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ktempestbradford · 8 months

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A Story for Star Trek Day

I've told this story on Twitter before. I tell it every Star Trek Day and whenever a Deep Space 9 anniversary rolls around. It's about me and Avery Brooks (aka Best ST Captain Benjamin Sisko).

The college my mother went to specifically started recruiting top Black students in the 60s. Due to this, the Black kids all mostly knew each other as they were in that same program. Avery Brooks went to the same college and they were good friends.

(She once told me he had a huge crush on her and I was like MOM. MOTHER. WHAT. HOW COULD YOU HE COULD HAVE BEEN MY DAD.)

Anyway, many of the students in this program remained friends long after college. So over the years as Avery was getting TV gigs & such we would all watch cuz he was my mom's friend & I thought that was the coolest. There was one particularly fun night when my best friend's uncle, Frankie Faison, guest starred on A Man Called Hawk. TWO people we know on TV!

When I was in middle school Avery was touring his production of "Paul Robeson" and it came through our town, so I got to see him perform in person (awesooooome) and meet him for the first time since I was a baby (which I did not remember, of course).

Now, backing up a little bit: I am a Star Trek fan because of my mom. She loved the original series and I remember being a wee Tempest in front of the TV watching The Wrath of Khan and us excitedly going to see Star Trek IV together.

I watched TNG from the instant it appeared on TV because of her. I watched all of The Animated Series even though everyone looked "wrong". (Man... it took me 4 months to realize that dude in the red shirt was Scotty cuz I'd only ever seen movie Scotty.)

Then... they announced Deep Space 9.

We heard Avery Brooks would be the commander and there was MUCH rejoicing around our house. DS9 turned out to be the best Trek ever and, of course, Avery was awesome. This was around the time my mom dropped that "he had a crush on me but I wasn't interested" bombshell.

I'm still bitter.

I mean, I love my dad he's great. But SISKO COULD HAVE BEEN MY DAD.

I lost my mom in 1999. She was--and I'm not exaggerating--an extraordinary woman and beloved by many. I received so many beautiful messages of condolence from her friends all the way back to those college years, including Avery. So many people remembered her fondly. <3

I kept watching Star Trek and often talked to her as if she was there during episodes. She would have LOVED Discovery. Especially since she took me to RENT the year I started college. I'm sure she would have shared my opinion of Enterprise as well. But she loved her some Scott Bakula, so she would have watched, anyway.

I got the chance to interview Avery Brooks at DragonCon back in 2013 (jeez, it's been almost 10 years omg). Before the interview, I went up to him on the Walk of Fame and I said:

Hi, I'm (name K stands for) Bradford, I don't know if you remember me...

And he looked up and said: Of course I remember you.

We talked for a bit and I asked if I could come back and interview him later and he said yes (he wasn't supposed to; his handler had A LOOK). I didn't want to hold up his line, so I said I'd see him later.

Before I could go, he reached out for my hand and squeezed it before saying: I loved your mama, you know.

And we just stayed like that for a few seconds, missing her together.

...I might have been trying very hard not to burst into tears.

That DragonCon was the last time I saw Avery. Barring an extraordinary circumstance, that's probably the last time I'll see him in person. I'm glad we got to have that moment together. And we had a great conversation!

His contribution to Trek has meant so much to me. SISKO4EVA

And I'm glad that it's another tie between me, my mom, and Trek. I can't watch DS9 without hearing her voice giving color commentary. Even the episodes she didn't live to see.

I think Star Trek is part of what gave her hope for the future. She passed that on to me. ❤️🖖🏾❤️

Happy Star Trek Day to all who celebrate.

#Star Trek Day #Sisko #Deep Space 9 #DS9 #Star Trek

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spacecowboyhotch · 4 months

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In Plain Sight, Ch 3: The Tempest

summary: nathan makes his intentions clear and as always…is a bit of an asshole while doing it.

pairing: nathan bateman x f!reader

contents: 18+/NSFW/MINORS DNI, enemies to lovers (sorta), boss/employee dynamics, pining, nerves, SIBLINGSSSS, mentions of care taking/sick relative, first date?? (after the fact), Nathan being A MEGA SIMPPPPPP

wc: 3,446

an: we get to meet reader’s sisters in this, both of which i love very very much! you also get a bit of reader’s background. and of course, nathan’s attempt at asking someone out. hope y’all enjoy and always thanks for reading! <3

in plain sight masterlist | part 4 | phart 5

Sleep last night was difficult…and interesting. It took you a while to fall asleep, your nerves feeling a little frazzled once you’d gotten in the car and started to think about how you were going to have dinner with Nathan. You’ve spent plenty of time alone with him, but within the boss-employee dynamic. This dinner he’s asked you to could still be that— but you wouldn’t have your usual protections. No pressing questions, no tasks, no screens to hide behind. You and him. And food. When’s the last time you shared a meal with someone other than your sisters?

Once you’d finally succumbed to sleep, your dreams were of him. It felt like nothing and everything all at once. Nathan was there. You’ve never dreamt of him before. You were in Nathan’s house— except it was clear that neither of you were working. You watched a movie together cuddling on the couch, cooked a meal, and took a walk through the forest. While the thought of that would never appeal to you in real life when you wake, there’s a peaceful feeling lingering. It’s a little unsettling.

You hop out of bed before you can allow yourself to start assigning meaning to the dream. It was simply that— a dream. A product of your nerves, and spending nearly every waking moment dedicated to learning, organizing and managing all the aspects of Nathan’s life.

You get caught up in your ungodly long morning routine. Breakfast and tea with your mom as you read from her favorite poetry book, picking your sisters’ lunches, showering. Pressing your sisters’ uniforms. Making sure your mother has everything she needs before the time gap it takes for the nurse to arrive. Writing out a to do list for when you get home and setting out your comfortable clothing. Once everything’s set you change out of your robe and into your work clothes. You’re spending too much time in front of the mirror, fidgeting and analyzing yourself. There’s no need to look perfect, it’s just Nathan. Mr. Bateman, you should call him even in your head for separation.

“You look extra pretty today,” Your youngest sister, Emma, mumbles sleepily from her place in your bed.

You smooth out your skirt for the millionth time, looking over your shoulder at her, “Yeah, you think so Em?”

She yawns, raising a fist to rub at her eye. “You did your hair all nice and you’re wearing a skirt.”

“I wear skirts all the time,” You reason with her (and maybe a little with yourself).

“Not the pretty one.”

You cross the room, leaning in to tickle her, “Hey— are you saying all my other skirts are ugly?”

Emma bursts into a fit of giggles, doing her best to twist away from you. “Stop it,” She wheezes.

“Take it back and I’ll stop,” You reason with her, unable to stop your own laughter.

“I’m sorry, I take it back,” She whines, thrashing playfully beneath you.

“You’re safe for now, little one. Do you want me to make you some oatmeal before I go?”

“Can you eat it with me?” Emma asks, hopeful.

“No, honey, I’ve got to go. But, I’ll be home early tonight. We can watch a movie, how does that sound.”

Emma’s quiet for a few moments, obviously disappointed but then she nods, and cracks a sad smile. You lean in to kiss her forehead, hugging her close.

“Go brush your teeth and I’ll make your breakfast.”

“Do you think sister wants to eat with me?”

It takes effort for you not to cringe. Of course Emma wants to spend time with her other sister, but it seems like Phil is in her fuck any and everyone phase. You’ll try to get through to her though, if not for her own sake, then for Emma’s. A 7 year old shouldn't be spending so much time alone, not when some of her family is right here.

“I’ll ask her. If not, you can go sit with momma, alright?”

“Okay.”

“Okay, little, up up. To the bathroom you go.”

You both stand, and you take her hand, dropping her off at the bathroom on your way to Phil’s room. To your surprise, the girl is already on up and on her phone when you crack the door.

She frowns, letting out a little sigh. “What?”

“Emma wants you to have breakfast with her.”

Phil rolls her eyes, not bothering to look over at you, “I’m not hungry.”

“Phillipa, you should eat. And you should always be excited to spend time with your sister.”

“She’s whiny.”

You cross the room, coming to sit beside her on the bed, “So are you.”

“Yeah and I have reason to be,” She murmurs defiantly.

“And she doesn’t?”

She grows quiet then, her thumb that had been continuously scrolling stopping in its tracks.

“Even if you don’t eat, could you just sit with her?” You ask, knowing that her shell has cracked a little.

“Fine, whatever,” She breathes.

“I’m making her a yogurt bowl. Do you want one?”

“No,” She says quickly, trying to feign uninterest. “Unless we have chocolate chips.”

“We have chocolate chips. And marshmallow fluff.”

“Then I guess I’ll have one.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave some money so you can get one of those fancy coffees from the place near your school. Will you pick a movie for us to watch today?”

“You’re coming home?”

“I should be here by 6…7 at the latest.”

“Oh. Okay,” She says, feigning disinterest.

“That’s all I get? An oh okay? Maybe I should tell Mr. Bateman I can work late.”

“No! You’re never home, c’mon don’t do that.”

“I’m excited to hang out with you too,” You say teasingly, leaning over to rest your head on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she lets you stay there.

“Can I make brownies?”

“As long as you let Emma help.”

“Of course I’ll let her help.”

“You have to be patient with her,” You remind her gently.

“I know, I know. Like you were with me,” She whispers thoughtfully. Sometimes you don’t think you give her enough credit.

“I love you Phillipa. You’re her big sister you know? I’m gone so much trying to make everything work here. She’s looking up to you. She thinks you’re the coolest person in the world.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

“Can I make her yogurt bowl and you make mine?”

“Sure, sweet girl. Let’s go.”

—

Nathan has never described himself as antsy. Impatient maybe, against delayed gratification sure. Antsy brings a connotation he’s not used to— nerves, a power struggle he’s on the losing side of, and lack of confidence. And while all of that feels true right now he still doesn’t want to admit it. He’s sitting at his desk, waiting for you to get in. His brow is sweaty because he’s been pacing back and forth, changing his mind about where he should be.

Eager to see you, he’d started in your office which is based in one of his many labs. It only took 10 minutes of him pacing in there to think that he was coming on too strong. It led him to the living room, but after sitting for a few minutes lounging at 6:30 in the morning when you were clocking in felt like it would be a slap in the face. He tried the patio, the kitchen, and eventually ended up back in his office.

He’d felt a little good about himself, the fact that he was thinking about this in a way that doesn’t just involve him and his desires. It was one of the reasons he’d realized what was happening to him. He’s doing his best at balancing his protective shell and showing you what he could be. What the two of you could be together.

Nathan loses his breath when you first come up on the camera, walking into your office. He’s always thought you were beautiful but today it seems like you tried to be. That could be his wishful thinking. Either way, he can’t take his eyes off you. You’re wearing a skirt he’s never seen before. A little shorter, a little pleated. It has his mind wandering off to places it shouldn’t, but it’s not like it hasn’t before. He can’t wait to get in the shower long after you left, and imagine what it would feel like to slip you out of it.

He stares…and stares…and stares until he realizes that an hour and half has gone by and he’s done nothing but give himself blue balls while watching you type away on your computer. Fuck, he’s completely at your mercy.

He pings you. Maybe that’ll make it worse, having you right in front of him like this. But, he needs to see you to scratch whatever itch this is in him today. There’s work too, a few things he needs to give to you to file away or mail out.

“Good morning, Mr. Bateman.”

He usually likes it when you call him that— especially when he’s imagining you say it while he runs his hands all over your body, all dirty and forbidden. Today is different. Something about it makes him shift uncomfortably in his seat. With dinner today, his first real shot at trying to know you as something other than his employee. As an outsider like everyone else.

“Would it kill you to call me Nathan?” He asks, raising a brow though his mouth is a little pouty.

It takes everything in you not to laugh. He looks ridiculous when he’s disgruntled. “That would be unprofessional, sir. Are those for me?”

“Yeah, they’re for you. We still on for dinner?”

The words make your stomach flip. Not because you don’t want to, but because you do. Because words like that aren’t supposed to come out of your boss’ mouth. They’re too casual, too much like the one’s men you used to swipe through on your phone said.

“Yes, I’m still able to have dinner with you, sir. Am I able to leave early?” You ask, reaching for the stack of files.

“You can leave whenever you want.”

Your mouth pulls up into a half-smile, and you nod. “Thank you, Mr. Bateman.”

Nathan leaves you be for the rest of the day. He doesn’t want to come on too strong, or be too clingy, something he’s never worried about before. He spends most of the day with the chef, yelling at him that he’s making everything all wrong— too salty or sweet or slimy or acidic— until it’s perfect. He needs it to be perfect. And once it is, he appears in the doorway of the lab your office is in, calling out to you in an uncharacteristically soft manner.

You inhale softly as you two make your way to the kitchen, the smell of familiar herbs and spices in the air. “Italian?”

“Compiled some data— this seemed like the smartest choice.”

“Compiled some data? On me?”

“I compile data on everyone. I need to learn.”

“What could you possibly have to learn about me?”

“Everything. You’re really fucking secretive.”

“I’m not secretive, I’m private,” You reason.

Nathan snorts, looking at you with an expression of disbelief, “You have to realize that those things are the same.”

“They’re not,” You counter before thinking better of it.

This is why you were quiet and avoided him as much as possible— Philippa isn’t the only one in your family with a streak of defiance. Denying authority runs in your blood, it has taken you years to quell it.

“They are if somebody’s trying to get to know you.”

“And that’s what you’re doing, Mr. Bateman? Trying to get to know me?”

He shrugs, feeling a little too unsettled— a little too nervous to reveal his intentions so early on.

“What did you learn with this data you compiled on me?”

“That you like noodle dishes of all kinds, but preferably Italian. And chocolate.”

There are two places settings sat at the corner of the table, a few bowls of various pastas, salads and breads. Dinner is surprisingly calm. He asks you simple, noninvasive questions about your past. He knows where you went to school and what past jobs you’ve had, but he asks you how you felt about them, if you made friends. He asks for your favorite movies and bands, supplying his own when you ask the same questions. It’s the most benign conversation you’ve ever had with him and it feels…good.

He surprises you when he says, “This. Again. Maybe next week?”

Your mouth goes flat with confusion, “You want to have dinner with me again, sir?”

“Nathan,” He suggests, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

You stare at him for a moment, eyes narrowing. “If this is some sort of joke, I don’t appreciate it, Nathan.”

Sweet, sweet music to his ears. Even with the attitude in your voice, Nathan drinks in every drop of his name on your tongue. In fact, he thinks the edge makes it better— it makes his blood hot. It makes him want you.

He leans closer, peering at you from over his glasses. “I’m an asshole and a clown, a shitty combination but what I’m not is an idiot, sweetheart. I wouldn’t joke about this,” His face is earnest as he speaks.

But, what does that even mean when it comes to him? You’re not completely sure. What’s worse is that you don’t know if your stomach is flipping at the idea of him telling the truth or disappointment that he may not be. The latter is what scares you most. When did you start to care about him like that?

“You— are you— you’re— you want to date me?”

Nathan bites his tongue for several seconds. He can’t say that he wants to do more than date you. He wants to consume you, to worship you, to spread you across this table and drink from between your legs until you whine and beg him for mercy. He can’t do any of that— not yet at least.

He settles for, “Yes.”

With his affirmative response, with nowhere to hide you look down at your empty plate, trying to process what’s happening. If this is true and he wants to date you, was this your first date? First dates are consensual, and while you had agreed to this dinner with him you hadn’t even been aware of your feelings at the time. Surely you couldn’t date your boss. It’s the total opposite of what you’d been trying to do— keep a low radar and be as competent and professional as possible to keep your family on the right path. You wouldn't jeopardize that for the hot, broad, bearded man sitting in front of you, even if he was looking at you with those gooey brown eyes. How long had you pretended you didn’t see him? How wide he is, how his shirts cling to his shoulders and chest, how sometimes when he comes straight to the lab after boxing his pheromones have you wanting to rut against him like an animal in heat.

You inhale a sharp breath, horrified and surprised by the thoughts racing through your head. It’s like he had unlocked a vault of vulgarities.

Finally, you look at him, apologetic, “Nathan…I can’t. I can’t do something that.”

Nathan notices right away that you didn’t deny feeling anything, and for now that’s enough. It’s an in. And if he’s not mistaken he hears a breathiness in your tone, hunger in your eyes.

“Why?”

“You’re my boss,” You say simply. It seems rather straightforward but Nathan frowns at you in confusion. For a man with such a big brain he could miss the mark sometimes. It would be endearing if it didn’t drive you a little nuts. Okay, maybe it’s both.

“What’s that gotta do with anything?”

“If it went poorly—“

“You think I would fire you over my ego?”

“Quite frankly, yes. I’ve seen how you treat people.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” He insists firmly. He knows it’s true, he just had to convince you.

“How would you know?”

“Because I know.”

“And if I say that’s not good enough? My entire family is dependent on me. On the money I make. I can’t and won’t put that at risk.”

Nathan scoffs, “There is no risk. I’m sure.”

“What if I’m not sure?”

“What’s that gotta do with how I feel?”

“Everything.”

“Nothing. It’s got nothing to do with how I feel, wanna know why? Because I put my ass on the line asking you here, not knowing how the fuck you feel about me. You’re the most elusive, sweet, competent…fucking arousing woman I’ve ever met. I’m spoken for.”

“Prove it,” You challenge.

This time he’s sure. He can hear how winded you sound and he knows that he’s affecting you. He wants to clear the table, crawl across and fuck you until neither of you can think. He’s getting ahead of himself.

“Prove it?”

“A trial of you showing me that all of what you said is true. We can spend more time together, but no commitments, and if it doesn’t work out I keep my job.”

“You sure? You’re gonna fall in love with me,” He warns, his grin mischievous.

“And you’re gonna have to work for it. Have you ever had to court a woman, Mr. Bateman?”

“No, sounds like I’ve got a lot of research to do. I’m a fast learner.”

“That you are.”

“Do you want to know your choices for dessert?”

“There’s choices?”

“Four.”

You grow thoughtful for a moment, before saying, “All of them. Bring me all of them.”

He can’t help the smile that spreads across his face— if he wasn’t in love with you already he is now. You allow yourself to look at him, to really look at him. And like this, his teeth white and shiny, eyes crinkled in the corners, warm brown eyes he looks sweet. Lovable. Like he could one day be yours. You won’t get your hopes up, not yet.

—

Nathan walks you to your car. It’s strange, much sweeter than you anticipating him being, but you did tell he had to work for it. You unlock the car with your remote and he gets your door. He ushers you in. He takes your hand and kisses it, his full beard tickling your skin in a way that makes your thoughts go hot and filthy.

“Drive safe for fucks sake.”

“Aren’t you a charmer?” You murmur in that soft little voice.

Nathan raises a brow at you as he leans against the car. “Are you sassing your boss?”

“No. I’m sassing the man that claims he wants to pursue me.”

“I hate to break it to you, but those are the same man, sweetheart,” He teases with a grin.

“Not if he’s gonna get it together, and prove it.”

“Touché. Let me know when you get home?”

“Keeping tabs on me already?”

“I— I always wonder,” He admits softly, and as you peer at him, you notice a soft flush in his cheeks.

He’s going to be the death of you, isn’t he? Getting all soft and sweet and flustered. You want to grab him by the collar and kiss him until his chest heaves with arousal and he cums in his pants. Instead you say: “I’ll let you know.”

“Good,” He takes a step away from the car, trying his best not to show how pleased he is with your agreement.

He feels like a walking raw nerve. You hold his future in your hands— his happiness, his sanity. It’s unhealthy and scary, how much control you have over him. But this time, he knows that the person is worthy. You’re worth any pain you could cause him, and that’s solidified by the way you grin up at him. It’s the brightest thing he’s ever seen. You looking at him like this, your saccharine smile, eyes full of mirth has his brain liquifying.

He grits his teeth at the way you’ve turned him into some Shakespearean loser. He could wax day in and day out about you. Write lines upon lines of code that would program nothing but his feelings for you. It’s stupidly perfect. He wants this with no one else. There is just you. Part of him is convinced that it’s always been you. He’s been on trajectory, making his way to you with every single decision. Fuck Bluebook. Fuck robots and their fake brains and gangly synthetic limbs. Fuck his data. Fuck all of his accomplishments. There’s just you.

“See you tomorrow, Nathan.”

nathan taglist: @missdictatorme, @hon3yboy, @runa-falls, @campingwiththecharmings, @toracainz, @steven-grants-world, @clemdango04, @jdbxws, @crispysublimecupcake, @sub-aro, @faretheeoscar, @cupidysm, @whentheskyispinkandabitblue, @nova-ivy541, @sparkypantelones, @veritable-trash, @mangoslushcrush, @thhriller, @kotaropuppy, @tenderhornynihilist

#nathan bateman x reader #nathan bateman x f!reader #nathan bateman x fem!reader #nathan bateman #nathan bateman fanfiction #ex machina fanfiction #arson writes #in plain sight #not sfw

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perpetuelledaydreaming · 9 months

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Ivy | chapter twelve

listen to: Jessie’s girl - Rick Springfield | Un Coco - Bad Bunny(playlist here)

warning: violence, blood.

word count: 1.5k

series masterlist + read the next chapter early on my ko-fii!!

Carole Bradshaw would have never said that her son had anger issues. She wouldn't admit it. Bradley was sweet as honey and caring as Goose; he was nothing but kind.

But two things can be true at the same time.

When Goose was still alive, there wasn't a school report that said otherwise. Bradley always played nice with other kids, Bradley always made friends wherever he went, and Bradley wasn't shy or rude to other people. After Goose passed, though, things started to look less shiny.

Bradley got into certain fights. Sure, it might be because someone was picking at a smaller kid, and Bradley acted out to defend him. Carole was never mad over that; she fiercely fought teachers and principals that said she should be upset and that Bradley should be sent to therapy. She knew her son. She knew how he truly acted. He was soft with her; he took care of her. He was more mature than any other kid. He wasn't a bully, he didn't have problems, he was fine.

Then, one day, Bradley broke a kid's nose. He was only ten.

He didn't mean to. He just got so angry when the kid said that Bradley wasn't allowed to celebrate Father's Day since he didn't have a father. He got to therapy afterward, and even later in life, when his mom passed away, he still went for a little while. He had recently returned after your break-up when he had made a hole in the wall almost as big as your head.

It was strange, the things he could recall now that he drove over the speed limit to the base. Dozen memories flying by.

He remembers his mother crying until she falls asleep. He remembers how his father played the piano as he sang. He remembers how your lips tasted the first time you kissed. He remembers his mother stroking his hair as she sobbed silently. He remembers that night in the bar when you walked away after Jake left. He could remember the feeling of his knuckles beating after he broke that kid's nose when he was ten. He remembers your broken moans. He remembers how you cried the night you left him. He remembers the way you laughed with Hangman that day after a dogfight. He remembers how when you disappeared, so did Jake. He recalls the way you were crying in the shower. He remembers how his knuckles beat when he punched the wall next to his face.

He now could only listen to his heartbeat, the way it was thundering. It was all he heard. He walked passed the hallways of the base without really feeling he was there. It was as if time had gone still around him. Only his breathing and his heartbeat. His memories. He entered the hangar as if he was a ghost.

And suddenly, he felt like he had taken his first breath as his amber eyes fell on Jake.

It breaks. It suddenly all breaks. Everything with you it's cursed; it is poisoned. There's no way things can be like before because Jake took it away. He took you away from him. Bradley's heart raced, each beat thudding in his chest like a war drum as his feet began to move toward Jake. A torrent of pain overwhelmed him, his veins twisting like a tempest as he walked toward Jake. He knew what he was going to do, not because of a conscious decision -no- but as he felt the tendons of his knuckles straining against the force he exerted on them.

The weight of his fists, as if the weight of the world, had transferred into his hands. With furrowed brows and eyes burning with intensity, Bradley approached Jake.

Jake barely had time to register Bradley; neither Coyote nor Payback honestly knew what Bradley was doing; he seemed okay. They didn't quite understand it. How Bradley pulled Jake by his right shoulder, Jake didn't even get it. His brows furrowed quickly before the first blow landed. A jarring crack filled the space between them, reverberating through their bones. The same pain Rooster had felt before shot through his hand, vibrating up his arm.

Jake fell on the floor, the metallic tang of blood flooding his senses. He held his nose and then gazed back down at it, blood. He barely had time to wipe it off before Rooster was leaning down to continue, but before he could, Payback and Coyote were suddenly trying to hold him. Jake watched Bradley for a moment, the way Bradley's eyes had turned darker, the way his cheeks and neck were red, the sheer hatred in the way he was looking at him.

"HOW FUCKING DARED YOU!?" he screamed at Jake as he struggled with Coyote and Payback.

He knew.

Jake could be better and walk out of there, especially now with Phoenix, Bob, and Fanboy entering the room with concerned expressions. But Jake had had enough. He'd longed for you so much time, and he knew that you longed for him too. If you weren't together, it was because of Rooster, because you were still grieving his relationship with him, and he still loved you. If Rooster had stopped thinking that you owed him something, you would've stopped believing that. Jake wouldn't have had to live from moments when he had to steal.

You could've been together if it weren't for him.

"You are so blind, aren't you?" Jake chuckled, blood running down his face. Coyote and Payback turned to him wide-eyed, and Rooster stopped moving for a second as he glared at Jake.

Everything stopped for a moment, the desperate dance of Rooster on Coyote's and Payback's arms. Phoenix, Bob, and Fanboy stared at them, confused.

"She wasn't happy with you, Bradshaw," Jake breathed out as he sniffled the blood on his nose. "She was happy with me,"

The silence was deafening as it dawned on everyone present in the room what they were both talking about. Jake's sea-foam eyes held Rooster's amber eyes.

And then Rooster slipped away from Coyote's and Payback's hands.

"You son of a bitch!"

Jake fought back, his fist cracking against Rooster's jaw, carrying all the anger he had held for months, Rooster tried to strike back, but Jake held his wrist as he gave another swing, his knuckles red after he finished. Grunts and groans accompanied the thuds of flesh connecting with flesh, the sound of the people that surrounded them trying to stop them, and the echo of their thuds ricocheting through the hangar.

In the midst of it, time seemed to slow down. Jake could see the beads of sweat trickling down Rooster's forehead, mingling with the blood of his busted lip. Rooster could feel the blood of Jake in his knuckles, how it tainted them. Jake could remember the first time that he kissed you. Another punch. Rooster could still see those dog tags in his hands. Another swing. Both of them knew better, and yet they continued. The room became a blur of faces, colors, screams, and tugs of people trying to get them away. Pain merged into the chaotic symphony of the hangar.

And then, Jake almost crashed into the floor.

It was a split second. Rooster didn't mean it, one final, desperate lunge. He almost managed to collide his intertwined fist against Jake's already bloody nose. Instead, his elbow collided with something else.

"Fuck!" you cried as you landed on the floor, holding your nose.

Both men snapped their heads toward you. The adrenaline suddenly began to ebb, leaving behind aching muscles and battered bodies and concern as they watched you on the floor, blood dripping from your jaw as you watched them. Silence enveloped the room as the two men watched you lay there, panting and bruised, the remnants of their anger scattered around them. Blood dripped from their split lips and busted noses, mingling on the concrete floor of the hanger.

Jake was the first to lean down while Natasha and Fanboy were already helping you stand up. He didn't say anything, though; he just held your face, examining your nose until he was sure it wasn't broken. His eyes met with yours, and you could feel it, the weight of the heartache and shattered dreams.

Rooster stepped up after Jake gave a step back; Coyote quickly held his friend and walked him towards a chair, leaving the two of you behind. With tears in his eyes, Rooster glanced at your nose. Guilt tighten his throat, anger seething from his eyes. You could feel it. Quickly you shook your head and took his hand.

"It's not your fault," you whispered to him. "I'm so sorry,"

He didn't manage to say anything. Instead, he looked back at Jake for a moment. They locked eyes, their shared pain etching lines of understanding on their faces.

And then, Admiral Simpson came in.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?

an: sorry for making you wait so long!! I was super sick in June which left me with little energy to do anything if I was honest and all throughout July, I have been working on moving to DC! Thank you so much for waiting! I hope you enjoy this short chapter! Next one is bigger, I promise.

Taglist: @laracrofted @double-j @inky-sun @alanadetigy @teenwolf01 @beebslebobs @materialgirl01 @daisyhollyxox@piceous21@elicheel @supernaturaldawning @midnightdevotion @hangrymama @ashann7 @maverick-wingman @snap-crackle-and-pop-blog @ebonyhogan24 @teddyluvs2sing @happypopcornprincess @untoldshortsofthefandoms @xxshea-barnesxx @sweetheart-im-the-boss @je-suis-prest-rachel @bregarc @imagineteller1 @abaker74 @lilylilyyyyyy @nemtodd-barnes1923 @loveless-simp @fucktthisworld @deliciouslydisturbed365 @laluneveillesesureux @emma8895eb @tandefeaffe @potato-girl99981 @jstarr86 @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @mirrorball-6 @grxcisxhy-wp @that-one-random-writer @dempy @zbeez-outlet @djs8891

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mosneakers · 5 months

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Coraleye: [voice quivering, barely audible] I... I don't understand? How did this happen? I called out for your mom, Morgyn, not my great-grandmother...

Morgyn: When we open the doors, we don't always have control over who enters them...

Coraleye makes a feeble attempt to clear her throat. Coraleye: Grandma Agnes? Agnes Darling? Is that really you?

Agnes: Why of course, my dear, who else? I apologize for intruding, but I just couldn't help myself. Come darling, I'd like to take you with me for a short while. Share some stories with you, first hand.

Morgyn: I believe she's inviting you to astral-project with her.

Coraleye: [Eyes light up] Really? Oh! But...Rosemary... Morgyn: Darling, that can wait. It's the afterlife, afterall. She isn't going anywhere anytime soon. [Chuckles] Tycho: [Hesitant sigh] Morgyn's right. This isn't an everyday opportunity. You should go. We'll be right here, patiently waiting for your return. Coraleye smiles lovingly at Tycho and turns to Morgyn.

Coraleye: Do... do you really think it's safe, though?

Morgyn: I do. But if anything goes wrong, you know the spell. Just call for me and I'm there.

Tycho gently steals Coraleye away from Morgyn's reassuring gaze and kisses her deeply. Tycho: We're there.

Morgyn: [Chuckles] Yes, I'll be sure to bring him along too. Now hurry, you don't want to keep her waiting.

Coraleye scurries over to the specter, her arms stretched wide, awaiting her hands. Agnes: [Doting lovingly] Oh, let me get a good look at you! My goodness, look at those eyes! Little Coraleye Tempest Rose Darling. My heir... isn't that right? Coraleye: [Beaming proudly] Yes!

Agnes: Wonderful! You've blossomed into a radiant young woman, my darling. Your great-grandfather Eric and I have been watching over you, fondly. [Cheekily] You've had quite the journey, love.

Tycho anxiously watches Coraleye interacting with the spirit of her great-grandmother.

Morgyn: Hey... [Nudges Tycho with elbow, whispering] What are you worrying about? This is all part of the craft for a proficient spellcaster like her. Everything's going to be fine, okay?

Agnes: [Peeks around behind Coraleye] I promise I'll keep her safe! If you both don't mind, I'd like to show my granddaughter a small window into her family history, what life was like in my day. [Sparkling smile]

Coraleye's eyes begin to glow, and she blows a heartfelt kiss to the others as she and Agnes fade away completely.

Tycho: What just happened, Morgyn? Why did she just disappear like that? I thought astral-projection involved traveling outside of the physical body... Morgyn: Just relax, okay? The rules of spellcraft in this realm don't always operate the same way they do on the outside.

Tycho: Well, what are we supposed to do while we wait for her to get back? Morgyn: [Shrugs] I don't know; I guess we could hold our breath? [Grin]

#we're gettin a TRUE crossover 😁#ts4 #MD4season10 #MD4 #Coraleye Darling #Tycho Curious #RealmOfMagicGetaway #Morgyn Ember #Agnes Darling #Many Moons Ago #Many Moons Ago: Gen 1 #MMA Gen 1: Ch. 16

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thevagabondexpress · 2 months

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diagnosing the last hours characters with modern music tastes

Cordelia: I feel like she'd have two modes. The first would be soft, upbeat, folk and country but also piano-based stuff, anything major key and with big sound. Caroline Jones, Ruth B., Noah Kahan. I also thing she'd really like Shakira. That's her kind of day-to-day music, it's what she puts on in the car, around the house, when going for a jog, etc. But she also has a collection of women rap artists of the Megan and OSHUN variety which is what she puts on when she's doing hard workouts/training.

James: I agree that he'd be emo but I don't think he'd actually listen to a lot of "traditional canon" emo music. I think he'd find it too loud and intense in the wrong way. I think he'd prefer shoegaze, a la Radiohead, and bands like Five Three Eyes that are fast but fuzzed out. Generally anything with softer mastering where it sounds great at a lower volume.

Matthew: He'd love disco and neuvo-disco/retro-rock. Gloria Gaynor, Suzanne Somers, MonaLisa Twins, the Lemon Twigs. It's fun and silly and also empowering, besides which I think he'd like the fashion and the sparkle of it all. On his bad days, though, when the depression and/or ptsd and/or temptation to return to the addiction hits hard, what used to be his heavy drinking days, I think he'd fall back on an artist like P!NK or Florence + the Machine. Someone who can speak to the truth of the lowest lows of where he's been and remind him that he doesn't have to go back there, that there are other choices, things to live for. That, with time and effort, it does get better.

Thomas: He dug up the local college student indie rock station and he listens to it religiously. It's a habit he picked up in Madrid, he wanted to listen to Spanish music but didn't know where to look/how to search for it so he acquainted himself with radio and just flipped stations until he found something with a sound he liked. When asked to pick songs individually/curate his own music I think he'd end up falling back on his dad's taste in music: Eric Clapton, Bruce Cockburn, the Stones.

Alastair: I feel like Alastair would have unarguably the vastest taste in music of the lot of them, but also that it would generally run to music from well before his time. His mom has vinyls and cassette tapes from Iran before the Revolution and he's dubbed CDs and MP4's of them so he has his own copies and isn't stealing her. He enjoys listener-supported classical music radio, and also newer instrumental of the Haygood Hardy variety. He likes soft jazz and blues, Mahalia Jackson, Mama Thornton. He would ADORE Nina Simone. I think if I had to give a taste in music from after 1970, I'd say he also probably likes artists like Tracy Chapman and Mint Green that speak to a similar lived experience to his own.

Christopher: On one hand, I don't think he really cares that much about music. On the other hand, I think he would be the type to unapologetically listen to high school concert band music. He got hold of Robert W. Smith's storms series (Into the Storm, The Tempest, The Maelstrom), realized there's a crap ton of pieces in this genre that are Inspired By Science, and now every time Matthew comes down to the basement laboratory he ends up lodging a complaint about the sheer amount of French horn.

Grace: Living with Tatiana I don't think she was really allowed much if any access to music but I imagine she found ways around that anyhow. I think she's the other person who would really enjoy Florence + the Machine. I think most of her music would be older, melancholy women folk singers. Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Claudia Schmidt, the McGarrigle Sisters. I think she'd find them soothing. They'd help her calm down when things get difficult, help her to find beauty in a world that's caused her mostly pain. I think her favorite artist would be Lenka. She's got this kind of upbeat, slightly silly vibe that would make Grace smile but I also think she'd find that songs like "Silhouette" and "Ivory Tower" could speak to her truth when she needs someone to, without getting too deep in and triggering her.

Lucie: She listens to Kpop and movie soundtracks. Also if it's appeared in one of those "badass women" edits over on youtube 100% she has it on her playlist or did at some point.

Jesse: Like Grace, he didn't really have access to music living with Tatiana. Also he was dead for like almost a decade so there's that. He probably mostly listens to whatever Lucie listens to, but I like to think he does experiments like picking a new genre/radio station to listen to every day, trying to figure out what he likes and doesn't like independently of his girlfriend.

Anna: idk. She strikes me as someone who'd like Siouxsie and the Banshees. Also Halsey and Hozier. Maybe bands like Linkin Park and Evanescence—she doesn't say it because she doesn't like being dissed for listening to "old cringe emo" but they got her through gender dysphoria when she was twelve so she knows there's some worth in them.

Charles: He really doesn't listen to music. He listens to NPR or Radio Canada or the British equivalent because it makes him feel up-to-date and liberal but he doesn't actually hear the content, it just goes in one ear and out the other.

@alastairstom @chaosandtwo

#the last hours #cordelia carstairs #james herondale #matthew fairchild #thomas lightwood #alastair carstairs #christopher lightwood #grace blackthorn #lucie herondale #jesse blackthorn #anna lightwood #charles fairchild #i didn't include ari because i don't feel like i know her well enough to say

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eslanes · 1 year

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ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ ᴄᴀꜱ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ

(thanks @faerie-tempest)

Okay I went a bit wild and did the whole challenge for Devon's family. This was really fun and I highly encourage doing this one!

(See below the cut for who's-who!)

Devon Grace (the influencer + cousin who's getting married) - The reality star, social media influencer and adult entertainer we all know and love! She's also getting married to her new boo, unbeknownst to him.

Stavros Pantazis (the new bae) - Literally new new, they met less than a sim-week ago and are now expecting a little terror of their own. No one will bother remembering his name and Grandma keeps calling him "Vlad".

Briar Rose Grace (the quiet judgmental youngin') - Devon's daughter. What can i say, she's a saucy little shit lol.

Brianna Grace (the competitive sibling) - Devon's younger sister and a bit of a brat in her own right.

Mary-Jacqueline Grace (the instigator) - Devon and Brianna's mother. She's a chainsmoking, hard-drinking hot mess of a broad. She's been known to get into fist-fights with grown men (and win, of course).

Catherine Grace-De la Roca (the cool aunt) - Mary-Jacqueline's twin sister and the only reason Devon and Brianna turned out half-sensible. Art teacher and travel enthusiast.

Rodrigo De la Roca (the world's most interesting uncle) - Catherine's husband and walking encyclopedia of weird and random knowledge. Has some kind of bizarre story for every occasion. Don't ask him to tell the thumb story.

Gabi De la Roca (the holier-than-thou student) - Teenage terror with brains to burn. She's banking on a full scholarship to Britechester to get away from her unhinged family.

Enid Grace (the family recipe gatekeeper) - The matriarch of the Grace family. Rules the kitchen with an iron fist. Whatever you do, don't ask for her rhubarb pie recipe.

Tony Grace (the overly-supportive grandparent) - Enid's husband and family patriarch. Wanna join the circus? Drop out of college? Kill someone? Grandpa's got your back (and probably the shovel).

Ronnie Grace (the bitcoin uncle) - Tech nerd and the lamest guy you will ever meet. Somehow his family hasn't left him for his constant rants about blockchains. May or may not have lost half his savings from investing in Llamacoin. Mary-Jacqueline and Catherine's younger brother.

Keisha Grace (the nosy relative) - Somehow still married to Ronnie (but doesn't know about the Llamacoin yet). Actually loves family gatherings because she gets all the dirt to gossip about with her friends later.

Niko Grace (the peacemaker) - Ronnie's son from his first marriage, at 31 he's still "finding himself" (ie: unemployed musician living in his parents' basement). You can probably find him outside of a family gathering trying to push weed on his younger cousins.

Grayson Grace (the golden child) - It's really not hard to be the golden boy when your older brother sells weed to children.

Tabitha Loveless (the passive-aggressive auntie) - A widower, Tony's older sister and Devon's great-aunt. Tabitha may or may not have flown to the gathering on her broom.

Karen Loveless (the live-laugh-love mom) - Tabitha's daughter. Cheerful to a fault, but please don't ruffle her couch cushions or you will face the wrath of God. Has been in a 17-year old standoff with Aunt Enid over that goddamn pie recipe.

Eddie and Jason Loveless (the d.i.n.k.w.a.d's) - Karen's son and son-in-law. They just got back from a cruise and can't wait to tell you all about it. They're really living their double-income-no-kids-with-a-dog life to the fullest. They considered leaving because their precious pooch, Tangerine, was not given her own place setting.

Kurt Loveless and Monica Song (the anxious new parents) - Eddie's twin brother and his fiancée. Just welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Chevron Fritz Loveless. Baby Chevron is so special that he spends 18.5 of 24 hours a day screaming his sweet little head off. If it weren't for his mother Karen, Eddie is convinced he would kill his twin brother and take over his life. Monica showed up to the reunion with baby shit on her shirt and is unfazed.

Kelly Loveless-Strong (the wino soccer mom) - Tabitha's other daughter and Karen's younger sister. She's convinced her precious boy is going to make it to the World Cup (that is if he can get tf off of Twitch). Fun fact: there's definitely wine in that coffee cup. Is 100% likely to get into a table-dancing contest with cousin Mary-Jaqueline later.

Colby Strong (the 'other' influencer) - The family still doesn't undertand how Colby got famous for playing videogames but they are all so proud anyhow, even if he is pissing away his opportunity at being a world-class athlete. Most definitely out back smoking weed with cousin Niko.

#the sims 4 #ts4 #SimsFamilyReunion #sims 4 challenge #i will now be passing away

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lunarblazes · 1 year

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my only solace coming out of the rebroadcast of episode 51 was that good god bell’s hells are still bell’s hells. like yes the champion of ravens is a fucking orb and yes the voice of the tempest was beat to shit and yes imogen’s mom is fully evil and yes beau and caleb were thrown at the feet of their mortal enemy and forced to watch him succeed but throughout all of that bell’s hells were just… loose. nobody bothered restraining them or seriously dealing with them. they dropped a ship on ludinus’ head and killed a bunch of the vanguard and call members. ashton and laudna blew up another portion of the key while they were left unchecked by ludinus’ arrogant monologue slash powerpoint presentation. orym literally just became spiderman and ripped into otohan’s magic pack thing. fearne had her monkey shit into a gun and fire it at otohan. chetney literally tried to fucking twilight-style spidermonkey ludinus’ ass. fcg freed themself from the inside of the warder and nearly dispelled caleb’s restraints. imogen almost won her mother back over. like with just SLIGHTLY HIGHER ROLLS bell’s hells could have been the piece of the puzzle that toppled the entire plan because ludinus didn’t take their asses seriously. also they shot otohan with monkey shit did i mention that that was the funniest thing ever

#cr #cr3 #cr spoilers #cr3 spoilers #cr3 e51 #critical role #critical role spoilers #trying so hard to make sure i don’t spoil anyone who cares #but like. GOD i love bell’s hells #they were thrown into a situation that was so over their heads #and they still tried so hard to make it work #and they got so close #and even then they did some real ass damage #just by being underestimated and allowed to continue to roam #the closest they got to being actually restrained was liliana nearly tearing orym apart #but other than that ludinus just kept fucking monologuing because his arrogant ass didn’t see a threat worth dealing with #anyways. i love these freaks

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acharliek · 2 months

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People seemed to enjoy my vaxleth family piece so I'm taking this as an opportunity to infodump a little 😭

This is Evelyn/Evie, the older one of their two kids and she looks a lot like Vilya, Keyleths mom! (her original design not the one from the animated show)

She's a druid like keyleth and pretty high energy, rambunctious and loud

There's also Will, their younger son (yes, named after big moon Will). He's about 4 years younger than Evie and more on the quiet side.

I haven't really gotten around to doing more art of him 😭 but I love him conceptually. In my head, he would join the Tempest Guard or something similar so I intentionally based his armour off of Oryms, though I tried to make it a bit more distinctly AIR ashari.

Btw yes all this takes place in canon universe because I am delusional and think that bells hells will somehow save Vax and he'll get to live his happy dad life in zephrah after all.

#critical role #criticalrole fanart #the legend of vox machina #vox machina #vox machina art #critical role vax #vaxildan #keyleth #keyleth cr #keyleth vox machina #vax and keyleth #vaxleth #vaxleth cr #art #drawing #fanart

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blue-slxt · 10 months

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It Was Supposed To Be Us - Chapter 2

A/N: I'm a little new to writing angst so forgive me if it's not perfect yet, but I still hope you guys enjoy it. More to come in the later chapters. All characters are aged up.

Previous Part | Next Part

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Warnings: Making out, Alcohol, Intoxication, Angst (?), Mentions of Battles and Scars, I think that's it

Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: The whole clan prepares to celebrate the return of the Sully family and you struggle to come to grips with the plan your parents have for your life.

Helping your mother prepare dinner, you can’t help the smile that has been permanently plastered on your face. You finally feel complete again. The sun is brighter, the sky is bluer, and the colors of the forest are more vibrant. Your mom can see the goofy look on your face from the corner of her eye.

“You certainly seem to be in a better mood today.”

“Should I not be in a good mood? Today is a very special day. The Sully family has returned.” You say continuing to chop the vegetables.

Your mother presses her lips into a tight line, “You mean Neteyam has returned?”

Your smile grows a little wider. “Yes, he is a part of the family.” You try to not let your obvious joy show too much.

Your mother sighs deeply to herself and stops what she’s doing to turn towards you. “Ma’ite, I know that you are happy to see him again and he was a good friend to you, but that was so long ago now. You were children and now you are promised to another.” “Which was not my choice. I have already made my choice”, there is a tone of finality engraved in your words. You put down your knife and turn to face your mother.

“A choice that you made when you did not know any better. Things have changed. It is time to move on.” The agitation is growing in her voice.

“I love him.” Your voice is firm.

“You do not know him anymore! He does not know you anymore!” Her voice is firmer.

You drop your tools in place and stand to leave. You do not want to hear any more of this. You burst from your family’s tent and your thoughts are racing through your mind.

Mother doesn’t understand. She was convinced that what was between you was mere puppy love, but it was deeper than that…wasn’t it? Ridiculous, of course it was. And what was that nonsense about not knowing him anymore? Neteyam was Neteyam and you were you. You’ve always worked together. You hadn’t changed that much since he left…did you? Now, she has you questioning yourself.

What if Neteyam had moved on while you sat here and waited for him? Saved yourself for him? He was your first. Your first kiss, your first friend, your first love. But how many more firsts did he have while he was away? Did he lie awake at night thinking about you the way you did for him? Did he shed tears for you? Did he still want to give himself to you? Or was that all a silly childhood fantasy?

Your mom always had a talent for getting in your head. It frustrated you to no end. Almost any decision you made, it felt as if she wasn’t satisfied until she made you question yourself and ultimately go along with whatever decision she deemed to be the “correct” one.

How long have you been walking? Where were you?

You finally snap out of your endless barrage of thoughts and find yourself back at your usual spot. Apparently, you subconsciously brought yourself back to your safe spot. A deep sigh escapes your lips and you figure you might as well get comfortable.

Sitting on the forest floor, you listen to the sounds of the nearby waterfall. The sound of the raging waters mirrors the chaotic tempest of thoughts in your mind.

A twig snapping in the area pulls you from your thoughts. You turn to see a familiar figure coming towards you. You’d know the sway of those braids anywhere.

“There you are. I knew you’d probably be here. Old habits” he smiles down at you.

You offer your best attempt at a smile. You were actually happy to see him. You were ecstatic. But the doubts that now plagued your mind muddied your happiness. Neteyam sank down next to you on the ground. Even sitting down, he still sat a whole head taller than you.

“What is bothering you?”

“Why would anything be bothering me?” You try to play off the emotion that’s clearly written on your face.

“You forget who you’re talking to. I can tell when something is on your mind. Your tail is doing that little curly thing it does when something is on your mind. So, what is it that troubles you, sevin?” His hand covers yours in an attempt to offer you some comfort that you clearly needed. His hand has gotten even bigger than you remember. And he has more callouses from the years of training and fighting. But it still held that same gentle touch you knew him for.

Should you tell him the truth? You don’t want to lie to him. He’d probably be able to tell if you tried anyway. But what would it mean if you told him you were promised to another? Would it make his heart ache the way yours now did? You couldn’t handle it if you broke his heart. But that’s only if he still feels for you the way he used to. And now you feel even worse for doubting him. This was Neteyam you were talking about. Your Neteyam.

“I had an argument with my mother. It was stupid.” It wasn’t technically a lie, but it definitely wasn’t the full truth. You weren’t even ready to face that reality on your own, let alone dump it on Neteyam too.

He nods sympathizing with your situation. You remember how hard his dad could be on him before they left. If anyone understood parental frustration, it was Neteyam.

“It’s just…she has these expectations about what she thinks I should be doing with my life right now, but I don’t want what she wants. I’m trying to forge my own path and she feels the need to fight me at every turn. It’s infuriating.”

Neteyam chuckles lightly, “Oh yeah, I wouldn’t know anything about that” he says oozing sarcasm.

You playfully nudge his shoulder finally feeling a sincere smile play on your lips.

“Anyways, enough about me and my silly problems. I do not want to talk about her. But I do want to hear what the mighty warrior has been up to for the last 4 years. Give me all the details.” Your eyes watch him as he recounts the tales of his time away from the forest. Stories about joining the reef clan and learning their ways. Talking about the battle with the sky people and their eventual victory. You notice a particularly large scar that he definitely didn’t have when he left. “What happened with that one?”

“Which one?” he looks down at his body that was littered with various old scrapes and cuts from years of being a warrior.

Your fingers lightly trace the wound on his chest feeling the rough, raised skin. It was circular as if he had been impaled by an arrow. His eyes look down to where you’re touching, “That was from our last battle. I was hit with one of their weapons. I thought I was done for. I almost was, to tell you the truth.”

The thought makes your stomach flip. The thought that Neteyam was always so close to danger. He could have died. He almost did die! And you wouldn’t have known. You would’ve still been here waiting for a day that would never come. Tears sting at your eyes and blur your vision, but you do your best to blink them back. You move to look Neteyam in the eye and he’s already looking back down at you. It’s in this moment when you realize how close your faces are to each other. His breath fans your face and your body freezes. His eyes scan your face sensing your sorrow. “I am fine. Please do not cry. The fight is over.”

He was right and you knew he was. You were getting yourself worked up over a situation that hadn’t even happened. Your eyes fall back to the scar on his chest still under your fingers. Neteyam had grown significantly since you last saw him. He was taller, his chest and shoulders broader, and his arms were more toned. He held your face in his hand and brought your face back up to look at him. He was still as beautiful as you remembered. And now he held an air of maturity around him that wasn’t present before. He wears his years of experience, but there’s no sense of being jaded by all he’s been through. He was truly remarkable.

His eyes are fixated on your lips that you didn’t even realize were parted. Your breath felt heavy in your chest. Being close to him like this again felt like home. It was everything you wanted. “I missed you every day.” He’s so close. The tips of his lips graze yours when he speaks. It makes your tail anxiously tap the ground behind you. He gently leans in and closes the gap between you. Your lips move in sync with his readily welcoming the contact. Your heart is thumping madly in your ears.

You know you shouldn’t be doing this. You were promised to someone already. But how could you worry about that when the man you truly loved was right here in your grasp? Your hands rest on his chest and you can feel the way his heartbeat is mimicking your own. Your body instinctively moves in closer against his and his hands slide their way to your waist. His arms snake around you to pull you flush against his own body. Straddling him, your frame is dwarfed by his, but it still feels like such a perfect fit. It’s as if Eywa designed you both specifically to fit together this way.

The kiss offers you the relief you’ve been seeking for the last 4 years. It’s the one thing that makes your heart feel like it’s beating properly. You want more. Need more. Need him closer. The kiss grows hungrier and more desperate. You trace your hands up around his neck to pull him more into you. If you two were any closer, you would be inside each other’s skin. But you’d happily welcome him in. Neteyam traces your bottom lip with his tongue and it makes you yelp in surprise. He takes advantage of the opportunity and sneaks his tongue into your mouth. Your tongues dance together sliding against each other in a perfect game of push and pull. He tastes sweet in your mouth. It’s addicting. Not to mention the grip that his hands now have on your hips.

Your body feels hot. Your core is trembling. You had fantasized about this situation before in the middle of many sleepless nights when your hand would find its way under your loincloth. Images of Neteyam running his hands over every inch of your body, tongue trailing over the stripes on your hips and thighs and stretching you to fit him perfectly. It’s intoxicating. His grip on your hips holds you right against his and you’re almost positive there’s a big obvious wet spot on his loincloth right underneath you. And you can feel something big and stiff rubbing against you. Shit, you can feel how big he is even through both of your cloths. It’s so…inviting.

It knocks you back to your senses and you reluctantly pull away from the kiss. Neteyam’s lips try to chase yours already missing the warmth. Heavily lidded eyes stare back at you and you try to regain the breath that he seemed to have stolen from you. Your face is deeply flushed and you hide it in his chest. His chin rests on top of your head and his arms still hold you close. How could you walk away from this man? The one that’s always protected you and loved you so deeply? For what? A man you barely knew? Absolutely not. But right now is not the moment to be thinking of such things. You let yourself have this moment to just revel in the bliss. His scent brings you such a sense of comfort that you’ve been longing for.

….

The following day, the clan was alive and bustling with everyone hurrying to make preparations for the night’s festivities celebrating the return of the Sully family. Meat was hunted, fruits were collected, wood was prepped for the fire, and vegetables were chopped. The excitement in the air was infectious.

As the time for the party neared, you got dressed in your best clothes. Your top decorated with big colorful feathers and beads and your loincloth that you made yourself dyeing it with pigment you made to give it a unique orange color. Your hair cascaded down to the small of your back. It makes you notice how long it’s gotten lately, but you love the long loose waves framing your body. It made you less self-conscious about your small stature.

Your mother comes in to see you and gives you a once over. “You look beautiful, ma’ite.” A warm smile on her face.

“Thank you, mother.” You tuck a small strand of hair behind your ear to properly show your face.

“I am sure that Ralu will think so too.”

Your face drops a bit and that same strand of hair falls in your face again. You didn’t think of the fact that your love and your betrothed would both be at the party. The thought of Ralu looking at you in that way borderline disgusted you and a twinge of guilt pangs you. Ralu wasn’t a bad guy, but you just didn’t know him all that well. You didn’t feel for him. You push the thought away and decide you’ll just do your best to avoid him for the night. If he doesn’t see you, then there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, the whole clan is going to be there. Surely, finding just you in a sea of people would be difficult.

At the party, the music is loud and the crowd is swimming with jovial energy. People laugh and dance and sing and drink. You can’t remember the last time you saw everyone in such high spirits.

You spent most of your time with the Sully kids. You wanted to hear about everything they did out with the reef people. Lo’ak dramatically reenacted battle scenes complete with sound effects and the works. And he spoke of a girl that he met there clearly smitten with her. “She must be something special if she could handle you” you poke fun at him. Even Tuk had grown so much since you last saw her. Her height threatening to pass your own. “You know Neteyam couldn’t stop talking about you the whole time” she whispered to you. Your eyes flash over to him and he’s already watching you. A slight blush comes to his face since you caught him staring and it makes your own face blush. Being surrounded by them all again felt like the world had been set right again.

At one point, you finally allow yourself to relax and just enjoy the company and the atmosphere. You even find yourself falling into old habits where you and Neteyam would stand together and your tails would hold each other. It made you feel secure. But, of course, all good things must come to an end.

You hear your name being called in the distance. You and Neteyam both whip your heads in the direction of the call and your body goes cold seeing Ralu approaching you. You reflexively drop your tail from Neteyam’s and he looks at you puzzled. He’s immediately on high alert seeing how you react to this unfamiliar person.

“There you are!” Ralu starts coming closer. “I’ve been looking all over for you, yawne. I wanted to introduce you to some of my friends.”

‘Yawne’, that name makes your heart shrivel. His hand holds yours and suddenly all of your comfort is gone. This is the exact scenario you wanted to avoid. Neteyam looks between you two for a second before speaking up.

“Hi there, I’m Neteyam.” “Oh, I know. It’s an honor.” Ralu politely gestures his greeting to him.

“I’m an old friend. How do you two know each other?”

“Oh, I see. Well, we are to be mated.” Ralu says proudly. He pulls you by your hand gently to be at his side. Your eyes never leave the ground.

If you just heard a loud noise, that was the sound of Neteyam’s heart cracking.

“I see, well, I wouldn’t want to steal too much of her time from you. Go ahead.” Neteyam is much better at hiding his emotions than you are. But you know him well. Too well. The way his ears flick and the small scrunch of his nose give him away. Words aren’t enough to describe the shame and guilt you feel in this moment.

Ralu starts to lead you away. You shoot Neteyam an apologetic look as you’re dragged further away.

You can’t even focus on meeting Ralu’s friends. You truthfully couldn’t care less about them. The rest of the night, when your eyes aren’t trained on the ground, they’re scanning the crowd for the one person you actually want to be here with. From time to time your eyes would meet, but instead of fondness, there was this unspoken weight hanging between you now.

‘I don’t want to be here. I want to run. I want to scream. Can I leave? But that would be rude. I shouldn’t embarrass Ralu. He’s done nothing wrong, but this feels wrong.’ Your thoughts are loud in your mind. Louder than the music and all the chatter surrounding you.

It takes all of your will power to keep your tears at bay. The pieces of your broken heart are promising to break free from your chest.

You don’t even pay attention to how much you’ve had to drink. The alcohol just kept coming and you kept downing it hoping to feel anything other than your real feelings. It doesn’t hit you until you turn your head just a little too quickly and your vision lags behind the motion. It makes you feel unsteady on your feet. If it weren’t for Ralu continuously holding your hand, you probably would’ve fallen by now.

He finally tears his attention away from the conversation with his friends to look at you and he can tell from your glazed eyes and far away gaze that you’ve had more than enough. “How about I get you home?”

Words do not care to come to your mind just yet, so you just weakly nod your head.

Ralu bids his goodbyes to his friends and starts to lead you through the crowd. Neteyam notices you leaving together and his ears flatten with another loud crack from his heart.

Walking home feels like the longest trek through the forest you’ve ever taken. Ralu holds you up to steady your movements. Thankfully, your parents are still at the party so you don’t have to hear their scrutiny of your current state.

Everything is spinning. Even just thinking about moving makes your head dizzy. Why is the ground suddenly made of fluid and impossible to walk properly on? And there’s two of everything? You can’t even get your thoughts straight, never mind your body.

Only one image plays in your mind: Neteyam. You long to have him touch you again. You miss his hold on your body. Speaking of which, who was with you right now? Who was holding you up?

“Tey…” you mumble. Thankfully, your voice is too small for Ralu to actually hear you. “Sorry…’m s-so sorry…” your words run into one another.

Ralu looks at you in confusion at your sudden unprompted apologies, but shakes it off. You’re clearly not in your right mind. The only thing that matters right now was getting you in your hammock.

He lifts you up and places you gently on the woven material. Your eyelids are suddenly as heavy as boulders and you can’t find the strength to hold them up any longer. You sink into the material and curl your body up on your side facing the wall. Your tail tucks itself between your legs. You continue muttering half-intelligible apologies to no one until your body gives out. Ralu covers you with your sheet and brushes some of your hair out of your face before taking his leave.

He couldn’t stop this sinking feeling from gnawing at him from the inside, though. Something was off.

#avatar #avatar the way of water #neteyam #neteyam sully #neteyam x reader #avatar fic #awow #neteyam x na'vi!reader #atwow #atwow neteyam #avatar twow #avatar neteyam #neteyam te suli tsyeyk'itan

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bonefall · 1 year

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So what is Sparkpelt's relationship with Firestar going to be in BB rewrite since she isn't going to be Firestar but female? I'm assuming she's going to be completely different looking from cannon Sparkpelt too.

[ID: Better Bones AU's version of Sparkpelt. She is an auburn tigerclone with jagged stripes, a cream beard and mane, and raptor claws.]

BB!Sparkpelt is so different it'll make your head spin. GoodBYE Fireclone Sparkpelt, HELLO Tigerclone Sparkpelt

Also I decided that the KEY Tigerkin Family Trait is going to be raptor claws. A large index claw, and pointed talons on the back toe. They also tend to be large, tiger-themed, and have 'beards.' It's sometimes remarked that they bear a similarity to Thunderstar!

BIGGEST CHANGE, which I think is pretty well known by now, is that Sparkpelt is NOT Squirrelflight's child. Her mom was Jessy, from a brief relationship that ended in a brutal cat divorce. Squilf remains infertile, she cannot have children.

Instead, they are Mentor and Apprentice. Just as close as a parent and child.

Below the cut: Sparkpelt in,

Bramblestar's Thorns

Squirrelflight's Horror

BB!TBC and ASC setup

Bramblestar's Thorns: The AVoS-era replacement for the loss of Alderheart as a POV in that arc. Sparkpelt gets a POV alongside her brother covering her early life.

Her mother Jessy is a genius inventor. She joined during the SE, ThunderClan's Tempest, along with Fernsong and Stormcloud. Her name was briefly Sweetbright.

She had a massive fight with Brambleclaw shortly after having their children, which escalated and she wasn't willing to stay if he was going to treat her like that.

Alder was taken back to twolegplace. Bramblestar kept Sparkkit.

Spark loves her dad but...

He is an emotionally abusive person. Your relationship with a person like that is always unstable.

"He's not always like this." She wants him to be better, she blames herself for upsetting him, she loves him, he makes her feel like dirt, she doesn't want to be near him, she feels bad enforcing boundaries...

To give Bramblestar credit where it's due, however, he taught her very well about their family legacy. From Tigerstar all the way back to Oakstar, that they have a long line of pride and ambition.

Firestar, in these stories, was presented as someone who saved them from disgrace. By opposing Tigerstar and giving Brambleclaw power, he was a hero to them as well.

She's named after him, too. Firestar was Bramblestar's beloved mentor.

This pressure of legacy was something shared by her childhood best friend, Hollykit, child of Fallenleaf and Cinderheart.

Spark had her issues growing up, and resented Jessy massively for leaving her and taking her brother. When Alder came back because of his visions, she turned a lot of frustration onto him

Him coming back felt like she suddenly couldn't be so angry at Jessy. She had to be nice about the person who ripped her brother away, broke their family, and even turned Alder against her with how he defends her

It's not accurate or justified, but that's how this emotionally repressed teenager expresses complicated emotions.

In a moment of clarity, Bramblestar personally chose Squirrelflight as Sparkpaw's mentor. He knew that she would be the person his daughter needed, someone who would teach her to stand up for herself, and to do the right thing.

...But unfortunately most of the time Bramble does not have that level of insight. He rues this decision constantly, convinced that Squilf is intentionally turning his daughter against him.

Squirrelflight's Horror: The replacement for Squilf's Hope

This book is about Squirrelflight reconsidering her relationship with Bramble, when the Sister Situation happens. Ultimately it ends in Squilf going on trial in StarClan, less because of her 'transgressions' in life and more because of Fire Alone as an ideology being tested.

But this isn't about Squilf this is about Spark.

Similarly to canon, Hollylark suffers a horrible poisoning and passes away as their kittens are born prematurely.

Sparkpelt is shaken badly by this. They were childhood friends, they were expecting a litter, like canon she experiences postpartum depression.

Squilf wins her trial, but desperately decides she needs to get home because her apprentice can't lose a mate and a mentor at the same time.

I don't want to end this SE on the note that Sparkpelt is finally moving on from the death of Hollylark... I don't think she can "get over it" quickly the way canon implies.

In general this part of Spark's life is much more delicate. She needs more time, recovery is slower, there's a lot more pain here. But she is loved and supported through it.

BB!TBC and setup for ASC when it comes

By the time of TBC, she's finally recovering. Her relationship with her kittens has improved.

When the imposter happens, it threatens to destroy everything she had built.

She gets covered in scars from a dog attack, and is eventually exiled.

Finchpaw follows her, making a name for herself as a brave Firekin descendant who opposed a tyrant.

In this arc, a lot of Firekin act as a 'unit,' this family tends to think alike and work closely because of their shared legacy. Squilf, Spark, and Finch are in lockstep as major rebel figures.

Flamepaw is left out of this, because he chose not to follow them.

When Flame eventually rejects his name in ASC, a major contention he has is that "MOM ISN'T EVEN FIREKIN WHY DOES SHE CARE"

The answer is, that rejecting the Firekin side of himself is like killing the part of him that is Hollylark, and rejecting a family she feels accepted into and part of.

THAT SAID; I do not rewrite arcs until they are done. Details of ASC are sparse and only fragments. I need to know its conclusion before working backwards to make that conclusion stronger.

And that's BB!Sparkpelt! Very different from canon, but I love the gal.

#Better bones AU #BB!Sparkpelt

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pandorkful · 2 months

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Replaying Lunar on stream has been kinda wild, like man there are some things I either missed 20 years ago or completely forgot about.

Like how rotten these punk kids are! I feel like a mortified chaperone leading a field trip that's gone completely off the rails, half the time I'm reading out their dialog. Kyle and Nash are definitely the worst offenders, but Jessica's earned herself a slap on the wrist a couple times too.

Nall can be annoyingly childish, but he's not dipped into the abhorrent social behavior nearly as much. Mia and Alex remain on good terms with me, by being blessedly quiet most of the time.

I miss Ramus, he was my good boy! The one braincell that held the party together! He gets a bad rap for some misogynistic comments he makes, but those get completely blown out of the water by Kyle's toxic 90's "it's funny to hate women" masculinity. And to be honest, Ramus' two points of character flaw effectively cancel themselves out:

Whines that Luna shouldn't come on the adventure because "girls just keep guys from having fun." (A very mild and childish form of misogyny. )

Later hires a squad of bunnygirls to work in his store, proving that maybe he's grown and learned that his prior protestations were unfounded. (And his employees adore him, so he's definitely not mistreating them!)

And then there's Luna. Dear sweet, angry and tormented Luna. She also earned a few slaps on the wrist due to some carelessly judemental comments, but was mostly well behaved while she was with us.

Some of her dialog was written to be nagging, but I chose to interpret those moment as raw anger and it really adds to her character I think. She has every right to be angry, growing up in the worst village on Lunar!! Surrounded by weirdos who shipped her with her brother-by-adoption from the moment she showed up!!!

Oof, that's a plot quirk that I didn't pick up on the first time I played the game. WD did a decent job trying to bury it, but there are a few moments of "I miss OUR parents, Alex" that really had me feeling the Folger's holiday awkwardness.

Tbh, the main thing WD did to hide the lede was avoid publishing that Luna and Alex have the same surname (something that later game localizers didn't bother hiding,) and calling Luna a foundling as often as possible. Idk, maybe it's just me, but if you grow up from infanthood together, nursed by the same woman, and call the adults raising you "mom and dad".... you're siblings. It doesn't matter that you're not related by blood, you experienced the sibling relationship dynamic and therefore it is still incestuous to date eachother. Ew.

More worryingly, there's the argument that the Noah's didn't raise Luna as their daughter, but just as a "foundling." What does that entail? A cold, emotionally neglectful distance. An orphan kept close at hand only for her miraculous ability to keep their "real" kid from crying 24/7. (According to one early tie-in manga.) That's worse, I hate that. Though.... that would explain a lot of Luna's anger and frustration.

Does the second scenario make a romantic relationship between Luna and Alex okay? No. If anything, it makes it even worse.

It's too bad there's basically no mental health support on Lunar, because all these kids need intensive counseling of one sort or another.

Last night was the first appearance of Tempest and Fresca, two kids that I always forget, like, exist in the game. They're introduced like they matter, but, well... if you stick with my streams, we'll probably uncover why I'm so lukewarm on those characters either this upcoming Sunday or the Sunday after that (depending on whether Myght's tower is as annoying as I remember it being or not.)

For all my grousing, I still love the cast of Lunar so much. They are an absolute mess, in a way I don't see from other rpgs of that era or any other era if I'm honest. An endearing mess. I could just use a little less of some of the worst stuff that was mostly left behind in the 90's and early 00's.

On the other hand, sometimes it's good to be reminded of the things society has grown past. Because nostalgia can be a very dangerous thing.

(Also, I really need to work on writing out my Queer Lunar Thesis. Because I've got a queer reading for every one of these characters. Maybe even Tempest and Fresca? We'll have to get through their story before I can make up my mind on them. It'll be hilarious if they turn out to be the only hetero cis characters on the moon.)

#lunar silver star story complete #lunar rambles

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pegaace · 11 months

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Analysis on Witch from Mercury, Colonialism, The Tempest, and Caliba(r)n

Okay I know this is my first post ever but I was tryna find somewhere to put my thoughts after seeing a bunch of people everywhere slander Caliban and why that is not it and how my boi is innocent, good actually. For qualifications I did an undergrad lit class that covered The Tempest like 2 years ago so that's fine right (apologies to my profs if I fuck any of this up)

Okay so for starters yes by now everyone knows WfM is The Tempest, Prospera is Prospero (or Prospera actually, there was a 2010 film adaptation that had the gender switch already), Aerial is Ariel, etc etc. So therefore Caliban has to be this villainous, "monstrous" creature right?

Haha no sit down cos no that would be boring. (and also kinda racist as I'll explain) Notice how in the original Prospero isn't the villain of the story, not really, he's just getting revenge for being wronged years ago and trying to ship the kids together. But if recent gwitch is any indication, Prospera truly is the villain of this story, breaking hearts and stopping at nothing to destroy the Benerit group AND earth. Now I wonder which other adaptation of The Tempest has Prospero as the big bad HMMMM :thinking:

Enter Aime Cesaire and A Tempest. Written in 1969, it deals with a lot of the more unpleasant connotations of Shakespeares play. Let me lay it all out for you. So you're saying Prospero, a white dude, comes to this island, uses his western magic to overthrow the native witch (Sycorax), wrecks the land of its magic, and then enslaves her son to do his work for him, constantly insulting his appearance and intelligence? HMMMM seems pretty sus (racist and colonial) to me.

Cesaire, writing during a time of decolonial movements throughout the world, was rightfully really mad at colonizers for forcing their way upon natives with violence, and especially with the use of language to control said populations. Caliban has also been repeatedly dehumanised through previous adaptations of Shakespeares work slowly turning him from a man into a monster, not even human. This is similar to how non-european people have constantly been treated in the past.

Now like wait... Forcing communication through a set language? Dehumanisation? Colonisation of oppressed peoples? Where have we seen that before...? HMMMM

(its almost like... permet scores and gundam technology... Calibarn being free of permet links is like Caliban refusing language...)

And here's where I see the great potential of a Gundam Caliban. Gundam is certainly no stranger to decolonial movements (shoutout to my fave Gundam ZZ and the bois in Blue team and the African liberation front) and I think having Caliban as the Gundam to finally end Spacian oppression (perhaps in a sequel idk if Suletta is getting that far after bonking her mom by the end of the season) would be a great take.

As a side note, Aerial is kinda portrayed negatively in Cesaire's work for choosing to work for Prospero in exchange for their own freedom, as kind of a sellout who makes things worse and is ultimately tricked and trapped anyways and... hey! She's in a giant coffin now and Suletta is unhappier than ever! Oops.

Also like I qrted this on my twt but like its important to remember that Caliban is human too, and will respond to accordingly. They (and this might be where i disagree with @adracat a lil on their otherwise excellent posts) arent just a violent unthinking monster, thats just unfortunately how racism often portrays people of colour. If Suletta shows compassion and humanity towards Calibarn, like how she did to Aerial, and how Eri was able to connect with Lfrith in the prologue when Vanadis had failed, I'm sure she'll be able to bring Calibarn over to her side. And because they can connect so fully via human emotions and love (this is where I do agree with adra that love is the answer and key to open the door) (wooo yeah another love powered robot!! G Gundamming time) I dont think Quiet Zero will be able to stop them, as Suletta will have made the ultimate, unmediated connection between woman and machine, becoming one with it in the way Cardo Nabo had always truly hoped for. To don Gundam and live in space.

Okay sorry for the disorganised post but like one last thing I know I said it'd be nice for Calibarn to show up again in S2 but the other theory I have (which might or might not be true cos lets be real gwitch only rhymes, never copies, and i dont even know where schwarzette fits into all this [goatmom gundam my beloved i miss schwarzletta theory still]) is that the ending of A Tempest has Prospero send the girlies off as usual, but then still choose to stay on the island to fight with Caliban forever, till he can finally fully dominate him, cos racists are shit like that. This continues for a rlly long time cos his magics kinda prevent him from just dying of old age and he lives on, like a vampire sucking life from the island (wow capitalism huh) and its implied he and Caliban are just locked in this long struggle to the death until the day he finally croaks and the colonized can finally be free. Now what other gundam has an eternal struggle with fascism hmm?

idk just thought it might be cool for the gundam sisters to push suletta out of the way (maybe out of quiet zero?) whilst trapping prosperas grudge within it for all time, that would also be dramatic and neat lol. Come to think of it if Prospera does it itd be like ZZ again too lol with Haman pushing Judau away.

#g witch #g witch spoilers #suletta mercury #caliban #prospera mercury #the tempest #ok im so sorry for making such a trash first post rip #this is why they taught me essay skills but its okay no ones grading this one #except the opinions of the internet oh no #if this turns out to be true im gonna pop off so hard #yay obscure decolonialism and tempest lore

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loquaciousquark · 2 years

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4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3 up to E35 (Oct. 4, 2022)

Good evening, spooks and ghouls! It's a Halloween edition of 4-Frighted-Dive, and Matthew, Marisha, Laura, and most excellently Travis bring us into the season in the very dramatic costumes promised by the cast last episode. Travis wins host for the first time and his plastic fangs make him almost entirely unintelligible. There's an enormous coffin set up at the front of the heavily decorated Halloween set, and while pondering whether we should celebrate Halloween without her, we all ask What Would Laudna Do? Pate arrives at the set door with a delivery: a letter read by Travis in a cockney accent telling them to go on and do the show.

What the Fuck Is Up With That? The Otohan fight was complicated by unexpectedly struggling with the gate/crawler and accidentally getting Otohan's attention. When Laudna went spiderclimbing up the wall, she was not at all anticipating finding Otohan right on the balcony at the top. They all agree the darkness was clutch. I'm so distracted by how Matt's head barely pokes out of his robot box.

The attacking force was not actually intended to break into the fort, just to be a distraction.

If BH had managed to escape more quickly & cleanly, it wouldn't have been a fight at all. (There would have been a bounty on the unknown perpetrators, though.) The slow and cumbersome exit, the getting of her attention, and the leap to combat all triggered her deciding to directly intervene.

Matt thinks the infiltration on the first half was done really well. Getting Treshi was very smooth and the crates were a great idea.

Everyone speculates on if they could make a dunamantic fig tree. Matt has no idea what would happen if they tried to graft Possibility into a tree.

Travis says the Secret Word (Tempest) and must draw from the recently reassembled Tower of Inquiry. #41: How do cast members sent out of a scene avoid seeing spoilers on Twitter? They actively avoid social media! Episodes are still pre-taped, so they know when to avoid episodes & remind each other not to watch protected moments from the show. Great question!

Travis thinks Otohan knows who Imogen's mom is. Laura has deliberately not tried to cast Sending on her mom. Everyone does think she is alive; that Imogen has a memory of her being alive when she was about a year old & other people saw her twelve years ago when she'd originally been told she died in childbirth--surely she must still be around. Everyone wonders how Imogen's explosion managed to spare her friends yet destroy buildings. Did they go to the moon briefly? Matt descends turtle-like into his robot shell to avoid answering.

Marisha watched the last episode by herself. ;-; It was very weird.

Everyone peppers Matt with questions about the moon. "Answer, Robot!" Matt: "I'm thirsty." Marisha VERY clumsily tips a water bottle to his mouth and just about waterboards him. Her raptor hand gloves are too big, oh no!

When Orym, Laudna, Chetney, and Fearne all went down, everyone was convinced that was it--total party TPK. Travis is always looking at Matt's fidget energy when stuff goes down, trying to read his face for lifelines and hints, and he noted that Matt was unusually stoic and calm. Matt knew Otohan was powerful and important; he needed to honor that. When he built the encounter, he did build in escape routes, including the idea of a hostage held to draw the others back. The group did a huge chunk of damage to her and a lot of her resources were tapped by the end of the fight; she did have a damage threshold where she'd leave, and they were close to that. They all wanted to run but couldn't get away. The moment she did the 80-foot jump really scared them all. The fight reminded Travis of the Chroma Conclave attack in C1 where a 19 missed and took their breath away.

Laura says it scarily reminded them so much of Molly in C2--the villain was way beyond their means and the smart move was to get away. They just couldn't execute it cleanly. Matt suggests the conversation could have continued, but the party choices were too scattered: run, hide, fight, talk.

Otohan was more interested in information rather than murder at the start, but when she recognized Imogen & realized her personal connection to the party, she wanted to push Imogen instead & was willing to be ruthless in the process.

Travis loved the brush with total hopelessness. For as large as their party is, it's very rare to do the "advanced chess" and see no way out. They don't get to experience that risk of TPK often.

Matt has to constantly adjust encounters to keep them from becoming a slog while still making them hard. He thinks the party is really smart & have found ways to decimate encounters he'd thought would be hard in the past, and he knows this party likes the challenge and the risk of real danger, so he built this to be very challenging. Marisha says everyone at the table was completely okay with the way everything went down at the table. This is still a safe space for them as players and they are okay with the possibility of loss.

They all had a stairstep of expected outcomes in the following episode, starting with Laudna's die roll. Travis looked over to see the natural 1 and literally couldn't believe it. She has so many ways to get back up, but the Ruidus die refused to cooperate. Travis lauds Matt for the choice of Otohan striking an unconscious Laudna rather than moving on; it was realistic and terrifying.

They had planned for the possibility of everyone getting back up: Laudna rolling well, FCG bringing back Fearne to bring back Orym. Then Laudna rolled a 1 and FCG barely scraped the DC for Fearne coming back, and everything got a lot dicier.

The trouble with the death spiral is that when people start going down, people have to spend their turns bringing back other people rather than attacking. With this many healers & revivifiers in the party, Matt has to really push threat to make encounters hard.

Marisha had a bad feeling the entire break between the episodes. She did not think Laudna was going to make it out. She whispered to Travis at one point that they should rez Orym. The moment Ashley flipped the Changebringer coin and told Laudna they'd find a way to bring her back, it was like a punch in the gut and fatalistically accepting at the same time.

Laura, on the other hand, had convinced herself Marisha would roll her way out of it, so her failing was totally devastating. She was convinced they'd be able to persuade Delilah to heal Laudna through the rock. Matt acknowledges that they didn't expect Delilah to be so powerless.

Travis thinks Delilah was trying to take over Laudna's body, which is what Gentle Repose interrupted. Matt refuses to answer.

If resurrection magic were readily available, death would be meaningless. Matt relegates it to powerful casters, heroes, and noble classes that can afford it.

Everyone agrees it must have been so painful for Orym to ask Keyleth to heal Laudna when he knows she couldn't save his husband. Matt reminds us she tried to rez Will but couldn't.

Marisha keeps imagining VM burying Delilah in an iron box & throwing it in the ocean, just for BH to somehow recover it and open it right back up.

Matt knew with this campaign's characters' histories that there was a higher risk of crossing over with VM, and he was nervous about doing it justice while still avoiding the Essek free-taxi situation. More than that, he NEVER expected Keyleth to show up as a means of taking the whole party to Whitestone. Matt tells us Pike is likely in Whitestone too, possibly Grog. Marisha is so excited to see Matt talk to himself as all their old characters for an hour. Matt is STOKED to be able to revisit old PCs down the line--he's always wanted to explore this idea but has never had groups persist long enough in the same world.

Everyone got incredibly emotional seeing Keyleth & Whitestone.

Favorite scary movies? Laura: The Descent (we just watched this in movie night!). Marisha: Amityville Horror. Matt: Hereditary or the original Poltergeist. Travis: The Exorcist & The Thing, which he watched in increments because they were too scary to watch all at once. He also hilariously apparently bailed out of a theater during Jurassic Park & Neverending Story, haha! A concession stand worker gave him pity Reese's Pieces, bless his heart. Laura bailed once out of her grandma trying to show her Poltergeist when she was like six. Matt bailed out of the Ghostbusters. Marisha has never left a theater. Me either, Marisha! I paid for this ticket, I'm seeing the show.

I've hit that block limit again! Come on, tumblr.

Tower of Inquiry, Redux: minor character superpowers. Imogen never has to change a lightbulb. Chetney has super strong fingernails and doesn't need tools. Laudna wilts flowers when she walks by and would probably be a good crash test dummy. Eshteross always bakes the perfect cookies. Marisha is directed to pull from the tower with her enormous raptor gloves, which she does with tremendous aplomb. Who in TV and film would complement your character well? Chetney + Bilbo Baggins. Laudna + John Constantine (Matt suggests Elvira). Imogen + Jean Grey/Scarlet Witch.

Deep Dive! Matt can't reach his tumbler with both hands and it's honestly just sending me. He's loved introducing C2 elements into this campaign; he's been thinking about threads from the start of C2 and even into C1 that he's now able to bring into the world.

Marisha: What is it like to see Keyleth back without being at the table? It's like going into a fugue state. She thought Matt did a great job mimicking her more staccato mannerisms. "It was cute. It was good! Now do Vex." Matt descends again into his box.

Travis didn't recognize either name Matt dropped during the white out: Diana & Frenella Deanna and Frudell, I guessed VERY wrong on those names, sorry! He's going to see if he can meditate and ring a bell. Imogen might deep dive into him herself if he wants.

Laura struggled with the gnarlrock situation & Laudna. She would have kept the rock on her if they hadn't needed to move the body. She was going to leave it at Joe's then didn't; she was going to throw it off the airship then didn't. The draw of power the first rock gave her is such a background thought now with everything else.

Matt has the same conversation with every player about what happens when a character dies. His purpose is to have the players enjoying the game, and if a character dies prematurely, he is willing to open avenues for the party to pursue to bring them back. He also offers the chance to make a completely new character, a new character with strong ties to the old to continue the story, etc.

"With Taliesin, I asked him that question, and he said, 'No, Molly's not coming back. I intentionally made Molly as a character that if he died, he's not coming back, he's gone.' [...]He said, 'No, I'm going to start working on my new character,' and that's where Caduceus came from. And that's an example of character death being a very harrowing but important shift in story tone and character bonding & intense buy-in into a narrative. And then out of that, a great character like Caduceus that no one realized how badly the Mighty Nein needed him until he was there."

When Matt asked the current three what they wanted right after the Otohan fight, Ashley & Liam both started talking to him about their next characters (Liam sent a whole email of his secondary character right away), but Marisha didn't. Marisha wants to pursue Laudna's story but isn't necessarily invested in her coming back exactly the same. She's interested in what Pandora's box they're about to open in Whitestone and expects there will be consequences. Matt is excited to give her new character choices.

The art team asked for Marisha's backup to get character art going and she said no. She'll sit out as long as she needs to and will not play another character in the meantime.

"That shit's fucked up" that Laudna is being brought back to Whitestone to get resurrected. She has no idea how this will go.

Chetney is a sleuth because Travis played an idiot for his first character. He's learned so much from watching the rest of the table play over seven years. The detection of Yu happened because he was watching a spy show where assassins are texted a picture of the target, and he realized while on a treadmill: "Oh!" Calamity wrecked Travis in a beautiful way; he watched everyone else scheming and wanted to be part of that.

Matt laughed that this little trinket Fearne has been carrying for years as part of her backstory was immediately smashed by Ashton.

Imogen does not feel like a superhero; she feels dangerous and guilty. Marisha lauds Laura's roleplaying in the aftermath. Laura suggests that Imogen IS the moon.

Tower of Inquiry, Re-redux! Before the campaign, everyone shared classes & affirmed they didn't want to be as secretive as C2. Marisha & Laura both wanted to be sorcerers, so they paired up. Fearne & Orym were linked from ExU & Ashton & FCG matched up naturally. Laura's original character had Feywild & hag connections and changed it to not overlap with Fearne. Travis originally had someone else drafted but wanted to get away from the buttoned-up captaincy of Fjord.

Oh NO, hahahah! Travis goes to pull a block and someone in a black cloak and long claws creeps up on him behind to alarm him. It's hilarious and yet he manages to avoid toppling the tower.

Where did your character's names come from? Chutney is not Chetney; Pock O'Pea is a sound Ronin was making when he first started talking, adorable! Marisha had a long list of possible names for Laudna and liked the reference to laudanum; she wanted something weird and hazy that messes with your head. Travis is still on guard after the scare, poor thing. Laura just likes the name Imogen; she wanted something soft and flowy.

Five Nights at Freddy's in the OCULUS??? They want to kill this man, don't they? He dies immediately on the first night before the announcement even finishes. I will say that Laura's response to going second makes Travis look positively stoic. The editors also keep editing in a picture of Sam flickering in the shadows, and it's hilarious. Marisha accidentally picks the sequel to play and dies on night 2 IMMEDIATELY. Matt picks Dark Rooms, the sequel where you're in a house & have to play Red Light, Green Light with a monster coming towards you down the hall & by far handles the game the best. Travis gives a couple tries to the Vent Repair game and gets three of four lights on before being stymied by Simon Says. Good for him! The episode ends with the crew trick or treating and TPing the set. Adorable.

Great episode! Is it Thursday yet?

#critical role #critical role spoilers #4 sided dive #4 sided dive spoilers #long post for ts #very long post for ts #talks machina

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