#there are one or two lines i'm a little iffy on
Text
双兎が来りて笛を吹く
Twin Rabbits Come and Play their Flute (Rabbit Rampage)
双子のウサギを見つけたなら
If you find a pair of twin rabbits
それを追いかけちゃいけないよ
You mustn't chase them
飛び込んだ穴の中に決して
For there's surely no Wonderland
不思議な世界は無いのだから
In the hole they've jumped down
.
神様はルールを決めたのさ
God decided on this rule
生まれ変わりゃ記憶を無くす
Where you lose your memories if you're reborn
そうしなけりゃ
If you don't
壊れだすよ
You'll start to break
.
そう パパとママのように
Yes, just like Papa and Mama
そう パパとママのように
Yes, just like Papa and Mama
.
悪魔の笛が響きだす
The demon's flute starts to play
.
親のいない子供たちだけが
Only children who have no parents
その音 聞くことができる
Can hear its sound
見定めるよ
We're sizing them up
孤独な心の
Those with lonely hearts are our
ターゲット
Target
.
君がただの子供だったなら
If you're an ordinary child
不安と記憶を失う
You'll lose your worries and your memories
もし君が僕らのあるじなら
If you're our master, then you're our
ターゲット
Target
.
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！ウサギ 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Rabbits come
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And play their flute
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！双子 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Twins come
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And play their flute
.
ひび割れたガラスの小瓶 もう道は示さない
The cracked glass bottle no longer shows the way
影のパレード その行く先は誰も知らず
No one knows where the shadow parade will go
.
E.A.T.
PARALLEL:3
CURSE AND BLESSING WORLD
.
お菓子の館を見つけたなら
If you find a candy mansion
それに魅入れられちゃいけないよ
You mustn't be drawn in
犬のコックの料理を運ぶ
For there are twin rabbits inside
双子のウサギがいるのだから
Who carry along the dog cook's meals
.
あるじは体を決めたのさ
Our master's determined to get a body
候補はいくらでも必要
She needs as many candidates as she can get
無限の旅
This endless journey
続けてゆく
Will continue
.
そう パパとママのように
Yes, just like Papa and Mama
そう パパとママのように
Yes, just like Papa and Mama
.
悪魔の笛が響きだす
The demon's flute begins to play
.
今日もレストランは盛況
Today again the restaurant's a success
ウサギは料理を運びつつ
As the rabbits carry out each dish
見定めるよ
We're sizing them up
邪悪な心の
Those with wicked hearts are our
ターゲット
Target
.
お客は食事を食べ続けて
The guests keep eating their meals
どんどん体を太らせ
And so we steadily fatten them up
弱肉強食
It's eat or be eaten
お前もいつかは
One day you too will be a
ターゲット
Target
.
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！ピエロ 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Pierrot comes
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And plays his flute
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！メイド 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! The maid comes
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And plays her flute
.
この道がどこに続くか いまだにわからない
We still don't yet know where this path will lead
明けない月夜抄 辿り着けぬ僕らの家
In this Tale of an Endless Moonlit Night, we have yet to reach our home
.
笛の音色に呼びこまれて
All are enticed by the timbre of the flute
今夜も満員御礼
And so tonight as well we've got a full house
見定めるよ
We're sizing them up
素敵な食材
Superb ingredients are our
ターゲット
Target
.
灼熱地獄に包み込まれ
When they're engulfed by the scorching fires of hell
今夜の晩餐完成
Tonight's dinner is complete
焼肉定食
Our special for today is grilled meat
お前が今夜の
You are tonight's
ターゲット
Target
.
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！ウサギ 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Rabbits come
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And play their flute
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！双子 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Twins come
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And play their flute
.
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！ピエロ 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! Pierrot comes
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And plays his flute
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！メイド 来りて
Raviii! Raviii! The maid comes
ラヴィ！ラヴィ！笛を吹くのさ
Raviii! Raviii! And plays her flute
.
起きて......ヘンゼル......
Wake up...Hänsel...
.
Evillious Chronicles
Parallel:0
Crime and Punishment World
.
気が付いた時にいたのは あの森の真ん中
When we came to, we were in the middle of that forest
置き去り月夜抄
A Tale of Abandonment on a Moonlit Night
これまでずっと夢を見てた...
We'd always dreamed of this until now...
.
...という夢を見た
...Or so we dreamed
.
CAST
アルテ・ンテ・コンチータ
Arte Ente Conchita
ポロ・二ェーゼ・コンチタ
Pollo Gnese Conchita
#()mothy#()songs#there are one or two lines i'm a little iffy on#i would like to have the full album for a little more context#nonetheless here it is#()E.A.T.
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9 People to Know Better (except I'm not tagging 9 people)
I don't normally do tag games, but I got tagged in this twice (by @jealous-kippen and @remmixx, my beloveds <3) so here I am! (also as I'm writing this out I am realizing that while both posts were titled the same way, it looks like they had different question prompts??? So I'm just gonna combine the two)
Favorite Color: Purple! Any shade will have my heart but I am partial to more red-toned purples. (PV, if that means anything to anyone who sees this other than me, you know who you are)
Currently Reading: Three things! In terms of actual books, I've been slowly making my way through the Riordanverse since my university did The Lightning Thief in my second year (first school in my state to do it once the rights were released!) since I somehow never got into Percy Jackson as a kid, and I'm currently on Son of Neptune. I'm also one like my third or fourth re-read of Eurydice by Sara Ruhl, since that's the play I'm designing the costumes for for my senior project. And in terms of fanfic, I woke up to a notification about this yesterday and Actually Screeched.
Last Song: Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan (ft. Post Malone), which was a bit of an accident. I use siri to request music while I'm driving and I asked for Dial Drunk and was singing along until I got jumpscared by the slight difference before Post Malone's verse. Although if you look at my spotify, the ROTPL album has been on repeat for weeks.
Currently Watching (Series): I've been hyperfixated on ROTPL and have watched it over a dozen times at this point, which is probably not healthy, so I put on NCIS last night for background noise while I ate dinner and accidentally watched like six episodes.
Currently Watching (Movie): Saw the Barbie movie the night before the actual opening with my coworkers (We don't cross picket lines people! I was not asked nor invited by any company, and I paid full price for my ticket. There's a one-screen theatre in the town where I'm doing summer stock, this relic from the 50's, and they were able to get access to the film a day early and did a special first come first serve premiere.) and we all sobbed the entire way through.
Current Obsession: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Full stop. I'd seen clips of it when it first aired in April but I was iffy on it in spite of how good it looked. Like most, I'm a little tired of reboots and remakes, and while I did clock Cynthia as being queer within two seconds, (I believe my exact words were "That's either a very butch lesbian or the eggiest egg to ever egg.") I was Convinced it was a queerbait situation. Plus I was nearing finals and didn't have time to get into a new show. But then Crushing Me was trending on tiktok and I realized this was not queerbait, so I put it on to have something playing while I packed for summer stock and it's been the only thing I can think about since mid May. It got me writing fanfic again for the first time in years, if that tells you anything. Speaking of,
Currently Working On: A follow-up to my previous fic, Steady, Steady! I wanted to have it up this week, but it is a behemoth. I'm a little over halfway through my plot outline and I'm at 10,441 words. Fun fact, this will be my longest single-chapter fic so far. Not just in the fandom, not just on AO3, but ever (so far!)
No-Pressure Tagging: @merely-a-player, @penguin-writes-books, @el-fandom-birb, @marley-barnes112, @isweartheyregayyourhonor, and @look-at-those-niceass-rocks (since I've already dragged you back to tumblr kicking and screaming)
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my thoughts and theories on fionna and cake
so from the trailer alone i’m pretty sure this is going to be very Simon-centric. as established in the main series, Fionna and Cake is genderbend fanfiction written by Ice King. however, it seems likely that the Fionna and Cake focused on in this series will not be the one within Simon’s mind - not fully, anyway.
i initially believed that the Fionna and Cake we see in this series would be entirely figments of Simon's imagination - fanfiction used as a coping mechanism. Fionna's world is realistic and bland and mundane because Simon's "lost the magic in his life", and Fionna's world gaining magic would be a sign of changes in his mental state.
i no longer believe this because i took too many screenshots of the trailer. however, i do think that the Fionna and Cake of Simon's mind will be relevant, and Fionna's world mirroring Simon's is an intentional comparison.
my take is this - Fionna and Cake is going to have an overarching a-plot of Fionna figuring out what's gone wrong with her world and defeating the threat, and a b-plot of Simon facing his mortality and his trauma and coming to terms with both.
that's my tl;dr. long post below.
Simon’s a character with a lot of depth to him, but none of the Distant Lands specials focused on him, so it’s his turn to hold the Trauma Ball. we know that he isn’t immortal anymore with the crown gone. he’s visibly aged in the trailer, growing some white hair, and is wrinklier.
(Tom Kenny also said in an interview that this is the most emotional thing he’s worked on, and Tom Kenny’s been in fucking everything, so you know it’s gonna be big. i cannot for the life of me find the source for this so you're gonna have to trust me on this one.)
aging is clearly gonna fuck Simon up for multiple reasons - beyond the normal stuff, aging means he's going to look like Ice King, making himself a visual reminder of the worst time of his life. he also spent a very long time as an immortal, and adjusting to the idea of death after centuries of being the same age is probably gonna fuck with him.
he’ll also be dwelling on his past - there’s shots in the trailer of him and Marcy together right after the Mushroom War, likely filling in some gaps from that time. we already got a whole episode dedicated to their time together in the main series, so there's no need to tread that ground again - this will likely show new moments with them or recontextualize things with the state Simon's in now.
(there's also a shot of both of their feet but i couldn't fit both sets of shoes on one frame)
then there’s a shot of what’s very obviously a musical number from the in-between state of Simon and Ice King. this could be the first time he puts on the crown (or an early time), resulting a darkly upbeat moment of juxtaposition, or it could be an equally dark current-day moment along the lines of “wasn’t it so nice when you had the crown on and you didn’t have to think about anything? when you were immortal and too out of it to realize how bad of a spot you were in?”
or it could be a secret third thing. keep this image in mind, it'll be relevant later.
as for some miscellaneous screenshots, takes these two:
Simon's coat is missing in the first but he still has it in the second, so either he goes on two separate adventures in Ooo, or the first image takes place after the second. i stand by this being Ooo in the first image because of the trees in the background. as for the second image, that's Finn in the top right, and the treehouse on the left. because of how old Finn looks in the big promo image, i assume this takes place between Obsidian and Together Forever - Jake is dead but Finn is not. Finn and Simon might have a talk about death and dying if the mortality thing gets brought up, or Finn might just be here to help Simon get where he needs to go.
to where they are going, one can only speculate. it might be Prismo's cube, but i'm a little iffy on that. the cube is massively relevant by the way and is likely how Fionna and Cake end up crossing paths with Simon.
because Prismo's whole deal is alternate universes (gestures at Farmworld Finn) i believe that this is how Fionna and Cake come to Ooo. Prismo's cube is even in the logo for this show, it's that important.
(Simon is no stranger to Prismo, we got the above moment in the Adventure Time finale, so him traveling to Prismo with Finn's help is a possibility.)
anyway, time for the people the show is actually named about!
for their side of the plotline, the description of the trailer is quite enlightening:
"Based on characters from the beloved “Adventure Time” franchise, this brand-new 10-episode series set in the land of Ooo follows the alternate universe versions of Finn & Jake on a multiverse-hopping journey towards self-discovery. When Fionna and her sidekick Cake find themselves in the crosshairs of a powerful new foe, they have no choice but to seek the help of former Ice King Simon Petrikov." (emphasis mine)
notably, they are referred to explicitly as alternate universe versions, so they are indeed their own people. i also find it curious that Fionna's life is somehow mundane enough to lack magic, yet wacky enough to have a "powerful new foe". unless that something is actively sucking the magic out of their universe, this particular foe is a mystery to me.
however, because multiverse hopping is mentioned, i believe that the big foe is gonna have ~some weirdness~ about it, possibly attacking universe after universe for its intended goal ala [insert your preferred bagel-based multiverse movie here]. i'd also like to present the following screencaps to the court:
the use of line color, color choice, and shading in between the two on the left and the two on the right are like night and day. so, given the multiverse theme, i propose that these are two different Fionnas - the Fionna and Cake as presented by Simon on the left, and the real magicless Fionna from her universe on the right. alternatively, the one on the left could be Fionna after she comes to Ooo, and she just gets a costume change.
(also, the musical number shot has coloring similar to the set on the right, potentially indicating that scene takes place in the same location/episode/universe/etc as those shots. this is the third secret thing.)
(also also, this is probably way too off the wall to be true, but the ones on the right look incredibly similar to Bee and Puppycat in terms of color, and given that Natasha Allegri is responsible for both Bee and Puppycat and the creation of Fionna, this series could get into ideas of creation, using Simon's Fionna vs the real Fionna as an allegory somehow. i will be shocked if this happens, i think it's just visual flair tbh, i just wanted to get this thought out of my brain)
if this wasn't a spotty post before here's where it gets Real Spotty:
i believe this is Fionna in Ooo, she's in a bunny hat and she's with a kid in Finn's clothes. i believe this is Ooo because of the fire people at the bottom. Fionna is also still wearing the outfit she had on in the bus in the beginning of the trailer, leading me to believe that she gets to Ooo after that set of scenes.
i further believe this is Ooo, because we see the same kid in this shot. that's Simon's leg on the right, muddied up, so this could be after his adventure with Finn. on the left is the Fionna and Cake script in the bin, this being the Fionna and Cake Simon came up with. my guess is that this kid is a fan of the Fionna and Cake Simon came up with and this outfit is a cosplay. maybe he published his fanfiction. good for him.
as for the city behind the closing door...
... maybe it could be this? i'm not sure if this city is on Ooo, frankly. the trees are different. maybe Fionna, Simon, and this kid all went to an alt universe together by accident? and that's why the kid looks so distraught in the shot with the bin?
for my last image-based comment, simon's sleeve has been torn off here (bottom of his-right-our-left arm) so it's possible that whatever muddied his pants in the bin shot also got his coat messed up, possibly his adventure with Finn.
to recap this meandering post
here's an extremely weak guess of plot points from the previously proposed concepts
Fionna lives a normal, bland life, realizes something is wrong, and ends up in Ooo over the course of a day. within this day, she does her job on the bus, sees something's up with Cake, experiences some dimension weirdness, chases Cake at some point, her and Cake end up falling, and then it's Ooo time.
in Ooo, she meets a kid that's a fan of Fionna and Cake - from the stories Simon wrote and published.
Fionna decides she needs Simon's help, possibly because he's apparently written books about her, so they go to get him
meanwhile, Simon's had a bad mental health day and is spiraling.
he ends up in the woods with Finn for some reason, possibly to death talk, and they have an adventure that takes the length of the day. by the end of it, Simon's clothes are torn up and he just wants to go home.
he goes home and sits down for like A Minute before Fionna and the kid show up at his place.
(there is no evidence for this but i feel like seeing the character you made up in your genderbend fanfic irl would be freaky so Simon's like "wow i've fucking lost it i'm hallucinating my oc")
situation gets explained to a very non-receptive Simon
the three/four of them head off onto a multiversal quest with widely varying levels of enthusiasm
over the course of the quest shenanigans ensue and Simon has many moments of contemplation on his past and future
Fionna gets the situation with her home universe figured out
You Will Cry Your Eyes Out
the end
that's all i got. feel free to go crazy in the notes.
#long post#not joking it took over 2 hours to get all this down#adventure time#fionna and cake#adventure time fionna and cake#analysis
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Heard
Pairing: Johnny 'Soap' MacTavish x F!Reader, First POV, no use of (Y/N)
Word Count: 2,388
Themes: Platonic Relationship, Fluff, Comfort, Some Angst
!Warnings!: Some Homophobia Violence (none of it comes from you or any of our main men and isn't graphic) and some !18+! Suggestive Talk
About: You and Soap have been best friends for many, many years and are completely inseparable. When he is home from a mission one night, he invites you to y'alls usual late night talks in the park, except this time it is different.
Notes: I'm a little iffy about this one but I hope y'all enjoyed it and I promise I will do more Ghost x Reader soon I just wanted to give Soap some love. I am gonna pick Bonnie again for this fic but for my next Soap x Reader I will pick another name to use and reader also has a accent in this. And this is an AU were Graves and Shepard aren't traitors (even though Shepard is the absolute worst). Enjoy!
“What a damn day..” I mumble to myself as I saunter into my apartment.
Today was a rough and busy day at the job, but at least I was off for the next two days so I can just relax with a good beer and watch some good TV and maybe even catch up on some reading. There’s so much you can do in two days of freedom. Speaking of beer, I think I will have one now. As I was walking into the kitchen to grab a beer, my phone started ringing. That’s weird, nobody really ever calls me this late at night. Probably my mum. I grabbed my phone to look to see.
Soap 🧼 is calling..
Oh Johnny! Damn it’s been a day or two since I heard from him, he must’ve just now gotten a break from the mission he was currently on. I answered it quickly.
“Johnny!” I greet him.
“Hey Bonnie.”
“You doing alrigh’, mate?” I ask.
“Meh could be better.”
“You back home yet?”
Silence was met between the two of us. I knew Johnny was still on the line for I could still hear his breathing on the other side. Usually he is a big converser, so he must be tired.
“Johnny?”
“Can you meet me now? Please.” Johnny begged.
This was unusual for Johnny. He sounded frantic, worried and even scared. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Everytime he would come home from missions, we would meet out at the park nearby to talk about his mission and anything that happened while he was gone. I assume he was back home if he was frantically asking to meet up with me.
“Yeah, of course. I just got home so it will be a minute. Are you okay?” I ask, hearing his tone that was out of character for him.
Johnny was silent for a moment except for his shaky breaths. What happened Johnny?
“MacTavish. Are you okay? Are you safe?” I asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m safe. I promise. I’ll be at our usual spot.” Johnny told me.
“Okay, be there in ten.” I said, going through my clothes to find something to throw on.
“A’ight.”
Johnny then hung up the phone and I couldn’t help but feel a very sour taste in my mouth from that. I don’t think I have ever heard Johnny sound so..scared. Man goes into battle with a high risk of dying and would always retell it to me as if it was nothing but a walk in the park. Something must’ve happened to make him really scared. I eventually found a long sleeved t-shirt, some lounging pants, and mismatched socks to put on and did just so. I thought maybe I should bring some tequila or bourbon but then again, Johnny always told me what to bring and this time he didn’t. Fuck it, I’ll bring it just in case. You never know. I grabbed some bourbon, slipped my shoes on, grabbed my keys, and rushed out the door, knowing Johnny is probably waiting for me.
~
“There ya are, MacTavish.” I announced my presence as I made my way to the park bench he was sitting on.
“‘Ey, Bonnie.” Johnny softly said.
Okay, something definitely has happened. Normally Johnny would come up to me and greet me with a bear hug or even a handshake when he first sees me, but now he was sitting still and speaking oh so softly to me. What’s going on?
“What’s going on, Soap? Talk to me. You sounded panicked over the phone.”
I sit next in front of him, offering my hand for comfort. Johnny immediately took it and held it, squeezing it even. Johnny and I have been best friends for many, many years now that you could consider us as non-blood siblings. We talk to each other about everything, do just about everything together, and are always there for each other. As we grew up, everyone thought we would end up together as a couple but we never did. We just stayed really, really close best friends and stuck with each other through the thick end. And yes we have had some arguments, as any normal pair of siblings would, but that was mostly when we were younger. Now we are both older adults, we just bicker at each other until the other gets annoyed enough to just ignore the other. Johnny kept squeezing my hand, and I could even feel him shaking. And it’s not from the cold weather that’s going on right now.
“Johnny..” I reminded him that I was here.
His bright blue eyes looked up at me. He looked terrified.
“Lass, talk to me.” I reassure him, leaning in close to him, “you know you don’t need to be scared with me.”
“I know..” He softly said.
He was finding the words to say to me, but I will sit out all night if that’s what it takes for him to talk to me.
“Something..happened, during my mission.” Johnny started.
“Go on.” I ushered him.
Johnny paused once more, still trying to gather up the right words to say.
“You want somethin’ to relax ya?” I offer the bottle of bourbon to him.
He stares at it for a few seconds before shaking his head.
“No, but thank you, Bonnie. I appreciate it. I appreciate you very much.”
I know he wasn’t necessarily thanking me for thinking about him by bringing him the bourbon, but for just being there for him in general.
“Remember last time we talked?” Johnny asked me.
I racked my brain to remember and luckily I did.
“Of course I do. You were talkin’ about how Price was cursing under his breath about how he lost a damn good cigar when the airplane crashed.” I recalled.
Johnny chuckled when I said that. Of course we talked about much more than that, but I figured I’d try and lift his spirits a little.
“I had to hold back me laughter when I heard that over the coms.” Johnny admitted.
“I don’t blame ya.”
I have met Price plenty of times and you can tell he cares about the boys a lot but also doesn't take shit from nobody. Would offer his shoulder to cry on but will get pissed at them if they touch his whiskey kinda guy. The mood quickly went back to the way it was before, so it was time to be serious.
“You mentioned to me how you were working through your feelings and emotions. As well as who you are attracted to.”
The second it left my mouth, Johnny’s eyes wallowed in tears. I squeezed his hand as he sniffled in response and leaned his head forward, his forehead resting on our locked hands.
“Johnny..” I call him, rubbing his head.
Suddenly Johnny broke out into incoherent sobs. Tears ran down my hand as he just sobbed and sobbed.
“Johnny, come here.” I called him as I got up quickly and got next to him so I could hug him.
Johnny immediately accepted my hug, sobbing into my shoulder.
“I’m so stupid, stupid..stupid.”
I heard Johnny mumble through his sobs. I held him tightly, rubbed his back, and cooed at him with as many comfort words as I could think of. What in the bloody hell happened?
“Johnny you’re not stupid.”
“Yes I am.”
“No you’re not Johnny. I am here for you always. No matter what it is.” I reassured him, hoping to soothe him a little bit.
Johnny managed to finally calm down a little bit and I let him pull away from me.
“I’m sorry..I just..”
“Don’t you apologize you wanker. You never ever have to apologize with me, Johnny and you bloody know that.” I gently got onto him.
He knows better than that.
“Just talk to me. Tell me what happened so I can help you out.” I told him while squeezing his shoulders.
Johnny wiped his face clean and managed to calm down, just enough to talk to me.
“We were out at dis bar where we were stationed at. And at that poin’, the only person I ever told about how I was feeling internally was Simon.” Johnny started.
“Does he accept you?”
“Fuck yes he does. He told me ‘I don’t bloody care if you’re gay or what, you’re still my teammate and friend, Johnny.’”
I felt relief wash over when he told me that. You’re a bloody good guy, Simon Riley.
“That’s good, Johnny.” I say.
“Yeah,” Johnny sighed before continuing, “it was aye, Simon, Gaz, Price, Laswell, Shepard, and Graves there. Um, there were these arseholes who were picking on a kid who was dressed very femininely. They assumed he was gay and started hurting him. Of course, I step in despite Shepard telling me to back off.”
I could feel anger boiling inside of me. Their own General telling Johnny to not help an innocent civilian? What a coward and ball-less of a man.
“What a focking jerk-off.” I cursed.
“So I stepped in, didn’t want to make too much of a scene. They leave the poor fellow alone but they target me. I ain’t afraid until they started accusing me..”
“Accusing you of what, Johnny?” I ask.
Johnny squeezed my hand tightly and I could feel his whole body start to shake again. I rubbed his hand, trying to soothe his nerves.
“Accusing me of being a..I don’t even wanna say it, but that word they use against gays. I just..shut down when they said it. Like I didn’t want to even accept it, ya know?”
You shook your head over what Johnny just told you. You hated that he went through that, especially since he was still internally trying to figure out his own feelings.
“And because I shut down, they were able to swing at me and I was knocked down on the ground. Simon had to step in and help me and I just felt so stoopid. I let something like that get to me.”
“Johnny, you don’t need to feel stoopid over something like that. It’s understandable since you’re still figuring out your feelings and you were caught off guard.” I reassure him.
“Yeah, well now everyone knows about me. I wanted it to stay with Simon, but now they know.”
“How do they know?” I ask.
“I..”
Johnny paused.
“They don’t really, but I can tell they know something is up. And I am scared.” Johnny confessed.
“Why? Literally the only person I am iffy about is Shepard, but everyone else, they should be supportive of you, Johnny.. And if they don’t, then you’ve got Simon. Fuck everyone else if they don’t support you, but at least you have Simon Riley.” I say, trying to lift his spirits of the only person he can count on.
“There’s something else..” Johnny softly said.
“Oh? What is it?” I ask.
Whatever Johnny was about to tell me, I could tell it was going to be harder than what he just told me.
“Please, just don’t judge me for it..”
“Johnny, you know I never would judge you for anything.” I reminded him.
“I know it’s just..Simon and I..” Johnny paused once more.
“Yeah?”
“Well, by the time we all left the bar, all of us were kinda tipsy except for Simon. Bloody lad is never drunk or acts like it no matter how much he drinks. So we went back to our base and later on, Simon came to check on me. And uh..”
Johnny’s face instantly turned red. Beet red. I didn’t even need him to tell me what happened cause I already knew.
“Oh Johnny!!” I cried out with excitement, poking him in his ribs making him giggle and flinch.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Johnny said.
“Sooo?”
“So wha’?”
“All I am gonna ask is, was it a good night?” I ask.
“Steamin’ bloody Jesus, yes it was.” Johnny answered, making me laugh.
“That’s good.” I say.
It fell into a comfortable silence between us, but there was a question burning in my mind.
“Johnny?”
“Hm?”
“Why were you so scared to tell me that, you know, you’re gay or bi? Whichever you feel like you fall more on.” I question.
Johnny sighed deeply.
“It ain't 'cause I didn’t think you’d accept me, I guess it’s cause I am having a hard time accepting it myself.”
“That’s who you are and clearly Simon accepts you at the very least and I am sure everyone else will too. But if they don’t then Simon and I can beat their asses.” I half joked.
“You’re right. I am just glad you are in my life, Bonnie. To know that if everyone else hates me for whateva reason, that you’ll still be supportive of me.” Johnny told me.
I don’t think I have ever heard Johnny ever be this sentiment ever in over twenty years of being friends.
“Of course, MacTavish. I’ll always be here for you.” I told him.
Johnny then pulled me into a tight hug and I hugged back, instantly feeling the guilt and fear rolling off his shoulders.
“Now, give me that damn bourbon. Let me tell you what Price did while we were gone this time ‘round.” Johnny announced, instantly back to his normal self.
I laughed as I passed the bourbon to him, knowing he won’t drink enough to make him not be able to drive back home. We talked for hours and hours, till the sun started peeking over the horizon. Despite the both of us being exhausted, it was worth it in the end to be able to talk with my best friend, my non-blooded brother and to let him know that he indeed had at least one permanent supporter in his life. If Johnny has no supporters, then Simon and I must be dead, cause that’s the only way he wouldn’t have any supporters in his life until we know for sure how the rest of the task force feels, but I know they are going to accept him. They have to, or else they’re gonna get a special paid visit from both Simon and I personally.
END
#cod#callofduty#simon ghost riley#call of duty#cod x reader#john soap mactavish#johhny soap mactavish#modern warfare x reader#cod modern warfare#johnny soap mactavish x reader#soap x reader#ghoap#ghostofthemost141#kate laswell#modern warfare#general shepherd#kyle gaz garrick#john price
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the commonly referenced 'messy bun' eddie puts his hair into isn't actually a bun, it's just a ponytail he didn't pull all the way through
His pretty pretty curls tied back all messy because it’s summer and he’s got to clean out his van
That’s the plot synopsis of this. Also, goofy fluff for fluff's sake
///
July in Hawkins was usually a similar temperature to the surface of the sun. Eddie would lovingly grumble about how it “feels like Satan’s moist armpit”; he had such an eloquent way with words.
The summer sun was particularly punishing as it bounced around the trailer park. You were almost tempted to try and cook some eggs for breakfast on the steps of Eddie's trailer - the resulting bacteria would have been a bitch to deal with though.
Eddie always used hot, sticky summer days to clean his van. The body and windows desperately needed to be blasted with a hose. A whole lot of random crap had accumulated in the back of the van - fast food wrappers, busted guitar cables, Corroded Coffin poster samples. The brown shag rug lining the back needed to be vacuumed very, very badly, too.
You were always happy to help out with the van cleaning. Partly because it was just nice to spend time on a nice day with your boyfriend. But mainly because you got to look at him while he cleaned.
Eddie didn't own any shirts that were breezy enough for the July heat, so he ditched the shirt altogether. His tattoos and freckled skin were on full display in the golden sunshine. He was glowing. One, because he was a pretty guy, and two, because you had rubbed a lot of sunblock on him - much to his protests.
In addition to going half-naked, "showing off the goods," as he put it. Eddie also tied his curls up. The hair tie he used, which was probably months old, given how overstretched it was, only held his hair back loosely. The ponytail sat against the back of his neck, and several wild strands fell around his sweaty face.
You were taking a break from vacuuming the car seats, lounging back on a low, green deck chair and observing. Secretly, you were happy that you had the privilege of seeing Eddie being all effortlessly hot. The guy was a solid 10, and no one else in the entire town got to see him the way you did.
Admittedly, you felt a little iffy watching him while knocking back a beer from the cooler at your feet, objectifying him while he was hosing down the van. But you also knew that he was far too aware of what he was doing.
"You missed a spot on the windscreen." You pointed out, gesturing to the dried bird shit near the window wipers. Eddie turned to you and peered over his sunglasses. Letting him buy aviators was an awful idea. Especially since you'd seen Top Gun with your friends a few months back.
"I'm doing the wipers separately. There's more bird shit and dead bugs on 'em than what you can see," Eddie explained. He still moved the spray of the hose over the area you had pointed out. You were just trying to be helpful, and he appreciated it. "Oh, there's a huge spider in here too! Come see!"
You had to peel yourself off the plastic of the deck chair - the heat was just a joke now. Eddie had started poking at the wipers, inspecting the area for any live creepy crawlers that he could save before causing a tsunami for them.
"I swear if there's hair on this spider, I'll-" You were abruptly cut off by a fast spray of water hitting you in the chest. Eddie was a dead man. Regardless of his summer look.
"Been waiting all day to do that." Eddie cackled, doubling over at the sight of the death glare you were giving him. "Love ya, though. Hey, no bra, how nice of you." he preened, quickly stealing a kiss on your damp cheek.
The t-shirt you were wearing was now like a second skin. The red cotton clung to your torso, and you quickly realised the reason for Eddie's aim. As Eddie moved away from you, you made fast work of disarming him of the hose. The second it was in your hand, his face dropped, and he bolted around the van.
"Can you blame me for the wet t-shirt?! Like really?" Eddie pleaded as you stalked after him, hose in a vice grip. You knew your boyfriend was a perv, sure, but you could still get a bit of revenge in exchange for it.
"It is chaffing my armpits, Edward." You hissed, aiming a hose blast at his head, but he quickly ducked behind one of the open back doors.
"Well, I'm sorry about that. But you've been ogling me all day! Can't a guy see some wet t-shirt action!" This time he luckily dodged your line of fire.
"I've been ogling you for twenty minutes AT MOST!"
"HA! So, you admit-" Eddie cut himself off with an "oof" as you had managed to catch him and shove him lightly into the side of the van - the clean side. He immediately raised his hands in defeat, pushing his sunglasses into his hair so he could try to win you over with the puppy dog eyes. Damn, the guy was good; you had to give him some credit. "C'mon, babe, you don't really wanna do this. How 'bout I make it up to you later? I'll do that thing-" The offer was tempting, but you only pinned Eddie more firmly to the metal.
The spray blasted directly on the top of his head, soaking his face, hair and shoulders in an instant. "You will be doing that thing later, dumbass." You grumbled, releasing the now water-logged man and marching off with the hose.
You took maybe five steps away from Eddie before he ran up, grabbed you from behind and started shaking his sodden hair in your face like a big dog. His barking laugh at your struggling to run away warmed your heart and made you forgive him. Only a little bit, though.
#Eddie Munson x reader#eddie munson x fem!reader#Eddie Munson x reader fluff#Eddie Munson fluff#Eddie Munson fic#fluff#fic#Eddie#stranger things
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Refuge - J•M
Pairing: Joel Miller x Reader
Rating: 18+
Summary: You rescue Joel and Ellie, taking the pair in, feelings start to arise between you and Joel, tensions increase, eventually one of you is going to blow
Warnings: Swearing, violence, mention of weapons, kissing, fluff, smut, pent up frustration, Joel being a bit of an ass, fighting, grinding, handjob, fingering, kissing, vaginal penetration, unprotected sex (wrap it up).
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The snow was starting to fall hard around you, the car humming quietly, you looked back to the rear seats of the car, two bodies inside quiet as mice, probably exhausted from the running and fighting.
You'd been out on a routine run, deciding to venture closer to the main city to see if their hallowed shops held anything of value, being happy with you find of canned goods, and old soap you made your way back out the building when a harsh scream reached your ears.
"Shit!" You cursed believing a hoard was close before you heard another voice.
"Ellie Go!"
It was a man and by the sound of it a girl too, they needed help, you round the corner your gun in hand, you see a massive infected onto of the guys, whilst the girl is being backed into a corner, you line up a shot leaning on the ground, you've got a clear shot so you take it shooting the big one straight in the head, it lands on the guy bas he quickly rolls it away grabbing his own gun before he starts letting out every once of rage on the other infected before it got to the girl.
"Hey man, I think it's dead!" You yelled, putting your gun away approaching the two, the man points his gun to you pushing the girl behind him.
"Who the fuck are you!?" He yells, you put your hands up showing you mean no harm as you look behind him at the girl.
"I'm the one that shot the big fucker of ya okay" You explained waiting for his responses as he stared you down still holding his gun up to you, turning to the girl, looking over her before walking over to you.
"You should've shot the other one I was fine you should've helped her!"
You stared up at the man, laughing bitterly.
"Jeez man, that thing was gonna kill you way before his friend got to your daughter okay"
"I'm not his daughter, just tagging along ya know, I'm Ellie" The girl now known as Ellie waved over to you.
"Hi Ellie, I'm Y/N, y'all are a bit far out for comfort you got a place to stay"
"Yes" The man says, Ellie knocks him in the arm before stepping in front of him.
"No we don't actually"
You look between em both before beginning to walk.
"Come on you both look exhausted, you can stay with me for the night" You offered looking back at them.
"No way, we'll be fine" The man replied.
"Don't mind him, we'd love to join you" Ellie spoke as she walked up to you, the two of you looked over to Joel expectedly, he huffed looking at Ellie before going the two of you. You all walked out, entering your car as Ellie and the man got in the back, and off you went back to your home.
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You pulled into the front of your home, it was a farm house you'd found a couple months back, with a little love you'd manage to make it lovable again. You hopped out the car gently knocking on the window. Ellie and the man woke with a jolt looking around, calming down more when they saw you, they joined you entering the house, dropping their bags.
"Okay, the kitchen is through there, this is the living room obviously, the bathrooms upstairs, the showers really iffy but it works ok enough and finally there's two rooms in this house so Ellie you can sleep in my room it the one at the end of the hall and you can sleep in the other." You spoke pointing around the house, the pair looked around curiously, Ellie grabbed her bag off the floor running up to the bedroom thanking you as she ran past, you smiled watching her figure disappear, turning to the man standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"So...you got a name?" You asked, he turned to you looking up and down.
"Joel" He replied.
"Well Joel, you wanna go up to your room get comfortable? I'll make us some dinner" You proposed, grabbing Joel's bag, holding it out for him to take.
"Where are you sleeping'" He asked taking his bag from your hand. You pointed over to the couch, he looked back nodding his head slowly, he stood there looking at you like he wanted to say something but he just ended up huffing a thank you and shuffled past heading up to his room, you watched him and sighed going to the kitchen, beginning to make dinner for the three of you.
You could hear muffled whispers, then steps of the two people upstairs separating, smiling to yourself you put your concentration back on dinner, gleefully humming away, you plated everything up taking it over to the little dinning table.
"Dinner!" You yelled, standing there as you heard the echo of running through the house as Ellie made her way to you, Joel following, stomping down the stairs, they both looked over the plates of food you'd prepared eyes widening.
"Hope you guys like chilli" You said sitting down, Joel and Ellie joined you at the table, Ellie began taking spoonfuls, groaning happily.
"Ellie slow down and say thank you" Joel nudged the young girl, before nodding his head toward you, Ellie halted before wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
"Oh shit right, thank you Y/N" She said going back to her food but now keeping a steady pace, you smiled at her.
"Thank you, this is the first proper food we've had in a while" Joel said as he began to eat, you smiled at him too, the sound of eating filled the air, it had been a while since you'd had a dinner like this, it was nice.
Joel wiped his mouth and began speaking to you. "You live here alone then?"
"Oh uh yeah, been alone for quite some time but I found this place and decided I might as well call it home ya know safe space plenty of food."
"Don't ya get lonely" Ellie asked, looking over at you.
"Sometimes but I try not to think about it too much" You replied slowly eating your food.
"So you wouldn't mind the company?" Ellie asked, yelping as she looked over to Joel.
"Why'd you kick me?"
"Don't be rude, Y/N ignore her please we'll be out of your hair by tomorrow" He spoke giving you an apologetic look.
"I wouldn't actually mind if you guys wanna stay for a bit it's all good with me" You replied, standing from the table as you began to clean up, Joel quickly joined you walking to the kitchen.
"Are ya sure? we wouldn't wanna impose"He said placing the bowls in the sink, you turned to him smiling.
"Joel your all good stay as long as you want"
"Thank you" He said smiling down at you.
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It had been three days since Ellie and Joel had joined you and it was going great , they'd been helping out around the place, Joel fixed the fence, you and Ellie would practice shooting and you'd all enjoy dinner together in the evenings.
On occasion you'd notice Joel stealing little glances at you at the dinner table, or watching you when you were making dinner, he'd even sit very close to you when you were reading on the couch, but you decided to pay no mind to it.
Today Joel was helping Ellie with her target practice, you waked up to the pair of them.
"Guys, lunch time" You announced, Ellie looked back at you, running back to the house.
"Ellie!" Joel yelled, much to his dismay, she'd already got inside, you two laughed at her, you turned to Joel as he picked up Ellies gun.
"You wanna have a go, I know your aims good but a little practice never hurt right?" He asked holding the gun out, you smirked grabbing the gun, aiming it towards the cans, you slowed your breathing making your shot and hitting the left can straight on the mark, Joel clapped his hands laughing.
"That was amazing, ya know if you change your stance slightly you'd shake less" He said as walked up to you, placing his hands on your hips, pulling close to you, you could feel the heat start to rise to your face, his breathe fanning across you neck, he held your arms aiming your gun.
"Okay now shoot"
You shot the mark again, turning to him smiling, he turned also, your faces inches away from one another, he looked into your eyes, you looked down at his lips.
"Joel" You whispered, he quickly superheated from you, suddenly your body went cold.
"Uh, I, we should uh we should go inside, lunch will get cold" He spoke, now avoiding eye contact"
You hummed walking back to the house as Joel followed you slowly, neither of you spoke that lunch, Ellie happily talking as you two were reliving what had just happened.
The evening was quickly approaching and with it came a storm , the house rattled slightly, you and Joel worked together to boarder up the windows and doors, once you were finished you all got ready for bed, you wished Ellie a good evening checking on her in the room, you walked down the hall knocking on Joel's door, he answered glad in boxers and a vest shirt.
"Hey just wanted to wish you a goodnight"
"You gonna be okay sleeping downstairs?"
"Oh uh yeah I'll be fine" You replied slightly surprised by his concern.
"Okay, just checking, well goodnight Y/N"
You smiled at him before leaving, heading down to the couch, it was colder than usual but you'd be okay; you wrapped yourself in a number of blankets and before you kew it you were asleep.
You could feel something touching your body, slowly waking up, you began to panic as you realised someone was holding you, as you began to move you heard a recognisable voice.
"Calm down it's just me" The sound of Joel's southern drawl put you at ease, he carried you up to the spare room.
"It was a bit cold up here so I thought it would be freezing downstair and I was right so you're gonna sleep up here tonight" He announced as he placed you on the bed, he turned to leave the room before you grabbed his wrist.
"It'll be freezing for you too, just sleep here I don't mind" You spoke pulling Joel towards the bed, he hesitated before joining you in the bed, you were facing away from him, you were falling asleep as you felt Joel move towards you, so you turned to face him.
"You okay" You asked, he stared at you moving closer
"Y/N, there something I've wanted to ask you" He whispered
"Okay then ask"
He looked at you, thinking for a moment before holding you face in his hands.
"Can I kiss you?" He asked, you stared at him, humming quietly, he moved closer closing his eyes, your lips connected, slowly moving against each other, his hand moved from your face to your waist, pulling you against him, he flipped you onto of him sitting up, you place your hands on his face, the scruff of his beard running through your hands, you moved kissing his jaw and neck, his hands began to move you as you ground down onto his lap, the growing erection in his boxers becoming more and more evident.
You moved your hand down, grasping his erection in your hand, moving you hand up and down, Joel moans in your ear, his hand finds it's way into your underwear, a finger slipping into you as he pumps in and out, foreheads pressed against one another, laboured breathing filling the room.
"Can I?" He asks as his other hand tugs at your shirt.
"Yes" You reply, he pulls your shirt over your head revealing your topless form, he stares down at your bare chest before taking your left nipple into his mouth, you moan using your free hand to grasp his hair, you speed up the hand pleasuring him you can feel him buck into.
"Fuck Joel" You whisper as he pumps another finger into you, you remove your hand from him, before stopping his own, pulling him back to look you in the eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asks looking worryingly into your eyes.
"I want you inside me" You state.
"I was inside you sweetheart' He says smiling at you, you nudge his shoulder laughing slightly, tugging at his vest, he nods and you taking it off him.
"You know what I mean" You say, as you get off him smiling, removing your bottoms, he smiles back before removing his own, climbing back on top of you, lining himself up.
"You sure you wanna do this?" He asks looking into your eyes, you hold his face leaning in and kissing him on the lips.
"I'm sure, I want you Joel" You confirm, he leans down as he pushes into you, giving you a moment to adjust, you both moan at the contact, he begins to move inside you, keeping a steady pace, rocking back and forth above you.
The room is filled with hushed moans and broken breathing, you grab onto his back pulling him closer to you, the feeling of him inside you is almost euphoric, his skin against yours, you can feel his lips against your neck kissing you all over.
"Shit sweetheart ya feel so good" He sates pushing into you faster, you can feel your walls tighten around him.
"Joel I'm gonna cum" You whispered.
"Me too" He replied, his pace became sloppier and he hurried his head into your neck, his hands gripping your thighs as he pulled them up, you grabbed his hair with one hand and holding onto the bed frame with the other, he stilled as you tightened down on him, your climax hitting you all at once, you felt him release inside you as his grunts vibrated against his neck, neither of you moved in that moment, you just held each other.
Joel was the first to moved climbing of you and getting out the bed, you watched him as he pulled his boxers back on, he quickly left the room coming back in with a towel as he cleaned you up, tossing the two to the side as he gave you his t-shirt and climbed back into bed.
You snuggled up to him, his arm wrapping round your side as your head fell on his chest.
"Thank you Joel" You whispered looking up at him, he looked down at you, leaning in and giving you a small kiss on the lips.
"Thank you Y/N for everything" He said, the two of you fell asleep in each other arms as the storm outside carried on, you awoke to someone kicky the bed, you a Joel jolted up looking around and spotting Ellie at the end of the bed.
"Morning, nice to see you Y/N couldn't find you anywhere" She said smirking at the state you two were in, Joel went to speak but she beat him to it.
"Don't worry Joel, Im glad you two finally got to it, I've made breakfast come down when you're ready." She said, before leaving the room, you flopped back down on the bed, Joel turned too, making eye contact, the two of you laughed, Joel bent over to kiss you , head inches away from you.
"I think we're gonna stay a while sweetheart" He whispered smiling down at you.
"Sound perfect" You replied the two of you got out of bed pulling on a few more layers before heading down, you could definitely get used to this little family dynamic.
#The last of us#tlou#tlou Joel miller#Joel miller#Joel miller x y/n#Joel miller x reader#Joel miller x you#x you#the last of us fanfic#fanfic#Joel miller fanfic#Pedro pascal#Pedro pascal x reader#Pedro pascal fanfic#Joel miller smut#Joel miller fluff#Pedro pascal smut#Pedro pascal fluff#tlou smut#tlou fanfiction
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Language Barrier (Yandere male x reader) p8
tw: violence, blood, afab reader, infantilization , short chapter
Minors and ageless blogs you will be blocked
hi<3 thansk for readeing, i appreciate the reblogs n comments n messages very cool and very motivation
i do have a set plotline timeline vfor this, just a little iffy on how it ends,
pls dont critizwe 2 harsh on my worldbuilding i tired my best ok </3
as allways, no proofreading <3
Happy New years !!
part 1, part 7, Part 9
masterlist
"He said it's to make sure you're always in his line of sight." Said the translator.
Now you know why 2718 always carries you on his front, never giving you a piggy back ride even though it's much easier.
You looked up to the sun. It's in the middle of the sky. You swear that the entire ordeal has taken up more than a day.
The translator is lugging her own backpack, you assumed she bought it sometime before the three of you arrived home. You asked her if she's okay.
"Yeah. Nothing I can't handle. Are you?" She asked, adjusting the heavy straps on her shoulders.
You asked, how many hours are there in a day? A day in this planet, you mean.
"They considered 30 hours a 'day'. But actually, it takes approximately five thousand and nine hundred hours for this planet to complete a whole rotation- in other words, around two hundred 'accepted days' in a 'real day'. You get me?"
What.
That doesn't explain the first five days you spent here, the sun seem to set and rise at regular intervals!
"Sunlight hours here are fucked up. You just got lucky. During your three-day coma, I even saw the sun flicker. Sometimes, the sun would just disappear for a few 'days' and come back, at full brightness for a week straight."
You asked her why that happened, the translator trailed behind 2718. You rested your chin on his shoulder.
"You can rent the sun. Literally. Farmers would pay for more sunlight, nocturnal inhabitants would turn it off, corrupt business owners would manipulate it to get a higher profit, spoiled rich kids would mess around with everyone's day for fun, Oligarchs get to have longer ass-kissing dinners, normal citizens would pool money to maintain the regularity... if you have the resources, you get to play god for a while."
You asked how was that possible.
"They claimed it's controlled by magic. But I think that's bull, they must have some massive, planetary-scaled machine that made this possible- The ball of fire up there must be an artificial sun. My reality is no stranger to artificial celestial bodies, we even make our own stars too. But we use science, not some childish, made up idea." She grumbled.
Who are "they"?
"The guy your friend offed for shoving glass in your throat."
The reminder of the disgraced citizen made your blood run cold.
"Listen, he's going to be fine. In fact, you probably did him a favor."
Exasperated, you asked how was that a favor.
2718, sensing your distress, whipped around and pointed his dagger at the translator. Thinking that she was either insulting you or scaring you.
She raised her hands up and backed away, reasoning with him.
You pressed your hand against his face, gently pushing him to the direction you want him to go. He begrudgingly back turned around, letting you face the translator again. His hold on you became firmer, though.
"Trust me, I know he went out... with a bang. But he's going to be just fine."
You don't think that he is going to be 'just fine' and you can't believe that she is this apathetic. However, you decided to drop the topic for now.
"I didn't get all my knowledge of this place from that one guy, though. Most of it came from my associates living here."
You asked why she didn't contact them for help.
"I'm trying to. But it's tough when I can't go 'online' through myself. I need an external vessel, like a computer- or a smartphone, perhaps."
You asked why she didn't use the coins to buy a cheap burner phone or it's equivalent, assuming they exist.
"I'm 'offline', off grid, even. I effectively lost all my contacts... maybe even a whole chunk of my memory- I don't know, I won't know until I reconnect myself to the galactic internet again. I wouldn't know who's ID to call anyways. Might as well use it to buy stuff necessary for me to live another day."
You went onto ask what the name of this planet is and how many planets are there in this solar system.
"In English? I'm sure you can guess."
You really can't. The properties of this planet sounds... familiar. But yet, so foreign.
"I'll give you another hint. This planet spins backwards. Well, used to."
Huh?
"We're in Venus. Venus with major tweaks done to it."
Venus!? Your jaw went slack, this piece of information blew your mind. You can't believe you're in Venus! Absolute insanity, is the translator sure that this isn't actually Earth? But in an alternate universe?
"Yeah. Earth is used as a landfill now. It's still populated though. Mainly by kind volunteers and the... less-than-fortunates. It's a big mess, mind you. We aren't using tiny terms like 'international' anymore. It's Interplanetary and beyond. So the social systems and all that junk are way more complex."
You asked, what IS this solar system?! The past? The future? The present?
"It's convict central, baby!" She sarcastically waved her hands in glee. "It's prison. But worse." She deadpanned. "Because everyone is free. The strongest gets to call shots around here."
"But if you're talking about the solar system before it became a dumping ground for thugs, it's just some poor, alternate timeline where Earth is a budding Type 1 civilization. They stood no chance against Type fives."
You asked what civilization is... 'Convict Central' under.
"Type two, on their way to becoming a type three. Again, the people here claim to 'generate' their own energy through magic. Take their precious Dyson Spheres away and let's see if their whimsical magical hero powers can feed trillions every day."
You quietly noted her disdain on the matter and said nothing about it.
You went onto ask her about clocks, watches or any tool that tells the time. It seems to be nonexistent here.
She snorted.
You asked her what was so funny.
"Let's see, you're considered partially deaf, partially blind, partially mute.... and temporally disabled. I'm glad your friend got you first before anyone else."
Temporally disabled? You asked her to clarify.
"I have a chronometer installed in me, and that's understandable because I'm part metal. Your friend, has one too. But he evolved to have it, and it's damn accurate too. Down to the nanosecond."
She wiped the sweat off her forehead. It made you realize that you're not sweating, because it's comfortably cool. 2718 must be cooling you down.
"The inconsistent sunlight, the gravity, the atmosphere, the stress and generally everything else got my chronometer a little fucked up. As for your friend? You can drop him at the edge of Andromeda and he will calibrate himself immediately. He will know what time it is-- hell, it's damn impressive to even perceive time at that point!"
You brought your hands to your head, upset that you didn't get a chance to experience a world never seen before. And you never will, you're just not evolved enough to grasp it.
"Hmm. Okay makes sense... That makes sense." She mumbled to herself, scratching her chin.
You asked her what made sense.
"He could easily bring you home in a blink, if he had a glass teleporter with him. But seeing that you're still a... primate, he knows that it might screw something up in you."
That explains why you vomited after appearing at the market.
"Yep. That sounds like spatial-temporal sickness alright. Keep that up and it might cause a brain hemorrhage."
Your eyes widened in horror. Absolutely terrifying news, you're grateful that the only side effect was devastating nausea.
You shuddered, creeped out by so many things. That made 2718 stop in his tracks again, glaring at the translator from the corner of his eyes.
The translator defended herself with a whine, swearing that she didn't do anything to you.
You were curious as to why 2718 set you down.
"He's taking a water break." Explained the translator. She took out her own water bottle from her bag.
Your companion softly nudged your arm with the waterskin. You twisted your head and picked it off his hand. He patted your head.
You looked into the distance. It's still a long way to go, you huffed. You felt very demotivated, you really don't want to sit through this entire journey.
Maybe 2718 felt your demoralization too, or the translator told him in a frequency that you cannot hear, but he cupped your cheeks and stared into your eyes.
He gently squished your cheeks, forcing you to pucker a bit, before letting go. The man then pressed a loving kiss onto your forehead. You closed your eyes when he affectionately nuzzled his nose against yours.
"He's said that it's going to be okay. You're doing well and he loves you." Your eyes shifted to the woman.
This translation cause 2718 to growl at the translator for ruining the moment. He shielded you in his arms as he barked insults at her. She argued back, this time annoyance was apparent in her tone and face.
You asked if 2718 actually understands you.
"Not really. But I bet anyone would look at that-" She pointed at his house in the distance. It looked like an ant from here. "-And go 'aaaugghhh... still a long way to go...' I know, I do. He's trying to cheer you up, that's all. You had a sad face on anyways."
You leaned into 2718, tiredly resting against him as he drank some from the waterskin. You don't know why you're so exhausted. It's not like you did most of the walking.
"You have been awake for 35 hours, of course you're going to feel like shit. You're accustomed to 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Today someone rented out the sun and left it on longer than I liked. You better thank them, though. Dealing with creatures of the night is no easy feat."
You groan, has it really been that long? You told her to ask him; how long did it take for him to recover from his injuries earlier.
2718 uttered something to her.
"He said six hours, 27 minutes, 13.0348... Okay, I'll just round it off to the nearest second. 6 hours, 27 minutes and 13 seconds. The fight with the insect took thirteen minutes- around thirteen minutes, he's giving me a twelve digit number and I'm not saying all that."
Assuming the three of you spent half an hour at the lighthouse, that means... the journey from the house to the translator's base took around 28 hours and 20 minutes. You're way behind your sleep schedule, you're going to get eyebags!
But, how does she know that you're awake for 35 hours?
"Your friend told me. Oh yeah, he actually told me to tell you this earlier, so you would... you know, be comfortable sleeping. In his arms. Sorry. I forgot. And I'd be lonely without you talking to me, so..."
You guess you can see why he doesn't trust her to translate his words. You also wonder what else is she omitting from you for her own benefit. You would have forced yourself to stay awake anyways for her sake, she didn't need to lie or 'forget'.
You're giving her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the language is just too complex to catch everything in one breath. Nevertheless, it does disturb you that the translator could easily manipulate the situation to her favor if she wanted to- by giving false translations.
2718 probably won't buy into her tricks as much. But you know you would, because she's the only one you could understand. And you have no choice but to rely on her.
It made you question if the words she said that made him hostile were congruent to what she tells you.
All these thinking are giving you a headache. You don't want to talk to her for now.
You told her that you're going to sleep for the next... however many hours it takes to walk back. She's disappointed, but she understands.
2718 lifted you up by the arms and lets you sag onto his shoulder. His cold hands, spreading harmless frost all over the fabric of your clothes. Chilling you under the scorching sun.
You let your eyelids droop, slowly giving into the sweet embrace of sleep-
"What the fuck happened here?" You lifted your head at her remark.
This earned a yell from 2718, not at you, at the translator. He must be angry at her for waking you up.
You're more concerned about the matter that made her say that. So you rubbed your eyes before looking around.
Oh. After realizing that you're still on... Venus, and not in some sort of blood-painted, tropophobia-inducing hellscape, you relaxed. Actually, it was extremely bizarre to think about it. Venus, a planet known for it's inhabitable conditions, and you're in it? Alive? And not burnt to bits?
You explained that the epic battle between your companion and the insect took place here. He bled out profusely from his leg and eyes.
You lolled back onto him, adjusting your hat so that the sun doesn't touch your eyes.
You heard the translator grumbled something under her breath. 2718 didn't respond, at least not in a way you can perceive.
His rhythmic trudging lulled you deeper and deeper into slumber.
#yandere#yandere x reader#tw yandere#yandere concept#yandere male#male yandere#yandere imagines#yandere oc#yandere scenarios#yandere tw#cw yandere#yandere cw#tw afab reader#tw infantilization#tw blood#tw violence#yandere x darling#yandere x y/n#yandere x you#yandere ocs#male yandere oc x reader#male yandere oc#yandere oc x reader
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Spy SWF Headcanons
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TW for SH in the U section
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A: Affection (How do they show affection? And how affectionate are they?)
Poor Spy can be iffy with affection. There are days he enjoys being able to cuddle up with his partner, and other times, he needs his space. It all really depends on how he's feeling that day. He'll usually let you know when he's having one of those "don't touch me" days. Also no PDA in front of the other mercs. If you guys were in a different area where no one knew you two, then he's a little more open to it. But only little things like hand holding, little kisses here and there, an arm around the waist, that sort of thing
B: Best Friend (What would they be like a best friend? How would the friendship start?)
Good luck trying to befriend this guy. Lots of trust issues. Lots of commitment issues. Cause of his line of work, he can't just be going around befriending people, plus he's kinda an introvert. Finding comfort in being alone with some alcohol and a book. But once you do befriend him, you got yourself such a sassy queen. He's the perfect person to go to if you're looking for some juicy drama, fashion advice, or just someone to BS with. I can see him being such an unintentional mom friend too. Fussing over you while acting like he doesn't want to and has better things to do. He doesn't like showing people that he cares
C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
He does like a good cuddle, he really does, but remember, there's times he just can't handle physical contact. He claims that he has to be the big spoon and how dare you wanna spoil him by being the big spoon. But with some determination and patience, you can get him to cave him and let you spoil him. It takes a while cause he's not used to being doted over like that. plz help him
D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking & cleaning?)
Spy? Settling down? Such a preposterous thing! Okay, but like, he's never really let such thing come across his mind. He's like Medic in the sense where he's so dedicated to his work. It's all he's ever really known. I'm sure he's thought about settling down when he was actively with Scout's Ma. Cause think about it. He's got a baddie that loves him. He's got a son (and a bunch of step sons). But there's a reason why he wasn't there, there's a reason why he left. Imma get more into it later though.
But as for cooking and cleaning? He's def up there with Engie when it comes to who's the best cook. He just doesn't like having to cook. To go through all that work and mess, and only be made to share with everyone else. He'd rather just go to some fancy restaurant or wait for some merc to make dinner (depends on who's cooking). And he's definitely the cleanest one of all mercs. He can't stand messes. His bedroom and smoking room are in such perfect condition. The only way you can tell that someone was even in the room is from the perpetual smell of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol/glass that's been moved
E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Due to his commitment issues, it's very hard for Spy to be in a relationship. He's got too much trauma and baggage for anyone (and even himself at times) to handle. Sometimes, he does the right thing and tells the person that he can't do it anymore. Other times, he'll just up and leave, never to be seen again. Yeah, it's a real shitty thing to do, but it's what he feels he has to do. It's easier for him to just disappear and act like he never existed. He doesn't know how to cope with his issues and it shows
F: Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)
Yeaaah, no. Absolutely not. Never. Marriage is a line Spy doesn't have the strength to cross. Dating is one thing. Marriage is a whole other thing. He could believe he's with his soulmate and still woudn't be able to propose. The thought alone fills him with anxiety. If you wanna be with this man, you gotta understand that he ain't ever gonna pop the question. Not even as an old man on his death bed. The most he can do is get you a pretty ring and let you say that he's your husband, but even that can be a little too muc
G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)
Spy is a lot more gentle than you think. More so physically than emotionally though. He will love all over you as much as you want. Emotionally, it can be tough. He's a good person to vent your worries to. He does give some real good advice. But if you ever want him to let his walls down and open up, that's gonna be something that would take YEARS to do. He can let little bits of info out, but nothing too big. He's trying though. It's easier for him to hold you and let you spill your worries out to him
H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)
Hugs are only in private or if he's trying to show that he's better than the person who's trying to win your affections over. His hugs aren't the best? Like, it's basically hugging a chain-smoking skeleton in a suit. I'm also gonna go on a limb and say that he's perpetually cold (cause he ain't got no meat or fat on them bones, ya know) so he'd use hugging you as a way to warm up. You wouldn't let this poor old man freeze to death, would you? Also, homie's got some of the NICEST cologne ever. So yeah, while he's got that constant cigarette smell to him, he also smells divine? I dunno. He's weird like that
I: I Love You (How fast do they say the L-Word?)
Ain't no way in hell this man is saying I love you first. And yet at the same time when you say I love you for the first time, he might cry. Spy might think he's some bad boy who pulls bitches like no other, but deep down, he's just a boy who's been through hell his whole life, never was able to cope with it in a healthy way which led him to down a rabbit hole of essentially made everything worse (I'm trying to not derail this entire post, plz help, I'm struggling) But he will say it. It'll take a while, but it's worth it when he says it. God, he could probably write a whole ass novel on why he loves you
J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)
I wouldn't say that Spy is a jealous person, more so he just likes being able to woo/seduce you in front of the person who's trying to flirt with you. It fuels his ego. He knows he's better than that pathetic excuse of a person that thinks they could ever be on his level. It's one of those times he gets to be so smug and prideful
K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
Oh boy oh boy, does this man know how to kiss. He's got the experience, he's got the skill, he can easily make one little peck on the lips turn to a full make out session. He will leave you breathless. He will leave you wanting more. And he won't stop til he's satisfied, gosh darn it! And I know you ain't gonna stop it. I know that you want this Frenchy, disgusting. (I'm kidding, plz, I luv u, don't leave yet)
L: Little Ones (How are they around kids?)
Now Spy has never really been much of a kid person. Like, he can tolerate kids, but only for so long before he needs to leave the room to recoup from how chaotic kids can be. Now, I'm sure that when Scout's Ma told Spy she was pregnant, he was over the moon with how happy and exciting this news was. And I bet he cried when he held Scout for the first time. I bet you he still has baby pics of Scout hidden in his room he looks at when life isn't going well. But remember, there's a reason why he left. And as he got older, dealing with kids became more of a chore to deal with. He's a mercenary! He doesn't have time to be dealing with kids, he's got a job to do, man!
M: Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)
He's GRUMPY in the mornings. He just wants to be left alone til he's ready to deal with everyone. And since he's an old man, he's up early. I... I don't think he sleeps to be honest
N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)
He's got a whole ass night routine he follows every night before bed or he'll kill someone. He tends to stay up late so he tends to not get much sleep at all. He won't cuddle when he first goes to bed, but then if you wake up in the middle of the night, he's all cuddled up with you, refusing to move. It will take a while for him to let you spend the night with him. He doesn't like having to sleep with his Balaclava on. He does get frequent nightmares though so be ready to be there to comfort him
O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait awhile to reveal things slowly?)
As I said before, it takes Spy a very long time for him to open up about himself. And even then, he isn't gonna tell you everything. It's just not his thing.
P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)
This is another thing that's weird. Like it's a 50/50 sort of thing, but also depends on the person? When it comes to his partner, he tends to be more lenient with them as compared to someone like Scout or Soldier. I would say he's also good at keeping a level head, unless he's stressed out, then oops
Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every detail in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)
Oh honey, this man knows EVERYTHING about you, whether you told him or not. Even the most private things like your family's medical history, he knows it already. Don't question it. As a matter of fact, why are you even questioning it? He's a spy! of course he knows all these little things about you. He never forgets >:(
R: Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?)
It was the moment you let him doll you up for the first time. This man wouldn't stop going on about how he wanted to dress you up and do your makeup (if that's something you're comfortable with). FInally, you gave in and let him. And boy, was he ready. He already knew you're measurements and was so quick to take you to the tailor and fit you in an outfit that costs more than your house. He'd do your hair, nails, makeup, he'd go all out for you and make you look like a GOD (or goddess)
S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)
He can be rather protective of his partners. He will literally have you living in a luxury house, filled with security, in a country of your choosing if it means to keep you safe. And, man, if you protected him, he'd be at a loss for words. He wouldn't even know what to do. He'd be so confused as to why you would ever wanna protect him? He'd probably get upset and scold you for putting yourself in such a dangerous situation
T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, and everyday tasks?)
Homie's going ALL OUT. He loves being able to go all out and show off. You guys will be dressed to the 10's, at a fancy restaurant, eating some of the finest foods, and you sure as hell are getting spoiled with gifts. Every occasion is a chance for Spy to spoil you and show off how perfect you are. Don't fight it, he won't listen
U: Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)
He's got a lot of bad habits. He doesn't know how to cope with trauma well. He's definitely someone who has or actively self harms. I'm sorry to say that, but it's just something I can see. Also he chain smokes. He's ALWAYS smoking, never giving himself a break
V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
Oh you know he is always concerned about his looks. Even if he's got his Balaclava on, he's still fussing over his appearance. He'll fuss over yours too. He wants you both to constantly look your best. Even a tiny speck of dirt if your cheek is the end of the world for him. He will fuss about it for HOURS
W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
Spy is very much used to being alone. He can handle it. He'll miss having you around. You were always his favorite person to complain to. But he's not worried about it. He's a tough cookie
X: Xtra (A random headcanon for them)
Finally, I can say what I've been wanting to say. >:)
I fully believe that Spy is still in love with Scout's Ma. He most definitely is still in communication with her. Helping her out and even coming to see her when he can. That's his baby mama! He can't just abandoned her like he has with every lover he's had. He does still very much care about her, even if it's hard for him to express it and such. He only left so her and the kids could stay safe. Him being there just causes problems. She was the only one who was willing to stay with him no matter what. Even now, with Scout being an adult, she's still around, sending him letters and even gifts.
Yeah, if you couldn't tell, I'm a hard Spy x Scout's Ma defender. Their relationship may not be perfect, but God does it have me in such a chokehold, and I'm not really one for shipping
Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)
Spy don't want no slob. He has very high standards. He doesn't want someone who's sloppy and doesn't take care of themselves (I smell some slight hypocrisy here)
Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)
Awful sleep schedule. What even is sleep? He stays up late like a youngster, and wakes up early like an old man. I basically said what needs to be said up in the night section, oops
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could you review snubbull & granbull?
Apparently Snubbull is widely regarded by Pokemon fans as ugly, which is genuinely surprising to me. It's not traditionally cute, sure, but I still think its little teeth, big jowls, and grumpy expression are pretty cute in their own way. This is helped by the 'dex, which states that the line is kind and affectionate and only look scary to ward off other Pokemon.
Visually, I also like the way it looks a lot. The face is very bulldog-esq, but the overall design is highly stylized, adding a nice Pokemon twist onto the base animal. The two ear flaps are a nice shape, and the black accents pop nicely over the pink base. The frills help contrast with its otherwise stern look, and the blue accents add some extra color.
My only real issue is that its feet connect directly to its body seemingly with no legs, and I think the feet could've been black—it would've matched the ears and drawn the color through more, rather than adding another neutral. Overall, though, I like this guy.
I'm a little more iffy on Granbull, though I still like the overall look. I love those giant bottom tusks—very unexpected thing to see on a dog Pokemon, but they work great with Snubbull's little teeth and feel very neutral. The ears are down to a single flap now, but they also work well as a continuation of Snubbull's ears. Also, it has legs now, which is a plus.
Likewise, its personality is also continued form Snubbull's, being a sensitive Pokemon that doesn't like to fight and uses its fangs to scare people off. Aww.
However, the rest of the body is a bit bothersome. It looses the bright pink in favor of a dull pinkish-purple, which I'm not big on. I guess the idea was to make it look more powerful, but A) something can be pink and still badass (looking at you, Bewear), and B) this color makes it look like it has no fur and you're just looking at skin, which isn't a pleasant visual.
Also, the whole body just feels too plain. The black cuffs and collar are a good extension of Snubbull's black areas, but they're restrained to the upper body, leaving the lower body kind of naked. Not only could it have more cuffs on its hind legs, but I also feel like it could've kept or played around with Snubbull's dots, or kept some of its frills—just something to break up that area a bit would've helped it a lot.
Also, the tusks are the same color as its fur, which is especially weird when you consider that it has upper teeth and they're white. Don't care for that at all. I like the general look here, but this one could've used some more refinement and detailing to really work.
Overall: Controversial hot take, but I like Snubbull's design a lot and think it's pretty cute, with a good personality to match. Granbull's design works well as a continuation overall, but it's a bit too plain and could've used some more markings. Still, really enjoyable dogs.
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okayyyy i guess ill just write abt some things that i wanna get out before i forget to??
- LOVE, love love how they made ennis the one who initiated all of the romantic affection between the two. literally insane over it. it feels so in-character, considering ennis has probably been affection starved since his mother died when he was a kid. of course he has alma, but do we really get the sense that ennis was ever very affectionate with her? could he have been, in rural, christian, wyoming, where conervative notions of courtship prevail? did he even want to be, knowing that the only person he shows real attraction towards is a man? who knows. we just know that he was craving love, and lucas did an amazing job at capturing that need.
- the "'lets ranch up together', 'no bc earl and rich'" conversation happens after ennis tells jack that he'd divorced alma...a year and a half earlier. what an interesting change! it seems like both adaptations, movie and play, mess around with that specific sequence of events. i really enjoyed what it brought to this specific show, though, because in the script it's described as a "gut-punch" to jack when ennis tells him he already left alma in response to jack telling ennis that he'd decided to leave lureen. it really hammers home the idea that jack thought it was just their wives getting in the way of their life together all that time. it was framed wayyy different than jack driving up 14 hrs after getting his hopes up thanks to a phonecall or a postcard from ennis abt the divorce, but it still hits the beat it's supposed to, where we as the audience can see that its the first time their relationship shifts—and not for the better.
- "little darlin'."I got to hear "LITTLE DARLIN'" not just once, but TWICE. still not over it.
- the show also brought more...i guess, explicit attention to the fact that ennis really only wants to do ranch work, and how much that affects his family. i know its present in all the texts, but the new conversations he and alma have regarding the various 'city jobs' she tries to rope him into and the dead-end ranch jobs that keep going belly up from underneath him are just really sad. he's someone who craves wide open spaces, and the beauty of film allowed heath to capture this hunched, clenched, uncomfortable look and feel of a man who seems too big for any room he's in. ennis is not happy in domesticity. he's a saddle bum through and through, and out with nature is where he belongs. but since theatre (esp theatre in-the-round) doesn't have the luxury of different set dressing, those conversations and arguments bw ennis and alma capture that same bit of characterization.
- i...dunno how i feel about mike's jack, if i'm honest? lucas was incredible. i think he brought just the right amount of taciturn and tender, rage and remorse to a role that needs all of that in an actor. i think mike's jack was a little...idk. too big, if you get me? like there were certain line deliveries that i felt could've been said differently, or had different emotions behind them than the ones i was picking up on. i know stage is different, so in both cases, the actors went VERY big (heath's quiet, simmering rage is a completely different beast against lucas' loud, screaming outburtsts, for example), but...idk. there was just something about mike's jack that threw me off? I told my friend that I was iffy about his performance, and without prompt she said, "I didn't like how much he laughed at everything" and I think I feel the same. For example, the "I didn't want none of either kind but fuck all has worked the way i wanted, nothing has ever come to my hand the right way" line was said really jolly, without much of a edge to it, and i think thats what's thrown me off-kilter so much. in mike's performance, i didn't feel the bitter edge to a lot of his lines that occur later on in the script that are apparent to me not only in jake gyllenhaal's performance, but in the SS text, itself.
He was technically very good and I love the silly things he'd do to get ennis to open up, but he was a little too jovial, not enough bitchy, not enough moody and sassy like jake's jack. i see a lot of jake's jack in mike's performance bc aside from a few lines about how much jack likes the rodeo, all we can really glean from either characters in the SS text is that ennis is quiet, and that jack talks a lot. im not trying to compare the two performances too much bc they are fundamentally different actors working in different mediums, but heath and jake brought a lot of dimsension into charas who could have turned out waaaay different had different actors played them and gotten in touch w different emotions within the script, so i can see how other actors could look to the film for a lot of inspo on how to go about portraying ennis and jack while trying to do their own things as well. my issue is that jack becomes very heartsick and bitter and just plain fed up with everything about his life by the time their last trip rolls around, but play!jack never let that bitterness start to show, so by the time that jack does his whole "i wish i knew how to quit you" monologue, it felt very abrupt to see him screaming and yelling and hollering at ennis like that.
i dunno, after seeing tons of ppl in the brokeback tag over the past few months saying that mike faist was their favorite jack, i was actually really expecting a lot more? but as it stands, jake gyllenhaal still reigns supreme. he captured every facet of jack twist that makes him so compelling to read and write and think about and analyze, and mike, while he was still very good, didn't do that nearly as well imho.
- the play firmly cemented to me that jack twist is just bottom coded, i guess
- some of the music hit at different scenes than i had initially thought they would?? i thought the play would end on "hale strew river" playing in the bg as *SPOILER* old!ennis holds the ghost/dream/memory version of young!jack in a mirror of the way he'd held jack by the campfire on brokeback in '63. but that was not the case. this is an instance of where my heightened expectations made the reality seem kind of disappointing in comparison. i'm also kind of sad that my other favorite song, "beneath the moon," was only featured as a diegetic recording heard on a clock radio (NOT live), and it was played during a scene between alma and ennis. Like, looking back at the lyrics it makes sense:
Why don't you take me for a stroll into the sunset
Another lonely summer's day is ending soon
Oh, let us walk another mile into the twilight
And let me be alone with you beneath the moon
But i thought that it was going to be played during a scene where another one of jack's frequent proposals of a life together gets rejected. when the soundtrack for the play was released it gave me the same vibes as "i dont want to say goodbye", one of the few original songs on the movie soundtrack, and i was POSITIVE that this was a jack-longing-for-ennis song. like, it's all about sunsets and twilight and the moon and all this outdoor imagery, and as we all know, jack and ennis are literally only together underneath the sunsets and twillight and moon! so im actually really sad it wasn't an ennis/jack moment :c
- the actor who played jack's dad played the role a lot more emotionally than i expected. movie!john is very, again, muted and quietly bitter, just like all these characters are. play!john seemed really...what i can only describe as choked up? like, he was shouting and got really riled up in his "jack used to say" monologue at ennis, and there was some disgust in there and a lot of anger, but what i actually read was more like him telling ennis "you're part of the reason why my son is gone." and then he gets up and walks away from the table, and exits the stage. it was really really heartbreaking. maybe i have a different read on the performance than what was intended, but it opens up a whole new side to john twist that i think would be interesting to explore.
- theres a few little added lines of dialogue on jack's part that are great. when they leave brokeback and are heading away in opposite directions, jack turns back around and goes "ennus-" as though he's going to make his proposal to start a life together then and there, but ennis knowingly cuts him off and says smth like "see you around, jack twist", and shakes his hand goodbye. there was another moment (the divorce admission, the rich and earl confession scene) where jack is talking about their sweet life together, and hes talking about them being in rocking chairs on their porch in front of a nice fire and ughhghf....it called to mind this line in one of my all-time fave fics, Recompense:
Couldn't set out on the porch, just set, quiet and together; there wasn't any porch, wasn't even any house, where they could be seen setting. Start hauling their canes, their bifocals, damn electric blankets, up in back of the pickup? They couldn't have that life. They couldn't have any life at all. The weight of Jack's misery, pressing all around, seemed enough to cave him in.
one i didnt like, though, was when jack and ennis are wrestling, jack gets pinned under ennis and says "sheep be damned!" before ennis kisses him in the first romantic display of affection we see bw the two. also when the sheep get mixed up, ennis has a meltdown and tells jack that aguirre will realize the counts off and put 2 & 2 together that they're fooling around, and he yells smth along the lines of their trist being "sick", and Jack says smth like, "you sure didn't seem to think it was sick this past month."
this is just a me thing honestly bc i'm kind of a SS purist in some instances, and one thing that always stuck with me is that jack and ennis never talk about the sex they're having when they're on brokeback. aside from the "im not no queer" convo, the sex wasn't even alluded to; they just "let it happen," and i think thats veryyy in-line for a character like ennis. i think jack would love to talk about it, but he doesn't wanna spook ennis away, so he keeps his mouth shut. i dont think either of them would speak, even in a roundabout way, abt their sex life when they're 19 on brokeback, and thats why the whole "redlined it all the way couldnt get here fast enough" line is so revelatory imo, bc its the first time either of them acknowledge the conscious choice theyre making to fuck. so idk. i didnt really care for the fact that they were (somewhat) openly referring to their tryst while still on brokeback
- less a note of the show and more a note of the audience, but i saw the show twice and the first night i saw it, the audience laughed at REALLY sad and serious moments that i in no way thought were laugb worthy, and i felt like maybe i was taking the work too srsly until i saw the final performance and THAT audience didnt laugh at any of those really sad moments. so i got rly irritated abt that the first night cause it wasnt even like the lines were delivered in a jokey way or anythibg....
anyways. i need to sleep. look out for some other posts cause im sure ill have more to say the longer i stew on it
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New Year's Toast
Chuuya raises his ear feathers at the first indication of their clients, which, most notably, were actually all their friends, along with some of the Port Mafia invited over to have a good time.
It was the last day of the current year, after all.
Everyone was filing in, women with beautiful dresses that matched personalities and looks alike, men with tuxedos and tight suits, occasionally some with slicked-back hair.
Chuuya watched the guests come in one by one beside Dazai, who tucked his ear feathers for his eardrums not to be ruptured upon the arrival of a plethora of footsteps and voices.
Gin was the first to hurry over in a rush, blushing as she apologized for being under-dressed.
"What are you apologizing about?" Chuuya asked, his feathers neatly tucked and cleaned before he'd arrived.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart." The redhead said kindly with a toothy grin.
"T-thank you…I really don't deserve the praise."
"Nonsense, you look good. We'll start hosting the drinks in a bit," Dazai cut in, leaning closer to Chuuya and slightly hunched over to meet Gin's eye-level somewhat.
"I hope you don't mind me bringing Akutagawa over." She added quietly, fiddling with her fingers, noticing the jolt in Chuuya's stature.
"It's fine," The avian spoke, eyes flicking up to watch Atsushi scrambling as he tried to hold Ranpo back from heading over to the desserts set on a long table beside the dinner table.
"Besides, we invited the Port Mafia Black Lizard ourselves. It's completely fine," Chuuya added, waving it off as if to wave the wafting worry from Gin beside him.
"A-alright. Thank you. I'll go find him now," She said, her distress quickly vanishing as she smiled to the two. She almost went away entirely, then coming back. "You two look wonderful by the way," She bowed before parting and vanishing into the crowd.
"I better hope I do," Chuuya said, looking down at his sleek black trenchcoat with golden trimmings, his breast pocket peeking out with a golden locket, a small. decorative bird attached to a loop underneath. His wings had golden chains at the tips loosely hung but snug enough not to cause issues, gleaming with a few sapphires to match his eyes here and there. A dark blue tie encrusted with golden threaded vine adorned his chest, and tucked underneath a dark gray suit. Of course, tight black jean pants paired with his outfit, the curve of his ass perfect (Dazai was iffy about this one, adoring it but then backtracking at the possibilities others might stare, and of course, he was a possessive bastard, and decided fuck it, and to let his husband show off a little).
"What about me, Chuuya?" Dazai asked, giddy to receive any scrap of praise. The redhead snorted.
"You look dashing," He spoke, mimicking a lavishing tone to tease his partner.
"So rude." The brunette huffed, exaggerating by leaning his head back and sighing. His outfit composed of a jacket slung across his shoulders, black with gold trimmings, somewhat similar to the plaid pattern, but just the line work, rather than colored in squares. A chain attached with a star-shaped clip from the front of the jacket, connected to his dark brown suit, a long red tie (not-too-subtly hiding the matching ties with Chuuya) with similar markings to Chuuya's remained untucked and reached about waist-length. His pants were a light gray, matched with black shoes.
"You're saying I'm not handsome, then?" The brunette asked, blinking his remaining brown-red eye, the other having lost its color long ago when it was gouged out by an unsuspecting opponent, a long scar running from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth.
Chuuya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're hideous. It's why I've spent basically all my life with you," The redhead snorted.
Dazai made a sound that bordered on a sob, pressing the back of his hand dramatically to his forehead. "Betrayed! By my own husband!"
"Quit it. Atsushi's coming over," Chuuya glanced over to the boy who was nervously trying to approach. "Oh, and plus, when are we gonna toast to the New Year, already?"
"In a minute. Hey, Atsushi!" Dazai greeted as the Were-tiger joined them. "H-hey guys. Wow, you two look amazing." Atsushi admired them, eyes sparking from the dazzling gleam of the gold on Chuuya's outfit.
"I-I need help finding Akutagawa, if you don't mind," He began, but Dazai had an idea; quickly going to the dinner table and cutting him off short, a small section where cups were stacked next to a collection of wine bottles, grabbing a bottle, a silver platter, and a stack of cups, handing them to Atsushi, who wasn't at all ready to handle the extra weight.
"Great! I was just wondering how we could get drinks out to everyone, and you can surely find him this way." Dazai spoke cheerfully, oblivious to Atsushi's shaking knees, prone to buckling.
"For Arahabaki's sakes, Dazai, warn him first." Chuuya scoffed when the brunette smiled at him, taking the extremely heavy wine bottle off the platter. "This is a 1967 edition, huh? Heard this brand was good…"
When Atsushi seemed to have gotten his wits about him and rearranged himself, Chuuya placed the bottle back on the platter, but the boy was prepared for it, better balanced now, then having the responsibility thrust upon him so suddenly.
"E-erm, I guess I'll find him this way, then," Atsushi said weakly, pursing his lips. "I'll see you guys later."
The redhead slightly waved, watching the Were-tiger gingerly disappear in the crowd of guests, just like Gin had.
"Now we wait, I guess." Chuuya hummed, grabbing two spare glasses and filling them with a whiskey with a warm, orangey-hue, glistening with streaks of sunset yellow. It poured smoothly into their glasses, and Chuuya, from a refrigerated box half underneath the table, scooped some ice with a metal, curved scoop into his drink, then looking to Dazai. "Want that shitty circular ice you always get?" He asked, pressing his wings more firmly to his back to see the man's reaction.
"Always."
Chuuya mumbled under his breath of how much space the ice really took, leaving barely room for any liquor, yet doing his partner a favor by picking a rather large one, just as Dazai preferred.
Handing his drink to his partner, they sidled up close to one another, eyes roaming over the tide of multi-colored heads of brown, gold, black, and red, fitting the cozy atmosphere of the yellow and orange surrounding the ballroom Chuuya and Dazai rented for the night.
"Wanna head to the window? They'll be able to see you better there," Dazai jeered, nudging Chuuya's shoulder and nearly knocking the drink out of his hand, earning a sour look from the redhead. "Can you minimize the short jokes for one evening? Is that an impossible task for you or some shit?"
"Hehe. You know me so well." Dazai bumped his hips with Chuuya's teasingly, before taking lead to a staircase that ended at a large set of glass doors, revealing the night sky behind them.
Once they neared the top, they saw from their standpoint everyone had glasses filled with some sort of alcohol, some of them nearly drained of all their contents.
Chuuya looked to Dazai. "How should we get their attention?"
"Yell, of course, Chuuya. You have an unmistakable voice for a tiny Chibi, after all. I'm surprised for someone your size can fit your highest volume." Dazai said with a Cheshire-cat grin, his jokes getting shittier by the minute.
"Sigh. Well, cover your ears."
"OI! ATTENTION EVERYBODY!" He shouted, so loud that it nearly echoed in the entire ballroom, within seconds capturing everyone's attention.
Eyes trained on the two. The redhead's scars itched but he ignored them.
"It's been a great pleasure to invite you all here tonight," Chuuya said, loud and clear, keeping a tight hold on his glass.
"This year, as many others, have been one-of-a-kind. I'd like to thank everyone here for being a part of that, friend or foe, for most of us have changed for the better for it.
I have high hopes for the upcoming year, for myself, my partner, and all the rest of you. I'm sure, just as the many before it, will be just as great, if not better."
A hushed silence gathered below, listening to Chuuya's speech. Some of them smiled.
Chuuya raised his glass. "A toast, if you will, to the new year."
Dazai beside him raised his glass.
And everyone, other than the few among them that were underage, raised their glasses.
"To the New year for the Stray dogs."
"To the New year for the Stray dogs!" Yelled the courus of all the others below, the clinking of glasses creating a small song as others began laughing joyfully. Chuuya turned to Dazai with a wide, closed-mouth grin, his eyes gorgeous and sparkling, breathtaking, the ocean after a storm; a sight to behold.
"And to us," He said, much quieter, his feathers bristling.
"A new year to Double Black," He agreed, their glasses clinking together, liquor rising and licking the lips of the glasses, the ice bumping into the side.
"A new year to Double Black," Chuuya reciprocated, and both drank, reminiscing the moment before it washed away into mind-numbing fun, and likely, succumbing to chaos for the rest of the night.
Happy New Years to everyone! :D
I'm thankful to the mutals and the followers that have been following me since I joined Tumblr, and it's been pretty cool so far, so I hope for many years to come, I can stick on for a little while longer.
Enjoy the rest of tonight, and see you next year in hopes for some more exciting content ;)
To the Stray Dogs! 🥂 ;D
#digital art#bsd#bungo stray dogs#chuuya nakahara#au#dazai osamu#soukoku#dazai x chuuya#avian#clip studio ex#clip studio paint#write#small story#short story#new years#new years eve#bungou stray dogs#bungou stray dogs new years#skk au#soukoku au#whiskey#alcohol#drinks#happy new year#happy new year 2024#new year#no I didn't do the backgrouund#nah I just blurred out a cool photo of a ballroom#I had no time yet again LOL#see yall next year
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Messianic Aureation
Chapter 13: Battle with the Wind-Borne Champion of the Archon War
Summary: Cara arrives at the Thousand Winds Temple, ready to put her life on the line and steal the Anemo gnosis from Venti. The wind screams as a god's true might is displayed.
Scuttles out of my cave to throw this chapter at anyone who sees it THIS TOOK ME OVER A MONTH TO WRITE AGH I am such a perfectionist when it comes to writing and I REALLY wanted this chapter to be the best version of itself because it's the finale to the Monstadt Arc of this fic. In the end there are some parts that I feel a little iffy about but I'm happy with it overall and I hope readers will be happy with it too! Enjoy! :D
Chapter 14 is here
Up the rough road with large bushes and tall trees growing among the long grass, great stone walls and pillars rose up from a time long lost in Monstadt’s history. They were old, Cara observed as she rode past them. Vines crept over their cracked surfaces and there were many portions that were broken away. When she passed between two of them, she reached out a hand and brushed her fingers against their surface. If these stones could talk, what would they tell her about those ancient times of the Archon War?
Everything was eerily silent as Epona and her continued. There were no animals scampering about. No squirrels, no foxes, no birds…the only sounds she could hear were the horse’s steady hooves thumping along the dirt path and her own nervous heartbeat pounding in her ears. She remembered there being a large amount of hilichurls inhabiting this area in Genshin Impact, but those too seemed to have vanished without a trace along with the wildlife.
What worried her the most wasn’t the absence of Khaenri'ah’s lost souls, however. It was the fact that there was no wind. The leaves of the trees were dead calm; not a single one rustled even slightly. In the wilds of Monstadt, the wind was always present. It reached every corner of the nation, and held so much power you could practically feel it in your bones. Even when it was nothing more than the softest of whispering breezes, you knew the spirit of Anemo was always watching over the nation of freedom…or maybe that was just for her, due to her unique connection with the seven elements. But here, now, Cara felt like she was traveling through a windless land. The air was heavy and still, unnaturally so. It was as if Teyvat were holding its breath…or maybe, it was quietly watching her with seething hatred, judging her not worthy to feel its presence swirling around her body and soul. If the second option were true…then she wasn’t dealing with Teyvat.
Up the crumbling steps of an ancient staircase, Epona’s hooves clopped on a portion of stone road, the sound echoing out into the area. When they ascended a second staircase, Cara saw they were near the large monument of the strange celestial arrow which pointed directly at Monstadt City. The inscription etched into its base arose in her mind: “Seeds of stories, brought by the wind and cultivated by time.” How poetic, she thought. Was that what her story was in this world? She was a traveler from another reality, thought to be the highest of all gods by some and an imposter by others, an outsider and a native at the same time. Her tale began with the wind, and time could only tell how it would end. That seemed to ultimately be up to Teyvat’s people. Or maybe she could write the conclusion to her story with her own hand.
She could not shake the chilling feeling that the point of the massive stone arrow was no longer pointing at Monstadt, but at her.
The road became less and less pronounced as they kept going. Soon Epona was walking over less dirt and more grass. The Thousand Winds Temple had been forgotten by many of Monstadt’s modern citizens, it seemed. No one had traveled this path in quite a while. Cara honestly couldn’t blame them. This amphitheater had been used as a gladiator arena back in the Aristocratic Period, where slaves had been forced to fight and kill each other for the amusement of cruel nobles. This whole area was probably stained with blood. It made her sigh with sympathy, then shudder with paranoia. She could not help but let her eyes wander between the trees, half expecting to see the pale phantoms of the dead silently watching her go by.
When the ruins of the temple were only a few steps away, Cara stopped Epona and hopped off of her. The mare snorted questioningly. She held the reins and stroked her nose. “You can’t come with me there,” she whispered. “I don’t want you getting hurt. Wait at the edge of the ruins and only come back when you hear me whistle. That’ll be the signal to show everything is safe.”
Epona’s eyes were deeply intelligent, and subconsciously, Cara knew she understood. The horse pushed her head into her hands and snorted again softly, then turned and cantered back down the way they came. Cara watched her go, her smile falling as the animal disappeared from sight. Now, she was truly alone.
Ignoring her own screaming instincts that were telling her to go back, she forced her legs to move and take those final steps up the last flight of stairs and into the temple.
It was huge. Larger than she anticipated and definitely bigger than how it was in the game, she had to turn around in a circle to fully perceive the absolutely massive arena she was standing in. When she looked at the weathered seats and rusting metal cage doors that closed off the temple’s lower areas, she could practically hear the cheering screams of an audience and hear the clashing swords of fighters battling for their lives. What a fascinating, yet disturbing place to be in. In the back of her mind, she wondered what might have happened if she had been here during the temple’s prime. With the power she held within her, could she have helped put an end to the tyranny of the aristocrats? Could she have saved the lives that were lost on these very grounds? If she had been sucked into the Teyvat of 1,000 years ago, would she have still been deemed as an imposter by Monstadt’s people?
The sound of music made her whirl around. Her heart dropped when she saw Venti sitting on the base of a fallen pillar, nimble fingers plucking the strings of his lyre and creating a lovely song. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling gently.
“1,000 years ago, the Falcon of the West was a noble lion,” he said in a storytelling voice. “With a mighty roar, she fought for the freedom of Monstadt’s oppressed and helped break the chains of tyranny that constricted this nation. After that, she gained her wings, and flew onward to godhood. Her story began here, in a place filled with heartbreak and death. It’s quite the tale, isn’t it? Don’t you think it’s a wonderful example of how humanity’s worst evils can give birth to its greatest goods?”
Cara didn’t answer. She stayed absolutely still, watching Venti’s every move.
The bard sighed. “Humans are incredible creatures. There are so many paths they can go down, and they can create so many things within the spans of their short lives. But because they are mortal, the gods underestimate them. They think humans are easy to manipulate and control simply because they think they’re weaker. But you want to know what I think? I think this shows just how weak the gods really are. After all, when you're obsessed with controlling the lives of humans, doesn’t that prove which is greater? If all it takes is for humans to stop believing in you for you to lose your power, just how omnipotent can you, as a god, really be?”
He opened his eyes and finally looked at her. That smile was so deceiving. “Humans and gods alike worship the Creator. It’s practically one of the only things we all see eye-to-eye about! So how do you think we feel when someone pretends to be the Creator and tries to convince others to worship them? Do you think Teyvat is any place for a false god?”
“Is that what you see me as?” Cara asked him. “A false god? Nothing more?”
He giggled and ignored her question. “Did you hear my song?”
“It would’ve been impossible for me not to.”
“I knew that. A bard’s talent lies in his ability to capture attention! What sort of performer would I be if you hadn’t heard it?” He put his lyre away, stood up, and stretched. “Where’s the holy lyre?”
Cara took out her backpack and pulled out the Holy Lyre der Himmel. Venti observed her with the lazy air of an uninterest. “Guess you went through all that trouble of stealing it for nothing, huh? Sorry about that. I could have let you have your great moment of ‘summoning’ me, but, well, I just didn’t feel like going through all of the theatrics of pretending such a trick actually works.” He nonchalantly shrugged.
“Wait. It…it doesn’t?”
He grinned cheekily. “Best not to get pivotal information from little kids from now on, okay?”
Bastard. Cara gritted her teeth. “You’ve been watching me ever since I arrived in Teyvat, haven’t you? You’ve seen all that’s happened, from the moment I was first arrested until now. You know everything.”
His smile widened. “Just because you can’t feel the wind blowing doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
“I swear, if you even think about hurting my friends-”
“Oh, relax. I’m not going to hurt anyone. Well, not anyone except for you, of course.” He chuckled at that. “You would think me so low that I would harm my own people? Shame on you, little imposter! I’m no monster!”
“I don’t have time for this.” She raised the holy lyre over her head. “Give me your gnosis, or I’ll break the lyre. Don’t think I won’t do it.”
Venti stared at her for a moment, then burst out into laughter. Cara did not feel the least bit enlivened as she watched him nearly topple off of the pillar. “You won’t break it!” he chortled.
“Try me,” she countered.
He continued to laugh. He wasn’t taking this seriously. He wasn’t taking her seriously. She wasn’t a threat to him. Knowing that made this whole situation ever the more terrifying.
“You won’t break it,” he repeated after finally composing himself. “You care far too much to ever go through with such an action.”
The hand holding the lyre started to shake. She squeezed its frame and raised it even higher, bracing her arm to throw it down with all of her strength. She only got so far before she stopped herself. Drawing in a breath, she tried again; her hand refused to let it go.
Venti watched on in amusement. “See? You can’t do it. Your mind is telling you to, but your heart won’t let you go through with the deed.” His voice was sweet and light, singsongy and haunting, a siren call pulling her out to sea so she could be drowned. “You won’t break it because you love me.”
Her eyes widened and her heart broke. She staggered a little, rocked by what he had just said.
He laughed again, though this time, he sounded so much crueler. “Poor little imposter, she loves the bard who will bring about her end! So silly, so stupid, to think the enemy could be her friend!”
“If you know I love you,” she said quietly, “then why don’t you recognize me? Why don’t you remember?” Of course, she already knew the answer to this. It was because of the Madness. Whatever it was doing to him prevented the memories they had made together from making it through. The adventures they had went on when she possessed either him or the avatar of the Traveler…pulling for him, ascending him, fighting domains and bosses with him on her team…any recollection of her, and thus any love for her he had, was locked deep away by the threads of the Abyss.
His laughter died and he pursed his lips. For a moment, his devious smile softened into a troubled frown.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t know why you love me. For some time, I thought it was fake. Just a big manipulation to deceive me and use me against Her Grace. But now I can feel it. Your love is real.” His smile returned. “And it’s going to be your downfall. If you can’t find it within yourself to hurt me, then you’ll be making my job a whole lot easier.”
Through the temple, the wind began to blow. Violent gusts whipped painfully at her skin and caused her to nearly lose her balance due to how powerful they were. Around the entire temple, to her utter shock and horror, a cyclone began to form, cutting the amphitheater off from the rest of the world. Roiling, screaming, wailing, the wind grew and grew, rising up from all sides in a mighty column of teal and dark gray. Cara looked back at Venti and saw he was no longer smiling. A dark expression took over his face as his eyes and braids glowed a bright blue. His cape flapped madly behind him as he glared at her with enough hatred to make her want to cry. A shadow was cast over him-and then it was over her, and the entire temple as a whole. The tornado containing them was so strong, so fervent, all light from the sun was blotted out and it was as if they were trapped in a perceptual state of developing storms.
“Venti, please, stop!” Cara’s cry was nearly lost in the wind. “It doesn’t have to be this way!”
“You knew it was going to come down to this from the very start.” Venti prowled towards her predatorily. Each step he took made Cara take equal steps back. “I’ll admit, it’s been fun watching you run around like a chicken without its head. But now I think it’s time for the hunt to end, and for you to end up dead.”
Cara looked behind her. The massive tornado encircling the temple was so violently thick, she couldn’t even see past it anymore. The howling of the wind was like the shrieking of the souls of the dead. A foreshadowing to her own possible fate. There was no way out of this. She had bitten off more than she could chew. Albedo had been wrong-she wasn’t ready to take on an Archon. She had never seen Venti display this amount of power before. Terror had her in its grip, and she soon found that she couldn’t move, her legs rooted in place as her chest tightened and panic spread its infectious tendrils throughout her body and mind.
“Aw, what’s the matter?” Venti regarded her with a tilt of his head, large eyes filled with taunting amusement as he smiled mockingly. “Gonna cry? Is your life flashing before your eyes? Are you afraid?”
Albedo. Kaeya. Razor and Bennett. Klee and Sucrose. Noelle. Fischl and Oz. Diona. Nick and Casey. Her family. Her own world. Their faces flashed through her mind and fizzled away when she desperately tried to reach out and grab them. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She was not immortal. She was not the original Caratrice. She was not a god of limitless power who could take on an Archon and win.
But she was going to have to try to be. Because there was no turning back.
“Little imposter.” Venti’s voice boomed, loud, threatening. When she looked into his eyes, she saw flashes of dead gods with giant arrows sticking out of their mangled bodies. Battlefields doused in the blood of the Archon War’s losers while the champion hovered above them all, white wings so large they could overtake the entire sky, eyes blazing, wind rising, a primal force of total destruction. Barbatos.
People back in her world always doubted Venti’s true potential.
If only they could see the glimpses of the past she was perceiving right now.
“Little imposter,” Venti rumbled. “I’ll ask again. Are you afraid?”
“Venti,” she responded. Shakily, begging. “Please don’t make me do this.”
He didn’t reply, only smiled. The Elegy for the End materialized in his hands. String pulled taut, bow nocked and ready. A pause wedged itself between them.
She breathed in, and out.
You love me. You care too much.
“Forgive me,” she whispered to the Venti she knew was buried somewhere deep inside of the god standing against her. She took off her mask and slipped it carefully into her backpack, along with the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
She gently pulled away the bandages covering the right side of her face. When they were all gone, she blinked her injured eye open. She could see out of it perfectly; it was fully healed, or at least healed enough for her to see now. For this battle, she was going to need her full vision.
Venti laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
She pulled out her sword and charged.
With lightning-quick reflexes, Venti raised his bow and released a flurry of arrows. Cara saw them coming and ducked, dropping to the ground and letting them sail over her before she was on her feet again and running. Venti’s hands moved with inhuman speed, conjuring one arrow after another. Cara dodged to the left when one came dangerously close to piercing her right arm, but unintentionally allowed another arrow to graze the skin of her cheek. A tiny streak of gold followed the arrow’s wake. She winced, but ignored the pain.
“One score for me!” Venti cheered. “Let’s see how many more scars I can give you!”
Cara raised her arm and without her even having to think about it, a golden shield was summoned from beneath her skin. Anemo-infused arrows bounced harmlessly against it as she ran forward. Venti laughed. “Oh, so you think your shield will be enough to stop me? Think again, little imposter! Remember that I’m the god of the wind!” He lifted his hand and made a swiping motion, and a gigantic gust of wind hit her and sent her careening backwards, leaving her right back where she started. Cara gasped as the air was knocked out of her. She barely had enough time to recollect herself and hold her shield in front of her so a fresh wave of arrows wouldn’t pierce her from every direction.
She had to get to cover. There was no way she was going to make any sort of progress if she kept trying to simply run towards him. If she did, he would just continue to blow her away. He wanted to keep her back; on top of being mostly a ranged fighter, it was also integral for him to be as far away from her as possible so she couldn’t get the chance to fight back. Her skills lied within close combat, as did an opportunity to take his gnosis. If she was going to survive this battle, she was going to have to trick him into lowering his guard.
She pushed herself up and ran behind a fallen column, blocking arrows with her shield as she did so. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her back pressed against the rough stone as she listened to the howl of the wind and Venti’s maniacal laughter. “So you're choosing to hide?” he called out. “How cute! You think that’ll be enough to protect you? I can make this stone crumble into dust!” A blast of Anemo slammed into the column, rocking it violently. Cara lurched forward with a slight gasp. Little cracks splintered across its surface. A few more of those wind attacks, and it was going to completely fall apart.
“Come out, come out!” Venti sang. Another blast of wind. “We’re not done playing yet!” And then another. “You know this fight can’t last forever! If I don’t kill you directly, then the tornado around us will! Aren’t you feeling a little lightheaded? Finding it hard to breathe, perhaps?”
Oh god, he’s right. Cara clutched her chest. Being inside a tornado meant lower oxygen levels. She could feel it getting more and more difficult to take in a full gulp of air with each passing moment. How much longer before she passed out? If she did, she would be completely vulnerable, and then Venti would have the chance to…to…
Stop thinking like this! She lightly hit the heel of her palm against her head. This is what he wants. He wants you to panic so you’ll act without thinking. You're giving him the advantage! She had to think this through, quickly and thoroughly. Her time was running out. All of the odds were against her, so if she wanted to change that, she was going to have to do something soon.
“Aw, don’t be so worried!” Venti giggled. “I’ll make sure you don’t die immediately! Where’s the fun in that? I want to play around with you some more. Now, come out!” A final wind blast broke the column, sending bits of stone flying everywhere as he split it cleanly down the middle. The moment he did this, Cara took off running, sprinting parallel to where he was standing, staying close to the tornado wall. There was another fallen column nearby. She hid right behind it, waiting for him to react.
Just as she anticipated, he released another wind slice. She ran forward just as it hit and destroyed the column. Another pillar sat in front of her, this one a little bit closer to Venti than the other had been. She hid behind it, waiting. Surely enough, another wind blast came, slicing the stone apart. With each pillar Venti destroyed, she inched closer, closer, gaining ground and using the columns as a distraction. It was obvious the bard was getting frustrated, because he was no longer laughing gleefully and was now frowning, displeased. “Will…you…stop… hiding?” he yelled, releasing yet another Anemo attack. This time, it hit a pillar that was still standing straight. It shuddered and slowly toppled forward, right for the column he was standing on. Venti swiftly dodged, easily flitting to the side and avoiding being crushed as swiftly as a bird flies through the air. This was what she wanted.
She pushed forward and ran with all of her might, reaching out with the intention to tackle. She saw him turn towards her slightly, eyes widened in disbelief to see her so close.
And then he smiled. And he was gone.
It was like she was suddenly moving in slow motion. With no way to stop him, she watched him sidestep her, raise his hand, and conjure up a whirling ball of Anemo. With a crack ringing through the air, he hit her with the elemental ball and sent her propelling forward. She crashed into the pillar he had been standing on only moments before and slumped to the ground, her ears ringing as she felt nothing but pain.
He was laughing again. “Oh, that was hilarious! You really thought you could outpace the god of the wind? Did you do any sort of research before you accepted this battle?”
An arrow replaced the Elegy for the End in his right hand, and he sped forward with incredible speed. Cara raised the Prototype Rancour just in time. The Anemo-strengthened arrow clashed against it.
“It’s a shame I have to kill you,” Venti sighed, feigning regret. “You're fun to play around with. You were being oh-so predictable, and then you sprung a trick like that upon me! And here I was thinking this was going to be boring!” He smiled menacingly. “You better keep impressing me, little imposter. You don’t want me to get bored too soon!” Too fast for her to react, he jabbed the arrow into her leg, right below her knee. She screamed out in agony and swung her sword wildly at him, but he jumped back and fluttered off with high laughter carrying over the cyclone’s raging winds.
It was getting more and more difficult to breathe. Each inhale was desperate and shaky. On the precipice of her mind, she felt fuzzy numbness, the promise of unconsciousness growing closer. Gritting her teeth and letting out a strangled cry, she yanked the arrow out of her leg and threw it away. Golden ichor poured from the wound.
“You better do something fast or I’m going to kiiiill yooou!” Venti sang. He started shooting arrows at her again. Ignoring the pain in her leg, Cara forced herself to run, this time going directly for him. Her time was limited. She had to end this now.
This battle was unlike any fight she had ever been in before. Diluc, Jean, Rosaria, and the rest of the hunters had fought with the intention of getting up close and personal. Even Albedo, who had obviously been holding much of his true strength back during their practice fights, had done much of the same. She was used to facing opponents with swords. Venti’s attack style left her feeling clumsily unfit for any kind of fight. He released arrows so quickly, barely giving her time to knock them away with her sword. When she did get close to him, he would always unleash an Anemo attack to knock her away. It was difficult, frustrating, and anxiety-inducing. At any moment she could run out of oxygen, and then she’d be finished. This dance between her and him had to be over if she wanted to survive.
“Your shield hasn’t appeared since we first began,” Venti idly chattered away. “Are you having a bit of trouble controlling those powers of yours? I see the way they react to your emotions. You were so determined before, and now you look like you're really down in the dumps. Are you starting to lose hope, perhaps? You have to have realized by now that there’s no way you can win this. A sword can do very little against a bow…c’mon, why don’t you just give up? There’s no shame in it, y’know. I promise I’ll give you a quick, painless death if you do.”
Her frustration was rising. She did not reply.
Venti released another arrow. “Or you can keep trying. I don’t mind it, really! More fun for me!”
She was getting nowhere. This battle was entirely in his favor. Cara’s veins lit up gold as she roared and charged him. All of her exhaustion, caution, and fear was thrown to the wind, and she lifted her sword and swung it at him with the intention of knocking away his bow. Venti looked quite startled to see her gain so much ground. The Elegy for the End was recalled, and he crossed his arms in front of him while his braids and eyes began to glow. A sigil of the Anemo Archon appeared below him. An updraft of wind helped him float into the air.
Cara let her sword dissolve away. She reached up and grabbed Venti’s ankle, then yanked him down with all of her strength. The bard was slammed into the ground, hard. She held him down and raised her fist, not even noticing how her entire hand was completely gold. All she could feel was anger, all she could sense within herself was desperation. She was done playing by his rules. Now, it was her turn to attack.
Venti’s eyes widened. “Wait-!” he started to say, but his voice cut off into a strangled noise when she wrapped her hand around his neck. Cara’s blood was pumping. Her heart was pounding. Now is your chance, she thought she could hear her own voice whisper into her ear. Defeat him. Show him what you are capable of. This Archon is nothing compared to your power. You are above him. Take his gnosis. Win!
She was about to. She really was. With her left hand still holding him down by his throat, she pressed her right hand against his chest, feeling his own heart beating frantically, and then along with it, an unnatural warmth. The area right above his heart began to glow.
And then her eyes strayed to his. She saw the fear within him. She saw the pain. She blinked.
Wait.
I’m…I’m hurting him.
Venti was indeed gasping in pain. As her hand sunk into the cavity of his heart and her fingers closed around the shape of his gnosis, she noticed him let out a cry. Her will faltered, and her face fell. The hand around his neck lightened. I’m hurting him. I’m hurting him. I don’t want to hurt him. I love him. I don’t want to cause him pain.
Her own voice inside her head howled at her to continue. Her life depended on this! He wouldn’t be in pain forever! He was trying to kill her! She had to go through with this or she was going to die!
But it was too late. Cara hesitated. That single fleeting moment was all the time Venti needed to release a powerful burst of Anemo that emanated from his entire body and send her careening back in a shockwave of wind. The gnosis was lost from her grasp. She crashed into the ground and rolled on to her side, her own breath lost within her.
All of her anger and frustration with Venti vanished in her pain. She coughed and slowly pushed herself to her feet, clutching her side as she wheezed. Everything hurt. The leg wound Venti gave her had already healed, but now it was beginning to ache again. The light in her blood slowly ebbed away. Once again, her power was lost to her.
The tornado’s intensity was elevated. Cara’s hair whipped around as she was battered by its winds. Bits of the Thousand Winds Temple were being cracked off and sucked into the cyclone. She heard a growl; she saw Venti slowly rise to his feet, wobbling a little as he panted. His hand was over his heart. He looked at her with hooded eyes, furious, terrifying.
“You…just made…a very, very big mistake,” he said.
And then a gust of wind carried him into the air. She watched, in fascinated horror, as white feathers began to sprout from his arms, out of his legs, and then his face and even his hair. The wind ripped them off and caused them to swirl around him until he was completely obscured by a whirling cocoon of feathers.
Two gigantic white wings broke through and spread to an impressive length. The feathers were swept away with each beat. And out of them emerged a god shining with the essence of Anemo. He hovered in the air, as radiant as an angel. He was so absolutely beautiful, it physically hurt to look at him.
When the god spoke, immense pressure slammed into her and made her nearly sink to her knees. The aura this being possessed was so incredibly raw and powerful, it made her mind go blank and her body go absolutely haywire. All she could hear was the roar of the wind. She felt like she was being pierced by a million arrows, her flesh being torn, her consciousness being ripped to shreds. She was going insane. Just being in his presence was driving her mad.
“Imposter,” he announced, and his voice was amplified by the scream of the tornado, so that it sounded like it was coming from every direction and bombarding her. “Say my name. Say it, so that you may remember the Archon who damned your soul to the Abyss for sullying the name of Her Grace, the Almother.”
Cara had no choice but to comply. The wind gripped her and forced the name to march out of her mouth. “Barbatos,” she breathed.
The god smiled. “Good. Now die.”
The Elegy for the End materialized, but this time, an absolutely massive arrow made out of pure Anemo energy was formed and released from it. Cara snapped out of whatever stupor Barbartos’ presence had inflicted on her and threw herself out of the way when the arrow slammed down into the ground and shattered the Thousand Winds Temple’s floor. More followed. She was running for her life as she dodged the elemental arrows with heads big enough to take off her entire arm if contact was made.
“I told you what Her Grace wanted me to do to you,” Barbatos snarled from above. “And now I’m going to go through with it. Playtime is over. I’ve had my fun with you. Now I want you out of my sight.” He flapped his wings and lunged for her, swooping over the amphitheater like a bird of prey. Cara yelped and dodged. Where Barbatos flew, a trail of destruction followed in his wake. Whatever he swooped over was decimated by Anemo energy. If she hadn’t gotten out of the way in time, she would have ended up like that too.
I can’t fight this, she realized. Not when he’s in this state. Venti she could just barely handle. But Barbatos? In no way was she equipped to beat him in battle. His power of flight gave him the ultimate advantage, and she could not reach him if he was constantly in the air. How was she going to do this?
Use your power, the voice inside her head whispered. Take his wind and make it your own. Force him to remember you.
Barbatos rose high into the air and held out his hand. A wind spear formed, and he hurled it at her with incredible speed and strength. Her first instinct was to run…but then something told her to do otherwise. She raised her hand and watched her palm light up gold. The spear shuddered and slowed. It started to glow gold, and then it exploded. Barbatos was hit by the force and fell back with a shriek.
She stood there in utter disbelief. What…what had she just done?
“Seizing control of my Anemo won’t do you any good!” Barbatos yelled at her. The Archon formed more wind spears, throwing one after another at her. Some of them she deflected with her sword. Others she used her own power to throw against him, the golden light blasting him in the face and causing him to screech in pain like a wounded eagle. It made her heart ache to hurt him like this, but she couldn’t hold back due to her feelings and empathy. She needed that gnosis. Whatever it took, she was going to get it.
“Barbatos!” she yelled at him. “This fight is meaningless!” She dodged a giant wind arrow. “I’m not your enemy! Please, listen to me!”
He didn’t answer. He dived to attack her again, and she had to run to avoid the destructive Anemo whirling behind him. She kept pleading to him. “I don’t know you as the god of the wind or Lord Barbatos! I know you as Venti! You're funny, you’re kind, and you are not meant to be a puppet of the Madness! You are greater than anything the Abyss can throw at you!”
The tornado roared. Cara’s knees grew weak as she looked into the face of the god hovering before her. “You need to recognize me!” She dodged the wind strikes by a hair’s length as she ran. “I’m your warrior!” She leapt over a fallen pillar and blocked a series of wind spears. “Don’t you remember? We’ve been through so much together! We’re friends!”
Barbatos screamed in frustration and sent forth a giant Anemo-infused arrow. It came zooming towards her, but she reacted in time and shot out her hand. Golden light shattered through her skin, and the arrow stuttered to a halt, its tip inches away from impaling her. She grimaced under the weight of the wind bearing down upon her; the will of the Anemo Archon was trying to crush her to bits. “Venti!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “You need to remember who I am!”
Her power overtook the arrow and possessed it. Cara filled it with all of her feelings and memories, of the joy she felt when she had first gotten him during one of his banners, of the journeys they had been on together, of the events, the festivals, the songs and the love she felt for him deep within her heart. Come back to me. Listen to me. We know each other. Let me set you free. The arrow, having a new target, circled and barreled right back for Barbatos. The Archon faltered, his face falling into an expression of confused shock. He didn’t have enough time to move out of the way.
The arrow, golden, pierced his heart. Where a wound should have formed, there was light. Barbatos’ eyes widened, and a gasp was flung from his lips. The red was chased out of his irises and was replaced with the healing elixir of aureation. He looked at Cara.
“Windblume?” he murmured, as soft as a whispering breeze.
And then his wings gave out and the god of the wind crumpled, his entire body going limp while he fell through the sky like an injured bird or a dying dragon. Barbatos crashed into the ruins of the Thousand Winds Temple with a rumbling boom. Dust and bits of stone sprayed everywhere. Some of the few remaining standing pillars finally fell, adding to the cacophony of noise.
“Venti!” Cara cried. She ran to where he fell, fear and worry spurring on her actions.
Within a crater of rubble the form of the defeated god laid, his wings curled around him as if they were attempting to shield him from the outside world. She dared not get too close, aware of just how powerful this form of his was. One wack from his wing, and she would be killed immediately. But was he alive? Was he okay? She couldn’t tell if he was breathing. What if she killed him?
“Venti.” Her voice was desperate. She felt like she was about to burst into tears. “Venti, please, get up. Please!”
The god did not move. Cara covered her mouth in horror and stumbled back. She dropped her sword and squeezed her eyes shut. I killed him. I killed him. Oh dear god, he’s dead. This can’t be happening. I’m a monster. I’m-
A low groan made her eyes fly open. She watched, frozen in place, as Barbatos slowly dragged himself out of the hole. When he stood, he towered over her, much taller than he was in his mortal form. His wings flared as he struggled to keep his balance, giving him an even more intimidating appearance. However, the reality was anything but. Barbatos looked exhausted, his head bent as he wobbled. Cara held her breath, afraid to say anything. The relief she felt at seeing him alive fought bitterly with her fear of him. She wanted oh-so badly to run up to him and give him the biggest hug, but she was too afraid he would try to attack her if she did so. So she stayed put and waited.
Barbatos looked at her. His eyes were filmed over with tears. And then he fell to his knees.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”
Cara didn’t say a word.
Tears streamed down Venti’s cheeks as he sobbed out the same watery words over and over again. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” His wings shuddered and fell to his sides, snowy feathers stained gray from dust and dirt. He descended into a blubbering mess, completely breaking down. Any menace, any fury, any hatred for her vanished in the wind.
Cara, feeling the full effects of the injuries she had procured during their fight, now that her adrenaline was wearing away, drew in a deep, deep breath. She limped over to Venti and knelt down in front of him. He stared at her with an expression of pure regret and heartbreak, green eyes wide and guilty, little whimpers leaving his mouth as he continued to cry. He spoke no longer; he seemed to be awaiting a reaction from her, most likely a negative one.
Cara didn’t say anything. She leaned forward and gathered him into a tight hug.
He stiffened in shock for only a moment before he melted into the embrace and hugged her back, his soft sobs elevating to muffled wails when he buried his face into her shoulder. Warmth encompassed her when his wings wrapped around her, holding her close, soft feathers brushing against her cheeks and back. Cara squeezed him gently.
“It’s okay,” she murmured to him. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Venti hiccuped. “It’s not okay at all. I-I hurt you. I hunted you. I hated you. I wanted to kill you. I-I didn’t even realize…how could I have not realized? How couldn’t I have known? The Madness…the false Creator…oh, gods, you can’t forgive me. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Cara rubbed his back soothingly. “Do you remember me?”
“I remember everything,” he replied. “My god, my warrior, my windblume, my muse. You came to me in the form of another all of those ages ago and I’ve been yours ever since. I’ve worshiped you for millennia, since before I was even an Archon. Your Grace…you’ve freed me from the corruption.”
Cara’s cheeks blushed a slight red. She smiled a little and chuckled. “Just Cara is fine. No need to call me Your Grace. Though, even if I tell you that, I’m guessing you're just going to keep saying it regardless of what I tell you to call me.”
“Cara.” Venti sighed, and a gentle wind blew. The cyclone was slowly dissolving away, and above them, the sun peeked through the clouds and cast its warmth upon them. “I like that name. I’ve never been a god that’s particularly fond of formal titles.”
Cara chuckled again. There’s the Venti I know.
“I’m sorry.” Venti sniffled. “I’m sorry. I-I’ve committed horrible acts against you. All of Monstadt has. We-we were cruel. Heartless. The Madness has fogged our minds for so long…”
Cara gave him one last gentle squeeze before she pulled away. He unfurled his wings and stood up with her. His hand went to interlock with hers, and she accepted. “How long has this been going on?” she asked him.
With his other hand, Venti wiped his tears away. “Years. The Creator-well, I guess I should say the false Creator now-descended to Teyvat…20 years ago? 50? I-I can’t remember. The exact number is foggy…I distinctly recall her arriving long before you chose me to be a Vessel. But when it happened, all of Teyvat rejoiced…except Teyvat itself. The wind hates the false Creator. It despises her. I should have taken it as a sign back then, I should have realized there was something wrong.” He shook his head sorrowfully. “But by then, I guess it was already too late.”
“How does the Madness spread?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember when I was infected. I didn’t even know I was infected until you freed me. All I know is that it filled me with a deep anger, a hatred so red it tasted like blood on my tongue. It was a hatred for anyone who might speak or act against the false Creator.”
Cara sighed. None of these answers helped solve the mystery of the Madness. “It’s so strange…all of Monstadt seems to be infected by it, even non-Vision-holders. And for the people that aren’t infected by it, their fear of the false Creator and her capabilities keeps them in line…just what sort of entity is this true imposter?”
Venti was silent for a moment as he thought. Then he gasped and flapped his wings excitedly. “I think I’ve got it! The false Creator doesn’t just infect the Madness willy nilly! She targets specific people! National leaders like Jean, ruthless fighters like Diluc, Archons like me! The more positions of power she can indirectly control through the Madness-infected Vessels, the stronger she is!”
“Holy shit Venti, you're right.” Now that she thought about it, such an idea certainly made a lot of sense. “But then why isn’t Kaeya infected? He’s the Cavalry captain, I’d consider that a position of power. Bennett and Razor know the land really well and would work as excellent trackers…why aren’t they infected, too?”
“Probably because they’re three of the new Nine Choirs,” Venti answered matter-of-factly.
Cara stared at him.
“I’m sorry, what?” she said.
“The Nine Choirs? You mean you haven’t heard of them? They were nine Vision-holders who were chosen to become Caratrice’s envoys and ascend to godhood. Each of them had a specific ideal they represented so that they could help protect Teyvat from Armageddon’s corruption. When Caratrice died, there was really no need for them, so they disappeared, and were eventually replaced with Celestia and the Seven. But now that you’ve returned, and there’s an obvious crisis happening in Teyvat right now, the Nine Choirs are needed again! Kaeya, Bennett, Razor…you’ve chosen them to ascend to godhood.”
Another bout of silence from Cara. She felt slightly dizzy as she was fed this information. “H-Huh?”
Venti looked at her with newfound concern. “Are you alright? Are you going to faint? Please, hold onto me, I won’t let you fall. I know this is, ah, quite a lot to take in after surviving a battle with an Archon.” He chuckled nervously.
“D-Do Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor know about this?” she asked him.
Venti scrunched his nose and hummed while he thought. “Mmm, I don’t think so. If they’ve ascended to godhood already, trust me, you’d know. A lot of…physical changes would happen. But don’t worry, it’ll happen soon enough! One of them will ascend eventually, and then the rest will follow! You just need to keep an eye out for the lucky Vessel who will be the first.”
“I want you to be one of the new Nine,” Cara said without thinking. She blurted out the words with no hesitation. “I want you to come with us. Please. Don’t stay here. Now that you're free, the false Creator will know, and she’ll come for you. I can protect you if you're with me. Venti, please, come with us.”
Venti’s mouth dropped. “You…want me to be one of the new Nine? After everything that just happened…after the things I’ve done to you…you’d choose me for such a high honor? Aren’t…aren’t you afraid of me? Don’t you hate me?”
“Venti. Look at me.” She held his face in her hands. “I could never, ever hate you. I don’t hold any of this against you. You aren’t the person who has to be punished for this. I forgive you for what you’ve done. I forgive Monstadt, and everyone in it who hunted me. I couldn’t get myself to hate any of you even if I tried.”
Tears started to well up in Venti’s eyes again. “You…you're so kind. So very, very kind. To forgive a sinner like me to the point where you even want me to stand by your side as one of your apostles…you truly are the Creator.” He hugged her again, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you.”
Cara’s bottom lip quivered. Tears of her own slid off of her chin. “I love you too. I love you so very much, Venti.”
Venti’s sigh was soft. Reserved. Final. “…But I can’t come with you.”
She felt her heart sink. He seemed to sense it, because a soft noise that sounded oddly like the coo of a dove rumbled in his throat, and he held her with his wings. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I want nothing more than to accept your offer. But…I’m an Archon. And if I accept a seat with the Nine, I lose my position with the Seven. Then Monstadt will be without a god, and the false Creator will know I’ve been freed. She’ll go after the people in the city… everyone, not just the infected Vision-holders. Monstadt will be reduced to a pile of rubble. I-I can’t let that happen. I just can’t.”
Thinking of Monstadt being completely destroyed made Cara feel sick. She quickly agreed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spring such an idea on you. I should have thought of the consequences-”
“Don’t apologize,” he quickly reassured. “You have nothing to apologize for. As the Creator, you are allowed to invite anyone you deem as favorable to accept a seat in the Nine. If Monstadt weren’t in the circumstances of today, I would accept. I really, really would. But I can’t. I have to remain here to keep Monstadt safe. Please understand.”
“I do. I do understand. You don’t have to worry.” Cara gave him a tearful smile. “This is why you're one of my favorites.”
Venti squeaked and fluttered back. “I-I’m one of your favorites?”
“What, is that so hard to believe?” Cara laughed when she saw his flustered reaction.
“K-Kinda!” Venti replied, his hands flying to his face to hide the deep blush settling over his cheeks.
She laughed again. “See? This is why you're one of my favorites. I don’t think I could get any of the other Archons to react this way.” She sighed and let her shoulders slump a little. “Speaking of the other Archons…”
“You're heading to Liyue next.” Venti’s wings sagged sadly.
She nodded. “Mhm.”
“Going there…it won’t be easy for you. Liyue is the nation of contracts, the nation of law. Their god…is extremely faithful to the Creator. I guess that means he’s technically extremely faithful to you, but being the blundering buffoon he is, he was probably infected with the Madness long before I was, so…you can fill in the blanks from there. Your Grace…Cara…Liyue will be even more dangerous for you than Monstadt. There are beings there that don’t exist here, and if they see you, they will stop at nothing to kill you. Which is why…I’m going to give you this.”
He held out his hand and closed his fist. From between his fingers filtered a bright light. Cara had to squint a little when she watched in wonder as he opened his palm and up floated the Anemo gnosis. It hovered in the air, Anemo energy floating around it as it shined.
“Go on,” Venti softly encouraged. “Take it.”
She reached out a trembling hand, not knowing what to expect. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the gnosis’ surface, and a short tingle shot through her hand. When nothing happened, she grasped it, cradling it in her palms like it was the most delicate thing in the world. The gnosis floated just a little bit above the surface of her hands. Both her and Venti stared down at it.
“Huh.” Venti sounded disappointed. “I was sure something a little more dramatic might happen.”
She opened her mouth, intending to say “Well, what am I supposed to do with it now?” when all of a sudden, the gnosis began to hum, and a blinding light exploded from it and overtook her entire vision.
She felt her body lift off of the ground-how, she didn’t know, but it was definitely happening-and her back tipped until she was belly-up, facing what she assumed was the sky. She couldn’t see anything except pure teal-green light, and she couldn’t hear anything except for the humming of the gnosis. It was vaguely familiar to when she had traveled through the teleport waypoint subspace. However, unlike that time, she was not in any pain. She did not feel panicked. Instead, she felt oddly at peace, like this was meant to happen. The light soothed her, and the humming implored her to relax. Her eyes fluttered shut.
Her arms moved on their own accord. They positioned over her chest, and she felt her heart jump. The gnosis, still in her hands, pulsed in tandem with the beating of her heart. She felt its base settle on her chest. An intense warmth seeped into her, winding through her body. Wind began to pick up all around her, swirling around her arms, her legs, and traveling all the way directly into her heart and soul. She accepted the power without even having to think about it. The wind was in her. It knew her.
The light dimmed, and Cara gently floated down to the ground.
“Cara? Your Grace?” Venti’s voice spoke frantically above her. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”
Her eyes opened and she breathed in and out deeply as she stared up at his familiar face. She sat up, searching for the gnosis, only to realize that it had disappeared.
“The gnosis,” she said. “Where is it?”
“Didn’t you feel it?” Venti answered. He pointed at her chest. “It’s right in there.”
She looked down and saw nothing but her own body. But then the wind blew, and she was startled when she heard its voice. It was not Venti. It was not a physical, corporal voice she could hear, but rather something she could sense. It was all around her, flowing with the breeze, because it was the breeze itself.
“The gnosis is part of you now,” Venti said. “It no longer has a physical form. You’ve gained control over Anemo. Nothing can hold you back from using it as I can.”
As he said this, a small Anemo symbol pulsed directly over her heart once before disappearing. She was silent, comprehending everything that had just happened.
“Are you alright?” Venti asked.
She nodded, then shook her head, and then nodded again. How was she supposed to respond? “I…I really have Anemo powers now?”
“Yup!” Venti puffed out his chest, obviously prideful. “The wind is at your service, Your Grace! How do you feel? You want to test your new abilities out?”
Cara held out her hand. “What do I do? Do I just-"
Anemo energy started to swirl between her fingertips. She shrieked when she felt the rush of the wind and snatched her hand back, shaking it a little. Venti let out a little shout of glee. “It works!”
“Oh my god.” She started to laugh. “Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, I have Anemo powers! Holy shit!”
Venti looked absolutely overjoyed with her reaction. “So, I’m guessing you're excited?”
“Excited? Excited? This is more than just excitement! This is absolutely incredible!” She held out her hand again. Dutifully, the wind bent to her will, little swirls of Anemo weaving between her fingers. It looked distinctly like the tail of a dragon with a large tuft of fur on the end. She watched it with wonder and delight, her heart racing. She felt airy and light, floating on cloud nine, absolutely floored that this was happening right now.
“I’m glad you're happy about it!” Venti’s laughter tapered off when he seemed to realize something. His expression fell into a look of sorrow. “I wish I could teach you how to truly control it. There’s so much I want to show you. There’s so much the two of us could do…but you can’t stay here.”
Cara’s hand dropped. The dragon’s tail dissipated, its furry end waving forlornly to her before disappearing.
“You have what you came here for,” Venti continued. “Now that you’ve restored a fraction of your power, the false Creator will sense it. The Anemo gnosis has been lost to her. When she finds out-and she will-the first person she’ll question will be me. You need to go. If you stay in Monstadt, she’ll find you.”
Even though she knew it was a lost cause, she begged him again. “Venti, please, come with us.”
“You know it’s impossible.”
“I know. I know it is. But I want to try. I can’t leave you here to face her. She’ll know you’ve been freed from her control. She’ll try to infect you again.”
Venti sighed softly. “I know. I want it to happen.”
She blanched, horrified. “What?”
“The false Creator will be too focused on me to worry about you while you flee Monstadt. By the time she’s done with me, you’ll be long gone. She doesn’t have control over the wind anymore. Once you're in Liyue, she won’t be able to track you as easily as she was able to before.”
“Venti, I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself for me-“
“I’m not sacrificing myself.” Venti clutched her hands in his and pulled them to his chest. “I’m not, because I know you’ll come back for me. I know you’ll come back for all of us. You’ll destroy the Madness. This isn’t permanent. You and the Nine Choirs will save us all.”
“How do you know?” Cara asked with a hint of desperation. “How can you be so sure? I’m not like you. I don’t have the experience of an original Archon. I’m not the god you think I am.”
“No, you aren’t. You're someone entirely new. And that’s why I have so much faith in you. Because I’ve heard your voice, and I’ve felt your presence, and despite everything, no matter how many times we beat you and battered you down, you still got back up and fought again. You don’t fight to sacrifice. You fight to save. Trust me, there’s a huge difference.” He cupped her cheek, the cheek with her eye scar, and let his thumb trail against it, wiping away her rapidly forming tears. “You know, it’s strange to hold you like this. For so long, I’ve only ever known you as the god beyond the sky.”
Cara couldn’t help it. She laughed softly and leaned into his touch, sniffling. “Do you not like what you see?”
“I do. Because it’s still you. You're still Her Grace. You're still Cara.” He helped her up to her feet, supporting her while she trembled slightly and cried. “Go. Find Kaeya, Bennett, and Razor. The wind will guide you. Pass through the Stone Gate into Liyue. I’ll use my power to ensure you leave Monstadt safely. But after that, I won’t be able to do anything else.”
He was crying. Tears dripped down his freckled cheeks. A god weeping for the departure of his creator. She was moved by the sight and pulled him in for one final hug. “I love you, Venti.”
“I love you too.” He hugged her back. “Before you leave, I have something I want to give you. I see Albedo left you with a little keepsake to remember him by.” His wingtips tapped her Solar Isotoma keychain, making its light pulse.
Cara’s cheeks burned red, and she quickly stepped away. “W-Wait, it’s not what you think-“
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I didn’t mean it like that. I only want to remind you that he’s not the only one who can give you heartfelt presents. Behold, a gift from the wind itself!”
He raised his arms and spread his wings. Wind gathered around him, and forming directly out of the Anemo energy he was calling forth, a beautiful wind glider materialized in front of her. Bright blue feathers knitted themselves to a bronze frame, creating a glider that fluttered with the wine’s breeze and gave her a distinct sense of freedom when she looked at it. She held out her hands, and the glider settled over them, surprisingly light and easy to carry.
“Tada!” Venti declared. “Your very own wind glider! You don’t seem to have one, and it’ll be a long time before you regain your own wings, so I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I gave you a temporary pair?” It’s not true flight you’ll be doing with these, but they’re the next best thing!”
Cara ran her hand over the soft feathers. She was in awe of the craftsmanship and how something so intricately beautiful could be produced from nothing more than the wind.
“Do you like it?” Venti asked, a little shyly.
She beamed at him. “Venti, I love it. Thank you so much!” The glider dissolved into little bits of light that traveled to her back and disappeared directly over her shoulder blades.
He looked delighted. “I’m so glad! If you ever need to use it, rest assured that the wind will be there to catch you. I may not be able to truly protect you outside of Monstadt, but Teyvat can, and it will.” He was saddened again, and sighed. “It’s time for you to go.”
She nodded, protesting no longer. The two of them stood in silence for a moment. Then, she hugged him one last time. “I’m going to come back for all of you. I promise. I won’t forget.”
“I know you won’t.” Venti clung to her for a moment longer, then reluctantly pushed her away. “Now go. I’ll buy you guys some time. Be safe. Stay cautious. Your journey is only going to get harder from here.”
Her legs were heavy as lead when she forced herself to walk away. She waved goodbye to Venti, who was making no effort to hide his tears. She felt his gaze linger on her while she picked her way through the destroyed Thousand Winds Temple. She could not allow herself to look back. If she did, she knew she might go running back to him. Her time with the Venti she knew had been too short, but she would treasure it until she found herself back to him again.
She did not want to leave Monstadt. Not anymore. But she had no choice. Against all odds, she accomplished her first quest. She had the Anemo gnosis and kept her life. One down. Six more to go.
Onward to Liyue.
A few hours later, Venti still remained at the Thousand Winds Temple. He had reverted to his mortal disguise and had once again taken a seat on a fallen pillar to softly play his lyre. The sun was beginning to set, casting the world in its darkness. He could feel the wind whispering to him, telling him of Her Grace’s whereabouts. Southwest from here, towards the Stone Gate. When they pass through, you will be cut off. But we will always be watching over her.
He smiled. Though the Anemo gnosis was no longer with him, he felt assured that its powers were in the right hands. He was aware of the prophecy speaking of Caratrice’s reincarnation. Now that he was freed from the Madness, he could remember everything he had learned. The Abysmal powers that had previously infected him were comparable to that of a mask: it clouded his senses, obscuring his judgment and confusing his mind. When he looked back on how he had felt before Cara’s light cleansed him, all he could recall was anger and hatred. It was an unnatural feeling. The memories did not feel like his own. Even back in the Archon War days, when he had been in his prime, he had refused to act out on raw emotion. He did not consider himself a vengeful god. The Madness had turned him into a twisted version of himself that made him feel sick to his stomach.
If the Madness did that to someone like me, he thought, then what type of person has it turned Morax into?
The wind trembled. He felt fear.
Then, a foreign presence he knew, and now hated, entered his mind. His eyes opened and he smiled. The time has come. Just as he anticipated.
“Barbatos,” the false Creator hissed. Her voice no longer sounded as sweet as the Madness had made it out to be. “Where is she?”
He continued to gently strum his lyre. “I don’t know.”
“She isn’t in the city. She isn’t in Springvale. The Abyss cannot find her anywhere in Monstadt. You told me she was heading for your location. You assured me you had this under control. So what happened?”
Gods, her voice was sickening to listen to. Venti felt slightly ill. It felt like poison was slowly being injected into his bloodstream. “She never showed up. The winds don’t know where she is either. You better keep searching.”
The false Creator snarled. “You dare talk to me with that tone?”
“My apologies. I meant no offense by it.”
She was silent. If not for the oppressive mental force bearing down upon him, he would have thought she left. He held his breath and closed his eyes. Though he knew what would come next, he still found himself bracing.
Gigantic claws seized his brain. Venti’s eyes flew open and his mouth dropped in a silent scream as he was rendered immobile. His lyre dropped from his hands.
“Did you think you could fool me?” the false Creator whispered dangerously into his ear. “Barbatos…you traitor. You despicable rodent.”
“I am no traitor.” Venti struggled to speak, and yet he found it within himself to laugh. “I am freed. What sort of god of freedom would I be if not for that?”
“Silence!” The false Creator roared. “You are in no position to speak right now! Is she in Liyue? If she is, you know she will not survive there long. You are delivering her right into death’s claws!”
“You underestimate her. She won’t go down so easily. A dragon never loses its fire. She will fly again.”
The weight of the false Creator’s consciousness was growing heavier and heavier. “You will be punished for this, Barbatos. For your disobedience, you will suffer. I cannot kill you. But I can break you, and I will take you back as my pawn. Caratrice will be found. I will capture her. And when I do, you will be the one to kill her. I will take your hands and force them to carve out her heart, and I will make you watch as you kill the one you adore with as much freedom and clarity I can give you. Do you understand me? You have angered me greatly.”
“You…won’t find her.” Venti grimaced in pain. He could feel his entire body being squeezed, like he was being crushed, and it was excruciating. Barely able to speak, he managed to sputter out his final words. “I have seen the future. I know what will happen. The wind…will always be there to protect her. The wind…will forever love her like I do.”
The false Creator let out an infuriated bellow. The great claws clamped down on Venti, and this time, he did scream. His shriek of pain caused the wind to roil, and a great gust swept over the Thousand Winds Temple with enough force to rattle the ruins and whips wounds into the earth. Something was being pumped into his mind…and then it was in his body, and finally infecting his heart. The image of Cara’s smiling face was lost. He completely passed out.
When he awoke, all he could feel was anger, and all he could see was red.
#messianic aureation#genshin#genshin impact#sagau#genshin sagau#genshin cult au#sagau impostor au#venti#lord barbatos#barbatos#genshin impact fanfiction
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*posting this way too early to make sure she'll will get to see it today hihi*
Happy happy birthday @shiftylinguini! I wanted to do a little something to celebrate one of the coolest, most talented HP authors out there. Sami is literally the coolest. Anyone who knows me at this point has realized that horny smut and clever humor are the way to conquer my heart. And Sam delivers both - and also plots! Character development! Drama and romance! - masterfully. Fuck buddies, Auror partners, A/B/O, established relationship, triads, age gap (my beloved!), you name it. She’s written it all, with impeccable dialogue and UST.
Sami, I’ve been following your works for quite a few years now and they never fail to impress me with your unique and hilarious sense of humour, your charming and vibrant characters, the A+ banter and domesticity, the clever plots, the lush sexual tension, witty dialogue and above all, unfailing emotional resonance. You build charged yet playful atmospheres like no one else and I’m especially grateful for your iconic takes on creature fic and A/B/O, two tropes that never interested me much until I found Embers and became utterly obsessed with it.
Your fics have shaped my Drarry experience and appreciation for rare pairs over the years and I'm sure I'm not alone; I don’t think you even realize the impact or how seminal your works were to some of us. You’re both a Drarry and rare pair champion, which is why I wanted to take some time and give your phenomenal catalogue a shoutout by highlighting my all-time favorites. I hope you have a lovely birthday knowing how appreciated you are by all of us! Sending lots of love and wishing you a fantastic year ahead, my friend 💙
Safe (M, 2k) - Harry/Sirius
He’s not James, Sirius tells himself as Harry gets into bed with him on a cold Monday night. He’s not James, but Sirius is not Padfoot anymore either.
Toeing the Line (E, 3k) - Drarry + Teddy
Draco wasn’t sure why watching his partner fuck Teddy until he screamed was somehow less morally iffy for Harry than just doing it himself, but Draco wasn’t about to judge. Not when he was balls deep, anyway. Read my rec here.
(Don’t) Behave (E, 3k) - Teddy/Charlie
Teddy is a bit of a mess, and Harry is at his wits’ end with his eighteen-year-old godson. Sending him to Charlie, thinking the older man could knock some sense into the kid, seemed like a great idea.
Sardines (E, 4k) - Scorbus + Jeddy
It’s bad enough his cock is hard from listening to the impromptu midnight pornography of his brother getting off; Albus is not going to add seeing it to the list of reasons why he lost his mind, and presumably his eyesight, on the eve of his grandmother's seventieth. Read my rec here.
A Noir Cliche (T, 4k) - Drarry
Draco is not a Healer. Harry doesn’t get hurt on purpose. They really have to stop meeting like this. Read my rec here.
Five Years (M, 4.7k) - Drarry
For Draco, December means finding somewhere he can lose himself in the thrum of a crowd and the throb of music ― and Potter. It always means Potter now, too. Read my rec here.
Float (E, 5k) - Drarry
After a night out, Harry wakes up feeling like he slept on concrete, like his body's made of sand, like he accidentally pissed on his housemate the night before. Because he did accidentally piss on his housemate the night before.
Splat (E, 5.8k) - Albus/James
Of all the things to happen to them, this is truly, truly the last thing James expected. Cw: incest, mild gore
Up The (E, 7.5k) - Drarry
“I feel I need to point out,” Draco kissed gently over Harry’s Adam’s apple, “that this is the most Gryffindor approach to conception that could possibly exist.” Or: Harry's had madder ideas.
forget what I need, give me what I want (and it should be fine) (E, 8k) - Draco/James
But even on those nights when the club is mad with punters and there are staff running ragged from one end to the other, Draco doesn’t need to be working behind the bar ― he just likes it.
Service Bell (E, 8k) - Drarry
Draco is: a werewolf, living in a cabin in the woods, minding his own business, and never going to buy plaid because he's not that much of a fucking cliche (yet). He's also counting down the days until he sees Harry again.
Teeter (E, 10k) - Drarry
Draco wants to come, Harry has other ideas, and they both might be doing this whole 'casually sleeping together' thing a bit wrong.
Hallo Spaceboy (T, 10k) - Jeddy
James’d had to give up on the eyeliner after that; he was grinning too hard, flushed and happy and basking in Teddy’s attention (fit blokes, we’re fit blokes, that’s us), and he couldn't bloody stop. Or: James kissed Teddy last night. This may or may not be the end of the world.
Team Players (E, 15k) - Jeddy + James/Oliver
Everyone has that one celebrity they’d move heaven and earth to get between their legs, and James Potter is no exception. He just never anticipated that number one on his Freebie List would end up in the same room as him, let alone would make the first move. Read my rec here.
Darling, Don’t Think Twice (E, 18k) - Harry/Teddy
Leaving the Aurors, and then England, after his divorce with Ginny was finalised was the best thing for Harry, and for Ginny, too ― but not for the godson who worshipped the ground he walked on. Now that he’s back, all Harry wants is to set up his own place, and to spend time with Teddy as he tries to fix their fractured relationship.
Celestial Bodies (E, 20k) - Drarry
“An astrological anomaly induced bond,” Harry repeats, deadpan, as the Head Healer of the Magical Malfunctions ward finishes announcing his prognosis. “Space magic,” says Draco, tapping long fingers irritably against the arm of his chair. “You’re saying we’ve been zapped by space magic.”
Two Weeks (E, 22k) - Drarry
If Harry had to guess which out of he or his Auror Partner, and tentative new friend, Draco Malfoy, would turn out to have Veela ancestry, his answer would be: neither, because that is ridiculous.
Midnight in the City of a Hundred Spires (E, 25k) - Drarry
Harry Potter is a missing person. Draco Malfoy is a vampire. They are the last two people one would expect to bump into each other in a Creature Bar in Prague, yet to Draco’s absolute shock that is definitely Harry fucking Potter sitting across from him.
Embers (E, 41k) - Drarry
Werewolf Alphas aren't meant to be alone, or to suppress their ruts indefinitely like Draco has been since he was bitten eight years ago. He needs company, companionship, to knot ― he needs an Omega Heat Companion. Read my rec here.
Heartlines (E, 72k) - Drarry
Harry never expected he’d end up chipping away at his virginity while wandless and bonded to Malfoy in Northern Europe. He never expected that would turn out to be the least surprising thing to happen while out on their training expedition in the middle of nowhere, either. Read my rec here.
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It has been a while since I started digital art,
Quite a while.
So here is a 'progress over the last two years' since I gained access to a drawing tablet.
:D
This is my first ever digitally illustrated piece- compared to my latest one-
So, a little bit different.
I do think my art took quite a jump around June 2022, when I took a break from my Steve comic strip, (for obvious reasons- it was about Technoblade's polar bear so...) and decided to try practicing gesture drawing to see if it helped my general anatomy knowledge. This is before,
And this next one is after.
The most obvious change here is that I switched to using thinner lines. There is a gap of about two months between these.
This was when I realised that you could improve art by practicing it (mind-blowing I know), and then started to do just that. Some other notable jumps forward would be when I discovered the airbrush-
Well, discovered a new method of shading with it anyway.
Then after that I had a few pictures that I actually still like, despite them being pretty old at this point, the one below is actually from September of 2022-
I mean, the hands are a bit iffy, but the rest looks alright. This was when I was going through a bit of a melanie martinez phase-
This next one was from January of 2023, I'd only just gotten into bungou stray dogs via some random memes on pinterest about this weird brown haired guy who had lots of bandages and who had this running gag with wanting to die- I actually looked him up at one point, but that didn't really explain much. The main one that I remember was 'life is short, so make it shorter, shorter than chuuya~'
Which at the time was just kind of confusing,
Then I watched the show and it made perfect sense.
I'd discovered ascendance of a bookworm in like, 2021, but I hadn't really been doing fanart of it since I was mainly doing dsmp related stuff and I kind of assumed nobody would know what on earth I was referencing. Turns out tumblr has a lot more bookworm fans than I orignally anticipated. Instagram still has no clue. I think maybe one person out of my followers on instagram knows what I'm on about-
Then we've got these two which I am still proud of btw-
The first one is from a dystopian/time travel fanfic called viridian.
The second one was after I learned about rim lighting. It was inspired by a song actually, 'crash' by noevaii. (and yes I found that song from a sad-ist animatic, it was cool) The character isn't anyone in particular. They're both from February 2023.
Then there's probably my most liked picture on instagram, (not tumblr, since tumblr knows about bsd and bookworm, but y'know. This was even sadder than I originally intended since the last half of my comic strip was finished AFTER everything happened)
Then the final conclusion of my Steve comic strip in May of 2023.
I don't think my art really changed much in between those, but eh.
Then I switched to doing a bunch of ascendance of a bookworm stuff to see what would happen and turns out there are way more fellow fans out there than I anticipated-
Then I guess my next breakthrough in tumblr popularity, (even if it might not have been a breakthrough in art skills necessarily) was when things went DOWN in the bsd fandom with chapter 109 and I did probably one of my most liked tumblr posts I have ever done-
If you want to see the rest of that, feel free to scroll down on my tumblr page, the original's like eight pages long-
This was before anyone knew what was going to happen btw.
I still think it's hilarious that I put in chuuya having contacts. My reasoning being, they're on a film set,
It was a pretty interesting exercise in shading in monochrome.
Then I started a 30 day art challenge in October that I didn't get past day six of, but it was still pretty fun. This is the best one of those-
After that I spent most of my time studying for the jlpt n5, so I didn't really do that much art related stuff,
This is one of the two non-commission related pictures that I finished over the two months after I kind of gave up on the art challenge. This one's from November,
Then I finally finished an art commission I'd been working on for the three months prior, as well as studying. Here is an example of the type of pictures I was doing for that,
Then I was occupied with christmas and birthday presents for my siblings, both my little sisters are into ascendance of a bookworm- (completely my fault I am proud to say) so I was able to do stuff related to that, here's a couple of snippets, but you guys don't get the colour version hehe
And one of them has also read the entire fma manga just like I have so-
Anyway, it's been quite a progression since I resolved to master digital art in 2021.
I reckon I've come a fair way since then. I mean. My art skills in general are way better than they used to be.
The last two or three years have been pretty interesting.
Also-
Just had to include this one, I'm gonna do a more detailed version but still-
I think it's funny so I'm posting it here. Even if it's not really related to art progression-
#honzuki no gekokujou#ascendance of a bookworm#dsmp#dsmp fanart#mha#skvader#viridian#bsd#bsd fanart#technoblade#rip technoblade#i did like a whole comic strip#but didn't get a chance to finish it before june 2022-#its finished now#but like#still...#anyway#steve now has the protagonist au he deserves#fullmetal alchemist#yeye#ive barely done anything to do with that#fanart wise i mean#but i have read the entire thing#i reckon sheska and myne would be bffs#hope i spelt that right-#you know who i mean#the girl who reads a lot#in fma#yeah#anyway moving on-
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hi. it's me again. no surprise there.
I would like for you to choose between a Fall day spent with Steven Grant or a Winter day spent with Poe Dameron.
apologies.
hi i'm sorry you want me to CHOOSE?! why not both, bestie? we're going to start off with Steven here, though.
SLEEPOVER SATURDAY
Autumn with Steven Grant
Steven Grant x reader
Really, you didn’t think that you could love this time of the year any more than you already did…until you started dating Steven Grant.
Content: Copious amounts of fluff.
While Christmas is plenty magical, there’s just something about fall that never fails to bring a smile to your face each and every morning you wake up to brisk morning air, vivid leaves painted across the trees in your front yard, and a small army of pumpkins of all sizes scattered across each and every porch on your street.
Needless to say, you have a tendency to happily embrace each and every fall tradition. And while you’ve had plenty of exes in your past that have unfortunately been less than enthusiastic about the whole thing, Steven couldn’t be happier to share these moments with you.
When you overhear two of your coworkers at the museum griping about society’s ongoing pumpkin spice obsession, you cringe as you look down at the to-go cup in your hands and turn to Steven, admitting that you actually do love to indulge in pumpkin spice in the fall. Steven frowns as your coworkers begin to poke fun when they notice PSL written on the side of your cup. The next time you show up at his place for a movie night, you find an assortment of each and every pumpkin spice themed food and home good strewn about his apartment (including tissues (?!), which you’re more than a little iffy on, but you use them regardless to dab away the tears that threaten to spill from your eyes when you see what he did for you).
(Marc outright steals the stockpile of K-Cups from the staff break room and replaces them all with pumpkin spice flavored ones, both for your benefit and to antagonize your coworkers.)
When you find out Steven’s never been apple picking, you can’t drag him to the nearest orchard fast enough (and he’s more than happy to hoist you up onto his shoulders to help reach the best ones up on the high branches).
He’s initially worried you’re going to get in trouble when you toss him an apple and begin snacking on them right there as you waltz through the lines of trees with your basket in hand (“We need to test the flavors, Steven! There’s so many different kinds!"). However, he eventually joins you in your taste testing venture, which finds both of you nestled under the shade of a large tree with apples of all sizes and colors spread out before you. You inevitably get distracted and climb into Steven’s lap, kissing him languidly as he threads his hands into your hair, a soft noise escaping his mouth.
(Marc had other plans for that day, honestly. But when you showed up at Steven’s door bright and early with that earnest, excited smile on your face, ready to embark on your trip to the orchard, he decided Khonshu could fucking wait.)
When you mention to Steven that you wish there was more fall foliage to enjoy in the heart of the busy city, he surprises you one Sunday afternoon with a fall picnic in the middle of a small but lush park that you’d never seen before. Tucked away in between the bustling streets like the city’s best kept secret, you can’t help but tackle Steven into a pile of leaves when you arrive, laughing brightly as he sits up and looks at you with a smile that mirrors your own. And when he reaches out to carefully pull a leaf out of your hair, warmth curls in your gut and floods through your veins at the gesture.
Steven’s absolutely shit at carving pumpkins, and honestly, you love it. Your own pumpkins are nothing to write home about either, and you like to make a tradition out of hacking away at your terrible creations together to decorate your front porch.
(Marc impatiently asked to take over more than once, insistent that he’s a bit of a jack-o’-lantern connoisseur. But Steven politely told him to bugger off as you began to cry laughing the first time you observed both of your decimated pumpkins, which then found the two of you entangled on your couch, giggling between kisses as you picked pumpkin guts out of Steven’s hair and off of his shirt.)
#Moon Knight#Moon Knight x reader#Steven Grant#Marc Spector#Steven Grant x reader#Oscar Isaac#Sleepover Saturday
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Question about medical care in Asgard… I'm talking about a case of Odinsleep/coma. How different do you think caring for a person in a coma would be on Asgard than on Midgard?
Gonna assume you're asking about the MCU as I answer this! 💚
With a Coma/Odinsleep .. Probably not too terribly different in act for the most part IF it's being treated like a regular coma; but incredibly different in aesthetic, and well.. it does get a little more iffy when you're talking about 'Odinsleep' in particular, even with what little we do know from what's shown and said about it on screen which I say by means of examples given, both canon and deleted from it.
Some things definitely do change if you take deleted scenes from Thor 2011 into account in particular though: as one of the things they removed entirely from existence in the cutting room in that movie, was something called 'healing stones.' They actually had two portions of scenes that they shot (one in the hospital after Jane ran him over, and one just prior to the final portion of the fight with the 'Destroyer' in New Mexico.) I'll slap them in here if I can find them out of my giant clips playlist of doom.
Sticking with just the canon though; and specifically with the regular coma treatment first? The first thing you have to take into account is that there are lots of different kinds of comas, and that even Earth-tech wise, some of them are going to be treated a little differently (short, long term, caused by external injury, caused by internal injury, trauma induced are a thing too.)
That said, the first thing we have on display as far as Asgard's medical goes, is something that unsurprisingly is a repeated major portion of their basic lore in the MCU: that they aren't gods; they're an elder race who have been themselves reaching into the cosmos for eons of generations even stretching back to at least near enough to the beginning of their universe well established enough then, to take note of the fact that the Infinity Stones made at the birth of that universe, were not made by either them, or by the other elder races like the Dark Elves, or the even older Tivan brothers: with single generations lasting as long as five thousand years.
Related to that is also the fact that they by the time in their universal timeline we do catch up with them: they are very clearly a warmongering/imperial colonialist society. Even before and likely during them, Odin made a generation of wars horrible enough to be called 'The Great Wars' among the lot that he and apparently Hela (who was clearly full grown --meaning she was anywhere between 20ish and 1000 years herself-- even in her mural depictions,) to spread his version of 'peace' through the removal of what other species he percieved as threats and competition (see Muspelheim, Jotunheim) going so far as to make certain they couldn't rebuild even their capitals.
Why is that important in this conversation? Because that also means including Bor and Asgard's previous generation five thousand years prior to 2013's invasion of the elves; they had been dealing with injury, illness and more among their own resulting from those battles: and yes during those thousands of years of conflict between Bor's crusade, and Odin's: they had lots and lots of extra time to improve both their tech, and any magic along those lines.
Which yes are actually two very different things, though from the looks of it are often interconnected in Asgardian society in particular, unlike on Earth; where medical technology is foremost, and sorcery/magic has been forced basically into hiding by centuries of the many different flavors (both in religion base and name) of Inquisitions on Earth over the course of over a millennia by the time the twenty tens roll around. We also know that they do posses some limited means through technology, of suppressing some magic; but whether or not Asgard in particular has evolved their understanding of sorcery in particular to do so on a magical level is questionable at best given what we've seen between the first two films alone.
Given the blatantly similar societal distaste for most non-combative magic, and even a good portion of combative magic for that matter that's pretty likely not the case: even Thor refers to his mother's skills and knowledge as "tricks." However, that doesn't seem to apply where the "Healer's Hall" inhabitants and actual healers are involved.
Most obvious example of technological vs magic, and those limitations I mentioned above that we have is a pair of scenes in TDW: the Soul Forge in the Healer's Hall vs. Loki's full-room illusions.
Soul Forge (aka Quantum Field Generator:)
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This is also, one of the scenes that continues to show rather than tell, the MCU established facts of their advancement.. and their arrogance around it when dealing with what Asgardians otherwise clearly still consider 'lesser' races under their protection. Quite a contrast to Loki's interactions with Selvig and Barton delivering those two a great deal more dignity and trust in A1 too, while they're building the portal device ...but that's a whole other set of attached social observations and comparisons I'm not gonna get into here. The point of this one is: if there's magic there; they're making it very clear there isn't much of it, and doubling down on that whole 'not gods, only mistaken for them' far more interesting take, on which MCU Asgard was built since the very first movie. (again though, it also displays their arrogance in that direction, as Eir not only treats Jane's inquiry very dismissively; but gets flustered and gap-mouthed [literally] when she positively identifies the diagnostic technology being used. It also is one of the many displays of how differing etymology between cultures in the MCU [yes there are a few, including the Dr. Strange film as another major example of that in particular] is a purposely crafted thing.)
ANYWAY!
Compare that technological, with the feats of sorcery Loki manages in that same film. Not only does he not use tech to manage his magic/sorcery (or 'tricks' as Thor calls it lol).. but he does so behind the locked door of, that same level of technology, in his own prison cell.. and beyond it. While some of the deleted scenes show this too? The final cut certainly wasn't lacking either.
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So, all that said..? And without dipping into the whole discarded-from-canon 'Healing Stone' facet: it's very likely with a normal (or normal-ish lol) coma, that it wouldn't really be that different: just easier to some extent and probably a lot faster to correct any issues with those caused by injury in particular.
However! And most important:
Odinsleep, is something else entirely.
From the first film, we know through dialogue that not only is 'Odinsleep' not a normal coma by any means: it's one that can, has, and with the way they talk about it: SHOULD be induced every so often in order to maintain his health.
Where do we get that and why do I say 'his' in particular?
Because..
1. It is called Odinsleep, which says outright that in the MCU either Odin is a common enough name among Asgardian elder generations to be named as such OR, that it's a practice that belongs solely to Odin in particular.
2. The conversation between Loki and Frigga tell us as much, in their conversation over Odin's bed. (PS I couldn't find the full clip immediately, so I am posting the full uncut scene [with deleted parts] instead. The part that I've marked it to (timestamp 1:06 in the video below if that doesn't work for you) is what you need to listen to most, and was part of the final cut in Thor 2011.
Though the way they cut and rearranged this scene has some of that conversation out of sequence, the information given about Odinsleep remains the same in the much shorter canon conversation.
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Their conversation tells the viewer outright, that not only is that a thing he does regularly, but that it can be planned out and planned for: as they make a point of stating that it's only this time, the Odinsleep was unprepared for.. and, they have seen it enough for Loki's first words to be stating the fact he 'never gets used to seeing him like this' .. meaning? He has seen it enough times that he thinks he probably should be: but also that it's upsetting enough an experience to him, that he isn't.
You'll note that they also briefly discuss the fact that Odin had been putting the Odinsleep off. It was coming anyway and regardless .. and should have happened far sooner.
While it's not technically counted as canon on screen, there's a little more information given directly about Odinsleep in the parts cut out too, if you choose to observe and use them: as well as a more direct showing of what we already know even without that scene of how Frigga chooses to pass the throne to the only heir not currently being guilty of and banished for several counts of treason including restarting the war and disobeying the king in that bed, with Thor's invasion of Jotunheim landing him firmly on Earth with the very obviously earned traitor title.
I'll leave it up to you if you want to watch and or use any of that, and you definitely could; since it's -again- just dialogue telling the viewer what's already known simply by watching the other scenes around it in the canon cut, including and especially the throne room scene where Sif & the Warriors Three request Thor's return, regardless of not only knowing he was banished for treason.. but also having been the others to try to remind and convince him alongside Loki; to NOT commit that treason, prior to him doing it and dragging them along anyway.
All in all, through those scenes; we are given a very clear set of rules and information about Odinsleep either way. Which includes the fact that it can be a form of coma that probably should not be randomly interrupted or the subject brought out of it, where it's apparently necessary for the individual's overall health: but can also be a state in which they might spend the last of their lives.
In that, this also tells us that; there isn't a whole lot that even Asgard's greater technology, or even magic can or should do, to bring someone out of it at all.
And, from the way they do deal with their King going through it even by surprise: we know that there isn't much they can do at all beyond keeping him comfortable and as healthy as possible until the Odinsleep finishes it's course naturally... whether that results in the subject waking up, or possibly, dying.
There's no mention of anyone else going through Odinsleep.. but there's also no mention of whether or not anyone else HASN'T, either.
Either way, that scene alone does show and tell a lot more about Asgard's medical capabilities and some of their limitations too, even as a society that's been at war since before Moses (lol but true, especially counting Odin's dad before him fought the elves for what Odin himself identified as 'Eternities of bloodshed' that didn't end until almost 5k years prior,) even, when cut down to the re-arranged version put down in the film's final cut.
Ultimately, and that said?
I don't think caring for a person in Odinsleep would be different from what we see on screen.
A whole lot of trying to keep them comfortable, undisturbed, and healthy; while wondering and worrying when and especially -if- they'll even wake up.
--Post Script, and a more direct personal example:
Incidentally, and if you're curious: I have written Loki as having gone through his own "Odinsleep" in twenty thirteen, in Book Two (Vestibule 1, Universe 8) of my Lokiverse project: GROUNDED.
Yes, that underlined bit is both the title and a link directly to where that long fic is posted on AO3, if you're curious how I handled it there.
I suggest reading the chapters leading into that segment to understand how that portion of their multiverse got there, but if you want to skip a bit, the Odinsleep sequence itself starts in Chapter Four and ends in chapter Five, and is ultimately among the last of events before a time skip all the way into Civil War's era.
It's not the only time the muses use it, but it is currently the only instance I have published.
#Odin#Odinsleep#Asgardian Lore#technology vs magic#medical#medical limitations#the very odd king-coma#Loki#Frigga#Thor 2011#GROUNDED#Lokiverse references#Vestibule 1 : Universe 8#post script fic link#MCU#there is the non-canon confirmed bit where: Odin likely konked out on those steps on purpose to avoid further questioning#while it's not technically canon?#I do definitely think that part is HIGHLY and incredibly likely
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