it. like you have the best girlfriend ever, the whole world looks up to you and everything is going great then some random ass blue energy guy and some goblin guy kill your girlfriend by making her fall to her death and you’re just about to save her but you don’t and you fall into such a deep depression and find yourself unable to be spiderman for months LIKE MY G ARE YOU OKAY

and then you witness it all over again in an alternate universe and you just save this poor young girl bc her actual boyfriend can’t and then you start crying your fucking eyes out bc you’re reminded of what you could’ve had with gwen LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO RECOVER

and then you’ve got toms spiderman like

his life is good and hes got the girl he likes and then FUCKING JAKE GYLLENHAAL RUINS IT THE LITTLE SHIT and then he gets FRAMED FOR MURDER and the entire world hates him and he can’t get into any uni bc of “recent controversy” and his best friend and girlfriend suffer the same consequence for WHAT??

and then he went to a magical wizard doctor (as any normal human would ofc) to just fix it but of course hes an adhd idiot and forces magical wizard guy to change the spell 6 times which causes a tear in the multiverse and all the other villains from the other spidermans came along and he had to fight all of them while the entire world hated him and find out there were OTHER VERSIONS OF HIMSELF and then HIS FUCKING AUNT DIES and then HE GETS ERASED FROM EXISTENCE AND BC OF THE AFFORMENTIONED SPELL CANT SAY I LOVE YOU BACK TO HIS GIRLFRIEND BC IF HE DID SHED BE LIKE “who tf are you get out” AND HE SEES HIS BEST FRIEND AND HIS GIRLFRIEND SO HAPPY WITHOUT HIM AND HE CANT EVEN MAKE THEM REMEMBER BC HE DOESNT WANNA BE A BURDEN AND HE CANT DO ANYTHING BC NOBODY KNOWS HE EXISTS

someone pls let my poor lil guy catch a break he’s been through too much

#spiderman #when it’s 12am and you just rewatched nwh again frfr

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gladerwolfstarkimagines · 3 years

Text

Imagine the Ember Island Players creating a romance between you and Zuko which hits a little too close to home

You sat beside Katara and noticed how Zuko sat on the other side of her. Aang faltered, obviously wanting to sit there and you smirked as Zuko obliviously missed Aang’s look. Zuko had been with the group a few weeks now but his social skills still weren’t very good and you found it made for some very interesting interactions. His attempt at telling jokes alone made you smile every time you saw him for a full week afterwards and you found Zuko did a lot of things that amused you but apparently not so much the others. “I was going to sit there” Aang whined and Zuko shrugged “so? Just sit next to me”. Aang pouted and you laughed to yourself “here” you said standing up “take my seat Aang” and you moved so he could sit beside Katara. Katara was oblivious and you sat on the other side of Zuko chuckling at Aang’s blush. “What was that all about?” Zuko asked and you smiled “ow nothing you just almost ruined Aang’s evening”. Zuko frowned and went to ask what you meant when the lights dimmed so you knocked his arm shaking your head “i’ll tell you later now shhh”. Zuko folded his arm huffily but stopped talking. The play was wonderfully awful. As you hadn’t joined the gang straight away you knew you had time to just enjoy the first few acts and make fun of the way they portrayed all your friends. Plus what could they do to your character? You didn’t have any old flames like Katara or Sokka and you didn’t have an emotional backstory like Zuko or Aang. So you relaxed arms spread over the back of the bench and waited for *yourself* to make an appearance.

The second your actress walked on stage you knew it wouldn’t be good. They had your character all wrong! Your actress flirted with everyone and acted like a lovesick idiot. You didn’t think it could get much worse and then your character met Zuko’s.

“I’ll save you from the pirates” Zuko’s character purred to yours and you spluttered. “That...that wasn’t even me! That was Katara!” you whispered angrily. You looked to Zuko for confirmation who nodded “yeah I didn’t say that to you...and I certainly didn’t tie you up while staring at you like that”. “And I did not flirt with you like that either”. You both glared as your characters bonded and they actually invented Zuko letting you go voluntarily. As Zuko’s character stared off into the distance and said your name you heard Sokka and Suki wheezing from laughter while you simmered with anger and embarrassment. “I didn’t do that!” Zuko cried and you saw he was blushing vividly. That made you blush too and crossed your arms tightly “they better not stick with this theme”.

Of course they did. By the time act 3 had ended you and Zuko were living a star crossed lovers lifestyle in Ba Sing Sei. They again got you mixed up with Katara and said Azula kidnapped you to lure Zuko to the Earth King’s palace. The act ended with Zuko charging in to save you, offering his own life in exchange for yours, but Azula outmanoeuvred him and arrested him too. As the lights went up for intermission you and Zuko paused before exploding.

“That never even happened!”.

“I knew he was in Ba Sing Sei but we never went on a date”.

“Yeah that was a different girl”.

“And you did not fight with Jet over me”.

“I didn’t even know you knew Jet!” Zuko agreed and you both paused for air.

The gang all looked at each other before bursting into laughter. “What is so funny?” you cried and Sokka smiled. “We all know none of that stuff happened, we were there too remember?”. “Yeah so...can’t we rant?” you asked. “Well yeah but why get so mad about it? Are you trying to convince us or yourselves that the idea the two you flirted is so impossible?”. You and Zuko exploded again at the thought and Sokka and the others burst into laughter again. “All i’m saying is this is a lot of emotion to come from nowhere” Sokka smiled “now i’m going backstage so yell at each other or something” and he disappeared with Suki. Katara and Toph left for snacks and Aang went to the toilet leaving the two of you alone. “But i mean it is ridiculous” you muttered and Zuko nodded “utterly ridiculous”. “Sure we ended up together a few times” you shrugged “but that was completely by chance, it wasn’t like you were hyper-aware of me or vice versa”. “Yeah not at all” Zuko agreed but he wasn’t looking you in the eye for some reason. You stared at him confused and noticed his neck looked slightly red as if he was blushing. “Wait did you?” you asked suddenly “notice me more?”. Zuko looked up and he was indeed blushing deeply “what I....of course not! I never...I mean I did learn your name before anyone else’s but that’s because we spent that time together when I helped the pirates kidnap you and you wouldn’t shut up the whole night”. “Then why are you blushing so much?” you asked and Zuko shrugged “I don’t know I...it’s just them insinuating I like you. I’ve had it a lot”. “You have?” you asked amazed and Zuko nodded “when my uncle heard you’d seen me in Ba Sing Sei and that we’d reached a deal not to tell on one another he had this annoying smirk like i’d done it for any other reason besides the fact it was mutually beneficial. Then when I went back home Azula made it seem like me and you had a thing and Mai got jealous and started asking about you and I had to explain all our interactions and it was very awkward...she wanted me to reassure her by putting you down and making the idea seem impossible but I must have failed because she didn’t believe me. So I guess that’s why it makes me feel weird, everyone keeps telling me I act differently with you and I suppose I do but I have no idea if that’s because everyone keeps saying it or if I always have”. You nodded your head but were unsure what to say. “Well which one do you think it is?” you asked eventually and Zuko paused “what?”. “If you had to guess, would you say you act differently around me because of what people say about us or have you just always acted that way”. Zuko thought, staring at the ground and basically anywhere but at you, “i’m not sure but I guess maybe the second? They must have got it from somewhere I suppose”. “The second?” you asked surprised and Zuko’s blush returned vividly “I’m only guessing, I honestly don’t know”. You nodded your head and went to speak when the others returned which stopped you right in your tracks.

The second half of the play began of course with you and Zuko reuniting in the prison under Ba Sing Sei. You and Zuko did end up there together but you definitely did less staring at one another. You rolled your eyes as your characters began to passionately speak to one another stepping closer and closer. They finally reached one another and you laughed when your character began yelling at Zuko’s. “Ha maybe they got some things right!” you whispered to Zuko who nodded “you did yell at me a lot”. You smirked and went to apologise when Zuko’s character kissed yours. You and Zuko abruptly shot away from each other. “That is not even close to what happened!” you cried at the others who were all laughing. Zuko nodded “this is just slander! They didn’t even bother to try to get our characters right and anyone with half a brain would realise that!”. Someone shushed Zuko and he glared “shush yourself” he cried before storming from the room. He didn’t return for the rest of the play and honestly you thought that was probably wise. It got worse and worse. They still kept in Zuko’s betrayal of Iroh but changed it making you at the centre of Zuko’s struggle. He chose the crown and they made you react dramatically (even getting a love ballad moment). They then skipped forwards to Zuko at the palace, who got his own song when he realised he’d made the wrong choice. Your characters reunited not long after and promptly confessed their love for one another. Then you were both murdered by Ozai very much in line with the tragic forbidden lovers style.

“I mean I’m just glad she’s dead” you shrugged on your way out “anything to end that romance”. The others smirked when Aang paused “do you think Zuko went back home to the villa?” looking around for the angry fire prince. “No he knows we don’t know this place well, he’s probably just sat outside somewhere” you replied looking around but you couldn’t see him brooding anywhere either. When you walked out the front door and still didn’t spot him Aang frowned “okay everyone split up and look for him, meet back here in five minutes”.

You returned five minutes later to see Katara, Suki, Sokka and Toph all hadn’t found him either. “I wonder where he is” Katara frowned and you shrugged “he’ll be fine, that boy has nine lives”. “He didn’t in that play” Toph commented and you nodded. “True but that play was a mess and there’s one thing I still can’t get over. Zuko said his family and friends thought he liked me that’s where his side of this rumour started but in the play they acted like I encouraged him! Where on earth did they get that idea?”. The group all went quiet and you paused “what?”. “Well...I mean you kinda do encourage him” Sokka frowned and your jaw dropped “I DO NOT! When have I ever...”. “When we got kidnapped by the pirates you teased Zuko constantly and refused to be quiet until he spoke to you” Katara pointed out. “Yes but that was to annoy him not flirt with him!”. “Okay how about when June asked if you were his girlfriend and you replied he wishes instead of no?”. “I was joking” you shrugged and Toph smirked “or how about when I was sneaking out to see Zuko at the Western Air Temple and found you already on your way to see him? What were you popping in to see Zuko for huh y/n? Nice date by the campfire?”. “I was doing the same thing as you! I was going to see if he would tell the truth and given that I knew him best I thought I....”. The gang all erupted and you paused “what?”. “You know him best?” Sokka asked smirking and you nodded “that doesn’t mean anything it’s a fact”. “Ow is it?” Sokka asked and you nodded “It is! Fine if I don’t know him best what was his fake name in Ba Sing Sei?”. Everyone went quiet and you nodded “or how about how long ago he was banished from the fire nation? Better yet just tell me his parent’s names!” you cried. When nobody replied you smirked folding your arms victoriously “told you I know him best”. “Yeah you’ve definitely proved how much you know about Zuko” Suki smirked looking past you. You frowned before you heard someone behind you. You turned to see Aang had found Zuko and by the look on his face he’d heard everything. You blushed and looked down “Zuko we were...”. “Having a competition to see who knows me best?” Zuko asked mildly amused and you paused “well sort of...Sokka started it”. “No I didn’t” Sokka retorted “you declared you knew Zuko the best and when I asked if you were sure you started spouting your favourite facts about him”. “They’re not my favourite facts about him” you snapped and Sokka’s smirk just grew “whatever y/n” and he turned leading the way home. The others all followed and purposefully made it so you and Zuko were at the back. “Why were you talking about me anyway?” Zuko asked and you paused “ow nothing I was just er...trying to work out why the Ember Island Players thought I had a thing for you but the gang was not helpful”. “They couldn’t think of a reason?” Zuko asked innocently and you frowned “no they could actually think of lots of reasons, it appears similar to your family they were also under the impression I held a flame for you as it were”. “Ow really?” Zuko asked. He kept his voice flat but you could swear he was smirking slightly. “Stop enjoying this” you whined pushing him “it’s not funny, it’s embarrassing”. “Liking me is embarrassing?” Zuko asked and you paused “no I didn’t mean that, I just meant having all your friends claim you like someone when you can’t see it”. “You really can’t see where they’re coming from?” Zuko asked and you shook your head “nope not at all”. Zuko looked away and you frowned “I saw that, what did that look mean?”. “Nothing...” Zuko trailed off but you sighed grabbing him by the arm to make him look at you “I’m sick of everyone saying things about me for once just say it to my face!”. Zuko sighed “fine, I just think i’ve been honest with you but you’re not being honest with yourself”. “Not being honest?”. Zuko nodded “Yes, I admitted I could see where my family were coming from and how the rumours started but you’re acting as if they plucked them out of thin air!”. “Well maybe they did! I don’t see how any of our interactions could be interpreted as romantic”. Zuko didn’t look convinced. “You don’t think there’s some truth to what the Ember Island Players said? That maybe there is something here?” Zuko asked gesturing to the small gap between you. “No of course not! Do you?”. “No” Zuko yelled back and you nodded “fine! You are the most infuriating...” you started when Zuko grabbed you kissing you. You initially tensed at the sensation but soon melted into it. Zuko seemed to be trying to prove a point by kissing you passionately and not wanting him to win you kissed him back matching his intensity. Finally Zuko pulled away for air and stared at you “still not want to admit there’s something here?”. You stared at Zuko torn between admitting he was right and your pride. You were annoyed, frustrated, excited and exhilarated all at once. You were breathing rapidly, your cheeks bright red as were Zuko’s and neither of you made to move away. “I...” you started eventually “that was a good kiss”. Zuko nodded, his frustration melting away “it was, I enjoyed it...I’ve been wondering what it would feel like to kiss you for a while now”. “You have?” you asked and Zuko nodded “as annoying as it is to admit my family and friends were right, I like you and I have for a while”. You smiled despite yourself at how adorable Zuko looked all bashful and embarrassed. “I tried ignoring it for a while but then when I joined the group your friends all saw it straight away. Then tonight...the play was bad but I was frustrated that everyone seemed to see it apart from you the person I actually wanted to see it...you”. You looked down wondering how to reply “I’m sorry I bet that was really frustrating”. Zuko nodded “It was and I figured this was just one-sided but that...did you feel it too?”. Zuko looked so unsure and unlike himself it was endearing and gave you confidence. “Yes” you said shakily “after that kiss I can tell you it is definitely not one-sided. I like you too Zuko and probably have since the start”. “Probably?” Zuko asked and you sighed “I’m not good with my emotions, I can be oblivious to them so I can’t with certainty tell you it’s been going on as long as the play made it out to be but I know I like you. Right now in this moment...I hope that’s enough, I know it’s a shit confession and you probably wanted something more solid but I...”. Zuko began laughing and you paused “what’s so funny?”. “Something more solid? Y/n I’m on the run from the Firelord who is my father, my sister is hunting me to kill me and I could very likely be imprisoned for the rest of my life if Aang fails and that’s if i’m lucky...I’m not even sure if I have a future so trust me all I need is the present. To know in this moment right here you like me back” Zuko blushed but he stepped closer and took your hands “that’s more than enough for me”. “It is?” you asked and Zuko nodded “yes and if by some chance it becomes more long-term I’ll be very happy but for now I just want to enjoy this time with you”. You smiled and leant in to kiss Zuko again when someone coughed. “Hey what are you two doing?” Sokka called. Apparently the others had finally realised the two of you were no longer with the group and walked back to find the two of you as you currently were. Luckily it was dark so you moved away from Zuko but still held his hand. “Yeah we thought you’d gotten lost are you okay?” Katara called. Zuko sighed and you smirked at his expression. “We’re fine” you smiled “we were just talking and Zuko’s going to show me this beach he went to a lot as a kid”. Zuko’s eyes shot up to yours and he smiled. “You are?” Aang asked and Zuko nodded “yep, it’s not far from here so we won’t be long. You guys head back to the villa and we’ll meet you there” and with that Zuko tugged you away from the others. You smiled at Zuko and he smiled back at you “quick thinking, I didn’t think we’d get out of there so easily”. “You can thank me later” you replied when you heard Sokka gasp “wait are they holding hands? Y/n are you holding hands?”. “Run!” Zuko cried and you laughed but did as he said. You kept running even after Sokka’s voice trailed off and only stopped when you reached a sandy beach. You both collapsed on the ground and you turned to look at Zuko “did you know this was here or did you get lucky?”. “Totally the former” he smiled and you shook your head “you’re lucky I like you”. “I really am” Zuko agreed and he stared at your face tenderly. His fingers brushed your cheek and you smiled “what are you waiting for?”. “I have no idea” Zuko admitted and he leant in to reclaim the lost kiss from earlier. This time you weren’t interrupted.

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mahvericks · 2 years

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Summary; dating Layla El-Faouly would include

Warnings; moon knight spoilers up to ep 5, mention of death/murder, tried to keep myself from going full steven and ramble about ancient egypt, reader’s job isn’t explicitly said but is related to ancient egypt ( or more vaguely history )

I’m rusty tbf I haven’t written in months but moon knight made me want to get back on it <3 kinda thinking of writing for steven and marc too tbh i love them so much

____

• Layla and you met through your shared passion for ancient egypt, you were visiting a museum that was exposing some ancient egyptian artifacts for your job.

�� Layla happened to visit the museum at the same time and you met when you both stopped in front of the bust of Nefertiti to admire it.

• You sighed, saying how you wished the bust was where it belonged- in Egypt.

• That’s how Layla and you started talking, agreeing over the facts that all of the stolen and looted artifacts deserved to be brought back in Egypt.

• Before leaving the museum, you exchanged your numbers but didn’t think much of it until Layla texted you the next day asking you on a date.

• After a few dates, she told you her situation, that she was married but separated and was asking for a divorce.

• At that point, your relationship with Layla wasn’t official and you were glad that she trusted you enough to tell you the truth instead of hiding it from you.

• In all honesty, your relationship would near the perfection, of course there might be a little fight here or there, but they are extremely rare.

• When one of you disagree with something, you most likely will sort it out in the next hour at most.

• You two would often geek out about ancient egypt together- sharing the same passion as your partner is definitely one of the best thing in the world.

• Layla would definitely cook some egyptian meals for you and would promise you to take you there one day!

• Her telling you about the tragic faith of her father and always being supportive of her whenever she brings it up.

• At some point, you guys probably got a matching jewelry like a matching bracelet or a necklace that is only complete when the two parts are reunited.

• It’s kind of cheesy, but when one of you is away for work, it makes it a tiny bit easier.

• When she told you she had to go to London because that’s where her still husband was, you insisted to go with her- you didn’t want her to face a part of her past alone.

• To say the least, it didn’t go as planned- her husband who was supposed to be called Marc was now called Steven and was apparently working as a gift-shopper in a museum.

• And that’s how Layla and you got involved in Marc and Steven’s mess- his enemies were also after the two of you.

• You didn’t expect that this would be the reason you would finally go to Egypt, you sadly didn’t get to see much of the country, or even the city as everything went quickly.

• After meeting with one of Layla’s “friends”, you got pulled into a fight, and while Marc took care of almost all of them, Harrow still got what he wanted.

• Going inside Ammit’s tomb with Layla and Steven to get Ammit’s ushabti and you couldn’t lie- the three of you were an amazing trio and Steven was really funny.

• However, the somewhat light mood quickly switched when you got to a room where some sort of rituals were going on and encountered a supernatural creature of some sort.

• So far, this was the scariest encounter- and experience of your whole life.

• Layla and you got separated from Steven as the two of you had to run from your life- and almost dying in the process.

• After Harrow’s little speech and revelation about Layla’s father true fate, you were more angry at Harrow than Marc- he was trying to divide the three of you and it was amazingly working.

• That being said, you ached for your girlfriend, understanding her pain and anger, however there were two sides of the story and as long as you didn’t hear Marc’s truth, you couldn’t believe Harrow.

• When you finally got reunited with Steven, Layla wanted to know the truth and when Marc took over, he barely had the time to explain himself that Layla and you had to hide- seconds later, you both saw Marc getting shot twice in the chest.

• You wanted to believe that Marc and Steven weren’t gone, that they were still alive but you had to face the reality that without Khonshu, the chances of them surviving were incredibly low.

#layla el faouly #layla el faouly x reader #layla el faouly imagine #moon knight #moon knight x reader #moon knight imagine #marvel x reader #mcu x reader #wlw imagine #headcanon #dating would include

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laequiem · 2 years

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Cheek to Cheek in Hell - Chapter 13

Fandom: The Folk of the Air

Pairing: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar

Rating: explicit

Word count: 5,267

Not for the first time, I am reminded of how dangerous Cardan’s ability to charm people is. I suppose he'd call it making friends, but history has proved that he does not always pick the best people as friends. Still, I cannot complain about this skill as we sit in Maureen’s apartment, watching some stupid reality show on her TV. And if Cardan’s arm sits nonchalantly around my shoulders in a casual pose, well, it’s only to justify my presence here as his assumed girlfriend.

fanfiction masterlist • ao3

Chapter 12 • next chapter • Cheek to Cheek masterpost

Chapter 13

Jude POV

Still, I cannot complain about this skill as we sit in Maureen’s apartment, watching some stupid reality show on her TV. And if Cardan’s arm sits nonchalantly around my shoulders in a casual pose, well, it’s only to justify my presence here as his assumed girlfriend.

He took interest in the show surprisingly fast. I expected him to think it was stupid and beneath him, but he quickly started yelling at contestants and debating with Maureen about who was the best match for whom. Instead, I’m the one unable to let myself go. A girl crying about her not-boyfriend making out with another girl just doesn’t feel that tragic to me, so I watch mostly in silence.

During an ad-break, Cardan gets up to fill his drink and Maureen grabs her phone, scrolling through her social media.

“Did you find a job yet, Eva?” Maureen asks.

I shake my head. “No. I’m not exactly the retail-type, so I have a hard time finding something without experience.”

“Yeah, it sucks,” she says. “Well, what are you good at?”

Sword fighting. Spying. Nothing that would really help me on this side of the ocean.

It’s Cardan who replies from the kitchen, “looking terrifying.”

Maureen snorts.

“A ringing endorsement from my boyfriend,” I mutter under my breath.

Cardan has heard me, because his eyes widen and a small smile tugs at his lips. Curse those pointy ears that hear everything. I look away.

“Well, it’s a start. What could that be helpful for—oh!” Maureen claps her hands together, smiling. “Have you considered being a security guard?”

——

My short time as a spy for Prince Dain has paid off, I realize, as I walk away from the interview with an offer and a new uniform to wear to work tomorrow. With a combination of lies and tweaked truths, I somehow tricked the interviewer into thinking I was qualified. Years of living around conniving fairies honed my skills at reading people, allowing me to know exactly what he expected from each question. My new boss now believes me to be an obedient employee, who follows procedures attentively. Cardan would laugh himself to death at the thought of someone considering me the picture of obedience, what with all my stubbornness and defiance.

I spend the next day—my first day of work—shadowing another employee to learn the basics. As far as jobs go, security is quite boring. We are not allowed to actually intervene when someone steals. We can interview them, but not touch them. If they run away, we cannot physically restrain them. We spend the day walking through the mall, backs straight, looking intimidating.

I can endure boredom. This kind of tedious life is what I would have, had Madoc not murdered my parents and taken us to Elfhame as children.

After a few days of training, I am left on my own. I work the night shift—starting as the retailers start closing shop, and finishing in the early morning. Because of this, Cardan and I rarely see each other back at the apartment. When I come home, he is asleep. I slip next to him and he curls around me, until he wakes up a few hours later to go to work.

From the glimpses I get of him, Cardan is adapting really well to the mortal world. Our bathroom is filling up with fancy shampoo, skin care products and makeup. Every paycheck, more of them appear, and Cardan’s face takes longer to put on in the morning. At night, before going to bed, he removes his makeup and my treacherous heart skips a beat when I see the boy underneath. Still my enemy, I remind myself. Still a jerk, still the boy who has spent most of our moments together hurting me. Even when I fold myself in his arms at night, I can’t forget the pain he has caused me, no matter how much of his own pain I can understand.

Perhaps it is for the best that we only have one day off in common. When we’re together, he tells me about the stupidity he witnesses and the college drama he hears secondhand from Maureen. It’s… fun. I look forward to our time together, but humanizing him is a slippery slope, and I can’t afford to let him hurt me again.

Days go by, and I receive my first paycheck. All the dull hours spent struggling not to fall asleep finally pay off when November 1st rolls around and we can actually afford to pay rent. Still, when my walkie-talkie screeches with the promise of some excitement to break the monotony, my blood starts pumping. Not enough to act stupidly, but just enough that I notice the uptick to my heartbeat.

Stairs are secure, someone says into the walkie-talkie.

Suspect ran from McNamara jewelry, but he’s still on the second floor. Police have been called, the boss says through the line

I listen to more details about the incident and my heart stutters. The robber—the armed robber—was in Cardan’s store. Cardan, who can’t shut his damned mouth. Cardan, who thinks of humans as inferior and might not fully grasp the danger of the situation.

Before the call came, I was patrolling the third floor. I lean over the fence, squinting as I look towards the store. I don’t see the robber, but I do see Cardan and Maureen talking with their boss. The old man gestures wildly, clearly panicked, and whatever he is saying has Cardan wincing.

I bolt before I can even think twice about it. I can’t let Cardan lose his job over this, not when he is flourishing from working there. There, on the landing opposite McNamara Jewelry, a hooded figure wearing all black darts into the staff corridor.

I let my instincts take over. After years of training under Madoc and the spy training I got before leaving Faerieland, it’s second-nature to leap over the fence and grab a banner hanging off the mezzanine. I slide down the banner, then use it to swing to the landing where I spotted the thief.

“What the fuck—” one of my coworkers blurts out, but I ignore them.

I land with a roll and get to my feet, then dart towards the corridor where the thief disappeared. At the end, I see the door to the emergency stairs closing.

I slam through the door and I see him, going down the stairs two at a time. Briefly, he looks back towards me.

“You can’t touch me!” he screams, voice cracking.

Any rules I have to follow have long left my brain. All I can think of is Cardan losing his job and having to go back to Elfhame, to an abusive brother and a potentially worse High King. I slide down the railing and slam right into the thief, sending him falling to the floor. I pin him face-down, one knee on either side of his body.

“I’ll sue you!” the kid screams, blood dripping down his nose. “You’re not allowed to touch me! You’re not the police.”

“Give me what you took,” I snarl.

“You’re batshit crazy,” he spits, his eyes wide with fear.

I get off him and he starts fumbling in his hoodie pocket, removing stacks of money and a couple necklaces. As he does, the door above slams open and my boss walks in.

“Ribeiro, my office,” he yells. Then, to the thief, “You’re coming too, the police should be here any minute.”

——

In one last power move before he inevitably fires me, my boss makes me wait outside his office as he talks with the robber. Two police officers walk in, and I wait as they talk some more. Eventually, they walk out with the robber in handcuffs. One of them shakes their head slightly as they pass by me.

“Ribeiro, come in,” my boss calls from inside his office.

I don’t bother sitting down. I assume this will be fairly quick.

“So,” he starts, giving a pause for emphasis. “He agreed not to press charges.”

He seems pleased with that. I bow my head slightly.

“Of course, you’re fired,” he continues. “I knew I shouldn’t have hired a woman. You’re too emotional.”

A muscle in my jaw twitches, but I keep my face emotionless, my stance subservient.

“I thought you had a good head on your shoulders, but I was wrong. Why did you do it? For that sissy at the jewelry store?”

I look away, shrugging. Everytime he opens his mouth, a jolt of rage sends my blood boiling. I stay quiet, refusing to prolong this, lest I lose my temper and jump him, too.

“We will send your last paycheck to your address,” he continues. “I’ll take back your gear, now.”

I hand back my belt and the walkie attached to it. I leave the office, dismissed, to find Cardan leaning against a wall, waiting for me. He rights himself, then rushes over. I must look terrible, because he looks worried. He looks me over, probably looking to see if I’m hurt, but finds nothing.

“They fired me,” I admit through clenched teeth, looking away from him.

One more thing he can add to the long list of my shortcomings. He can hold a job, but I can’t. Cardan cups my face, forcing me to look back at him.

“It’s their loss,” he replies, not a trace of mockery in his tone. Then, “I know exactly what you need.”

“Lessons on how to be human?” I snap back bitterly.

“Alcohol,” he answers, grinning.

How Cardan knows exactly where to find a liquor store, I have no idea, but we make our way two streets down from the mall and find one. As he walks in, he whistles.

“So much choice,” he says, too cheerful given the reason we’re here.

I let him peruse. In Elfhame, wine is the most prominent drink, made of a variety of different fruits. Mead is common, too. Anything stronger than that is usually smuggled from the mortal world. Though I have heard the terms thrown around before—vodka, gin, rum—, I don’t know what any of them mean, or how they taste.

Cardan fills his basket with bottles. I want to stop him, to tell him that he shouldn’t waste his money like that—but who am I to tell him what to do? Clearly, he adapts to this world better than I do. Clearly, he is doing something right, and I am not.

I join him when he goes to stand in line to pay. He must have at least seven bottles in his cart, if not ten. Hundreds of dollars worth.

When it’s his turn to pay, Cardan puts the bottles on the counter. The cashier raises an eyebrow, looks him up and down, then glances at me.

“I’ll need to see an ID,” the man says, tapping a sign stating ‘MUST BE OVER 21 TO BUY’.

Cardan straightens. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting to be questioned about his age. He bites his lip and looks at me quizzically. I know what he’s asking without even him saying it. What does it say about me, about us, that I can read him so well? What does it say about me that I nod and simply watch as he glamours an innocent man into doing his bidding?

“Surely you remember me coming here before,” Cardan drawls, his voice dripping with magic. “You joked that we had the same birthday, and said I looked so young for my age.”

“Yes—of course,” the cashier stammers.

I bite my lip, trying not to laugh as the cashier scans the bottles and hands the bag to Cardan.

“Until next time,” Cardan says, winking at the cashier.

As soon as we leave the store, I burst into laughter. Cardan looks at me, smiling wickedly.

“What?” he asks.

“You look so young,” I say, imitating his tone. “How old was that guy? 35? No one would buy that you’re 35.”

“I’ll let you know that I take great care of my skin,” he replies.

“I know. Your skincare routine has taken over all the counter space we have,” I remind him.

“I make sure to leave space for your 3-in-1 shampoo,” he says with disgust. It’s not the first time, or the last, that he points out my low effort grooming.

“I often forget how delicate you are,” I croon, “Poor little faerie boy.”

As we keep bickering on the walk back to the apartment, I almost forget why we’re about to get drunk.

——

Cardan sets his haul on our coffee table while I take out the plastic cups we use as drinking glasses. Seeing all the bottles line up, it’s clear to me that he picked only based on the label designs, not that I would know any better. Sourpuss, with its big snarling cat, some Amarula, Fireball and a bottle of rum with an octopus on the label. I reach for a bottle but Cardan grabs my wrist and tsks.

“Patience, dear Jude,” he says. “We need the proper ambiance.”

Cardan lets go of my wrist and, with a sleight of hand I did not think him capable of, the phone that was in my pocket moments before appears in his hand. With a few taps of his fingers, music erupts from the speaker.

I gape at him. I had no idea he could work a phone that well—I sure don’t know how to play music on a phone.

Seeing my expression, he explains, “We have to put on music in the store every morning. Not this kind of music, of course.” He flips the phone to face me, showing me a playlist named TOP50 POP SONGS. “I figured this would be more appropriate for our purposes.”

“And what are our purposes?” I ask.

With a flash of his sharp fae teeth, he pops the cork off a bottle. “Merriment,” he says before taking a swig.

When he puts the bottle of Sourpuss down, his face is pinched like he sucked on a lemon. He recovers quickly and, with practiced ease, lines up a dozen cups.

“So, this is what you do back home?” I ask as he pours about an inch of liquor in each cup. “You… drink while someone plays the fiddle in the background?”

“Part of it. Usually, we also find someone to spend the night with,” he drawls, his lips tugged up in a rakish smile.

“Too bad your choices are quite limited if it’s only the two of us,” I comment.

Cardan holds my stare and I see desire pool in the impossible darkness of his irises. Instead of taking my bait, he pushes a cup towards me.

“We play games. Though with only two players…” He picks up a cup for himself and contemplates the liquid inside as he thinks. “Have you ever played Never have I Ever?”

A memory surfaces. Vivienne, Taryn and I at a revel in Elfhame, my oldest sister drinking from a goblet of faerie wine while Taryn and I passed around a bottle of red wine smuggled from Maine. Vivi had wanted to play, but she quickly realized after a few rounds that Taryn and I were the worst possible players for that game. Every time Vivi listed something she had never done, Taryn and I just looked at each other awkwardly and shrugged. We were both virgins, neither of us had so much as kissed someone. Playing it with Cardan will sure be… interesting. I nod.

“Wonderful! I will start then,” he says, making a show of thinking. “Never have I ever lost a job.”

I flinch. The wound is way too fresh, but one look at Cardan’s Cheshire smile tells me that he did it on purpose. He wants me to drink, so he went straight for my throat. I raise my eyes to his and stare him down. I let him see not only the hurt in my eyes, but also the promise of retribution.

If he wants to play dirty, I will play dirty.

I grab the first cup and take a sip. Cardan laughs as my face scrunches up, tasting the sour liquid. When I put the cup back on the table, Cardan pushes it towards me again.

“The whole thing, my maidenly wastrel.”

I scowl at him and he only laughs harder. I lift the cup and drink all of it, the sour liquid making my eyes water, then burning my throat as the alcohol travels down.

“The first one is the hardest,” he says, and though he cannot lie, I do not believe him.

I wipe at my eyes, then say, “never have I ever gone to school intoxicated.”

“That’s all you have, Duarte? Come on,” Cardan drains his cup and immediately grabs another one. “Never have I ever kissed my sister’s lover.”

It’s like he has his statements prepared already. I try to put myself in the same mindset as him—he’s on the offensive and I need to start dealing hits, too. I drink my second cup.

“Never have I ever thrown someone in a river hoping to see them drown,” I croon.

I wait for him to drink, but he doesn’t. When I gesture for him to drink, he shrugs.

“I never wanted you to drown,” he says simply. Without giving me time to respond, he plays his hand. “Never have I ever killed one of Cardan’s friends.”

From the smirk on his face, he is really proud of that one. I should be wary that he’s trying to get me drunk, and yet… I am not. Perhaps it is because I know I can overpower him if he tries anything.

We keep going, back and forth. Cardan has done much more in his life that applies to a game such as this, but he knows exactly what to ask to make me drink. When we finish the first dozen cups that Cardan has poured, he opens another bottle and pours us another dozen. It’s the Amarula this time, and the creamy sweetness is definitely welcome after six shots of sour liquor.

“Never have I ever had sex with more than once person,” I slur after downing my shot smoothly.

Cardan looks as affected by the alcohol as I am, surprisingly. I expected him to have a higher tolerance, but it seems wine in Elfhame is quite different from this.

“At the same time, or in total?” he asks, bringing the cup to his face anyway.

I arch an eyebrow, “I believe you would drink either way.”

“That is not why I am asking,” he replies, suddenly earnest despite the upbeat music still blaring from the phone.

I roll my eyes. “In total.”

His face, already reddened by the alcohol, gets somehow redder. He looks away to hide it, but I saw it all the same.

“… I was your first?” he asks, daring a look back at me.

He’s so annoying. Of course he was, why is he acting so baffled?

“Drink,” I order.

By the time we’re halfway through this new batch, we’re both giggling at everything and we know more about each other than we would ever have shared without the alcohol. A mix of funny secrets and sad truths. Cardan shared that he left Nicasia when he caught her in his bed with Locke. I shared that I once punched a guy for trying to hit on me, which made him laugh hysterically. Cardan said he slept in the stables when he was younger and I laughed, picturing him blackout drunk and unable to find his way home—until he got really somber and said it was before he started drinking. So I shared the thought that has been plaguing me ever since we started living here, a vulnerability I would never share with him sober by fear that he would use it against me.

“I don’t belong here. You… Just like in Elfhame, you’re thriving here,” I feel angry tears well up, but I fight them. I blink hard, looking away. “I don’t know how to be human anymore. The worst part is, I don’t know how much of it is from growing up in Faerieland, and how much of it is just… me.”

I feel the couch dip under me, then the brush of his hand on my cheek as he sweeps my hair behind my shoulders.

“Humans don’t know what to do with you,” he says softly, his thumb tracing the curve of my ear as he cups my head.

“And faeries do?” I ask, barely more than a whisper.

He is the one who has always wanted me to leave Elfhame. He is the reason I feel like I don’t belong anywhere, because he has told me over and over again that I do not belong in the place I call home. Madoc might have forged me into a creature of violence, but Cardan was the fire that allowed him to mold me into shape.

“I do have a few ideas, though they are quite selfish,” he admits.

“Tell me,” I whisper.

His eyes search mine, and whatever he was going to say dies on his tongue. Instead, he pulls me to him and softly brushes his lips against mine, like it’s an answer in itself. I repay him in kind, parting my lips and allowing my tongue to explore. He tastes almost as he had when I first kissed him Elfhame, sweet and sour, an enticing treat infused with faerie wine.

Unlike every other kiss we have shared before, this one is a languid affair, the slowness of something being savored. The careful strokes of his tongue set my heartbeat and I think it might cease if he stopped kissing me. He combs his fingers through my hair, his other hand clutching at the small of my back like I might vanish any moment. The haze of alcohol clouds my brain, a loss of control I would normally run from, but he was right. This is what I need.

I pull away from him just long enough to straddle him. Instinctively, his hands come to rest on my waist, holding me steady above him. With his kiss-bruised lips, heavy lids and dramatic makeup, he looks more like himself than he has in weeks. I know better than to be fooled by his beautiful face, but with my inhibitions utterly lost to the moment, I want nothing more than to feel the heat of his skin against mine.

“Kiss me again,” he whines, drunk and foolish.

His hands go back to my hair as I oblige and mine sneak under his shirt, roaming up the scarred expanse of his back. Craving more, I kiss his jaw, feeling the subtle stubble of his dreaded facial hair. His breath hitches as my lips find his throat and I suck a mark, then another, making my way to the collar of his shirt. He is practically purring under me, his tail curling around my calf as he clutches my thighs. I reach for his collar and start undoing the buttons of his shirt. Every time I unveil more of his skin for me to taste, I leave a mark, his chanting of my name only growing more reverent as I move down.

I finish unbuttoning his shirt and he shrugs it off, throwing it off the couch. I stop for a moment to take him in, hating how stunning he is. His streamlined body, with its lean muscle and toned arms, is built in a way that tells me he isn’t completely slacking on his sword work. A trail of hair disappears under the waistband of his pants. I follow the straight line of his hips, nipping at the thin skin above his hip bone. Slowly, teasingly, I slip my fingers under his waistband, reaching—

“No,” Cardan pants, a hand shooting out to grab my roaming hands, “not like this.”

“What?” I ask nonsensically.

I look up at him. With his bone-white skin marred with the red marks I have left in my wake and the desire burning in his eyes, he represents everything I despise about Elfhame—and everything I miss. I have kept away from Faerieland’s lecherous tendencies for far too long, and now I want to ruin him, like his kind has ruined my life.

He yanks on my wrist, pulling me back up towards his face. He reaches out a hand, running his thumb over my bottom lip.

“Not when you’re drunk,” he asserts.

“Am I supposed to believe you’ve never had sex intoxicated?” I ask. “You’re never sober!”

I can’t help being hurt by his hesitancy. I know it’s unfair, and still.

“I have,” he admits. “But… not with you.”

His pupils are dilated, and I can feel exactly how aroused he is, yet… he refuses me. The cocktail of shame and desire I see when I search his eyes is familiar. There is a missing ingredient, but it tugs at my memories nonetheless. My stomach drops, like the memory tied to it is one I have tried to erase from my brain. Then, all at once, I remember. Cardan’s tall form against a background of trees and stars, glaring at me as I laugh giddily with him and his friends. Fury, shame and desire simmer in his eyes and though he rapidly hides it under a mask of cool arrogance, that look is burned in my memory.

“Did you...” I stop myself, trying to find the words. Surely my memory is trying to connect things that are unrelated. “When Valerian forced me to eat faerie fruit, did you want me?”

His eyes flutter, as if remembering the incident is torturous.

“Yes,” he whispers, and I can tell by the flush of his cheeks that it cost him to admit it.

I sit up straighter, looking down at him. He makes to look away, but I grab his jaw and force his eyes on me.

“Cardan, how long have you wanted me?”

His lips part and I think he’s actually going to answer, but then he reaches up and brings my face to him. He leaves the words unsaid, hiding his shameful truth behind a kiss brimming with longing.

The kiss, downright sinful, does nothing to attenuate the aching between my legs. I want him and it does not help that I am sitting on his lap, the proof of his desire evident even through the layers of clothes. Despite his refusal to have sex intoxicated, his hands explore my body. He holds my waist while his other hand reaches for my breast, squeezing lightly. When he strains under me, I get an idea. Tentatively, I move on him, dragging his hard-on against me. He groans against my lips, so I do it again.

I scrape my nails down his chest, stopping only long enough to tug on the barbell traversing his nipple. He whispers odes to my body as his hands worship me, sounding as though he means every word. He might not let me touch him directly, but he underestimates my ability to affect him without touching. Now more than ever, I understand why this is the kind of thing he relied on when he was at his worst. Turning him into a whining mess makes me thrum with power.

I let my body dictate the pace, working up that sizzle of bliss every time our hips shift. His tail has a mind of its own, never settling on one place. When it slithers near my hand, I catch it and run my hand over the length of it. His head snaps up from where it was burrowed in my neck, looking at me with wide, lustful eyes.

“You fiendish creature,” he says with affection.

I grin and bring his tail towards me, staring at him. He’s barely breathing, his eyes darting from my eyes to my lips. I kiss his tail, letting my teeth graze it as I do.

Cardan inhales sharply, letting his head fall back. “Jude,” he gasps.

At the sight of him so afflicted, I am hit once again with such ravenous hunger that I squirm, craving more pressure on my clitoris. Still holding on to his tail, I lick a length of it, watching wickedly as he bites his lip to stop a moan. He takes a deep breath to steel himself, then bends to kiss my neck again.

“You ruin me,” Cardan whispers against my skin, like he can read my very thoughts.

His hands come up to the collar of my shirt, toying at it. He unbuttons it and I wonder if he is giving up on his sudden interest in morality. He stops after removing two of them, though, just enough to uncover the top of my breasts. He runs his cheek over my cleavage, nuzzling at my breasts before sucking a mark over my heart.

I should balk at the possessiveness of it, but Cardan’s devotion only kindles the fire burning in me. I grind on him more, reaching for that high that feels closer than ever. He bucks his hips in response and I gasp, desperate for that last push that will send me tumbling into bliss.

“Jude, I’m–” he pants against my skin.

I kiss him, swallowing both our moans. When I break our kiss and push him to his back, he hisses. His erection pulses under me as he orgasms. His hands rest on my hips, clutching at me as I ride him to overstimulation, chasing after my own pleasure. I look down and, seeing his face wrought in carnal agony, I erupt. It’s all too much—Cardan is too much. He looks obscene, with the marks I’ve left all over his body and the lines of cum that made it past his waistband. Pleasure zaps through my body, my core tightening around nothing. My whole body convulses and I can no longer hold myself up. I slump against him, listening to his rapid heartbeat as I catch my breath.

Mechanically, Cardan’s hands go to my hair, his long fingers combing out knots.

“You ought to kill me soon,” he whispers against my hair, “I can’t stand much more of your favorite brand of torture.”

To push myself up and off him, I brace a hand against his torso. It lands on something sticky and lukewarm and I immediately yank it away. I had forgotten that his release had escaped from his trousers. There is probably some on my clothes, too. Good thing I will never wear this uniform again.

“And yet, it seems like you enjoy it,” I croon.

I hold up my now sticky hand as proof. His eyes track the movement as I bring it to my mouth, something like dread dancing in those dark eyes . I lick my hand clean of the salty substance, delighted when Cardan swears and hides his face with his hand.

“Your wickedness knows no bounds,” he complains.

Since leaving Elfhame, I have tried to contort myself into normalcy. I acted as though I could run away from its influence, completely forgetting that my mother had tried the same thing before I was even born. It was foolish to think I could erase all traces of it. Elfhame has left its mark on me, and it’s time I accept it.

----

Tag list: @figonas @kingandfireheart @godgavemelou @adxmparriish @hazelsheartsworn @peachcollective @inconspicuoussophia

#the folk of the air #tfota #jurdan #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #holly black #judecardan #my writing

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empty-dream · 2 years

Text

Just watched & read Tokyo Revengers

Basically Bokumachi/Erased but with gang wars.

A 26yo part timer time travels back into 12 years to prevent a massive gang war that causes the death of his then-girlfriend back in middle school.

I'm just gonna talk about general theme and up to the S1 anime here. Who knows maybe I'll comment more manga spoiler in the reblog.

I think this is more Drama Action than Action Drama.

Takemichi cries A LOT but to be fair, if it was me who saw shits like that over and over again, I'd cry too and also lose my marbles pretty soon so yeah, understandable.

To people who know nothing (like his friends, for example) he may simply be a guy who cries over random small matters but as a viewer who knows everything, I think he has the right to. I love how the title "Crybaby hero" rings, it suits him perfectly.

And everybody in this show cries. Everybody. Period. And me too. We're all crybabies here.

And this is a hard mode because Takemichi is practically a nobody, consistently weak at fighting and not at all traditionally cool or resourceful. His virtues are simply being a good person who never -doesn’t want to- gives up and being a goddamn tank with probably an unlimited health insurance limit (cause holy hell the amount of hospitalization and medical treatments he gets)

Can't say I ever agree with the idea of teens forming gangs and picking fights for glory and fun. But back in the day, I was close with people actively involved in it. So at some level, the story is kinda familiar lol. I also like that there is a difference between being ‘delinquents’, and being a ‘straight-up criminal’. For the most part, original ToMan are just teens enjoying fights, while the other antagonists can range from committing family abuse to rape to murder.

It's funny to see that these are middle schoolers tho. I'd find it normal if they are high schoolers, but yeah 12-14 are also period you do stupid things... I have seen middle schooler gangs as well. But personally I think you'd be more successful at doing unlawful acts when you're both strong and stupid lol.

The timeline gets from 0 to 20 to -100 real fucking quick y'all.

Favorite character? Mitsuya. I actually like him at his first appearance and thank god he's quite a prominent character. He's such a cool-headed dude. And I love his earring and hair color. (Black Dragon arc is his stage so looking forward for that in the anime)

Best relationship dynamic for me, Takemichi-Hinata and Chifuyu-Takemichi. The former is basically the best parts of tragic time-travel healthy couples tropes crammed in, the latter is dumbasses duo that complements each other so well it makes me want to cry every time they are together. Oh and Mikey-Takemichi because of...all that stuff between them :(

One thing that catches my eyes: The fashion. I'm not talking about the covers or the official artworks, I'm talking about the in-story outfits. Like, man, what the hell, they dress so good? Every gang has their own uniforms and they all look cool. Even Valhalla who 'only' has jackets have theirs uniquely designed (the red tag is eye-catching). If there is any season 2, the uniforms are gonna be even more awesome.

And the characters' casual outfits are always different but also reflecting their preferences and personalities. Like Mikey's jinbei kimono (I think it's what's called?) and the outfits he wears as adult, Draken's similar-looking black/white outerwears, Chifuyu's oversized jackets, and Takemichi's weird shirts.

I like the anime. Sure it's not flashy whatsoever (time travel aside, it's about gangs and mysteries, not supernatural earth-scorching battles) but the way they frame the scenes and adding more details is great for the tension and making sense. My favorite examples are Akkun preparing to stab Kiyomasa and the scene with Takemichi, Baji and Chifuyu in ep18.

I'm glad I watch the season when it's already over because for me this is the kind of anime best for binging instead of watching once per week.

They really pick the worst best scene to end the season holy shit.

If you ignore logics like 'They could have done X that'd be far easier and more effective" or "Do they have the papers for the motorcycles?" or "How much is the hospital bills for that?" and yada yada, I think this is a fun popcorn series.

Idk why but the ED2 is actually my favorite. Also man, that's quite a foreshadowing.

Tl;Dr: Are these really middle schoolers?!

#tokyo revengers #random saying

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 3 years

Text

Can we take a moment to talk about what a tragic character Minerva is? Y’all know that for the longest time I haven’t been the biggest fan of her, and honestly I’m still not? but I think I might’ve had a breakthrough on why that is.

Whenever I’ve asked around to see why people find her so appealing or why they consider her their favorite, I’ll get answers like, “she’s such a complex character and she deserved a redemption arc!” or “she should’ve come back to the school with us! Let Minnie be happy, you cowards! Telltale did her dirty! I could write paragraph after paragraph about her!” all sorts of things along those lines… but like, no one seems to want to actually talk about her. I find that interesting? Since when I do follow up with a “care to explain further?” I get nothing. Radio static. Like…. no, talk to me please, I just wanna understand-

Minerva within the context of TFS is such a tragedy. She grew up in a school for troubled youth where all the adults left them for death at the start of the breakout, they had walkers trying to eat the living all around them, and I’m sure she saw her fair share of traumatic violence and despair… but on the bright side, she always had her twin sister, Sophie, and little brother, Tenn. She had her friend and eventual girlfriend, Violet. She had music, and a dorm full of pretty paintings done by Sophie. She and Louis composed a song together to make everyone feel better. There are worse places to live than the school.

Then one day she got traded away to a bunch of raiders against her will, having no idea what the hell these people were gonna do to her and Sophie. They were made to be soldiers to fight in a war that had nothing to do with them. The delta fucking broke her. If we’re to believe Lilly’s story about the twins, they started their brainwashing process early on when Sophie was still alive, and it seems like Minerva was easier to control as Sophie was still planning a way out and causing trouble. Then, when Sophie convinced her to steal a boat and get the hell out, they got caught and the delta forced her to murder her own twin sister.

Like…. I’m sorry, not only did Minerva kill her own sister, but she was made to believe that was the right thing to do? That line she says about how she had to prove her loyalty to the place she calls home? That shit’s ingrained in her brain, you can tell that isn’t the first time she’s heard or said that very thing. That is what made her family to the delta. Delta is her home now, her family. Sophie was just a thing that needed to be dealt with. You keep your head down, do as you’re told, and you survive. You survive and you get to go home, eat a hot meal, take a shower, and be with your delta family. If not, you end up like Sophie.

What’s also fucked is that Minerva actually cares about these people now. Think about that. After everything they did to her and made her do, she’s been trained to see them as her family and obey. When you save Louis and he kills Dorian, Minerva actually cries out and is visibly hurt by her death. When she’s with the other raiders on land, she's screaming at walkers to get away from them. She cares about the people who made her kill Sophie… and no one ever talks about that??

She fucking hates Clementine. Clementine is just another thing in Minnie’s way. I know the part of the fandom likes to ship these two together and they think it’s hot when they fight and shit, but within the canon text, Minerva wants Clementine gone. Dead. She is the thing stopping her from having her old family merge with her new family. If Clementine hadn’t made them fight, they all would’ve been captured and they’d all be a delta family now. She would’ve had Tenn back.

Clementine is the problem, she made everyone fight back and that’s why people are dead. Minerva hates her for it… it’s not a “I hate you but like the sexual tension, y’know?” that I see people pretend it is, it’s “you are ruining everything and if I have to, I will kill you myself and I won’t give a second thought about it when they toss your body overboard.”

Like….. seriously, think about how fucked up all of this is. Minerva is a husk of who she was before she was taken away. Sure, you do have to keep in mind that when Tenn and Violet are describing her, their sights are a bit clouded, y’know? But I do believe that she was someone who was kind and cared about people, she wanted to make people feel safe and comforted.

Now she’s a brainwashed soldier who won’t help the people she used to call friends when they’re about to get limbs cut off. She won’t hesitate to knock someone unconscious or threaten a child. She’s willing to trick them into being captured with no regard for what’s going to happen to them. … all she knows is this was the mission, and now they all get to be together again back at the delta.

Then when she finds out there’s a bomb on the boat, she ditches Violet to blow up with it in order to make it to land herself. She loses her shit seeing everyone die and gets her face chewed off by a walker… and then she tries to blow Clementine and AJ up with a grenade.

Oh, and who can forget the fact that she tracks the group down with plans of murdering Tenn so that they can go to a better place together? And she’ll take down anyone who gets in her way?

Like….. jesus christ, Minerva’s waaaaay too far gone. It’s awful.

I think that’s what stumps me about why she’s so loved in the way that she is. It’s not that I don’t understand why she’s complex and well-written, I get that perfectly fine. She’s a compelling character study when you comb over all her scenes and take different factors into account.

What I don’t understand is why we tend to just throw everything interesting about her away? For what?

These days, I never see anyone talking about any of this unless they’re insisting she deserved a redemption arc which…. Eh, I’ll touch on this later. What I mostly see here and mostly other platforms is how great it would be if she and Clementine made out, or hey what if she and Violet got back together if she did come back to the school? Or they just….the best term I have for this is “uwu-ify.” As in she’s reduced to a caricature of a tall, pretty, mean, white lesbian who has “good damage.”

People insist that Telltale are cowards or bastards because their predictions of her turning on the delta to save Clem and crew didn’t happen. Instead, Minerva ends up being the final baddie you gotta get away from, and she ends up taking someone down with her. But did you really expect to just do a 180 and suddenly decide being brainwashed for over a year was lame and Clementine and friends are cool? Gonna help them out and be with Tenn again? Sure, there’s some left over trauma but love conquers and fixes everything, right?

Uh…. no? That’s not how people work? Honestly, if we entertain the idea that Minerva wasn’t bit and somehow didn’t murder Clementine when they all got back to the school…. romance is the last thing she is ever gonna think of??

I think that’s what bothers me most when reading these au’s and rants about redemption and the entire idea of clemerva as a whole. It’s the same thing that I see happen with Violet- Minerva only has value to fans if she’s in a wlw relationship. By herself, she doesn’t matter. They don’t care about her canon story, they don’t care about Sophie, they don’t care about discussing what could’ve happened if she and Tenn reunited under better circumstances or had a healing recovery together. But why?

Throwing a girlfriend at her isn’t some band aid that’s gonna cover up all the bad she went through?? Having an enemies to lovers romance with Clementine isn’t going to fix a years worth of brainwashing, trauma or the fact that she murdered her own sister and the delta told her she's proved her worth to them??

Having the support of those around her is a good thing, don’t get me wrong. The idea of the Ericson crew as a whole trying to help her out and do the best they can to accommodate her is bittersweet since there’s only so much they can do. They’re not trained therapists, which is what Minerva would need and plenty of years ahead of her to work through and come to terms with everything that happened as well as taking steps forward. I’m not saying that she shouldn’t have friends or that she couldn’t have a healthy romantic relationship someday... but that isn’t the solution, y’know?

I don’t know how else to explain this, but it makes me feel weird that all of this stuff is flat out overlooked or doesn’t appear to matter to fans of her.

Look, I get it. We all want these characters to be happy. AU’s are a thing, after all. Sometimes we want to forget about the bad things and focus on the good that bring us comfort. You wanna gush about the idea of an AU where the twins never got traded, the raiders didn’t exist, and Clementine got to meet them the way they were before? I feel that, AU’s are super comforting and fun to explore, and my point isn’t to try and shame anyone who has an AU you like this.

Hell, you think I don’t have days where I pretend mute Louis isn’t a thing because the whole concept of Louis having his tongue cut out of his mouth breaks my fucking heart? No, lot’s of days I just want to forget everything about that route, I want to set aside all the bad and just intake as much clouis fluff as I can get…. But that doesn’t mean I always ignore or refuse to acknowledge the bad just because I don’t like it. I fucking hate the fact that Louis loses his tongue when you don’t save him, but guess what? That’s a canon route you can play, just like any other route, and the possibilities that come with a mute Louis are vast and compelling.

This is how it is for me… my favorite characters are my favorite for a reason, and I take all the bad with the good. Louis isn’t perfect, and I don’t want him to be. I was to dive into his backstory about why did that to his parents, I like to talk about what he went through with Marlon’s murder and his feelings about AJ and Clementine at the point, I like to view his love of music as bittersweet. He can stand on his own, and while he is a love interest for Clementine, that isn’t his only purpose.

I know everyone’s different, they express their love for characters in their own ways, but I do have a genuine question: do you guys actually like Minerva?

Believe it or not, I’m not trying to step on toes or make everyone feel defensive which I know is how people will react to this. “You’re just saying all of this to make us feel bad for shipping clemerva! You don’t even like Minnie so you don’t get to say shit!” yeah yeah, I hear you and look, it’s true that she’s not my favorite character. I know I’ve said I hate her in the past but upon reflection and throwing out fandom interpretations.... I don’t hate her. I get it now. She’s a great character study to dissect and analyze and I think she deserves more than what the writers and the fandom have given her.

And yeah, what I do hate is clemerva, and I’ve explained why. It’s not for me, it makes me uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, who cares? Me not liking it doesn’t mean anything to those who create AU’s for them. They have their reasons, they can do as they please as long as they’re not hurting anyone. I’m just here pointing out things I see and things that bother me in hopes of starting a discussion.

There’s my ramble about Minerva. I’m gonna go make some tea now.

#twdg minerva #twdg clementine #twdg sophie #twdg tenn #twdg violet #twdg louis #twdg marlon #twdg lilly #twdg aj #twdg

107 notes · View notes

enmy-writes · 3 years

Text

Just Let Me Help You

Summary: Zuko, trying to keep is girlfriend safe, unintentionally gains the trust of the Gaang after a showdown with Combustion Man.

Word Count: 2728

Fandom: ATLA (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Genre: Mostly fluff, is fluff-angst a thing? Idk guys I’m soft, you tell me.

Rated: 18+

Content Warnings: Profanity, some gore graphics (brief mentions of blood, killing, murder), uhhhh that’s it I think I’m sorry if I forget anything else.

****Huge shout-out to my friends Kenz and Jenna for editing this and hyping me up. Hopefully, since this semester from Hell will be over soon, I’ll be able to write more. Please request things! Thank-you all for supporting this and let me know more of what you want to see in the future :) Also, feedback is always welcome. Enjoy!****

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They had landed the war balloon days ago, stalking the tired and defeated Team Avatar and trying to figure out how the complicated Fire Prince would convince the people he chased for months that he wants to help them now.

(Y/N) was stoking the hot flame provided by the fire bender, making sure the coals were burning a cherry red before she added leaves and herbs into a pot to make a stew for the two to enjoy. Her eyes followed Zuko as he paced back and forth, practicing what he was going to say when he finally decided to confront the rebel group, lips turned upward in an amused smirk.

“Hey, Zuko here…” she heard him say before he started rambling a bunch of nonsense about his past; from his discovery, to Azula, to his father-- all the tragic topics. It took him about three minutes, but he finished with a hopeful look in his direction.

“Well?!” He clenched his fists at his side in a nervous gesture, only wanting to get this right.

The girl on the log cleared her throat before speaking, obviously hiding her laughter from the sensitive boy. “Well… it’s perfect. I especially liked the ‘Hey, Zuko here’ part. I’m sure that Aang and his friends with be very pleased to finally learn your name instead of thinking you’re called ‘Angry Ponytail Hotman’.’’

He groaned loudly, rubbing his eyes with clenched fists. The melodic laughter from his companion tempted him to give up his quest and just run away with her and live a happy life free of his father and his destiny… whatever that may be.

Still laughing, (Y/N) stood from her log by the fire and made her way to Zuko, coming up behind him. Her arms slid right around his slim body, holding on tight as she tried to pull his mind from the depths of his insecurities.

“Zuko, love.” Her voice is soft, but intense. “Just go down there. I won’t lie, they might not take you right away. You have done a lot of damage to them and their goals.”

His warm hands slide down the tops of her forearms and slide between her chilled fingers, entwining them together as Zuko grips her like she’s holding him down on the land they’re on.

“I… I just…” He struggles to get his feelings out, finding it hard to convey how he feels even to the girl wrapped around him.

She shushes him. “I know.” Is all she says, as they stand there in a momentary comfortable silence before she detaches from him to continue dinner.

____________________________

Zuko had told her to stay behind, that he’d be back to either get her or because he failed to convince the group that he came to support them, instead of harm them.

“Zuko! I could easily be an alibi for you. A reason for them to trust you!”

“No. End of story. They could attack me and you’re in Fire Nation clothes. You’re staying here.”

A staring match between the two only lasted a few seconds, but (Y/N) let it go; remembering Iroh’s advice that sometimes the boy has to do what eases his mind to grow.

The empty pot gleamed an orange glow from the flames, a light in the dark woods that surrounded the two as they lounged by the fire.

(Y/N) was carding her fingers through the upset prince’s hair while he stared at the sky; confused. His emotions spilling onto (Y/N). He didn’t talk much about the encounter, only enough to tell her that they wouldn’t be helping the Avatar defeat his father anytime soon. Rather than pressure him, she offered her solace with calming actions rather than words.

The two had met in their early childhood, (Y/N)’s father being the leader of the Yuyan Archers and of course the Fire Lord wanted the talented girl to meet his… troubled son. In hope that she could help bend his son into the ruthless leader the nations needed to proceed him. Though they didn’t see each other as much as they should have due to (Y/N)’s schooling, the two quickly became close friends and were often found with Lady Ursa quietly running around the palace grounds.

His banishment led to (Y/N) perfecting her skills, and becoming the master she was destined to be, given there was no more distraction. No one could understand her in the way that Zuko did— they fit together like they were made for one another. Where he was hotheaded, she was cool; Where he was nimble and direct, she was resourceful and hidden. The two were the perfect set of opposites who ultimately balanced each other. And one without the other was a heartbreak everyone could see.

When she heard the news of his return, she rushed to the palace; radiant as ever. In an instant, the two fell back into where they left off; barely any words needed between the two. Her fingers and lips had trailed over his scar often in those few days, brushing away the tears and insecurities that came with it.

Leaving the Fire Nation with Zuko wasn’t even a debate in her mind. She was tired of the life of lies and torment that her nation inflicted upon the world. She had spent the last two years relocating and rebranding people who were targets to the Fire Nation. In total, about one hundred innocent lives were saved from her dangerous missions. Her skill level was better than even her father’s, and she prided herself in her abilities. (Y/N) was truly a professional in her art with the eye of an eagle.

When she caught Zuko writing a letter to her with packed bags on his bed, she instantly went into the shadows and caught up with the boy easily, hiding in the balloon behind the engine for a while until it was too late for him to turn back. It was hot and the most uncomfortable thing she has ever done, but she regrets none of it. She joked with the boy; how did he not question a pile of fabric behind the piece of equipment that holds fire? She let it go after he hugged her close and cried for a while.

“Don’t do that shit again, Zuko.” Her voice was stern, though her voice stern, she held him close. She ghosted her fingers over his tense shoulders; the shoulder that carried such burdens. She pressed her fingers into his shoulders; trying her best to rub the tension from his body.

“I won’t. Never again. Don’t leave me, I need you.”

A rustle of leaves and broken trees in the forest near the edge of their little camp put the two into defense, instantly gripping her perfectly crafted bow and quiver. Her ears pricked at a slight movement and she aimed her bows in the direction of the noise without even looking. Suddenly, green clothes fill the area as a younger girl makes her way into the clearing. Startled, Zuko sends a wave of fire towards the intruder, burning the girl.

Everything happened fast.

(Y/N)’s left foot—her plant foot—sunk into the ground and twisted inward, releasing a loud crack into the air. The Earth girl was long gone now; Zuko had been screaming at himself when he heard the cry of pain and the sickening noise that left the lips of his girlfriend.

The earth has released its hold on her, but the damage was done. She kneeled, trying to hold back tears but failing as they kept streaming down her face in a pain response. Zuko’s own eyes filled with tears as he ran over to her, helping her sit down and take the tension off of it.

The joint was already beginning to swell, black and blue and purple and yellow starting to show up in swirls around the area. Zuko carefully tried to feel the injury, barely touching the girl in fear of hurting her more. (Y/N) sighed, pushing his fingers away and ignoring his protest. She rotated her foot outward, cringing at the pain, but crying out when she turned it the other way. Zuko cupped his hands around her ankle, hands heated slightly to hopefully alleviate the pain.

“Baby… it’s okay—”

“No, you’re hurt! I knew this would happen!” He cuts her off with a panicked yell. (Y/N) places her hands on the sides of his face, forcing his eyes upon hers with a slight wince of discomfort.

“It’s most definitely, at worst, a fracture. I can still move it outwards without a lot of pain. It’s, like, a week off my foot at most and then another week with a splint and a crutch. I am okay, Zuko.” They stared at each other for a solid minute, saying nothing.

"Promise?" Zuko whispered.

"You think I would lie to you, Zuko?" She says as she wraps her pinky his for good measure

They turn in not too long after, (Y/N)’s ankle wrapped up in some extra clothes for stability. Zuko’s arms hold her to his chest as they slip off into the world of dreams.

_________________________

Oh shit. She thought from her perch on top of the cliff edge. The assassin that they have also been trying to find has been blowing up the place, really testing the stability of the edge of the cliff in shakes after shakes like an earthquake. Zuko had told her to stay at camp, but unfortunately for Zuko; (Y/N) was never that good at listening to commands.

She was sitting down, watching the Avatar, his friends, and her boyfriend try to figure out how to win this fight against the combustion bender, feet dangling over the edge. She didn’t want any pressure on her foot from standing on it; settling for the dull throbs of pain coming from the force of gravity alone.

Some third eye. (Y/N) thought to herself as she watched her boyfriend get too close to being blown off the edge of the cliff, wincing. She quickly strung her bow, aiming it at the man. She smirked, a devious smirk, and aimed it in a precise location.

Zuko was still trying to talk the man out of it when suddenly, his eyes went blank and the grossest sound he has ever heard reached his ears. Everyone watched the man, confused as to why he just stopped. It’s not until red trails down his forehead and around his nose in a slow trickle that they look at his eye.

In the middle of the red eye, that at one point seemed indestructible; an arrow sat; a perfect shot — his perfect shot. "Bullseye!" (Y/N) howled, her voice resonating in his ears.

In the midst of Zuko's panic, he failed to recognize the cliff he was standing on becoming increasingly unsturdy; turning he locked eyes with the archer. A ghost of a smile graced her lips, pride radiating off of her. Though he was angry, he couldn't help but share her pride. He locked eyes with his girlfriend who was sitting nonchalantly on the cliff edge above them all, waving nonetheless, when he told her to stay back. It’s then that the earth beneath him rumbles and falls, taking him with it.

“Zuko!” She screams, jumping to her feet; a loud crack coming from her ankle, buckling under the pressure and bringing her to her knees.

With a hobble in her step, (Y/N) climbed down the cliffside. The tears ran down her face at a ferocious pace, making her way over to the cliffside, a loud sob relented from her mouth as she saw Aang helping Zuko up over the edge of the cliff.

"Spirits, Zuko!" She breathed, limping her way over to him and hugging him tight. "I should kill you, you fucking idiot!" She sobbed, pulling him into her chest.

Zuko huffed out a laugh, wrapping his arms around her. He took deep breaths, calming his nerves from his near death experience; he focused on the feeling of her hand carding through his hair to grip it tight, and the hold on his shoulders. As he calms down, he remembers that he told her to stay put; and he sharply pulls away.

"I told you to stay at camp!" He huffed, "I told you I was coming back for you!”

She scoffs pushing on his forehead with two fingers. “In case you have forgotten, Zuko, I have authority issues. If I weren’t here, who would be saving your stupid royal ass? No one! You’re welcome, by the way. He wasn’t going to negotiate, Prince Pouty, and you and everyone else here is no good to the world dead.”

“You—You---You could’ve been hurt! (Y/N)! Or worse!” His protest was a whisper, trying to make the scene more private as he’s aware of the crowd around them.

“Zuko, love, I can handle myself. I’m a master at my craft--.”

"—your craft of carelessness, you could've been killed—"

"—but I wasn't Zuko!"

"That's not the point." His voice stern, making it clear that the conversation was done for now. (Y/N) simply nodded, pulling away from him and fixing her clothes.

Aang, Toph, Katara and Sokka watched the two as they argued; watching as they continuously tried to out-care the other. They watched as the two eventually stopped arguing, instead remained staring, as if daring each other to speak

“That was a ... nice shot? I guess?" Aang spoke, clearing his throat and drawing the couples attention to him. "He's definitely you know, dead."

(Y/N) smiles at the boy. “Thank you, Avatar, for helping save this dumb ass from falling off a cliff.” She gets up and bows to him. Zuko suddenly picks her up, the world turning sideways as he put her bridal style in his arms.

“Stop putting weight on your ankle!”

“I’m literally showing respect to the person who just helped you, is that a crime?”

“What if you break your ankle so much that you have to cut it off.”

“Oh, now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Okay well you were first when deciding to sit on the edge of a cliff with a broken ankle.”

“You’re right! Sitting is dangerous. Next time, I’ll make sure to stand so at least I’ll have a better chance of reacting if the cliff side starts falling from under me. Oh wait, you were standing, and you still fell.”

Zuko sets her down on a broken rock that’s suitable enough for her to sit on. “Will you just shut up already and let me help you.” He reaches for her ankle, but she moves it from his grasp. Their eyes meet again and narrow in competition.

A mess of limbs as the (Y/N) evades the grip of Zuko, occasionally slapping his hands away if they get too close.

Sokka tilts his head in confusion and opens his mouth. “Is he—is he actually caring for someone?”

Aang nods. “I think? I don’t know, they’re kind of fighting a lot.”

Toph cringes, “Guys, I think it was me who hurt her in the first place. Last night at their camp. Zuko instantly stopped trying to help me when I heard her scream.”

“Guys… I think I’m supposed to let him be my master. I mean, he did just risk everything to save us.” Aang says, eyes locked on the one member who he cares more about than anyone.

Katara, still holding off on agreeing, looks to the two Fire Nation kids again.

“Ow! You bit me! Are you crazy?!” Zuko yells, shaking his left hand out.

The stranger girl laughs cheerfully. “Only crazy for you, stupid.”

And a phenomenon occurs. Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation blushes and looks down at the ground, a huge smile on his face.

“I hate you.” Is all he says.

“Yeah, I love you too.”

Katara, seeing the humane side of the prince, finally lets her guard down and walks over to them. Zuko’s eyes widen at her proximity, but the water tribe girl holds his gaze.

“I’ll heal the girl if it gets you two to shut up. And you have to find dinner for tonight.”

Katara’s eyes widen again at the sight of the crying prince who suddenly bows to her feet, thanking her with his whole heart. He then turns to his smiling girl beside him and pulls her into a hug.

“Thank you, (Y/N). For everything.”

“I’ll always help you… stupid.”

#zuko #zuko imagine #zuko x reader #avatar zuko #atla x reader #atla #fanfic #Avatar The Last Airbender #atla fanfic #atla x you #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #x reader #enmy-writes atla

417 notes · View notes

mel-the-fangirl · 3 years

Text

The Escort

Walter Marshall x Reader

Words: 2,064

Warnings: none

Happy super late Valentine’s, Cavillry! As usual, this is a very very late upload but in my defense, it does say in my bio that I am a procrastinator soooo... Anyway, I’m really excited about this miniseries because I love the movie (The Wedding Date, 2005) and I really wanted to write Walter, I hope I do him justice!

Feedback (good and bad!) means the world to me as rookie writer, so I hope you’ll like, reblog and leave me some replies!

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You could not believe you were doing this. You just couldn't. But there you were doing it, even though your mind screeched at you to stop and save a little dignity for yourself.

The fact that you even considered doing this was already a serious loss of dignity points, so what the hell. People did this all the time, didn’t they? There wouldn’t be a whole network of people clumped into this app if it wasn’t a normal occurrence.

It just wasn’t a normal occurrence for you.

Once you filled your head with rationalisations to make yourself feel better, you took a deep breath and began browsing through what the great city of New York had to offer.

Z, 6’, loving hands, fit, athletic, good manners, for water sports, caramel complexion.

For water sports? What in the hell did that mean? And that single initial in place of an actual name? Serial killer vibes. No, thank you.

Lenny, 6’2”, pretty fit Italian, excellent dinner companion, all occasions catered.

Alright. Okay. Now we’re talking. Tall, European, excellent dinner companion equals to good conversationalist, accommodating. Lenny goes on the list of possibilities.

Terry, 6’, my soft voice will arouse you, my strong hands will pleasure you, let me show you how a woman should be treated, hourly/overnight rates.

Oh no no no. Major creep vibes from Terry. That ad alone had you reaching for another long swig of wine.

Joey, 5’8”, are you into champagne?, bodybuilder, will treat you like a queen.

“If you like piña coladas…” you sang in not even remotely the right key, topping off your drink

Josh, 5’9”, I can make you feel sexy and wanted. Fit, sensual, strong.

“Well!” you exclaimed drunkenly, almost spilling wine on your couch, “Tough beans, Josh! I don’t need a man to make me feel sexy and wanted!” you faltered a bit, your drunk mind still seeing the holes in your logic

“I just… Need a man to help me not look like a tragic spinster in front of my family and my ex...”

With that thought fresh in your mind, you reached for some more wine.

The ads went on and on as you scrolled through your phone, it was all a little overwhelming, how were you going to make sure you weren't hiring some psychopathic serial killing pervert to pose as your date to your sister's wedding?

The groan you let out bounced off the walls of your apartment. The reality of your situation was sinking in little by little.

Yes. You were hiring a male escort for your sister's wedding. It was your baby sister's wedding, by the way. You were a hundred percent aware that what you were doing was completely and utterly pathetic but you’ve already weighed the pros and cons in your head countless times.

Showing up alone: pitying looks, whispering behind your back, having to face ex by yourself, staggering levels of embarrassment.

Showing up with handsome -hired- date: mother can finally get off your back, date is more handsome than ex, ex will want to shrivel up and die, no one will know date is male escort except you and him.

Now, let’s break down some of the guests just for the sake of being thorough.

There’s your slightly overbearing mother (slightly meaning every call you have with her opens with the question: “how's your love life, dear?” or “I have the most amazing man to set you up with!”), all of her judgy eagle-eyed friends (mostly rich widows whose sons your mom shamelessly shoves your way), your extended family (some terrifyingly old school great aunts and uncles who will definitely ask if you’re married and smile sympathetically when you say you’re not), and last but certainly not the least, Jeffrey, your ex-fiancé (best man, but apparently not the best man for you, his words not yours).

"Lordy fuck." you exhaled hard, chugging your wine straight from the bottle

How on earth did you get here? Sitting alone in your apartment, working your way through your second bottle of wine (or third? Who was keeping count?), clicking on ads that spoke of "hot single males in your area" waiting to meet you.

Would it be fair to pin it all on the end of your engagement?

Picturing that moment, you decided that it was only fair. Those were five years of your life you would never get back, you were prepared to sign on for more but, yeah.

You were blindsided, that's the only way to describe it. All the while, you thought that you and Jeffrey were on the same page, at the same place in life. You were the golden couple, the couple that all the other couples wished they could be, when you two walked past, girlfriends would give their boyfriends a slap on the shoulder that meant, "Why can't we be more like them?"

It was so out of nowhere, one minute you were discussing wedding cake options over dinner, then suddenly you're putting the ring in his palm, completely in shock.

After that, you threw yourself into your work despite the fact that you were already a budding workaholic to begin with. That's how you ended up earning six figures a year.

Six figure salary, check. Doing pretty well in life all things considered, check.

But even with all that, there weren't any conversations over casseroles and cobblers about your many achievements. Nope, your mother and her friends would much rather discuss their worries that you would essentially, die alone.

Your little sister, Amy, getting married before you didn't exactly help to put a lid on all the chatter. And with Jeffrey being the best man? And you being maid of honour?

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Maybe you could make up an excuse believable enough to get you off the hook so you wouldn’t have to go?

Were you really thinking about bailing on your little sister’s wedding? If she wasn’t taking cues from your mother, it would be the only one she ever had.

Not one of your finest moments as a sibling.

With the complications of your situation fully realised, you took to reading the ads with a little more effort. Luckily, you didn’t have to look for long.

Nick, 6’, male, tall, good looking, strong build. You will not be disappointed.

The ad was considerably less flashy than the others but you supposed that’s what drew you to it in the first place. It was understated, simple, and his ad wasn’t entirely made up of overcompensating flexing pics.

Mostly because he didn’t need them.

Call off the search, send the boys home. You had a winner here!

Staring up at you from your phone screen was the most handsome man you have ever seen in your life. Literally.

A mane of thick, artfully disheveled curly hair, eyes that were a light shade of blue that had a sort of dark intensity and intelligence that you could spend days trying to understand, and a smile. Oh, that smile was absolutely suckerpunching. It was odd though, something in your head was telling you that this man did not smile often.

You couldn’t tell if the warmth blooming in your chest and creeping towards your cheeks was from all the wine or from examining this prime specimen. Jeez Louise!

“Phew!” you fanned yourself upon stumbling on a photo of him crossing his arms in a tank top. Good God, you hoped he had a license for those guns!

You had to set your phone down for a minute to think things through although it seemed absolutely nuts that you had to think twice at all. It’s just that after the initial excitement and hormones wore off, it was becoming more and more evident that this man was too good to be true.

Just look at him! Were there actually men that looked like that? And why didn’t they live closer to you? A quick sweep of his profile placed him in Minneapolis.

What were the crime rates like there? And did they have a high rate of murders relating to escort services?

Before you could even google anything related to that, you stopped yourself. If you kept at this rate, you would never get anything done! Finally, after a methodical deliberation (aka ogling the pictures on his ad), you saved Nick’s contact number to your phone.

Aaand that’s as far as you’d go for the night. You could call him tomorrow when you weren’t a floundering drunk. It was like your mother always said, “Always be sober for a business transaction, but anything else calls for a cocktail.”

-------------------------

The following morning, you sat at your little breakfast nook, eggs still piping hot and untouched, and a hangover in full effect. You’ve been staring at the phone number for so long, you could say it in your sleep.

Come on, Y/N, the wedding is five freaking days away.

What if this guy was fully booked? You didn’t want to spend five days surrounded by family with Mr. my-soft-voice-will-arouse-you, did you?

You slammed your finger down on the call icon and stuck the phone to your ear. Your heart beat faster and faster with every ring and your palms became so slick with sweat that you almost dropped your phone a couple of times.

Maybe you should have taken your mother up on the multiple occasions that she wanted to set you up with someone. Alright, on second thought, you didn’t really want to be with someone who only looked good on paper but was actually an insufferable mama’s boy.

“Hello?” a male voice answered, catching you off-guard

Oh, God. Okay, you’re really doing this.

“Yes, hi! Hi. Uh, I’m looking for Nick!” you chirped, in a startled high pitched squeak you didn’t dare recognise as your own

The silence on the other end was starting to make you sweat behind the knees. It suddenly dawned on you that you didn’t mention any specifics.

“Uh, sorry! I got this number from the, uh, the ad. I’m looking for Nick?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s right, but Nick isn’t in right now. This is his manager.”

Was that a good sign? That a male escort had a manager? Did all male escorts have managers? You clearly didn’t know enough about this stuff.

“It’s a pleasure, Mister..?”

There was another beat of silence before the person on the other line answered, you tried your hardest not to overthink about what that could have meant.

“Foley! I’m Foley, Nick’s manager.” Mr. Foley’s voice returned to your ear, sounding much too bright for your liking.

Christ, what were you, a cop? To be honest, you were exhausted. Despite all the alcohol in your system last night, you barely got any sleep. You spent the rest of the night reading through some reviews of Nick’s service as an escort.

He had a glittering five star rating.

One woman hired him to pose as her husband at a high school reunion and by the end of the night, she ended up proposing to him. He respectfully declined and even bought her dinner afterwards.

That review alone was enough to convince you that you would be in good hands. So, it was time to buckle down, swallow the nerves, and handle your business like the adult you were.

“Mr. Foley,” you shook your hair out and put on your professional voice. “I’d like to book your client for five days, give or take. I need a plus one for a wedding. Is he available to leave on the-”

“Please hold. I’ll check his schedule.”

“Oh. But I didn’t mention when I-”

“He’s available. Would you prefer to pick him up at JFK or will he meet you at your place of residence?”

“Oh. Uh, I guess I could pick him up. Do I pay for his ticket or..?” you were feeling a teensy bit of whiplash at how fast this was all going

There was some rustling on the other line and the muffled sounds of bickering. You tried not to let that concern you.

“We’ll handle that, Ms. Y/L/N. We have your number, we’ll be in touch for further details. Good bye.”

The line went dead and you were left staring at your phone in confusion. Did you tell him your name?

#walter marshall #walter marshall x reader #night hunter #nomis #henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fic #Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill #geralt of rivia #the witcher #the man from uncle #napoleon solo #cavillry #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

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mcustorm · 3 years

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In Defense of a Black Cyclops

In case my username didn’t make it clear, the single most anticipated visual project for me is the MCU’s interpretation of the X-Men, which hasn’t even been announced yet [officially]. And ladies and gents, I have found your Cyclops:

Good ol’ Alfred Enoch, who we all know from Harry Potter and How to Get Away With Murder. If you’re not familiar with HTGAWM, know that his character goes from the de facto leader of the ragtag (murderers) and most cherished protege of Viola Davis’ Professor X to taking more of a grimdark turn after his girlfriend’s death. Sound at least somewhat familiar?

Enoch also embodies the physicality of the character well, seeing as to how he’s “slim”, 6′4(!!), black, and notoriously lanky. Wait, one of these isn’t like the others.

In general I hate fancasting. Everyone generally picks from the same pool of about 30 actors (Peeps, neither Taron nor Daniel is a good Wolverine choice. Argue with your mother!), and most all of it is based on physicality, except when it absolutely should be (like say, choosing a ~5′10 dark-skinned black woman for Storm).

And I think there’s some malarkey afoot. I think there needs to be some serious consideration on part of fancasters and actual casting agents alike to rethink race when it comes to the [white] X-Men, especially since they’re the X-Men of all teams. So I’ll make the case for a black Cyclops:

1. There is no quota on Black X-Men: There’s a bug in your ear that’s been whispering lies to you for years, it says something to the effect of “We need a black person on the team for diversity. How bout Storm?” And you’ve gotten complacent. Storm does not have to be the only black person on your X-Men roster.

2. The X-Men represent diversity: Iceman is gay, Cyclops and Prof. X are disabled (sorta), there are plenty of women, oh and everybody except Storm is white. Of the A-List X-Men, there is only *one* POC character. I’d argue that an MCU X-Men needs to champion diversity like never before.

3. The X-Men represent minority struggle while being mostly white: There’s a cognitive dissonance in the metaphor that has always been there, and for the most part, nobody cares. To appeal to the white readers of the 60′s, the X-Men were all initially white. That way, the message of the mutants could be related to the audience with a familiar face. We don’t need to approach the problem that way in 202?

4. Just because that’s the way it’s always been, doesn’t mean that’s the way it should be: The first line of defense. Sorry, that will never be a good justification for literally any idea. It’s time for some more critical thinking.

5. We don’t all want to be Bishop: So say you’re white and you have a kid who for his birthday having a costume party. You’ve bought some X-Men costumes and you want each kid to pick one. 9 white kids and one black kid show up to your house. As the kids deliberate who gets what costume, be it Cyke or Wolvie or whatever, you yell at everybody to “STOP!”, point to the one black kid and tell him “You’re gonna be Bishop. That’s it, end of story!”

We don’t all want to be Bishop. The black child could have the best Cyclops interpretation within him, but you’ll never know if you don’t let him try. And that’s no different from the Black actors of Hollywood. There’s no reason why all of the black talent should *have* to compete for the role of Bishop or Storm, which I’ve discussed, while Joe Schmo can walk up and audition for literally anybody he wants.

Jharrel Jerome is 23 and has an Emmy to his name. He needs to be in the MCU in some capacity, period. Stephan James is another. How bout Damson Idris. Ashton Sanders. But no, no, let’s fancast Dacre Montgomery or Ansel or Joe Keery again as [Human Torch, Wolverine, Iceman, Angel, I’ve literally seen it all.]

6. Nobody wants to see the B-team if it comes down to it. The next line of defense from your racebending naysayers after “That’s the way it’s always been!” is “Well, what about Psylocke, Bishop, Forge and Jubilee?” who are otherwise known as B-tier X-Men. The problem is, we’ve got limited time and limited spots.

So since the X-Men is all about wonky metaphors that make half sense, let me give you another: Let’s say somebody approaches you and says “Hey buddy, I got two free concert tickets for ya! You can either see Michael Jackson Sings the Blues, or you can go see Justin Timberlake. Free of charge!”

Now, are you used to MJ singing the blues? No! Do you have a problem with going to see Justin Timberlake? No, he’s fine on a Wednesday! He had that one little diddy we liked that one time. We’d love to see him eventually! But are you gonna say, “fuck that, I’m going to see MJ Sings the Blues” regardless? Hell yes, because that’s still Michael Jackson. He’s gonna give the same amazing performance he always does, it’s just gonna be the blues. And speaking of blues...

7. Black is not Blue, Brown is not Blue: Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard this one: “I don’t care if you’re black, white, purple, or green, I’m going to treat you all the same!” I will not say all have this intention, but some fancasters have noticed that the racial diversity is kinda low within the A-List X-Men, so they oh-so-generously give the following roles to a black or brown person: Iceman, Nightcrawler, Beast.

Notice the pattern? It’s a microaggression, and it’s bullshit. What these fancasters are implicitly telling you is that, yes the actors will be black or brown, but when the action starts we can ignore that. They’ll be blue by then. In other words, you in fact do care if they’re purple or green. Nobody will cry foul if Dev Patel gets to play Nightcrawler (because that’s a common one I see), but should Anna Diop be Starfire or Michael B. Jordan be Human Torch, I bet there’d be backlash. Oh wait. If that’s you, please stop acting like you actually value diversity. You don’t want to see black or brown skin, period. Unless of course, it’s Storm (refer to point #1).

But wait, there’s more! When brown characters get whitewashed in these movies, it’s crickets! So eventually it’s revealed implicitly that proclaimers of point #4 only care about it one way.

8. Professor X should not be black if you’re not willing to change anyone else: The next line of defense is that some people say the professor should be black, if anybody HAS to be racebent. Something something MLK Jr., Civil Rights or some shit. Number one, I’m not reducing Professor X to being a magical negro for 9 white people (and Storm!) who for all intents and purposes get to have all the action. Number 2, the Professor X/MLK/Magneto/Malcolm X comparison is an oversimplifying disservice to ALL FOUR of those people. I hate that line whenever I see it, please watch a documentary my friends.

9. The Candidates for Racebending: For me, the A-List X-Men are Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, Beast, Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Rogue, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Kitty Pryde. Now, who should be exempt from the racebending? Storm, she’s our designated minority. Gambit, he’s Cajun and they’re white (generally speaking, that’s a fun bit of research). Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler, because their nationality/ethnicity was the whole point of the Giant-Size premise in the first place. Angel, because his character embodies a privileged white male. Beast and Iceman, I don’t care one way or another (Point #7).

That leaves Cyclops, Rogue, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde. Now Jean Grey is a redhead, and we all know that every time a redhead is racebent people sharpen their pitchforks (Mary Jane, Wally West, Iris West), so I will cede the ground on Jean if only so that my ginger friends can get their rep. Kitty Pryde is Jewish, but Jews of color exist. Rogue is from the South. And Cyclops is, well, just Cyclops. That makes those three characters good options for more diversity. But allow me to make the case for Cyclops, specifically.

10. It’s not just diversity for diversity’s sake: If you had to pick who the main character of the X-Men is supposed to be, most would say Cyclops. And so in a series that highlights racial discrimination in society, it makes sense that our main character be black. While changing Cyclops’ skin color should not change who he is as a character, it *should* recontextualize it. Now, as an eventual increasingly radical leader of the X-Men, Cyclops would evoke real life figures such as Colin Kaepernick or, shall I say, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not that most X-Men fans and writers truly think about what it means to be black anyways. Storm’s minority status is almost always put through the lens of her being a mutant and not her being a black woman. In other words, you can’t argue that making a character black will fundamentally change his or her character when you haven’t even analyzed the racial context of the black character(s) you already have. Another concept that the MCU X-Men should tackle: intersectionality.

11. Representation matters: I have to say it: Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther hit different. And now he is tragically gone. At the end of the day, the MCU moving forward is down its most prominent black male superhero. Which has implications beyond just the movies themselves.

The women are in good hands. Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia are badasses in Wakanda, Valkyrie is ruling Asgard, Storm is almost assuredly on the way, RiRi Williams has already been cast, and Monica Rambeau is here and she’s not even at her most glorious yet. That doesn’t even include variable Δ, or the number of characters who can and will be racebent. And I’ll note again that to me, Gamora doesn’t count, because she’s green (#7 really pisses me off because it’s so blatant. I hate it). Of course from a behind the camera perspective we love black women getting work.

The men are a completely different story. Imma just go out and say it, I can’t stand Falcon and War Machine [in the MCU] because they’re not characters, they’re just two of a slew of MCU minority sidekicks who have essentially been at the beck and call of Captain America and Iron Man, respectively. You cannot tell Falcon’s story without mentioning Cap. The reverse is not true. There’s a whole essay that could be and have been written on “Minorities in the MCU, pre-Black Panther”. Remember, there’s a reason BP made so much noise in the first place.

So excluding those two we have, let’s see, M’Baku, Blade, and Fury who aren’t exactly the most superheroic superheroes, Eli Bradley is proooobably coming, I doubt Miles Morales is coming (because he’s just Peter Parker in the MCU), Luke Cage(?) Bishop(??), Sunspot(???), Blue Marvel(????). Not only are they not A-List, I would not put money on any of them being in the MCU any time soon.

Cyclops is thee Captain America of the X-Men. He’s the frontman. He’s the poster boy. He’s the “boy scout”, which in other words means he’s the hero, if there has to be one. It would mean a lot right now, and specifically *right now*, if he were to be black. The MCU needs it. It NEEDS it.

12. The X-Men is the Summers Story: I’ll even make the case that if just one character needs to racebent, then it should be Cyclops, because that of course implies that other related characters need to be black because half of the X-Men universe is in fact a part of the Summers family.

So now Cable is black. Corsair is black. Havok is black. And one of the most central stories in the X-Men mythos, the Summers family drama, is now a black family drama set in space or the future or where the fuck ever. The concept is boundary pushing. When white families have drama in the media, it gets to be Game of Thrones or Star Wars, while when black families have drama in the media, it has to be black people arguing in a kitchen or living room about their various earthly traumas (I’m @’ing you, Mr. Perry). I mean, that’s all fine and good often times, but I want my black family drama in space, dammit.

And again, this is the X-Men, the series that’s all about *minorities* and their struggle, so again, why not?

Oh, and I’ll even throw out a Havok fancast for you: How bout Jharrel Jerome?

#cyclops #scott summers #the mutants #monica rambeau #X-men #xmen #marvel #MCU #fancast #jharrel would actually be a better sunspot #but you get the point #my man would have OPTIONS

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