#i haven't watched s2 yet but i'm very excited to do so
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cold nights // part six
summary: all the stars aligned, and it was you.
pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader
wc: 2.7k
masterlists / nav / requests
tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, r is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.
a/n: i just finished writing s1, and we're halfway through! so in case anyone was wondering, s1 will have 12 parts :) i haven't started s2 yet but i am so excited to!!
series masterlist // playlist
Days passed, no sign of Coryo. The only reason you know he isn't dead is because Sejanus came and told you he would be alright. That didn't do much to quell your worries.
Selfishly, you were scared you wouldn't get to see him again. You knew you wouldn't, actually. Now you were truly alone. Just you and his blanket, the book he gave you, and the dress your mother made. And Sejanus Plinth, you supposed. None of the surviving tributes would even talk to you- not that you really felt like talking. Just reading. You've read and re-read Romeo and Juliet no less than three times since Coriolanus passed the book through the bars to you the night before you went into the arena.
"I know you asked for this, and it's a little early, but happy birthday." Coryo whispers, smiling as the dark of night encases the two of you into your own little world.
He hands you a small box, wrapped in parcel paper and complete with a ribbon made of some kind of knitting thread. You grin, taking it from his hand and carefully untying the bow, delicately pulling the paper apart where it's taped together so as not to rip it. A copy of Romeo and Juliet. Old, tattered, falling apart; well-loved.
"Oh, Coryo, you didn't have to give me anything. That's too sweet." You grin, immediately flipping through the pages despite the dark preventing you from seeing a single word. "Thank you."
"Of course." He says, watching only you as your eyes flick over the pages. What little light falls from the moon is reflected in your eyes, and he wouldn't dare look away.
"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite." You say softly, and at first, he thinks you're talking to yourself until you look up at him. A small, almost shy smile fit perfectly onto your lips.
"You like it?" He asks, the answer obvious even to him.
"I love it."
You were his tribute. Not a friend, certainly not more, but as he reaches through the bars to let his fingers brush over your cheek all rational thought means nothing. He doesn't realize he's staring at your lips until you comment on it.
"Is this why you asked if I have a boyfriend?" You whisper, your natural smile returns, and he's quickly looking anywhere else. Your eyes, your hair, the spot where his fingertips meet your cheekbone just below your hairline. Anywhere else. "Because I know it wasn't on that list of questions."
He's quickly backtracking, dropping his hand. This was wrong and he knew it. "I, uh, Tigris made you some cake. It's not good, but it's the best we could do." He says, redirecting his attention to his bag as he pulls out the small paper bag.
You sit back, blushing furiously. "I'm sure it's delicious." You smile, and it comes across more nervously than you intended.
"Here." He hands it to you, and you gently place the book next to you on the ground so you don't get any crumbs on it. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
And just like that, he's gone.
You're grateful when you see Sejanus coming back with his bag of food and water. It had become some form of a routine, at this point. The citizens of the Capitol weren't allowed to bring you food anymore, he was the only one who did for you now that Coryo was gone, and now that his tribute had escaped as well.
"Sejanus." You smile, standing up as he gets closer.
"Y/N. Holding up okay?" He asks, a sad look behind his tired eyes. He looked almost as tired as you, you were sure, but you hadn't seen a mirror since you left your house before the reaping.
You sigh. "I'm holding up." You answer simply. Sejanus is the only person you feel comfortable being totally honest with, but at the same time, you don't want to because you know he already feels bad for what you're going through. He's the only one outside this cage who kind of understands. "How about you?"
"I'm alright." He shrugs, reaching into his bag and pulling out a sandwich for you. You could never get sick of these. "I also have salt, if it needs more of that." He hands you a small bag of table salt alongside it.
"Thank you." You grin, tucking the bag into your pocket incase you needed it. "Any news about Coryo?" You ask hopefully, taking a bite. You already feel your starvation-induced nausea fading away.
"Not really. He's recovering, though." Sejanus answers. "Are you ready for the interview tonight?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." You grin. "I was right, I didn't need the book. I already had the whole thing memorized, but it's been so lovely to get to read it again."
"It must be." He nods. "Gives you something to do."
You hum in agreement, looking around at the other tributes. No one is even moving much anymore. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
You look down at your sandwich while you think about how you want to word this. "Is Coryo..." No, that's not it. "I got the feeling that he actually cared for me. Is that true?"
"Coryo has never been one to tell anyone what he's thinking." Sejanus says, entirely unhelpfully. That's not his fault, though. "But if I had to guess, I would say yes."
"I'm just wondering because it's nice to have friends now. Here. At the end." You smile sadly before taking another bite. "And I was worried I had upset him."
"You? No." Sejanus shakes his head. "I don't think you could if you tried."
"Why's that?"
"Well... It's hard to explain. He's always been super focused on school, on the prize, but now, when it matters most, I feel like he's more focused on you and making sure you actually win." He tells you. "But, like I said, he wouldn't talk about it even if I asked him outright."
You nod. "Thank you, Sejanus. For always being honest with me."
"Of course. It's the very least I can do, all things considered."
"Can I ask you for one more favour?" You ask hopefully. "If not I understand, you must be quite busy."
"I have the rest of my life to be busy." He shakes his head. "What do you need?"
"Will you tell Coryo thank you, for me?"
"Yes. Of course." He agrees without hesitation.
"And do you have a pencil and paper?"
Sejanus headed home for a while and then back to the hospital after his visit with you, armed with your note in his pocket to pass on to Coryo. He was hoping he would be awake right now, he had been so on and off the last few days. More grumpy than normal, and Sejanus could tell it was driving him up the wall that he couldn't go see you. But the interviews had already started, so he would get to see you soon- even if it's just through the screen.
"Tigris." He whispers, pulling back the curtain as he sees the familiar girl sitting at his friend's side. She hadn't left her cousin most of the time he'd been bedridden, she was there every time Sejanus checked in.
"Oh, hello." She whispers, smiling at him. "He's still resting, but he's feeling a bit better today I think."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear it." Sejanus agrees, taking the seat next to her. "I went to see Y/N. She's eaten. She doesn't look good, though."
Tigris nods, returning her gaze to her sleeping cousin and pushing his hair away from his eyes. It's not like he needs to see, but she would do it anyway. Just to make sure he wouldn't be annoyed when he woke up. "He's been worrying about her. I can tell."
"She asked me if she did something to upset him. Has he said anything to you?"
"No, nothing." She shakes her head, lip jutting out at the confusing statement. Nothing at all would indicate to her that he was upset with you, but it's entirely possible that stuck in that cage day in and day out you could quickly become paranoid about who you could trust.
"Okay, good. That's what I told her anyway." He tries to be quiet as he speaks, but the whispering wakes his friend anyway.
Coryo's eyes fly open and he gasps, eyes landing on the two of them sitting in front of him.
"Coryo," Tigris says softly, a small, worried smile on her face.
"Y/N?" He asks, his voice husky from sleep. "Is she-"
"She's alive," Tigris promises, gently rubbing his arm, landing her hand on his and squeezing it gently.
"Is she hurt?"
"Not badly." Sejanus shakes his head. "A few decent cuts and bruises, but she'll be okay. I brought her some antibiotics the other day so nothing will get infected." You won't be okay, they both know that, but you certainly wouldn't be dying from the minor injuries you sustained in the rebel bombing.
He nods, slightly, trying to sit up. "How long was I sleeping? What did I miss?"
"Another tribute died from injuries," Sejanus replies. "Everyone is still scared. No one will go see them anymore, I haven't seen any of the other mentors there either. But I've been feeding her. She's okay."
Coryo nods, wincing at the pain in his back as he moves. The burn was bad, but apparently, it was healing well.
"Marcus is still missing. I haven't heard anything about him. They're hunting him but I still think he has a better chance out there than he would tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Coryo asks, rubbing his head with his free hand, Tigris still holding his other one. "They're still going ahead with the games?"
Sejanus just slightly shakes his head, looking away. Coryo knows that that is a yes.
"Oh no... Y/N.... She could've run," He mumbles. "But she saved me."
"I tried to convince her to. I did." Sejanus reminds him. "She wouldn't budge."
All heads turn as Lucky's voice on the TV catches their attention. "And now, our final tribute. I first met this young lady in the zoo not too long ago. From District Twelve, Y/N Y/L/N. Come on out here!"
Lucretius motions for you to step out onto the stage and you do, gently placing the book and the blanket you had brought with you on the floor in a neat pile before joining him.
"Lucretius." You smile. "It's good to see you." You're nervous in front of so many people, the audience in front of you is much larger than the small one you spoke in front of at the reaping, and being in front of a camera without Coryo by your side made you antsy.
"You as well, Darling. Now, I was told you had something you wanted to do for us so I'll just leave you to that. Charm us! Remember, the world is watching." He smiles, gently patting your shoulder before walking just out of view of the cameras. His statement was far from reassuring.
"Uhm..." You stare out at the audience, and suddenly you're scared you've forgotten the entire thing. You had to do well. For Coryo and his prize. He needed this. "I've become aware that not many people know this play." You chuckle, trying to hide your nervousness behind it. "But Romeo and Juliet has always held a special place in my heart and I want to share that with the world, before I go."
You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. You wonder if Coryo is watching. He's not here, you're sure of that, but you do hope he gets to see. And he does.
He stands up as soon as your face first appears on the screen, declining help from both Tigris and Sejanus as he limps over to the TV, cranking up the volume. Your fate depends on this, he knows it, but he can't look past the blue tint under your eyes and the bruises that litter almost every part of your exposed skin. The cuts are what get him the most. Your knuckles are cleaned up, mostly, but red and irritated as you twist your hands together nervously in front of you. Same with the crude black stitches on your upper arm. Irritated, neglected by professionals, but at least it wasn't serious.
"Come on... You can do it." He mumbles mostly to himself, and Tigris reaches up to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder as the three of them watch.
"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Immediately, he is confused. He expected to be, of course, but he could also tell as soon as you started reciting it, after the first line, your confidence was coming back to you. This play was your safe space.
"Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love; and I'll no longer be a Capulet." You look out at the silent audience as you speak, a smile forming on your lips. They're listening. "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague."
Coryo is wishing you had explained more to him about what this play is about. "What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm nor face nor any other part belonging to a man. Oh, be some other name." He should have asked. Why didn't he ask? You told him yourself that you could talk about it for hours. Why didn't he take advantage of that when he had the chance?
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title." A rose. Of course a rose, was this for him? He longed to understand it better as he watched the donations tracker tick up and up toward the thousands.
"Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name, which is no part of thee," You take a deep breath for the first time since you started speaking. "Take all myself."
It was a beat or two before the audience clued in that you were done, and then the cheers started. A standing ovation, people wiping their eyes and clapping for you like you had changed their lives.
"Wow! Now wasn't that something, everyone!" Lucky laughs, coming back into the frame of Coryo's view from the camera. Tigris was in tears. The continual uptick of the donations counter was reassuring to him. As you smiled, cheeks flushing red. "The donations are just flooding in with a record high! That must feel good."
"Thank you, it does." You nod at Lucky, trying to place all your focus on him so you don't get too embarrassed in front of the crowd. At least you knew Coryo would be pleased. If you understood his prize situation as well as you thought you did, this was very good for him. "I just want to make my family and my mentor proud."
"You have a real talent. It's such a shame." The host says to you and you laugh awkwardly.
"Well, everyone loves something. I just loved books."
You continually referring to yourself in the past tense makes Coryo want to puke, looking away from the screen only briefly to take in the other nurses and patients watching too.
"We have just a few moments left, but I need to know, what is that about?"
"Oh! Well, Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy." You explain, back to yourself again. "It's about two star-crossed lovers from feuding families. So, what Juliet was talking about, to put it very simply because I could go on and on about this, was that she loved Romeo for who he was- not just his name or his family. It didn't matter to her that they came from different places. She loves him anyway, and if he couldn't let go of his family, she would give up her own life for him."
Coryo's eyes widen. So it was about him. He can't help the tug on his lips that threatens to form a smile.
"Alrighty then, that's very sweet." Lucky replies. "Now, you said it's a tragedy. What is so tragic about a love story?"
"Well," You chuckle nervously. "They both die at the end."
taglist: @soulessjourney, @keziahcore, @that-veela-girl, @motorsport, @dreamyysouls, @rockstarbfs, @Lanadelrey3, @rawrmameh, @3zae-zae3, @babyspice6, @pastel0rchid, @maysileeewrites, @articxari, @Urfavpouge, @Multivitaminfy, @baybieruth, @kitscutie, @annaelise, @serrendiipty, @fratboyharrysgf0201, @totallynotkaibiased, @stelleduarte, @klplynn, @secretsicanthideanymore, @bejeweledreverie, @fals3-g0d, @drewsandsebastianswife, @niicole-87, @queenofshinigamis, @innercreationflower, @nallasstuff, @spring-goddess1, @baybieruth, @lovelyxtom, @throughgoeshxmilton, @enwonie, @scorpiolystoned, @iovemoonyy, @kodzuvk, @soupasoup, @eedwardss, @thatmarvelchick19, @wearemadeofstardust0, @regulusblackcore, @kbakery , @qardasngan, @omgsuperstarg, @kuroosbby001, @puredreamagination, @fantasticchaosthing, @coolcatyarb, @yokolesbianism, @becauseseaotters, @KimmiB13
if your user has a strikethrough i wasn't able to tag you! i'm so sorry!
#tbosas#tbosas fic#hunger games#coriolanus snow#tbosas x reader#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#the hunger games#thg#thg fanfiction#thg series#thg movies#coriolanus snow x reader#coriolanus x reader#coriolanus x you#coriolanus fanfiction#coryo x reader#coryo snow#snow lands on top
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I saw the pigeon scene and I don't know why some Carylers are so excited about yet another "breadcrumb" as you've called it. I guess some can be happy with very little, and like you said, just need to use their imagination (or rely on fanfic, let's face it). Personally, I need something more substantial to be satisfied and content. I've also been waiting for 12 f*cking years! I stopped subscribing a while ago for this very reason, except when they announced the Caryl spinoff so I really feel like they stole my money when they cancelled the original concept, fired Angela (who was getting it right in my opinion), moved filming to France, and made it untenable for Melissa. So yes, naturally, I have lost faith that they can deliver anything I want to pay to watch, which if I haven't been clear is Daryl and Carol in a clearly romantic relationship along with all the physical affection/intimacy scenes that other canon ships have received.
The pigeon scene is definitely requiring us to fill in the blanks and do all the work, AGAIN--something we've been doing for years due to lack of actual confirmed onscreen romantic canon. Why can't we see a real flashback showing that indeed Caryl is as romantic as they have been writing them (thank you Glen Mazarra and LaToya Morgan for confirming this)? Doesn't AMC want our subscription money sooner than later? S2 better deliver the actual goods or I'm severing my relationship to AMC forever. There are better shows out there I could pay for.
That scene does position Carol as Daryl's love interest/romantic partner whom he misses, so the Carylers getting excited about it aren't wrong for doing so. I don't want to invalidate that experience, but otherwise, you and I are on the same page. I can't get excited because it's still too vague compared to the rest of the episode's emotional beats and there's no payoff. The explicit Caryl romance we want can only happen if the other half of that romance is both physically and emotionally present. Until then, this is just another way for AMC to get people talking, speculating, and debating.
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jjk s1 and s2 spoilers
caught up to the jjk anime this week and damn, hits hard
Animation is stellar, the characters are really fun, there's themes that really hit me hard and godamn the ending of jjk 0 actually made me cry, like tears were shed. I understood why my brother loved the movie lmao
but rn there's one man on my mind. Gojo fucking satoru
Gojo Satoru is just, wow, what hasn't been said about him? He's certainly a showstopper alright, I know Itadori's the protagonist but my eyes were on Gojo the entire time, season 2 personally was even more exciting with that in mind.
I haven't really had the time to do a deep dive on him, but I do have some thoughts... First, yeah he's hot asf I'll give him that (those eyes of his are on my mind and they won't leave me alone, also props to the english dub for the absolutely feral lines)
but the progression of him as a person is also really fun to see. I'm especially interested in him maturing from this arrogant and individualistic person at the beginning of season 2 to... well, still being that but also becoming a mentor to other people.
Like, that's such a huge step for me because contrary to what his pride tells him, he's come to realize he can't do it alone (I mean, he can at the moment but it's more realistic to try and personally raise these youth with potential so that they may bring about a powerful new generation)
The line about education really hit me and I kept thinking about it these last couple of days. He wants to bring change, but if he's the only one humanity has to rely on, he'll run himself ragged. And so, he takes the time and patience to grow these little seedlings, watch them get more powerful but also watch as they may fail along the journey. Even though he's become a teacher, he's not soft on them at all. It's a fact that if they're unable to keep up with him, they will get left behind. Whether that be in skill, or death.
Other than to raise more powerful sorcerers, I can't help but feel this also comes from a place of loneliness, because Geto left him.
I wonder, how much it will hurt to see his students fall? Because although they are improving at a fast rate, can they really keep up with The Gojo Satoru? Or will they against all odds, with his full support, be able to carry on when he's gone? Despite the uncertainty, he continues to teach.
Though the goal is daunting, seeing him wake up to his students and smiling brought such a warm feeling to my chest, it was so sweet.
Also love how unhinged he can get, like characters who do the manic smile thing never ceases to make me giggle excitedly (Nobara and Fushiguro also knocked it out of the park in that aspect, extremely hyped when they went completely off the hinge and kicked ass).
However, there's one scene that absolutely left me in awe. A beautiful mixture of music and imagery that sent shivers up my body every time I watch it. A scene in which he's shown being a mixture of unhinged, yet so at "peace". The juxtaposition is absolutely beautiful to see.
Fighting against toji, where he was high off his epiphany, he had an inner monologue so quiet, so relaxed and detached from how he usually is, coupled with the same piano tune that accompanied the scenes with him, Riko and Geto in the background. My breath was taken away, my eyes were glued to the screen in awe as the music crescendo-ed, and I couldn't help but think "he's beautiful" splattered in blood, bathed in sunlight and eyes glowing with the most vibrant blue.
After the dust had settled, the three of them lost something that day. Riko lost her life, Gojo started to lose his best friend, and Geto started to lose his moral compass and ideals.
The piano music was called "一緒なら" or "If I am with you/together". I wonder why? Perhaps the first time, it was from Riko's POV, as she, Gojo, Geto and Kuroi were sightseeing for the very last time.
The second time, although Gojo seemed detached from Riko's death, perhaps he genuinely cared for her, so much that he'd mourn in his own way.
The arc started with Gojo carrying Riko in his arms
The arc ended with Gojo holding Riko's dead body as the crowd celebrated her death.
He started to lose it, even asking Geto if he should kill all of them. Funny how the tables have turned.
#(SHEESH did not think it'd be this long-)#You know that twitter post about characters with big ol blue eyes staring at you? Yeah that's my brain on Gojo fuckin satoru#sorry for the incoherent mess of words I just vomitted out i have a lot of thoughts and thanks im okay how are you?#I mightve interpreted some details wrong but ill leave that for later#fruit talks
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unfortunately the more i think about yellowjackets s2 the more gripes i have so i need to exorcise them:
in s1 i felt like both the present day and the wilderness sequences fed off each other nicely and while i think i was slightly more invested in the teens in the woods, bc what a great plot lol, i still enjoyed the adults and seeing how it all fit and the guessing game of survivors
s2's adult plotline has lost basically all momentum for me. it is like, a plot i am enduring to get back to the woods, where the stuff i care about is happening, except i can already kind of guess most of the outcomes, because i know who all the adult survivors are
shauna's murder plot is only moderately interesting because melanie lynskey is the funniest woman alive and every line she delivers delights me. it's nice to see adult van, but they have yet to actually do much with adult van, and i'm not sure "van's dying! again!" is the move. i cannot fathom why we made taissa win the election just for her career and subsequent press attention/fame/whatever to have no fucking relevance at all. she could've lost and still been a divorced deadbeat mother lol. i can't begin to guess where anything is going with lottie, nat and misty in the present
anyway here's more stray gripes:
WHY is this particular group of adult women *excited* for snowfall LMAOOOO... ???...
coach ben's storyline needs to hurry tf up. most of his flashbacks after the first two-ish haven't really told us anything new imo, they're hitting the same beats
i get that the show was trying to be funny and experimental but i found the misty float tank sequence absolutely excruciating and five times longer than it had any right to be
really struggling to care about lottie's cult stuff
shauna's goat storyline was ok until they had shauna just verbatim deliver the obvious moral of that storyline.
for a show with a set cast of characters from day 1 it's very jarring every time a new girl shows up out of the blue to get spotlighted for a bit before probably dying. i guess some of them actually have been in the bg this whole time, according to imdb, but it does always leave me like "huh????"
i get that this is a show where weird stuff happens and it's perhaps not the least plausible thing ever but lottie surviving that beating with no medical care is really... lol
love and miss u ghost jackie
anyway. it's still appointment viewing for me because i want to see where it's all going, i like the characters + concept + wilderness stuff, and many of the performances are very good. but after s1 aired (which i watched mistakenly believing it was a miniseries lol) i remember thinking "oh man. this could spiral off the rails so easily" and uh I am concerned that is already happening lol
#yellowjackets#this is pretty negative bc it's just misc criticisms i've been thinking about all season lol
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so i have a question, in what ways do you think the social team sucks? (I agree btw, it always feel like they try to connect with fandom but just can't, like instead of posting the things that would excited their audience, the fandom spaces they post what excites them if that makes sense? and what's exciting for them it's not what we are really interested in)
(also don't know if you know watcher but their social media team is the best out of the youtubers world in my opinion. they actually hired a person that was a big fan of their content, that was part of these spaces already. and she always nails what we want to see. she also really aknowledge tumblr and knows how popular they are here. I feel like a lot of the others socials teams tend to forget about here when it can be such a huge asset)
I always try to give the benefit of the doubt to people, while also playing devils advocate. I feel it makes for a more sound opinion on things. Having grace for others is ALWAYS a good thing.
I fully agree with what you said! you put it so perfectly!
"like they try to connect with fandom but just can't"
It feels like this too me too, especially as of recent. They ALWAYS push the jokes they (the people on set/work at Smosh) find funny. Which isn't a bad thing! there should be space for people to find what they find funny and push for it.
It just becomes an issue when they try to sell merch for things the community doesn't even know about/care about as deeply. (lmk if I'm wrong, but when the "you're my favorite pizza place" joke became a 'thing' the video hadn't even come out yet? I remember having no clue what anyone was talking about, I think the videos come out out of order? and all the sudden we had merch?)
I do like a lot of Smosh merch though! but there's just so much wasted potential of other things that would sell better.
A lot of Smosh fans are I believe Gen Z(?) but I feel like they try to make content for millennials/Gen A so we get a lot of floundering between demographics. I'm also very aware most of the cast/crew at Smosh is more in the millennial demo, which could be a large reason why we get more of that geared content.
Maybe at the end of the day they can't connect on purpose, maybe because they don't want to get into any drama/legal trouble they stay away from interacting with the community too much?
Getting away from those thoughts- they also have a HORRIBLE track record with letting us know about delays, just look at what they did with Sword AF S2. They totally dropped the ball. I'm still very upset about it. I really can't find a reason why they couldn't let us know sooner than DAY OF.
You'd think with them being so proud with their 'scheduling' (which I also HATE.) they would have dealt with these things better.
I've talked before about how I don't really like how much they do on 'shoot weeks'. It drains them loads and seems really hard to stay upbeat, and it WILL wear them down. (I'm wondering if that's why we haven't gotten Damien in too many videos as of recent. He doesn't want to do the shitty ass schedule)
At the end of it all, Anthony and Ian have all the say in what happens at Smosh so I'll just trust they will continue to do what they think is best <3 (even if I hate it) (their livelihood not mine y'know?)
"they actually hired a person that was a big fan of their content, that was part of these spaces already."
THIS^ (I do believe they have a lot of Smosh fans working there rn though) NOBODY DOES A JOB LIKE THIS BETTER THAN A PERSON OBSESSED... NOBODY!
I don't watch a lot of Watcher content but every now and again I'll check in and watch some of their stuff, they're a great lot!
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY HIRED A FAN!! THATS SO AWESOME!! They really know what they're doing! Whos gonna push content better than someone who full-heartedly enjoys it like a fan! (That's were I see the Smosh team falter a lot. It feels like they treat it like they're apart of the team to much? like they obviously ARE but I feel like if you want the job done the best you have to look at it with a fans eyes to know what would be the best content to push y'know?)
#yapping#smoshblr#smosh#Watcher#its not my job but i WILL complain#I still love smosh#take this as harsh criticism#because thats what it is#wishing smoshs social team well <3#even if they piss me off#erin dougal#very well put Anon <3
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🐝 me again! hope you dont mind! i absolutely LOVED the show but now have no idea what to watch next to fill the void! i mean, i can see you are in the midst of a stranger things meltdown so should i give s4 a go? s3 was a bit hit or miss for me, plus the eps are so long!
re: yellowjackets au. you CANT say the word mate without me instantly thinking of a/b/o! which would make things even more nightmarish for poor daniel. esp if he either hadnt even presented yet or was hiding it then his medication finally runs out and the jig is up and the hunt truly is on. oh the delicious possibilities than can spiral from there. (image of the other cobras holding daniels head to the side so johnny can bite him. eek! this whole scenario is consuming me!)
hi!!! I don't mind at all, sorry for the delay while I've been losing my mind over Stranger Things and Eddie Munson!!!! I'm SO happy you enjoyed Yellowjackets, the ending was crazy right??? And how amazing was Christina Ricci? I felt blessed to see her in something good again. God I'm so excited for S2, I really hope it's on this year!! As for other shows I can rec, I'm really enjoying the latest season of Barry, which ends on Monday... it's very dark but very funny too, not sure if you've seen that. Plus I loved the latest season of Better Call Saul recently... can't remember what else I've watched haha, tbh I'm pretty selective when it comes to shows, there's so much I don't watch too.
And as for Stranger Things, I would say YES definitely give S4 a go if you haven't started it yet. I also thought S3 was just okay. Like I loved the storyline with Steve, Robin & Dustin but I felt like the show in general was running out of steam a bit. S4 has been amazing though, like I think it's the strongest season so far. The episodes are long, but it's needed for the number of characters and storylines there are now. Some bits aren't as interesting, like the Hopper in Russia storyline, but everything in Hawkins that explores the Satanic Panic; the new character Eddie who's accused of murdering kids and is based on Damien Echols from the West Memphis Three; Will's feelings for Mike; and the actual villain of the season and what he does to teenagers in Hawkins is all SO GOOD. Like I found it really fun and emotive and riveting!!! The only thing I want now is for Steve to come out as bi!!!!
God and as for the a/b/o Lord of the Flies / Yellowjackets idea I'M SO OBSESSED WITH IT I WANT TO CHEW GLASS. Like I know I've been going on about ST non-stop the past few days but this has been at the back of my head too. Like maybe Daniel's been taking his blockers, like Lottie on her medication in Yellowjackets, but it runs out a week or so after they've been stranded and it becomes more and more obvious. Like his scent gets stronger and he feels a heat coming on, and of course all the Cobras are Alphas because you can't be in Cobra Kai unless you're one, so he tries to avoid the others and hide it as much as he can, but eventually they find out.
And I'm just like. imagining Daniel going into his heat, slick running down his thighs, running from all the boys, but it doesn't matter where he goes because they can smell him even miles away, and they hunt him deep into the forest until they find him. And YES omg like you said... the others can play, but Johnny would be the only one who's allowed to knot him and claim him. Like the thought of them all holding Daniel's face to the side so Johnny can bite him on his mating gland is so hot. And Daniel tries to resist, hoping his body will reject the claim and the bite will heal, but it doesn't because Johnny's a compatible mate, and the bite quickly scabs over into a scar, showing everyone that Daniel belongs to him now.
And Daniel's terrified too, because he knows if Johnny comes inside him and knots him, he could get pregnant, and the last thing he wants to do is get pregnant while they're in the middle of the wilderness and have no idea when they'll be rescued, but Johnny doesn't care, he just wants to breed Daniel for as long and as hard as possible because Daniel is his and he's wanted to do this to him ever since they met. (Bonus points too if all the Cobras get to fuck Daniel during his heat because he can't control how his body reacts to them and it means Johnny gets a rest between his own bouts of fucking <3)
#asks#yellowjackets anon#cobras x daniel#just gonna tag this#tw non-con#too because it verges on that#and#a/b/o lawrusso
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30 and 35 for the writers asks
30. favourite idea you haven't started yet
i answered this one already buuut another big one is. Thee mental breakdown I love a good mental breakdown! There are multiple.. I can't detail the ones I'm thinking of too much because they're big spoilers but both S1 and S2 pix have this big moment where everything slots into place and they realise what's going on and it's horrible and scary and I am so excited to write them both. ESPECIALLY season 1 because it's sort of. Not violent nobody gets hurt but there's some blood and body horror as is the way with aoyuer S1 and it looks so cool in my head I can't wait to get it down on paper
35. what scene are you least looking forward to writing?
all of them I'm scared of writing the end of s1 especially though because I'm not good at writing things that end in a satisfying way I hate writing endings so much. And since the story itself does not end in a satisfying way I don't . Know exactly what I'm doing with it yet LMFOAHDK im figuring it out I have ideas. Also a couple of arguments between fwhip and pix that make me very sad I feel like when I get to some of those I Will shed a tear. Jimmy and pix also have a big argument that I'm fucking terrified of but that's less dread and more like. Painful to watch pix get torn to shreds like that. Also any scene where anyone kisses because I don't know how to do that
writer asks
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are you watching trop? and if so what’re your thoughts 👀
I've watched the first three episodes yeah 😌 like a 6/10 so far?
my general thoughts: there's been some quite strong stances both for and against it, and I understand where everything's coming from. personally, I'm happy to enjoy it from a distance but not get too invested; to satisfy my curiosity but not give it more attention than it needs. I'm not seeing it as a faithful adaptation at all, because there's hardly anything to adapt - expensive fanfic, as it were - and that, I think, is the problem in itself. I'm just not sure it was a smart idea to make a 5-season show where you don't even have the legal rights to fully reference the first age lmao??? it makes for bloated storytelling, which was my issue with the hobbit films.
things I like:
the music
pretty shots
idk man I'm a simple girl I hear a subtle reference to anything tolkien and go !!!!!!!!
the dwarves! there were a few weird shots that made me a little uncomfortable but I liked the general vibe, and durin and disa were lovely + it's nice to get the more sensitive side to the dwarves, whereas lotr kinda brushed over it by making gimli comic relief when he's SOOOOO <3 in the book, and the hobbit had three films to give the dwarves some depth and somehow still didn't manage much
elrond!!! still hate the hair but you can tell the actor is giving it his all
again, weird casting choice and styling for celerimbor, but I like the way he's playing the character
poppy the harfoot is soooo cute <3 generally liked the harfoots, and they have some cute hobbity sayings that they pepper into conversation! but I feel like they could do with a little less sceentime, and I still don't get the overly dirty appearance and leaves in their hair - it's a bit much
southlands backstory is interesting!
numenor looks cool! and isildur is soooooooooo <3 also elendil dfhgdfk and tar-miriel is looking promising!
things I don't like:
........galadriel. I know they needed to give her an arc or whatever but this whole arya stark-esque thing going on just isn't doing it for me
elves in general tbh. not even just the appearance (hair, age, costume) but the way they act too just doesn't feel elvish. there's no difference between elves and men except the pointy ears, and idk I just find that odd. feel like I'm watching the witcher sometimes
oversimplification of the first age (essentially they made it out as if one big group of elves sailed to middle earth together to fight morgoth and that's it) means oversimplification of galadriel's motivations, which again makes her character fall flat
some very unnecessary scenes (or dramatic scenes with not enough build up to get an emotional response) to pad it out and it feels kinda choppy in places
we haven't seen him much yet but i am still nervous about ar-pharazon. the way he's given a massive beard when nobody else has anything more than stubble/very short facial hair makes me 😐 at what's to come
yeah just... don't feel invested in most of the characters. idk if that's just me though
but yeah all in all I'm not 100% convinced I'm in middle earth? there's some moments where I go "oh this reminds me of game of thrones" or "oh that's kinda like the Witcher" and... that is not what I want to be thinking when supposedly returning to middle earth
so all in all, it's ok? not awful but not amazing either. maybe it'll pick up later, idk. I'm hoping elrond grows his hair out by s2 🤧
I just don't want too much overlap between this and lord of the rings, which are two completely different things. i get that it's exciting to get new content, but please tag things correctly guys 😩
#rop#rop crit#these are the tags I'll be using for the show and for criticism of the show respectively!#so blacklist whatever you don't wanna see. there won't be too much i promise#anonymous#replies#what do you think of it anon?
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honesty hour-ing back at you!!!! what are you most looking forward to right now, both bl wise and in your own personal life (if you're comfortable sharing it of course!!!)?
(also how does it feel like to be one of the loveliest person on the planet please speak into the mic 🎤)
I remember once I was asked what I look forward to the most and I just had to list a bunch of stuff that were already out because there's just so. much. content! it's no different this time around as I am in the process of catching up with everything under the sun ✨️i don't really hear of upcoming shows until they're already out so that adds to it hahah
okay so I'm excited bout the upcoming be my favorite and hidden agenda episodes, they are both light watches for me so I'm naturally in anticipation; it's not even announced but I might be most excited about fourthgem's upcoming project :') oh, i'm very interested in last twilight (and here is the moment I realise who I'm replying to lmao because I was thinking of @ the person whose posts got me hyped up about it and- yeah. silly goose)
eternal faith (haven't read the novels yet though so I'm in no hurry); ah the cherry magic adaptation with taynew just came to mind, ig im curious to see how they handle that 😗 I also want to watch wedding plan, jun & jun, stay with me (that's a bl, lads, i've seen how those dudes look at each other and i want more), jack o'frost, cooking crush (I miss offgun suddenly its so weird), minato's upcoming episodes (asuka and shun have the potential to be the best thing that happens in jbl this year and I beg for them to not fuck it up)..*checks mdl* OMG LOVE TRACTOR im waiting for my gal to watch these two fools on a farm (not to be mistaken with the japanese fools on a farm in zenra meshi whom I am in no rush to deal with. do you know how bored and put off by posts I have to be to be uninterested in a japanese bl? sheesh)..unintentional love story is a big one cause of how passionately it was recommended to me hahah and idk if they count but s2 of good omens, heartstopper and our flag means death
there are a few (word with a subjective meaning innit) others on the watchlist and a few upcoming ones i'm so curious about, not to mention all the non-bl shows I'm eager to watch
as for my personal life (what a surprising question! sorry to be more on the private side <3) I am excited bout giffing stuff hahah I love getting the hang of it, it's a slow but fun process🌸
and for the last question..blushing crying screaming-
idk what I did to deserve such cuteness but im very grateful 🥰 I don't know, I think if you're yet to figure it out considering your solid personal experience, we might have to put our heads together to think of a proper answer 🤷♀️
#its called honesty hour but im taking applications all day everyday lmao i just love talking that much#the fact the question clearly states 'most excited about' and i just decided ''that has a broad meaning now let's LIST''#thank you monica you strike me as someone who likes long rants with a 'train of thought' feel so i tried not to edit this too much#if you prefer structured ones you gotta tell me though i love pinpointing in order too 😁#ask game#ppg#petri replies
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oh I need to finally watch mahoutsukai no yome, it looks so good! I'm very excited for vinland saga s2 next season (I loved s1 but I didn't read the manga so I'm curious what will happen next) and bungou stray dogs s4 (it's one of my favs!). there's also this one called ao no orchestra, I love stories centered around music so I'm very curious about it! I know it's based on a manga but I haven't read it yet. do you prefer watching anime or reading manga? - your santa 🧑🎄
oh yes, i'm looking forward to vinland saga too! i think i'm a little behind on bsd ><
and it depends! i tend to watch anime to find new anime to get into, and if i enjoy it, i'll go read the manga! more often than not i'll also end up preferring the manga once i've read it, but i've not had as much free time anymore to read a lot
my favourite genres tend to be darker, so seeing a panel drawn to perfectly draw out the right feel and atmosphere makes my brain go brrr- to give an example that will never leave my mind, the way isabella's character is drawn throughout the promised neverland gives her such an edge and i love it so much more in the manga than i did in the anime, this scene in particular:
and the way it was placed right after something you'd think would only focus on the trio 🤌🤌🤌
this just isn't the same
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Hi!! it's your annoying kinnporsche anon again. I am finally up to date, life has been kicking my butt so I haven't had time to watch. Anyway, how have you been enjoying the last few episodes? Is it true that there are only 2 more episodes until season 1 has finished? I am hoping it is renewed for season 2!! I heard the kinnporsche cast are going on tour?? are you planning to see them??
What do you think of Pete and Vegas's dynamic?? Hope you have been well, take care!! We'll speak again soon, you can't get rid of me so soon. I'm like Vegas I just keep coming back lol
Kp anon, never say you're annoying again, I get so excited when I see a message from you!! It is true, there are only 14 episodes in total, so we have 2 more to go before the wait for s2 starts. I'm speaking s2 into existence, I refuse to accept otherwise.
There is a kp world tour apparently yes! But I think they haven't officially announced which countries they'll be visiting yet? So it all depends on that, if I'll be able to go or not. However, I think if I see Mile or Apo in real like I WILL pass out, so I have to think about this carefully LOL
I'm very intrigued by Pete and Vegas, what they have is so different from what Kinn and Porsche have. I'm really curious to see how its going to go from here- Will Vegas let Pete go? And if he does does Pete return to the main family now? Does he want to? Does he want to stay with Vegas and the minor family? And the main question- will Kinn/Porsche/anyone-at-all-from-the-main-family come to their senses and realise just how long Pete's been missing for???! Like, I know Kinn thinks Pete's with his grandma, but, what was the time limit on that leave, how long has it Been really. So many questions anon, so many, and so little time left to have them answered. Fingers crossed the last 2 eps are at LEAST an hour long each hahahaha
Also- I don't want to get rid of you!! Come talk to me more kp anon! ❤️
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Shuang Bei translations (4/?)
An Exciting Offer S2 (Eps 4-5):
About people putting a label on you:
(after watching a clip where the interns were using the term "poisoned milk/du nai" - a relatively newer term meaning someone who jinxes others):
Sa Beining: What does "poisoned milk" mean?
Boss Yang: First, you have to understand "milk".
Zhou Shen: Think "milk". "Support". "Wet nurse". "Recharge". "Nursing". "Game play".
Sa Beining (giving up): Never mind. Let's stop talking.
Boss Yang: It's basically if I assure you that you'll win, and you end up losing ---Don't you do that all the time?
Zhou Shen: Yeah, you're poisoned milk!
Sa Beining: ????
Zhou Shen: The poisoned milk doesn't understand what poisoned milk means!!
Sa Beining: I prefer the term "lighthouse"...At least it sounds a little bit more positive....!
He Jiong: In the future, this show will give Sa laoshi the label: "Poisoned Milk Among Mortals".
(new scene)
Sa Beining (about the interns): So if they lose this round, they will directly have to leave?
He Jiong: Very possible.
Sa Beining: Then should we say a last few words to Ding Hui(the least favored intern that Sa Beining favors most)?
He Jiong: Don't be like this!! Don't be like this.
Sa Beining: I'll jinx him, right? (Zhou Shen: Poisoned milk)
Fan ChengCheng: Hey, but this is "Reverse Milk". So maybe he'll get to stay.
Everyone: REVERSE MILK.
Sa Beining: I've only just managed to get a grasp of the word "poisoned milk", now I have to understand "reverse milk".
(new scene)
He Jiong: I want to ask Sa laoshi. From the "Lighthouse" of Who's the Murderer?, to the fact that in this current show, we don't dare to follow any of the vote you cast...has this kind of label ever troubled you before?
Sa Beining: The label of "poisoned milk" troubles me. (Everyone laughing) You call me "lighthouse", I can bear with it. But "poisoned milk", I have to think about it. Because I've JUST learned this term. I haven't caught on all of its nuances yet.
He Jiong: It just doesn't feel too comfortable huh? (Sa Beining: Yeah)
(new scene)
He Jiong: Most times, at wrap-up parties for an event or a show, I really just want to go and party; to chat with everyone, make some new friends...have a drink... I don't know where this label for me came from, but everyone just goes: *daintily puts his hands together* "He Laoshi, I want to discuss Life with you."
Zhou Shen: For real?
He Jiong: Isn't it very vivid? That type is actually still okay. When I'm sober, it's okay. But sometimes, the second day, after I wake up, someone tells me: "He laoshi, what you said was SO right, I'll definitely do what you said". And I go *dramatic, panicked face-holding* "WHAT DID I SAY?" No, scratch that, "WHO IS THIS PERSON?"
(new scene)
About goodbyes:
Zhou Shen: (...) But those friends that I cried so much for, to the point of being unable to stop...I still lost contact with many of them. It's quite cruel. Life doesn't have so many reunions.
Sa Beining: And with age, you'll slowly understand which partings were the ones that were the most important to you. Because they will keep returning to you in dreams. (...)
He Jiong: What we see in goodbyes, I think...is regrets. You keep thinking that you could have opportunities to treat them better. (Sa Beining: Learn to cherish) Or to do something more meaningful and fun together. But there are some goodbyes that are without warning. They come suddenly. And that kind of grief is something that cannot be compensated for. And that is something of a complete different nature from what they (the interns) are experiencing right now as goodbyes in a professional setting.
#more about individual cuts but the du nai makes me laugh endlessly#shuang bei translations#shuang bei#he jiong#sa beining#an exciting offer 2#the part about goodbyes rly gets to me each time
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My Watching Movies & TV Shows Plan
After I watch this last episode of Yellowjackets, I am going to start watching Succession I think. I still need to finish Breaking Bad but I only watch it when I am eating lunch at uni. However, I will try to get it done. Will finish of S2 of OITNB, too! I've watched up till Poussey dies before, so it's not like I haven't seen all the good stuff to come out of that series.
Additionally, I am going to try to watch some classic movies I haven't seen yet, as well as branch out to different genres! I won't really watch musicals and war movies, because war movies suck and there are very few musical movies I can tolerate. Will watch international movies, too, especially Korean ones because they're amazing from my experience!
I have been really busy at university, and will continue to be until I'm done in 2 weeks. Then, I will probably have to get a job and then I'm off to Italy, then my last semester starts. Very busy but fun and worth it! Been editing and will continue to edit the stuff I need to, and will keep doing it next semester because I love it.
My essay exam went well, finished it on Friday. No more essays for me, ever!!! Unless I decide to do a Master's degree in the future, who knows??? At this point, I have to do lots of colour grading and animations for the mv I edited as the animator dropped out :( Good practice though (and I get credit for it)!
ALSO! Very exciting stuff coming up for the fandom I'm in that I don't talk about on here! So much cool stuff happening that I am very excited for, that will NOT be discussed here! BUT it's very hype and very cool and actually kinda relates to what I've been making this semester (shoutout to my boy!). Life is good but stressful!
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your post re canonbuddie stans ♥
you liking bucktaylor & megan west ♥♥
you liking bucktalia ♥♥♥
you not liking eddie ♥♥♥♥
you liking marisol ♥♥♥♥♥
your take on canonbuddie overall ♥♥♥♥♥♥
i agree with it all so wholeheartedly!!! buck and eddie literally feel like bros to me. yes, they are besties, and yes, buck has a very lovely bond with chris! but at every single point in the past 6 seasons that could have been used to give Hints to the audience that buck or eddie could ever be romantically involved with a man (or even each other), the show never took it. zero jealousy, zero hesitation to date somebody else, zero insecurity of their "family dynamic" changing when they date again, zero flirtation or appreciative looks or past experiences with men. buck and eddie are both so painfully heterosexual to this day that everybody who honestly thinks of buddie being a feasible option for a canon endgame couple is just delusional to me at this point. and i want to stress that this does not mean that people cannot enjoy and ship buddie to their hearts content! but i need people to fucking learn how to watch and comprehend a narrative realistically because things have gotten so extremely exhausting, even in the tags that are not even meant for buddie! it is everywhere, and i am so so so tired of it.
also, god, i am always so happy whenever i see somebody who enjoys buck and canon buck ships but also shares my disinterest in eddie dfjdsfk; i loved him sm in s2 but that love dwindled more with each new season, s4 and s5 eddie bored me to death. today, i am mostly just indifferent to him. i believe in marisol's power to make his scenes better lmao.
you have any wishes for bucktalia moving forward or some type of scene you'd like to see them in? i personally must see her in lingerie and/or in some really sexy outfit. i just want to stare at them being pretty and cute together, frankly speaking.
legit haven't gotten an anon ask in well over a decade hahaha so this was super neat to open the website and see <3
yes in s2, that character was one of the best male characters i had the pleasure of watching and that dwindled quickly, to the point i wish for the s1 118.
i don't wanna touch on the sexuality of anyone, even fictional characters but the writers have not gone out of their way in anyway to say they aren't straight and i think 7 seasons in, if it was in their plan it would've been done. it's a ryan murphy creation for goodness sake, if he wanted to he would've from ground zero.
i don't have much thought about them yet! they are very aesthetically pleasing. i just want them to stop having buck reinvent himself. we're on buck 345.0 at this point. (i love him and think oliver is GREAT at portraying him, but enough) i was really excited to see where buck and taylor could've gone especially given their history and how we had already been introduced to the audience and had a story independent of his. i also like how she wasn't falling at his feet and also in s4 when he basically used her and she called him out and told him he actually needed to treat her like a friend. why they just decided to take their story in the direction they did, i'll never know. they've written bathena AMAZINGLY and have done a wonderful job with madney, not sure why they aren't doing the same with buck. because after AB, PK, and JLH who came with an already established fanbase, buck/OS seems to be highly popular among the audience and deserves better writing. he was single majority of season 6, so i guess i can't say i wish he was single much longer. i hope natalia becomes a character we can invest in separately from buck. i'm pleased with what very little we've seen so far.
whoever, you are thank you for sending this! and here's to hoping we get season 7 by january 2024.
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Thank you for tagging me, @onlylostphysics!
Rules: tag 9 people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below!
Last song: "Vedes Amigo" by Qntal
Three ships:
Ed/Stede - the ship of my heart
Olu/Jim - grumpy/sunshine <3
Frenchie/Wee John - Room People 4ever
First Ever Ship:
The first ships I got into in a fandom sense were Merlin/Arthur and Morgana/Gwen (BBC Merlin). I was also a big multishipper in that fandom in a way I am not (yet) with OFMD.
First ever ship was probably wanting David and Maddie to kiss on Moonlighting (yes, I am old; no, I do not recommend this show).
Currently reading:
I'm listening to the audiobook of Women Talking by Miriam Toews and will watch the movie when I finish it.
I just read an absolutely lovely MCR fic which my friend recommended to me. It was from 2012 and it made me so grateful that AO3 exists, as an archive; the author had orphaned the work and all the links off-site are broken now.
Currently Watching:
Some friends & I have been watching all of Twin Peaks and discussing it once a week. I watched S1 & S2 when they originally aired (I was about 16) and it's been fascinating to revisit it as an adult. We just got to the stuff I hadn't seen before: Fire Walk with Me and The Missing Pieces. Then this week we're starting S3, which I also haven't seen yet, and I'm really excited!
Currently Consuming: Lots of coffee, I ran out yesterday & just got some, so I need it!
Last movie: I watched Ace in the Hole (1951) last week and enjoyed it so much that I watched another Billy Wilder film today, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Very clever movie and I recommend it if you're a Sherlock Holmes fan.
Craving: A sub from a sub shop, with cheese, spinach, and mustard.
I love to be tagged for these kinds of things, but I don't know which of my followers feel the same way. If you see this post, consider yourself tagged, and if you want to do it, please do! I'd love to see everyone's answers (and please tag me if you post).
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can i has more cr sense8 au percy pls? (if your up for it of course)
*slams 2,000 words on your desk five months later* MY HOBBIES INCLUDE PROCRASTINATING FOR FINALS BY WRITING SCENES FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE HYPOTHETICAL PLOT OF NICHE CROSSOVERS WITHOUT GIVING YOU ANY CONTEXT SAVE A COUPLE OLD POSTS OF BULLET POINTS (posts here. Take this fic as the inter-seasons holiday special, basically.)
“I’mstill not certain we should be doing this.“
Itwas a meaningless statement even before he said it. With her arm in his, withthe warmth of her against his side and the tinkle of her laugh fading in theair, Percy thought he would trust Vex to lead him down any icy path through thewoods, with any blindfold on or off, even if he had never known her moreintimately than he knew himself. Even if they had just met, somehow, one day,and she had smiled and beckoned, he would have followed.
Exaggeratedgagging noises broke into his thoughts—Vax, visiting as almost always, makingVex laugh in the cold Northern darkness. The drugs all but gone from his veins,Percy could feel him again, that knife’s edge of sarcasm prickling overdevotion deep enough to fill the sea.
Two(one? three?) months of isolation was turning him poetic. It was horrifying.
“It’llbe fine,” said Vex, tugging him forward. “Turn right—”
Percyfollowed her instructions obediently. “I don’t know where you get theconfidence that she won’t be looking, just this one night. It’s not like theholidays have stopped them before.”
“Becauseshe’s loony, Freddie,” Vax said with overwhelming fondness.
“BecauseI don’t care!” Vex proclaimed, and Percy felt her toss her hair within herselfbefore it smacked him on the cheek. “We’re taking Christmas back. What they didto your family was horrible, yes, and we willkill them for it, I promise—”
Theothers nodded in agreement, the heroin finally losing its grip.
Vexput her hands to his face—cold, calloused, but the kindest Percy had felt—andpushed up his blindfold.
“Buttonight,” she whispered, wild and soft and fey in the moonlight, “let’s justnot be afraid.”
Theplace she’d led him was beautiful. Vex was beautiful, already shrugging off herbag and dropping down to swap her boots for skates, lithesome and lively as theswaying trees and stars above. They shone down on the iced-over pond, in the centerof the ancient forest, just as they must have in Jerusalem two thousand yearsago. There wasn’t another human being for miles, Percy knew without asking.
“Doyou even know how to skate?” he asked, amused, watching her fumble with thestraps.
“No.”She grinned up at him, entirely impish. “But you do. And Scanlan, I think.”
“Ido,” the man himself confirmed with a smile, making hot chocolate in his LosAngeles apartment.
“Ifyou’re getting gross, I’m leaving,” Vax announced, and vanished—as if thatmeant anything, as if they couldn’t all feel him and see him as well in hiscell in Osaka, or Los Angeles or the Outback or wherever Percy and Vex were.(He didn’t know and she wasn’t telling, and that was how they were safe.)
“Allright!” Pike chirped to her choir straggling into line in her little woodenchurch at the eaves of the Amazon, so newly rebuilt it still dripped tar. “Youready?”
“Let’sdo this!” said Scanlan, bringing two frothing mugs into the living room, whereKaylee was doing her best to scowl at the bright tree and heap of presents.Tary echoed it, squaring his shoulders for a much less amicable familybreakfast, and Grog smashed a beer bottle as he shouted, because it was aChristian holiday but fuck it, it was a holiday, and the peace was still goingand the dirty thugs and criminals of Ankara were going to have a fuckin’ party.
Asfar as possible from any gritty urban party, and more importantly any evilbrain surgeon, Keyleth sat by her campfire and took out her guitar, andlaunched into an offkey rendition of “Jingle Bells” on the warm Australianevening. Across the fire, Kashaw stared at her like she had to be kidding, butwithin a verse she’d smiled enough to draw out his surprisingly rich tenor.
Scanlanblew them both out of the water, of course, and Kaylee didn’t blink as she toreinto a box that she would soon find contained mostly just increasingly smallerboxes, because Scanlan singing was like the sun shining. It just happened. Halfwayaround the world, Turkish pop music blasted out of the bar and down the street,and Grog jumped up and down with Zanror and Worra, mostly on the beat.Tremulous voices strengthening as the sun slipped through the high window andthe rest of Puentamáre’s congregation filed in, swelled by all those coming tovisit the “little angel,” Pike’s choir sang the day in, and Vox Machina stoodand sang with them.
Theydanced in the bar in Turkey, bright lights and pop music pounding against theancient sandstone walls. They laughed over brunch in New York, until Lydiaasked if something was the matter and Mary-Anne kicked Tary under the table,and both his parents shot him dirty looks. They clambered over rocks in theOutback and Tary squealed in fear at a giant spider as Vax laughed and held itup to his face.
Theyjust managed to hold onto the iPhone to film Kaylee furiously flinging sevenlayers of boxes and wrapping paper at their heads, in retaliation for spendingten minutes unwrapping a single guitar shop gift card. But she was laughing,too, so it was okay. Turning state’s witness earned Vax a couple extraprivileges; he spent one on a phone call to Zahra, left bear-sitting, and Vexcried on Percy’s shoulder while they all made kissy noises at the phone andassured a confusedly lowing Trinket that his mama would be home as soon as shecould, and she loved him very much. Percy hadn’t ice-skated since he wassixteen, years before That Night, but they did waltz steps and figure-eights ona moonlit frozen pond somewhere in Siberia, and held each other tight. It wasChristmas and Vox Machina laughed and sang and cried, and held each othertight.
“Whata lovely way to spend the holiday.”
Percyslipped before she finished speaking, eyes clenched shut; he didn’t know whenthe ice was coming until his hands hit, hard, and the spray his face.
“Percy?”Vex.
“Really,Percival,” Ripley said, “You don’t have to so childish about this. I’m not hereto hunt you down, tonight.”
“She’shere,” he gasped, pulling himself across the ice. Eyes shut, don’t even look.Don’t even think. “Vex, she’s here,you have to– get the–”
“Shit!”Vex fumbled for her bag, still on the shore. “Fuck, fuck! Fuck her!”
Ripleyclicked her tongue in disapproval. She stalked silently across the ice, inlight boots rather than heavy winter skates—but then, she wasn’t really there.
“Ithought you might like to go on a trip, actually.”
Andthen they were standing in a corridor, and Percy was the one mis-dressed forthe occasion, bundled up for the frigid wilderness. He had half a foot inheight on Ripley, and he’d worked to keep his machine shop muscles while pentup in…wherever he and Vex were. None of it did anything to ease the way hisstomach turned as Ripley eyed him up and down, judging him for the failedscience experiment he didn’t need to be in her head to know she deemed him. Shelooked almost identical to how she’d been that week starting eight years agotoday, staring down at him. A few more streaks of grey in her bun, but the sameslim glasses, the same purse to her lips, the same damn style of lab coat,sleeves stained red at the end of each day as she peeled him apart. He knew whyshe’d done it, now. It didn’t help.
Thebarest hint of a smile curled up her lips as they both remembered. Then sheturned and strode down the corridor, calling over her shoulder, “Come along.”
Percyfollowed, scanning the hallway for clues as to Ripley’s location. He wasn’tsurprised to find none. The walls were stainless steel and the white-and-blacktile floors were sanitation-clean. It was another Vecna facility, but god onlyknew where in the world.
“Ireally thought you’d be doing better at this, Percival,” Ripley chided, withoutgiving him so much as a backwards glance. “I’ve gotten so much informationabout you and your little group, and you’re just lagging behind.”
“Whatdo you want, Anna.”
Hewas lagging behind, as they walked, but not so far that she’d think he wasn’tplaying along. Every extra second here bought more time for Vex to get theneedle and knock him out.
“I’mgoing to share a secret with you,” she said, with a much younger woman’s senseof mischief. “Just to liven up this little game.”
Theyreached a door at the end of the hallway, steel and locked with a keypad.Ripley smiled at him as she entered the number, sickly sweet. “After all, it’sthe holidays—it’s only right that you be with family.”
Fora long, horrible moment as she swung open the heavy door, Percy thought he wasgoing to see corpses, or worse. A freezer of strung-out piles of tissue andorgans. Eight brains in tanks, still with electrodes attached. He’d seen, onthe opposite side of the laboratory, what they’d been starting to do to hisfamily.
Itwas a teenage girl’s room. The walls were unpainted, but they were decoratedwith posters, of scientific infographics and famous historical women and acouple people Percy vaguely recognized as famous actors. There was a carpet, anelegant shag thing, and a pair of stuffed bookcases, a desk with a very nicecomputer, and a bed with at least two dozen stuffed animals, all of which Percycould name. At least one of them had been his. The girl on the bed, lying onher stomach and reading a book with her legs kicked in the air, was even morefamiliar.
“Cassandra.”
She’dlooked up when the door opened, polite coolness chasing annoyance chasingwariness from her eyes.
“Dr.Ripley. What do you want?”
“Iwas in this wing and I thought I would check on you, my dear.” Despite theendearment, Ripley’s tone had reverted to the crisp professionalism she seemedto show everyone but Percy.
Cassandraclearly didn’t buy either façade. But she rolled to a sitting position withonly a faint sigh, and held out her left arm. There was something attached toit, a cuff with a small screen that flashed first her blood pressure then, asRipley pressed the buttons on the side, several other measurements—BPM, neuralconductivity, and things Percy didn’t recognize. A slim wire ran up from it toa handful of electrodes attached, clearly permanently, to the side of hertemple.
“I’llkill you. I’ll kill you.” His voiceshook.
“Ihaven’t noticed anything unusual,” Cassandra said as Ripley checked thereadings. A bored patient answering unasked questions by rote. “The new anxiety meds are doing fine.”
Ripleymade a non-committal noise. “Look at me.”
Cassandramet her eyes obediently.
“Leaveher alone. What are you doing?” Percytried to put himself between them, but there wasn’t room. And he couldn’t touchhis sister, couldn’t touch either of them—couldn’t drag Ripley away andcouldn’t take Cass in his arms and just run.(Like that had worked so well, last time.)
“Doyou feel anything unusual right now?” Ripley asked, still holding Cassandra’sgaze. “Physically or emotionally. Really search.”
Awrinkle appeared between Cassandra’s eyes as she frowned. There was a widestreak of white in her hair, family to Percy’s complete bleach. That hadn’tbeen there before. When he’d last seen her, when she was bleeding in the snowfrom bullet wounds as he ran— She was 23 now, the spitting image of Vesper whenshe’d died, except for that streak. The room was still decorated for a teenagerbut Percy’s youngest sister was an exasperated 23.
“Cass.”
Ripley’seyes sparkled at his anguish, but Cassandra remained impartial.
“Nothing.Should I?”
“Youknow better than to ask questions that could influence an experiment,” Ripleysaid. But she stepped back, letting Cassandra’s gaze fall. It returned to herbook.
“Don’tforget,” Ripley added as she re-opened the door, which had automatically lockedbehind them. “The Briarwoods will be expecting you for Christmas dinner.”
IfPercy had thought Cassandra’s expression polite before, when she looked up asecond time it was utterly impassive.
“Ilook forward to it. Was there anything else?”
“Oh,no.” Ripley smiled thinly at them both. “I think everything I need will bearriving soon enough—”
AndPercy was back on the bank, in the snow, in the woods, and everything but Vexfaded as she thrust the needle into his arm and released, the familiar,dizzying haze of cheap heroin washing him clean. Ripley disappeared. Cassandradisappeared. Keyleth, Vax, Grog, Pike, Tary, Scanlan disappeared. Safe. Percystayed as freezing and alone as eight years ago, running from his sisterbleeding out in the snow, assuming she was dead.
“Percy?Percy, are you alright? Is she gone?”
Vex’swarm hands tugged at him and he rolled over obediently, and opened his eyes.She was still beautiful, bright and concerned and fierce. The moon above wasalmost as lovely. Percy lifted a hand to her cheek and caught his breath whenshe held it—no, choked on a sob. That was what his body was doing, now.
“Cass.She– they– I don’t know. She’s alive.” His whole body shook, drugs and cold and every ounce of adrenaline racing through his veins. “They have mysister.”
#critical role#sense8#hm...#vox machina#percy de rolo#anna ripley#cassandra de rolo#perc'ahlia#the hellbound gunship#(i don't care if no one else uses that tag; it's my tag and i love it)#my fic#fanfiction#i haven't watched s2 yet but i'm very excited to do so#i might rewatch s1 first#quartus saeculum ascendans#quartus saeculum irruens#nivis saxi sol
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