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#spoilers are vague enough i hope to not really spoil anything at all!
shattered-earth · 9 months
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My TOTK Master Sword Pins came in! This is my first time trying double layered pins, the petals have some real DEPTH to them from the layers. It looks more like they are really fluttering away into the background. The two layers also gives the pin a very premium/sturdy/heavy feeling i didn't expect but in hindsight is obvious LOL
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Comes with a custom backing card too, the pin itself is 3" long so perfect to hold and "swing" around lol
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everlasting-rainfall · 4 months
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Hi I’m all caught in the manga and I just had to know , what are your thoughts/hcs on yandere gear 5 Luffy 👀 love to hear your thoughts (sorry if that was a spoiler it wasn’t my intention to spoil it for u )
Also hi hope your doing ok and happy holidays 💗🥰
🌸anon
Oh happy holidays to you too, Darling! I’ve been well if you don’t count the occasional crying breakdown here and there but I hope that you’re doing well too just without the breakdown crying part!
Also don’t worry, you didn’t spoil anything for me!
Anyways enough about me, I’m not gonna lie that I really like Luffy’s Gear 5th form like it’s absolutely terrifying but in a good way. I’ve actually been laughing occasionally about the idea of Gear 5 activating when Luffy was about to be eaten by the Sea King as a kid as I think that’s a bit funny like suddenly Gear 5 child!
Terrifying to imagine but also kinda funny if you think about the chaos that would ensure
Anywho before I get too far off track, let’s get into it!
!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!
!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!
SPOILERS FOR GEAR 5, Kidnapping, Stalking, Near Destruction of an Island, Heavy Size Difference, NSFW at the bottom
!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!
!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!
So honestly with your request, let’s pretend that Luffy is always in Gear 5 mode as that will make this easier for me to write like there’s no such thing as turning it off now that he’s activated it
I feel like catching the attention of Monkey D. Luffy in the sense of him being a Yandere is already bad enough but what makes it worse is the idea that he can’t turn it off anymore and I feel like when it comes to this form, his emotions are amplified
The best example that I can give for what I mean is like if Luffy was already a Yandere then these tendencies have been amplified big time like if he’s willing to pick a fight with the World Government over Robin right now then now he’s willing to completely demolish anything that even vaguely threatens his crew now
Doesn’t even matter if it’s like he doesn’t actually know if said person wants to hurt his crew like let’s say that someone like knocks over Chopper while they’re running causing him to get hurt just a little bit. Unless the crew can convince him not to or manage to distract him then that person is done for
Also you’d think that dealing with Luffy raiding the fridge would be a pain in the ass now, yeah? It still is but if Luffy has any feelings buried deep down for some of his crewmates then Gear 5 has brought it up to the surface
So Luffy might be able to be distracted from raiding the fridge through a little something from Sanji like a kiss or something but that might result in Sanji having a hard time walking without a small limp for a good while afterwards but whatever keeps them from starving at sea
Chopper definitely gets Platonic Yandere’d to hell and back like he’s basically kind of acting like a dad, I’d say that you should probably check Luffy’s temperature as he’s actually being a semi responsible parent like telling him to eat healthy and not really allowing him to go off anywhere alone
As for if he had an S/O in this form like if you were dating Luffy before he awakened Gear 5? I’d recommend just honestly getting ready to never be out of his sight like you’re gonna get up to head to another room and he’s already getting up to follow you
He’ll be following you just about anywhere that he can and if I’m right then he’s much bigger in that form too, yeah? So let’s say that he can change his size and when he’s all big then chances are that if he doesn’t like what things look like then he’ll just pick you up and stuff you in his pocket for a while
What better way to keep you safe than to keep you right with him after all? Although even as much as you tell him that a battle with another pirate crew is not enough of a reason to shove you in his pocket, it’s not like he’s gonna listen
Much like with any Yandere too, don’t even think of attempting to escape as not only is he impossible to escape even without Gear 5 but now he can literally just lift the roof of any building that you’re hiding in and grab you like he’s playing with a dollhouse
I wouldn’t recommend at all turning yourself into the Marines to escape him either as that just sparks one hell of a frenzy, you thought that doing this sort of thing before Gear 5 was bad? You ain’t seen nothing yet…
If it wasn’t for the others then he would probably unintentionally destroy the whole damn island alongside the Marine base just to get you back especially if the Marines have roughed you up
You cant fight him either, that goes without saying so it’s really better to just do as the rest of the crew has and accept that this is your new life being watched over by an extremely possessive sun god who refuses to let anything happen to any of you…
I’d also recommend getting used to being in Luffy’s bed… Lord knows that when that man fucks you now, it’s gonna be a marathon that leaves you unable to think straight with legs so numb that you’re certain you’ll never regain feeling in them…
Honestly though imagine him being absolutely gigantic and playing with your body like you’re some kind of doll, imagine like laying in one of his hands while a single fingertip of his rubs at the area between your legs or he tries to give you oral but just winds up licking your whole body
It probably isn’t the worst thing but it’s not pleasant although let’s hope that he never wants to stick his dick in you while he’s big like this as you’ll be stretched to absolute hell and back… Like I legitimately think that you’d need either a wheelchair afterwards or a mobility aid for the rest of your life…
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thekimspoblog · 2 months
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For the record, I did finally see "American Fiction" a few nights ago. I am recommending you watch this movie, so I don't want to spoil it too much, but I wanted to share my thoughts.
When a slice-of-life movie is done well, I can really enjoy it, but if that aspect fails, a movie can become very cloying and tedious. In this case however, it was done well. "American Fiction" is a very cozy, very digestible movie that just follows this one family through the highs and lows of their summer. There are multiple subplots which have little to do with eachother, let alone the main story, but that's okay; it feels more realistic that way and the subplots are quite charming in their own right. The dialogue expresses familiar sentiments from other movies, but in a way that still feels fresh. In a sense, the trailer almost feels like a prank on the audience; white moviegoers were promised a mean-spirited satire on race relations, and instead what we got was 90 minutes of black people existing comfortably with minimal conflict. But if you're disappointed, that's on you. Setting aside the politics altogether, it's just refreshing to - every once in a while - watch a quieter movie about normal people being kind to eachother. Nobody has to die in order for a drama to be good... well... almost nobody.
The A-Story is basically just a rip-off of Spike Lee's "Bamboozled". Like I said, the story we saw in the trailer really only made up less than a third of the plot. And if you're upset about the bait-and-switch, "American Fiction" succeeded at what it was trying to do, but... also if you really wanted a movie about a writer pushing the envelope of prejudice for personal gain, you can still just go and watch "Bamboozled". For that matter, "Bamboozled" was already vaguely the same plot as Mel Brooks' "The Producers". I guess my main question is what it says about the psyche of white people, when you compare "American Fiction" to a movie made 24 years prior which had basically the same premise. Does it represent improvement, that a film can make the same social commentary without resorting to the same extremes to get the point across? Or have we grown more sensitive; is "American Fiction" a more toned-down version of the story simply because you could never make "Bamboozled" in the PC world of today? I hope it's the former. You probably couldn't remake "Bamboozled" today, but more importantly, "American Fiction" couldn't have been made in the 90's; the imagery of Monk's book was so commonplace back then, I don't think it would have occurred to white audiences that anything was even amiss. On the other hand, I think the white people in "American Fiction" are somehow more cartoonish; I remember a few moments while watching "Bamboozled" where I went, "Oh shit! Ok, I have said/done/thought stuff like that IRL", and I never had that moment watching "American Fiction". I call the movie "digestible" and "cozy" because I was able to get through the whole thing and not once did it feel like the movie was attacking me. But again, even if your movie sets out to make white people uncomfortable, that's still centering the story too much around our emotions; "American Fiction" had the more important goal of simply telling a story where black people are allowed to be happy.
The cringe comedy is extremely funny. This is the main reason I'm recommending the movie as lighthearted fun. Half the jokes boil down to "Jeffery Wright is annoyed" (and IMO that itself is enough to sustain a film), but there were also some lines of dialogue which completely caught me off guard. The movie is still more CUTE than it is FUNNY, but for a "cute" movie I was laughing almost all the way through. The other film I'd compare "American Fiction" to is "Dan in Real Life", and I definitely prefer this one, both in terms of likeable characters and quality of dialogue.
Spoilers ahead! I liked how the story had three endings, and like "Clue", the audience is left to pick which one they want. I still won't be spoiling what happens but I did want to talk about this part: It's fine that Ending A was never explained in detail; Monk has made his feelings about the situation pretty clear at this point; anyone with two braincells to rub together can use their imaginations and guess what he would have said at that podium. Ending B is pretty obviously the correct answer. Not only does a "rom-com" ending fit with the tone of the rest of the movie, but I think it gives the best resolution to what the story was actually about. I said none of the racist characters made me embarrassed about my own behavior, but that doesn't mean I didn't see Monk's personality flaws as a reflection of myself. "Tortured artist realizes at the 11th hour that his judgmental attitude has been isolating him from the people he cares about" is a theme I very much relate to, and it's the kind of story I've been wanting to write for years. Ending C was a little bit predictable, but still worked as the climactic punchline. It was the moment the story went from feeling like an unintentional ripoff of "Bamboozled" to a more direct parody of it. Ending D causes the rest of the story to become confusing, but it at least retroactively excuses some of the more contrived/cliched moments which happened at the beginning of the film.
So yeah. In conclusion, good movie, little forgettable but pretty damn funny. Go see it. Jeffery Wright is a DILF and I could watch another 90 minutes of him meandering around the beach, staring soulfully out at the ocean.
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Hiii, I love your writing and I finally came here with a request!👀✨ Could I have some relationship headcanons with reader and Legato please? (Sfw/nsfw is ok) How does reader get him to trust them enough to open up/get into a relationship? How about reader genuinely caring about him for once in his life, reassuring him etc.? THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ABOUT MY BOY OUT THERE, HE DESERVES BETTER!!😭😭
Thank you for listening to my ramblings :P
Have a good day✨ :D
A/N: omg of course!!!! Legato needs all the love! Feel free to request anything for Legato anytime! All of the Trigun characters are just so "My boy" to me, so I shall write for our boy! There will be some TriMax spoilers within, but I'll keep them as vague as possible. Because they're super heavy topics, and I want this to be digestible for readers!
Triggers: Slavery mention, and SA mention
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Legato Bluesummers x Reader Headcanons
Sfw
Legato Bluesummers first love for the longest time was, of course, Knives Millions. His savior, his Master. The one who saved him from his miserable former life.
Which is why Legato is quite confused when he first meets you. You were the first being besides his beloved Master that he found… aesthetically pleasing (absolutely freakin' beautiful).
He saw you in a town that was near the base of operations for one of Knives' little side operations.
He first interacted with you at the local bar. He had seated himself in a distant corner of the bar counter, and you walked up just a few seats down and ordered your drink from the bartender. He caught your eye as you vacantly stared around the bar, lost in thought.
He saw you glance over his features, a light rush of blood settling in your cheeks. He hoped you wouldn't interact with him. Receiving your drink, you meandered back to your friends across the bar. He thought that was the last he'd seen of you.
He was wrong, of course.
Your next meeting was on his way through town, just an overly dressed bystander, making his way towards a warehouse. He felt something collide into his chest. It was you. Your body tensed up and your face turned a bright red.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" You apologized.
Legato could have killed you right then and there. Such a filthy human bumping into him and spoiling his clothes? Disgraceful! But he made the mistake of looking into your eyes as you calmed down, waiting for his response.
"It's… okay. Please watch where you're going next time." He said flatly before stepping around you, and walking off.
A few more chance interactions like this befell the two of you before you stopped him as he was about to walk off again.
"Hey, wait a minute!" You trotted along beside him, introducing yourself and asking his name. Legato was hesitant. Why did you need his name? He supposed it didn't hurt to indulge this Little One with the name of who would be their killer someday.
"Legato Bluesummers." He curtly responded before once again walking off.
Whenever you saw him around town, you would insist on saying hello and try to get him to talk to you more.
This aggravated Legato to no end. Why wouldn't you leave him alone?
"Oh, hey, they gave me an extra cake at the bakery today, would you like it? I don't really need it." You offered a small red velvet cake slice with a delicate white frosting.
"I'm sure I can find someone who wants it back at… the office." Legato fibbed. Why did he care if you knew he worked for Knives?
From then on it was little gifts here and there. A few bread rolls, a soda pop, a can of soup, stationery supplies. Eventually, the two of you sat in the central square chatting for hours at a time.
It was an odd thing for Legato. You didn't care about what he did for work; though he hadn't told you yet anyway. You enjoyed his fashion style, and you seemed to enjoy being around him in general.
"Legato, would you… like to join me for Dinner?" You sheepishly asked. Legato tensed up. Where was this going?
"I can't tonight, I have some work to finish." His reply caused your shoulders to dip and your face a frown, "but if we reschedule for tomorrow night, I'll… I'll make time for dinner with you." Your smile was wider than an ile, and Legato learned he liked something. Your smile. You nodded excitedly.
"What would you like to eat? Do you like.. curry? I make a really tasty curry!"
"S-sure." He hadn't had curry before. He preferred sweeter foods, typically.
"Do you like spicy or sweeter curry? I'd like to make it to your taste!" You said, mentally preparing to go off to the store to gather supplies.
There was a night the two of you sat on the roof of your home watching the stars. The two of you chatted about stars, space, and anything in between. It was there you told him that you loved him. You enjoyed spending time with him, sharing food with him, and the person he was around her. He frowned,
"I… I've enjoyed our time together as well, but… you don't know enough about me to tell me that you love me. You may know I enjoy the color blue, and like sweet food, but… you don't know what I really do for work, who my employer is… my past… I've kept you my little secret because you will get hurt. And I thought I buried the emotion of fear down so far it would never return."
He looked into your eyes. Your beautiful eyes that twinkled like the stars above, illuminated by the light of the moons, "You're only gonna get hurt."
"Legato. I don't care. Remember that time you kept my water glass from falling over? You caught it with.. some sort of telekinesis. That's an amazing ability!" You'd seen that? And you weren't scared?
"I know you could keep me safe. I don't care what you do. I don't have to go with you, either. Your home can be here, with me. Whenever you need a break from whatever plans this employer of yours has."
"You saw… my threads. I can use metal threads, thinner than the eye of a needle, to move anything as I wish. To cut anything I wish." He admitted to her.
He then proceeded to tell her about what he did, and what Knives' goals were. He was astonished to see you shruggingly agree with Knives, and the fact that humans had been pretty irresponsible with plants. You didn't think everyone needed to die for it, but some sort of balance had to be achieved, right?
That's when he knew he had truly found love. You weren't scared of him, you didn't completely disapprove of his deeds, his frequent evisceration of humans. You truly cared about his safety and his own well being. And in the end, that was acceptable to him.
Nsfw
Now Legato has a terrible past when it comes to physical intimacy. His childhood as a slave, and being used for sex still haunts him, and fuels his hatred for humanity as a whole.
He's created quite the barrier to keep people away, so sexy fun times are very rare.
He does however, make them nights you'll never forget.
You had to teach him about kind love, and not being so rough. You often let him top, since he is usually uncomfortable with feeling so vulnerable on his back.
Your first time you asked to be intimate with him, he shut down like Fort Knox. It took a good hour of coaxing him out of it, allowing him to tell you about his atrocious childhood.
"I… I want to be intimate with you. I just…" he'd forgotten what fear felt like.
"We can take things slowly. We'll do what feels okay to you, and I'll give a very gentle nudge sometimes. Is that okay?" He did eventually respond with a nod.
You couldn't touch Legato once your clothes are off. The skin contact triggers him, and he sobs uncontrollably. He hates it, but feels fortunate that it's only in your presence.
He holds you to the bed with his abilities as he presses kisses to your form, and loves to hear the noises you make while he makes love to you. They keep him in the moment, and allows him to continue just a little longer.
It's only super recently that he's allowed you to tangle your fingers into his hair while he kisses you in such a position.
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fragments-of-despair · 10 months
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Finished chapter 4. I'll keep my thoughts brief. Don't worry. They're mostly positives this time.
Of course, trying to keep it vague enough, but spoilers ahead.
First, the positives.
This was by far the most interesting mystery out of the entire game. The intricacies, the careful planning, the mastermind reveal. All of it worked perfectly. Even when I figured out where it was going, I was still surprised and impressed with the overall solution.
Also, Vivia Twilight?
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BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY
I adored his development this chapter and loved how his Forte and personal convictions and worldview influenced the investigation. I can't really describe anything about it without spoiling too much, but like, damn, he's worth the $60 price tag. I can see why the one side NPC fell in love. Vivia is just AMAZING.
Also, this was probably Shinigami's best outing. She was still her usual self, but she also met her match in Vivia, and the overall story really started getting to her in a way the other cases didn't. So when the culprit reveal happened and she reaped the soul, it made sense why it went the way it did. And I found myself getting a bit emotional over this culprit along with all the detectives.
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That being said, I'm still rather disappointed in the lack of true comradery between Yuma and the other detectives, as well as the lack of character conflict between the Nocturnal Detective Agency and the Peacekeepers. Most of the characters still feel like they're just kind of there, especially the villains. And that leaves everything feeling rather bare bones without even scraps to nibble on.
It might sound weird, but I think what hinders this game is the fact that you don't really interact with anyone outside of the main mystery and the Gab mechanic, and that mechanic is easy to pass over if you don't find all the statues and don't actively go out of your way to find them all. If they had made Kanai World more of an open box to explore like, say, a Legend of Zelda or Assassin's Creed game, where you unlock certain cases and interact with certain characters based on certain conditions and are encouraged to explore the world, I think I would have found the emotional core of this chapter more hard hitting.
Give me side quests where you go undercover with Desuhiko more and master a relationship meter or something similar.
Give me side quests where you and Halara take on cold cases and you work on paying off your debt to them you incur in chapter 2.
Go on more adventures with Fubuki to unlock certain districts in Kanai Ward and learn more about the outside world.
Give me lore based adventures with Yakou and Vivia, who are supposed to have this strong bond based on the emotional core of this chapter.
And make it so that your choices can affect how you go through the Mystery Labyrinth in the main story chapter. Have the Master Detectives come with you and actually have them help more with the investigations in there because as it stands, the only ones who really justified being there were Vivia and Halara, but that had to do more with the story rather than the gameplay.
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I really, really want to love this game, but overall it feels empty. It easily could have been an 80-120 hour game if given the time and resources, and I feel like it would be all the better for it.
Hopefully chapter 5 sticks the landing because from my understanding, it's the final chapter, and I'm really hoping that it keeps improving where chapter 4 left us.
Overall, if I had to rank all of the chapters so far from best to worst, it'd look something like this:
Chapter 4: The Imperfect Insider
Chapter 2: A Silent Curtain Call
Chapter 0 and Prologue: Massacre on the Amaterasu Express/the WDO vs Amaterasu Corperation
Chapter 1: The Nail Man Killings
Chapter 3: No Longer a Detective (Chapter 3 curse lives on)
To be honest, I think I would have gladly waited another two or three years for Rain Code if it were filled with more than what we got.
As of right now, the only reasons I would say to get this game as is would be because of Yuma, Halara, Vivia, and the music. Otherwise, it might be better to wait until it's on sale.
Here's hoping chapter 5 stays on the upward trajectory and sticks the landing.
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acacia-may · 1 year
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💙💖💕 for Minerva from Fairy Tail.
MILADY!! 😭💖 I have been just squealing over this ask, Anon-friend! I love Minerva and all of Sabertooth honestly, and I'm almost finished reading the Twin Dragons manga so this group has definitely been on my mind recently. Minerva honestly had one of my favorite character arcs in all of Fairy Tail, and I wish we got more of her. I hope you'll like these headcanons. I had a lot of fun with them! Thank you so much for the ask!
Questions from this "Bye Bye Writer's Block" Ask Game
(Warnings: Spoilers for Fairy Tail and some vague mentions of childhood trauma and related nightmares)
Minerva Orland Headcanons
💙-- Hurt/Comfort
Given the way Minerva was raised (and conditioned to hide her pain and weaknesses), she has a lot of difficulty opening up about her feelings especially when they are grounded in fears and insecurities. While she suffers a lot of aftereffects of trauma, she buries them because she sees them as a sign of weakness. For instance, she hides the fact that she frequently has interrupted sleep due to nightmares, by trying to occupy herself around the guildhall when she is up in the middle of the night. This often involves cooking and/or preparing "midnight snacks" for herself.
Surprisingly enough, she soon begins to run into Yukino in the kitchen in the middle of the night. Yukino has a secret talent for baking and somewhat shyly asks if she can join in. They start cooking their "midnight snacks" together and slowly become friends. Eventually, Yukino shares with Minerva that she has trouble sleeping due to recurring nightmares about her sister. Minerva is shocked but also comforted to know that she isn't the only one who has upsetting dreams, and she admits, for the first time, that she has nightmares too. Though Minerva doesn't share any details about her dreams, Yukino understands and gives her a tender hug.
💖-- Alternate Universe (AU)
In a Regency-Era England AU...
Lady Minerva is the daughter of the Earl of Orland (Jiemma) and is incredibly independent despite the strict societal norms of the time--secretly publishing adventure books for children under a penname. She survives the London social season with the help of her dearest friends: Lady Yukino, the quiet but sweet younger daughter of a viscount (occasionally her more boisterous elder sister, Lady Sorano, tags along), The Viscount Eucliffe, the exuberant and outgoing heir to an earldom and the only one of the group who ever really enjoys himself at any of the parties, and The Most Honourable The Marquess of Cheney, who has newly inherited his title and gets dragged along to all of the parties by The Viscount Eucliffe when he would much rather be at home in his library with his beloved cat (Frosh).
💕 -- As a Parent
After everything Minerva went through in her own childhood, she had a lot of fears about becoming a parent herself, but they were all entirely unfounded. She truly loves her children and wants to give them the world. Minerva is usually not an overprotective or coddling parent, but she can definitely go into a "Mama Bear" mode and will fight to protect her children if need be.
Given the harsh environment she grew up in, Minerva can have a lot of worries when it comes to disciplining her kids, especially since she tends to be a bit more stern, just by nature. However, she strikes a good balance between being firm but kind with her kids, and her discipline always stems from a place of love and wanting what is best for them. If anything, her children tend to bring out a softer side of their mother, and while Minerva does not spoil them, she will sometimes surprise them with little treats and fun activities and really does her best to make sure they have the happy childhood she never got to have growing up. Expressing her love with words does not come easily for her, but she goes out of her way to tell her children she loves them because it was something she never heard as a child and she never wants her kids to doubt that they have a mother who loves them no matter what.
(A/N: I had never really given Mama Minerva much thought before this ask, but it really is such a wholesome idea after everything she has been through. Thank you so much for that, Anon-friend!)
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yesimwriting · 3 years
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To Be Alone
VAGUE SPOILER WARNING FOR SHADOW AND BONE BOOK SERIES-- I try hard not to mention why the Darkling/General Kirigan is the bad guy so that I don’t spoil anything,, but the reader finds out that he lies about his identity and that he’s super sketchy/not a good guy (again,, I avoided as many specifics as possible to keep it from being spoiler-y)
Warnings: lowkey manipulation, kissing/makeout, slight fingering
A/n y’all drove me to this lol,, pls be nice!! This is the closest to full on smut I’ve ever written!! Ahh I’m lowkey scared to post
Summary: the reader finds out something about the Darkling/General Kirigan, he finds a way to convince her to stay 
--
No amount of evidence will ever be enough to convince me fully. A part of me will always hold onto unjustifiable doubt because a part of me hopes that if I hold onto the lies tight enough they’ll turn into the truth. But that’s not how the world works. 
General Kirigan. Ravka put its faith in him. I put my faith in him. I did more than that. I pushed aside my reservations and doubt in order to try and comfort him when he spoke of loneliness. Was all that a lie as well? 
No. I can’t afford to think of the emotional side of it all, because if I do I may find myself incapable of moving from this spot. I don’t have time to reflect on it all, to try and unravel hopeful lies and manipulative truths. That can be done when I’m not here. If I stay here, he’ll know I know and he’ll stop me from...what? What am I supposed to do next? I could find someone with some level of power to warn. 
“There you are.” Kirigan. I’m turned towards the window, not facing him, but there is no weariness or malice in his voice. He has no reason to suspect my suspicion. “Are you unwell?” 
Calm. I need to pass as calm. Not turning, I force myself to ignore the endearing hint of concern in his voice. “No.” I can hear his measured footsteps. “Why would you think that?” 
“I haven’t seen you all day,” he’s directly behind me now. If I turn, I’ll practically be against his chest. “And you didn’t come see me last night.” 
Oh. I knew it was a mistake to begin to pull on such a small thread so close to when he expected to see me, but it kept gnawing on me. That doubt. That tiny thing I couldn’t ever let go off. “I fell asleep.” No--I cringe at my impulsive response. He knows how difficult it is for me to fall asleep. “Yesterday was just really...draining.” 
In an easy movement, he places his hand on my shoulder. It’s a silent request for me to turn. Exhaling, I obey. Why? I could lie to myself and say that I’m listening to him in order to kill his suspicions, but the effect he has on me is undeniable. Even before touching each other became a casual thing on his part, my body wanted to react to him. 
He’s quick to cup my face, tilting my chin up slightly so that I can’t avoid his gaze. “What troubles you, little dove?” A nickname for when he’s feeling particularly gentle. Thoughts of the evil he has to be twist my stomach as my face flushes. Kirigan’s thumb brushes over the corner of my bottom lip, stalling as I fight the urge to melt into the contact. I meet his tense gaze cautiously. “You said nothing could make you look at me differently.” No. There’s no way he figured out my change with one look alone. I’ll deny it. I’ll do what I need to do to be convincing, and then I’ll manage to escape. His grip on my shoulder tightens. “Don’t you dare lie to me again.” 
The urge to snap and point out the sick irony of him telling me not to lie at him almost forces me to break. His gaze starts to shift away from me--towards the half packed escape bag I’d been in the middle of constructing. I stretch my arms forward, desperate to keep his gaze on me and away from what I can’t explain. 
Kirigan’s free hand moves to pull my hand off of his cheek, but he pauses, eyes shutting in peaceful contentment. “What do you know?” 
I expected his words to be angry, to border on violent...but he just sounds tired. Please, Saints, let me be wrong. “Is there anything to know?” The only reaction I get is the slightest stall of his breathing. “You said you didn’t want to be alone anymo--” 
“I don’t.” The harshness of his words almost coax a small flinch from me. 
Swallowing back the knot in my stomach, I exhale slowly. “A part of not being alone is being honest.” 
His eyes finally open. I don’t dare move as he moves my hand off of his cheek so that he can brush his lips against my knuckles. I suppress an embarrassing shudder. “You wouldn’t have stayed--if you knew you wouldn’t ha--” 
No denial. I can’t--I can’t do this. “You know what the worst part is?” I can’t believe I’m about to say this. I can’t believe it’s true. “I might have.” Those words break something in me as I force myself away from him. The lack of contact leaves me more frozen than ever. “I might have! I might have been able to bear all the monstrous things you’ve done if you had just--” 
“What?!” He meets my outburst with one of equal power. “You might have stayed regardless?” The way he scoffs leaves me feeling like a wandering child. “You might have still looked at me like I hung the stars in the sky instead of like I’m the darkness they fight against?” I stay silent as he steps forward, quick to hold my chin in place with his long fingers. “I couldn’t risk you on possibility.” Kirigan’s gaze is so intense, a part of me is surprised that shadows don’t come at me--drowning me in darkness and him. “And don’t think me foolish enough to believe that someone like you would understand that I have to do what I’m doing--” 
“Have to?” No--how did I almost let him lure me back in so easily. I pull myself away, approaching my open wardrobe. “That’s not past tense.” He’s still--he’s still actively hurting people. Why had I been so stupidly naive to think that maybe this was all history? “I--I can’t do this.” 
Each step towards the exit of the room chips away at a piece of my soul. “You’re not walking away from me,” his strong grip is on my arm in a sharp instinct, “I won’t--I can’t be alone again.” 
I swallow back the lump of emotion in my throat. “You already are.” 
His eyes are pleading, pools of frightened adoration. “No--no,” he steps towards me, not releasing his grip on my arm, “You’re hurt that I lied, but now I’ll never have to lie to you again.” I push against his grip. Kirigan doesn’t release me. “Y/n,” my name is a lament from his lips, “Please.” 
My eyes round out as my heart leaps into my chest. “I used to think that you were only touched by the darkness, but now I’m not sure you can tell where the darkness ends and you begin.” His grip just barely falters. Maybe it’s acceptance. 
I shift weakly, a softer attempt to escape. His grip tightens even more than before as he tugs me forward. The reminder of his physical strength leaves me frozen in shock. I can’t read his expression, but something about him has darkened. When I don’t pull away again, his thumb brushes up and down my forearm. The silkiness of his touch is warm temptation. I inhale slowly as he moves his other arm in order to touch my shoulder. The contact is almost shy. 
“Kirigan,” my voice betrays me, breaking as his fingers trace down my collar, “What--what are you doing?” 
He tilts his head, taking in the way his touch rids my body of fight. “Nothing, really.” His voice is low, supple in its assuredness. “You’re the only person who has ever seen me--and for you to leave me after that.” 
“No,” I try to step back, but my body freezes as he toys with the collar of my dress, “What I saw--what I found out--that wasn’t you.” 
“It’s who I have to make myself be,” he whispers, “I’m doing what needs to be done.” 
“That logic can earn you a lot,” my words are careful, “But it cannot earn you me.” 
His hand brushes past my neck, finding the root of my hair. Kirigan pulls on it slightly, forcing me to expose my lower jaw and neck. I’m still as he leans forward, warm breath fanning across my skin. I fight against a shiver in vain as his lips brush down my skin, only stopping as he nips the base of my neck. I can’t help the small sound of surprise that escapes me. 
“Are you sure about that?” Blood rushes to my face, motivated by both embarrassment and something else. “Little dove, don’t ruin us.” His touch is warm, but his words leave me with an uncomfortable chill. In an attempt to escape the coldness, I half-press myself into the trail of soft and desperate kisses he’s leaving down my neck.
Kirigan pauses, exhaling slowly, and I feel some mental strength return to me. “There can’t be an us--not like this.” 
“Y/n.” He never uses my name. “You are the only light I know.” His words steal something from me as he pulls away enough to look me in the eyes. “I can’t handle the weight of solitude anymore--it’s worse than the dark.”
 I am unflinching, watching him with a markman’s care. Kirigan takes my silence as a positive. I don’t move as his gaze drops to my lips before he presses his own together. I don’t move as he destroys the distance between us like it’s some type of unbearable weight. His lips meet mine with enough force to bruise my face. The surprise of it gives him the chance to coax my lips into parting as his hands move to either side of my face. My body reacts without my permission, letting him deepen the kiss. Every time I find some kind of free will, Kirigan pushes it away with some kind of tactful lull of his tongue. Keeping his control, Kirigan ends the kiss by grazing sharp teeth against my bottom lip. 
I’m left panting. “You’re--you lied, Kirigan--I--” 
“You told me once you could never see me as a monster.”
“I said that to a version of you that technically doesn’t exist.” 
The grief in my chest and desire in my stomach twist in a nauseating way. Kirigan’s eyes watch me patiently, a pain similar to my own reflected in them. “Who I am when I’m with you is less fictitious than any identity I’ve ever given myself.”
The vulnerability in his voice is as alluring and distracting as the kiss. I find myself thinking of the warmth of his mouth against my skin. He had kissed me like the cure for ancient solitude could come from me. I think he had a point, because now that he’s not touching me in that way I feel the familiar tugs of cold emptiness. 
“I don’t understa--” My words are cut off by his lips brushing against mine. 
His touch is soft, but it’s far from shy as he draws out the kiss. It’s an attempt to keep me on edge, to keep me wanting him enough to push past my doubts. “Y/n,” there’s a reverent quality to his voice, “I--” Kirigan grabs the collar of my dress, pulling me to him sharply. His kiss conveys things that neither of us truly understand. “Don’t go.” 
I don’t want to. The realization is a cruel wave crashing against my chest. “You lie to everyone, you lie to me--you--you hurt and destroy and I--” One of his hands brushes against the hem of my dress. “What are you,” the words are supposed to be sharp, but my resolve melts as his hand presses firmly against my thigh, “Doing?” 
“You know me,” he draws out each word as his fingers graze towards the inside of my thighs. The cool metal of his rings are practically ice against my flushed skin. “Little dove, trust me.” 
My nails dig into my palms as I try to ignore what he’s doing. “I did and you betrayed me.” 
“I couldn’t lose you,” he whispers, thumb inching up my inner thigh.
I press my lips together, fighting against a natural reaction. “You did lose me.” 
Kirigan’s eyes darken as his grip on my thigh tightens. “We’ll move past this.” He’s both pleading and assured. “I think I know how to make it up to you.” He trails his hand up my thigh swiftly, stopping with his hand on my lower hip. Shamelessly, he toys with the hem of my underwear. “The only thing that’s really changed is that now I’m touching you like this.” 
The only thing I can do is gape at him. He’s a villain, his hands are coated in unnecessarily spilled blood, and I am helpless against his slightest touch. I should try pushing him away or at the very least resist his blatant advantages. His fingers brush down my underwear, stopping at a growing wet spot. The knowing look he gives me burns my core. I try to keep my expression hard in a final form of protest, but when he presses his pointer finger against me all the resolve in me is shattered. 
My eyebrows draw together as a small sound escapes me, “Kirigan.” I can’t tell if it’s praise or a warning. 
He pauses, hand retracting slightly at my whining. “Y/n,” his other hand cups my cheek. I lean into the contact without permission from my body. “There is only one name that I have not given myself and only one name I want to hear you breathe like that.” His thumb traces my lips softly. I don’t move as he leans forward, turning his lips towards my ear. 
“Aleksander.” His name is nothing more than a breath, a stolen heartbeat on his lips. 
He presses his fingers against where I’m the weakest again. My hips grind forward instinctually, desperate for more contact as he kisses the top of my jaw. 
“Aleksander.” The name escapes me in the form of a broken moan. Speaking it feels more intimate than the way he’s touching me. 
There’s the slightest pause in his consuming actions. “Again,” he breathes, “Say my name again.” His request is so soft it feels like he’s more at my mercy than I am at his. 
My eyes shut as his teeth graze my neck. “Aleksander.” At the sound of his name, his teeth brush against my skin harder than ever. 
When he starts to pull away, I reach out desperately, grabbing his kefta. “I thought you wanted to leave, little dove.” 
No. No. He is not going to get me to agree to stay by giving me something as intimate as his original name and by denying me his touch. “Please.” 
He reaches for my hand, pulling it off of him cruelly. “Do you want to stay with me?” 
I know which answer will get me what I really want, but I’m not sure which answer is true. Do I want to stay with him? Even after knowing what he’s done? “I don’t want to leave you.” The vulnerability of the statement cracks at my heart. He turns away from me in order to face the wall. I take a tentative step towards. “But I’m not sure what I want matters.” 
In one quick motion, he’s yanking more forward and pressing me into the wall. “Of course desire matters,” his body is pressed against mine almost entirely, “It means something.” He brushes his knuckles against my cheek. “It means you could choose me.” 
What could I say to that? I part my lips to speak but he silences me by pressing his lips against my jaw. I offer no protest as he starts touching me the way he did earlier. I’m more desperate now, more needy and okay with that. His fingers slip past my underwear testingly, hesitating before finally entering me slowly. 
“Aleksander,” my voice is so needy I’m not sure it’s my own. 
“I want you to say my name like that again,” he whispers, kissing down my collarbone as he begins to press his fingers in and out of me faster, “And I want you to say my name casually,” his pace doesn’t slow, even when I begin to let out indistinguishable whines, “And I want you to say my name while you’re falling asleep,” his touch becomes more aggressive as his words become more sincere, “And I want you to say my name every other way there is to say it.” 
The bundle of nerves in the pit of my stomach grows until there’s nothing else for me to hold onto. I finish with a sharp gasp. The feeling of euphoria is only intensified as Aleksander begins to kiss up my jaw before finally pressing our lips together. 
I break the kiss first, desperate to breathe. Have my legs been so shaky this entire time? Aleksander lets me recover, resting his head against my forehead. “I’m tired of being alone.” 
I imagine all the foul acts he’s committed and all the bad he wants to bring. I picture all the innocent blood he’s spilled. I see all of it--every horror and dark deed he’s ever committed. But I cannot see me leaving him. Maybe that makes me a monster, maybe that makes me an idiot...but I can’t do it. 
Slowly, I move to drape my arms over his back in a loose hug. “You’re not alone, Aleksander.” I’m not sure what that signifies, but I know it’s true. There has to be good in him. No one capable of such warmth can be pure evil. “I choose you.” 
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Text
Baby Just Say Yes
Relationship: 12th Doctor x Reader
Warnings: brief mention of drowning - but not graphically described, and some spoilers for War and Peace (the book, although I suppose it would apply to the TV show as well, since they're the same story)
Word Count: 2,704
Summary: When you, Bill, and the Doctor debate the merits of how many doughnuts are too many, it accidentally leads to a revelation on an event you hadn't actually known had happened. 
Request: Bill finds out that the reader is "married" to Doc and at some point Bill jokes calling the two her grandparents
A/N: I took the route of reader knowing the Doctor for years and years, just so it was easier to justify the nature of the Doctor and readers relationship. As a result, it's got some implied past 11 x Reader. Hope that’s okay!
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Your finger trailed along the spines of the collection of books on one the shelves in the second level of the console room. You paused when your eyes landed on a familiar novel, one you had yet to crack open, but really wanted to. If so you could boast to the Doctor that you'd read it.
War and Peace.
1,225 pages. The Doctor had never had the patience for it. You took the novel out from the shelf, only for a plume of dust to pool into the air. It tickled your nose, making it itch.
Then you sneezed.
You rubbed your finger along the base of your nose in a vain attempt to scratch it, and narrowed your eyes at the dusty bookshelf. The Doctor had said he was going to dust it.
A muffled voice spoke from below, it took you a moment to place what was said, but you were pretty sure it was ‘bless you’.
You were on a planet the Doctor and you had discovered in his last face, back when he had been younger, had a longer chin, and was far more obsessed with sweets. It was famous for its doughnuts, the best in the galaxy, the Doctor had decided.
And that decision had stuck, since, when the Doctor had told Bill about the planet, she had decided that they absolutely must go.
You poked your head over the bannister and locked eyes with Bill. She was holding a doughnut in her mouth, and her hands were full balancing two trays. You realised it must have been Bill who spoke, because the Doctor was only now coming in, holding a near empty tray of doughnuts in one hand.
“Hey,” you said, and you placed your book on one of the chairs before hopping down the stairs. “You two get enough?”
Bill snorted, dropping her boxes onto the console and taking a bite out of her doughnut. “Not even. He,” she nodded towards the Doctor. “Has already eaten nearly every single one out of that box.”
Your eyebrows flew into your hairline, and you snatched the box out of the Doctor’s hands. You waved the Doctor away when he protested, and instead eyed the boxes contents. There was a single doughnut left. Out of nine doughnuts, and only one was left. It was round, with no hole in the middle, and a good layer of icing sugar sprinkled on top.
You raised an eyebrow at him. “Feeling sick yet?”
The Doctor raised his own eyebrow at you, and you knew, instinctually, that it was more effective than yours. “You do not get to lecture me on health.”
It was a weak rebuttal.
“You’ve had eight of them Doctor,” you took the final doughnut out of the box. “Eight.”
He snatched it out of your hand, and your face fell. “Timelord,” he replied, and then took a large bite out of the final doughnut. The Doctor immediately winced, then hissed. He pulled the doughnut away with a frown, and you saw the remnants of hot jam on his lips.
A swell of vindication ran through you, and, under the guise of wiping some of the jam off, you took the doughnut off of him. You let the air cool the jam slightly, not wanting to burn yourself too. “Eight,” you said again. “Is more than enough.”
“The very basics of my physiology are different,” he gestured to both his hearts for good measure, then tried to reach for the doughnut, you were ready though, and you held it out of reach. “I’ll be fine.”
“Just because you've got two hearts,” you said. “Doesn't mean you've got two stomachs. At the very least you'll get indigestion.”
And with that you took a hungry bite out of the very doughnut he had just stolen from you. It was good, they’d made it with raspberry jam, and the stark taste of the sharp raspberry against the sweet sugar warmed you. You gave him a satisfied smirk, and turned to Bill. “What about you, what’s yours?”
Bill had been watching you both, her head swinging between you like she was watching a tennis match. She had just bitten into her doughnut, and she looked slightly stunned that you had spoken to her.
“It’s really good,” she said, but her mouth was full so it sounded more like ‘ts r’lly gud. She swallowed, then continued talking. “Can’t remember what they said this one was,” and she turned to the Doctor, holding the doughnut up so both you and the Doctor could see its contents. It was filled with a rich purple paste. “What’s supposed to be in it?”
“Ube,” the Doctor said coolly, and he shuffled over to your side. You sidestepped him, taking another bite of the doughnut. He wasn’t getting it that easily. “It’s from the Philippines, traditionally.”
“We should’ve gotten more,” Bill said. “I think these are my favourite so far.”
This was the beauty of this planet, they were obsessed with Earth doughnuts, so they’d preserved every culturally significant recipe that Earth had, 1,893 – the Doctor had counted. They even had cronut’s, of all things, though you’d yet to try them.
The Doctor scowled at the other two boxes, and you stepped carefully in front of them.
“I chose a new book,” you said, which was a blatant redirection of conversation, but you powered through. “One I’m sure you haven’t finished.”
From the corner of your eyes, you noticed Bill was watching the pair of you again, as if a spectator of a sport.
The Doctor studied you carefully, and you knew he was humouring this new conversation. “That’s an unlikely assumption.
“War and Peace,” you said, with only a small hint of pride.
The Doctor cocked his head to the side, considering it. “You’re right, actually. I got bored once the Anatole and Natasha affair got going. Couldn’t visit the opera for a couple decades either.”
Your face fell.
Bill spluttered. “Did you just spoil it?”
The Doctor waved a hand. “The book's over 150 years old. If Y/N doesn't know about the ending by now then that's not really my fault.”
You vaguely heard Bill breathe out an Oh my God.
“That's one of the most arrogant things you've ever said,” you said, still processing the shock of how he had so simply said what he had. “And I once listened to you drone on for an hour on how you choreographed the macarena.”
“I did that in a different face though, younger, more nimble. I’ll have to tell you about how I taught Claude Debussy how to shred.”
“Like, on the guitar, or in the ocean?” Bill asked.
“Yes,” the Doctor said, and then he went to grab for the rest of the doughnut in your hand.
“Oh no,” you said, side-stepping him. “No more, especially not after you spoiled the book for me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “It’s not like I told you how Andrei dies in a gruesome battle against the French, and Natasha coincidently finds herself by his side as he dies on his deathbed, even though they’d long parted. Honestly.”
Your eyes bugged out of your skull, you could feel it, as though they were ready to up and roll away.
“Is Andrei an important character?” Bill asked slowly, and then, she meekly added. “I haven’t seen the show.”
You spoke very slowly, your voice low. You narrowed your eyes to the Doctor. The death of a major character was a pretty big spoiler. “I cannot believe you.”
The Doctor winced slightly. “I just rambled like I was 900 years old again, didn’t I?”
“At least,” you breathed. You swallowed your exasperation, and then, suddenly, you sneezed. It was loud, like it had to announce itself to the world, and you rocked backwards slightly. You sniffled.
“Bless you,” Bill said again, but her mouth was full, so it sounded like ‘bleshooo’.
You gave her your thanks, then turned to the Doctor, your mind going to the reason why you were sneezing in the first place. “Dusting,” you said. “You haven’t dusted yet. You said you would.”
The Doctor waved a hand. “I will, I’ll get round to it.”
“You offered, Doctor,” you continued, and in the back of your mind, you wondered if it sounded like you were nagging him . “No one asked you to do it, Nardole didn’t even ask. You offered.”
“You’re in a mood,” The Doctor said suddenly, and he leaned forward, so his big nose was almost against yours.. “Are you sick?
“I – what, no, I’m not sick,” you said, and you stumbled back suddenly. His eyes were so large, so close, and it was momentarily disarming. “You can be so infuriating sometimes, you know that?”
“You tell me constantly.”
Bill’s face grew into a large, delighted grin. “Oh my God,” she said. “You're like an old married couple.”
You turned to her, stunned. Or course, you were with the Doctor, but the idea of being married to him… well, he had done it, you knew he had, you’d been there, several years ago now when he’d had a different face with a long chin and an affinity for custard.
It certainly hadn’t been to you, though.
Of course, time had been broken and you’d been wearing an itchy eyepatch, but schematics.
You’d also seen the Doctor, a much younger face, one you had never travelled with, marry Queen Elizabeth the first. You’d been a ring bearer. It had been too fun teasing all three of faces of the Doctor that day for it.
But no. You had certainly never married him.
It wasn’t as if you didn’t want to, quite honestly, the thought had never crossed your mind. You had been so content in your relationship with him, how sure it felt, how right it was, that you’d never thought about anything more.
The Doctor, too, gawked, but for an entirely different reason. "You called me old.”
Bill glanced up and down the doctor's frame, which was enough to make her point.
“Fine,” the Doctor grumbled. “I'm old.”
“How are we like an old married couple?” You pressed, because the Doctor was not getting the key part of Bill’s statement.
“The bickering,” she said. “It's totally what couples do.”
You gaped and turned to the Doctor for some sort of guidance. You waited for him to shut it down. To laugh and just say it was because you were comfortable around one another. Instead, the Doctor only shrugged. "I mean,” he said. “Technically we are married'
You did a double take. Married. You were, apparently, already married to the Doctor.
What?
Bill gasped. “What - no, since when? Why didn't you tell me?”
“Yeah,” you said, finding your voice. “I'd quite like to know too.”
Bill turned to you. “Wait what do you mean?”
“This is news to me,” you continued. “We're married? Where was my something old and something blue?”
The Doctor gestured to himself, then around the console room - the TARDIS. So those were, apparently, the something old and something blue. A bit on the nose.
He raised an eyebrow, and you wondered if your expression was as confused as you felt. “On the foreshore of Tralite,” he prompted. “With the Arhkor embassy.”
That... that hadn't been a wedding. Had it?
You mind went back to that evening, so many years ago now, back when you had been travelling with Clara, back when the doctor knew who Clara was. Your heart clenched for a moment, you didn't think about those times often. You felt alone in those memories, like you were the only one who held them, could cherish them.
But you remembered, quite clearly.
Here's what had happened:
Every decade, the Arhkor would sacrifice a person with renowned intelligence to the foreshore of Tralite, a beach that was more pebble than sand. The sacrifice would sit in the water until they drowned, and their memories would be recorded into the water. Living memory, the Doctor had said.
But the sacrifice that year, a young girl named Ardiel, whose bright purple hair had matched her purple scales, had been so young, and she hadn’t wanted to die.
So the Doctor, in all his foolish martyring glory, had marched out into the sea himself.
And of course, you couldn’t let him do that, so you followed.
“That wasn’t a wedding,” you said. “You were trying to sacrifice yourself to an ocean.”
You remembered it, your hand clasped in his, and the water settling over you both. You hadn’t been scared, which, in hindsight, terrified you. You should have been scared, but you weren’t. You had felt calm, at ease, safe even.
You couldn’t remember exactly why you had both been spared, but the water washed away, leaving you both wet and cold – but alive. And the water had never asked for another sacrifice since.
“It was a marrying of the minds,” The Doctor said, enunciating the words like he was trying to drill the meaning into your brain. “The water had been the officiant.”
“This is so weird,” Bill said, and she took another bite out of her doughnut.
You found yourself agreeing with Bill. “Doctor, that makes exactly zero sense.”
“The water had found something worth more than intelligence,” the Doctor continued. “It had found love. So when it copied and pasted our minds, that’s all it found. It unified us. It was a wedding.”
You rubbed your forehead with your fingers, trying to process this.
“I gotta say,” Bill commented, and she’d finished the doughnut she had been eating and was now fishing another out of a box. She pulled out a brown doughnut that was an oval shape with a silt down the middle. “I dunno how many people can say their grandparents got married by an ocean.”
“Ox-tongue,” the Doctor said, and he nodded to the pastry in Bill’s hand. Then, he considered her statement. “And that’s true, you should use that. It’s a good pick up line, should impress a girl or two.”
Bill scrunched up her face. “Okay, one; Ox tongue? Seriously? That can’t be right.”
The Doctor shrugged. “It’s Cantonese. A friend once told me about it. Apparently it references the shape of the dough. That being said, it might also be horse ears.”
“Okay,” Bill raised a sceptical eyebrow. “I’ll maybe half trust it, because it doesn’t sound right, but I don’t know enough to prove you wrong,” she paused before speaking again. “Also, two; I don’t think those two can get mixed up. Three, I’m never, ever using that as a pick up line. Not ever. It’s terrible.”
Thankfully, the Doctor was so focused on Bill’s last point, that he disregarded what she had said earlier. “It’s an excellent line! You’ll get to teach the girls something new!”
“Sorry, circle back,” you said, because your brain wasn’t computing. You weren’t even sure what you needed to address first. The marriage comments? The grandparents comment? The ox tongue?
Both Bill and the Doctor looked to you expectantly.
You pointed to the Doctor. “First of all, still wasn’t a wedding,” you then pointed to Bill. “Second of all, grandparents? I know he’s old but I’m certainly not.”
“Yeah but you’re with him,” she said, after swallowing part of her doughnut. She took another eager bite.
“He is sitting right here,” the Doctor grumbled. “But alright, if it wasn’t a wedding up to your standards, we can always do something different,” he stood up. “We can arrange it.”
Your brain short circuited, and you had to reprocess what the Doctor had said.
We can always do something different. We can arrange it.
Had the Doctor just proposed to you?
You were so stunned you didn’t even protest as he plucked the remaining doughnut from out of your fingers, wandering out of the console room. “Let me know,” he called out. “And we’ll get to reading that Tolstoy.”
You sat there, bug eyed, and turned to Bill. She was wearing a similar expression, she’d dropped her own doughnut, which sat dejected on top of one of the doughnut boxes.
“Did what I think just happened, happen?” You asked, your voice only slightly shrill.
Bill nodded. “I – uh, yeah. I think so.”
You stood up, and sprinted after him.
A/N^2: I gotta give huge thanks to the ever-sweet @phxntxmx​, who pointed out there was a bit of confusion in how I described one of the doughnuts here. I’ve tried to clear it up and make it a bit more consistent, since it’s not something I know about for sure.
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elliotapricot · 3 years
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My Anime 9/10′s
With probably no spoilers cuz I don’t wanna talk too long about them zzz.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist
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YALL ALREADY KNOW THIS A 9/10. The only real reason this show is not a 10/10 is because it’s just a story that I’d never rewatch. There’s like 70 episodes, which is way too long for my short attention span, especially since I’ve seen it already. But yeah, by all accounts, this story is a masterpiece and is one of the only “shounen” anime’s that I genuinely enjoyed. No random sexualization. No dumb filler. All the characters have an actual purpose and role in the plot and everyone has their own morals and ideals that interact to make the story interesting. I couldn’t bring myself to really hate anyone, even the villains, because everyone was pretty well written. Also super satisfying ending that ties up everything properly without leaving me confused or upset. If you only watch a few anime in your life, Fullmetal Alchemist is pretty much a MUST WATCH to see a beautiful example of a modern classic anime as an artform. Also I should say that I really don’t like Hunter x Hunter (AN EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL OPINION BTW) but I love Fullmetal Alchemist so take from that what you will.
2. Parasyte: The Maxim
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Same kinda shit where you already know this a 9/10 for me. It’s just a very satisfying anime that doesn’t have random sexualization or random filler or anything like that. Ending is also very good and ties up the story in a way that doesn’t leave more questions but also allows the characters to have a “life” outside of the scope of the story. I think Parasyte, because of its more horror and psychological-esque vibes, counts as a seinen and not a shounen, so for more mature audiences. I also really liked how the story was successfully adapted to modern times since the manga is from the 80′s. I have actually rewatched this anime, but what stops me from giving it a 10/10 is a few things that I found kinda “stereotypical” that I don’t wanna discuss further too much cuz it’s spoilers. I still obviously really like this anime and highly recommend it.
3. Zankyou no Terror
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TBH, this anime is pretty hard for me to properly describe in a lot of words as to why I like it. The art was really pretty as well as the music, which was just straight up amazing. The cinematography of this anime is excellent as well, and a lot of scenes have that sense of being acted out by real people, as opposed to feeling completely drawn/animated. I was a teenager when this anime came out and I think a lot of the themes presented in the show really related to me. The show does kinda have some leftover questions when it ends that prevents me from rating it a 10/10, but I have such a soft spot for this anime. It’s from the same creator as Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop, and although those two animes are also very good, they did not impact me as much as this anime did. Recommended for people looking for idk something that gives off Inception vibes?? In the sense that it’s much more about its themes and its message more so than the believability of the events that occur.
4. Magic Kaito 1412
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THIS IS JUST A PERSONAL PREFERENCE BTW LOLOL I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY WHO’D PUT THIS AS A 9/10 ANIME. I JUST REALLY LIKED IT OKAY. It’s made by the same person who does Detective Conan but I like this a lot more because it’s a much shorter series and slightly more mature (more for teens than just straight up kids). I really liked the main guy, I think he’s funny and charismatic. He’s a pervert at times but Imma forgive that cuz of the 90′s. Idk it’s just a really fun anime that I don’t have to take seriously and can just watch and enjoy.
5. Mob Psycho 100 (season 1 AND 2)
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Imma put season two as slightly better than season one. So season one would be like a 9 and season two is like a 9.25 for me. Super super funny anime and I like it SO much more than One Punch Man. I liked that there was a good balance of serious moments, but you can definitely still count this anime as a comedy. I’m typically not the type to watch “comedy” but this anime genuinely had me laughing out loud, while also crying and freaking out right alongside the main character. The main guy is super great because he’s just this shy and sweet middle schooler, and it’s really interesting watching him balance trynna have a normal life while also using his powers for good and such. Apparently the anime was decently faithful to the manga and there’s apparently enough material for a third season so I’d be pretty stoked for a season 3, but season 2 ended on a pretty good spot and was satisfying. TBH, if I had the time, I’d probably rewatch both seasons and bump it up to a 10/10.
6. Vinland Saga
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This anime is just the first season of what I hopes to be a whole series that will be stay beautifully and faithfully adapted from the manga. As someone who read very far into the manga (but quit like years ago simply because I hate slow updates lol), I actually didn’t enjoy watching the anime at first. I was impatient and kept waiting for when like the “major” events would happen. So I watched like three episodes and quit. But when I had some free time, I decided to get stuck in and commit to watching the whole series and I was so pleasantly surprised with just how good it was. I was impatient but I needed to realize that there is no “filler” or like “wasted time” in the entire anime. I hadn’t read the manga in years, so so many things were only vaguely familiar but I think this helped me stay surprised and excited throughout the anime. I’m looking forward to the rest of the manga being adapted because it’s just a good Viking saga lolol. Major themes of stuff like growing up, violence vs. peace, what it means to be a good person, etc. Lots of blood and LOTS of violence like a LOT they are VIKINGS CMON but tbh not really any gore which I liked cuz gore makes me ughhhh. A very good watch and only a taste of an excellent story.
7. Demon Slayer
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It’s just Demon Slayer duhhh. Of course this a 9/10 for me. I don’t wanna write much just cuz the show is so popular. Just read a REAL review of this anime somewhere else lmaoooo. Also yes I did watch the movie in theaters and yes I liked it a lot as well mmkay. I’m mad hype for season two. My S/O doesn’t like Demon Slayer as much as me, but also has Hunter x Hunter as their all time favorite anime. Do with that information what you will lolol.
8. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
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Same shit as Demon Slayer. Just go read someone else’s review about why it’s so good lol. Also, unlike Mob Psycho 100, I can’t include all of the seasons in this, because I have very various opinions about how good/bad the other seasons were. But this season 3 part 2, was just plain and simply amazing. While I might not like each season equally, as a whole Attack on Titan is also a modern masterpiece of storytelling. Read the manga if you can.
9. Great Pretender
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I love this anime so much. Such a good and fun wild ride. The whole show is ridiculous but in a fun way. I’m a HUGE fan of heist films, so of course I absolutely enjoyed a heist anime. I’ve watched this show in sub AND dub, due to the fact that everyone is “technically” speaking English the entire time. If you’re a purist, just watch in sub OR dub cuz I did get confused here and there, especially when I would go back to compare language discrepancies.  Because basically I did this super high maintenance thing where I switched back to Japanese whenever the main character had flashbacks, since he’s ya know, Japanese. The dub also has this confusing thing where the first five minutes or so are still in Japanese, but switches to English when a little cue card on the screen goes “For the Viewers sake, everything from now on will be translated to Japanese.” It’s cuz in the sub, the inverse obviously happens where the characters are initially speaking broken English to each other, but for convenience sake, everything from that point on will be in Japanese. It’s confusing at first but I liked it cuz it just proved the whole international vibe of the show. It’s funny either sub or dub when they joke about how bad the main guy speaks English, cuz in the dub he’s speaking perfect English, while the sub has him not speaking English at all. But anyway, great anime that WOULD have gotten a 10/10 if not for the last episode. Like without spoiling ... WTF WAS THAT LMAOOOO. The anime as a whole is super wacky and zany but at least I could try to think it’s real life, but that last episode was just so unbelievable and bizarre and pulled my suspension of disbelief into the STRATOSPHERE that I just had to convince myself that this show takes place in some improbable alternate reality where something like what happened in the last episode is at least 5 percent possible CUZ HOW DID ANY OF THAT WORK LMAOOO??? Once again, great show, one of my absolute favorites, BUT THAT ENDING THOUGH WTF.
10. BNA
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Good super underrated anime that I don’t hear people talk about at all. If Beastars is anime Zootopia, then BNA is Disney Beastars lmaooo does that make sense? It’s a lot more fun and zany than Beastars and I liked it way more. Made by the same people who made Kill la Kill. I really like that more classic, animated “cheap” art style that the anime has, and I also really liked the plot of the story. Not a 10/10 cuz the show does leave a few unanswered questions at the end of it, but this show was such a fun and interesting ride. When I finished the last episode, I was left with a big smile on my face because I just genuinely enjoyed this anime. Recommended if you wanna watch something a little unique and more on the silly and wack side. Talks about some serious stuff, but luckily the show never takes itself TOO seriously, and remains overall lighthearted for a fun action/sci-fi show.
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ak8star · 3 years
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Hitting the Bees' Nest Known as Candyman
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Alrighty so originally I only had seen the 2021 film of the same name but I got around to seeing the original 1992 film. I plan to hopefully see the silliness known as the 2nd and 3rd films. Cause horror movies have bad habit of getting silly after first installments.
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So if you want a long read of my thoughts see the read more otherwise: I just love everything from lore to character even if I end up cracking up at the whole spectral bees thing he's got going.
(YO THERE BE SOME SPOILERS BETWEEN THE FILMS AND STORY IF YOU AREN'T AQUAINTED WITH THOSE DON'T LOOK FURTHER UNLESS YOU DON'T MIND BEING SPOILED STUFFS)
I vaguely was aware of the character and had seen buzz about him this year via the Dead By Daylight tumblr community. This made me look up why people were talking about this guy. I find one of the trailers for a new film. A film that came out this year after it was meant to come out last year but pandemic. It looked friggin' cool. I then looked up a super basic gist type thing so I know the bare basics of the first film.
It was easy to see that likely this new film was going to update some of the elements found in the 1992 film. Horror as a genre tends to reflect the concerns and fears of the time. Which sadly in this case has not really changed between films. If anything it is just as tense. The 1992 film came out in the year of the LA Riots and the 2021 film comes out during the present BLM movement (2021 film is set in 2019 as a note). This is in slight contrast to the original short story which instead of race it is class as it was set in a fictional section of Liverpool, England. Regardless it becomes a theme that is hard not to notice in either medium.
From the 2021 film's view 27 years has passed since the events of the 1992 film as this new film is a sequel that ignores most of the beats of Candyman: Farewell to Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999) save for like one tiny piece of timeline info apparently. I felt the 2021 film did a good job giving the viewer enough info to navigate if they hadn't seen the 1992 film. Though after seeing the 1992 film I think it would have made some parts click faster that were in the newer film that referenced stuff from the earlier film. This includes a rather major plot turn in regards to Anthony the struggling artist who servers as our main character for most of the film. Cause yeah knowing what happens at the end of the 2021 film makes the ending of the 1992 film even more phyrrhic and bitter sweet.
I love the 2021 film. The score raw and deep. Oddly both film scores I would describe as very stripped and minimal. However the newer film edges out as the one I like a bit more due to it has a level of grime to it that just isn't quite there in the 1992 film. The newer one's soundtrack has a quality to it that reminds me of the video game Silent Hill when you slip into the Otherworld. It does throwbacks to the 1992 film's score as I learned later and it makes sense they would do this. Don't get me wrong I warmed up to the original film score after I found a post of the whole soundtrack to give it a fair listen like I did with the newer one. It's just again I lean a bit more to the new one due to previous statements above.
I love a lot of the shot compositions from pretty much start to finish in the newer film. Though I hope you like mirror gimmicks cause compared to the 1992 film the newer one really leaned into doing a lot with it. Taking advantage of CGI that was not at all a thing for the 1992 film. Something that my fiancé found a bit distracting at times versus the practical effects of the original film.
Perhaps the only other drawback of the newer film was at least two plot points that just seemed a waste. One is the part about Anthony's girlfriend's father. Like they make a point to show a flashback of the day he dies but like for what past showing she has a history of being around troubled artists? I wanted the movie to show maybe something with the art of her dad maybe better fill in why we needed this info and that scene. Maybe it was there but I blinked during it? It just felt like it was brought up but never went anywhere moment.
The other was the bits with the white teenage girls. Like I honestly feel the minutes with them were better off for other things. This film is barely at the hour thirty I usually see for horror film lengths. I get this was to show an example of Anthony's ploy to spread the word of Candyman after what seemed like a period of no one talking about it since 1992. It just felt like it was there just to push past the original film's kill count.
Oh and special note for the 2021 film from an artwork point of view:
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The use of shadow puppets to convey some scene and ending credit sequence was phenomenal. I read they used a Chicago based group those sequences. From a video I found of the 2021 film's director, Nia DeCosta, she mentions that the use of shadow puppets was a thing from the very get go of this film. The use of artwork in general has a very complex role that I don't know how much was intentional but I found amusing. The incarnation of Candyman played by Tony Todd was an artist. Anthony who eventually becomes an incarnation it seems as well was also an artist. During Anthony's mental/physical breakdown there is a shift to the type of art he makes:
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If I did my reading around right the artists used to represent Anthony's body of work were African American artists along with other pieces seen in the film when it came to gallery shots and stuff. Which I found to be super cool the talent they brought in.
How this film wraps up compared to original was a bit of a disappointment to my fiancé but I thought it was fine. It's mainly due to after I saw the 1992 film I saw why they had a character be a bit cult minded. The first film and original story pushed a cult vibe. In the first film the Candyman refer to his believers/Cabrini-Green residents as his congregation. With a score that somewhat hammers that vibe in with it's use of choir and organ.
In the end the new film made me seek out the 1992 film. And gosh it was a trip to see a film that came out when I was like a year old. Anyway:
"They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for if not for shedding? With my hook for a hand, I'll split you from your groin to your gullet. I came for you."
What a way to start a film after helicopter scenes of the busy streets of Chicago. Like that voice is intense with headphones after I had to go find some clips to refresh myself with a few scenes. This and a few other lines of the Candyman's dialogue come from the original story just rearranged a little. Like it take 44 minutes before we hear Candyman's actor, Tony Todd, again but god when he arrives...
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The moment he said Helen's name the first time fucking shook me. I felt the core of my being sink into a pit by pitch alone. I'm not even this chick and it made me feel something. It is a tone that is beyond 'You dare not believe in me and try to make others do the same?' This is a tone that marks that things have gotten deeply personal. Like fucking hot damn. A little later in the same scene is this line that iirc does find its way in the newer film as well in a tweaked form:
"I am the writing on the wall, the whisper in the classroom. Without these things, I am nothing. So now, I must shed innocent blood. Come with me."
There is a reason this man is described as a mix of Bloody Merry and Freddy Kruger. He is a being of belief. His strength is in word of mouth and fear. If he has to go out there and stir the pot himself he fucking will do it when given a means to. Which does lead to some lore confusion on what exactly brings him out and about to fuck people up cause goodness this film is not consistent with what seems to trigger him. The 2021 film has its own lore confusion for him but fuck it both do the thing here for some reason does the following: Person A says his name 4 times and it's Person B that says it final time that either only gets one member killed, all parties are killed, or everyone BUT Person A who started it is killed. The only consistency seems to be you need to look in a mirror when you do the summoning chant.
The 1992 film stands out against other 90s horror films that it focus on leading the viewer on a story of mystery more so than a gorefest. It's still a 90s horror film that looks at the tropes to deconstruct while still being a horror film. The newer film also takes this approach to horror. It's what makes both films good in my opinion. Both are films to watch.
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naynah-pinsence · 2 years
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I’ve been chipping away at the brittle skeleton of the project. I’m like, maybe a fourth of the way through of writing first-draft summaries of what I’m going to consider season one of the rewritten mermaid melody? Writing is hard. 
Anyway, at some point I’ll rewatch and read mermaid melody (pitch, pure, and keep up with aqua) to put some meat on the bones. When I do that, if I post about it, I’ll use the tag “rewrite research” for organization and if you do/don’t want to see that then there you go. Misc. related thoughts below!
1. I am really hoping to do a web comic format, but I currently lack a tablet that I could use to realistically make that happen. So even if I get the skeleton done, it’ll probably be a long while before anything ~officially~ happens in that regard.
 2. I currently have four “seasons” planned. Idk how to split them up as of now, but as I flesh stuff out more, there should be more concrete arcs.
      Season 0 is all backstory about Aqua Regina, Panthalassa, and other world-building stuff. Realistically, all of that information will be spread out throughout the story instead of being an info-dump in a googledoc.
     Seasons 1 and 2 are the core of the series, being Pitch and Pure respectively. I would really like to expand on other characters outside of the main trio. I’m especially interested in how Gaito grew up, Sara’s journey from accidentally destroying her kingdom to being where she is during Pitch, and Karen’s journey to finding Noel. I hope that I can expand the history of Panthalassa in S0 enough to give the Amagi siblings a more interesting role.
     Season 3 will just be Aqua. The potential is being WASTED. I want to explore the world that S2 will leave behind (I’m being vague bc I don’t want to spoil the plan for how I want it to end) and the concept of 1/2 merfolk. NO ARRANGED MARRIAGE.
3. I would love it if I could write a scene of Coco and Sara that has a similar dynamic that’s in this song (spoilers for the Tangled Series. I suggest watching it if you can it’s cute).
4. I don’t want Michal to be reborn. The universe-reset-button doesn’t really work for her, I think. I can’t fully put a finger on why, but part of the reason why it doesn’t work for me is because it feels very Sailor Saturn copy. (Sidenote: I feel like Sailor Moon, being pretty much THE formula for the modern magical girl show, is used a lot for comparison, which is a thing I already did comparing Usagi and ChibiUsa to Lucia and Lukia/Rukia, but in all honestly I really feel like MM is inspired by/borrows from SM a little too much?) The reset-button also is kind of a hit-or-miss for me in general? I think it would be much more interesting if Michal is offered a good ending in S2, but rejects it out of anger and becomes the main antagonist of S3. Michal and Lucia already have some foiled traits, so why not just go full throttle with that?
5. If you look back through my MM stuff, you’ll see I used to use the “Luchia” spelling instead of “Lucia”, which I use now. I switched when I realized that the letter “C” can make a “CH” sound in Italian, which is one of the roots for the name “Lucia”. I feel like a total dumbass for not realizing this sooner, considering the pronunciation of my own family and saint name.
6. I’ve been thinking about Hanon and Rina’s love interests.
      Hanon gets Taro and Nagisa. When Taro is introduced, there is about a seven-year age gap between the two (about 13 and 20). Even when I was a middle-schooler, I found this kinda weird. I now know that a relationship would be very bad and illegal sooooo. With that, I think that Hanon’s crush is pretty natural! I too, was a young teen girl, surrounded by other young teen girls once. A good portion of crushes are on older men: romance is kind of a new thing at this stage in life, and older men tend to seem more attractive than your possibly hasn’t hit puberty yet classmates. A reminder to the kids, DO NOT start a romance with an adult. Taro, from what I remember, is very soft-spoken and polite, so kind of just lets Hanon do her thing? Nagisa, on the other hand, is the opposite situation: younger, he’s interested in her, but she’s not really into him. Idk how I feel about them having a lasting relationship, but I think the relationship acts as a good point of growth. It could be played in two ways: the first is that she thinks that he is too young for her (12 and 15 I think?) and she realizes that she might have made Taro uncomfortable by being on the other side of things. If I solely go this route, Hanon probably doesn’t end up with Nagisa in the end. The second is, if I remember correctly, what ends up happening more or less: Hanon learns to let go and relax. Making a little self-awareness with the first option and ending with the second seems the most appealing to me atm. 
      Rina gets Kaito and Masahiro. There is a hot second where Rina gets a crush on Kaito, but actively doesn’t pursue it. She values her friendship more. Honestly, I kind of liked that plot-point. It shows a good bit of Rina’s personality, and adds some quiet conflict. Again, if I remember correctly, Rina doesn’t say anything to anyone about it, including Kaito and Lucia. It could have been so easy to do a Moon and Mars love Tuxedo Mask thing, but the way I remember it being handled made a more interesting and strong character. I have trouble with Masahiro as a character. On paper, he’s a rebellious and fun dude with daddy issues and secret money, which could be cool! But I feel like he was kind of just slapped in the story so Rina could have a bf too. Because he could be more interesting than just love interest #3, I want to keep him in the story, but idk how at this point. Not as a love interest bc Rina is not into dudes in my story, which also means the mini crush on Kaito is probably out the window. idk
7. I want Rukia to skateboard bc she can’t surf bc of the mermaid transformation. Radical.
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Normally I'd be too shy to send but heck it. May I have fluffy headcannons for Sabo, Thatch, Ace, and Marco of cuddles, kisses, and encouragement while trying to help their s/o study? Please and thank you queen uwu💖💖💖
I'm so sorry it took so long my dear😭!!! I hope you can forgive me and still enjoy what I came up with- despite the terribly long wait rip💔
The boys 'help' you with studying- headcanon
Sabo
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he actually suggests that you should study together- since Sabo always has some reports left to fill anyway, he thinks it's a brilliant idea to take care of your duties together.
spoiler: it isn't. He can't focus on his work when you're next to him. No way. His fingers are constantly wandering from the papers on his desk over to your hand or face
sometimes he also can't help himself and starts toying around with your hair and compliments you on how beautiful you look, and the work he was supposed to do is almost completely forgotten within minutes
some may say he's just so touchy because he wants to distract himself from the boring paperwork, but you and I know that he simply adores you too much to ignore you. It seems almost cruel to him to focus on his work while you're by his side! Obviously he needs to show you how much he loves having you around, even at the price of barely getting anything done himself
when he reached the point where he absolutely can't keep his hands to himself anymore, he'll just pull you into his lap and tells you to stay focussed while he's taking in your scent and the feeling of your skin
okay, as nice as this is, you're not really making any progress right now. Mh. Perhaps Sabo could try and help you with your studies first, and then you can keep him company while he's doing his paperwork...? Technically, you'd still be taking care of your duties together that way!
the Chief of Staff most likely has no clue on what you're studying, but that won't stop him from telling you how smart you are and how he believes that you'll rock whatever subject you're focussing on!
whenever you're finished with a portion and turn to the next page, he makes sure to reward you by pressing a soft kiss to your temple or neck while encouraging you to go on
if it helps your cause, Sabo might even suggest to take your book and ask you questions about the current topic, almost like a small pop-quiz. It always ends in disaster though since he knows barely anything about the stuff you're working with, and sometimes he even answers his own questions as a result
whenever that happens, you are bound to break out in laughter and correct him when he gets something wrong. The pop-quiz he envisioned might not work, but this is another good way to test your knowledge, wouldn't you agree? And of course you two also get to goof around together that way, which is a huge plus to him. Studying and being focussed is super important of course, but you also gotta take a break and have a good laugh with him from time to time!
Thatch
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he's such a devoted boyfriend that he actually helps you plan a studying schedule. Your sessions are usually in the evening or early afternoon, aka when he's not busy in the kitchen and can be with you while you're working on your stuff
now, Thatch is aware of the distracting presence he might have, so he tries to keep his interruptions to a minimum. As much as he'd love to be by your side and cheer you on 24/7, it probably won't be a good idea
instead he occasionally leaves to patrol the hallway to make sure that no one else tries to interrupt you. Especially Ace is forbidden from entering your room during study time- Thatch knows that the young pirate will just drag you away from your books and pull you into some dumb nonsense as always, and you can't have that
however Thatch is also unable to leave your side for long. He's slightly worried about all the work you have to take care of, and soon enough he's in your room and by your side again to make sure that you're okay
and- you probably guessed it- he also provides you with snacks and meals all throughout your study session. You need to eat and supply your brain with enough nutritions if you want to power through this!
if there is any topic in your textbooks that Thatch is even vaguely familiar with, he'll pull out a chair and sit down next to you to 'help' as good as he can. Even if it's not much. In his mind it might make you feel as if you're not alone with this
when it starts to get late and more cold, he's always sure to get you a blanket and some hot chocolate to keep you comfy. And- of course- he'd gladly reward you with some snuggles and kisses after your long studying session as well. You more than earned it!
in the end it's always him who pulls you away from your books and reminds you to get some rest. You can't argue with the cook on this- when he says it's time for bed, it's time for bed
during some nights, when you find it hard to fall asleep because your mind is still filled with all the knowledge you forced into it, Thatch comes up with a little game to play- instead of counting sheeps, you need to list something new you learned today and then he'll do the same. It usually ends with him rambling on and on about some new kitchen tool he found, which he keeps talking about right until he notices that his boring lecture has put you to sleep. Just as he planned...
Ace
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he's flunctuating between wanting to help you with your studies and wanting to pull you away from them so he can keep you all to himself
whenever you're sitting in your chair, hunched over your books, Ace will show up and hug you from behind, his eyes peeking over your shoulder to look at what you're studying, feigning interest
sometimes he'll read a few words and pretend to know what it's about, just so he can talk with you. But you're always so caught up in your studies that you have to push him aside; and although Ace sorta understands it, he's still a bit upset that he can't spend time with you as usual
in an attempt to get you to pay attention to him, he would often press small kisses to your cheek while his head rests on your shoulder and he continues to engulf you from behind
he definitely admires your determination and how you can stay focussed on boring stuff like this for so long. If it was him, he'd probably be dead asleep in just a few moments
talking of which... 15 minutes into your studies, the sound of Ace snoring will ripple through the air. And since his head is still lying on your shoulder and close to your ear, you get to hear it at full volume
after you shake him awake a bit, your boyfriend will try his hardest not to fall asleep again- because he's scared that you might send him away if he does- but this is a battle he just can't seem to win...
as he's desperately trying find something to distract himself, Ace eventually decides to grab one of your textbooks and take a look at what you're dealing with. But again, he's unable to make any sense of it and asks you how you can stay concentrated on weird stuff like this
perhaps you could enlighten him a bit and explain what your current subject is all about? There's no guarantee that he'll understand anything you're talking about, but Ace would rather listen to you talk about the stuff than try to read about it in some stupid book by himself
the young pirate is utterly fascinated by how much you know. Obviously he still has no clue why you have to learn all that stuff, but it sure is impressive! Compared to how little education he has, it's almost as if he's dating a genius!
such a smart and determined partner definitely deserves some recognition. Once you're done with your studies, Ace will pounce on you like a needy cat and show you just how proud he is by pulling you against him and peppering your face in greedy kisses as if there's no tomorrow
even though he's proud of you for staying strong throughout your studies, he's far more excited to have you pay more attention to him now; without any of your annoying books getting in the way
Marco
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unlike the others, Marco is truly 100% keen on making sure that you can work as efficiently and calmly as possible. Before you even start with studying, he's already setting up your desk for you and also observes how you're feeling to see if you're really in the mood for it
after all, nothing good is gonna come out of it if you force yourself! Your thoughts might wander and the time will be wasted. So before you sit down and learn, he is sure to spoil you and make you feel utterly relaxed so you won't stress too much
during studies, he often prefers to take on the role of a teacher and 'tutors' you on what you're currently working on
at night he secretly stays up and looks through your textbooks to see what subjects you have to prepare for, and if he can help with anything, he sure as hell will
it's kind of his personal job to stay up to date with whatever you're doing, so you always have him to rely on whenever you might struggle or not understand something.
whenever he can, Marco will come up with memory-bridges to help you mesmerize certain things more easily, and sometimes those references can even connect to situations you might remember from something that happened with the crew
and of course Marco often praises you for how strong and smart you are- even if you don't understand something at your first attempt, he knows how hard you're trying and always encourages you to keep going. He's certain that there's not a single obstacle you won't be able to overcome, as long as you put your heart and soul into it!
whenever you reach a new milestone or finish a study session, he rewards you. Said rewards can be cuddle sessions, showers of kisses, or him giving you a nice massage to help relax your muscles from sitting at your desk for so long
as your doctor as well as boyfriend, he's always concerned about your well-being. Intense studying sessions as well as the pressure to get everything mesmorized can be very emotionally taxing, and Marco makes sure to keep a close eye on you and your mental health so you won't get burned out
there's definitely a break-plan he designed just for you, and if he's not around to remind you to taking some time off every now and then, he'll get another crew member to jump in for him
what matters the most to him is how you're feeling. So even if there are days where you don't live up to your own expectations, Marco would never dream of scolding you for it. Instead he reminds you that you did your best and already learned so much- plus, tomorrow is a new day! If you couldn't do everything today, you probably will do it some other time. He's confident in that!
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bellafarella · 3 years
Text
Hello friends, so I watched S11E03 of Shameless, titled: 'Frances Francis Franny Frank' & would like to share some non-spoiler spoilers with you so if you don't want to know ANYTHING look away now!!!
I can't say how I have access so please don’t ask me. I also won't give details so don’t ask.
⚠️ Please be warned that this is just MY opinion on what I watched. I also left A LOT out as to not spoil major moments in the episode and I tried to keep it vague enough so you wouldn't be completely ruined for the episode.
⚠️ Do not read if you don't want to know!! ⚠️
I thought the episode was really good. I also really liked the first two episodes. These are my opinions so take it with a grain of salt since we are all different. Hope this helps ease your worries! ❤
⚠️ Non-spoiler SPOILERS for S11E03, proceed with caution ⚠️
👇👇👇👇👇👇
- Debbie even more annoying/awful than usual if that's even possible.
- The "who's the man in the relationship" thing is probably not about what you expected, it wasn't for me anyway
- Carl scenes actually enjoyable because of new cop partner
- Ian pretty
- Frank spends the day with Franny, its adorable af (hence this week's episode title)
- Mickey, Kev, V scenes is the content we deserve
- That bar fight happens
- Kev continues to be an idiot and V continues to be a queen
- Liam is the best but there isn't enough of him this episode
- I love Franny more and more every episode
- Tami and Lip's storyline is pretty sad but not because of them as a couple
- More bickering from Ian/Mickey but there is some kind of *resolution* between them
- Lots of LOL moments mostly because of our king of comedy Mickey but from others as well
- Really enjoyed this episode as a whole
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concussed-to-pieces · 4 years
Text
Late July Part Two
Fandom: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Pairing: Agent Whiskey [Jack Daniels]/Reader
Rating: Holy shit kinda' tame.
AN: Guess who was a fool and thought that they could leave Late July the way it was?! Me. Spoilers for Kingsman: The Golden Circle abound in this chapter, so proceed only if you don't care about the movie being spoiled for you! I'll see you guys on Wednesday. Enjoy!
Tag List: @huliabitch @wrestlingfae @cookiethewriter @culturalrebel @jackierey09 @crookedmoonsaultpunk @duker42 @agirllovespasta @nelba @pedrosbigdorkenergy @lestrange2703 @youmeanmybrain @luvley-shadow @theocatkov @miscellaneousjunkk @reluctantlyresponsibleadult @buttons-beads-lace @gooddaykate @lackofhonor @talesfromtheguild @absurdthirst @mostly-megan @pancakepike @88dragon06 @chibi-liz05 @iellaren-uodo-rian @heatherbel @ripleyafterdark @oloreaa @thesoftdumbass @okilover02 @renegademustelid
Alright, I think I got everyone! There will be one more part on Wednesday, so if you would like to be tagged please let me know!
Part One
[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This chapter contains attempted purposeful triggering, frank discussion of character death, memory loss, regression and vivid flashbacks/allusions to post-trauma. Stay safe!]
He came back around slowly, still tasting the stale beer of last night's party like an unwanted echo in his mouth. But instead of waking up on the kitchen floor of his shared apartment, he was in a blindingly white room that looked suspiciously like an alien spacecraft. Jack's mind raced. Shit, maybe my roommate wasn't being a total spaz when he talked about getting probed, the young man realized with an undercurrent of fear. 
Incomprehensible beakers of things lined the walls of the room. Alright, maybe he should have paid more attention in his chemistry classes, but he could hardly be blamed for assuming that none of it would have practical uses!
Jack rattled his hands in the cuffs that secured him to the table, clearing his throat. Man, his head ached. This was why he needed to remember to drink a glass of water before passing out!
"S'cuse me? Uh, hello?" He called hesitantly. "Look, if the guys from Theta Alpha Phi put you up to this-"
A beautiful older woman rounded the corner into the room, observing him over her glasses. "Welcome back." Her voice was steel, and Jack worried his lower lip nervously. "Wasn't sure if you were going to make it for a little while."
The restraints around his wrists and ankles abruptly retracted into the table, leaving Jack to awkwardly stumble forward onto the floor. He quickly regained his footing, reaching up to seize the lapels on his usually-open shirt and finding instead that he was wearing some sort of...ski suit? Jumpsuit? Top Gun, I can dig it. 
God, she really was a good-looking woman. Ah, what the hell. Nothing ventured...
"Hello gorgeous. I'm Jack, what's your name?" He didn't give her any time to answer before he carried on with a disarming grin, "How would you like to ride home on a real cowboy?" Jack ran a hand through his usually-unruly hair and found it...weirdly tame. "I've got a six pack on ice and my roomie is out for the night so you can scream my name as loud as you need to, sugar!" He continued, ambling forward. The cheesy, blatant approach usually worked well for him. Sixty/forty split, or thereabouts.
She kept retreating as he advanced, and then she reached into her pocket. Jack braced himself for the rebuff, confused when she pulled out a Polaroid instead. "I hate to do this to you, Jack." She sounded like she meant it. There was Blue-Tack on the back of the Polaroid and handwriting that some portion of his brain vaguely recognized as his own, but he didn't get the chance to read it before she was showing him the faded image.
It took him a moment to realize that it was a picture of one of the girls he had dated in high school, but it looked like she had grown into a legitimately stunning woman. She was smiling fondly at whoever was taking the picture, and the entire image radiated playful energy. Jack cocked his head, a buzz of foreign sadness churning briefly in his chest before he raised his eyes to meet the...scientist's? Teacher's? "Where'd you get this picture? I ain't seen her in years! Shee-it, she got beautiful." The young man drawled. "I have been thinkin' about visitin' my folks again. Maybe I'll go 'round to her place too for some catchin' up."
The woman seemed startled, her sculpted brows raising and then dropping as she studied him intently. "You...don't remember...?"
"I remember her, yeah, we dated for a while in high school." Jack insisted. "Broke up senior year because I was leavin' for college, y'know how it is."
"This is your wife, Jack. Or she was, rather." 
His head throbbed, left temple lighting up with sudden agony. "Oh, shit." Jack grunted, holding the side of his head and grazing a bandage that he hadn't realized was there. "Damn, I must have hit my head real good when those pricks from Theta Alpha shoved me down the stairs. Hangover probably ain't helpin'." He grinned ruefully at her. "Guess you must be the one who patched me up. I ain't never asked out a doctor before, but there's a first time for everythin'. Can I pay you back with dinner?"
The woman appeared perturbed. "Jack. This is your wife." She repeated, waving the picture in his face. 
"I'm real sorry ma'am, but I ain't the marryin' sort." Jack replied bluntly, "I would definitely remember if someone like her was still my girlfriend. Or uh, had become my wife."
"What do you remember happening, Jack? Before…" she gestured vaguely. "This?"
Jack chewed on his lower lip in thought, tilting his head back to stare up at the featureless ceiling. "Uh, I remember…well, before they pushed me down the stairs, them TAP boys crashed my roommate's party…"
"'Pressions, I need you down here in the reconstruction laboratory." Ginger Ale's voice issued abruptly through your earpiece and you sat up a little straighter at your desk. 
"What's happened?" You asked softly, rising from your seat and making your way to the door. What with a majority of the population currently locked up in stacks of cages, enough to fill football arenas to their brim, you weren't doing much in the 'managing first impressions' area. Since you had fewer and fewer responsibilities, Ginger Ale had begun to lean upon you a bit more, especially as all able-bodied agents were deployed into the field to search for an antidote. With Tequila being incapacitated, it had made the assignment personal to many agents. 
It had been fascinating to find out that Statesman was technically an offshoot from the now utterly-decimated Kingsman agency. When the two surviving members of their group had shown up to the Statesman headquarters, it had caused quite the stir. 
"I need a favor." Ginger said, sounding tired. 
"Anything." You agreed before she could elaborate further, picking your way through the gravel in the courtyard as you headed to the warehouse where the massive casks of Statesman Reserve were stored to age. Once inside, your heels clicked loudly in the stillness of the temperature-controlled storehouse and you were certain that Ginger Ale could tell your location just from the noise alone. "I'll be with you in a moment."
"Don't promise me that until you know what I need."
Your brow furrowed. "Uh...okay." 
Once you had made your way through the somewhat labyrinthine halls of the Statesman underground facility, you found Ginger Ale waiting for you directly outside the sick bay. She was rubbing her temples. 
"Oh no, that's not a good sign." You quipped as you approached.
She looked up and her face bore an expression of long suffering. "You don't have to say yes to this, okay?" 
"Ginger, talk to me. What's up?" You asked worriedly, taking her arm and leading her off to the side of the doorway.
"'Pressions, Whiskey may not be...one hundred percent." She said carefully. "He didn't snap back into 'Whiskey mode' even though the nanites-"
"Wait, what happened to Whiskey?" You interrupted in concern, your heart hammering a foreign, panicky tattoo on your ribcage. "He was with the Galahads, I thought?"
"He got caught by a sniper." Ginger Ale grimaced. "Clean shot to the head."
"Jesus, no." You gasped. "I'm assuming one of the Galahads used his alpha gel?"
"Yes, and the nanites did their job perfectly. So he's stable, and conscious. Better than that, I would hazard, considering that he took a bullet to the head and he's walking and talking. The issue is that he's not really...Whiskey. At the point he's regressed to, he thinks he's still a dropout living with his college roommate." Ginger Ale pulled a picture out of an inner pocket. "It used to be that we could just trigger him to resume where he left off using the memory of his wife and unborn son, but it doesn't appear to be working this time."
You stared at her, mainly because of how casually she stated the fact that they triggered their agents back to 'normal' with traumatic memories, but also because you had a sneaking suspicion that you might be the reason why the aforementioned trigger no longer held the same weight for the field agent. 
You told yourself you would refuse to feel guilty about it. Whiskey had asked for your help and you had obliged. It was as simple as that.
"Now, I know your family has that rental cabin, and I also know that it's fairly secluded. If the Statesman organization could possibly, uh...commission the cabin and persuade you to take some paid leave until Jack is...himself again, or at least until the drug issue is sorted and we can devote more time and research to this situation, I…" Ginger Ale trailed off as Jack's head popped out around the doorway.
You were treated to a blatant once-over stare that seemed to last for a lifetime, his dark eyes studying you intently. "Have I...met you before?" Jack asked you, the hesitance in his tone making you briefly hopeful before he continued, "yeah, last night, in my dreams I think?"
You couldn't help your groan and eye-roll, laughing in spite of yourself. "Ugh, and how often does that line work for you?" You teased. 
"So far, never." Jack admitted. "But I've always held true to the belief that the sexiest thing a fella' can wear is confidence." He continued with a grin, "That and a high-quality hat." He glanced down the hallway. "So, is it just you two lovely ladies on this alien spacecraft, or what?" 
"Alien…?" You raised an eyebrow. "Okay Ginger, I'm convinced. I'll get the paperwork ready. But if you need anything-"
"I know. I'm glad that I can rely on you." She interrupted you gratefully, looking relieved. 
"You gals got any Midrin on you? My head is killin' me." Jack grimaced, palming over the gauze square attached to his temple even as he shamelessly watched you walk past him to the lab's computer.
"Midrin was discontinued almost ten years ago." You replied absently while you punched in your login and searched for the proper documents to send to the nearby printer. Commission for resources...ah! There you are.
"What, really?" Jack gawked at you. "Hell, I should probably tell my roommate to chuck his then, it must be way outta' date."
"Somehow, I doubt that will be a problem."
Jack balked a little when you stated that you would be driving, but he quieted down once you implied that the world may look a bit different than he recalled and that he didn't have a choice in the matter.
"He's not the first one to get put back a little wrong. The process isn't perfect," Ginger had told you. Of course you knew about Galahad senior, the Kingsman agent who had been shot in the head and returned merely wishing to study butterflies. "But I'll send you informational packets that he can sift through. Hopefully something will jog his memory."
Just riding up in the cask elevator had Jack worryingly pale, though getting him outside into the fresh air and sunshine appeared to perk him right back up. He was obviously doing his best to roll with the punches. You thanked whatever gods were listening that Champ had given you permission to take Whiskey's Bronco. Despite the technological advancements of your own personal vehicle that made it miles more convenient to use (you kissed your Bluetooth phone sync goodbye with a woeful sigh), the last thing you wanted was to cause Jack even more distress. Whiskey was mercifully a classic, no frills, no fuss man when it came to his preferred vehicle, even for being a secret agent.
You grabbed your go-bag out of the trunk of your car and walked over to the Bronco in the lot, barely holding back a laugh at Jack's obvious approval of the vehicle. He was running his fingers reverently along the tiny red pinstripe on the exterior, back and forth.
"If I get enough money for one of these beauts someday, God, it will be a sight." He mused, sounding wistful. "Have to get a better job first, though." He continued, as if reciting an oft-repeated mantra. 
"Ginger said you dropped out. What courses were you taking?" You asked curiously. Jack had never been very forthcoming with information about his past, so you seized the opportunity to glean a little insight into the normally tight-lipped agent.
"My parents want me to be a doctor." Jack answered you with a shrug. "I dropped out last semester. Still ain't sure how I'm gonna' break it to 'em." He bounded up into the passenger seat, drumming his fingers nervously on the edge of the door. "Can I ask for somethin' to eat? I'm fuckin' famished." He admitted, changing the subject.
"Yeah, what do you feel like?" You paused, wondering if visiting the establishment near your cabin would assist his memory. "Sandwiches? Pizza?"
"She drives a manual and she eats real food? Be still my goddamn heart!" Jack proclaimed dramatically.
"Easy now cowboy, flattery will get you everywhere!" You laughed.
He grinned back at you, but the smile soon faded. You noticed him studying himself in the side mirror, running a finger down his jaw and grimacing. "God, there's a lot more mileage on this face than I remember." He muttered, prodding the skin of his right temple to smooth out the pronounced crow's feet around his eye. As if working on muscle memory, he reached down without looking and popped open the glovebox to grab his sunglasses. He paused, like he noticed what he had done, then shrugged and slipped the glasses on. "How do I look, ma'am?" 
"Perfect."
What with the drug situation ravaging the world right now, the normally-bustling joint you favored was downright sleepy. Aside from the muted television over the counter, the only sign of life was the lone waitress who ushered the two of you in to sit at the counter. 
"I can turn that up if you'd like." She offered, nodding at the TV. "I just leave it silent when I'm alone because all the reports...well, they can grate on your nerves, y'know?"
"Nah, leave it off." You shook your head. "I'm full up on hearing about the topic at hand." 
"'Topic at hand'?" Jack repeated, looking confused. He had taken his hat off and placed it on the countertop, his fingers back to worrying the bandage on his head. 
You nudged him with your elbow. "Hey, cool it. You'll undo all of Ginger's hard work." You chided, and he jerked his hand away with an embarrassed chuckle. 
"Whups, sorry." He looked up at the menu, and then asked the waitress, "Ma'am can I get a cup of coffee and a hot brown with chicken? I'm downright famished." His smile seemed more genuine, somehow. You realized after a moment that it actually reached his eyes, warming them even further. You weren't sure if you had ever seen him smile like that. Maybe he had forgotten how.
You began to explain in an undertone after the waitress had bustled off to the kitchen, "so there's this...problem going on in the world right now. Big drug problem." 
"Yeah, no shit." Jack scoffed, taking a sip of the black coffee she had poured him. "Nixon started that shit, and Reagan's been on that shit for years. You ain't tellin' me nothin' I don't know."
"N...No, no no, this is different." You grimaced, leaning in a little closer. "I'm talking like, there was one person behind the whole thing and now a large chunk of the population is infected with a virus that will kill them because they used illegal drugs."
Jack stared at you, his coffee cup forgotten in midair between the counter and his mouth. "You...what, hell, all drugs?" He asked incredulously. "Weed? Coke? LSD? 'Shrooms? Everythin'?"
"Everything unregulated, yes." 
"I...God." The mug met the counter with a thump and Jack put his head in his hands. "Fuck, you're serious about this, ain't you?"
This was a far cry from the boardroom Whiskey who had insisted that Champ "couldn't make this personal" after it had been revealed that Tequila was infected. But then, people changed over time. Things happened. You imagined a secret agent would grow into a fair amount of detachment through their career, if only for the sake of their sanity.
"So what's gonna' happen to them? Is anyone doin' anythin' to help? Or is everyone just sittin' on their damn hands again, watchin' shit happen?" Jack growled. 
"Well, our friends are doing their best. I'm confident that they'll be able to pull off their mission." Even without the senior Statesman agent at their side, you added mentally. Jack stayed in his hunched-over position for several minutes after his food arrived and you finally nudged his elbow. "Hey, sour puss. C'mon, we only made this pit stop because you were hungry."
"I'm sorry, my head is...I'm havin' some trouble." He mumbled faintly, and you noticed that he had gone pale again. "Headache."
You felt a touch of remorse. Maybe it had been overly optimistic of you to assume that he might recall more clearly in this location that he had only visited once. "To go it is." You decided for him, tugging out your wallet. "Once we get up to the cabin, we'll settle in for however long. It'll be fine."
There was no power. 
You cycled back through the last month's bills in your head. You had definitely paid the electricity. You huffed out an annoyed breath. "There must be a tree down somewhere." You said aloud. 
Jack was already making a beeline for the table in the kitchen, the takeaway container quickly splayed open so he could dig into his food with newfound zeal. "So, what do we need to do?" He asked around his first mouthful. He hadn't even bothered to sit down.
"Well first, I'll call Ginger." You sighed, already dialing the reconnaissance specialist. "After that, I'll check the stove, the fridge--"
"What happened?" Ginger answered before it even had the chance to ring, her voice sharp.
"No no, nothing's wrong. Just the power is out. With everything being the way it is, it'll probably be down for a few days." You heard the rapid clicking of a keyboard. "Whoa hey, don't move stuff around, Ginger. We can survive just fine without power for a day or two." You assured her. It always made you feel guilty whenever Statesman resources were used on someone as inconsequential as yourself. 
"Are...are you sure? I really should be working on getting more information from the drones in Cambodia-"
"Absolutely, you have way bigger fish to fry. We can wait our turn on the outage route." You interjected firmly. "I'll use the car charger for my phone, so if you need anything you can still get in touch."
Jack did his best to tune out your conversation with the woman from the lab, the young man scanning the inside of the cabin as he ate. 
It was small, though not cramped. Behind him was the common room, separated from the deck by sliding glass doors. The ceiling overhead was simple untreated beams, interspersed with skylights that left sunny squares on the warm wood floors. 
There was a hallway to his left that he assumed must lead to at least one bedroom and the bathroom, but he wasn't particularly interested in snooping down that direction.
His gaze landed on the wood stove that was tucked into the lone river-rock corner upon a sturdy pedestal of bricks, eyes tracing the stovepipe up to where it pierced the wall to the outdoors. Jack left the table and meandered to the stove, turning the handle and popping the door open after a brief struggle. It was still full of old ash from the last use and he grumbled under his breath, grabbing the shovel and bucket from their cobwebbed resting place against the wall so he could give the stove a proper seeing-to.
You would think people had never heard of a damn chimney fire, the young man griped to himself, eventually standing with the half-full bucket and making his way outside. "Hey!" He called to get your attention, "where's your trash?" 
You waved a hand off in the direction of a waist-high wooden crate that no doubt housed the waste receptacles, out at the end of the rutted drive. On his way by, Jack slowed briefly to a halt to watch you talk into your...God, is that really what cellular phones looked like? 
You shot him an absent smile when you seemed to notice that he had paused and the young man felt his stomach lurch, what the hell? This all seemed so familiar, like he had done it before. 
His head hurt.
Waking up in a body that was damn near twenty years older, retrograde amnesia was what the...what Ginger Ale had called it. Jack scoffed to himself. The hell kind of name is Ginger Ale? Then, he winced. Jack Daniels, meet kettle.
So what had happened in between? Something must have happened to him. Ginger had implied that he and that girl he had dated in high school got married, which was...not something he had ever thought about having on his radar, if he was honest.
Unless…
A weird, uneasy suspicion began to take root in his chest. There was one scenario where he believed he would ask a woman to marry him, if only because it was the goddamn proper thing to do. 
Oh God, he felt sick to his stomach again. Something, a memory, was lurking just out of the light and he couldn't shake the burgeoning sensation of dread. It was as if his brain was playing tug-of-war, both pushing him towards the realization and dragging him away from it in equal measure.
Jack shook his head and dug his fingers in beneath the heavy wooden lid that shielded the waste containers from the elements (and snooping animals), shoving it up so he could empty the bucket into the ash can. Later, he promised himself, we'll tackle that shit later.
...
Jack appeared to be deep in thought as he carried on the task of emptying out the wood stove, so you simply left him to it as you did a quick check of everything else in the cabin. It looked like the power hadn't been out for too long, as the small fridge hadn't defrosted just yet, so you made a note to head down the road and pick up some ice at the amenities store. You kept an 'emergency' cooler under the counter for such an occasion as this. 
This cabin and the surrounding ones didn't lose power very often, but what with all the old trees around it tended to be inevitable once the winds got strong. Your parents had instilled the knowledge in you of how to properly maintain the property, and you were immensely grateful that no problem had cropped up yet that you hadn't been able to straighten out by yourself. 
Most of the vacation cabins that littered the nearby woodlands had been booked up for the summer, due to the prolific population of affluent wealthy who enjoyed them as an 'isolated retreat from civilization'. You were hard-pressed to think of an 'isolated retreat' that included a convenience store within literal walking distance of one's residence, but any port in a storm. 
Jack was oddly silent for nearly the entire walk down the road to the tiny store, his thumbs hooked through his belt loops as his fingers idly patted out an off-tempo rhythm on his thighs. "Penny for your thoughts?" You broke the quiet with your question, trying for a genial tone.
"I dunno', really. I've got a lot of 'em. How many pennies we talkin'?" He replied, his smile strained. "I just feel like I'm missin' somethin'...big. Obvious. And I...dunno' if I'll be happy about figurin' out what it is, y'know? Like there's somethin' in the back of my head, hollerin' at me, but I can't make out the damn words and I don't--I ain't sure if I really want to." Jack stared off ahead, his eyes shaded by the brim of his hat. "I've already been a fuck-up for most of my life, y'know. I can't imagine what bullshit I pulled later." 
This uncertain man was a far cry from the usual cocksure attitude you had come to expect from Whiskey. In a way, you weren't exactly surprised that his attitude may have been mainly bravado. Or it might just be that he had played the part for so long he started to believe it. You reached out carefully and he met you halfway, almost absentminded, instinct kicking in before his brain as he wrapped his hand around your wrist. 
It took a moment before Jack's fingers twitched, and then his shoulders went stiff. Just like Whiskey, you found yourself thinking. "Uh, sorry, I-" he began to awkwardly apologize. 
"It's okay." You murmured, rubbing your thumb over the back of his hand. "If you're okay, this is okay." 
"...okay." Jack's voice was barely a whisper, the man smiling gratefully and giving your hand a gentle squeeze. 
...
It was a beautiful night. 
Due to the lack of power in your cabin and the ones around it, the stars were clearly visible. You had brought the battery-powered radio out with you onto the deck, soft crackling static and faint music the backdrop to your after-dinner conversation. 
Jack was more at peace than he could recall feeling recently, the man content to watch your expressions in the light of the lone citronella candle that you had lit on the table. 
At ease, well-fed and comfortable, it was almost malicious how fast his mind began to twist everything for him. Jack Daniels, college dropout. Nothing to show for it at all. He'd crashed and burned so damn fast, there hadn't been time. And now, all of this, finding out that the world had gone to shit--
In the middle of his ruminations, something dragged him back to the present. A familiar song, jarring him out of his self-deprecating reverie. "You fill up my senses…"
His head aching again, Jack got a fleeting recollection of a kitchen in a tiny apartment. Faded, dingy gray subway tiles on the backsplash, yellow curtains framing the window over the sink, her yelling at him, "I hate it when we fight, Jack," eyes snapping with fury but resigned and no, no, something is wrong-
"What's wrong?"
It took him a minute to realize that it was you asking him aloud, not his brain screaming at him. Jack grimaced, pressing his fingers to the bandage. "This song, I...I know it."
"I mean, it's John Denver." You said in a deadpan tone. "The guy oozes questionable sweater choices, denim and radio-friendly vibes. I'd be more surprised if you didn't know it."
"When she and I...we had moved in together. And this…it was playin' while we were arguin'." Jack's head was pounding. The kitchen had always felt too small, though it was the perfect size for her. They fought. About little things, and then bigger things. His gambling, her drinking. What a couple. Jack shoved his chair back from the table on an impulse, getting to his feet. "C'mere." He ordered, extending a hand to you
You raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. "Why?"
"Dammit woman, just-" Jack tangled his fingers with yours, giving your arm a light tug. "C'mere." He pleaded.
You obliged begrudgingly, obviously comfortable in your current position and unwilling to move. But once you were upright you didn't seem to have any reservations about him swaying you back and forth in time to the music, your head on his chest like it belonged there and your hands tucked into the sleeves of your large sweatshirt. 
"...like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean…" the song carried on, sweet and calm. Jack rested his chin on the top of your head, closing his eyes and just letting the faded memories wash over him.
"...I can't do this shit anymore." He had whispered into her hair, his voice hoarse. "All we goddamn do is fight and neither of us change and I'm fuckin' sick of this shit." He had continued to rock the both of them to and fro in that tiny kitchen, as if to soothe her. 
"Oh, you think I'm not sick? I've been sick!" She threw it right back at him hotly, her fists clenched on his chest like she wanted to beat the piss out of him. He probably deserved it. "Jack, you're the one who needs to change! You're the one who's the father of my fucking baby, why don't you start goddamn acting like it!"
Jack's eyes flew open. Baby? He scoured his mind frantically, every memory he turned up so frustratingly piecemeal! 
Baby, a baby, son? Blue crib, blue walls, my son? Married, needed to get married, can't have a baby without getting married, her parents hate me, my parents are already disappointed, have to elope--
And then everything ground to a halt. It was like his memory hit a wall, leaving him confused and almost raw with uncertainty. He needed more, damn it! He exhaled raggedly, making you look up at him in concern.
"Jack? Are you okay?" Your query was so quiet, like you didn't want to disturb him.. 
"I just...my uh, my joints are complainin'. Guess I let myself sit for too long." He fibbed, smiling down at you in an attempt to distract you from his obvious turmoil. "Thanks for the dance," Jack hesitated, an unfamiliar pet name lingering on the tip of his tongue, "cherry pie."
...
Jack meandered to lean with his arms crossed on the porch railing, his head tipped back to look up at the sky for a time. "Have I...been here before?" He asked out of the blue. "I feel like...it's weird to ask, but I feel like you and I have...I feel like I've been here before. With you." He finally managed to get the words out.
"Well, yes." You admitted. "You came to me because you needed help."
"And did you?" Jack cocked his head to the side. 
"Did I what?"
"Help."
You hesitated to answer him, mulling it over. Because in the moment, it seemed like you had. Whiskey had left your care an obviously happier man, but…
If the memory of his pregnant wife, the memory of losing her had been established as his failsafe, it was downright irresponsible of him to have removed that trigger without instating a new one first. Ginger Ale hadn't known, and now Statesman was down their senior field agent in the middle of an incredibly dangerous and tenuous maneuver. The health and safety of countless people hung in the balance and technically, technically (by your reasoning, anyway), it was your fault that Statesman was unable to put their best foot forward in this endeavor.
But…
"I think so." You said softly. "You hung onto something from your past that hurt you, Jack. Something that weighed your body down. I guess you finally got tired of carrying it with you."
Jack's smile was slow, but it lit up his face yet again in the way that Whiskey's never had. "Well good, then! I'm glad you helped me out." He shook his head ruefully. "I just feel like I've been here before. This point in time. It's like...like I'm gettin' the chance to do somethin' over, but I don't know what the hell it is. I'm scared, feel like I'm gonna' fuck somethin' up on accident." He admitted quietly. "It was here, wasn't it? Where you helped me?"
"Yes. This cabin is a safe environment for anyone that needs it."
"I can tell. It's...peaceful." He drawled, one boot hooked over the other as he shifted his weight against the railing. A hand wandered to your arm, his warm palm rubbing your shoulder absently. "I just hope that I can...do whatever it is folks need me to do." Jack murmured. 
His hand stayed on your arm for a good long while, the two of you silently looking at the stars.
"Hey, uh," Jack spoke up suddenly, "your...helpin', I…"
You glanced over at him, the stark white bandage on his temple serving as a stern reminder that this was not Whiskey, but simply Jack Daniels. The man, not the senior agent. A college dropout in a dead-end situation. 
"Do you help even if a person don't need helpin'?" He asked pointedly, an eyebrow hitched upwards as he observed you.
You opened your mouth, uncertain of what you would even say, but you were suddenly blinded by the motion sensor light blazing to life overhead. Jack pulled you into his body defensively, once again seeming to act on muscle memory. You watched through squinted eyes as he reached down for weapons that he didn't have, his hand flying to his hip. "Hey, don't worry." You mumbled against his chest. "The power just came back on, that's all."
"Jesus fuck that shit is bright!" Jack squawked, his voice pitched high. "Thought I was gettin' abducted by aliens again!"
"Again?" You couldn't help your laughter at how ridiculous he sounded. The man began to laugh along with you after a moment, his expression sheepish in the brilliant Illumination.
"Yeah, yeah, get your kicks." He growled good-naturedly, rumpling your hair. "You're lucky you're cute."
You grabbed hold of his hand, tugging him to follow you back inside. "C'mon, let's make sure nothing got overloaded." You urged. 
Even when he could have let go of your hand, you noticed he continued to hang on.
Part Three
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inviouswriting · 2 years
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Creator things
Dunno, but I feel this is a good platform, I also generally don’t care if people leave after any of my vents, but more to that thing about the leaks.
I am still in Lesson 22. If that says anything. I am technically still learning alot about each of the characters, their personalities, and what they bring for the story itself.
I know enough about certain points IN the story, but I am not “THERE” yet. I can know an outcome, but for me it is always the “getting there” that matters most to me. What choices do I make regarding an interaction with a character and how it might reflect later means alot to me in a sense.
I like stories that have different ways to get to their endings, but what matters is my initial choice in that moment. I’ll go back and see another option, but for me, my main choices I make are what are solid for me.
So... I really hate leaks. I hate unofficial notifications on stuff, or basically spoilers. I HATE them. I have to avoid spoilers for two games now because I don’t like second hand knowledge on them because I want to experience them. Like.. for ff14 I’ll be making tags specifically to block spoilers but for an expansion it kind of is what it is, some are gonna power through the entirety of the game, while others like me will take their time leveling and enjoying the story.
For spoilers I am reminded of when 5.3 was released and how one person I use to follow, the patch wasn’t LIVE yet for NA server and ugh... I had critical game changing things spoiled for me before I had a chance to play it myself.
I unfollowed this person, they used a unique tag, and they did it for clout. So that person is permanently blocked because of that.
So easy to say I really hate spoilers of any kind. They go against alot for creators who learn things in order to create story content for what we write of a series.
It’s like taking everything that someone has been waiting for, for months and then ruining it. Like you know the old leaks regarding HP and a pivotal point of that story arc.
Some people want to experience the stories as they’re released, and not have everything spoiled off the bat when information passes through their hands. Don’t do that... 
There are a few people for Obey Me! who post without fail any new leak or content that they manage to get their hands on. And alot of it untagged so those who wish to avoid the spoilers can’t. The same way there are still people who wish to see the anime without spoiled content because the developers and creators work hard on the series to bring it to us for all of us at the same time. 
My blogs are spoiler free except for some of the devilgrams I hint to. I do try to be vague as possible and not talk directly about them or write about them. Because there are those who don’t have them. But for the most part, everything else you read on my writing blog here is 100% original concepts I come up with. I don’t get inspired much from other people, if I do, I will always highlight my inspiration. 
I might take back what I said about one side of content I won’t write on, and touch a request sent to me because I feel comfortable to touch it now. Or I might do one better and forward it to another writer who might be able to write it and do it justice.
Just I always feel a little skeptic on my ability to write religious concepts because I’m Pagan... and I left that side a long time ago. But anyway.
My blogs, both of them, are spoiler free from actual story content.
Everything I bring and create is usually all my own. I will relate what is shadowbringer content and endwalker content. for my ff14 content... but for the most part in ff14 it’s all been my angel Kivera. She’s spoiler free unless you follow her actual lore. (I need to actually write her stories. But she rarely gets notice.)
I won’t share unofficial knowledge, and I hope many who follow me will respect those feelings too. I won’t discuss official names, images, leaks at all until they’ve been officially released. 
But this might make the developers tweak some things last minute too.
So for obey me, please respect the developers and creators in not sharing that information on the new characters. Otherwise I might ban/block people from viewing this blog for sharing that stuff.
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thornfield13713 · 3 years
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Molly/Caleb soulmate AU? Since you’re not far enough in to know about Zuala. Caleb is using a false name if you want to use the names version.
...I had, in fact, been spoiled about Caleb’s original given name. But I had not previously said so, and I had asked to avoid spoilers. This is a very minor one, and vague enough to not count for much, so I’m not going to hold it against you, but can you avoid this sort of thing in future? And, okay, since you specified the names version-
Soulmate marks can and do change. The name one is born with need not be one’s true name, and while a surface change of alias will not show up on one’s arm, a name that one truly considers one’s own truest name will. Molly and Caleb’s attitudes to this differ. From what spoilers I’ve had, Caleb never expected ‘Caleb’ to be a lasting name for him, and while he has probably stopped thinking of himself as ‘Bren’, the name still holds a great deal of meaning for him. So that is the name that has been on Molly’s arm since long before he crawled out of the earth as a new person. For Caleb...he had Lucien’s name up until about two years ago, when it faded into a silvery scar and he took that to mean Lucien had died. And since he doesn’t change his clothes very often and has the arm-bandages in all his official art which I’m guessing he only takes off in the bath, I don’t think he’d notice when the mark changed to read ‘Mollymauk Tealeaf’ in somewhat worse penmanship. Well, not unless there’s a physical sensation to go with that, but honestly Caleb spends so much of his life in pain of one sort or another that I’m not sure he’d notice that either.
Caleb probably doesn’t find out, then, until the bathhouse at Zadash. At this point, he’s sort of used to not looking at his mark - he knows what’s there, he isn’t going to pay much attention to it, which is how he missed it at the bathhouse in Trostenwald, coupled with the fact that he was wearing an illusion at the time. So Caleb has no idea he’s been wandering around with one of his companions’ names on his arm...right up until Jester spots it at the bathhouse and proceeds to more-or-less explode with glee because...honestly, it’s so romantic! She’s looking for her father, who may or may not be her mother’s soulmate, she’s got hopes of finding a mate of her own somewhere out there...or has already found Fjord, I’m not quite sure whether I ship that or not...and now this has happened. And Jester is a grown woman, but she’s spent most of her life very confined and is still trying to figure out the world and her place in it. And, okay, yes, she’s grown up around sex work and that has shaped a lot of her view of the world, but most of what she’s heard about soulmates has been...idealised. A perfect match, a person who will offer you everything you need. All of which makes it tremendously awkward for the two people who’ve just been dropped into the middle of this narrative, very publicly. Which- I suspect Jester would feel bad about it once it became clear just how not-like-her-books this was going to turn out, but...it’s still done.
For Molly, this is one part really vindicating and one part...really not great timing. There it is, on Caleb’s arm. Mollymauk Tealeaf. Whoever Molly was before, that is not the person Caleb was meant for, Molly is a full person, there isn’t a mystical ‘true name’ out there tying him to a life he has no real attachment to and actively wants nothing to do with...it’s a relief he didn’t realise he was waiting for. But also - who the hell is ‘Bren Aldric Ermendrud’, then? It doesn’t take much to guess ‘Caleb is not using his given name’, but that’s not the only possibility here. One-sided bonds do happen. They are vanishingly rare and always tragic in a way Molly really doesn’t want to reckon with, so he is going to have to talk to Caleb about it. And Caleb...really, really isn’t in a place for this to be anything but platonic yet.
Caleb...is having a breakdown. Just- It’s been the base assumption of his life since he came back to himself in the asylum - Caleb Widogast is an absolutely worthless piece of shit and deserves to suffer and does not deserve anything good. He wasn’t surprised when his soulmate mark faded - ‘Lucien’, whoever he was, didn’t deserve to be saddled with him, or if he did he would have to be an absolute monster. And now it turns out he’s tied to Molly. Molly, who is kinder than he initially appears, undeniably beautiful, can find a way to enjoy life more-or-less anywhere, and whom it is impossible to miss. Even leaving aside Caleb’s self-loathing making him absolutely reluctant to touch this, Molly is the most noticeable member of the Mighty Nein, and Caleb is terrified of attracting attention. So he lies. No, he isn’t Molly’s Bren. No, he isn’t going to presume on their connection. Molly owes him nothing just because his name is on Caleb’s arm, and shouldn’t feel any obligation to be near him, to try and befriend him, to...anything, really. Honestly, Caleb is inches away from bolting this whole time.
Molly dies before they can really resolve this, and Caleb grieves not just for a friend but for the potential of something he was only just beginning to believe it might be possible for him to have, since while Molly isn’t about to force affections on Caleb, he’s very stubborn about having the close platonic friendship part of their soulmate bond, especially as Caleb really, really needs people to remind him he isn’t nearly as monstrous as he feels he is. However, because I have been spoiled for other, much later developments, although without the relevant context...I am just thinking of what it’ll be like, episodes and months and whole plotlines away from where I am now, when Caleb looks down at his forearm, and sees ‘Lucien’ black against his arm again, where Molly’s name had faded into a silvery scar.
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