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lovesickeros · 8 months

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☆ even the gods bleed [ pt 2 ]

{☆} characters furina, neuvillette {☆} notes cult au, imposter au, multi-chapter, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings none {☆} word count 1.9k {☆} previous [ 1 ]

This had to be a punishment of some sort – some kind of divine punishment.

She was bored out of her mind just watching the sleeping body – she hadn't blinked once in the past five hours, her eyes were really starting to hurt. Yet they still hadn't moved so much as an inch since she sequestered them away to the only place she had known to be safe.

But it'd been almost a week since then.

The only solace she found was that Teyvat had seemed much less hellbent on collapsing in on itself like a dying star.

That counted for something.

Not much, but something!

..Even if their position was no better then it was a week ago.

There was, after all, still the issue of what to do about the false Creator – the actual imposter – and the Archons following them like blind lambs. The other Archons wouldn't listen if she tried to reason with them, and it would only risk the life of Divine One if she spoke of their location to anyone else.

She also was pretty fond of having her head still attached to her shoulders.

So she avoided them all together. Partially because she wasn't sure she wouldn't have a breakdown at the sight of them..she'd never been a fighter, and fighting an Archon? Easy pass.

Instead she was forced to babysit the sleeping Divine until they woke up while Neuvillette handled taking care of the nation and dealing with the other Archons – and by extension the false Creator.

Really though, she would almost think them dead if not for the subtle rise and fall of their chest.

Though..this also left her with a lot of time to herself. A lot of time to think.

She really didn't like it.

There wasn't a lot to occupy her mind and what little there was only distracted her for a scant few moments before her eyes drifted back to the Divine like she was locked in their orbit, unable to escape.

She closed the same book for the twelfth time – she kept count – and returned it to it's meticulously designed place within her bookcase. A low, barely audible huff of frustration escaped her lips before she could bite it down, her stare boring a hole into the body of the Divine One with a sharp intensity she rarely showed.

She was tired, bored and constantly on edge, fearing that at any moment someone would find out about their presence here.

That, at the drop of a hat, she would be powerless to stop the greatest tragedy of her time play out before her eyes.

Neuvillette would have scolded her for being so petulant, especially around the Divine One, if he were here.

But he wasn't.

He was out running her nation, instead.

And what was she doing? Nothing!

She grit her teeth, nails digging harshly into the palm of her hands as she took a deep breath – now was not the time to think about that. She had..much more pressing matters. Sulking and letting her thoughts spiral helped no one, least of all herself.

Yet her attention was caught by a harsh inhale, the rustle of fabric – were they finally waking up? She was exhausted, but it all vanished at the sudden drop of life within the otherwise deathly still body of the Divine.

Her eyes followed the subtle twitch of their fingers, watching as their brow furrowed and their features twisted in something almost like..pain.

..She wasn't ready.

What was she supposed to say?

Should she even say anything? Would that be considered impolite? Does she wait for them to speak first? Should she kneel? Bow?

She doesn't get much time to find her own answer before their lashes flutter, chest heaving with every strangled breath. Every single thought vanishes from her mind the moment she meets their eyes.

For a long, silent moment she thinks that her heart must have stopped.

Their eyes glow like the cresting of the sun over the horizon, painting the world in hues of gold – yet it also reminded her of the dipping of the moon below the waves, casting the briefest, most gentle of lights upon the world engulfed in darkness. In the depths of their eyes was the birth and death of stars in the infinite cosmos – glittering stars in a sea of empty, blank space that left her feeling lightheaded and breathless.

Beneath the splendor is a spark of recognition in their eyes so vibrant it was like a shooting star piercing through the dark night sky, leaving nothing but the wonder in the eyes of the observer as the only proof it ever existed – brilliant in it's beauty, however brief.

It is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

"Focalors?"

The lilt of their voice nearly made her knees buckle beneath her – euphoria so consuming it left her feeling she was starving swallowed her whole, her mind blanking in a moment of utter bliss. It was..an indescribable feeling that she doubted she could ever hope to put into words – not in a way that could properly express it, try as she might.

She swallowed the words that threatened to spill from her lips – she couldn't make a fool of herself. Not in front of them of all people. She'd never forgive herself.

"Divine One," She rasps, clearing her throat and covering her mouth with a hand to mask both her nervousness and the small smile that creeps across her face. She quickly regains her composure, hand resting on her hip as she puffs out her chest with every bit of pride she can manage. "I am sure you must be confused, but worry not– your most loyal acolyte has seen the truth!"

The silence is deafening.

She opens one eye, peaking at the bewildered and almost distraught expression of the Divine.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

That..she was not prepared for. Surely they knew who they were! Surely they knew. They had to– she's been praying to them for as long as she's breathed, she's dedicated every hour of her life to living up to their ideals, they can't just–!

"Lady Furina?"

Neuvillette, thankfully, spares her the embarrassment of having a meltdown in front of the Divine, the gentle rap of his knuckles against the door making her and the Divine pause, the soft lull of his voice soothing her nerves and yet setting her on edge at the same time.

"Neuvillette." She clears her throat again, her steps hurried as she marches to the door and pries it open none too gently, a forced smile pulling at her lips. She wastes no time tugging the man into the room, shutting the door behind him with a short huff. The silence is, somehow, even worse then before as the three of them stare at each other in absolute exasperation.

Neuvillette, for his part, manages to get his act together with a sharp clearing of his throat, bowing so low even she looks unnerved. She steals a brief glance at the Divine, and she's taken aback by the uncomfortability twisting their features into a grimace.

Their expression is schooled back into one of empty apathy when he stands back to his full height, but she saw it – she knows she did! Did they not like their worship? Were they not respectful enough? For a moment, she feared the Divine would smite Neuvillette down on the spot..but they just stared at him like he was a ghost.

"Why aren't you killing me?"

The defeated, resigned tone combined with the way their voice cracks makes her heart ache in her chest – it feels as though her entire world is crumbling down at her feet, and she cannot explain why she feels such emotions so strongly, but it is suffocating. It is almost as if Teyvat itself is weeping, bearing down upon her shoulders like a heavy weight.

She feels the urge to weep herself, but she powers through, gritting her teeth long enough for Neuvillette to take his place at the side of her – though it feels more like their – bed, kneeling like he was going to pray.

"Divine One," He offers a hand with a quiet rumble of his voice, the words slipping off his tongue like honey. It's like trying to soothe a stray cat..though she'd never voice such comparisons of the most Divine out loud. "I..we mean you no harm. I swear on my authority as the Iudex of Fontaine and Chief Justice that you are safe with us."

The skepticism she expected, but the reverence in which Neuvillette must convince them – or perhaps they are simply so tired that they simply did not care any longer if it was all some ploy to drive a knife between their ribs. She didn't expect them to actually place their hand in Neuvillette's.

He didn't either, judging by the way he visibly brightened – not that they'd notice, but she did.

..Not that she could really blame him, her heels clicking against the floorboards as she shifted her weight to the other foot with a nervous energy that was practically bursting at the seams, more then a little jealous of the attention he was receiving. She was the one who found them, she was the one who stayed with them the entire time..but he gets all the attention?

How unfair.

"O-of course! We would never lay a hand on our creator," She adds, her voice a little higher pitched then she would have liked as she placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest and brushing off the sting of jealousy. "Least of all I– your most loyal, most devout acolyte!"

She felt baffled when she heard the sound of their laughter, her shoulders hunching and her cheeks flushing on mere instinct – she was expecting mockery, but the look in their eyes, still dulled by a pain she cannot even begin to imagine, made her hesitate.

..It was, perhaps, the most genuine thing she'd heard from them ever since before the hunt began.

She wasn't sure why her heart hurt at such an idea, but it was enthralling to see the beginnings of a half hearted smile on their lips.

For a moment, her mask of theatrics was forgotten as she stared at them in a mixture of awe and adoration– and though she didn't look at Neuvillette, she could imagine he must've shared such an expression.

Had she any doubts that they were her Creator, that they alone were the most Divine..they would wiped clean now. There was no mistaking the way the world itself seemed to grow clearer as they glanced up at her like she was worth something.

For a moment, she realized how cold the false Creators gaze had been now that she has felt warmth so gentle it almost made her knees buckle beneath her. It felt like a pale imitation, now.

Nothing could compare to the warmth that spread through her body at the mere semblance of a smile upon their lips. She didn't even mind if it was her they were laughing at anymore, she just wanted to hear them laugh again.

She'd make a fool of herself, if she had to.

She'd never felt so..ravenous for such a thing, but just the briefest glimpse was addictive.

She simply couldn't help herself from striding across the room and clasping their free hand in her own, her smile wide enough to unnerve as she leaned her weight onto the bed. For a moment, she considered pulling away at the way they startled, but her mind was made up by then – there was no going back.

"Again."

#sagau #genshin sagau #self aware genshin #genshin impact sagau #self aware genshin impact #fic tag #neuvillette #focalors #furina #dont ask what happened here idk #this was. also supposed 2 be neuvi focused and then i.#dont talk 2 me abt focalors i wont ever shut up #got a 300k word essay on hand abt how i feel abt her character/how i interpret her personality and her story #focalors jsut like me fr fr (cries at the slightest inconvenience or the slightest mean comment)#shes so pathetic girlfail im gonna chew on her #what happens when reader gets stuck with two emotionally repressed french bastards?? hell #neuvi is the “emotionless” flavor of emotionally repressed in that hes HORRIBLE at showing emotions at all #ask him to smile and its incredibly unnerving and theres too many teeth but hes trying his best please call him pretty or he will cry :(#furina is the flavor of emotionally repressed where she makes it up by having Too Many emotions #using theatrics and masks to show everyone what they want to see but inside this girl is a MESS #constant anxiety and panic 24/7 #will do random shit and look at you and if u dont compliment her she will think u hate her and cry #compliment her and she'll do even stupider shit to try and impress you more #i love my scrunkly little babies they r so stupid and mentally ill someone get these bitches some THERAPY #i want 2 put them under a microscope #watch this be ooc fr furina when more of her lore drops if shes not girlfail im leaving #anyway see u in a week im going on a trip ill get back 2 u in 6-7 business days

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desultory-novice · 9 months

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With Dedede constantly trusting Meta Knight with dark artifacts, and Meta Knight constantly backing up Dedede's stupid ideas, I can now only imagine the Revenge of Meta Knight being a hilarious overescalation of Dedede's naptime or something like that. "King I swear if you don't wake up I WILL fly the Halberd over."

Fufufu... I toyed around with the escalation + trust idea, albeit with a slightly different reason - because I've always wanted to do something with their potential closeness.

(3 pages)

...And thus did King Dedede go back to bed and quietly try to pretend that Meta Knight's Revenge never happened.

#Kirby #King Dedede #Meta Knight #metadede #Bandanna Waddle Dee #I suppose this is Dess's first MetaDede?#(Depends on how you interpret them of course)#Some people have the Dream Landers swear on Nova #I prefer the idea of them using food-based swears

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falmerbrook · 8 months

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I love seeing people's characterizations of Nerevar because the fella is so important, but he also functionally isn't a character. He has almost no characterization to speak of. You can pull some tidbits out about how he might of been, but he's basically a plot device--a backstory for all the important people. The only accounts we hear about him are from the most biased and untrustworthy sources in the whole game. So it's so fun to see what people do with those scraps. At this point he's Morrowind fans' collectively owned OC

#mine #morrowind #tes #indoril nerevar #nerevar #there's a lot of tes characters you could apply this to #nerevar just cracks me up because at least the others you can interact with at some point #its just fun seeing what the common points are and where the differences in interpretation happen #also what design elements are consistent and what change #like his hair #my nerevar characterization fun take is that how you characterize him should be based on how you characterize your nerevarine #like make them parallels or opposites of foils or something #he doesnt need a consistent characterization hes not supposed to have one #tes has some of the strongest fanon ive ever seen i love it

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critter-covenant · 1 month

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Have had fun learning how to digitalize traditional sketches, little messy but it has its charm me thinks :]

og and uncolored traditional sketch!

#They silly I enjoy them much much #This was drawn back in like. February but I've been nervous about joining the fandom srry about that one chat #Example of the most finished work you'll find from this account heeheehoo #dogday #catnap #poppy playtime #poppy playtime chapter 3 #smiling critters #daynap #-debatably #interpret this however you want idc #How else am I supposed to tag this uhhhhh #Problem for future me artwork be upon the masses now

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juniemunie · 1 year

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TEST DRIVE TEST DRIVE TEST DRI-

I have so many thoughts about this entire sequence, from the way Hiccup and Toothless get along to the MUSIC- (the music analysis is going to my tags)

But im gonna talk about Toothless pov again

I always think of this is like, the forbidden friendship scene for Toothless the way the actual forbidden friendship was for Hiccup

If Hiccup's scene was Toothless connecting to Hiccup through human things (sharing food, smiling, art and all that)

Then this scene is Toothless' because Hiccup connects with Toothless through flying, something I've always headcanoned to be what dragons (the ones that fly anyway) need not just to survive, but to live and bond with others.

if Hiccup's FF is the beginning of the potential then Toothless' FF is the "end", the moment where the potential is found and fulfilled, the thing that really solidifies their friendship because both has now experienced and accepted the other's unique sides

Just, yeah Toothless sees Hiccup just getting it, understanding why flying is so wonderful, hearing him cheer and whoop in joy like a fledgling's first time in the air, and seeing him at the end instinctively understand what to do-

Like that sudden spin near the end of the sea pillars- and both of them looked surprised they even managed to do that together instinctively- when just a few minutes ago Hiccup couldnt even dodge the two very obvious sea pillars in the beginning

He looks up at this human, this strange clever, brilliant little human who has somehow made this even possible, who has broken every preconception he has, who is now flying with him with a dragon's instinct but baring his teeth in that human way of expressing joy, screaming something he could not parse perfectly in his dragon tongue but understood the meaning all the same.

"We did it."

#they did it. they achieved what they thought was impossible but together they reached it #the line can apply to a lot of things so ill let you think about it #i totally didnt get that 'we' thing from a fanfic COUGH #httyd #httyd movies #junie art post #can u tell ive gone insane #this was supposed to be a short caption but ive gotten carried away #toothless the dragon #toothless #hiccup horrendous haddock lll #hiccup #NOW. FOR THE MUSIC.#most of the analysis is already talked well by sideways and phoebe-kate so ill talk about my headcanons and interpretations #toothless' theme always repeats over and over. not ever really having a satisfying conclusion which ive always thought of as a silent show #that toothless was never really happy or content with his life before since he lived a dangerous and monotonous life of serving the queen #sure in exchange for his servitude he was given shelter to a place no viking can reach but he would never call it home.#he most likely wanted out of that sitaution. wanted something new and he got that rather violently through hiccup #now lets talk about hiccups theme. his theme is beautiful and sounds complete. but in the beginning you barely if ever notice his theme #unless youre really looking for it. his theme plays quite subtly and softly. showing how hiccup wants to be seen but he never is #at the start his theme plays after berk's which makes it sound as if hes following them. he isnt the same as berk but he tries to be #FF comes and hiccup and toothless connect both on screen and music. see you tomorrow has hiccups theme play clearly & confidently for once #test drive comes and toothless takes the lead- hiccup following right after him. it sounds amazing but theyre still not quite there yet #then the sea pillars moment and toothless theme plays twice waiting for hiccup's theme to jump in- to let go #and when hiccup does let go his theme jumps right after toothless' fitting perfectly and toothless' lets hiccup theme take center stage #its loud & beautiful and you get to hear it so clearly it takes your breath away and it ends with toothless theme finally reaching an end #they completed each other both musically and in character #they broke the rules of the world and are neither berk's theme or the dragon's they are two parts creating something new and beautiful #they completed their theme bros thats their theme its not berks or the dragons its their very own #okay im done i dont know if i got this across right i hope yall at least get the gist of my insane rambling

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tears-of-boredom · 1 year

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ok so...I wouldnt call myself necessarily "artistically talented", and I famously am very bad at perspectives.. but i drew a thing for @bearotonin-international

#2 hours of my life well spent id say..#and brown bear's little drawing is supposed to be Brown bear + Panda bear. but i realise that both initials fit at least two different #bears. so you can honestly interpret it as you want..#i didnt realise how hard drawing uno cards would be.. my notes app wouldnt zoom more and my fingers arent small enough for that..#but actually they do look pretty good from farther away..#also my imagining is that they cant buy furniture. because they're bears. so they have to make do with what they find..#and that polar bear in the front is playing tetris and losing..#also literally only that brown bear in the back is doing actual work lmao..#and sorry for making them all look so tiny. its really hard to draw a realistically proportionate bear..#my art

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otaku553 · 11 months

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Memories of happier days

#kirby gijinka #galacta knight #nebula knight #kirby oc #heroes of yore #this is not a ship though I suppose you’re free to interpret it as you’d like #I just want them to be happy :)#this is before nebula knight’s moral crisis and before galacta knight’s hands have been stained with blood #how do you draw backgrounds????????#HOW DO YOU DRAW GRASS??????

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paulmccartneyexplodingonstage · 2 months

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Hello, and welcome to a little game I like to call:

I Made This Months Ago and Forgot to Post It

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ch3rie-pop · 6 months

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So I looked through my art tag and realized I never posted this and it’s a little weird to understand if you’re not familiar with my version of WH Y/N but all it’s really about it sad boi hour comfort

Who doesn’t need a big squeeze from an oversized teddy bear (dog) every once in a while?

#my art #welcome home #barnaby b beagle #barnaby b beagle x reader #<- (Can be interpreted as such)#Wally Darling #poor scrimblo doesn’t know what to do but knows his neighbor is in distress </3 #tbh it’d kinda be funny if Wally baps you on the face in order to comfort you #like a pat on the back but how would he know where to continuously slap you softly?#lol #anywho #the red glowing parts are supposed to represent where the heavy feelings are concentrated #y’know cuz apprently you feel your feelings in different specific places?#yepp #if you’ve ever seen that diagram you know what I’m talking about ^^#barnaby is so freaking shape I CAN’T-

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tripleglitchwriting · 4 months

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Hello! And thank you!! I hope you have a FANTASTIC day/night.

I picked Starscream because I haven’t written him before and I thought it would be an interesting challenge.

Alone Together

CW: Reader is kind of depressed, mentions of injury (not human), pretty fluffy other than that

For a long time you felt alone. No matter where you were, be it in a crowd of people or sitting alone in your apartment. Nothing could match the feelings of isolation that you lived in. It felt damming, desolate, and depressing wherever you went.

And yet, despite everything you’d experienced, something changed.

You’d gone to Jasper for a variety of reasons. Mainly just for a change of scenery, but you’d also heard the small town atmosphere could be comforting. Maybe you could get to know some people, become part of a community, find a sense of purpose. Of course, about a month in you realized how wrong you were. Everybody already had their own lives. So there you were, the secondary character to their stories.

Being there was still suffocating.

On a day like any other you decided it would be a great time to venture out into the vast abyss of the desert. You took your clunky car and overpacked supplies out into the sands and just drove. The destination didn’t matter, all you wanted was something to do. That’s it, that’s all.

About an hour into your drive you saw a jet plane soar above you. It wasn’t unusual for the area, plenty of military bases around or at least an airport or two. This one was a bit strange though, you had to admit. It seemed to be… damaged. Actually it seemed to be falling. Fast.

A adrenaline hit you like a truck. With nothing else to lose you hit the gas on your car like lives were at stake, and for all you knew there were. There was a distinct lack of smoke coming from the thing but that wasn’t exactly what was going through your mind at the time, all you knew is someone could be hurt and you could help.

When you finally arrived at the site of the crash, near the side of a large rock formation, but something stood out to you. There was definitely a jet there, however there was no pilot, rather it was leaking a bright blue liquid. Cautiously you parked your car and stepped towards it, only for a shrill voice to cut through the air.

“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!” It shouted, almost knocking you off balance from surprise. There was no one around to make such a sound, unless the pilot ejected from the jet without you noticing and was also carrying a megaphone.

“Are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?”

“I need no such thing! Leave here, human, before I wipe you off this miserable planet!” Well that was a weird thing to hear from what you assumed to be another human. Before you could ask anymore questions, though, another sound scraped through the air.

Mechanical whirring radiated from the now moving jet plane. It began to tear itself apart only to reassemble its parts elsewhere, eventually transforming itself into a thin, robotic figure high above your head. A sharp gasp escaped your mouth.

“What, scared? Well you should be! I, the superior- ACK!” The robot lurched forward in pain, holding a nasty looking tear in his side. While fear and confusion wracked your body, your legs pulled you forward anyway. “Hey! Did you not hear what I just said? I’ll destroy you and this entire mudball when I get the chance!”

“What are you?” Wonder and worry filled your voice.

“Wh- well, I, I am a Cybertronian, not that that means anything to you, fleshling.”

“You’re hurt.”

“Oh really? I didn’t notice.”

“What’s your name?”

“Star- Commander Starscream.”

“Um… ok, I’m-” You didn’t get to finish your introduction as you heard a mechanical hiss and Starscream fell to his knees. His metal face scrunched up into an unpleasant expression of what you would call pain and frustration.

“You really look like you need help.”

“No I don’t!” He growled, trying to grab at you but missing and snapping his clawed hand back to the gaping wound on his side. He obviously wasn’t going to let you anywhere near it, so you did the next best thing.

“So, Commander Starscream, where are you from?” Apparently that wasn’t the right thing to say. You saw him cringe, then he grit his teeth and gazed back at you with a writhing death stare.

“Is there something wrong with your processor? Can’t you see I’m infinitely more powerful that you? Why aren’t cowering? Why aren’t you afraid?” He snapped at you, fire in his eyes burning with an emotion you couldn’t describe. Yet you stood there, asking yourself the same question.

“I have… nothing else to lose.” By this Starscream was taken aback. He didn’t consider a human could feel like that. Could feel… similar to himself.

“Cybertron. Are you happy?”

“What?”

“That’s where I’m from.”

“Oh. Cool. Why are you here then?”

“Why you- augh! I’m here because of a war. Alright? Go. Away.”

“What, like a space war?” Starscream scoffed.

“‘A space war’,” He mocked your tone. “Yes, sure, if you want to put it into a language you can understand.”

“Well, sorry that’s happening.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know that much about war but… well I know it can get pretty bad. So I’m sorry that’s happening to you. Is that where you got your injury from?”

“Well… I… I- yes.” He tripped over his words, recovering just in time to come up with a great lie. “I was damaged in a great battle! I led my squadron to victory but was shot down by my ruthless enemies.” A newfound power entered his voice.

“That sounds intense.”

“It was! It was a dangerous, but I prevailed! I, courageous and powerful Commander Starscream, will always win! You would do well to remember that!”

“You really like the sound of your own name.”

“Wh- you worm, how dare you say that to the likes of-“

“Yes, yes, Commander Starscream. Look, I’m sorry all that happened and I’m glad you’re such a fantastic leader, but right now you’re looking pretty bad. Are you sure I can’t help?” He drew his lips into a thin line before narrowing his eyes at you.

“How could you help me?”

“Well, first I could at least wrap up that wound. I brought some blankets with me when I came out here.”

“How do I know you’re not just going to try and offline me?”

“How would a lowly human like me do that?”

“…fine.” He looked away, obviously annoyed but still in need of help. You got what you could out of you car and approached him once again.

“I’m going to need to get to the wound in order to patch it up.” Starscream grimaced, but ultimately kneeled down to your level. Carefully you wrapped a blanket around his waist, trying to avoid hurting him further. It took time, especially because you were afraid he was going to stab you with his razor sharp claws at any moment, but you got it done. When you finished he puffed out a long breath of air and sat down against the rock face behind him with a THUMP that shook your whole body.

Your ‘band-aid’ seemed to stop whatever blue liquid he kept bleeding, at least preventing it from leaking out more. Your hands were covered in the stuff now, you just hoped it wasn’t poisonous. When you looked up at Starscream you noticed a distinct lack of that narcissistic air about him, like he had given up an act.

“Hey, Commander, are you alright?”

He didn’t respond. And you didn’t try asking again. Instead you walked to the rock face he leaned on and sat next to him. Neither of you spoke. You both simply sat, gazing out into the vast desert. You were surprised when he was the one to break the silence.

“Why would you help me?”

“…’Cause you were hurt.

“That can’t be the reason, what do you gain from this? Do you think I’m going to help you now?”

“No, I helped because it was the right thing to do.”

“The right thing to- agh, that’s a load of scrap! Can’t you tell a dying mech the truth?”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes you are!”

“Why can’t you just accept someone’s being nice to you? Has no one ever showed you kindness before?” You said it sarcastically, like he obviously would have been showed kindness at some point in his life, but your heart sank when he didn’t reply. “You… have been showed kindness before, right?”

“Kindness doesn’t get you very far in the Decepticons.” He whispered, bitter venom dripping from every word. You hesitated before speaking again, trying to wrap your head around the implications of his statement.

“It can go a long way on Earth.”

“I’m not from Earth.”

“But you’re here now.” Starscream paused.

“…I suppose I am.” Slowly, he turned his head to face you completely. “You really helped me just out of pure… generosity?”

“Yep.”

“What if I hurt you? What if I betray you, even after all you’ve done!?”

“Then you hurt me. And I was wrong.” His eyes flickered to the sky, faceplate bending into an emotion you couldn’t quite place.

“I wasn’t injured in battle.” This time you moved your head to look up at him. “I am nothing to the Decepticons. Not anymore. I am a traitor, a coward, a fraud, not a commander.”

“I figured.”

“Wh- what? How could you know?”

“You aren’t great at hiding it. Sorry if I come off rude, but… somebody would’ve come for you by now, right? You wouldn’t be here… alone. With me.”

“Well, at least you’re better company than Megatron.”

“I’m flattered. I’m sure you don’t just dish out compliments to any old fleshbag.”

“What can I say? You’ve impressed me, human. Maybe I was wrong about your species.”

“Thanks, Commander Starscream.”

“I told you, I’m not a commander. I’m a-“

“I know. But for what it’s worth, you don’t really seem all that terrible to me.” He looked at you, a new kind of feeling welling up in his spark. He didn’t respond, but you got the message. He closed his eyes, and for a second you swore you felt something change in the atmosphere.

“Why are you all alone out here?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“I don’t see many humans wandering around in a wasteland.”

“Good point. If you must know, I was just on a drive.”

“A drive? To where?”

“Anywhere. Or nowhere. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Don’t you have connections? Other humans to worry about you?”

“…No. Not really.”

“Oh. I’m… sorry, then. I suppose you’re very lonely.”

“Sure. I’ve been alone for a long time. By the sound of it, I assume you have too?”

“You could call it that.”

“Hey, Commander Starscream?”

“Yes?”

“How about we be alone… together?”

#transformers #transformers g/t #tripleglitchwrites #g/t #gn human reader #gn reader #human reader #starscream #tfp starscream #tfp #transformers prime #I realize this could have romantic implications #it wasn’t supposed to be like that but interpret it how you like #also he’s not dying he’s just very dramatic #tripleglitch request

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yzafre · 5 months

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Roxas: Had the Halloween town kids throw bombs in his face for multiple missions in a row before finally breaking down and smacking them around a bit.

Ventus: The dwarves were rude and refused to talk to him, immediately resorted to chasing them down and whacking them.

Characterization I see frequently: Ah, yes, Roxas is the one always willing to throw hands and Ventus is a smol sunshine boy.

#kh #kingdom hearts #these are really silly examples but the point stands!#in fact I think it expands when you look at their full screen-time #I am once again begging people to watch a full let's play of Days #don't get me wrong Ventus IS brightness and sunshine #but he also has the energy of a chihuahua ready to fight the world and I will stand by that #where as Roxas will tend to just try to avoid it until he Very Much Can't #now I think Roxas does BITTERNESS better than Ventus or Sora #but bitterness is not temper #in fact bitterness is usually negative emotions left on the backburner until the resentment caves in on itself #I suppose this is up to interpretation but from my reading...#a lot of times Ventus seems to burn out his anger then let it go #whereas Roxas doesn't do anything with the emotions until he/the situation self-destructs catastrophically so it ends up being nastier #but on the day-to-day?#yeah no Ventus is going to be the one reacting first #you can also exchange Sora for Ventus for some of these arguments #though I think he lands somewhere between Ventus and Roxas for short-temperedness #all this is more complicated than this reductive commentary of course #you have to take in how and in what orders the characters were introduced and marketed #the difficulty of getting the handheld games historically and the biases that set in before they were easily accessed #not to mention stock archetypes for fandom joke set-ups that then perpetuate the characterization...#like there's a LOT to how this came to be #but it Gets To Me sometimes #yza talks about a thing

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rhaenin-time · 1 month

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No, House Targaryen is not inherently "doomed" by the very same flaws (and themes) that doomed the civilization that they left.

No, they're not fated to succumb to the Doom that they survived specifically because of the foresight that set them apart from everyone else who perished. Not only would it be terrible, simplistic writing, it would also endorse a terrible, simplistic worldview.

People choosing to make House Targaryen a representation of and thematic successor to not just the civilization that they differentiated themselves from, but the power structure that they chose to leave, literally divested from, and actively worked to prevent from rising again in another form... really rubs me the wrong way.

Why isn't this projection and generalization done for any of the families that come from the cultures that are not coded as other? Why is it only the family that's been separated from their cultural context? Why do the other families each get to be unique, complex manifestations not just of different aspects of their cultures, but of their own specific histories?

Why is the foreign degenerate family both a representation of everything wrong with the culture they come from, and a scapegoat for everything wrong with the system they assimilated into? How is it they represent everything bad about what they left behind, and also everything bad about the land they came to? Even though all those flaws are not only shared by the system as a whole, but are flaws that predate their arrival, that they were punished for resisting, and that they are demonstrated to be incompatible with. Why is it always both?

It just rings so familiar to the way so many people view the other in real life. Because the Targaryens are overtly, and intentionally written as the other. It's the reason so many people identify with them, and it's the very same reason that other people vilify them. They're not just the in-universe other to the 'default' culture established in the text, but they're also given characteristics that we, the reader and audience, can recognize as other and even sometimes anathema to Western Christian culture.

Perhaps the old tales were true, and Dragonstone was built with the stones of hell

A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III

I want you to ask yourself: Why is the idea of "fire and brimstone" evil?

To paraphrase the annoying people that love to cite Ramsay when they feel like it: If you look at a morally complex family surrounded by other morally complex families in a morally complex world in a story that's famed for seeking to challenge your underlying assumptions, and think that their association with fire and brimstone is meant to signify their singular satanic evilness, rather than say... challenge that very Eurocentric assumption, you haven't been paying attention.

This vilification mindset where the Targaryens are the singular evil of Westeros is so common to people who seem to want to consume ASoIaF without engaging with the criticisms of the Eurocentric worldview of history at the heart of it. And they end up using the convenient “others” to project all the wrongs of that world onto so they don't need to examine it any deeper.

This is the part where I so often get crucified!

This is the take that so often gets me crucified for "trivializing real world bigotry" in an attempt to "moralize interpretations of fiction" by an onslaught of people with troubling ideologies who then ironically steer the onslaught to moralizing their interpretations of fiction in a way that seeks to either mask or justify their troubling ideologies.

The worldbuilding of ASoIaF is an almost unparalleled projection of the Eurocentric worldview. That's what makes the world feel so rich. That's why GRRM and even the readers and audience are able to craft so many details that feel intuitive. But that also means that how you choose to interpret that world is often driven by underlying biases and ideologies that relate to that worldview — especially if you're not willing to challenge them the way George RR Martin does and encourages you to do.

It means that certain potential biases and ideologies people might balk at outwardly expressing in the real world are recontextualized in a way that feels more comfortable to indulge in.

There are countless examples from countless parts of the narrative. Honestly, you could fill books on the matter. But the one I'll point to right now is how the vilification I pointed out earlier is so emblematic of how the Eurocentric worldview often seeks to project their own flaws onto the other or choose scapegoats for systemic issues.

It comes from the same place with how someone pointed out that the baffling bastardphobia that would have medieval peasants giving the side eye is so often people jumping at the chance to “cosplay” as bigots who base their arguments in misogyny and bio-essentialism. Because it's an acceptable channel to indulge in that mindset in a way that they'd often otherwise question, or at least hold back from expressing out of caution.

And there I go again. "Moralizing fandom" for pointing out that fandom is so often used as a 'safe space' to build communities that share and spread troubling ideologies that you're not allowed to criticize because those ideologies have been 'appropriately' decontextualized from their real-world parallels, even though those parallels are still very much there.

But the problem is that it's impossible to simply 'channel' bigotry and leave it in an 'acceptable' space, because bigotry doesn't work like that. It's not a static object you can carry around in your pocket to play with when you think it's safe to do so. It's a blight. A living poison that feeds and grows and spreads. And if you give it a 'safe space' and continue to feed it with 'acceptable' fuel, it will always find its way out.

#oh my god this rant took so many turns #but how poetic would it be to get 'crucified' over this take #this was just supposed to be me slowly working towards my long essay about why people love to call targaryens “nazis”#but god i could fill a book with how fandom is an incubator for bad real-world politics #and then i was like - fuck - i got cancelled on twitter so often for any take like this and it's actually aggravating #asoiaf fandom #asoiaf #hotd #fire and blood #house targaryen #daenerys targeryan #hotd critical #because you KNOW some of those writers have been indulging in this interpretation #don't get me started on the 'eastern decadence' themes that also pop up around the targaryens #and how it relates to their 'eastern aesthetic' that would take all day

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