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alethianightsong · 6 months

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Atlantis: the Lost Empire subverts the "White Savior" trope so well and here's my Ted talk tangent

Atlantis: the Lost Empire is just Avatar but with a smarter story. Both films feature a young white man discovering a foreign culture, falling for the culture's princess, and saving the natives' way of life. Both films commentate on the exploitation of indigenous people for their resources. The biggest fundamental difference between Avatar and Atlantis is how the white male leads approach their scenarios. Milo Thatch is a wide-eyed scholar who just wants to learn; Jake Sullivan is a soldier infiltrating the culture so he can exploit them. Milo never had any intention of hurting/exploiting the natives but the people around him did; Jake knew the end goal was exploitation and only changed his alliance when he fell in love. Kida comes to Milo for help and he approaches her with respect not condescension; Jake has to learn the planet and its people are worthy of respect. Milo is attracted to Kida but he doesn't save her so he can get the girl; he saves her to save her people (getting the girl was a luxury and even then, it's obvious they'll take things slow cuz there's more important things than romance like reconnecting the Atlanteans with the lost parts of their culture). The Atlanteans are also not harmless, primitive natives. They had super-advanced technology ie the Leviathan that took out a modern submarine in like 2 minutes while the Navi are overtly primitive, their simplicity treated as a virtue. The Atlanteans were so advanced that they sent themselves back to the Stone Age with their war tech. This little detail keeps the Atlanteans from being hippie-dippie natives who need rescuing and make them a cautionary tale; they used to be greedy, hyper-advanced warmongers and that hubris leaves their race and culture on the verge of extinction. Both the Navi and Atlanteans have spiritual, mystical aspects to them, but the Navi are anti-tech while it's only the rediscovery of their tech that allows the Atlanteans to save themselves. The primitive life we see the Atlanteans lead is not presented as ideal; it is the death throes of a culture, a fatal stagnation at the bottom of the world. When Kida and Milo meet, it's not the typical "more advanced culture taking from the weaker culture" that has come to define first contact between societies. It's quid pro quo: we both answer, we both listen, we both come away with more not one party coming away with less. No one is humbled or talked down to. As for the antagonists of both films (Avatar and Atlantis) the antagonists of Avatar are just cardboard cutouts. The antagonists of Atlantis are just disinherited individuals coming together for a treasure hunt. There's a gag where Milo asks what each character seeks and they all say "Money" but that's not it. They each want to pursue goals unique to them and they need money to do it. When the chips are down and it's either money or NOT dooming an entire lost tribe to death, they choose saving the tribe. The main big bads, Rourke and Helga, have just spent a day walking through a ruined city where people live in the remains of their greatness and think, "Yeah, we are so stealing their technology so we can reenact the fall of their civilization on our OWN civilization. Why? Cuz capitalism." Why am I talking so much about Atlantis but not Avatar? Because Avatar lacks depth. I've watched Atlantis a thousand times on my cheap 2000s-era TV and get pulled in each time but Avatar's just a pretty screensaver playing in the background.

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oharabunny · 7 months

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⋆✮↪ Warning: rambles, tangents, soft yandere!Miguel, weird Miguel, OOC!Miguel probably but idc, shy and useless reader

╭─── based on my first yandere!miguel tangent ┆ ╰⪼ I want to dive into slightly more detail of how far Miguel goes in taking care of you. We have to keep in mind that Miguel has lost a lot, a whole universe, and his daughter. I imagine he'd be more of a normal boyfriend had he met you in normal circumstances. However, I also don't think you would've been his type for normal Miguel. You're more compliant, shy, and normal. You're also ditzy, clutzy, and barely scraping by in your home world. In front of the great geneticist of Alchemax and Spider-Man, he was definitely out of your league.

But, your normalcy and dysfunctional living habits create the perfect relationship for current Miguel. He's able to get away with so so so many things with you.

(You almost ran away once one night, but you stopped in front of the exit and hesitated. You were alone in this universe with no family, no version of your family existing in this world. You'd be a burden to the other Spider people, and Miguel is the only one doing more than just giving you a place to stay.)

For one thing, he sees you as a fragile little doll that was abandoned on the side of the road. Or a cute kitten. But more than a pet, he has to take care of every little inch and aspect of you. Having lost damn near everything, he needs to keep a close eye on the one he cares about.

The one he cares most now is you; you're all he's got.

Back to some of the things he'd do to you, well, they aren't harmful, just unnerving. He almost never lets you do anything yourself around the house. He let you cook once and you burned yourself slightly, and Miguel made sure no kitchen appliance like the stove or blender can turn on unless given a passcode. Even kitchen utensils especially knives were locked away. Don't get me wrong though, you can cook, but Miguel would rather die than see you wince in pain again.

You're allowed at least a microwave and airfryer to heat up food when Miguel's not home to do it for you, under Lyla's supervision. Believe me, if he's home, you're never lifting a finger in the kitchen, including dishwashing.

Speaking of cleaning, he actually quite enjoys cleaning the house, especially spaces you occupy in the most. He even carefully washes all of your clothes and underwear, and folds them away for you. The rest can be handled by other robots of course. He believes only he can provide you the best conditions to live in, no one and nothing else.

That includes care for your body. This is going to be the most prominent and unnerving aspect of his care for you. While him bathing you from head to toe almost everyday is tame, he's very particular in his details. Like mentioned before, he'd do your manicure and pedicure, your skincare routine (he even knows the weekly masks you put on), and haircare and hairstyling (he's done so much research, you'd think he's done this before. Mans multi-talented). But, there's a point when too much care becomes too much, taking care of your looks alone is not enough. Your health is PARAMOUNT to this man. Looks fade, but your health should not. He'd be a little strict on your diet. He'd frequently take blood, urine, and stool samples (and of course he does it for you, don't fuss, he will do it with force if he has to no matter how gross it is for the both of you) to monitor every part of your body. Depending on your family's history and genetics, he'd constantly test for anything that you may inherit that could harm you. Yes that includes your usual checkups like you would at your doctor. He is your personal doctor too at this point. It's not like you have insurance in Nueva York 2099, a whole foreign universe.

God another gross thought I have to put out there is that he used to watch you use the restroom until you convince him to just stand outside. He justifies that bathroom related accidents are more common than you think. 💀🤢🤮 (He does NOT have a piss and poop kink he's just WEIRD)

As for usual yandere behaviors, he'd obviously won't let you go outside of the house. If he has you in an actual house with a backyard, that's where you get your sunlight, but if he has you in an apartment, then the shielded off balcony and sunroof will suffice. For vitamin D purposes. Otherwise, he makes you take supplements if you are deficient.

The only thing, and I do mean only, he asks of you is to give him babies. Pregnancy and birthing are huge huge risks depending on your constitution. I imagine Miguel messing with your DNA so you can safely deliver him babies. (Or for you kinky folks, he'd rewrite DNA somehow to make your milk jugs overflowing with milk constantly)

Taking care of you is something that of a ritual for him. Something he looks forward coming home to doing, despite the countless responsibilties he has in the Spider Society. He'd actually get so upset if you took care of yourself without him. If the whole canon events theory he has is debunked, I imagine he retires and full sends in taking care of you 24/7 in every hour of the day. He already relays more tasks to Jess, Peter, and other Spiders than usual, so he can be home with you more.

With all the cooking, cleaning, and self care routine being completely done by Miguel, you basically can do everything else you want, within Miguel's reason. Only safe hobbies, like drawing, reading, shopping, watching TV, etc. He still monitors when he can, especially shopping, since he is watchful of where his money moves, but to also see if you're purchasing anything that could hurt yourself. He hopes that whenever he can, he could join you in your hobbies. He particularly enjoys dressing you up in his favorite outfits on you. He'll see a style online he wants you to try and spin his own twist to it. You'd be his little fashion model. He'd also definitely have photoshoots just for you. You also love dressing him up as well and making him join in on the photoshoots.

I feel like I have a few more unnerving ideas about my version of yandere!Miguel, but I'm stopping right here cuz its 2 am and I can't think anymore. Till next time. (I'll write an actual fic I swear I will!)

✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮

Tags: @belle-oftheball34, @mrs-oharaxx, @sukunash0e, @miguelswifey04, @wreakingmarveloushavok, @ghostofwinter, @crystalcrynight (LET ME KNOW IF I MISS TAGGING YOU OR WANT TO BE TAGGED FOR FUTURE WRITINGS)

buy me a ☕?

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hotcocoamug · 24 days

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Ace is the captain of the spade pirates. The Ace of spades represents death. Who’s got death in their name and literally tattooed the word on both their hands? Law. Law is also the captain of the heart pirates? Another callback to playing cards? The ace of hearts represents love. Ace didn’t think or realize that he deserved love throughout all of his life, yet he’s loved by all of the people he’s made an impact on. Death and Love. Love and Death. THINK ABOUT IT

#tangents #acelaw #lawace #literally help #one peice #portgas d ace #trafalgar law #hc #hear me out

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ineedfairypee · 11 months

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princess-pathetic-112898 · 1 year

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Just quietly appreciating male friendships in media where the characters are allowed to be vulnerable and openly affectionate with one another and it’s validated by the framing of the narrative rather than mocked.

*TBC, it’s totally awesome if you ship any of these characters (I myself am very prone to Logurt), I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that majority of the time in media (or at least in western media), writers & execs still shy away from letting male characters be tender with each other because sincerity is for girls.

Feel free to add on more characters!

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heart-of-the-morningstar · 6 months

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In Defense of the FNAF Movie…

I was thinking about the FNAF Movie again today and I wanted to go on a little tangent if that's alright with y'all lol.

I know most fans enjoyed the movie, which is great! But I did see some fans, especially some OG fans, who did not like the movie at all, saying it didn't take itself seriously enough, it was too campy, it wasn't scary enough, and it didn’t follow the lore. I can understand those criticisms to an extent. But as an OG fan myself, I think the movie captured the tone of FNAF perfectly.

FNAF at its core, is silly. The concept of kid-friendly animatronic characters that are mascots for a Chuck E Cheese type restaurant being possessed is a ridiculous concept. Granted, how they became possessed is where the horror of the franchise comes into play. FNAF was never all campy or all horror, it was always a mix of both, even in the first few games, just based on the concept alone.

I think too many people expected it to be really scary, but I believe that was the wrong perspective. There were jumpscares in the games, yeah, but I think the most prominent emotion from the early games would elicit dread, not horror. I went into the movie knowing it would be campy and goofy, but I also knew there would be some horror aspects. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT FNAF IS!

I think if the movie took itself too seriously, no one else would, because fans know it’s not an overall serious franchise. This is the same franchise that brought in Exotic Butters and MPreg in one of their books! That’s not to say that there aren’t serious subjects in the game; a serial killer, multiple child murders, grusome deaths, loss of family members; the game is not all sunshine and rainbows.

But what I think FNAF does as a whole is mix those horror aspects with its campiness really well. You can’t have one without the other in this series. And that’s what I think the movie did a great job with. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if it was too serious or if it relied on humor alone. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a perfect movie, there were definitely things that needed improvements. But I don’t think the tone was one of them.

At first I was a little disappointed that the movie wouldn’t be rated R, but now I can appreciate why they stuck to PG-13 instead. FNAF has never been bloody or gory, any deaths that would occur in the franchise would be off-screen or portrayed in the 8-bit mini games. I think the only time we see blood is during the springlock failure in FNAF 3, and again, it was 8-bit blood. Most of the horror is left up to the imagination of the viewer, which in my opinion, is a lot scarier than just outright showing you what happened. Fear of the unknown is extremely powerful.

The last point I wanna bring up is the fact some people do not like the deviation from the game’s lore. Need I remind you, this is not the first time the franchise has done this. The books have their own separate lore! Some of it lines up with the games, a lot of it doesn’t. But what all of these continuities have are animatronics who are possessed by children who were murdered by William Afton; that is the core story of FNAF no matter if you’re playing the games, reading the books, or watching the movie. They each take their own liberties in telling different versions of the story, but they all revolve around the same main focus. In my opinion, I think it would have been a little boring to see the movie play out one for one like the games, especially considering how confusing and convoluted the game lore is!I’m curious as to where they will go in future movies!

I can see why general audiences and critics would not like this movie, because they wouldn’t understand the tone that it was going for. They wouldn’t get the references or the story beats that the fans would. But it wasn’t really made for them, which is fine! I think the movie we got was really great, not a masterpiece, but just a really good adaption of what FNAF is: a campy horror game. And I’m looking forward to see where they take it next!

Also, if I hear one more person complain about the “Building a Fort” scene in the movie, I will gnaw your arm off. I’m happy we actually got to see the ghost children ACTING LIKE GOD DAMN CHILDREN!

#fnaf #fnaf movie #five nights at freddy's #five nights at freddy’s movie #in defense of fnaf #tangents #ramblings #I hope I got my point across #I’m almost 28 now #I was 18 when the series came out #I’d like to think I have a pretty good understanding of the series as a whole #I’d like to hear your thoughts tho #but please be respectful!

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teenspnwolfthe2nd · 8 months

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I love love LOVE. School babysitters but if I had to gun to my head name one thing to dislike about the series....

I hate how the characters treat Ryuuichi like he's this bro-con who spoils his brother.

Like BROOOOO.... Ryuuichi practically raised his brother while his parents were working to support them. Then when he lost his parents he probably had so much anxiety about how making the sole decision to move in with Morinomiya would affect him and his brother, especially since his brother is so young.

He uprooted Kotoro's life and changed his entire routine. Since he has more responsibility he can't even give his baby bro as much attention as he used to even though Kotoro is also grieving.

And if that isn't enough Ryuuichi also has to work through the anxiety of Kotoro forgetting his parents or developing separation anxiety (which he already shows signs of)

Like Ryuuichi takes his responsibilities seriously (we've seen him cross dress because of that personality trait). I think the people surrounding the two brothers need to have a little more understanding of their situation.

#tangents #anime #school babysitters #gakuen babysitters

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bloodashre · 21 days

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I just had a potentially mad thought and I haven't seen it anywhere else, so I don't know if it's already an existing theory or not.

But what if, as Azi often does actually say, the problem is that he's a demon, but not for the reasons we think. Hear me out. It's a long one, so buckle up.

Crowley said he just hung out with the wrong crowd and was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that all he ever really did wrong was ask questions. The show implies that his asking questions led to his fall, that's all very clear.

*But* there's that moment that Azi and him have when meet, where Aziraphale clearly thought Crowley meant something else during a specific line and we all know that line.

There's also a theory that Azi wanted to take Crowley back to Heaven, make him an angel again, and thought they'd be together, as in together together, but also angels.

It's been made clear also throughout the show that Azi isn't like other angels. Most people think it's Crowley's influence, but what if it's not? What if it never was?

What if it was the other way around?

Imagine if the two of them had had *a moment* - *as angels*?

I'm not saying anything truly happened, as angels don't have sex. They may not have even kissed (although that's an offshoot theory).

But if they had even just come close? And what if God didn't like that? What if it was the real reason Crowley fell and he didn't even know it? Imagine if maybe went something like this: warned him against asking questions. He does anyway. But The Metatron said he was *always* asking questions. He didn't just ask a lot. And that takes time.

So, during all this time, what if he becomes friends with Azi? He stated more than once that Azi is his best friend, and it's not like it's any more acceptable for a demon to have an angel for a friend. So, in Heaven, they're friends. Crowley's also friends with Lucifer and a few others. He asks questions all the time. And then he and Aziraphale have this moment. Of the two, Crowley would be considered more of a troublemaker.

On top of that, God most likely would want to punish them both, but making them both fall wouldn't do that. *Separating* them would.

And if Crowley fell *while starting to have feelings*, it might also explain how he ended up being so different from other demons.

What if he remembers? And what if Azi also does, and he wants to have it be the way he thinks it was supposed to be from the get? But Crowley knows that will never happen. And they never talk about it because until the end of season two, they both believe there's no point because it will never happen.

It would also explain some key moments, like Aziraphale's reaction when Shax says he doesn't seem like Crowley's type. It's hard to believe with the things he says that the two of them hooked up at any point, or kissed even.

Which brings me to the offshoot theory I mentioned earlier. Which is what is they did kiss, but as angels? That would have really pissed God off, but could still have been in such a way that Crowley didn't realise that was partly why he fell.

This would also make not only the way they feel and the kiss at the end of two even sadder, but add another layer to Aziraphale's reaction afterwards. Because what if, despite remembering being close and beginning to have feelings, what if they did kiss, but he had forgotten only that, and he remembered because Crowley kissed him?

#tangents #theory #aziracrow #aziraphale #crowley #good omens #just a thought #ineffable husbands #maybe they always loved each other #they kissed in heaven #angels in love #god is vengeful

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thebenreyduo · 9 months

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So one of my friends said something in a discord server that caused me to start rambling and I thought, “hey, this would be funny to animate.”

A few hours later, at 2AM, this is born :)

#i am so fucking tired #hlvrai #dr coomer #gordon feetman #half life vr ai #benrey #bubby #tangents #animation #flipaclip #help me

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suweeka · 10 months

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loads of tangents

#oc #art #drawing #illustration #original character #host #angel #tangents

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nofatclips · 4 months

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Lilliputian by Tangents b/w Ossicles

#music #australian music #tangents #temporary residence ltd.#temporary residence #temporary residence ltd #adrian lim klumpes #ollie bown #evan dorrian #peter hollo #sia ahmad #richard belkner #bob weston #SoundCloud

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numbermislocated · 8 months

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The Winter King tangent post.

This'll be several things in one so lets get started.

I think that the crown has really changed this Simon. The Winter King still wears his crown so the crown (Even with the passed curse) might have made him this sickly rude man, unphased by what hes done. He passed on his sadness and madness to Bubblegum, but that doesn't mean the crown couldn't have just stopped affecting him entirely. His Betty could have been mean (Unlikely with how truthful he is) but he recalls Betty not being the love of his life. Just like the Ice King he's comically a piece of garbage, he truly is just still Ice King even without his madness and sadness. I need to hear other's a bit more tbh before I come to any conclusion on if his story is different or he is just an alt universe Simon where Simon is a dick, wish we got more but the shows going episodic stories now

The Ice Marceline. WHAT THE HELLLLLLL. I was so shocked and my jaw legit DROPPED, what could he have done, what could have happened to her? The bass isn't ice, so something had to have happened to Marcy, and we may honestly never know, I saw a user say this Simon could have killed her when he killed the oozers, but Hunson in the og series sounds like Marcy made the family axe into a bass when she got much older. It made me sad when she melted though

When does this take place. His universe could be anywhere in time ofc, but we can assume that its been 100 years since, something. My guess, when Betty fused with Golb. Maybe he yoinked the crown from Gunther or it landed next to him allowing him to wish the curse into Bubblegum. I just have no direct idea aside from that, but he does call Betty "the dead one". Its just hard to believe that he passed the curse on when he was still Ice King, when how could he have truly mustered passed that insane overcast of his identity.

Also the theory that Betty's wish has slowed Simon's age to keep him safe, or aged him back to his original age before the crown or made him completely immortal (in age) might have been confirmed, this Simon lost his magic and it ended up killing him instantly of old age, our Simon (albeit a bit younger when he stopped being Ice King the first time) took awhile to almost die of old age

Closing thought? What a wad

#ice king #simon petrikov #tangents #long post #fionna and cake

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bookish-astralworm · 7 months

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Just finished Good Omens 2 and I planned this so badly because it's 1am and I have to go to work in the morning and it's taking all my will power not to stay up till morning consuming all the fan content I can find!!!!! jESuS ChRist idk how I'm going to focus either!

But wow, they really did that. I am shell-shocked

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zarenillia · 9 days

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[The following will NOT contain spoilers for TEVI, but is a lengthy rant with basically no direction. Viewer Discretion Is Advised]

There were issues with TEVI's story, and I fully enjoyed it regardless of them, and the music is really incredible.

But the gameplay. Oh boy the gameplay (somewhat affectionate).

To start with, I like the crafting system. Not only is it pretty good game-wise, but it really helps emphasize that component of Tevi as a character.

I like the orbitars, they have some really good options, and their whatever it is Burst Gauge thing is pretty neat too, although can be a bit confusing to try to switch around to the one you want while you're busy fighting, as it's desire to add more quality detail over Ribbon's ui actually kind of hurts it. In RR, Ribbons attack options are color coded, and while switching them not only does the bar near your health change but there's also a prompt near your character. In TEVI that's still pretty much the case but since they're icons that are color coded to the two orbitars themselves, trying to swap between them without looking near your health bar can be a bit frustrating when you use the wrong one. C1+C3, S1+S3 look functionally alike, though C2 and S2 are a little more distinct in terms of icon of the others of the same type. Granted you'll never really be confused on if you're on S or C (which I was on S for most of the time, holy fucking shit does S1 kick ass).

Supposedly ranged builds are pretty powerful, but I mostly used melee, using charged shots to add damage, as one generally did in RR outside of 0% runs, especially as that seems to be encouraged in TEVI due to the amount of sigils that change attacks at certain combo levels, and combos in general are a mostly melee thing, unless you're using basic shots and then you're probably using mana and depriving yourself of charged shots. But maybe magic sigils fix that problem, again I mostly did melee so I wouldn't know. Maybe I could try doing a magic run, it seems like a game I'd like to play again as I did with RR.

Speaking of which, Cocoa Mode 2.0 with Cocoa 2.0 in Vena. Please. I need this. I loved Cocoa's playstyle. I loved her bombs. I want it back. And I'm sure we'll probably get it back since they're working on DLC.

In terms of character design, while I do miss the very gay all girl cast of RR, I do love TEVI's characters (yes even the men, they're good characters), and I do find it hilarious (and comforting to an extent) that despite the changes in theming and in character aesthetics, TEVI continues RR's tradition of not allowing characters to wear pants. Well, quite a few do, but for the most part everyone is still pants-less. Yet also with significantly more details to off put that so the game also doesn't feel as sexualized as RR does. Like just compare Tevi to Erina. They're both wearing bunny suits and have ears, and yet Tevi has a lot of details that put that off to the point that you might not even realize that's what it's supposed to be, with the belt and pouches, the leg strap, whatever the hell she's doing with like some kind of coat or jacket. The characters also feel a lot more developed in TEVI. I mean RR's cast had character to them, but most of it was based on character tropes and "oh yeah she's hella gay, but for Character D, unlike Character C who's gay for Character B who seems gay for Character F but will probably come around to C eventually." But none of them have character moments like what happens throughout TEVI's story. Which I would love to go on a tangent about, and might on a separate post, but not yet (see: top of post).

Also, voice acting???? I do like it, even though I don't really understand Japanese at all, it does still add tonal indications that really emphasize the energy of not only what people are saying, but also of the character themselves. If a character is feeling really emotional, on the verge of crying, you can feel that in the VA, if they're starting to get annoyed, you can feel that. If they're very currently not taking their job seriously and are basically on a vacation, you can feel that in their energy. Along with the words themselves and the character sprites to go along with it, character dialogue feels so much more advanced than in RR. TEVI's story can be a little dark, and sometimes you can hear the effects the events are happening on the main 3 through their voices. There's times you can hear Tevi's voice cracking with just pure unadulterated rage and anguish, and I love that. You can hear characters falter as they realize the full scope of what was happening just outside of their vision all their lives, all the things they never knew, were never told. And I think the VA work really contributes positively to that, even if you don't listen to the full thing. You can hear it in just the first couple words of each dialogue.

I guess that kinda concludes my rant. Standard recommendation that you should play both TEVI and Rabi-Ribi, and I look forward to the DLC of TEVI and eventually when RR2 comes out. Unless you hate metroidvanias. Then they may not be for you. Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolias (which is still in EA during the posting of this) are also pretty good. Hollow Knight and Cave Story+ too. Also Dust: An Elysian Tail, Lost Ruins, Touhou Luna Nights.

Also BASED ROLEO BASED TRANS RIGHTS LMAO

#tevi #rabi-ribi #rant post #tangents #love bunny/rabi-ribi 2 mentioned #no spoilers #very light spoilers?

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it-was-funeral-grey · 1 year

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Phantoms of you (Ghost x F!Reader)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Summary: It's always easier to admit something when you think you have nothing to lose.

Warnings: Slightly suggestive, mentions of kissing, vulgarities, weapons, violence, death and destruction, mentions of food and birthdays, Simon is taller than reader.

Word count: <2.8k

Inspired by: Phantom of the Opera - Andrew Lloyd Webber

"And do I dream again? For now I find, the Phantom of the opera is there."

Author's note: I hope this is ok, i tried :')

Please give criticism! Also, if i missed any warnings, do tell me so i can add them!

The server had offered him a new job. Something about eliminating an ex-intelligence agent that had accessed the server.

He'll take any job. It doesn't matter how tough.

Anything to keep his mind off her.

("Oh my god! Yes!")

Her.

Her with somebody else.

(Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the man, offering a hand to help him off the floor.

Simon doesn't remember ever being able to make her look at him like that.)

Her.

Her and her new ring.

(She had held his hand so gently as he stood up.

She was always so, so gentle.)

His Dahila.

Fuck.

Simon slams the car door shut, and the loud sound temporarily silences the sound of her laughter in his head.

The mission, Simon thinks. Focus.

"What the hell, LT?" a man complains. "We're supposed to be quiet! What if we get caught?"

Not a bad idea, Simon decides. He'd gladly give himself up if it meant he'd stop thinking about her. He'll gift wrap himself up. Tie a bow on his head. They'd torture and mock him, and he'd thank them.

The pain of torture is a small price to pay to distract him from the ache in his chest.

Maybe he should include a thank you card as well.

(She had made him a card for his birthday.)

No, don't start now.

Ignoring his sergeant, Simon walks away from the car, pushing past branches to look over the cliff. A short distance below, amongst the trees, stands a dirty, small building about four stories tall. A small jump is all it'd take to access the roof.

(She had cut out little ghosts from papers of all colours and stuck them onto the front of the card.

"It's you, Simon! Mini yous!")

By the time Simon returns to the car, Soap has already laid out their weapon in the car boot.

"Get the rappelling gear out," Simon instructs, moving over to him. "A building with four stories. No windows. No enemies on the ground. Make a jump to the roof - it's a small jump - and head down. I'll head up and meet you halfway."

"Got it." Soap replies, leaning further into the boot to retrieve the gear, while Simon starts to check their weapons.

(She had sprinkled glitter all over the front page of the card. He was washing glitter off his person for days after. Gaz and Soap had made fun of him for weeks.)

Stop. Simon lets out a grunt and squeezes his eyes shut.

"Alright, LT?" Soap's voice is laced with concern as he hands the gear over.

Great, Simon thinks. Now Soap is worried.

"Nothin' to worry about," Simon curtly replies, placing the gear on the floor. "Carry on." He then resumes his weapon check, giving his rifle a once over.

(Inside, she had drawn an adorable picture of the two of them. A stick man with a skull face was him, while a stick woman holding a flower to his side was her. The two figures had a bent line attaching them to each other, which he assumes is supposed to represent them holding hands.)

Simon grabs a loaded magazine, missing the magazine well twice before finally managing to insert it into the rifle.

(Above the two figures, a 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' was written, every letter of a different colour. Simon had never known that there were so many colours.

Once again, she shows him that life is full of surprises, and he feels like a child discovering something new and exciting again.)

Simon reaches for his pistol, nearly dropping it as he checks it. He ignores Soap's concerned glance, opting to prove that he's fine by expertly reloading the gun.

(She had used stickers of trees and flowers to make a garden for the figures to stand in. The card is beautiful.

But the sight next to him was absolutely breathtaking.)

He ends up hitting the pistol out of his hands with its magazine. Soap looks away, pretending not to see his lieutenant's slip up.

Cheeks burning under the balaclava and white skull mask, Simon picks up the pistol, forcing it into his thigh holster with a vengeance. Standing up, he gathers his knives, inspecting each and every one of them.

(She was blushing.

Oh lord.

Her eyes shift from side to side as she fidgets with her fingers. She looks so shy, so precious, and so, so cute.

Hang him for lying if he said he didn't get an ego boost, knowing he was the cause. His hand clenches a throw pillow, fighting the urge to reach out and touch her and-

"Could you…turn to the back of the card?" she whispered her request, shifting uncomfortably on the couch beside him.

How could he refuse his beautiful woman?

Reluctantly pulling his eyes from her, he looks back down at the card, turning it around…

And is greeted by a blank page.

"Hm? There's noth-"

A hand cups his cheek, and there's a warm, light pressure on the other. He feels her press into his side, her warmth immediately spreading over his arms.

She's so close.

But it's all gone in less than a second.)

Enough, Simon pleads to himself. But it seemed the more he tried to run away, the faster the memories chased him.

The memories sting like salt in a wound, reminding him of what he had, and had so carelessly thrown away.

He should have been stronger. He should have had more trust in them. He should have explained what was happening and dealt with it together with her.

But he didn't.

(Simon stares at her as she pulls away, sitting back down.)

Fuckin' hell.

(She's nervous as she gazes up at him, face entirely flushed.)

Simon grips the hilt of his knife so hard it cracks.

(A second that feels like an eternity of silence passes.

She hides her face behind her hands.

Don't do that.

Gently pulling her hands away from her face, Simon pins them into the couch's backrest, shifting to stand in front of her.

"I'm so sorry! I should have asked you first I-"

"Don't do that."

"I'm really sorry! I'll-"

"Don't ever hide your face from me."

"Huh?!"

And the last of Simon's self-control disappears.)

"Bloody, fuckin' hell!" with a yell, Simon thrust the knife into the nearest surface, the blade digging deep into the inner side of the car boot.

"Jesus, LT! What's gotten into ya?"

(The feel of her lips against his. Her arms pulling him closer. The look in her eyes when he-)

It's too much. Every memory shatters his heart into impossibly smaller pieces.

Everything reminds him of her. He can't block it. He's always prided himself on having the perfect defence in combat, but when it comes to her, he's helpless.

(He could confide in her every dark thought, memory and thing he'd done.

She'd accept him as he is. Listening as he falls apart in her embrace.

And Simon thinks that for her, he wants to be stronger. To be better. To be a happier person, all for her.)

This has to stop before it gets Soap and him killed. He needs to calm down.

Simon examines the area. Recalling the route here, Simon remembers that they had driven past a field not far from their current location.

"We leave in fifteen. I need to take a walk."

"LT!"

Most people think intelligence agents are 'super spies' and carry out dangerous missions to obtain tidbits of information.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Intelligence agents are no different than regular folk. They run to catch the bus to work. They worry about rent. They wonder what they're having for lunch.

They really are just regular people. Minus the fact that they manage and collect top-secret military data daily.

As an intelligence agent, your role is simple. Organise and analyse the data you collect from espionage agents and send it to the respective teams that require them via the Special Ops server. It's pretty much an office job with regular hours.

(It is rare that intelligence agents would be assigned to work directly with special ops teams, let alone be able to speak with them.

"You'll be working with a soldier from the UK. You are temporarily relieved of all other duties until this mission is finished."

"A single soldier? Not a team?"

"Yeah, he's that good. Focus all your efforts on making sure he completes his mission.")

After the laptop crashed, Samuel freaked out.

("The fuck did you just do?" He shouts, reaching over to the laptop.

"It's normal for laptops like yours to crash when accessing the server," you replied, flinching when Samuel slammed the laptop shut. "Normal laptops aren't built to handle that much data all at once. You'll need to replace the CPU."

A lie. That wasn't why it crashed. But it seemed to convince Samuel.

"So? Who are they?"

"Task force 141."

"…That's all you've got?" He huffs. "That's not enough."

"If you get me another laptop, I can search up more." you plead.

He'll kill you and Max the moment you have no use.

You need more time.

"Ha! It'll just crash like this one!"

"But I'm faster than that," you assure. "Now that I know what team I'm looking for, I'll have enough time to access their files before the computer crashes again."

There's silence as Samuel considers your proposal.

"Fine," Samuel concedes. "I'll get you another laptop."

You fight back a sigh of relief.

Grabbing the broken device, Samuel walks to the ladder and climbs out of the basement, leaving you alone.)

Your sense of time has gone to hell.

You're not sure how long it's been since Samuel left, but you're thankful for a moment of solitude.

A lonely, final moment of peace before you either get burned alive with Max or get gunned down by Special Ops. You hope it's the latter.

Knowing how fast the intelligence team is, a Special Ops team is probably on their way to kill you. Or maybe they're already here, preparing to strike.

You retired from the intelligence team 3 years ago.

Accessing the server again means that Special Ops would come, and that's what you want. Thankfully, Samuel didn't know that. He's always been careless.

The Special Ops will come here, kill your captors and save Max.

But they'd kill you too.

To them, Max is a prisoner. But you are a traitor who sells secrets to enemies.

They won't hear you out. They'll shoot you and bring your corpse back for verification before dumping you into an unmarked grave.

Yeah, you've heard the stories. You've even helped to track down people like you before.

Tears cloud your vision, but you blink them away.

No, you can't cry. If you do, that'll make things worse.

("Let it out, love," Simon had whispered in your ear. "I'm here.")

God dammit.

("Hey, look at me," Simon's voice is gentle yet commanding. Dropping his gun, he cups your face. "I said look at me. You're safe now."

Your knees buckle, and Simon slowly lowers you to the ground. He held you close, rubbing soothing circles on your back as you sobbed into his vest.

He lets you stay like that for a while before standing and helping you up.

"We have to go.")

Pathetic.

You're going to die, and the only person you think about is him.

A tear rolls down your cheeks.

Him.

Him and the way he saved your life that night.

(There were tears in her eyes as she aimed the gun at you.

"Please…just walk away."

"You know I can't do that, Eliza-"

"Yes, you can! Just turn around and go!" Her grip on the trigger tightened.

"Eliza, please!"

"I won't shoot! I promise! Just go-"

A gunshot.

She was on the ground now. Something is pooling beneath her.)

Him.

Him and meeting in person for the first time.

("Are you alright?" a voice asks.

It sounds so familiar.

It sounds like him.

You can't respond. You can't move.

Your eyes are fixed on Eliza as she dies before you.

The sound of footsteps.

Now there's someone in a white skull mask before you, blocking you.

The only thing you see is him.)

You can't control it. You clamp a hand over your mouth as you begin to sob.

Him.

Him and the way he had carried you to safety.

(Simon had you in a bridal carry, darting through the trees as bullets whizzed past.

"Close your eyes," he pants. "It'll be over soon."

He suddenly lurches forward, and you feel his arm around you tense.

You let out a gasp. He's been shot!

"It's fine," he groans, readjusting his grip on you. "Hold on tight."

He doesn't stop running, even as more bullets begin to pierce his body.

His grip on you never loosened. Even when you begged him to let you down so you could help him.

He doesn't stop.

Not until you were safe.)

There are shouts from above, followed by the sound of gunshots.

They're here.

("I won't…let anyone hurt you," he had promised, voice slurring. "No…one, you hear?"

It took two medics to pull your hands out of his.

Still trying to protect you, even when delirious from blood loss. That spoke volumes about the strength of his resolve.)

You promised, you whimper. Where are you, Simon?

Wiping your tears, you let out a hollow laugh.

Of course you're not coming.

There's no Simon to save you now.

I want to see you, Simon. Just one last time, ok?

You humour yourself for a moment, squeezing your eyes shut. Maybe if you try and imagine hard enough, he'd appear before you.

Above, the pounding of footsteps mixed with gunshots intensifies.

I waited for you, Simon. Every day. I'd take the long way home after work just to check if you're at the bar.

Feelings you had locked shut come pouring out of your heart. But the one you wanted to give those feeling to isn't here.

I found someone new, Simon. He treats me kindly. He helps out at the shop sometimes. He proposed to me. We're getting married.

The shouts of men pierce through the basement hatch.

But I still take the long way home. I still wear the ring you made me. I still make you a birthday card every year.

It's quieter now, with only the occasional firing of a gun.

They're checking their kills. Your captors are dead.

It'd only be a moment before they check the basement.

Do you know why, Simon?

There are footsteps directly above you. You hear a man mutter something.

Do you know why, Simon?

You don't want to admit it, even if it's to yourself.

You hear the hatch above you open. Your fingers tremble. Your heart pounds inside your chest. Your squeeze your eyes even harder, preparing yourself.

You don't want to die. You're not ready to go.

I'm scared, Simon.

Someone lands on the basement floor. You hear the rustling of gear.

"She's here, LT!" a voice calls out.

You hear the sound of a gun reloading, and another person lands in the basement.

You want to run. You want the opportunity to at least try to run for your life. But Samuel had chained your legs to the chair. There's no chance of escape.

Do you know why, Simon?

One set of footsteps quickly approaches you. You clench your jaw.

"LT…?"

Any second now, the killing shot is coming.

Do you really want to leave without even admitting it one last time?

Do you know why, Simon?

"Because I love you, Simon!" it comes out more like a cry, than a declaration.

There, you've said it.

You still love Simon Riley.

You have never stopped loving him.

Despite your heart pounding in fear, you feel at peace.

There's silence in the room, but not a second later, it's broken by the sound of a rifle shifting.

Taking aim for your head, you suppose.

But just as you hear that, there's a loud thud and a groan.

"What the FUCK, LT!"

The loud sound shocks your eyes open. You look up from your lap, wondering what is dragging out your imminent execution.

Just to be greeted by the sight of a man in a white skull mask.

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The picture inside the card looks something like this:

I'm not an artist lmao. There's no colours so feel free to imagine it! Also i didn't include a hairstyle for the reader.

#simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #ghost cod #ghost mw2 #cod mwii #call of duty mwii #cod mw2 #tangents

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