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thefoxholecast · 1 month

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The Original Foxhole Court Extra Content (Archived from Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr)

We copied the following text directly from the pre-2024 version of the Foxhole Court Extra Content page on Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr blog (korakos.tumblr.com/fox). In March 2024, she did “some spring cleaning” by shortening the list of links and deleting/hiding old posts. The links in this copy lead to archived snapshots of the old posts on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Some of the links are broken. If you have copies of these posts, please let us know so we can fill in missing content!

Because Tumblr only allows up to 100 links per post, we're unable to replicate the full list here. View the full list of links on our blog here: thefoxholecast.tumblr.com/FoxArchive

The Foxhole Court

ETA 2023: most of the posts here are from 2013-2015. Some of them overlap with older drafts. Some answers have evolved over time, even if they haven’t been updated here. Most I haven’t changed my mind on, for better or worse. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, and good luck making sense of ‘em around all the drunk rambling and detours. One day if I have the energy I’ll just sort it into a coherent reference.

Two sections here: the questions submitted by tumblr users, and a miscellaneous collection of stories & factoids pulled from the oft-neglected blog. The questions aren’t in any particular order, though I did try to organize them by subject matter. Ish. Once the dust is settled a bit I’ll try to find a better sorting system. Also, the tumblr tag I use for questions is http://korakos.tumblr.com/tagged/foxhole-court-questions-and-spoilers

Lots of spoilers for The Foxhole Court ahead!

Preface: Why are Asks disabled in 2016?

COURTING MADNESS

—Exy Rules & Regulations

—Exy: A History of the Sport

—Palmetto State University

—The original “What Happens After King’s Men” post

—SON NEFES, the cousins’ freshman year through Renee’s eyes

——One . Two . Three . Four . Five

—Nicky Hemmick

—Seth Gordon

—Aaron Minyard

—Matt Boyd

—Kevin & Andrew

—David Wymack & the Monsters

—Wymack & Andrew re: Neil

—Dan Wilds is recruited to the Foxes *

—Allison through Dan & Renee’s eyes *

——pulled from an abandoned, unfinished book about the Foxes’ women

TUMBLR

NEIL

—Neil’s life on the run

—Do they ever celebrate Neil’s birthday?

—What if Neil told the truth earlier?

—Neil through the Foxes’ eyes

—Neil through Ichirou’s eyes

—Neil’s looks post-book and relationship with his reflection

—Does Neil ever talk to Bee?

—Neil’s millions

—Neil’s fight training

—Who’s Neil closest to beside Andrew

—Neil’s fashion style

—Cellphone ringtone

—Christmas/birthday presents for Foxes

—Does Neil ever cry?

—Neil’s lonely fifth year

—When Neil’s overwhelmed

—Does Neil crush on his teammates?

—Neil & Ichirou’s intimidation

ANDREW

—Andrew’s sober look at his teammates & Neil

—How did Andrew react to Cass’s letter?

—Andrew’s medication and the follow-up

—Has Abby seen Andrew’s scars?

—Andrew & Mama Bee

—Andrew & Roland

—How far has Andrew willingly gone?

—What animal figurine did Andrew buy Betsy?

—Andrew’s eye color

—Andrew’s opinion of the cats

—What’d Andrew say to Nicky in TKM?

—Andrew’s honest opinion of Exy

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s binder

—Andrew and his sexuality

—If Andrew had met Neil’s mother

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s sexuality

—Andrew’s fondest memory of Neil

—Andrew’s aforementioned withdrawal

—Do you think Andrew is really really really awesome?

—Proust and Andrew

—What happens to Proust?

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil’s bday blood

—Andrew on Neil eventually changing out

—Does Andrew get grumpy?

—Does Andrew get less dead inside?

—Does Andrew call Neil by his name?

—Why give the Foxes crackers?

—Andrew’s first choices in winning a fight

—Who liked knives?

—What got chopped from Drake’s arc?

—Does Andrew get off thinking about Neil?

—Post Andrew & Bee’s side story?

—When did Andrew start thinking Neil was interesting?

—Any other words he can’t stand?

—What does he think about nicknames?

—Explain Andrew’s fatal disease in the comic version

—Andrew’s canon mental state

—How did Andrew not know about Tilda’s abuse?

—Why punch Neil for “Sorry”, and when Andrew is sick

—What’s with Andrew and promises

—Andrew’s thoughts on Roland’s premature confession

—Andrew’s arrest

—Wanting nothing vs not wanting anything

—Why was Andrew laughing after Drake?

—If Neil had chosen Dan & Matt over Andrew

NEIL & ANDREW

—The other 10%

—Which teammate caught on first?

—Do Andrew & Neil go on dates?

—When did they first hold hands?

—When did Andrew clue in?

—Exites self-censure

—Betsy’s & Aaron’s reactions to the news

—Roland’s opinion of things

—The breaking point

—Who tops?

—On tying people up

—Their domestic life aka Sir Fat Cat

—I love you

—Andrew and the bed issue

—Nightmares

—Do they learn to talk to each other?

—Blaming Neil for Drake

—Andrew comforting Neil?

—Neil’s fondest memory of Andrew

—Neil getting Andrew off for the first time

—Neil seeing Andrew naked

—Neil & the sex how-to

—How was the first time

—Where’d it happen?

—When was their first hug?

—“I won’t let you let me be”

—Their roadtrips

—Neil waking Andrew up

—Andrew’s real smile

—How does Andrew show appreciation for Neil

—Their happiest moments

—Does Neil ever make Andrew laugh?

—Does Andrew take comfort in Neil

—Does Andrew get protective/possessive?

—Doesn’t Neil crave affection?

—Andrew re: Neil’s panic attacks

—Media reaction to Andrew/Neil

—Further reaction to Andrew/Neil

—On “accidentally” sitting in laps

—What if Andrew died?

—What if Neil died?

—Reaction to getting hit on by others

—Do they celebrate anniversaries?

—The first time Neil pushes Andrew down

FOXES

—How tall are the Foxes?

—Why is everyone so short?

—Where did their names come from?

—What were their majors?

—What do the Foxes look like?

—What are their Hogwarts houses?

—Reaction to the kidnapping

—Do Neil & Renee become friends?

—What did Allison do with Seth’s urn?

—Nicky’s evolution over the drafts

—Do the Foxes get their skiing trip?

—Does Andrew know Nicky kissed Neil?

—When did Aaron & Katelyn fall for each other?

—How did Andrew and Wymack end up handcuffed together?

—Kevin’s favorite things

—Kevin and Andrew’s on-court kerfuffle

—Dan’s haircut

—Dan & Matt’s relationship

—Dan & Matt’s first kiss

—Matt bouncing back from Columbia

—Matt rooming with the monsters

—The other what-if OT3 aka D/M/N and the dynamic

—Do Allison and Renee have the hots for each other?

—Matt forgiving his father

—Any mistletoe shenanigans?

—Thanksgiving and the Foxes

—Kevin’s best friend

—Janie Smalls

—How did Kevin and Thea meet?

—Foxes’ favorite ice cream flavors

—Kevin & Andrew’s on-court argument

—Foxes’ taste in music

—Kevin’s middle name & drink of choice

—Do Kevin & Neil want to kiss?

—Which Fox would Kevin kiss, then?

—Kevin’s best non-Exy memory

—Allison’s three bets

—Why is Allison’s middle name Jamaica

—Kevin, Andrew, and Neil staying friends

—“Joan of Exy”?

—Can the Foxes sing?

—Some of the Foxes’ previous bets

—Do Nicky & Allison become friends?

—Are Foxes based on RL people?

—Nicky when Neil asks about friendship

—Dan & the monsters in Columbia

—What if Kevin was killed?

—Renee and her near-death experiences

—More background available on Renee?

—Why doesn’t Aaron let the Foxes in?

—Team’s reaction to Drake, Andrew’s reaction to being outed

—Andrew & Aaron’s time with Tilda

—Does Aaron reconcile with Andrew over Tilda?

—Nicky & his parents after Drake

—Foxes thoughts in Baltimore

FOXES POST-TKM

—The Pro Teams

—The Weddings

—Neil as the Best Man?

—Kevin after TKM —Thea, Jean, Foxes, and Riko

—How does Kevin & Wymack’s relationship evolve?

—Renee after TKM

—Nicky after TKM

—Aaron after TKM

—Allison after TKM

—Dan & Matt after TKM

—Dan and the US Court

—Any pro-period scandals?

—Andrew & Neil’s relationship with their team

—Would Neil hold Matt’s children?

—Neil & babysitting the Foxes’ kids

—Which Fox’s child would curse first

THE FUTURE FOXES

—Who is Robin Cross?

—Neil and Jack

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil punching Jack

—Foxes’ reaction to Neil punching

—Kevin and Jack

—Neil’s new recruit

—Andrew and Jack

RIVALS

—Who is Riko Moriyama?

—Riko & Kevin’s evolving relationship

—More about Riko & Kevin’s past

—How did Riko break Kevin’s hand

—Riko’s brutality toward Jean

—Any draft where Riko wasn’t killed?

—Were Riko, Kevin, and Jean involved sexually?

—Does the Fox-Trojan rematch happen? Also how do the Trojans & Jean get along?

—Do Alvarez & Laila (Trojans) have backstories?

—Thea’s number & thoughts on Raven brutality

THE “ADULTS”

—Kayleigh Day & David Wymack

—Abby Winfield & David Wymack

—Wymack’s parents

—Did Wymack cry during the trilogy?

—Did Kayleigh know about the Moriyamas?

Nora & the Foxes

—Fancast and Andrew

—Changing opinion of Foxes over the years

—Bits of the scrapped K/N/A threesome here and here

—The KxAxN AU where Kevin died

—Will there be a sequel?

—What inspired you to develop Exy?

—Fox fanfictions, collected by coldsaturn

—Why a pseudonym?

—What came first, characters or story?

—Were you the artist of the comic version?

—What did the comic-Foxes look like?

—What do you do when you’re not writing?

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roosterforme · 1 year

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Old Habits Die Hard Part 1 | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Bradley is a student at UVA when he falls for the most unexpected girl. But she's the one who can see past his scars and the doors he keeps closed.

Warnings: Angst, swears, mention of sex

Length: 3500 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader (fuckboy college student Bradley)

Check my profile for my masterlist

Bradley tried to roll over in his bed, but he felt the weight of someone draped across him as he tried to remember how much he drank last night. Probably half a case of beer. He had no idea if he had taken Phoebe or someone else to bed.

He opened one eye against the bright sunlight and pushed the tall blonde off of him. "Phoebe. Wake up."

She groaned in response, but her naked body rolled off of his enough that he was able to stand up. He pulled on his underwear and wandered out into the hallway in the direction of music blaring from the front bedroom.

"Turn it the fuck down!" he yelled as he made his way to the disgusting bathroom he shared with Tyson. He really needed to take some time to clean this place up, but he never let Phoebe stay long after she woke up, and none of the other girls ever complained much.

Bradley splashed some water on his face, looked in the mirror and grimaced. He ran his fingers along the scars smattering his face and neck. The raised, pink flesh was supposedly going to fade over time, but he wasn't so sure he believed the doctors. It all looked virtually the same now in January as it had in July when the incident happened.

Regardless, he fucking hated looking in the mirror now. He used the toilet and washed his hands without another glance at himself.

When he made it back to his room, after a quick detour to turn down the stereo, he found Phoebe was up and out of bed.

She yawned a few times before she pulled on her shirt and then shimmied into her tiny thong. Bradley knew her body like the back of his hand. They'd been fucking since they were freshmen. Now they were both seniors at the University of Virginia, and they were still regularly fucking. He sometimes even called her when he was lonely. She was the closest thing to a girlfriend he had ever had.

"Where the hell are my jeans?" she asked, looking around his room. He picked them up from the foot of his bed and handed them to her. She mumbled something at him and pulled them on. "Are we partying again tonight?" she asked, kissing his scarred cheek as she reached for her phone.

Bradley had apparently enjoyed more than her company last night, if the condom wrapper next to the bed had anything to say for itself. But he knew Saturday night at his fraternity house would offer him some more variety. "Not sure yet," he told her as she headed for his bedroom door. "I'll call you later."

Phoebe waved goodbye and left the door open, and he dropped back onto his bed. He had a good view of the exterior of his white bedroom door, which was covered in multicolored sharpie. It was a collection of girls' names and phone numbers, little love notes, and the occasional cluster of hearts. But right in the middle in bold, black writing was where Phoebe had written her name. As if she had the right of first refusal on his dick.

Bradley's phone was just as bad. His contact list was a collection of first names and phone numbers of girls he could barely remember meeting. And it's not that he wasn't picky, but he just really liked girls. And they all seemed to really like him back. Last weekend he got a blowjob from Janessa and he still ended up with Phoebe in his bed for the night. Being with her was just easy for him. It didn't take any work. When one of them wanted it, the other was there. But the minute he felt like putting in a little effort, he could have pretty much whomever he liked.

So he'd just keep his options open for the evening, feeling like maybe he'd meet someone brand new.

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

You were finally able to admit to yourself that you had a small crush on Jeff. He was obviously cute, and he was studying your major and always made Dean's list. He was friendly and funny, and he never picked on you for hanging out in the library so much. You'd started hoping he would ask you out.

But he was in a fraternity. Major turn off. He invited you to the frat house every weekend, and after weeks of turning him down, you finally agreed to meet him there on Saturday night. His face had lit up with an adorable smile, and he already claimed you as a beer pong partner. But you knew the place would be swarming with girls, ones who were prettier than you, and more outgoing with bigger boobs.

Maybe if he was still paying attention to you when there was a parade of other girls present, you should just ask him out yourself. After studying in the library all day, you packed up your books and headed home to get changed.

Janessa was there, fresh out of the shower and putting makeup on in the kitchen where the light was good. "Are you going to the Beta Gamma house tonight?" you asked her, setting your bag down in the tiny living room of your shared apartment.

"Yes," she replied, swiping on some mascara. "Got my eye on a few of those Beta boys."

You froze and asked, "Which ones?"

She just laughed. "Don't worry, not your buddy Jeff. He's too skinny and blond. I like 'em tall, dark and handsome."

You let out a sigh of relief. No way you could compete with Janessa for Jeff's attention. No way you could compete with her for any guy's attention. Janessa was what every guy would consider hot. She was simply just the definition of the word.

You, on the other hand, were lucky to get called cute. If someone noticed you, it was probably because there was no better option around. But that was fine with you, because when guys ended up with a crush on you, it was because they actually liked you.

"I might ask Jeff out after tonight," you told your roommate, who squealed and started doing your makeup as well.

"You should! Want me to ask one of the other guys if he's interested in you? He's pretty tight with Tyson and Bradley. Maybe we could have a double date!"

"I mean... I guess if it comes up in conversation?" you replied. "But don't embarrass me, please! I'm awkward enough already."

"Hush, you are not awkward. You are adorable. Now stop moving so I can do your eyes."

And this is how you ended up arriving at the packed Beta house where the music was blaring and there were six kegs lined up. Janessa led you inside, and you immediately caught sight of Jeff, hanging out with some of the other guys and drinking from a red solo cup.

"Hey!" he called out to you. "You made it! I'll get you a beer." Jeff made his way over to you, all smiles. You expected to feel that little jolt go through your system when he touched your arm, but you were so distracted, you barely noticed him.

Because Janessa was sidling up between two guys, and the one she had just wrapped her arms around was looking right at you. He was tall with wavy brown hair, and he looked like the kind of guy who would be more than happy to get you into a little trouble.

"You coming?" Jeff asked, reaching for your hand.

"Mmm, oh, yeah. Sorry." It took you a second to realize you were holding hands with him. It honestly didn't feel as special as you thought it would. You wanted to know more about the guy Janessa was with, but you remembered her words from earlier. He must be one of the guys she was interested in.

Well, fuck.

So you focused on Jeff instead. You listened to him ramble about some of your professors, and you got in line for the kegs.

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

For a split second, Bradley was tempted to flirt with Janessa again. But then he remembered the terrible blowjob she gave him, and decided he'd rather just find Phoebe later. But then he saw who Janessa walked in with, and he thought maybe there was a third option. You were so cute.

But Jeff walked over to you, acting like you and he were a done deal, and Bradley realized you must have been the girl Jeff knew from class, the one he never stopped talking about.

"Bradley!" Janessa purred as she flung her arms around him. Her outfit was basically nonexistent, and everywhere he tried to put his hands, he seemed to be touching her skin.

"What's up, Janessa?" he mumbled.

But you were looking at him. You made solid eye contact and licked your lips before you wandered off, holding hands with Jeff.

"Hey, who is that girl you come here with?" Bradley asked Janessa, keeping his eyes on you until you rounded the corner and vanished from sight.

"Oh, that's my roommate, Y/N," she replied, kissing his neck. Bradley pulled away from her. He didn't like when anyone touched his scars. Not even Phoebe. "She's super into Jeff. Has he talked about her at all?"

Of course Jeff had talked about you. According to him, you were smart and funny, and now Bradley knew for a fact that you were also pretty hot. But he decided to lie. "Nope. Not that I know of."

Bradley finished his beer and tossed the cup in the trash, heading off in the direction you went with Jeff. Of course Janessa was immediately on Tyson's crotch, but Bradley really didn't give a shit. He finally caught up to you and Jeff outside near the kegs. Jeff was talking nonstop as he pumped the keg of shitty beer and handed you a cup.

"Come on man, get her a good beer from the fridge inside," Bradley interjected, just as you were about to take a sip. "This stuff is shit."

You turned to look at him, lowering the red cup from your pouty lips and raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I prefer this shit," you told him with a smirk. You were wearing some makeup, but less than the other girls. Your jeans were snug, but not tight. Your shirt was just short enough that Bradley could see the inch of skin above your jeans, but only when you shrugged your shoulders.

Fuck. Jeff draped his arm around your shoulders, and for some reason that really irritated Bradley. So he just smirked right back at you and said, "If you prefer that shit, then I can understand why you're hanging out with Jeff tonight instead of me. There's no accounting for taste."

"Hey!" Jeff complained, but Bradley got you to crack a genuine smile. You had to cover your mouth with your hand to stop from laughing, but your shoulders shook a little bit with amusement.

You grinned at Bradley and then Jeff as well. "Okay, now I'm a little afraid to admit that I would probably prefer one of the non-shitty beers."

Bradley nodded his head toward the house. "Come with me. I need another one anyway, and then I'll bring you back out to Jeff."

He watched as you extracted yourself from Jeff's arm, which made Bradley smile. He heard you say, "I'll be back," as Bradley guided you inside with his hand gently on your back.

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

You didn't know why you ditched Jeff for this guy you had never met before, but you couldn't seem to help yourself. You didn't even know his name, but you let him lead you back inside the Beta fraternity house, his hand sliding ever lower on your back.

It was so loud inside, you could feel your whole body vibrating along with the music that was playing. But he kept you moving at a steady pace toward the kitchen where it was a little quieter.

"Take your pick," he told you when he opened the refrigerator door. Every single shelf was lined with bottles and cans of beer. There were a few bottles of liquor and some different mixers on the door, but you grabbed a bottle of one of your favorite beers and turned to him.

"Thanks, whatever your name is," you said with another smirk.

"You're welcome, Y/N," he replied, taking the bottle from your hand and opening it with a bottle opener he pulled from a drawer.

"How do you know my name?" you asked him, slightly surprised. You were not the type of girl who would normally be found here, or at any Greek house on campus.

He smiled. "You're Janessa's roommate. And Jeff has a crush on you. You're famous by name and reputation."

Your heart was beating faster now as he handed the bottle back to you. His fingertips lingered on yours for a few seconds, and you imagined kissing him. This was the way you expected your body to feel when Jeff touched you, but there was no comparison.

"Are you planning on telling me your name?" you asked him, taking a sip of beer.

"Maybe," he replied, selecting a beer of his own. His voice was deep and raspy, and he had a lot of scars on his face and neck. They looked pretty new, but you couldn't help but find them just as attractive as the rest of him. You wanted to touch that long scar that ran along his neck. You wondered what he would do if you did.

"If you won't tell me, then I'll give you a nickname."

He grinned. "This should be good," he said over the loud music.

You took a long drink of beer and said, "Okay, Beer Boy. How about I head back outside with Jeff where it's quieter? I'll catch you later?"

But he just shook his head. "You want quiet, then you should come upstairs with me. My room is downright peaceful compared to the rest of the house."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "You think I was born yesterday, Beer Boy?"

He looked at you, all innocent, wide brown eyes. "No, I would assume you're at least 18 if you're in college. How old are you?"

"I'm 21. But that has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not going upstairs alone with you," you replied.

"We wouldn't be alone," he said, sipping his own beer. "I'm sure Tyson and Janessa are up there doing all sorts of things. But I can take you back outside to your boyfriend if that's what you want."

You rolled your eyes. "Jeff isn't my boyfriend," you told him, raising your voice over the noisy party. You may have been mistaken, but his eyes seemed to light up.

"Music to my ears," he muttered. "Come upstairs with me. I promise I won't touch you unless you want me to."

You almost choked on your beer. "You are seriously cocky, Beer Boy."

"You wanna know my name, don't you?" he asked, and you nodded. "Come upstairs with me and I'll tell you."

You eyed him carefully. "And you won't touch me?"

His eyes drifted over your face and down to your chest. "Sadly, no. I won't."

You couldn't contain the laugh that bubbled out of you. This was really quite fun. He was goofy and flirtatious, but he wasn't creeping you out.

"Okay, but I'm only agreeing so I can learn your name. Then I'm coming right back down here," you told him.

With a smile, he took your hand and led you out of the kitchen and into the distressingly loud living room. Two hallways later, he was leading you up the stairs to a much quieter second floor. You were pleased to find several other people were hanging out up here as well.

"What's your name, Beer Boy?" you asked. He responded by lacing his fingers through yours, and you immediately thought about kissing him again.

He stopped in front of a door covered in writing. "I'm Bradley," he told you, pulling you a little closer with your connected hands.

"Bradley," you repeated. He nodded at you, looking a little apprehensive.

He nudged the door open with his foot, but you didn't move. You just looked at the writing all over his door. Girly handwriting in every color imaginable adorned the white paint. Tessa, Meg, Julie, Kendra, Ebony, Shannon, Luz, Gabby, Willow. The list went on, and so did the phone numbers and scrawled notes.

"Don't look at that. Please," he muttered. You saw his Adam's apple bob against his long scar as he swallowed hard. His eyes seemed to be pleading with you, so you looked away from the door and into his bedroom. It was actually pretty tidy, and it was lit by his desk lamp with a US Navy emblem on the side.

"You said you weren't going to touch me," you told him, and he immediately pulled his hand away from yours.

"I'm sorry," Bradley said right away, looking completely abashed now.

"That's okay," you told him as you walked past him into his room. The music was distant enough that you could use your normal voice up here. "Is it cool if I look around?"

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

He followed you into his room and watched you examining his things. Every few steps, you turned to look at him over your shoulder. Your eyelashes were long, and he loved the curve of your cheek. He was dying to touch your hair, taste your skin and feel you against him.

Usually he wore his bedroom door like a badge of honor. But when you looked at it, he felt a little embarrassed. Not that you had said anything or looked at him any certain way, but he didn't want you to judge him quite yet. Especially not based on that.

He took a long drink from his bottle of beer, draining it in the process. He was attracted to you. Like all of you. Jeff had been right; you were funny and smart. But Bradley had no expectations that you would feel the same way about him. However, he would keep you up here as long as you would stay, because somehow he knew, in the back recesses of his mind, that you were giving him an important seal of approval.

"You have a lot of Navy stuff," you commented, running your fingers along his dad's dog tags.

He nodded when you looked over your shoulder. "I do. It was my dad's."

Bradley wasn't sure if Phoebe even knew his dad had been in the navy. He didn't know why he was telling you.

"And you have a lot of textbooks," you said as you flipped through his economics notes.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that tends to happen when you're a student."

You rolled your eyes. "I just meant that you frat bros don't usually study. I have never once seen you in the library before."

Bradley grinned. "You like to hang out in the library?"

"Yeah. So what?" you asked, seemingly used to getting picked on for it.

"Hey, just because I don't go to the library, that doesn't mean I don't study. I have a 3.85 GPA."

You turned toward him and nodded like you were impressed. "Wow. But you shouldn't say that too loudly, or you may get kicked out of your fraternity."

Bradley shook his head as you turned toward his bed. He was pretty sure he had never had a girl in his room this long with her clothes still on. He was about to suggest grabbing two more beers when your phone rang.

"It's Jeff," you said casually, ignoring the call. "I should probably go back down and find him."

Bradley just watched you tuck your phone back into your jeans pocket. You took the last sip of your beer and headed for the door. You eyed the names written there before turning back toward him with a small smile. "Maybe I'll see you around?" you asked.

"I hope so," he told you as you disappeared into the hallway.

And then you were gone. The apprehension he usually felt was creeping back in now. He wondered what you thought about his scars. He hadn't given them any thought while you'd been with him. He couldn't tell if you were outwardly flirting with him, and he knew there was something between you and Jeff, but Bradley definitely wanted to see you again.

But now he was alone. And he was lonely. So he called Phoebe. Within a few minutes, she was in his room. And after a few minutes more, she was in his bed.

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

Eeek, I hope you like this version of our Bradley! A huge thank you to @mak-32 for helping me with this fic! It's for you, Mak!

PART 2

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1K notes · View notes

softtdaisy · 10 months

Note

heyyyy i was wondering if you could use these two prompts for mick :)

"is the pillow wall really necessary?"

“can i come over tonight? is that stupid to ask?”

Pairing: Mick Schumacher x female!reader

Words: 1296

A/n: I'm so sorry it took me so long!! I was waiting for the perfect inspo for this story and i’m actually proud of it so i hope you will love it

“I can’t believe you want me to watch that movie, again.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Mick’s desperate tone through the phone. You knew he would be mad that you wanted to watch 13 going on 30 for the second time this week. But you also knew he wouldn’t say no. Mick never said no to anything that wasn’t a real problem. And let’s be honest, watching a romcom with you was never a problem.

Mostly because you were alternating every movie night. And he made you watch an action movie the other night.

You’ve been doing this for weeks now. You knew Mick for several years but never really got to know him. Or even talk to him, actually. Your father was a mechanic and you loved going to the Grand Prix with him. That was how you met most drivers and Mick has always been such a sweetheart with you. You still couldn’t understand why you never talked more before.

Then, the last time you went to the Grand Prix, the weather was terrible. You were supposed to go for a drink with some friends but ended up staying at your hotel bar. Luckily, Mick was in the same situation. You spend the whole evening together talking about movies and cinema. Hours flew by and you both couldn’t stop adding something to the conversation. You never wanted it to end. It was like meeting your soulmate.

“We should watch movies together.” Mick offered. You immediately accepted. It was quite the perfect opportunity for you both. You were living alone and being by yourself every single night started to be a burden. Mick was still traveling a lot and he was feeling homesick most of the time. Especially because, even if he loved the team, he was also by himself.

Basically, that was how it started. At least three times per week, you were watching a movie with Mick without being together. Sometimes you were just commenting by messages and then calling each other to discuss it. Sometimes you watched the movie with a video call so you could chat and see each other’s reaction.

Nothing builds a relationship better than a shared passion. Mick slowly became one of your closest friends. But it would be a lie to not admit he was becoming more than a friend. There was something intimate in sharing your favorite movies with someone, with calling them almost every day and knowing everything about them.

There was something intimate in falling asleep while still on the phone and waking up with the image of Mick sleeping in his hotel room too.

“It’s my night!” you replied to Mick’s complaint. “You can’t disagree with my choice.”

“We should have a rule that we can’t watch the movie two times in a week.”

“Well it’s too late for tonight.”

You put Mick on speakers while making dinner. You were cooking your favorite meal. One that happened to be Mick’s one too. What a coincidence. Maybe he could feel it through the phone. Or maybe he added some secret cameras in your apartment the one time he came. But he took you by surprise when he said “Are you cooking what I think you’re cooking?”

“Yes I am, Schumacher.” you laughed.

“Can I come over tonight? Is that stupid to ask?” you heard him say. It wouldn’t be the first time Mick came to your place. He helped you after a Grand Prix weekend, which also happened to be your birthday weekend, and you came back with more bags that you could handle. He offered to make a detour and help you instead of letting you round trips in the stairs.

But you never did a movie night at your place. Or his. When Mick was in town he was often occupied and you couldn’t ask to steal a night or two with him. It would be a first. A good first.

And less than thirty minutes later, Mick was standing in your kitchen. He helped you with the dinner. Not specially with the cooking, no. More with the laughing either with the jokes or the mistakes he made. “I’m a terrible assistant, right?” he asked with some sauce on the nose. God knows how he managed to get that.

“Well, at least I don’t have to watch TV when you’re here.”

After dinner, and while you were cleaning, Mick offered to prepare your room for the movie night. You imagined he would just look for the movie, hoping he wouldn’t trick you with it, and wait for you. But when you arrived in your own bedroom, you were surprised to see a literal pillow wall in the middle of your bed. You laughed for the situation as much as for the proud face he made.

"Is the pillow wall really necessary?" You asked when you reached the bed.

“Well, I know for sure that you take a lot of places in bed so…” he didn’t even finish his sentence before you hit him with the pillow.

The real excuse behind his architecture construction was that Mick was scared he might react, laying by your side. You had always been the girl he had a crush on since he entered F1. You were always there somehow, either close to him or on the other side of the paddock. But you were always sweet and he always felt like he was part of your world if you barely talked until a few months ago.

When this all started, he felt like living a dream. How lucky could he be to get to spend so much time with the girl he loved? But there were inconveniences too. Like listening to you speaking about your previous relationship or how you imagined the perfect one for you. Feeling so close and so far away from you at the same time. Accepting that, maybe, he won’t ever be more than just a movie friend for you.

He was glad that you didn’t break everything immediately and accepted to lay on your favorite side. He felt protected. Nothing could go wrong like this, he won’t let his love show without any warning.

Having no idea that you were struggling with the same issue, by your side. And watching one of your favorite rom coms with the man of your dreams next to you wasn’t as you expected it to be. In a perfect world, you would be in his arms, living your own favorite.

But nobody said you couldn’t make your life a perfect world.

You were blind either. And you noticed how Mick was fighting with own arm, like he wanted to put it around you but was containing himself. So pillow after pillow, you broke the wall between you. He didn’t notice immediately, or he was pretending not to see. It wasn’t until you put a hand on his arm that Mick turned his head. “Where is the wall?”

“Destroyed.” you answered with a sweet smile.

There was something intimate with spending so much time with someone, even through screen. You both could read each other like an open book. And Mick knew that you were waiting for him to make a step, after you made the first one.

So he did.

He finally let his arm around your shoulder so you could cuddle against him. When he felt like you were comfortable enough, which wasn’t hard because that man was a living pillow, he put his lips on your forehead to kiss you. “Now you don’t have any excuses to start watching horror movies,” he whispered.

But to be fair, you could watch the worst movies in the entire world that it wouldn't matter anymore. Not as long as you have Mick by your side.

#mick schumacher #mick schumacher x you #mick schumacher fanfiction #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher x reader #mick schumacher fluff #mick schumacher story #mick schumacher fic #f1 #f1 fanfic #f1 story #f1 imagine #f1 fluff #f1 fic #f1 x reader #my writing

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delosdestinations · 2 months

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"We wanted to make a show about consciousness; the kind of boastful ambition that works when you're pitching--and then falls apart when you find yourself trying to figure it out. There were few guides. Philosophers who'd lost their tenure. Computer scientists who'd lost their stock options. Guesses. Expletives. Crackpot theories. Hands wrung or simply thrown in the air. Even now, humans know more about what lies at the bottom of a supermassive black hole than the dark center of our minds.

But there are clues: language, semiotics; the distance between the notions rattling around in our minds and the ways in which we share them, and the ways in which humans share ideas between each other.

There's a language older than language, though. One that predates the written word or even the spoken one. Music. Its effects on people are fascinating--raw, direct, like an older interface that bypasses the newer, clunkier inputs. What music may lack in nuance versus spoken language, it more than gains in emotive power, as if transmitting emotion directly into the brain. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the right chord progression might reach nine figures.

So for our series about consciousness, we knew the music would be vital--and that we had the man for the job. Fittingly, Ramin's journey as a composer had been launched, in part, by Elmer Bernstein's achingly brilliant theme for The Magnificent Seven. Here he got to take a detour into the future in order to find his way back to the West.

He wanted to use guitars. We wanted piano (because the player piano had been the original western robot) and he gamely went along. I remember the themes as they came alive, anointing each character, imbuing them with even more depth and power. The craft and performances that came together for the series were all hard won--Ramin's music hooked everything to an undertoe of menace, melancholy and beauty.

As for Ramin's arrangements of contemporary music, they served two purposes; first, as a gentle reminder that our story was being told in the future tense, not the past. And second, as manipulation. If music is evocative, then music you've heard before takes on another dimension, dipping into circuits of lived experience and harnessing their power. A song you've listened to after a triumph or a breakup--even one rendered in a different timbre or arrangement--still has a grip on you. One that Ramin could pluck at, like the strings on his guitar. We spent four seasons exploring these questions and the closest we came to understanding consciousness--at least the variety that afflicts humans--is that any attempt to explain it without incorporating emotion is pointless.

The show is long since over. But I find myself whistling Ramin's timeless theme. Often. And I smile. That's the power of this music: that the indelible experiences of making Westworld, all of the incredible people who were part of it, all the days spent chasing the sun and capturing it on film, can all be conjured, instantly, in 8 perfectly chosen notes.

Westworld never died. It simply became music."

Jonathan Nolan, Executive Producer Liner Notes from Westworld: Season 4 (Music from the HBO Series) Vinyl

#westworld #jonathan nolan #news #?#figured I'd share this for anyone interested #it was included with the recent s4 vinyl release #and I'm sad again 🥲

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sapphos-ode · 10 months

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Voices

Alcina Dimitrescu Find part 1 here

So, someone did request a part two. But tumblr ate the draft I made with the ask. So apologies and I hope the blog finds this.

“The Lady prefers blood in a little jug, she likes to add it herself,” a voice came from outside, muffled but clear enough to make out what was said.

Alcina’s head snapped over to the door of the library, her daughters looked over to her. Mild curiosity on their faces.

“Thank you, I’ll go remake the tea now,” a second voice piped up from behind the door.

“It’s alright,” the countess could practically hear the reassuring smile in your voice

Alcina recognised the voice from yesterday. She had woken up today feeling significantly better and much less lethargic. To make up for missing dinner, she had set aside her work in favour of spending the day with her daughters.

Without wasting a second she rushed to the door. Peeking her head out and looking both ways down the hallway. Only to see it empty.

“Mama?”

Alcina resigned herself to the fact that you had disappeared. She closed the door and retook her seat.

“Sorry my little flies, I thought I heard something,”

Bela exchanged a glance at Cassandra who just shrugged.

“Now! Where were we?” Alcina refocused her attention back on her girls. They had chosen to play cards.

“You were just about to lose, catastrophically!” Daniela erupted, slamming her cards down to show a winning hand. Groans followed from her sisters and Alcina could be heard muttering. She had always been a sore loser.

Alcina had excused herself an hour before dinner, but promised the trio of terror that she would be joining them. She sat in her room, looking over a few reports with disinterest, a pair of delicate metal framed glasses perched on her nose.

Her eyes flitted over to the door when she heard the door click open. Her breath suspended as she waited for whoever it was to enter her room. A maid, timid and docile slipped and and then instantly froze when she saw the Countess.

“I’m so- I’m so sorry for disturbing you my lady!” The words came out rushed. Her voice was a little raspy and had a timbre far too low to be yours.

Alcina grunted dismissively before brushing past the dumbfounded maid to leave. She had hoped it would be you who would tend to her room like you had yesterday.

Usually you helped with the dinner service in the dining room, but the Chef had asked for help with a new dish she wanted to serve, and you were amongst the scant few maids who didn’t keel over at the sight of human flesh. Personally, you thought it looked no different to a breast of chicken or a lion of beef. So you were taken off the service to help behind the scenes.

Upstairs in the dining room, Alcina seemed to find a multitude of small things that needed seen to. And she asked a different maid each time, as she went through each one. Hoping to hear your voice again, she was met with disappointment. After the last maid she had asked spoke she instantly had changed her mind. No longer requiring a new knife.

Her daughters had exchanged questioning looks but eventually shrugged it off. Their mother could be rather eccentric. They did love her for it.

The Dimitrescu family spent the evening reading their own books in the library, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the warmth of the fire.

Alcina’s week seemed to follow a pattern, she hadn’t given up her search for you. But with only a voice to go off of, it was hard. Many a times she heard you talking, usually to another maid. But she seemed to have horrible timing. Always missing you by mere seconds.

The closest she had got was hearing your voice as she walked to her office. She had instantly taken a detour only to see the hem of your skirt disappear into one of the servant’s passageways.

The countess briefly entertained the idea of having every member of staff line up and read from some book. Like some sort of police line up.

What she had managed to gather was you had some sort of seniority amongst the castle staff. A lot of them turned to you for advice or guidance pertaining the upkeep of the castle and how to navigate her and her daughters without being killed.

With winter settling in Alcina had ordered all staff to ensure a fire was ablaze in every room of the castle.

It was early morning, too early for even the maids to be up. Alcina couldn’t sleep and decided to get a head start on paperwork for the day.

She had only been in her office for about ten minutes before a knock came at the door.

“Enter,” the countess didn’t bother to look up from her desk.

She had a small lamp on whilst the rest of the room was basked in darkness. A slight chill to the air. She didn’t mind, about the cold, her daughters were asleep and she had maids maintaining fires in each of their rooms throughout the night.

You slip in quietly, bowing your head at her before making a beeline for the hearth. Procuring a match book from your apron you make fast work of coaxing a roaring flame which settled quickly before evolving into a steady fire.

“Sorry for disturbing you My lady, I heard you passing by and didn’t want you to catch a cold,” you hum softly before closing the door behind you.

Alcina’s too shocked to move. That voice, she could finally put a face to… if she had actually looked up.

“Wait!”

You hear the Countess and stop in your tracks, a little way down the corridor from her office door. Looking over your shoulder confused. You wait a second before continuing on your way.

Until you heard the Countess all but bust her door down. The loud crash rang through the castle as you jumped in shock. Your body freezing before you realised what had happened. And when you had been able to move and turned around to assess the situation, your Lady was standing right in front of you.

You took a few steps back to lessen how much you had to crane your neck.

“My lady? Is everything okay?”

The countess is just staring down at you, breathing heavily. You purse your lips about to speak. To coax her to say something but she does so before you can.

“Finally,” she breathes out. Studying your face. You were breathtaking, Alcina instantly loved everything about you.

Is this how you die? For? Keeping the countess warm? ‘That’s rough buddy,’ is all you can think.

“My lady, is everything alright?”

The Countess’ next action takes you by complete shock. Not only does she kneel in front of you to be closer to your height. But she reaches out for your hand and brings it to her face. Making you caress her cheek. And she seems to nuzzle into your touch.

You have no objection to this. But you are severely confused. You step a little closer to her and bring your other hand up to cup her face.

“I’ve been trying to find you, all week,” Alcina’s voice is quiet, as if you’d disappear if she spoke too loudly.

“You have? What for,” you speak equally as tentatively as the countess. You have an inkling as to why. But you were just looking after your, admittedly beloved, employer. Is what you told yourself. Nothing more and nothing less.

“I- ” Alcina’s voice trailed off. What could she say? ‘Hi I’m Alcina and I eat people but I really liked being held and looked after by you’ ?

“My Lady, let’s get you a proper seat,” you go to move your hands but the countess grabs your wrists. Keeping your hands on her face.

God, she could melt at the soft gaze you looked at her with. Muddled with concern, but she loved being the centre of your attention.

“I…” the countess tries again, “I appreciate what you did for me, last week,” she averts her gaze. Suddenly too shy to look you in the eyes.

“Oh,” you chuckle at her. It’s a warm sound and Alcina wishes to hear it more often.

“I regret not opening my eyes to see who you were,” Alcina shuffles a little, sorely aware of how unlike herself she’s behaving. On her knees in front of a maid? Hell must have frozen over.

“I’ve been hearing your voice for days now, but every time you managed to slip away,” Alcina pushes on, “you’re an elusive little thing,”

You giggle at that, “well, you finally caught me,” you give her a playful look, “what are you going to do me now,”

Alcina can’t help the blush on her cheeks.

You manage to convince the lady to move to her office. Enjoying the warmth of the fire as you sit on the couch. You had coaxed her into lying down on the sofa, resting her head on your lap so you could rub your hand through her hair. Her curls were soft, and Alcina was delighted to be held like this.

Your eyes roam her face as she smiles up at you, you’re studying the crows feet at the corner of eyes, then the faint line that has taken its place between her brow. No doubt from all the infuriating conversations she’s had to endure with Lord Heisenberg. It is then that you notice a red patch forming on her forehead. She catches on to you staring at something and raised a brow prompting you to speak your mind.

“Did you hit your forehead? Earlier, when you ran out your office?”

Silence.

“No,”

Alcina pouts at you. Pointedly looking away in a faux huff. You stifle a laugh at her, before pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“You’re a terrible liar my Lady,”

#lady dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x reader

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attorneys-against-court-violence · 3 months

Text

(Image IDs featuring character dialogue are described as such:

Background

Character (Pose, additional character/elements):

"Dialogue")

Aura Blackquill fascinates me as a specimen. Much of that is tied to her initial introduction in Case 5-4 - specifically, how Athena reacted to her.

We've had our fair share of blowhards and hagglers that got under Athena's skin. She's complained a lot, got backed into a corner, even brought into an emotional shut-down on two occassions. Her reaction to Aura is unique, however.

She's quiet for a good chunk of the conversation, tucked away in her sad pose until Aura goes on her monologue about how she doesn't trust emotionally-motivated humans to run the courts. That causes Athena to pipe up a little, though she's not quite angry - Widget is still in it's "Sad" mode from earlier and only switches to "Angry" after Aura compares her to an animal (Athena isn't fond of that).

This doesn't hit me as a reaction Athena would have to any old cold-hearted cynic. She's seems genuinely hurt that Aura of all people is saying these things. When Phoenix tells her to get a hold of herself when she gets genuinely angry and wants to punch Aura, it doesn't carry the same comedic vibe that her doing the same with Gaspen or L'belle did; it's not righteous anger at a garden-variety scumbag. This is Athena hearing someone vilify everything she knows, is, and cares about in spite of whatever image she held of that person prior to this engagement. It's not like Simon either, who still held good intentions and Athena especially in high-regard. Aura's loathing is the real deal and it hurts Athena to witness.

So let's go over some connections and theming, shall we? Athena will stick around as our reference point but the focus from here-on will be discussing Aura and how her history and contrast to one or the other Cykes paint a picture of who she is, why that person would be uniquely equipped to push Athena's buttons and eventually force her to confront the even that changed both of them.

In order, we'll be discussing:

Aura Blackquill's relationship with the Cykes

How both of them treat Metis' creations

CLONCO and how it could act as a proxy for Athena

A small detour to discuss Aura's relation to Simon

(I'll be using it/its pronouns for PONCO and CLONCO)

Auf gehts!

Aura Blackquill & the Cykes

So who is Aura? At face-value, she's a robotics expert working for GYAXA. Her contributions are largely in the automated machines she has designed and built for the Space Centre, alongside her partner Metis Cykes (mother of Athena Cykes), an arrangement she was quite content with.

Aura is known to have collaberated with Metis on projects based around Athena's hearing, PONCO and CLONCO in particular. Her proximity to and implied relationship with Metis puts her in a uniquely knowledgeable position regarding the inventions made to improve Athena's life. Granted she handled the hardware side of things while Metis carried the psychological/software end, but they were still both building emotional robots based on and for an emotionally unique child.

We don't know much, or anyhting explicitly, about Aura and Athena's relationship prior to UR-1 and any information we can glean from current-day interactions are heavily coloured by Aura's suspicion and intense hatred. We could assume that Athena's condition (and the consequences of that on her social development) made her a difficult child to work with. Aura's grievences here would be an exaggeration of the problems she had with someone so high-maintanence. Athena's most relevant flaw, in Aura's eyes, is revealed in what she says here:

It's well-established that Athena did not believe Metis loved her when she was a child. Aura was the one working the closest with Metis to create the gifts that would help Athena, and yet? She still hated her mother. We know Aura finds human irrationality loathsome today; the idea that Athena could still despise Metis, even though she works so hard to help her daughter, goes against both Aura's values and the labour of someone she deeply cares about. Although this might also be in lack of consideration for Athena's unique emotional situation - this will be relevant when we come back to CLONCO so I'll cover that when we get there.

For now, we know that Aura was enough of a different person to willingly help Metis with projects that aided someone else; someone she saw as selfish and ignorant of her mother's efforts. Said projects were also research into psychology, as well as to provide emotionally intelligent companions to space-travellers. While I'm sure Aura enjoyed the prospect of building rational machines to stem emotional instability in human astronauts, she was still heavily involved in creations that tie strongly to emotionalism.

Her tirade denouncing that idea in favour of rational thought is a cut against Metis' work and what Athena had been surrounded with and chose to study with vigour. Notably - despite hating her mother - Athena felt as though Metis supported her pursuit of psychology from beyond the grave.

In short, Aura's rational mindset has gone so far as to vilify a strong passion that both Cykes held. Largely due to how her point of contact with the subject was making things for a strange, ungrateful little girl who seemd to have repaid them by killing her own mother.

The Robots: Athena's Affection & Aura's Abuse

I feel that both characters attitude towards the GYAXA robots visually represent the way they see and respect human emotion - a subject that both the Cykes intimately studied and that Aura appears to loathe in the present - when it's applied to something that has zero moral or social consequences for treating in any way (ie PONCO and CLONCO are effectively "Who You Are in the Dark" tests for these two).

Athena clearly loves the robots. PONCO especially with how she greeted it like we would a family pet while she was investigating with Phoenix:

As a child, Athena humanised the robots to a degree even she thought was excessive; most obviously by wrapping them in bandages and writing "get well soon!" messages on them:

Aura has no such respect for CLONCO. She hits it, leans on it like a prop, tinkers with its insides while it's still running, even strangling it at one point. She goes from altering its mind to full-on overriding CLONCO's control of its body for herself. She does have reasons for why this is fine; CLONCO is an unfeeling machine and its body is just a proxy for its actual "brain" that's running remotely somewhere in the Space Centre. That said it's not hard to see that her abuse is related to her anger - both the underlying grief for Metis and more explicit rage when kicking Phoenix and Trucy out of the lab.

Both of these robots are walking remnants of Metis' research, which has already been discussed. Even if Athena hated her mother, she was fascinated by Metis' work and inhereted a passion for psychology from her and the environment she created in the Space Centre. Understanding people's emotions with enough accuracy to mirror them yourself is a core trait of both her and the robots. Aura, on the other hand, has love for Metis but not the subject of human emotion that both Athena and the robots are intrinsicly tied to. Beyond that, she's acting irreverantly to an object that gave Athena fond memories of the days before UR-1. To Athena, these were the only positive connections she had besides Juniper and Simon. To Aura, they were just another inanimate creation and later something to take her grief-driven anger out on despite their connection to Metis.

CLONCO as a Young Athena Proxy

CLONCO already acts as an effective tool to show how Aura antagonises the things that make Athena, Athena; her dismissiveness of emotion, the mistreatment of Metis' research, the vitriol for what brings Athena joy in the past and present. An argument can be made that CLONCO also represents another angle to Aura's hatred; that of the young Athena Cykes she once knew in the past.

Let's take a quick look at CLONCO a moment:

It's almost identical to PONCO in that it's a robot built to understand and "feel" human emotions (to a dubious extent). Immediately though, we see that CLONCO unstable and uncanny compared to PONCO. It doesn't display the same emotional range as its counterpart - in fact, it largely remains in its "Neutral" state except for when Aura attacks and tinkers with it. There, it displays "Sad" and "Shocked" emotions that imply to be simulating discomfort and pain from what she does to it ("Sad" can also mean "Fearful" based on what we know of Widget's representation of emotions).

CLONCO's instability visibly affects its ability to emote and communicate with others. Both it and PONCO have childish personalities. This could act as a stand-in for Athena Cykes - at least, how Aura seems to see Athena Cykes.

Aura Blackquill sees Athena as an emotionally unstable child. It's not without precident; Athena was poorly socialised and likely couldn't process her hyper-empathy quite as deftly as today. People's emotions were the cause of most of her pain as a child due to her enhanced hearing. Her mother's inability to communicate effectively to her when giving her headphones that seemed to just hurt her definitely didn't help. Young Athena Cykes had plenty of issues that point to an emotionally unstable upbringing and she might have been in a bad state for longer than UR-1 (Widget having an 'emotionless' setting despite being made prior to that event speaks volumes).

Remember when I mentioned that Aura's annoyances with young Athena were not fully considerate of her situation? With CLONCO being an "emotionally" unstable, child-like entity that Aura seems to be fully responsible for, I believe that her abusive attitude towards it reflects how much she's come to loathe the image of Athena Cykes she has built in her head after years of dealing with intense grief and suspicion. CLONCO never acts maliciously of course but given that it's a creation of Metis Cykes that bears at least some resemblance to the person Aura believes is responsible for her murder, her violence towards it could have a deeper layer than CLONCO just being a convenient target for her wrath.

In short, Athena has witnessed someone she knew who cared about her mother very much do the following:

Mistreat the very inventions she (Aura) and Metis made together

Attack an object that brought Athena great joy as a child

Talk mad shit about Athena and Metis' main field(s) of study

Call Athena stupid for valuing emotions above rational thought

Smack what may be a stand-in for an emotionally stunted child

And all of the above with a tone of voice likely seeped in wrath towards her and grief for Metis.

Aura's antagonism towards Athena is what ultimately pushes the latter further in her character arc; that Aura hates the fact Athena managed to avoid the consequences of UR-1 is what drives her to push the issue, force Athena and her circle into a situation where they must confront this awful event head-on. For this, Aura needs to be someone who can and wants to push Athena's buttons in a way few (if any) others can, and that is achieved by establishing an intense loathing for everything that represents Athena as a person in just one scene. Later scenes with Aura further expand on this and it is a ride to watch unfold.

Brief Detour: Blackquill & Blackquill

Real quick, I wanted to highlight how Aura relates to her brother Simon. Both have traits and views on UR-1 that stand in stark contrast of one another and take actions that clashes with the other.

Let's start with their modes of thinking. Simon, as a psychologist, views the UR-1 incident within that framework. To him it isn't concievable that Athena Cykes would murder her own mother despite lacking concrete evidence against it. This and his reasonable assumption that the phantom could have swung by for the psyche profile (an event he planned in advance against by hiding it with Taka) were enough to motivate his taking of the blame. Even when no evidence had surfaced of the true series of events, Simon stuck with this until push comes to shove and he has no choice but to confirm that Athena is a very likely suspect (note that he never explicitly says that she did it even then!). Aura by contrast is a mechanical engineer. She uses deductive reasoning and verifiable evidence to piece things together. At face-value, looking at the events of UR-1 with that lens points to Athena being the one responsible. While her biases against Athena - emboldened by this percieved crime - had caused her to irrationally tunnel onto this conclusion, the fact that she's a rationally-minded scientist had caused her to assume that she was still being completely reasonable.

There's also Simon's self-sacrificing nature versus Aura's vengful tendancies. Protection versus persecution. One Blackquill literally gives up his own life to ensure that injustice doesn't pass to someone he cares about, while the other dedicates their life to enact justice on the one she believes is responsible. Part of that is making sure UR-1's ruling does not harm her brother of course, though as she says in the conversation that has taken up much of this essay:

Revenge is unavoidably a part of her motivation, contrasted with Simon who would rather sacrifice himself over anyone else.

It explains their conflict quite well; Aura is frustrated that Simon is taking what she sees as a very illogical, self-desctructive path to protect someone who doesn't deserve saving. Simon meanwhile disuades her from helping him escape, knowing that she would make damn sure Athena would get what she thinks she deserves. Interestingly this is where Aura and Athena's motivations line up the most. Both want Simon to be free and the latter comes to accept that freeing him means coming to terms with a terrible truth.

Both Aura and Athena take steps towards a conclusion that will ultimately harm Athena, the former already accepting the ugly truth and the latter so repressed the realisation can't take root until the matter is forced out. If anything, Simon is keeping both characters from dealing with this idea and would have completely removed himself from their lives, causing even greater loss for them.

Post-Essay Ramblings

Aura is a character I could chew on all day. Part of that is because she knocked it out of the park for me right off the bat with her initial introduction and Athena's reaction to it.

We have a character who's lesson is to embrace your emotions, to find those you can trust and give space to process the mental storm. As part of her arc, she has a connected character who beats the crap out of a product of emotion to push her to confront that storm by force. It genuinely makes me sad that this is the only time Athena and Aura interact in the entire game.

No, I'm serious, this scene is the only time these two ever talk to one another. These two, who have a fraught history and a setup for a tense dynamic while having the same motivation of saving Simon Blackquill, only interact once. I can begrudgingly see why in the sense that Aura wouldn't go out of her way to make chit-chat with the girl who killed Metis Cykes, though there are still things you could do with that idea in mind. Personally I'd have killed to see Athena's reaction to Aura finally accepting that she didn't kill her mother, especially when their first interaction had set up a great deal of conflict.

Athena was in the room when Simon apologised to Aura, maybe the two could have had a word there? Perhaps it would have cluttered between Apollo's resolution and Simon's apology. I don't know. I'm just sad we didn't get a follow-up on their first interaction.

Yeah, that's all I got. It's been a long post so to quote Aura herself:

Just don't spill it on the Kerfus.

#ace attorney #dual destinies #aa5 #ace attorney spoilers #dual destinies spoilers #aa5 spoilers #athena cykes #aura blackquill #long post

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wheredafandomat · 2 years

Text

Joyride

Mob!Loki x female reader

18+ contains smut Mob!Loki Masterlist

Despite how innocent Lokis friends thought you were, you were not completely blind to his life away from the comfort of your bed. You both dined in expensive restaurants, you both lived in a very expensive property which had multiple housekeepers, he gifted you the most expensive pearls and bought you the sweetest perfume, it wouldn’t make sense for Loki to have such wealth without occasionally having to get his hands dirty. Despite his riches, it was his charm that attracted him to you in the first place. You’d sometimes tease that you’d be happy living in a box as long as it was with Loki. He’d often reply with a small chuckle and some sort of cleverly thought out quip.

Although a stranger to Lokis harsh hand, you knew others didn’t share your fortune. Like today. Something had happened between Loki and whoever he was on the phone to earlier which made him take a detour. Kissing your cheek, he told you he’d be back in a minute before leaving the car. Getting your phone out, you distracted yourself for a few minutes, waiting for Loki to get back. He didn’t specify what he was doing but the location he had parked in left little to the imagination of the kind of things that went down in places like these ones. Whatever Loki was doing, it was probably illegal and something you definitely shouldn’t get involved in. Loki never did want you involved in his dealings. If something was happening at the house, you’d be confined to your room for an hour or sent on some sort of spa day. It was only recently that you had met some of his closest associates including Tony Stark and James Barnes although you recall someone calling him Bucky.

When you first met James, he was walking out of Lokis office whilst you and Eve were walking towards it. You had grown restless and Eve was proving to be a boring distraction. Your eyes met and he offered you a small smile. You didn’t miss the way his eyes roamed over your body. You knew it was harmless but you were thankful Loki didn’t catch it, he would have gone ballistic.

Hearing a phone vibrate, you were quickly taken from your thoughts when you looked down and saw Lokis phone ringing. He must’ve left it. Reaching to pick it up, your heart almost exploded when you heard the sound of the door unlocking. Sitting straight, you looked up to where Loki was entering the car, a stern expression on his face. He had a smidge of blood painting his cheek which he quickly wiped off, your heart rate relaxing when you realised it wasn’t his.

“All done darling.” He smiled, glancing over at you as he started the car. When his hand found the steering wheel, your eyes rounded at the bruises all over his knuckles. Blood was pooling around the gashes.

“Loki.” You gasped, looking at his hand.

“It’s fine.” He insisted, switching hands to quickly wipe his bloodied one on his shirt. “In fact, it’s more than fine.” He smiled widely. “You know what I always say y/n, you got a problem, you fix it yourself.” He continued, looking over at you.

“Is that what you were doing, fixing a problem?” You scoffed.

“What’s the matter love?” He questioned, confused by your reaction.

“We were out together having a nice day and suddenly you need to fix something, you leave me in the car and then you come back drenched in blood.” You exclaimed.

“I wouldn’t say drenched.” He replied.

“I don’t it like when you get hurt.” You sighed.

“I’m not hurt love.” He replied, squeezing your thigh. Looking down, your eyes met with his cut knuckles, red from a fight. Something about the way his cut hand gripped your thigh possessively whilst his thumb rubbed small circles over it tenderly was stirring something in you. Picking up his injured hand, you brought it to your lips as you kissed over his knuckles. Attention still on the road, Loki glanced over at you, your eyes meeting his. When he looked back at the road, your light kisses turned to fiercer ones; the metallic taste of blood coating your tastebuds as you licked over his wounds. Before long, you were sucking on his fingers as he focused on driving with his eyes open. “I can think of something else you can wrap your lips around.” He teased.

“Mm, pull over and let’s find out.” You answered, biting your lip.

“And now why would I need to pull over?” He questioned.

“I like your thinking.” You spoke, licking the shell of his ear as you leant towards him. You ran your hand down his chest and further down until you reached the buckle of his Gucci belt. Undoing it, your hand slipped underneath before wrapping around his cock. Loki let out a low hum as you began palming him, closing your hand tighter around his length. The adrenaline from earlier mixed with this pleasure was driving him near insanity. He almost lost his mind when you freed his cock before pressing your lips to the tip, kissing it gently. Luckily Loki was at a red traffic light or else he’d no doubt be forking out for a new Jaguar. This was too dangerous, he just felt too fucking good when you began hollowing your cheeks and sucking his cock. Seeing a quiet looking side street, Loki pulled up before killing the engine of the car. “Where are we?” You asked, pausing your movements as you felt the car stop.

“Up, now.” He ordered. Wasting no time, you sat up and moved yourself onto his lap. You kissed his neck as he reached between you both, moving your panties to the side once you lifted your hips. Gripping his cock, Loki guided it towards your entrance, tapping your thigh to lower yourself back down. You both groaned at the same time as Loki entered you, filling you to the hilt as you sat above him. You started slow, moving up and down at a steady pace before Lokis hands found your waist as he started guiding your moments in time to the thrust of his own hips.

“Oh fuckk.” You moaned, trying to stifle your sounds by nuzzling into the crook of Lokis neck.

“You like that baby?” He asked, one of his hands leaving your waist to play with your clit. Despite Lokis windows being tinted, you were certain anyone passing by would be able to tell what was going on inside by the guttural moans that left you whilst the car rocked. You were so close, bouncing up and down his length as you pressed your chest to his. His lips found yours in a messy kiss as his fingers continued rubbing over your clit.

“I-I’m soo close.” You panted, feeling yourself tipping over the edge. Loki kissed you again, stifling your loud scream of his name as you came. He continued thrusting into you a few more times until you felt him ejaculate inside of you. You pressed your foreheads against one another’s as you basked in your post coitus bliss. The sound of Lokis phone vibrating brought you both back to the present as you began moving off of him before he held you against him.

“They can wait.” He spoke, kissing you. Once his phone finished ringing, there was another notification noise.

Eve: Did you fix it?

It seems y/n is a vamp 🤣

Tags:

@mischief2sarawr @michelleleewise @mcufan72 @lokisninerealms @lokiprompts @lulubelle814 @lokisgoodgirl @mochie85 @vickie5446

#loki x reader #loki x female reader #loki fanfic #loki (marvel)#oc fiction #loki fanfiction #loki smut #loki x y/n #loki au #loki x you smut #loki x female reader smut #mob loki #mob au

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jtl-fics · 10 months

Note

ahh im sorry youre stuck in hold jazz music purgatory :(( can i recommend all for the race au? I wanna know if anything the football team did to trip neil and andrew up worked hehe

WIP Wednesday (7/12/23) - Closed | All for the Race

The Camera followed Andrew as it showed wide beautiful panoramic shots of the gorgeous Big Island of Hawaii. The beauty of the surroundings only tampered by Andrew's apparent complete disinterest in them.

The camera cut to a shot of Neil reaching the beach at the end of the half mile swim. The tight under shirt leaving nothing to the imagination about his muscles but everything to the imagination about the skin underneath. Neil didn't hesitate as he got on the orange bike and started pedaling.

The Camera cut back to the Football team reaching the Detour clue, "Iron Stomach." They both agreed turning and rushing towards the cab that they had just exited so that it could take them the 3 miles to the cooking location.

The camera cut back to Neil setting down the bike and just running. The camera very much felt like it was struggling to keep up with him.

Finally the camera cut back to Andrew standing at the finish line with clean clothes and the Amazing Race branded water bottle.

Neil came into view of the camera and almost ran past Andrew before Andrew grabbed him by the scruff of his undershirt. "Passed the finish line Junkie. C'mon get on some not disgusting clothes." he says as the race official directed them to the next clue box and handed them an additional card.

Neil came back into camera, "Is that a U-Turn?" he asks looking at it as he finishes putting on a clean shirt.

"We can use it on the Football team. They've been the closest." Andrew says with a shrug as he adjusts Neil's sleeve.

Neil hesitates.

The episode pauses.

"Neil you've GOT to be kidding me!" Nicky screams

#All for the Race AU #AFTG #AFTG AU #Andreil #WIP Wednesday Ask Meme #WIP Wednesday Catch-Up #18/20 #All for the Race - Iron Man or Iron Stomach - Pt. 2

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incorrectbatfam · 2 years

Note

If the batfam all starred in one commercial together what would it be? How would the commercial go? Who would be in their hero personas vs. who would be civilians?

I hope you know I hated writing every word

The commercial opens with Alfred getting ready in the morning and brushing his teeth with Colgate toothpaste while telling himself he needed the extra enamel protection. The camera then cuts to him putting the final touches on his suit and opening a drawer full of fancy watches, choosing a gold Rolex.

He then goes downstairs to start breakfast, where he switches on the Keurig and refills the water using a Brita filter. Damian slides down the banister and reaches for the Fruity Pebbles to go with his Silk almondmilk. When Alfred objects, Damian says, “But Alfred, Fruity Pebbles contain essential daily nutrients like 25% of your Vitamin B6.”

Just as Damian finishes breakfast, Dick rushes down, grabs a cup of coffee, and tells Damian he’s gonna be late. They hop into a Mercedes Benz where Dick uses the voice commands to “Play that song from the Huggies commercial on Spotify” and the car starts playing Born To Be Wild.

At school, Damian catches up with Carrie for their art class. Carrie dumps a backpack full of Crayola markers onto the table and they start drawing. Halfway through, Colin Wilkes interrupts Damian with his Nintendo Switch, where he’s playing Pokémon Sun and Moon. The whole class gathers around, with the window beside them.

The ad then zooms past the window into an ordinary-looking car. The driver has his phone propped up with the Lyft app telling him the directions. In the back seat, Signal is watching through the window while licking a spoonful of Sabra hummus when he spots an MCU monster leap across a building as the streets break into chaos. Signal hops out of the moving car and redirects the civilians away from the chaos before saying into his comms, “We got a situation here.”

Cut to Spoiler already on the roof, gravel crunching beneath her Nikes. She battles a round with the monster before spotting a masked culprit manipulating it from the ground. She swings down to confront him, but before she can get to him he runs down into the subway tunnels. Spoiler follows, only to be stopped by the turnstiles requiring a ticket. Thinking fast, she whips out her Capital One credit card and gets her tickets from the machine.

She runs across the subway platform past Cullen, who doesn’t notice the commotion as he’s listening to a podcast with Beats headphones while munching on a Taco Bell burrito. She follows the villain on top of a moving train only to lose him above ground in the crowd. Then, she pulls out her Samsung flip phone and opens up the tracker she put on him in the fight.

Back on the ground, Red Robin gets the ping and hops on his Harley Davidson. While riding, he spots traffic up ahead so he says, “Hey Google, find me a shortcut.” RR takes a detour through an alleyway, accidentally spilling a bag of Blue Buffalo that the stray dogs come and chown down. He spots the culprit disappear into a busy plaza full of businesses. He parks his bike and enters a Red Robin restaurant, where he orders a basket of bottomless steak fries, pulls out his iPad, and tries to triangulate the villain’s location.

Then, Red Hood plops in front of him and orders a glass of Jack Daniels. They’re talking when suddenly, a group of henchmen enter the restaurant and hold everyone hostage as they demand the restaurant give them all their ice cream. Red Hood leaps in before they could take the Klondike bars and throws them through the tables while his voiceover says, “Now you know what I’ll do for a Klondike bar.” Red Robin stops him before he can go too far and hands him a Snickers, saying, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” hey tie the goons up and find a piece of paper detailing where the main criminal will be, and they sent the intel to the person who’s closest: Orphan.

Orphan is out on a longer country road but has full bars thanks to Verizon’s 5G family plan. She catches up to the mystery villain and they’re neck-and-neck in a high-speed chase. She lands a tracking chip but he lands a shot in her front tire, forcing her to stop with nothing but woods around her. Suddenly, a chipper little gecko hops onto her bike and tells her about GEICO’s motorcycle insurance and roadside assistance. While she’s getting her bike fixed, she starts sneezing from the pollen and gives Selina a quick call asking her to grab some Claritin.

We then cut to Selina shopping, where she grabs the Claritin alongside a pack of extra-absorbent Tampax and a bag of Lays potato chips, getting of course a generous Walgreens discount that comes as one of many perks to her Bank of America card. She then heads to Kate’s house. Kate, who’s in the kitchen, is notified by her Ring doorbell camera. They greet each other and set up in the living room, where HBO Max gives them a whole bunch of choices.

In the middle of watching Game of Thrones, the WiFi suddenly cuts out. They call Harper, who tells them they should switch to Xfinity not just for their house, but to use anywhere they go. While reconnecting the TV, parts of the wall fall apart so Harper heads to Home Depot to get the supplies to fix it. After buying the supplies, she counts her quarters and heads for the vending machine.

It eats her money and she’s just about to give up trying to get her drink when Batman puts in a dollar and gets two cans of refreshing Coca-Cola. He hands one to her and keeps the other. He takes a sip right as he spots the Villain of the Day on another building’s rooftop. Batman tosses his drink aside and corners the villain, who turns out to be Condiment King armed with the deadliest form of superheated Heinz ketchup. Condiment King fought hard, but Batman was always one step ahead thanks to the battle strategies he learned from leveling up his kingdom in Raid: Shadow Legends.

Batman defeats Condiment King by throwing him off the roof, where he lands on Commissioner Gordon’s car, much to the latter’s shock. It sets off the alarm and Batman gives a quick apology before carting Condiment King away. The Commissioner shakily makes a call to State Farm, who’s there for him like a good neighbor. Jake from State Farm asks what the red stuff on the windshield is and it’s ketchup, so the Commissioner quickly pulls out his handy Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to wipe it up. He also texts his daughter saying he’ll be late.

At home, Barbara tells her dad not to worry because she has Pepperidge Farms’ ready-made frozen meals. While it’s heating up, she switches her glasses and logs onto her computer as Oracle. She gets a notification that there were 26 failed attempts at hacking into her computer. She smiles smugly because it’s all thanks to NordVPN that her devices are safe and she can do her duty as a Gotham hero. The commercial ends with her voiceover going, “To download, go to www.nordvpn.com and enter the promo code ORACLE for 30% off your first 3 months.”

#ask #anonymous #cursed #batfamily #batfam #batkids #batsiblings #batman family #dc comics #headcanon #tw violence mention #tw food mention #crack #ficlet

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my-ultimate-is-ready · 1 year

Note

from the prompt meme (if you're still doing it ofc) “i’m not wearing any underwear. thought you’d like to know." w Reyes 😈

Gabriel’s back from god-knows-where for god-also-only-knows-how-long, a pause in his suffocating schedule allowing him to spend a few luxurious days at home, so you can live like all the couples around you do. High on your priority list is doing all the laundry your washing machine can handle, catching up on all your favourite shows you swore you wouldn’t watch while he was away, and making dinner together.

At some point in this unadorned normality, you’ve also got to go grocery shopping, and while it’s not the most riveting of things you can do together, it’s significantly less of a chore with him there. It takes inordinate amounts of fuel to keep him running; SEP created a super soldier with a super appetite. So, with Gabriel home and the fridge pitifully empty, it’s a non-negotiable addition to your day.

But what a joy it is to feel halfway ordinary, defaulting to your routine that gets interrupted every other week when he becomes a mere voice over the phone or a few lines of text in a written message.

When he’s home, you live slowly—one day at a time.

Out of necessity, Gabriel’s efficiency is unparalleled. It doesn’t matter how organized you are when he is a master at packing and planning. It’s thanks to him that you’ve never set foot into a store without your reusable bags, and it is also thanks to him that unloading the groceries from the car to the kitchen takes a single trip.

Is any sight more touchingly domestic than him hauling several massive blue IKEA bags as though they’re precious cargo?

Going down the list that he remembered to bring—even though you wrote it, you’d forgotten about it—Gabriel ensures you’ve got all your essentials but can’t find the last ingredient you need. You know it’s crucial that when you have the chance to cook together, there’s no deviation from the recipe, no disrupting the ritual. When he suggests the pair of you should make a stop at another store, it’s not a compromise that you’re unwilling to make, but you’d much rather get back home and have him all to yourself again.

“Maybe we have some left from last time,” you say, trailing out as you scour the shelf for the third time, making a showy pretence of it.

“We don’t,” he informs with a discontented shake of his head, “I checked.”

The addendum to the shopping list was his doing, penned in at the bottom.

“Can we do without it?”

“We probably could, but do we want to? This is the question we have to ask ourselves. You know it’s not going to taste the same.”

He’s too determined for his own good sometimes.

It’s not that you want to rush him; it’s just that you know what traffic is like and how a little detour could throw the rest of your afternoon off. If you weren’t constantly picturing time dripping through the narrowest point of an hourglass, maybe you would have a single chill.

But you don’t, and Gabriel is already wise to some version of that.

Naturally, you think of a way to suggest he shuffle his priorities around and get you home without asking him to blatantly give up—because he won’t.

Beckoning him to lend you an ear with a finger, he leans down so you can whisper: “I’m not wearing any underwear. Thought you’d like to know.”

Something passes over him as he returns to his full height. Once you think he’s past replying, he speaks into a closed fist, “Holy shit.”

“You good?” A bad question, knowing full well you’ve quietly obliterated him.

He clears his throat and assures, “Never better.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about how we need to home before the ice cream melts.”

“What ice cream?”

Gabriel steps away, opens the closest freezer, grabs a pint of ice cream, and adds it onto the heap in your cart. “That one.”

Then he slips behind you and helps you steer towards the checkout, whispering in your ear about how he still can’t believe the things that come out of your mouth sometimes.

#gabriel reyes x reader #gabriel reyes imagine #overwatch x reader #overwatch imagine #you asked for sexy and i gave you GROCERY STORE #but am i wrong #this man watches sports and cooking shows with the same intensity.#alternative scenario: you say you're not wearing underwear and he's like. yeah i know #it's all in the laundry i literally just threw it all in the dryer before we left #gabriel reyes puts up with so much bless his soul #gabriel reyes #gabriel #reyes #these #replies #prompt meme

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sapphim · 1 year

Text

so as for the timing of the deep roads expedition, as a follow-up to this post

before they embark, bartrand says "It'll take a week for us to get to the depth we need."

also, once they find the primeval thaig, and varric asks "How did you even know it was here?" bartrand replies "Old scavenger tales. After the Third Blight. A week below the surface, they said, but nobody believed them... Looks like they were right."

so that's pretty conclusive. at minimum, best-case scenario, they'd be expecting at least a two week round trip. Unnamed expedition hirelings on the surface also comment "Two weeks in the Deep Roads? How bad could it be?" and "A few weeks in the Deep Roads won't be that bad, right?"

note that we know that they did have to find at least one detour before they arrived at the primeval thaig, and we don't know what their actual travel time ended up being, just that the thaig seems to be around where they were expecting it to be.

now! bartrand barricades hawke and co into the thaig, and they have to take another, extended detour to find another way out. we don't know how much actual time this detour takes, but it eventually leads to another cutscene

Varric: Hmm. I'd say this is our way back. Hawke: How long to get back? Varric: If we're unlucky, maybe a week. Hawke: And if we're lucky? Varric: We stumble over Bartrand's corpse on the way.

after a time skip, if bethany or carver are in the party, we have this exchange

Hawke: This part of the Deep Roads looks familiar. Varric: We're back where we started, and in only five days. Not bad, eh?

these are less straightforward to interpret than earlier statements, but here's how I see it: when varric says "our way back," and later "back where we started," he's referring to the entrance to the thaig, before they got barricaded in. otherwise, surely they would have been retracing familiar ground before that point, and "back where we started," would imply the surface, as would have varric's "maybe a week" estimate, no?

"back where we started, and in only five days," is also unclear. did the entire detour take five days? or is it five days from the previous cutscene? I lean toward the latter interpretation, as otherwise how would varric have come up with his pessimistic "maybe a week" estimate, unless they'd had to detour an equivalent distance out of their way already? so I think the full detour must have taken longer than five days.

most optimistic best-case scenario, they were in the deep roads for aboooout 20 days total. realistically, it definitely would have been longer. also, if a sibling is taken to the wardens, that adds an additional detour of unknown length. although since the wardens presumably would have come in through the same entrance (anders' stolen warden maps reveal, as bartrand remarks, "Three... four entrances into the Deep Roads, all in the Free Marches," which is not high density), they may not have been far out of the way. and then speaking of the entrance, you also have to factor in travel time to and from kirkwall, since we don't know where it's located. bartrand says of selecting the entrance, "We just pick the most promising one and go!" which does not necessarily imply it be the closest.

#my FAVORITE thing about the deep roads that REALLY doesn't come across in gameplay is that you head in #and then nobody sees nor hears hide nor hair from you for like a MONTH #DELIGHTful #hawkeposting #canonical texts

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lotrefcp · 9 months

Text

Hidden Away - Chapter 15

pairing/AU: Javier Peña x female!reader

summary: When the DEU fails to catch Escobar you are sent to Bogotá to help the team.

warnings: I don't understand this so just gonna say mature content, 18+

word count: 3000+

Chapter 15

You left the bathroom and put on practical clothes, already thinking about that day's operation. After a heavy breakfast, you grabbed your things and left trough the door, letting out a cry of surprise. Javi was waiting for you in your lobby.

"What the fuck. What are you doing? You almost gave me a heart attack. You almost lost a member for the mission today.”, You said with your breath still out of control.

“Am I really that ugly to scare you like that?”, Peña replied trying to look relaxed.

“Come on, we could even be Kevin Bacon. The result would be the same.”

“Kevin Bacon, huh? I thought you would go more for a John Stamos.”

“No, he’s too perfect.”, you said with a crooked smile. “But why the hell are you standing there?”

“I… I needed to talk to you.”

"About what?"

"About what? Seriously? About what happened yesterday before you ran out of my apartment.”

“You don't need to say anything. I get it. Not at the time but then I was thinking about it and it became clear.”

“Did it?”, he asked with curiosity and fear.

"Of course. Come on, you can say what you want but after being surrounded by all those half-naked bodies that were offered to you, you felt the need to get someone to help you, you know, relieve yourself and I was the closest to you. But tell me. Do you use that tactic with all the ones you bring into your house?”

“Tactic?” he asked.

“Yes, your opinion matters to me, I changed because of you, bla bla bla.” Javi was shocked that you thought that was what had happened the night before. That he had said everything he did just to get you into bed. But on one hand, he felt some relief knowing that his lapse that night would not affect your relationship.

"Not really. It was customized just for you. I usually fuck women that I meet that same night so I can't tell them I changed for them. I wouldn't be able to change for them in the space of an hour, between meeting them and bringing them here.”

"Of course. That's what I thought. But look, if you're that desperate, tonight, if the operation goes well, we'll all go party at the bar where you usually go and I'll help you find some poor little thing to bring home. I'm a great wingwoman.”, you replied with a wink. Javi sighed deeply.

“I'll think about your offer later.”, he ended up saying with a defeated look. “Let's just go to work because we have a big day ahead of us.”

"Exactly. I'll see you in a few minutes.”, you concluded starting to go down the stairs towards the front door and getting into your car. Javi soon got into his jeep too and drove off towards the barracks where you were going to meet Carrillo. You started your car when you saw him next to you, but after he left, you turned it off again and sat there for a few minutes, head leaning back. In your head the only image was that of Javi's face darkening in sadness as you spoke. You beat yourself up for being the cause of his pain, but you knew it was better that way. You didn't know what Peña thought he felt for you but you knew that, whatever it was, it would quickly disappear and then the pain would be yours, even having to continue working side by side with him. You knew you weren't like the women he chose daily and he, too, would eventually understand that. Whatever Peña thought of you was an illusion and all illusions, sooner or later, come to an end. You started the car again and took the same path as Javier towards the barracks. When you got there your two partners were already waiting for you.

“Did you make a detour along the way? I thought you were coming right behind me.”, Javi started by asking.

“No, I had to go back home for a few minutes. I had forgotten my badge.”, you said, arranging an excuse in the moment.

“Okay, let's go then, the Colonel is waiting for us.”, Steve said starting to walk towards the main building. Soon you reached his office and knocked on the door, hearing his voice inviting you to come in.

“Colonel Carrillo, did you want to talk to us?”, Peña asked before entering completely.

“Yes, come in and have a seat.” As soon as the three of you were seated he started rubbing his hands together. “I know that you went through a lot of work to find the clue and information you provided us with and that we will only do this operation because of you.”

“You're not going to leave us out, are you?” Peña asked in a deep voice.

“No, you will be part of the operation, of course. But this time I want the three of you to stay at the end of the military convoy.”

“And what is the reason behind this decision? As far as I can remember, you wouldn't have achieved what you achieved in the last few missions if it weren't for us.”

“I know, I'm not saying otherwise. But we really need to catch La Quica and we can't risk him getting away. That's why I want the first vehicles to be full of soldiers capable of catching him off guard. We can’t risk him getting away again.”

“And you think your military are more capable than we are?” Peña continued, his voice a little louder. Carrillo was unhappy with the way he was approached.

“Agent Peña, my men train and work for this every day. What do you guys do other than sit at a desk all day?” Javi was going to answer again but you intervened.

“Of course, the Colonel is right. We will simply do what we are told to do”, you ended up saying in order to calm the mood, not wanting Carrillo to end up sending you away even before you could take any action. Javi's hands were balled into fists, the knuckles white from the force exerted on them.

“So, as I was saying, your vehicle will be the last one and you will be parked in the street perpendicular to the brothel, as a backup in case something goes wrong. Later I will repeat your position when I am talking to everyone but I preferred to tell you personally beforehand to avoid this exchange of words in front of my men.”

“Of course, we understand and we really appreciate it.”, you said as you got up, making the other two get up as well. “See you later and thank you Colonel.”, you just said as you walked out of the door. It was only when you left the building that Peña and Steve spoke again, this time with you.

“Of course we understand? Thank you very much Colonel? What the hell was that?”, Steve asked with an angry tone of voice.

“What do you think you're doing?”, Javi also continued in an unnerved way.

“I was ensuring our presence in the operation. Do you really think that contradicting or responding to Carrillo would achieve anything? I mean, it would. it would have him sending us back to the office. It doesn't matter what position our vehicle will be in. We can take action at any time. Do you really think these men are that good? They are more likely to screw up and when that happens we are there to help. If the Colonel sent us away, we couldn't do it. You have to stop thinking with what's between your legs and start thinking with your head.” The two of them had their heads down knowing that you were right, but without the courage to acknowledge it.

“Very well, let's get ready then.”, you ended it clearly so that the conversation would end there.

It was 1:00 pm when you left the place for the brothel to get into position without knowing how long you would have to wait until La Quica decided to show up. One of the soldiers was left behind, hidden in the foliage on the side of the road that led to the brothel and the vehicles were positioned around the building, away from the main street, where they would wait for the warning that the man they wanted was approaching. Time passed and two hours later there was still no sign of La Quica and the men were starting to get impatient. Carrillo took his walkie to talk to you.

“Peña, are you sure he's coming here today? Have you not been deceived?”

“It's only been a few hours. The information I have is that he comes in the afternoon. There are still a few hours left for the afternoon to end.”

“I hope you're right. My men are already starting to get anxious.”

“Perhaps they too should spend a few days at their desks to get used to sitting and waiting.”, Javi blurted out, referring to what Carrillo had told you that morning.

Your neck almost snapped with the speed with which you turned to face Peña, punching him in the back, close to his shoulder. He didn't even react.

“Okay, we'll keep waiting but I hope you're right otherwise we'll have a conversation later.”

“Always available.”, Javi ended up saying, thus ending the conversation.

“After what you just did, I really hope La Quica shows up, otherwise you're fucked. We're all fucked.”, Steve started by saying.

“What did I say? I just advised a new type of training.”, Javi said with a crooked smile.

“Let's see if that very thoughtful advice doesn't come back to bite us in the ass.”, you replied, not managing, however, to hide a small smile.

It was 4:20 pm when the walkie started working again and on the other side you heard the voice of the soldier who had been on guard. “La Quica just drove by in a black Toyota Celica with a passenger. He’s headed in your direction.”

“Ok, thanks.”, you heard Carrillo's voice saying. Soon the soldiers began to get out of their vehicles and surrounded the building on all sides except for the facade through which La Quica would enter. But no matter how much the Search Bloc tried to hide, one of their military vehicles was visible from the road and soon the target of that operation became aware of it.

"Fuck. The military is here. Let's go.”, La Quica told the man who accompanied him. Carrillo saw that he didn't stop and soon let out a revolted cry.

“Peña, can you hear me?”

“Of course, Colonel. What's up?"

“I think La Quica saw us. He didn’t stop and is heading towards you. Go in pursuit and we will come to you right away.”

After asking which vehicle he was traveling in, you saw him approaching you and entering your street, going in the direction you were facing. Soon you took off and went after him.

“I told you they would fuck up.”, you said in the backseat, sitting between Javi and Steve, with your hands gripping their seats.

“Yes, congratulations. You’re a prophet.”, Javi replied, never taking his eyes off the car he was chasing. Unlike Peña, La Quica did not value the lives of the people on the road at that moment, running over some of them when he had to get up on a sidewalk to escape the traffic. This caused you to be a little behind but on a tighter curve, and due to the speed at which he was going, La Quica ran into a parked car and left his vehicle unusable. Javi pulled up right behind him and the three of you followed in pursuit of the two men. Of course they got separated in their escape so Steve went after the man in the passenger seat and you and Peña went after La Quica. Steve quickly caught up with his man, shooting him in the leg and in the buttock, informing Carrillo of his capture. On the other hand, you and Javi were still running after La Quica when he turned onto a dirt road. You managed to reduce the gap between you, but when making a curve your feet slipped on the ground and you ended up falling. When you got up on your feet again, La Quica and Peña had disappeared down one of the streets that started from the road where you were. Fuck it, you said in frustration, starting to run again, gun in hand and attentive to the footprints you could decipher on the street in front of you. Peña was already all sweaty, his pink shirt, glued to his body, creating stains of a darker pink under his arms and just below the nape of his neck. The drops of water ran down his face, like a fountain that could not refresh him. And that's how he finally approached La Quica from behind and, casting himself at him, threw him to the ground. The two men struggled with each other in an attempt to get on top of the other. After two punches thrown at La Quica's face that stunned him, Javi got up and pointed his gun at him. In his mind there were two questions: he knew they needed him if they wanted to find Escobar but he only thought about killing him for what he had done to you.

“Why don't you shoot me?”, La Quica asked. "Don't you have the balls to kill someone?"

"And why do you think I'm going to kill you?"

“Isn't that what you want?”

"Yeah, but I can't always do what I want."

“The woman coming after us. Wasn't she the one who killed Blackie?"

“Yes, she was.”

“I thought I had already killed that bitch.” Peña felt himself being filled with the hatred he had for that man and he started to squeeze the trigger.

“Looks like you already made up your mind. Apparently it's that whore who has your balls in her hands.” And a shot was fired. You quickly headed towards the noise that had reached your ears, leaving you in a panic, not knowing who had been hit. You ran to the location.

La Quica was on the ground, bleeding, a bullet lodged in his shoulder blade, unconscious. Javi turned his back and, picking up the walkie talkie, he warned everyone that La Quica had been immobilized, but at the sound of Peña’s voice he started to come to himself again and, putting his trembling hand to the waist of his pants, he took his gun and pointed it at Javi.

“Hey Peña.” Javi looked back in shock but there was nothing he could do.

You were making the turn towards the position where the sound of the shot had come from when you saw Javi in the background being shot and falling to the ground.

“Peña!” you shouted as you ran towards him and knelt beside his body lying on the dirt.

"Are you okay? Talk to me.", you asked in desperation.

He couldn't speak. You looked at him trying to find his wound. You ended up finding it in his abdomen, on his right side, where you were.

“Don't do this to me Peña.”, you continued to say while you took your denim shirt and rolled it up to put pressure on the wound. You tried to lift him up a bit to better understand his condition. Tears were streaming down your face without you even noticing it. You took the walkie. “Agent down. Pena was shot. I need help now.” You continued to apply pressure while informing them of your position.

“OK, the bullet is still in there, but don't worry. Help is on its way. You'll be fine.”, you told him, trying to calm yourself down too.

Javi's eyes finally closed and his head fell to the side.

“No, Peña, wake up. Open your eyes. Please." You ended up putting your forehead on his, your tears falling now on his face too, mixing with his beads of sweat.

“Please wake up. I need you.", you continued. "I really need you." And putting your mouth to his ear you whispered softly “Don't leave me Peña. I love you, do you hear me? I love you."

Your head was still down when the team and Steve came up to you and picked him up to take him to the hospital, putting him in the back of one of their vehicles.

“I'm going with him.”, you ended up saying as you sat in the passenger seat.

“Wouldn't it be better for you to stay here to report on what happened?”, one of the soldiers asked.

“I'm going with him.”, you repeated with more tension in your voice. “I'll do whatever you want later. And get that son of a bitch out of here. Don't leave him alone until he talks.”, you concluded while pointing to La Quica's body on the ground, unconscious again because of the blood loss. The jeep started off and you quickly arrived at the hospital. A stretcher was brought out and his body was placed on it as gently as possible. You grabbed his hand and started running beside him as they took him inside.

“He still has the bullet in there. It didn’t come out. I tried to apply pressure but he lost a lot of blood”, you said until you reached an area of the hospital from which you could no longer pass.

“Miss, you'll have to wait outside. We'll do our best to save him. Only after we take the bullet out will we know what we're dealing with. As soon as we can we will send someone here to talk to you with news.” And so they pushed the gurney through two doors and you lost sight of him. It was at that moment that you lost all strength on your legs and your knees fell to the ground. You took your hands to your face to hide your pain and the tears that barely allowed you to see anything in front of you, and you released your moans of pain, surrounded by people, hospital staff, who passed by you and didn't even turn their eyes in your direction. And there you stayed, in the middle of the hall, until Steve arrived to keep you company.

TAG: @ttupelohoneyy @random-fandom-lady @appleperson2 @kirsteng42 @thelittleames @smashcrabsblog @viraghideg-blog @brendacookie13 @josiequantterbirk @anxiousbeech @omgbubble @feyredarling92 @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @ihave7wings @bees-fart-too @hoesheartme @itsyassbitch @xyz32 @beboldbebravethings @hopelessromantic727 @iamsenamentes94 @a-e-i-owe-you @xohmygosh @noelwen @longagoandfaraway @snowglobz@kiaradaniell @beanie513 @avenget@ermalicious @hermionelaufeyson @merlin-harry-percy @blueseastorm @welcome2my-darkside @hxpburn76 @pedroschmedro @hxpburn76 @amaraluvsyou @imherefordeanandbones

#pedro pascal #javier pena narcos #narcos fanfiction #javi pena #javier pena fanfiction #javier pena fic #javier pena x reader #javier pena fanficiton

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holocene-sims · 8 months

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next // previous

july 7, 2021 2:00 p.m. grant's house

[shannon] so, i had to respond to an email i keep forgetting about that came in like three days ago. oh, oh, oh, and i got some clothes in the mail i ordered for the holiday colm and i are going on–you know, our honeymoon–and i opened them so i could make sure the fabric doesn’t make me want to rip my skin off, you know?

[grant] totally respectable. i never buy new clothes either because i like my current ones–why do i need to get used to a whole new set of clothes? my favorite shoes are a decade old pair of converse. i don’t want to retrain myself to be comfy.

[shannon] see! thank you.

[shannon] but back to the email, it kind of has to do with you! maybe! potentially.

[grant] with little old me?

[grant] also, sorry, not to interrupt but: both of you, help yourself to anything you want to drink! i forgot to offer, which makes me a terrible host.

[grant] additionally, there are cookies because i keep stress baking, like, every couple days, so feel free to enjoy some cookies!

[grant] and yes, i'll clear the paperwork off the table. i had to get it out again for something.

[shannon] you're fine! thank you! but anyway, about the email! maybe i can have a single coherent sentence come out of my mouth.

[grant] yeah, no, i am extremely curious what an email potentially having to do with little old random me would be about. also take your time, we do not have to be coherent here!

[shannon] an old professor of mine emailed me secondhand about a project he thought i could help with. it’s not his project but it’s another professor’s project in dublin and it’s not really a formal academic thing but more like a side project for an online newspaper thingy.

[shannon] anyway, um, that doesn't matter, but i emailed this other professor–the lady running the project–who is an anthropologist just collecting stories and interviews from irish speakers in the diaspora, either as a native or a learned language, and she’s looking for people interested in participating, which is a really limited number since...well, you know why…

[shannon] i can’t participate because i would be incredibly biased and also, most obviously, i was born in ireland, but neither of those complications apply to you! also, you will be in the country a week from now and that gives for better interviews to do them in person, if you’re asking me.

[grant] i'm not disqualified because i have citizenship there?

[shannon] no. that’s fine. you just can’t have grown up there.

[shannon] or have gone to any kind of long-term language school or anything there because that would imply being not-in-the-diaspora.

[shannon] also, there’s no pressure. i didn’t say oh yes, talk to my one very specific cousin. i said i have many connections, family or otherwise, who would fit into the scope of your project who may be interested in chatting with you, and i can get you all in contact.

[shannon] but if you did it, i think it’d be fun, and i think you’d have the some of the best answers. at least out of our eligible family members. you’re really one of the kids closest to our grandparents and you have the most exposure and familiarity with the language out of the american-born kids. i mean, you all know how to speak it fluently and natively and all, but some are better than others. besides, you’re so sentimental and that’s helpful.

[grant] well, sure! i don’t mind talking to her. i also don’t think anyone would mind making a really brief detour for a day or so to do it.

[shannon] great! i will try my best to remember to email her in the morning.

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 #sims 4 story #sims 4 storytelling #simblr #hlcn: everything the stars promised #just setting up a future plot point #holocene.docx #holocene.png #hlcn: grant #hlcn: shannon #hlcn: colm

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greetingfromthedead · 2 months

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C18: Moving On

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Series Rating: 18+ / Explicit

Chapter: 18/84

Words: 1.8k

No particular warnings for this chapter.

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You spent a few more days at the saloon, now with the additional job of protecting the girls, while Vash's job was to make sure the downstairs stays calm. You got more action than him, occasionally taking his duties when the rowdiness started at the doors. You didn't have to talk much, and it seemed like you got enough of a reputation from your first night that most people backed away after seeing the fire burning in our eyes. The girls started to call you a demon in the most affectionate way possible, and the men picked up on it too, not wanting to come face-to-face with a hell beast. Once you had to clobber someone who was trying to convince you to get into one of the rooms with him, and another time you threw a knife at someone's head, the blade cutting some of his hair and burying itself into a door frame. The bartender overlooked your slightly destructive behavior, as he was glad to cultivate a reputation for his establishment so he can threaten patrons with the Demon even after you're gone. You got to retire the maid uniform after the first night, much to the dismay of Vash, and you wore clean pants and a new shirt you had gotten instead. The stomping of your boots was generally enough to quiet down anyone who wanted to get more from the girls than they paid for.

The demonic persona was easier for you than who you tried to be to fit in. You were welcome to let your furious and sarcastic personality shine through. None of the girls were scared of you, though; they smiled kindly and greeted you happily. They occasionally came up to you and chatted away, especially Jenny, but you still felt awkward talking back, not sure what to say.

The sheriff came over one day to hand you the bounty for the Maxwell brothers, which you shared with Vash. That same day, you went to the saloon owner and told him that you'd be moving on from this town. He happily paid you your wages and told you that he would take the two of you back any time or at least buy you a drink. Even Hilda seemed sad to see Vash go after working him to the bone in the kitchen.

You buy yourself your own tomas and some more supplies, and you saddle up to head out of town. You double-check that you have everything with you, and off you go.

"I'm still disappointed you don't want to share a tomas with me." Vash pouts next to you.

"Red, it's not about wanting to share; I felt bad for your tomas. I have more stuff now—more supplies, more weight. We get farther like this."

"Well, don't blame me then if I refuse to let go of you as soon as you get off that bird." He laughs lightly, and you can't help but smile.

"So where to?" You don't really know what his plan is; you are just happy to tag along with him. His presence soothes the voices in your head, and a feeling is growing ever larger in your chest. The voices have gotten worse after the first night at the saloon; new screams have been added to the cacophony, and they are insistently in your brain. The time you spent alone, away from Vash, was the hardest. Other sounds, including the girls' chatter, helped to distract you, but there was something more about the man beside you; it's like he is able to put a damper on it by just being there. He makes your heart light and brings a smile to your lips. Every night that you went back to the hotel you had spent in his arms, he insisted that it's to make up for all the hours he couldn't see you. To spare yourself from nights filled with buzzing, you chose to sleep them away with him. These days are now, however, over since you don't trust the open desert enough to not keep watch.

"To the closest village, maybe? Or we can take course to the next bigger settlement, but then it might be smarter to skip that village. We're good with supplies, and it would be a detour."

You agree to head to the closest town, even though it means three nights in the desert. You can only hope the two of you don't become worm fodder, but then again, it's not something completely new to either of you. Lucky for both of you, the track is calm, no surprises, only a few cars off in the distance, and some worm swarms, but nothing that would indicate danger. You push on into the night at a slow pace, trying to find a good spot to camp, and finally you come across a small stone outcropping. It won't give you much shelter from the wind, nor will it hide you from anybody within seeing distance, but the stones mean there's bedrock under the sand, and that way you are safe from large worms.

You had declined dinner, and Vash didn't argue this time. You had eaten every day that you spent in the saloon to keep up appearances, but you didn't seem too happy about it, so he decided not to push you. You sit on your mattress, and Vash has set up his right next to yours so he can keep close to you. Currently, he lays on the mattress in front of you with his head on your lap. You enjoy playing with his soft hair.

"So how does it all work? You don't need to sleep, eat, and drink, but it also doesn't do any harm, right? I understand why you ate, but you also slept in the hotel. Don't get me wrong; I'm happy to see you snoozing in my arms."

"Well, I don't know what was done to me or why I am the way I am, but what I have gathered from experience is that my body generally can produce its own energy and, overall, everything it needs. It's also very resilient and efficient; my cells don't seem to die due to time; they live until an injury forces them to regenerate. There are processes that work differently than with regular humans; for example, I don't sweat because my body doesn't need to regulate its temperature, and so on. I can regenerate with just time, but it can be slow. Giving my body extra energy and materials through food and water hastens the process, and my cells reform a lot quicker. Similarly to adrenaline, it makes my regeneration go faster. Sleep is slightly different. While it does take me energy to stay awake and do things, my body generates more than enough of it that I don't really get tired unless I push myself too hard. But if I have a bigger injury, it will mend itself quicker if I sleep, since then I have more energy for it. Sleep also offers an escape; well, usually it does; sometimes I still see nightmares."

"Escape from the voices?" Vash quietly asks, and you just nod. "How are they now?"

"Manageable. They are still there, and they are loud, but they aren't overwhelming or anything like that. I can still focus on you and my thoughts, but there's not a single quiet moment."

"Anything that can be done?" His eyes look into yours, and you see sadness in them.

"I don't know. They started some time after we crashed, and they have only gotten louder. I think it's a sign I might be closer to remembering things from before; I think it wants me to know." You sigh. "I've only ever found one thing that makes them quiet down..."

You hesitate for a moment as he looks up to you, his brows moving closer together into a slight frown. He seems to be thinking hard about something, and the curiosity on his face is obvious.

"You." Biting your lip, you look to the side, feeling embarrassed. "Being around you seems to calm it down a little."

His hand reaches out and touches your face, making you turn towards him again.

"Then just stick close to me; I'll fight them off however I can." He smiles up at you, and your hand moves from his hair onto his cheek to stroke it gently.

"Thank you." A smile flickers onto your lips.

"If you figure out a way I could help you more, be it to quiet the voices or jerk your memory... just tell me. I'd do anything." He sits up without letting go of your face. His expression is so gentle and sweet as he comes closer. He places soft kisses on your forehead, on your eyes and cheeks, and finally a light one on your lips. "Promise me you'll ask me for help; don't bottle it up; you aren't alone anymore."

"I promise," you say quietly as you look into his eyes, and it's true that you no longer feel alone. You stroke his messy hair and rest your hand on his neck, placing kisses over his cheek until your lips are at his ear. "And neither are you. Let me protect you too. Let me take care of you. I'll keep you safe, your body and heart."

"I know and I trust you, but I don't want you to get hurt." His arms slide onto your back, pulling your body closer.

"Let me worry about that. Let me choose. I'll take however many bullets I have to to protect you. I'm selfish like that, remember." You kiss his cheek by his ear, kiss his jaw, and leave a trail of kisses on his neck, pulling down the collar of his turtleneck.

"I can be selfish too, and I don't want to see you in pain." His voice is quiet and breathy, his head moving up so you can kiss his Adam's apple and move to the other side of his neck. You kneel to reach better.

"I'll heal up before you even notice," you whisper between the kisses, trailing along his turtleneck on his skin. It feels like a thousand burning butterflies are in your stomach, so warm and so fluttery, a feeling so deep and strong it doesn't even seem to belong to you. His hands trail lower over your back, over your hips, and grab your thighs, pulling you even closer onto his lap.

"I won't let you put yourself in harm's way if I can help it." One of his hands goes into your hair, and his lips move to your ear. Now he leaves a trail of kisses on your neck, moving up to your cheek.

"Well, you do seem helpless without me," you say, melting to his touch as you straddle his legs.

He moves your head so he can place his lips on yours, and as you move together, the feelings inside you boil over. It feels ancient, like mountains moving, so strange and new to you. It leaves you gasping for oxygen like you need it, but no, it's not really air you need; it's the man in front of you. Like he is something you need to live, unlike food and water.

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#tempest wind #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #Trigun #trigun stampede #tristamp #Humanoid Typhoon #vashxreader #vash x reader #x reader #plant boi #Vash the Stampede

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david-talks-sw · 2 years

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Do you think the Star Wars universe could handle a story with gray morality, where good and evil aren't easily defined?

If the story doesn't have Force users?

Easily.

Solo, Book of Boba Fett, Rogue One, these are all stories where I think there was an opportunity to really make the characters morally "gray".

If you want my opinion, in Solo & Fett, they barely scratched the surface. In Rogue One, they explored it with Cassian Andor, but also offset it by changing Jyn Erso from this kick-ass rebel into this starry-eyed girl who says "hope" every other scene.

But in each of the above-mentioned movies, there's a danger about it not feeling like Star Wars anymore.

Solo is "Star Wars meets the heist subgenre",

Fett might've been "Star Wars meets the crime show subgenre",

Rogue One is "Star Wars meets the war movie subgenre".

So it's Star Wars... with something else that - some would argue - dilutes it. At it's core, Star Wars is fundamentally about Good vs Evil. As a result, these various genres are never explored quite to my personal satisfaction.

I'm part of the crowd that thinks the Star Wars movie franchise should expand it's genres exponentially.

I wanna see a romcom that starts in the Jedi Temple and ends with a passionate speech in Cloud City,

I wanna see a buddy-cop movie between Quinlan Vos and Vilmar Grarhk/Mace and Anakin/Yoda and Maz Kanata,

I wanna see a horror film where the monster is a Sith Lord,

I wanna see a zombie movie with Doctor Evazan as the mastermind villain,

a detective noir film set between Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 featuring Rael Averross investigating the disappearance of some Kaleesh warlord and eventually finding out about Dooku's turn to the Dark Side

and a slice-of-life comedy about the entire disaster lineage. Seriously I just need this whole thread to be canon.

But I'm not holding my breath because I know that there'd be a big chunk of people who'd go "this doesn't feel like Star Wars" and "you're hurting the brand".

It's why George Lucas & Seth Green's Star Wars Detours was cancelled.

It's why Lord and Miller left Solo.

The brand can't change too much, apparently. As cheesy as it is, it has to be about Good vs Evil, it has to be about hope, etc.

So it gets relegated to other mediums. Qira and the Crimson Reign comic come to mind. She’s awesome, the whole Crimson Reign series is amazing... but I don’t think we’re gonna see anything like that in a movie.

If the story does have Force users?

On the one hand...

I think we already got it, and it's the majority of the Star Wars fandom who just couldn't handle it.

The Jedi in the Clone War are caught between a rock and a hard place. There's no morally right choices, there's only "less morally wrong" choices. They've been drafted into a war where they have to choose between the minor of two evils every day.

They're usually the guys who'll be the closest thing to perfection, but now they're gradually being sullied by the Republic's exploitation of their own compassion and sense of duty. Every morally right choice they make also comes with a morally wrong consequence stuck to it. The more they fight, the more these servants of the Light Side make the Dark Side stronger... but if they don't fight, the Dark Side gets stronger even more rapidly. And they can't help it because, again, they're being forced to do this. So all they can do is keep moving forward and hope for the best.

They're not the villains, but they're sure as hell not perfect. There's a nuance there.

But a very, very large part of the audience reacted to this as "the Jedi were evil hypocrites who sent child soldiers/slaves to their deaths and had Order 66 coming!"

On the other hand...

If you mean a story with "gray" morality in which the Force-sensitive characters themselves are "gray"... I dunno.

The way the Force works is that if you are "gray", you won't stay that way for long. At some point you either choose the Light or (much likelier) fall to the Dark Side.

In Legends, we've had Quinlan Vos and Cade Skywalker's stories echoing this.

These are both stories with morally "grey" protagonists who vacillate between the Light Side and the Dark Side, who use the Dark Side as a tool and think they can get away with it only to get dragged deeper down by it... but both stories end with the protagonist choosing the Light Side.

So those might be what you're looking for?

But the morality in those stories isn't gray, there's a very clear definition of what's good and what's evil... it's just the protagonist who is gray and their journey is about finally choosing and fully embracing the side of good.

Still, both Quin and Cade's stories are goddamn masterpieces.

For more info on "Gray Jedi", I talk more about it here.

In Canon, we have Bendu whose morals are very evidently “gray”... but he’s so neutral and passive that I don’t think you can center a story around him.

But yeah, beyond that... I don't know.

I don't think so, I'll tell you that. When a Force user is involved, I think that that's when Star Wars should be about good vs evil.

#rambled again #long post #my bad #QnA #meta

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