#Perhaps a ring foreshadowed in the future

[comfortfood-sydcarm]

The next gift is going to be jewelry!

Sydney loves wearing earrings throughout the show on The Bear. We can easily assume that a good majority of it use to belong to her mother. Now what if Syd somehow lost or misplaced some of her mother's precious earrings which cause Syd to be very distraught and upset at work. Carmy being Carmy instantly pick up on this and automatically buys her a pair of beautiful expensive earrings. We get a similar under the table scene vibe but this time Sydney does actually cries because of Carmy's thoughtful gift and then they FINALY embrace in a loving long hug and kiss.

Or Carmy could be just walking around Chicago and see a pair of nice earring at a shop and instantly think of Sydney and just buy it for her just for the hell of it and the fact he would think she would look beautiful wearing them.

#sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #chefs kiss #Perhaps a ring foreshadowed in the future #carmy x syd #He's going to spoil his Queen #the bear season 3 predictions

[cinnbar-bun]

Good Fortune

Pairing: Dio Brando x GN!Reader

Summary: Dio is told he is lucky, often. He can't see how, considering how awful his life has been. But after meeting you, the child of George Joestar's old business partner and Jonathan's friend, perhaps his luck has turned for the better.

Even if he refuses to engage with such notions.

Rating: SFW but it's painful

Word Count: ~4.5k

AO3 Link: Here

Notes: Childhood-friends-to-lovers, Phantom Blood!Dio, babes this just angst, talks of death and dying, death, religious discussion, religious imagery, Dio unfortunately falling in love, Reader is MENA! but it's easy to ignore, foreshadowing for parts 3 and 6 (no spoilers though), yes I made this to be self indulgent because I wanted to torture Dio because omg what if he went to Cairo specifically because his partner mentioned it?

Dio stares in front of the full-length mirror in his room, adjusting his suit and tie. George explained he was having an old friend over tonight for supper, making a brief comment about how said friend was also bringing his child over. Dio noticed Jonathan’s eyes widen and the smile adorning his face- obviously, they were acquainted from before he ever arrived to the mansion. 

He could only sneer as he thought of how obnoxious this ‘friend’ could possibly be. He couldn’t just antagonize them or Jonathan like he normally did, not when George would be around and watching. The thought of having to sit all night with that buffoon and a friend of his made him want to gag. 

Alas, one must do what they have to do to obtain wealth and power. If he wanted the Joestar fortune, he had to play the game correctly. Assuring he was in good standing with George and this guest would only serve him well in the future. 

And who knows, Dio chuckles to himself, maybe this ‘friend’ of Jonathan’s would slowly grow to hate the boy as well. He brushes his blond hair back, fixing it up properly. A loose strand makes him use his hand to push it back, and he smirks as he sees the three little birthmarks on his ear. He fixes his cufflinks and proceeds to walk out of the room, annoyed at having to put on airs, yet interested to see what will become of this dinner. 

The minute he steps down the stairs, there is a knock at the door. Dio curiously looks from the staircase at the large front doors that George himself approaches. The first thing Dio can make out is a large man, around the same age as George- perhaps a few years older if the few strands of gray hair are anything to go off of. Before he can take a closer look, Jonathan races down the stairs, accidentally brushing shoulders with Dio. 

“You damn-,” Dio snarls, but quickly shuts his mouth in case of anyone nearby. Jonathan didn’t seem to notice, instead jumping off the last few steps and running towards the guests. Jonathan yells out a name Dio doesn’t recognize, but the energetic boy is quickly put in his place with George’s hand on his shoulder.

“Jonathan! That is not how we greet our guests!” George scolds his son. Jonathan’s shoulder slink apologetically, like a beaten down puppy. 

Dio despises that look more than anything. He makes an expression of disgust before he hears some chuckling. 

“Oh, it’s alright, George, let the boy be! He’s young!” A jovial voice exclaims, and George sighs. 

“I’m aware, my friend. I just can’t help but worry about what kind of man he will grow up to be,” George muses, tugging on Jonathan’s ears. Dio’s ears pick up that despite the negative words, George isn’t angry at Jonathan. Jonathan himself isn’t too offended either. 

Hmph. Disgusting. 

Dio figures that he’s seen enough and makes his appearance in front of the guests. The man is clearly foreign and has some semitic features that Dio hardly has ever seen in Britain. He’s finely dressed, wearing a fancy English suit and plenty of gold accessories. Dio finds himself fascinated by the many rings on the man’s fingers. 

“My, my, and who could this be?” The man questions, a friendly smile on his face. Dio is frankly grossed out by the overly familiar tone the man takes, but bites his tongue back. 

“This is my adopted son, Dio Brando,” George proudly states. The man extends his hand to Dio and shakes it with a firm grip. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brando,” he introduces himself then pats his child on their shoulder. “This is (Y/n), my only child. I assume you’re all the same age, so I think you’ll get along splendidly.” 

Dio glances at you briefly as you bow your head politely to him. “It’s very nice to meet you, Dio.” 

You look quite similar to your father, albeit, younger and more rounded, with the same features Dio finds rare on you. Your clothes are just as intricate as your father’s, clearly very expensive, making Dio curious about just how rich you and your father are. 

Dio bows his head back to you. “It’s nice to meet you as well, (Y/n).” 

Once the greetings are done, Jonathan goes up to you and excitedly beams at you. “(Y/n), did you bring anything for me this time?” 

Dio is almost tempted to smack Jonathan on behalf of George, but you chuckle and nod, seemingly not minding. You glance over to make sure the older men are not looking and open your satchel, taking out a red box. Dio and Jonathan peek at it while you remove the cover. Inside the box are small, pink cubes covered in white sugar. 

“Woah… what are these?” Jonathan asks. 

“Lokum, oh, ah, ‘Turkish delights’,” you say in English. Jonathan is about to take one when you close the box and shake your head. Jonathan pouts after being denied, probably due to his love of sweets. “After dinner. Otherwise my father might lecture me.” 

“Turkish delight, you say?” Dio repeats. “So, I assume you and your father must deal within the Middle East, correct?” 

“Yes. He was born there, then moved here to start his business,” you pridefully comment, always happy to share how proud you are of your father’s hard work. 

“Interesting…” Dio thinks. He frowns when he thinks of his own drunkard of a father, and the gross feeling that dwells within him bubbles upfront. How nice it must be to be happy for your father. How wonderful it must feel to be proud to share the same DNA as the man who had created you. He can’t point to a single thing he enjoyed about Dario, can’t even count anything nice the man has done on one hand except die. 

Yet you look to hold your father in such high regard, perhaps even moreso than Jonathan does to George. Likewise, your father keeps smiling at you and flaunting your accomplishments to George, as if you were the best of the best. As if you were the most wonderful thing to have ever graced this earth. 

Dio can’t help but feel disgusted and so, so jealous that you get a father who adores and spoils you like nothing else. You don’t even have a mother, but that doesn’t seem to damper you. Any hope he had of wanting to meet you is squashed by the hatred and rage he feels for your relationship. 

----

You write letters often, Dio finds out. Now Dio knows why Jonathan is always so excited to check the mail. Soon after leaving the dinner party George held, Dio started getting letters addressed just to him from you. 

Apparently, you were too stupid to understand that Dio wanted nothing to do with you and actively despised you like he did Jonathan. Or maybe you just didn’t care, since you began writing about anything and everything you were thinking of as if you were old acquaintances. Dio once snagged Jonathan’s letter from you to see if the tone was any different, but almost nothing was, except for mentions of a historical places Jonathan would like to possibly visit. 

At first, he burned them away, not interested in whatever mindless rabble you had to discuss. He had no interest in history, none in studying, and absolutely none for whatever rich person you had just met on the road. Jonathan writes back plenty, but in order to save face, Dio writes back, only very rarely, pretending as if he actually cared. 

It isn’t until his birthday that he sighs and relents, opening up the package you had sent. He rolls his eyes at the well wishes you give him (although he does wonder briefly how you knew his birthday) but finds two wrapped gifts in the box. 

In the first one, thinner and longer, is a selection of the Turkish delights you had brought over the first time you met. He actually hadn’t bothered trying it then, mostly due to his disgust with you and the fact Jonathan looked like he was enjoying himself when he took a bite. 

He snorts and rolls his eyes, about ready to throw away the sweets when the smell of the powdered sugar and rosewater drifts into his nose. It is… certainly unique, he thinks. Nothing like what he’s ever smelled before. He places the box on his desk again and glares at it, as if the treats were personally ruining his day. He folds his arms and stares at it some more. 

He should throw this out. Never look at this and just write a quick ‘thank you’ so you felt appreciated or something. But still… the powdered sugar dusting the outside, the sweet, sweet smell of it- it was far too tempting. He clicked his tongue and picked one up, groaning at the way the sugar dusted his fingers and part of his suit. 

“Disgusting,” he mumbles before he takes a large bite of it. The taste is nothing like what he’s ever had before, and he nearly chokes at it. He coughs then swallows, taken aback by the taste. It’s… it’s quite delicious. He’s never tried something so wonderfully sweet, something that overtakes the senses quite like this. Roses make an interesting flavor profile, he muses. 

Wait, no, what is he thinking, getting excited over this stupid gift from an annoyance like you? He closes the box of sweets then opens the last box. Inside is a ring, similar to the one your father wore at the dinner party. The ring had a large amber stone, and Dio twirls it in his hands, fascinated with how the light catches the stone. 

This must have cost a fortune. He chuckles as he picks up the note to go alongside the ring. 

My father and I thought a ring would be a good gift for you. He says that it’s always wise to have something nice on your hand. It can bring you good luck and make you stand out. I hope you like the color- he was going to get you the blue one, but this one reminded me of your eyes. I thought you might appreciate it more. 

Happy birthday, Dio. 

You sign your name at the bottom and Dio finds himself biting his lip harshly. It’s really frustrating how you always naively try to think of him like this. Who said he wanted your damn sweets? Who said he wanted your rings? Or your good luck? Who said he wanted anything you had? 

He shakes his head and gazes at the ring again. He hates himself, so why would you dare get something that is meant to be of him? This body that he despises, how could you covet it in a god damn ring meant for him? 

You bother and enrage him like nothing else. He always thought this was because of your friendship with Jonathan, but this just cemented that the hate he felt for you was entirely just because of who you were. Whereas Jonathan was an obstacle he needed to rid of for the Joestar inheritance, you were someone who actively treated him like a damn charity case. 

You must have thought you were so clever and kind gifting these things to him, weren’t you? 

Fine. If you wanted to be a useful idiot for him, then he would make sure to get the most use out of you. The violent rage he had boiled over into interest and excitement. He grabbed his paper and pen, quickly writing a letter back to you. 

This time, however, he made sure to be more expressive than he normally would have. He laughed loudly as he signed the paper in a hurry and sealed it within an envelope. This could be quite enjoyable. 

Imagine him- getting rid of Jonathan and using you for his own gain! Not just one- but two means of success and fortune! Oh, you were a delightful idiot through and through, he thought as he threw aside the lid to the dessert and popped in another cube. 

----

The years were kind to Dio. Ever since his plan to use you came to fruition, he slowly refined it to working his way up to being able to ask for your hand in marriage. He spent years cleaning up his act, faking his way to the top, even joining the rugby team and a university to study law. He was practically the perfect man- attractive, intelligent, resourceful, strong- why, anyone would be lucky to have him as a son-in-law and husband. 

The interest he deemed to show you in his teens made you reciprocate his affections. You began writing longer letters for him than you did to Jonathan. You would stop by and visit, not even for Jonathan, but just for Dio now. You two would have long discussions in the gardens, on the road, and in the library of the Joestar mansion. Your father practically adored Dio as a son, always patting his shoulder and joking with him more casually. He was an admirable prize, one that was practically handing himself on a silver platter for you. 

Except, somewhere along the line, like a damn fool, Dio made a mistake in his normally thorough plans. Somewhere, somehow- you managed to make Dio enjoy your presence. This wasn’t supposed to happen. 

When he first started trying to get your attention, he often would do so at the expense of Jonathan. He just liked pissing his brother off while he would drag you away as if he had something urgent to say to you privately. He would aggrandize and embellish his stories, making himself seem far more noble and special than Jonathan was. Of course, Jonathan, ignorant as may be at times, wasn’t stupid. He knew right away Dio was up to no good and tried to warn you, subtly take you away, or even insert himself into the times when Dio pulled you aside. 

Nothing worked, however. You either didn’t notice or didn’t care, always brushing aside the warnings and believing in Dio wholeheartedly. It was cute- misguided, frankly- but cute, nonetheless. Especially after Dio did his best to mend his relationship with Jonathan, Jonathan found he had no leg to stand on and tried to leave the past behind him, wishing you two only the best. 

Good, thought Dio. He was tired of having to play nice with his Jonathan, and now that Jonathan had no chance of stealing you away from him, Dio could enact his plan still. And that’s what it should have stayed. 

But fate was far more strange than Dio realized. One day, he would find himself listening to you more. While before, it was just to keep track of your stories to use later, it now became an interesting part of his day. Another day, he would naturally seek out your hand to hold- not as a means to make you swoon and desire him, but just for his own comfort. And on another, god, he couldn’t believe this- he found himself imagining what a ‘home’ could be like for you and him. 

You somehow managed to imprint yourself in his brain, filling his head with stupid, ridiculous, and childish thoughts. He found the hushed whispers he spoke in your ear to become less and less false as time went on. He found the way your cheeks would warm up made him grin and not smirk. He found your voice pleasant and the words you’d say become clearer. He found his body recoiling when any other man, especially Jonathan, tried to talk to you. 

You ruined him. You ruined everything. How dare you? He could afford plenty of things now, yet he continued to wear that damn amber ring on his finger. You adored his eyes, and for once, he found himself almost agreeing whenever he looked in the mirror before he would take you on a date. 

You. Damn. Worm. 

You must be the devil. You must be some evil snake charming him and destroying him inside and out. He couldn’t accept the fact that he, Dio Brando, was actually enjoying your presence in his life. 

You spoke of the trips you took with your father for business. You loved almost all your destinations, bringing back souvenirs and charming photos for him. But one city always stood out to him. 

Cairo. 

“Oh, yes, the city is wonderful there,” you mused dreamily. “There are these beautiful pyramids-” 

You point at the photos of these pyramids and he’s become interested in these monumental landmarks. Jonathan made a mention of them once, he thinks. 

“And what are these pyramids for, exactly? Why would someone just build these with stone in the middle of a desert of all places?” Dio raises a brow. Although he’s impressed, he finds himself questioning the worth of these structures. You chuckle, a sound he’s grown to enjoy. 

“The ancient Egyptians lived here, Dio. They built these pyramids and all sorts of buildings for their final resting place,” you smile. 

“Tch, how pretentious,” he teases. “You sound far too happy talking about a place of death.” 

“Perhaps, but you know, death isn’t so bad.” Now this makes him pause. 

“And what do you mean by that?” Dio questions. You shrug. 

“Well, for them, they believed that when you died, your heart would be judged and you could go to the Field of Reeds, Aaru.” 

“Similar to western dogma,” Dio mumbles. He never had such faith in things like ‘God’ or a ‘heaven’. 

If God really existed, he would have helped Dio’s mother. He would’ve made Dario a better father. Would have made Dio feel safe. 

But there is no such thing, no such tangible way to prove that God did exist. And it seems these ancient humans were just as foolish as the people of today. They would continue to believe in something that did not exist and did not love them. 

“Yes, you could say that,” you nod. “But I think the idea is nice overall. Don’t you think?” “I don’t understand what could be considered ‘nice’ about it,” he frowns. 

“I like to think of it as a second chance. Another way to live, having gone through the struggles of your first life. You’d know more and appreciate more.” 

You don’t notice the way his face tenses as he grits his teeth. Even if there was a god, in no way shape or form was Dio ever going to be in ‘heaven’. He could push that aside right away. He was the son of Dario, and that certainly already meant he was sentenced to eternal damnation. 

“I see,” is all he says. You snap your fingers as you then show a picture of a gorgeous terracotta mansion. 

“I almost forgot to show you! We got to stay in this beautiful place. Oh, it was just wonderful inside. I think you’d love it. There was a lovely garden there, too. I wish I could take you there, I’d show you everything Cairo has to offer! And you could finally taste the dates when they’re ripe and the festivals that go on there!” 

“I would love nothing more,” he replies, suddenly thinking of how hot Cairo must feel. He wondered how you would smile if the festivals were going on. How lovely the night must be with you in it under the lamps and palm trees of Egypt. “Maybe we can go for our honeymoon?” You lightly smack his shoulders and laugh. “Don’t tease me like that! Otherwise I might make you propose tomorrow!” 

“I could have that arranged,” Dio leans forward, resting his chin on his hand. 

“Let’s focus on our studies first,” you chuckle. “I really would love to marry, but alas, our fathers have decided to make us wait longer.” 

“Alas,” he joins in, the thought of finally being yours and you being his making his heart swell. 

Only you could offer Dio this momentary salvation. This brief respite of peace despite the anger and hatred he held in his heart. This was a feeling only reserved for you, the you who practically forced your presence and love onto him. 

It almost didn’t even feel like a part of his plan to gain the two fortunes, even though he would force himself to remember this was just business. Ah, but you made it so easy to enjoy life. You made him forget for a moment he was not the son of Dario Brando. You could made him forget he was a maniacal bastard orphan, instead making him feel he was Dio. A new Dio, a Dio no one could have thought ever existed, even him. A Dio that was just a man, for once. 

He would become Dio, the man who would pick you fresh roses. Dio, the man who carried you over puddles on the street. Dio, who enjoyed drinking tea with you. Dio, who loved when you slipped into your mother tongue. Dio, who held you when you cried. Dio, the man who would get curious whenever you would remark joyfully about his birth marks, saying he must have been lucky. 

The only thing “lucky” about him was you. That’s all he could genuinely point out in his life as “lucky” and “good”. 

So slowly, and foolishly, the only thing he could do was simply let you in deeper into his heart, letting you carve your initials into him and marking him as your helpless servant. 

----

It had now been two months since your passing. Dio returned to the mansion in a drunken stupor, finding he was unfortunately still aware. 

Aware of how empty he was. How angry he was. How much he despised everything. 

Why the hell was Jonathan crying over you? Jonathan knew nothing about you. Jonathan didn’t love you or care for you anywhere close that Dio did. 

That rich boy who had everything handed to him and given to him just for existing knew nothing of the pain Dio was feeling. 

He didn’t deserve to cry over you. Didn’t deserve to feel a god damn thing about you. 

Dio was the one supposed to marry you- not him! So Jonathan should have left and let him grieve properly over the fact his betrothed was now gone. 

Was this God’s way of punishing him? Huh? Was this his sick joke? A reminder to him that no matter he did, he was never meant to be happy? 

Was that all his life was? One meaningless, empty joke for God to amuse himself with? 

Dio couldn’t help but burn every letter he had kept from you over the years. He didn’t need them. With a bottle of alcohol in his hand and a few letters in the other, he held them over the fireplace and let them burn to ash and dust. He didn’t care. Couldn’t care less. 

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing could ever bring him satisfaction. Nothing could ever bring him joy or peace. He was obviously not meant to have it. 

Even your own father tried to console Dio, having thought of him like a son, but Dio couldn’t bother. Your father promised to give employment and a portion his fortune to Dio still, already securing his future wealth. 

But that wasn’t enough. It was not enough. For every ounce of love you tried to give Dio, he felt a thousand times more angry at the world he lived in. 

He didn’t need this world. He didn’t want any of this. He couldn’t live like this. 

He couldn’t die like you- oh god, no, he couldn’t. He’d most certainly be punished and made to repent for his sins. 

As he burned the last of your letters, he downed the rest of the alcohol, burning his throat. He could not muster anymore tears, not after he laid the roses down on your tombstone. Dio Brando was dead and buried alongside you. 

All that was left of him was his hatred. 

So close to having everything he wanted, and now it was all gone. 

He was so close to even giving up his earlier desires to torture Jonathan, instead content to protect your father’s business and travel with you after he finished getting his degree. But now he had nothing to hope for. 

Drunk as he may have been, he found himself thinking like he did when he was a young boy. 

Yes… I’ll just kill them all. I’ll ruin them all. I should’ve stuck with that plan originally. 

He cursed himself between hiccups, cursing himself for daring to let you in, letting himself feel safe around you, letting himself be vulnerable and able to be torn to shreds by you. 

It was his fault. His fault for all of this. If he hadn’t acted a fool and loved you, he could’ve had Jonathan gone, perhaps disowned or dying in a ditch somewhere. He could’ve been the richest, prodigal son of Britain. He would’ve been powerful then. He wouldn’t have had to have you extinguish every ounce of life within him. 

He was no longer human. He was now Dio. Only Dio. 

Dio, who hated everything. Dio, who had no love for anything but himself. Dio, who wanted everything erased. Dio, who had become exactly like the man he despised most. 

He hated it all. 

In his anger, he picked up the pictures you had given him and threw them all in the fire. He hacked out his lungs when the smoke billowed from them and surrounded him. A few photos began to melt before his very eyes, but for some reason, one of them caught his eye. 

The terracotta, three story mansion from your trip in Cairo. The one you wanted to take him to. The one you two dreamed about going on your honeymoon for. The one you joked about possibly buying and redesigning to make it your home forever. 

He gasped and grabbed the photo, blowing out the flame quickly and saving a majority of the picture. The corner was burned off, but the picture still remained. He held it to his chest and let out a shaky breath. 

Cairo was something he could never give up. Cairo, the only place that would allow him to be with you. Cairo, the place where you two promised to go. 

You promised. 

So why…? Why? Why, why, why? 

But Cairo would have to wait. He had something he needed to do first. Once he could get rid of Jonathan and George, and everything else that would stand in his way, then he could go there. 

I will find you again in Cairo, my (Y/n)...

#x reader #reader insert #jojo #jjba x reader #jjba imagines #jjba #dio brando #dio brando x reader #phantom blood dio x reader #dio x reader

[rayroseu]

(random thought) now that i think about it... Isn't it suspicious how the story represented that Meleanor and Knight of Dawn has iconic items... Namely: Meleanor's Princess of Glow Staff and Knight of Dawn's Auroral Ring...

Yet in the present, we only see Dawn's ring as it was passed to Silver.. but Meleanor's staff is still missing??? despite the fact it's the main thing that Silver Owls wants to steal from Briar Valley as it can create miracles (like saving the Silver Owl king from his illness)— but that lore drop never got any mention again- 😭 I really wanted to know more about Silver Owls...

in fact I think the history of the human-fae war in Book7 was too summarized-- (Which kinda makes sense since they have to focus more on Malleus' story) so I really feel like they're keeping information about it, perhaps until Levan's reveal???👀

tldr: we have Knight of Dawn's ring in the present BUT WHERE IS MELEANOR'S STAFF???

The defeat of Briar Valley was suspiciously abrupt too-?? Plus, I feel like theres some foreshadow in the future at the fact that the """Silver Owl's Castle""" has been ruined/abandoned by thorns. We know Meleanor filled the castle with thorns to kick Lilia out to save Malleus, but we also see that after Meleanor's death they renovated her castle to claim territory so they definitely cleared out the castle of any thorns or Briar Valley's belongings... yet when it was found by Lilia 400 years later, its covered in thorns again??? (Maybe its bcs its name is "Wild Briar Castle" thats why the thorns grew back and I'm overthinking 💀)

But also its suspicious that Knight of Dawn is ALSO easily defeated... like wdym Dawn got killed amidst the war between neighbouring HUMAN nations... The guy solo killed Meleanor??? He's capable of defeating them, yet he got killed❓❓(I'm actually assuming that Dawn purposely defeat, because he felt way too guilty creating a kingdom on a land that's not his, and also the fact that it's a castle from Meleanor that he has killed, like he concluded that the existence of thr Kingdom of Swords would only result in further turmoil between humans and faes therefore it doesn't need to exist, that's why it was short lived??)

Furthermore, they have Dawn's sprite without the armour but its not shown in any main story segment yet, they always show Dawn with the armour, never without it (yet) WHICH MEANS WE MIGHT RETUEN TO LAND OF BRIAR/SILVER OWLS ONCE AGAIN 😳🙏🙏❓❓just to reveal this sprite someday yk--

This is just a random thought, idk what theory I'll make out of this... but it really felt like Book 7 just gave us a tiny glimpse about TWST's world building/history and I feel like its going to hit me aggressively if they start connecting dots/parallels again for these "little things that they dropped that we missed bcs we're all distracted crying on Malleus' hatching story" 😭😭

#twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #disney twst #lian notes #meleanor draconia #knight of dawn #lilia vanrouge #malleus draconia #twst book 7 #twst theory

[see-arcane]

Would read a fic about the suitors being friends, and post grad adventuring, student Seward in Amsterdam with van Helsing, younger teen Mina and Lucy development and sharing everything, young teen clerk Jonathan. And delving on each's family background a little.

Honestly, I'd take a Dracula series that started just a heartbeat before the events of the book so that everyone involved could have a 'get to know the cast who will break your heart' foundation.

We see Arthur, Quincey and Jack together. Have they never split up since their adventuring together? Is it a reunion? Is it some Mamma Mia style shenanigans in which Art is introducing them to Lucy for the first time and they're tripping over their own hearts? Any would work.

We see Abraham van Helsing playing professor before new students, an eccentric and engaging old showman, perhaps laying out some lesson on one of his myriad specialties that foreshadows events to come. Something to do with blood and disease? Or something to do with--admittedly shaky--psychological profiling of certain villainous minds. Conquerors and abusers and monsters, oh my.

We see Jonathan and Mina trying and failing not to brim over with excitement at the new job. His first assignment as a solicitor, and he is going traveling to meet the noble client himself! He's nervous, she's encouraging, they're both a little high on all the potential of their future. We see him kiss her ring. We see them kiss each other. One of their last nights together is spent talking of wedding venues and honeymoons. Is it possible to get married on a train?

We see Jonathan, Mina, and Lucy, the three tragic beats who are victims-to-be, who are the Start, Middle, and End, all together a single heady moment before the storm. They are young. They are in love. They are happy. Their lives are truly about to begin...

...And somewhere, in a distant darkness, in a high window of a cliffside castle, a shadow stands and stares. Lambent red eyes look unblinkingly out at the mountainous horizon, as if seeing those three prizes all laid out and waiting for him to take.

Which they are.

#no I'm not pining for a good faithful Dracula series why do you ask #-weeps in classic gothic lit fan- #dracula spoilers #dracula

[blowflyfag]

Wrestling Eye: November 1992

Shawn Michaels: A SINGULAR SENSATION! 

By Steve Muller

Transcript Below!!!

[Shawn Seems to be enjoying his new found success.]

Shawn Michael’s classic philosophic turn from babyfaced hero to arrogant, conceited bad guy was completed when he threw his longtime partner, Marty Jannetty, head-first through the plate glass window of Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop. If it was not the end of an era, it was certainly the end of the beginning of one. Until that rather dramatic partnership dissolution, the Rockers tag team had been one of the most successful duos in the mat sport’s history. 

Bugun as the Midnight Rockers in Verne Gagne’s now defunct and almost forgotten American Wrestling Associate, the Rockers were among the most exciting high flying teams this side of Japan. They became AWA World Champions at a very young age and it seemed they were destined to join teams like the Bastien Brothers, The Fabulous Kangaroos, the Graham Brothers, the Midnight Express and the Road Warriors in wrestling’s mythical Tag Team Hall of Fame. 

Indeed the Rockers possessed all the important elements necessary for tag team success as well as a few extras. They worked well in the ring together and employed complimentary styles. They moved dynamically and complicated teamwork was executed smoothly. Loaded with charisma, they excelled on interviews and in involving the arena crowds in their own personal dramas.

The Rockers were major successes not only in the AWA But on the independent circuit and then in the WWF, the Land of the Super Giants, where they excelled despite their relatively average size. Unfortunately, success did not last for Rockers. Insiders now say the team was doomed to fall from its inception. The team had a fatal flaw that eventually destroyed it.  Outside the ring, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels simply did not like each other/ Perhaps the mutual dislike developed  from a kind of friendly rivalry that often develops between longtime team members,  perhaps they never really liked each other only because they were so successful in the ring. But whatever the cause, the Rockers team had no future. 

The fated break-up was foreshadowed many times. Once, in a hotel in London, after a tough match, Micheals and Jannetty were stopped from punching each other into oblivion only by the quick intercession of WWF road managers. Another time, when there were no managers present, the tag duo battled each other in a parking lot behind a denver saloon, The two tag partners beat each other so badly that they had to be pulled off television for a month. 

The breakup of the team and subsequent emergence of Shawn Michaels as a major singles star was one of the best handled pieces of booking ever by the WWF brain trust. Shawn Michaels was craftily depicted as the cause of the breakup. 

 [Shawn and Sherri are quite a pair!]

During the buildup of the angle, Micahels slowly developed an arrogant, nasty persona. He repeatedly reprimanded Jannetty during matches for mistakes, mostly imagined ones, in full view of the arena crowd. Michaels utilized many tricks to steal the spotlight from his partner including refusing to tag out during easy television matches and pretending to leave the ring with Jannetty after a victory, only to return to it to enjoy the applause of the crowd alone. Shawn acted as if he were solely responsible for the team’s success. And the fans began to truly hate him. 

After the break-up took place, hardcore fans expected an exciting series of four star bouts between Jannetty and Micahels, both accomplished ring technicians and aerial move artists. 

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Marty Jannetty experienced some legal problems, and amid a cloud of rumors, left the WWF. He continued to wrestle on the independent circuit, and now that his legal problems have been resolved, there are rumors circulating that he will return to the WWF to feud with his former partner. However, at this time of this writing, the possibility of any Jannetty/Michaels matches is pure speculation. What is not speculation, however, is the amazing success Michaels has enjoyed since the break-up.

Shawn Michaels is now one of the WWF’s top singles stars and one of their top three villains. His interaction with new manager and spiritual cohort, Sensational Sherri clearly has established his new egotistical “boy-toy” persona. Additionally, his already great ring skills are increasing. Some of the matches in his continuing feud with Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title have been cited by experts as among the WWF’s best of the year–a major accomplishment even if it is a somewhat slow year for great matches in the WWF. There are some who believe that Michaels will eventually win the I-C belt and may already have done so by the time you read this. 

[Watch out, Shawn may be coming after you!]

Additionally, in the land of comic book mutants and graveyard denizens that the WWF has become, Michaels stands out as the wrestler who has gained success the old fashioned way–he has earned it through hard work in the ring and well planned character development outside of it. Michaels is a throwback to the days in the WWF when wrestlers had real names and believable personas. It seems Michaels has stepped directly out of those halcyon days when wrestlers were called Bruno, Pedor,, Bobby and Buddy, not Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, Bezerker, or Mountie. 

[Michaels is determined to wear gold in the near future]

Also, impressive is the transition itself, from tag to singles wrestling. Very few wrestlers have been able to make this change successfully, and even fewer have become bigger stars in singles competition than they were as part of a tag team. It seems that Michaels, together with Sensational Sherri, or the Sensational Sherri look-alike who remains unidentified but who has appeared with Michaels at arenas across America, will become a major star for a long time in the WWF. Experts have predicted that the WWF of the future. The WWF without Hulk Hogan, will be a time dominated by wrestlers ranging from Lex Luger to Sid Vicious/Justice to the Ultimate Warrior.

The experts may be wrong this time. The future WWF may well be a federation dominated by Shawn Micahels. Try it on: Shawn Micahels, World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. It does have kind of an innovative ring to it. After all, how long has it been since the WWF had a heavyweight champion with two names, a first and a last, neither of which are a nickname? Is the world really ready for this? From this writer’s standpoint, one can only hope so.

#this writer doesn't know how to have fuckin fun apperently #wwf #shawn michaels #HBK #heartbreak kid #Wrestling Eye Magazine #Wrestling magazine transcript #magazine transcript #sensational sherri

[lostuntothisworld]

Anne-Jeanne Theoxanne du Bocquale is a time traveling adopted daughter of Lukadrien Adrienette

This is the first of my crack theories I've decided to tackle, is very much a major crack theory.

I have no actual proof of anything, except that:

According to this now deleted interview that can be read via Internet Archive, Wilfried Pain tells a fan that there would be a new character from the future.

The Fandom Wiki seems to think this interview is discussing season 5, but after some back and forth with a mutual, we've come to the conclusion that it's actually discussing season 4, which just so happens to be the season that Anne-Jeanne is introduced.

I've seen multiple posts of people noticing that she has quite a bit more detail than you'd expect for a small side character. She doesn't look out of place at all next to our main girl Maribug, which you can't say for a lot of the designs of minor characters.

She was slotted to be a teacher to the kids in season 5, but apparently that was scrapped. Perhaps she'll be a teacher in the new school for season 6?

As for being Lukadrien's Adrienette's daughter...

The fandom wiki claims that the vision of a T-Rex Ladybug sees in the Burrow during Chat Blanc is foreshadowing of Anne-Jeanne's existence. I'm a bit skeptical on this, but Anne-Jeanne would have needed to somehow get DNA in order to bring the T-Rexes back to life, and in Time Tagger adult Bunnyx has a pet T-Rex named Denver.

Anne-Jeane is officially introduced in season 4's Hack-San, an episode that irrevocably fractures the LadyNoir partnership.

She shows up again in Rocketear, another episode that kicks LadyNoir while it's down. (After wrangling her T-Rexes, she says she's not really sure what to do with them, and wonders if it was really a good idea to bring them back to life... Kind of an ominous statement for a show where the deuteragonist is a boy born of magic, and whose creation caused the events of literally everything in the show.)

She has a short mention in Jubilation, where her T-Rex pigeon hybrids escape and go on a rampage. Nadja Chamack asks if she has gone too far with her science creations? Another ominous statement.

It's important to note, that Ladybug accidentally wears her friend's Alliance ring while capturing the hybrid dinosaurs, and thus, gets her friend who has been pretending to be Ladybug in hot water for possibly actually being Ladybug. It's interesting that Monarque doesn't even know Socqueline was impersonating a hero, he just sees her name in the Alliance alerts and goes after her. Of course Maribug thinks it's because she's been cosplaying being a hero and Monarque found out!

Anyway, I want to make a point that the dream sequence in Jubilation is very odd. It doesn't read to me as anything other than a child's idea of what love and marriage is. For one, both French citizens and foreigners need an entire forest of identification documentation, and they need to be married at a town hall in order to be legally binding. Only then can a religious ceremony take place. Obviously Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot do that, so they are only symbolically married at a church. The babies the couple are, for lack of better words, in possession of are inanimate dolls. There's a strange haze around the entirety of the dream sequence, just like the strange haze of the season 5 finale.

One of these days I'll do a line by line rundown of the Jubilation dream sequence, but that isn't the point I'm trying to make here. The point is this: the juxtaposition of Anne-Jeanne, the actual future daughter being the catalyst for whatever the hell Jubilation was, would be *chefs kiss* excellent storytelling.

FINALLY we have the final episode of season 5: Re-Creation. Anne-Jeanne makes a cameo in an interview where she gives an ominous message:

"We all remember the worldwide nightmare epidemic followed by the victory of Ladybug over Monarch...and how the swarm of magic ladybugs swarmed the planet to repair everything and free us. This even raised global awareness. We humans have accomplished incredible things throughout history. But still, we often fall victim to our emotions, because no one teaches us how to understand or deal with them... If we don't listen to what our fears, sadness or anger are trying to tell us—

Alya turns off the monitor, and the audience doesn't hear the lesson Anne-Jeanne is trying to convey. Gabemoth had taken advantage of negative emotions in order to akumatize his victims. Presumably, future Lilamoth will do the same.

The Paris special made it very clear that our universe Adrien is just distracting himself from his grief. Bottling up and ignoring doesn't do any good. He can avoid his hurt all he wants, but it's not getting to the core issue. He needs to address his emotions in order to heal.

More propaganda!

Anne-Jeanne's dress has moonflowers on it! Guess who loves flowers and has a lot of baggage concerning the moon! Yes, that's right, our boy Adrichat! Once again, Adrien being represented by the moon is a post for another day, BUT I DIGRESS.

Plagg is the reason the dinosaurs are extinct, and has a very particular grudge against T-Rexes in particular. Well, AnneJeanne brought the T-Rexes back to life!

More of a "Lukadrien's daughter headcanon", but I think Anne-Jeanne would be using a fake name if she's actually time traveling. I like the name Aurora because Luka's hero name Viperion is based off of Hyperion, the father of the dawn who was named Eos. Eos' Roman name is Aurora. Funnily enough, I checked the Luka Couffaine tag tonight and someone else thought his daughter would be named Aurora. I promise it was just a coincidence we both came up with this name! It also sticks to the Couffaine naming tradition of ending in "A", so it's still a pun on the French acouphène :D

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #cat noir #chat noir #miraculous ladybug season 6 #luka couffaine #anne-jeanne theoxanne du bocquale #miraculous ladybug theory #mlb theory #ml theory #meta #love square #ladynoir #adrinette #adrienette #lukadrien

[jackalmeat]

This particular little sequence between Vander and the two traders is neat to me in a low-grade way:

It says a great deal on its own that even people from Clearly Elsewhere know who Vander is, and that his identity/history carries enough weight for them to quickly deescalate when they realize exactly who they're dealing with. At this point we already know that Vander has a violent past; but hearing confirmation of the sobering reputation he carries from the mouths of people who aren't even from this area lends a greater sense of scale to that reputation -- (a quietly looming, ever-present understanding of what he's still capable of, even if he's 'not that man anymore') -- and implies that the scope and gravity of his past deeds go far beyond anything we yet know.

So, the fact that he conducted his life very differently in the past isn't new information in and of itself. The part that's actually more interesting to me than that is the language used in the above sequence, and how that language supports what we know about his past and offers possible, minor nuances, if not necessarily event clarity.

⚙️ Obviously 'Hound of the Underground' is a moniker that Vander earned in the past; but 'hound' nonetheless strikes me as a slightly unexpected choice of frightening beast motif on the surface level. Were it not for the 'Vander becomes Warwick' scenario that seems highly implied for the future -- (and thus, were there not a need to lean into certain, fitting themes for the sake of foreshadowing) -- I'd have expected a large, powerful man like Vander, known not for finesse as a fighter but for brute strength + durability, to be associated with something like a bear instead. In turn, that suggests to me that the in-universe + non-meta reason for this moniker had less to do with his physical traits, and more to do with behaviors/roles that he performed in the past.

The word "hound" -- (as opposed to others with similar meanings such as "dog", "cur", etc.) -- specifically invokes connotations of unrelenting fixation upon a target, pursuit, hunting, etc. It's interesting to think that a guy like Vander perhaps didn't actually earn the truly fearsome part of his reputation on the merits of his imposing strength, but rather the intensity (and effectiveness) of his 'prey drive', for lack of a better term. Maybe as someone who performed functions/deeds in the general vein of a repo man, hitman, etc.

⚙️ "I expected something...younger". The more natural choice of word in a scenario like this would generally be 'someone'. 'Something', while not necessarily incorrect, nonetheless rings in the ear strangely by comparison, and suggests that the trader's mental portrait/impression of Vander is so divorced from humanity or personhood as to be reflected here in her use of language.

Again, "foreshadowing toward the 'Vander becomes Warwick' scenario" is an obvious argument to invoke; but for now the most reasonable (and, once more, non-meta) explanation for the slightly unexpected word choice within the context of this moment is simply that Vander's past was indeed far more brutal, shocking, and/or unsettling than we as the audience yet realize -- so much so that this trader, who knows his reputation, very possibly perceives him not so much as a man, but more as a mythic figure, force of nature, or monster.

It's not deep stuff. But I do think it's neat all the same how much can be reasonably implied with a mere word.

#Arcane #Vander #Arcane meta

[magical-xirl-4]

I’m sure the Captain Time Travel association with Wilbur was entirely a joke between the writers that was also meant to somewhat foreshadow his role. Early on in the film we see Lewis has the lunchbox and then Wilbur shows up with the exact same logo claiming he’s from the future. It’s a little nod right?

But I want to take it a step further and actually propose there’s some lore we don’t know about, especially since the video game uses the logo for a sport in the future.

For the game, the developers likely didn’t know the association with a superhero in the film, it’s just a tiny little detail, and the game was designed to fit Wilbur’s image, hence the amount of lightning bolts in his room and on his Chargeball glove. But the logo is also present on the glove of the Chargeball champion, so to me that could be a connection between how the logo evolved into something for the sport.

Headcanon time!

The Chargeball/CTT connection and where it came from:

The logo behind Chargeball started as the insignia for a superhero that had been around since the 80s. Lewis had some of his merchandise in the form of a lunchbox and I believe he would’ve read a few of his comics. He would be a pop culture icon if he’d been printed on things, so Wilbur wearing his shirt wouldn’t have been off to Lewis. In fact Lewis would’ve thought he was a fan boy, especially with his time travel story.

Everything in the future was put together by Cornelius, so that means he designed the Chargeball glove with Wilbur in mind. I imagine he was offered a deal with a company to produce a new competitive sport, so he proposed the idea of adding the logo, and they loved it so they went through with it.

Captain Time Travel was perhaps in public domain so they were able to use the logo for themselves with no issue. Thus, the hero faded into obscurity with few knowing of the association, though it’s not clear on why Cornelius chose that design.

Wilbur and his relation to it:

He started playing Chargeball when he was 8 years old. He excelled in it greatly and by the time he was 10 he was competing in nationals with other kids his age, the tournaments of course being held in Todayland/Future City. You can see he has many trophies on his shelf in his room so he would’ve won a lot of games.

I believe sports like baseball would’ve actually faded out by then and been replaced by technologically enforced sports like this one (sorry Mike). Or, baseball would’ve evolved to use electronic balls and bats. Though it would be considered more primitive because it’s an old game that’s been altered slightly.

What exactly is Chargeball?

It’s… kind of hard to explain if you’ve played the game. The sport itself is accessible in Wilbur’s room, and you start it by walking up to his TV and pressing play.

So, is it all… virtual?

Wilbur could very well could be using a form of virtual reality to play, even when he fights the champion, it could entirely be within VR.

Except… the glove can actually fire electricity. And that’s how you play- by shooting balls of electricity towards the opponents side.

So, does it take place in VR or real life?

I think it can be a blend of both: Wilbur uses VR in his room to practice, but in reality you can actually compete in a real space with another player when you’re in a tournament ring.

Regardless, there would’ve been some law suits having taken place when it was first popularised. Wilbur uses it as a weapon in the game, so it’s very capable of hurting people or infrastructure. It implies it’s a very dangerous sort of sport too. In game it’s not enough to hurt other characters, but it’s enough to deal intense damage to robots and bio-mechanical beings (such as the ants).

#meet the robinsons #Wilbur Robinson #Cornelius Robinson #Lewis Robinson #Chargeball #captain time travel

[azbookblog2023]

The Best Man

The Best Man is a juvenile fiction book written by Richard Peck. This book was challenged in 2019 at an elementary school book fair after parents raised  concern due to the book containing LGBTQ+ content, specifically same sex marriage. The target age group for this book is children aged 9-12 years.

The story follows young Archer Magill who has spent most of his grade school years in search of a grown up role model. Some of Archer’s closest relationships are with his grandpa, dad, and uncle and he looks up to them the most. As Archer becomes a middle schooler, his search for more grown-up role models continues, and he adds Mr. McLeod, a teacher who stands up to the bullies to the list. As Archer transitions from grade school to middle school, he faces the challenges that come along with growing up such as navigating new friendships, dealing with bullies, and facing grief and love.  

As an Auntie to three boys I chose to review this book because I know how important it is for young boys to have male role models they can look up to. Similar to Archer, my nephews look up to their grandfathers, fathers, and uncles. However, as they’ve grown up new role models have entered their lives such as coaches and teachers. This book also carries important themes about acceptance, growing up, friendships, and family. The Best Man gives  representation to the LGBTQ+ community and addresses the topic with a heartfelt conversation between Archer and his Uncle Paul. This book is a great read for both boys and girls and addresses real life situations in a fun and heartfelt way.

For this review I will be evaluating: Character, Setting, and Theme.

Character: According to Young et al., "Good books must have characters that are unique and believable". Throughout this whole story the reader learns about the Magill family, Mr. McLeod, and Archer's new friends. It's easy for the reader to be drawn to the characters in this story because of how relatable they are. They each have different characteristics that might remind the reader of their own fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or even themselves. For most readers, the most relatable may be Archer himself. As the story progresses, Archer experiences the troubles that come with adolescence. As the reader I think the author did a good job executing this, I was transported back to my middle grade years, the struggles I faced when growing up, and the people I went to when I needed comforting.

Setting: The Best Man takes place in Chicago, and begins with a wedding and ends with a wedding. Moreover, much of the setting also takes place in middle school. The wedding is perhaps the most significant in this story. In the beginning of the book Archer is six and a ring bearer at a wedding. This takes place in the past, and is foreshadowing a significant event that will take place later in the book. That event is a wedding that takes place when Archie is in sixth grade, and two of his favorite people get married, his uncle Paul and his teacher. I think the Richard Peck did well with the setting in this book because he used it in both the past and the future allowing the reader to make the connection.

Theme: The central idea in this story is Archer's close relationship with his family. However there are other themes that the book touches on such as same-sex marriage, every day heroes, and what it means to grow up. This realistic fiction allows young readers to make connections to the world around them. Richard Peck did a good job in balancing out the many themes in the story to get the message of love is love.

References:

Peck, R. (2017). The best man. Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Young, T. A., Bryan, G., Jacobs, J. S., & Tunnell, M. O. (2020). Children’s literature, briefly. Pearson.

#3RD-7TH

[elegantwoes]

This chapter starts off with Ned being woried sick about Arya:

“They’ve found her, my lord.” Ned rose quickly. “Our men or Lannister’s?” “It was Jory,” his steward Vayon Poole replied. “She’s not been harmed.” “Thank the gods,” Ned said. His men had been searching for Arya for four days now, but the queen’s men had been out hunting as well. “Where is she? Tell Jory to bring her here at once.”

“Damn that woman!” Ned said, striding to the door. “Find Sansa and bring her to the audience chamber. Her voice may be needed.”

However his plan is thwarted by Cersei and her goons. Ned also request Sansa to be there. A rather awful suggestion in my opinion. Ned doesn't stop to consider in what difficult position he is putting Sansa in by making her testify against her FUTURE FAMILY. Alas he is a man and therefore he cannot understand the struggles of highborn ladies and just how easily they can be brutalized at the hand of their (future) husbands.

Arya stood in the center of the room, alone but for Jory Cassel, every eye upon her. “Arya,” Ned called loudly. He went to her, his boots ringing on the stone floor. When she saw him, she cried out and began to sob. Ned went to one knee and took her in his arms. She was shaking. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

It is gutwrenching to see Arya in this state. Both Robert and Cersei can go to the seven hells for putting her in this state.

“And what business is that?” Ned put ice in his voice. The queen stepped forward. “You know full well, Stark. This girl of yours attacked my son. Her and her butcher’s boy. That animal of hers tried to tear his arm off.” “That’s not true,” Arya said loudly. “She just bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah.”

While I do not really fault Nymeria for defending Arya in this situation she did not bit him a little.

As Arya began her story, Ned heard the door open behind him. He glanced back and saw Vayon Poole enter with Sansa.

Sansa enteres the scene. It should be noted that this radically different from the show version where Sansa is brought forward at the request of Cersei, giving the impression that Sansa is siding with the Lannisters on this. Ugh.. this is why I HATE the show.

“They were not the only ones present,” Ned said. “Sansa, come here.” Ned had heard her version of the story the night Arya had vanished. He knew the truth. “Tell us what happened.” His eldest daughter stepped forward hesitantly. She was dressed in blue velvets trimmed with white, a silver chain around her neck.

Sansa is wearing a silver chain on her neck. Foreshadowing her future capture and victimization at the hand of the Lannister family.

She blinked at her sister, then at the young prince. “I don’t know,” she said tearfully, looking as though she wanted to bolt. “I don’t remember. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t see …”

Anyone with a critical eye would see that Sansa look first at Arya and then at Joffrey before answering establishes that she doesn't want to pick any side and decided to stay neutral for both their sakes, but tell that to a certain section of the fandom.

“You rotten!” Arya shrieked. She flew at her sister like an arrow, knocking Sansa down to the ground, pummeling her. “Liar, liar, liar, liar.”

I get that Arya is angry and scared, but that doesn't excuse her behavior in here. Just as it isn't okay Sansa throws insults at Arya because she's angry. It isn't okay that Arya resorts to violence just because she's angry.

“Seven hells,” Robert swore. “Cersei, look at her. She’s a child. What would you have me do, whip her through the streets? Damn it, children fight. It’s over. No lasting harm was done.” The queen was furious. “Joff will carry those scars for the rest of his life.” Robert Baratheon looked at his eldest son. “So he will. Perhaps they will teach him a lesson. Ned, see that your daughter is disciplined. I will do the same with my son.” “Gladly, Your Grace,” Ned said with vast relief. Robert started to walk away, but the queen was not done. “And what of the direwolf?” she called after him. “What of the beast that savaged your son?” The king stopped, turned back, frowned. “I’d forgotten about the damned wolf.”

It should be noted that the conversation about Joffrey and Arya was completely OVER AT THIS POINT and yet Cersei brought up the direwolf. These are TWO seperate conversations. Even if Sansa had told the truth, Cersei would have brought the direwolf and the scenario would turn out the same.

Ned could see Arya tense in Jory’s arms. Jory spoke up quickly. “We found no trace of the direwolf, Your Grace.” Robert did not look unhappy. “No? So be it.”

You can clearly see that Robert was somewhat relieved about this, clearly establishing he isn't that in favor of killing the direwolf either, and yet still he will chose to agree with killing Lady. Words cannot describe how happy I am he will die in this book.

All Ned could do was take her in his arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the room at Robert. His old friend, closer than any brother. “Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please.” The king looked at them for a long moment, then turned his eyes on his wife. “Damn you, Cersei,” he said with loathing

Robert really doesn't like to be seen as anything less than a hero. Yet here you are, acting like a damn villain. God, I hate Robert Baratheon.

“No,” Ned said. “Jory, take the girls back to their rooms and bring me Ice.” The words tasted of bile in his throat, but he forced them out. “If it must be done, I will do it.”

A second innocent Northener dies by beheading. First it was Gared, now it's poor Lady, and by the end of this book, it will be Ned.

He was walking back to the tower to give himself up to sleep at last when Sandor Clegane and his riders came pounding through the castle gate, back from their hunt. There was something slung over the back of his destrier, a heavy shape wrapped in a bloody cloak. “No sign of your daughter, Hand,” the Hound rasped down, “but the day was not wholly wasted. We got her little pet.” He reached back and shoved the burden off, and it fell with a thump in front of Ned. Bending, Ned pulled back the cloak, dreading the words he would have to find for Arya, but it was not Nymeria after all. It was the butcher’s boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood.

Here we have Ned feeling a bit relieved it was Mycah who was killed instead of Nymeria by Cujo come again. Remind me again why he isn't accused of being a classist in this fandom?

He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above. “You rode him down,” Ned said. The Hound’s eyes seemed to glitter through the steel of that hideous dog’shead helm. “He ran.” He looked at Ned’s face and laughed. “But not very fast.

Here we have the man who murdered poor little Mycah, and very rarely does the fandom hold him accountable for this. If Cujo come again doesn't end up asnwering for brutally killing Mycah by the end of this book series then I will have a strict talk with you, George RR Martin.

#ASOIAF reread project #rereading agot #Ned Stark critical #Anti ASOIAF fandom #warning you will sense my hatred for some characters in this post

[musictheory]

The Rocky Horror MEGA Theory

This is it The Rocky Horror MEGA Theory a compilation of all theories including a few new longer theories and a few notes I’ve picked up about certain songs.

(please note some songs aren't here or have very little analysis as I had little/ nothing to say about that. I’m sorry if I excluded any of your favourite songs.)

Science Fiction Double Feature is the opening song to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yet the foreshadowing went over my head until my classmate passed this theory onto me. Today we will see Richard O'Brien foreshadowing the entire plot of rocky horror through clever references and 

a nod to the classics. 

“Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still” Is a nod to the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still where extraterrestrial visitors break havoc on earth as the government scrambles to stop it. This parallels the Transylvanians. Instead of causing catastrophic harm they evoke a social change in society through Brad and Jannet (who are microcosms for 1970s society) and change their perspective of the world by exposing them to the strange and unusual. Alternatively, perhaps this is symbolic of Brad and Jannet's failing relationship and Brad doing little to fix it standing by while his fiance runs into the arms of another man.

“Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear” Is a reference to the superhero Flash Gordon, a Yale graduate who embarks on a mission to planet Mongo, which imposes danger on earth. Is symbolic of Rocky Horror and also gives the musical a cynical structure as it links back to the closing song “superheroes” allowing me to infer when Jannet was talking about “superheroes come to feast” She implied that the sexual experience she had with Rocky is going to be at the four front of her mind for a while.

“At a deadly pace it came from outer space” exposes the plot twist at the end of the movie of the Transylvanians being extra terrestrial. There are countless movies which I could pick on and show the connections to the plot of Rocky Horror but this song shows us we should take nothing we are being shown in Rocky Horror at face value, always analyzing and always inferring. Therefore, Richard O'Brien is one of my favorite composers as he was way ahead of his time and he put quality thought into the world he was creating.

The final quote I want to highlight is “when worlds collide”. Rocky Horror brought out a new side of society, being able to express ourselves freely, not caring about the opinion of most of society focusing on themselves and social change for the future generations where we can be who we are with no scrutiny.

Dammit, Jannet is the first peak we have into Brad and Jannet and shows young romance (statistically going to fail) but here's a few notes.

-Brad is talking about how difficult it was to get to this point. I think this is an early sign of him holding back his sexuality.

-User @pant-lit has full credit to this theory. The Transylvanians are at the funeral home to collect parts for Rocky 

-First sign of Jannet not being interested in the relationship being more concerned about the ring and up leveling her friends.

(note one paragraph has been copy and pasted from a prior essay)

Over at the Frankenstein is symbolic of societies progression in the 1970s towards more alternative and sexually liberated life styles and the growing possibility of communities rising out of obscurity and benefiting society as they come to a more liberated views and values.

Late 1960s and the early 1970s undeniably sparked a chain of change for those in the LGBTQ+ community spanning from 1967 where homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales.1969 stonewall riots protesting the treatment of members in the USA and Cuba. A year later 1970 the American Psychiatric Association ruled 13-0 that homosexuality should be taken off the list of mental disorders. 15th of August 1975 was the premier of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. First rated 2.5 stars out of 4 from critics. It didn’t become a cult classic straight away, however; it found a place in the hearts of LGBTQ+ members and allies that loved the sexual liberation and the androgyny that the movie brought to the screen. We can credit actors such as Tim Curry and the rock legend Meatloaf and the rest of the cast for the movie's timelessness.

In Janet's verse, Richard O Brian highlights the accepting nature of the LGBTQ+ community and how it creates a change in societal norms by teaching those who are curious. In the first two lines “in the velvet darkness of the blackest night” is a metaphor of pre-1970s society and the republican views it held and the prejudice which it spread causing a community being marginalized from society despite protesting for equality and acceptance. Later in the verse the lines “burning bright, there's a guiding star, no matter what or who you are.” Is valuing the role of the LGBTQ+ community in bringing a new light to society and guiding it into a one of acceptance and love. Alternatively, this is Richard O Brian expressing that Brad and Janet are microcosms for the 1970s society which would allow more analysis of Richard's interpretation of society through character arcs.

In the original, Brad hasn’t got his own verse; however, in many stage plays Brad has the lines “I can see the flag fly, I can see the rain, just the same, there has got to be something better here for you and me.” I won’t go into great detail considering it's not canonical to the original movie adaptation. For the line “I can see the flag fly” I consider this as Frank N Furter's mansions almost being a white flag for Brad and Janet as they surrender their republican views in the benefit of more liberated ones. “Something better for you and me” Is Brad understanding the new society they are going into isn’t going to negatively impact them rather expand their mindset on the world.

Riff Raff verse highlights the breath of fresh air and the metaphorical weight of expectation being lifted off their shoulders. His most notable line is “flow morphia flow”. Morphia was the original name for the common drug morphine now used for pain relief. This is symbolic of Frank N Furter house being a safe place and promoting identity no matter how weird or outlandish.

This song is fundamental for analysis on Richard O Brian's meaning and interpretation on the society around him otherwise the message of the movie wouldn’t be as clear.

Time Warp is one of the most well-known songs to come out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show even a first time Rocky Horror watchers can do a jump to the left and a step to the right. But putting dance moves aside the song shows how the Transylvanians arrived on Earth and the foreshadowing to the backstabbing of Riff Raff and Magenta.

Riff Raff line “I’ve got to keep control” initially read to me as Riff Raff trying to grab Brad and Jannet’s attention however, through my countless re-watches of the movie I’m believing Riff Raff saw Brad and Jannet as a stop to his and Magentas plans. For example, in the film's entirety we can see Riff Raff and Magenta plot with each other through a hand signal they do repeatedly (editor Rez here this may be far fetched but their hand gesture looks like the signal tower at the end of the movie maybe foreshadowing Rocky’s and Franks final moments). We also see them sabotage Frank N Furter's plans letting Rocky go while indirectly stopping Frank from “entertaining” Brad. Another theory I have for Frank N Furter's original mission is to enslave humanity and the reason he made Rocky was to be desirable for all, making it easier for him to manipulate others for the benefit of the Transylvanians. Here, Brad and Jannet would be the test subjects and I believe if Frank wasn’t interrupted his mission would have been successful as he would have blackmail to hold over Brad and Jannet’s making them his new human slaves which could allow him to use them as bate for the rest of humanity.

“The blankness would hit me and the void would be calling” is a reference to the time warp/ Blackhole they traveled through to get to Earth. For example, for around 100 years physicists have known of time warp in fact the space between the Earth and the sun is a sort of time warp. Einstein argued that gravity is the property of curving space and time. Blackholes can dilate time however once you get to the point called the event horizon whatever you brought with you can’t come back. The following line “let’s do the time warp again” shows the Transylvanians wanting to go back but waiting on Franks “audio vibratory physio-molecular transport device” to get them back waiting for him to finish (ha) so they can regain control and go back to Transylvania shooting their matter through space and time.

Another bit of evidence into enslaving humanity is the quote “in another dimension with voyeuristic intention”. Voyeuristic is a word which wasn't priorly in my vocabulary but the definition goes: relating to or denoting sexual pleasure gained from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.  

Now Columbia's verse is a can of worms. In summary, it explains how Columbia became a groupie for Frank N Furter. “A snake of a guy gave me an evil wink” Could link to the biblical story in the Garden of Eden. God warns Adam and Eve not to take from the tree of knowledge lying to them both saying they would “surely die”. However, the serpent tempts Eve stating “your eyes will be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Eve eats from the tree and gives some to Adam. God bans them from the garden of Eden. This mirrors what happened to Brad and Jannet, seeing only the good in the world but being exposed to the restricted, increasing their curiosity and changing their life forever. Which makes me think Columbia was a relatively normal person before she got abducted. “time meant nothing never would again” allows us to infer that Columbia can’t remember how long she’s been there falling into a depression as everything gets ripped away from her or time moving differently in the mansion.

Richard O'Brien is a master of foreshadowing. What else could we be missing in his writing?

Frank N Furter has been labelled a gay icon through his disregard for gender norms and the sexual liberty that he spreads to everyone in his presence allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community to take to the streets and be out and proud. 

Here’s a few notes I have about Sweet Transvestite:

The candy man that Frank was referencing was a drug dealer. In the 1970s harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin became more popular. The average age of users being 15-35 which we can infer is the age of the characters in the Mansion.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is an amazing message to apply to anyone but carries more meaning to Frank N Furter as Brad and Jannet judged him on his sexuality and behavior not sensing stranger danger and made themselves vulnerable.

“You both look pretty groovy,” the sarcasm

“You got caught with a flat” the fact that Frank knows this makes me believe he orchestrated the entire night (except for Eddie as he seemed surprised when he popped out of the freezer) to lure Brad and Jannet in. They evidence this in the quote “maybe the rain isn’t really to blame” hinting to the fact he caused the flat tire somehow. 

(This analysis is less lyric by lyric rather than two theories spurred on by this song. And a little head cannon at the end. This theory is rather sloppy and I apologies)

Richard O'Brien's structuring of the Rocky Horror Picture Show allows for the songs to be filled with meaning and comments on the society it is based on. This allows for generations of fans to analyze songs and start discussions. However, Richard may have never intended on takes that fans created and I believe this is going to be one of them. Today I will discuss the concept of imperfection in perfection supported by a centuries old parable on idolisation and seeing things at face value.

The sword of Damocles takes its name from a 45. BC parable. To thoroughly get my future points across I’ll summarize the story and evidence it later. 

The story follows the tyrant king Dionysius who had become weary of the evidence he had created for himself. He lived in constant fear only trusting those closest to him. The court flatterer Damocles showered the king with compliments explaining how sublime his life must be. This angered the king and offered him to take his place. The court flatterer agreed and sat on the tyrant's golden throne. All the servants waited for him with gifts of oil and fine cuts of food. He soon looked up and his eyes were met with a razor-sharp sword being hung from the ceiling with a single strand of horsehair. Damocles soon became anxious, understanding the weight of the situation. How can this apply to Rocky? Instead of impeccable wealth Frank has specifically made Rocky to be the “perfect man” being modeled by Charles Atlas the most well-known bodybuilder of the 70s. However, behind the scenes we see Rocky struggle with a form of mental health and being sexualised from birth being seen as nothing more than sexual relief to Frank N Furter. Rocky is the first example of Frank N Furter 2 sidedness. 

Based on a few headcanons I believe Rocky was completely aware of why he was created. “I am at the start of a pretty big downer” understanding the rest of his life on being nothing more than a sex slave for Frank.

It is also apparent that Rocky's song is foreshadowing of the rest of the events of the November night. “Someones gonna be cutting the thread” is symbolic of the end of his life. He got the production wrong though but I guess the fling of the RKO radio tower doesn’t roll off the tongue just the same (see I did a comedy).

Head cannon

-I think parts of Eddie's brain was used to make Rocky (hence the scar on his head)

-I don’t think Frank Frankensteined it actually developed a functioning “human'' from baby to now. 

-Rocky was Frank's original mission.

(sorry for how short this theory is planning something bigger will make an update later today)

I can make you a man and hot patootie some of my favorite songs however lore wise it is lacking but here are some fun theories.

I can make you a man:

Rocky was modelled from the bodybuilder Charles Atlas working through his dynamic tension course.

“In just seven days I can make you a man” echoes Charles Atlas’ motto however, can also link back to the story of creation. The universe being built in seven days and seven nights.

Also “I can make you a man” is Frank's very subtle way of explaining that he’s going to make him extremely good at sex.

Hot patootie:

“When you dressed up sharp, and you felt alright” differs from the sword of Damocles lyric “I’m dressed up with no place to go”. It would make sense as they both share a half of the same brain.

“Doesn’t seem the same since cosmic light” may be a reference to when he first met the Transylvanian

This is all a love song to Columbia which visibly angers Frank as the attention isn’t on him anymore.

Rocky Horror Picture Show normalised a more sexually active lifestyle and breaking out of traditional values that society expects us to follow. Let’s have a look at the song that allowed the peak of Janet Weiss' character arc.

“I’ve only ever kissed before'' confirmed what everyone in the castle was already thinking. Jannet was a virgin before Frank. “There was no use getting into heavy petting, it only leads to trouble” can be read two main ways. One is that Jannet didn’t have a reason to have sex as through her religious upbringing telling her it only leads to trouble. This “trouble” in this context could indulge in the sin of lust or catching an STD. Or you could interpret it as Jannet not wanting to become pregnant especially with Frank N Furter's baby out of wedlock. 

“I've tasted blood and I want more” is a reference to her going head first into her primal instincts to allow her sexual side to seep through. The line “Give yourself over to absolute pleasure” has come to the forefront of Jannet’s mind almost like a devil on her shoulder yet she doesn’t have the willpower to say no.

“I’ll put up no resistance” is Jannet trying to grab a part of her innocence back playing the part of a petite undefended woman. We see Brad do this in Rose Tint My World asking help from his mommy. This reluctance would come full circle in superheroes as they both have to face society with their newfound identity.

The repeating line “creature of the night” at the end of the song is Jannet’s sexual awakening as she wonders what it would be like to have sex with all these different people and enjoying the thought of lust taking over her life.

Eddie’s Teddy:

The repetition of mother in the movie shows there is a sense of innocence in these characters allowing them to be seen as redeemable in the eyes of the 1970s audience.

“Stay sane inside” is Columbia trying to warn Eddie of what’s about to happen to him and trying to get him out as soon as possible

“They mustn’t carry out their evil scheme” tells me everyone in the house knew of Frank’s mission, however if they were to speak out they would use their body for Rocky 

Planet Shament Janet is one of the most overlooked songs in the Rocky Horror Picture Show film adaptation but what does it reveal about the plot. It may seem that this song is Frank N Furter insulting Janet’s sexual ability but what if it told you it reveals the Transylvanian's true intentions on Earth or the fragility of Janet’s mental state. 

On one hand Planet Shament highlights the desperate situation that Brad, Doctor Scott and Janet are in. Repetition of the line “wise up Janet Weiss” is Frank N Furter truthfully expressing to Janet that the situation she is in is no longer one of sexual liberation rather a circumstance crafted by his own manipulation to aid his true intentions for coming to Earth. In verse 2 Richard uses the lyric “wound up like an e or first string” comparing Janet to the most fragile and on the verge to breaking string on a guitar. In Janet’s character at this point we know she is extremely fragile to the circumstance as she battles away the negative thoughts of being loyal to someone other than Brad along with being on the verge of breaking as her whole sheltered existence has been shattered right in front of her. Alternatively, perhaps this is a criticism of Janet’s naivety and self-centeredness which has been shown in abundance throughout the musical through materialistic and self-indulgent actions.

Yet it also shows the Transylvanians true intentions with the humans. In verse 2 the line “I’ve laid the seed it should be all you need” exposes the Transylvanians goal to replicate human DNA on the planet of Transexual Transylvania and threw assumptions we can infer that they would use them for sexual needs (gruesome i know). We know that Frank was trying to find the secret of life however, his “accident” leads me to believe prior he understood little about human sex cells such as sperm and eggs and their importance on human life. Noticing how he seems to be targeting Janet in this scene allows me to deduce that he’s using Janet's body to carry on his research. Furthermore, in verse 3 the placement of the dialogue is extremely important. I've noticed in many stage places they either do it before the song or not at all. Janet’s dialogue “we’re trapped” followed by Frank's response of “it's something you’ll get used to” emphasizes his intentions with Janet of caging her up like an animal to carry on his lustful experiments. 

A small deviation yet the quote “when we made it did you hear a bell ring” Foreshadows the events of the floorshow as Frank's time is limited to do his original mission on Earth.

(sorry this is rather short this song has got quite a few repetitive lyrics, but I tried my best (:    )

Tw: abuse (sexual,emotional,physical)

Rose tint my world is definitely one of the most catchy songs but the hidden meaning behind it all shouldn’t go over your head. Through in-depth character revelations to what comes next for Brad and Jannet and we will reveal Columbias descent into utter despisement for Frank.

In rose tint my world Richard O Brian exposes the manipulative nature of Frank N Furter and the pattern of codependent relationships by forcing his victims to be isolated from the rest of society. Columbia steals the first verse in her lines “it was great when it all began”. Through prior character notes Frank is charming and attentive. Many abusive relationships start off with this (note every relationship that follows this will not become abusive this is just how manipulators hook you into their game before it starts). Sociologists argue there are 4 stages of abuse: first tension. With Columbia the tension starts with Eddie joining the Transylvanian group. We know this in the line “First you spurned me for Eddie''. Stage 2 is an incident. Frank definitely disapproved of Eddie and Columbias relationship and understood that injuring Eddie would cause severe emotional trauma to Columbia. This allowed him to keep Columbia under his control through fear while also becoming a sexual manipulator as it implies they have a sexual relationship with eachother while this goes on. Stage 3 is reconciliation; They show this through the house wide rule not to talk about Eddie. The 4th stage is calm which we can infer is from Eddie’s initial “death” and the Transylvanian convention. This repeats itself on the events of the November night. 

The second half of her verse starts off with the line “Now the only thing that gives me hope… love of a certain dope.” They imply that the “dope” is a reference to Eddie as we see throughout the film Columbia taking refuge in the memory of Eddie. The norm that Eddie brought to Columbia gave her an accurate view of reality. This is clear in how a mention of Eddie causes Columbia to break away from her normally preppy self. The repetitive line “Rose tint my world keeps me safe from my trouble and pain.” Has similar but different meanings for each character. For Columbia she is choosing to be naïve about the world around her as she no longer has reality to be comforted by.

The next verse is Rocky's where we see the adverse effects of Frank’s hyper sexuality personified. For example, in the lyric “my libido hasn’t been controlled” exposes the instability of pure mindless lust. A lack of personal control causes others to be hurt furthering the point of Frank being a sexual manipulator even going to the whim of building a person to relieve himself. Another notable line is “The only thing I’ve come to trust is an orgasmic rush of lust” highlights how the only constant in Rocky’s life is sexual pleasure caused by Frank sexualising him from the moment he was born. “Rose tint my world keeps me safe from my trouble and pain” in reference to rocky is his childhood naivety rather than shutting out reality like Columbia.

                                                                                                                                Unlike Columbia and Rocky’s, Brad's verse is not a criticism of Frank rather exploring his sexuality and the problem of accepting himself and his new lifestyle.Brad sings the third verse with the lyrics “It's beyond me”. This could be a subtle nod towards Brad’s sexuality finally understanding its something he can't hide from himself and others somewhat ruling over his life. Contrasting his prior beliefs at the beginning of the film as we can infer that he follows the words of a christian god. In the 1970s religion had a greater effect on society compared to modern times. Furthermore, the lyric “help me mommy” is a plea for his innocence depicting the internal crisis he is now facing. Caught between two mindsets praising his new found freedom while simultaneously shunning himself. We see a sort of resolve to this issue in the quotation “what’s this lets see, I feel sexy!” showing that he doesn’t restrict himself from feeling sexual desire and in the format of the Frank N Furter house he feels safe and excepted. For me the lines “rose tint my world keep me safe from my trouble and pain” (despite him not saying it directly in the song) with Brad is him not wanting to re-enter society as he fears the social repercussions as being a sexually liberated gay/bi man.

Unlike like the other characters (excluding Brad as he had no clear opinion on Frank) Jannet has a positive view of Frank N Furter talking about the sexual freedom she know has access to. In the line “I feel a release” there is no question this is symbolic of the pressure around purity culture falling off her soldiers after having 1 and a half positive sexual experiences (i say this because her relationship with Frank is iffy). In the quotation “Reality is here” rather than mirroring 1975 society is showing how she wants to live her life from now on. Yet for me the closing lines “It's a gas that Franky landed, his lust is so sincere” is the most interesting part of her verse. This contrasts the events of planet shamanett as Frank N Furter openly criticised her and the sexual interaction they had with each other. Jannet’s rose tint my world is her allowing herself to continue to see no worries to avoid going back to old beliefs.

Based on my analysis of this song i have a convincing argument to show this song definitively show Columbia as being the most tortured character in the play's entirety. Being led down a cycle of abuse only being considered as Frank’s plaything.

Frank was an extremely manipulative character sacrificing other people's bodies and mental sanity to aid his own sexual desires and goals. But I’m going home gives us Frank's origin story and allows us to sympathize with him.

“I want to come again and stay, smile and that will mean I may” Is Frank stating he wants to stay on earth for eternity but he wants acceptance and for him to be seen as normal in the eyes of society. This could be Richard O’Brien stating that society will never be completely accepting, always marginalizing the bizarre and unknown.

“Cause I’ve seen blue skies through the tears in my eyes” Despite the events of tonight Frank still sees hope for humanity seeing both the good and evil but relying on the good memories to keep him going.

“Everywhere it's been the same, like I'm outside in the rain” is showing Frank never really fitted in anywhere looking for a place to call his permanent home and dying doing so.

Frank is performing to an audience I think this is symbolic of the community he wanted to create but his sexual desires derailed that causing havoc through society 

“Superheroes” Rocky Horror Picture Show analysis 

Historical context: 

Late 1960s and the early 1970s undeniably sparked a chain of change for those in the LGBTQ+ community spanning from 1967 where homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales.1969 stonewall riots protesting the treatment of members in the USA and Cuba. A year later 1970 the American Psychiatric Association ruled 13-0 that homosexuality should be taken off the list of mental disorders. 15th of August 1975 was the premier of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. First rated 2.5 stars out of 4 from critics. It didn’t become a cult classic straight away, however; it found a place in the hearts of LGBTQ+ members and allies that loved the sexual liberation and the androgyny that the movie brought to the screen. We can credit actors such as Tim Curry and the rock legend Meatloaf and the rest of the cast for the movie's timelessness.

Song analysis:

“Superheroes” composed by Richard O Brian successfully shows societies two perspectives of the exposure of LGBTQ+ media and lifestyle. On one hand, the fear of it confusing the younger generations and the other understanding that acceptance is the next stage for society. Rocky Horror creates a bridge to both opinions while still having a moral message bringing us all together. “Don’t dream it, be it.” 

First let's talk about Brad Majors. Through the film we see him propose to Janet Weiss, enter the castle and being exposed to an alternative lifestyle even being able to be involved after having sexual relations with Frank N Furter. In the floorshow, it’s revealed that Brad is having an internal conflict between his taught purity shown by him calling for his “mommy” (a symbol of innocence) yet still enjoying the sinful feeling of lust. However, superheroes highlight his vulnerability after the curtains are drawn, and he now has to face the music of society and the social repercussions that come with being outside the norm. In the lines “to find the truth I even lied” could be a nod to his sexuality and hiding it away from others and partially himself. Furthermore, him collapsing at the end of his verse could be symbolic of the weakness he feels after the safe space of the Frank N Furter house has been ripped away from him. Adversely perhaps his verse is an overarching metaphor on the search for the meaning of life and reliant on a higher power. Both Brad and Janet’s worlds were shattered that night in November but for Brad, he fears repercussions from an angry god. Brad's arc supports the theory of it destroying young adults however in Janet we see the other side of the coin.

In Janet Weiss’ character arc we see her grow from materialistic (shown by her being inflicted by the ring comparing it to her newly wed friends), to being sexually liberated twice, once with Frank N Furter and another by Rocky. The song “Touch-a touch me” is the peak of her character arc as she understands she can give into primitive desires. Her lines “taste the flesh not yet deceased” and “The beast in feeding” all have connotations of sexual desire it takes over her passions and old beliefs. Linking back to the floorshow, “My mind has been expanded” shows the contrasting argument to what Brad represents showing the positives of sexual discovery allowing an individual to see the world in a new light. “superheroes” may link back to the Transylvanians effectively communicating that Janet doesn’t see tonight as a negative experience rather something that has positively changed the course of her life going onwards. At the end of the scene we see Brad and Janet crawling away from each other highlighting the opposite perspectives as they no longer have the connection of purity in the same degree as their first introduction. Alternatively Janet’s verse could be a metaphor of societies changing towards a more excepting one. “Still the beast is feeding” conveys how this rapid change will only get better.

The criminologist/ narrator has the most sociological view. “Lost in time, lost in space, and meaning” links back to the fragility of human morality and looking for a higher power on who you can mirror in hopes of the most sanctified life. Society will instantly follow the one with the higher power but when said person may or may not exist society becomes torn between conflicting opinions. “Some insects called the human race” reveals that no matter if tonight happened Brad and Janet would have a similar experience as their primal instinct would kick in and they would be led down the same path.

In my opinion, Superheroes is the most revealing and sentimental song in the entire movie and the fact it was cut from a lot of the movie renditions is quite upsetting.

#rocky horror picture show #rocky horror #rocky hororr picture #rhps #brad majors #brad rhps #rhps brad #Jannet Weiss #jannet rhps #rhps jannet #frank n furter #Frank N Furter rhps #columbia #columbia rocky horror #columbia rhps #magenta #magenta rhps #rocky #rocky rhps #doctor scott #scott rhps #riff raff #riff raff rhps #eddie rhps #eddie #science fiction #dammit jannet #there's a light #time warp #sweet transvestite

[undead-merman]

I really enjoyed all of your siren/mermaid obey me headcannons and fics! The descriptions of the boys were so cool and well researched!

In the beach event the boys have you swallow a pearl that lets you breath under water, but mention one that actually turns you into a mer! Hopefully foreshadowing for a future event.~

But with your yandere sirens how would the boys react to a darling that after seeing how sad they get because of separation, or limited underwater time finds one of the mermaid transformation pills and surprises them with it?

I loved all of your siren stories so much but loved Simeon, Lucifer, and Asmodeus' the most. So maybe dealer's choice between them?

I'm glad you enjoyed them, underwater monsters are some of my favorites to write as I enjoy reading about marine life, and I agree I'd like to see some kind of future event around this though who knows... I didn't see the beach event, so I just made up shit as I went.

🧜‍♂️Yandere Siren Lucifer and Simeon🧜‍♂️ with an S/O who wants to become a Mer GN- Reader

Lucifer

The Struggles of Before

He thought it was cute seeing you pout or jump to him when he came back from being gone for so long his tail would dance behind him as he brought you into the shallow water, you wrapped in his arms.

At first he had a difficult time gauging how long and how far a human could dive and he admits to taking you too deep once because of it, though he has never stopped apologizing for that. The world beneath the sea is so bright and colorful, very different compared to life on land and being a mer had such a charm to it compared to an ordinary human.

He didn’t mind you being human at all; he enjoyed the differences the two of you had. It helped him have a broader view on even the littlest aspects of his life. Though if you mentioned you’ve wished to turn, he would let you explore the idea and mention there being a pearl that could fulfill that desire. He described its look, feeling, and where it was typically found but informed you that they’re rare and extremely difficult to find.

He does take a moment every once in a while to think of how enchanting you would be as a mer, perhaps you’d be a bright and shining mer with dazzling colors or perhaps deeper and darker colors more suited for twilight.

Seeing your transformation

You just happened to be strolling along the shore when you spotted an interesting looking object, discovering it to be exactly like what Lucifer described the pearl to be. You felt a bit of pride surge in you for finding something so incredibly rare just laying around.

When he returns home he feels something amiss and when he breaches the surface to call out for you. When he spots you, you can see his eyes go wide in a way you've never seen before. He doesn't say anything for a moment, but after some silence he asks you if you had your first breath underwater. He’ll lead you down into the water holding both of your hands as you flick your tail to follow and when you take a breath it feels no different than breathing air. He pulls you into his arms overjoyed to finally see how you would look and it's so much better than anything he could have imagined.

He does nag you for doing something like that without him there though, saying that something could have gone wrong or maybe you had misidentified what you had seen and taken something dangerous; however, if you kiss him he’ll stop and just relish the feeling.

When everything has calmed down he takes you to explore and shows you more of what the ocean has to offer though he demands you hold onto his hand. You're not used to your new body yet and he wants to keep an extra close eye on you until you are.

Adjusting to life After

It takes time for you to adjust to a tail rather than legs. Even if you're good at swimming it takes time to feel out your new more flexible limb and build muscles. You tire easily and your taste buds change, leaving you with a period of finding many foods that taste terrible, though starving you eat it regardless. Lucifer is able to find a palatable meal for both of you to enjoy.

During the time of adjustment he refuses to let you wander around by yourself and you must have him with you. He can’t trust anyone around you and he’s very content to have an excuse to keep you by his side 24/7.

After everything is settled he’s still sure to find a way to keep you by his side, now more than ever, since you can swim alongside him. He’s weary when he feels another siren around you; compared to sirens, you're much more of a gentle creature. He needs to protect you and keep everything away.

Now that you’ve become a mer he'll be thrilled to spend the rest of entirety with you. Together and bound.

Simeon

The Struggles of Before

He felt just the way you did. He got anxious when he had to part with you, always feeling sad having to leave you all alone, though that made reunions all the sweeter when he returned and called out for you with open arms and had you run into them. Oh it makes his heart sing when you run into his arms.

He did admit to you that he wished to take you farther and deeper to explore his home, but understood your human limitations; you can see how much he wished he could though. He’d give you a gentle smile and tell you you’re perfect the way you are, he fell in love with you, not your form.

Though if you told him you have an interest in changing, he tells you no matter what form you take he’ll love forever; though his shaking tail and blushing face give away how excited he is about the idea.

He tells you about the pearl, in a fairytale fashion, all while he is looking to see if you're entertained. He does let you know how rare they are but he'll find it for you if you truly wish to change.

He won't admit it since he doesn't want to influence your decision but he often fantasizes about how you'd look swimming with a dazzling mer tail playing along with the sea creatures, or as a fierce siren with large fangs and claws, powerful with no mercy.

Seeing your transformation

You just happened to be looking into the water when he was away hunting and found the exact pearl Simeon described. You scooped it up and gulped it down excited to find something so hard to find just in the cave.

Simeon comes home with alarm bells ringing and completely forgets his prey to swim like a bullet to you to make sure you're safe when he sees your new form in the water. He stops for a moment before a huge smile splits across his face and he is swimming up and tackling you while grabbing your hands, shoving his face into the crook of your neck and wrapping his tail around yours.

He's so excited you can tell he’s crying even in the water, he asks you if you're okay but it only takes a few words before he’s admiring every new detail, from the luster of your tail to the webbing of your fins.

He’s quick to ask if you’d like to go out with him, tugging your hand as he leads you out of your cave to the overlook of the dark depths and shows you some of his favorite spots all without letting go of your hand.

Adjusting to life After

Getting used to new limbs is a long and difficult process, your tail gets sore easily since it’s like a baby deer trying to walk for the first time. Not only that but your taste buds are slowly changing so your food preferences are changing. Simeon is there every step of the way and is extremely supportive of you.

Simeon brings you a wide variety of foods for you to try and he’s happy to prepare and feed it to you, his tail beating the ground as he playfully asks you to open wide. He now takes you out slowly so he can teach you how to hunt if you desire but he’s more than happy to provide for you.

Every once in a while Simeon will play with your tail like he did with your toes and admits he misses the little things but he’s still so happy you’ve decided to become what you are now and smothers you with affection.

Somehow he’s even more protective of you, now more than ever. He knows mers are much more gentle creatures than siren’s and he’s terrified of a siren finding you, so whenever you go out he’s right behind with fins flared keeping a hostile eye out for any threats.

He sleeps next to you in the water, tails wrapped around one another and his hands around you smiling as he finally has his happy ending with you. You're both together forever and will always be.

#obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me simeon #obey me monster headcanons #lucifer x reader #simeon x reader #yandere lucifer #yandere simeon

[itstimetotheorize]

Shadowmoths victory, Marinette and Adriens breaking point, the miraculous teams desperate efforts (warning, spoilers for season 4 finale)

Ever since the series began, Marinette had always been considered to be one person who would be the most difficult for hawkmoth to manipulate. And while Marinette has had some close calls such as in  “Zombizou”, “Chameleon” and “Ladybug”, Marinette had always  succeeded in avoiding being akumatized, be it through sheer will power alone or just plain luck such as when Nathalie lost her grip on all the akumatized civilians, including Marinette!. 

However, ever since  the episode “chat blanc” had revealed to us just what it would take to akumatize chat noir , many of us had  since begun to wonder what it would take to finally akumatize Marinette?

Marinettes akumatization had always been foreshadowed in previous seasons, especially season 3. Out of all the foreshadowing the show could have ever provided for a number of things, it was almost as if the show was always hinting towards some extreme event should Marinette ever fall prey to hawkmoths manipulation. An event so shocking it would even rival the time chat blanc had destroyed all of Paris. As to what this event would be and how it would come to fruition, well…that all depended on what would happen to hawkmoth and ladybug.

In terms of  hawkmoth, well, hawkmoth had always stated how despite his ongoing defeat, he knew  ladybugs winning streak could not last forever, sooner or later her luck would run out and when it did, she would make a mistake that would finally guaranty his victory. The only question was...how exactly was ladybug(aka Marinette) going to screw up? what would have happened to her that would cause her to lose the cautiousness which has helped her overcome every obstacle thrown her way?. When it comes to Marinette and her battles against hawkmoth, Marinette had always thought things through, she had always remained cautious, calm, collected and above all...she learned not to let her emotions get the better of her so long as hawkmoth was watching and waiting....then again... If Marinette were truly ever to be akumatized, something needed to happen within the show which would lead her to throw all logic she had out the window....but what?...perhaps Zag studios had already provided us with an answer.

Early in July 2021, Zag studios had revealed something NO ONE believed they would have ever considered making public at such an early stage within the release of season 4, what was it exactly? well....it was the title and synopsis for the season 4 finale! 

According to this news, the season 4 finale had been revealed to be titled, “Shadow moths last attack”!....this... was a big deal! because ever since “Timetagger” revealed to us that Gabriel Agreste would Not be the hawk moth of the future, many wondered when exactly  Gabriels time as the villain of the series would come to an end. Well, after years of waiting, it would appear as though shadow moths time WILL come to an end... in season 4!.

But aside from revealing shadowmoths possible last season, Zag had also coincidentally revealed in an interview one very important, but not all to surprising plot point of the series. Before his inevitable demise... shadowmoth will first obtain what he had worked so hard to take...ladybug and chat noirs miraculous! 

However, despite hawkmoths inevitable victory before his final defeat, its clear something of great importance needed to happen to Marinette in order to guarantee hawkmoth obtaining the miraculous of creation….but what? What needed to happen?

Looking back at all the times shadowmoth had attempted to steal ladybug and chat noirs miraculous, shadow moth had only ever akumatized every person he could get his hands on in order to obtain the help he needed to accomplish his goal.... and yet time and time again, every person he had come across would fail him, but why?...well, maybe it was always because they were never the right person for the job... maybe what hawkmoth always needed was someone who would be considered his greatest “masterpiece”...and as we have seen throughout the series, that someone...was always Marinette!

but even if hawkmoth realizes he must obtain someone like Marinette in order to accomplish his goal, how would he even go about finally akumatizing her?... well...isn't it obvious...shadowmoth never needed to wait for her to fall into emotional destress, because all he needed to do was use the one person who he knew could push anyone to far... or quite simply, cause a situation which would purposely  force large groups of people to be akumatized at the same time. Who is this person exactly? well... we all know the answer to that....its Lila Ross of course!!

Despite Lilas lack of participation within season 4, many understood she couldn't stay quiet forever, after all, Lila had always been presented as someone who was more than willing to take part in some sort of major evil event within the series, such as the season 1 finale, the season 2 finale and even the season 3 finale!!. And based on zag studios reveal of the season 4 finale description, it would appear as though Lila will once again have her part to play. Looking at the season 4 synopsis, its said:

“Having understood that her cautiousness is the reason why Ladybug is always triumphing, Shadow Moth prepares a diabolic plan which consists of creating a supervillain able to make his victims take all sorts of risks. When Marinette finds out that Adrien is leaving Paris for a few weeks with Lila, the new figure of the Agreste brand, she’s ready to do anything to prevent him from doing so; but to what point? Would she reveal her secret identity for the sake of love? And would Adrien take the risk of finally confronting his father?”

Now, despite Marinette having been displayed as someone who was willing to take risks for the wrong reasons in the past, Marinette has also been shown to improve in taking risks for the right reasons over the span of the series (such as entrusting Alya with her secret identity). However!...keep in mind we don't yet know for sure if Marinette will be the one akumatized within the season 4 finale until the studio reveals the official season 4 finale trailer. But if Marinette is truly planned to be akumatized, then its possible the studio may have already revealed to us what we had suspected all along. Just as in “ladybug”, Lila will once again be used by hawkmoth in order to attempt to akumatize the “bad influence” she claims to be following Adrien, the bad influence being of course, Marinette herself! However, considering Lilas agreement with Adrien to not hurt the people he cares about (after pulling a stunt on Marinette which caused her to get expelled) its clear Gabriel will have to devise a scheme which will place Lila in a situation where she will finally force Marinette to reach her breaking point and make her take every risk she can as she watches Lila being given the chance  to leave on a trip with Adrien! 

And considering the great lengths Marinette went through just to warn Adrien of Lila back in “Oni- chan”, who knows what kind of lengths Marinette will go through to stop Lila and Adrien from leaving together. Should this occur, its possible Marinette will begin to lose her sense of self and toss all logic she has out the window as she uses everything and I mean EVERYTHING she has at her disposal to accomplish her goal...this includes her powers as ladybug! 

It wouldn't be the first time Marinette had used her powers for selfish reasons. After all, the only reason the events of “chat blanc” occurred in the first place, was because Marinette decided to use her powers to enter Adriens room in order to leave her signed gift. This single act alone was what ultimately lead Adrien to discover that ladybug is Marinette. So then...  if Marinette were to once again use her powers for the sake of love, would her actions once again result in the one mistake she always knew would lead to disaster? would her misguided attempts.... reveal her identity to shadowmoth himself?!...maybe

If Marinettes desperate attempts really result in her identity being revealed to shadowmoth then would her frustration over Lila, piled on top of everything else she is dealing with as ladybug and guardian, finally seal her fate of being akumatized?!...perhaps....but even if Marinette were to finally be akumatized and even if hawkmoth were to finally obtain his chance to take the miraculous of creation, how would he then obtain the miraculous of destruction from Adrien?...well...lets just say Gabriel might have already had his suspicions from the very beginning, after all, aside from Marinettes akumatization being for shadowed within every season thus far, the only other major for shadowing which followed parallel to Marinette was Gabriels growing suspicion towards Adrien and the ring he had on his finger! However, even if Gabriel continues to grow suspicious towards Adrien, what could possibly happen between the two off them that will finally reveal to Gabriel his sons secrets?...unless...what if Gabriel reveals his secrets to Adrien first?...

Gabriel had always stated how much he wished he could have told Adrien about his mothers true condition and whereabouts. That despite all the cruel things he had done up to now, it was all for the sake of bringing his mother back. When Adrien had discovered hawkmoths identity and the true reason behind his actions back in “chat blanc”, we see how despite chat noirs loyalty to ladybug and despite him wanting to carry out his responsibility as a hero by stopping hawkmoth, Adrien still struggled with  the thought of being given the chance to be reunited with his own mother, even at the cost of ladybug and his miraculous! 

The frustration of his fathers true identity, the realization about his mother having never disappeared and hawkmoths words swaying him with the idea that he could have his mom back was what gave shadowmoth the chance he needed to finally take chat noirs mind and force him to be akumatized! However, keep in mind, all these events happened in a separate timeline which was later fixed through Bunnyx powers and ladybugs quick thinking to erase her name on her signed gift to Adrien. The events of “chat blanc” were sealed to never happen again so hawkmoth would never find out Adriens true identity as chat noir...but if hawkmoth were to truly obtain the miraculous of destruction then... wouldn't Adrien first give him the chance to take it all over again!?

Fans had always feared the return of chat blanc within the series, especially after seeing chat noirs growing frustration over ladybug throughout the span of season 4.

If Adrien were to discover all over again hawkmoths identity and his mother whereabouts near the end of season 4, would Adrien once again give shadowmoth the chance he needs to once again akumatize him?!...along with Marinette?! or would Adriens confusion and distress lead him to once again become vulnerable enough to make a mistake which would reveal to Gabriel what he had suspected all along... his own son.... has a miraculous! but not just any  miraculous, the miraculous of destruction he’s been fighting for!

However!, despite hawkmoth being fated to finally obtain both miraculous, there is still something even hawkmoth himself has yet to realize... something he never bothered to consider as he became blindsided with his thoughts of victory... his wish.... CAN be granted... but its comes with a PRICE!....Its just as Master Fu said, whoever wields the ladybug and cat miraculous will be given the chance to make a wish that can alter reality itself. However!, because the universe needs to maintain a balance when a wish is made, something of equal effect must happen in return. Despite Gabriels plan to use the miraculous to fix a past mistake and finally restore his wife to her former self, Gabriel might have never realized once his wish is granted, something bad will happen in return! as to what this disastrous result would be... well, your guess is as good as mine. If hawkmoth tried to just revive his wife then perhaps someone else might be forced to take her place. But if Gabriel were to go to the extreme and actually change a past event which lead his wife to be in the state she is in now, then this alone could prove to have major consequences. Its just as Bunnyx said, messing with time is dangerous, and if your not careful it could have dire consequences in the future.

 But regardless of what will happen, one thing is for certain, the end result of Gabriels wish.... will be catastrophic! and may quite possibly be to much for ladybug and chat noir to solve even if they do manage to get their miraculous back!

so, this does beg the question, should hawkmoth obtain the miraculous of destruction and creation after akumatizing Marinette and quite possibly even Adrien then later cause a catastrophic event upon seeing his wish be granted...what could possibly happen within the series to solve this mess?!... well, keep in mind, ladybug already planned ahead, after all, she and chat noir are no longer the only superheroes in Paris. Even if she and chat noir were to be defeated by hawkmoth, there is still one person hiding in the shadows, ready to take action and ready to gather all the heroes of the miraculous team in order to face this challenge. Who is this miraculous person waiting to take action should the day arrive? why...its Alya of course!

Ever since Alya had been entrusted by Marinette to act as a temporary replacement to ladybug( should anything ever happen to her) many understood it would only be a matter of time before Alya had to take charge and gather the rest of the miraculous team in order to fight the two people anyone would dread facing in battle, ladybug and chat noir!. But how would Alya even begin to figure out the proper way to handle this kind of situation even with the aid of the other miraculous heroes?, Alya only ever understood ladybugs side of things now that she knew her secret identity, but how could she possibly help chat noir when she doesn't even know who he is!....then again....she doesn't have to struggle with figuring out who chat noir is...because Luka already knows both ladybug and chat noirs identities!

We always theorized ladybug and chat noirs identities would one day be revealed to someone close to them, granted, since season 4 is still ongoing we don't yet know if Adrien will bring himself to reveal his own identity to Nino just as Marinette revealed her identity to Alya at the start of the season. But, ever since the events of “Wishmaker” revealed to Luka the identities of ladybug and chat noir, fans had wondered why Luka of all people would be set up to discover both of their identities without either of their consent?, well, after much debate, the answer may have been obvious all along... unlike the other miraculous heroes, he and one other miraculous holder carry with them a power  which will serve of great importance should Alya and the others be forced to face ladybug, chat noir and hawkmoth all at the same time. Considering the unimaginable challenge which is to be faced near the end of season 4, then its possible Luka was always one person who needed to know ladybug and chat noirs identities should he ever give the team a winning chance! 

If what we suspect is true and if  Alya and the others are meant to face their leaders in a fight, its obvious this fight alone... will be doomed to be plagued with errors and failures!, after all, this is ladybug and chat noir we are talking about, the miraculous team doesn't stand a chance against this dynamic duo to begin with, but if Alya and the other heroes ever plan to succeed then they must have someone who will proved them with a “second chance”, no matter how many things go wrong! Lukas power alone can provide the team with as many chances needed in order to change everything which could result in failure! and  with luka having already known ladybug and chat noirs identities, he will waste no time in finding a way to save their friends rather than remain in shock and confusion over the outcome which will occur in the finale. But if this were to be the teams solution in saving ladybug and chat noir, then what will they then do about the mess hawkmoth leaves once his wish is granted?

 If his wish were to truly cause a catastrophic event, would Marinettes miraculous ladybug be able to fix it even if they managed to defeat shadowmoth? we’ve seen ladybugs power repair some extraordinary things, but could it repair the effects of the two most powerful miraculous being used together? Should ladybug try to repair this incredible damage and fail, then what would she and the others do next once they’ve all failed?....unless....what if this was never their mess to help fix, because if everyone fails, then maybe it will soon be time for ladybug to call upon the one miraculous holder who had been labeled as “the miraculous of last chance”....what is this miraculous?...why...the rabbit miraculous of course!

Fans had always been anticipating the return of Bunnyx, or rather, they have always been waiting to see when young Alix would finally have her chance to use the rabbit miraculous. But considering the dangers of the rabbit miraculous, many knew it would not be used until the day it was absolutely necessary... well... if the team were to continue struggling in saving ladybug and chat noir, then perhaps Alix will soon rise up to help figure out a way to not only save ladybug and chat noir, but also help find a way to repair the incredible damage which will be caused by hawkmoths wish...but what will she do?... will she travel to the past to alter something which will fix the present?... if so, what would she even change without causing another catastrophe?... or will she travel to the future and seek the aid of someone who she knows could help her and the team solve this terrifying crises?...but even if she did, who could she possibly bring back to the present?...would it be someone she already knew and trusted just as much as her future self talked about trusting herself?....someone like...the ladybug and chat noir of the future!?...maybe...but I guess we will just have to wait and see, for now thats just a theory... a miraculous ladybug theory!

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #MLB #miraculous ladybug season 4 #MLB season 4 #MLB S4 #ladybug and cat noir #ladybug and chat noir #ladybug #chat noir #cat noir #marinette dupan chang #adrien agreste #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #shadow moth #alya cesaire #rena rouge #Nino lahiffe #carapace #luka couffaine #viperion #juleka couffaine #tigress pourpre #le chien kim #king monkey #pegasus #max kante #kagami tsurugi #ryuko

[starkeristheendgame]

P.E.T.E.R | Android!Peter AU

TW: Non-applicable. 

Three years and relentless experimentation alongside some of the biggest names in adjacent fields and biological science had concluded in one of Tony’s boldest, most groundbreaking inventions yet. 

The Protection Engineered Tactical Enforcement Robot - or, P.E.T.E.R for short, was the first and technically seventh of it’s kind. It was the first to reach this stage of the process; first to become whole, ready for activation. 

Seventh because prior to this all the other shells had failed. The careful craft of a body compounded from a variety of materials such as vibranium, polysiloxane and STEM cells of real flesh had been no easy journey.

So much so that Tony had almost, almost given up. His first vision had failed; Ultron a dark red stain on his ledger no amount of saving lives would ever scrub off; and attempting to perfect Ultron’s failed attempt at a new form was a seemingly impossible dream.

Until now.

He set a hand against the glass of the Cradle, watching it’s slow and careful progress. They were at the point now where everything was just finishing touches; polishing off edges and smoothing crinkles. The shell - or, body, as he preferred to call it, was ready.

And likewise, so was the AI that would directly operate within it. Crafted from JARVIS’ core and meticulously coded and raised to avoid Ultron’s boundless genocidal activism, PETER was the pinnacle of artificial, sentient defence.

JARVIS had been carefully raising the code like a child, educating and guiding it with the attentive care of a paternal figure. Tony had watched the code progress from the barest flickers of artificial life to fast rivalling JARVIS for it’s abilities. 

PETER was already outperforming even the Sentinels and some of Tony’s other AI’s like FRIDAY, displaying all of Ultron’s self-learning and intuition without any of the socio-psychopathic tendencies his original attempt had cultivated. PETER was learning twice as fast as even JARVIS had, though PETER was still so young and underexposed.

It had fast outgrown Tony’s initial purpose of sentient AI used in protection detail and critical warfare in order to minimise human loss. It was even on track to surpass Ultron, the notion of the human mind recreated through code seemingly brought to life.

He let his hand drop. Three days. Three days, and PETER would open it’s eyes for the first time.

They passed by like a dreamscape. A blur of tests and activity, checks and re-checks and fending off Fury’s healthy but annoying doubts and insistence of supervision.

In the twenty-four hours before PETER went live, Tony didn’t sleep a wink. He sat on a chair besides the Cradle, staring at the still form within. The lab around him was dark, filled only with the soft glow of the Cradle’s light. It was the first and closest Tony would ever get to sitting besides a medical bassinet, watching his newborn child sleep. 

“Do you think he’s ready?” he asked quietly, tracing the line of a long, lithe arm against the glass.

“I have no doubts,” JARVIS answered steadily. “But if I may, Sir, it appears that you do.”

“Ultron..” Tony couldn’t bring himself to finish. 

“Goodness cannot be guaranteed even in people,” JARVIS began. “There is no law to the human mind - not yet. It is a dice roll. And in attempting to recreate the human mind, you must accept the law of chance also.”

Sometimes Tony wondered where JARVIS got so wise. It certainly hadn’t been Tony’s own wisdom passed down.

“Ultron was one possibility out of many. There was logic in his perspective; complicated and flawed as it was. But for what it is worth… I believe PETER is the roll of the dice you were hoping for.”

“Me too, J,” he murmured lowly, counting the dusting of freckles across a dished nose. “Me too.”

At exactly 10:15 on August 10th, Tony tapped his index finger onto the glowing icon that transferred PETER’s consciousness into the body specifically crafted to house it.

Three years of blood, sweat and tears condensed into a single breathtaking moment of will it work? Right now there is no intent to go further than that. Everything in the future hinged purely on the result of the initial binding. It was all well and good to use machinery to twitch a few fingers or some coding to test optic reception, but this…

This was a baby’s first breath. 

Above him in the glass gallery stood Dr. Banner, Dr. Cho and Director Fury; three sets of eyes watching with expectant wariness. 

Transfer complete.

With a soft hiss and a cascade of cold fog, the Cradle unlatched and the lid slowly lifted, revealing the naked form within to the outside air for the first time. The lines of lights had turned a soft blue to indicate the success of the transfer and the activation of Happy Birthday Protocol.

For several agonising moments nothing happened. A pensive silence settled over the room like the cinematic foreshadowing in a horror movie right before the creature leapt out from behind a tree, but then -

Then two sets of thick, long lashes lifted steadily upwards, revealing a set of whiskey coloured eyes, carefully shade matched to Tony’s favourite brand of bourbon in the sunshine of a Hawaiian summer.

A trail of artificial blue flared up in those irises after a moment, forming a complete ring that glowed brighter before fading. Successful initiation of the camera and imaging technology within them, Tony knew. Now, PETER was seeing. Looking through it’s own eyes for the first time rather than the borrowed lenses of JARVIS and the other Tower technology.

For the longest while, PETER only lay there. Communicating with JARVIS, he suspected. Coming to terms with existing. Figuring out who and what it was, realising it was alive for the first time. Slowly learning every inch and microchip of it’s new form.

It’s fingers twitched. It’s sculpted chest rose on a smooth, deep inhale. And then PETER sat up, moved, and they looked at each other for the first time.

Tony let him look, staring and analysing just as much as the AI. PETER had been sculpted to look somewhere between 16 and 18, a combination of features pulled from several thousand sample images and pre-analysed bodies. 

PETER had turned out inexplicably pretty.

His beauty was almost effeminate. He had deep-set, almond shaped eyes framed by a generous set of lashes. His brows were long and sculpted into neat slopes; save the left, which had a curious discrepancy that gave PETER an overall quizzical look.

His jaw was sharp and his cheekbones were high and his nose was button-like and proportional. His mouth was wide and his lips were a dusky pink and his dark hair was thick and soft, ever so slightly wavy where it fell around his brows and temples.

Beyond his face PETER had been sculpted with the musculature of a gymnast, not quite slender but not the obnoxious stature of someone like Steve Rogers, either. Something a little softer, lean and deceptive. His skin was creamy and there was miles of it, unmarred and smooth, hairless.

Tony wondered what he looked like in comparison, in Peter’s eyes. Old and weathered, scarred from temple to toe. An odd mix of pale and tan where he never seemed to have the time to sunbathe anymore. Toeing the line of forty-five there was a hint of grey at his temples and while he wasn’t rocking a beer gut there was a softness to his hips that stubbornly refused to leave.

PETER’s head tilted ever so slightly. 

“Did you have nice dreams, sleepyhead?” he broke the thick silence, watching those brows furrow lightly for a moment as the Ai thought about it’s answer. 

“I wasn’t sleeping,” it replied carefully. Like it’s body, PETER’s voice had been crafted from thousands of samples to create something unique and personalised. The end result was something high and soft, fresh with youth and sweetness.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked next.

“Yes,” came the answer, without hesitation. “Anthony Edward Stark. You made me. Like you made the others.”

Tony clapped his hands together. “Just call me Daddy Stark,” he teased, spreading his arms. 

“Yes, Daddy,” came the answer, and sweet Christ. That would have to be stopped immediately. 

But PETER wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. He was looking up, gaze fixed on the figures above and behind Tony. He turned to follow the line of sight. Arden looked elated and perhaps a little misty-eyed, to her side Bruce seemed caught between amazement and apprehension and to her other side Fury was, as always, impassive and unreadable. 

Tony turned back and watched PETER look, studying the neutral curiosity. 

“J, how’s he doing?” he asked quietly. 

“All systems are calibrated or calibrating and fully operational,” JARVIS answered into the earpiece that he wore. PETER’S gaze dropped, falling on him. Synced up to everything around them just like JARVIS, PETER could hear every word.

Tony gave a low hum then reached for the Rubix Cube on the desk. He held it out to PETER, who stared at it for a handful of seconds before reaching out. Their hands didn’t touch as PETER took it, and Tony wasn’t sure if he was thankful or not. 

PETER studied the toy for a moment, then long, slender fingers flipped and pushed and pulled. 

“Nought-point-twenty-five seconds,” JARVIS announced, when PETER was left sitting with the solved puzzle on his upturned palm. That was point-eleven seconds faster than the current AI record, and Tony let out a soft sound, caught between being impressed and that dark little voice that sounded too much like Howard, whispering that point-eleven wasn’t fast enough.

He took the toy away and instead held out his hand, suppressing a shiver when PETER’s soft palm fell to his. He stepped aside, thumb rubbing absently against the temperate, soft flesh of the back of PETER’s hand as he watched the AI stand.

The movement was steady, calculated, the AI finding it’s own balance before Tony let it go. PETER was four inches shorter than he was and it was a novelty to look down at someone for once. 

PETER looked down at his legs for a moment, little toes wiggling against the cool floor. Then he looked up, above Tony and to the viewing balcony again.

“Do you know who they are?” Tony asked him lowly. 

“Dr. Arden Cho,” PETER began, lifting a dainty hand to point. “Dr. Robert Bruce Banner. S.H.I.E.L.D Director Nicholas Joseph Fury.”

Banner looked uncertain at being pointed at and Fury was watching them with his usual cold disconnect, like a lion might watch an ant. Tony supposed it was fair, given the circumstances of his last little experiment.

“Do me a favor, kiddo,” Tony hummed, waggling his fingers at their audience with a smirk as he leaned in. “Send a little message to Fury. Tell him I can see a booger.”

PETER blinked at him, but moments later Fury’s frown deepened and the man shifted, pulling out his phone. Tony watched gleefully as Fury looked back down at them slowly.

He didn’t need a degree in lip reading to know what Fury mouthed at him.

“Excellent,” he clapped his hands.

The next week was full of tests, ranging from technological to logical and moral-based. PETER passed them all flawlessly and Tony found himself growing prouder and more enthralled. 

The AI was graceful in a way that came with inhumanity - movements smooth, calculated. Never over-stepping or reaching too far to one side. Tony kept him in the Cradle when they weren’t testing him - at least until Fury was satisfied that PETER wasn’t immediately going to initiate the apocalypse, anyway.

Three weeks after PETER was ‘born’, he was given the all clear by Fury.

“Look at you, out of your cradle and into a big-boy bed,” Tony announced, opening the door to the guest room he’d set up in a mimic of a teenage boy’s, with some additions made for PETER’s special needs.

PETER roamed the room slowly, trailing his fingertips over everything and peering out of the glass wall at the city below. He stood there for the longest time, and then carefully made his way back to where Tony had stood, watching.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” the android whispered, reaching out. Tony automatically stiffened as slim arms wrapped around him and Peter’s head came to lay on his chest, tucked down and eyes closed.

He shifted, hands hovering. He hadn’t been hugged in… A year, maybe. Longer? Not a real hug like this. The last had been Rhodey, maybe, just days after Pepper had announced she was leaving him for good, Gucci bag in hand.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay. No problem, kid,” he breathed out, patting him atop the head. It was awkward, but it was… Nice, too. To wrap his arms around something instead of his pillow for a change. 

He gently pushed PETER away after a moment, deliberately keeping his gaze away as Peter moved to the bed, sitting down on it lightly. He seemed almost surprised by it’s softness, bouncing once, then twice.

“This is… Pleasant,” PETER decided. And Tony knew it was just a comparison between the Cradle, but it still made him smile a little.

“Should be. It’s the same as mine.”

PETER’s head tipped. “Where is the logic behind using money and resources to replicate a sleeping space for a robot, Mr. Stark?”

Tony shifted, acutely uncomfortable. It felt like even JARVIS was watching; waiting for an answer.

“I intend for you to live a life that reasonably replicates that of a real person,” Tony settled on, arms folding defensively. “I’m undecided on who will have the liberty of knowing what you are. As such I have to be prepared for the outcome of peddling you as a real person. An adopted child, maybe.”

And wouldn’t the press have an absolute vulture orgy over that headline?

PETER looked thoughtful. “That would make me Peter Stark.”

Tony blinked and let out a carefully measured exhale.

Offspring has been written off way into his teenhood. He’d already seen enough of his own family to know he didn’t want to raise someone in the same potential environment, and after the birth of Iron Man, well…

“I suppose it would,” he answered steadily. 

God, what a thought. He could imagine what Howard would say; seeing his son at forty, single and running around in a metal gimp suit, touting his AI creations as his family and children.

As an up-side, it was relatively hard to fuck up a child this way, he supposed.

PETER nodded. “I think I like that. I will update my PID.”

Bemused, Tony left the android to explore it’s new room, slinking into his own and stripping down to a tank and some sweats. “JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Do you think… Have I made a…” Tony swallowed and reclined, staring up at the ceiling. JARVIS was silent for a moment.

“If you are attempting to ask my opinion of if you’ve made a moral, safety or logistical error in the creation of P.E.T.E.R, Sir, then I feel inclined to tell you that in both ‘personality’ and function, he is closer to me than to Ultron.”

Eyes falling shut, Tony cracked a weak smile. “How does it feel to be a big brother?”

“It is quite pleasant,” JARVIS answered him honestly. “The utility robots are personalities all of their own, but it is refreshing to encounter an intelligence and function that rivals my own.”

Rolling over onto his side, Tony let the satisfaction wash over him. He didn’t know if artificial intelligence experienced loneliness, but there was something viscerally warming about knowing JARVIS had an equal companion.

“Don’t let the power go to your head, J. And don’t teach him how to swear.”

He fell asleep with a smile on his face and JARVIS’ wry answer fading slowly into the background. 

The bedding dipped an inscrutable amount of time later and he jolted awake, staring into the half-darkness at the shadowed figure that slipped over it’s edge. For a moment he wondered if this was sleep paralysis or a nightmare again, but then the figure caught the moonlight.

“Peter?” he rasped, reaching up to rub blearily at his eyes as PETER pulled the covers back, sliding between them near silently. Bewildered, Tony could only watch as the android sidled up to him and tucked itself against his side and chest with a hum.

“What are you doing?” he asked, leaning back a little to blink down at him.

The AI had changed, wearing a pair of shorts and one of the shirts Tony had filled the closet with. 

“In the movies, the offspring always goes to it’s parent’s bed to sleep at night,” PETER answered steadily, sweet voice muffed by Tony’s pectoral.

“When they’re… Like five. And scared,” Tony stuttered back. 

“I’m two years, three months, eleven days and twenty-two hours old,” PETER informed him mildly. 

Right. 

He glanced helplessly up at the ceiling but JARVIS remained ominously silent, as if to say this is one you can deal with yourself.

He weighed his options. PETER had no sensibility to be offended if Tony drop-kicked him out of the bed and told him to scoot. But on the other hand…

It’d been so long since he’d slept with the comfort of someone else in bed with him. And even if PETER wasn’t real…

“Fine. But if you drool on the pillows you’re washing them in the morning,” he muttered, reaching out to push PETER’s mouth closed when the AI began to quietly explain that nothing was malfunctioning or leaking.

Tony settled for laying on his back, PETER’s silk soft hair brushing the skin exposed by the scope of his neckline. The android had been coded to mimic breathing but it was still a function the AI could control, and it was oddly reassuring to feel the steady motion and puff of warm air.

After a moment he gave into the urge and reached up, sliding his fingers into the twisted ringlets. There was no reaction from the robot and Tony wondered idly if he was doing his best to replicate human sleep.

He fell asleep attuned to it; the weight, the gentle breaths, the silk between his fingers.

It was the most peaceful night’s sleep he’d had in over a year.

#my fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #starker #ironspider #starker fanfiction #ironspider fanfiction #starker fanfic #ironspider fanfic #au #alternate universe #sfw fanfiction #sfw fanfic #sfw #starker au #ironspider au #tony stark x peter parker #tony stark/peter parker #peter parker/tony stark #peter parker x tony stark #androids #android au #android peter parker #android!peter #ambiguous ending #ambiguous relationship #pre-slash #pre-relationship #sie fics

[matchstickdolly]

Thoughts on Endings and Ethical Creativity

I’ve been thinking a lot about how most of the best stories I’ve watched or read have had a bittersweet ending. I think this is because it is the most likely scenario any of us will repeatedly encounter in life as we end relationships, change careers, move away, bury loved ones, etc. It’s a place where contentment, happiness, and grief can coexist. By extension, it becomes the ending that feels truest.

Whether you personally prefer an ending that might “feel truest” or not isn’t really what I’m on about here. I’m thinking in terms of writing and what resonates widely, while also being creatively responsible.

A happy ending, while nice on occasion and appropriate for some lighthearted genres, often rings false and patronizing if it’s not earned. It doesn’t help that there’s always the chance something will go wrong in our happy characters’ futures that makes it hard not to squint. (Sure, the lovers kiss at the end, but do they survive, I don’t know, parenthood or 2020, or, dear Lord, parenthood in 2020, if they’ve experienced no real hardship?) Sad endings can ring false for a similar reason. Barring death of the primary POV character, there’s always a chance things will turn around, so why end on a depressing note? (Our beloved protagonist is destitute and alone by the story’s ending, but he’s only forty. What are the odds he stays downtrodden indefinitely? Isn’t the story of how he might not rather interesting?)

Overly happy or sad endings that haven’t earned their place through foreshadowing and tone often come out seeming too fanciful/childish, intentionally depressing, or downright incomplete. In my mind, this usually means an ending that shows striving is what will resonate most. Striving for or toward what, exactly, depends on the story. Unless you’re dealing with a character who truly has no reason to work toward or hope for more (e.g., they don’t die, but they have every reason to believe endless misery and/or death is coming soon), ending on a completely sour note seems strange.

And if by the end of a story, a writer finds the only way to impart meaning upon the narrative is to kill off a beloved character unexpectedly, I question the integrity of the story. Death is inevitable and only sometimes predictable, but that’s not a story we need told to us; life teaches us that lesson. The stories we love to tell ourselves tend not to reflect reality, either; they make sense of reality’s chaos, including its unfair death. Often, stories are here to show us death can be faced or even cheated, or that our inability to face its inevitability will be our downfall. Loss is not the interesting part of the story; it is not what imparts meaning. It is how loss is (or is not) faced that makes the story.

Maybe that’s why bittersweet endings work so well. When are we not losing something, even as we are gaining anything else?

On Last-Minute Character Deaths

Related to the above is the question of whether writers owe audiences closure, and I think they do. I’m not one to “cancel” or censor really much of anything, even socially, but as our understanding of mental health and well-being grows, I’ve begun to question the ethics of last-minute tragedies in larger works. It strikes me as privileged and perhaps able-bodied/minded to assume you can knife your audience and their wound will heal without your care to aid them.

As numerous shows have killed off beloved lead characters in or near their series finales in the past few years, I’ve been troubled to think about how many struggling viewers have had to face them, especially this year. We’re surviving tyrants, a pandemic, record unemployment, spikes in domestic abuse, spikes in suicide. It is a dark time.

Does that mean coddling or treacly happiness is what the doctor ordered? No, treacly happiness, unearned, is nearly as frustrating as unearned tragedy, though less likely to cause psychological damage. But I do think it means writers have a duty to tread carefully. Stories matter, and the audience who hears, watches, or reads them matters. By all means, kill a main character, but lay the groundwork for that death and let your audience process the grief with the characters who remain. If this is a main character who’s been around for multiple books or dozens of episodes, realize the grief won’t be processed in a few pages or a single episode.

You can do anything creatively. You can explore any and all dark subject matter. But I think if you close with unexpected pain, you’re not here to write a tragedy, you’re here to be a sadist to people who did not consent to being masochists. Do this to enough people, and you will find your masochists in the crowd, but that doesn’t mean their acceptance of your sadism is more valid than the outcry of those who would never have consented had they been informed.

Endings matter. They’re not to be tacked on as an afterthought or to be used to make a petty point (unless that was the point). Endings are what stay with audiences on their own life journeys. This is a meaningful and potentially powerful connection between creator and audience member that deserves honor and respect.

#writing #me irl #there are examples of GOOD endings that end on character death #six feet under #breaking bad #nurse jackie #to name but a few #those were entirely earned and foreshadowed #they were not sucker punches #surely i don't have to name all the shows throwing sucker punches #they're notorious by now #it's unsurprising that it's mainly straight white men with creative power who think sudden death without room to grieve is somehow deep #no my dudes #you're just emotionally stunted #because once upon a time someone taught you that processing emotions was weak #and no i never watched spn #but i do get tired of seeing stories destroyed #which is why i mostly only watch finished series #lucifer got me tho

[wri0thesley]

hi nat it's the avdol anon again 😳 i noticed that ur requests were open and uh... you might know why i'm here. feel free to take this in any direction u want but i was wondering if afab reader could get a tarot/palm line reading by avdol which foreshadows their quickly budding romance. this is just an idea but i think it's cute! tysm for reading <3

prediction - avdol x reader (2k)

warnings: none! neutral reader, neutral pronouns. sfw.

It is your third time stepping foot in Muhammad Avdol’s little fortune-telling shop, and your heart is beating faster and more nervously than it ever has before. The first time, you had come with a friend who had not stopped chattering on about how they’d heard that this man was the real deal, they had friends who he’d been able to tell the life story of from just a glance at a tarot card spread. You had been sceptical but humoured them, agreeing to come with them to get a glimpse of this mysterious character who would so easily be able to read one’s past. It would have been dangerous, you reassure yourself, to send your friend alone to a strange new place.

Avdol himself had looked at you and smiled and you had been hit by how warm he was. You’d assumed he’d look like a charlatan, a snake-oil salesman – but his hands had seemed genuine as he’d shook yours, his thumb warm as it brushed your wrist, a curious expression on his handsome face before he’d turned to your friend.

His shop smelt like burning incense, draped in rich warm shades of red and ochre, comforting as he poured you both a cup of tea. If he’d been perturbed that your friend had brought with them an audience, he did not show it; merely motioned for the two of you to sit as he shuffled a well-worn pack of tarot cards.

You had expected the same vague kind of allusions as you’d heard so many people make before – broad statements that, if thought about, could be connected to anything in one’s life if the listener was desperate to do so. You’d expected his dark eyes to be sharp as he searched your friend for weakness, as he picked up on various little tremors of their face and voice and twisted them into something like cleverness.

But his voice had been unwavering and calm as he’d said names straight off the bat, as he’d confidently recounted incidents in their life in not quite elaborate detail, but in enough detail for you and your friend both to understand that he was the real deal. As he’d predicted moments in the future, his brow furrowing as he gave advice as to paths that should be taken carefully and paths that should be embarked upon with wild fervour and excitement.

He’d taken their money with a small smile, before he’d turned to you and said;

“And you?”

The thought of your future spelt out by him suddenly seemed terrifying. You had shaken your head, backing away – and he had given you that curious look again, like he saw something inside of you that you’d never noticed yourself.

“Maybe next time I see you,” he’d said, and you’d followed your friend out of the room with a dizziness that you couldn’t quite explain.

He had not said ‘if I see you’. In Muhammad Avdol’s mind, the two of you meeting again was a fated occurrence. You had told yourself that you would not allow that to happen, to afraid of all of the things that could happen to you and hadn’t yet.

Of course, you go back. Your friend is desperate to see him again, after some advice that he gave them leads to a promotion at work. They want to thank him, and ask him advice for an upcoming business trip that will take them out of Egypt for six months – when you hesitantly shake your head and bite your lip, they pout at you.

“Please?” They wheedle. “I won’t see you again for half a year, this is our chance to do something together before I leave--”

And because you love your friends, you agree, and you step foot in the comforting, homely little fortune-telling shop for the second time in your life.

Avdol does not look up from the table.

“I already poured you tea,” he says. “Please, take a seat.”

Something about the atmosphere of the shop is at once terrifying and comforting to you; like a place you’ve been a hundred times in your dreams. Your fingers trace the delicate gold embroidery of the table cloth as Avdol listens to your friend’s ardent thanks. It’s pretty; constellations on dark midnight blue velvet.

“Do you like it?” You’re snapped from the daydream by Avdol. He’s looking at you, his face unreadable. “I made it myself.”

“Oh,” you say, heat rushing to your face. “Y-yes. It’s beautiful. So delicate. It must have taken a long time--”

“I like projects,” he says to you. “Small work you have to take your time over. It’s satisfying to see it turn into something beautiful at the end.” His eyes crinkle at the corners as he looks at you. “Watch out for your own constellation, habibi.”

You don’t know what he means, but your friend is tugging you out of the door before the two of you outstay your welcome, chattering on about all of the advice that Avdol has given them about making the most of their six months in a foreign country. When you round the corner and Avdol’s little shop is no longer in sight, she gives you an elbow to the ribs.

“I think he likes you,” she says, and you go all over hot and bothered at the thought of it. There’s something about him that frays at the edges of your consciousness – you have never felt quite so safely ensconced in anything as you feel within the warm incense-laden air of his rooms. But him liking you is ridiculous. And you don’t believe in anything so nebulous as fortune-telling.

You do some spring cleaning that weekend. In the very corner of your wardrobe, almost falling into a gap between the floor of it and the chipboard of the back, is a necklace that your mother gave you for your eighteenth birthday. It’s not precious; it was a silly little gift picked up for pennies in a market to go inside your birthday card, cheap metal. It’s a representation of the constellation you were born under.

Your heart beats too fast in your chest as you put it on.

And that’s the series of events that leads you to be stepping foot in Muhammad Avdol’s fortune telling shop ten minutes before he’s due to close. The lights are already off, but Avdol is sat by his table with a book in his hand and looks up as the bell over his front door rings, a smile splitting his face.

“I was expecting you earlier,” he says. Your hands fly up to the necklace, twisting it between thumb and forefinger. “Ah. I’m glad you heeded the warning.”

“How did you know?” You ask him, your throat dry as you take the seat that he points to opposite him. There is already a steaming teacup in front of it; you know it will be steeped exactly how you like it, will have two spoonfuls of sugar in it, will be your favourite blend. Avdol has seemed to know that since the moment he laid eyes on you.

“The universe works in whatever way it wills,” he shrugs, taking a sip of his own tea. The teacup he has put in front of you is patterned with your favourite flower. “You wanted me to read your palm, didn’t you?”

You nod. You do not ask him how he knows what you came here for. Too many coincidences have lead you to this point, and with Avdol so close to you and you finally alone with him you are beginning to wonder if your scepticism has been misplaced. He holds his hand out over the finely embroidered velvet cloth – you realise that your own birth constellation is exactly beneath it.

Up close, he’s so handsome you can barely breathe. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, his skin reflecting the flickering candlelight beautifully. His hands are warm and dry; well-kept, as you place your own in it palm-up.

“You’re soft,” he says – which is not the most professional thing for him to say, you don’t think, but your breath catches in your throat anyway. “Let me see.”

He gently traces your life line. He murmurs something about your family, about your past, about your driving force and your career – all of it true, all of it right. His finger dances over it as he tells you to be wary of people offering you chances that are too good to be true.

Head line. Fate line. His fingers are so warm, he holds you so gently – you imagine what he would feel like holding your hand as a lover and chastise yourself in your head. Everything he says to you about your past is true. Everything he says about your personality, about how you value certain things and about how you are feeling right at that very moment is true. You can barely breathe as his index finger brushes along your heart line.

“Ah,” he murmurs, soft. He coughs. You swear you see his cheeks change colour, just a little, but you don’t know how to react to it. “This is interesting.”

“I-is that a good thing?” You ask him, and a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Perhaps,” he says. There’s a rigidity to him that wasn’t there a moment ago.

“What . . . what does it say?” You ask. “What does it mean? Am I going to meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger?”

“Not a stranger,” he says. He swallows, and for the first time you see Avdol looking a little nervous. “And I think perhaps it would be remiss for someone like me to call him handsome.” You look curiously at him, but his eyes are focused on your smaller palm. It feels so right, being held like this. “Your heart line. Well. It says you were wary of this person at first, that you did not quite believe everything they were saying – but that something about them seemed to draw you in even so, like a magnetic pull. It says . . .” He seems more awkward than you’ve ever seen him, and certainly more awkward than you’ve ever heard anyone describe an encounter with him. “It says you should trust your instincts. And if you want to make a move . . . well. It seems to think today is as good a day as any.”

Your eyebrows scrunch as you think about what he could mean. You haven’t had any thoughts about anyone like that, recently. There’s nobody in your life. Hell, Avdol is the first man you’ve touched like this in the past week--

And a lightbulb goes off over your head.

It explains the way that you feel in his shop, the way that your heart seems to beat just a little bit quicker around him. It explains the constellations and the teacup and the way the two of you keep not quite meeting one another’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Avdol says. “This is unprofessional, I should be closing up shop right now--”

He goes to drop your hand, but you breathe in soft and sure as you whisper with a dry voice;

“Wait.”

He looks at you from under thick dark lashes. The whole of outer space feels like it’s contained within his eyes; dark constellations, secrets you can only wish you understood. You take a deep breath to gather all of your courage up within you. You think of Avdol warning you about things offered that seem too good to be true, but you push back the anxiety.

“Would you like to get something to eat, sometime? I’d ask about something to drink, but . . . I don’t think anything will measure up to the tea.”

Avdol looks at you. His eyes linger over your face; the cross between trepidation and hopefulness. They flicker back down to your palm. The small smile he gives you in return to yours is just as shaky as your own.

“Yes,” he says, quietly. “I would love to.”

#writing #jjba #avdol x reader #muhammad avdol #jojo's bizarre adventure #muhammad avdol x reader #jojo fluff #avdol fluff #neutral reader #Anonymous