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krashlite · 2 months

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I think that c!Jimmy liked being a Bad Boy and a Big Dog because for once in this series a role let him be reckless without being mocked/put down by his allies and without truly harming anyone through the risks he took. In this essay I will explore his character through this lens

Jimmy is an extremely optimistic character, almost always seen smiling and laughing about whatever’s going on. Not in the sense that he laughs when he’s nervous, but in the sense that he makes light of whatever scenario he’s in. On a deeper level, this also translates into overconfidence in a glass-half-full type of way. If there’s a chance a plan could go south, he only focuses on the potential benefit. If there’s a chance he loses a fight, he only focuses on winning

This isn’t to say he’s unaware of negative outcomes, he just chooses to ignore them. The result is him making poor decisions over, and over, and over again. Jimmy knows exactly why he did that but from an outside perspective he’s regarded as stupid

This is seen as early as 3rd life, with Scott practically putting him on a leash to stop him from fighting Ren and his army. Specifically when they manage to chase Dogwarts away from Joel’s base, Jimmy goes to give chase and Scott immediately stops him. They’ve won, and he doesn’t understand why Jimmy would push it further. Jimmy, on the other hand, is thinking about how they’ve been chased across the map like rabbits and knows DW will be back unless they establish themselves as a threat. Now’s the perfect time, since they have the upper hand

But again, Scott doesn’t see this. In his mind, the battle is won and they shouldn’t expend more time, energy, or resources on it. Ultimately he doesn’t want to see Jimmy hurt and believes that restricting what Jimmy does will protect him from harm

I think this shows a fundamental difference in how they interact with the world. Scott’s more practical- he only does what he feels is necessary and is humble enough to know when the risk isn’t worth the reward. Jimmy, on the other hand, wants to test the limits and see what he’s able to accomplish through, once again, taking unnecessary risks.

But this is where things get messy

Again, there is a fundamental difference in their thought processes. This causes them to clash, and since Scott is the one who held more “power” in the relationship (being the one to decide many aspects of their base and being the one to make most deals and plans for the both of them), resulted in Scott putting Jimmy down A Lot. This started with Jimmy returning from the desert without several of the armor pieces he left with and continued throughout the war.

Jimmy, in response to this treatment, started acting More reckless as a means to prove himself. He wanted to be seen as just as strong, smart, and capable as the people around him. Ultimately, he wanted to be respected in his own right, and that didn’t really happen this season!

Nor did it happen in LL,

LL was an entire mess for so many reasons and most of it was due to the game mechanic itself. Lives being treated as currency caused rifts in many alliances, especially the Southlands

This coupled with the fact that Jimmy is already back in 3L habits, trying to prove himself constantly, makes an incredibly messy situation. His efforts in monopolizing sugar cane are downplayed and mocked, he spends so much time getting spyglasses just for Mumbo to lose them. These are meant to be harmless jokes (and really, they are) but Jimmy’s coming off of an unbalanced power dynamic and a tiny bit of it eats away at him and he can’t figure out Why.

Jimmy doesn’t understand why he doesn’t feel valued in the team, so he starts looking at arbitrary reasons Why. The reason he settles on is the life count, with Grian’s death making it known that Yellow-Names are on the brink of being exiled.

This comes back to the game mechanic. Jimmy sees Martyn with four lives, with the ability to either a) bring Grian back to Yellow or b) offer a Yellow-Name in the alliance a life to keep them safe, and Martyn Doesn’t. This tells Jimmy that Martyn either doesn’t trust him or doesn’t value him enough to even attempt to protect him

I think this was even voiced a couple of times during LL, with Martyn closely guarding his lives and finding every reason he could to justify it (he was fully in the right for keeping them, even if doing so hurt others). Jimmy backed off, but there was just a small amount of bitterness that lingered

With Martyn, I think Jimmy picked up on the fact that Martyn was more concerned with protecting his Alliance than the people in it. He needed a group around him, but wasn’t terribly concerned with them otherwise

And that’s what fueled his decision to steal the life. If Martyn doesn’t respect him, if he doesn’t trust him, if he doesn’t care enough to protect him, why should Jimmy do the same. Why should he be a human shield for someone who barely looks his way. Impulse and Mumbo could stay if they wanted, but he wasn’t going to

Which makes it hurt so much more when Martyn asks to run away with him, when Martyn says he cares about Jimmy more than anyone else in the alliance. I want to remind you, Jimmy’s an optimist. He looks at the half-full cup. He doesn’t consider Martyn could be lying because he wanted so badly to just be Seen. So Jimmy gives it back

As it turns out, Martyn was lying. He calls him an idiot, and Jimmy is exiled immediately

All the resolve that Jimmy had in stealing the life crumbles then and there. He starts hanging around the Southlands alliance like a lost puppy, basically begging them to take him back. Martyn’s little ruse inadvertently showed Jimmy that, really, all he wanted is to be valued and supported. The life counts stops being an issue because he’s able to recognize the real issue- he feels undervalued and he feels stupid

That’s a factor even after the Southlands reunites, after he’s almost unanimously voted back in but Grian’s insistent on a recount. I think it’s the main reason why he’s so risky when he goes down to red- with him falling for a trap that he easily could have avoided

Again, it’s the same as 3L. He feels disrespected and undervalued so he takes unnecessary risks in order to prove to himself and to others that he’s just as strong, just as smart, and just as capable as they are.

This is later coupled with Mumbo’s extreme bloodlust when he turns Red. On Red, Mumbo was needlessly violent and is basically the only Red to swing at anything that moved. And I do mean Needlessly violent, he got himself and others into several dicey scenarios because he was impulsive and wanted to Stab. He gave the server a reason to be cautious of Mumbo and any other Red-Name. If Mumbo was a loose cannon, how would others be?

Except Mumbo was only aggressive towards Non-Reds (obviously) and was otherwise supportive of those on his side

I think this actually greatly influenced Skizz’s decision to leave BEST behind, with him seeing Mumbo as someone worth defending/standing by. Not only was he a visibly strong ally with a reputation, he genuinely cared for and supported those who were at his side. In Skizz’s case, he offered a source of stability where BEST couldn’t, and I think the same is true for Jimmy.

Jimmy sees this, and sees Mumbo as someone who can both show him how to be dangerous and respect his abilities in this game. Mumbo was respected as a threat and genuinely cared for those in his company. So he’s the perfect ally, right?

Actually, no, and this isn’t where the Skizz comparison ends either. Remember, Mumbo created the reputation that Reds are a worthy threat and that they’re violent without cause (“oh but what about Joel?” Joel was a joke at best and an annoyance at worst. He I think he definitely did influence Mumbo’s actions but that’s another essay entirely). Mumbo influenced Skizz’s aggression this season, with him becoming more bold in who he threatened or even attacked

So how does this compare to Jimmy? Both of them were coming off of alliances where they were unsupported, so they leaned more into Mumbo’s habits- good and bad. Except they didn’t really see it. Good traits were associated with Mumbo, their friend, and bad traits were associated with their shared condition, their Red-Life.

The plan to trap the bunker played on both, but was coupled with Jimmy’s bad habit of shooting for the best possible outcome. Mumbo had previously turned tail and ran whenever a plan went south, but that’s not how Jimmy is. Jimmy only focuses on the possible gain and ignores possible dangers. When the trap didn’t set off, he insisted on pushing Grian into it. And that actually goes back to him trying to chase Ren’s army- he didn’t know when to call it quits

And of course this causes both of their deaths. To Jimmy, his death caused Mumbo’s. He caused the death of the one ally who actually stood by him. I think this is when he fully internalizes criticism from 3L and LL as a whole. He feels weak, he feels stupid, he doesn’t feel nearly as capable as those around him.

And this carries into DL

Except DL was a much different season than the previous two. The soulmate mechanic in DL meant that you and your ally have to rely on each other, you have to support each other because failing to do so will surely spell your doom

Not only that, but Jimmy was finally paired with a supportive ally from the start. They made their base together because they trusted the other to build more than they trusted themself. When Jimmy came back with cows, Tango’s immediate response was to exclaim “you’re amazing!!!” Instead of criticizing him like previous alliances had- even back in 3L!! This is the first time Jimmy got a fully positive response to his efforts. Tango was overwhelmingly supportive towards Jimmy and Jimmy returned the favor. The base didn’t look perfect, but it was theirs. The server didn’t want them to have a horn so they devised a plan to get one.

Tango had also been following a similar arc up until now- with him being undervalued by his alliances. Except in those alliances, he was pushed to the side or physically harmed instead of being an object of ridicule. I think this is part of why it isn’t really out of place for them to meet through dying. Tango was expecting to be harmed and so was Jimmy, so neither of them blame the other

With Tango being pushed to the side, he also shied away from leadership positions, finding it more comfortable to follow. This paired well with how Jimmy typically takes charge of things, with Jimmy making most plans for the both of them (most, not all)

But again, this is where things get messy

Remember, Jimmy uses risks to prove his worth. He wants to see what he can do, but is also still recovering from previous seasons. He still thinks he’s the reason why him and Mumbo died, and doesn’t want to cause the death another ally, especially one who loves him. Instead of staying careful, he devises a plan to steal livestock, to steal Scar’s horse. It’s for the ranch, it’s for Tango

I think Jimmy realizes the problem when the Ranch is burned. He’s forced to confront this when he sees Tango fly into a rage and almost try to fight a group of people he’d surely lose to. Jimmy cannot be reckless here, he has to talk Tango down from the proverbial ledge.

With this, the roles end up reversing, with Tango being the reckless one and Jimmy trying to steer him to be more tactical. And Jimmy is So careful about this too, not wanting to act like Scott or the Southlands. Because of that he never actually tells Tango no on his dangerous plans- ESPECIALLY the plan to release Rancher’s Revenge, the warden- but instead suggests ways to make the plan better

The dilemma here is that Jimmy needs to choose between being risky and being safe. Both would benefit Tango, except Jimmy knows from experience how much it hurts to be bound in bubble-wrap all the time

Jimmy sees no way to avoid risks without hurting Tango. So instead of fighting against that part of himself, Jimmy leans into it. He accepts it as a key tenet of his identity, even as it puts the both of them in harms way. Yes they went down in the end, but they went down together, Always Together.

It didn’t matter if Jimmy was a “worthy” ally, he didn’t need to be Smart, he didn’t need to be Strong, he didn’t even need to be Capable. He learned that he deserved love not in spite of his flaws, but alongside his flaws.

And this is the lesson he carries into the next two Seasons, with both alliances being fully centered on being reckless

The Bad Boys acted dangerously, but they acted as a unit- ESPECIALLY him and Joel. Bad Boys dig straight down, Bad Boys water bucket clutch from the build limit, Bad Boys care about each other not in spite of endangering themselves, but because of it

And this is because Joel had a nearly identical arc. Joel in previous seasons had a habit of acting recklessly in the same way Jimmy did, and was cast aside because of it. In 3L he ended up a Lone Wolf, in LL he was forced into a position where he’s the villain, and in DL he and Etho leaned into the danger in the same way Jimmy and Tango did. Their stories run parallel so it only makes sense that they’re the ones who end up supporting each other in LimL

And Joel was Jimmy’s main source of support that season, with Grian representing the criticism of previous seasons. This gave Jimmy the ability to confront said criticisms through, again, leaning into them. He did something stupid? Yes, but him and Joel were having fun. A plan went south because of unnecessary risks? Yes, but Joel was being risky with him. Joel gave Jimmy the ability to basically cut through the aforementioned “bubble wrap” Grian was trying to put around them

And I think it’s also important to mention Grian did this out of both love and cowardice, not malice. Ultimately he didn’t want to lose either of them and was trying to keep them alive longer. But because Grian never learned the lesson they did- that it’s more important to act together than to survive alone- Grian chooses survival and ends up alone.

Anyways, recklessness being the foundation of Jimmy’s alliances carries into SL as well

Jimmy was on the brink of death for almost the entire season, man was not thriving whatsoever and that was known. Funnily enough, he ends up with Martyn, who again was previously more concerned with his own safety than the people around him

But Martyn is just coming off of a victory, of finally achieving the very thing he’d been working towards and the thing he centered his motivations on. Without that goal, he’s left with his methods- which was mostly having dangerous ideas and seeing them through

With Jimmy, Martyn introduced plans that involved them being risky and in everyone else’s faces. This, to Jimmy, echoed both Joel and Tango’s behavior. He was able to fully settle into the fact that, for him, good things come from being reckless, from shooting for the best possible outcome and refusing to back down

Jimmy maintains his optimism and his recklessness, traits that had previously been challenged but traits he stubbornly holds onto and values in his Life

#someone pointed out that the only psychoanalyses of this man are abt the curse #and I might be making an amv specifically About The Curse but goddamnit I can’t let him be done dirty like this #will actually write the essay so if you come back to this and there’s a wall of text that’s why #edit essay is written #trafficblr #jimmy solidarity #traffic smp #grian #scott smajor #mumbo jumbo #skizzleman #martyn inthelittlewood #tango tek #if you want the canary curse tie in-#it greatly factors into the image of him being weak and lacking value #that’s why he fights so hard against it #he needs to prove that he has value and he needs to prove that he isn’t worthless because of his shortcomings #long post

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seralyra · 1 year

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Grian is an enigma in the Life Series. He’s playing to win. He’s ruthless. But he’s also fiercely loyal and the dichotomy of those two aspects messes him up so bad every time.

He is the victim of his own nature. Grian forges alliances out of necessity. Because that’s what he needs to succeed. But he stays because he’s growing attached to his allies every time. No matter how hard he fights against it. How much he rebels against the bonds he creates. He always ends up staying. And he always ends up alone.

The most obvious is Scar. Grian is his ally in 3rd Life. He bonds with him out of obligation and stays because he can’t find it in himself to leave. And in Double Life he tries to get away from Scar, but let’s not forget that he is the one to seek Scar out in the first place. And He’s not the one to use that golden apple. It’s Pearl. Even though he was the one who suggested creating an item to break bonds.

He’s the one to talk Scar into basing together. And while he is secret soulmates with BigB he always comes back to Scar. In Limited Life it is obvious, too. Grian never really attacks Scar without being provoked first. Whenever the two are alone together they just talk and tease each other. And while Grian desperately tries to keep his distance, to make sure they are not allied. He ends up becoming family anyway.

Last Life was a bit of an outlier. But Mumbo was in Last Life and Grian will always fixate on Mumbo first. And even then Grian still couldn’t help but go to Scar after he turned red to give him his stuff back and comfort him.

Jimmy is another case. Whenever he is allied with Grian there will always be an attempt at kicking him out of the group. But it never feels too serious. Grian is used to teasing Jimmy. And ultimately Grian tends to be the voice of reason in the groups he ends up in. The Southlands fell apart as soon as Grian turned red and was kicked out. And the Bad Boys would have died of stupid stunts much earlier if Grian didn’t give them a few things to focus on instead.

Grian is constantly in denial. Yes, Grian, this game as no rules. Now who are you bending those rules for, hm? Oh, allyships don’t matter? Then why are you chosing to stay when all you do is complain about your partners?

It’s because he can’t decide what’s more important to him: Winning or friendship.

His very nature kicks him in the butt every time. He’s so lovely undecided in what he wants. He’s a bastard. He loves chaos. He shoves people off bridges and pushes buttons and is surprised when people die because of it.

He also hates betrayals. Grian doesn’t much care for accidental deaths, but he won’t stand for any backstabbing. And so he’s ruthless in his judgement. He kills Mumbo for it. And Jimmy. And he would have killed Scar for it in 3rd Life, too, had Scar not proven to him that he had not betrayed him.

They are all their own curse. Jimmy and Joel and Grian. They fail because their nature always gets the better of them. Jimmy picks fights he can’t win and let’s himself be strung along crazy missions. Joel falls for his own funny, but oftentimes dangerous ideas and let’s panic consume him once he’s confronted with his consequences.

And Grian is always the downfall for his partners because he can never decide whether he wants to go or stay and just has to cause mayhem wherever he goes.

I think all of that shines through so clearly this season because they are all more careless. They can die more often and that, funnily enough, makes them all have more time to actually act on their nature.

Of course, I know in the end they are just a group of friends having fun playing a game. But in a narrative sense this tickles my brain so bad.

#grian #joel smallishbeans #jimmy solidarity #life series #limited life #rambles #l've thought far too much about this whole thing #and don't even get me started on martyns lore #this is why i can't write a fic that's under 20k anymore #desert duo

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life-winners-liveblog · 3 months

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Watching Last Life- session 5

Part 1

Martyn: And we are doing this again...fun...

Scott: Well we couldn't possibly wait any longer now could we?

Martyn: I fucking guess.

~~~~

Scott: Ah the Scottage, I remember when I named it like it was yeaterday.

Martyn: That's a stupid name.

Scar: No! It's a Scott cottage! Scottage is the perfect name!

Pearl: It is kinda funny as a name.

Grian: Scottage... Huh...

~~~~~

Grian: Wait we're at the Boogeyman being chosen part already?

Scott: I guess so...?

Grian: That didn't take as long as usual.

Scar: Oh well, time to see!

Martyn: And... he's not the Boogeyman... of course.

~~~~~

Pearl: Other me is really excited for the green life club but seeing how Last Life is going I don't think there are going to be green lifes left to actually have a club.

Scott: Yeah... Well, we know that now.

~~~~~

Grian: Going under the base in tunnels is very smart and also very in character.

Scott: Aw, thanks Grian...

Martyn: Going to applaude Mumbo for almost screaming Southlands plans for everyone to hear.

~~~~~

Pearl: "but walls are boring, murder is fun" -Last Life ZombieCleo. Never truer words have been spoken.

Previous session

Main

#asks #trafficblr #traffic series #scott smajor #grian #pearlescentmoon #martyn inthelittlewood #liveblog #last life #goodtimeswithscar

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cherrifire · 1 year

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Archived in the Southlands: Martyn's Mix

Case #0211905-C

Original recording from Martyn Littlewood's personal supplemental tape.

[Martyn] Ello, ello! I'm Martyn Littlewood, also known as the Archivist. I reckon I've had that title for about 3 years now? And this is my new personal supplemental tape.

Word count: 2244

Be sure to read Case #0211905-A and Case #0211905-B before this one.

[AU Masterpost]

[Click]

[Martyn] Ello, ello! I'm Martyn Littlewood, also known as the Archivist. I reckon I've had that title for about 3 years now? And this is my new personal supplemental tape.

But to start, this tape is NOT meant for research or theories. I get enough conspiracy theory rubbish at the Institute. Something destroyed the place I was living at with BigB and Grian. And if I have to think about that case one more time, I'll crawl into a grave and let the Buried claim me.

I genuinely just needed a personal tape of my own to ramble on to. Lots goes on in this massive brain of mine. I just need something to talk to and get those thoughts out. This could technically be used as a memory log? Something for me to just look back on later down the line. I actually used to keep a log like that before the Archives and I kind of miss it.

I'm going to leave this tape in my flat so I don't get it confused with the hundreds of other tape recorders floating around the Archives. Maybe I'll be able to catch some fun stuff of my new flatmate too.

Speaking of Ren, I'm going to try and convince him to grow more than just roses. He seems to know a lot about caring for flowers, so I wonder if I could throw him off his game with something completely different. Oh, maybe something we can eat would be cool! I'll mention it next time I see him.

Though, I'm not sure when that'll be. I've noticed he tends to go out a lot, but that doesn't surprise me. He probably gets invited to all sorts of parties and events. Probably for the best.

(a pause)

Oh, good grief! For the record, I am NOT turning this into a gross emotional audio diary either!

[Click]

[Martyn] Someone knocked on the door today looking for Ren. I'd never seen him before but he said his name was Doc. The name reminded me of someone I used to know, but again, I'd never seen him before.

It's not unusual, people come by looking for Ren all the time. It's actually really sweet how many folks just stop by to check on him.

So sweet, it makes me sick. He's usually never here, but I always like to take messages and relay them back to him when I see him. It's hard to forget things nowadays, so it's not an issue. Though, I guess it doesn't really matter, since I like to change the message anyway, just because I can.

When Ren gets home, I'm going to tell him that Doc wants to make a diss track with him about Grian.

[Click]

[Martyn] I wouldn't do it.

(Jimmy's voice is coming through a phone speaker)

[Jimmy] Martyn, I promise you, I'm quitting if you do it.

[Martyn] (laughing) Right, but I wouldn't do it.

(Movement is heard as Martyn starts to look for something.)

[Jimmy] (frustrated) No- but you're saying it like you are going to do it!

[Martyn] But I wouldn't though!

(something falls, making a 'thud' sound as it hits the floor)

[Jimmy] I can hear you rummaging through your things!

[Martyn] (wheezing) But I-

[Jimmy] If I walk into the archives tomorrow and you scare me with a stupid party popper again I promise you I will leave.

[Martyn] (wheezing) I just wouldn't though.

(another object falls)

[Jimmy] Martyn.

[Martyn] I wouldn't.

(something else falls. Martyn is probably doing it on purpose)

[Jimmy] STOP!

(Martyn laughs)

[Click]

[Martyn] I think my favourite thing about Tim is that I could tell him anything and he'll think I'm messing with him. I told him today that I was looking into a case about a cult dedicated to darkness. His immediate response was:

(mocking) "That's not funny, Martyn, stop it!"

(Martyn laughs)

(a pause)

I’ve known him since we were kids, but Jimmy doesn’t know me enough to tell when I’m joking, I guess.

(static)

Ah, wait-

(a pause then a light knock on the door)

Come in!

(door opens)

[Ren] Hey dude, is there a reason your rent paperwork has a completely random name on it?

[Martyn] Oh, Martyn Littlewood isn't my legal name. It just sounds cooler.

[Ren] That checks out. I looked at the name on this thing and was like "who is this loser?"

[Martyn] (laughing) I'm a different person now. My loser days are behind me.

[Ren] Well, thanks for letting me know, Phillip Watson.

[Martyn] Don't you dare!

(Ren laughs as he closes the door.)

[Martyn] If he starts calling me Phil, I swear to God-

[Click]

[Martyn] That play Ren's been rehearsing, The Rise of the Red King–it's starting to grow on me. I remember helping him practice a little the day I moved in, but I'm forcing him to let me help more since I caught him rehearsing it on his own again.

He was in his room just repeating the lines quietly on his own. I imagine he was only holding back so as to not disturb me, but the unfortunate curse for the beautiful Archivist is I hear everything.

Which means I heard the awkward silence between each line he read out. So I took it upon myself to start responding, to fill that gap.

He said something like, "and as you know, every king must have a hand."

And I, charming as ever, poked my head in and said, "two is preferable, so you can hold things."

Then he continued, "I can think of no greater person than you."

And the accent he chose for this character was like a mix between Scottish and Irish with like a bit of pirate. It was so bizarre. I'm doing the best I can to imitate it but I just can't do it like Ren. And I-

(door opens)

[Ren] Good afternoon, Martyn.

[Martyn] Good day, my liege.

[Ren] Martyn, will you do the honour of being the Hand of the King on this fine day?

[Martyn] Oh my word. Do I get a little pin badge?

[Ren] Definitely, dude.

When a kingdom is formed, loyalty must be proven. Later there will be a test for you. And if ye pass, it'll be ye and me to the end!

(Ren clears his throat and returns to speaking normally)

It's shopping, your test is grocery shopping. I'm heading out, did you want to come?

[Martyn] Only if you do that voice in public.

[Ren] You're insane, dude.

The King likes it. And you shall follow in his footsteps! Today, both our mettles will be tested.

[Martyn] Oh geez. I don't think my metal is very dense, so I'm gonna struggle.

[Ren] Alright, chat over. Let's get out of here, dude. But um- are you recording this?

[Martyn] Ah-! 3 years and I still always forget to turn these-

[Click]

[Martyn] Good evening, my liege.

[Ren] Hand of the King. To what do I owe the pleasure?

[Martyn] The carrots, m'lord! It will be a bountiful harvest!

[Ren] Oh, dude! No way! Show me right this instant.

[Martyn] I took your teachings and successfully grew a small handful of carrots. Come see!

(a pair of footsteps then a sliding door being pushed out of the way)

(Sound of dirt shifting as a carrot is pulled from the soil)

Ta-da!

[Ren] (excited, high-pitched) Oh! Dude! Look at that!

[Martyn] That's right boss, fresh produce right here in our garden. They're a little small, but size isn't everything.

[Ren] Let's get these out of the ground and wash them. We could make a carrot cake with these!

[Martyn] This is why you're the boss. I would have never thought of that.

[Ren] (laughing) But what's a King without his loyal Hand?

[Click]

(the recording starts while Martyn and Ren are in the middle of laughing)

(there's the sound of cake batter being aggressively stirred underlining the recording)

[Ren] Martyn, you're wasting batter!

[Martyn] You said to mix well!

[Ren] Dude! Not that well! You're getting cake giblets all over the kitchen! Stop it!

(Martyn and Ren laugh)

[Click]

[Ren] (mocking) Statement of Ren Diggity Dog

I have no idea what you actually do at the archives, but I bet that's what you sound like.

[Martyn] Dude! What are you-

[Ren] Yes, I'd like to talk about my strange roommate-

[Martyn] Ren, don't even joke like that! Now give it here-

[Ren] You always use this to record me anyway. Why? Is it your personal audio diary?

[Martyn] No! That's not what that is!

[Ren] Then what is it?

[Martyn] How about you just hand it back and-

[Ren] (laughing) You're deflecting, dude! Oh, this is definitely a diary.

[Martyn] (laughing) Ren, give that-

[Click]

(all sound is muffled as if through a wall)

[Scar] Knock knock!

[Ren] Scar-

[Scar] Ren! It's been a while!

Oh man, I missed this place. It's been, what? Four months since I last saw you?

(a pause, then Scar laughs)

As talkative as always.

How's your new roommate? I haven't seen the Archivist in ages! Is he good?

(a door opens and Scar's voice is no longer muffled)

Oh wow. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here.

(Scar hums something as he thinks)

(he starts to rummage through Martyn's things)

Ah! There it is.

Ren, you won't miss these, right?

[Ren] No- No, you can have them.

[Scar] Wonderful. Pleasure doing business with you, Ren.

[Click]

(extended silence)

[Martyn] I thought I could trust him...

(a pause)

(Martyn makes a frustrated sound and tosses the tape onto his bed)

(fading as he walks out) Ren, did you touch the thermostat again!?

[Click]

(door opening)

(silence)

[Ren] Sorry, Martyn.

(Ren sniffs the air then he enters the room)

(extended sound of papers being rummaged through)

[Ren] There you are- erm, whatever you are.

Statement of Pearl Moon. Okay. I can work with that.

(a pause then footsteps approach)

[Ren] When did this turn on?

[Click]

[Martyn] (whispering and panicked) Ren has been standing on the other side of my door for an hour now. Waiting...

I don't know what he wants. I know he's been taking Hunt statements, but I have no idea why. I can't even tell how far gone he is or why he's hunting m-

(a knock on the door)

(Martyn holds his breath)

(extended silence)

(distant footsteps as Ren walks away)

Yeah, fuck that. I'm not sleeping tonight.

[Click]

(distant sounds of screaming, everything muffled as if through a wall)

(there's a collection of a dozen heavy footsteps all quickly getting further away along with the screaming)

(Ren and Martyn are also muffled through the wall)

(Ren is laughing, hysterical and manic)

[Martyn] Ren, get a hold of yourself!

(Ren continues to laugh)

[Click]

[Martyn] Hang on, I'm just going to grab a few random statements then we can go!

[Ren] (distant) Take your time!

(sound of a small handful of papers being picked up)

[Martyn] It's going to be fine...

(Martyn takes in a deep breath)

(he releases his breath, quivering like he's cold)

(a pause)

Fuck...

[Click]

[Ren] (whispering) Martyn passed out the moment his head hit the couch. The statements he read helped heal his wounds a little. They're still... bad, but at least he's sleeping through it.

Me, though? I think I'm going to be awake for a while.

So I'm trying what Martyn does. Talk complete nonsense into a tape just to turn thoughts into words. I had to grab his audio diary from his room since the one we had ran out of tape. I'm sure he won't mind this one time. Plus, I know he listens back through this one all the time and I...

I kind of want him to hear this.

I guess first, Martyn looks terrible. I'm staring at his filthy face right now from across the room. He's covered in dirt and his sweater is completely ruined. Although, I guess that's my fault. But he's been wearing that same sweater for months now. Good riddance, I say.

I'll find him a proper style when he's ready to go out again.

(Ren chuckles to himself then pauses)

Only if he wants to, of course.

(another pause)

I think... I think he's stuck with me now. After my... change, he said the hunt was over but... I know he only put it on hold. I can feel my blood waiting, itching for him to run so I can chase him down again. He said he wasn't going anywhere but...

[Martyn] (groggy and distant) Ren?

[Ren] Oh- Martyn. I'm sorry, did I wake you, my friend?

(movement as Ren gets up and walks towards Martyn)

[Martyn] No. I've been up this whole time. Listening.

[Ren] I didn't mean to keep you up, dude. My bad.

[Martyn] Can I have the tape?

(the recorder is passed to Martyn)

Ren, did you know the cold is typically an attribute of the Lonely?

[Ren] So what's your theory on the snow back at Dogwarts, then..?

[Martyn] My current theory is that you're too much of a social guy to be attracting the Lonely.

(a pause)

[Ren] Oh, Martyn...

[Martyn] I meant it, okay? I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you.

[Ren] It's you and me to the end.

[Martyn] Yeah. To the End.

[Click]

#cherri.writes #the southland archives #trafficblr #renchantyn #renchanting duo

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halbravd · 2 years

Text

into darkness // halbrand, sauron.

summary: galadriel knows, and halbrand is running out of time. but he has one last card to play.

content warning: minors do not interact, gender neutral and female bodied reader, unprotected sex, creampie, choking, biting, corruption.

word count: 2k

All you can remember is his hand gripping your arm with a strength that had your entire body shivering, a few words whispered into your ear and his heavy footsteps leading you to the bedroom the elven king gifted him during his stay here in Eregion. You could have told him to stop: that his nails digging in your skin hurts, that he doesn’t have to walk that fast — but you didn’t. Torn between anxiety and excitement, you obediently followed the man you’ve ever had eyes for, not asking a single question.

Door locked, thick silence surrounded you both for a few seconds before he finally let go of your arm, cupping your face with his hands — Ridiculously big for a face as small as yours. They could crush you in a matter of seconds if he wanted to, strong and skilled, rough and crafted by the god — or the evil — himself.

‘You said you’d follow me wherever I go.’ Breaking the silence, he dares to ask, even if there is not a single trace of hesitation in his voice. He shouldn’t be asking questions he knows the answer to, yet, it doesn’t seem like he cares anymore.

‘I will,’ you whisper, blinded by both admiration and love for the man standing right in front of you. It was stupid, wasn’t it? To fall for someone you barely know. Someone you met a few weeks ago — Someone who seemed to care for that elf, anyone, but you. You had to beg to come with them, to let your dignity vanish in the air for a man who would barely look at you, as if you weren’t good enough for him. As if you didn’t exist in his world.

But now, things have changed. His eyes boring into your soul, his hands caressing your cheeks, the corner of his lips gently raised into the softest of smiles. A smile just for you, no one else, just for once. And your heart dropped as soon as his lips crashed on top of yours — a messy and filthy kiss where his teeth sank into your flesh, where his tongue invaded your mouth without warning and where his hand on your nape didn’t allow you to push him away. It’s all lips and teeth, a kiss so vile you can barely follow the rhythm, butterflies swirling around in your stomach and gifting you with a warmth you’ve never felt before.

‘I knew you would be the only one to understand me. I knew you’d be perfect.’ His words, sweet and poisonous, had your heart missing a beat. Your head is spinning, blood creeping up your cheeks as you slightly open your mouth, only for your words to flee, leaving you breathless.

‘Perfect… For what?’ You gather enough courage to ask, voice breaking halfway through your sentence, completely clueless. In the mean time, Halbrand led you to the bed, in the center of the room. With his hands on your shoulders, he only had to apply a slight pressure for you to sit on it, his tall right in front of you.

‘To be my queen.’ It made you feel stupid, how he said those words with such ease… Like it was such an obvious choice for him. His hands were already working on the buttons of your robe, getting rid of them one by one as you stand there, in utter shock. Eyes wide, throat dry, his words echo in your mind over and over again until you can process them.

Oblivious, it was a mistake from your part to see yourself as the queen of the Southlands. But that sounded so nice to ear, so nice to feel it roll on your tongue — Queen of the Southlands. What he has in mind is polar opposite, but why would he shatter your hopes and dreams when you look so pretty in your own disillusion?

In a ridiculously short amount of time, your body is fully exposed to him. And for a moment, Halbrand realizes there is still purity in this world, something he can’t wait to pull into the darkness of his own being. His eyes are everywhere all at once: Your swollen lips from the messy kisses you two shared, your pretty neck that begged to me marked.

You’re too stunned to help him undress himself, but your eyes wouldn’t miss a single second of that show he puts on for you. You didn’t even blink once, muttering a few incoherent words to yourself — Too drunk, too intoxicated to really understand what is going on.

Kneeling on the bed, the mattress sinks ever so slightly because of his weight, his tall figure now right in between your thighs. Seated on his heels, the palm of his hands gently creeps up your legs, stopping on your knees so they could spread you wide open just for him. It feels like your lungs are on fire, unable to keep the air they’re so desperately longing for as his eyes fall on your gorgeous face once again.

The tip of his cock prods at your entrance, pulling the softest gasp out of your parted lips — He wants more. He needs more of it. And it takes all of his damn strength not to ruin you on the spot, not to wreck your body until there’s nothing but blood and bones left.

‘I’ll be gentle, I promise.’ An other lie, enough to soothe your fear. The soft kisses he left on your ankle are delicate, almost too gentle to feel real and sincere. But in the mindset you’re in, the red flags are way too far to be seen. Why the sudden change of allegiance? Why does he suddenly care so much about you? Why you, and not an other? So many rational questions you forgot to ask yourself. So many answers that could have saved your soul.

Slowly, his hips move forward, guiding his cock with his right hand to fill you all nicely. It stings and it hurts, it has your body shaking and your eyes rolling at the back of your skull, fingers tightly gripping the sheets beneath you for leverage. Eyes fluttered shut, you can only sob when he finally bottoms out, the feeling of being so full, overwhelming. Halbrand leans forward, his lips finding your closed eyelids only for them to kiss the thin layer of skin. He hasn’t moved yet, waiting for your body to relax to finally ruin you. He’s patient, and waiting a few more seconds won’t be the death of him, after centuries of standing in the shadow.

‘Look at me.’ He mutters, his hand gripping your hip and keeping you in place when you tried to move underneath him. His hold is strong, so strong it pins you down and you’re unable to move anymore. So you do as you’re told, weakly opening your eyes, met with a blurry vision of the man you’re bonded to.

With a simple nod of your face, he knows. Rocking his hips against yours, his face soon disappears in the crook of your neck, a fight of lips, tongue and teeth biting, sucking and licking hot flesh of yours. His cock drags against your gummy walls, only the tip of it still inside before he thrusts back in, rough and fast. It steals the air off your lungs, moans shamelessly tumbling out of your mouth, a whisper of his name and a few meaningless babbles.

Legs wrapped around his hips and fingers messily gripping a fistful of his hair, you let him murder that innocence you’ve been keeping with you for so long, replaced by a darkness you can’t even see yet.

‘Say you’ll be mine forever. Say it.’ He spits, bitterness in his voice as he gets back on his knees, your bare body on full display for his filthy eyes. His right hand wrapped around your throat like the most glorious collar you’ll ever wear, he’s applying enough pressure for you to gasp out loud, obstructing your windpipes until you can no longer breathe. Your hands hopelessly find his, eyes watering from the pressure as his thrusts become more and more erratic, bringing you closer to your downfall. And you clench around him, so vile it has him grunting from the sudden tightness.

‘I will— I swear I will,’ you cry, strangled sob leaving your lips as his hand finally lets go of your throat, heading south and gripping your breast.

‘You’ll rule middle earth with me, and you’ll never escape from me. If you ever try, I will burn that sweet village of yours down.’ Those eyes of him, darkened by desire and hatred, are nothing but the gates of hell. His scorching touch a mere taste of what is yet to come. But you nod, pathetically, almost way too fast. Fat tears falling down your cheeks, he relishes in the way you’re slowly breaking down, not even bothering to fight anymore.

And when his cock bumps against that particular spot, you’re done for — And you’ve never experienced something as devastating, as beautiful and as ravaging — It feels like a wildfire is spreading through your entire body, like you’re sent to a foreign world and for a moment, you can’t hear, see or feel anymore. A silent cry leaves your throat as your back arches painfully, the grasp he has on your hips so strong and cruel it will leave bruises and scratches for days. All you know is his name, and witnessing your own fall was something he never thought would happen so soon — so easily.

His hips stutter, then come to a full stop when he finally releases his fluid inside you, painting your walls white and soiling your insides in a low grunt. The pleasure he has felt had nothing to do with the one of the flesh — It was the one of corrupting such a pure and angelic soul, turning it into something dark and malevolent. Something fitting his twisted fantasies.

A queen of the darkness, of pain and nightmares. Anything but holy. Leaning forward, his forehead against yours, an evil smirk pulls the corner of his lips up — a grin that sent shivers down your spine, that made you feel so uncomfortable you wish you could have run away from here, as far as possible.

taglist: @idwtet @killsandthrills @missscarlett1802 @sleepingpillsworld @kryss-tethras @atruthuniversallyunacknowledged @bookfrog242

#lotr #the lord of the rings #rings of power #the rings of power #rop x reader #trop x reader #lotr x reader #halbrand #halbrand x reader #sauron x reader

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yoshiintheweb · 1 year

Text

Im jumping in with the bingo card for season 4, im pretty sure most of them happened in all 3 seasons, so the pattern might continue

Explanation under the cut, if anyone needs them

FIRST ROW

-Jimmy dies first: as per usual

-pet murder: was there in 3rd life, was there in Last Life, was there in Double life. Honestly inescapable. I don't count wolves lost in battle unless they have a specific name

-unlikely team up comes with a steal chair: either an alliance with two or more players who never interact with each other in previous editions or a team up of two or more players who are antagonize each other for most of the time who turns out to be a perfect fit for each other

-Tango Rage Moment: it will happened at some point.

-Scar steals the enchanter: He needs to have it, and if there's an option to do so, he will.

SECOND ROW

-Terry comes back: self-explanatory

-dramatic betrayal: there's so many betrayals in every edition

-Joel tries to kill a lot: Originally Joel Kills a lot, he own the title of Most Kills of the season twice in a row now. That's everything he has, killing. He will try and i hope he succeed

-absent member(s) comes back: Skizz, Lizzie and or Mumbo, who are all not in Double Life makes a come back for nee season

-arson backfires: someone tries to burn stuff, it turns against them

THIRD ROW

-previous alliance is referenced: Desert Duo, Flower Husband, Dogwarts, The Gs, Southlands, Magical Mountain ect ect. In any way. The soulbounds in any way excluding "divorces"

-secret alliance is formed: Impulse and Crastle Duo, The Shadow Alliance, The Secret Soulmate. It's a pattern

-free space: bloodshed and tumblr going bonkers

-trap fails: doesn't work, does work but doesn't kill

-Tango dies in a stupid way: His cursed like that. Happened trice.

FOURTH ROW

-an episode is lost due to technical difficulties: anything from corrupted footage to missing audio, basically when someones episode doesn't get published even if they were in the session, due to anything else then not posting it

-accidental foreshadowing of a great tragedy: a thing that happened in previous session, predicts a disaster from the future, due to coincidence cuz the series is not scripted

-Grian kills the one closest to him: Scar in 3rd life, Mumbo in Last Life, BigB and Scar in Double Life. He is cursed like that.

-someone missed a session: just that

-wood base burns to the ground (again): they will not learn, there will be a wood base.

FIFTH ROW

-Martyn does lore: any kind of straight up story telling

-someone is left alone for the whole season: Joel in 3rd life. Scar in Last Life. Pearl in Double Life. There's always some loner out there

-there's only 7 sessions: listen. The previous seasons had 8, 9 and 6 sessions. We need 7 for consistence sake

-wolves army make a return: JOEL GRAIN AND PEARL HAD A WOLF ARMY IN A SEASON A PATTERN PEOPLE

-someone lose a life in session 1: there's always someone who dies instantly so i bet there will be someone like this too

#trafficblr #traffic series #3rd life #last life #double life smp #kind of #that's about the 4tf edition #traffic bingo #mcyt

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demonscantgothere · 2 years

Note

You know what I wish we had? More scenes of Halbrand/Sauron seeing Galadriel being soft and having Feelings about it. Like, in either Numenor or the Southlands maybe the kids are the ones to warm up to her first. They might start out cautious, but she wins them over by being the coolest and prettiest person they’ve ever met and soon they’re following her around like a gaggle of ducklings. Maybe there’s even a Tangled moment where she lets them play w/ her hair. She loves it and is having the time of her life coddling all of them, and Halbrand/Sauron is in the background pretending not to watch her with them. Meanwhile internally he’s got alarms blaring going “SHIT FUCK GOTTA ADD ONE TO THE SHOPPING CART I GUESS”

Awwww, I hear what you're saying, but look! We got something similar! Behold! Remember this scene? Gifs don't give you time to catch his facial expressions, so here we go:

Look at Sauron, he's so fucking happy about this shit! Galadriel is about whip ALL THESE BOYS ASSES, and he can't wait to see it!

Look at this stupid fucking smile on his face. LOOK AT IT.

He's laughing, oh my God, I love it. Look at his stupid fucking laugh.

I had to include Galadriel's smile because, oh my God, she's so pretty in this scene.

"Yeah, you boys don't know what you're in for."

"My bby grl about to whip all y'all asses, yeah."

Sauron literally can't take his eyes off of her:

THERE GOES THAT STUPID FUCKING SMILE AGAIN. LOOK AT HIM IN THE LEFT CORNER, JUST SMILING LIKE A DAMN IDIOT IN LOVE.

"Ooh, I like that hair twirl. I hope she does it again."

"Get him, Galadriel. GET HIM."

He is so entranced by her, he literally watches her the entire time. The entire time.

They even decided we needed a close up of his reaction. That barely there smile. Maaaan.

Personally, this is moment when I think he realized he was in love with her. Look at his damn face. It screams, "Oh shit. What is this I'm feeling? Oh shit."

" . . . Shit, I got distracted by feelings."

" . . . Damn, she's pretty. I better crane my neck to get a better look."

THAT STUPID FUCKING SMILE AGAIN.

ALL THE STUPID FUCKING SMILES.

STUPID

FUCKING

SMILES

STILL SMILING, SAURON, I SEE. I will never believe he is not in love with her. I will never believe it.

" . . . That's it, get 'em, bby grl."

He had to crane his neck again right here to make sure he didn't miss a beat. Mmm hmm. Mmm hmm.

STUPID FUCKING SMILE. SO STUPID.

“SHIT . . . FUCK . . . GOTTA ADD ONE TO THE SHOPPING CART I GUESS.”

@morepowerfulwithoutaking, I hope that lifted your spirits! Never forget Stupid-Fucking-Smile!Sauron ever again for as long as you live~!

#saurondriel #sauron x galadriel #galadriel x sauron #haladriel #halbrand x galadriel #galadriel x halbrand #the rings of power #rings of power #trop #daily dose of saurondriel

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redtyn · 5 months

Text

Martyn’s pissed.

He thinks he has good reason to be, frankly. Nothing has particularly gone his way. He tries to get some credit for killing a dragon, dead. He tries to kill the wither, whiffs. At least he still has his good buddy Timmy to keep him company, right?

Oh. Yeah.

Is it normal to be this upset over a death? I mean, Jimmy had tried to shove him into lava earlier. He probably should be glad Tim’s gone out early, as per usual. A wry, imperceptible smile crosses Martyn’s face. He wasn’t first to go this time. For all the good that did him.

Martyn falls flat on the bed he had been hunched over on, staring up at the ceiling. There had been life here. It felt so empty. Out of his peripherals, he could see the chests filled with bones- trophies of success, tributes to the work of men who no longer walked and fought. At least the last time he had worked alongside Mumbo and Jimmy the base had been too blown to hell to reminisce about. Now, he was painfully aware of just how alone in the world he was.

And it pissed him off.

He wanted to hunt. He wanted to kill. He wanted to lash out and hurt every single person left in this stupid world. Just get to the next game, already. He was sick of this one.

When did it get like that?

Martyn’s brows creased. When did he get so immune to it all? He can remember a time where he stood over corpses and wept for what he had done, holding on to another as they wailed about the blood that blinded them both. And here he is now- spitting and gnashing his teeth and bearing his fangs and cursing the world and promising to make everyone’s life a living hell.

How long did it take for him to change? It couldn’t have been until recently- he had wanted to live as a Southlander, and he was the last to fall into being a red life. He still had some semblance of innocence, then.

Later? Maybe it was the soulbound fiasco? Being rejected by Cleo was awful. She could never see that he was trying to be a supplier. Can’t get rewards without a few risks, after all. He felt betrayed by her. Was that the moment he broke? Or was it being the betrayer?

The Coral Isles were beautiful. It was paradise in a timebomb. Martyn brought trouble to it, affixing a crown of red to his head and tying a matching crimson banner to his waist. A literal walking red flag, Martyn thought, and then snorted at his own joke. Scott would have known how it was going to end. He must have known. They both knew. Yet his partner never mentioned the new fashion choices, never gave him an apprehensive look. All the way until the very end. He won, if that meant anything. He killed, and he gained, and it felt good.

There.

That’s when it happened. He killed and burned and ranted and soaked in the blood he had spilled and he felt the best he ever had. The games had broken him then. He stopped thinking about the blood he shed and simply took the chances he could. Scott has been nothing but kind to him throughout this go of things, but as soon as the excuse came to hurt, he took it.

Martyn turns over on his side. He can see the chests in full view now. He isn’t going to avenge them, he thinks. There’s nobody to avenge. They all spurned him in the end. He’s simply going to kill for the thrill of it all.

Maybe he’ll try to make a friend again. Just to break their heart.

#tbh i dunno what this is i just read one too many fanfics and got in the writing mood #inthelittlewood

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pokichuwrites · 5 months

Text

The Reaper

tw death, souls

Mumbo buried his head in his hands. He died because of HIS OWN FENCE POSTS!!! Spawn looked like a warzone. At least the Wither died… but it took three? People with it? Mumbo was pretty sure only himself, Jimmy, and Lizzie died.

“Mumbo? There you are.”

He turned to look at Lizzie. “Hey, there. Were you looking for me?”

Lizzie nodded. Behind her, Mumbo could almost see what looked like large yellow wings. They were very hard to see, almost invisible on her back. Mumbo seemed to remember something similar back in Last Life, when he met Jimmy’s ghost. He had thought it was a Jimmy thing, but perhaps it was a first death sort of thing.

Lizzie took Mumbo’s hand. “Come on,” she said, tugging gently. “I have something to show you.”

Mumbo stood up and followed her. He decides not to question the fact that despite the fact that they never traveled through a portal, they ended up in the end. Suspended in midair was a large pink tent. As they walked on the empty void, Lizzie lifted the flap. The tent was bigger on the inside. There were many sleeping bags of different colors. Lizzie gestured to one of the sleeping bags, a deep red one with splotches of other shades of red, and Mumbo sat down on it.

“This is nice,” he said. “It’s like one big sleepover.”

Lizzie nodded. “I’m not sure why, but I woke up in here and had a feeling that I needed to bring everyone here. Have the sleepover I wished I had.”

Mumbo nodded. “That’s nice-” he paused. “Wait, where’s Jimmy?”

“He wasn’t ready,” Lizzie said. “He said he wanted to say goodbye to Baxter first.”

“His base?” Mumbo asked, incredulously.

Lizzie shrugged. “To each your own. I’m surprised you didn’t have anything to say goodbye to yourself.”

Mumbo shrugged. “I didn’t get really attached to anything. I… I knew it wasn’t going to last.” He remembered how distraught he was the first time. He loved the Southlands, and his friends, and the stupid spyglass joke. It hurt to lose all that. It doesn’t really hurt anymore, but a dull ache remains. A memory of a pain he didn’t want to go through again.

Lizzie hummed. Her sleeping bag was pink with small drawings of orange pumpkins on it. “That’s fair.” She stood up suddenly. “Jimmy’s ready.”

“How… how do you know?” He looked up at her.

“I don’t know, but I… I know.” She left through the tent flap, disappearing behind it.

A small bit later, she returned, Jimmy following behind her. His sleeping bag was a sky blue with drawings of different dog breeds. He sat down on his.

“I still can’t believe it,” Jimmy said. “I always die first. I…” he smiled. “Not this time.”

Lizzie gave pause. “You die first every time?” She asked.

Jimmy nodded. “Until now, yeah.”

She paused, looking down. “So, do you know what… this is about?” She gestured to herself, and the tent they were in.

Jimmy looked at her. “You’re a Reaper, basically. You died first and so you bring everyone to a space we all share until the game ends. I… I usually filled that role.”

Lizzie smiled to herself. “I like that. Being a Reaper. But… why is it like a sleepover?”

“Hmm, I have a hunch.” Jimmy stretched for a moment, smiling. “Every time I was a Reaper, the shared space was something significant to me. Like in Last Life, everyone had a tower, and the space was above the Southlands because that was where I died.”

Lizzie chuckled. “So, what, because I was so upset nobody came to my sleepover the universe decided to give me a second chance?”

Jimmy shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t exactly have all the answers Lizzie.”

The tent fell silent for a moment.

“Since we’re all here together,” Lizzie grinned, “how about we play a game. How does truth or dare sound?”

Mumbo chuckled. “What kinds of dares can dead people do exactly?”

“Only one way to find out,” Lizzie replied. “Jimmy, truth or dare?”

“Dare!”

#ldshadowlady #solidaritygaming #jimmy solidarity #mumbo jumbo #secret life #session 6 spoilers

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enderwoah · 1 year

Text

does the jimmy solidarity side of trafficblr understand how desperately jimmy either needs to win OR come ridiculously close to winning for me (me specifically) to be happy

like if he wins. which he could. that would be amazing. winning after dying first every single series would be incredible and i think i would go absolutely insane. he deserves it and he definitely could if he decided to stop playing up the pathetic wet cat/'bully me itll be funny' bit. which i feel as if i always have to clarify IT'S NOT A BAD BIT!! ITS FUNNY im just saying if he Did. he could do some serious damage to the server. like if jimmy solidarity decided that he was tired of being nice and literally nerfing himself and just sort of went off with a group in the next life series i personally think he could go crazy go stupid

but here's the thing. i will be happy with him winning. but i will be equally as happy (and i'd be a dirty liar if i didn't say possibly even more happy) if he got to like. third place. hell, even fifth place. and then someone stabbed him in the back at the last second. like, someone he had been running with for the entire series just. to win. stabs him in the back.

i feel as if. and correct me if im wrong. jimmy solidarity has never been straight up betrayed before, i dont think. he even did the betraying himself in last life, but i dont think someone has ever actively turned their back on him or stabbed him in the back out of wanting to win before. hes never been seen as enough of a threat to backstab. hes one of those players that gets a group or a partner and sticks with them for the entire series. he had scott in 3rd life, the southlands in last life, and tango in double life, and i fully believe that he only doesnt betray them because he doesnt want to.

imagine it in your head. jimmy solidarity is running with someone and decides that he needs to kill them. its not that weird of a thought. jimmy, in my opinion, has enough bastard energy where you CANT say that it would be out of character for him to betray someone. he could. he just doesnt. like, dude, if you want proof he literally DID betray his group in last life. no regret, broke one of the most sacred southlands rituals and tried to run away with a life. he has enough desperate bastard energy to do it if he really wanted to. he just doesnt enjoy doing it.

so imagine the absolute shock and horror that jimmy would experience when someone does directly betray him. he picks his group, or even his partner for the next life series and that person stabs him in the back suddenly? he would be flabbergasted. jimmy has little to no self-control, but jimmy i dont think would have the gall to betray one single person. he just. i dont think he'd get it. it would be horrible. and deliciously dramatic.

imagine the animatics out of that. jimmy solidarity girlbosses his way through the entire next life series. someone dies first before him, and you see how morbid it is for him to be excited, overjoyed at someone else's death. his circumstances have made it so he is happy when another person dies. he burns things down, forms strong enough alliances that he basically is untouchable, sets traps, embraces his innate bastard energy, and when he can finally see the light of a win, when he can finally see the possibility of him actually coming first...he is ripped away from that high by a sword in the back or a trapped base.

like jesus christ that would be horrible. and amazing. i would eat it up. im a jimmy solidarity enjoyer through and through, and of COURSE i want him to win, but im not gonna lie to myself and say that him getting close and then getting it torn away from him by a friend (and lets not make that sound less than it is; jimmy's enitre life basically circles around other people. getting betrayed by a friend would be horrible for him and him specifically) wouldnt be...wonderful. surely the jimmy solidairty side of trafficblr can agree im not crazy right. right.

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technoturian · 2 years

Text

I gave it a whole season with an open mind but Rings of Power is just... bad.

The writing is just bad. It’s all just so Intro To Creative Writing. I don’t even care about Middle Earth lore so I don’t mind any changes. What bothers me is if you’re going to adapt something and then change it, you’d better be changing it into something good. Instead, we got ALL the cliches. The fact that every episode I would guess the cliche line I was about to hear and then there it was, but I would still be stunned because I couldn’t believe they were THAT lazy, THAT obvious. I’m not exaggerating here, I literally made a joke several times and then one of the characters said the same thing but they were serious! The dialogue is flat. The characters are the most rote tropes. They think they have to spell everything out to their stupid audience (”You’re not Sauron! You’re the other one!”). They have the characters do random stuff or neglect to tell each other stuff not because it’s in character (lol) but because it makes a WHAM moment later (that falls flat because it’s so obvious).

Look, I’m pretty genre savvy, but I am not the only one who guessed how this all was going from several episodes ago. I knew it was Gandalf from episode one. I knew who was Sauron for several episodes. My mom is a big Tolkien nerd and kept saying “But that doesn’t make sense! Because in the lore-” and every week I had to remind her that these writers aren’t following lore and they don’t seem to care what makes sense, but they’re still easy to predict because of all the tropes and borrowed story beats.

The way they cut through travel made the world seem incredibly small. Then all the flip-flopping to drag things out because they’re bad at pacing; in Numenor, in the Southlands, with the dwarves, they decide things and then suddenly it’s undecided because they need more time. The absolutely garbage lines like “the elves are stealing your jobs” or “I’m GOOD”. The constant pulling of lines from the source material and putting them out of place, which is annoying for two reasons, first because it’s unearned but also because the stolen lines are the only good dialogue in this mess.

The casting of non-white actors in completely tokenistic roles. The fact that the harfoots are mostly white and are played by average sized actors. The fact that they have a few non-white actors and then cast white actors for their family members (Nori and her mom, the queen of Numenor and her dad) which just screams “we want it diverse, but not too diverse”.

And yes, Girlboss Galadriel who is peak perfomative feminism akin to W*nder Woman and She-H*lk, mass produced girl power with none of the depth or grit. Galadriel who is one-note in all of her motivation, who comes across as embarassingly stupid at times because it’s more important for her to be brash and stern. Writing out her husband in a random throwaway line because she couldn’t want to go out and fight while also being married or a mother (something so many weird defenders of this show seem to think means the opposite of what it is, like wanting her to be married and have a kid and still be out doing awesome things instead of becoming a tradwife is the ANTI-feminist view, and as if there’s a scarcity of single young action girls out there). The “I’ll never join you!” conversation with Sauron. Randomly just telling people to “trust her” instead of being like, “Yeah that was Sauron” so he can come back and screw stuff up later. Why? Why? Because they need her to, that’s why. But why, in-character would she do that? ~Don’t worry about it.~

Basically everything about badboy Halbrand, the Kylo Ren of Middle Earth. But especially his Jason Bourne moment in Numenor and the whole cringy “reluctant king” story. The one woman in town who wears color because she’s the Main Character. The sweet girl getting too close to Gandalf and he accidentally hurts her and she shies away. That may have been the worst one. Made me shout “I am not a gun!” because my goodness, these writers. They just steal everything. Every single twist was artlessly telegraphed and stolen from something better. A few times, this worked. The Stranger was predictable from the start, the dwarf storyline didn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking, Arondir’s star-crossed romance was incredibly bland. But the characters were fun to watch and the actors did well with the parts. It’s just unfortunate that, where a few of the characters managed to elevate the sea of cliches surrounding them, the majority just coasted on the surface.

This is giving me Star Wars Sequel vibes, even though I’m not a LotR fan like I am a Star Wars fan. It feels like plastic. It feels like they thought of everything but actually making a show worth watching. This show won’t be a classic, it’s just another revenue source. I don’t know if I would be this harsh if it were some small production and an original story. But for the money this cost, the fact that it’s so bland, so uninspired, so absolutely lazy is honestly insulting. I’ve seen so many lower budget fantasy stories with a hundred times more heart and brains than this. The bottom line is this: Amazon had all of the money to hire all the talent in the world and they’re giving us this??? The gall.

#Anti Rings of Power #Anti The Rings of Power #Anti TRoP #Anti RoP #Rings of Power Critical #The Rings of Power Critical #RoP Critical #Rings of Power Spoilers #The Rings of Power Spoilers

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p1dge · 5 months

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What if...

He always had more than one curse.

Sure, the canary curse was bad, Jimmy was tired of always dying first and getting mocked for it. Of getting called a Canary. That curse affected him, and him alone, in ways that other people could never understand.

But maybe that's why he never realized They really liked picking on him. His other curse never affected him, so why would he care?

Why would he even know?

He never sticked around enough as a ghost to see the effect his death would have on his allies.

He never sticked around enough to see them loose their minds.

Let me explain...

It all started back in 3rdLife when Scott lost his mind and became extremely vengeful after the death of his husband. He wanted one thing and one thing only: make the people that killed Jimmy pay for it. He wanted Skizz dead; and Skizz dead he got. He wanted Ren and Martyn dead; and dead he tried to get them. But he failed.

He himself said that Joel would have most likely failed when trying to take on the two alone, even with his army of dogs, so he decided to help him.

But when Joel died he didn't give up. He still gave chase to Martyn.

And he died.

And he gave it another try. Alone.

He knew that was a foolish idea, and yet he went to try and retrive his stuff, ready to fight them if needed.

Then was Martyn's and the Southeners' turn.

The group didn't stick together after he and Mumbo died one right after the other.

Impulse and Grian rarely passed by the Southlands, but Martyn didn't leave.

Martyn never found the strength to leave.

He still voiced Mumbo's intros and kept the joke going even if no one was there to see it.

He stayed there, acting as if the only ones to not be there were the two other people still alive.

He talked to the ghosts of his friends.

Then came Tango.

He was somehow lucky enough to be spared from loosing his mind.

After all the Canary dragged him down with him.

But that didn't stop him from waiting for Jimmy in the after life, knowing he wouldn't come.

When it came to Joel in LimitedLife it was evident that something was severely wrong.

He was already inclined to losing his mind when reaching his red life, everyone knew it. But that time he was way more reckless than he usually would have been.

Recklessness is one thing. Stupidity is another.

And exposing himself to the rest of the server during a fight, in a desperate attempt to get more time was definitely stupid.

And now it's Martyn's turn all over again.

Which is funny if you think about it.

None of his previous allies were foolish enough to closely ally with Jimmy again. But he was.

He allied with Jimmy again and he's loosing his mind again.

He already lost his mind.

He can't stand hearing the other players laughing about his allies' death. And you could think: but who could?

No one, of course. But doesn't his reaction seem a little too... extreme? Even for the one who decided to turn on his own ally back in Limited Life to win?

Back there he had a reason to act the way he did. He wanted to win. But now? Now there's no actual reason other than wanting to avenge his ally.

And at that comes the question again: wasn't his reaction a little too extreme?

#long post #like really long post #i didn't mean to make it this long i promise #but i realized this and i needed to make a post about it #i have no clue what this curse could be called #but you cannot tell me this doesn't make sense somehow #secret life #secretlife smp #jimmy solidarity #solidaritygaming #canary curse #p1dg3 thought

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happy-hermit · 2 years

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Just a Desert Duo Double Life snippet because they're taking over my brain :]

(Ao3 Link)

Scar knows what people say about him.

He hears the whispers, and the sighs, and the muffled laughter. And he knows that they don’t mean it in a bad way. He knows they’re just teasing. He gets it, he’s an easy target, and sometimes it really is funny.

It works out, then, that they’re always getting thrown into worlds where there’s not much else to laugh about.

The first time it happens, he gets three lives. They all do, and in true Scar fashion, he doesn’t hold on to his green life for long.

He doesn’t get to be different, here. He gets to die early and drag the person responsible off to their own corner of the world to build a sandcastle, like they’re kids at the beach playing at being royalty and pretending that it won’t all just get washed away when the tide comes in. He gets to listen to Grian complain about being stuck in his service, gets to hear him warning others not to trust him, gets to hear him scream his name as he falls to the bottom of that stupid ravine.

Scar gets to wake up with red eyes and a voice in his head telling him to kill, and he gets to stop on the way back to Grian to pick flowers, and Grian stays. Even after his debt is paid, he stays.

He lives with that kill-kill-kill voice in his head for a long, long time before it turns its attention to Grian. (It had been easier, he supposes, to keep it pointed in other directions when there were more people to target.) And then, when it’s just the two of them left in the whole empty world, they go back to their ruined castle and they fight until one of them dies.

It is no surprise to anyone, that Scar is the one to go. Grian had kept him alive for weeks. It’s not shocking that Scar doesn’t last long after he stops trying. (And maybe Scar stops trying, too.)

—------------

Two minutes or a million years later, they get thrown into another world — a world where they have the option to share. The Universe sees fit to give him more lives than almost anyone else, because apparently even the Cosmos is in on the joke. Everyone knows that Scar can’t go two seconds without dying in some cartoonish or stupid way, and this place, this arena of death—

Well, Scar supposes it just wants a good show.

He gets seven lives. He gives one to Grian, and watches his eyes turn from bright yellow to neon green, and for a few seconds it’s like they’re back in the desert, like they could be a team again, and maybe Scar can get it right this time.

He tries to get Grian to come with him, later. He tries. But Grian doesn’t owe him a debt anymore, so there’s no reason for him to stay. Scar can’t just pick him flowers and ask him to be his friend, anymore, so Grian goes off with his shiny new group and Scar lives on a mountain alone.

And he stays that way, mostly, unless someone wants something from him enough to seek him out. He takes the enchanter so that they have a reason to visit. He tries to gather loyalty, and he tries to sell fake crystals, and he is alone, because no one who isn’t obligated would ever want to stay.

Scar isn’t built for being alone. It settles as a heavy weight in his chest that he can’t quite shake, and it sends him tumbling into deaths left and right and all at once, stumbling blindly towards danger for the promise of someone at least being close enough to see it happen.

(There is a trap, between him and Grian, and he knows this because he told him about it. The Southlanders with their spyglasses and jokes and fortress built a trap in their doorway, and Scar walks right into it. All he’d seen was the distance between them, and hadn’t been able to ignore the urge to shorten it. It costs him.)

He wakes up with red eyes and the faint itch to kill, and he thinks that he would rather die with witnesses than live all alone.

(Scar, of course, doesn’t win the game.)

(No one ever does.)

—-----------

They appear in a new world, and it has new rules. They can all tell immediately, that their heart isn’t just their own anymore. There’s a sense of connection, there. A bond. He feels it as he explores; the odd jolt in his legs from his soulmate hitting the ground a bit too hard, the sharp sting of an arrow that didn’t quite hit its mark but didn’t miss, either.

An anxious knot forms in his throat to accompany the ever-present weight in his chest. It’s hard to speak around it, when he runs into Grian and Etho and Joel and wonders absentmindedly how long it will be before they leave.

He finds an Allay and names it Minnie, and he gives it a dirt block so it will stay. (He tries not to think about a different world, then, and flowers to buy a friendship. He tries.) He finds a jungle with Jellie-Pandas, and thinks that at least he’d have company, if he settled there. At least it wouldn’t be quite so quiet, and he could pretend that he wasn’t talking to himself.

He watches Grian as they explore, and tries not to look at him too much, and he hears the jokes. Hears how they lament over whoever gets stuck with him, whoever has to babysit him, and Scar thinks that maybe it would be kinder to his Soulmate if he didn’t find them. If he didn’t try. He’s had some practice being alone, now. Better alone than a liability. Better alone than a burden.

Grian hovers around him for days, like some kind of judgemental shadow, though Etho and Joel’s presence makes it seem less strange. He meets people, he meets pairs who have found their other half, and he smiles in a way that feels painful and strained and he laughs when they ask him if he’s found his soulmate, and he changes the subject because it’s easy. It’s expected.

He’s Scar. Carefree and reckless and accident-prone, and anyone’s absolute last choice for someone they’d want to share a life with.

He goes back to the Jellie-Pandas, and he finds an empty cave, and he thinks that maybe it’s even worse to be alone in a world specifically designed to prevent it.

It isn’t even 24 hours before Grian shows up in his little jungle, something determined and sad in his eyes that makes Scar taste blood and sand in his mouth before he registers that those eyes are still green. He hangs a stalactite from a tree, and Scar knows how this game goes, so he stands under it like he asks. He can be comic relief, he thinks as he eyes the stalactite. It isn’t high enough to kill him, or even hurt that badly. His heart still speeds up.

“Alright, okay,” Grian says, a faint anxiety in his voice that Scar doesn’t quite understand. “Now look at me. Look directly at me.”

Scar looks at him, meets his eyes, and thinks that green really is a better color than red.

“Okay, I’m looking directly at you,” Scar says, holding bamboo in his hand so that the Jellie-Pandas won’t wander off.

One of them makes a noise just as Grian starts to mine the stalactite, and Scar turns to it as a welcome distraction, cooing and laughing. The spike impacts his head and breaks apart into pieces on the ground, and Scar winces, but continues to feed the Jellies bamboo in a slightly shaking hand.

“Scar!” Grian sounds frustrated and frayed.

Scar barely resists flinching, a spark of annoyance and confusion burning in his chest. Grian is a lot of things, but he isn’t cruel. He’s not. But Scar doesn’t know what he wants from him.

“Scar— Okay, I can only do this one more…” Grian places another stalactite over his head, and Scar looks up at it and blinks, frowning. “Look at me, Scar.”

Scar swallows hard, and he looks. Grian stares back at him with a flat mouth and uncertain eyes. He can count on one hand, the amount of times Grian has looked unsure. The guy usually seemed more like a force of nature than a human being, like he was some kind of mischievous deity more than a man.

Scar looks.

Grian breaks the stalactite.

There’s a moment where time stretches and slows, where Scar feels like he’s been holding his breath for a thousand years, like he’s been holding his breath since they were stuck in that desert.

Then the stalactite hits, and Scar watches as Grian winces when Scar does, watches his eyes flash red the moment it makes contact, the way his hand twitches at his side, and he can finally make sense of the way Grian is looking at him, like an apology and a condemnation and hesitance, all at once.

“Oh my god,” Scar says, embarrassed and tired and disbelieving, and Grian breaks out into laughter.

“You knew this whole time?” Scar asks, several recent events suddenly making more sense.

Grian grins, relieved and teasing, nudging his shoulder. “Why do you think I’ve been so concerned about your health and safety?”

Okay, maybe that hurt, a bit. He’s an obligation again. Their soulbond was the only reason Grian was here. (All this World wanted was a good show, and who didn’t love poetic cinema?)

There was another part of him that felt relief, that felt warmth blooming in his chest. Of course it would be Grian. Of course.

“You let me walk around with no idea who my soulmate was,” Scar says, playfully accusing, and really not surprised.

“I might’ve been working through the five stages of grief,” Grian says, shrugging and putting his pickaxe back in his belt.

Right. Because being tied to Scar means you’re as good as dead. It’s a sobering thought. His plan of never meeting his soulmate has gone out the window so completely that it seems like it was always doomed to fail. Everyone in this world is doomed to fail. Everyone but one. Or rather – this time – two.

Grian has received a death sentence for a soulmate.

Grian is turning around. “Come on,” he says, glancing over his shoulder. “I’ve got a base started. It’s looking pretty cool so far.”

There’s a knot, in Scar’s throat. He wonders if Grian can feel it, too. “Do we have to base together?”

Grian pauses and turns back around to look at him, his eyes a little confused, a little wounded. “Well, I mean, I guess not,” he says, taking a half step closer. “But it— it might be nice. To look after you.”

“I have a cave,” Scar says, gesturing a little uselessly in the direction of his little home. He’s giving Grian an out. He’s giving him an option.

Grian’s brow furrows in slight confusion. “I have sheep,” he says. “And chickens.”

Scar blinks, wondering why it feels like they’re bartering, or like there’s something between the lines that Scar’s not understanding . It’s like Grian wants him to come with him, but it doesn’t make sense. No one ever wants him around.

Maybe Grian feels like he doesn’t have a choice. Like if he leaves Scar alone he’ll get them both killed. It’s not exactly an unlikely assumption to make.

“You don’t have to,” Scar says, resting a hand on a Jellie-Panda where it stands at his side.

“I don’t have to… I don’t have to what?” Grian asks, tilting his head like a bird.

“I’ll just stay around here,” Scar continues, breaking eye contact to take in the secluded area. “I won’t get into trouble. I won’t even talk to anyone.”

“What?” Grian’s voice sounds strained. “Why would you do that?”

Scar shrugs and musters up a grin to contrast Grian’s frown. “To give you a chance?” Scars says.

Grian sighs and rubs at his forehead. “Scar, you’re not making any sense.”

“We’re bonded,” Scar says, almost desperately. This whole conversation feels like ripping off a bandaid as slowly as possible. It’s painful and necessary. “And I’m—” Scar laughs a little. “I’m me.”

“Believe me, Scar, I’m well aware who you are.” Grian huffs in irritation. “That’s why we need to stick together.”

“You don’t need to babysit me, Grian.”

“Yes, I do!” Grian shouts, and then he winces, looking down at his hand. Scar makes a conscious effort to uncurl his fingers, well aware of how hard his nails had just been digging into his palm. Grian had been able to feel it.

They stand in tense silence for a minute, Grian looking down at his hands, flexing them, and Scar wonders if he can see the blood on his knuckles the same way that Scar can. Wonders if he looks at Scar and still sees someone who betrayed him, once. Wonders if either of them ever left that desert.

“I wasn’t surprised that it was you,” Grian says eventually, quietly, finally letting his hands drop back to his sides. Scar watches him. “Angry, yeah, but not surprised.”

Scar finally feels a twinge of irritation. “Look, I’m sorry you got stuck with me again—”

Grian cuts him off with a bitter laugh. “I’m not angry with you, Scar, I’m just— I can’t—” He stops, taking a breath.

“We don’t end well,” Grian says, with such a deep well of pain in his voice that Scar’s own stubborn knot of hurt aches in sympathy. “We just end.”

The Jellie-Pandas make faint sounds off in the distance. Scar tries to scrape himself back into a shape that’ll fit into this conversation. Or anywhere at all.

“We’re still here,” Scar says, because they are. Because they don’t get to have anything as mundane or cathartic as an ending.

Grian blinks in muted surprise and finally meets his eyes again. There’s a bruise on his forehead that matches Scar’s.

“And we’re still there,” Grian says, a wry, sad smile on his face, and Scar can’t help but laugh a little. Because it’s true.

“I don’t blame you, you know,” Scar says, deceptively light and conversational. “For killing me.”

“Really?” Grian barks a self-deprecating laugh. “I do.”

“I betrayed you.” Scar shrugs. “I deserved it.”

“No,” Grian says, shaking his head. “No. You didn’t deserve that.”

It hadn’t been a quick death, that final one. Not like his first two. Hands weren’t really made for killing.

The sun is sinking lower in the horizon, and the wind is blowing, and the greenery around them feels a bit like it shouldn’t be real, and suddenly Scar is tired of the past. Maybe the Universe or whoever put them here is trying to tell them something. Telling them to try again.

“Wanna call it even?” Scar asks, cracking a tentative grin, and Grian lets out a startled laugh, which makes Scar smile wider.

“Not even gonna ask for my shoes?” Grian teases, tension leaking out of his frame.

“I’m about to move into your house,” Scar says lightly, starting to walk towards him. “I think you’ve got other things to worry about.”

“Oh, tons.”

They walk through the forest towards where Grian’s set up base, bickering and teasing and tentatively falling back into the familiarity of being a team. A pair. Something like hope is chipping away at the knot in his chest.

There’s still a long way to go from here, but it doesn’t seem quite as daunting, anymore. They’ll either win together or they’ll lose together, and neither of them will be alone.

“I’m going back for those Jellie-Pandas, by the way,” Scar says eventually, and smiles to himself as Grian puts up a dramatic protest without quite covering the amusement in his voice.

In this world, there is no desert.

#double life smp #desert duo #goodtimeswithscar #grian #double life smp fanfic #i love throwing angst at things #this time my target was desert duo <3 #anyway hope you like it if you read :]#jay’s journal

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